bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
As dimensões temporais do verbo hebraico: desafio ao traduzir o Antigo Testamento
Authors: Grenzer Matthias
Published: July 2016

O leitor-tradutor atual da Bíblia Hebraica ainda se sente desafiado quanto à compreensão mais exata do verbo. O sistema verbal do hebraico antigo, pois, trabalha com um número reduzido de formas. Somente conhece duas conjugações, verbos sufixados e prefixados, sendo que ambos podem ser compostos com a conjunção vav, adquirindo, dessa forma, funções próprias. Surge, sobretudo, a pergunta se o verbo hebraico, semelhantemente ao verbo no português, tem a tarefa de se referir ao tempo tripartido em passado, presente e futuro. Quer dizer: será que o verbo hebraico traz consigo dimensões temporais? Ou ele apresenta apenas dimensões aspectuais, de acordo com o que comumente é afirmado nas gramáticas e manuais de ensino do hebraico bíblico usados no Brasil? Ao acolher, neste artigo, a narrativa presente no quinto capítulo do livro do Êxodo (Ex 5), proponho-me a esboçar uma primeira pesquisa empírica, a fim de verificar o funcionamento das formas verbais no sistema linguístico do Hebraico Bíblico, indo ao encontro da teoria verbal do hebraísta alemão Rüdiger Bartelmus.
A preliminary case study of the effect of shoe-wearing on the biomechanics of a horse’s foot
Authors: Panagiotopoulou Olga , Rankin Jeffery W. , Gatesy Stephen M. , Hutchinson John R.
Published: July 2016

Horse racing is a multi-billion-dollar industry that has raised welfare concerns due to injured and euthanized animals. Whilst the cause of musculoskeletal injuries that lead to horse morbidity and mortality is multifactorial, pre-existing pathologies, increased speeds and substrate of the racecourse are likely contributors to foot disease. Horse hooves have the ability to naturally deform during locomotion and dissipate locomotor stresses, yet farriery approaches are utilised to increase performance and protect hooves from wear. Previous studies have assessed the effect of different shoe designs on locomotor performance; however, no biomechanical study has hitherto measured the effect of horseshoes on the stresses of the foot skeletonin vivo. This preliminary study introduces a novel methodology combining three-dimensional data from biplanar radiography with inverse dynamics methods and finite element analysis (FEA) to evaluate the effect of a stainless steel shoe on the function of a Thoroughbred horse’s forefoot during walking. Our preliminary results suggest that the stainless steel shoe shifts craniocaudal, mediolateral and vertical GRFs at mid-stance. We document a similar pattern of flexion-extension in the PIP (pastern) and DIP (coffin) joints between the unshod and shod conditions, with slight variation in rotation angles throughout the stance phase. For both conditions, the PIP and DIP joints begin in a flexed posture and extend over the entire stance phase. At mid-stance, small differences in joint angle are observed in the PIP joint, with the shod condition being more extended than the unshod horse, whereas the DIP joint is extended more in the unshod than the shod condition. We also document that the DIP joint extends more than the PIP after mid-stance and until the end of the stance in both conditions. Our FEA analysis, conducted solely on the bones, shows increased von Mises and Maximum principal stresses on the forefoot phalanges in the shod condition at mid-stance, consistent with the tentative conclusion that a steel shoe might increase mechanical loading. However, because of our limited sample size none of these apparent differences have been tested for statistical significance. Our preliminary study illustrates how the shoe may influence the dynamics and mechanics of a Thoroughbred horse’s forefoot during slow walking, but more research is needed to quantify the effect of the shoe on the equine forefoot during the whole stance phase, at faster speeds/gaits and with more individuals as well as with a similar focus on the hind feet. We anticipate that our preliminary analysis using advanced methodological approaches will pave the way for new directions in research on the form/function relationship of the equine foot, with the ultimate goal to minimise foot injuries and improve animal health and welfare.
Presentando una "otra globalización": la globalización del (((amor)))
Authors: Almeida Santos Sandro
Published: July 2016

El artículo presenta una “otra globalización” protagonizada por individuos que se dicen fuera de los carriles en relación a los flujos globales “desde arriba” o “desde abajo”. Son migrantes transnacionales, herederos del movimiento hippie, que están conectados globalmente por medio de una red de afectos y lealtades. La primera parte del texto presenta la religiosidad de la Nueva Era y de la contracultura según las ciencias sociales y hace una breve exposición etnográfica de una celebración de matrimonio realizada en el espacio-tiempo de una nueva civilización en un pueblo ubicado en el Brasil central. La fiesta, en sus diferentes etapas, presenta la apertura de los buscadores de una Nueva Era a las hibridaciones interculturales y a la convivencia pacífica con la diferencia. En la segunda parte se hace una discusión teórica sobre la importancia del concepto de “otras globalizaciones” para la comprensión de múltiples fenómenos que ocurren en escala global y su relación con una concepción de cosmopolítica revisitada. La Nueva Era y la contracultura son marcadas por su misticismo pero también por sus manifestaciones políticas en la defensa de una agenda global alternativa. Para finalizar, son hechas consideraciones sobre el cosmopolitismo que anima esa “otra globalización”, la globalización del (((amor))).
Corrupción y Desarrollo Humano: un estudio de correlación entre fenómenos político-sociales
Authors: Sarmiento Junior
Published: July 2016

La corrupción es un fenómeno es relevante, prácticamente, para todas las sociedades, en mayor o menor escala. Los actos de corrupción están vinculados a la sobreposición de intereses públicos por los privados con una serie de acciones ilegales concretas que afectan directamente las políticas públicas y la efectividad de la administración pública. A través del índice de correlación de Pearson se constató que la corrupción y el desarrollo humano poseen una fuerte correlación, percibiéndose una tendencia lineal de factores inversamente proporcionales. Pero, esos fenómenos son potenciados por la efectividad o ausencia de accountability, la corrupción, claramente, se vuelve más fuerte cuando hay una precariedad en el intrumento de accountability, ya que cuando ese instrumento se muestra efectivo la promoción de la justicia social y la democracia son fortalecidas y, consecuentemente, hay desarrollo humano.
Comercialização, logística de transportes e exportações do setor de fruticultura no projeto Jaíba
Authors: Pereira Luiz Andrei Gonçalves , Ferreira William Rodrigues
Published: July 2016

As inter-relações entre a produção, a comercialização e a logística de transportes do setor de fruticultura ocorrem pelas ações dos agentes econômicos no espaço geográfico. O objetivo deste artigo é o de analisar o processo de interações espaciais entre os exportadores do Projeto Jaíba e os mercados internacionais, por meio da configuração territorial das exportações, da logística de transportes e dos recintos alfandegados que movimentaram os fluxos de mercadorias, no período de 2001 a 2014. Como metodologia, foram adotadas a revisão de literatura, as coletas e as análises dos dados de fontes secundárias para a explicação dos fluxos das exportações no Projeto Jaíba. No texto, discutiu-se o processo de surgimento, de expansão da infraestrutura e de internacionalização por meio das exportações que são escoadas para os portos e aeroportos pelo transporte rodoviário nacional. E, a partir dos recintos alfandegados, os produtos exportados seguem para os mercados internacionais por transporte marítimo e por transporte aéreo internacional.
Spatially resolved SO2 flux emissions from Mt Etna
Authors: D'Aleo R. , Bitetto M. , Delle Donne D. , Tamburello G. , Battaglia A. , Coltelli M. , Patanè D. , Prestifilippo M. , Sciotto M. , Aiuppa A.
Published: July 2016

We report on a systematic record of SO2 flux emissions from individual vents of Etna volcano (Sicily), which we obtained using a permanent UV camera network. Observations were carried out in summer 2014, a period encompassing two eruptive episodes of the New South East Crater (NSEC) and a fissure‐fed eruption in the upper Valle del Bove. We demonstrate that our vent‐resolved SO2 flux time series allow capturing shifts in activity from one vent to another and contribute to our understanding of Etna's shallow plumbing system structure. We find that the fissure eruption contributed ~50,000 t of SO2 or ~30% of the SO2 emitted by the volcano during the 5 July to 10 August eruptive interval. Activity from this eruptive vent gradually vanished on 10 August, marking a switch of degassing toward the NSEC. Onset of degassing at the NSEC was a precursory to explosive paroxysmal activity on 11–15 August.
Synoptic forcing of wind relaxations at Pt. Conception, California
Authors: Fewings Melanie R. , Washburn Libe , Dorman Clive E. , Gotschalk Christopher , Lombardo Kelly
Published: July 2016

Over the California Current upwelling system in summer, the prevailing upwelling‐favorable winds episodically weaken (relax) or reverse direction for a few days. Near Pt. Conception, California, the wind usually does not reverse, but wind relaxation allows poleward oceanic coastal flow with ecological consequences. To determine the offshore extent and synoptic forcing of these wind relaxations, we formed composite averages of wind stress from the QuikSCAT satellite and atmospheric pressure from the North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) using 67 wind relaxations during summer 2000–2009. Wind relaxations at Pt. Conception are the third stage of an event sequence that repeatedly affects the west coast of North America in summer. First, 5–7 days before the wind weakens near Pt. Conception, the wind weakens or reverses off Oregon and northern California. Second, the upwelling‐favorable wind intensifies along central California. Third, the wind relaxes at Pt. Conception, and the area of weakened winds extends poleward to northern California over 3–5 days. The NARR underestimates the wind stress within ∼200 km of coastal capes by a factor of 2. Wind relaxations at Pt. Conception are caused by offshore extension of the desert heat low. This synoptic forcing is related to event cycles that cause wind reversal as in Halliwell and Allen (1987) and Mass and Bond (1996), but includes weaker events. The wind relaxations extend ∼600 km offshore, similarly to the California‐scale hydraulic expansion fan shaping the prevailing winds, and ∼1000 km alongshore, limited by an opposing pressure gradient force at Cape Mendocino.
Enhanced Light Harvesting in Mesoscopic Solar Cells by Multilevel Multiscale Patterned Photoelectrodes with Superpositioned Optical Properties
Authors: Jang Segeun , Kang Jin Soo , Lee Jong‐Kwon , Kim Sang Moon , Son Yoon Jun , Lim Ahyoun , Cho Hyesung , Kim Jin , Jeong Juwon , Lee Gunhee , Sung Yung‐Eun , Choi Mansoo
Published: July 2016

