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Physiology

Abnormal proteins in the gut linked to Alzheimers Disease – The Siasat Daily

Hong Kong:Misfolded protein build-up in the gut could contribute to the development of Alzheimers-like symptoms, researchers have shown.

This new finding, published in the Journal of Physiology, suggests a new treatment approach for Alzheimers disease that would target the gut before symptoms of cognitive deficits appear in patients.

As these proteins were found in the gut, this suggests environmental factors might be contributing to cognitive deficits seen in Alzheimers disease and other conditions, the researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, wrote.

Beta-amyloid, the misfolded protein known to be involved in Alzheimers disease, was injected into the guts of mice and travelled to the gut-brain (the nervous system in the gut), and also to the brain.

The proteins moved to the nervous system in the gut.

The misfolded proteins were seen a year later in parts of the brain involved in cognitive deficits of Alzheimers disease including the hippocampus, the part of the brain that affects the memory.

According to the researchers, these animals experienced cognitive impairment.

As this study was conducted in mice, it needs verification by looking for post-mortem changes in inflammation in the gut and brain of patients with Alzheimers disease, the research team noted.

This concept is similar to the transport of misfolded proteins from the gut such as those responsible for mad cow disease, said study senior author John A. Rudd.

If this is the case, a similar process may start in humans many years ahead of the manifestations of the classical hallmarks of AD including memory loss, and so prevention strategies would need to start earlier as well, he added.

Development of drug treatments for Alzheimers disease has been unsuccessful so we instead need new approaches for preventing AD development, the study authors wrote. This could be a potential route for preventing the disease by targeting these misfolded proteins in the gut, they noted.

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Abnormal proteins in the gut linked to Alzheimers Disease - The Siasat Daily

Physiology

News > Environment > The global abundance of palm trees – University of Leeds

A major study has conducted the first global assessment of palm tree numbers to better understand tropical forest diversity and reduce uncertainty about carbon balance in these ecosystems.

This study, which includedseveral Leeds researchers, surveyed the total numbers of palms in tropical rainforests around theglobe.

Led by Uppsala University (Sweden) and University of Campinas (Brazil), the research reveals that in the Neotropical rainforests such as the Amazon,palms are more than five times more numerous than in comparable Asian andAfrican forests. Many palms were already known to prefer land with a goodgroundwater supply, and the new study confirmed that palm trees were moreplentiful in wetter areas with less fertile soils and shallower groundwater.

Tropical rainforestsare often seen as synonymous with biodiversity. However, this diversity is notevenly distributed, and most plants in a given area belong to only a handful ofspecies. More than half of the total biomass in the Amazon rainforest isdistributed among fewer than 300 tree species including several species of palms.

Palms are among themost common tree species in the Amazon rainforest, but in some tropical areasthey are unusual, or conspicuously absent.Palms are more closely relatedto grasses than to the deciduous trees of the tropics. They therefore differ inmany fundamental ways, in anatomy and physiology, from other tropical trees.

These differences mayhave far-reaching implications when it comes to estimating uptake and storageof carbon in tropical forests, as well as their resilience to climate change.The new study provides knowledge with a vital bearing on further research intoboth of these aspects.

Aerial photo of Quistococha, a Mauritia felxuosapalmswamp close to Iquitos, Peru. Picture: Gabriel Hidalgo

By using large networks of forest plots, the researchers were able to compile a huge database of 2,548 plots and then quantified palm numbers relative to other tree species in the sample plots.The team drew heavily on the networks led by the University of Leeds, particularly RAINFOR, AfriTRON and ForestPlots.net.

Professor Oliver Philips, from Leeds'School of Geography, said:This study shows the exciting potential ofnew, collaborative science that reaches across the world's tropical forests.

We are linking more than 1,000 researchers via plotnetworks and the ForestPlots.net technology developed at Leeds. ForestPlots.netalone includes over 4.5 million tree measurements from more than 15,000different species. The first was made as long ago as 1939, the latest asrecently as last month.

This resource andothers like it combined a huge field effort to reveal the fundamental patternof the tropics' most iconic plants.

Study co-lead author,Bob Muscarella, from Uppsala University, said: To get a better understanding of tropical forests and reduceuncertainty about carbon balance in these ecosystems during climate change, wesummarised data to show how the number of palms vary around the world comparedwith other tree species.

Understanding thedominant species in tropical forests is crucial to recognising how theseforests function and how vulnerable theyre going to be to disturbances andclimate change in the future.

Livistonasaribus in Vietnam. Picture: Nguyen Xuan Hong

Study co-lead author ThaiseEmilio, from the University of Campinas, said: Impressive levels of palm abundance do not come as a surprise to manytropical forest researchers. Days of work may be necessary to measure all thepalms of a single hectare in some places in the middle of Amazon.

