A Multicenter Clinical Evaluation of Data Logging in Cochlear Implant Recipients Using Automated Scene Classification Technologies

Currently, there are no studies assessing everyday use of cochlear implant (CI) processors by recipients by means of objective tools. The Nucleus 6 sound processor features a data logging system capable of real-time recording of CI use in different acoustic environments and under various categories of loudness levels. In this study, we report data logged for the different scenes and different loudness levels of 1,366 CI patients, as recorded by SCAN. Monitoring device use in cochlear implant recipients of all ages provides important information about the listening conditions encountered in recipients' daily lives that may support counseling and assist in the further management of their device settings. The findings for this large cohort of active CI users confirm differences between age groups concerning device use and exposure to various noise environments, especially between the youngest and oldest age groups, while similar levels of loudness were observed

Endophytic colonization of grapevine by bacteria reveals a metabolic signature suggesting activation of pathways for symbiosis and defense

Endophytes colonize the inner tissues of plants without causing apparent disease symptoms. In several models of plant-bacteria interactions, it has been suggested that colonization by endophytes occurs in specific parts of the plant. The plant metabolic signature induced by colonizing microbiota can be used to define how this affects the plant’s immune system, growth and health. In grapevine, metabolic responses due to root-colonizing endophytes are yet unclear. To interpret changes in the metabolome composition in planta due to endophytes, we combined i) the study of plant tissue colonization by bacteria using fluorescence in-situ hybridization and ii) the analysis of grapevine’s secondary metabolome to dissect the interactions between plants and their endobiota. We described the colonization of grapevine root tissues by three bacterial endophytes (Sphingomonas sp. SpVs6, Enterobacter ludwigii EnVs6 and Pantoea vagans PaVv7) and showed the heterogeneity of colonization patterns by these strains as well as their strategy for root penetration. After inoculation with strain EnVs6 we detected a plausible metabolic signature in plants consisitng of significant differences in accumulated stilbenes and phenolic compounds. These were differentially concentrated in control and treated plants and inequally distributed between roots and stems. Accumulation of flavonols and phytoalexins occurred mainly in roots due to root inoculation with the three endophytic strains. Such metabolic signature may be linked to an adaptative response to bacterial inoculation, suggesting involvement of the plant’s immune defenses and point at a possible role of metabolites such as phenolic compounds as key for bacterial colonization in symbiotic contexts. The set of phenylpropanoids affected by endophyte inoculation strikingly resemble those previously reported to result in thiamine-mediated resistance to Plasmopara viticola infection. This similarity hints at the mechanistic basis of endophyte-mediated plant immunity and may explain the previously tested efficacy of this strain as a biocontrol agent

A15-2 Cerebral vasoconstriction in neurally-mediated syncope: Relationship with type of head-up tilt test positive response

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Can insect pests be vectors of beneficial endophytes?

Insects able to feed on plant vessels are often known to be vectors of plant pathogens. While much is known about the dynamics and ecology of transmission of pathogens, there is very little, if any, knowledge on the transmission of other microorganisms which are not harmful to the host plant. To shed some light on the role of these insects for the ecology of endophytic microorganisms, we used the sap-feeding leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus (vector of the pathogenic Candidatus Phytoplasma vitis) to transmit microorganisms across grapevine plants. S. titanus nymphs were able to transfer the entire bacterial community from adult (donor) plants to bacteria-free micropropagated (acceptor) grapevines. Sequencing of the bacterial 16S rDNA gene unveiled the composition of bacterial endophytic communities in donor plants, vector insects and acceptor plants, and permitted to track the transmission of bacterial communities between insects and plants. After insect feeding, acceptor plants were colonized by complex endophytic communities dominated by Proteobacteria, highly similar to those present in donor plants. Interestingly, a similar bacterial community, but with a higher ratio of Firmicutes, was carried by the insect. When freshly hatched insects fed directly on acceptor plants without prior contact with the donor, they transferred an entirely different bacterial community dominated by Actinobacteria, where the opportunistic human pathogen Mycobacterium abscessus played a major role. Plant roots were also colonized by complex microbial communities as rich as those found in plant stems, despite little or no direct contact with the insect. We demonstrated for the first time the capability of insect vectors to transfer entire bacterial communities across plants. Feeding on adult plants changed the spectrum of bacteria transmitted by the insect. This drastic change may be explained with the acquisition by the insect of the bacterial communities from the donor plant

5 Insect vectors efficiently convey complex endophytic communities across grapevine plants

Microbial endophytes colonize the inner tissues of plants. It is commonly held that most endophytes invade the host tissues through the roots or through discontinuities on the plant surface, including wounds and stomata. Microorganisms can also be transferred through root anastomoses, as it occurs for instance with some pathogenic mollicutes, such as the phytoplasmas. Some insects able to penetrate the plant surface are also vectors of phytoplasmas. Very little is known about the ability of such vectors to harbour and transfer other microorganisms. To unravel the ecological role of insects for endophytic microorganisms, we used freshly hatched nymphs of the sap-feeding leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus (vector) to transport microorganisms across grapevine plants. We used adult, greenhouse-grown (donor) plants with an established endophytic fauna, and micropropagated (acceptor) grapevines hosting no detectable bacteria. We used 454 pyrosequencing of the bacterial 16S rDNA gene to estimate the composition of bacterial endophytic communities in donor plants, vector insects and acceptor plants, and to track microbial communities along the insect-plant-microbe network. After contact with the vector, acceptor plants were colonized by a complex endophytic community dominated by Proteobacteria, highly similar to that present on donor plants. Interestingly, a similar bacterial community, but with a higher ratio of firmicutes, was found on S. titanus. Insects feeding only on acceptor plants transferred an entirely different bacterial community dominated by Actinobacteria, where the opportunistic human pathogen Mycobacterium abscessus played a major role. Despite the fact that insects dwelled mostly on plant stems, the bacterial communities in plant roots resembled more closely those inside and on insects, when compared with above-ground plants. We establish here for the first time the potential of insect vectors to transfer entire bacterial communities across plants. We also define the probiotic role of plants and microbial endophytes in establishing microbial communities in plant-feeding insects