

   SSccaallee ffoorr llmmee OOppttiimmiizzaattiioonn

        lmeScale(start)

   AArrgguummeennttss::

      start: the starting values for the coefficients to be
             estimated.

   DDeessccrriippttiioonn::

        This function calculates the scales to be used for each
        coefficient estimated through an `ms' optimization in
        the `lme' function. If all initial values are zero, the
        scale is set to one for all coefficients; else, the
        scale for a coefficient with non-zero initial value is
        equal to the inverse of its initial value and the scale
        for the coefficients with initial value equal to zero
        is set to the median of the non-zero initial value
        coefficients.

   VVaalluuee::

        a vector with the scales to be used in `ms' for esti-
        mating the coefficients.

   AAuutthhoorr((ss))::

        Jose Pinheiro and Douglas Bates

   SSeeee AAllssoo::

        `ms'

