Development Of Microcomputers Research Articles

Interactive modelling in decision support systems

In the past, the use of computer models in decision support has involved the interpretation of written reports derived from the output of the model. In recent years, however, the development of micro-computers and istributed computing systems has made it possible for decision-makers to be provided, not with a written report, but with a copy of the model itself. The new relationship between the user and the model, which this development establishes, has important implications for the way in which decision support systems (DSSs) are designed and used.

Mesoscale models and their application to air quality studies

The use of mesoscale models in conjunction with air quality models enables better prediction of pollution transport and dispersion in the atmosphere. The accuracy of the prediction depends upon the physical processes included in the models, on the mathematical representation, and on the initial meteorological and other external data. In most situations large power plants are located near the coast or in hilly terrain. Under these situations the meteorological fields which are relevant to air quality studies change tremendously with time and space (both vertically and horizontally). So far most of the air quality studies and consequently the decisions regarding sitting and management of power plants in coastal or hilly sites are made according to simple Gaussian models which are based on limited observational data, and, therefore, are of doubtful meanings. To obtain better prediction of pollutant concentration dense meteorological observations have to be made. Since such observations are very expensive, it is unrealistic to require them. A reliable mesoscal model, however, can supply the necessary meteorological fields with relatively little expenses with any needed resolution, providing that appropriate computers are available. Model results can be very useful in prediction of maximum concentration that can be expected from routine simultaneous release from several sources during critical weather conditions. Since the late seventies, with the huge development of large computers, it has been made possible also to carry out three-dimensional simulations. Lately with the development of advanced microcomputers and appropriate software it is even possible to perform two- and even three-dimensional experiments on such computers within a reasonable time frame.

Planetary cameras

AbstractThe “first look” phase of planetary imaging has been completed, with many spectacular discoveries made by a wide variety of cameras and spacecraft. Now that planetary scientists have a better idea about what is out there, new cameras can be developed to address specific questions in greater depth. Ideally, these cameras would be fully optimized to carry out their scientific objectives. In reality, however, the numerous constraints and severe environments of a planetary spacecraft often influence the camera design as strongly as the science. New developments in optics, detectors, microcomputers, and structural materials have greatly expanded the capabilities that can be built into a small, lightweight, low‐power instrument, and further progress is expected in the coming decade. The new camera designs will be used on a variety of flyby, orbiter, lander, and rover missions now in preparation by NASA and other space agencies throughout the world.

Diagnosing Communications Problems with Continuous Measures of Subjects' Responses: Applications, Potential Applications, Limitations, and Future Research

Abstract Microcomputer and video developments have made it possible to collect subjects' immediate responses to continuous stimuli, such as television commercials, and to have instant polling results from categorical questions. The applications have become confused, so that this new technology is frequently misapplied. Some of the microcomputer hardware and software lacks sensitivity, so that measures can be misleading. The discussion is based on the author's six years of experience in developing four generations of hardware and software for real-time communications research. Commercial studies illustrate successful applications of the technology, while exploratory academic studies point the direction for new applications. All of these studies revealed weaknesses with the present technology, which required the fourth-generation system. An example from this system is shown and plans for future research are noted.

Technology 1991: minis and mainframes

Developments in microcomputers and mainframes during 1990 are highlighted. The resurgence of the mainframe, with many new product introductions, was noteworthy. Advances in superconductor power were made. The superminicomputer arena saw a downturn, and the industry's response was a migration away from proprietary systems toward more standard (or open) architectures and operating systems-RISC and Intel microprocessors, on the one hand, and Unix and MS DOS on the other. NCR corporation's thrust into open systems, with a family of general-purpose computers based on Intel microprocessors, prompted a hostile takeover bid by AT&T. In Europe, the trend among computer makers was consolidation. Advances in massively parallel computation continued.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Microcomputer adaptation of the wheel-shaped activity monitor: Effects of lindane

The development of microcomputers with increased power and memory capacity may allow for the spreading of the techniques of microanalysis of animal behavior in neurotoxicology. The present work describes the adaptation of the wheel-shaped activity monitor to a personal computer system (IBM-PC/XT/AT-compatible). The system has been used to study the effects elicited by a single 30 mg/kg dose of the organochlorine insecticide γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (lindane) on the spontaneous behavior of rats. Lindane induced complex changes in behavior, the most prominent being a disruption of the temporal pattern of activity and changes in the local activity/locomotor activity ratios and in place preferences in the monitor. Effects on body weight and number of fecal boluses were also observed.

Time-optimum adaptive control of plunge grinding

As the rapid development and application of microcomputers continues, adaptive control of the plunge grinding process is becoming increasingly applied under shop floor conditions as a method for not only reducing the total grinding costs, but also improving parts quality from both a dimensional and surface integrity point of view. This paper introduces a modular computer control system for plunge grinding developed in Birmingham University. By means of in-process identification of the time constant of the grinding process, a time-optimum adaptive control strategy, based on the accelerated sparkout grinding cycle, has been realised. The main feature of the strategy is the overshoot of the instructed infeed. The total infeed distance is calculated in real-time based on the in-process identified time constant.

A pitfall in the computer-aided quantitation of autoradiograms

Computer-aided quantitation of autoradiograms is now available as a result of recent developments in optical scanners and microcomputers. Data expressed as optical density values, however, are based on the unverified assumption that optical density and radioactivity density are linearly correlated. This article demonstrates the need to construct a calibration curve which should be used to calculate radioactivity density values more precisely.

A technological revolution in data collection

The technological development of main frame and mini computers over the last decades has had an enormous impact on social science and market research. These computers allow the analysis of large amounts of data as well as analyses which could not have been done in the past by sorting machines and calculators. The development of micro computers and other electronic technologies will affect data collection in a similar way. It will create new possibilities and will considerably reduce the amount of costs, research time and the number of people involved in the research effort. The advantages of these new procedures are not only the reduction in costs but also the possible improvement of the data quality. There is a tendency towards developing procedures for data collection which are fully automatic so that interviewers are no longer necessary. Such procedures are already in use. This paper discusses several of them. A side effect of these developments is the large amounts of data which are collected. Mostly these data are longitudinally collected. The amount of data collected in this way can be so large that new archival systems are necessary to store this information and to make quick retrieval for clients possible. Market research organizations can now offer completely new services.

Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education and CBT Technology

The purpose of this paper is to present an update of research originally published in two articles in PLET, 24, 4,1987 (Stratil et al, 1987a; 1987b). The authors have received many enquiries world‐wide for reprints from countries as far afield as Australia, Canada, Yugoslavia, Poland, India, USA and the USSR, as well as many from France and England. As the research moves on, the authors felt that the new concept of an Educational Laboratory, which exploits advances in the development of information technology, cheaper microcomputers and networks, the capability of linking multi‐media workstations as well as the deployment of free satellite television transmission from many European and Transatlantic countries, needs to draw constructively on advances made in the field of artificial intelligence Accordingly, this paper will describe an attempt to combine a traditional CBT approach to the creation of training material with the latest artificial intelligence approach (ICAI ‐‐ intelligent computer‐aided instr...

Computer-enhanced learning in neuroanatomy.

The recent development of powerful microcomputers and the introduction of object-oriented programming languages has now made available to educationists software that can be easily used to design and develop computer-based learning material. We have developed courseware and tutorware in the field of neuroanatomy which are pedagogically structured and yet provide multiple paths of learning for the individual student. Neuroanatomy is a difficult subject to learn because of the structural intricacy and functional correlations that it entails. The courseware enables students to approach the subject at different levels of difficulty and progress at their own pace towards a comprehensive understanding of structure and function aided by text integrated with graphics, sound and animation. A significant advantage to authors of similar courseware is the option to update the contents easily when necessary in the future.

A review of some significant developments in microcomputer hardware and software: their implications for selection

The continual changes and developments in microcomputers, the peripherals and associated software, have led to a confusion of choice. It is necessary to understand the implications of the discernible differences when selecting. Changes have been especially significant with the introduction in 1987 of the IBM PS/2 series and the OS/2 operating system. It is now a definite advantage to be conversant with what is happening to processors, memory, enhancements, printers, operating systems, utilities, wordprocessors and desktop publishing. Attention is drawn in this article to examples of these and to their importance to the microcomputer user. A bibliography of about 40 recent articles, covering these developments, in the computing literature is included.

Microcomputer-Based Acquisitions Systems

This article discusses the development of microcomputer- based acquisitions systems. It describes the features common to many of them and projects possible future improvements and developments. It summarizes research done for the author's Automated Acquisitions System.

A multiple single-board-computer parallel processing system for speed-up of FFT implementation

The execution time of fast Fourier transforms (FFTs) is very important for many applications, especially real-time applications. In this paper, we present a parallel processing system which consists of multiple single-board-computers. The computers communicate with each other through a parallel common bus, the Intel Multibus. One of them, as a control processor, is connected to a microcomputer development system through an EIA RS232C serial interface. This multiprocessor system is economical and flexible, and our results show that the system is also effective for calculating FFTs (in this paper, the “prime factor algorithm” is chosen for implementation of the FFT). It is not difficult to achieve a speed-up almost equal to the number of parallel processors, but always smaller than ideal because of the overhead for synchronization between boards. The bus capacity and the speed of the random access memory on the boards impose limitations on the speed-up that can be achieved with the system.

Microcomputers in the Jamaican School Context: A Case Study

Abstract Microcomputers are gradually being introduced to schools in Jamaica, albeit on a low priority. This article describes the emergence of computer education in Jamaica, the reasons for its current state and indicates how recent thinking sees the future development of microcomputers in not only Jamaican schools but in other countries in the Caribbean region.

