555 research outputs found
Multicolored Dynamos on Toroidal Meshes
Detecting on a graph the presence of the minimum number of nodes (target set)
that will be able to "activate" a prescribed number of vertices in the graph is
called the target set selection problem (TSS) proposed by Kempe, Kleinberg, and
Tardos. In TSS's settings, nodes have two possible states (active or
non-active) and the threshold triggering the activation of a node is given by
the number of its active neighbors. Dealing with fault tolerance in a majority
based system the two possible states are used to denote faulty or non-faulty
nodes, and the threshold is given by the state of the majority of neighbors.
Here, the major effort was in determining the distribution of initial faults
leading the entire system to a faulty behavior. Such an activation pattern,
also known as dynamic monopoly (or shortly dynamo), was introduced by Peleg in
1996. In this paper we extend the TSS problem's settings by representing nodes'
states with a "multicolored" set. The extended version of the problem can be
described as follows: let G be a simple connected graph where every node is
assigned a color from a finite ordered set C = {1, . . ., k} of colors. At each
local time step, each node can recolor itself, depending on the local
configurations, with the color held by the majority of its neighbors. Given G,
we study the initial distributions of colors leading the system to a k
monochromatic configuration in toroidal meshes, focusing on the minimum number
of initial k-colored nodes. We find upper and lower bounds to the size of a
dynamo, and then special classes of dynamos, outlined by means of a new
approach based on recoloring patterns, are characterized
Improving water management through the IWRM approach in the Mediterranean countries
The paper is aimed to analyze the importance of water reuse within a strategy of integrated water resources management. Using an integrated systemic approach, the role of water in the set of relations which constitute a valuable source for the Mediterranean countries will be analyzed. The paper also aims to demonstrate how a correct management of water resources, have a positive impact on the socio-economic aspects of the area. At the Mediterranean regions the management of water appears to be complex, due to inhomogeneity of water availability. This should prompt to rethink the means of intervention in these countries, considering structural investments in order to ensure a fair exploitation of water resources
Dynamic Monopolies in Colored Tori
The {\em information diffusion} has been modeled as the spread of an
information within a group through a process of social influence, where the
diffusion is driven by the so called {\em influential network}. Such a process,
which has been intensively studied under the name of {\em viral marketing}, has
the goal to select an initial good set of individuals that will promote a new
idea (or message) by spreading the "rumor" within the entire social network
through the word-of-mouth. Several studies used the {\em linear threshold
model} where the group is represented by a graph, nodes have two possible
states (active, non-active), and the threshold triggering the adoption
(activation) of a new idea to a node is given by the number of the active
neighbors.
The problem of detecting in a graph the presence of the minimal number of
nodes that will be able to activate the entire network is called {\em target
set selection} (TSS). In this paper we extend TSS by allowing nodes to have
more than two colors. The multicolored version of the TSS can be described as
follows: let be a torus where every node is assigned a color from a finite
set of colors. At each local time step, each node can recolor itself, depending
on the local configurations, with the color held by the majority of its
neighbors. We study the initial distributions of colors leading the system to a
monochromatic configuration of color , focusing on the minimum number of
initial -colored nodes. We conclude the paper by providing the time
complexity to achieve the monochromatic configuration
Tourism supply chain & strategic partnerships for managing the complexity in tourism industry
The paper aims to investigate the possible relationship between Tourism Supply Chain and Strategic Partnership, read as a way to reduce and
better manage the complexity in Tourism Industry. This last has been analysed under multi-disciplinary approaches (economic, sociological,
psychological, anthropological and geographic) to better understand its main components. A synthesis of origin of Tourism Supply Chain term
was provided. VRIO framework and PEST analysis was used with the aim to better understand the strategic decision of integration the chain with a
single or multiple rings. Starting from this, a theoretical framework from a holistic analysis is provided
AN UPDATE OF THE FRANCHISEE MOTIVATIONS: A STUDY IN SPAIN
This paper presents an empirical study of the motives for acquiring a franchise, based on a sample of franchisees operating in the Spanish market. The results are compared with the obtained in the previous studies. Although this topic has been studied previously, the spectacular progress of franchises throughout the world in the last decade may have changed franchisees� opinions about their motives. This manuscript establishes an update of motivational incentives for individuals to enter franchising from the previous studies. The results provide the following ranking: (1) Proven business format, (2) Start-up support, (3) Established name, (4) Training provided, (5) Faster development, and (6) Ongoing support. This study and the previous literature suggest there is a limited group of motives involved in the franchisee decision, but the ranking varies from study to study. It shows a different ranking of motives for selection of a franchisee from previous studies.franchising system, franchisee decision, motivation, incentives
From viability to sustainability: the contribution of the viable systems approach (VSA)
The current dynamics of business systems require new ways of conceiving the role of single entities. On this basis, a complex of interactions between the company and the reference context must be activated to guarantee survival dynamics. From these considerations re-emerge the ideas of Peccei (2013) and King (2013) that recognise in the systemic thought the foundations for a sustainable society. The present study derives from these considerations, and aims at contributing to the advancement of the knowledge necessary to overcome the challenges in the sustainability field. The methodological approach, albeit heuristic, can be traced back to the positive scientific and constructivist method. The results of the study showed the prevalence of qualitative and subjective
techniques, accompanied by the so-called inductive method, testifying to the intense interaction between the scholar and the object investigated. With regard to future research, it would be interesting to construct a flexible, scalable and extensible model to recover both a database and an ontology for
the theoretical framework
Culture and Redistribution
My dissertation empirically examines whether characteristics of one's social groups influence an individual's preferences for redistribution. I begin by focusing on the socioeconomic status of the ethnic and religious groups one belongs to. First, I develop a theoretical framework where an individual's identity is strengthened by the status of their group. Then, utilizing data from the US General Social Survey, I find evidence that the average incomes of one's ethnic and religious groups are negatively correlated with one's preferences for redistribution. Controlling for household income, and a number of other individual-level characteristics and additional controls, I find that a standard deviation increase in the average income of one's social groups correlates to a weakening of an individual's preferences for redistribution by seven to eight percentage points. This result is robust to the inclusion of rich controls and alternate measures of group status, as well as a number of robustness checks, such as sample restrictions and the use of additional data. I then examine the relative importance a culture places on individualism vs. collectivism. Utilizing data from the European Social Survey, I find evidence that immigrants who were born in countries with a more individualistic culture tend to have weaker preferences for redistribution in their residence country. A standard deviation increase in the individualism of one's home country culture correlates to a weakening of an individual's preferences for redistribution by twelve percentage points. This relationship appears to be as strong as that between household income and preferences for redistribution (eleven percentage points). This result is robust to the inclusion of rich controls and the use of sample restrictions. The relationship appears to be stronger among immigrants who vote, belong to an ethnic minority and live in a country with a relatively high number of ethnic minorities. I also find that the relationship between preferences for redistribution and i) household income and ii) education is stronger among immigrants born in a country with an individualistic culture. Moreover, my analysis suggests that this trait is transmitted across generations, and bears some influence on the preferences for redistribution of second-generation immigrants as well
A Depth-Based Computer Vision Approach to Unmanned Aircraft System Landing with Optimal Positioning
High traffic congestion in cities can lead to difficulties in delivering appropriate aid to people in need of emergency services. Developing an autonomous aerial medical evacuation system with the required size to facilitate the need can allow for the mitigation of the constraint. The aerial system must be capable of vertical takeoff and landing to reach highly conjected areas and areas where traditional aircraft cannot access. In general, the most challenging limitation within any proposed solution is the landing sequence. There have been several techniques developed over the years to land aircraft autonomously; however, very little attention has been scoped to operate strictly within highly congested urban-type environments. The goal of this research is to develop a possible solution to achieve autonomous landing based on computer vision-capture systems. For example, by utilizing modern computer vision approaches involving depth estimation through binocular stereo computer vision, a depth map can be developed. If the vision system is mounted to the bottom of an autonomous aerial system, it can represent the area below the aircraft and determine a possible landing zone. In this work, neural networks are used to isolate the ground via the computer vision height map. Then out of the entire visible ground area, a potential landing position can be estimated. An optimization routine is then developed to identify the most optimal landing position within the visible area. The optimization routine identifies the largest identifiable open area near the desired landing location. Web cameras were utilized and processed on a desktop to form a basis for the computer vision system. The algorithms were tested and verified using a simulation effort proving the feasibility of the approach. In addition, the system was tested on a scaled down city scene and was able to determine an optimal landing zone
- …