Quantification of root fungi using signature fatty acids

Both deleterious (pathogenic) and beneficial (mycorrhizal) fungi inhabit plant roots with strong impact on plant growth and health. Various methods have been used to quantify these fungi, such as indirect measurements of plant parameters, disease index, staining techniques and serological/genetic/biochemical markers. The objective of this work is to evaluate the possibility of using signature fatty acids to quantify root-inhabiting fungi in planta and in soil. Different fatty acid-based methods can be used to quantify fungi. Phospholid fatty acids (PLFA) can be used for biomass estimation and neutral lipid fatty acids (NLFA) for estimation of fungal energy reserves and the NLFA/PLFA ratio can give information on the physiological status of the fungus. It is quite laborious to make PLFA and NLFA analyses; so whole cell fatty acid (WCFA) analyses, which are much faster, can be used as a faster alternative to give information of root infection intensity. Signature fatty acids have been used to quantify arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (16:1ω5) and the pea root pathogen Aphanomyces euteiches (14:1ω9). Recently, we have further used arachadonic acid (20:4) to estimate root infection intensity of the plasmodiophorids Plasmodiophora brassica, causing club root in cabbage and Spongospora subterranea, the vector of mop top potato virus. Specificity of the various signature fatty acids of root-inhabiting fungi are discussed in relation to quantifying these fungi in both controlled greenhouse pot experiments and in the field. Furthermore, the possibility of using signature fatty acids to estimate soil inoculum potential of root-inhabiting fungi are discussed

Digitalt understøttet problem- og projektbaseret vejlederpraksis: Erfaringer og potentialer identificeret under COVID-19-nedlukningen

This article examines teachers’ and students' experiences with digitally supported project supervision during the COVID-19 lock-down in the spring of 2020. The focus is on the philosophy behind problem- and project-based supervision at Aalborg University and Roskilde University, and how and to what extent digital transformation of supervisor practice supports and challenges this philosophy. The results are primarily based on 12 qualitative interviews with teachers and 10 qualitative interviews with students conducted as part of the project "Experiences with online teaching at 9 higher education institutions", supplemented by results from local, internal studies in the same period. Overall, this paper seeks to answer the research question: “What have we learned about digitally supported project supervision during the COVID-19 lockdown, and what experiences can we take with us into a future problem- and project-oriented supervisor practice?” The results of the study show that the lockdown period has given rise to rethinking the problem- and project-based supervisor practice, and that supervision has the potential to become more flexible, student-centered and process-oriented when transformed from primarily product orientation towards process facilitation in hybrid learning spaces.Denne artikel undersøger underviseres og studerendes erfaringer med digitalt understøttet projektvejledning under COVID-19-nedlukningen i foråret 2020. Der sættes fokus på filosofien bag problem- og projektbaseret vejledning på Aalborg Universitet og Roskilde Universitet, samt hvordan og i hvor høj grad digital transformation af vejlederpraksis understøtter og udfordrer denne filosofi. Resultaterne baserer sig primært på 12 kvalitative interviews med undervisere og 10 kvalitative interviews med studerende gennemført som en del af projektet “Erfaringer og oplevelser med online undervisning på 9 videregående uddannelsesinstitutioner”, suppleret af resultater fra lokale, interne undersøgelser i samme periode. Artiklen søger overordnet set at besvare undersøgelsesspørgsmålet: Hvad har vi lært om digitalt understøttet projektvejledning under COVID-19-nedlukningen, og hvilke erfaringer kan vi tage med os ind i en fremtidig problem- og projektorienteret vejlederpraksis? Undersøgelsens resultater viser, at nedlukningsperioden har givet anledning til nytænkning af den problem- og projektbaserede vejlederpraksis, og at vejledningen har potentiale til at blive mere fleksibel, studentercentreret og proces-orienteret, når den transformeres fra primært produktvejledning til en højere grad af procesfacilitering i hybride læringsrum

Relational Coordination and Organisational Social Capital Association with Characteristics of General Practice

Background. Relational coordination (RC) and organisational social capital (OSC) are measures of novel aspects of an organisation’s performance, which have not previously been analysed together, in general practice. Objectives. The aim of this study was to analyse the associations between RC and OSC, and characteristics of general practice. Methods. Questionnaire survey study comprising 2074 practices in Denmark. Results. General practitioners (GPs) rated both RC and OSC in their general practice higher than their secretaries and nurses. The practice form was statistically significantly associated with high RC and OSC. RC was positively associated with the number of patients listed with a practice per staff, where staff is defined as all members of a practice including both owners and employees. Conclusion. The study showed that RC and OSC were significantly associated with type of profession and practice type. RC was also found to be significantly positively associated with number of patients per staff. However, the low response rate must be taken into consideration when interpreting the self-reported results of this study