Peculiar Appearance Research Articles

Rapid-onset methemoglobinemia from traditional-medicine-induced potassium nitrate poisoning: successful treatment with methylene blue—a case report

BackgroundPotassium nitrate poisoning is a rare but potentially serious condition that can result in methemoglobinemia and subsequent cyanosis. This case report presents a unique instance of rapid-onset methemoglobinemia resulting from the ingestion of a traditional medicine preparation containing potassium nitrate, known as “kalmi shora.”Case presentationA 14-year-old Pakistani boy reported to the emergency department with a history of sudden-onset headache, drowsiness agitation, irritability, and generalized cyanosis. Pulse oximetry showed a concerning oxygen saturation level of 58%, whereas arterial blood gas analysis revealed a normal partial pressure of oxygen (90 mmHg). The profile of abrupt onset of symptoms, generalized cyanosis, and the discrepancy between the partial pressure of oxygen and oxygen saturation readings necessitated a comprehensive assessment including inquiries into potential toxins. The peculiar appearance of the blood, resembling chocolate in color, further indicated the possibility of methemoglobinemia. The patient was successfully treated with methylene blue, leading to a prompt resolution of symptoms.ConclusionThis case highlights the significance of considering toxin exposures, such as traditional-medicine-induced poisoning, in emergency settings. The report contributes to the medical literature by highlighting the potential risks associated with traditional remedies and emphasizes the critical role of prompt diagnosis and intervention in optimizing patient outcomes. Recognition of the specific etiology of methemoglobinemia, in this case, traditional medicine ingestion, is essential for effective management in emergency medicine.

On the systematic position of the genus Fractonotus (Eutardigrada, Parachela)

The genus Fractonotus was erected on the basis of the peculiar appearance of the apophyses for the insertion of the stylet muscles on the buccal tube, and it has been attributed, together with the genus Microhypsibius, to the family Microhypsibiidae on the basis of the structure of the claws. A subsequent molecular investigation on Microhypsibius (18S and 28S rRNA) assigned the family Microhypsibiidae to the superfamily Hypsibioidea. Recently two other species, Isohypsibius gilvus and Calohypsibius verrucosus were transferred to Fractonotus and the latter was sequenced (18S and 28S rDNA, ITS-2), with the conclusion that the genus Fractonotus should be assigned to the family Isohypsibiidae, superfamily Isohypsibioidea. However, the transfer of I. gilvus and C. verrucosus to Fractonotus was incorrect. In fact, these two species definitely have claws of the Isohypsibius type, while Fractonotus caelatus, the type species of the genus, clearly has claws of the Microhypsibius type, in addition to other characters of the Hypsibioidea. Therefore, Fractonotus remains a monospecific genus in the Microhypsibiidae family, superfamily Hypsibioidea. The other two species belong to Isohypsibius or, if later confirmed by further morphological and new molecular data, to a new genus of Isohypsibiidae.

Rapid determination of metallic additives in century eggs by microwave plasma‐atomic emission spectrometer and microwave‐assisted digestion

AbstractCentury eggs (also known as pídàn) are a widely used preserved food product in Taiwanese cuisine. Due to their peculiar appearance, pungent odor, and unusual texture, several consumers have raised concerns. Actually, some metallic additives are employed to control the quality of gelation of protein during the production of century eggs. Therefore, a method involving microwave plasma‐atomic emission spectrometer and microwave‐assisted digestion was proposed in this study. In addition, to clarify distribution information of metallic additives in century eggs, detailed analyses based on the egg structure were adopted. The linearities for Fe and Zn were obtained in the range of 0.1–5, and 0.02–1 mg L−1 for Cu and Pb. The method detection limits for test metals were 0.06–0.036 mg L−1. The measured values for the RM EGGS‐1 sample agreed reasonably well with the reference values, demonstrating that the developed method is practical for routine analysis with lower instrument procurement/running cost. The analytical results for century eggs collected from local markets revealed diverse distributions of metal ions in different parts. Remarkably, this method can readily identify the metallic additives used during the production processes even in the presence of complicated matrices.

Notes on the morphology, distribution and bionomics of Phyllodiscus semoni (Anthozoa: Actiniaria: Aliciidae)

Phyllodiscus semoni Kwietniewski, 1897, a little-known species of sea anemones of the family Aliciidae, is quite widely distributed in the tropics but has not been recorded from the Spratly Islands so far. The reason that the range of this species is poorly studied lies not only in the fact that many tropical areas are still poorly explored but also in the peculiar appearance of this animal in the sea. It rarely extends its tentacles during daylight hours and is not readily recognised by divers and researchers as an actinian. Our underwater observations, accompanied by high-resolution photography and specimen collection, evidence the presence of this species along the continental coast of Vietnam and in the waters of the Spratly Archipelago. During the dives, some observations were made on the behavior of the polyps and symbiotic shrimp living on their bodies. This species of sea anemones can cause severe skin burns in humans, which is confirmed by our experience. Summarised literature data on the distribution of Ph. semoni is provided.

S4248 A Rare Case of Gastric Leiomyosarcoma With Peculiar Endoscopic Appearance

S4248 A Rare Case of Gastric Leiomyosarcoma With Peculiar Endoscopic Appearance

Features of sociological analysis of religion in Russia during the Imperial period of its history (Ending)

The article deals with the features of sociological analysis of religion in Russia during the imperial period of its history. The national sociological tradition of studying religion as a socio-cultural phenomenon and a social institution, which was developed during this period, had its own unique and peculiar appearance and was just begun to revive again in post-Soviet Russia, contrasts with the tradition that took place in the West. In this context, the appeal to unfortunately undeservedly forgotten works of classics of Russian religious and socio-political though is very promising area of modern sociological research.When studying this problem, the author emphasizes the study of the works of representatives of three ideological areas of Russian religious and socio-political thought: conservatism, liberalism and socialism, as well as the peculiarities of the historical development of Russian society and the state and those events that had a significant impact on the formation and development of scientific understanding of religion in Russia. Among such features, the author, in particular, refers to the formation of an “antisystem” (systemic integrity of people who take a dim view of their homeland, hate their own nation, its values and culture, history, traditional religious, political and social systems) among the Russian intelligentsia, bureaucracy and part of the elite of Russian society, under a certain influence of Westernism, as a consequence of the spiritual schism of the 18th century, which occurred in the educated strata and elite of Russian society.The author of the article pays special attention to the analysis of “Christian sociology”. In his opinion, it is a collective name for the peculiar and original Russian sociological tradition of studying religion as a sociocultural phenomenon and social institute. “Christian Sociology” combines the theoretical developments of representatives of the Russian Slavophile, moderately liberal and conservative camps, secular and religious socio-political thought, striving to formulate and reveal the Christian view and approach to the knowledge and understanding of the life of society and social space.

Acantholytic variant of seborrheic keratoses: Uncommon histological feature

Seborrheic keratoses are common benign cutaneous neoplasms. Here we report a case because of the peculiar histological appearance characterized by acantholysis. An elderly woman presented with gradually progressive keratotic nodular growth over her thigh. Although the basic histologic findings suggestive of seborrheic keratosis like papillomatosis, acanthosis, hyperkeratosis, presence of horn pseudocyst and squamous eddies were present with upper layers of epidermis showed focal spongiosis and acantholysis. Differentiation with acantholytic dyskeratotic acanthoma, warty dyskeratoma, acantholytic actinic keratosis could be made on histological features. Although the histogenesis is uncertain, it seems that acantholytic variant is a rare variant of irritated seborrheic keratosis.

Primary aphakia: clinical recognition is the key to diagnosis

PurposeTo describe the presentation and treatment outcomes of a cohort of children with primary aphakia (PA). MethodsClinical photographs and ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) images of children presenting with sclerocornea and undetermined anterior segment dysgenesis between July 2017 and December 2020 were reviewed retrospectively. Children who had no crystalline lens visible on UBM were included. ResultsA total of 124 UBM images were captured for 124 children with cloudy corneas. Twelve children were identified with congenital primary aphakia: 5 had bilateral buphthalmos, 2 had buphthalmos in one eye and microphthalmos in the other, and 5 had bilateral sclerocornea-microphthalmia complex. All patients had a peculiar silvery-blue corneal appearance, with fine vascularization on the corneal surface. The overall corneal thickness was 409.1 ± 8.7 μm. The intraocular pressure (IOP) in eyes with glaucoma was 24.5 ± 7.3 mm Hg; in microphthalmic eyes, 11.4 ± 3.4 mm Hg (P <0.001). The raised IOP was treated with limited trans-scleral cyclophotocoagulation under transillumination and topical antiglaucoma medications. Children with glaucoma gained ambulatory vision with spectacles. ConclusionsCongenital primary aphakia has a characteristic clinical appearance and may present as buphthalmos or microphthalmos, depending on the extent of dysgenesis. Incisional surgery may result in phthisis because of ciliary body dysgenesis and unpredictable aqueous production.▪

