The Effects of Visual Complexity in a Fashion Store Environment on Consumer Emotions and Approach Behavior

This study investigated the consumers\u27 affective response to the visual complexity of a fashion retail environment both self-report and psychophysiological measures. We developed two types of virtual fashion stores with different levels of visual complexity, which were manipulated using decorative patterns and type of layout (grid vs. free form). The results showed that the fashion store\u27s visual complexity was related to increases in arousal, but visual complexity has no main effect on pleasure. However, the moderating role of fashion involvement suggests that consumers with high fashion involvement exhibited more pleasure in a visually complex store than in a simple store. Additional analysis confirmed the moderated mediation effect of pleasure and mediation effect of arousal on relationships between stores\u27 visual complexity and store attractiveness. The research findings obtained through the psychophysiological measures enrich existing literature on visual complexity and provide theoretical and managerial implications

Regulation of Lymphocyte Apoptosis by Interferon Regulatory Factor 4 (IRF-4)

To ensure that homeostasis of the immune system is maintained, the sensitivity of lymphocytes to Fas-mediated apoptosis is differentially regulated during their activation. The molecular mechanisms that link the activation program of lymphocytes to changes in sensitivity to Fas-mediated apoptosis have, however, not been fully characterized. In these studies, we have investigated whether Fas-mediated apoptosis can be regulated by interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF-4), a lymphoid-restricted member of the IRF family of transcription factors. IRF-4 expression is upregulated during lymphocyte activation and IRF-4–deficient mice have defects in both lymphocyte activation and homeostasis. Here, we show that stable expression of IRF-4 in a human lymphoid cell line that normally lacks IRF-4 leads to a significantly enhanced apoptotic response on Fas receptor engagement. A systematic examination of the downstream effectors of Fas signaling in IRF-4–transfected cells demonstrates an increased activation of caspase-8, as well as an increase in Fas receptor polarization. We demonstrate that IRF-4–deficient mice display defects in activation-induced cell death, as well as superantigen-induced deletion, and that these defects are accompanied by impairments in Fas receptor polarization. These data suggest that IRF-4, by modulating the efficiency of the Fas-mediated death signal, is a novel participant in the regulation of lymphoid cell apoptosis

Expression of Keratin 10 in Rat Organ Surface Primo-vascular Tissues

AbstractThe primo-vascular system is described as the anatomical structure corresponding to acupuncture meridians and has been identified in several tissues in the body, but its detailed anatomy and physiology are not well understood. Recently, the presence of keratin 10 (Krt10) in primo-vascular tissue was reported, but this finding has not yet been confirmed. In this study, we compared Krt10 expression in primo-vascular tissues located on the surface of rat abdominal organs with Krt10 expression on blood and lymphatic vessels. Krt10 protein (approximately 56.5 kDa) was evaluated by western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Krt10 (IR) in the primo-node was visualized as patchy spots around each cell or as a follicle-like structure containing a group of cells. Krt10 IR was also identified in vascular and lymphatic tissues, but its distribution was diffuse over the extracellular matrix of the vessels. Thus Krt10 protein was expressed in all three tissues tested, but the expression pattern of Krt10 in primo-vascular tissue differed from those of blood and lymphatic vascular tissues, suggesting that structural and the regulatory roles of Krt10 in primo-vascular system are different from those in blood and lymphatic vessels

Culex tarsalis is a competent vector species for Cache Valley virus

Background: Cache Valley virus (CVV) is a mosquito-borne orthobunyavirus endemic in North America. The virus is an important agricultural pathogen leading to abortion and embryonic lethality in ruminant species, especially sheep. The importance of CVV in human public health has recently increased because of the report of severe neurotropic diseases. However, mosquito species responsible for transmission of the virus to humans remain to be determined. In this study, vector competence of three Culex species mosquitoes of public health importance, Culex pipiens, Cx. tarsalis and Cx. quinquefasciatus, was determined in order to identify potential bridge vector species responsible for the transmission of CVV from viremic vertebrate hosts to humans. Results: Variation of susceptibility to CVV was observed among selected Culex species mosquitoes tested in this study. Per os infection resulted in the establishment of infection and dissemination in Culex tarsalis, whereas Cx. pipiens and Cx. quinquefasciatus were highly refractory to CVV. Detection of viral RNA in saliva collected from infected Cx. tarsalis provided evidence supporting its role as a competent vector. Conclusions: Our study provided further understanding of the transmission cycles of CVV and identifies Cx. tarsalis as a competent vector

The effect of quality cues on travelers' demand for peer-to-peer ridesharing: a neglected area of the sharing economy

The emergence of the sharing economy has had a tremendous impact on the tourism industry; however, few quality management mechanisms exist for shared tourism services. Based on unique data of 52,248 transactions collected from BlaBlaCar, the world’s leading ridesharing platform, this study examines the independent and combined effects of quality cues on travelers’ demand for peer-to-peer ridesharing services. The findings suggest that intrinsic cues (product reputation and seller reputation) and extrinsic cues (relative price and offer duration) are decisive in increasing demand, and their combined effects can be positive or negative. In addition, analyses of the heterogeneous effects of intrinsic and extrinsic cues across seller segments clarify how consumers evaluate product quality using information from multiple cues. These findings contribute to the literature on tourism and marketing by providing new insights into the design of competitive product offers in the sharing economy

Translation of Korean Medicine Use to ICD-Codes Using National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort

Background. Korean medicine was incorporated into the Korean Classification of Diseases (KCD) 6 through the development of U codes (U20–U99). Studies of the burden of disease have used summary measures such as disability-adjusted life years. Although Korean medicine is included in the official health care system, studies of the burden of disease that include Korean medicine are lacking. Methods. A data-based approach was used with National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort data for the year 2012. U code diagnoses for patients covered by National Health Insurance were collected. Using the main disease and subdisease codes, the proportion of U codes was redistributed into the related KCD 6 codes and visualized. U code and KCD code relevance was appraised prior to the analysis by consultation with medical professionals and from the beta draft version of the International Classification of Diseases-11 traditional medicine chapter. Results. This approach enabled redistribution of U codes into KCD 6 codes. Musculoskeletal diseases had the greatest increase in the burden of disease through this approach. Conclusion. This study provides a possible method of incorporating Korean medicine into burden of disease analyses through a data-based approach. Further studies should analyze potential yearly differences

An Empirical Study on the Effects of Walking Time on Knee Joint Pain Based on Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Data

Objectives: It is generally reported that walking has a positive effect on knee joint pain. However, since previous studies have focused on small patient data and simple average comparisons, we proceed with more sophisticated empirical research using public data. Since the knee joint pain itself can be considered very important in terms of preventative medicine, we analyze that use of big data to identify its effect on knee joint pain. Methods: The present study used a logistic regression analysis and analyzed the effect of walking time on knee joint pain in the activities of daily living based on data from the 6th 2013–2014 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Results: Smoking, Drinking and Sedentary time has no statistically significance on knee joint pain. And walking (moderate, high) has been shown to reduce the risk of knee joint pain. Conclusion: The results confirmed that walking time had a positive effect on the prevalence of knee joint pain. However, individuals with moderate-intensity walking time and those with high-intensity walking time had different effects on preventing knee joint pain