Succinct Representation of Labeled Graphs

In many applications, the properties of an object being modeled are stored as labels on vertices or edges of a graph. In this paper, we consider succinct representation of labeled graphs. Our main results are the succinct representations of labeled and multi-labeled graphs (we consider planar triangulations, planar graphs and k-page graphs) to support various label queries efficiently. The additional space cost to store the labels is essentially the information-theoretic minimum. As far as we know, our representations are the first succinct representations of labeled graphs. We also have two preliminary results to achieve the main contribution. First, we design a succinct representation of unlabeled planar triangulations to support the rank/select of edges in ccw (counter clockwise) order in addition to the other operations supported in previous work. Second, we design a succinct representation for a k-page graph when k is large to support various navigational operations more efficiently. In particular, we can test the adjacency of two vertices in O(lg?k) time, while previous work uses O(k) time.     

Fabrication of polystyrene microfluidic devices using a pulsed CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> laser system

In this article, we described a simple and rapid method for fabrication of droplet microfluidic devices on polystyrene substrate using a CO₂ laser system. The effects of the laser power and the cutting speed on the depth, width and aspect ratio of the microchannels fabricated on polystyrene were investigated. The polystyrene microfluidic channels were encapsulated using a hot press bonding technique. The experimental results showed that both discrete droplets and laminar flows could be obtained in the device.     

Counting clicks and beeps: Exploring numerosity based haptic and audio PIN entry

Haptic and audio cues now appear commonly in computer interfaces, partially due to inherent advantages such as their support for eyes-free interaction. Their invisible, unobservable nature also makes them ideal candidates for security interfaces in which users have to enter secret information such as passwords. In particular, researchers have explored this idea through the design of PIN entry authentication systems based on multi-modal combinations of visual and non-visual content or on the recognition of small sets of unimodal haptic or audio stimuli. This paper highlights the benefits and performance limitations of these approaches and introduces an alternative based on unimodal audio or haptic temporal numerosity – the ability to accurately and rapidly determine the number of cues presented in rapid temporal succession. In essence, in a numerosity interface, rather than recognizing distinct cues, users must count the number of times that a single cue occurs. In an iterative process of design and evaluation, three prototypes implementing this concept are presented and studies of their use reported. The results show the fastest PIN entry times and lowest error rates to be 8 s and 2%, figures that improve substantially on previous research. These results are attained while maintaining low levels of workload and substantial resistance to observation attack (as determined via camera attack security studies). In sum, this paper argues that unimodal audio and haptic numerosity is a valuable and relatively unexplored metaphor for non-visual input and demonstrates the validity of this claim in the demanding task of unobservable authentication systems.     

Exploitation versus Exploration in Market Competition

A general simulation model of market competition is developed to explore the effectiveness of and interactions between different types of product exploration and exploitation strategies, that is, innovation, imitation and process improvement. The model, like real markets, is highly non-linear such that analytical solutions are not possible. We use simulation experiments to examine firm survival and the effectiveness of different strategies under different market conditions including competitors' strategies, how long it takes for each strategy to bear fruit and how costly it is, and the timing, growth and duration of product life cycles. The model is implemented on the Internet and provides the basis for further experiments to examine the impact of different combinations of firm strategies on survival and performance.     

Remembering the Good, Forgetting the Bad: Intentional Forgetting of Emotional Material in Depression.

The authors examined intentional forgetting of negative material in depression. Participants were instructed to not think about emotional nouns that they had learned to associate with a neutral cue word. The authors provided participants with multiple occasions to suppress the unwanted words. Overall, depressed participants successfully forgot negative words. Moreover, the authors obtained a clear practice effect. However, forgetting came at a cost: Compared with the nondepressed participants and with the depressed participants who were instructed to forget positive words, depressed participants who were instructed to forget negative words showed significantly worse recall of the baseline words. These results indicate that training depressed individuals in intentional forgetting could prove to be an effective strategy to counteract automatic ruminative tendencies and mood-congruent biases. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparative Optimism About Health and Nonhealth Events in 8- and 9-Year-Old Children.

Comparative optimism has been studied extensively in adults and is a significant component of social- cognitive models about health. In contrast, little is known about comparative optimism in children or about the wider social- cognitive processes that underpin their health-related behavior. This study investigated comparative optimism for health- and nonhealth-related topics in 101 children 8 or 9 years of age, the youngest ages that have been investigated so far. Children were shown to be unrealistically optimistic for health and nonhealth events. The implications of these findings for understanding comparative optimism in children are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Towards quality requirements via animated formal specifications

Assuring a high quality requirements specification document involves both an early validation process and an increased level of participation. An approach and its supporting environment which combines the benefits of a formal system specification and its subsequent execution via a rapid prototype is reported. The environment assists in the construction, clarification, validation and visualisation of a formal specification. An illustrative case study demonstrates the consequences of assertions about system properties at this early stage of software development. Our approach involves the pragmatic combination of technical benefits of formal systems engineering based techniques with the context‐sensitive notions of increased participation of both developer and user stakeholders to move us closer towards a quality requirements specification document.     

The Managerial Implications of Real-Time New Product Development in Financial Services

A review of the various models of New Product Development (NPD) process shows that although different approaches have been proposed, they are in fact all variants on a linear theme: some may include feedback loops, but they all essentially advocate that certain steps precede, or are preceded by, others. An inevitable consequence on the Internet/World Wide Web (WWW or Web) is that such models are no longer applicable. Based on the lessons learned from the development of a new financial service offered via the Internet, we show how such assumptions of linearity need no longer be a constraint. In addition, innovativeness is not related to firm size. But the fact that the Web allows for the real-time development of new financial services based on on-going feedback from potential and current customers raises a new set of managerial issues that have to be tackled. The objective of this paper is to use the context of the recent launch of an innovative financial service product via the Web to explore the managerial changes that are starting to affect the banking industry.     

Modelling and solving English Peg Solitaire

Peg Solitaire is a well known puzzle, which can prove difficult despite its simple rules. Pegs are arranged on a board such that at least one ‘hole’ remains. By making draughts/checkers-like moves, pegs are gradually removed until no further moves are possible or some goal configuration is achieved. This paper considers the English variant, consisting of a board in a cross shape with 33 holes. Modelling Peg Solitaire via constraint or integer programming techniques presents a considerable challenge and is examined in detail. The merits of the resulting models are discussed and they are compared empirically. The sequential nature of the puzzle naturally conforms to a planning problem, hence we also present an experimental comparison with several leading AI planning systems. Other variants of the puzzle, such as ‘Fool's Solitaire’ and ‘Long-hop’ Solitaire are also considered.