Level Of Training Research Articles

Teachers’ perspectives on effective English language teaching practices at the elementary level: A phenomenological study

This study examined instructional practices and challenges English language teachers face in elementary schools. This study used a phenomenological approach and a mixed-method design. The data were collected through four tools: questionnaires, case studies, interviews, and observations in eight elementary schools in which eight educators and two hundred students participated from schools of three districts in central Punjab, Pakistan. This study aimed to explore the perspectives of teachers and students regarding the current pedagogical and instructional practices employed in English language classes. This study identified issues related to the lack of professional training and qualifications, overcrowded classrooms, cultural and social barriers, limited availability of the latest resources and technology, and a lack of parental cooperation. The findings suggested revisiting teachers’ professional development programs, focusing on innovative teaching methods, incorporating technology into language teaching classes and classroom materials development, and adaptation preparation. It further suggested that teachers with low levels of professional qualifications and training should consider focusing on specific approaches to meet the challenges they face in language classes instead of general teaching approaches.

Improvement of the enterprise’s financial state management

The reformation of the established economic systems requires from government agencies serious preparation of legislative, regulatory, personnel, credit and monetary policies, logistical flows of resources, etc. One of the most important requirements for the business organization management is the quality management of the financial state of the enterprise, ensuring self-sufficiency and self-financing. If these requirements are met, the business will be sustainable and developing. For this to be achievable, it is necessary to improve the decision-making quality. For this purpose, it is necessary to improve the level of training of financial block managers, who are able to analytically assess both the internal and external environment of the organization. The state of the internal environment and its development depends entirely on the owner (lessee). For this purpose, they have exhaustive internal information. The main source of information on the financial state is the balance sheet and its appendix. The task of organization’s financial management is to use it for complex analysis, first of all: analysis of balance sheet liquidity, financial stability, creditworthiness. The results of this analysis should be objective and real, which will allow making adjustments in the current activities, as well as in the near future. The purpose of this study is to use the technique of analyzing the balance sheet liquidity to identify the factors that have influenced the financial state of the enterprise and to develop recommendations for its improvement.

Leading Schools During a Global Crisis: Kazakhstani School Leaders’ Perspectives and Practices

This paper comprehensively examines how school leaders in Kazakhstan managed schools during the COVID-19 school closures. An online survey was conducted with 1,298 school leaders, representing 17.5% of all Kazakhstani schools. Anchored in the concept of crisis leadership, the instrument measured school leaders’ views regarding teachers’ digital competence, their support toward teachers in digital pedagogy, as well as their practices in communicating with parents and teacher autonomy and monitoring. The results of bivariate tests indicate that a significant proportion of schools offered teachers online professional development opportunities to improve their digital instruction, with school location and size influencing the level of training in digital pedagogy received by teachers. Notably, school leaders’ confidence in their teachers’ ability to teach effectively online increased significantly after receiving training in digital pedagogy. School leaders also maintained regular communication with parents, but this increased their workload, particularly for women and urban school leaders. Most school leaders allowed teachers to choose online platforms and revise curriculum content, while also monitoring teachers’ attendance and observing online lessons. These practices varied based on the school’s medium of instruction. This study significantly contributes to crisis leadership by examining practices during school closures in addressing teachers’ digital competence, communication challenges, and teacher autonomy, with insights on variations by school type, location, and leaders’ gender. The study’s findings have significant implications for post-pandemic school leadership, emphasizing equity in professional development opportunities for teachers, effective communication with stakeholders, and striking the right balance between teacher autonomy and monitoring.

Conversion Rate of Abstracts Presented at Plastic Surgery The Meeting From 2010 to 2019: A 10-Year Analysis of Factors for Success.

Presentations are an important means of knowledge generation. Publication of these studies is important for dissemination of findings beyond meeting attendees. We analyzed a 10-year sample of presented abstracts at Plastic Surgery The Meeting and describe factors that improve rate and speed of conversion to peer-reviewed publication. Abstracts presented between 2010 and 2019 at Plastic Surgery The Meeting were sourced from the American Society of Plastic Surgery Abstract Archive. A random sample of 100 abstracts from each year was evaluated. Abstract information and demographics were recorded. The title or author and keywords of each abstract were searched using a standardized workflow to find a corresponding published paper on PubMed, Google Scholar, and Google. Data were analyzed for trends and factors affecting conversion rate. A total of 983 presented abstracts were included. The conversion rate was 54.1%. Residents and fellows constituted the largest proportion of presenters (38.4%). There was a significant increase in medical student and research fellow presenters during the study period (P < 0.001). Conversion rate was not affected by the research rank of a presenter's affiliated institution (β = 1.001, P = 0.89), geographic location (P = 0.60), or subspecialty tract (P = 0.73). US academics had a higher conversion rate (61.8%) than US nonacademics (32.7%) or international presenters (47.1%) (P < 0.001). Medical students had the highest conversion rate (65.6%); attendings had the lowest (45.0%). Research fellows had the lowest average time to publication (11.6 months, P = 0.007). Lower levels of training, factors associated with increased institution-level support, and research quality affect rate and time to publication. These findings highlight the success of current models featuring medical student and research fellow-led projects with strong resident and faculty mentorship.

Modification of an Airway Training Mannequin to Teach Engagement of the Hyoepiglottic Ligament.

This airway trainer modification is designed to instruct all levels of training in emergency medicine in order to familiarize trainees with airway anatomy and obtain superior views of the glottic inlet. During intubation with a standard geometry laryngoscope, such as the Macintosh blade, placement of the distal end of the blade within the vallecula and engagement of the median glossoepiglottic fold, also referred to as the midline vallecular fold (MVF), has long been championed by experts in airway management for its ability to improve glottic inlet visualization. This notion was further supported by the recent publication of a retrospective video review by Driver et al.1 Unfortunately, airway anatomy, including engagement of the MVF, does not receive the emphasis it deserves during intubation training of emergency medicine residents. Emergency physicians often have limited time to perform complete airway examinations, but a sound recognition and appreciation of the laryngeal inlet can serve as a roadmap to optimal laryngoscopy.2Recent advancements in airway education emphasize visualization of airway anatomy with review of video laryngoscopy (VL) recordings to identify routine VL errors in vallecula manipulation, such as failure to engage the MVF. 3 Simulation can continue to play an essential role in enhancing trainees' airway skills. Current airway trainers lack functional fidelity components, such an engageable MVF, resulting in a missed opportunity to teach airway skills and anatomy in a safe and controlled setting.4, 5 To address these concerns, we modified an existing airway task trainer with the addition of a simulated MVF to expose trainees to airway anatomy and adequate MVF engagement resulting in epiglottic elevation. By the end of this education session, participants should be able to:Identify relevant airway anatomy during intubation, including base of the tongue, epiglottis, midline vallecular fold, anterior arytenoids.Appreciate the value of a stepwise anatomically guided approach to intubation.Become familiar with the midline vallecular fold and underlying anatomy, including the hyoepiglottic ligament, and how proper placement of the laryngoscope can result in improved glottic visualization. The TrueCorp AirSim airway task trainer was modified with the addition of a simulated MVF. Prior to the modification described here, there were no dynamic trainers with the functional fidelity needed to teach trainees how to engage the MVF with proper placement of the distal tip of the laryngoscope. Once the trainer was created, learners are introduced to relevant anatomy through the initial lecture to unsure baseline knowledge. During the lecture, videos and images are reviewed to demonstrate the importance of an anatomical roadmap to successful intubation. Learners then practiced with the modified task trainer to gain hands-on experience with laryngoscope placement and improved glottic visualization. A short verbal debriefing was performed at the end of the skills session to address any remaining questions. Pre- and post-simulation surveys were completed by attendees of a weekly didactic session, ranging from medical students, PGY 1-4 emergency medicine residents, and emergency medicine attending physicians. Pre- and post-simulation familiarity with airway anatomy and comfortability with MVF engagement was assessed using a 5-point Likert scale. Twenty-six participants ranging from medical students to attending physicians completed a pre- and post-simulation survey. Overall, feedback from leaners was positive. Learners were excited to learn new airway management techniques and requested an expansion of current airway curriculum based on the success of this implementation. This modified task trainer places an emphasis on teaching airway anatomy to trainees with the addition of functional fidelity by adding an engageable element providing the trainee with feedback on successful placement of the laryngoscope. This simple and cost-effective modification can add value to existing airway management curriculums by serving as a visual cue of airway anatomy and instructing trainees on proper placement of the laryngoscope. Our results showed participants experienced increased comfort with airway anatomy recognition and engagement of MVF for difficult intubations. Participants found the trainer effective with the simulated MVF resulting in glottic elevation and recommended this for future simulation. Participants were eager to learn additional airway techniques to improve their laryngoscopy skills, suggesting an area of growth for emergency medicine didactic curriculums. Airway, midline vallecular fold, anatomy, difficult airway, education.

Survey of religious archives in Ireland

The archives of religious organisations are some of the most significant, contested and least accessible repositories in Ireland. The decreasing size of the country’s Roman Catholic religious congregations and the reorganisation of dioceses means that these archives also represent some of the island’s most endangered collections. Aiming to address the need for more transparency about these repositories and to raise awareness of their vulnerability, this research presents the findings of a survey of Irish religious archives that was carried out in the Spring/Summer of 2022. Divided into four sections, the findings provide quantitative data about a range of subjects, such as the content of repositories, the training level of staff, and the distribution of their work. In addition, the paper presents qualitative information about what it is like to work in a religious archive, what people in these roles find difficult or interesting, and what meaning they, and the organisations they work for, attach to their records. The paper brings into relief the significance that many of those working in religious archives attach to the provision of access and the barriers to this process, such as resourcing and organisational culture. Drawing on international comparators, the paper highlights some of the central challenges facing contemporary religious archives in Ireland. It also highlights the need for a concerted effort to realise the opportunities that exist to preserve and increase access to these resources.

Insights into the Adolescent Cystic Fibrosis Airway Microbiome Using Shotgun Metagenomics.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited genetic disorder which manifests primarily in airway disease. Recent advances in molecular technologies have unearthed the diverse polymicrobial nature of the CF airway. Numerous studies have characterised the genus-level composition of this airway community using targeted 16S rDNA sequencing. Here, we employed whole-genome shotgun metagenomics to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the early CF airway microbiome. We collected 48 sputum samples from 11 adolescents and children with CF over a 12-month period and performed shotgun metagenomics on the Illumina NextSeq platform. We carried out functional and taxonomic analysis of the lung microbiome at the species and strain levels. Correlations between microbial diversity measures and independent demographic and clinical variables were performed. Shotgun metagenomics detected a greater diversity of bacteria than culture-based methods. A large proportion of the top 25 most-dominant species were anaerobes. Samples dominated by Staphylococcus aureus and Prevotella melaninogenica had significantly higher microbiome diversity, while no CF pathogen was associated with reduced microbial diversity. There was a diverse resistome present in all samples in this study, with 57.8% agreement between shotgun metagenomics and culture-based methods for detection of resistance. Pathogenic sequence types (STs) of S. aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Haemophilus influenzae and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia were observed to persist in young CF patients, while STs of S. aureus were both persistent and shared between patients. This study provides new insight into the temporal changes in strain level composition of the microbiome and the landscape of the resistome in young people with CF. Shotgun metagenomics could provide a very useful one-stop assay for detecting pathogens, emergence of resistance and conversion to persistent colonisation in early CF disease.

Expression profiles of heat shock protein 70 and high-mobility groups box-1 protein in gnotobiotic brine shrimp challenged with different virulence levels of isogenic Vibrio harveyi strains.

Expression profiles of heat shock protein 70 and high-mobility groups box-1 protein in gnotobiotic brine shrimp challenged with different virulence levels of isogenic Vibrio harveyi strains.

Cultivating Critical Thinking Skills in Early Childhood through Inquiry-Based Learning Models Grounded in Teachers' Experiences

This study aims to describe the implementation of inquiry-based learning models, grounded in teachers' teaching experiences, to enhance critical thinking skills in early childhood at RA Nurul Haq and TKIT Umar Bin Khatab Kudus. Using a qualitative descriptive approach with a case study model, the research investigates the processes and outcomes of inquiry-based learning. Data were collected through observations, interviews, and document reviews, focusing on children aged 4-6. Results indicate that the inquiry-based learning model significantly enhances children's critical thinking skills when applied by certified and experienced teachers. This model promotes balanced cognitive, affective, and psychomotor development through systematic exploration and problem-solving activities. However, challenges persist for non-certified teachers due to limited training. The study's implications are substantial for early childhood education, as implementing an inquiry-based learning model can improve critical thinking skills essential for children's academic and personal growth. It prepares them to face 21st-century challenges such as critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. Limitations include the study's focus on a specific demographic and the disparity in training and certification levels among teachers, highlighting the need for comprehensive professional development programs. Future research should expand the scope to include a broader range of educational settings, investigate the long-term effects of inquiry-based learning on critical thinking skills, and explore integrating inquiry-based models with other teaching strategies to maximize their effectiveness. In conclusion, this study underscores the positive impact of an inquiry-based learning model, grounded in teachers' teaching experiences, on enhancing critical thinking skills in early childhood education.

THE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF METHODS FOR ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF OPERATIONAL RISK ON BANKS' CAPITAL

The aim of the study is to compare international and national approaches to measuring the impact of operational risk on bank capital, to identify the advantages and the level of complexity of each approach, and to reveal the level of strain on banks' regulatory capital. The study found a significant impact of operational risk on the sufficiency of banks' capital, highlighting the need to form substantial capital reserves to absorb potential losses. A detailed comparative analysis of banks, including PrivatBank, Oschadbank, and Ukreximbank, indicated a significant influence of the size of banking assets on the amount of capital under operational risk. The study revealed differences in measuring the impact of operational risk on the regulatory capital of a bank depending on the use of international (BIA, TSA) or national approaches to assessing potential losses. The results of the study show a substantial difference in the assessment of reserves under operational risk using international and national approaches. This difference indicates the need for a more harmonized approach to the assessment and management of operational risk in the banking sector. The national approach to assessing reserves under operational risk creates more strain on banks' capital compared to international approaches. It was determined that the most significant difference in assessing the minimum capital for covering operational risk is observed between the international approach BIA and the national approach. It was established that the banks' priority task is to minimize reserves under operational risk in order to reduce the strain on bank capital, which can only be achieved by building and maintaining an effective operational risk management system by the banks.

The Effectiveness of the Use of Information Technology in the Process of Professional Training of a Teacher-Musician

The article discusses the use of information and communication technologies in the process of instrumental training of future teachers-musicians based on distance learning. The importance of distance learning for us is to increase the level of professional instrumental training of students through the creation of a unified information system of education. The purpose of this article is to summarize the experience of using distance technologies in teaching special disciplines in the context of professional training of a future music teacher and to analyze their effective capabilities in this aspect. Our study compares and analyzes various points of view of modern teachers in the USA, Russia and Kazakhstan, who study the problems of using information and communication technologies in the process of conducting individual musical disciplines in the context of distance learning. In order to improve the performing skills of the future music teacher, practical recommendations on the use of information and communication technologies in the learning process have been developed. In order to improve the performing skills of the future music teacher, practical recommendations on the use of information and communication technologies in the learning process have been developed. The research was conducted in the 2022–2023 academic year at the Department of “Traditional Musical Art” of the Korkyt Ata Kyzylorda University and in 2023–2024 at the Pedagogical Institute of Astana International University. To achieve the purpose of the study, a questionnaire method was chosen, questionnaires with open and closed types of questions were used. This article analyzes open-type answers. In the process of training specialists, pedagogical conditions for the use of information and communication technologies are determined on the basis of applied research and positive results of practical work in the direction of music and performing pedagogy.

Political and Economic Discourses of Centralization and Decentralization: Education and Science in Russia

Incidents are increasingly occurring in schools, for which municipalities are being held responsible in Russia. Business makes complaints about the level of training of university graduates, which is a problem of coordinating the activities of the leadership of the constituent entities of the Federation with classical and technical universities. According to the authors, this is a consequence of the functioning of informal institutions that have developed in post-Soviet Russia in the field of education and science. Differences are determined by the different informal institutions that develop in these organizations. Such institutions are identified by insiders – employees and consumers of services (parents of pupils and students, students themselves), distinguishing between types of schools and universities. But their knowledge remains tacit and is not included in public discussion. From the point of view of officials responsible for the functioning of secondary and higher schools, some types of organizations highlighted in the work do not exist. Scientific activity began to be assessed on the basis of bibliometric indicators. But there is an international legal cartel operating in this area, which allows large publishing houses to maximize their income. Russian scientists spent about $ 10 million in 2020 to pay for the services of the publishing houses. The current system meets the needs of representatives of elite universities and schools, which is common for peripheral capitalism. At the same time, municipalities and Subjects of the Federation are very interested in changing the situation – minimizing the scope of “negative” informal institutions in schools, developing advanced scientific and educational centers in the regions.

Investigation of Mental Training Status of University Students Interested in Individual and Team Sports

The aim of this study is to examine the mental training status of students who are interested in individual and team sports at Aksaray University Faculty of Sport Sciences in terms of different variables. In the research, 182 volunteer students studying in the departments of Physical Education and Sports, Coaching Education and Sports Management at Aksaray University Faculty of Sport Sciences were included. Data collection tools in the study; Personal Information Form, Mental Training Inventory in Sports (MTI) was used to determine the mental training status of the students. SPSS 26 package program was used to evaluate the data. According to the data obtained, it was concluded that the mental training levels of the students were high. There was a significant difference in the variables of sport branch and program of study, but no difference was found in the gender variable. As a result, it was seen that the mental training levels of the students studying at the Faculty of Sports Sciences were at a high level. The reason for this is that the Covid-19 period has just ended, and it is thought that the students' inability to train due to this situation may have affected their mental training status.

Optimization of the approach to teaching the second foreign language

Learning a second foreign language remains a relevant issue in higher education, especially today when the need for changes in the educational process has become increasingly urgent. This research aims to justify the optimal approach that will make learning a second foreign language at MGIMO more attractive and beneficial, while improving students’ language training and knowledge level with minimal cost. The research is based on survey data analysis of students and teachers that revealed the most pressing problems. The introduction of compulsory study of two foreign languages at MGIMO can serve as a catalyst for change, without which the process of learning a second foreign language will not yield desired results. A comparison between the current approach, which has been criticized by both students and teachers, and the approach proposed by the authors convincingly shows that optimization should involve all language departments and entail a range of measures, including providing a full six-semester program; revising the syllabus of the “Second Foreign Language” discipline to make it easier; reallocating hours for basic lexical-grammatical course compared to other aspects (language of specialty, translation depending on faculty profile); creating special lines of text-books and teaching aids for the second foreign language that are interesting for students in terms of both content (relevant to the topic) and design (using digital technology capabilities). The article may be of interest to both foreign language teachers and university administrators. The proposed project will undoubtedly require effort and goodwill from both the deans and the language departments, as it entails a review of curricula and programs. However, its implementation will ultimately raise the significance of the second foreign language and improve the level of language training at MGIMO as a whole, thereby ensuring the competitiveness of graduates in the job market.

A survey of perceptions of exposure to new technology in residents and practicing ophthalmologists

BackgroundIncorporation of the rapid advances in ophthalmologic surgical and diagnostic techniques inherent in the field poses a challenge to residency training programs. This study investigates exposure to new technologies during residency and perception of its impact on practice patterns.MethodsOphthalmology residents at various training levels and practicing ophthalmologists who had completed their training were invited to participate in a survey study assessing exposure to various technologies in residency and in practice. Data collection occurred from December 2022 to June 2023. Descriptive statistics were performed.ResultsThe study received 132 unique responses, including 63 ophthalmology residents and 69 practicing ophthalmologists. 65.2% (n = 45) of practicing ophthalmologists and 47.6% (n = 30) of current residents reported discussion/training on newly developed products on the market (e.g. premium IOLS, MIGS), was “minimally discussed but not emphasized” or “not discussed at all” in residency. 55.1% (n = 38) of practicing ophthalmologists reported that exposure to new technologies during residency did influence types of technologies employed during practice. The majority resident physicians reported enjoying being trained on newer technology and feeling more prepared for future changes in the field (95.2%, n = 60) and felt that having industry partnerships in residency enhances education and training (90.5%, n = 57).ConclusionsConsidering how to maximize exposure to newer technologies/devices during residency training is important, and may contribute to training more confident, adaptable surgeons, who are more likely to critically consider new technologies and adopt promising ones into their future clinical practice.

Методика определения направления в совершенствовании огневой подготовленности сотрудников полиции

Introduction. The research is devoted to the development of a methodology aimed at identifying the weak points of firearms training of officers of internal affairs bodies of the Russian Federation in order to draw attention to certain components of shooting technique to take them into account in training process to improve weapon handling skills. The subject of the research is the methodology of determining the profile of police officers’ competence. The object of the research is the firearms training of internal affairs officers of the Russian Federation. Methods. The following methods were used in solving the research issues: analysis of scientific and methodological literature and documentary resources, observation, pedagogical testing, methods of mathematical statistics. Results. The authors present the results of the level of firearms training of police officers in accordance with performing a shooting exercise. The authors made a comparative analysis of the results of the shooting exercise in accordance with the model values. At the end of the research, the main directions of improving the firearms training of police officers depending on gender differences are revealed. Scientific novelty consists in the substantiation of the methodology for determining the direction of improving the firearms training of police officers and identifying weak points in performing technical elements of the studied exercise.

Injury Occurrence and Localization in Tennis: Perspectives on Prevention and Physiotherapy

Injuries happens in sports involving human movement, with the heightened demands of the sport often correlating with increased injury risk. Tennis, in particular, presents notable challenges as the repetitive motions involved can lead to muscle imbalances and varying levels of strain across different parts of the body. In this narrative literature review, we included 66 studies with the aim of providing a comprehensive overview of tennis-related injuries and offering insights into physiotherapy interventions for prevention and recovery. The first part of our review is on the most prevalent tennis injuries and their anatomical localization. It is noteworthy that injuries predominantly occur during matches rather than in training sessions. These injuries span a wide range, encompassing both acute and chronic conditions, affecting various parts of the body. Notably, muscle-tendon injuries are common, with frequent occurrences in areas such as the thigh, ankle, knee, and shoulder. Furthermore, it is observed that men suffer from back injuries compared to women. In the subsequent section, we delve into specific body regions and their associated injuries in greater detail. Our analysis leads to the recommendation that tennis players should engage with physiotherapists early in their sports careers for injury recovery and mainly for prevention measures. Collaboration with physiotherapists can significantly mitigate the risk of injuries and enhance overall performance and longevity in the sport.

THE DIFFERENTIAL EXTRACTION METHOD OF NEISSERIA MENINGITIDIS AND NON-PATHOGENIC SPECIES FOR PROTEIN PROFILING BY SDS-PAGE

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is an acute, severe, and potentially fatal infection caused by Neisseria meningitidis and is a global public health burden. Given the high fatality rate linked to acute bacterial meningitis, it is imperative to initiate treatment and diagnosis concurrently in most cases. While a culture demonstrating the growth of N. meningitidis from blood or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) remains the gold standard, however, its sensitivity diminishes following antibiotic administration. Therefore, in this study, differentially extracted whole cell protein (WCP), surface depleted whole cell protein (sdWCP), and cell surface protein (CSP) profiles were analysed by using SDS-PAGE to characterise and classify pathogenic N. meningitidis and non-pathogenic species. This study provides clear evidence that SDS-PAGE yields distinct protein patterns across Men A, B, C, and Y, clinical isolates 1 and 2, N. sicca, N. cinerea, and M. catarrhalis. It effectively demonstrates that SDS-PAGE protein profiling can serve as a reliable method for characterising and separating bacterial proteins at both the species and strain levels. Despite the availability of more advanced technologies, SDS-PAGE remains a valuable tool, particularly in settings where advanced equipment and knowledgeable personnel are lacking. Our approach employs various extraction techniques, has successfully defined and characterised N. meningitidis, non-pathogenic Neisseria species, and M. catarrhalis.

Use of the 23S rRNA gene as a target template in the universal loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) of genomic DNA from phytoplasmas.

