Thermodynamics of salt roasting of sulphide ores

Thermodynamic analysis of a non-polluting process for the effective treatment of lean multimetallic sulphide ores is presented. The sulphide ore is roasted with sodium chloride in air. Metal sulphides are converted to chlorides that can be separated from the unaffected gangue material. At a temperature of 1100 K the chlorides are present both in gaseous and in condensed states. Volatile chlorides can be easily removed and subsequently condensed. The chlorides present in the condensed state can be leached to separate them from the gangue. The sulphur is trapped as Na2SO4 and thus SO2 emission is minimized. Ellingham diagrams are used to compare data for a large number of elements. The major thermodynamic driving force is provided by the higher stability of Na2SO4 relative to NaCl.

Population, globalization and urbanization: Trends and underlying prosesses

Third World hinterlands provide most of the settings in which the quality of human life has improved the least over the decade since Our Common Future was published. This low quality of life promotes a desire for large number of offspring, fuelling population growth and an exodus to the urban centres of the Third World, Enhancing the quality of life of these people in ways compatible with the health of their environments is therefore the most significant of the challenges from the perspective of sustainable development. Human quality of life may be viewed in terms of access to goods, services and a satisfying social role. The ongoing processes of globalization are enhancing flows of goods worldwide, but these hardly reach the poor of Third World countrysides. But processes of globalization have also vastly improved everybody's access to Information, and there are excellent opportunities of putting this to good use to enhance the quality of life of the people of Third World countrysides through better access to education and health. More importantly, better access to information could promote a more satisfying social role through strengthening grass-roots involvement in development planning and management of natural resources. I illustrate these possibilities with the help of a series of concrete experiences form the south Indian state of Kerala. Such an effort does not call for large-scare material inputs, rather it calls for a culture of inform-and-share in place place of the prevalent culture of control-and-command. It calls for openness and transparency in transactions involving government agencies, NGOs, and national and transnational business enterprises. It calls for acceptance of accountability by such agencies.

Determinant: Old algorithms, new insights (Extended Abstract)

In this paper we approach the problem of computing the characteristic polynomial of a matrix from the combinatorial viewpoint. We present several combinatorial characterizations of the coefficients of the characteristic polynomial, in terms of walks and closed walks of different kinds in the underlying graph. We develop algorithms based on these characterizations, and show that they tally with well-known algorithms arrived at independently from considerations in linear algebra.

Parameter Estimation for Hidden Markov Models with Intractable Likelihoods

Approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) is a popular technique for analysing data for complex models where the likelihood function is intractable. It involves using simulation from the model to approximate the likelihood, with this approximate likelihood then being used to construct an approximate posterior. In this paper, we consider methods that estimate the parameters by maximizing the approximate likelihood used in ABC. We give a theoretical analysis of the asymptotic properties of the resulting estimator. In particular, we derive results analogous to those of consistency and asymptotic normality for standard maximum likelihood estimation. We also discuss how sequential Monte Carlo methods provide a natural method for implementing our likelihood-based ABC procedures.

Entre los despojos del peronismo. Esplendor y ocaso del Instituto de Filología de la Universidad de Buenos Aires (1927-1946)

Entre 1927 y 1946, el Instituto de Filología de la Universidad de Buenos Aires atravesó su época de esplendor, bajo la dirección del español Amado Alonso. En menos de veinte años, Alonso le confirió a su instituto no sólo una fuerte presencia en la cultura argentina, sino además un importante prestigio internacional. El Instituto se había hecho de un lugar reconocido en la cultura argentina; había sabido captar la atención de un nutrido grupo de discípulos; había comenzado a publicar sus propias colecciones de libros; se había puesto en contacto con la vasta gama que ofrecía la industria cultural argentina del período. Este fuerte arraigo en la Argentina le permitió alcanzar un alto puesto en la cultura hispanoamericana de su tiempo. Pero con la llegada del peronismo al poder el Instituto se vio sometido a fuertes presiones que llevaron a su virtual desmantelamiento.

“Aditz bakarraren” teoria XIX. mendeko euskal gramatikagintzan

Joseba A. Lakarra & José Ignacio Hualde, arg., Studies in Basque and Historical Linguistics in memoriam of R. L. Trask - R. L. Trasken oroitzapenetan ikerketak Euskalaritzaz eta Hizkuntzalaritza Historikoaz

Un inédito de Orixe : el contenido espiritual de la España nacionalista (1938)

[ES] Estudio y edición de un texto desconocido de Orixe en el que, a partir de un episodio autobiográfico —la delación de la que fue objeto en mayo de 1938 y su consiguiente huida al otro lado de la frontera—, trata de mostrar la falsedad del catolicismo de los sublevados en 1936 y la superioridad moral de los nacionalistas vascos. Este nuevo ensayo de Orixe aporta algunas precisiones sobre su biografía pero, sobre todo, constituye un texto único en su bibliografía —próximo, sin embargo, a algunos pasajes de Quiton arrebarekin— en la medida en que recoge una reflexión extensa y sistemática sobre una cuestión entonces crucial para el nacionalismo vasco.

Petrarca y las primeras ediciones de Terencio

[ES] De entre las ediciones de Terencio publicadas en las primeras décadas de la imprenta, las de Vindelino de Espira son las que muestran una mayor voluntad filológica y, sin duda, las que ofrecen un texto más correcto. Estas ediciones dependen del texto terenciano reconstruido por Petrarca: concretamente, IGI 9408 desciende de una fase textual anterior a la que queda fijada en 1358 y responde además a algunos de los criterios propugnados por Petrarca en la Vita Terrentii; IGI 9409, por su parte, depende —parcialmente— del texto de 1358 y muestra indicios de haber sufrido la influencia de otro ejemplar de Petrarca. En fin, la presencia de la Vita Terrentii en la transmisión impresa de Terencio es una muestra más de la vigencia de la filología terencia de Petrarca durante aquellos años.

Bizkaiko jauntxoen inguruko herri literaturaz: Plentziako 1603ko hiru esaera zahar eta "Refranes y Sentencias"-en jatorria, eta proposamen bat Arrasateko erreketaren kantuez

[EUS] Lan honetan aurkikuntza baten berri ematen dugu: Plentziako armarri batean aurkitutako hiru euskal esaera zahar (1603) aurkezten eta hizkuntzaren eta historiaren ikuspuntutik aztertzen ditugu. Hiru esaerotatik bi «Refranes y sentencias» 1596) lanean agertzen dira, eta hori datu garrantzitsua da; izan ere, Lakarrak 1996) errefrau-bilduma anonimo horren jatorriaz egindako proposamena berresteko argudio berria da. Zehazki, Bizkaiko ipar-mendebala proposatu zuen Lakarrak bildumako errefrauen jatorri gisa. Beste alde batetik, Bizkaiko ipar-mendebaleko euskararen zenbait ezaugarri baliatuta, Arrasateko erreketari buruzko zenbait kantu eremu horretan sortu zirela proposatzen dugu —zehazki, Butroeko (Gatika) dorretxearen inguruan—, hizkuntzari dagozkion argudioak historiari buruzkoekin osatuta.

Euskal testu corpusa osatzen: J.P. Ulibarriren "Egunare eusquerazcoa erderascotic itzuliya"

[EUS] Artikulu honetan J. P. Ulibarri idazle okondoarrak 1815an argitaratu zuen "Egunare euskerazkoa erdaraskotik itzuliya" egutegia aurkezten dugu, urteetan galdutzat jo izan dena. Lan honetan, orain arte euskal bibliografoek "Egunare"-az esan dutena laburtu dugu (§1), eta horrekin batera alearen deskribapena eskaini dugu bai fisikoa eta baita gaien arabera(§2). Hirugarren atalean(§3), libarriren egiletasuna bermatu dugu: testua egile izenik gabe argitaratu bazen ere albaitariaren lantzat jo dugu, bere idaztankera eta euskara moldea aztertzeko lan honek duen garrantzia azpimarratuz. Amaitzeko, testua bera eskaini dugu, bai edizio erdipaleografiko legez eta baita faksimile eran.

Basque legacy in the New World: on the surnames of Latin American presidents

[EN] In this article we explain the etymology of the surnames of Basque origin that some presidents of Latin American countries have or have had in the past. These family names were created in the language called Euskara, in the Basque Country (Europe), and then, when some of the people who bore them emigrated to America, they brought their surnames with them. Most of the family names studied here are either oiconymic or toponymic, but it must be kept in mind that the oiconymic ones are, very often, based on house-nicknames, that is, they are anthroponymic in the first place. As far as possible, we have related the surname, when its origin is oiconymic or toponymic, to its source, i.e. to the house or place where it was created.

