Brown Crust Research Articles

TREATMENT OF HERPES ASSOCIATED ERYTHEMA MULTIFORME (HAEM)

Introduction: Herpes Associated Erythema Multiforme (HAEM) is Erythema multiforme (EM) caused herpes virus infection. EM a caused by an acute hypersensitivity reaction that occurs in the mucocutaneous area. HAEM is hypersensitivity reaction that occurs due to a hypersensitivity reaction to the herpes virus. Case: 17 year old male complaints of itching and dry on his lips since 5 days ago. patient said that ± 7 days ago he had a fever which lasted for 2 days then after the fever went down his lips felt itchy and dry. On clinical examination, desquamation with yellowish brown crusts was found on the vermilion of the upper and lower lips. Case Treatment: patient is given Aloclair® Gel and Becomzet®. Patient is referred for a complete blood count, Total IgE and IgM and IgG HSV-1 antibody testing. The patient was then given hydrocortisone cream 2.5% used 3 times a day. The patient recovered 10 days after the first visit. Discussion: HAEM is triggered by an immunological response in which an immune complex reaction occurs as a result of an immune response to certain antigens such as the herpes simplex virus or certain types of drugs. In cases of HAEM the herpes virus that triggers it is usually HSV-1 & HSV-2. Diagnosis is confirmed by Total IgE and HSV-1 Antibody Tests. Conclucion: Management of cases of HAEM can be successfully determined by establishing the correct diagnosis which requires investigations so that we can rule out the differential diagnosis and provide appropriate treatment

Deep-sea organogenic-carbonate buildups in the northern zone of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Research subject. Carbonate formations raised from depths up 1986 to 2973 m in the off-axis zone of the rift valley of the North Atlantic Ocean in areas of active young volcanism. The ocean floor here is composed of basaltoids and serpentinized gabbro-peridotites fragmentarily overlain by carbonate pelagic sediments.Aim. To confirm the organogenic nature of these carbonate formations and to reveal new features of deep-water carbonate structures of this type.Materials and methods. The research objects comprised 100 samples of branched and cone-shaped/crater-like carbonate formations, the primary studies of which were carried out directly on the research vessel. Analytical methods included optical microscopy, electron microscopy, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, infrared spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and isotope mass spectrometry.Results. Among the most important features of the studied formations were found to be a concentric-zonal structure, which forms around the axial channel, and a thin dark brown crust of carbonate-ferromanganese composition. The abundance of planktonic fauna fossils and the distribution of mineralized biofilms with bacteriomorphic structures and glycocalyx were found in the body of crusts of the studied formations. More than 50 trace elements were found, including 11 essential (vital), 18 physiogenicallly-active and 22 antibiotic elements. The ratios of group contents of essential and antibiotic elements vary from 0.67 in the upper part of the structures to 0.001 in their lower part and up to 0.0006 in the volcanogenic substrate of the carbonate buildups. The ratio of the concentrations of essential zinc to physiogenically-active copper behaves similarly. In calcite, the isotopic composition of carbon, δ13СPDB = = –0.16 ± 1.03‰, corresponds to marine sedimentary carbonates; conversely, while oxygen exhibits anomalously isotopically heavy values, δ18OSMOW = 34.44 ± 3.21‰. In ferromanganese carbonates, the corresponding values are –3…1 and 32– 35‰.Conclusions. The studied carbonate formations are solid solutions based on calcite in their body and based on siderite-rhodochrosite binary series in the composition of brown crusts. Specific features of the chemism and minal compatibility of carbonate solid solutions reflect the conditions of microbially-stimulated mineral formation. The conducted isotopic studies discovered the phenomenon of a combination of carbon and oxygen, fundamentally different in genetic nature, in the studied formations. For the explanation of this fact, a scheme for isotopic exchange of oxygen between marine bicarbonate and sulfate with the active participation of sulfate-reducing bacteria was proposed.

Herpes-associated erythema multiforme in a postmenopausal woman

Herpes-associated erythema multiforme (HAEM) is an acute inflammatory mucocutaneous disease which is characterized by ulcerative lesion on oral mucous membrane with or without skin involvements. The etiology of erythema multiforme (EM) is probably hypersensitivity reaction to human herpes simplex virus tipe 1 (HSV-1). Lesions on lips with HAEM can be treated by corticosteroid and acyclovir topically and/or orally. The objective of this study wasto report the case of HAEM with painful ulcers accompanying with crust on lips. A 55 years old woman complained painful ulcers with crust on lips since the last five months. She had visited a primary health care service and received several medications such as antibiotic (ciprofloxacin), anti-inflammatory drug (corticosteroid), analgesic (mefenamic acid) but her complaint was never healed completely because it was always recurring. The lesion on her lips got worse when she ate hot and spicy food and after she went out for outdor activities. She had a history of herpes virus infection seven months before but it was completely healed after treated by acyclovir topically and amoxicilin orally. An extra oral examination found black brown crust on her upper lip vermillion, well-demarcated, irregular margin, rough surface, erythematous surrounding area, accompanied with pain. An intra oral examination identified ulcers, yellowish, 4-5 mm in size, well-demarcated, irregular margin, redness in surronding area, accompanied with pain. Acomplete blood count examination, serology test for HSV-1 (IgM and IgG) were taken and the result showed that only IgG was reactive. The therapies given to the patient were topical medications with a combination of corticosteroid, chloramphenicol and moisturizer, followed by methyl prednisolone and acyclovir orally. After 6-week treatment, the lesions were completely healed.Herpes-associated erythema multiforme (HAEM) caused by hypersensitivity reactionto herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) may have a characteristic of painful ulcers accompanied with crust on the lips. The combination of both anti-inflammatory and antiviral drugs can be a choice for the therapy.

Comparison of Dermoscopic Findings of Chronic Hand Eczema and Palmoplantar Psoriasis: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Differentiation between Chronic Hand Eczema (CHE) and Palmoplantar Psoriasis (PP) is a diagnostic challenge. Dermoscopy can helpto distinguish between the two conditions. Aim: To establish and compare the dermoscopic findings of the CHE and PP using DermLite DL4 dermoscope and to confirm the accuracy of the dermoscopic findings with the histopathological findings. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Navodaya Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Raichur, Karnataka, India, from January 2017 to June 2018. Fifty patients each of CHE (26 male and 24 female subjects) and PP (25 male and 25 female subjects) were included in the study. A detailed clinical history, cutaneous clinical and dermoscopic findings of each case were noted. A 4 mm punch biopsy was taken from 30 patients for histopathological analysis. The data was tabulated, analysed and tested for significance using the Chi-square test. Results: The mean age of the patients was 46±4 years. On dermoscopic examination, diffuse white scales in 45 (90%) patients, over a red background in 49 (98%) patients with regularly arranged dots and globules in 45 (90%) patients was seen in PP. Patchy yellow scales 46 (90%), yellow dots, globules and yellow to brown crusts against a yellow background was seen in all patients (100%) of CHE (p-value <0.001). Histopathological findings are in agreement with dermoscopic findings in 9/16 and 10/14 cases of CHE and PP respectively. Conclusion: Dermoscope is a useful non invasive clinical aid to differentiate between CHE and PP. The presence of diffuse white scales over a red background and regularly arranged vessels indicates PP, whereas the presence of patchily distributed yellow scales, yellow dots and globules; and yellow to brown crusts against a yellow background is more suggestive of CHE.

The effect of varietal traits of durum wheat on the technological and baking qualities of flour when mixed with bread wheat

The development of bakery industry is possible due to the use of such non-traditional raw materials as durum wheat. The purpose of the current study was to estimate the effect of varietal traits of durum wheat when mixed with bread wheat according to the results of rheological parameters of dough, technological and bakery estimation of flour. There have been studied technological indicators of grain, rheological and physical parameters of dough, general bakery estimation. There has been established that the high gas-forming ability of durum wheat allows it to be used (30%) as bread wheat improver during baking. However, the positive effect was present not in all years of the study. There has been estimated an improvement effect due to mutual compensation of the missing components and complementarity of the bread and durum wheat varieties. There was found that in 2008, 2010 there was practically no improvement effect when durum wheat flour was added to the mixture in a ratio of 30:70%. There was established that in 2015 the maximum bread volume of 930 cm3 and a good bakery estimation (flat surface, oval shape, golden brown crust, as well as fine thin-walled porosity with elastic light crumb) were obtained by adding bread wheat varieties to durum wheat varieties, which during the year of the study there was formed weak grain (dilute of dough was 110 u.f.; valorigraphic number was 46 u.v.). In 2020, the varieties used in the mixtures of both spring bread and durum wheat were of high quality, and bakery estimation gave excellent indicators both in the control (the variety ‘Tulaykovskaya 108’ with 1300 cm3) and in the mixtures with 1140–1255 cm3; the appearance of bread and crumb in almost all variants had an excellent mark. The largest volume of bread, 1255 cm3, was obtained when the durum wheat variety ‘Bezenchukskaya Niva’ was added to the mixture. Adding durum wheat flour to the mixture in an amount of 30:70% when baking bread reduced its staleness by 6.5% relative to the control (bread wheat); bread remains fresh for a long time with an elastic, quickly regenerated crumb.

Mucormycosis: A manifestation in COVID-19 infection

Patients with COVID-19 may develop higher susceptibility to fungal co-infections. Mucormycosis is a rare and often life-threatening disease caused by vascular invasion by hyphae, leading to thrombosis and necrosis. Mucormycosis has been the cause of morbidity and mortality in transplant, ICU and immunodeficient individuals over a long period of time, but in India, a rapid increase in the number of cases seen in unexpected patients with Covid-19, which is a major concern. Covid-19 patients, already immunocompromised with underlying condition, had been exposed to severe Covid-19 infection and been using steroids, were at greater risk of developing mucormycosis. Out of ten cases reported by Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi India in December2020, five succumbed to mucormycosis. Another unique feature reported in mucor patients was age, most were elderly with ages between 45 to 60 years. The mortality rate is currently estimated at 50% in India. Symptoms such as nasal congestion, swelling of the eye or cheeks and dark brown crusts inside the nose should be reported immediately and anti-fungal treatment should be started.

Effects of partial preheated dough on its frozen characteristics: Baking, water mobility, thermal, and microstructural properties

AbstractBackground and objectivesFlour heat treatment is commonly used to improve dough and bread quality. This study creatively proposed applying partial preheated dough (PPHD) to frozen dough and evaluated bread characteristics and its internal mechanism systematically.FindingsResults suggested that moderate PPHD level presented higher specific volume, softer hardness, more appealing brown crust color and more uniform texture of frozen dough bread. Moisture status analysis showed that PPHD restricted the mobility of overall water molecules and the migration from bound water to semi‐bound water. DSC and RVA results suggested that the inter‐ and intramolecular association of starch granules, leading to abundant formation of hydrogen bonds, strengthened the gluten matrix network. Besides, gelatinized starch granules in PPHD served as a paste to promote the cross‐linking of starch and gluten, which was observed by SEM.ConclusionsPartial preheated dough inhibited ice recrystallization by restricting water migration and formed a highly networked starch–gluten structure that delayed its destruction during freezing.Significance and noveltyThis study demonstrated obvious improvement of PPHD on frozen dough quality and further explained the mechanism systematically. Moreover, the method was innovative, simple, and easy to operate, so it could help to promote the development of the frozen dough industry.

Pemphigus Vulgaris Combination Adjuvant Therapy of Systemic Corticosteroid with Sparing Agent Sodium Mycophenolate

Pemphigus Vulgaris (PV) is an autoimmune disease characterized by vesicles and bullae on the skin and mucosa resulting from an autoantibody reaction to desmosomal adhesion molecules desmoglein (Dsg) 1 and 3, which function as strong adhesions between keratinocytes. Pemphigus Vulgaris is more common in the fifth and sixth decades of age. The lesions are fragile blisters on the mucosa and skin. Diagnosing PV requires anamnesis, physical examination, and investigations such as histopathologic examination and direct immunofluorescence. Therapy generally uses steroids. Adjuvant treatment is given to reduce the side effects of corticosteroids. We reported a male, 59 years old, was treated with blisters that break easily into blisters on the head, face, chest, back, groin and buttocks accompanied by burning and itching. In the scalp, facial, anterior et posterior trunk, inguinal, and gluteal regions, multiple erythematous macules were found with lenticular-plaque shape; it was partially confluent with thick brown crusts which were challenging to remove. The histopathologic examination found the presence of suprabasal bullae with lymphocyte inflammation cells. The patient was diagnosed with PV and treated with corticosteroids with the sparing agent mycophenolate sodium and showed clinical improvement. The first-line treatment for pemphigus Vulgaris is systemic corticosteroids. Adjuvant sparing agent therapy is given to reduce the side effects of corticosteroids. Sodium mycophenolate sparing agent was selected because of its minimum side effects. In systemic management, the dose of corticosteroid and sparing agent mycophenolate sodium was gradually decreased. The patient experienced initial remission after treatment

Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS)-Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) overlap in a 61-year old woman: a case report

Background: Epidermal necrolysis (EN) is a rare life-threatening reaction. The exact cause of this disease is unknown. However, the drug is one of the main factors as a cause. EN differentiated based on the extent of skin detachment limited to less than 10% of the body surface area (BSA) in SJS, 10%-30% BSA in SJS/TEN overlap, and greater than 30% of the BSA in TEN. SJS and TEN can occur at various ages, but more often occur at the age of 40 years. Mortality was almost 30% in SJS/TEN overlap patients. Management for SJS and TEN is the cessation of drugs that are thought to be the cause and other supportive therapies.Case presentation: A 61-year-old female with SJS-TEN overlap, who presented epidermal detachment, is about 10-30% with a positive Nikolsky sign. She had a history of taking medication, such as paracetamol, amoxicillin, and buscopan, before lesion appeared. There were multiple lesions widespread, macula hyperpigmentation multiple, erosion from the bullae that has broken, there also erosion covered by black crust, and various erosions covered with black, brown crusts on lip mucosa and also secret on both eyes. The management of this patient was a cessation of suspected drug and supportive therapy. The patient’s condition was improved within a few weeks, and no sequelae found.Conclusion: SJS-TEN overlap is one of the epidermal necrolysis in which skin detachment 10-30% BSA. The management was a cessation of all suspected drugs, administering high doses of steroids and other supportive therapies.

海姆泊芬光动力治疗鲜红斑痣的临床疗效及声像学变化研究

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether-based photodynamic (HMME-PDT) therapy for the treatment of port-wine stain (PWS) and its sonographic changes. Methods A total of 45 patients with confirmed PWS were enrolled from the Department of Dermatology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from March 2017 to June 2018, including 5 with pink PWS, 39 with purplish red PWS and 1 with thickened PWS. All the patients received 3 sessions of HMME-PDT therapy. The skin thickness and density were compared before and after the treatment by using high-frequency ultrasound. Ranked data were analyzed by using nonparametric test. Measurement data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation, and analyzed using ony-way analysis of variance. Multiple comparisons were performed using Student-Newman-Keuls-q (SNK-q) test. The results were considered to be statistically significant if P < 0.05. Results Among the 45 patients with PWS who completed the treatment and follow-up, 10 were cured, 21 received marked improvement, 12 received improvement, and 1 showed no response. The total response rate was 97.78%, and the response rate in the patients with pink PWS was higher than that in the patients with purplish red PWS (U = 12.50, P < 0.001) . The difference value of the skin thickness or skin density before and after the treatment significantly differed among the cured patients, patients receiving marked improvement and those receiving improvement (skin thickness:0.65 ± 0.21, 0.56 ± 0.88, 0.37 ± 0.12 mm respectively; skin density: -8.65 ± 2.19, -6.86 ± 2.79, -4.92 ± 2.91 g/cm3 respectively; F = 14.528, 5.428 respectively, both P < 0.001) , and the difference values of the skin thickness and density were significantly higher in the cured patients than in those receiving improvement (q = 5.82, 4.63, both P < 0.05) . Erythematous swelling to different extents occurred at the laser-exposed sites in the zygomatic and cheek region in 23 patients with PWS and in the frontal-zygomatic region in 6 with PWS after the HMME-PDT therapy, but gradually regressed about 1 week later. Pale brown crusts were observed at the laser-exposed sites in 35 patients, and shed spontaneously about 3 weeks later. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation at the laser-exposed sites was observed in 4 patients, and gradually regressed after 2-month follow-up. Conclusions HMME-PDT therapy is effective for the treatment of PWS, with high safety and few adverse reactions. High-frequency ultrasound can be used for objectively evaluating the clinical efficacy of HMME-PDT therapy. Key words: Port-wine stain; Hematoporphyrin photoradiation; Ultrasonography

Comparative evaluation between atmospheric and sub-baric processing of Gulabjamun

Gulabjamun , a popular Indian dairy sweet, is characterised with a brown crust and a soft, slightly spongy core with a uniform granular texture and a pleasant cooked flavour. The sub-baric processing is a novel technology which uses low temperature, low pressure and minimal exposure to oxygen which ultimately improves the quality parameters of fried foods. An attempt was made to compare conventional and sub-baric processed Gulabjamun in terms of its sensory, physical, chemical and microbial attributes. The processing conditions for frying were 118°C/5min/400mmHg vacuum and 140°C/8min/atm for sub-baric frying and conventional frying, respectively. The soaking conditions were 60°Brix at 30°C for 5min for sub-baric soaking and 63°Brix/60°C/4 h for conventional soaking. The sub-baric frying of Gulabjamun resulted in reduced oil and moisture content in the final product. Microbial enumeration also indicated a lower count in sub-baric fried product when compared to conventionally fried Gulabjamun . The colour of both samples was comparable while the textural properties were found to be better for sub-baric processed product. Sensory score for overall acceptability based on 9 point hedonic scale were 8.2 and 7.14 for sub-baric processed and conventional product, respectively. Apart from these advantages, sub-baric processing recorded significantly less processing time than the conventional method.

Secrets of pretzels’ scent revealed

Brezn, Brezeln, pretzels—whatever you call them, the knotted snacks smell different from other baked goods. Despite regional variations, all soft pretzels are chewy, salty, and have a shiny brown crust made by treating the uncooked dough with lye before baking. Sebastian Schoenauer and Peter Schieberle at the Technical University of Munich say that shiny crust is where the unique smell of pretzels—or they might say Brezn—comes from (J. Agric. Food Chem. 2019, DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.9b02601). The pair bought freshly baked pretzels from their local bakery and used gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and professional aroma assessors to identify the odor compounds in the crusts. They found 22 odor compounds that contributed to the beguiling scent, and then recreated the fragrance by dissolving the compounds in ethanol. The team next tweaked the recipe to try to find which molecules were key to the pretzel scent. Phenylacetic acid, for example, is in pretzel crusts and

Characterization of the Key Aroma Compounds in the Crust of Soft Pretzels by Application of the Sensomics Concept.

Soft pretzels show a uniform brown crust color and elicit a characteristic aroma that is clearly different from those of other small types of bread. Data on the odorants responsible for this unique aroma are scarcely available. Application of aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) on an extract (distillate) obtained from the crust of freshly baked soft pretzels followed by identification experiments revealed 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2 H)-furanone (4-HDF, caramel-like) and 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-ACPY; roasty, popcorn-like), which had the highest flavor dilution (FD) factors among the 28 odor-active compounds identified. Quantitation of all 28 aroma compounds by stable isotope dilution assays (SIDA) and calculation of odor activity values (OAV) confirmed 2-ACPY, 4-HDF, and phenylacetic acid as key contributors to the pretzel aroma profile. Compared with other pastry crusts, in particular, the low odor activities of the Strecker aldehydes 2- and 3-methylbutanal, the lipid degradation product ( E)-2-nonenal, and the lack of pyrazines were elucidated as the main reasons for the different aroma profile of pretzel crust. An aroma recombinate, which is among the first established for the crusts of breads and pastries, clearly mimicked the overall odor of the pretzel crust, in particular when a solution in ethanol was sprayed in the ambient air.

A suspicious dark lesion in a boy.

The presence of history of hyperpigmented crust in a patient with a history of adequate hygiene is typical of terra firma‐forme dermatosis. The treatment is the rubbing of the skin with isopropyl alcohol (removal of the hyperpigmented brown crust, confirming the diagnosis). Physicians should be aware because early diagnosis avoid unnecessary treatment.

Taxonomy, phylogeny, and divergence time estimation for Apiosphaeria guaranitica, a Neotropical parasite on bignoniaceous hosts

ABSTRACTApiosphaeria guaranitica, the causal agent of brown crust disease of several bignoniaceous hosts, among them Handroanthus and Tabebuia species, has been traditionally placed in Phyllachoraceae, based exclusively on morphological studies, without supporting molecular evidence. Here, we provide molecular data for the link between sexual and asexual states of the fungus and elucidate the phylogeny of A. guaranitica. The multilocus phylogenetic analyses employed sequences from the 18S subunit (18S), 28S subunit (28S), and nuclear internal transcribed spacers (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 = ITS) of the nuc rDNA, second-largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2), and translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF1) genetic loci. Estimates of the divergence time of this lineage were supported by fossil calibration (FC) and secondary calibration (SC) strategies. Our results indicate a natural placement of Apiosphaeria within Diaporthaceae (Diaporthales), where it represents an ancient lineage of the crown group of Diaporthaceae, diverging during the late Paleocene at 61.15 (FC) and 60.63 (SC) million years ago. This divergence time estimate within Diaporthales is based on Spataporthe taylori, a diaporthaceous fossil.

Probing Interactions between AuNPs/AgNPs and Giant Unilamellar Vesicles (GUVs) Using Hyperspectral Dark-field Microscopy.

Noble metallic nanoparticles (NPs) such as gold and silver nanoparticles (AuNPs and AgNPs) have been shown to exhibit anti-tumor effect in anti-angiogenesis, photothermal and radio therapeutics. On the other hand, cell membranes are critical locales for specific targeting of cancerous cells. Therefore, NP-membrane interactions need be studied at molecular level to help better understand the underlying physicochemical mechanisms for future applications in cancer nanotechnology. Herein, we report our study on the interactions between citrate stabilized colloidal AuNPs/AgNPs (10 nm in size) and giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) using hyperspectral dark-field microscopy. GUVs are large model vesicle systems well established for the study of membrane dynamics. GUVs used in this study were prepared with dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and doped with cholesterol at various molar concentrations. Both imaging and spectral results support that AuNPs and AgNPs interact very differently with GUVs, i.e., AuNPs tend to integrate in between the lipid bilayer and form a uniform golden-brown crust on vesicles, whereas AgNPs are bejeweled on the vesicle surface as isolated particles or clusters with much varied configurations. The more disruptive capability of AuNPs is hypothesized to be responsible for the formation of golden brown crusts in AuNP-GUV interaction. GUVs of 20 mol% CHOL:DMPC were found to be a most economical concentration for GUVs to achieve the best integrity and the least permeability, consistent with the finding from other phase studies of lipid mixture that the liquid-ordered domains have the largest area fraction of the entire membrane at around 20 mol% of cholesterol.

Cutaneous mucormycosis caused by Mucor irregularis: a case report

A 39-year-old female patient presented with a painful plaque with ulcers on the right cheek for 2 months. She had acute myeloid leukemia for 1 year. After treatment, the patient achieved remission, but experienced recurrence half a year prior to the presentation. Skin examination showed a violaceous plaque measuring 5 cm × 5 cm in size on the right cheek with erosions and ulcers in the center, whose surface was covered with yellowish brown crusts. Granulation tissues were observed on the plaque, and yellow pus was exuded after the crusts were removed. The boundary of the plaque was sharp and slightly elevated, and there was obvious tenderness on palpation. Laboratory examination revealed increased white blood cell (WBC, 28.75 × 109/L) and lymphocyte counts (27.17 × 109/L) , but decreased neutrophil (1.05 × 109/L) and red blood cell counts (2.20 × 1012/L) , hemoglobin level (69 g/L) and platelet count (84 × 109/L) in the peripheral blood. The hepatic and renal function, electrolyte level and electrocardiogram were normal. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and periodic acid-Schiff staining of the lesion showed a large number of lymphocytes and histiocytes infiltrating in the dermis and broad aseptate hyphae. The fungal microculture yielded broad hyalinea septate hyphae, fungal rhizoids, stolons and spherical sporangia. The isolated fungus was identified as Mucor irregularis by using molecular biology techniques. The patient was diagnosed with primary cutaneous mucormycosis caused by Mucor irregularis complicated by acute myeloid leukemia. Then, the patient was treated with oral hydroxyurea at a dose of 0.5 g thrice a day, a single-dose intravenous infusion of 4 units of red blood cell suspension, and intravenous drip infusion of amphotericin B at an initial dose of 5 mg/d, which increased by 5 mg every day until 25 mg/d (about 0.5 mg·kg-1·d-1) . After the treatment, the lesion gradually became flat and smaller. After 12-day treatment, the patient was discharged because of a certain reason, and finally lost to follow-up. Key words: Mucormycosis; Leukemia, myeloid; Amphotericin B; Mucorirregularis

