An efficient sparse matrix multiplication scheme for the CYBER 205 computer

This paper describes the development of an efficient algorithm for computing the product of a matrix and vector on a CYBER 205 vector computer. The desire to provide software which allows the user to choose between the often conflicting goals of minimizing central processing unit (CPU) time or storage requirements has led to a diagonal-based algorithm in which one of four types of storage is selected for each diagonal. The candidate storage types employed were chosen to be efficient on the CYBER 205 for diagonals which have nonzero structure which is dense, moderately sparse, very sparse and short, or very sparse and long; however, for many densities, no diagonal type is most efficient with respect to both resource requirements, and a trade-off must be made. For each diagonal, an initialization subroutine estimates the CPU time and storage required for each storage type based on results from previously performed numerical experimentation. These requirements are adjusted by weights provided by the user which reflect the relative importance the user places on the two resources. The adjusted resource requirements are then compared to select the most efficient storage and computational scheme

German Prisoners of War in Maine, 1944-1946

Like many states during World War II, Maine faced a severe labor shortage at a time when wartime needs boosted production demands. Northern Maine farmers and paper makers used German prisoners of war to help meet these extraordinary demands. Despite early apprehensions among local people, the POW\u27s, stationed in Houlton, remained unobtrusive. They responded well to the rigors of climate and work, and some of them formed lasting friendships with local residents

A study of hybridization and behavioral characters in Percina notogramma (Rany and Hubbs) and Percina peltata (Stauffer), family Percidae

In view of the close phylogenetic relationship between the two sym­patric species of darters, Percina notogramma (Raney and Hubbs) and Percina peltata (Stauffer), placed in the subgenus Alvordius by Bailey and Gosline (1955), it is of interest to compare them in more detail than has been done in the past. Percina notograrnma occurs only in the Chesapeake Drainage in Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia whereas P. peltata ranges from Virginia to New York. Adequate comparisons of their external. morphological characters have been presented by Raney and Hubbs (1948) in their original description of P. notogramma. Supplementary data were provided by Hogarth and Woolcott (1966) in a paper describing the subspecies, P. n. montuosa, from the James River. In the present study, some observations indicating introgressive hybridization and others on behavioral characters will be followed by an attempt to integrate the evidence each provides concerning the phylogenetic relationship of the two species

Barriers to Succession Planning: A Case Study of Atlanta Nonprofit Organizations

Succession planning is not a common practice among nonprofit organizations, despite support for its effectiveness in supporting leadership development and providing organizational stability during a planned or unplanned transition. Nonprofits have acknowledged that their leadership ranks are thin, and a leadership transition tends to bring challenges to the organizations when vacancies need to be filled. Barriers exist that prevent nonprofits from engaging in succession planning, but little research has examined the nature of these barriers. This study focused on nonprofit organizations across four different industry sectors to determine the extent of their succession planning efforts and the barriers that exist that hinder the implementation of succession planning. I used a qualitative, multiple-case study approach and conducted 20 semistructured interviews comprised of a sample of organizational leaders with knowledge of their organizations’ succession planning activities. The study produced five themes discussing 1) the extent of succession planning activities in nonprofit organizations (NPOs); 2) succession planning in the hierarchy of organizational focus and priorities; 3) how succession planning relates to organizational survival; 4) how NPOs maintain organizational stability; and 5) if succession planning is an essential or good practice for NPOs. The implications of the study show that the practice of succession planning, while a viable option for long-term stability, does not fit all organizational models or needs and NPOs have alternative methods to meet their needs when leadership positions become vacant

Secrets, spooks and ghosts : memoirs and contested memory at the CIA

The CIA is increasingly symbolic of major controversies in American foreign policy. It also presents the academic researcher with a fascinating paradox – since it is simultaneously secret and yet high-profile. In part, this is due to the CIA's willingness to allow former operatives to write memoirs. We argue that the memoir literature, authored by CIA personnel both high and low, together with others who worked alongside them, is now so dense that this allows us a degree of triangulation. Yet these memoirs are increasingly collective productions, involving censors, ghostwriters and teams of researchers, introducing conflicting voices into the text, and adding layers of separation between author and reader. We suggest that these ghosted memoirs, therefore, operate on several levels. For good or ill, these books shape the American public's perception of the CIA and should be studied closely, especially by those interested in the subjectivities of image management. This essay seeks to explore these issues by comparing four memoirs by CIA directors and acting directors who have served since 9/11