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Navigating influence: a mixed-method study on the role of social media influencer type and message content in driving digital engagement and patronage intentions
Get PDFGrounded in Social Influence Theory (SIT), this study adopts a mixed-methods approach to examine the effectiveness of cause-related marketing (CRM) versus service quality messaging (SQM) delivered by social media influencers (SMIs) in shaping consumers' digital engagement and patronage intentions. The research further investigates how different influencer types (micro- versus macro-SMIs) interact with message appeals to influence consumer behaviour. Findings across three studies involving 555 participants reveal that CRM messages significantly enhance both digital engagement and patronage intentions. Macro-influencers generally elicit higher engagement owing to their broad reach, whereas micro-influencers prove more effective in promoting CRM messages, underpinned by perceived authenticity and stronger follower relationships. Perceived authenticity mediates the relationship between message appeal, digital engagement, and patronage intention, with CRM messages perceived as more authentic. Building on recent research, this study extends Social Influence Theory to the hospitality context and contributes theoretically by elucidating how influencer characteristics and message content jointly drive consumer behaviour. Practical implications are offered for the development of influencer marketing strategies in the restaurant industry
An Addendum to the Evaluation of Whole School SEND (WSS) Review: A cluster randomised controlled trial - Statistical Analysis Plan
Get PDFCopyediting: A Play
No full textCopyediting: A Play is an experimental arttext. It pivots around the ubiquitous on-screen ‘I-beam’ cursor, alluding to the material history of the steel I-beam after which this is named, and delving into the material history of the process of copyediting as it became computerised. The shifts this entailed are considered in relation to recent first-hand experience of authorship and editing. The text opens out as both being in and of itself, as well as a being ‘about’, text as something in process: written, revised and referred to by a shifting, overlapping and temporally fragmenting cast of author and editor ‘characters’ who periodically align with and at other times slip apart from physical bodies
Edible oils as bio-plasticisers for sustainable additive manufacturing: comparative electrochemical performance and sensing of ascorbic acid in juices
Get PDFWe report the production of five separate high-performance conductive filament, using different edible oils (coconut oil, olive oil, a vegetable oil blend, sunflower oil, and rapeseed oil) as bio-plasticising compounds alongside recycled PLA and carbon black (CB) for additive manufacturing electrochemistry. Each filament was assessed through TGA, SEM, XPS, Raman and electrochemical scan rate studies, showing comparable electrochemical behaviour towards conventional redox probes, however, the materials containing coconut oil and olive oil exhibited distinct morphologies (as observed via SEM) and superior electroanalytical performance for the detection of ascorbic acid. These electrodes achieved detection limits of 2.45 and 2.14 μM, respectively. The electrode incorporating coconut oil was applied to the determination of ascorbic acid in real juice samples, yielding satisfactory recovery rates without the need for complex sample preparation. This study highlights the use edible, bio-based plasticisers in fabricating sustainable, high-performance filaments for sensing applications in food monitoring field
Informal Circular Textile Supply Chains in Türkiye
No full textWhilst textile recycling has garnered significant attention in recent years, much existing research has concentrated on the environmental benefits and the engineering efficiency of waste management processes, particularly concerning post-consumer waste. This focus often overlooks the critical human dimension, especially the labour-intensive and informal practices involved in handling pre-consumer textile waste in the Global South. In countries with substantial textile industries, such as Türkiye, there is a considerable amount of pre-consumer production waste, yet the experiences of those who collect and sort this waste remain largely unexamined. This chapter explores the informal circular textile supply chains in Türkiye, drawing from fieldwork conducted in Istanbul. It sheds light on the often-overlooked labourers who make a living from collecting pre-consumer production waste