Conversational Framework Research Articles

Complex Nanostructures from Materials based on Metal-Organic Frameworks for Electrochemical Energy Storage and Conversion.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have drawn tremendous attention because of their abundant diversity in structure and composition. Recently, there has been growing research interest in deriving advanced nanomaterials with complex architectures and tailored chemical compositions from MOF-based precursors for electrochemical energy storage and conversion. Here, a comprehensive overview of the synthesis and energy-related applications of complex nanostructures derived from MOF-based precursors is provided. After a brief summary of synthetic methods of MOF-based templates and their conversion to desirable nanostructures, delicate designs and preparation of complex architectures from MOFs or their composites are described in detail, including porous structures, single-shelled hollow structures, and multishelled hollow structures, as well as other unusual complex structures. Afterward, their applications are discussed as electrode materials or catalysts for lithium-ion batteries, hybrid supercapacitors, water-splitting devices, and fuel cells. Lastly, the research challenges and possible development directions of complex nanostructures derived from MOF-based-templates for electrochemical energy storage and conversion applications are outlined.

A Novel Framework of Speckle Reducing Scan Conversion in Ultrasound Imaging Systems

ABSTRACTThe resolutions and speckle noise in ultrasound imaging systems are the dominant issues which reduce the efficiency of the system. In conventional speckle reduction techniques, speckle filters are applied either on the scan data in pre-processing stage before scan conversion or on the scan-converted image as post-processing operation. It is observed that the output image quality is better if filtering is applied in the pre-processing stage, but it increases computational load since the amount of data to be handled is larger. Furthermore, after filtering the noise from the data, interpolation is performed for scan conversion. All popular existing speckle reduction filters can be adopted in either of these frameworks. In this article, a new framework is proposed for speckle reduction, where scan conversion and speckle reduction are performed simultaneously. This novel framework reduces the overall computation of the ultrasound imaging system which makes it suitable for real-time applications. Several speckle reduction algorithms can be adopted by this new framework. The performance of the new paradigm is compared with existing frameworks by applying some prevalent filters. The quantitative and qualitative results confirm the superiority of the proposed framework with respect to existing candidates.

A NOVEL AUTOMATIC C TO NVIDIACUDA CODE OPTIMIZATION FRAMEWORK

With the continuous demand for high performance computing, the need for reducing time for executing the application is the current challenge of research. Nevertheless, the execution time for the application not only depends on the hardware or architecture, rather also depends on the algorithm design. Improvement of the hardware may lead to higher investments and the optimization of cost is also to be taken care. Henceforth, the major optimization task is to focus on the algorithm design. A number of algorithm design techniques are available and techniques have reached the maximum of optimization levels. Thus, not limiting to the improvement in the algorithm design, the use of parallel execution of the programs is also to be considered. GPUs are commonly used processing units to speed up the application execution in the domain of game development. The GPUs can be utilized to parallelize the application execution to reach the clock usage to the maximum. The major challenge is to design or re-design the application code from traditional serial programming languages to the parallel codes, which can take the advantages of GPU cores. Nonetheless, the code conversion is not easy and demands a higher understanding of parallel programming and the GPUs are transparent to understand for a beginner. Thus the final demand for the application development industry is to build a code conversion framework to automatically convert the source code into parallel programs. This work presents a novel C to NVIDIA Cuda code converter and gives the legacy programs a chance to run on parallel architecture. This work, to be presented, can be considered as a base line for further reach and be used for bench marking the applications. The results demonstrate a high reduction in execution time.

The chemistry of metal–organic frameworks for CO2 capture, regeneration and conversion

This Review details the structural and chemical features of state-of-the-art metal–organic frameworks for their application in the entire carbon cycle of capturing, purifying and transforming CO 2 into valuable products.

