FRACTIONATION OF MAMMALIAN LIVER CELLS BY DIFFERENTIAL CENTRIFUGATION : II. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES AND RESULTS

1. A method is described whereby the major components of liver suspensions are segregated according to size into three main fractions: (a) a large granule fraction composed of elements approximately 0.5 to 2 µ in diameter; (b) a microsome fraction composed of submicroscopic elements approximately 80 to 150 mµ in diameter; and, (c) a supernate fraction containing the soluble components of the extract. 2. The nature and origin of the constituents of liver extract is discussed. The large granule fraction is deemed to consist mostly of mitochondria and liver secretory granules, whereas the microsome fraction corresponds to the chromophilic ground substance of the hepatic cell. Phosphorus distribution in the supernate fraction, and ultraviolet absorption of the solution suggests that practically all the ribose nucleoproteins of liver extract are sedimentable, and occur in association with the large granules and microsomes. 3. The method of fractionation of liver suspension by differential centrifugation is being used as a means to investigate the chemical constitution of the morphological constituents of cytoplasm, and the distribution of biochemical activities in the cytoplasm of the hepatic cell. 4. The method of differential centrifugation is found to be applicable not only to the fractionation of cells but also, with the aid of auxiliary techniques, to the fractionation of much smaller elements, such as mitochondria.     

VIABLE LEISHMANIA DONOVANI IN NASAL AND ORAL SECRETIONS OF PATIENTS WITH KALA-AZAR AND THE BEARING OF THIS FINDING ON THE TRANSMISSION OF THE DISEASE

1. Smears from the nasal cavities of fifteen patients suffering from kala-azar have been examined and in nine of these typical Leishman-Donovan bodies have been found. 2. Smears from the surface of the tonsil and from the saliva in one of the above nine cases showed the presence of leishmania. The tonsils of this patient, who died as the result of kala-azar and secondary infection, at autopsy were shown to be massively infected with Leishman-Donovan bodies. 3. Leishmania in the nasal discharge of two patients were shown by inoculation into susceptible animals to be viable and capable of producing infection. Sufficient time has not elapsed to determine the viability of the organisms from the remaining cases. 4. These experiments show for the first time that a rich source of infective material from a large proportion of patients with kala-azar is available for direct transmission of the disease. 5. Strong evidence is presented as a basis for the concept that one of the natural modes, perhaps the most important natural mode, of transmission of kala-azar is from person to person by way of the upper respiratory and alimentary tracts. 6. Two normal human volunteers and numerous normal experimental animals have been inoculated into the nasal and oral cavities with the nasal discharge, known to contain leishmania, from patients with kala-azar. The results of these experiments will be reported at a subsequent date.     

Unraveling the Phase Stability and Physical Property of Modulated Martensite in Ni2Mn1.5In0.5 Alloys by First-Principles Calculations

Large magnetic field-induced strains can be achieved in modulated martensite for Ni-Mn-In alloys; however, the metastability of the modulated martensite imposes serious constraints on the ability of these alloys to serve as promising sensor and actuator materials. The phase stability, magnetic properties, and electronic structure of the modulated martensite in the Ni₂Mn_1.5In_0.5 alloy are systematically investigated. Results show that the 6M and 5M martensites are metastable and will eventually transform to the NM martensite with the lowest total energy in the Ni₂Mn_1.5In_0.5 alloy. The physical properties of the incommensurate 7M modulated martensite (7M–IC) and nanotwinned 7M martensite (7M−(52¯)2) are also calculated. The austenite (A) and 7M−(52¯)2 phases are ferromagnetic (FM), whereas the 5M, 6M, and NM martensites are ferrimagnetic (FIM), and the FM coexists with the FIM state in the 7M–IC martensite. The calculated electronic structure demonstrates that the splitting of Jahn–Teller effect and the strong Ni–Mn bonding interaction lead to the enhancement of structural stability.     

