Cloud benchmarking for performance

How can applications be deployed on the cloud to achieve maximum performance? This question has become significant and challenging with the availability of a wide variety of Virtual Machines (VMs) with different performance capabilities in the cloud. The above question is addressed by proposing a six step benchmarking methodology in which a user provides a set of four weights that indicate how important each of the following groups: memory, processor, computation and storage are to the application that needs to be executed on the cloud. The weights along with cloud benchmarking data are used to generate a ranking of VMs that can maximise performance of the application. The rankings are validated through an empirical analysis using two case study applications, the first is a financial risk application and the second is a molecular dynamics simulation, which are both representative of workloads that can benefit from execution on the cloud. Both case studies validate the feasibility of the methodology and highlight that maximum performance can be achieved on the cloud by selecting the top ranked VMs produced by the methodology.

Executing bag of distributed tasks on the cloud: Investigating the trade-offs between performance and cost

Bag of Distributed Tasks (BoDT) can benefit from decentralised execution on the Cloud. However, there is a trade-off between the performance that can be achieved by employing a large number of Cloud VMs for the tasks and the monetary constraints that are often placed by a user. The research reported in this paper is motivated towards investigating this trade-off so that an optimal plan for deploying BoDT applications on the cloud can be generated. A heuristic algorithm, which considers the user's preference of performance and cost is proposed and implemented. The feasibility of the algorithm is demonstrated by generating execution plans for a sample application. The key result is that the algorithm generates optimal execution plans for the application over 91% of the time.

Operator and Workflow Optimization for High-Performance Analytics

We make a case for studying the impact of intra-node parallelism on the performance of data analytics. We identify four performance optimizations that are enabled by an increasing number of processing cores on a chip. We discuss the performance impact of these opimizations on two analytics operators and we identify how these optimizations affect each another.

Does Basel Compliance Matter for Bank Performance?

The global financial crisis underscored the importance of regulation and supervision to a well-functioning banking system that efficiently channels financial resources into investment. In this paper, we contribute to the ongoing policy debate by assessing whether compliance with international regulatory standards and protocols enhances bank operating efficiency. We focus specifically on the adoption of international capital standards and the Basel Core Principles for Effective Bank Supervision (BCP). The relationship between bank efficiency and regulatory compliance is investigated using the Simar and Wilson (2007. J. Econ. 136 (1), 31) double bootstrapping approach on an international sample of publicly listed banks. Our results indicate that overall BCP compliance, or indeed compliance with any of its individual chapters,has no association with bank efficiency.

Performance monitoring of energy efficient retrofits – 4 case study properties in Northern Ireland

Approximately half of the houses in Northern Ireland were built before any form of minimum thermal specification (U-value) or energy efficiency standard were available. At present, 44% of households are categorised as being in fuel poverty; spending more than 10% of the household income to heat the house to an acceptable level. This paper presents the results from long term performance monitoring of 4 case study houses that have undergone retrofits to improve energy efficiency in Northern Ireland. There is some uncertainty associated with some of the marketed retrofit measures in terms of their effectiveness in reducing energy usage and their potential to cause detrimental impacts on the internal environment of a house. Using wireless sensor technology internal conditions such as temperature and humidity were measured alongside gas and electricity usage for a year. External weather conditions were also monitored. The paper considers the effectiveness of the different retrofit measures implemented based on the long term data monitoring and short term building performance evaluation tests that were completed.

Statistical Tests for Joint Analysis of Performance Measures

Recently there has been an increasing interest in the development of new methods using Pareto optimality to deal with multi-objective criteria (for example, accuracy and architectural complexity). Once one has learned a model based on their devised method, the problem is then how to compare it with the state of art. In machine learning, algorithms are typically evaluated by comparing their performance on different data sets by means of statistical tests. Unfortunately, the standard tests used for this purpose are not able to jointly consider performance measures. The aim of this paper is to resolve this issue by developing statistical procedures that are able to account for multiple competing measures at the same time. In particular, we develop two tests: a frequentist procedure based on the generalized likelihood-ratio test and a Bayesian procedure based on a multinomial-Dirichlet conjugate model. We further extend them by discovering conditional independences among measures to reduce the number of parameter of such models, as usually the number of studied cases is very reduced in such comparisons. Real data from a comparison among general purpose classifiers is used to show a practical application of our tests.

