3499 research outputs found
Sort by
Hierarchical mutual information for the comparison of hierarchical community structures in complex networks
No full textThe quest for a quantitative characterization of community and modular structure of complex networks produced a variety of methods and algorithms to classify different networks. However, it is not clear if such methods provide consistent, robust and meaningful results when considering hierarchies as a whole. Part of the problem is the lack of a similarity measure for the comparison of hierarchical community structures. In this work we give a contribution by introducing the {\it hierarchical mutual information}, which is a generalization of the traditional mutual information, and allows to compare hierarchical partitions and hierarchical community structures. The {\it normalized} version of the hierarchical mutual information should behave analogously to the traditional normalized mutual information. Here, the correct behavior of the hierarchical mutual information is corroborated on an extensive battery of numerical experiments. The experiments are performed on artificial hierarchies, and on the hierarchical community structure of artificial and empirical networks. Furthermore, the experiments illustrate some of the practical applications of the hierarchical mutual information. Namely, the comparison of different community detection methods, and the study of the the consistency, robustness and temporal evolution of the hierarchical modular structure of networks
The emergence of global administrative systems: the case of sport
No full textThe “global” dimension of sport is, in the first instance, regulatory, and it embraces the whole complex of norms produced and implemented by regulatory sporting regimes at the international and domestic levels. These rules include not only private norms set by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and by International Federations (IFs) but also “hybrid” public-private norms approved by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and international law (such as the UNESCO Convention Against Doping in Sport). Sports law, therefore, is highly heterogeneous, and, above all, it is not simply transnational, but actually “global”. This law represents an autonomous global legal system, which displays distinctive features such as the presence of some separation of powers (in particular quasi-judicial, with the strategic role played by the Court of Arbitration for Sport) and the development of relevant procedural principles (e.g. fairness and due process); and these principles operate both in rulemaking procedures (e.g. the adoption of the WADA Code) and in adjudicatory ones (e.g. for disciplinary measures). Finally, this global legal system is made up with several international regulatory regimes, both private – such as the Olympic movement – and hybrid public and private – such as the world anti-doping regime. The paper will deal in particular with this latter issue. The analysis will focus on the global administrative dimensions of sports regimes, together with their inter-institutional relationships and its legal implications for the public and private interaction
Concurrent enhancement of percolation and synchronization in adaptive networks
No full textCo-evolutionary adaptive mechanisms are not only ubiquitous in nature, but also beneficial for the functioning of a variety of systems. We here consider an adaptive network of oscillators with a stochastic, fitness-based, rule of connectivity, and show that it self-organizes from fragmented and incoherent states to connected and synchronized ones. The synchronization and percolation are associated to abrupt transitions, and they are concurrently (and significantly) enhanced as compared to the non-adaptive case. Finally we provide evidence that only partial adaptation is sufficient to determine these enhancements. Our study, therefore, indicates that inclusion of simple adaptive mechanisms can efficiently describe some emergent features of networked systems' collective behaviors, and suggests also self-organized ways to control synchronization and percolation in natural and social systems
Solving Mixed-Integer Quadratic Programs via Nonnegative Least Squares
No full textThis paper proposes a new algorithm for solving Mixed-Integer Quadratic Programming (MIQP) problems. The algorithm is particularly tailored to solving small-scale MIQPs such as those that arise in embedded hybrid Model Predictive Control (MPC) applications. The approach combines branch and bound (B&B) with nonnegative least squares (NNLS), that are used to solve Quadratic Programming (QP) relaxations. The QP algorithm extends a method recently proposed by the author for solving strictly convex QP's, by (i) handling equality and bilateral inequality constraints, (ii) warm starting, and (iii) exploiting easy-to-compute lower bounds on the optimal cost to reduce the number of QP iterations required to solve the relaxed problems. The proposed MIQP algorithm has a speed of execution that is comparable to state- of-the-art commercial MIQP solvers and is relatively simple to code, as it requires only basic arithmetic operations to solve least-square problems
La riforma e i misteri. Sul destino dei musei statali in Italia
No full textLa strada è ancora lunga e la distanza da colmare rispetto alle esperienze internazionali non piccola, ma la riforma avviata dal ministro Franceschini pone le basi per cambiare in modo profondo il ministero, cercando di razionalizzare le funzioni da svolgere, soprattutto in tema di tutela e valorizzazione del nostro patrimonio museale. Cosa è stato già fatto e a quali domande bisogna ancora rispondere
“L’essenziale è (in)visibile agli occhi”: patrimonio culturale e riforme
No full textThis editorial focuses on the main recent changes in the cultural heritage sector. Furthermore, the article gives an overview of the reform of the Italian Ministry for Cultural heritage and Tourism, which started in 2014 and is now in the middle of its implementation
La satira religiosa nazista contro gli ebrei e la rivista «Der Stürmer»
No full textThe nazi propaganda against the Jews operated through different channels, among which the satirical newspaper «Der Stürmer» directed by Julius Streicher played a significant role. This paper analyses some of its illustrations, made by Philipp Rupprecht, focusing on their style and recurring elements
Genetic contribution to modulation of social behavior in humans: relevance for the forensic and legal settings
No full textBehavioral genetics studies the influence of genetics on behavior, including decision-making processes in economic settings and development of pro- and anti-social acting. This discipline is yielding important discoveries that are contributing to shed novel light on the subtle interplay between nature and nurture, a topic of philosophical and scientific debate since the earliest times. In this paper, we briefly review and discuss the most recent findings on the genetic contribution to the development of impulsive and antisocial aggressive behavior, highlighting their importance in forensic settings, and in particular in regards to the psychiatric evaluation of criminal responsibility
Family businesses in Eastern European countries: How informal payments affect exports
No full textThis article investigates the effect of corruption on the export share of family firms in Eastern European countries. Using the Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey and panel data methods, we find that, in contrast to non-family firms, family firms are rather sensitive to corruption. In particular, the export share of family firms is positively associated with informal payments that aim to facilitate business operations. There are at least three compelling explanations for these results. First, if family firms are more risk averse than non-family firms, informal payments may represent additional export risk insurance. Second, informal payments may help family firms compensate for the lack of managerial capabilities to export. Finally, when institutional inefficiencies obstruct business, corruption may be a tool for family firms to protect their socioemotional wealth