Intelligent Management and Efficient Operation of Big Data

This chapter details how Big Data can be used and implemented in networking and computing infrastructures. Specifically, it addresses three main aspects: the timely extraction of relevant knowledge from heterogeneous, and very often unstructured large data sources, the enhancement on the performance of processing and networking (cloud) infrastructures that are the most important foundational pillars of Big Data applications or services, and novel ways to efficiently manage network infrastructures with high-level composed policies for supporting the transmission of large amounts of data with distinct requisites (video vs. non-video). A case study involving an intelligent management solution to route data traffic with diverse requirements in a wide area Internet Exchange Point is presented, discussed in the context of Big Data, and evaluated.Comment: In book Handbook of Research on Trends and Future Directions in Big Data and Web Intelligence, IGI Global, 201

Spatio-temporal conjecture for diffusion

We present here a conjecture about the equivalence between the noise density of states of a system governed by a generalized Langevin equation and the fluctuation in the energy density of states in a Hamiltonian system. We present evidence of this for a disordered Heisenberg system.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure. Submitted to Physica

O peculiar olhar sobre os acontecimentos do Jornal Português da Argentina

O artigo problematiza se o Jornal Português, único periódico da comunidade portuguesa residente na Argentina, pode constituir um elemento significativo na (re)construção e (re)negociação da identidade portuguesa desta comunidade. Uma identidade que consideramos ser imaginada e, sobretudo, construída pelos próprios imigrantes, estruturando-se em torno «da saudade e da lembrança de uma vida passada»: a vida em Portugal, um horizonte longínquo, muito embora presente no seu dia-a-dia. Esta análise é parte do meu trabalho de doutoramento sobre a comunidade portuguesa residente no partido de Escobar, na Província de Buenos Aires (República Argentina). Partindo de um exercício descritivo de enquadramento, este trabalho tem como objectivos gerais observar e discutir o papel dos media na gestão quotidiana da identidade colectiva desta população migrante. No decorrer deste exercício observou-se que uma grande percentagem dos inquiridos recebe todos os meses pelo correio a edição do Jornal Português, considerando-o um elo de ligação, primeiro à terra e mais tarde a Portugal. Para finalizar, diremos que o Jornal Português, criado pelos membros da comunidade portuguesa, aparece como uma das estratégias de visibilidade e ligação desta comunidade

Software library for stream-based recommender systems

Tradicionalmente, um algoritmo de machine learning é capaz de aprender com dados, dado um conjunto tratado e construído anteriormente. Também é possível analisar esse conjunto de dados, usando técnicas de mineração de dados e extrair conclusões a partir dele. Ambos os conceitos têm inúmeras aplicações em todo o mundo, desde diagnósticos médicos até reconhecimento de fala ou mesmo consultas a mecanismos de pesquisa. No entanto, tradicionalmente, supõe-se que o conjunto de dados esteja disponível a todo o momento. Isso não é necessariamente verdade com os dados modernos pois os aplicativos de sistemas distribuídos recebem e processam milhões de fluxos de dados em uma fração de tempo limitado. Portanto, são necessárias técnicas para extrair e processar esses fluxos de dados, em um período de tempo limitado, com bons resultados e dimensionamento eficaz à medida que os dados aumentam. Um sistema específico de análise e previsão de conclusões futuras a partir de dados fornecidos são os sistemas de recomendação. Vários serviços online usam sistemas de recomendação para fornecer conteúdo personalizado a seus usuários. Em muitos casos, as recomendações são um dos geradores de tráfego mais eficazes nesses serviços. O problema reside em encontrar o melhor pequeno subconjunto de itens em um sistema que corresponda às preferências pessoais de cada usuário, através da análise de uma quantidade muito grande de dados históricos. Esse problema recebe mais atenção se for considerado um problema genérico, não específico, ou seja, se uma biblioteca for construída para que possa ser estendida e usada como uma ferramenta para ajudar a construir um sistema para um caso de uso específico. Podem-se distinguir soluções entre perfeitas ou estatisticamente semelhantes. Devido a grande quantidade de dados disponíveis, a decisão de reprocessar todos os dados, sempre que novos dados chegam, não seria viável; portanto, algoritmos incrementais são usados ​​para processar os dados recebidos e manter o modelo de recomendação atualizado. O objetivo real deste trabalho é implementar uma biblioteca que contenha e avalie essas abordagens incrementais para recomendações de que as atuais são específicas da tarefa.Traditionally, a machine learning algorithm is able to learn from data, given a previously built and treated data set. One can also analyze that data set, using data mining techniques, and draw conclusions from it. Both of these concepts have numerous world-wide applications, from medical diagnosis to speech recognition or even search engine queries. However, traditionally speaking, it is being assumed that the data set is available at all times. That is not necessarily true with modern data, as distributed systems applications receive and process millions of data streams on a limited time fraction. Therefore, there is a need for techniques to mine and process these data streams,on a limited time period with good results and effective scaling as data grows. One specific use case of analyzing and predicting future conclusions from given data, are recommendation systems.Several online services use recommender systems to deliver personalized content to their users.In many cases, recommendations are one of the most effective traffic generators in such services.The problem lies in finding the best small subset of items in a system that matches the personal preferences of each user, through the analysis of a very large amount of historical data. This problem gets more attention if it is considered as a generic problem, not as a specific one, that is,if a library is built so that it can be extended and used as a tool to help build a system for a specific use case. One can distinguish solutions between perfect ones or statistically similar ones. Due to the large amount of data available, the decision to reprocess all the data every time new data arrives, would not be feasible so, incremental algorithms are used to process incoming data and keeping the recommendation model updated. The real purpose of this work is to implement such a library which contains, and evaluates these incremental approaches to recommendation since current ones are task-specific

