A NIC with Impedance Scaling Properties Using Unity Gain Cells

A novel negative impedance converter (NIC) is proposed. This configuration is based on unity gain cells (a cascade of current and voltage followers with unity gains). The proposed circuit has wide band impedance scaling property, and it is suitable for practical implementation of realizing high-negative-valued passive components.     

The Effects of Different Gums and Their Interactions on the Rheological Properties of a Dairy Dessert: A Mixture Design Approach

In this study, the steady and dynamic rheological properties of the dairy dessert samples (puddings) containing carrageenan, alginate, guar and xanthan gums and their combinations were investigated in a model system, and mixture design was utilized to observe the effects of the gums and their interactions. The flow behaviour of the pudding samples fitted to the Ostwald de Waele model (R ²?>?0.98). All the samples exhibited a gel structure with their higher G′ (storage modulus) values than the G″ (loss modulus) values. Carrageenan was the most effective hydrocolloid on both the steady and dynamic rheological parameters of the dairy dessert samples. On the other hand, alginate had relatively smaller effect. Furthermore, 30 pudding samples containing different gum or gum combinations were classified into two groups (A and B) by using principal component analysis (PCA). Samples containing more than 33% carrageenan in their formulations made up the group A which positively correlated to K (consistency index), η ₅₀ (apparent viscosity at shear rate 50 s^?1), G′, G″, G* (complex modulus) and η* (complex viscosity) values.     

Investigating the effect of production process of ball mill refiner on some physical quality parameters of compound chocolate: response surface methodology approach

Chocolate compound was produced using ball mill refiner, and the effect of agitator shaft speed and refining time on the physical quality parameters (particle size, colour and steady‐state rheology) of compound chocolate was determined using response surface methodology. The shaft speed and refining time range were selected between 40–60 r.p.m. and 10–30 min, respectively. Determination coefficient of the models established for particle size, Newtonian viscosity and colour parameters (brightness, chroma and hue angle) were found to be very close to unity. Increasing shaft speed and time induced a reduction in particle size and an increase in viscosity of the samples. Temperature sweep test was also performed, and the obtained data were successfully fitted to Arrhenius equation to calculate the corresponding parameters representing temperature dependency of the compounds. The results highlighted that the establishment of such models can provide essential information in terms of optimisation of production processes regarding usage purpose of the compound chocolate.     

Influence of weathering on adhesion strength of chemically treated and coated Scotch pine

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of weathering on adhesion strength of Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) samples treated with three concentrations of Tanalith-E. Treated samples were also coated with polyurethane, synthetic and water based varnishes prior to 500 h accelerated weathering test. Adhesion strength between varnishing materials and substrate samples was determined employing pull-off type equipment. Based on the findings in this work adhesion strength values of samples decreased with increasing concentration of treatment chemical. The highest average strength value was found as 3.48 MPa for untreated control samples while 2.88 MPa was the lowest average value for the samples treated with Tanalith-E having 9% concentration and coated with water based varnish. Majority of the failures took place within the adhesion line between coating and the substrate with a very limited torn fibers. Results of statistical analysis revealed that samples coated with three different types of varnishes did not show any significant difference from each other at 95% confidence level. It was also found that chemical treatment of the samples adversely influenced their overall adhesion strength characteristics.     

On the Realization of MOS-Only Allpass Filters

The objective of this paper is to present a simple filter topology, which can be used to implement first- and second-order MOS-only allpass filters. The resulting filters realize the allpass functions without using any external passive components; hence these occupy very small chip area and are capable of operating at high frequencies. Cadence Spectre simulation and experimental results verifying the main advantages of the filters are provided.     

Evaluating the Impact of User Characteristics and Different Layouts on an Interactive Visualization for Decision Making

There is increasing evidence that user characteristics can have a significant impact on visualization effectiveness, suggesting that visualizations could be designed to better fit each user's specific needs. Most studies to date, however, have looked at static visualizations. Studies considering interactive visualizations have only looked at a limited number of user characteristics, and consider either low‐level tasks (e.g., value retrieval), or high‐level tasks (in particular: discovery), but not both. This paper contributes to this line of work by looking at the impact of a large set of user characteristics on user performance with interactive visualizations, for both low and high‐level tasks. We focus on interactive visualizations that support decision making, exemplified by a visualization known as Value Charts. We include in the study two versions of ValueCharts that differ in terms of layout, to ascertain whether layout mediates the impact of individual differences and could be considered as a form of personalization. Our key findings are that (i) performance with low and high‐level tasks is affected by different user characteristics, and (ii) users with low visual working memory perform better with a horizontal layout. We discuss how these findings can inform the provision of personalized support to visualization processing.     

On the complexity of purely complex μ computation and relatedproblems in multidimensional systems

In this paper, the following robust control problems are shown to be NP-hard: given a purely complex uncertainty structure Δ, determine if: 1) μ_Δ(M)<1, for a given rational matrix M; 2) ∥M(·)∥_μ<1, for a given rational transfer matrix M(s); and 3) inf(Q∈H^∞)∥F(T,Q)∥_μ<1, for a given linear fractional transformation F(T,Q) with rational coefficients. In other words, purely complex μ computation, analysis, and synthesis problems are NP-hard. It is also shown that checking stability and computing the H^∞ norm of a multidimensional system, are NP-hard problems. Therefore, it is rather unlikely to find nonconservative polynomial time algorithms for solving the problems in complete generality     

Predictors of attitudinal and behavioral outcomes in mobile advertising: A field experiment

The study examines consumer responses to SMS-based mobile advertising campaigns using a field experiment with actual behavioral responses. Specifically, the effects of message characteristics (i.e., incentives and prior permission) and individual differences of message recipients (i.e., content involvement, prior experience with the mobile medium, and medium-fit perceptions) on the attitudinal and behavioral outcomes of such campaigns are investigated. Perceived intrusiveness of the message and attitude toward the campaign are conceptualized as key attitudinal reactions triggered by a mobile advertising message, which in turn influence the behavioral responses generated by the campaign. Findings suggest that, in comparison to permission and incentive, individual differences are stronger determinants of responses to mobile advertising campaigns. Additionally, intriguing insights with respect to the effectiveness of different types of incentives are provided.