A Practical Approach to choosing Formulae for Economic Index Numbers

Traditional axiomatic, economic and stochastic approaches to choosing a formula for economic index numbers are based on theoretical considerations, with little regard to whether they reflect the actual circumstances affecting the markets to which they relate. This paper presents an approach to index number formulation based on how markets operate and presents a general, parameter-based formula for price and quantity indices. Two variants of this general formula cater for the “substitution effect” in different ways and one of these variants provides a practical expression for an economic-theoretic index based on purchasers' revealed preferences. Another variant applies this approach to short-term inflation indices. A final variant provides a straightforward means of estimating purchasing power parities for spatial indices. The analysis also emphasises the importance in National Accounts of using coherent price and quantity indices, whose products generate the corresponding value indices.

The Strength of the Kinship Politics Network and Modalities of Pilar Saga in the 2020 South Tangerang Regional Head Election

The issue of kinship politics networks and modalities Pilar Saga is built on the Ratu Atut Chosiyah's dynastic politics. Interestingly, the dynastic political network in Banten contributed to Pilar Saga's victory. Even the various corruption cases that ensnared Ratu Atut's family could not undermine her political network. For example, the corruption case of Ratu Atut for alleged bribery of the Constitutional Court and the trading of positions, T Chaeri Wardana for the corruption case of medical equipment, and Ratu Lilis Karyawati for the Cibenuangen River bypass case in Lebak, Banten. The purpose of this study was to analyze the extent to which Pilar Saga's kinship politics network and modalities influenced his victory in the 2020 South Tangerang Regional Head Election. This study used a qualitative approach with a descriptive method in South Tangerang. The research data was taken through observation and library research to strengthen the conclusion. The results show that the Pilar Saga political network and modalities, apart from being built from the Atut dynasty, were also boosted by the performance achievements of the incumbent Pilar Saga pair. The incumbent in the previous period with Airin Rachmi Diany (Atut's sister-in-law) was able to bring South Tangerang City to be the best Regency/City area in Banten in HDI (Human Development Index) numbers. On this basis, the rational behavior of voters in South Tangerang was not fooled by the various cases that ensnared their relatives in the corruption of the Ratu Atut Chosiyah dynasty.

Unexpected diversity in Central European Vespoidea (Hymenoptera, Mutillidae, Myrmosidae, Sapygidae, Scoliidae, Tiphiidae, Thynnidae, Vespidae), with description of two species of Smicromyrme Thomson, 1870

The present study presents DNA barcoding results for 134 species of Central European Vespoidea, families Mutillidae, Myrmosidae, Sapygidae, Scoliidae, Tiphiidae, Thynnidae, and Vespidae, including DNA barcodes for 100 of the 114 German species. DNA barcoding resulted in unexpected diversity in several families, each with two or more genetic clusters identified by Barcode Index Numbers (BINs). Smicromyrme burgeri Schmid-Egger, sp. nov. and S. langobardensis Schmid-Egger, sp. nov. are described as new from Germany and Italy, respectively. A neotype is designated for Smicromyrme rufipes (Fabricius, 1878). The results of DNA barcoding are discussed in respect to detecting cryptic species and refining species limits.

Making Inferences from Index Numbers (1860–1914)

Index numbers are indirect measurements as well as composite quantities that present particular inferential challenges to the measurer and their intended audiences. The early history of the use of index numbers in British economics (ca. 1860–1914) shows that making inferences using this measuring instrument was rife with problems. Economists grappled with multiple “inferential gaps” in order to make inferences from index numbers. The extent to which these gaps could be bridged depended on the theoretical frameworks and measurement strategies used. However, it is also evident that some inferential issues confronting economists were ideological or political in nature. Two case studies are examined, Stanley Jevons’s price index and the Board of Trade’s cost-of-living index, that sharpen the focus on the accuracy of index numbers. What did index numbers really capture about the deterioration of the monetary standard or standard of living of the working classes? By situating the index numbers within the broader ecology in which they were constructed, the article shows that making inferences was not just a heuristic process (one that eliminated gaps by getting the estimations right) but a cognitive one as well (one that people could accept as being “fit for purpose”).

New Characteristics and Hedonic Price Index Numbers

Changes in product characteristics on the extensive margin (the addition of new features and the removal of old ones) are an important and hitherto neglected dimension of quality change. Standard techniques for adjusting price indices for new goods cannot handle such changes satisfactorily, and this leads to an economically and statistically significant bias in the measurement of prices and real output. We combine insights from the theories of exact index numbers and demand for characteristics to develop a new method for incorporating changes on the extensive characteristic margin. Applied to U.K. data on new car sales, our method leads to revisions in estimated inflation rates for this commodity group that are both plausible and quantitatively important.

Congruence between morphology-based species and Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) in Neotropical Eumaeini (Lycaenidae)

Background With about 1,000 species in the Neotropics, the Eumaeini (Theclinae) are one of the most diverse butterfly tribes. Correct morphology-based identifications are challenging in many genera due to relatively little interspecific differences in wing patterns. Geographic infraspecific variation is sometimes more substantial than variation between species. In this paper we present a large DNA barcode dataset of South American Lycaenidae. We analyze how well DNA barcode BINs match morphologically delimited species. Methods We compare morphology-based species identifications with the clustering of molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) delimitated by the RESL algorithm in BOLD, which assigns Barcode Index Numbers (BINs). We examine intra- and interspecific divergences for genera represented by at least four morphospecies. We discuss the existence of local barcode gaps in a genus by genus analysis. We also note differences in the percentage of species with barcode gaps in groups of lowland and high mountain genera. Results We identified 2,213 specimens and obtained 1,839 sequences of 512 species in 90 genera. Overall, the mean intraspecific divergence value of CO1 sequences was 1.20%, while the mean interspecific divergence between nearest congeneric neighbors was 4.89%, demonstrating the presence of a barcode gap. However, the gap seemed to disappear from the entire set when comparing the maximum intraspecific distance (8.40%) with the minimum interspecific distance (0.40%). Clear barcode gaps are present in many genera but absent in others. From the set of specimens that yielded COI fragment lengths of at least 650 bp, 75% of the a priori morphology-based identifications were unambiguously assigned to a single Barcode Index Number (BIN). However, after a taxonomic a posteriori review, the percentage of matched identifications rose to 85%. BIN splitting was observed for 17% of the species and BIN sharing for 9%. We found that genera that contain primarily lowland species show higher percentages of local barcode gaps and congruence between BINs and morphology than genera that contain exclusively high montane species. The divergence values to the nearest neighbors were significantly lower in high Andean species while the intra-specific divergence values were significantly lower in the lowland species. These results raise questions regarding the causes of observed low inter and high intraspecific genetic variation. We discuss incomplete lineage sorting and hybridization as most likely causes of this phenomenon, as the montane species concerned are relatively young and hybridization is probable. The release of our data set represents an essential baseline for a reference library for biological assessment studies of butterflies in mega diverse countries using modern high-throughput technologies an highlights the necessity of taxonomic revisions for various genera combining both molecular and morphological data.