In-situ source path contribution analysis of structure borne road noise

Source-path-contribution (SPC) analysis, also known as transfer path analysis (TPA), is a technique widely used in the automotive industry for rank ordering noise and vibration sources. The SPC approach is known to provide reliable diagnostic information but is time consuming to apply. In this paper, a faster SPC approach that allows all measurements to be performed in-situ is outlined and tested. For validation purposes a classic example consisting of a vehicle's suspension system (considered a vibration source) attached to a vehicle body (receiver) is analysed. It is found that structure borne noise inside the vehicle can be predicted well by either the conventional or the novel in-situ SPC approaches and that both methods give the same diagnostic information in terms of the rank ordering of path contributions. Thus, the new in-situ approach provides results at least as reliable as the conventional inverse SPC approach but has significant practical advantages in terms of reduced test time, transferability of data and flexibility in the location of the source–receiver interface. An additional investigation also demonstrates the feasibility of including rotational motions and moments in the analysis and it is shown that improved accuracy can be achieved as a result.     

Charged pion photoproduction in the quark model

In terms of a quark model an explanation is given of charged pion photoproduction ratios, at small momentum transfer, in the processes γN → π^±N, γN → π^±Δ. The model is also shown to be consistent with π⁰ photoproduction data.     

Stabilization of G-quadruplex DNA by highly selective ligands via click chemistry

A series of G-quadruplex stabilizing compounds have been prepared via click chemistry employing the Cu(I)-catalyzed Huisgen reaction. These compounds were shown to bind tightly to G-quadruplex DNA even in the presence of competing high concentrations of duplex DNA. Furthermore, a modified TRAP assay has shown that some of these compounds also inhibit telomerase at low micromolar concentration.     

Comparison of the quark model with SU3 inelastic amplitudes

A complete disagreement is found between the signs of resonance formation amplitudes for π + N → ? + N and π + N → πΔ as predicted by the quark and as given by the recent isobar partial wave analysis. This dis-agreement is in strong contrast to the corresponding agreement for resonant formation amplitudes in γ + N → π + N.     

Quarkonia from charmonium and renormalization group equations

A prediction of the upsilon and strangeonium spectra is made from the charmonium spectrum by solving the Salpeter equation using an identical potential to that used in charmonium. Effective quark masses and coupling parameters α_s are functions of the inter-quark distance according to the renormalization group equations. The use of the Fermi-Breit-Hamiltonian for obtaining the charmonium hyperfine splitting is criticized.     

Adamantylcyclopentadienyldicarbonyliron(II) compounds

Synthesis of 1- and 2-adamantyl derivatives of η⁵-cyclopentadienyldicarbonyliron is reported. The 2-adamantyl is prepared from the metal carbonyl anion but the 1-adamantyl derivative is prepared by decarbonylation of the acyl derivative. 1-adCOFe(CO)₂(η⁵-C₅H₅) is in turn prepared from 1-AdCOCl and NaFe-(CO)₂(η⁵-C₅H₅). Phosphine-substituted acyl derivatives AdCOFe(CO)(PR₃)-(η⁵-C₅H₅) are also reported.     

The Role of Lignocellulosic Composition and Residual Lipids in Empty Fruit Bunches on the Production of Humic Acids in Submerged Fermentations

The aim of this research was to study the production of humic acids (HA) by Trichoderma reesei from empty fruit bunches (EFBs) of palm oil processing, with a focus on the effects of lignocellulosic content and residual lipids. EFBs from two different soils and palm oil producers were previously characterized about their lignocellulosic composition. Submerged fermentations were inoculated with T. reesei spores and set up with or without residual lipids. The results showed that the soil and the processing for removal of the palm fresh fruits were crucial to EFB quality. Thus, EFBs were classified as type 1 (higher lignocellulosic and fatty acids composition similar to the palm oil and palm kernel oil) and type 2 (lower lignocellulosic content and fatty acids composition similar to palm oil). Despite the different profiles, the fungal growth was similar for both EFB types. HA production was associated with fungal growth, and it was higher without lipids for both EFBs. The highest HA productivity was obtained from type 1 EFB (approximately 90 mg L⁻¹ at 48 h). Therefore, the lignocellulosic composition and the nature of the residual lipids in EFBs play an important role in HA production by submerged fermentation.

     

Feedback-controlled electro-kinetic traps for single-molecule spectroscopy

A principal limitation of single-molecule spectroscopy in solution is the diffusion-limited residence time of a given molecule within the detection volume. A common solution to this problem is to immobilize molecules of interest on a passivated glass surface for extending the observation time to obtain reliable data statistics. However, surface tethering of molecules often introduces artifacts, particularly when studying the structural dynamics of biomolecules. To circumvent this limitation, we investigated alternative ways to extend single-molecule observation times in solution without surface immobilization. Among various possibilities, the so-called anti-Brownian electro-kinetic trap (or ABEL trap) seems best suited to achieve this goal. The essential part of that trap is a feedback-controlled electro-kinetic steering of a molecule’s position in reaction to its diffusive Brownian motion which is monitored by fluorescence, thus keeping the molecule within a sub-micron sized detection volume. Fluorescence trace recordings of over thousands of milliseconds duration on individual dye molecules within an ABEL trap have been reported. In this short review, we shall briefly discuss the principle and some results of ABEL trapping of individual molecules with possible extensions to future works.     

Compensation for discarded singular values in vibro-acoustic inverse methods

The paper addresses the inverse problem where source strengths are back-calculated from a sound pressure field sampled at several points. Regularization techniques, such as singular value discarding or Tikhonov regularization, are commonly used to improve estimates of source strength in such situations. However, over-regularization can result in even worse errors. A simple procedure is proposed here to compensate for errors of over-regularization. The basis is to constrain the solution such that the spatial mean of the measured and reconstructed sound pressure are equal. In other words, to set the overall sound power of the equivalent (calculated) sources equal to that of the real source. It is argued that the overall sound power is the most stable and reliable quantity on which to base source strength estimates. Examples of both singular value discarding and Tikhonov regularization are given.