Confrontation Test Research Articles

Inhibitory potentialities of lactic acid bacteria isolates from quail caeca (Cortunix cortunix japonica) on the growth of antibiotic resistant pathogens in Côte d’Ivoire

The emergence of multi-antibiotic resistant microorganisms is a major threat to public health. The search for alternative molecules to the use of classical antibiotics has become a necessity. The present work explores the possibility of using bioactive substances produced by lactic acid bacteria isolated from the gastrointestinal tract of quail, giving them the ability to combat resistant pathogens. To this end, microbiological analysis of quail caeca on MRS agar for lactic acid bacteria isolates was carried out. Subsequently, direct and indirect confrontation tests carried out on solid and liquid MRS media (Difco, USA) against pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enterica serogroup O:8, by means of lactic acid bacteria isolates, revealed their potential antibacterial activity. Of the 29 bacterial isolates obtained after microbiological analysis, ten (10) lactic acid bacterial isolates showed excellent antibacterial potential against the target pathogens, with zones of inhibition ranging from 3.5±0 to 25.5 ±0.5 mm. The lactic acid bacterial isolates C6S3, C4S2, C6S4 and C13S4 proved to be holders of substances with antagonistic activity against the growth of the 3 target pathogens, with diameters of the inhibition zones varying from 5.5 ± 1 to 13 ± 0.5 mm for the Escherichia coli strain, from 4 ± 0 to 13 ± mm for the Salmonella serogroup O: 8 and from 3.5 ± 0.5 to 7 ± 0 mm for the Staphyloccocus aureus strain. Therefore, the suspicion of a plausible presence of bioactive substances with antibacterial characteristics opens up avenues of exploration of the extracellular content of these isolates, with the simple aim of listing potential constituents that could be excellent alternatives in the fight against multidrug resistance to antibiotics.

Effects of Fengycins and Iturins on Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. physali and Root Colonization by Bacillus velezensis Bs006 Protect Golden Berry Against Vascular Wilt.

Bacillus velezensis Bs006 has shown antagonistic activity on Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. physali and biocontrol activity against Fusarium wilt (FW) in golden berry (Physalis peruviana). We hypothesized that strain Bs006 has the ability to synthesize antimicrobial cyclic lipopeptides (CLPs) like other members of the same species. However, if so, the real effects of CLPs on F. oxysporum f. sp. physali and their potential as a biocontrol tool against Physalis-FW have not been elucidated. In this study the CLPs profile of Bs006 in liquid culture and antagonist-plant-pathogen interactions were characterized. Also, the potential effects of supernatant free of bacteria against F. oxysporum f. sp. physali and FW were explored and compared with the effects of pure CLPs. Ultraperformance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry analysis revealed the capacity of Bs006 to synthesize homologous compounds of iturins, surfactins, and fengycins in liquid culture and on the inhibition zone against F. oxysporum f. sp. physali in dual confrontation tests. Bs006 supernatant reduced the germination and growth of F. oxysporum f. sp. physali and caused vacuolization, swelling, and lysis of F. oxysporum f. sp. physali cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Pure fengycins affected the development of F. oxysporum f. sp. physali from 11 mg/liter and iturins from 21 mg/liter. In a gnotobiotic system, Bs006 colonized the root surface of golden berry, inhibited the growth of F. oxysporum f. sp. physali, and produced CLPs. Individual application of Bs006 and supernatant protected the plants from F. oxysporum f. sp. physali infections by 37 to 53%, respectively. Meanwhile, fengycins reduced the disease progress by 39%. These results suggest further studies to select an optimum combination of Bs006 and supernatant or CLPs, which might be a good option as biofungicide against F. oxysporum f. sp. physali.

Attention upturned: Bias toward and away from the affected side of the body and near space in a case of complex regional pain syndrome

People with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) following limb injury can show neuropsychological symptoms in the absence of observable brain pathologies. These can include sensory changes, distorted body representation, and inattention to their affected limb and its surrounding space, resembling post-stroke hemispatial neglect. The precise nature and mechanisms of these neuropsychological symptoms are unclear, however insights could be gained by testing for dissociations and associations that have been observed in stroke patients. Drawing from clinical and experimental methods for investigating spatial attention bias and related symptoms in stroke patients, we conducted a detailed investigation of neuropsychological symptoms in a woman with CRPS of her left arm who initially presented to us with pronounced inattention to her affected side. The patient showed visual and tactile neglect and extinction on her affected side on confrontation tests, but no attention deficits on “bedside” tests of neglect. On sensitive computer-based measures, attention biases were found in the patient's body and near space (in Temporal Order Judgements), but not far or imagined space (on the Greyscales task and Mental Number Line Bisection). Unique to the current literature, the patient showed a reversal in her Temporal Order Judgement bias across time, from inattention (first and second session) to hyperattention (third session) to her affected side. In contrast, pain and self-reported body representation distortion were similar across the three sessions. The patient had reduced central and peripheral visual acuity, however these deficits were near symmetrical and therefore could not explain her performance on the visual attention tasks. Given that spatial attention bias has been linked to imbalance in relative activation of the two cerebral hemispheres, we administered a Global-Local processing task to test for hemispheric asymmetry. This revealed no difference in global compared to local interference refuting any hemispheric imbalance. Instead, the patient showed impaired performance (compared to controls) on incongruent trials regardless of trial type, consistent with executive impairment. We conclude that spatial attention bias in CRPS can generalize across different sensory modalities and extend beyond the affected limb to the external space around it, independent of any low-level sensory disturbances. This bias is not necessarily directed away from the affected side or stable over time. People with CRPS can also demonstrate more generalized neuropsychological changes in sensory and executive functions. Our observations refute several existing theories about the mechanisms of attention bias in CRPS, and their relationship to pain, and have potential implications for treatment.

Evaluation of Visual Skills in Soccer Referees and Assistant Referees.

Background: As a soccer referee or an assistant referee, having perfect visual skills is mandatory, which will help make quick and accurate decisions in the field of the play and during matches; however, this skill is not well studied among referrers. This study aimed to assess the visual skills of referees and assistant referees. Methods: Men’s professional referees and assistant referees working for the Iran football federation were investigated in 2019. The visual skill investigation consists of the evaluation of static visual acuity, color vision, stereoacuity, intraocular pressure, confrontation test, and eye anatomical assessment with slit lamp. The statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS software Version 18. Results : In this study, 159 men’s professional referees and assistant referees with a mean age of 35.52±5.39 were selected. The results of this study showed that 1.88% of the referees and assistant referees had color blindness dyschromatopsia) and 3.14% of them needed more follow-up examinations. The mean spherical equivalent of examined eyes was -0.42D in the right eye and -0.16 D in the left eye. Conclusion: Our results showed that referees and assistant referees both had some kind of visual skill deficiencies. As visual skills are among the fundamental skills for success in referees in dynamic sports such as soccer, all of them must undergo visual skill assessments during the precompetition period to avoid any errors in judgment due to visual disturbances.

Cultivar Contributes to the Beneficial Effects of Bacillus subtilis PTA-271 and Trichoderma atroviride SC1 to Protect Grapevine Against Neofusicoccum parvum.

Grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) are a big threat for global viticulture. Without effective chemicals, biocontrol strategies are developed as alternatives to better cope with environmental concerns. A combination of biological control agents (BCAs) could even improve sustainable disease management through complementary ways of protection. In this study, we evaluated the combination of Bacillus subtilis (Bs) PTA-271 and Trichoderma atroviride (Ta) SC1 for the protection of Chardonnay and Tempranillo rootlings against Neofusicoccum parvum Bt67, an aggressive pathogen associated to Botryosphaeria dieback (BD). Indirect benefits offered by each BCA and their combination were then characterized in planta, as well as their direct benefits in vitro. Results provide evidence that (1) the cultivar contributes to the beneficial effects of Bs PTA-271 and Ta SC1 against N. parvum, and that (2) the in vitro BCA mutual antagonism switches to the strongest fungistatic effect toward Np-Bt67 in a three-way confrontation test. We also report for the first time the beneficial potential of a combination of BCA against Np-Bt67 especially in Tempranillo. Our findings highlight a common feature for both cultivars: salicylic acid (SA)-dependent defenses were strongly decreased in plants protected by the BCA, in contrast with symptomatic ones. We thus suggest that (1) the high basal expression of SA-dependent defenses in Tempranillo explains its highest susceptibility to N. parvum, and that (2) the cultivar-specific responses to the beneficial Bs PTA-271 and Ta SC1 remain to be further investigated.

