Antifungal activity of bis-azasqualenes, inhibitors of oxidosqualene cyclase.

The antifungal activity and in vitro toxicity toward animal cells of two inhibitors of oxidosqualene cyclase, squalene bis-diethylamine (SBD) and squalene bis-diethylmethylammonium iodide (SBDI) were studied. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against dermatophytes and other fungi involved in cutaneous and systemic infections (12 isolates from seven species) were determined by the broth microdilution method based on the reference documents M38-A and M27-A2 of Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Both compounds exerted fungistatic activities, although with different action.

Bioremediation potential of basidiomycetes isolated from compost.

The potential of a consortium of three basidiomycete mycelia isolated from compost to degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) was first evaluated using a test based on decolorization of Poly R-478 dye. When pre-grown on straw, the consortium decolorized the dye by 83% in 7 days and generated a laccase activity of 663 IU l(-1). Its ability to degrade naphthalene was investigated in soil microcosms specially suited for this volatile PAH.

Biosorption of simulated dyed effluents by inactivated fungal biomasses.

Treatment of dyed effluents presents several problems mainly due to the toxicity and recalcitrance of dyestuffs. Innovative technologies, such as biosorption, are needed as alternatives to conventional methods to find inexpensive ways of removing dyes from large volumes of effluents. Inactivated biomasses do not require a continuous supply of nutrients and are not sensitive to the toxicity of dyes or toxic wastes.

Isolation and identification of fungal communities in compost and vermicompost.

This research illustrates the qualitative and quantitative composition of the mycoflora of both a green compost (thermophilically produced from plant debris) and a vermicompost (mesophilically produced by the action of earthworms on plant and animal wastes after thermophilic preconditioning). Fungi were isolated using three media (PDA, CMC, PDA plus cycloheximide), incubated at three temperatures (24, 37 and 45 C). Substantial qualiquantitative differences in the species composition of the two composts were observed.

Development and use of flow cytometry for detection of airborne fungi.

Traditional methods for the enumeration of airborne fungi are slow, tedious, and rather imprecise. In this study, the possibility of using flow cytometry (FCM) for the assessment of exposure to the fungus aerosol was evaluated. Epifluorescence microscopy direct counting was adopted as the standard for comparison.

Aerobiological analysis in a salami factory: a possible case of extrinsic allergic alveolitis by Penicillium camembertii.

A 39-year-old man was hospitalized with a history of fatigue, dyspnoea and low grade fever which seemed to be related to his working environment. The patient was employed in a salami factory, working near the area where the salami are seasoned with fungal inocula. Chest X-ray showed diffuse initial changes of reticulonodular pattern that disappeared after a brief course of steroids therapy.

Fungal biodiversity in the air of Turin.

The qualitative fungal composition of Turin's atmospheric environment was surveyed, carrying out a twelve-month study and collecting with a single stage volumetric sieve sampler on Dermasel agar supplemented with 0.4 g l-1 cycloheximide and 0.05 g l-1 chloramphenicol.

Dermatophytes from cases of skin disease in cats and dogs in Turin, Italy.

In urban environments, pet animals such as dogs and cats may be largely responsible for the progressive increase of zoophilic over anthropophilic dermatophytes in the aetiology of human dermatophytoses. Mapping, in each city, of the natural foci of zoophilic dermatophytes may thus be important for understanding the epidemiology of human dermatophytoses, and for planning preventive measures. We have surveyed dogs and cats suspected of carrying dermatophytic lesions in the Turin area.

[Comedocarcinoma: a tumor histotype to be reevaluated].

The authors report their experience with clinical mammography in the study of breast cancers, stressing the importance of comedocarcinoma, to date considered an histotype with low incidence (5%). Of late, however, a major increase has been observed in the incidence of this tumoral histotype (14%) which is now ranking second in the overall breast-cancer incidence rate. The diagnostic accuracy of mammography in our series of cases was approximately 85%.

[Craniometric findings in sickle-cell anemia].

Craniometric measurements have been taken on teleradiographs in lateral and antero-posterior projection of five patients suffering from sickle-cell anaemia. All were Sicilian. The investigations revealed a proportional dysharmony among the various segments of the face, the results of excessive development of the mandibular bone, particularly transversally.