General Theory Research Articles

Thermodynamic Considerations on the Biophysical Interaction between Low-Energy Electromagnetic Fields and Biosystems.

A general theory explaining how electromagnetic waves affect cells and biological systems has not been completely accepted yet; nevertheless, extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs) can interfere with and modify several molecular cellular processes. The therapeutic effect of EMFs has been investigated in several clinical conditions with promising results: in this context a better understanding of mechanisms by which ELF-EMF influences cellular events is necessary and it could lead to more extended and specific clinical applications in different pathological conditions. This paper develops a thermodynamic model to explain how ELF-EMF directly interferes with the cellular membrane, inducing a biological response related to a cellular energy conversion and modification of flows across cell membranes. Indeed, energy, irreversibly consumed by cellular metabolism, is converted into entropy variation. The proposed thermodynamic model views living systems as adaptative open systems, analysing the changes in energy and matter moving in and out of the cell.

A Systems-Based Approach to Criminal Thinking and Behavior.

Nearly all theoretical approaches and therapies to criminal thinking and behavior have been reductionist, meaning that they focus on a part or a subsystem of a system or a supra-system. While these reductionist theories and therapies have provided, and continue to provide, valuable information and rehabilitation, they offer a limited view of criminality and rehabilitation as a consequence of reductionism. Using general systems theory (GST), this article presents an integrated and interdisciplinary theoretical approach to criminal thinking and behavior. This article posits that criminality can be better understood, prevented, and treated using GST.

Ding stability and Kähler–Einstein metrics on manifolds with big anticanonical class

Abstract We introduce a notion of uniform Ding stability for a projective manifold with big anticanonical class, and prove that the existence of a unique Kähler–Einstein metric on such a manifold implies uniform Ding stability. The main new techniques are to develop a general theory of Deligne functionals – and corresponding slope formulas – for singular metrics, and to prove a slope formula for the Ding functional in the big setting. This extends work of Berman in the Fano situation, when the anticanonical class is actually ample, and proves one direction of the analogue of the Yau–Tian–Donaldson conjecture in this setting. We also speculate about the relevance of uniform Ding stability and K-stability to moduli in the big setting.

Correction: An Integrated General Theory of Psychopathology and Suicide

Correction: An Integrated General Theory of Psychopathology and Suicide

Sexuality Minority Status, Victimization, Mental Health, and Substance Use

Background: Prior research suggests that sexual minority status is related to victimization, mental health issues, and substance use. However, few studies have sought to connect these relationships in a way supported by theory, and fewer have utilized probability and/or nationally representative samples. Objective: The current study seeks to test the relationships among these variables, guided by general strain theory (GST). Methods: One wave of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health dataset (Add Health) (N = 14,121) and path modeling in Mplus are utilized. Results: Models run separately by race/ethnicity suggest that the relationship among these variables largely support expectations from GST, but with some notable differences by race/ethnicity. Conclusion: Results suggest a relationship among these variables that concurs with criminological theorizing. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Projective dimensions of hyperplane arrangements

We establish a general theory for projective dimensions of the logarithmic derivation modules of hyperplane arrangements. This includes an addition-deletion and a restriction theorem, a Yoshinaga type result, and a division theorem for projective dimensions of hyperplane arrangements. These new theorems are all generalizations of classical results for free arrangements, which is the special case of projective dimension zero. To prove these results, we introduce several new methods to determine the surjectivity of the Euler and the Ziegler restriction maps, which is combinatorially determined when the projective dimension is not maximal for all localizations. Also, we introduce a new class of arrangements in which the projective dimension is combinatorially determined.

Sentiments Organize Affect Concepts in Yasawa, Fiji: a Cultural Domain Analysis

Abstract For decades, intensive research on emotion has advanced general theories of culture and cognition. Yet few theories can comfortably accommodate both the regularities and variation empirically manifest in affective phenomena around the world. One recent theoretical model (Gervais & Fessler, 2017) aims to do so. The Attitude-Scenario-Emotion (ASE) model of sentiments specifies an evolved psychological architecture that potentiates regular variation in affective experience and behavior in lived interaction with social, ecological and normative contexts. This model holds that sentiments – functional networks of bookkeeping attitudes and commitment emotions – produce context-dependent universals in salient social-relational experiences, predictably patterning affect concepts. The present research aims to empirically evaluate implications of the ASE model of sentiments using quantitative data from 10 months of fieldwork in Indigenous iTaukei villages on Yasawa Island, Fiji. Study 1 is a series of structured interviews that aim to elicit the full breadth of the Yasawan affect lexicon. In freelists and sentence frames, Yasawans use distinct sets of terms to refer to “feelings about” particular people (attitudes), and “feelings because of” particular events (emotions). Study 2 uses a pile sort task to show that the salient features of Yasawan affective experience are social-relational dimensions of communion and power, while both HCA and MDS reveal distinct social attitudes – “love” (lomani) and “like’ (taleitaki), “respect” (dokai), “contempt” (beci), “hate” (sevaki), and “fear” (rerevaki) – anchoring the conceptual organization of Yasawan emotions. Study 3 uses hypothetical vignettes with a between-subjects attitude manipulation and Likert-style emotion ratings to show that these attitudes differentially moderate emotions across social scenarios; differences are both quantitative and qualitative; each attitude is emotionally pluripotent; and divergent attitudes (e.g., “love” and “hate”) produce the same emotions in starkly different situations – a predicted three-way interaction of attitude x scenario x emotion. These data are broadly consistent with ASE hypotheses; population variation in affective worlds may follow from differential engagement of universal attitude-emotion networks (sentiments) experienced across social, ecological and normative contexts.

Subordination to Women, Anger, and Endorsement of Violence Against Women: A Test of General Strain Theory

Using Agnew’s (1992) general strain theory (GST), we assess the connection between men’s strained masculinity (stress at subordination to women scenarios), anger produced by strained masculinity, and endorsing friends’ harassment and abuse of women. In a convenience sample of 859 men aged 18 to 32, men who report greater strain and anger in response to hypothetical scenarios and men higher in trait anger are more likely to endorse friends’ violence against women. We contribute to GST by testing the effects of both state and trait anger as a link between strained masculinity and endorsement of violence and exploitation of women.

The unintended consequence of school suspension: How school suspension impacted future grades and misconduct

The goals of this study were to explore the mechanism via which school suspension leads to adverse academic and behavioral consequences. The author utilized the theoretical framework of general strain theory and assessed whether bonds with school, a prosocial bond preventing deviant outcomes, functioned as a mediator in the path between school suspension and students’ future performance. Based on four waves of longitudinal data of at-risk youth, the study employed structural equation modeling and bootstrapping methods to examine the nexus of suspension, perceived school environment, and adverse academic and behavioral outcomes. Findings revealed that school suspension deteriorated subsequent ratings of school environment among youth respondents. Further, an indirect effect between suspension and worsening of grades was observed and this indirect effect resulted in low ratings of school environment. Although suspension directly predicted future misconduct, no mediation effect of school environment was identified in this link. Implications for intervention programming are discussed.

A Comprehensive Approach to Modeling Air Injection-Based Enhanced Oil Recovery Processes

Summary Modeling of air-injection-based processes for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is a challenging task, mostly due to the complexity of the chemical reactions taking place. Also, the applicability of currently available kinetic models is limited to the reservoir systems they were originally developed for. The objective of this study is to derive a general chemical reaction framework that could be used to develop a kinetic model for a variety of crude oils (i.e., light or heavy oils). The work is based on the modeling of high-pressure ramped temperature oxidation (HPRTO) experiments, and combustion tube (CT) tests, performed on two different oil systems: a volatile oil that is near critical at reservoir conditions (44 °API), and a bitumen sample (10 °API). The HPRTO test is a kinetic experiment that intends to mimic the flow conditions within the reservoir and allows the determination of kinetic parameters of the different reactions. On the other hand, the CT test is meant to provide quantitative information on the combustion performance that can be expected in the field. Therefore, a kinetic model was derived for each of the cases based on the history match of an HPRTO experiment. The resulting model was validated by history matching a CT test for each of the oils. An important feature of these experiments is that they were performed at representative reservoir pressure conditions. The modeling approach chosen is an extension of the methodology originally proposed by Belgrave et al. in 1993, which is arguably the most comprehensive kinetic model available in the air injection literature. However, their model was developed from experiments performed on Athabasca bitumen, and it fails to represent the high-pressure air injection process as it occurs in light oil reservoirs, which are typically encountered at higher pressure conditions. For example, Belgrave’s model is based on the deposition and combustion of semisolid residue commonly known as “coke,” which is rarely present during the combustion of light oils at high pressure. As in Belgrave’s model, this study also describes the original composition of the oil in terms of maltenes and asphaltenes. The main difference lies in the presence and importance of oxygen-induced cracking reactions, as well as the combustion of a liquid-vapor flammable hydrocarbon mixture that is generated by cracking and oxidation reactions, which take place in the gas phase. Also, a unique feature of these simulations is that, apart from history-matching traditional variables such as thermocouple temperatures, fluid recovery, and produced gas composition, they also capture changes in the physical properties of the produced oil, such as viscosity and density, as well as the amount of the residual phases in the post-test core. This enhancement to Belgrave’s reactions allows modeling the air injection process in cases where coke is not the main source of fuel, such as in high-pressure light oil reservoirs. This work changes a paradigm deeply rooted in the original in-situ combustion (ISC) theory, by deriving a general chemical reaction framework that is used to develop a kinetic model for two crude oils, which are at opposite ends of the density spectrum. This allows the consolidation of a new and comprehensive general theory for the description of the ISC process as applied to oil reservoirs. Moreover, as the pseudocomponents representing the fuel are not present in the original oil, the method is not limited to a fluid characterization in terms of maltenes and asphaltenes but could potentially be applied along with any type of characterization of the original oil.

Thermal postbuckling and thermally induced postbuckled flutter of tri-directional functionally graded plates in yawed supersonic flow

The current work examines the thermal postbuckling, aero-elastic flutter and thermally induced postbuckled flutter about a static equilibrium state of tri-directional functionally graded (TFGM) rectangular and tapered plates in yawed supersonic flow. Based on the von Kármán nonlinear strains, the general higher-order shear deformation theory (GHSDT) and the first-order piston theory, the governing equations of motion for TFGM plates in yawed supersonic flow are established via the Hamilton's principle. The isogemetric analysis (IGA), the load continue strategy associated with the Newton Raphson iterative technique are exploited synthetically to capture the postbuckling paths, and then the postbuckled flutter behaviors are acquired with the static equilibrium state being obtained. Comparative and convergence studies are provided to improve reliabilities of the present material model, formulae and code implementations. Subsequently, detailed parametric investigations are carried out to evaluate the influences of material volume fractions, boundary conditions and airflow angles on the thermal postbuckling, aero-elastic flutter and postbuckled flutter behaviors of TFGM plates. The results show that it is the in-plane volume fractions, rather than the thickness volume fraction, that exert a greater influence on the thermal postbuckling and flutter behaviors of TFGM plates. Furthermore, TFGM plates exhibit more diverse postbuckling paths and more complex deformations due to the inhomogeneity of the in-plane material properties compared with z-directional FGM plates.

Инструментальное измерение теории судебных экспертиз: использование методологии общей теории права в выявлении, осмыслении и решении прикладных проблем

The paper is devoted to the study of the opportunity to apply the methodology of the general law theory in forensic expert activities. Based on an analysis of general theoretical structures, the author notes that an expert and an investigator are a subject of studying traces of the crime system. It is stated that facts established in the course of an expert study should be determined by goals of the instrumental, instrumental/goal setting and instrumental/cognitive nature of law with regards to the proving process. The author justifi es the need to develop forensic expert technologies that would not violate the procedural independence of each party to judicial proceedings.

A importância da formação docente para a promoção da diversidade e inclusão nas escolas: Uma revisão integrativa de literatura

The objective of this research was to analyze the impact of teacher training on the promotion of diversity and inclusion in schools, addressing both initial and continuing teacher training. The methodology used consisted of an integrative literature review, using scientific articles selected through academic platforms such as Google Scholar and SciELO, focusing on recent publications on the subject. Data analysis revealed that initial teacher training often fails to adequately prepare educators to deal with diversity in classrooms, limiting itself to general theories and not incorporating specific inclusive practices. Continuing education, although important, is often not sufficient due to the lack of specific courses and the gap in initial training. The results indicate that in order to promote effective inclusive education, it is necessary to have a closer alignment between teacher training and the practical realities of the classrooms, in addition to the effective integration of topics related to diversity and inclusion in the curricula of training courses. It is concluded that the evolution of teacher training is crucial to enable teachers to face the challenges of school diversity and to promote an education that values and respects all students' identities and experiences.

Applying General Strain Theory to the Relationship Between Strain from Another Person's Gambling Behavior and Gambling Disorder.

Prior research has identified a host of factors that increase the likelihood that an individual will develop problem gambling, clinically diagnosed as Gambling Disorder (GD), most of which would be identified by criminologists as "strains" under the framework of General Strain Theory (GST). This study utilizes propositions from GST to determine whether strain from another person's gambling may be related to why people develop GD and whether gender is a moderating factor in this relationship. Secondary data is analyzed to assess levels of strain individuals experience from another person's gambling behavior, its relationship to the individual's risk of Gambling Disorder, and the role gender plays in this relationship. Findings demonstrate a relationship between the strain from the perceived problem gambling of someone with a close relationship and having a gambling disorder. Experiencing strain from a spouse/partner who is perceived as a problem gambler has the strongest correlation with an individual also having Gambling Disorder. Considering gender as a moderating factor, this effect was stronger on men than women, calling into question the strong belief that it is primarily women who gamble to escape problems.

Learning Difficulties in General Music Theories for Students of Fine Arts Institutes

Learning Difficulties in General Music Theories for Students of Fine Arts Institutes

Substance Use Among African American College Students: Testing the Theory of African American Offending

Background: General criminological theories contend that African Americans’ substance use is due to overexposure to criminological risk factors. However, some scholars suggest that racial injustices (i.e., racial discrimination and criminal justice injustices) and racial socialization practices, which includes religiosity (church involvement), impact African American substance use. Objective: Drawing on Unnever and Gabbidon’s theory of African American offending, which considers racial injustices and racial socialization when explaining African American offending, the current research examined African American college students’ substance use behavior. Methods: African American college students (n = 131) completed an online and anonymous survey measuring substance use, criminal justice injustices, racial discrimination, racial socialization, religiosity, negative emotions, and school bonds. Results: African American college students who reported marijuana use had less confidence in the police and those who engaged in heavy/binge drinking reported more negative emotions and negative encounters with the police. Additionally, negative police encounters and racial socialization practices increased the odds of heavy/binge drinking, whereas religiosity decreased the odds of heavy/binge drinking. Conclusion: These results suggest that a relationship exists among criminal justice injustices, perceived racial bias, racial socialization, religiosity, and African American college students’ substance use. As such, the current research provides partial support for the Theory of African American Offending while demonstrating the need to consider racial experiences when examining African American substance use.

Causality and quasi-normal modes in the GREFT

The General Relativity Effective Field Theory (GREFT) introduces higher-derivative interactions to parameterise the gravitational effects of massive degrees of freedom which are too heavy to be probed directly. The coefficients of these interactions have recently been constrained using causality: both from the analytic structure of 4-point graviton scattering and the time delay of gravitational waves on a black hole background. In this work, causality is used to constrain the quasi-normal mode spectrum of GREFT black holes. Demanding that quasi-normal mode perturbations decay faster in the GREFT than in General Relativity—a new kind of causality condition which stems from the analytic structure of 2-point functions on a black hole background—leads to further constraints on the GREFT coefficients. The causality constraints and compact expressions for the GREFT quasi-normal mode frequencies presented here will inform future parameterised gravitational waveforms, and the observational prospects for gravitational wave observatories are briefly discussed.

Mental integrity, autonomy, and fundamental interests

Many technology ethicists hold that the time has come to articulate neurorights: our normative claims vis-à-vis our brains and minds. One such claim is the right to mental integrity (‘MI’)....

A graph decomposition-based approach for the graph-fused lasso

We propose a new algorithm for solving the graph-fused lasso (GFL), a regularized model that operates under the assumption that the signal tends to be locally constant over a predefined graph structure. The proposed method applies a novel decomposition of the objective function for the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) algorithm. While ADMM has been widely used in fused lasso problems, existing works such as the network lasso decompose the objective function into the loss function component and the total variation penalty component. In contrast, based on the graph matching technique in graph theory, we propose a new method of decomposition that separates the objective function into two components, where one component is the loss function plus part of the total variation penalty, and the other component is the remaining total variation penalty. We develop an exact convergence rate of the proposed algorithm by developing a general theory on the local convergence of ADMM. Compared with the network lasso algorithm, our algorithm has a faster exact linear convergence rate (although in the same order as for the network lasso). It also enjoys a smaller computational cost per iteration, thus converges overall faster in most numerical examples.

(Keynote) Unified Quantum Theory of Electrochemical Kinetics Based on Coupled Ion-Electron Transfer

A general theory of coupled ion–electron transfer (CIET) is presented, which unifies quantum kinetics of electron transfer (ET) with classical kinetics of bond-breaking ion transfer (IT) in a general framework of non-equilibrium thermodynamics [1]. In the limit of large reorganization energy, the theory predicts Marcus kinetics of “electron-coupled ion transfer” (ECIT). In the limit of large ion-transfer energies, the theory predicts generalized Butler–Volmer kinetics of “ion-coupled electron transfer” (ICET), where the charge transfer coefficient and exchange current are connected to microscopic properties of the electrode/electrolyte interface. In the ICET regime, the reductive and oxidative branches of Tafel’s law are predicted to hold over a wide but finite range of overpotentials, bounded by the ion-transfer energies for oxidation and reduction, respectively. The probability distribution of transferring electron energies in CIET smoothly interpolates between a shifted Gaussian distribution for ECIT (as in the Gerischer–Marcus theory of ET) to an asymmetric, fat-tailed Meixner distribution centered at the Fermi level for ICET. The latter may help interpret asymmetric line shapes in x-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) for oxidized metal surfaces in terms of shake-up relaxation of the ionized atom and its image polaron by ICET. In the limit of large overpotentials, the theory predicts a transition to inverted Marcus ECIT, leading to a universal reaction-limited current for metal electrodes, dominated by barrierless quantum transitions. Uniformly valid, closed-form asymptotic approximations are derived that smoothly transition between the limiting rate expressions for ICET and ECIT for metal electrodes, using simple but accurate mathematical functions. The theory is applied to lithium intercalation in lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and found to provide a consistent description of the observed current dependence on overpotential, temperature and concentration, learned from x-ray images [2]. CIET theory thus provides a critical bridge between quantum electrochemistry and electrochemical engineering.[1] M. Z. Bazant, Unified quantum theory of electrochemical kinetics by coupled ion-electron transfer, Faraday Discussions 246, 60-124 (2023).[2] H. Zhao, H. D. Deng, A. E. Cohen, J. Lim, Y. Li, D. Fraggedakis, B. Jiang, B. D. Storey, W. C. Chueh, R. D. Braatz, and M. Z. Bazant, Learning heterogeneous reaction kinetics from X-ray movies pixel-by-pixel, Nature 621, 289-294 (2023). Figure 1