Actors vs Shared Memory: two models at work on Big Data application frameworks

This work aims at analyzing how two different concurrency models, namely the shared memory model and the actor model, can influence the development of applications that manage huge masses of data, distinctive of Big Data applications. The paper compares the two models by analyzing a couple of concrete projects based on the MapReduce and Bulk Synchronous Parallel algorithmic schemes. Both projects are doubly implemented on two concrete platforms: Akka Cluster and Managed X10. The result is both a conceptual comparison of models in the Big Data Analytics scenario, and an experimental analysis based on concrete executions on a cluster platform

Structure functions in medium and the polarized EMC effect

The ratio of the in-medium to free nucleon structure functions for both the unpolarized and polarized case is obtained using the bag model, along with the QMC model to incorporate the in-medium modifications to the structure functions. The unpolarized EMC effect, F₂*(x)/F₂(x), is compared to data and the trend is certainly observed. A prediction of the polarized EMC effect, g₁*(x)/g₁(x), is made and found to be almost identical to the unpolarized case. The in-medium modifications; the σ mean field, Fermi motion, and ω mean field are included into the calculations one at a time to see how the EMC ratio develops for both the unpolarized and polarized case, and to see which in-medium modifications play the dominant role in producing the EMC effect.Thesis (MPhil) -- University of Adelaide, School of Physical Sciences, 201

Special Issue on Musical Instruments: Acoustics and Vibration

The sound characteristics of musical instruments have been constantly growing in importance. Consequently, several congresses, workshops, and conferences have been organized in the last ten years. The studies on musical instruments, their mechanical behavior, sound emission, and characteristics started thousands of years ago, and among the physicists and mathematicians that addressed this matter, we should at least remember Leonardo da Vinci, with his experimental water organ, and Ernst Chladni, who discovered the nodal patterns on rigid surfaces, such as soundboards. The growing awareness of our intangible cultural heritage and the need to better understand our roots in the field of music have contributed to increasing the efforts to extend our knowledge in this field, defining new physical parameters, extending the analysis to other musical instruments, and developing new methods to synthesize sound from musical instruments using a simple keyboard. These motivations led us to the proposal of a special issue called \u201cMusical Instruments: Acoustics and Vibration\u201d since we believe in the importance of musical acoustics within modern acoustics studies. In total, 13 papers were submitted and 8 of them were published, with an acceptance rate of 61.5%. Among all the papers published, one of them was classified as a review paper, while the rest were classified as research papers. According to the number of papers submitted, and the specificity of the musical acoustics branch within acoustics, it can be affirmed that this is a trendy topic in the scientific and academic community and this special issue on \u201cMusical Instruments: Acoustics and Vibration\u201c aims to be a future reference for the research that is to be developed in the next few years

Using LEGO® Mindstorms and MATLAB in curriculum design of active learning activities for a first-year engineering computing course

The goal of this research project was to investigate the feasibility of implementing a programmable robot (LEGO Mindstorm) combined with a computer program (MATLAB) into MacEwan's Engineering Computer Programming (ENCP 100) curriculum as a hands-on active learning tool. With a more hands-on/practical approach to the course, students may find themselves immersed in the material and motivated to understand and apply the abstract concepts learned in class to real-world applications. Previous studies found in the conducted literature review showed that LEGO® Mindstorms can be used to enhance active learning for students, particularly when used to demonstrate computer programming concepts. The LEGO Mindstorms kits come with several programmable motors and sensors suitable to the first-year curriculum (including touch, colour, rotation, and a text display). Not only is it a tool applicable to ENCP, but it can be used to bring multiple concepts from various engineering courses together. Students can look at displacements, velocities, accelerations, work, energy, equilibrium, and more. The capabilities of the sensors were found to be more than adequate to cover the first-year computing curriculum. Through the assessment of the various sensors, learning activities were designed to develop both fundamental programming skills and hands on problem-solving skills. Results of this research have shown that LEGO ® Mindstorms is a viable teaching tool for a first-year engineering computing course to develop fundamental programming skills and hands-on problem-solving skills.   Faculty Mentor: Shelley Lorimer Department: Biomedical Mechanical Engineerin

Acoustics of the former teatro "la fenice" in Venice

The acoustic characteristics of the former "La Fenice" theater have been analyzed. Binaural measurements of the impulse responses were performed at a large number of measuring points within the hall. Following the recent ISO standard 3382 [1], many mono and binaural acoustical parameters were calculated from the impulse responses, such as reverberation time, clarity, center time, strength, initial time delay gap, interaural cross correlation, and others. Finally, Ando's preference maps were developed, taking into account two different kinds of musical signals. The measurements underlined the peculiar acoustical behavior of the theater, characterized by a greater initial decay of the reverberant tail and a subsequent reverberation that allowed a remarkable fusion of the sound and sustain to the musicians

Indoor Environmental Quality in Low Energy Buildings

Abstract The Directives 2002/91/CE and 2010/31/UE greatly evolved the building and real-estate sector towards low energy building, both in the case of building retrofitting and new buildings. Thanks to the Energy Performance Certificate influence on the real estate market, or thanks to the economic crisis, as it is some new buildings - the best - were built with Energy Class A or Nearly Zero classification. The Energy Building Performance standards, e.g. CEN Umbrella and their transposition, will be improved in the future, in spite of this these should be considered solid, and designers, architects and engineers must apply technical strategies (e.g. high insulation, reduction of air leakage, use of renewable systems) in order to reduce building energy consumption. The new challenge will be to improve relations between Building Energy Performance and Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ). As regards these relations, the CEN Umbrella provides to implement the Standard 15251. In the present paper we describe the results of IEQ monitoring in a low energy performance building (Class A+ less than 25 kWh/m 2 year). The results show that low energy performance building do not always guarantee a better category of IEQ, especially during the summer

How Much Does the Variety of Scenery and the Different Percentages of Audience Occupancy Affect the Indoor Acoustics at the National Theater of Zagreb?

