Explicit inflation targets and central bank independence: friends or foes?

The paper studies the relationship between two institutional innovations in monetary policy of the past few decades: central bank independence (CBI) and explicit inflation targeting (EIT). The aim is to make inferences about the optimal institutional design of monetary policy, and the right sequencing of policy reform. Our reduced-form model unifies several approaches in the literature, and offers three novel institutional findings (that we square with existing empirical evidence). First, instrument-CBI is a complement to EIT, whereas goal-CBI acts as a strategic substitute for EIT in ensuring low inflation and policy credibility. Second, out of these two ‘commitment technologies,’ EIT is shown to be socially superior to goal-CBI. Third and controversially, countries that first implement goal-CBI are then less likely to adopt the desirable EIT regime. This is because independent central bankers may have less need to do so (their independence partly substitutes for EIT), as well as less willingness to do so (due to a higher degree of accountability associated with a transparently legislated target). Our analysis therefore implies that developing and emerging market countries should go down the New Zealand route—legislate EIT together with instrument-CBI, but stay clear of goal-CBI. Unfortunately, many transition countries have followed the opposite Fed/Bundesbank route, which we show may have adverse welfare consequences through several channels.     

Yogic Mindfulness: Hariharānanda Āraṇya’s Quasi-Buddhistic Interpretation of Smṛti in Patañjali’s Yogasūtra I.20

This paper examines Swami Hariharānanda āra?ya’s unique interpretation of sm?ti as “mindfulness” (samanaskatā) in Patañjali’s Yogasūtra I.20. Focusing on his extended commentary on Yogasūtra I.20 in his Bengali magnum opus, the Pātañjaljogdar?an (1911), I argue that his interpretation of sm?ti is quasi-Buddhistic. On the one hand, Hariharānanda’s conception of sm?ti as mindfulness resonates strongly with some of the views on sm?ti advanced in classic Buddhist texts such as the Satipa??hānasutta and Buddagho?a’s Papañcasūdanī. On the other hand, he also builds into his complex account of the practice of sm?ti certain fundamental doctrines of Sā?khyayoga—such as mindfulness of the Lord (“ī?vara”) and mental identification with the Puru?a, the transcendental “Self” that is wholly independent of nature—which are incompatible with Buddhist metaphysics. I will then bring Hariharānanda’s quasi-Buddhistic interpretation of sm?ti of Yogasūtra I.20 into dialogue with some of the interpretations of sm?ti advanced by traditional commentators. Whereas many traditional commentators such as Vācaspati Mi?ra and Vijñānabhik?u straightforwardly identify sm?ti of I.20 with “dhyāna” (“concentration”)—the seventh limb of the a??ā?gayoga outlined in Yogasūtra II.28-III.7—Hariharānanda argues that sm?ti is the mental precondition for the establishment of dhyāna of the a??ā?gayoga.     

No Black Scorpion is Falling: An Onto-Epistemic Analysis of Absence

An absence and its locus are the same ontological entity. But the cognition of the absence is different from the cognition of the locus. The cognitive difference is caused by a query followed by a cognitive process of introspection. The moment one perceptually knows y that contains only one thing, z, one is in a position to conclude that y contains the absence of any non-z. After having a query as to whether y has x one revisits one’s knowledge of y containing z and comes to know that x is absent from y. Thus the knowledge of the absence of x logically follows from the knowledge of y containing z through the mediation of a query. This analysis goes against the thesis according to which an absence is an irreducible entity that is to be known through senses, and is inspired by the Mīmā?sā views, especially the Prābhākara views, on absence and its cognition.     

S��tmaka, Nair��tmya, and A-Nair��tmya: Dharmak��rti��s Counter-Argument Against the Proof of ��tman

??tman (soul) and Nair??tmya (no soul) are, for the Brahmanical schools and the Buddhists respectively, equally fundamental tenets which neither side can concede to the other. Among the 16 formulations presented by Uddyotakara, the fifteenth, which is a proof of ??tman and is originally an indirect proof (av??ta/??v??ta), is presented in a prasa?ga-style, and contains double negation (na nair??tmyam) in the thesis. However, it is perhaps Dharmak??rti who first transformed it into a normal style (s??tmakam). He is well aware of the law of excluded middle, and insisits that the negation is paryud??sa. On the Ny??ya side, Uddyotakara at least seems to be unaware of the law of the logical equivalence of contraposition concerning pervasion (vy??pti). After Uddyotakara, however, Vyoman (Vyoma?iva), Bh??sarvajña and V??caspatimi?ra, all seem to be well aware of it. Dharmak??rti, in his conter-argument against the proof of ??tman, discusses the negative expressions ????nair??tmya?? and ????a-nair??tmya?? Dharmak??rti here uses two logical arguments skillfully and tactically. As a critic of both the authenticity of the Veda and the existence of ??tman, he insists on the theory of dichotomy and the equivalence of anvaya and vyatireka, whereas as an apologist he denies the application of these theories to the relation between the existence of ??tman and the concept of nair??tmya, because for him as a Buddhist the latter is not a negative but essentially positive state of affairs.     

Restorative Justice, Shame and Forgiveness

Restorative conferencing is a new style of criminal justice intervention which is being increasingly used in Britain, especially as a method of delivering police cautions to youth offenders.Is is currently the subject of a lively debate, focusing on its effectiveness as a method of crime reduction, its benefits tovictims, its feasibility in modern society, its effect upon procedural rights of arrestees, and the danger of it becoming a degradation ceremony. This paper seeks to extend the debate to include less obvious, but equally important, issues. The paper focuses on the processes of reintegrative shaming which, inspired by the work of John Braithwaite, are at the core of restorative conferencing. It places these processes in broader historical and cultural contexts, such as the re-emergence ofshame sanctions in the USA, the attack on the notion ofshame launched by cultural radicals, and the changes which have occurred historically in our emotional response to offenders.Three sets of questions emerge: What is the political –as distinct from penal – meaning of the practice of shaming offenders? How does the practice affect the progressive cultural aim of fuller realization of the individual? At what point doesforgiveness become less of a virtue, more of a vice?     

A family with unusual Kell genotypes

A family in which kKp^a, kKp^b, KKp^b and K^o are segregating confirms the depressing effect of Kp^a on the products of other Kell genes in cis. The significance of such unusual Kell genotypes in forensic testing is discussed.     

Lak?a?�� as Inference

This paper questions a few assumptions of Ga?ge?a Up??dhy??ya??s theory of ordinary verbal cognition (laukika-???bdabodha). The meaning relation (v?tti) is of two kinds: ?akti (which gives us the primary referent of a word) and lak?a??? (which yields the secondary referent). For Ga?ge?a, the ground (b??ja) of lak?a??? is a sort of inexplicability (anupapatti) pertaining to the composition (anvaya) of word-meanings. In this connection, one notices that the case of lak?a??? is quite similar to that of one variety of postulation, namely, ?rut??rt??th??patti, where the subject hears only a part of a sentence and immediately grasps the words that are needed to render the sentential meaning complete. Unless he does that, sentential meaning, i.e., the composition (anvaya) of word-meanings shall suffer from the same inexplicability that characterizes instances of lak?a???. In fact, in the ???aktiv??da?? section of Tattvacint??ma?i, Ga?ge?a himself draws a parallel between the cognition of sentential meaning in a ?rut??rth??patti-like case and the cognition of sentential meaning in an instance of lak?a???. However, Ga?gesa himself treats ?rut??rth??patti as a piece of inferential cognition. If there is no fundamental difference between cases of ?rut??rth??patti and cases of lak?a???, then the cognition of sentential meaning in instances of lak?a??? must also be inferential in essence. In that case, we must admit, against Ga?ge?a??s view, that such cognition of sentential meaning cannot be accommodated within the framework of verbal cognition (???bdabodha). Therefore, I conclude that some revision is needed in Ga?ge?a??s theory of verbal cognition with respect to lak?a???.     

Is Dharmak��rti Grabbing the Rabbit by the Horns? A Reassessment of the Scope of Prameya in Dharmak��rtian Epistemology

This paper attempts to make sense of Dharmak??rti??s conflicting statements regarding the object of valid cognition (prameya) in various parts of his works, considering in particular the claims that (i) there are two kinds of prameyas (particulars and universals), (ii) the particular alone is prameya, and (iii) what is non-existent also qualifies as prameya. It inquires into the relationship between validity (pr??m???ya), reliability (avisa?v??da) and causal efficacy (arthakriy??) and suggests that the discussion on non-existent prameyas in Pram???avini?caya 3 provides an alternative to an overall ??practicalist?? reading of Dharmak??rti, practicalist in the sense that pram???as are primarily oriented toward human aims and hence bear on objects capable of fulfilling them through their causal capacities. Considering the views of Dharmak??rti??s interpreters, it shows how Dharmottara (8th c.), rejecting such an alternative, strives to reconcile claim (iii) with a practicalist interpretation, while Phya pa Chos kyi seng ge (12th c.) generalizes the application of a criterion of validity superseding an arthakriy??-oriented framework by bringing to the fore the notion of ??non-opposition?? (ab??dhana) introduced by Dharmak??rti with regard to non-existent prameyas and suprasensorial objects.     

