Generation of Closed Timelike Curves with Rotating Superconductors

The spacetime metric around a rotating SuperConductive Ring (SCR) is deduced from the gravitomagnetic London moment in rotating superconductors. It is shown that theoretically it is possible to generate Closed Timelike Curves (CTC) with rotating SCRs. The possibility to use these CTC's to travel in time as initially idealized by G\"{o}del is investigated. It is shown however, that from a technology and experimental point of view these ideas are impossible to implement in the present context.Comment: 9 pages. Submitted to Classical and Quantum Gravit

ESG maturity: A software framework for the challenges of ESG data in investment

Given the rising demand for more transparent, consistent, and comprehensive non-financial information in investment, there is a need to provide more reliable, meaningful, and measurable ESG metrics, in a way that most frameworks cannot. Most established frameworks face difficulties and challenges in providing sustainability information to investors in a significant way, lacking in areas such as transparency, reliability, consistency, materiality, and particularly, their focus on the “S” dimension of ESG. The present article purposes to review the challenges associated with several frameworks and to present a solution to overcome them, by giving an overview of a new and innovative software as a service framework, ESG Maturity. This software presents itself as a solution for both reporting companies and their respective investors, by providing both with an assessment of the ESG maturity index of the companies, and delivering a report containing relevant initiatives, strategies, and action plans tailored to each one of them, within different sectors, dimensions, and geographic areas and consequently, their financial and non-financial implementation impact. ESG Maturity is considered a possible answer to the challenges in ESG reporting, having the potential to revolutionize the way companies report their non-financial information and how investors receive it.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Analytical model for the development strategy of a low-density territory: The Montesinho Natural Park

Montesinho Natural Park is one of the largest Portuguese natural protected areas, presenting good biodiversity and a cultural heritage with a strong connection to the territory and its people. It constitutes a low-density territory, characterized by a human and social landscape based on community practices, such as joint aid and the community use of goods and means of agricultural production, which have contributed to the construction of the “transmontana” identity and to the richness of the habitats. The promotion of the sustainable development of this low-density rural region demands the understanding of its specificities and an appropriate approach to grasp its challenges and develop effective management tools, allowing to preserve and exploit the region’s potential from various perspectives. The purpose of this article is to develop an analytical model using a literature review and a survey of the region’s specificities. This analytical model intends to provide the basis for designing and assessing sustainable development solutions, increasing local entrepreneurship and community empowerment through regional dynamism, with a focus on environment and heritage preservation, universal tourism accessibility, collective memory and endogenous product development. The suggested model adopts an interdisciplinary perspective and stresses that, in order to ensure that the new initiatives will contribute to the territory’s sustainable development, they should be scrutinized by asking four main questions: Is the initiative promoting the rural development of the territory through the creation of synergies between agroforestry and tourism activities? Is the initiative promoting an inclusive and sustainable tourism that is based on the territory’s resources? Are heritage and collective memory being preserved and valued through the initiative? Is the initiative promoting the empowerment of local communities?info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Assessment and forecast of the culvert’s performance within a road infrastructure management system. Literature review

During the 21st century, within road infrastructure management there is a strong enforcement on preserving assets and prevent roadway collapses. As a result, public agencies have to implement periodic inspections and asset condition assessments. As pavements and bridges also culverts management play a special role in roadway safety, because they prevent roadbed erosion. The scope of this investigation is the assessment and forecast of culverts performance regarding rating condition and network reliability forecast. In addition, it intends to analyze hazards influence in the culvert serviceability, modelling the hazards actions on the infrastructure. In this paper, is performed the literature review of studies done during the past decade comparing advantages and limitations. Five main subjects are identified in the development of a culvert management system, since the inventory and inspection framework, to forecasting models and risk assessment. Moreover, it will determine the correlation between subjects and will find gaps for improvement.(undefined

Deformation of quantum mechanics in fractional-dimensional space

A new kind of deformed calculus (the D-deformed calculus) that takes place in fractional-dimensional spaces is presented. The D-deformed calculus is shown to be an appropriate tool for treating fractional-dimensional systems in a simple way and quite analogous to their corresponding one-dimensional partners. Two simple systems, the free particle and the harmonic oscillator in fractional- dimensional spaces are reconsidered into the framework of the D-deformed quantum mechanics. Confined states in a D-deformed quantum well are studied. D-deformed coherent states are also found.Comment: 12 pages, some misprints have been corrected, two figures are adde

Single observable concurrence measurement without simultaneous copies

We present a protocol that allows us to obtain the concurrence of any two qubit pure state by performing a minimal and optimal tomography of one of the subsystems through measuring a single observable of an ancillary four dimensional qudit. An implementation for a system of trapped ions is also proposed, which can be achieved with present day experimental techniques.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur

Proposal for a Performance Dashboard for the Monitoringof Water and Sewage Service Companies (WaSCs)

The water and sewage industry provides an essential service to the community, but it is characterized by natural monopoly tendencies of service suppliers. In this framework, it is very important to assist regulators with a small set of critical indicators (performance dashboard) for the evaluation and monitoring of the service provided by Water and Sewage Companies (WaSCs). The paper originates from the analysis of situation of Piemonte (Italy), where each regional and local body adopts a proprietary Performance Measurement System (PMS). In order to improve the coordination of information flow and to support the definition of common service standards, a methodology to merge existing PMSs and define a unique shared reference system is proposed. The Kaplan and Norton's Balanced Scorecard (BSC) is adopted as the reference model of this approach. BSC is widely recognized to be an exhaustive and balanced framework in describing the performances of an organization and ensures that all the operational aspects of WaSCs are adequately monitored. The output of the proposed procedure is a general performance dashboard for the monitoring of WaSCs. The dashboard is shown and some remarks about indicators properties are developed. In particular, this analysis highlights some common pitfalls originated by a ‘rushed' aggregation of several performance indicators. Description is supported by several example

Entropic Entanglement Criteria for Continuous Variables

We derive several entanglement criteria for bipartite continuous variable quantum systems based on the Shannon entropy. These criteria are more sensitive than those involving only second-order moments, and are equivalent to well-known variance product tests in the case of Gaussian states. Furthermore, they involve only a pair of quadrature measurements, and will thus should prove extremely useful the experimental identification of entanglement.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure