Histochemistry of glycoconjugates in the goat nasolabial skin with special reference to eccrine glands

The histochemistry of glycoconjugates in the nasolabial skin of the goat has been studied by means of a series of selected methods of light microscopy. The epidermis of the nasolabial skin was found to contain neutral and acid glycoconjugates with different saccharide residues. The secretory epithelial cells and secretory substances of the sebaceous glands contained primarily neutral glycoconjugates, whereas those of the apocrine glands involved largely strongly acidic and neutral glycoconjugates. In the epithelial cells and secretory substances of the nasolabial eccrine glands, glycoconjugates involved were characteristically strongly neutral but weakly acidic in nature. From the present results, the histophysiological significance of glycoconjugates in the particular histologic structures of the nasolabial skin has been discussed with special reference to the functions of this particular skin type in the goat.     

Histochemistry of glycoconjugates in the skin of the bovine muzzle, with special reference to glandular structures

The distribution of glycoconjugates in the muzzle of young adult Holstein cows has been studied by means of selected light-microscopic histochemical methods, including lectin histochemistry. In the skin layers, strong reactions were confined to intercellular substances in between the cells of the vital epidermis, exhibiting neutral glycoconjugates mainly with alpha-D-galactosyl and N-acetyl-D-galactosaminyl residues. In the nasolabial glands, distinctly positive staining for neutral glycoproteins with various saccharide residues (alpha-D-galactose, alpha-N-acetylgalactosamine, D-galactose-beta(1----3)D-N-acetylgalactosamine, beta-D-galactose), and for smaller amounts of acidic glycoconjugates, was found in the secretory cells and the luminal secretion. The cells of the excretory duct system showed weak to moderate reactions (alpha-D-galactose, beta-D-galactose), only the collecting ducts reacted positively for acidic glycoproteins with sialyl residues. The results obtained are discussed in view of muzzle function, with special reference to the salivary nature of the secretion of bovine nasolabial glands.     

Histochemistry of complex carbohydrates in the skin of the pig snout, with special reference to eccrine glands

The histochemistry of carbohydrates has been studied in the skin of the pig snout with selected methods of light microscopy including peroxidase-labelled lectin-diaminobenzidine (PO-LT-DAB) procedures. In the snout skin the dark secretory cells and the luminal secretion of the eccrine glands contained considerable amounts of neutral glycoproteins, but only a very small amount of acidic ones. It was possible to demonstrate glycogen in the secretory cells of these glands. The other skin structures of the snout also showed positive reactions for complex carbohydrates. Most remarkable were stronger reactions of intercellular substances among the spinosum cells, particularly following the PO-LT-DAB procedures, which demonstrated such saccharide residues as beta-D-galactose and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine.     

Contributions to the mathematical biophysics of the central nervous system with special reference to learning

A learning theory based on the lowering of thresholds of neurons under certain conditions is applied to two “random net” models. The first, a so-called “ganglion-brain” is characterized by completely random connections of all afferent tracts except certain ones which form the pathways for unconditioned responses. Certain expressions are derived which measure the learning potentiality of the ganglion— in particular, with respect to the number of responses which can be learned (conditioning potential) and the amount of interference between the learned responses (redundance potential). The second model concerns the progressive refinement of a response. The efficiency of learning in this case is reflected in the eventual specificity of the response which, in turn, depends on the modification of the distribution of thresholds associated with the neurons governing the responses. Expressions are derived relating the initial distribution of thresholds, the relative effectiveness of the various responses, and certain other parameters to the final distribution of thresholds. For a particular choice of the effectiveness distribution of responses the progressive sharpening of the threshold curve (i.e., progressive specificity of response) is demonstrated. Some implications of the model with respect to the evolution of nervous systems are discussed.     

Motor unit recruitment in the trapezius muscle with special reference to coarse arm movements.

