bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An open-source binary utility generator
Authors: Baldassin Alexandro , Centoducatte Paulo , Rigo Sandro , Casarotto Daniel , Santos Luiz C. V. , Schultz Max , Furtado Olinto
Published: April 2008

Electronic system level (ESL) modeling allows early hardware-dependent software (HDS) development. Due to broad CPU diversity and shrinking time-to-market, HDS development can neither rely on hand-retargeting binary tools, nor can it rely on pre-existent tools within standard packages. As a consequence, binary utilities which can be easily adapted to new CPU targets are of increasing interest. We present in this article a framework for automatic generation of binary utilities. It relies on two innovative ideas: platform-aware modeling and more inclusive relocation handling. Generated assemblers, linkers, disassemblers and debuggers were validated for MIPS, SPARC, PowerPC, i8051 and PIC16F84. An open-source prototype generator is available for download.
Reconfigurable content-based router using hardware-accelerated language parser
Authors: Moscola James , Lockwood John W. , Cho Young H.
Published: April 2008

This article presents a dense logic design for matching multiple regular expressions with a field programmable gate array (FPGA) at 10+ Gbps. It leverages on the design techniques that enforce the shortest critical path on most FPGA architectures while optimizing the circuit size. The architecture is capable of supporting a maximum throughput of 12.90 Gbps on a Xilinx Virtex 4 LX200 and its performance is linearly scalable with size. Additionally, this article presents techniques for parsing data streams to provide semantic information for patterns found within a data stream. We illustrate how a content-based router can be implemented with our parsing techniques using an XML parser as an example. The content-based router presented was designed, implemented, and tested in a Xilinx Virtex XCV2000E FPGA on the FPX platform. It is capable of processing 32-bits of data per clock cycle and runs at 100 MHz. This allows the system to process and route XML messages at 3.2 Gbps.
Radio frequency identification prototyping
Authors: Jones Alex K. , Dontharaju Swapna , Tung Shenchih , Mats Leo , Hawrylak Peter J. , Hoare Raymond R. , Cain James T. , Mickle Marlin H.
Published: April 2008

While RFID is starting to become a ubiquitious technology, the variation between different RFID systems still remains high. This paper presents several prototyping environments for different components of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags to demonstrate how many of these components can be standardized for many different purposes. We include two active tag prototypes, one based on a microprocessor and the second based on custom hardware. To program these devices we present a design automation flow that allows RFID transactions to be described in terms of primitives with behavior written in ANSI C code. To save power with active RFID devices we describe a passive transceiver switch called the “burst switch” and demonstrate how this can be used in a system with a microprocessor or custom hardware controller. Finally, we present a full RFID system prototyping environment based on real-time spectrum analysis technology currently deployed at the University of Pittsburgh RFID Center of Excellence. Using our prototyping techniques we show how transactions from multiple standards can be combined and targeted to several microprocessors include the Microchip PIC, Intel StrongARM and XScale, and AD Chips EISC as well as several hardware targets including the Altera Apex, Actel Fusion, Xilinx Coolrunner II, Spartan 3 and Virtex 2, and cell-based ASICs.
Parametric variability analysis for multistage analog circuits using analytical sensitivity modeling
Authors: Liu Fang , Ozev Sule , Nikolov Plamen K.
Published: April 2008

Process variations play an increasingly important role on the success of analog circuits. State-of-the-art analog circuits are based on complex architectures and contain many hierarchical layers and parameters. Knowledge of the parameter variances and their contribution patterns is crucial for a successful design process. This information is valuable to find solutions for many problems in design, design automation, testing, and fault tolerance. In this article, we present a hierarchical variance analysis methodology for multistage analog circuits. Starting from the process/layout level, we derive implicit hierarchical relations and extract the sensitivity information analytically. We make use of previously computed values whenever possible so as to reduce computational time. The proposed approach is particularly geared for the domain of design and test automation, where multiple runs on slightly different circuits are necessary. Experimental results indicate that the proposed method provides both accuracy and computational efficiency when compared with prior approaches.
A fast simultaneous input vector generation and gate replacement algorithm for leakage power reduction
Authors: Cheng Lei , Chen Deming , Wong Martin D. F.
Published: April 2008

The Input vector control (IVC) technique is based on the observation that the leakage current in a CMOS logic gate depends on gate input state, and a good input vector is able to minimize leakage when the circuit is in sleep mode. The gate replacement technique is a very effective method to further reduce the leakage current. In this article, we propose a fast heuristic algorithm to find a low-leakage input vector with simultaneous gate replacement. Results on MCNC91 benchmark circuits show that our algorithm produces 14% better leakage current reduction with several orders of magnitude speedup in runtime for large circuits compared to the previous state-of-the-art algorithm. In particular, the average runtime for the ten largest combinational circuits has been dramatically reduced from 1879 seconds to 0.34 seconds.
A model of the spread of randomly scanning Internet worms that saturate access links
Authors: Kesidis George , Hamadeh Ihab , Jin Youngmi , Jiwasurat Soranun , Vojnović Milan
Published: April 2008

We present a simple, deterministic mathematical model for the spread of randomly scanning and bandwidth-saturating Internet worms. Such worms include Slammer and Witty, both of which spread extremely rapidly. Our model, consisting of coupled Kermack-McKendrick (a.k.a. stratified susceptibles-infectives (SI)) equations, captures both the measured scanning activity of the worm and the network limitation of its spread, that is, the effective scan-rate per worm/infective. The Internet is modeled as an ideal core network to which each peripheral (e.g., enterprise) network is connected via a single access link. It is further assumed in this note that as soon as a single end-system in the peripheral network is infected by the worm, the subsequent scanning of the rest of the Internet saturates the access link, that is, there is “instant” saturation. We fit our model to available data for the Slammer worm and demonstrate the model's ability to accurately represent Slammer's total scan-rate to the core.
Molecular QCA design with chemically reasonable constraints
Authors: Crocker Michael , Niemier Michael , Hu X. Sharon , Lieberman Marya
Published: April 2008

In this article we examine the impacts of the fundamental constraints required for circuits and systems made from molecular Quantum-dot Cellular Automata (QCA) devices. Our design constraints are “chemically reasonable” in that we consider the characteristics and dimensions of devices and scaffoldings that have actually been fabricated. This work is a necessary first step for any work in QCA CAD, and can also help shape experiments in the physical sciences for emerging, nano-scale devices. Our work shows that QCA circuits, scaffoldings, substrates, and devices should all be considered simultaneously. Otherwise, there is a very real possibility that the devices and scaffoldings that are eventually manufactured will result in devices that only work in isolation. “Chemically reasonable” also means that expected manufacturing defects must be considered. In our simulations we introduce defects associated with self-assembled systems into various designs to begin to define manufacturing tolerances. This work is especially timely as experimentalists are beginning to work on merging experimental tracks that address devices and scaffolds—and the end result should facilitate correct logical operations.
Comparing conceptual modeling techniques
Authors: Aguirre-Urreta Miguel I. , Marakas George M.
Published: April 2008

The empirical literature comparing entity relationship and object-oriented modeling techniques, while vibrant, has often yielded equivocal findings. This review employs Norman's (1986) Theory of Action to distinguish between model creation and comprehension studies, and applies and extends the theoretical framework proposed by Gemino and Wand (2004) to highlight and detail several issues that may need further exploration if consistent results in this stream are to be realized. Specifically, this paper explores why and how issues of ontological foundation, training, equivalence of conceptual models, and modeling practices may result in differences between alternative modeling techniques. A comprehensive picture of this literature is provided and a number of potential avenues for future research are proposed.
Implications of researcher assumptions about perceived relative advantage and compatibility
Authors: Van Slyke Craig , Johnson Richard D. , Hightower Ross , Elgarah Wafa
Published: April 2008

Although scale reuse is an important and efficient research practice, it may not always be the most appropriate practice. Mechanistically reusing scales developed for a particular context may lead to a variety of undesirable effects. One of the risks is that frequently reused scales can inadvertently begin to alter the definitions of related constructs. When this occurs, a full understanding of the constructs can be lost. Innovation diffusion is one area in which evidence suggests that this has occurred, specifically for relative advantage and compatibility.

This article seeks to better understand the risks of mechanistic scale reuse within the information systems field, with a specific focus on the relative advantage and compatibility constructs. We review the information systems literature focusing on IT adoption and diffusion, examining the theoretical and empirical relationships between relative advantage and compatibility. Evidence from this review indicates that there may be both conceptual and empirical overlap between the two, which has led to inconsistent empirical and theoretical treatment of the constructs across studies. We also report an empirical examination of the domain coverage of the scales, which provides evidence that the scales a) exhibit a high degree of conceptual and empirical overlap and b) only represent a subset of their full conceptualization. We offer recommendations for researchers who wish to use these constructs in future work.
An SLA perspective on the router buffer sizing problem
Authors: Sommers Joel , Barford Paul , Greenberg Albert , Willinger Walter
Published: April 2008

In this paper, we discuss recent work on buffer sizing in the context of an ISP's need to offer and guarantee competitive Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to its customers. Since SLAs specify the performance that an ISP guarantees to its customers, they provide critical context for many configuration and provisioning decisions and have specific relevance to buffer sizing. We use a controlled laboratory environment to explore the tradeoffs between buffer size and a set of performance metrics over a range of traffic mixtures for three different router designs. Our empirical study reveals performance profiles that are surprisingly robust to differences in router architecture and traffic mix and suggests a design space within which buffer sizing decisions can be made in practice. We then present a preliminary approach for making buffer sizing decisions within this framework that relates directly to performance and provisioning requirements in SLAs.
A Diophantine model of routes in structured P2P overlays
Authors: Korzun Dmitry , Gurtov Andrei
Published: April 2008

An important problem in any structured Peer-to-Peer (P2P) overlay is what routes are available between peers. Understanding the structure of routes helps to solve challenging problems related to routing performance, security, and scalability. In this paper, we propose a theoretical approach for describing routes. It is based on a recent result in the linear Diophantine analysis and introduces a novel Diophantine model of P2P routes. Such a route aggregates several P2P paths that packets follow. A commutative context-free grammar describes the forwarding behavior of P2P nodes. Derivations in the grammar correspond to P2P routes. Initial and final strings of a derivation define packet sources and destinations, respectively. Based on that we construct a linear Diophantine equation system, where any solution counts forwarding actions in a route representing certain integral properties. Therefore, P2P paths and their composition into routes are described by a linear Diophantine systems; its solutions (basis) define a structure of P2P paths.
Latency and Livelocks
Authors: Neville-Neil George
Published: April 2008

Dear KV: My company has a very large database with all of our customer information. The database is replicated to several locations around the world to improve performance locally, so that when customers in Asia want to look at their data, they don’t have to wait for it to come from the United States, where my company is based...
A Conversation with Kurt Akeley and Pat Hanrahan
Authors: Stanik John
Published: April 2008

Interviewing either Kurt Akeley or Pat Hanrahan for this month’s special report on GPUs would have been a great opportunity, so needless to say we were delighted when both of these graphics-programming veterans agreed to participate. Akeley was part of the founding Silicon Graphics team in 1982 and worked there for almost 20 years, during which he led the development of several high-end graphics systems, including GTX, VGX, and RealityEngine. He’s also known for his pioneering work on OpenGL, the industry-standard programming interface for high-performance graphics hardware. Akeley is now a principal researcher at Microsoft Research Silicon Valley, where he works on cutting-edge projects in graphics system architecture, high-performance computing, and display design.
Data-Parallel Computing
Authors: Boyd Chas.
Published: April 2008

Users always care about performance. Although often it’s just a matter of making sure the software is doing only what it should, there are many cases where it is vital to get down to the metal and leverage the fundamental characteristics of the processor.
Future Graphics Architectures
Authors: Mark William
Published: April 2008

Graphics architectures are in the midst of a major transition. In the past, these were specialized architectures designed to support a single rendering algorithm: the standard Z buffer. Realtime 3D graphics has now advanced to the point where the Z-buffer algorithm has serious shortcomings for generating the next generation of higher-quality visual effects demanded by games and other interactive 3D applications. There is also a desire to use the high computational capability of graphics architectures to support collision detection, approximate physics simulations, scene management, and simple artificial intelligence. In response to these forces, graphics architectures are evolving toward a general-purpose parallel-programming model that will support a variety of image-synthesis algorithms, as well as nongraphics tasks.
Review of "Essential RenderMan by Ian Stephenson," Springer-Verlag New York, Inc., 2007, $39.95, ISBN: 1846283442
Authors: Whitston Howard
Published: April 2008

Review of "Essential RenderMan by Ian Stephenson," Springer-Verlag New York, Inc., 2007, $39.95, ISBN: 1846283442
Review of "Enterprise Ajax: Strategies for Building High-performance Web Applications by David Johnson, Alexei White, and Andre Charland," Prentice Hall PTR, 2007, $39.99, ISBN: 0132242060.
Authors: Ramirez Jose M.
Published: April 2008

Review of "Enterprise Ajax: Strategies for Building High-performance Web Applications by David Johnson, Alexei White, and Andre Charland," Prentice Hall PTR, 2007, $39.99, ISBN: 0132242060.
Chlorophyll Fluorescence: A Probe of Photosynthesis In Vivo
Authors: Baker Neil R.
Published: April 2008

The use of chlorophyll fluorescence to monitor photosynthetic performance in algae and plants is now widespread. This review examines how fluorescence parameters can be used to evaluate changes in photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry, linear electron flux, and CO2assimilation in vivo, and outlines the theoretical bases for the use of specific fluorescence parameters. Although fluorescence parameters can be measured easily, many potential problems may arise when they are applied to predict changes in photosynthetic performance. In particular, consideration is given to problems associated with accurate estimation of the PSII operating efficiency measured by fluorescence and its relationship with the rates of linear electron flux and CO2assimilation. The roles of photochemical and nonphotochemical quenching in the determination of changes in PSII operating efficiency are examined. Finally, applications of fluorescence imaging to studies of photosynthetic heterogeneity and the rapid screening of large numbers of plants for perturbations in photosynthesis and associated metabolism are considered.
The Iron Isotope Fingerprints of Redox and Biogeochemical Cycling in Modern and Ancient Earth
Authors: Johnson Clark M. , Beard Brian L. , Roden Eric E.
Published: April 2008

The largest Fe isotope fractionations occur during redox changes, as well as differences in bonding, but these are expressed only in natural environments in which significant quantities of Fe may be mobilized and separated. At the circumneutral pH of most low-temperature aqueous systems, Fe2+aq is the most common species for mobilizing Fe, and Fe2+aq has low 56Fe/54Fe ratios relative to Fe3+-bearing minerals. Of the variety of abiologic and biologic processes that involve redox or bonding changes, microbial Fe3+ reduction produces the largest quantities of isotopically distinct Fe by several orders of magnitude relative to abiologic processes and hence plays a major role in producing Fe isotope variations on Earth. In modern Earth, the mass of Fe cycled through redox boundaries is small, but in the Archean it was much larger, reflecting juxtaposition of large inventories of Fe2+ and Fe3+. Development of photosynthesis produced large quantities of Fe3+ and organic carbon that fueled a major expansion in microbial Fe3+ reduction in the late Archean, perhaps starting as early as ∼3 Ga. The Fe isotope fingerprint of microbial Fe3+ reduction decreases in the sedimentary rock record between ∼2.4 and 2.2 Ga, reflecting increased bacterial sulfate reduction and a concomitant decrease in the availability of reactive iron to support microbial Fe3+ reduction. The temporal C, S, and Fe isotope record therefore reflects the interplay of changing microbial metabolisms over Earth's history.
The History and Nature of Wind Erosion in Deserts
Authors: Goudie Andrew S.
Published: April 2008

Recently, the importance of wind erosion has been reevaluated. Many low-angle surfaces, developed on susceptible materials, possess closed depressions (pans), and these often have a distinctive morphology and lunette dunes on their lee sides. It has also become apparent that in drylands there are extensive areas of stone pavements, some of which have been molded by deflation; however, it is now recognized that other horizontal sorting processes have played a role, especially movement of fines by overland flow. Vertical sorting associated with wetting and drying, salt heave, bioturbation, frost action, and dust accretion have also played a role. In hyperarid areas, especially with unidirectional winds, bedrock outcrops and old lake beds have been molded to give aerodynamic forms, called yardangs. The study of dust storms by analysis of climatological data and remote sensing has revealed the importance of deflation, especially in hyperarid areas with centripetal drainage. Deflation hot spots, such as the Bodélé Depression, have been identified. Analysis of ice and ocean cores and loess deposits has indicated that wind activity was greater during glacial phases than now. There is, however, great variability in the importance of wind at the present day, depending on the wind velocity characteristics of different deserts.
Both Intestinal and Hepatic Lipoprotein Production Are Stimulated by an Acute Elevation of Plasma Free Fatty Acids in Humans
Authors: Duez Hélène , Lamarche Benoît , Valéro René , Pavlic Mirjana , Proctor Spencer , Xiao Changting , Szeto Linda , Patterson Bruce W. , Lewis Gary F.
Published: April 2008

Background—

Hepatic lipoprotein production has been shown previously to be regulated by free fatty acid (FFA) flux to the liver, whereas intestinal lipoprotein production is stimulated mainly by ingested fat absorbed from the intestinal lumen. Emerging evidence indicates that intestinal lipoprotein production is increased in insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus, conditions that are associated with increased levels of circulating FFAs. Here we investigated whether short-term elevation of plasma FFAs stimulates intestinal apolipoprotein (apo) B-48– and hepatic apoB-100–containing triglyceride-rich lipoprotein (TRL) production in humans in the fed state.

Methods and Results—

TRL apoB-48 and apoB-100 metabolism were examined in 12 healthy men during a constant fed state. The studies were as follows, respectively: (1) Intralipid/heparin was infused intravenously immediately before and during the kinetics study to induce an ≈3-fold difference in plasma FFA compared with the saline study; (2) saline was infused intravenously as a control. ApoB-48– and apoB-100–containing TRL production and clearance were determined with a 12-hour primed constant infusion of [D3]
l
-leucine and multicompartmental kinetic modeling. TRL apoB-48 production rate was 69% higher in the Intralipid/heparin study than in the saline control (5.95±1.13 versus 3.53±0.58 mg/kg per day;
P
=0.027), and there was no significant difference in TRL apoB-48 clearance. TRL apoB-100 concentrations were also increased (
P
<0.001) and TRL apoB-100 production rate was 35% higher in the Intralipid/heparin study compared with saline (28±4 versus 21±3 mg/kg per day;
P
=0.020).

Conclusions—

This is the first study to demonstrate that intestinal TRL apoB-48 production is increased after short-term elevation of plasma FFAs in humans in the fed state, similar to the well-described stimulation of hepatic TRL apoB100–containing particles by FFAs.
Sitagliptin Augments Sympathetic Enhancement of the Renovascular Effects of Angiotensin II in Genetic Hypertension
Authors: Jackson Edwin K. , Mi Zaichuan
Published: April 2008

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV converts neuropeptide Y1-36(Y1-receptor agonist released from renal sympathetic nerves) to neuropeptide Y3-36(selective Y2-receptor agonist). Previous studies suggest that Y1, but not Y2, receptors enhance renovascular responses to angiotensin II in kidneys from genetically-susceptible animals. Therefore, we hypothesized that inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase IV with sitagliptin (antidiabetic drug) would augment the ability of exogenous and endogenous neuropeptide Y1-36to enhance renal vascular responses to angiotensin II in kidneys from spontaneously hypertensive rats. This hypothesis was tested using 3 protocols in isolated perfused kidneys. Results from Protocol 1: Exogenous neuropeptide Y1-36enhanced renovascular responses to angiotensin II. This effect of neuropeptide Y1-36was blocked by BIBP3226 (selective Y1receptor antagonist); Exogenous neuropeptide Y3-36did not enhance renovascular responses to angiotensin II. Results from Protocol 2: Sitagliptin augmented the ability of exogenous neuropeptide Y1-36to enhance renovascular responses to angiotensin II. This effect of sitagliptin was blocked by BIBP3226. Results from Protocol 3: Renal sympathetic nerve stimulation enhanced renovascular responses to angiotensin II; this enhancement was augmented by sitagliptin and abolished by BIBP3226. Neuropeptide Y1-36via Y1receptors enhances renovascular responses to angiotensin II in kidneys from genetically hypertensive animals. Sitagliptin, by blocking dipeptidyl peptidase IV, prevents metabolism of neuropeptide Y1-36and thereby increases the effects of neuropeptide Y1-36released from renal sympathetic nerves on Y1receptors leading to augmentation of neuropeptide Y1-36–induced enhancement of the renovascular effects of angiotensin II. The renal effects of dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitors in hypertensive diabetic patients merit a closer examination.
Common Variants in Genes Underlying Monogenic Hypertension and Hypotension and Blood Pressure in the General Population
Authors: Tobin Martin D. , Tomaszewski Maciej , Braund Peter S. , Hajat Cother , Raleigh Stuart M. , Palmer Thomas M. , Caulfield Mark , Burton Paul R. , Samani Nilesh J.
Published: April 2008

The genes responsible for several monogenic hypertensive and hypotensive disorders have been identified. Our aim was to evaluate whether common variants in these genes affect blood pressure in the general population. We studied 2037 adults from 520 nuclear families characterized for 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure and related cardiovascular traits. We genotyped 298 tagging and putative functional single nucleotide polymorphisms, achieving a median coverage of 82.4% across 11 candidate loci. Five polymorphisms in the
KCNJ1
gene coding for the potassium channel, ROMK, showed associations with mean 24-hour systolic or diastolic blood pressure. The strongest association was with an intronic polymorphism, rs2846679, where the minor allele (frequency 16%) was associated with a −1.58 (95% CI −2.47 to −0.69) mm Hg change in mean 24-hour systolic blood pressure, after accounting for age, sex, and familial correlations (
P
=0.00048). Polymorphisms in the gene were also associated with clinic blood pressure and left ventricular mass as assessed by ECG Sokolow-Lyon voltage (
P
=0.0081 for rs675759). Associations with mean 24-hour systolic or diastolic blood pressure were also observed for variants in
CASR
,
NR3C2
,
SCNN1B
, and
SCNN1G
. The findings show that common variants in genes responsible for some Mendelian disorders of hypertension and hypotension affect blood pressure in the general population. Notably, variants in
KCNJ1
, which causes Bartter syndrome type 2, were strongly associated, potentially providing a novel target for intervention.
Gadamerian Hermeneutics and Irony: Between Strauss and Derrida
Authors: Dostal Robert
Published: April 2008

Against the background of Gadamer's hermeneutics of trust, for which the primary concern of the hermeneutical enterprise is the matter under discussion, the Sache, this essay raises the question of Gadamer's treatment of irony. Gadamer and Gadamerians have criticized the hermeneutics of suspicion—a hermeneutics that always looks under the surface of what is said to see what is hidden. This would seem to make irony a problematic aspect of texts and discourse for a Gadamerian hermeneutics. Nowhere in Gadamer's corpus can we find an extensive discussion of irony, but Gadamer does raise the question of irony in a provocative way in several important junctures. This essay contrasts Gadamer's treatment of irony to that of Leo Strauss and Jacques Derrida. It explores why for Gadamer irony does not call for a hermeneutics of suspicion.
Derrida and the Ethics of the Im-possible
Authors: Raffoul François
Published: April 2008

Derrida often insists that ethics must be the experience and encounter of a certain impossible. A proposition all the more troubling, as it is proposed by Derrida in the context of a return precisely to the conditions of possibility of ethics. It will appear that returning to the possibilities of ethics implies a return to its limits, to its aporias, which are both constitutive and incapacitating, possibilizing and impossibilizing. The purpose of this paper is to begin exploring this aporetic structure of ethics and to identify how it is tied to the impossible. I will pursue this inquiry by reconstituting how Derrida appropriates Heidegger's expression of "possibility of the impossible," and by reconstituting the aporias of the law, of moral decision, of responsibility, and of an ethics of hospitality as welcome of the event of otherness.
Poverty and Public Theology: Advocacy of the Church in Pluralistic Society
Authors: Bedford-Strohm Heinrich
Published: April 2008

This article describes four models of connecting the biblical option for the poor with theological ethics. The charity model denies any political significance of this option. The fundamental critical model connects this theological option exclusively with a confessional critique of western capitalism and its market approach. The political advice model does not give an explicit account of its theological groundings but tries to present practicable political solutions. Finally the public theology model which is advocated in this article connects a clear theological profile with the involvement in the public debate on economic strategies which reflect the option for the poor. For this, public theology has to be bilingual, speaking a theological and a secular language; moreover, because of its involvement in the public debate public theology can be understood as a liberation theology for a democratic society. The article presents Martin Luther and Dietrich Bonhoeffer as public theologians who, in their time, have been advocates for the poor. The memorandum of the German Protestant churches of 2006 on poverty is presented as an example of public theological involvement of the church in our time. The article ends with a reflection on eschatological justice.
Responding to Dr Plant
Authors: Purcell Michael
Published: April 2008

This response to Dr Plant engages with important issues regarding the possibility of using the work of Emmanuel Levinas as a theological tool and resource. Levinas 'and' theology is both an important conjunction and disjunction. The distinction between a theology that is fundamental and a theology that is dogmatic needs to be stressed. Levinas' ethical metaphysics, and his recognition of the need for a theological recuperation of the ethics he espouses, opens up a possible and fundamental theological dialogue which recognizes the fundamental and salvific importance of the ordinary and the everyday in human existence.
The West African Monsoon Dynamics. Part III: The Quasi-Biweekly Zonal Dipole
Authors: Mounier Flore , Janicot Serge , Kiladis George N.
Published: April 2008

This paper presents an investigation of the mechanisms giving rise to the main intraseasonal mode of convection in the African monsoon during northern summer, here identified as the quasi-biweekly zonal dipole (QBZD). The QBZD is primarily characterized by a quasi-stationary zonal dipole of convection whose dimension is larger than the West African monsoon domain, with its two poles centered along the Guinean coast and between 30° and 60°W in the equatorial Atlantic. The QBZD dynamical processes within the Atlantic–Africa domain are examined in some detail. The QBZD has a dipole pattern associated with a Walker-type circulation in the near-equatorial zonal plane. It is controlled both by equatorial atmospheric dynamics through a Kelvin wave–like disturbance propagating eastward between its two poles and by land surface processes over Africa, inducing combined fluctuations in surface temperatures, surface pressure, and low-level zonal winds off the coast of West Africa. When convection is at a minimum over central and West Africa, a lack of cloud cover results in higher net shortwave flux at the surface, which increases surface temperatures and lowers surface pressures. This creates an east–west pressure gradient at the latitude of both the ITCZ (10°N) and the Saharan heat low (20°N), leading to an increase in eastward moisture advection inland. The arrival from the Atlantic of the positive pressure signal associated with a Kelvin wave pattern amplifies the low-level westerly wind component and the moisture advection inland, leading to an increase in convective activity over central and West Africa. Then the opposite phase of the dipole develops. Propagation of the QBZD convective envelope and of the associated 200 high-level velocity potential anomalies is detected from the eastern Pacific to the Indian Ocean. When the effect of the Kelvin wave propagation is removed by filtering, the stationary character of the QBZD is highlighted. The impact of the QBZD in combination with a Kelvin wave is illustrated by a case study of the monsoon onset in 1984.
A Chronology of El Niño Events from Primary Documentary Sources in Northern Peru*
Authors: Garcia-Herrera R. , Barriopedro D. , Hernández E. , Diaz H. F. , Garcia R. R. , Prieto M. R. , Moyano R.
Published: April 2008

The authors present a chronology of El Niño (EN) events based on documentary records from northern Peru. The chronology, which covers the period 1550–1900, is constructed mainly from primary sources from the city of Trujillo (Peru), the Archivo General de Indias in Seville (Spain), and the Archivo General de la Nación in Lima (Peru), supplemented by a reassessment of documentary evidence included in previously published literature. The archive in Trujillo has never been systematically evaluated for information related to the occurrence of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Abundant rainfall and river discharge correlate well with EN events in the area around Trujillo, which is very dry during most other years. Thus, rain and flooding descriptors, together with reports of failure of the local fishery, are the main indicators of EN occurrence that the authors have searched for in the documents. A total of 59 EN years are identified in this work. This chronology is compared with the two main previous documentary EN chronologies and with ENSO indicators derived from proxy data other than documentary sources. Overall, the seventeenth century appears to be the least active EN period, while the 1620s, 1720s, 1810s, and 1870s are the most active decades. The results herein reveal long-term fluctuations in warm ENSO activity that compare reasonably well with low-frequency variability deduced from other proxy data.
Decadal Sea Level Changes in the 50-Year GECCO Ocean Synthesis
Authors: Köhl Armin , Stammer Detlef
Published: April 2008

