Using 22,503 observations from the EU Flash Eurobarometer, this study aims to identify three groups of tourists based on their level of sustainable intentions (primarily sustainable, secondarily sustainable, not sustainable), to analyse their differences in relation to individual characteristics and geographical context, and to assess the impact of different definitions of sustainable tourist on the empirical results. The analysis firstly employs a logit model to estimate the probability that a respondent declares sustainable intentions when choosing a destination. Secondly, a Multinomial logit model is applied to predict the characteristics of an individual within a sustainability category, using socio-demographic, cultural, and contextual variables. This classification represents an alternative contribution to mainstream research, highlighting group heterogeneity and the aspects overlooked by aggregate analyses. The results indicate that tourists from Western Europe, women, and older age groups are more likely to consider environmental issues, whereas frequent travellers are less likely to do so.
Background Previous studies assessed the relationship between caregivers' characteristics and caregiver burden. However, comprehensive evaluations of caregivers' behavioral and psychological traits remain comparatively limited. Objective To explore the possible association between the cognitive and behavioral characteristics of caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the burden they experience, with a focus on sex/gender differences. Methods In this multicenter cross-sectional study within the SINdem "Sex and Gender Differences in Dementia" group, informal caregivers of non-institutionalized AD patients attending the Italian Memory Clinics were enrolled. Caregivers completed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Revised Scale for Caregiver Self-Efficacy, 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11, Brief COPE, 14-Item Resilience Scale, Ten-Item Big Five Inventory, Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, Empathy Quotient-Short, and the Caregiver Burden Inventory. Sex was considered as a binary variable (female/male); gender-related dimensions were explored indirectly through caregivers' behavioral and psychological characteristics. Results 238 caregivers and 238 AD patients were enrolled. A higher burden was associated with more daily caregiving hours, lower self-efficacy, greater impulsivity, difficulties identifying feelings, acting without awareness, a stronger tendency to judge, and higher neuroticism. Female caregiver burden was associated with attentional/motor impulsiveness, lower mindfulness, lower resilience, and lower emotional empathy. Male caregivers showed associations with lower self-efficacy, greater reliance on emotion-focused coping, difficulties identifying feelings, lower non-judging, lower agreeableness, and reduced cognitive empathy. Conclusions Caregiver burden was associated with caregivers' own behavioral and psychological profiles and sex, beyond patient-related factors. These findings support the importance of integrating sex/gender perspectives and targeted interventions into caregiver assessment and support.
Coastal environments are integral to metropolitan regions, operating as strategic civic and socio-economic interfaces that underpin tourism, everyday wellbeing, and local economies. Despite their significance, ensuring equitable inclusion in coastal cities remains a persistent challenge. Research on socio-spatial equity has predominantly addressed access to essential urban infrastructures, (such as green spaces, healthcare, and transport networks) while the distributional and procedural fairness of access to coastal spaces has been comparatively under-examined. Italian island cities offer major coastal opportunities, but without intentional equity-oriented planning, existing disparities may deepen and comparative assessments across municipalities are also rare. This study develops a new comparative methodology to evaluate ingress efficiency to coastal enclaves in Cagliari and Catania. Using space syntax (DepthmapX 10), it analyses spatial configuration and the extent to which the built environment controls connections to preferred coastal areas, identifying barriers to socio-spatial parity and quantifying how accessibility can mitigate or amplify inequities. This high level of attention to detail, in its turn, yields quantitative results on how urban infrastructure accessibility is mediated, thereby relieving or enhancing disparities. The paper concludes with practical suggestions and strategic policy-oriented recommendations to foster fairer access to coastal spaces and strengthen social equity in coastal territories.
This scoping review aims to map prospective evidence on the vascular effects of major smoking cessation therapies, including pharmacotherapy, nicotine replacement therapy and exclusive switching to electronic cigarettes, in adult smokers. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science was conducted on December 2, 2025. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental designs and prospective cohort studies reporting quantitative or narrative findings on vascular function following smoking cessation or exclusive electronic cigarette use. Only studies with at least 1 week of follow-up and resting vascular measurements were included. Data were charted using a standardized extraction template and synthesized narratively, consistent with scoping review methodology. Twenty-two prospective studies met the inclusion criteria. Pharmacotherapy-assisted cessation, nicotine replacement therapy and exclusive switching to electronic cigarettes were all associated with improvements in vascular outcomes among participants who fully abstained from combustible cigarettes. Increases in flow-mediated dilation were observed across treatment categories, with several studies reporting measurable gains within the first 3 to 12 months. Reductions in pulse-wave velocity and augmentation index also emerged in most cohorts, although effect sizes varied according to study design, follow-up duration and population characteristics. Evidence from studies on exclusive electronic cigarette use, although limited in number, showed improvements in endothelial function and arterial stiffness comparable to those observed with conventional cessation therapies. Prospective evidence indicates that multiple smoking cessation therapies, including exclusive switching to electronic cigarettes, may be associated with early improvements in vascular function when combustible cigarette exposure is fully eliminated. The evidence base remains constrained by heterogeneity, small sample sizes and short follow-up, particularly within studies on electronic cigarette switching. Larger and long-term prospective studies are needed to clarify the durability and clinical implications of these early vascular changes.
The study responds to the paradigm shift that is taking place within the concept of sustainable tourism development. The so-called "regenerative shift" moves the goals of its development from minimizing impacts on sociocultural-ecological systems (SES) towards the ability of tourism to contribute to the improvement and restoration of SES. Many authors consider it a significant paradigm shift, which they also refer to as a separate line of development outside sustainable tourism. Although there are already relatively solid theoretical frameworks for the concept of regenerative tourism, it has not been sufficiently developed in the area of cultural heritage restoration. This study responds to this gap by applying a regenerative framework to a specific case of a historical building-the wooden church of Sf & acirc;ntul Gheorghe in Prod & abreve;nesti, Romania. The aim of the research is to empirically assess the extent to which the microclimatic and environmental conditions of the building are compatible with the principles of regenerative cultural heritage management and how they affect its physical integrity and usability in the context of local tourism and community needs. Methodologically, the study is based on long-term monitoring of the internal microclimate, which took place between August 2024 and January 2025. The subject of monitoring was the measurement of temperature, relative humidity, particulate matter PM2.5 and PM10, volatile organic compounds, light intensity, acoustic intensity, negative and positive ions. Within the research, biological degradation factors (lichens, microorganisms) were examined, and the research was supplemented by a non-invasive investigation using infrared thermography to capture the momentary condition of the surface temperature and interior painting in the wooden church, which is in a state of significant decay.The results show a significant exceedance of the recommended temperature and relative humidity values, a high dependence of the interior environment on external climatic conditions, and the presence of biological degradation processes that negatively affect the authentic building materials and preserved fragments of interior decoration. It transpires that the physical degradation of the building is not an isolated technical problem, but a manifestation of the broader dynamics of the SES within cultural heritage management. Recommendations include the introduction of continuous microclimatic monitoring, the application of non-invasive conservation measures. The proposals include adaptive management, which combines data-driven decision-making with community participation, and enables flexible responses to the SES dynamics of cultural heritage systems.