Title: Caring Conversation Framework to promote person centred care: synthesising qualitative findings from a multi- phase programme of research

Background Little is known about how to support practitioners to enhance their interpersonal conversations to be more compassionate, person centred and relational with others. The Caring Conversations (CC) framework was empirically derived to address this issue and comprises seven attributes (be courageous, connect emotionally, be curious, consider other perspectives, collaborate, compromise and celebrate).ObjectiveThis paper synthesises the qualitative findings from a multi-phase programme of research, which implemented the CC framework across a variety of health and social care settings (acute hospitals, community, and residential care). It explores the perceived impact of the CC framework on staff and their practice.MethodsSecondary analysis was conducted on the qualitative findings in the final reports of 5 studies, involved in the implementation of the CC framework.ResultsThe analysis showed consistent positive outcomes for staff in their interactions with patients, families and others; including greater self-awareness during interactions, development of stronger relationships, and more open dialogue that supports relational practice. The secondary analysis confirmed the applicability of the framework across a number of different settings, strengthened confidence in its value, generated fresh insights to inform further research, and developed a deeper insight into the attributes of the framework and its application.ConclusionsPolicy and research advocate compassionate care and relational practice, but do not state how this can be delivered in practice. By synthesising the findings from 5 studies undertaken in a variety of different settings, we can be more confident in the value of the CC framework to ensure best practice.

Delta-sigma conversion for graph signals

In this paper, we establish a framework of delta-sigma conversion of graph signals. First, we define delta-sigma conversion for graph signals by considering the corresponding conversion for standard time series signals. We next propose a conversion method based on spanning in-tree, for which it is proven that the method satisfies the conditions for delta-sigma conversion. The proposed method is demonstrated by numerical examples and application to halftone image processing.

Synergistic interaction of Re complex and amine functionalized multiple ligands in metal-organic frameworks for conversion of carbon dioxide

A metal-organic framework (MOF) is composed of secondary building units (SBUs) of metal ions and organic ligands to link each SBU. Moreover, the photosynthetic synthesis of a valuable CO chemical from carbon dioxide (CO2) represents an important class of appealing methods. Herein, we find that a molecular photocatalyst with high selectivity and activity can be designed via a fine balance in the proximity of Re complex (ReI(CO)3(BPYDC)(Cl), BPYDC = 2,2′-bipyridine-5,5′-dicarboxylate) and -NH2 functionalized multiple ligands composing a MOF photocatalyst, denoted as Re-MOF-NH2. These ligands in Re-MOF-NH2 has been confirmed by infrared, UV-visible, and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. Moreover, we show from extended X-ray absorption fine structure and in-situ infrared spectra that the bond corresponding to Re-CO upon introduction of -NH2 functional groups is divided into asymmetric bonds of 1.4 Å and 2.3 Å along with different CO2 vibrations, thus making the configuration of carbonyl groups in a Re metal complex become asymmetric in addition to aiding formation of CO2 intermediates within Re-MOF-NH2. Indeed, both of the uneven electron distribution in asymmetric carbonyl groups for Re-CO and the intermolecular stabilization of carbamate intermediates are proven to give the approximately 3-fold increase in photocatalytic activity for conversion of CO2 into CO.

Voltage Regulator Efficiency Aware Power Management

Conventional off-chip voltage regulators are typically bulky and slow, and are inefficient at exploiting system and workload variability using Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS). On-die integration of voltage regulators has the potential to increase the energy efficiency of computer systems by enabling power control at a fine granularity in both space and time. The energy conversion efficiency of on-chip regulators, however, is typically much lower than off-chip regulators, which results in significant energy losses. Fine-grained power control and high voltage regulator efficiency are difficult to achieve simultaneously, with either emerging on-chip or conventional off-chip regulators. A voltage conversion framework that relies on a hierarchy of off-chip switching regulators and on-chip linear regulators is proposed to enable fine-grained power control with a regulator efficiency greater than 90%. A DVFS control policy that is based on a reinforcement learning (RL) approach is developed to exploit the proposed framework. Per-core RL agents learn and improve their control policies independently, while retaining the ability to coordinate their actions to accomplish system level power management objectives. When evaluated on a mix of 14 parallel and 13 multiprogrammed workloads, the proposed voltage conversion framework achieves 18% greater energy efficiency than a conventional framework that uses on-chip switching regulators. Moreover, when the RL based DVFS control policy is used to control the proposed voltage conversion framework, the system achieves a 21% higher energy efficiency over a baseline oracle policy with coarse-grained power control capability.

