Unified Theoretical Model Research Articles

Lesbian and Gay Population, Work Experience, and Well-Being: A Ten-Year Systematic Review.

Despite an increase in the promotion of equal opportunities at work, there is still persistent discrimination against lesbian and gay (LG) workers. In this vein, this study aimed to systematically review the research investigating the peculiarities of the work experience of LG people, particularly considering the theoretical frameworks in the approach to sexual minorities' work-related issues, as well as individual and contextual variables influencing the work experience and the impact they may have on health and well-being. We explored the PsycArticles, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science electronic databases and the EBSCOHost (PsycInfo, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection) scholarly search engine, between 01/01/2013 to 01/03/2023, with regards to the search terms "lgb*", "gay*", "lesbian*", "homosexual*", and "sexual minorit*", associated with "employee*", "personnel", "worker*", and "staff", and with "workplace", "work", "job", "occupation", "employment", and "career". Data were narratively synthesized and critically discussed. Of the 1584 potentially eligible articles, 140 papers contributed to this systematic review. Five main theoretical frameworks were identified: (a) minority stress, (b) sexual prejudice and stigma, (c) queer and Foucauldian paradigms, (d) social identity theories, and (e) intersectionality. Furthermore, significant individual (e.g., outness, disclosure, and work-family conflict) and contextual (e.g., heterosexist and heteronormative workplace climate and culture) variables influencing LG people's work experience were identified. This review highlights the need to develop a unified theoretical model for the construction of specific measurement tools to assess the work experience of LG people and for the implementation of interventions aimed at minimizing the effects of stigma in work contexts.

The unified theoretical model for predicting the full-cycle stability of hydraulic tunnels

The unified theoretical model for predicting the full-cycle stability of hydraulic tunnels

A thermodynamics-based coupled model for multi-phase flowback in deformable dual-porosity shale gas reservoirs

Over the past decades, there has been growing interest in modelling multi-phase flowback in shale gas reservoirs during hydraulic fracturing, primarily due to the significant risk of groundwater pollution. However, the lack of fully coupled simulations and a unified theoretical model has hindered the study of coupled adsorptive hydro-mechanical behaviour and its influence on fluid flowback prediction. In this paper, we have extended the non-equilibrium thermodynamics-based Mixture Coupling Theory to derive the constitutive relationship and governing equation for adsorptive multi-phase fluid flows in deformable dual-porosity media. Helmholtz free energy density has been used to establish the relationship between solids and fluids. The interaction of adsorptive fluids in the pore and fracture space has been fully considered, leading to a new form of constitutive equation, which obtained the molecular adsorptive effect on the rock by introducing adsorption entropy production. The proposed governing equations determine the fully coupled evolution of solid deformation and multi-phase flow, with the consideration of adsorption as well as pore and fracture porosity change. Numerical simulation is then performed to study the flowback of a real shale gas well and the influence of coupled behaviour on model prediction. The simulation shows that the flowback flux is mainly by the fracture (more than 99.9 %) and the overall cumulative volume is 2427.1 m3 within 225 h which accounts for about 5.3 % of the total injected fracturing fluid, and the sensitivity analysis reveals that the manual fracture porosity is the most sensitive factor to the cumulative flowback. This work provides new insights into the flowback process of shale reservoirs in a fully coupled view and the proposed theoretical tool should contribute to the modelling of other adsorptive multi-phase flow problem in deformable dual-porosity media such as carbon storage and coalbed methane production.

The Effective Power of Military Coalitions: A Unified Theoretical and Empirical Model

The Effective Power of Military Coalitions: A Unified Theoretical and Empirical Model

Gender promotion gaps across business units in a multiunit organization: Supply‐ and demand‐side drivers

AbstractDrawing on gender role and gender queuing theories, we employ a multi‐stage process model to investigate demand‐ and supply‐side drivers of gender promotion gaps and to explore variations in these gaps across different business units within an organization. Analyzing 9 years of personnel records from a multiunit European bank, we find that the gender promotion gap is influenced by both supply‐side and demand‐side factors. Specifically, women are less likely than men to express a motivation to change to a new job or move to a different unit within the bank. Those who do express such motivation are as likely as men to be reassigned to new roles, but their moves are less likely to constitute promotions than are men's moves. Furthermore, gender promotion gaps vary significantly within the organization itself. Business units with the most significant gaps are in regions that have fewer available organizational positions to move into, diminishing women's motivation to seek such moves, and have jobs with numerous incumbents, decreasing women's chances to get a new job or secure a promotion upon doing so. This study extends gender role theory by creating a unified theoretical model that incorporates both employee and employer gender role perceptions as drivers of promotions. It contributes to gender queuing theory by demonstrating the theory's relevance to promotion outcomes.