Superdiffusive Conduction: AC Conductivity with Correlated Noise

We present evidence of the existence of a superdiffusive regime in systems with correlated disorder for which localization is suppressed. An expression for anomalous electrical conductivity at low frequencies is found by using a generalized Langevin equation whose memory function accounts for the interactions between the carriers. New mechanisms inducing a superdiffusive conductivity are discussed and experimental possibilities for observing that phenomenon in nanotubes and superlattices are presented.Comment: 7 pages, no figure

Effects of Knife Jointing and Wear on the Planed Surface Quality of Northern Red Oak Wood

Jointing is a technique to obtain the same cutting circle for all knives mounted in a cutterhead of a peripheral knife planer. Initially the jointed land at the cutting edge has a 0 degree clearance angle that becomes negative with workpiece motion relative to the cutterhead and as the cutting edge wears. Jointed knives may crush cells on the planed surface and affect the quality and performance of wood for end uses. We evaluated the gluing properties of northern red oak planed surfaces that had been planed using one of three jointed land widths, over four levels of knife wear. Under these cutting conditions, surface roughness significantly influenced gluability more than cellular damage. In sum, gluing performance was positively affected by knife wear, and no variation in gluing performance among the jointed land widths studied existed. In samples after accelerated aging, the effects of wear on gluing were more pronounced, with an improvement in gluing performance, associated with an increase in surface roughness and permeability with increased knife wear. These results suggest a jointed land of 1.2 mm as the maximum allowable width for planing red oak wood prior to gluing. Also, the planed surface gluability of this wood may be enhanced using a knife with the rake face recession of 332 μm and the clearance face recession of 438 μm, which results in a surface roughness of 40 μm Rmax

Ataque ao Fundeb: intersecções entre ultraliberais e reacionários no projeto de privatização do fundo público

