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Transformative Hospitality:Leveraging a Human-centric Circular Economy Framework for the Hotel Industry
Get PDFPurpose: While there has been global progress in integrating Circular Economy (CE) principles into the hotel industry, there is a notable disparity between hotels in developed and developing nations regarding transitioning toward circular practices. This paper aims to explore the extent to which the hotel industry in the developing world has embraced circular practices and to devise a human-centric strategy for their successful transformation toward circular hospitality. Design/methodology/approach: The service-oriented nature of the hospitality industry makes the adoption of CE principles highly context-sensitive and notably more complex. This complexity requires the use of nuanced data to fully understand the factors that are not easily quantifiable. We therefore employed a qualitative phenomenological approach to observe and interview key decision-makers and technical professionals within the hotel industry. They possess prior knowledge of sustainability and green initiatives, although they do not necessarily have professional experience in the CE. They also provided data and insights, enriching the discussion and ensuring the achievement of a balanced and inclusive outcome. Findings: Our research found a multitude of good practices in hotels that have strategically ingrained CE practices into their operations. However, we also identified some challenges, such as supplier limitations, short product lifespans, and tensions among CE practices, which continue to hinder the full implementation of CE. Our empirical results suggest that transformative hospitality requires a human-centric approach to integrating CE practices into the hotel industry, which can be achieved by emphasizing the empowerment of hotel management, staff, and guests. Practical implications: Our research offers insights for hoteliers and stakeholders in the hospitality industry to innovate and advance CE practices within the industry. In particular, the human-centric CE framework can be used by hoteliers to build a balanced ecosystem that meets environmental objectives while simultaneously maintaining high standards of guest comfort and satisfaction. Originality/value: Our research contributes to CE theory in hospitality by reframing the CE hospitality attributes: acts of service, hospitable participation, heterogeneity, and perishability, that embody sustainability and pro-environmental initiatives. We propose the human-centric CE framework that encapsulates human-centric CE strategies and people-driven actions. The framework advances CE research in hospitality by aligning behavioral, cognitive, and emotional dimensions of human agency with CE values, emphasizing the intertwining of internal motivations and emotional engagement
Exploring moral disengagement in meat consumption among Malaysian youth - A cross-sectional study
Get PDFThis study explores the moral disengagement with its five sub-dimensions and investigate the influence of animal ethics and environmental concern on moral disengagement in the context of adoption of plant-based diet among Malaysian youth. A cross-sectional survey involving 341 students from ten Malaysian universities was conducted using a structured questionnaire based on established scales for animal ethics, environmental awareness, intention to adopt plant-based diet and the five dimensions of moral disengagement, i.e. means-ends justifications, desensitization, denial of negative consequences, diffused responsibility, and reduced perceived choice. The findings indicate relatively low ethical concern regarding animal ethics and low-to-moderate environmental awareness concerning meat consumption as well as intention to adopt a plant-based diet. Moral disengagement was indicated as moderate-to-high with means-ends justification reported as the highest dimension, followed by diffused responsibility and desensitization. Animal ethics and environmental concerns are negatively related with moral disengagement and there is a significant negative relationship between moral disengagement with the intention to adopt plant-based diet. By identifying the psychological barriers to dietary change, this study helps design more effective strategies to promote plant-based diets and sustainability, thereby contributing to ethical food consumption and environmental protection. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
Exploring Proof of Concept for a Novel Web-Based Self-Management Support Intervention for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome:Multi-Method Study
Get PDFPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common chronic hormonal condition affecting 8-13% of women and individuals assigned female at birth. Symptoms may include subfertility, menstrual, skin and metabolic problems, with long-term health risks including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. PCOS has a significant negative impact on mental health, quality of life and wellbeing. We explored proof of concept for a web-based self-management support intervention 'Hope PCOS' designed to reduce anxiety and depression and increase positive wellbeing for women living with PCOS. To pilot the intervention to test feasibility for web-based recruitment and delivery, acceptability and potential to reduce anxiety and depression and increase positive wellbeing. Women with PCOS were recruited via social media with support from a patient advocacy charity and offered places on a six-session cohort of the intervention. In a pre-post design participants reported depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), wellbeing (Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS)), hope (State Hope Scale (SHS)) and gratitude (Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-6)) at baseline and six weeks. All participants who accessed 3 or more sessions were invited to a follow-up qualitative interview to explore user experience. Data from 8 interviews were thematically analysed and pre-post data explored with descriptive statistics. Sixty-three eligible women responded and were given access to the intervention. Three withdrew, leaving a baseline sample of N=60, aged 20-58 (median 30) years. Forty-eight of the 60 started, of whom 44% (22/48) completed at least three sessions and 27% (14/48) completed all six. Eight women (aged 25-38, median 29) years who completed all sessions reported acceptability and experiences in exit interviews, including prioritising self-care, developing a self-management mindset, setting motivating goals, improved mental health, self-compassion, reduced shame, openness about PCOS, preparedness for future health concerns, and continuing practice to consolidate behaviour change. Eleven women aged 25-43 (median 31) years, who completed 1-6 sessions (median 6), completed pre-and post-intervention outcomes. Descriptive quantitative analysis indicated decreases in anxiety and depression and increases in hope agency, hope pathways and gratitude. There was a meaningful (≥3 points) increase in wellbeing. Among patients with baseline and follow-up data, 73% (8/11) met clinical caseness for depression at baseline and 36% (4/11) post intervention. We explored proof of concept. Recruitment and delivery online was feasible. We detected early signs of acceptability and potential benefits for anxiety, depression, and positive wellbeing that warrant testing in a controlled trial. Future research should assess feasibility of a randomised controlled trial to evaluate effectiveness, acceptability and cost-effectiveness. Not applicable as this was an exploratory proof of concept study
First-nation Australian children’s interpretation of a pictorial questionnaire designed to assess physical literacy
Get PDFBackground: The Physical Literacy in Children Questionnaire (PL-C Quest) is a pictorial tool designed to measure children’s self-reported physical literacy. It measures 30 elements within the four domains (physical, psychological, cognitive, and social) of the Australian Physical Literacy Framework (APLF). The development study of the PL-C Quest only included children from non-Indigenous backgrounds living in a metropolitan city. Hence, little is known about how Indigenous children living in regional and rural areas understand and engage with the items. Purpose: The study aims to determine if Indigenous children living in regional and rural areas in Australia understand the items in the PL-C Quest (test content) and if they cognitively engaged with the items (response processes) as intended by the APLF definitions. Methods: The study followed a qualitative descriptive approach. The PL-C Quest includes an orange cartoon bunny carrying out 30 scenarios with accompanying statements. Each scenario has one bunny rabbit doing the activity well and the other bunny not so well. Cognitive interviews were conducted based on verbal probing using Tourangeau’s four-stage cognitive model (comprehension, retrieval, judgment, and response). In the regional town, nine Indigenous children were interviewed one on one in after-school sessions. In the rural town, 12 Indigenous children enrolled in the school programme of a sports provider were interviewed in pairs or small groups. All individual and group interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. All transcripts were coded using the NVivo12 software. Each cognitive action of Tourangeau’s model, comprehension, retrieval, judgment, and response, became a coding category. Responses coded into each category were further categorised into sub-categories. For instance, ‘Understood as intended’, ‘Partially understood’, and ‘Misunderstood’ were subcategories for comprehension; ‘skills’ and ‘past events and experiences’ were for retrieval; ‘confident and unconfident’ were for judgement; and ‘justify’ and ‘unable to justify’ were subcategories for response category. Once the first author completed the analysis of the children’s responses to items, the other two authors’ part of the data collection confirmed the accuracy of the coding. Findings: Overall, children in both sites understood most of the content of the items as intended. In addition, they could retrieve relevant information when responding to the items. For example, a few children reflected on their ability to play a ball-throwing Indigenous game and carry younger siblings when responding to the items, ‘Object Manipulation’ and ‘Strength’, respectively. Also, most children confidently selected the bunny that represented them more in all 30 items and were able to justify their responses. Conclusion: The study is the first to generate validity evidence for the PL-C Quest when used with Indigenous children in regional and rural Australia. The findings demonstrate that this pictorial scale may be a suitable tool to collect data about the physical literacy of Indigenous children living in regional and rural areas–subject to further testing with a larger population. Future research may provide evidence on other sources of validity. For instance, whether these domains uphold the measured construct, physical literacy (internal structure), with Indigenous children.</p
Landing and Dispersing at the Same Time:Embodied Awareness in Virtual and Physical Spaces
No full textThe encounter of dance with technology through embodied philosophical practices of awareness expands the territory for embodied experience in digital spaces. Questions arise about how sensory experiences ordinarily invoked by touch and proximity can extend into the virtual and how we can further expand sensorial experience between and beyond the body in more-than-human assemblies. The authors use the tenets of Skinner Releasing Technique and Micro phenomenology, as parallel approaches emerging across their respective practices as valuable methods for understanding and articulating bodily awareness in the encounter between dance and technology. André Lepecki, Erin Manning, and Brian Rotman’s theories regarding the digital capture of dance further support this sensory rich articulation. This chapter reveals the importance of improvisation, kinesthetic awareness and an ethics of care so that our somatic sensibilities can inform how we and our audiences enter and exit from these virtual spaces that alter a felt sense of embodiment
An Up-to-date Review on the Classification, Pharmacology, and Production of Terpenes and Terpenoids
No full textTerpenes and terpenoids, which are a large and diverse class of organic compounds, are widely distributed in many plants. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the biosynthesis and biological activity of terpenes and terpenoids in order to fully exploit their efficacy in a wider range of applications, such as medicine, biology, flavors and fragrances, food, and cosmetics. This review aims to update and elucidate the classification, pharmacology, and production of terpenes and terpenoids, focusing on the bioactivities and biosynthetic mechanisms. Their classification methods, production routes, and potential application ranges are discussed in detail. Moreover, the research on terpenes and terpenoids since 2014 is also reviewed by identifying the trends and keywords through bibliometric analysis, classifying terpenes and terpenoids in recent studies according to their chemical structure, and summarizing their production methods and pharmacological properties. Generally, terpenes and terpenoids can be divided into five categories based on the number of isoprene units, but are highly diverse in structure. Terpenes and terpenoids exhibit various bioactivities, including antiinflammatory, antibacterial, anticancer, and antioxidant effects, due to their structural diversity. The common production methods mainly include extraction and separation, chemical synthesis, and biosynthesis. Different approaches to biosynthesis have been proposed but have not been applied in large-scale production. With increasing medicinal potentials, the demand for terpenes and terpenoids will continue to increase, where biosynthesis will play a key role in improving their production
Beyond Incentives: On-Demand Platform Strategies and Courier Engagement in Indonesia’s Crowd Shipping
No full textThe rise of crowd shipping has forced online intermediaries that connect senders and independent couriers, known as on-demand platforms, to find better ways to organize couriers with different work styles and motivations while sustaining reliable delivery performance. One of the key challenges is to understand how couriers want to be treated, what motivates them, and how platform strategies can support couriers’ engagement or willingness to stay committed and active on the platform. Current studies, which have largely focused on financial and algorithmic mechanisms, provide limited explanation for this issue. This study addresses the gap by combining a systematic literature review of 19 articles with an exploratory comparative case study, based on semi-structured interviews with 15 couriers across multiple platforms. The analysis shows that platforms adopt different strategies to manage couriers, while couriers themselves highlight fairness, flexibility, and transparency as key factors, suggesting that courier engagement cannot be reduced to economic motives alone. The study argues that sustainable delivery performance depends on balancing efficiency-driven incentives with practices that support long-term retention. The results contribute to platform strategy research and provide practical guidance for managers seeking to build more reliable crowd shipping systems
Ingestion of a lipid-rich meat matrix blunts the post-exercise increase of myofibrillar protein synthesis rates in healthy adults:A randomized controlled trial
No full textBackground: There is considerable variation in the anabolic action of ingesting protein-dense foods on the stimulation of postprandial myofibrillar protein synthesis rates (MPS) despite ingesting similar amounts of protein and essential amino acids (EAA). Objectives: To determine the effects of consuming high-fat pork (HFP), low-fat pork (LFP), or a carbohydrate control (CHO) on the MPS response. Methods: In a semi-crossover design, sixteen physically active adults (25 ± 5 y; 25.0 ± 2.3 kg·m-2; 12M, 4F) received primed-constant infusions of L-[ring-13C6]phenylalanine and performed an acute bout of resistance exercise. Following exercise, participants ingested either HFP (266 kcal, 20 g protein, 20.6 g fat), LFP (120 kcal, 20 g protein, 4.4 g fat), or CHO (266 kcal, 0 g protein, 0 g fat, 73.3 g carbohydrate). Repeated blood and muscle samples were collected at rest and throughout 0-5 h post-exercise recovery to measure plasma variables and MPS. Linear mixed-effects models with time and condition as fixed factors weused to detect differences. Results: Both HFP and LFP conditions increased MPS above post absorptive values (P = 0.028 and P < 0.001, respectively), with LFP eliciting a greater post exercise MPS (0.106 ± 0.026 %·h-1; [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.088, 0.118]) than HFP (0.072 ± 0.027 %·h-1; [95% CI: 0.057, 0.087]; P = 0.030) and CHO (0.056 ± 0.035 %/h-1; [95% CI: 0.41, 0.71]; P < 0.001). The absolute change in MPS from basal was significantly correlated with peak essential amino acid and leucine concentrations (r = 0.4638, P = 0.017; r = 0.4211, P = 0.032). Conclusions: LFP stimulated MPS more than HFP or CHO conditions. Our work demonstrated that other nutrients in the food matrix, beyond total ingested protein or EAAs, can impact the regulation of MPS in healthy adults
In vivo functional profiling and structural characterization of the human GLP1R A316T variant.
Get PDFGlucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are effective therapies for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity, yet patient responses are variable, with GLP1R gene variation potentially linked to therapeutic outcomes. A GLP1R natural missense variant, A316T, protects against T2D and cardiovascular disease. Here, we generated and characterized a human GLP1R A316T mouse model. Human GLP1R A316T/A316T mice displayed lower fasting blood glucose versus wild-type littermates even under metabolic stress, as well as slower weight gain and alterations in islet cytoarchitecture, glucagon secretion, and liver metabolism under a high-fat, high-sucrose diet. This was however associated with blunted responses to pharmacological GLP-1RAs in vivo. Further investigations in β cell models demonstrated that human GLP1R A316T exhibits characteristics of constitutive activation but dampened GLP-1RA responses. Results are further supported by cryo-EM analyses and molecular dynamics simulations of GLP-1R A316T structure, collectively demonstrating that the A316T variant governs basal GLP-1R activity and pharmacological responses to GLP-1R-targeting therapies. </p