Low latency localization of multiple sound sources in reverberant environments

Sound source localization algorithms determine the physical position of a sound source in respect to a listener. For practical applications, a localization algorithm design has to take into account real world conditions like multiple active sources, reverberation, and noise. The application can impose additional constraints on the algorithm, e.g., a requirement for low latency. This work defines the most important constraints for practical applications, introduces an algorithm, which tries to fulfill all requirements as good as possible, and compares it to state-of-the-art sound source localization approaches.     

Underwound DNA under tension: structure, elasticity, and sequence-dependent behaviors

DNA melting under torsion plays an important role in a wide variety of cellular processes. In the present Letter, we have investigated DNA melting at the single-molecule level using an angular optical trap. By directly measuring force, extension, torque, and angle of DNA, we determined the structural and elastic parameters of torsionally melted DNA. Our data reveal that under moderate forces, the melted DNA assumes a left-handed structure as opposed to an open bubble conformation and is highly torsionally compliant. We have also discovered that at low forces melted DNA properties are highly dependent on DNA sequence. These results provide a more comprehensive picture of the global DNA force-torque phase diagram.     

Hot-electron-driven enhancement of spin-lattice coupling in Gd and Tb 4f ferromagnets observed by femtosecond x-ray magnetic circular dichroism

Femtosecond x-ray magnetic circular dichroism was used to study the time-dependent magnetic moment of 4f electrons in the ferromagnets Gd and Tb, which are known for their different spin-lattice coupling. We observe a two-step demagnetization with an ultrafast demagnetization time of 750 fs identical for both systems and slower times which differ sizeably with 40 ps for Gd and 8 ps for Tb. We conclude that spin-lattice coupling in the electronically excited state is enhanced up to 50 times compared to equilibrium.     

Application of continuous flow and alternative energy devices for 5-hydroxymethylfurfural production

Dehydration of fructose and glucose in dipolar, aprotic solvents leads to formation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural. Conditions for continuous flow reactions using a cartridge-based reactor system and a stop-flow microwave reactor were established showing very good product yields and selectivity without the limitation of a batch process such as upscaling and precise temperature monitoring and control. A maximum product HPLC yield of 90.3% under cartridge-based heating and 85.6% under microwave heating could be achieved using mild and quick reaction conditions. Formation of levulinic acid as a by-product could not be detected under the optimized reaction conditions.     

Autoionization mediated by electron transfer

Electron-electron coincidence spectra of Ar-Kr clusters after photoionization have been measured. An electron with the kinetic energy range from 0 to approximately 1 eV is found in coincidence with the Ar 3s cluster photoelectron. The low kinetic energy electron can be attributed to an Ar + Kr+ + Kr+ final state which forms after electron transfer mediated decay. This autoionization mechanism results from a concerted transition involving three different atoms in a van der Waals cluster; it was predicted theoretically, but hitherto not observed.     

High-power pulsed diode-pumped Er:ZBLAN fiber laser

We report on the operation and performance of a gain-switched Er:ZBLAN fiber laser based on an active pulsed diode pump system. The produced laser pulses offer high peak powers while retaining the high average powers and efficiency of the cw regime. The measured pulse duration was about 300 ns and nearly independent of the pump repetition frequency. The maximum obtained 68 W of peak power is the highest reported, to our knowledge, for diode-pumped Er:ZBLAN fiber lasers, and the 2 W of average power at the repetition frequency of 100 kHz is 2 orders of magnitude higher than previously reported average power in a pulsed regime. The obtained slope efficiency was 34%.     

Linear Balanceable and Subcubic Balanceable Graphs*

In Math Program 55(1992), 129–168, Conforti and Rao conjectured that every balanced bipartite graph contains an edge that is not the unique chord of a cycle. We prove this conjecture for balanced bipartite graphs that do not contain a cycle of length 4 (also known as linear balanced bipartite graphs), and for balanced bipartite graphs whose maximum degree is at most 3. We in fact obtain results for more general classes, namely linear balanceable and subcubic balanceable graphs. Additionally, we prove that cubic balanced graphs contain a pair of twins, a result that was conjectured by Morris, Spiga, and Webb in ( Discrete Math 310(2010), 3228–3235).     

Stability and accuracy functions for a multicriteria Boolean linear programming problem with parameterized principle of optimality “from Condorcet to Pareto”

A multicriteria Boolean programming problem with linear cost functions in which initial coefficients of the cost functions are subject to perturbations is considered. For any optimal alternative, with respect to parameterized principle of optimality “from Condorcet to Pareto”, appropriate measures of the quality are introduced. These measures correspond to the so-called stability and accuracy functions defined earlier for optimal solutions of a generic multicriteria combinatorial optimization problem with Pareto and lexicographic optimality principles. Various properties of such functions are studied and maximum norms of perturbations for which an optimal alternative preserves its optimality are calculated. To illustrate the way how the stability and accuracy functions can be used as efficient tools for post-optimal analysis, an application from the voting theory is considered.