Coexpression of Spectrally Distinct Rhodopsins in Aedes aegypti R7 Photoreceptors

The retina of the mosquito Aedes aegypti can be divided into four regions based on the non-overlapping expression of a UV sensitive Aaop8 rhodopsin and a long wavelength sensitive Aaop2 type rhodopsin in the R7 photoreceptors. We show here that another rhodopsin, Aaop9, is expressed in all R7 photoreceptors and a subset of R8 photoreceptors. In the dorsal region, Aaop9 is expressed in both the cell body and rhabdomere of R7 and R8 cells. In other retinal regions Aaop9 is expressed only in R7 cells, being localized to the R7 rhabdomere in the central and ventral regions and in both the cell body and rhabdomere within the ventral stripe. Within the dorsal-central transition area ommatidia do not show a strict pairing of R7–R8 cell types. Thus, Aaop9 is coexpressed in the two classes of R7 photoreceptors previously distinguished by the non-overlapping expression of Aaop8 and Aaop2 rhodopsins. Electroretinogram analysis of transgenic Drosophila shows that Aaop9 is a short wavelength rhodopsin with an optimal response to 400–450 nm light. The coexpressed Aaop2 rhodopsin has dual wavelength sensitivity of 500–550 nm and near 350 nm in the UV region. As predicted by the spectral properties of each rhodopsin, Drosophila photoreceptors expressing both Aaop9 and Aaop2 rhodopsins exhibit a uniform sensitivity across the broad 350–550 nm light range. We propose that rhodopsin coexpression is an adaptation within the R7 cells to improve visual function in the low-light environments in which Ae. aegypti is active

Robotic-assisted pedicle screw placement: lessons learned from the first 102 patients. Eur Spine J 2013;22:661-6. Disclosures Xiaobang Hu received a travel support for lecturing from Mazor Robotics in 2011. Donna D. Ohnmeiss is employed by a foundation th

Abstract Introduction Surgeons' interest in image and/or robotic guidance for spinal implant placement is increasing. This technology is continually improving and may be particularly useful in patients with challenging anatomy. Only through careful clinical evaluation can its successful applications, limitations, and areas for improvement be defined. This study evaluates the outcomes of robotic-assisted screw placement in a consecutive series of 102 patients. Methods Data were recorded from technical notes and operative records created immediately following each surgery case, in which the robotic system was used to guide pedicle screw placement. All cases were performed at the same hospital by a single surgeon. The majority of patients had spinal deformity and/or previous spine surgery. Each planned screw placement was classified as: (1) successful/ accurately placed screw using robotic guidance; (2) screw malpositioned using robot; (3) use of robot aborted and screw placed manually; (4) planned screw not placed as screw deemed non essential for construct stability. Data from each case were reviewed by two independent researchers to indentify the diagnosis, number of attempted robotic guided screw placements and the outcome of the attempted placement as well as complications or reasons for non-placement. Results Robotic-guided screw placement was successfully used in 95 out of 102 patients. In those 95 patients, 949 screws (87.5 % of 1,085 planned screws) were successfully implanted. Eleven screws (1.0 %) placed using the robotic system were misplaced (all presumably due to ''skiving'' of the drill bit or trocar off the side of the facet). Robotic guidance was aborted and 110 screws (10.1 %) were manually placed, generally due to poor registration and/or technical trajectory issues. Fifteen screws (1.4 %) were not placed after intraoperative determination that the screw was not essential for construct stability. The robot was not used as planned in seven patients, one due to severe deformity, one due to very high body mass index, one due to extremely poor bone quality, one due to registration difficulty caused by previously placed loosened hardware, one due to difficulty with platform mounting and two due to device technical issues. Conclusion Of the 960 screws that were implanted using the robot, 949 (98.9 %) were successfully and accurately implanted and 11 (1.1 %) were malpositioned, despite the fact that the majority of patients had significant spinal deformities and/or previous spine surgeries. ''Tool skiving'' was thought to be the inciting issue with the misplaced screws. Intraoperative anteroposterior and oblique fluoroscopic imaging for registration is critical and was the limiting issue in four of the seven aborted cases

Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of orchid family species Paphiopedilum bellatulum

The genus Paphiopedilum is well known as the lady’s slipper orchid in Orchidaceae family. Paphiopedilum bellatulum (Rchb.f.) Stein 1892, has important medicinal and ornamental value, which occurs in the tropical Asia. However, in recent decades, it was threatened with extinction by significantly reduced small population size. In this study, we sequenced and characterized the complete chloroplast genome of P. bellatulum based on the Illumina Hiseq platform. The size of P. bellatulum chloroplast genome was 156,567 bp, including a large single-copy (LSC) region of 88,243 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 3652 bp, and two inverted repeat regions (IRs) of 32,336 bp. The overall GC contents of the chloroplast genome were 35.71%. A total of 122 genes were annotated, including 76 protein-coding genes, 38 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), and eight ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs). The phylogenetic analysis indicated that P. bellatulum formed a close relationship with another Paphiopedilum species P. wenshanense. The results will provide helpful genetic resource for further phylogenetic studies of the genus Paphiopedilum

Preparation and application of corona noise-suppressing anti-shedding materials for UHV transmission lines

