5,239 research outputs found
Big Mac parity, income, and trade
No full textNontraded inputs account for the lion's share of a Big Mac price (Ong 1997, Parsley and Wei 2003). Major departures from Big Mac PPP may then be explained by the Balassa-Samuelson income differences effect, as shown e.g. by Click (1996). But it has been argued that Click''s result is not robust to changing estimation methods, sample of countries, and time period (Fujiki and Kitamura 2003). Here we address a key theoretical distinction between high and low income countries for the Balassa-Samuelson effect to be properly evaluated. Since this distinction is missing in Click''s analysis, we revisit his finding and take a sample which is distinct (in terms of both set of countries and time period) to meet Fujiki-Kitamura''s criticism. We find that distinguishing high from low income makes no harm to Click''s result. But we also find that openness to trade (viewed as a proxy for trade barriers) helps to explain departures from Big Mac PPP.
CubeHarmonic: A new interface from a magnetic 3D motion tracking system to music performance
No full textWe developed a new musical interface, CubeHarmonic, with the magnetic 3D motion tracking system IM3D. This sys- tem precisely tracks positions of tiny, wireless, battery-less, and identifiable markers (LC coils) in real time. The Cube- Harmonic is a musical application of the Rubik’s cube, with notes on each little piece. Scrambling the cube, we get dif- ferent chords and chord sequences. Positions of the pieces which contain LC coils are detected through IM3D, and transmitted to the computer to recognize the status of the Rubik’s cube, that plays sounds. The central position of the cube is also measured by the LC coils located into the corners of Rubik’s cube, and, depending on the position, we can manipulate overall loudness and pitch changes, as in theremin playing. This new instrument, whose first idea comes from mathematical theory of music, can be used as a teaching tool both for math (group theory) and music (music theory, mathematical music theory), as well as a composition device, a new instrument for avant-garde per- formances, and a recreational tool
Cirsium nishiokae Kitamura 1968
No full text2. Cirsium nishiokae Kitamura (1968: 75). Fig. 8. Type: — INDIA. Darjeeling, below Tonglu, 2900 m, 16 September 1964, H. Hara s.n. (holotype: TI00080535!). Fig. 5 A–C. = Cirsium chrysolepis Shih (1984: 451), syn. nov. Type: — CHINA. Tibet, Nyalam County, alt. 3500 m, 27 August 1972, Xizang Exped. Pl. Med. 1575 (holotype: PE00455486!, isotype: PE00455488!). Figs. 5 E–F, 6 A. Description: —Herbs 1–2 m tall, perennial. Stem erect, ribbed, branched above, unwinged, glabrous or sparsely cobwebby. Basal leaves with winged petiole, wing spiny or with spiny teeth; leaf blade elliptic, ca. 30 × 15 cm, pinnatipartite or pinnatisect; segments ca. 6 pairs, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, with unequal triangular teeth fringed with 0.3–1 cm spine. Cauline leaves gradually decreasing upwards, sessile, semiamplexicaul, elliptic to lanceolate, pinnatilobate or pinnatipartite; segments 3–4 pairs, lanceolate to obliquely triangular-ovate, with 2–4 unequal triangular teeth fringed with spinules less than 0.5 mm and with a 5–10 mm apical spine. All leaves discolorous, abaxially grayish white and densely or sparsely tomenta, adaxially green, rough, and densely or sparsely covered with ca. 0.5 mm spinules. Capitula corymbose, erect. Involucre campanulate, 3–3.5 cm in diam., glabrous. Phyllaries imbricate, in ca. 8 rows, straight, appressed; outer and middle phyllaries elliptic to lanceolate, 8–25 × 2–3 mm, margin above base expanded into yellowish, scarious lacerate wings, apex narrowed into a spine, shorter than inner ones; inner phyllaries lanceolate to linear, apically expanded into a short and narrow, acuminate, and spine-tipped appendage. Florets bisexual. Corolla purplish red. Achene ca. 4.5 mm. Pappus bristles yellowish, ca. 1.6 mm. Phenology: —Flowering from July to October. Distribution and habitat: — Cirsium nishiokae is distributed in China (Tibet), India (Darjeeling) and Nepal. It mainly grows on grass slopes at elevations of 2500–3900 m above sea level. Additional specimens examined:— CHINA. Tibet: Nyalam, 25 June 1966, Y. T . Zhang s.n. (PE00455487); Nyalam, 17 Sep. 1992, J . D. Chen 92242 (PE01837380); Nyalam, alt. 3285 m, 18 Nov. 2011, Y. S . Chen 92242 (PE02118071); Nyalam, alt. 3300 m, 20 Aug. 2001, H. N . Tan et al. 730 (PE01772078, PE01772077).— NEPAL. Dhawalagiri Zone, Mustang District, Annapurna Himal, Mardi Khola, alt. 13000 ft, 19 Sep. 1954, J .D.A. Stainton, W.R. Sykes & L.H.J. Williams 8509 (BM011033556, E00463841); Dhawalagiri Zone, Mustang District, Tukucha, alt. 10500 ft, 26 Aug. 1954, J .D.A. Stainton, W.R. Sykes & L.H.J. Williams 7457 (BM011033572, E00463842); Dhawalagiri Zone, Mustang District, Tukucha, alt. 10500 ft, 12 Sep. 1954, J .D.A. Stainton, W.R. Sykes & L.H.J. Williams 7803 (BM011033571, E00463843); Dhawalagiri Zone, Mustang District, Tukucha, alt. 10500 ft, 22 Aug. 1954, J . D. A. Stainton, W.R. Sykes & L.H.J. Williams 7395 (BM011033579, BM011033573); Dhawalagiri Zone, Myagdi District, alt. 3700 m, 9 Sep. 1996, M . Mikage et al. 9684133 (KATH027754); Dhawalagiri Zone, Myagdi District, alt. 3160 m, 18 Sep. 1996, M . Mikage et al. 9682802 (KATH019466); Koshi Zone, Solukhumbu District, Lukla, alt. 2820 m, 30 Sep. 1974, J. H . Hass 2902 (L0207731); Mechi Zone, Taplejung District, alt. 2800 m, 25 Oct. 1991, D. G . Long et al. 1033 (KATH027504, E00463839); Mechi Zone, Taplejung District, Minchin Dhap-Mul Pokhari, 29 Oct. 1963, H . Hara et al. 6310299 (BM011033557, E0071931, TI00080532, TI00080533, TI00080534, BM, TI); Rapti Zone, Rukum District, Dogadi Khola, alt. 12000 ft, 8 Aug. 1954, J .D.A. Stainton, W.R. Sykes & L.H.J. Williams 3796 (BM011033554, BM011033558, E00463840); Sagarmatha Zone, Solukhumbu District, alt. 3453 m, 15 Sep. 2005, M. F . Watson et al. DNEP3 BX92 (KATH056019, KATH011396, E00248957); Sagarmatha Zone, Solukhumbu District, alt. 3000 m, 21 Aug. 1985, H . Ohba et al. 61541 (KATH018970); Seti Zone, Baglung District, Dhorpatan, alt. 2800 m, 8 Sep. 1982, K. R . Rajbhandari & K.J. Malla 6413 (KATH055988, KATH055978, KATH056184). Notes: — Cirsium chrysolepis Shih was described on the basis of one collection, Xizang Exped. Pl. Med. 1575 (PE, Fig. 5 D, Fig. 6 A), from Nyalam, Tibet, China. In the protologue, the author did not compare it with any species, but in Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae, Shih (1987) stated that it was close to C. flavisquamatum Kitamura (1974: 16), a species from Nepal, but differed by leaves discolorous, abaxially grayish white and densely or sparsely tomentose. But he neglected C. nishiokae Kitamura, a widespread species in Nepal and India. Cirsium nishiokae was described on the basis of one collection, H. Hara s.n. (TI, Fig. 6 A), from Darjeeling, India. Trough examination of the type materials and other specimens, we found that C. nishiokae and C. chrysolepis have no obvious differences in main traits between their type specimens, but there are some differences in the density of spinules on the abaxial leaf surface. But this feature is very variable in Cirsium. For example, there is a continuous variation from sparse to dense on the abaxial leaf surface of C. lipskyi. Cirsium nishiokae is distributed in Nepal and India at altitudes