bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plasticity of Excitatory Amino Acid Transporters in Experimental Epilepsy
Authors: Claudio O. I. , Ferchmin P. , Velíšek L. , Sperber E. F. , Moshé S. L. , Ortiz J. G.
Published: August 2005

Summary:Purpose: To examine the relationship between seizures and excitatory amino acid transporter (EAAT) activity and whether up‐regulation of EAAT activity alters epileptogenicity.

Methods: In this study, we exposed rat hippocampal slices to different convulsants before measuring EAAT activity. Rats were exposed to the EAAT inhibitor pyrrolidine‐2,4‐dicarboxylic acid (PDC) before entorhinal cortex/hippocampal slices were obtained. These slices were exposed to low‐Mg2+buffer while electrophysiological recordings were obtained from the entorhinal cortex. mGluR III acting agents were used to study whether activation of mGluR III could regulate EAAT activity and if this regulation could overcome the effects on EAAT activity induced by the convulsants.

Results: Veratridine, kainic acid (KA), and pilocarpine reduced EAAT activity in rat hippocampal slices.l‐2‐Amino‐4‐phosphonobutyric acid (an mGluR III agonist) restored EAAT activity and reduced epileptiform activity to near control levels. The saturation curve for glutamate uptake in slices from KA‐seized rats killed 2 hours after the first forelimb clonus was displaced to the left, suggesting a compensatory change for the enhanced excitation. On the other hand, rats injected with the EAAT inhibitor PDC (by intracerebroventricular injection) had more severe KA‐induced seizures andN‐methyl‐d‐aspartate epileptiform activity than control rats. Furthermore, hippocampal slices from KA‐ or KA+PDC‐treated rats exposed to low Mg2+reduced their firing rate to nearly zero once they returned to normal solution, whereas their control counterparts continued to fire, although at a lower rate.

Conclusions: These results suggest a significant contribution of EAATs in some experimental epilepsy models and point to their short‐term regulation by mGluR III as a possible source of their plasticity.
Neuronal Disconnection for the Surgical Treatment of Pediatric Epilepsy
Authors: Shimizu Hiroyuki , Maehara Taketoshi
Published: August 2005

Summary: The surgical methods and results of disconnective surgery for pediatric epilepsy were retrospectively analyzed. The techniques of neuronal disconnection included multiple subpial resection (MST), corpus callosotomy, and functional hemisphercctomy by disconnection. Of 158 total pediatric operations, disconnective techniques were employed in more than 60% of the cases. MST was applied when the epileptic focus was located in unresectable cortices such as speech or motor areas. MST was also instrumental when the epileptogenic zone was extensive and was widely disseminated, as is often observed in cases of neocortical epilepsy. Of 25 patients who underwent MST, surgical outcomes after > 1 year follow‐up showed Engel Class I or II in 10 cases, Class III in 12, and Class IV in 3. No mortality or morbidity was encountered during surgery or postoperatively. Corpus callosotomy was applied to cases of disabling generalized seizures and showed a marked effect in alleviating potentially injurious drop attacks. Of 34 patients with drop attacks, 29 became free from this type of seizure, 4 had infrequent attacks, and only 1 showed no beneficial effect. Postoperative improvement of cognition and speech was recognized in 77% of the cases. We developed a new method of functional hemispherectomy by fiber disconnection and applied this less invasive technique to 23 cases of hemispheric lesions. Of the 17 cases with > 1 year follow‐up, 13 were in Class I or II, and 3 in Class III, and 2 in Class IV. Development partially normalized in infants with good seizure outcomes.
Indication for Anterior Temporal Lobectomy in Patients with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy and Psychopathology
Authors: Matsuura Masato
Published: August 2005

Summary: The chronicity and severity of epilepsy, as well as the presence of temporal lobe foci, appear to correlate with psychopathology. A high prevalence of psychopathology has been reported among patients who are candidates for anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL). A review of the literature indicates that episodic psychosis may diminish when patients become free of seizures after surgery and that chronic psychosis neither improves nor worsens after ATL. If this is the case, patients with episodic psychosis may benefit from ATL. Patients with chronic psychosis may benefit if they become free from seizures after the operation, even if the psychosis persists. Case reports of maladjustment to seizure‐free life after surgery, and de novo psychopathology, underline the importance of preop‐erative psychiatric evaluation and postoperative psychiatric intervention in patients undergoing epilepsy surgery. Although there is a need for each epilepsy center to state its policy with regard to patients with psychopathology who undergo epilepsy surgery, it would be unwise to make a decision on whether to reject a patient simply on the grounds of psychosis. A detailed psychiatric evaluation of each individual patient is required.
Autosomal Dominant Nocturnal Frontal Lobe Epilepsy in a Japanese Family
Authors: Kobayashi Kenichiro , Ito Maatoshi , Fujii Tatsuya , Miyajima Tomoko , Okuno Takehiko
Published: August 2005

Purpose: Autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (AD‐ NFLE) is a newly recognized partial epilepsy first reported by Scheffer ct al. Thc aim of our work is to describc the clinical picture of thc disease found for the first time in a Japanese fiunily.

