4,119 research outputs found

    Reshaping Higher Education for a Post-COVID-19 World: Lessons Learned and Moving Forward

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    Traversing combinatorial 0/1-polytopes via optimization

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    In this paper, we present a new framework that exploits combinatorial optimization for efficiently generating a large variety of combinatorial objects based on graphs, matroids, posets and polytopes. Our method relies on a simple and versatile algorithm for computing a Hamilton path on the skeleton of any 0/1-polytope \conv(X), where X\seq \{0,1\}^n. The algorithm uses as a black box any algorithm that solves a variant of the classical linear optimization problem~min{wxxX}\min\{w\cdot x\mid x\in X\}, and the resulting delay, i.e., the running time per visited vertex on the Hamilton path, is only by a factor of logn\log n larger than the running time of the optimization algorithm. When XX encodes a particular class of combinatorial objects, then traversing the skeleton of the polytope~\conv(X) along a Hamilton path corresponds to listing the combinatorial objects by local change operations, i.e., we obtain Gray code listings. As concrete results of our general framework, we obtain efficient algorithms for generating all (cc-optimal) bases and independent sets in a matroid; (cc-optimal) spanning trees, forests, matchings, maximum matchings, and cc-optimal matchings in a general graph; vertex covers, minimum vertex covers, cc-optimal vertex covers, stable sets, maximum stable sets and cc-optimal stable sets in a bipartite graph; as well as antichains, maximum antichains, cc-optimal antichains, and cc-optimal ideals of a poset. Specifically, the delay and space required by these algorithms are polynomial in the size of the matroid ground set, graph, or poset, respectively. Furthermore, all of these listings correspond to Hamilton paths on the corresponding combinatorial polytopes, namely the base polytope, matching polytope, vertex cover polytope, stable set polytope, chain polytope and order polytope, respectively. As another corollary from our framework, we obtain an \cO(t_{\upright{LP}} \log n) delay algorithm for the vertex enumeration problem on 0/1-polytopes {xRnAxb}\{x\in\mathbb{R}^n\mid Ax\leq b\}, where ARm×nA\in \mathbb{R}^{m\times n} and~bRmb\in\mathbb{R}^m, and t_{\upright{LP}} is the time needed to solve the linear program min{wxAxb}\min\{w\cdot x\mid Ax\leq b\}. This improves upon the 25-year old \cO(t_{\upright{LP}}\,n) delay algorithm due to Bussieck and L\"ubbecke

    American Literatures After 1865

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    This work was created as part of the University Libraries’ Open Educational Resources Initiative at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. A web version of this text can be found at https://umsystem.pressbooks.pub/ala1865/. This book is an anthology of American Literatures After 1865, a new revision of the open educational resource entitled Writing the Nation: A Concise Introduction to American Literature 1865 to Present. It contains works that have been newly introduced to the public domain and provides direct links to reading materials that can be borrowed for free from Archive.org

    Anime Studies: media-specific approaches to neon genesis evangelion

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    Anime Studies: Media-Specific Approaches to Neon Genesis Evangelion aims at advancing the study of anime, understood as largely TV-based genre fiction rendered in cel, or cel-look, animation with a strong affinity to participatory cultures and media convergence. Making Neon Genesis Evangelion (Shin Seiki Evangerion, 1995-96) its central case and nodal point, this volumen forground anime as a media with clearly recognizable aesthetic properties, (sub)cultural affordances and situated discourses

    The portrayal of Emperor Kôken/Shôtoku in historical sources and belletristic works, and the circumstances which played a part in it

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    This paper examines the portrayal of the last female ruler of Nara Japan, Emperor Kôken/Shôtoku, in different sources (chronicles, graphic images, novels, and modern historiography) and the social, political, cultural and religious factors which (could) have influenced the said narrative. Having been the last woman who ascended the Imperial throne of Japan and who had actually been able to exert real authority over the court, Emperor Kôken/Shôtoku could be considered a controversial figure in the history of the Imperial House of Japan and its rulers, and had thus become an object of either criticism of praise, with some authors even holding the opinion that her politics during her two reigns are the main reason why females were excluded from the order of succession of the Imperial House of Japan. Incorporating evidence from chronicles, graphic images, novels and modern historiography, this study demonstrated that the portrayal of Emperor Kôken/Shôtoku either in a good or in a bad light depended on a set of different factors. On the one hand there are always outer elements to consider such as the political situation, the cultural or religious influences in Japan at the time of the compilation of the particular source, as well as the author’s own opinion on the Imperial House of Japan and the role of the emperor in society. On the other hand inner factors such as the fact that Kôken/Shôtoku had been the first, and so far the last, female Crown Prince in the history of the Imperial House, her reascension to the throne after dethroning her successor, her political determination and cunning, which enabled her to compete with the male courtiers and even emerge victorious from their political struggles, or her unusual preference for the Buddhist monk Dôkyô during her second reign also played a major role in the way she had been perceived by the contemporary and later authors. As a result, there are as many sources which criticise her as there are such that praise her, which contributes to the creation of the full portrait of the woman and the ruler Kôken/Shôtoku

    2023-2024 Boise State University Undergraduate Catalog

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    This catalog is primarily for and directed at students. However, it serves many audiences, such as high school counselors, academic advisors, and the public. In this catalog you will find an overview of Boise State University and information on admission, registration, grades, tuition and fees, financial aid, housing, student services, and other important policies and procedures. However, most of this catalog is devoted to describing the various programs and courses offered at Boise State

    Magnetic quivers – a new perspective on supersymmetric gauge theories

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    We focus on supersymmetric gauge theories with eight superchrages in spacetime dimensions d = 3, 4, 5, 6. These theories have very rich vacuum structures so our focus will be on their moduli spaces of vacua. For d =, 4, 5, 6, we look at the Higgs branch moduli space. The usual story is that the Higgs branch is a classical object that can be easily computed from its Lagrangian. However, non-perturbative contributions can enhance the Higgs branch and a classical description no longer works. In 6d N = (1, 0) and 5d N = (1, 0), these contributions originate from tensionless BPS-strings and massless gauge instantons respectively as we tune gauge coupling(s) to infinity. For 4d N = 2 theories, many gauge theories, and in particular superconformal field theories (SCFTs), do not even have a Lagrangian description. We offer a unifying solution to these problems in the form of magnetic quivers. These are 3d N = 4 gauge theories whose Coulomb branch is the same as the Higgs branch of the higher dimensional theories. Using brane systems of D_d−D_(d+2)−NS5, with the possible inclusion of Od orientifold planes, we show how the magnetic quivers of these theories can be extracted. Then, a) using the monopole formula we study the moduli space as an algebraic variety by computing its Hilbert series and b) using the new concept of Quiver subtraction we extract the phase diagram (Hasse diagram) of these moduli spaces. Examples we explore include 5d SQCD theories at UV fixed point, 4d rank one SCFTs, class S theories, S-fold theories etc. For the second outcome of the thesis, we focus on new features of gauge theories with orthosymplectic gauge groups such as discrete subgroups and non-simply laced edges, leading to a general classification of such theories. For the final outcome, we study gauge theories with a mixture of unitary and special unitary gauge groups which lead to a slew of new gauge theories related by 3d mirror symmetry.Open Acces

    HM 30: Reflections on Naval History: Collected Essays

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    Reflections on Naval History: Collected Essays, by John B. Hattendorf, Ernest J. King Professor Emeritus of Maritime History, Naval War College, is the third in a series of volumes that bring together scholarly writings originally published in a variety of specialized journals and other publications, many of which are obscure and difficult to access. It includes papers originally appearing in the years 2010–20. The earlier volumes are Naval History and Maritime Strategy: Collected Essays (2000), and Talking about Naval History: A Collection of Essays (2011). The latter volume also appeared under the imprimatur of the Naval War College Press.https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/usnwc-historical-monographs/1029/thumbnail.jp

    A systematic risk management model for construction project management: a case study of the new infrastructure project in the University of Mpumalanga

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    The construction industry has become the significant player in the economy of many developed and developing countries in the world. The industry contributes to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employment rate of many nations. As such, the industry is the engine for the economic development and growth across the world. Recently, African countries have received global attention due to its calls for massive infrastructure development and maintenance thereof. Accordingly, the South African government has adopted a National Infrastructure Development Plan (NIDP), which seeks not only to transform the economic landscape of the country, but also to support the integration of the African economies through infrastructure development. To ensure that the execution of these infrastructure projects is successfully delivered in terms of time, cost, and scope; project risk management in the construction industry has become an important area of interest in the execution and delivery of the infrastructure projects. However, the constantly increasing complexity and dynamics in the delivery of construction projects have serious effects on the risk management processes during the execution of the project. In practice, risk methods and techniques have proven to be unrealistic when using the traditional risk management approach in the context of the complexity and dynamic environments wherein construction projects are delivered. Worryingly, project management practitioners in engineering and construction projects still lack the holistic and systematic insight and understanding of construction projects when applying the risk management procedures in the complex and dynamic projects environments. As a result, there are growing reports of unsatisfactory delivery of construction projects in terms of time, cost, quality, and environmental objectives. In this regard, the call for embracing the systems thinking paradigm as the alternative approach that will provide more clarity in dealing with the complex management challenges and which will gradually substitute the traditional theoretical approach of dealing with construction project management, is becoming prominent. Against this background, this study uses a multiple case study approach to explore how a systematic risk management approach could be developed and applied towards successful delivery of construction projects, and subsequently to propose a systematic risk management model that is designed to depict and grasp the underlying complexities and dynamics embedded ix | P a g e in construction projects. The choice of the case study design is founded on its utility and appropriateness for in-depth investigations into phenomena in its context as well as its usefulness for exploratory studies. Therefore, to explore the risk management phenomenon in real-life settings, the unit of analysis in this study was based on three construction projects built in one of the new Institutions of Higher Learning in South Africa during the period between 2017 and 2019. Notwithstanding the unique characteristics of these projects, the complexity and dynamic environments of these projects also emanated from the facts that i) the successful delivery of the projects was a predecessor activity to the academic schedule and activities; ii) this was one of the first universities to be built by the democratic Republic of South Africa; and, iii) the construction contract used for the delivery of the construction projects is relatively new to the professionals in the country’s construction industry. This qualitative case study design has its backbone in the constructivism philosophical paradigm which is underpinned by the ontology that there are multiple realities as conceptualized, experienced, and perceived by the people in their real-life situations or natural settings. Accordingly, the construction professionals, projects’ documents as well as field work observations were purposively chosen as the essential and reliable methods of data collection for this case study. For analysis, a conventional content data analysis methodology was applied on the empirical data that was obtained from the multiple data sources to provide a clearer understanding of the contexts in which the risk management for construction projects is performed. Accordingly, a qualitative data analysis software system called MAXQDA was used to enable the performance of data coding, managing coding, and eventually the retrieving of the coded segments in a form of visual models and summary tables. Ultimately, the qualitative content analysis approach in this thesis was performed in terms of a ‘critical filter of thick description’ which involved a balanced approach between the deductive analysis and the inductive analysis processes. With the assistance of the MAXQDA, performing the multiple levels coding and analysis processes in this thesis has not only been efficient, but also more reliable. To shed insight into the empirical findings of the study, a hybrid theoretical framework has been applied in the discussion and interpretation of the findings. The theoretical framework of this study is underpinned by the complexity theory and the theory of systems engineering. The applicability of these theories in this study is essential in providing a x | P a g e systematic and logical explanation of the practices of risk management in construction projects and further helps to explain why particular events occurred in the processes of risk management. Eventually, the theoretical framework has enabled the designing and developing of a systematic risk management model that will assist in depicting and grasping the underlying complexities while supporting proactive decision making in the delivery of construction projects. To this end, this study has made several major contributions in three multiple folds in the body of knowledge. Firstly, this study makes theoretical contributions by developing an empirically underpinned systematic risk management model which provide more clarity on comprehending the multifaceted and complex risk factors embedded in construction projects. Secondly, the qualitative case study approach and the associated analysis methods thereof in this thesis provides novelty and lays the groundwork for future research and methodological replicability in another similar phenomenon elsewhere in the world. Thirdly, this study has gone some way towards expanding the understanding and the basis for managerial decision making in relation to front-end planning and proactive approach for risk management, and eventually to improve projects’ performances on cost, time, scope, and environmental sustainability. In this regard, the key practical implication for project management practitioners is that the adoption and embracing of the systematic and holistic thinking approach in the risk management processes could enhance the successful delivery of construction projects. In the literature, there is paucity and need for more research into the exploration and analysis of the integration and interplay between the systems engineering and complexity perspectives and the other knowledge areas in the PMBOK. In conclusion, this thesis therefore argues that to address the deficiencies in risk management practices during construction projects’ delivery, the solution requires a paradigm shift from the traditional linear approach which, by design, overlooks the complexities, non-linearity and interdependences of the elements that are underpinning and characterizing the nature of the contemporary construction projects. Therefore, this thesis supports the increasingly emerging debate on the discourse that the superior traditional and linear approaches do not solve the current problems, and as such they should be replaced with the systems and holistic thinking approach that will provide more clarity in dealing with the complex management challenges in contemporary construction projects.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Engineering, Built environment and Information Technology, School of the built Environment 202
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