scholarly journals Deadlines and Memory Limitations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steffen Altmann ◽  
Christian Traxler ◽  
Philipp Weinschenk

This paper presents the results of two natural field experiments at a dental clinic. Guided by a simple theoretical model, we exogenously vary deadlines and associated rewards for arranging checkup appointments. Our data show strong and systematic effects of deadlines on patients’ behavior. Imposing deadlines induces patients to act earlier and at a persistently higher frequency than without a deadline. We further document that individuals systematically respond to deadlines even if these are not tied to explicit rewards. Several of our findings suggest that individuals’ responses to deadlines are shaped by limitations in memory and attention. Our results illustrate that deadlines can be a powerful management tool to encourage timely task completion and to increase the cost effectiveness of performance-contingent rewards. This paper was accepted by Axel Ockenfels, behavioral economics and decision analysis.

Geophysics ◽  
1959 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 220-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. C. Werth ◽  
D. T. Liu ◽  
A. W. Trorey

At some locations offshore, seismic records degenerate into nearly sinusoidal waves or simple combinations of nearly sinusoidal waves despite the fact that the recording may be made with little or no seismic filtering. Results from field experiments indicate that this “singing” phenomenon is caused by the reflections themselves exciting an acoustic resonant layer formed by the ocean surface and bottom. A simple theoretical model predicts the mode of excitation and the frequency, depth, and range dependence which are verified by controlled field experiments.


2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Riccardo Camboni ◽  
Paola Valbonesi

AbstractWe empirically investigate incumbents’ and entrants’ bids on an original dataset of 192 scoring rule auctions for canteen services in Italy. Our findings show that winning rebates are lower (i.e., prices paid by the public buyer are higher) when the contract is awarded to the incumbent supplier. This result is not explained by the observable characteristics of the auction or the service awarded. We develop a simple theoretical model showing that the result is consistent with a setting in which the buyer exploits specific information on the incumbent supplier’s production cost.


Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 52
Author(s):  
Xiang He ◽  
Sijia Wang ◽  
Bingjian Zhang

Dew is a common but important phenomenon. Though water is previously considered to be a threat to earthen heritage sites, artificial dew is showing potential in relic preservation. A model of dew prediction on earthen sites will be essential for developing preventive protection methods, but studies of dew formation processes on relics are limited. In this study, a two parameter model is proposed. It makes approximations according to the features of earthen heritage sites, assuming that a thin and steady air layer exists close to the air–solid interface. This semi-theoretical model was based on calculations of the mass transfer process in the air layer, and was validated by simulations of laboratory experiments (R > 0.9) as well as field experiments. Additionally, a numerical simulation, performed by the commercial software COMSOL, confirmed that the difference between fitting parameter δ and the thickness of assumed mass transfer field was not significant. This model will be helpful in developing automatic environmental control systems for stabilizing water and soluble salts, thus enhancing preventive protection of earthen heritage sites.


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 734
Author(s):  
Răzvan Bogdan ◽  
Alin Tatu ◽  
Mihaela Marcella Crisan-Vida ◽  
Mircea Popa ◽  
Lăcrămioara Stoicu-Tivadar

Smart offices are dynamically evolving spaces meant to enhance employees’ efficiency, but also to create a healthy and proactive working environment. In a competitive business world, the challenge of providing a balance between the efficiency and wellbeing of employees may be supported with new technologies. This paper presents the work undertaken to build the architecture needed to integrate voice assistants into smart offices in order to support employees in their daily activities, like ambient control, attendance system and reporting, but also interacting with project management services used for planning, issue tracking, and reporting. Our research tries to understand what are the most accepted tasks to be performed with the help of voice assistants in a smart office environment, by analyzing the system based on task completion and sentiment analysis. For the experimental setup, different test cases were developed in order to interact with the office environment formed by specific devices, as well as with the project management tool tasks. The obtained results demonstrated that the interaction with the voice assistant is reasonable, especially for easy and moderate utterances.


Entropy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (8) ◽  
pp. 1007
Author(s):  
Michał Ramsza

The present paper reports simulation results for a simple model of reference group influence on market choices, e.g., brand selection. The model was simulated on three types of random graphs, Erdos–Renyi, Barabasi–Albert, and Watts–Strogatz. The estimates of equilibria based on the simulation results were compared to the equilibria of the theoretical model. It was verified that the simulations exhibited the same qualitative behavior as the theoretical model, and for graphs with high connectivity and low clustering, the quantitative predictions offered a viable approximation. These results allowed extending the results from the simple theoretical model to networks. Thus, by increasing the positive response towards the reference group, the third party may create a bistable situation with two equilibria at which respective brands dominate the market. This task is easier for large reference groups.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar Al-Ubaydli ◽  
John A. List

2021 ◽  
pp. 34-37
Author(s):  
В.К. Сердеров ◽  
Д.В. Сердерова

Большое значение в увеличении продуктивности картофеля имеет внедрение в производство перспективных высокоурожайных сортов и гибридов, приспособленных к местным природно-климатическим условиям возделывания, от чего зависят эффективность отрасли и себестоимость продукции. Цель работы – изучить влияние климатических условий на продуктивность и качественные показатели сортов и гибридов картофеля, а также использование ими благоприятных почвенно-климатических условий высокогорья Республики Дагестан, для размножения и внедрения в производство новых перспективных, высокоурожайных, приспособленных к условиям среды выращивания сортов картофеля с комплексом хозяйственно-ценных признаков. Объектом изучения послужили сорта картофеля раннего, среднераннего и среднего сроков созревания российской, белорусской и иностранной селекции. Полевые опыты закладывали в 2014–2017 годах на высоте 2000–2200 м, на землях горного опорного пункта «Курахский» Курахского района и на равнинной провинции (Прикаспийской низменности) на территории дачного массива «Наука» Махачкалинского района Республики Дагестан. Схема посадки – 70×30 см, повторность – четырехкратная. Технология выращивания картофеля – гребневая. При проведении полевых опытов использовали общепринятые методики. Практически все сорта картофеля, выращенные на равнинной провинции, сформировали высокий урожай в первый год и при дальнейшем размножении в результате развития вирусных болезней резко снизили свои продуктивные качества. Наиболее высокая урожайность в среднем за три года отмечена у сортов Жуковский ранний (20,8 т/га), Импала (20,5 т/га), Невский (17,8 т/га), Предгорный (16,9 т/га) и Удача (16,3 т/га). В свою очередь, горная провинция Дагестана характеризовалась благоприятными почвенно-климатическими условиями для возделывания как продовольственного картофеля, так и для организации первичного семеноводства на безвирусной основе и размножения перспективных сортов этой культуры. В среднем за годы исследований в горной провинции по урожайности выделились сорта Сильвана (37,4 т/га), Удача (37,6 т/га), Рокко (33,3 т/га), Импала (31,7 т/га), Жуковский ранний (29,0 т/га), Предгорный (27,7 т/га) и Примобелла (27,7 т/га), а также гибриды № 12.40/17 (43,1 т/га) и № 13.61/61 (38,8 т/га). The introduction of promising high-yielding varieties and hybrids adapted to the local natural and climatic conditions of cultivation is of great importance in increasing the productivity of potatoes, which determines the efficiency of the industry and the cost of production. The aim of the work is to study the influence of climatic conditions on the productivity and quality indicators of potato varieties and hybrids, as well as their use of favorable soil and climatic conditions in the highlands of the Republic of Dagestan, for breeding and introducing into production new promising, high-yielding, adapted to the growing environment of potato varieties with a complex of economically valuable characteristics. The object of the study was potato varieties of early, mid-early and medium maturation periods of Russian, Belarusian and foreign selection. Field experiments were conducted in 2014–2017 at an altitude of 2000–2200 m, on the lands of the mountain stronghold Kurakhsky of the Kukhar district and on the plain province (the Caspian lowland) on the territory of the suburban area Nauka of the Makhachkala district of the Republic of Dagestan. The landing scheme is 70×30 cm, the repeatability is four times. The technology of growing potatoes is combed. When conducting field experiments, generally accepted methods were used. Almost all potato varieties grown in the lowland province formed a high yield in the first year and, with further propagation, as a result of the development of viral diseases, sharply reduced their productive qualities. The highest yield on average for three years was observed in the varieties Zhukovskiy ranniy (20.8 t/ha), Impala (20.5 t/ha), Nevsky (17.8 t/ha), Predgornyy (16.9 t/ha) and Udacha (16.3 t/ha). In turn, the mountain province of Dagestan was characterized by favorable soil and climatic conditions for the cultivation of both food potatoes, and for the organization of primary seed production on a virus-free basis and the reproduction of promising varieties of this crop. On average, over the years of research in the mountain province, the varieties Silvana (37.4 t/ha), Udacha (37.6 t/ha), Rocco (33.3 t/ha), Impala (31.7 t/ha), Zhukovskiy ranniy (29.0 t/ha), Predgornyy (27.7 t/ha) and Primobella (27.7 t/ha), as well as hybrids No.12.40/17 (43.1 t/ha) and No.13.61/61 (38.8 t/ha) were distinguished by yield.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 12173
Author(s):  
Borna Dasović ◽  
Uroš Klanšek

This paper presents the integration of mixed-integer nonlinear program (MINLP) and project management tool (PMT) to support sustainable cost-optimal construction scheduling. An integrated structure of a high-level system for exact optimization and PMT was created. To ensure data compatibility between the optimization system and PMT and to automate the process of obtaining a cost-optimal schedule, a data transformation tool (DTT) was developed within a spreadsheet application. The suggested system can determine: (i) an optimal project schedule with associated network diagram and Gantt chart in continuous or discrete time units; (ii) optimal critical and non-critical activities, including their early start, late start, early finish, late finish along with total and free slack times; and (iii) minimum total project cost along with the allocation of direct and indirect costs. The system provides functionalities such as: (i) MINLP can be updated, and schedules can be re-optimized; (ii) the optimal schedule can be saved as a baseline to track changes; (iii) different optimization algorithms can be engaged whereby switching between them does not require model changes; (iv) PMT can be used to track task completion in the optimized schedule; (v) calendar settings can be changed; and (vi) visual reports can be generated to support efficient project management. Results of cost-optimal project scheduling are given in a conventional PMT environment, which raises the possibility that the proposed system will be more widely used in practice. Integration of MINLP and PMT allows each software to be used for what it was initially designed. Their combination leads to additional information and features of optimized construction schedules that would be significantly more difficult to achieve if used separately. Application examples are given in the paper to show the advantages of the proposed approach.


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