Tracking the sources of Leptospira and nutrient flows in two urban watersheds of Puerto Rico.

This study investigated the relationship between nutrient levels, source of fecal contamination, and pathogenic Leptospira in Puerto Rico's northern coast and San Juan Bay Estuary (SJBE) aquatic ecosystems. Microbial source tracking (MST) was also used to investigate the connections between sources of feces contamination and the presence of Leptospira. Eighty-seven water samples were collected during the June (n=44) and August (n=43) in 2020. To quantify phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations, standard USEPA protocols were utilized, specifically Methods 365.4 for total and dissolved phosphorus, 351.2 for total Kjeldahl nitrogen and ammonium, and 353.2 for nitrate. Lipl32 gene-specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to detect the presence of Leptospira. Human (HF183), canine (BacCan-UCD), and equine (HoF597) MST assays were utilized to trace the origins of fecal contamination. Forty one percent of the locations exceeded Puerto Rico's authorized total phosphorus limit of 160 g L-1, while 34% exceeded the total nitrogen limit of 1700 g L-1. Nearly half of the streams examined are affected by eutrophication. The MST analysis identified human and canine feces as the most prevalent contaminants, affecting approximately 50% of the sites. In addition, Leptospira was detected in 32% of the June samples. There was a significant correlation (r = 0.79) between the incidence of pathogenic Leptospira and the human bacterial marker (HF183). This study illuminates the central role of anthropogenic inputs in nutrient enrichment and pathogen proliferation in Puerto Rico's aquatic ecosystems.

The effect of an acidified-gypsum mixture on broiler litter urease-producing bacteria and nitrogen mineralization.

Ammonia (NH3 ) volatilization from broiler (Gallus gallus domesticus) litter is a microbially mediated process that can decrease bird productivity and serves as an environmental pollutant. The release of NH3 is strongly influenced by the pH of litter. Flue-gas desulfurization gypsum (FGDG) has been suggested as a potential amendment to reduce NH3 volatilization due to the pH buffering capacity of calcium carbonate (CaCO3 ) precipitation. However, its effect on litter pH is not as pronounced as acidifying agents, such as aluminum sulfate (alum). The main objective of our study was to develop an acidified-FGDG amendment that has a more pronounced effect on litter pH and NH3 volatilization than FGDG alone. We conducted a 33-d incubation in which litter pH, NH3 volatilization, nitrogen mineralization, PLUP-ureC gene abundance, and CaCO3 precipitation were measured. Treatments in the study included: broiler litter (BL), broiler litter + 20% FGDG (BL+FGDG), broiler litter + FGDG-alum mixture (BL+FGDG+A6), broiler litter + 6% alum (BL+A6), and broiler litter + 10% alum (BL+A10). Our FGDG+alum amendment decreased litter pH (0.68 pH units) and PLUP-ureC gene abundance (>1 log) compared with FGDG alone and the control (p < .05). This led to a 25% decrease in cumulative NH3 loss after 33 d. The addition of FGDG alone did not have an effect on litter pH (p = .36) or cumulative NH3 loss (p = .29) due to a lack of significant CaCO3 precipitation. Treating litter with 6 and 10% alum was the most effective amendment for reducing pH and cumulative NH3 loss.

Examining Differences in Movement Competency in Professional Baseball Players Born in the United States and Dominican Republic.

CONTEXT: Dominican Republic (DR) players have different training norms, which can affect their resiliency and performance. The variance among DR players' training regimens may be influenced by the degree of training incorporating fundamental movement patterns. OBJECTIVE: To examine differences in fundamental movement patterns in United States (US)-born versus DR-born professional baseball players. DESIGN: Cross-sectional cohort. SETTING: Professional baseball athletic training room. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred forty-two players (76 DR-born and 66 US-born) who were recently selected by a Major League Baseball team. INTERVENTION: Subjects completed the Functional Movement Screen using the standardized 7 movement tests and the 3 isolated clearing tests. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary variables studied were composite score, left and right asymmetry, and individual movement standard scores. Two-way chi-squared analysis was utilized for the statistical analysis with statistical significance being identified at P < .05. RESULTS: DR players had a larger number of 1s (7.8% vs 3.0%) and 3s (10.5% vs 1.5%) on the right-sided hurdle step and a greater percentage of 3s (82.8% vs 60.6%) on right-sided shoulder mobility. US players had a larger percentage of 3s (33.3% vs 13.4%) and a lower percentage of 1s (2.2% vs 15.1%) on the active straight leg raise and a greater percentage of passable scores (≥2; 99.5% vs 65.8%) on the trunk stability push-up. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that fundamental movement competency differs between US- and DR-born professional baseball players. Based on these movement competency differences, a player's country of origin may be taken into account to create an effective training program.