Search Results (56)

E-bikes are emerging as a competitive alternative to private cars in both urban and suburban contexts, enhancing accessibility to daily amenities and aligning with the proximity-oriented principles of X-minute city development. However, empirical knowledge remains limited regarding e-bike adopter profiles, trip purposes, influencing factors, and modal substitution patterns, particularly in urban Global South contexts. This exploratory pilot study employs correlation analysis and exploratory factor analysis to examine the sociodemographic characteristics of e-bike users in Surabaya, identify trip behavior patterns, and uncover potential determinants associated with e-bike usage within the X-minute city framework. Based on a sample of 71 e-bike users, the preliminary findings reveal notable socioeconomic patterns in e-bike adoption, with lower-income inner-city residents, particularly women in informal employment, emerging as early adopters. Additionally, two potential influence dimensions are identified: utilitarian trip chaining and active mobility infrastructure. While these findings require validation through larger-scale studies, they suggest potential for e-bikes to expand feasible X-minute city catchments and support low-carbon mobility transitions in similar Global South contexts. Full article

Customer assistance (e.g., reviews and referrals) plays a vital role for catering merchants. This study investigates how handwritten (vs. printed) messages can enhance consumers’ intention to engage in such assistance activities in the context of food delivery. Using a multi-method approach (field and scenario-based experiments), we demonstrate that handwritten messages significantly increase customers’ willingness to provide assistance, an effect mediated by perceived interpersonal intimacy. Moreover, the impact of handwritten messages interacts with message content structure. The positive effect of handwritten typefaces is stronger for individual catering businesses than for chain restaurants, and more effective among hedonic customers compared to utilitarian ones. These findings offer practical guidance for service merchants on leveraging handwritten messages to foster customer assistance behaviors. Full article

With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, the deployment of social robots has significantly broadened, extending into diverse fields such as education, medical services, and business. Despite this expansive growth, there remains a notable scarcity of empirical research addressing the underlying psychological mechanisms that influence human–robot interactions. To address this critical research gap, the present study proposes and empirically tests a theoretical model designed to elucidate how users’ multi-dimensional perceived values of social robots influence their attitudinal responses and outcomes. Based on questionnaire data from 569 social robot users, the study reveals that users’ perceived utilitarian value, emotional value, and hedonic value all exert significant positive effects on active involvement, thereby fostering their identification and reinforcing attitudinal loyalty. Among these dimensions, emotional value emerged as the strongest predictor, underscoring the pivotal role of emotional orientation in cultivating lasting human–robot relationships. Furthermore, the findings highlight the critical mediating function of active involvement in linking perceived value to users’ psychological sense of belonging, thereby elucidating the mechanism through which perceived value enhances engagement and promotes sustained long-term interaction. These findings extend the conceptual boundaries of human–machine interaction, offer a theoretical foundation for future explorations of user psychological mechanisms, and inform strategic design approaches centered on emotional interaction and user-oriented experiences, providing practical guidance for optimizing social robot design in applications. Full article

Smoking tobacco is a prominent activity in Cameroon, with each region holding different views on the devices used for smoking. In Bamum, these vessels are called kiis. Many of these pipes, or kiis, have been removed from the kingdom and displayed without proper contextual information in Western institutions since the 1920s. This paper highlights discrepancies in academic pursuits regarding the kii and their decontextualized displays, while also providing ethical guidelines for their future displays. Understanding the intended purpose and cultural significance of a kii allows for the process of restitution in the form of ethical display to take place. Using the Heritage Context Retrieval Analysis (HeCRA) method, the research aim to explore the cultural origins of the kii in the GWU collection, retrieve its cultural context, critique the prevalent cabinet of curiosities display format used in displaying them in museums, and propose ethical frameworks for handling such devices, which are both utilitarian and culturally charged in 21st-century museums. This paper uncovers the true identity of a brass kii and dismantles the cabinet of curiosities and the alignment of African tangible heritage to oddities. The goal is to instigate a new approach to approaching such cultural objects by invoking their original spiritual and cultural symbolism in exhibitions outside of Bamum. Full article

Compared to multiple other European countries, Germany still lists among those countries restricting the operation of most retail activities on Sundays as well as public holidays. For a long time, the German populace backed this decision. The COVID-19 crisis had distinct effects on retail behavior, expectations, and perceptions among broad strata of German society. To quantify these changes, this study implements the results of two surveys from 2018 and 2025. Both samples were drawn from among the population of the fourth-largest German city of Cologne and visitors to the city. The results of t-tests and multiple multivariate regression analyses indicate that visitors still attend retail Sundays for hedonistic motives, i.e., related events, but in 2025 utilitarian motives have become more essential. While the amount of money spent during retail Sundays increased, this development is primarily driven by visitors not native to Cologne. However, city events continue to draw visitors and should be continued by city management. The financial potential for retailers by abolishing the German Shop Closing Act consequently remains limited, and its abolishment would only increase the ease of shoppers. Thus, legal changes to the act will have only limited potential for urban economic development. Full article

