Changes in the Activity of Phosphatase and the Content of Phosphorus in Salt-Affected Soils Grassland Habitat Natura 2000

The subject of this study was the humus horizons in the salt-affected soils of Natura 2000 (Ciechocinek, Poland). In the adequately prepared soil, there were determined: pH in CaCl2, total organic carbon (TOC), exchangeable cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+), salinity (EC1:5), the content of total (TP) and available phosphorus (AP), the activity of alkaline (AlP) and acid (AcP) phosphatases. TOC affected the degree of saturation of the sorption complex with basic cations, as confirmed by correlation analysis. In the analysed soil samples a series of quantitative cations of basic character is as follows: Ca2+>Na+>K+>Mg2+. Increased salinity has modified the qualitative and quantitative composition of the soil solution. Correlation analysis confirmed the significant relationship between the conduction of the electrolytic soil and the content of sodium and potassium cations. The highest value of EC1:5 was found in the soil sampled near the ditch (sites 12, 13, 16). According to PN-R-04023 (1996), this soil classifies as class V with a very low content of P available but the availability factor for phosphorus value ranged from 2.773 to 5.252% indicating that soil P was sufficient for plant growth in this habitat. Significant positive correlations were found between salinity, alkaline phosphatase and exchangeable K+, Na+. Significant negative correlations were found between EC1:5 with P available and the availability factor for this nutrient (AF). The positive significant correlations among soil alkaline phosphatase and some physicochemical properties suggested that salinization had effects on these variables. Alkaline phosphatase may be used as indicators of soil quality in salinized grassland habitat Natura 2000

Why Are Outcomes Different for Registry Patients Enrolled Prospectively and Retrospectively? Insights from the Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF).

Background: Retrospective and prospective observational studies are designed to reflect real-world evidence on clinical practice, but can yield conflicting results. The GARFIELD-AF Registry includes both methods of enrolment and allows analysis of differences in patient characteristics and outcomes that may result. Methods and Results: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and ≥1 risk factor for stroke at diagnosis of AF were recruited either retrospectively (n = 5069) or prospectively (n = 5501) from 19 countries and then followed prospectively. The retrospectively enrolled cohort comprised patients with established AF (for a least 6, and up to 24 months before enrolment), who were identified retrospectively (and baseline and partial follow-up data were collected from the emedical records) and then followed prospectively between 0-18 months (such that the total time of follow-up was 24 months; data collection Dec-2009 and Oct-2010). In the prospectively enrolled cohort, patients with newly diagnosed AF (≤6 weeks after diagnosis) were recruited between Mar-2010 and Oct-2011 and were followed for 24 months after enrolment. Differences between the cohorts were observed in clinical characteristics, including type of AF, stroke prevention strategies, and event rates. More patients in the retrospectively identified cohort received vitamin K antagonists (62.1% vs. 53.2%) and fewer received non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (1.8% vs . 4.2%). All-cause mortality rates per 100 person-years during the prospective follow-up (starting the first study visit up to 1 year) were significantly lower in the retrospective than prospectively identified cohort (3.04 [95% CI 2.51 to 3.67] vs . 4.05 [95% CI 3.53 to 4.63]; p = 0.016). Conclusions: Interpretations of data from registries that aim to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients with AF must take account of differences in registry design and the impact of recall bias and survivorship bias that is incurred with retrospective enrolment. Clinical Trial Registration: - URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier for GARFIELD-AF (NCT01090362)

Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

Improved risk stratification of patients with atrial fibrillation: an integrated GARFIELD-AF tool for the prediction of mortality, stroke and bleed in patients with and without anticoagulation.

OBJECTIVES: To provide an accurate, web-based tool for stratifying patients with atrial fibrillation to facilitate decisions on the potential benefits/risks of anticoagulation, based on mortality, stroke and bleeding risks. DESIGN: The new tool was developed, using stepwise regression, for all and then applied to lower risk patients. C-statistics were compared with CHA2DS2-VASc using 30-fold cross-validation to control for overfitting. External validation was undertaken in an independent dataset, Outcome Registry for Better Informed Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation (ORBIT-AF). PARTICIPANTS: Data from 39 898 patients enrolled in the prospective GARFIELD-AF registry provided the basis for deriving and validating an integrated risk tool to predict stroke risk, mortality and bleeding risk. RESULTS: The discriminatory value of the GARFIELD-AF risk model was superior to CHA2DS2-VASc for patients with or without anticoagulation. C-statistics (95% CI) for all-cause mortality, ischaemic stroke/systemic embolism and haemorrhagic stroke/major bleeding (treated patients) were: 0.77 (0.76 to 0.78), 0.69 (0.67 to 0.71) and 0.66 (0.62 to 0.69), respectively, for the GARFIELD-AF risk models, and 0.66 (0.64-0.67), 0.64 (0.61-0.66) and 0.64 (0.61-0.68), respectively, for CHA2DS2-VASc (or HAS-BLED for bleeding). In very low to low risk patients (CHA2DS2-VASc 0 or 1 (men) and 1 or 2 (women)), the CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED (for bleeding) scores offered weak discriminatory value for mortality, stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding. C-statistics for the GARFIELD-AF risk tool were 0.69 (0.64 to 0.75), 0.65 (0.56 to 0.73) and 0.60 (0.47 to 0.73) for each end point, respectively, versus 0.50 (0.45 to 0.55), 0.59 (0.50 to 0.67) and 0.55 (0.53 to 0.56) for CHA2DS2-VASc (or HAS-BLED for bleeding). Upon validation in the ORBIT-AF population, C-statistics showed that the GARFIELD-AF risk tool was effective for predicting 1-year all-cause mortality using the full and simplified model for all-cause mortality: C-statistics 0.75 (0.73 to 0.77) and 0.75 (0.73 to 0.77), respectively, and for predicting for any stroke or systemic embolism over 1 year, C-statistics 0.68 (0.62 to 0.74). CONCLUSIONS: Performance of the GARFIELD-AF risk tool was superior to CHA2DS2-VASc in predicting stroke and mortality and superior to HAS-BLED for bleeding, overall and in lower risk patients. The GARFIELD-AF tool has the potential for incorporation in routine electronic systems, and for the first time, permits simultaneous evaluation of ischaemic stroke, mortality and bleeding risks. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier for GARFIELD-AF (NCT01090362) and for ORBIT-AF (NCT01165710)

Two-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation: results from GARFIELD-AF.

AIMS: The relationship between outcomes and time after diagnosis for patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) is poorly defined, especially beyond the first year. METHODS AND RESULTS: GARFIELD-AF is an ongoing, global observational study of adults with newly diagnosed NVAF. Two-year outcomes of 17 162 patients prospectively enrolled in GARFIELD-AF were analysed in light of baseline characteristics, risk profiles for stroke/systemic embolism (SE), and antithrombotic therapy. The mean (standard deviation) age was 69.8 (11.4) years, 43.8% were women, and the mean CHA2DS2-VASc score was 3.3 (1.6); 60.8% of patients were prescribed anticoagulant therapy with/without antiplatelet (AP) therapy, 27.4% AP monotherapy, and 11.8% no antithrombotic therapy. At 2-year follow-up, all-cause mortality, stroke/SE, and major bleeding had occurred at a rate (95% confidence interval) of 3.83 (3.62; 4.05), 1.25 (1.13; 1.38), and 0.70 (0.62; 0.81) per 100 person-years, respectively. Rates for all three major events were highest during the first 4 months. Congestive heart failure, acute coronary syndromes, sudden/unwitnessed death, malignancy, respiratory failure, and infection/sepsis accounted for 65% of all known causes of death and strokes for <10%. Anticoagulant treatment was associated with a 35% lower risk of death. CONCLUSION: The most frequent of the three major outcome measures was death, whose most common causes are not known to be significantly influenced by anticoagulation. This suggests that a more comprehensive approach to the management of NVAF may be needed to improve outcome. This could include, in addition to anticoagulation, interventions targeting modifiable, cause-specific risk factors for death. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

Zmienność zawartości cynku w uprawowych glebach płowych regionu Pałuki (Polska Centralna)

Zinc is an essential microelement that is required for the proper growth and development of crops, and its content in the soil varies. Due to the physiological functions it performs in living organisms, zinc is considered an essential element in the nutrition of plants and animals. The total forms of trace elements do not fully reflect the possibilities of their absorption. They provide only approximate ranges of the soil’s abundance in a given ingredient. Plants can obtain microelements only from bioavailable forms.The content of available forms of elements in soils is one of the important determinants of plant yield. Zinc deficiency is a serious problem in agricultural soils around the world because it results in reduced crop yields. The aim of the study was to assess the content of total and available forms of zinc in the surface horizons of arable Luvisols in the Pałuki region, that has been intensively used for agriculture. Basic physical and chemical soil properties were determined using methods commonly applied by soil science laboratories. The content of total zinc forms was determined using the Crock and Severson method. Forms bioavailable to plants were identified using the Lindsay and Norvell method. The content of both forms of zinc was determined by atomic adsorption spectroscopy (AAS). In the analysed samples of arable land, low contents of total and available forms of zinc were recorded. The correlation analysis that was carried out confirmed that the content of these forms in the soil is significantly influenced by reaction. Due to the low levels of zinc forms found in the studied agricultural soils, It is necessary to monitor the amounts of this trace element.Cynk jest mikroelementem niezbędnym do prawidłowego wzrostu i rozwoju roślin uprawnych, a jego zawartość w glebie jest zróżnicowana. Ze względu na funkcje fizjologiczne, jakie pełni w organizmach żywych, cynk uznawany jest za pierwiastek niezbędny w żywieniu roślin i zwierząt. Formy całkowite pierwiastków śladowych nie odzwierciedlają w pełni możliwości ich wchłaniania. Podają jedynie przybliżone zakresy zasobności gleby w dany składnik. Rośliny mogą pozyskiwać mikroelementy jedynie z form biodostępnych. Zawartość przyswajalnych form pierwiastków w glebie jest jednym z ważnych czynników warunkujących plonowanie roślin. Niedobór cynku jest poważnym problemem w glebach rolniczych na całym świecie, ponieważ powoduje zmniejszenie plonów. Celem badań była ocena zawartości form całkowitych i przyswajalnych cynku w poziomach powierzchniowych uprawnych gleb płowych regionu Pałuk, który od dziesięcioleci jest intensywnie użytkowany rolniczo. Podstawowe właściwości fizyczne i chemiczne gleby określono metodami powszechnie stosowanymi w laboratoriach gleboznawczych. Zawartość form cynku całkowitego oznaczono metodą Crocka i Seversona, a formy biodostępne dla roślin metodą Lindsaya i Norvella. Zawartość obu form cynku oznaczono metodą atomowej spektroskopii adsorpcyjnej (AAS). W analizowanych próbach gruntów ornych stwierdzono niską zawartość form całkowitych i przyswajalnych cynku. Przeprowadzona analiza korelacji potwierdziła, że na zawartość tych form w glebie istotny wpływ ma odczyn. Ze względu na niską zawartość form cynku w badanych glebach rolniczych, konieczne jest monitorowanie ilości tego mikroelementu

Enzymatic Activity of Soil after Applications Distillery Stillage

This study aimed to evaluate the fertilizing value of rye stillage used in the cultivation of winter triticale cv. &lsquo;Grenado&rsquo;. The research was performed in 2018 (autumn, before the application of the stillage), 2019, and 2020 (spring and autumn after stillage application) on Luvisoil at the depth levels of 0&ndash;20 and 20&ndash;40 cm. Each year, the basic soil parameters were analyzed, i.e., pH in 1M KCl, organic carbon (Corg), available phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu). Enzymes were also accounted: alkaline phosphatase (AlP), acid phosphatase (AcP), and dehydrogenases (DEH). The use of stillage resulted in a significant increase in the content of P, K, and Mg and the activity of AlP, AcP, and DEH in the soil. It significantly increased the Corg content and did not have a significant effect on pH. The obtained results indicate that the response of the enzymatic activity to the distillery stillage depended on both the sampling season soil and the depth. However, it is necessary to systematically monitor the pH of the soil and at the same time to rationally apply mineral fertilization

Assessment of soil phosphatase activity, phosphorus and heavy metals content depending on the mineral fertilization

The paper presents the results of research into the activity of alkaline and acid phosphatase, the content of available phosphorus, heavy metals and total organic carbon, against in soil with mineral fertilization only. The first experimental factor was phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium and sulphur fertilization in six fertilizer combinations: 1: (PKMgCaS), 2: (KMgCaS), 3: (PMgCaS), 4: (PKCaS), 5: (PKMgS), 6: (PKMgCa). The second factor was made up of nitrogen fertilization at the rates of: 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 kg∙ha-1 of N. Increasing nitrogen rates and a lack of liming increased the soil acidity inhibiting alkaline phosphatase, decreasing the content of available phosphorus in soil. A lack of phosphorus fertilization resulted in an intensive increase in the activity of both alkaline and acid phosphatase in soil. Due to the experimental factors applied, the content of the heavy metals assayed was as follows: zinc, copper ,lead, cadmium