Perfect Proportion Research Articles

A credit rating model based on a customer number bell-shaped distribution

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to split loan customers to different credit ratings to ensure the results that show that customers with lower credit ratings have higher loss rates, and the number of customers that satisfies the bell-shaped distribution. Hence, the number of credit ratings, the distribution of the rated obligors among ratings can achieve a meaningful differentiation of risk, which can avoid the loan pricing confusion.Design/methodology/approachThe authors introduce a multi-objective programming to establish the credit rating model. Objective function 1 minimizes the absolute difference between the obligor number proportion and perfect client proportion, following a standard normal distribution. Objective function 2 minimizes the total difference of the deviation between two adjacent credit ratings’ loss rates. This study combines the two objective functions to ensure the obligor number distribution and the monotonicity of the loss rate, and applies genetic algorithm to solve the model.FindingsThis study’s analysis is based on data from 6,155 enterprises, provided by a Chinese bank and Prosper P2P loan data. The empirical results reveal that the proposed approach can ensure the balance between both criteria and avoid undue concentration of obligors in particular grades.Originality/valueThe proposed credit model could help building a reasonable credit rating system, which is the prerequisite of loan pricing; thus, inaccurate credit rating can cause incorrect loss rate estimates and loan pricing.

Elsie Stevens, Audrey Munson, and the Model for the 1916 Dime and Half Dollar

Elsie Stevens, Audrey Munson, and the Model for the 1916 Dime and Half Dollar John N. Serio Competing Claims IN A NOTE to her edition of Letters of Wallace Stevens, Holly Stevens states that her mother, Elsie Stevens, was the model for both the 1916 US dime and the 1916 US half dollar. Commenting on the new apartment at 441 West 21st Street in New York City, which Wallace Stevens had found in August 1909 for the soon-to-be married couple, Holly Stevens claims that four years later their landlord, the sculptor Adolph Alexander Weinman, "persuaded Mrs. Stevens to pose for him. The design he made, using her head, won the competition for a design for the new dime and half-dollar issued by the U.S. Treasury Department in 1916" (L 155n2). Holly Stevens's assertion has been taken at face value, and it has been perpetuated numerous times by Stevens scholars, including myself, and others.1 Is Holly Stevens's statement correct? Others have proposed different models. Diane Rozas and Anita Bourne Gottehrer in their book, American Venus: The Extraordinary Life of Audrey Munson, Model and Muse, identify Audrey Munson as the model for both coins. James Bone in The Curse of Beauty: The Scandalous and Tragic Life of Audrey Munson, America's First Supermodel states that Munson claimed to be on the dime and played a role in the half dollar. Although there are discrepancies, both biographies relate the same account of how Munson became the most sought-after model during America's Beaux-Arts movement. She and her mother were walking in New York when a photographer noticed the teenager and asked whether he could photograph her. Her mother consented and, after a few photo sessions, the photographer shared his images with artist friends, who then engaged Munson to pose for them. With a letter of introduction from one of the painters, Munson visited the studio of the sculptor Isidore Konti. Konti, who had been working on a commission but could never find the proper model to complete it, was enthralled by Munson's nearly perfect proportions and graceful features. He immediately asked her to pose nude and to hold several positions. The result was Konti's sensuous Three Graces (1909), in marble, which adorned the newly added ballroom of the Hotel Astor.2 A few months [End Page 153] later, perhaps in October 1909, Konti introduced Munson to Adolph Weinman. Elegantly tall with wavy black hair and possessing classically ideal features, she instantly became a favorite of Weinman's, who used her as a model for numerous sculptures over the years. Although Weinman never disclosed the name of the model for the 1916 dime and half dollar, Rozas and Gottehrer report, "A neighbor from Audrey's hometown recalls hearing her admit to having posed for the coins" (38).3 Indicating Munson clearly believed she was the model, at least for the dime, Bone discovered that the nursing staff taking care of her in her later years nicknamed her "the Dime Lady" (280). On one occasion, Munson pressed a Winged Liberty dime into a nurse's hand as a memento. The nurse, Joanne Poore, who took care of Munson for fifteen years, is convinced that Munson was the model: "That's her profile—and I know her profile" (qtd. in Bone 281). Is this evidence persuasive? Roger W. Burdette, a research specialist on US coins and the author of several award-winning books on numismatics, records in detail the 1916 competition for the US dime, quarter, and half dollar in Renaissance of American Coinage, 1916–1921. Although Burdette concedes that Elsie Stevens's profile is represented in part on the dime, he concludes, "The primary prototype for the portrait on the dime was probably Weinman's Union Soldiers and Sailors Memorial dedicated on November 6, 1909 in Baltimore, Maryland. When photos of the dime are compared with the head of Victory from the Memorial, the resemblance is unmistakable" (35). Burdette does not believe that Elsie Stevens is represented on the half dollar: "Obverse [head] of the half dollar appears to be loosely based on Louis-Oscar Roty's Sower as interpreted on the...

Synthesis of Cr and Al Substitution Calcium Nano Hexaferrite by Sol-Gel Auto-Combustion Method

In the present research module the samples with chemical composition CaMeFe11O19 (where Me = Al and Cr) were successfully synthesized using perfect stoichiometeric proportions of reacting oxides by sol gel auto-combustion method. X - ray diffraction analysis of sample showed that both the compounds are in single, hexagonal M - type phase with unit cell dimensions ‘a’ and ‘c’ varies between 5 to 6 Ǻ and 21 to 23 Å respectively with space group SG:P63/mmc (No. 194). Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis showed a good crystallization, smooth surface without any cracks. The Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analysis proved that the compounds belong to nanoparticle range. The magnetic properties measured using vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), optimized saturation magnetization (Ms) of the compound reached 67.9emu/g and 14.8emu/g for Al and Cr substituted compound respectively, while coercive force (Mr) ranges between 3386.1 Oe for Al and 1046.0 Oe for Cr. These values are close to that of its counterpart with CaM

Biomimetic Geometry Approach to Generative Design

This paper provides an initial exploration of natural formsstreamed into geometric patterns, providing a basis for furtherresearch that may find use in generative architectural design.The development of interest in geometric forms encountered innature, and their implementation in design solutions, is expandingwith the help of modern computer technology that has enabledthe use of generative models. The biomimetic approachsets new standards in generative design. Through the form ofthe flower, which was singled out as an example, all the qualitiesderived from these connections, and the primarily aestheticimpression based on harmony and perfect proportions of elements,following the stability, strength and power of this form,can be clearly observed.Within the research, the study was based on the geometry ofthe flower species Ramonda nathaliae P. et P., an endemic specieswith restricted distribution in Serbia, by using parametricmodelling methods and experimental designs displayed on theDVD (duplicate along curve) and the use of Voronoi diagrams.

The size of anterior teeth in patients with gaps in the upper dental arch.

The aim of this study was to assess the size of upper incisors and canines in patients with gaps in the upper dental arch, especially medium gap between upper central incisors. Diagnostic orthodontic models of 30 adult patients with full permanent dentition with diastema in the upper arch were studied. Patients with severe malocclusion, missing teeth and periodontal disease were excluded. Width-to-length (W/L) ratio of the clinical crown of the central, lateral incisors and canines for both sides was measured. Together 180 teeth were tested. The results were compared with the values indicated by Sterrett et al. In all patients, the clinical crowns of central incisors were symmetrical. In most cases, a higher W/L ratio was found, which indicates that the clinical crowns of medial incisors were too broad in relation to the length. Lateral incisors: In most cases, the ratio was the same for the right and the left side; however, a few patients had asymmetry of lateral incisors. Most of the lateral incisors had higher W/L ratios, which means that the teeth were wider than they were long; some had reduced ratios and only in one case the ratio was proper. Canines were also asymmetrical, and none of the canine exhibited perfect proportions. The vast majority showed increased W/L ratio of the clinical crown. In several cases, the W/L ratio was decreased. Patients with gaps between the teeth have abnormal W/L ratio of the clinical crowns of the upper front teeth. The values were increased in the majority of cases, which indicates that the front teeth were wider than they were long in patients with gaps. Moreover, despite the disturbed W/L proportions, central incisors remained symmetrical. In contrast, lateral incisors and canines more often exhibited asymmetries.

