Preliminary effects of fertilization on ecochemical soil condition in mature spruce stands experiencing dieback in the Beskid Śla̧ski and Żywiecki Mountains, Poland

In recent years, there has been the phenomena of spruce dieback in Europe. Significant areas of spruce low mortality now cover both sides of the Polish southern border. We evaluated ecochemical parameters influencing the heavy dieback occurring in mature spruce stands in the Polish Carpathian Mountains. Dolomite, magnesite and serpentinite fertilizers were applied to experimental plots located in 100-year-old stands in the autumn of 2008. The experimental plots were located in the mid-elevational forest zone (900-950 m) on two nappes of the flysch Carpathians: Magura (Ujsoły Forest District) and Silesian (Wisła Forest District). The saturation of the studied soils demonstrates moderate resilience of soils in Wisła Forest District in relation to acid load and high flexibility of the Ujsoły soils. After application of the fertilizers, an increase of Mg, Ca and Mb was noted in the soil solution, determined in the overlaying highly acidic organic horizons through the ion-exchange buffering mechanism of highly protonated functional groups with high buffering capacity. Magnesium concentration increased following fertilization, presenting a potential improvement of forest growth capacity without the hazard of adverse side effects of liming. Aluminium stress in old spruce is unlikely, while trees in the control plots in Wisła Forest District may already be sensitive to aluminium stress. Serpentinite fertilization improved the supply of soils in magnesium without causing significant changes in the pH of the soil. Such changes in the pH were found in dolomite and magnesite fertilizer. © The Author(s) 2014

The impact of gender on in-hospital mortality and long-term mortality in patients undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement: SAVR and SEX Study

Background: Surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) is among the most commonly performed valve valvular surgeries. Despite many previous studies conducted in this setting, the impact of gender on outcomes in the patients undergoing SAVR is still unclear. Aims: To define gender differences in short- and long-term mortality in patients undergoing SAVR. Methods: We analyzed retrospectively all the patients undergoing isolated SAVR from January 2006 to March 2020 in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery and Transplantology in John Paul II Hospital in Cracow. The primary end point was in-hospital and long-term mortality. Secondary end points included the length duration of hospital stay and perioperative complications. Groups of men and women with regard to the prosthesis type were compared. Propensity score matching was performed to adjust for differences in baseline characteristics. Results: A total number of 4 510 patients undergoing isolated surgical SAVR were analyzed. A follow-up median (interquartile range [IQR]) was 2120 (1000–3452) days. Females constituted 41.55% of the cohort and were  older, displayed more non-cardiac comorbidities and faced a higher operative risk. In both genders, bioprostheses were more often applied (55.5% vs. 44.5%; P < 0.0001). In univariable analysis, gender was not associated linked to in-hospital fatality (3.7% vs. 3%; P = 0.15) and late mortality (rates) (23.37% vs. 23.52 %; P = 0.9). Upon adjustment for baseline characteristics (propensity score matching analysis) and considering 5-year survival, a long-term prognosis proved to be better in women with 86.8% comparing to 82.7% in men (P = 0.03). Conclusions: A key finding from this study suggests that the female gender was not associated with a higher in-hospital and late mortality rate compared to men. Further studies are needed to confirm long-term benefits  in women undergoing SAVR

Phosphatase activities of spruce stand soils after serpentinite fertilisation in combination with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilisers

The aim of this study was to assess the condition of soil after serpentine fertilisation by determining the activity of phosphatase and some physicochemical properties of soil. The study was conducted in southern Poland in the Wisła Forest District (49°8’12.92N 18°58’56.36E). The following variants: C - control - no fertiliser; S - ground serpentinite; SN - serpentinite + nitrogen; SP - ground serpentinite + P; SNP - ground serpentinite + NP; SNPK - ground serpentinite + NP (as above) + K. Fertilisation of serpentinite stimulates the activity of phosphatase in soil under spruce stands. The positive impact is reflected in the organic horizon. Less activity was noted in the humus-mineral horizon (AE) in all the fertiliser combinations three years after the fertilisation. Fertilisation of serpentinite improves the chemical properties - pH was increased, reduction of molar ratio of exchangeable calcium to magnesium form was noted