Versatile software for collection, analysis and plotting of biochemical data using the IBM PC

A software package, OMNILAB, has been written for the IBM PC, XT and AT computers to be a general purpose system for data collection, analysis, and display. The program supports collection of dta from a variety of absorbance detectors, from pH meters and from other instruments that output time-varying analog voltages in the ranges of millivolts or volts. The program includes capabilities for averaging of data, baseline subtraction, integration of curves, and versatile formatting for both video and hardcopy display of data.     

Considering cost effective computer-aided mechanism design

The following discussion considers computer-aided mechanism design in terms of the practical designer's concern — cost effectiveness. Applied design philosophy is reviewed to examine various types of software, both traditional and innovative. The situation of small/medium companies considering acquisition of such software is primarily addressed. The development of the ‘Subroutine Package’ approach is described and its merits compared to conventional general purpose software packages.

A subroutine package approach to mechanism design, considers a system to be composed of a limited number of constituent elements. Each subroutine in a package models the behaviour of such an element. An example, which has been developed, is the Linkage Analysis Package (LAP), and an example of its use is given. The user writes a simple (Fortran) calling program to input/output data and call the appropriate subroutines. This represents a ‘self-customized’ interface that is inherently highly cost effective. As the design problem changes, the same interface may be used after limited modification and reselection of the necessary subroutines. Thus a flexible, user-friendly and low-cost computer-aided design tool is available to designers, solving all but the most specialized problems.     

SCEW: a Microsoft Excel add-in for easy creation of survival curves

Survival curves are frequently used for reporting survival or mortality outcomes of experimental pharmacological/toxicological studies and of clinical trials. Microsoft Excel is a simple and widely used tool for creation of numerous types of graphic presentations however it is difficult to create step-wise survival curves in Excel. Considering the familiarity of clinicians and biomedical scientists with Excel, an algorithm survival curves in Excel worksheet (SCEW) has been developed for easy creation of survival curves directly in Excel worksheets. The algorithm has been integrated in the form of Excel add-in for easy installation and usage. The program is based on modification of frequency data for binary break-up using the spreadsheet formula functions whereas a macro subroutine automates the creation of survival curves. The advantages of this program are simple data input, minimal procedural steps and the creation of survival curves in the familiar confines of Excel.     

Linkage of Fortran programs with partitioned data sets on IBM,CDC, and DEC computers

The general concept of a partitioned data set (PDS) is outlined and a subroutine package for linkage between Fortran programs and the PDS's of IBM computers is described. Implementation of similar data structures on CDC and DEC-10 computers is also described. Several applications that have benefitted greatly from the PDS concept are discussed.     

COSIFIT: An interactive program for simultaneous multioscillator cosinor analysis of time-series data

A BASIC program for the Macintosh family of computers has been developed that provides an iterative nonlinear least-squares analysis of biological rhythm data using Marquardt's modification of the Gauss-Newton algorithm. A cosinor model is used, and multiple cosine functions can be fit simultaneously to any equi- or unequispaced time-series data. The program computes optimal frequency, mesor, amplitude, and phase, with standard errors of measurement and both parametric and nonparametric estimates of goodness-of-fit. Multiple time-series can be analyzed simultaneously, allowing one to test for shared characteristics between series. Statistical differences between parameter values of select curves are ascertained by ANOVA. The program is interactive and designed to be user-friendly for the scientist or clinician.     

GEMS: A generalized manufacturing simulator

The purpose of this paper is to describe a Generalized Manufacturing Simulator (GEMS) which can be used in the analysis of complex discrete part manufacturing systems. GEMS is a FORTRAN based analysis program which has been developed to study assembly line or job shop manufacturing environments. However, the current capabilities of GEMS enable a user to model a wide range of industrial, social, and operational problems. Conceptualization of manufacturing environments to the GEMS program is executed via a box/node arc network representation of the manufacturing system. GEMS is an activity-on box (node) simulation program composed of standardized simulation input via specialized boxes and arcs. A box (node)/arc structure can be developed to represent complex material flow patterns, probabilistics branching, routing based on attribute values, resource constraints, cost considerations, and complex queueing characteristics. GEMS can be used to study product flow rates, manufacturing capabilities, and queueing phenomena; assess in-process inventories and raw material storage requirements; determine the effects of alternate sequencing and scheduling rules; different routing and material handling schemes; and the impact of limited resources and increased/decreased production rates. An analysis package has been constructed which normally requires only a representation of the simulated system in terms of a network diagram, and transmission of this diagram to the GEMS program structure through FORTRAN NAMELIST data inputs.     

