An open problem in the cognitive dimensions of navigation concerns how previous exploratory experience is reorganized in order to allow the creation of novel efficient navigation trajectories. This ...behavior is revealed in the “traveling salesrat problem” (TSP) when rats discover the shortest path linking baited food wells after a few exploratory traversals. We have recently published a model of navigation sequence learning, where sharp wave ripple replay of hippocampal place cells transmit “snippets” of the recent trajectories that the animal has explored to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) (Cazin et al. in PLoS Comput Biol 15:e1006624, 2019). PFC is modeled as a recurrent reservoir network that is able to assemble these snippets into the efficient sequence (trajectory of spatial locations coded by place cell activation). The model of hippocampal replay generates a distribution of snippets as a function of their proximity to a reward, thus implementing a form of spatial credit assignment that solves the TSP task. The integrative PFC reservoir reconstructs the efficient TSP sequence based on exposure to this distribution of snippets that favors paths that are most proximal to rewards. While this demonstrates the theoretical feasibility of the PFC–HIPP interaction, the integration of such a dynamic system into a real-time sensory–motor system remains a challenge. In the current research, we test the hypothesis that the PFC reservoir model can operate in a real-time sensory–motor loop. Thus, the main goal of the paper is to validate the model in simulated and real robot scenarios. Place cell activation encoding the current position of the simulated and physical rat robot feeds the PFC reservoir which generates the successor place cell activation that represents the next step in the reproduced sequence in the readout. This is input to the robot, which advances to the coded location and then generates de novo the current place cell activation. This allows demonstration of the crucial role of embodiment. If the spatial code readout from PFC is played back directly into PFC, error can accumulate, and the system can diverge from desired trajectories. This required a spatial filter to decode the PFC code to a location and then recode a new place cell code for that location. In the robot, the place cell vector output of PFC is used to physically displace the robot and then generate a new place cell coded input to the PFC, replacing part of the software recoding procedure that was required otherwise. We demonstrate how this integrated sensory–motor system can learn simple navigation sequences and then, importantly, how it can synthesize novel efficient sequences based on prior experience, as previously demonstrated (Cazin et al. 2019). This contributes to the understanding of hippocampal replay in novel navigation sequence formation and the important role of embodiment.
Any complex application can be realized as a graph of dependent tasks, and scheduling these tasks onto a limited number of computational resources while satisfying their dependencies is a well-known ...NP-complete optimization problem. For microprocessor systems, several algorithms have been proposed that can efficiently find suboptimal schedules. A solution for dynamically reconfigurable hardware (DRHW), however, is more complicated, as the time and complexity of reconfiguration has to be scheduled as well. The reconfiguration overhead in these systems is significant, and quickly becomes a crucial factor in real-world applications. In this paper, a meta-heuristic method known as Feasibility Assured TSP-likened Scheduling (FATS) is proposed in which the scheduling problem is translated into a construction graph, similar to Travelling Sales Person (TSP) problem, such that it would be able to benefit from the advantages of Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithm. Moreover, by exploiting such a construction graph, precedence constraints and system limitations are satisfied beforehand, the feasibility of solutions is assured, while avoiding the costly solution repair operations. To demonstrate the performance of the proposed method, it was tested on several synthetic and real-world benchmark task graphs and the results were compared with a selection of classic and state-of-the-art algorithms. A comprehensive set of experiments was performed to evaluate the method in terms of efficiency, execution time, scalability and reliability. In brief, the results of experiments on benchmarks showed that on average FATS outperforms HPSO-GA and BGA by 8.4 % and 12.2 % respectively in terms of the quality of the solutions, and its run-time is far less than the state-of-the-art algorithms. Also, on synthetic graphs the makespan improvements of the solutions generated by FATS and GA over the List scheduler are on average 11.2 % and 6.8 % better respectively; and from the execution-time point of view, our method is 27.37 % faster than GA. Moreover, the results confirm that the proposed method is scalable for large task graphs and its reliability is superior to other compared algorithms.
Many companies face a classic problem in sales people’s turn-over or under-target because of uncompeteny of sales people or highly unreasonable sales target. On the other side, management has a ...perception that the sales people they have are uncompetence and more recruitment for sales people is not reasonable with cost and budget. If the company can not determine the sales force size, it will make a bad culture and business would not run properly. Through this research, the simply formulation will be applied at Jakarta Branch of a general insurance company LIGI (JLIGI) to their sales force at the existing condition and including in 2011. The formulations that will be applied for JLIGI are using breakdown method, workload method, and incremental method. Those three methods have each advantage and disadvantage, whereas breakdown method is a simple and general method, workload method is a more structural method and incremental method needs cost and profitability analysis of the years.
When examining retail patronage, customer satisfaction must also be considered. Secondary resources (American Marketing Association, 2007; Berman, 2011; Berry, 2008; Chang, 2006:209; Helgesen & ...Nesset, 2007: 129 and Kong and Jogaratnam, 2007:279) observed that customer satisfaction is the degree to which a customer’s expectations agree with the actual performance of the product and or service. South African consumers situated in Gauteng consider a sales person’s product knowledge as the most important attribute when making purchasing decisions. American consumers in contrast consider sales person respect as the most important attribute when making purchasing decisions. The implications for marketers and sales managers are that marketers and sales managers must provide adequate training for their sales personnel in order for them to treat customers in such a way to obtain their loyalty. The quality of the products sold at the retailer does not form part of the trade-off options that customers are presented with.
Product placement in the cashier and using sales person have important effects for impulse purchasing in a retail that will increase company selling. The purpose of this research is to acknowledge ...product placement influences in cashier and sales person towards buying impulse in GIANT hypermart in Plaza Semanggi, Jakarta. The research is associative research. Data collecting technique is done by spreading questionnaire to consumers in GIANT Hypermart Plaza Semanggi and interview with the management. Data analysis technique is by validation and reliability test, normality, simple and double regression test with software SPSS 16.0. The research result shows that the product placement variable in cashier and sales person influenced simultaneously and significantly to impulse buying.
This study has two objectives; first, knowing the job motivation and individual competence contribution towards the performance of salesperson at Ray White Cengkareng. Second, knowing the job ...motivation, individual competence, performance contribution towards selling of salesperson at Ray White Cengkareng. The type of this study used is associative survey and the analysis technique used is the path analysis. The data are obtained through a survey with questionnaire as the main instrument which were distributed to salesperson and manager of Ray White Cengkareng who were chosen as respondents. The results of this study indicate that the job motivation and individual competence contributes simultaneously and significantly towards the performance of salesperson. Besides, the job motivation, individual competence, and performance contribute simultaneously and significantly towards selling of salesperson.
The film is fully in the tradition of ethnographic documentary. The description of the Somali capital refers to the same cinematic medium, between the white of the ancient architecture of different ...periods and styles and the black of the skin of its people, described as "indigenous", in a vision still heir to the colonial dimension, in which the white neighborhoods are the institutional ones while the natives are relegated to the slums. Yet, the story of the markets, of the so-called "big city" and of the working activities of the local population, seems to want to free itself from the colonialist dichotomy through a more careful look at the real life of the real inhabitants of Mogadishu.
Il film è parte della tradizione del documentario etnografico. La descrizione della capitale somala fa riferimento allo stesso medium cinematografico, tra il bianco delle antiche architetture di epoche e stili diversi e il nero della pelle della sua gente, definita "indigena", in una visione ancora erede della dimensione coloniale , in cui i quartieri bianchi sono quelli istituzionali mentre i nativi sono relegati negli slum. Eppure, la storia dei mercati, della cosiddetta "grande città" e delle attività lavorative della popolazione locale, sembra volersi liberare dalla dicotomia colonialista attraverso uno sguardo più attento alla vita reale dei veri abitanti di Mogadiscio.
With increasing emphasis on relationship selling, a bond is often formed between the salesperson and each customer. When a salesperson leaves to work for a competitor, customers may follow. Small ...companies are particularly vulnerable since they lack the resources necessary for many sales force retention strategies. The suggestion is made that such companies can implement "bridging strategies," company-level relationship strategies designed to supplement the relationship between the sales rep and the customer, with the distinct objective of retaining customers following salesperson defection. Using the three levels of relationship marketing described by Berry and Parasuraman (1991), specific bridging strategies are identified and analyzed. The pharmaceutical industry is discussed as an example.
PDF
