Development of segments and appendages in embryos of the desert scorpion Paruroctonus mesaensis (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae).

The scanning electron microscope was used to study the changing features of scorpion embryos from the blastula through early stages in the development of appendages. The earliest scorpion fossils (Silurian period) have structures more advanced than the embryos herein, so the possibility is considered that these embryos still retain and display some features indicative of evolutionary patterns in adult pre-Silurian ancestors. The blastodisc stage is followed by a knob-like germinal center that gives rise to most of the embryo body. The germinal center elongates on the ventral surface of the spherical yolk mass. The broad cephalic lobe is first delineated from the following pedipalpal segment. The limbbuds for the pedipalps and anterior walking legs appear, as additional segments are added at a growth zone at the rear of the embryo body. Initially, in the cephalic lobe there are no limbbuds; then the cheliceral buds emerge from the posterior part of the lobe. The stomodeum appears first in the anterior half of the cephalic lobe, but an oral groove forms and the mouth is displaced posteriorly within the groove. This repositioning allows space anteriorly for invagination (semilunar grooves) of epithelium for the brain and medial eyes. The mouth is directed ventrally in all stages of this study. The widespread chelicerae are initially posterior to the mouth, but later move anterior and dorsal to it. Small limbbud bulges on mesosomal segments disappear later and never become protruding appendages. Metasomal segments are produced free from the yolk surface in a ventral flexure beneath the embryo body. The telson starts as two spherical lobes, but later elongates and tapers distally, not yet developing the sharp sting (aculeus) seen in Silurian and all subsequent scorpions. The walking legs are digitigrade, as in most fossil aquatic scorpions. Segments are delineated in the appendages; the chelicerae and pedipalps are divided distally for chela (claw) formation. Bilateral swellings (limbbuds) on the third abdominal segment become larger than the others, indicating the site of pectine formation. The early fin-like pectines are somewhat posterior in the mesosoma, suggesting ancestral swimming, maneuvering, and balancing for the elongate abdomen. The pectinal surface is initially smooth but later transverse striations increase the surface area as a possible respiratory adaptation. Pectinal teeth (present in Silurian and all subsequent scorpions) and forward movement and merging of anterior abdominal segments are not yet evident in embryos of this study.

Development of a humidifier for patient ventilation using a semi-permeable tube to minimize system condensate.

Condensation in the external airways of patient ventilation systems using conventional warm-water humidifiers increases the risk of bacterial contamination. Condensate formation can be reduced by heating the external airway and reducing the length of tubing between the patient and humidifier. The method described incorporates the humidifying element within the interconnecting tubing itself. Air is supplied through two semi-permeable tubes, of polytetrafluoroethylene, which are encased in an outer shell. A warm-water jacket is maintained in the shell; this is the source of heat and water vapour which diffuses through the semi-permeable tube wall and into the patient's air supply. An evaluation of performance and an initial clinical trial are reported.

Development of a probe for the in vivo measurement of airway humidity during anaesthesia.

Airway drying can arise during long-term respiration of anaesthetic dry gases and this may have implications for the function of the airway wall. Monitoring airway humidity can identify drying trends, although previous attempts have been limited for technical reasons. The design and development of a probe to measure mid-tracheal air humidity is described. The device comprises a commercially available capacitive humidity sensor and a thermocouple. The assembled probe is catheter-like with a diameter of 9.5 mm and a length of 312 mm. Water vapour transfer response times of 1.4s (absorption) and 3.6s (desorption) were evaluated for the probe. A preliminary trial to record airway humidity in ambient air and involving six patients was performed during anaesthesia.

Regulation of air and blood flow through the booklungs of the desert scorpion, Paruroctonus mesaensis.

