Towards (and Beyond) LGBTQ+ Studies in Marketing and Consumer Research

This chapter provides a critical review of Marketing and Consumer Research on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans*, Queer, and other non-heterosexuals (LGBTQ+). We identify five underdeveloped areas in this literature: a lack of research beyond urban Anglo-American consumer cultures; a focus on gay men at the expense of other LGBTQ+ consumers; a paucity of theorizations that consider how sexual identities intersect with race, class, and other markers of difference; a dominance of subculture-theory enabled studies assuming that non-heterosexuals are universally stigmatized; and an opportunity for interdisciplinary research that engages with insights from sociology, psychology, and geography. We trace the historical origins of sexual identities as modern categories and the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement. We furthermore suggest how marketers and consumer researchers could surpass the limitations of existing literature toward LGBTQ+ studies and beyond, and highlight the relevance of such research within wider discussions regarding sexual identities, sexual practices, and sexualised/gendered bodies and places

Absorption and mobility of foliar-applied boron in soybean as affected by plant boron status and application as a polyol complex

In the present study (i) the impact of plant Boron (B) status on foliar B absorption and (ii) the effect of B complexation with polyols (sorbitol or mannitol) on B absorption and translocation was investigated. Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Meer.) plants grown in nutrient solution containing 0 μM, 10 μM, 30 μM or 100 μM 11B labelled boric acid (BA) were treated with 50 mM 10B labelled BA applied to the basal parts of two leaflets of one leaf, either pure or in combination with 500 mM sorbitol or mannitol. After one week, 10B concentrations in different plant parts were determined. In B deficient leaves (0 μM 11B), 10B absorption was significantly lower than in all other treatments (9.7% of the applied dose vs. 26%–32%). The application of BA in combination with polyols increased absorption by 18–25% as compared to pure BA. The absolute amount of applied 10B moving out of the application zone was lowest in plants with 0 μM 11B supply (1.1% of the applied dose) and highest in those grown in 100 μM 11B (2.8%). The presence of sorbitol significantly decreased the share of mobile 10B in relation to the amount absorbed. The results suggest that 11B deficiency reduces the permeability of the leaf surface for BA. The addition of polyols may increase 10B absorption, but did not improve 10B distribution within the plant, which was even hindered when applied a sorbitol complex

Foliar lead uptake by lettuce exposed to atmospheric fallouts

Metal uptake by plants occurs by soil−root transfer but also by direct transfer of contaminants from the atmosphere to the shoots. This second pathway may be particularly important in kitchen gardens near industrial plants. The mechanisms of foliar uptake of lead by lettuce (Lactuca sativa) exposed to the atmospheric fallouts of a lead-recycling plant were studied. After 43 days of exposure, the thoroughly washed leaves contained 335 ± 50 mg Pb kg−1 (dry weight). Micro-X-ray fluorescence mappings evidenced Pb-rich spots of a few hundreds of micrometers in diameter located in necrotic zones. These spots were more abundant at the base of the central nervure. Environmental scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis showed that smaller particles (a few micrometers in diameter) were also present in other regions of the leaves, often located beneath the leaf surface. In addition, submicrometric particles were observed inside stomatal openings. Raman microspectrometry analyses of the leaves identified smelter-originated Pb minerals but also secondary phases likely resulting from the weathering of original particles. On the basis of these observations, several pathways for foliar lead uptake are discussed. A better understanding of these mechanisms may be of interest for risk assessment of population exposure to atmospheric metal contamination

temporary implementation and testing of a confocal sr μxrf system for bone analysis at the x ray fluorescence beamline at elettra

Abstract The confocal μ XRF spectrometer of Atominstitut (ATI) was transported and set up at the X-ray Fluorescence beamline at Elettra - Sincrotrone Trieste. It was successfully adjusted to the incoming beam (9.2 keV). Test measurements on a free-standing Cu wire were performed to determine the size of the focused micro-beam (non-confocal mode, 56 × 35 μ m 2 ) and the size of the confocal volume (confocal mode, 41 × 24 × 34 μ m 2 ) for the Cu–K α emission. In order to test the setup's capabilities, two areas on different human bone samples were measured in confocal scanning mode. For one of the samples the comparison with a previous μ XRF measurement, obtained with a low power X-ray tube in the lab, is presented

Where spirituality and religion meet gender and sexuality::Towards a research agenda for intersectional marketing theory

During a roundtable discussion at the 2022 GENMAC Conference, a group of researchers specializing in religiosity and spiritual consumption, using examples from their own fieldwork, reflected on how (i) researchers’ subject positioning—including their gender and sexuality—shape fieldwork in multifaceted manners; (ii) investigations of religious/spiritual fields would benefit from a heightened sensitivity to issues of gender and sexuality; and (iii) greater sensitivity to aspects of religion and/or spirituality can help gender and sexuality scholars better understand consumers and markets. Based on the above, in this commentary paper, we call for intersectional reflexivity, attention to vulnerability and discomfort during fieldwork, and critical sensitivity to the religious “context of context” during theorization. Furthermore, we argue that specific spiritual/religious imaginaries can foster new research approaches that can contribute to more nuanced fieldwork and theorization in marketing and consumer research.</p

Interaction between a bisphosphonate, tiludronate, and biomimetic nanocrystalline apatites.

Bisphosphonates (BPs) are well established as successful antiresorptive agents for the prevention and treatment of bone diseases such as osteoporosis and Paget's disease. The aim of this work was to clarify the reaction mechanisms between a BP molecule, tiludronate, and the nanocrystalline apatite surface. The adsorption of tiludronate on well characterized synthetic biomimetic nanocrystalline apatites with homogeneous but different compositions and surface characteristics was investigated to determine the effect of the nanocrystalline apatite substrate on the adsorption behavior. The results show that the adsorption of tiludronate on nanocrystalline biomimetic apatite surfaces varies over a large range. The most immature apatitic samples exhibited the highest affinity and the greatest amount adsorbed at saturation. Maturation of the nanocrystals induces a decrease of these values. The amount of phosphate ion released per adsorbed BP molecule varied, depending on the nanocrystalline substrate considered. The adsorption mechanism, although associated with a release of phosphate ions, cannot be considered as a simple ion exchange process involving one or two phosphate ions on the surface. A two-step process is proposed consisting of a surface binding of BP groups to calcium ions associated with a proton release inducing the protonation of surface orthophosphate ions and their eventual solubilization

Study of ultrathin Pt/Co/Pt trilayers modified by nanosecond XUV pulses from laser-driven plasma source

We have studied the structural mechanisms responsible for the magnetic reorientation between in-plane and out-of-plane magnetization in the (25 nm Pt)/(3 and 10 nm Co)/(3 nm Pt) trilayer systems irradiated with nanosecond XUV pulses generated with laser-driven gas-puff target plasma source of a narrow continuous spectrum peaked at wavelength of 11 nm. The thickness of individual layers, their density, chemical composition and irradiation-induced lateral strain were deduced from symmetric and asymmetric X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, grazing-incidence X-ray reflectometry (GIXR), grazing incidence X-ray fluorescence (GIXRF), extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements. In the as grown samples we found, that the Pt buffer layers are relaxed and that the layer interfaces are sharp. As a result of a quasi-uniform irradiation of the samples, the XRD, EXAFS, GIXR and GIXRF data reveal the formation of two distinct layers composed of Pt1-xCox alloys with different Co concentrations, dependent on the thickness of the as grown magnetic Co film but with similar ∼1% lateral tensile residual strain. For smaller exposure dose (lower number of accumulated pulses) only partial interdiffusion at the interfaces takes place with the formation of a tri-layer composed of Co-Pt alloy sandwiched between thinned Pt layers, as revealed by TEM. The structural modifications are accompanied by magnetization changes, evidenced by means of magneto-optical microscopy. The difference in magnetic properties of the irradiated samples can be related to their modification in Pt1-xCox alloy composition, as the other parameters (lateral strain and alloy thickness) remain almost unchanged. The out-of-plane magnetization observed for the sample with initially 3 nm Co layer can be due to a significant reduction of demagnetization factor resulting from a lower Co concentration

Reassessing associations between white matter and behaviour with multimodal microstructural imaging

Several studies have established specific relationships between White Matter (WM) and behaviour. However, these studies have typically focussed on fractional anisotropy (FA), a neuroimaging metric that is sensitive to multiple tissue properties, making it difficult to identify what biological aspects of WM may drive such relationships. Here, we carry out a pre-registered assessment of WM-behaviour relationships in 50 healthy individuals across multiple behavioural and anatomical domains, and complementing FA with myelin-sensitive quantitative MR modalities (MT, R1, R2∗). Surprisingly, we only find support for predicted relationships between FA and behaviour in one of three pre-registered tests. For one behavioural domain, where we failed to detect an FA-behaviour correlation, we instead find evidence for a correlation between behaviour and R1. This hints that multimodal approaches are able to identify a wider range of WM-behaviour relationships than focusing on FA alone. To test whether a common biological substrate such as myelin underlies WM-behaviour relationships, we then ran joint multimodal analyses, combining across all MRI parameters considered. No significant multimodal signatures were found and power analyses suggested that sample sizes of 40-200 may be required to detect such joint multimodal effects, depending on the task being considered. These results demonstrate that FA-behaviour relationships from the literature can be replicated, but may not be easily generalisable across domains. Instead, multimodal microstructural imaging may be best placed to detect a wider range of WM-behaviour relationships, as different MRI modalities provide distinct biological sensitivities. Our findings highlight a broad heterogeneity in WM's relationship with behaviour, suggesting that variable biological effects may be shaping their interaction

The crystal structure of an ‘All Locked’ nucleic acid duplex

‘Locked nucleic acids’ (LNAs) are known to introduce enhanced bio- and thermostability into natural nucleic acids rendering them powerful tools for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. We present the 1.9 Å X-ray structure of an ‘all LNA’ duplex containing exclusively modified β-d-2′-O-4′C-methylene ribofuranose nucleotides. The helix illustrates a new type of nucleic acid geometry that contributes to the understanding of the enhanced thermostability of LNA duplexes. A notable decrease of several local and overall helical parameters like twist, roll and propeller twist influence the structure of the LNA helix and result in a widening of the major groove, a decrease in helical winding and an enlarged helical pitch. A detailed structural comparison to the previously solved RNA crystal structure with the corresponding base pair sequence underlines the differences in conformation. The surrounding water network of the RNA and the LNA helix shows a similar hydration pattern