light HARMAN Completes Acquisition of Entertainment Lighting Company Martin Professional By news.harman.com Published On :: Fri, 01 Mar 2013 02:51:00 GMT STAMFORD, CT – Continuing its strategy of delivering exceptional professional audio and entertainment products to markets worldwide, HARMAN, announced today it has completed its acquisition of Martin Professional A/S of Denmark. Martin is a world leading provider of lighting solutions for the entertainment, architectural, and commercial sectors, and its acquisition advances HARMAN’s capacity to serve customers in a wide variety of applications and geographic markets with the most advanced, highly integrated AV and lighting systems. Full Article
light Kia x JBL Sound Tour Highlights Sound-Filled Partnership By news.harman.com Published On :: Thu, 01 Aug 2019 14:00:00 GMT Media guests, bloggers and influencers were recently invited to travel through Hungary and Slovakia on the Kia x JBL Sound Tour, an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience of the two brands’ sound-filled partnership. Organized from July 2-4, the Sound... Full Article
light HARMAN Professional Delights Indian Content Creators and ‘Prosumers’ With A Range of Exciting New Products By news.harman.com Published On :: Thu, 30 May 2019 16:32:00 GMT Full Article
light JBL® Pulse 4: Lights. Sound. Party. By news.harman.com Published On :: Thu, 05 Sep 2019 13:00:00 GMT 360° JBL sound. Vibrant lightshow. JBL’s Pulse 4 is here; party time or chill, you create the mood. From living room to beach party (and everything in between), the new JBL Pulse 4 provides incredible sound, with visuals to match. Full Article
light JBL® Pulse 4: Lights. Sound. Party. By news.harman.com Published On :: Thu, 05 Sep 2019 13:00:00 GMT 360° JBL sound. Vibrant lightshow. JBL’s Pulse 4 is here; party time or chill, you create the mood. From living room to beach party (and everything in between), the new JBL Pulse 4 provides incredible sound, with visuals to match. Full Article
light HARMAN Innovations in the Limelight at New York Auto Show By news.harman.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Apr 2015 18:30:00 GMT NEW YORK – Building on a busy year of new automotive technology introductions, HARMAN, the premium global audio, visual, infotainment and enterprise automation group (NYSE:HAR), will have a strong presence at the 2015 New York International Auto Show. From the company’s Clari-Fi™ digital music restoration technology to its next-generation QuantumLogic™ Surround Sound – HARMAN technology and solutions will be showcased in a host of new vehicles debuting at the show, highlighting HARMAN’s longstanding automotive partnerships and unmatched industry–leading innovations. Full Article
light Environmentalists shine World Cup spotlight on "vulnerable" mascot By feeds.reuters.com Published On :: Mon, 16 Jun 2014 14:50:00 -0400 June 16 - With attention focused on the world's greatest soccer stars in Brazil, conservationists are working hard to promote the plight of the animal being used as the official World Cup mascot. Known as Fuleco on posters and banners throughout the country, the three-banded armadillo is in decline, and conservation groups say FIFA and the Brazilian government should be doing more during the World Cup to ensure the animal's long term survival. Rob Muir reports. Full Article
light Test flight shows balloon space tourism no flight of fancy By feeds.reuters.com Published On :: Wed, 25 Jun 2014 17:24:00 -0400 Arizona-based company World View Enterprises says it has taken a major step towards launching commercial balloon flights to the edge of space, with a successful unmanned test flight that reached an altitude of about 23 miles. The company hopes to begin taking tourists to near space in 2016 with advanced technology it says will open up a new view of the Earth. Sharon Reich reports. Full Article
light The Northern Lights make a mysterious noise and now we might know why By www.newscientist.com Published On :: Wed, 03 Apr 2019 18:00:00 +0000 For 30 years, one man has been obsessed with the whisperings of the aurora borealis. His search for its origins may finally be over Full Article
light What can we expect from the new 'Twilight' book? By feeds.reuters.com Published On :: Tue, 05 May 2020 08:06:20 -0400 Author Stephenie Meyer thrilled fans of her best-selling "Twilight" novels by announcing she will release a prequel - but what can we expect from the new book? Full Article
light Southwest flights delayed by online booking glitch By feeds.reuters.com Published On :: Mon, 12 Oct 2015 08:34:00 -0400 Frustrated Southwest Airlines customers have been forced to wait in long lines for a second day as the airline tries to solve a technical problem with its electronic booking system. In the meantime, passengers are being told to prepare for delays. Katharine Jackson reports. Full Article
light US Airways makes final flight By feeds.reuters.com Published On :: Sat, 17 Oct 2015 12:48:00 -0400 US Airways flight 1939 lands in Philadelphia, marking the last flight for the airline which merged with American Airlines. Katharine Jackson reports. Full Article
light Smart windows can let visible light through while blocking out heat By www.newscientist.com Published On :: Mon, 27 Apr 2020 15:26:05 +0000 A 3D printed grate can be used to make a smart window that blocks heat from sunlight out in the summer while letting it through in the winter, conserving energy Full Article
light SpaceX mission control to do social distancing for first crewed flight By www.newscientist.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 23:09:02 +0000 SpaceX’s first crewed launch is planned for 27 May and will be run from a mission control with desks set six feet apart to comply with social distancing protocols Full Article
light Red light could be used to precisely target rheumatoid arthritis drugs By www.newscientist.com Published On :: Mon, 04 May 2020 14:57:21 +0000 People with rheumatoid arthritis often take medicines that can have damaging side-effects, but a system that uses red light to deliver drugs exactly where they are needed could help Full Article
light Health Highlights: April 26, 2010 By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Health Highlights: April 26, 2010Category: Health NewsCreated: 4/26/2010 12:10:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 4/27/2010 12:00:00 AM Full Article
light New Clues Shed Light on Sperm Function, Male Fertility By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: New Clues Shed Light on Sperm Function, Male FertilityCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/28/2010 8:10:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 4/28/2010 12:00:00 AM Full Article
light Health Highlights: April 27, 2010 By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Health Highlights: April 27, 2010Category: Health NewsCreated: 4/27/2010 12:10:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 4/28/2010 12:00:00 AM Full Article
light Health Highlights: April 28, 2010 By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Health Highlights: April 28, 2010Category: Health NewsCreated: 4/28/2010 12:10:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 4/29/2010 12:00:00 AM Full Article
light Sunlight May Play Role in Multiple Sclerosis Risk By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Sunlight May Play Role in Multiple Sclerosis RiskCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/29/2010 8:10:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 4/30/2010 12:00:00 AM Full Article
light Health Highlights: April 29, 2010 By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Health Highlights: April 29, 2010Category: Health NewsCreated: 4/29/2010 12:10:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 4/30/2010 12:00:00 AM Full Article
light Health Highlights: April 27, 2012 By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Health Highlights: April 27, 2012Category: Health NewsCreated: 4/27/2012 2:05:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 4/30/2012 12:00:00 AM Full Article
light Health Highlights: April 30, 2012 By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Health Highlights: April 30, 2012Category: Health NewsCreated: 4/30/2012 2:05:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 5/1/2012 12:00:00 AM Full Article
light Health Highlights: May 1, 2012 By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Health Highlights: May 1, 2012Category: Health NewsCreated: 5/1/2012 2:05:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 5/2/2012 12:00:00 AM Full Article
light Health Highlights: May 2, 2012 By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Health Highlights: May 2, 2012Category: Health NewsCreated: 5/2/2012 2:05:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 5/3/2012 12:00:00 AM Full Article
light Health Highlights: May 3, 2012 By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Health Highlights: May 3, 2012Category: Health NewsCreated: 5/3/2012 2:05:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 5/4/2012 12:00:00 AM Full Article
light Health Highlights: May 1, 2013 By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Health Highlights: May 1, 2013Category: Health NewsCreated: 5/1/2013 12:35:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 5/2/2013 12:00:00 AM Full Article
light Health Highlights: May 2, 2013 By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Health Highlights: May 2, 2013Category: Health NewsCreated: 5/2/2013 12:35:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 5/3/2013 12:00:00 AM Full Article
light Slightly Higher Risk of Birth Defects Seen in Pregnant Women on HIV Drugs By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Slightly Higher Risk of Birth Defects Seen in Pregnant Women on HIV DrugsCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/29/2014 5:35:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 4/30/2014 12:00:00 AM Full Article
light C-Section Rates Drop Slightly With Hospital Review Program By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: C-Section Rates Drop Slightly With Hospital Review ProgramCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/29/2015 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 4/30/2015 12:00:00 AM Full Article
light Nearby Lightning Shut Down a Woman's Brain Implant By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Nearby Lightning Shut Down a Woman's Brain ImplantCategory: Health NewsCreated: 5/1/2018 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 5/1/2018 12:00:00 AM Full Article
light AHA News: Director John Singleton's Fatal Stroke Spotlights Black Americans' Hypertension Risk By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: AHA News: Director John Singleton's Fatal Stroke Spotlights Black Americans' Hypertension RiskCategory: Health NewsCreated: 5/2/2019 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 5/2/2019 12:00:00 AM Full Article
light UV Light Won't Treat COVID-19 -- But It Might Disinfect Medical Gear By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: UV Light Won't Treat COVID-19 -- But It Might Disinfect Medical GearCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/28/2020 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 4/29/2020 12:00:00 AM Full Article
light Transplanted Skin Stem Cells Help Blind Mice See Light By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Wed, 22 Apr 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Transplanted Skin Stem Cells Help Blind Mice See LightCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/21/2020 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 4/22/2020 12:00:00 AM Full Article
light Webinar Recording "A New PubMed: Highlights for Information Professionals" By www.youtube.com Published On :: Wed, 09 Oct 2019 11:00:00 EST In this webinar for librarians and other information professionals you will preview the new, modern PubMed. The new PubMed, currently available at https://pubmed.gov/labs for testing, will be the default PubMed system in early 2020. Full Article
light AHA News: Could Sunshine Lower Blood Pressure? Study Offers Enlightenment By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Mon, 2 Mar 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: AHA News: Could Sunshine Lower Blood Pressure? Study Offers EnlightenmentCategory: Health NewsCreated: 2/28/2020 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 3/2/2020 12:00:00 AM Full Article
light The Hypercomplex Genome of an Insect Reproductive Parasite Highlights the Importance of Lateral Gene Transfer in Symbiont Biology By mbio.asm.org Published On :: 2020-03-24T01:31:01-07:00 ABSTRACT Mobile elements—plasmids and phages—are important components of microbial function and evolution via traits that they encode and their capacity to shuttle genetic material between species. We here report the unusually rich array of mobile elements within the genome of Arsenophonus nasoniae, the son-killer symbiont of the parasitic wasp Nasonia vitripennis. This microbe’s genome has the highest prophage complement reported to date, with over 50 genomic regions that represent either intact or degraded phage material. Moreover, the genome is predicted to include 17 extrachromosomal genetic elements, which carry many genes predicted to be important at the microbe-host interface, derived from a diverse assemblage of insect-associated gammaproteobacteria. In our system, this diversity was previously masked by repetitive mobile elements that broke the assembly derived from short reads. These findings suggest that other complex bacterial genomes will be revealed in the era of long-read sequencing. IMPORTANCE The biology of many bacteria is critically dependent on genes carried on plasmid and phage mobile elements. These elements shuttle between microbial species, thus providing an important source of biological innovation across taxa. It has recently been recognized that mobile elements are also important in symbiotic bacteria, which form long-lasting interactions with their host. In this study, we report a bacterial symbiont genome that carries a highly complex array of these elements. Arsenophonus nasoniae is the son-killer microbe of the parasitic wasp Nasonia vitripennis and exists with the wasp throughout its life cycle. We completed its genome with the aid of recently developed long-read technology. This assembly contained over 50 chromosomal regions of phage origin and 17 extrachromosomal elements within the genome, encoding many important traits at the host-microbe interface. Thus, the biology of this symbiont is enabled by a complex array of mobile elements. Full Article
