The incidence of yeasts in cases of vaginitis and children with oral thrush in the Sudan

Summary A fresh specimen ofGloeotulasnella pinicola was allowed to discharge basidiospores on agar. Germination of the basidiospores was by production of a germination hypha, and subsequent production of asexual spores took place. These spores were produced on simple sporophores in a manner somewhat reminiscent of the method of spore production inTrichothecium roseum. The cells of the germination mycelium and sporophores were described as monokaryotic, with the assumption that these nuclei were haploid. The possible use of asexual spore type and production as taxonomic tools in the Heterobasidiomycetes is discussed, as well as a conjecture on phylogeny within the group.Contribution no. 300 from the Department of Botany, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee. The author wishes to acknowledge, with thanks, the technical assistance of MissEmily Shanks.     

Characterization of Liver Monocytic Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells and Their Role in a Murine Model of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are potent suppressors of T cell immunity in tumors and inflammatory diseases. They are identified by surface expression of CD11b⁺Gr1⁺ in mice, and CD11b⁺Gr1⁺ cells accumulate in the livers of obese mice. However, many myeloid cells share these CD11b⁺Gr1⁺ markers. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to identify the authentic phenotype of MDSCs and investigate their functions in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). C57BL/6J mice were divided into 2 diet groups: a normal control group and high-fat group to induce NAFLD. We demonstrated that monocytic CD11b⁺Gr1^dim cells could be further divided into 2 populations based on side scatter (SSC) during flow cytometry. We found that SSC^lowCD11b⁺Gr1^dim cells accumulated in the livers of NAFLD mice over time, and that these cells were recruited by the chemokine CCL2 and its receptor CCR2 and might expand in the liver via macrophage colony-stimulating factor stimulation. Furthermore, SSC^lowCD11b⁺Gr1^dim cells had a strong suppressive ability on T cells; this effect was not observed for SSC^highCD11b⁺Gr1^dim cells, and was dependent on nitric oxide production by inducible nitric oxide synthase. Our findings demonstrate that SSC^lowCD11b⁺Gr1^dim cells represent authentic MDSCs in NAFLD livers, and might serve an important negative feedback function in liver inflammation.     

Unique spectral signature of human cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma by photoacoustic imaging

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is a common skin cancer with metastatic potential. To reduce reoperations due to nonradical excision, there is a need to develop a technique for identification of tumor margins preoperatively. Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is a novel imaging technology that combines the strengths of laser optics and ultrasound. Our aim was to determine the spectral signature of cSCC using PA imaging and to use this signature to visualize tumor architecture and borders. Two‐dimensional PA images of 33 cSCCs and surrounding healthy skin were acquired ex vivo, using 59 excitation wavelengths from 680 to 970 nm. The spectral response of the cSCCs was compared to healthy tissue, and the difference was found to be greatest at wavelengths in the range 765 to 960 nm (P < .05). Three‐dimensional PA images were constructed from spectra obtained in the y‐z plane using a linear stepper motor moving along the x‐plane. Spectral unmixing was then performed which provided a clear three‐dimensional view of the distribution of tumor masses and their borders.     

Characterization of Two New Genes, amoR and amoD, in the amo Operon of the Marine Ammonia Oxidizer Nitrosococcus oceani ATCC 19707

Molecular analysis of the amo gene cluster in Nitrosococcus oceani revealed that it consists of five genes, instead of the three known genes, amoCAB. The two additional genes, orf1 and orf5, were introduced as amoR and amoD, respectively. Putative functions of the AmoR and AmoD proteins are discussed.     

Simultaneous detection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 and Hepatitis B virus infections using a dual-label time-resolved fluorometric assay

A highly specific and novel dual-label time-resolved immunofluorometric assay was developed exploiting the unique emission wavelengths of the intrinsically fluorescent terbium (Tb³⁺) and europium (Eu³⁺) tracers for the simultaneous detection of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections, respectively. HIV-1 infection was detected using a double antigen sandwich format wherein anti-HIV-1 antibodies were captured using an in vivo biotinylated version of a chimeric HIV-1 antigen and revealed using the same antigen labeled with Tb³⁺ chelate. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), which served as the marker of HBV infection, was detected in a double antibody sandwich using two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), one chemically biotinylated to capture, and the other labeled with Eu³⁺ nanoparticles, to reveal. The performance of the assay was evaluated using a collection (n = 60) of in-house and commercially available human sera panels. This evaluation showed the dual-label assay to possess high degrees of specificity and sensitivity, comparable to those of commercially available, single analyte-specific kits for the detection of HBsAg antigen and anti-HIV antibodies. This work demonstrates the feasibility of developing a potentially time- and resource-saving multiplex assay for screening serum samples for multiple infections in a blood bank setting.