Erdi Aroko euskararen corpusa osatzeko ekarpena

[EUS] Lan honek Erdi Aroko euskararen ezagutzan sakontzeko ekarpena izan nahi du. Horretarako, garai hartako agirietan eta bestelakoetan agertzen diren hainbat lekukotasun bildu ditugu, bereziki leku eta pertsona izenak. Hauetarik batzuk lehendik ezagunak ziren Lacarrak (1957), Arzamendik (1985), Libanok (1995-1999) edo beste ikerlariek egindako lanei esker; guk honakoan guztiak biltzen saiatu gara, argitaragabe batzuk ere ekarri ditugu eta alfabetikoki hurrenkeratu ditugu eta intereseko datuak (urtea, herria, herrialdea, iturria eta bibliografia) eman ditugu. Bestalde, Erdi Aroko hilarrietan lekukotzen diren hilartitzetako euskarazko elementuak ere jaso eta aztertu ditugu.

Etymological notes on Aleut (III). With methodological notes on (Eskimo-Aleut) historical linguistics

[EN] The goal of this contribution is twofold: on the one hand, to review two relatively recent contributions in the field of Eskimo-Aleut historical linguistics in which it is proposed that Eskimo-Aleut languages are related genealogically to Wakashan (Holst 2004) and?/or Nostratic (Krougly-Enke 2008). These contributions can be characterized by saying that their authors have taken little care to be diligent and responsible in the application of the comparative method, and that their familiarity with the languages involved is insufficient. Eskimo-Aleut languages belong to a very exclusive group of language families that have been (and still are) used, sometimes compulsively, in the business of so-called “long-range comparisons”. Those carrying out such studies are very often unaware of the most basic facts regarding the philological and linguistic traditions of those languages, as a result of what mountains of very low quality works with almost no-relevancy for the specialist grow every year to the desperation of the scientific community, whose attitude toward them ranges from the most profound indifference to the toughest (and most explicit) critical tone. Since Basque also belongs to this group of “compare-with-everything-you-come- across” languages, it is my intention to provide the Basque readership with a sort of “pedagogical case” to show that little known languages, far from underrepresented in the field, already have a very long tradition in historical and comparative linguistics, i.e. nobody can approach them without previous acquaintance with the materials. Studies dealing with the methodological inappropriateness of the Moscow School’s Nostratic hypothesis or the incorrectness of many of the proposed new taxonomic Amerindian subfamilies (several of them involving the aforementioned Wakashan languages), that is to say, the frameworks on which Krougly-Enke and Holst work, respectively, are plenty (i.a. Campbell 1997: 260-329, Campbell & Poser 2008: 234-96), therefore there is no reason to insist once more on the very same point. This is the reason why I will not discuss per se Eskimo-Aleut–Wakashan or Eskimo-Aleut–Nostratic. On the contrary, I will focus attention upon very concrete aspects of Krougly-Enke and Holst´s proposals, i.e. when they work on “less ambitious” problems, for example, dealing with the minutiae of internal facts or analyzing certain words from the sole perspective of Eskimo-Aleut materials (in other words, those cases in which even they do not invoke the ad hoc help of Nostratic stuff). I will try to explain why some of their proposals are wrong, demonstrate where the problem lies, and fix it if possible. In doing so, I will propose new etymologies in an attempt at showing how we may proceed. The main difference between this and handbook examples lies in the reality of what we are doing: this is a pure etymological exercise from beginning to end. I will try to throw a bit of light on a couple of problematic questions regarding Aleut historical phonology, demonstrating how much work should be done at the lowest level of the Eskimo-Aleut pyramid; it is technically impossible to reach the peak of the pyramid without having completed the base. As far as Aleut is regarded, I will mainly profit not only from the use of the traditional philological analysis of Aleut (and, eventually, of Eskimo) materials, but also of diachronic typology, bringing into discussion what in my opinion seems useful, and in some cases I think decisive, parallels. It is worth noting that this paper makes up yet another part of a series of exploratory works dealing with etymological aspects of the reconstruction of Proto-Eskimo-Aleut, with special emphasis on Aleut (vid. i.a. Alonso de la Fuente 2006/2007, 2008a, 2008b, 2010a), whose main goal is to become the solid basis for an etymological dictionary of the Aleut language, currently in progress.

"Leioar" antroponimoaren lekuko toponimiko gehiago

[EN] The Basque anthroponym "Leioar" was analyzed by Alfonso Irigoien, which explained the origin of the name and the derived place names. In this paper we present new names derived, nine in total, the names are explained, also the appeared differences.