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Notes: SYNOPSIS. By means of the ninhydrin-Schiff method for proteins a diffuse reaction as well as one localized in granular inclusions can be shown in the cytoplasm of fibroblasts, epithelial cells, and macrophages in trypsin-dispersed chick liver cell cultures. Nuclei and nucleoli also take the specific stain. A progressive loss of cytoplasmic and nuclear staining occurs in the fibroblasts in cultures infected with a relatively pathogenic strain of T. vaginalis. A loss occurs in epithelial cells in advanced stages of degeneration, but in less damaged cells, while the diffuse reaction disappears, the number and staining intensity of the cytoplasmic inclusions remain unchanged or possibly may increase somewhat. The intensity of the diffuse reaction and the number and size of the characteristic inclusions increase in the active, parasite-free, experimental macrophages, but phagocytes with trichomonads closely applied to their external surfaces and those containing the flagellates within their cytoplasm typically retain only a few weak-staining inclusions.Similar distribution of alkaline and acid phosphatases occurs in preparations treated according to Gomori's and Burstone's methods, except that no nuclear staining is obtained with the latter. Activity of both enzymes is localized primarily in inclusions which are dispersed thruout the cytoplasm of fibroblasts and epithelial cells and tend to accumulate along the cell membranes and around the nuclei. In the course of infection with T. vaginalis there is a progressive loss of alkaline phosphatase from both cell types; however, the acid phosphatase activity increases. In the control macrophages both enzymes are localized in mostly rather large, rounded cytoplasmic inclusions. The number of such inclusions increases in the parasite-free experimental macrophages, but only a few weak-staining granules remainin phagocytes with engulfed trichomonads and in those whose external surfaces are in direct contact with the parasites. The loss of the inclusions is less apparent in macrophages containing degenerated flagellates than in the ones with healthy trichomonads, but regardless of the condition of the parasites, the highest enzymatic activity is found around them.ATPase and 5′-nucleotidase are localized in small granules dispersed thruout the cytoplasm of fibroblasts and epithelial cells. The granules tend to accumulate along the periphery of the cells and around the nuclei. A diffuse cytoplasmic reaction is present in preparations processed for 5′-nucleotidase. Nuclei and nucleoli give positive reactions for both enzymes. In the course of infection with trichomonads, activity of the 2 enzymes declines in both culture cell types. Control macrophages have diffuse cytoplasmic reaction for ATPase and 5′-nucleotidase and these enzymes are localized also in rounded cytoplasmic inclusions. Activity of both enzymes increases in the parasite-free experimental phagocytes, but little if any diffuse staining and only a few characteristic inclusions are left in macrophages with engulfed healthy trichomonads and in those whose external surfaces are invested with the flagellates.The ninhydrin-Schiff-positive inclusions found in the macrophages appear to be the same as some of those which have acid phosphatase activity and may well be identical with the glycolipoprotein bodies noted by us previously. On the grounds of their chemical constitution and behavior it seems likely that the inclusions are lysosomes.

Notes: An organ specific protein (NP) has been isolated from the goat brain by salt fractionation and preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The antiserum against this protein gave immunological cross reaction with the brain extracts of a wide variety of animals but did not react with extracts of liver, lung, kidney, spleen, heart and blood. Similar proteins have also been found to be present in monkey brain and human astrocytomas in culture. Evidence is presented to show that it is a ribonucleoprotein. This is based on the following observations: (1) its absorption characteristics before and after RNase treatment, (2) chemical analysis showing the presence of ribose, purines and pyrimidines, (3) incorporation of radioactive uridine and lysine in monkey brain and in human astrocytomas in culture into a protein band having electrophoretic mobility and immunological characteristics analogous to NP protein.The molecular weight of the NP protein has been found to be 25,120 Daltons, while the residual moiety after treatment with RNase has a molecular weight of 19,060. The RNA content of NP protein in four separate preparations was 20.65% (±0.55 S.D.) as determined by the orcinol colour reaction and 23.85% (± 0.88 S.D.) gauged by the ratio of extinctions at 260 and 280 nm. The base composition of RNA has also been determined. The nature of association of the RNA moiety with the protein is not known. The two are, however, not dissociable by SDS and high pH excluding the possibility of aminoacyl linkage and nonspecific adsorption.

Notes: The static susceptibility of a free electron gas in D dimensions at T=0 is obtained by techniques of dimensional regularization. Our solutions for the susceptibility χ(k,D) are given in terms of the hypergeometric function. For any integer dimensions analytic expressions are possible. The high- and low-k series solutions are shown to be related by an analytic continuation if D is an odd integer, but not related if D is an even integer. The singularity at 2kF is a branch point, whereupon the series solutions are absolutely convergent, yielding χ(k=2kF,D)=(D−1)−1. The relationship of χkD has the appearance of a PVT diagram.

Notes: In most acupuncture studies it is difficult or even impossible to conduct a truly double-blind trial. However, this is possible when treatments are carried out on anaesthetised patients. Because acupuncture provides analgesia, we tested the hypothesis that needle stimulation of a combination of four ear acupoints would significantly reduce anaesthetic requirement. Ten healthy volunteers were anaesthetised with desflurane and randomly assigned to no treatment or acupuncture; the alternative treatment was given on a subsequent study day. Auricular acupuncture was performed with needles placed at the Shen Men, Thalamus, Tranquiliser and Master Cerebral Points on the right ear. Anaesthetic requirement, determined by the Dixon up-and-down method, was defined by the average desflurane concentration that prevented purposeful movement of the extremities in response to noxious electrical stimulation. Volunteers required a greater desflurane concentration to prevent movement on the control than on the acupuncture day: 4.9 (0.7; SD) vs. 4.4 (0.8) vol. %, p = 0.003. Acupuncture thus reduced anaesthetic requirement by 8.5 (7)%.

Notes: A variant of acrodermatitis enteropathica is described that has its onset before weaning and clears when the child starts its normal solid diet. A pedigree with three interrelated families is reported where 10 children were afflicted with this variant. They had symptoms of hypozincemia for a brief period during infancy. At the time of this study, they were symptom-free and their serum zinc levels were found to be within normal limits. The term “self-limiting acrodermatitis enteropathica” is proposed for the variant. In one lactating mother, the mammary zinc secretion was determined and was found to be deficient and unresponsive to oral zinc supplements. The possible mode of inheritance is also discussed.