A study of two Languages for Active Objects with Futures

In computer systems, specifically in multithread, parallel and distributed systems, a deadlock is both a very subtle problem - because difficult to pre- vent during the system coding - and a very dangerous one: a deadlocked system is easily completely stuck, with consequences ranging from simple annoyances to life-threatening circumstances, being also in between the not negligible scenario of economical losses. Then, how to avoid this problem? A lot of possible solutions has been studied, proposed and implemented. In this thesis we focus on detection of deadlocks with a static program analysis technique, i.e. an analysis per- formed without actually executing the program. To begin, we briefly present the static Deadlock Analysis Model devel- oped for coreABS−− in chapter 1, then we proceed by detailing the Class- based coreABS−− language in chapter 2. Then, in Chapter 3 we lay the foundation for further discussions by ana- lyzing the differences between coreABS−− and ASP, an untyped Object-based calculi, so as to show how it can be possible to extend the Deadlock Analysis to Object-based languages in general. In this regard, we explicit some hypotheses in chapter 4 first by present- ing a possible, unproven type system for ASP, modeled after the Deadlock Analysis Model developed for coreABS−−. Then, we conclude our discussion by presenting a simpler hypothesis, which may allow to circumvent the difficulties that arises from the definition of the ”ad-hoc” type system discussed in the aforegoing chapter.

La partecipazione popolare nell'esperienza dei referendum comunali

I Comuni incarnano idealmente delle piazze in cui il dibattito politico può svilupparsi in assenza di particolari filtri ed intermediazioni, con un rapporto diretto tra cittadini ed istituzioni. Essi costituiscono uno snodo di centrale importanza nell'esercizio della sovranità popolare e, al contempo, sono terreno fertile per la sperimentazione di modelli di partecipazione democratica. Prendendo come punto di vista l'esperienza dei Comuni italiani, si è scelto di focalizzare l'attenzione su uno degli strumenti “istituzionali” – nonché uno tra i più tradizionali – di partecipazione popolare, ovvero il referendum, nelle diverse forme ed accezioni che rientrano nel campo semantico di tale espressione. Questa è generalmente impiegata per indicare tutte quelle votazioni popolari non elettive su questioni politicamente rilevanti, formulate attraverso un quesito con due o più risposte alternative tra loro. L'analisi della disciplina legislativa degli istituti di partecipazione negli enti locali e lo studio delle disposizioni statutarie e regolamentari previste dai singoli Comuni, nonché le informazioni raccolte da alcuni casi di studio, rappresentano, in questo contesto, l'occasione per indagare le caratteristiche peculiari dell'istituto referendario, la sua effettività ed il suo impatto sulla forma di governo. In particolare, si è verificata positivamente la compatibilità del referendum, classificato dalla prevalente dottrina come istituto di democrazia diretta, con le forme attuali di democrazia rappresentativa. Si è tentato, altresì, un accostamento ai concetti di democrazia partecipativa e deliberativa, evidenziando come manchi del tutto, nel procedimento referendario (che pure è dotato di massima inclusività) un momento di confronto “deliberativo”. Il raffronto tra le esperienze riscontrate nei diversi Comuni ha consentito, inoltre, di ricercare le cause di alcuni aspetti critici (scarsa affluenza, mancata trasformazione del voto in decisioni politiche, aumento del conflitto) e, al contempo, di individuarne possibili soluzioni, tracciate sulla scorta delle migliori pratiche rilevate.

Modelling the dynamic response of rockfall protection barriers

Mountainous areas are prone to natural hazards like rockfalls. Among the many countermeasures, rockfall protection barriers represent an effective solution to mitigate the risk. They are metallic structures designed to intercept rocks falling from unstable slopes, thus dissipating the energy deriving from the impact. This study aims at providing a better understanding of the response of several rockfall barrier types, through the development of rather sophisticated three-dimensional numerical finite elements models which take into account for the highly dynamic and non-linear conditions of such events. The models are built considering the actual geometrical and mechanical properties of real systems. Particular attention is given to the connecting details between the structural components and to their interactions. The importance of the work lies in being able to support a wide experimental activity with appropriate numerical modelling. The data of several full-scale tests carried out on barrier prototypes, as well as on their structural components, are combined with results of numerical simulations. Though the models are designed with relatively simple solutions in order to obtain a low computational cost of the simulations, they are able to reproduce with great accuracy the test results, thus validating the reliability of the numerical strategy proposed for the design of these structures. The developed models have shown to be readily applied to predict the barrier performance under different possible scenarios, by varying the initial configuration of the structures and/or of the impact conditions. Furthermore, the numerical models enable to optimize the design of these structures and to evaluate the benefit of possible solutions. Finally it is shown they can be also used as a valuable supporting tool for the operators within a rockfall risk assessment procedure, to gain crucial understanding of the performance of existing barriers in working conditions.

