How weekly monitoring variables influence players’ and teams’ match performance in elite futsal players

This study aimed to investigate how weekly training load constrains the performance of players and teams in official futsal competitions. Data from a professional male team were collected during two seasons (46 weeks). The applied monitoring system analysed the training load (as measured by session perceived exertion, sRPE), the total recovery status (TQR), the well-being score (WBs) and the variability of neuromuscular performance during each week (CMJ-cv). In addition, the performance was assessed for all the matches. A path analysis model was performed to test the associations across variables. Results from the path analysis model revealed that it explains 31% of the teams’ performance. In general, the results show that previous team performance has no significant effects on the training week. A significant negative relationship was found between CMJ-cv and match performance (β = -.34; CI95% -.359 to -.070), as well as a significant negative relationship between players’ match performance and the team’s match performance (β = -.55; CI95% -.292 to .740). Regarding indirect effects, only a negative association between CMJ-cv and team match performance via players’ match performance (β = -.19; CI95% -.342 to -.049) was identified. The small variation of the weekly CMJ (CMJ-cv) seems to be a key variable to monitor and explain both player and team performance. Based on this model, and only looking at the physical variables, it was possible to explain 31% of the team’s performance. Longitudinal and multi-team studies should be conducted to integrate other technical, tactical and psychological variables that allow the level of understanding of players’ and teams’ performance to be improved.     

Effect of clinician information sessions on diagnostic testing for Chagas disease

BackgroundChagas disease is a potentially life-threatening neglected disease of poverty that is endemic in continental Latin America. Caused by Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi), it is one of six parasitic diseases in the United States targeted by the Centers for Disease Control as a public health problem in need of action. An estimated 300,000 people are infected with T. cruzi in the United States (US). Although its morbidity, mortality and economic burden are high, awareness of Chagas disease is lacking among many healthcare providers in the US. The purpose of this analysis is to determine if the number of diagnostic tests performed at a community health center serving an at-risk population for Chagas disease increased after information sessions. A secondary aim was to determine if there was a difference by provider type, i.e., nurse practitioner vs. physician, or by specialty in the number of patients screened.Methodology/Principal findingsWe conducted a retrospective data analysis of the number of Chagas serology tests performed at a community health center before and after information sessions for clinicians. A time series analysis was conducted focusing on the Adult and Family Medicine Departments at East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC). Across all departments there were 1,957 T. cruzi tests performed before the sessions vs. 2,623 after the sessions. Interrupted time series analysis across departments indicated that testing volume was stable over time prior to the sessions (pre-period slope = +4.1 per month; p = 0.12), followed by an immediate shift after the session (+51.6; p = 0.03), while testing volume remained stable over time after the session (post-period slope = -6.0 per month; p = 0.11).Conclusion/SignificanceIn this study, Chagas testing increased after information sessions. Clinicians who began testing their patients for Chagas disease after learning of the importance of this intervention added an extra, potentially time-consuming task to their already busy workdays without external incentives or recognition.     

Drought‐stress and plant resistance affect herbivore performance and proteome: the case of the green peach aphid Myzus persicae (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Little is known about the simultaneous effects of drought stress and plant resistance on herbivorous insects. By subjecting the green peach aphid Myzus persicae Sulzer to well‐watered and drought‐stressed plants of both susceptible and resistant peach (Prunus persica), the effects of both stressors on aphid performance and proteomics are tested. Overall, the influence of the water treatment on aphid performance is less pronounced than the effect of host plant genetic resistance. On the susceptible cultivar, aphid survival, host acceptance and ability to colonize the plant do not depend on water treatment. On the resistant cultivar, aphid survival and ability to colonize are higher on drought‐stressed than on well‐watered plants. A study examining the pattern of protein expression aiming to explain the variation in aphid performance finds higher protein expression in aphids on the drought‐stressed susceptible cultivars compared with the well‐watered ones. In the susceptible cultivar, the regulated proteins are related to energy metabolism and exoskeleton functionality, whereas, in the resistant cultivar, the proteins are involved with the cytoskeleton. Comparison of the protein expression ratios for resistant versus susceptible plants reveals that four proteins are down‐regulated in well‐watered plants and 15 proteins are down‐regulated in drought‐stressed plants. Drought stress applied to the susceptible cultivar induces the regulation of proteins in M. persicae that enable physiological adaptation to maintain an almost unaltered aphid performance. By contrast, for aphids on the resistant cultivar subjected to drought stress, the down‐regulation of proteins responds to an induced host susceptibility effect.     

Holistic assessment of the microbiome dynamics in the substrates used for commercial champignon (Agaricus bisporus) cultivation

Microorganisms strongly influence and are required to generate the selective substrate that provides nutrients and support for fungal growth, and ultimately to induce mushroom fructification under controlled environmental conditions. In this work, the fungal and bacterial microbiota living in the different substrates employed in a commercial crop (compost phase I, II and III, flush 1 and 2, and casing material on day 1, 6 and 8 after compost casing and during flush 1 and 2) have been characterized along the different stages of cultivation by metataxonomic analysis (16S rRNA and ITS2), analysis of phospholipid fatty acid content (PLFAs) and RT-qPCR. Additionally, laccase activity and the content of lignin and complex carbohydrates in compost and casing have been quantified. The bacterial diversity in compost and casing increased throughout the crop cycle boosted by the connection of both substrates. As reflected by the PLFAs, the total living bacterial biomass appears to be negatively correlated with the mycelium of the crop. Agaricus bisporus was the dominant fungal species in colonized substrates, displacing the pre-eminent Ascomycota, accompanied by a sustained increase in laccase activity, which is considered to be a major product of protein synthesis during the mycelial growth of champignon. From phase II onwards, the metabolic machinery of the fungal crop degrades lignin and carbohydrates in compost, while these components are hardly degraded in casing, which reflects the minor role of the casing for nourishing the crop. The techniques employed in this study provide a holistic and detailed characterization of the changing microbial composition in commercial champignon substrates. The knowledge generated will contribute to improve compost formulations (selection of base materials) and accelerate compost production, for instance, through biotechnological interventions in the form of tailored biostimulants and to design environmentally sustainable bio-based casing materials.     

Growing edible mushrooms: a conversation between bacteria and fungi

Mushroom cropping consists of the development and fructification of different fungal species in soil or selective substrates that provide nutrients and support for the crop. The microorganisms present in these environments strongly influence, and in some cases are required for the growth and fructification of cultivated mushrooms. Some fungi such as truffles and morels form ectomycorrhizal associations with host plants. For these fungi, helper bacteria play an important role in the establishment of plant-fungal symbioses. Selective processes acting on the microbiota present in substrates and soils determine the composition of the microbiota inhabiting the fruit bodies or interacting with fungal hyphae, and both configure the mushroom holobiont, understood as the fungus plus associated microorganisms. Here, we review current knowledge regarding the cross-talk between bacteria and fungi during mushroom cultivation. We highlight the potential use of bioinoculants as agronomical amendments to increase mushroom productivity through growth promotion or as biocontrol agents to control pests and diseases.     

Partial Evaluation of Autochthonous Probiotic Potential of the Gut Microbiota of Seriola lalandi

Seriola lalandi is an economically important species that is globally distributed in temperate and subtropical marine waters. Aquaculture production of this species has had problems associated with intensive fish farming, such as disease outbreaks or nutritional deficiencies causing high mortality. Intestinal microbiota are involved in many processes that benefit a host, such as disease control, stimulation of the immune response, and the promotion of nutrient metabolism. The aim of this study is to evaluate the in vitro probiotic properties of bacteria isolated from the intestinal content of wild Seriola lalandi. The probiotic potential was evaluated in terms of (i) the antimicrobial activity against vibrios causing outbreaks in farmed fish; (ii) the ability to stimulate genes related to an innate immune response in fish; and (iii) antibiotic resistance. Nineteen isolates identified as Pseudomonas, Shewanella, Psychrobacter, and Acinetobacter showed antimicrobial activity and significant relative expression of cytokines, serum amyloid A protein (SAA), hepcidin, and lysozyme. A positive correlation was observed between the levels of expression and the bacterial load after 24 h of exposure. Pseudomonas isolates showed a level of antibiotic resistance. In conclusion, isolates of the genera Shewanella, Psychrobacter, and Acinetobacter could serve as potential probiotics in S. lalandi culture.

     

Loss of Key Riparian Plant Species Impacts Stream Ecosystem Functioning

Ecosystems - Leaf litter of alder (Alnus glutinosa) is a key resource to detrital stream food webs. Due to its high quality and palatability, it is readily colonised by microorganisms and consumed...     

Phloroglucinol in plant tissue culture

In plant tissue culture research, there is a constant need to search for novel substances that could result in better or more efficient growth in vitro. A relatively unknown compound, phloroglucinol (1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene), which is a degradation product of phloridzin, has growth-promoting properties. Phloroglucinol increases shoot formation and somatic embryogenesis in several horticultural and grain crops. When added to rooting media together with auxin, phloroglucinol further stimulates rooting, most likely because phloroglucinol and its homologues act as auxin synergists or auxin protectors. Of particular interest is the ability of phloroglucinol—a precursor in the lignin biosynthesis pathway—to effectively control hyperhydricity through the process of lignification, thus maximizing the multiplication rate of woody species and other species that are difficult to propagate. Phloroglucinol has also been used to improve the recovery of cryopreserved Dendrobium protocorms, increasing the potential of cryopreservation for application in ornamental biotechnology. Phloroglucinol demonstrates both cytokinin-like and auxin-like activity, much like thidiazuron, and thus has considerable potential for application in a wide range of plant tissue culture studies.