Technical CorrespondenceShub, Charles M.
doi: 10.1177/003754979907300401pmid: N/A
From time to time, SIMULATION receives letters pertaining to issues that a particular manuscript raises. When such letters are of general interest or clarify important technical points, they will appear in this column, along with a response from the article's authors. Please send such technical correspondence to [email protected], and include your full name and contact information.
A Configurable ACSL-Based Interface Generator for Simulated SystemsGarcia, Miguel A.; Llanos, Diego R.; de Prada, César
doi: 10.1177/003754979907300402pmid: N/A
This paper presents a software tool for generat ing graphical interfaces for general-purpose ACSL simulation models. The tool is aimed to construct simulators for education and training in fields such as process control. Final users can manipulate the simulation from an upper level, avoiding the details of simulation, names of variables and experiments, etc., and focusing attention on the work with each particular simu lated system. The tool is based on graphical op eration and transparent communication with the supporting simulation. The steps that must be followed by the programmer to prepare the graphical interface for users of the simulation are outlined. An application example, including the interface configuration as well as its use with the simulation, is provided.
Discrete-Event Models of Mixed-Phenotype Plasmodium falciparum MalariaMcKenzie, F. Ellis; Wong, Roger C.; Bossert, William H.
doi: 10.1177/003754979907300403pmid: 18698381
We extend our basic discrete-event model of Plasmodium falciparum malaria to encom pass circumstances in which multiple pheno typic variants of the parasite circulate within interacting human and mosquito populations, and we compare a version in which variants behave independently to one in which they in teract through shared host immune responses. Relative to the standard hypothesis of statisti cal independence, frequencies of mixed-pheno type infection in humans were as expected in the independent-immunity version and much less than expected in the cross-immunity ver sion ; in both versions, however, such frequen cies in mosquitoes were much greater than expected.
Commercial Aircraft-Cabin Egress: The Current State of Simulation Model Development and the Need for Future ResearchCourt, M.C.
doi: 10.1177/003754979907300404pmid: N/A
There has been increasing interest in developing simulation models capable of analyzing commer cial aircraft-cabin egress under both non-life- threatening and life-threatening scenarios. At issue is the ability to accurately simulate human behavior within non-toxic environments, as well as the debilitating effects that toxic environments (e.g., fire and smoke) have on human-decision making. A set of criteria has been identified by the Federal Aviation Administration for developing simulation models capable of analyzing commer cial aircraft-cabin egress. These criteria are used to (a) compare the capabilities and limitations of four aircraft-evacuation models in existence to day, (b) identify the issues that need to be ad dressed when developing these types of models, and (c) propose a new paradigm for developing aircraft-cabin egress models.
Efficient Numerical Integration Using Gaussian QuadraturePlace, J.; Stach, J.
doi: 10.1177/003754979907300405pmid: N/A
Simulation engineers are occasionally required to include numerical integration in their simulation models. The technique most often used is the simple "trapezoid method." In this short tutorial, we review Gaussian Quadrature techniques for nu merical integration and show how careful deployment of coefficient weights and se lection of the number of coefficients can dramatically reduce the work required to produce excellent numerical results.