Relative Certainty Research Articles

Sex differences in the weighting of metric and categorical information in spatial location memory

According to the Category Adjustment model, remembering a spatial location involves the Bayesian combination of fine-grained and categorical information about that location, with each cue weighted by its relative certainty. However, individuals may differ in terms of their certainty about each cue, resulting in estimates that rely more or less on metric or categorical representations. To date, though, very little research has examined individual differences in the relative weighting of these cues in spatial location memory. Here, we address this gap in the literature. Participants were asked to recall point locations in uniform geometric shapes and in photographs of complex, natural scenes. Error patterns were analyzed for evidence of a sex difference in the relative use of metric and categorical information. As predicted, women placed relatively more emphasis on categorical cues, while men relied more heavily on metric information. Location reproduction tasks showed a similar effect, implying that the sex difference arises early in spatial processing, possibly during encoding.

The software Proteus – UsedSoft changing our understanding of software as ‘saleable goods’

One of the ongoing conundrums in the field of IT law is the nature of software. Pragmatic solutions have been adopted, and lawyers and developers alike have become comfortable that contracts and licences can be drafted and concluded in relative certainty despite the fundamental conceptual problem. As Atiyah's Sale of Goods puts it: … the key to the conundrum is not to get lost in metaphysical questions as to whether or not software is goods, but to focus on who is being sued in respect of what sort of defect, and to be clear as to the basis on which liability is being imposed. (Atiyah 2010, 78–79)However, the decisions in UsedSoft (C-128/11 [2012] All E.R. (EC) 1220) have illustrated that these pragmatic solutions are just that, contingent arrangements that can be shaped, and changed, and re-interpreted to fit new legal and economic realities. Repeated legislation in this area has caused the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to reshape and remould its ideas about what software is at various different stages and although these ideas have usually loosely tracked technological and business development, and therefore met the expectations of both the legal and business communities, this time both have been taken by surprise. Like the mythical Proteus who changed shape to avoid having to foretell the future, the CJEU has repeatedly changed the nature of software in its attempts to fit law to the economic a technical future.

Outcomes of Nulliparous Women With Spontaneous Labor Onset Admitted to Hospitals in Preactive Versus Active Labor

The timing of when a woman is admitted to the hospital for labor care following spontaneous contraction onset may be among the most important decisions that labor attendants make because it can influence care patterns and birth outcomes. The aims of this study were to estimate the percentage of low-risk, nulliparous women at term who are admitted to labor units prior to active labor and to evaluate the effects of the timing of admission (ie, preactive vs active labor) on labor interventions and mode of birth. Data from low-risk, nulliparous women with spontaneous labor onset at term gestation were merged from 2 prospective studies conducted at 3 large Midwestern hospitals. Baseline characteristics, labor interventions, and outcomes were compared between groups using Fisher's exact and Mann-Whitney U tests, as appropriate. Likelihoods for oxytocin augmentation, amniotomy, and cesarean birth were assessed by logistic regression. Of the sample of 216 low-risk nulliparous women, 114 (52.8%) were admitted in preactive labor and 102 (47.2%) were admitted in active labor. Women who were admitted in preactive labor were more likely to undergo oxytocin augmentation (84.2% and 45.1%, respectively; odds ratio [OR], 6.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.43-12.27) but not amniotomy (55.3% and 61.8%, respectively; OR, 0.8; 95% CI, 0.44-1.32) when compared to women admitted in active labor. The likelihood of cesarean birth was higher for women admitted before active labor onset (15.8% and 6.9%, respectively; OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.02-6.37). Many low-risk nulliparous women with regular, spontaneous uterine contractions are admitted to labor units before active labor onset, which increases their likelihood of receiving oxytocin and giving birth via cesarean. An evidence-based, standardized approach for labor admission decision making is recommended to decrease inadvertent admissions of women in preactive labor. When active labor cannot be diagnosed with relative certainty, observation before admission to the birthing unit is warranted.

‘Money has More Weight than the Man’: Masculinities in the Marriages of Angolan War Veterans

This article discusses how male Angolan war veterans navigated the sudden shift from the rigours of military discipline to life in a civilian society they no longer recognised, where money had become a dominant social value. Based on a year of participant observation and interviews with war veterans in the city of Huambo, it traces their life histories and their post-war struggles to develop the necessary creativity and initiative to make a profit in a disordered, war-torn economy, where masculine status and authority had come to depend crucially on monetary income. I analyse their reaction to the crumbling of the relative certainties of the patriarchal orders of both pre-war society and military life, and the associated anxieties around living up to a senior masculine archetype of the wise, authoritative provider whilst attempting to ensure that their wives’ behaviour conformed to the family model that accompanies this archetype.