However, afair representation of palms in studies of tropical forests functioning is yetto come. Showing where and when palms must be considered is a majorcontribution of our new study.

Further information

Top image credit:Howea forsteriana in Lord Howe Island (Australia). Picture by WilliamJ Baker.

The paperThe Global Abundance of Tree Palms is published inGlobal Ecology and Biogeography 6 July 2020. DOI: 10.1111/geb.13123

For additional information contact University of Leeds press officer Anna Harrison viaa.harrison@leeds.ac.uk

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News > Environment > The global abundance of palm trees - University of Leeds

Physiology

The Now and Next of Cotton Scouting Technology – CropLife

When it comes to in-season management, the cotton crop presents agronomists with challenges that must be monitored.

With the plethora of technologies unleashed on agriculture for a wide range of crops in recent years, a number of individuals, companies, and organizations are working to test their mettle in the cotton market. Among those leading the way is Ed Barnes, Senior Director of Agricultural and Environmental Research at Cotton Inc.

Barnes works extensively with companies and Universities on identifying the best pathways to commercializing technology for in-season scouting, and there are several promising products and practices that have, or will soon, emerge for use in the cotton production cycle.

The ubiquity of phone connectivity has led to targeted, highly functional apps to provide support and help maximize every scouting trip in the field.

For example, while irrigation in the southeast and mid-south regions has increased substantially in cotton and other crops, its a tricky business. Hyper-local pop-up storm activity is the norm, which confounds weather models based on ground sensing technology. And less is understood about the physiology of cotton as far as the impact of moisture depravation how much yield is lost if no rain falls during boll fill time?

Developed by the University of Georgia in conjunction with Cotton Incorporated, the SmartIrrigation Cotton app has been available to alert field scouts to irrigation deficit issues in fields since 2014. The app combines data from a farm-based sensor station, which is required for maximum effectiveness, with data aggregated from a range of available sources: Meteorological data, soil parameters, crop growth stage, crop coefficients, measured rainfall, and irrigation applications. The app returns an estimate of root zone soil water deficits in terms of inches of water and percent of total, which can be used to decide whether the time is right to apply water to a field.

GA Cotton Insect Advisor is an expert system for determining Extension prescribed insecticide treatments for management of cotton insect pests in the state of Georgia. The app displays the most appropriate insecticide or tankmix after users provide the appropriate week of bloom, predominant stink bug species, percent internal boll injury, and other pests present. At present, the app is intended for management of stink bugs. Recommendations are based on information on the manufacturers label and performance data from research and extension trials the University of Georgia.

On the insect side, North Carolina State University offers its Thrips Infestation Predictor for Cotton, an online tool that uses weather data to make predictions on the intersection of thrips dispersal and the development of susceptible seedlings, allowing for optimum timing of insecticide application.

There are also resources available through the Cotton Incorporated website, Cotton Cultivated, with connections to state level cotton sites that will keep you current with the latest recommendations specific to your area, notes Barnes.

The recent wave of technology investment in ag features extensive work in the area of sensing technology. And while a lot of stand-alone systems have come and gone, the next wave of systems and concepts are more targeted and collaborative.

Barnes notes that unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are continuing to demonstrate their value for crop scouting, in particular for taking plant counts. Research at the University of Tennessee and at North Carolina State University have demonstrated that UAV images can provide very robust stand counts to help in cotton replant decisions, he explains. More and more tools are coming to turn these UAS images into information.

Farmwaves on-the-go crop damage recognition system on soybeans.

A bit farther down the path but very focused technology is Farmwaves employment of artificial intelligence to detect disease issues on cotton. Using a camera mounted to a piece of field equipment to capture images in real time, the Farmwave system is able to see and diagnose disease issues while mounted on a rig travelling up to 20 miles per hour. The algorithm is powered by soybean and corn disease data collected over eight years and validated by scientists, and the results have been very positive, says Chris Palczynski, Farmwaves Chief Sales and Marketing Officer.

SpadeGeo is a recently launched company looking to expand machine learning technology to the broader agriculture industry, with particular interest in cotton. Cofounder Bobby Vick, who left a UAV company to start the new venture, sees opportunity to collaborate with existing ag companies and help farmers make gains in difficult but essential activities such as irrigation control, pest monitoring, harvest timing, and stand counts.

Schrimpf, an award-winning journalist, has covered the agriculture market since 1998. He is Group Editor of the Agribusiness Group at Meister Media Worldwide, with full editorial responsibility for CropLife, CropLife IRON, and PrecisionAg Professional. See all author stories here.

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The Now and Next of Cotton Scouting Technology - CropLife

Physiology

Pirbright Institute: Pigs ideal for assessing flu antibody therapies – The Pig Site

They also demonstrated pigs are suitable for analysing the delivery systems used to administer the antibodies in order to provide longer lasting protection.

Having been successfully utilised for Ebola virus and respiratory syncytial virus, the use of antibodies to provide protection and reduce symptoms of influenza is an area of great interest. Although several influenza antibodies have progressed to clinical trials based on their success in small animals (ferrets and mice), the outcome has been disappointing as no antibodies have shown therapeutic effect in humans.

A previous study by Pirbright showed that pigs are good models for influenza vaccine studies as they are naturally infected by the same subtypes of influenza viruses as humans, have similar immune systems and are more comparable in size and physiology than smaller animals.

The teams new research, published in the Journal of Immunology established that a human antibody (2-12C) can neutralise the H1N1 2009 flu pandemic virus in pigs, thereby providing protection. Both the amount of virus and signs of infection in the lungs were reduced in pigs that received treatment.

Alongside testing the efficiency of 2-12C, the team also assessed a new antibody delivery method that works by administering the antibody genes to pigs. Once inside pig cells, the genes continuously generate antibodies, providing longer term protection than a single direct inoculation of antibodies. The team showed that this gene delivery method for 2-12C was able to protect pigs from signs of disease typically caused by H1N1.

The success of this antibody and delivery platform in the pig model indicates that these treatments could potentially also work in humans. The pig provides an excellent intermediate step between trials in smaller animals and humans and could provide more accurate assessments of antibody therapies against influenza.

Dr Elma Tchilian, Head of the Mucosal Immunology Group at Pirbright said: We are very excited that the pig model is becoming useful for testing and refining antibody treatments for life threatening influenza infections and could be equally useful for other infectious diseases.

This research was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

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Pirbright Institute: Pigs ideal for assessing flu antibody therapies - The Pig Site

Physiology

Male fruit flies’ decline in fertility with age is not only driven by changes in sperm – Mirage News

Infertility is one of the most striking effects of ageing. The impact of ageing on females fertility is more severe and much better understood, but it also affects males. Male reproductive ageing is less researched, but of those studies that do address it, most focus on sperm. However, ejaculate contains more than just sperm. Proteins in the seminal fluid are important for fertility, and in many animals, they have a dramatic effect on female physiology and behaviour. Little is currently known about the impact of male ageing on these proteins, and whether any changes contribute to poorer ejaculates in older males.

To resolve these questions, researchers at the University of Oxfords Department of Zoology conducted experiments in a model organism, the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. This species typically lives for less than five weeks, which means that researchers can very rapidly measure the impact of age on male fertility, and their sperm and seminal fluid proteins. This species is also highly amenable to genetic studies, which allowed the researchers to genetically manipulate male lifespan, to see how this impacted the decline in fertility with age.

Published this week in PNAS are their results which show that both sperm and seminal fluid protein quality and quantity decline with male age, making distinct contributions to declining reproductive performance in older males. However, the relative impacts on sperm and seminal fluid often differ, leading to mismatches between ejaculate components. Despite these differences, experimental extension of male lifespan improved overall ejaculate performance in later life, suggesting that such interventions can delay both male reproductive ageing and death.

Lead author Dr Irem Sepil, from the University of Oxfords Department of Zoology, says: These results highlight that the decline in fertility with male age is not exclusively driven by changes in sperm. The quality and quantity of the seminal fluid proteins also change as males age, and these patterns can differ from the changes seen in sperm, but still impact male reproductive function. However, a manipulation aimed at increasing lifespan also slows down age-related reproductive decline. This means that it is possible that drugs and treatments aimed at promoting healthy ageing could be co-opted to slow down male reproductive ageing.

Going forward, the researchers want to look into the health of offspring. In humans, children of old fathers are more at risk of certain medical disorders, but the mechanisms driving these changes remain unclear. Also, whilst a lifespan-extending genetic manipulation helped fertility in older males, it is not clear whether less invasive treatments, which might be used in human medicine, would work similarly. There is ongoing research to understand how we can increase the healthspan of individuals. The aim is not to live longer but to age healthily, slowing down the onset of age-related diseases such as cancer, Alzheimers and arthritis.

It is important to note that the work described here was on a species of fly. While ageing mechanisms are often similar across animals, to understand whether the patterns are commonly shared, they will need to be examined in other species.

Read the paper in PNAS: https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/06/30/2009053117

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Male fruit flies' decline in fertility with age is not only driven by changes in sperm - Mirage News

Physiology

Bringing smart science used to protect premiership footballers to the offshore market in the fight against Covid-19 – Bdaily

Tyneside-based marine engineering specialists, TSG Marine, is taking the latest molecular technology offshore to support the energy sector on its journey out of the Covid-19 crisis.

Utilising the same smart science used to protect premiership football players and staff in stadiums, TSG Marine has secured a deal to make the technology available to oil and gas, marine and renewable assets operating in the North Sea and beyond.

Energy companies have been particularly hard hit during the pandemic and ensuring offshore teams and their families are protected against the transmission of the Covid-19 virus is critical.

