bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Climate on the equilibrium line altitudes of glaciers: theoretical background behind Ahlmann'sP/Tdiagram
Authors: OHMURA ATSUMU , BOETTCHER MAXI
Published: May 2018

The climatic condition that prevails at a glacier equilibrium line altitude (ELA) is often parameterized in terms of summer air temperature (T) and annual precipitation (P). This simple parameterization was initially proposed by Hans W:son Ahlmann. The physical background of the relationship betweenPandTon the equilibrium line, however, has been left unexplained since Ahlmann first questioned the mathematical form of the relationship. This relationship can be explained when the thermal and hydrological processes of the ELA formation are investigated. The present authors studied the energy exchange processes that prevail on the ELA during the melt season. The inclusion of solar radiation brings Ahlmann's hypothesis closer to energy balance, and improves hisP/Tdiagram. By comparing the observed fluxes from the polar through the mid-latitude to the equatorial glaciers, it was found that these glaciers in different climatic regions share important similarities at the ELA. Further, it was found that the classicP/Tcurve originally proposed by Ahlmann in the early 20th century is a concise expression of the conservation principle of energy and mass at the ELA of glaciers, and takes the form of a polynomial of the fourth order.
Leadership for Effective Inclusive Schools: Considerations for Preparation and Reform
Authors: Billingsley Bonnie , DeMatthews David , Connally Kaylan , McLeskey James
Published: May 2018

School leadership is critical to provide students with disabilities with opportunities to learn in inclusive schools. We summarise research about inclusive leadership, outlining factors that promoted and impeded inclusive schools in the United States. Next, we provide an example of a national collaboration between the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR) Center that linked theProfessional Standards for Educational Leaders(PSEL; National Policy Board for Educational Administration, 2015) to a supplemental guidance document, titledPSEL 2015 and Promoting Principal Leadership for the Success of Students With Disabilities. The latter illustrates what effective inclusive school leadership means for each of the 10 PSEL standards, and provides recommendations for improving leadership preparation and policy, including licensure. We also consider possible implications of this work for those in other countries, emphasising the need for widely understood and shared leadership practices and the need to link such practices to initial and ongoing leadership development.
Do Corrupt Politicians Mobilize or Demobilize Voters? A Vignette Experiment in Colombia
Authors: Carreras Miguel , Vera Sofia
Published: May 2018

The literature studying the behavioral effects of political corruption is rapidly growing. While some studies explore the contextual and institutional factors that can neutralize the effects of corruption, this article addresses a different mechanism for weak electoral accountability for corruption: citizen (de)mobilization. It uses a vignette experiment embedded in a nationally representative AmericasBarometer survey in Colombia to isolate the causal effect of political corruption on electoral participation. The results suggest that receiving credible information about the corrupt behavior of politicians running for office decreases the likelihood of participation in elections. It also shows that corruption demobilizes voters even when corrupt politicians are able to provide public works to their constituencies, which casts doubt on the idea that citizens exchange integrity for favorable policy outcomes.
Variable Hardy Spaces Associated with Operators Satisfying Davies–Gaffney Estimates
Authors: Yang Dachun , Zhang Junqiang , Zhuo Ciqiang
Published: May 2018

LetLbe a one-to-one operator of type ω inL2(ℝn), with ω∈[0, π/2), which has a bounded holomorphic functional calculus and satisfies the Davies–Gaffney estimates. Letp(·): ℝn→(0, 1] be a variable exponent function satisfying the globally log-Hölder continuous condition. In this article, the authors introduce the variable Hardy space$H_L^{p(\cdot )} ({\open R}^n)$associated withL. By means of variable tent spaces, the authors establish the molecular characterization of$H_L^{p(\cdot )} ({\open R}^n)$. Then the authors show that the dual space of$H_L^{p(\cdot )} ({\open R}^n)$is the bounded mean oscillation (BMO)-type space${\rm BM}{\rm O}_{p(\cdot ),{\kern 1pt} L^ * }({\open R}^n)$, whereL* denotes the adjoint operator ofL. In particular, whenLis the second-order divergence form elliptic operator with complex bounded measurable coefficients, the authors obtain the non-tangential maximal function characterization of$H_L^{p(\cdot )} ({\open R}^n)$and show that the fractional integralL−αfor α∈(0, (1/2)] is bounded from$H_L^{p(\cdot )} ({\open R}^n)$to$H_L^{q(\cdot )} ({\open R}^n)$with (1/p(·))−(1/q(·))=2α/n, and the Riesz transform ∇L−1/2is bounded from$H_L^{p(\cdot )} ({\open R}^n)$to the variable Hardy spaceHp(·)(ℝn).
Model Completeness for the Real Field with the Weierstrass ℘ Function
Authors: Bianconi Ricardo
Published: May 2018

We prove model completeness for the expansion of the real field by the Weierstrass ℘ function as a function of the variable z and the parameter (or period) τ. We need to existentially define the partial derivatives of the ℘ function with respect to the variable z and the parameter τ. To obtain this result, it is necessary to include in the structure function symbols for the unrestricted exponential function and restricted sine function, the Weierstrass ζ function and the quasi-modular form E2 (we conjecture that these functions are not existentially definable from the functions ℘ alone or even if we use the exponential and restricted sine functions). We prove some auxiliary model-completeness results with the same functions composed with appropriate change of variables. In the conclusion, we make some remarks about the non-effectiveness of our proof and the difficulties to be overcome to obtain an effective model-completeness result, and how to extend these results to appropriate expansion of the real field by automorphic forms.
Family Rural Churches in Late Antique Palestine and the Competition in the ‘Field of Religious Goods’: A Socio-Historical View
Authors: ASHKENAZI JACOB
Published: May 2018

An intriguing phenomenon of late antique Palestine is the abundance of rural churches located outside village boundaries yet obviously in close contact with them, having been constructed by wealthy local patrons. What led to the establishment of such churches and how did they differ from similar building initiatives within the village boundaries? In answering these questions, this article takes a sociological stance, using Pierre Bourdieu's ‘theory of fields’ (‘champs’) to suggest that such construction was the product of symbolic and economic competition in the ‘field of religious goods’ between the rural ‘lay’ elite and the provincial ecclesiastical hierarchy.
Measuring Interconnectedness between Financial Institutions with Bayesian Time-Varying Vector Autoregressions
Authors: Geraci Marco Valerio , Gnabo Jean-Yves
Published: May 2018

We propose a market-based framework that exploits time-varying parameter vector autoregressions to estimate the dynamic network of financial spillover effects. We apply it to financials in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index and estimate interconnectedness at the sectoral and institutional levels. At the sectoral level, we uncover two main events in terms of interconnectedness: the Long-Term Capital Management crisis and the 2008 financial crisis. After these crisis events, we find a gradual decrease in interconnectedness, not observable using the classical rolling-window approach. At the institutional level, our framework delivers more stable interconnectedness rankings than other comparable market-based measures.
Efficacy of beehive fences as barriers to African elephants: a case study in Tanzania
Authors: Scheijen Ciska P.J. , Richards Shane A. , Smit Josephine , Jones Trevor , Nowak Katarzyna
Published: May 2018

Non-lethal mitigation of crop use by elephants Loxodonta africana is an increasingly important part of protected area management across Africa and Asia. Recently, beehive fences have been suggested as a potential mitigation strategy. We tested the effectiveness of this method in a farming community adjacent to Udzungwa Mountains National Park in southern Tanzania. Over a 5.5-year period (2010–2016) a beehive fence was introduced and subsequently extended along the Park boundary. The probability that one or more farms experienced crop loss from elephants on a given day was reduced in the presence of the fence and was reduced further as the fence was extended. The number of hives occupied by bees along the fence was the best predictor of elephants’ visits to farms. Farms closest to the fence experienced a greater likelihood of damage, particularly during the initial period when the fence was shorter. The number of farms affected by elephants declined when the fence was extended. There was a higher probability of damage on farms that were closer to the Park boundary and further from a road. Our mixed results suggest that the shape, length and location of fences need to be carefully planned because changes in a farm's long-term susceptibility to elephant damage vary between individual farms; fences need to be long enough to be effective and ensure that decreasing crop loss frequency is not outweighed by an increasing number of farms damaged per visit.
The ecology of plant extinction: rates, traits and island comparisons
Authors: Gray Alan
Published: May 2018

Although there is increasing evidence for a sixth mass extinction, relatively few plants have been officially declared extinct (<150 are categorized as Extinct on the IUCN Red List). The Red List, although the data are neither perfect nor comprehensive, is perhaps the most reliable indicator of extinction and extinction threat. Here, data collated from the Red List, of Extinct plant species and of Critically Endangered plant species with populations in decline, are examined to address three questions: (1) How do background, continental, and island plant extinction rates compare? (2) Are biological and physical island parameters associated with plant extinction? (3) Are any plant traits associated with extinction and if so do these differ between islands and continents? The background rate for plant extinction is estimated to be 0.05–0.13 E/MSY (extinctions per million species-years) and the Red List data are above these background rates and also above a higher extinction rate of 0.15 E/MSY. The data indicate that plant extinctions are dominated by insular species. The Red List extinction data are associated with lower competitive ability and lower climate change velocities, and anthropogenic factors. Analyses using only Critically Endangered species whose populations are in decline (arguably the species most at risk of extinction in the near future) largely mirrors this pattern and suggests that drivers of plant extinction may have an inertia that could last well into the future.
Drivers potentially influencing host–bat fly interactions in anthropogenic neotropical landscapes at different spatial scales
Authors: Hernández-Martínez Jacqueline , Morales-Malacara Juan B. , Alvarez-Añorve Mariana Yolotl , Amador-Hernández Sergio , Oyama Ken , Avila-Cabadilla Luis Daniel
Published: May 2018

The anthropogenic modification of natural landscapes, and the consequent changes in the environmental conditions and resources availability at multiple spatial scales can affect complex species interactions involving key-stone species such as bat–parasite interactions. In this study, we aimed to identify the drivers potentially influencing host–bat fly interactions at different spatial scales (at the host, vegetation stand and landscape level), in a tropical anthropogenic landscape. For this purpose, we mist-netted phyllostomid and moormopid bats and collected the bat flies (streblids) parasitizing them in 10 sites representing secondary and old growth forest. In general, the variation in fly communities largely mirrored the variation in bat communities as a result of the high level of specialization characterizing host–bat fly interaction networks. Nevertheless, we observed that: (1) bats roosting dynamics can shape bat–streblid interactions, modulating parasite prevalence and the intensity of infestation; (2) a degraded matrix could favor crowding and consequently the exchange of ectoparasites among bat species, lessening the level of specialization of the interaction networks and promoting novel interactions; and (3) bat–fly interaction can also be shaped by the dilution effect, as a decrease in bat diversity could be associated with a potential increase in the dissemination and prevalence of streblids.
Multi-locus phylogenetics of the Midichloria endosymbionts reveals variable specificity of association with ticks
Authors: Buysse M. , Duron O.
Published: May 2018

Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii is a maternally inherited bacterium of ticks with a unique intra-mitochondrial lifestyle. Here, we investigate on the evolutionary history of these associations and the degree of Midichloria–tick specificity. While previous surveys used the 16S rRNA gene as an exclusive molecular marker, we rather developed a multi-locus typing method based on four more variable housekeeping genes (groEL, rpoB, dnaK and ftsZ) and on one flagellum gene (fliC) present in Midichloria genomes. Using this method, multi-locus phylogenetic analyses revealed the structuring of a wide Midichloria genetic diversity into three distinct lineages associated with ticks. Overall, two distinct evolutionary strategies are obvious depending on lineage: two Midichloria lineages are generalists with infections acquired through horizontal transfers between distantly related tick species but one other Midichloria lineage rather show a high specificity degree to the Ixodes tick genus. This pattern suggests a capacity of certain Midichloria strains to maintain infections in only limited range of related tick species. These different infection strategies of Midichloria highlight an unexpected variability in their dependency to their tick hosts. We further conjecture that this pattern is also likely to indicate variability in their effects on ticks.
BLOOD GROUP PROBABILITIES BY NEXT OF KIN
Authors: van Sambeeck Joost H. J. , van Dijk Nico M. , de Kort Wim L. A. M. , Schonewille Henk , Janssen Mart P.
Published: May 2018

For rare blood groups the recruitment of donor relatives, for example siblings, is expected to be effective, since the probability of a similar rare blood group is likely. However, the likelihood differs between blood groups and is not commonly available. This paper provides a unified mathematical formulation to calculate such likelihoods. From a mathematical and probabilistic point of view, it is shown that these likelihoods can be obtained from the computation of a stationary genotype distribution. This, in turn, can be brought down to a system of quadratic stochastic operators. A generic mathematical approach is presented which directly leads to a stationary genotype distribution for arbitrary blood groups. The approach enables an exact computation for the effectiveness of recruiting next of kin for blood donorship. Next to an illustration of computations for ‘standard’ ABO and Rhesus-D blood groups, it is particularly illustrated for the extended Rhesus blood group system. Also other applications requiring next of kin blood group associations can be solved directly by using the unified mathematical formulation.
A Review of Navigation Involving General Aviation Pilots Flying under Visual Flight Rules
Authors: Psyllou Elena , Majumdar Arnab , Ochieng Washington
Published: May 2018

General Aviation (GA) pilots need, more than ever, to be constantly aware of their aircraft's position especially when they navigate in areas surrounded by controlled airspace. With pilots being taught to navigate using visual landmarks and radio, the increasing use of space-based navigation aids might degrade the pilot's performance. Given limited literature resources on navigation by GA pilots, the following three navigation methods are outlined: visual, radio-based and space-based navigation. 27 GA pilots were interviewed in three European nations to determine the navigation methods currently used and their impact on the pilots’ performance. The selection of the participants based on aircraft type (fixed-wing, ultralight and glider), in three European nations highlights profound differences in navigation between the three most popular aircraft designs. Furthermore, space-based navigation aids, in particular portable computers, have changed both planning and navigation implying that changes in the training of pilots are urgently needed to enhance the pilot's performance, and subsequently, to promote aviation safety.
Clinical predictors of methicillin-resistance and their impact on mortality associated withStaphylococcus aureusbacteraemia
Authors: Wi Y. M. , Rhee J. Y. , Kang C. I. , Chung D. R. , Song J. H. , Peck K. R.
Published: May 2018

We investigated the clinical predictors of methicillin-resistance and their impact on mortality in 371 patients withStaphylococcus aureusbacteraemia identified from two prospective multi-centre studies. Methicillin resistantS. aureus(MRSA) accounted for 42.2% of community-onset and 74.5% of hospital-onset cases. No significant clinical difference was found between patients infected with MRSAvs.methicillin-sensitiveS. aureus(MSSA), except that the former were more likely to have had hospital-onset bacteraemia and received antibiotics in the preceding 90 days. After stratifying according to the acquisition site, prior antibiotic use was the only independent predictor of having MRSA in both community-onset and hospital-onset cases. The frequency of inappropriate empirical antibiotic therapy was higher in patients with MRSA than in those with MSSA bacteraemia. However, methicillin resistance was not a predictor of mortality in patients and the clinical characteristics and outcomes of both MRSA and MSSA bacteraemia were similar. This study indicates that there are no definitive clinical or epidemiological risk factors which could distinguish MRSA from MSSA cases with the exception of the previous use of antibiotics for having MRSA bacteraemia, which emphasises the prudent use of glycopeptide treatment of patients at risk for invasive MRSA infections.
NOTES ON TWO COPRINOID FUNGI (BASIDIOMYCOTA, AGARICALES) FROM THE BRAZILIAN SEMIARID REGION
Authors: Gomes A. R. P. , Wartchow F.
Published: May 2018

Coprinellus phaeoxanthus A.R.Gomes & Wartchow is described as a new species and is characterised by cordiform basidiospores similar to those of the recently described Coprinellus arenicola. However, it differs in the presence of voluminous pleurocystidia in the velar elements, which are shorter than in Coprinellus arenicola, and in the lack of clamp connections. In addition, exsiccatae of a Brazilian collection identified as ‘Coprinus xerophilus’ are analysed, and because of the star-shaped velar patch on the pileus and the non-volvate stipe base, it is considered to be the same as Coprinus calyptratus, representing a new record from South America.
A NEW COMBINATION IN MICROCHIRITA (GESNERIACEAE) FROM INDIA
Authors: Middleton D. J.
Published: May 2018

The new combination Microchirita cristata (Dalzell) D.J.Middleton is made.
Volumes in the Uniform Infinite Planar Triangulation: From Skeletons to Generating Functions
Authors: MÉNARD LAURENT
Published: May 2018

We develop a method to compute the generating function of the number of vertices inside certain regions of the Uniform Infinite Planar Triangulation (UIPT). The computations are mostly combinatorial in flavour and the main tool is the decomposition of the UIPT into layers, called the skeleton decomposition, introduced by Krikun [20]. In particular, we get explicit formulas for the generating functions of the number of vertices inside hulls (or completed metric balls) centred around the root, and the number of vertices inside geodesic slices of these hulls. We also recover known results about the scaling limit of the volume of hulls previously obtained by Curien and Le Gall by studying the peeling process of the UIPT in [17].
Phase Coexistence for the Hard-Core Model on ℤ2
Authors: BLANCA ANTONIO , CHEN YUXUAN , GALVIN DAVID , RANDALL DANA , TETALI PRASAD
Published: May 2018

The hard-core model has attracted much attention across several disciplines, representing lattice gases in statistical physics and independent sets in discrete mathematics and computer science. On finite graphs, we are given a parameter λ, and an independent setIarises with probability proportional to λ|I|. On infinite graphs a Gibbs measure is defined as a suitable limit with the correct conditional probabilities, and we are interested in determining when this limit is unique and when there is phase coexistence,i.e., existence of multiple Gibbs measures.

It has long been conjectured that on ℤ2this model has a critical value λc≈ 3.796 with the property that if λ < λcthen it exhibits uniqueness of phase, while if λ > λcthen there is phase coexistence. Much of the work to date on this problem has focused on the regime of uniqueness, with the state of the art being recent work of Sinclair, Srivastava, Štefankovič and Yin showing that there is a unique Gibbs measure for all λ < 2.538. Here we explore the other direction and prove that there are multiple Gibbs measures for all λ > 5.3506. We also show that with the methods we are using we cannot hope to replace 5.3506 with anything below 4.8771.

Our proof begins along the lines of the standard Peierls argument, but we add two innovations. First, following ideas of Kotecký and Randall, we construct an event that distinguishes two boundary conditions and always has long contours associated with it, obviating the need to accurately enumerate short contours. Second, we obtain improved bounds on the number of contours by relating them to a new class of self-avoiding walks on an oriented version of ℤ2.
On the Number of Solutions in Random Graphk-Colouring
Authors: RASSMANN FELICIA
Published: May 2018

Letk⩾ 3 be a fixed integer. We exactly determine the asymptotic distribution of lnZk(G(n, m)), whereZk(G(n, m)) is the number ofk-colourings of the random graphG(n, m). A crucial observation to this end is that the fluctuations in the number of colourings can be attributed to the fluctuations in the number of small cycles inG(n, m). Our result holds for a wide range of average degrees, and forkexceeding a certain constantk0it covers all average degrees up to the so-calledcondensation phase transition.
Gilles de la Tourette syndrome as a paradigmatic neuropsychiatric disorder
Authors: Cavanna Andrea E.
Published: May 2018

