Strong Reasons Research Articles

Acting Out

Abstract When is it morally permissible for performers to portray characters from marginalized groups of which they are not a member? Although this question is philosophically underexplored, it has been commanding increasing attention in the public sphere, especially with respect to straight performers portraying queer characters. While the demand for increasing self-representation from marginalized communities is laudable, we argue that demanding performers to disclose their social identity is, in general, morally counterproductive. We make our case by focusing on recent instances where fans demanded that a performer disclose their sexual orientation, putting vulnerable performers in a harmful trilemma. In short, it will force many to either out themselves against their will, subject themselves to intense public backlash by taking the role without outing themselves, or forgo taking a role they want and at which they would excel. Instead, we propose that performers have a general (epistemic) obligation to learn about what their characters’ corresponding real-world experiences would plausibly be like, representing what they learned in their performances. We will argue that meeting this obligation typically entails learning about the values, broadly construed, of the community in question. If we are right, there is not even a general obligation that performers only take roles that correspond to their own social identity. Just as importantly, there is a strong moral reason not to demand that performers disclose aspects of their social identity in order to take on a role.

A pedagogical evaluation of an institution's digital assessment platform (DAP): Integrating pedagogical, technical and contextual factors

An assessment for learning approach is foundational for student learning. The necessity to shift teaching and learning online as a response to COVID-19 has propelled digital assessment into the mainstream within higher education institutions. User experience is a common indicator of effectiveness of technologically enhanced initiatives; however, measuring the pedagogical impact of digital assessment initiatives has not been straightforward. This paper presents a pedagogical evaluation, incorporating staff and student perspectives, of a digital assessment platform (DAP) at a large Australian metropolitan university. Data were collected using surveys, interviews, focus groups and case studies and incorporated findings from student evaluations of courses and a student-staff partnership project. Results highlight strong pedagogical reasons for continuing the digital assessment initiative, while also identifying constraints and opportunities for improvement. The insights generated through this evaluation emphasise the importance of considering technical, pedagogical and contextual factors and the interplay between the factors. In a quality assurance climate, where the demand for this type of institution-wide evaluation is increasing, this study contributes an approach that addresses some of the complexities and challenges of evaluating digital assessment initiatives in higher education. Future research is needed to understand more fully the relationships between pedagogical and contextual factors when undertaking an evaluation. Implications for practice or policy: The DAP enabled the (re)design of authentic, inclusive, engaging and secure assessment tasks. Educator support is critical in learning the system and creating assessment with high pedagogical merit. Student familiarisation opportunities with using the DAP are beneficial. The DAP’s longevity within the institution is crucial considering the significant effort required of educators and students. Contextual influences blur understanding of pedagogical factors.

Flight Arrival Scheduling via Large Language Model

The flight arrival scheduling problem is one of the critical tasks in air traffic operations, aiming to ensure that the flight arrive in the correct sequence safely. Existing methods primarily focus on the terminal area and often overlook the presence of training flight at the airport. Due to the limited generalization of traditional methods and varying control practices at different airports, training flight at airports still rely on manual control for arrival sorting. To effectively address these issues, we propose a novel method for slot allocation that leverages the strong reasoning capabilities and generalization potential of large language models (LLMs). Our method conceptualizes the dynamic scheduling problem for training flight as a language modeling problem, a perspective not previously explored. Specifically, we represent the allocator’s inputs and outputs as language tokens, utilizing LLMs to generate conflict-free results based on a language description of requested landing information and assigned training flight information. Additionally, we employ a reset strategy to create a small dataset for scenario-specific samples, enabling LLMs to quickly learn allocation schemes from the dataset. We demonstrated the capability of LLMs in addressing time conflicts by evaluating metrics such as answer accuracy, conflict rate, and total delay time (without the wrong answer). These findings underscore the feasibility of employing LLMs in the field of air traffic control.

Signatures of bulk neutrinos in the early Universe

Neutrino masses and quantum gravity are strong reasons to extend the standard model of particle physics. A large extra dimension can be motivated by quantum gravity and can explain the small neutrino masses with new singlet states that propagate in the bulk. In such a case, a Kaluza-Klein tower of sterile neutrinos emerges. We revisit constraints on towers of sterile neutrinos that come from cosmological observables such as the effective number of noninteracting relativistic species and the dark matter density. These limits generically rule out micron-sized extra dimensions. We explore the weakening of these constraints to accommodate an extra dimension close to the micron size by assuming that the Universe is reheated after inflation to a low temperature. We discuss how such a possibility can be distinguished in the event of a positive signal in a cosmological observable. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Minimising the rate of vascular complications in Deep Brain Stimulation surgery for the management of Parkinson’s disease: a single-centre 600-patient case series

ObjectivesDeep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is an effective, yet underused therapy for people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD) in whom tremor, motor fluctuations and/or dyskinesia are not satisfactorily controlled by oral...

