Consistent Choice Research Articles

What Governance Roles do Municipalities use in Dutch Local Social Support Networks?

Until now, there is no consensus about variations in governance roles. This consensus is necessary to enable researchers to examine how network are governed well. In this article, the governance roles are considered to be clusters of consistent choices on a top-down versus bottom-up continuum, regarding nine governance activities. Our results reveal that three governance roles can be discerned: top-down, intermediate and bottom-up governance roles. Furthermore, these roles are applied by municipalities with specific (network) characteristics. Our results open the black box of network governance and might facilitate municipalities to make choices regarding their role in the new network era.

Using random subspace method for prediction and variable importance assessment in linear regression

A random subset method (RSM) with a new weighting scheme is proposed and investigated for linear regression with a large number of features. Weights of variables are defined as averages of squared values of pertaining t-statistics over fitted models with randomly chosen features. It is argued that such weighting is advisable as it incorporates two factors: a measure of importance of the variable within the considered model and a measure of goodness-of-fit of the model itself. Asymptotic weights assigned by such a scheme are determined as well as assumptions under which the method leads to consistent choice of significant variables in the model. Numerical experiments indicate that the proposed method behaves promisingly when its prediction errors are compared with errors of penalty-based methods such as the lasso and it has much smaller false discovery rate than the other methods considered.

MASSES, RADII, AND CLOUD PROPERTIES OF THE HR 8799 PLANETS

The near-infrared colors of the planets directly imaged around the A star HR 8799 are much redder than most field brown dwarfs of the same effective temperature. Previous theoretical studies of these objects have concluded that the atmospheres of planets b, c, and d are unusually cloudy or have unusual cloud properties. Some studies have also found that the inferred radii of some or all of the planets disagree with expectations of standard giant planet evolution models. Here we compare the available data to the predictions of our own set of atmospheric and evolution models that have been extensively tested against observations of field L and T dwarfs, including the reddest L dwarfs. Unlike some previous studies we require mutually consistent choices for effective temperature, gravity, cloud properties, and planetary radius. This procedure thus yields plausible values for the masses, effective temperatures, and cloud properties of all three planets. We find that the cloud properties of the HR 8799 planets are not unusual but rather follow previously recognized trends, including a gravity dependence on the temperature of the L to T spectral transition--some reasons for which we discuss. We find the inferred mass of planet b is highly sensitive to whether or not we include the H and K band spectrum in our analysis. Solutions for planets c and d are consistent with the generally accepted constraints on the age of the primary star and orbital dynamics. We also confirm that, like in L and T dwarfs and solar system giant planets, non-equilibrium chemistry driven by atmospheric mixing is also important for these objects. Given the preponderance of data suggesting that the L to T spectral type transition is gravity dependent, we present an exploratory evolution calculation that accounts for this effect. Finally we recompute the the bolometric luminosity of all three planets.

Importance of a consistent choice of α S in the matching of AlpGen and Pythia

We consider the impact of varying alpha_s choices (and scales) on each side of the so-called "matching scale" in MLM-matched matrix-element + parton-shower predictions of collider observables. We explain how inconsistent prescriptions can lead to counter-intuitive results and present a few explicit examples, focusing mostly on W/Z + jets processes. We give a specific prescription for how to improve the consistency of the matching and also address how to perform consistent tune variations (e.g., of the renormalization scale) around a central choice. Comparisons to several collider processes are included to illustrate the properties of the resulting improved matching, relying on Alpgen+Pythia6, with the latter using the so-called Perugia 2011 tunes, developed as part of this effort.

Remarks on Suzumura consistent collective choice rules

Suzumura consistency is a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of a weak-order extension. This paper provides some remarks on collective choice rules that generate Suzumura consistent social preferences. We examine the properties of such collective choice rules by introducing a procedural condition on collective choice rules. As applications of the procedural condition, we first investigate the decisive structure of a Paretian collective choice rule, and then consider the assignment of individual rights. In our analysis, the concept of semi-decisiveness works effectively.