Voltage Regulator Efficiency Aware Power Management

Conventional off-chip voltage regulators are typically bulky and slow, and are inefficient at exploiting system and workload variability using Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS). On-die integration of voltage regulators has the potential to increase the energy efficiency of computer systems by enabling power control at a fine granularity in both space and time. The energy conversion efficiency of on-chip regulators, however, is typically much lower than off-chip regulators, which results in significant energy losses. Fine-grained power control and high voltage regulator efficiency are difficult to achieve simultaneously, with either emerging on-chip or conventional off-chip regulators. A voltage conversion framework that relies on a hierarchy of off-chip switching regulators and on-chip linear regulators is proposed to enable fine-grained power control with a regulator efficiency greater than 90%. A DVFS control policy that is based on a reinforcement learning (RL) approach is developed to exploit the proposed framework. Per-core RL agents learn and improve their control policies independently, while retaining the ability to coordinate their actions to accomplish system level power management objectives. When evaluated on a mix of 14 parallel and 13 multiprogrammed workloads, the proposed voltage conversion framework achieves 18% greater energy efficiency than a conventional framework that uses on-chip switching regulators. Moreover, when the RL based DVFS control policy is used to control the proposed voltage conversion framework, the system achieves a 21% higher energy efficiency over a baseline oracle policy with coarse-grained power control capability.

MAPPING A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR ORCIT

The ORCIT project (Online Resources for Conference Interpreter Training) was launched in September 2010 and is currently in its sixth successive year. ORCIT is a multilingual and interactive learning resource with a designated website (www.orcit.eu) which offers pedagogical best practice in interpreter training. Focus of the modular resources is on six main competences necessary for successful training: listening and analysis; mastery of the mother tongue and public speaking; early and advanced consecutive interpreting; early and advanced simultaneous and research skills. In ORCIT, we are near the stage where the corpus of material is substantial enough to subject it to empirical evaluation. Extra funding is currently being sought to launch evaluation in October 2016. By definition, in any learning environment, including a technology-enhanced environment, the overall goal for both the student and the teacher is to expand and consolidate the student’s knowledge of the subject and to improve performance. Therefore the aim of an evaluation of ORCIT would be to assess the use of the resources in a blended learning environment. A proposed theoretical framework which could provide a suitable platform for an experimental design is Diana Laurillard’s the Conversational Framework and a classification of five media forms (Laurillard 1993 & 2002). Relevance of the Conversational Framework and five media forms to ORCIT are the subject of the discussion in this paper. The focus is on the media forms which would assist in the evaluation design.

Developing Caring Conversations in care homes: an appreciative inquiry

Relationship-centred practice is key to delivering quality care in care homes. Evidence is strong about the centrality of human interaction in developing relationships that promote dignity and compassion. The Caring Conversations framework is a framework for delivering compassionate care based on human interactions that was developed in the acute healthcare setting. The key attributes are: be courageous, connect emotionally, be curious, consider other perspectives, collaborate, compromise and celebrate. This paper reports on a study to explore its relevance to the care home setting and the development of an educational intervention, based on the framework, to enhance development of human interaction. The study used the approach of appreciative inquiry to develop Caring Conversations in the care home setting. Appreciative inquiry has a unique focus on what is working well, understanding why these aspects work well and co-creating strategies to help these good practices happen more of the time. The aim of the study was to celebrate and develop excellent human interaction that promotes dignity between staff, residents and families in care homes. The study took place in 2013-2014 in one care home in Scotland, over 10months. Participants included staff (n=37), residents (n=20) and relatives (n=18). Data generation methods involving residents, relatives and staff included observation and interviews about experiences of interaction. An iterative process of data analysis involved mapping core themes to the Caring Conversations framework with findings showing how people communicated correlated well with the Caring Conversations framework. Building on knowledge of what works well, staff developed small 'tests of change' that enabled these good practices to happen more of the time. Appreciative inquiry proved a valuable approach to exploring Caring Conversations, developing practice and developing an educational intervention that could be shared across other care settings.