Homonymous visual field defect and retinal thinning after occipital stroke

IntroductionStroke is the most common cause of homonymous visual field defects (VFD). About half of the stroke patients recover from VFD. However, relationship between VFD and retinal changes remains elusive.PurposeTo investigate the association between occurrence of VFD, changes of macular ganglion cell and inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) and its axon retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) detected with optical coherence tomography (OCT).Patients and methodsThe study consists of retrospective review of medical records and follow‐up examinations. Patients with acute occipital stroke were registered. VFD was identified with confrontation and/or perimetry tests at the onset. At follow‐up, the patients were examined with visual field tests and OCT measurements.ResultsThirty‐six patients met the inclusion criteria. At onset, 26 patients (72%) had VFD. At follow‐up >1 year after stroke, 13 patients (36%) had remaining VFD: 5 had homonymous hemianopia, 5 had homonymous quadrantanopia, and 3 had homonymous scotomas. Average thickness of GCIPL and RNFL were significantly reduced in each eye in patients with VFD compared to non‐VFD (NVFD) (p < .01 for all comparisons). Thickness of superior and inferior RNFL quadrants was significantly reduced in VFD compared to NVFD (p < .01 for both). Among these 13 patients, 4 had characteristic homonymous quadrant‐GCIPL thinning, 2 had characteristic homonymous hemi‐GCIPL thinning, and 7 had diffuse GCIPL thinning.ConclusionGCIPL and RNFL thinning were observed in the patients with VFD. GCIPL thinning appears in two forms: atypical diffuse thinning, or homonymous hemi‐GCIPL thinning. Examining GCIPL and RNFL provides easy and reliable objective measures and is therefore proposed to be of predictive value on visual function.

Isolation and efficacy of two bacterial strains antagonists of Erwinia amylovora and Pectobacterium carotovorum

BackgroundThe development of ecofriendly tools against plant diseases is an important issue in crop protection. Screening and selection process of bacterial strains antagonists of 2 pathogenic bacterial species that limit very important crops, Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of the fire blight disease, and Pectobacterium carotovorum, the causal agent of bacterial potato soft rot, were reported. Bacterial colonies were isolated from different ecological niches, where both pathogens were found: rhizosphere of potato tubers and fruits and leaves of pear trees from the northwest region of Algeria. Direct and indirect confrontation tests against strains of E. amylovora and P. carotovorum were performed.ResultsResults showed a significant antagonistic activity against both phytopathogenic species, using direct confrontation method and supernatants of cultures (p<0.005). In vitro assays showed growth inhibitions of both phytopathogenic species. Furthermore, results revealed that the strains of S. plymuthica had a better inhibitory effect than the strains of P. fluorescens against both pathogens. In vivo results on immature pear fruits showed a significant decrease in the progression of the fire blight symptoms, with a variation in the infection index from one antagonistic strain to another between 31.3 and 50%, and slice of potato showed total inhibition of the pathogen (P. carotovorum) by the antagonistic strains of Serratia plymuthica (p<0.005).ConclusionThis study highlighted that the effective bacteria did not show any infection signs towards plant tissue, and considered as a potential strategy to limit the fire blight and soft rot diseases.

The Microflora of Maize Grains as a Biological Barrier against the Late Wilt Causal Agent, Magnaporthiopsis maydis

The maize pathogen Magnaporthiopsis maydis causes severe damage to commercial fields in the late growth stages. This late wilt disease has spread since its discovery (the 1980s) and is now common in most corn-growing areas in Israel. In some fields and sensitive plant species, the disease can affect 100% of the plants. The M. maydis pathogen has a hidden endophytic lifecycle (developed inside the plants with no visible symptoms) in resistant corn plants and secondary hosts, such as green foxtail and cotton. As such, it may also be opportunist and attack the host in exceptional cases when conditions encourage it. This work aims to study the pathogen’s interactions with maize endophytes (which may play a part in the plant’s resistance factors). For this purpose, 11 fungal and bacterial endophytes were isolated from six sweet and fodder corn cultivars with varying susceptibility to late wilt disease. Of these, five endophytes (four species of fungi and one species of bacteria) were selected based on their ability to repress the pathogen in a plate confrontation test. The selected isolates were applied in seed inoculation and tested in pots in a growth room with the Prelude maize cultivar (a late wilt-sensitive maize hybrid) infected with the M. maydis pathogen. This assay was accompanied by real-time qPCR that enables tracking the pathogen DNA inside the host roots. After 42 days, two of the endophytes, the Trichoderma asperellum, and Chaetomium subaffine fungi, significantly (p &lt; 0.05) improved the infected plants’ growth indices. The fungal species T. asperellum, Chaetomium cochliodes, Penicillium citrinum, and the bacteria Bacillus subtilis treatments were able to reduce the M. maydis DNA in the host plant’s roots. Studying the maize endophytes’ role in restricting the invasion and devastating impact of M. maydis is an essential initial step towards developing new measures to control the disease. Such an environmentally friendly control interface will be based on strengthening the plants’ microbiome.

