International Advertising Strategy In New Asia: A Country-Of-Origin Approach On Standardization Vs. Customization

This study revisited the debate concerning standardization vs. customization of the international advertising strategy from a Country-of-Origin (COO) approach. The objective here is to compare the perceptions of the exporting country and its products from the vantage point of different host countries, and to compare exporting countrys self-image with the perceived images prevailing in the host countries. Further, the study also examines the images of search products and experience products across different countries. Through analyzing survey data collected from 189 Americans, 238 Chinese, and 236 Japanese consumers, we found that different host countries have significantly different perceptions of the same exporting country. Moreover, exporting countrys self-image also largely varies from the host countrys perception of the exporting country. Finally, differences in product image were found both for search and experience products. Therefore, customized advertising strategy is suggested in the New Asia, especially in the countries studied

Preparation of an antitumor and antivirus agent: chemical modification of α-MMC and MAP30 from Momordica Charantia L. with covalent conjugation of polyethyelene glycol

Background: Alpha-momorcharin (α-MMC) and momordica anti-HIV protein (MAP30) derived from Momordica charantia L. have been confirmed to possess antitumor and antivirus activities due to their RNA-N-glycosidase activity. However, strong immunogenicity and short plasma half-life limit their clinical application. To solve this problem, the two proteins were modified with (mPEG)[subscript 2]-Lys-NHS (20 kDa). Methodology/principal findings: In this article, a novel purification strategy for the two main type I ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs), α-MMC and MAP30, was successfully developed for laboratory-scale preparation. Using this dramatic method, 200 mg of α-MMC and about 120 mg of MAP30 was obtained in only one purification process from 200 g of Momordica charantia seeds. The homogeneity and some other properties of the two proteins were assessed by gradient SDS-PAGE, electrospray ionization quadruple mass spectrometry, and N-terminal sequence analysis as well as Western blot. Two polyethylene glycol (PEG)ylated proteins were synthesized and purified. Homogeneous mono-, di-, or tri-PEGylated proteins were characterized by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. The analysis of antitumor and antivirus activities indicated that the serial PEGylated RIPs preserved moderate activities on JAR choriocarcinoma cells and herpes simplex virus-1. Furthermore, both PEGylated proteins showed about 60%–70% antitumor and antivirus activities, and at the same time decreased 50%–70% immunogenicity when compared with their unmodified counterparts. Conclusion/significance: α-MMC and MAP30 obtained from this novel purification strategy can meet the requirement of a large amount of samples for research. Their chemical modification can solve the problem of strong immunogenicity and meanwhile preserve moderate activities. All these findings suggest the potential application of PEGylated α-MMC and PEGylated MAP30 as antitumor and antivirus agents. According to these results, PEGylated RIPs can be constructed with nanomaterials to be a targeting drug that can further decrease immunogenicity and side effects. Through nanotechnology we can make them low-release drugs, which can further prolong their half-life period in the human body

Assessing Chinese Consumers Likelihood To Adopt Self-Service Technologies

The proliferation of new self-service technology in retailing suggests a need to assess the extent to which consumers are ready and willing to actually use the technology. This study examines the influence that the dimensions of the Technology Readiness Index (TRI) has on the propensity of consumers in China, one of the fastest growing economies in the world, to use self-service technology to complete retail transactions. Cluster analysis was also used to classify Chinese consumers into consumer types based on their TRI scores. The findings indicate that the dimensions of TRI impacts consumer types differently with respect to influencing the likelihood of using self-service technology. Implications of the consumer classifications are also discussed