FA-SIFT study of the reactions of H₃O⁺∙(H₂O)n (n=0, 1, 2), NO⁺ and O₂˙⁺ with the terpenoid aldehydes citral, citronellal and myrtenal and their alcohol analogues

A

Dance-the-music : an educational platform for the modeling, recognition and audiovisual monitoring of dance steps using spatiotemporal motion templates

In this article, a computational platform is presented, entitled “Dance-the-Music”, that can be used in a dance educational context to explore and learn the basics of dance steps. By introducing a method based on spatiotemporal motion templates, the platform facilitates to train basic step models from sequentially repeated dance figures performed by a dance teacher. Movements are captured with an optical motion capture system. The teachers’ models can be visualized from a first-person perspective to instruct students how to perform the specific dance steps in the correct manner. Moreover, recognition algorithms-based on a template matching method can determine the quality of a student’s performance in real time by means of multimodal monitoring techniques. The results of an evaluation study suggest that the Dance-the-Music is effective in helping dance students to master the basics of dance figures

MS/MS studies on the selective on-line detection of sesquiterpenes using a Flowing Afterglow-Tandem Mass Spectrometer (FA-TMS)

A Flowing Afterglow-Tandem Mass Spectrometer (FA-TMS) was used to investigate the feasibility of selective on-line detection of a series of seven sesquiterpenes (SQTs). These SQTs were chemically ionized by either H3O+ or NO+ reagent ions in the FA, resulting among others in protonated SQT and SQT molecular ions, respectively. These and other Chemical Ionization (CI) product ions were subsequently subjected to dissociation by collisions with Ar atoms in the collision cell of the tandem mass spectrometer. The fragmentation spectra show similarities with mass spectra obtained for these compounds with other instruments such as a Proton Transfer Reaction-Linear Ion Trap (PTR-LIT), a Proton Transfer Reaction-Mass Spectrometer (PTR-MS), a Triple Quadrupole-Mass Spectrometer (QqQ-MS) and a Selected Ion Flow Tube-Mass Spectrometer (SIFT-MS). Fragmentation of protonated SQT is characterized by fragment ions at the same masses but with different intensities for the individual SQT. Distinction of SQTs is based on well-chosen intensity ratios and collision energies. The fragmentation patterns of SQT molecular ions show specific fragment ion tracers at m/z 119, m/z 162, m/z 137 and m/z 131 for alpha-cedrene, delta-neoclovene, isolongifolene and alpha-humulene, respectively. Consequently, chemical ionization of SQT by NO+, followed by MS/MS of SQT(+) seems to open a way for selective quantification of SQTs in mixtures

Response of BVOC emissions from Fraxinus excelsior to biotic stress

C

Beating-time gestures imitation learning for humanoid robots

Beating-time gestures are movement patterns of the hand swaying along with music, thereby indicating accented musical pulses. The spatiotemporal configuration of these patterns makes it diÿcult to analyse and model them. In this paper we present an innovative modelling approach that is based upon imitation learning or Programming by Demonstration (PbD). Our approach - based on Dirichlet Process Mixture Models, Hidden Markov Models, Dynamic Time Warping, and non-uniform cubic spline regression - is particularly innovative as it handles spatial and temporal variability by the generation of a generalised trajectory from a set of periodically repeated movements. Although not within the scope of our study, our procedures may be implemented for the sake of controlling movement behaviour of robots and avatar animations in response to music

Dynamische interactie tussen fotosynthese en BVOS emissies in bosecosystemen

Emissies van biogene vluchtige organische stoffen (BVOS), zoals isopreen, monoterpenen en sesquiterpenen, vormen een belangrijke bron van luchtvervuiling en dragen bij tot ozonvorming. Uit voorgaande studies blijkt dat deze emissies positief beïnvloed worden door licht en temperatuur. In het kader van dit onderzoek wordt nagegaan of ook fotosynthese een belangrijke interactie vertoont met BVOS-emissies. Continue en simultane metingen werden verricht met PTR-MS (metingen van BVOS-emissies) en IRGA (metingen van fotosynthese), beiden verbonden met cuvettes geïnstalleerd op verschillende hoogtes op takken van een volwassen beuk (Fagus sylvatica L.) in het experimentele proefbos Aelmoeseneie, Gontrode van augustus tot oktober 2008. Ook werden microklimatologische parameters opgemeten voor cuvettes