Method: Affected members were investigated electroclinically, and thc mutations within ncuronal nicotinic acctylcholinc rcceptor alpha‐4 subunit (CHRNA4) gene were examined.

Results: All affccted members presented clusters of brief tonic seizures, secondarily generalized, which occurred exclusively in sleep. The scimrc symptomatology and clcctrocnccphalographic findings were compatible with those of ADNFLE. None of the members had aura prcccding the scizure and nonc was aware of the seizure. They all had the same point mutation in the CHRNA4 gene, although intrafiamilial variations of seizure severity such as onset, frequency, and response to therapy were noted.

Conclusions: We described the first instances of ADNFLE in a Japanese family with a novel missense mutation of exon 5 of the CHRNA4 gene. It was a C to T transition and replaces serine in the second mcmbranc‐spanning domain (M2) with lcucine (scr 252 LCU). We suggest that intra‐familial heterogeneity is one of the important aspects or ADNFLE.
The Effect of the “Pocket Monster” Incident on Patients with Convulsive Disorders
Authors: Murakami Nagako , Enoki Hideo , Minakuchi Eita , Akiyama Tomoyuki , Hattori Junri , Oka Eiji
Published: August 2005

Purpose: A number of people were reported to have suffered such acute symptoms as convulsions, impairment of consciousness, head‐ache, and vomiting while watching the animated TV program “Pocket Monster”on December 16, 1997. A questionnaire survey was conducted to determine the effect of watching this TV show on people with convulsive disorders.

Methods: Subjects were patients at the Department of Child Neurology, Okayama University Hospital, who were diagnosed as having epilepsy, febrile convulsion, or latent epilepsy. A questionnaire was sent to all patients (n = 1,533) between the ages of 3 and 25 living in Okayama Prefecture on December 31, 1997. The questionnaire was designed to ascertain the following information: the past history of convulsions in the patient and family members; whether the patient had watched the TV show; whether symptoms had subsequently appeared; the TV viewing environment; and a detailed description of the symptoms.

Results: (I) Of the 1,533 patients who were sent a questionnaire, 9 18 (59.9%) returned it. The results of the survey revealed that 342 (37.3%) of the 918 patients had been watching the show, with 18 (5.3%) of these 342 showing some type of symptom. (2) Children in elementary school represented the majority of viewers, with the second largest group being toddlers. The age distribution of the 18 patients ranged as following: 3 patients (4.1 %) were under 7 years of age; 1 I patients (5.7%) were between 7 and 12; 3 patients (7.3%) were between 13 and 15; and 1 patient (5.0%) was between 16 and 18. (3) The incidence rate of induced symptoms among the different types of epilepsy was as follows: 7.7% in febrile convulsion, 4.5% in localization related epilepsy, 14.2% in generalized epilepsy, and 0% in latent epilepsy. (4) Only I patient had a generalized tonic‐clonic seizure, and the remaining 17 patients did not have any convulsion but had autonomic symptoms such as headache, visual symptoms, discomfort, or vomiting. Two patients had eyelid myoclonus. (5) Eleven patients (3.2%) of 342 cases had past histories of photosensitive seizures, and 4four patients (1.2%) of 342 cases had past histories of photoparoxysmal responses on EEG (PPR). “Pocket Monster” animation‐induced symptoms were noted in 2 of the I I patients with a past history of photosensitive seizures and 1 of the 4 patients with PPR. (6) Intermittent photic stimulation (IPS) was performed on 10 of 18 patients with animation induced symptoms. PPR did not appear in 8 (88.9%) of 9 patients who had animation induced autonomic symptoms.

Conclusion: “Pocket Monster” animation induced paroxysmal symptoms i n 5.3% of the patients with epilepsy, febrile convulsions, or latent epilepsy. The incidence rate in the patients was lower than that (7.1%)
The Effect of Ethyl Loflazepate on Refractory Childhood Epilepsy
Authors: Murakemi Nagako , Yoshinaga Harumi , Ohmori Iori , Ogawa Kazunori , Asano Takashi , Oka Eiji
Published: August 2005

Purpose: A clinical and electroencephalographic study was performed to evaluate the effect of ethyl loflazepate (LOF) on patients with childhood refractory epilepsy.

Methods: We investigated the effect of LOF add‐on therapy (0.1–4.0 mg/day, 0.003–0.374 mg/kg/day) on clinical seizures and EEGs as well as side effects in 39 patients, ranging in age from 3 months to 23 years, with 33 of the 39 being under IS years of age. The study population consisted of I3 patients with symptomatic localization‐related epilepsy: frontal lobe epilepsy in 4, temporal lobe epilepsy in I, other types i n 8; 22 with symptomatic generalized epilepsy: Ohtahara syndrome in 1, West syndrome in 6, Lennox‐Gastaut syndrome in 9, other types in 6; and 4 with undetermined epilepsy: severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy in 1, epilepsy with continuous spike‐wave during slow wave sleep in, and other types in I. The patients underwent the LOF treatment for >3 months (maximum, 2 years and 1 month).

Results: (I) LOF had marked effect (complete suppression or >75% reduction of seizures) in 8 cases and moderate effect (50%‐74% reduction of seizures) in 5 cases. Transient benefit for <1 month was observed in I I cases. The remaining 15 cases showed no effect. (2) Marked or moderate effects were found in 18 (72.8%) of 22 cases with symptomatic generalized epilepsy (long‐lasting effects in 8 and only a transient initial effect i n lo), in 3 (23. I%) of 13 cases with symptomatic localization‐related epilepsy, and in 2 (50%) of 4 cases with undetermined epilepsy. (3) Types of seizure in effective (marked or moderate) cases consisted of spasms in 8, tonic seizures in 2, and complex partial seizures in 3 cases. (4) EEG findings in 13 effective cases showed that a decrease in epileptic discharge was seen i n 5 cases with no change in the remaining 8. (5) The correlation between maximum dosage and blood concentration level was investigated in each patient, and the results confirmed a significant correlation (R= 0.691). However, no significant correlation was observed between maximum dose per body weight (kg) and effectiveness. (6) Side‐effects such as sleepiness, hypersalivation, hypotonia, hyperexcitability, and restlessness were observed i n 20 (5 1.3%) patients. In I patient, the drug administration was discontinued due to drug‐induced microseizures during sleep.

Conclusion: LOF is an effective drug for symptomatic generalized epilepsy in children who show spasms, although a significant number of cases showed tolerance and only a transient initial effect.
3-D Printing the History of Mechanisms
Authors: Lipson Hod , Moon Francis C. , Hai Jimmy , Paventi Carlo
Published: August 2005

Physical models of machines have played an important role in the history of engineering for teaching, analyzing, and exploring mechanical concepts. Many of these models have been replaced today by computational representations, but new rapid-prototyping (RP) technologies are now allowing reintroduction of physical models as an intuitive way to demonstrate mechanical concepts. This paper reports on the use of RP to document, preserve, reproduce, and share in three dimensions, historic machines, and mechanisms. We have reproduced several preassembled, fully functional historic mechanisms from the Cornell Collection of Reuleaux Kinematic Models, and made these available as part of a new online museum of mechanism: Not only can visitors read descriptions, view pictures and videos, and interact with simulations of machines, but they can now also download and 3D-print their own physical functional replicas. We expect that this new form of “physical” preservation will become prevalent in future archives.
Mechanics of Serpentine Belt Drives with Tensioner Assemblies and Belt Bending Stiffness
Authors: Kong Lingyuan , Parker Robert G.
Published: August 2005

Steady state analysis is conducted on a multipulley serpentine belt drive with a spring-loaded tensioner assembly. Classical creep theory is extended to incorporate belt bending stiffness as well as the belt stretching and centripetal accelerations. The belt is modeled as an axially moving Euler–Bernoulli beam with nonuniform speed due to belt extensibility and variation of belt tension. The geometry of the belt-pulley contact zones and the corresponding belt tension and friction distributions are the main factors affecting belt slip. Bending stiffness introduces nontrivial span deflections, reduces the wrap angles, and makes the belt-pulley contact points unknown a priori. The free span boundary value problems (BVP) with undetermined boundaries are transformed to a fixed boundary form. A two-loop iteration method, necessitated by the tensioner assembly, is developed to find the system steady state. The effects of system parameters on serpentine drive behavior are explored in the context of an actual automotive belt drive.
Investigating Machining Impact on Fatigue Variance: A Machining Quality Perspective
Authors: Yang Xiaoping , Liu C. Richard
Published: August 2005

Fatigue life of nominally identical structures under nominally identical loading conditions can scatter widely. This study has investigated the impact of machining processes on such scatters. After Ti 6Al-4V samples were surface ground and face turned, they were subject to constant amplitude four-point bending fatigue tests under room temperature. The best-case scenario of process capability ratios of fatigue for these samples were evaluated with assumed tolerances of fatigue life. Based on these ratios, the numbers of nonconforming parts were estimated. Under the machining conditions from the Machining Data Handbook (Machining Data Center, Cincinnati, 1980), up to 39% of samples due to one process are expected to be nonconforming, whereas only up to 0.6% of samples due to the other process are expected to be nonconforming. The ramifications in terms of cost for machining quality control due to the different capability ratios have been discussed. The current findings indicate an urgent need to further the study of this issue in a scientific manner.
Application of a Front Tracking Method in Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) Simulation
Authors: Xu Guo , Schultz William W. , Kannatey-Asibu Elijah
Published: August 2005

A numerical model is developed to simulate the short-circuiting metal transfer process during gas metal arc welding (GMAW). The energy equation and the Marangoni convection are considered for the first time in analyzing the short-circuiting time. A front-tracking free surface method explicity tracks the profile of the liquid bridge. The electromagnetic field, distribution of velocity, pressure, and temperature are calculated using the developed model. Effects of welding current, surface tension temperature coefficient, and initial drop volume on short-circuiting duration time are examined. The results show that both the electromagnetic force and Marangoni shear stress play significant roles in short-circuiting transfer welding.
LIMITS OF HOMOMORPHISMS WITH FINITE-DIMENSIONAL RANGE
Authors: HU SHANWEN , LIN HUAXIN , XUE YIFENG
Published: August 2005

Let X be a compact metric space and A be a unital simple C*-algebra with TR (A)=0. Suppose that ϕ : C(X) → A is a unital monomorphism. We study the problem when ϕ can be approximated by homomorphisms with finite-dimensional range. We give a K-theoretical necessary and sufficient condition for ϕ being approximated by homomorphisms with finite-dimensional range.
Letters
Authors: Grossman Edward
Published: August 2005

It clearly outlined the technical and social problems associated with RFID systems. I definitely do not want my personal info stored in someone’s database with my purchase data from RFID tags, so the kill switch is a good idea. Unfortunately, it does not solve the problem of retailers collecting detailed information on the buying habits of their customers and then selling or losing this data. It was a really great article. Please have more of the same.
A Conversation with Tim Bray
Authors: Gray Jim
Published: August 2005

Tim Bray’s Waterloo was no crushing defeat, but rather the beginning of his success as one of the conquerors of search engine technology and XML. In 1986, after working in software at DEC and GTE, he took a job at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, where he managed the New Oxford English Dictionary Project, an ambitious research endeavor to bring the venerable Oxford English Dictionary into the computer age.
A multiagent system for U.S. defense research contracting
Authors: Montano Bonnie Rubenstein , Yoon Victoria , Lowry Stuart , Merlau Teresa
Published: August 2005

The Multi-Agent Contracting System incorporates both learning and a natural language interface to automate contracting officer query resolution during the process of defense contract acquisition.
Smart-Its
Authors: Gellersen Hans
Published: August 2005

Tiny embedded devices attached to everyday objects can transform them with sensing, perception, computation, and communication abilities.
The bubble of web visibility
Authors: Gori Marco , Witten Ian
Published: August 2005

Promoting visibility as seen through the unique lens of search engines.
The usability era arrives
Authors: Weiss Aaron
Published: August 2005

Some people have loved Apple Computer products for 20 years or more. They are Apple's loyal followers, people for whom Apple's vision has always just made sense. They are also the people who helped Apple survive the lean times, when the dominance of Microsoft Windows threatened to push every other platform over the cliff's edge. I am not one of these people.
User research as kool-aid
Authors: Arnowitz Jonathan , Dykstra-Erickson Elizabeth
Published: August 2005

drink the Kool-Aid,
v. To become a firm believer in something; to accept an argument or philosophy wholeheartedly or blindly.

 

This phrase stems from the 1978 "Jonestown massacre" in which members of the Peoples Temple cult committed suicide by drinking cyanide-laced Kool-Aid (although some say the drink of choice was actually Flav-R-Aid) [1].
A multi-agent infrastructure for developing personalized web-based systems
Authors: Ardissono Liliana , Goy Anna , Petrone Giovanna , Segnan Marino
Published: August 2005

Although personalization and ubiquity are key properties for on-line services, they challenge the development of these systems due to the complexity of the required architectures. In particular, the current infrastructures for the development of personalized, ubiquitous services are not flexible enough to accommodate the configuration requirements of the various application domains. To address such issues, highly configurable infrastructures are needed.In this article, we describe Seta2000, an infrastructure for the development of recommender systems that support personalized interactions with their users and are accessible from different types of devices (e.g., desktop computers and mobile phones). The Seta2000 infrastructure offers a built-in recommendation engine, based on a multi-agent architecture. Moreover, the infrastructure supports the integration of heterogeneous software and the development of agents that can be configured to offer specialized facilities within a recommender system, but also to dynamically enable and disable such facilities, depending on the requirements of the application domain. The Seta2000 infrastructure has been exploited to develop two prototypes: SeTA is an adaptive Web store personalizing the recommendation and presentation of products in the Web. INTRIGUE is a personalized, ubiquitous information system suggesting attractions to possibly heterogeneous tourist groups.
Inside PageRank
Authors: Bianchini Monica , Gori Marco , Scarselli Franco
Published: August 2005

Although the interest of a Web page is strictly related to its content and to the subjective readers' cultural background, a measure of the page authority can be provided that only depends on the topological structure of the Web. PageRank is a noticeable way to attach a score to Web pages on the basis of the Web connectivity. In this article, we look inside PageRank to disclose its fundamental properties concerning stability, complexity of computational scheme, and critical role of parameters involved in the computation. Moreover, we introduce a circuit analysis that allows us to understand the distribution of the page score, the way different Web communities interact each other, the role of dangling pages (pages with no outlinks), and the secrets for promotion of Web pages.
Privacy in e-commerce
Authors: Berendt Bettina , Günther Oliver , Spiekermann Sarah
Published: August 2005

