A Hybrid Approach to Logic Evaluation

In this thesis, we contribute the hybrid approach – a means of combining the practical advantages of feature-rich logic evaluation in the cloud, with the performance benefits of hand-written, optimized, efficient native code. In the first part of our hybrid approach, we introduce a cloud-based distribution for logic programs, which may be deployed as a service, in standard cloud environments, across cheap commodity hardware. Modern systems are in the cloud; while distributed logic solvers exist, these systems are highly specialized, requiring expensive, resource intensive hardware infrastructures. Our original technique achieves a fully automatic synthesis of cloud infrastructure for logic programs, and includes a range of practical features not present in existing distributed logic solvers. We show that an implementation of the distribution scales effectively within real-world cloud environments, against a distribution over cores of the same machine. We show that our multi-node distribution may be effectively combined with existing multi-threaded techniques to mitigate the network communication cost incurred by distribution. In the second part of our hybrid approach, we introduce extra-logical algorithms, to achieve performance for logic programs that would not be possible within a bottom-up logic evaluation. Modern systems must deliver high performance on big data; however, even the most powerful logic engines, distributed or otherwise, can be beaten by hand-written code on particular problems. We give a novel implementation of a system for the high-impact problem of sink-reachability, designed such that its algorithms may be used in logic programs. A thorough empirical evaluation, across a range of large-scale, real-world datasets, shows our system outperforms the current state of the art for the sink-reachability problem in all cases. Our hybrid approach addresses the two major deficiencies of modern logic systems, providing a practical means of evaluating logic in distributed cloud-based environments, while offering performance gains for specific high-impact problems that would not be possible using logic programming alone

Evaluating Workforce Programs: A Guide to What Policymakers Need to Know to Structure Effective, User-Friendly Evaluations

This brief discusses the value and purpose of program evaluations, highlights different evaluation tools and techniques, and illustrates how policy makers and program managers can structure and implement evaluations of workforce development programs

Training and Development on Employees’ Performance of APM Terminal, Kingdom of Bahrain

It has been argued that training and development improves an organization's ability to be knowledge-intensive while enabling employees to effectively take up totally new jobs or tasks. T&D offers the organization the opportunity to better both long-term and short-term efficiency and productivity. It is a result of having the right skills to maintain increased productivity and performance. This study is a direct offshoot of this logic. The investigation is conducted at APM Terminals Bahrain involving 200 conveniently sampled rank and file employees. The study utilized a descriptive research design and adopted a questionnaire for data gathering. The results of the study showed that APM has implemented at a high-level Training and Development programs that are aligned with their objectives and strategies, with corresponding Organizational Environment and Support. The programs are also implemented at a high level at a consistent basis and are properly supported by appropriate and effective Evaluation and Feedback. In addition, the results also showed that employees of APM are performing at a good level over-all. Both competency and productivity were observed suggesting that the skills and knowledge that the employees possess were properly used in achieving the desired outcomes of the organization. Finally, the study found Training and Development has a significant influence on employee performance with alignment of strategy as the only dimension found significant at 10%. Keywords: Alignment to Strategy, Employee Performance, Training and Development DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/12-15-15 Publication date:May 31st 202

Towards More Data-Aware Application Integration (extended version)

Although most business application data is stored in relational databases, programming languages and wire formats in integration middleware systems are not table-centric. Due to costly format conversions, data-shipments and faster computation, the trend is to "push-down" the integration operations closer to the storage representation. We address the alternative case of defining declarative, table-centric integration semantics within standard integration systems. For that, we replace the current operator implementations for the well-known Enterprise Integration Patterns by equivalent "in-memory" table processing, and show a practical realization in a conventional integration system for a non-reliable, "data-intensive" messaging example. The results of the runtime analysis show that table-centric processing is promising already in standard, "single-record" message routing and transformations, and can potentially excel the message throughput for "multi-record" table messages.Comment: 18 Pages, extended version of the contribution to British International Conference on Databases (BICOD), 2015, Edinburgh, Scotlan