Going beyond disinfecting an environment, TSG Marine is deploying a rapid sanitisation system which not only renders a workplace virus-free but a molecular layer, when applied to surfaces, kills all viral, bacterial, mould and organisms for up to 30 days.

TSG Marines Protect+ is a process based on science, using the physiology of viruses, bacteria, mould and organisms against them.

When applied to a surface, ZOONO leaves behind a mono-molecular layer that bonds to the surface. These molecules form a barrier of positively charged microscopic spines that attract and pierce pathogens causing them to break up with lethal effect. This layer of molecular antimicrobial spines is laboratory tested to carry on working for up to 30 days on surfaces and isnt disrupted by regular cleaning practices.

TSG Marine, managing director, Erika Leadbeater, said: Were working with companies in the offshore energy sector as they plan their route out of the COVID-19 crisis. Its important we establish new ways of working that protect their teams and we believe this technology is the solution.

We work with our customers to design the most appropriate programme for their facilities to reduce risk, identifying high transmission areas, utilising fogging for maximum coverage and spray application for exterior locations. With training and supplies of top-up fluids for high contact areas, we will work with the infield personnel to educate and inform, keeping their environment safe. On completion, our technicians will issue a certificate of sanitation which customers can use to help reassure workers of their safety.

We are also bringing temperature monitoring equipment, as weve seen deployed in airports, to help the industry test workers joining facilities for signs of infection. This not only reduces the spread of the virus but ensures those workers showing signs of infection are not putting their own health at risk by travelling offshore.

This non-contact, fast screening process, utilises artificial intelligence to detect elevated temperatures in up to 30 people a second with an accuracy range of +/-0.5oC. Together with TSG Marines expertise in marine and offshore environments, this technology can be applied to make the offshore industry safer amidst a public health crisis that is challenging all companies to change the way they do things.

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Bringing smart science used to protect premiership footballers to the offshore market in the fight against Covid-19 - Bdaily

Anatomy

Kanpur Bloodbath: Understanding the Anatomy of an ‘Encounter of the Police’ – The Wire

From what has appeared in the media, the death of eight Kanpur police officials in the line of duty is being projected as a simple trap or ambush into which an unsuspecting police party had walked in. That was apparently the third attempt that night to get to the notorious criminal, Vikas Dubey. However, a professional analysis of such an incident must not stop at that.

It must be kept in mind that the usual tendency of official departments is to avoid such analysis at all costs, brushing everything under the carpet of routinely made citations for medals. For example, the report of the one-man inquiry committee, headed by the former BSF chief E.N. Rammohan, into the naxal ambush on a CRPF party in Chintalnar, Chhattisgarh, on April 6, 2010 in which 76 personnel were killed, was never shown to CRPF field officers. How then can one expect any course correction from them?

Did darkness put the police to disadvantage?

It is claimed that streetlights were smashed and that the road was blocked with a JCB. The question is, so what? An argument that it was pitch dark and hence the police could not see the assailants is illogical because it was the thirteenth day of the bright half of the lunar cycle, the full moon coming on July 5. Moreover, there is no reason to suspect the assailants had night vision devices.

With the main beams of the headlights of their vehicles which are presumably on compliance with the Central Motor Vehicle Rules the police should have been able to see the JCB from a distance of 155 metres. This should have set alarm bells ringing and they should have got down immediately and taken defensive positions pending the arrival of reinforcements and protective equipment.

The JCB was parked some 50m away from Dubeys house. Had they stopped immediately upon seeing it from a distance and waited for reinforcements, their assailants would have found themselves at a considerable distance, making it very difficult for all but the most skilled shooters to take pot shots at them.

Also read: Police Demolish Mansion But Kanpur Gangsters Clout Was Built on Deep Political Connections

It is also reported that the police searchlights drew more fire. If that is correct, it is was an elementary mistake. In fact, remotely operated searchlights have been developed even by the DRDO precisely for such situations. The police department is answerable as to why such elementary things have not been procured.

Tactical mistakes in the operation

It has been reported that the police party started walking towards the gangsters house. If that is correct, walking in the open without any protection was a fatal mistake.

An earthmover vehicle is used to remove mangled remains of a car during the demolition of the residence of criminal Vikay Dubey, after an encounter in Bikaru village where 8 police personnel lost their lives, in Kanpur, Saturday, July 4, 2020. Photo: PTI

Media reports suggest that the police party did not have bullet resistant jackets or helmets. This is intriguing. If everybody knew that they were going to face a daredevil criminal, why did they not prepare accordingly? Were they under an impression, for whatever reason, that Dubey would give in meekly? The post-incident inquiry must examine this aspect also.

Regarding the death of the DySP Devendra Mishra, it is reported that he took shelter (or was dragged) in a house which unfortunately, turned out to belong to Dubeys maternal uncle, Prem Prakash Pandey, and was shot there in the head. One SI and one constable were also found dead there. Two were found outside the door; and one was found in the verandah of the same house. Five cops are said to have taken cover in a half-built toilet about 20 metres from the rear boundary of the house but that did not help them. Amar Ujala reports that the DySPs body was mutilated with a sharp-edged weapon, whereas the five bodies were piled onto each other.

It has also been reported that the Amar Dubey, nephew of Vikas Dubey, snatched some weapons of the police. In all, an AK-47, an INSAS rifle and two pistols were snatched.

If the DySP was dragged inside some house and if Amar Dubey snatched weapons, it would mean that multiple assailants were on the ground too and were not just firing from the safe sanctuary of rooftops.

Also watch | Kanpur Encounter: How 8 Policemen Were Shot in an Ambush by Vikas Dubeys Men

These accounts, if true, would indicate that there was either little controlled firing by the police party or that they had run out of ammunition by the time the assailants closed in. A post-incident inquiry must examine this.

As it happens in any ambush, those who had planned it must have ensured that, first, they themselves have adequate cover from return fire and concealment; and second, that possible covers, which the targets could take, are subjected to fire in such a manner that the cover is effectively neutralised.

The layout of the ambush must be carefully examined by investigators. It would also give an idea of the time taken in laying the ambush. That would, in turn, given an idea of when they would have got the information regarding the impending raid.

It appears that the police were first taken surprised by hostile fire and then outgunned, making return fire ineffective. In the end, it became an encounter of the police.

Was Information of the impending raid leaked?

That the information about an impending raid might have been leaked is extremely likely. Media sources cite the state DGP admitting this and an SHO ,Vinay Tiwari of Chaubepur PS, has been suspended.

However, that leakage alone was not responsible for the fatalities.

A much more glaring failure was that of the intelligence machinery. They had obviously no idea of the sort of weaponry which this criminal possessed. Given that kind of weaponry, even if the information were not leaked, the criminals could have still poured in deadly fire from inside Dubeys house and inflicted heavy casualties.

His house (demolished by the same JCB on July 4) is believed to have a dozen CCTV cameras. Taking him by complete surprise was not possible.

After all, the options before a police party supposedly going to arrest somebody are limited by law. They could neither bulldoze their way into his house (there was no bulldozer anyway, nor is it legal to do so), nor enter it surreptitiously. Knocking on the door was the only feasible option and that would have given him enough notice to position shooters and weapons before he answered the bell.

Intelligence lacking on weaponry

Much is being made of the alleged use of automatic weapons like the AK series rifles. That raises very serious questions. From where are they getting those rifles? Why could intelligence never make any headway on this issue? They have obviously no clue because if they had any idea, the next question would be why the source of supply was not disrupted.

Also read: Kanpur Gangster Assaulted, Humiliated Police Party Before Gunning Down 8 Policemen

Even before I entered service 34 years ago, we had been hearing that illegal firearms are manufactured in Munger (Bihar), Malda, Howrah (WB), parts of Jharkhand, Dharmpuri, Theni (TN), Mirzapur-Bardah (UP-Bihar), Daulatpur and Baisar (Bihar) and Bamhaur (Azamgarh, UP) etc. Now these places are neither in Antarctica nor, in the words of the opening voice-over of Star Trek, places Where no man has gone before.

What has prevented the police and the intelligence machinery of the states and Centre from identifying them, hunting them down and destroying them during all these decades? Do they mean to tell the people of the nation that these arms manufacturing units are run 100 feet deep underground and have such a secretive network of operatives that no one ever gets any wind of them?

It is either most despicable, rank incompetence or good, old corruption in the ranks of the police and the intelligence department. Odds are in favour of the latter.

Moreover, let no one give an outrageous theory that the AK series rifles could have been made in the bad lands of Munger etc. That would be a crass attempt to hide their incompetence. From an engineering perspective, it is simply not possible. There is no way one could make a complex thing like the bolt of an AK rifle or barrel, without possessing machines made specifically for the job and those machines are not made in India. Making a double barrel shot gun in craft production is one thing; making an automatic rifle quite another.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath pays tribute to policemen who lost their lives in an encounter at Bikaru village, at Police Line in Kanpur, Friday, July 3, 2020. Photo: PTI

Making the parts of a modern rifle like the rotating bolt carrier etc. necessarily requires factories and sophisticated machines made specifically for that purpose. Rifling a barrel, for example, requires something called a rifle lathe. The lands and grooves in a typical rifling are cut and measured in a thousandth of an inch. You cannot make such parts with a file or drill in your hands. The bullet fits the rifling of the barrel to within one-thousandth of an inch. The tolerances being so small, this sort of accuracy can come only with sophisticated machines.

Making ammunition for the rifles is even more difficult as it is impossible to make the chemicals required in your backyard. The intelligence should have also known from where they get the ammunition because it is a consumable item; rifles procured once could last for years, but you need ammunition regularly.