SEDPAK—A comprehensive operational system and data-processing package in APPLESOFT BASIC for a settling tube, sediment analyzer

SEDPAK provides a comprehensive software package for operation of a settling tube and sand analyzer (2-0.063 mm) and includes data-processing programs for statistical and graphic output of results. The programs are menu-driven and written in APPLESOFT BASIC, conforming with APPLE 3.3 DOS. Data storage and retrieval from disc is an important feature of SEDPAK. Additional features of SEDPAK include condensation of raw settling data via standard size-calibration curves to yield statistical grain-size parameters, plots of grain-size frequency distributions and cumulative log/probability curves. The program also has a module for processing of grain-size frequency data from sieved samples. An addition feature of SEDPAK is the option for automatic data processing and graphic output of a sequential or nonsequential array of samples on one side of a disc.     

Aggregate manpower requirements for strategic project planning

Project management entails three major phases of activity: acquisition, implementation and commissioning; attention is focused here on planning during acquisition.

We describe here the development and application of a program designed to determine long-range aggregate manpower requirements for implementing a portfolio of potential projects. The BASIC program incorporates current manpower level, empirical load distributions, and subjective probabilities of project realization to generate time-phased manpower requirements for a specified planning horizon.

A subroutine for data interchange formatting (DIF), included in the program, facilitates interface with the Lotus 123 spreadsheet/graphics software to generate aggregate manpower curves for the planning horizon.

Evaluation of aggregate manpower requirements is considered from the angle of the engineering contractor in a setting of competitive bidding. However, planners in non-contract settings should also find the program useful with appropriate modifications for the relative absence of the two uncertainties incorporated in the program.     

Development of software for structural analysis adapted to construction engineering applications

The paper presents the development and application of software for structural analysis adapted to construction engineering applications. The software consists of data structures, application subroutine libraries and the built-in Matlab subroutine library. For each application, the user writes an application-specific main program using the data structures and routines in the subroutine libraries. This gives the user flexibility to build a main program that is adapted to the specific needs of the current application. The software has been tested in a number of real-world projects, e.g. tunnels and bridges. The examples show that the software is a useful design tool for design work.     

On-line identification of a heat exchanger with a process computer—A case study

For on-line identification and parameter estimation of industrial processes with process computers an identification program package was developed. Three appropriate identification methods can be selected: recursive least squares, recursive instrumental variables and recursive correlation analysis with least squares. The program package also includes: signal generation, determination of model order and time delay, data filtering for the elimination of low frequent disturbances, model verification and plotting of intermediate and final results. Practical results and comparisons with the identification package are shown for an industrial size steam-heated heat exchanger.     

Contextual debugging and analysis of multithreaded applications

Multithreaded programs are especially difficult to test and debug. The aim of the paper is to present a new concept of multithreaded program analysis and debugging based on contextual visualisation of the program components that influence thread execution. For this purpose, a dedicated software package called MTV (multithreading viewer) has been designed and implemented. It performs above the run-time library level, and hence only a programmer's view of multiple threads of control execution may be analyzed. The paper presents tested program code instrumentation, communication and synchronization between the instrumented program and MTV. Next, a general concept of contextual visualisation of multithreaded programs has been elaborated. A scheme of the MTV cooperation with the monitored program is discussed. The user interface has been described. A representation of the multithreaded program state has been shown, and the capability of MTV for certain classes of error recognition has been specified and illustrated by a few examples. These examples have been not intended to be exhaustive, but they rather indicate the opportunities to exploit MTV for analysis of complex applications. Short evaluation of the proposed contextual visualisation techniques with application to multithreaded program analysis concludes the paper. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A cubic spline package. Part 1 — The user's guide

The computer-aided-design research group at Cambridge University Engineering Department wrote this spline package for use on the Atlas 2 computer at the CAD Centre, Cambridge. It has recently been implemented (by Dr Morris and Mr P. M. McLellan) for on-line users of ITT, and the examples in the text have been run on ITTS-RTS^*. A version also exists for IBM 1130 and 360/370 computers.

The heart of this set of programs is a spline subroutine of original construction which can handle any number of points without rounding-error difficulties, and which allows the user to permute the end conditions from a wide choice. The mathematical basis for this subroutine will be described in Part 2 of this paper.     