Label-free,non-invasive,and repeatable cell viability bioassay using dynamic full-field optical coherence microscopy and supervised machine learning

We present a novel method that can assay cellular viability in real-time using supervised machine learning and intracellular dynamic activity data that is acquired in a label-free, non-invasive, and non-destructive manner. Cell viability can be an indicator for cytology, treatment, and diagnosis of diseases. We applied four supervised machine learning models on the observed data and compared the results with a trypan blue assay. The cell death assay performance by the four supervised models had a balanced accuracy of 93.92 ± 0.86%. Unlike staining techniques, where criteria for determining viability of cells is unclear, cell viability assessment using machine learning could be clearly quantified.     

Validation of the Italian Version of the SARC-F Questionnaire to Assess Sarcopenia in Older Adults

Background: SARC-F is a simple sarcopenia screening tool. This study aimed to examine the validity of the Italian version of SARC-F. Methods: A total of 97 elderly individuals (37/60 males/females, 65 years and older) who met the study’s selection criteria were included. SARC-F was translated into the Italian language in a culturally responsive manner. The total score was calculated by adding the scores on the five items. The participants were divided into two groups according to the total score (SARC-F < 4 vs. SARC-F ≥ 4), and their associations with various factors (handgrip test, chair stand test, and Skeletal Muscle Index assessed by DXA) have been examined by gender. In addition, the tool’s validity was analyzed by comparing it with different international working group diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia. Results: The total prevalence of sarcopenia according to the SARC-F was 14.2% and, specifically, 12.8% among men and 14.3% in women. The sensitivity of the SARC-F was (male (M): 11–50% and female (F): 22–36%) medium-low compared with the European, international, and Asian criteria of sarcopenia; however, SARC-F showed a high specificity (M: 77.3–100% and F: 79.5–100%) and a moderate Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of (0.669 (CI95%: 0.358–0.830). The participants in the SARC-F ≥ 4 group had poorer handgrip for EWGSOP2 (p < 0.001) and chair stand (p < 0.001) than the participants in the SARC-F < 4 group. Conclusions: The Italian language version of SARC-F showed high specificity, moderate reliability, and good associations with other predictive tests. The Italian version of SARC-F appears to be a useful screening tool for the diagnosis of sarcopenia in Italian elderly populations.     

Do seasonal changes affect metallothionein induction by metals in mussels, Mytilus edulis?

Mussels have been proposed as biomonitors of metal pollution based on the determination of metallothionein (MT) concentrations as a biomarker, but a comprehensive study taking into account both intersite and long-term temporal variations in MT and metal concentrations in different organs is lacking. Thus, the present study was designed to examine the concentrations of cytosolic and insoluble Cd, Cu, Zn, and MT in gills and digestive gland of mussels (Mytilus edulis) of homogeneous size and age obtained from aquaculture and kept on a reference site or translocated to a metal-rich site throughout their reproductive season (March-October 1997). Relatively significant binding of metals to the insoluble fraction was observed in both tissues. In the digestive gland, monthly MT concentrations were strongly correlated to cytosolic metal levels. Moreover, despite significant temporal variations, the grand mean MT concentration based on all individual determinations in the digestive gland (reference, n=54; transplants, n=50) was significantly higher in mussels from the metal-rich site. On the other hand, gill MT concentrations did not reflect metal contamination as reliably.     

Travel-Associated Rabies in Pets and Residual Rabies Risk,Western Europe

In 2015, countries in western Europe were declared free of rabies in nonflying mammals. Surveillance data for 2001–2013 indicate that risk for residual rabies is not 0 because of pet importation from countries with enzootic rabies. However, the risk is so low (7.52 × 10⁻¹⁰) that it probably can be considered negligible.     

Novel Hendra Virus Variant Circulating in Black Flying Foxes and Grey-Headed Flying Foxes,Australia

A novel Hendra virus variant, genotype 2, was recently discovered in a horse that died after acute illness and in Pteropus flying fox tissues in Australia. We detected the variant in flying fox urine, the pathway relevant for spillover, supporting an expanded geographic range of Hendra virus risk to horses and humans.