Computation of the inverse Laplace Transform based on a Collocation method which uses only real values

We develop a numerical algorithm for inverting a Laplace transform (LT), based on Laguerre polynomial series expansion of the inverse function under the assumption that the LT is known on the real axis only. The method belongs to the class of Collocation methods (C-methods), and is applicable when the LT function is regular at infinity. Difficulties associated with these problems are due to their intrinsic ill-posedness. The main contribution of this paper is to provide computable estimates of truncation, discretization, conditioning and roundoff errors introduced by numerical computations. Moreover, we introduce the pseudoaccuracy which will be used by the numerical algorithm in order to provide uniform scaled accuracy of the computed approximation for any x with respect to ex . These estimates are then employed to dynamically truncate the series expansion. In other words, the number of the terms of the series acts like the regularization parameter which provides the trade-off between errors. With the aim to validate the reliability and usability of the algorithm experiments were carried out on several test functions

Discover Bank v. Superior Court of Los Angeles

Published in cooperation with the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolutio

Prelude and Solitude: Notes on the Female Characters in English Postcolonial Literature

In postcolonial literature, figures of aphasic or mute women often appear. These are characters who do not speak, by choice or by inhibition: women who do not have or have lost the use of the word; girls with almost autistic traits; disturbing, intriguing female figures who refuse to express themselves through language, all women who live the relationship with the outside world as violence. Precisely by reacting to this situation, the female characters of the most recent postcolonial novels begin to speak: first by babbling, like children who are trying out a new language, then putting together words, in the end whole sentences. And finally they come to tell us about themselves, to narrate their story, realizing that each person is his/her own story, and that the most subtle violence perpetrated on women is to silence them.Nella letteratura postcoloniale appaiono spesso figure di donne afasiche o mute. Si tratta di personaggi che non parlano, per scelta o per inibizione: donne che non hanno o hanno perduto l’uso della parola; ragazze dai tratti quasi autistici; inquietanti, intriganti figure femminili che rifiutano di esprimersi attraverso il linguaggio, donne tutte che vivono il rapporto con il mondo esterno come violenza. Proprio reagendo a questa situazione, i personaggi femminili dei più recenti romanzi postcoloniali iniziano a parlare: prima per lallazioni, come i bambini che sperimentano un nuovo linguaggio, poi mettendo assieme parole, in fine intere frasi. E finalmente arrivano a raccontarsi, a raccontare, la loro storia, rendendosi conto che ogni persona è la propria storia, e che la violenza più subdola, perpetrata sulle donne, è quella di metterle a tacere

Traces of Dante in Nineteenth Century English Poetry

The essay intends to offer an overview of Dante’s influence on nineteenth-century English poetry, highlighting the various appropriations and introducing a discussion on individual authors. It is an essential pivot in the development of modern and contemporary culture inasmuch as, during the nineteenth century, Italian literature seemed to flow into English literature and at the same time represent a sort of great moment in universal literature. Furthermore, with the birth of the United States, the great English tradition converges with the more mature American literature and therefore the whole focus of Western and also contemporary culture relates to an extraordinary basin in which the set of sources that complement each other, in particular Dante and English literature, establish a fundamental element for understanding the imaginary itself not only of the twentieth century but also of the contemporary one.The essay intends to offer an overview of Dante’s influence on nineteenth-century English poetry, highlighting the various appropriations and introducing a discussion on individual authors. It is an essential pivot in the development of modern and contemporary culture inasmuch as, during the nineteenth century, Italian literature seemed to flow into English literature and at the same time represent a sort of great moment in universal literature. Furthermore, with the birth of the United States, the great English tradition converges with the more mature American literature and therefore the whole focus of Western and also contemporary culture relates to an extraordinary basin in which the set of sources that complement each other, in particular Dante and English literature, establish a fundamental element for understanding the imaginary itself not only of the twentieth century but also of the contemporary one

Security in Internet of Things: networked smart objects.

Internet of Things (IoT) is an innovative paradigm approaching both industries and humans every-day life. It refers to the networked interconnection of every-day objects, which are equipped with ubiquitous intelligence. It not only aims at increasing the ubiquity of the Internet, but also at leading towards a highly distributed network of devices communicating with human beings as well as with other devices. Thanks to rapid advances in underlying technologies, IoT is opening valuable opportunities for a large number of novel applications, that promise to improve the quality of humans lives, facilitating the exchange of services. In this scenario, security represents a crucial aspect to be addressed, due to the high level of heterogeneity of the involved devices and to the sensibility of the managed information. Moreover, a system architecture should be established, before the IoT is fully operable in an efficient, scalable and interoperable manner. The main goal of this PhD thesis concerns the design and the implementation of a secure and distributed middleware platform tailored to IoT application domains. The effectiveness of the proposed solution is evaluated by means of a prototype and real case studies

