Associated bacterial communities, confrontation studies, and comparative genomics reveal important interactions between Morchella with Pseudomonas spp

Members of the fungal genus Morchella are widely known for their important ecological roles and significant economic value. In this study, we used amplicon and genome sequencing to characterize bacterial communities associated with sexual fruiting bodies from wild specimens, as well as vegetative mycelium and sclerotia obtained from Morchella isolates grown in vitro. These investigations included diverse representatives from both Elata and Esculenta Morchella clades. Unique bacterial community compositions were observed across the various structures examined, both within and across individual Morchella isolates or specimens. However, specific bacterial taxa were frequently detected in association with certain structures, providing support for an associated core bacterial community. Bacteria from the genus Pseudomonas and Ralstonia constituted the core bacterial associates of Morchella mycelia and sclerotia, while other genera (e.g., Pedobacter spp., Deviosa spp., and Bradyrhizobium spp.) constituted the core bacterial community of fruiting bodies. Furthermore, the importance of Pseudomonas as a key member of the bacteriome was supported by the isolation of several Pseudomonas strains from mycelia during in vitro cultivation. Four of the six mycelial-derived Pseudomonas isolates shared 16S rDNA sequence identity with amplicon sequences recovered directly from the examined fungal structures. Distinct interaction phenotypes (antagonistic or neutral) were observed in confrontation assays between these bacteria and various Morchella isolates. Genome sequences obtained from these Pseudomonas isolates revealed intriguing differences in gene content and annotated functions, specifically with respect to toxin-antitoxin systems, cell adhesion, chitinases, and insecticidal toxins. These genetic differences correlated with the interaction phenotypes. This study provides evidence that Pseudomonas spp. are frequently associated with Morchella and these associations may greatly impact fungal physiology.

Gender Differences in Self-reported Faculty Developmental Networks

Scholars have long recognized gender variation in social relationship dynamics. However, how gender shapes developmental networking relationships for career advancement, particularly among university faculty members, is understudied. This area of research is important since women comprise an increasing proportion of faculty and yet report receiving less mentoring and lower career satisfaction, productivity, and advancement than their male counterparts. This cross-sectional study assessed gender differences in self-reported dimensions of faculty participants' developmental networks by collecting information on relationships with developers, who are people who have taken concerted action and offered professional and personal guidance to help participants advance in their careers over the past year. The investigators used egocentric network data from an electronically administered Mentoring Network Questionnaire collected from 159 faculty involved in a mentoring intervention during the pandemic. Faculty were from multiple Southwest and Mountain West institutions. Statistical analyses were performed using the Chi-squared test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and unadjusted multilevel regression. Female faculty chose developers of lower gender diversity than male faculty (p=0.01). Compared to male faculty, female faculty reported receiving more psychosocial support from individual developers (p=0.03). Female faculty members' developers were more often characterized as friends and less often described as sponsors and allies than male faculty, based on relative levels of career and psychosocial support that individual developers provided (p<0.001). No gender differences were found in other network characteristics. Female faculty build developmental networks that have different factors compared to male faculty. Greater levels of psychosocial support and fewer allies and sponsors for female faculty may have long-term implications for differential career advancement for women vs. men in academic careers. Strategies to enhance networking should address gender differences and include a structured framework for assessing network gaps.

Curriculum-based Faculty Training in Networking: Knowledge and Self-efficacy Outcomes

Although the advantages of developmental networks are well-known, most faculty do not know how to participate in such networks actively. Additionally, institutions face challenges in teaching faculty the best practices of networking. This deficiency constitutes a critical gap in the literature, which may slow career advancement for faculty, particularly from underrepresented groups. The study's purpose was to examine the effectiveness of a curriculum-based faculty training in developmental networks, utilizing the Extension for Community Health Outcomes (ECHO) platform. In this pre-post study, 33 faculty members participated in the intervention utilizing eight modules involving four competencies. Each module followed a standard format, including a short didactic, two facilitated case study discussions based on real-life scenarios, and self-reading of selected literature. Outcomes included (i) change in knowledge scores obtained from two questions per module and (ii) self-efficacy scores measured on a scale of 0-100. Paired student's t-test and mixed model regression analyses were used. A significant increase in knowledge score was documented using mixed model regression for 4 of the eight modules (mean change score 0.4-0.8, p≤0.03 for all analyses). The proportion of faculty participants reporting correct knowledge items for all modules increased from 49.8% (pre) to 64.3% (post), which was statistically significant (p<0.001). Significant increases in paired self-efficacy scores were reported for each of the eight modules (mean change score 17-37, p<0.05 for all analyses). This study highlights the importance of curriculum-based training in networking. Participants showed a significant increase in pre-post networking self-efficacy and knowledge scores. Our ECHO-based curriculum, facilitator training, and manual enable easy implementation in other institutions, ensuring scalability and adaptability. Our analysis provides the evidence basis for examining the impact of a developmental network intervention in enhancing individual career networks.

