CAGE - Consensus Algorithm Genetically Encouraged

Blockchain Technology has gone beyond just cryptocurrency. There is a growing need not only for development in blockchain technology to support the needs of Web 3.0, but also a need for research into Blockchain Technology. One of the fundamental components of Blockchain Technology is the consensus algorithms used to i) select a node in the network responsible for providing a block added to the blockchain; and, ii) verify that block and ensure trust between the nodes within the system. This research proposes a newly developed consensus algorithm for Blockchain Technology. This research draws on inspiration from nature and the field of evolutionary computation, and selection methods in particular. The selection method is a mixture of Darwinianism and Fatigue-based systems, used in many evolutionary algorithms. This selection method is applied successfully as a consensus algorithm in a Blockchain Technology Systems. The proposed consensus algorithm is called Consensus Algorithm Genetically Encouraged, or CAGE for short. An experimental framework was developed in which to test CAGE fairly. In this experimental framework CAGE was then tested and compared to another similar consensus algorithm, Proof-of-Elapsed-Time (PoET), many times. Results and analysis show that as the number of nodes in a blochchain technology increase, CAGE becomes more efficient in latency and throughput of block production. Analysis showed that the node distribution of CAGE was not as even as PoET. Some modifications to the algorithm were made and the tests re-run. This proved more successful and improved the distribution of node selection whilst having no effect on throughput and latency. There are some reasons why CAGE outperforms PoET, which are mentioned in the analysis and results chapters. In summary, this research developed a newly proposed consensus algorithm, CAGE, inspired by the selection methods used in evolutionary computation. CAGE was then tested many times and results show that as the number of nodes in the blockchain technology system increases CAGE outperforms PoET in terms of latency and throughput

Medea in A. Embirikos’ "Argo or Aerostat Flight"

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Nodar Mamisashvili's Passion as an example of mixing old and new elements in 20th-century Georgian sacred music

The contemporary Georgian composer Nodar Mamisashvili, as the author of the musical system of three-phase composition, the man who calculated the formula of the Georgian church bell alloys and their acoustic features, and who took a great interest in various branches of science and their synthesis, occupies a special place in Georgian musical space on account of his originality and versatility. This paper deals with the transformation of the idea of passion in Nodar Mamisashvili’s choral composition Gancdani (“Passion”). I shall compare Mamisashvili’s work both with the European Passion and the Georgian analogue of the Passion, the so-called Shekhvetiliani (Holy Friday Hymn Book), though the paper is not targeted at a detailed discussion of the European and Georgian Passion per se

Public Expenditures on Education and Health in Georgia before and during the Global Crisis

After years of stagnation and political cataclysms, Georgia tried to recover by launching radical economic and political reforms starting in 2004. The results of the reforms appeared to be impressive. The country’s GDP has more than doubled; the total volume of bank deposits is five times what it used to be. Key international indices (Doing Business Index, Economic Freedom Index, Corruption Perception Index) have also reflected the success of the reforms. The occupation of the Georgian territories by Russia in August 2008 and the global financial crisis have significantly changed the current macroeconomic environment in Georgia. The August conflict undermined investor and consumer confidence, put pressure on public finances, damaged physical and other infrastructure and undermined the banking system with a large volume of deposit withdrawals. The deepening of the international financial crisis put further pressure on currency and foreign investments. The purpose of this paper is to consider the nature and magnitude of the impact of the global financial crisis on Georgia’s social services sector and on the country’s economy as a whole. The global financial crisis had a sharp impact on the most disadvantaged members of the society. The main objectives of the paper are to describe to what extent the education and healthcare sectors were affected in Georgia and to investigate how government policies have addressed the problems which arose due to the financial crisis.Georgia, Education, Health Care Sector, Public Service Delivery, Development During the Financial Crisis, Financial Crisis in Georgia, Georgia’s education sector, Georgia’s health sector, Georgia’s macro indicators, Financial aid

Applying Technology Acceptance Model to measure online student residential management software acceptance

The purpose of this study is to apply the technology acceptance model developed by Davis (1989) to examine the acceptance of online-based Student Residential Management Software by university on-campus housing student residents. The study examines students’ experience of using online-based software, which is believed to influence the perceived ease of use, the perceived usefulness and the behavioural intention to use such software. The results of this study were then compared to the findings of other past studies that had applied and/or tested TAM. The study participants were selected from a university in Western Australia that had implemented Student Residential Management Software and had used it for about two semesters. A total of 227 valid questionnaires were collected, and structural equation modelling was conducted to examine the research hypotheses. The findings provide practical implications for university residential administrators and the developers and designers of residential management software for students. Further, from a theoretical perspective, this study highlights the confirmation of the technology acceptance model in the context of student residential housing management