The Documentary Impulse.

This article has two interconnected goals. It is, first of all, a review of the film The Land Beneath Our Feet, an exemplary documentary that combines the history of technology, science and technology studies, and environmental history in its exploration of the social, cultural, and natural consequences of the rubber industry's expansion in Liberia. The essay's larger purpose, however, is to explore the powerful role documentary film-making practices have to play in the development of new approaches in the history of technology. Here, an interview with historian and film co-director Gregg Mitman provides the framework for an expansive conversation about both the "documentary impulse" that he explores in his film and related written works, and also the growing role of audiovisual practice in scholarly work.

A framework for conversion of serial programming paradigm into parallel using architecture independent factors

A framework for conversion of serial programming paradigm into parallel using architecture independent factors

Reinhabiting the town centre

The town centre first principle in Scotland1 establishes a framework for conversation for possible futures of the biggest distributed urban structure in the country. Increasingly, living is being explored as a new future for old places. This paper explores the demand factors of choosing town centres as a place to live.

Kinematics of the jet in M 87 on scales of 100–1000 Schwarzschild radii

Very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) imaging of radio emission from extragalactic jets provides a unique probe of physical mechanisms governing the launching, acceleration, and collimation of relativistic outflows. The two-dimensional structure and kinematics of the jet in M\,87 (NGC\,4486) have been studied by applying the Wavelet-based Image Segmentation and Evaluation (WISE) method to 11 images obtained from multi-epoch Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations made in January-August 2007 at 43 GHz ($\lambda = 7$ mm). The WISE analysis recovers a detailed two-dimensional velocity field in the jet in M\,87 at sub-parsec scales. The observed evolution of the flow velocity with distance from the jet base can be explained in the framework of MHD jet acceleration and Poynting flux conversion. A linear acceleration regime is observed up to $z_{obs} \sim 2$\,mas. The acceleration is reduced at larger scales, which is consistent with saturation of Poynting flux conversion. Stacked cross correlation analysis of the images reveals a pronounced stratification of the flow. The flow consists of a slow, mildly relativistic layer (moving at $\beta \sim 0.5\,c$), associated either with instability pattern speed or an outer wind, and a fast, accelerating stream line (with $\beta \sim 0.92$, corresponding to a bulk Lorentz factor $\gamma \sim 2.5$). A systematic difference of the apparent speeds in the northern and southern limbs of the jet is detected, providing evidence for jet rotation. The angular velocity of the magnetic field line associated with this rotation suggests that the jet in M87 is launched in the inner part of the disk, at a distance $r_0 \sim 5\, R_\mathrm{s}$ from the central engine. The combined results of the analysis imply that MHD acceleration and conversion of Poynting flux to kinetic energy play the dominant roles in collimation and acceleration of the flow in M\,87.

Applying a conceptual design framework to study teachers\u2019 use of educational technology

Theoretical outcomes of design-based research (DBR) are often presented in the form of local theory design principles. This article suggests a complementary theoretical construction in DBR, in the form of a design framework at a higher abstract level, to study and inform educational design with ICT in different situated contexts. Laurillard’s Conversational Framework (CF) is used as a conceptual lens to analyse how eight teachers use or envisage using technology to support learning in one-to-one environments. The findings demonstrate how the researcher uses the CF to discern different aspects of the teachers’ situated design practices. In the study, ICT is primarily used to support communication and the exchange of knowledge representations between the teachers and their students. Considerably fewer examples are found where ICT is used to support communication, collaborative creation and modelling between peers. However, the interview analyses reveal that the teachers’ intentions to apply ICT to support learning often include this second type of ICT use. Reasons for this discrepancy between the expressed intentions and de facto use of ICT include limitations in technical know-how and a perceived conflict between collaborative learning, existing school cultures and individual assessment. The findings suggest that in DBR, an analytical design framework could be an important tool for researchers and teachers when analysing and discussing educational uses of ICT. The CF provides a promising basis for a design framework, but should be expanded to include interactions with actors outside the classroom.

