Nanoemulsions containing Turmeric extract were fabricated using ultrasonication (US) system and their physicochemical properties were characterized by mean droplet size, size distribution, zeta potential, and morphology. Turmeric was firstly extracted using 50% ethanol with heating and concentrated to increase the solid content. The final curcumin content in the concentrated turmeric extract was 10.4 mg/mL. Medium chain triglyceride (MCT) oil was selected as an oil phase by the solubility test. Turmeric extract-loaded nanoemulsions (TE-NEs) were prepared with oil phase containing lecithin and water phase containing tween 80 by ultrasonication treatment. The mean droplet size of TE-NEs was significantly decreased with ultrasonication time and ranged from 66 nm to 279 nm. The optimum HLB (hydrophilic lipophilic balance) value was 10.6 which decided to obtain the smallest droplet size and the highest zeta potential of TE-NEs. TE-NEs showed good storage stability at 4°C for 30 days without any phase separation and significant change of both mean droplet size and zeta potential. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images support that the droplet of TE-NEs was individually spherical shape and not aggregated or agglomerated until the TE concentration was less than 500% (w/w MCT oil).

This study was conducted to get beneficial information of fatty acid compositions and antioxidant resources from safflower genetic resources. The fatty acid compositions and antioxidant activities in 128 safflower germplasm collected from South Asia and Africa were evaluated using gas chromatography and spectrophotometer, respectively. The total oil contents in safflower germplasm were 15.8 ~ 32.2%. The unsaturated fatty acid and linoleic acid were 89.4 ~ 93.3%, and 15.5 ~ 80.4%, respectively. Six accessions (K184652, K184658, K184662, K184671, K185831, and K185832) from South Asia exhibited high oleic acid contents. Variation of DPPH and ABTS activities ranged from 0.8 ± 0.28 to 7.6 ± 0.06 μg ASC mg-1 and from 23.1 ± 1.72 to 134.7 ± 1.25 μg Trolox mg-1, respectively. Total polyphenol contents ranged from 5.1 ± 0.17 to 52.0 ± 1.24 μg GAE mg-1. The antioxidant activities and fatty acid compositions were not different between the South Asia and Africa germplasm, while oil contents of seeds were higher in South Asia germplasm. DPPH values had positive correlation with ABTS activity (r = 0.862**) and total polyphenol contents (r = 0.864**) whereas oleic and linoleic acid showed strong negative correlation (r = −0.998**). Principal component analysis based on oil and antioxidant traits exhibited that the first four principal components together expained 85.0% of the total variation.

Driven by market, consumer preferences and recent climate change discussions, the usage of ‘sustainability’ standards has over the last decade gained ground worldwide. Sustainability standards are largely voluntary, non-mandatory and an increasingly important component of the green economy. While on the one hand the usage of sustainability standards helps achieve several economic and environment objectives, on the other hand they can potentially act as barriers to trade in particular for small producers. This paper examines the potential trade and commercial aspects of sustainability standards in terms of their diversity, cost of incorporation and interaction with supply chains. It considers the compatibility of sustainability standards with the existing trade architecture of the World Trade Organization, drawing on relevant case law developments. Finally, it recommends the usage of international platforms such as the UNFSS and ITC Standards map, to enable product/ service specific information sharing, conformity assessment and business networking.

On January 16, 2016, AIIB declared its opening for business. Ever since its announcement by Chinese leaders in 2013, AIIB has been warmly embraced by most countries of the world. But still, neither the US nor Japan have become the AIIB members. Both of them take a rather cautious approach, viewing AIIB more as a challenge to the existing international financial order. By comparison, this paper finds that each country casts similar doubts. The US places its focal point more on ‘China-led’ rather than ‘new MDB.’ Japan focuses more on ‘new MDB’ instead of ‘China-led,’ meanwhile considering how to cope with the dilemma between the US and China. Orienting itself towards a more balanced international economic order, this paper attempts to seek a kind of positive cooperation based on the coordination of tri-lateral interests, thus suggesting the US and Japan to join AIIB as an external supervisor and internal member respectively.

