Le lieu de production d'un produit agroalimentaire un critère de choix

This doctorate dissertation tests product origin identification strategies. Two (2) possible product labeling strategies were put to test. The province strategy identifies the products with the province, while the region strategy identifies them with the made-in region. The mixed strategy was also evaluated. It lies in identifying products with the made-in region if they are sold in that region, and identifying products with the name of the province if sold in regions other than the made-in region. The experiment protocol consisted in observing choices made by 500 persons put in a real-life situation, i.e., 125 per experimental condition. Then the customers observed completed a questionnaire testing the explanatory conceptual framework underlying their behavior. The 500 consumers observed purchased products in the following order: (a) products originating from their region, (b) from their province, (c) from their province but a region other than theirs, (d) from another province. Our analysis of results from the questionnaire on beliefs, sense of belonging/solidarity, and customer attitudes using a structural equation modeling confirmed the accuracy of the conceptual framework combining those variables. We also emphasized the actual strength hierarchy of the sense of belonging and solidarity among respondents: (1) sense of belonging with one's region > sense of belonging with one's province > sense of belonging with another region in one's province > sense of belonging with another province; and (2) sense of solidarity with one's region > sense of solidarity with one's province > sense of solidarity with another region in one's province > sense of solidarity with another province. For maximizing the impact of the made-in as a choice criterion, managers must: (a) highlight the made-in when choices are made, (b) use the made-in on products that originate from groups with which customers feel a sense of belonging or solidarity (one's region or one's province), and (c) apply the mixed strategy. The study led to the conclusion that the level of intensity of the sense of belonging and solidarity felt by customers, their beliefs and attitude towards the made-in may explain the above order of preference

Brewing the recipe for beer brand equity

This research study aims to analyze the sources and consequences of beverages’ Brand Equity, and more specifically, the beer Brand Equity in a Sothern European mature market. For this purpose, based on the customer-based Aaker’s Brand Equity model, we developed an empirical study, using structural equation modeling (SEM) in order to assess how beer Brand Equity stems from in the brewery industry and to analyze its consequences in consumer behavior. Our findings suggest that the beer brand image is the most important dimension for beer Brand Equity. Moreover, a significant positive influence was found for all the dimensions analyzed, namely brand awareness, perceived quality and loyalty; while we found empirical support for the influence of beer Brand Equity on purchase intention and the consumer willingness to pay a premium price. This research brings relevant implications for brewery marketing managers, who should strengthen their beer brand image, and further consider beer Brand Equity as a key variable in consumer behaviour.peer-reviewe

Model uncertainty and performance analysis for precision controlled space structures

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2000.Also available online at the MIT Theses Online homepage .Includes bibliographical references (p. 185-191).The purpose of this thesis is to provide confidence for the designer that a concept of a future space-based telescope will meet its very stringent requirements. More specifically, our goal is to predict the amount of uncertainty in the performance prediction made through out the design process. Also, given a statistical database for structural uncertainty, the methodology presented will establish the probability of success of a particular architecture. The traditional design process starts by evaluating and comparing the performance of different concepts by using simplified structural and disturbance models. As the process progresses the different solutions are evaluated and the most promising concept is retained and refined. Eventually, some preliminary structural testing is performed, and the model is updated to reflect the reality more accurately. Eventually, when the production of the system is nearly complete, the model performance predictions should converge to the actual system performance. Large flexible space structures present a problem in using this approach because they are often too flexible to support their own weight and/or too large to fit inside any laboratory facilities to be tested fully assembled. For example, it would be impractical to test the whole assembly of the International Space Station or SIM on the ground. Also, during the preliminary design phase, no test data are available to update the models. Even when the model is very mature and has been updated after experimental testing, a discrepancy remains between the predicted and actual performance of the system. These uncertainties are due to various sources of variability in the system: variable noises (sources and levels), testing conditions and environmental factors, assembly/reassembly, shipset, disturbance levels, and others. How then, can we have confidence that a particular concept will meet the requirements if the only tool we have are finite element models that may not be accurate? The solution is to try to estimate the range of uncertainty around our nominal model performances. Since in the early design phase no test data are available, our best bet will be to use past experience to predict the expected uncertainty range on the performances of our new design. Statistical uncertainty for the modal mass and stiffness parameters, [Hasselman & Chrostowski, 1991], as well as for the modal damping ratios [Simonian, 1987], can be obtained.by Frederic Bourgault.S.M

Exploring the Influence of Price and Convenience on Perceived Usefulness of On-line Banking within the TAM Framework: A Cross National (Canada and Spain) Decision Model