Identifying Values and Benefits of Congaree National Park

Protected areas are important tools for the conservation of biological diversity. They also support a wide range of ecosystem services and provide economic, cultural and social values and benefits. Many values and benefits of protected areas are poorly understood and greatly under-valued by decision-makers, the business sector, and the general public. Accordingly, identification and assessment of values and benefits of protected areas has been increasingly promoted during recent years. This research investigates values and benefits of Congaree National Park and provides guidance for the further economic valuation of identified values and benefits. While the ecological significance of Congaree National Park has been well documented, it is also important to identify and study a broader range of social, cultural and economic values and benefits provided by the park in addition to those associated with biodiversity conservation. The research is conceptually based on The Protected Areas Benefit Assessment Tool, a methodology developed by World Wide Fund for Nature for the identification of values and benefits that protected areas bring to a range of stakeholders, from local to global. Key values and benefits of Congaree National Park were identified based on the input of experts who contributed to the research and through an extensive review of corresponding literature and research-based documentary materials. The research identified the following key values and benefits of Congaree National Park: biodiversity conservation value; recreational value; science, knowledge and educational value; cultural, spiritual and historical value; climate regulation; water quality protection; flood storage and control; erosion control / soil stabilization; coastal protection; and management value. From these identified values and benefits, seven are recommended for further economic valuation. This research provides the guidance for economic valuation through defining categories / types of identified values and proposing possible applicable valuation methods with consideration of their advantages and limitations in the context of Congaree National Park

ASSESSING THE FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY OF THE PENSION SYSTEM OF GEORGIA AND EU27 COUNTRIES AND DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS IN THE CONDITIONS OF ECONOMIC SHOCKS CAUSED BY COVID-19

Against the background of ongoing demographic change around the world, pension policies have acquired special significance in recent decades. Along with prolonging the population life and reducing the birth rate, the need to reform pension systems has become on the agenda, its main goal is to reduce fiscal pressure in macroeconomic terms, and on a micro scale, ensuring a decent old age with adequate income for retirees. According to the International Monetary Fund the share of state pensions in the GDP of developed and emerging economies will increase by 1-2.5% by 2050. Which calls into question the financial sustainability of many countries' pension systems. In the following study, in parallel with the current events in the world (which implies the economic crisis caused by Covid-19), we will assess the financial sustainability of the Georgian pension system together with the pension systems of E27 countries and determine possible directions for the development of pension systems in the face of economic shock.Against the background of ongoing demographic change around the world, pension policies have acquired special significance in recent decades. Along with prolonging the population life and reducing the birth rate, the need to reform pension systems has become on the agenda, its main goal is to reduce fiscal pressure in macroeconomic terms, and on a micro scale, ensuring a decent old age with adequate income for retirees. According to the International Monetary Fund the share of state pensions in the GDP of developed and emerging economies will increase by 1-2.5% by 2050. Which calls into question the financial sustainability of many countries' pension systems. In the following study, in parallel with the current events in the world (which implies the economic crisis caused by Covid-19), we will assess the financial sustainability of the Georgian pension system together with the pension systems of E27 countries and determine possible directions for the development of pension systems in the face of economic shock

Υπερρεαλισμός και αρχαιότητα

Out of diverse literary trends emerging in Europe in the 20th century, surrealism was the only one to become widespread in Greece. Greek surrealist writers frequently employ antiquity-related thems. In this regard, three different types of literary adoption can be distinguished in their works: 1. Nominations: the use of an antiquity-related symbol or name in a particular context; 2. Allusion: passages either implying a reference to ancient motifs or evoking such associations in the reader; 3. Quoting: use of vocabulary from ancient literature, including full sentence quotes without any signals. In an attempt to explore how antiquity relates to surrealism, it can be argued that ancient civilizations stand out in terms if diverse approaches to the subconscious was widely reflected in ancient Greek literature and art. Second, theoretical interest in the subconscious started as early as the ancient period. Thus, what the ancient and first of all, Greek civilizations adopted from other civilizations with respect to the subconscious was subject to both artistic interpretation and theoretical investigation. Along with other circumstances, the popularity of surrealism in Greece is owed to Greek writers' close links with the ancient literary heritage. Thus, heredity accounts for the fact that surrealism, a distinctly cosmopolitan trend, became altogether nationalized in Greece