Framework For Practical Implementation Research Articles

Blueprint for Blue Economy implementation

Many nations aspire to development of the Blue Economy (BE), however, the concept remains vague and there is wide need for a practical framework for implementation and evaluation of success. Based on our experience in Australia and Canada, where there is increasing BE activity, new developments being added to areas with existing uses are leading to ocean crowding and increasing the risk of undesirable outcomes. We propose a blueprint for implementation of an integrated approach to BE in an area involving four steps: 1) articulation of common BE objectives (ecological, economic, social-cultural and governance), 2) development of a governance framework in which BE objectives can be applied in management of all activities in an area, 3) a process to address conflicts, risks and trade-offs, and 4) evaluation of cumulative effects and performance of management. We illustrate the blueprint using candidate objectives relevant to the addition of offshore wind energy development. While there is a potential problem under BE for ocean crowding and for ‘plan crowding’ caused by a proliferation of sector-based planning, we suggest that there is the potential for the BE concept, properly implemented, to assist in overcoming long-standing deficiencies in existing sector-based approaches and to avoid deficiencies in planning and management associated with new or expanding BE industries. Implementation of BE will also facilitate achieving ambitious aspirations associated with national and international initiatives including the High Level Oceans Panel and Sustainable Development Goals.

Strengthening Indigenous parents’ co-leadership through culturally responsive home-school partnerships: a practical implementation framework

ABSTRACT The momentum of the decolonising education movement has led many scholars to rethink the ongoing impacts of colonialism on Indigenous peoples and generate catalysts for change. Using the decolonisation lens, the aim of this phenomenological study was to investigate the barriers, outcomes, and enablers of effective collaboration between West Papuan parents and teachers. Results suggested that although they encountered many obstacles, both groups of participants still believed in the possibility of establishing sustainable, culturally responsive home-school partnerships. In addition, when teachers embraced West Papuan culture in home-school partnerships, it increased their professional skills, parents’ agency, and self-efficacy, which in turn, enhanced children’s learning outcomes and strengthened children’s Indigenous identity. We offer a culturally responsive home-school partnership framework, developed from the bottom-up narratives of teachers and parents. The framework centres on three key strategies: culturally responsive communication, decolonising pedagogical practices, and emancipatory support.

Activating electricity system demand response for commercial and industrial organisations

ABSTRACT With the rapid uptake of renewable energy generation and increasing price volatility, there are multiple opportunities emerging for businesses to earn additional revenue and reduce electricity bills by implementing demand response. However, commercial and industrial consumer implementation of demand response is not well understood and largely absent in energy management guidelines, which focus on reducing energy consumption and driving energy efficiency. Based on interviews with managers from 24 commercial and industrial businesses, we describe a practical implementation framework for demand response. The framework identifies unique implementation features for demand response - the activation steps. Energy management guidelines may have underemphasised approaches to demand response and inclusion of its unique features for businesses because benefits to be gained from demand response have focussed on benefits for the utilities in the electricity system, not benefits for individual businesses. The article concludes there is an opportunity for market operators to encourage organisations who produce energy management guidelines to include demand response, to promote awareness of the opportunities for businesses and provide practical guidance for implementation, therefore providing support for greater renewable energy penetration and reduced energy costs for businesses.

An implementation framework for transformative gamification services

ABSTRACT Gamification services are hailed as effective tools for influencing users’ behaviours, increasing engagement, motivation, and enhancing learning. In the field of behaviour change, transformative outcomes have been reported for gamification services; with some conceptualisation undertaken regarding transformative gamification services. However, there is a lack of research on practical implementation of transformative gamification services. Also, previous studies have often isolated a single component of gamification and not discussed the synergistic effects and behavioural outcomes of the experiences that the combination of gamification elements can create. To bridge this gap, we provide an implementation framework for transformative gamification services. This is achieved by identifying different components of transformative gamification from a social marketing and transformative service research (TSR) lens and their behavioural outcomes. To do this, we delve into game design, gamification and behaviour change literature and suggest a practical implementation framework which incorporates users' perspectives in the form of transformative values, user engagement types (play typologies), and consumption/service encounter experiences. This research contributes to gamification theory and practice by furthering the understanding of transformative gamification services in social marketing and TSR. It also provides behaviour change practitioners with detailed steps for implementation of such services aiming to create positive behavioural changes.

