Roads are currently one of the most disruptive anthropogenic disturbances to mountain ecosystems worldwide. These disturbances can have a profound effect on roadside soil properties and vegetation, typically favouring fast-growing and ruderal species. However, their effect on plant-associated fungal communities and plant-fungal interactions remains largely unknown. In this study, we examined the changes in root-associated fungal communities as well as plant-fungal and fungal-fungal co-occurrence networks along mountain roads from four biogeographical regions. We found that roadsides consistently altered plant and fungal community composition, generally favouring arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and putative plant pathogens at the expense of ectomycorrhizal fungi. Moreover, roadsides consistently reduced the complexity of plant-fungal and fungal-fungal co-occurrence networks (with 66%-95% and 40%-94% reduction in total edge density, respectively), even though the richness of fungal communities was not reduced and many of the naturally occurring highly connected taxa were still present. Our findings suggest that altered and transient conditions in the roadsides may favour more generalist symbionts like AMF and pathogens with low fidelity for particular hosts as opposed to surrounding natural vegetation which is dominated by symbionts with higher specificity for the host (like ectomycorrhizal fungi). We conclude that road disturbance may have a consistent negative imprint on connectivity between plants and fungi; a consequence that deserves attention as it could render mountain roadside systems unstable and vulnerable to further pressures such as climate change and invasive species.

• Klíčová slova
• co‐occurrence networks, disturbance, fungi, mountains, plants, roads, roots,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Permafrost-affected soil stores a significant amount of organic carbon. Identifying the biological constraints of soil organic matter transformation, e.g., the interaction of major soil microbial soil organic matter decomposers, is crucial for predicting carbon vulnerability in permafrost-affected soil. Fungi are important players in the decomposition of soil organic matter and often interact in various mutualistic relationships during this process. We investigated four different soil horizon types (including specific horizons of cryoturbated soil organic matter (cryoOM)) across different types of permafrost-affected soil in the Western Canadian Arctic, determined the composition of fungal communities by sequencing (Illumina MPS) the fungal internal transcribed spacer region, assigned fungal lifestyles, and by determining the co-occurrence of fungal network properties, identified the topological role of keystone fungal taxa. Compositional analysis revealed a significantly higher relative proportion of the litter saprotroph Lachnum and root-associated saprotroph Phialocephala in the topsoil and the ectomycorrhizal close-contact exploring Russula in cryoOM, whereas Sites 1 and 2 had a significantly higher mean proportion of plant pathogens and lichenized trophic modes. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed the lowest modularity and average path length, and highest clustering coefficient in cryoOM, which suggested a lower network resistance to environmental perturbation. Zi-Pi plot analysis suggested that some keystone taxa changed their role from generalist to specialist, depending on the specific horizon concerned, Cladophialophora in topsoil, saprotrophic Mortierella in cryoOM, and Penicillium in subsoil were classified as generalists for the respective horizons but specialists elsewhere. The litter saprotrophic taxon Cadophora finlandica played a role as a generalist in Site 1 and specialist in the rest of the sites. Overall, these results suggested that fungal communities within cryoOM were more susceptible to environmental change and some taxa may shift their role, which may lead to changes in carbon storage in permafrost-affected soil.

• Klíčová slova
• Zi-Pi plot, arctic, co-occurrence network, keystone taxa, permafrost,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

This article describes the application of an analytical method for the detection of 25 mycotoxins in wheat grain based on simultaneous extraction using matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) followed by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry, a hybrid triple quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometer (QTrap®). Information Dependent Acquisition (IDA), an extra confirmation tool for samples that contain the target mycotoxins, was used. The analysis of 40 Syrian and 46 Italian wheat grain samples interestingly showed that Syrian samples were mainly contaminated with ochratoxin A and aflatoxins, whereas Italian samples with deoxynivalenol and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol. Emerging Fusarium mycotoxins were predominant in Italian samples compared to the Syrian. Among the analysed samples, only one was found containing zeralenone with level above the maximum European recommended concentration (100 ppb). These results confirm that climatic differences between Syria and Italy, both in Mediterranean basin, play a key role in the diversity of fungal genera and mycotoxins in wheat grains.

• Klíčová slova
• Co-occurrence, EDI, Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, Mycotoxins, Wheat grain,
• MeSH
• aflatoxiny analýza   MeSH
• chromatografie kapalinová metody   MeSH
• mykotoxiny analýza   MeSH
• plynová chromatografie s hmotnostně spektrometrickou detekcí metody   MeSH
• pšenice chemie   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Itálie MeSH
• Sýrie MeSH
• Názvy látek
• aflatoxiny MeSH
• mykotoxiny MeSH

