1,774 research outputs found

    Mediating effect of loyalty program membership on the relationship between advertising effectiveness and brand loyalty

    No full text
    This study investigates the mediating effect of loyalty program membership on the relationship between advertising effectiveness and attitudinal loyalty as well as behavioral loyalty. Data from customers of a retail chain (members and non-members of the loyalty program), are used to test two models that are based on the quality-value-loyalty chain. Findings reveal that for customers who are not members of the loyalty program, advertising effectiveness does not significantly affect either attitudinal loyalty or behavioral loyalty. However, advertising effectiveness affects attitudinal loyalty of members of the loyalty program. Loyalty program membership mediates the relationship between advertising effectiveness and attitudinal loyalty

    Sponsor, ambusher, and other: consumer response to three strategies

    No full text
    Sponsorship, in advertising and marketing, has enjoyed considerable currency with managers, especially in the context of sporting events. However, this strategy option is constantly challenged by ambush marketing (which seeks an unofficial association with the event) as well as by a neither strategy (i.e. firms not undertaking either sponsorship or ambush marketing). At the core of all the three strategies is the expectation that a firm's association (official or unofficial) or non-association with a sporting event will result in certain benefits for the brand.This study measures and compares consumer responses to the three strategy options available to a firm for a sporting event. This research uses the Resource Advantage (RA) Theory to examine the interrelationships among the three types of firms and the environment in which these firms compete. RA theory posits that when a firm has a resource that is rare among competitors, then that resource has the potential for producing competitive advantage for that firm (Barney, 1991). The Hierarchy of Effects (HOE) model is used to formulate hypotheses regarding the possible consumer responses to the three strategy options. The HOE model predicts that consumers usually go through the stages of cognition, affect, and purchase intention after being exposed to a piece of promotion (i.e. communication). Sponsorship can be a source of competitive advantage as it may lead to greater consumer awareness, positive attitude, and a higher intention to purchase. Some firms may try to engage in ambush marketing. On the other hand, some other firms may choose to follow a neither strategy.This study is set in the context of an international sporting competition, the ICC Cricket World Cup held in South Africa, in 2003. It finds that while sponsorship is effective in creating awareness, it does not lead to liking and⁄or preference for the brand. Others are able to break the clutter in the world of intense competition where event-related promotions are seen as a means of fulfilling marketing objectives. Moreover, the relationship between attitude and intention to purchase is not significant for any of the three strategy options. These findings indicate that any association with an event provides scope for elementary messages which may be suitable for increasing awareness but does not lead to higher order effects of building positive attitude and intention to purchase

    sj-jpeg-2-jcn-10.1177_08830738231169411 - Supplemental material for Neuroimaging Findings in Vitamin B<sub>12</sub>-Deficient Infants With Neurologic Features

    No full text
    Supplemental material, sj-jpeg-2-jcn-10.1177_08830738231169411 for Neuroimaging Findings in Vitamin B12-Deficient Infants With Neurologic Features by Anjali Yadav, Chandrika Azad, Ravinder Kaur, Vishal Guglani, Seema Gupta and Sukanya Mitra in Journal of Child Neurology</p

    Jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1) as a molecular target to limit cellular mortality under hypoxia

    No full text
    Many pathological conditions and environmental impacts lead to a decrease in tissue oxygen supply and severe cellular hypoxia. This secondary hypoxia can disturb cellular homeostasis, limiting the efficacy of the prescribed treatment for the primary disease, eventually leading to cellular and organismal death. Jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1) plays a central role in the development of cellular damage under hypoxia, hypoxia/reoxygenation and ischemia/reperfusion conditions. Therefore, we selected JNK1 protein as a molecular target to limit cellular damage and death during hypoxia. The primary objective of this research was to study the influence of the suppression of JNK1 on the development of cellular hypoxic damage. It was hypothesized that suppression of JNK1 will decrease cellular mortality under hypoxia and may increase the efficacy of traditional treatment of many pathological conditions. The hypothesis was verified under both in vitro and in vivo conditions. Another objective was to develop a non-viral system for intracellular delivery of antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) and small interfering RNA (siRNA). ASO and siRNA targeted to JNK1 mRNA delivered by neutral and cationic liposomes, respectively, showed high efficiency in suppressing JNK1 protein. Such suppression limited the caspase dependent apoptosis signaling pathway and decreased cellular mortality induced by severe hypoxia. The results suggest that JNK1 protein might be an attractive target for antihypoxic therapy to increase resistance to many pathological conditions and diseases accompanied by cellular hypoxia.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical references (p. 138-153)by Seema S. Betiger

    sj-docx-1-jcn-10.1177_08830738231169411 - Supplemental material for Neuroimaging Findings in Vitamin B<sub>12</sub>-Deficient Infants With Neurologic Features

    No full text
    Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-jcn-10.1177_08830738231169411 for Neuroimaging Findings in Vitamin B12-Deficient Infants With Neurologic Features by Anjali Yadav, Chandrika Azad, Ravinder Kaur, Vishal Guglani, Seema Gupta and Sukanya Mitra in Journal of Child Neurology</p

    sj-png-3-jcn-10.1177_08830738231169411 - Supplemental material for Neuroimaging Findings in Vitamin B<sub>12</sub>-Deficient Infants With Neurologic Features

    No full text
    Supplemental material, sj-png-3-jcn-10.1177_08830738231169411 for Neuroimaging Findings in Vitamin B12-Deficient Infants With Neurologic Features by Anjali Yadav, Chandrika Azad, Ravinder Kaur, Vishal Guglani, Seema Gupta and Sukanya Mitra in Journal of Child Neurology</p

    The Post Office Horizon system and Seema Misra

    Get PDF
    The author highlights the significance of the Seema Misra case in raising questions about the reliablity of the Post Office Horizon system and more widely suggesting that all digital systems have the possibility of latent defects, and these can never be discounted. He argues that when the efficacy of digital systems is called into question in legal proceedings, the onus of proof must be placed on the supplier of these systems and not the accuser.Index words: Post Office; Horizon; prosecutions; software errors; disclosure Full transcript of the trial Regina v Seema Misra, T2009007 (England &amp; Wales; theft; electronic evidence; Post Office Horizon System; ‘reliability’ of computers) with case commentary and index to original papers held in the Documents Supplement of Volume 12: 2015

    Development of novel zein-cellulose nanocomposite films

    No full text
    Zein is a hydrophobic biopolymer, which naturally forms biodegradable films. These films are rigid, brittle, and lack good mechanical and barrier properties for packaging applications. This study aims at improving the mechanical and barrier properties of zein films by the development of zein-cellulose nanocomposites. A ‘nanocomposite’ is a mixture of polymer matrix, which forms the continuous phase and the filler (having at least one dimension less than 100nm), which forms the dispersed phase. Zein-cellulose nanocomposites have zein as the matrix and cellulose as the filler. Nano-sized cellulose was prepared using wet-media milling machine and mass ratios of 1%, 3%, 5% and 10% of both, naked (not stabilized) nano-cellulose and GA - stabilized nano-cellulose were used in the film formulation. Tributyl citrate (TBC) was used as the plasticizer. The films were prepared using solvent-cast technique and characterized to test their mechanical and barrier properties. The controls were pure zein films and films with only plasticizer. Texture Analysis showed that filler loading of 5% was most effective in increasing the elongation-at-break to about 16 to 20 times of the controls. However, the tensile strength did not change. Water vapor permeability of the nanocomposites was minimum at 1% by wt. of naked cellulose (~4 times less than control) or at 5% by wt. of stabilized cellulose (~6 times less than control). Water absorption results showed that the rate of water uptake decreased as the filler loading increased. DSC and FTIR suggested that there is no interaction between the zein and the nano-cellulose in the films. The AFM results showed that the films’ surface is flat, but the thickness of the films increased with filler loading. Therefore, incorporation of nano-cellulose improved the flexibility and water barrier properties of the films. Gum Arabic, which was used as a stabilizer for nano-cellulose, seemed to have aided the even distribution of cellulose in the zein matrix. Thus, these films can be a good starting point to further study the arrangement of cellulose within the zein matrix and test its potential applications on food systems and as edible films.M.S.Includes bibliographical referencesby Seema Lakshmana Ra
    corecore