Glutamina – O que é, efeitos e como tomar

 

Artigo completo para tirar todas as dúvidas sobre o suplemento Glutamina. Para que serve, seus efeitos e benefícios. Como tomar corretamente. O que é glutamina: A Glutamina se classifica na categoria dos aminoácidos não-essenciais, ou seja, aminoácidos que são produzidos pelo corpo a partir de determinado metabolismo. A Glutamina é sintetizada a partir do ácido glutâmico, valina e isoleucina, no caso desses dois últimos aminoácidos essenciais citados, chegamos à conclusão que os BCAA’s são as maiores fontes para síntese da Glutamina. É uma das proteínas mais abundantes no nosso corpo. Ela é sintetizada a partir do código genético sendo assim, é classificada como não essencial. A glutamina possui diversas funções importantes no como, por exemplo, ser fonte de energia para o sistema imune e participar de forma direta e ativa no crescimento muscular através da estimulação da síntese de proteínas. A importância fisiológica da Glutamina:Apesar da Glutamina ser classificada pela literatura científica como um aminoácido não essencial, não quer dizer que ela não seja essencial para nosso organismo, pelo contrário, ela realiza funções vitais para o bom funcionamento de diversos órgãos como pulmões, coração, rim, fígado e intestino. Representando 20% do total de aminoácidos livres no plasma. Nosso organismo também utiliza a Glutamina para o transporte de amônia e nitrogênio pela corrente sanguínea, e é por esse motivo que é necessário manter sempre constante a quantidade de Glutamina no sangue. Além de ser também uma fonte primária de energia para o nosso sistema imunológico, concluindo que sua escassez no organismo pode aumentar a incidência de doenças. Ela também é necessária para a absorção e a proliferação de células intestinais, prevenindo a deterioração do intestino, além de normalizar a permeabilidade e integridade do mesmo. Para atletas de atividades físicas de alta intensidade e principalmente praticantes de musculação, a Glutamina tem auxiliado muito na recuperação após os treinos, evitando o catabolismo e o overtraining, pois apesar da Glutamina ser produzida pelo corpo e representar praticamente 60% do tecido muscular esquelético, ainda a necessidade de seu consumo através da suplementação, já que a demanda de Glutamina nos músculos é muito maior do que o corpo é capaz de produzir nos casos desses atletas. Mas preste atenção, como sempre citamos aqui no Treino Mestre, em caso de pessoas que praticam atividades físicas regularmente, apenas 3 ou 4 vezes na semana, corridas leves, você deve se preocupar e focar apenas na sua dieta quando o assunto for nutrição. Agora quando você frequenta a academia diariamente, e ainda combinado com outros exercícios físicos principalmente os aeróbicos como natação, corridas e as lutas marciais que ainda combinam aeróbicos e anaeróbicos, você passa a exigir mais do seu corpo, ai sim a necessidade de um complemento e é ai que entram os suplementos citados no site como: Whey ProteinAlbuminaCreatina, e claro a Glutamina tratada aqui nesse artigo. O que a glutamina faz A glutamina é a proteína mais abundante no nosso corpo e é sintetizada a partir das necessidades do organismo. Esse aminoácido corresponde a 20% do total de aminoácidos e essa quantidade é 2 vezes maior que a alanina. Ela é desenvolvida a partir de 3 substâncias: ácido glutâmico (o grupo amida), valina e isoleucina. Para ser metabolizada, duas enzimas são necessárias sendo uma delas a glutamina sintetase, fazendo a interação do glutamato com a amônia e a outra, é a glutaminase. A síntese da glutamina ocorre, em primeiro lugar e principalmente, nos músculos, mas também está presente em outros locais como fígado e cérebro. Principais funções e benefícios da glutamina A glutamina é tão importante para o bom funcionamento do corpo que diversos nutricionista não a consideram como não essencial. Ela participa de forma relevante na síntese de outros aminoácidos e ajuda a manter a homeostase dos tecidos durante o processo de catabolismo. Outras funções importantes inerentes à glutamina é o fato dela conseguir liberar quantidades extras de hormônios na corrente sanguínea, como a testosterona, por exemplo. A glutamina também possui importante papel na produção de glicose. Devido ao fato de ter 2 grupos amina ela é ideal para a formação de outros aminoácidos. A glutamina presente no músculo doa um radical amina para o ácido pirúvico. A partir daí um aminoácido chamado alanina será formado, transportado para o fígado, onde será metabolizado produzindo glicose. Sendo assim, a glutamina é de vital importância para a produção de energia por parte do organismo. Manter um pH sanguíneo adequado, ou seja, dentro da faixa de 7.35 a 7.45 é de vital importância. Para que todos os nossos órgãos possam funcionar da maneira correta é necessário que haja um pH ótimo. A glutamina também ajuda a manter esses valores ideais. Se há um excesso de H+ no corpo, podendo gerar acidose, esse elemento junta-se ao grupo amina da glutamina e pode ser excretado pela urina evitando possíveis problemas na homeostase. Veja outras funções da glutamina: manutenção do sistema imune; regula a síntese e degradação das proteínas; remove o excesso de amônia e nitrogênio do corpo; controla os processos de catabolismo e anabolismo; Glutamina e Síndrome do Overtraining (OTS) O OTS ocorre quando há um grande período de treinamentos intensos com pouco descanso. Isso reduz a capacidade do sistema imune e o corpo está aberto a diversas infecções e doenças. Analisando exames de laboratório de indivíduos que estavam passando pela síndrome foi detectado uma baixa nos níveis de glutamina. O que se observou foi que logo após exercícios intensos uma grande queda nas taxas de glutamina foi identificada. Sem a alimentação adequada e descanso suficiente, essa proteína fica em baixa constante causada pelo OTS. Outras indicações para a glutamina A glutamina é uma proteína tão importante para a boa manutenção das funções orgânicas que ela é indicada para pacientes com câncer e HIV. Como já foi dito, a glutamina é muito importante para o funcionamento satisfatório do sistema imune. Em doenças como essas, os pacientes estão com a imunidade muito baixa, seja pelo processo de quimioterapia no caso do câncer, ou pelo ataque do vírus às células do corpo no caso do HIV. Esse aminoácido também é um grande aliado no tratamento de doenças intestinais como a colite, Doença de Crohn ou úlceras. O aparelho digestivo consome até 40% de toda a glutamina disponível no corpo e a redução dela pode prejudicar o sistema imune de órgãos como o estômago. A glutamina é utilizada para restabelecer o equilíbrio intestinal. Outro uso que ainda está em uso é no caso de tratamento contra os danos do alcoolismo. A glutamina estimularia a produção de neurotransmissores que reduziriam os problemas no sistema nervoso, causados pelo álcool. Auxiliando no ganho de massa muscular: A Glutamina além de auxiliar no funcionamento do organismo, também desempenha um papel muito importante na síntese de proteínas nos músculos, pois poupa o tecido muscular que é catabolizado para prover Glutamina para outras células do corpo, permitindo que o tecido muscular use Glutamina para sintetizar tecido muscular novo, contribuindo para o aumento de força e resistência e diminuindo o tempo de recuperação. Estudos mostraram também que a Glutamina em pequena dose oral (2 gramas da suplementação), elevou o aumento do nível de hormônio do crescimento. Quem deve consumir? Atletas que treinam de maneira intensa devem consumir a glutamina em pó na forma de suplemento alimentar. Isso evita que o corpo entre em situações de overtraining e protege o sistema imune contra possíveis doenças que possam aparecer causadas por vírus e bactérias. Essa suplementação deve ser, de preferência, indicada pelo nutricionista ou pelo nutrólogo. Através de algumas avaliações e exames, esses profissionais poderão determinar a quantidade e a frequência com a qual a glutamina deve ser ingerida. Qual a melhor forma de consumo? Para quem pratica esportes e treinos mais intensos, a glutamina em pó deve ser consumida no pós-treino e também antes de dormir. Ingerir o suplemento com frutas e carboidratos simples é uma boa opção, pois a elevação da glicose sanguínea faz com que o nutriente entre nas células de maneira mais rápida. A quantidade mínima de glutamina que deve ser ingerida por dia é de 10 a 15 gramas sendo que esse valor deve ser dividido para ser tomado 3 vezes durante o dia. Como tomar a glutamina corretamente: A Glutamina pode ser encontrada isolada em suplementos individuais onde a concentração é bem maior, ou em outros suplementos como Whey Protein e Hipercaloricos. A dose recomenda, por exemplo, no caso da Glutamina Powder da Optimum que é uma das melhores vendidas aqui no Brasil, é de 10gr diariamente, sendo dividida 5gr após o treino e 5gr antes de dormir. Podendo tomar junto com água ou outro suplemento proteico. Já a da marca Universal, também uma das melhores, recomenda tomar 15gr, dividida em 3 doses de 5gr ao longo do dia nas refeições. Efeitos Colaterais da Glutamina: Na maioria das pesquisas feitas em indivíduos saudáveis que utilizaram essa substância pelo um certo período, demonstraram que seu uso é seguro e que não a risco de efeitos colaterais. Apenas em indivíduos diabéticos seu uso tem que ser controlado por um médico, já que estudos mostraram que diabéticos metabolizam a Glutamina de maneira anormal. fonte: www.treinomestre.com.br

Supercomputing reveals genetic code of cancer

 

"This charting may help tailor the treatment to each patient," says Associate Professor Rolf Skotheim, who is affiliated with the Centre for Cancer Biomedicine and the Research Group for Biomedical Informatics at the University of Oslo in Norway, as well as the Department of Molecular Oncology at Radiumhospitalet, Oslo University Hospital. His research group is working to identify the genes that cause bowel and prostate cancer, which are both common diseases. There are 4,000 new cases of bowel cancer in Norway every year. Only six out of ten patients survive the first five years. Prostate cancer affects 5,000 Norwegians every year. Nine out of ten survive. Comparisons between healthy and diseased cells In order to identify the genes that lead to cancer, Skotheim and his research group are comparing the genetic material in tumours with the genetic material in healthy cells. In order to understand this process, a fast introduction to our genetic material is needed. Our genetic material consists of just over 20,000 genes. Each gene consists of thousands of base pairs, represented by a specific sequence of the four building blocks adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine, popularly abbreviated to A, T, G, and C. The sequence of these building blocks is the very recipe for the gene. Our whole DNA consists of some six billion base pairs. The DNA strand carries the molecular instructions for activity in the cells. In other words, DNA contains the recipe for proteins, which perform the tasks in the cells. DNA, nevertheless, does not actually produce proteins. First a copy of DNA is made. This transcript is called RNA, and it is this molecule that is read when proteins are produced. RNA is only a small component of DNA, and is made up of its active constituents. Most of DNA is inactive. Only 1-2 % of the DNA strand is active. In cancer cells, something goes wrong with the RNA-transcription. There is either too much RNA, which means that far too many proteins of a specific type are formed, or the composition of base pairs in RNA is wrong. The latter is precisely the area being studied by the UiO researchers. Wrong combinatorics All genes can be divided into active and inactive parts. A single gene may consist of tens of active stretches of nucleotides (exons). "RNA is a copy of a specific combination of the exons from a specific gene in DNA." There are many possible combinations, and it is precisely this search for all of the possible combinations that is new in cancer research. Different cells can combine the nucleotides in a single gene in different ways. A cancer cell can create a combination that should not exist in healthy cells. And as if that didn't make things complicated enough, sometimes RNA can be made up of stretches of nucleotides from different genes in DNA. These special, complex genes are called fusion genes. In other words, researchers must look for errors both inside genes and between the different genes. "Fusion genes are usually found in cancer cells, but some of them are also found in healthy cells." In patients with prostate cancer, researchers have found some fusion genes that are only created in diseased cells. These fusion genes may then be used as a starting-point in the detection of and fight against cancer. The researchers have also found fusion genes in bowel cells, but they were not cancer-specific. "For some reason, these fusion genes can also be found in healthy cells. This discovery was a let-down." Can improve treatment There are different RNA errors in the various cancer diseases. The researchers must therefore analyse the RNA errors of each disease. Among other things, the researchers are comparing RNA in diseased and healthy tissue from 550 patients with prostate cancer. The patients that make up the study do not receive any direct benefits from the results