Application of Object-Based Metrics for Recognition of Well-Designed Dashboards

Measuring the characteristics of visually emphasized objects displayed on a screen seems to be a promising way to rate user interface quality. On the other hand, it brings us problems regarding the ambiguity of object recognition caused by the subjective perception of the users. The goal of this research is to analyze the applicability of chosen object-based metrics for the evaluation of dashboard quality and the ability to distinguish well-design samples, with the focus on the subjective perception of the users. This article presents the model for the rating and classification of object-based metrics according to their ability to objectively distinguish well-designed dashboards. We use the model to rate 13 existing object-based metrics of aesthetics. Then, we present a new approach for the improvement of the rating of one object-based metric—Balance. We base the improvement on the combination of the object-based metric with the pixel-based analysis of color distribution on the screen.     

Effect of acids and bases on electrophoretic deposition of alumina and zirconia particles in 2-propanol

The effects of acids (monochloroacetic, dichloracetic, trichloroacetic and sulfuric acids) and bases (diethanolamine, triethanolamine, piperidine) on electrophoretic mobility and electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of particles of amphoteric Al₂O₃ and ZrO₂ in anhydrous 2-propanol were studied. It was found that the ζ-potential of Al₂O₃ and ZrO₂ particles had in acidic and alkaline 2-propanol media opposite charge to that in aqueous medium. This phenomenon was explained by the low dissociation constants of acids and bases in 2-propanol. This enables electrosteric stabilization of Al₂O₃ and ZrO₂ particles by acid anions and base cations. Similar electrophoretic behaviour of Al₂O₃ and ZrO₂ particles in 2-propanolic dispersions stabilized by MCAA allowed the preparation of compact, regular layered laminates with high cohesion at the interface of layers.     

Fracture behaviour of alumina and zirconia thin layered laminate

Laminates with strong bonds between thin layers were examined in this work to explore the influence of developed internal stresses on the fracture behaviour. A set of laminates having different level of internal stresses were prepared. Alumina and zirconia were the model materials for evenly alternating layers. The electrophoretic deposition technique was used for manufacturing of the laminates. The basic mechanical properties as elastic modulus and flexural strength were determined for all prepared materials. The crack propagation changes due to effect of internal stresses, elastic mismatch and surface effects were investigated using modified single edge notched beam technique. An extensive fractographical analysis of fracture surfaces was undertaken using laser confocal microscopy. The changes of the crack direction when crack propagates through alternating layers under different angels were described. Further, the effect of the internal stresses level within individual layers was reported.     

9Cr–1W steel strengthened by AlN and BN dispersion

Journal of Materials Science - Ferritic-martensitic steels of 9Cr–1W type strengthened by oxide dispersion (ODS) are candidate structural materials of in-vessel components of proposed...     

Assessment of green cleaning effectiveness on polychrome surfaces by MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry and microscopic imaging

This article proposes an innovative methodology which employs nondestructive techniques to assess the effectiveness of new formulations based on ionic liquids, as alternative solvents for enzymes (proteases), for the removal of proteinaceous materials from painted surfaces during restoration treatments. Ionic liquids (ILs), also known as “designer” solvents, because of their peculiar properties which can be adjusted by selecting different cation‐anion combinations, are potentially green solvents due totheir low vapour pressure. In this study, two ionic liquids were selected: IL1 (1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIM][BF₄])) and IL2 (1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium ethylsulphate ([EMIM][EtSO₄])). New formulations were prepared with these ILs and two different proteases (E): one acid (E1—pepsin) and one alkaline (E2—obtained from Aspergillus sojae). These formulations were tested on tempera and oil mock‐up samples, prepared in accordance with historically documented recipes, and covered with two different types of protein‐based varnishes (egg white and isinglass—fish glue). A noninvasive multiscale imaging methodology was applied before and after the treatment to evaluate the cleaning's effectiveness. Different microscopic techniques—optical microscopy (OM) with visible and fluorescent light, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM)—together with Matrix‐Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization—Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF MS) were applied on areas cleaned with the new formulations (IL + E) and reference areas cleaned only with the commercial enzyme formulations (gels). MALDI‐TOF proved particularly very useful for comparing the diversity and abundance of peptides released by using different enzymatic systems. Microsc. Res. Tech. 77:574–585, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Initial error growth and predictability of chaotic low-dimensional atmospheric model

The growth of small errors in weather prediction is exponential on average. As an error becomes larger, its growth slows down and then stops with the magnitude of the error saturating at about the average distance between two states chosen randomly.This paper studies the error growth in a low-dimensional atmospheric model before, during and after the initial exponential divergence occurs. We test cubic, quartic and logarithmic hypotheses by ensemble prediction method. Furthermore, the quadratic hypothesis suggested by Lorenz in 1969 is compared with the ensemble prediction method. The study shows that a small error growth is best modeled by the quadratic hypothesis. After the error exceeds about a half of the average value of variables, logarithmic approximation becomes superior. It is also shown that the time length of the exponential growth in the model data is a function of the size of small initial error and the largest Lyapunov exponent. We conclude that the size of the error at the least upper bound(supremum) of time length is equal to 1 and it is invariant to these variables. Predictability, as a time interval, where the model error is growing, is for small initial error, the sum of the least upper bound of time interval of exponential growth and predictability for the size of initial error equal to 1.     

Perimeter in material images: Comparison of continuous representation and global stereological estimation methods

A set of objects in a material structure is typically represented by a binary digital image. Two methods of estimation of the perimeter of objects are discussed: 1. “Searching for reality”: a continuous regression representation of the borders between objects and background is estimated, from which the desired characteristic is computed. 2. Stereological solution: easily measurable qualities of the digital set are measured, from which the desired characteristics are estimated on the basis of a known global formula. Both approaches are compared in an application on sets of digital images representing original patterns with successively lowered resolution.