Fungal Planet description sheets: 1383-1435.

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Australia, Agaricus albofoetidus, Agaricus aureoelephanti and Agaricus parviumbrus on soil, Fusarium ramsdenii from stem cankers of Araucaria cunninghamii, Keissleriella sporoboli from stem of Sporobolus natalensis, Leptosphaerulina queenslandica and Pestalotiopsis chiaroscuro from leaves of Sporobolus natalensis, Serendipita petricolae as endophyte from roots of Eriochilus petricola, Stagonospora tauntonensis from stem of Sporobolus natalensis, Teratosphaeria carnegiei from leaves of Eucalyptus grandis × E. camaldulensis and Wongia ficherai from roots of Eragrostis curvula. Canada, Lulworthia fundyensis from intertidal wood and Newbrunswickomyces abietophilus (incl. Newbrunswickomyces gen. nov.) on buds of Abies balsamea. Czech Republic, Geosmithia funiculosa from a bark beetle gallery on Ulmus minor and Neoherpotrichiella juglandicola (incl. Neoherpotrichiella gen. nov.) from wood of Juglans regia. France, Aspergillus rouenensis and Neoacrodontium gallica (incl. Neoacrodontium gen. nov.) from bore dust of Xestobium rufovillosum feeding on Quercus wood, Endoradiciella communis (incl. Endoradiciella gen. nov.) endophytic in roots of Microthlaspi perfoliatum and Entoloma simulans on soil. India, Amanita konajensis on soil and Keithomyces indicus from soil. Israel, Microascus rothbergiorum from Stylophora pistillata. Italy, Calonarius ligusticus on soil. Netherlands, Appendopyricularia juncicola (incl. Appendopyricularia gen. nov.), Eriospora juncicola and Tetraploa juncicola on dead culms of Juncus effusus, Gonatophragmium physciae on Physcia caesia and Paracosmospora physciae (incl. Paracosmospora gen. nov.) on Physcia tenella, Myrmecridium phragmitigenum on dead culm of Phragmites australis, Neochalara lolae on stems of Pteridium aquilinum, Niesslia nieuwwulvenica on dead culm of undetermined Poaceae, Nothodevriesia narthecii (incl. Nothodevriesia gen. nov.) on dead leaves of Narthecium ossifragum and Parastenospora pini (incl. Parastenospora gen. nov.) on dead twigs of Pinus sylvestris. Norway, Verticillium bjoernoeyanum from sand grains attached to a piece of driftwood on a sandy beach. Portugal, Collybiopsis cimrmanii on the base of living Quercus ilex and amongst dead leaves of Laurus and herbs. South Africa, Paraproliferophorum hyphaenes (incl. Paraproliferophorum gen. nov.) on living leaves of Hyphaene sp. and Saccothecium widdringtoniae on twigs of Widdringtonia wallichii. Spain, Cortinarius dryosalor on soil, Cyphellophora endoradicis endophytic in roots of Microthlaspi perfoliatum, Geoglossum lauri-silvae on soil, Leptographium gemmatum from fluvial sediments, Physalacria auricularioides from a dead twig of Castanea sativa, Terfezia bertae and Tuber davidlopezii in soil. Sweden, Alpova larskersii, Inocybe alpestris and Inocybe boreogodeyi on soil. Thailand, Russula banwatchanensis, Russula purpureoviridis and Russula lilacina on soil. Ukraine, Nectriella adonidis on overwintered stems of Adonis vernalis. USA, Microcyclus jacquiniae from living leaves of Jacquinia keyensis and Penicillium neoherquei from a minute mushroom sporocarp. Morphological and culture characteristics are supported by DNA barcodes. Citation: Crous PW, Boers J, Holdom D, et al. 2022. Fungal Planet description sheets: 1383-1435. Persoonia 48: 261-371. https://doi.org/10.3767/persoonia.2022.48.08.

Illness perception and health-related quality of life in multiple sclerosis.

AIMS - A number of physical and psychological factors have been shown to affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Among these, the role of illness perceptions has not been established as an independent factor. This study, the first of its kind in an Australian population, aimed to use a large sample to determine the relative importance of individual factors to each domain of HRQoL, in particular the role of illness perception. MATERIALS AND METHODS - 580 patients with confirmed MS were assessed cross sectionally in a designated research clinic to determine the relative impact of physical factors (illness severity, duration, age, fatigue and pain) and psychological factors (mood, cognition and illness representations) on each domain of the SF-36. RESULTS - Categorical regression analysis showed that a combination of physical and psychological factors predicted 38-71% of variance in HRQoL. Illness perception was shown to have an independent effect on HRQoL in MS. The Extended Disability Status Scale was a significant determinant in all domains except for mental health. Depression was less prevalent than anxiety, but had a greater effect on function. CONCLUSION - Illness perception is an independent factor contributing to HRQoL in people with MS. Individual domains of HRQoL are associated with different patterns of physical and psychological factors. In the domains of role and social function, activities most highly valued by patients with MS, depression, anxiety, fatigue and illness perceptions are key determinants, all of which have the potential to be improved through specific interventions.

