Abstract
Electric Vehicles (EVs) are increasing the interdependence of transportation policies and the electricity market dimension. In this paper, an Electricity Market Model with Electric Vehicles (EMMEV) was developed, exploiting an agent-based model that analyzes how carbon reduction policy in transportation may increase the number of Electric Vehicles and how that would influence electricity price. Agents are Energy Service Providers (ESCOs) which can distribute fuels and their objective is to maximize their profit. In this paper, the EMMEV is used to analyze the impacts of the Low-Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), a performance-based policy instrument, on electricity prices and EV sales volume. The agents in EMMEV are regulated parties in LCFS should meet a certain Carbon Intensity (CI) target for their distributed fuel. In case they cannot meet the target, they should buy credits to compensate for their shortfall and if they exceed it, they can sell their excess. The results, considering the assumptions and limitations of the model, show that the banking strategy of the agents contributing in the LCFS might have negative impact on penetration of EVs, unless there is a regular Credit Clearance to trade credits. It is also shown that the electricity price, as a result of implementing the LCFS and increasing number of EVs, has increased between 2% and 3% depending on banking strategy.

Abstract
The present paper addresses the use of evolutionary based algorithms for off-line fractional-order controller tuning. In particular, a linearized model of a motor-rotor propulsion device was assumed whose representativeness is supported by laboratorial measurements. Initially, the controller was calibrated, using the devised linear model, by a procedure that uses a cost function defined as the linear combination between the sum of the squared error and the sum of the absolute error. In this work, it was shown that this process can be improved by using an evolutionary based algorithm in order to find the best controller parameters. This strategy allows a more automatic tuning procedure isolating it from the user intervention. Moreover, the results achieved by this process, lead to an improved rotational speed regulation.

Abstract
Searching is a crucial time-consuming part of many programs, and using a good search method instead of a bad one often leads to a substantial increase in performance. Hash tries are a trie-based data structure with nearly ideal characteristics for the implementation of hash maps. In this paper, we present a novel, simple and concurrent hash map design that fully supports the concurrent search, insert and remove operations on hash tries designed to store sorted keys. To the best of our knowledge, our design is the first concurrent hash map design that puts together the following characteristics: (i) use fixed size data structures; (ii) use persistent memory references; (iii) be lock-free; and (iv) store sorted keys. Experimental results show that our design is quite competitive when compared against other state-of-the-art designs implemented in Java.

Abstract

Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to compare the way in which gender and propensity to risk are associated in two samples, one of entrepreneurs and the other of non-entrepreneurs, while controlling for other factors, namely, national cultures. Design/methodology/approach: On the basis of data from 19 advanced countries, and by using two different samples, one of entrepreneurs and the other of non-entrepreneurs, the authors have used logistical regression analysis to analyse the relation between gender and propensity to risk has been used. Findings: Findings suggest that gender and culture are much stronger in influencing risk propensity among non-entrepreneurs than among entrepreneurs. Originality/value: Instead of analysing the effects of propensity to risk in entrepreneurship, as is usually done, the authors study some of its determinants, highlighting the differences between men and women.

Abstract
Knowledge of the optical properties of tissues is necessary, since they change from tissue to tissue and can differ between normal and pathological conditions. These properties are used in light transport models with various areas of application. In general, tissues have significantly high scattering coefficient when compared to the absorption coefficient and such difference usually increases with decreasing wavelength. The study of the wavelength dependence of the optical properties has been already made for several animal and human tissues, but extensive research is still needed in this field. Considering that most of the Biophotonics techniques used in research and clinical practice use visible to NIR light, we have estimated the optical properties of colorectal muscle (muscularis propria) between 400 and 1000 nm. The samples used were collected from patients undergoing resection surgery for colorectal carcinoma. The estimated scattering coefficient for colorectal muscle decreases exponentially with wavelength from 122 cm(-1) at 400 nm to 95 cm(-1) at 650 nm and to 91 cm(-1) at 1000 nm. The absorption coefficient shows a wavelength dependence according to the behavior seen for other tissues, since it decreases from 8 cm(-1) at 400 nm to 2.6 cm(-1) at 650 nm and to 1.3 cm(-1) at 1000 nm. The estimated optical properties differ from the ones that we have previously obtained for normal and pathological colorectal mucosa. The data obtained in this study covers an extended spectral range and it can be used for planning optical clearing treatments for some wavelengths of interest.