Constant Discrepancy Research Articles

The ‘Smile’ that Delivers the Brand: Organisational Dehumanisation Among Frontline Staff in the Hotel Sector – Evidence from Sri Lanka

This study explores how Sri Lanka’s frontline employees in the hotel industry experienced and responded to organisational dehumanisation. Utilising 58 interviews, this study found that experiences of and responses to organisational dehumanisation were both positive and negative. Adhering to emotion and appearance management, as the ‘face’ of the brand, enabled employees to be recognised as professionals, gain social esteem, and develop a sense of belongingness with the organisation. However, on the other hand, employees suffered emotional strain associated with representing the emotional proletariat and handling constant discrepancies between preferences and organisational requirements. Limited organisational support received by employees to proactively handle their emotional strain led to the adoption of destructive emotion-focused coping methods aggravating the experiences of resource depletion of employees.

Work Motivation and Neurotic Perfectionism as Predictors of Workaholism

The basic goal of this research was to examine which aspects of work motivation and perfectionism predict workaholism, in order to identify potential risk factors. Workaholism is defined as an internal need to work excessively that damages our health and psychosocial well-being, leading to long-term exhaustion and work inefficacy. Intrinsic motivation stems from the feeling of satisfaction inherent in doing work-related tasks and using our professional competencies, whereas extrinsic motivation stems from external rewards, a satisfaction of our other needs through work. The basis of neurotic perfectionism lies in the constant discrepancy between the goals person has set and what is achieved, which can lead to chronic dissatisfaction. The following instruments were used: The almost Perfect Scale, the Work extrinsic and intrinsic motivation scale, and Bergen Work Addiction Scale. The sample consisted of 109 participants, workers from the Republika Srpska area, aged 21 to 55. Most of the sample consisted of female participants (75.24%). The results of Kolmogorov-Smirnoff tests show that participants' scores on all examined variables are distributed normally. The fact that workaholism is moderately present in our sample is opposite from original expectations and highlights the need to further examine the prevalence of this phenomenon in the general working population. The predictive model as a whole is statistically significant (F(5,103)=5.01,p<0.00) and predicts 16% of workaholism variance. However, only perfectionism component discrepancy was a significant and positive predictor of workaholism, but not intrinsic or extrinsic work motivation. The results suggest that workaholism can originate from the efforts of perfectionistic persons to overcome their perceived failures in achieving their unrealistically high goals. It is possible that, through time, obsessive work becomes a means to avoid dealing with negative emotions towards themselves, and also as a way to excuse themselves from real or irrational failures (“I did not achieve my goal, but I worked really hard and I will keep trying”). Of course, in the long run, excessive perfectionism combined with workaholism leads to utter exhaustion and further deterioration of work performance. In order to cope with the constant rise of negative feelings a person tries to work even harder and to achieve increasingly unrealistic goals, leading to a downward spiral of self-destruction. The implications of this research are that in order to treat workaholism it may be necessary to question the structure of unattainable goals that a person sets and the underlying feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, and self-loathing that may play an important role in perpetuating maladaptive behavior of a typical workaholic. Workaholism must be studied as a part of wider personality structure and dynamic, as it serves an important (and maladaptive) role in defense against unwanted feelings and ideas of lesser worth, failure, etc.

A remark on Kashin’s discrepancy argument and partial coloring in the Komlós conjecture

In this expository note, we discuss an early partial coloring result of B. Kashin (1985). Although this result only implies Spencer’s six standard deviations (1985) up to a \log \log n factor, Kashin’s argument gives a simple proof of the existence of a constant discrepancy partial coloring in the setup of the Komlós conjecture.

The discrepancy of random rectangular matrices

AbstractA recent approach to the Beck–Fiala conjecture, a fundamental problem in combinatorics, has been to understand when random integer matrices have constant discrepancy. We give a complete answer to this question for two natural models: matrices with Bernoulli or Poisson entries. For Poisson matrices, we further characterize the discrepancy for any rectangular aspect ratio. These results give sharp answers to questions of Hoberg and Rothvoß (SODA 2019) and Franks and Saks (Random Structures Algorithms2020). Our main tool is a conditional second moment method combined with Stein's method of exchangeable pairs. While previous approaches are limited to dense matrices, our techniques allow us to work with matrices of all densities. This may be of independent interest for other sparse random constraint satisfaction problems.