Investigations on nano‐ and micropatterns have been intensively performed in optical applications due to their light modulation effects for enhanced photon utilization. Recently, incorporation of periodic architectures in solar cells have brought significant enhancements in light harvesting and energy conversion efficiency, however, further improvements in performance are required for practical applications due to the intrinsic limitations of single‐level patterns. Herein, this study reports mesoscopic solar cells employing photoelectrodes with multilevel multiscale patterns. Polydimethylsiloxane film with multilevel nano/micropatterns (integrated in z‐axis direction) is prepared by LEGO‐like multiplex lithography, and its architecture is imprinted on mesoporous TiO2 electrode by soft molding technique. By various spectral analyses and simulations, advanced light harvesting properties by superposition of optical responses from constituent nano‐ and micropatterns are verified. The effectiveness of the strategy is confirmed by applications in dye‐sensitized solar cells as a model system, wherein over 17.5% increase in efficiency (by multilevel 400 nm line/20 μm dot structures) is observed. Also, external quantum efficiencies clearly exhibit that the improved light harvesting originates from the combined effects of diffraction grating and random scattering induced by both nano‐ and microarchitectures, respectively. Moreover, the validity of the multiscale approach in different dimensions is also confirmed in order to demonstrate the general advantages.
New aspects of quantization of the Jackiw–Pi model: field–antifield formalism and noncommutativity
Authors: Nikoofard Vahid , Abreu Everton M. C.
Published: July 2016

The so‐called Jackiw–Pi (JP) model for massive vector fields is a three‐dimensional, gauge‐invariant and parity‐preserving model that was discussed in several contexts. In this paper we have discussed its quantum aspects through the introduction of Planck‐scale objects, i.e., via noncommutativity and the well‐known BV quantization. Namely, we have constructed the JP noncommutative space‐time version, we have provided the BV quantization of the commutative JP model and we have discussed its features. The noncommutativity has introduced interesting new objects in JP's Planck‐scale framework.

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Ligand Exchange Chromatography of Nitrophenol Positional Isomers on Co‐CMEDA‐Silica Gel
Authors: Ayar Ahmet
Published: July 2016

Nitrophenols are common pollutants detected in industrial effluents because they are used as basic raw materials in various industrial processes. Due to their toxicity to living things they are chemical species that need to be constantly monitored. Hence, the separation of nitrophenol isomers is very important to determine their levels in the environment. Since technical p‐nitrophenol is contaminated with m‐nitrophenol and the other aromatic compounds, the selective separation of p‐nitrophenol from undesired impurities has become one of the important issues of the paracetamol synthesis. In the present work, a new chromatographic method for the separation of nitrophenol isomers on Co(II)‐tris(carboxymethyl)ethylenediamine‐silica gel (Co‐CMEDA‐Silica gel) has been developed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The chromatographic conditions were optimized by studying the effects of mobile phase composition. The positional isomers of nitrophenol (o‐, m‐, and p‐nitrophenol) could be separated by using ternary mobile phases with water/methanol/acetonitrile in the ratio 5:20:75 under isocratic conditions. The baseline separation of nitrophenol isomers has been achieved successfully with the stepwise gradient elution.
Yttrocene Chloride and Methyl Complexes with Variously Substituted Cyclopentadienyl Ligands: Synthesis, Characterization, and Reactivity toward Ethylene
Authors: Fridrichová Adéla , Varga Vojtech , Pinkas Jiří , Lamač Martin , Růžička Aleš , Horáček Michal
Published: July 2016

The reaction of YCl3·3.5THF with 1 equiv. of Li(C5Me4SiMe3) afforded in high yield the ionic complex [Li(thf)4]+{[(η5‐C5Me4SiMe3)YCl2]4(µ4‐Cl)}– (1). The molecule of 1 consists of the tetranuclear anion {[(η5‐C5Me4SiMe3)YCl2]4(µ4‐Cl)}– compensated with [Li(thf)4]+ in the solid state. Reactions of compound 1 with selected lithium and potassium cyclopentadienides resulted in the formation of yttrocene chloride complexes [(η5‐C5Me4SiMe3)Y(L)(µ‐Cl)2M(thf)2] [M = Li, L = η5‐C5H5 (2); M = Li, L = η5‐C5Me5 (3); M = Li, L = η5‐C5Me4SiMe2H (4); M = K, L = η5‐C5Me4CH2Ph (5)]. Yttrocene chloride complexes 2–5 underwent methylation reactions to give yttrocene methyl complexes [(η5‐C5Me4SiMe3)Y(L)(µ‐Me)2Li(thf)2] [L = η5‐C5H5 (6); L = η5‐C5Me5 (7); L = η5‐C5Me4SiMe2H (8); L = η5‐C5Me4CH2Ph (9)]. The products of all these reactions were characterized by NMR and IR spectroscopy, and 2–5 were further studied by ESI mass spectrometry. The molecular structures of 1 and 4 were determined by single‐crystal XRD. The methyl‐bridged complexes 6–9 were tested as homogeneous catalysts for ethylene polymerization in the absence of cocatalysts.
Start‐up and steady‐state results of a UASB reactor treating high pH baker's yeast molasses wastewater for methane production
Authors: Mischopoulou Magdalini , Kalamaras Sotirios D , Naidis Panagiotis , Kotsopoulos Thomas A , Samaras Petros
Published: July 2016

BACKGROUND

The baker's yeast industry is a major market and due to the intensified production large quantities of waste are generated. Wastewater from the baker's yeast industry with high content of molasses was treated anaerobically in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor for the production of methane (CH4).

