A Multimedia Interactive Environment Using Program Archetypes: Divide-and-Conquer

As networks and distributed systems that can exploit parallel computing become more widespread, the need for ways to teach parallel programming effectively grows as well. Even though many colleges and universities provide courses on parallel programming [1], most of those courses are reserved for graduate students and advanced undergraduates. There is a demand for ways to teach fundamental parallel programming concepts to people with just a working knowledge of programming. By using the idea of a software archetype, and providing a learning environment that teaches both concept and coding, we hope to satisfy this need. This paper presents an overview of the multimedia approach we took in teaching parallel programming and offers Divide-and-Conquer as an example of its use

An Architectural Approach to Managing Knowledge Stocks and Flows: Implications for Reinventing the HR Function

Sustainable competitive advantage is increasingly dependent upon a firm’s ability to manage both its knowledge stocks and flows. We examine how different employees’ knowledge stocks are managed within a firm and how—through their recombination and renewal—those stocks can create sustainable competitive advantage. To do this, we first establish an architectural framework for managing human resources and review how the framework provides a foundation for studying alternative employment arrangements used by firms in allocating knowledge stocks. Next, we extend the architecture by examining how knowledge stocks (human capital) can be both recombined and renewed through cooperative and entrepreneurial archetypes. We then position two HR configurations to focus on facilitating these two archetypes. By identifying and managing different forms of social capital across employee groups within the architecture, HR practices can facilitate the flow of knowledge within the firm, which ultimately leads to sustainable competitive advantage

Categorisation of visualisation methods to support the design of Human-Computer Interaction systems

During the design of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) systems, the creation of visual artefacts forms an important part of design. On one hand producing a visual artefact has a number of advantages: it helps designers to externalise their thought and acts as a common language between different stakeholders. On the other hand, if an inappropriate visualisation method is employed it could hinder the design process. To support the design of HCI systems, this paper reviews the categorisation of visualisation methods used in HCI. A keyword search is conducted to identify a) current HCI design methods, b) approaches of selecting these methods. The resulting design methods are filtered to create a list of just visualisation methods. These are then categorised using the approaches identified in (b). As a result 23 HCI visualisation methods are identified and categorised in 5 selection approaches (The Recipient, Primary Purpose, Visual Archetype, Interaction Type, and The Design Process).Innovate UK, EPSRC, Airbus Group Innovation

The Role of Beliefs in Inference for Rational Expectations Models

This paper discusses inference for rational expectations models estimated via minimum distance methods by characterizing the probability beliefs regarding the data generating process (DGP) that are compatible with given moment conditions. The null hypothesis is taken to be rational expectations and the alternative hypothesis to be distorted beliefs. This distorted beliefs alternative is analyzed from the perspective of a hypothetical semiparametric Bayesian who believes the model and uses it to learn about the DGP. This interpretation provides a different perspective on estimates, test statistics, and confidence regions in large samples, particularly regarding the economic significance of rejections in rational expectations models.

Mechanical properties of wool and cotton yarns used in twenty-first century tapestry: preparing for the future by understanding the present

The conservation of historic tapestries is a complex and highly skilled task. Tapestries now being woven will need conservation in years to come. Can we, by understanding the properties of these contemporary works, assist the conservators of the future? The recreation of the Hunt of the Unicorn tapestries being undertaken by the West Dean Tapestry Studio offers a unique opportunity to access the materials being used and to create a body of data on their initial properties. This study uses tensile testing of the warp and weft materials to determine their maximum load at break, extension at maximum load, and specific stress (tenacity). Wool weft yarns from two different sources and of two thicknesses were examined. These wools were dyed ‘in house’ and the effect of the different dyes used was also assessed. These parameters all showed some significant (P < 0.05) differences. Cotton warp yarns of differing thickness and a gold thread were also tested. The comparison of how cotton and wool break demonstrates that when a tapestry is put under sufficient stress the cotton will snap but the wool may only stretch. However, this could often be beyond its recovery range resulting in a failure to return to shape

Electronic health record standards

Objectives: This paper seeks to provide an overview of the initiatives that are proceeding internationally to develop standards for the exchange of electronic health record (EHR) information between EHR systems.Methods: The paper reviews the clinical and ethico-legal requirements and research background on the representation and communication of EHR data, which primarily originates from Europe through a series of EU funded Health Telematics projects over the post thirteen years. The major concept that underpin the information models and knowledge models are summarised. These provide the requirements and the best evidential basis from which HER communications standards should be developed.Results. The main focus of EHR communications standardisation is presently occurring at a European level, through the Committee for European Normalisation (CEN). The major constructs of the CEN 13606 model ate outlined. Complementary activity is taking place in ISO and in HL7, and some of these efforts are also summarised.Conclusior: There is a strong prospect that a generic EHR interoperability standard can be agreed at a European (and hopefully international) level. Parts of the challenge of EHR i interoperability cannot yet he standardised, because good solutions to the preservation of clinical meaning across heterogeneous systems remain to be explored. Further research and empirical projects are therefore also needed

Configurations of Control: A Transaction Cost Approach

In this paper, I present a theory of management control based on Transaction Cost Economics.This theory seeks to integrate into a single framework a set of insights as to the natureof the organization's activities, the control problems that are inherent in these activities,and the unique problem solving potential of various archetypal control structures. The gistof the argument is that activities predictably differ in the control problems to which theygive rise, whereas control archetypes differ in their problem-solving ability, and thatalignments between the two can be explained by delineating the efficiency properties of thematch. This is a contingent configuration approach. It is a configuration theory in that itoffers a set of ideal types, conceived of as internally consistent and discriminating clustersof attributes from multiple dimensions that have a specific effect on control structureeffectiveness as the variable to be explained. But it is also a contingent approach in that itspecifies the conditions in which each of the archetypes is most effective.transaction cost economics;management control theory;configuration theory