of 2500–3900 m, while C. chrysolepis is only found in Nyalam, Tibet, China at an altitude of 3500 m, where it is very close to the border to Nepal (Fig. 7). Therefore, we think they belong to the same species and treat C. chrysolepis as a synonym of C. nishiokae.Published as part of Jin, Zi-Chao & Chen, You-Sheng, 2022, Cirsium lipskyi (Asteraceae) is reinstated for C. interpositum, and C. chrysolepis is a new synonym of C. nishiokae, pp. 87-96 in Phytotaxa 547 (1) on pages 94-96, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.547.1.8, http://zenodo.org/record/655693
Circaea alpina subsp. imaicola Kitamura 1960
No full text2.1a. Circaea alpina L. subsp. imaicola (Ascherson & Magnus 1870: 749) Kitamura (1960: 279) (Fig. 2C). ≡ Circaea alpina L. var. imaicola Asch. & Magnus. ≡ Circaea imaicola (Asch. & Magnus) Handel-Mazzetti (1933: 603). Lectotype (designated by Boufford 1982):— INDIA. Eastern peninsula, Wight 989 (K000742287!, isolectotypes S-G-1389 digital image, L0008645 digital image). Distribution: — U Ganga & Indus, U Yarlung Zangbo, M Yarlung Zangbo, L Yarlung Zangbo, Yarlung Zangbo-Brahmaputra, C Nepal, E Nepal, W Nepal, Tangut, S Hengduan, N Hengduan. Note: —It’s the most common subspecies in the Pan-Himalaya region. It can be distinguished by the flowers being held on erect or ascending pedicels.Published as part of Luo, Yike & Xie, Lei, 2023, A checklist of Onagraceae in the Pan-Himalaya region, pp. 245-268 in Phytotaxa 597 (4) on pages 250-251, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.597.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/795860
Chamaenerion conspersum Kitamura 1966
No full text1.2. <i>Chamaenerion conspersum</i> (Haussknecht 1879: 51) Kitamura (1966: 110) (Fig. 2B). <p> ≡ <i>Epilobium conspersum</i> Hausskn. ≡ <i>Chamerion conspersum</i> (Hausskn.) Holub (1972: 86). ≡ <i>Epilobium reticulatum</i> C.B. Clarke (1879: 583), <i>nom. superfl</i>. ≡ <i>Chamaenerion reticulatum</i> (C.B.Clarke) Kitamura (1955: 185).</p> <p> Lectotype (first step designated by Raven 1962a: 351, second step <b>designated here</b>):— INDIA. Sikkim: India orient, in montibus Sikkim ad Lama Koryr, 3480–4267 m, 1849, <i>Hooker s.n.</i> (K000913980!, isolectotype K000913981!).</p> <p> <b>Distribution:</b> —C Nepal, U Yarlung Zangbo, L Yarlung Zangbo, S Hengduan, Yarlung Zangbo-Brahmaputra.</p> <p> <b>Note:</b> —There may have been hybridization events happened between this species and <i>Chamaenerion angustifolium</i> or <i>C. speciosum</i> (Decaisne 1844: 57) Hoch & Gandhi (2020: 60), since morphologically intermediate populations were found in overlap areas of those species (Chen <i>et al</i>. 2007).</p> <p> The protologue of <i>E. conspersum</i> only provided the habitat, altitude, and collector name of the type (Haussknecht 1879). Raven (1962) considered that the “ holotype ” was deposited in K. However, the type material is a gathering with duplicate specimens in K (K000913980 and K000913981), which have the same collecting information. This situation can be considered as inadvertent lectotypification under Art. 7.11 and 9.10 of the ICN (Turland <i>et al.</i> 2018). A second step is here lectotypified between the two speciemens in K (Art. 9.17 of ICN, Turland <i>et al.</i> 2018). The specimen K000913980 matches better with the protologue of <i>E. conspersum</i> and is designated as the lectotype here.</p>Published as part of <i>Luo, Yike & Xie, Lei, 2023, A checklist of Onagraceae in the Pan-Himalaya region, pp. 245-268 in Phytotaxa 597 (4)</i> on page 249, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.597.4.1, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/7958600">http://zenodo.org/record/7958600</a>
The long-wavelength view of GG Tau A: rocks in the ring world
