This study examines the language situation in the media discourse on The Opposite Direction, al-Jazeera’s flagship talk show hosted by Faisal al-Qasim. It investigates the phenomenon of code-switching between Standard Arabic and different spoken vernaculars during the talk exchange. Theories of code-switching proposed by Gumperz, Giles, and Myers-Scotton et al. are introduced after the history of Arabic discourse analysis is briefly discussed. In order to explain under what conditions code-switching happens, I choose to observe and analyze instances of code-switching in four episodes of the program, focusing on the communicative functions and motivations for language choice. The applicability of relevant theories is examined to find the theories that best account for speakers’ engaging in code-switching in the pan-Arab media discourse. / text

在如同全IP網路(ALL-IP Network)這類的分封交換網路(packet-switching network)中提供具時效性的服務(time-sensitive services)必須嚴格的控制時間。路由規劃是網路管理中重要的一環，所以這類網路的路由規劃必須考慮網路延遲。然而就我們目前所知，多數的傳統路由演算法並不以傳輸延遲(path delay)為主要考量因素；例外少數有考量延遲時間的演算法也僅限於鍊結延遲(link delay)，而未考慮節點延遲(node delay)。此乃肇因於以往頻寬的成本極為昂貴，因而造成演算法設計者在設計時會儘可能有效利用頻寬，如此免不了會犧牲傳遞速度。在過去幾年間，由於光通訊技術的提升，網路頻寬的成長速度遠遠已超過路由器(router)處理能力的成長。在這樣不對等的成長比例驅使下，節點延遲，亦即路由器處理封包時所耗時間，在傳輸延遲中所佔的比例亦隨之快速增長。也因此我們認為，在為高速封包交換網路設計路由演算法時，必須同時考量鍊結延遲和節點延遲。在本論文中，我們設計了一個訊務流為基礎的路由演算法(flow-based routing algorithm)，KLONE，來驗證我們的論點。在規劃路由時，KLONE會把發生在鍊結和節點上的延遲時間一併列入計算，並以全體延遲時間為主要考量。透過我們反覆的測試實驗，我們發現其較之於常用的OSPF演算法，可以在效能上有30%的勝出。藉此，我們的論點得到初步的證實。 / Providing time sensitive services becomes an essential task for some packet-switching networks such as All-IP networks, which will carry all the traffics supported by both circuit-switching and packet-switching networks. To fulfill this demand, such networks require a delay sensitive routing mechanism to provide time-related QoS for delay sensitive services. However, most of traditional routing algorithms do not take delay time as a major concern. Only a few are designed for time sensitive services. These time sensitive routing algorithms are designed at the time when the link bandwidth is the only scarce resource. As the bandwidth of communication links grows rapidly in recent years due to the advance of optical communication technologies, link bandwidth is no longer the only scarce resource. The processing speed of nodes, for example, routers, becomes another critical source of delay time. In this thesis, we designed a new flow-based routing algorithm, the KLONE algorithm, which takes average delay time as its minimization objective and takes both nodes and links as delay components. Through an intensive evaluation using simulation method, we demonstrate that a routing algorithm that considers both link and node delay might outperform the traditional OSPF algorithm.

Switching between windows on a computer is a frequent activity, but finding and switching to the target window can be inefficient. This thesis aims to better understand and support window switching. It explores two issues: (1) the lack of knowledge of how people currently interact with and switch between windows and (2) how window switching can be supported better. Having a good understanding of how users interact with windows is important for informing the design of new and improved window management tools. However, there have been relatively few empirical studies of window manipulation on commonly used operating systems, and those that do exist may no longer reflect current use. To address this lack of knowledge a three week log-based longitudinal study of window use by 25 participants was conducted using the custom-made tool PyLogger, which recorded actual window switching behaviour. However, the analysis of longitudinal log data, such as the data gathered by PyLogger, is problematic as it is difficult to extract meaningful characterisations. Therefore, this thesis also presents a visualisation tool called Window Watcher that assists understanding and interpreting the low level event logs of window use generated by PyLogger. Window Watcher’s design objectives are described, and examples demonstrate the ways that it summarises and elucidates window use. The results of the PyLogger study provide an empirical characterisation of interaction with windows, and results include the following: (1) the participants had fewer windows open and visible than in previous studies; (2) window switching is a frequent activity; (3) several findings related to specific window switching tools, including that acquiring a particular window by navigating through application-grouped items on the Taskbar is slow, and that Alt+Tab is seldom used for retrieving anything other than the most recently used window; (4) an updated classification of stereotypical window management styles (pilers, maximisers, near maximisers, and splatterers); and (5) there are strong window and application revisitation patterns. Finally, implications of the results of the log study for the design of window switching tools are discussed. The findings from the PyLogger study led to the development of a new window switcher called SCOTZ (for Spatially Consistent Thumbnail Zones). SCOTZ is a window switching interface which shows all windows grouped by application and allocates more space to the most frequently revisited applications. The two design objectives of SCOTZ are (1) to provide a spatially stable layout of applications and windows, and (2) to support revisitation to recently and frequently used windows. Additional design objectives are to support various display sizes, to support both keyboard and mouse input, to provide possibilities for application launching and to provide options for end-user customisation. The design and features of SCOTZ are described, followed by theoretical and empirical validation of its underlying design principles. Findings include that (1) spatially stable layouts allow for faster acquisition of targets than recency and random layouts, (2) the instability inevitably caused by size morphing does not severely impact user performance, (3) size morphing leads to an overall performance advantage because of the Fitts’ Law targetting time advantage of increased target size, and (4) size morphing facilitates finding items because of guided search. Also, findings from an empirical study demonstrate that SCOTZ yields performance and preference benefits over existing window switching tools. Finally, as SCOTZ employs a treemap algorithm to generate the layout of the application zones the suitability of various treemap algorithms for the purpose of SCOTZ is explored, particularly in terms of spatial stability. In previous work, many different treemap algorithms have been proposed, often with the aim being to optimise performance across several criteria, including spatial stability. However, none of the existing treemaps are stable when data updates, and when items are added/deleted, and when many changes have taken place (i.e., the cumulative effect of data changes). Therefore, this thesis introduces the novel ‘Hilbert’ and ‘Moore’ treemap algorithms, which are designed to achieve high spatial stability. Their performance is theoretically assessed in comparison to other treemaps by using various metrics, including a novel ‘location drift’ metric to better capture spatial stability than the commonly used ‘distance change’ metric. The theoretical evaluation demonstrates that Hilbert and Moore treemaps perform well across all stability metrics. An empirical study examines the validity and usefulness of the location drift metric, showing that location drift can explain some effects on user performance that distance change alone can not.

