Identification by MALDI-TOF MS of Sporothrix brasiliensis isolated from a subconjunctival infiltrative lesion in an immunocompetent patient

Sporotrichosis is a globally distributed subcutaneous fungal infection caused by dimorphic fungi belonging to the Sporothrix species complex that affects the skin of limbs predominantly, but not exclusively. A rare case of ocular sporotrichosis in an immunocompetent Brazilian patient from the countryside of Rio de Janeiro State is reported. A 68-year-old woman presented with a subconjunctival infiltrative lesion in the right eye with pre-auricular lymphadenopathy of onset 4 months ago that evolved to suppurative nodular lesions on the eyelids. Conjunctival secretion was evaluated by histopathological examination and inoculated on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA). Histopathology showed oval bodies within giant cells and other mononucleated histiocytes. Fungus grown on SDA was identified as Sporothrix sp. by morphological observations. The isolated strain was finally identified by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) associated with an in-house database enriched with reference Sporothrix complex spectra. The strain presented a MALDI spectrum with the ion peaks of the molecular mass profile of S. brasiliensis. The patient was adequately treated with amphotericin B subsequently replaced by itraconazole. Due to scars left by the suppurative process, the patient presented poor final visual acuity. The present work presents an overview of ocular sporotrichosis and discusses the diagnostic difficulty that can lead to visual sequelae in these cases.Financial support for this work by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Rio de Janeiro [FAPERJ] (Grants: INST E-26/010.001784/2016; JCNE E-26/203.301/2017), by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico [CNPq] (Grant Proc. 409227/2016-1). This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil (CAPES). MALDI-TOF MS analyses were partially developed using equipment funded by CONICYT/Chile through the project Fondequip EQM160054 2016. The Universidad de La Frontera (Temuco, Chile) partially funded this work through the Project DIUFRO PIA19-0001. Furthermore, this study was also supported by FCT under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2019 unit and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 - Programa Operacional Regional do Norte.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Leisure, Popular Culture and Memory: The Invention of Dark Age Britain, Wales, England, and Middle-earth in the songs of Led Zeppelin

In the period of high modernity, and in the process of establishing the imperial nation-state of Great Britain, historians, archaeologists and enthusiastic amateurs searched high and low for material evidence and primary sources from what was called the Dark Ages. There is a gap in knowledge about this past, and all discussion rests on finding meaning in fading inscriptions, or dark earth, or trusting completely the writings of Bede and Gildas. The search for an identity and history for the nation for Great Britain was based on nationalist beliefs about Englishness, Britishness or Welshness. In the twentieth-century, the problem of Englishness, place and myth led Tolkien to write his Middle-earth stories in his leisure time. At the same time, the problem of Welshness or Britishness saw a growth in interest – in film and books - in Arthurian traditions, and a tourist interest in the Celtic fringe of Britain. In this paper, I show how the songs and album covers of Led Zeppelin, and their film The Song Remains the Same, draw upon both the work of Tolkien and the Arthurian traditions to construct ideas of masculine belonging in some mythological medieval time and place. While this constriction is idiosyncratic to the artists, they are drawing on and justifying the wider problem of England, Wales and Britain in leisure and culture

Determination of acoustic parameters of devices with extensive sound sources

In most cases, while the sound power level of machines and devices is determined, it is assumed that tested objects are sound sources which can fit in a so-called reference box. Such an approach takes into account the influence of local sources. Although it does not allow their localization, separate noise measurement and evaluation. There are devices which have two or more relevant sound sources. In this paper this type of devices has been defined as devices with extensive sound sources (DESS). The tested device is a functional unit but its local sound sources are distant from each other. The results showed that determining the sound power level only is not sufficient for proper parameterization of noise emitted by DESS

The influence of supply options of an asynchronous electric motor on emitted noise

A comparison of the noise emitted by an asynchronous electric motor for various supply options has been presented in this paper. The star connection, one phase connection (with a run capacitor) and the use of an inverter have been taken under consideration. The test results show the effect of supply options of the electric motor on the sound power level, the shape of the noise spectra and directivity changes of the sound emitted by the tested asynchronous electric motor

The influence of the lubrication on the vibroacoustic signal generated by rolling bearings

Long-life and failure-free operation of rolling bearings depends on the proper lubrication. Additionally lubrication reduces vibration and noise generated by the operating bearing. However, from the point of view of the post-production diagnostics, lubrication can lead to undesirable masking of damage and manufacturing defects. This article presents the comparison of parameters of vibroacoustic signals generated by tapered roller bearings under different lubrication conditions. The influence of the lubricant on the form of vibroacoustic signals in both amplitude and frequency terms was determined. The premises on the choice of the lubricant for the post-production diagnostics of rolling bearings have also been specified

Epoxy composites reinforced basalt fiber

W pracy przedstawiono wyniki badań właściwości mechanicznych i termomechanicznych kompozytów epoksydowych wzmacnianych włóknem bazaltowym. Wykonano kompozyty warstwowe na osnowie żywicy epoksydowej Epidian 6, utwardzanej trietylenotetraaminą i modyfikowanej metalosilsekwioksanem. Ponadto porównano właściwości mechaniczne i termomechaniczne kompozytów wzmacnianych tkaniną bazaltową z właściwościami kompozytów wzmacnianych tkaniną szklaną.The results of mechanical and thermomechanical properties of epoxy composites with basalt fiber were presented in this paper. The composites were prepared from the epoxy resin Epidian 6 mixed with amine curing agent and metalsilsesqioxane. The properties of the composites with basalt woven fabric were compared to the properties of the composites with glass woven fabric

Investigation on a flowrate measuring system using light fibre fluorometers

SIGLETIB: RN 7077(97) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman