Visual Attractiveness Research Articles

The Significance of Nanoparticles in Plant Tolerance to Abiotic Stress in Horticulture Crops: A Review

Not only are horticultural crops necessary for human sustenance, but they also enhance the aesthetic appeal of our surroundings. They provide a wealth of essential nutrients in addition to visual attractiveness. However, abiotic factors such as heat, drought, nutrient deficits, and heavy metal stress pose several obstacles to these crops, severely impeding their development and output. Many approaches have been used to address these issues, such as genetic alterations to increase stress resistance. Several industry applications, including agricultural ones. Nanotechnology offers novel solutions in the field of agriculture, including the remediation of soil and water, plant protection at the nanoscale, and the application of nano-nutrition to crops. In order to ensure sustained success in horticulture crops that face a range of environmental problems, these applications are essential. Nevertheless, there is still much to learn about the specific ways in which nanoparticles interact with plants, even in spite of the fact that their use in a wide range of applications is growing. This offers agriculture a successful and sustainable future.

Charity ugliness premium: Donors' empathy for unattractiveness during the COVID‐19 pandemic and implications for charity advertising

AbstractMarketers and policymakers use advertising visuals to motivate prosocial behavior, whereby visual attractiveness influences people's empathy and thus their prosocial decisions. In the charity context, various donor‐related factors, including external circumstances and environments in which donors find themselves, can determine the impact of visual attractiveness. In two studies, this research investigates how and why donors responded to attractive/unattractive charitable images during the universal hardship of the COVID‐19 pandemic. In the first study, field data from a charity platform reveal how visual aesthetics affected donations before and during the pandemic. In the second study, a laboratory experiment examines empathy as a mediator of the relationship between visual attractiveness and charitable purchase intentions before and during the pandemic. During the pandemic, unattractive visuals generated significantly greater empathy than attractive visuals, and empathy drove donations and purchase intentions for charitable goods. That is, the “ugliness premium” dominated the “beauty premium” during the pandemic. Our findings that natural disasters or crises moderate observers' preferences for visual attractiveness or unattractiveness offer meaningful insights for applying visual aesthetics to charity advertising designs.

The evaluation of eye-catching effect in freeway tunnel entrance zone based on fixation behavior characteristics

Objective The visual attraction of the freeway tunnel entrance zone will affect the driver’s visual performance and visual workload, and then affect the driving safety. The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of different visual attraction conditions in the entrance zone of the freeway tunnel on driver’s fixation behavior, and then evaluate the impact of eye-catching effect on driving safety. Methods Thirty-five participants were recruited for the naturalistic driving experiment. Four different visually attractive driving scenarios (baseline, landscape-style architecture, tip slogan, and billboard) were selected. Participants’ fixation behavior data were collected using an eye-tracking device. The effects of the visual attraction conditions in the freeway tunnel entrance zones were analyzed on driver fixation duration, number of fixations, fixation deviation, and pupil diameter. Results The results demonstrated significant effects of different visual attractions in the entrance zone of the freeway tunnel on drivers’ fixation behavior. Under the visual attraction of the billboard, drivers exhibited the most number of fixations. And under the visual attraction of tip slogan, drivers had the longest average fixation duration, the smallest horizontal fixation deviation, the largest vertical fixation deviation, and the highest pupil diameter and its coefficient of variation. Conclusions It can be concluded that different visual attractions in the freeway tunnel entrance zone have different effects on the eye-catching effect of drivers, by influencing the fixation behavior characteristics of drivers. Billboard is most effective in capturing drivers’ visual attention, and tip slogan requires greater attention allocation and visual cognitive effort from drivers, resulting in the highest visual cognitive workload. This study highlights the complex relationship between visual attraction and its performance on driver fixation behavior. The insights from this study can provide valuable references for the design and optimization of the visual environment in the entrance zone of freeway tunnels.

Effects of forest spatial types, element compositions and forest stands on restorative potential and aesthetic preference

IntroductionAs global urbanization intensifies, the physical and mental stressors of modern life have led to the growing prevalence of suboptimal health conditions. Spending time in a forest benefits human health and well-being. In this context, based on the forest spatial types (forest interior and forest edge spaces), landscape elements (architecture, water and roads) and forest stands (coniferous, broadleaf and bamboo forests), this study investigated the effects of different forest spatial landscape characteristics on the restorative potential for college students, aesthetic preference and eye movement behavior (total fixation duration and fixation count).MethodsIn this study, a total of 60 subjects were exposed to 42 photographs depicting typical forest landscapes acquired through field studies. The Short-version Revised Restoration and Preference Scale and eye-tracking technology, were employed to study the recovery efficiency and visual attraction of forest spatial of different forest spatial types, element compositions and forest stands.Results(1) The restorative potential and aesthetic preference score of forest edge spaces were significantly higher than those of forest interior spaces. (2) The restorative potential of bamboo forests was significantly higher than those of coniferous and broadleaf forests. (3) In terms of forest interior space, the restorative potential of “forest + 1 element” composition and “forest + 2 elements” composition was significantly higher than that of pure forest, and the restorative potential of interior space of bamboo forest was significantly higher than those of coniferous and broadleaf forests. (4) In terms of forest edge space, the restorative potential of “forest + 2 elements” composition was significantly higher than that of pure forest, and the restorative potential of pure forests was significantly higher than that of the “forest + 1 element” composition. (5) The restorative potential of forest spatial landscape characteristics positively correlated with aesthetic preference and negatively correlated with total fixation duration and fixation count. These results can provide a reference for future forest landscape research, construction and management.

The Influence of Scar Patterns After Reduction Mammoplasty on Eye Movement and Gaze Pattern: An Eye-Tracking Investigation

BackgroundGiven that scars are acknowledged as the primary cause of postoperative dissatisfaction following reduction mammoplasty, it is imperative to comprehend the patient’s visual perception of different scar patterns in order to enhance patient satisfaction. To achieve this, eye-tracking technology provides an unbiased method of evaluating how observers assess breast scars.Methods58 participants (32 females and 26 males) between the ages of 19 and 82 years (mean age of 29.47 ± 10.98 years) were shown 18 color photographs, taken at 3 viewing angles (right 45° oblique, frontal and frontal view with arms raised), from 6 patients undergone reduction mammoplasty with the inverted T-scar technique (3 patients) or no-vertical-scar technique (3 patients). The images were presented to every participant for a fixed duration of 5 s each. Eye-tracking device was used to collect and analyze the gaze data of viewers.ResultsThe nipple-areola complex (NAC) and the periareolar scar captured observers’ gaze faster, had longer duration and more count of eye fixation than all other parts of breast scars, regardless of the viewing angle and scar pattern. Moreover, the scar region in the inverted T-scar pattern received greater and faster visual attraction of observer’s gaze than the no-vertical-scar pattern.ConclusionThe NAC and the periareolar scar seem to be perceived as the most important regions for breast aesthetics. The findings can be helpful to assist plastic surgeons in determining the most appropriate technique for reduction mammoplasty, meanwhile underlining the importance of a fine periareolar scar and symmetric NAC for excellent aesthetic outcomes.This is to our best knowledge the first study using eye-tracking technology in evaluating reduction mammoplasty outcomes.This study explored the influence of different scar patterns after reduction mammoplasty on eye movements and gaze patterns among observers.The study have validated the significance of the NAC and the periareolar scar for breast aesthetics and revealed that the scar region in the inverted T-scar pattern may be judged less visually attractive than the no-vertical-scar pattern.Level of Evidence VThis journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.

Stylistic Feature of Aref Chahabi’s Lyric Poetry

The current study aims to investigate the linguistic, rhetorical, and ideological aspects of Aref Chahabi's lyric poetry in order to determine its stylistic features. The goal is to pinpoint the most important tactics used to mould the style inside these levels. Aref has creatively used English sounds in the phonetic layer to create musical proportions that are relevant to poetry themes. Aref has also thoughtfully created a unified environment and area to effectively communicate the material through the repetition of vowels and consonants. The person has used a linguistic vocabulary in the lexicon layer, which is primarily made up of identical, frequently occurring terms that are objective in character. With the help of this lexicon's useful correlations with certain meanings and senses, a variety of events and places can be vividly portrayed. Aref's lyric poems hemistiches and verses exhibit a variety of syntactic forms. Generally speaking, the verb comes before other elements of the phrase. This feature of his lyric poetry can be recognized as an important grammatical feature. The poet uses a lot of verbs in the informative mode, which suggests that he is examining his ideas with determination and assertiveness. Sentences with a high percentage of active grammatical voice convey energy, vigour, and a proactive attitude towards being creative and productive in society.
 The writer has utilized rhetorical devices such as figures of speech and metaphors to create striking poetic imagery, bolster the persuasiveness of their arguments, and elicit dramatic situations within their discourse. The author's lyric poems display a wealth of creative and metaphorical phrases that work to communicate the author's higher concepts and ideas, the visual attractiveness of their perspective, and the sophisticated quality of their imagination as they explore the world of meanings and experiences.

How do forest visitors perceive forest management forms? Public acceptance of coppice-with-standards in urban forests

To mitigate climate change consequences, a shift to more renewable energy sources is necessary. The traditional forest management form coppice-with-standards features efficient harvesting cycles and could therefore provide a reliant biomass source. Particularly forests close to urban settlements are popular destinations for outdoor recreation. Therefore, for a well-functioning interaction between recreation and forest management, forest visitors' preferences need to be considered. Even though, coppice-with-standards have been studied scientifically from various points of view, including its cultural and ecological values, little focus was put on the perceived visual attractiveness of this management form. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how forest visitors perceive different forest management forms with a focus on coppice-with-standards in the case study area in Zurich, Switzerland by performing qualitative Go-Along interviews and a quantitative forest visitor survey. The statistical analysis revealed that forest visitors have divided opinions on this management form and prefer even-aged high forest as well as continuous forest management. Therefore, in case of an increasing use of coppice-with-standards management for biomass production, implementation in recreational forests needs to be weighed against less frequently visited areas. However, addressing the visitors with well-targeted communication strategies could result in increased understanding and acceptance and could therefore support the implementation process also in recreational forests.

Urban river restoration in Hong Kong: Assessment, impact, and improvement strategies

River restoration or improvement is widely practiced in cities around the world to promote sustainable urban development. However, post-project evaluation is not commonly performed, and even less evaluated is the social impacts of river restoration. Based on three recently restored river channels in Hong Kong, this study evaluated water quality, biodiversity, and societal perceptions of such projects. Focus was placed on perceptions, assessments, and improvement suggestions from 295 surveyed and interviewed respondents. Results show that the effects of river restoration on water quality were mixed—depending on restoration techniques and site conditions. Restored river sections generally had higher biodiversity as compared to unrestored ones. The restored river sections positively influenced the respondents’ visiting behaviors. The respondents at low-density sites generally reported more positive perceptions and higher ratings on the restoration projects than those at the population-density site. Data analysis shows that respondents’ emotional quality was significantly and positively related to biodiversity, visual attractiveness, air freshness, and auditory environment of the sites. The respondents also provided valuable recommendations on the importance of factors to be considered in the planning and design of river restoration, desired facilities, and decision process. The findings and recommendations are expected to help improve future river restoration in compact cities.

The Intertwining Effect of Visual Perception of the Reusable Packaging and Type of Logo Simplification on Consumers’ Sustainable Awareness

The COVID-19 pandemic started toward the end of 2019 and social distancing requirements imposed worldwide led to the rapid growth of online shopping, adversely impacted the global efforts for environmental protection. This study examines packaging and logos as stimuli to explore visual attention and attraction, arousal, and environmental awareness using eye tracking and a survey questionnaire. The results suggest that reusable packaging can enhance both attention and attraction. As a result, through the comprehensive data of the eye tracker, it was found that the reusable packaging and monotone logo can attract consumers’ attention faster than the original packaging. Post-event independent sample t-tests should prove that reusable packaging can positively impact consumers.

Sensory evaluation of sweet cherries for sustainable fruit production in the European market

The competitiveness of fresh fruit in the modern market substantially depends on sensory quality indicators. Sweet cherries are a top fruit that is highly valued by consumers due to their taste and visual attractiveness. For the growing demand for fruits on the European market, it is important to examine the sensory properties of cherry fruits in combination with their weight and diameter. The purpose of the study was to substantiate sensory indicators for examining the quality of cherry fruits of different maturation periods and selecting the most competitive varieties for the sustainable provision of fresh fruit in accordance with the requirements of the modern market. In the course of the study, the following methods were used: field, laboratory, and comparative. Determination of the mass, diameter, and sensory assessment of fruits was conducted on 33 varieties of sweet cherries. Experts conducted rating tests on a 9-point scale on ten fruit samples of the examined varieties. Fruits were evaluated by their appearance, aroma, taste, and texture. At the final stage of the assessment, experts calculated the average value of sensory indicators. A sensory profile was set for the fruits of each cherry variety and assigned a score based on the following descriptors: colour intensity, taste, pulp hardness and juiciness, and skin density. The standard methodology for evaluating the sensory properties of fresh fruits has been improved. The average weight (8.41 g) and diameter (22.63 mm) of sweet cherry fruits for three ripening groups were determined. Varieties (Kazka, Dilema, and Udivitiel’na) with the largest mass and diameter of fruits are identified. According to the complex of sensory indicators, the varieties Kazka, Vynka, and Krupnoplidna were distinguished. According to the external attractiveness, consistency, and taste qualities of fruits, a sensory profile has been formed for varieties of different maturation periods. Sensory evaluation of sweet cherry fruits will allow distributing fruit products and selecting raw materials for further use in fresh form, long-term storage, freezing and production of processed products by thermal sterilisation

Does artificial intelligence (AI) boost digital banking user satisfaction? Integration of expectation confirmation model and antecedents of artificial intelligence enabled digital banking

In the era disruptive technology the emergence of artificial intelligence has fundamentally improved banking operations. The execution of artificial intelligence is no longer discretionary for financial institutions and now it is considered an essential tool to meet customer expectations. Although artificial intelligence enabled digital banking is faster efficient and effective however user acceptance of digital banking driven by artificial intelligence is in its initial stages. Therefore, current study develops and integrated research framework with expectation confirmation model and examines digital banking user satisfaction and acceptance of AI enabled digital banking. Data were collected from digital banking user through structured questionnaire. Overall, 320 respondents were approached and requested to participate in digital banking survey. In return 251 valid responses were received and analyzed with structural equation modeling. Findings of the structural model indicate that satisfaction is jointly determined by expectation confirmation, perceived performance, trendiness, visual attractiveness, problem solving, customization, communication quality and revealed substantial variance R^2 51.1% in digital banking user satisfaction. Therefore, satisfaction and corporate reputation have shown considerable variance R^2 48.3 in user acceptance of AI enabled digital banking. Moreover, the research framework has revealed substantial predictive power Q^2 0.449 to predict digital banking user satisfaction and Q^2 0.493 user acceptance of artificial intelligence enabled digital banking. Concerning with hypotheses relationships exogenous factors have shown positive and significant impact user satisfaction except trendiness and customization. Practically, this research has suggested that policy makers should pay attention in improving user expectation confirmation, perceived performance, visual attractiveness, communication quality and corporate reputation which in turn enhance satisfaction and boost digital banking user's confidence to accept artificial intelligence enabled digital banking. This study is original as it integrates expectation confirmation model with the antecedents of artificial intelligence and examines user behavior towards acceptance of artificial intelligence enabled digital banking.

Walkability: a definition of quality from perception of users

This research considered walkability as an option or stage of urban displacement. The objective was to consider users’ perception of the quality of the environment for walking in urban roads, and the place chosen was the city of Canoinhas, in Santa Catarina. The method used was Quality Function Displacement (QFD), which used questionnaires applied to a sample of the population for analysis. At the end, five large groups of elements were identified that, according to the analysis, were considered more relevant for walking: 1) the existence of sidewalks; 2) the quality of the sidewalks; 3) the perception of security; 4) comfort and visual attractiveness and, 5) street quality. These groups were further divided into levels, generating 24 items that should be evaluated to improve the quality of walking.

Is texture the new taste? The effect of sensory food descriptors on restaurant menus on visit intentions

PurposeThis study investigates the impact of sensory food descriptors on restaurant menus on the intention to visit a restaurant and to spread positive word-of-mouth.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on the signalling theory and the assimilation-contrast theory, two online experiments and one field experiment test the assumption that food descriptors prompt food-quality inferences before and after consumption, and that in both stages, food-quality inferences prompt favourable behavioural intentions.FindingsSensory food descriptors impact positively on behavioural intentions through quality inferences, although not all aspects of food quality mediate this effect.Research limitations/implicationsNot all four factors (deliciousness, visual attractiveness, variety and nutritiousness) prompt behavioural intentions to the same extent. While the signalling theory explains the positive impact of food-quality inferences on behavioural intentions before consumption, the assimilation-contrast theory explains the positive effect food-quality inferences have on the intention to revisit and word of mouth after consumption.Practical implicationsManagers should use either oral somatosensory descriptors alone, or in combination with flavour descriptors to prompt quality inferences and behavioural intentions.Originality/valueThe findings challenge the prevailing assumption that food descriptors addressing multiple senses have a superior effect on food-quality inferences compared to food descriptors stimulating only one sense. Instead, food descriptors referring to the texture, viscosity or mouthfeel of a dish, (i.e. oral somatosensory descriptors), impact on food-quality inferences, while adding flavour attributes did not have favourable effects.

Improving the Restorative Potential of Living Environments by Optimizing the Spatial Luminance Distribution

Changing the spatial luminance distribution patterns has the potential to improve the restorative potential of indoor environments through spatial visual perception intervention, which is helpful to meet our growing need for psychological restoration and well-being. However, the efficiency, progress, and principles for improving the spatial luminance distribution of indoor environments have not been verified, and the reusable and restorative spatial luminance distribution patterns that can be applied to the restorative reserve levels created by the architectural configurations and dispositions of the different spaces have yet to be established. Using a living room environment as the typical space and a hotel room as the research subject, we conducted this study by setting up a control group for the assessment experiment, combining three subjective and objective measures: the Perceived Restorativeness Scale (PRS), the eye-movement test, and the case interview. The results showed the following. (1) The spatial luminance distribution of artificial lighting can improve the PRS score by 30.9%. (2) The spatial luminance distribution of artificial lighting improves the restorative perception potential, which negatively correlates with the restorative reserve level of the environment (the correlation coefficient values were −0.405, p < 0.01). (3) The spatial luminance distribution elicited two visual cognitive responses: visual attraction and visual load, with the former being positively correlated with restorative perception (the correlation coefficient values were 0.288, p < 0.01), while the latter was negatively correlated (the correlation coefficient values were −0.264, p < 0.01). (4) The visual cognitive conclusions of spatial luminance distribution including the six dimensions present the visual characteristics of the status quo in the restorative spatial luminance distribution of artificial lighting. Based on the findings, this study starts from the optimization of visual attraction and visual load by improving both the restorative level and the degree of restorative perception, proposing a restorative spatial luminance distribution pattern of artificial lighting applicable to environments with different restorative reserve levels.

Virtual Reality at a Prehistoric Museum: Exploring the Influence of System Quality and Personality on User Intentions

Virtual Reality (VR) promises many benefits for the tourism industry. However, a review of tourism-related VR research shows that the roles of system quality and user personality remain largely unexplored. This study examines the causal relation underlying VR quality (information quality, interactivity, and visual attractiveness) and the user's personality (openness to experience, conscientiousness, and social influence) in conjunction with usability, attitude, and behavioural intention. We collected user data from a VR tourism experience of the Sangiran museum at Surakarta, Indonesia using a Head Mounted Device VR. The Sangiran museum is an archaeological excavation site recognised as a world heritage site by UNESCO. Two hundred eighteen valid responses were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling. The result suggests that only visual attractiveness positively impacts usability from a VR quality perspective, while openness to experience and social influence show significant positive evidence of attitude. These findings are discussed based on the practical and theoretical implications, including future research opportunities into VR tourism.

Improvement and Assessment of Convolutional Neural Network for Tree Species Identification Based on Bark Characteristics

Efficient tree species identification is of great importance in forest inventory and management. As the textural properties of tree barks vary less notably as a result of seasonal change than other tree organs, they are more suitable for the identification of tree species using deep learning models. In this study, we adopted the ConvNeXt convolutional neural network to identify 33 tree species using the BarkNetV2 dataset, compared the classification accuracy values of different tree species, and performed visual analysis of the network’s visual features. The results show the following trends: (1) the pre-trained network weights exhibit up to 97.61% classification accuracy for the test set, indicating that the network has high accuracy; (2) the classification accuracy values of more than half of the tree species can reach 98%, while the confidence level of correct identification (probability ratio of true labels) of tree species images is relatively high; and (3) there is a strong correlation between the network’s visual attractiveness and the tree bark’s biological characteristics, which share similarities with humans’ organization of tree species. The method suggested in this study has the potential to increase the efficiency of tree species identification in forest resources surveys and is of considerable value in forest management.

Усадебная культура Ярославской области: к вопросу о реновации памятников

The paper describes the current implemented and planned activities on manor culture monuments renovation. "The Estate Property of the Russian Federation" project involves many estate complexes and cultural objects of the Yaroslavl region. Within the framework of this project, the estate of the merchant Chistov in Myshkin was restored. There are also the other projects - the orangery and wine warehouse of N.A. Nekrasov's estate in Karabikha, the ensemble in Cherelisino village, etc. Renovation activities provide the active and qualitative development of the estate space while preserving the recognizable architectural image of the estates. Also, these projects ensure the salvation of deteriorating buildings. New creative details and elements enhance the visual attractiveness of these architectural and cultural objects.

Female genital modification: Untangling visual attractiveness of female genitalia from an Afrocentric perspective of male sexual partners

Female genital modification: Untangling visual attractiveness of female genitalia from an Afrocentric perspective of male sexual partners

Linking Geoheritage or Geosite Assessment Results with Geotourism Potential and Development: A Literature Review

Geotourism is sustainable tourism form which is primarily based on the existence of geoheritage. Many research studies have been devoted to assessing geoheritage in last two decades, from various perspectives. Depending on the assessment methods and results, authors of such studies often refer to potential geotourism development based on specific geoheritage values. This paper, based on a study and analysis of relevant literature retrieved from WoS and Scopus databases, focuses on assessment criteria and their relevance to geotourism development for the general public. The results show that the absolute majority of assessment methods are probably of high importance for experts. However, in terms of effective application of the assessment results to sustainable geotourism development, different criteria should be used, including visual attractiveness, uniqueness, accessibility, safety, and the possibility of gaining knowledge. In this regard, extensive research is required on how geoheritage and its interpretation appeal to visitors, especially among the lay public.

Landscape planning and design and visual evaluation for landscape protection of geological environment

As an important carrier of science education, ecological landscape development and regional ecological civilization construction, the quality of geological landscape resources has a direct impact on its landscape charm, and the protection of landscape resources is directly related to its sustainable development ability and regional ecological civilization construction. To avoid or reduce the negative impact of architecture on the environment, the development of architectural landscape based on the perspective of geology and ecology is the top priority of healthy and sustainable development. In this paper, the visual sensitivity of the landscape was assessed by GIS (Geographic Information System, GIS) software technology, by calculating and analyzing the relative slope of the terrain, and visualizing the results through visual sensitivity classification. Based on summarizing and analyzing the previous research results, this paper expounds the geological landscape system and resource system, and introduces the architectural landscape features of environmental landscape protection. Combined with the geological environment planning architectural landscape, the concept of architectural planning and landscape design is integrated, the architectural landscape based on geological environment protection is constructed, and the spatial organization and layout of buildings in the environmental landscape is planned. Finally, landscape visual sensitivity was evaluated based on GIS. The research results show that the architectural landscape and geological environment protected by geological environment landscape can be organically combined, and the landscape has strong visual attraction. The research results of this paper solve the conflict between architecture and geological ecology and provide scientific basis for environmental landscape protection of geological ecology. The composite score of visual sensitivity was obtained by GIS calculation. The most visually sensitive place ranked 25th, while the most visually sensitive place ranked 13th.