No full textWe present the first detection of GG Tau A at centimetre wavelengths, made with the Arcminute Microkelvin Imager Large Array at a frequency of 16 GHz (λ = 1.8 cm). The source is detected at >6 σrms with an integrated flux density of S16GHz = 249 ± 45 µJy. We use these new centimetre-wave data, in conjunction with additional measurements compiled from the literature, to investigate the long-wavelength tail of the dust emission from this unusual protoplanetary system. We use an MCMC-based method to determine maximum likelihood parameters for a simple parametric spectral model and consider the opacity and mass of the dust contributing to the microwave emission. We derive a dust mass of Md ~ 0.1 Msun, constrain the dimensions of the emitting region and find that the opacity index at λ > 7 mm is less than unity, implying a contribution to the dust population from grains exceeding ~4 cm in size. We suggest that this indicates coagulation within the GG Tau A system has proceeded to the point where dust grains have grown to the size of small rocks with dimensions of a few centimetres. Considering the relatively young age of the GG Tau association in combination with the low derived disc mass, we suggest that this system may provide a useful test case for rapid core accretion planet formation models
CubeHarmonic
No full textA contemporary challenge involves scientific education and the connection between new technologies and the heritage of the past. CubeHarmonic (CH) joins novelty and tradition, creativity and edu- cation, science and art. It takes shape as a novel musical instrument where magnetic 3D motion tracking technology meets musical per- formance and composition. CH is a Rubik’s cube with a note on each facet, and a chord or chord sequence on each face. The posi- tion of each facet is detected through magnetic 3D motion tracking. While scrambling the cube, the performer gets new chords and new chord sequences. CH can be used to compose, improvise,1 and teach music and mathematics (group theory, permutations) with colors and physical manipulation supporting abstract thinking. Further- more, CH allows visually impaired people to enjoy Rubik’s cube manipulation by using sounds instead of colors
Contributions to the flora and vegetation of Kagbeni (Mustan District, Central Nepal)
No full textKagbeni and its irrigated oasis are surrounded by subdesert dwarf scrubland. In the present study, a list of 78 species of vascular plants is presented for Kagbeni and its immediate surroundings, supplemented with data on the distribution of the species within the entire Mustan District. The data are arrived from own investigations and the geobotanical literature. A phytogeographical analysis shows the prevalence of western over eastern elements. Species with a wide distribution in Eurasia, which constitute one third of the total flora of Kagbeni, are of great importance as weeds on arable fields and in ruderal places within the irrigated oasis. Their occurrence is closely related to human activity. Presumably, most of these weeds have reached the area under study in connection with agriculture a long time ago. Weeds from the New World, although recorded in other villages of Mustan District, have not been found in Kagbeni. The weed vegetation of Kagbeni is documented by nine vegetation releves, and is compared to releves from Jomsom and Mzrpha. A floristic gradient from south to north that has been detected by earlier investigations throughout the whole district can be reproduced at the local scale. With regard to the weed flora, the effects of different crops are minimal, compared to effects of altitude and other factors related to altitude
- …