Nowadays, the Internet is a powerful mean to complement the traditional marketing channels used by banks. Based on the Technology Acceptance Model, this paper explores the importance of two external latent variables—‘Price’ and ‘Convenience’ —as antecedents of ‘Perceived Usefulness’ and consumer acceptance of on-line banking in a Canadian and Spanish environment; the results highlight the predictive power and accuracy of the model cross-nationally. In fact, the findings were quite similar in the Canadian and Spanish samples, and stress that ‘Perceived Usefulness’ and ‘Attitude’ are the key drivers of the consumers’ on-line banking acceptance. Conclusions and recommendations for future research are also provided

La influencia de la confianza y satisfacción del cliente en la intención de uso de los servicios bancarios por internet: un modelo estructural

Las entidades financieras ofrecen cada vez más servicios a sus clientes a través de internet. En este entorno, el objetivo del artículo es analizar cómo influye la confianza y la satisfacción de los usuarios en la intención de uso de los servicios financieros en línea. De este modo, se propone un modelo conceptual resuelto mediante PLS-PM (Partial Least Squares). Los resultados obtenidos muestran que la confianza del usuario depende de la seguridad del sistema, la utilidad y la competencia de la entidad financiera, y pone de relieve el impacto de la confianza, la facilidad de uso y el diseño en la satisfacción del usuario con los servicios financieros en internet

Molecular interactions of tannic acid with proteins associated with SARS-CoV-2 infectivity

The overall impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on our society is unprecedented. The identification of small natural ligands that could prevent the entry and/or replication of the coronavirus remains a pertinent approach to fight the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Previously, we showed that the phenolic compounds corilagin and 1,3,6-tri-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose (TGG) inhibit the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD) and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the SARS-CoV-2 target receptor on the cell membrane of the host organism. Building on these promising results, we now assess the effects of these phenolic ligands on two other crucial targets involved in SARS-CoV-2 cell entry and replication, respectively: transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) and 3-chymotrypsin like protease (3CLpro) inhibitors. Since corilagin, TGG, and tannic acid (TA) share many physicochemical and structural properties, we investigate the binding of TA to these targets. In this work, a combination of experimental methods (biochemical inhibition assays, surface plasmon resonance, and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring) confirms the potential role of TA in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infectivity through the inhibition of extracellular RBD/ACE2 interactions and TMPRSS2 and 3CLpro activity. Moreover, molecular docking prediction followed by dynamic simulation and molecular mechanics Poisson–Boltzmann surface area (MMPBSA) free energy calculation also shows that TA binds to RBD, TMPRSS2, and 3CLpro with higher affinities than TGG and corilagin. Overall, these results suggest that naturally occurring TA is a promising candidate to prevent and inhibit the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2

Les mécanismes de sollicitation à la demande d'aide privilégiés par les étudiants du postsecondaire

À la suite d’une enquête menée auprès d’étudiants qui rencontrent des difficultés (n =417) ou qui ont reçu un diagnostic de trouble d’apprentissage (n =42), nous présentons les mécanismes de sollicitation qui ont un intérêt pour ces étudiants afin de leur faire connaître l’aide disponible ainsi que les mécanismes qui les incitent à demander de l’aide. Une évaluation portant sur 28 mécanismes de sollicitation à la demande d’aide démontre que le courriel et le site Web de l’établissement constituent les mécanismes les plus appréciés, autant pour faire connaître l’aide disponible que pour les inciter à y avoir recours. Les étudiants du collégial montrent une préférence significative pour les mécanismes basés sur le relationnel (individu à individu), contrairement aux étudiants universitaires qui préfèrent les mécanismes technologiques (p < .05). Les étudiants qui éprouvent fréquemment des difficultés et qui n’ont pas de trouble d’apprentissage n’ont recours à l’aide disponible que pour 49,1 % d’entre eux, contre 75,8 % des étudiants qui présentent un trouble d’apprentissage

La influencia de la confianza y satisfacción del cliente en la intención de uso de los servicios bancarios por internet: un modelo estructural

The financial institutions increasingly offer more services to their customers through the internet, and in this context this study addresses the objective of analyzing how online trust and users’ satisfaction influence on the intention to use financial services through the internet. To address this goal, the present study proposes a conceptual model through PLS-SEM (Partial Least Squares). The obtained findings show that the user trust depends on the system security, usefulness and the competence of the financial institution; highlighting the impact of trust, ease of use and design on users’ satisfaction with online financial servicesLas entidades financieras ofrecen cada vez más servicios a sus clientes a través de internet. En este entorno, el objetivo del artículo es analizar cómo influye la confianza y la satisfacción de los usuarios en la intención de uso de los servicios financieros en línea. De este modo, se propone un modelo conceptual resuelto mediante PLS-PM (Partial Least Squares). Los resultados obtenidos muestran que la confianza del usuario depende de la seguridad del sistema, la utilidad y la competencia de la entidad financiera, y pone de relieve el impacto de la confianza, la facilidad de uso y el diseño en la satisfacción del usuario con los servicios financieros en internet