Tensions between measurements of the Hubble constant from the early and late Universe

Hubble constant (H0) is one of the most important parameters in cosmology. There are mainly two ways to determine the value of Hubble constant, which measure the properties of early universe and the late universe, namely cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) and Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). Those who had used these two methods to measure the Hubble constant won the Nobel Prize in Physics respectively, in 1978 and 2011. This article introduces the principle of accelerating universe and the methods to measure the Hubble constant. We analyze each method and discuss the uncertainties of them. In addition, we investigate possible reasons for Hubble constant discrepancy based on previous studies. We discuss about the conclusion and prospects of Hubble constant measurement.

Reconciling Hubble constant discrepancy from holographic dark energy

Holographic dark energy (HDE) describes the vacuum energy in a cosmic IR region whose total energy saturates the limit of avoiding the collapse into a black hole. HDE predicts that the dark energy equation of the state transiting from greater than the $-1$ regime to less than $-1$, accelerating the Universe slower at the early stage and faster at the late stage. We propose the HDE as a new {\it physical} resolution to the Hubble constant discrepancy between the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and local measurements. With Planck CMB and galaxy baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) data, we fit the HDE prediction of the Hubble constant as $H_0^{}\!=\, 71.54\pm1.78\,\mathrm{km\,s^{-1} Mpc^{-1}}$, consistent with local $H_0^{}$ measurements by LMC Cepheid Standards (R19) at $1.4\sigma$ level. Combining Planck+BAO+R19, we find the HDE parameter $c=0.51\pm0.02$ and $H_0^{}\! = 73.12\pm 1.14\,\mathrm{km \,s^{-1} Mpc^{-1}}$, which fits cosmological data at all redshifts. Future CMB and large-scale structure surveys will further test the holographic scenario.

Resolving the Hubble Constant Discrepancy: Revisiting the Effect of Local Environments

Studies have found two differing sets of figures for the Hubble constant without clear direction for resolution of that difference. This article offers a direction for reconciling the measurement discrepancy. Research is reviewed and theory is described that indicate the resolution may be found in revisiting how the degree of mass in local environments affects computations. The idea that the expansion rate of the universe is invariably uniform is discounted, to be replaced by a range of figures depending on the mass density of the local environment underlying the measurement.

A possible solution to the Hubble constant discrepancy: Cosmology where the local volume expansion is driven by the domain average density

Abstract The Hubble constant problem is the discrepancy between different measurements of the Hubble constant on different scales. We show that this problem can be resolved within the general relativistic framework of the perturbation theory in the inhomogeneous universe, with the help of a spatial averaging procedure over a finite local domain in the $t={\rm{const.}}$ hypersurface. The idea presented in this paper is unique in the sense that it has all of the following properties. a) It is based on the general relativistic perturbation theory, with ordinary dust matter only. No strange matter nor energy components are required. b) The employment of the spatially invariant averaging procedure on the finite domain is essential. c) The key is the first-order effect of the inhomogeneities in the linear perturbation theory. No nonlinear effects are required.

Competency Profile of the Teaching Profession in Croatia After Initial Education

The teachers’ competence profile is in a constant discrepancy due to demands posed by life in the contemporary world of change. The base for the development of teachers’ professional competences is set during initial education, although professional qualifications continue to be developed further through internship, teaching practice and lifelong professional training. Teachers’ competences have to be expanded from traditional to new ones, such as the skill to diagnose pupils’ needs for learning, the ability to methodically designate the environment for active learning and the development of competences, the ability of critical deliberation about achieved work results and individual research with the aim to implement innovations in teaching, develop collaboration and organization skills and other competences necessary to the teacher who searches for his or her way, and is not only the realiser of other people’s ideas.This paper presents the results obtained by comparing teachers’ competences quoted in some teacher study curricula in Croatia (Universities of Pula, Rijeka and Zadar) as to determine if the description of competences implies a teacher who is the leader and animator of the learning process, the one ready for reflection and research, or it indicates a teacher who is the technical realiser of the curriculum.