Portuguese Adaptation of Students Engagement in Schools International Scale (SESIS)

The importance of student’s engagement has been recently pointed out in research. However, there has been a lack of engagement assessment instrument, pertaining psychometric qualities. Objective: This paper presents the Portuguese adaptation of the “Student’s Engagement in School International Scale” (SESIS), drawn up from a12 countries international study (Lam et al., 2012; Lam et al., in press). Method: Psychometric properties of this scale were examined with data from 685 students from different grades (6th, 7th, 9th and 10th), from both sexes, and different regions of the country. Results: Factorial analysis of the results, with varimax rotation, lead to three different factors which explain 50.88% of the variance. The scale integrates the original 33 items, and cognitive, affective and behavioural dimensions. For the external validity study, the relationship between student’s engagement in school results and other school variables — academic performance, self-concept — was considered, and significant relations were observed, as expected. Conclusion: The data presented highlights the qualities of SESIS, as well as its usefulness for research purposes. Suggestion: It is suggested the investigation of the extension of SESIS’s three-dimensionality, in future studiesKeywords: Innovation, technology, research projects, etc. [Arial 10-point, justified alignment].

Portuguese Adaptation of Students Engagement in Schools International Scale (Sesis)

The importance of student’s engagement has been recently pointed out in research. However, there has been a lack of engagement assessment instruments, showing psychometric qualities, such as reliability and validity. Objective: This paper presents the Portuguese adaptation of the “Student’s Engagement in Schools International Scale” (SESIS), drawn up from 12 countries international study (Lam et al., 2012; Lam et al., in press). Method: Psychometric properties of this scale were examined using data from 685 students, of both sexes, and from different grades (6th, 7th, 9th and 10th), and regions of the country. Results: Factorial analysis of the results, with varimax rotation, conducted to three different factors which explain 62,19% of the variance. The scale integrates the original 33 items, and cognitive, affective and behavioural dimensions. For the external validity study, the relationship between student’s engagement in school results and other school variables — academic performance, school conduct — was considered, and significant relations were observed, as expected. Conclusion: The data presented highlights the qualities of SESIS, as well as its usefulness for research purpose. Suggestion: It is suggested the investigation of the extension of SESIS’s three-dimensionality, in future studies

New HDPE/MCM41 nanocomposites with improved mechanical performance: synthesis and characterizatio

Ordered mesoporous silicas with a channel structure of well-defined geometries and dimensions at nanometer scale are excellent candidates to host intercalation reactions. In recent years, our research group has shown that mesoporous silicas of the M41S class combined with metallocene complexes give rise to excellent supported catalysts for ethylene polymerisation. Due to the support characteristics, the reaction is allowed to occur in the channels and in this way hybrid organic-inorganic materials can be prepared within a large range of nanofiller concentration. These HDPE/MCM-41 nanocomposites exhibit an improved mechanical performance and an easier degradability due to the additional role of MCM-41 as a promoter for PE degradation.

An Empirical Examination of the Impacts from Termination of a Performance-Based Incentive Plan

This paper reports on the financial impacts from the termination of a pay for performance plan for the salesforce at a retail establishment. Using monthly panel data spanning more than eight years for 15 outlets of a major retailer, this study documents that store-level sales and operating profits decrease after the incentive plan is terminated. Individual performance data are then investigated to help identify the role of effort and selection effects in explaining the documented decrease. The analysis of the individual employee sales data reveals that virtually all of the declining store level sales can be explained by selection effects.

Do Girls and Boys Perceive Themselves as Equally Engaged in School? The Results of an International Study from 12 Countries

This study examined gender differences in student engagement and academic performance in school. Participants included 3420 students (7th, 8th, and 9th graders) from Austria, Canada, China, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Romania, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The results indicated that, compared to boys, girls reported higher levels of engagement in school andwere rated higher by their teachers in academic performance. Student engagement accounted for gender differences in academic performance, but gender did not moderate the associations among student engagement, academic performance, or contextual supports. Analysis of multiple-group structural equation modeling revealed that perceptions of teacher support and parent support, but not peer support, were related indirectly to academic performance through student engagement. This partial mediation model was invariant across gender. The findings from this study enhance the understanding about the contextual and personal factors associated with girls' and boys' academic performance around the world.

Complex Interplay Between Determinants of Pacing and Performance During 20 km Cycle Time Trials

Purpose This study examined the determinants of pacing strategy and performance during self paced maximal exercise. Methods Eight well trained cyclists completed two 20 km time trials. Power output, RPE, positive and negative affect, and iEMG activity of the active musculature were recorded every 0.5km, confidence in achieving pre-exercise goals was assessed every 5 km, and blood lactate and pH were measured post-exercise. Differences in all parameters were assessed between fastest (FAST) and slowest (SLOW) trials performed. Results Mean power output was significantly higher during the initial 90% of FAST, but not the final 10%, and blood lactate concentration was significantly higher and pH significantly lower following FAST. Mean iEMG activity was significantly higher throughout SLOW. RPE was similar throughout both trials, but participants had significantly more positive affect and less negative affect throughout FAST. Participants grew less confident in their ability to achieve their goals throughout SLOW. Conclusions The results suggest that affect may be the primary psychological regulator of pacing strategy and that higher levels of positivity and lower levels of negativity may have been associated with a more aggressive strategy during FAST. Although the exact mechanisms through which affect acts to influence performance are unclear, it may determine the degree of physiological disruption that can be tolerated, or be reflective of peripheral physiological status in relation to the still to be completed exercise task.

Influence of Different Performance Levels on Pacing Strategy During the Women's World Championship Marathon Race.

Purpose To analyse pacing strategies displayed by athletes achieving differing levels of performance during an elite level marathon race. Methods Competitors in the 2009 IAAF Women’s Marathon Championship were split into Groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 comprising the first, second, third, and fourth 25% of finishers respectively. Final, intermediate, and personal best (PB) times of finishers were converted to mean speeds, and relative speed (% of PB speed) was calculated for intermediate segments. Results Mean PB speed decreased from Group 1 to 4 and speed maintained in the race was 98.5 + 1.8%, 97.4 + 3.2%, 95.0 + 3.1% and 92.4 + 4.4% of PB speed for Groups 1-4 respectively. Group 1 was fastest in all segments and differences in speed between groups increased throughout the race. Group 1 ran at lower relative speeds than other groups for the first two 5 km segments, but higher relative speeds after 35km. Significant differences (P<0.01) in the percentage of PB speed maintained were observed between Groups 1 and 4, and 2 and 4 in all segments after 20 km, and Groups 3 and 4 from 20-25 km and 30-35 km. Conclusions Group 1 athletes achieved superior finishing times relative to their PB than athletes in other Groups who selected unsustainable initial speeds resulting in subsequent significant losses of speed. It is suggested that psychological factors specific to a major competitive event influenced decision making by athletes and poor decisions resulted in final performances inferior to those expected based on PB times.

Performance of an adaptive homodyne receiver in the presence of multipath, Rayleigh-fading and time-varying quadrature errors

In this paper, we carry out a detailed performance analysis of the blind source separation based I/Q corrector operating at the baseband. Performance of the digital I/Q corrector is evaluated not only under time-varying phase and gain errors but also in the presence of multipath and Rayleigh fading channels. Performance under low-SNR and different modulation formats and constellation sizes is also evaluated. What is more, BER improvement after correction is illustrated. The results indicate that the adaptive algorithm offers adequate performance for most communication applications hence, reducing the matching requirements of the analog front-end enabling higher levels of integration.

Elite Rugby Union Players Perceptions of Performance Analysis

This study provides an in depth insight into the current views and opinions of elite level rugby union players regarding the use of performance analysis as a tool for improving their own playing performance and in highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of upcoming opponents. A total of seventy-three elite level rugby union players from two clubs in Great Britain completed a semi-structured questionnaire. Additionally, four players completed a semi-structured interview and following inductive content analysis, four key themes emerged: (1) the use of video for player development, (2) preparing for a match, (3) using video for player reflection in addition to other psychological tools and (4) players suggestions for improvements to the clubs current performance analysis programme. The main finding of the study concludes that players viewed performance analysis as a beneficial and useful tool to support their development and preparation. As a result the study provides an insight into the use of performance analysis within professional rugby union, enabling rugby coaches and practitioners to gain an understanding and appreciation of the players views towards the clubs current provision. Additionally, the findings help build and strengthen the on-going knowledge coaches, analysts and researchers currently have regarding how players perceive performance analysis.