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Much of our current state of knowledge concerning sex chromosome evolution is based on a handful of 'exceptional' taxa with heteromorphic sex chromosomes. However, classifying the sex chromosome systems of additional species lacking easily identifiable, heteromorphic sex chromosomes is indispensable if we wish to fully understand the genesis, degeneration and turnover of vertebrate sex chromosomes. Squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes) are a potential model clade for studying sex chromosome evolution as they exhibit a suite of sex-determining modes yet most species lack heteromorphic sex chromosomes. Only three (of 203) chameleon species have identified sex chromosome systems (all with female heterogamety, ZZ/ZW). This study uses a recently developed method to identify sex-specific genetic markers from restriction site-associated DNA sequence (RADseq) data, which enables the identification of sex chromosome systems in species lacking heteromorphic sex chromosomes. We used RADseq and subsequent PCR validation to identify an XX/XY sex chromosome system in the veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus), revealing a novel transition in sex chromosome systems within the Chamaeleonidae. The sex-specific genetic markers identified here will be essential in research focused on sex-specific, comparative, functional and developmental evolutionary questions, further promoting C. calyptratus' utility as an emerging model organism.

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A hybrid technique of robot-assisted, laparoscopic hysterectomy using the ENSEAL(®) Tissue Sealing Device is described in a retrospective, consecutive, observational case series. Over a 45 month period, 590 robot-assisted total laparoscopic hysterectomies +/- oophorectomy for benign and malignant indications were performed by a single surgeon with a bedside assistant at a tertiary healthcare center. Patient demographics, indications for surgery, comorbidities, primary and secondary surgical procedures, total operative and surgical time, estimated blood loss (EBL), length of stay (LOS), complications, transfusions and subsequent readmissions were analyzed. The overall complication rate was 5.9% with 35 patients experiencing 69 complications. Mean (SD) surgery time, operating room (OR) time, EBL, and LOS for the entire cohort were 75.5 (39.42) minutes, 123.8 (41.15) minutes, 83.1 (71.29) millilitres, and 1.2 (0.93) days, respectively. Mean surgery time in the first year (2009) was 91.6 minutes, which declined significantly each year by 18.0, 19.0, and 24.3 minutes, respectively. EBL and LOS did not vary -significantly across the entire series. Using the cumulative sum method, an optimization curve for surgery time was evaluated, with three distinct optimization phases observed. In summary, the use of an advanced laparoscopic tissue-sealing device by a bedside surgical assistant provided an improved operative efficiency and reliable vessel sealing during robotic hysterectomy.

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The viability of a radiofrequency (RF) telemetry channel for reporting individual neuron activity wirelessly from an embedded antenna to an external receiver is determined. Comparing the power at the transmitting antenna required for the desired Channel Capacity, to the maximum power that this antenna can dissipate in the body without altering or damaging surrounding tissue reveals the severe penalty incurred by miniaturization of the antenna. Using both Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) and thermal damage limits as constraints, and 300 Kbps as the required capacity for telemetry streams 100 ms in duration, the model shows that conventional antennas smaller than 0.1 mm could not support human neuronal telemetry to a remote receiver (1 m away.) Reducing the antenna to 10 microns in size to enable the monitoring of single human neuron signals to a receiver at the surface of the head would require operating with a channel capacity of only 0.3 bps.

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A microelectromechanical-systems (MEMS)-based electromagnetically actuated loudspeaker to reduce form factor, cost, and power consumption, and increase energy efficiency in hearing-aid applications is presented. The MEMS loudspeaker has multilayer copper coils, an NiFe soft magnet on a thin polyimide diaphragm, and an NdFeB permanent magnet on the perimeter. The coil impedance is measured at 1.5 Omega, and the resonant frequency of the diaphragm is located far from the audio frequency range. The device is driven by a power-scalable, 0.25-mum complementary metal-oxide semiconductor class-D SigmaDelta amplifier stage. The class-D amplifier is formed by a differential H-bridge driven by a single bit, pulse-density-modulated SigmaDelta bitstream at a 1.2-MHz clock rate. The fabricated MEMS loudspeaker generates more than 0.8-mum displacement, equivalent to 106-dB sound pressure level (SPL), with 0.13-mW power consumption. Driven by the SigmaDelta class-D amplifier, the MEMS loudspeaker achieves measured 65-dB total harmonic distortion (THD) with a measurement uncertainty of less than 10%. Energy-efficient and cost-effective advanced hearing aids would benefit from further miniaturization via MEMS technology. The results from this study appear very promising for developing a compact, mass-producible, low-power loudspeaker with sufficient sound generation for hearing-aid applications.

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During metamorphosis of leptocephalous larvae of the bonefish (Albula sp.), keratan sulfate, the principal glycosaminoglycan of the extracellular gelatinous body matrix, is degraded. Artificial substrates have been utilized to demonstrate the presence of ß-N-acetylglucosaminidase, ß-galactosidase and sulfatase activities in whole-body homogenates of early metamorphosing leptocephali. The concerted action of these enzymes has been shown to degrade the keratan sulfate polymer in other tissues. This paper describes the extraction, partial purification and some of the physical and kinetic properties of these enzymes. Additionally, starch gel electrophoresis was used to follow glycosidase activities in early, intermediate and advanced metamorphosing larvae. No differences were observed in electrophoretic migration or banding pattern of either ß-N-acetylglucosaminidase or ß-galactosidase during metamorphosis.

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The first objective was to determine how large changes in externally applied cooling influence intraocular temperature. The second objective was to determine whether vasoactive changes in the choroidal circulation influence retinal temperature. Temperature in the conjunctiva was decreased down to 6 degrees C by direct cooling of the cat's eye and the temperatures along the visual axis were measured with thermocouple probes. Temperature in the retina was maintained fairly constant showing thus an active resistance to cooling of the eye, but temperatures in the anterior chamber and lens were dependent on external temperature changes. Administration of vasoconstrictor drugs in the retrobulbar space resulted in drop of retinal temperature presumably by reducing choroidal blood flow during eye cooling. The experiments showed that the eye is provided with vasoactive mechanisms that allow temperature preservation in critical areas, such as the retina, even in the presence of extreme temperature changes. However, other ocular regions show passive resistance to cooling of the eye.

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Assay methods for bee venom phospholipase A2 are presented which respond to different aspects of enzymic behaviour and which allow basal activity, fatty acid activation and acyl-group activation to be distinguished. The stability of the enzyme to thiols and proteinases is dramatically increased by activation with the selective acylating agent, oleoyl imidazolide. These results support the model of activation by conformation change. Limited-fixation studies indicate that enzyme conformation is determined by interaction with the substrate. The oleoyl-enzyme is partially inactivated by trypsin, but its electrophoretic mobility is unchanged. This protective effect is highly selective and only one other component of the venom is protected against trypsin by oleoyl imidazolide. Combination of trypsin and thiol treatment produces a large fragment of the activated enzyme which could be used for structural studies of the activation site.

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