NewBee: Context-Free Grammar (CFG) of a New Programming Language for Novice Programmers

Learning programming and using programming languages are the essential aspects of computer science education.Students use programming languages to write their programs.These computer programs(students or practitioners written)make computers artificially intelligent and perform the tasks needed by the users.Without these programs,the computer may be visioned as a pointless machine.As the premise of writing programs is situated with specific programming languages,enormous efforts have been made to develop and create programming languages.However,each program-ming language is domain-specific and has its nuances,syntax and seman-tics,with specific pros and cons.These language-specific details,including syntax and semantics,are significant hurdles for novice programmers.Also,the instructors of introductory programming courses find these language specificities as the biggest hurdle in students learning,where more focus is on syntax than logic development and actual implementation of the program.Considering the conceptual difficulty of programming languages and novice students’struggles with the language syntax,this paper describes the design and development of a Context-Free Grammar(CFG)of a programming language for the novice,newcomers and students who do not have computer science as their major.Due to its syntax proximity to daily conversations,this paper hypothesizes that this language will be easy to use and understand by novice programmers.This paper systematically designed the language by identifying themes from various existing programming languages(e.g.,C,Python).Additionally,this paper surveyed computer science experts from industry and academia,where experts self-reported their satisfaction with the newly designed language.The results indicate that 93%of the experts reported satisfaction with the NewBee for novice,newcomer and non-Computer Sci-ence(CS)major students.

The general motor programmer: its specialization for speech perception &movement

A common neural mechanism—the General Motor Programmer—is proposed by Keane (1999) to underlie both the perception of speech and the initiation of hand movement. A proposal to investigate the specific aspect of cognitive functioning this mechanism is specialized for, namely the timing or place of articulation, is outlined.

Mechanical Janus lattice with plug-switch orientation

In recent years,materials with asymmetric mechanical response properties(mechanical Janus materials)have been found possess numerous potential applications,i.e.shock absorption and vibration isolation.In this study,we propose a novel mechanical Janus lattice whose asymmetric mechanical response can be switched in orientation by a plug.Through finite element analysis and experimental verification,this lattice exhibits asymmetric displacement responses to symmetric forces.Furthermore,with such a plug structure inside,individual lattices can switch the orientation of asymmetry and thus achieve reprogrammable design of a mechanical structure with chained lattices.The reprogrammable asymmetry of this material will offer multiple functions in design of mechanical metamaterials.

Digital signal acquisition system for complex nuclear reaction experiments

A digital data-acquisition system based on XIA LLC products was used in a complex nuclear reaction experiment using radioactive ion beams.A flexible trigger system based on a field-programmable gate array(FPGA)parametrization was developed to adapt to different experimental sizes.A user-friendly interface was implemented,which allows converting script language expressions into FPGA internal control parameters.The proposed digital system can be combined with a conventional analog data acquisition system to provide more flexibility.The performance of the combined system was veri-fied using experimental data.

Pixelated non-volatile programmable photonic integrated circuits with 20-level intermediate states

Multi-level programmable photonic integrated circuits(PICs)and optical metasurfaces have gained widespread attention in many fields,such as neuromorphic photonics,opticalcommunications,and quantum information.In this paper,we propose pixelated programmable Si_(3)N_(4)PICs with record-high 20-level intermediate states at 785 nm wavelength.Such flexibility in phase or amplitude modulation is achieved by a programmable Sb_(2)S_(3)matrix,the footprint of whose elements can be as small as 1.2μm,limited only by the optical diffraction limit of anin-house developed pulsed laser writing system.We believe our work lays the foundation for laser-writing ultra-high-level(20 levels and even more)programmable photonic systems and metasurfaces based on phase change materials,which could catalyze diverse applications such as programmable neuromorphic photonics,biosensing,optical computing,photonic quantum computing,and reconfigurable metasurfaces.

