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Vibration receptors appear to be more necessary for web-building spiders, but most knowledge of arachnid lyriform organs comes from the study of wandering spiders affected by ground vibrations. Here, we examined the fine structural aspects of the lyriform organs in the web-building spider Nephila clavata using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) to fill the gap. The lyriform organ is found in all appendages, including the femur, patella, tibia, and metatarsal segments. A number of slit receptors of various sizes are distributed in the parallel orientation of the cuticle along the long axis. According to its fine structural characteristics, all lyriform organs of this spider are classified as a compound type with multiple cuticular slits. However, the number of cuticular slits per each lyriform organ varies considerably from a minimum of three to a maximum of 17. A total 35 pairs of lyriform organs were counted from an adult female spider. Except for small numerical variation in the 4th appendage, the distribution is remarkably constant within each appendage. Comparing the total number of cuticular slits per each appendage, the 3rd appendage has the highest number (85), but the 4th appendage shows the least number (63). Based on the total number of cuticular slits per leg segment, the patella segment seems to be the most sensitive to vibration reception in this orb-web spider.

Purpose: Blepharitis, simply defined as eyelid inflammation, is one of the common ocular conditions associated with discomfort and irritation. Because blepharitis causes meibomian gland dysfunction and dry eye, this study aimed to confirm the effect of photobiomodulation (PBM) on blepharitis. Methods: A total of 20 rats were randomly assigned to 4 equal groups, including control, blepharitis, PBM, and eye drop. Blepharitis was induced in rats by injecting complete Freund's adjuvant in the eyelid margins. PBM intervention was given every 3 days after blepharitis induction. Clinical signs including tear volume, tear breakup time (TBUT), meibomian gland swelling, fluorescein, telangiectasia, and meibomian gland secretion scores were measured every week, and the rats were killed for histological analysis after 4 weeks. Immunohistochemistry was performed to compare the level of inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling staining on retina was performed to observe any retinal damage. Results: Tear volume and TBUT increased with PBM intervention, and with improved eyelid swelling, corneal staining, telangiectasia, and meibomian gland secretion scores increased. Hematoxylin and eosin staining showed no structural abnormalities of meibomian gland caused by blepharitis induction. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the levels of inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α were lowered with PBM treatment in both eyelid and conjunctiva. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling staining showed no retinal damage. Conclusions: Laser PBM at 808 nm was effective in alleviating ocular signs and controlling inflammation in blepharitis rat model. The in vivo results suggest that PBM has the potential to be used in treating blepharitis patients.

Morphological study on spermatids and spermatozoa have long been performed regarding various changes of cell organelles during spermiogenesis as a potential phylogenetic inference. Based on the fact that the number of germ cells per cyst increases according to a geometric series, knowing the exact number of germ cells in a certain stage may lead to the total number of sperms produced per cyst. In spiders, however, the entire process takes place in a cyst represented by a spermatogonium, producing sperms in spherical shape. It is very difficult to count the exact number of germ cells produced per cyst through a 2D image analysis. Therefore, we applied a 3D image of testicular cyst of an orb-weaving spider to visualize the exact number of germ cells produced from a cyst. In this study, 2D images obtained from serially sectioned micrographs were scanned precisely and reconstructed using a 3D-rendering technique. Finally, this research reveals that the exact number of spermatozoa produced each cyst in Larinioides cornutus appeared to be 128 (2 7 ), which indicates that a single spermatogonium undergoes five mitotic divisions and two maturing divisions (meiosis) to produce final spermatozoa. ARTICLE HISTORY

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