Central neuronal motor behaviour in skilled and less skilled novices - Approaching sports-specific movement techniques.

Research on motor behavioural processes preceding voluntary movements often refers to analysing the readiness potential (RP). For this, decades of studies used laboratory setups with controlled sports-related actions. Further, recent applied approaches focus on athlete-non-athlete comparisons, omitting possible effects of training history on RP. However, RP preceding real sport-specific movements in accordance to skill acquisition remains to be elucidated. Therefore, after familiarization 16 right-handed males with no experience in archery volunteered to perform repeated sports-specific movements, i.e. 40 arrow-releasing shots at 60s rest on a 15m distant standard target. Continuous, synchronised EEG and right limb EMG recordings during arrow-releasing served to detect movement onsets for RP analyses over distinct cortical motor areas. Based on attained scores on target, archery novices were, a posteriori, subdivided into a skilled and less skilled group. EMG results for mean values revealed no significant changes (all p>0.05), whereas RP amplitudes and onsets differed between groups but not between motor areas. Arrow-releasing preceded larger RP amplitudes (p<0.05) and later RP onsets (p<0.05) in skilled compared to less skilled novices. We suggest this to reflect attentional orienting and greater effort that accompanies central neuronal preparatory states of a sports-specific movement.

CDNA-AFLP combined with functional analysis reveals novel genes involved in the hypersensitive response.

To identify genes required for the hypersensitive response (HR), we performed expression profiling of tomato plants mounting a synchronized HR, followed by functional analysis of differentially expressed genes. By cDNA-AFLP analysis, the expression profile of tomato plants containing both the Cf-4 resistance gene against Cladosporium fulvum and the matching Avr4 avirulence gene of this fungus was compared with that of control plants. About 1% of the transcript-derived fragments (442 out of 50,000) were derived from a differentially expressed gene. Based on their sequence and expression, 192 fragments, referred to as Avr4-responsive tomato (ART) fragments, were selected for VIGS (virus-induced gene silencing) in Cf-4-transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana. Inoculated plants were analyzed for compromised HR by agroinfiltration of either the C. fulvum Avr4 gene or the Inf1 gene of Phytophthora infestans, which invokes a HR in wild-type N. benthamiana. VIGS using 15 of the ART fragments resulted in a compromised HR, whereas VIGS with fragments of ART genes encoding HSP90, a nuclear GTPase, an L19 ribosomal protein, and most interestingly, a nucleotide binding-leucine rich repeat (NB-LRR)-type protein severely suppressed the HR induced both by Avr4 and Inf1. Requirement of an NB-LRR protein (designated NRC1, for NB-LRR protein required for HR-associated cell death 1) for Cf resistance protein function as well as Inf1-mediated HR suggests a convergence of signaling pathways and supports the recent observation that NB-LRR proteins play a role in signal transduction cascades downstream of resistance proteins.

Metabolic Engineering toward Sustainable Production of Nylon-6.

Nylon-6 is a bulk polymer used for many applications. It consists of the non-natural building block 6-aminocaproic acid, the linear form of caprolactam. Via a retro-synthetic approach, two synthetic pathways were identified for the fermentative production of 6-aminocaproic acid. Both pathways require yet unreported novel biocatalytic steps. We demonstrated proof of these bioconversions by in vitro enzyme assays with a set of selected candidate proteins expressed in Escherichia coli. One of the biosynthetic pathways starts with 2-oxoglutarate and contains bioconversions of the ketoacid elongation pathway known from methanogenic archaea. This pathway was selected for implementation in E. coli and yielded 6-aminocaproic acid at levels up to 160 mg/L in lab-scale batch fermentations. The total amount of 6-aminocaproic acid and related intermediates generated by this pathway exceeded 2 g/L in lab-scale fed-batch fermentations, indicating its potential for further optimization toward large-scale sustainable production of nylon-6.