Plant-pathogenic bacteria cause numerous diseases in host plants and can result in serious damage. Timely and accurate diagnostic techniques are, therefore, crucial. While advances in molecular techniques have led to diagnostic systems able to distinguish known plant pathogens at the species or strain level, systems covering larger categories are mostly lacking. In this study, a specific and universal LAMP-based diagnostic system was developed for phytoplasmas, a large group of insect-borne plant-pathogenic bacteria that cause significant agricultural losses worldwide. Targeting the 23S rRNA gene of phytoplasma, the newly designed primer set CaPU23S-4 detected 31 'Candidatus Phytoplasma' tested within 30 min. This primer set also showed high specificity, without false-positive results for other bacteria (including close relatives of phytoplasmas) or healthy plants. The detection sensitivity was ~10,000 times higher than that of PCR methods for phytoplasma detection. A simple, rapid method of DNA extraction, by boiling phytoplasma-infected tissues, was developed as well. When used together with the universal LAMP assay, it enabled the prompt and accurate detection of phytoplasmas from plants and insects. The results demonstrate the potential of the 23S rRNA gene as a versatile target for the LAMP-based universal detection of bacteria at the genus level and provide a novel avenue for exploring this gene as molecular marker for phytoplasma presence detection.IMPORTANCEPhytoplasmas are associated with economically important diseases in crops worldwide, including lethal yellowing of coconut palm, "flavescence dorée" and "bois noir" of grapevine, X-disease in stone fruits, and white leaf and grassy shoot in sugarcane. Numerous LAMP-based diagnostic assays, mostly targeting the 16S rRNA gene, have been reported for phytoplasmas. However, these assays can only detect a limited number of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma' species, whereas the genus includes at least 50 of these species. In this study, a universal, specific, and rapid diagnostic system was developed that can detect all provisionally classified phytoplasmas within 1 h by combining the LAMP technique targeting the 23S rRNA gene with a simple method for DNA extraction. This diagnostic system will facilitate the on-site detection of phytoplasmas and may aid in the discovery of new phytoplasma-associated diseases and putative insect vectors, irrespective of the availability of infrastructure and experimental resources.

Enrichable consortia of microbial symbionts degrade macroalgal polysaccharides in Kyphosus fish.

Coastal herbivorous fishes consume macroalgae, which is then degraded by microbes along their digestive tract. However, there is scarce genomic information about the microbiota that perform this degradation. This study explores the potential of Kyphosus gastrointestinal microbial symbionts to collaboratively degrade and ferment polysaccharides from red, green, and brown macroalgae through in silico study of carbohydrate-active enzyme and sulfatase sequences. Recovery of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from previously described Kyphosus gut metagenomes and newly sequenced bioreactor enrichments reveals differences in enzymatic capabilities between the major microbial taxa in Kyphosus guts. The most versatile of the recovered MAGs were from the Bacteroidota phylum, whose MAGs house enzyme collections able to decompose a variety of algal polysaccharides. Unique enzymes and predicted degradative capacities of genomes from the Bacillota (genus Vallitalea) and Verrucomicrobiota (order Kiritimatiellales) highlight the importance of metabolic contributions from multiple phyla to broaden polysaccharide degradation capabilities. Few genomes contain the required enzymes to fully degrade any complex sulfated algal polysaccharide alone. The distribution of suitable enzymes between MAGs originating from different taxa, along with the widespread detection of signal peptides in candidate enzymes, is consistent with cooperative extracellular degradation of these carbohydrates. This study leverages genomic evidence to reveal an untapped diversity at the enzyme and strain level among Kyphosus symbionts and their contributions to macroalgae decomposition. Bioreactor enrichments provide a genomic foundation for degradative and fermentative processes central to translating the knowledge gained from this system to the aquaculture and bioenergy sectors.IMPORTANCESeaweed has long been considered a promising source of sustainable biomass for bioenergy and aquaculture feed, but scalable industrial methods for decomposing terrestrial compounds can struggle to break down seaweed polysaccharides efficiently due to their unique sulfated structures. Fish of the genus Kyphosus feed on seaweed by leveraging gastrointestinal bacteria to degrade algal polysaccharides into simple sugars. This study reconstructs metagenome-assembled genomes for these gastrointestinal bacteria to enhance our understanding of herbivorous fish digestion and fermentation of algal sugars. Investigations at the gene level identify Kyphosus guts as an untapped source of seaweed-degrading enzymes ripe for further characterization. These discoveries set the stage for future work incorporating marine enzymes and microbial communities in the industrial degradation of algal polysaccharides.