A Comparative Study on Higher Education Acts in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Russia

The original aim of this project was to describe and analyse the higher education acts in force in five Central and Eastern European countries at present, trying to understand the dependence of higher education on the historical traditions, national peculiarities and all-European tendencies. The description and comparison of the main aspects of higher education was supplemented by a study of the possibilities of transferring experience in the field between the five countries and possible solutions to implementing foreign structural and functional models. Questions covered included the role of the state in the management of higher education, the structures of the higher education systems and the organisation of institutions, academic autonomy and the classifications of academic teaching staff, the main trends in the recent development of research, academic degrees, the accreditation of higher education institutions, and the financing of higher education. Popov found that it was almost impossible to understand the dependence of higher education on historical traditions and national peculiarities purely through a study of the relevant legislation. Education traditions in these countries have twice been broken, once with the start of communism (1917 in Russia and 1944-45 in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and Romania) and for a second time at the beginning of the 1990s. The most recent higher education acts in all five countries studied have abandoned many of their historical and national traditions, following instead all-European trends as determined by Western Europe, and the project included a study of the dependence on these trends. There were also difficulties in comparing some aspects of higher education as it depended on how far a given aspect has different or common features in the different countries and to what extent the application is comparable. While many possible areas for transferring experience between the five countries were identified, Popov concentrated on those where he felt that there was a real practical possibility of application in view of national academic differences. He concluded by defining some of the challenges facing each country in the field of higher education and by making some predictions as to the developments in the different countries.

Sonic log prediction in carbonates

This work is conducted to study the complications associated with the sonic log prediction in carbonate logs and to investigate the possible solutions to accurately predict the sonic logs in Traverse Limestone. Well logs from fifty different wells were analyzed to define the mineralogy of the Traverse Limestone by using conventional 4-mineral and 3-mineral identification approaches. We modified the conventional 3-mineral identification approach (that completely neglects the gamma ray response) to correct the shale effects on the basis of gamma ray log before employing the 3-mineral identification. This modification helped to get the meaningful insight of the data when a plot was made between DGA (dry grain density) and UMA (Photoelectric Volumetric Cross-section) with the characteristic ternary diagram of the quartz, calcite and dolomite. The results were then compared with the 4-mineral identification approach. Contour maps of the average mineral fractions present in the Traverse Limestone were prepared to see the basin wide mineralogy of Traverse Limestone. In the second part, sonic response of Traverse Limestone was predicted in fifty randomly distributed wells. We used the modified time average equation that accounts for the shale effects on the basis of gamma ray log, and used it to predict the sonic behavior from density porosity and average porosity. To account for the secondary porosity of dolomite, we subtracted the dolomitic fraction of clean porosity from the total porosity. The pseudo-sonic logs were then compared with the measured sonic logs on the root mean square (RMS) basis. Addition of dolomite correction in modified time average equation improved the results of sonic prediction from neutron porosity and average porosity. The results demonstrated that sonic logs could be predicted in carbonate rocks with a root mean square error of about 4μsec/ft. We also attempted the use of individual mineral components for sonic log prediction but the ambiguities in mineral fractions and in the sonic properties of the minerals limited the accuracy of the results.

Agrarian learning processes in Switzerland 1918–1939

This paper examines the social impacts of weather extremes and the processes of social and communicative learning a society undertakes to find alternative ways to deal with the consequences of a crisis. In the beginning of the 20th Century hunger seemed to be expelled from Europe. Switzerland – like many other European countries – was involved in a global interdependent trade system, which provided necessary goods. But at the end of World War I very cold and wet summers in 1916/17 (causing crop failure) and the difficulties in war-trade led to malnutrition and enormous price risings of general living-standards in Switzerland, which shocked the people and caused revolutionary uprisings in 1918. The experience of malnutrition during the last two years of war made clear that the traditional ways of food supply in Switzerland lacked crisis stability. Therefore various agents in the field of food production, distribution and consumption searched for alternative ways of food supply. In that sense politicians, industrialists, consumer-groups, left-wing communitarians and farmers developed several strategies for new ways in food production. Traditionally there were political conflicts in Switzerland between farmers and consumers regarding price policies, which led mainly to the conflict in 1918. Consumers accused famers of holding back food to control extortionate prices while the farmers pointed to the bad harvest causing the price rising. The collaboration of these groups in search for new forms of food-stability made social integration possible again. In addition to other crisis-factors, weather extremes can have disastrous impacts and destroy a society’s self-confidence to its core. But even such crisis can lead to processes of substantial learning that allows a regeneration of confidence and show positive influence on political stabilization. The paper focuses on the process of learning and the alternative methods of food production that were suggested by various agents working in the field during the Interwar period. To achieve that goal documents of the various associations are analyzed and newspapers have been taken into consideration. Through the method of discourse-analysis of food-production during the Interwar period, possible solutions that crossed the minds of the agents should be brought to light.

