Rational Calculation Research Articles

Какономіка в академічному середовищі: порочна раціональність імітації

The article highlights one of the possible explanations for the culture of imitation and the tendency toward lowering standards in the academic environment. It deals with the concept of caconomics, which was elaborated by Italian researchers Diego Gambetta and Gloria Origgi. Based on rational choice theory, they elaborate a model of a situation when participants prefer low-quality standards while declaring high-quality ones. This model allows to identify the structural factors behind unscrupulous academic practices. It shows that dishonesty and imitation may be not so much the result of the bad intentions of individuals, but rather a distorted norm that relies on a certain rational calculation within the framework of a vicious system. The concept of kakonomics turns out to be interesting and fruitful when considering the failures of reforms in Ukrainian science and education. In particular, the manifestation of the kakonomics mechanisms is demonstrated with the survey of publications of Ukrainian PhD and doctoral students in foreign journals. The requirement to have publications in such journals is intended to increase international visibility of Ukrainian researcher`s works. However, it turned out that most of the PhD and doctoral students (who submitted their dissertations in 2018-2022) had publications in low-quality or predatory journals. These data can serve as empirical evidence of the failure of reforms carried out through directive requirements imposed in a bureaucratic manner. Data also show that efforts to increase standards without taking into account the extent to which the academic environment is able to meet that new demands will encourage imitation. As a result, such situation leads to the system of anti-meritocratic selection, and researchers who truly adhere to high standards are disadvantaged compared to imitators.

Effects of Neuroticism–Anxiety and Sociability Personality Traits on the Relationship Between Testosterone and Risk Propensity in Finance

Risky financial decisions, defined as rational calculations between expected risk and reward, are subject to various psychological and neurobiological mechanisms. In this context, the relationship between testosterone levels and risk propensity has been investigated, but the results are inconsistent. Here, the effects of some personality traits, neuroticism–anxiety and sociability, on the relationship between testosterone levels and risk propensity were examined in decisions under risk (GDT) and under uncertainty (BART). In a mixed-sex sample of 100 graduate students and experienced decision makers, we found that basal testosterone levels were positively correlated with risk propensity for decisions under risk in males with low neuroticism–anxiety scores, whereas they were negatively correlated with risk propensity for decisions under risk in males with high neuroticism–anxiety scores. However, they were not correlated in i) decisions under uncertainty in males, independent of neuroticism–anxiety, ii) decisions under risk or under uncertainty in males, independent of sociability, and iii) decisions under risk or under uncertainty in females, independent of sociability and neuroticism–anxiety. These results indicate that neuroticism–anxiety, but not sociability, may affect the relationship between testosterone levels and risk propensity only in decisions under risk and only in males, and provide evidence for the complexity of this relationship in males.

Modeling and Laboratory Investigation of Tack Coats as Bituminous Pavement Interlayer

The adhesive properties of tack coats between asphalt pavement layers are crucial for the pavement’s structural behavior. This study first involved numerical analyses to compare stress patterns, deformations, and displacements in the pavement structure under various geometric and mechanical conditions. A rational calculation method based on the theory of elastic multilayer systems was used to quantify the impact of layer properties such as thickness, stiffness modulus, and Poisson’s ratio on interlayer bonding. Three bonding conditions—Full Friction, Partial Bonding, and Full Debonding—were analyzed to understand the tack coat’s effect between the top two layers. The second phase involved characterizing the mechanical behavior of the interface through shear strength tests (Leutner shear test) on both laboratory-prepared specimens and samples from a 10-year-old highway. Specimens were prepared using a Roller Compactor and tested under different interface conditions: hot-on-hot (H/H), residual bitumen 200 g/m2 (RB 200), and residual bitumen 400 g/m2 (RB 400). The tests examined the bonding effects in terms of tangential force and shear displacement at failure, as well as the impact of vehicular traffic on rutting and fatigue failure. Finally, this study investigated the long-term aging effects of the binder on interlayer bonding and sought to correlate the results of numerical calculations with those of the laboratory tests.