The night of December 10, 2020 must not be forgotten. On that occasion, during the vote on Bill No. 4.372/2020 that regulated the new Fundeb, a proposal to transfer resources from the public fund to private elementary and high schools gained majority support in the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies, in an unprecedented way and contrary to the Brazilian Constitution (1988). In this article, we analyze the factors related to the episode promoted by whom we name as Aloprados do Fundeb, in reference to the recent convergence of privatizationist and reactionary sectors in the Brazilian legislative branch. Special attention is given to the coincidences with the debate that led to the approval of the first Brazilian general law of education (1961), the role played by the party and legislative caucuses active in the 2019-2022 Brazilian legislature, the concertation between neoliberal and reactionary religious sectors interested in accessing public resources and eroding the secular nature of education, as well as the resistance of sectors opposed to privatization that managed to win on that occasion.La noche del 10 de diciembre de 2020 no debe olvidarse. En aquella ocasión, durante la votación del PL n. 4.372/2020 que regulaba el nuevo Fundeb, una propuesta de transferencia de recursos del fondo público a las escuelas primarias y secundarias privadas, contraria a la Constitución de 1988, obtuvo el apoyo mayoritario de la Cámara de Diputados, por primera vez. En el artículo se analizan los factores relacionados con el episodio promovido por los que serán denominados aquí, de forma ensayística, como Aloprados do Fundeb, en referencia a la reciente convergencia de sectores privatistas y reaccionarios en la legislatura brasileña. Se prestará especial atención a las coincidencias con el debate que condujo a la aprobación de la LDB de 1961, al papel jugado por el partido y las bancadas legislativas activas en la legislatura 2019-2022, a la concertación entre neoliberales y corrientes religiosas reaccionarias, interesadas en acceder a los recursos públicos y erosionar la laicidad de la educación, y a la resistencia de los sectores opuestos a la privatización, que lograron vencer en aquella ocasión.A noite de 10 de dezembro de 2020 não deve ser esquecida. Na ocasião, durante a votação do PL n. 4.372/2020 que regulamentou o novo Fundeb, ganhou adesão majoritária na Câmara dos Deputados, de forma inédita, uma proposta de transferência de recursos do fundo público para escolas privadas dos ensinos fundamental e médio, contrariando a Constituição de 1988. No artigo, analisam-se os fatores relacionados ao episódio promovido por quem aqui será denominado, a modo ensaístico, como Aloprados do Fundeb, em remissão à convergência recente de setores privatistas e reacionários no legislativo brasileiro. Atenção especial será dada às coincidências com o debate que levou à aprovação da LDB de 1961, ao papel desempenhado pelas bancadas partidárias e legislativas atuantes na legislatura 2019-2022, à concertação entre neoliberais e vertentes religiosas reacionárias, interessadas em acessar recursos públicos e erodir a laicidade do ensino e a resistência dos setores contrários à privatização, que lograram vencer naquela ocasião

Use of plant protection products in agriculture

Introduction: Agriculture is an activity practiced for thousands of years by humans for food production representing risks to the workers' health. These risks are present mainly due to the use of Plant Protection Products (PPP) that despite having benefits in getting food also entail disadvantages for their handlers, to consumers of food produced and also for the environment me to carry out an empirical evaluation of the use of PPP in agriculture. Objectives: Assess knowledge about the use and application of plant protection products in agriculture. Methods: Study exploratory was conducted in several companies in the agricultural sector in the north and centre of Portugal. As the target population were considered all workers who used PF in their work duties for a total of 46 employees to whom questionnaires were administered to collect information on the practices adopted by the workers as regards the labour use of PPP. The investigation lasted eight months, starting in October 2015 and ending in May 2016. Results: The application of this research has shown the good practices adopted by the workers who were questioned and which are reading the labels, use of equipment for individual safety and proceed the correct disposal of waste of empty containers of PPP. However it can be noted that there are still aspects that the workers have to improve awareness level about the risk they are exposed to when handling PPP since not all employees were careful to adopt these good agricultural practices. Conclusions: The results also demonstrate the need for further action by the supervisory bodies to ensure that the PPP applicators have all the required training certificate by law. It should also be created more awareness campaigns about the safety issues when these products are used like the importance of reading labels, use of appropriate equipment for individual safety for each product type and exposure, and properly route for the waste package.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The road plan model: Information model for planning road building activities

The general building contractor is presented with an information model as an approach for deriving a high-level work plan of construction activities applied to road building. Road construction activities are represented in a Road Plan Model (RPM), which is modeled in the ISO standard STEP/EXPRESS and adopts various concepts from the GARM notation. The integration with the preceding road design stage and the succeeding phase of resource scheduling is discussed within the framework of a Road Construction Model. Construction knowledge is applied to the road design and the terrain model of the surrounding road infrastructure for the instantiation of the RPM. Issues regarding the implementation of a road planner application supporting the RPM are discussed