The florid performance of Opera always in place and the slow recovery from the pandemic by the public to be back to a frequent attendance of the artistical venues suggest the authors to analyze the acoustic behavior of the National Theatre of Zagreb by reflecting five specific scenarios. Starting from the acoustic measurements undertaken inside the National Theatre of Zagreb without any scenery in place, this research study compares the main acoustic parameters simulated with the scenery of Tosca related to three acts. A numerical model has been realized by faithfully reproducing the geometry and the architectural features of this historic performance arts space. Before the simulations, the absorption coefficients applied to the digital entities have been calibrated with the values gathered from the recorded impulse responses. After the calibration process, the acoustic simulations have been also carried out with the presence of audience at two percentages of occupancy

Real Estate market, energy rating and cost. Reflections about an Italian case study

The Directive EPBD introduced Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) an energy policy tool. The aim of EPC is to inform building buyer about energy performance (and energy cost) of buildings. They represent a specific energy policy tool to orientate building sector and retail market toward higher energy efficiency building. The Real Estate market was built in different periods, and in each of these periods the building envelope or the heating plant had different kinds of energy performance. Therefore, in real estate, each building-period has a determinate incidence respect total existing buildings, and they have different energy consumption incidence respect total energy national consumption. The EPBD recast highlight the relation between building elements or technical building system, energy rating and cost-optimal levels of minimum energy performance requirements. In present paper a discussion about Directive's news, Italian EPC and real estate market prospective is presented. Furthermore we proposed a reflection about link between energy cost, energy rating and building property value

Calidad de los cuidados de enfermería: un estudio en hospitales portugueses

Background: In a constant pursuit for professional excellence, nurses are required to comply with the quality standards of nursing care. Thus, it is essential to understand this phenomenon in the hospital setting. Objectives: To analyze nurses’ perception of the implementation of quality standards in nursing care. Methodology: A quantitative, descriptive-exploratory study was conducted in 36 public hospital institutions located in mainland Portugal, involving a total of 3.451 nurses. Data were collected using a questionnaire. Results: Most nurses often or always performed activities that enhance the quality of nursing care. This analysis showed that nurses perceive activities related to Health Promotion, Well-being and Self-care, and Functional Readaptation as less implemented. On the other hand, activities related to Responsibility and Rigor and Prevention of Complications are implemented most often. Conclusion: The findings suggest that nursing practices should be redesigned and adjusted based on the activities that are less often implemented.Enquadramento: Numa procura permanente da excelência no exercício profissional, é exigido aos enfermeiros uma atuação congruente com os padrões de qualidade dos cuidados de enfermagem, sendo pertinente perceber o fenómeno no contexto hospitalar. Objetivos: Analisar a perceção dos enfermeiros relativamente à concretização dos padrões de qualidade dos cuidados de enfermagem. Metodologia: Estudo exploratório-descritivo, de carácter quantitativo, realizado em 36 instituições hospitalares EPE de Portugal continental, com a participação de 3,451 enfermeiros. Como instrumento de colheita de dados usámos o questionário. Resultados: A maioria dos enfermeiros concretiza às vezes ou sempre as atividades que contribuem para a qualidade dos cuidados de enfermagem. Decorrente da análise efetuada, as atividades inerentes às dimensões Promoção da saúde, Bem-estar e autocuidado e Readaptação funcional, são aquelas que os enfermeiros percecionam como menos executadas. Por outro lado, as atividades mais frequentemente concretizadas, reportam-se às dimensões Responsabilidade e rigor e Prevenção de complicações. Conclusão: Os dados sugerem a necessidade de se repensarem as práticas, no sentido de uma atuação congruente com os enunciados descritivos menos frequentemente concretizados.Marco contextual: En una búsqueda permanente de la excelencia en el ejercicio profesional, se exige que los enfermeros actúen de forma congruente con los patrones de calidad de los cuidados de enfermería, para lo cual es pertinente comprender el fenómeno en el contexto hospitalario. Objetivos: Analizar la percepción de los enfermeros en relación a la concretización de los patrones de calidad de los cuidados de enfermería. Metodología: Estudio exploratorio y descriptivo, de carácter cuantitativo, realizado en 36 instituciones hospitalarias EPE de Portugal continental, en el que se contó con la participación de 3.451 enfermeros. Como instrumento de recogida de datos se usó el cuestionario. Resultados: La mayoría de los enfermeros realiza a veces o siempre las actividades que contribuyen a la calidad de los cuidados de enfermería. A partir del análisis efectuado, las actividades inherentes a las dimensiones Promoción de la salud, Bienestar y autocuidado y Readaptación funcional son aquellas que los enfermeros perciben como menos ejecutadas. Por otro lado, las actividades que se realizan con más frecuencia se refieren a las dimensiones Responsabilidad y rigor y Prevención de complicaciones. Conclusión: Los datos sugieren que es necesario repensar las prácticas con el objetivo de realizar una actuación congruente con los enunciados descriptivos que se ponen en práctica con menos frecuencia.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio