Meta-Programming and Policy-Based Design as a Technique of Architecting Modular and Efficient DSP Algorithm Implementations

Meta-programming paradigm and policy-based design are less known programming techniques in Digital Signal Processing (DSP) community, used to coding in pure C or assembly language. Major software components, like C++ STL, have proven usefulness of such paradigms in providing top performance of highly optimised native code, along with abstraction and modularity necessary in complex software projects. This paper describes composition of DSP code using these techniques, bringing as an example implementation of Feedback Delay Network (FDN) artificial reverberation algorithm. The proposed approach was proven to be practical, especially in case of prototyping computationally intense algorithms. To provide further performance insight, we discuss the techniques in context of other optimisation methods, like Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) instruction sets usage and exploitation of superscalar architecture capabilities

Protein–Phenolic Interactions as a Factor Affecting the Physicochemical Properties of White Bean Proteins

This study was conducted with an aim to determine the interactions of pure phenolic compounds (gallic acid, ferulic acid, chlorogenic acid, quercetin, apigenin, and catechin) and phenolics from plant extracts (green tea and green coffee) with protein fractions of white bean (albumins and globulins). The physicochemical properties of complexes were established through an analysis of the UV-Vis spectrum; relative content of free amino groups, thiol groups, and tryptophan residues; chromatographic (SE-HPLC) and electrophoretic (SD-PAGE, Native-PAGE) properties; and conformational changes reflected by Fourier transform infrared spectra. Further, the effect of pH and ionic strength on the solubility and stability of complexes as well as the binding capacity of phenolics to proteins were determined. Results show that, in most cases, phenolics significantly affected the measured parameters; however, the effects were strongly differentiated by the type of phenolic compounds and protein fraction that were applied. Moreover, it may be that changes in the properties of complexes are reflected in the biological nature of proteins and phenolic compounds such as their bioavailability and physiological activity. However, due to the structural complexity of proteins, and the multitudinous factors that affect their interactions, such studies are a great and long-term challenge for the domain of food science

Magnetically-sensitive nanodiamond thin-films on glass fibers

By assembling 140 nm-sized fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) in a thin-film on (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane functionalized glass surface, we prepare magnetically-sensitive FND-fiber probes for endoscopy. The obtained FND layers show good uniformity over large surfaces and are characterized using confocal, fluorescence, and atomic force microscopes. Further, FNDs are assembled on single large-core multimode optical fibers and imaging fiber bundles end face to detect optically detectable magnetic resonance (ODMR) signals. The ODMR signals are recorded through the fiber’s far end in magnetic fields between 0 to 2.5 mT. A multi-channel sensor is demonstrated with the capability of parallel-in-time mapping and instantaneous readout from individual pixel and enabling magnetic mapping at high spatial resolution. Results of this study are promising for early stage detection in bio-diagnostic applications