Sex-specific gene expression in the mosquito Culex pipiens f. molestus in response to artificial light at night

Background Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a typical feature of urban areas and most organisms living in urban or suburban habitats are exposed to low levels of ALAN. Light is one of the most important environmental cues that organisms use to regulate their activities. Studies have begun to quantify the influence of ALAN on the behavior and ecology of organisms, but research on the effects at the molecular level remains limited. Mosquitoes in the Culex pipiens complex (Diptera, Culicidae) are widespread and abundant in urban areas where they are potential disease vectors. It is thus of particular interest to understand how ALAN may influence biologically and ecologically relevant traits. Results We used RNAseq to evaluate the transcriptome response in a Cx. pipiens f. molestus laboratory population that was exposed to near- natural light conditions (light:dark L16:D8 hours, “control”) and ALAN conditions with 3 h of constant low-level light at night (L16 + Llow3:D5 hours, “low-light”). The resulting transcripts were mapped to the reference genome of the closely related Culex quinquefasciatus. Female expression patterns differed significantly between control and treatment conditions at five genes although none showed an absolute fold change greater than two (FC > 2). In contrast, male expression differed at 230 genes (74 with FC > 2). Of these, 216 genes (72 with FC > 2) showed reduced expression in the low-light treatment, most of which were related to gametogenesis, lipid metabolism, and immunity. Of the 14 genes (two with FC > 2) with increased expression, only five had any functional annotation. There was a pronounced sex-bias in gene expression regardless of treatment, with 11,660 genes (51 % of annotated genes; 8694 with FC > 2; 48 % of annotated genes) differentially expressed between males and females, including 14 genes of the circadian clock. Conclusion Our data suggest a stronger response to artificial light by males of Cx. pipiens f. molestus than by females, and that a wide range of physiological pathways may be affected by ALAN at the molecular level. The fact that differences in gene expression appear to be sex-specific may have a strong influence at the population level

IMPLEMENTASI TAMBAHAN PENGHASILAN BERDASARKAN BEBAN KERJA DALAM PENINGKATAN KINERJA PEGAWAI NEGERI SIPIL (STUDI PADA KANTOR WALIKOTA MEDAN)

This study aims to determine the implementation of additional income policies based on workload in the city of Medan using qualitative research through a descriptive approach. Data collection was carried out by the authors by means of document analysis, interviews, and observation. This research found the fact the provision of income addition was based in workload instead of a work achievement of goverment employees, accused the income addition policy in Medan City was not implemented well. One of some goals of income addition policy is to inerease the performance of government employees. In order to achieve that goal the goverment of Medan city should measure not only a level of job position and percentage of presence, but also an employees performance objective. Application of the additional income in the City of Medan was supposed to adjust to the minister No. 77 of 2020 and regulation on the matter of state apparatus utilization and bureaucratic reform of the republic of Indonesia No 1 of 2020 so that in determining the provisions and the provosions of addtional income does not happen confusion. In additon in implementing the goverment additional income based on workload should be the first to all civil servants, so that civil servants more prepared in the work policy. It can be done by the way obliges the head SKPD to socilize again the additional income based on workload that they have received before. In order for the purpose of the policy establishment can also be done by civil servants are required to be out in front of the SKPD. Therefore, the head SKPD have to come early before the civil servants other. It can also cause the supervision by the head SKPD

Perencanaan Alternatif Main Building a Holland Park Condotel Di Kota Batu Dengan Menggunakan Profil Castellated Beam Non Komposit