Chronic shoulder pain is common in a variety of occupations. The "Cinderella hypothesis" suggests that the pain originates from damaged type I muscle fibres driven into degenerative processes as a result of too long activation and too short recovery time. The main purpose of this study was to investigate if the same motor units are active during all phases of coarse arm movements. Eight healthy volunteers participated in the study. Intramuscular electromyographic signals were picked up with a four-lead fine wire electrode, during a unilateral straight arm movement. The movement started with either (part 1) an abduction or a flexion, then (2) a movement in the horizontal plane from the sagittal to the frontal plane or vice versa, and finally (3) an adduction or an extension to the start position. The movement cycle was performed in three different speeds, slow, medium, and high, with one, two or five cycles per 20 s, respectively. On an average, the motor unit action potentials (MUAPs) of 6 motor units (range, 1-15) were identified per trail. In total 94% of the MUAP trains that were identified showed firings in all 3 parts of the movements. The findings support the Cinderella hypothesis, although there is a need to further investigate the temporal pattern of long-term motor unit activity.     

Internal nasal floor configuration in Homo with special reference to the evolution of Neandertal facial form

The presence of a steeply sloping or depressed nasal floor within the nasal cavity of Neandertals is frequently mentioned as a likely specialization or autapomorphy. The depressed nasal floor has also been seen as contributing to a relatively more capacious nasal cavity in Neandertals, which is tied to cold-climate respiratory adaptation and energetics. These observations have been limited largely to a relatively few intact crania, and the character states associated with this trait have not been as precisely codified or analyzed as those published for Plio-Pleistocene hominins (McCollum et al., 1993, J. Hum. Evol. 24, 87; McCollum, 2000, Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 112, 275).This study examines the internal nasal floor topography in complete crania and isolated maxillae in European, west Asian, and African fossil Homo (n=158) including 25 Neandertals, and a wide range of recent humans from Europe, the Near East, and Africa (n=522). The configuration of the internal nasal floor relative to the nasal cavity entrance is codified as: 1) level, forming a smooth continuous plane; 2) sloped or mildly stepped; or 3) bilevel with a pronounced vertical depression. The frequency of these nasal floor configurations, and their relationship to both nasal margin cresting patterning and a comprehensive set of nasofacial metrics is examined.Neandertals show a high frequency of the bilevel (depressed) configuration in both adults and subadults (80%), but this configuration is also present in lower frequencies in Middle Pleistocene African, Late Pleistocene non-Neandertal (Skhul, Qafzeh), and European Later Upper Paleolithic samples (15%-50%). The bilevel configuration is also present in lower frequencies (ca. 10%) in all recent human samples, but attains nearly 20% in some sub-Saharan African samples. Across extinct and extant Homo (excluding Neandertals), internal nasal floor configuration is not associated with piriform aperture nasal margin patterning, but the two are strongly linked in Neandertals. Variation in internal nasal floor configuration in recent humans is primarily associated with internal nasal fossa breadth and nasal bridge elevation, whereas in fossil hominins, it is associated primarily with variation in facial height. Cold-climate and activity-related thermal adaptation as an explanation for the high frequency of pronounced nasal floor depression in Neandertals is inconsistent with all available data. Alternatively, variation in internal nasal floor configuration is more likely related to stochastically derived populational differences in fetal nasofacial growth patterns that do not sharply differentiate genus Homo taxa (i.e., cladistically), but do phenetically differentiate groups, in particular the Neandertals, especially when considered in combination with other nasofacial features.     

The embryonic development of the intestinal mucosa with special reference to its epithelium

Electron microscopic examinations were made of different parts of the bovine intestine (n = 13) up to the 10th week of embryonic development. During the 'phase of undifferentiated epithelium' the embryonic intestinal epithelium can be classified as stratified and is perhaps a pool of cells. Microvilli of the apical plasmalemma appear at first in neighboring and opposing cells in the centre of the epithelium. They already show microfilaments as well as a glycocalix. The supranuclear cytoplasm shows many granules, vesicles and arciform structures which may be used in the process of microvilli formation. The importance of infranuclear basal granules in the peripheral epithelial cells is still unknown; perhaps they are merely phylogenetic remnants of a principle of development common to all vertebrate intestines. Single cilia which are formed in the periluminal cytoplasm presumably suppress mitotic activities of the epithelial cells and induce their ensuing differentiation. Epithelial proliferation is the initial event of villigenesis, giving rise to epithelial primary villi. Immediately following is the formation of secondary villi during proliferation of the mesenchyme.     

