Expression of Calmodulin and Myosin Light Chain Kinase during Larval Settlement of the Barnacle Balanus amphitrite

Barnacles are one of the most common organisms in intertidal areas. Their life cycle includes seven free-swimming larval stages and sessile juvenile and adult stages. The transition from the swimming to the sessile stages, referred to as larval settlement, is crucial for their survivor success and subsequent population distribution. In this study, we focused on the involvement of calmodulin (CaM) and its binding proteins in the larval settlement of the barnacle, Balanus ( = Amphibalanus) amphitrite. The full length of CaM gene was cloned from stage II nauplii of B. amphitrite (referred to as Ba-CaM), encoding 149 amino acid residues that share a high similarity with published CaMs in other organisms. Quantitative real-time PCR showed that Ba-CaM was highly expressed in cyprids, the stage at which swimming larvae are competent to attach and undergo metamorphosis. In situ hybridization revealed that the expressed Ba-CaM gene was localized in compound eyes, posterior ganglion and cement glands, all of which may have essential functions during larval settlement. Larval settlement assays showed that both the CaM inhibitor compound 48/80 and the CaM-dependent myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) inhibitor ML-7 effectively blocked barnacle larval settlement, whereas Ca2+/CaM-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) inhibitors did not show any clear effects. The subsequent real-time PCR assay showed a higher expression level of Ba-MLCK gene in larval stages than in adults, suggesting an important role of Ba-MLCK gene in larval development and competency. Overall, the results suggest that CaM and CaM-dependent MLCK function during larval settlement of B. amphitrite

SmartAirCargoTrailer : autonomous short distance transports in air cargo

Purpose: SmartAirCargoTrailers improve short-distance air cargo transports within airport premises. They create real-time-transparency between the partners in the transport chain and thereby reduces waiting times while at the same time increasing equipment utilization. An autonomous truck with swap bodies facilitates these short-distance transports. Methodology: The SmartAirCargoTrailer system consist of an autonomous truck with swap trailers which is controlled by a cloud platform. To allow for real-timetransparency all shipments loaded onto the trailer are detected by a camera-based system. Findings: To enable reliable scannings of AirwayBill numbers (AWBs) a system of multiple cameras was developed. Challenges arose from the big variationin shipment size and scanning in motion. While the truck could be triggered automatically based on time or filling level, also human interaction had to be integrated. Originality: The system introduces a combined push-pull-algorithm to optimize the utilization of the autonomous trucks. The camera-based barcode scanning allows for shipment identification without interrupting the loading process. Autonomous driving in the mixed traffic environments of the landside airport premises is another innovative part of the project

Measuring the Ability of Mice to Sense Dietary Essential Amino Acid Deficiency: The Importance of Amino Acid Status and Timing

The authors are grateful for the helpful comments of Drs. Ron Wek, David Ron, and Evelyn SattleggerInternational audienc

Studium negativního účinku chromu a titanu obsaženého ve slévárenských barvivech na povrch odlitku z tvárné litiny

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