Examining the Round Table Talks from the perspective of the Needs-Based Model of Reconciliation: Observations and insights

This commentary analyzes the democratization process triggered by the Polish Round Table Talks using the framework of the Needs-Based Model of Reconciliation, which conceptualizes reconciliation as a social exchange transaction in which perpetrators gain moral-social acceptance, whereas victims gain power. I argue that the talks allowed the restoration of communists’ moral-social identity, and Solidarity’s power and voice. I further argue that to complete such a transaction, both parties must believe that they would gain more through compromise than through violence. They must also overcome the “magnitude gap”; namely the systematic discrepancy between victims’ vs. perpetrators’ estimation of the severity or immorality of the same transgressions or social arrangements. Finally, as is the case for any exchange transaction, people may question its benefits. When doing so, however, they might take the non-violent nature of the transition to democracy for granted – due to “the hindsight bias.” Taking into account that the alternatives were probably worse may contribute to undermining conspiracy theories about “dirty dealings” between the parties, and commemorating the legacy of the Round Table Talks as an inspiring moment in history.

Quantification of Olivine Using Fe Lα in Electron Probe Microanalysis (EPMA)

Quantification of first series transition metal Lα X-rays is hampered by absorption and in some cases transition probabilities (fluorescence yields) varying with chemical bonding. Compound mass absorption coefficients for Fe Lα were measured in the olivine solid solution series [Forsterite (Mg2SiO4) to Fayalite (Fe2SiO4)] and the mass absorption coefficients for Fe Lα absorbed by Fe were calculated. The mass absorption coefficients vary systematically between Fo83 and Fo0. Using the measured mass absorption coefficients for both standard and unknown and by correcting for a systematic discrepancy, consistent with varying partial fluorescence yields, a good agreement between calculated k-ratios and measured k-ratios is achieved. The systematic variations allow quantification of unknown k-ratios. The described method of quantification requires modification of matrix correction routines to allow standards and unknowns to have different mass absorption coefficients, and to incorporate solid solution mass absorption coefficients and partial fluorescence yield corrections derived from regression of experimental data.

Catalogue of bias: observer bias

This article is part of a series featured from the Catalogue of Bias introduced in this volume of BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine that describes biases and outlines their potential impact in research studies. Observer bias is systematic discrepancy from the truth during the process of observing and recording information for a study. Many healthcare observations are at risk of this bias. Evidence shows that treatment effect estimates can be exaggerated by a third to two-thirds in the presence of observer bias in outcome assessment. Preventing observer bias involves proper masking in intervention studies including the use of matched placebo interventions where appropriate and training of observers to make assessment consistent and reduce biases resulting from conscious or unconscious prejudices. Where observers are involved in a research study, it is probably not possible for the study to be entirely free of observer biases.

Measuring Terrorism

This study investigates the extent of reporting and nature of biases in open-source (OS) terrorism databases. We compare OS accounts with official accounts on terrorism events in Turkey (1996-2012). Results indicate (a) substantial systematic discrepancy between OS and official accounts, which we attribute primarily to underreporting in OS accounts; (b) the discrepancy is not random—incident characteristics (victim/target, offender, and incident types, temporal and spatial factors) and rational factors (especially newsworthiness) matter; and (c) severity is the strongest predictor of the probability of OS coverage.

INFLUENCE OF THE ISOVECTOR PAIRING EFFECT ON NUCLEAR STATISTICAL QUANTITIES IN N ≈ Z EVEN–EVEN SYSTEMS

The influence of the isovector neutron–proton (np) pairing effect on nuclear statistical quantities is studied in N ≈ Z even–even systems. Expressions of the energy, the entropy, and the heat capacity are established using a recently proposed temperature-dependent isovector pairing gap equations. They generalize the conventional finite temperature BCS (FTBCS) ones. The model is first numerically tested using the schematic one-level model. As a second step, realistic cases are considered using the single-particle energies of a deformed Woods–Saxon mean-field. It is shown that: (i) the gap parameter Δnp(T) behaves like Δtt(T), t = n, p, in the conventional FTBCS model and the critical temperature value Tcnp is such as Tcnp<Tcp<Tcn; (ii) the behavior of Δtt(T), t = n, p in the present model is different from that of the FTBCS one. This fact leads to a systematic discrepancy between the predictions of both models in the Tcnp<T<Tcn region for all studied statistical quantities; and (iii) in the 0≤T≤Tcnp region, the np pairing effect on the energy is a lowering of about 1%, on average, for all considered nuclei. Dealing with the entropy and the heat capacity, the np pairing effect appears only if the Tcnp value is sufficiently important.

Radiocarbon Chronology of Early Medieval Archaeological Sites in Northwestern Russia

A reliable archaelogical chronology for medieval sites in northwestern Russia depends in part on a refined regional calibration scale for 14C dates. We present results of dates on tree-ring series from Novgorod that show a systematic discrepancy from European calibration curves, and that underline the need for more extensive 14C dating as the basis of an extended calibration curve for the region.

On the O III/O II Problem in Medium and High Excitation Planetary Nebulae

Numerical models have been constructed for twelve ionization bounded, medium to high excitation planetary nebulae. In most objects the excitation sensitive line ratio (O III) λ 500.9 nm / (O II) λ 372.7 nm is predicted to be too low as compared to observations. A similar systematic discrepancy is observed for [S III] λ 953.2 nm / (S II) λ 672.0 nm. We investigated the following effects on the ionization structure of the nebulae: 0++ + HO → 0+ + H+ charge exchange reaction, energy distribution of ionizing radiation and density distribution of gas in the nebular shell. The results show that density distribution is the most important factor determining the 0 III/O II and S III/S II line intensity ratios. While a factor of ten decrease in the charge exchange coefficient is required to explain the systematic discrepancy, a reduction of nebular radius by a few percent - truncated nebula (quasi density bounded model, but nebula still optically thick to Lyman photons) - suffices to produce the correct 0 III/O II ratio. Also, a density gradient of n ∼ r−1 to r−2 yields much better agreement with observations. Realistic variations in stellar spectrum hardly affects the 0 III/O II line intensity ratio.

An Analysis of Microturbulence in the Atmosphere of the F-Type Supergiant Gamma CYGNI

We have analysed high dispersion spectra of the supergiant γ Cyg (F8 Ib). On the basis of the curve of growth method it has been shown that there is no dependence of microturbulent velocity ξt on excitation potentials of spectral lines. Using model atmospheres we considered about 100 Fe I lines and found that no constant value ξt makes possible to remove the systematic discrepancy in iron abundance between groups of lines with different equivalent widths. The depth dependence of microturbulence in the atmosphere is investigated. It is shown that parameter ξt increases outwards from about 0-1 km/s at the optical depth τ5000 = 0.2 to 10 km/s at the depth τ5000 = 10-3. Deducted function ξt (τ5000) gives the same iron abundance log ε(Fe) = T = 7.45 ± 0.05 for all groups of Fe I lines. The detailed analysis will be published in Izv. Crimean Astrophys. Obs.