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Plastics pose a considerable challenge to aquatic ecosystems because of their increasing global usage and non-biodegradable properties. Coastal plastic debris can persist in ecosystems; however, its effects on resident organisms remain unclear. A metagenomic analysis of the isopoda Ligia, collected from clean (Nae-do, ND) and plastic-contaminated sites (Maemul-do, MD) in South Korea, was conducted to clarify the effects of microplastic contamination on the gut microbiota. Ligia gut microbiota's total operational taxonomic units were higher in ND than in MD. Alpha diversity did not differ significantly between the two Ligia gut microbial communities collected from ND and MD, although richness (Observed species) was lower in MD than in ND. Proteobacteria (67.47%, ND; 57.30%, MD) and Bacteroidetes (13.63%, ND; 20.76%, MD) were the most abundant phyla found at both sites. Significant different genera in Ligia from EPS-polluted sites were observed. Functional gene analysis revealed that 19 plastic degradation-related genes, including those encoding hydrogenase, esterase, and carboxylesterase, were present in the gut microbes of Ligia from MD, indicating the potential role of the Ligia gut microbiota in plastic degradation. This study provides the first comparative field evidence of the gut microbiota dynamics of plastic detritus consumers in marine ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The attitude–behavior gap in sustainable product purchasing persists despite prior attempts to address it, thus indicating a need for more research. This study examines contextual factors in sustainable consumption, particularly the sustainability trade-offs (STOs) faced by consumers during product purchases and the impact of conditional morality. We investigate STOs in terms of sustainability type and attribute type and indicate that moral regulation enhances the impact of sustainability trade-offs on purchase intention. Four experiments were conducted with 457 participants in South Korea, focusing on STOs in terms of sustainability type (social vs. environmental) and attribute type (utilitarian vs. hedonic). The findings indicate that attitudes towards sustainability have a positive influence on purchase intention, though sustainability- and attribute-type STOs do not significantly affect this relationship. However, the combination of STOs in environmental sustainability with utilitarian attributes does have a significant impact on the relationship between attitude and purchase intention. Furthermore, while moral regulation mediates this relationship, morality does not have an impact. This research highlights the moderating role of sustainability trade-offs in the relationship between attitudes towards sustainability and purchase intention, underscoring the importance of contextual factors in sustainable product purchasing. Firms can leverage sustainability trade-offs in their marketing strategies, incorporating product features and advertising messages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Service Failure and Recovery (SFR) is a crucial area of service industry due to the inevitability of service failures, yet firms often struggle with executing appropriate strategies. This research aims to identify the pinpoint optimal "moment of truth" adopting consumer forgiveness serves as a mediator of service recovery and customers' overall satisfaction. The study focused on the importance of service providers' communication sentiment during the apology delivery process in order to elicit authenticity from consumers during the recovery process. Data was collected through a survey from 350 individuals of different nationalities, including Chinese and Korean. A scenario-based experiment using self-administered questionnaires was also conducted. The findings indicate that communication sentiment that oriented in warmth have a positive impact on consumers' willingness to forgive, while task-oriented and coldness-oriented styles have a negative effect. Additionally, consumers who are interdependent tend to be more influenced by communication sentiment when it comes to forgiveness. These results can be valuable for service firms to train their personnel and develop effective service recovery strategies that enhance consumer empathy and forgiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]