Predit: A temporal predictive framework for scheduling systems

Scheduling can be formalized as a Constraint Satisfaction Problem (CSP). Within this framework activities belonging to a plan are interconnected via temporal constraints that account for slack among them. Temporal representation must include methods for constraints propagation and provide a logic for symbolic and numerical deductions. In this paper we describe a support framework for opportunistic reasoning in constraint directed scheduling. In order to focus the attention of an incremental scheduler on critical problem aspects, some discrete temporal indexes are presented. They are also useful for the prediction of the degree of resources contention. The predictive method expressed through our indexes can be seen as a Knowledge Source for an opportunistic scheduler with a blackboard architecture

Developing a Forward-Looking Strategy for the Music Industry

The music industry has had many changes throughout the past few decades, but nobody could be prepared for Covid-19\u27s impact. Music artists have lost the ability to tour and play gigs due to the pandemic, leaving them without their primary stream of revenue. The purpose of this research is to develop forward-looking strategies for the music industry. Specifically, it seeks to answer these two research questions: What pain-points do music artists face in the industry as currently constructed, and what is the next mode of music consumption desired by consumers? Results from surveying music artists found that their major challenges included the devaluation of their music, unstable work, fan engagement, and self-promotion. In surveying music consumers, it was found that consumers enjoy music streaming in its current state and are not looking for new modes of consumption, just cheaper prices. It was also found that consumers have an increased desire to attend live music events due to the pandemic. Additionally, consumers seem extremely disinterested in non-fungible-tokens (NFTs). These findings were what I expected for the most part. Consumers are locked into streaming and would need something that delivers the same experience for less if they were to switch to a new mode of consumption. To prepare for the industry\u27s future music artists should be mass marketing their protests against Spotify to bring awareness to the damage the company is doing. Additionally, music artists should begin framing NFTs as donations so they can maintain income while they are unable to find work

APEnet+: high bandwidth 3D torus direct network for petaflops scale commodity clusters

We describe herein the APElink+ board, a PCIe interconnect adapter featuring the latest advances in wire speed and interface technology plus hardware support for a RDMA programming model and experimental acceleration of GPU networking; this design allows us to build a low latency, high bandwidth PC cluster, the APEnet+ network, the new generation of our cost-effective, tens-of-thousands-scalable cluster network architecture. Some test results and characterization of data transmission of a complete testbench, based on a commercial development card mounting an Altera FPGA, are provided.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, proceeding of CHEP 2010, Taiwan, October 18-2

Diversity in Boardrooms and Firm Performance: The Role of Tenure and Educational Level of Board Members

Diversity on corporate boards has been studied from different perspectives in recent decades. The present study aims at investigating the impact on firm performance of two demographic diversity traits in boardrooms: tenure and educational diversity. The extant literature does not provide aligned findings on this topic, thus further research is still needed. The authors hypothesize that both tenure and educational diversity of board members have a positive effect on firm performance. To measure firm performance two dependent variables are used, applying two models for each hypothesis investigated Tobin\u2019s Q and return on assets. The study is conducted using sample data of 187 listed firms within the European area, covering a 9-year period, from 2010 to 2018. Diversity dimensions are measured through indexes constructed on the basis of the mix among the directors in terms of educational level and tenure. The outcomes highlight a significant and positive relationship between tenure diversity on corporate boards and firm performance. In terms of the impact of educational diversity, no evidence indicating a positive effect on firm performance is found. The research carried out is unique because it considers two personal attributes of diversity calculating diversity indexes and measuring their impact on the firm\u2019s performance. The econometric approach used has not been extensively applied in previous research. In fact, the majority of previous empirical studies have measured diversity through percentages or dummy variables, depending on the type of diversity aspect being analyzed, and then used it as the independent variable

Phase-Tunable Thermal Logic: Computation with Heat

Boolean algebra, the branch of mathematics in which variables can assume only true or false values, is the theoretical basis of classical computation. The analogy between Boolean operations and electronic switching circuits, highlighted by Shannon in 1938, paved the way for modern computation based on electronic devices. The growth in the computational power of such devices, after an exciting exponential - Moore's trend - is nowadays blocked by heat dissipation due to computational tasks, which are very demanding due to the miniaturization of chips. Heat is often a detrimental form of energy which increases the system's entropy, decreasing the efficiency of logic operations. Here, we propose a physical system that is able to perform thermal-logic operations by reversing the old heat-disorder epitome into a heat-order paradigm. We lay the foundations of heat computation by encoding logic state variables in temperature and introducing the thermal counterparts of electronic logic gates. Exploiting quantum effects in thermally biased Josephson junctions (JJs), we propound a possible realization of a functionally complete logic. Our architecture ensures high operational stability and robustness, with switching frequencies reaching the GHz range

Spontaneous symmetry breaking induced thermospin effect in superconducting tunnel junctions

We discuss the charge and the spin tunneling currents between two Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) superconductors, where one density of states is spin-split by the proximity of a ferromagnetic insulator. In the presence of a large temperature bias across the junction, we predict the generation of a spin-polarized thermoelectric current. This thermospin effect is the result of a spontaneous particle-hole symmetry breaking in the absence of any polarizing tunnel barrier. The two spin components, which move in opposite directions, generate a spin current larger than the purely polarized case when the thermoactive component dominates over the dissipative one

Phase-tunable temperature amplifier

Coherent caloritronics, the thermal counterpart of coherent electronics, has drawn growing attention since the discovery of heat interference in 2012. Thermal interferometers, diodes, transistors and nano-valves have been theoretically proposed and experimentally demonstrated by exploiting the quantum phase difference between two superconductors coupled through a Josephson junction. So far, the quantum-phase modulator has been realized in the form of a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) or a superconducting quantum interference proximity transistor (SQUIPT). Thence, an external magnetic field is necessary in order to manipulate the heat transport. Here, we theoretically propose the first on-chip fully thermal caloritronic device: the phase-tunable temperature amplifier (PTA). Taking advantage of a recently discovered thermoelectric effect in spin-split superconductors coupled to a spin-polarized system, we generate the magnetic flux controlling the transport through a temperature-biased SQUIPT by applying a temperature gradient. We simulate the behavior of the device and define a number of figures of merit in full analogy with voltage amplifiers. Notably, our architecture ensures almost infinite input thermal impedance, maximum gain of about 11 and efficiency reaching the 95%. This concept paves the way for applications in radiation sensing, thermal logics and quantum information

Wearable inertial sensors for human movement analysis

Introduction: The present review aims to provide an overview of the most common uses of wearable inertial sensors in the field of clinical human movement analysis.Areas covered: Six main areas of application are analysed: gait analysis, stabilometry, instrumented clinical tests, upper body mobility assessment, daily-life activity monitoring and tremor assessment. Each area is analyzed both from a methodological and applicative point of view. The focus on the methodological approaches is meant to provide an idea of the computational complexity behind a variable/parameter/index of interest so that the reader is aware of the reliability of the approach. The focus on the application is meant to provide a practical guide for advising clinicians on how inertial sensors can help them in their clinical practice.Expert commentary: Less expensive and more easy to use than other systems used in human movement analysis, wearable sensors have evolved to the point that they can be considered ready for being part of routine clinical routine

From anarchy to monopoly : how competition and protection shaped mafia's behavior

Mafia-like organizations are highly dynamic and organized criminal groups characterized by their extortive activities that impact societies and economies in different modes and magnitudes. This renders the understanding of how these organizations evolved an objective of both scientific and applicationoriented interests. We propose an agent-based simulation model - the Extortion Racket System model - aimed at understanding the factors and processes explaining the successful settlement of the Sicilian Mafia in Southern Italy, and which may more generally account for the transition from an anarchical situation of uncoordinated extortion to a monopolistic social order. Our results show that in situations of anarchy, these organizations do not last long. This indicates that a monopolistic situation shall be preferred over anarchical ones. Competition is a necessary and sufficient condition for the emergence of a monopolistic situation. However, when competition is combined with protection, the resulting monopolistic regime presents features that make it even more preferable and sustainable for the targets