Data Structure for a Time-Based Bandwidth Reservations Problem

We discuss a problem of handling resource reservations. The resource can be reserved for some time, it can be freed or it can be queried what is the largest amount of reserved resource during a time interval. We show that the problem has a lower bound of $\Omega(\log n)$ per operation on average and we give a matching upper bound algorithm. Our solution also solves a dynamic version of the related problems of a prefix sum and a partial sum

Static Data Structure for Discrete Advance Bandwidth Reservations on the Internet

In this paper we present a discrete data structure for reservations of limited resources. A reservation is defined as a tuple consisting of the time interval of when the resource should be reserved, $I_R$, and the amount of the resource that is reserved, $B_R$, formally $R=\{I_R,B_R\}$. The data structure is similar to a segment tree. The maximum spanning interval of the data structure is fixed and defined in advance. The granularity and thereby the size of the intervals of the leaves is also defined in advance. The data structure is built only once. Neither nodes nor leaves are ever inserted, deleted or moved. Hence, the running time of the operations does not depend on the number of reservations previously made. The running time does not depend on the size of the interval of the reservation either. Let $n$ be the number of leaves in the data structure. In the worst case, the number of touched (i.e. traversed) nodes is in any operation $O(\log n)$, hence the running time of any operation is also $O(\log n)$

Good for Living? On the Relation between Globalization and Life Expectancy

This paper analyzes the relation between three dimensions of globalization (economic, social and political) and life expectancy using a panel of 92 countries over the period 1970-2005. Using different estimation techniques and sample groupings we find a very robust positive effect from economic globalization on life expectancy, even when controlling for income, nutritional intake, literacy, number of physicians and several other factors. The result also holds when the sample is restricted to low income countries only. For political and social globalization we find no robust effects.Globalization; health; life expectancy; development

Globalization and Absolute Poverty – A Panel Data Study

Using panel data from more than 100 countries around the world from 1988 through 2007, this paper examines the relationship between economic and social globalization and absolute income poverty ex post. We use the globalization index developed by Dreher (2006) and the World Bank poverty estimates. Using a fixed-effect panel based on five-year averages and using a “long run” first difference regression, we find a robust negative correlation between globalization and poverty. We further examine mechanisms and robustness by separately analyzing the effects of components of economic (trade flows and trade policies) and social globalization (information flows, personal contact and cultural proximity) respectively, controlling for growth, education, inflation, urbanization, and government consumption. Results suggest that information flows and more liberal trade restrictions are robustly negatively correlated with absolute poverty. While growth decreases poverty in the long run, only a small part of the poverty-reducing effect of globalization is mediated via growth.Globalization; Poverty; Panel Data

The Monetary Value of a Human Life - Examining the differences between sectors

Economic evaluation has become an important tool in health and transport economics. To evaluate decisions, thresholds and benchmark values are required. These thresholds can include valuating lives in monetary form. To ensure an efficient distribution of resources the value of human life should be approximately the same between the sectors. In transport economics value of statistical life (VSL) is frequently used and in health economics the value of a quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) is frequently used to compare costs and benefits. I calculate and create a confidence interval (CI) for the transformed VSL in ten countries using official data. In order to see if there is coherence between the sectors the transformed VSL is compared to the threshold QALY values used in the health sector. In addition, using EuroVaQ data, I also explore for four of these countries if the threshold values reflect individuals willingness-to-pay (WTP). Last, the relationship between GDP per capita and the QALY thresholds are analyzed. I conclude that there is little coherence between the sectors, only one country report similar value. In addition the WTP presented in EuroVaQ is lower than both the transformed VSL and the QALY thresholds. The GDP per capita has a positive effect on the thresholds. The results imply that the two sectors value human life differently

Using IT to Make Place in Space: Evaluating Mobile Technology Support for Sport Spectators

This paper reports results from two field trials of TrottingPal, a mobile system that supports event information management and seamless collaboration between spectators at the trotting track. Each aspect of collaboration within this activity has an important influence on spectator activities at the track and how they are organized. The variety of existing information sources at the track poses not only the challenge to get information, but also to use and interpret that information to decide on how to place bets. These findings have been derived during an ethnographic study. The study, of which the design of TrottingPal is based on, has focused on understanding how spectators organize and coordinate their activities and how they exchange relevant event information. This work focuses on two dimensions; (1) the use of TrottingPal within the practices of attending spectators and (2) the usability of the design. The two field trials were focused separately on the two dimensions above. 10 undergraduates were involved in evaluating the design of the system, while 10 experienced spectators participated in the evaluation of its concept and functionality. Conceptual work on the notion of space and place is used as an analytical tool to guide the understanding of technology use by the spectators. The data was analyzed and indicate a change in how spectators go about certain activities while having extended opportunities to access information and other people. Further, findings suggest that the technology introduced extends the notion of place among the users, in terms of enabling a seamless way of information exchange and collaboration

An O(1) Solution to the Prefix Sum Problem on a Specialized Memory Architecture

In this paper we study the Prefix Sum problem introduced by Fredman. We show that it is possible to perform both update and retrieval in O(1) time simultaneously under a memory model in which individual bits may be shared by several words. We also show that two variants (generalizations) of the problem can be solved optimally in $\Theta(\lg N)$ time under the comparison based model of computation.Comment: 12 page

Evaluation of BART for measuring available bandwidth in an industrial application

We report results from a field study using the BART method for measuring available bandwidth in a local IP-network for use in train cars. The test was performed on physical hardware in a laboratory environment for a set of two cars. Test results indicate that BART measurement is viable

Fast all-optical nuclear spin echo technique based on EIT

We demonstrate an all-optical Raman spin echo technique, using Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT) to create the different pulses of the spin echo sequence: initialization, pi-rotation, and readout. The first pulse of the sequence induces coherence directly from a mixed state, and the technique is used to measure the nuclear spin coherence of an inhomogeneously broadened ensemble of rare-earth ions (Pr$^{3+}$). In contrast to previous experiments it does not require any preparatory hole burning pulse sequences, which greatly shortens the total duration of the sequence. The effect of the different pulses is characterized by quantum state tomography and is compared with simulations. We demonstrate two applications of the technique by using the spin echo sequence to accurately compensate a magnetic field across our sample, and to measure the coherence time at high temperatures up to 11 K, where standard preparation techniques are difficult to implement. We explore the potential of the technique and possible applications.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

Navigation Devices for Mobile Phones

A mobile phone has several buttons/keys e.g. numerical keys, side keys, camera buttons and navigation keys. SEMC, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, has mainly used the joystick and the rocker key as their navigation devices since they released their first phone in 2002. These technologies are used in all their phones except smart phones, e.g. W950 and P990. During the years SEMC has experienced some quality problems with their navigation devices, mainly with the joystick, because of the lack of ability to keep dust out. As the development of mobile phones progress, with more functions and larger quantity of data to go through, the need of a navigation device with more possibilities arise. The purpose of this master thesis was to perform a pre-study on the next generation navigation devices for mobile phones and based on that give recommendations to SEMC of which navigation devices suitable to be used in the future