High temperature unimolecular decomposition of cyclopentanone

This work reports thermal decomposition of cyclopentanone behind reflected shock waves over 1150 – 1590 K and 750 – 1800 Torr. Carbon monoxide is one of the main reaction products and its formation was monitored using a quantum cascade laser operating near 4.56 µm. Our results show that cyclopentanone undergoes decomposition, under the present experimental conditions, via reaction channels that produce CO almost exclusively. A recent ab initio study by Zaras et al. revealed that cyclopentanone decomposes to produce CO and ethylene by two channels: ring-opening to form a di-radical which subsequently decomposes, and concerted elimination to produce CO and C2H4 directly; their predicted rate constants are much slower than literature experimental data. To resolve the rate constant discrepancy and to determine whether keto-enol tautomerism plays a significant role, we performed master equation simulations which produced results in good agreement both with the previous ab initio study and with the experimental data obtained in the present work.

Elucidating ΛCDM: Impact of Baryon Acoustic Oscillation Measurements on the Hubble Constant Discrepancy

Abstract We examine the impact of baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) scale measurements on the discrepancy between the value of the Hubble constant (H 0) inferred from the local distance ladder and that from Planck cosmic microwave background (CMB) data. While the BAO data alone cannot constrain H 0, we show that combining the latest BAO results with WMAP, Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), or South Pole Telescope (SPT) CMB data produces values of H 0 that are lower than the distance ladder, independent of Planck, and that this downward pull was less apparent in some earlier analyses that used only angle-averaged BAO scale constraints rather than full anisotropic information. At the same time, the combination of BAO and CMB data also disfavors the lower values of H 0 preferred by the Planck high-multipole temperature power spectrum. Combining galaxy and Lyα forest BAO with a precise estimate of the primordial deuterium abundance produces km s−1 Mpc−1 for the flat model. This value is completely independent of CMB anisotropy constraints and is lower than the latest distance ladder constraint, although tension also exists between the galaxy BAO and Lyα BAO. These results show that it is not possible to explain the H 0 disagreement solely with a systematic error specific to the Planck data. The fact that tensions remain even after the removal of any single data set makes this intriguing puzzle all the more challenging to resolve.

Adaptation to proprioceptive targets following visuomotor adaptation.

In the following study, we asked if reaches to proprioceptive targets are updated following reach training with a gradually introduced visuomotor perturbation. Subjects trained to reach with distorted hand-cursor feedback, such that they saw a cursor that was rotated or translated relative to their actual hand movement. Following reach training trials with the cursor, subjects reached to Visual (V), Proprioceptive (P) and Visual + Proprioceptive (VP) targets with no visual feedback of their hand. Comparison of reach endpoints revealed that reaches to VP targets followed similar trends as reaches to P targets, regardless of the training distortion introduced. After reaching with a rotated cursor, subjects adapted their reaches to all target types in a similar manner. However, after reaching with a translated cursor, subjects adapted their reach to V targets only. Taken together, these results show that following training with a visuomotor distortion, subjects primarily rely on proprioceptive information when reaching to VP targets. Furthermore, results indicate that reach adaptation to P targets depends on the distortion presented. Training with a rotation distortion leads to changes in reaches to both V and P targets, while a translation distortion, which introduces a constant discrepancy between visual and proprioceptive estimates of hand position throughout the reach, affects changes to V but not P targets.