Moral imagination and active imagination: searching in the depths of the psyche

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to highlight the parallels between the ethical concept of moral imagination and the psychoanalytical concept of active imagination. A model combining both concepts is then proposed and discussed. The paper argues that such synthesis is necessary to understand the process of moral deliberation, as well as to foster more consistent moral choices in organisations.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is conceptual, and builds upon relevant literature from the field of business ethics and analytical psychology.FindingsImagination is a thoroughly ambivalent concept, which can be used to pursue moral as well as immoral goals. Moral imagination is an important element influencing decision making, but its quality depends on the state of balance of the psyche. A sound and effective moral imagination must be grounded in a healthy psyche, and needs the assistance of active imagination (or other similar activities) to achieve this. Such inner work is especially necessary for leaders to clarify their moral values and capabilities.Research limitations/implicationsThe Active and Moral Imagination (AMI) model proposed has not been empirically tested; therefore its implications are tentative at this stage. The paper does not discuss in detail other psychological activities which may be complementary to active imagination.Practical implicationsManagers and leaders should reflect on their own unconscious, so as to understand the deeper mechanisms influencing their decisions and behaviours.Originality/valueThe paper presents an interdisciplinary approach to the role of imagination in ethics.

Modeling optimal social choice: matrix-vector representation of various solution concepts based on majority rule

Various Condorcet consistent social choice functions based on majority rule (tournament solutions) are considered in the general case, when ties are allowed: the core, the weak and strong top cycle sets, versions of the uncovered and minimal weakly stable sets, the uncaptured set, the untrapped set, classes of k-stable alternatives and k-stable sets. The main focus of the paper is to construct a unified matrix-vector representation of a tournament solution in order to get a convenient algorithm for its calculation. New versions of some solutions are also proposed.

On the use and potential of behavioural economics from the perspective of transport and climate change

It can be argued that the main thinking in transport planning and policy making stem from neoclassical economics in which individuals are largely assumed to make rational, consistent, and efficient choices, and apply cognitive processes of decision making that maximise their economic utility. Research in behavioural sciences indicates that individuals’ choices in a wide range of contexts deviate from the predictions of the rational man paradigm inspired the research agenda in the field of travel behaviour. New concepts and practices of government aim to apply some behavioural economics insights in the design of behavioural change initiatives and measures, an approach recently advocated in the US and the UK. This paper provides a brief review on the use and potential of behavioural economics from the perspective of transport and climate change, in two main contexts: travel demand modelling and design of behaviour change measures. The discussion of limitations and knowledge gaps associated with the implementation of behavioural economics to a travel behaviour context might contribute to the debate and help in defining research agenda in this area.

Ventromedial frontal lobe damage disrupts the accuracy, but not the speed, of value-based preference judgments

The ventromedial frontal lobe (VMF) plays a role in decision making, but its precise function remains unclear. Several lines of evidence suggest that VMF is involved in representing the economic value of options. A prior study from our lab has shown that patients with lesions to the VMF are less consistent than controls in making simple preference judgments between stimuli presented in pairs. Here, we followed up that observation in a larger sample, using more sensitive tasks, and examining the category-specificity of this effect. Patients with damage to VMF (N=15) were compared to patients with frontal damage sparing that region (N=8) and to demographically matched healthy control participants (N=23). Five separate preference tasks were administered, requiring subjects to indicate their preference for 12 stimuli presented two at a time, in all possible combinations. Categories included fruits, vegetables, colors, landscapes, and puppies. Choices were analyzed for internal consistency, and decision times were measured. Three control tasks with the same format, but requiring perceptual judgments, were also administered. VMF patients were significantly more erratic than both non-VMF and healthy control participants in their preference judgments across all stimulus categories. However, decision times, and the relationship between decision time and relative value, were similar to that seen in control participants. The groups did not differ in perceptual judgment performance. These findings add further weight to the claim that VMF plays a critical role in simple value-based decision-making under conditions of certainty. This region appears to be necessary for consistent choices across a variety of stimulus categories, supporting the view that human VMF represents the (relative) value of decision options rather generally. That such damage impairs decision ‘accuracy’ without affecting reaction time has implications for theories of the role of VMF in decision-making, arguing that this region may be critical for linking a particular value to a particular option.

