Resource-Efficient Wireless Systems for Emerging Wireless Networks

As the wireless medium has become the primary source of communication and Internet connectivity, and as devices and wireless technologies become more sophisticated and capable, there has been a surge in the capacity demands and complexity of applications that run over these wireless devices. To sustain the volume and QoE guarantees of the data generated, the opportunity and need to rethink wireless network design across all the layers of the protocol stack has firmly emerged as a solution to enable the timely and reliable delivery of data, while handling the inherent challenges of a crowded wireless medium, such as congestion, interference, and hidden terminals. The research work presented in this dissertation builds efficient solutions and protocols with a theoretical foundation to address the challenges that arise in rethinking wireless network design. Example challenges include managing the overhead associated with complex systems. My work particularly focuses on the opportunities and challenges of sophisticated technology and systems in emerging wireless networks. I target the main thrusts in the evolution of wireless networks that create significant opportunity to achieve higher theoretical capacity, and have direct implications on our day-to-day wireless interactions: from enabling multifold increase in capacity in wireless physical links, to developing medium access techniques to exploit the high speed links, and making the applications more bandwidth efficient. I build deployable, and resource-aware wireless systems that exploit higher bandwidths by leveraging and advancing diverse research areas such as theory, analysis, protocol design, and wireless networking. Specifically, I identify the erroneous assumptions and fundamental limitations of existing solutions in capturing the true and complex interactions between wireless devices and protocols. I use these insights to guide practical and efficient protocol design, followed by thorough analysis and evaluation in testbed implementations via prototypes and measurements. I show that my proposed solutions achieve significant performance gains, at minimum cost to overhead

Information Management and Market Engineering. Vol. II

The research program Information Management and Market Engineering focuses on the analysis and the design of electronic markets. Taking a holistic view of the conceptualization and realization of solutions, the research integrates the disciplines business administration, economics, computer science, and law. Topics of interest range from the implementation, quality assurance, and advancement of electronic markets to their integration into business processes and legal frameworks

Stakeholders' reactions toward iodine biofortified foods : an application of protection motivation theory and technology acceptance model

This doctoral dissertation investigates stakeholders’ reactions toward iodine biofortified foods. Iodine deficiency alone affects over 2 billion people worldwide, and is particularly prevalent in developing countries. Iodine is an essential trace element found in seafood and iodized salt, as well as certain vegetables and is important for growth and development throughout the body, as well as cognitive development. Given the critical role of iodine in human nutrition, various strategies have been implemented to reduce iodine deficiency and Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD). However, despite considerable progress through iodine fortification, the goal is still far from being achieved. Therefore, there is a need to explore the potential of new approaches, such as iodine biofortification. Biofortification is a strategy to enhance micronutrient concentrations in staple crops, either through conventional or transgenic breeding techniques. Given its status as an agriculture-based, micronutrient strategy, a thorough insight into stakeholder reactions is necessary, examining stakeholders from both the demand-side (consumers) and the supply-side (farmers). A conceptual framework bringing together behavioural change models, technology acceptance modelling and an economic valuation technique was developed and tested for use in stakeholder analysis. Six distinct studies were conducted, targeting locations drawn from three East African countries: Kenya; Uganda; and Tanzania, which have high levels of iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) as well as retarded mental and neurological development coupled with poor school performance. These locations meet the criteria for iodine deficiency endemic areas with a large at risk population that seldom benefits from the existing intervention programs. All model constructs in the framework are decisive in determining the uptake of iodine biofortification. Consistent with evaluation of food with nutritional benefits, stakeholders on both the demand (parents and school heads) and supply-side (small-scale farmers) had favourable reactions towards iodine biofortified food, the uptake of which could drastically change the trend in iodine intake in iodine deficiency endemic areas. These findings present a niche opportunity for producers to tap into the demand market created. In principle, the findings could shape the policy terrain for addressing iodine deficiency, as well as ameliorating the nutrition intervention campaign through agricultural-based interventions, such as biofortification

Multi-Agent Systems

This Special Issue ""Multi-Agent Systems"" gathers original research articles reporting results on the steadily growing area of agent-oriented computing and multi-agent systems technologies. After more than 20 years of academic research on multi-agent systems (MASs), in fact, agent-oriented models and technologies have been promoted as the most suitable candidates for the design and development of distributed and intelligent applications in complex and dynamic environments. With respect to both their quality and range, the papers in this Special Issue already represent a meaningful sample of the most recent advancements in the field of agent-oriented models and technologies. In particular, the 17 contributions cover agent-based modeling and simulation, situated multi-agent systems, socio-technical multi-agent systems, and semantic technologies applied to multi-agent systems. In fact, it is surprising to witness how such a limited portion of MAS research already highlights the most relevant usage of agent-based models and technologies, as well as their most appreciated characteristics. We are thus confident that the readers of Applied Sciences will be able to appreciate the growing role that MASs will play in the design and development of the next generation of complex intelligent systems. This Special Issue has been converted into a yearly series, for which a new call for papers is already available at the Applied Sciences journal’s website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci/special_issues/Multi-Agent_Systems_2019

Journal of Telecommunications and Information Technology, 2011, nr 3

kwartalni

An analysis of regulatory frameworks for wireless communications, societal concerns and risk: the case of radio frequency (RF) allocation and licensing.

This thesis analyses how and why culture and geography influence the allocation and licensing of the radio frequency (RF) spectrum in different nations. Based on a broad study of 235 countries, an inter-disciplinary approach is used to explore regulatory frameworks and attitudes toward risk. In addition, detailed case studies of the UK, France, the US and Ecuador provide deeper insights into the main contrasting regulatory styles. Three alternative sociological theories are used to analyse and explain the results for both the in-depth and broad brush studies. The Cultural Theory of Mary Douglas and co-workers is first used to categorise countries in terms of perceptual filters. The empirical findings indicate some countries to be apparently exceptional in their behaviour. The theory of Bounded Rationality is used to investigate and explain these apparent irrationalities. Finally, Rational Field Theory shows how beliefs and values guide administrations in their RF regulation. A number of key factors are found to dominate and patterns emerge. The European RF harmonisation is unique. Following European unification, wireless regulation is divided into two major camps (the EU and the US), which differ in their risk concerns, approach to top-down mandated standards, allocation of RF spectrum to licence-exempt bands and type approval process. The adoption of cellular and TV standards around the world reflects geopolitical and colonial influence. The language of a country is a significant indicator of its analogue TV standard. Interestingly, the longitude of a country to a fair extent defines RF allocation: Africa and West Asia follow Europe, whereas the Americas approximate the US. RF regulation and risk tolerability differ between tropical and non-tropical climates. The collectivised/centralised versus the individualised/market-based rationalities result in different regulatory frameworks and contrasting societal and risk concerns. The success of the top-down European GSM and the bottom-up Wi-Fi standards reveal how the central- planning and market-based approaches have thrived. Attitudes to RF human hazards and spurious emissions levels reveal that the US, Canada and Japan are more tolerant of these risks than Europe. Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK and USA encourage technological innovation. A practical benefit of this study is that it will give regulators more freedom to choose a rational RF licensing protocol, by better understanding the possibly self-imposed boundaries of cultural and geographical factors which are currently shaping allocation. Academically, there is utility in undertaking a cultural and geographic analysis of a topic that is mostly the domain of engineering, economic and legal analysts

Solving Multi-objective Integer Programs using Convex Preference Cones

Esta encuesta tiene dos objetivos: en primer lugar, identificar a los individuos que fueron víctimas de algún tipo de delito y la manera en que ocurrió el mismo. En segundo lugar, medir la eficacia de las distintas autoridades competentes una vez que los individuos denunciaron el delito que sufrieron. Adicionalmente la ENVEI busca indagar las percepciones que los ciudadanos tienen sobre las instituciones de justicia y el estado de derecho en Méxic