themselves. However, the research is important in order to be able to help future patients. "We want to find the typical defects associated with prostate cancer. This will make it easier to understand what goes wrong with healthy cells, and to understand the mechanisms that develop cancer. Once we have found the cancer-specific molecules, they can be used as biomarkers. In some cases, the biomarkers can be used to find cancer, determine the level of severity of the cancer, the risk of spreading, and whether the patient should be given a more aggressive treatment. Even though the researchers find deviations in the RNA, there is no guarantee that there is appropriate, targeted medicine available. "The point of our research is to figure out more of the big picture. If we identify a fusion gene that is only found in cancer cells, the discovery will be so important in itself that other research groups around the world will want to begin working on this straight away. If a cure is found that counteracts the fusion genes, this may have enormous consequences for the cancer treatment." Laborious work Recreating RNA is laborious work. The set of RNA molecules consists of about 100 million bases, divided into a few thousand bases from each gene. The laboratory machine reads millions of small nucleotides. Each one is only one hundred base pairs long. In order for the researchers to be able to place them in the right location, they must run large statistical analyses. The RNA analysis of a single patient can take a few days. All of the nucleotides must be matched with the DNA strand. Unfortunately the researchers do not have the DNA strands of each patient. In order to learn where the base pairs come from in the DNA strand, they must therefore use the reference genome of the human species. "This is not ideal, because there are individual differences." The future potentially lies in fully sequencing the DNA of each patient when conducting medical experiments. Supercomputing There is no way the research can be carried out using pen and paper. "We need powerful computers to crunch the enormous amounts of raw data. Even if you spent your whole life on this task, you would not be able to find the location of a single nucleotide. This is a matter of millions of nucleotides that must be mapped correctly in the system of coordinates of the genetic material. Once we have managed to find the RNA versions that are only found in cancer cells, we will have made significant progress. However, the work to get that far requires advanced statistical analyses and supercomputing," says Rolf Skotheim to the reserach magazine Apollon. The analyses are so demanding that the researchers must use the University's supercomputer, which was ranked as one of the world's fastest computers a few years ago. It is 10,000 times faster than a regular computer. "With the ability to run heavy analyses on such large amounts of data, we have an enormous advantage not available to other cancer researchers. Many medical researchers would definitely benefit from this possibility. This is why they should spend more time with biostatisticians and informaticians. RNA samples are taken from the patients only once. The types of analyses that can be run are only limited by the imagination." "We need to be smart in order to analyse the raw data. There are enormous amounts of data here that can be interpreted in many different ways. We have just got started. There is lots of useful information that we have not seen yet. Asking the right questions is the key. Most cancer researchers are not used to working with enormous amounts of data, and how to best analyse vast data sets. Once researchers have found a possible answer, they must determine whether the answer is chance or if it is a real finding. The solution is to find out whether they get the same answers from independent data sets from other parts of the world."