Injections of dye, latex and India ink were used to reveal the path of hemolymph circulation through the scorpion booklungs. Fine, branched arteries carry blood directly to muscle and other organs. The blood returns through venous channels to the ventral mesosoma where it passes laterally through the booklungs and into the pneumocardial veins just beneath the pleural cuticle. Blood flows dorsally through these veins to the pericardial sinus and heart. The scorpion has four pairs of booklungs located in the anterior segments of the ventral mesosoma. Each booklung has a spiracle which opens into an atrium enclosed by cuticular membrane. Air passes from the atrium into the booklung lamellae. Agitation of the animal or application of CO(2) causes retraction of the anterior and posterior atrial membrane. This expands the atrial chamber and allows gas exchange in the booklung lamellae. The posterior atrial membrane has a specialized region which forms a springy valve. This normally closes the spiracle unless pulled open by contraction of the attached poststigmaticus muscle. The pectens and receptors within the atrium may mediate the responses to CO(2). Slender hypocardial ligaments containing muscle fibers extend from the heart (dorsal mesosoma) to the booklungs in the ventral mesosoma. Heart movements thus cause dorso-ventral movement of the booklungs. The significance of these movements is as yet unclear. They may increase ventilation, help force blood to the heart and/or agitate the blood and booklung lamellae and thereby aid gas exchange. Passage of blood through the booklungs is regulated by dorsal and ventral muscles attached to the atrium at the lateral edge of the booklung. Contraction of the ventral atrial muscle closes the excurrent channel for passage of blood from the booklung into the pneumocardial vein. Electrical stimulation of the segmentai nerves from the subesophageal and first three abdominal ganglia causes spiracle opening and contraction of muscles attached to the atrial membrane. A previous study showed that these same segmental nerves also modulate heart activity. They thus provide a major pathway for regulation of the respiratory and circulatory systems.

A microcomputer-based respiratory heat exchange facility for use in the diagnosis of thermally induced asthma.

Exercise-induced asthma is prevalent in many asthmatics and during the winter months can be exacerbated by cold air inhalation. A laboratory facility was required to permit early diagnosis of cold air sensitivity in these patients. This paper describes the development of a modular air conditioning system to produce a range of inhalative thermal burdens and the microcomputer interfacing to measure the rate of airway heat loss imposed. A single-stage refrigerator was built capable of cooling 150 l/min air to -25 degrees C. This was also used to generate dry ambient temperature air by rewarming the chilled air supply. An air humidifier was developed based upon natural convection and evaporation. It was capable of raising 150 l/min ambient air to 37 degrees C, 100 per cent relative humidity. In two pilot studies of 18 asthmatics it was found that the rate of respiratory heat exchange could be correlated with the magnitude of post exertional bronchoconstriction (lung dysfunction) and that exercise-induced asthma could be minimized by attenuating the rate of airway heat loss.

Role of cooling and drying in hyperventilation induced asthma.

Respiratory heat loss has been proposed as a mechanism of exercise induced asthma. Whether the predominant stimulus is airway drying or cooling remains unclear. We have measured changes in FEV1 after isocapnic cold air hyperventilation (CAH) (-23.4 degrees (SD 0.43 degrees) C) and dry ambient air hyperventilation (AAH) (18.7 degrees (0.52 degrees)C) in seven asthmatic patients (mean age 31 (SD 9) years and baseline FEV1 3.2(0.9)1) and in seven normal subjects (age 28(6) years and FEV1 3.6(0.7)1). The inspired water content in both cases was 0.3 mg/l air. The rate of respiratory heat exchange per breath was calculated in watts (W) with microcomputer based equipment. Cold air hyperventilation caused a fall in FEV1 almost twice that of ambient air hyperventilation at each level of ventilation: CAH v AAH (% fall) 8.0 (5.1) v 3.9 (4.0) at 15 l/min, 11.6 (7.8) v 7.0 (4.4) at 30 l/min, and 20.7 (10.9) v 12.4 (6.3) at 60 l/min. Identical latent heat loss (evaporative drying) was imposed on the airway during the two challenges. Sensible heat loss (convective cooling) in cold air hyperventilation was 41 W at 15 l/min, 63 W at 30 l/min, and 114 W at 60 l/min; whereas in ambient air hyperventilation the loss was 6, 13, and 23 W respectively. It is concluded that the rate of cooling of the upper airway is the predominant stimulus in hyperventilation induced asthma.

The ultrastructure of hemocytopoietic organs in the desert scorpion, Paruroctonus.