A novel one-time-programmable memory unit based on Schottky-type p-GaN diode

In this work,a novel one-time-programmable memory unit based on a Schottky-type p-GaN diode is proposed.During the programming process,the junction switches from a high-resistance state to a low-resistance state through Schottky junction breakdown,and the state is permanently preserved.The memory unit features a current ratio of more than 10^(3),a read voltage window of 6 V,a programming time of less than 10^(−4)s,a stability of more than 108 read cycles,and a lifetime of far more than 10 years.Besides,the fabrication of the device is fully compatible with commercial Si-based GaN process platforms,which is of great significance for the realization of low-cost read-only memory in all-GaN integration.

Machine learning algorithm partially reconfigured on FPGA for an image edge detection system

Unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs)have been widely used in military,medical,wireless communications,aerial surveillance,etc.One key topic involving UAVs is pose estimation in autonomous navigation.A standard procedure for this process is to combine inertial navigation system sensor information with the global navigation satellite system(GNSS)signal.However,some factors can interfere with the GNSS signal,such as ionospheric scintillation,jamming,or spoofing.One alternative method to avoid using the GNSS signal is to apply an image processing approach by matching UAV images with georeferenced images.But a high effort is required for image edge extraction.Here a support vector regression(SVR)model is proposed to reduce this computational load and processing time.The dynamic partial reconfiguration(DPR)of part of the SVR datapath is implemented to accelerate the process,reduce the area,and analyze its granularity by increasing the grain size of the reconfigurable region.Results show that the implementation in hardware is 68 times faster than that in software.This architecture with DPR also facilitates the low power consumption of 4 mW,leading to a reduction of 57%than that without DPR.This is also the lowest power consumption in current machine learning hardware implementations.Besides,the circuitry area is 41 times smaller.SVR with Gaussian kernel shows a success rate of 99.18%and minimum square error of 0.0146 for testing with the planning trajectory.This system is useful for adaptive applications where the user/designer can modify/reconfigure the hardware layout during its application,thus contributing to lower power consumption,smaller hardware area,and shorter execution time.

National Social Investment Programmes in Nigeria:A Descriptive Analysis of the Socio-Economic Contributions of N-Power Programme in Benue State

This study analysed the socio-economic contributions of N-Power programme amongst the beneficiaries of the scheme in Benue State.Prior to the introduction of N-Power programme,successive administrations in Nigeria have made concerted efforts towards improving the standard of living of the citizenry through the execution of various welfare or social intervention programmes,but not much successes were recorded.Learning from the mistakes of the past regimes,and by way of deliberate state policy,the Buhari’s government initiated a multi-pronged social investment policy,one of which is the N-power programme that came onboard in 2016,which also doubles as the subject of this study.To achieve the goal of this study,a combination of desktop research and survey design was employed.Questionnaires were administered to 390 respondents through a combination of stratified and random sampling techniques.The results of the survey were matched with that of the secondary data obtained through online websites and other related sources.The result indicated that N-Power made positive contributions to the socio-economic life of the beneficiaries in Benue State:specifically,the scheme contributed in poverty eradication,employment generation,skills acquisitions and capacity building.However,some aspect of our findings revealed that the programme has a number of challenges such as:inadequate cash support,delay in monthly cash transfer to beneficiaries,distance participants had to move to their work stations,absence of posting in N-Teach scheme,and lack of adequate working tools amongst others.To salvage this problem the paper recommended the following solutions:expansion of the scheme to cover N-Teach and other aspects,increment in the monthly cash transfer to cushion the high rate of inflation,support for the participants/beneficiaries in transportation and logistics,enrolment of more youth into the various schemes,proper monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the schemes amongst others.

Teaching Reform and Exploration of Practical Courses Based on Programmable Control

As the country continues to promote the development of intelligent manufacturing,all industries are carrying out enterprise automation upgrading,the Pearl River Delta Intelligent Manufacturing Conference held in March 2024 provides a direction guide for each enterprise on how to integrate the intelligent manufacturing technology into each link and provide direction guidance for enterprises to create new models and new business formats.College teachers,in focusing on the teaching process,should closely match the enterprise and social needs and cultivate excellent students.As the core controller of automation control,the application of programmable controllers in teaching is particularly important.In practical classes,by setting progressive difficulty,project guidance,team collaboration,and other links,students can master the automation equipment design of programmable control in repeated practice.