Modern society, dominated by rationalism, has led to the hollowing out of life’s meaning. In response to this predicament, the question of how to transcend instrumental rationality and reconstruct an understanding of human conditions becomes crucial. Among pre-Qin thinkers, Zhuangzi offers the most profound exploration of life-related issues. His “death-life” thought embodies unique philosophical implications, revealing the fluidity, wholeness, and infinity of life. The word order of “death-life” underscores the idea of the transformation of things (wuhua, 物化), illuminating two practical pathways toward the infinite circulation of life. This understanding of life resonates with Henri Bergson’s life philosophy in their shared reverence for life’s infinite flow through intuition. However, they diverge in their views on time and subjectivity. Despite their differences, their ideas can complement each other. Integrating Bergson’s spirit of creative evolution with Zhuangzi’s carefree and detached mindset may help dissolve modern society’s obsession with utilitarian goals, allowing individuals to engage in active creation while simultaneously embracing the spontaneity and boundless possibilities of each present moment. This synthesis provides valuable insights for reconstructing life’s meaning in contemporary society. Full article

The ethical theories considered in this commentary include Anthropocentrism, Dominionism, Utilitarianism, Reverence for Life, Animal Rights, Biocentrism, Ecocentrism and Care Ethics. It is apparent that Utilitarianism provides a motivating rationale for devising legal instruments to manage animal welfare in many countries. The emphasis of different laws spanning many decades paralleled the trajectory of changing attitudes to animals. Initial laws focussed on serious abuse, and were enacted to deal with relative indifference to animal suffering. Anticruelty laws followed; they dealt with a wider range of noxious acts that also cause suffering. Animal Protection laws accommodated a growing acceptance that much less severe, yet still very unpleasant experiences, are of significant welfare concern. These laws and their amendments, plus the associated instruments (e.g., Codes of Welfare/Practice), were increasingly couched using animal welfare terminology. Finally, contemporary laws that focus directly to animal welfare, increasingly refer to a ‘duty of care’ towards animals, entailing responsibilities to minimise negative experiences and to promote positive ones. Outlined here is an example of an ethically-based legal structure for providing guidance and outlining requirements for animal welfare management nationally. It has four interacting levels: Level 1—Law; Level 2—Codes of Welfare/Practice; Level 3—Regulations; and Level 4—Cooperation at a National Level. It is noted that although the framing of this legal structure is based on ethical principles, the expression of those principles is more implicit than explicit. However, expression of the ethical principles can be made much more explicit when putting into effect legal requirements to assess the acceptability of different practices in animal welfare terms. There are four interacting steps in this process: Step 1—the Primary Assumption: Animals have intrinsic value and an interest in having good lives. Step 2—Distribution of Responsibility: Humans usually control human-animal interactions and have an overarching responsibility to operate two principles: (1) If in doubt err on the side of the animal; (2) If there are justified concerns, a lack of evidence can never in itself justify a practice. Step 3—Assessment of Impact on the Animals: Use a structured framework to assess the impact of human-initiated activities. The Five Domains Model is suggested as a suitable device for this. Step 4—Rigorous Evaluation: the aim, to choose the least noxious intervention as required by the Principle of Proportionality which, once chosen, supports a justification to proceed. This commentary provides examples of how ethical reasoning, and its operational consequences, can be made visible at every stage of developing, introducing and operating infrastructures for managing animal welfare nationally. Full article

This study aims to explore the practice of Christian ocean stewardship on Taiwan’s marine wind farm policy, with a particular focus on the critically endangered Taiwanese humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis taiwanensis). Marine wind farms, while integral to the shift toward renewable energy, present complex ethical challenges due to their adverse environmental impacts—particularly noise pollution, which poses a serious threat to vulnerable marine species. International laws have underscored the importance of preventing marine noise pollution. Although Taiwan has relevant laws and policies, their implementation and supervision in preventing marine noise pollution are inadequate. This study critically examines the anthropocentric frameworks that currently dominate Taiwan’s marine development policies, arguing that they inadequately address the moral obligations humans have toward the broader ecosystem. Through a theological reflection grounded in Christian stewardship ethics, this research advocates for a shift away from human-centered environmental policies towards a more holistic ethic that acknowledges the intrinsic value of all creation. It emphasizes that ethical stewardship requires not merely reducing harm but actively participating in the restoration and protection of ecosystems, thus extending beyond utilitarian considerations of human benefit. The plight of the Taiwanese humpback dolphin serves as a case study for exploring these ethical tensions, highlighting how the energy transition can inadvertently contribute to biodiversity loss if not approached with caution and moral responsibility. Building on this, this study proposed four key principles to guide future marine development. These principles advocate for respecting nature, responsible management, continuous innovation, and social participation and transparency. This approach not only helps guide Taiwan’s marine policies but also provides new perspectives and practical approaches for applying Christian ethics in the field of marine environmental protection. Full article

This pilot study investigated whether good and bad access to waterbodies and parks have different impacts on walking and cycling in neighborhoods in urban areas. Focusing on Paris, France, the neighborhoods were classified based on their access to the two natural environments through GIS analysis. Active mobility, past behavior, trip purpose, and subjective evaluation were collected through an online survey. The subjective evaluation included infrastructure satisfaction and the perception of transport mode choice, urban area aesthetic level, safety, health, and preference for active mobility over car use. Descriptive analyses, Mann–Whitney tests, and Fisher’s exact tests were conducted to compare between two access groups and between cycling and walking. Active mobility was mainly performed for utilitarian purposes. Weekly cycling frequency was found to be lower than walking. Access to natural environments mainly impacts walking. Contrary to general belief, cycling frequency is higher in neighborhoods with bad access to waterbodies than in ones with good access. Contrary to expectations, this study found little significant effect on active mobility in the accessibility to both natural environments. This study also highlights the influence of dominant active mobility purposes in urban areas with respect to access to natural environments, and provides a subjective evaluation for active mobility. Full article

Collecting is a form of leisure, and even a passion, consisting of collecting, preserving and displaying objects. When we look for its origin in the literature, we are taken back to “the appearance of writing and the fixing of knowledge”, specifically with the Assyrian King Ashurbanipal (7th century BC, Mesopotamia), and his fondness for collecting books, which in his case were in the form of clay tablets. This is not, however, a true reflection, for we have evidence of much earlier collectors. The curiosity and interest in keeping stones or fossils of different colors and shapes, as manuports, is as old as we are. For decades we have had evidence of objects of no utilitarian value in Neanderthal homes. Several European sites have shown that these Neanderthal groups treasured objects that attracted their attention. On some occasions, these objects may have been modified to make a personal ornament and may even have been integrated into subsistence activities such as grinders or hammers. Normally, one or two such specimens are found but, to date, no Neanderthal cave or camp has yielded as many as the N4 level of Prado Vargas Cave. In the N4 Mousterian level of Prado Vargas, 15 specimens of Upper Cretaceous marine fossils belonging to the Gryphaeidae, Pectinidae, Cardiidae, Pholadomyidae, Pleurotomariidae, Tylostomatidae and Diplopodiidae families were found in the context of clay and autochthonous cave sediments. During MIS 3, a group of Neanderthals transported at least fifteen marine fossils, which were collected from various Cretaceous units located in the surrounding area, to the Prado Vargas cave. The fossils, with one exception, show no evidence of having been used as tools; thus, their presence in the cave could be attributed to collecting activities. These activities could have been motivated by numerous tangible and intangible causes, which suggest that collecting activities and the associated abstract thinking were present in Neanderthals before the arrival of modern humans. Full article

Background/Objectives: Metallic NPs have been explored for various therapeutic uses owing to utilitarian physicochemical characteristics such as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and healing properties. The objective of this study is to evaluate the therapeutic potential of novel silver carbonate nanostructures in promoting wound healing and their antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas chengduensis and Staphylococcus aureus. Methods: In this work, we prepared Ag₂CO₃ nanoparticles through a two-step methodology that was expected to improve the material’s biomedical performance and biocompatibility. The characterization and assessment of synthesized NPs biocompatibility were conducted using hemolysis assays on the blood of a healthy male human. Further, we performed molecular docking analysis to confirm interactions of silver NPs with biological molecules. Results: In detail, the synthesized NPs showed <5% hemolysis activity at various concentrations, confirming their therapeutic applicability. Additionally, the NPs had good metabolic activities; they raised the T3/T4 hormone content and acted effectively on Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) in diabetic models. They also facilitated the rate of repair by having the diabetic wounds reach 100% re-epithelialization by day 13, unlike the control group, which reached the same level only by day 16. The synthesized Ag₂CO₃ NPs exhibited high antimicrobial potential against both Pseudomonas chengduensis and Staphylococcus aureus, hence being a potential material that can be used for infection control in biomedical tissue engineering applications. Conclusions: These findings concluded that novel synthesis methods lead to the formation of NPs with higher therapeutic prospects; however, studies of their metaphysical and endocrinological effects are necessary. Full article

Waste management involves the systematic collection, transportation, processing, and treatment of waste materials generated by human activities. It entails a variety of strategies and technologies to diminish environmental impacts, protect public health, and conserve resources. Consequently, providing an effective and comprehensive optimization approach plays a critical role in minimizing waste generation, maximizing recycling and reuse, and safely disposing of waste. This work develops a novel Possibilistic Multi-Objective Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (PMOMILP) model in order to formulate the problem and design a circular–sustainable–reliable waste management network, under uncertainty. The possibility of recycling and recovery are considered across incineration and disposal processes to address the main circular-economy principles. The objectives are to address sustainable development throughout minimizing the total cost, minimizing the environmental impact, and maximizing the reliability of the Waste Management System (WMS). The Lp-metric technique is then implemented into the model to tackle the multi-objectiveness. Several benchmarks are adapted from the literature in order to validate the efficacy of the proposed methodology, and are treated by CPLEX solver/GAMS software in less than 174.70 s, on average. Moreover, a set of sensitivity analyses is performed to appraise different scenarios and explore utilitarian managerial implications and decision aids. It is demonstrated that the configured WMS network is highly sensitive to the specific time period wherein the WMS does not fail. Full article

Research on the effect of student work on academic achievement has produced inconsistent results, and Hungarian domestic research on the subject is scarce. Our research aims to contribute to the discussion. We hypothesize that student work has a beneficial effect on students’ academic achievement. The target group is the full-time, working students at the regional Hungarian university (n = 538). By clustering students based on three variables (motivation, alignment of work with studies, and working hours), we separated three distinct student groups: disadvantaged/income-oriented, ambitious, and utilitarian/leisure-oriented. Disadvantaged/income-oriented students work for financial reasons and work a large number of hours. Ambitious students work fewer hours, and they work to fulfil their professional aspirations. The utilitarian/leisure-oriented cluster is the only group whose members work because it is a useful way of spending leisure time as well as an opportunity to obtain money for other free-time activities. With the help of the achievement index, we detected further differences between the student clusters. Students in the disadvantaged/income-oriented cluster do not have high academic scores and do not take part in extracurricular activities. They are more likely to interrupt their studies, mainly for financial reasons and because of work. The achievement was not affected by students’ social status indicators such as parents’ educational attainment or labor market position; it is contact with faculty and performing work related to studies that have the most explanatory power. Full article

The proportion of women engaging in insufficient physical activity is higher than that of men, and they may face greater barriers. Fitness apps, as effective tools for behavior change, can significantly promote active physical activity among women. Notably, women constitute over 60% of fitness app users. However, few studies have focused on the reasons behind the continuous use of fitness apps by female users. This study investigates the impact of different perceived values on the satisfaction and continuance intention of female fitness app users. A total of 395 female fitness app users from Guangzhou, China, participated in this study. The results indicate that hedonic value (β = 0.190, p < 0.001), utilitarian value (β = 0.171, p = 0.007), and health value (β = 0.440, p < 0.001) significantly and positively influence the satisfaction of female fitness app users. However, only utilitarian value (β = 0.135, p = 0.018) and health value (β = 0.436, p < 0.001) have a significant positive impact on the continuance intention, while hedonic value (β = 0.028, p = 0.547) does not. Additionally, satisfaction mediates the relationship between utilitarian and health values and continuance intention. Therefore, the design of fitness apps should prioritize helping female users achieve utilitarian and health values rather than overemphasizing hedonic-value-related content. Full article

This study aims to examine how the activation of the role of nursee and professional identification as a nurse can influence moral judgments in terms of deontological and utilitarian inclinations. In Study 1, a priming technique was used to assess the impact of activating the nursing concept on moral reasoning. Participants were randomly assigned to either a nursing prime or neutral prime condition. By using a scrambled-sentence task, participants were prompted to think about nursing-related or neutral thoughts. Following the priming task, participants were asked to respond to 20 moral dilemmas. The process dissociation approach was employed to measure the degree of deontological and utilitarian tendencies in their moral reasoning. In Study 2, participants completed the nursing profession identification scale and the moral orientation scale before engaging in moral judgments similar to those in Study 1. The findings revealed that priming the concept of being a nursee resulted in an increase in deontological clinical inclinations while having no significant effect on utilitarian inclinations. Additionally, a positive correlation was observed between identification with the nursing profession and deontological clinical inclinations, whereas a negative correlation was found with utilitarian inclinations. Deliberation orientation acted as a complete mediator in the relationship between nursing professional identification and deontological tendencies and as a partial mediator for utilitarian tendencies. Full article