Fitness game for the physically impaired

 

Fraunhofer has developed new IT-based fitness training technology in collaboration with thalidomide victims and research partners. Modern IT has the potential to make fitness training more varied for people with physical limitations. But what exactly is required? Fraunhofer put this question to thalidomide victims, and developed new IT-based fitness training technology in close collaboration with them. The method motivates users with elements found in computer games. A test subject rocks her upper body from left to right. She rotates her shoulders in little circles. Suddenly she cries out: "Did it! New record!" She has just beaten her personal best in a computer adventure. But this is no ordinary video game flickering on the tablet computer's screen in front of her: Behind all the excitement is a new kind of fitness tool for the physically impaired. The game's required movements help the woman exercise motor functions, train concentration and coordination, and improve fitness and stamina. "She controlled her on-screen avatar with the movements of her upper body and the aid of our smart shoulder pad," says Andreas Huber, scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS in Erlangen. Fitted inside the pad are small sensors that record each movement of the test subject and wirelessly transmit them via Bluetooth to the tablet on the table in front of her, where software processes all the data and relays it to her avatar. Huber's shoulder pad is part of the akrobatik@home project. Other elements of the IT-based fitness game, which was created by the firm Exozet Berlin, include a special seat cushion developed by project partner GeBioM for controlling the game by means of weight shifts, voice controls from the Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems FOKUS that enable users to navigate through the game's menu, and a video communication system from the company Bravis that allows users to interact via webcams. "Nearly fifty percent of adults in Germany suffer from physical impairments of a temporary or permanent nature, whether as result of accidents, injuries or illnesses," observes Huber. Under the motto "The New Future of Old Age," the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is sponsoring research projects for technical solutions -- such as akrobatik@home -- that help and enable people to be physically active. Research in collaboration with users "Our project is not just about developing innovative technology, but about starting with concrete needs," says Karolina Mizera, who coordinates the project centrally from the Center for Responsible Research and Innovation in Berlin, which belongs to the Stuttgart-based Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO. "The prototypes were created in conjunction with people who know very well what it means to live with physical limitations: thalidomide victims." These volunteers were willing to share their personal strategies for coping with the challenges of everyday life and to develop ideas for technical assistance systems together with Fraunhofer researchers on that basis. Some of them are missing limbs as a result of damage caused by the drug thalidomide, while others suffer from hearing impairments. "These specific disabilities led to concrete ideas," explains Mizera. Three ideas were implemented by the researchers together with the thalidomide victims, Heidelberg University, and physiotherapists from Reha-Zentrum Lübben rehab center: The "e-bag," an application for tablet computers that makes it easy for users to show their tickets on buses and trains, a mobile signaler that enables communication with hearing-impaired people even when they are out of sight, and finally akrobatik@home, the largest of the three projects. The pad adapts to every shoulder size and shape and contains some very clever electronics. Researchers have fitted sensors for every conceivable movement, whether rotational, vertical or horizontal. "While users play, they unconsciously do the exercises recommended by therapists. The playful approach is designed to motivate people to keep repeating the movements on their own initiative. After all, they'll be looking to improve their scores," says Huber, while the volunteer beside him rotates her torso as she makes her way through a warren of caves. The research project comes to an end this spring. So what's the next step? "What was unusual in this case was that there was no clearly defined technical goal at the outset," says Mizera. "Our focus was on closely integrating end users into the process and thereby developing technical solutions that are genuinely helpful and above all gain acceptance among them. The project has shown how important participation is in terms of involving users and stakeholders before starting the technical development stage. Recent research agendas have been emphasizing the very same thing, including the EU's major Horizon 2020 framework program for research and innovation." Now the researchers want to explore other applications for their technical findings. This includes developing advanced control technology for commercial video games and testing how the sensor technology could be integrated directly into clothing.

