Items Of Software Research Articles

An exploration of the structural and colligational characteristics of lexical bundles in L1–L2 corpora for English language teaching

Multi-word expressions are formulaic language universals with arbitrary and idiosyncratic collocations. Their usage and mastery are required of learners of a second language in achieving naturalness. However, despite the importance of multi-word expressions to mastering a second language, their syntactic architecture and colligational possibilities have received little attention in English language teaching (ELT). This study examined lexical bundles, a type of multi-word expressions, to understand their structure and co-occurrence possibilities with other syntactic elements. It was aided by an automated frequency-driven approach using two corpora, the British component of the British National Corpus – a first language (L1) corpus – and a purpose-built Nigerian Media Discourse corpus – a second language (L2) corpus. Two items of lexical analysis software were used to extract three-word lexical bundles with a minimum of 50 frequencies per corpus. The syntactic structures of the identified lexical bundles were determined, and their in-corpus usages were analysed for their colligational characteristics. Results showed that both corpora had instances of general and genre-specific lexical bundles (LBs) with varying frequencies. Five categories of lexical bundles with different structural patterns and peculiar colligational characteristics were identified in the study. Since lexical bundles are more frequently found in both L1–L2 texts, mastering how they are used will further enhance the teaching of English as a second language. The teaching of lexical bundles as a multi-word expression is therefore recommended in ELT as a way of enhancing learners’ proficiency and naturalness in English.

Third-party Evaluation of the Flight Control Software

Flight control software which is the core of missile flight control system guides and controls missile flight along program trajectory. Effective testing of flight control software is an important means to ensure the quality of flight control system. Software testing and evaluation is the comprehensive measurement and assessment of the software quality in according with relevant standards taken by the independent third-party testing and evalution organizations according to the requirements of entrustors. This paper mainly tests the configuration items of flight control software. Firstly, the characteristics of the software under test are introduced. Then, the testing strategies, methods and environment are given. Finally, the test results are analyzed.

Optical Design of LCOS Optical Engine and Optimization With Genetic Algorithm

This paper demonstrates an optical design of miniature of LCOS optical engine and optics with white light-emitting diode (LED) and the most importantly, proposes a new optimization method for non-image optics via Genetic Algorithm (GA) written in Optical Software ASAP, in order to achieve best performance for light efficiency and uniformity. Thanks to the development of modern digital equipment, optimization work for non-image optics plays a role in modern optical engineering. So far Least Damping Square, Taguchi Fuzzy, and simulation annealing methods have been introduced and some of them has been applied to many items of commercial simulation software. However, GA is first introduced in this paper for non-image optical design and optimization, although it has been for many years been used as effective optimization method in image optics; In this paper, GAs are written in the form of macro language from ASAP. During the design process, we used one OPTEK Technology OVS3WBCR44 LED as the light source of the general projection display. Because of the extensiveness of the LEDs, the collection efficiency within the desired acceptance angle was not expected to be high. Due to the particular acceptance angle (cone), we needed a condenser lens system, which satisfied the light small angle incident to 0.59-in liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCOS) pixels. The optical engine in this paper is designed for a compact LCOS projector with a white LED light source and the employment of an LCOS panel has been reduced to one piece in order to get the best volumetric size. Optical design specification is mainly for an 11 projected screen, whose objective distance is close to 420 mm with fixed focal lens. GA methods are applied in this research in order to achieve maximum brightness and uniformity. Compared to traditional optimization methods, such as Least Damping Square, the GA used in this research gives reasonably good results.

Maintaining consistency in a replicated software archive

Archives of software packages made available on the Internet have become an increasingly common and important way of distributing these resources. To improve local access speeds, it is common for these archives to be mirrored, i.e. replicated at regional sites throughout the world. When these sites are also active participants in the augmentation and maintenance of the archive, it becomes necessary to impose a regime which will ensure that errors and inconsistencies do not arise as a result of conflicting activities at different centres. We describe here procedures which have been developed for the organisation and management of a multi-site software archive in which items of software may be introduced or updated at any of the participating sites. A simple algorithm is outlined to propagate changes made to all sites, protecting against conflicting changes and ensuring consistency of the archive is maintained. Similar methods are applicable to the management of other kinds of distributed system, especially internet-based information services, including World Wide Web sites which allow regional updates. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Maintaining consistency in a replicated software archive

Archives of software packages made available on the Internet have become an increasingly common and important way of distributing these resources. To improve local access speeds, it is common for these archives to be mirrored, i.e. replicated at regional sites throughout the world. When these sites are also active participants in the augmentation and maintenance of the archive, it becomes necessary to impose a regime which will ensure that errors and inconsistencies do not arise as a result of conflicting activities at different centres. We describe here procedures which have been developed for the organisation and management of a multi-site software archive in which items of software may be introduced or updated at any of the participating sites. A simple algorithm is outlined to propagate changes made to all sites, protecting against conflicting changes and ensuring consistency of the archive is maintained. Similar methods are applicable to the management of other kinds of distributed system, especially internet-based information services, including World Wide Web sites which allow regional updates. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A general efficient approach to dynamic analysis of interconnected mechanical systems using the theory of connections

This paper presents a new formulation for equations of motion of interconnected mechanical systems. This formulation is based on the Theory of Connections, or Manufacturing Systems Theory, developed by Bj⊘rke, which has been used to solve a great number of practical problems in engineering and economics by employing the same procedure and its small items of software. This paper shows that, given the equations of motion for the individual elements in a mechanical system (primitive systems), and the interconnection equations, i.e. the transformation objects (interconnection system), then the equations of motion for the interconnected mechanical system can be generated by simple straightforward procedure. Three transformation objects: the displacement-object DA, the velocity-object VA, and the acceleration-object AA, which relate the generalized coordinates to cartesian coordinates, have played a very important role in developing the equations of motion. By focusing attention on the behaviour of individual e...

