High-end Research Articles

<b>Unveiling Mexican Perspectives on AI Meets Luxury Marketing in Mexico</b>

This study addresses how Artificial Intelligence (AI) redefines luxury marketing by integrating Means-Ends Chain (MEC) theory with Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET)-driven insights. To the best of our knowledge, this study pioneers the identification of specific AI attributes (e.g., Informativeness, Innovation) that drive benefits/means (e.g., Facility, Utility, Safety, Satisfaction, Anxiety) to contribute to the value/ends (e.g., Happiness, Empowerment, Lifestyle). It embeds triangulation to address critiques of ZMET’s interpretive subjectivity by grounding metaphors in MEC’s structured hierarchy. We provide a structured understanding of consumer decision-making pathways regarding AI in luxury marketing by Hierarchical Value Maps (HVMs). Further, our follow-up study aims to examine gender differences in consumer value mechanisms by leveraging ZMET to reveal subconscious cognitive structures.

Fake Product Detection in E-Commerce Platforms Using Block-Chain Technology

The growing presence of counterfeit products on e-commerce platforms is a major concern, causing significant financial losses for businesses and eroding consumer trust. Fake goods not only tarnish a brand’s reputation but can also put consumer safety at risk, especially in critical industries like pharmaceuticals, electronics, and luxury items. To tackle this issue, there is a pressing need for a transparent and reliable system that can verify product authenticity and build stronger trust between buyers and sellers. By using smart contracts, products are registered on a decentralized network, each assigned a unique digital identity. A QR code-based system is then used, allowing consumers to easily verify a product’s authenticity before purchase. However, challenges such as scalability, interoperability between different systems, and the high costs of implementation still need to be addressed.

Patents vs. Patients: Prioritizing Equitable Access Over Intellectual Property Rights

Health is the foundation of human well-being and the cornerstone of a thriving society. Good health is not merely a privilege—it is a fundamental right that underpins all other rights and freedoms. However, this right is increasingly jeopardized by patents and profit-driven pharmaceutical policies. Life-saving medications, restricted by patents and monopolies, are often accessible only to those who can afford their exorbitant prices. Intellectual property (IP) protections, initially intended to drive innovation, have instead turned life-saving drugs into luxury products, priced out of reach for the average person. Ensuring equitable access to pharmaceuticals is key to addressing deep-rooted inequalities and reducing preventable suffering. This paper explores the current public health crisis, examines the impact of intellectual property rights, and highlights the urgent need for reform, ultimately advocating for a healthcare system that prioritizes people over profit.

Changes in Family Medicine Certification Examination Performance in Longitudinal Assessment.

The Family Medicine Certification Longitudinal Assessment (FMCLA) is an open book spaced alternative to the traditional 1-day Family Medicine Certification Examination (FMCE). We studied whether FMCLA improves test scores beyond predicted scores. We used American Board of Family Medicine data from 2008 to 2023, with scores reported on a scale from 200 to 800. We built a predictive model of FMCE performance using linear regression with the 2008 exam cohort. We then applied that model to the 2009 to 2011 cohorts, who could opt for FMCLA beginning in 2019, controlling for choice of exam mode using an inverse probability weight for selecting FMCE. Our final sample sizes were 9699 for the FMCE predictive model and 12,851 for the FMCLA versus FMCE analysis. Physicians who opted for FMCLA were more likely to be younger, female, US medical graduates, and have lower prior FMCE scores. Adjusted analyses controlling for propensity to select FMCE revealed that FMCLA was associated with an increase of 39 points (95% CI 36.2-42.0) over predicted score with physicians on the high end scoring 100 more points than predicted, while physicians predicted to fail did worse. Modality of exam had no impact near the passing score. FMCLA was associated with gains in scores over a 1-day exam. This supports cognitive psychology principles such as spaced repetition and immediate feedback that can strengthen long-term knowledge retention. There was little impact of exam delivery method on scores near the passing score, which suggests that important functions of assessing knowledge can be retained in longitudinal assessment.

Fostering second-hand luxury purchases through social media influencers: insights from young adults in Taiwan

Purpose Based on signaling theory, this study aims to examine the impact of three influencer-related attributes (i.e. credibility, homophily and popularity) on consumers’ emotional responses (i.e. pride and hope) and their intention to buy second-hand luxury (SHL) goods. Design/methodology/approach With the data obtained from 409 young YouTube users in Taiwan, the proposed hypotheses were examined using partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). Findings The PLS-SEM results showed that influencer-related attributes significantly trigger consumer pride and hope, which in turn stimulate their purchase intention toward SHL products. The fsQCA results supplemented the PLS-SEM findings, indicating four configurations boosting purchase intention. Originality/value Although scholars are increasingly interested in SHL goods due to their eco-friendly appeal, there remains an untapped opportunity to harness the potential of social media influencers in driving consumer purchases within this realm. The findings enrich the literature on influencer marketing and SHL purchases and offer practical implications for brands and advertisers in creating impactful influencer marketing strategies to influence consumers’ purchase behavior and foster a culture of sustainable consumption.

Testing commonly used background removal procedures for XPS quantitation of homogeneous material: Fe2O3, a transition metal oxide example

We have examined, for Fe2O3, the three commonly used background removal procedures: Shirley (iterated), S; Tougaard (a modified U2 version), T; and Linear, L, for the Fe2p and O1s spectra. The high BE end point, which is where it is assumed that there is no further intrinsic signal contribution, is most important. It is quite easy, but arbitrary, to adjust the Fe2p and O1s end points to return an “expected” answer for Fe2O3, 40% atomic Fe, while assuming 100% accuracy for cross sections and for inelastic mean free path length parameters for Fe2p and O1s. This further assumes (a) that the transmission function of the instrument is accurate and (b) that O1s intensity from surface OH is accounted for correctly. We determine the variation in the composition with the variation in the end point used. Ideally, one should include all observable substructures, while keeping the eV range similar for Fe2p and O1s. T and S then give quite similar compositions, despite the fact that T removes far less intensity. The reason is clear. The scattered electron backgrounds are proportional to the photoemission signals generating them, so provided the same procedure over the same eV range is used for both Fe2p and O1s, the functional form of the subtraction is of lesser importance. Owing to this, it may even be acceptable to use a method ratioing total intensities, signal plus background. Absolute compositional accuracy is not the primary subject of this paper, but we do address this in the discussion.

Assessing the Suitability of social media as a Marketing Tool for Luxury Non-Consumable Products in Small Businesses

This study investigates the use of Instagram and, Facebook by Indian small luxury brands for building brands and customer loyalty, with tight marketing budgets, on non-consumables like jewelry, watches, and furniture. Using a Mixed Methods design, the study used primary content analysis of engagement rates, qualitative sentiment analysis, and a consumer survey to represent primary consumer sentiment, with 16 small brand accounts analyzed. Conversion rate baselines were derived from secondary industry reports. Findings suggest that Instagram is most suited to provide high average engagement and is thus best for visual storytelling and community-building, with Facebook providing a little more conversion potential due to its targeting functionality. Consumer survey findings suggest that strategies like influencer collaboration, user-generated content, and flash sales drive engagement significantly, as supported by content analysis results. Challenges, however, include tight budgets, poor visibility, and difficulties in ROI measurement. Through showing how small brands can create brand loyalty and identity in the digital era, this study contributes to the nascent discipline of digital luxury marketing, with low-budget, platform-specific solutions for practitioners

Webrooming in the Luxury Market: Role of Consumer Traits, Channel-Related Factors and Shopping Motivations

Webrooming in the Luxury Market: Role of Consumer Traits, Channel-Related Factors and Shopping Motivations

Low versus high positive end expiratory pressure in noninvasive ventilation for hypoxemic respiratory failure: a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

To assess whether high positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) reduces the rate of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) failure in hypoxemic patients. This multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial was conducted across seven ICUs in China. Hypoxemic patients who received NIV via oronasal or nasal mask were randomized 1:1 to either low PEEP (5 cmH2O) or high PEEP (10-15 cmH2O) groups, with inspiratory positive airway pressure (IPAP) set at 10-20 cmH2O and 15-20 cmH2O, respectively. The primary outcome was NIV failure, defined as intubation, death, or therapy withdrawal (refusal of intubation despite need). Between January 11, 2022, and August 31, 2024, 380 patients (190 per group) were enrolled in an intention-to-treat analysis. NIV failure occurred in 43% (82/190) of the low PEEP group and 32% (61/190) of the high PEEP group (absolute difference: 11.1%, 95% CI 1.3-20.5%, p = 0.034). Within 72h post-randomization, the low PEEP group exhibited lower PaO2/FiO2 ratios (mean difference: - 31mmHg, 95% CI - 38 to - 24) and higher tidal volume (0.8mL/kg predicted body weight, 95% CI 0.5-1.1) than the high PEEP group. However, the low PEEP group required higher support pressure (mean difference: 2.9 cmH2O, 95% CI 2.7-3.1). Adverse events did not differ between the groups. High PEEP during NIV may reduce treatment failure in patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, although this benefit may be partially confounded by higher tidal volume observed in the low PEEP group. However, the interpretation of this effect should be carried out with caution as the study has insufficient statistical power to detect a significant difference.

A Little Lipstick Never Hurts: How Luxury Cosmetics Influence Self-Esteem in Older Adults

Luxury cosmetics consumption has grown significantly, alongside an increasing older population, highlighting the need to explore well-being in older age. This study investigates the impact of luxury cosmetics use on self-esteem, subjective well-being and quality of life among older people and identifies distinct usage profiles. A total of 312 older people ( M = 67.9 ± 6.5 years) participated in this study. Linear regression analysis revealed a low but statistically significant influence of luxury cosmetics use on the three variables. Cluster analysis identified: (1) Lifelong Luxury Enthusiasts , with high levels of luxury cosmetics usage, self-esteem, subjective well-being, and quality of life; (2) Aging Pragmatists, with low levels in all variables; and (3) Older Balanced Indulgers , with low luxury cosmetics engagement but moderate levels of self-esteem, subjective well-being, and quality of life. Future research should explore longitudinal changes in luxury consumption and assess the effects of different engagement levels with luxury products on aging.

Perceived Luxury Value dan Pengaruhnya Terhadap Minat Beli Pada Restoran Mewah di Banjarmasin Kalimantan Selatan

Restaurants play a role as food providers for the community to fulfil basic human needs. The number of middle to upper class restaurants is also increasing, making companies have to focus on increasing the value of their products. Perceived luxury value is a concept that is an adaptation of customer perceived value. This study aims to determine the effect of functional value, hedonic value, financial value and social influence on purchase intention in luxury restaurants Banjarmasin. The sampling method is non-probability sampling, because the number of luxury restaurant consumers is unknown. The sampling technique was purposive sampling, with 140 respondents. Data analysis using the Structural Equation Model (SEM) method with SMARTPLS 4. Functional value and hedonic value have no significant effect on purchase intention. Meanwhile, financial value and social influence have a significant influence on consumer buying interest in Banjarmasin luxury restaurants. Future research can conduct research on luxury restaurants, especially in other areas, conduct research on other luxury services, and increase the number of respondents.

Potential for machine learning emulators to augment regional climate simulations in provision of local climate change information

Abstract High-resolution regional climate simulations provide detailed information on future climate change to support decision making. Ensembles of simulations, including at km-scale resolution, are becoming available from international coordinated initiatives, but these do not effectively sample the full range of uncertainties. Machine learning (ML) has already been used for statistical downscaling, but has the potential to augment high-resolution simulations, via emulators, enabling rapid production of local climate information at a fraction of the cost. Here we explore skill in ML-based emulators sampling a range of architectures and identify remaining scientific issues that need to be addressed before such emulators can be considered ready for application in climate services. This includes the ability to capture extremes, produce coherent multivariate predictions, account for memory in the climate system, and robustly downscale other (out-of-sample) global climate models. Climate expertise needs to be integrated into the development and evaluation of ML emulators, and here we provide recommendations on validation methods. If skillful, ML emulation has implications for how we coordinate and perform regional climate simulations. We should focus on running at the highest resolution and greatest earth system complexity affordable, to give the best representation of processes at the local scale, for subsequent training of ML emulators. Emphasis should be on sampling the full range of conditions, including high end scenarios. Overall, ML has promise to augment our production of regional-to-local climate projection information over the next 5-10 years and as a climate community we need to come together to address the relevant scientific issues.

When Luxury Loses Its Luster: How Democratization Affects Traditional Luxury Consumers

ABSTRACTLuxury brands have traditionally embodied exclusivity and status, yet increasing accessibility is transforming consumers' perceptions. This trend, driven by the rapid democratization of luxury goods, is causing a paradigm shift in how traditional luxury consumers ascribe value to luxury brands. While these strategies may boost short‐term sales, they risk eroding brand positioning and alienating core consumers. Will traditional luxury consumers wear democratized brands with pride as accessibility and availability increase? Will they continue purchasing democratized luxury used by lower‐status consumers? Guided by network effects theory, we show across four mixed‐methods studies that democratization reduces purchase intentions—particularly when low‐status consumers adopt the brand—and increases abandonment intentions. This study advances luxury branding literature by identifying democratization as a novel negative network externality influencing luxury consumption. We reveal consumer's pride of ownership as a psychological mediator which diminishes when democratization erodes exclusivity. Further, we establish boundary conditions by revealing how status‐based consumption and rarity principles influence consumer responses and can moderate democratization's effects on purchase and abandonment intentions. Managerially, our findings will help brands to counteract democratization's potential risks through status and rarity‐driven campaigns, such as scarcity‐based strategies, limited editions or premium‐tier differentiation.

Analysis of Prabowo's Speech in the Dynamics of the 12 Percent VAT Policy

The 12 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) policy announced by President Prabowo in his speech on December 31, 2024, represents a strategic issue reflecting the government’s commitment to fostering economic justice. This study aims to analyze the deliberative rhetoric employed by President Prabowo to rationalize the VAT policy, particularly regarding its alignment with the interests of the lower-income population. The research utilizes a qualitative scientific approach (Moleong, 2021), with Aristotle’s rhetorical theory as the analytical framework. Deliberative rhetoric, which focuses on future-oriented persuasion to encourage specific actions or avoid them, is applied to understand the communication strategies used in the speech. The findings reveal that President Prabowo effectively integrates the rhetorical elements of ethos, pathos, and logos to build public trust, mitigate resistance, and promote an equitable policy. The VAT policy is targeted at luxury goods and services, while essential goods remain tax-free. This approach underscores the government’s prioritization of the lower-income population and its positive impact on income redistribution through fiscal policy. Further analysis demonstrates that the deliberative rhetoric used has the potential to create positive public perceptions of the policy, provided its implementation is consistent and transparent. This study contributes to the discourse on political rhetoric and fiscal policy by highlighting the importance of strategic communication in garnering public support for government initiatives

Research on High-End Watch Consumption Behavior from the Perspective of Mental Accounting Theory

As an important part of the luxury market, the psychological mechanism behind the consumption behavior of high-end watches has become a hot topic in the academia and the industry. This study investigates the fundamental concepts, characteristics, and developmental trajectory of mental accounting theory, the current status, trends, and consumer profiles of the luxury watch market, and the specific applications of mental accounting theory in luxury watch consumption behavior. The findings of this paper indicate that the source of funds, intended use, and emotional value within mental accounts significantly influence consumers' purchasing decisions, with notable differences in the structure of mental accounts across various income groups. At the same time, it is found that brand loyalty is positively correlated with consumer satisfaction, in which brand culture plays a key role. This study will help to deeply understand the psychological mechanism of consumers when buying high-end watches, and provide theoretical support for the formulation of market strategies and consumer behavior prediction of luxury brands.

Study of barred galaxies in IllustrisTNG100: the case of low surface brightness galaxies

ABSTRACT In this work, we compare the presence of stellar bars in low and high surface brightness galaxies (LSBs and HSBs, respectively) using the TNG100 simulation of the IllustrisTNG project. The sample consists of 4244 disc galaxies at $z=0$ with stellar mass M$\star \ge 10^{10}$ M$\odot$. We find a bar fraction of $24 \pm 1.73~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ in LSBs, similar to the $28 \pm 0.74~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ found in HSBs, consistent with observations. For a given stellar mass range, HSBs consistently exhibit a higher bar fraction compared to LSBs, except at M$\star > 10^{11}$ M$\odot$, where the difference vanishes. To explore the origin of this trend and its relation to host galaxy properties, we construct several control samples matched in stellar mass, spin, gas mass fraction, and bulge-to-total mass ratio. For galaxies with M$\star {<}10^{11}$ M$\odot$, the lower bar fraction in LSBs appears to be associated with their higher spin and gas content – factors known to inhibit bar formation and growth. At the high mass end, only the bulge-to-total mass ratio is capable of enhancing the bar fraction difference, although its effect is limited. We also study the role of the local environment through the tidal parameter. Our results suggest that, unlike in HSBs, where the bar fraction remains largely unaffected, tidal interactions may promote bar formation in LSBs, albeit with a smaller impact than the intrinsic physical properties. These findings provide insight into the physical conditions that shape the presence of bars in LSBs.

Does anthropomorphism devalue luxury? The impact of anthropomorphism on consumers’ evaluations of luxury products

Does anthropomorphism devalue luxury? The impact of anthropomorphism on consumers’ evaluations of luxury products

Exploring the Relationship Between Female Conspicuous Consumption and Mating Goals

ABSTRACTThis study explores the relationship between female conspicuous consumption behaviors and mating goals (i.e., mate attraction or mate guarding) from an evolutionary psychology perspective as well as male response and attitude toward these behaviors. Study 1 demonstrates that females with high power are more likely to engage in conspicuous consumption under mate‐guarding conditions, whereas those with low power are more inclined to do so under mate‐attraction conditions. Study 2 reveals that males associate females who prefer luxury brands with higher financial expectations from their partners and that conspicuous consumption may deter males' affiliative behaviors. Additionally, males tend to perceive females as more authentic when their conspicuous consumption aligns with their level of power, enhancing their perceptions of physical attractiveness and eliciting more positive reactions. Conversely, if there is a discrepancy between female power and consumption behavior, males respond negatively. These insights not only contribute to the fields of evolutionary and consumer psychology by illustrating how consumer behaviors can be interpreted through the lens of human mating strategies but also inform marketing strategies. The current research suggests that understanding the underlying motivations for consumer preferences for luxury goods can lead to more effective marketing approaches and open new avenues for research on the evolutionary psychology of human mating.

Blockchain transparency in reducing second-hand luxury shopping uncertainty and the role of price consciousness

This study explores consumer behavior and decision-making in the context of blockchain technology (BT) adoption within the second-hand luxury market. Specifically, it investigates how BT can reduce uncertainty and enhance transparency in second-hand luxury transactions based on a mental accounting theory approach. A partial least squares structural equation modeling analysis (N = 511) was conducted, focusing on consumers’ perceived quality of traceable information obtained through BT (i.e., product diagnosticity, informativeness, and trustworthiness) and their perceived risks in second-hand luxury online shopping (i.e., financial risk, social risk, time risk, contamination risk, performance risk). The findings confirm that the perceived quality of traceable information enhances blockchain transparency, reducing uncertainty in online second-hand luxury shopping. This leads consumers to perceive BT-enabled platforms as valuable, increasing their intention to adopt them. The study also examines the moderating effect of price consciousness on consumer perceptions of BT and decision-making. The results of the multi-group analysis confirm that consumers with lower price consciousness are more influenced by the diagnosticity provided by BT in terms of product transparency, while for consumers with higher price consciousness, trustworthiness emerges as a more significant factor. This research offers insights into the application of blockchain technology in the second-hand luxury market, particularly in enhancing transparency and consumer trust. It emphasizes the importance of retail strategies that communicate the advantages of BT and alleviate consumer risks associated with the online second-hand luxury market while recognizing consumers' varying levels of price consciousness.

ProThinNet23: A Hybrid Deep Learning Model to Detect Diseases in Potato, Tomato and Pepper

Potato, tomato, and pepper are the solanaceous crops widely used across the world. These crops are rich source of vitamins, minerals, and fibers. However, many losses occur due to different diseases found in these crops. It is the need of hour to detect these diseases at early stages so that crop losses can be reduced. Conventional methods such as classification models of machine learning do not extract features from its own. On the other hand, deep learning methods are costly in terms of implementation as they require high end computational resources. In the proposed work, integration of both the techniques (machine learning and deep learning) is done. The architecture provided in this article is for a modified version of the ResNet-like neural network in conjunction with optimized Random Forest. The model is trained and tested on Plant Village Dataset consisting of healthy and diseased images of potato, tomato and pepper. This network aims to provide a lightweight yet effective convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture for the classification of images into different categories. The novelty of proposed hybrid model ‘ProThinNet23’ lies in its ability to provide effective feature extraction and classification while maintaining a relatively small number of parameters. This makes it suitable for scenarios where computational resources are limited, such as on edge devices or mobile applications. The proposed model strikes a balance between model size and performance, providing an alternative to more heavyweight architectures like ResNet50 or VGG16.