(Press-News.org) WASHINGTON, May 30, 2023 -- How do flying insects like important pollinators locate odor sources in the great outdoors, despite encountering highly variable wind conditions? They use odor plumes — which travel like smoke and form when the wind blows odor molecules from their source — to track down sources such as flowers or pheromones.
But wind tunnels are typically unable to replicate realistic outdoor wind conditions. In Physics of Fluids, by AIP Publishing, University of Nevada at Reno researchers decided to explore microscale wind conditions in various outdoor environments to better understand what flying insects might experience while tracking odor plumes.
Authors Jaleesa Houle and Floris Van Breugel assessed the mechanical turbulence produced by ambient wind flowing over surface roughness elements such as buildings, trees, and fences and its role in odor plume tracking.
“Since we’re studying wind dynamics within the surface roughness sublayer, most known atmospheric similarity theories that describe properties of the wind profile are not applicable,” said Houle. “So, we use statistical analysis to find both spatial and temporally significant correlations between wind measurements for various sites where we collected data.”
They collected near-surface wind data from several sage steppe (shrub-filled grassland), forest, and urban areas in Northern Nevada and discovered near-surface wind direction is often highly variable over timescales of less than 10 minutes. They also found wind direction variability to be consistently higher in environments with greater surface complexity (urban areas) and lower at higher wind speeds.
“This is important because insects are typically tracking odor plumes in lower wind speeds, which indicates they are somehow making sense of the high directional variability they encounter,” said Houle. “Turbulence intensity is strongly correlated with standard deviations in wind direction, which might be useful for future wind tunnel experimental designs aimed at recreating more ‘natural’ winds.”
Based on their findings, Houle and van Breugel hypothesize an optimal range of wind speed and environmental surface complexity may exist to help insects locate an odor source.
“Further experiments will be needed to test our hypothesis and may help us better understand the implications of land fragmentation on the success of ecologically significant plume tracking insects, such as pollinators,” said Houle. “Beyond this, our results give a compelling reason for researchers to focus on increasing directional variability in wind tunnel studies if they want to uncover plume tracking behaviors that more closely resemble what we might see in nature.”
Next, the researchers will apply their findings to plume tracking wind tunnel experiments and a series of outdoor studies.
“During the summer, we plan to test our hypothesis regarding the types of wind conditions insects might prefer while tracking odor plumes,” said Houle. “In the lab, we’re actively looking for ways to create greater directional variability to better mimic natural wind.”
###
The article, "Near-surface wind variability over spatiotemporal scales relevant to plume tracking insects," is authored by Jaleesa Houle and Floris Van Breugel. It will appear in Physics of Fluids on May 30, 2023 (DOI: 10.1063/5.0147945). After that date, it can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0147945.
ABOUT THE JOURNAL
Physics of Fluids is devoted to the publication of original theoretical, computational, and experimental contributions to the dynamics of gases, liquids, and complex fluids. See https://aip.scitation.org/journal/phf.
END
How insects track odors by navigating microscale winds
An optimal range of wind speed and environmental surface complexity may help flying insects locate an odor source
2023-05-30
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Sleep health before SARS-CoV-2 infection and risk of long COVID
2023-05-30
About The Study: The findings of this study that included 1,979 women indicate that healthy sleep measured prior to SARS-CoV-2 infection, both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, may be protective against post–COVID-19 condition (PCC), also known as long COVID. Future research should investigate whether interventions on sleep health may prevent PCC or improve PCC symptoms.
Authors: Siwen Wang, M.D., of the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, is the corresponding author.
To access the embargoed study: ...
Association between heart attack and cognition
2023-05-30
About The Study: In this study of 30,465 adults without myocardial infarction (MI; heart attack), stroke, or dementia, overall, incident MI was not associated with an acute decrease in global cognition, memory, or executive function at the time of the event compared with no MI. The rate of decline in global cognition, memory, and executive function was significantly faster over the years for adults with an MI event compared with those without an MI. These findings suggest that prevention of MI ...
Volunteering, health, and well-being of children and adolescents
2023-05-30
About The Study: Using survey data from across the United States, researchers found that volunteering was associated with higher odds of excellent or very good health and flourishing in children and adolescents, and with lower odds of anxiety in adolescents and behavioral problems in children and adolescents.
Authors: Kevin Lanza, Ph.D., of the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living in Austin, Texas, is the corresponding author.
To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/
(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.15980)
Editor’s ...
Use of metabolic and bariatric surgery among youth
2023-05-30
About The Study: Use of and access to metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) have increased among U.S. youth and among most racial and ethnic groups. Compared with 2015-2019, MBS use in youths increased significantly in 2020-2021 during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, MBS rates in adults decreased in 2020.
Authors: Sarah E. Messiah, Ph.D., of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health—Dallas Campus, is the corresponding author.
To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/
(doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.0803)
Editor’s ...
Racial, ethnic, and language disparities in identifying and mitigating central line–associated bloodstream infections
2023-05-30
About The Study: The results of this study of 8,269 pediatric patients show disparities in central line–associated bloodstream infection rates for Black patients and patients who speak a language other than English that persisted after adjusting for known risk factors, suggesting that systemic racism and bias may play a role in inequitable hospital care for hospital-acquired infections. Stratifying outcomes to assess for disparities prior to quality improvement efforts may inform targeted interventions to improve ...
Philosophy aligns with economics on how to value future generations in climate policy
2023-05-30
A survey of philosophers finds they broadly agree with economists on the best way of valuing the environment of the future in policy decisions made now – although for different reasons.
In a new study published in Nature Climate Change, environmental economists including the University of Exeter’s Professor Ben Groom found consensus between the two academic disciplines over an aspect of climate policy known as the ‘social discount rate’, with philosophers offering support for a rate of 2% - a value predominantly backed by economists, and which is in line with UN climate ...
Researchers proposed a deep neural network-based 4-quadrant analog sun sensor calibration
2023-05-30
A spacecraft can estimate the attitude state by comparing external measurements from attitude sensors with reference information. CubeSats tend to use 4-quadrant analog solar sensors which have the advantages of extremely low power consumption, minimal volume, low complexity, low cost, and high reliability as attitude sensors, considering the limitation of satellite volume and payload. The performance of the sensor can be importantly improved by the calibration procedure and compensation model. However, the various error sources affecting the calibration of the 4-quadrant sun sensor lead to a complicated ...
Obesity increases risk of mental disorders throughout life
2023-05-30
Being obese significantly increases the chances of also developing mental disorders. This applies to all age groups, with women at higher risk than men for most diseases, as a recent study of the Complexity Science Hub and the Medical University of Vienna shows. The results were published in the specialist journal "Translational Psychiatry".
“We analyzed a population-wide national registry of inpatient hospitalizations in Austria from 1997 to 2014 in order to determine the ...
Researchers confirm the protective effect of hydrogen inhalation on declining brain function under hindlimb unloading conditions and disclose the underlying mechanism
2023-05-30
Astronauts are affected by various physical and chemical factors during spaceflight, resulting in a series of pathological and physiological changes. Many studies have shown that spaceflight causes oxidative stress and induces brain disorder in astronauts, negatively affecting neuronal function and brain structure. However, the underlying mechanisms and the countermeasures need to be further explored. Moreover, it is observed that hydrogen has preventative and curative effects on ischemia–reperfusion ...
Study finds 107-million-year-old pterosaur bones are oldest in Australia
2023-05-30
A team of researchers have confirmed that 107-million-year-old pterosaur bones discovered more than 30 years ago are the oldest of their kind ever found in Australia, providing a rare glimpse into the life of these powerful, flying reptiles that lived among the dinosaurs.
Published in the journal Historical Biology and completed in collaboration with Museums Victoria, the research analysed a partial pelvis bone and a small wing bone discovered by a team led by Museums Victoria Research Institute’s Senior Curator of Vertebrate Palaeontology Dr Tom Rich and Professor Pat Vickers-Rich at Dinosaur Cove in Victoria, Australia in the late 1980s.
The team found the bones belonged ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
DGIST restores the performance of quantum dot solar cells as if “flattening crumpled paper!”
Hoarding disorder: ‘sensory CBT’ treatment strategy shows promise
Water fluoridation less effective now than in past
Toddlers get nearly half their calories from ultra-processed foods
Detroit researchers to examine links between bacterial infections, environmental pollution and preterm birth
In lab tests, dietary zinc inhibits AMR gene transmission
Two UMD Astronomy space probes advance to next round of $1 billion NASA mission selection
New MSU research sheds light on impact and bias of voter purging in Michigan
Funding to create world's first ovarian cancer prevention vaccine
Scientists develop novel method for strengthening PVC products
Houston Methodist part of national consortium to develop vaccine against herpesviruses
UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry earns first NIH grant under new center for pain therapeutics and addiction research
Do MPH programs prepare graduates for employment in today's market? Mostly yes, but who is hiring may be surprising
New article provides orientation to using implementation science in policing
Three beer-related discoveries to celebrate Oktoberfest
AAAS launches user research project to inform the new AAAS.org
In odd galaxy, NASA's Webb finds potential missing link to first stars
Adding beans and pulses can lead to improved shortfall nutrient intakes and a higher diet quality in American adults
What happens in the brain when a person with schizophrenia “hears voices”?
Ant agriculture began 66 million years ago in the aftermath of the asteroid that doomed the dinosaurs
A new era of solar observation
The true global impact of species-loss caused by humans is far greater than expected – new study reveals
Smartphone-assisted “scavenger hunt” identifies people at risk for dementia
Green subsidies may have hidden costs, experts warn
Small brains can accomplish big things, according to new theoretical research
UTA professor honored for science education leadership
Decline of mpox antibody responses after modified vaccinia Ankara–Bavarian Nordic vaccination
Wider use of convalescent plasma might have saved thousands more lives during pandemic
Strong coupling between Andreev qubits mediated by a microwave resonator
UNF biological sciences professor receives NIH grant to study muscle atrophy
[Press-News.org] How insects track odors by navigating microscale windsAn optimal range of wind speed and environmental surface complexity may help flying insects locate an odor source