Influence of Source Credibility on Consumer Acceptance of Genetically Modified Foods in China

This paper examines the reasoning mechanism behind the consumer acceptance of genetically modified foods (GMFs) in China, and investigates influence of source credibility on consumer acceptance of GMFs. Based on the original Persuasion Model—which was developed by Carl Hovland, an American psychologist and pioneer in the study of communication and its effect on attitudes and beliefs—we conducted a survey using multistage sampling from 1167 urban residents, which were proportionally selected from six cities in three economic regions (south, central, and north) in the Jiangsu province through face to face interviews. Mixed-process regression that could correct endogeneity and ordered probit model were used to test the impact of source credibility on consumers’ acceptance of GMFs. Our major finding was that consumer acceptance of GMFs is affected by such factors as information source credibility, general attitudes, gender, and education levels. The reliability of biotechnology research institutes, government offices devoted to management of GM organisms (GMOs), and GMO technological experts have expedited urban consumer acceptance of GM soybean oil. However, public acceptance can also decrease as faith in the environmental organization. We also found that ignorance of the endogeneity of above mentioned source significantly undervalued its effect on consumers’ acceptance. Moreover, the remaining three sources (non-GMO experts, food companies, and anonymous information found on the Internet) had almost no effect on consumer acceptance. Surprisingly, the more educated people in our survey were more skeptical towards GMFs. Our results contribute to the behavioral literature on consumer attitudes toward GMFs by developing a reasoning mechanism determining consumer acceptance of GMFs. Particularly, this paper quantitatively studied the influence of different source credibility on consumer acceptance of GMFs by using mixed-process regression to correct endogeneity in information sources, while taking into consideration of information asymmetry and specific preference in the use of information sources

Genetic dissection of rice grain shape using a recombinant inbred line population derived from two contrasting parents and fine mapping a pleiotropic quantitative trait locus qGL7

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The three-dimensional shape of grain, measured as grain length, width, and thickness (GL, GW, and GT), is one of the most important components of grain appearance in rice. Determining the genetic basis of variations in grain shape could facilitate efficient improvements in grain appearance. In this study, an F_7:8recombinant inbred line population (RIL) derived from a cross between <it>indica </it>and <it>japonica </it>cultivars (Nanyangzhan and Chuan7) contrasting in grain size was used for quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping. A genetic linkage map was constructed with 164 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The major aim of this study was to detect a QTL for grain shape and to fine map a minor QTL, <it>qGL7</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Four QTLs for GL were detected on chromosomes 3 and 7, and 10 QTLs for GW and 9 QTLs for GT were identified on chromosomes 2, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 10, respectively. A total of 28 QTLs were identified, of which several are reported for the first time; four major QTLs and six minor QTLs for grain shape were also commonly detected in both years. The minor QTL, <it>qGL7</it>, exhibited pleiotropic effects on GL, GW, GT, 1000-grain weight (TGW), and spikelets per panicle (SPP) and was further validated in a near isogenic F₂population (NIL-F₂). Finally, <it>qGL7 </it>was narrowed down to an interval between InDel marker RID711 and SSR marker RM6389, covering a 258-kb region in the Nipponbare genome, and cosegregated with InDel markers RID710 and RID76.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Materials with very different phenotypes were used to develop mapping populations to detect QTLs because of their complex genetic background. Progeny tests proved that the minor QTL, <it>qGL7</it>, could display a single mendelian characteristic. Therefore, we suggested that minor QTLs for traits with high heritability could be isolated using a map-based cloning strategy in a large NIL-F₂population. In addition, combinations of different QTLs produced diverse grain shapes, which provide the ability to breed more varieties of rice to satisfy consumer preferences.</p

Thermalization Effect in semiconductor Si, and metallic silicide NiSi2, CoSi2 by using Non-Adiabatic Molecular Dynamics Approach

Recently, cold source transistor (CSFET) with steep-slope subthreshold swing (SS) < 60 mV/decade has been proposed to overcome Boltzmann tyranny in its ballistic regime. However the scattering, especially by inelastic scattering may lead serious SS degradation through cold carrier thermalization. In this study, the electronic excitation/relaxation dynamic process is investigated theoretically by virtue of the state-of-the-art nonadiabatic molecular dynamics (NAMD) method, i.e., the mixed quantum-classical NAMD. The mixed quantum-classical NAMD considers both carrier decoherence and detailed balance to calculate the cold carrier thermalization and transfer processes in semiconductor Si, and metallic silicide (NiSi2 and CoSi2). The dependence of the thermalization factor, relaxation time, scattering time and scattering rate on energy level are obtained. The thermalization of carrier gradually increases from low energy to high energy. Partially thermalization from the ground state to reach the thermionic current window is realized with sub-100 $fs$ time scale. Fully thermalization to entail energy region depends on the barrier height sensitively, i.e., the scattering rate decreases exponentially as the energy of the out-scattering state increase. The scattering rate of NiSi2 and CoSi2 is 2 orders of magnitude higher than that of Si, arising from their higher density of states than that in Silicon This study can shed light on the material design for low power tunneling FET as well as the emerging CSFET.Comment: 14 pages, 17 figre

Genetic Characterization of a blaVIM–24-Carrying IncP-7β Plasmid p1160-VIM and a blaVIM–4-Harboring Integrative and Conjugative Element Tn6413 From Clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa

This study presents three novel integrons In1394, In1395, and In1443, three novel unit transposons Tn6392, Tn6393, and Tn6403, one novel conjugative element (ICE) Tn6413, and the first sequenced IncP-7 resistance plasmid p1160-VIM from clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Detailed sequence comparison of p1160-VIM (carrying Tn6392 and Tn6393) and Tn6413 (carrying Tn6403) with related elements were performed. Tn6392, Tn6393, and Tn6403 were generated from integration of In1394 (carrying blaVIM–24), In1395 and In1443 (carrying blaVIM–4) into prototype Tn3-family unit transposons Tn5563, Tn1403, and Tn6346, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a blaVIM–24-carrying P. aeruginosa isolate

Diagnostic value of qualitative and quantitative parameters of contrast-enhanced ultrasound for differentiating differentiated thyroid carcinomas from benign nodules

ObjectiveTo explore the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) of qualitative and quantitative parameters for differentiating differentiated thyroid cancers from benign nodules.MethodA total of 290 thyroid nodules that were pathologically confirmed were enrolled in this study. The univariate analysis was performed for the clinical characteristics and CEUS qualitative and quantitative parameters of the inside and peripheral zone of nodules, including age, gender, nodule size, intensity of enhancement, homogeneity, wash-in and wash-out patterns, margin after CEUS, ring enhancement, peak intensity, sharpness, time to peak(TP), and area under the curve(AUC), and the meaningful indicators in the single-factor analysis were further included in multivariate logistic regression analysis.ResultsMultivariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in age (p=0.031), nodule size (p&lt;0.001), heterogeneous enhancement (p&lt;0.001), hypo-enhancement (p=0.001), unclear margin after CEUS(p=0.007), inside peak (p&lt;0.001), and outside sharpness(p&lt;0.001) between benign and malignant nodules. However, there were no significant differences in gender, ring enhancement, wash-in, wash-out, outside TP, outside AUC between benign and malignant thyroid nodules (P&gt;0.05, for all).ConclusionCEUS might be useful in the differential diagnosis of differentiated thyroid cancers and benign nodules, which could provide a certain basis for clinical treatment