Software style and interaction around the microcomputer

A study is reported in which pairs of users (both teacher-pupil and pupil-pupil pairs) collaboratively used each of eight standard, off-the-shelf items of educational software, four related to mathematics and four to English language teaching. Initially, the software was also classified as being either open (high in user control) or closed (lower in user control), giving two programs in each category within each subject domain. The subjects' interactions (verbal and gestural) with each other as they used the programs were video-recorded and coded, and the resulting data factor-analysed for each program. Cluster analysis of the factor solutions yielded groups of software, which corresponded in part with the original open-closed classification, but which also qualified it in the case of some of the programs. Two major clusters, each of three programs, emerged. One cluster was comprised of three closed programs, whilst the other was comprised of two open programs plus one program that we had initially classified as closed. The remaining two programs were separate outliers. It was concluded that software style does indeed affect the patterns of interactions among pairs of users; for example, the group of programs that were more closed were associated with greater amounts of explaining whilst the group of programs that were more open were associated with greater amounts of assessing and confirming (i.e. taking stock of progress). The results raise the issue of the frequency and nature of the prompts and feedback given by programs and the possibility of designing software to shape the users' interactions in specific ways.

Software for statistical and survey analysis

This is the sixth edition of the SGCSA's register of software for statistical, survey and general social science computing (see [1-5,7] for earlier editions). The register was compiled by approaching 209 organisations which were known to be potential sources of relevant software: 89 organisations from our previous register and 120 new oganisations which were known to the Committee and membership of the SGCSA. 118 organisations replied to our questionnaire which was mailed initially in February 1985 with a final reminder following in early April. A deadline for replies was set for the end of May. The register contains 167 items of software of which 76 are new. A few of these products are classified as 'new' by virtue of major extensions in their facilities reported in 1983 and/or an associated name change. The register also contains 37 items of software brought forward from the 1983 register, which are known to members of the Committee to be still available. The register remains international in character although fewer entries have been received this time from Europe. A breakdown of the 167 entries reveals 70 British products, 68 American products, 13 products from other parts of the world and 16 products, which although mainly American in origin, are internationally available and supported (e.g. SAS, SPSS-X, P-STAT, BMDP, SIR, etc). The increasing availability of microcomputer software for statistical and survey analysis noted in our previous register continues, with 109 such entries compared

Interfacing microcomputer software using a common file

Several approaches towards increasing the number of users of an item of software have been pursued; cooperative development, low cost distribution and greater flexibility in the end use of software. One technique for the more flexible use is to relate items of software which were not initially designed for such a relationship i.e. — to interface software. This may be done by designing software systems so that two programs have a file in common. Several microcomputer system utilities are written with this in mind. As well, file conversion can make the output file from one program compatible with another program. Examples of these techniques are provided.

Double Integration Using One-Dimensional Adaptive Quadrature Routines: A Software Interface Problem

A software interface problem occurs when two or more items of software are used in conjunction with one another. If proper advantage of using good software is to be gained, the user has to connect them properly. In this paper the problem of double integration employing two similar one-dimensional adaptive quadrature routines is considered. If an absolute error no greater than epsilon/sub T/ in the final result is desired, it is necessary to determine what tolerance parameter epsilon/sub o/ to assign to the outer routine and what tolerance parameters epsilon/sub Ii/ to assign for calls to the inner routine. Since it is not known at the outset how many times the inner routine will be calledm there is required what is termed an accuracy-assignment strategy for determining epsilon/sub iI/. In this paper two simple accuracy assignment strategies are discussed in detail. It is shown that one of them can be unstable if the outer routine is constructed internally by one way (local error control), but that it is quite stable if it is constructed in another way (global error control). It is also found that one of the strategies is marginally more efficient for visually smooth integrands, while the othermore » is significantly more efficient for peaked integrands.« less

Selection and implementation of a minicomputer system

The problems are discussed of selecting and implementing a minicomputer system, with particular reference to the key stages in the various decision making processes involved. Following a brief description of a typical minicomputer, the range and purpose of the various system inputs and outputs is presented. This leads to discusson of: the function of the system; the type of equipment required to implement that function; the class of minicomputer suited to that requirement; the type of system which should be purchased-i.e. in terms of hardware, software, systems support- with special reference to the individual responsibilities of user and supplier; criteria affecting the choice of supplier; and the particular items of software and hardware which should be bought.