In times of ubiquitous electronic communication and increasing industry pressure for standard electronic authentication, the maintenance of privacy, or "the right to be left alone" becomes a subject of increasing concern. The possibility of a "transparent human," whose vital information is up for grabs, can most easily be envisioned in the realm of e-commerce, due in part to the large amounts of data available, and in part to the high payoffs expected from using this data for marketing purposes.
The two sides of ROI
Authors: Berghel Hal
Published: August 2005

Legislative mandates potentially replace CIO's primary concerns of technology risk management with the possibility of serving jail time.
Diffusion, use, and effect of the internet in China
Authors: Zhu Jonathan J. H. , Wang Enhai
Published: August 2005

China has embraced the Internet. As of December 2004, 94 million people had gone online, making China the second largest Internet-user market in the world, behind only the U.S., according to the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), which has carried out 15 semiannual surveys of Internet users in China since 1997.
1
The growth trajectory of the country's Internet use appears to follow the common S-curve of technology adoption seen around the world (see Figure 1). The collapse of the worldwide Internet bubble in 2000 and 2001 slowed diffusion only momentarily. The rate of growth accelerated again in 2002 and 2003, driven by a few leading applications, including online chat, online games, and the Web-based short message service (SMS).
Internet diffusion in Chinese companies
Authors: Guo Xunhua , Chen Guoqing
Published: August 2005

The Internet is increasingly indispensable to national economies worldwide. Here, we focus on the Internet diffusion process in Chinese businesses and its link to the general growth of IT spending throughout the Chinese economy. Our results are based on our 10-year investigation of IT adoption in Chinese companies and industry-specific patterns of Internet diffusion and related IT spending growth. IT applications in China were introduced relatively late in Internet evolution compared to those in the developed countries, forcing business managers to contend with a lack of experience, know-how, and infrastructure. This late start has also meant that Chinese companies are able to choose from relatively more advanced technologies, learn from the experience of others, and be less bothered by the problems associated with legacy systems. In addition, because China generally uses IT differently from other countries, it is worth investigating the process through which Chinese companies adopt new technology, as well as any patterns that have emerged within it, so as to better understand how IT affects the overall Chinese economy.
News 2.0
Authors: Stanik John
Published: August 2005

Operation Open Gates
What’s on Your Hard Drive?
Authors: Grossman Edward
Published: August 2005

Submissions pour in daily, creating piles of late-night prescreening work for the Queue oompa loompas. We’re also receiving e-mail feedback from irate readers, questioning why we published Joe Blow’s emphatic endorsement of such and such IDE when “frankly, it totally sucks.” To accommodate these impulses we’re taking WOYHD to the Web, where we’ll post each month’s results, complete with a comments feature so you can argue about which tools are great and which tools you hate.
Patching the Enterprise
Authors: Brandman George
Published: August 2005

Software patch management has grown to be a business-critical issue—from both a risk and a financial management perspective. According to a recent Aberdeen Group study, corporations spent more than $2 billion in 2002 on patch management for operating systems.1 Gartner research further notes the cost of operating a well-managed PC was approximately $2,000 less annually than that of an unmanaged PC.2 You might think that with critical mass and more sophisticated tools, the management cost per endpoint in large organizations would be lower, though in reality this may not be the case. The objective of this article is to provide some rationale—drawn from enterprise experience—to put these observations into context and present some approaches that could be useful to combat that trend.
Comments are More Important than Code
Authors: Raskin Jef
Published: August 2005

In this essay I take what might seem a paradoxical position. I endorse the techniques that some programmers claim make code self-documenting and encourage the development of programs that do “automatic documentation.” Yet I also contend that these methods cannot provide the documentation necessary for reliable and maintainable code. They are only a rough aid, and even then help with only one or two aspects of documentation—not including the most important ones.
Automatic discovery of covariant read-only fields
Authors: Palsberg Jens , Zhao Tian , Jim Trevor
Published: August 2005

Read-only fields are useful in object calculi, pi calculi, and statically typed intermediate languages because they admit covariant subtyping, unlike updateable fields. For example, Glew's translation of classes and objects to an intermediate calculus relies crucially on covariant subtyping of read-only fields to ensure that subclasses are translated to subtypes.In this article, we present a type inference algorithm for an Abadi--Cardelli object calculus in which fields are marked either as updateable or as read-only. The type inference problem is P-complete, and our algorithm runs in
O
(
n
3
) time. The same complexity results hold for the calculus in which the fields are not explicitly annotated as updateable or read-only; perhaps surprisingly, the annotations do not make type inference easier. We show that type inference is equivalent to the problem of solving type constraints, and this forms the core of our algorithm and implementation.
Pretty printing with lazy dequeues
Authors: Chitil Olaf
Published: August 2005

There are several purely functional libraries for converting tree structured data into indented text, but they all make use of some backtracking. Over twenty years ago, Oppen published a more efficient imperative implementation of a pretty printer. This article shows that the same efficiency is also obtainable without destructive updates by developing a similar but purely functional Haskell implementation with the same complexity bounds. At its heart lie two lazy double ended queues.
Using AD to solve BVPs in MATLAB
Authors: Shampine L. F. , Ketzscher Robert , Forth Shaun A.
Published: August 2005