from cutting-houses, sorting textile scraps based on material type and selling these to textile waste traders. These materials are either sold in local street markets if they are larger fabrics or sent to recycling hubs for further processing. This work is deeply rooted in communities and characterised by strong place-based local ties but also by economic instability, precarious working conditions, and legal challenges, particularly for migrant workers that work in textile waste traders and for sorter women, who often work without pension or social benefits. The chapter concludes by advocating for policy interventions to recognise and support informal textile recyclers by providing legal recognition, social security, and designated recycling zones. Acknowledging the contributions of these workers is essential for creating more inclusive and just supply chains towards circular economy
The Impact of Sustainability Orientation and Sustainability Challenges in SME Responses to Institutional Support
No full textSMEs receive increasing institutional support to embed sustainability, yet they vary widely in their ability to translate such support into practice. This study addresses this gap by examining the internal cognitive and strategic mechanism (sustainability orientation) through which managers interpret institutional support and the contextual pressures that shape this process. Drawing on institutional difference theory and the theory of reasoned action, which explains how managers' attitudes, norms, and perceived behavioral control shape sustainability intentions, we assess a moderated mediation model linking institutional support to sustainability practices through sustainability orientation, conditional on sustainability challenges. Using structural equation modelling (SEM) on survey data from 342 UK SMEs, we find that sustainability orientation significantly mediates the support-practice relationship, while sustainability challenges amplify the direct effect of support on practice but do not moderate the effect of support on orientation. We further validate the 4Ps framework (People, Planet, Profit, Purpose), demonstrating Purpose as a distinct dimension reflecting long-term societal alignment and regenerative intent. The study advances sustainable entrepreneurship theory by integrating structural, cognitive, and contextual mechanisms shaping SME sustainability adoption
National-standard middle-distance runners maintain 1500 m time trial running performance on successive days
Get PDFTo examine how middle-distance athletes maintain self-paced time trial performance on successive days, 12 national-standard middle-distance specialists performed two self-paced 1500 m time trials on successive days. Following baseline assessment and familiarisation trials, participants (10 male, 2 female, mean age ± SD: 27 ± 7 years, mass: 66 ± 8 kg, height: 1.80 ± 0.08 m, season best 1500 m time: 243.9 ± 18.4 s) performed two 1500 m time trials separated by 24 h on an instrumented treadmill. Internal (respiratory exchange ratio; RER, oxygen uptake, blood lactate concentration, heart rate, session, and differential ratings of perceived exertion) and external (speed and time) measures quantified exercise intensity. Step length and frequency were collected from integrated force transducers (1000 Hz). All variables were log transformed before analysis with mixed linear models. The uncertainty (90% confidence interval) of our between-trial differences (trial 2 vs. trial 1) for all measures other than peak and mean RER were equivalent to previously reported measurement errors. Additionally, athletes were ~2.5 times more likely to perceive greater exertion for time trial two, but with considerable uncertainty around the estimates. National-standard middle-distance specialists maintain 1500 m time trial running performance on successive days without the use of any structured recovery interventions
The test-retest reliability and agreement between a fixed frame and belt-stabilised handheld dynamometer for isometric hip flexion and extension peak force measurement in recreational cyclists
No full textIntroduction - Cycling performance is influenced by hip flexor and extensor muscle strength. While belt stabilised handheld dynamometers (B-HHD) are valid for measuring isometric hip muscle strength, fixed frame dynamometers are becoming popular, offering potentially better stability and reliability. However, the reliability of both devices has not been examined in cyclists. This study evaluated the test-retest reliability and agreement between a B-HHD (MicroFET2, Hoggan Scientific) and a fixed-frame dynamometer (ForceFrame (FF) Max, Vald Performance) for hip flexion and extension peak force measurement in cyclists. Methods A test-retest design was used. Twenty-five recreational cyclists (age ± SD: 36.64 (±12.34) years; 22 males) were tested twice, approximately 72 hours apart. Three unilateral maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC) of the hip flexors and extensors of each limb were performed, using the B-HHD and FF in a random order. Within and between session reliability was determined using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) 3.1 & 3.k. Standard error of measurements (SEM) and minimal detectable changes (MDC) were calculated. Agreement was assessed using 95% limits of agreement (LOA). Results For hip flexion, within and between session reliability was good to excellent, and SEMs were similar (B-HHD ICCs = 0.77-0.93, SEMs = 14.25- 22.71N (7.19-10.38%); FF ICCs = 0.77-0.95, SEMs = 7.80N- 18.98N (3.47%-8.54%)). FF MDCs were lower within-session (21.61-39.48N (9.60-17.97%)) than B-HHD MDCs (39.50- 62.95N (19.94-28.78%)), but similar between-sessions (FF MDCs= 41.25-52.61N (19.42-23.66%); B-HHD MDCs 41.21N-48.95N (18.53-23.77%)). For hip extension, both devices demonstrated good to excellent reliability and SEMs were similar (B-HHD ICCs = 0.90-0.95, SEMs = 15.77-21.53N ( 7.38-9.96%); FF ICCs = 0.85-0.95, SEMs =19.21-29.05N (7.82-11.78%) within and between sessions). All LOA exceeded a 20N acceptability threshold. Conclusion Both devices are reliable in recreational cyclists, but large MDCs suggest that caution is needed when interpreting repeated measurements. Due to poor agreement, the devices are not interchangeable so should be considered device specific. In practice, our preliminary results suggest FF data cannot be compared with B-HHD data and vice versa, while the same device should be used for repeated measurements in this population
Cirque-like alcoves in the northern mid-latitudes of Mars as evidence of glacial erosion
Get PDFViscous flow features known as glacier-like forms on Mars have been observed emerging from alcoves that resemble cirques on Earth. However, many alcoves exist without associated glacier-like forms, and these features have never been studied or categorized at a regional population scale. On Earth, cirques form when depressions on mountain slopes accumulate snow, which gradually compacts into glacial ice. As the glacier flows downhill, it deepens the depression through erosion. Most of this erosion is driven by wet-based glaciers, although cold-based glaciers can also contribute to some headward and sidewall retreat. Here, we present evidence that cirque-like alcoves on Mars, similar to terrestrial cirques, are shaped by glacial erosion. To assess which alcoves on Mars are most “cirque-like”, we mapped a regional population of ∼ 2000 alcoves in Deuteronilus Mensae (40–48° N, 16–35° E), a region in the mid-latitudes of Mars characterized by mesas surrounded by glacial remnants. Based on visual characteristics and morphometrics, we refined our dataset to 434 “cirque-like alcoves” – nearly six times the amount of glacier-like forms in the region – and used this to better understand the potential contribution of glaciation to landscape evolution in Deuteronilus Mensae, Mars. High-resolution imagery reveals geomorphic evidence for past glacial occupation of these cirque-like alcoves, including flow features, linear terrain, moraine-like ridges, mound-and-tail terrain, polygonal terrain, rectilinear-ridge terrain, and washboard terrain, as well as an ice-rich mantling unit. Most cirque-like alcoves face south to southeast, similar to gullies poleward of 40°. One possibility to explain this trend is that southward facing cirque-like alcoves in the northern mid-latitudes formed when conditions were more favorable for ice accumulation during periods of high obliquity. Using wet-based glacial erosion rates, assuming a mean annual temperature of 0 °C (compared to present-day temperatures of °C), the timescales for Martian cirque-like alcove formation align with both the estimated ages of glacier-like forms (millions to tens of millions of years) and other viscous flow features such as lobate debris aprons (hundreds of millions of years). In contrast, using a temperature assumption of −50 to −68 °C, cold-based erosion rates are only consistent with the older ages of lobate debris aprons. By mapping cirque-like alcoves at a large scale for the first time, we expand the catalog of features attributed to glacial erosion on Mars. Future work is needed to specify the timing of the formation of cirque-like alcoves and whether their formation required warm-based erosion