Exceptional thermodynamics: the equation of state of G2 gauge theory

We present a lattice study of the equation of state in Yang-Mills theory based on the exceptional G(2) gauge group. As is well-known, at zero temperature this theory shares many qualitative features with real-world QCD, including the absence of colored states in the spectrum and dynamical string breaking at large distances. In agreement with previous works, we show that at finite temperature this theory features a first-order deconfining phase transition, whose nature can be studied by a semi-classical computation. We also show that the equilibrium thermodynamic observables in the deconfined phase bear striking quantitative similarities with those found in SU(N) gauge theories: in particular, these quantities exhibit nearly perfect proportionality to the number of gluon degrees of freedom, and the trace anomaly reveals a characteristic quadratic dependence on the temperature, also observed in SU(N) Yang-Mills theories (both in four and in three spacetime dimensions). We compare our lattice data with analytical predictions from effective models, and discuss their implications for the deconfinement mechanism and high-temperature properties of strongly interacting, non-supersymmetric gauge theories. Our results give strong evidence for the conjecture that the thermal deconfining transition is governed by a universal mechanism, common to all simple gauge groups.

Facial Attractiveness Assessment using Illustrated Questionnairers.

Introduction.An attractive facial appearance is considered nowadays to be a decisive factor in establishing successful interactions between humans. In relation to this topic, scientific literature states that some of the facial features have more impact then others, and important authors revealed that certain proportions between different anthropometrical landmarks are mandatory for an attractive facial appearance.Aim.Our study aims to assess if certain facial features count differently in people’s opinion while assessing facial attractiveness in correlation with factors such as age, gender, specific training and culture.Material and methods.A 5-item multiple choice illustrated questionnaire was presented to 236 dental students. The Photoshop CS3 software was used in order to obtain the sets of images for the illustrated questions. The original image was handpicked from the internet by a panel of young dentists from a series of 15 pictures of people considered to have attractive faces. For each of the questions, the images presented were simulating deviations from the ideally symmetric and proportionate face. The sets of images consisted in multiple variations of deviations mixed with the original photo. Junior and sophomore year students from our dental medical school, having different nationalities were required to participate in our questionnaire. Simple descriptive statistics were used to interpret the data.Results.Assessing the results obtained from the questionnaire it was observed that a majority of students considered as unattractive the overdevelopment of the lower third, while the initial image with perfect symmetry and proportion was considered as the most attractive by only 38.9% of the subjects. Likewise, regarding the symmetry 36.86% considered unattractive the canting of the inter-commissural line. The interviewed subjects considered that for a face to be attractive it needs to have harmonious proportions between the different facial elements.Conclusions.Considering an evaluation of facial attractiveness it is important to keep in mind that such assessment is subjective and influenced by multiple factors, among which the most important are cultural background and specific training.

Cardiac myocyte sizes in right compared with left ventricle during overweight and hypertension

Evidence is sparse concerning hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes in left and right ventricles (LV, RV). LV and RV from 105 forensic autopsies were weighed. Cross sectioned cardiac myocyte thicknesses were measured in hematoxylin and eosin–stained paraffin sections. Overweight (OW) is body weight >104.3 kg and hypertension (HT) is mean arterial pressure >106.7 mm Hg assessed from renal histology. Mean RV weights and cardiomyocyte thicknesses held nearly perfect proportionality to the LV values. Exceptions to these patterns were (1) myocytes were slightly thicker than expected in RV of the 27 specimens with the smallest myocyte thicknesses; (2) weights were slightly greater than expected in RV of hypertensives; and (3) myocytes were slightly smaller than expected in RV of OW subjects. Myocyte hypertrophy appears to affect LV and RV equally, preserving constant proportionality between them in a number of conditions which include OW, HT, and perhaps some cardiomyopathies. Ischemic, valvular, and right ventricular disorders determined at autopsy are specifically omitted from this provisional conclusion. The three exceptions from this principle were of small magnitude and unimpressive statistical significance which calls for cautious interpretation. Neither OW nor HT appears to act predictably upon the heart as exclusively volume or pressure overload.