A unified theoretical model for understanding mobile application usage behavior supported with real usage data

Technological advancements have added numerous features to smartphones, enhancing our daily lives through various apps. But with so many apps out there, picking the right one can be tough. Plus, developing an app requires a lot of money and time, risking losses if it doesn't attract users. This study looks into how users are influenced by others’ opinions and experiences when choosing and sticking with an app. Three theories–Social Impact Theory (SIT), Expectation-Confirmation Model (ECM), and Extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2)–are combined to explain the process from download to continued use. Real mobile app usage data was analyzed. Results from 912 surveys and 87 real usage records show that people are swayed by download numbers, star ratings, and user satisfaction. The number of sources, immediacy, and power affect social impact. Social impact, hedonic motivation, facilitating conditions, price, habit, and confirmation also influence continued use intention. On average, people spend 2197 s daily on smartphones. Tools & Productivity is the most popular category, with an average of 29 apps used daily. These apps have 100M + downloads on average and a 4-star rating. The findings offer valuable insights for developers and marketers on what makes an app preferable and actively used among many choices.

A unified model for frost wedging in an open fissure under unidirectional freezing

The propagation of joints and fissures, included by the frost heaving pressure arising from the water-ice phase transition is considered as frost wedging. This process is widely observed and plays a crucial role in weathering of jointed hard rocks in cold regions. Despite some fundamental results achieved in former experimental studies, a unified theoretical model is still absent, hindering a thorough understanding of this process. To further explore the mechanism of frost wedging during the freezing process, this paper firstly carries out a frost heave test on a rock block bearing a single open fissure. The results indicate that the evolution of frost heaving pressure in the fissure can be divided into four stages: sealing of the open fissure by ice wedge, ice wedge slipping, crack propagation, as well as stabilization of the ice-filled fissure. Based on the laboratory test results, a unified model for the frost heaving pressure in a single open fissure is established, which comprehensively takes into account the mechanical interaction between ice, water and rock. The model is validated by the test result, and it can reasonably describe the formation of the sealing conditions and the process of crack propagation. Fracture of the ice-rock interface near the free surface increases the likelihood of ice wedge slip, while frost wedging mainly damages geological bodies during crack propagation.

Interfacial and Filler Size Effects on Mechanical/Thermal/Electrical Properties of CNTs-Reinforced Nanocomposites.

The mechanical/thermal/electrical properties on-demand design of CNTs-reinforced nanocomposites is a key scientific issue that limits the development of new-generation smart nanomaterials, and the establishment of a corresponding unified theoretical prediction model for the mechanical/thermal/electrical properties is the foundation of nanocomposites. Based on the equivalent medium theory (EMT) obtained by Maxwell far-field matching, a unified mechanical/thermal/electrical modified EMT model is established by introducing Young's modulus, thermal conductivity, and electrical conductivity to the thin filler-matrix's interlayer. According to literature, the proposed model was employed to theoretically calculate the variations in the overall Young's modulus, thermal conductivity, and electrical conductivity of CNTs-reinforced nanocomposites with respect to the volume concentration of CNT fillers. Then, the applicability of the proposed theoretical model was validated in comparison with the experimental measurements. Numerical calculations showed that the interface is a key factor affecting the mechanical/thermal/electrical properties of CNTs-reinforced nanocomposites, and strengthening the interfacial effect is an effective way to enhance the overall properties of nanocomposites. In addition, the aspect ratio of CNT fillers also significantly affects the material properties of the CNT fillers interface phase and the CNTs-reinforced nanocomposites. By fitting the experimental data, the calculation expressions of the aspect ratios of CNT fillers on the Young's modulus, thermal conductivity, and electrical conductivity of the CNT fillers interfacial phase are quantitatively given, respectively.

Causal variables in the community of inquiry: Creating a directed acyclic graph of the effectiveness of the Philosophy for Children program

Philosophy for Children is an educational program designed to cultivate critical, creative, and caring thinking. Despite empirical research since the 1970s, there is no unified theoretical model that explains the causal structures behind the program's effectiveness. To address this gap, our study seeks to answer two key questions: (i) What variables are identified in empirical research into the effectiveness of Philosophy for Children? (ii) Which causal relationships can be postulated between these variables? Based on a review of seven published systematic reviews and meta-analyses and 83 empirical studies, we construct a directed acyclic graph (DAG) that illuminates the variables and their causal relations which impact the effectiveness of Philosophy for Children. Additionally, our study provides a detailed description on how to use this novel methodology to create a causal model from a systematic analysis of empirical research.

A Conceptual Review of the Determinants of Employee Innovative Work Behavior

The increasing prevalence of digitalization, competitive markets, quick environmental changes, and the imperative of organizational sustainability have necessitated business organizations to adopt innovative practices. Hence, all organizations must foster a culture of innovative work behavior among their employees to ensure the organization's ongoing survival and advancement. Nonetheless, comprehensive studies that methodically scrutinize the different factors affecting IWB within a unified theoretical model are insufficient. This research is a literature review to find and analyze factors that influence innovative work behavior. The findings of the literature review or existing research indicate that psychological empowerment, employee engagement, self-efficacy, knowledge sharing, perceived organizational support, climate for innovation, HRM practices, and transformational leadership have consistently demonstrated strong associations with employee IWB in various studies. This study additionally proposes a novel conceptual framework that examines the interplay between psychological empowerment, employee engagement, self-efficacy, knowledge sharing, perceived organizational support, climate for innovation, HRM practices and transformational leadership, with a specific focus on their impact on IWB. This framework holds potential for future investigations conducted by other scholars.

An analysis of urgency in project management: the unified project urgency and economic speed analysis model

This paper aims to address the gap in the literature concerning the role of urgency in project management. Specifically, it seeks to develop a Unified Theoretical Model that incorporates key variables such as urgency, speed, duration, and cost. To achieve this aim, a detailed analysis of essential articles was conducted from the Scopus database to understand the relationships and trade-offs among the variables. The research method involves both literature synthesis and Theoretical Model Formulation, culminating in the Unified Project Urgency and Economic Speed Analysis Model. This model serves as a mathematical and theoretical framework tailored for managerial decision-making in High-Intensity Time-Sensitive Projects. It highlights the complex interactions between urgency, duration, speed, and costs, thereby providing a structure to guide managerial actions. The study contributes to enriching the theoretical foundations in the field of urgent project management. Finally, it opens avenues for future research by extending theoretical insights that are relevant for both academic researchers and industry professionals.

Unified Model for Axial Bearing Capacity of Concrete-Filled Steel Tubular Circular Columns Based on Hoek–Brown Failure Criterion

Concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) composite columns can overcome the brittleness of concrete and improve the plastic deformation ability of concrete, thus improving its strength and deformation ability. At present, most of the published models for predicting the axial bearing capacity of CFST columns are empirical models based on the nonlinear fitting of experimental data, which has some limitations on the application of the models. Therefore, to establish a new unified theoretical model, a new ultimate compressive strength of core concrete was established by the Hoek–Brown failure criterion, and the conversion formula between the cube and cylinder compressive strength was also established in this paper. At the same time, the strength-reduction coefficient influenced by the slenderness ratio was also established. The newly established unified model can predict the axial bearing capacity of CFST columns with different steel types, concrete types, slenderness ratios, diameter-to-thickness ratios, and cross-sectional dimensions. At the same time, the newly established unified model can be applied to a wider range of test parameters. To determine the parameters in the proposed model and assess the models, a total of 798 test data were collected. Based on the test database, the existing models and the proposed model were evaluated. The results show that the proposed model has very high accuracy in predicting the test results of CFST short and long columns, and the average value (AV) and integral absolute error (IAE) are 1.012 and 0.094, respectively. In addition, the model proposed in this paper also has high accuracy in predicting the axial bearing capacity of CFST columns under high temperatures.

Distinct rheological behavior of kaolinite dispersions containing gas bubbles at different initial pore water pressures

Discrete gas bubbles widely exist in the marine sediments, which are largely composed of kaolinite clay. They would evolve into kaolinite dispersions following submarine landslide, to impact and destroy seafloor infrastructures, such as oil/gas pipelines. The sliding distance and impact force are governed by the rheological behavior of the kaolinite dispersions, which are gas-dependent and remain poorly understood. In this study, effect of gas bubbles on the rheological behavior of a modeling clay sediment, a kaolinite dispersion, is investigated under both low and high initial pore water pressure. Results show that at the low initial pore water pressure, bubbles in the dispersion enhance the strength of the system, increasing both the viscosity and the yield stress. On the other hand, at the high initial pore water pressure, the presence of bubbles shows an opposite effect. Mechanisms on the bubble effect at both conditions are proposed, based on which a unified theoretical model predicting the yield stress of the gassy clay dispersion is developed.

Защита прав потерпевшего: методологические основы института возмещения вреда

In the criminal process, the methodology of legal regulation is determined by the appointment of state bodies and officials called upon to protect victims from crimes, as well as citizens from illegal and unjustified criminal prosecution. However, as the long-term practice of implementing the current mechanism of legal regulation of criminal procedural relations through the institution of compensation for harm to victims shows, the level of protection of these persons remains low. The origins of this problem are seen in the absence of a unified theoretical model and the quality of legislative technique. As a result of the conducted research, positive transformations in the criminal process of recent years have been identified – the figure of the victim of a crime is gradually becoming a key one in the context of the amendments made to the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation in December 2018. But the improvement of the criminal procedure mechanism should not be a point, but a systematic reform of the goals, objectives and principles of all criminal procedure activities with an emphasis on the compensatory mechanism of legal regulation.

A novel theoretical model for obtaining Norton's law of creep materials using different small specimens

The test method for evaluating the creep properties of a material using small specimens mostly relies on an empirical correlation equation derived through uniaxial tests, and it is difficult to obtain a unified theoretical model for creep specimens with different configurations. We propose a novel and unified theoretical model that describes the creep displacement–time curves based on the energy density equivalent principle, which can be expressed as h = h*B(P/A*)vt. A simple expression of the model parameters related to sizes was established for cantilever beam, ring compression, and flat small punch specimens using finite element analysis (FEA). Forward and reverse verification using FEA and experimental validation of the model using small specimens of a zinc alloy (ZA27) at 27°C were conducted. The results revealed that the Norton's law parameters predicted using the new creep model are in good agreement with the results obtained using the uniaxial creep test. The new model does not require an empirical correlation between the displacement and uniaxial reference equivalent strain and has a uniform characterization for four types of specimens with different configurations and sizes.

A Theory of Heterogeneous City Evolution with Heterogenous Agents

This paper develops a new unified theoretical general equilibrium model in which the interactions between heterogeneous workers and firms influence heterogeneous city evolutions. Given the heterogeneous worker–firm–city framework, I study in depth the possible heterogenous city evolutions and the resulting implications on the labor market, as well as on overall productivity. In particular, it is shown that the same exogenous shocks may lead to completely different results depending on the relative dominance of the two countervailing effects of congestion and agglomeration. In an open economy setting, it is also shown that such relative dominance may affect the trading partner and generate the comovement of city evolution in each country.

Experimental and modelling investigation on chloride transport and flexural behaviour of RC beams subjected to simultaneous deteriorating factors of carbonation, FT cycles and multi-type sustained stress

Reinforced concrete (RC) structures are often exposed to coinstantaneous deterioration effects such as carbonation, chloride corrosion, freeze–thaw cycles and external loads which causing deterioration of concrete and reinforcement. This paper discussed the effects of carbonation, freeze–thaw cycles and sustained loads on chloride ion transport and proposed a chloride ion transport model taking porosity as the main coupling variate. The attenuation law of the corroded beams under coupling corrosion factors was studied. Through chloride immersion tests, it was found that applying freezing and thawing cycles and sustained tensile stress can enhance chloride transport capacity by coarsening the pores; Carbonation and low compressive stress can repress the chloride ion transport by densifying concrete, but the compressive stress beyond about 0.7 times the compressive strength and tensile stress would enhance the penetrating capacity due to the damage of the internal microstructure of concrete. Then, a comprehensive and unified theoretical model of chloride ion transport considering the coupling of carbonation, freeze–thaw cycle, sustained loading and other factors was proposed and verified by taking porosity as the main coupling variable quantity. This model could essentially explain the effects of various factors on chloride ion transport and has good consistency with the test results. Finally, the flexural bearing capacity of the corroded beams was tested, and the failure characteristics, crack characteristics, ultimate bearing capacity, load–displacement relationship and strain distribution of the corroded beams under different corrosion conditions were researched. The results show that the flexural capacity of the corroded beams suffered the coupling effects of multiple corrosion factors degrades, and the bearing capacity decreases with the increase of the corrosion degree of carbonation-freezing thawing cycles; The continuous tensile stress applied to the test beams in the corrosion process intensifying the degradation of bending bearing capacity and ductility, the continuous compressive stress increases the flexural capacity and improves the ductility slightly, but excessive compressive stress significantly degrades the flexural capacity; When chloride ions are used as the third kind of corrosive substance for coupling corrosion, the tensioned or without-load corroded beams have obvious degradation in bending bearing capacity, while the corrosion beams bearing continuous compressive stress have no obvious degradation in bending bearing capacity.

Model-driven triboelectric sensors for multidimensional tactile perception

Tactile perception, as a key sensory function for environment awareness, has been the subject of extensive scientific research and technological application, producing artificial tactile sensors using piezoresistance, capacitance, magnetism to emerging triboelectricity. However, the decoupling of normal and shear loads remains elusive and faces a table-lookup challenge. Here, we report a tactile array sensor consisting of four triboelectric nanogenerator units with single-electrode-mode triboelectrification to realize the decoupling of normal and shear loads, where a unified theoretical model is developed based on a spinosum-hill small deformation hypothesis to address the table-lookup problem. The above decoupling of the normal and shear loads is further extended from a two-dimensional plane to a three-dimensional space based on the superposition principle of triboelectric outputs. Moreover, for a biological laboratory automation application, our sensor is installed on a robot manipulator to realize an automatic pipetting operation based on force feedback, solving the problem of droplet residue. We believe this study to be the very demonstration of model-driven tactile sensor for decoupling normal and shear loads, paving the way for the tactile perception of intelligent devices such as intelligent robotics.

Влияние экспериментальных условий на субъективную оценку инсайтности решения

<p>This work is devoted to situational factors of experimental research influence on the insight assessment of problem solving. We considered such factors as the solution strategy (insightful, step-by-step), the form of problem presentation (visual, verbal), the solution independence (solution found by the participant or presented by the experimenter) and the solution speed (fast, slow). Understanding the impact of these factors on the insight assessment can contribute to both improving research practice and developing a unified theoretical model of insight and insightful solution. The studies included in this paper were carried out in various research approaches, with different materials, by different experimenters and under different experimental conditions. Danek and Wiley’s questionnaire was used for the insight assessment in all studies. According to the results, all the above situational factors have a significant impact on the differentiated subjective assessment of insightful solutions.</p>

Factors that Impact Blockchain Adoption in Vietnamese Logistics Enterprises

Blockchain has become one of the crucial technologies that are applied in various fields. However, the application of Blockchain technology in logistics businesses in Vietnam is uncommon and challenging. In this context, our study provides theoretical evaluations and practical analyses for the application of Blockchain technology in the logistics industry. Based on the development of a unified theoretical model of technology acceptance and use (UTAUT) combined with the TOE model, the study identifies the factors that influence the application of Blockchain by individuals in logistics enterprises in Vietnam. Using SPSS and AMOS tools to analyze 508 survey data collected from logistics businesses, the research team makes conclusions and proposes recommendations for the future.