Potensi Kota Batu semakin berkembang setiap tahun baik dari segi pariwisata, pertanian, perdagangan, maupun industri. Oleh karena itu pembangunan di Kota Batu menjadi pesat dengan ditandai pembangunan Perumahan, apartemen, tempat – tempat pariwisata untuk mengatasi kepadatan penduduk yang meningkat serta untuk menyejahterakan masyarakat. Hampirseluruhbangunan yang ada di Kota Batudirencanakanmenggunakanstrukturbetonbertulangtermasuk gedung Main Building A Holand Park Condotel Kota Batu. Kekurangan dari strukturbetonadalah bangunan/gedung memikulbeban yang relatifbesar karena berat sendiri beton (beban mati) yang besar. Semakinbesarberatsendiripadabangunanmakasemakinbesar pula bebangempa yang harusditahanbangunatersebut. Olehkarenaituperluadanyaperencanaan lain sebagai alternatif sturktur beton, yaitumenggunakanstrukturbaja. Dalam analisis dan evaluasi ini akan dilihat perhitungan struktur dari profil Castellated Beam. Untuk detail penampangbalokmenggunakanbajaprofilCastellated Beam non kompositdenganpelatbeton yang dianggapbebanvertikal. Sedangkanuntuk detail penampangkolommenggunakanprofilWide Flangedenganselubungbeton.Kontrolpenampangpadabalokdankolomdilakukansetelahperencanaanawaldimensi. Untuk perhitungan momen nominal (Mn) pada profil WF utuh harus memenuhi syarat ØMn < Mu, setelah memenuhi syarat maka profil WF dibentuk menjadi castellated kemudian dikontrol terhadap momen, geser, jarak antar lubang, dan lendutan

Studi Perencanaan Desain Sambungan Balok-Kolom Dengan Sistem Pracetak Pada Gedung Dekanat Fakultas Teknik Universitas Brawijaya Malang

Banyaknya gedung – gedung yang dibangun membuat lahan yang tersedia semakin lama semakin sempit. Oleh karena itu, banyak daerah yang mulai membangun gedung – gedung bertingkat untuk mengatasi kekurangan lahan yang tersedia. Pembangunan gedung bertingkat saat ini sebagian besar menggunakan dua metode, yaitu dengan metode beton bertulang konvensional dengan menggunakan bekisting yang dicor di tempat dan menggunakan metode beton bertulang pracetak yang dibuat di pabrik atau di lokasi proyek kemudian dirakit. Konsep pembangunan gedung tahan gempa mengacu ke dalam SNI 03-2847-2002 dan SNI 03-1726-2002 sehingga acuan kedua peraturan tersebut akan didapatkan struktur yang tahan gempa, efektif, dan efisien. Studi ini merupakan perhitungan gedung Dekanat Fakultas Teknik Universitas Brawijaya Malang dengan zona gempa 4. Dari hasil studi didapatkan bahwa dimensi balok induk berukuran 40 cm x 60 cm dengan tulangan lentur digunakan D19 dan tulangan geser 10. Untuk struktur kolom lantai 1 hingga lantai 4 berukuran 80cm x 100 cm dengan menggunakan tulangan lentur D29 dan tulangan geser 10 dan lantai 5 hingga lantai 8 menggunakan dimensi 70 cm x 90 cm dengan menggunakan tulangan lentur D29 dan tulangan geser 10. Panjang penyaluran balok – kolom yang digunakan tidak boleh kurang dari 668,16 mm Ukuran kolom dan balok berukuran cukup besar karena struktur diasumsi tidak menggunakan dinding geser

The role of geography in the evolution of gamete incompatibility in hybridizing blue mussels

The examination of natural hybridization and hybrid zones are useful tools to examine the evolution of prezygotic and post zygotic mechanisms through which reproductive isolation develops in marine environments that typically lack the absolute physical barriers that are requisite for traditional allopatric models of genetic differentiation thought to lead to species formation. For blue mussels species that readily hybridize in areas of sympatry, post zygotic mechanisms have been the focus of the majority of investigations addressing isolating mechanisms. However, for free-spawning marine invertebrates, gametic incompatibility can facilitate the evolution of “complete” reproductive isolation in sympatric species through the strengthening of prezygotic isolating traits as a result of selection against hybrids and hybridization (i.e. reinforcement). The reinforcement of pre-mating isolation, as evidenced by a pattern of reproductive character displacement, was investigated in the hybridizing blue mussels, Mytilus edulis and M. trossulus within the Gulf of Maine. Using in vitro fertilization experiments, a simple comparison was made evaluating levels of heterospecific gamete compatibility, in allopatric, M. edulis females, compared to M. edulis females from a sympatric, hybridizing, population. Partial compatibility of M. edulis females in heterospecific crosses was observed in both sympatric and allopatric populations, however in a pattern opposite to that expected under a theory of reinforcement. Mytilus edulis females from allopatric populations were more strongly blocked to heterospecific fertilization than M. edulis females from sympatric populations. The absence of a signal of reproductive character displacement consistent with the process of reinforcement suggests that the “atypically” compatible female found in sympatric populations may be a product of introgression, with highly introgressed individuals undetected at the current level of resolution available. The absence of reproductive character displacement should not, however, eliminate the role that reinforcement may play in the pattern of interbreeding, and non-fusion, in these hybridizing species. A comparison of patterns in heterospecific gamete incompatibility between western and northeastern Atlantic hybrid zones may prove to be valuable for studying the process of reinforcement, as well as lead to a greater understanding of the role of hybridization in species formation