In vivo and in vitro evaluation of the heparin management test versus the activated coagulation time for monitoring anticoagulation level in aprotinin-treated patients during cardiac surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Monitoring whole blood anticoagulation therapy with the activated coagulation time (kaolin ACT) and the heparin management test (HMT) were correlated in vivo with the plasma anti-activated factor X (anti-Xa) heparin concentration in patients who received variable doses of aprotinin and in vitro in the presence of increasing concentrations of aprotinin. METHODS: In 38 elective cardiac surgical patients who received an average heparin dose of 400 IU/kg and an average total aprotinin dose of 3.6 10(6) kallikrein-inhibiting units (KIU), ACT and HMT were measured in duplicate 6 times intraoperatively at predetermined intervals. Blood samples at each interval were also assayed for the anti-Xa plasma heparin concentration with the IL Test heparin chromogenic assay. The influence of increasing concentrations of aprotinin on HMT and ACT was also measured in vitro by using blood samples containing 6 IU/mL heparin from 6 additional patients after adding specific aliquots of aprotinin to achieve concentrations of 50, 100, 200, and 300 KIU/mL aprotinin. Linear regression analysis was used to compare HMT and ACT against anti-Xa. A P level <.05 was required for statistical significance. RESULTS: Duplicate measurements were taken at all intervals, and HMT and ACT values were significantly correlated, both with each other (r = 0.86; P < .01) and with anti-Xa activity (HMT, r = 0.81 [P < .01]; ACT, r = 0.71 [P < .01]). Aprotinin prolonged both the kaolin ACT and the HMT time in a dose-dependent manner (P < .05), and its influence was significantly less in vivo on the HMT time than on the kaolin ACT (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The abilities of the HMT and the kaolin ACT to measure anticoagulation effects were not significantly different. Aprotinin prolonged both the kaolin ACT and the HMT time in a dose-dependent manner, but the HMT was significantly less affected by aprotinin in vivo. The HMT is a reliable alternative to measuring the ACT in cardiac operations and may offer greater accuracy in aprotinin-treated patients.

Genetic and functional analyses of FH mutations in multiple cutaneous and uterine leiomyomatosis, hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cancer, and fumarate hydratase deficiency.

Germline mutations of the fumarate hydratase (FH, fumarase) gene are found in the recessive FH deficiency syndrome and in dominantly inherited susceptibility to multiple cutaneous and uterine leiomyomatosis (MCUL). We have previously reported a number of germline FH mutations from MCUL patients. In this study, we report additional FH mutations in MCUL and FH deficiency patients. Mutations can readily be found in about 75% of MCUL cases and most cases of FH deficiency. Some of the more common FH mutations are probably derived from founding individuals. Protein-truncating FH mutations are functionally null alleles. Disease-associated missense FH changes map to highly conserved residues, mostly in or around the enzyme's active site or activation site; we predict that these mutations severely compromise enzyme function. The mutation spectra in FH deficiency and MCUL are similar, although in the latter mutations tend to occur earlier in the gene and, perhaps, are more likely to result in a truncated or absent protein. We have found that not all mutation-carrier parents of FH deficiency children have a strong predisposition to leiomyomata. We have confirmed that renal carcinoma is sometimes part of MCUL, as part of the variant hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cancer (HLRCC) syndrome, and have shown that these cancers may have either type II papillary or collecting duct morphology. We have found no association between the type or site of FH mutation and any aspect of the MCUL phenotype. Biochemical assay for reduced FH functional activity in the germline of MCUL patients can indicate carriers of FH mutations with high sensitivity and specificity, and can detect reduced FH activity in some patients without detectable FH mutations. We conclude that MCUL is probably a genetically homogeneous tumour predisposition syndrome, primarily resulting from absent or severely reduced fumarase activity, with currently unknown functional consequences for the smooth muscle or kidney cell.

Criminal harassment by patients with mental disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether there is a subgroup of persons with mental disorders who engage in criminal harassment and to determine whether substance abuse is a cofactor in this behaviour. METHOD: A cross-sectional casenote study was used to examine incidents of harassment by patients prior to admission to acute and forensic wards (n = 106) at a provincial psychiatric hospital. RESULTS: Of 106 patients, 8 (7.5%) were found to have engaged in behaviour defined as criminal harassment prior to admission. Only 1 was charged under Section 264 of the Criminal Code. Alcohol was a cofactor in only 1 case. CONCLUSIONS: The number of persons with a mental disorder who engage in criminal harassment prior to admission is relatively small. The behaviour is not usually identified at any stage of the admission as criminal harassment. Although substance-abuse problems were prevalent, substance use was not a concomitant risk factor for behaviour defined as criminal harassment.

