Thermotolerant mycobiota of Israeli soils

Composition of thermotolerant mycobiota in the soil of Israeli deserts and northern territories was examined in spatiotemporal dynamics. A total of 165 species from 82 genera were isolated at 37 °C using the soil dilution plate method. Aspergilli (Aspergillus fumigatus and A. niger) and teleomorphic ascomycetes (Canariomyces notabilis, Chaetomium nigricolor, and Ch. strumarium) comprised the basic part of the thermotolerant communities. The desert communities remarkably differed from the northern communities by a much higher abundance of A. fumigatus and teleomorphic species, as well as by a lower abundance of A. niger and Rhizopus arrhyzus. Seasonal dynamics revealed for the southern Negev was expressed mainly in the variations of species richness (substantially lower in the winter), and abundances of A. fumigatus (dominant in the summer) and A. niger (dominant in the winter). The composition of thermotolerant mycobiota was almost entirely different from the composition of mesophilic mycobiota at 25 °C. Melanin‐containing fungi with many‐celled conidia that dominated mesophilic communities in the deserts did not grow at 37 °C, while prevailing aspergilli accompanied by teleomorphic species with perithecial fruit bodies were apparently able not only to survive but also to germinate at this temperature and be active during a long hot period in the desert.     

Therapeutic Alliance: What Can be Learned from Case Studies?

Two different video-taped short-term psychotherapies were rated on therapeutic alliance for 27 sessions. The ratings were based on two methods: the Penn Helping Alliance Scales (Penn-HAS) and the Therapeutic Alliance Rating Scale (TARS). Both scales provide separate scores for the therapist and the patient. After checking the reliabilities of the ratings, the strength and course of the alliance formation are compared within and across therapies. Furthermore it was hypothesized that the alliance is structured differently in the two therapies. This hypothesis is tested by making content-specific item comparisons across the therapies for the Penn-HAS and by a comparison of the factor structure over time (factor analytic P-technique) for the TARS.     

Ectopic and supernumerary parathyroid glands in patients with refractory renal hyperparathyroidism

BackgroundThe aims of this study were to determine the rate of ectopic and supernumerary parathyroid glands and the outcome of surgical therapy in patients with refractory renal hyperparathyroidism.Materials and MethodsA retrospective review of all patients who underwent parathyroidectomy for refractory renal hyperparathyroidism was completed. Operative and pathology reports were reviewed, and the number and location of resected parathyroid glands, patient outcomes, and follow-up were determined.ResultsDuring the period 1993–2019, a total of 68 patients underwent subtotal or total parathyroidectomy for renal hyperparathyroidism. Of those, 59 patients (87%) were on dialysis for an average of 6.7 years. We determined that 18 patients (26%) had 24 ectopic parathyroid glands, including 9 (13%) patients with 11 supernumerary glands. A total of 2 patients had a supernumerary gland in a normal anatomic location. Of the 24 ectopic glands, 14 (58%) were in the thymus. After parathyroidectomy, 4 patients (5.9%) had persistent hyperparathyroidism, 6 patients (8.8%) developed recurrent hyperparathyroidism, and 2 patients (3%) had permanent hypoparathyroidism.ConclusionEctopic and supernumerary parathyroid glands occurred in 26% and 16% of patients with renal hyperparathyroidism, respectively, and the thymus was the most common location. Thorough neck exploration and transcervical thymectomy are important to help reduce persistent and recurrent hyperparathyroidism after parathyroidectomy for renal hyperparathyroidism.     

Accuracy of direct examination and culture as compared to the anatomopathological examination for the diagnosis of chromoblastomycosis: a systematic review

BackgroundChromoblastomycosis is a skin infection caused by dematiaceous fungi that take the form of muriform cells in the tissue. It mainly manifests as verrucous plaques on the lower limbs of rural workers in tropical countries.ObjectivesThe primary objective of this review is to evaluate the accuracy of diagnostic methods for the identification of chromoblastomycosis, considering the histopathological examination as the reference test.MethodsMEDLINE, LILACS and Scielo databases were consulted using the terms “chromoblastomycosis” AND “diagnosis”. The eligibility criteria were: studies that evaluated the accuracy of tests for the diagnosis of chromoblastomycosis. Eleven studies were selected. Statistical analysis included the calculation of sensitivity and specificity of the diagnostic methods.ResultsConsidering the histopathological examination as the reference test, the culture showed a sensitivity (S) of 37.5% - 90.9% and a specificity (Sp) of 100%; while direct mycological examination showed S = 50% - 91.6% and Sp of 100% . Considering the culture as the reference test, the serology (precipitation techniques) showed S of 36% - 99%; and Sp of 80% - 100%; while the intradermal test showed S of 83.3% - 100% and Sp of 99.4% - 100%.Study limitationsThe small number of studies and very discrepant sensitivity results among them do not allow the calculation of summary measures through a meta-analysis.ConclusionsDirect mycological examination, culture, intradermal test and serology show sensitivity and specificity values ??for the diagnosis of chromoblastomycosis with no significant difference between the studies.     

Usefulness of the Aesthetic Result as a Success Criterion for Implant Therapy: A Review

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to review the reported evaluation criteria of the aesthetic result in oral implant rehabilitation. Materials and Methods: A literature search of MEDLINE, the Cochrane Collaboration, and EMBASE was performed to retrieve studies published between January 1990 and December 2008 using the following key words: “dental implants,”“clinical trial,” and “aesthetic index” (and their synonyms). A manual search of the literature published in the same period was also carried out using the following publications: Clinical Oral Implant Research, The International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants, and The International Journal of Periodontics and Restorative Dentistry. The inclusion criteria of the published studies were the following: human clinical trial, oral implant rehabilitation, at least 10 implants, at least 6 months of follow‐up from insertion of the prosthesis, and evaluation of the aesthetic result by means of an index. Results: The literature search revealed 650 relevant bibliographic references, of which 89 were selected for further analysis. A final total of 29 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria; these included 10 retrospective case series, 11 prospective case series, 1 retrospective controlled clinical trial, 1 prospective controlled clinical trial, and 6 randomized controlled clinical trials. In general, evaluations of aesthetic results appear only in the more recent studies and refer mostly to implant rehabilitation in the maxillary anterior zone; the index used, in most cases, was the Papilla Index of Jemt. Conclusions: Although there appears to be a growing interest in aesthetics in dental implantology, there are as yet no universally accepted evaluation criteria of the aesthetic result. Therefore, further research is necessary to establish a common, complete, and reproducible index for the evaluation of aesthetic outcome that can add in the success criteria for implant therapy in the maxillary and mandibular anterior areas.