How inertial lift affects the dynamics of a microswimmer in Poiseuille flow

The transport of motile microorganisms is strongly influenced by fluid flows that are ubiquitous in biological environments. Here we demonstrate the impact of fluid inertia. We analyze the dynamics of a microswimmer in pressure-driven Poiseuille flow, where fluid inertia is small but non-negligible. Using perturbation theory and the reciprocal theorem, we show that in addition to the classical inertial lift of passive particles, the active nature generates a ‘swimming lift’, which we evaluate for neutral and pusher/puller-type swimmers. Accounting for fluid inertia engenders a rich spectrum of complex dynamics including bistable states, where tumbling coexists with stable centerline swimming or swinging. The dynamics is sensitive to the swimmer’s hydrodynamic signature and goes well beyond the findings at vanishing fluid inertia. Our work will have non-trivial implications on the transport and dispersion of active suspensions in microchannels.

Next Generation Oilfield on-Site Trace Chemicals Analysis by SERS

Accurate and precise monitoring of chemical additives in oilfield brine is an important aspect of oil and gas operations towards corrosion control and flow assurance. Many operators are required to monitor the residual concentrations of chemical additives in production systems at specific locations to monitor and troubleshoot factors affecting chemical deliverability and performance. However, residual measurements are extremely problematic due to many factors, including the surface active nature of the chemicals and high ionic strength of the brine. The error on residual measurements can often be over 100%. Residual measurement typically requires the collection of a water sample, which often needs to be transported to a centralized analytical laboratory. Analytical techniques used to measure residuals are based on several combinations of separation (e.g. chromatography, liquid-liquid extraction, etc.) and detection (e.g. various forms of spectroscopy). However, most of these methods lack portability and require tedious laboratory procedures located off-site. The current paper describes a nanotechnology-enabled Raman spectroscopy method developed and tested for monitoring chemical inhibitor residuals. Development of this technology with handheld instrumentation provides better detection and quantification of chemical additives in the field and reduces time and cost compared to sending samples to off-site laboratories for data collection.

EXPRESS: Observing Product Touch: The Vicarious Haptic Effect in Digital Marketing and Virtual Reality

Retail is rapidly evolving to construct virtual environments for consumers. Online product images, videos, and virtual reality (VR) interfaces enliven consumer experiences and are a source of product information. Since consumers are unable to physically touch products in these digital environments, this research considers vicarious touch, or the observation of a hand in physical contact with a product in a digital environment. Across eight studies, the authors use images, GIFs, and VR to show that vicarious touch affects consumers’ psychological ownership and product valuation due to the active nature of product touch which results in a felt sense of body ownership of the virtual hand. This is termed the vicarious haptic effect. Results demonstrate that it is not simply enough to have a hand in an advertisement, the hand must be touching a product. The vicarious haptic effect is strongest for people who become highly stimulated by an immersive VR experience (i.e., measured via the elevation in heart rate). The vicarious haptic effect is attenuated if the viewed interaction does not represent a diagnostic hand movement. The authors discuss theoretical and managerial implications for digital product presentation in order to encourage feelings of product ownership and valuation.

California sea lions employ task-specific strategies for active touch sensing

Active sensing is the process of moving sensors to extract task-specific information. Whisker touch is often referred to as an active sensory system since whiskers are moved with purposeful control. Even though whisker movements are found in many species, it is unknown if any animal can make task-specific movements with their whiskers. California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) make large, purposeful whisker movements and are capable of performing many whisker-related discrimination tasks. Therefore, California sea lions are an ideal species to explore the active nature of whisker touch sensing. Here, we show that California sea lions can make task-specific whisker movements. California sea lions move their whiskers with large amplitudes around object edges to judge size, make smaller, lateral stroking movements to judge texture and make very small whisker movements during a visual task. These findings, combined with the ease of training mammals and measuring whisker movements, makes whiskers an ideal system for studying mammalian perception, cognition and motor control.

Novel Oxidovanadium Complexes with Redox-Active R-Mian and R-Bian Ligands: Synthesis, Structure, Redox and Catalytic Properties

A new monoiminoacenaphthenone 3,5-(CF3)2C6H3-mian (complex 2) was synthesized and further exploited, along with the already known monoiminoacenaphthenone dpp-mian, to obtain oxidovanadium(IV) complexes [VOCl2(dpp-mian)(CH3CN)] (3) and [VOCl(3,5-(CF3)2C6H3-bian)(H2O)][VOCl3(3,5-(CF3)2C6H3-bian)]·2.85DME (4) from [VOCl2(CH3CN)2(H2O)] (1) or [VCl3(THF)3]. The structure of all compounds was determined using X-ray structural analysis. The vanadium atom in these structures has an octahedral coordination environment. Complex 4 has an unexpected structure. Firstly, it contains 3,5-(CF3)2C6H3-bian instead of 3,5-(CF3)2C6H3-mian. Secondly, it has a binuclear structure, in contrast to 3, in which two oxovanadium parts are linked to each other through V=O···V interaction. This interaction is non-covalent in origin, according to DFT calculations. In structures 2 and 3, non-covalent π-π staking interactions between acenaphthene moieties of the neighboring molecules (distances are 3.36–3.40 Å) with an estimated energy of 3 kcal/mol were also found. The redox properties of the obtained compounds were studied using cyclic voltammetry in solution. In all cases, the reduction processes initiated by the redox-active nature of the mian or bian ligand were identified. The paramagnetic nature of complexes 3 and 4 has been proven by EPR spectroscopy. Complexes 3 and 4 exhibited high catalytic activity in the oxidation of alkanes and alcohols with peroxides. The yields of products of cyclohexane oxidation were 43% (complex 3) and 27% (complex 4). Based on the data regarding the study of regio- and bond-selectivity, it was concluded that hydroxyl radicals play the most crucial role in the reaction. The initial products in the reactions with alkanes are alkyl hydroperoxides, which are easily reduced to their corresponding alcohols by the action of triphenylphosphine (PPh3). According to the DFT calculations, the difference in the catalytic activity of 3 and 4 is most likely associated with a different mechanism for the generation of ●OH radicals. For complex 4 with electron-withdrawing CF3 substituents at the diimine ligand, an alternative mechanism, different from Fenton’s and involving a redox-active ligand, is assumed.

OPEN PEDAGOGY: INDEPENDENCE AND INTERDEPENDENCE IN TEACHING ABOUT NEW MEDIA

In the quest for independence from traditional media constraints, open pedagogy — involving students in the creation of openly licensed materials — offers training in open culture practices alongside deeper learning. Our research builds upon an exploratory study by Hilton et al. (2019). We collected quantitative and qualitative data about the experiences of 85 students participating in an open pedagogy course project: creating content for the open textbook Humans R Social Media (HRSM). We asked students to compare their experiences working on HRSM with traditional learning activities (e.g., writing papers, taking quizzes). About 66% of students said the HRSM project had greater educational value than traditional learning activities. Most students (54.1%) also reported that HRSM helped them master more core academic content, and 51.8% said the project helped them become more collaborative learners. Although a small percentage preferred traditional learning activities, most students reported that open pedagogy’s focus on agency and choice enabled them to share their individuality and creativity. We also found that students valued knowing their work could be shared beyond the classroom; and that publishing, in the words of one student, “gave me more incentive to make sure my assignments were my best product.” This study tentatively reinforces the benefits of independent, hands-on learning as well as collaborative interdependence in an online environment. These findings suggest the active nature of open pedagogy holds rich possibilities for cultivating participatory learning activities, involving students in the creation of knowledge as they learn, and cultivating interdependent connection and community.

Staying warm is not always the norm: Behavioural differences in thermoregulation of two snake species

Thermal biology research compares field with laboratory data to elucidate the evolution of temperature-sensitive traits in ectotherms. The hidden challenge of many of these studies is discerning whether animals actively thermoregulate, since motivation is not typically assessed. By studying behaviours involved in thermoregulation, we can better understand the mechanisms behind body temperature control. Using an integrative approach, we assess thermoregulatory and thermotactic behaviours of two sympatric snake species with contrasting life histories, the generalist Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis (Linnaeus, 1758) and the semi-fossorial Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata (Storer, 1839). We expected that thermoregulatory behaviours would be optimised based on life history, in that T. s. sirtalis would show higher evidence for thermally-oriented behaviours than S. o. occipitomaculata due to its active nature. Thamnophis s. sirtalis actively thermoregulated, had higher thermal preferences (29.4 ± 2.5 vs. 25.3 ± 3.6°C), and was more active than S. o. occipitomaculata, which showed relatively low evidence for thermotaxis. Our results build on the notion that evaluating movement patterns and rostral orientation towards a heat-source can help ascertain whether animals make thermally-motivated choices. Our data give insight into the thermoregulatory strategies used by snakes with different life histories, and maximise the information provided by behavioural thermoregulation experiments.

