Theoretical Link Research Articles

“I feel my inner child out”: Zine-making as a data collection tool in narrative inquiry

This article attempts to answer two current calls in applied linguistics, including a specific call for more methodological investment in narrative inquiry (Barkhuizen & Consoli, 2021) and a general call for methodological innovation in all areas of applied linguistics (Li et al., 2023; Li & Prior, 2022). This article proposes zine-making as a fun, creative, ethical, and empowering data collection method in narrative inquiry (NI) in applied linguistics. Following a literature review of NI, zines and zine-making, I delineate the theoretical links between zine-making and NI in applied linguistics. I then demonstrate how zine-making was used to elicit individuals’ life stories by reflecting on my experiences. An illustration of a sample of the findings from the zine-making data in NI is presented, along with a discussion of the strengths and limitations of zine-making from participants’ perspectives. The article concludes with implications of zine-making as a methodological innovation in NI. Readers of this article will understand the basics of using zine-making for data collection in NI while being aware of and prepared for its limitations.

Mechanisms and rock strength measurement of two-wing polycrystalline diamond compact drill bits

Excessive or insufficient support strength causes safety hazards and economic waste in underground engineering. Addressing this requires precise sensing of variations in surrounding rock conditions. This study, based on roof anchor drilling, analyzes the full drilling process and posture, establishing a theoretical link between drilling parameters and uniaxial compressive strength. A rock property detection system was developed for specific engineering environments. Results show that in V-N mode, rock strength increases, with thrust and torque rising by 310.67% and 106.92%, respectively. In F-N mode, drilling speed decreases by 71.08%, and torque varies by 10.75%, indicating limited torque sensitivity to strength. Theoretical validation indicates that the prediction error range for rock strength under the V-N model is between 3.01% and 20.30%, with an average error rate of 10.43%. The study also examines the assumptions’ validity, F-N mode limitations, and the engineering significance of theoretical derivations, offering new insights into rock strength measurement.

Satiation-Based Theory of Frugal Materialism

Frugal materialism is a tendency of consumer demand to become more elastic in product durability in response to a tightening budget constraint. This paper proposes a value function-based model of frugal materialism and establishes a close theoretical link between frugal materialism and the slope of value satiation as defined in the decision analytic literature; for both their absolute and relative versions, frugal materialism and increasing value satiation are nearly equivalent to each other. Only some shapes of the value function are thus compatible with frugal materialism, and the shape restrictions involve concepts familiar from models of decision making under risk, even though the proposed model of frugal materialism does not involve any risk. Under the additional assumption of relative risk neutrality, the demand for risky assets of a frugally materialistic consumer should exhibit well-known behavioral patterns associated with increasing risk aversion, and there is only a narrow possibility for frugal materialism to coexist with precautionary saving behavior.

Enterprise digitization and marine economic performance: An empirical study of listed enterprises in China's maritime economy.

The scale and connectivity of marine resources make them more complex than land resource management. Although digitization has been recognized as an organizational change process that can effectively improve resource efficiency and enhance network resilience, however, gaps remain in establishing the theoretical links between digitization and marine economic performance. Based on a panel fixed-effects model, this study evaluates the interrelationships and potential mechanisms of different firms with data from annual reports of listed firms in the marine economy in the eastern coastal region of China. The results indicate that there is a 'U-shaped' relationship between digitalization and enterprise efficiency in the maritime sector, and significant heterogeneity exists in the characteristics of these enterprises. Notably, firms' technological innovation capability can modulate the 'U-shaped' relationship through the interaction of economies of scale and economies of scope. This paper highlights how digitization mitigates the fragmentation and sectionalization of marine information and addresses the digital overload and productivity paradox that firms may face in the early stages of digitization. The study suggests that institutional diversity shapes resilience. Governments need to promote top-down regulation and industry collaboration, while marine enterprises need to coevolve collaboratively with them through bottom-up internal communication and external interaction to enhance the value chain of marine enterprises.

Analysing the Relation between Passion, Motivation, and Subjective Well-Being in Sport: A Systematic Review.

Both the Dualistic Model of Passion and Self-Determination Theory suggest that the persistence of a behaviour over time derives from the internalisation of the passion or motivation that the individual feels about the activity. However, the integration of these theoretical assumptions may lead to a better understanding of related outcomes, in particular on subjective well-being (SWB). In this context, this study aimed at systematically reviewing the relation between passion, behaviour regulation (i.e., self-determined motivation), and SWB in sport. The PRISMA 2020 protocol was used to guide the systematic review. Electronic searches were conducted in the Web of Science database and Pubmed. The following descriptors were used: SWB; passion; motivation; behavioural regulation; and sport. After the search, 12 studies were retrieved for analysis that show us the following results tendencies: harmonious passion (HP) and autonomous motivation (AM) (i.e., more self-determined forms of behaviour regulation) are positively related to SWB (i.e., life satisfaction and positive affect), while obsessive passion (OP) and controlled motivation (CM) (i.e., less self-determined forms of behaviour regulation) are negatively associated with SWB. However, no studies were found to simultaneously analyse the three theoretical constructs. These results show us the importance of developing conditions in sport contexts that promote positive feelings that take into account athletes' development of harmonious passion and self-determined behaviour regulation, in order to achieve higher levels of well-being. Nevertheless, these results also lead us to the necessity for more studies to highlight the theoretical link between passion and motivation in the context of sport, especially regarding the mediating role of motivation in the relationship between passion and well-being.

When and Why Does Platform Leadership Drive Employee Intrapreneurship? Moderating Role of Innovation‐Oriented Human Resource Management

ABSTRACTPlatform leadership, a new concept in leadership, along with intrapreneurship, has garnered considerable attention in China. Despite scholarly efforts to establish a theoretical link between leadership and employee intrapreneurship, gaps persist in understanding when and why platform leadership influences intrapreneurship. This study seeks to fill in these gaps by proposing a new model exploring the theoretical relationship between these concepts. Based on social exchange theory, this research examines how platform leadership enhances intrapreneurship by boosting employees' perceived insider status. Moreover, this study investigates how innovation‐oriented human resource management (HRM) moderates this effect. Analysis of two‐stage data from 471 employees in 57 Chinese platform organizations supports the proposed hypotheses, revealing that platform leadership positively influences intrapreneurship, predominantly by enhancing perceived insider status. The effect of platform leadership on perceived insider status and intrapreneurship is also strengthened in the context of superior innovation‐oriented HRM. This study enriches the theoretical understanding of platform leadership and intrapreneurship through social exchange theory and highlights innovation‐oriented HRM as a critical boundary condition. Insights gained from this study offer valuable guidance for advancing leadership and HRM practices within platform organizations.

COVID-19 Vaccine Information Exposure: The Effect of Online Authority vs. Non-Authority Sources on Beliefs, Emotions and Information Engagement Behaviors.

Background/Objectives: Limited research has examined the theoretical linkages between exposure to COVID-19 vaccine information sources, vaccination-related beliefs, vaccination-induced emotions, and vaccine information engagement. Methods: An online survey was conducted with a national sample of adults (N = 630) residing in the U.S. to test these relationships, guided by the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework and the Health Belief Model. Results: Study findings showed that exposure to online authority vaccine information sources was positively related to vaccination-benefit beliefs and negatively related to vaccination-barrier beliefs, in addition to hopeful feelings connected to vaccination. Exposure to non-authority sources was positively associated with vaccination-barrier beliefs, hopeful and fearful feelings connected to vaccination, and vaccine information engagement. While vaccination-benefit beliefs and vaccination-barrier beliefs were negatively and positively linked to vaccine information engagement, respectively, these beliefs were each positively connected to hopeful feelings and fearful feelings toward vaccination in that order. Both hopeful and fearful feelings toward vaccination also emerged as positive correlates of vaccine information engagement. Conclusions: This study contributes to our understanding of how cognitive appraisals of and affective responses to risk information disseminated by different types of sources may be related to risk information engagement behavior in a public health crisis. Results bring evidence-based insights to both researchers and health professionals to better equip them to counter vaccine misinformation and reduce vaccination barriers.

MICROWAVE HEATING EFFECT ON THE OXIDATION AND QUALITY OF COLD-PRESSED SUNFLOWER OIL

Sunflower oil is widely used in the human diet, primarily due to its constituent components and its applications in producing functional products. The use of microwave ovens in food preparation has become widespread in recent years due to certain advantages that include saving time, energy and convenience. As a result of heat treatment of oils, various chemical reactions can occur, leading to the formation of products that may indicate deterioration or a reduction in quality. For this purpose, untreated oil (not subjected to heating) and oil heated in a microwave oven for varying durations (ranging from 4 to 20 minutes) were analyzed in this study. The quality assessment of cold-pressed sunflower oil was conducted using standard official methods to measure peroxide, acid, and iodine values. The progression of oil oxidation was tracked by analyzing conjugated dienes and conjugated trienes through UV-spectroscopy (method AOCS Ch 5-91). Additionally, considering the theoretical link between microwave heating and changes in fatty acid composition, the fatty acid profile of the oil was determined according to MKC EN ISO 12966-4:2015. The results indicate a notable shift in the peroxide value (PV). Specifically, after heating the oil for 4 minutes, the PV exceeds the permitted limits. Furthermore, a decrease in the iodine value is observed with increasing heating time, while no significant changes are noted in the acid value. Additionally, changes in the content of fatty acids are observed in cold-pressed sunflower oil. At specific wavelengths (232 and 268 nm), conjugated dienes and trienes were detected as oxidation products, i.e. the extinction coefficients (K232) and (K268) fell within the ranges of 3,72-4,16 and 1,25-2,56, respectively. These findings lead to the conclusion that microwave heating induces changes in the quality of cold-pressed sunflower oil. To maintain its quality, an appropriate choice of heat treatment is required.

Smart city construction impact on destination competitiveness: a time-varying difference-in-differences analysis of Chinese prefectural-level cities

Purpose This paper aims to analyze how smart city construction affects destination competitiveness and elucidates the potential mechanisms of digital economy. Also, the regional heterogeneity of smart city construction’s influence on destination competitiveness is discussed. Design/methodology/approach Given the quasi-natural experiment characteristics of China's smart city construction pilot, this study applies a time-varying difference-in-differences approach using a panel dataset of 272 Chinese prefectural-level cities to examine the causal effects of smart city construction on destination competitiveness. Findings Results indicate substantial enhancement of urban destination competitiveness from smart city construction, with this effect escalating annually. Digital infrastructure and digital finance serve as influence mechanisms. The positive impacts of smart city construction on urban tourism competitiveness do not differ by geographic location, rather there are significant differences between cities of different administrative levels. The impact of smart city construction on destination competitiveness is more significant in low administrative level cities. The improvement of economic development level and innovation ability helps to exert the positive impact of smart cities on tourism competitiveness. Originality/value This study constructs a new panel data set for smart city construction and destination competitiveness based on multi-source data and posits a theoretical linkage among smart city construction, digital economy and destination competitiveness. This paper provides invaluable insights on how to boost destination competitiveness by creating smart cities and leveraging the digital economy. Tourism sectors should proactively engage in smart city construction and foster the digital transformation of tourism.

Optimising resource-constrained fleet selective maintenance with asynchronous maintenance breaks

This paper offers a novel and significant extension of the Fleet Selective Maintenance Problem (FSMP) by considering asynchronous maintenance breaks and resource-constrained maintenance planning. This constitutes a significant shift from the conventional focus on synchronous breaks for the FSMP formulated to plan maintenance for fleets of mission-critical systems. This paper establishes a theoretical link between the Selective Maintenance Problem (SMP) and the Resource Constrained Project Scheduling Problem (RCPSP). The proposed FSMP formulation for asynchronous breaks is more general and versatile in adapting to a broad spectrum of operational constraints and resource scarcities. Numerical experiments are conducted that highlights the trade-offs between the timing and quality levels of maintenance activities and the consumption of resources that maintenance planners can make to obtain the best system performance for the budget and maintenance windows available.

Differentiation and destandardization of family life courses: Theoretical and empirical links to sociopolitical regime types

Building on research on cohort-specific trends in life-course differentiation and destandardization, our study seeks to explore how patterns of family-life-course diversity relate to characteristics of sociopolitical regimes. Applying sequence analysis, we analyse cohort-specific family life courses from nine European countries and Canada, classifying them into five sociopolitical regimes (Nordic, Anglo-Saxon, Mediterranean, Continental, Eastern). We use data from the Harmonized Histories and the German National Educational Panel Survey. Our results indicate that sociopolitical regimes differentiate patterns of life-course diversity quite well in the Nordic, Anglo-Saxon, and Eastern European countries but to a lesser degree in the Mediterranean and Continental countries. In methodological terms, our results suggest that distinguishing patterns of diversity between and within life courses helps to create a more nuanced empirical account of changing life-course patterns, particularly in a cross-national perspective.

Do we have time for democracy? Climate action and the problem of time in the Anthropocene

The urgency of climate change has brought democracy to a critical juncture. Existing democratic systems struggle to address the pressing time frames required for effective climate action. This article explores a fundamental shift in temporal orientation caused by climate change. Democracy’s linear and progressive image of time clashes with the expanding scales of temporality, encompassing both planetary and microscopic processes. More specifically, the article examines the theoretical links between democracy, climate change, and time in the Anthropocene through empirical engagements with the climate politics associated with deliberative assemblies, community organizing, and activist movements. The core argument is that within these democratic innovations, new future-oriented responses to the crises are beginning to emerge. These innovations experiment with extending democracy’s temporal image beyond its conventional boundaries, paving the way for a multi-trajectory democratic politics. The article concludes by discussing the tensions and potential consequences of these democratic practices, ultimately arguing in favor of a multiple and layered understanding of democratic time that extends beyond distinctly human temporalities.

Domination and Independence in Fuzzy Semigraphs

Objectives: To identify dominating and independent sets in fuzzy semigraphs by developing suitable methods. To examine dominating and independent sets in fuzzy semigraphs for their characteristics and behaviors. The goal is to examine the use of the concepts of domination and independence in the fields of analysis of social networks, security of networks, and allocation of resources. Methods: This study introduces the concept of strong arc fuzzy semigraph and explores various parameters such as dominating and independent sets. The Minimum Adjacent Dominating Number (ad-number) \gamma_a(\operatorname{𝓖}) and Maximum Adjacent Dominating Number (ad-number) \Gamma_a(\operatorname{𝓖}) , Minimum End Node Adjacent Dominating Number (ead-number) \gamma_{ea}(\operatorname{𝓖}) and Maximum End Node Adjacent Dominating Number (ead-number) \Gamma_{ae}(\operatorname{𝓖}) as well as Minimum Consecutive Adjacent Dominating Number (cad-number) \gamma_{ca}(\operatorname{𝓖}) and Maximum Consecutive Adjacent Dominating Number (cad-number) \Gamma_{ca}(\operatorname{𝓖}) . These parameters represent the respective minimum and maximum cardinalities taken over all minimal dominating sets of nodes of \operatorname{𝓖} . Additionally, it explores the e-independence dominating number i_e and e-independence number \beta_e(\operatorname{𝓖}) , strongly independence dominating number i_s and strongly independence number \beta_s(\operatorname{𝓖}) and consecutive adjacent independence dominating number i_{ca} and consecutive adjacent independence number \beta_{ca}(\operatorname{𝓖}) . These parameters represent the respective minimum and maximum cardinalities derived from all maximal independent sets of nodes in \operatorname{𝓖} . Findings: The study develops a thorough correlation between fuzzy dominant sets and independent sets in the fuzzy semigraph \operatorname{𝓖} . The statement illustrates the way in which the introduced factors interact and impact the structure and behaviour of the fuzzy semigraph. Novelty: The introduction of strong arc fuzzy semigraphs is a novel notion in the examination of fuzzy graphs. The study involves the creation and examination of novel parameters associated with dominant and independent sets in fuzzy semigraphs. This study aims to establish novel theoretical linkages between fuzzy domination and independent sets, therefore expanding our knowledge of the structural features of fuzzy semigraphs. Keywords: Domination in fuzzy semigraphs, Independent in fuzzy semigraphs, Adjacent-domination, ea-domination, ca-domination, e-independent, s-independent, ca-independent

Moving Engagement Theory Forward: My Practical Insights on Activation's Centrality to Understanding Gender Differences in Discretionary Workplace Commitment

This article explores the concept of activation as a missing theoretical link for understanding gender differences in discretionary workplace commitment. Activation refers to an individual's readiness to take action and has been shown to influence engagement outcomes through its impact on effort and attention levels. The article first reviews key academic literature establishing engagement theory and the role of activation. It then shares real-world examples where activation helps explain observed gender differences in discretionary behaviors beyond basic job duties. Differences in situational job demands and available resources that differentially impact women's activation reserves are also examined. The article argues that conceptualizing engagement through an activation lens can help address why discrepancies occur and suggest impactful job redesign strategies. Recommendations focus on boosting activation for all employees through initiatives like flexible scheduling, social support programs, and inclusive cultures. The discussion proposes advancing engagement theory by considering the understudied yet important role of activation, particularly regarding gender.

On the Theoretical Link between Optimized Geospatial Conflation Models for Linear Features

On the Theoretical Link between Optimized Geospatial Conflation Models for Linear Features

Corporate social responsibility in the era of government subsidies: A novel empirical perspective on market competitiveness

AbstractCorporate social responsibility (CSR) is essential for businesses as it builds reputation and stakeholder trust, drives innovation, and contributes to social welfare. This study evaluates the impact of government support on CSR under various scenarios, using a dataset of 98 listed companies from Bangladesh and 111 from China between 2011 and 2023. Theoretical links are established by constructing a model representing an oligopolistic market of privately owned firms. The results suggest that the introduction of government support motivates private firms to comply with social obligations. This theoretical claim is supported by product market competition, which acts as an intermediary. The effect is evident across the whole lifespan of the firm. Furthermore, the correlation is stronger concerning competitive industries, businesses without political ties, and low‐ and medium‐size government subsidies. The results also show that the main channel through which government subsidies affect CSR is product market competition; however, the evidence is country‐specific. This suggests that the efficient allocation of financial resources is of great importance in this situation.

Sale of second-hand goods by consumers: mediating role of satisfaction between perceived value and behavioural intentions

ABSTRACT Sustainable retail strategies are promoting product reuse and recycling, and the current trend of shifting retail environment in a socially and ecologically conscious market requires understanding second-hand merchandise transactions. The present study on second-hand product sellers examines perceived value and their effects on satisfaction (mediator) and behavioural intentions. The results show that economic, social, emotional, relational, and moral/ethical values are unrelated to satisfaction and behavioural intentions. While popular and well-regarded Expectancy-Disconfirmation theory underpinning hypotheses contradict the findings, thus, concluded that differential consumers-to-consumer behaviour intentions exists while selling or purchasing second-hands goods vs. new products. The research contributes by empirically testing additional theoretical linkages of perceived value with satisfaction and behavioural intentions relationship in the context of the second-hand goods market.

Signatures of Bayesian inference emerge from energy-efficient synapses.

Biological synaptic transmission is unreliable, and this unreliability likely degrades neural circuit performance. While there are biophysical mechanisms that can increase reliability, for instance by increasing vesicle release probability, these mechanisms cost energy. We examined four such mechanisms along with the associated scaling of the energetic costs. We then embedded these energetic costs for reliability in artificial neural networks (ANNs) with trainable stochastic synapses, and trained these networks on standard image classification tasks. The resulting networks revealed a tradeoff between circuit performance and the energetic cost of synaptic reliability. Additionally, the optimised networks exhibited two testable predictions consistent with pre-existing experimental data. Specifically, synapses with lower variability tended to have (1) higher input firing rates and (2) lower learning rates. Surprisingly, these predictions also arise when synapse statistics are inferred through Bayesian inference. Indeed, we were able to find a formal, theoretical link between the performance-reliability cost tradeoff and Bayesian inference. This connection suggests two incompatible possibilities: evolution may have chanced upon a scheme for implementing Bayesian inference by optimising energy efficiency, or alternatively, energy-efficient synapses may display signatures of Bayesian inference without actually using Bayes to reason about uncertainty.

Signatures of Bayesian inference emerge from energy-efficient synapses

Biological synaptic transmission is unreliable, and this unreliability likely degrades neural circuit performance. While there are biophysical mechanisms that can increase reliability, for instance by increasing vesicle release probability, these mechanisms cost energy. We examined four such mechanisms along with the associated scaling of the energetic costs. We then embedded these energetic costs for reliability in artificial neural networks (ANNs) with trainable stochastic synapses, and trained these networks on standard image classification tasks. The resulting networks revealed a tradeoff between circuit performance and the energetic cost of synaptic reliability. Additionally, the optimised networks exhibited two testable predictions consistent with pre-existing experimental data. Specifically, synapses with lower variability tended to have (1) higher input firing rates and (2) lower learning rates. Surprisingly, these predictions also arise when synapse statistics are inferred through Bayesian inference. Indeed, we were able to find a formal, theoretical link between the performance-reliability cost tradeoff and Bayesian inference. This connection suggests two incompatible possibilities: evolution may have chanced upon a scheme for implementing Bayesian inference by optimising energy efficiency, or alternatively, energy-efficient synapses may display signatures of Bayesian inference without actually using Bayes to reason about uncertainty.

Effect of magnetospheric conditions on the morphology of Jupiter’s ultraviolet main auroral emission as observed by Juno-UVS

Auroral emissions are a reflection of magnetospheric processes, and at Jupiter, it is not entirely certain how the morphology of the UV main emission (ME) varies with magnetospheric compression or the strength of the central current sheet. This work leverages the observations from Juno-UVS to link ME variability with particular magnetospheric states. We employed novel arc-detection techniques to determine new reference ovals for the ME from perijoves 1 through 54, in both hemispheres, and analysed how the size and shape of the ME vary compared to this reference oval. The morphology and brightness of the ME vary in local time: the dawn-side ME is typically expanded, while the dusk-side ME is contracted, compared to the reference oval, and the dusk-side ME is twice as bright as the dawn-side ME. Both the northern and southern ME and the day-side and night-side ME expand and contract from their reference ovals synchronously, which indicates that the variable size of the ME is caused by a process occurring throughout the Jovian magnetosphere. The poleward latitudinal shift of the auroral footprint of Ganymede correlates with the poleward motion of the ME, whereas a similar relation is not present for the footprint of Io. Additionally, the expansion of the ME correlates well with an increase in magnetodisc current. These two results suggest that a changing current-sheet magnetic field is partially responsible for the variable size of the ME. Finally, magnetospheric compression is linked to a global ME contraction and brightening, though this brightening occurs predominantly in the day-side ME. This observation, and the observation that the dusk-side ME is typically brighter than the dawn-side ME, stands in contrast to the modelled and observed behaviour of field-aligned currents and thus weakens the theoretical link between field-aligned currents and the generation of the auroral ME.