Empirical and clinical focus of child and adolescent psychotherapy research.

The present study evaluated the characteristics of research on child and adolescent psychotherapy. Published studies (N = 223) of psychotherapy from 1970 to 1988 were codified to characterize research, clinical, and methodological characteristics. The major results indicate that (a) treatment research focuses almost exclusively on the impact of treatment techniques with scant attention to influences (child/adolescent, parent, family, therapist) that may moderate outcome and (b) several characteristics of the children/adolescents and methods of treatment delivery and approaches depart markedly from those evident in the practice of treatment. Priorities for treatment research to place clinical practice on firmer empirical footing are discussed.

Mycoparasitism of sclerotial fungi by Teratosperma oligocladum.

Sclerotia of Sclerotinia minor were parasitized by Teratosperma oligocladum, a recently described dematiaceous hyphomycete. The mycoparasite was cultured on living sclerotia placed on water agar and on sclerotia in moist sand. It grew poorly on several common laboratory media but growth in vitro was enhanced by supplements of soil extract and, especially, by aqueous extracts of sclerotia. Sclerotia of S. minor, S. sclerotiorum, S. trifoliorum, Sclerotium cepivorum, and Botrytis cinerea were parasitized in vitro, but sclerotia of Sclerotium rolfsii and Macrophomina phaseolina were not. Macroconidia of T. oligocladum germinated on membrane filters placed on soil containing sclerotia of S. minor but not on soil without sclerotia. Sclerotia of three Sclerotinia spp. were infected within 2 weeks in soil infested with the mycoparasite. Teratosperma oligocladum parasitized and destroyed all of the sclerotia of S. minor buried in a natural soil by 10 weeks. Parasitism was equally good at 20 and 25 degrees C, but occurred more slowly at 15 degrees C. No parasitic activity occurred at 30 degrees C. The morphology, cultural characteristics, and mycoparasitic habit of T. oligocladum indicated that it was similar in many respects to the mycoparasite, Sporidesmium sclerotivorum, and that it is a potentially useful agent fo the biological control for sclerotial plant pathogens.

Germination of macroconidia and growth of Sporidesmium sclerotivorum in vitro.

Macroconidia of Sporidesmium sclerotivorum, a mycoparasite of Scleroninia spp., were induced to germinate by aqueous and ethanolic extracts of sclerotia of sclerotinia minor. Paper chromatography of sclerotial extracts indicated the presence of several amino acids and carbohydrates, chiefly glucose. Glucose was identified as the principal germination stimulant in ethanolic extracts. Glucose, fructose, mannose, cellobiose, sucrose, maltose, trehalose, soluble starch, and glycerol at 0.1% (w/v) stimulated macroconidia to germinate in 3-6 days at 25 degrees C. Crude sclerotial extracts, and glucose combined with inorganic and organic nitrogen sources, supported germination of greater numbers of macroconidia than glucose alone. Yeast extract, Casamino acids, peptone, and several carbon substrates alone did not support germination. Macroconidia germinated well (greater than 30%) over the range of pH 3-7; maximum germination (greater than 80%) occurred at pH 5.0-5.5. Mycelial growth in a glucose - Casamino acids - mineral salts medium was also greatest in the range of pH 5.0-5.5, but growth fell off sharply below pH 4.5 and above pH 6.0. The fungus grew slowly on several complex agar media adjusted to pH 5.5.

Nutritional and environmental factors affecting growth and sporulation of Sporidesmium sclerotivorum.

Three of five isolates of Sporidesmium sclerotivorum, a mycoparasite of Sclerotinia spp., grew well on an agar medium containing mineral salts, glucose, thiamine, and glutamine or Casamino acids as the nitrogen source. The nitrogen requirement for two of the isolates was satisfied by NH4Cl, Casamino acids, or glutamine. Glutamine was the best single nitrogen source. Only one isolate, CS-1, was used in further nutritional studies. The optimum concentration of glutamine for growth was 5 g/L. Glucose, mannose, mannitol, and cellobiose were excellent carbon sources. A glucose concentration of 20 g/L was optimum. Mannitol supported greater growth than glucose with Casamino acids as the nitrogen source but glucose was the superior carbon source with glutamine as the nitrogen source. Greatest growth was achieved with a combination of these carbon and nitrogen sources. Sporidesmium sclerotivorum, isolate CS-1, required thiamine for growth and sporulation. Biotin stimulated growth. The fungus developed maximally within the range of pH 5.0-5.5 and growth was greatly reduced at a pH below 4.0 or above 6.0. Control of acidity by the periodic addition of NaOH solution permitted substantially increased growth. The optimum temperature for growth was 22.5-25.0 degrees C but production of macroconidia was greatest at 15-20 degrees C.

Factors affecting germination, mycoparasitism, and survival of Sporidesmium sclerotivorum.

Macroconidia of Sporidesmium sclerotivorum, a mycoparasite of Sclerotinia spp., germinated after 3 days in soil adjacent to sclerotia of S. minor and on membrane filters placed on soil containing sclerotia. Germination increased with time up to 18 days and with concentration of sclerotia. Conidia as distant as 9 mm from single sclerotia germinated. Germination of conidia was maximum on a sclerotial agar medium in the range of pH 5 to pH 7. Cultivation of S. sclerotivorum parasitically on living sclerotia proceeded optimally in moist, fine quartz sand amended with 1 to 2% (w/w) sclerotia and 0.07% (w/w) CaCO3, at 25 degrees C. Infection of sclerotia in sand reached 100% by 5 weeks. Conidia production paralled infection resulting in logarithmic increase in numbers; a maximum of 3 x 10(5) to 4 x 10(5) conidia/g was reached in 6 to 12 weeks. Viability of air-dried sand-sclerotial cultures of S. sclerotivorum was reduced after 1 and 6 days, but viability was undiminished in air-dried soil. Sporidesmium sclerotivorum survived in moist and air-dried soils stored at room temperature for 15 months.

Differential isolatoion of Pythium species from soil by means of selective media,temperature, and pH.

Pythium aphanidermatum, with an optimum temperature for growth at 35C, grew welland was readily isolated from soil on pimaricin-vancomycin medium (MPVM) when incubated for 24h at 38-40C. The pH of the medium affected recovery; maximum numbers developed above pH 6.0. Other Pythium spp. were recovered on MPVM at 20-25C, but were excluded by incubation at 38-40C. These Pythium spp. included P. ultimun, P. paroecandrum, P. irregular, P. mamillatum, and an unidentified Pythium sp. These species grew well and were readily siolated from soil on gallic acid medium (GAM) when incubated for 24-8h at 20 C.P. aphanidermatum and P. myriotylum grew from mycelium on GAM, but their oospores did not germinate nor could they be isolated from soilon this medium. P. myriotylum grew well on MPVM, but was only rarely isolated, evenfrom soils with known high potential for disease caused by P. myriotylum. Propagules of Pythium were enumerated by a plate-dilution frequency method or by a smearplateethod is valuable for studies on the ecology, survival, and inoculum potential in soils with mixed populations of P. aphanidermatum and other Pythium spp.