Search Results (1,249)

Cross-border e-commerce offers consumers broader product access, yet uncertainty surrounding returns continues to suppress online purchase decisions. This study conceptualizes digital local return services as a digital assurance mechanism in cross-border e-commerce rather than merely a reverse logistics function. Drawing on UTAUT2, perceived risk theory, and trust theory, we develop and test a research model using survey data from South Korean consumers with prior experience of digital local return services (LRS). Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to test the proposed relationships, and artificial neural networks (ANN) are employed to capture nonlinear effects and compare the relative importance of key predictors. Qualitative interview evidence is further incorporated to enrich the interpretation of the findings. The results show that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, and hedonic motivation significantly reduce perceived risk. Perceived risk, in turn, exerts a strong negative effect on purchase intention and weakens consumer trust. Additional ANN results indicate that hedonic motivation and facilitating conditions are particularly influential in lowering perceived risk, while perceived risk is more important than trust in predicting purchase intention. These findings show that digital return service design shapes consumer decisions primarily through risk reduction rather than trust enhancement alone. The study contributes to digital commerce research by explaining how return service design functions as a customer-facing platform assurance mechanism that improves conversion in cross-border online retailing. Full article

The lack of continuance use of fitness apps causes persistent concern. This paper endeavors to examine the impact of initial use on the continuance use of fitness apps by incorporating theories on commitment and investment. A fitness app-based online running event and a two-stage field survey were conducted. A total of 162 participants’ app usage data and survey responses were collected and tested using structural equation modeling. The findings revealed that initial use increases users’ affective commitment and continuance commitment to fitness apps, which promotes continuance use in the subsequent period. The continuance use of fitness apps then enhances users’ physical exercise performance. Additionally, this study confirmed the strengthening moderation effect of users’ social network size, indicating that a larger social network amplifies the positive influence of continuance commitment on continuance use. These findings contribute to sustainable health promotion by explaining how sustained engagement with digital exercise tools can support active lifestyles and well-being. Full article

The expansion of the transport sector in Thailand has resulted in a continuous increase in greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Therefore, promoting the adoption of commercial electric vehicles (EVs) has become an important approach to mitigating environmental impacts and enhancing sustainability. This study integrates the TAM, TPB, and 7Ps frameworks to examine factors influencing the intention to adopt EVs among freight transport operators in Thailand. A total of 876 freight operators were surveyed, and the data were analyzed using a random parameters probit model with heterogeneity in means. The results indicate that environmental motivation, perceived safety, ease of use, reductions in operational costs, social benefits, dealership credibility, and perceived quality-of-life improvement positively influence the intention to adopt EVs. In contrast, gaps between EV attitudes and purchasing readiness, along with over-reliance on promotional and online channels, negatively affect EV adoption intention. Furthermore, perceptions of price appropriateness show heterogeneous effects across respondents, reflecting hidden costs and operational uncertainties. Based on these findings, the study proposes an integrated set of policy measures to support a sustainable transition toward EV adoption in the freight transport sector. These results provide useful guidance for policymakers and freight transport operators in developing strategies and policies that encourage the long-term adoption of electric vehicles in freight transportation. Full article

Background: Local recurrence of rectal cancer is a challenging problem for patients and clinicians. Surgical resection is associated with good outcomes if R0 margins are achieved; however, it is often complex, requires suitable patient fitness, and is associated with long term physical and psychological consequences. Meanwhile, continuing technical advances in radiotherapy have enabled the delivery of highly conformal treatment, thereby enabling dose escalation or pelvic reirradiation to be safely considered—either as definitive management or in the neoadjuvant setting—for patients with locally recurrent rectal cancer. Pelvic reirradiation may refer to patients who have received primary rectal radiotherapy with the aim of neoadjuvant downstaging or reducing the risk of locoregional recurrence, versus radiotherapy for a previous unrelated non-rectal pelvic malignancy. Methods: A literature search of pelvic reirradiation for non-metastatic, locally recurrent rectal cancer was conducted for full text articles published over the last 20 years. Additional papers were identified within the references of these papers. Studies focusing on non-rectal cancers, and patients having primary radiotherapy for locally recurrent rectal cancer were excluded. Due to the heterogenicity of the data, no meta-analysis was performed. Results: A total of 15 papers were included, containing a cohort of 840 patients. Several reirradiation modalities were reported, including external beam radiotherapy, brachytherapy, stereotactic ablative radiotherapy and heavy particle therapy (carbon ion). Carbon ion radiotherapy was the most common reirradiation treatment modality utilised with a median cumulative dose of 70.4 Gray (Gy). Treatment response, defined as either complete or partial improvement in tumour size, was only reported in seven studies, and varied from 14 to 88%. Overall 3-year survival was also variable with rates reported between 18 and 85%. These observations may be due to variation in patient selection, treatment intent, and technique. Pelvic reirradiation was associated with acceptable toxicity, low rates of G3+ toxicity, and improved symptom control. Conclusions: Our review describes the multitude of approaches to pelvic reirradiation for locally recurrent rectal cancer. Reviewing the radiobiological and patient outcomes is challenging in view of the degree of heterogeneity in patient selection, treatment approach, and reported outcomes. However, there is consensus that pelvic reirradiation—either for long term control or to downstage prior to definitive surgery—is feasible with potential utility in this setting. Full article

