Audio-visual Virtual Reality System for Room Acoustics

We present an audio-visual Virtual Reality display system for simulated sound fields. In addition to the room acoustic simulation by means of phonon tracing and finite element method this system includes the stereoscopic visualization of simulation results using a 3D back projection system as well as auralization by use of a professional sound equipment. For auralization purposes we develop a sound field synthesis approach for accurate control of the loudspeaker system

Functional connectivity network between terrestrial and aquatic habitats by a generalist waterbird, and implications for biovectoring

Birds are vectors of dispersal of propagules of plants and other organisms including pathogens, as well as nutrients and contaminants. Thus, through their movements they create functional connectivity between habitat patches. Most studies on connectivity provided by animals to date have focused on movements within similar habitat types. However, some waterbirds regularly switch between terrestrial, coastal and freshwater habitats throughout their daily routines. Lesser black-backed gulls that overwinter in Andalusia use different habitat types for roosting and foraging. In order to reveal their potential role in biovectoring among habitats, we created an inter-habitat connectivity network based on GPS tracking data. We applied connectivity measures by considering frequently visited sites as nodes, and flights as links, to determine the strength of connections in the network between habitats, and identify functional units where connections are more likely to happen. We acquired data for 42 tagged individuals (from five breeding colonies), and identified 5676 direct flights that connected 37 nodes. These 37 sites were classified into seven habitat types: reservoirs, natural lakes, ports, coastal marshes, fish ponds, rubbish dumps and ricefields. The Donana ricefields acted as the central node in the network based on centrality measures. Furthermore, during the first half of winter when rice was harvested, ricefields were the most important habitat type in terms of total time spent. Overall, 90% of all direct flights between nodes were between rubbish dumps (for foraging) and roosts in other habitats, thereby connecting terrestrial and various wetland habitats. The strength of connections decreased between nodes as the distance between them increased, and was concentrated within ten independent spatial and functional units, especially between December and February. The pivotal role for ricefields and rubbish dumps in the network, and their high connectivity with aquatic habitats in general, have important implications for biovectoring into their surroundings. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V

National and subnational short-term forecasting of COVID-19 in Germany and Poland during early 2021

We compare forecasts of weekly case and death numbers for COVID-19 in Germany and Poland based on 15 different modelling approaches. These cover the period from January to April 2021 and address numbers of cases and deaths one and two weeks into the future, along with the respective uncertainties. We find that combining different forecasts into one forecast can enable better predictions. However, case numbers over longer periods were challenging to predict. Additional data sources, such as information about different versions of the SARS-CoV-2 virus present in the population, might improve forecasts in the future

Helmholtz Resonators with Large Aperture

The lowest resonant frequency of a cavity resonator is usually approximated by the classical Helmholtz formula. However, if the opening is rather large and the front wall is narrow this formula is no longer valid. Here we present a correction which is of third order in the ratio of the diameters of aperture and cavity. In addition to the high accuracy it allows to estimate the damping due to radiation. The result is found by applying the method of matched asymptotic expansions. The correction contains form factors describing the shapes of opening and cavity. They are com- puted for a number of standard geometries. Results are compared with numerical computations

Helmholtz Resonators with Large Aperture

The lowest resonant frequency of a cavity resonator is usually approximated by the classical Helmholtz formula. However, if the opening is rather large and the front wall is narrow this formula is no longer valid. Here we present a correction which is of third order in the ratio of the diameters of aperture and cavity. In addition to the high accuracy it allows to estimate the damping due to radiation. The result is found by applying the method of matched asymptotic expansions. The correction contains form factors describing the shapes of opening and cavity. They are com- puted for a number of standard geometries. Results are compared with numerical computations