bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design of Reverse Curves Adapted to the Satellite Measurements
Authors: Koc Wladyslaw
Published: April 2016

The paper presents a new method for designing railway route in the direction change area adapted to the Mobile Satellite Measurements technique. The method may be particularly useful in the situations when both tangents cannot be connected in an elementary way using a circular arc with transition curves. Thus, the only solution would be the application of two circular arcs of opposite curvature signs, that is, the use of an inverse curve. It has been assumed that the design of the geometrical layout will take place within an adequate local coordinate system. The solution of the design problem takes advantage of a mathematical notation and concentrates on the determination of universal equations describing the entire geometrical layout. This is a sequential operation involving successive parts of the mentioned layout. This universal algorithm can be easily applied to the computer software which will allow generating, in an automatic way, other geometrical layouts. Then, the choice of the most beneficial variant from the point of obtained trains velocities while minimizing the track axis offsets will be held using the optimization techniques. The current designing methods do not provide such opportunities. The presented method has been illustrated by appropriate calculation examples.
Early and Late Strength Characterization of Portland Cement Containing Calcined Low-Grade Kaolin Clay
Authors: Bediako Mark , Gawu S. K. Y. , Adjaottor A. A. , Ankrah John Solomon
Published: April 2016

Heat treated low-grade kaolin clays are now considered as a suitable pozzolanic material to metakaolins. However their suitability as a good pozzolanic material depends on the geochemistry and structure of the clay which is usually influenced by the geographical environment. This study investigated a low-grade kaolin clay from Nyamebekyere in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The influence of the calcined material on the early and late strength development of Portland cement was analyzed. The early 3- and 7-day strength as well as the late 28-day strength of Portland cement replaced with 20% by weight of the calcined material yielded the optimum strength values. Further analysis using Solid State Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (Ss MAS NMR) probed into the Aluminium (Al) environment to detect the presence and nature of Al hydrates using the optimum mixture proportion. The Ss MAS NMR results showed that the strength enhancement of the optimum mixture was due to the growth of stable monosulphate compounds at the octahedral environment resulting from metastable aluminate phases at the tetrahedral environment. For greater reliability on concrete strength performance, the study recommends the use of 20% calcined clay of Nyamebekyere clay as Portland cement replacement.
Optimizing Cutting Conditions for Minimum Surface Roughness in Face Milling of High Strength Steel Using Carbide Inserts
Authors: Abbas Adel Taha , Ragab Adham Ezzat , Al Bahkali Essam Ali , El Danaf Ehab Adel
Published: April 2016

A full factorial design technique is used to investigate the effect of machining parameters, namely, spindle speed(N), depth of cut(ap),and table feed rate(Vf),on the obtained surface roughness (RaandRt) during face milling operation of high strength steel. A second-order regression model was built using least squares method depending on the factorial design results to approximate a mathematical relationship between the surface roughness and the studied process parameters. Analysis of variance was conducted to estimate the significance of each factor and interaction with respect to the surface roughness. ForRa, the results show that spindle speed, depth of cut, and table feed rate have a significant effect on the surface roughness in both linear and quadratic terms. There is also an interaction between depth of cut and feed rate. It also appears that feed rate has the greatest effect on the data variation followed by depth of cut. ForRt, the results show that the table feed rate is the most effective factor followed by the depth of cut, while the spindle speed had a significant small effect only in its quadratic term. The conditions of minimumRaandRtare identified through least square optimization. Moreover, multiobjective optimization for minimizingRaand maximizing metal removal rateQis conducted and the results are presented.
Noncommutative Wormhole Solutions in Einstein Gauss-Bonnet Gravity
Authors: Rani Shamaila , Jawad Abdul
Published: April 2016

We explore static spherically symmetric wormhole solutions in the framework ofn-dimensional Einstein Gauss-Bonnet gravity. Our objective is to find out wormhole solutions that satisfy energy conditions. For this purpose, we consider two frameworks such as Gaussian distributed and Lorentzian distributed noncommutative geometry. Taking into account constant redshift function, we obtain solutions in the form of shape function. The fifth and sixth dimensional solutions with positive as well as negative Gauss-Bonnet coefficient are discussed. Also, we check the equilibrium condition for the wormhole solutions with the help of generalized Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equation. It is interesting to mention here that we obtain fifth dimensional stable wormhole solutions in both distributions that satisfy the energy conditions.
Efficacy of a Phosphate-Charged Soil Material in Supplying Phosphate for Plant Growth in Soilless Root Media
Authors: Oh Young-Mi , Nelson Paul V. , Hesterberg Dean L. , Niedziela Carl E.
Published: April 2016

A soil material high in crystalline Fe hydrous oxides and noncrystalline Al hydrous oxides collected from the Bw horizon of a Hemcross soil containing allophane from the state of Oregon was charged with phosphate-P at rates of 0, 2.2, and 6.5 mg·g−1, added to a soilless root medium at 5% and 10% by volume, and evaluated for its potential to supply phosphate at a low, stable concentration during 14 weeks of tomato (Solanum esculentumL.) seedling growth. Incorporation of the soil material improved pH stability, whether it was charged with phosphate or not. Bulk solution phosphate-P concentrations in the range of 0.13 to 0.34 mg·dm−3were associated with P deficiency. The only treatment that sustained an adequate bulk solution concentration of phosphate-P above 0.34 mg·dm−3for the 14 weeks of testing contained 10% soil material charged with 6.5 mg·g−1P, but initial dissolved P concentrations were too high (>5 mg·g−1phosphate-P) from the standpoint of phosphate leaching. The treatment amended with 10% soil material charged with 2.2 mg·g−1P maintained phosphate-P within an acceptable range of 0.4 to 2.3 mg·dm−3for 48 d in a medium receiving no postplant phosphate fertilization.
Maternal Lopinavir/Ritonavir Is Associated with Fewer Adverse Events in Infants than Nelfinavir or Atazanavir
Authors: Smith Christiana , Weinberg Adriana , Forster Jeri E. , Levin Myron J. , Davies Jill , Pappas Jennifer , Kinzie Kay , Barr Emily , Paul Suzanne , McFarland Elizabeth J.
Published: April 2016

Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) is successfully used for prevention of perinatal HIV transmission. To investigate safety, we compared adverse events (AE) among infants exposed to different maternal cART regimens. We reviewed 158 HIV-uninfected infants born between 1997 and 2009, using logistic regression to model grade ≥1 AE and grade ≥3 AE as a function of maternal cART and confounding variables (preterm, C-section, illicit drug use, race, ethnicity, infant antiretrovirals, and maternal viremia). Frequently used cART regimens included zidovudine (63%), lamivudine (80%), ritonavir-boosted lopinavir (37%), nelfinavir (26%), and atazanavir (10%). At birth, anemia occurred in 13/140 infants (9%), neutropenia in 27/107 (25%), thrombocytopenia in 5/133 (4%), and liver enzyme elevation in 21/130 (16%). Corresponding rates of AE at 4 weeks were 59/141 (42%), 54/130 (42%), 3/137 (2%), and 3/104 (3%), respectively. Serious AE (grade ≥ 3) exceeded 2% only for neutropenia (13% at birth; 9% at 4 weeks). Compared with infants exposed to maternal lopinavir/ritonavir, infants exposed to nelfinavir and atazanavir had a 5-fold and 4-fold higher incidence of AE at birth, respectively. In conclusion, hematologic and hepatic AE were frequent, but rarely serious. In this predominantly protease inhibitor-treated population, lopinavir/ritonavir was associated with the lowest rate of infant AE.
Potential Antioxidant Activity of New Tetracyclic and Pentacyclic Nonlinear Phenothiazine Derivatives
Authors: Engwa Godwill Azeh , Ayuk Eugene Lekem , Igbojekwe Benardeth Ujunwa , Unaegbu Marcellus
Published: April 2016

The global increase in oxidative stress related diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular, and inflammatory diseases caused by overwhelming level of free radicals in the body has encouraged the search for new antioxidant agents. Based on the ability of newly synthesized phenothiazine derivatives (6-chloro-11-azabenzo[a]phenothiazine-5-one and 6-[4-bromophenyl]-10-methyl-11-azabenzo[a]phenothiazine-5-one) to oxidize H2O2, a known free radical to sulfoxide, this study assessed the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activity. The synthesized phenothiazine derivatives exhibited reducing power potential to convert Fe3+to Fe2+and high ability to scavenge H2O2free radical in vitro. These activities were comparable to ascorbic acid, a standard antioxidant. The catalase activity significantly increased (p<0.05) in groups 1 and 2 animals that received the phenothiazine derivatives compared to the controls (groups 3 and 4) suggesting the ability of the phenothiazine derivatives to scavenge H2O2in vivo. The malondialdehyde level in groups 1 and 2 animals was lower than that in group 3 that received the reference compound (ascorbic acid) and group 4 that received the solvent suggesting the ability of the phenothiazine derivatives to prevent lipid membrane damage. AST and bilirubin levels were higher in group 2 animals which received 6-[4-bromophenyl]-10-methyl-11-azabenzo[a]phenothiazine-5-one compared to group 3, the positive control. The results suggest that phenothiazine derivatives, especially 6-chloro-11-azabenzo[a]phenothiazine-5-one, possess antioxidant activity though 6-[4-bromophenyl]-10-methyl-11-azabenzo[a]phenothiazine-5-one was slightly toxic. This activity may be due to the presence of electron donors such as sulfur as well as the richness of hydrogen in the additional benzene rings for substitution. Further study is needed to identify tolerable doses for possible therapeutic purposes.
Lifting Up the HAT: Synthetic Lethal Screening Reveals a Novel Vulnerability at the CBP–p300 Axis
Authors: Kadoch Cigall
Published: April 2016

Summary: Cancer genotype–specific synthetic lethal vulnerabilities represent promising therapeutic targets. In this issue of Cancer Discovery, Ogiwara and colleagues uncover a synthetic lethal relationship between two histone acetyl transferase paralogs, CBP and p300, highlighting that cancer cells deficient in CBP are uniquely sensitized to genetic and chemical inhibition of p300. Cancer Discov; 6(4); 350–2. ©2016 AACR.

See related article by Ogiwara et al., p. 430.
The Expression of TNFα, IL-6, IL-2 and IL-8 in the Serum of Patients with Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Possible Prognostic Factors of Response to Corticosteroid Treatment
Authors: Tsinaslanidou Zinovia , Tsaligopoulos Miltiadis , Angouridakis Nikolaos , Vital Victor , Kekes Georgios , Constantinidis Jiannis
Published: April 2016

Introduction: Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) remains one of the major unsolved otologic emergencies. A viral infection, a systemic inflammatory disorder, as well as physical, mental and metabolic stress can trigger an innate immune response in the inner ear resulting in ISSNHL. Proinflammatory cytokines play a central role in this cochlear immunological cascade. Objective: To examine the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in the serum of patients with ISSNHL in correlation with the therapeutic outcome of intravenous administration of corticosteroids. Method: Forty-three patients primarily diagnosed with ISSNHL underwent intravenous corticosteroid treatment for 8 days. The expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) was detected with the use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in serum specimens on the 1st and 8th day of treatment and it was correlated with the treatment outcome. Results: TNFα reduction and IL-6 increase strongly correlate with a good therapeutic result [χ2(2) = 13.12, p = 0.001 and χ2(2) = 16.78, p = 0.0001]. IL-8 increase reflects negatively on the outcome, however, not in a statistically significant way. No association was established between IL-2 variations and the therapeutic outcome. Conclusions: TNFα and IL-6 can be used as prognostic factors for the treatment outcome, whereas the prognostic value of IL-8 requires further statistical confirmation.
Anemia Management in the China Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study
Authors: Zuo Li , Wang Mia , Hou Fanfan , Yan Yucheng , Chen Nan , Qian Jiaqi , Wang Mei , Bieber Brian , Pisoni Ronald L. , Robinson Bruce M. , Anand Shuchi
Published: April 2016

Background: As the utilization of hemodialysis increases in China, it is critical to examine anemia management. Methods: Using data from the China Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS), we describe hemoglobin (Hgb) distribution and anemia-related therapies. Results: Twenty one percent of China's DOPPS patients had Hgb <9 g/dl, compared with ≤10% in Japan and North America. A majority of medical directors targeted Hgb ≥11. Patients who were female, younger, or recently hospitalized had higher odds of Hgb <9; those with insurance coverage or on twice weekly dialysis had lower odds of Hgb <9. Iron use and erythropoietin-stimulating agents (ESAs) dose were modestly higher for patients with Hgb <9 compared with Hgb in the range 10-12. Conclusion: A large proportion of hemodialysis patients in China's DOPPS do not meet the expressed Hgb targets. Less frequent hemodialysis, patient financial contribution, and lack of a substantial increase in ESA dose at lower Hgb concentrations may partially explain this gap. Video Journal Club ‘Cappuccino with Claudio Ronco' at http://www.karger.com/?doi=442741.
Effectiveness of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Children and Adolescents: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Eight German Mental Health Clinics
Authors: Goldbeck Lutz , Muche Rainer , Sachser Cedric , Tutus Dunja , Rosner Rita
Published: April 2016

Background: Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (Tf-CBT) is efficacious for children and adolescents with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Its effectiveness in clinical practice has still to be investigated. Aims: To determine whether Tf-CBT is superior to waiting list (WL), and to investigate the predictors of treatment response. Method: We conducted a single-blind parallel-group randomized controlled trial in eight German outpatient clinics with the main inclusion criteria of age 7-17 years, symptom score ≥35 on the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for Children and Adolescents (CAPS-CA), and caregiver participation. Patients were randomly assigned to 12 sessions of Tf-CBT (n = 76) or a WL (n = 83). The primary outcome was the CAPS-CA symptom score assessed at 4 months by blinded evaluators. The secondary measures were diagnostic status, the Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS), self-reported and caregiver-reported PTSS (UCLA-PTSD Reaction Index), the Child Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (CPTCI), the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), the Screen for Child Anxiety- Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/4-18), and the Quality of Life Inventory for Children. Results: Intention-to-treat analyses showed that Tf-CBT was significantly superior to WL on the CAPS-CA (Tf-CBT: baseline = 58.51 ± 17.41; 4 months = 32.16 ± 26.02; WL: baseline = 57.39 ± 16.05; 4 months = 43.29 ± 25.2; F1, 157 = 12.3; p = 0.001; d = 0.50), in terms of secondary measures of the CGAS, UCLA-PTSD-RI, CPTCI, CDI, SCARED, and CBCL/4-18, but not in terms of quality of life. Age and comorbidity significantly predicted treatment response. Conclusions: Tf-CBT is effective for children and adolescents with heterogeneous trauma types in German service settings. Younger patients with fewer comorbid disorders show most improvement.
In utero Programming of Allergic Susceptibility
Authors: Grieger Jessica A. , Clifton Vicki L. , Tuck Astrud R. , Wooldridge Amy L. , Robertson Sarah A. , Gatford Kathryn L.
Published: April 2016

Background: Around 30-40% of the world's population will experience allergy, the most common and earliest-onset noncommunicable disease. With a steady rise in the incidence of allergic disease over recent decades, up to 18% of children will suffer a respiratory, food or skin allergy before their 18th birthday. There is compelling evidence that the risk of developing allergy is influenced by early life events and particularly in utero exposures. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was undertaken which outlines prenatal risk factors and potential mechanisms underlying the development of allergy in childhood. Results: Exposures including maternal cigarette smoking, preterm birth and Caesarean delivery are implicated in predisposing infants to the later development of allergy. In contrast, restricted growth in utero, a healthy maternal diet and a larger family size are protective, but the mechanisms here are unclear and require further investigation. Conclusion: To ameliorate the allergy pandemic in young children, we must define prenatal mechanisms that alter the programming of the fetal immune system and also identify specific targets for antenatal interventions.
Re- and Demineralization Characteristics of Enamel Depending on Baseline Mineral Loss and Lesion Depth in situ
Authors: Wierichs Richard J. , Lausch Julian , Meyer-Lueckel Hendrik , Esteves-Oliveira Marcella
Published: April 2016

