The Impact of Moral Philosophy and Moral Intensity on Purchase Behavior toward Sustainable Textile and Apparel Products

This study investigated the causal–effect relationships among moral philosophy, moral intensity, and purchase behavior toward environmentally sustainable textile and apparel products. A research model incorporating two dimensions of moral philosophy (i.e., idealism and relativism), five dimensions of moral intensity (i.e., magnitude, probability, temporal immediacy, proximity, and social consensus), and purchase behavior toward sustainable textile and apparel products was tested using consumer data collected from a wide age range of Korean females through online surveys. Organic and naturally dyed textile and apparel products were selected as focal interests of this study due to the significance of the two product markets in Korea. The results revealed that, of the two dimensions of moral philosophy, only idealism had a significant impact on overall moral intensity and moral intensity had a significant impact on consumer purchase behavior toward sustainable textile and apparel products, which confirmed the sequential relationship among the variables. As the first attempt, to our knowledge, to apply an ethical view to environmentally sustainable textile and apparel product consumption, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the determinants of sustainable textile and apparel consumption among Korean consumers and the development of effective marketing communication strategies targeting Korean consumers

How Do Consumers Evaluate the Identical Product on Competing Online Retailers? A Big Data Analysis Approach Using Consumer Reviews

For big data analysis practice, this study collected both types of consumer review data, a structured form (i.e., review ratings) and an unstructured form (i.e., review text), on a fashion item from two different online retailers. Using the collected data, this study aims to identify 1) consumers\u27 evaluation criteria on a fashion product, 2) positive or negative sentiment toward the product, and 2) the impact of these identified variables on consumers\u27 ratings. For online retailers, Amazon.com and Macys.com were selected for comparison. The results identified six evaluation criteria from consumer reviews such as authenticity and inside design and revealed that Macy\u27s online consumers are, in general, more satisfied with the fashion product and have more specific evaluation criteria satisfying themselves, compared to Amazon.com\u27s consumers. The results suggest that product and service attributes influencing consumers\u27 satisfaction and evaluation are different across online retailers and its consumers, even on the same product

Positive emotion elicitation process of Chinese consumers toward a U.S. apparel brand: A cognitive appraisal perspective

Scope and Method of Study: Despite the importance of China as a key export market for U.S businesses, the U.S. apparel industry has held a significant trade deficit with China for a long time. To reduce the trade deficit with China, U.S. apparel firms need to establish pertinent market strategies based on an understanding of Chinese consumers. To this end, this study aimed to examine the Chinese consumer emotion elicitation process toward a U.S. apparel brand. As a systematic approach, this study proposed a conceptual model employing the cognitive appraisal theory. This study posited that consumer global orientation (CGO) influences Chinese consumers' appraisals (relevance and congruence) of a U.S. apparel brand (Levi's), and through the appraisals, Chinese consumers elicit positive emotions toward the brand, resulting in purchase intentions of the brand. Data were collected using mall intercept surveys at shopping malls in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou.Findings and Conclusions: Among the proposed ten hypotheses in the research model, eight hypotheses were statistically significant. Of three antecedents of the consumer emotion elicitation process, two variables (exposure to global mass media and cultural openness) positively increased Chinese consumers' appraisals (relevance and congruence) of the U.S. apparel brand in a similar degree. Unlike these two antecedents (exposure to global mass media and cultural openness), the effects of exposure to mass migration on relevance and congruence were found to be insignificant. The independent relationships between appraisal dimensions and positive emotion were all supported. Another finding of this study is that the interaction effect of relevance and congruence on positive emotion was supported. Finally, this study confirmed that positive emotions increased Chinese consumers' purchase intentions of a U.S. apparel brand. Based on these findings, theoretical and managerial implications were discussed

Étude de l'impact de la phosphorylation de la co-polymérase sur l'interaction entre les protéines du complexe de polymérisation des exopolysaccharides chez Lactobacillus rhamnosus