The Jeju Special Self-Government Provincial Government made and has been working on the 'Carbon Free Island Jeju by 2030' Plan. Currently, it has been working on a plan of gradually penetrating (introducing) EVs to Jeju province to realize a carbon-free Jeju Island. In this paper, we made a model equation estimating the electrical energy consumed by EVs in a definite region, and then the number of EVs to be introduced every year according to the ‘penetrating EVs plan’ was estimated. Finally, the electrical energy consumed yearly for the next 10 years by the EVs was calculated.

A 4-month-old intact male, Siberian husky dog, weighing 14.6 kg, was initially presented to the Gyeongsang National University Animal Medical Center (GAMC) with a history of bilateral forelimb lameness and angular deformity. Physical examination revealed forelimb lameness and valgus deformities. Radiography showed a conical shaped, radiolucent, thickened and irregular marginated distal growth plate in both distal ulnar physis. Thickening of distal growth plate also was evident at both the distal radial physis, and the presence of osteophytes was observed. A diagnosis of angular deformity was made on the basis of a shortened ulna associated with osteochondrosis. Temporary hemiepiphysiodesis was implemented by surgical insertion of tension band plate. The plates were implanted for 6 weeks. Pre- and post-operative radiographs of both forelimbs were evaluated to determine the angle of frontal plane alignment (FPA) and sagittal plane alignment (SPA) over a 8-week period. FPA was corrected into the normal range in the right forelimb, and SPA was close to the reference range in the both forelimbs. Furthemore, a reduction in osteochondrosis was revealed by radiography. This case report establishes that temporary hemiepiphysiodesis with a tension band plate should be option in dogs with angular deformities during a growing period and is minimally invasive with a lower morbidity than traditional osteotomy. Moreover, this treatment facilitates the resolution of osteochondrosis lesions.

Carbon rich fly ash was recently reported to have compositions that are ideal for use as a precursor and catalyst for carbon nanotube growth. This fly ash powder is mostly composed of pure carbon, predominantly present as sp2. In this work, the effect of sonication time on the morphology and structural properties of carbon rich fly ash particles is reported. The obtained results show that ultrasound treatment is an effective tool for producing ultrafine particles/fragments with higher porosity, which might be suitable for the adsorption of gasses. Moreover, carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) of this fly ash were produced in parallel using the ball milling technique, and were evaluated as reinforcements for epoxy based composites. These CNPs have almost spherical shapes with particle sizes of around 30 nm. They were found to have strong C=O carbonyl group bonds, which might be generated during the ball milling process. The tensile testing results of a fly ash CNP reinforced epoxy composite showed significant improvements in the mechanical properties, mainly in the stiffness of the polymer. The stiffness value was increased by around 23% of that of neat epoxy. These CNPs with chemically active groups might also be useful for other applications.

본 연구는 서해안에서 상선의 어구 손괴로 인한 추진기 장애를 예방하기 위해 연안자망어선의 월별분포를 제시하였다. 분석 방법은 2014년 1년간의 어선위치발신장치 데이터를 이용하였다. 조업 해구도를 기준으로 경·위도 30′× 30′크기의 해구별 간격으로 격자를 설정하였다. 총 56개 해구를 대상으로 격자를 구성하였다. 연구 결과 밀도지수가 가장 높았던 194해구는 어구 손괴가 없었다. 반면, 밀도지수가 상대적으로 작은 193해구는 상선의 주 통항경로에 어구가 설치되기 때문에 손괴가 발생했다. 이 분석을 바탕으로 어구 손괴는 밀도지수에 비례하지 않고 상선의 주 통항경로에 따라 손괴위험이 존재하는 것으로 나타났다. 따라서 상선의 안전항해를 위해 5월부터 9월까지 위도 34.5° ~ 35.5°, 경도 125.67° ~ 126°를 항행경보구역으로 통보하면 추진기 장애와 어구손괴와 같은 해양사고를 예방할 것이다. 따라서 상선이 193해구와 203해구를 항해할 때는 안전한 항해를 위해 위도 34.5° ~ 35.5°, 경도 125.5° ~ 125.67°을 추천한다.

This study examined the factors affecting the bubble generation of a motor driven bubble generator to develop a heating unit using hydrodynamic cavitation. This study also investigated the heat production and thermal efficiency by changing operating conditions. Bubble generation using the 25 ℓ-capacity motor is driven bubble generator was confirmed visually in various experimental conditions: three levels of motor powers(1, 3, 5 HP), two levels of revolutions(1800, 3200 rpm), and two levels of internal pressures of the bubble generator(the atmospheric pressure, pressurized air). After constructing the heating unit, heat production, and thermal efficiency were measured in the following experimental conditions: two levels of motor powers(3, 5 HP) and three levels of water quantities(102, 152, 230 kg). And then specifically temperature increasing rate and specific consumed energy required for the heating unit design were calculated. Bubbles were generated stably at 1,800 rpm and pressure from 0~0.8 bar. When heating water around 30℃, specific temperature increasing rate was maximized at 0.247℃/min and 0.002422℃/min-kg. Thermal efficiencies were 121% with only motor driving power as input energy and 98% with both motors driving power and water circulating pump driving power as input energy. This showed that the heating unit using hydrodynamic cavitation had higher thermal efficiency than the existing combustion boiler. Maximum specific consumed energy was 0.0270 KJ/min-kg-℃. This study confirmed that water can be heated with the heat caused by the explosion of the bubbles generated by hydrodynamic cavitation. And the results of this study could be utilized for commercial use because it showed much higher thermal efficiency than the existing combustion boiler.

The aim of the present study is to propose a model to examine the relationships among social Website interactivity, brand experience, brand choice, and behavioral intentions in the context of online travel agencies brand websites, as well as to examine the ultimate moderating role of the age of the traveler in the dynamic of this model. Drawing on website interactivity and brand development theories, current research suggests that the inclusion of social website interactivity in the design of online travel agencies brand websites helps to directly and indirectly create a positive brand experience and to enhance the perception of online travel agencies brand websites as valuable. These perceptions may consequently impact the behavior of travelers to pay higher prices and to continue buying from the online travel agencies brand websites. However, while this existent research mostly considers the positive and causal relationships among the aforementioned constructs, there is also some indication that the perceptions of travelers in relation to the proposed relationships change with age, suggesting that older travelers (age above 25) may perceive distinctively the relationships among these constructs in the context of online travel agencies brand websites as compared to younger travelers (aged 18-25). The study attempts to analyze on this relevant and under-examined research topic. This research is mainly based on a sample of travelers who have used an online travel agencies brand websites in China. The empirical findings suggest that social website interactivity, brand experience, and brand choice are essential factors for travelers to be willing to pay higher prices and to continue buying. The empirical findings also suggest that the proposed theoretical framework is adequately adjusted, therefore confirming that the age of the traveler moderates the proposed relationships first between social website interactivity and brand choice, second between brand choice and price premium, third between brand choice and buying intention, and lastly between brand experience and buying intention. Overall, the theory-driven framework accomplishes an acceptable model fit. Additionally, theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Social Website Interactivity (SWI) construct is defined as the reciprocal communication between individuals and technology. Research shows that SWI exerts a positive impact on the user that eventually causes an e-loyal behavior (Cyr et al., 2010). Voorveld et al. (2009) conclude the design of a theoretical model that includes SWI and branding elements is required to brand Websites. The theory explains SWI as a branding tool and its influence on travelers’ perceptions and behaviors in the travel context. Given these findings, the authors of this study predict that OTA Websites that incorporate features of SWI may have a remarkable competence to build a brand online. Based on the given review, it is rational to expect that SWI might influence user perceptions of value and positive brand experience of the OTA branded website. A favorable experience is what reduces perceived risks when buying online and what influences users to revisit the website. Brand selection and brand experience (Morgan-Thomas & Veloutsou, 2013) are key elements to influence consumers’ behavior therefore must have a significant influence on behavioral intentions and willingness to pay premium prices. The current perception in social sciences and behavioral marketing is that age is a critical demographic variable that has direct and moderating role in the impact of interactivity and brand selection, brand selection and willingness to pay higher prices, brand selection and behavioral intentions, and online experience on behavioral intentions (Kirk et al., 2012).

Trusting beliefs are playing an increasingly important role in building customer-based brand equity (CBBE) in the business arena. The present study examines the mediating effect of trusting beliefs on the interactivity-brand equity relationship. An online survey was administered to collect data from randomly selected consumers. The results show that system interactivity impact brand equity directly and indirectly through trust integrity. The present theory-driven model contributes to a better understanding of online brand equity. Therefore, allocating resources to influence the perception of system interactivity and trusting integrity beliefs is valuable to develop online brand equity. This research contributes to the interactivity theory and the relationship marketing theory and it also offers implications for practitioners.

The present study focuses on the construct of entrepreneurial alertness, investigating the external antecedents of the construct, responding to the call for more research pledged by Tang, Kacmar, and Busenitz (2012). Namely, we examine how receiving feedback, awards and collaboration offers in relation to an individual’s hobby activity influences the development of entrepreneurial alertness dimensions. Additionally, we make a contribution by testing the effect of these external factors in a non-entrepreneurial context of homebrewing communities, that is individuals producing beer at home as a hobby. In line with other form of craft activities, this context has demonstrated a high potential for business start-up development due to the increasing number of new small brewing businesses in North America run by entrepreneurs that were previously homebrewers (Carroll & Swaminathan, 2000). We test our tenets within the complexity theory, where configurations of antecedents are examined in order to gain deeper understanding of the possible outcome (Woodside, 2014), using 213 completed questionnaires. We apply fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA, Ragin 2000; 2008) to achieve a holistic overview of the examined interrelationships (Ordanini, Parasuraman & Rubera, 2015). We find that high feedback is a sufficient condition for high scanning and search, association and connection, as well as evaluation and judgement activities of entrepreneurial alertness. Without feedback, people at the hobby stage engage in their leisure activities solely because they like it. However, receiving feedback in relation to their hobby outcomes provides an opportunity for individuals to develop and experience additional motivations beyond enjoyment, where they understand that the hobby could be commercialized and bring monetary rewards. Moreover, we find that an individual receiving low amount of awards but high amount of collaboration offers may also have high entrepreneurial alertness. Since individuals receive rewards related to the excellent performance in their leisure activity, it may not provide any cue for a potential transformation into a business. However, the more collaboration offers people receive, the more likely they get involved in scanning and search, association and connection, and evaluation and judgement activities of entrepreneurial alertness. Therefore, they are likely to conduct additional search, connect bits of available information and evaluate this business opportunity (Gaglio & Winter, 2009). The findings of this study could help entrepreneurs reflect on their decisions and behaviours during the business start-up planning process, and measure their entrepreneurial alertness and the extent of readiness to engage in business venturing.

While in recent years much research attention has been directed towards China and its various industries, the Chinese diamond industry has been largely neglected. China is the world’s second-largest diamond processing center after India, and the second-largest consumer market for polished diamonds following the United States. It is also predicted to surpass both countries in the near future. We identify a paradox in the Chinese diamond industry, namely, that while Chinese businesses often follow a relational governance model, China’s diamond industry tends to employ rational mechanisms of governance and exchange. We discuss the main challenges for business ethics in China, with a focus on the paradox in the Chinese diamond industry as a case study using the GRX (Ganqing, Renqing and Xinren) scale. We used interview protocols and a two stage research process to examine the influence of the GRX constructs on relationship satisfaction and performance. Due to the complexity of gathering data on a relatively secretive industry, we complemented the fieldwork by collecting further evidential artifacts from journals, books, magazines and government officials. We ultimately identify five interrelated themes that help explain why exchange in the Chinese diamond industry is frequently more transactional than relational. Furthermore, we show how weaknesses in China’s governance systems have allowed fraud and corruption to permeate this industry and explain why business ethics appear poorly developed. The current study offers a new look at this under researched industry. Particularly, the manuscript illustrates a model of trust building based on relational exchange and explains the paradox through the business model presented. The research also helps to provide some rationale for the pervasiveness of corruption and identifies issues affecting the maturation of business ethics in the Chinese diamond industry and in some sense, China’s industries in general.

A firm’s new product success is mainly determined by how well it is accepted by the mass in a short time. Although companies have been adopting various marketing methods, word-of-mouth [WOM] has been regarded as one of the most effective means for customer acquisition (Villanueva, Yoo & Hanssens, 2008), primarily due to its reliability, social support, and support by social pressure and surveillance as Arndt (1967) has suggested (as cited in Woodside and Delozier, 1976). Moreover, online word-of-mouth is being given new significance alongside the advent of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and other online channels (Berger and Iyengar, 2013; Dellarocase, 2003; Schafer & Taddicken, 2015). For this reason, researchers have paid a close attention to opinion leaders, who are not only early adopters of innovation themselves (Goldsmith & Witt, 2003), but also information transmitters and influencers (Vernette, 2004). Therefore, this study aims to identify both online and offline opinion leaders, who could adopt new products first, and diffuse the adoption of new products to others. Thus, this study draws upon the innovation diffusion theory conceptualized by Rogers (1995). According to Rogers (1995), innovation is defined as an individual’s or an organization’s perception of an idea as new. In addition, he articulates that if an innovation is transferred through certain communication channels over time within a social system by its members, diffusion occurs (Rogers, 1995; Rogers, 2002). The main purpose of this paper is to examine the intermediary role of opinion leadership as a quintessential link between consumer characteristics (consumer innovativeness and lifestyle and values) and new product adoption behavior. The research data is collected through survey, which is conducted by distributing questionnaires to a group of users of Apple Watch by Apple, Mi band by Xiaomi, and the products by Fitbit. The model of the study will be tested through structural equation modeling approach. In particular, this paper considers not only regular opinion leadership in offline context, but also online opinion leadership in order to go with the tide of the developing online world. Moreover, this study selects wearable technology as a new product category, which makes the overall research highly fashion-oriented. Furthermore, this study explores the moderating effect of involvement of product category on the relationship between lifestyles and values and opinion leadership. The author anticipates that fashion innovativeness and four lifestyle and values factors (sense of accomplishment, self-fulfillment, excitement, and fun and enjoyment) will positively affect online and offline opinion leaderships, which again will have a positive influence on new product adoption behavior. Moreover, this study predicts that the correlation between lifestyles and values and involvement of product category will have a positive influence on online and offline opinion leaderships and new product adoption behavior. This study may contribute both to the academia and to the managers within businesses that deal with wearable devices. Theoretically, this study is of particular value in that it adopts consumers’ lifestyles and values as predictors of opinion leadership and new product adoption behavior, which is an uncommon approach within existing research streams regarding opinion leadership and new product acquisition. In managerial terms, by revealing the significant relationships between the consumer characteristics and both offline and online opinion leaderships who are the potential customers of new products, this study enables the managers to identify their targets and differentiate their marketing strategies considering the different characteristics of consumers in offline and online environments. In particular, since this study adopted several wearable technologies as new products, businesses that deal with wearable devices may pay close attention to the results of this study and manipulate their marketing strategies in adequate terms.