New technique captures real-time diagnostic 3-D images

 

February 2, 2015 Universidad Carlos III de Madrid - Oficina de Información Científica A new technique uses Optical Projection Tomography, which is “similar to X-rays, but uses light,” explains a researcher.  With this technique, it is possible to use optical markers which are often used with transgenic animals.  One such marker is green fluorescent protein.  Thanks to this substance, one can observe the anatomy and functions of living organisms like flies or very small fish. This technique uses Optical Projection Tomography, which is "similar to X-rays, but uses light," explains UC3M researcher Jorge Ripoll, from the UC3M Department of Bioengineering and Aerospace Engineering. With this technique, it is possible to use optical markers which are often used with transgenic animals. One such marker is green fluorescent protein. Thanks to this substance, one can observe the anatomy and functions of living organisms like flies or very small fish. This research, recently published in the journal Scientific Reports, makes it possible to follow the development of living organisms up to three millimetres long with three-dimensional images. These organisms, such as the zebrafish or the fruit fly, are frequently used in microscopic research. The fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster), for example, has a genetic code where the counterparts of more than 60% of the genes of human illnesses can be found. Ripoll says that the advance consists of being able to follow the development of these organisms, which normally appear opaque when viewed with a conventional microscope because they diffuse a lot of light when they approach adulthood. "It helps us visualize new stages," says Ripoll. In this he way, he says, although "this technique cannot be used on living humans because our tissue is very opaque, it can be used to "take three-dimensional measurements of biopsies, which is very valuable to a surgeon," as it would permit her to know if the surgery went as desired. The way to put this technique into practice is simple, says Ripoll. "It consists of a source of light that stimulates the fluorescence and a camera that detects it" and has only one requirement: "that the sample rotates" as if X-rays were being taken of it. Afterwards, with that information, "we must construct a three-dimensional image," he explains. The development of this technique has been possible thanks to the support, among others, of researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. These researchers "were responsible for creating the software so that the obtaining of images could be fast and effective," he says. Along with this, he comments that the technology on which the techniques his Chinese colleagues use are based has its origins in the development of video games. Story Source: The above story is based on materials provided by Universidad Carlos III de Madrid - Oficina de Información Científica. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. Journal Reference: Alicia Arranz, Di Dong, Shouping Zhu, Charalambos Savakis, Jie Tian, Jorge Ripoll. In-vivo Optical Tomography of Small Scattering Specimens: time-lapse 3D imaging of the head eversion process in Drosophila melanogaster. Scientific Reports, 2014; 4: 7325 DOI: 10.1038/srep07325

Prototype GHOST military watercraft claims a world's first

 

GHOST is a prototype military boat, that is claimed to be the world's first super-cavitating watercraft Image Gallery (5 images) If you combined a stealth jet fighter and an attack helicopter and stuck them in the water, what would you get? Well, according to the folks at New Hampshire's Juliet Marine Systems (JMS), you'd get the GHOST marine platform. Privately developed for possible use by the U.S. Navy, the boat would reportedly be invisible to enemy ships' radar, while also being faster and more economical than existing military vessels. The company's big claim, however, is that GHOST is the world's first super-cavitating watercraft. Supercavitation, in a nutshell, involves surrounding an object with a bubble of gas, so it can pass through the water with very little friction. In the case of GHOST, the objects in question are its two submerged buoyant tubular foils. Although the company isn't clear on how the process works, presumably the foils would have to be designed in such a way that when GHOST's gas turbines thrust it forward, water is deflected outward at the front of each foil, creating an envelope that closes behind it. Whatever the case, JMS states that "GHOST is a combination aircraft/boat that has been designed to fly through an artificial underwater gaseous environment that creates 900 times less hull friction than water." Judging by that statement, it's hard to say if GHOST actually does create 900 times less friction, or if that's simply what they're aiming for. The three-crew-member watercraft is intended primarily to patrol the perimeter of naval fleets, ready to spring into action against attacking small enemy boats. It is also being marketed as a means of protecting commercial vessels against pirate attacks. It can reportedly carry "thousands of pounds of weapons, including Mark 48 torpedoes" in an internal weapons bay, and could incorporate multiple weapons systems, capable of firing on several targets simultaneously. It could also serve as a quiet, stealthy means of transporting troops to enemy beaches, or as a fast and efficient way of ferrying people and supplies to and from locations such as offshore oil platforms. While there's presently no word on whether or not GHOST has any takers, JMS claims to be already working with a large international defense company on a 150-foot version of the craft, and on creating an unmanned underwater vehicle that utilizes its super-cavitating technology. Source: Danger Room Share About the Author An experienced freelance writer, videographer and television producer, Ben's interest in all forms of innovation is particularly fanatical when it comes to human-powered transportation, film-making gear, environmentally-friendly technologies and anything that's designed to go underwater. He lives in Edmonton, Alberta, where he spends a lot of time going over the handlebars of his mountain bike, hanging out in off-leash parks, and wishing the Pacific Ocean wasn't so far away.   All articles by Ben Coxworth Follow @bencoxworth