It remains challenging to establish reliable links between transformation products (TPs) of contaminants and corresponding microbes. This challenge arises due to the sophisticated experimental regime required for TP discovery and the compositional nature of 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and mass spectrometry datasets, which can potentially confound statistical inference. In this study, we present a new strategy by combining the use of 2H-labeled Stable Isotope-Assisted Metabolomics (2H-SIAM) with a neural network-based algorithm (i.e., MMvec) to explore links between TPs of pyrene and the soil microbiome. The links established by this novel strategy were further validated using different approaches. Briefly, a metagenomic study provided indirect evidence for the established links, while the identification of pyrene degraders from soils, and a DNA-based stable isotope probing (DNA-SIP) study offered direct evidence. The comparison among different approaches, including Pearson's and Spearman's correlations, further confirmed the superior performance of our strategy. In conclusion, we summarize the unique features of the combined use of 2H-SIAM and MMvec. This study not only addresses the challenges in linking TPs to microbes but also introduces an innovative and effective approach for such investigations. Environmental Implication: Taxonomically diverse bacteria performing successive metabolic steps of the contaminant were firstly depicted in the environmental matrix.

• Klíčová slova
• Co-occurrence network, Microbiome, Neural network, Organic contaminants, Stable isotope, Transformation products,
• MeSH
• DNA MeSH
• izotopy analýza   MeSH
• mikrobiota * MeSH
• neuronové sítě MeSH
• půda * chemie   MeSH
• půdní mikrobiologie MeSH
• pyreny MeSH
• RNA ribozomální 16S MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• DNA MeSH
• izotopy MeSH
• půda * MeSH
• pyreny MeSH
• RNA ribozomální 16S MeSH

Denitrification causes nitrogen losses from terrestrial ecosystems. The magnitude of nitrogen loss depends on the prevalence of denitrifiers, which show ecological differences if they harbour nirS or nirK genes encoding nitrite reductases with the same biological function. Thus, it is relevant to understand the mechanisms of co-existence of denitrifiers, including their response to environmental filters and competition due to niche similarities. We propose a framework to analyse the co-existence of denitrifiers across multiple assemblages by using nir gene-based co-occurrence networks. We applied it in Mediterranean soils before and during 1 year after an experimental fire. Burning did not modify nir community structure, but significantly impacted co-occurrence patterns. Bacteria with the same nir co-occurred in space, and those with different nir excluded each other, reflecting niche requirements: nirS abundance responded to nitrate and salinity, whereas nirK to iron content. Prior to fire, mutual exclusion between bacteria with the same nir suggested competition due to niche similarities. Burning provoked an immediate rise in mineral nitrogen and erased the signals of competition, which emerged again within days as nir abundances peaked. nir co-occurrence patterns can help infer the assembly mechanisms of denitrifying communities, which control nitrogen losses in the face of ecological disturbance.

• MeSH
• Bacteria genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• denitrifikace genetika   fyziologie   MeSH
• dusičnany metabolismus   MeSH
• dusík metabolismus   MeSH
• ekosystém MeSH
• nitritreduktasy genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• požáry * MeSH
• půda chemie   MeSH
• půdní mikrobiologie MeSH
• salinita MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• dusičnany MeSH
• dusík MeSH
• nitritreduktasy MeSH
• půda MeSH

Plant-soil feedback is one of the mechanisms affecting co-existence of species, ecological succession, and species invasiveness. However, in contrast to conspecific plant-soil feedback, general patterns in heterospecific feedback are mostly unknown. We used a meta-analysis to search for correlations between heterospecific feedback and species relatedness, functional traits, and field co-occurrence patterns. We searched published literature and compiled a data set of 618 PSF interactions. We gathered data on species traits reflecting plant size and growth rate (height, specific leaf area, and life span), co-occurrence in habitats and phylogenetic distance between species pairs. We found that species grew better in soil conditioned by (i) close relatives than in conspecific soil, whereas there was no relationship with phylogeny for distantly related species, (ii) species of greater plant height (but there was no relationship with species SLA or life span), and (iii) species more frequently co-occurring in the field. The results show that heterospecific plant-soil feedback can be explained by plant traits (height) and is reflected in co-occurrence patterns. Phylogeny was a significant predictor of feedbacks over short phylogenetic distance, suggesting fast evolution of traits related to feedback. The low variability explained by the models, however, indicates that other factors such as environmental conditions possibly alter plant-soil feedback responses.

• Klíčová slova
• Czech National Phytosociological Database, Daphne phylogeny, Dutch National Phytosociological Database, Plant co-existence, Plant traits,
• MeSH
• ekosystém MeSH
• fylogeneze MeSH
• půda * MeSH
• půdní mikrobiologie MeSH
• rostliny * MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• metaanalýza MeSH
• Názvy látek
• půda * MeSH

In the majority of countries, surnames represent a ubiquitous cultural attribute inherited from an individual's ancestors and predominantly only altered through marriage. This paper utilises an innovative method, taken from economics, to offer unprecedented insights into the "surname space" of the Czech Republic. We construct this space as a network based on the pairwise probabilities of co-occurrence of surnames and find that the network representation has clear parallels with various ethno-cultural boundaries in the country. Our inductive approach therefore formalizes a simple assumption that the more frequently the bearers of two surnames concentrate in the same locations the higher the probability that these two surnames can be related (considering ethno-cultural relatedness, common co-ancestry or genetic relatedness, or some other type of relatedness). Using the Czech Republic as a case study this paper offers a fresh perspective on surnames as a quantitative data source and provides a methodology that can be easily incorporated within wider cultural, ethnic, geographic and population genetics studies already utilizing surnames.