Two Obscure Sanskrit Words Related to the C��rv��ka: pa?cagupta and ku??ak��?a

Two words, pañcagupta and ku??ak???a, are found in modern Sanskrit lexicons such as the ?abdakalpadruma, the V??caspatya, the Sanskrit-Wörterbuch, and A Sanskrit English Dictionary. They are said to signify the C??rv??ka philosophy and an expert in the C??rv??ka philosophy respectively. Both the words have been taken from some twelfth-century Sanskrit ko?as but no example of actual use is available. Nor do they occur in any earlier Sanskrit ko?a, such as the Amarako?a and the Hal??yudhako?a. The inference is that the words must have appeared in some late philosophical work that was critical of the materialist C??rv??ka system of philosophy and the ko?ak??ras found them in the same source.     

S—s—U— phenotype in the coloured population of Cape Town: Problems encountered in paternity tests

Two Cape Coloured persons of mixed White, Khoikhoi, Malay, Black parentage in Cape Town whose red cells were found to be S—s—U— establish that the rare S^u allele is present in this population group. The most likely source of the S^u allele in them is the non-indigenous Black slaves who were brought to the Cape in the early years of White settlement there. In two paternity suits involving Cape Coloured persons, maternal and paternal exclusions were present unless the inheritance of an MS^u or an NS^u chromosome was postulated, and MS, NS and Ns chromosomes were seen to accompany He+ alleles in them.     

Outlines of a Pedagogical Interpretation of Nāgārjuna’s Two Truths Doctrine

This paper proposes an interpretation of Nāgārjuna’s doctrine of the two truths that considers sa?v?ti and paramārtha-satya two visions of reality on which the Buddhas, for soteriological and pedagogical reasons, build teachings of two types: respectively in agreement with (for example, the teaching of the Four Noble Truths) or in contrast to (for example, the teaching of emptiness) the category of svabhāva. The early sections of the article show to what extent the various current interpretations of the Nāgārjunian doctrine of the dve satye—despite their sometimes even macroscopic differences—have a common tendency to consider the notion of ?ūnyatā as a teaching not based on, but equivalent to supreme truth. This equivalence—philologically questionable—leads to interpretative paths that prove inevitably aporetic: indeed, according to whether the interpretation of ?ūnyatā is ‘metaphysical’ or ‘anti-metaphysical’, it gives rise to readings of Nāgārjuna’s thought incompatible, respectively, with anti-metaphysical and realistic types of verses traceable in the works of the author of the Mūla-madhyamaka-kārikā (MMK). On the contrary, by giving more emphasis to the expression samupā?ritya (“based on”), which recurs in MMK.24.8, and therefore, by epistemologically separating the notion of ?ūnyatā from the notion of paramārtha-satya (and of some of its conceptual equivalents such as nirvā?a, tattva and dharmatā), we may obtain an interpretation—at once realistic and anti-metaphysical—of the theory of the two truths compatible with the vast majority (or even totality) of Nāgārjuna’s verses.     

Law’s Cultural Project and the Claim to Universality or the Equivocalities of a Familiar Debate

Do our present circumstances allow us to defend a specific connection (that specific connection) between ?legal rules?, ?moral claims? and ?democratic principles? which we may say is granted by an unproblematic presupposition of universality or by an ?acultural? experience of modernity? In order to discuss this question, this paper invokes the challenge-visée of a plausible reinvention of Law??s autonomous project (a reinvention which may be capable of critically re-thinking and re-experiencing Law??s constitutive cultural-civilizational originarium in a ?limit-situation? such as our own). The discussion is developed by recognising that the claim to universality is not only incompatible with a substantive conception of juridicalness as validity but also sustained with difficulty by a procedural representation of discourse and rationality (a representation which, against its own conclusion-claims, could also be said to be culturally and civilizationally bounded). Not forgetting some specific features of contemporary juridical pluralism??namely that which emerges from the counterpoint between semiotic groups or interpretative communities (and their differently assumed claims of intersemioticity concerning the signifier law)??this train of reflection diagnoses briefly a sequence of complementary main difficulties (as ?obstacles? to recognising Law??s demand as an unmistakable cultural project), namely those arising from the formalistic normativistic inheritance (confounding legal autonomy with isolationism), from the challenges and seductions of practical holism (justifying a continuum in which Law??s project loses its sense and autonomy), and also from the familiar debate between exclusive and inclusive versions of positivism and non-positivism (a debate which establishes-consecrates an equivocal counterpoint between Law and Morality).     