An estimate of the time-varying ocean circulation, obtained over the period 1952–2001, is analyzed here with respect to its decadal and longer-term changes in sea level. The estimate results from a synthesis of most of the ocean datasets available during this 50-yr period with the Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean/Massachusetts Institute of Technology (ECCO/MIT) ocean circulation model. Over the period 1992 through 2001, the increase in thermosteric sea level rise on average amounts to 1.2 mm yr−1 over the top 750 m and 1.8 mm yr−1 over the total water column. This corresponds to an increase in upper-ocean heat content of 1.5 × 1022 J yr−1 and is in agreement with the estimates of Willis et al. However, over the period 1962 through 2001 the global net thermosteric sea level rise is estimated as 0.66 mm yr−1 over the top 750 m, which is twice the recent estimate from Antonov et al. (0.33 mm yr−1). The corresponding trend over the total water column of 0.92 mm yr−1 is also about twice their value for the layer of 0–3000 m (0.40 mm yr−1). For the last decade, the global heat flux into the ocean of 1.5 W m−2 is twice as large as the recent estimate by Willis et al. due to the heat content change in deeper layers. Regional changes in sea level are predominantly associated with an intensification of the subtropical gyre circulation and a corresponding redistribution of heat. The horizontal advection of heat due to an increase in wind stress curl is found to explain a major fraction of the estimated regional sea level trends over the last 40 years. However, the mechanisms appear different during the last decade when in some regions changes in surface heat flux may explain as much as 50% of the sea level changes.
Changes in Tropical Cyclone Activity due to Global Warming: Results from a High-Resolution Coupled General Circulation Model
Authors: Gualdi S. , Scoccimarro E. , Navarra A.
Published: April 2008

This study investigates the possible changes that greenhouse global warming might generate in the characteristics of tropical cyclones (TCs). The analysis has been performed using scenario climate simulations carried out with a fully coupled high-resolution global general circulation model. The capability of the model to reproduce a reasonably realistic TC climatology has been assessed by comparing the model results from a simulation of the twentieth century with observations. The model appears to be able to simulate tropical cyclone–like vortices with many features similar to the observed TCs. The simulated TC activity exhibits realistic geographical distribution, seasonal modulation, and interannual variability, suggesting that the model is able to reproduce the major basic mechanisms that link TC occurrence with large-scale circulation. The results from the climate scenarios reveal a substantial general reduction of TC frequency when the atmospheric CO2 concentration is doubled and quadrupled. The reduction appears particularly evident for the tropical western North Pacific (WNP) and North Atlantic (ATL). In the NWP the weaker TC activity seems to be associated with reduced convective instabilities. In the ATL region the weaker TC activity seems to be due to both the increased stability of the atmosphere and a stronger vertical wind shear. Despite the generally reduced TC activity, there is evidence of increased rainfall associated with the simulated cyclones. Finally, the action of the TCs remains well confined to the tropical region and the peak of TC number remains equatorward of 20° latitude in both hemispheres, notwithstanding the overall warming of the tropical upper ocean and the expansion poleward of warm SSTs.
The Stabilized Radiometer Platform (STRAP)—An Actively Stabilized Horizontally Level Platform for Improved Aircraft Irradiance Measurements
Authors: Bucholtz Anthony , Bluth Robert T. , Kelly Ben , Taylor Scott , Batson Keir , Sarto Anthony W. , Tooman Tim P. , McCoy Robert F.
Published: April 2008

Measurements of solar and infrared irradiance by instruments rigidly mounted to an aircraft have historically been plagued by the introduction of offsets and fluctuations into the data that are solely due to the pitch and roll movements of the aircraft. The Stabilized Radiometer Platform (STRAP) was developed to address this problem. Mounted on top of an aircraft and utilizing a self-contained, coupled Inertial Navigation System–GPS, STRAP actively keeps a set of uplooking radiometers horizontally level to within ±0.02° for aircraft pitch and roll angles of up to approximately ±10°. The system update rate of 100 Hz compensates for most pitch and roll changes experienced in normal flight and in turbulence. STRAP was mounted on a Twin Otter aircraft and its performance evaluated during normal flight and during a series of flight maneuvers designed to test the accuracy, range, and robustness of the platform. The measurements from an identical pair of solar pyranometers—one mounted on STRAP and the other rigidly mounted nearby directly to the aircraft—are compared to illustrate the accuracy and capability of the new platform. Results show that STRAP can keep radiometers level within the specified pitch and roll range, that it is able to recover from flight maneuvers outside of this range, and that it greatly increases the quantity of useful radiometer data from any given flight. Of particular note, STRAP now allows accurate measurements of the downwelling solar irradiance during spiral ascents or descents of the aircraft, greatly expanding the utility of aircraft radiometer measurements.
Pressure Perturbations and Upslope Flow over a Heated, Isolated Mountain
Authors: Geerts Bart , Miao Qun , Demko J. Cory
Published: April 2008

Surface and upper-air data, collected as part of the Cumulus Photogrammetric, In Situ, and Doppler Observations (CuPIDO) experiment during the 2006 monsoon season around the Santa Catalina Mountains in southeast Arizona, are used to study the diurnal variation of the mountain-scale surface convergence and its thermal forcing. The thermal forcing is examined in terms of a horizontal pressure gradient force, which is derived assuming hydrostatic balance. The mountain is ∼30 km in diameter, ∼2 km high, and relatively isolated. The environment is characterized by weak winds, a deep convective boundary layer in the afternoon, and sufficient low-level moisture for orographic cumulus convection on most days.

