The impact of body image self-discrepancy on body dissatisfaction, fashion involvement, concerns with fit and size of garments, and loyalty intentions in online apparel shopping

The purposes of this study were: (1) to explore the domain of concerns with fit and size of garments using a qualitative technique; (2) to develop scales, measuring them in the offline and online shopping contexts; and (3) to examine the relationships among body image self-discrepancy, body dissatisfaction, fashion involvement, concerns with fit and size of garments, and loyalty intentions based on the self-discrepancy and cognitive dissonance theories.;In Phase 1, the domain of concerns with fit and size of garments was explored using a focus group interview technique. Results of this phase revealed seven distinct, interrelated themes, encompassing both offline and online shopping.;In Phase 2, based on the findings from Phase 1, two concerns with fit and size of garment scales were developed for offline and online shopping. As a result of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, five dimensions, including 22 items, were identified for each of the offline and online shopping contexts. It appeared that both offline and online shopping contexts generated similar concerns with fit and size of garments to some extent, but at the same time, the concerns with fit and size in the two different shopping formats were explained by somewhat different dimensions.;In Phase 3, a hypothesized model, examining the relationships among body image self-discrepancy, body dissatisfaction, enduring and situational fashion involvement, concerns with fit and size of garments, and loyalty intentions, was tested using a SEM technique. The results showed that body image self-discrepancy was positively related to body dissatisfaction. Body dissatisfaction was positively related to enduring and situational fashion involvement. Body dissatisfaction was positively associated with five concerns with fit and size of garment dimensions. However, the relationships between enduring and situational fashion involvement and five concerns with fit and size of garment dimensions were not significant. Finally, concerns with overall appearance and concerns with unavailability of size did not influence loyalty intentions; whereas, concerns with imagining fit/size in online shopping negatively affected loyalty intentions

College students’ purchase intention for luxury brand fashion counterfeit goods: A cross-cultural comparison

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (2012) reported that fashion counterfeiting keeps growing. Among the 25,000 counterfeits seized in 2011, fashion counterfeits were the largest category, representing 32%. China is one of the largest suppliers of counterfeits (Facts and Details, 2012). However, little is known about Chinese consumers’ fashion counterfeit purchase behaviors and no cross-cultural studies have examined the differences between U.S. and Chinese consumers in terms of factors influencing their behavioral intention related to fashion counterfeit consumption

Telepresence and Aesthetic Experiences on Online Stores: A Brand-Website Image Congruence Perspective

Multichannel integration has often been studied from operational perspectives, with much less attention paid on the symbolic image aspect of channel integration. Based on the integration of schema and congruity theory, this study demonstrates the importance of seamless channel integration from a symbolic image congruence perspective, using data from an online survey with 458 female consumers. Specifically, findings of this study suggest that a high image fit of a brand\u27s website to its original brand image may increase the consumer\u27s acceptance of the website\u27s aesthetic appeal and help them feel telepresence (i.e., feel as if they were in the brand\u27s physical store) while shopping online, which in turn leads to increased patronage intent for the website. Further research is needed to disentangle the cross-channel image fit phenomenon and factors that influence the fit perception

ENTEROVIRUS RECOMBINATION AS A TARGET FOR VIRAL ATTENUATION AND ANTIVIRAL THERAPEUTICS

Novel positive-strand RNA viruses continue to emerge without warning, causing epidemics and pandemics. The recent pandemic caused by circulation of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has clearly demonstrated the need for universally applicable strategies to eradicate infections and contain outbreaks. As all positive-strand RNA viruses require an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) for genome replication, this conserved enzyme has been a longstanding target for enzyme-mechanism-based strategies for viral attenuation and development of antiviral therapeutics. While much is known about the structure, dynamics, and mechanism of the RdRp, far less is known about RdRp-catalyzed RNA recombination, which results in the creation of recombinant genomes between co-infected viruses.In this dissertation, we use poliovirus (PV) as a primary model system to study RNA recombination as a target for viral attenuation and therapeutic intervention. In Chapter 2, we investigate biochemical properties of the RdRp that can be tuned to modulate the efficiency and/or mechanism of RNA recombination by characterizing derivatives of a PV RdRp mutant, K359H, of which speed and fidelity were perturbed by changing an RdRp active-site residue. Together with a cell-based approach and two distinct biochemical assays for PV recombination, we demonstrated RdRp-mediated template switching as the primary mechanism of copy-choice recombination. Furthermore, our data suggests the existence of additional biochemical properties of the RdRp, rather than the commonly cited properties of speed and fidelity, that are essential for recombination.In Chapter 3, we report the discovery of IRES-independent translation of enterovirus genome. In addition to the genetic evidence, we also demonstrated indirect detection of PV 3CD produced by the IRES-independent mechanism. Moreover, we also demonstrated the non-canonical translation initiation factors, eIF2A and eIF2D, were required for IRES-independent translation.For the RdRp-catalyzed template-switching mechanism to function in cells, the recombining genomes must be located in the same subcellular compartment. In Chapter 4, we present our future directions and show preliminary data to investigate how a viral genome is trafficked to the site of genome replication and how recombination could occur.Doctor of Philosoph

