Offsetting Uncertainty: Reassurance with Two-Sided Incomplete Information

Conventional models of bargaining and reassurance under incomplete information assume that actors' behavioral signals are objectively cooperative or noncooperative. Even if actors are uncertain of each other's preferences, they know what types of actions the other will view as cooperative. Yet on many real-world issues, cooperation is subjective, and what constitutes a cooperative action is conditional on the receiver's preferences. We present a formal model showing that in these cases, two-sided incomplete information actually incentivizes honest behavior and facilitates credible signaling. Because uncertain senders do not know whether a particular action will be interpreted as cooperative, they have little incentive to misrepresent, and instead honestly pursue their true goals. Thus, where cooperation is subjective, mutual uncertainty is “offsetting,” such that credible signals allow actors to quickly and accurately update their beliefs. We illustrate this logic through a case study of the Sino–Soviet split, and highlight the model's implications for contemporary U.S.–China relations.     

Planfeststellung und Plangenehmigung im Wasserhaushaltsrecht

Natur und Recht - Nachdem in NuR (2022, Heft 2, S. 77ff.) die Reichweite des wasserhaushaltsrechtlichen Planfeststellungsvorbehalts sowie Fragen der Verfahrenswahl erörtert wurden, behandeln...     

Agilität als Chance für einen neuen Anlauf zum demokratischen Unternehmen?

There has been a long-standing discussion since the 1980s about the question whether new production models harbor a potential for extended employee participation and involvement, in most cases with disillusioning results. This paper is concerned with so called “agile methods”, which play an important part in the area of knowledge work in the course of the digital transformation. On the basis of two case studies from software development and industrial R&D, the paper examines the concrete implementation of these methods and the employees’ perspective upon them and their consequences. The result is that agile methods present a potential for extended employee participation and involvement; however, the realization of this potential depends on the concrete way how the agile concept of “empowerment” is implemented.     

Meeting Cheikh Anta Diop on the Road to African Resurgence

The African people's relentless struggle to tell their own stories and take charge of their own historical languages is a prerequisite for achieving an African Renaissance. This argument, informed by Afrocentricity—a theoretical framework which advances the view that any examination of African issues must be informed by African history and culture—takes its cue from the great Senegalese Pan-Africanist and African Renaissance advocate, Cheikh Anta Diop. The year 2018 marks 70 years since Diop, at a tender age of 25, wrote his essay When will we be able to speak of an African Renaissance? On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of this article, it is appropriate that the African Renaissance project advocates take a moment and deeply reflect on how they can take African scholarship to higher levels and intensify and consolidate the struggle to liberate Africa from being preoccupied with the Eurocentric trajectory of privileging Europe and Europeans in all aspects of life—the intellectual, political, cultural, social and material. This article argues that embracing Africology—the Afrocentric approach to scholarship—is the first step towards the liberation of a scholarship project. Diop dedicated his life to using sciences—both the natural and social sciences for the liberation of Africa and humankind—to liberate Africans from inferiority complex, and Europeans from superiority complex. Although Diop recognised both the importance of science and ideology in the service of humanity, he drew a line between them.     

Estimation of age from epiphyseal union at the wrist and ankle joints in the capital city of India

Various studies conducted in and outside India for estimation of age from long bone joints revealed that unlike other vital parameters no uniform pattern exists for epiphyseal union of long bones in different countries of the world and also in different parts of the same country. A radiological study was conducted in 180 boys and girls of the capital city of India, Delhi, between the age group of 14-20 years to find out the age at which epiphyseal union at wrist and ankle joint takes place. The result of the study showed that the wrist joint epiphyseal union is completed in all cases in the age group of 19-20 years in males and 18-19 years in females. In the ankle joint, 17-18 years was the age group in males and 16-17 years the age group in females which showed complete epiphyseal union in all cases.     

In- and out-flows of elements in bones embedded in reference soils

Possible exchanges of elements between bone and the surrounding soil after being embedded underground for 2 years were estimated. Bone pieces were samples from human vertebrae without any treatments after resection. Sixteen elements were determined by atomic emission mass spectrometry. These were divided into three types; Type I, an in-flow in which elements increased, as in Fe, Al and Ba; type II, a balanced decrease in which changes were found in S, Mg and Zn; and type III, an out-flow in which elements, such as Ca and P, entered into bones from embedded soils. These exchanges depended on the varying nature of soils and also on the time underground. The exchanges were progressed in duration of the time after burial. Data obtained are possible references to judge the time-lapse after burial of bones in relating to characters of soils embedded, and to identify proper bone elements from containment elements.