The MATLAB program bvp4c solves two--point boundary value problems (BVPs) of considerable generality. The numerical method requires partial derivatives of several kinds. To make solving BVPs as easy as possible, the default in bvp4c is to approximate these derivatives with finite differences. The solver is more robust and efficient if analytical derivatives are supplied. In this article we investigate how to use automatic differentiation (AD) to obtain the advantages of analytical derivatives without giving up the convenience of finite differences. In bvp4cAD we have approached this ideal by a careful use of the MAD AD tool and some modification of bvp4c.
SFCGen: A framework for efficient generation of multi-dimensional space-filling curves by recursion
Authors: Jin Guohua , Mellor-Crummey John
Published: August 2005

Because they are continuous and self-similar, space-filling curves have been widely used in mathematics to transform multi-dimensional problems into one-dimensional forms. For scientific applications, reordering computation by certain space-filling curves can significantly improve data reuse because of the locality properties of these curves. However, when space-filling curves are used in programs for reordering data, traversal or indexing of the curves must be efficient. To address this problem, we present the table-driven framework SFCGen to efficiently generate multi-dimensional space-filling curves on the fly. The framework is general and easy enough to be used in any application that can be partitioned recursively in multiple dimensions. We describe a movement specification table, a universal turtle algorithm to enumerate points along a space-filling curve, a table-based indexing algorithm to transform coordinates of a point into its position along the curve and an algorithm to pregenerate the table automatically. As examples, we show how high-dimensional Hilbert, Morton, and Peano curves and a two-dimensional Sierpiński curve can be generated with our algorithms. We present performance results for Hilbert, Morton, and Peano curves and compare the efficiency of our curve generation algorithm with the most recent work on generating Hilbert curves. Our experimental results on three modern microprocessor-based platforms show that SFCGen performs up to 63% faster than the most recent recursive algorithm on 2D curve generation and up to a factor of 132 faster than two previous byte-oriented non-recursive implementations. On curve indexing, SFCGen performs as much as a factor of three faster than the byte-oriented implementation. Our results on 4D space-filling curves also show that SFCGen scales very well with curve level for higher dimensional spaces.
Algorithm 840: computation of grid points, quadrature weights and derivatives for spectral element methods using prolate spheroidal wave functions---prolate elements
Authors: Boyd John P.
Published: August 2005

High order domain decomposition methods using a basis of Legendre polynomials, known variously as “spectral elements” or “
p
-type finite elements,” have become very popular. Recent studies suggest that accuracy and efficiency can be improved by replacing Legendre polynomials by prolate spheroidal wave functions of zeroth order. In this article, we explain the practicalities of computing all the numbers needed to switch bases: the grid points
x

j

, the quadrature weights
w

j

, and the values of the prolate functions and their derivatives at the grid points. The prolate functions themselves are computed by a Legendre-Galerkin discretization of the prolate differential equation; this yields a symmetric tridiagonal matrix. The prolate functions are then defined by Legendre series whose coefficients are the eigenfunctions of the matrix eigenproblem. The grid points and weights are found simultaneously through a Newton iteration. For large
N
and
c
, the iteration diverges from a first guess of the Legendre-Lobatto points and weights. Fortunately, the variations of the
x

j

and
w

j

with
c
are well-approximated by a symmetric parabola over the whole range of interest. This makes it possible to bypass the continuation procedures of earlier authors.
Knuth--bendix constraint solving is NP-complete
Authors: Korovin Konstantin , Voronkov Andrei
Published: August 2005

We show the NP-completeness of the existential theory of term algebras with the Knuth--Bendix order by giving a nondeterministic polynomial-time algorithm for solving Knuth--Bendix ordering constraints.
An elementary fragment of second-order lambda calculus
Authors: Aehlig Klaus , Johannsen Jan
Published: August 2005

A fragment of second-order lambda calculus (System
F
) is defined that characterizes the elementary recursive functions. Type quantification is restricted to be noninterleaved and stratified, that is, the types are assigned levels, and a quantified variable can only be instantiated by a type of smaller level, with a slightly liberalized treatment of the level zero.
A methodology for analyzing SAGE libraries for cancer profiling
Authors: Sander Jörg , Ng Raymond T. , Sleumer Monica C. , Yuen Man Saint , Jones Steven J.
Published: August 2005

Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE) has proven to be an important alternative to microarray techniques for global profiling of mRNA populations. We have developed preprocessing methodologies to address problems in analyzing SAGE data due to noise caused by sequencing error, normalization methodologies to account for libraries sampled at different depths, and missing tag imputation methodologies to aid in the analysis of poorly sampled SAGE libraries. We have also used subspace selection using the Wilcoxon rank sum test to exclude tags that have similar expression levels regardless of source. Using these methodologies we have clustered, using the OPTICS algorithm, 88 SAGE libraries derived from cancerous and normal tissues as well as cell line material. Our results produced eight dense clusters representing ovarian cancer cell line, brain cancer cell line, brain cancer bulk tissue, prostate tissue, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer cell line, normal brain, and normal breast bulk tissue. The ovarian cancer and brain cancer cell lines clustered closely together, leading to a further investigation on possible associations between these two cancer types. We also investigated the utility of gene expression data in the classification between normal and cancerous tissues. Our results indicate that brain and breast cancer libraries have strong identities allowing robust discrimination from their normal counterparts. However, the SAGE expression data provide poor predictive accuracy in discriminating between prostate and ovarian cancers and their respective normal tissues.
An information-theoretic approach to normal forms for relational and XML data
Authors: Arenas Marcelo , Libkin Leonid
Published: August 2005

Normalization as a way of producing good relational database designs is a well-understood topic. However, the same problem of distinguishing well-designed databases from poorly designed ones arises in other data models, in particular, XML. While, in the relational world, the criteria for being well designed are usually very intuitive and clear to state, they become more obscure when one moves to more complex data models.Our goal is to provide a set of tools for testing when a condition on a database design, specified by a
normal form
, corresponds to a good design. We use techniques of information theory, and define a measure of information content of elements in a database with respect to a set of constraints. We first test this measure in the relational context, providing information-theoretic justification for familiar normal forms such as BCNF, 4NF, PJ/NF, 5NFR, DK/NF. We then show that the same measure applies in the XML context, which gives us a characterization of a recently introduced XML normal form called XNF. Finally, we look at information-theoretic criteria for justifying normalization algorithms.
What’s on Your Hard Drive?
Authors: Grossman Edward
Published: August 2005

Tool I love! GCC. I enjoy GCC because each of its compilers does exactly what it is told-nothing more, nothing less. If you can’t write a program in your favorite language without the use of an IDE, you are not a programmer.
Kode Vicious Battles On
Authors: Neville-Neil George
Published: August 2005

Dear KV, I’m maintaining some C code at work that is driving me right out of my mind. It seems I cannot go more than three lines in any file without coming across a chunk of code that is conditionally compiled.
A Call to Arms
Authors: Gray Jim , Compton Mark
Published: August 2005

We live in a time of extreme change, much of it precipitated by an avalanche of information that otherwise threatens to swallow us whole. Under the mounting onslaught, our traditional relational database constructs—always cumbersome at best—are now clearly at risk of collapsing altogether. In fact, rarely do you find a DBMS anymore that doesn’t make provisions for online analytic processing. Decision trees, Bayes nets, clustering, and time-series analysis have also become part of the standard package, with allowances for additional algorithms yet to come. Also, text, temporal, and spatial data access methods have been added—along with associated probabilistic logic, since a growing number of applications call for approximated results. Column stores, which store data column-wise rather than record-wise, have enjoyed a rebirth, mostly to accommodate sparse tables, as well as to optimize bandwidth.
Beyond Relational Databases
Authors: Seltzer Margo
Published: August 2005

The number and variety of computing devices in the environment are increasing rapidly. Real computers are no longer tethered to desktops or locked in server rooms. PDAs, highly mobile tablet and laptop devices, palmtop computers, and mobile telephony handsets now offer powerful platforms for the delivery of new applications and services. These devices are, however, only the tip of the iceberg. Hidden from sight are the many computing and network elements required to support the infrastructure that makes ubiquitous computing possible.
Calendar
Authors: Grossman Edward
Published: August 2005

CHI (Conference on Human-Computer Interaction)
File under "Unknowable!"
Authors: Kelly-Bootle Stan
Published: August 2005

The Yellow Pages used to advertise along the following lines: “If you can’t find it here, it does not exist.” Shannan Hobbes, my favorite epistemologist, and I would ponder this claim well into the wee hours, testing its validity by searching for vendors of “Square Circles,” “Pet Unicorns,” “Cold Fusion,” “The Largest Prime Number,” “Reigning Bald Kings of France,” and similar quiddities oft debated in the PhilTrans (Philosophical Transactions). Our mounting failures—or, to quickly remove the scandalous ambiguity—our growing number of “not founds” amounted to some sort of inductive verification (of which, more anon). The Yellow Pages, considered as a merely finite hierarchy of marketable strings, has nothing much to tell us of contingent, objective existence. Indeed, we searched in vain for many incontrovertibly real, corporeal “thingies.” No sign of the Renaissance crypto-text, Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, which will be on everyone’s lips as soon as the Da Vinci Code mercifully fades from the best-seller lists.
Scheduling and optimal register placement for synchronous circuits derived using software pipelining techniques
Authors: Chabini Noureddine , Aboulhamid El Mostapha , Chabini Ismaïl , Savaria Yvon
Published: August 2005

Data dependency constraints constitute a lower bound P on the minimal clock period of single-phase clocked sequential circuits. In contrast to methods based on basic retiming, clocked sequential circuits with clock period P can always be obtained using software pipelining techniques. Such circuits can be derived by any method that can be framed in the following four-step process: Step 1, determine P; Step 2, compute a valid periodic schedule of the computational elements; Step 3, place registers back to the circuit; Step 4, assign the clock signals to control registers.Methods with polynomial run-time to implement this process are proposed in the literature. They implement these steps sequentially, starting with Step 1. These methods do not know how to optimally place registers which leads to an unnecessary number of registers. In this article, we address the problem of how to simultaneously implement Steps 2 and 3 in order to minimize the total number of registers. We conjecture that the problem is NP-hard in its general form. We formulate the problem for the first time in the literature, and devise a Mixed Integer Linear Program (MILP) to solve it. From this MILP, we derive a linear program to determine approximate solutions to the problem for large general circuits. We show that the proposed approach can handle nonzero clock skew. Experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the approach and show that significant reductions of the number of registers can be obtained although register sharing is not used. When the schedule is given, the proposed approach provides solutions to the problem of how to place the minimal number of registers in Step 3.
A detailed power model for field-programmable gate arrays
Authors: Poon Kara K. W. , Wilton Steven J. E. , Yan Andy
Published: August 2005

Power has become a critical issue for field-programmable gate array (FPGA) vendors. Understanding the power dissipation within FPGAs is the first step in developing power-efficient architectures and computer-aided design (CAD) tools for FPGAs. This article describes a detailed and flexible power model which has been integrated in the widely used Versatile Place and Route (VPR) CAD tool. This power model estimates the dynamic, short-circuit, and leakage power consumed by FPGAs. It is the first flexible power model developed to evaluate architectural tradeoffs and the efficiency of power-aware CAD tools for a variety of FPGA architectures, and is freely available for noncommercial use. The model is flexible, in that it can estimate the power for a wide variety of FPGA architectures, and it is fast, in that it does not require extensive simulation, meaning it can be used to explore a large architectural space. We show how the model can be used to investigate the impact of various architectural parameters on the energy consumed by the FPGA, focusing on the segment length, switch block topology, lookuptable size, and cluster size.
Creating gender parity: an instruction aide's influence
Authors: Lester Cynthia Y. , Brown Marcus
Published: August 2005

The decline in the number of women in computing disciplines has been attributed to different causes, and research on the decline continues to grow. While there are numerous reasons suggested for the imbalance in these disciplines, the perceptions that women hold about their computing capabilities continue to be of interest. The current study investigates how a vicarious learning experience can be used to influence computer selfefficacy. To implement the vicarious experience, a computer-assisted peer-modeling instruction aide was developed. The study reveals that vicarious learning has a significant impact on female and male computer selfefficacy, and that the impact may be more significant for females.
Comparison with a standard via fully sequential procedures
Authors: Kim Seong-Hee
Published: August 2005

We develop fully sequential procedures for comparison with a standard. The goal is to find systems whose expected performance measures are larger or smaller than a single system referred to as a standard and, if there is any, to find the one with the largest or smallest performance. The general formulation of comparison with a standard gives the standard a special status and tries to protect it when its performance is better than or even equal to performance measures of all the other alternatives. Therefore, the problem cannot be formulated as the selection of the best and a specialized procedure is required. Our procedures allow for unequal variances across systems, the use of common random numbers, and known or unknown expected performance of the standard. Experimental results are provided to compare the efficiency of the procedure with other existing procedures.
Recognizing individual excellence helps us all
Authors: Patterson David A.
Published: August 2005

In addition to honoring individuals who have advanced our field, recognizing technical excellence enhances the image of our profession and helps attract the best and brightest to our field.
IT-enabled sense-and-respond strategies in complex public organizations
Authors: Ramnath Rajiv , Landsbergen David
Published: August 2005

City governments face difficult challenges in serving their increasingly Net-connected constituencies in an environment of change, uncertain demand, and reduced budgets. These conditions require their IT departments to enable governments to adapt to citizen requests in a sense-and-respond (S-R) manner. In this article, the application of S-R concepts is demonstrated by the approaches used in developing an IT strategic plan for Columbus, Ohio. The fractal-based, request-focused strategy used here creates a unified organizational and IT context for connecting the Department of Technology and city government departments to their customers by utilizing an incremental, lean portfolio-management-based action plan and architecture.
Comprehensive multiprocessor cache miss rate generation using multivariate models
Authors: Gluhovsky Ilya , O'Krafka Brian
Published: August 2005

This article presents a technique for taking a sparse set of cache simulation data and fitting a multivariate model to fill in the missing points over a broad region of cache configurations. We extend previous work by its applicability to multiple miss rate components and its ability to model a wide range of cache parameters, including size, associativity and sharing. Miss rate models are useful for broad design exploration in which many cache configurations cannot be simulated directly due to limitations of trace collection setups or available resources. We show the effectiveness of the technique by applying it to two commercial workloads and presenting miss rate data for a broad design space with cache size, associativity, sharing and number of processors as variables. The fitted data match the simulation data very well. The various curves show how a miss rate model is useful for not only estimating the performance of specific configurations, but also for providing insight into miss rate trends. Furthermore, this modeling methodology is robust in the presence of corrupted simulation data and variations in simulation data from multiple sources.