Disclosing the native blueberry rhizosphere community in Portugal-an integrated metagenomic and isolation approach.

Backgorund: The production of red fruits, such as blueberry, has been threatened by several stressors from severe periods of drought, nutrient scarcity, phytopathogens, and costs with fertilization programs with adverse consequences. Thus, there is an urgent need to increase this crop's resilience whilst promoting sustainable agriculture. Plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPMs) constitute not only a solution to tackle water and nutrient deficits in soils, but also as a control against phytopathogens and as green compounds for agricultural practices. Methods: In this study, a metagenomic approach of the local fungal and bacterial community of the rhizosphere of Vaccinium corymbosum plants was performed. At the same time, both epiphytic and endophytic microorganisms were isolated in order to disclose putative beneficial native organisms. Results: Results showed a high relative abundance of Archaeorhizomyces and Serendipita genera in the ITS sequencing, and Bradyrhizobium genus in the 16S sequencing. Diversity analysis disclosed that the fungal community presented a higher inter-sample variability than the bacterial community, and beta-diversity analysis further corroborated this result. Trichoderma spp., Bacillus spp., and Mucor moelleri were isolated from the V. corymbosum plants. Discussion: This work revealed a native microbial community capable of establishing mycorrhizal relationships, and with beneficial physiological traits for blueberry production. It was also possible to isolate several naturally-occurring microorganisms that are known to have plant growth-promoting activity and confer tolerance to hydric stress, a serious climate change threat. Future studies should be performed with these isolates to disclose their efficiency in conferring the needed resilience for this and several crops.

Dynamics of Team Learning Behaviours: The Effect of Time and Team Culture.

This research study focused on team learning behaviours, particularly the extent to which teams use learning behaviours over time, as well as the influence of different team cultures on learning behaviours over time. Data from 33 university project teams were collected longitudinally at three moments (beginning, halfway point, and end of the project) and the analysis was conducted through growth modelling. A linear relationship between time and team learning through experimenting behaviour was found, suggesting that experimenting behaviour tends to increase over time in project teams. Moreover, the early development of team cultures that promote mutual understanding and good interpersonal relationships, the accomplishment of objectives, flexibility, and the search for alternative ways to perform tasks/problem solving are conducive to experimenting behaviours from the beginning of the teamwork. This study highlights the relevance of the temporal dynamics of team learning behaviours and their interaction with team culture.

A Cusp Catastrophe Model for Team Learning, Team Potency and Team Culture.

This paper examines team learning behaviors within a nonlinear dynamical system (NDS) perspective. The present research is based on a sample of 36 project workgroups, where data were collected at two moments of their life cycle, with visual analogue scales. Using both the least squares method and maximum likelihood, it proposes a cusp catastrophe model for explaining team learning. The cusp model is superior to its linear alternatives and implements team culture as the asymmetry variable and team potency as bifurcation. The findings of cusp structure in the data support the existence of discontinuous shifts in learning behavior and furthermore a proposition that the punctuated equilibrium model (PEM) might be a reasonable model for describing group functioning, since it encompasses such sudden changes between distinct stages (attractors). A discussion on small group research is also provided by highlighting the nonlinear dynamics of team processes, along with further implications for research and practice.

Estado nutricional e autopercepção da imagem corporal de idosas de uma Universidade Aberta da Terceira Idade / Nutritional status and self-perceived body image of elderly women at an Open University of the Third Age

O objetivo foi avaliar a associação entre o estado nutricional e a insatisfação da autoimagem corporal de idosas matriculadas no curso Alimentação, Nutrição e Terceira Idade da UnATI/UERJ. Realizou-se estudo seccional, com entrevista semiestruturada com todas as idosas (≥60 anos), obtendo-se informações referentes à percepção da imagem corporal (escala de nove silhuetas de Stunkard), indicadores socioeconômicos, de saúde, demográficos e cálculo do índice de massa corporal (IMC). Os dados foram analisados por meio de teste qui-quadrado e a regressão linear simples (nível de significância=5%). Verificou-se que 50,0% eram eutróficas; 6,0% se encontravam na categoria de baixo-peso e 44,0% apresentavam sobrepeso (p=0,425). Quanto à percepção da imagem corporal, 74,0% (n=37;p=0,0049) estavam insatisfeitas com o corpo, principalmente pelo excesso (89,2%). Das pessoas que manifestaram insatisfação por baixo-peso, a maioria era eutrófica. Já entre as insatisfeitas por excesso, 30,2% não apresentavam excesso de peso. As silhuetas 2 e 3 foram apontadas como ideais por metade das entrevistadas, ainda que a autopercepção de 62,0% das idosas tenham sido as silhuetas 4 e 5. A barriga e membros, principalmente inferiores, foram as partes do corpo que as idosas menos gostavam (78,0%). A classificação na escala das silhuetas da imagem real aumenta conforme aumenta o IMC (p<0,001). Em relação à imagem ideal ocorre o oposto (p<0,001). Indivíduos com IMC elevado tendem a ser mais insatisfeitos com sua imagem corporal e essa insatisfação pode estar relacionada ao excesso de peso. Esse fato merece mais aprofundamento sobre os determinantes e os significados desta insatisfação na complexa relação corpo, beleza, saúde e envelhecimento.

The study aimed to estimate the association between nutritional status and body self-image dissatisfaction in elderly women attending the Food, Nutrition and Elderly Course at UnATI/UERJ. A cross-sectional study was conducted, with semi-structured interviews with all elderly (≥60 years), obtaining information regarding body image perception (scale of nine Stunkard silhouettes), socioeconomic, health and demographic indicators, and BMI. The data were analyzed using the Chi-square test and linear regression (significance level=5%). It was found that 50.0% had normal weight; 6.0% were in the category of underweight; and 44.0% were overweight (p=0.425). Regarding the perception of body image, 74.0% (n=37;p=0.0049) were dissatisfied with the body, mainly by excess (89.2%). Of those who expressed dissatisfaction with low weight, most were eutrophic. On the other hand, between the ones dissatisfied by excess, 30.2% are not overweight. Silhouettes 2 and 3 were identified as ideal for half of the respondents, although the self-perception of 62.0% of the elderly had been the silhouettes 4 and 5. The belly and limbs, especially lower body parts are the least liked by the older (78.0%). The silhouettes rating scale of the actual image increases as BMI (p<0.001). The opposite occurs regarding the ideal image (p<0.001). Individuals with high BMI tend to be more dissatisfied with their body image and this may be related to weight excess. This fact deserves deeper understanding of the determinants and meanings of this complex relationship dissatisfaction between body, beauty, health and aging.