Broadband performance of an active headrest.

This paper presents a study of the attenuation of broadband random acoustic disturbances, when using a feedback active headrest system, as originally suggested by Olson and May. Previous studies showed that a practical active headrest can be designed for tonal disturbances using feedforward controllers. However, many applications, such as jet aircraft and cars, require feedback systems to control random disturbances over a wide frequency bandwidth. In this work, robust feedback controllers are designed to control broadband random disturbances in the low-frequency range based on measured data from a laboratory headrest system. The results show that a practically useful performance can be achieved, but only if the controller is designed to minimize the pressure at a "virtual microphone" close to the listener's ears, and that the performance is maintained reasonably well with movements of the listener's head. The paper emphasizes the importance of both the acoustics and the control in the design of broadband active headrest systems.     

Arrayed acquisition of 2D exchange NMR spectra within a single scan experiment

We have recently demonstrated that magnetic field gradients in combination with frequency selective pulses, can be employed to collect a complete multi-dimensional NMR spectrum within a single scan. Following similar guidelines, field gradients could also be exploited to parallelize other types of NMR experiments where the final results arise from the collection and analysis of a series of time-incremented spectra. The present Communication exemplifies this concept by showing how a combination of gradients can be employed to monitor within a single continuous acquisition, a slow dynamic process which is in turn followed by systematic increments in the duration of a magnetization transfer time. Further, since 2D exchange NMR spectra can nowadays be themselves collected within one scan, the acquisition of a complete set of mixing-incremented 2D exchange patterns could be achieved within a single experiment entailing a total time of approximately 1 s.     

Line shape considerations in ultrafast 2D NMR

We have recently proposed and demonstrated an approach that enables the acquisition of 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra within a single scan. The approach is based on spatially encoding the spins' evolution along the indirect domain with the aid of a magnetic field gradient, and subsequently decoding this information numerous times over the course of the signal acquisition while spins are subject to a train of gradient echoes. The present paper discusses further considerations pertaining the 2D line shapes arising from this new way of collecting NMR data. Specific issues that are hereby addressed include (i) the effects introduced by fast relaxation onto the spatial encoding process, particularly the line widths and line shapes that will then arise in the frequency domain; (ii) approaches capable of correcting for the mixed-phase kernels resulting in these fast-relaxation cases, corresponding in essence to spatially encoded analogs of the TPPI and hypercomplex time-domain acquisition procedures; (iii) the enveloping characteristics imposed by the use of discrete excitation pulses on the attainable spectral widths along the indirect domain; and (iv) an analysis of the signal-to-noise characteristics of the methodology, with experimental corroborations of theoretical predictions and an illustration of the method's capabilities to analyze protein solutions in the mM-range concentration.     

Single Scan 2D NMR Spectroscopy on a 25 T Bitter Magnet

2D NMR relies on monitoring systematic changes in the phases incurred by spin coherences as a function of an encoding time t(1), whose value changes over the course of independent experiments. The intrinsic multiscan nature of such protocols implies that resistive and/or hybrid magnets, capable of delivering the highest magnetic field strengths but possessing poor temporal stabilities, become unsuitable for 2D NMR acquisitions. It is here shown with a series of homo- and hetero-nuclear examples that such limitations can be bypassed using recently proposed 2D "ultrafast" acquisition schemes, which correlate interactions along all spectral dimensions within a single scan.     

Extended Calixpyrroles: meso-Substituted Calix[6]pyrroles

A 1,3,5- alternate conformation of the pyrrole rings is adopted by the calix[6]pyrrole 1 in the crystal (see picture). Compound 1 was synthesized in a two-step process and although it crystallizes in the form of the adduct 1 ⋅3CH₃COCH₃⋅H₂O⋅CHCl₃, there are no solvent molecules in the cavity (cross section ca. 60Ų) of this macrocycle which possesses alternating dimethyl and diphenyl substitutents at the meso positions.     

Growth and characterization of nonlinear optical zinc hydrogen phosphate single crystal grown in silica gel

Good optical quality single crystals of zinc hydrogen phosphate (ZnHPO₄) having dimensions up to 8×2×2 mm³ have been grown with the aid of sodium meta silicate gel. Single crystal XRD studies confirm that the crystal belongs to the orthorhombic system with space group P2₁2₁2₁. The functional groups present in the crystals were confirmed using FTIR technique. Optical absorbance shows very low absorption in the entire visible region. Differential thermal and thermo gravimetric analysis confirmed that the crystal is stable up to 193°C. Photoconductivity study reveals positive photoconductivity in the presence of photo active centers formed by trap energy levels. The NLO activity of the crystal was confirmed by Kurtz powder technique. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Acidic Monosaccharides become Incorporated into Calcite Single Crystals**

Carbohydrates, along with proteins and peptides, are known to represent a major class of biomacromolecules involved in calcium carbonate biomineralization. However, in spite of multiple physical and biochemical characterizations, the explicit role of saccharide macromolecules (long chains of carbohydrate molecules) in mineral deposition is not yet understood. In this study, we investigated the influence of two common acidic monosaccharides (MSs), the two simplest forms of acidic carbohydrates, namely glucuronic and galacturonic acids, on the formation of calcite crystals in vitro. We show here that the size, morphology, and microstructure of calcite crystals are altered when they are grown in the presence of these MSs. More importantly, these MSs were found to become incorporated into the calcite crystalline lattice and induce anisotropic lattice distortions, a phenomenon widely studied for other biomolecules related to CaCO₃ biomineralization, but never before reported in the case of single MSs. Changes in the calcite lattice induced by MSs incorporation were precisely determined by high-resolution synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction. We believe that the results of this research may deepen our understanding of the interaction of saccharide polymers with an inorganic host and shed light on the implications of carbohydrates for biomineralization processes.