예이츠 시, 특히 “아마도 음악에 부치는 시”에 나타나는 시적 광기와 시 적 무기력증을 대비해본다. 생리적 죽음과 같은 휴지부와 자아발견의 희열감을 torpor 와 fornit 개념으로 정리한다

Cockles(Tegillarca granosa) species that found throughout the Indo-Pacific region and this study was conducted in Yeosu from November 2015 through April 2016. Antioxidant activities (lipid peroxidation, DPPH radical scavenging, superoxide anion radical scavenging, reducing power, and iron chelating assays) were studied at different stages during the processing. The results showed that all cockle samples were related to antioxidant activities, they also possessed effective abilities as free radical scavengers, reducing agents, and iron chelators in most cases. Seasonal variations in antioxidant activities were also observed, characterized by high activity values in April, spring season, a period where phytoplankton is their primary food source which propagates considerably. Moreover, the harvested cockles exhibited the higher radical scavenging activities than marketed cockles by compared in the similar concentration and the activities increased with increasing concentration. The results also showed the useful in the assessment of the cockle potential for the development of functional foods, food ingredients or pharmaceuticals. Moreover, keeping the freshness of the cockle during processing chain is pivotal for keeping its antioxidant activities.

The well-known solar cycle controls almost the entire appearance of the solar photosphere. We therefore presume that the continuous emission of visible light from the solar surface follows the solar cyclic variation. In this study, we examine the solar cyclic variation of photospheric brightness in the visible range using solar images taken by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)/Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI). The photospheric brightness in the visible range is quantified via the relative intensity acquired from in the raw solar images. In contrast to total solar irradiance, the relative intensity is out of phase with the solar cycle. During the solar minimum of solar cycles 23--24, the relative intensity shows enhanced heliolatitudinal asymmetry due to a positive asymmetry of the sunspot number. This result can be explained by the strength of the solar magnetic field that controls the strength of convection, implying that the emission in the visible range is controlled by the strength of convection. This agrees with the photospheric brightness increasing during a period of long spotless days.

이 논문은 예이츠 희곡 『캐서린 백작 부인』 과 『배우 여왕』 두 편을 중 심으로 시인과 여주인공과의 대립을 연구한다. 연구의 첫 단계로 『캐서린 백작 부인』 에 등장하는 시인 어릴과 여주인공 백작부인의 대립을 분석하고 이를 통해서 이 조합 이 다른 예이츠의 대립 유형과 비교하여 갖게 되는 차이점과 그 원인을 밝혀본다. 그 다음 단계로는 희곡 『배우 여왕』의 시인과 여주인공의 대립을 비교 분석하여 시인과 여주인공의 조합만이 가지고 있는 특징들을 밝혀낸다. 결론으로써 여주인공과의 대립에서 보여 준 시인의 모습이 통상적인 예이츠가 그리는 시인의 모습과 다르게 보일 수 있지만 그럼에도 그것이 객관성보다 주관성을 우위에 두는 예이츠의 생각을 벗어 나는 것이 아니라는 것을 주장한다.

The goal of this study is to get a better understanding of the relationship between online customer reviews (OCRs), product returns and sales after returns in online fashion. Furthermore, we generate deeper insights about the moderating role of mobile shopping usage, product involvement and brand equity in this context. We answer our research questions by empirically analyzing a unique data set from a European fashion e-commerce company. This study links a wide range of transaction data (2.5 billion page clicks, 46 thousand different products, 700 brands, 40 product categories, 72 million sold and 33 million returned items) with a large set of OCRs (0.9 million). Our results show that positive OCRs can lead to higher sales, lower returns, and better conversion rates. Considering higher search costs on mobile devices, we reveal a weaker impact of OCRs in the mobile than in the desktop sales channel. Furthermore, in line with involvement theory, we see a significant impact of product involvement in this context such as the influence of positive OCRs is stronger for high-involvement products than vice versa. Moreover, we find strong support for statements from brand signaling literature, that OCRs matter more for weak than for strong brands.

The study investigated the relationship between body satisfaction and attitudes toward trendy clothing among men in Generation Y with fashion involvement being a mediator in that relationship. Findings suggested a negative relationship between body satisfaction and attitudes toward trendy clothing and a mediator role of fashion involvement.

Introduction The current fashion industry has been overrun with fast fashion products in the last couple of decades. Consequently, it has become one of the most environmentally degrading industries worldwide, and is plagued by social and economic inequalities (Fletcher, 2013). The fast fashion apparel industry produces pollution and waste; and wearers are exposed to hazardous materials. The fast pace of the fashion industry has also led to unsafe working conditions that can result in detrimental influence on workers as in the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Furthermore, the individuals responsible for making the fast fashion products often live in underdeveloped countries and are paid below national minimum wage (Niinimaki, 2013). In contrast, the sustainable fashion industry aims to produce safer, cleaner, and more impactful apparel. A part of the growing sustainable apparel industry is slow fashion, which emphasizes creating fashion products at a less-intensive pace with environmentally-minded techniques. Slow fashion movement is an emerging trend within the fashion industry that counteracts the harms of fast fashion. The term „slow fashion‟ was first used by Kate Fletcher and shares several characteristics with slow food, from which the slow fashion movement got much of its inspiration (Cataldi, Dickson, & Grover, 2010). Slow fashion is thought to represent a blatant discontinuity such as a break from the values and goals of fast (growth-based) fashion (Fletcher, 2013). Slow fashion attempts to remedy the various negative economic, social, and environmental global impacts of the current fast fashion system. The purpose of this study was to analyze the material-oriented trends of representative fast fashion and slow fashion brands toward the development of sustainable fashion. This study aimed to answer the following questions: 1) By what efforts in terms of material usage do the fast and slow fashion brands promote sustainable fashion? and 2) How do these efforts influence apparel manufacturing as sustainability practices and consumers‟ purchase intentions? Backgrounds Moore and Fernie (Moore & Fernie, 2004, p. 31) defined fast fashion as “various strategies to respond commercially to the latest fashion trends”. Fast fashion brands, such as H&M, Forever 21, and Zara, use a combination of quick response and enhanced design techniques to quickly design, manufacture, and stock trendy apparel and accessories that consumers can purchase at an affordable price (Cortez et al., 2014). The manufacturers of fast fashion brands struggle to provide innovative merchandise in their preferred production timetable (Cortez et al., 2014). In such an overloaded manufacturing process, the apparel industry has experienced increased pollution and hazardous work environments. Slow fashion is defined as “a philosophy of attention that is sensitive to environmental and societal needs and to the impact production and distribution have on society and the environment” (Karaosman, Brun, & Morales-Alonso, 2016). Antanaviciute and Dobilaite (2015) report that the slow fashion industry is sustainable and seeks a greater purpose than making profit, and is thus characterized with promoting fair economic, environmental, and social systems within the fashion cycle. In the slow fashion movement, the materials used to produce garments are environmentally friendly. Sustainable fashion is achieved when available materials are used to their ultimate potential; waste materials are utilized; the products are recycled; and a second life for the fashion products is planned (Sharda & Mohan Kumar, 2012). In addition, sustainable fashion uses biodegradable materials such as organic cotton, polylactic acid, and other biopolymers etc. (Fletcher, 2013). In the production phase, garments workers who produce sustainable fashion products are paid a living wage, unlike their counterparts who work for less than a dollar a day in the fast fashion industry. Throughout the slow fashion supply chain, reducing the speed at which the products are produced and consumed is emphasized. Slowing down the production phase results in end products of better materials, with more material-construction input-time, and longer-lasting overall final product, as compared to typical fast fashion items. Case study This study was conducted based on a case study. We analyzed the sustainability practices in aspect of fiber materials of two representative brands: a fast fashion, Zara and a slow fashion, People Tree. Several resources were used to collect the information necessary for the case study. The primary resources were academic articles, reports, and brochures from companies‟ websites. The information on both companies was very useful to understand their products and sustainability practices as a fast fashion and a slow fashion brand. Zara is a ready-to-wear fast fashion retailer based in Spain, which was created by Rosalia Mera and Óscar Pérez Marcote in 1974. Since its creation, the fast fashion retailer has built a reputation for manufacturing and stocking on-trend clothing at the customer‟s demand. The company sends small shipments year-round to stores and subsequently monitors the customers‟ reactions by adjusting the store inventory. The retail giant has employed over 10,000 employees and is a private company that, according to the Business of Fashion, was worth $16.7 billion in 2013 (Hansen, 2012). Zara is known as affordable luxury (Gamboa & Goncalves, 2014) for its on-trend imitations of high-end clothing pieces that are inexpensive. The average Zara consumer is young with an age range of 18 to 24 years and female (Gamboa & Goncalves, 2014). Zara was chosen for this case study based on its unique and successful fast fashion business model. Zara has been criticized for numerous violations in manufacturing practice, including a lack of hygiene and safety in its Argentinian factories. The workers‟ rights NGO La Alameda, alleged that the working conditions consisted of no breaks and poorly lit and unventilated conditions (Crotty, 2013). The company compensated the workers and was forced to pay $530,000. People Tree is considered as a pioneer in the slow fashion movement and sustainable fashion. The company has implemented many measures to increase its economic, social, and environmental sustainability. People Tree was the first fashion brand to develop an integrated supply chain for organic cotton from the farm to the final product. Furthermore, they were the first organization to achieve a Global Organic Textile Standard certification. They source their yarns, fabrics, and accessories locally, as well as choose natural and recycled products over the toxic, synthetic, and