Why did Dubey kill the police?

Normally, even hardened criminals avoid killing policemen for fear of obvious repercussions and reprisals. If Dubey did kill as many as eight of them, it obviously means that he might have sincerely believed that the police party had paid a visit not to arrest him but to eliminate him in an encounter. With the elaborate preparations that they made for the ambush, it appears that opening fire on the police was not an act of reckless bravado. He did it deliberately.

The point is, if he had been able to avoid jail all these years and had such clout that he got bail even in a case where he had killed Santosh Shukla, a politician of the rank of minister-of-state, inside Shivli police station and later got acquittal, why would he suddenly become so wary of getting arrested?

If he indeed believed so, it would follow that the culture of encounters that has been so assiduously built up by the UP police as a way of fighting crime can prove to be horrendously counter-productive.

Also read: A Chronicle of the Crime Fiction That is Adityanaths Encounter Raj

The media is now carrying stories how Dubey, in the past, had fired at a police team and taken a circle office captive; how he had slapped a DIG (Prisons); and how he had organised a gherao led by two MLAs of a police station when he was arrested, etc. The question is, when all this was known all these years, why did successive governments soft-pedal on him?

Talking of the political patronage enjoyed by Vikas Dubey is pointless now. If a criminal has survived comfortably in this field for so long, he must obviously have had the right connections at a thousand places, not just a few. Moreover, if he got bail and later acquittal in a murder case, he got it through the courts. Why was the matter not challenged until its logical end, that is, the Supreme Court? To mention political connections as the source of his bail automatically casts aspersions on the judiciary also. Are they prepared to level that allegation and face the consequences?

Lessons for the future

This incident raises serious questions about the preparedness of state police forces for combat in urban areas (as against combat in jungles), also variously known as FIBUA (fighting in built-up areas), UO (urban operations), MOUT (military operations in urban terrain) or by the archaic term CQB (close quarter battle).

The security forces in India habitually shy away from the intellectual exertion needed to master anything new and boast that the mere fact of donning the uniform entitles them to fight anytime, anywhere against anybody. Unfortunately, real life is different.

Indian security personnel do not have any institutional doctrine or detailed tactics, technique and procedures for urban or jungle combat. Whenever they have been obliged to operate in urban areas, they have fumbled and messed up. Their first exposure of urban combat was during Operation Blue Star at the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar in June 1984. They messed it up badly; eventually tanks had to be called in and the repercussions of the extensive collateral damage to the religious structures therein were heavy. One prime minister was assassinated and thousands of innocent people were killed in the communal massacres that immediately followed her assassination.

In almost all the operations that the Army/Rashtriya Rifles have been undertaking against terrorists in Kashmir, they end up blasting entire houses with explosive charges because the science of house intervention is not practiced the way the world does it. This habit of blasting houses has actually led to a great deal of alienation there. No one, not even a child, has ever believed in the pet theory touted for the benefit of ignoramuses that brick-cement houses van catch fire from bullets. It is a matter of simple physical chemistry that bullets cannot start fires or collapse houses.

In my opinion, officers and men of district police forces are mostly unsuitable for undergoing the rigours of the training in combat, both physically and mentally. Moreover, very few would be willing for this kind of thing, leaving the crores of rupees they could make in the districts. A practical solution would be to have a select band of at least a platoon each at the districts. These men must have volunteered for it and they can be especially trained. It is understood that special training infrastructure needs to be developed for both urban and jungle combat and suitable equipment procured. That is a matter of separate detail but can be provided.

Combat is a science that needs to be mastered with great effort. In this realm, the price of error, bravado or ignorance is indeed death.

Dr. N.C. Asthana, a retired IPS officer, has been DGP Kerala and a long-time ADG CRPF/BSF. Amongst his 46 books, he has also authored Ultimate Handbook of Urban Warfare.

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Kanpur Bloodbath: Understanding the Anatomy of an 'Encounter of the Police' - The Wire

Anatomy

The anatomy of a rule-breaker’s mind – News – Khaleej Times

So much has been written about those who care to stay safe and go to great lengths to ensure minimum risk from the Covid-19 fallout. There are some who have literally barricaded themselves against the outside world and if that is what floats their boat so be it. Nothing wrong.

But not much is written on the mindset of those who seem to think the rules are not for them and they can cheerfully defy the advice or orders and do their own thing. This includes making a mash of social distancing at pools and on beaches, dropping the mask at every opportunity, getting together with friends surreptitiously and thinking they are achieving some medal of honour for outsmarting the system, taking chances because what the heck you only live once, so enough already, let's party. There are even those who jeopardise their kids by taking them along otherwise it ruins their fun.