RESULTS

The molasses wastewater obtained from industry had a high pH value around 8.0 ± 0.5, which remained constant during the experimental period. The system was operated at an organic loading rate (OLR) of 2.4–7.65 g of volatile solids per liter per day (g VS L−1 d−1) and the best results were observed at 4 g VS L−1 d−1, where methane production exceeded 350 L CH4 kg−1 VS. Anaerobic chemical oxygen demand removal was also examined and it was found that for the latter conditions of optimum OLR, it was more than 35%. VFA analysis revealed that acetic acid concentration in the reactor was more than 25 mmol L−1 even under optimum conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

The tested hydraulic retention time (HRT) values did not affect methane production, unlike the OLR. The increased acetic acid concentration in the UASB reactor and the high pH were credited to the inhibition of aceticlastic microorganisms. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
Reduction of friction by recombinant human proteoglycan 4 in IL‐1α stimulated bovine cartilage explants
Authors: Larson Katherine M. , Zhang Ling , Elsaid Khaled A. , Schmidt Tannin A. , Fleming Braden C. , Badger Gary J. , Jay Gregory D.
Published: July 2016

A boundary lubricant attaches and protects sliding bearing surfaces by preventing interlocking asperity–asperity contact. Proteoglycan‐4 (PRG4) is a boundary lubricant found in the synovial fluid that provides chondroprotection to articular surfaces. Inflammation of the diarthrodial joint modulates local PRG4 concentration. Thus, we measured the effects of inflammation, with Interleukin‐1α (IL‐1α) incubation, upon boundary lubrication and PRG4 expression in bovine cartilage explants. We further aimed to determine whether the addition of exogenous human recombinant PRG4 (rhPRG4) could mitigate the effects of inflammation on boundary lubrication and PRG4 expression in vitro. Cartilage explants, following a 7 day incubation with IL‐1α, were tested in a disc‐on‐disc configuration using either rhPRG4 or saline (PBS control) as a lubricant. Following mechanical testing, explants were studied immunohistochemically or underwent RNA extraction for real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). We found that static coefficient of friction (COF) significantly decreased to 0.14 ± 0.065 from 0.21 ± 0.059 (p = 0.014) in IL‐1α stimulated explants lubricated with rhPRG4, as compared to PBS. PRG4 expression was significantly up regulated from 30.8 ± 19 copies in control explants lubricated with PBS to 3330 ± 1760 copies in control explants lubricated with rhPRG4 (p < 0.001). Explants stimulated with IL‐1α displayed no increase in PRG4 expression upon lubrication with rhPRG4, but with PBS as the lubricant, IL‐1α stimulation significantly increased PRG4 expression compared to the control condition from 30.8 ± 19 copies to 401 ± 340 copies (p = 0.015). Overall, these data suggest that exogenous rhPRG4 may provide a therapeutic option for reducing friction in transient inflammatory conditions and increasing PRG4 expression. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 35:580–589, 2017.
The Lake Natron Footprint Tuff (northern Tanzania): volcanic source, depositional processes and age constraints from field relations
Authors: Balashova Anna , Mattsson Hannes B. , Hirt Ann M. , Almqvist Bjarne S. G.
Published: July 2016

The Engare Sero Footprint Site, situated on the southern shore of Lake Natron in northern Tanzania, has been reported to host one of the best preserved sets of fossilized hominid footprints in the world. However, until now there has been no detailed characterization and age determination of the footprint‐bearing strata (the Footprint Tuff). Here, we combine field observations with geochemical and mineralogical analyses and measurements of the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility to constrain depositional processes, the role of reworking and the volcanic source for the Footprint Tuff. We find that the footprint‐bearing horizon consists of volcanic ash‐fall that has been slightly reworked by water, and that this was produced during a voluminous eruption of the Oldoinyo Lengai volcano. The unit, which covered the footprints and helped to preserve them, consists of the wind‐blown material from the same eruption, mixed together with locally derived detrital material. We can constrain the ash horizon to be of Holocene age, based on: (i) the location of the Footprint Tuff within the regional stratigraphy, (ii) previous age determination of an ash layer that can be correlated with the Footprint Tuff and (iii) the regional climatological history of the area. The ash horizon was probably deposited around 11000‐10500 years ago, but could potentially be even younger than this.
Cellulose‐Derived Carbon Fibers Produced via a Continuous Carbonization Process: Investigating Precursor Choice and Carbonization Conditions
Authors: Byrne Nolene , Setty Mohan , Blight Simon , Tadros Ray , Ma Yibo , Sixta Herbert , Hummel Michael
Published: July 2016

Here, the carbonization of two Lyocell type regenerated cellulose fibres is reported. Commercially available Lyocell as well as the experimental Lyocell type fibre known as Ioncell‐F spun from the ionic liquid 1,5‐diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non‐5‐ene‐1‐ium acetate ([DBNH]OAc) is investigated, which supports higher draw ratio and thus improves precursor mechanical properties. Lyocell fibres are known to have improved mechanical properties over other regenerated cellulose fibres and are therefore considered to be better carbon fibre precursor candidates. The Lyocell fibres used in this study are carbonized utilizing a scaled down identical replica of an in use carbon fibre line. The importance of this is the ability to assess the performance of the Lyocell fibres under more realistic continuous carbonization processing conditions. The tensile properties, morphology, and chemical composition of all fibres are determined. It is shown that by changing the carbonization temperature and atmosphere fibres with different mechanical properties and diameter can be produced. Elemental analysis confirms that each fibre has a carbon content of ≥90%.