The light and electron microscopes were used to examine possible hemocytopoietic tissue in the desert scorpion, Paruroctonus mesaensis. Results agree with earlier light microscopic studies that cells are released into the blood from the two lateral lymphoid organs and the supraneural gland. The former are sacciform structures attached by their anterior ends to the diaphragm. The supraneural gland forms the thickened wall of the supraneural artery in the mesosoma from the first to the third abdominal ganglia. The lateral lymphoid glands have an acellular stroma in which are embedded granular and agranular cells. The stroma is apparently formed by specialized cells which release membranous cell fragments that become the matrix of the gland. Cells are released into the body cavity from the periphery of the two organs. The supraneural gland has a fibrous stroma in which are embedded a variety of cell types. The cells appear to be released in greatest abundance into the blood in the lumen of the gland. The gland has cells with opaque granules (0.9-1.4 micron diameter) and agranular cells of variable shape. The most abundant cell, possibly the stem-cell for the others, is about 10 micron diameter and often has processes of variable length. In addition, muscle cells at various stages of differentiation are found at the inner margin of the gland. These cells have thick and thin myofilaments (24-32 and 5-8 nm diameter) and dense bodies which sometimes become organized into sarcomeres with Z-bands before the cells are released into the gland lumen. The function of these muscle cells is unknown, but possibly they contribute to the maintenance of blood pressure and the release of cells into the blood from the inner margin of the gland.

Comparison of the ultrastructure of stimulated and unstimulated mechanoreceptors in the taste hairs of the blowfly Phaenicia serricata.

The structure of mechanoreceptors at the base of labellar taste hairs of the blowfly Phaenicia serricata were examined in stimulated and unstimulated conditions (i.e. with the hair bent or unbent). Physiological recordings from the mechano-receptor showed that the receptors responded when the hair is bent dorsally or ventrally and when the hair is bent at extreme angles. These conditions are the same as those placed on hairs in the anatomical studies. Bending the hair toward the ventral labellar surface caused the hair base to compress and indent the tubular body and its surrounding membrane and sheath at the distal end of the mechanoreceptor dendrite. In compressed tubular bodies, microtubules oriented longitudinally were bent and separated a greater distance from each other. Separation as much as 70 nm was observed in compressed tubular bodies as compared with a maximum of 26 nm between micro-tubules in tubular bodies of unbent hairs. The dense amorphous material between microtubules of compressed tubular bodies formed prominent bridges 18 nm thick connecting the microtubules at intervals of 48-74 nm. Thin 10 nm filaments were also evident in the spaces between microtubules. When the hair was bent toward the proximal end of the proboscis, the tip of the tubular body was bent about 15 degrees. The tubular body appears to function as a firm but resilient structure over which the dendritic membrane can be stretched during mechanostimulation. Comparison of morphology of bent and unbent hairs suggests a means by which mechanical force from the movement of the hair is transferred to the receptors by structures in the hair socket region. No differences were found in ciliary structures of stimulated and unstimulated receptors.

Functional development in the Mauthner cell system of embryos and larvae of the zebra fish.

In the embryonic zebra fish as early as 40 hr after fertilization, the Mauthner cells (M-cells) initiate an escape response, elicited by tactile-vibrational stimulation. The initial part of this behavior is similar to the acoustic startle reflex seen during the larval stage which begins at 96 hr. The embryonic response is directional and is followed by a series of strong tail flexures which are more pronounced than those during swimming. In the embryo the M-cell fired at the beginning of the response and rarely fired again during subsequent contractions; in our experiments the M-cell did not mediate iterative movements of the tail. The M-cell system is probably involved in evoked hatching behavior, as the tactile response is sufficient to rupture the egg membrane and allow the animal to escape. The M-cell sometimes fired spontaneously, which suggests that it might function also in spontaneous hatching behavior which occurs in the absence of phasic stimulation. At 48 hr the M-cell has morphologically mature synapses on its soma and dendrites, but its cytoplasm is relatively undifferentiated; it has few oriented neurofilaments and no distinct axon hillock. During these stages the extracellular M-spike is longer in duration and smaller in amplitude than at later times when the cell is more mature morphologically. Our data suggest that long-term inhibitory control of the M-cell system begins to function at about the time of hatching. At this time the cell is morphologically mature and is richly supplied with synaptic endings over its soma and dendrites.

Mauthner neuron field potential in newly hatched larvae of the zebra fish.