It is pretty much the same mental reasoning (or lack of it) that stops people wearing a seatbelt or lets them drive rashly and under the influence. Psychiatrists says it is intrinsic to human nature to defy authority and it makes folks feel brave and heroic. It is a kind of high and "researchers from the University of Washington, Harvard University and other institutions found rule-breakers feel smarter and more capable along with being in an unexpectedly good mood after breaking a rule".

If freedom is a place where there is nothing left to do then that freedom finds expression in being a maverick. It works in the mind as a strike for the individuality, see I do not care, I am doing my own thing. There is something romantic about being the lone wolf, the class cheat, the free spirit. That it amounts to foolishness is swiftly ignored.

Another factor that drives the rule breaker is laziness. Such people cannot abide inconvenience to themselves and any rules that increase their effort line is met with resistance. Whatever the level of danger the discomfort of staying home is trumped by the need for self gratification. In much the same way many of us are afraid of being left out, left behind, left on the sidelines of life as we see it so we need to give presence even if goes against plain common sense.

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The anatomy of a rule-breaker's mind - News - Khaleej Times

Anatomy

Anatomy of a Try: Andy Muirhead vs Melbourne Rebels – Green and Gold Rugby

Anatomy of a Try: Andy Muirhead vs Melbourne Rebels

There is something about the set play and Australian Rugby, its in the DNA. Personally Im a big big fan of strike moves and in both the Australian games yesterday we saw two fantastic tries attacking the transition zone.

The Brumbies exploited the space at the tail of the lineout for Muirheads try and the Waratahs sent Maddock over for a cracker right through the gaping chasm left by the Reds.

That space is going to close up pretty quickly now its been exploited so openly but there was enough in both those tries to flag up there is plenty of detailed analysis going on, making these set plays hard to stop even when you know they are coming.

Lets have a look at Muirheads try, because despite the ridiculous ease in which it seemed to be scored, there is actually some cracking small-details work by the Brumbies that has a big part to play in stopping the Rebels shutting down something which should have been very stoppable.

Lets first of all look at how the Rebels are defending here.

Weve got Korobite defending at 2, makes sense as a big powerful hitter defending the narrow side.

Weve got Uelese defending in the halfback position. This is the norm, his job is going to be close off the attack around the tail of the line out and defend the punch through the middle of the line should the Brumbies pull a Red Sea and part it.

Sitting in behind both of them in the 11 position is Louwrens, and he is key and who the Brumbies actually exploit to create the try (stick with me this will make sense).

Then in defending at 10 we have Hardwick with Toomua defending in the 12 channel.

The Brumbies set is simple.

Swain and Douglas are both in the middle, so we know short of a front pop ball there are really likely only two areas of contest in this lineout the middle where they are both located and the tail with Samu. Cusacks not a jumping option on this occasion as hes in the half back position.

Its all simple stuff set up wise, but it is already causing the Rebels to think about whats happening. If it goes to Swain or Douglas then its likely to be a drive or a classic Brumbies fake and go.

If its Samu its probably going to be a pop down to Cusack coming around at pace.

Both are typical Brumbies moves weve seen many times.

They go to Douglas and its the catch and set which the Rebels have to defend pulling in the entire lineout.

Cusack lays the ball off to Faingaa who comes around to attack the tail where Uelese is waiting. At the same time Alaalatoa initiates the spin of the maul to take all the Rebels forwards away from the gap.

Uelese bites and Muirhead takes the inside ball to hare over.

via GIPHY

Simple stuff.

But lets look at the details around this move.

The first thing to note is Muirhead is only one of many options.

The Bumbies have set their midfield up very tight, Id question if they were actually 10 here but regardless as Faingaa comes around we see that Kuridrani is also an option and a good one that he can use and Lolesio starts to drift out as a back door option.

Watch as how Faingaa first comes around hes looking at Kuridrani, its an option and a good one, but with Hardwick and Uelese patrolling that seam its likely he sees they have Kuridrani marked and opts to change to the inside pass (hence hes not quite square enough to pass it comfortably).

This takes Hardwick out of the game, he has to hold his move for Kuridrani and to assist Uelese. Toomua obviously is going to watch for the slider option.

Thats creating the space for Muirhead to punch through.

But lets roll our thoughts back to Louwrens and question where did he go in all this? He was in the 11 position and in a perfect position to smash Muirhead.

Well, this is where Powell comes into play.

If we watch the far side as the ball is peeled we see Powell come flying around, its enough to make Korobite bite and its enough to pull Louwrens over initially before he realises whats happened.

If Powells run doesnt look overly convincing seeing as the ball was already with Faingaa, then just remember weve got all the luxury of a reverse elevated position.

At ground level all these guys are seeing is Powell come around the short side at pace whilst Faingaa is hidden by the set piece, ball or not thats enough movement to interest them and that is enough to create the opportunity to exploit.