大尺寸机载显示模块动态背光控制系统设计

机载大尺寸液晶显示器(liquid crystal display,LCD)显示模块具有亮度高和功耗大的特点。为了降低其动态功耗,介绍了一种用于大尺寸机载显示模块的动态背光控制系统。该系统采用发光二极管(light emitting diode,LED)动态背光控制技术,通过对背光的动态调节,提高动态显示效果和达到节能的目的。对系统的硬件电路和软件设计算法进行了详细的介绍,并进行实验验证。结果表明,该系统能够有效地提高机载显示模块的动态显示效果,并显著降低了动态功耗。

GJB 5000B在FPGA工程中的应用分析

为引入软件工程化管理办法对设计开发实践实施管理,结合GJB 5000B体系要求,对现场可编程逻辑门阵列(Field Programmable Gate Array,FPGA)的设计开发流程和GJB 5000B的工程实践要求进行梳理、比对和分析,并提出一套FPGA开发管理在GJB 5000B推进实践中的实施办法。研究成果可为GJB 5000B在FPGA工程中的应用提供一定参考。

加拿大Computer Programmer专业与我国软件技术专业课程设置异同分析——以Humber College和滨州职业学院为例

课程是实现人才培养目标的基础,加拿大Humber College(汉博学院)的Computer Programmer专业和滨州职业学院软件技术专业均以计算机初级程序员为培养目标。为了了解两个专业课程设置的不同,从素质课程、专业基础/核心课程、专业拓展课程3个方面进行了比较分析。结果显示,两个专业在素质课程的比例、专业拓展课程的教学内容上有较大不同。育人理念和成才观念的不同,是造成两个专业课程设置不同的根本原因。

Sustainable Learning of Computer Programming Languages Using Mind Mapping

In the current era of information technology,students need to learn modern programming languages efficiently.The art of teaching/learning program-ming requires many logical and conceptual skills.So it’s a challenging task for the instructors/learners to teach/learn these programming languages effectively and efficiently.Mind mapping is a useful visual tool for establishing ideas and connecting them to solve problems.This research proposed an effective way to teach programming languages through visual tools.This experimental study uses a mind mapping tool to teach two programming environments:Text-based Programming and Blocks-based Programming.We performed the experiments with one hundred and sixty undergraduate students of two public sector universities in the Asia Pacific region.Four different instructional approaches,including block-based language(BBL),text-based languages(TBL),mind map with text-based language(MMTBL)and mind mapping with block-based(MMBBL)are used for this purpose.The results show that instructional approaches using a mind mapping tool to help students solve given tasks in their critical thinking are more effective than other instructional techniques.

Low-loss chip-scale programmable silicon photonic processor

Chip-scale programmable optical signal processors are often used to flexibly manipulate the optical signals for satisfying the demands in various applications,such as lidar,radar,and artificial intelligence.Silicon photonics has unique advantages of ultra-high integration density as well as CMOS compatibility,and thus makes it possible to develop large-scale programmable optical signal processors.The challenge is the high silicon waveguides propagation losses and the high calibration complexity for all tuning elements due to the random phase errors.In this paper,we propose and demonstrate a programmable silicon photonic processor for the first time by introducing low-loss multimode photonic waveguide spirals and low-random-phase-error Mach-Zehnder switches.The present chip-scale programmable silicon photonic processor comprises a 1×4 variable power splitter based on cascaded Mach-Zehnder couplers(MZCs),four Ge/Si photodetectors,four channels of thermally-tunable optical delaylines.Each channel consists of a continuously-tuning phase shifter based on a waveguide spiral with a micro-heater and a digitally-tuning delayline realized with cascaded waveguide-spiral delaylines and MZSs for 5.68 ps time-delay step.Particularly,these waveguide spirals used here are designed to be as wide as 2μm,enabling an ultralow propagation loss of 0.28 dB/cm.Meanwhile,these MZCs and MZSs are designed with 2-μm-wide arm waveguides,and thus the random phase errors in the MZC/MZS arms are negligible,in which case the calibration for these MZSs/MZCs becomes easy and furthermore the power consumption for compensating the phase errors can be reduced greatly.Finally,this programmable silicon photonic processor is demonstrated successfully to verify a number of distinctively different functionalities,including tunable time-delay,microwave photonic beamforming,arbitrary optical signal filtering,and arbitrary waveform generation.

