Stability analysis of flow structures in hovering using robotic experiments and flow visualizations

We investigate the kinematics and stability of hovering flight making use of a robotic experimental device that simulate the movement of insects or birds. We carried out this analysis based on the characterization of this movement with flow visualizations and particle image velocimetry -PIV-. First, we characterized the kinematics of the robotic device inside water. Therefore, it has been verified that the robotic experiments follow the desired input signal precisely. Second, we give qualitative and quantitative information from the experimental tests as a function of frequency and angular amplitude. The kinematics of the hovering flight produces vortices that are stable or unstable around the rigid flat plate, as well as one transient regime that has been also found between these two latter states. Finally, dimensional velocity field plus associated vorticity have been characterized in these flow regimes through PIV measurements, and we also validated the reproducibility of experiment finding excellent agreement between different set of experiments.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Theoretical parameters of trailing vortices versus aspect ratio of wing models

We perform 2D-PIV measurements to characterize trailing vortices in NACA0012 wing models for aspect ratios ranging between 1 and 2.5, and for chord-based Reynolds numbers from 7000 to 40000. Firstly, and regarding the influence of the Reynolds number, the increase of this dimensionless parameter generates a more concentrated and intense vortex, presenting, therefore, an increase in all its characteristic magnitudes: maximum azimuthal velocity and vorticity. Secondly, the greater the aspect ratio, the greater the vortex strength is observed. Thirdly, the radial location of the peak of the azimuthal velocity has a strong decay as the aspect ratio increases for Re=7000, but it changes its trend for Re=40000.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech.. Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Spain) Grant No. DPI2013-40479-P and DPI2016-76151-C2-1-R and Junta de Andalucía Grant No. P11-TEP-7776

DPIVSoft-OpenCL: a multicore CPU-GPU accelerated open source code for 2D Particle Image Velocimetry

We present a translation of the original Matlab DPIVSoft code to a complete open source code implemented in Python, to perform Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) in two-dimensions, in parallel, and with interrogation window shifting along with the double-pass window deformation approach using multiple iterations for each pass. The added value of the code is the use of the Open Computing Language (OpenCL) library to parallelize the original code on multiple Intel Central Processing Units (CPUs) and/or Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), so it can be run on all commercially available GPUs. Examples of flow application are included in the text using synthetic images generated from DNS data from John Hopkins Turbulence Database (JHTD) (Perlman, 2007), showing about 90x speedup over the previous Matlab implementation for a given test case.This research has been supported by one grant from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain (Grant No. DPI2016-76151-C2-1-R) and partially by the project B4-2019-11, 0837002010 from the Universidad de Málaga and the project PID2021-124692OA-I00 from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación // Partial funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga / CBU

PIV measurements of the effect of pulsed blowing jet on a NACA0012 wing model

Wingtip vortices are present in taking off, and landing operations and their presence in airport runways must be reduced. To that end, several strategies have been considered in the last decades, being the active control one possible technical solution. To compute the effectiveness of active control that corresponds to pulsed low-blowing-ratio transverse jet for the reduction of the wingtip vortex strength, we carry out 2D-PIV measurements in a towing tank for chord-based Reynolds numbers 15000 and 20000. We consider two cases: (i) no active control Rjet=0 and (ii) pulsating radial jet of blowing-ratio Rjet smaller than 1.7 (or momentum coefficient lower than 0.12) and different Strouhal numbers ranging from 0.27 to 0.94. Our observations show that the best reduction of wingtip vortex strength takes place at the lowest Strouhal number tested. We use the maximum azimuthal velocity and vorticity together with the circulation to quantify this decrease in the vortex strength. Besides, we define the spatial evolution of a disturbance parameter which allow us to detect again the optimal frequency that leads to vortex destruction.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Higher Order Dynamic Mode Decomposition of an experimental trailing vortex

The decay of trailing vortices is a fundamental problem in fluid mechanics and constitutes the basis of control applications that intend to alleviate the wake hazard. In order to progress, we use the recently developed modal-decomposition technique to identify the governing dynamics in an experimental trailing vortex. A particular emphasis is on the difficulty and usefulness of applying such tools to noisy experimental data. We conducted a water-tunnel experiment at a chord-based Reynolds number Re = 4 x 10^4 using stereoscopic particle image velocimetry measurements over a downstream range of 36 chords. The downstream evolution of the maximum of vorticity suggests that the whole wake can be partitioned into three consecutive regimes. A higher-order dynamic mode decomposition of the streamwise vorticity in each such part of the wake shows that the decay is well approximated by at most three modes. Additionally, our study provides evidence for the existence of several instabilities after the vortex roll up beyond about 6.5 chords

Evaluación por competencias en asignatura troncal de Mecánica de Fluidos

Este trabajo presenta una propuesta de evaluación por competencias para una asignatura troncal de Mecánica de Fluidos. Se propone eliminar el examen final para la evaluación del aprendizaje por una evaluación continua de cada uno de los objetivos de aprendizaje. La evaluación continua consiste en la resolución de problemas con múltiples respuestas en el aula de informática. Para demostrar la adquisición de la competencia definida en el objetivo de aprendizaje el alumno deberá responder correctamente al menos un 80% de los problemas propuestos para cada uno de ellos, con un mínimo de 10 problemas por objetivo. Este tipo de evaluación asíncrona se puede llevar a cabo en las horas de tutoría y permite la corrección automática de las mismas, consiguiendo simultáneamente un triple objetivo: (i) liberar de carga de trabajo al docente; (ii) asegurar un mínimo de calidad en la evaluación de la adquisición de las habilidades requeridas en una asignatura troncal y (iii) hacer responsable al alumnado de su propio aprendizaje, pudiendo evaluarse en cualquier momento del semestre y repitiendo la evaluación.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Non-motor symptom burden in patients with Parkinson's disease with impulse control disorders and compulsive behaviours : results from the COPPADIS cohort

