Hyaluronan in human vocal folds in smokers and nonsmokers : a histochemical study

OBJECTIVES / HYPOTHESIS : To study the hyaluronan occurrence in human vocal folds, with special regards to gender and smoking and to discuss the implications of findings. STUDY DESIGN : This is a descriptive/morphologic study. METHODS : Sixteen cadaveric vocal folds from eight individuals between 58 and 90 years old (six women and two men) were removed and studied morphologically. Three of the individuals had been cigarette smokers. A direct method for hyaluronan histochemistry using a hyaluronan-binding protein probe (HABP) was used to visualize the polysaccharide. Five examiners performed an analysis of the intensities of hyaluronan staining, independently. RESULTS : We observed intense hyaluronan staining of the vocal folds of which those from women stained considerably stronger than those from men. Stratified squamous epithelium stained for hyaluronan in all sections, whereas respiratory epithelium only stained weakly or not at all. The highest accumulation of hyaluronan occurred subepithelially in the lamina propria, corresponding to Reinke's space. It was observed that vocal folds from smokers were more intensively stained than those from nonsmokers. CONCLUSIONS : Hyaluronan is found in all layers of the human vocal fold. Contradictory to earlier studies, hyaluronan was visualized in squamous epithelium, where it may function as an impact protector. The occurrence of hyaluronan in smokers may have implications in the development of vocal fold inflammation and tumor initiation as hyaluronan is an important molecule in these processes.This study was supported from the Swedish Medical Research Council. Financial travel support for the main author was given from the ENT Department at Nordland Hospital in Bodø and Rikshospitalet in Oslo, Norway and Umeå University, Sweden.http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-voice2017-05-31hb2016Speech-Language Pathology and Audiolog

Construction and characterization of a bovine BAC library with four genome-equivalent coverage

A bovine artificial chromosome (BAC) library of 105 984 clones has been constructed in the vector pBeloBAC11 and organized in 3-dimension pools and high density membranes for screening by PCR and hybridization. The average insert size, determined after analysis of 388 clones, was estimated at 120 kb corresponding to a four genome coverage. Given the fact that a male was used to construct the library, the probability of finding any given autosomal and X or Y locus is respectively 0.98 and 0.86. The library was screened for 164 microsatellite markers and an average of 3.9 superpools was positive for each PCR system. None of the 50 or so BAC clones analysed by FISH was chimeric. This BAC library increases the international genome coverage for cattle to around 28 genome equivalents and extends the coverage of the ruminant genomes available at the Inra resource center to 15 genome equivalents

A Machine Checked Model of Idempotent MGU Axioms For Lists of Equational Constraints

We present formalized proofs verifying that the first-order unification algorithm defined over lists of satisfiable constraints generates a most general unifier (MGU), which also happens to be idempotent. All of our proofs have been formalized in the Coq theorem prover. Our proofs show that finite maps produced by the unification algorithm provide a model of the axioms characterizing idempotent MGUs of lists of constraints. The axioms that serve as the basis for our verification are derived from a standard set by extending them to lists of constraints. For us, constraints are equalities between terms in the language of simple types. Substitutions are formally modeled as finite maps using the Coq library Coq.FSets.FMapInterface. Coq's method of functional induction is the main proof technique used in proving many of the axioms.Comment: In Proceedings UNIF 2010, arXiv:1012.455

Lock-in thermography as a rapid and reproducible thermal characterization method for magnetic nanoparticles

Lock-in thermography (LIT) is a sensitive imaging technique generally used in engineering and materials science (e.g. detecting defects in composite materials). However, it has recently been expanded for investigating the heating power of nanomaterials, such as superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs). Here we implement LIT as a rapid and reproducible method that can evaluate the heating potential of various sizes of SPIONs under an alternating magnetic field (AMF), as well as the limits of detection for each particle size. SPIONs were synthesized via thermal decomposition and stabilized in water via a ligand transfer process. Thermographic measurements of SPIONs were made by stimulating particles of varying sizes and increasing concentrations under an AMF. Furthermore, a commercially available SPION sample was included as an external reference. While the size dependent heating efficiency of SPIONs has been previously described, our objective was to probe the sensitivity limits of LIT. For certain size regimes it was possible to detect signals at concentrations as low as 0.1 mg Fe/mL. Measuring at different concentrations enabled a linear regression analysis and extrapolation of the limit of detection for different size nanoparticles

Enhanced Odor Discrimination and Impaired Olfactory Memory by Spatially Controlled Switch of AMPA Receptors

Genetic perturbations of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate receptors (AMPARs) are widely used to dissect molecular mechanisms of sensory coding, learning, and memory. In this study, we investigated the role of Ca(2+)-permeable AMPARs in olfactory behavior. AMPAR modification was obtained by depletion of the GluR-B subunit or expression of unedited GluR-B(Q), both leading to increased Ca(2+) permeability of AMPARs. Mice with this functional AMPAR switch, specifically in forebrain, showed enhanced olfactory discrimination and more rapid learning in a go/no-go operant conditioning task. Olfactory memory, however, was dramatically impaired. GluR-B depletion in forebrain was ectopically variable (“mosaic”) among individuals and strongly correlated with decreased olfactory memory in hippocampus and cortex. Accordingly, memory was rescued by transgenic GluR-B expression restricted to piriform cortex and hippocampus, while enhanced odor discrimination was independent of both GluR-B variability and transgenic GluR-B expression. Thus, correlated differences in behavior and levels of GluR-B expression allowed a mechanistic and spatial dissection of olfactory learning, discrimination, and memory capabilities