Accounting Start-up Time of Parallel Processes in Amdahl’s Law

The conventional form of Amdahl’s law states that speedup of calculations in a multiprocessor machine is limited by the definite constant value just due to the existence of some non-parallelizable part in any algorithm. This brief paper considers one more general reason, which prevents a growth of parallel performance: processes that implement distributed task cannot start simultaneously and hence every process adds some start-up time, also reducing by that the gain from a parallel processing. The simple formula, proposed here to extend Amdahl’s law, leads to a less optimistic picture in comparison with classical results: for large amount of processor units the modified law does not approach to constant but vanishes. This is the result of competition between two factors: decreasing of calculation duty and increasing of start-up time when a number of parallel processes grows. The effect may be subdued by means of specific regularity in launching parallel processes.

Critical analysis of the role of the European Union on gender equality progress. The case of research policy

This article reviews how European policy in gender equality has generated an impact on the lives of European women since reporting and data has been compiled, analysing if there is a potential improvement that could be attributed to the existence of a supranational body and supranational policy. The article will identify some of the structures, regulations and gender policy in the European Union and its potential impact on member states. For that purpose, a wealth of knowledge, which has been developed in the last years by feminist and gender scholars, will be considered and reinterpreted highlighting the most relevant arguments, approaches and debates. Similarly, I will draw on the European Union data and analysis available on the numerous reports developed by multiple EU institutions. Given the limitations of this study and the extensive reach of gender policy within the Union, after a general overview, I will focus briefly on the research sphere, where a series of developments have shown an optimistic picture, despite the possible critics to the level of engagement and effective leadership of the Union in this area

Importance of “the Social”: The Divergent Informal Careers of Chinese Internal Migrants

When investigating unregulated, unprotected work situations, the precarious work literature focuses on the degradation of work quality, whereas the informal sector literature emphasizes entrepreneurship and mobility. Neither of them, however, pays enough attention to how particular jobs are matched and how career paths evolve. Studying Chinese rural migrants’ informal careers, this research finds three strikingly different career paths. The “precariats” rely on peers to survive career disruptions, but the responsibility to support others leads to a new crisis. The “entrepreneurs” rely on their relatively resourceful families to start small businesses in a highly competitive and precarious market. The “guild” relies on hometown networks to share career information and reduce competition. This research hence draws a more optimistic picture than the precarious work literature as upward career opportunities do exist. Nonetheless, the picture is not as optimistic as the informal sector literature suggests because these opportunities are socially yet unevenly distributed.

China's low fertility may not hinder future prosperity

China’s low fertility is often presented as a major factor which will hinder its prosperity in the medium to long term. This is based on the assumed negative consequences of an increasing old-age dependency ratio: a simplistic measure of relative changing age structures. Based on this view, policies to increase fertility are being proposed after decades of birth restriction policies. Here, we argue that a purely age structure–based reasoning which disregards labor force participation and education attainment may be highly misleading. While fertility has indeed fallen to low levels, human capital accumulation has been very strong—especially among younger cohorts. Factoring in the effects of labor force participation and educational attainment on productivity, a measure called “productivity-weighted labor force dependency ratio” can more accurately capture the economic implications of demographic change. When using this ratio, a much more optimistic picture of the economic (and social) future of China can be envisaged.

Is the biological adaptiveness of delusions doomed?

Delusions are usually considered as harmful and dysfunctional beliefs, one of the primary symptoms of a psychiatric illness and the mark of madness in popular culture. However, in recent times a much more positive role has been advocated for delusions. More specifically, it has been argued that delusions might be an (imperfect) answer to a problem rather than problems in themselves. By delivering psychological and epistemic benefits, delusions would allow people who face severe biological or psychological difficulties to survive in their environment - although this has obvious epistemic costs, as the delusion is fixed and irresponsive to compelling counterevidence. In other words, it has been argued that delusions are biologically adaptive. The adaptiveness of delusions has been compared by Ryan McKay and Daniel Dennett to a shear pin, a mechanism installed in the drive engine of some machines which is designed to shear whenever the machine is about to break down. By breaking, shear pins prevent the machine from collapsing and allow it to keep functioning, although in an impaired manner. Similarly, when delusions form, they would allow a cognitive or psychological system which is about to collapse to continue its functioning, although in an impaired manner. However, this optimistic picture of delusions risks being undermined by both theoretical and empirical considerations. Using Sarah Fineberg and Philip Corlett’s recent predictive coding account as a paradigmatic model of the biological adaptiveness of delusions, I develop two objections to it: (1) principles of parsimony and simplicity suggest that maladaptive models of delusions have an upper hand over adaptive models; and (2) the available empirical evidence suggests that at least some delusions stand good chances of being psychologically adaptive, but it is unlikely that they also qualify as biologically adaptive.

Education and the Intergroup Discrimination Paradox

Scholarly emphasis on dominant group attitudes results in an optimistic picture of education as a motor of reduced prejudice and improved intergroup relations. In this paper we examine the perceived discrimination of subordinate groups and reach rather different conclusions. We present causal evidence demonstrating that education decreases discriminatory attitudes while increasing perceived discrimination, and show that these asymmetric effects underpin a paradoxical phenomenon whereby discriminatory attitudes and perceived discrimination are negatively correlated at the country level. While our micro level claims are based on analysis of ethnoracial and gender discrimination in Europe, we show that the “intergroup discrimination paradox” describes patterns of discrimination on grounds as diverse as disability, sexual orientation and religion, in geographic contexts spanning the whole globe. Our findings suggest that education may increase awareness of existing discrimination among victims more than it decreases prejudice among perpetrators, thereby worsening rather than improving intergroup relations.

Physician-Scientist trainees: A “call to action” to confront future career challenges

Throughout their careers, physician-scientists must adapt to the dynamic landscape of the medical research environment. As such, current physicianscientist trainees must overcome unique obstacles on the path to productive research careers. In the paper by Levit et al. in this month’s Clinical and Investigative Medicine issue, Canadian research leaders describe the challenges and opportunities for the next generation of physician-scientists [1]. They paint a cautiously optimistic picture. The current article is an outlook and concurrent “call to action” for how ongoing physician-scientist concerns can be conquered from the perspective of a current Canadian MD-PhD student.

Emerging Gender, Media and Technology Scholarship in Africa: Opportunities and Conundrums in African Women’s Navigating Digital Media

Over the past decade and earlier, much of the academic and grey literature has painted an optimistic picture of rapidly increasing access and growth of digital technologies in Africa. Industry statistics put internet penetration in Africa close to 40 percent and growing, even though the continent still lags behind the world average of Internet users (Internet World Statistics, June 2019). Some estimates predict that by 2025 the sub-continent will add 167 million mobile subscribers to its existing 456 million (GSMA Report, 2019). Mobile devices, especially, have assumed centrality in the lives of ordinary people and provide prospects for Africa to leapfrog into the modern digital world. Smart phones are enabling millions of Africans to share news and information more easily and to tap into all kinds of essential services, much like elsewhere in the world.