The impact of corporate social responsibility on consumer brand engagement and purchase intention at fashion retailers

Consumers have demonstrated new ways of engaging with fashion retailers and experiencing their brand values. This research aims to understand better how fashion consumers form their purchase intentions, by exploring how their expectations about corporate social responsibility influence consumer brand engagement and purchase intention. The research comprises two studies, using different methodologies. The first study is quantitative; it involved 1296 individuals and the results were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The second study is qualitative and utilizes expert opinions from the fashion industry; it seeks to derive managerial and practical implications from the findings of the first study. The results show that corporate social responsibility influences the purchase intention of fashion consumers, but mainly through brand engagement. Consequently, fashion companies should focus on building consumer trust in the sustainability initiatives of brands, including by utilizing local suppliers.Cátedra Extraordinaria de Comercio Universidad de Alcalá - Ayuntamiento de Madri

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1.

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field

In vivo and macrophage response of graphene and its derivatives

The possible application in the biomedical field of reduced Graphene oxide (ErGO) on CoCr alloy has been studied. Biocompatibility tests were carried out on ErGO/CoCr alloy. The discrepancy of in vivo results found in the literature regarding the side effects of graphene led to perform an in vivo study with graphene. Biocompatibility tests of ErGO/CoCr were evaluated in J774A.1 mouse macrophages cultures. Mitochondrial activity (WST-1 assay) and plasma membrane damage (LDH assay) were measured to evaluate biocompatibility and cytotoxicity, respectively. The ratio of LDH/WST-1 activities was used as an index of biocompatibility as relates cell death and cell number, reaching a low value on ErGO/CoCr. Morphological analyses of macrophages cultures revealed different cell distribution and morphology on CoCr and ErGO/CoCr, after 48 h exposure. Optical microscopy and secondary electron microscopy images showed macrophages on the ErGO/CoCr well-distributed and conserved characteristic cell shape. These results show an improvement in the CoCr biocompatibility due to ErGO films. In vivo tests of graphene and graphene oxide nanosheets were carried out by intraperitoneal inoculation in rats to evaluate possible changes in the blood line and organs after 15 and 30 days. Optical microscopy of liver, kidney, spleen or lung, revealed no visible histological alterations. However, traces of particles were found in the peritoneal cavity. The blood analysis showed alterations indicative of the hepatic inflammatory process. Haematological changes after 30 days consisted of alterations of the red series as microcytosis with a higher concentration of mean haemoglobin. In addition, alteration in prothrombin and thromboplastin caused a longer coagulation time.The authors acknowledge the financial support from MAT2015-67750-C3

Biocompatibility of Electrochemically Reduced Graphene Oxide on biomedical grade CoCr alloy. In vivo response of graphene

The Annual Congress of the European Federation of CorrosionIn this work, electrochemically reduced Graphene oxide (ErGO) films are formed on the biomedical grade CoCr alloy to study its possible application in biomedical field. Biocompatibility tests were carried out to assess the biomedical performance of ErGO on the CoCr alloy. The discrepancy of in vivo results found in the literature regarding the side effects of graphene led to perform a previous in vivo study with Graphene. The reduction of an aqueous suspension of graphene oxide was carried out by electrochemical methods to generate ErGO films on CoCr alloys. The direct electrodeposition process was performed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) at room temperature. Characterization of the ErGO on CoCr alloys was carried out by XPS. Electrochemical procedure led to the deposition of graphene-based films on the CoCr surfaces after the partial removal of the oxygenated functional groups present in the graphene network of starting graphene oxide (GO). Biocompatibility tests of ErGO on CoCr were evaluated in J774A.1 mouse macrophages cultures, which are the main cells involved in the primary response to foreign bodies playing a decisive role in the inflammatory reactions. In vivo tests were carried out by intraperitoneal inoculation of graphene nano particles in rats evaluating possible changes in the blood line and in different organs. CV revealed the reduction of the GO around -1,2 V. The XPS high-resolution C and O peaks mainly showed sp2 bonding and the presence of C=O and C-O residual groups covering the CoCr surface. Biocompatibility studies on mouse macrophages J774A.1 cell cultures measured by the ratio between lactate dehydrogenase and mitochondrial activities showed an enhancement in the biocompatibility on the CoCr with the ErGO films, a result that seems to become more evident as exposition time increased. Optical and SE images and vimentin expression (protein responsible for architecture of cytoplasm) after 48 h exposure in macrophage culture revealed a different cell distribution, morphology and vimentin expression on CoCr or ErGO on CoCr. Macrophages on the ErGO on CoCr surfaces were well-distributed, conserved the characteristic cell shape and vimentin expression was unaffected, results that show an improvement on the CoCr biocompatibility due to the of ErGO films on material surface. Conventional optical microscopy of in vivo experiments revealed that at 15 and 30 days after inoculation there were no visible histological alterations in liver, kidney, spleen or lung, but traces of particles were found in the peritoneal cavity. The blood analysis showed alterations indicative of the hepatic inflammatory process at both 15 and 30 days. Haematological changes were found at 30 days that consisted of alterations of the red series in the form of microcytosis with a higher concentration of mean haemoglobin as well as an alteration in coagulation due to a longer prothrombin and thromboplastin time

Electrochemically reduced graphene oxide on CoCr biomedical alloy: Characterization, macrophage biocompatibility and hemocompatibility in rats with graphene and graphene oxide

Electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ErGO) films on a biomedical grade CoCr alloy have been generated and characterized in order to study their possible application for use on joint prostheses. The electrodeposition process was performed by cyclic voltammetry. The characterization of the ErGO films on CoCr alloys by XPS revealed sp2 bonding and the presence of C[dbnd]O and C[sbnd]O residual groups in the graphene network. Biocompatibility studies were performed with mouse macrophages J774A.1 cell cultures measured by the ratio between lactate dehydrogenase and mitochondrial activities. An enhancement in the biocompatibility of the CoCr with the ErGO films was obtained, a result that became more evident as exposure time increased. Macrophages on the CoCr with the ErGO were well-distributed and conserved the characteristic cell shape. In addition, vimentin expression was unaltered in comparison with the control, results that indicated an improvement in the CoCr biocompatibility with the ErGO on the material surface. The in vivo response of graphene and graphene oxide was assessed by intraperitoneal injection in wistar rats. Red blood cells are one of the primary interaction sites so hemocompatibility tests were carried out. Rats inoculated with graphene and graphene oxide showed red blood cells of smaller size with a high content in hemoglobin