Its easy to blame the Rebels defence here, call it poor but when you have a defender flooded with options as Hardwick and Uelese and Louwrens are here its going to cause indecision which is what the Brumbies exploit.

Bad defence, great attack, whichever way you sit this was a nice try to start the game with and a great score for Muirhead, its almost enough to forgive the hair do (almost).

Its easy looking at the Super Rugby Aotearoa games, to get caught up in their This is how Rugby should be played! brilliance and wonder, if everyone else is being left behind.

There is a fear that because teams are not playing the regular wider competition, theyll not keep pace with each other but from a different perspective maybe the enforced separation is a good thing?

Its giving everyone a chance to reset in their respective groupings, figure out what they are good at, at what theyre not and how they feel the game should be played and build accordingly. After all isnt the beauty of Union the fact there are so many ways to play the game and they all have their day?

As a first weekend out saw rejuvenated teams, with fresh players and there were two great games, after such a period out its as much as you can ask. Yeah both games were error strewn but this enforced isolation is, for the Australian teams, a great chance to bring through young kids in a tough inter-state scenario without getting taken to task by the New Zealanders, battered into mush by the South Africans all whilst dealing with the physical battering travelling to New Zealand and South Africa.

I think well see some really interesting development from the Australian teams, some exciting new players coming through and some new ways of attacking and innovating the attack.

This is, unless youre the Brumbies then its simply business as usual. Lord Lauries tank busters are going to steamroller you upfront before youve even caught your breath.

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Anatomy of a Try: Andy Muirhead vs Melbourne Rebels - Green and Gold Rugby

Anatomy

Giant Penguin-Like Birds May Have Once Waddled Around The Northern Hemisphere, Too – ScienceAlert

A new fossil discovery has revealed that New Zealand's ancient monster penguins were not the only human-sized, flightless birds waddling around our planet tens of millions of years ago.

Recent findings in North America and Japan suggest there were giant penguin-like creatures plodding across the Northern Hemisphere, too. And these birds may have been even bigger.

The strange thing is, the now-extinct group of birds, known as plotopterids, are not related to penguins at all - but theylook remarkably similar, and probably used their flipper-like wings in similar ways.

The earliest penguin ancestors first made their appearance a little more than 60 million years ago around what is today New Zealand. Plotopterids developed in the Northern Hemisphere much later than their southern counterparts, only appearing between 37 and 34 million years ago, and disappearing altogether 10 million years after that.

"These birds evolved in different hemispheres, millions of years apart, but from a distance you would be hard pressed to tell them apart," sayszoologist Paul Scofield, a curator at the Canterbury Museum.

"Plotopterids looked like penguins, they swam like penguins, they probably ate like penguins but they weren't penguins."

In a fascinating twist, this group of ancient flightless birds is more closely related to modern-day birds that fly just fine - boobies, gannets, and cormorants. In the past few years, we've come to understand a lot more about plotopterids, but this is the first time their anatomy has been compared in detail to ancient penguins.

Analysing the fossilised remains of 16 individual plopterids side by side with five representatives from three ancient penguin species, the researchers found many striking similarities along with a few sizable differences.

Both plotopterids and ancient penguins had long beaks embedded with slit-like nostrils, comparable chest and shoulder bones, and similar wings.But while some ancient penguins towered at 1.8 metres (6 feet), the largest plotopterids stood over 2 metres tall.

It's hard to imagine a bird, larger than a human, diving through the water, but it seems that was once a reality in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere.

(Mayr/Senckenberg Research Institute)

Above:Artist's rendition of Kumimanu biceae, an extinct giant penguin, alongside a human diver.

Even though plotopterids have large webbed feet like penguins, the authors think they probably swam underwater relying mostly on their wings as flippers, judging by their anatomy.

"Wing-propelled diving is quite rare among birds; most swimming birds use their feet,"says ornithologist Gerald Mayr of the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum in Frankfurt.

"We think both penguins and plotopterids had flying ancestors that would plunge from the air into the water in search of food. Over time these ancestor species got better at swimming and worse at flying."

The fact that this happened in distantly related organisms, millions of years apart and on opposite sides of the globe, is truly remarkable. It's a case of what scientists call 'convergent evolution', where similar traits develop in distinct species under similar environmental conditions.

Anatomical comparison of plotopterids and ancient giant penguins. (Mayr et al., Journal of Zoological Systems, 2020)

In this case, two separate groups of flightless birds developed the anatomy they would need to forage for food deeper and deeper underwater. It just turned out to be remarkably similar.

"We therefore hypothesise that plotopterids and penguins had ancestors which performed aerial plunges to submerse into the water and to reduce the energetic costs for reaching greater depths," the authors write.

We'll need more digging to find out why one lineage of these remarkable birds survived, while the other passed into oblivion.

The study was published in the Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research.

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Giant Penguin-Like Birds May Have Once Waddled Around The Northern Hemisphere, Too - ScienceAlert