Социологический вклад Южакова / Пер. с англ. К.К. Оганян

The article examines the sociological contribution of S.N. Yuzhakov in the sociology of his country presented in: Hecker J.F. Russian sociology. A contribution to the history of sociological thought and theory. New York, 1915 (p. 156–172). Yuzhakov’s sociological system is analyzed through the following: the definition of sociology and its main issues; organico-physical, ethical, and economic aspects of sociology. Special attention is paid by J. Hecker to the analysis of sources of Yuzhakov’s philosophical and sociological views. Socio-political factor had a particular influence on his outlook, as he was a populist leader and contributed to the development of the subjective school holding the same views as P.L. Lavrov and N.K. Mikhailovskiy in quest of Russian people to implement social reforms.S.N. Yuzhakov defined sociology as a science of laws that controls the life of the group, as well as its origin, development and degradation. Sociology summarizes the results of other social sciences, such as political economy, ethics, law, linguistics. Based on this understanding of sociology, S.N. Yuzhakov shows that the relationship between the individual and the group forms morale and create an ethical problem. Moral progress is to adapt the activity of the individual to the social context, and this adaptation is reflected in the creation of the perfect ideal of sociability and in perfect proportion of the ideals of the epoch and people's feelings. Consequently, the development of morality becomes the process of adaptation of life to social existence. In this process, a crucial role is played by the activity of a person, manifestation of his personality in the struggle for culture.Summarizing Yuzhakov’s basic sociological views, J. Hecker concludes that, generally, Russian sociologist continues to develop the basic ideas of P.L. Lavrov, N.K. Michaelovskiy, et al. Having not created a properly designed system of sociology, S.N. Yuzhakov emphasized several very important truths that are common today.

Uncertainty, Complexity, and Gamson’s Law: Comparing Coalition Formation in Western Europe

According to Gamson’s Law, the allocation of cabinet portfolios in parliamentary democracies is proportional to the legislative seat shares of the governing parties. However, portfolio allocation departs systematically from perfect proportionality. This paper proposes a theory of portfolio allocation that seeks to explain the variance in proportionality across different bargaining situations. It argues that the degree to which the coalition formation process is characterised by uncertainty and complexity influences portfolio allocation. In uncertain and complex bargaining situations, parties that otherwise would be in an advantageous bargaining position will have a difficult time exploiting their bargaining advantage. As a result, portfolio allocation in such circumstances will be closer to proportionality. These patterns are observed in data on coalition formation in 14 West European parliamentary systems in the period 1945–1999.

The Winter’s Tale (review)

Reviewed by: The Winter’s Tale Boika Sokolova The Winter’s Tale Presented by Theatre Workshop Sfumato, Sofia, Bulgaria. Ongoing since January 27, 2011. Translated by Valery Petrov. Directed by Margarita Mladenova. Set and costumes by Daniela Oleg Liahova. Lighting by Daniela Oleg Liahova and Margarita Mladenova. Music by Asen Avramov. With Tsvetan Alexiev (Leontes), Hristo Petkov (Polixenes), Elena Dimitrova (Hermione, Perdita), Margita Gosheva (Paulina), Sava Dragunchev (Camilo), Yavor Baharov (Florizel), Boiko Krustanov (Autolicus), Antonio Dmitrievski (Antigonus, Old Shepherd), Stanislav Gantchev (Clown), and Mark Delchev (Mamillius). “Sfumato,” the technique of painting devised by Leonardo da Vinci, which achieves imperceptible transitions between the object and the surrounding air, is the ambitiously chosen name of this distinguished experimental theatre in Sofia. Their logo, the circle and square of the golden section, takes up another Leonardo image. In its center, however, instead of a perfectly proportioned figure, a stooping digitized human shape, somewhat too tall for the perfect proportion, is set on an endless journey. For Sfumato, the essence of theatre-making is process. The website describes the theatre’s mission in the forceful language characteristic of manifestos: to make theatre that is not “deadly” (in Peter Brook’s sense of the word), nor slavishly fashionable, nor based on consumerist-driven foreign models (currently prevalent in Bulgarian culture), nor committed to a single formalized acting system, but one that reaches back for the ritual roots of theatre as communal experience; to be unabashedly Bulgarian in character. In the context of the radical socio-economic and cultural change of the last twenty years, Sfumato has tried and, so far, managed to create an independent space for promoting work that is not commercially-driven. Though sometimes looked down upon as a minority theatre for cognoscenti and literati, Sfumato has consistently produced work of a high quality, involving both classic and modern plays. Co-founded by directors Margarita Mladenova and Ivan Dobchev in 1989 and housed, since 2004, [End Page 579] in the atmospherically restored building of a former public bath house, its 120-seat main house and two studios, have become a site of vigorous professional activity. Though the theatre does not have its own troupe, a number of actors who share its ethos regularly appear in its productions. In addition, Sfumato co-produces plays and is a venue for new writing, directors, and visiting local and international groups. The style of programming is to organize seasons around the work of a single author—Gogol, Strindberg, Shakespeare—involving two or three productions by and about him, which continue over the next couple of seasons. Project Shakespeare includes The Winter’s Tale, and a modern play, entitled Wittenberg Revisited, by Gerogi Tanev and Ivan Dobchev, which deals with Horatio’s history after Hamlet. From what I have seen of their work, it seems that Sfumato does not deliberately load classical plays with modern issues, but seeks to find in them intonations and depths which tap into the emotional and moral passions of contemporary Bulgaria life. In a broad context still marked by painful adjustments in the aftermath of a historical tempest which transformed the country not so long ago, The Winter’s Tale, with its story of the disastrous consequences of irrational behavior and the destruction of things sacred—as friendship, family, children—abounds in situations spectators empathize with. The night I saw the play, the performance was sold out to a predominantly young audience. Just before it started, a throng of students was allowed in to sit on the aisle steps, as at Ariane Mnouchkine’s Cartoucherie in Paris. This might have run against considerations of health and safety, but made for a precious sense of excitement and togetherness. One might take a cynical view and say that the driving impulse behind this interest was not Shakespeare, but the presence of a favorite film star in the cast. Judging by the responses and silences, however, the young people were deeply involved with the play itself. In the program blurb, director Margarita Mladenova spoke about what attracted her to The Winter’s Tale. For her, this is a spooky tale for adults–about how easy it is to destroy the things one loves, about contrition which...

Thermodynamics of SU(N) Yang-Mills theories in 2 + 1 dimensions II — The deconfined phase

Abstract We present a non-perturbative study of the equation of state in the deconfined phase of Yang-Mills theories in D = 2 + 1 dimensions. We introduce a holographic model, based on the improved holographic QCD model, from which we derive a non-trivial relation between the order of the deconfinement phase transition and the behavior of the trace of the energy-momentum tensor as a function of the temperature T. We compare the theoretical predictions of this holographic model with a new set of high-precision numerical results from lattice simulations of SU(N) theories with N = 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 colors. The latter reveal that, similarly to the D = 3 + 1 case, the bulk equilibrium thermodynamic quantities (pressure, trace of the energy-momentum tensor, energy density and entropy density) exhibit nearly perfect proportionality to the number of gluons, and can be successfully compared with the holographic predictions in a broad range of temperatures. Finally, we also show that, again similarly to the D = 3 + 1 case, the trace of the energy-momentum tensor appears to be proportional to T 2 in a wide temperature range, starting from approximately 1.2 T c , where T c denotes the critical deconfinement temperature.

Improving the reliability of single-aliquot regenerative dose dating using a new method of data analysis

The study of quartz grains (diameter 90–125 μm) from a modern dune sand from Australia shows a lack of perfect proportionality between the regenerated OSL (L) signal and the subsequent test dose OSL (T) signal when using a single-aliquot regenerative dose (SAR) procedure with a fixed 15 Gy dose repeated five times. This lack of perfect proportionality results in both a broad De distribution and systematic offset for the doses measured both with and without a preheat step at the end of each cycle of the SAR procedure. The problems caused by the lack of proportionality are overcome by a new method of handling the data generated by use of the SAR protocol; the OSL intensity is sensitivity-corrected using the slope of a plot of L versus T obtained from a number of aliquots, rather than the ratio of L/T obtained for individual aliquots. This approach is validated using laboratory irradiated quartz with given doses ranging from 5 Gy to 60 Gy; for the larger doses, correct values can be recovered using the new data analysis procedure is applied, but not when using the ratio of L/T obtained using conventional SAR analysis.