Generating Fixed-Length Representation From Minutiae Using Kernel Methods for Fingerprint Authentication

The ISO/IEC 19794–2-compliant fingerprint minutiae template is an unordered and variable-sized point set data. Such a characteristic leads to a restriction for the applications that can only operate on fixed-length binary data, such as cryptographic applications and certain biometric cryptosystems (e.g., fuzzy commitment). In this paper, we propose a generic point-to-string conversion framework for fingerprint minutia based on kernel learning methods to generate discriminative fixed length binary strings, which enables rapid matching. The proposed framework consists of four stages: 1) minutiae descriptor extraction; 2) a kernel transformation method that is composed of kernel principal component analysis or kernelized locality-sensitive hashing for fixed length vector generation; 3) a dynamic feature binarization; and 4) matching. The promising experimental results on six datasets from fingerprint verification competition (FVC)2002 and FVC2004 justify the feasibility of the proposed framework in terms of matching accuracy, efficiency, and template randomness.

Designing a digital pedagogical pattern for improving foreign language learners’ oral proficiency

South African undergraduate foreign language students need more opportunity to practise their oral language skills. Not only do appeals to focus more on oral productive skills feature in scholarly literature (Delena-le Roux 2010), it is also one of the main conclusions from a survey among beginner students of French at the Potchefstroom Campus of North-West University (South Africa). It was therefore necessary to design a teaching and learning intervention, specifically aimed at improving beginner students’ oral communication skills in French. Laurillard’s (2012) Conversational Framework inspired the design of a digital pedagogical pattern (DPP), consisting of context and pedagogy descriptors for the development of foreign language learners’ oral communication skills. The Conversational Framework analyses formal learning and challenges the use of new technologies in learning. The implementation process of a DPP for the development of students’ (French) oral skills involved three cycles, each with specific outcomes and three groups of participants: the control group and two experimental groups. Field-testing the proposed DPP provided important insights which should be integrated in the design of subsequent digital pedagogical patterns in the specific context: limiting the participant groups to two; decreasing the number of interventions to be implemented in the limited teaching time of a semester; ensuring that each step adheres to the requirements of the Conversational Framework. Student results from the learning interventions in future studies should reveal which intervention better promotes oral communication skills.

Multi-view collaborative modeling method for complex system

It is hard to model a complex system by simply combining its partial characteristics. This paper presents a multi-view collaborative modeling method for complex system. Multi users, multi subjects, multi granularities and multi models in complex system modeling are unified to multi views. The principles and schemes for the decomposition of complex systems are introduced. According to the principle of separation of concerns, a complex system can be decomposed to a variety of model views. Collaborative modeling means that the views can be associated and integrated to form complete system model through their semantic. According to the form of representation, the models are generalizes to three kinds, i.e., view models, semantic models and storage models, which provides a unified framework for conversion and mapping between the models. Under the guidance of the method, a tool for the modeling of warship C2 system is developed. Applications show that the tool can support collaborative modeling and design for C2 system outstandingly.

The evolution and evaluation of an online role play through design-based research

<p>This paper presents selected findings from a 5-year design-based research case study of the evolution of an online role play that allows postgraduate students to explore the complexities inherent in land rights negotiations between indigenous peoples and others. In the context of Laurillard’s (2002) conversational framework and a design-based research methodology, diverse private and public discussion forum spaces were created for group negotiations on a learning management system (LMS) platform. Our analysis of the conversational framework structure in the evolved role play showed that all four stages – discursive, adaptive, integrative, and reflective – were evidenced, with the adaptive and integrative stages cycling through multiple times. The online role play, whilst implemented as a simple virtual world, facilitated personal, deep and socialised learning experiences focused on consultation, negotiation and decision-making. We also found that student anonymity was not necessary for full engagement in role play, and that students chose to incorporate communication technologies outside the LMS into their learning activities. This research shows that with a strong pedagogical design, and attention paid to an evidence-based iterative improvement cycle, online role plays can provide powerful collaborative learning experiences.</p>