Microprocessor user support at Langley Research Center

The use of microprocessors pose significant problems including: (1) a long learning process for proficient use of microprocessors; (2) the requirement for extensive support in both hardware and software; and (3) the need for coordination and sharing of the creative effort to avoid unnecessary duplication. To address these problems, Langley Research Center has established a microprocessor users committee to provide an advisory interface for management and users, and is training microprocessor users. A newsletter is published to disseminate information among microprocessor users. Both cross software on the central computer complex and microprocessor development systems are used to support the design of microprocessor based systems. Each of these activities is reviewed with special emphasis given to the microprocessor support available from the central computer complex. The effectiveness of the approach being taken at Langley is assessed and specific hardware and software development efforts that are targeted toward enhancing the existing microprocessing support are discussed

Four small puzzles that Rosetta doesn't solve

A complete macromolecule modeling package must be able to solve the simplest structure prediction problems. Despite recent successes in high resolution structure modeling and design, the Rosetta software suite fares poorly on deceptively small protein and RNA puzzles, some as small as four residues. To illustrate these problems, this manuscript presents extensive Rosetta results for four well-defined test cases: the 20-residue mini-protein Trp cage, an even smaller disulfide-stabilized conotoxin, the reactive loop of a serine protease inhibitor, and a UUCG RNA tetraloop. In contrast to previous Rosetta studies, several lines of evidence indicate that conformational sampling is not the major bottleneck in modeling these small systems. Instead, approximations and omissions in the Rosetta all-atom energy function currently preclude discriminating experimentally observed conformations from de novo models at atomic resolution. These molecular "puzzles" should serve as useful model systems for developers wishing to make foundational improvements to this powerful modeling suite.Comment: Published in PLoS One as a manuscript for the RosettaCon 2010 Special Collectio

The Sizing and Optimization Language, (SOL): Computer language for design problems

The Sizing and Optimization Language, (SOL), a new high level, special purpose computer language was developed to expedite application of numerical optimization to design problems and to make the process less error prone. SOL utilizes the ADS optimization software and provides a clear, concise syntax for describing an optimization problem, the OPTIMIZE description, which closely parallels the mathematical description of the problem. SOL offers language statements which can be used to model a design mathematically, with subroutines or code logic, and with existing FORTRAN routines. In addition, SOL provides error checking and clear output of the optimization results. Because of these language features, SOL is best suited to model and optimize a design concept when the model consits of mathematical expressions written in SOL. For such cases, SOL's unique syntax and error checking can be fully utilized. SOL is presently available for DEC VAX/VMS systems. A SOL package is available which includes the SOL compiler, runtime library routines, and a SOL reference manual

Knowledge-based reusable software synthesis system

The Eli system, a knowledge-based reusable software synthesis system, is being developed for NASA Langley under a Phase 2 SBIR contract. Named after Eli Whitney, the inventor of interchangeable parts, Eli assists engineers of large-scale software systems in reusing components while they are composing their software specifications or designs. Eli will identify reuse potential, search for components, select component variants, and synthesize components into the developer's specifications. The Eli project began as a Phase 1 SBIR to define a reusable software synthesis methodology that integrates reusabilityinto the top-down development process and to develop an approach for an expert system to promote and accomplish reuse. The objectives of the Eli Phase 2 work are to integrate advanced technologies to automate the development of reusable components within the context of large system developments, to integrate with user development methodologies without significant changes in method or learning of special languages, and to make reuse the easiest operation to perform. Eli will try to address a number of reuse problems including developing software with reusable components, managing reusable components, identifying reusable components, and transitioning reuse technology. Eli is both a library facility for classifying, storing, and retrieving reusable components and a design environment that emphasizes, encourages, and supports reuse

General guidelines for designing bilingual low cost digital library services suitable for special library users in developing countries and the Arabic speaking world

The World is witnessing a considerable transformation from print based-formats to elec-tronic-based formats thanks to advanced computing technology, which has a profound impact on the dissemination of nearly all previous formats of publications into digital formats on computer networks. Text, still and moving images, sound tracks, music, and almost all known formats can be stored and retrieved on computer magnetic disk. Over the last two decades, a number of special libraries and information centres in the Arab world have introduced electronic resources into their library services. Very few have implemented automated and integrated systems. Despite the im-portance of designing digital libraries not merely for accessing to or retrieval of information but rather for the provision of electronic services, hardly any special library has started the design of digital library services. Managers of special libraries and information centres in developing countries in general and in the Arab world in particular should start building their local digital libraries, as the benefit of establishing such electronic services is considerably massive and well known for expansion of re-search activities and for delivering services that satisfy the needs of targeted end-users. The aim of this paper is to provide general guideline for design of special low cost digital library providing ser-vices that are most frequently required by various categories of special library users in developing countries. This paper also aims at illustrating strategies and method approaches that can be adopted for building such projects. Seeing the importance of designing an inexpensive digital li-brary as basic principle for the design accordingly, the utilisation of today's ICTs and freely avail-able open sources software is the right path for accomplishing such goal. The paper intends to de-scribe the phases and stages required for building such projects from scratch. It also aims at high-lighting the barriers and obstacles facing Arabic content and how could such problems overcome