Diversity of fungal microbiome obtained from plant rhizoplanes

Microbial communities, and their ecological importance, have been investigated in several habitats. However, so far, most studies could not describe the closest microbial interactions and their functionalities. This study investigates the co-occurring interactions between fungi and bacteria in plant rhizoplanes and their potential functions. The partnerships were obtained using fungal-highway columns with four plant-based media. The fungi and associated microbiomes isolated from the columns were identified by sequencing the ITS (fungi) and 16S rRNA genes (bacteria). Statistical analyses including Exploratory Graph and Network Analysis were used to visualize the presence of underlying clusters in the microbial communities and evaluate the metabolic functions associated with the fungal microbiome (PICRUSt2). Our findings characterize the presence of both unique and complex bacterial communities associated with different fungi. The results showed that Bacillus was associated as exo-bacteria in 80 % of the fungi but occurred as putative endo-bacteria in 15 %. A shared core of putative endo-bacterial genera, potentially involved in the nitrogen cycle was found in 80 % of the isolated fungi. The comparison of potential metabolic functions of the putative endo- and exo-communities highlighted the potential essential factors to establish an endosymbiotic relationship, such as the loss of pathways associated with metabolites obtained from the host while maintaining pathways responsible for bacterial survival within the hypha.

Rangelands in a fragmented grass-dominated landscape are vulnerable to tree invasion from roadsides

Roadsides can be vectors for tree invasion within rangelands by bisecting landscapes and facilitating propagule spread to interior habitat. Current invasive tree management in North America’s Great Plains focuses on reducing on-site (i.e., interior habitat) vulnerability through on-site prevention and eradication, but invasive tree management of surrounding areas known to serve as invasion vectors, such as roadsides and public rights-of-ways, is sporadic. We surveyed roadsides for invasive tree propagule sources in a central Great Plains grassland landscape to determine how much of the surrounding landscape is potentially vulnerable to roadside invasion, and by which species, and thereby provide insights into the locations and forms of future landcover change. Invasive tree species were widespread in roadsides. Given modest seed dispersal distances of 100–200 m, our results show that roadsides have potential to serve as major sources of rangeland exposure to tree invasion, compromising up to 44% of rangelands in the study area. Under these dispersal distances, funds spent removing trees on rangeland properties may have little impact on the landscape’s overall vulnerability, due to exposure driven by roadside propagule sources. A key implication from this study is that roadsides, while often neglected from management, represent an important component of integrated management strategies for reducing rangeland vulnerability to tree invasion.

Developmental Networks Among Mentors and Mentees Involved in a Mentoring Intervention

The growing application of social network-based theories and methods (Burt et al., 2013) in scholarship on mentoring illustrates that mentoring goes beyond dyadic relationships comprising a senior mentor and a junior protégé (Higgins & Kram, 2001). However, limited data exist on the state of developmental networks of university faculty. This study examines developmental network characteristics among mentors and mentees participating in an ongoing intervention that aims to enhance career success through improved mentoring. Cross-sectional data come from 81 faculty mentors and mentees at three universities in the Southwestern United States. Using the online Modified Mentoring Network Questionnaire (MNQ), participants provided information on relationships with developers, who are people that have taken concerted action, and provided professional and/or personal guidance to help participants advance in their careers. An individual's developmental network comprises relationships with developers. We conducted exploratory analyses examining key characteristics of mentors' and mentees' developmental networks. Participants received psychosocial and career support from an average of 4.9 developers (4.8 and 5.1 for mentors and mentees respectively) from 2.3 arenas (2.2 and 2.4 arenas for mentors and mentees, respectively). While the most common arena was the respondents' current job/position (62%, 64% and 59% for all participants, mentors, and mentees respectively), developers were from graduate school (11%, 6% and 17%); prior jobs/positions (13%, 16% and 9%) and family (8%, 5% and 11%). Our preliminary findings suggest that developers are important for university faculty and that methods and insights from social network analysis can be applied to examine their support networks. As our study is part of an ongoing longitudinal intervention, these findings will inform future analyses that will examine changes in developmental network characteristics and its impact on participants' careers.

Democratization of fungal highway columns as a tool to investigate bacteria associated with soil fungi

Bacteria–fungi interactions (BFIs) are essential in ecosystem functioning. These interactions are modulated not only by local nutritional conditions but also by the physicochemical constraints and 3D structure of the environmental niche. In soils, the unsaturated and complex nature of the substrate restricts the dispersal and activity of bacteria. Under unsaturated conditions, some bacteria engage with filamentous fungi in an interaction (fungal highways) in which they use fungal hyphae to disperse. Based on a previous experimental device to enrich pairs of organisms engaging in this interaction in soils, we present here the design and validation of a modified version of this sampling system constructed using additive printing. The 3D printed devices were tested using a novel application in which a target fungus, the common coprophilous fungus Coprinopsis cinerea, was used as bait to recruit and identify bacterial partners using its mycelium for dispersal. Bacteria of the genera Pseudomonas, Sphingobacterium and Stenotrophomonas were highly enriched in association with C. cinerea. Developing and producing these new easy-to-use tools to investigate how bacteria overcome dispersal limitations in cooperation with fungi is important to unravel the mechanisms by which BFIs affect processes at an ecosystem scale in soils and other unsaturated environments.