Navigating standards – constituting engineering practices – how do engineers in consulting environments deal with standards?

Standards and regulations can play a central role in policies to achieve environmentally sound and energy-efficient buildings. This paper sets out to explore how consulting engineers relate to standards designed to impose sustainability in the construction of new buildings and in waste management. The paper addresses four cases of engineering practices. The first case describes practical skills and tools involved in what the engineers considered as ‘normal’ practices when performing energy calculations in the development of new buildings. The second and third cases deal with energy in new buildings as well, but address practices that supported or enabled the engineers to go beyond minimum standards. Case four explores a heat production project and more specifically, how the engineer deals with solving a problem related to calculating energy substitution. Together, the cases represent situations with quite different degrees of uncertainty as to how to relate to standards, from relative certainty represented in the first case to relative uncertainty in the last case. We shall look closer at the practices such situations entail and how they constitute different types of consulting engineering practices.

Putting Humpty Dumpty Back Together: Pricing in Anticommons Property Arrangements

This Article conducts an experimental investigation of anticommons dilemmas. The results confirm that anticommons deadweight losses increase with the degree of complementarity and the degree of fragmentation of property. Our study further provides three novel insights into the problem of fragmentation. First, the data illustrates that individual right holders ignore the expected value of bundling and instead focus on the maximum profit he or she could realize by bundling. Second, the experiments suggest that uncertainty amplifies the anticommons pricing effect. Finally, cooperation is higher in cases wherethe value of bundling is more uncertain as opposed to scenarios where there is relative certainty of creating surplus but there is a (modest) chance of losses from bundling.

Optimal Slot Control Model of Container Sea-Rail Intermodal Transport based on Revenue Management

Slot control problem of container sea-rail intermodal transport is important for a Multimodal Transport Operator (MTO) to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the system. In this paper, a two-stage slot control optimization model for multi Origin-Destination-Fare (ODF) container sea-rail intermodal transport is established based on revenue management. Features of freight organization and customer segmentation of container sea-rail intermodal transport are taken into account in this two-stage model. The model in the first stage solves slot control for contract customers and empty containers, and the model in the second stage solves slot control for general and urgent customers. Considering the relative certainty of demand in the first stage and the uncertainty characteristic of demand in the second one, the method of deterministic linear programming (DLP) and stochastic linear programming (SLP) are employed to transform and solve the models respectively. An example is also presented in this study to illustrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the models and algorithms.

Management of Nothofagus genetic resources: Definition of genetic zones based on a combination of nuclear and chloroplast marker data

Development of appropriate forest conservation and management measures for a given tree species includes the identification of distinct genetically homogeneous units across its overall distribution range, which depends on the availability of knowledge on genetic, morphological and adaptive variation. This has important implications for germplasm transfer within and between areas, for example in reforestation or restoration activities. Genetic zones are defined as genetically more or less homogeneous regions within which propagation material can be transferred with relative certainty not to cause changes at the genetic structure level. The main goal of this study was to define genetic zones for Nothofagus nervosa and Nothofagus obliqua within their Argentinean natural distribution range. A total of 823 individuals belonging to 24 populations (14 of N. nervosa and 10 of N. obliqua, μ=34±5) were genotyped by means of seven nuclear microsatellite markers. The geographic clustering encountered through the application of a Bayesian approach was analyzed in combination with additional information on diversity parameters, chloroplast DNA and isozymes. For assembling the maps showing the distribution of clusters, we averaged cluster membership values of trees in each grid cell. To visualize geographical patterns in nSRR richness and the distribution of different clusters of both species, we carried out grid-based spatial analyses using 30s grid cells (∼1km at the equator) as the unit of analyses. We distinguished five genetic zones for N. nervosa and three for N. obliqua, consistent with the management history of the species, and displaying a certain level of geographic congruence. Higher allelic richness values were found in the surroundings of areas identified as potential glacial refugia, which suggest that the distribution pattern of allelic richness is closely associated with the glacial history of the species within the region. We expect this information to constitute a valuable tool for the identification of seed transfer zones, and to guide recruitment and plantation activities in the context of domestication programs of both species in Argentina. For assisted migration programs under progressive climate change the identification of these zones together with knowledge concerning hotspots at genetic diversity level should constitute an input for planning the activities.