The antagonistic effect of locally isolated Trichoderma spp. against dry root rot of mungbean

The current investigation deals with the isolation, identification and testing the antagonistic ability of Trichoderma spp. on Macrophomina phaseolina under in vitro and in vivo conditions. The locally isolated biocontrol agents were subjected to morphological and molecular identification and further research was carried out to test all the biocontrol agents. T. harzianum was found to be highly effective in dual confrontation test, restricting the fungal growth by 67.59% as compared to control. Various secondary metabolites of Trichoderma spp. were studied with inverted plate and culture filtrate assay. Mycoparasitism and antibiosis were also examined using light and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) which indicated that all the Trichoderma spp. restricted the growth by coiling around the host hyphae and through secondary metabolites. In vivo experiments showed that all the treatments significantly reduced the disease severity and intensity where T. harzianum was found to be the most effective biocontrol agent (decreased upto 72.88 and 60.24%). Nevertheless, T. harzianum could be used as a potent indigenous biocontrol agent against dry root rot which also helped to reduce its deleterious effect on the host plant.

Abstract P19: Developing an Innovative Visual Fields Rapid Assessment Device (VRAD) for Acute Telestroke Use

Background: Acute telestroke evaluations rely on the ability to rapidly and accurately calculate the NIH Stroke Scale. Remote visual field deficit (VFD) testing is often challenging, requiring trained bedside assistance particularly in rural hospital settings. These deficits account for up to 3 points on the NIHSS, which is enough to affect treatment decisions and impact outcomes. Objective: To create a simple, rapid, and robust screening telemedicine peripheral device to standardize visual field testing during acute telestroke consults and to reduce reliance on bedside assistants for this task. Methods: A one-size-fits-all device was designed such that an LED stimulus is located in each quadrant of the peripheral visual field. Bioengineers, neuro-ophthalmologists, and vascular neurologists collaborated in the development of the prototype. A randomized investigator-blinded pilot clinical trial is in progress. Stroke patients with fully-mapped visual fields were selected. The device, in the form of glasses, is easily placed on the patient’s face, and LED lights are flashed in the standard 8 fields, via a repeatable algorithm, during a simulated acute telestroke encounter. Lights are visible to the remote teleprovider for interpretation of the responses. Patients and examiners will be surveyed for feedback on ease of use of the device (primary outcome). Results from device will be compared to in-person confrontational testing and to previously recorded Humphrey mapped deficits in this same patient population (secondary). Validation is set at a sensitivity of 90% compared to confrontational or to the Humphrey static visual field test results. Results/Conclusion: Remote testing of VFDs in acute telestroke patients is difficult, especially in smaller community rural hospitals. We developed a simple and rapidly applied facial device that can assist the teleprovider in VFD evaluations, potentially affecting treatment options of thrombectomy, thrombolytics, or transfer. An on-going pilot study will test the sensitivity of the device against confrontational and static VF assessments. Innovative telestroke peripherals represent the future of the next generation of diagnostic tools specifically engineered fo remote acute stroke patient evaluations.

Actinobacterias de la rizosfera del aguacate: actividad antagónica contra Colletotrichum gloeosporioides y Xanthomonas sp.

