Unified Theoretical Framework Research Articles

Gaming Borderless Internationalism: From International to Interlocalized System Using Ujamaa Epistemology

This article develops a proposed unifying theoretical framework for the concept of ‘interlocalization ’ as an explanatory adjustment to the hegemonic concept of internationalism. This is a response to an exploratory study by Francis Onditi, published by the Futures, ‘Futuring an “Inclusive Knowledge Futures” Framework beyond IR Theories’, aimed at elucidating Afrocentric international studies scholars’ understanding of Africa’s futures that emboldens both local and global value systems. In the current article, ‘interlocalization ’ is defined as a process of (re)creating a seamless linkage between African local epistemologies ( ujamaa) and international knowledge systems. In this system of knowledge production and consumption, institutions and debates shift from the national scale to the global scale and downwards to the local level. In this proliferation and restless knowledge scaling, it remains blurred, whether the local African epistemologies and knowledge networks are capable of becoming simultaneously more globalized and transnational? In this article, we utilize gaming model to theoretically simulate the ‘ positivity’ and ‘ negativity’ of the attributes that build up a mutual global system and international order.

Temperature-Dependent Contact of Weakly Interacting Single-Component Fermi Gases and Loss Rate of Degenerate Polar Molecules.

Motivated by the experimental realization of single-component degenerate Fermi gases of polar ground state KRb molecules with intrinsic two-body losses [L. De Marco et al., A degenerate Fermi gas of polar molecules, Science 363, 853 (2019).SCIEAS0036-807510.1126/science.aau7230], this work studies the finite-temperature loss rate of single-component Fermi gases with weak interactions. First, we establish a relationship between the two-body loss rate and the p-wave contact. Second, we evaluate the contact of the homogeneous system in the low-temperature regime using p-wave Fermi liquid theory and in the high-temperature regime using the second-order virial expansion. Third, conjecturing that there are no phase transitions between the two temperature regimes, we smoothly interpolate the results to intermediate temperatures. It is found that the contact is constant at temperatures close to zero and increases first quadratically with increasing temperature and finally-in agreement with the Bethe-Wigner threshold law-linearly at high temperatures. Fourth, applying the local-density approximation, we obtain the loss-rate coefficient for the harmonically trapped system, reproducing the experimental KRb loss measurements within a unified theoretical framework over a wide temperature regime without fitting parameters. Our results for the contact are not only applicable to molecular p-wave gases but also to atomic single-component Fermi gases, such as ^{40}K and ^{6}Li.

Evaluation and Comparison of SEA Torque Controllers in a Unified Framework

Series elastic actuators (SEA) with their inherent compliance offer a safe torque source for robots that are interacting with various environments, including humans. These applications have high requirements for the SEA torque controllers, both in the torque response as well as interaction behavior with its environment. To differentiate state of the art torque controllers, this work introduces a unifying theoretical and experimental framework that compares controllers based on their torque transfer behavior, their apparent impedance behavior, and especially the passivity of the apparent impedance (i.e., their interaction stability) as well as their sensitivity to sensor noise. We compare classical SEA control approaches such as cascaded PID controllers and full state feedback controllers with advanced controllers using disturbance observers, acceleration feedback and adaptation rules. Simulations and experiments demonstrate the trade-off between stable interactions, high bandwidths and low noise levels. Based on these trade-offs, an application-specific controller can be designed and tuned, based on desired interaction with the respective environment.

The Misinformation Receptivity Framework

Abstract: Evaluating the truthfulness of new information is a difficult and complex task. Notably, there is currently no unified theoretical framework that addresses the questions of (1) how individuals discern whether political information is true or (deliberately) false, (2) under what conditions individuals are most susceptible to believing misinformation, and (3) how the structure of political and communicative environments skews cognitive processes of truth, discernment, and interpretation generation. To move forward, we propose the Misinformation Receptivity Framework (MRF). Building on Bayesian and probabilistic models of cognition, the MRF suggests that we can conceptualize misinformation receptivity as a cognitive inference problem in which the reliability of incoming misinformation is weighed against the reliability of prior beliefs. This “reliability-weighting” process can model when individuals adopt or reject misinformation, as well as the ways in which they creatively generate interpretations rather than passively discern truth versus falsehood. Moreover, certain communication contexts can lead people to rely excessively on incoming (mis)information or conversely to rely excessively on prior beliefs. The MRF postulates how such environmental properties can heighten the persuasiveness of different kinds of misinformation. For instance, the MRF predicts that noisy communication contexts, in which the reliability of inputs is ambiguous, make people susceptible to highly partisan and ideological misinformation or disinformation that amplifies their existing belief systems. By contrast, the MRF predicts that contextual instability renders people susceptible to misinformation that would be considered extreme or worldview-incongruent in conditions of stability. The MRF formally delineates the interactions between cognitive and communicative mechanisms, offering insights and testable hypotheses on when, how, and why different kinds of misinformation proliferate.

Media Concentration Law: Gaps and Promises in the Digital Age

Power concentrations are increasing in today’s media landscape. Reasons for this include increasing structural and technological dependences on digital platform companies, as well as shifts in opinion power and control over news production, distribution, and consumption. Digital opinion power and platformised media markets have prompted the need for a re-evaluation of the current approach. This article critically revisits and analyses media concentration rules. To this end, I employ a normative conceptual framework that examines ”opinion power in the platform world” at three distinct levels (individual citizen, institutional newsroom, and media ecosystem). At each level, I identify the existing legal tools and gaps in controlling power and concentration in the digital age. Based on that, I offer a unifying theoretical framework for a “digital media concentration law,” along with core concepts and guiding principles. I highlight policy goals and fields that are outside the traditional scope yet are relevant for addressing issues relating to the digital age. Additionally, the emerging European Union regulatory framework—specifically the Digital Services Act, the Digital Markets Act, and the European Media Freedom Act—reflects an evolving approach regarding platforms and media concentration. On a final note, the analysis draws from the mapping and evaluation results of a Europe-wide study on media pluralism and diversity online, which examined (national) media concentration rules.

Theory of isomeric excitation of 229Th via electronic processes

A unified theoretical framework is presented for the isomeric excitation of the 229Th nucleus via electronic processes. These processes include nuclear excitation by electron transition (NEET), nuclear excitation by electron capture (NEEC), and nuclear excitation by inelastic electron scattering (NEIES). Detailed calculation results on the excitation rate and the excitation cross section are presented.

A unified science of matter, life and evolution.

We are accustomed to looking at matter, life and evolution from different viewpoints. In this article, we present a simple but unified theoretical framework inspired by classical mechanics and thermodynamics. Our framework generalizes Newton's third law of matter to encompass life and evolution. The generalized action-reaction relationship includes scale and temporal parameters. This generalization helps explain why life is a system out of equilibrium. Life can go beyond the action-reaction symmetry law of matter. We define life as an open system that is self-aware of the time trajectory of energy state and environment. The theoretical framework we propose for studying life in terms of power reduces to the science of matter as a limiting case. This article is part of the theme issue 'Thermodynamics 2.0: Bridging the natural and social sciences (Part 1)'.

Experimental and theoretical investigations of rotating algae biofilm reactors (RABRs): Areal productivity, nutrient recovery, and energy efficiency.

Microalgae biofilms have been demonstrated to recover nutrients from wastewater and serve as biomass feedstock for bioproducts. However, there is a need to develop a platform to quantitatively describe microalgae biofilm production, which can provide guidance and insights for improving biomass areal productivity and nutrient uptake efficiency. This paper proposes a unified experimental and theoretical framework to investigate algae biofilm growth on a rotating algae biofilm reactor (RABR). Experimental laboratory setups are used to conduct controlled experiments on testing environmental and operational factors for RABRs. We propose a differential-integral equation-based mathematical model for microalgae biofilm cultivation guided by laboratory experimental findings. The predictive mathematical model development is coordinated with laboratory experiments of biofilm areal productivity associated with ammonia and inorganic phosphorus uptake by RABRs. The unified experimental and theoretical tool is used to investigate the effects of RABR rotating velocity, duty cycle (DC), and light intensity on algae biofilm growth, areal productivity, nutrient uptake efficiency, and energy efficiency in wastewater treatment. Our framework indicates that maintaining a reasonable light intensity range improves biomass areal productivity and nutrient uptake efficiency. Our framework also indicates that faster RABR rotation benefits biomass areal productivity. However, maximizing the nutrient uptake efficiency requires a reasonably low RABR rotating speed. Energy efficiency is strongly correlated with RABR rotating speed and DC.

Pandemic Dining Dilemmas: Exploring the Determinants of Korean Consumer Dining-Out Behavior during COVID-19

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic’s significant impact on the dining-out industry, this study examined factors influencing consumers’ dining-out behavior changes using a unified theoretical framework based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and select components of the risk information seeking and processing (RISP) model. A quantitative research method was employed, analyzing 536 valid survey responses collected in South Korea in early 2021 using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings showed that consumer attitude, perceived control, and subjective norm positively influenced dining-out intention, supporting the TPB. However, risk information-seeking behavior discourages dining-out behavior without significantly affecting intention. Fear emerged as a determinant of dining-out intention, risk information-seeking behavior, and dining-out behavior, highlighting the importance of emotions over rational thinking. This study contributes to existing literature by incorporating dining-out intention, COVID-19-related information-seeking behavior, and fear as key antecedents of dining-out behavior during the pandemic, while validating formative indicators that constitute risk information-seeking behavior and dining-out behavior in the research model.

Dynamic prospect theory: Two core decision theories coexist in the gambling behavior of monkeys and humans.

Research in the multidisciplinary field of neuroeconomics has mainly been driven by two influential theories regarding human economic choice: prospect theory, which describes decision-making under risk, and reinforcement learning theory, which describes learning for decision-making. We hypothesized that these two distinct theories guide decision-making in a comprehensive manner. Here, we propose and test a decision-making theory under uncertainty that combines these highly influential theories. Collecting many gambling decisions from laboratory monkeys allowed for reliable testing of our model and revealed a systematic violation of prospect theory's assumption that probability weighting is static. Using the same experimental paradigm in humans, substantial similarities between these species were uncovered by various econometric analyses of our dynamic prospect theory model, which incorporates decision-by-decision learning dynamics of prediction errors into static prospect theory. Our model provides a unified theoretical framework for exploring a neurobiological model of economic choice in human and nonhuman primates.

Unified theoretical framework for black carbon mixing state allows greater accuracy of climate effect estimation

Black carbon (BC) plays an important role in the climate system because of its strong warming effect, yet the magnitude of this effect is highly uncertain owing to the complex mixing state of aerosols. Here we build a unified theoretical framework to describe BC’s mixing states, linking dynamic processes to BC coating thickness distribution, and show its self-similarity for sites in diverse environments. The size distribution of BC-containing particles is found to follow a universal law and is independent of BC core size. A new mixing state module is established based on this finding and successfully applied in global and regional models, which increases the accuracy of aerosol climate effect estimations. Our theoretical framework links observations with model simulations in both mixing state description and light absorption quantification.

Transforming education for the just transition

Society faces many challenges in promoting a just transition to a low-carbon economy, a transition that does not create or exacerbate injustices. Notably, the just transition can only be attained with new educational approaches which revolve around social, climate and environmental justice. This paper advances that for a just transition, the shift to a greener economy cannot be driven by the traditional neoliberal engine, which has captured educational practices. Rather, the necessary educational transformation needs the principles of critical pedagogy and the dimensions of justice provided by the JUST Framework. We bring these two important schools together and draw on the experience of the global periphery and Latin America in particular, to develop a unique theoretical framework that contributes to the literature on education for sustainable development. Therefore, this conceptual research provides a theoretical framework that should guide education for a just transition. This paper establishes what is referred to as CCR Education Framework which involves: Critical thinking about climate, environmental and social costs of fossil fuels; Coexistence with nature and the other; and Resistance against neoliberalism and other forces that jeopardise the just transition. The CCR Education Framework is a response to the question of what education needs to include to achieve a just transition. The paper also opens the discussion about the implications of the Framework in terms of teacher training and education and appropriate pedagogical approaches. The key theoretical advancements here is that education for the just transition must affirm the importance of teachers and students as agents of transformation, and promote critical educational practices and approaches which support the transition to a low-carbon economy, and which value the characteristics of justice (which include equity, equality, fairness, and inclusiveness) to build a curriculum that advocates sustainable growth and a societal just transition.

From Individuality to Universality: A Critical Exposition of ‘Self’ of Women in Dalit Movement and Literature in India

This scholarly research article delves into the conceptualization of ‘Self’ of women in the Dalit movement and literature in India, providing a critical analysis that bridges the gap between individuality and universality. It initiates a discourse on the often-overlooked narrative of Dalit women in a predominantly patriarchal and caste-dominated society, underscoring the experiences they encapsulate, extending from personal narratives to shared universality. Through the examination of an assortment of primary sources, including autobiographies, literary texts, speeches, and interviews of Dalit women, this study unveils the complexities in their identities, informed by the intersection of caste, gender, and class. It further explores how these experiences, entrenched in oppression and resistance, shape the ‘Self’ and communal identity of Dalit women. The article advances a unique theoretical framework that combines intersectional feminism and subaltern studies to decipher the nuances of Dalit women’s selfhood. The framework enables a systematic exploration of the convergences and divergences in the perception of ‘Self’ amongst Dalit women, aiding in the understanding of their position within the wider socio-political discourse. In unearthing the shared collective consciousness arising from individual struggles, the research sheds light on the universality of Dalit women’s experiences. Simultaneously, it exposes the evolution of the Dalit women’s movement from a regional force to a global voice, forging an essential link between local experiences and universal human rights discourses. This study conclusively asserts the need for broader recognition and comprehension of Dalit women’s narratives, not as a marginal story but as a central one that intersects with various global feminist and human rights movements. It proposes that the understanding of Dalit women’s ‘Self’ is pivotal in moving towards an inclusive and equitable society, thereby contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of social justice in India and beyond.

Service-dominant logic as a unifying theoretical framework for the re-institutionalization of the marketing discipline

This manuscript addresses growing concerns about the impact and relevance of the marketing discipline and its ability to replicate itself through common theoretical, empirical, and historical-knowledge foundations available to current and future scholars and practitioners (Hunt, 2020a). Specifically, we echo the calls by Hunt (and others) for the need of more indigenous theories, the bridging of subdisciplines, and the building of stronger links between positive and normative theories. We do so by positing that service-dominant (S-D) logic can serve as a metatheoretical framework that can facilitate the development of a general theory of markets. We view such a positive, general theory of markets as a necessity for developing a mainstream, central focus of the discipline and providing a foundation for re-institutionalizing marketing as a discipline. Such a central focus is needed to develop more impactful normative theories and to overcome the increasingly extreme fragmentation among consumer behavior, marketing strategy, and macromarketing subdisciplines that threaten the cohesion and intellectual health of our domain.

Non‐reproductive dispersal: an important driver of migratory range dynamics and connectivity

Dispersal is the primary ecological process underpinning spatial dynamics in motile species by generating flux in reproductive locations over time. In migratory species, dispersal can also occur around non‐breeding ranges, but this form currently lacks a unifying theoretical framework. We present a novel conceptual model for dispersal in migrants that builds upon existing literature, differentiating ‘reproductive' dispersal (i.e. changes in breeding locations) from ‘non‐reproductive' dispersal, which we define as movements resulting in inter‐annual or inter‐generational changes in non‐breeding locations. Crucially, unlike reproductive dispersal where movement outcomes are naturally propagated between generations, the outcomes of non‐reproductive dispersal can be non‐heritable. We use simulations of a solo‐migrant population with a genetically encoded migratory programme to illustrate how variation in this heritability exerts a strong influence on both migratory connectivity and range shift propensity. When exposed to spatially uncoupled shifts in habitable ranges (i.e. seasonal climate niches shifting at different rates), long‐term persistence of simulated populations required changes in migratory programmes to arise through heritable forms of non‐reproductive dispersal (e.g. mutations in migratory gene complexes). By contrast, non‐heritable dispersal mechanisms (e.g. navigation errors) cannot drive long‐term shifts in non‐breeding ranges, despite being a major component of realised dispersal and migratory connectivity patterns. Migratory connectivity metrics conflate these heritable and non‐heritable drivers of non‐reproductive dispersal, and therefore have limited power in predicting population responses to environmental change. Our models provide a framework for improving our understanding of spatial dynamics in migratory populations, and highlight the importance of teasing apart the mechanisms that drive migratory variability in order to evaluate and predict range plasticity in migrants.

Return–volume nexus in financial markets: A survey of research

This paper provides a systematic review of the return–volume literature, broadly defined to include theoretical and empirical research relating to the intramarket and cross-market interlinkages between security return and trading volume characteristics in four financial markets, namely, the stock, bond, foreign exchange, and futures markets. Viewed through this lens, this paper attempts to review previous empirical research within a unified theoretical framework that relates the interlinkages between return and volume characteristics in various financial markets. Overall, this paper marks several interesting areas of debate and controversy based on several controversial theories and empirical findings in the literature, suggesting directions for future research.

Exploring the limits of MEG spatial resolution with multipolar expansions

The advent of scalp magnetoencephalography (MEG) based on optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) may represent a step change in the field of human electrophysiology. Compared to cryogenic MEG based on superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs, placed 2–4 cm above scalp), scalp MEG promises significantly higher spatial resolution imaging but it also comes with numerous challenges regarding how to optimally design OPM arrays. In this context, we sought to provide a systematic description of MEG spatial resolution as a function of the number of sensors (allowing comparison of low- vs. high-density MEG), sensor-to-brain distance (cryogenic SQUIDs vs. scalp OPM), sensor type (magnetometers vs. gradiometers; single- vs. multi-component sensors), and signal-to-noise ratio. To that aim, we present an analytical theory based on MEG multipolar expansions that enables, once supplemented with experimental input and simulations, quantitative assessment of the limits of MEG spatial resolution in terms of two qualitatively distinct regimes. In the regime of asymptotically high-density MEG, we provide a mathematically rigorous description of how magnetic field smoothness constraints spatial resolution to a slow, logarithmic divergence. In the opposite regime of low-density MEG, it is sensor density that constraints spatial resolution to a faster increase following a square-root law. The transition between these two regimes controls how MEG spatial resolution saturates as sensors approach sources of neural activity. This two-regime model of MEG spatial resolution integrates known observations (e.g., the difficulty of improving spatial resolution by increasing sensor density, the gain brought by moving sensors on scalp, or the usefulness of multi-component sensors) and gathers them under a unifying theoretical framework that highlights the underlying physics and reveals properties inaccessible to simulations. We propose that this framework may find useful applications to benchmark the design of future OPM-based scalp MEG systems.

Quasiuniversal scaling in mouse-brain neuronal activity stems from edge-of-instability critical dynamics

The brain is in a state of perpetual reverberant neural activity, even in the absence of specific tasks or stimuli. Shedding light on the origin and functional significance of such a dynamical state is essential to understanding how the brain transmits, processes, and stores information. An inspiring, albeit controversial, conjecture proposes that some statistical characteristics of empirically observed neuronal activity can be understood by assuming that brain networks operate in a dynamical regime with features, including the emergence of scale invariance, resembling those seen typically near phase transitions. Here, we present a data-driven analysis based on simultaneous high-throughput recordings of the activity of thousands of individual neurons in various regions of the mouse brain. To analyze these data, we construct a unified theoretical framework that synergistically combines a phenomenological renormalization group approach and techniques that infer the general dynamical state of a neural population, while designing complementary tools. This strategy allows us to uncover strong signatures of scale invariance that are "quasiuniversal" across brain regions and experiments, revealing that all the analyzed areas operate, to a greater or lesser extent, near the edge of instability.

Balancing patent portfolios and R&D efforts: examining firm performance

PurposeThis study aims to ascertain whether technological diversification (TD) enhances firm performance and explores the effect of patent portfolio balancing (PPB) on firm financial performance and the moderating role of research and development (R&D) intensity.Design/methodology/approachThis study empirically investigates a panel dataset based on 296 information and communications technology (ICT) small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) over 5 years, using a fixed-effects panel regression with time-lagged and moderating effects. Data are collected from a government survey and a firm and patent database.FindingsThe relationship between PPB and return on assets (ROA) is negative, indicating that TD in SMEs adversely affects firm performance. R&D intensity positively moderates the relationship between PPB and ROA, implying that follow-up R&D after creating new patents could weaken the negative relationship between TD and firm performance. This moderating effect only occurs when R&D intensity is sufficiently high, suggesting that high R&D firms could be more successful at diversification.Practical implicationsAs TD consumes many resources, managers should set the optimal level of diversification and recognise the need for follow-up R&D for successful diversification.Originality/valueThis study conceptualises a unique theoretical framework for the PPB of ICT SMEs, revealing the moderating role of R&D intensity in changing the negative influence of PPB on firm performance.

Cyberbullying in the workplace: a novel framework of routine activities and organizational control

PurposeThis study aims to develop a unified theoretical framework that presents a cohesive picture of workplace cyberbullying to better understand the interplay between cyberbullying, its effects on organizations and organizational controls enacted to contain these effects.Design/methodology/approachThe study conducts a theoretical review of the workplace cyberbullying literature between 2005 and 2021 drawing upon existing literature and two important theories, the routine activities theory and control theory. The final sample of 54 empirical papers represents a comprehensive body of literature on cyberbullying published across various disciplines.FindingsA theoretical model of workplace cyberbullying is developed, which highlights major antecedents to workplace cyberbullying and its impact on individual employees as well as organizations.Originality/valueAs firms increasingly rely on information and communication technologies (ICTs), the misuse of ICTs in the form of cyberbullying is also increasing. Workplace cyberbullying severely hurts an organization’s employees and compromises the efficacy of its information systems. Fortunately, various controls can be utilized by firms to minimize workplace cyberbullying and its attendant costs. In all, eleven propositions are offered, providing a robust agenda for future research. The authors also offer insights for practitioners on how to minimize cyberbullying in the workplace and its damaging effects.