Omnichannel fashion retailing: examining the customer decision-making journey

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the customer decision-making journey of high involvement female fashion consumers in the context of omnichannel fashion retailing. Design/methodology/approach – The research is qualitative in nature, using a multi-method approach consisting of focus groups, semi-structured interviews, online diaries and follow-up interviews, with grounded theory applied to analyse the data. Findings – The results of the study include a framework to outline the stages of the omnichannel customer decision-making journey for young high involvement female fashion consumers. The findings also reveal that an omnichannel decision-making journey is the one that predicated on risk and that consumers employ specific strategies to avoid such risks. Research limitations/implications – Due to the nature of this research, the sample size is limited and may not be generalised. Data collection was confined to Manchester, UK. Practical implications – Customer journey mapping enables practitioners to view the entire shopping experience through the eyes of the customer and enables retailers’ fault-find issues within the customer and brand experience. Originality/value – The paper advances knowledge about fashion and consumer behaviour. The customer decision journey framework maps the emotional experiences, devices and channels encountered by high involvement fashion consumers across each stage of the omnichannel journey

Sex Offender Treatment Project: Literature Review

A comprehensive literature review on recidivism by and the treatment of sex offenders.Alaska Department of CorrectionsAcknowledgements / Introduction / Recidivism / Treatment — Voluntary Vs. Involuntary, Treated Vs. Untreated / Treatment — Types, Levels, Evolution, Relapse Prevention and Cost/Benefit Analysis / Treatment and Recidivism as it Relates to Various Types of Sexual Offenders / Other Factors Possibly Involved in Reoffense Potential / Conclusion / Bibliograph

Investigating heparin affinity chromatography for extracellular vesicle purification and fractionation

The purification of extracellular vesicles (EVs) remains a major hurdle in the progression of fundamental research and the commercial application of EV-based products. In this study, we evaluated the potential of heparin affinity chromatography (HAC) to purify neural stem cell-derived EVs as part of a multistep process. Bind-elute chromatography, such as HAC, is an attractive method of purification because it is highly scalable, robust and can be automated. Our findings support an interaction between EVs and heparin. The recovery of EVs using HAC based on particle counts was a minimum of 68.7%. We found HAC could remove on average 98.8% and 99.0% of residual protein and DNA respectively. In addition to EV purification, HAC was used to separate EVs into three populations based on their affinity to the heparin column. Within these populations, we detected differences in the expression of the exosome-associated protein TSG101 and the tetraspanin immunophenotype. However, the significance of these observations is not clear. Overall HAC shows promise as a potential purification method to capture EVs and this study proposes a novel application of HAC for EV fractionation. Moving forward, a better understanding of the heparin-EV interaction would be required before HAC can be more widely adopted for these applications

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Use in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis: A Literature Review

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapies have been growing in popularity in research due to their anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and regenerative properties. Many ongoing clinical trials are investigating the safety and efficacy of MSC therapies to treat osteoarthritis, also known as “wear and tear” arthritis. As the average life expectancy increases, with age people are more prone to developing this disease, therefore, increasing its prevalence. This condition is progressive and will lead to functional decline, decreased quality of life, and increased medical costs. Our focus is to discuss the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cell injections in alleviating pain, improving functionality, and slowing the disease progression of osteoarthritis in adults. We systematically reviewed studies through multiple databases, including PubMed, ScienceDirect, AccessMedicine, and Iceberg using the search terms mesenchymal stem cells, osteoarthritis, stem cell therapy, and degenerative joint disease. We limited searches to 2018 and newer, studies in English, and human trials. A total of 20 studies that met the criteria out of 65 full-text studies were included in this review. Clinical outcomes such as pain, functionality, and tissue regeneration were assessed using WOMAC, KOOS, and other validated clinical outcome scales, and resonance imaging were used for disease progression rating. Studies reviewing mesenchymal stem cell injections in arthritic joints have shown positive clinical outcomes with results showing pain level, joint function and regeneration. To realize stem cell injections outside of studies, long-term and larger-scale randomized clinical trials are required to strengthen the interpretations and validity of current studies

Spatial population genetic structure and colony dynamics in Damaraland mole‑rats (Fukomys damarensis) from the southern Kalahari

BACKGROUND : Non-random associations within and among groups of social animals can provide valuable insight into the function of group living and the evolution of social behaviour. Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis) demonstrate extremely high levels of reproductive skew, and dispersal is considered to be male-biased in onset and frequency, although asymmetry in dispersal distance is yet to be investigated. Dispersal may be positively correlated with increasing favourable environmental conditions, such as rainfall, however, the effects of ecological constraints on dispersal and colony fission–fusion dynamics have not previously been demonstrated on a spatial scale. Here we provide the first spatial population genetic study for this species. We investigated genetic structure in a population of Damaraland mole-rats from the southern Kalahari in South Africa over 3 years, combining observational dispersal data from mark-recapture with population genetic data to evaluate (1) sex-bias in frequency and distance of dispersal in this species, and (2) the effect of rainfall on fission–fusion dynamics of colonies. RESULTS : Our results demonstrate (1) that both males and females favour local dispersal but on rare occasions may disperse over distances greater than 400 m, (2) that males may disperse over greater distances than females, and (3) that males more frequently immigrate into established neighbouring colonies than females, who predominantly disperse by colony fission, i.e. multiple individuals “budding” from their native colony into a neighbouring territory, thereby establishing new colonies. Furthermore, our results demonstrate (4) elevated dispersal and colony fission in association with increased rainfall, supporting the hypothesis that rainfall may play a significant role in the maintenance and/or disruption of reproductive skew in Damaraland mole-rat populations. CONCLUSION : This study represents the first fine-scale spatial population genetic study in Damaraland mole-rats, and provides relevant insights into colony fission–fusion dynamics in a social and cooperatively breeding species.ADDITIONAL FILE 1 : TABLE S1. Evidence of dispersal from mark-recapture data, indicating the colonies/capture sites for individuals that were captured at different sites in successive years, and the spatial distance associated with each dispersal event.The National Research Foundation (NRF) South African Research Chair Initiative (SARChI) Chair of Behavioural Ecology and Physiology (NCB), and the University of Pretoria.https://bmcecolevol.biomedcentral.comam2022BiochemistryGeneticsMammal Research InstituteMicrobiology and Plant PathologyZoology and Entomolog

Importance of cattle biodiversity and its influence on the nutrient composition of beef

Livestock make a substantial contribution to achieving food and nutrition security due to various factors including the high nutritional quality of animal-source foods. Conservation and sustainable use of cattle genetic resources are important due to the multiple benefits provided by local breeds. These benefits include multiple direct uses, additional market value provided by specialty products, social and cultural roles, and adaptations that local breeds have to climate and diseases in harsh environments. Meat composition varies across cattle breeds. Whereas genetics play a role in this variation, management practices, such as diet, and other environmental factors also affect nutrient composition. Compositional data for cattle breeds have been added to the FAO/INFOODS Food Composition Database for Biodiversity. The database is publicly available and has value for use by researchers, nutritionists, producers, the general public and other stakeholders. More compositional data, including amino acids, minerals, and vitamins, are needed from local breeds in order to understand better the nutritional benefits of sustainably managing animal genetic resources

Intergenerational transmission of worklessness: Evidence from the Millennium Cohort and the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England

This project investigated the extent of parental worklessness in families with young and teenage children, and determined how parental worklessness impacts on children’s cognitive ability, education attainment, behaviours, attitude to school, academic aspirations and experience of the transition from school to work. We found that parental worklessness was significantly associated with: • poorer academic attainment and behavioural adjustment of young children (at age 7) • poorer academic attainment (GCSE point scores) of young people (at Key Stage 4 (KS4)) • with being not in education, employment and training (NEET) and with being NEET for longer (months spent in NEET) in late adolescence. This result was obtained even after allowing for a number of other socio-economic risks facing these children and young people (e.g. low income, low parental education level). Though it must be stated that much of the association (but not all) between parental worklessness and these outcomes was attributable to these other risk factors facing workless families. Parental worklessness had no independent effect on a number of other outcomes, such as children’s wellbeing (not being happy at school, being bullied and bullying other children), feelings of lack of control, becoming a teen parent, and risky behaviour. This evidence provides limited support for a policy agenda targeted only at getting parents back into work. It was generally not parental worklessness per se that caused poorer outcomes in childhood and adolescence but rather the complex needs and numerous socio-economic risks faced by workless families. Our report cannot determine whether we should tackle the underlying sources of these risks (e.g. family poverty, poor parental education etc.) or deal directly with the consequences of these risks (e.g. poor achievement of young people at KS4; experience of NEET). What our research does clearly show is that policy needs to not only target getting parents back into work but also to address the other risks that these children and their families face

Navigating SEL From the Inside Out: Looking Inside & Across 18 Leading SEL Programs: A Practical Resource for Schools and OST ProvidersMiddle & High School Focus

The field of social and emotional learning (SEL) is rapidly expanding, as evidence emerges that social and emotional skills have a positive impact on learning and life outcomes. This guide to evidence-based SEL programs provides detailed information on 18 middle and high school programs, encompassing curricular content and program highlights. School or out-of-school-time program practitioners interested in SEL can use the resource to look "inside and across" SEL programs to better understand their content and assess their fit with school district or community needs.?The guide was written by Harvard Graduate School of Education professor Stephanie Jones, an expert in social and emotional learning, and a team of researchers. It is a practical resource that provides profiles of each program, including the specific skills targeted and instructional methods used. Some programs, for example, are designed to help students regulate their behavior and build positive relationships, while others are aimed at developing certain mindsets or character traits.Much of the guide focuses on detailed program information, while introductory chapters discuss a range of topics, including SEL in out-of-school-time (OST) programming, equitable SEL and a trauma-sensitive approach to SEL.In addition to helping schools and OST providers make decisions about choosing a social and emotional learning program, the guide is designed to be a useful resource for those who want to better understand social and emotional learning and the landscape of available programs or assess the effectiveness of one they are already using. A supplement includes worksheets to help users select a program and think through considerations on everything from program components to program duration and cost.??Key components of the guide include: Background information on SEL and its benefits, including key features of effective programs and common implementation challenges, A summary of the evidence base for each of the 18 programs, Recommendations for adapting the programs to OST settings, Summary tables that allow users to compare unique features, program components, and instructional methods, as well as see which skills each program targets, and Detailed individual profiles for each of the programs

An asteroidal origin for water in the Moon

The Apollo-derived tenet of an anhydrous Moon has been contested following measurement of water in several lunar samples that require water to be present in the lunar interior. However, significant uncertainties exist regarding the flux, sources and timing of water delivery to the Moon. Here we address those fundamental issues by constraining the mass of water accreted to the Moon and modelling the relative proportions of asteroidal and cometary sources for water that are consistent with measured isotopic compositions of lunar samples. We determine that a combination of carbonaceous chondrite-type materials were responsible for the majority of water (and nitrogen) delivered to the Earth–Moon system. Crucially, we conclude that comets containing water enriched in deuterium contributed significantly <20% of the water in the Moon. Therefore, our work places important constraints on the types of objects impacting the Moon ~4.5–4.3 billion years ago and on the origin of water in the inner Solar System