Establishing a Departmental Symposium for Resident Scholarly Activity: How We Did It

Many radiology departments have successfully increased trainee research involvement by providing protected academic time for research, offering travel funding for conferences, and developing research-focused curriculum via resident research tracks and other mechanisms. A departmental platform for trainees to share their scholarly projects can foster intradepartmental awareness and collaborations, supplement the existing resident research curriculum, encourage peer learning amongst trainees, and allow departmental celebration of their trainees' accomplishments. The authors describe the development of a departmental symposium for resident scholarly activity at their institution and detail a practical framework for implementation and lessons learned, which may serve as a guide for other radiology departments interested in establishing a similar event.

Deep reservoir architecture for short-term residential load forecasting: An online learning scheme for edge computing

The short-term residential electricity demand forecast tasks are essential for designing the portfolio of the decision-making process of aggregators for the selection of control targets and derivation of specific control target values for demand response. The implementation of edge computing on the forecast functionality, which provides forecasting and minimal communication functions based on the data accumulated at the end-user-side using an inexpensive computational resource deployed locally, is an attractive framework for practical implementation. To achieve good accuracy while forecasting the demands of individual households during practical long-term operation, it is necessary to follow the changes in demand characteristics quickly by updating the prediction models frequently. This study focused on the concept of deep reservoir computing, which has a high affinity for implementation in edge computing frameworks from the viewpoint of hardware implementability, while utilizing the deep architecture and avoiding high computational cost. In particular, this study proposed an online learning scheme for the implementation of edge computing, which does not require large-scale computation for updating the prediction models. The effectiveness of the proposed approach was evaluated considering the calculation cost and accuracy through numerical experiments using real-world residential load data.

SSUE: Simultaneous state and uncertainty estimation for dynamical systems

AbstractParameters of the mathematical model describing many practical dynamical systems are prone to vary due to aging or renewal, wear and tear, as well as changes in environmental or service conditions. These variabilities will adversely affect the accuracy of state estimation. In this article, we introduce SSUE: simultaneous state and uncertainty estimation for quantifying parameter uncertainty while simultaneously estimating the internal state of a system. Our approach involves the development of a Bayesian framework that recursively updates the posterior joint density of the unknown state vector and parameter uncertainty. To execute the framework for practical implementation, we develop a computational algorithm based on maximum a posteriori estimation and the numerical Newton's method. Observability analysis is conducted for linear systems, and its relation with the consistency of the estimation of the uncertainty's location is unveiled. Additional simulation results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed SSUE approach.

From Risk Factors to Networks: A Case Study on Interconnectedness Using Currency Funds

In this article, the authors introduce a combined approach for investigating currency funds by using methods from network science and risk factor analysis. They document a positive relationship between currency funds’ style exposure, fund age, size, and connectedness, providing both economically and statistically significant results. The most important funds in the network can influence the currency market with significant exposure to the risk factors’ carry, value, and trend. In general, the authors’ approach helps investors to identify market interconnectedness; shows how risk can be transmitted; and highlights the factors that could represent significant idiosyncratic, systematic, and systemic economic risk. The authors argue that the interconnectedness is asymmetrical and the network is reciprocal. There are funds with significant importance scores. They provide a framework for practical implementation. <b>TOPICS:</b>Currency, analysis of individual factors/risk premia, statistical methods, risk management

Integrating diverse objectives for sustainable fisheries in Canada

An interdisciplinary team of academics and representatives of fishing fleets and government collaborated to study the emerging requirements for sustainability in Canada’s fisheries. Fisheries assessment and management has focused on biological productivity with insufficient consideration of social (including cultural), economic, and institutional (governance) aspects. Further, there has been little discussion or formal evaluation of the effectiveness of fisheries management. The team of over 50 people (i) identified a comprehensive set of management objectives for a sustainable fishery system based on Canadian policy statements, (ii) combined objectives into an operational framework with relevant performance indicators for use in management planning, and (iii) undertook case studies that investigated some social, economic, and governance aspects in greater detail. The resulting framework extends the suite of widely accepted ecological aspects (productivity and trophic structure, biodiversity, and habitat–ecosystem integrity) to include comparable economic (viability and prosperity, sustainable livelihoods, distribution of access and benefits, regional–community benefits), social (health and well-being, sustainable communities, ethical fisheries), and institutional (legal obligations, good governance structure, effective decision-making) aspects of sustainability. This work provides a practical framework for implementation of a comprehensive approach to sustainability in Canadian fisheries. The project also demonstrates the value of co-construction of collaborative research and co-production of knowledge that combines and builds on the strengths of academics, industry, and government.

From equity to power: Critical Success Factors for Twinning between midwives, a Delphi study.

To gain consensus for Critical Success Factors associated with Twinning in Midwifery. International publications identify midwifery as important for improving maternity care worldwide. Midwifery is a team effort where midwives play a key role. Yet their power to take on this role is often lacking. Twinning has garnered potential to develop power in professionals, however, its success varies because implementation is not always optimal. Critical Success Factors have demonstrated positive results in the managerial context and can be helpful to build effective Twinning relationships. We approached 56 midwife Twinning experts from 19 countries to participate in three Delphi rounds between 2016 - 2017. In round 1, experts gave input through an open ended questionnaire and this was analysed to formulate Critical Success Factors statements that were scored on a 1-7 Likert scale aiming to gain consensus in rounds 2 and 3. These statements were operationalized for practical use such as a check list in planning, monitoring and evaluation in the field. Thirty-three experts from 14 countries took part in all three Delphi rounds, producing 58 initial statements. This resulted in 25 Critical Success Factors covering issues of management, communication, commitment and values, most focus on equity. The Critical Success Factors formulated represent the necessary ingredients for successful Twinning by providing a practical implementation framework and promote further research into the effect of Twinning. Findings show that making equity explicit in Twinning may contribute towards the power of midwives to take on their identified key role.

Social‐Aware Device‐to‐Device Offloading Based on Experimental Mobility and Content Similarity Models

Device‐to‐device (D2D) offloading has been shown to be a highly effective technique to enhance the performance of wireless networks. Yet, for any two mobile users to share data efficiently and reliably via D2D links, they should be in close proximity for long enough period of time, share similar content interests, and have some level of incentive and trust to cooperate. In this work, we focus on the practical implementation aspects of D2D data sharing taking into account realistic operational conditions. To this end, we design and conduct an experimental study to collect location and neighbor discovery data from 38 mobile users in a university campus over several weeks using our own customized crowdsourcing Android mobile application. The collected data is then processed and utilized to empirically model mobility‐related parameters that include contact frequency, contact duration, and inter‐contact duration. The participating users did also fill a user interest survey in order to correlate mobility and connectivity patterns with content interests and social network relations. The obtained insights are then used to develop a practical implementation framework for designing effective D2D data sharing strategies. To test the proposed ideas under realistic operational constraints, we design and implement a social‐aware D2D data sharing Android mobile application and demonstrate its functionality and effectiveness using an example case study scenario.

Large-scale automated proactive road safety analysis using video data

Due to the complexity and pervasiveness of transportation in daily life, the use and combination of larger data sets and data streams promises smarter roads and a better understanding of our transportation needs and environment. For this purpose, ITS systems are steadily being rolled out, providing a wealth of information, and transitionary technologies, such as computer vision applied to low-cost surveillance or consumer cameras, are already leading the way.This paper presents, in detail, a practical framework for implementation of an automated, high-resolution, video-based traffic-analysis system, particularly geared towards researchers for behavioural studies and road safety analysis, or practitioners for traffic flow model validation. This system collects large amounts of microscopic traffic flow data from ordinary traffic using CCTV and consumer-grade video cameras and provides the tools for conducting basic traffic flow analyses as well as more advanced, pro-active safety and behaviour studies. This paper demonstrates the process step-by-step, illustrated with examples, and applies the methodology to a case study of a large and detailed study of roundabouts (nearly 80,000 motor vehicles tracked up to 30 times per second driving through a roundabout).In addition to providing a rich set of behavioural data about Time-to-Collision and gap times at nearly 40 roundabout weaving zones, some data validation is performed using the standard Measure of Tracking Accuracy with results in the 85–95% range.