• MeSH
• běloši etnologie   MeSH
• jména * MeSH
• kultura MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• populační genetika MeSH
• zeměpis MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika etnologie   MeSH

In times of COVID-19 pandemics, the upcoming period of the year when influenza activity usually increases in the Northern Hemisphere brings new medical and public health challenges. These challenges include the risk of mixed infections and/or a possible collision of the two epidemics (“twindemia”) with a potentially serious impact on individual health and public health. In this report, we discuss the results of the published stu-dies and conclude that the catastrophic collision of the seasonal influenza and COVID-19 epidemics is unlikely when efficient non-pharmaceutical public health measures are applied to control or mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic. This conclusion is supported by several lines of evidence, including the extremely low seasonal influenza activity registered in the Southern Hemisphere in 2020. On the other hand, the existence of mixed SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus infections has been demonstrated in humans. The continuing uncertainty about the occurrence and potential severity of these mixed infections emphasizes the importance of seasonal influenza vaccination in the current epidemiological situation and raises the need to: (i) ensure vaccine availability, (ii) facilitate access to safe seasonal influenza vaccination under the conditions of the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic, and (iii) promote the vaccine to the public.

• Klíčová slova
• COVID-19, Influenza, twindemia, viral interference– immunization,
• MeSH
• chřipka lidská * epidemiologie   prevence a kontrola   MeSH
• COVID-19 * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• pandemie MeSH
• roční období MeSH
• SARS-CoV-2 MeSH
• vakcíny proti chřipce * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• vakcíny proti chřipce * MeSH

AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of problematic gaming and gambling and the co-occurrence of these behaviours in association with depression and generalised anxiety disorder in a representative general working-age adult population in Latvia. METHODS: Data from a survey of 4,912 respondents aged 15-64 in the general population of Latvia were studied. The Game Addiction Scale, the Problem Gambling Severity Index, and the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scales were used to obtain self-reported data for the target study variables. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression models assess the prevalence of the variables and estimate the odds ratios for depression and generalised anxiety disorder. RESULTS: By adjusting for age, sex, and income level, both problematic gaming and gambling significantly increased the odds of depression and anxiety by an average of three times. The prevalence of the co-occurrence of problematic gaming and gambling was 0.8%, and it did not elevate the odds of depression and anxiety compared to having either problematic gaming or gambling alone, which maintains the overall threefold increase of both depression and anxiety (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In the general adult population, the presence of problematic gaming and gambling indicates a higher likelihood for the individual burden of mental health problems due to the co-existence of depression or anxiety. Thus, the complexity of problematic gaming and gambling has to be taken into account when planning and implementing effective mental health interventions.

• Klíčová slova
• Problematic gaming, depression, generalised anxiety disorder, problem gambling,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, whose pathogenesis involves dysregulated interplay among immune cells, keratinocytes and environmental triggers, including microbiota. Bacterial and fungal dysbiosis has been recently associated with several chronic immune-mediated diseases including psoriasis. In this comprehensive study, we investigated how different sampling sites and methods reflect the uncovered skin microbiota composition. After establishing the most suitable approach, we further examined correlations between bacteria and fungi on the psoriatic skin. We compared microbiota composition determined in the same sample by sequencing two distinct hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene. We showed that using the V3V4 region led to higher species richness and evenness than using the V1V2 region. In particular, genera, such as Staphylococcus and Micrococcus were more abundant when using the V3V4 region, while Planococcaceae, on the other hand, were detected only by the V1V2 region. We performed a detailed analysis of skin microbiota composition of psoriatic lesions, unaffected psoriatic skin, and healthy control skin from the back and elbow. Only a few discriminative features were uncovered, mostly specific for the sampling site or method (swab, scraping, or biopsy). Swabs from psoriatic lesions on the back and the elbow were associated with increased abundance of Brevibacterium and Kocuria palustris and Gordonia, respectively. In the same samples from psoriatic lesions, we found a significantly higher abundance of the fungus Malassezia restricta on the back, while Malassezia sympodialis dominated the elbow mycobiota. In psoriatic elbow skin, we found significant correlation between occurrence of Kocuria, Lactobacillus, and Streptococcus with Saccharomyces, which was not observed in healthy skin. For the first time, we showed here a psoriasis-specific correlation between fungal and bacterial species, suggesting a link between competition for niche occupancy and psoriasis. However, it still remains to be elucidated whether observed microbial shift and specific inter-kingdom relationship pattern are of primary etiological significance or secondary to the disease.

• Klíčová slova
• microbiota, mycobiota, psoriasis, sequencing, skin,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH