CI - Retrieve throughput reference even from failed pipelines using GitLab API

Workaround the issue where the throughput reference artifact can only be downloaded from successful pipelines

• use GitLab API to select the exact (completed) pipeline to download the reference artifact from, regardless of status
• Split publish throughput across publish and test stages.
• Make log output more readable to users.
• Provide more information about which reference was selected.
• Reintroduce needs: in full pipeline
• Fixed some missing percentage conversions in check_throughput.py
• Removed some strict checks that were causing references not to be saved

cc @dovombru @dcampora