non-biodegradable materials typically found in fast fashion products. The People Tree producer group is comprised of over 4,560 artisan producers, which includes hand weavers, hand knitters, embroiderers, tailors, and group leaders. They allow local individuals to produce and create incredibly unique products, thus generating livelihoods and incomes for these individuals who typically reside in very rural areas. Zara uses a variety of synthetic and organic fibers and textiles in its clothing. Zara partners with a company called Lenzing to source recycled polyester, cotton, and wool when available, and then donates any extra textiles not used in manufacturing products. Zara prioritizes using organic cotton and recycled materials. Organic cotton is grown and manufactured without harmful pesticides. Zara has become one of the biggest users of organic cotton, which is a part of their Join Life campaign and in collaboration with the Better Cotton Initiative (Inditex Annual Report, 2016). Zara also uses three types of rayon in its products: Modal, Viscose, and Lyocell. These materials are made from cellulose fibers, which take longer to harvest and manufacture than cotton. People Tree does not use polyester in its products, and most of its clothing is made from organic cotton and wool. It uses 100% fair-trade certified organic cotton that is certified by Soil Association (People Tree Seventh Biennial Social Review, 2011-2012). In addition to cotton and wool, it uses a fiber called “Tencel,” which is made from wood pulp. Tencel is a Lyocell product, also made from cellulose fiber, which is stretch-resistant and highly versatile. Zara uses both synthetic and organic fibers; whereas, People Tree uses organic fibers in the manufacturing of products. Lyocell is one of the most revered sustainable fibers currently on the market. Lyocell is a cellulosic fiber, specifically derived from wood pulp, normally eucalyptus (Fletcher, 2013), beech, and pine (Gordon & Hill, 2015). In a typical process, the wood pulp is dissolved in a solution of amine oxide, a solvent, which is then spun into fibers; subsequently, the solvent is removed from the fibers through a washing process (Fletcher, 2013). The manufacturing process recovers 99.5% of the solvent and the solvent is recycled back into the process (Fletcher, 2013). The solvent is non-toxic, non-corrosive, and all effluent is non-hazardous (Fletcher, 2013). Lyocell has many other environmental benefits such as complete biodegradability (six weeks in an aerated compost heap), and of renewable raw material (eucalyptus has a fast-growing cycle and reaches full maturity in seven years). No bleaching is used prior to processing the fiber, thus reducing chemical, water, and energy consumption in the dyeing process; hence, Lyocell is considered as a “very clean” fiber (Fletcher, 2013). While Lyocell is considered a very sustainable product, its production is energy intensive. However, due to recent research, the amount of energy used to make Lyocell has begun to decrease (Fletcher, 2013). Lyocell is also known by its brand name, Tencel (Gordon & Hill, 2015). Companies such as People Tree have begun to use products like Tencel in their everyday-clothing production. People Tree‟s “Our Tencel” collection is produced by Creative Handicrafts, a social enterprise working to actively empower disadvantaged women of the slum communities of Mumbai through economic independence. Like every producer of People Tree‟s clothing or Tencel products, Creative Handicrafts works to provide fair pay and safe treatment for all their workers. They also work to improve the lives of those employed by Creative Handicrafts. People Tree is currently using their “Our Tencel” collection to upskill the workers, making them qualified for higher paying and more difficult jobs should they choose to leave Creative Handicrafts. They aim to provide workers with a greater range of fabrics that they can work with for future client‟s needs. This provides the workers with greater business opportunities. The slow fashion brand‟s attributes attract ethical consumers. The ethical consumer considers the impact of consumption in terms of environmental and social responsibilities (Barnett et al., 2005). The likeliness of ethical consumer‟s purchasing or willing to purchase a slow fashion product depends on the customer‟s level of involvement. A consumer with high involvement who is willing to purchase the product at a higher price, is not attracted to mass fashion trends, and shows intent to purchase an apparel product for environmental reasons (Jung & Jin, 2016). McNeil and Moore (McNeil & Moore, 2015) found correlations between concern levels for both environmental and social wellbeing and consumer‟s intentions towards sustainable apparel. Similarly, it is possible to predict the preference of ethical consumers to purchase a fast fashion product if made of sustainable fiber materials. Conclusions We analyzed the material-oriented trends of representative fast fashion brand, Zara, and slow fashion brand, People Tree, toward development of sustainable fashion. The kinds of materials used by each brand in manufacturing fashion products, and recent efforts in sustainable practices of both fashion brands were analyzed. The results indicated that the fast fashion brand, Zara has begun to incorporate sustainable fibers such as organic cotton into their products, and the slow fashion brand, People Tree uses more sustainable fibers such as Tencel and organic cotton for its garments and other products. The efforts involved in the trends of fast and slow fashion brands toward sustainable fashion were anticipated to attract ethical consumers‟ purchase intentions. The current findings suggested that new technology offers innovative manufacturing processes producing more eco-friendly products, less waste, and less pollution, which begins to mitigate the negative environmental effects of the traditional fast fashion industry. Implications and limitations This study was intended to analyze the efforts involved in the production of fast fashion and slow fashion brands in aspect of fiber materials, toward the overall goal of sustainable practices. This study may be useful to designers, manufacturers, and retailers who hope to better understand the trend of sustainable practices of both fast and slow fashion brands. Since ethical consumers presumably prefer sustainable products, this study may help designers, manufacturers, and retailers establish optimized strategies tailored to such trends. This study has a limitation due to selection of a small number of brands, which prevents the generalization of the results to all fast and slow fashion brands.