Las actinobacterias de la rizosfera de cultivos agrícolas son una fuente potencial de antagonistas contra microorganismos f itopatógenos. El objetivo de este estudio fue caracterizar la actividad antagónica in vitro de actinobacterias de la rizosfera de árboles de aguacate (Persea americana) contra Colletotrichum gloeosporioides y Xanthomonas sp. Las actinobacterias fueron aisladas de muestras de suelo rizosférico de árboles de aguacate var. Hass colectadas de una huerta en el municipio de Ziracuaretiro, Michoacán. Las cepas aisladas fueron evaluadas contra C. gloeosporioides y Xanthomonas sp. mediante ensayos de confrontación in vitro. La actividad antagónica se determinó midiendo el radio y diámetro de la zona de inhibición del crecimiento de C. gloeosporioides y Xanthomonas sp., respectivamente. Se aislaron un total de 41 cepas de actinobacterias, de las cuales el 44% inhibió el crecimiento de al menos uno de los dos f itopatógenos. En específ ico, el 15% de los aislados inhibió el crecimiento de C. gloeosporioides, el 22% a Xanthomonas sp. y el 7% a ambos f itopatógenos. El radio de inhibición del crecimiento miceliar de C. gloeosporioides fluctuó de entre 6.6 a 15.5 mm, mientras que en Xanthomonas sp. la zona de inhibición fue de entre 15.5 a 62.7 mm. Estos resultados indican la importancia de las actinobacterias de la rizosfera como antagonistas de microorganismos f itopatógenos, algunas de las cuales podrían ser utilizadas como potenciales agentes de control biológico contra la antracnosis y la mancha bacteriana.

Assessment of naming by auditory confrontation in adults

AbstractBackgroundOne of the most frequent symptoms in normal aging and in some neurodegenerative diseases is the difficulty to find words. Naming assessment is fundamental in a standard neuropsychological assessment. Even though visual difficulties have a high prevalence in older adults, visual confrontation tests have been utilized as the gold standard to detect the word finding impairment. In the Auditory Naming Test (ANT) different descriptions of objects are presented orally, and the patient should name the object described. Although there have not been published norms for adults for this test so far, the ANT has shown to be more sensitive than visual naming tests in mixed etiology dementia. The aim of this study was to analyze the ANT performance in older adults and generate normative data in Argentinian population (Spanish first language speakers).MethodCross‐sectional descriptive‐observational study. The participants were assessed with Spanish adaptation of ANT and Beck Depression Inventory. SPSS program was used and Pearson correlations, ANOVA, means and standard deviations were calculated.Result115 adults (79 women, mean age: 66.57 SD: 10.36, mean education: 13,86 SD: 5.04) without concomitant pathologies that potentially affect cognition participated were assessed (table 1). There were no differences in performance according to sex. A negative correlation with age was found (r ‐.289, p = .002). A positive correlation was found with education (r .308, p = .001). A later analysis revealed that this correlation only occurs in the group of 50‐59 years (r .605, p &lt; .001) and 60‐69 years (r .405, p = .022).ConclusionIn the present study, the performance in the ANT of older adults was analyzed and normative data were generated. Age and education influence the performance of this test.

O7 Evaluación del impacto emocional en personas con diabetes durante situación de aislamiento domiciliario por epidemia de COVID-19 en Argentina

Introducción: la pandemia por COVID-19 ha generado en muchos países la indicación de aislamiento, con el objeto de evitar la diseminación del virus. Esta situación ha hecho que personas con diabetes deban permanecer en sus hogares, pudiendo aparecer alteraciones del estado anímico y psicológico.Objetivos: evaluar el impacto psicológico de la cuarentena a través de la determinación del grado de ansiedad y estrés medidos por cuestionarios, en personas con DM1 y DM2 mayores de 18 años. Analizar la posible asociación de los puntajes obtenidos con diversos covariados independientes.Materiales y métodos: estudio multicéntrico, observacional transversal, de recolección de datos a través de cuestionarios online, enviados al azar por medios electrónicos desde el 1º de abril al 3 de mayo de 2020. Se evaluó el grado de estrés mediante la Escala de Estrés Percibido (PSS), y el grado de ansiedad mediante el Inventario de Ansiedad de Beck (BAI). Análisis estadístico: estadística descriptiva y test de confrontación de hipótesis, regresión lineal múltiple, chi2 y coeficiente de correlación de Spearman. Todo valor de p&lt;0.05 fue considerado estadísticamente significativo (ES).

Biocontrol and plant growth-promoting potentiality of bacteria isolated from compost extract.

