The growing reliance on fertilizers for global food production, combined with low nutrient-use efficiency, highlights the need for new, sustainable fertilizers derived from local sources. This study evaluated the release dynamics and leaching potential of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in sewage sludge biochar-based fertilizers (BBF) enriched with mica-schist (Mica) or phonolite (Phon) and varying concentrations of oxalic acid (OA) (0, 0.33, 0.67, and 1 mol L−1). Incubation (60 days) and leaching column (6 days) experiments were conducted, and P and K release was described using non-linear kinetic models. The addition of OA increased P and K release in the soil. K release exhibited biphasic behavior—a rapid initial phase followed by gradual release—whereas P was released predominantly during the initial phases. Fertilizers synthesized using biochar produced at 300 °C showed higher P and K release. Despite the increase in the soluble fraction, the BBFs exhibited lower K leaching compared to the conventional fertilizer (KCl), while P leaching was low across all fertilizers due to its limited mobility in the soil. The developed fertilizers demonstrated potential as slow-release nutrient sources, with OA concentration playing a decisive role in modulating release kinetics and the availability of P and K in the soil.
Beef tallow biodiesel is often presented as a low-carbon fuel option, yet the reported carbon intensity of this pathway varies widely across the literature. This review examines the methodological reasons behind that variation by critically analyzing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies focused on biodiesel derived from beef tallow. Rather than comparing results numerically alone, the study investigates how modeling assumptions shape environmental interpretation. The reviewed studies were assessed in terms of feedstock classification, system boundary definition, allocation procedure, land use change inclusion, and reporting basis. The results show that beef tallow has been inconsistently modeled as waste, residue, by-product, or co-product, and that these designations directly influence whether upstream livestock burdens are excluded from or attributed to the biodiesel pathway. Consequently, studies that appear to evaluate the same fuel route often represent materially different systems. Additional divergence arises from differences in boundary start, multifunctionality handling, land-related emissions, and the use of non-equivalent reporting bases. The main contribution of this review is to demonstrate that the variation in reported carbon intensity is driven not only by methodological diversity, but by the recurrent misalignment between feedstock designation, system boundary, and burden attribution. To address this issue, the article advances a consistency-oriented framework to support more transparent interpretation of beef tallow biodiesel LCAs. Overall, the findings indicate that improving LCA practice for this pathway depends not only on better inventory refinement, but also on greater conceptual clarity, methodological coherence, and reporting transparency.
The use of sewage sludge biochar (SSB) in agricultural systems is a promising strategy for nutrient recycling, as it can serve as a multi-nutrient fertilizer, particularly a source of phosphorus (P). However, P release from SSB is associated with biochar aging in soil, highlighting the need to understand its temporal effects. The effects of biochar on soil P pools may vary depending on pyrolysis temperature and evaluation period. The objective of this study was to assess the direct and legacy effects of SSB on soil P pools over a sequence of 10 corn growing seasons. The following treatments were evaluated: control (no biochar and no mineral fertilization), mineral fertilization, SSB pyrolyzed at 300 °C and 500 °C. Biochar was applied only during the first two years, with residual effects persisting over the remaining eight years. Soil total P and its fractions, including organic P, inorganic P, and available P, were determined. Overall, both biochars increased total P and produced higher values across the different P pools than NPK and the control. The positive effects of biochar on soil P pools were pronounced up to the fifth growing season. No significant differences in soil P fractions were observed between SSB produced at 300 °C and 500 °C. Despite differences in soil P contents, the average corn grain yield was not affected by the treatments. These results improve understanding of the direct and residual effects of SSB on soil P fraction dynamics and provide a basis for establishing agronomic recommendations for using SSB as an alternative P source.
Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) was initially identified as an enzyme that deacetylates histones and suppresses gene activity. Since then, its roles have expanded considerably, and it is now recognized as a multifunctional protein conserved across various organisms. Despite increasing interest, it remains essential to clarify how exercise-induced changes in SIRT1 counteract multiple hallmarks of aging, as well as the full scope of SIRT1’s impact on different physiological systems. This review highlights recent findings on the short- and long-term effects of exercise on SIRT1 signaling in both rodents and humans during aging. We explore the molecular pathways activated in various tissues, providing insight into the specific biological functions of SIRT1 within aging cells. Optimal levels of SIRT1 help maintain homeostasis and a biochemical environment conducive to healthspan, influencing biological processes such as mitochondrial dynamics, metabolic pathways, tissue remodeling, autophagy, inflammatory responses, and redox balance. This indicates that SIRT1, a pleiotropic molecule, orchestrates multiple responses throughout aging. SIRT1 may act as a dynamic sensor for exercise benefits and protect against aging by maintaining genomic integrity. Different exercise protocols (acute and chronic) and modalities (aerobic, resistance, and combined training) can increase mRNA levels, activity, or protein levels of SIRT1 in various vital organs (adipose tissue, hippocampus, heart, liver, bone, and skeletal muscle) of aged animals and older adults, promoting health. Taken together, these observations support the notion that SIRT1 functions as a potential exerkine, and understanding its role in exercise-induced adaptations offers new insights into non-pharmacological strategies to enhance longevity.
The aim of this review is to provide an in-depth overview of chromoblastomycosis, with emphasis on emerging management strategies and therapeutic options, and to underscore potential gaps in the literature and priorities for future research. Among the newer triazoles, posaconazole has demonstrated greatest therapeutic potential in the treatment of chromoblastomycosis, including for severe and refractory disease. Adjunctive immunomodulatory therapies such as glucan, imiquimod, and acitretin have shown potential as well. Several novel and repurposed agents also have potential activity against dematiaceous fungi, including tricyclazole, HIV peptidase inhibitors, 1,10‑phenanthroline‑5,6‑dione, and benzimidazoles. A recently proposed combination protocol with debulking, intralesional amphotericin B, and oral terbinafine (DAT protocol) achieved cure in all 16 included patients in a 2025 case series. While excisional surgery remains the preferred physical therapeutic modality, several reports have shown favorable results with both photodynamic and heat therapy. Chromoblastomycosis continues to pose a therapeutic challenge, requiring prolonged antifungal therapy often combined with physical therapeutic modalities. Improved access to diagnostics and early intervention remain essential to reducing global disease burden.