light Sometimes You Seek the Spotlight. Sometimes it Finds You. By www.ncmedicaljournal.com Published On :: 2020-05-04T06:50:30-07:00 For decades, government, health systems, universities, foundations, exceptional individuals, and thought leaders across North Carolina have been testing, implementing, modifying, and just plain trying new ways of improving the way we seek, receive, and experience health care. More recently, North Carolina has been striving to not simply address the cost, efficiency, and value that are so frustratingly elusive in health care, but also recognizing that we simply need to improve the health of our residents. We have looked to interventions both compatible with and beyond health care to do this. The National Academy of Medicine, formerly the National Institute of Medicine, since 2016 has boldly laid out Vital Directions in Health Care, focusing on 19 priority issues and recommendations for health policy to better achieve health and well-being for all Americans. They have taken their show on the road, beyond the halls of Congress and think tanks and universities to the people on the ground in states across the country to present, discuss, listen, and learn how policy recommendations come to life. This issue of the journal highlights the National Academy of Medicine bringing its spotlight to North Carolina last November, an acknowledgment that states are often where policy is put into action, and that North Carolina has been a leader in innovating, planning, implementing, and evaluating again and again to get better and better results for our residents. Pull your chair up to the edge of the stage for a good read in the glow of the spotlight. Full Article
light Dehydroascorbate Reductases and Glutathione Set a Threshold for High-Light-Induced Ascorbate Accumulation By www.plantphysiol.org Published On :: 2020-05-08T08:30:48-07:00 Plants require a high concentration of ascorbate as a redox buffer for survival under stress conditions, such as high light. Dehydroascorbate reductases (DHARs) are enzymes that catalyze the reduction of DHA to ascorbate using reduced glutathione (GSH) as an electron donor, allowing rapid ascorbate recycling. However, a recent study using an Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) triple mutant lacking all three DHAR genes (herein called dhar) did not find evidence for their role in ascorbate recycling under oxidative stress. To further study the function of DHARs, we generated dhar Arabidopsis plants as well as a quadruple mutant line combining dhar with an additional vtc2 mutation that causes ascorbate deficiency. Measurements of ascorbate in these mutants under low- or high-light conditions indicated that DHARs have a nonnegligible impact on full ascorbate accumulation under high light, but that they are dispensable when ascorbate concentrations are low to moderate. Because GSH itself can reduce DHA nonenzymatically, we used the pad2 mutant that contains ~30% of the wild-type GSH level. The pad2 mutant accumulated ascorbate at a wild-type level under high light; however, when the pad2 mutation was combined with dhar, there was near-complete inhibition of high-light–dependent ascorbate accumulation. The lack of ascorbate accumulation was consistent with a marked increase in the ascorbate degradation product threonate. These findings indicate that ascorbate recycling capacity is limited in dhar pad2 plants, and that both DHAR activity and GSH content set a threshold for high-light–induced ascorbate accumulation. Full Article
light Author response: Functional neurologic disorders: Bringing the informal and hidden curriculum to light By cp.neurology.org Published On :: 2020-04-06T12:45:20-07:00 Dr. Sethi raises an excellent point about the term functional neurologic disorder (FND) in his comment on the editorial.1 It seems clear that reticence to use the term functional creates the ambiguity he mentions. Medically unexplained symptoms, categorized in the international classification of diseases as undifferentiated somatoform disorders, are a diagnosis that many providers are loathed to give. Whether that is because of concern about missing a diagnosis is not clear. Having evaluated and treated more than 400 of these individuals in the FND clinic at the University of Colorado, I can attest to the fact that patients arrive confused about their diagnosis. Multiple incorrect diagnoses, as Dr. Sethi points out, pack the medical histories of patients with FND, leading doctors and patients astray. I believe that the commentary by Perez et al.2 gives us the best chance for a way forward, by teaching a new generation of residents and fellows how to approach patients in a nonjudgmental and open-minded fashion. It took 30 years to add Functional Neurologic Disorder to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, and it is still parenthetical to the term Conversion.3 Stripping the diagnosis of FND of its stigma and empowering care providers to rule in functional disorders is an actionable step which should be taken. Full Article