Features of sociological analysis of religion in Russia during the Imperial period of it’s history (Continued)

The article deals with the features of sociological analysis of religion in Russia during the imperial period of its history. The national sociological tradition of studying religion as a socio-cultural phenomenon and a social institution, which was developed during this period, had its own unique and peculiar appearance and was just begun to revive again in post-Soviet Russia, contrasts with the tradition that took place in the West. In this context, the appeal to unfortunately undeservedly forgotten works of classics of Russian religious and socio-political though is very promising area of modern sociological research.When studying this problem, the author emphasizes the study of the works of representatives of three ideological areas of Russian religious and socio-political thought: conservatism, liberalism and socialism, as well as the peculiarities of the historical development of Russian society and the state and those events that had a significant impact on the formation and development of scientific understanding of religion in Russia. Among such features, the author, in particular, refers to the formation of an "antisystem" (systemic integrity of people who take a dim view of their homeland, hate their own nation, its values and culture, history, traditional religious, political and social systems) among the Russian intelligentsia, bureaucracy and part of the elite of Russian society, under a certain influence of Westernism, as a consequence of the spiritual schism of the 18th century, which occurred in the educated strata and elite of Russian society.When studying the features of understanding religious issues by representatives of Russian conservatism, the author of the article analyzes the views of N.Ya. Danilevsky, K.N. Leontiev, F.M. Dostoevsky, M.N. Katkov, K.P. Pobedonostsev, L.A. Tikhomirov.He notes the fact that judgment of this perspective was carried out by these authors from "Slavophile", traditionalist (pochvennichesky and guarding) positions, in the context of judgment of features and an originality of a way of development of Russia as the center of east Christian (orthodox) culture and also empires successors of orthodox Byzantium - defenders Pravoslaviya, Orthodox church and belief, the orthodox people, values and the culture of Christianity "keeping" the world from approach of the evil and arrival of the power of Antichrist.

Neglected plant parasites: Mitrastemonaceae

Mitrastemonaceae are a remarkable family of parasitic flowering plants. The two species that make up this family have a disjunct distribution and a peculiar appearance. Both are devoid of roots, stems, and regular leaves and live inside the roots of their host plants for most of their life cycle. Their white-pink flowers and berry-like fruits become visible on the forest floor only during their reproductive phase. This cryptic growth form, allied to their patchy distribution, and the muted color of their flowers have contributed to making Mitrastemonaceae one of the least collected and analyzed families of parasitic plants. On the other hand, recent findings regarding the phylogenetic position of the family have advanced our understanding of the family's biogeography and prompted a reexamination of their ecology and evolution. Here we review key aspects of the life cycle, reproductive ecology, and host relationships in the family Mitrastemonaceae to identify gaps in our current knowledge and instigate future research.

A case of PTPN11 mutation-related Noonan syndrome

Noonan Syndrome (NS) is an autosomal dominant disorder in which parents with Noonan syndrome have a 50percent chance of passing the mutation to their children, most commonly due to a mutation in the PTPN11 gene. In a clinical case, we identified a male child who showed clinical features such as short stature, congenital heart disease and a peculiar facial appearance, strongly suspecting Noonan syndrome. The purpose of this article is to report the presentation of a case of Noonan syndrome.

Morphological Characterization and Biological Management of Gloeosporium ampelophagum (Pass.) Sacc Causing Anthracnose of Grapes in India

Grape an important fruit crop, has been found to face a serious threat due to anthracnose disease. The disease on leaves appeared as small irregular dark brown lesions, which later developed greyish centre with dark brown margins that eventually dried and dropped resulting in peculiar shot hole appearance. On twigs (vines) the disease initially appeared as light brown circular lesion which on elongation became elliptical and developed sunken ashy grey centre. Coalescing of numerous such lesions culminated in canker formation. Berry symptoms were initiated as circular reddish brown lesions, which later coalesced, resulting in shrivelling and mummification of berries. The pathogen was isolated on potato dextrose agar medium and its pathogenicity was proved. The fungus produced circular, cottony colony with light green centre and creamish margins which later turned olive green with radial furrows. Acervuli and conidia were formed 10 days after incubation at 25±2 oC. Conidia (6.21 × 3.87μm) were oblong and hyaline to brownish in colour. Based on its colony characters, morphological characters and by comparing with authentic descriptions as well as through pathogenicity the pathogen causing anthracnose disease of grapes was identified as Gloeosporium ampelophagum (Pass.)Sacc. The fungus showed highest mycelial sporulation of 0.81×106/ml on oat meal agar with a pH 6.5 at 25-30 oC. Among the bio-agents screened, Trichoderma harzianum exhibited maximum inhibition in mycelial growth of 62.53 per cent that can be effectively used for the management of the disease.

Features of sociological analysis of religion in Russia during the imperial period of its history (continued)

The article deals with the features of sociological analysis of religion in Russia during the imperial period of its history. The national sociological tradition of studying religion as a socio-cultural phenomenon and a social institution, which was developed during this period, had its own unique and peculiar appearance and was just begun to revive again in post-Soviet Russia, contrasts with the tradition that took place in the West. In this context, the appeal to unfortunately undeservedly forgotten works of classics of Russian religious and socio-political though is very promising area of modern sociological research.When studying this problem, the author emphasizes the study of the works of representatives of three ideological areas of Russian religious and socio-political thought: conservatism, liberalism and socialism, as well as the peculiarities of the historical development of Russian society and the state and those events that had a significant impact on the formation and development of scientific understanding of religion in Russia. Among such features, the author, in particular, refers to the formation of an “antisystem” (systemic integrity of people who take a dim view of their homeland, hate their own nation, its values and culture, history, traditional religious, political and social systems) among the Russian intelligentsia, bureaucracy and part of the elite of Russian society, under a certain influence of Westernism, as a consequence of the spiritual schism of the 18th century, which occurred in the educated strata and elite of Russian society.When studying the features of understanding religious issues by representatives of Russian conservatism, the author of the article analyzes the views of N.Ya. Danilevsky, K.N. Leontiev, F.M. Dostoevsky, M.N. Katkov, K.P. Pobedonostsev, L.A. Tikhomirov. He notes the fact that judgment of this perspective was carried out by these authors from “Slavophile”, traditionalist (pochvennichesky and guarding) positions, in the context of judgment of features and an originality of a way of development of Russia as the center of east Christian (orthodox) culture and also empires successors of orthodox Byzantium – defenders Pravoslaviya, Orthodox church and belief, the orthodox people, values and the culture of Christianity “keeping” the world from approach of the evil and arrival of the power of Antichrist.

Evolutionary Conservation Genomics Reveals Recent Speciation and Local Adaptation in Threatened Takins.

Incorrect species delimitation will lead to inappropriate conservation decisions, especially for threatened species. The takin (Budorcas taxicolor) is a large artiodactyl endemic to the Himalayan–Hengduan–Qinling Mountains and is well known for its threatened status and peculiar appearance. However, the speciation, intraspecies taxonomy, evolutionary history, and adaptive evolution of this species still remain unclear, which greatly hampers its scientific conservation. Here, we de novo assembled a high-quality chromosome-level genome of takin and resequenced the genomes of 75 wild takins. Phylogenomics revealed that takin was positioned at the root of Caprinae. Population genomics based on the autosome, X chromosome, and Y chromosome SNPs and mitochondrial genomes consistently revealed the existence of two phylogenetic species and recent speciation in takins: the Himalayan takin (B. taxicolor) and the Chinese takin (B. tibetana), with the support of morphological evidence. Two genetically divergent subspecies were identified in both takin species, rejecting three previously proposed taxonomical viewpoints. Furthermore, their distribution boundaries were determined, suggesting that large rivers play important roles in shaping the genetic partition. Compared with the other subspecies, the Qinling subspecies presented the lowest genomic diversity, higher linkage disequilibrium, inbreeding, and genetic load, thus is in urgent need of genetic management and protection. Moreover, coat color gene (PMEL) variation may be responsible for the adaptive coat color difference between the two species following Gloger’s rule. Our findings provide novel insights into the recent speciation, local adaptation, scientific conservation of takins, and biogeography of the Himalaya–Hengduan biodiversity hotspot.

Features of sociological analysis of religion in Russia during the imperial period of its history (Continued)

The article deals with the features of sociological analysis of religion in Russia during the imperial period of its history. The national sociological tradition of studying religion as a socio-cultural phenomenon and a social institution, which was developed during this period, had its own unique and peculiar appearance and was just begun to revive again in post-Soviet Russia, contrasts with the tradition that took place in the West. In this context, the appeal to unfortunately undeservedly forgotten works of classics of Russian religious and socio-political though is very promising area of modern sociological research.When studying this problem, the author emphasizes the study of the works of representatives of three ideological areas of Russian religious and socio-political thought: conservatism, liberalism and socialism, as well as the peculiarities of the historical development of Russian society and the state and those events that had a significant impact on the formation and development of scientific understanding of religion in Russia. Among such features, the author, in particular, refers to the formation of an “antisystem” (systemic integrity of people who take a dim view of their homeland, hate their own nation, its values and culture, history, traditional religious, political and social systems) among the Russian intelligentsia, bureaucracy and part of the elite of Russian society, under a certain influence of Westernism, as a consequence of the spiritual schism of the 18th century, which occurred in the educated strata and elite of Russian society.When studying the features of understanding religious issues by representatives of Russian liberalism, the author of the article analyzes the views of representatives of both radical and moderate (classical) liberalism: M.M. Kovalevsky, N.I. Kareev, P.N. Milyukov, V.S. Solovyov, B.N. Chicherin, P.B. Struve. He notes that the understanding of this issue was carried out by these authors from a “Westernist” position. Liberal thinkers generally negatively assessed the religious situation, as well as state-confessional relations in imperial Russia. They proposed a number of reforms in this area and, in particular, spoke of the need to separate the church from the state.

Ventriculography for the study of TAKO-TSUBO Syndrome

Tako-Tsubo Cardiomyopathy (TTC) is an acute syndrome, identified in the early 1990s by Japanese researchers, which mimics an acute myocardial infarction. Cardiomyopathy is transient and begins with a clinical picture similar to that of an acute myocardial infarction. This pathology seems to be related to intense psychological and physical stress with a prevalence in the female sex (95%) in post-menopause. The term Tako-Tsubo means ‘octopus trap’ in Japanese: the left ventricle takes on a peculiar appearance in systole, similar to a narrow-necked amphora, morphologically identical to the vessel (tsubo) that Japanese fishermen use to catch octopuses (tako). The appearance of the left ventricle (tako-tsubo shape) is due to a ‘complete’ depletion of cardiac muscle activity (myocardial stunning), a kind of ‘stunning’ or paralysis of the middle and apical portions of the heart. Coronarography and ventriculography are an essential step in the diagnosis of TTC. The mere demonstration of a coronary tree free of angiographically significant stenosis is not sufficient for the diagnosis of TTC. The other key diagnostic element is, in fact, the demonstration of left ventricular hypokinesia or akinesia. Since left ventricular wall motility disorders change rapidly, ventriculography performed immediately after coronary examination is the gold standard examination to allow the characteristic appearance of the syndrome to be verified and, consequently, to distinguish it from an acute coronary syndrome with uninjured coronary arteries, thus avoiding a diagnostic error.

Ventriculography for the study of TAKO-TSUBO Syndrome

Tako-Tsubo Cardiomyopathy (TTC) is an acute syndrome, identified in the early 1990s by Japanese researchers, which mimics an acute myocardial infarction. Cardiomyopathy is transient and begins with a clinical picture similar to that of an acute myocardial infarction. This pathology seems to be related to intense psychological and physical stress with a prevalence in the female sex (95%) in post-menopause. The term Tako-Tsubo means 'octopus trap' in Japanese: the left ventricle takes on a peculiar appearance in systole, similar to a narrow-necked amphora, morphologically identical to the vessel (tsubo) that Japanese fishermen use to catch octopuses (tako). The appearance of the left ventricle (tako-tsubo shape) is due to a 'complete' depletion of cardiac muscle activity (myocardial stunning), a kind of 'stunning' or paralysis of the middle and apical portions of the heart. Coronarography and ventriculography are an essential step in the diagnosis of TTC. The mere demonstration of a coronary tree free of angiographically significant stenosis is not sufficient for the diagnosis of TTC. The other key diagnostic element is, in fact, the demonstration of left ventricular hypokinesia or akinesia. Since left ventricular wall motility disorders change rapidly, ventriculography performed immediately after coronary examination is the gold standard examination to allow the characteristic appearance of the syndrome to be verified and, consequently, to distinguish it from an acute coronary syndrome with uninjured coronary arteries, thus avoiding a diagnostic error.

