We apply competitive analysis onto the problem of minimizing the number of queries to an oracle to completely reconstruct a given monotone Boolean function. Besides lower and upper bounds on the competitivity we determine optimal deterministic online algorithms for the smallest problem instances.

_________________________________________________________________________ This thesis investigates potential psychophysiological mechanisms to explain the effects of competition on performance. In the first experiment novice participants undertook a golf putting task under varying levels of competitive pressure. Fewer putts were holed with increased competitive pressure. Mediation analyses reve...

The research suggests that Chinese companies do not subscribe to ‘western’ strategy theory. As they rapidly internationalise through massive Foreign Direct Investment, Chinese companies are developing new perspectives on achieving competitiveness. A comparison of the Resource-Based View of strategy (RBV) constructs from western literature with identified (indigent) Chinese business strategies f...

High demanding work environments are sources of potentially harmful stress reactions. Chronic stress experienced in working life generates an autonomic dysregulation, which in turn results in high resting heart rate and blood pressure, as well as reduced vagal tone. Here, we proposed a novel approach that exploits competitive biofeedback to reduce negative psychological and physiological outcom...

In an era of global economic recession, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are experiencing severe pressure from budget reduction. As a result, they have been forced to develop more competitive ways in order to tap on resources and capabilities stemming from contemporary rapid technological and organisational changes. Thus, quality management issues have drawn the interest of academics and pr...

Modern manufacturing systems are facing a globally competitive market to an extent not experienced before. This competitive pressure forces manufacturers to produce more products with shorter life span and better quality, yet at a lower cost. To succeed in this environment, manufacturing firms need to have an accurate estimate of product design and development costs. This is especially importan...

Communities containing species that are not niche differentiated require somemechanism to avoid the expected competitive exclusion of all but one or a few species. Predator pressure has long been held to be one of thosemechanisms. Here, we show that the critical feature of predation is not its intensity, but its degree of specialization. Neither highly specialist nor highly generalist predators...