light Reader response: Functional neurologic disorders: Bringing the informal and hidden curriculum to light By cp.neurology.org Published On :: 2020-04-06T12:45:20-07:00 I read with interest the editorial by Strom1 about functional neurologic disorders (FNDs). As a treating physician, I have struggled with the multiple diagnostic labels attached to these patients by physicians of different medical specialties during the course of their clinical disease presentation. A neurologist may assign a patient who presents with chronic fatigue the diagnostic labels of narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia, or chronic Lyme disease. A rheumatologist may assign the label of collagen vascular disease, and a psychiatrist may diagnose depression. This diagnostic ambiguity is troublesome for patients and clinicians alike. I contend that even the term FND needs to be revisited. A patient should be broadly labeled as having a functional disorder and only after characterization sublabeled and referred to an appropriate specialty physician. Full Article
light Issue Highlights By cp.neurology.org Published On :: 2020-04-06T12:45:20-07:00 Wardrope et al. (p. 96) reported on the feasibility of using an artificial intelligence tool to distinguish reliably between syncope, epilepsy, and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures in patients presenting with transient loss of consciousness. In an accompanying editorial, Cormac O'Donovan (p. 94) observes that "the likelihood of a one-size-fits-all diagnostic method is unlikely but should not deter the very important research in this field that needs to be performed." Full Article
light ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS [Issue Highlights] By www.genetics.org Published On :: 2020-05-05T06:43:41-07:00 Full Article
light Articles of Significant Interest in This Issue [Spotlight] By jvi.asm.org Published On :: 2020-05-04T08:00:46-07:00 Full Article
light Bringing light to ER contacts and a new phase in organelle communication [Cell Biology] By www.pnas.org Published On :: 2020-05-05T10:31:24-07:00 Functioning cells depend on the outward-facing plasma membrane (PM) effectively contacting the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which serves as a central hub for contacts with mitochondria and other intracellular organelles. The contact sites are critical to intracellular communication because they mediate intermembrane exchange of lipids, ions, and other small molecules that... Full Article
light Articles of Significant Interest in This Issue [Spotlight] By mcb.asm.org Published On :: 2020-04-28T08:00:17-07:00 Full Article
light Fly eyes are not still: a motion illusion in Drosophila flight supports parallel visual processing [RESEARCH ARTICLE] By jeb.biologists.org Published On :: 2020-04-22T03:44:39-07:00 Wael Salem, Benjamin Cellini, Mark A. Frye, and Jean-Michel MongeauMost animals shift gaze by a ‘fixate and saccade’ strategy, where the fixation phase stabilizes background motion. A logical prerequisite for robust detection and tracking of moving foreground objects, therefore, is to suppress the perception of background motion. In a virtual reality magnetic tether system enabling free yaw movement, Drosophila implemented a fixate and saccade strategy in the presence of a static panorama. When the spatial wavelength of a vertical grating was below the Nyquist wavelength of the compound eyes, flies drifted continuously and gaze could not be maintained at a single location. Because the drift occurs from a motionless stimulus—thus any perceived motion stimuli are generated by the fly itself—it is illusory, driven by perceptual aliasing. Notably, the drift speed was significantly faster than under a uniform panorama suggesting perceptual enhancement due to aliasing. Under the same visual conditions in a rigid tether paradigm, wing steering responses to the unresolvable static panorama were not distinguishable from a resolvable static pattern, suggesting visual aliasing is induced by ego motion. We hypothesized that obstructing the control of gaze fixation also disrupts detection and tracking of objects. Using the illusory motion stimulus, we show that magnetically tethered Drosophila track objects robustly in flight even when gaze is not fixated as flies continuously drift. Taken together, our study provides further support for parallel visual motion processing and reveals the critical influence of body motion on visuomotor processing. Motion illusions can reveal important shared principles of information processing across taxa. Full Article