Understanding the Conductivity Degradation Mechanism of Er2O3-Stabilized Bi2O3

Rare earth stabilized bismuth oxides have attracted much attention due to their high oxygen ionic conductivity. Among singly-doped stabilized bismuth oxides, the Er2O3-stabilized Bi2O3, which is generally abbreviated to ESB, is particularly known for its superior ionic conductivity to even other stabilized Bi2O3s, not to mention conventional oxygen ion conductors such as doped ceria and stabilized zirconia[1]. In spite of its remarkable ionic conductivity (≈ 0.3S/cm at 700℃), ESB has not been practically employed as a SOFC electrolyte. This is not only because ESB has thermodynamic instability under reduction conditions, but also because it experiences time-dependent conductivity degradation on extended annealing below 600℃. In this study, the crystallographic structure and conductivity of ESB were analyzed using X-ray diffraction and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, respectively, during its prolonged annealing at 600℃ over 400h in order to investigate the mechanism of the time-dependent conductivity degradation of ESB. It was found that the initial cubic phase of ESB was mostly transformed to the rhombohedral phase within first 100h. At the same time, the discrepancy in time constant of the phase transformation(65h) and the conductivity degradation(52h) was observed. In order to elucidate this time constant discrepancy, the activation energies of low temperature domain before and after annealing were evaluated. The activation energy of as-sintered ESB was approximately 1.2eV, whereas that of the annealed ESB was approximately 1.01eV. Such a decrease in the activation energy can be attributed to order-disorder transition of the oxygen sub-lattice in ESB[2]. Therefore, the conductivity degradation of ESB is probably the combined effect of the phase transformation from cubic to rhombohedral as well as the order-disorder transition. Acknolwdge This research was supported by (1) Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (2014R1A1A2057681), (2) the DGIST R&D Program of the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning of Korea (1501- HRLA-01) and (3) the Global Frontier R&D on Center for Multiscale Energy System funded by the National Research Foundation under the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning, Korea (2014M3A6A7074784).

Choice of X‐ray mass attenuation coefficients for PIXE analysis of silicate minerals and rocks

The accuracy of each of three mass attenuation coefficient databases was assessed using particle‐induced X‐ray emission measurements performed on well‐characterized, homogeneous silicate glass and mineral standards. In a fundamental parameters computation, the absolute efficiency constants of the light elements Mg, Al and Si, found within each standard, were determined. These were compared with the efficiency constants deduced from separate particle‐induced X‐ray emission measurements performed on pure targets of the same three elements. In this comparison, a 7–9% discrepancy was found when using the XCOM database for the computation, but this was reduced to 2–5% when FFAST coefficients were substituted. Further improvement was achieved when a hybrid database was adopted. This ‘Mixed’ database consisted of primarily XCOM coefficients with FFAST values inserted for the light element (Z = 11,…, 14) attenuation of photons having energy less than their K edge and for oxygen in the 1–2 keV range. The average efficiency constant discrepancies were reduced to −0.5–2%. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Thomas Piketty’s capitalism revisited

Thomas Piketty?s international best selling Capital in the Twenty-First Century lays out his theory of a long-run rise in income inequality under capitalism. It is written as a manifesto urging reintegration of social sciences. A number of reviewers judged it on ideological grounds, labeling it either as a revolution in economic thinking, or dismissing it offhandedly. Piketty?s theory of rising inequality is based on the two Fundamental Laws of Capitalism, developed after the Solow growth model. However, this model is inconsistent with Piketty?s own characterization of modern capitalism. Moreover, his sole justification for the constant discrepancy between rate of return and rate of income growth (r > g) is based on the high elasticity of substitution between capital and labor. However, that is just one factor that can have an influence on factor income shares. By failing to offer a consistent theory of rising inequality, his piece can hardly be considered as a useful founding stone for a new social science.

Cognitive decline in Dravet syndrome: Is there a cerebellar role?

The aim of the study was to perform a detailed assessment of cognitive abilities and behaviour in a series of epileptic patients with Dravet syndrome (DS) in order to establish a possible cerebellar-like pattern. Nine children with DS without major behavioural disturbances and with cognitive abilities compatible with the assessment of specific cognitive skills (IQ>45) were enrolled in the study, in parallel with another group of nine epileptic patients (cryptogenic or symptomatic with minor brain injuries) consecutively admitted into the hospital matched for chronological age and IQ. All cases underwent neurological examination, long term EEG monitoring, neuroimaging and genetic analysis as well as a neuropsychological assessment including specific cognitive skills. On neurological examination 8 of the 9 DS patients had cerebellar signs, which were mild in six and more severe in the other two cases. DS patients had a constant discrepancy between verbal and performance items scales (verbal better than visual-spatial) that was not found in the control group. As to specific cognitive competence, the DS patients differ from the control group in the pattern of cognitive defects involving four main areas of cognitive abilities (a) expressive language with relatively spared comprehension, (b) visual-spatial organization, (c) executive function defects, (d) behavioural disorders. The pattern of cognitive difficulties found in DS patients is consistent with what is reported in literature as cerebellar cognitive syndrome and may account for a possible cerebellar origin (at least as co-factor) of the cognitive decline observed in DS patients, as suggested by other clinical and experimental studies.