Bronchocele, a common but underrecognized condition: a systematic review.

Bronchocele is an abnormal accumulation of mucus often with associated bronchial dilatation. It can be due to either increased production or impaired drainage of mucus in the airways. Diseases like chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, bronchiectasis are characterized by high mucus production and other atypical conditions are bronchorrhea and plastic bronchitis with different physical characteristics and compositions of mucus. Improper drainage can lead to bronchocele formation due to underlying benign, malignant tumours or bronchial stenosis. Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) has a peculiar appearance with high attenuated mucus (HAM) in imaging. Careful evaluation of bronchocele is needed as it can be associated with bronchial obstruction or rare causes like plastic bronchitis. Proper identification, evaluation for the underlying cause is key for not missing the underlying diagnosis and accurate treatment.

Malignant phyllodes tumor of the breast: a systematic review.

SummaryPhyllodes tumors (PT) are fibroepithelial neoplasms of the breast showing a peculiar leaf-like appearance. They account for 0.3 to 1% of all primary breast tumors and 2.5% of all fibroepithelial breast tumors. PT are classified into benign, borderline and malignant based upon their stromal morphology with a distribution of 60%, 20%, and 20%, respectively. Malignant PT of the breast constitute an uncommon challenging group of fibroepithelial neoplasms. They have a relatively high tendency to recur, although distant metastasis is uncommon, and nearly exclusive to malignant PT. Adequate surgical resection remains the standard approach to achieve maximal local control. Giant malignant PT are rare and a pose a diagnostic dilemma for pathologists, especially when comprised of sarcomatous elements. This review highlights the morphological features of PT detected in cytology and histology specimens and discusses diagnostic pitfalls and differential diagnosis.

Xiongnu-Xianbei layer in the Yakut Culture

The aim of the article is to systematize and conceptualize the similarities between the paleo-ethnographic culture of the Yakuts and the Xiongnu of Central Asia, and to assess the possible ways of their appearance and incorporation into the new environment. In addition to the published data on this topic, the main source for the preparation of this paper was authors’ field archaeological material, collected during many years of expeditions. Among the materials of the Yakut Culture, a group of objects, the origin of which is associated with the Xiongnu-Xianbei time, includes some motifs of the traditional Yakut ornament, as well as artifacts — fragments of a com-pound bow, whistling arrowheads, Wushu coins, burial structures, etc. The earliest finds of these types of articles come from the cultural layers of the settlement of Ulakhan Segelennyah on the Olekma River, dated to the period within 110 BC — 350 cal AD. It is believed that the Xiongnu-Xianbei community was formed at the end of the 2nd — beginning of the 3rd c. AD after the fall of the Xiongnu Empire under the blows of warlike Mongol-speaking Xian-bei. We conclude that in the Middle Ages the ancestors of the Yakuts had direct or indirect cultural ties with the Xiongnu. This could happen in the way of the resettlement of a small group of Xiongnu or Xiongnu-Xianbei to the north, or, more likely, it was the result of contacts between the Xiongnu or the ancestors of the Yakuts during their residence in the south of Siberia in the Early Middle Ages. The broadcasting of Xiongnu cultural traditions through the tribes of the Tashtyk Culture of the Minusinsk depression, with which, according to some researchers, the ancestors of the Yakuts once had active ethnic and cultural contacts, is also possible. In the Yakut Culture, the southern elements turned out to be in demand, as evidenced in particular by the funerary structures of the Yakuts in the Late Middle Ages. In the Lensky region, there was a further development of products of the indicated types, which led to the formation of a peculiar appearance of the traditional culture of the Yakuts.