light Mechanisms and consequences of flight polyphenisms in an outbreaking bark beetle species [RESEARCH ARTICLE] By jeb.biologists.org Published On :: 2020-04-27T01:37:02-07:00 Kelsey L. Jones, Rahmatollah Rajabzadeh, Guncha Ishangulyyeva, Nadir Erbilgin, and Maya L. EvendenFlight polyphenisms naturally occur as discrete or continuous traits in insects. Discrete flight polyphenisms include winged and wingless morphs, whereas continuous flight polyphenisms can take the form of short- or long-distance fliers. The mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) exhibits polyphenic variation in flight distance but the consequences of this flight variation on life history strategies of beetles is unknown. This study assessed the effect of flight on two particular aspects of beetle biology: (1) an energetic trade-off between flight distance and host colonisation capacity; and (2) the relationship between flight distance and pheromone production. A 23-h flight treatment was applied to a subset of beetles using computer. After flight treatment, both flown and unflown (control) beetles were given the opportunity to colonise bolts of host trees, and beetles that entered hosts were aerated to collect pheromone. A trade-off occurred between initiation of host colonisation and percent body weight lost during flight, which indicates energy-use during flight affects host acceptance in female mountain pine beetles. Furthermore, production of the aggregation pheromone trans-verbenol by female beetles was influenced by both percent weight lost during flight and flight distance. Male production of exo-brevicomin was affected by beetle condition following flight but not by the energy used during flight. These novel results give new insight into the polyphenic flight behaviour of mountain pine beetles. Flight variation is adaptive by acting to maintain population levels through safe and risky host colonisation strategies. These findings suggest mechanisms that facilitate the extremities of the continuous flight polyphenism spectrum. These opposing mechanisms appear to maintain the high variation in flight exhibited by this species. Full Article
light Floral vibrations by buzz-pollinating bees achieve higher frequency, velocity and acceleration than flight and defence vibrations [RESEARCH ARTICLE] By jeb.biologists.org Published On :: 2020-05-04T02:24:22-07:00 David J. Pritchard and Mario Vallejo-MarinVibrations play an important role in insect behaviour. In bees, vibrations are used in a variety of contexts including communication, as a warning signal to deter predators and during pollen foraging. However, little is known about how the biomechanical properties of bee vibrations vary across multiple behaviours within a species. In this study, we compared the properties of vibrations produced by Bombus terrestris audax (Hymenoptera: Apidae) workers in three contexts: during flight, during defensive buzzing, and in floral vibrations produced during pollen foraging on two buzz-pollinated plants (Solanum, Solanaceae). Using laser vibrometry, we were able to obtain contactless measures of both the frequency and amplitude of the thoracic vibrations of bees across the three behaviours. Despite all three types of vibrations being produced by the same power flight muscles, we found clear differences in the mechanical properties of the vibrations produced in different contexts. Both floral and defensive buzzes had higher frequency and amplitude velocity, acceleration, and displacement than the vibrations produced during flight. Floral vibrations had the highest frequency, amplitude velocity and acceleration of all the behaviours studied. Vibration amplitude, and in particular acceleration, of floral vibrations has been suggested as the key property for removing pollen from buzz-pollinated anthers. By increasing frequency and amplitude velocity and acceleration of their vibrations during vibratory pollen collection, foraging bees may be able to maximise pollen removal from flowers, although their foraging decisions are likely to be influenced by the presumably high cost of producing floral vibrations. Full Article
light Retinal slip compensation of pitch-constrained blue-bottle flies flying in a flight mill [SHORT COMMUNICATION] By jeb.biologists.org Published On :: 2020-05-05T05:22:41-07:00 Shih-Jung Hsu and Bo ChengIn the presence of wind or background image motion, flies are able to maintain a constant retinal slip velocity via regulating flight speed to the extent permitted by their locomotor capacity. Here we investigated the retinal slip compensation of tethered blue-bottle flies (Calliphora vomitoria) flying semi-freely along an annular corridor in a magnetically levitated flight mill enclosed by two motorized cylindrical walls. We perturbed the flies’ retinal slip via spinning the cylindrical walls, generating bilaterally averaged retinal slip perturbations from -0.3 to 0.3 m·s–1 (or -116.4 to 116.4 deg.·s–1) When the perturbation was less than ~0.1 m·s–1 (38.4 deg.·s–1), the flies successfully compensated the perturbations and maintained a retinal slip velocity by adjusting their airspeed up to 20%. However, with greater retinal slip perturbation, the flies’ compensation became saturated, as the flies’ airspeed plateaued, indicating that they were unable to further maintain a constant retinal slip velocity. The compensation gain, i.e., the ratio of airspeed compensation and retinal slip perturbation, depended on the spatial frequency of the grating patterns, being the largest at 12 m–1 (0.04 deg.–1). Full Article