Antecedents and outcomes of consumer environmentally friendly attitudes and behaviour

With the intensification of problems relating to the environment, a growing number of consumers are becoming more ecologically conscious in their preferences and purchases of goods. This paper presents the results of a study conducted among 500 Cypriot consumers, focusing on the factors that shape consumer environmental attitudes and behaviour, as well as on the resulting outcomes. The findings confirmed that both the inward and outward environmental attitudes of a consumer are positively influenced by his/her degree of collectivism, long-term orientation, political involvement, deontology, and law obedience, but have no connection with liberalism. The adoption of an inward environmental attitude was also found to be conducive to green purchasing behaviour that ultimately leads to high product satisfaction. On the other hand, an outward environmental attitude facilitates the adoption of a general environmental behaviour, which is responsible for greater satisfaction with life. The findings of the study have important implications for shaping effective company offerings to consumers in target markets, as well as formulating appropriate policies at the governmental level to enhance environmental sensitivity among citizens

Structure of the icosahedral Ti-Zr-Ni quasicrystal

The atomic structure of the icosahedral Ti-Zr-Ni quasicrystal is determined by invoking similarities to periodic crystalline phases, diffraction data and the results from ab initio calculations. The structure is modeled by decorations of the canonical cell tiling geometry. The initial decoration model is based on the structure of the Frank-Kasper phase W-TiZrNi, the 1/1 approximant structure of the quasicrystal. The decoration model is optimized using a new method of structural analysis combining a least-squares refinement of diffraction data with results from ab initio calculations. The resulting structural model of icosahedral Ti-Zr-Ni is interpreted as a simple decoration rule and structural details are discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figure

Alpha7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit is not required for parasympathetic control of the heart in the mouse

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors ( nAChR) are assembled from a pool of nine alpha-subunits and three beta-subunits into functional pentamers in peripheral autonomic neurons. The contribution of different subunits to native, physiologically important nAChR for synaptic transmission in autonomic ganglia is unclear. Here, we examined the importance of the alpha(7)-subunit for parasympathetic innervation of the heart. Normal (C57BL/6J), (alpha 7)-deficient (Chrna7), and wild-type littermate mice were implanted with telemetry devices, and, under conscious, unsedated conditions, ECG recordings were obtained at baseline and after atropine, propranolol, and hexamethonium bromide administration. Spectral analysis of heart rate variability [power spectral analysis (PSA)] was performed for the evaluation of resting autonomic tone to the heart. At the completion of conscious studies, animals were anesthetized and underwent electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve (VS) while R-R intervals were recorded. Heart rate at baseline and after atropine, propranolol, or hexamethonium was similar in all three groups of animals. PSA curves were similar between normal, wildtype, and Chrna7 mice. VS showed no difference between control and Chrna7 mice throughout the range of stimulation (5 - 20 Hz). Mice deficient in the (alpha 7)-nAChR subunit do not display differences in resting autonomic tone to the heart at baseline or under conditions of single and combined autonomic blockade. VS showed no difference in heart rate responses between normal and (alpha 7)-deficient mice. These data support previous findings in vitro and highlight the important differences in function between nicotinic receptor subtypes because (alpha 3)-deficient mice display major autonomic dysfunction. We conclude that the (alpha 7)-subunit does not contribute critically to resting parasympathetic control of the heart