Objectives: The aim of this double-blinded, randomized, cross-over in situ study was to evaluate the re- and demineralization characteristics of sound enamel as well as lowly and highly demineralized caries-like enamel lesions after the application of different fluoride compounds. Methods: In each of three experimental legs of 4 weeks, 21 participants wore intraoral mandibular appliances containing 4 bovine enamel specimens (2 lowly and 2 highly demineralized). Each specimen included one sound enamel and either one lowly demineralized (7 days, pH 4.95) or one highly demineralized (21 days, pH 4.95) lesion, and was positioned 1 mm below the acrylic under a plastic mesh. The three randomly allocated treatments (application only) included the following dentifrices: (1) 1,100 ppm F as NaF, (2) 1,100 ppm F as SnF2 and (3) 0 ppm F (fluoride-free) as negative control. Differences in integrated mineral loss (ΔΔZ) and lesion depth (ΔLD) were calculated between values before and after the in situ period using transversal microradiography. Results: Of the 21 participants, 6 did not complete the study and 2 were excluded due to protocol violation. Irrespectively of the treatment, higher baseline mineral loss and lesion depth led to a less pronounced change in mineral loss and lesion depth. Except for ΔΔZ of the dentifrice with 0 ppm F, sound surfaces showed significantly higher ΔΔZ and ΔLD values compared with lowly and highly demineralized lesions (p < 0.05, t test). Conclusion: Re- and demineralization characteristics of enamel depended directly on baseline mineral loss and lesion depth. Treatment groups should therefore be well balanced with respect to baseline mineral loss and lesion depth.
Antiviral Therapy in Patients with Viral Hepatitis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Indications and Prognosis
Authors: Roderburg Christoph , Tacke Frank , Trautwein Christian
Published: April 2016

Background: Chronic hepatitis B and C infections represent major risk factors for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recently, the management of patients with viral hepatitis has dramatically changed. In the present review we discuss the impact of these developments on the prevention of HCC as well as the treatment of patients with HCC. Methods: Studies indexed in Medline between 1990 and 2015 (November) were reviewed. The terms ‘hepatocellular carcinoma', ‘HCC', ‘hepatitis B', ‘hepatitis C', ‘viral hepatitis', and combinations of these terms were used. Results: Patients with chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C without HCC should be evaluated for antiviral therapy, since antiviral therapy was suggested to reduce the risk of HCC development. Cirrhotic patients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) require antiviral therapy, while cirrhotics infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) need to be prioritized for therapy with interferon (IFN)-free regimens. Antiviral therapy should be considered in HBV-infected patients with HCC, especially to prevent tumor recurrence after curative-intended therapy or to prevent hepatic decompensation. HCV-infected patients with HCC should be considered in similar intention for IFN-free antiviral therapy, depending on the tumor stage and life expectancy. Conclusion: Patients with viral hepatitis should be considered for antiviral treatment for the prevention of HCC development as well as during HCC treatment.
Gestão Familiar no Agroturismo em Santa Catarina: a experiência da Acolhida na Colônia
Authors: Martendal Anandra Gorges , Tomio Marialva
Published: April 2016

O objetivo desta pesquisa foi analisar a gestão familiar das propriedades rurais ligadas a Associação de Agroturismo Acolhida na Colônia. O método utilizado foi a abordagem qualitativa, com delineamento exploratório, aplicando-se a pesquisa em duas propriedades selecionadas de acordo com o perfil pré-estabelecido. Os resultados da pesquisa mostram que a gestão das propriedades pesquisadas é familiar e ocorre de forma não profissionalizada. Constatou-se a ausência de sistemas formais de atuação relacionados às funções administrativas: o planejamento é informal e adequado de acordo com as necessidades e a disponibilidade de recursos financeiros; a organização do trabalho é determinada pelo gênero, os afazeres domésticos são direcionados às mulheres e o trabalho externo à casa é direcionado aos homens; o provimento de recursos humanos é familiar e a ajuda de terceiros nas atividades da propriedade é eventual; o processo decisório é baseado nas deliberações conjuntas da família; os membros da família estão, notavelmente, comprometidos com a execução das tarefas cotidianas; e, os registros referentes às receitas, despesas e a movimentação turística nas propriedades não são lineares.
Oswaldo Francisco de Almeida Júnior
Authors: Almeida Marco Antonio De
Published: April 2016

Entrevista: Oswaldo Francisco de Almeida Júnior
“Relato de um certo oriente” de Milton Hatoum: a (in)visibilidade dos tradutores
Authors: Queiroz Ana Patrícia Cavalcanti
Published: April 2016

Este artigo se propõe a evidenciar o nível de visibilidade de Ellen Watson e John Gledson nas traduções para a língua inglesa da obra Relato de um certo oriente, escrito por Milton Hatoum. A obra foi traduzida para diversas línguas e tem Ellen Watson como a responsável pela versão intitulada The tree of the seventh heaven, publicada nos Estados Unidos, em 1994. A publicada na Inglaterra contou com a revisão da Watson e de John Gledson e recebeu o título Tale of a certain orient. Por meio da análise, observamos as decisões tomadas pelos tradutores em ambas versões ao se depararem com palavras típicas da região norte do Brasil. Limitamos nossa análise ao nível das palavras devido a uma questão de recorte metodológico, o que não diminui a importância dos outros níveis.
Análise das legendas de efeitos sonoros do filme Nosso Lar
Authors: Do Nascimento Ana Katarinna Pessoa
Published: April 2016

