The Tarantula Atypus Milberti in Michigan (Araneae: Atypidae)

Excerpt: The arachnid genus Atypus (family Atypidae, suborder Mygalomorphae) contains four species in North America. These tarantulas are atypical because they have retained remnants of the primitive segmentation characteristic of Mesozoic spiders; the dorsum of the abdomen has tergites which differ little or not at all from those found on Oligocene spiders in the Florissant shales or in Baltic amber. The atypical tarantulas are among the most generalized of all living spiders, lacking the specialized morphological features of more advanced families. They lack reduction, migration, or enlargement of eyes; they have simple dry silk glands only; their legs lack specialization for running or silk handling; the carapace is unspecialized. This genus seems to remain successful in interspecific competition, not because of morphological specialization, but due to behavioral uniqueness. The spider constructs a vertical tube web from an underground burrow up the trunk of a tree. The web acts as a shield, making the spider unrecognizable as a potential predator. The prey is attacked through the silk, pulled inside the tube, and sucked dry. Afterwards the carcass is thrown out and the tube is repaired

The Hughes Project

Flyer for Fall 2016 ICS Faculty Fellow Lecture by David Bixler.https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/ics_fellow_lectures/1101/thumbnail.jp

A Sensory Input System for Autonomous Mobile Robots

In order to accomplish navigation in an similar world a robot must be able to build and update its own world map continuously and in real time. This paper proposes a sensory input system based on the fusion of simple low-resolution vision with directed high-resolution sonar. The basic idea is to use a simple vision system to locate the position in which an obstacle lies, and then use an ultrasonic rangefinder to determine the depth of the object and to gain clues about its shape. By fusing two simple systems we attempt to exploit the strengths of each while maintaining an acceptable computational cost. An idealized example is given and we discuss the possibilities and some of the problems

Rice, 1991

"January 1992.""The Authors: Harry C. Minor is an Associate Professor in Agronomy and State Extension Specialist: David W. Albers is an Assistant Professor in Agronomy and State Extension Specialist; Carl G. Morris and Howard L. Mason are Senior Research Specialists; and Delbert R. Knerr, Alan W. Bixler and C. Stephen Lankheit are Research Specialists.

Intelligence in youth and mental health at age 50

Background: Few cognitive epidemiology studies on mental health have focused on the links between pre-morbid intelligence and self-reports of common mental disorders, such as depression, sleep difficulties, and mental health status. The current study examines these associations in 50-year-old adults. Methods: The study uses data from the 5793 participants in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 cohort (NLSY-79) who responded to questions on mental health at age 50 and had IQ measured with the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) when they were aged between 15 and 23 years in 1980. Mental health outcomes were: life-time diagnosis of depression; the mental component score of the 12-item short-form Health Survey (SF-12); the 7-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D); and a summary measure of sleep difficulty. Results and conclusion: Higher intelligence in youth is associated with a reduced risk of self-reported mental health problems at age 50, with age-at-first-interview and sex adjusted Bs as follows: CES-depression (B = − 0.16, C.I. − 0.19 to − 0.12, p < 0.001), sleep difficulties (B = − 0.11, C.I. − 0.13 to − 0.08, p < 0.001), and SF-12 mental health status (OR = 0.78, C.I. 0.72 to 0.85, p < 0.001; r = − 0.03 p = 0.075). Conversely, intelligence in youth is linked with an increased risk of receiving a diagnosis of depression by the age of 50 (OR 1.11, C.I. 1.01 to 1.22, p = 0.024; r = 0.03, p = 0.109). No sex differences were observed in the associations. Adjusting for adult SES accounted for most of the association between IQ and the mental health outcomes, except for having reported a diagnosis of depression, in which case adjusting for adult SES led to an increase in the size of the positive association (OR = 1.32, C.I. 1.16 to 1.51, p < 0.001)

Multifunctional biophotonic nanostructures inspired by the longtail glasswing butterfly for medical devices

Numerous living organisms possess biophotonic nanostructures that provide colouration and other diverse functions for survival. While such structures have been actively studied and replicated in the laboratory, it remains unclear whether they can be used for biomedical applications. Here, we show a transparent photonic nanostructure inspired by the longtail glasswing butterfly (Chorinea faunus) and demonstrate its use in intraocular pressure (IOP) sensors in vivo. We exploit the phase separation between two immiscible polymers (poly(methyl methacrylate) and polystyrene) to form nanostructured features on top of a Si3_N_4 substrate. The membrane thus formed shows good angle-independent white-light transmission, strong hydrophilicity and anti-biofouling properties, which prevent adhesion of proteins, bacteria and eukaryotic cells. We then developed a microscale implantable IOP sensor using our photonic membrane as an optomechanical sensing element. Finally, we performed in vivo testing on New Zealand white rabbits, which showed that our device reduces the mean IOP measurement variation compared with conventional rebound tonometry without signs of inflammation

Whole genome assessment of the retinal response to diabetes reveals a progressive neurovascular inflammatory response

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Despite advances in the understanding of diabetic retinopathy, the nature and time course of molecular changes in the retina with diabetes are incompletely described. This study characterized the functional and molecular phenotype of the retina with increasing durations of diabetes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Using the streptozotocin-induced rat model of diabetes, levels of retinal permeability, caspase activity, and gene expression were examined after 1 and 3 months of diabetes. Gene expression changes were identified by whole genome microarray and confirmed by qPCR in the same set of animals as used in the microarray analyses and subsequently validated in independent sets of animals. Increased levels of vascular permeability and caspase-3 activity were observed at 3 months of diabetes, but not 1 month. Significantly more and larger magnitude gene expression changes were observed after 3 months than after 1 month of diabetes. Quantitative PCR validation of selected genes related to inflammation, microvasculature and neuronal function confirmed gene expression changes in multiple independent sets of animals.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These changes in permeability, apoptosis, and gene expression provide further evidence of progressive retinal malfunction with increasing duration of diabetes. The specific gene expression changes confirmed in multiple sets of animals indicate that pro-inflammatory, anti-vascular barrier, and neurodegenerative changes occur in tandem with functional increases in apoptosis and vascular permeability. These responses are shared with the clinically documented inflammatory response in diabetic retinopathy suggesting that this model may be used to test anti-inflammatory therapeutics.</p

Optical manipulation of helium(2(3)S) atoms with a diode laser

A commercial Spectra Diode Laboratories, 1.083 $\mu$m diode laser has been used to efficiently spin polarize an atomic beam of He(2\sp3S) metastable atoms by optical pumping on the \rm 2\sp3S\sb1\rightarrow2\sp3P\sb1 (D1) transition. The diode laser is an InGaAs/GaAs strained multiquantum well with a distributed Bragg reflector to insure single longitudinal mode operation. The laser has been frequency stabilized to less than 1 MHz/hr drift. The helium metastable atom beam is produced by electron impact and the polarization is measured using a Stern-Gerlach analyzer. Atomic polarizations exceeding 97% have been obtained with $\sim$25 mW of power from the diode laser. A number of experiments currently under construction may also make use of the diode laser. These include the production of a spin polarized helium ion beam by optically pumping the metastable atoms in an rf discharge, and the trapping of helium metastable atoms in a magneto-optical trap (MOT)

A Study of Wolf Spider Ecology in Grand County, Utah (Lycosidae: Araneae)

The author correlates the results of a twenty-one day pitfall trap program, where wolf spiders were trapped from the various habitats of the Moab area, Utah. Species partitioning and biotic associations are discussed for the six species found in the study area. A seemingly habitat restricted color variation of Pardosa sternalis (Thorell) is described