Articles tagged with Swimming
Researchers discovered that bacteria use a strategy called surface tumbling to slow down and reorient themselves on surfaces. This allows them to escape from surface traps and explore the surface for optimal conditions, leading to colonization and biofilm formation.
The discovery of a Spinosaurus skeleton in Morocco reveals unique swimming adaptations, changing the understanding of dinosaur ecology. The analysis suggests that Spinosaurus was an actively aquatic predator, hunting prey in rivers using tail-propelled locomotion.
Researchers analyzed 18 extinct reptile species and 14 modern relatives, finding similarities in the vestibular system of open-ocean swimmers, including cetaceans. The study suggests that distinct evolutionary routes resulted in similar adaptations for different types of terrestrial animals transitioning to marine environments.
Researchers created tiny biohybrid swimmers that can personalize drug delivery to treat tumors. The biohybrid swimmers, powered by genetically engineered E. coli MG1655 and red blood cell nanoerythrosomes, demonstrated a reduced immune response due to their nanoscale size.
Researchers developed a model that can predict the propulsive efficiency of cetacean fins based on shape and kinematics, revealing fundamental interplay between circulatory forces and added mass forces. The findings could influence the design of fast, efficient, and highly maneuverable underwater robots.
Researchers have developed a novel theory to explain the chaotic movements of particles in dynamic environments, where passive particles interact with active swimmers. The model suggests that such movements can be explained by Lévy flights, which arise from hydrodynamic interactions between swimmers and passive particles.
A new study by the University of Waterloo found that hormonal changes around puberty cause sex differences in airway size, which can impact exercise performance and the development of respiratory diseases like COPD and asthma. Larger airways in males generally led to better breathing efficiency compared to females.
Engineers at Caltech and Stanford have created a microelectronic controller that enables jellyfish to swim three times faster than usual without stressing the animals. The prosthetic uses electrical impulses to regulate and speed up the pulsing motion, making the jellyfish over 1,000 times more efficient than swimming robots.
Research published in Injury Prevention found that US states with comprehensive regulations for open water swim sites have significantly lower drowning death rates. States with stricter regulations tend to have lower drowning rates, particularly among high-risk groups such as people of non-white ethnicity and children/teens.
Researchers found that physical forces, including friction and stress, play a crucial role in shaping the chevron patterns in fish muscle. The team identified specific mechanisms, such as cell elongation and orientated cell rearrangements, that contribute to the formation of these patterns.
The discovery of Aegicetus gehennae sheds light on the transition from foot-powered to tail-powered swimming in whales. The new genus and species is found to be more fully aquatic, with adaptations indicating a transitional stage between early and modern whale locomotion.
A new species of fossil whale, Aegicetus gehennae, has been discovered, representing an intermediate stage between foot-powered and tail-powered swimming. The creature's body shape is similar to that of ancient whales like Basilosaurus.
Researchers at Tohoku University have cracked the code of centipedes' flexible motor control mechanism, enabling them to walk on land and swim in water. The study's findings will aid in developing robots that can adapt to various environments.
A freshwater protist exhibits a hierarchy of avoidance behaviors, suggesting it can change its response to an environmental irritant. The study confirms that single cells can exhibit relatively complex decision-making processes, making evolutionary sense given their apex predator status in aquatic environments.
Researchers at TU Dresden compared bovine sperm from different layers, identifying connections between metabolic rate, motility, and tail length. The study found that faster sperm show higher metabolic rates and longer flagella than non-selected cells.
Researchers identified nine cases of people who lost their ability to swim after receiving deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease. The study highlights the potential risk of drowning and emphasizes the need for supervised assessment before engaging in deep water activities.
Researchers discovered that bees use a specific wing motion to create a wave and propel themselves forward, essentially 'surfing' on the water's surface. This unique adaptation enables bees to escape drowning by generating a strong enough force to reach land.
A team of researchers at New York University's Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences found that fish swimming in orderly groups or formations spend less energy and move faster than when swimming alone. The best arrangement, diamond-shaped lattices, yielded the greatest speeds and largest energy savings, confirming a long-held belief.
A new computational analysis suggests that fish can minimize energy consumption by balancing muscle dynamics and hydrodynamics. The study, published in PLOS Computational Biology, shows that optimal swimming speeds depend on an optimal balance between these two factors.
Researchers created microscopic, 3D-printed tori (donuts) coated with nickel and platinum to mimic biological behavior. These 'micro swimmers' can swim in water, respond to signals, and transport particles, potentially delivering targeted drugs or aiding in micromixing.
Researchers used satellite images, drone photos, and machine learning to identify communities at risk for schistosomiasis. The study found that areas with floating vegetation near water access points are more likely to have high infection rates.
Research reveals that 76.7% of swimmers experience shoulder pain within the last 12 months, with distances swum exceeding 2,001 yards significantly increasing pain reports. The study also found that nearly half of athletes know peers using pain medication, highlighting a concerning trend in competitive swimming.
A research team led by the University of Tsukuba created the most complete recording of a human swimming underwater like an eel or lamprey. The study found that jets produced by coalescing vortices help explain the efficiency of this swimming method, which might be applied to novel propulsion systems.
Researchers created a squidlike robot that uses pulsed jet propulsion, achieving high speeds while minimizing environmental impact. The device can test water samples simultaneously, making it suitable for environmental monitoring.
New research suggests that mosasaurs used a unique swimming style that combined elements of both tail and forelimb movement. This dual approach may have allowed them to swim faster and more efficiently than previously thought, with powerful bursts of speed adding to their cruising ability.
Researchers developed Tunabot to better understand fish propulsion, which could lead to faster, more efficient propulsion systems for underwater vehicles. The robot's design was informed by studies of yellowfin tuna and mackerel, and its performance data sets a high standard for the field of fish robotics.
Researchers at the University of Illinois developed soft robotic devices driven by neuromuscular tissue stimulated by light, enabling biobots to swim and walk autonomously. The new generation of two-tailed bots uses skeletal muscle tissue and optogenetic neurons for propulsion.
Researchers have found a physical explanation for how bacteria swim against the current, with a new mathematical formula describing their motion behavior. The discovery could enable design of special tube surfaces to slow down bacterial migration.
Researchers designed a novel robotic jellyfish capable of 3D motion, leveraging reinforcement learning-based control to achieve high-order structure flexibility and yaw maneuverability. The system, inspired by Aurelia aurita, has great implications for bioinspired design of jet propulsion systems with agility.
Scientists have designed gold nanoparticles to mimic bacterial swarming behavior, creating a collective movement towards glucose gradients. The artificially created nanoswimmers exhibit chemotactic behavior, similar to bacteria, and demonstrate the potential for studying collective intelligence on the nanoscale.
Researchers found that men and women were more likely to question each other's sexual orientation if they engaged in non-conforming environmental behaviors. Women were also more likely to avoid men who preferred masculine behaviors. The study highlights the social consequences of gendered pro-environmental behaviors.
Researchers identified key genes involved in parasite adherence using a non-disease-causing species Crithidia fasciculata. The study found significant transcriptional differences between the swimming and adherent forms of the parasite.
Researchers found that curved shapes can facilitate efficient swimming and chemotaxis, but come with higher cell construction costs. This discovery opens questions about the shape of disease-causing bacteria and its potential industrial applications.
A study by Bertram Skibinski and colleagues compared seven water treatment strategies to reduce disinfection byproducts in pool water. They found that coagulation and sand filtration combined with granular activated carbon filtration was the most effective approach, but new strategies are needed to completely remove DBPs.
Research found that ocean water exposure can alter the diversity and composition of human skin microbiome, leaving individuals more susceptible to infections. Vibrio species were detected on every participant after swimming, with a significant affinity for attachment to human skin.
Researchers discovered that glia cells, not neurons, calculate when an effort is futile and send a 'quit' message to the body. Glia cells called radial astrocytes amp up their activity when animals stop trying, helping them decide whether to continue or give up.
Magellanic penguins exhibit no lateralization in stepping up, swimming, and thermoregulation. However, they display dominance through aggression, favoring their left eye in most confrontations.
A new method uses sound waves to trap and release single-cell green algae cells, allowing for rapid measurement of their movement. This technique accelerates the analysis of hundreds of cells in minutes, enabling researchers to study cilia dysfunction more efficiently.
Research suggests that climate change marches can increase collective efficacy beliefs, making people more optimistic about working together to address the issue. Participants who regularly consumed conservative media showed increased efficacy, while those who watched liberal media had more favorable impressions of marchers.
Scientists developed a reverse-engineered computer model to describe microscopic marine larvae behaviors, providing new insights into their dispersal and distribution. The approach abandons previous methods, revealing realistic patterns observed in nature, enhancing understanding of the marine environment.