Development of the Life Gatekeeper suicide prevention training programme in China:a Delphi study

Background Youth suicide has been a pressing public mental health concern in China,yet there is a lack of gatekeeper intervention programmes developed locally to prevent suicide among Chinese adolescents.Aims The current Delphi study was the first step in the systematic development of the Life Gatekeeper programme,the first gatekeeper programme to be developed locally in China that aims to equip teachers and parents with the knowledge,skills and ability to identify and intervene with students at high risk of suicide.Methods The Delphi method was used to elicit a consensus of experts who were invited to evaluate the importance of training content,the feasibility of the training delivery method,the possibility of achieving the training goals and,finally,the appropriateness of the training materials.Two Delphi rounds were conducted among local experts with diversified professional backgrounds in suicide research and practice.Statements were accepted for inclusion in the adjusted training programme if they were endorsed by at least 80%of the panel.Results Consensus was achieved on 201 out of 207 statements for inclusion into the adapted guidelines for the gatekeeper programme,with 151 from the original questionnaire and 50 generated from comments of the panel members.These endorsed statements were synthesised to develop the content of the Life Gatekeeper training programme.Conclusions This Delphi study provided an evidence base for developing the first gatekeeper training programme systematically and locally in China.We hope that the current study can pave the way for more evidence-based suicide prevention programmes in China.Further study is warranted to evaluate the effectiveness of the Life Gatekeeper training programme.

4D printing: interdisciplinary integration of smart materials, structural design,and new functionality

Four-dimensional printing allows for the transformation capabilities of 3D-printed architectures over time,altering their shape,properties,or function when exposed to external stimuli.This interdisciplinary technology endows the 3D architectures with unique functionalities,which has generated excitement in diverse research fields,such as soft robotics,biomimetics,biomedical devices,and sensors.Understanding the selection of the material,architectural designs,and employed stimuli is crucial to unlocking the potential of smart customization with 4D printing.This review summarizes recent significant developments in 4D printing and establishes links between smart materials,3D printing techniques,programmable structures,diversiform stimulus,and new functionalities for multidisciplinary applications.We start by introducing the advanced features of 4D printing and the key technological roadmap for its implementation.We then place considerable emphasis on printable smart materials and structural designs,as well as general approaches to designing programmable structures.We also review stimulus designs in smart materials and their associated stimulus-responsive mechanisms.Finally,we discuss new functionalities of 4D printing for potential applications and further development directions.

The glutamate metabotropic receptor 5(GRM5)gene is associated with beef cattle home range and movement tortuosity

Background:The grazing behaviour of herbivores and their grazing personalities might in part be determined genetically,but there are few studies in beef cattle illustrating this.In this study,we investigated for first time the genetic variation within a candidate‘grazing gene',the glutamate metabotropic receptor 5 gene(GRM5),and tested associations between variation in that gene and variation in grazing personality behaviours(GP-behaviours)displayed by free-ranging cows during winter grazing in the steep and rugged rangelands of New Zealand.Mature beef cows(n=303,from 3 to 10 years of age)were tracked with global positioning system(GPS)and,with 5-minutes(min)relocation frequency,various GP-behaviours were calculated.These included horizontal and vertical distances travelled,mean elevation,elevation range,elevation gain,slope,home range and movement tortuosity,variously calculated using daily relocation trajectories with repeated measurements(i.e.,7 to 24 days(d))and satellite-derived digital elevation models(DEM).The different GP-behaviours were fitted into mixed models to ascertain their associations with variant sequences and genotypes of GRM5.Results:We discovered three GRM5 variants(A,B and C)and identified the six possible genotypes in the cattle studied.The mixed models revealed that A was significantly associated with elevation range,home range and movement tortuosity.Similarly,GRM5 genotypes were associated(P<0.05)to home range and movement tortuosity,while trends suggesting association(P<0.1)were also revealed for elevation range and horizontal distance travelled.Most GP-behaviour models were improved by correcting for cow age-class as a fixed factor.The analysis of GP-behaviours averaged per cow age-class suggests that grazing personality is fully established as beef cows reached 4 years of age.Home range and movement tortuosity were not only associated with GRM5 variation,but also negatively correlated with each other(r=-0.27,P<0.001).Conclusions:There seems to be a genetically determined trade-off between home range and movement tortuosity that may be useful in beef cattle breeding programmes aiming to improve the grazing distribution and utilisation of steep and rugged rangelands.