With the continuous expansion of the construction scale of the State Grid and the gradual improvement of people’s awareness of environmental protection, the power contradictions and disputes caused by the North–South Power Transmission and Transformation Project have become increasingly prominent, which has attracted widespread attention from all walks of life. This study focuses on the development of conductive silicone gel for UHV transmission lines using carbon fiber (CF) powder, carbon black (CB), and carbon nanotubes as fillers, and organic silicone polymer as the matrix. The aim was to address the issues of corona noise and detachment. We prepared a series of conductive silicone gels with different proportions of CF and CB conductive fillers and conducted a comprehensive analysis of their electrical conductivity, tensile performance, hydrophobicity, and rheological properties. The research results demonstrated that the maximum electrical conductivity of the conductive silicone gel was achieved when the CF and CB contents reached a ratio of 2:1. In the case of a 70% organic silicone polymer gel, the electrical conductivity reached 0.73 S/cm, while it increased to 1.17 S/cm in an 80% organic silicone polymer gel. This indicates that optimizing the proportion of fillers can significantly enhance the electrical conductivity of the conductive silicone gel, meeting the requirements of UHV transmission lines. Additionally, the study evaluated the tensile performance, hydrophobicity, and rheological properties of the conductive silicone gel. The results showed that the 70% organic silicone polymer gel exhibited a tensile strength, Young’s modulus, and elongation at a break of 678.6 MPa, 1.3 MPa, and 15.22%, respectively. The corresponding values for the 80% organic silicone polymer gel were 129.9 MPa, 1.6 MPa, and 55.89%. This indicates that the conductive silicone gel possesses excellent mechanical properties and ductility, enabling it to withstand stress and deformation in UHV transmission lines while providing anti-detachment effects. In summary, this study successfully developed a conductive silicone gel that meets the requirements of UHV transmission lines. By optimizing the ratio of CF and CB contents, the electrical conductivity of the gel was maximized. Furthermore, the conductive silicone gel exhibited favorable tensile performance, electrical conductivity, and anti-detachment effects, effectively addressing corona noise and detachment issues in UHV transmission lines. These research findings are of great significance for the design and application of UHV transmission lines

Aaop9 rhodopsin expression pattern in the ommatidia of central, ventral stripe, and ventral regions.

<p>A. An <i>Ae. aegypti</i> retinal section including the ventral stripe showing longitudinal views of Aaop2-expressing R7 cells (red). These cells also express Aaop9 (green) within the cell body (CB) and rhabdomere (R). Aaop9 is also weakly detected at discrete sites in the central region (arrowheads). These sites are documented in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0023121#pone-0023121-g003" target="_blank">Fig. 3B</a> to be R7 cell rhabdomeres. The double labeling was carried out using a mouse Aaop9 antibody as described in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0023121#s2" target="_blank">Materials and Methods</a>. All scale bars are ∼10 µm. B. A retinal section of <i>Ae. aegypti</i> showing longitudinal views of Aaop8-expressing R7 cells (red) in the central region. Aaop9 (green) is localized to the rhabdomere of these R7 cells. C. Aaop8, Aaop9, and actin localization in x, y confocal microscope views of whole mounted retina in the ventral stripe region. The boxed region shows ommatidia viewed at a depth of the R7 rhabdomere (furthest distal), deduced from the presence of a stalk (arrow) connecting the R7 cell body to the rhabdom. D, E, F. Additional x, y optical sections of the two ommatidia boxed in C. These sections are 1 µm above, 1 µm below, and 3 µm below, respectively, of the section displayed in C. Aaop9 is not detected in the proximal section (F) that shows the R8 rhabdomere (arrowheads) as well as the outer (R1–6) rhabdomeres.</p

Specificity of <i>Ae. aegypti</i> Aaop9 antisera.

<p>A. Protein blot analysis shows the <i>Ae. aegypti</i> Aaop9 antiserum recognizes a 39 kD protein in <i>Ae. aegypti</i> heads but not bodies. Some higher molecular weight bands only detected in the head sample may identify Aaop9 rhodopsin multimers; a non-related crossreacting protein at 45–50 kD is found in both head and body samples. B. Immunofluorescent detection of <i>Ae. aegypti</i> Aaop9 expression in transgenic <i>Drosophila</i> shows Aaop9 expression in R1–6 photoreceptor cells (middle left panel) have strong retinal labeling, while minimal labeling is seen in retinal sections (other panels) of <i>Drosophila</i> expressing Rh1 rhodopsin (wild type), <i>Ae. aegypti</i> Aaop2 rhodopsin, or no rhodopsin (rhodopsin null). All flies were in a white eyed genetic background. The scale bar shown in panel at right is ∼50 µm.</p

Mixed Aaop9 expression pattern at the dorsal-central transition area of the <i>Ae. aegypti</i> retina.

<p>Whole mount image of ommatidia located in the transition area between the dorsal and central region. Ommatidia on the left side are located in the dorsal region and express Aaop9 (green) in both R7 and R8 cell body and rhabdomere. One ommatidium showing Aaop9 rhodopsin expression (green) in the R7 cell but not the R8 cell is marked as “R7 dorsal”, and several ommatidia showing Aaop9 rhodopsin expression in R8 cell but not the R7 cell are marked as “R8 dorsal”. Actin is stained by phalloidin (red) to identify the rhabdom of all ommatidia. The orientation of ommatidia is similar to the inset drawing shown in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0023121#pone-0023121-g002" target="_blank">Fig. 2D</a>. The scale bar is ∼20 µm.</p