The Central Role of Product Beauty in Consumers’ Neuropsychological Response to the Design of Hedonic and Utilitarian Products

Aesthetic experience and preference is not a unitary phenomenon, and is the result of affective and cognitive elements (Di Dio & Gallese, 2009). Affective response refers to the feelings and emotions experienced when interacting with or observing an object (Yeung & Wyer, 2004). Cognitive response includes the mental categorization of the product as well as productrelated beliefs such as quality, durability, and ease of use (Bloch, 1995). While studies have examined how different properties of the object contribute to perceptions of product beauty, the influence of these perception in subsequent affective and cognitive responses of consumer has been left unexamined

Determinants Of The Use Of Special Purpose Companies (SPCs) On Pre- And Post-IFRS: Empirical Evidence From Korea

We investigate which factors determine the use of a special purpose company (SPC) by a sponsoring company and whether those determinants differ before and after IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) adoption. Using financial data from Korean listed companies, our results indicate that use of an SPC is associated with financial reporting incentives (e.g., lowering leverage) and economic benefits (e.g., fundraising). However, the effect of leverage on the use of SPCs is not significant after the adoption of the IFRS. These results suggest that, although companies are generally motivated to use SPCs for both financial reporting and economic purposes, only economic motivation influences the use of SPCs after IFRS adoption. This implies that the regulation for reporting an SPC’s consolidated financial statement under IFRS plays a role in decreasing the use of SPCs for financial reporting discretion. We extend the prior literature on SPCs by documenting the effects of IFRS adoption on the determinants of the use of SPCs

Effective method for drug injection into subcutaneous tissue

Subcutaneous injection of drug solution is widely used for continuous and low dose drug treatment. Although the drug injections have been administered for a long time, challenges in the design of injection devices are still needed to minimize the variability, pain, or skin disorder by repeated drug injections. To avoid these adverse effects, systematic study on the effects of injection conditions should be conducted to improve the predictability of drug effect. Here, the effects of injection conditions on the drug permeation in tissues were investigated using X-ray imaging technique which provides realtime images of drug permeation with high spatial resolution. The shape and concentration distribution of the injected drug solution in the porcine subcutaneous and muscle tissues are visualized. Dynamic movements of the wetting front (WF) and temporal variations of water contents in the two tissues are quantitatively analyzed. Based on the quantitative analysis of the experimental data, the permeability of drug solution through the tissues are estimated according to permeation direction, injection speed, and tissue. The present results would be helpful for improving the performance of drug injection devices and for predicting the drug efficacy in tissues using biomedical simulation.112Ysciescopu

Hydraulic Strategy of Cactus Trichome for Absorption and Storage of Water under Arid Environment

Being an essential component in various metabolic activities, water is important for the survival of plants and animals. Cacti grown in arid areas have developed intrinsic water management systems, such as water collection through spines, water absorption through trichome, and water storage using mucilage. The water collection method of cactus is well-documented, but its water absorption and storage strategies remain to be elucidated. Thus, this study analyzed the morphology and wettability of cactus trichomes by using advanced bio-imaging techniques and by performing in vitro experiments on an artificial system mimicking these structures, respectively. In addition, the in situ water absorption process through the trichome cluster was quantitatively visualized. This paper proposes a new bio-inspired technique for dew collection based on information about the water management strategies of cactus. This study discusses the underlying water absorption and storage strategies of cactus and provides the experimental database required to develop a biomimetic water management device.114Ysciescopu

Multi-cultural, multi-course collaborative project: Learning outcomes and project impact

A multi-course collaborative project is an effective way to enhance student learning because it not only facilitates the development of social skills, but also provides students an opportunity to understand the importance of collaboration with people in diverse areas in the industry (Kim, LaFleur, & Schaeffer, 2008). A collaborative project in a multi-cultural setting enhances student learning by exposing students to other cultures and broadening their scope of knowledge and applications (Chen, Hsu, & Caropreso, 2006)