Invited Abstract: Issues with State-based Energy Consumption Modelling

Energy consumption modelling by state based approaches often assume constant energy consumption values in each state. However, it happens in certain situations that during state transitions or even during a state the energy consumption is not constant and does fluctuate. This paper discusses those issues by presenting some examples from wireless sensor and wireless local area networks for such cases and possible solutions.

Sport clubs in Europe. A cross-national comparative perspective

​This book presents an up-to-date portrait of the characteristics of sport clubs in various European countries and their role in society and the national sport system. Furthermore, it offers a cross-national comparative perspective of sport clubs in twenty European countries. Containing both empirical data and information on the political and historical backgrounds of sport clubs, the book is organized in three parts. First, the authors provide an overview of the theoretical approach of the book and a description of the framework used for the country chapters. Second, the country chapters, written by experts within the field, provide a systematic overview of the available information on sport clubs in each country. These chapters are structured to answer the following questions: (1) What is the position of sport clubs within the national sport structure? (2) Which role do they fulfil in policy and society? (3) What are their basic characteristics and what factors influence the development of sport clubs? The book is concluded with a systematic comparison of the participating countries with the purpose of forging a clear link between the functioning of policy systems, observed problems, and possible solutions, and with a future research agenda on sport clubs. In an era of increased collaboration between European states, sport provides a natural vehicle through which to compare changes in culture, economics, and policy across nations. Sport Clubs in Europe will appeal to scholars of nonprofit management, sports management and sports sociology as well as administrators and policy makers in the international sports community.

CPA Shortage

This report is on current issue of the shortage of Certified Public Accountants. It discusses the reasons for the shortage, such as the newest 150-hour requirement, as well as the increased need for accountants after Sarbanes-Oxley. Also, It discusses what companies are doing to get more people into the accounting profession and keep the people they have. There is also a Case Study on what Deloitte & Touche is doing to help their firm. This paper develops ideas and possible solutions to help accounting firms deal with and change the current shortage situation they are in.

Sudden Infant Death disparities: A systematic review on health education and policy recommendations for decreasing Sudden Infant Death in the African-American community

Objective: To perform a systematic review of the literature on SIDS and SUID deaths concentrated in the African-American community, describe health education and policy recommendations and recommend a new approach that may aid in decreasing the disparity of infant mortality in the African-American community. ^ Methods: The PubMed database was systematically searched to identify relevant articles for final review and analysis. Using the CASP 2006 system to critique literature, twelve articles were found that met inclusion and exclusion criteria. ^ Results: Evidence in the literature confirmed there was a current disparity among African Americans' infant mortality rates in comparison to other US ethnic groups. The underlying reasons for these disparities included the following maternal and infant characteristics: mothers younger than eighteen, having more than one live infant, having a high school education or less, never been married, and have infants born preterm or with low birth weight. Maternal smoking, substance abuse, and breastfeeding did not have a significant impact on infant sleep environments among African Americans. ^ Conclusion: Tailored health education programs at the community level, better access to pre-pregnancy and prenatal care, and increased maternal perception of risk that is relevant to the infants sleeping environment are all possible solutions that may decrease African American infant mortality rates.^

Áreas rurales marginales en las economías regionales argentinas : problemas y alternativas

El tema de las economías regionales en Argentina, y específicamente el de sus áreas rurales marginales, representan cuestiones pendientes en el marco de los estudios geográficos nacionales y, a la vez, constituyen problemáticas desafiantes para su comprensión por la complejidad de las situaciones socioeconómicas y políticas que experimentan. Este trabajo retoma el tema de las áreas marginales en general, considerada en trabajos anteriores, y aporta una serie de reflexiones que profundizan la caracterización de las áreas rurales marginales en particular. Este fue el paso previo para analizar el complejo proceso que han experimentado las economías regionales extrapampeanas más aisladas del modelo centro-litoral del país. Se ahondan las evoluciones e impactos de la marginalidad en las economías regionales y se procura adaptar los procesos temporales y territoriales considerados, en un área rural marginal de la Patagonia Meridional. Por último, se presentan posibles alternativas de solución a las problemáticas de estas regiones.