DEVELOPMENT OF REFLEXIVE READINESS OF STUDENTS TO USE INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PROCESS OF TEACHING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Деятельностный характер современного высшего образования настоятельно требует сегодня введения в его содержание и формирования у студентов рефлексивных компетенций, что может говорить о важном направлении модернизации образования в целом. Это касается, в частности, и обучения иностранному языку, где существенным образовательным ресурсом становится использование интерактивных технологий, когда в условиях постоянного обновления информации становится столь необходимым ее рефлексивное обобщение. В этой связи использование студентами интерактивных технологий в ходе изучения иностранного языка с точки зрения их рефлексивной готовности к этому становится особенно актуальным, поскольку студенты не обладают еще достаточным умением выявлять причинно-следственные связи в лингвистических аспектах изучаемого языка. Проблема развития рефлексивной готовности студентов к использованию интерактивных технологий в процессе обучения иностранному языку обусловливается потребностью обновления вузовской системы образования, где имеют место определенные противоречия. Это касается, например, требования по решению проблемы расширения рефлексивной деятельности студента и недостаточной методологической разработанностью качественного введения рефлексии в процесс обучения иностранному языку с учетом использования интерактивных технологий. В связи с этим проанализированы методологические аспекты рефлексивных умений студентов вуза посредством интерактивных технологий. Таким образом, целью настоящей работы стало рассмотрение аспектов развития рефлексивной готовности студентов к использованию интерактивных технологий в процессе обучения иностранному языку. The active nature of modern higher education today urgently requires the introduction into its content of the formation of students’ reflective competencies, which can be said as an important direction of modernization of education in general. This applies, in particular, to teaching a foreign language, where the use of interactive technologies also becomes an essential educational resource, when, under conditions of constant updating of information, its reflexive generalization becomes so necessary. In this regard, the use of interactive technologies by students in the teaching process of a foreign language from the point of view of their reflexive readiness for this becomes especially relevant, since students do not yet have sufficient ability to identify cause-and-effect relationships in the linguistic aspects of the language being studied. Hence, the formulation of the problem of the development of students’ reflexive readiness to use interactive technologies in the teaching process of a foreign language is conditioned by the need to update the university education system, where there are certain contradictions. This concerns, for example, the requirements for solving the problem of expanding the student’s reflective activity and the insufficient methodological development of the qualitative introduction of reflection into the process of teaching a foreign language, taking into account the use of interactive technologies. In this regard, this article is devoted to understanding the methodological aspects of the reflexive skills of university students, in particular, through interactive technologies. Thus, the purpose of this work was to consider the aspects of the development of students’ reflective readiness to use interactive technologies in the teaching process of a foreign language.

Geotourism Destinations Online Branding Co-Creation

The application of brand theory to destinations has grown in the last few decades, with the destination brand personality being a viable metaphor for creating and positioning destination brands. An often-overlooked tourism typology is geotourism; more specifically, volcanic tourism, since it can be a passive element of any tourism form or active nature tourism. However, its potential is relatively unexplored in terms of online branding. For this reason, the present study analyzes online brand image co-creation, using 300 websites related to three unique volcanic tourism destinations—Iceland, the Azores, and the Canary Islands. Three different types of sources (destination marketing organizations, commercial, and editorial websites) created these contents. The results demonstrate significant differences between the communication of the three destinations, with Iceland, where there is less aligned communication, most valuing geo elements in their communication, and the Azores, where all stakeholders communicate similar brand personality traits, displaying more aligned communication regarding brand personality. In the Canary Islands geotourism is less explored as a destination offer and is consequently less communicated. Acknowledging the different brand positioning and the parity and differentiation points among destinations with the same baseline offer—volcanic tourism—can be helpful for destination brand managers to reignite tourism and promote a unique tourism experience.

Impact of Digital Marketing on Business: A Review

The marketers daily face new challenges to increase the growth of business and to catch the attention of customers towards their brand. Digital Marketing is one of the medium that can be utilized to promote the brands and connect with the customers across the globe. However, it is a challenging task to catch the attention of customers due to their active nature on multiple social media platforms. Now, it becomes tedious for the marketers to influence the customers and thus it is still an active area of research. This paper summarizes the major differences between traditional marketing and digital marketing, types of digital marketing, benefits of digital marketing and impact of digital marketing on business. This study would be beneficial for the marketers, researchers and academicians working in this domain as it provides deep insight into this domain.