An interdisciplinary approach to perception of water quality for human consumption in a Mapuche community of arid Patagonia, Argentina

Vital for human consumption, water is a scarce resource, particularly in the arid environments of Patagonia. In this study we analysed local perspectives and the use of different water sources, based on two case studies in rural communities of Mapuche and Creole ancestry inhabiting extra-Andean Patagonia in Chubut, Argentina. Water quality was evaluated using an ethnolimnological, interdisciplinary approach, taking into account local perspectives and scientific contributions. In addition, we analysed appropriation strategies, management and local organoleptic characteristics. The work was based on semi-structured interviews, tours guided by informants, and physicochemical and microbiological analysis of water sources. It was found that 92% of local inhabitants mainly used superficial and subterranean sources of water for consumption, among which stood out: river, streams, springs, wells, and boreholes. Differences were observed between local and scientific perspectives in terms of water quality (chemical and microbiological). Most water sources used by inhabitants presented water of deficient quality for human consumption (61%), whereas locals considered the water to be fresh, delicious, and transparent. Nevertheless, some points of agreement were found in terms of organoleptic characteristics (e.g., odour, colour) and physicochemical parameters in certain water sources. In general, locals do not recognise the deterioration of their water supply, but the importance of organoleptic characteristics in local perception should be highlighted. These aspects speak of a need to promote opportunities for dialogue, and implement effective health measures, taking local perspectives into account.

New Architecture for Reagentless, Protein-Based Electrochemical Biosensors

Here we demonstrate a new class of reagentless, single-step sensors for the detection of proteins and peptides that is the electrochemical analog of fluorescence polarization (fluorescence anisotropy), a versatile optical approach widely employed to this same end. Our electrochemical sensors consist of a redox-reporter-modified protein (the "receptor") site-specifically anchored to an electrode via a short, flexible polypeptide linker. Interaction of the receptor with its binding partner alters the efficiency with which the reporter approaches the electrode surface, thus causing a change in redox current upon voltammetric interrogation. As our first proof-of-principle we employed the bacterial chemotaxis protein CheY as our receptor. Interaction with either of CheY's two binding partners, the P2 domain of the chemotaxis kinase, CheA, or the 16-residue "target region" of the flagellar switch protein, FliM, leads to easily measurable changes in output current that trace Langmuir isotherms within error of those seen in solution. Phosphorylation of the electrode-bound CheY decreases its affinity for CheA-P2 and enhances its affinity for FliM in a manner likewise consistent with its behavior in solution. As expected given the proposed sensor signaling mechanism, the magnitude of the binding-induced signal change depends on the placement of the redox reporter on the receptor. Following these preliminary studies with CheY, we also developed and characterized additional sensors aimed at the detection of specific antibodies using the relevant protein antigens as the receptor. These exhibit excellent detection limits for their targets without the use of reagents or wash steps. This novel, protein-based electrochemical sensing architecture provides a new and potentially promising approach to sensors for the single-step measurement of specific proteins and peptides.

Favorable Waitlist and Posttransplant Outcomes in Children and Adolescent Patients Supported With Durable Continuous-Flow Ventricular Assist Devices

Pediatric centers are implanting durable adult continuous-flow ventricular assist devices (CFVADs) in children who are smaller than the industry-recommended size. Waitlist and posttransplant outcomes data in pediatric patients supported with CFVADs as a bridge to transplant are limited. We analyzed the United Network of Organ Sharing and Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network registry to identify patients aged ≤18 years with a CFVAD at the time of listing or transplantation. Patients were stratified by body surface area (BSA; >1.5 vs. ≤1.5 m(2) ) at time of listing. We identified 138 patients with a durable CFVAD during the listing period (100 with BSA >1.5 m(2) , 38 with BSA ≤1.5 m(2) ). Patients with BSA ≤1.5 m(2) were more likely to have a noncardiomyopathy diagnosis (18% vs. 4%, p = 0.007) and to be implanted with a centrifugal-flow rather than an axial-flow device (74% vs. 30%, p = 0.001). There was no difference in failure-free waitlist survival between BSA groups (p = 0.99) among patients with a CFVAD at listing. Posttransplantation survival was 100% and 88% at 1 and 5 years, respectively, for the entire cohort and did not differ by BSA group (p = 0.99). Consequently, waitlist and posttransplant outcomes are favorable for pediatric CFVAD recipients. Small patients (≤1.5 m(2) ) had pre- and posttransplant outcomes similar to those of larger patients that met the industry-recommended size for implantation.

Small area estimation under Fay–Herriot models with non-parametric estimation of heteroscedasticity

Fay–Herriot models relate direct estimators of small area means to vectors of area-level auxiliary covariates. Estimation of error variances in these models is a problem because of the lack of data within areas. A non-parametric approach is proposed for estimating these variances. Estimators of the remaining model parameters are derived and their asymptotic properties are studied. Moreover, small area estimators that incorporate the estimated error variances are obtained and several simple estimators of the mean squared error of these estimators are proposed. Simulation experiments study the small sample performance of the new small area estimators and compare the different estimators of the mean squared errors. Finally, the results are applied to the estimation of unemployment proportions in Spanish domains.