Organizational learning and the complexity of strategic human resource management

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe the complicated characteristics of the environment, the relationship between complicated organization and organizational transformation, and the coupling domino effect between the complication of external environment and organizational complexity by making conceptual systematic analysis.Design/methodology/approachThe relative stability and certainty of the organizational structure are being replaced by uncertainty and complexity. Organizational learning and its reform are becoming all the more important to gain organizational competitive advantage. This paper designs the system analysis method to discuss the complexity of organizational environment, the relationship between organizational complexity and organizational structure reform, and also the coupling effect of the complexity of external environment and that of the organization.FindingsIt is found that organizational learning, the ways of strategic reform, and the focal point must remain consistent under the complicated environment.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation is how to construct the mathematical models describing complicated characteristics of the environment.Practical implicationsThe paper contains very useful advice for human resource managers.Originality/valueThe paper focuses on the selection of learning patterns and strategic management of different organizational learning and the reform of organizational structure.

Is This How I Will Be Treated? Reducing Uncertainty through Recruitment Interactions

While a great deal of research has investigated strategies for increasing job seekers' initial attraction to organizations, far less is known about how job seekers respond to recruitment activities after application submission. We draw from signaling, uncertainty reduction, and uncertainty management theories to develop a conceptual model of the relationship between recruitment interactions (contact episodes) after application submission and organizational attraction. We test this model in three independent studies with data collected at multiple time periods. Study 1 employed a time-lagged research design with actual job seekers. Findings showed that justice perceptions associated with recruitment interactions influence attraction to an organization indirectly and directly via positive relational certainty (i.e., reduced uncertainty regarding how organizational relations might be upon entering the organization). Study 2 used a controlled experimental design to provide additional evidence of the relational certainty mechanism through which justice signals influence attraction. Finally, Study 3 incorporated a longitudinal (repeated-measures) design to examine reactions to recruitment interactions over ten weeks. Results indicated that the relationship between justice signals and organizational attraction via positive relational certainty is dynamic, suggesting that organizations should carefully manage their communications throughout the recruitment process.

Intracochleäre Elektrodenlage

Due to the increasing number of cochlear implantations (CI), postoperative radiological verification of the electrode position, e.g., with respect to quality control, plays a central role. The aim of this study was to evaluate the intracochlear position of deep inserted electrodes by cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). CBCT data sets (Accu-I-tomo, Morita, Kyoto, Japan) of 22 patients (28 ears operated between 2008 and 2011) were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent a CI (round window approach) with deep insertion of the electrode (Flex soft or standard electrode from MedEl©). CBCT data were analyzed for intracochlear position of the electrode (scala vestibuli, scala tympani, malposition between the scalae) and the certainty of this evaluation. All ears could be evaluated with the status certain or relatively certain in the basal turn of the cochlea. Thereby, the electrode array was inserted into the scala tympani in 93% (n = 26). Primary insertion into the scala vestibuli and the scala media was observed in 3.5% of the ears, respectively. In the apical part of the cochlea, only 32% (n = 9 ears) could be evaluated with relative certainty. The remaining 68% of cases could not be evaluated. Of the 32% interpretable cases in the apical part of the cochlea, 25% (n = 7) were inserted into the scala tympani, 3.5% (n = 1) into the scala vestibuli, and 3.5% (n = 1) were malpositioned between the scalae. The exact evaluation of the intracochlear position of the electrode by CBCT is only possible in the basal turn of the cochlea. In deep insertion, determination of the position in the medial and apical parts of the cochlea by CBCT is still not possible. Furthermore, the round window approach allows reliable implantation into the scala tympani.

Paternal care and the evolution of exaggerated sexual swellings in primates.

The exaggerated sexual swellings exhibited by females of some primate species have been of interest to evolutionary biologists since the time of Darwin. We summarize existing hypotheses for their function and evolution and categorize these hypotheses within the context of 3 types of variation in sexual swelling size: 1) variation within a single sexual cycle, 2) variation between the sexual cycles of a single female, and 3) differences between females. We then propose the Paternal Care Hypothesis for the function of sexual swellings, which posits that exaggerated sexual swellings function to elicit the right quantity and quality of male care for a female's infant. As others have noted, swellings may allow females to engender paternity confusion, or they may allow females to confer relative paternal certainty on one male. Key to our hypothesis is that both of these scenarios create an incentive for one or more males to provide care. This hypothesis builds on previous hypotheses but differs from them by highlighting the elicitation of paternal care as a key function of swellings. Our hypothesis predicts that true paternal care (in which males accurately differentiate and provide assistance to their own offspring) will be most common in species in which exaggerated swellings accurately signal the probability of conception, and males can monopolize females during the window of highest conception probability. Our hypothesis also predicts that females will experience selection to behave in ways that either augment paternity confusion or enhance paternal certainty depending on their social and demographic contexts.

Melvin Pollner and the Passing of an American Sociologist

Melvin Pollner was a teacher, scholar, and astute academician. He was also a seeker regarding the nature of humanity. As a seeker, he saw past the relative certainty demanded of academic publishing, a point reflected in his final deliberations published for the first time in this volume, where he interrogates Harold Garfinkel, ethnomethodology, and Formal Analysis.

Relational Uncertainty, Perceived Fairness, and the Division of Household Labor in Cohabiting and Married Couples.

This study examined the relationship between relational uncertainty and perceptions of division of household labor (DHL) in cohabiting and married couples. Specifically, research questions explored perceived fairness in DHL and relational uncertainty, perceptual convergence of contributions, convergence of perceptions and relational uncertainty, and convergence of perceptions and relationship satisfaction. A behavioral methodology called the Household Portrait Technique was employed to examine how couples discuss how they decide who does what in the household. A total of 33 couples independently completed a self-report instrument and jointly participated in the Household Portrait activity. Results showed that husbands and wives were agreed in their perceptions of fairness. Couples agreed that husbands do more of the outdoor work and automobile maintenance whereas wives do more of the childcare. Convergent perceptions regarding DHL was positively associated with relational certainty and marginally associated with relationship satisfaction.

Clinical progression of chikungunya fever during acute and chronic arthritic stages and the changes in joint morphology as revealed by imaging

This longitudinal follow-up study of 203 patients with serologically confirmed chikungunya (CHIK) virus infection describes the clinical features of CHIK fever during the first and tenth months of illness. During the acute stage CHIK fever presents with a wide array of symptoms. The foremost chronic symptoms at the end of a month were rheumatism (75%) and fatigue (30%). During the tenth month of follow-up the symptoms/signs observed were joint pain/swelling (46%), fatigue (13%) and neuritis (6%). The cure rate at the end of 9 months was 51%. Among the patients who had joint pain, 36% (34/94) met the American College of Rheumatology criteria to classify them as having rheumatoid arthritis. A subpopulation of the patients with joint pain (20/94) was tested for rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibody, and the joints were imaged by X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). All tested negative for RF and one tested positive for anti-CCP. A radiolucent lesion in the X-ray was seen in the bones of five patients. The MRI findings were joint effusion, bony erosion, marrow oedema, synovial thickening, tendinitis and tenosynovitis. The study proves with relative certainty that CHIK arthritis is chronic inflammatory erosive arthritis, which has implications for management of the infection.

Measurement Uncertainty in Racial and Ethnic Identification Among Adolescents of Mixed Ancestry: A Latent Variable Approach

In this article, we operationalize identification of mixed racial and ethnic ancestry among adolescents as a latent variable to (a) account for measurement uncertainty, and (b) compare alternative wording formats for racial and ethnic self-categorization in surveys. Two latent variable models were fit to multiple mixed-ancestry indicator data from 1,738 adolescents in New England. The first, a mixture factor model, accounts for the zero-inflated mixture distribution underlying mixed-ancestry identification. Alternatively, a latent class model allows classification distinction between relatively ambiguous versus unambiguous mixed-ancestry responses. Comparison of individual indicators reveals that the Census 2000 survey version estimates higher prevalence of mixed ancestry but is less sensitive to relative certainty of identification than are alternate survey versions (i.e., offering a “mixed” check box option, allowing a written response). Ease of coding and missing data are also considered in discussing the relative merit of individual mixed-ancestry indicators among adolescents.

Burden of Proof in International Courts and Tribunals

The rule on the burden of proof is a permanent feature of international adjudication, and plays a potentially significant role in the outcome of disputes. Fundamental principles underlying the rule on burden of proof include the need to maintain the fairness of adjudication though a rough equality of the parties and the need to ensure relative certainty for litigants. International courts and tribunals’ articulation of the rule largely recognises the importance of certainty, leaving problems relating to fairness to be addressed at the stage of the application of the rule through such mechanisms as the prima facie case approach. However a number of concerns arise relating to the scope for the arbitrary exercise of judicial power in the application of the rule. These concerns include the need for establishing a standard or standards of proof in international law, and the need for greater clarity regarding the classification of the substantive rules governing a dispute as general rules or exceptions respectively. More certainty regarding the allocation of the burden of proof in compliance proceedings would also be helpful. There is scope for optimism regarding future evolution in relation to the rule on burden of proof, as the multiple sources of the rule endow it with a special capacity for development.

Statistical Features of Short-Period and Long-Period Near-Source Ground Motions

Abstract This study collects recorded ground motions from the near-source region of large earthquakes and considers to what extent this historic record can inform expectations of future ground motions at similar sites. The distribution of observed peak ground acceleration (PGA) is well approximated by the lognormal distribution, and we expect the observed distribution to remain unchanged with the addition of data from future earthquakes. However, the distribution of peak ground displacements (PGD) will likely change after a well-recorded large earthquake. Specifically we expect future observations of PGD greater than those previously recorded. We use seismic scaling relations to motivate the expected distribution of PGD as uniform on the logarithmic scale, or at least fat-tailed. Because PGA does not scale with fault rupture area or slip on the fault, there are no such scaling relations to predict the observed distribution of PGA. The observed records show that there is essentially no correlation between PGD and PGA for near-source ground motions from large events. The large uncertainty in a future value of PGD in the near-source region of a large earthquake exists despite the ability of Earth scientists to accurately model long-period ground motions. In contrast, the relative certainty in a future value of PGA exists despite the inability to model short-period ground motions reliably. The stability of the observed distribution of PGA with respect to new ground-motion records enables us to predict the distribution of future PGA and to calculate the probability of exceeding the largest recorded PGA.

AMI observations of Lynds dark nebulae: further evidence for anomalous cm-wave emission

Observations at 14.2 to 17.9 GHz made with the AMI Small Array towards fourteen Lynds Dark Nebulae with a resolution of 2' are reported. These sources are selected from the SCUBA observations of Visser et al. (2001) as small angular diameter clouds well matched to the synthesized beam of the AMI Small Array. Comparison of the AMI observations with radio observations at lower frequencies with matched uv-plane coverage is made, in order to search for any anomalous excess emission which can be attributed to spinning dust. Possible emission from spinning dust is identified as a source within a 2' radius of the Scuba position of the Lynds dark nebula, exhibiting an excess with respect to lower frequency radio emission. We find five sources which show a possible spinning dust component in their spectra. These sources have rising spectral indices in the frequency range 14.2--17.9 GHz. Of these five one has already been reported, L1111, we report one new definite detection, L675, and three new probable detections (L944, L1103 and L1246). The relative certainty of these detections is assessed on the basis of three criteria: the extent of the emission, the coincidence of the emission with the Scuba position and the likelihood of alternative explanations for the excess. Extended microwave emission makes the likelihood of the anomalous emission arising as a consequence of a radio counterpart to a protostar or a proto-planetary disk unlikely. We use a 2' radius in order to be consistent with the IRAS identifications of dark nebulae (Parker 1988), and our third criterion is used in the case of L1103 where a high flux density at 850 microns relative to the FIR data suggests a more complicated emission spectrum.

The New Waste Directive — Trying to Do it All… An Early Assessment

At the heart of ongoing debate over Community waste policy (and thus its regulatory form) is an unclear message about its goals, which include both ‘preventing’ and ‘regulating’ waste and, after a new Directive, maintaining high environmental standards for the use of resources generally. This article asks whether the new Directive is likely to resolve the tension that arises in determining which of these goals takes priority, or whether it perpetuates it. It answers this question by analysing the changes introduced by the 2008 Waste Directive and by examining its goals and the legal issues that arise from the Directive's efforts to clarify, simplify and reorient the provisions of previous Waste Directives. The article concludes that the new Waste Directive is broadly and overly ambitious, at the expense of clarity concerning its goals and certainty in relation to its regulatory provisions. In short, there is a lot to digest in legally understanding and appraising the new Directive.