Governments worldwide are mandating digital tax platforms, yet little is understood about what sustains taxpayer engagement beyond legally compelled minimum use. This study extends the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with perceived compulsion and tax literacy to examine continuous usage intention toward Coretax, Indonesia’s mandatory Core Tax Administration System. Using survey data from 535 active users analysed with PLS-SEM, six of eight hypotheses are supported: system quality drives perceived ease of use, which amplifies perceived usefulness, and both usefulness and user satisfaction independently predict continuous usage intention. Contrary to predictions derived from self-determination theory, perceived compulsion positively influences satisfaction, suggesting institutional acceptance of a mandate redirects evaluative attention toward system performance rather than generating resistance. Tax literacy does not moderate the usefulness–continuance pathway but independently increases engagement intentions, pointing to literacy programmes as direct engagement levers rather than amplifiers. These findings extend TAM into mandatory post-adoption contexts and propose institutional acceptance as a boundary condition for coercion theory in IS research. Full article

Taste strongly influences food acceptance and purchase intention. Beyond the five basic tastes, oral sensations such as astringency or koku modulate overall taste perception. Both umami and koku act as taste enhancers, increasing mouthfeel and savoriness. While the taste of most proteogenic amino acids is well established, non-proteogenic amino acids and related protein derivatives remain insufficiently characterized. This study analyzes the taste profile of seventeen underexplored amino acids and protein derivatives using the PredMol in silico tool and quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA), with particular emphasis on their umami and koku potential. In silico evaluation identified bitterness and sweetness as the predominant tastes and predicted carnosine, theanine, citrulline, and ornithine to have koku potential with values higher than 0.44. Principal Component Analysis of the QDA revealed that sweetness, bitterness, and sourness were the main drivers of sample differentiation. Ornithine, glutamine, citrulline, pyroglutamic acid, and theanine exhibited a positive dose–response in umami perception, with potential synergistic effects observed in the presence of 0.5 mmol/L IMP. Additionally, theanine, citrulline, and ornithine enhanced koku-related attributes, particularly aftertaste and continuity, in aqueous model solutions. Overall, these findings suggest that these compounds can have a taste influence in food products and potential to be used as taste enhancers. Full article

Tobacco use remains a major public health challenge in Jordan, where cigarette smoking and waterpipe use are both common and dual use is increasingly prevalent. Community pharmacies are highly accessible healthcare settings, yet structured smoking-cessation services remain underutilized. This study evaluated the clinical effectiveness and implementation of Dual-Quit Digital, a pharmacist-delivered cessation counseling program tailored to the type of tobacco used, paired with a 6-month automated WhatsApp^® (Menlo Park, CA, USA) follow-up system. We conducted a pragmatic, two-arm, parallel-group, Hybrid Type 2 cluster randomized controlled trial in 16 community pharmacies in Jordan, randomized 1:1 to intervention or usual care. A total of 320 adult tobacco users were enrolled (160 per arm). The intervention combined a structured in-pharmacy pharmacist consultation, tailored behavioral support, phenotype-stratified pharmacotherapy support, and 6 months of semi-automated WhatsApp^® follow-up with telepharmacy escalation for predefined red-flag responses. The control arm received usual care, consisting of opportunistic brief advice and standard over-the-counter sales without proactive follow-up. The primary outcome was biochemically verified continuous abstinence at 6 months, defined as exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) < 10 ppm and analyzed using intention-to-treat principles. Secondary outcomes included 7-day point prevalence abstinence (PPA) at 3 and 6 months, 30-day PPA at 6 months, both-product abstinence among baseline dual users, pharmacotherapy uptake and adherence, and implementation-relevant outcomes, including service reach, feasibility of recruitment, and digital engagement metrics. All 16 pharmacies were retained, and all 320 randomized participants were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. At 6 months, CO-verified continuous abstinence was achieved by 26.3% of participants in the intervention arm compared with 11.3% in the control arm (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.84, 95% CI 1.55–5.18; p < 0.001). The intervention also improved 7-day PPA at 3 months (33.1% vs. 15.6%; aOR 2.68, 95% CI 1.56–4.60; p < 0.001), 7-day PPA at 6 months (30.6% vs. 14.4%; aOR 2.62, 95% CI 1.48–4.62; p = 0.001), and 30-day PPA at 6 months (28.1% vs. 11.9%; aOR 2.89, 95% CI 1.59–5.24; p < 0.001). Among baseline dual users, both-product abstinence was higher in the intervention arm (21.9% vs. 7.8%; aOR 3.30, 95% CI 1.12–9.75; p = 0.026). Pharmacotherapy initiation was more frequent in the intervention arm (72.5% vs. 28.1%; p < 0.001), as was self-reported adherence for at least 8 weeks among initiators (56.0% vs. 26.7%; p = 0.002). In the intervention arm, active patient response rates to scheduled WhatsApp^® messages remained substantial, with 88.1% responding at Week 1, 73.8% at Week 4, 67.5% at Month 3, and 61.3% at Month 6; 145 red-flag triggers were captured from 62 participants, and 84.1% of escalations resulted in successful pharmacist follow-up within 48 h. The Dual-Quit Digital model significantly improved smoking-cessation outcomes compared with usual care and proved operationally feasible. These findings support integrating phenotype-stratified pharmacist counselling, pharmacotherapy support, and low-burden digital follow-up as a pragmatic cessation model for Jordan and similar settings. Full article

Construction sectors in developing countries continue to experience disproportionately high fatality rates, largely due to reactive safety practices and the limited adoption of digital safety technologies. While Building Information Modeling (BIM) and the Internet of Things (IoT) offer significant potential for proactive safety management, their integrated application remains underexplored in resource-constrained contexts. This study examines stakeholder readiness to adopt IoT-enhanced BIM-based safety monitoring systems in large-scale infrastructure projects in Pakistan, including China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiatives and the Barakahu Bypass project. An integrated Technology Acceptance Model–Technology–Organization–Environment (TAM–TOE) readiness framework is employed, wherein TAM-derived cognitive-motivational factors (Technology Awareness and Perceived Benefits) and TOE-derived contextual factors (Organizational Readiness and Perceived Barriers) are examined as joint predictors of Behavioral Intention (BI). Data were collected from 107 purposively sampled construction professionals using a structured questionnaire. The results indicate high attitudinal readiness (BI mean = 4.7; perceived benefits mean = 4.6) alongside moderate organizational readiness (mean = 3.4). Regression analysis reveals that perceived benefits (β = 0.42, p < 0.001) and technology awareness (β = 0.29, p = 0.003) are the strongest positive predictors of adoption intention. In contrast, perceived barriers exert a significant negative effect (β = −0.22, p = 0.022). The model explains 61.2% of the variance in behavioral intention. This study advances the literature by providing empirical evidence on stakeholder readiness for BIM–IoT safety adoption within construction management processes, estimated through a multiple regression model. It offers practical implications for policymakers and industry stakeholders seeking to accelerate data-driven decision-making and digital safety transformation in developing economies. Full article

Super apps have emerged as complex digital service ecosystems that integrate multiple heterogeneous services within a unified platform architecture. As artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities become increasingly embedded into these platforms, understanding how AI-enabled features influence user evaluations has become an important research issue. This study develops a new research model by extending the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) framework to examine the determinants of users’ continuance intention toward super apps. Specifically, performance efficacy, service efficiency, and perceived security are conceptualized as stimulus factors. Satisfaction is modeled as the organism variable; and continuance intention represents the behavioral response. In addition, this study conceptualizes AI system capability as a platform-level capability that enables the integration, adaptation, and personalization of heterogeneous services. It examines both its direct effect on user satisfaction and its moderating role in the relationships between functional affordances and satisfaction. Based on survey data collected from 614 super-app users in South Korea, the research model was analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results reveal that performance efficacy and perceived security significantly influence user satisfaction, whereas service efficiency does not have a significant effect. Furthermore, AI system capability not only directly enhances user satisfaction but also strengthens the relationships between functional affordances and satisfaction. A multi-group analysis comparing financial and non-financial super apps shows that these effects vary depending on the service context. These findings contribute to the literature by conceptualizing AI as a system-level capability that both enables and enhances the realization of functional affordances in complex digital ecosystems. Full article

Heritage-led urban redevelopment is increasingly adopted to advance cultural continuity and social vitality; however, its long-term sustainability is often compromised due to the absence of user-oriented assessment methods. Conventional Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) approaches are limited in their ability to capture experiential, social, and participatory dimensions of architectural and urban spaces. This study examines the potential of Virtual Reality (VR) as a participatory POE tool for sustainable heritage redevelopment through the case study of Souq Al Muharraq in Bahrain. A convergent mixed-method approach is employed, integrating immersive VR 360-degree walkthroughs, structured questionnaires, qualitative semi-structured interviews, and expert evaluation. The findings reveal significant discrepancies between design intentions and lived experience, specifically in thermal comfort, circulation, social usability, and informal spatial practices. The study demonstrates that VR supports a user-centered and experiential approach aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 9, 11, and 16. It further proposes a sustainable and cost-efficient framework for architecture and urban projects’ evaluation by enabling early and post-user-centered evaluation of projects to reduce costly revisions and the creation of inclusive, adaptive, and resilient architecture and urban spaces. Full article

Mobile payment systems are widely viewed as a practical lever for sustainable financial inclusion in developing economies, with relevance to UN Sustainable Development Goals 1, 8, and 10. Yet in countries such as Egypt—where mobile penetration exceeds 95% but banking penetration remains below 35%—sustained engagement with these services lags policy expectations, suggesting that determinants beyond technology shape behavior. This study examines the determinants of behavioral intention and continued use of mobile payment among Egyptian users, and tests whether cultural factors dominate conventional technology-acceptance predictors in a collectivist, high-power-distance setting. A structured bilingual (Arabic–English) questionnaire measuring nine predictors across technology, psychological, and socio-cultural dimensions was administered to 200 active mobile-payment users in Egypt during January–February 2025. Hierarchical regression and mediation analysis (with Sobel/delta-method 95% confidence intervals as a robustness check) were used to examine direct effects on Behavioral Intention and continued use, and the mediating role of Behavioral Intention. Cultural Influence emerged as the strongest predictor of Behavioral Intention (β = 0.421, p < 0.001), followed by Facilitating Conditions (β = 0.282, p < 0.001); conventional TAM variables were not statistically significant. Cultural Influence retained a significant direct effect on continued use (β = 0.253, p < 0.01), indicating partial mediation. The findings support culture-sensitive approaches to technology adoption research and inform financial-inclusion policy in non-Western contexts. Limitations include the cross-sectional design and the convenience-based snowball sample of existing users. Full article

Hybrid hydrogen energy storage systems are increasingly considered for renewable integration in rural and weak-grid contexts, yet much of the literature remains simulation-based, site-specific, or insufficiently explicit about control and operational performance. This paper examines a hybrid hydro–PV–battery–hydrogen system operated at the Agkistron Living Lab in Northern Greece and assesses the role of layered storage in renewable surplus valorization and resilience-oriented operation. This study combines a system architecture description, a supervisory energy management strategy based on Hybrid Automata, and analysis of field data under both grid-connected and intentional off-grid conditions. The installation integrates hydropower, photovoltaics, battery storage, alkaline electrolysis, hydrogen storage, and PEMFCs. The results show that during on-grid operation, the EMS prioritizes battery charging and then hydrogen production, enabling high renewable utilization and low curtailment while preparing reserves for outages. During a 48 h intentional islanding event, the battery and hydrogen pathway operated sequentially, achieving an autonomy index of 82%, compared with 36% for the battery-only benchmark. Although the hydrogen pathway showed lower round-trip efficiency than battery-only storage, it substantially extended off-grid autonomy and continuity of supply. The findings support hybrid battery–hydrogen storage as a transferable operating concept for rural systems where renewable surplus and resilience requirements coexist. Full article

Forecasting energy demand is crucial in industry to increase energy use efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Although extensive research has been conducted in this field, it is still challenging for industrial companies to identify suitable methods for forecasting energy demand. Therefore, a new categorisation of energy forecasting models is developed in this paper. This categorisation is based on the available data and not on the methodology, as is usually the case. Thus, the intention is to make it easier to create a forecasting model and to identify the appropriate methodology. It also indicates what is needed to improve the forecast. The focus of this paper is on forecasting energy demand in industrial companies. To facilitate application, a guideline is established. The guideline describes which methodologies can be used based on the available data. The development of the guideline is based on various research projects for which forecasting models are created. The guideline starts with simple forecasting methods and gradually increases in complexity, including examples for each forecasting method. In addition, the methods available for each forecasting category are specified, and references are made to the relevant literature. After the description of the guideline, further explanation is provided on how the created forecasting model can be checked and integrated into a continuous improvement process. Full article

Against the backdrop of the growing emphasis on cultural confidence and the continuous expansion of cultural consumption, how local museums effectively transform local cultural resources into cultural and creative consumption behavior has become an important research issue. Taking the Luoyang Museum as the empirical context, this study integrates Place Attachment Theory (PALT) with the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework to construct a research model of “place attachment–cultural participation–perceived authenticity/experience satisfaction–behavioral intention.” Based on 182 valid samples, Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed for empirical analysis. The results indicate that place attachment significantly and positively influences cultural participation; cultural participation significantly and positively affects experience satisfaction, perceived authenticity, and behavioral intention; experience satisfaction significantly enhances perceived authenticity; and perceived authenticity significantly promotes behavioral intention. Further analysis reveals that cultural participation plays a significant mediating role between place attachment and experience satisfaction, perceived authenticity, and behavioral intention. Perceived authenticity serves as a key mediator between cultural participation, experience satisfaction, and behavioral intention. In addition, multiple serial mediation paths, such as “cultural participation–experience satisfaction–perceived authenticity–behavioral intention,” are found to be significant. The findings demonstrate that place attachment does not directly translate into cultural consumption behavior, but instead operates through cultural participation to activate authenticity perception and experiential evaluation, which in turn influence behavioral intention. This study enriches the application of Place Attachment Theory and the S-O-R framework in the context of museum cultural consumption and provides both theoretical support and practical implications for enhancing the transformation capacity of cultural and creative products in local museums. This study enriches the application of Place Attachment Theory and the S-O-R framework in museum cultural consumption research and provides theoretical support and practical implications for enhancing the transformation capacity of cultural and creative products in local museums, particularly in promoting sustainable cultural consumption. Full article

Introduction: Syphilis is a preventable sexually transmitted infection (STI) with severe health outcomes, yet it is not included in Saudi Arabia’s national premarital and antenatal STI screening programs. This study assessed knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward syphilis in Saudi Arabia and identified predictors of acceptance for including syphilis testing in such programs. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 935 participants aged ≥20 years. Data included sociodemographic characteristics and measures of KAP and screening acceptance. Continuous variables were summarized as medians (IQR) and categorical variables as frequencies and percentages, with bivariate and multivariate logistic regression used to identify predictors of screening acceptance. Results: Knowledge and preventive practices were low, while attitudes were predominantly neutral (median attitude score: 34 IQR 32–38). Although intentions for personal testing were low (17%), support for syphilis testing in premarital (60.8%) and antenatal (48.9%) programs was considerable. Employment in the health sector, older age, and positive attitudes predicted acceptance of screening policies. Knowledge and practice showed a weak correlation (r = 0.14), whereas knowledge and attitude were moderately correlated (r = 0.55). Conclusion: KAP toward syphilis is influenced by specific sociodemographic factors. Although acceptance of screening is high at the policy level, individual-level preventive behaviors remain low. Full article