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When sharing information and opinions about products, services, and experiences, communicators often use either past or present tense (e.g. "That restaurant was great" or "That restaurant is great"). Might such differences in verb tense shape communication's impact, and if so, how? A multimethod investigation, including eight studies conducted in the field and lab, demonstrates that using present (vs. past) tense can increase persuasion. Natural language processing of over 500,000 online reviews in multiple product and service domains, for example, illustrates that reviews that use more present tense are seen as more helpful and useful. Follow-up experiments demonstrate that shifting from past to present tense increases persuasion and illustrate the underlying process through both mediation and moderation. When communicators use present (rather than past) tense to express their opinions and experiences, it suggests that they are more certain about what they are saying, which increases persuasion. These findings shed light on how language impacts consumer behavior, highlight how a subtle, yet central linguistic feature shapes communication, and have clear implications for persuasion across a range of situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sentiment analysis has fundamentally changed marketers' ability to assess consumer opinion. Indeed, the measurement of attitudes via natural language has influenced how marketing is practiced on a day-to-day basis. Yet recent findings suggest that sentiment analysis's current emphasis on measuring valence (i.e., positivity or negativity) can produce incomplete, inaccurate, and even misleading insights. Conceptually, the current work challenges sentiment analysis to move beyond valence. The authors identify the certainty or confidence of consumers' sentiment as a particularly potent facet to assess. Empirically, they develop a new computational measure of certainty in language—the Certainty Lexicon—and validate its use with sentiment analysis. To construct and validate this measure, the authors use text from 11.6 million people who generated billions of words, millions of online reviews, and hundreds of thousands of entries in an online prediction market. Across social media data sets, in-lab experiments, and online reviews, the authors find that the Certainty Lexicon is more comprehensive, generalizable, and accurate in its measurement compared with other tools. The authors also demonstrate the value of measuring sentiment certainty for marketers: certainty predicted the real-world success of commercials where traditional sentiment analysis did not. The Certainty Lexicon is available at www.CertaintyLexicon.com. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single pixel imaging (SPI) shows great potential in encryption by its indirect imaging mechanism. However, there appears to be room for further exploration in the corresponding cryptanalysis. Current studies primarily rely on straightforward end‐to‐end cryptanalysis of plain‐ciphertext pairs, ignoring the fundamental SPI optical path. As a result, the effectiveness of most attacks depends on the training data and the design of network, triggering low certainty and confidence. In this study, an alternative model is proposed to attack multiple SPI encrypting methods based on chosen plaintext attack framework, where arbitrary plaintexts can be encrypted as ciphertexts for cryptanalysis. In terms of the basic SPI setup, it is found that no matter how complicated the patterns are encrypted, the linear relationship between encrypted patterns and intensity always maintain. Thus, specifically, the ciphertext is first differentialized to derive encrypted patterns. By further reconstructing the pixel correlation of these derived patterns, deep learning is employed to correct them. Ultimately, the cracked patterns are used to decrypt plaintexts by conventional correlation. The experiments demonstrate that this method possesses a certain degree of reusability in the SPI encryption with linear propagating characteristic, like pattern‐encrypting class, demonstrating potential for the indirect optical encryption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractSiegel claimed that teachers are obliged to provide grounds whenever demanded, as a result of which they must be able to subject to scrutiny whatever they teach. In this paper, however, and taking as a reference Wittgenstein’s On Certainty, it is shown that such a demand cannot work for second language teachers because their main task consists in transmitting ungrounded certainties. To clarify this point, I begin by presenting Wittgenstein’s conception of ‘certainty’, and explaining why I think he was right to provide examples of teachers who refuse to answer their students’ doubts concerning certainties. Thereafter, I analyze two kinds of grounds – i.e. historical and practical – with which a second language teacher might reply to the students’ queries about the certainties that he aims to transmit to them. This will enable me to reveal the consequences of such replies and, by extension, the scenario that would result from allowing students to decide whether they accept whatever is taught to them. In this way, I will show not only that Siegel’s demand is unfeasible, but also why second language teaching provides a clear example that the acquisition of certainties constitutes a final goal in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Methods Results Conclusion To characterise typical practices in conducting and reporting umbrella reviews in paediatrics.PubMed database was searched for umbrella reviews focusing on children (0–18 years) published from 1 January 2020 to 15 June 2024, regardless of the speciality. The included studies were assessed for reporting practices, result summarisation and critical appraisal methods.Ninety‐nine eligible umbrella reviews were included, of which 49 focused on interventions and 50 focused on epidemiology. The median number of included reviews in the umbrella reviews was 18 (range = 3–302), and statistical synthesis was performed in 32 studies. The most frequently used tool for critical appraisal of the included reviews was the updated Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR‐2) tool (n = 56); the original AMSTAR‐1 tool was used in seven reviews, and the Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews tool was used in 12 reviews. Evidence certainty was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework in 14 reviews and by the Ioannidis criteria in 18 reviews.Umbrella reviews have heterogeneous characteristics in terms of reporting practices. Greater adherence to guidelines on conducting and reporting umbrella reviews is needed, particularly for improving critical appraisal methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT In this paper, we identify and explain three kinds of bedrock in moral thought. The term “bedrock,” as introduced by Wittgenstein in §217 of the Philosophical Investigations, stands for the end of a chain of reasoning. We affirm that some chains of moral reasoning do indeed end with certainty. However, different kinds of certainties in morality work in different ways. In the course of systematizing the different types of certainties, we argue that present accounts of certainties in morality do not reflect their diversity. Our analysis yields three types of moral certainty: quasi‐undoubtable certain propositions, certain propositions, and transcendental certainties. We show that the first two types can, at least to some extent, be intelligibly doubted. Therefore, they do not possess the characteristics that would classify them as bedrock in the strictest sense. Transcendental certainties cannot likewise be doubted because they are rules that enable moral thinking. Thus, deviating from them is unintelligible. We shall argue that all three types reflect ways in which moral language games come to an end, while only one, transcendental certainties, displays the characteristic of being solid bedrock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although large numbers of robot chefs have entered the restaurant industry, most restaurants using robot chefs do not disclose this information to consumers. Traditionally, human chefs are not identified. Since previous studies have demonstrated that consumers are reluctant to accept food cooked by robot chefs, not disclosing the identity of robot chefs seems to be a strategy for restaurants to increase customer patronage. However, the long-term impact of non-disclosure chef identity before consumption decisions on robotic restaurant development remains unclear. This study focuses on an important sustainability metric—business ethics. The results show that although the disclosure timing of human chefs has no effect, disclosing robot chef identity after (vs. before) consumption decisions reduces consumer perceived ethicality and thus decreases continuance patronage intention (Study 1), even if consumers are satisfied with the quality of food consumed (Study 2). Deception feeling plays a mediating role (Study 2). In addition, when consumers' certainty of food quality before purchase is high, the robot chef identity disclosure timing will not affect consumer perceived ethicality (Study 3). This study extends research on robot chefs, robot ethics and signaling theory, and also provides implications for restaurant managers and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines a hitherto unreported use of the Gã Perfect gram termed the 'sequential perfect'. The sequential perfect represents a late stage of grammaticalization as it no longer conveys any aspectual information on its own, instead deriving its semantics from verbal categories in the prior discourse. It is primarily modal, being used for irrealis, habitual and iterative situations. It occurs in the non-initial clause of multiclausal constructions and signals that the event it marks is temporally posterior to another event. It also imparts the epistemic modal meanings of inevitability and certainty. I propose that these newer functions are developed from the core semantic components of change-of-state and completion. This involves grammaticalization via domain extension, where change-of-state within an event is extended to change between events. The investigation introduces a new pathway for grammaticalization of the perfect, which has implications for studies of the perfect and grammaticalization generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Are all food ingredients, dietary supplement ingredients and even foods, required to meet the same safety standards? Are they all equally safe? If so, then why do the various categories have different expressions describing their safety, such as "reasonable certainty of no harm" for food ingredients and "reasonable expectation of no harm" for dietary supplement ingredients? The basis for these different expressions is that they are not standards of safety, but standards of proof of safety. Just as in criminal vs. civil courts, the threshold for proving guilt or fault is different, so too are there differences between various categories of consumer products regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration. This manuscript describes the threshold requirements for each standard, as well as to the identity of the decision makers on what is safe, their credentials as decision makers and the databases mandated for their use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the emotional landscape of courtship and engagements in seventeenth-century Sweden. By using a framework by Illouz, understanding courtship as a cultural technique aimed at creating certainty in socially risky situations, the courtship of two women by one student is examined. The analysis moves from the intimate interactions of the couple to the family, the community and lastly the ecclesiastical and university authorities. The article shows that the main sources of uncertainty in the courtship process stemmed from procedural and ontological uncertainty—the order of courtship, the rituals of engagements and the significance of exchanged gifts were not clear, causing confusion and disruption in the courtship process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finding a combination between privacy and accountability in the online world is a challenge. Too little accountability supports problematic behaviour. Too little privacy undermines individual freedom and has a chilling effect. This paper describes the identity infrastructure of a new open source community platform called PubHubs. It combines local group conversations, via its own adaptation of Matrix, with proportional authentication of users, in local identity spaces. PubHubs thus achieves a combination of privacy and accountability. The technical core of the paper describes the cryptographic protocols for managing digital identities, via both personal attributes and local pseudonyms. Around this core, the roles of digital identities within the PubHubs platform are explained in functional terms, giving participants for instance more certainty about others in a conversation, or giving moderators new tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to show (1) that scepticism, in both its traditional forms and contemporary forms, poses no real threat to obtaining inferential empirical knowledge, even if such knowledge requires certainty and (2) that there are some significant lessons to be learned from the traditional sceptics about what constitutes a plausible argument for scepticism and how to obtain knowledge while avoiding dogmatism and (3) that contemporary scepticism is based on several serious mistakes about what is required to obtain empirical knowledge because it both conflates knowing with being dogmatic and inflates the requirements for obtaining empirical knowledge. I will focus on inferential empirical knowledge, rather than knowledge in general, in order to eliminate the necessity of defending one of the various responses to the problem of the regress of reasons. I will limit the discussion to inferential empirical knowledge because it has been the primary target of contemporary arguments for scepticism. I aim to show that we are justified in rejecting the sceptic’s arguments but that we should not be certain that the sceptic is wrong. I hope that it will become obvious that such a seemingly incoherent set of beliefs is part of the correct description of our epistemic position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Internationales Handelsrecht is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The effect of threats on endorsement of freedom has rarely been studied. Studies on hierarchy and uncertainty have implied that people may forsake freedom to gain certainty and control. The research described in this article aimed to test the idea that threats make people endorse freedom less because they make insecurity more salient, which in turn draws attention to the negative aspects of freedom. Two studies tested the hypothesis that threats will be negatively associated with endorsement of different freedoms. People indicated less endorsement of Positive Freedom (i.e., freedom to behave and autonomy) and Negative Freedom (i.e., freedom from interference and restrictions) after versus before the outbreak of COVID-19 (Study 1). Experimentally manipulated threats decreased endorsement of freedom through the perception that freedom is less positive and important (Study 2). These results suggest that even in a country like the United States, where freedom is greatly valued, threats can lessen people's endorsement of freedom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dybvig (1988a, 1988b) solves in a complete market setting the problem of finding a payoff that is cheapest possible in reaching a given target distribution ("cost-efficient payoff"). In the presence of ambiguity, the distribution of a payoff is, however, no longer known with certainty. We study the problem of finding the cheapest possible payoff whose worst-case distribution stochastically dominates a given target distribution ("robust cost-efficient payoff") and determine solutions under certain conditions. We study the link between "robust cost-efficiency" and the maxmin expected utility setting of Gilboa and Schmeidler (1989), as well as more generally in a possibly nonexpected robust utility setting. Specifically, we show that solutions to maxmin robust expected utility are necessarily robust cost-efficient. We illustrate our study with examples involving uncertainty both on the drift and on the volatility of the risky asset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we will describe the arguments to adopt a jurisprudence platform for scientific misconduct, we argue that this will increase the principle of legal certainty, improve procedures, and will promote scientific integrity in other, indirect ways. With the platform that we are currently setting up in the Netherlands as a motivating example, we finally also describe the prerequisites for such a platform, its contents as well as its value in the international context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractMathematics is often thought to have a unique association with certainty. The present study investigated a possible consequence of this association, namely that general conditionals are interpreted more deterministically in math than in other domains. To test this hypothesis, in two studies (Ns = 146 and 117), adults were presented general conditionals involving fictional categories in math and science and were asked to judge whether the conditionals were compatible with various frequencies of exceptions to them. Participants indicated that even rare exceptions (e.g., 1 exception per 99 confirming cases) would falsify a conditional (Studies 1 and 2), that a conditional could not be true and rare exceptions to it at the same time exist (Study 1), and that the truth of a conditional precluded the existence of even rare exceptions (Study 2), more when the conditionals involved math than science. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that mathematical context is particularly likely to elicit deterministic interpretations of general conditionals. Implications of the findings for theories of conditional reasoning, and for individual differences in conditional reasoning, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective Materials and Methods Results Conclusions Trial Registration Computer‐assisted implant surgery (CAIS) has been introduced as a tool to aid in reaching a more accurate implant position. The aim of this network meta‐analysis was to compare all the available CAIS techniques and obtain collective evidence on the method that offers the highest accuracy compared to freehand implant placement.Database search was done in PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane library in addition to extensive search in the gray literature and related systematic reviews, aiming to find clinical studies that compared any CAIS technique with another, or with freehand implant placement. The outcomes evaluated were angle, platform, and apex deviation. The search process ended on March 18, 2024.Thirty‐three studies were included. All CAIS techniques (static with partial or full guidance, dynamic with partial or full guidance, the combination of static and dynamic CAIS) showed significantly less deviation than freehand implant placement, except for the static CAIS with guidance for the pilot drill only. The combination of static and dynamic CAIS ranked best among all other methods. Based on the GRADE system, the certainty of evidence in the outcomes of the meta‐analysis was judged as low or moderate.The current study demonstrates that computer‐assisted implant surgery provides significantly higher accuracy in implant placement, with the combination of static and dynamic CAIS being the most precise. Nevertheless, future studies are needed, considering the different types, locations, and extents of edentulism in the analyzed investigations, as well as the necessity of obtaining stronger evidence.PROSPERIO number: CRD42023482030 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to evaluate the depth distortion and angular deviation of fully‐guided tooth‐supported static surgical guides (FTSG) in partially edentulous arches compared to partially guided surgical guides or freehand. Material and Methods: This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and was registered in the Open Science Framework (OSF). The formulated population, intervention, comparison, and outcome (PICO) question was: "In partially edentulous arches, what are the depth distortion and angular deviation of FTSG compared to partially guided surgical guides or freehand?" The search strategy involved four main electronic databases, and an additional manual search was completed in November 2023 by following an established search strategy. Initial inclusion was based on titles and abstracts, followed by a detailed review of selected studies, and clinical studies that evaluated the angular deviations or depth distortion in FTSG in partial arches, compared to partially guided surgical guides or freehand, were included. In FTSG, two surgical approaches were compared: open flap and flapless techniques, and two digital methods were assessed for surgical guide design with fiducial markers or dental surfaces. A qualitative analysis for clinical studies was used to assess the risk of bias. The certainty of the evidence was assessed according to the grading of recommendations, assessment, development, and evaluations (GRADE) system. In addition, a single‐arm meta‐analysis of proportion was performed to evaluate the angular deviation of freehand and FTSG. Results: Ten studies, published between 2018 and 2023, met the eligibility criteria. Among them, 10 studies reported angular deviations ranging from ‐0.32° to 4.96° for FTSG. Regarding FTSG surgical approaches, seven studies examined the open flap technique for FTSG, reporting mean angular deviations ranging from 2.03° to 4.23°, and four studies evaluated flapless FTSG, reporting angular deviations ranging from ‐0.32° to 3.38°. Six studies assessed the freehand surgical approach, reporting angular deviations ranging from 1.40° to 7.36°. The mean depth distortion ranged between 0.19 mm to 2.05 mm for open flap FTSG, and between 0.15 mm to 0.45 mm for flapless FTSG. For partially guided surgical guides, two studies reported angular deviations ranging from 0.59° to 3.44°. Seven studies were eligible for meta‐analysis, focusing on the FTSG in open flap technique, with high heterogeneity (I2 (95%CI) = 92.3% (88.7%–96.4%)). In contrast, heterogeneity was low in studies comparing freehand versus FTSG in open flap techniques (I2 (95%CI) = 21.3% (0.0%–67.8%)), favoring the FTSG surgical approach. Conclusion: In partially edentulous arches, FTSG systems exhibited less angular deviation than freehand and partially guided surgical guides. Flapless surgical approaches were associated with reduced angular deviation and depth distortion, suggesting a potential preference for the FTSG method in these procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we analyse conceptions of induction and certainty in Wolff and Crusius, highlighting their competing conceptions of physics. We discuss (i) the perspective of Wolff, who assigned induction an important role in physics, but argued that physics should be an axiomatic science containing certain statements, and (ii) the perspective of Crusius, who adopted parts of the ideal of axiomatic physics but criticized the scope of Wolff's ideal of certain science. Against interpretations that take Wolff's proofs in physics to be based on empirical statements that are probable, we show how inductively established statements, coupled with assumptions concerning the uniformity of nature, can be certain according to Wolff. We examine Crusius' little known work on physics and show that he attacked Wolff, arguing that many statements of physics are probable. We provide a discussion of the reception of methodological rules similar to Newton's Regulae Philosophandi, discussing different interpretations of such rules. We conclude by briefly hinting at how the debate between Wolff and Crusius provides historical context for understanding Kant's philosophy of natural science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reconstructs and defends Husserl's argument for the indubitability of the existence of the world as grounded in ultimate principles. Responding to criticisms about the feasibility of a Husserlian‐informed metaphysical cosmology, it offers a systematic account that explores the question of the world's existence at three distinct levels (factual‐empirical, eidetic, and transcendental), leading to a threefold characterization of the world. First, the obviousness of the world's existence serves as our point of departure. The analysis then moves from a conception of the world as (i) an ontic factum and pregiven ground of all theoretical and practical endeavors in the natural attitude, to a priori ontological considerations of (ii) the essence of "world in general." However, the insufficiency of both factual‐empirical and a priori investigations necessitates a further displacement of the analysis into the transcendental field of pure phenomena. In accordance with the fundamental principle of synthesis, the world is thus reconceived of as (iii) a phenomenological factum. In this context, the clarification of the existence of the world as both an irrational and a "rational" fact provides all the elements necessary to demonstrate the relative apodicticity and empirical indubitability of the world. This justifies our doxic certainty of the world's existence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay addresses a version of Jerome Frank's question – 'Are Judges Human?' – asking instead: are human judges necessary? It begins, in section II, by outlining the technological developments which inform the view that they are not and critically evaluates the juristic position that seemingly endorses it. That position is labelled 'technological evangelism' and it consists of three claims about law and adjudication: the certainty, determinacy and partiality claims. Section III shows that these three claims are utterly incompatible with what it calls standard and non-standard views of adjudication and law, while section IV considers some ways in which proponents of technological evangelism might try to reject standard and non-standard views. That section concludes that no plausible efforts have so far been made by technological evangelists to reject standard and non-standard views, and that those views therefore maintain their existing explanatory and normative priority. The overall conclusion of the essay is that technological evangelism is not a critical explanatory and normative engagement with law and adjudication as we know them, but an effort to replace them: not a game-changing intervention, but a game-ending one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Dead Past Growing Block theory of time—DPGB-theory—is the metaphysical view that the past and the present tenselessly exist, whereas the future does not, and that only the present hosts mentality, whereas the past lacks it and is, in this sense, dead. One main reason in favour of this view is that it is immune to the now-now objection or epistemic objection (which aims at undermining the certainty, within an A-theoretical universe, of being currently experiencing the objective present time). In this paper, I examine the additional arguments offered by P. Forrest and G. A. Forbes to back the DPGB-theory and show that they do not work. I also examine a proposal to rescue the DPGB-theory suggested by an anonymous reviewer for this journal and argue that it does not work either. Moreover, in line with D. Braddon-Mitchell and against Forbes, I argue that the DPGB-theory is indeed committed to the existence of zombies in the past. Being ad hoc and burdened by a very odd and counterintuitive ontological commitment, the DPGB-theory turns out to be rather unpalatable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employing inoculation theory as a theoretical framework, we conducted an independent-groups experiment (N = 150), comparing the effects of an inoculation treatment to a control condition and examining uncertainty as a mediator of inoculation effects. To test inoculation effectiveness, we used an excerpt from an anti-vaccination conspiracy film Vaxxed as a counterattitudinal attack message. The results indicated that inoculation roused motivational defenses to protect initial attitudes and, subsequently, was effective at conferring resistance to conspiracy propaganda. Furthermore, relative to the control condition, inoculation treatment decreased attitudinal uncertainty. Importantly, and as predicted, within the inoculation condition, attitudinal uncertainty emerged as a mediator of the resistance process: For inoculated participants, an increase in motivational threat to defend one's attitudes fostered by the inoculation treatment reduced uncertainty, and attitudinal certainty, subsequently, facilitated resistance against the message advocated in the conspiracy film, damaging to public health. These results have theoretical implications for research on inoculation and offer practical import for attempts at mitigating conspiratorial ideation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is fairly little research on using translation to advance pragmatic competence in learners of English and highlight how translation can advance cross-cultural pragmatic awareness in EFL. The study attempts to explore how audio-visual translation (AVT) can introduce cross-cultural pragmatics to Greek learners of English. The data derive from the animated film Inside Out (Pixar 2015). The study takes dubbed dialogues to be a target-oriented data set, with the subtitles as an intermediate, constrained type of transfer where pragmatic shifts may be least visible or not at all. The research uses (a) the positive/negative politeness distinction as manifested through interpersonal proximity/distance (Brown and Levinson 1978; Sifianou 1992; Yule 1996; Horn and Ward 2006), and (b) the un/certainty avoidance communication style (Hofstede, Hofstede, and Minkov 2010). The aim is to familiarize learners with the significance of cross-cultural pragmatic awareness and its use in EFL teaching and learning. Analysis of the data is followed by a questionnaire addressing bilingual participants who confirmed the findings of the study. Results show types of pragmatic variation across English and Greek: for instance, the subtitles showed less signs of positive politeness strategies and more uncertainty features, while dubbing manifested more positive politeness strategies and stronger uncertainty avoidance, i.e., in alignment with features of the target language. Findings allow learners to look beyond grammaticality, at the level of pragmatic preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the existence of Nash equilibrium in a discrete-time Markov stopping game with two players. At each decision point, Player II is faced with the choice of either ending the game and thus granting Player I a final reward or letting the game continue. In the latter case, Player I performs an action that affects transitions and receives a running reward from Player II. We assume that Player I has a constant and non-zero risk sensitivity coefficient, while Player II strives to minimize the utility of Player I. The effectiveness of decision strategies was measured by the risk-sensitive expected total reward of Player I. Exploiting mild continuity-compactness conditions and communication-ergodicity properties, we found that the value function of the game is described as a single fixed point of the equilibrium operator, determining a Nash equilibrium. In addition, we provide an illustrative example in which our assumptions hold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we tackle the widely held view that practice-oriented approaches to ethics are conservative, preserving the moral status quo, and, in particular, that they do not promote any (fundamental) change in our dealings with animals or formulate clear principles that help us to achieve such change. We shall challenge this view with reference to Wittgensteinian ethics. As a first step, we show that moral thought and action rest on basic moral certainties like: equals are to be treated equally and unequals unequally. We then explore the relations between this insight and the notion of the difficulty of reality elaborated by Cora Diamond. Our goal is to show that a Wittgensteinian-Diamondian approach to animal ethics is not necessarily morally conservative. Indeed, it offers a profound practice-oriented approach to animal ethics that is capable of promoting change in human dealings with animals because it is compatible with radical critique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Umsatzsteuer-Rundschau is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A new multiport DC–AC converter is proposed for standalone and off‐grid tied applications. The configuration converts power from DC to AC form in a single stage with suitable voltage gain. To increase the certainty of supporting power, the converter is designed to operate in four modes, including battery‐alone mode. The other advantage of the presented work is supplying the output power during unbalanced voltage conditions of the input ports. The advanced features of the converter for being used in standalone applications are related to the suitable placement and structure of the bidirectional port. In addition, the configuration is designed in a way to contain appropriate structural properties such as the existence of a common ground between the DC section and inverter, continuity of input currents, configured by an acceptable number of components, and low‐voltage stress on the DC–DC section's switches. Furthermore, it has an impedance network to protect the inverter's switches in a shoot‐through state. To confirm the converter advantages from the mentioned points of view, it has been compared with similar configurations. A prototype rated at 110 V is prepared to demonstrate the advantages of the converter performance per different conditions. The results of the steady‐state and transient experiments validate the suitability of the presented converter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract—Numerous publications have appeared in the literature describing a new seismo-electromagnetic effect—the appearance of magnetic pulses with a duration of 1–40 s, which are detected at distances up to ten thousand km a few minutes before earthquakes of even low magnitude. An assumption was made about the universality of the processes responsible for generation of pulsed precursors and the fundamental possibility of a short-term (a few minutes) warning of an approaching earthquake. In this article, the possibility of the occurrence of ultra-low-frequency pulses that precede seismic events with magnitudes M > 5.0 is studied based on the data from a network of induction magnetometers in the Far East. Pulsed disturbances occur regularly in the records by these highly sensitive magnetometers. Some pulses are observed synchronously at several stations, which excludes their origin from local noise. The spectral maximum of about 7–8 Hz of the oscillatory structure, which appears in many pulses, corresponds to the fundamental frequency of the Schumann resonator. A comparison of magnetic observations with data from the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) showed that some of the pulses were caused by lightning discharges in the 650 km vicinity of magnetic station. Although some of the impulses are observed immediately before earthquakes, their connection with seismic activity cannot be claimed with certainty. The calculation of the number of pulses within the 5-min interval before and after the seismic shock shows that they are randomly distributed around the time of the earthquake. Apparently, the pulses are mainly due to the ionospheric response to a distant lightning discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study scrutinizes the influence of certainty and uncertainty on identity and beliefs. While certainty is often perceived as positive and uncertainty as negative for an individual, this research reveals that they can operate in more nuanced ways. The focus here is understanding their effects on individuals with interconnected yet conflicting identities and beliefs. Through a case study of Antonio – a member of organized crime who also embraces identities as an artist and a migrant – narratives emerge that illustrate how these forces act upon him. Rather than merely describing how certainty and uncertainty shape involvement in organized crime, the study highlights the complexities they introduce to an individual's various identities and beliefs systems, and reveals their alignment with specific contextual and communicative needs. This study thus holds significant implications for comprehending how attitudes toward certainty and uncertainty influence identity and belief development in a world typified by both stability and change, and how a criminal identity might intersect with other identities based on the processing of these certainties and uncertainties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to show how the understanding of Leibniz's notion of toleration in matters of faith should be considered not merely as a pragmatic, but also as an epistemologically and metaphysically relevant concept. Following Maria Rosa Antognazza's account, I will argue that Leibniz's view on the belief of mysteries is 'above reason' and the relation between faith and experience plays an important role in his discussion of transubstantiation with Des Bosses, but also that Leibniz allows for presumptions based on faith to enter metaphysical discussions. Doing so, despite the fact that we cannot achieve certainty in these matters and have to accept a variety of different beliefs regarding the same objects, enriches our understanding of the world and of God—and also gives us reason to take seriously Leibniz's engagement with corporeal substances, albeit only as presumptions rather than as necessary consequences of his basic metaphysical system. Finally, I will illustrate this point by showing how it is also in play in Leibniz's response to Tournemine regarding the mind-body-union. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legal certainty in property ownership is crucial for protecting the rights and interests of property owners. This study examines the legal certainty provided by ownership certificates for flats under Indonesia's "Law No. 20 of 2011" (UURS). It also explores the legal implications of constructing flats on land with building use rights, a status that differs from full ownership rights. Using a normative research method, the study analyzes relevant laws, regulations, and academic literature to understand how legal frameworks govern flat ownership and ensure the legitimacy of ownership certificates. The findings reveal that ownership certificates for flats confer private ownership of specific units and related common areas, but legal challenges arise when flats are constructed on land with building use rights, especially concerning the renewal of these rights. The study underscores the importance of continuous legal oversight and clear legislative guidelines to maintain and strengthen legal certainty over ownership certificates. Additionally, it highlights the potential legal risks and uncertainties that flat owners may face if the underlying land rights are not properly managed or renewed. The study concludes that while ownership certificates offer significant legal protection, the dependence on building use rights for the underlying land introduces potential vulnerabilities. Future research should explore the legal and practical implications of the expiration and renewal of building use rights, the impact on flat ownership, and alternative legal frameworks that could provide greater security for property owners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article asks the question "Why did Plato not write the 'unwritten doctrine'?" and answers it by citing a combination of two obstacles. The first derives from the limitations of the episteme available to an embodied soul about the essence of the good. Even if the dialectician has access to some kind of knowledge, the mismatch between the unchanging essence of the good and the precarious logoi which aim to identify it (and allow others some measure of access to it) can never fully be overcome. At best, Socrates (or Plato) can lead souls to an incomplete account of it: It is possible that even the most expert dialectician can only have a claim to knowledge, but no absolute certainty. Another obstacle lies in the audience or readership itself: No shortcut to understanding is possible, and yet a mere written presentation, which is all they have, is just such a shortcut, and so represents an empty promise. In memory of Charles H. Kahn (1928–2023), a letter of his from September 5, 1989, concerning the question "Why did Plato not write the 'unwritten doctrine'?" is published, along with some comments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Methods Results Significance This study was undertaken to develop a model and perform a preliminary internal validation study of the Scale for Objective Diagnostic Components of Paroxysmal Events (STAMP).We developed STAMP, which builds on the International League Against Epilepsy task force scale for functional seizures with additional categories for epileptic seizures and syncope. We included 200 consecutive referrals to a Dutch tertiary epilepsy center to evaluate seizurelike events. We recorded demographic and clinical data and collected the clinical evaluation at referral and after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of follow‐up. We ascertained the STAMP at each time point and evaluated factors predicting an improvement in STAMP grade during follow‐up.Of the 200 referrals at baseline, 131 were classified as having epileptic seizures, 17 as functional seizures, and three as syncope, and 49 were unclassifiable. STAMP grade at baseline was 4 (absent) in 56 individuals, 3 (circumstantial) in 78, 2 (clinically established) in six, and 1 (documented) in 11. Over time, 62 cases STAMP grades improved, and 23 remained unclassifiable. A refinement of STAMP grade during follow‐up was due to successful event recordings in 34 people (30 video‐electroencephalographic [EEG] recordings, four tilt table testing), home videos or clinician‐witnessed events in 13, and identification of interictal EEG or magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities in seven. An improved STAMP grade after 12 months of follow‐up was significantly more likely in those with higher event frequency, unclassifiable events, longer event duration, and a shorter time since the first event and less likely in those with a history suggestive of seizures.This epilepsy service evaluation underscores the crucial role of event recording in improving diagnostic certainty. STAMP may be used to monitor diagnostic performance over time but requires further validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel cache replacement technique based on the notion of combining periodic popularity prediction with size caching. The popularity, size, and time updates characteristics are used to calculate the value of each cache item. When it comes to content replacement, the information with the least value is first eliminated. Simulation results show that the proposed method outperforms the current algorithms in terms of cache hit rate and delay. The hit rate of the proposed scheme is 15.3% higher than GDS, 17.3% higher than MPC, 20.1% higher than LRU, 22.3% higher than FIFO, and 24.8% higher than LFU when 350 different categories of information are present. In real-world industrial applications such as including supply chain management, smart manufacturing, automation energy optimization, intelligent logistics transportation, and e-healthcare applications, it offers a foundation for the selection of caching algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freedom is one of the most important problems of human history. It has many different definitions. Freedom is often discussed together with some concepts or concept sets. These are concepts such as security, certainty, standards, ambivalence. In this study, freedom is discussed together with the concept of ambivalence. The attempt of modernity to establish order and to eradicate ambivalence has led to a tendency towards freedom. In this context, criticism of modernity has come up and Postmodernism has emerged as a fundamental criticism of modernity. Postmodernity considers ambivalence as an opportunity of freedom. One of the important figures of postmodern thought, Bauman discussed a on a healthier basis position between modernity and postmodernity and the relationship between freedom and ambivalence. Bauman's description of postmodernity as liquid modernity inspired the concept of liquid standards in the relationship between freedom and ambivalence in this text. It gave an opportunity to overcome the problems of modernity with the standards of oppressive character and the impossibility of postmodernity to impose a lack of standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The opening contribution to this special edition on "The Truth of Stiegler" tests the claim that the more Bernard Stiegler develops his analysis of the catastrophic collapse of society, the further he risks departure from the philosophical rigor of his earliest ideas on the technical constitution of "intermittently not-inhuman" ("noetic") life. His diagnoses of the collapse of trust revolve around a critique of misplaced faith () in computational capitalism's pursuit of certainty, but are arguably themselves undermined by Stiegler's dogmatic certainty in his own arguments. We can make more sense of the apparent inconsistency by extending Stiegler's ideas on exhaustion and the disintegration of the public sphere to show how a surfeit of certainty gives rise to a defensive posture that complicates his insistence on the therapeutic value of truth and openness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computational tools might tempt us to renounce complete certainty. By forgoing of rigorous proof, we could get (very) probable results for a fraction of the cost. But is it really true that proofs (as we know and love them) can lead us to certainty? Maybe not. Proofs do not wear their correctness on their sleeve, and we are not infallible in checking them. This suggests that we need help to check our results. When our fellow mathematicians will be too tired or too busy to scrutinize our putative proofs, computer proof assistants could help. But feeding a mathematical argument to a computer is hard. Still, we might be willing to undertake the endeavor in view of the extra perks that formalization may bring—chiefly among them, an enhanced mathematical understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, art history has repeatedly renewed interest in a number of the most important artists of various periods, especially Rembrandt. Research, both on his art and on the large legacy of knowledge and documentation concerning his working processes, should add to his influence on certain of his followers and among Bulgarian artists. Rembrandt's plastic and professional approach is expectedly and unexpectedly found in dialogue with a number of our artists, such as Karl Yordanov, Acad. Iliya Petrov, Kiril Gyulemetov, Prof. Petar Chuklev, Yavora Petrova, and others. On the other hand, it is the innovativeness of the Dutch master that adds certainty to the paths to modernity, which is highlighted in a number of notes, diaries, and interviews of our artists, including those of Prof. . Lyubomir Dalchev, Boris Angelushev, and others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of fully automatic operation (FAO) and location-based services, the evaluation criteria of average localization accuracy can no longer meet our demands, in favor of deterministic localization. However, most localization researches modeled localization performance function and enhanced it by minimizing average localization root mean square error (RMSE). The performance degradation in a small region was not considered. In this paper, we present a survey of deterministic localization and analyze the relationship between accuracy and certainty. In this paper, two common solutions of localization enhancement are presented and their localization certainties are discussed. Furthermore, we carry out related localization enhancement experiments in rail transit line and analyze their improvement on deterministic localization. The experimental results show that the overall localization performance is improved, while the deterministic localization requires the stricter solution to promote. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Independent decision making requires forming stable estimates of one's preferences. We assessed whether adolescents learn about their preferences through choice deliberation and whether depressive symptoms disrupt this process. Adolescents aged 11–18 (N = 214; participated 2021–22; Female: 53.9%; White/Black/Asian/Mixed/Arab or Latin American: 26/21/19/9/8%) rated multiple activities, chose between pairs of activities and re‐rated those activities. As expected, overall, participants uprated chosen and downrated unchosen activities (dz =.20). This value refinement through choice was not evident in younger participants but emerged across adolescence. Contrary to our predictions, depressive symptoms were associated with greater value refinement. Despite this, more depressed adolescents reported lower value certainty and choice confidence. The cognitive processes through which choice deliberation shapes preference develop over adolescence, and are disrupted in depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why engage in inquiry? According to many philosophers, the goal of inquiring into some question is to come to know its answer. While this view holds considerable appeal, this paper argues that it stands in tension with another highly attractive thesis: knowledge does not require absolute certainty. Forced to choose between these two theses, I argue that we should reject the idea that inquiry aims at knowledge. I go on to develop an alternative view, according to which inquiry aims at maximizing the epistemic value of our credences. This alternative view makes room for knowledge that falls shy of certainty, and it coheres nicely with a rich body of work in epistemic decision theory. I proceed to highlight the implications of this replacement for some important topics in epistemology, including the dogmatism paradox, the nature of interrogative attitudes, and the norm of practical reasoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While research on youth vaping prevention has begun to grow, little work has examined language choice in vaping prevention messages. This study examined adolescents' responses to vaping prevention statements that varied on three features: behavioral framing, linguistic certainty, and target specification. We conducted a 2 (behavioral framing) by 2 (linguistic certainty) by 2 (target specification) by 3 (risk type) plus control condition between-subjects experiment using a national probability sample. Adolescents (N = 1,603) were randomly assigned to one of 25 conditions in which they viewed a vaping prevention statement (or a control statement about vape litter) followed by measures of perceived message effectiveness (PME), perceived severity and susceptibility of vaping risks, message trustworthiness, message relevance, and intentions to seek more information about vaping risks. Results showed main effects of behavioral framing, such that a declarative frame ("Vaping can ... ") led to higher PME, higher perceived severity, and greater information seeking intentions than a contingent frame ("If you vape, it can..."), while an interaction revealed that most declarative frame effects were driven by adolescents who were susceptible to vaping. There were also main effects of linguistic certainty, such that the word "can" ("Vaping can ... ") led to higher PME, higher perceived susceptibility and severity, and greater information seeking intentions than the word "could" ("Vaping could ... "). No main effect of target specification ("you" vs. "teens") was observed. Overall, findings suggest that vaping prevention messages that communicate greater certainty have greater behavior change potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research examined whether consideration of individuals' certainty in their holism can enhance the ability of this individual difference to predict how they respond to contradiction‐relevant outcomes. Across four studies, participants first completed a standardized measure of holistic‐analytic thinking. Then, they rated how certain they were in their responses to the holism scale or were experimentally induced to feel high or low certainty. Next, participants were exposed to dialectical proverbs (Study 1a and 1b), to a counter‐attitudinal change induction (Study 2), or to a paradigm of attitudinal ambivalence (Study 3). Results revealed that participants with higher certainty in their holistic thinking exhibited higher preference for dialectical proverbs (Study 1a and 1b), changed their attitude less following a counter‐attitudinal task (Study 2) and showed weaker correspondence between objective and subjective ambivalence (Study 3). Beyond examining new domains and discovering novel findings, the present work was designed to be the first to show moderation of previously identified effects in the domain of holistic thinking and responses to contradiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Opuntia Brava is the property of Universidad de Ciencias Pedagogicas de Las Tunas, Centro de Documentacion e Informacion Pedagogica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This research aims not only to explore the mechanisms of restitution implementation, the assessment benchmarks for determining the amount and form of restitution, and the execution of restitution decisions but also to devise a comprehensive model ensuring fair and legally certain restitution for crime victims. Through qualitative empirical research and employing legal, conceptual, and comparative law approaches, it has been identified that the restitution mechanism has faced issues from its inception, both in terms of regulation and implementation, resulting in failures in restitution claims. Furthermore, the benchmarks for assessing restitution have accumulated future losses for victims without being actionoriented. Numerous failures in the execution of restitution decisions have also been uncovered. Therefore, it is recommended to develop a restitution model based on justice and legal certainty. Among these recommendations are: eliminating limitations on victim types for restitution claims, establishing a mechanism that refers to diversion requests to compel law enforcement agencies to pursue restitution, developing restitution in actionable forms, seizing the perpetrator's assets from the investigation stage, executing restitution without waiting for inkracht, adjusting subsidiary sanctions, implementing installment payments, revoking the convicted individual's rights, and integrating a restitution and compensation scheme through the development of a victim assistance fund. Additionally, the establishment of oversight for the implementation of restitution is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]