Longitudinal Nonlinear Equivalent Continuous Model for Shield Tunnel under Coupling of Longitudinal Axial Force and Bending Moment

The longitudinal equivalent continuous model generally only studies the stiffness of shield tunnels under longitudinal bending moments, considering it a constant. However, in actual engineering, shield tunnels are exposed to complex environments where seismic events, uneven settlement, etc., may cause simultaneous axial forces and bending moments between segmental rings, necessitating consideration of the longitudinal stiffness of shield tunnels under coupled axial force and bending moment effects. Therefore, based on the influence of different axial forces and bending moments on the separation effect between segmental rings, this study establishes a longitudinal nonlinear equivalent continuous model. Using Guangzhou Metro Line 18 as a case study background, a numerical model of segment ring-bolt is established for comparative analysis. The results show that the contact states between segmental rings can be classified into three modes: completely separated, completely in contact, and partially in contact. Longitudinal bending stiffness remains constant in modes 1 and 2 but decreases with decreasing e in mode 3. The numerically simulated φ−e curves are consistent with the theoretical results. At the special point e0, the numerical simulation result is −57.27° compared to the theoretical result of −59.66°; at point eφ0 (−0.3036), the numerical simulation result is close to 0°. The longitudinal bending stiffness curve shows an overall decreasing trend. When e≤−2r, which corresponds to mode 2, the longitudinal bending stiffness remains constant at πr3Ect. As the longitudinal axial pressure decreases, the longitudinal bending stiffness continues to decrease when −2r≤e≤eφ0. When the longitudinal axial pressure decreases to 0, then the tensile force gradually increases (eφ0≤e≤2r). −2r≤e≤2r belongs to mode 3, and the equivalent bending stiffness is 2(1+sinφ)r3EctA4′−A3′er. As tension continues to increase, when e≥2r, the stiffness no longer decreases, and the longitudinal bending stiffness is πr3Ectu+1, which belongs to mode 1. The overall trend of the tensile and compressive stiffness curves is an inverse proportional function, with the middle mutation point at φ=0, i.e., eφ0=−4u(2+u)πr≈−0.3036. The findings of this study can provide a basis for the rational calculation of longitudinal forces in shield tunnels in engineering applications.

Mechanism analysis of rural residents' participation in green energy transition: A community-level case study in Nanjing, China

Achieving a transition to green energy requires the government to adopt new policies on green industrial products and energy. Throughout this process, rural residents often face various challenges due to economic and other factors. However, some rural residents are motivated to participate in this transition due to the economic benefits of energy usage and rooftop photovoltaic (PV). This study takes a rural community in the outskirts of Nanjing, China, as an example and applies Granovetter's embeddedness theory and a threshold model to analyze the factors influencing rural residents' engagement in a fair transition to green energy. Research hypotheses are proposed accordingly. The results indicate that rural residents are influenced by multiple factors in the adoption process of rooftop PV projects, primarily encompassing economic and trust-related aspects. From an economic perspective, rural residents evaluate the viability of rooftop PV systems by considering the marketing strategies employed by PV enterprises and the governmental pressure to reduce carbon emissions. They make rational calculations to determine the return on investment, and only when the economic threshold is surpassed will they reach the anticipated level of participation. From the perspective of trust, rural residents' participation in rooftop PV projects is also influenced by trust factors. The level of trust that rural residents have in rooftop PV enterprises, governments, and community organizations plays an important role in their willingness to participate in the green energy transition. Based on these findings, the research paper concludes that local government should continue providing tailored public information and services to facilitate the progress of rooftop PV projects.

Study on load rejection test of pumped storage units

Abstract The rise rate of rotating speed, the maximum inlet pressure of the spiral casing and the minimum inlet pressure of the draft tube cone of unit 2 in Jinzhai pumped storage power station were analyzed when 50% and 100% of the rated load were rejected in this paper. The low pass filtering method (cut off frequency is 0.2 times of the frequency) was used to process the pressure data at the inlet of the spiral casing and the draft tube cone to retain the trend term. The peak to peak values (97% confidence) of the pressure pulsation term under different data durations were studied, which provided technical support for rational and accurate calculation of the maximum inlet pressure of the spiral casing and the minimum inlet pressure of the draft tube cone, and provided an example reference for the load rejection test analysis of pumped storage units.

