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PurposeUnderpinned by the consumer-based model of authenticity (CBA), this study aims to investigate whether leisure involvement, object-based and existential authenticity, host sincerity and engagement stimulate positive memorable visitor experiences in a distinctive commercial hospitality setting: a living history site.Design/methodology/approachQuantitative data were gathered from living history site visitors (n= 1,004), with partial least squares structural equation modeling used to test the hypothesized relationships.FindingsThe results confirm the inclusion of the hypothesized relationships between leisure involvement, sincerity and authenticity, relative to engagement and subsequent memorability. The findings suggest that engagement can be a predictor of a positive memorable experience, contingent on CBA constructs (sincerity; object-based authenticity; existential authenticity). The significant association between object-based authenticity and memorable experience identified herein differs from some published studies, while other results are broadly consistent with extant research. Results also reveal significant differences for visitors who purchased souvenirs when compared to those who did not.Research limitations/implicationsThe research extends the CBA by positing sincere hospitality as a relationship-based encounter between host and guest that influences social interaction, engagement and memorability within the novel living history site context. Further, the ability to differentiate visitors based on their purchases at the site is illustrated.Originality/valueGiven the ubiquity of engagement and authenticity as precursors to memorable experiences within contemporary commercial hospitality and heritage discourses, the findings apply to hospitality experiences beyond the living history site context examined herein.

Linguists have been focused on a qualitative comparison of the semantics from different languages. Evaluation of the semantic interpretation among disparate language pairs like English and Tamil is an even more formidable task than for Slavic languages. The concept of word embedding in Natural Language Processing (NLP) has enabled a felicitous opportunity to quantify linguistic semantics. Multi-lingual tasks can be performed by projecting the word embeddings of one language onto the semantic space of the other. This research presents a suite of data-efficient deep learning approaches to deduce the transfer function from the embedding space of English to that of Tamil, deploying three popular embedding algorithms: Word2Vec, GloVe and FastText. A novel evaluation paradigm was devised for the generation of embeddings to assess their effectiveness, using the original embeddings as ground truths. Transferability across other target languages of the proposed model was assessed via pre-trained Word2Vec embeddings from Hindi and Chinese languages. We empirically prove that with a bilingual dictionary of a thousand words and a corresponding small monolingual target (Tamil) corpus, useful embeddings can be generated by transfer learning from a well-trained source (English) embedding. Furthermore, we demonstrate the usability of generated target embeddings in a few NLP use-case tasks, such as text summarization, part-of-speech (POS) tagging, and bilingual dictionary induction (BDI), bearing in mind that those are not the only possible applications.

PurposeEmphasizing the role of residents as destination advocates, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of residents’ familiarity with, and, favorability of attractions on destination image.Design/methodology/approachA mixed methods research strategy was employed using 15 individual in-depth interviews and a survey questionnaire with a sample ofn=364. The study utilizes an attraction familiarity index to classify respondents into four groups based on high, average, and low familiarity and examines the characteristics of each in the relationship between informational familiarity, experiential familiarity, and favorability and destination image.FindingsThe study reveals resident perceptions of attractions within the tourism product assembly framework and illustrates the positive relationship between the residents’ level of familiarity with, and favorability of visitor attractions and destination image. Further, the findings also demonstrate the significant role of demographic characteristics such as gender and length of residency in the area. The study findings suggest that temporary residents can function as destination advocates.Research limitations/implicationsEmployees and students from a prominent northeastern university were sampled, representing local residents and temporary residents respectively. While appropriate and fairly representative of the target market for the research questions in this investigation, more work is required to replicate this study utilizing representative samples across different locations.Practical implicationsEvidence from the study indicates the importance of marketing to residents as they serve as destination advocates. In particular, the residents’ familiarity with and favorability of attractions is critical to positive destination image. The research offers insights into the identification of potential segments of residents that require special attention.Originality/valueLimited existing research investigates the role of residents as destination advocates, especially in the context of destinations that lack a primary tourism attraction but have a well-balanced mix of attractions.

We explore the interplay between social currency (SC) and consumer engagement on social networks. We use text analyses based on both human coding and machine learning asisted sentiment analysis on ...

Aeolian processes produce vast areas of sand and dunes in the arid region and need monitoring since they are encroaching land and degrading infrastructures. In this study, we used the satellite data of ASTER and mineral indices namely quartz index (QI) and carbonate index (CI), and identified and discriminated the sand deposits, dunes, and associated rock formations that occurred in and around the QAFCO site 5/6, Qatar. The mapping of the area using high spatial resolution WorldView-2 satellite data confirmed the presence of sand deposits, dunes, and sand encroachments in the site. Our field studies validated the satellite data results. The grain size analyses of samples showed that the deposits have predominantly sand grains (81.3 to 99.81 %). The XRD analyses of samples identified the presence of quartz, calcite, dolomite, albite, and halite minerals. These are confirmed by geochemical analyses, which showed the high concentration of SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, MgO, Na2O, CO3, SO4, Cl, and B. In addition, the study of sand stabilization by bacteria method to stop the erosion at selected places of the site showed the applicability of the technique. All results allowed us to assess the implications of the deposits and encroachments at the industry site.

The inhibitive effect of an alcoholic extract of a seaweed, namely, Sargassum Muticum, in controlling corrosion of mild steel in 0.5 N HCl has been evaluated by weight loss method (immersion period 1 day) and electrochemical techniques such as polarization study and AC impedance spectra. The protective film has been investigated by AFM and Vickers Hardness test. Weight loss method reveals that 500 ppm of inhibitor offers 99% inhibition efficiency to mild steel immersed in 0.5 N HCl. The adsorption of inhibitor molecules on the metal surface follows Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The R2 value is very high, 0.998. Polarization study reveals that the corrosion potential is slightly shifted to anodic side. It is inferred that the inhibitor solution functions as mixed type corrosion inhibitor. In the presence of the inhibitor, the linear polarization resistance (LPR) increases and the corrosion current decreases. Because of the Blanket effect (formation of a protective film on the metal surface blocking the anodic sites and cathodic), electron transfer from the metal to the bulk of the solution is blocked. AC impedance spectra confirm the formation of a protective film on the metal surface. As the inhibitor concentration increases, the Rct value increases and the double layer capacitance (Cdl) decreases, the impedance increases and the phase angle increases due to the blocking effect on the metal surface. It is found to be a monolayer of protective film. The Vickers hardness of the inhibited metal surface is lower than that of polished metal but higher than that of corroded surface. The average roughness, RMS roughness and maximum peak-to-valley height of inhibited metal surface are lower than those of corroded metal surface but higher than those of polished metal surface. The outcome of the study may be used in pickling industry where HCl is used to remove rust and at the same time metal surface is protected.

Villagers, in the Northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, use large handmade baskets, for the conveyance of their daily needs of household goods and agriculture supplies, uphill and downhill on a regular basis. A low-cost wearable assistive device is developed, to assist the population in the state’s mountainous villages to carry the loaded baskets. This paper explores the load distribution pattern and the effect on the human posture on using the wearable device. The preliminary study findings reveals that utilization of the assistive device ensues in notable improvement in the load distribution pattern on the load-carrier’s torso and on the posture while carrying the loaded baskets.