A comparison of hair colour measurement by digital image analysis with reflective spectrophotometry

While reflective spectrophotometry is an established method for measuring macroscopic hair colour, it can be cumbersome to use on a large number of individuals and not all reflective spectrophotometry instruments are easily portable. This study investigates the use of digital photographs to measure hair colour and compares its use to reflective spectrophotometry. An understanding of the accuracy of colour determination by these methods is of relevance when undertaking specific investigations, such as those on the genetics of hair colour. Measurements of hair colour may also be of assistance in cases where a photograph is the only evidence of hair colour available (e.g. surveillance). Using the CIE L^*a^*b^* colour space, the hair colour of 134 individuals of European ancestry was measured by both reflective spectrophotometry and by digital image analysis (in V++). A moderate correlation was found along all three colour axes, with Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.625, 0.593 and 0.513 for L^*, a^* and b^* respectively (p-values = 0.000), with means being significantly overestimated by digital image analysis for all three colour components (by an average of 33.42, 3.38 and 8.00 for L^*, a^* and b^* respectively). When using digital image data to group individuals into clusters previously determined by reflective spectrophotometric analysis using a discriminant analysis, individuals were classified into the correct clusters 85.8% of the time when there were two clusters. The percentage of cases correctly classified decreases as the number of clusters increases. It is concluded that, although more convenient, hair colour measurement from digital images has limited use in situations requiring accurate and consistent measurements.     

Allelic frequencies and statistical data obtained from 48 AIM INDEL loci in an admixed population from the Brazilian Amazon

Allelic frequencies of 48 informative insert-delete (INDEL) loci were obtained from a sample set of 130 unrelated individuals living in Macapá, a city located in the northern Amazon region, in Brazil. The values of heterozygosity (H), polymorphic information content (PIC), power of discrimination (PD), power of exclusion (PE), matching probability (MP) and typical paternity index (TPI) were calculated and showed the forensic efficiency of these genetic markers. Based on the allele frequency obtained for the population of Macapá, we estimated an interethnic admixture for the three parental groups (European, Native American and African) of, respectively, 50%, 21% and 29%. Comparing these allele frequencies with those of other Brazilian populations and the parental populations, statistically significant distances were found. The interpopulation genetic distance (F_ST coefficients) to the present database ranged from F_ST = 0.0431 (p < 0.00001) between Macapá and Belém to F_ST = 0.266 (p < 0.00001) between Macapá and the Native American group.     

Lak?a?ā as a Creative Function of Language

When somebody speaks metaphorically, the primary meanings of their words cannot get semantically connected. Still metaphorical uses succeed in conveying the message of the speaker, since lak?a?ā, a meaning-generating faculty of language, yields the suitable secondary meanings. Ga?ge?a claims that lak?a?ā is a faculty of words themselves. One may argue: “Words have no such faculty. In these cases, the hearer uses observation-based inference. They have observed that sometimes competent speakers use the word w in order to mean s, when p, the primary meaning of w does not make any semantic sense. In all such cases, s is actually related to p. After having observed this, when the hearer hears the utterance of w, and realizes that w’s primary meaning p is semantically unfit for the sentence-meaning, they infer on the basis of their prior observation that ‘the competent speaker must mean s by uttering w’. Thus lak?a?ā becomes a success.” This apparently well-argued reduction does not stand the critical examination; neither in Ga?ge?a’s framework, nor even in the general theory of language. For one can compose and interpret potentially infinite novel sentences based on lak?a?ā while the observational inferences one can make are finite. Ga?ge?a says very clearly that as far as the secondary meaning is concerned, no prior observation is required. This paper will argue that not only does language yield secondary meanings through lak?a?ā, but it also restricts the use of secondary meanings; for one cannot mean just anything by saying something. Lak?a?ā is a creative function with infinite potential within the limits set up by the language faculty.     