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Synthesis and biological activity of a new class of insecticides: the N‐(5‐aryl‐1,3,4‐thiadiazol‐2‐yl)amides
Authors: Eckelbarger Joseph D , Parker Marshall H , Yap Maurice CH , Buysse Ann M , Babcock Jonathan M , Hunter Ricky , Adelfinskaya Yelena , Samaritoni Jack G , Garizi Negar , Trullinger Tony K
Published: July 2016

BACKGROUND

Optimization studies on a high‐throughput screening (HTS) hit led to the discovery of a series of N‐(6‐arylpyridazin‐3‐yl)amides with insecticidal activity. It was hypothesized that the isosteric replacement of the pyridazine ring with a 1,3,4‐thiadiazole ring could lead to more potent biological activity and/or a broader sap‐feeding pest spectrum. The resulting N‐(5‐aryl‐1,3,4‐thiadiazol‐2‐yl)amides were explored as a new class of insecticides.

RESULTS

Several methods for 2‐amino‐1,3,4‐thiadiazole synthesis were used for the preparation of key synthetic intermediates. Subsequent coupling to variously substituted carboxylic acid building blocks furnished the final targets, which were tested for insecticidal activity against susceptible strains of Aphis gossypii (Glover) (cotton aphid), Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (green peach aphid) and Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (sweetpotato whitefly).

CONCLUSION

Structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies on both the amide tail and the aryl A‐ring of novel N‐(5‐aryl‐1,3,4‐thiadiazol‐2‐yl)amides led to a new class of insecticidal molecules active against sap‐feeding insect pests. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
Stress and charge transfer in uniaxially strained CVD graphene
Authors: Bousa Milan , Anagnostopoulos George , del Corro Elena , Drogowska Karolina , Pekarek Jan , Kavan Ladislav , Kalbac Martin , Parthenios John , Papagelis Konstantinos , Galiotis Costas , Frank Otakar
Published: July 2016

Mechanical properties of graphene prepared by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) are not easily comparable to the properties of nearly perfect graphene prepared by mechanical cleavage. In this work, we attempt to investigate the mechanical performance of CVD graphene (simply supported or embedded in polymer matrix), transferred by two different techniques, under uniaxial loading with simultaneous in situ monitoring by Raman microspectroscopy. The level of charge transfer doping and strain is assessed using the vector analysis modified for uniaxial strain. The strain distribution across the samples varies significantly, owing to the growth and transfer process, which induces wrinkles and faults in the CVD graphene. In simply supported specimens, the stress transfer efficiency is generally very low and the changes in Raman spectra are dominated by variations in the charge transfer originating from the realignment of the domains on the substrate upon the application of strain. In contrast, samples covered with an additional polymer layer exhibit an improved stress transfer efficiency, and the alterations of charge doping levels are negligible. In fully embedded specimens, the variations in stress transfer efficiencies are caused by the size of the effective graphene domains defined by cracks, folds and/or wrinkles.
PAID-INCURRED CHAIN RESERVING METHOD WITH DEPENDENCE MODELING
Authors: Happ Sebastian , Wüthrich Mario V.
Published: July 2016

The paid-incurred chain (PIC) reserving method is a claims reserving method that allows to combine claims payments and incurred losses information in a mathematical consistent way. The main criticism on the original Bayesian log-normal PIC model presented in Merz–Wüthrich [5] is that it does not respect dependence properties within the observed data. In the present paper, we extend the original Bayesian log-normal PIC model so that dependence is modeled in an appropriate way.
Review of the Diagnostic Challenges of Lambert–Eaton Syndrome Revealed Through Three Case Reports
Authors: Merino-Ramírez Miguel Ángel , Bolton Charles F.
Published: July 2016

Lambert–Eaton syndrome (LES) is a rare immune-mediated disorder characterized by proximal leg weakness, autonomic symptoms and hypoactive tendon reflexes. The paraneoplastic form is associated with small-cell lung cancer in 50-60% of cases, whereas the remaining cases are found in younger adults with a higher likelihood of coexisting autoimmune disease. The early recognition of LES is crucial for improving clinical outcomes but remains a major challenge. In this review, we analyze the clinical characteristics and diagnostic considerations in treating LES through a series of three case studies, one of which showed definitive response to pyridostigmine and corticosteroid combination therapy, followed by spontaneous remission. Patients were assessed by image-based screening, serological testing and electrophysiological evaluations, which included respiratory and autonomic testing. A better understanding of the common pitfalls in the clinical, serological and neurophysiologic diagnosis of LES through assessment of typical LES dysfunction throughout the nervous system should enable improved recognition and treatment of this syndrome.
“Fanaticism” and the Politics of Resistance along the North-West Frontier of British India
Authors: Condos Mark
Published: July 2016

During the past decade, discussions of religious extremism and “fanatical” violence have come to dominate both public and academic discourse. Yet, rarely do these debates engage with the historical and discursive origins of the term “fanatic.” As a result, many of these discussions tend to reproduce uncritically the same Orientalist tropes and stereotypes that have historically shaped the way “fanaticism” and “fanatical” violence have been framed and understood. This paper seeks to provide a corrective to this often problematic and flawed understanding of the history of “fanaticism.” It approaches these topics through an examination of how British colonial authorities conceived of and responded to the problem of “murderous,” “fanatical,” and “ghazi” “outrages” along the North-West Frontier of India. By unpacking the various religious, cultural, and psychiatric explanations underpinning British understandings of these phenomena, I explore how these discourses interacted to create the powerful legal and discursive category of the “fanatic.” I show how this was perceived as an existentially threatening class of criminal that existed entirely outside the bounds of politics, society, and sanity, and therefore needed to be destroyed completely. The subjectification of the “fanatic,” in this case, ultimately served as a way of activating the colonial state's “sovereign” need to punish and kill. Finally, I deconstruct these reductive colonial representations of fanaticism in order to demonstrate how, despite British views to the contrary, these were often complex and deeply political acts of anti-colonial resistance.
Telugu
Authors: Bhaskararao Peri , Ray Arpita
Published: July 2016