Application of AI-empowered scenario-based simulation teaching mode in cardiovascular disease education

BackgroundCardiovascular diseases present a significant challenge in clinical practice due to their sudden onset and rapid progression. The management of these conditions necessitates cardiologists to possess strong clinical reasoning and individual competencies. The internship phase is crucial for medical students to transition from theory to practical application, with an emphasis on developing clinical thinking and skills. Despite the critical need for education on cardiovascular diseases, there is a noticeable gap in research regarding the utilization of artificial intelligence in clinical simulation teaching.ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate the effect and influence of AI-empowered scenario-based simulation teaching mode in the teaching of cardiovascular diseases.MethodsThe study utilized a quasi-experimental research design and mixed-methods. The control group comprised 32 students using traditional teaching mode, while the experimental group included 34 students who were instructed on cardiovascular diseases using the AI-empowered scenario-based simulation teaching mode. Data collection included post-class tests, “Mini-CEX” assessments, Clinical critical thinking scale from both groups, and satisfaction surveys from experimental group. Qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews.ResultsResearch shows that compared with traditional teaching models, AI-empowered scenario-based simulation teaching mode significantly improve students’ performance in many aspects. The theoretical knowledge scores(P < 0.001), clinical operation skills(P = 0.0416) and clinical critical thinking abilities of students(P < 0.001) in the experimental group were significantly improved. The satisfaction survey showed that students in the experimental group were more satisfied with the teaching scene(P = 0.008), Individual participation(P = 0.006) and teaching content(P = 0.009). There is no significant difference in course discussion, group cooperation and teaching style of teachers(P > 0.05). Additionally, the qualitative data from the interviews highlighted three themes: (1) Positive new learning experience, (2) Improved clinical critical thinking skills, and (3) Valuable suggestions and concerns for further improvement.ConclusionThe AI-empowered scenario simulation teaching Mode plays an important role in the improvement of clinical thinking and skills of medical undergraduates. This study believes that the AI-empowered scenario simulation teaching mode is an effective and feasible teaching model, which is worthy of promotion in other courses.

Satisfaction Level of Medical Tourism Services Based on Classified Factors - A Discriminatory Approach

Medical tourism has the potential to promote high-class learning, well equipped human resources, flattering visa policies, nations’ charisma, and sound flourished infrastructure facilities available in the nation. Countries have recognized this opportunity as a means in support of overall communal and economic upliftment. More governments are valuing these advantages and developing plans and policies for the sector as a result, WTTC states that by means of the appropriate policies, guidance and regulation mechanisms, medical tourism can achieve sustainable growth among the developed and developing nations. With a sample of 600 respondents, the data related to satisfaction in the medical tourism services is directly observed at the hospitals from the International Patients in the six states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telungana, Andhrapradesh, and Pondicherry. Data collected are compiled for the analytical purpose and the hypothesis is framed with regard to the opinion of the patients regarding various facilities and services offered and their satisfaction level towards the medical tourism services. In this present study, the Canonical Discriminate statistics was successfully employed for identifying the satisfaction over various reasons for preferring the medical tourism services in India. The outcome of the study is the classification of different groups under the satisfaction derived from the medical tourism services of four continuous variables are assigned and they are general reasons, treatment reason, cost reason, and sources reason with all 600 respondents. Findings reveal that Treatment Factor is the strong reason contributing towards the construction of low satisfaction group, followed by general reasons. The study highlights that cost is the least reason for low level satisfaction and reveals that cost of medical tourism services are nominal in India.

Strong reasons make strong actions: What Shakespeare’s ‘King John’ can teach us about the Internet of Things

The rapid proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices in modern societies brings forth unprecedented opportunities for convenience and connectivity but also poses significant cyber security challenges. This paper examines the risks associated with these devices and the regulatory frameworks governing them in key regions including the US, the EU, China and India. Through a comprehensive analysis, it becomes evident that while efforts are being made to address IoT cyber security concerns, discrepancies in approaches and regulations hinder global harmonisation and create obstacles for industry compliance. Drawing from insights into existing cyber security frameworks and industry practices, the paper proposes actionable recommendations to enhance consumer IoT cyber security. These recommendations include defining baseline security requirements, promoting expertise within IoT workforces, advocating for the independent involvement of conformity assessment bodies (CABs), leveraging the quality infrastructure ecosystem, and launching an international awareness campaign. By implementing these measures, stakeholders can foster a safer and more secure IoT environment, mitigating the risks posed by cyber threats and ensuring the trust and resilience of connected devices. As society continues to navigate the complexities of IoT adoption, it is imperative to recognise the urgency of addressing cyber security challenges. By heeding the lessons from Shakespeare’s ‘King John’ — ‘Strong reasons make strong actions’ — and taking decisive steps to fortify IoT cyber security, we can safeguard individuals, businesses and critical infrastructure from the evolving threat landscape.

Tense-Logic and the Revival of Philosophical Theology

The article discusses Nicholas Wolterstorff’s explanations for the flourishing of philosophical theology in analytic philosophy by taking Arthur Norman Prior’s (1914–1969) development of tense-logic into account. Prior’s work challenged the prevailing anti-metaphysical norms in analytic philosophy and introduced an alternative understanding of the relationship between logic and metaphysics. Prior’s application of tense-logic to an analysis of the concept of existence in quantified tense-logic and his exploration of future contingency in branching time semantics provide a strong reason for why analytic philosophy naturally incorporates philosophical theology. These considerations lead us to modify Wolterstorff’s emphasis on the importance of meta-epistemology for the resurgence of philosophical theology. A development in logic was necessary. Furthermore, Prior’s importance questions the assumption that philosophical theology was a consequence of theistic philosophers seeking ways to defend theistic beliefs in analytic philosophy. This is not true for Prior. His invention of tense-logic and discussion of omniscience was driven by an existential interest in finding answers to philosophical problems concerning divine foreknowledge and human freedom which ultimately led him to reject his Christian beliefs.

When Avoidance Backfires: Interracial Officer-Citizen Dyads and the Consequences for Fleeing Suspects

Research suggests that Black citizens who experience an elevated fear of law enforcement frequently engage in avoidance strategies, such as fleeing, when confronted by police. There is also strong reason to speculate that this avoidance behavior commonly transpires when the police officer is White. Problematically, this avoidance strategy may place these citizens at an increased risk for officer use of force as the police seek to subdue fleeing suspects. The current study uses data drawn from the Evaluation of Less-Lethal Technologies on Police Use-of-Force project and a series of logistic regression equations and mediation analysis to determine whether Black suspects are more apt to flee from White police officers than other officer-suspect racial dyads and, because of this fleeing behavior, have a greater likelihood of experiencing force. After controlling for a variety of salient factors, results indicate support for this scenario. Policy implications are discussed. Plain language title When Avoidance Backfires: Mixed-Race Officer-Citizen Contacts and What Happens When Suspects Run From Police

Exit, or Voice? A Quantitative Investigation of Out Migration Intentionality From Venezuela

Executive Summary Why some residents around the world facing chronic and acute stressors seek to exit their home communities while others do not, remains an unanswered question. People living in Venezuela face poverty, inflation, and food shortages and hold strong reasons to seek life elsewhere. Using a new survey of 100 residents in two communities in Venezuela — Santa Rita and Maracaibo — we qualitatively and quantitatively capture the intention to leave a failing state along a variety of potential explanatory characteristics at the individual and environmental levels. Testing the relationship with several sets of factors, including social capital, access to critical infrastructure, and anxiety about the political and economic environment, we find that optimism and access to electricity strongly correlate with intention to depart. Venezuelans who hold positive views of the future and have more regular access to electricity indicate less desire to emigrate, while individual and communal resources like social capital and individual resources like access to US dollars have no measurable impact. These findings bring with them important policy recommendations for NGOs and policymakers alike. Policies that promote optimism and psychological well-being within communities may indirectly contribute to reducing emigration intentions. Moreover, policymakers should be aware of the limits of bonding ties in helping communities experiencing multidimensional shocks. Our findings also point to the limited effectiveness of external resources in fostering a desire to stay and improve local conditions, and instead reinforce the importance of critical conditions at home.

EDUCATION FOR MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN IN A FAMILY WITH AN ISLAMIC EDUCATION PERSPECTIVE

Mental retardation is a condition of children whose intelligence is far below the average and is characterized by limited intelligence and incompetence in social communication. Islam views children with mental retardation as entities that must be considered for several strong reasons. The most basic is in the name of humanity. One fact that cannot be forgotten is that they are both creatures of God who must be respected. Moreover, the mentally retarded child is also a human being glorified by God. Mentally retarded children also have the same degree and social status as normal children, so in Islamic education, there should be no inequality in obtaining the right to education. This study aims to determine that the family is the most important factor in the education of mentally retarded children. This research is naturalistic qualitative. Documentation, observation, and interviews are the methods used to collect data. The data analysis uses data reduction, data presentation, and verification. The results of this study indicate that the family becomes a model and habituation of good behavior in everyday life as a positive strategy for the education of mentally retarded children, The family also applies several pillars, one of which is the aspect of faith, the aspect of worship and the moral aspect as the basis for educating their children.

Risks to cybersecurity from data localization, organized by techniques, tactics and procedures

ABSTRACT The risks of data localization to cybersecurity – organizational effects”, we provided a framework for the risks of data localization to cybersecurity, finding that 13 of 14 ISO 27002 controls would be negatively affected by the localization of personal data. This paper complements that analysis, focusing on the techniques, tactics and procedures (TTPs) of threat actors and defenders. Using the ENISA Guidelines and the MITRE ATT&CK Framework as authoritative approaches for cataloguing relevant TTPs, we highlight three important tactics that defenders use for cybersecurity purposes – threat hunting; privilege-escalation attack; and red teaming/pen testing. These three categories, considered essential to a mature cybersecurity programme, would routinely require cybersecurity defenders to access personal data that would be restricted by current data localization laws and proposals. The paper then provides a quantitative model illustrating the effects of data localization, finding that halving the number of IP addresses available to a defender would more than double the likely time until a new attack was detected. The paper concludes by noting that until and unless the proponents of localization address the unintended effects of data localization, scholars, policymakers and practitioners have strong reason to expect significant cybersecurity harms from hard localization requirements.

Milton Friedman and nominal income targeting

AbstractFor much of his career, Milton Friedman advocated a constant monetary growth rule to limit central bank discretion and to achieve long‐term price stability. By contrast, Friedman wrote little on nominal income stabilization as an alternative goal for monetary policy. Nevertheless, a careful examination of Friedman's work shows that in his view the desirability of a constant monetary growth rule depended on its ability to stabilize nominal income. Friedman's preference for simple rules, requiring minimal knowledge on the part of central banks, would have given him strong reason to support nominal income targeting over central banks' standard practice of inflation targeting. Several strategies for achieving a nominal income target are considered, including a modified Taylor rule and several monetary base rules.

Lies are assertions and presuppositions are not

ABSTRACT Most philosophers agree that lies are assertions. Most also agree that to presuppose information is different from asserting it. In a series of papers, Viebahn [2020. “Lying with Presuppositions.” Noûs 54 (4): 731–751; “The Lying-Misleading Distinction: A Commitment-Based Approach.” Journal of Philosophy 118 (6): 298–319], along with an empirical study in Viebahn et al. [2021. “Can a Question be a lie? An Empirical Investigation.” Ergo 8 (7): 175–217], has recently argued that one can lie with presuppositions, and therefore one can assert that p by presupposing that p. The latter conclusion is a rejection of a cornerstone of modern philosophy of language and linguistics, and as such we should require strong reasons for accepting it. I argue here that the reasons for thinking that presuppositions can be lies are too weak to motivate giving up either the view that lies are assertions or the traditional distinction between presuppositions and assertions.

ANALISIS KORELASI ANTARA SUDUT SIMPANGAN DAN WAKTU RATAAN PADA BANDUL FISIS DENGAN LATIN SQUARE DESIGN

This study aims to examine the relationship between the angle of deviation and the average time length of a physical pendulum. This study uses primary data, namely practicum report data in a physics laboratory. Data collection was conducted under closed conditions with control variables (shaft length, number of oscillations, and radius of gyration) and dependent variables (angle of deviation and average time). The analysis technique used is a statistical approach technique, namely Latin Square Design analysis. The findings of this study indicate that the variables of deviation angle and average time on the physical pendulum have a strong and unidirectional correlation relationship. This result is evident from the value of F0 &gt; Fcritical and the value of Pr (&gt; P) &gt; 0, 05(significant level) where both of these prove that there is a strong reason to reject H0 which means that there is at least 1 difference in the effect of the angle of deviation on the average time. It shows that the angle of deviation affects the average time of the physical pendulum

Electrochemical and Kinetic Analysis of Manganese Electrolytes for Redox Flow Batteries

The hybrid hydrogen-manganese redox flow battery (H2-Mn RFB) is a promising and sustainable electrochemical system for long-duration energy storage. One strong reason is the excellent features of manganese, such as low cost, abundance, environmental friendliness, and relatively high standard potential (+1.51 V). Nevertheless, the electrochemical and kinetic parameters of manganese electrolytes have not been studied in detail for flow batteries. In the present work, the kinetics of the Mn2+/Mn3+ redox species in an electrolyte composed of 1M TiOSO4 and 1M MnSO4 in 3M H2SO4 were studied on carbon paper electrodes. The kinetic analysis of manganese redox species (Mn2+/Mn3+) in the presence of TiO2+ was performed using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques within the H2-Mn RFB set-up. The results were compared to reference redox species vanadium (VO2+/VO2 +) within H2-V RFB system. The results showed that the heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (8.6 × 10−7 cm s−1) of manganese is comparable to that of vanadium (4.8 × 10−6 cm s−1), with less than an order of magnitude difference between them.

Knowledge and the Aesthetics of Nature

Abstract Conceptualism in natural aesthetics takes knowledge of natural objects to be necessary for their appropriate appreciation. Concentrating on animals, I explore a particular version of conceptualism – functionalism – in light of debates about the effects of cognition on perception - so-called ‘cognitive penetration of perception.’ I establish the claims about cognitive penetration to which functionalism is committed, and assess the implications of its assumptions for the normative claim that functional appreciation is most appropriate to nature. I argue that functionalism has not yet provided strong reasons for thinking that knowledge affects perception in the relevant ways, and in ways required by its normative claims.

Tinjauan Yuridis Terhadap Putusnya Hubungan Perkawinan Akibat Perceraian yang Disebabkan oleh Perilaku Gemar Berjudi Ditinjau Berdasarkan Undang-Undang Perkawinan dan Hukum Islam

Divorce represents the dissolution of the marital bond between husband and wife within a household. Divorce can only occur when there are strong reasons justifying the decision. One reason that can lead to divorce, according to the Marriage Law and the Compilation of Islamic Law (KHI), is due to one party's addiction to gambling. This is reflected in the Batam Religious Court Decision Number 150/Pdt.G/2022/PA.Batam. This study aims to understand and analyze gambling as a reason for divorce, as well as the legal protection for the wife in a divorce caused by her husband's gambling addiction, based on the Marriage Law and the Compilation of Islamic Law (KHI). This research employs a normative juridical approach with descriptive analytical specifications. The research methods used in this study include library research and field research through interviews. The data analysis method employed is qualitative juridical analysis. The research results indicate that, first, the lawsuit in the Batam Religious Court Decision Number 150/Pdt.G/2022/PA.Batam is in accordance with the provisions of Article 19 letter a of the Government Regulation on the Implementation of the Marriage Law in conjunction with Article 116 letter a of the Compilation of Islamic Law (KHI). Second, as a preventive measure to protect the rights of the wife and children in a divorce caused by gambling addiction, the wife can include claims regarding custody and support for herself in the divorce petition. After the divorce decree is issued, the wife can also file a lawsuit regarding the division of marital property.

Tackling bisexual erasure: An explorative comparison of bisexual, gay and straight cisgender men’s body image

Previous body image research often grouped both gay and bisexual men into a single category: sexual minoritised men, limiting our understanding of how sexual identity influences body image. However, there is strong reason to believe that bisexual and gay men experience distinct body image concerns. Here, we explored motivations to alter one’s leanness and muscularity, as well as (dis)satisfaction with body fat, muscularity, height and penis size, and functionality appreciation across gay, bisexual, and straight cisgender men. We sampled 378 white participants aged 18 to 85 (nbisexual = 125, ngay = 128, nstraight = 125). We found that bisexual men were significantly less motivated to be lean and showed lower muscularity dissatisfaction relative to gay men but showed comparable levels to straight men. Our findings demonstrate that despite research perceiving the body image of bisexual and gay men as homogenous, they experience differences in their body image concerning leanness and muscularity dissatisfaction. Future body image research should incorporate this understanding by not artificially grouping bisexual and gay cisgender men and instead acknowledging the potential uniqueness in their experiences.