Local spin fluctuations in iron-based superconductors:Se77andRb87NMR measurements on Tl0.47Rb0.34Fe1.63Se2

We report nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies of the intercalated iron selenide superconductor ${(\text{Tl},\text{Rb})}_{y}{\text{Fe}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}{\text{Se}}_{2}$ (${T}_{c}=32$ K). Single-crystal measurements up to 480 K on both ${}^{77}$Se and ${}^{87}$Rb nuclei show a superconducting phase with no magnetic order. The Knight shifts $K$ and relaxation rates $1/{T}_{1}T$ increase very strongly with temperature above ${T}_{c}$, before flattening at 400 K. The quadratic $T$-dependence and perfect proportionality of both $K$ and $1/{T}_{1}T$ data demonstrate their origin in paramagnetic moments. A minimal model for this pseudogap-type response is not a missing density of states, but rather two additive contributions from the itinerant electronic and local magnetic components, a framework unifying the $K$ and $1/{T}_{1}T$ data in many iron-based superconductors.

Influence of Mn-Zn Substitution on Lattice, Electrical and Magnetic Behavior of M-Type Calcium-Hexaferrites

In the present investigation the samples with chemical composition Ca(CoTi)0.5(MnZn)x/2Fe11-xO19 with (x = 0 to 0.6) were synthesized using perfect stoichiometric proportions of reacting oxides by standard ceramic technique. It shows hexagonal magnetoplumbite (M) structure having unit cell dimensions ‘a’ and ‘c’ varies between 5–6 Å and 21–23 Å with same space group P63/mmc (No. 194). The temperature dependent electrical conductivity measurements were carried out at 300–650 K. The compounds are ferromagnetic nature upto Curie temperature and above this show paramagnetic nature. The activation energy has been observed more in paramagnetic region than ferromagnetic region. The temperature dependente magnetic susceptibility measurement has been carried out and from this Curie molar constant has been found to decrease with the increase in Mn-Zn concentration with respect to Curie temperature. There is no significant variation in lattice parameter with Mn-Zn concentration.

Transposing World Harmony: Donne's Creation Poetics in the Context of a Medieval Tradition

Transposing World HarmonyDonne's Creation Poetics in the Context of a Medieval Tradition Sarah Powrie Cosmology and poetry share a long history of mutual association. Each celebrates the mystery of the creative process, whether this be natural generation or artistic creation, and each summons the power of myth to probe and conceal the mystery behind the mythographic veil. In his Glosses on Timaeus, the twelfth-century commentator William of Conches explains how the order of nature's operations is secretly signified in the mythical god Pan. The name "Pan" signifies "all" as William notes, and just as the etymology of the god's name reveals that he signifies "all things" in the universe, so too the imaginary tableau of Pan making music on his pipes represents the perfect proportions ordering the heavenly spheres. William interprets Pan's desire for the nymph Syringa as representing nature's desire for concord and harmony among the elements. Pan/Nature desires Syringa/Concord in part for her beauty and in part for the fecundity that her beauty promises. Pan's pipes celebrate the tempered harmony that sustains and perpetuates life within the universe. Without concord, William notes, disorder and discord among the elements would arise, and the world would certainly dissolve.1 William's glosses reveal how closely aesthetics and cosmology can inform each other. His perfectly proportioned world system both reflects the medieval preference for order and proportion and demonstrates the period's appropriation of Neoplatonic natural theory. The cosmological system described in the Neoplatonic sources of the late ancient [End Page 212] period presented a carefully crafted cosmos with humanity featuring as an integral part of that system. The medieval period learned of this cosmology from Calcidius's translation of and commentary on Plato's Timaeus, which introduced the micro-macrocosm analogy and articulated the structural affinities linking the human figure and the world. Augustine's De Genesi ad Litteram baptized the mathematical architecture of the Neoplatonic cosmos by reaffirming that "God made everything in measure, number and weight" within the six days of biblical creation.2 In his De Institutione Musica, Boethius described the world order in musical terms. The orderly motions of the planetary rotations, of seasonal changes, and of the four elements together expressed a common musica mundana. A similar harmony united the soul and body in the microcosm. Like the Timaeus, Boethius's tract illustrates a symmetry between human and cosmos that reaffirms a purposefully crafted, coherent world system. The impact of the Copernican hypothesis on these mythologies of nature has been of perennial interest to early modern scholars. The rupturing of the Ptolemaic cosmology and the religious turmoil of the Reformation both signaled that the medieval universe, with an astral system centered upon the earth and a religious society centered upon Rome, was already becoming a historical artifact. The Copernican thesis threatened the Timaean universe of structural affinities. If the world system is heliocentric, as Copernicus claimed, then humanity is peripheral, perhaps even irrelevant, to the larger universe. If the world system is made of undifferentiated infinite space, then divine immanence is extracted from creation and jettisoned into outer space, leaving a vacuum of infinite regress. Yet, even while the new science called all into doubt, early modern thinkers continued to speculate about hidden harmonies and symbolic patterns within the architecture of the universe. Johannes Kepler never waned in his admiration of the Timaeus, and when his own observations of the heavens contradicted the Pythagorean proportions, he simply redesigned the harmonies to accord with those observations.3 Sharing Kepler's interest in Neoplatonic cosmology, Robert [End Page 213] Fludd devised a complex network of correspondences between microcosm and macrocosm in a four-volume encyclopedia, Utriusque cosmi historia.4 Using diagrams of the human figure and the Ptolemaic universe, he mapped parallels between the soul's powers and the celestial spheres. Thus, the Neoplatonic cosmos and its celestial harmonies were not silenced by the new science but rather transposed to accord with early modern fascinations. The scholarship investigating the early modern response to Neoplatonic cosmology has stressed either its continuity with late ancient and medieval sources or its singularity in rejecting and demythologizing this tradition.5 In...