1. Extracellular unit recording was done in the brain and spinal cord of unanesthesized zebra fish larvae embedded in a drop of gelatin under a compound microscope. Startle responses were elicited either by vibrating a stylus against the ear vesicle, or by direct electrical stimulation of the spinal cord. 2. As in adult fish, the Mauthner neurons produced a prominent negative potential (0.5-1 mV) which occurred at the beginning of the startle reflex. The axonal conduction velocity was 1.7-3.7 m/s. 3. With vibratory stimulation, the startle reflex was elicited most reliably at rates of 1/min or less, though the Mauthner cells would follow stimulation rates of 1/s when the spinal cord was stimulated electrically. At this rate there was considerable fatigue of the spike itself, which became smaller in amplitude and longer in duration. 4. The auditory system functions during vibratory stimulation of the ear vesicle, and probably activates the Mauthner cells, though it was not concluded that this was an exclusive excitatory pathway during these experiments. Lateral line or purely tactile receptors might also be involved. The latency of the Mauthner spike varied inversely (range, 6-17.5 ms) with the intensity of the vibratory stimulus. Muscle contractions began 2 ms after the Mauthner spike. 5. We recorded several forms of startle behavior, including a single tail flip or a tail flip followed by regular or irregular tail movements. The Mauthner neuron almost always fired at the beginning of the response, but it never fired again during subsequent movements. This supports an earlier contention that the Mauthner cell initiates the tail flip but is not involved in iterative swimming behavior.

Ecology and behavior of the desert burrowing cockroach,Arenivaga sp. (Dictyoptera, Polyphagidae).

Measurements were made of environmental conditions in the microhabitat ofArenivaga sp., and results were correlated with their diurnal migratory behavior. The animals live in sand dunes with less than 1% moisture most of the year. During the day in spring, summer and fall they borrow in the sand at a depth of 20-60 cm, while at night, when surface temperatures have cooled, they borrow within 1-3 cm of the surface. In winter they are rarely found near the surface, remaining active at lower levels during both night and day. Adult males were collected on the surface or at a depth of 20-60 cm, but they were never observed burrowing near the surface at 1-3 cm.The larvae and adult females are photonegative and remain at lower levels during the day, even though daytime temperature and humidity are sometimes favorable near the surface. In the summer, they migrate to the surface about 2 h later after darkness than in spring and fall. Temperature measurements indicated this was probably due to delayed nighttime cooling of the surface in the summer months. By burrowing near the surface the animals can experience cooler nighttime temperatures and water-loss may be reduced during the summer. This behavior may also facilitate disperasal and mating.The cockroaches feed on decaying leaves and the roots of desert shrubs. Since the latter have 35-38% moisture, they are probably the main source of water for these animals.

Antennal chemoreceptors of the desert burrowing cockroach, Arenivaga sp.

The antennae of Arenivaga have six types of chemoreceptor sensilla. Some of these have unusual morphological features which may be adaptations for survival in a dry habitat. The sensory dendrites are well protected by cuticular structures, and in some receptors stimulatory molecules must pass through long channels or through pores filled with strands to reach the sensory cells. Large grooved pegs (possibly pheromone receptors) are numerous on antennae of adult males, and grooved sensilla are described here in detail for the first time. Thin-walled pegs, present in males and females, do not have pore tubules or hollow filaments as observed in many other insects. Rather, they contain structures designated here as pore strands, since they have a dense core rather than a light center as previously described for pore tubules and filaments. These strands do not appear to be evaginations of the dendritic membrane, but are probably formed in association with the cuticular structures of the sensilla.

The role of pore structures in the selective permeability of antennal sensilla of the desert burrowing cockroach, Arenivaga sp.

To obtain information about the chemical composition of pore structures in antennal sensilla, the antennae were exposed to lipid solvents, or they were prepared to show negative-contrast images in electron micrographs. A heavy-metal tracer, lanthanum nitrate, was also used to indicate the permeability of the receptors to water. The grooves of the large grooved peg open into tubular cavities containing electron-opaque material, through which stimulatory molecules must pass to reach the sensory dendrites at the center of the sensillum. The material in these cavities was removed by chloroform or acetone, suggesting a lipid composition. Lanthanum penetrated this receptor only after it had been exposed to acetone or chloroform. Strands at pores of the thin-walled pegs were also removed by the lipid solvents, and the water-soluble tracer failed to penetrate these receptors unless they had been previously exposed to chloroform or acetone. The pore structures appear to be hydrophobic, allowing entry of lipid-soluble substances, while preventing passage of water. The differential action of the solvents on the various types of sensilla suggests that receptor discrimination among different classes of chemical stimuli may be partially determined by the chemical properties of structures at the sensillar pores.