Do-loop-surface: an abstract representation of parallel program performance

Performance is a critical issue in current massively parallel processors. However, delivery of adequate performance is not automatic and performance evaluation tools are required in order to help the programmer to understand the behaviour of a parallel program. In recent years, a wide variety of tools have been developed for this purpose, including tools for monitoring and evaluating performance and viaualization tools. However, these tools do not provide an abstract representation of performance. Massively parallel processors can generate a huge amount of performance data, and sophisticated methods for representing and displaying these data (e.g. visual and aural) are required. Performance views are not scalable in general and do not represent an abstraction of the performance data. The do-loop-surface display is proposed as an abstract representation of the performance of a particular do-loop in a program. It has been used to improve the performance of a matrix multiply parallel algorithm as well as to understand the behaviour of the following applications: matrix transposition (TRANS1) and fast fourier transform (FFT1) from the Genesis benchmarks, and the kernel of a fluid dynamics package (FIRE). These experiments were performed on a CM-5, a Meiko CS-1 and a PARSYS Supernode. The examples demonstrate that the do-loop-surface display is a useful way to represent performance. It is implemented using AVS (application visualization system), a standard data visualization package.     

水泵性能计算机数据采集系统程序设计

介绍了水泵性能计算机数据采集系统硬件、软件设计的基本原理,以及用MATLAB完成程序设计的方法。结果 表明:系统运行良好,数据采集与处理结果可靠;利用计算机采集泵性能数据,自动绘制泵的性能曲线,可以提高数 据采集精度和效率,显著降低劳动强度。用MATLAB编程能很好地解决端口访问、用户界面、数据处理、图像表征等 问题。     

Complex automation of aerodynamic experiment in T-106 transonic wind tunnel

The system of complex automation of aerodynamic experiment in T-106 TsAGI transonic wind tunnel is presented. Data acquisition processes, as well as control processes for the model’s Mach number and angle of attack are automated on the basis of new data acquisition and control system involving IVK M2 data acquisition software package and VMIC control software package. The results of balance and pressure experiments (and of the combined ones) are presented. Stages of experimental results processing are described.     

Run-time support for user-level ultralightweight threads on distributed-memory computers

Ultralightweight Thread (uThread) is a library package designed and optimized for user-level management of parallelism in a single application program running on distributed-memory computers. Existing process management systems incur an unnecessarily high cost when used for the type of parallelism exploited within an application. By reducing the overhead of ownership protection and frequent context switches, uThread encourages both simplicity and performance. In addition, uThread provides various scheduling support to balance the system load. The uThread package reduces the cost of parallelism management to nearly the lower bound. This package has been successfully running on most distributed-memory computers, such as the Intel iPSC/860, Touchstone Delta. NCUBE, and TMC CM-5.This research was supported by NSF grants CCR-9109114.     

A C version of Fourier-derived affinity spectrum analysis (FASA) to resolve binding heterogeneity

The computer program described in this paper facilitates resolution of binding affinity heterogeneity by transforming binding curve data (bound versus free) into affinity spectra (density versus affinity). The original program, written in FORTRAN, is extended and presented here in the language C. New applications include an ability to transform competition curves into affinity spectra and to evaluate the effects of sampling and experimental error on spectrum analysis. We propose that this program be incorporated in the routine evaluation of binding systems.     

Simulation package for small-scale systems

A simulation package for microcomputers has been developed which is applicable to small- and medium-size problems in the educational and industrial environment. The package consists of: an ordinary differential equations simulator capable of solving up to 12 simultaneous first-order ordinary differential equations; a simultaneous linear and nonlinear equations solver capable of solving systems containing up to 12 linear and nonlinear equations; an extended polynomial/nonlinear curve fitting program capable of fitting a variety of equations to a set of data points of Y_i versus X_i; and an extended multiple-linear-regression program which can fit mathematical models containing up to five linear parameters to experimental data.The paper describes this simulation package, demonstrates some typical applications, and summarizes recent experience in using the package in an educational environment.     

Computer-aided analysis of infrared, circular dichroism and absorption spectra

Marquardt and Powell optimization methods without constraints on the optimized spectral parameters were employed for decomposition of complex i.r., c.d. and absorption spectra into component bands. The procedure resolved experimental spectra into eight component bands and it can be easily adjusted for a larger set of component bands. The CPU time required for achievement of satisfactory convergence of parameters for eight component bands is rather large even when using mainframe computers and therefore division of spectra into a few non-overlapped parts is advisable. The program also can be used for calculation of absorption, c.d. and difference spectra from formatted raw spectral data.     

INTERP — A fortran callable data interpretation subroutine system

The INTERP free format data interpretation subroutine system for lexical analysis is described in this paper. This system, written in ANSI standard FORTRAN 77, is flexible, easy to use, small, and efficient. These qualities make the addition of INTERP to an application program quite simple. INTERP has been used to interpret problem oriented languages for several finite element programs operating both in batch and interactive environments on micro, supermini, and supercomputers. While INTERP is presented here in the context of translating problem oriented languages, the system has been used in several other applications including: a low-level assembler, a data manipulator, and a modular, interactive user interface system with integrated parsing and prompting.