Researchers discovered E. coli bacteria change behavior to navigate tiny obstacle courses, defying predictions of slowing progress. The study's findings have implications for biology, medicine, and robotic search-and-rescue tactics.
Researchers found exercise decreases eye pressure, while swimming goggles modestly increase it, potentially reducing adverse effects on vision. The study suggests that increasing eye pressure with swim goggles may be a safe and effective method to mitigate spaceflight-related vision issues.
Research found that screw-shaped bird sperm have high average swimming speed, but also higher rates of abnormal or damaged sperm. The study suggests a trade-off between swimming speed and robustness, with the more screw-shaped sperm being faster but more fragile.
Artificial microswimmers with forward and long-range vision form stable groups by perceiving the number of neighbors within their field of view. This process allows for efficient movement, evasion of predators, and adaptation to environmental stimuli without requiring precise location information.
Human sperm's ability to swim through cervical mucus is crucial for fertilization. Researchers have discovered that the tails of human sperm have a reinforcing outer-layer that provides the necessary strength and stability to break through the fluid barrier.
A new method has been developed using a microchip device that sorts sperm based on their swimming potential, allowing for faster and cheaper selection of viable sperm. This technology may improve IVF success rates, especially in women under 35 who have low chances of successful fertilization.
Researchers found that tiny swimmers can form large flocks swimming in the same direction, resulting in huge effects and unexpected behavior. The movement of microorganisms is crucial to research in materials science, engineering, and biochemistry.
A team of researchers found that hot great white sharks can swim at high speeds when commuting between islands, but prefer slower speeds when hunting for fat seal snacks. The study suggests that the warm-blooded lifestyle of these sharks allows them to conserve energy by using a 'sit-and-wait' strategy.
Fish and birds are able to move in groups without separating or colliding due to the interaction of followers with their leader's wake. This phenomenon allows slower followers to keep up with faster-flapping leaders by surfing on their wake, enabling efficient energy harvesting from natural resources.
A newly discovered reptile platypus from the early Triassic period has been found in what is now China. The animal, named Eretmorhipis carrolldongi, had a bill similar to that of modern platypuses and likely fed on small invertebrates.
Researchers tracked juvenile Emperor penguins for up to 6 years, revealing they initially swim far north to learn how to dive before heading south to the sea ice zone. The study highlights the unique connection between diving behaviors and the thermocline layer in the ocean.
A Rutgers study reveals that the body structures of blue crab larvae significantly impact their ability to survive. Contrary to an initial assumption, the study found no correlation between a mother's size and her offspring's larval characteristics.
Researchers at the University of Exeter have created miniature magnetic swimming devices that can swim to specific locations in the body, potentially improving disease treatment. The devices, measuring as small as one millimeter long, can be used to deliver drugs directly to affected areas, reducing treatment time and success rates.
A new study reveals that basking sharks can accelerate to over 90 degrees in just nine seconds, clearing the water at nearly 5.1m/s and reaching a height of 1.2m above the surface. The finding showcases the surprising speed of these gentle giants, dispelling their reputation as slow swimmers.
A microfluidic device created by Cornell University scientists can corral viable sperm in minutes, improving IVF chances. The device uses rheotaxis to separate highly motile sperm from weaker ones, reducing the time-consuming and tedious process of conventional methods.
Fiordland penguins migrate 3,500-6,800 km in 69 days, traveling up to 80km/day, and arrive at two feeding grounds near Tasmania and Antarctica. Their behavior may be a remnant from an ancestral species, with successful breeders departing late to reach these distant areas.
Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University studied how microswimmers navigate gels with contrasting results based on swimmer features and size relative to the gel's mesh. They discovered two mechanisms for achieving motion, one through breaking time-reversal symmetry and the other by modulating arm amplitudes
Researchers use light patterns to control bacterial swimming speed and shape, creating 'microbricks' for building microscopic devices. The genetically modified bacteria can be used as living propellers to transport small biological cargoes.
Researchers discovered that cave-dwelling corals can cooperate to capture and eat jellyfish swept against ocean currents. The coral species Astroides calycularis benefits from this coordinated effort by gaining access to a large meal.
Bacteria can reduce liquid viscosity and make it flow frictionlessly. Researchers at the University of Bristol found that bacterial suspensions can exhibit negative viscosity, a phenomenon previously thought impossible in physics. This discovery could lead to the development of bacteria-powered machines.