Communicating Corporate Social Responsibility and Brand Sincerity: A Case Study of Chipotle Mexican Grill\u27s \u27Food with Integrity\u27 Program

Using a multidisciplinary case study approach, including in-depth interviews, a survey and text analysis, this research analyzes how U.S.-based fast-casual restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill purposefully communicates its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs to its publics and how its brand personality is perceived by its brand community. Previous research (e.g., Hoeffler and Keller, 2002) asserts there is a linkage between an organization\u27s emphasis on CSR strategic communication efforts and its perceived brand sincerity. The results of this study indicate that Chipotle\u27s most devoted public, its brand community, perceives sincerity to be the most salient dimension of Chipotle\u27s brand personality. Theoretical implications are discussed

Agenda setting and agenda melding in an age of horizontal and vertical media: A new theoretical lens for virtual brand communities

This study tests agenda-setting theory and the agenda-melding hypothesis in the context of brand actors and virtual brand communities. The aggregate attribute agendas of brand-controlled communications, news media content, and a virtual brand community are analyzed. The results indicate a positive relationship between the brand agenda and brand community agenda, and an unexpected negative relationship between the media agenda and brand community agenda. In terms of agenda melding, the data indicate that the brand community, when divided by various demographic measures into subgroups, reflects attribute agendas that remain similar to the aggregate brand community agenda. © 2009 AEJMC

An open source physiologically based kinetic model for the chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus): Calibration and validation for the prediction residues in tissues and eggs.

Xenobiotics from anthropogenic and natural origin enter animal feed and human food as regulated compounds, environmental contaminants or as part of components of the diet. After dietary exposure, a chemical is absorbed and distributed systematically to a range of organs and tissues, metabolised, and excreted. Physiologically based kinetic (PBK) models have been developed to estimate internal concentrations from external doses. In this study, a generic multi-compartment PBK model was developed for chicken. The PBK model was implemented for seven compounds (with log Kow range −1.37–6.2) to quantitatively link external dose and internal dose for risk assessment of chemicals. Global sensitivity analysis was performed for a hydrophilic and a lipophilic compound to identify the most sensitive parameters in the PBK model. Model predictions were compared to measured data according to dataset-specific exposure scenarios. Globally, 71% of the model predictions were within a 3-fold change of the measured data for chicken and only 7% of the PBK predictions were outside a 10-fold change. While most model input parameters still rely on in vivo experiments, in vitro data were also used as model input to predict internal concentration of the coccidiostat monensin. Future developments of generic PBK models in chicken and other species of relevance to animal health risk assessment are discussed. Keywords: Risk assessment, Chicken, Physiologically based kinetic model, In vitro to in vivo extrapolation, Global sensitivity analysi

A comprehensive approach to managing a neglected, neglected tropical disease; The Myanmar Snakebite Project (MSP)

Snakebite is predominantly an occupational disease affecting poor rural farmers in tropical regions and was recently added to the World Health Organisation list of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD). We document an overview of methodologies developed and deployed in the Myanmar Snakebite Project, a foreign aid project largely funded by the Australian Government, with the core aim to “improve outcomes for snakebite patients”. A multidisciplinary team of experts was assembled that worked in a collaborative manner with colleagues in Myanmar, first to identify problems related to managing snakebite and then develop interventions aimed to improve selected problem areas. A broad approach was adopted, covering antivenom production, antivenom distribution and health system management of snakebite. Problems identified in antivenom production included poor snake husbandry resulting in poor survival of captive specimens, lack of geographical diversity; poor horse husbandry, resulting in high mortality, inadequate stock acquisition protocols and data collection, and inappropriate immunisation and bleeding techniques; and inadequate production capacity for freeze dried antivenoms and quality control systems. These problems were addressed in various ways, resulting in some substantial improvements. Antivenom distribution is being reorganised to achieve better availability and utilisation of stock. Health system management of snakebite was assessed across all levels within the area selected for the study, in Mandalay region. A comprehensive community survey indicated that hospital statistics substantially underestimated the snakebite burden, and that access to care by local villagers was delayed by transport and cost issues compounded by lack of antivenom at the most peripheral level of the health service. A health system survey confirmed under-resourcing at the local village level. Prospective case data collection initiated at tertiary hospitals indicated the extent of the snakebite burden on health resources. Interventions initiated or planned include training of health staff, development of a core of senior trainers who can “train the trainers” nationwide in a sustainable way, development and deployment of management guidelines and algorithms for snakebite and a distribution of solar powered fridges to remote health facilities to allow storage of antivenom and prompt treatment of snakebite cases before transfer to major hospitals, thereby reducing the “bite to needle” time.Julian White, Mohammad Afzal Mahmood, Sam Alfred, Khin Thida Thwin, Khin Maung Kyaw, Aung Zaw, David Warrell, Robert Cumming, John Moody Debbie Eagles, Keiran Ragas h, Nathan Dunstan, David Bacon, Plinio Hurtado, Chen Au Pe

Mapping Cumulative Environmental Risks: Examples from The EU NoMiracle Project

We present examples of cumulative chemical risk mapping methods developed within the NoMiracle project. The different examples illustrate the application of the concentration addition (CA) approach to pesticides at different scale, the integration in space of cumulative risks to individual organisms under the CA assumption, and two techniques to (1) integrate risks using data-driven, parametric statistical methods, and (2) cluster together areas with similar occurrence of different risk factors, respectively. The examples are used to discuss some general issues, particularly on the conventional nature of cumulative risk maps, and may provide some suggestions for the practice of cumulative risk mapping

Cellular Immune Responses to Nine Mycobacterium tuberculosis Vaccine Candidates following Intranasal Vaccination

BACKGROUND: The identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis vaccines that elicit a protective immune response in the lungs is important for the development of an effective vaccine against tuberculosis. METHODS AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study, a comparison of intranasal (i.n.) and subcutaneous (s.c.) vaccination with the BCG vaccine demonstrated that a single moderate dose delivered intranasally induced a stronger and sustained M. tuberculosis-specific T-cell response in lung parenchyma and cervical lymph nodes of BALB/c mice than vaccine delivered subcutaneously. Both BCG and a multicomponent subunit vaccine composed of nine M. tuberculosis recombinant proteins induced strong antigen-specific T-cell responses in various local and peripheral immune compartments. Among the nine recombinant proteins evaluated, the alanine proline rich antigen (Apa, Rv1860) was highly antigenic following i.n. BCG and immunogenic after vaccination with a combination of the nine recombinant antigens. The Apa-induced responses included induction of both type 1 and type 2 cytokines in the lungs as evaluated by ELISPOT and a multiplexed microsphere-based cytokine immunoassay. Of importance, i.n. subunit vaccination with Apa imparted significant protection in the lungs and spleen of mice against M. tuberculosis challenge. Despite observed differences in the frequencies and location of specific cytokine secreting T cells both BCG vaccination routes afforded comparable levels of protection in our study. CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE: Overall, our findings support consideration and further evaluation of an intranasally targeted Apa-based vaccine to prevent tuberculosis

Zware metalen in uiterwaardbodems : GISsen naar ecologische risico's

Contains fulltext : 72316pub.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access