Some inclusion complexes and their properties

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Herbivory increases diversification across insect clades.

Insects contain more than half of all living species, but the causes of their remarkable diversity remain poorly understood. Many authors have suggested that herbivory has accelerated diversification in many insect clades. However, others have questioned the role of herbivory in insect diversification. Here, we test the relationships between herbivory and insect diversification across multiple scales. We find a strong, positive relationship between herbivory and diversification among insect orders. However, herbivory explains less variation in diversification within some orders (Diptera, Hemiptera) or shows no significant relationship with diversification in others (Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Orthoptera). Thus, we support the overall importance of herbivory for insect diversification, but also show that its impacts can vary across scales and clades. In summary, our results illuminate the causes of species richness patterns in a group containing most living species, and show the importance of ecological impacts on diversification in explaining the diversity of life

Book Review: Richard Allen, Richard Hemming and Barry H. Potter (Editors), 2013. The International

This volume presents a comprehensive series of readings on the topics of public financial management (PFM) and fiscal policy. Most of these readings have drawn upon the specific experience of the contributors as PFM practitioners, academics and consultants working in both developed and developing countries. The resulting book demonstrates that while PFM has come a long way since the publications by ADB of ‘Managing Government Expenditure’ by Salvatore Schiavo-Campo and Daniel Tommasi in April 1999; by IMF of ‘Guidelines for Public Expenditure Management’ by Barry H. Potter and Jack Diamond in 1999; and by OECD of ‘Managing Public Expenditure: A Reference Book for Transition Countries’ edited by Richard Allen and Daniel Tommasi in 2001, there is still a long way to go

Measuring the Capacity and Capability of Public Financial Management Systems

The objective of this paper is to measure the capacity and capability of public financial management (PFM) systems and to identify the resulting implications for PFM reform. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is applied to the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) framework and database of 69 country PFM systems to obtain estimates of PFM capacity and PFM capability. The results suggest that capacity and capability are negatively correlated. Econometric analyses of the resulting estimates of capacity and capability against PEFA core input dimensions indicate that popular interventions; such as improving budget classification schemes, introducing a multiyear perspective in budgeting, internal auditing, and other PFM reforms promoted by multilateral, bilateral and other agencies; could have differential and conflicting impacts on the capacity and capability of PFM systems. Accordingly, in order to achieve improved PFM performance, agencies may need to take account of the existing PFM capacity/ capability configuration of respective PFM systems when designing programs for PFM reform

Polar Bear Behavior: Morphologic and Physiologic Adaptations

Polar bears possess morphologic and physiologic characteristics that reflect their terrestrial lineage as members of the bear family (Ursidae) as well as adaptations to the Arctic marine environment. Among marine mammals, they are the least adapted for aquatic life. They exhibit substantial seasonality in body mass, body condition, and many physiological functions, reflecting the annual cycle of both their Arctic sea ice habitat and the availability of their main prey, ringed seals. This hypercarnivorous diet has likely influenced the polar bear’s craniodental morphology and nutritional physiology. Similar to other marine mammal predators, polar bears exhibit a relatively high resting metabolic rate (RMR) and field metabolic rate (FMR). The polar bear skeleton is well adapted for walking, rather than tree-climbing, and to a lesser degree, for swimming. The large feet provide secure traction on sea ice (aided by sharp claws) and propulsion in the water. Their reproduction, winter hibernation (by pregnant females), and sensory systems resemble those of other bears. Future research should focus on nutrient recycling during fasting, adaptation to a high-fat diet, susceptibility to pathogens, and assessment of the fitness consequences of ongoing sea ice loss and chemical contamination of their habitat

Forecasting using relative entropy

The paper describes a relative entropy procedure for imposing moment restrictions on simulated forecast distributions from a variety of models. Starting from an empirical forecast distribution for some variables of interest, the technique generates a new empirical distribution that satisfies a set of moment restrictions. The new distribution is chosen to be as close as possible to the original in the sense of minimizing the associated Kullback-Leibler Information Criterion, or relative entropy. The authors illustrate the technique by using several examples that show how restrictions from other forecasts and from economic theory may be introduced into a model's forecasts.Forecasting

Social Capital in Coordination Experiments: Risk, Trust and Position

Social capital theory is exemplary in attempting to integrate both individual and institutional perspectives in the study of governance, but interactions between the individual and institutional components remain underexplored and unspecified in many situations. We extend the theory from its focal attention on prisoners dilemma games to an important and understudied class of collective action problems of critical concern for governance— coordination tasks ranging from simple matching games to more complex tasks involving conflict (battle of the sexes) and assurance problems (stag hunt). Laboratory experiments provide a means of observing the impact of institutional influences (bridging and bonding network capital), individual predispositions (trust and risk aversion), and their interaction on the ability to coordinate in these settings. The results confirm that neither individual nor institutional components alone can explain coordination, and that interactions between these components must be understood in terms of the specific task context being studied

Missouri’s Taxation of Remote Sellers in a Post-Wayfair World

In this paper the authors consider the impact of the Wayfair decision on the state of Missouri. The authors – two members of the Missouri Department of Revenue – consider especially the unique implications Wayfair has to a state such as Missouri that is not a member of the SSUTA. It further surveys responses being developed by the state legislature

Significance of Autumn and Winter Food Consumption for Reproduction by Southern Beaufort Sea Polar Bears, \u3ci\u3eUrsus Maritimus\u3c/i\u3e

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea experience long annual periods when preferred seal prey are scarce or are unavailable. Consumption of bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) carcasses from native Alaskan subsistence hunting is increasingly common for onshore polar bears, yet the energetic consequences of this consumption remain unclear. We use data on bears captured repeatedly over periods that encompassed autumn and winter, combined with calculations, to show that adult female bears likely consume an average of at least 4 seal equivalents during both autumn and winter periods and that considerable variation in energy intake exists across individual bears. We further show that subsistence-caught whale carcasses provide an upper threshold of \u3e 4000 seal equivalents, which could potentially meet mean consumption needs of ~ 80% of the southern Beaufort Sea bear subpopulation during autumn and winter periods. Finally, we modify an existing model to show that observed mass changes over autumn and winter could substantially alter spring foraging habitat choice by females with cubs and the chance that a female with reduced energy reserves would abort a pregnancy or abandon cubs in favor of increasing her own survival; these behaviors could potentially influence population vital rates. Our study highlights the importance of mass dynamics over the autumn and winter months, points to the need for additional data on foraging and energetics over this period, and indicates that the recent declines in polar bear body condition in some subpopulations could have complex effects on reproduction