Implementation of continuous improvement based on Lean Six Sigma in small- and medium-sized enterprises

Research has highlighted a need for a specific and practical implementation framework for deploying Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The success of LSS implementation in SMEs is highly dependent on the extent to which an LSS deployment programme addresses the specific properties of SMEs. In this study we have evaluated an existing framework for Six Sigma implementation for SMEs [Kumar, M., Antony, J., & Tiwari, M. K. (2011). Six Sigma implementation framework for SMEs – a roadmap to manage and sustain the change. International Journal of Production Research, 49(18), 5449–5467] using a multi-method triangulation approach. The objectives of this study were firstly to strengthen the foundations of the existing framework by uncovering evidence for some of its elements and, secondly, to identify the proposed revisions to the framework, especially focussed on its application in manufacturing SMEs. The results of our study are a collection of confirmations and revision proposals for the framework, leading to a revised conceptual framework.

System Approach for Building Energy Conservation

Energy use in residential and commercial buildings and towers represents more than 30% of energy consumption. The increase in number of buildings and towers in most of the major cities worldwide led to several initiatives for energy conservation programs with the main objective to achieve energy savings. Most energy strategies include energy conservation beside the increase in the penetration of renewable energy technologies. This paper shows business model and engineering design framework for practical implementation of energy conservation in buildings. Key performance indicators are modeled and used to evaluate energy conservation strategies and energy supply scenarios as part of the design and operation of building energy systems. The proposed system approach shows effective management of building energy knowledge on the basis of Energy Semantic Networks (ESN), which supports the simulation, evaluation, and optimization of several building energy conservation scenarios. Case study hotel is used to illustrate the proposed building energy conservation framework.

New Iterative Framework for Frequency Response Mismatch Correction in Time-Interleaved ADCs: Design and Performance Analysis

This paper proposes a new iterative framework for the correction of frequency response mismatch in time-interleaved analog-to-digital converters. Based on a general time-varying linear system model for the mismatch, we treat the reconstruction problem as a linear inverse problem and establish a flexible iterative framework for practical implementation. It encumbrances a number of efficient iterative correction algorithms and simplifies their design, implementation, and performance analysis. In particular, an efficient Gauss-Seidel iteration is studied in detail to illustrate how the correction problem can be solved iteratively and how the proposed structure can be efficiently implemented using Farrow-based variable digital filters with few general-purpose multipliers. We also study important issues, such as the sufficient convergence condition and reconstructed signal spectrum, derive new lower bound of signal-to-distortion-and-noise ratio in order to ensure stable operation, and predict the performance of the proposed structure. Furthermore, we propose an extended iterative structure, which is able to cope with systems involving more than one type of mismatches. Finally, the theoretical results and the effectiveness of the proposed approach are validated by means of computer simulations.

Six Sigma implementation framework for SMEs – a roadmap to manage and sustain the change

Although Six Sigma has been in business lexicon for more than 20 years, research has shown the need of practical implementation framework for successful deployment of Six Sigma, especially in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This article proposes a Six Sigma implementation framework customised to the needs of SMEs by performing a critique of quality management frameworks/models for SMEs and drawing conclusion from the empirical research conducted over 3 years. If Six Sigma is poorly launched, it will be very difficult to reorganise and regain momentum. Though the framework was tested in three SMEs and revised, still its robustness needs to be checked and refined based on suggestions and comments from industry, practitioners and academics.