The Internet is considered as a competitive marketing instrument in advancing business-related information and real-time transaction opportunities (Kumar, 2013). Several brand managers are questioning whether the existent marketing approaches to position their brands, with the purpose to operate in a traditional and online setting, may be enhanced (Liu, 2012). The Internet is recognized as an influential instrument that has changed the manner brands conduct business and the way consumers and businesses interact (Boyland et al., 2013). The distinctive value that the Internet offers over conventional media is the capacity to interact with consumers. This permits practitioners to adjust their presentation to adapt specific consumers’ needs. Contrary to other forms of media, the Internet assists companies to create long-term relationships with its consumers as it allows a distinctive reciprocal communication. This reciprocal communication that distinguishes the latest marketing channels from conventional media is website interactivity (Wang et al., 2013). a mechanized environment the same way as a company does in a traditional environment. It includes communicating with consumers directly, generating an exclusive and individual interaction with them. As a central aspect in technology-mediated communication, Website interactivity has been identified as a critical component to create strong brands (Voorveld et al., 2013). Regardless of the significance of Website interactivity, very limited research was identified in the branding and marketing literature that investigate the influential role of interactivity on brand equity. To this date very few researchers have devoted efforts to investigate the influential impact of Website interactivity on branding constructs. Therefore, this study closes this gap with the conceptualization and the impact of the two dimensions of Website interactivity namely social interactivity and system interactivity on brand equity. Additionally, another contribution is to examine the mediating effect of brand image and brand awareness in the formation of brand equity in the online environment. The study propose a theory-based model of Website interactivity as a precursor to build online brand equity and to examine the relationships among Website interactivity, bran image, brand awareness, and brand equity in the context of branded Websites. Leaning on the fundamentals of branding literature and the Website interactivity theory, a theoretical framework is designed and seven hypotheses are examined. A two-phase analysis is considered, first a Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and then a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The findings show that the dimensions of Website interactivity impact significantly on the brand awareness and brand image which in turn influence online brand equity. As today limited research has been focused on studying the impact of Website interactivity as a branding instrument. In this study, the authors consider Website interactivity to be the interaction between Websites and individuals. In this sense, Website interactivity is viewed as an essential high-tech capability for building brands (Voorveld et al., 2013) as it allows a reciprocal communication with the system and other users. Current literature indicates that for a more real illustration of the dual dimensions of Website interactivity, studies devote user control as an expression of system interactivity and two-way communication as an expression of social interactivity (Wang et al., 2013). Two-way communication (social interactivity) refers to reciprocal communication between individuals. The dimension is perceived as the interaction between the users and the system (e.g. Website) (e.g. through e-mail, chat or toll-free telephone access to customer service, etc.). The user control (system interactivity) perspective is more concerned with the ability of the user to select content and guide the interaction (Lowry et al., 2006). User control is manifested when individuals are granted the opportunity to select the content and influence the communication. For instance, Web users may feel themselves as possessing user control because they have the capacity to select without restrictions (through an internal search engine).

Major changes are challenging the tourist industry, such as new entrants, suppliers’ direct sales without intermediaries, and customers’ bargaining power due to Internet services, among others. In this context, the aim of this research is to assess the influence of two emerging constructs, eWOM adoption and customer engagement, jointly with consumer trust and brand equity, on travel agency loyalty. There is a huge amount of research available regarding the variables considered in this study: (i) brand trust and equity, and brand loyalty, have always been considered in the marketing literature; (ii) engagement and eWOM adoption have aroused interest from researchers since online comments gain popularity and usefulness. But their consideration in literature has been based, in most of the analyses, on symmetric relationships and it then fails to recognize the occurrence of causal asymmetry. In the present research a novel methodology is adopted, fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), which uses Boolean algebra to show how causal conditions combine to bring about outcomes. On a sample of 520 travelers and through a fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis, data shows that brand trust and brand equity are key drivers of loyalty, measured as a repurchase intention. In fact, jointly both variables lead to travel agency loyalty and when no engagement-enthusiasm dimension exists, for individual repurchase intention, brand equity or brand trust are also needed. Moreover, just engagement in terms of interactions also leads to brand loyalty, but engagement-enthusiasm dimension needs support of eWOM adoption to impact travel agency repurchase intentions. This finding highlights the specific importance of each analyzed variable as key drivers of travel agency loyalty. Theoretical and managerial implications are provided based on results.