Efficient Oblivious Branching Programs for Threshold and Mod Functions

AbstractIn his survey paper on branching programs, Razborov asked the following question: Does every rectifier-switching network computing the majority ofnbits have sizen1+Ω(1)? We answer this question in the negative by constructing a simple oblivious branching program of sizeO[nlog3n/loglognlogloglogn] for computing any threshold function. This improves the previously best known upper bound ofO(n3/2) due to Lupanov. We also construct oblivious branching programs of sizeo(nlog4n) for computing general mod functions. All previously known constructions for computing general mod functions have sizeΩ(n3/2)

Theoretical and practical efficiency aspects in cryptography

EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Occupational health and safety for informal sector workers: the case of street traders in Nigeria

This study examined two important types of occupational hazards in the street trading activities in Nigeria which are (i) injuries sustained from road traffic accident and (ii) harassment of traders through indiscriminate arrest, seizure and confiscation of merchandise and occasional incarceration of sellers in police cells without trials. The data for the study was generated from a 2011 national survey of 3,873 street traders in Nigeria which was made possible through a research grant provided by the Covenant University’s Centre for Research and Development. In addition to the descriptive statistics used in profiling the street traders, the binary logistic regression approach was also used to estimate the log of odds of experiencing occupational hazards in street trading activities. The study found out that 25% of the traders have suffered injury, while 49.1% have experienced harassment from public authority officials. Given these findings, policy measures that are capable of enhancing the safety of street traders, and stem urban-ward migration have been proposed

Proceedings of the 8th International Conference EEMODS'2013 Energy Efficiency in Motor Driven Systems

This book contains the papers presented at the eighth international conference on Energy Efficiency in Motor Driven Systems EEMODS 2013 EEMODS 2013 was organised in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil from 28 to 30 October 2013. This major international conference, which was previously been staged in Lisbon (1996), London (1999), Treviso (2002), Heidelberg (2005), Beijing (2007), Nantes (2009) and Washington DC (2011) has been very successful in attracting an international and distinguished audience, representing a wide variety of stakeholders in policy implementation and development, manufacturing and promotion of energy-efficient motor systems, including key policy makers, equipment manufacturers, academia and end-users. Potential readers who may benefit from this book include researchers, engineers, policymakers, energy agencies, electric utilities, and all those who can influence the design, selection, application, and operation of electrical motor driven systems.JRC.F.7-Renewables and Energy Efficienc