Cooperative ARQ via auction-based spectrum leasing

A novel distributed scheme that combines cooperative ARQ with the spectrum leasing paradigm is proposed and analyzed. The strategy harnesses the opportunistic gains of cooperative communications, while inherently providing a spectrum-rewarding incentive for the otherwise non-cooperative relays to assist the source's transmission. As in cooperative ARQ, the source might decide to hand over the possible retransmission slots to nearby stations that were able to decode the original transmission. In the proposed scheme, however, in exchange for the cooperation, the relaying station is also awarded an opportunity to exploit the retransmission slot for its own traffic. Arbitration of relays' retransmissions is performed via an auction mechanism, with the source, the competing relays and the transmission slot acting as the auctioneer, the bidders and the bidding article, respectively. Auction theory (more generally, the theory of Bayesian games) is applied to analyze the scheme performance. It is noted that the setting here can be alternatively seen as a practical framework for implementation of property-rights cognitive radio networks. Numerical results and analysis show that the proposed scheme enables an efficient dynamic resource allocation that provides relevant gains (e.g., transmission reliability) for both the original source (primary) and the cooperating nodes (secondary users).

Clinical governance in operation – everybody's business: a proposed framework

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe a framework for the implementation of clinical governance (CG) within a mental health and addictions service at all functional levels within the system (consumer, clinician, team, service and unit level). It aims to include and enlarge on the functional subdivisions of CG (as practised in the National Health Service (NHS)) by identifying 11 component domains of interest.Design/methodology/approachThe paper briefly reviews the varying interpretations of the concept of CG in the literature and associated difficulties in its implementation.FindingsSeveral authors have pointed out the difficulties in the implementation of CG at the operational level. In particular, CG is often seen as top‐down, “managerial” in its focus rather than providing clinicians at the coal‐face with a device for quality assurance and improvement.Practical implicationsThe framework asserts that the 11 component domains are relevant at all levels within a healthcare delivery system; in fact, conversations already occur around these domains at all levels with variable frequency, with a focus that is relevant to that level, determined by the needs at each level.Originality/valueThe paper describes a practical framework for implementation of CG within a mental health and addictions service that addresses some of the criticism levelled against the concept of CG in the literature. This conceptualisation provides a seamless merging of the so‐called managerial and clinical imperatives around clinical governance.

Robust stereo vision and calibration methodology for accurate three-dimensional digital image correlation measurements on submerged objects

The effect of optical refraction at an interface between optically dissimilar media is modelled in order to apply the principles of three-dimensional digital image correlation (DIC) to measure deformations on submerged objects accurately. Using an analytical formulation for refraction at an interface, a non-linear solution approach is developed to perform stereo calibration. The proposed method incorporates a simplified parametric representation for the orientation and position of an interface(s), accounting explicitly for the effects of refraction at all such interfaces in the path of each stereo camera. Separating the calibration process into two parts, a modified bundle adjustment process with an updated Levenburg—Marquardt (LM) non-linear optimization algorithm is employed to determine (a) intrinsic and extrinsic stereo camera parameters without interface refraction and (b) orientation and position of each planar interface. Detailed simulations demonstrate the efficiency, accuracy, and stability of the methodology when using multiple images of a grid pattern undergoing general rigid body motion, even in the presence of Gaussian noise in the sensor plane measurements, providing a robust framework for practical implementation of the methodology for submerged object measurements.

Defining cultural competence: a practical framework for addressing racial/ethnic disparities in health and health care.

Racial/ethnic disparities in health in the U.S. have been well described. The field of "cultural competence" has emerged as one strategy to address these disparities. Based on a review of the relevant literature, the authors develop a definition of cultural competence, identify key components for intervention, and describe a practical framework for implementation of measures to address racial/ethnic disparities in health and health care. The authors conducted a literature review of academic, foundation, and government publications focusing on sociocultural barriers to care, the level of the health care system at which a given barrier occurs, and cultural competence efforts that address these barriers. Sociocultural barriers to care were identified at the organizational (leadership/workforce), structural (processes of care), and clinical (provider-patient encounter) levels. A framework of cultural competence interventions--including minority recruitment into the health professions, development of interpreter services and language-appropriate health educational materials, and provider education on cross-cultural issues--emerged to categorize strategies to address racial/ethnic disparities in health and health care. Demographic changes anticipated over the next decade magnify the importance of addressing racial/ethnic disparities in health and health care. A framework of organizational, structural, and clinical cultural competence interventions can facilitate the elimination of these disparities and improve care for all Americans.