Rare-Earth Elements from Modern Mineral–Organic Associations in the Zone of Sulfide Ore Hypergenesis

The REE composition of modern mineral–organic associations in the sulfide ore hypergenesis zone of the Berezitovoe deposit in the Russian Far East was studied for the first time. It is shown that the mineral–organic associations widely abundant in the valley of Konstantinovskii Creek and represented by bright brown crusts on the surface of deluvial deposits were formed at the expense of the influence of acid highly mineralized mine waters from the Berezitovoe deposit. The mineral–organic associations found in the Creek valley may be considered as a new indicator for evaluation of the geoecological state of modern technogenic landscapes.

Physico-chemical properties and sensory profile of durum wheat Dittaino PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) bread and quality of re-milled semolina used for its production

To help future quality checks, we characterized the physico-chemical and sensory properties of Dittaino bread, a sourdough-based durum wheat bread recently awarded with Protected Designation of Origin mark, along with the quality features of re-milled semolina used for its production. Semolina was checked for Falling Number (533–644s), protein content (12.0–12.3g/100gd.m.), gluten content (9.7–10.5g/100gd.m.), yellow index (18.0–21.0), water absorption (59.3–62.3g/100g), farinograph dough stability (171–327s), softening index (46–66B.U.), alveograph W (193×10−4–223×10−4J) and P/L (2.2–2.7). Accordingly, bread crumb was yellow, moderately hard (16.4–27.1N) and chewy (88.2–109.2N×mm), with low specific volume (2.28–3.03mL/g). Bread aroma profile showed ethanol and acetic acid, followed by hexanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 2-phenylethanol, 3-methylbutanal, hexanal, benzaldehyde, and furfural. The sensory features were dominated by a thick brown crust, with marked toasted odor, coupled to yellow and consistent crumb, with coarse grain and well-perceivable sour taste and odor.

Ferrous iron- and ammonium-rich diffuse vents support habitat-specific communities in a shallow hydrothermal field off the Basiluzzo Islet (Aeolian Volcanic Archipelago).

Ammonium- and Fe(II)-rich fluid flows, known from deep-sea hydrothermal systems, have been extensively studied in the last decades and are considered as sites with high microbial diversity and activity. Their shallow-submarine counterparts, despite their easier accessibility, have so far been under-investigated, and as a consequence, much less is known about microbial communities inhabiting these ecosystems. A field of shallow expulsion of hydrothermal fluids has been discovered at depths of 170-400meters off the base of the Basiluzzo Islet (Aeolian Volcanic Archipelago, Southern Tyrrhenian Sea). This area consists predominantly of both actively diffusing and inactive 1-3 meters-high structures in the form of vertical pinnacles, steeples and mounds covered by a thick orange to brown crust deposits hosting rich benthic fauna. Integrated morphological, mineralogical, and geochemical analyses revealed that, above all, these crusts are formed by ferrihydrite-type Fe3+ oxyhydroxides. Two cruises in 2013 allowed us to monitor and sampled this novel ecosystem, certainly interesting in terms of shallow-water iron-rich site. The main objective of this work was to characterize the composition of extant communities of iron microbial mats in relation to the environmental setting and the observed patterns of macrofaunal colonization. We demonstrated that iron-rich deposits contain complex and stratified microbial communities with a high proportion of prokaryotes akin to ammonium- and iron-oxidizing chemoautotrophs, belonging to Thaumarchaeota, Nitrospira, and Zetaproteobacteria. Colonizers of iron-rich mounds, while composed of the common macrobenthic grazers, predators, filter-feeders, and tube-dwellers with no representatives of vent endemic fauna, differed from the surrounding populations. Thus, it is very likely that reduced electron donors (Fe2+ and NH4+ ) are important energy sources in supporting primary production in microbial mats, which form a habitat-specific trophic base of the whole Basiluzzo hydrothermal ecosystem, including macrobenthic fauna.