Why it is rational to expect the horrible – The future of humanity and climate change

Climate change poses a challenge to bioethics due to overpopulation and a declining quality of life, among other factors. In this article, we discuss four scenarios of possible human development in the near future. Two of them are horrible scenarios. One of them assumes that living conditions will significantly deteriorate and people will live in great poverty. The second of the horrible scenarios is one in which a large part of humanity will die. Two other, non-horrible scenarios offer more optimism, either because of faith in technological capabilities, or because of faith in the development of human solidarity and social justice. In this article, we show why rational calculation suggests considering the horrible scenarios as the most realistic.

Thích Nhất Hạnh’s Early Critiques of Enlightenment Rationality and Academic Buddhism, 1956–1961

This article examines Thích Nhất Hạnh’s articles published in the journals Phật-Giáo Việt-Nam [Vietnamese Buddhism] and Liên-Hoa Nguyệt-San [Lotus Monthly] between 1956 and 1961. These articles reveal how Thích Nhất Hạnh developed a critique of the excess rationality of Western civilization through a reading of criticisms of the Enlightenment from philosophical and new-age Buddhist sources that were themselves European. When writing to an exclusively Buddhist audience, Thích Nhất Hạnh emphasizes the need for rational, ecumenical, and empirical discourse on Buddhism, whereas when writing to a non-Buddhist audience, he stresses the insufficiency of rational calculations and the need for a proper understanding of Buddhism to be derived from personal experience. These articles show the deep early influence of the Buddhist reform movement, international Buddhist political developments, and contemporary European philosophy on Thích Nhất Hạnh’s thinking.

Vladimir Lenin, Jared Diamond and Martin Heidegger: On one aspect of understanding of early modern history

The article discusses in a broader historical context the well-known thesis of V. I. Lenin that capitalism was formed as a result of a change in the behavior of large merchants, who, after the state achieves political unity and forms a unified market, switch from trade to the organization of production. Researchers of the 17th century Siberia do not find historical confirmation of Lenin’s scheme, however, it is quite applicable to other countries of the early modern period and to the mechanism of the early stage of the colonial expansion of European powers (I. R. Sokolovsky, 2019). At the same time, J. Diamond’ research pointed out the boundary between “normal” human behavior in the new lands and the behavior of the colonizers of the early modern period. This boundary is a rational or quasi-rational accounting of one’s actions. M. Heidegger calls this approach Gestell. Gestell considers the surrounding world as a calculated resource for self-increasing profit. Using the example of a Swiss wine merchant who died in North America in 1736, the Italian micro-historian K. Ginzburg showed how the merchants and “capitalists” actually acted and what the Gestell that determined their actions looked like in everyday life: predatory appropriation of material and labor resources is gradually getting a solid base of rational calculation.

Explaining mobilization for revolts by private interests and kinship relations.

Mobilization for revolts poses a significant challenge for rational choice theory because revolts are vulnerable to free-riding, which disincentivizes rational actors from mobilizing. Strong, informal relations such as kinship ties have been identified as factors that can shift the rational calculations of individuals and lead to mobilization for revolts. In social networks that are polarized by the presence of mobilized individuals, such as rebels, and actors opposing the mobilization effort such as the elite, kinship relations have not only a bridging effect but also a diverging one. Building on Tullock's private interest theory, we develop a framework in which kinship relations determine the extent of individual's payoffs and costs of mobilization for revolts against an elite. We posit that distant kin of the elite expect high payoffs of mobilization for revolts and face the lowest costs of mobilization for revolts by virtue of their position in the network of kinship relations. Using a unique, hand-collected dataset that reconstructs a revolt in Basel, Switzerland, in 1691, we test our framework and contribute to a better relational understanding of the mechanisms that lead rational actors to mobilize for revolts. Our analyses show that mobilization for revolts is mainly driven by distant kinship relations to the ruling elite rather than close kinship relations to the rebels.

Cyclic behavior and numerical study of PRC coupling beam with steel truss floor slab

The coupling beam with small span-to-depth ratio is prone to brittle shear failure under the action of earthquake, so it can not play its role as the first line of defense against earthquake. Therefore, this paper proposes a method for calculating the shear bearing capacity of PRC-connected beams with reinforced truss floor plates. A more rational calculation model should be adopted based on its mechanical mechanism. In this study, ABAQUS finite element software is utilized to explore the parameters of PRC-connected beams with steel truss plates, including the span-to-height ratio, reinforcement ratio of the internal steel plate, diameter of upper and lower chord bars, and diameter of abdominal bars. The analysis shows that the span-to-height ratio, steel plate ratio and concrete compressive strength have a significant effect on the seismic behavior of PRC coupling beams with steel truss floor slab. Based on the softened tension-compression bar model combined with the multi-strip model, the theoretical calculation method of the shear capacity of PRC connected beams with steel truss bearing plates is derived. The results of comparison test and simulation verify the accuracy of the calculation results, and provide a design basis for the engineering application of PRC connected beams with steel truss floor plates.

High realistic aspirations – Do normative pressures overthrow rational calculations? Applying the model of frame selection to the educational aspirations of immigrant and majority students in Germany

Educational aspirations are of interest to scholars in several disciplines. They can affect multiple aspects of educational success and have been shown to differ between major social groups. Explanations for educational aspirations typically link to two main models of aspiration formation: the Wisconsin model (WM) and rational choice theory (RCT). Whereas the WM highlights significant others’ educational norms, RCT cites cost-benefit calculations to explain how aspirations are formed. As it is still unclear how the two approaches interrelate, we apply a third model, namely the model of frame selection (MFS), which allows the integration of both WM and RCT arguments. In short, it suggests that the importance of others’ educational norms moderates the relevance of own cost-benefit calculations. We assume that considering this interrelation is fruitful when explaining aspirations in general, and specifically when explaining immigrant students’ aspirations, who often perceive high educational obligations by their parents. Using data from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), we test prognoses derived from the three theoretical models for their relevance when explaining the aspirations of Turkish and German students. Results indicate that the processes suggested by both WM and RCT shape aspirations. Consistent with the MFS, these processes also interrelate in that parents’ educational norms reduce the relevance of students’ own cost-benefit calculations. This interrelation does not only apply to Turkish students but holds for all students in the sample.

Understanding adherence to self-isolation in the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in England: a cross-sectional mixed-methods study

BackgroundDuring the early “containment” phase of the COVID-19 response in England (January-March 2020), contact tracing was managed by Public Health England (PHE). Adherence to self-isolation during this phase and how people were making those decisions has not previously been determined. The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of decisions around adherence to self-isolation during the first phase of the COVID-19 response in England.MethodsA mixed-methods cross sectional study was conducted, including an online survey and qualitative interviews. The overall pattern of adherence was described as never leaving home, leaving home for lower-contact reasons and leaving home for higher-contact reasons. Fisher’s exact test was used to test associations between adherence and potentially predictive binary factors. Factors showing evidence of association overall were then considered in relation to the three aspects of adherence individually. Qualitative data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis.ResultsOf 250 respondents who were advised to self-isolate, 63% reported not leaving home at all during their isolation period, 20% reported leaving only for lower-contact activities (dog walking or exercise) and 16% reported leaving for higher-contact, and therefore higher-risk, reasons. Factors associated with adherence to never going out included: the belief that following isolation advice would save lives, experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, being advised to stay in their room, having help from outside and having regular contact by text message from PHE. Factors associated with non-adherence included being angry about the advice to isolate, being unable to get groceries delivered and concerns about losing touch with friends and family. Interviews highlighted that a sense of duty motivated people to adhere to isolation guidance and where people did leave their homes, these decisions were based on rational calculations of the risk of transmission – people would only leave their homes when they thought they were unlikely to come into contact with others.ConclusionsUnderstanding adherence to isolation and associated reasoning during the early stages of the pandemic is essential to pandemic preparedness for future emerging infectious disease outbreaks. Individuals make complex decisions around adherence by calibrating transmission risks, therefore treating adherence as binary should be avoided.

The Bomb as God: A Metaphor that Impedes Nuclear Disarmament

“Nuclear embeddedness” refers to a state’s persistent failure to reconsider its possession of a nuclear arsenal. The sedimentation of the metaphor of the Bomb as God in a state’s political culture consolidates “nuclear embeddedness.” Because metaphorizing something as God puts it beyond even boundedly rational calculation, the metaphor of the Bomb as God effectively blocks a state from seeing its way clear to nuclear renunciation. The article probes the plausibility of this hypothesis with historical analyses of the nuclear policies of the U.S., India, Pakistan, and North Korea, and with case studies of three high-level American, British, and French nuclear officials who ultimately turned against the Bomb.

INFILTRATION WELLS ECO-DRAINAGE PLANNING AS A FLOOD PREVENTION EFFORT IN BINANGUN SUB-DISTRICT, BLITAR REGENCY

The existence of land use change and loss of water catchment areas causes environmental ecosystems to be disrupted. Previously, green land has changed its function to become a development area which causes an increase in the volume of surface water when it rains because the water is not reabsorbed by the soil. In October 2022, there was a flood in the Binangun sub-district which was caused by the overflow of the drainage canals and rivers due to the large volume of surface water that entered. As an effort to deal with the flooding problem that occurs, planning infiltration wells is an effective solution to reduce the volume of surface water in the Binangun sub-district. Infiltration well planning was carried out with hydrological analysis and design discharge with a rational calculation method. From the analysis, it was found that the planned debit value was 284.61m3/s. The soil permeability value was obtained from the Falling Head soil sample test. The permeability test results of the falling head method obtained soil permeability values ​​in 3 regions namely, North = 0.003094m/s, Middle = 0.002827m/s, South = 0.001525m/s. The planning results showed that the dimensions of the infiltration wells for the Southern region are R=0.5m, L=1.5m, and H=6m with the assumption that the number of design wells is 333 which can reduce the planned discharge in the Binangun sub-district area by 35%. Keywords: Infiltration Wells; Floods; Drainage Planning.

Ronald H. Coase, Friedrich A. Hayek, and the Institutional Structure of Production and Exchange

AbstractThe essay investigates the parallels and connections between Friedrich A. Hayek and Ronald H. Coase. It emphasizes the shared context at the London School of Economics (LSE) in the 1930s within which both authors reacted, in particular the role of the so-called LSE tradition on opportunity cost. We focus attention on the same pattern of institutional reaction to the formal similarity proposition of neoclassical general equilibrium theory exposed in both authors. In “The Nature of the Firm” (1937a), Coase’s pioneer transaction cost argument was decisively constructed and shaped by the controversy around the possibility of rational economic calculation under socialism. This debate was crucial to Hayek’s fundamental reformulation of neoclassical equilibrium analysis in terms of a social coordination problem in “Economics and Knowledge” (1937). In a parallel manner, although focused on the microstructure of production, Coase (1937a) was reacting to the standard general equilibrium theory and its postulates. Traditional microeconomic theory could not explain the decisions to make within the firm or to buy in the market, nor the many hybrid organizational arrangements that lie between the centralized firm and the decentralized market process. In “The Problem of Social Cost” (1960), Coase develops his argument advanced in 1937 to the welfare corollaries of the general equilibrium framework encapsulated in the first and second welfare theorems. In this case, the connection was made through the influential ideas of his long-LSE friend, Abba P. Lerner. Finally, the essay explores Hayek’s instrumental role in the intellectual and institutional foundations of the Law and Economics movement at the University of Chicago.

Analysis of a DC converter working on a plasma arc

Introduction. The article is devoted to the analysis of a stabilized direct current converter operating on a plasma arc. Electroplasma technologies of the new generation cause the need to design workable systems that provide control of technological processes and their dynamic optimization in real time. The improvement of any electroplasma technology begins with the improvement of the operating parameters of the main element of plasma installations - the power source. Goal is to build and study a continuous model of a pulsed source of secondary power supply, which works on an electric welding and plasma arc. Methodology. In the work, a mathematical description of the converter was performed. The continuous model of the system is substantiated, taking into account its features, namely, the load (gas-discharge gap) is a source of voltage and dynamic resistance. The parameters of the constant part during circuit synthesis are determined: the components of the gain of the constant part, the relative signal coefficient of the current sensor and the PWM gain. Studies of the open system «power source - arc» have been carried out. Results. MATLAB objects were created - continuous mathematical models of the object in the form of transfer functions. The obtained transient characteristics for different options: «arc current - control signal» and « inductor current - control signal» showed that open systems are unstable. It was found that in the case of instability, the filling frequency of self-oscillations occurring in the linear mode is close to the frequency of natural oscillations of the circuit. The dependence of the module and the argument of the input resistance of the power part of the pulsed power supply with parallel capacitance to the electric arc and without it, which have matching frequency characteristics, is established. The circuit considered with the initial data adopted in this article has a frequency transfer coefficient of the same type as the first-order non-minimum-phase (phase-shifting) link. Frequency response graphs for the output impedance of the power unit show that this power unit is a broadband frequency-selective system with a bandwidth of B0.707 = 100 kHz. Originality. Expressions for the frequency transfer function, input and output resistance of the pulse voltage converter operating on an arc load were obtained by the method of averaging and linearization. The frequency amplitude and phase characteristics for the pulse voltage converter with an LC filter and the output according to the arc current and the choke current were studied. The transfer functions of the continuous model in terms of arc current and choke current at the specified parameters are the same, which must be taken into account when designing regulators. Practical significance. The frequency characteristics of the input and output resistances and transfer functions can be used when forming a technical task for designing a power source to assess the stability of the «pulse converter - arc» system and rational calculation of input filters.

Increasing Line Efficiency By Using Line Balancing In A Steel Manufacturing Company

Line balancing using the Takt Time method is recognized as a modern tool forassisting businesses in reducing costs and increasing profits. It is possible for the enterpriseto smoothly produce the most optimal number of products by rational calculation andresource arrangement. This paper presents a case study on the application of line balancingby the Takt Time method in a steel factory in Vietnam. The methods selected for the studyinclude describing the current situation of the factory, applying Lean Manufacturingimprovement tools, applying modern equipment technology, and rearranging factoryresources, finally calculating Line Balancing metrics and implementing them in practice.According to the findings of the research, using the Takt Time line balancing methodprovides numerous benefits to the factory. The number of operators decreased by 9 people.The percentage of line balance increased by 22% from 77% to 99% and the efficiency ofline balance increased by 6% from 93% to 99%. In addition, the study also helpsVietnamese businesses have a more objective view of the application of Takt Time linebalancing in the future.

A Descriptive Growth Model with Unemployment

We modify the standard descriptive growth model to incorporate what Keynes (1936) called the “essence” of his general theory. The essence is that exogenous changes in investment cause changes in employment and unemployment. We implement this idea by assuming the path for the capital growth rate is exogenous, which implicitly indicates that the significant fluctuations in investment do not result from rational calculation but rather result from what Keynes labelled “animal spirits.” Testing the Keynes hypothesis using post-WWII U.S. data, we find that changes in investment Granger-cause changes in unemployment but the reverse is not supported by the data.

Expressive Law and Escalating Penalties: Accounting for the Educational Function of Punishment

Abstract The pervasiveness of law enforcement schemes that prescribe harsher penalties for repeat offenders continues to challenge scholars who seek an economic explanation for criminal justice policies. The current paper formalizes an explanation suggested by Dana, D. (2001. Rethinking the puzzle of escalating penalties for repeat offenders. Yale Law J. 110: 733–783), which is based on the role of the law in educating people about wrongful behavior—the so-called “expressive function” of law. The analysis shows that an escalating structure that imposes a lenient sanction on all first-timers and a harsh sanction on repeaters represents a compromise solution that is (second best) optimal if the fraction of unknowing offenders in the population of potential offenders (as opposed to rational calculators) is sufficiently large.