Choosing between good and better: optimal oviposition drives host plant selection when parents and offspring agree on best resources

Insect preferences for particular plant species might be subjected to trade-offs among several selective forces. Here, we evaluated, through laboratory and field experiments, the feeding and ovipositing preferences of the polyphagous leafminer Liriomyzahuidobrensis (Diptera: Agromyzidae) in relation to adult and offspring performance and enemy-free space. Female leafminers preferred laying their eggs on Viciafaba (Fabaceae) over Betavulgaris var. cicla (Chenopodiaceae), in both laboratory and field choice experiments, although no oviposition preference was observed in no-choice tests. Females fed more often on B.v.var.cicla (no-choice test) or showed no feeding preference (choice test), even when their realized fecundity was remarkably higher on V.faba. Offspring developed faster, tended to survive better, and attained bigger adult size on the preferred host plant. Also, a field experiment showed higher overall parasitism rates for leafminers developing on B.v.var.cicla, with a nonsignificant similar tendency in field surveys. According to these results, host plant selection by L.huidobrensis appears to be driven mainly by variation in host quality. Moreover, the consistent oviposition choices for the best host and the labile feeding preferences observed here, suggest that host plant selection might be driven by maximization of offspring fitness even without a conflict of interest between parents and offspring. Overall, these results highlight the complexity of decisions performed by phytophagous insects regarding their host plants, and the importance of simultaneous evaluation of the various driving forces involved, in order to unravel the adaptive significance of female choices.

Self-Consistent Green’s Function Calculation of the Nucleon Mean Free Path

The extension of Green's functions techniques to the complex energy plane provides access to fully dressed quasiparticle properties from a microscopic perspective. Using self-consistent ladder self-energies, we find both spectra and lifetimes of such quasiparticles in nuclear matter. With a consistent choice of the group velocity, the nucleon mean-free path can be computed. Our results indicate that, for energies above 50MeV at densities close to saturation, a nucleon has a mean-free path of 4 to 5fm.

Adaptive estimation of heavy right tails: resampling-based methods in action

In this paper, we discuss an algorithm for the adaptive estimation of a positive extreme value index, γ, the primary parameter in Statistics of Extremes. Apart from the classical extreme value index estimators, we suggest the consideration of associated second-order corrected-bias estimators, and propose the use of resampling-based computer-intensive methods for an asymptotically consistent choice of the thresholds to use in the adaptive estimation of γ. The algorithm is described for a classical γ-estimator and associated corrected-bias estimator, but it can work similarly for the estimation of other parameters of extreme events, like a high quantile, the probability of exceedance or the return period of a high level.

On the gradient flow for the anisotropic area functional

AbstractWe consider the anisotropic mean curvature flow for parametrized hypersurfaces and provide a new definition of gradient flow that takes into account the anisotropic nature of space. With this new approach we succeed in identifying the natural candidate for the anisotropic mean curvature vector using a variational method. Under the obtained flow Wulff shapes shrink self similarly. The new definition of gradient flow relies on understanding which Banach structure plays a fundamental role and performing a consistent choice of function spaces. The geometric setting we introduce also allows us to provide and justify a natural formulation for the anisotropic Willmore functional. Its first variation is computed.

Orbitofrontal contributions to value‐based decision making: evidence from humans with frontal lobe damage

The work described here aims to isolate the component processes of decision making that rely critically on particular subregions of the human prefrontal cortex, with a particular focus on the orbitofrontal cortex. Here, experiments isolating specific aspects of decision making, using very simple preference judgment and reinforcement learning paradigms, were carried out in patients with focal frontal damage. The orbitofrontal cortex and the adjacent ventromedial prefrontal cortex play a critical role in decisions based on subjective value, across many categories of stimuli, and in learning to choose between stimuli based on value feedback. However, these regions are not required for learning to choose between actions based on feedback, which instead seems to rely critically on the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. These results point to a potentially common role for the orbitofrontal cortex in representing the context-sensitive, subjective value of stimuli to allow consistent choices between them. They also argue for multiple, parallel, value-based processes that influence behavior through dissociable mechanisms.

Erratum to: Local axioms in disguise: Hilbert on Minkowski diagrams

During the production of the article, some errors and misprints have been overlooked. The author only noticed them after the paper was already online. On page 7 of the online version, lines 14–17, the last sentence of the quote from Hilbert should read: “In this same way, electromagnetic inertia and Einsteinian gravitation, [as conceived] with the corresponding concepts of the classical theories, are compatible [vertraglich], inasmuch as these classical concepts can be conceived as limiting cases of the more general concepts in the new theories.” Page 9, line 14 should read: “an axiom system having all the known facts of a given scientific domain represented as deducible from the axioms ...”. Page 16, line 9 should read: “Furthermore, one may ask ...”. Page 17, line 6 should read: “he took primitive evidence to be akin to proto-arithmetical-algebraical evidence”. Page 18, line 4 should read: “certain questions are formulated, to which geometrical intuition contributes”. Pages 27, 28 and 30, one should read: “discriminant” instead of “determinant” with regard to binary quadratic forms. Although terminology is not unanimously settled on this score and varies from one author to another, consistent choices should be made in the paper when talking about Lagrange’s reduction algorithm on the one hand and Hermite-Minkowski’s setting on the other hand. Therefore on page 27, lines 12, 17 and

Narrative approach to corporate strategy: empirical foundations

PurposeThis paper aims to present theoretical and empirical foundations for the use of a particular type of narrative skillfully deployed by senior leaders in an organization as an effective tool for creating, disseminating and executing corporate strategy.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents original research on the effectiveness of the use of a “springboard story” as a leadership tool.FindingsData are presented to substantiate that a “springboard story” presentation of corporate strategy and competitive advantage is more effective at producing a consistent and confident choice of competitive advantage among an audience than a presentation of corporate strategy using a PowerPoint style, bulleted list approach. Theoretical implications for leaders leading change, especially change in corporate strategy, are suggested.Originality/valueThe paper explores the implications for the practical use of this type of narrative in strategy implementation and execution by leaders.

Cochrane Review: Minocycline for acne vulgaris: efficacy and safety

Cochrane Review: Minocycline for acne vulgaris: efficacy and safety

Animating community supported agriculture in North East England: Striving for a ‘caring practice’

This paper draws on a case study of a new Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) scheme in the north of England to draw attention to some of the ethical issues encountered when using a participatory action research approach to animating CSA. Both CSA and participatory action research have been associated with the concept of ‘caring practice’ and an ‘ethic of care’. CSAs can be conceptualised as attempts to engage with ethical issues in the food system. Action research is also a value laden approach. The case study illustrates how the complexities of conducting this type of research leads to many instances of having to make ethical choices and claims that these decisions are helpfully framed by Warren’s (1999) claim that these choices should aim to result in ‘care practices’. Similar dilemmas and choices will arise in other contexts and require situated negotiation and decision making. Focussing on caring practice may help to construct a rationale for consistent choices.

Corporate University between Human Capital Development and Business Strategies: The Case of European Utilities

The aim of our study is to investigate the phenomenon of Corporate Universities in the European utility industries. Corporate Universities may in fact represent a consistent choice with typical utility company thinking, aiming to diversify and expand the corporation into increasingly deregulated and contestable markets, while at the same time keeping a close relationship between business strategies and the internal organization of knowledge of the firm.

Egalitarianism and international investment

This study identifies how country differences on a key cultural dimension—egalitarianism—influence international investment flows. A society's cultural orientation toward egalitarianism is manifested by intolerance for abuses of market and political power and a desire for protecting less powerful actors. We show egalitarianism to be based on exogenous factors including social fractionalization, dominant religion circa 1900, and war experience from the 19th century. We find a robust influence of egalitarianism distance on cross-national flows of bond and equity issuances, syndicated loans, and mergers and acquisitions. An informal cultural institution largely determined a century or more ago, egalitarianism exercises its effect on international investment via an associated set of consistent contemporary policy choices. But even after controlling for these associated policy choices, egalitarianism continues to exercise a direct effect on cross-border investment flows, likely through its direct influence on managers' daily business conduct.