Signal conditioning circuit apparatus

A signal conditioning circuit is described including operational amplifier, a variable source of offset potential, and four resistive impedance. The circuit has constant input impedance independent of gain and offset adjustments. Gain change is effected by varying one of the impedances in an amplifier feedback circuit; offset adjustment is effected through variation of the offset potential source

Direct combination: a new user interaction principle for mobile and ubiquitous HCI

Direct Combination (DC) is a recently introduced user interaction principle. The principle (previously applied to desktop computing) can greatly reduce the degree of search, time, and attention required to operate user interfaces. We argue that Direct Combination applies particularly aptly to mobile computing devices, given appropriate interaction techniques, examples of which are presented here. The reduction in search afforded to users can be applied to address several issues in mobile and ubiquitous user interaction including: limited feedback bandwidth; minimal attention situations; and the need for ad-hoc spontaneous interoperation and dynamic reconfiguration of multiple devices. When Direct Combination is extended and adapted to fit the demands of mobile and ubiquitous HCI, we refer to it as Ambient Combination (AC) . Direct Combination allows the user to exploit objects in the environment to narrow down the range of interactions that need be considered (by system and user). When the DC technique of pairwise or n-fold combination is applicable, it can greatly lessen the demands on users for memorisation and interface navigation. Direct Combination also appears to offers a new way of applying context-aware information. In this paper, we present Direct Combination as applied ambiently through a series of interaction scenarios, using an implemented prototype system

Optimising multi-disciplinary contributions for the smart clothing development process

This research aims to introduce a strategic approach to overcome the creative boundaries and optimize multidisciplinary contributions in Smart Clothing development, since the former research results revealed that these issues are key to achieving fully integrated Smart Clothes. Therefore, this paper examines collaborative projects that are shown to break through the creative boundary and integrate multidisciplinary contributions, and identifies how individual designers overcome their creative constraints and collaborate with others, in order to identify a practical method. The research result indicates that a clear description of Smart Clothing’s context will provide a new framework for the developers to work on

NATURAL RESOURCE SUPPLY CONSTRAINTS AND REGIONAL ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: A COMPUTABLE GENERAL EQUILIBRIUM APPROACH

A computable general equilibrium model is used to estimate the impact a resource supply constraint, that restricts federal timber harvest, has on a timber dependent region. Impacts are compared to impacts generated from an input-output mode and indicate an upward bias in estimated income and employment losses using IO methods.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Deep HST V- and I-Band Observations of Two Globular Clusters in the Halo of M31

We present deep (V ~= 27) V- and I-band stellar photometry of G302 and G312, two globular star clusters in the halo of M31. These data were obtained using the Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field/Planetary Camera 2. We find iron abundances of [Fe/H] = -1.85 +/- 0.12 for G302 and [Fe/H] = -0.56 +/- 0.03 for G312, consistent with spectroscopic measurements. The color-magnitude diagrams for each cluster show no evidence for an intermediate-aged population of stars, or a second parameter effect in the morphology of the horizontal branch. G302 shows no evidence for a color gradient but the inner regions of G312 are bluer than the outer regions. G312 shows no evidence of ellipticity or an extended halo of unbound stars. G302 has a projected ellipticity of 0.195 +/- 0.012 with the projected major axis oriented towards the center of M31. G302 also shows evidence of an extended asymmetric stellar halo extending to at least twice the fitted Michie-King tidal radius. The amount of mass beyond the tidal radius of G302 is consistent with the stellar escape rates which have been predicted by N-body simulations of globular clusters in the Galactic tidal field.Comment: 29 pages, 21 Postscript figures, uses aaspp4.sty, to be published in the October 1997 A

The Double Cluster G185 in M31

We have identified a small globular cluster in M31 located approximately 4 arcseconds northwest of the M31 globular cluster G185. While several multiple globular clusters have been observed in the Magellanic Clouds none have been found in the Galaxy or in M31. We estimate the probability of such a chance line-of-sight alignment occuring near the nucleus of M31 to be 0.09 +/- 0.03 and find no obvious indication of any tidal deformation in either cluster, as would be expected if the clusters were interacting. Two-dimensional modelling suggests G185 has a King (1966) [AJ, 71, 64] concentration of c = 1.11 +/- 0.08 while the companion has c = 0.67 +/- 0.17 and is physically smaller than G185. Both objects have integrated dereddened colors similar to those of Galactic globular clusters.Comment: 22 pages, ~1Mb postscript file http://www.astro.ubc.ca/~holland/bib.html/ ftp://nukta.astro.ubc.ca/pub/holland/G185_preprint.ps.

Unraveling quantum dissipation in the frequency domain

We present a quantum Monte Carlo method for solving the evolution of an open quantum system. In our approach, the density operator evolution is unraveled in the frequency domain. Significant advantages of this approach arise when the frequency of each dissipative event conveys information about the state of the system.Comment: 4 pages, 4 Postscript figures, uses RevTe