Characterization of dielectric performance of tourmaline single crystals from Yunnan, China

Dielectric constant discrepancy of parallel and vertical to Z axis of tourmaline (Yunnan, China) can be ascribed to chemical composition, space-charge polarization, and crystal structure. Cations at Y sites of the crystal structure contribute most to dielectric properties. The variations in dielectric properties might be attributed to crystal orientation.

Determination of flavour loading in complex delivery systems by time‐domain NMR

AbstractThe determination of the flavour content of a newly developed encapsulation system based on yeast was attempted using time‐domain NMR (TD‐NMR) and compared to thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). Flavour content as measured by TD‐NMR is systematically higher than by TGA. The constant discrepancy between the two techniques is attributed to the presence of the phospholipidic membrane inside the yeast. These phospholipids also contribute to the NMR signal as was revealed by high field NMR studies under magic angle spinning conditions. The signal obtained for the empty yeast matched the extra‐contribution to the signal of the flavoured yeast encapsulation system. A classical glassy encapsulation system was used as a comparison to highlight further the presence of the phospholipids in the yeast system. A two step procedure is proposed to correct the reading of the flavoured yeast for the contribution of the yeast cells themselves.Practical applications: TD‐NMR is routinely used for the determination of the liquid content encapsulated in a solid matrix, where the liquid can be any oil, including lipids, or flavour and fragrance oils. As shown in the present study, in order to obtain accurate values of the oil loading, the nature of the carrier material of the encapsulation system must be taken into account. For example, with the conventional TD‐NMR method, flavour loading in encapsulation systems in yeast cells is systematically overestimated since the phospholipid bilayer contributes to the NMR signal of the flavour oil. With the two‐step procedure presented in this article, by subtracting the baseline value obtained for empty yeast cells, accurate loading values for yeast cell carriers can be determined. The modified testing approach is highly accurate and widely applicable to a variety of liquids including flavours, perfumes or nutritive fish oils encapsulated in solid delivery systems.

Investigations of reasons for possible discrepancies in the readings of standard Russian and foreign actinometric sensors

The results of joint Russian-Norwegian actinometric measurements carried out in Svalbard archipelago in April 2007 according to the program of the International Polar Year are represented. The main objective is to compare the readings of standard Russian and foreign measuring means (M-80M pyranometer constructed by Yu.D. Yanishevskii and CMP6 pyranometer made by Kipp&Zonen company) used to register the short-wave solar radiation in polar regions. After the statistical processing of comparative measurement results, the constant discrepancies in the device readings are revealed and the possible reasons for these discrepancies are analyzed.

Laser-Induced Fluorescence Measurements of Atomic Oxygen Using Two Calibration Methods

Number densities of atomic oxygen have been measured in pure oxygen plasma, using two-photon laser-induced fluorescence measurements. In this paper, two calibration techniques are compared: the sensitivity of the experimental setup is calibrated using scattering experiments, and reference measurements on xenon are performed using two-photon laser-induced fluorescence measurements. The theoretical background and the experimental setup are described in detail. The advantages and drawbacks are herewith outlined. Applied to high-enthalpy, pure oxygen plasma, the evaluated number densities show fairly good agreement; however, because a constant discrepancy is measured between the results when using the two calibration approaches, a systematic error is probable. Possible reasons for this error are discussed (e.g., the cross-sectional ratio, in the case of xenon reference measurement calibration). One main conclusion is that measurements that are performed using the reference measurements on xenon are preferred, because they have much fewer experimental factors to be taken into account.