Using sketches and storyboards to assess impact of age difference in user experience

We compared two versions of a touch-screen digital thermostat using a framework encompassing several user experience (UX) characteristics, and here describe how the implementation of certain design factors (specialists, praises, tooltips and increased interactivity) was done on mixed-fidelity prototypes of the user interface. We illustrate how the experimental comparison, involving 20 university students and 20 older adults, revealed important differences in UX, including perceived ease of use, behavioral intentions, enjoyment, quality, satisfaction, trust and usability, measured mainly through established questionnaires.Analysis revealed that using that kind of artifacts is a very cost effective way to elicit interesting and useful results; many UX variables are significantly affected by design factors and by age differences, as expected; effects of design factors go well beyond usability and therefore could not be caught by running an investigation focused only on usability.Age difference matters: older adults do not respond to addition of specialists, praises and tooltips as younger users do. We argue that potential benefits of these design choices are outweigh by the increase in complexity of the user interface.From a methodological viewpoint we suggest using a particular array of UX characteristics and metrics when testing mixed-fidelity prototypes. Not all the metrics that we adopted were equally useful, and in particular perceived usability, subjective mental effort, and emotions did not help us highlighting differences.     

Radial gas mixing in a fluidized bed using response surface methodology

Radial gas mixing in a fluidized bed was studied using response surface methodology (RSM), which enables effect examinations of parameters with a moderate number of experiments. All experiments were conducted in a 0.29-m ID fluidized-bed cold model. The gas dispersion process within the bed is described using the dispersed plug flow model. Pure carbon dioxide was used as the tracer gas, continuously injected into the center of the bed by a point source. The downstream radial tracer concentration profile was measured using a gas chromatograph.The radial gas dispersion coefficient, D_r, was well correlated with operating parameters and the particle and gas properties: (U−U_mf)/U_mf, H_s/d_b, φ_d, and Ar, with a determination coefficient R² of 0.966. Effect test indicates that the dimensionless characteristic velocity, (U−U_mf)/U_mf, has the most significant influence on D_r, while the static bed height to bed diameter ratio, H_s/d_b, is less remarkable. The interactions of (U−U_mf)/U_mf with the distributor open-area ratio, φ_d, and with the Archimedes number, Ar, both play important roles. An evolutive response surface model was proposed to describe the radial gas mixing in the bubbling/slugging fluidization regimes.     

用MH-81′状态方程模拟液氮洗涤塔

本文采用MH-81′状态方程和与密度无关的局部组成型混合法则,从二元汽-液平衡数据得到的二元相互作用参数,预测了部分液氮洗过程中的二元体系的混合焓,结果满意。采用三对角矩阵方法,对两种不同工况的液氮洗涤塔进行了模拟,计算结果与设计值和实测值符合较好。     

混合物MH-81状态方程的研究——从无限稀释活度系数预测混合物汽液平衡

本文由无限稀释活度系数求取混合物MH-81状态方程的二元相互作用参数,预测了二元混合物的汽液平衡,获得了较满意的结果。     

Water uptake and tensile properties of carboxylated styrene butadiene rubber based water born paints: Models for water uptake prediction

Despite significant advances in water based surface coating technology, the presence of surfactants in emulsion polymer binders leads to loss of performance after prolonged immersion in water, relative to solvent based coatings that are free of surfactant impurities. This study begins with water uptake evaluation of a range of emulsion polymer binders. A carboxylated styrene butadiene rubber latex (c-SBR) performed best in the latter evaluations and was selected for the formulation of an exterior grade paint and construction of a mathematical model to predict water uptake of the dry film. The c-SBR was then compounded with a range of inorganic fillers and water uptake and tensile properties were evaluated. Talc was found to be the best performing filler, and was used in a three factorial central composite design study where the simultaneous effects of talc, titanium dioxide and phenolic stabiliser on water up take were evaluated and fitted to response equations. A quadratic model was found to provide the most accurate prediction of effects associated with interactions between talc and TiO₂. Certain combinations of talc and titanium dioxide were found to be synergistic in reducing the water uptake. This was considered to be associated with a packing effect stemming from the vast difference in particle size between talc and titanium dioxide particles. An optimised formulation was finally prepared to meet one of the final formulation objectives; i.e., minimised water uptake. Preparation of such a formulation showed that the predicted and measured water uptake responses were in excellent agreement. This study illustrates the effectiveness of statistical experimental design methods in predicting the water uptake characteristics of water-based coatings.     

计算机网络课程实验教学设计的研究

实验教学是计算机网络课程的不可缺少的一部分,是提高学生分析解决问题能力和实际动手能力的重要途径。针对实验教学中存在的问题,对计算机网络实验课程的学情、教学目标,教学内容、教学过程和教学评价进行分析和设计,力图扩大知识面,完善实验教学环节,提高学生学习兴趣,改善教学效果。     

平均吸引势模型状态方程用于固体在超临界流体中溶解度的计算

基于膨胀液体概念，把超临界流体看作是被气体膨胀了的液体，并假设体系的分子吸引势为范德华气体和凝聚液体吸引势的体积平均值、导出了一个平均吸引势模型状态方程。该方程较好地关联了纯溶剂蒸汽压及超临界二氧化碳的Ｐ－Ｖ－Ｔ关系；并关联了１４种固体溶质在超临界二氧化碳中的溶解度数据，结果优于ＲＫ、ＳＲＫ及ＰＲ方程。     

A multi-fluid nonrandom lattice fluid model: General derivation and application to pure fluids

A multi-fluid nonrandom lattice fluid model with no temperature dependence of close packed volumes of a mer, segment numbers and energy parameters of pure systems is presented. The multi-fluid nonrandom lattice fluid (MF-NLF) model with the local composition concept was capable of describing properties for complex systems. However, the MF-NLF model has strong temperature dependence of energy parameters and segment numbers of pure systems; thus empirical correlations as functions of temperature were represented for reliable and convenient use in engineering practices. The MF-NLF model without temperature dependence of pure parameters could not predict thermodynamic properties accurately. It was found that the present model with three parameters describes quantitatively the vapor pressure and the saturated density for the pure fluid.     

变系数辅助方程法求解广义Burgers-KPP方程

提出了寻找非线性发展方程精确行波解的新的辅助方程法,通过选取变系数Bernoulli方程作为辅助常微分方程,根据齐次平衡原则,求解了广义Burgers-KPP方程,得到了该方程的行波解.所用方法可应用到其它类似方程的求解.     

多重网格法在地球物理正反演应用研究中的进展

现阶段地球物理三维勘探面临越来越复杂的问题,其要求更精细的三维网格剖分,现有的一些方法随着网格节点的增加其收敛速度相应减慢。对于应用中更复杂实际模型、更细密网格剖分以及更快收敛速度要求,难于有进一步提高。要有所突破,需借助计算数学最新进展,引入新的高效算法。多重网格法是近二十年迅速发展的一种求解微分方程近乎最优的新算法。本文首先简单介绍了多重网格法基本原理和运算格式,着重介绍了当前国内外多重网格法在地球物理正反演中的应用成果和发展现状。此外,对多重网格法在地球物理正反演中的应用前景及发展趋势进行了展望。