Gilles de la Tourette syndrome is a chronic and complex tic disorder accompanied by specific behavioral problems in the majority of patients. With its multifaceted interplay between motion and emotion, this condition is a paradigmatic example of the science and art of clinical neuropsychiatry. This review article encompasses the clinical phenomenology of motor and vocal tics and associated sensory experiences (premonitory urges), as well as the behavioral spectrum of the most common comorbidities, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder, affective symptoms, and impulsivity. Knowledge of the contributions of both tics and behavioral problems to patients’ health-related quality of life across the lifespan should assist treating clinicians in formulating a targeted management plan. Although the exact pathophysiology of Gilles de la Tourette syndrome remains elusive, research into therapeutic interventions has expanded the range of available interventions across multiple domains. A thorough understanding of the neurology and psychiatry of this condition is of key importance to meet the needs of this patient population, from the formulation of an accurate diagnosis to the implementation of effective treatment strategies.
Examining associations between school food environment characteristics and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among Canadian secondary-school students in the COMPASS study
Authors: Godin Katelyn M , Chaurasia Ashok , Hammond David , Leatherdale Scott T
Published: May 2018

Objective

To examine associations between Canadian adolescents’ sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and several school food environment characteristics, and to investigate differences in these characteristics between schools in provinces with voluntary (Alberta) v. mandatory (Ontario) provincial school nutrition policies.

Design

We used a questionnaire to assess the number of weekdays participants consumed three SSB categories (soft drinks, sweetened coffees/teas, energy drinks) and various sociodemographic and behavioural characteristics. We examined the in-school water fountain accessibility, vending machines’ contents and presence of various food outlets within schools’ 1 km buffer. We developed hierarchical Poisson regression models to identify associations between student- and school-level characteristics and students’ SSB outcomes.

Setting

Alberta and Ontario, Canada.

Subjects

Adolescents (n 41 829) from eighty-nine secondary schools.

Results

Compared with their Ontarian counterparts, Albertan participants had a significantly higher rate of SSB intake across all drink categories and SSB availability was significantly greater in Albertan schools’ vending machines. Availability of sweetened coffees/teas in school vending machines and access to restaurants within the school’s 1 km buffer were associated with increased SSB intake in three of the final models. Overall, the school food environment-level characteristics examined had a modest to negligible impact on student days of SSB intake.

Conclusions

We identified that the school food environment characteristics examined here had little impact on adolescents’ days of SSB consumption. While schools should adopt or maintain a comprehensive policy approach to discourage students’ SSB intake, population-level interventions focusing on other contexts (e.g. home and community) are needed to complement existing school-based interventions.
Electron Source Brightness and Illumination Semi-Angle Distribution Measurement in a Transmission Electron Microscope
Authors: Börrnert Felix , Renner Julian , Kaiser Ute
Published: May 2018

The electron source brightness is an important parameter of an electron microscope. Reliable and easy brightness measurement routes are not easily found. A determination method for the illumination semi-angle distribution in transmission electron microscopy is even less well documented. Herein, we report a facile measurement route for both entities and demonstrate it on a state-of-the-art instrument. The reduced axial brightness of the FEI X-FEG with a monochromator was determined to be larger than 108 A/(m2 sr V).
Herd-level infectious disease surveillance of livestock populations using aggregate samples
Authors: Rotolo Marisa L. , Main Rodger G. , Zimmerman Jeffrey J.
Published: May 2018

All sectors of livestock production are in the process of shifting from small populations on many farms to large populations on fewer farms. A concurrent shift has occurred in the number of livestock moved across political boundaries. The unintended consequence of these changes has been the appearance of multifactorial diseases that are resistant to traditional methods of prevention and control. The need to understand complex animal health conditions mandates a shift toward the collection of longitudinal animal health data. Historically, collection of such data has frustrated and challenged animal health specialists. A promising trend in the evolution toward more efficient and effective livestock disease surveillance is the increased use of aggregate samples, e.g. bulk tank milk and oral fluid specimens. These sample types provide the means to monitor disease, estimate herd prevalence, and evaluate spatiotemporal trends in disease distribution. Thus, this article provides an overview of the use of bulk tank milk and pen-based oral fluids in the surveillance of livestock populations for infectious diseases.
When the Multilateral Meets the Regionals: Regional Trade Agreements at WTO Dispute Settlement
Authors: ZANG MICHELLE Q.
Published: May 2018

Interaction between regional trade agreements (RTAs) and the multilateral trading system established by the World Trade Organization (WTO) is an issue of significance but nevertheless remains unsettled. This article aims to explore the influence RTAs have generated had on the WTO system, with particular focus on the approach adopted by the adjudicators when dealing with irreconcilable RTA–WTO conflicts. During the development of 20 years’ jurisprudence, WTO adjudicators offered responses to a number of critical questions. On the one hand, direct endorsement of RTA provisions with the effect of prevailing over the counterpart WTO rules appears to be very difficult, either through legal interpretation or application. On the other hand, unlike often being argued, a close review of WTO case law does not reveal a biased adjudicatory approach against regionalism, as compared to other sources of public international law. When dealing with RTA-related matters, the Appellate Body has been advocating an all-encompassing approach featured by the emphasis on the common intention during the interpretative exercise and the promotion for the WTO built-in mechanisms for valid modification. Such an approach is, to a certain extent, misleading in the RTA –WTO context and has led to certain ill-founded adjudicatory choice.
New Dutch pension contracts and lessons for other countries
Authors: BOVENBERG LANS , NIJMAN THEO
Published: May 2018

This paper summarizes recent developments in Dutch occupational pensions of both the defined contribution and defined benefit (DB) types. A reform of DB schemes is discussed that introduces financial assets as individual entitlements. At the same time, the reformed schemes derive (dis)saving, financial risk management and insurance decisions from the explicit objective of adequate and stable lifelong retirement income. The proposed system also involves an insurance contract pooling longevity risks and possibly collective buffers that share systematic risks with future pension savers. The paper identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the Dutch contract design and draws lessons for other countries.
Trends in ageing and ageing-in-place and the future market for institutional care: scenarios and policy implications
Authors: Alders Peter , Schut Frederik T.
Published: May 2018

In several OECD countries the percentage of elderly in long-term care institutions has been declining as a result of ageing-in-place. However, due to the rapid ageing of population in the next decades future demand for institutional care is likely to increase. In this paper we perform a scenario analysis to examine the potential impact of these two opposite trends on the demand for institutional elderly care in the Netherlands. We find that the demand for institutional care first declines as a result of the expected increase in the number of low-need elderly that age-in-place. This effect is strong at first but then peters out. After this first period the effect of the demographic trend takes over, resulting in an increase in demand for institutional care. We argue that the observed trends are likely to result in a growing mismatch between demand and supply of institutional care. Whereas the current stock of institutional care is primarily focussed on low-need (residential) care, future demand will increasingly consist of high-need (nursing home) care for people with cognitive as well as somatic disabilities. We discuss several policy options to reduce the expected mismatch between supply and demand for institutional care.
A dual notched band UWB-BPF based on microstrip-to-short circuited CPW transition
Authors: Ghazali Abu Nasar , Sazid Mohd , Pal Srikanta
Published: May 2018

This paper proposes a dual notched band ultra-wideband (UWB) bandpass filter (BPF) based on hybrid transition of microstrip and coplanar waveguide (CPW). The CPW in ground plane houses a stepped impedance resonator shorted at ends, and is designed to place its resonant modes within the UWB passband. The microstrips on the top plane are placed some distance apart in a back-to-back manner. The transition of microstrip on top and shorted CPW in the ground is coupled through the dielectric in a broadside manner. The optimized design of the transition develops the basic UWB spectrum with good return/insertion loss and extended stopband. Later, defected ground structure, embedded in CPW, and split ring resonators, coupled to feeding lines are utilized to develop dual sharp passband notches. The simulated data are verified against the experimentally developed prototype. The proposed dual notched UWB-BPF structure measures only 14.6 × 7.3 mm2, thereby justifying its compactness.
Novel rat-race coupler design of arbitrary coupling coefficient using substrate integrated waveguide cavity
Authors: Ho Min-Hua , Hong Yi-Hao , Li Jen-Chih
Published: May 2018

The contribution of this paper is to propose a novel rat-race hybrid coupler of arbitrary coupling coefficient. Traditionally, the rat-race hybrid couplers are built by various loop-alike transmission-lines of multiple quarter-wavelength, and in this paper, we approach the coupler design by using a circular substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) cavity (SIWC). The employed SIWC supports two mutually orthogonal degenerate modes, and cavity field is formed by the two modes in an arbitrary weighting ratio which defines the proposed rat-race coupler's coupling coefficient. The cavity is excited by a microstrip combined coupling slot with the microstrip along a specifically chosen direction. The energy of each degenerate mode can be solely extracted by an associated subminiature version A (SMA) whose position is carefully determined. The isolation between the coupling slots is assured by their perpendicular layout, and the isolation between the SMA probes is obtained by the orthogonality of the two degenerate modes. Experiments are conducted on the 3- and 10-dB coupling coefficient samples to verify this novel rat-race coupler design. The measurements agree well with the simulations, and circuit's good performance is observed in terms of coupling precision, isolations, and small phase imbalances.
Misinformation and the Justification of Socially Undesirable Preferences
Authors: Flynn D.J. , Krupnikov Yanna
Published: May 2018

Attempts to correct political misperceptions often fail. The dominant theoretical explanation for this failure comes from psychological research on motivated reasoning. We identify a novel source of motivated reasoning in response to corrective information: the justification of socially undesirable preferences. Further, we demonstrate that this motivation can, under certain conditions, overpower the motivation to maintain congruence. Our empirical test is a national survey experiment that asks participants to reconcile partisan motivations and the motivation to justify voting against a racial minority candidate. Consistent with our argument, racially prejudiced participants dismiss corrections when misinformation is essential to justify voting against a black candidate of their own party, but accept corrections about an otherwise identical candidate of the opposing party. These results provide new insight into the persistence of certain forms of political misinformation.
CESE‐HLL Magnetic Field‐Driven Modeling of the Background Solar Wind During Year 2008
Authors: Li Huichao , Feng Xueshang
Published: May 2018

In this paper, the CESE‐HLL three‐dimensional magnetohydrodynamic solar wind model is first modified to be able to work in a corona‐heliosphere integrated approach and then used to simulate the evolution of solar wind from the solar surface to the Earth's orbit during year 2008. Here high‐cadence photospheric magnetic field data are used to drive the model at the solar surface via the projected normal characteristic boundary equations. The simulated results are analyzed and quantitatively evaluated by comparing the simulated results with solar and interplanetary observations. The analyses demonstrate that our model reproduces the main pattern and the evolutionary feature of large‐scale coronal structures. The simulated results show that the height of the pseudostreamer X point is positively correlated with the distance of the coronal holes connected by the pseudostreamer. During year 2008, the helmet streamer belt is found to have a net southward displacement from the equator while the pseudostreamer belts are biased to the Northern Hemisphere. Both helmet streamer belt and pseudostreamer belts exhibit a general trend of becoming more concentrated along the equator throughout 2008. The evaluation of the simulated results at the L1 point shows that the general structures can be generated by the model, and that speed is the best among the solar wind parameters reproduced. However, the temperature of the fast solar wind and the magnitude of the interplanetary magnetic field are underestimated. The success rate of prediction and arrival time error are also calculated for magnetic field polarity reversals and stream interaction regions.
Tailward Propagation of Magnetic Energy Density Variations With Respect to Substorm Onset Times
Authors: Coxon John C. , Freeman Mervyn P. , Jackman Caitriona M. , Forsyth Colin , Rae I. Jonathan , Fear Robert C.
Published: May 2018

During geomagnetic substorms, around 1015 J of energy is extracted from the solar wind and processed by the Earth's magnetosphere. Prior to the onset of substorm expansion phases, this energy is thought to be largely stored as an increase in the magnetic field in the magnetotail lobes. However, how, when, and where this energy is stored and released within the magnetotail is unclear. Using data from the Cluster spacecraft and substorm onsets from Substorm Onsets and Phases from Indices of the Electrojet (SOPHIE), we examine the variation in the lobe magnetic energy density with respect to substorm onset for 541 isolated onsets. Based on a cross‐correlation analysis and a simple model, we deduce the following: On average, the magnetic energy density increases approximately linearly in the hour preceding onset and decreases at a similar rate after onset. The timing and magnitude of these changes varies with downtail distance, with observations from the mid‐tail (
) showing larger changes in the magnetic energy density that occur ∼20 min after changes in the near‐tail (
). The decrease in energy density in the near‐tail region is observed before the ground onset identified by SOPHIE, implying that the substorm is driven from the magnetotail and propagates into the ionosphere. The implication of these results is that energy in the near‐tail region is released first during the substorm expansion phase, with energy conversion propagating away from the Earth with time.
First Early Permian Paleomagnetic Pole for the Yili Block and its Implications for Late Paleozoic Postorogenic Kinematic Evolution of the SW Central Asian Orogenic Belt
Authors: Zhu Xin , Wang Bo , Chen Yan , Liu Hongsheng , Horng Chorng‐shern , Choulet Flavien , Faure Michel , Shu Liangshu , Xue Zhenhua
Published: May 2018

We conducted a paleomagnetic study on the Early Permian volcanic and sedimentary rocks, and the Neoproterozoic mafic dikes in the Yili Block, NW China. Magnetite and hematite were proven to be the principal magnetic remanence carriers. Demagnetizations revealed stable characteristic remanence magnetizations with a sole reversed magnetic polarity. The magnetic remanence of only the Early Permian strata turned out to be primary based on positive fold tests; meanwhile, the magnetic remanence age of the mafic dikes is ambiguous. Accordingly, the first Early Permian paleomagnetic pole for the Yili Block is calculated at λ = 81.5°N, φ = 256.5°E,N = 11, andA95 = 10.9°. Comparisons of this new pole with published ones from the Yili, Tarim, and South Junggar blocks provide new quantitative constraints on late Paleozoic kinematic evolution of the SW Central Asian Orogenic Belt: (1) Between the Yili and Tarim blocks, significant relative movement took place along major strike‐slip faults during the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian (580 ± 290 km) and the Early to Late Permian (585 ± 340 km), and the displacement rate increased from the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian (~19.3 ± 9.7 mm/yr) to the Early to Late Permian (~29.3 ± 17.0 mm/yr); (2) a significant relative rotation of 28.3° ± 18.3° in the Late Permian, and a lateral displacement of 630 ± 295 km after the Late Permian occurred between the Yili and South Junggar blocks. The significant strike‐slip movements played an important role in the formation of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt and should be considered with great attention in tectonic and paleogeographic reconstructions.
Statistical Study of Mercury's Energetic Electron Events as Observed by the Gamma‐Ray and Neutron Spectrometer Instrument Onboard MESSENGER
Authors: Nikoukar Romina , Lawrence David J. , Peplowski Patrick N. , Dewey Ryan M. , Korth Haje , Baker Daniel N. , McNutt Ralph L.
Published: May 2018