基于语音识别的电磁调控智能超表面

本文提出并实现了一种基于人类语音识别的智能超表面,用于对电磁波束进行可编程调控。该智能超表面平台由数字编码超表面、语音识别模块、单片机和数模转换器(DAC)电路组成,可根据预先存储的语音指令对电磁波进行智能控制。所构建的数字编码超表面包含6×6个超级子单元,每个超级子单元由4×4个嵌入了变容二极管的有源数字单元组成。语音识别模块配合DAC和单片机对语音指令进行识别,并生成对应的电压序列来控制超表面。此外,在超表面的设计过程中引入遗传算法,可有效优化超表面相位分布。为了验证智能超表面平台的性能,演示了雷达散射截面积缩减、涡旋波束生成和波束分裂三种典型功能。所提出的方案为调控电磁波提供了一种新的途径,并在电磁和声学通信之间架起了连接桥梁。

High-Bandwidth,Low-Power CMOS Transistor Based CAB for Field Programmable Analog Array

This article presents an integrated current mode configurable analog block(CAB)system for field-programmable analog array(FPAA).The proposed architecture is based on the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor(CMOS)transistor level design where MOSFET transistors operating in the saturation region are adopted.The proposed CAB architecture is designed to implement six of thewidely used current mode operations in analog processing systems:addition,subtraction,integration,multiplication,division,and pass operation.The functionality of the proposed CAB is demonstrated through these six operations,where each operation is chosen based on the user’s selection in the CAB interface system.The architecture of the CAB system proposes an optimized way of designing and integrating only three functional cells with the interface circuitry to achieve the six operations.Furthermore,optimized programming and digital tuning circuitry are implemented in the architecture to control and interface with the functional cells.Moreover,these designed programming and tuning circuitries play an essential role in optimizing the performance of the proposed design.Simulation of the proposed CMOS Transistor Based CAB system is carried out using Tanner EDA Tools in 0.35μm standard CMOS technology.The design uses a±1.5 V power supply and results in maximum 3 dB bandwidth of 34.9 MHz and an approximate size of 0.0537 mm2.This demonstrates the advantages of the design over the current state-of-the-art designs presented for comparison in this article.Consequently,the proposed design has a clear aspect of simplicity,low power consumption,and high bandwidth operation,which makes it a suitable candidate for mobile telecommunications applications.

Programmable Logic Controller Block Monitoring System for Memory Attack Defense in Industrial Control Systems

Cyberattacks targeting industrial control systems(ICS)are becoming more sophisticated and advanced than in the past.A programmable logic controller(PLC),a core component of ICS,controls and monitors sensors and actuators in the field.However,PLC has memory attack threats such as program injection and manipulation,which has long been a major target for attackers,and it is important to detect these attacks for ICS security.To detect PLC memory attacks,a security system is required to acquire and monitor PLC memory directly.In addition,the performance impact of the security system on the PLC makes it difficult to apply to the ICS.To address these challenges,this paper proposes a system to detect PLC memory attacks by continuously acquiring and monitoring PLC memory.The proposed system detects PLC memory attacks by acquiring the program blocks and block information directly from the same layer as the PLC and then comparing them in bytes with previous data.Experiments with Siemens S7-300 and S7-400 PLC were conducted to evaluate the PLC memory detection performance and performance impact on PLC.The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed system detects all malicious organization block(OB)injection and data block(DB)manipulation,and the increment of PLC cycle time,the impact on PLC performance,was less than 1 ms.The proposed system detects PLC memory attacks with a simpler detection method than earlier studies.Furthermore,the proposed system can be applied to ICS with a small performance impact on PLC.