In consideration of the existing eco-friendly marketing research, it is only focusing on the type and characteristics of eco- friendly consumers. Therefore, in order to carry out more systematic and comprehensive eco-friendly marketing research, it is necessary to complement the comprehensive model that examines the mechanism by which the leading variables of the enterprises factors affecting consumer’s eco-friendly consumption behaviors. In this research, based on previous studies and literature considerations, it tries to present a research model that the core benefits and relational benefits of the retail store which is the advantage of VMD affect eco-friendly consumption behavior through consumer's implicit and explicit motivation. And, considering the environment, this study assumes the regulatory role of the perceived risk on the environmental problems under the relationship between green consumption motive and consumption behavior. The purpose of this research is as follows. First, it clarifies the influence of the benefits of eco-friendly VMD in fashion retail stores on the eco-friendly consumption motive, which is a psychological factor of consumers, as a leading variable of corporate factors affecting consumers’ green consumption behavior. The core benefits and relational benefits provided by eco-friendly VMD will identify differentiated impacts on consumer motivation, which is a psychological factor that drives green consumption behavior. Second, the types of motivations that cause eco-friendly behavior are classified into explicit motivation and implicit motivation, and this study tries to find out which type of motivation better predicts eco-friendly consumption behavior. Third, it tries to verify the moderating role of environmental perceived risk in the relationship between explicit motivation, implicit motivation and green consumption behavior. By further organizing the theme of eco-friendly marketing research, this study has its academic significance in that it derives a comprehensive model, moderating consumers’ green consumption behavior regarding eco-friendly marketing stimulates. It reveals the mechanisms that affect green consumption behavior backed by fashion retail stores where consumer buying behavior actually takes place. Based on this research, it is expected that subsequent studies of a more fragmented viewpoint for fashion retail stores’ eco-friendly marketing will be developed that will give consideration to consumers' green consumption behavior. Practically, the results of this research can be utilized very conveniently. In a practical dimension, if it becomes possible to thoroughly understand the mechanism by which eco-friendly VMD stimulation leads to green consumption behavior, retailers are possible to formulate an environmental marketing strategy peculiar to the target market segment. From a socio-policy perspective, retailers can encourage consumers' eco-friendly consumption by giving a stimulus of VMD to them. Moreover this study will promote companies to develop and manage healthier and more sustainable products.

