The Rationality of Serb Leaders in the Bosnian War

This paper asks whether Bosnian Serb leaders’ choice to carry out a secession war in 1992–1995 was rational from the point of view of their stated goal of ethnic cleansing. We construct two indexes, one of ethnic purity and another of ethnic Serb concentration, and apply them to a counterfactual estimate of the outcome of ‘peaceful’ ethnic cleansing – what could have been achieved by population exchange based on pre-war territorial Serb power without war – in comparison to the actual outcome of the war. We find that the gross benefits of the chosen strategy of secession and war far exceed anything that could be achieved by the peaceful alternative. A conjectural assessment of perceived costs suggests that also net benefits were maximized by the war strategy. The implication for international deterrence policy is that credible judicial prosecution and punishment is the best way to alter the prospective perpetrators’ calculus.     

How to Fight Terrorism: Alternatives to Deterrence

Deterrence has been a crucial element in fighting terrorism, both in actual politics and rational choice analyses of terrorism. But there are superior strategies to deterrence. One is to make terrorist attacks less attractive. Another to raise the opportunity cost - rather than the material cost - to terrorists. These alternative strategies effectively dissuade potential terrorists. The strategies suggested here build on the "benevolence" system and tend to produce a positive sum game among the interacting parties. In contrast, the deterrence system is based on "threats" and tends to produce a negative sum game interaction.     

Experimental investigations on wear properties of Palm kernel reinforced composites for brake pad applications

The use of asbestos material is being avoided to manufacture the brake pads as it is harmful and toxic in nature. Further it leads to various health issues like asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancers. These brake pads can be replaced by natural fibers like Palm kernel (0–50%), Nile roses (0–15%) and Wheat (0–10%) with additives like aluminum oxide (5%–20%) and graphite powder (10%–35%). Phenolic resin of 35% is utilized as a binder. Particulated Nile roses are used to increase the friction coefficient and wheat powder is used to reduce the wear rate. Aluminum oxide and graphite are abrasive in nature. This helps to make brake pads with high friction co-efficient and less wear rate with low noise pollution. The wear of the proposed composites have been investigated at different speeds. Various tests like wear on pin-on-disc apparatus, hardness on the Rockwell hardness apparatus and oil absorption test have been conducted. Phenolic resin produces good bonding nature to fiber. Thus, Fibers found to have performed palatably among all commercial brake pads. The objective of the research indicates that Palm kernal shell could be a conceivable alternative for asbestos in friction coating materials.     

Fighting maritime piracy: three lessons from pompeius magnus

Piracy in international waters is on the rise again, in particular off the coast of Somalia. While the dynamic game between pirates, ship-owners, insurance firms and the military seems to have reached some kind of equilibrium, piracy risks generating significant negative externalities to third parties (e.g. in terms of environmental hazards and terrorism), justifying attempts to contain it. We argue that these attempts may benefit from a look back – through the analytical lens of rational choice theory – to the most successful counterpiracy campaign ever undertaken, namely, the one led by the Roman general Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Pompey the Great) in 67 BC.     

ON RATIONAL CHOICE THEORY AND THE STUDY OF TERRORISM

When rational choice theory is applied to the study of terrorism, it is important that attention be given to the derived principles of constrained utility maximization. Particularly useful is the Slutsky equation, which rigorously analyzes the quantity response in one activity to a price change in another. By directing attention to assumptions and/or information about compensated cross price elasticities, expenditure shares, and income elasticities, the Slutsky equation can provide critical guidance in both theoretical and empirical analysis.     

Rational Rose在HLA联邦开发中的应用

作为“建模与仿真”(M&S)的高层体系结构 ,HLA能带给用户的好处将是巨大的。HLA联邦开发与运行过程 (FEDEP)的自动化是促进HLA应用的关键。文中研究了将功能强大的CASE工具RationalRose用于支持FEDEP自动化的可行性 ,指出了应用中应特别注意的问题 ,重点说明了应用中的关键技术 ,并给出一应用实例