Party Size and Portfolio Payoffs: The Proportional Allocation of Ministerial Posts in Coalition Governments

Over 30 years ago, Eric Browne and Mark Franklin demonstrated that parties in a coalition tend to receive portfolio payoffs in almost perfect proportionality to their seat share. Even though this result has been confirmed in several studies, few researchers have asked what the underlying mechanism is that explains why parties receive a proportional payoff. The aim of this paper is to investigate the causal mechanism linking party size and portfolio payoffs. To fulfil this aim, a small-n analysis is performed. By analysing the predictions from a statistical analysis of all post-war coalition governments in 14 Western European countries, two predicted cases are selected, the coalitions that formed after the 1976 Swedish election and the 1994 German election. In these case studies two hypotheses are evaluated: that the proportional distribution of ministerial posts is the result of a social norm, and that parties obtain payoffs according to their bargaining strength. The results give no support to the social norm hypothesis. Instead, it is suggested that proportionality serves as a bargaining convention for the actors involved, thus rendering proportional payoffs more likely.

Bolometric detection of quantum shot noise in coupled mesoscopic systems

We demonstrate a scheme to detect the quantum shot noise in coupled mesoscopic systems. By applying the noise thermometry to the capacitively coupled quantum point contacts (QPCs) we prove that the noise temperature of one QPC is in perfect proportion to that of the other QPC which is driven to nonequilibrium to generate quantum shot noise. The present mesoscopic bolometry, which is sensitive to the energy flow of $\ensuremath{\sim}1\text{ }\text{fW}$, allows us to detect the energy exchange between quantum systems at finite frequency and can also be applied for diverse precise measurements.

Symbol of Perfect Proportions

The Golden Ratio The Story of Phi, the World's Most Astonishing Number. Mario Livio. Broadway Books, New York, 2002. 304 pp. $24.95. C$37.95. ISBN 0-7679-0815-5. Discussing the appearances (actual or imagined) of phi in an astonishing variety of places, Livio explores the relation between mathematics and the physical world.

Comparative elemental stoichiometry of ecologically diverseDrosophila

SummaryChemical analyses of ecologically diverse species ofDrosophilareveal substantial variation among them in their nitrogen and phosphorus contents, determined as a percentage of adult dry mass. AcrossDrosophilaspecies, the nitrogen content of flies is positively correlated with phosphorus content.For both N and P, the concentration in the flies is correlated with that of their breeding sites. The variation in the elemental composition of breeding sites, and therefore of the flies themselves, may affect the ecology and life‐history variation ofDrosophila.The range of variation in N and P contents and the N : P ratio is considerably less amongDrosophilathan among their breeding sites, indicating that there is substantial constancy for elemental composition acrossDrosophilaspecies. The N : P ratio varies somewhat among species, indicating that the nitrogen and phosphorus contents do not change in perfect proportion across species.An important, but unanswered, question concerns the relation between intraspecific homeostasis and interspecific constancy for elemental composition. Three possible mechanisms by which such interspecific constancy is brought about are discussed.