bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The epistemic consequences of pragmatic value-laden scientific inference
Authors: Kubiak Adam P. , Kawalec Paweł 
Published: May 2021

AbstractIn this work, we explore the epistemic import of the value-ladenness of Neyman-Pearson’s Theory of Testing Hypotheses (N-P) by reconstructing and extending Daniel Steel’s argument for the legitimate influence of pragmatic values on scientific inference. We focus on how to properly understand N-P’s pragmatic value-ladenness and the epistemic reliability of N-P. We develop an account of the twofold influence of pragmatic values on N-P’s epistemic reliability and replicability. We refer to these two distinguished aspects as “direct” and “indirect”. We discuss the replicability of experiments in terms of the indirect aspect and the replicability of outcomes in terms of the direct aspect. We argue that the influence of pragmatic values is beneficial to N-P’s epistemic reliability and replicability indirectly. We show that while the direct influence of pragmatic values can be beneficial, its negative effects on reliability and replicability are also unavoidable in some cases, with the direct and indirect aspects possibly being incongruent.
Hepatocellular cancer selection systems and liver transplantation: from the tower of babel to an ideal comprehensive score
Authors: Lerut Jan , Foguenne Maxime , Lai Quirino 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe Milan criteria (MC) remain the cornerstone for the selection of patients with hepatocellular cancer (HCC) to be listed for liver transplantation (LT). Recently, several expanded criteria have been proposed to increase the transplantability of HCC patients without compromising their (oncologic) outcome. This paper aims to systematically review the different reported HCC-LT selection systems looking thereby at their ability to increase the number of transplantable patients and the overall survival and oncological outcome. A systematic review of the literature covering the period 1993 (date of the first reported HCC-LT selection system)–2021 identified 59 different inclusion criteria of HCC for LT. Among the 59 studies reporting HCC-LT selection systems, 15 (28.3%) were exclusively based on morphological aspects of the tumor; 29 (54.7%) included biologic, seven (13.2%) radiological, and two (3.8%) only included pathological tumor features. Overall, 31% more patients could be transplanted when adhering to the new HCC-LT selection systems. Despite the increased number of LT, 5-year patient and disease-free survival rates were similar between MC-IN and MC-OUT/new HCC-LT-IN criteria. A careful extension of the inclusion criteria should allow many more patients to access a potentially curative LT without compromising their outcome. The development of a widely accepted “comprehensive” HCC-LT Score able to offer a fair chance of justified transplantation to more patients should become a priority within the liver transplant community. Further studies are needed to develop internationally accepted, expanded selection criteria for liver transplantation of HCC patients.
The Perception of Flood Risks: A Case Study of Babessi in Rural Cameroon
Authors: Buchenrieder Gertrud , Brandl Julian , Balgah Azibo Roland 
Published: May 2021

AbstractAlthough risk perception of natural hazards has been identified as an important determinant for sound policy design, there is limited empirical research on it in developing countries. This article narrows the empirical literature gap. It draws from Babessi, a rural town in the Northwest Region of Cameroon. Babessi was hit by a severe flash flood in 2012. The cross-disciplinary lens applied here deciphers the complexity arising from flood hazards, often embedded in contexts characterized by poverty, a state that is constrained in disaster relief, and market-based solutions being absent. Primary data were collected via snowball sampling. Multinomial logistic regression analysis suggests that individuals with leadership functions, for example, heads of households, perceive flood risk higher, probably due to their role as household providers. We found that risk perception is linked to location, which in turn is associated with religious affiliation. Christians perceive floods riskier than Muslims because the former traditionally reside at the foot of hills and the latter uphill; rendering Muslims less exposed and eventually less affected by floods. Finally, public disaster relief appears to have built up trust and subsequently reduced risk perception, even if some victims remained skeptical of state disaster relief. This indicates strong potential benefits of public transfers for flood risk management in developing countries.
Practical stability for Riemann–Liouville delay fractional differential equations
Authors: Agarwal Ravi , Hristova Snezhana , O’Regan Donal 
Published: May 2021

