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.     

城市治理首要应加强市民的思想道德建设——以湛江市治理交通秩序为例

交通混乱既影响城市形象,又制约经济发展。本文通过对湛江市区交通混乱现象进行深入调查研究,认为要从根本上改变这一现状,取得长效成果,除了采取行政立法、经济处罚、改善交通基础设施等治理措施外,还应着重加强市民的道德建设,提高其思想道德素质,培养市民良好的社会道德行为习惯。文章旨在为加强湛江市民道德建设,解决湛江及其它城市突出交通问题提供参考。     

粉末冶金陶瓷模工艺中的快速脱蜡新技术

粉末冶金陶瓷模工艺是一种先进的过净形成形工艺．本文报道该工艺中一种新的脱蜡技术．采用快速加热、管径集中热量和定向导热传热综合方法，在陶瓷模和大部分蜡模材料处于较低温度下，使蜡模材料来不及发生显著的热膨胀而直接蒸发，得到脱蜡干净、外形完整的陶瓷模．     

机立窑鼓风机采用调速装置的探讨

介绍了机立窑鼓风机调速装置的工作原理和工作效果．提出了风机的选型原则。