The Influences of Brand-Consumer and Cause-Congruence on Consumer Responses to Cause Related Marketing

Cause Related Marketing (CRM) is a widely used type of brand alliance in which companies donate a portion of their sales to social causes with whom they ally. Researchers have studied many aspects of CRM to learn why these programs are effective and how to enhance their success. An overlooked component in CRM research is the extent to which consumers identify with the brand and with the cause. The present study presented 604 U.S. college students with CRM campaigns for two brands (M&Ms and Crest) partnered with the World Wildlife Fund to assess whether brand-cause congruence, brand-consumer congruence, cause-consumer congruence, and assessment of the motives of the company influence consumer purchase intention. The results show that congruence between the self-image of the consumer with the image of the brand and with the partner both positively influence reaction to a CRM campaign, as does consumer perceptions of the motivations of the company

Engineered Nanostructured MEA Technology for Low Temperature Fuel Cells

The objective of this project is to develop a novel catalyst support technology based on unique engineered nanostructures for low temperature fuel cells which: (1) Achieves high catalyst activity and performance; (2) Improves catalyst durability over current technologies; and (3) Reduces catalyst cost. This project is directed at the development of durable catalysts supported by novel support that improves the catalyst utilization and hence reduce the catalyst loading. This project will develop a solid fundamental knowledge base necessary for the synthetic effort while at the same time demonstrating the catalyst advantages in Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFCs)

Combined Effect of Healthy Lifestyle Factors and Risks of Colorectal Adenoma, Colorectal Cancer, and Colorectal Cancer Mortality: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BackgroundIn addition to adiposity, lifestyle factors such as poor diet, low physical activity, alcohol intake and smoking are noted to be associated with the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aims to investigate the association and dose-response relationship between adherence to a healthy lifestyle and CRC risk.MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted in MEDLINE and EMBASE for studies examining multiple lifestyle factors with risk of CRC, incident colorectal adenoma (CRA), and CRC-specific mortality through June 2021 without restrictions on language or study design. Meta-analysis was performed to pool hazard ratios using random-effects model. Subgroup analyses were performed based upon study and sample characteristics. Random-effects dose-response analysis was also conducted for CRC risk to assess the effect of each additional healthy lifestyle factor.ResultsA total of 28 studies (18 cohort studies, eight case-control studies, and two cross-sectional study) were included. When comparing subjects with the healthiest lifestyle to those with the least healthy lifestyle, the pooled HR was statistically significant for CRC (0.52, 95% CI 0.44-0.63), colon cancer (0.54, 95% CI 0.44-0.67), rectal cancer (0.51, 95% CI 0.37-0.70), CRA (0.39, 95% CI 0.29-0.53), and CRC-specific mortality (0.65, 95% CI 0.52-0.81). The pooled HR for CRC was 0.91 (95% CI: 0.88-0.94) for each increase in the number of healthy lifestyles. The inverse association between healthy lifestyle and CRC risk was consistently observed in all subgroups (HR ranging from 0.26 to 0.86).ConclusionsAdoption of a higher number of healthy lifestyles is associated with lower risk of CRC, CRA, and CRC-specific mortality. Promoting healthy lifestyle could reduce the burden of CRC.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=231398, identifier CRD42021231398

Matter as Energy What Architects Need to Know

Current advances in technology and cyberspacecapacity coupled with emerging research in science education arecreating new opportunities to enhance architectural education inthe science and technology areas and prepare students foreffective collaboration with other stakeholders in the buildingindustry. The project described in this paper addresses the needfor the improvement of science and technology education andproposes that using advances in digital technology to engagestudents in interactive learning is a necessary step. One of themost promising and youngest applications of computertechnology has been in developing in educational games. Usingnew technologies to re-think the education of the architect in therelation to matter as energy reinforces the role of architecture inscience, technology and mathematics

A multi-objective decision-support model for selecting environmentally conscious highway construction methods

The construction industry has a considerable share in overall resource and energy consumption. Consequently, decision-makers try to achieve environmentally conscious construction by integrating environmental objectives into the selection of construction elements. Due to the complexity of construction projects, it is a known challenge to provide an effective mechanism to select the most feasible construction methods. Thus, it is crucial to learn the interdependency between various resource alternatives, such as material and equipment type, under various project conditions like unavailability of resources. An analytic network process (ANP) was used in this study to construct a decision model for selecting the most feasible construction method. Data collected via interviews with highway construction experts were used to model the dependency between decision parameters, such as project conditions and resource performance indicators. The proposed ANP model output the relative importance weights of decision parameters so that they can be used to identify environmentally conscious construction methods. The proposed mechanism is a valuable asset for construction decision-makers especially when their ability to select construction methods is limited by project constraints. Although the model was tested in a highway project in this paper, it can be further extended to benefit building construction and sustainable decision-making problems

Industrial construction safety policies and practices with cost impacts in a COVID-19 pandemic environment: A Louisiana DOW case study

There are always significant challenges in improving the safety culture by changing and adding additional safety protocols. The unknown impacts of COVID-19 and how it quickly spreads led the industry to institute essential safety protocols. This paper addresses two problem statements. The first problem statement is: what are the additional safety protocols for process safety, construction & maintenance, and personal protective equipment requirements? The second problem statement is: what are the cost and schedule impacts of industrial construction projects resulting from implementing safety protocols and process safety during construction with the added PPE? While complying with added safety protocols, the industrial construction industry cannot forget that it has a distinct reputation for high incident rates and less than desirable safety performance. In 2017, the construction industry suffered 971 fatalities. This alarming number is compared to 1123 total fatalities in 2017 for the Gulf Coast States. The objective is to share the rationale and practices of social distancing, required additional PPE, and personal hygiene practices to reduce spreading and outbreaks during a pandemic within an industrial construction environment. Before any construction work, the process safety teams must clear, isolate, and tag out process lines, equipment, and instruments to be repaired or replaced. The information presented demonstrates the significant cost and schedule impacts that industrial construction companies will encounter during a pandemic like COVID-19. This paper aims to improve safety processes, cost & schedule impacts, and prescribe additional personal protective equipment in industrial construction during a pandemic such as COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic spread globally in a very short period. The reactions in mitigating the spread were suggestive, with little to no data on safety protective equipment and practices. The contribution this paper addresses are how to employ efficient safety practices and policies during a pandemic in an industrial construction environment