Search Results (354)

Numerous studies have demonstrated that in residential areas of Western cities, both luxury and legacy effects significantly shape tree species diversity dynamics. However, the specific mechanisms driving these diversity patterns in China, where urbanization has progressed at an unprecedented pace, remain poorly understood. In this study we selected 20 residential settlements and 7 key socio-economic properties to investigate the change trend of tree diversity (2006–2021) and its socio-economic driving factors in Beijing. Our results demonstrate significant increases in total, native, and exotic tree species richness between 2006 and 2021 (p < 0.05), with average increases of 36%, 26%, and 55%, respectively. Total and exotic tree Shannon-Wiener indices, as well as exotic tree Simpson’s index, were also significantly higher in 2021 (p < 0.05). Housing prices was the dominant driver shaping total and exotic tree diversity, showing significant positive correlations with both metrics. In contrast, native tree diversity exhibited a strong positive association with neighborhood age. Our findings highlight two dominant mechanisms: legacy effect, where older neighborhoods preserve native diversity through historical planting practices, and luxury effect, where affluent communities drive exotic species proliferation through ornamental landscaping initiatives. These findings elucidate the dual dynamics of legacy conservation and luxury-driven cultivation in urban forest development, revealing how historical contingencies and contemporary socioeconomic forces jointly shape tree diversity patterns in urban ecosystems. Full article

Globalization and market saturation have led Portuguese textile companies to seek international markets not only for growth but also to contribute to their country’s international image. This study aims to explore how the internationalization of the Portuguese textile sector into the Chinese market contributes to Portugal’s destination image and identify the critical success factors in this process. The research follows an inductive, qualitative methodology based on semi-structured interviews with two groups of companies: those already operating in China (n = 5) and those preparing to enter the market (n = 5). The interviews were thematically analyzed to extract key patterns and insights. The findings reveal that successful companies operate in the luxury segment, rely on prior international experience, and often use local intermediaries. Firms planning to internationalize highlight quality differentiation, brand authenticity, and innovation as strategic advantages. These insights support the role of niche positioning and cultural adaptation in building both commercial success and a refined international image of Portugal. This study contributes to the literature by linking internationalization and destination branding through industry-specific case evidence and offers practical implications for managers targeting emerging markets like China. Full article

Composite laminates are widely used in aerospace, automotive, construction, and luxury industries, owing to their superior mechanical properties and design flexibility. However, detecting manufacturing defects and in-service damage remains a vital challenge for structural safety. While traditional unsupervised machine learning methods have been used in structural health monitoring (SHM), their high false positive rates limit their reliability in real-world applications. This issue is mostly inherited from their limited ability to capture small temporal variations in Lamb wave signals and their dependence on shallow architectures that suffer with complex signal distributions, causing the misclassification of damaged signals as healthy data. To address this, we suggested an unsupervised anomaly detection framework that integrates a self-attention autoencoder with a Gaussian mixture model (SAE-GMM). The model is solely trained on healthy Lamb wave signals, including high-quality synthetic data generated via a generative adversarial network (GAN). Damages are detected through reconstruction errors and probabilistic clustering in the latent space. The self-attention mechanism enhances feature representation by capturing subtle temporal dependencies, while the GMM enables a solid separation among signals. Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed model (SAE-GMM) achieves high detection accuracy, a low false positive rate, and strong generalization under varying noise conditions, outperforming traditional and deep learning baselines. Full article

This study applied the Stimulus–Organism–Response Theory to investigate the impact of sustainable destination management on perceived luxury service quality, taking into account the mediating role of perceived environmental responsibility and the moderating effect of tourist environmental awareness. Data were obtained from 541 tourists in Northern Cyprus, and the analysis was conducted using Herman’s single-factor test in SPSS version 23 and partial least squares structural equation modeling in SmartPLS version 4.1.1.2. The study’s results revealed a significant positive influence of sustainable destination management on both perceived luxury service quality and environmental responsibility. Furthermore, the study showed a significant positive relationship between perceived environmental responsibility and perceived luxury service quality. Additionally, tourist environmental consciousness was found to be an important influencing factor in perceived luxury service quality. The mediating role of perceived environmental responsibility was revealed to be a significant partial mediator between sustainable destination management and perceived luxury service quality pathways. Although environmental awareness revealed an insignificant moderating influence on the relationship between sustainable destination management and perceived luxury service quality, it indicated a negative significant moderating influence on the relationship between perceived environmental responsibility and perceived luxury service quality. The study highlights how assessments of luxury services are contingent upon perceived environmental responsibility through sustainable destination activities. Emphasizing both academic and management perspectives, it encourages future research to explore broader psychological and contextual factors. Therefore, it underscores the strategic necessity of sustainability in enhancing the luxury tourism experience. Full article

Tourist satisfaction models typically assume that service performance dimensions carry the same weight for all travelers. Drawing on Bourdieu, we reconceptualize age, gender, and region of origin as demographic capital, durable resources that mediate how visitors decode service cues. Using a SERVPERF-based survey of 407 international travelers departing Quito (Ecuador), we test measurement invariance across six sociodemographic strata with multi-group confirmatory factor analysis. The four-factor SERVPERF core (Access, Lodging, Extra-hotel Services, Attractions) holds, yet partial metric invariance emerges: specific loadings flex with demographic capital. Gen-Z travelers penalize transport reliability and safety; female visitors reward cleanliness and empathy; and Latin American guests are the most critical of basic organization. These patterns expose a boundary condition for universalistic satisfaction models and elevate demographic capital from a descriptive tag to a structuring construct. Managerially, we translate the findings into segment-sensitive levers, visible security for youth and regional markets, gender-responsive facility upgrades, and dual eco-luxury versus digital-detox bundles for long-haul segments. By demonstrating when and how SERVPERF fractures across sociodemographic lines, this study intervenes in three theoretical conversations: (1) capital-based readings of consumption, (2) the search for boundary conditions in service-quality measurement, and (3) the shift from segmentation to capital-sensitive interpretation in emerging markets. The results position Ecuador as a critical case and provide a template for destinations facing similar performance–perception mismatches in the Global South. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic had significant global impacts. In Japan, consumers refrained from going out, and dining out decreased significantly, which strongly affected the restaurant industry and resulted in a shift in food demand from eating out to home consumption. The seafood industry is no exception to this trend. This study surveyed 300 individuals with experience in seafood transactions across wholesalers, restaurants, and retailers to examine how the pandemic influenced supply and demand patterns from a distribution perspective. Results indicated that while the volume of luxury seafood handled by restaurants and wholesalers decreased, the volume handled by retailers increased. Conversely, the volume of inexpensive popular seafood declined across all three sectors. The findings suggest that some of the luxury seafood previously sold to restaurants was redirected to retailers as consumer demand shifted from dining out to home consumption during the pandemic. Full article

The integration of intelligent voice-control systems represents a critical pathway for enhancing driver comfort and reducing cognitive distraction in modern vehicles. Currently, voice assistants capable of accessing real-time vehicular data (e.g., engine parameters) or controlling actuators (e.g., door locks) remain exclusive to premium brands. While aftermarket solutions like Amazon’s Echo Auto provide multimedia functionality, they lack access to critical vehicle systems. To address this gap, we develop a novel architecture leveraging the OBD-II port to enable voice-controlled telematics and actuation in mass-production vehicles. Our system interfaces with a Toyota Hilux (2020) and Mazda CX-3 SUV (2021), utilizing an MCP2515 CAN controller for engine control unit (ECU) communication, an Arduino Nano for data processing, and an ESP01 Wi-Fi module for cloud transmission. The Blynk IoT platform orchestrates data flow and provides user interfaces, while a Voiceflow-programmed Alexa skill enables natural language commands (e.g., “unlock doors”) via Alexa Auto. Experimental validation confirms the successful real-time monitoring of engine variables (coolant temperature, air–fuel ratio, ignition timing) and secure door-lock control. This work demonstrates that high-end vehicle capabilities—previously restricted to luxury segments—can be effectively implemented in series-production automobiles through standardized OBD-II protocols and IoT integration, establishing a scalable framework for next-generation in-vehicle assistants. Full article

Background: This study presents an innovative approach to developing bioactive natural fabrics for healthcare and medical applications. Methods: An ethanol extract of Origanum vulgare L. (in further text: OE), exhibiting exceptional antioxidant (100%) and antibacterial activity (>99% against E.coli and S.aureus), was employed to biofunctionalize cotton, wool, and silk fabrics. Results: All biofunctionalized fabrics demonstrated strong antioxidant activity (>99%), while antibacterial efficacy varied by fabric: cotton > 54%, wool > 99%, and silk > 89%. OE-biofunctionalized wool possessed the highest release of OE’s bioactive compounds, followed by silk and cotton, indicating substrate-dependent release behavior. This tunable fabrics’ OE release profile, along with their unique bioactivity, supports targeted applications: OE-functionalized silk for luxury or prolonged therapeutic use (skin-care textiles, post-surgical dressings, anti-aging products), cotton for disposable or short-term use (protective wipes, minor wound coverings), and wool for wound dressings. The biocompatibility and cytotoxicity of OE-biofunctionalized wool were evaluated via in vitro assays using healthy human keratinocytes and in vivo testing in Wistar albino male rats. The obtained results revealed that OE-functionalized wool significantly accelerated wound closure (97.8% by day 14), enhanced collagen synthesis (6.92 µg/mg hydroxyproline), and improved tissue and systemic antioxidant defense while reducing oxidative stress markers in skin and blood samples of rats treated with OE-biofunctionalized wool. Conclusions: OE-biofunctionalized wool demonstrates strong potential as an advanced natural solution for managing chronic wounds. Further clinical validation is recommended to confirm its performance in real-world healthcare settings. This work introduces an entirely new application of OE in textile biofunctionalization, offering alternatives for healthcare and medical textiles. Full article

Masstige fashion brands present a promising alternative to both luxury and fast fashion in the context of sustainability, offering an affordable yet prestigious option. However, these brands face the challenge of leveraging digital transformation tools while balancing prestige and accessibility. With its visual appeal, interactive features, and daily usage, Instagram Stories is a highly engaging communication tool for masstige brands. Despite its importance, ephemeral brand communication remains an underexplored area. This study investigates how young consumers interpret and decode Instagram Stories featuring human models from masstige fashion brands that represent identitary values Sexuality and Seduction, Seasonality, and Renewal. Using mind mapping and focus group discussions with 75 frequent Instagram users, findings reveal that audiences actively reinterpret brand messages, sometimes reshaping their intended meaning. Highly stylized celebrities led to skepticism or disengagement, while authentic, everyday portrayals fostered positive engagement. Sexualized imagery was often reframed as functional rather than aspirational. The study reveals that while brands aim to communicate identitary values such as Sexuality and Seduction, these are usually reinterpreted or even rejected by users in favor of values like comfort, simplicity, or emotional authenticity. Conversely, values like Seasonality, Renewal, and Quality were more consistently recognized and positively decoded, suggesting a more substantial alignment between brand encoding and audience perception in those domains. Full article

Ironic remarks are often pronounced with a distinctive intonation. It is not clear whether children rely on acoustic cues to attribute an ironic intent. This question has been only indirectly tackled, with studies that manipulated the intonation with which the final remark is pronounced within an irony comprehension task. We propose a new task that is meant to assess whether children rely on prosody to infer speakers’ sincere or ironic communicative intentions, without requiring meta-linguistic judgments (since pragmatic awareness is challenging for young children). Children listen to evaluative remarks (e.g., “That house is really beautiful”), pronounced with sincere or ironic intonation, and they are asked to identify what the speaker is referring to by selecting one of two pictures depicting an image corresponding to a literal interpretation (a luxury house) and one to its reverse interpretation (a hovel). We tested eighty children aged 3 to 11 years and found a clear developmental trend, with children consistently responding above the chance level from age seven, and there was no correlation with the recognition of emotions transmitted through the vocal channel. Full article

The contribution that arts can make to our health and wellbeing is widely acknowledged in public discourse, with the concept of ‘creative health’ having come to prominence in the UK in the last ten years. This paper asks about the kinds of values at play in contemporary appeals to creativity by exploring the value of art for life from a philosophical perspective. Drawing on Pierre Hadot’s influential work on the ancient philosophical practice of the ‘art of living’, it goes on to consider how aesthetic perception of the world functions as a kind of model for philosophical perception. Inflecting these ideas with Friedrich Nietzsche’s genealogical critique of values, the paper examines the role of art and philosophy in relation to luxury and need, and to fundamental conditions of life enhancement. Building on this distinctive application of Nietzsche’s genealogy, it develops the question of how to assess the value of art for life outside the current neoliberal narratives of wellbeing and the creative industries. In its focus on values rather than ideals, the paper makes an original contribution to current thinking and practice in creative health. Full article

This study investigates the impact of wellness tourism motivation (WTM) on tourist satisfaction (TS) and tourist experience (TE), while also examining the mediating role of TE in the relationship between WTM and TS in the context of luxury spa resorts situated in the Himalayan regions of India. Drawing on an extensive review of the literature, this study proposes a conceptual model that hypothesizes the influence of WTM on TS and TE, as well as the impact of TE on TS. Data were collected through 260 questionnaires distributed to tourists visiting prominent spa resorts to validate the proposed model empirically. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the relationships between the constructs. The results revealed that wellness tourism motivations have a positive impact on both TS and TE. Additionally, TE serves as a mediator, further enhancing the connection between WTM and TS. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on wellness tourism by providing empirical evidence on the unique dynamics of WTM, TE, and TS in Himalayan spa resorts, which cater to a distinct segment of wellness tourists. The results offer valuable insights for tourism operators and policymakers, enabling them to design tailored wellness experiences that enhance customer satisfaction and meet the specific needs of wellness-focused travelers. This research underscores the importance of prioritizing tourist experiences as a strategic tool for fostering satisfaction and loyalty in the luxury wellness tourism sector. Full article

This study examines how Chinese tourists perceive the value of sustainable practices implemented in five-star hotels in Phuket, Thailand, through the lens of the perceived value theory and the service experience framework. While luxury hotels increasingly adopt green initiatives, research exploring how tourists evaluate these efforts across the full guest journey is limited. Addressing this gap, this study aimed to examine how attitudinally distinct tourist segments perceive sustainable practices across three service stages: pre-consumption, consumption, and post-consumption. A cross-sectional survey of 400 Chinese tourists was conducted, applying k-means clustering to segment respondents by sustainability attitudes, followed by multi-group structural equation modeling. Two segments emerged: environmentally engaged travelers and conventional comfort travelers. The results indicate that the emotional value dominates during the stay, the functional value drives pre-stay decisions, and the ethical/social value shapes post-stay reflections. Environmentally engaged tourists were more responsive to ethical and social cues. The findings highlight sustainability as a multidimensional, stage-specific construct moderated by guest attitudes. Theoretically, this research extends perceived value frameworks by mapping sustainability perceptions across the guest journey. Practically, it offers actionable insights for hotel managers seeking to design value-aligned green strategies and segmented communication. Tailoring sustainability initiatives to tourist profiles can enhance satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy in the luxury hospitality sector. Full article

In today’s hyperconnected world, disaster announcements—regardless of actual impact—can significantly shape consumer behaviour and brand perception in the hospitality sector. This study investigates how customers respond online to disaster-related signals, focusing on digital marketing activities by luxury hotels in Santorini, Greece. Drawing on a case study of the Santorini Earthquake in February 2025—during which the Greek government declared a state of emergency—we use big data analytics, including web traffic metrics, social media interaction and fuzzy cognitive mapping, to analyse behavioural shifts across platforms. The findings indicate that disaster signals trigger increased engagement, altered sentiment and changes in advertising efficiency. This study provides actionable recommendations for tourism destinations and hospitality brands on how to adapt digital strategies during crisis periods. Full article

Lyssaviruses are RNA viruses in the Family Rhabdoviridae, Genus Lyssavirus. They represent the causative agents of acute, progressive encephalitis, known historically as rabies. Regardless of specific etiology, their collective viral morphology, biochemistry, pathobiology, associated clinical signs, diagnosis, epizootiology, and management are essentially the same. Despite centuries of clinical recognition, these quintessential neurotropic agents remain significant pathogens today, with substantive consequences to agriculture, public health, and conservation biology. Notably, the singular morbidity caused by lyssaviruses is incurable and constitutes the highest case fatality of any viral disease. All warm-blooded vertebrates are believed to be susceptible. The dog is the only domestic animal that serves as a reservoir, vector, and victim. In contrast, felids are effective vectors, but not reservoirs. All other rabid domestic species, such as livestock, constitute spillover infections, as a bellwether to local lyssavirus activity. Frequently, professional confusion abounds among the veterinary community, because although the viral species Lyssavirus rabies is inarguably the best-known representative in the Genus, at least 20 other recognized or putative members of this monophyletic group are known. Frequently, this is simply overlooked. Moreover, often the ‘taxonomic etiology’ (i.e., ‘Lyssavirus x’) is mistakenly referenced in a biopolitcal context, instead of the obvious clinical illness (i.e., ‘rabies’). Global consternation persists, if localities believe they are ‘disease-free’, when documented lyssaviruses circulate or laboratory-based surveillance is inadequate to support such claims. Understandably, professional chagrin develops when individuals mistake the epidemiological terminology of control, prevention, elimination, etc. Management is not simple, given that the only licensed veterinary and human vaccines are against rabies virus, sensu lato. There are no adequate antiviral drugs for any lyssaviruses or cross-reactive biologics developed against more distantly related viral members. While representative taxa among the mammalian Orders Chiroptera, Carnivora, and Primates exemplify the major global reservoirs, which mammalian species are responsible for the perpetuation of other lyssaviruses remains a seemingly academic curiosity. This zoonosis is neglected. Clearly, with such underlying characteristics as a fundamental ‘disease of nature’, rabies, unlike smallpox and rinderpest, is not a candidate for eradication. With the worldwide zeal to drive human fatalities from canine rabies viruses to zero by the rapidly approaching year 2030, enhanced surveillance and greater introspection of the poorly appreciated burden posed by rabies virus and diverse other lyssaviruses may manifest as an epidemiological luxury to the overall global program of the future. Full article