Uniqueness and weak stability for multi-dimensional transport equations with one-sided Lipschitz coefficient

The Cauchy problem for a multidimensional linear transport equation with discontinuous coefficient is investigated. Provided the coefficient satisfies a one-sided Lipschitz condition, existence, uniqueness and weak stability of solutions are obtained for either the conservative backward problem or the advective forward problem by duality. Specific uniqueness criteria are introduced for the backward conservation equation since weak solutions are not unique. A main point is the introduction of a generalized flow in the sense of partial differential equations, which is proved to have unique jacobian determinant, even though it is itself nonunique.Comment: 19-03-200

Multi-echelon distribution systems in city logistics

In the last decades , the increasing quality of services requested by the cust omer, yields to the necessity of optimizing the whole distribution process. This goal may be achieved through a smart exploitation of existing resources other than a clever planning of the whole distribution process. For doing that, it is necessary to enha nce goods consolidation. One of the most efficient way to implement it is to adopt Multi - Echelon distribution systems which are very common in City Logistic context, in which they allow to keep large trucks from the city center, with strong environmental a dvantages . The aim of the paper is to review routing problems arising in City Logistics , in which multi - e chelon distribution systems are involved: the Two Echelon Location Routing Problem ( 2E - LRP) , the Two Echelon Vehicle Routing Problem (2E - VRP) and Truck and Trailer Routing Problem (TTRP), and to discuss literature on optimization methods, both exact and heuristic, developed to address these problems

When Grammar and Parsing Agree

Published: 03 April 2018The author acknowledges financial support from the Gipuzkoa Fellowship Program and from Spanish Ministry for Economy and Competitiveness through the grant FFI2016-76432 and Severo Ochoa Programme for Centres/Units of Excellence in R&D (SEV-2015-490)

One dimensional Fokker-Planck reduced dynamics of decision making models in Computational Neuroscience

We study a Fokker-Planck equation modelling the firing rates of two interacting populations of neurons. This model arises in computational neuroscience when considering, for example, bistable visual perception problems and is based on a stochastic Wilson-Cowan system of differential equations. In a previous work, the slow-fast behavior of the solution of the Fokker-Planck equation has been highlighted. Our aim is to demonstrate that the complexity of the model can be drastically reduced using this slow-fast structure. In fact, we can derive a one-dimensional Fokker-Planck equation that describes the evolution of the solution along the so-called slow manifold. This permits to have a direct efficient determination of the equilibrium state and its effective potential, and thus to investigate its dependencies with respect to various parameters of the model. It also allows to obtain information about the time escaping behavior. The results obtained for the reduced 1D equation are validated with those of the original 2D equation both for equilibrium and transient behavior

Issues of energy retrofitting of a modern public housing estates. The ‘Giorgio Morandi’ complex at Tor Sapienza, Rome, 1975-1979

Energy retrofitting of historical residential buildings represents today an interesting challenge of the building sector. This is true especially in Italy where great part of the national buildingstock dates back to pre-modern and modern times and, especially, to the decades between the 1960s and the 1980s. Most of these buildings, in fact, offerthermal performances that are inadequate to current requirements in terms of energy efficiency, human comfort as well as to seismic safety. This study focuses on the energy retrofitting of public housing estatessuch as the“Giorgio Morandi” complex at Tor Sapienza in Rome. The upgrading of this complex is outlined, taking into account issues of energy saving but, also, constraints related to the historical values of the buildings. Intervention options able to improve energy efficiency are therefore foreseeable only in strict observance of cultural heritage values, which entails a deep analysis and survey of the existence in order to identify respectful, correct and feasiblesolutions

Entretien avec Huguette Dagenais, première directrice de la revue Recherches féministes