Seal whiskers vibrate over broad frequencies during hydrodynamic tracking

© The Author(s), 2017. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Scientific Reports 7 (2017): 8350, doi:10.1038/s41598-017-07676-w.Although it is known that seals can use their whiskers (vibrissae) to extract relevant information from complex underwater flow fields, the underlying functioning of the system and the signals received by the sensors are poorly understood. Here we show that the vibrations of seal whiskers may provide information about hydrodynamic events and enable the sophisticated wake-tracking abilities of these animals. We developed a miniature accelerometer tag to study seal whisker movement in situ. We tested the ability of the tag to measure vibration in excised whiskers in a flume in response to laminar flow and disturbed flow. We then trained a seal to wear the tag and follow an underwater hydrodynamic trail to measure the whisker signals available to the seal. The results showed that whiskers vibrated at frequencies of 100–300 Hz, with a dynamic response. These measurements are the first to capture the incoming signals received by the vibrissae of a live seal and show that there are prominent signals at frequencies where the seal tactogram shows good sensitivity. Tapping into the mechanoreceptive interface between the animal and the environment may help to decipher the functional basis of this extraordinary hydrodynamic detection ability.Funding was provided by the NSF GRFP and NISE section 219 to C. Murphy and by the Office of Naval Research (N000141910468) to B. Calhoun

Multicolor Dye-based Flow Structure Visualization for seal-whisker geometry characterized by computer vision

Pinniped vibrissae possess a unique and complex three-dimensional topography, which has beneficial fluid flow characteristics such as substantial reductions in drag, lift, and vortex induced vibration. To understand and leverage these effects, the downstream vortex dynamics must be studied. Dye visualization is a traditional qualitative method of capturing these downstream effects, specifically in comparative biological investigations where complex equipment can be prohibitive. High-fidelity numerical simulations or experimental particle image velocimetry (PIV) are commonplace for quantitative high-resolution flow measurements, but are computationally expensive, require costly equipment, and can have limited measurement windows. This study establishes a method for extracting quantitative data from standard dye visualization experiments on seal whisker geometries by leveraging novel but intuitive computer vision techniques, which maintain simplicity and an advantageous large experimental viewing window while automating the extraction of vortex frequency, position, and advection. Results are compared to direct numerical simulation (DNS) data for comparable geometries. Power spectra and Strouhal numbers show consistent behavior between methods for a Reynolds number of 500, with minima at the canonical geometry wavelength of 3.43 and a peak frequency of 0.2 for a Reynolds number of 250. The vortex tracking reveals a clear increase in velocity from roll-up to 3.5 whisker diameters downstream, with a strong overlap with the DNS data but shows steady results beyond the limited DNS window. This investigation provides insight into a valuable bio-inspired engineering model while advancing an analytical methodology that can readily be applied to a broad range of comparative biological studies

Fire ecology of C3 and C4 grasses depends on evolutionary history and frequency of burning but not photosynthetic type.

Grasses using the C4 photosynthetic pathway dominate frequently burned savannas, where the pathway is hypothesized to be adaptive. However, independent C4 lineages also sort among different fire environments. Adaptations to fire may thus depend on evolutionary history, which could be as important as the possession of the C4 photosynthetic pathway for life in these environments. Here, using a comparative pot experiment and controlled burn, we examined C3 and C4 grasses belonging to four lineages from the same regional flora, and asked the following questions: Do lineages differ in their responses to fire, are responses consistent between photosynthetic types, and are responses related to fire frequency in natural habitats? We found that in the C4 Andropogoneae lineage, frost killed a large proportion of aboveground biomass and produced a large dry fuel load, which meant that only a small fraction of the living tissue was lost in the fire. C3 species from the Paniceae and Danthonioideae lineages generated smaller fuel loads and lost more living biomass, while species from the C4 lineage Aristida generated the smallest fuel loads and lost the most living tissue. Regrowth after the fire was more rapid and complete in the C4 Andropogoneae and C3 Paniceae, but incomplete and slower in the C3 Danthonioideae and C4 Aristida. Rapid recovery was associated with high photosynthetic rates, high specific leaf area, delayed flowering, and frequent fires in natural habitats. Results demonstrated that phylogenetic lineage was more important than photosynthetic type in determining the fire response of these grasses and that fire responses were related to the frequency that natural habitats burned

Investigating the thermal physiology of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales Eubalaena glacialis via aerial infrared thermography

© The Author(s), 2022. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Lonati, G., Zitterbart, D. P., Miller, C. A., Corkeron, P. J., Murphy, C. T., & Moore, M. J. Investigating the thermal physiology of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales Eubalaena glacialis via aerial infrared thermography. Endangered Species Research, 48, (2022): 139–154, https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01193.The Critically Endangered status of North Atlantic right whales Eubalaena glacialis (NARWs) warrants the development of new, less invasive technology to monitor the health of individuals. Combined with advancements in remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS, commonly ‘drones’), infrared thermography (IRT) is being increasingly used to detect and count marine mammals and study their physiology. We conducted RPAS-based IRT over NARWs in Cape Cod Bay, MA, USA, in 2017 and 2018. Observations demonstrated 3 particularly useful applications of RPAS-based IRT to study large whales: (1) exploring patterns of cranial heat loss and providing insight into the physiological mechanisms that produce these patterns; (2) tracking subsurface individuals in real-time (depending on the thermal stratification of the water column) using cold surface water anomalies resulting from fluke upstrokes; and (3) detecting natural changes in superficial blood circulation or diagnosing pathology based on heat anomalies on post-cranial body surfaces. These qualitative applications present a new, important opportunity to study, monitor, and conserve large whales, particularly rare and at-risk species such as NARWs. Despite the challenges of using this technology in aquatic environments, the applications of RPAS-based IRT for monitoring the health and behavior of endangered marine mammals, including the collection of quantitative data on thermal physiology, will continue to diversify.All activities were conducted under NOAA permit 18355-01 and were approved by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The RPAS pilot-in-command was certified through the United States Federal Aviation Admin-istration. We thank Amy Knowlton (Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium) for photo-identifying individual North Atlantic right whales and Rocky Geyer (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) for providing and interpreting water temperature data relatedto the observations of thermal flukeprints (courtesy of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority). We also appreciate constructive conversations with Iain Kerr (Ocean Alliance), Chris Zadra (Ocean Alliance), and Joy Reidenberg (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai). Funding was provided by a Woods Hole Oceanographic Research Opportunity grant, the North Pond Foundation, and NMFS NA14OAR4320158

Gene Duplication and Dosage Effects During The Early Emergence of C4 Photosynthesis in The Grass Genus <i>Alloteropsis</i>

The importance of gene duplication for evolutionary diversification has been mainly discussed in terms of genetic redundancy allowing neofunctionalization. In the case of C4 photosynthesis, which evolved via the co-option of multiple enzymes to boost carbon fixation in tropical conditions, the importance of genetic redundancy has not been consistently supported by genomic studies. Here, we test for a different role for gene duplication in the early evolution of C4 photosynthesis, via dosage effects creating rapid step changes in expression levels. Using genome-wide data for accessions of the grass genus Alloteropsis that recently diversified into different photosynthetic types, we estimate gene copy numbers and demonstrate that recurrent duplications in two important families of C4 genes coincided with increases in transcript abundance along the phylogeny, in some cases via a pure dosage effect. While increased gene copy number during the initial emergence of C4 photosynthesis probably offered a rapid route to enhanced expression, we also find losses of duplicates following the acquisition of genes encoding better-suited isoforms. The dosage effect of gene duplication might therefore act as a transient process during the evolution of a C4 biochemistry, rendered obsolete by the fixation of regulatory mutations increasing expression levels