On Śaiva Terminology: Some Key Issues of Understanding

The goal of this paper is to reconsider some key concepts of nondualist Kashmirian ?aivism whose interpretation and translation have generally been the subject of some sort of silent consensus. Through the close examination of a particular text, the Paramārthasāra of Abhinavagupta and its commentary by Yogarāja, as well as of related texts of the system, I shall attempt to improve upon the understanding and translation of terms such as ghana (and the compounds derived therefrom), the roots sphar, sphur, pra]kā? etc., and their derivatives, bhavanakartr?tā, and the names of the three malas. Further, bhāvanā will be discussed in its ?aiva acceptation and a more suitable translation suggested.     

Technical note: Comparison of forensic swabs for intravaginal sampling

This study compared the currently used swab Prionics ForensiX Evidence Collection Kit with the alternatives Prionics ForensiX Evidence Collection Tube SafeDry and Sarstedt Forensic Swab XL. Volunteers provided intravaginal swabs collected with all swab types at specific time points after unprotected sexual intercourse. Quantifiable DNA, detectability of seminal fluid component (prostate specific antigen, PSA) and spermatozoa were evaluated to find the best-performing swab type.While Sarstedt XL showed significantly higher DNA quantities for sperm cell fractions than ForensiX Kit, the more concise PSA test results clearly favour ForensiX SafeDry. Reassuringly, mostly complete autosomal STR profiles of male components were obtained for sperm cell fractions at all time points and tested swabs. Switching to the higher performing ForensiX SafeDry with improved sampling and processing properties will also benefit victims, medical personnel, and investigators.     

Violence Against Women in Jordan

This study aimed to describe the social and cultural etiology of violence against women in Jordan. A sample of houses was randomly selected from all 12 Governorates in Jordan, resulting in a final sample of 1,854 randomly selected women. ANOVA analysis showed significant differences in violence against women as a result of women’s education, F?=?4.045, α?=?0.003, women who work, F?=?3.821, α?=?0.001, espouser to violence F?=?17.896, α?=?0.000, experiencing violence during childhood F?=?12.124, α?=?0.000, and wife’s propensity to leave the marital relationship F?=?12.124, α?=?0.000. However, no differences were found in violence against women because of the husband’s education, husband’s work, or having friends who belief in physical punishment of kids. Findings showed women experienced 45?% or witnessed 55?% violence during their childhood. Almost all 98?% of the sample was subjected to at least one type of violence. Twenty-eight percent of the sample believed a husband has the right to control a woman’s behavior and 93?% believed a wife is obliged to obey a husband. After each abusive incidence, women felt insecure, ashamed, frightened, captive and stigmatized.     

MEGA ♪: A New Paradigm in Risk Assessment Tools for Sexually Abusive Youth

Prognostic utility of MEGA ^? was evaluated on a sample of 969 male and female youth without history of sexually-related probation or parole violation. Six month follow-up of 334 (34 %) found a new sexually-related probation or parole violation occurred in 28 (8.4 %). ROC findings showed Risk Scale significantly (p?<?.001) predictive of a new violation (AUC?=?.71 [95 % CI?=?.62 to .80]). MEGA ^? Risk Scale scores added incremental prognostic utility over demographic variables (p?<?0.001) and resulted in a net reclassification improvement of 31.5 %. Contravention for youth ages 4 to 12 was defined as new reports of sexually abusive behaviors in three or more different locations, or sexual behaviors that included oral, anal, vaginal, direct skin to skin contact, and/or penetration. Post-hoc analysis found 8 youth (21 %) experienced these outcomes. Risk Scale was significantly predictive (AUC?=?.77 [95 % C.I. = .60 to .96; p?=?0.016]).     

An efficient technique for enhancing forensic capabilities of Ext2 file system

As electronic documents become more important and valuable in the modern era, attempts are invariably made to take undue-advantage by tampering with them. Tampering with the modification, access and creation date and time stamps (MAC DTS) of digital documents pose a great threat and proves to be a major handicap in digital forensic investigation. Authentic date and time stamps (ADTS) can provide crucial evidence in linking crime to criminal in cases of Computer Fraud and Cyber Crimes (CFCC) through reliable time lining of digital evidence. But the ease with which the MAC DTS of stored digital documents can be changed raises some serious questions about the integrity and admissibility of digital evidence, potentially leading to rejection of acquired digital evidence in the court of Law. MAC DTS procedures of popular operating systems are inherently flawed and were created only for the sake of convenience and not necessarily keeping in mind the security and digital forensic aspects. This paper explores these issues in the context of the Ext2 file system and also proposes one solution to tackle such issues for the scenario where systems have preinstalled plug-ins in the form of Loadable Kernel Modules, which provide the capability to preserve ADTS.