Who uses bibliotherapy and why? A survey from an underserviced area.

OBJECTIVE: To assess which mental health therapists use bibliotherapy, their reasons for doing so, and rationale for recommending specific titles. To review the book selected most often in several categories, using prepublished criteria for reviewers of self-help books. METHOD: We sent a survey to all therapists in a Northern Ontario community requesting information on therapist demographics, the respondent's practice, the use of bibliotherapy, and details of the book most often prescribed in various categories. RESULTS: Of 112 surveys, 62 were returned, for a response rate of 55%. Sixty-eight percent of respondents indicated that they used bibliotherapy. The most common reason for recommending books was to encourage self-help. There was a significant relation between greater counselling experience and increased use of bibliotherapy. Three of the 5 books reviewed were based on empirical theory; only 1 met all the guidelines. CONCLUSION: Most therapists recommend books to their clients, but there is little empirical evidence of efficacy. Counsellors should review the books recommended and discuss them with the client. Client opinion should be solicited and effectiveness measured.

Beating heart surgery: why expect less central nervous system morbidity?

BACKGROUND: The incidence and etiology of brain dysfunction after conventional coronary artery bypass surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) are reviewed. METHODS: Stroke rates and incidences of cognitive dysfunction from various studies are considered. Mechanisms of injury including cerebral embolization as detected by transcranial Doppler and retinal angiography, and imaging-based evidence for postoperative cerebral edema, are discussed. Preliminary results from a prospective clinical trial assessing cognitive dysfunction after beating heart versus conventional coronary artery bypass with CPB are discussed. RESULTS: Initial evidence for lower overall postoperative morbidity, and for a lower incidence of cognitive dysfunction specifically, after nonpump coronary revascularization is presented. CONCLUSIONS: Beating heart surgery results in less potential for generation of cerebral emboli and appears to produce a lower incidence of cognitive dysfunction in both short- and intermediate-term postoperative follow-up periods as compared with conventional coronary artery bypass surgery using CPB.

Do QEEG topographic map data have a multivariate normal distribution? Implications for tests of individual maps.

The study was designed to test whether topographic map data expressed in log power units have a multivariate normal (MVN) distribution in a healthy population, and to determine if any deviation from normality poses serious difficulties for the use of standard multivariate statistical tests in assessing the significance of deformations of the map in individual cases. Data on 361 healthy adults using 20 electrodes in the classic 10/20 configuration were recorded in six frequency bands. The log-transformed power data were shown to deviate markedly from MVN. The actual distributions of multivariate tests were computed for the sample using the 'jackknife' method, and shown to deviate markedly from the F-distributions that would be expected for MVN data. These 'jackknife' sampling distributions were then used to demonstrate significant deformations in the topographic maps of a patient who had sustained traumatic head injury.

Who applies to regional review boards and what are the outcomes?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the outcomes for patients following applications to regional review boards at an Ontario provincial psychiatric hospital for 1992 through 1994. METHOD: A retrospective casenote study examined frequency of readmission, time to next admission, status upon readmission, and episodes of dangerous behaviour perpetrated in the community for patients applying to review boards. RESULTS: Over 3 years, 116 hearings took place to review various certificates. Only 57% of applications reached a hearing. Of those, 69% were confirmed and 31% rescinded. A small group of patients made multiple applications to the review board. Median time to next admission for patients who had certificates of involuntary admission rescinded by the review board was 14 days, compared with 53 days for those who remained in hospital until the time of planned discharge. CONCLUSION: Review boards consume considerable resources, serve only a small proportion of patients, and contribute to the "revolving door" phenomenon.

Relationships between subjective and objective assessments of stress at slaughter and meat quality in pigs.

A study was carried out to relate subjective and objective measures of stress at slaughter and meat quality in pigs. Thirteen slaughter plants were visited. The systems used for handling the pigs pre-slaughter and the levels of stress experienced by the animals were subjectively assessed. The sound level immediately before stunning was also measured. Generally, systems that were rated as being most stressful also produced higher levels of sound, probably because of the vocalisations of the pigs. As the size of plant increased, there was a tendency for the level of stress, and the recorded sound level, to increase. This appeared to be because larger plants operated faster and were more likely to use restraining conveyors supplied by races to handle the animals before stunning. The restraint associated with these seems stressful to pigs. Five plants were selected for further study. Two had been assessed as having handling systems that produced a low level of stress in the pigs, one as having a system producing a medium level, and two as having poor systems producing high levels of stress. Blood samples were collected at exsanguination, and meat quality was assessed. As the level of subjectively assessed stress experienced by the pigs increased, so did the average blood levels of lactate and creatine phosphokinase (CPK). There was also a progressive increase in the potential incidence of pale, soft, exudative (PSE) and dark, firm, dry (DFD) meat in the plants using more stressful handling systems. Additionally, there were positive relationships between sound level and lactate and CPK, and sound level and indices of poorer meat quality. Cortisol concentrations were not different in pigs killed in the different systems and probably reflect events earlier in the handling process, such as in transport and lairage, rather than the stress experienced immediately before stunning. The overall conclusion was that subjective assessments of the stress suffered by pigs correlate well with objective measures and that higher stress levels are associated with poorer meat quality.

Scleroderma and autoimmune thrombocytopenia associated with ingestion of L-tryptophan.

We report the occurrence of scleroderma and autoimmune thrombocytopenia in a patient who took L-tryptophan as a muscle-building adjuvant. This is the first time such an association has been reported.

Onycholysis in a case of atopic eczema treated with PUVA photochemotherapy.

Onycholysis following the ingestion of psoralens and subsequent exposure to natural sunlight has been reported on several occasions and was first reported following photochemotherapy in 1978 by Ortonne and Baran from France and in 1979 by Mackie from Scotland. Mackie commented that she hoped to stimulate further reports of onycholysis induced by PUVA photochemotherapy in order to establish whether or not it was a definite complication of such treatment. Since then, there has been a dearth of similar reports. We describe a patient with severe atopic eczema and alopecia totalis who developed onycholysis of all finger nails and a toe nail during PUVA photochemotherapy.

Use of the Tecpro Pork Quality Meter for assessing meat quality on the slaughterline.

Conductivity measurements made with the Tecpro Pork Quality Meter at either 45 min or about 20 h post mortem on 224 pig cacassees which exhibited a wide range of raw meat quality were moderately correlated with initial pH (pH(45); r = 0.54 and 0.62) but less well correlated with reflectance (r = 0.32 and 0.37), drip loss (r = 0.34 and 0.47 and other objective measures of meat quality in the M. Longissimus dorsi. Measurements did not allow differentiation between normal and dark, firm, dry (DFD) meat but were of some value in identifying carcasses producing potentially pole, soft, exudative (PSE) meat. In the UK they would be more useful for monitoring meat quality in large groups or populations of pigs, than for categorising individual carcasses for grading on technological purposes.

Variation in haem pigment concentration and colour in meat from British pigs.

Variation in chemically determined total haem pigment concentration and instrumentally determined colour was examined in 223 samples of M. longissimus dorsi (LD) representative of the majority of slaughter pigs currently produced in the UK. Whether pigs were sired by White (Large White or Landrace) or Meat-line boars did not affect any measured characteristic but source breeding company influenced total haem pigment concentration (P < 0·01). Haem pigment concentration was higher in muscles from gilts, compared with castrates, boars being intermediate. Gilts also had darker muscles, based on EEL Reflectance values (P < 0·05), and lower hue values (P < 0·05). When compared with animals fed ad-libitum, restricted-fed pigs had higher concentrations of muscle haem pigment (P < 0·001) and this resulted in meat that was slightly darker (P < 0·05), despite having lower ultimate pH (pHu) (P < 0·05), and had a lower hue value (P < 0·001). Measurements of reflectance, total soluble protein and pHu indicated that differences in the incidence of potentially pale, soft, exudative or dark, firm, dry muscle were unlikely to be important contributors to variation in the colour of the meat in this study.

Evaluation of lean meat quality in pigs using two electronic probes.

The Danish Fat-O-Meater grading probe (FOM) and the Fibre Optic Probe (FOP) developed at IFR, Bristol, were evaluated for their potential ability to predict lean meat quality in a sample of 76 pig carcasses showing a wide range of quality in the M. longissimus dorsi. When probings were made after chilling at about 20 h post mortem the correlations between probe value (FOP(u) and FOM(u)) and reflectance (EEL value), drip loss during storage and subjective assessment score for colour-structure were high (FOP(u) and reflectance, r = 0·89; drip loss, r = 0·78; subjective assessment, r = 0·90. FOM(u) and reflectance, r = 0·88; drip loss, r = 0·73; subjective assessment r = 0·81). Nevertheless, probe values could not be used to unambiguously group samples into normal, pale, soft, exudative (PSE) or dark, firm, dry (DFD) classes. Correlations between probe values at 45 min post mortem and measures of ultimate meat quality were much lower. Neither probe could potentially differentiate between normal and DFD meat at this time and differentiation between normal and PSE meat was also poorer.