An Interactive and comprehensive software tool to promote active learning in the Loop Shaping Control System design

The classical loop shaping is a design procedure that explicitly involves the shaping of the open loop transfer function L(s), within a desired frequency spectrum by manipulating the poles, zeros, and gain of the controller C(s). Interactive software tools have proven as, particularly, useful techniques with high impact on control education. This kind of interactive tools has demonstrated in the past that students learn in a much more active way. This paper presents the basic functionality of the linear control system design (LCSD), an interactive tool for analysis and design of linear control systems with special emphasis on the classical loop shaping design. The software tool is implemented in Sysquake, a MATLAB-like language with fast execution and excellent facilities for interactive graphics, and is delivered as a stand-alone executable that is readily accessible to students and instructors. Several design problems are used to illustrate the main features of the LCSD tool to perform classical loop shaping.Postprint (published version

Research and Development Workstation Environment: the new class of Current Research Information Systems

Against the backdrop of the development of modern technologies in the field of scientific research the new class of Current Research Information Systems (CRIS) and related intelligent information technologies has arisen. It was called - Research and Development Workstation Environment (RDWE) - the comprehensive problem-oriented information systems for scientific research and development lifecycle support. The given paper describes design and development fundamentals of the RDWE class systems. The RDWE class system's generalized information model is represented in the article as a three-tuple composite web service that include: a set of atomic web services, each of them can be designed and developed as a microservice or a desktop application, that allows them to be used as an independent software separately; a set of functions, the functional filling-up of the Research and Development Workstation Environment; a subset of atomic web services that are required to implement function of composite web service. In accordance with the fundamental information model of the RDWE class the system for supporting research in the field of ontology engineering - the automated building of applied ontology in an arbitrary domain area, scientific and technical creativity - the automated preparation of application documents for patenting inventions in Ukraine was developed. It was called - Personal Research Information System. A distinctive feature of such systems is the possibility of their problematic orientation to various types of scientific activities by combining on a variety of functional services and adding new ones within the cloud integrated environment. The main results of our work are focused on enhancing the effectiveness of the scientist's research and development lifecycle in the arbitrary domain area.Comment: In English, 13 pages, 1 figure, 1 table, added references in Russian. Published. Prepared for special issue (UkrPROG 2018 conference) of the scientific journal "Problems of programming" (Founder: National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Institute of Software Systems of NAS Ukraine

Water Hammer Analysis in Water Pipelines and Methods for Protection

In water processing industry, pressurised pipeline problems bring dangerous consequences, causing flooding, traffic accidents or death, financial and material losses and the disruption of the water supply. There are some problems in water pressurised pipelines system occur gradually, and some problems occur in very sudden without any warning with massive impacts and harms. Most of the sudden events that affect water system and municipal operation and maintenance centres are the phenomenon of sudden explosions and cracks in water pipes which lead to disaster. The phenomenon of water hammer is as a result of imperfect design or poor operation methods. The transition in the pressurised pipeline from one steady state to another steady state such as from a constant velocity to another velocity without a protection system make huge in pressure change. Any change in velocity leads to a pressure changes in very short time will cause to disaster strikes for the system stabilization. Professional design of liquid pipelines and proper selection of materials prevents the phenomenon of water hammer. Therefore, in this paper, the important issues on water hammer, protection systems and professional planning with special software programmes such as Allievi software was addressed

Spherical Linkages Analysis and Synthesis by Special Unitary Matrices for Solution via Numerical Algebraic Geometry

Numerical algebraic geometry is the field that studies the computation and manipulation of the solution sets of systems of polynomial equations. The goal of this research is to formulate spherical linkages analysis and design problems via a method suited to employ the tools of numerical algebraic geometry. Specifically, equations are developed using special unitary matrices that naturally use complex numbers to express sphysical and joint parameters in a mechanical system. Unknown parameters expressed as complex numbers readily admit solution by the methods of numerical algebraic geometry. This work illustrates their use by analyzing the spherical four-bar and Watt I linkages. I addition, special unitary matrices are utilized to solve the five orientation synthesis of a spherical four-bar linkage. Additionally, synthesis equation were formulated for Watt I linkage. The numerical algebraic geometry software used throughout is Bertini.https://ecommons.udayton.edu/stander_posters/1923/thumbnail.jp