Comics is a writing style that is often written off as just something done for entertainment or design. However, there are many facets of comics that make it a suitable candidate for technical documentation. By nature, comics is a visual and universal language and, as such, is the basis for an investigation of comics within the scope of technical communication. This research investigates whether comics can be automatically generated, based on a set of predefined panel templates, for such purposes while also providing for flexibility in both content and ultimate consumption format. A within-subjects study run with over 200 participants compared comics to two of its traditional documentation style contenders, prose and step-oriented, in terms of understanding and evaluation metrics, including those related to user experience. Results indicate that comics as a documentation style can offer enhanced, more positive user experiences, albeit not being overall better than the other styles. / Master of Science

Event detection is a critical challenge in many fields like video surveillance, social graph analysis, and multimedia processing. Furthermore, events are “structured” objects involv ing multiple components like the event type, the participants with their roles, and the atomic events in which it decomposes. Therefore, the recognition of an event is not only limited to recognize the type of the event and when it happened, but it involves solving a set of simple tasks. Exploiting background knowledge about events and their relations could then be beneficial for event detection. In the last years, neuro-symbolic integration has been proposed to merge the strengths and overcome the drawbacks of both symbolic and neural worlds. As a consequence, different neuro-symbolic frameworks, which com bine low-level perception of neural networks with a symbolic layer, encoding prior domain knowledge (usually defined in terms of logical rules), have been applied to solve different atemporal tasks. In this thesis, we want to investigate the application of the neuro-symbolic paradigm for event detection. This would also provide a better insight into the strengths and limitations of neuro-symbolic towards tasks involving time.

One of two project reports: The other part is designated PART B: McMASTER (on-campus) PROJECT. / <p> A guide to programming the Nova computer is presented in this manual. Programming fundamentals, structured programming, testing and debugging and interrupt programming technique are also included. </p> / Thesis / Master of Engineering (MEngr)

An adaptive mesh refinement algorithm for shallow water equations is presented. The algorithm uses upwind scheme that is Godunov type and which approximately solves the Riemann problem using Roe's technique. A highly accurate solution is achieved by using the adaptive mesh refinement technique of Berger and Oliger for mesh refinement algorithm. The numerical method is second-order accurate and approximately max-min preserving by using van Leer limited-slope technique. One-dimensional nesting algorithm has been implemented successfully. Numerical results on a test problem verify the second order accuracy of the algorithm. The nested grid results yield the equivalent solution to that of the corresponding fine grid solution.

No description available.

No description available.

Yes / Researchers have used the simulation technique to develop new networks and test, modify, and optimize existing ones. The scientific community has developed a wide range of network simulators to fulfil these objectives and facilitate this creative process. However, selecting a suitable simulator appropriate for a given purpose requires a comprehensive study of network simulators. The current literature on network simulators has limitations. Limited simulators have been included in the studies with functional and performance criteria appropriate for comparison not been considered, and a reasonable selection model for selecting the suitable simulator has not been presented. To overcome these limitations, we studied twenty-three existing network simulators with classifications, additional comparison parameters, system limitations, and comparisons using several criteria. / This work was supported by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Nigeria with grant number PTDF/ED/PHD/MAS/179/17.

The maintenance of legacy software systems that were developed using a procedural design approach is becoming increasingly expensive. The procedural approach is often ill suited for complex systems that need to integrate with other codes. Furthermore, these legacy systems are usually written in FORTRAN, for which there is increasingly less personnel available compared to, say, C++. While it would be desirable to convert these legacy systems into object-oriented codes described in C++, such a conversion process is nontrivial. Currently, the structural design must be manually examined, interpreted, and converted into an object-oriented design described in an object-oriented language. Therefore, the conversion process is likely to introduce numerous new inconsistencies and errors, which degrades the software's quality and increases its costs. The preferred solution would be to automate this conversion process. Automation would promote consistency by eliminating the manual variations in interpretation and implementation. It would therefore maximize the likelihood that the converted code does not introduce new errors relative to the original code. The work presented here automates the conversion process from procedural design described in the FORTRAN77 language into object-oriented design described in the C++ language. It demonstrates the extraction of object-oriented elements using FORTRAN common block structures and FORTRAN subroutine and function-calling hierarchies. The result is a consistent, first-cut converted design, which enhances cohesion within classes and reduces coupling between classes. This result is described in the contemporary, broadly used computer language C++, which integrates with adjacent modules that might still remain procedural and described in FORTRAN. / Master of Science

A miniaturized spatial light modulator (SLM)-based structured-light illumination module with optical fiber input is designed to generate a coded 256 x 256 spots pattern for 3-D areal mapping applications. The projector uses the light from a He-Ne laser coupled to a polarization-maintaining (PM) fiber to illuminate a specially made hologram so that four virtual point sources are regenerated. The interference pattern of the four sources are filtered and modulated by an SLM. The output intensity can thus be encoded to form any arbitrary pattern through the electronic input applied to the SLM with a high speed. In this thesis, a complete optical diffraction analysis of the system is presented to provide guidelines for the optimal design of the system parameters. Through the theoretical analysis for square beam array generation, the important parameters for fabricating a hologram are given. The final system optical design and arrangement based on optical analysis are described. The detailed opto-mechanical construction of the LIM and the associated alignment, the computer simulation and the preliminary test results of the developed LIM are also provided. / Master of Science

No description available.