Assessing methodologies for calculating road traffic noise levels in Ireland - Converting CRTN indicators to the EU indicators (Lden, Lnight)

To comply with the EU Noise Directive 2002/49/EC, Member States are required to produce strategic noise maps for designated areas, including mapping road traffic noise from major roads. These maps must be presented using the EU indicators L_den and L_night. However, the most common noise indicator used in Ireland at present is the L_A10,18h indicator arising from the use of the Calculation of Road Traffic Noise (CRTN) prediction method. Therefore, a relationship needs to be established between L_A10,18h and L_den and L_night, separately. In addition to noise mapping these indicators are used for noise abatement purposes, so the proposed relationship must be accurate and robust. In 2002, the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) published a paper describing mathematical procedures that could be used to convert values of L_A10 to L_den and L_night. These procedures were then adopted for use in Ireland. This paper examines the suitability of the TRL conversion methods 1 and 3 for use under Irish road conditions. Method 2 was not considered in this study, as it was a methodology not applicable in an Irish scenario. Studies concluded that where hourly traffic data are available, the conversion methodology outlined in TRL Method 1 is robust and reproducible. However, in the absence of hourly traffic data where daily traffic counts are used, the relevant conversion procedures produce variable results for both L_den and L_night when applied to Irish road conditions. To reduce the variability, new conversion procedures were developed, specifically for Irish road conditions.     

The use of calcination in exposing the entrapped Fe particles from multi-walled carbon nanotubes grown by chemical vapour deposition

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were synthesized a by chemical vapour deposition method. The effect of calcination at temperatures ranging from 300 to 550°C in exposing the metal nanoparticles within the nanotube bundles was studied. The degree of degradation of the structural integrity of the MWCNTs during the thermal process was studied by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The thermal behaviour of the as-prepared and calcined samples was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis. Calcination in air, at 400°C for 1 h, was found to be an efficient and simple method to extract metallic impurities from the amorphous carbon shells with minimal damage to the tube walls and lengths. The nanotubes were observed to be damaged at temperatures higher than 450°C.     

The Structure of (SCN)x: A Study Using Molecular and Solid‐State Density Functional Theory Calculations

A riddle solved! Despite its simple formula, the structure of the (SCN)_x polymer has remained elusive since its first synthesis in 1929. From energetics as well as NMR chemical shifts, based on DFT calculations, we have strong evidence that it is indeed a tangle of linear chains, made up from N‐linked S₂C₂N five‐membered rings.

     

Planning sustainable community health schemes in rural areas of developing countries

In this research, we consider the planning of community health schemes by non-governmental or faith-based organisations in rural areas of developing countries, from both top-down and ground level viewpoints. We conclude that both types of planning approach are valid and necessary for sustainability of such developments. With top-down planning in mind, we describe our hierarchical models especially designed for location of community health facilities, with objectives pertaining to both efficiency and equity of provision. As an additional case study, we present modelling of the location of a maximal number of self-sustainable primary healthcare workers in a rural region of India.     

Observation of a half step magnetization in the {Cu3}-type triangular spin ring

We report pulsed field magnetization and ESR experiments on a {Cu3} nanomagnet, where antiferromagnetically coupled Cu(2+) (S = 1/2) ions form a slightly distorted triangle. The remarkable feature is the observation of a half step magnetization, hysteresis loops, and an asymmetric magnetization between a positive and a negative field in a fast sweeping external field. This is attributed to an adiabatic change of magnetization. The energy levels determined by ESR unveil that the different mixing nature of a spin chirality of a total S = 1/2 Kramers doublet by virtue of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions is decisive for inducing half step magnetization.     

Microwave-Accelerated Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence (MAMEF): Application to Ultra Fast and Sensitive Clinical Assays

In this rapid communication we describe an exciting platform technology that promises to fundamentally address two underlying constraints of modern assays and immunoassays, namely sensitivity and rapidity. By combining the use of Metal-enhanced Fluorescence (MEF) with low power microwave heating (Mw), we can significantly increase the sensitivity of surface assays as well as >95% kinetically complete the assay within a few seconds. This technology is subsequently likely to find significant importance in certain clinical assays, such as in the clinical assessment of myoglobin, where both the assay rapidity and sensitivity are paramount for the assessment and treatment of acute myocardial infarction.     

Applications of cavity ring-down spectroscopy to high precision isotope ratio measurement of 13C/12C in carbon dioxide

Recent measurements of carbon isotopes in carbon dioxide using near-infrared, diode-laser-based cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) are presented. The CRDS system achieved good precision, often better than 0.2 per thousand, for 4% CO2 concentrations, and also achieved 0.15-0.25 per thousand precision in a 78 min measurement time with cryotrap-based pre-concentration of ambient CO2 concentrations (360 ppmv). These results were obtained with a CRDS system possessing a data rate of 40 ring-downs per second and a loss measurement of 4.0 x 10(-11) cm(-1) Hz(-1/2). Subsequently, the measurement time has been reduced to under 10 min. This standard of performance would enable a variety of high concentration (3-10%) isotopic measurements, such as medical human breath analysis or animal breath experiments. The extension of this ring-down to the 2 microm region would enable isotopic analysis at ambient concentrations, which, combined with the small size, robust design, and potential for frequent measurements at a remote site, make CRDS technology attractive for remote atmospheric measurement applications.     

Structural Aspects of the O-glycosylation Linkage in Glycopeptides via MD Simulations and Comparison with NMR Experiments

A powerful conformational searching and enhanced sampling simulation method, and unbiased molecular dynamics simulations have been used along with NMR spectroscopic observables to provide a detailed structural view of O-glycosylation. For four model systems, the force-field parameters can accurately predict experimental NMR observables (J couplings and NOE's). This enables us to derive conclusions based on the generated ensembles, in which O-glycosylation affects the peptide backbone conformation by forcing it towards to an extended conformation. An exception is described for β-GalNAc-Thr where the α content is increased and stabilized via hydrogen bonding between the sugar and the peptide backbone, which was not observed in the rest of the studied systems. These observations might offer an explanation for the evolutionary preference of α-linked GalNAc glycosylation instead of a β link.