Temporal dynamics of airborne fungi in Swedish forest nurseries.

In Sweden, reforestation of managed forests relies predominantly on planting nursery-produced tree seedlings. However, the intense production using containerized cultivation systems (e.g.

Fungal Communities Associated with Siricid Wood Wasps: Focus on , , and .

We investigated the diversity and occurrence of wood wasps in Lithuania and determined communities of associated fungi. Trapping of wood wasps resulted in three different species, including , , and . Fungal culturing from adult females of mainly resulted in fungi from the genera and .

Long-term Dynamics of Fungal Communities Inhabiting Decaying Stumps of Quercus robur.

We studied the diversity, composition, and long-term dynamics of wood-inhabiting fungi in Quercus robur stumps left after commercial tree harvesting in Lithuania. Sampling of wood was carried out at three sites and from stumps, which were 10-, 20-, 30-, 40-, and 50-year-old. DNA was isolated from wood samples and fungal communities analyzed using high-throughput sequencing.

Biogeography of Fungal Communities Associated with L. and (L.) H. Karst. along the Latitudinal Gradient in Europe.

We assessed the diversity and composition of fungal communities in different functional tissues and the rhizosphere soil of and stands along the latitudinal gradient of these tree species distributions in Europe to model possible changes in fungal communities imposed by climate change. For each tree species, living needles, shoots, roots, and the rhizosphere soil were sampled and subjected to high-throughput sequencing. Results showed that the latitude and the host tree species had a limited effect on the diversity and composition of fungal communities, which were largely explained by the environmental variables of each site and the substrate they colonize.

An Overview of Species on Woody Plants in Sweden and Other Nordic Countries.

The genus , with 326 species in 12 phylogenetic clades currently known, includes many economically important pathogens of woody plants. Different species often possess a hemibiotrophic or necrotrophic lifestyle, have either a broad or narrow host range, can cause a variety of disease symptoms (root rot, damping-off, bleeding stem cankers, or blight of foliage), and occur in different growing environments (nurseries, urban and agricultural areas, or forests). Here, we summarize the available knowledge on the occurrence, host range, symptoms of damage, and aggressiveness of different species associated with woody plants in Nordic countries with a special emphasis on Sweden.

Fungal Communities in Leaves and Roots of Healthy-Looking and Diseased .

The aim of this study was to investigate fungal communities associated with leaves and roots of healthy-looking and declining U. glabra trees. The study was expected to demonstrate whether and how the diversity and composition of fungal communities change in these functional tissues following the infection by Dutch elm disease-causing fungi.

Fungal Communities in Re-Emerging Sites in Lithuania and Their Antagonistic Potential against .

Fifty-nine fungal taxa, isolated from re-emerging Fraxinus excelsior sites in Lithuania, were in vitro tested against three strains of Hymenoscyphus fraxineus on agar media to establish their biocontrol properties. All tested fungi were isolated from leaves and shoots of relatively healthy Fraxinus excelsior trees (<30% defoliation), which were affected by ash dieback but their phytosanitary condition has not worsened during the last decade. The inhibition of H.

Principal Drivers of Fungal Communities Associated with Needles, Shoots, Roots and Adjacent Soil of .

The plant- and soil-associated microbial communities are critical to plant health and their resilience to stressors, such as drought, pathogens, and pest outbreaks. A better understanding of the structure of microbial communities and how they are affected by different environmental factors is needed to predict and manage ecosystem responses to climate change. In this study, we carried out a country-wide analysis of fungal communities associated with growing under different environmental conditions.

Fungal Communities Vectored by in Declining in Ukraine: Focus on Occurrence and Pathogenicity of Ophiostomatoid Species.

Drought-induced stress and attacks by bark beetle currently result in a massive dieback of in eastern Ukraine. Limited and fragmented knowledge is available on fungi vectored by the beetle and their roles in tree dieback. The aim was to investigate the fungal community vectored by and to test the pathogenicity of potentially aggressive species to .

First Report of the Larch Longhorn ( Weise, Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Spondylidinae) on spp. in Lithuania.

is known to be native to the Alps in Europe where it breeds in European larch (), but it has spread to other areas and was reported in Poland, Sweden, Denmark and Belorussia. Although is considered an important secondary pest of spp., it can be particularly harmful to trees subjected to abiotic stress.

DNA-Metabarcoding of Belowground Fungal Communities in Bare-Root Forest Nurseries: Focus on Different Tree Species.

The production of tree seedlings in forest nurseries and their use in the replanting of clear-cut forest sites is a common practice in the temperate and boreal forests of Europe. Although conifers dominate on replanted sites, in recent years, deciduous tree species have received more attention due to their often-higher resilience to abiotic and biotic stress factors. The aim of the present study was to assess the belowground fungal communities of bare-root cultivated seedlings of , and in order to gain a better understanding of the associated fungi and oomycetes, and their potential effects on the seedling performance in forest nurseries and after outplanting.

Occurrence and pathogenicity of Corinectria spp. - an emerging canker disease of Abies sibirica in Central Siberia.

During recent years, a new disease of Siberian fir (A. sibirica) emerged in Central Siberia, exhibiting symptoms of stem/branch deformation, cambium necrosis, and dieback of branches and twigs, the causal agent remaining unknown. The aim was to identify agent of the disease and to investigate its pathogenicity to A.

In vitro evidence of root colonization suggests ecological versatility in the genus Mycena.

The root-associated habit has evolved on numerous occasions in different fungal lineages, suggesting a strong evolutionary pressure for saprotrophic fungi to switch to symbiotic associations with plants. Species within the ubiquitous, saprotrophic genus Mycena are frequently major components in molecular studies of root-associated fungal communities, suggesting that an evaluation of their trophic status is warranted. Here, we report on interactions between a range of Mycena species and the plant Betula pendula.

Managed and Unmanaged Forest Stands Harbour Similar Diversity and Composition of the Phyllosphere and Soil Fungi.

The aim was to assess fungal communities associated with living needles and soil of in managed and unmanaged forest stands to get a better understanding of whether and how different intensities of forest management affects fungal diversity and community composition under the north temperate forest zone conditions. The study was carried out in three national parks in Lithuania. Each included five study sites in managed stands and five in unmanaged stands.

Secondary Metabolites from the Root Rot Biocontrol Fungus .

Three cyclopentanoids (phlebiopsin A⁻C), one glycosylated -terphenyl (methyl-terfestatin A), and -orsellinaldehyde were isolated from the biocontrol fungus , and their structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analysis, as well as by LC-HRMS. The biological activity of the compounds against the root rot fungus , as well as against and , was also investigated, but only -orsellinaldehyde was found to have any antifungal activity in the concentration range tested.

Robotic-assisted coronary artery bypass surgery: an 18-year single-centre experience.

Background: Minimally invasive robot-assisted direct coronary artery bypass (RADCAB) has emerged as a feasible minimally invasive surgical technique for revascularization that might offer several potential advantages over conventional approaches. We present our 18-year experience in RADCAB.

Methods: Between February 1998 and February 2016, 605 patients underwent RADCAB.

Analysis of Short- and Long-term Outcomes of Patients With Surgically Treated Left-sided Infective Endocarditis: A 5-Year Longitudinal Follow-up Study.

This study aims to analyze survival, repeat hospitalization, and risk factors for surgically treated left-sided endocarditis. Retrospective review of all 166 (114 native and 52 prosthetic) patients operated between January 2004 and March 2015 was performed. Long-term survival and repeat hospitalization data for 134 of 166 patients were obtained via linked clinical databases with the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy.

Outcomes of octogenarians discharged from the hospital after prolonged intensive care unit length of stay after cardiac surgery.

Objective: Octogenarians offered complex cardiac surgery frequently experience a prolonged intensive care unit length of stay; however, minimal data exist on the outcomes of these patients. We sought to determine the rates and predictors of 1-year noninstitutionalized survival ("functional survival") and rehospitalization for octogenarian patients with prolonged intensive care unit length of stay after cardiac surgery and who were discharged from hospital.

Methods: The outcomes of discharged patients aged 80 years or more who underwent cardiac surgery with prolonged intensive care unit length of stay (≥5 consecutive days) from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2011, were examined retrospectively from linked clinical and administrative provincial databases.

Predictors of survival, functional survival, and hospital readmission in octogenarians after surgical aortic valve replacement.

Objective: To analyze outcomes and predictors of functional survival (personal care home admission and mortality) and hospital readmission in patients aged ≥80 years who underwent surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in a Manitoba hospital.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients aged ≥80 years who underwent SAVR with or without coronary artery bypass grafting in Manitoba between 1995 and 2014. Data from the Manitoba Adult Cardiac Surgery database and the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy were used.

A novel system for the treatment of aortic annular dilation: an ex vivo investigation.

Objectives: The main reason for aortic repair failures is recurrent annular dilatation. The fibrous portion of left ventricular outflow tract dilates. A novel device was designed to tackle this problem.

Survival and Long-Term Outcomes of Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients Aged 55 to 65 Years.

Background: This study aims to compare the outcomes after aortic valve replacement (AVR) with mechanical and biological valves in middle-aged patients (55-65 years) to determine the impact on long-term mortality and morbidity.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 373 patients between 55 and 65 years of age who received a primary AVR with or without concomitant coronary artery bypass graft between April 1995 and March 2014. Propensity matching yielded 118 patient pairs in the mechanical and biological valve cohorts.

Growing evidence for facultative biotrophy in saprotrophic fungi: data from microcosm tests with 201 species of wood-decay basidiomycetes.

Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) symbioses have evolved a minimum of 78 times independently from saprotrophic lineages, indicating the potential for functional overlap between ECM and saprotrophic fungi. ECM fungi have the capacity to decompose organic matter, and although there is increasing evidence that some saprotrophic fungi exhibit the capacity to enter into facultative biotrophic relationships with plant roots without causing disease symptoms, this subject is still not well studied. In order to determine the extent of biotrophic capacity in saprotrophic wood-decay fungi and which systems may be useful models, we investigated the colonization of conifer seedling roots in vitro using an array of 201 basidiomycete wood-decay fungi.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in an Extremely Tortuous S-Shaped Aorta.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has emerged as an alternative technique to treating aortic stenosis in patients with high surgical risk. We present a case of a successful transfemoral TAVI in a high-risk patient with an extremely tortuous iliofemoral system and a significant S-type bend in the descending aorta. With careful preprocedure planning and using all the techniques available, TAVI can be performed in the most challenging patients.

Early Rehospitalization After Prolonged Intensive Care Unit Stay Post Cardiac Surgery: Outcomes and Modifiable Risk Factors.

Background: Prolonged intensive care unit length of stay (prICULOS) following cardiac surgery (CS) in older adults is increasingly common but rehospitalization characteristics and outcomes are understudied. We sought to describe the rehospitalization characteristics and subsequent non-institutionalized survival of prICULOS (ICULOS ≥5 days) patients and identify modifiable risk factors to decrease 30-day rehospitalization.

Methods And Results: Consecutive patients from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2011 were analyzed utilizing linked clinical and administrative databases.