The study was aimed at analysing the frequency of impulse control disorders (ICDs) and compulsive behaviours (CBs) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and in control subjects (CS) as well as the relationship between ICDs/CBs and motor, nonmotor features and dopaminergic treatment in PD patients. Data came from COPPADIS-2015, an observational, descriptive, nationwide (Spain) study. We used the validated Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson's Disease-Rating Scale (QUIP-RS) for ICD/CB screening. The association between demographic data and ICDs/CBs was analyzed in both groups. In PD, this relationship was evaluated using clinical features and treatment-related data. As result, 613 PD patients (mean age 62.47 ± 9.09 years, 59.87% men) and 179 CS (mean age 60.84 ± 8.33 years, 47.48% men) were included. ICDs and CBs were more frequent in PD (ICDs 12.7% vs. 1.6%, p < 0.001; CBs 7.18% vs. 1.67%, p = 0.01). PD patients had more frequent previous ICDs history, premorbid impulsive personality and antidepressant treatment (p < 0.05) compared with CS. In PD, patients with ICDs/CBs presented younger age at disease onset, more frequent history of previous ICDs and premorbid personality (p < 0.05), as well as higher comorbidity with nonmotor symptoms, including depression and poor quality of life. Treatment with dopamine agonists increased the risk of ICDs/CBs, being dose dependent (p < 0.05). As conclusions, ICDs and CBs were more frequent in patients with PD than in CS. More nonmotor symptoms were present in patients with PD who had ICDs/CBs compared with those without. Dopamine agonists have a prominent effect on ICDs/CBs, which could be influenced by dose

The evolution of the ventilatory ratio is a prognostic factor in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 ARDS patients

Background: Mortality due to COVID-19 is high, especially in patients requiring mechanical ventilation. The purpose of the study is to investigate associations between mortality and variables measured during the first three days of mechanical ventilation in patients with COVID-19 intubated at ICU admission. Methods: Multicenter, observational, cohort study includes consecutive patients with COVID-19 admitted to 44 Spanish ICUs between February 25 and July 31, 2020, who required intubation at ICU admission and mechanical ventilation for more than three days. We collected demographic and clinical data prior to admission; information about clinical evolution at days 1 and 3 of mechanical ventilation; and outcomes. Results: Of the 2,095 patients with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU, 1,118 (53.3%) were intubated at day 1 and remained under mechanical ventilation at day three. From days 1 to 3, PaO2/FiO2 increased from 115.6 [80.0-171.2] to 180.0 [135.4-227.9] mmHg and the ventilatory ratio from 1.73 [1.33-2.25] to 1.96 [1.61-2.40]. In-hospital mortality was 38.7%. A higher increase between ICU admission and day 3 in the ventilatory ratio (OR 1.04 [CI 1.01-1.07], p = 0.030) and creatinine levels (OR 1.05 [CI 1.01-1.09], p = 0.005) and a lower increase in platelet counts (OR 0.96 [CI 0.93-1.00], p = 0.037) were independently associated with a higher risk of death. No association between mortality and the PaO2/FiO2 variation was observed (OR 0.99 [CI 0.95 to 1.02], p = 0.47). Conclusions: Higher ventilatory ratio and its increase at day 3 is associated with mortality in patients with COVID-19 receiving mechanical ventilation at ICU admission. No association was found in the PaO2/FiO2 variation

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

Association between convalescent plasma treatment and mortality in COVID-19: a collaborative systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Funder: laura and john arnold foundationBACKGROUND: Convalescent plasma has been widely used to treat COVID-19 and is under investigation in numerous randomized clinical trials, but results are publicly available only for a small number of trials. The objective of this study was to assess the benefits of convalescent plasma treatment compared to placebo or no treatment and all-cause mortality in patients with COVID-19, using data from all available randomized clinical trials, including unpublished and ongoing trials (Open Science Framework, https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/GEHFX ). METHODS: In this collaborative systematic review and meta-analysis, clinical trial registries (ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform), the Cochrane COVID-19 register, the LOVE database, and PubMed were searched until April 8, 2021. Investigators of trials registered by March 1, 2021, without published results were contacted via email. Eligible were ongoing, discontinued and completed randomized clinical trials that compared convalescent plasma with placebo or no treatment in COVID-19 patients, regardless of setting or treatment schedule. Aggregated mortality data were extracted from publications or provided by investigators of unpublished trials and combined using the Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman random effects model. We investigated the contribution of unpublished trials to the overall evidence. RESULTS: A total of 16,477 patients were included in 33 trials (20 unpublished with 3190 patients, 13 published with 13,287 patients). 32 trials enrolled only hospitalized patients (including 3 with only intensive care unit patients). Risk of bias was low for 29/33 trials. Of 8495 patients who received convalescent plasma, 1997 died (23%), and of 7982 control patients, 1952 died (24%). The combined risk ratio for all-cause mortality was 0.97 (95% confidence interval: 0.92; 1.02) with between-study heterogeneity not beyond chance (I2 = 0%). The RECOVERY trial had 69.8% and the unpublished evidence 25.3% of the weight in the meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Convalescent plasma treatment of patients with COVID-19 did not reduce all-cause mortality. These results provide strong evidence that convalescent plasma treatment for patients with COVID-19 should not be used outside of randomized trials. Evidence synthesis from collaborations among trial investigators can inform both evidence generation and evidence application in patient care