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The optical ring cavity has been studied for about ten years, both theoretically and experimentally. In these studies the uniform plane wave approximation has been used. In this work we investigate effects which result from the retention of the transverse diffraction. We establish that transverse structure is inevitable since plane wave fixed points are susceptible to transverse instabilities (modulational instability). We show that this instability is a universal mechanism for initiating various interesting and complicated, yet understandable, dynamical responses in a one and a two transverse dimensional cavity.

This dissertation describes our recent results in the study of various types of photonic switches. Special attention is given to the devices with Fabry-Perot etalon or planar waveguide structures based on dispersive optical nonlinearities. Basic optical logic functions, such as digital pattern recognition, symbolic substitution, and all-optical compare-and-exchange operation are demonstrated using ZnS and ZnSe nonlinear interference filters. Differential gain, cascading, and optical latching circuits are demonstrated using GaAs/AlGaAs multiple-quantum-well nonlinear etalons that are compatible with diode-laser sources, and the relationship between differential gain and device response time is established through a thorough investigation of the switching dynamics. Preliminary results also indicate that optical fibers can be used as interconnects between optical logic gates. Picosecond all-optical switching with good (> 3:1) contrast is demonstrated for the first time in single-mode strip-loaded GaAs/AlGaAs nonlinear directional couplers (NLDC's). The anisotropy of quantum-well structure to light polarization is used to achieve polarization-dependent two-beam switching, and the optical Stark effect is used to demonstrate all-optical modulation in an NLDC with subpicosecond recovery time.

Codeswitching between languages is a uniquely bilingual mode of communication. The purpose of this dissertation is to enhance the current body of knowledge dealing with the phenomenon by analysing samples of speech produced by twenty-six Spanish/English bilingual children ranging in age from eight to twelve. Methods of analysis include theoretical linguistics, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, and educational linguistics. A discussion of relevant codeswitching research covering the past thirty years is presented. The data were collected during a reading study focusing on miscue analysis. The children read stories in English and retold them in both Spanish and English. The analysis considers the data from the four previously mentioned points of view. The linguistic analysis looks at the locations of switched constituents within the sentence and the frequency with which those constituents are switched. The data of this study are compared with that of other researchers, and a consideration of a formal grammar of codeswitching is presented. The sociolinguistic analysis addresses the effect of social and stylistic variables on codeswitching. The psycholinguistic analysis of codeswitching covers lexical storage, editing phenomena, and developmental aspects. Finally, some aspects of the education of bilinguals are considered by analysing the effect of the printed word on language switching and dialect shifting . The application of the results of the analysis to both theoretical issues and practical concerns is explored along with suggested areas for future research. The analyses show that young children's codeswitching initially favors less complex structures and is influenced by few social variables. As they grow older, they become more comfortable with switching grammatically complex structures, and they become aware of a greater variety of social factors. A separate grammar is not necessary for a complete description of codeswitching; a modified interdependance model of the two grammars can account for the codeswitching mode. Lastly, the written language becomes part of the speech situation in the classroom and affects the choice of language or dialect spoken.

The object of interest in this research is the evaluation of the combined routing and flow control scheme proposed by Muralidhar and Sundareshan. A slightly modified design using results from positive system theory is proposed as an attempt to improve the performance. Then a detailed performance evaluation of Muralidhar and Sundareshan's scheme and its modified version proposed here is conducted using discrete-event simulation. The application of positive system theory to the combined routing and flow control algorithm proposed by Muralidhar and Sundareshan proved to be quite effective in improving the overall performance only in the initial transient period. The fact that the improvement is restricted to a particular time period appears to be attributable to poor buffer management and certain other fundamental problems with Muralidhar and Sundareshan's scheme. These problems are identified and are described in detail.

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