The use of compost extracts is steadily increasing, offering an attractive way for plant growth enhancement and disease management replacing chemical pesticides. In this study, potential mechanisms involved in plant growth promotion and suppressive activity against fungal diseases, of a compost extract produced from poultry manure/olive husk compost, were investigated. Results of physico-chemical and microbiological investigations showed high ability to reduce Fusarium oxysporum, Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger and Botrytis cinerea growth. The suppressive ability detected using confrontation test and the phytostimulatory effect tested on tomato seeds were related mainly to its microbial population content. Among 150 bacterial strains, isolated from the compost extract, 13 isolates showed antifungal activity against the four tested plant pathogenic fungi. Their identification based on 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed they belonged to different species of the genus Bacillus, Alcaligenes, Providencia and Ochrobactrum. When tested for their ability to produce cell wall degradation enzymes using specific media, the majority of the 13 isolates were shown to synthesize proteases, lipases and glucanases. Similarly, the best part of them showed positive reaction for plant growth promoting substances liberation, biosurfactant production and biofilm formation. In vivo tests were carried out using tomato seeds and fruits and proved that 92% of strains improved tomato plants vigor indexes when compared to the control and 6 among them were able to reduce decay severity caused by B. cinerea over 50%. Principal component analysis showed an important correlation between in vitro and in vivo potentialities and that Bacillus siamensis CEBZ11 strain was statistically the most effective strain in protecting tomato plants from gray mould disease. This study revealed the selected strains would be useful for plant pathogenic fungi control and plant growth promotion.

Prevalence of Hearing and Visionabnormalities in School Children in Udupi District Karnataka

Background: Preschool screenings are recommended for early detection and treatment of childhood visualand hearing disorders.Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of hearing abnormalities, visual impairments and correlate itsassociation with consumption of vitamin A rich food and usage of electronic devices in school going childrenin Udupi district, KarnatakaMethod: Rinnie’s test and Weber’s tests was done by using tuning fork method for hearing, Snellen’s chartfor distant vision, Jager’s chart for near vision, Ishiara chart for colour vision and confrontation test for fieldof vision. Questionnaires were used to get the detailed informations regarding consumption of vitamin Arich food and usage of electronic devices,Result: Screening test for hearing and vision conducted on 250 students. There was no significant hearingabnormality was found out of 250 students, there was hearing impairment in 1.6% of the children due toear infection. In vision screening,12.8% of children having visual abnormalities like myopia, hyperopia andcolor blindness. The total prevalence of vision abnormalities was 32(12.8%) 95% CI: 11.924-13.676.Conclusion: Vision and hearing screening is very essential in school children to recognize the visualimpairments or hearing abnormalities at earliest which will be helpful for further treatment. This studyshould be conducted in large sample size.

Mechanical thrombectomy in isolated large vessel posterior cerebral artery occlusions.

Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in posterior circulation large vessel occlusion (LVO), including posterior cerebral artery (PCA), has not been validated since all five major MT trials excluded such patients. To evaluate the feasibility and preliminary safety and efficacy of MT in isolated PCA occlusion stroke patients with new-generation MT devices. Endovascularly treated acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients were identified from a prospectively collected database and their baseline characteristics were noted. Clinical outcomes were angiographic recanalization, a favorable clinical outcome at 3months on modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and visual field (VF) deficit improvement on confrontation test, rate of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), and mortality at 3months. A total of 355 AIS patients underwent MT from January 2018 to December 2019. Isolated PCA MT was performed in 15 consecutive patients. The mean age was 64 ± 17years, and 9(60%) were women. Median presentation NIHSS was 9 (interquartile range 5-15). MT devices used were stent retrievers in 6 patients and combined aspiration and stent retriever in 9 patients. Complete revascularization (TICI 2c or 3) was achieved in 12/15 patients. 3-month VF normalization was seen in 7/12 of the patients. Post-procedure symptomatic ICH occurred in 1/15 of patients. mRS score of 0-2 was achieved in 9/15 of patients but one patient was dead at 3months post procedure. MT is feasible and can achieve successful reperfusion in isolated PCA occlusions and resulted in favorable motor and visual outcomes in this small series of ischemic stroke patients.

The influence of maternal contact on activity, emotionality and social competence in young dairy calves.

