Exact Algorithms for Maximum Clique: a computational study

We investigate a number of recently reported exact algorithms for the maximum clique problem (MCQ, MCR, MCS, BBMC). The program code used is presented and critiqued showing how small changes in implementation can have a drastic effect on performance. The computational study demonstrates how problem features and hardware platforms influence algorithm behaviour. The minimum width order (smallest-last) is investigated, and MCS is broken into its consituent parts and we discover that one of these parts degrades performance. It is shown that the standard procedure used for rescaling published results is unsafe.Comment: 40 pages, 14 figures, 10 tables, 12 short java program listings, code afailable to download at http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/~pat/maxClique/distribution

A Constraint Programming Approach to the Hospitals / Residents Problem

An instance I of the Hospitals / Residents problem (HR) involves a set of residents (graduating medical students) and a set of hospitals, where each hospital has a given capacity. The residents have preferences for the hospitals, as do hospitals for residents. A solution of I is a stable matching, which is an assignment of residents to hospitals that respects the capacity conditions and preference lists in a precise way. In this paper we present constraint encodings for HR that give rise to important structural properties. We also present a computational study using both randomly-generated and real-world instances. Our study suggests that Constraint Programming is indeed an applicable technology for solving this problem, in terms of both theory and practice

Progress on the Road to Open Access

Intervention à la préconférence au congrès LIBER 2004 organisée par SPARC Europe. Présentation de l\u27activité de SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) et perspectives du libre accès à l\u27information scientifique : self-archiving, open archives, open-access journals

The next information revolution : Can institutional repositories and open access transform scholarly communications ?

Diaporama d\u27une intervention au 32e congrès LIBER qui s\u27est tenu à Rome du 17 au 20 juin 2003. L\u27évolution du modèle de publication peut être une chance pour les auteurs de mieux faire connaître leurs travaux, notamment grâce aux archives ouvertes. Rôle central des bibliothèques pour l\u27aide aux chercheurs et étudiants en matière de recensement, de système de dépôt, d\u27accès et d\u27information

Will David Willetts be remembered for progressive push for Open Access or pernicious effects of neoliberal academy?

Now that the cabinet reshuffle news has settled and Greg Clark MP, the new Minister for Universities, Science, and Cities has begun his tenure, we asked for further reflections on the positions taken by previous minister David Willetts. David Prosser covers the dramatic influence Willetts had on open access legislation and momentum in the UK. Lee Jones instead emphasises the escalation of marketisation in higher education and the damaging consequences of market-driven intensification for teaching and research activities

The effects of heat versus cold disinfection on the Wesley-Jessen Durasoft 4 Litetint soft contact lens

An evaluation of the Wesley-Jessen 74% water Durasoft 4 LiteTint soft contact lens was made using 18 lenses on nine subjects and two pairs of control lenses. Five subjects cold disinfected the lenses and four subjects heat disinfected the lenses using Softmate PS regimens. One pair of control lenses was disinfected with each system . The results of the study show that heat disinfection can damage these lenses. Three of five pairs of lenses that were heat disinfected showed discoloration upon completion of the study. This includes one pair of control lenses which were heated once daily for 6 months, the duration of the study. All cold disinfected lenses remained normal. Other results show problems with Durasoft 4 lenses not attributable to the type of disinfection used. These problems include: difficulty in handling and determining whether inside-out or not, discomfort and severe drying symptoms, a rapid decrease in wearing time, and a tendency to accumulate deposits rapidly. Only one subject remained in the study for the 6 month duration. All others left early due to lens discomfort. Each subject was seen on a follow-up schedule and normal clinical methods were used to evaluate symptomology, fitting characteristics, and refractive changes. The results suggest that dehydration in these high water content lenses is the primary problem leading to discomfort