Possible, alternative explanations of the T2K observation of the nu_e appearance from an initial nu_mu

An alternative explanation to the emergence of sin^2(2 theta_13) > 0 is discussed. It is pointed out that the recorded T2K events might have been due to some other new physics in the neutrino sector, related to the LSND/MiniBooNE sterile neutrino anomalies, for which there is nowadays a growing evidence. The presently running ICARUS detector with the CNGS beam will be able to distinguish between these two possible sources of the effectComment: 5 pages, 1 figur

A diagnostic tool to evaluate the proactivity levels of risk-Reporting activities by the workforce

Prevention of occupational injuries is an important task of Human Resource Management. Empiric research showed that risk perception, safety communication and worker's participation in safety programs may have a relevant role in reducing accident and injury occurrence - see for example (Conchie, 2013). These considerations lead us to this study to propose a new methodology which consists in an index aimed to assess the proactivity of worker participation in safety management systems. The innovation consists in defining a diagnostic measurement model to assess the degree of workforce proactivity, considering a specific kind of participatory contribute by workers for safety promotion in the workplace, like the spontaneous risk-reporting initiatives. The measurement tool has been defined and tested by an interdisciplinary team composed of four university researchers (human factor experts) and two site safety managers of a chemical site which is chosen with the purpose to apply for the first time the new tool. Preliminary results show that different levels of proactivity were adopted and that the highest levels of proactivity are relatively less frequent. The tool offers relevant diagnostic information for the industrial organizations which aim to achieve higher level of proactivity in risk management, offering practical indications for managerial interventions focused on stimulating and improving appropriate participation by the workforce. © Copyright 2014, AIDIC Servizi S.r.l

Energy flows in the earthquake source before and after the main shock

We proceeded from general physical concepts based, on the one hand, on the Umoff-Poynting theorem, and on the other, on the phenomenological theory of earthquakes, and formulated the following question: What are the directions of energy flows in the earthquake source before and after the formation of a main rupture in it? A non-standard technique for experimental research of this issue has been developed. The epicentral zone of the main shock is considered as a kind of track detector, and foreshocks and aftershocks are considered as marks (tracers) marking the propagation in the source of some factor that has energy and stimulates the excitation of foreshocks and aftershocks in a stressed-strained rock mass. By processing and analyzing a large volume of observation data, it was found that over time, foreshocks, on average, approach the epicenter of the main shock, while aftershocks, on the contrary, move away from the epicenter. A method is indicated for verifying the result by studying the magnitude dependence of foreshock convergence and aftershock divergence. Keywords: foreshock, aftershock, main rupture, evolution equation, nonlinear diffusion waves, fault length

Bayesian optimization with machine learning for big data applications in the cloud

L'ottimizzazione bayesiana è un metodo promettente per trovare configurazioni ottimali di applicazioni big data eseguite su cloud. I metodi di machine learning possono fornire informazioni utili sull'applicazione in oggetto grazie alle loro capacità predittive. In questo articolo, proponiamo un algoritmo ibrido basato sull'ottimizzazione bayesiana che integra tecniche di machine learning per risolvere problemi di ottimizzazione con vincoli di tempo in sistemi di cloud computing.Bayesian Optimization is a promising method for efficiently finding optimal cloud computing configurations for big data applications. Machine Learning methods can provide useful knowledge about the application at hand thanks to their predicting capabilities. In this paper, we propose a hybrid algorithm that is based on Bayesian Optimization and integrates elements from Machine Learning techniques to tackle time-constrained optimization problems in a cloud computing setting

On the proper time of the earthquake source

The concept of proper time, which is different from universal time, has been introduced into the physics of earthquakes. The global activity of strong earthquakes was chosen as the object of study. We consider the sequence of earthquakes as a random process of the Poisson type. Comparatively weak earthquakes are used as the underground clock, the ticking of which marks the course of proper time. The Poisson distribution is compared with the distributions for two sequences of strong earthquakes. One of the sequences is ordered by calendar time, and the second by proper time. The result of the test showed that the distribution of events ordered by proper time is closer to the Poisson distribution than the distribution of events ordered by calendar time. We explain this by non-stationarity, which is an immanent property of the Earth's lithosphere.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

The determinants of Teachers’ Wellbeing: the mediating role of Mental Fatigue

In recent years, many studies have focused on the determinants and consequences of teacher stress. One of the most recent theoretical models concerning stress is the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model. This study examines one process – namely the energetic process – which supposes that high job demands exhaust employees’ mental and physical resources and therefore cause ill health. Particularly, this study examines the mediating role of mental fatigue between three job demands of teachers (workload, inequity and work/family confl ict) and three consequences of stress: psychological and physical symptoms and work satisfaction. An Italian version of the selfreport Questionnaire for Psychosocial Work Environment and Stress (PWSQ) was administered to 697 teachers belonging to a random sample of 17 school organizations. The results showed that mental fatigue has a mediating role in the relationship between work/family confl ict and the three outcomes considered, namely psychological and physical symptoms, and work satisfaction. This study has an important implication for intervention strategy because mental fatigue is a pre-strain condition which arises before more intense outcomes, such as stress-related diseases occur. Identifi cation of this condition allows prevention of the consequences of stress