A new twist to the No Miracles Argument for the success of science

J. D. Trout has recently developed a new defense of scientific realism, a new version of the No Miracles Argument. I critically evaluate Trout's novel defense of realism. I argue that Trout's argument for scientific realism and the related explanation for the success of science are self-defeating. In the process of arguing against the traditional realist strategies for explaining the success of science, he inadvertently undermines his own argument.     

Little-known and phylogenetically obscure South African estuarine microgastropods (Mollusca: Truncatelloidea) as living animals

Areas of the Knysna estuarine bay in the Western Cape are dominated by three endemic South African truncatelloid microgastropods, temporarily known as ‘Hydrobia’ knysnaensis (Krauss), ‘Assiminea’ capensis (Sowerby) and ‘Assiminea’ globulus Connolly. Although first described 80–170 years ago and present in abundance (up to 100,000 m^?2), they remain surrounded by confusion and still await taxonomic assignment, largely because they appear most atypical members of their groups by virtue of anatomy and/or biogeography and/or habitat. This study contributes in-life perspectives to morphological and phylogenetic analyses known to be on-going. At Knysna, they are syntopic: at least two occurring in >85% and all three in >40% of individual 0.0026 m² samples from their region of dominance. Nevertheless, they tend to greater abundance in divergent microhabitats; ‘A.’ globulus dominating higher tidal levels, and ‘A.’ capensis and ‘Hydrobia’ lower ones; the former especially unvegetated sediment, the latter, if anything, seagrass. Interspecific feeding interactions appear unlikely to be responsible for these patterns, other evidence suggesting that all are maintained below carrying capacity. Field biology of ‘H.’ knysnaensis generally appears equivalent to that of northern-hemisphere intertidal hydrobiids and that of ‘A.’ globulus is typically assimineid, albeit at atypically low shore height. Unlike assimineids, however, ‘A.’ capensis is truly aquatic. The success of these truncatelloids in unusual circumstances may be consequent on the absence from South Africa of other microgastropod groups that fill their niches elsewhere in the southern hemisphere.     

Constructing and evaluating core inflation measures from component‐level inflation data

This paper undertakes a comprehensive examination of 10 measures of core inflation and evaluates which measure produces the best forecast of headline inflation out‐of‐sample. We use the Personal Consumption Expenditure Price Index as our measure of inflation. We use two sets of components (17 and 50) of the Personal Consumption Expenditure Price Index to construct these core inflation measures and evaluate these measures at the three time horizons (6, 12 and 24 months) most relevant for monetary policy decisions. The best measure of core inflation for both sets of components and over all time horizons uses weights based on the first principal component of the disaggregated (component‐level) prices. Interestingly, the results vary by the number of components used; when more components are used the weights based on the persistence of each component is statistically equivalent to the weights generated by the first principal component. However, those forecasts using the persistence of 50 components are statistically worse than those generated using the first principal component of 17 components. The statistical superiority of the principal component method is due to the fact that it extracts (in the first principal component) the common source of variation in the component level prices that accurately describes trend inflation over the next 6–24 months.     

变频调速泵在滤池反冲洗中的节能效果

为了响应现在我国大力倡导的节能的政策,决定将滤池反冲洗中所用的水泵进行改造,把原来的高位水箱反冲洗系统改为利用变频技术.采用水泵直接反冲洗来达到节能的目的,计算了滤池反冲洗采用变频调速泵所节约的电耗,并对其节能效果进行了分析.     

模糊关系运算的传递性

详细讨论模糊关系一元及二元运算的传递性性质。首先给定一个模糊关系具有某种传递性性质，讨论其余关系、逆关系、对偶关系的传递性性质；然后基于两个模糊关系具有某类传递性，讨论它僮的模并、模交运算的传递性性质。     

具有（W~＊－W）CPCP的共轭空间X

本文引进了概念（ｗ￣＊一ｗ）ＣＰＣＰ，并证明了：若ｘ”具有（ｗ￣＊一ｗ）ＣＰＣＰ，则Ｘ￣＊的每个非空ｗ￣＊一紧凸子集Ｋ的弱￣＊一弱连续点集是Ｋ的弱￣＊一稠密子集。     

在管理信息系统中单据设计的新方法

在分析PowerBuilder中用户对象的基本概念与特点基础上，提出了利用用户对象技术实现MIS(管理信息系统)中单据设计功能的方法，并给出了详细的实现过程。实际应用表明，该方法可使用户按企业的实际需要对单据的录入界面进行自由设计，无需修改软件即可满足不同用户的需求，适合各种管理信息系统的单据设计，具有通用性。