O universo sonoro de um filme é composto pela fala, música e ruídos, também chamados de efeitos sonoros. Sem a tradução para legenda, o espectador surdo ou ensurdecido não tem acesso a esses aspectos das produções audiovisuais, por isso, a legenda para surdos e ensurdecidos (LSE) precisa indicar o falante e os efeitos sonoros. Esta pesquisa buscou analisar a tradução dos efeitos sonoros do filme Nosso Lar (2010). Para tanto, os efeitos sonoros foram anotados a partir de etiquetas discursivas. Os dados revelaram que os efeitos sonoros foram traduzidos sem preocupação com a significação fílmica, já que muitas legendas traduziram os efeitos sonoros de forma aleatória sem se atentar para sua importância ou evolução dentro do filme. Para que o surdo faça a ligação entre enredo e a significação do som, é preciso que o legendista leve em conta que os efeitos sonoros acontecem numa sequência.
Information and Communication Technology-Enabled Modern Services Export Performances of Asian Economies
Authors: Nasir Shahbaz , Kalirajan Kaliappa
Published: April 2016

Advancements in information and communication technology (ICT) have expanded the possibilities for trade in modern services. Many emerging and developed Asian economies are increasingly participating in these new trade activities. This study examines the export performances of emerging and developed Asian economies in selected modern services—computer and information, business and professional, and telecommunications—using a stochastic frontier gravity model. Estimation results show that the performances of emerging economies in South Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), in terms of realization of export potential, are considerably weaker than those of developed economies in North America and Europe. The results show that the number of graduates and the quality of ICT infrastructure in emerging economies are among the key factors in realizing services export potential. These findings suggest that emerging economies need to remove behind-the-border constraints and adopt advanced technologies to catch up with high-performing developed economies.
Examining Monetary Policy Transmission in the People's Republic of China–Structural Change Models with a Monetary Policy Index
Authors: Egan Paul G. , Leddin Anthony J.
Published: April 2016

This paper estimates augmented versions of the Investment–Saving curve for the People's Republic of China in an attempt to examine the relationship between monetary policy and the real economy. It endeavors to account for any structural break, nonlinearity, or asymmetry in the transmission process by estimating a breakpoint model and a Markov switching model. The Investment–Saving curve equations are estimated using a Monetary Policy Index, which has been calculated using the Kalman filter. This index will account for the various monetary policy tools, both quantitative and qualitative, that the People's Bank of China has used over the period 1991—2014. The results of this paper suggest that monetary policy has an asymmetric affect depending on the level of output in relation to potential, and that the People's Republic of China's exchange rate policy has restricted the effectiveness of the People's Bank of China's monetary policy response.
Dynamic Effects of Changes in the Exchange Rate System
Authors: Yoshino Naoyuki , Kaji Sahoko , Asonuma Tamon
Published: April 2016

We propose a new dynamic transition analysis on the basis of a small open economy dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model. Our proposed analysis differs from existing static and conventional dynamic analyses in that shifts from a fixed exchange rate regime to a basket peg or a floating regime are explicitly explored. We apply quantitative analysis, using data from the People's Republic of China and Thailand, and find that both economies would be better off shifting from a dollar peg to a basket peg or a floating regime over the long run. Furthermore, the longer the transition period, the greater the benefits of shifting to a basket peg regime from a dollar peg regime owing to limited volatility in interest rates. Regarding sudden shifts to a desired regime, the welfare gains are larger under a shift to a basket peg if the exchange rate fluctuates significantly.
Astronomy of Qumran: Further Considerations
Authors: Ratzon Eshbal
Published: April 2016

This paper is part of an ongoing debate regarding the theory raised a year ago by Dennis Duke and Matthew Goff in an attempt to re-explain the numerical values found in the Aramaic Astronomical Book (aab). According to their proposal, the composers of the aab or their sources computed the times of lunar visibility and invisibility using the phenomenon of lunar elongation. In this article, I accept Duke and Goff’s argument that their theory does not contradict the data preserved in the fragments of the scrolls of the aab. However, I demonstrate that their theory is unnecessarily complicated and that their proposal both ignores knowledge of physics available to the authors of the aab while making use of knowledge that neither the authors of the aab nor their sources obtained. Therefore, I suggest accepting Duke and Goff’s theory as a modern explanation of the astronomy of the aab, but not as a historical reconstruction.
Genetic diversity of Bursaphelenchus cocophilus in South America
Authors: Silva Arinaldo P. , Parra Pedro P. , Campos Vicente P. , Costa Sara S. , Vicente Cláudia S.L. , Ferreira Letícia G. , Souza Ricardo M. , Mota Manuel
Published: April 2016

Molecular characterisation ofBursaphelenchus cocophilus, the causal agent of ‘red ring disease’, is imperative for efficient identification procedures in Brazil and Colombia, because quarantine species such asB. xylophilusandB. mucronatusare already listed in both countries. ITS-1/2 region and D2-D3 segment of LSU rDNA were used to characterise isolates ofB. cocophilusobtained from coconut plantations in Brazil and Colombia. Results from ITS-1/2 and LSU rDNA regions showed that all isolates ofB. cocophilusfrom Brazil and Colombia formed a monophyletic group. The LSU rDNA region indicated that all isolates formed a single monophyletic group with high Bayesian posterior probability (100%). This is the first study on ITS-1/2 for the characterisation ofB. cocophiluspopulations. A species-specific primer was designed for identification ofB. cocophilus.
UNA METAFISICA PITAGORICA NEL FILERO?
Authors: CORNELLI GABRIELE
Published: April 2016

The present essay will cross, inside the matter of the sources of the platonic thought, the suggestion of Damascius of Damascus, with the intention to draw clear understanding, unless in this particular point, of the relationship between the ancient pythagoreanism and the platonic philosophy. In this, the study of the matter of the dialectics of the limiters/unlimited one is central. The page 16c of the Philebus is the crucial point of this discussion: here Socrates introduces the theme of the unity/multiplicity as a very beautiful hodos, a run that comes from a very distant point of departure: it’s a “gift of the gods” and a discovery of the ancient ones. The comparative study of these footsteps of the Philebus and the fragments of Philolaus, especially В 2, 3, 6 and 7 bring us to conclude that the presence in the pages of the Philebus of the theory of the limiter/unlimited be taken as a pre-platonic “discovery” of the more ancient pythagorean philosophy.
RIDING FROM ELEA TO ATHENS (VIA SYRACUSE) THE PARMENIDES AND THE EARLY RECEPTION OF ELEATISM: EPICHARMUS, CRATINUS AND PLATO
Authors: CAPRA ANDREA , TEMPESTA STEFANO MARTINELLI
Published: April 2016

This paper makes the following claims: 1) early playwrights (especially Cratinus and Epicharmus, with a new reading of frr. 23B1-2 DK = 275-276 PCG) were keen on lampooning Eleatism; 2) through literary and linguistic devices that were obvious for Plato's original public, Plato revived this tradition in the Parmenides; 3) the Parmenides portrays the Eleats as catastrophically counterproductive philosophers. In sharp contrast with Socratic logoi, Eleatism, far from promoting philosophy (protreptic), eventually alienates all possible disciples ('apotreptic'), thus undermining the very notion of Platonic philo-sophia.
THE THIRD INTELLIGIBLE TRIAD AND THE INTELLECTIVE GODS
Authors: BUTLER EDWARD P.
Published: April 2016

Completing the systematic henadological interpretation of Proсlus’ Platonic Theology begun in The Intelligible Gods in the Platonic Theology of Proclus (“Méthexis” 21, 2008, pp. 131-143) and The Second Intelligible Triad and the Intelligible-Intellective Gods (“Méthexis” 23, 2010, pp. 137-157), the present article concerns the conditions of the emergence of fully mediated, diacritical multiplicity out of the polycentric henadic manifold. The product of the activity of the intellective Gods (that is, the product of the intellective activity of Gods as such), in resolving the contradiction between existential uniqueness and universalizable potencies in the divine natures, also grounds the human exercise of philosophical cognition in the founding self-analysis of divine individuals.
FOR A NON-PREDICATIVE READING OF ESTI IN PARMENIDES, THE SOPHISTS AND PLATO
Authors: SANTOS JOSÉ GABRIEL TRINDADE
Published: April 2016

The absence of grammatical subject and object in Parmenides' "it is/it is not" allows the reading of the verbal forms not as copulas but as names, with no implicit subject nor elided predicate. Once there are two only alternatives, contrary and excluding each other, sustaining that a 'no-name' does not grant knowledge implies identifying its opposite – "it is" – as the only name conducive to knowledge in itself, denouncing the 'inconceivability of a knowledge that does not know. If "it is" is the only [name] "which can be thought/known", and "what is" is the way in which 'thought/knowledge' can be accomplished, there is no need to postulate the existence of 'anything' that is, nor of anything that can be said of "what is". Being the only name which "can be thought of/known", the unifying synthesis of "knowledge, knowing and known" in one infallible cognitive state, it is unthinkable that "what is" does not exist.
PLATO'S SOUL-BOOK SIMILE AND STOIC EPISTEMOLOGY
Authors: TOGNI PAOLO
Published: April 2016

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to shed some light on the early Stoics' practice of managing platonic suggestions to construct their epistemology. Instances of such a practice, which scholars have recently focussed on, are the Stoic reassessment of the account of phantasia Plato offers in the Sophist and the image of the wax block as discussed in the Theaetetus. In this work I put forward a comparison between the simile of the soul-book, as presented by Socrates in the Philebus (39a1-c2), and the Stoic image of the soul as a sheet in which conceptions are inscribed. I try to show that a far-reaching investigation of the relationship between Plato and early Stoic epistemology should take such a comparison into due account. In section one, I go into the details of the comparison and argue that Plato's perceptual judgment (this is how I translate the term doxa as it is used in the relevant section of the Philebus) is compatible with Stoic phantasia. In section two, I try to show that the theorisation of assent enable the Stoics to reply to an objection Aristotle made to Plato's definition of phantasia as a mixture of perception and judgment.
DUALISME ET METAXU TROIS USAGES DE L’INTERMEDIAIRE CHEZ PLATON
Authors: RENAUT OLIVIER
Published: April 2016

This paper aims to offer a way of characterizing Plato’s dualism through his use of the intermediate {metaxu). There are three distinct uses of the metaxu : a) as an interval between two limits, b) as a median position between two extremes, and c) as a step towards a distinct and positive pole. The intermediate is that according to which the value of an interval or of an opposition can be justified as such, in order to have a better intelligibility of the realm of becoming.
Chaetothyrina mangiferae sp. nov., a new species of Chaetothyrina
Authors: SINGTRIPOP CHONTICHA , HONGSANUN SINANG , LI JUNFU , DE SILVA NIMALI INDEEWARI , PHILLIPS ALAN J.L. , JONES GARETH E.B. , BAHKALI ALI H. , HYDE KEVIN D.
Published: April 2016

Chaetothyrina musarum and C. mangiferae sp. nov. (Micropeltidaceae, Dothideomycetes) are reported from fruits of Musa sp. (Musa acuminata × Musa balbisiana) and Mangifera indica, respectively. Introduction of a new species, Chaetothyrina mangiferae, and provision of a reference specimen for C. musarum with sequence data, supported by morphology will help to stabilize the taxonomy of the genus and family. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses of LSU and SSU sequence data show that C. musarum forms a distinct clade with other genera in Micropeltidaceae within Capnodiales and C. mangiferae clusters in a poorly supported clade in Dothideomycetes, Illustrated accounts of Chaetothyrina musarum (reference specimen) and C. mangiferae are provided and compared with similar taxa. This is the first report of C. musarum causing sooty blotch and flyspeck disease on Musa sp. (Musaceae) in Thailand and C. mangiferae causing sooty blotch and flyspeck disease of Mangifera indica (Anacardiaceae) worldwide.
Towards a natural classification of Dothideomycetes: 8. The genera Cocconia, Dianesea, Endococcus and Lineostroma
Authors: JAYASIRI SUBASHINI C. , ARIYAWANSA HIRAN A. , JONES E.B. GARETH , KANG JI-CHUAN , PROMPUTTHA ITTHAYAKORN , BAHKALI ALI H. , HYDE KEVIN D.
Published: April 2016

The generic types of four genera with unclear placement in Dothideomycetes were re-examined. These genera were hitherto poorly illustrated or described. The type specimens of Cocconia (C. palmae), Dianesea (D. palmae), Endococcus (E. rugulosus) and Lineostroma (L. banksiae), were re-examined in order to determine their familial and higher level placements, according to their morphology and based on modern taxonomic concepts. A resume of the history along with descriptions and illustrations of these genera are provided. Endococcus and Lineostroma are placed in families Lichenotheliaceae and Didymosphaeriaceae, respectively, based on morphology. The placement of Cocconia within Parmulariaceae is confirmed. Dianesea is retained in Dothideomycetes genera incertae sedis as it is not typical of any existing family of Dothideomycetes. Fresh collections of these genera are needed for further study, so that they can be epitypified and molecular data is needed to validate their phylogeny and natural classification.
A new Mniotype Franclemont (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) species from China
Authors: GYULAI PETER , SALDAITIS AIDAS
Published: April 2016

The Blepharita Hampson - Mniotype Franclemont—Polymixis Hübner - Mniopamea Hacker & Peks, generic complex is a favourite of Noctuidae researchers due to its richness in evolutional lineages, the debatable taxonomic placement of certain species among the first three genera and the taxonomic interpretation of the genera themselves. This rich and diverse complex includes some fairly separable species of which the taxonomic placement has been changed during the last decades, particularly as a result of the very similar basic configuration of the genitalia. The most relevant comprehensive studies on the generic complex are given by Boursin (1964), Varga (1979), Hacker (1990), Hacker & Peks (1990), Hacker (1992), Hacker & Ronkay (1992), Hreblay & Ronkay (1997, 1998), Hreblay et al. (1998), Hreblay & Ronkay (1999), Ronkay et al. (2001), Benedek & Ronkay (2002). The most recent study on the Mniotype adusta species graup is given by Volynkin et al. (2014), whereas on the Polymixis by Saldaitis et al. (2015). The fourth member of the complex namely Mniopamea, is the latest erected genera, of which the two described species by Hacker (1992) are close relatives of the formerly known Mniotype timida (Staudinger, 1888).
Another new and threatened species of lancehead genus Bothrops (Serpentes, Viperidae) from Ilha dos Franceses, Southeastern Brazil
Authors: Barbo Fausto E. , Gasparini João Luiz , Almeida Antonio P. , Zaher Hussam , Grazziotin Felipe G. , Gusmão Rodrigo B. , Ferrarini José Mário G. , Sawaya Ricardo J.
Published: April 2016

A new insular species of the genus Bothrops is described from Ilha dos Franceses, a small island off the coast of Espírito Santo State, in southeastern Brazil. The new species differs from mainland populations of B. jararaca mainly by its small size, relative longer tail, relative smaller head length, and relative larger eyes. The new species is distinguished from B. alcatraz, B. insularis and B. otavioi by the higher number of ventral and subcaudal scales, relative longer tail and smaller head. The new species is highly abundant on the island, being nocturnal, semiarboreal, and feeding on small lizards and centipeds. Due its unique and restricted area of occurrence, declining quality of habitat, and constant use of the island for tourism, the new species may be considered as critically endangered.
Megarthrus of southern India and Sri Lanka, with notes on their phylogenetic and biogeographical relationships (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Proteininae)
Authors: CUCCODORO GIULIO , LIU ZHIPING
Published: April 2016