The early development of Jacobson's organ in the nasal cavity of the rat before the inception of the secondary palatal development

The early development of Jacobson's organ was studied by means of a series of embryos of the rat which were of various ages and exactly dated. Already at the youngest stage of those rats, the nasal cavity is just an open groove, the organ is a thickened epithelial layer at the medial nasal process. Only 15 h later, while the nasal grooves start to close from caudal to rostral, Jacobson's organ has acquired the shape of a deep, long cleft, situated within the broad nasal opening. On the 13th d of fetal life, a complete, caudally closed nasal cavity appears. By the means of fundamental growth changes, the already well developed organ has become shifted to a more caudal position and lies now above the primary palate. A shorter caudal part of the still cleft-like organ just starts to close itself thus forming its typical tube-like structure. Moreover strong nerve bundles running from Jacobson's organ to the brain indicate that in the meantime a sensory epithelium can be distinguished. Up to the 15th d of development, the tube-forming process of Jacobson's organ is completed. Parallel to this procedure, the surrounding nasal cavity acquires a caudal apertura nasalis interna by the rupture of the membrana bucconasalis while Jacobson's organ still lies above the rostral primary palate. Primary in the medial, somewhat later in the lateral part of the nasal cavity, first outlines of cartilage appear, visible as dense cell formations. Together with this, the paraseptal cartilage, in these stages closely connected to the septal cartilage, develops quite early. Between the 14th and 15th d of its fetal life, the flat, tube-formed Jacobson's organ of the rat gets turned from a primary horizontal into a vertical position, which brings its sensory epithelium to the medial side. It is assumed that this happens for functional reasons. Because of the obviously early and progressive development of Jacobson's organ within that of the nasal cavity, it seems to be probable that already the origin of the nose, the olfactory placodes, are determined in the directions both of the nasal cavity and of Jacobson's organ. Furthermore the results demonstrate an early preferential development of Jacobson's organ in comparison to that of the surrounding nasal cavity.     

Nuclear bodies in human prostate with special reference to appearance rate

The Nuclear Body Appearance Rate in seventeen human prostatic cases was statistically analyzed according to three lesion areas--the hyperplastic nodule, non-nodule and atrophic--in the secretory epithelium and basal cells. It was meaningfully high in the secretory epithelium of the hyperplastic nodule, but not in the other two lesion areas. There was no meaningful result in basal cells. Though there is a wide variety of reported data on the human prostate, particular care must be taken in analysis at the electron microscopic level, keeping in mind that even in a single specimen this organ has a notable variety of tissue changes. The Nuclear Body Appearance Rate reflects cellular hyperactivity although it does not have a specific known function at present.     

Protein-secretory patterns of normal and abnormal human placentas with special reference to human chorionic gonadotropin

[35S]Methionine-labeled protein-secretory patterns resolved by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in abnormal hydatidiform-mole placentas were compared with those in normal full-term placentas with special reference to human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) by means of immunoblotting and immunoelectron-microscopic techniques. Although basic protein-secretory patterns of both placentas were similar to each other, four polypeptide spots appeared and one spot disappeared in the hydatidiform-mole samples. Among four newly synthesized and secreted spots, three were immunoreacted with anti-hCG serum by an immunoblotting experiment. Ultrastructural localization of hCG showed that the labeling intensity of anti-hCG serum in hydatidiform-mole placentas was much heavier than that in full-terms ones. Particularly, the Golgi apparatus, middle-sized granules and large bodies were highly immunoreactive. The present study reveals that hydatidiform-mole placentas have different protein-secretory functions especially in hCG synthesis and secretion from those of normal pregnancy.     

Fouling film development on antifouling paints with special reference to film thickness

The fouling of a range of antifouling paints is reported; these include soluble matrix, insoluble matrix and self-polishing antifouling paints. The antifouling paints were exposed for 12 months in Langstone Harbour, England. Colonization of samples taken after 1, 2, 4, 6 and 12 months was examined using a scanning electron microscope. Fouling film thicknesses, measured a light section microscope, after 6 and 12 months exposure are presented. Fouling films of various thickness and composition are illustrated by scanning electron micrographs. The performance of the different paints is compared and related to a non-toxic panel exposed for the same time period. Colonization was initially by bacteria, this developed to include diatoms and protozoa, further progression depended upon the antifouling paint concerned.