George Papageorgiou

The 15-minute city (15MC) promotes compact and accessible urban environments where residents can meet their daily needs through active mobility. Research on the 15MC has predominantly used objective assessments, with less attention to residents’ perceptions of the urban environment. Drawing on a questionnaire survey in Bologna and Porto (N = 1438), this study examines how pedestrians prioritize and evaluate walkability determinants and attributes, explores their relationship with walking behavior, and interprets selected attributes through the conceptual framework of the 15MC. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, Mann–Whitney U tests, and Spearman’s rank correlations. The results reveal broadly similar perceptions across both cities, with pedestrian infrastructure and proximity to community facilities receiving the highest evaluations. Through the 15MC lens, these priorities are mainly associated with proximity and connectivity. Respondents from Bologna reported more frequent walking, whereas those from Porto assigned greater importance to urban ambiance and access to other transport modes. Perceived walkability was only weakly associated with walking behavior. The findings provide comparative evidence on perceptions of walkability attributes associated with selected 15MC principles in two European cities, revealing broadly similar priorities alongside differences in the importance assigned to specific attributes.

The aim of this study is to examine how sustainability practices adopted by Lebanese wineries influence tourism development and contribute to broader economic growth. Lebanese wineries have increasingly integrated environmental initiatives into their operations in response to both local and global challenges. Such initiatives include reducing paper waste and transform wine corks into renewable energy, reforestation initiatives, energy-efficient practices, and green architecture. A variety of sustainability practices are implemented by wineries in Lebanon; however, an investigation deems necessary to evaluate their impact. Methodologically, this study employed open-ended exploratory interviews with two groups of stakeholders: (a) winery managers and owners, and (b) tourism stakeholders and community representatives. This approach was necessary in order to investigate how winery practices enhance destination attractiveness, support community development and employment, influence Lebanon’s image as a sustainable tourism hub, and contribute to long-term economic growth while preserving environmental and cultural heritage. The findings of this study are particularly important for winery stakeholders by offering insights into strengthening competitiveness and innovation, while tourism and community stakeholders could gain a deeper understanding of how sustainability-driven wine tourism can create employment, support local economies, and enhance Lebanon’s global tourism profile.

Background and Objectives: Recent research has highlighted the importance of examining risk factors and their complex interrelationships in the development of lower limb injuries. This study aimed to investigate the direct, indirect, and mediating effects of endogenous neuromuscular and psychological risk factors on the incidence of non-contact lower limb injuries in football players. Materials and Methods: A sample of ninety-seven male football players underwent a structured preseason, on-field assessment. Demographic characteristics, injury history, and athlete burnout were collected through standardized questionnaires. Preseason evaluations included assessments of lower limb flexibility; isometric strength assessment of hamstring, hip abductors, and quadriceps using a handheld dynamometer; hamstring and core endurance; and the single-leg triple hop for distance test. All non-contact lower limb injuries were prospectively recorded throughout the competitive season. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method was applied to examine both direct and indirect associations between preseason risk factors and injury incidence. Results: Lower limb strength asymmetries (path coefficient (PC) 0.293, p = 0.004) and previous injuries (PC 0.233, p = 0.015) exhibited the strongest direct effects on the occurrence of new non-contact lower limb injuries. In addition, age acted as a moderating factor, amplifying the effect of lower limb strength asymmetries on injury risk. Moreover, previous injuries demonstrated both direct and indirect effects on neuromuscular characteristics and perceived burnout. Core and hamstring endurance tended to influence new injuries indirectly through strength asymmetries and were significantly affected by hamstring strength (PC 0.248, p = 0.015) and prior injuries (PC −0.207, p = 0.029). Conclusions: Injury prevention strategies should prioritize the improvement of core and hamstring endurance and the reduction in lower limb Strength Asymmetries, particularly among older football players. Furthermore, individualized preventive interventions for athletes with a previous history of injury are strongly recommended.

Against the backdrop of economic recovery and ongoing market restructuring, China’s hotel industry is undergoing a significant shift from being service-based to becoming strategy-driven and competitive. This study aims to identify the key factors driving hotel competitiveness utilizing a multidimensional quantitative perspective. Based on a structured questionnaire survey administered to hotel managers across provinces and cities in China, primary data was collected from a total of 727 valid responses. As such, exploratory factor analysis, comprising 31 ranked items, and multiple regression analysis were performed using SPSS, identifying four dimensions that significantly affect hotel competitiveness: namely, operational characteristics, service quality, customer satisfaction, and competitive performance. The results show that operational characteristics are the primary determinants of hotel competitiveness. Specifically, sustainable development strategy, digital technology adoption, product and service innovation, and pricing strategies were the most significant factors leading to competitive advantage. Unlike previous studies that emphasized service quality and customer satisfaction as the dominant drivers of competitiveness, this study finds that a hotel’s competitive advantage relies heavily on developing strategic operational innovation and resource allocation capabilities. This study’s novelty lies in its use of national empirical data to validate the multidimensional composition and inherent logical relationships for competitive advantage. It also proposes a multidimensional framework for analyzing hotel competitiveness, specifically designed for the developmental characteristics of China’s hotel industry, highlighting the need to transform from a service-oriented to a strategy-driven operational approach. The findings of this paper offer empirical evidence for hotel enterprises to refine management structures, foster innovation, and thereby develop strong capabilities for a sustainable competitive advantage.

We introduce LCMatch, a novel semi-supervised scene classification framework designed to enhance the performance of remote sensing image classification. Our method improves upon the existing FixMatch framework by incorporating a hierarchical structure for pseudo-label generation. The framework consists of three key modules: Hierarchical Cross-Random Combination, Adaptive Weighting Mechanism, and Label Alignment. These modules work synergistically to generate high-quality pseudo-labels, refining model predictions, and adaptively balancing the contributions of labeled and unlabeled data during training. In addition, we conduct extensive experiments on three widely used remote sensing datasets including AID, UCMerced, and NWPU-RESISC45. Results demonstrate that LCMatch outperforms state-of-the-art semi-supervised learning methods in terms of classification accuracy. Specifically, LCMatch exhibits robust performance even with a very limited number of labeled samples, also effectively handling class imbalance and distinguishing challenging categories.

This paper propose a practical field-based screening protocol for evaluating the risk of hamstring injury. This is done by discerning the most important factors that better explain the underlying structure among various measurements. Following a cross-sectional study design, ninety-nine professional and semi-professional football players were assessed at the team’s facilities during the preseason period. The collected data included aspects of demographic characteristics; previous injuries; athlete sense of burnout (Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ)); hamstring (HS) flexibility (passive single leg raise test); isometric hamstring strength (make and brake test); isometric quadriceps strength; single-leg triple hop for distance; endurance of the core muscles (prone bridge, side bridge and Biering–Sørensen tests); and hamstring strength endurance (single leg hamstring bridge test). Subsequently, Exploratory Factor Analysis was performed. Following a summarized dimension reduction process, the twenty-three assessment variables were grouped into a parsimonious model of six main risk factors. Specifically, the resulting model explains 55.7% of the total variance, comprising HS and core endurance (20.2% of the variance), HS strength (12.8%), previous injuries (8.9%), ABQ (5.8%), lower limb strength (4.1%), and strength limb symmetry (3.8%). The proposed model provides a practical protocol, facilitating sports scientists in evaluating the risk for HI in the highly complex reality of field-based situations.

In the context of macroeconomic recovery and accelerating digital transformation in the post-pandemic era, the hotel industry in China is undergoing profound structural changes. This research investigates the core competencies required for hotel managers to navigate these challenges. Data was collected via a quantitative survey involving a structured questionnaire, was conducted among hotel managers in Shanghai, China, resulting in 404 valid responses. Employing exploratory factor analysis using SPSS, this study identifies seven key competency dimensions encompassing 36 ranked items, including interpersonal communication, leadership, operational knowledge, human resource management, financial analysis, technology, and administrative management. The results show that economic recovery has brought new opportunities but also challenges to the hotel industry, and that managers must possess a diverse set of core competencies to adapt to the demanding new market changes. The novelty of this research lies in its empirical grounding and its focus on the intersection of digitalization and economic recovery within China’s hotel industry. It pioneers a dynamic strategic competency framework tailored to the evolving demands of the hotel industry during a period of economic volatility, providing empirical evidence and advice for optimizing the industry’s talent training systems. Simultaneously, it brings a new perspective for dealing with the recovery path for the hotel enterprises in other urban and travel destinations, aiming to promote industry sustainability and competitive advantages. Future research could extend the proposed framework by exploring its applicability across different cultural and economic contexts.

This study investigates the impact of postretirement organizational work on the well‐being and overall quality of life of the elderly population in Cyprus. Specifically, it evaluates the multifaceted effects of continued employment after retirement, based on data collected through a survey administered to a representative sample of elderly Cypriots. The research findings, informed by prominent instruments in the field, demonstrate significant enhancements in autonomy, self‐actualization, and both physical and psychological well‐being for the elderly as a result of continuing to work beyond retirement age. Through inferential statistical analysis, the study identifies several key factors contributing to significant improvements in people’s lives. Particularly, the findings reveal a positive correlation between sustained employment and several aspects of quality of life, challenging conventional views on retirement. These insights hold particular relevance for the Cypriot context and suggest broader implications for policymaking that encourage postretirement employment as a means to enhance well‐being in countries with aging populations. Overall, this paper contributes to the discourse on organizational work, aging, and quality of life by offering evidence‐based policy recommendations for enhancing human self‐actualization and well‐being through sustainable professional engagement.