South of the Deccan Plateau the genus Megarthrus Curtis was represented so far in the Indian subcontinent only by M. rufomarginatus Cameron, of the hilly areas of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and Megarthrus bimaculatus Fauvel, of Sri Lanka. Here we describe three additional species from this area: M. nilgiriensis sp. n. and M. narendrani sp. n., both from southern India and strongly resembling M. bimaculatus, and M. lanka sp. n., of Sri Lanka and strongly resembling M. rufomarginatus. The five species of Megarthrus occurring in southern India and Sri Lanka are keyed and illustrated with colour pictures of habitus, genitalia and other main diagnostic characters. They belong to two homogeneous complexes of species—the «bimaculatus-complex» and the «rufomarginatus-complex»—that uniquely share many important features with the Sumatran M. sumatrensis Cameron and the Philippine M. vastus Wendeler, with which they constitute the here defined «vastus-group» of species. The Megarthrus fauna of southern India and Sri Lanka appears thus not only disjunct and completely distinct from that phylogenetically and taxonomically much more diverse of North of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, but also directly related to that of the Sunda shelf.
New water mites species (Acariformes: Hydrachnidia) from interstitial waters of the Russian Far East
Authors: SEMENCHENKO KSENIA A.
Published: April 2016

Illustrated descriptions of three water mite species, Wandesia sokolowi sp. n., Frontipodopsis cuspidata sp. n. and Chappuisides orientalis sp. n. from interstitial waters of the Russian Far East are presented. The male of Wandesia reducta Tuzovskij, 1987 is described for the ﬁrst time. An identification key of Russian species from the genus Wandesia, based on adults, is given.
Coleophora sabina Baldizzone & Tabell, sp. nov. (Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae) from Central Italy
Authors: BALDIZZONE GIORGIO , TABELL JUKKA
Published: April 2016

Coleophora sabina sp. nov. is described from Italian mainland. Habitus of the adult and the genitalia of both sexes are illustrated. The species is compared especially to C. fringillella Zeller, 1839. DNA barcodes are shown to be distinct and congruent with morphological differences.
A Method of Aggregating Heterogeneous Subgrid Land-Cover Input Data for Multiscale Urban Parameterization
Authors: Shaffer Stephen R. , Moustaoui Mohamed , Mahalov Alex , Ruddell Benjamin L.
Published: April 2016

A method of representing grid-scale heterogeneous development density for urban climate models from probability density functions of subgrid-resolution observed data is proposed. Derived values are evaluated in relation to normalized Shannon entropy to provide guidance in assessing model input data. Urban fraction for dominant-class and mosaic urban contributions is estimated by combining analysis of 30-m-resolution National Land Cover Database 2006 data products for continuous impervious surface area and categorical land cover. The aim of the method is to reduce model error through improvement of urban parameterization and representation of observations employed as input data. The multiscale variation of parameter values is demonstrated for several methods of utilizing input. This approach provides multiscale and spatial guidance for determining where parameterization schemes may be misrepresenting heterogeneity of input data, along with motivation for employing mosaic techniques that are based upon assessment of input data. The proposed method has wider potential for geographic application and complements data products that focus on characterizing central business districts. It utilizes observations to obtain a parameterization of urban fraction that is dependent upon resolution and class-partition scheme, thus providing one means of influencing simulation prediction at various aggregated grid scales.
The Climatology, Meteorology, and Boundary Layer Structure of Marine Cold Air Outbreaks in Both Hemispheres*
Authors: Fletcher Jennifer , Mason Shannon , Jakob Christian
Published: April 2016

A comparison of marine cold air outbreaks (MCAOs) in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres is presented, with attention to their seasonality, frequency of occurrence, and strength as measured by a cold air outbreak index. When considered on a gridpoint-by-gridpoint basis, MCAOs are more severe and more frequent in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) than the Southern Hemisphere (SH) in winter. However, when MCAOs are viewed as individual events regardless of horizontal extent, they occur more frequently in the SH. This is fundamentally because NH MCAOs are larger and stronger than those in the SH. MCAOs occur throughout the year, but in warm seasons and in the SH they are smaller and weaker than in cold seasons and in the NH. In both hemispheres, strong MCAOs occupy the cold air sector of midlatitude cyclones, which generally appear to be in their growth phase. Weak MCAOs in the SH occur under generally zonal flow with a slight northward component associated with weak zonal pressure gradients, while weak NH MCAOs occur under such a wide range of conditions that no characteristic synoptic pattern emerges from compositing. Strong boundary layer deepening, warming, and moistening occur as a result of the surface heat fluxes within MCAOs.
Comparison of Meteorological Radar Signal Detectability with Noncoherent and Spectral-Based Processing
Authors: Mead James B.
Published: April 2016

Detection of meteorological radar signals is often carried out using power averaging with noise subtraction either in the time domain or the spectral domain. This paper considers the relative signal processing gain of these two methods, showing a clear advantage for spectral-domain processing when normalized spectral width is less than ~0.1. A simple expression for the optimal discrete Fourier transform (DFT) length to maximize signal processing gain is presented that depends only on the normalized spectral width and the time-domain weighting function. The relative signal processing gain between noncoherent power averaging and spectral processing is found to depend on a variety of parameters, including the radar wavelength, spectral width, available observation time, and the false alarm rate. Expressions presented for the probability of detection for noncoherent and spectral-based processing also depend on these same parameters. Results of this analysis show that DFT-based processing can provide a substantial advantage in signal processing gain and probability of detection, especially when the normalized spectral width is small and when a large number of samples are available. Noncoherent power estimation can provide superior probability of detection when the normalized spectral width is greater than ~0.1, especially when the desired false alarm rate exceeds 10%.