Conceptual Model Research Articles

Evidence and conceptual models for the evolution of war: a response to and

Evidence and conceptual models for the evolution of war: a response to and

From Ownership to Access: Resistance Towards Shared Consumption

ABSTRACTShared consumption has emerged as an alternative consumption paradigm. Nevertheless, many sharing platforms struggle to generate adequate demand. Despite the rapidly growing literature on shared consumption, the focus has been on its adoption, reflecting a pro‐innovation bias. There exists an evident gap: an oversight of consumers' resistance to this alternative consumption model. This study aims to address this gap by examining the barriers that impede the adoption of shared consumption. The proposed conceptual model integrates innovation resistance theory and status quo bias theory to empirically validate the intertwined role of active and passive resistance components and, thus, provides a more nuanced understanding of shared consumption resistance. Responses from 417 participants were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling, revealing that complexity barriers, non‐monetary costs of sharing, perceived financial loss, status quo bias, and negative identity risk significantly contribute to shared consumption resistance. Moreover, it also highlights the role of status quo bias contributing to upward bias to active resistance components and the relationships of negative identity risk with possession‐self link and status consumption. While the insights derived from this study can be leveraged for strategic interventions to mitigate resistance and foster greater acceptance of shared consumption, few future research avenues have also been highlighted.

Toward a conceptual model to improve the user experience of a sustainable and secure intelligent transport system.

Toward a conceptual model to improve the user experience of a sustainable and secure intelligent transport system.

Intraseasonal atmospheric variability under climate trends.

Low-order climate models can play an important role in understanding low-frequency variability in the atmospheric circulation and how forcing consistent with anthropogenic climate change may affect this variability. Here, we study a conceptual model of the mid-latitudes' atmospheric circulation from the perspective of nonautonomous dynamical systems. First, a bifurcation analysis is carried out under time-independent forcing in order to identify different types of behavior in the autonomous model's parameter space. Next, we focus on the study of the nonautonomous system in which the cross-latitudinal heat flux varies seasonally, according to insolation changes. The forward attractor of the seasonally forced model is compared with the attractor of the autonomous one. The seasonal forcing results in a clear change of the attractor's shape. The summer attractor loses its periodicity, and, hence, predictability, when the forcing is seasonal, while the winter attractor favors energy transport through one of the model's two wave components. Climate change forcing produces several remarkable effects. Thus, the analysis of the model's forward attractor under climate trends suggests that the jet speed does not always follow the sign of the change in equator-to-pole thermal contrast, while the change in the energy transported by the eddies does. Chaotic behavior can be completely suppressed in favor of a regular periodic one and vice versa. Circulation patterns can change, suddenly disappear, and rebuild. The model's forward attractor in the presence of time-dependent forcing proves to be a robust tool to study model changes in internal variability due to climate trends, both positive and negative.

Climate change, resource insecurities and sexual and reproductive health among young adolescents in Kenya: a multi-method qualitative inquiry.

Growing evidence supports linkages between climate change and extreme weather events (EWEs) and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) among adults. Yet knowledge gaps persist regarding climate-related experiences and pathways to SRH among young adolescents (YA). We conducted a multi-method qualitative study to explore climate change-related factors and linkages with SRH among YA aged 10-14 years in Kenya. This six-site study was conducted in Nairobi's urban slum Mathare; Naivasha's flower farming community; Kisumu's fishing community; Isiolo's nomadic and pastoralist community; Kilifi's coastal smallholder farms and Kalobeyei refugee settlement. Methods involved: n=12 elder focus groups, n=60 YA walk-along interviews (WAIs) and n=12 2-day YA participatory mapping workshops (PMWs). We conducted codebook thematic analysis informed by the resource insecurity framework. Participants (n=297) included: elders (n=119; mean age: 60.6 years, SD: 7.9; men: 48.7%, women: 51.3%), YA WAI participants (n=60; mean age: 13.4, SD: 1.5; boys: 51.4%, girls: 48.6%) and YA PMW participants (n=118; mean age: 12.1, SD: 1.3; boys: 50.8%, girls: 49.2%). Narratives identified climate-related changes and EWEs increased existing resource insecurities that, in turn, were linked directly and indirectly with SRH vulnerabilities. Food and water insecurity contributed to YA missing school, sexual violence, transactional sex and exploitative relationships. Sanitation insecurity produced challenges regarding menstrual hygiene, sexual violence risks and transactional sex. Transactional sex and exploitative relationships were linked with unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection risks. Gender inequities increased girls' risks for violence and sexual exploitation, whereas boys were more prone to running away. We found that climate change exacerbated resource insecurities that may drive SRH outcomes among YA in Kenya. We developed a conceptual model to illustrate these pathways linking climate change, EWEs, resource insecurities and SRH. Climate-informed interventions should consider these pathways within larger social environmental contexts to advance young adolescent SRH in Kenya.

How do parents decide on genetic testing in pediatrics? A systematic review.

How do parents decide on genetic testing in pediatrics? A systematic review.

Migration behavior of fugitive methane in shallow aquifers: Multiphase and multicomponent numerical modeling of field-scale conceptual models

Migration behavior of fugitive methane in shallow aquifers: Multiphase and multicomponent numerical modeling of field-scale conceptual models

Overcoming the funding dilemma for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises [SMEs] in Africa to unlock their unrealized potential

One of the main causes of failure for African SMEs is their funding dilemma triggered by their failure to access capital, particularly from the formal credit market. While alternative financing solutions have been considered in the past few years, African SMEs are still faced with challenges when it comes to funding, highlighting the importance of this study. The study uses a systematic review approach to synthesize and analyze available literature in an attempt to investigate the involuntary financial exclusion experienced by SMEs in various regions within the African continent. The findings reveal that SMEs suffer from various factors, including those internal to their businesses relating mainly to their lack of financial and management skills and external factors such as the financing requirements of credit history, collateral, etc., as well as other macroeconomic factors hindering their access to finance. The study also highlights that while alternative financing solutions, which rely on digital platforms such as fintech, have the potential to resolve the SMEs’ funding dilemma, they are constrained by regulatory, digital infrastructural, and socio-cultural challenges in Africa. The study proposes a conceptual model to address the funding dilemma of SMEs in Africa, integrating various financing options, government support, providing strategic mentorship, and embedding capacity-building into the operations, all geared towards promoting sustainable business growth.

A new conceptual model for how pressure ulcer risk is negotiated and adherence to preventative advice in the community setting.

A new conceptual model for how pressure ulcer risk is negotiated and adherence to preventative advice in the community setting.

A unified conceptual model of immersive experience in extended reality

A unified conceptual model of immersive experience in extended reality

Generative AI-driven personalization of the Community of Inquiry model: enhancing individualized learning experiences in digital classrooms

PurposeThis paper explores the integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, focusing on how GenAI can dynamically personalize online learning environments. The study aims to examine how GenAI can enhance social, cognitive and teaching presence, thus meeting the diverse needs of individual learners and improving engagement in digital classrooms.Design/methodology/approachThe paper employs a conceptual approach, building on existing literature about the CoI framework and GenAI. It proposes a theoretical model that illustrates how GenAI can personalize social, cognitive and teaching presence in real-time, using engagement patterns, performance data and feedback mechanisms to adapt learning pathways for individual students.FindingsThe study finds that GenAI can significantly enhance personalized learning by dynamically adjusting the CoI framework’s elements. GenAI-driven interactions improve student engagement through personalized prompts and adaptive content delivery, while AI-generated feedback provides timely and individualized support, fostering a more responsive and student-centered learning experience.Practical implicationsFor educators, the integration of GenAI into the CoI framework offers scalable solutions for personalized instruction and feedback. Institutions can leverage AI-driven insights to create more adaptive, learner-centered environments that improve learning outcomes, satisfaction and engagement, especially in large-scale online courses.Social implicationsThe paper highlights the potential for AI-driven education to bridge gaps in personalized learning, promoting equity and inclusivity. However, it also addresses ethical concerns such as data privacy, algorithmic bias and the digital divide, urging careful implementation to ensure that AI enhances rather than undermines educational fairness.Originality/valueThis paper provides a novel perspective on the intersection of GenAI and the CoI framework, proposing a unique conceptual model for AI-enhanced online education. It offers valuable insights for educators, researchers and institutions aiming to create more personalized, effective and inclusive digital learning environments.

Tipping in an adaptive climate network model.

With rising global temperatures, Earth's tipping elements are becoming increasingly more vulnerable to crossing their critical thresholds. The reaching of such tipping points does not only impact other tipping elements through their connections but can also have further effect on the global mean surface temperature (GMT) itself, either increasing or decreasing the probability of further tipping points being reached. Recently, a numerical study analyzing the risk of tipping cascades has been conducted, using a conceptual model describing the dynamics of a tipping element with its interactions with other tipping elements taken into account [N. Wunderling, J. F. Donges, J. Kurths, and R. Winkelmann, Earth Syst. Dyn. 12, 601-619 (2021)]. Here, we extend the model substantially by including adaptation so that the GMT feedback induced by the crossing of a tipping point is incorporated as well. We find that although the adaptive mechanism does not impact the risk for the occurrence of tipping events, large tipping cascades are less probable due to the negative GMT feedback of the ocean circulation systems. Furthermore, several tipping elements can play a different role in cascades in the adaptive model. In particular, the Amazon rainforest could be a trigger in a tipping cascade. Overall, the adaptation mechanism tends to slightly stabilize the network.

“They just want people in their lives that will be there forever”: A conceptual model of permanency for children and young people in therapeutic residential care

“They just want people in their lives that will be there forever”: A conceptual model of permanency for children and young people in therapeutic residential care

Rainbelt Properties of Persistent Heavy Precipitation over the Yangtze River Basin and Associated Three-Dimensional Circulations

Abstract In this study, we objectively identified rain belts of persistent precipitation processes over the Yangtze River basin during 1961–2021 based on an improved rotating calipers algorithm. Considering the accumulated precipitation volume as the flood-inducing indicator, persistent heavy precipitation events were identified and categorized into three types—along, north, and south of the Yangtze River—by applying k-means clustering for spatial similarity. Results showed that events along and in the south of Yangtze are more persistent and more flood inducing than events in the north of Yangtze. Composite analysis revealed the relevant three-dimensional stable circulation patterns and indicated that the location of their rain belts is determined by circulation configurations. For events along the Yangtze, an eastward-propagating wave train facilitates a single-blocking high and deepens the East Asian trough. A southeastward-positioned South Asian high (SAH) and intensified westerly jet support a strong divergence in the Yangtze River basin at 200 hPa. The western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) stretches southwestward with a strong low-level jet, inducing warm and humid air to converge with cold air along the Yangtze. For events in the south of the Yangtze, a relatively southeastward wave train maintains under double-blocking highs. The northeast sector of the SAH, the westerly jet, WPSH, and low-level jet are located more to the south. Last, events in the north of the Yangtze are associated with the development of a blocking high and a dominant belt of low pressure to the south. The unfavorable circulation pattern inhibits cold air invasion, resulting in relatively weaker precipitation with shorter duration. Significance Statement Considering the location, spatial coverage, and intensity of persistent precipitation processes in the Yangtze River basin, this study objectively classified rain belts of persistent heavy precipitation (PHP) events, investigated the corresponding stable circulation patterns, and constructed three-dimensional conceptual models for three types of PHP events. This study may help to better understand the formation mechanisms of PHP events and serve as a reference for improving the forecasting of such events operationally.

Resilience and robustness: from sub-organismal responses to communities.

Resilience and robustness: from sub-organismal responses to communities.

Virtual Influencers as Brand Endorsers: Developing and Validating a Multidimensional Evaluation Scale

Virtual influencers are emerging as a powerful tool in strategic communication, yet their effectiveness as brand endorsers remains underexplored. This study aims to develop a consumer-centric scale to assess virtual influencers’ effectiveness in social media marketing campaigns. The research methodology follows a systematic scale-development process. First, an integrated literature review was conducted to establish a conceptual model for evaluating virtual influencers. Second, an initial pool of evaluation items was developed and validated by experts. Third, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with 208 participants was conducted to assess the reliability and validity of the preliminary items. Finally, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with 209 participants was performed to finalize the scale. The resulting measurement scale comprises four key dimensions: communication skills, narrative strategies, visual appearance, and human-like movement. By introducing a structured scale-development method grounded in anthropomorphism, this study enhances the assessment of virtual influencers’ effectiveness in digital marketing campaigns.

Mediating Effects of Health Literacy, Self-Efficacy, and Social Support on the Relationship Between Disease Knowledge and Patient Participation Behavior Among Chronic Ill Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on the Capability-Opportunity-Motivation and Behavior (COM-B) Model.

Patient participation is essential for improving patient safety and quality of care. It mainly refers to patients participating in their own healthcare through various ways, such as searching information on treatment options, engaging in decision-making, and communicating with healthcare professionals. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between disease knowledge, health literacy, self-efficacy, social support, and patient participation behavior in chronic ill patients based on the Capability-Opportunity-Motivation and Behavior (COM-B) model. This cross-sectional survey, conducted from October 2023 to January 2024, involved 389 chronic ill patients from five clinical departments (cardiology, endocrinology, respiratory medicine, neurology, and geriatrics) at a tertiary hospital in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Patients completed the health literacy management scale, general self-efficacy scale, core knowledge of chronic diseases questionnaire, social support rating scale, and patient participation scale. We used t-tests / ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, Fisher's z-test, linear regression, and mediation model to analyze data. The total effect of disease knowledge on patient participation behavior was significant (β = 0.496, p < 0.001), and the direct effect was also significant (β = 0.144, p < 0.001). Meanwhile, the relationship between disease knowledge and patient participation behavior was mediated by self-efficacy (β = 0.043, p < 0.001), health literacy (β = 0.027, p < 0.001), and social support (β = 0.193, p < 0.001), respectively. This study proposed a conceptual model that includes the mediating effects of health literacy, self-efficacy, and social support, which helps clarify the underlying mechanisms between disease knowledge and patient participation behavior. Targeted interventions to increase disease knowledge, health literacy, self-efficacy, and social support can help chronic ill patients engage more actively in their own healthcare.

Practical naloxone communication tips for pharmacists: Lessons learned from the Linguistic Model of Patient Participation in Care.

Practical naloxone communication tips for pharmacists: Lessons learned from the Linguistic Model of Patient Participation in Care.

Closed-System Magma Degassing and Disproportionation of SO2 Revealed by Changes in the Concentration and δ34S Value of H2S(g) in the Solfatara Fluids (Campi Flegrei, Italy)

The use of a conceptual model of reference and modelling of relevant processes is mandatory to correctly interpret chemical and isotopic data. Adopting these basic guidelines, we have interpretated the unprecedented increase in the H2S(g) concentration and the concurrent unexpected decrease in the δ34S value of H2S(g) recorded since 2018 in the fumarolic effluents of the Bocca Grande fumarolic vent at Solfatara, Campi Flegrei caldera, in the framework of our conceptual model of the Solfatara magmatic–hydrothermal system. Assuming that the magma chamber situated at depths ≥ 8 km was filled at the end of the 1982–1984 bradyseismic crisis and no refilling episodes took place afterwards, as suggested by gas geochemistry, the concentration and the δ34S value of H2S(g) of the Bocca Grande fumarolic effluents are controlled by closed-system degassing of the melt at depths ≥ 8 km and disproportionation of SO2 in the deep hydrothermal reservoir (6.5–7.5 km depth) hosted in carbonate rocks where H2S equilibrates. These processes have been active during the last 40 years, but 41.1% (±6.4%) of the sulfur initially stored in the melt (2200 mg/kg) was lost in the 4-year period of April 2018–April 2022. This marked loss of S from the melt in 2018–2022 might be due to the high solubility of sulfur in the melt, which caused its preferential separation during the late degassing stages. These findings are of utmost importance for the surveillance of the Solfatara magmatic–hydrothermal system during the ongoing bradyseismic crisis.

Gender Attitudes, Inequality and Migration Decision‐Making

ABSTRACTWe explore the role of gender‐unequal attitudes towards gender norms and perceived structural gender inequality in the migration decision‐making of men and women. Adopting a conceptual model based on possible selves theory, the research employs a contextual social identity perspective concerning gender. We posit that the disparate spheres of inequality experienced by women relative to men should have a distinct relationship with the constituent elements of migration decision‐making per gender. We expect a negative (positive) relationship between more conservative gender attitudes and women's (men's) aspirations to migrate. Similarly, gender inequalities concerning structural opportunities should have a negative (positive) relationship with women's (men's) expectation to migrate. We explore these propositions using survey data from a sample of 11,563 young adults aged 18‐39 from Afghanistan, Cabo Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Tunisia and Turkey. The results provide insights regarding the role of gender‐unequal attitudes and structural gender inequality in migration decision‐making. More conservative gender‐unequal attitudes are associated with a lower preference for migration among women. More conservative gender‐unequal attitudes have no statistically significant relationship with a preference for migration among men. On the other hand, higher perceived structural gender inequality is linked to higher expectations of migration for men, but with no statistically significant indication for women.