The katabatic, divergent surface flow at night and anabatic, convergent flow during the day are in phase with the diurnal variation of the horizontal pressure gradient force, which points toward the mountain during the day and away from the mountain at night. The daytime pressure deficit over the mountain of 0.5–1.0 mb is hydrostatically consistent with the observed 1–2-K virtual potential temperature excess over the mountain. The interplay between surface convergence and orographic thunderstorms is examined, and the consequence of deep convection (outflow spreading) is more apparent than its possible trigger (enhanced convergence).
On the Receiving End: Facilitating the Analysis of Conflicted Drive Derivatives of Aggression
Authors: Gray Paul
Published: April 2008

Freud's delay in giving aggression an instinctual role comparable to that of libido had clinical effects. Historically, this delay rescued psychoanalysis and its practitioners from destruction by Austria's anti-Semitic leadership. Since today the cultural threat to analysis is of quite a different nature, methods are proposed for making drive derivatives of aggression (and, in turn, libidinal drive derivatives) more accessible. Certain traditional methods have in significant degree distracted analysts from techniques that more effectively allow patients to bring conflicted derivatives of aggression into nonneurotic management through analytically facilitated ego growth. Approaches that move away from the concept of conflicted instinctual drives compound the basic resistance to analyzing defended drive derivatives of aggression. A recommendation is made for a two-tier choice of method: (1) a traditional technique for patients needing relatively less access to their aggression to achieve a satisfying outcome, and (2) close process attention for the analysis of analytic candidates and others for whom it is professionally advantageous to achieve greater insight into their aggressive potential. Recommendations are made regarding how the analyst can attain the neutrality necessary to conduct analyses of the latter sort without having to suffer narcissistic trauma while on the receiving end of verbally explicit, undisplaced drive derivatives of aggression.
The Therapeutic and Working Alliances
Authors: Hausner Robert S.
Published: April 2008

Since their introduction, the concepts of the therapeutic alliance and the working alliance have provoked debate regarding the nature and function of these alliances and the applicability and validity of the concepts. Features of these concepts as originally put forth by Zetzel and Greenson, respectively, are delineated, with emphasis on the significant distinctions between them. Their relation to degree of psychopathology is examined, especially with respect to what may be understood as the more “silent” aspects of the therapeutic alliance. Mutual identification, empathy, and role-responsiveness are stressed as constituent features of the therapeutic alliance, with the working alliance seen as possible (theoretically and clinically) only after a therapeutic alliance has to some degree been established. Both alliances are understood as intrinsic structures within the analytic process, and illustrative case material is presented.
Countertransference, Conflictual Listening, and the Analytic Object Relationship
Authors: Smith Henry F.
Published: April 2008

Analytic listening is an ongoing conflictual process, containing all the components of conflict and shaped in every moment by both the patient's and the analyst's conflicts. The mutual responsiveness that develops between analyst and patient stems from a complex conflictual object relationship, fundamentally no different from any other object relationship, in which countertransference at all times simultaneously facilitates and interferes with the analytic work. Detailed clinical process is used to illustrate these and related phenomena, including the use of signal conflict, the benign negative countertransference, the function of countertransference structures, and the analyst's use of projection. The analyst's affects, thoughts, and actions trace the shifting nature of the patient's transference and resistance, and the level of the object relationship continuously being created between patient and analyst.
Clinical Discussants as Psychoanalytic Readers
Authors: Coen Stanley J.
Published: April 2008

Psychoanalytic discussants of clinical papers face certain tasks, opportunities, and difficulties. To be willing to present and publish their analytic work for colleagues to study, analyst-authors and discussants need to expect that the other will respectfully complement his or her perspective. Discussants are encouraged to immerse themselves playfully in the affective force-field constituted between analysand and analyst within the process of the presentation. As discussants struggle to extricate themselves from this force-field, they contribute best by confining their understandings to the presentation process rather than trying to pin down the actual psychoanalytic situation. When this is done, discussants are under less pressure to inform presenters. This paper considers how discussants need to process their feeling responses to clinical papers so as to enhance rather than injure the analyst-author. This approach is illustrated with vignettes of the author's efforts as a clinical discussant to become a constructive psychoanalytic reader.
Why We Need to Write Openly About Our Clinical Cases
Authors: Coen Stanley J.
Published: April 2008

To learn more about what is and is not effective in the psychoanalytic situation, analysts need to develop a library of detailed analytic case material. Open case writing, by not overconstraining readers, allows them enough access to the analytic couple's affective experience to persuade them of the authenticity and validity of the analyst-author's views. They are then free to rethink the material creatively on their own, to use it as they need to, and to learn from others, in order to enhance their analytic skills. Closed case writing hinders readers' creative freedom to understand and interpret, and hence to learn. To encourage analyst-authors to share their affective experiences in the analytic situation more openly, analysts need to establish a constructively collaborative attitude toward playing with clinical material. They need to take for granted that new readers, even authors themselves newly rereading their work, will discover something new. A dialectical process can then be established in which clinical authors and readers contribute to each other in an ongoing imaginative interchange.