“A GARDEN OF GREEN LACE”: P. K. PAGE’S ECOLECT

The aim of my paper is to analyse a recurring rhetorical strategy in some ecologically informed poems by P. K. Page. The growing amount of ecologically-informed writing and literary criticism seems to demonstrate the fact that thematically oriented analyses that regard nature and landscape as adversaries have been finally superseded. Many writers are now attempting to redefine their relationship with the environment by using a holistic approach that recognizes both human and nonhuman life-forms as equal and interdependent. The analysis of the ecolects (Sykes Davies 1986: 274, 319) employed by P. K. Page in some exemplary texts I shall discuss, shows her to be more interested in capturing the relationship between writer and nature than to reflect on the man/nature relationship in oppositional terms

"We accept the reality of the world with which we're presented": The Truman Show effect

«Fantasy is like jam: you have to spread it on a solid slice of bread»: this observation by Italo Calvino is perfectly in line with all those narratives that are based on the construction of imaginary worlds, nonexistent or invisible cities, landscape dreams, and simulacra. In this regard, a short story by the Australian writer Peter Carey, American Dreams (1974), and Julian Barnes’s novel England, England, (1998) seem extremely interesting. In both texts, it is a question of being able to invent lies capable of convincing readers, of substituting real places with false but plausible and narratively credible spaces. In the first case, the story showcases a point of conjunction between postmodern and postcolonial views thanks to Carey’s way of dealing with the theme of simulation. The text presents two dimensions of simulation: a postmodern field of simulacra in which all meaning implodes and about which nothing can be done, and a postcolonial field of representation in which simulation and performativity become the strategies of a cultural struggle. In the second case, the protagonist's theme park aims to encompass all the life-size tourist and cultural attractions across England, appropriately selected through a survey. This is not a miniature England, therefore, but an "England, England", a replica truer than the truth to the point of replacing the original, which is doomed to an irreversible decline, in a perfect depiction of the supermodernity theorised by Augè. Both the theme park and the model town reproduce the ideal space of those who, too accustomed to images, no longer know how to appreciate reality or, differently put, the postmodern world, reduced to a succession of empty images, entirely spectacularised. It is a world where things happen as in a dream. We could call this situation the Truman Show effect, referring to the famous 1998 film by Australian director Peter Weir

The Duty to Advise the Lorax: Environmental Advocacy and the Risk of Reform

Lawyers have an ethical duty to advise their clients on moral, economic, social, and political matters. When applied to the changing field of environmental law, this abstract notion becomes provocative. Lawyers should advise their environmental advocacy clients of the possibility that their efforts to apply statutes or rules might initially succeed, but subsequent legislative reactions might defund, reform, or repeal the laws the client’s case relied upon. As a client’s sophistication decreases, or as the risk of adverse reactions to the client’s environmental advocacy increases, the lawyer’s duty to advise the client of these risks can shift from discretionary to mandatory. Accordingly, to fulfill their duty as advisor, and to protect their clients from harm, lawyers should be sure to assess their clients’ sophistication, objectives, risk tolerance, and advocacy tone. In addition, to prepare for the potential reactions of third parties, lawyers may also need to advise their clients to obtain further assistance from other professionals. While clients will ultimately choose their goals, the failure to ask hard questions could mean that the lawyer fails to obtain informed consent and, in some cases, could even constitute misconduct

Rising Seas, Receding Ethics? Why Real Estate Professionals Should Seek the Moral High Ground

Despite the scientific consensus, some political leaders in the United States deny the need for policy making in response to sea level rise. Even in coastal Florida and Virginia, where communities face acute risks of flooding and economic damage, the problem has been denied. Land use development and real estate professionals, when discussing the subject, have a responsibility to do better than our political leaders. In fact, the ethical codes of the professions – law, architecture, engineering, planning, real estate, and corporate compliance – all demand honesty. Material facts must be disclosed, and professionals cannot conceal truth, particularly if it leads to fraud or misconduct. Elsewhere on Earth, ethical considerations have influenced sea level rise policy. In the Netherlands, where major cities exist below sea level, political leaders confront the risks of a tragic flood. Dutch engineers have planned and designed projects and revised safety standards related to river widening, flood management, and salt-water intrusion and freshwater supplies. The low-lying Republic of the Marshall Islands also fears the loss of lands and lifestyles. But lacking the economic resources to protect themselves, the nation submitted a resolution to the United Nations decrying the threats created by the rising seas upon human rights to life, property, culture, food,housing, health and water. While public sector representatives wrestle with decisions to adapt to, mitigate for, or retreat from sea level rise, the private sector has a role to play. Corporations, by law, have rights and privileges; with them must come corporate social responsibility. Mere compliance with law is insufficient when a company’s real estate endeavors fail to protect human rights. Ethical behavior by the real estate professions and corporations means informing the people, partnering with the public sector leaders, protecting the public interest, and ensuring a resilient community with a sustainable future