The study reported in this research communication aimed to assess the influence of maternal contact on calves' activity, fearfulness, and social competence. Calves were either dam-reared for their first 14 d of age (Maternal Contact, n = 12) or were separated from their dams within 12 h after birth (Motherless, n = 12). Calves of both treatments and the dams of Maternal Contact calves were group-housed and suckling was prevented with udder nets. The general activity (lying, locomotion, swapping between lying and standing) was measured using pedometers in eight Maternal Contact and eight Motherless calves within a 24-d period. Since general activity might be affected by calves' age or the separation of Maternal Contact calves from the dams the 24-d period was additionally divided into two groups (period A: 3rd-13th day of age, period B: 14th-27th day of age). Emotionality and social competence were assessed in the open field, novel object, and confrontation test with an unknown cow at 14, 21, and 28 d of age, respectively. Mann-Whitney-U-tests were performed for statistical analysis. Locomotion was greater in Motherless calves than Maternal Contact calves during the 24-d period (A + B combined, P < 0.001) and period B (14th to 27th day of age, P < 0.001). There was no treatment difference in duration of lying or in the amount of swapping in any of the periods. After a Bonferroni correction, which we used due to the exploratory character of the study, there were no treatment differences in behaviours indicating emotionality. Compared to Motherless calves, Maternal Contact calves showed increased vigilance (P < 0.01) during the confrontation test. The results of this study indicate that mother-reared calves likely searched less for social contact and developed greater social skills than calves that were separated from their mothers soon after birth.

Evaluation of Antifusarium and Auxin Production of Trichoderma virens InaCC F1030 Isolated from Rhizosphere of Banana

Banana rhizosphere harbors a unique diversity of microbes including fungi that play critical roles in the growth of the plant host as well as might be important for biologically controlling the fungal soil-borne pathogens particularly Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense (Foc), the causing agent of devastating Panama wilt. Among other fungi, we have succeeded to isolate a Trichoderma species from rhizosphere of healthy banana. Molecular identification revealed the isolate as Trichoderma virens InaCC F1030 (being collection of Indonesian Culture Collection or InaCC). Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the biological control of our isolate against Foc as well as plant growth promoting ability through its ability to produce auxin (indole-3-acetic acid/IAA). Two approaches were employed to evaluate the antagonism of our isolate against Foc, through direct confrontation test and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) producing. We found that our isolate was considered as antagonistic to the Foc, but not highly antagonistic according to direct confrontation assay. It was also revealed that our isolate produces the VOCs that inhibited around 50% of the mycelial growth of the test pathogen after six to seven days of exposure. Our isolate was able to produce the IAA in axenic submerged fermentation condition particularly in the presence of the precursor L-tryptophan. IAA production ability as well as the mycelial biomass of fungus were increased approximately 17% and 120% respectively as the effect of supplementation of 0.1% of L-tryptophan. These in vitro bioassays lead us to conclude that somehow our isolate T. virens InaCC F1030 has potency to be utilized as biocontrol and biofertilizer agent.

Testing lepton flavor models at ESSnuSB

We review and investigate lepton flavor models, stemming from discrete non- Abelian flavor symmetries, described by one or two free model parameters. First, we confront eleven one- and seven two-parameter models with current results on leptonic mixing angles from global fits to neutrino oscillation data. We find that five of the one- and five of the two-parameter models survive the confrontation test at 3σ. Second, we investigate how these ten one- and two-parameter lepton flavor models may be discriminated at the proposed ESSnuSB experiment in Sweden. We show that the three one-parameter models that predict sin δCP = 0 can be distinguished from those two that predict | sin δCP| = 1 by at least 7σ. Finally, we find that three of the five one-parameter models can be excluded by at least 5σ and two of the one-parameter as well as at most two of the five two-parameter models can be excluded by at least 3σ with ESSnuSB if the true values of the leptonic mixing parameters remain close to the present best-fit values.

Antagonistic activity of volatile metabolites from Trichoderma asperellum

Trichoderma spp. is a kind of filamentous fungi with important biocontrol value. Twelve strains of Trichoderma spp. were isolated from the soils of different types of crops in Shaoxing, Zhejiang and Foshan, Guangdong. The antagonistic resistance to Fusarium oxysporum was compared by plate confrontation test. The further analysis of volatile secondary metabolites for two strains were carried out using HS-SPME-GC-MS analysis. The results showed that T. asperellum ZJSX5003 and GDFS1009 had fast growth ability, and the inhibition effects on F. oxysporum were 73% and 74% respectively. Six identical volatile metabolites were detected as follows 2-Methyl-1-propanol, 3-Methyl-1-butanol, 3-Methyl-3-buten-1-ol, Acetyl methyl carbinol, Butane-2,3-diol and 6-n-pentyl-2H-pyran-2-one (6-PAP). Among them, 6-PAP was validated to have a higher inhibitory effect on F. oxysporum in vitro. This study will provide basis for the development of biocontrol agents with metabolites of Trichoderma, such as 6-PAP.