Savannah, the world's first hybrid superyacht

 

The Savannah is the first hybrid superyacht Image Gallery (7 images) If F1 racers can be hybrids, then why not superyachts? That seems to be the thinking of Feadship De Voogt Naval Architects as it launched "the world’s first hybrid superyacht," Savannah, last Saturday. The centerpiece of a James Bond-themed launch ceremony for the new owner and the people involved in the yacht's construction over the last three years, the Savannah not only boasts a novel power plant, but is also the first superyacht to be entirely metallic painted save for the mast domes. The 83.5 m (274 ft) Savannah has a rather a generous crew to guest ratio with room for the owner and companion, 10 guests, and 22 to 26 crew. It's streamlined hull has a superstructure that uses glass, composite panels, polished stainless steel strips, aluminum supports, and teak. In addition, the aft owner area and main deck are a single enclosed space sealed with weathertight sliding doors. The Sea Foam metallic green exterior color scheme required weeks of work using special mixing machines and an electrically-charged spray gun in a climate-controlled tent to lay the metallic flakes properly. But the real first for the Savannah as a superyacht is its"eco-friendly" electro-mechanical propulsion. Unlike more conventional sea craft, Savannah is powered by a Wärtsilä 9L20 4-stroke engine pumping 1,800 kW into three Caterpillar generators charging banks of lithium-ion batteries running the electrically-powered screws. These consist of a single central propeller nacelle and an in-line azimuthing thruster set in the slipstream – an arrangement that Feadship says has never before been installed in a yacht. The company also says that this arrangement produces fuel economies of 30 percent, allows for quiet cruising at low speeds on battery power, and provides extra speed when going flat out with less demand on the engines. "The possibility to choose between diesel, diesel-electric or fully electric is truly exceptional," says Savannah’s captain Ted McCumber. There aren't many details about the interior by Design CG Design released due to privacy issues, but what is known it that belowdecks, there is an "underwater lounge" where the would-be Captain Nemo can look at sealife through specially engineered underwater glass ports or the goings on in the yacht's swimming pool through similar viewports. Feadship says that the Savannah will be available for occasional charter. Source: Feadship

Blade Pico QX RTF Double-Flip Drone

 

The advantage of a small drone is that you fly your machine around the house when the weather is bad. You can do just that with Blade’s Pico QX ultra-micro drone, which also offers stabilization and one-touch flips, and right now has 10% off. At just eight grams, we’re talking about a seriously small flying machine here. Such tiny proportions make newbie crashes irrelevant, but Blade’s SAFE® (Sensor Assisted Flight Envelope) technology should make such incidents rare, anyway. With a little more flying time under your belt, the Pico will let you show off with flips. These are pre-programmed tricks that simply require the tap of a button, or two taps for double flips. The on-board battery lasts for 5–8 minutes between charges, with refueling via USB, and the drone sports some nice lights for flying in the dark. To grab the Pico QX at the discounted price, visit the link. >> Get 10% off the Blade Pico QX™ RTF Drone ($49.99 incl. shipping)