Temperature and pH define the realised niche space of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

The arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are a globally distributed group of soil organisms that play critical roles in ecosystem function. However, the ecological niches of individual AM fungal taxa are poorly understood. We collected > 300 soil samples from natural ecosystems worldwide and modelled the realised niches of AM fungal virtual taxa (VT; approximately species-level phylogroups). We found that environmental and spatial variables jointly explained VT distribution worldwide, with temperature and pH being the most important abiotic drivers, and spatial effects generally occurring at local to regional scales. While dispersal limitation could explain some variation in VT distribution, VT relative abundance was almost exclusively driven by environmental variables. Several environmental and spatial effects on VT distribution and relative abundance were correlated with phylogeny, indicating that closely related VT exhibit similar niche optima and widths. Major clades within the Glomeraceae exhibited distinct niche optima, Acaulosporaceae generally had niche optima in low pH and low temperature conditions, and Gigasporaceae generally had niche optima in high precipitation conditions. Identification of the realised niche space occupied by individual and phylogenetic groups of soil microbial taxa provides a basis for building detailed hypotheses about how soil communities respond to gradients and manipulation in ecosystems worldwide.

Rehabilitation Process Issues and Functional Performance after Total Hip and Knee Replacement.

(1) Background: to ensure satisfactory outcomes in patients who have undergone total hip or knee replacement, it is crucial to prioritize postoperative rehabilitation process and its management rather than the successful surgery alone. The goal of our study was to investigate the outcomes of rehabilitation process after the total hip or knee replacement, including local orthopedic follow-up, communication with local health authorities, patients' satisfaction regarding rehabilitation, and their functional performance after the surgery. (2) Methods: the study included 523 patients who underwent total hip replacement, and 650 patients who underwent total knee replacement. All patients were surveyed via formalized phone interviews containing questions related to postoperative rehabilitation parameters and outcomes. (3) Results: in postsurgical period, nearly 70% of patients had regular local orthopedic follow-up. Lack of the latter at the local level was indicated by approximately 10% of patients, and the rest of the respondents note the practice of sporadic follow-up. Half of patients reported pains of various severity. Good physical activity (e.g., ability to walk unassisted within their residential district) was acknowledged by about a quarter of patients. Ability to walk unassisted was reported by just 54.5% of patients. (4) Conclusions: the disproportion between generally high patient satisfaction of rehabilitation management (>80%) and low feedback level on the part of local health authorities (9.4%) demonstrated lack of communication between the key parties involved in the rehabilitation process.

Determination of the working conditions of oncology nurses as professional risks: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Nurses often face professional risks in their work. Most research in Russia dedicated to professional risks of nurses are quantitative studies and deal with a limited range of issues. There is an apparent lack of qualitative studies on this problem. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this research is to study opinions of oncology nurses concerning their working conditions from the point of view of their professional risks assessment and their minimization. METHOD: The research was conducted by an independent researcher using a method of semi-structured interview. The content-analysis with inductive approach was used for the data analysis. RESULTS: According to the data analysis there was singled out five main topics, in particular, professional risks that are appreciated by nurses, assessment of professional risks as employment obstacles, permitted ways of psychoemotional risks mastering, permitted ways of physical exertion mastering, effective external mechanisms of risks mastering. In general, nurses do not consider their professional risks as employment obstacles. They lay special emphasis on psychosocial risks, which are the core of all other professional risks. CONCLUSION: This research shows the opinion of the nursing service heads of oncology departments about professional risks arising in the process of their staff performing the duties. The results of the research demonstrate that the main perceived dangers are psychosocial, biological and chemical risks specific to the work with oncology patients. Possible ways to reduce the impact of professional risks on nurses can be both external institutional mechanisms and internal personal resources. Determining the working conditions of oncological nurses allows to manage occupational risks, to form a valuable attitude to health, as well as to identify indicators that form a social perception of the profession. The study of the working conditions of oncological nurses allows to manage professional risks, form a value-based attitude to health, and also identify indicators that form a social idea of the profession.