Architecture of a multi-modal dialogue system oriented to multilingual question-answering

In this paper, a proposal of a multi-modal dialogue system oriented to multilingual question-answering is presented. This system includes the following ways of access: voice, text, avatar, gestures and signs language. The proposal is oriented to the question-answering task as a user interaction mechanism. The proposal here presented is in the first stages of its development phase and the architecture is presented for the first time on the base of the experiences in question-answering and dialogues previously developed. The main objective of this research work is the development of a solid platform that will permit the modular integration of the proposed architecture.

Development of exfoliated layered stannosilicate for hydrogen adsorption

The use of hydrogen as an energy vector leads to the development of materials with high hydrogen adsorption capacity. In this work, a new layered stannosilicate, UZAR-S3, is synthesized and delaminated, producing UZAR-S4. UZAR-S3, with the empirical formula Na4SnSi5O14·3.5H2O and lamellar morphology, is a layered stannosilicate built from SnO6 and SiO4 polyhedra. The delamination process used here comprises three stages: protonation with acetic acid, swelling with nonylamine and the delamination itself with an HCl/H2O/ethanol solution. UZAR-S4 is composed of sheets a few nanometers thick with a high aspect ratio and a surface area of 236 m2/g, twenty times higher than that of UZAR-S3. At −196 °C for UZAR-S4, H2 adsorption reached remarkable values of 3.7 and 4.2 wt% for 10 and 40 bar, respectively, the latter value giving a high volumetric H2 storage capacity of 26.2 g of H2/L.

Empowering global software development with business intelligence

Context: Global Software Development (GSD) allows companies to take advantage of talent spread across the world. Most research has been focused on the development aspect. However, little if any attention has been paid to the management of GSD projects. Studies report a lack of adequate support for management’s decisions made during software development, further accentuated in GSD since information is scattered throughout multiple factories, stored in different formats and standards. Objective: This paper aims to improve GSD management by proposing a systematic method for adapting Business Intelligence techniques to software development environments. This would enhance the visibility of the development process and enable software managers to make informed decisions regarding how to proceed with GSD projects. Method: A combination of formal goal-modeling frameworks and data modeling techniques is used to elicitate the most relevant aspects to be measured by managers in GSD. The process is described in detail and applied to a real case study throughout the paper. A discussion regarding the generalisability of the method is presented afterwards. Results: The application of the approach generates an adapted BI framework tailored to software development according to the requirements posed by GSD managers. The resulting framework is capable of presenting previously inaccessible data through common and specific views and enabling data navigation according to the organization of software factories and projects in GSD. Conclusions: We can conclude that the proposed systematic approach allows us to successfully adapt Business Intelligence techniques to enhance GSD management beyond the information provided by traditional tools. The resulting framework is able to integrate and present the information in a single place, thereby enabling easy comparisons across multiple projects and factories and providing support for informed decisions in GSD management.