AbstractIn this paper, we study a system of nonlinear Riemann–Liouville fractional differential equations with delays. First, we define in an appropriate way initial conditions which are deeply connected with the fractional derivative used. We introduce an appropriate generalization of practical stability which we call practical stability in time. Several sufficient conditions for practical stability in time are obtained using Lyapunov functions and the modified Razumikhin technique. Two types of derivatives of Lyapunov functions are used. Some examples are given to illustrate the introduced definitions and results.
‘Ethics is transcendental’ (Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, 6.421)
Authors: FAIRHURST JORDI 
Published: May 2021

AbstractIn this paper I offer a novel interpretation of Wittgenstein's claim that ‘ethics is transcendental’ (TLP 6.421). Initially, I set out to offer said interpretation by resorting to both Wittgenstein's understanding of ethics and his understanding of the transcendentality of logic—which entails taking Wittgenstein as endorsing a Kantian understanding of the notion ‘transcendental’. This leads to the claim that ethics is transcendental insofar as it is the condition of a certain ethical experience. Nevertheless, this interpretation involves some inadequacies due to certain incompatibilities between theTractatus Logico-Philosophicusand the aforementioned Kantian understanding of the notion ‘transcendental’. I identify the peculiarities of Wittgenstein's understanding of the notion ‘transcendental’, and on this basis, I set forth a novel interpretation of 6.421. Specifically, I argue that ethics is transcendental insofar as it is internal to or constitutive of a certain mystical view: viewing the world sub specie aeterni as something valuable.
ON THE ELL FAMILY OF DISTRIBUTIONS WITH ACTUARIAL APPLICATIONS
Authors: Bhati Deepesh , Calderín-Ojeda Enrique 
Published: May 2021

AbstractIn this paper, a new three-parameter discrete family of distributions, the $r{\mathcal B}ell$ family, is introduced. The family is based on series expansion of the r-Bell polynomials. The proposed model generalises the classical Poisson and the recently proposed Bell and Bell–Touchard distributions. It exhibits interesting stochastic properties. Its probabilities can be computed by a recursive formula that allows us to calculate the probability function of the amount of aggregate claims in the collective risk model in terms of an integral equation. Univariate and bivariate regression models are presented. The former regression model is used to explain the number of out-of-use claims in an automobile insurance portfolio, by showing a good out-of-sample performance. The latter is used to describe the number of out-of-use and parking claims jointly. This family provides an alternative to other traditionally used distributions to describe count data such as the negative binomial and Poisson-inverse Gaussian models.
Evaluation of long-term law enforcement monitoring in a West African protected area
Authors: Afriyie Jerry Owusu , Asare Michael O. , Osei-Mensah Jones , Hejcmanová Pavla 
Published: May 2021

AbstractLaw enforcement in protected areas is critical for ensuring long-term conservation and achieving conservation objectives. In 2004, patrol-based monitoring of law enforcement was implemented in protected areas in Ghana. Here, we evaluate long-term trends and changes in patrol staff performance, and illegal activities, in the Kogyae Strict Nature Reserve. The assessment was based on ranger patrol-based monitoring data collected during January 2006–August 2017. Along the patrol routes, patrol officers recorded all encounters with illegal activities associated with hunting and capturing or harming of animals. Across all years, staff performance was lowest in 2006 as staff learned the system but increased in 2007 and peaked in 2010, the latter as a result of motivation of the patrol staff. After 2011, staff performance decreased, mainly because of the retirement of some patrol staff and insufficient logistical support for successful patrolling. Snares were the most commonly recorded indicators of illegal activity. Because their use is silent, poachers using snares are less likely to be detected than poachers using other forms of hunting. Long-term assessment of patrol-based monitoring data provides reliable information on illegal activities related to wildlife, to enable stakeholders to design effective measures for biodiversity conservation. Our assessment indicates that patrol staff performance in Kogyae is, at least partly, dependent on governmental or external support and incentives, in particular the provision of equipment and transport facilities.
Intergenerational contact and solidarity, inside and outside the family: patterns in Spain
Authors: Jiménez-Roger Beatriz , Sánchez Mariano 
Published: May 2021

AbstractAnalysis of intergenerational contact and solidarity patterns has generally focused on the family. However, the unprecedented co-existence of a high number of different generations raises the challenge to delve into how such patterns may develop inside and outside the family. To understand better intrafamilial and extrafamilial intergenerational contact and solidarity in Spain, three national surveys were initially studied using cross-tabulation tables and measures of association. Then, factor analysis and logistic regression of most recent data focused on explanatory variables behind two dimensions of intergenerational solidarity. Regarding intergenerational co-residence, the results point to a highly relevant difference between intrafamilial and extrafamilial habits. As regards regular, but non-residential, contact between the generations, two gaps have been identified. The first gap appears between family practices and non-family practices, with a significant and progressive reduction of the latter being detected. According to the second gap, while intergenerational contact drops outside the family, levels of intragenerational contact are comparable in both settings. In this context, patterns of associational and functional intergenerational solidarity towards older relatives and non-relatives have been identified, with age, distance, civil status and especially gender being the key explanatory variables. The paper argues that there is good reason to pay combined attention to both intrafamilial and extrafamilial forms of intergenerational contact and solidarity, something that has been done very little to date.
Inclusive conflict? Competitive clientelism and the rise of political violence
Authors: Raleigh Clionadh , Choi Hyun Jin , Wigmore-Shepherd Daniel 
Published: May 2021

AbstractConflict across African states has often been linked to ethnic-based biases in government, and exclusive policies. However, the domestic politics of developing states, and the elites who contest for power therein, have often been overlooked when explaining the patterns and risk of disorder and violence. We consider how African leaders practice politics in whom to represent, and at what level. These choices have consequences as how regimes accommodate political elites creates different competitive conditions which, in turn, create incentives and opportunities for political violence. Using a dataset on cabinet appointments over twenty years, we find that high levels of elite political inclusion and mal-apportionment in positions is consistently associated with increases in non-state violence. Power distribution levels among those groups included in senior positions account for more political violence than that which stems from exclusive politics.
Inverse kinematics of redundant manipulators with guaranteed performance
Authors: Guo Dongsheng , Li Aifen , Cai Jianhuang , Feng Qingshan , Shi Yang 
Published: May 2021

AbstractIn this paper, the inverse kinematics (IK) of redundant manipulators is presented and studied, where the performance of end-effector path planning is guaranteed. A new Jacobian pseudoinverse (JP)-based IK method is proposed and studied using a typical numerical difference rule to discretize the existing IK method based on JP. The proposed method is depicted in a discrete-time form and is theoretically proven to exhibit great performance in the IK of redundant manipulators. A discrete-time repetitive path planning (DTRPP) scheme and a discrete-time obstacle avoidance (DTOA) scheme are developed for redundant manipulators using the proposed method. Comparative simulations are conducted on a universal robot manipulator and a PA10 robot manipulator to validate the effectiveness and superior performance of the DTRPP scheme, the DTOA scheme, and the proposed JP-based IK method.
Ireland's takeover of private hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Mercille Julien , Turner Brian , Lucey Donnacha Seán 
Published: May 2021

AbstractIn Ireland, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a total of 230,599 cases of infection as on 20 March 2021, and 4323 deaths. Although the Irish hospital network has not been overwhelmed, it has faced pressures, with a total of 13,313 persons hospitalised, including 1402 admitted to the intensive care unit. Out of caution, in spring 2020, in anticipation of possible surges in hospitals in light of international experience, the Irish government reached an agreement with private hospitals to access their capacity for three months to alleviate pressure on the public system, as part of its comprehensive response to the pandemic. This piece analyses the agreement with private hospitals, based on the legally binding Heads of Terms of the agreement, which were signed by the parties, along with publicly reported details from media reports and Oireachtas (parliamentary) committee hearings. We argue that although the new relationship could, in theory, have paved the way to the nationalisation of the whole hospital system, in fact, the experiment is best interpreted as a lost opportunity to integrate and simplify Ireland's hospital system.
Strengthening the Paris Agreement by Holding Non-State Actors Accountable: Establishing Normative Links between Transnational Partnerships and Treaty Implementation
Authors: Streck Charlotte 
Published: May 2021

AbstractWhile the intergovernmental climate regime increasingly recognizes the role of non-state actors in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement (PA), the normative linkages between the intergovernmental climate regime and the non-state dominated ‘transnational partnership governance’ remain vague and tentative. A formalized engagement of the intergovernmental climate regime with transnational partnerships can increase the effectiveness of partnerships in delivering on climate mitigation and adaptation, thereby complementing rather than replacing government action. The proposed active engagement with partnerships would include (i) collecting and analyzing information to develop and prioritize areas for transnational and partnership engagement; (ii) defining minimum criteria and procedural requirements to be listed on an enhanced Non-state Actor Zone for Climate Action platform; (iii) actively supporting strategic initiatives; (iv) facilitating market or non-market finance as part of Article 6 PA; and (v) evaluating the effectiveness of partnerships in the context of the enhanced transparency framework (Article 13 PA) and the global stocktake (Article 14 PA). The UNFCCC Secretariat could facilitate engagement and problem solving by actively orchestrating transnational partnerships. Constructing effective implementation partnerships, recording their mitigation and adaptation goals, and holding them accountable may help to move climate talks from rhetoric to action.
Inferring the Evolution of a Large Earthquake From Its Acoustic Impacts on the Ionosphere
Authors: Inchin P. A. , Snively J. B. , Kaneko Y. , Zettergren M. D. , Komjathy A. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractWe investigate the possibility to constrain the evolution of the 2016 M7.8 Kaikoura earthquake evolution based on Global Positioning System signal‐derived ionospheric total electron content (TEC) perturbations, that represent plasma responses to infrasonic acoustic waves (IAWs) generated by surface motion. This earthquake exhibited unusual complexity and some first‐order aspects of its evolution remain unclear; for example, how and when the Papatea fault (PF) and the corresponding large surface deformation occurred. For various earthquake models, a seismic wave propagation code is used to simulate time‐dependent surface deformations, which then excite IAWs in a 3D compressible nonlinear atmospheric model, coupled with a 2D nonlinear multispecies ionospheric plasma dynamic model. Our preferred finite‐fault model reproduces the amplitudes, shapes, and time epochs of appearance of detected TEC perturbations well. Additionally, the incorporation of the PF, ruptured during the earthquake, results in the closest agreement between simulated and observed near‐zenith vertical TEC perturbations, whereas its absence shows significant discrepancy. This supports the hypothesis that the PF was ruptured during the Kaikoura earthquake. Furthermore, the IAWs and resulting ionospheric plasma disturbances contain additional information on the PF rupture progression, including the timing of initiation and propagation direction, indicating new opportunities to further constrain the PF rupture with low elevation angle “slant” TEC data. The results confirm the ability for TEC measurements to constrain evolutions of large crustal earthquakes to provide new insight beyond traditional seismic and geodetic data sets.
Characterizing the Occurrence and Spatial Heterogeneity of Liquid, Ice, and Mixed Phase Low‐Level Clouds Over the Southern Ocean Using in Situ Observations Acquired During SOCRATES
Authors: D'Alessandro John J. , McFarquhar Greg M. , Wu Wei , Stith Jeff L. , Jensen Jorgen B. , Rauber Robert M. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractSupercooled liquid water (SLW) and mixed phase clouds containing SLW and ice over the Southern Ocean (SO) are poorly represented in global climate and numerical weather prediction models. Observed SLW exists at lower temperatures than threshold values used to characterize its detrainment from convection in model parameterizations, and processes controlling its formation and removal are poorly understood. High‐resolution observations are needed to better characterize SLW over the SO. This study characterizes the frequency and spatial distribution of different cloud phases (liquid, ice, and mixed) using in situ observations acquired during the Southern Ocean Clouds, Radiation, Aerosol Transport Experiment Study. Cloud particle phase is identified using multiple cloud probes. Results show occurrence frequencies of liquid phase samples up to 70% between −20°C and 0°C and of ice phase samples up to 10% between −5°C and 0°C. Cloud phase spatial heterogeneity is determined by relating the total number of 1 s samples from a given cloud to the number of segments whose neighboring samples are the same phase. Mixed phase conditions are the most spatially heterogeneous from −20°C to 0°C, whereas liquid phase conditions from −10°C to 0°C and ice phase conditions from −20°C to −10°C are the least spatially heterogeneous. Greater spatial heterogeneity is associated with broader distributions of vertical velocity. Decreasing droplet concentrations and increasing number‐weighted mean liquid diameters occur within mixed phase clouds as the liquid water fraction decreases, possibly suggesting preferential evaporation of smaller drops during the Wegener‐Bergeron‐Findeisen process.
Quasi‐Periodic Variation of the Lower Equatorial Cloud Induced by Atmospheric Waves on Venus
Authors: Ando Hiroki , Takagi Masahiro , Sagawa Hideo , Sugimoto Norihiko , Sekiguchi Miho , Matsuda Yoshihisa 
Published: May 2021

AbstractA quasi‐periodic variation of the lower cloud amount induced by atmospheric waves was reproduced in our Venus general circulation model for the first time. This result agrees well with previous 2.3‐μm infrared nightside measurements. The cloud amount variation is mainly caused by a temperature fluctuation with a period of ∼5.5 Earth days near the cloud base, which is associated with a Kelvin‐like gravity wave with a zonal wavenumber‐1 structure. Our result might be able to explain the mechanism of the periodical variation of the brightness in the Venusian low‐latitudes shown by the previous 2.3‐μm infrared nightside measurements. It is also suggested that the temporal variation of the mass loading due to the temperature fluctuation is related to the abrupt appearance and disappearance of the large cloud particle (Mode 3) and explains the sharp discontinuity of the lower cloud found by the recent Akatsuki and ground‐based infrared nightside measurements.
Fluid Flow With Three Upstream Configurations in Freezing Tubes
Authors: Whitehead J. A. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe accumulation of frozen liquid around a central passageway of melt as it flows through a freezing region can make calculations very challenging. To both illustrate and to quantify some of these challenges from freezing, a model equation is developed. It simplifies the solution of Holmes (2007, https://gfd.whoi.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2018/03/MHolmesGFDReport_30151.pdf) for low Reynolds number single component liquid flow through a long tube that has a wall kept at subfreezing temperature. This model equation is used in conjunction with three different upstream configurations, each with parameters expressing their behavior. Analytical and numerical results give the parameters that have criteria for: the freezing of a compressible upstream reservoir that includes oscillatory behavior; the freezing of flow fed through a constriction with a large upstream pressure, just like a dripping water faucet during winter; the evolution of flow in multiple tubes connected by an upstream manifold, where some tubes end up with full flow and others freeze shut. Numerical runs with 1,000 tubes give a formula for the spacing between actively flowing (non‐frozen) tubes over wide ranges of the two upstream parameters (flow rate and manifold resistance). Results have implications in various areas in earth science. Some are: oscillatory and freezing shut criteria for flow of magma from a compressible region, a criterion for wintertime ice accumulation at natural springs, and the spacing between volcanos.