The Impact of Product Attribute Wording on Consumer Acceptance of Biotechnology Applications in Produce

A better understanding of consumer preferences for and behavior toward genetically modified (GM) foods is essential for designing new market strategies and information policies for GM products. A sample of Midwest consumers was administered one of two nearly identical conjoint questionnaires to identify the influence of attribute wording on consumer preferences. Respondents value “GM†negatively, while referring to the same attribute as “reduced environmental impact†(REI) results in a positive valuation. The inclusion of both the method of production (GM) and its specific benefits may provide consumers with more information with which to make choices among products.Consumer/Household Economics,

Consumer Preferences and Trade-Offs for Locally Grown and Genetically Modified Apples: A Conjoint Analysis Approach

Using conjoint analysis methodology, this study used an online survey to measure consumers’ preferences for the apple attributes as place of production, method of production, and price. The results of the conjoint analysis indicate that consumers are willing to make trade offs between the studied attributes. Segment analysis indicates Place-oriented consumers may be willing to pay 60% to 70% premiums for locally grown apples. The high consumer preferences for locally grown products combined with environmental benefits transferred through genetic modification provide an opportunity for producers to capture and build their markets, especially within certain market segments.conjoint analysis, consumer preferences, GM, locally grown, Consumer/Household Economics, Q10, Q13,

The Power of Odor Persuasion: The Incorporation of Olfactory Cues in Virtual Environments for Personalized Relaxation

Olfaction is the most ancient sense and is directly connected with emotional areas in the brain. It gives rise to perception linked to emotion both in everyday life and in memory-recall activities. Despite its emotional primacy in perception and its role in sampling the real physical world, olfaction is rarely used in clinical psychological settings because it relies on stimuli that are difficult to deliver. However, recent developments in virtual-reality tools are creating novel possibilities for the engagement of the sense of smell in this field. In this article, we present the relevant features of olfaction for relaxation purposes and then discuss possible future applications of involving olfaction in virtual-reality interventions for relaxation. We also discuss clinical applications, the potential of new tools, and current obstacles and limitations

The Psychological Risks Associated With the Non-medical Switch From Biologics to Biosimilars

Biological products are therapeutic agents produced using a living system or organism. In many cases, access to these products is limited due to their expensive cost (Chow et al., 2011). A biosimilar is a biological product that is highly similar (not identic) to, and has no clinically meaningful differences from, an existing reference biological product on the market (Desai et al., 2020). “Non-medical” switching is the switching of a patient's medicine for reasons other than the patient's health and safety, like the reduction of costs (Dolinar et al., 2019)

A remark on the Hankel determinant formula for solutions of the Toda equation

We consider the Hankel determinant formula of the $\tau$ functions of the Toda equation. We present a relationship between the determinant formula and the auxiliary linear problem, which is characterized by a compact formula for the $\tau$ functions in the framework of the KP theory. Similar phenomena that have been observed for the Painlev\'e II and IV equations are recovered. The case of finite lattice is also discussed.Comment: 14 pages, IOP styl

Do You Transfer Your Skills? From Sports to Health Management in Cancer Patients

Skill transfer is a process where personal cognitive and behavioral abilities are applied to contexts that are different from the one in which they were originally learned. Literature demonstrates that skill transferability is possible: for example, people can apply skills learned in sports to other life-domains (such as school, work, or health management) with the aim to improve individual characteristics and reach personal goals. To do this, several factors, such as positive communication, adequate context, a person-centered perspective, and specific strategies, are necessary. On the basis of this, the aim of this contribution is explore the relationship between sports and health management skills to enhance the coach/athlete as well as the patient/physician relationships. Useful strategies for skill transfer from sports to cancer management are shown

Dimensionality and Measurement Invariance of the Italian Version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 in Postoperative Lung Cancer Patients

Background: This study aims to validate and evaluate the psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the Italian version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (QLQ-C30), which is a measure of quality of life (QoL) for lung cancer patients after surgery. Methods: A total of 167 lung cancer patients completed the Italian version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire at 30 days after they received a lobectomy. The factor structure of this scale was assessed by performing confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Measurement invariance was evaluated by considering differential item functioning (DIF) due to age, gender, and type of surgery (i.e., robot- or not robot-assisted). Results: The CFA demonstrated the validity of the factor structure of the EORTC QLQ-C30 in assessing overall health and eight distinct subscales of adverse events and functioning. Moreover, the results highlighted a minimal DIF with only trivial consequences on measurement invariance. Specifically, the DIF did not affect the mean differences of latent scores of QoL between patients undergoing robot-assisted surgery or traditional surgery. Conclusion: These findings supported the validity and suitability of the EORTC QLQ-C30 for the assessment of QoL in lung cancer patients of diverse ages and genders undergoing lobectomy with or without robot-assisted surgery

From virtual to real healing: a critical overview of the therapeutic use of virtual reality to cope with mourning

In recent years, virtual reality (VR) has been effectively employed in several settings, ranging from health care needs to leisure and gaming activities. A new application of virtual stimuli appeared in social media: in the documentary ‘I met you’ from the South-Korean Munhwa Broadcasting, a mother made the experience of interacting with the avatar of the seven-year-old daughter, who died four years before. We think that this new application of virtual stimuli should open a debate on its possible implications: it represents contents related to grief, a dramatic and yet natural experience, that can have deep psychological impacts on fragile subjects put in virtual environments. In the present work, possible side-effects, as well as hypothetical therapeutical application of VR for the treatment of mourning, are discussed

Dimensionality and Measurement Invariance of the Italian Version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 in Postoperative Lung Cancer Patients

Background: This study aims to validate and evaluate the psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the Italian version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (QLQ-C30), which is a measure of quality of life (QoL) for lung cancer patients after surgery. Methods: A total of 167 lung cancer patients completed the Italian version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire at 30 days after they received a lobectomy. The factor structure of this scale was assessed by performing confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Measurement invariance was evaluated by considering differential item functioning (DIF) due to age, gender, and type of surgery (i.e., robot- or not robot-assisted). Results: The CFA demonstrated the validity of the factor structure of the EORTC QLQ-C30 in assessing overall health and eight distinct subscales of adverse events and functioning. Moreover, the results highlighted a minimal DIF with only trivial consequences on measurement invariance. Specifically, the DIF did not affect the mean differences of latent scores of QoL between patients undergoing robot-assisted surgery or traditional surgery. Conclusion: These findings supported the validity and suitability of the EORTC QLQ-C30 for the assessment of QoL in lung cancer patients of diverse ages and genders undergoing lobectomy with or without robot-assisted surgery

A q-analogue of gl_3 hierarchy and q-Painleve VI

A q-analogue of the gl_3 Drinfel'd-Sokolov hierarchy is proposed as a reduction of the q-KP hierarchy. Applying a similarity reduction and a q-Laplace transformation to the hierarchy, one can obtain the q-Painleve VI equation proposed by Jimbo and Sakai.Comment: 14 pages, IOP style, to appear in J. Phys. A Special issue "One hundred years of Painleve VI