Real-time extensive livestock monitoring using lpwan smart wearable and infrastructure

Extensive unsupervised livestock farming is a habitual technique in many places around the globe. Animal release can be done for months, in large areas and with different species packing and behaving very differently. Nevertheless, the farmer’s needs are similar: where livestock is (and where has been) and how healthy they are. The geographical areas involved usually have difficult access with harsh orography and lack of communications infrastructure. This paper presents the design of a solution for extensive livestock monitoring in these areas. Our proposal is based in a wearable equipped with inertial sensors, global positioning system and wireless communications; and a Low-Power Wide Area Network infrastructure that can run with and without internet connection. Using adaptive analysis and data compression, we provide real-time monitoring and logging of cattle’s position and activities. Hardware and firmware design achieve very low energy consumption allowing months of battery life. We have thoroughly tested the devices in different laboratory setups and evaluated the system performance in real scenarios in the mountains and in the forest

Use of Trichoderma as a biocontrol agent and biofertilizer.

Species of the fungal genus Trichoderma have broad environmental opportunism, evolving from a mycoparasitic lifestyle to arivulent symbionts or even plant endophytes. Because of their ability to antagonize plant- pathogenic fungi some Trichoderma strains are used for biological control of plant diseases, acting through different mechanisms of action. Some Trichoderma strains have been registeres of commercial application as fungicide products in agriculture due the their efficacy of biocontrol, large capacity to survive in different environments, and genetic and phenotypic stability. In interaction with plants, Trichodermais able to increase plant defense responses, root development, plant growth, seed germination, leaf greennees, photosynthetic efficiency and carbon dioxide uptake, and a,eliorae abiotic stresses of facilitate a better assimilation of nutrients and detoxification of xenobiotics. Trichoderma spp. can also improve the plant nutritional level and modify the root architecture to get a more efficient nutrient uptake that can substantially increase nitrogen use efficiency in crops Some strains only express one of these mechanis,s, but the most efficient ones exhibit several of them, either simultaneously or sequentially, and can even favor the activities of rhizobacteri and mycorrhizae. Trichoderma can be ruthless with enemies but benefactor and protector of the plant in adverse situations. From a biotechnological point of view , the isolation of genes from Trichoderma spp. and this subsequent transfer to a plant genome may result in a significant improvement in plant defense and resistance to abiotic atresses

The combination of trichoderma harzianum and chemical fertilization leads to the deregulation of phytohormone networking, preventing the adaptive responses of tomato plants to salt stress.

Abstract: Plants have evolved effective mechanisms to avoid or reduce the potential damage caused by abiotic stresses. In addition to biocontrol abilities, Trichoderma genus fungi promote growth and alleviate the adverse effects caused by saline stress in plants. Morphological, physiological, and molecular changes were analyzed in salt-stressed tomato plants grown under greenhouse conditions in order to investigate the effects of chemical and biological fertilizations. The application of Trichoderma harzianum T34 to tomato seeds had very positive effects on plant growth, independently of chemical fertilization. The application of salt stress significantly changed the parameters related to growth and gas-exchange rates in tomato plants subject to chemical fertilization. However, the gas-exchange parameters were not affected in unfertilized plants under the same moderate saline stress. The combined application of T34 and salt significantly reduced the fresh and dry weights of NPK-fertilized plants, while the opposite effects were detected when no chemical fertilization was applied. Decaying symptoms were observed in salt-stressed and chemically fertilized plants previously treated with T34. This damaged phenotype was linked to significantly higher intercellular CO2 and slight increases in stomatal conductance and transpiration, and to the deregulation of phytohormone networking in terms of significantly lower expression levels of the salt overlay sensitivity 1 (SOS1) gene, and the genes involved in signaling abscisic acid-, ethylene-, and salicylic acid-dependent pathways and ROS production, in comparison with those observed in salt-challenged NPK-fertilized plants

Diagnosis of ink disease of chestnut by molecular identification of associated phytophthora species

For diagnostic proposes of ink disease, chestnut orchards with symptoms of decline or sudden death of trees were sampled by soil baiting techniques and selective agar media (P10VPH). Thirty-six Phytophthora isolates were obtained. One isolate per tree and three or two isolates from the soil of the same plant were considered for molecular identification. Genomic DNA was extracted from all the isolates and from the reference strain P. cinnamomi CECT 2965. The ribosomal regions ITS1, 5.8S and ITS2 were amplified with the universal primer pair ITS6 (Cooke and Duncan, 1997) and ITS4 (White et al., 1990) by PCR. The amplified fragment (900 pb) was digested with restriction enzymes MspI, AluI and TaqI. Two different patterns of fingerprinting were obtained with enzymes TaqI and AluI (type I and II) and three different patterns with MspI (type I, Ia, II). The fingerprinting of each isolate was compared with database of CABI by public web access. Type I and Ia (14 isolates) were assigned to P. cinnamomi and type II (4 isolates) was assigned to P. cambivora. Molecular methods provide a rapid means of Phytophthora species identification associated with ink disease of chestnut and will provide a useful tool for etiological and epidemiological studies of this important disease of chestnut

Trichoderma e seus mecanismos de ação para o controle de doenças de plantas.

Neste capítulo serão abordados os conhecimentos detalhados das espécies de Trichoderma e seus mecanismos de ação, não somente como agentes de controle biológico, mas também como microrganismos simbiontes com plantas, constituindo em um modelo de estudo para aproximações moleculares mutualistas entre fungos e plantas, que permitem aos fungos se alimentarem e crescerem e às plantas se desenvolverem e se defenderem frente ao ataque de patógenos e situações de estresses abióticos e bióticos

Mechanical and optical properties of ultralarge flakes of a metal-organic framework with molecular thickness

The isolation of 2D-materials is already a success for graphene, graphene oxide, boron nitride and a few clays or metal chalcogenides, however despite the fact that some of them show very interesting physical properties, they lack useful functionalities. Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are multifunctional materials showing a wide range of physical and chemical properties that can be structurally designed by suitable selection of their building-blocks. This strategy may allow the production of layers with a variety of useful electronic and molecular recognition functionalities. Herein we isolate 2D-MOF flakes with areas of hundreds of square microns and an excellent control of the molecular thickness (from single up to ca. 50 layers). The samples exhibit such good photoluminescence and mechanical properties as to allow free-standing characterization of few layers' flakesThe authors acknowledge financial support from MICINN (MAT2013-46753-C2-1-P and MAT2013-46753-C2-2-P and Consolider CSD2010-00024

Combined comparative genomics and gene expression analyses provide insights into the terpene synthases inventory in trichoderma

Trichoderma is a fungal genus comprising species used as biocontrol agents in crop plant protection and with high value for industry. The beneficial effects of these species are supported by the secondary metabolites they produce. Terpenoid compounds are key players in the interaction of Trichoderma spp. with the environment and with their fungal and plant hosts; however, most of the terpene synthase (TS) genes involved in their biosynthesis have yet not been characterized. Here, we combined comparative genomics of TSs of 21 strains belonging to 17 Trichoderma spp., and gene expression studies on TSs using T. gamsii T6085 as a model. An overview of the diversity within the TS-gene family and the regulation of TS genes is provided. We identified 15 groups of TSs, and the presence of clade-specific enzymes revealed a variety of terpenoid chemotypes evolved to cover different ecological demands. We propose that functional differentiation of gene family members is the driver for the high number of TS genes found in the genomes of Trichoderma. Expression studies provide a picture in which different TS genes are regulated in many ways, which is a strong indication of different biological functions

Association Between Single-Leg Agility and Single-Leg Vertical Jumping Performance in Active Adults

The vertical jump is crucial in sports and indicates lower body explosiveness. Additionally, vertical jumping requires landing bilaterally or unilaterally. PURPOSE: To determine any differences in unilateral vertical jump performance when landing unilaterally or bilaterally. METHODS: Thirty recreationally trained individuals (age = 23.5 ± 2.2 years) performed three trials of vertical jumps under four different conditions in random order (unilateral-left vertical jump with bilateral landing, unilateral-right vertical jump with bilateral landing, unilateral-left vertical jump with ipsilateral landing, and unilateral-right vertical jump with ipsilateral landing). Kinetic data (peak force, relative peak force, peak power, and relative peak power) was obtained from all jumps at 1000 Hz sampling rate. The average score between trials for the vertical jump were used for statistical analysis in SPSS 25. Independent T-tests were used to find differences in vertical jump measures depending on landing condition with p-value at 0.05. RESULTS: No significant differences between limbs in jump height (Right = 0.08 cm ± 0.04; Left cm = 0.11 ± 0.05), peak force (Right = 473.3 N ± 135.6; Left = 600.1 N ± 182.6), relative peak force (Right = 6.8 N*kg ± 2.6; Left = 7.8 N*kg ± 1.9), peak power (Right = 1505.4 W ± 524.5; Left = 1934.9 W ± 771.9), and relative peak power (Right = 21.3 W*kg ± 7.2; Left = 25.5 W*kg ± 5.8) during unilateral vertical jumps between the landing conditions (p \u3e 0.05). CONCLUSION: It appears that landing conditions do not affect unilateral jump performance in recreationally trained athletes

Associations Between Jump Performance and Asymmetries with 30-m Sprint Completion Time

Asymmetries of the lower body during jumping have been examined as a method to predict risk for injury and guide training program development. Studies have primarily focused on how these asymmetries affect jump performance, but none have examined this in Division I track athletes nor how these are related to sprint performance. PURPOSE: To examine the relationship between jump performance and asymmetries of the vertical and broad jumps with 30-m sprint completion times. METHODS: Twenty-five Division I Track and Field athletes (12 sprinters and 13 non-sprinters) (height = 177.21 ± 10.43 cm; weight = 78.67 ± 24.15 kg) participated in this study. These subjects performed two trials of both the vertical jump (VJ) with their hands on their hips while standing on force platforms. Subjects also performed two trials of the broad jump (BJ) while standing on force platforms and the distance of the BJ was measured using a 100-m tape measure. Following the jump tests, subjects performed two trials of 30-m sprints in which time was recorded using timing gates and the trial with the shortest completion time was used for analysis. Force data from the VJ was used to determine jump height and inter-limb asymmetries and the trial with the greatest jump height was used for analysis. Force data from the BJ was used to determine inter-limb asymmetries from each trial and the trial with the greatest jump distance was used for analysis. Asymmetries were calculated with the symmetry index equation [(high value-low value)/total*100]. Spearman rank correlations were then conducted to determine if the jump performance and asymmetries were associated with sprint completion times. Significance was set at an alpha level of 0.05. RESULTS: Spearman rank correlations determined that both the VJ and BJ were negatively associated with 30-m sprint completion time (rs= -0.644 p=0.001 and rs=-0.563 p=0.003, respectively). Additionally, both the VJ height and BJ distance were positively correlated (rs=0.643 p=0.001). The VJ and BJ asymmetries were not significantly correlated with 30-m sprint performance (p\u3e0.05) nor were they correlated with either the VJ height or BJ distance. CONCLUSION: The findings of study indicate that coaches may want to monitor jump performance as it is related to sprint performance. On the other hand, the asymmetries measured were not associated with jump or sprint performance and this may be due to the sample as they were highly trained individuals with low levels of asymmetries during both jumps

The Relationship between Squat Jump Performance and Sprint Profile in Collegiate Track and Field Athletes

The squat jump (SJ) necessitates the inter-play of various biomechanical components for better jump performance. Good sprint performance requires the inter-play of many of the same biomechanical components. Researchers have previously examined how the speed, force, velocity, and power interact during sprinting, but have yet to examine how these measures are associated with SJ performance measures. PURPOSE: Examine the relationship between squat jump performance measures and the sprint profile measurements of collegiate track and field athletes. METHODS: Twenty-five athletes (18 males and 7 females) completed two squat jump trials with a linear encoder attached to a 45 lbs. bar placed on the athlete’s upper back. Measures of interest during the concentric phase of the SJ included jump height, maximum force, maximum velocity, maximum power, and rate of force development. Athletes then completed two 30-meter acceleration sprints. The MySprint mobile application was used to acquire the athlete’s sprint profile and to assess maximal theoretical horizontal force, maximal theoretical velocity, optimal velocity, maximal theoretical power, maximal speed, maximal ratio of force, force-velocity slope, and decrease in ratio of force. The best trial was used for statistical analysis. Pearson’s or Spearman’s correlation coefficients were conducted between SJ measures and sprint profile measures. RESULTS: There was a positive correlation between SJ height and maximal speed (r = 0.402; p = 0.042). Maximal power during the SJ was positively correlated with maximal speed (r = 0.476; p = 0.014); optimal velocity (r = 0.469; p = 0.018); maximal theoretical power (r = 0.462; p = 0.018); maximal theoretical velocity (r = 0.452; p = 0.021); theoretical horizontal force (r = 0.431; p = 0.028); and maximal ratio force (r = 0.428; p = 0.029). Maximal velocity during the SJ was correlated with maximal speed (r = 0.519; p = 0.007); maximal theoretical velocity (r = 0.499; p = 0.010); optimal velocity (r = 0.486; p = 0.014); and maximal theoretical power (r = 0.484; p = 0.012). No other correlations were significant. CONCLUSION: Maximal velocity and power during the concentric phase of the SJ are moderately to strongly correlated with maximal sprinting speed, velocity, and power. SJ height is positively correlated with maximum sprint speed. There is a lack of significant correlations between other measures of the SJ and sprint profile measures. SJ power and velocity are correlated with sprint performance, therefore power and velocity improved through plyometric SJ training may be transferable to achieve better sprint performance