Technical advances: genome-wide cDNA-AFLP analysis of the Arabidopsis transcriptome.

cDNA-AFLP, a technology historically used to identify small numbers of differentially expressed genes, was adapted as a genome-wide transcript profiling method. mRNA levels were assayed in a diverse range of tissues from Arabidopsis thaliana plants grown under a variety of environmental conditions. The resulting cDNA-AFLP fragments were sequenced. By linking cDNA-AFLP fragments to their corresponding mRNAs via these sequences, a database was generated that contained quantitative expression information for up to two-thirds of gene loci in A. thaliana, ecotype Ws. Using this resource, the expression levels of genes, including those with high nucleotide sequence similarity, could be determined in a high-throughput manner merely by comparing cDNA-AFLP profiles with the database. The lengths of cDNA-AFLP fragments inferred from their electrophoretic mobilities correlated well with actual fragment lengths determined by sequencing. In addition, the concentrations of AFLP fragments from single cDNAs were highly correlated, illustrating the validity of cDNA-AFLP as a quantitative, genome-wide, transcript profiling method. cDNA-AFLP profiles were also qualitatively consistent with mRNA profiles obtained from parallel microarray analysis, and with data from previous studies.

Production of tailor-made fructans in sugar beet by expression of onion fructosyltransferase genes.

The consumption of fructans as a low caloric food ingredient or dietary fibre is rapidly increasing due to health benefits. Presently, the most important fructan source is chicory, but these fructans have a simple linear structure and are prone to degradation. Additional sources of high-quality tailor-made fructans would provide novel opportunities for their use as food ingredients. Sugar beet is a highly productive crop that does not normally synthesize fructans. We have introduced specific onion fructosyltransferases into sugar beet. This resulted in an efficient conversion of sucrose into complex, onion-type fructans, without the loss of storage carbohydrate content.

Esporte e meio ambiente: a disciplina de esporte e gestão ambiental (EGA), na formação de alunos de Educação Física, na região do sertão nordestino / Sport and environment: sport and environmental management (EGA), in the formation of Physical Education students, in the north-estate region / Deporte y medio ambiente: la disciplina de deporte y gestión ambiental (EGA), en la formación de alumnos de Educación Física, en la región del sertón nordestino

O estudo relata as atividades da disciplina optativa de Esporte e Gestão Ambiental (EGA) do curso de Educação Física da Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco (UNIVASF), localizada na cidade de Petrolina-PE. A EGA tem por fim qualificar os conhecimentos dos alunos sobre questões do meio ambiente. A metodologia aplicada desenvolve princípios da educação ambiental (EA) por meio de jogos, brincadeiras e canções. Entre os temas abordados, no primeiro semestre de 2017, existiu a coleta seletiva e a organização de um trekking. Ao final do semestre, observou-se que os alunos ampliaram seus conhecimentos sobre temas ambientais locais e globais, além de terem assumido comportamentos sustentáveis frente ao meio ambiente. Conclui-se que a EGA associada às demais disciplinas do curso de Educação Física da UNIVASF esteja qualificando os profissionais da região, contribuindo para o desenvolvimento de princípios de cidadania e sustentabilidade.

The study reports the activities of the elective course on Sport and Environmental Management (EGA) of the Physical Education course of the Federal University of the São Francisco Valley (UNIVASF), located in the city of Petrolina-PE. The EGA aims to qualify students' knowledge of environmental issues. The applied methodology develops environmental education (EA) principles through games, games and songs. Among the topics covered, in the first half of 2017, there was the selective collection and the organization of a trekking. At the end of the semester, it was observed that the students broadened their knowledge about local and global environmental issues, in addition to assuming sustainable behavior towards the environment. It is concluded that the EGA associated to the other disciplines of the Physical Education course of UNIVASF is qualifying the professionals of the region, contributing to the development of principles of citizenship and sustainability.

El estudio relata las actividades de la disciplina optativa de Deporte y Gestión Ambiental (EGA) del curso de Educación Física de la Universidad Federal del Valle del São Francisco (UNIVASF), ubicada en la ciudad de Petrolina-PE. La EGA tiene por fin calificar los conocimientos de los alumnos sobre cuestiones del medio ambiente. La metodología aplicada desarrolla principios de la educación ambiental (EA) a través de juegos, juegos y canciones. Entre los temas abordados, en el primer semestre de 2017, existió la colecta selectiva y la organización de un trekking. Al final del semestre, se observó que los alumnos ampliaron sus conocimientos sobre temas ambientales locales y globales, además de haber asumido comportamientos sostenibles frente al medio ambiente. Se concluye que la EGA asociada a las demás disciplinas del curso de Educación Física de la UNIVASF esté calificando a los profesionales de la región, contribuyendo al desarrollo de principios de ciudadanía y sostenibilidad.