A linear systems analysis of the yaw dynamics of a dynamically scaled insect model

Recent studies suggest that fruit flies use subtle changes to their wing motion to actively generate forces during aerial maneuvers. In addition, it has been estimated that the passive rotational damping caused by the flapping wings of an insect is around two orders of magnitude greater than that for the body alone. At present, however, the relationships between the active regulation of wing kinematics, passive damping produced by the flapping wings and the overall trajectory of the animal are still poorly understood. In this study, we use a dynamically scaled robotic model equipped with a torque feedback mechanism to study the dynamics of yaw turns in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Four plausible mechanisms for the active generation of yaw torque are examined. The mechanisms deform the wing kinematics of hovering in order to introduce asymmetry that results in the active production of yaw torque by the flapping wings. The results demonstrate that the stroke-averaged yaw torque is well approximated by a model that is linear with respect to both the yaw velocity and the magnitude of the kinematic deformations. Dynamic measurements, in which the yaw torque produced by the flapping wings was used in real-time to determine the rotation of the robot, suggest that a first-order linear model with stroke-average coefficients accurately captures the yaw dynamics of the system. Finally, an analysis of the stroke-average dynamics suggests that both damping and inertia will be important factors during rapid body saccades of a fruit fly

Corrected Numbers for fish on Red List

(First paragraph) Kelly Swing gives inaccurate numbers for marine fish species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. He also mistakenly conflates the scientific process of species assessment for the Red List with the separate political process of IUCN member voting (Nature 494, 314; 2013)

Avaliação do método do salicilato para determinação de amônio em extratos de solos minerais.

O método do salicilato para determinação de amônio em extratos de solo e água tem se mostrado uma alternativa prática e eficiente, embora pouco difundida e utilizada em laboratórios de rotina de análise de solo. Este trabalho objetivou avaliar o potencial desse método na determinação de NH4+ em extratos de solos brasileiros, comparativamente ao método padrão de Kjeldhal. Numa primeira fase, foram feitas avaliações dos fatores: luminosidade (luz natural e escuro), temperatura (ambiente, 37 e 70oC) e tempo de reação (20, 40, 60, 120 e 180 min) no desenvolvimento do complexo azul-esmeralda. Num segundo momento, após padronização da marcha analítica, procederam-se a extração do NH4+ em 12 solos brasileiros de diferentes naturezas e a sua determinação pelos métodos supracitados. As avaliações indicaram que a temperatura ambiente e a luminosidade natural não interferiram acentuadamente nas determinações de amônio de curvas- padrão. Porém a temperatura de 37°C reduziu o tempo para desenvolvimento de cor azul-esmeralda deste método para 60 min, permitindo ainda maior estabilidade da absorbância. Embora o método do salicilato modificado tenha permitido boa correlação com o método de Kjeldhal, foi observada uma capacidade diferenciada de recuperação de amônio em função do aumento de sua concentração no extrato, sendo essa interferência maior para o solo com maior teor de argila e matéria orgânica. Recomenda-se mais estudos com o método para que as interferências observadas sejam sanadas.bitstream/CNPS-2010/14866/1/bpd-133-metodo-salicilato.pd

Overview: Systemic Inflammatory Response Derived From Lung Injury Caused by SARS-CoV-2 Infection Explains Severe Outcomes in COVID-19

Most SARS-CoV2 infections will not develop into severe COVID-19. However, in some patients, lung infection leads to the activation of alveolar macrophages and lung epithelial cells that will release proinflammatory cytokines. IL-6, TNF and IL-1β increase expression of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) and VEGF, thereby increasing permeability of the lung endothelium and reducing barrier protection, allowing viral dissemination and infiltration of neutrophils and inflammatory monocytes. In the blood, these cytokines will stimulate the bone marrow to produce and release immature granulocytes, that return to the lung and further increase inflammation, leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This lung-systemic loop leads to cytokine release syndrome (CRS). Concurrently, the acute phase response increases the production of platelets, fibrinogen and other pro-thrombotic factors. Systemic decrease in ACE2 function impacts the Renin-Angiotensin-Kallikrein-Kinin systems (RAS-KKS) increasing clotting. The combination of acute lung injury with RAS-KKS unbalance is herein called COVID-19 Associated Lung Injury (CALI). This conservative two-hit model of systemic inflammation due to the lung injury allows new intervention windows and is more consistent with the current knowledge.Indiana University Health—Indiana University School of Medicine Strategic Research Initiativ

Market outlook of mineral-organic fertilizers in Brazil.

The aim of this work is to identify producers of organic-mineral fertilizers in Brazil and analyze the characteristics of the manufactured products