Telugu (tel) belongs to the Dravidian family of languages and is spoken by 7.19% of the population of India (Census of India 2001b). At different stages of its development over centuries, the vocabulary of Telugu has been considerably influenced by various languages, such as Sanskrit, Prakrit,2 Perso-Arabic and English. A major consequence of this influence is that the phonemic system of Telugu has been extended by additional sets of sounds. Thus, the aspirates /pʰ bʱ tʰ dʱ ʈʰ ɖʱ ʧʰ ʤʱ kʰ ɡʱ/ and fricatives /ʃ ʂ h/, absent in the native phonemic system, entered the language through Sanskrit borrowings. Similarly, /f/ entered the language through Perso-Arabic and English borrowings. Some of the sounds from Perso-Arabic and English sources were nativized, for example, Perso-Arabic and English phoneme /ʃ/ was rendered as /ʂ/, which had already entered the language through borrowings from Sanskrit/Prakrit; Perso-Arabic phonemes /qx ɣ z/ were rendered as /kkʰ ɡ ʤ/ respectively; and the English phoneme /θ/ was rendered as /tʰ/. English borrowings also resulted in re-phonemicization. In native Telugu vocabulary, [ɛ] and [ӕː] are allophones of /e/ and /eː/ respectively, but they acquire phonemic status when words borrowed from English are included in the total vocabulary of the language.
Khowar
Authors: Liljegren Henrik , Khan Afsar Ali
Published: July 2016

Khowar (ISO 639-3: khw) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by 200,000–300,000 (Decker 1992: 31–32; Bashir 2003: 843) people in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (formerly North-West Frontier Province). The majority of the speakers are found in Chitral (a district and erstwhile princely state bordering Afghanistan, see Figure 1), where the language is used as a lingua franca, but there are also important pockets of speaker groups in adjacent areas of Gilgit-Baltistan and Swat District as well as a considerable number of recent migrants to larger cities such as Peshawar and Rawalpindi (Decker 1992: 25–26). Its closest linguistic relative is Kalasha, a much smaller language spoken in a few villages in southern Chitral (Morgenstierne 1961: 138; Strand 1973: 302, 2001: 252). While Khowar has preserved a number of features (phonological, morphological as well as lexical) now lost in other Indo-Aryan languages of the surrounding Hindukush-Karakoram mountain region, it has, over time, incorporated a massive amount of lexical material from neighbouring or influential Iranian languages (Morgenstierne 1936) – and with it, new phonological distinctions. Certain features might also be attributable to formerly dominant languages (e.g. Turkic), or to linguistic substrates, either in the form of, or related to, the language isolate Burushaski, or other, now extinct, languages previously spoken in the area (Morgenstierne 1932: 48, 1947: 6; Bashir 2007: 208–214). There is relatively little dialectal variation among the speakers in Chitral itself, probably attributable to the relative recency of the present expansion of the language (Morgenstierne 1932: 50).
Christ's freedom: Anselm vs Molina
Authors: ROGERS KATHERIN A.
Published: July 2016

Both Molinism and Anselmianism attempt to preserve libertarian freedom for created agents as well as robust divine sovereignty. The two issues intersect in addressing the puzzle of Christ's freedom: If God is necessarily good, how can God Incarnate be free? Anselm answers: while human agents need options for our choices to be up to us, Christ inevitably chooses rightly with perfect freedom. I defend Anselm's answer against a general criticism and then argue that Anselm's position is preferable to the Molinist solution which has recently been championed by Thomas P. Flint.
A Method for the Estimation of the Risk Premiums in Stop Loss Reinsurance
Authors: Philipson Carl
Published: July 2016

The reinsurance to be treated in this note shall cover the excess over a certain limit Q of the total amount of claims for each accounting period paid by the ceding company. Regardless of the rule for the determination of the limit Q such a reinsurance shall in this context be called stop loss reinsurance.

Generally, such a reinsurance is called either stop loss or excess of loss reinsurance depending on the rule for the determination of Q. The use of the term stop loss regardless of this rule is preferred here in order to avoid confusion with an excess of loss reinsurance which refers to the excess of the amount of one or more claims caused by an individual event.

The total amount of claims paid by the ceding company c during the period t shall be denoted cXt. This random function constitutes for a fixed value of c a stochastic process with the discontinuous parameter t > o.

(It may be remarked that for a fixed pair of values of c and tcXt can be regarded as a particular value of a sample function pertaining to the process of the continuous paramater τ generally considered in the collective theory of risk to which the total amount of claims up to time τ is attached, in this case o < τ ≤ 1. cXt can also be considered as the increments during the time interval t of the total amount of the claims up to τ.)
Spreading of Exceptional Claims by Means of an Internal Stop Loss Cover
Authors: Ammeter Hans
Published: July 2016

Assurance companies usually divide their portfolio into a series of tariff groups. This division is necessary for a comparison between the claims and the available premiums in the different tariff groups. By comparing these figures the company is able to verify if the tariff is appropriate or if a modification in line with the empirical data is to be recommended. Apart from this technical argument companies are sometimes compelled to make such a division because of their constitution (e.g. mutual companies) or because it is prescribed by the supervisory authorities. Companies underwriting in various countries are under the obligation, as a rule, to keep special accounts for different countries and currencies. All these reasons lead to a division of the whole business into more or less independent subdivisions which quite obviously have not as much capacity to equalize the risk fluctuations as the whole portfolio.

In every tariff group an exceptional fluctuation may occur either from a large individual claim or from claims under number of policies. This leads to a substantial loss in the relevant profit and loss statement at the end of the year. If this debit balance is carried forward to the new account every year, the account of such a tariff group may show a loss over a number of years. It is obvious that a company will endeavour to avoid such an awkward situation.

This sort of problem is usually dealt with by means of reinsurance and, to some extent this will be the right solution. However if every tariff group should be able to meet its own liabilities, a rather extended reinsurance is necessary. The capacity of the whole portfolio then would be of no importance, which suggests that a solution through reinsurance alone is not entirely satisfactory.
Sur la fonction de distribution du sinistre le plus eleve
Authors: Franckx Ed.
Published: July 2016

La question posée au colloque constitue un cas particulier du problème de la chance et de la malchance. Il appartient à une catégorie plus large de problèmes qui touche aussi bien à la statistique qu'à la recherche opérationnelle.

Pour une catégorie de risque déterminée, il faut définir deux éléments essentiels.

a) pour une période de temps de référence conventionnelle — la semaine par exemple, il faut disposer de la loi de survenance des sinistres c'est-à-dire que pour la période de temps considérée, il faut disposer de la loi qui constate qu'il se présente

la fonction génératrice de cette loi de survenance, toujours définie pour o ≤ s ≤ 1.

b) pour la catégorie de risques, nous considérons d'autre part la fonction de distribution des sinistres survenus.

S désignant la variable aléatoire du montant du sinistre, m la somme payée.

Ces deux éléments essentiels peuvent être donnés soit sur leur forme mathématique (fonctions spécifiées) sont sur leur forme expérimentale (image statistique d'un échantillon).
Contribution a l'etude du comportement optimum de la cédante et du réassureur dans le cadre de la théorie collective du risque
Authors: Lambert H.
Published: July 2016

a) On peut caractériser la situation du portefeuille d'une société d'assurance par:

le montant de ses réserves libres: Z

le coefficient de sécurité attaché aux primes pures P encaissées: λ

la fonction de fréquence des montants de sinistre: ν(x)

le bénéfice ou gain moyen par prime pure unitaire: δλ

Aux trois premiers élements correspond une probabilité de ruine ε; nous définissons cette dernière comme la probabilité d'extinction d'un fonds de valeur initiale Z, alimenté par des primes (I + λ) P et débité des montants de sinistre x liquidés ou mis en réserve, soit pendant une période infinie ou finie (processus de ruine continu), soit à des époques fixées d'avance, (processus de ruine discontinu).

Cette probabilité de ruine peut, dans des hypothèses assez générates, s'exprimer par:

où C est une fonction, dont la valeur est inférieure à l'unité, de λ et éventuellement de Z et de la longueur μ de la période considérée.
A Pricing Model in a Sensitive Insurance Market
Authors: Moriconi Franco
Published: July 2016

A great attention has been devoted, in the actuarial literature, to premium calculation principles and it has been often emphasized that these principles should not only be defined in strictly actuarial terms, but should also take into account the market conditions (Bühlmann (1980), de Jong (1981)).

In this paper we propose a decision model to define the pricing policy of an insurance company that operates in a market which is stratified in k risk classes .

It is assumed that any class constitutes a homogeneous collective containing independent risks Sj(t) of compound Poisson type, with the same intensity λj. The number nj of risks of that are held in the insurance portfolio depends on the premium charged to the class by means of a demand function which captures the concept of risk aversion and represents the fraction of individuals of , that insure themselves at the annual premium xj.

With these assumptions, the return Y on the portfolio is a function of the vector x = (x1, x2, …, xk) of the prices charged to the single classes (and of the time) and x is therefore the decision policy instrument adopted by the company for the selection of the portfolio, whose optimal composition is evaluated according to a risk-return type performance criterion.

As a measure of risk we adopt the ultimate ruin probability q(w) that, in the assumptions of our model, can be related to a safety index τ, by means of Lundberg-de Finetti inequality. Even though it has been widely debated in the actuarial field, the use of q(w) offers undeniable operational advantages. In our case the safety index τ can be expressed as a function of x and therefore, in the phase of selecting an efficient portfolio, it becomes the function to be maximized, for a given level M of the expected return.
Rating the Discount for a Motor Insurance Excess
Authors: Taylor G. C.
Published: July 2016

The problem of rating the discount for an excess is considered under the condition where premium rates for excess-free policies are calculated according to a multiplicative (or equivalently, points rating) model.

Section 3 obtains some inequalities on the manner in which the discount should vary over the various risk-classes in the portfolio and compares the results with the current practical situation in Australia.

Section 4 derives a formula for rating the discount and gives some reasonable and practical approximations.
A Comparison of Three Credibility Formulae Using Multidimensional Techniques
Authors: Bühlmann Hans
Published: July 2016

Stimulated by the paper of W. S. Jewell) on multidimensional credibility I should like to show that at level 2 assumptions (Jewell's terminology) one can obtain explicit formulae for forecasting total losses in the future based upon total losses and number of claims observed in the past.
On The Approximation of the Total Amount of Claims
Authors: Pentikäinen T.
Published: July 2016

Several “short cut” methods exist to approximate the total amount of claims ( = χ) of an insurance collective. The classical one is the normal approximation

where and σx are the mean value and standard deviation of x. Φ is the normal distribution function.

It is well-known that the normal approximation gives acceptable accuracy only when the volume of risk business is fairly large and the distribution of the amounts of the individual claims is not “too dangerous”, i.e. not too heterogeneous (cf. fig. 2).

One way to improve the normal approximation is the so called NP-method, which provides for the standardized variable a correction Δz

where

is the skewness of the distribution F(χ). Another variant (NP3) of the NP-method also makes use of the moment μ4, but, in the following, we limit our discussion mainly to the variant (2) (= NP2).

If Δz is small, a simpler formula

is available (cf. fig. 2).

Another approximation was introduced by Bohman and Esscher (1963). It is based on the incomplete gamma function

where

Experiments have been made with both formulae (2) and (4); they have been applied to various F functions, from which the exact (or at least controlled) values are otherwise known. It has been proved that the accuracy is satisfactory provided that the distribution F is not very “dangerous”.
From Aggregate Claims Distribution to Probability of Ruin
Authors: Seal Hilary L.
Published: July 2016

When the distribution of the number of claims in an interval of time of length t is mixed Poisson and the moments of the independent distribution of individual claim amounts are known, the moments of the distribution of aggregate claims through epoch t can be calculated (O. Lundberg, 1940, ch. VI). Several approximations to the corresponding distribution function, F(·, t), are available (see, e.g., Seal, 1969, ch. 2) and, in particular, a simple gamma (Pearson Type III) based on the first three moments has proved definitely superior to the widely accepted “Normal Power” approximation (Seal, 1976). Briefly,

where the P-notation for the incomplete gamma ratio is now standard and α, a function of t, is to be found from

the kappas being the cumulants of F(·, t). An excellent table of the incomplete gamma ratio is that of Khamis (1965).

The problem that is solved in this paper is the production of an approximation to U(w, t), the probability of non-ruin in an interval of time of length t, by using the above mentioned gamma approximation to F(·, t).
Bayesians Learn while Waiting
Authors: Jewell William S.
Published: July 2016

In many estimation problems, incomplete as well as complete samples are available for Bayesian prediction. After developing the theory for a special, but useful family of distributions, examples are given in life testing, renewal risk processes, life contingencies, and the problem of estimating a defective distribution.
Further Results on Recursive Evaluation of Compound Distributions
Authors: Sundt Bjørn , Jewell William S.
Published: July 2016

A recent result by Panjer provides a recursive algorithm for the compound distribution of aggregate claims when the counting law belongs to a special recursive family. In the present paper we first give a characterization of this recursive family, then describe some generalizations of Panjer's result.
Practical Credibility Theory with Emphasis on Optimal Parameter Estimation
Authors: De Vylder F.
Published: July 2016

We develop Hachemeister's regression model in credibility theory (without proofs) and indicate how the involved structural parameters can be estimated from the observable variables (with proofs for the simple results and those not yet published).

Large families of unbiased estimators are available. From the practical viewpoint this is rather a handicap because it creates the problem to decide what estimators actually to use. In order to fix optimal estimators, we adopt the small-sample criterion of minimum-variance. But in the research for general solutions three kinds of difficulties arise.

(i) The calculations become too lengthy.

(ii) The optimal estimators depend on some of the parameters to be estimated. (Then we call them pseudo-estimators).

(iii) The optimal estimators depend on new structural parameters defined in terms of fourth-order moments.

Only a compromise allows to cope with this reality. Situation (iii) creates new estimation problems. They can only be avoided at the cost of the introduction of special assumptions or approximations. Then problem (i) is more or less automatically solved. By an obvious method of successive approximations pseudo-estimators can serve as true estimators. Thus (ii) is no real problem.
Premium Rates in the German Motor Insurance Business
Authors: Mehring Johannes
Published: July 2016

In his report to the XVIth International Congress of Actuaries in Brussels [5] in 1960 the author has given a survey of the German Motor Insurance Business and in this it was mentioned that a change might be expected from the flat-tariff prescribed by law into individual tariffs for every insurance company. The Federal Ministry of Economics decided this question at the end of 1959 by signing the price regulation PR 15/59 [I] The federal price-fixing treaty had thus come to an end after several decades.

Three steps are planned for the transitional period: For the years i960 and 1961 the flat-tariff remained in existence; free competition was introduced by providing for a return of premiums from technical surplus. At the beginning of 1962 the second phase of liberalisation began: Between 1962–1965 each insurance company has to compute its own tariff which has to be approved by the Federal Ministry of Economics. No deviations are permitted from the approved tariffs. Nobody can tell yet what the third phase in 1966 will bring.

At the time the price-fixing agreements were cancelled it was unanimously agreed that proper competition should be maintained and that ruinous price competition which would harm the interests of victims of traffic accidents must be avoided [4]. Trusts or tariff rings were not taken into consideration. However, some market regulations were set up by co-operation between the different parties.

The benefits (insurance conditions) are the same for all insurance enterprises. Also there are only few alternatives in the tariff conditions.