Les souches Lactobacillus rhamnosus RW-9595M et ATCC 9595 possèdent 17 cadres de lecture ouverts (ORF) identiques à 99 % identifiés comme gènes de biosynthèse putatifs des EPS. Par contre, les quantités produites diffèrent avec 543 mg l-1 pour RW-9595M et 108 mg l-1 pour ATCC 9595. La phosphorylation réversible a été proposée comme mécanisme pour réguler la polymérisation des EPS chez les bactéries lactiques. Parmi les protéines participant à la polymérisation, on propose la tyrosine kinase, la tyrosine phosphatase et la co-polymérase. Cette étude cherche à démontrer l’impact de la phosphorylation de ces protéines, surtout la co-polymérase (Wzd), sur le complexe de ces protéines chez L. rhamnosus. Afin de tester l’effet de la phosphorylation sur leurs interactions, Wzd (co-polymérase) et Wze (kinase) ont été exprimées chez L. lactis ou chez E. coli. Chez L. lactis ssp. cremoris, certaines combinaisons de gènes peuvent être associées à la production d'EPS in vivo. Chez E. coli, l'expression des gènes peut être contrôlée, permettant d'exprimer et de purifier des protéines dans le but d'effectuer l'étude de leurs interactions in vitro. Les clones de la souche L. lactis ssp. cremoris MG1363 (naturellement non productrice d’EPS) transformée avec l’opéron EPS de RW-9595M ou ATCC 9595 produisent respectivement 326 et 302 mg l-1, mais avec des rendements inférieurs à la production chez la souche d'origine RW-9595M. Lors des essais in vitro, Wzd et Wze ne s’autophosphorylent pas lorsqu'elles sont seules, mais ensemble elles forment un complexe. Le complexe entre ces deux protéines non phosphorylées permet la phosphorylation de Wzd par Wze en présence d’ATP. Wze est libérée par la déstabilisation de cette interaction suivant la phosphorylation. L’existence de Wzd phosphorylée et de l’ATP conduit à l’auto-phosphorylation de Wze par une interaction transitoire. De plus, l’activité de Wzd est modulée par la phosphorylation des tyrosines en permettant l’autophosphorylation de Wze. Or, la phosphorylation de Wzd peut être une étape de phosphorylation réversible pour la polymérisation des EPS. Cette étude contribue à la compréhension de la relation entre les caractéristiques et les fonctions biologiques des polymères d'EPS.Lactobacillus rhamnosus RW-9595M and ATCC 9595 have 99 % identical 17 open reading frames (ORFs) identified as putative genes coding for EPS biosynthesis and both strains produce very different EPS amounts: 543 mg l-1 (RW-9595M) and 108 mg l-1 (ATCC 9595). Reversible phosphorylation has been proposed as a mechanism to regulate the polymerization of EPS in lactic acid bacteria and three proteins, tyrosine kinase, tyrosine phosphatase and co-polymerase are proposed to be responsible for this regulation. The aim of this project was to demonstrate the impact of the phosphorylation of these proteins, especially the co-polymerase (Wzd), on the protein complex for EPS polymerization in L. rhamnosus. To test the effect of phosphorylation on their interactions, Wzd and Wze were expressed in L. lactis subsp. cremoris and E. coli. In L. lactis subsp. cremoris, the presence of certain combinations of genes can be associated with EPS production yields. In E. coli, gene expression can be controled and the proteins purified in order to study their interactions and phosphorylation state in vitro. Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris MG1363, a non EPS-producing strain, was transformed with two recombinant plasmids coding for the genes required for EPS synthesis. These transformants with operons from either RW-9595M or ATCC 9595 produce 326 and 302 mg l-1 respectively, with lower yields than RW-9595M. The proteins encoded by wzd and wze are respectively the co-polymerase and the kinase which theoretically participate in determining the chain length of the EPS. These two proteins do not autophosphorylate when they are alone, but together form a complex. The non-phosphorylated complex of two proteins allows the phosphorylation of Wzd by Wze, in the presence of ATP. This phosphorylation destabilizes the protein interaction with Wze. The transient interaction with phosphorylated Wzd leads to autophosphorylation of Wze in the presence of ATP. In addition, the activity of Wzd is modulated by tyrosine phosphorylation allowing autophosphorylation of Wze. Thus, the phosphorylation of Wzd may be an additional step of reversible phosphorylation for polymerization of EPS. This study may help advance our understanding of the relationship between the characteristics and biological functions of these polymers