Cofondatrice et première directrice de la revue (printemps 1988 – automne 1997), Huguette Dagenais répond aux questions de Marie-José des Rivières et Simona Mancini sur la petite histoire des débuts de la revue, les appuis recherchés et obtenus, le travail scientifique d’équipe et la magie de la collaboration interdisciplinaire féministe. On mentionne, dans cet entretien, des sujets cruciaux tels que la langue, le choix des thèmes, les approches et méthodes, certaines controverses, l’importance de la recherche empirique et, enfin, plusieurs bons coups des dix premières années (l’humour, la beauté des pages de couverture, la dimension internationale). L’entretien se termine par l’énoncé de certains défis actuels et futurs, notamment la question de la mise en ligne de la revue.Co-founder and Director of the journal (from spring 1998 to autumn 1997), Huguette Dagenais is interviewed by Marie-José des Rivières and Simona Mancini concerning the journals’ initial history, the financial support received, the research work reported therein, as well as the synergy due to interdisciplinary feminist collaboration. The interview covers a variety of crucial issues encountered during the first ten years of the magazine; language debates, themes, approaches and methods adopted, controversies faced, and seminal research work, along with the various feminist "bons coups" (humour, cover page design, international magnitude). The interview ends with a glimpse at present and future challenges, among which the question of online publication

Agreement attraction in Serbian: decomposing markedness

Published online 18 July 2016Asymmetric number attraction effects have been typically explained via a privative markedness account: plural nouns are more marked than singular ones and thus stronger attractors. However, this account does not explain results from tripartite systems, in which a third number value is available, like paucal. Here we tested whether attraction effects can be driven by specific markedness sub-components, such as frequency/naturalness of use, using Serbian, in which participles can agree with masculine subjects in singular, plural and paucal. We first conducted a naturalness judgment task, finding the following naturalness/frequency pattern: singular,plural<paucal. In a subsequent forced-choice task, we presented participants with preambles containing a singular, a plural or a paucal headnoun (the castle[Sg] /two castles[Pauc] /the castles[Pl]) modified by singular/plural/paucal attractors (with the window[Sg] /with two windows[Pauc] /with the windows[Pl]). Three options were provided to complete the sentence (resembles[Sg] /resemble[Pauc] /resemble[Pl] gothic architecture).Both accuracy and reaction times (RTs) were collected. Accuracy data reflected the naturalness/frequency pattern, with paucal being the strongest attractor, and plural and singular attracting equally. However, reaction times showed a difference between singular and plural, suggesting co-influence of both frequency/naturalness and morphological markedness. We emphasize the necessity of re-defining markedness and testing attraction through different markedness sub-components (i.e. frequency/naturalness) to explain attraction cross-linguistically.This research was partially funded by the P1_2014_1_38 (B.R and S.M) and PRE_2015_1_0320 (B.R.) grants from the Basque Government, the PSI2012-32350 and PSI2015-65694-P grants from the Spanish Government (N.M.), the Gipuzkoa Fellowship Program (S.M.) and by the grant Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa SEV-2015-0490

Yesterday Is History, Tomorrow Is a Mystery: An Eye-Tracking Investigation of the Processing of Past and Future Time Reference During Sentence Reading

published Online First August 23, 2021The ability to think about nonpresent time is a crucial aspect of human cognition. Both the past and future imply a temporal displacement of an event outside the “now.” They also intrinsically differ: The past refers to inalterable events; the future to alterable events, to possible worlds. Are the past and future processed similarly or differently? In this study, we addressed this question by investigating how Spanish speakers process past/future time reference violations during sentence processing, while recording eye movements. We also investigated the role of verbs (in isolation; within sentences) and adverbs (deictic; nondeictic) during time processing. Existing accounts propose that past processing, which requires a link to discourse, is more complex than future processing, which—like the present—is locally bound. Our findings show that past and future processing differs, especially at early stages of verb processing, but this difference is not limited to the presence/absence of discourse linking. We found earlier mismatch effects for past compared to future time reference in incongruous sentences, in line with previous studies. Interestingly, it took longer to categorize the past than the future tense when verbs were presented in isolation. However, it took longer to categorize the future than the past when verbs were presented in congruous sentences, arguably because the future implies alterable worlds. Finally, temporal adverbs were found to play an important role in reinspection and reanalysis triggered by the presence of undefined time frames (nondeictic adverbs) or incongruences (mismatching verbs).This research is supported by the Basque Government through the BERC 2018-2021 program, by the Spanish State Research Agency through BCBL Severo Ochoa excellence accreditation SEV-2015-0490. Simona Mancini was supported by Grants RYC-2017-22015, FFI2016-76432- P_LAMPT (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Agencia Estatal de Investigación & Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional) and partially by Grants IN [18_HMS_LIN_0058 (BBVA Foundation) and PIBA_2020_I_ 0024 from the Basque Governmen