5,310 research outputs found
Beyond Triple Zero: towards a digital, proactive emergency response
Whether for police, ambulance or fire fighters, the future of emergency communication is expected to be digital-friendly, flexible and diversified
Global constitutionalism and legal theory: a preliminary analysis
El derecho supranacional presenta fenómenos de fragmentación, además de aspectos de constitucionalización. Las teorías que se ocupan del constitucionalismo global analizan los fenómenos de constitucionalización del derecho supranacional, tal como los requisitos prescriptivos de este proceso. Este artículo versa sobre las diversas maneras en las que es posible comprender el constitucionalismo global y, sobre todo, analiza su relevancia para la teoría y el concepto de derecho.Supranational law shows phenomena of fragmentation, as well as aspects of constitutionalization. Theories that deal with global constitutionalism analyze phenomena of constitutionalization of supranational law, as well as the prescriptive requirements of this process. This paper analyzes the different ways in which it is possible to understand global constitutionalism, and in a preliminary way addresses its relevance to the theory and the concept of law
On recent SFR calibrations and the constant SFR approximation
Star Formation Rate (SFR) inferences are based in the so-called constant SFR
approximation, where synthesis models are require to provide a calibration; we
aims to study the key points of such approximation to produce accurate SFR
inferences. We use the intrinsic algebra used in synthesis models, and we
explore how SFR can be inferred from the integrated light without any
assumption about the underling Star Formation history (SFH). We show that the
constant SFR approximation is actually a simplified expression of more deeper
characteristics of synthesis models: It is a characterization of the evolution
of single stellar populations (SSPs), acting the SSPs as sensitivity curve over
different measures of the SFH can be obtained. As results, we find that (1) the
best age to calibrate SFR indices is the age of the observed system (i.e. about
13Gyr for z=0 systems); (2) constant SFR and steady-state luminosities are not
requirements to calibrate the SFR; (3) it is not possible to define a SFR
single time scale over which the recent SFH is averaged, and we suggest to use
typical SFR indices (ionizing flux, UV fluxes) together with no typical ones
(optical/IR fluxes) to correct the SFR from the contribution of the old
component of the SFH, we show how to use galaxy colors to quote age ranges
where the recent component of the SFH is stronger/softer than the older
component.
Particular values of SFR calibrations are (almost) not affect by this work,
but the meaning of what is obtained by SFR inferences does. In our framework,
results as the correlation of SFR time scales with galaxy colors, or the
sensitivity of different SFR indices to sort and long scale variations in the
SFH, fit naturally. In addition, the present framework provides a theoretical
guide-line to optimize the available information from data/numerical
experiments to improve the accuracy of SFR inferences.Comment: A&A accepted, 13 pages, 4 Figure
Securing intellectual capital:an exploratory study in Australian universities
Purpose – To investigate the links between IC and the protection of data, information and knowledge in universities, as organizations with unique knowledge-related foci and challenges.Design/methodology/approach – We gathered insights from existing IC-related research publications to delineate key foundational aspects of IC, identify and propose links to traditional information security that impact the protection of IC. We conducted interviews with key stakeholders in Australian universities in order to validate these links.Findings – Our investigation revealed two kinds of embeddedness characterizing the organizational fabric of universities: (1) vertical and (2) horizontal, with an emphasis on the connection between these and IC-related knowledge protection within these institutions.Research implications – There is a need to acknowledge the different roles played by actors within the university, and the relevance of information security to IC-related preservation.Practical implications – Framing information security as an IC-related issue can help IT security managers communicate the need for knowledge security with executives in higher education, and secure funding to preserve and secure such IC-related knowledge, once its value is recognized.Originality/value – This is one of the first studies to explore the connections between data and information security and the three core components of IC’s knowledge security in the university context
Self-* overload control for distributed web systems
Unexpected increases in demand and most of all flash crowds are considered
the bane of every web application as they may cause intolerable delays or even
service unavailability. Proper quality of service policies must guarantee rapid
reactivity and responsiveness even in such critical situations. Previous
solutions fail to meet common performance requirements when the system has to
face sudden and unpredictable surges of traffic. Indeed they often rely on a
proper setting of key parameters which requires laborious manual tuning,
preventing a fast adaptation of the control policies. We contribute an original
Self-* Overload Control (SOC) policy. This allows the system to self-configure
a dynamic constraint on the rate of admitted sessions in order to respect
service level agreements and maximize the resource utilization at the same
time. Our policy does not require any prior information on the incoming traffic
or manual configuration of key parameters. We ran extensive simulations under a
wide range of operating conditions, showing that SOC rapidly adapts to time
varying traffic and self-optimizes the resource utilization. It admits as many
new sessions as possible in observance of the agreements, even under intense
workload variations. We compared our algorithm to previously proposed
approaches highlighting a more stable behavior and a better performance.Comment: The full version of this paper, titled "Self-* through self-learning:
overload control for distributed web systems", has been published on Computer
Networks, Elsevier. The simulator used for the evaluation of the proposed
algorithm is available for download at the address:
http://www.dsi.uniroma1.it/~novella/qos_web
PRECISION AGRICULTURE: ECONOMICS OF NITROGEN MANAGEMENT IN CORN USING SITE-SPECIFIC CROP RESPONSE ESTIMATES FROM A SPATIAL REGRESSION MODEL
Adapting variable rate technology (VRT) to Argentine conditions requires methods that use inexpensive information and that focus on the inputs and variability common to Argentine maize and soybean growing areas. The goal of this study is to determine if spatial regression analysis of yield monitor data can be used to estimate the site-specific crop Nitrogen (N) response needed to fine tune variable rate fertilizer strategies. N has been chosen as the focus of this study because it is the most commonly used fertilizer by corn farmers in Argentina. The methodology uses yield monitor data from on-farm trials to estimate site-specific crop response functions. The design involves a strip trial with a uniform N rate along the strip and a randomized complete block design, with regression estimation of N response curves by landscape position. Spatial autocorrelation and spatial heterogeneity are taken into account using a spatial error model and a groupwise heteroskedasticity model. A partial budget is used to calculate uniform rate and VRT returns. First year data indicate that N response differs significantly by landscape position, and that VRA for N may be modestly profitable on some locations depending on the VRT fee level, compared to a uniform rate of urea of 80kg ha-1. A more complete analysis will pool data over many farms and several years to determine if reliable differences exist in N response by landscape position or other type of management zone. The study is planned for four years. The purpose of this preliminary analysis is to show how spatial regression analysis of yield data could be used to fine tune input use.Crop Production/Industries,
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