Desarrollo territorial y ajuste espacial : La difícil relación entre políticas públicas y planificación 'privada' en el norte de Santa Cruz

La Patagonia austral es un espacio periférico y de poblamiento reciente, con escasa densidad de población, en el cual las actividades económicas, la oferta de servicios y las condiciones para la reproducción de la población se asientan en la valorización de recursos naturales distribuidos desigualmente. estos recursos se encuentran, en la actualidad, crecientemente afectados por la debilidad de las políticas de manejo. en el caso de la minería, se trata de un sector en expansión y, si bien los yacimientos en explotación tienen reservas que no superan los diez años, hay nuevas exploraciones y se prevé la ampliación de la actividad. La línea orientadora que se sigue en el presente artículo es producto de la evolución de actividades de investigación sobre las temáticas de las relaciones entre poderes y territorios, en particular en el campo del ordenamiento y el desarrollo territorial. en primer lugar, se presenta una aproximación al enfoque del desarrollo territorial y de proyecto de territorio en sus relaciones con las políticas públicas y en el marco del actual escenario mundial de disputa por los recursos naturales. en segundo lugar, se describen las estrategias de los grupos dominantes, centrándose en particular en la participación de Pan american energy, y se analiza, asimismo, el papel del estado y de las sociedades regionales en el área de estudio, así como las relaciones que se establecen entre los mismos, trabajando desde distintas escalas. a manera de conclusión, se exponen escenarios posibles de desarrollo territorial resultantes de las alternativas de resolución de las relaciones conflictivas entre los citados actores en el espacio del Golfo San Jorge y el norte de la Provincia de Santa Cruz en particular.

El mundo como arte : Una reflexión en torno a la estética schopenhaueriana

El arte, junto con la ética y la mística, constituye, dentro de la filosofía de Schopenhauer, una de las posibles soluciones a la "miseria del mundo". En el presente trabajo realizaremos un recorrido por las principales tesis de la estética schopenhaueriana desde una perspectiva metafísica. En primer lugar, analizaremos los aspectos subjetivos del fenómeno artístico a fin de responder a la pregunta por qué tipo de sujeto promueve el arte. En segundo término, nos ocuparemos de los aspectos objetivos del arte y elaboraremos una caracterización de lo que nuestro autor denomina Idea. Por último, desarrollaremos las consecuencias metafísicas del planteamiento estético de Schopenhauer

En busca del vino genuino. Origen y consecuencias de la Ley Nacional de Vinos de 1904

En el marco de la crisis vitivinícola de principios del siglo XX, se generó, entre los agentes implicados en esa actividad, una discusión sobre sus causas y posibles soluciones. Uno de los cambios propiciados fue la renovación de la legislación que regulaba la agroindustria. Este artículo analiza la génesis de la nueva ley de vinos, sancionada en 1904, con el nº 4363, que reguló la actividad hasta fines de la década de 1930 y constituyó un avance en la definición de vino genuino y otorgó herramientas más eficaces al Estado para reprimir la falsificación del vino. Sin embargo, reforzó el modelo de producción de vino en masa y dejó "espacios" de control vacíos que fueron denunciados por otros sectores relacionados con la agroindustria.

Desarrollo territorial y ajuste espacial : La difícil relación entre políticas públicas y planificación 'privada' en el norte de Santa Cruz

La Patagonia austral es un espacio periférico y de poblamiento reciente, con escasa densidad de población, en el cual las actividades económicas, la oferta de servicios y las condiciones para la reproducción de la población se asientan en la valorización de recursos naturales distribuidos desigualmente. estos recursos se encuentran, en la actualidad, crecientemente afectados por la debilidad de las políticas de manejo. en el caso de la minería, se trata de un sector en expansión y, si bien los yacimientos en explotación tienen reservas que no superan los diez años, hay nuevas exploraciones y se prevé la ampliación de la actividad. La línea orientadora que se sigue en el presente artículo es producto de la evolución de actividades de investigación sobre las temáticas de las relaciones entre poderes y territorios, en particular en el campo del ordenamiento y el desarrollo territorial. en primer lugar, se presenta una aproximación al enfoque del desarrollo territorial y de proyecto de territorio en sus relaciones con las políticas públicas y en el marco del actual escenario mundial de disputa por los recursos naturales. en segundo lugar, se describen las estrategias de los grupos dominantes, centrándose en particular en la participación de Pan american energy, y se analiza, asimismo, el papel del estado y de las sociedades regionales en el área de estudio, así como las relaciones que se establecen entre los mismos, trabajando desde distintas escalas. a manera de conclusión, se exponen escenarios posibles de desarrollo territorial resultantes de las alternativas de resolución de las relaciones conflictivas entre los citados actores en el espacio del Golfo San Jorge y el norte de la Provincia de Santa Cruz en particular.