Dawson's Serials Management System (SMS) and Associated Microcomputer Developments

The Serials Management System (SMS), a proven Dawson system, brings together Ashton Tate dBase III and the IBM PC AT to provide effective serials control. There are links with the Dawson database and a customization service designed to meet individual library needs. AIM 2, a sophisticated interlibrary loan system, will be marketed alongside SMS, which is now also available in North America and Europe.

Interactive Well-Test Analysis Using Microcomputers

Summary In spite of the proliferation of well-test analysis literature in recent years, many pressure-transient tests are still being misinterpreted, partly because a logical procedure is lacking and incomplete analysis is partly because a logical procedure is lacking and incomplete analysis is performed by nonexpert analysts. The time and difficulty involved in hand-analysis techniques often discourage a complete, consistent analysis. A properly designed computer program that uses interactive graphics can improve the accuracy of test interpretations by enabling the engineer to perform thorough and consistent analyses quickly and easily. Microcomputers are ideally suited for such a program because of their computing power, portability, and relatively low costs. The development of microcomputers and well-test-analysis software places "expert" interpretive capabilities within the reach of most engineers. Introduction The development of powerful microcomputers is having a profound influence on pressure-transient test analysis of oil and gas wells. Computer-aided well-test analysis is not new; many papers have been written in the last several years describing software packages for well-test analysis with either conventional techniques or automated history-matching methods. Until the recent development of inexpensive, powerful microcomputers, however, these programs were usually available only to companies with mainframe computers and software development staffs. With the microcomputer and welltest analysis software. a sophisticated set of analysis tools has become available to most petroleum engineers. Well-test analysis is an ideal application for microcomputers. The reasons are many.Microcomputers take the "dogwork" out of hand-calculation techniques. Many of the calculations involved are difficult enough to discourage hand calculation, yet are not so time-consuming that they cannot be performed easily and quickly on a microcomputer (unlike reservoir simulation at the present time). In addition, another time-consuming part of hand-analysis techniques, plot generation, is easily performed by the microcomputer.Microcomputers encourage the use of more-sophisticated analysis methods, as in the use of pseudopressures and pseudotimes for gas well-test analysis. In many cases, these plotting pseudotimes for gas well-test analysis. In many cases, these plotting functions are not used because of the difficulty and time required to generate them. Maintaining a microcomputer program makes it easy to stay current with the latest well-test-analysis technology.The interactive graphics capabilities of the microcomputer are ideal for well-test analysis. A complete analysis with many techniques can be performed very quickly with interactive graphics. By hand, it is tempting to stop after one or two techniques have been tried. This can sometimes lead to an incorrect interpretation.Microcomputers are portable. which means that they can be used at the test site to analyze the test while it is being conducted. This minimizes test duration, which can result in substantial cost savings.Microcomputers and available well-test-analysis software are relatively inexpensive. This makes quality well-test interpretation available to many more engineers. The improved quality of well-test interpretation industry-wide can only increase the acceptance and use of pressure-transient testing as a reservoir-defining tool. The objective of this paper is to present ideas on the design of a well-test analysis program that best takes advantage of the capabilities of the microcomputer. A philosophy on how to analyze a well test properly is discussed, because it is an integral part of the design of the program.

Computer-Assisted Instruction in Industrial Relations Teaching

The teaching of industrial relations in Australia is a fairly recent phenomenon, principally developing over the last twenty years. Consequently it is only recently that the 'academic infrastructure'—viable industrial relations departments, a range of literature, a choice of texts and journals—has developed to enable the subject to become an identifiable area of teaching. As a result it is not surprising that the use of computers in teaching industrial relations is not well developed when compared with other disciplines, such as economics, management and accounting where games, simulations and question testing banks are available. However, the use of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) is not confined to academic institutions: it has the potential to be a low-cost delivery system for training within other organizations. Employers, employer organizations and unions all engage in training and, therefore, all have a potential use for CAI. A number of government agencies are examining the use of computer- assisted instruction in training staff in, for example, occupational health and safety, and it has potential as a tool in professional development programmes. With the development of microcomputers the costs of using CAI are declining.

Postrelational database implementation for newborn screening and tracking.

Development of microcomputer based systems for the management of data in newborn screening programs has posed special difficulties. This paper describes the specific requirements for implementing an effective newborn screening database system using a unique postrelational database system. This system has been developed by Neometrics Inc. for use by laboratories engaged in running high volume newborn screening programs, and is currently operational in a number of state health laboratories.

A review of Australian traffic system design models

The demands for traffic infrastructure are increasing. Yet over the last decade investment in new infrastructure has decreased at all levels. Traffic systems designers are, therefore, being asked to be more accurate in their prediction of the impacts of changes, to analyse ever more complex situations and to extract more from the existing traffic system. This paper reviews developments in techniques for analysing the impacts of changes in the traffic system. It looks at intersection, route, network, parking lot and public transport design models that have been developed in Australia. Particular emphasis is given to the considerable developments in microcomputers and graphics and the impact these are having on the models. Future developments are also discussed.