We present results from a statistical analysis of Mercury's energetic electron (EE) events as observed by the gamma‐ray and neutron spectrometer instrument onboard the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft. The main objective of this study is to investigate possible anisotropic behavior of EE events using multiple data sets from MESSENGER instruments. We study the data from the neutron spectrometer (NS) and the gamma‐ray spectrometer anticoincidence shield (ACS) because they use the same type of borated plastic scintillator and, hence, they have very similar response functions, and their large surface areas make them more sensitive to low‐intensity EE events than MESSENGER's particle instrumentation. The combined analysis of NS and ACS data reveals two different classes of energetic electrons: “Standard” events and “ACS‐enhanced” events. Standard events, which comprise over 90% of all events, have signal sizes that are the same in both the ACS and NS. They are likely gyrating particles about Mercury's magnetic field following a 90° pitch angle distribution and are located in well‐defined latitude and altitude regions within Mercury's magnetosphere. ACS‐enhanced events, which comprise less than 10% of all events, have signal sizes in the ACS that are 10 to 100 times larger than those observed by the NS. They follow a beam‐like distribution and are observed both inside and outside Mercury's magnetosphere with a wider range of latitudes and altitudes than Standard events. The difference between the Standard and ACS‐enhanced event characteristics suggests distinct underyling acceleration mechanisms.
Formation and Evolution of Low‐Latitude F Region Field‐Aligned Irregularities During the 7–8 September 2017 Storm: Hainan Coherent Scatter Phased Array Radar and Digisonde Observations
Authors: Jin Han , Zou Shasha , Chen Gang , Yan Chunxiao , Zhang Shaodong , Yang Guotao
Published: May 2018

In this paper, we present a study of the low‐latitude field‐aligned irregularities formation and evolution during the 7–8 September 2017 geomagnetic storm by analyzing data of the very high frequency coherent radar installed at Fuke, Hainan Island of China (19.5°N, 109.1°E; magnetic latitude 9.58°N) and a colocated Digisonde Portable Sounder. The prompt penetration of eastward interplanetary electric field associated with sudden southward turning of the interplanetary magnetic field Bz resulted in large ascent of the F layer, making conducive conditions at the bottomside of the layer for the growth of Rayleigh‐Taylor instability and the development of the plasma irregularities in the postsunset hours. The irregularities persisted into the postmidnight sector when the southward interplanetary magnetic field Bz gradually decreased to the quiet time values. In addition, the base height of F layer at Fuke also showed a large elevation after midnight during two consecutive substorm onsets, suggesting that the substorm‐induced overshielding penetration electric field may take over and modify the ambient zonal electric field in low‐latitude ionosphere and induce the irregularities in the postmidnight sector. Moreover, different from the quiet time eastward movement of the irregularities observed over Fuke, the storm time irregularities displayed no zonal drift at the initial period and subsequently began drifting westward. The reversal of background plasma zonal drift velocity observed by Hainan digisonde characterized the storm time zonal drift pattern of the irregularities.
The association of VDR polymorphisms and type 2 diabetes in older people living in community in Santiago de Chile
Authors: Angel Bárbara , Lera Lydia , Márquez Carlos , Albala Cecilia
Published: May 2018

Introduction

Several polymorphisms have been associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes in different populations.

Objective

To investigate the frequencies of a genetic polymorphism of vitamin D receptor (FokI and BsmI) in patients with T2D.

Methods

The case–control study was conducted in 138 patients with T2D and 172 control subjects, men and women (60–79 years old). The genotype and allele frequency determination of VDR polymorphisms were determined in these subjects.

Results

The frequency of the C allele of the FokI polymorphism was significantly higher in the T2D group than in healthy subjects (p = 0.025). The frequencies of the BsmI variant were similar in subjects with and without T2D (p = 0.747). Consistent with these data, there was an association of the C allele with T2D (OR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.003–3.084, p = 0.036), but not the AG + GG variants for BsmI (OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.635–1.649, p = 0.916). We can observe a significant association between carrier of the T > C variant of FokI and type 2 diabetes, adjusted for vitamin D, age, obesity (overweight and obesity), seasonality, sex and Homa-IR. Here, we show a significant association between the FokI polymorphisms (TC + CC) and T2D with an odds ratio of 1.9001 (95% CI (1.0970–3.6838), p = 0.041).

Conclusion

Our study suggests that the C allele (TC + CC) of the VDR-FokI gene is a possible risk factor for T2D in older people living in a community in Santiago de Chile.