Rational Choice Research Articles

Middle leaders pursuing teacher safety against learner victimization: A policy document analysis

Various scholars have confirmed that teacher safety against learner victimization is a growing concern worldwide, and this problem is exacerbated by a lack of understanding and readiness to implement policies to address this matter. In this regard, policy implementation by middle leaders (MLs) in creating safe school environments has attracted much less interest as a possible way of addressing issues of teacher safety and the prevention of learner victimization. MLs are regarded as individuals who have the potential to lead, plan, inspire and persuade, and in so doing, they are in an ideal position to translate policy into practice. As such, this paper provides a qualitative policy document analysis of The National School Safety Framework (NSSF) premised on the theory that every individual in the school experiences safety in dissimilar ways and has unique safety needs. The NSSF is endorsed by the Department of Basic Education to guide in addressing issues of violence and safety in South African schools. Underpinned by the rational choice theory and utilizing policy document analysis, texts in the NSSF were analysed and interpreted to propose transformative policy strategies that can assist MLs in managing teachers’ safety at schools more effectively. The findings suggest that administrative duties and a lack of time make it difficult for MLs to create a safe and supportive learning environment in schools. Another finding was that there is no clear plan outlined in the NSSF to guide MLs to pursue teacher safety against learner victimization in schools. To assist MLs, this paper proposes transformative policy strategies that can assist them in promoting teacher safety and preventing learner victimization in schools. The paper recommends that more explicit interpretation and implementation strategies be communicated with schools to assist them in fighting the war against violence in schools.

8 - Potentialising Traditional Peacebuilding System towards Resolution of Land Disputes in African communities

Land is a common cause of conflict in Africa. It is at the root of much social unrest and violence among family members, groups and communities. Although the state judicial system has been a major adjudicator in these instances, their case pronouncements have brought little or no recourse to peaceful co-existence among the conflicted parties. This article seeks to advance the potential of the traditional peacebuilding system as a ‘community friendly’ option especially for constructive land dispute resolution. Traditional peacebuilding is devoid of long judicial proceedings, ‘preconceived’ justice and high costs. This article argues that, unlike the state judicial system, traditional peacebuilding is not only about making resolutions through rational choice, custom knowledge, community history and social cohesion but also about enhancing restorative justice, inclusiveness and peace promotion, and developing the trust and safety that is so badly needed across African communities. It, therefore, concludes that the traditional peacebuilding system has an organisational propensity to resolve land disputes within an institutionalised structure across African communities.

The institutional nature of political power according to new directions in institutional theory

Institutional theory is one of the oldest theories used to analyze political issues and phenomena. In the classical period, this theory emphasized the constitutional and legal aspects, while paying more attention to the official institutions of the state, especially the powers (legislative, executive and judicial). In the 1950s, due to the rise and dominance of the behavioral school, this theory was ignored by researchers in the field. However, the beginning of a new phase of institutional theory in the 1970s; the emergence of all three directions (historical, social, and rational choice) was also a strong factor in attracting researchers to use institutional theory in their studies. At the same time, political power has always been of interest and debate in political analysis, although the concept has often been portrayed in the guise of an individual and a ruling group. But in fact, one of the characteristics of political power is institutionalization. For this purpose, this paper describes political power and new directions of institutional theory. On the other hand, it analyzes the nature of institutionalization and how the process of institutionalizing political power is carried out within the framework of new directions of institutional theory.

The Absurdity of Rational Choice: Time Travel, Foreknowledge, and the Aesthetic Dimension of Newcomb Problems

Nikk Effingham and Huw Price argue that in certain cases of Newcomb problems involving time travel and foreknowledge, being given information about the future makes it rational to choose as an evidential decision theorist would choose. Although the cases they consider have some intuitive pull, and so appear to aid in answering the question of what it is rational to do, we argue that their respective positions are not compelling. Newcomb problems are structured such that whichever way one chooses, one might be led by one’s preferred decision theory to miss out on some riches (riches which others obtain whilst employing their preferred decision theory). According to the novel aesthetic diagnosis we shall offer of the Newcomb dialectic, missing out in this way does not render one irrational but, rather, subject to being seen as absurd. This is a different kind of cost but not one that undermines one’s rationality.

Constitutional artisans: James Buchanan and Vincent Ostrom on artifactual man, the constitutional attitude, and the political economy of constitutional design

This paper examines the relationship between the work of James Buchanan and Vincent Ostrom. It adds to existing work by providing a comprehensive analysis of Buchanan’s and Ostrom’s changing views about how the ‘logical foundations of constitutional democracy’ should be conceptualised. The paper traces how in the 1960s and 1970s Ostrom took inspiration from the rational choice analysis of constitutional democracy in Buchanan and Tullock’s The Calculus of Consent, explaining how it shaped his reading of key texts in political theory and his analysis of public administration. It then discusses how Buchanan subsequently drew on Ostrom’s notion of artifactual man in developing his understanding of the ‘constitutional attitude’ necessary for individuals to engage in institutional design. It then explores how, from the mid-to-late 1990s, Ostrom became increasingly critical of Buchanan’s reliance on rational choice theory for his analysis of constitutional decision-making, identifying this as a key difference between their views.

Every Journalist has an Achilles’ Heel: The Interference–Vulnerability Model

ABSTRACT To what extent do journalists differ in their vulnerability to pressure from actors outside media organizations? This study complements research on such external interference by introducing the interference-vulnerability model. It typologizes three types of interference—professional, economic, and violent—that damage three basic motivations of journalists: professional status, economic status, and physical security. Further, it explains journalists’ experience of the three types of interference by their differing vulnerabilities, which stem from their value to external actors and the costs of noncompliance with interference. This argument builds on the theorized dynamic interaction between media professionals and external actors and applies the theory of routine activities and of rational choice. Multivariate regression of 567 journalists’ responses to a survey in Switzerland confirms the proposed model. Professional interference is aimed at informationally vulnerable journalists who publish on sensitive and investigative topics and have a wide reach. Economic interference is aimed at financially vulnerable journalists who cover consumer-oriented topics, have financial decision-making power, and work in economically competitive structures. Violent interference is directed against journalists who are vulnerable because of their identities: women and marginalized minorities. The model helps to explain external interference more comprehensively and to counter threats to journalistic autonomy.

Lead Fast Reactor Thermal-Hydraulic Testing Facilities in Support of the UK Advanced Modular Reactor Program

The Westinghouse lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) is a next-generation nuclear power plant whose primary mission is to reduce front-end capital costs and generate flexible and cost-competitive electricity for global markets, while offering mission versatility and satisfying the highest safety and sustainability standards. The LFR is an economical choice for carbon-free power generation to meet the ambitious goals of reducing carbon emissions. The plant utilizes passive safety systems for high reliability and public safety. The LFR testing program aims to fill the technology gaps in the key materials, components, and systems of the LFR plant. It provides demonstrations of LFR engineering that reduce the uncertainty of the LFR design and experimental data for the verification and validation of the modeling and simulation computer codes. With the support of the LFR phenomena identification and ranking table, the phenomena important to plant safety with insufficient states of knowledge have been identified and a Westinghouse testing plan developed to address them. The United Kingdom Advanced Modular Reactor Program Phase 2 was purposed to advance the level of design maturity toward eventual regulatory approval and deployment. Westinghouse and its partners have developed eight state-of-the-art test facilities within the program. Among them, the Passive Heat Removal Facility, Versatile Lead Facility, Lead Water Interaction Facility, and the Lead Freezing Facility are thermal-hydraulic testing facilities, with the other four facilities dedicated to testing lead corrosion and material mechanical behavior in lead. The design, development, and testing of the four thermal-hydraulic facilities are presented in this paper. A variety of computer codes ranging from system-level analysis, component-level analysis, and high-resolution computational fluid dynamics analysis, are utilized to support the development of the facilities. The analyses provide operational and accidental conditions in the LFR to identify major testing conditions and inform the facility design and testing matrix. With a significant amount of experimental data being generated with these highly instrumented test facilities, the computer codes and models will be benchmarked against the experimental results to improve their validation and verification status.

Recent advances on testability in economic equilibrium models

The revealed preference program started by Paul Samuelson brought a Popperian view of what constituted true scientific discovery to economic theory.11Samuelson (1938). In his Foundations, Samuelson states that “meaningful theorems” are hypotheses “about empirical data which could conceivably be refuted”.22See Samuelson (1947), p. 4. He worried that by appealing to unobservable fundamentals such as preferences, the body of economic theory built upon the premise of rational individual choice lacked a scientific foundation.While the program quickly succeeded in providing an empirical counterpart for the individual choice problem, its application to social outcomes, namely market interactions and games, proved more difficult, and only in the 1990s did the profession start to develop the testable implications of equilibrium concepts in these contexts. Carvajal et al. (2004) covered the early literature that followed the seminal contributions of Brown and Matzkin (1996) and Sprumont (2000). This survey is an update on the state of that literature covering the results of the last two decades. As the reader will see, the Journal of Mathematical Economics has played a key role in developing these ideas.

Metronomic chemotherapy in pediatric neurooncology: insight the problem. A review

Metronomic chemotherapy (MCT) is a promising direction of anticancer therapy, as well as in pediatric oncology, and its administration in patients with refractory and recurrent tumors of the central nervous system becomes increasingly relevant. Being a regimen of low doses of antitumor agents with different mechanisms of action in a continuous mode for a long time, it allows to overcome the resistance of tumor cells and to minimize the toxic effects of treatment. Today, the issues of rational choice of MCT regimens, which are dependent on the type of tumor, and the application of biomarkers of its effectiveness, remain controversial. The article discusses in detail the biological effects of MCT with an accent on antiangiogenic one, as well as the possibilities and limitations of MCT application in pediatric practice and the results of studies in tumors of the central nervous system.

RESEARCH ON LOGISTIC COSTS IN TRANSPORTATION OF AGRICULTURAL CARGO BY ROAD AND RAIL TRANSPORT MODES

Goal. Starting with the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, the aggressor country began to make it difficult to access major ports in southern Ukraine, limiting the importation, transportation, and export of grain. This forced shippers to look for alternative routes for transporting grain to foreign seaports. A large share of the transportation of grain cargo fell on railway transport and on western terminals, which caused long queues at crossing points. Restrictions also affected the capacity of internal railway lines. To restore the transportation of agricultural goods and increase the efficiency of the organization of grain transportation, it is necessary to conduct a study of the logistics costs of road and rail transportation, considering such factors as the type of shipment, the volume of cargo, time costs, the cost of transportation, and the capacity of border crossings and terminals. Method. The research was carried out based on statistical analysis, methods of operational work for calculating the norms of mass and length of route trains, a comprehensive analysis of logistics costs when transporting various types of shipments by rail and road modes of transport, considering the technical equipment of terminals and the capacity of crossing points, the train formation plan (TFP). The results. Based on calculations, the conditional lengths of route trains are determined, with their further bringing them to the current PFP on the railways of Ukraine; the cost of delivery of grain cargoes when transported by rail was calculated for various types of shipments, and a comparison was made with road transport; terms of cargo delivery, main advantages and disadvantages of each type of transportation are determined; analysed and selected the best method of transportation of agricultural cargo, taking into account the weight of the cargo being transported, the time spent on transportation along the tracking routes; a comparison of financial costs per ton of cargo was made; proposed options for increasing the throughput of border railway stations. The work also identifies the busiest terminals that carry out a significant share of cargo processing at border railway stations with a relatively large capacity and technical support for the transhipment of grain depending on the types of shipments, namely: railway stations and their transitions - Chop - Chierna-nad-Tysoy, Mostyska II-Medyka and Izov - Hrebushiv. Practical significance. The obtained results can be applied in decision-making systems for shippers, which will help in choosing the optimal route and type of rolling stock for cargo transportation. The rational choice of types of shipments and transfer stations makes it possible to use technical means for cargo transhipment as effectively as possible, to reduce the waiting time of wagons at border stations while waiting for technological operations and to reduce the time for these operations, to reduce the total costs of transporting agricultural goods. Options for increasing the throughput capacity of border stations will make it possible to speed up the delivery of cargo by speeding up the execution of mandatory operations performed at transhipment points or by removing part of such operations altogether.

Comparative study of PI-controller and neurocontroller performances in optimal by settling time control problems

When developing control systems, an important issue arises of choosing an operator, which forms the control function. The standard approach is to use a PI- or PID-controller, a more advanced approach involves ANNs training for this purpose. A comparative analysis of the PI- and neurocontroller performances makes it possible to establish the disadvantages and advantages of each of the compared controllers, which is an important scientific and applied problem. The purpose of the work was to conduct a comparative analysis of the performance of the PI-controller and the neurocontroller based on a set of evaluation indicators for plants of the second and third orders. Such a comparison was carried out by using an approach to the synthesis of both controllers, which involved the minimization of a complex objective function. The latter is obtained as a result of reducing the problem of optimal control with constraints to the problem of unconstrained optimization. The analysis showed that according to the settling time indicator (optimization criterion), the neurocontroller has an advantage of 6.1...96.2% for the modelled plants. At the same time, according to other indicators of the control quality, the PI-controller has an advantage. In addition, the synthesis of a neurocontroller in terms of finding the minimum of the objective function is a more difficult problem. For its solution, a bigger number of iterations of the VCT-PSO optimization algorithm is required. It is rationally to set more than 1000 iterations and swarm population in the range 30…50 particles. A comparative analysis by the settling time of the neurocontroller and PI-controller, which is tuned according to engineering methods, showed significant reserves for improving this indicator. Thus, if the requirements for settling time minimization are quite strict, then it is advisable to use a neurocontroller. The obtained results will make it possible to develop recommendations for the rational choice of the control operator when solving practical problems of the control systems synthesis

Neuronal Activity in the Gustatory Cortex during Economic Choice.

An economic choice entails computing and comparing the values of individual offers. Offer values are represented in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)-an area that participates in value comparison-but it is unknown where offer values are computed in the first place. One possibility is that this computation takes place in OFC. Alternatively, offer values might be computed upstream of OFC. For choices between edible goods, a primary candidate is the gustatory region of the anterior insula (gustatory cortex, GC). Here we recorded from the GC of male rhesus monkeys choosing between different juice types. As a population, neurons in GC represented the flavor, the quantity, and the subjective value of the juice chosen by the animal. These variables were represented by distinct groups of cells and with different time courses. Specifically, chosen value signals emerged shortly after offer presentation, while neurons encoding the chosen juice and the chosen quantity peaked after juice delivery. Surprisingly, neurons in GC did not represent individual offer values in a systematic way. In a computational sense, the variables encoded in GC follow the process of value comparison. Thus our results argue against the hypothesis that offer values are computed in GC. At the same time, signals representing the subjective value of the expected reward indicate that responses in GC are not purely sensory. Thus neuronal responses in GC appear consummatory in nature.

Subcutaneous checkpoint inhibition is equivalent to systemic delivery when combined with nelitolimod delivered via pressure-enabled drug delivery for depletion of intrahepatic myeloid-derived suppressor cells and control of liver metastases

BackgroundToll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonists induce inflammatory responses that promote the killing of infectious micro-organisms, cancer cells and develop adaptive immune responses. Their ability as immunomodulators to enhance the activity...

Unraveling the dynamics of COVID-19 fake news spread: The influence of socialization, entertainment, and altruism in instant news sharing on social media

During the Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19), the dissemination of false information on social media increased significantly. The examination of social factors influencing the proliferation of fake news related to COVID-19 necessitates exploration from various perspectives and dimensions. Our research surveyed 392 Pakistani social media consumers, employing a survey questionnaire method conducted through snowball sampling technique. We utilized SPSS 26.0 for descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis. The mediation and moderation effects were tested using Andrew F. Hayes' Process program (V3.3). Our findings revealed that COVID-19-related fake news tends to spread through instant news sharing behavior, driven by socialization and entertainment motives, acting as mediating factors in the relationship between instant news sharing and the dissemination of false information. Altruism also plays a moderating role, playing a moderating role in the impact of instant news sharing on fake news sharing, and also playing a moderating role in the impact of socialization on fake news sharing. Employing a rational choice theory framework, our study identifies instant news sharing, socialization, entertainment, and altruism as key rational choices influencing the sharing of pandemic-related fake news among Pakistani social media users.

Bringing emotional reflexivity and emotional regime to understanding ‘the hukou puzzle’ in contemporary China

This article examines the dialogic relationship between emotional reflexivity and emotional regime as it explores ‘the hukou puzzle’ in China. In theory, migrants in small- to medium-scale cities can transfer their hukou (household registration) to urban areas, yet are unwilling to do so in practice. Relying on six months’ ethnographic fieldwork and 60 in-depth interviews with ethnic migrant performers, this article argues that previous theorisation of the hukou puzzle neglects emotions and assumes migrants are making rational choices to maximise their profits. In reality, different emotions and feelings inform migrants’ reflexivity regarding an opaque migration regime, which highlights the crucial role of how they exercise their reflexivity in emotional and relational ways. Moreover, a neoliberal emotional regime at the Chinese societal level – which emphasises positive energy, happiness and ‘the China Dream’ – also significantly shapes migrants’ emotional reflexivity. This article points to the need to further explore the intersection between emotional reflexivity and emotional regime in relation to migration.

Философия микроэкономики: ключевые тенденции XXI в.

The article analyzes the current key philosophical trends in academic publications on microeconomics. The author investigates new sense that economists imply into traditional methodological grounds of Microeconomics. Based on classical marginalist microeconomic theory, contemporary Russian and World economists introduce new meanings and new interpretations into such important aspects of Microeconomics as microeconomic agents, choice and limitations for producers and consumers, market interactions and competition, time and space of microeconomic phenomena. New methodological grounds of Microeconomics in the sphere of decision-making are analysed on the ground of content-analysis. The process of economic choice in new conditions of the 21st century is based on deliberate consumption of economic goods and thoughtful limitations for time, place and number of alternatives when decision is made. Maximization of utility as the goal of behavior of a rational individual is replaced by the criterion of satisfaction and happiness which now form important elements of microeconomic analysis. New approaches to microeconomic models are formed on the ground of mathematical theories of dynamic chaos and nonlinear processes that allow to forecast more precisely microeconomic events in the era of turbulence. Stochastic concepts and differentiated games take the place of traditional statistical strict determinism of microeconomic theories and uncertainty acquires new depth as a fundamental pattern of functioning of microeconomic processes. The article specifies the motives and goals of individual and collective agents acting at micro level. Thus microeconomics of the 21st century has reconsidered its key philosophical grounds, which would contribute to a new paradigm of Microeconomic Analysis.

Investigating Factors Leading to Develop Academic Dishonesty and Cheating Behaviors During Board Examinations in Balochistan, Pakistan

This study investigates the pervasive issue of academic dishonesty and cheating behaviors during board examinations in Balochistan, highlighting diverse contributing factors and underscoring the pivotal role of exams in shaping academic paths. The study adopted a quantitative approach, 200 student responses collected through nonprobability random sampling. Using the rational choice theory, this study fills a research gap and advances understanding of academic dishonesty by offering insightful information. Empirical data analysis was utilized to conclude. The research reveals a high incidence of cheating from students with various causes, including the fear of failure, societal expectations, and peer pressure associated with examinations. Notably, stress and anxiety emerge as key predictors of academic dishonesty. Students, facing intense academic pressures, often turn to unethical practices as a coping mechanism. The study underscores the inadvertent encouragement of cheating within the education system, driven by an excessive focus on exam results as the primary measure of success. The findings contribute valuable insights to the academic integrity discourse, advocating for comprehensive strategies to foster a healthier educational system in Balochistan. Recommendations include addressing root causes, promoting a supportive learning environment, fostering open dialogue, and promoting a broader definition of success. formative assessments, post-exam feedback, parental collaboration, and workshops on academic integrity are proposed to create a more supportive and ethical learning environment, enforcing academic honor codes, strict exam monitoring, and efforts to mitigate cheating should extend beyond punitive measures and implement initiatives to reshape perceptions of success, ultimately cultivating a culture of honesty and integrity in education.

Principles of antibiotic therapy in surgical practice. What should a practitioner not forget about?

The rational use of antimicrobial drugs in surgery includes the correct choice of drug, its timely administration, minimizing the duration of therapy and switching to oral forms, regular monitoring and use of microbiological research data. These principles help reduce the risk of infections, minimize side effects, and prevent the development of antibiotic resistance. This article reviews basic information about the principles of rational initiation of antibiotic therapy, perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis, the rational choice of an antibacterial drug, the dose of the antibiotic, the mode of administration, and the optimal therapy duration.

ВЫБОР ТЕХНОЛОГИИ ПОЛУЧЕНИЯ ЭКСТЕМПОРАЛЬНОЙ ЛЕКАРСТВЕННОЙ ФОРМЫ ИЗ СЫРЬЯ СМОРОДИНЫ ЧЕРНОЙ (RIBES NIGRI CORMUS)

When studying a new type of raw material, a rational choice of dosage form plays an important role in order to obtain a pronounced pharmacological effect. Black currant (Ribes nigrum L.) belongs to the family Grossulariaceae – gooseberries. This is one of the most common berry crops both in industrial gardens and in private plots. Black currant shoots, as easily accessible raw materials, are of interest for study in order to establish the possibility of their use in scientific medicine. The article presents the results of the choice of technology for obtaining an extemporal dosage form from black currant shoots. The content of biologically active substances (BAS) in raw materials – black currant shoots, as well as the yield of BAS: flavonoids, polysaccharides, tannins and ascorbic acid in the infusion and decoction of currant shoots was investigated. The content of flavonoids was determined by differential spectrophotometry on the SF-2000 spectrophotometer, polysaccharides by gravimetric method, tannins and ascorbic acid by titrimetric method using pharmacopoeial techniques. The content of BAS in the raw materials – black currant shoots: for flavonoids - 2.64%, polysaccharides – 27.85%, tannins – 8.98% and ascorbic acid – 0.8%; in the infusion: flavonoids – 1.98%, polysaccharides – 25.67%, tannins – 7.89%, ascorbic acid – 0.6%; and in decoction of currant shoots: flavonoids – 1.65%, polysaccharides – 23.88%, tannins – 8.89%, ascorbic acid – 0.4%. Based on the conducted research, it was concluded that the infusion is the optimal extemporal medicinal form of black currant shoots, since it contains the largest amount of biologically active substances, and is promising for further study for use in medical practice.

Xenophobia In South Africa and the Realities of Actualizing SDG 8

This study dwells on xenophobia and the realities of actualizing the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) eight in South Africa. It argues that since the emergence of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000, which transited to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, there has been a proliferation of literature from scholars of diverse disciplinary orientations. However, none of these studies deal with the phenomenon of xenophobia as a milestone for the attainment of the SDGs in South Africa. This paper, therefore, serves as an intervention to discuss how xenophobia affects the realization/ actualization of the UN’s SDG eight in the area under consideration. Using extant literature and the rational choice theory, it affirms that without peace and partnership with other countries, it would be very difficult for South Africa to attain the UN SDGs it envisages to achieve. To be focused and in-depth in the analysis of the phenomena under consideration the study centers exclusively on the UN SDG eight (even though there are seventeen SDGs of the UN) which hinges on decent work and economic growth. The evidence thrown up led to the major conclusion that the persistent xenophobic attacks and the resultant massive destruction of lives and businesses of foreigners, South Africa’s quest for the full-fledged realization of United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal eight would remain mere paperwork. Given the increasing prevalence of xenophobic attacks in the study area, the paper suggests, among others, the building of meaningful, lasting, and effective partnerships. This entails that xenophobia in the country will be nipped in the bud.