E-commerce is a global phenomenon that reshapes retailing and the appropriate multinational corporations. The goal of this study is to get a better understanding of the relationship between online customer reviews (OCRs), sales and sales after returns in the cross-national and cross-cultural context. We discuss our hypotheses by empirically analyzing a large and unique data set from a European fashion e-commerce company. This study links a wide range of transaction data (0.8 billion page clicks, 17 thousand different products, 499 brands, 50 product categories, 22 million sold and 11 million returned items) from six different countries (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland) with a large set of OCRs (0.7 million). Our results show that positive OCRs can lead to higher sales and sales after returns with considerable cross-country differences. We argue that differences in culture provide a substantial explanation for these effects by using Hofstede's cultural framework.

Recent research has shown that many companies in the fashion industry are increasingly weaving close relationships with the art world, to appropriate art values and meanings to be associated with their own products and brands (Hagdtvedt & Patrick, 2008a; 2008b). Businesses related to the fashion luxury sector have been especially prone to using such strategies to transform their products into true artworks to address the issue of commodification resulting from high production volumes (Dion and Arnoult, 2011; Riot, Chameret & Rigaud, 2013). Over the past two decades, the luxury market has undergone huge structural changes through mergers and acquisitions that have transformed an industry made up of small, family businesses into major financial conglomerates and brand owners (Roux & Floch, 1996; Crane 2012). Secondly, globalization and openness to new fast-growing markets such as Asia, have led these luxury conglomerates to increase sales volumes, failing in one of the basic characteristics of such goods: rarity. But if the real rarity of luxury products is a promise that companies can no longer guarantee their own consumers, the elitism of these products can be ensured through an artificial rarity. Jean-Noël Kapferer used the neologism artification recently introduced by French sociologists Nathalie Heinich and Roberta Shapiro and applied it to the analysis of luxury goods (Kapferer, 2012; 2014; Heinich and Shapiro, 2012; Shapiro and Heinich, 2012). He stressed that a strategy based on art implemented by luxury companies is useful mainly to support the perception of rarity by the final consumer. Artification is based on the notion that art –related objects or persons are associated with positive values. Enhancing a corporate image in the consumer’s mind means building positive ties to the brand that will initiate a form of benevolence towards the brand, providing the legitimization of corporate actions and, in some cases, resulting in the purchase of goods and services produced and distributed by the company (Keller, 1993; Aaker, 1996; Aaker & Joachimsthaler, 2000; Keller, 2003). We decided to analyse the effect of Artification on brand value by focusing on the four dimensions of Awareness, Image, Quality and Loyalty by using the same CbBE ( Customer-based Brand Equity) structure previous authors tested on country of origin effect on consumers, based on the main hypotheses further explained (Pappu, Quester & Cooksey, 2006). The first hypothesis relates to the dimension of Awareness and aims to test the level of brand recognition in final consumers when the logo is modified by an artist. • H1 – Consumers’ awareness remains strong when the brand is ‘artified’. We analyze then the Image, as the second dimension of CbBE. Due to the complexity of this dimension, we posited two hypotheses connected to it: • H2a – Consumers’ free associations to the brand are connected to the artworld when the brand is ‘artified’ (e.g. consumers indicate words as art, contemporary art or the name of the artist). • H2b – Consumers’ evaluation of the brand image points to stronger positive associations when the brand is ‘artified’ The last two hypotheses we mention are connected to the dimensions of Quality and Loyalty: • H3 – Consumers’ evaluation of Quality increases when the brand is ‘artified’.  H4 – Consumers’ Loyalty to the brand increases when the brand is ‘artified’. • The analysis was conducted through a between-subjects randomized experiment and manipulated art presence (with art versus without art). Starting from the same panel, two groups were created: one including the treatment (visual arts) and one including no treatment at all. Furthermore, we limited ourselves in this experiment to images of products and pattern created by Louis Vuitton that are actually on the market, associating them randomly to the research units in order to obtain two statistically consistent groups subjected to the different treatment (with art or without art)4. The two groups were labelled ‘artified’ group and control group, the first grouping the respondents to the questionnaire containing images of Louis Vuitton Logo, pattern and product modified by art collaboration with Yayoi Kusama; and the second grouping the respondents to the questionnaire containing images of Louis Vuitton Logo, pattern and product in its standard design. The questionnaire was distributed between the months of May and June 2015 via Qualtrics survey software. It was divided into four distinct blocks: the first concerned the presentation of the survey, the declaration of authorization signed by the participants and the demographic information; the second and the third blocks of questions were identical, with the same series of questions but based on different images used. There were 880 respondents, 825 of whom correctly filled the questionnaire we submitted to them. The control group was made of 413 respondents, 73.13 % of whom were female and 26.87 % male. The ‘artified’ group was made of 71.60 % female and 28.40 % male. We analyzed the four dimensions of Awareness, Image, Quality and Loyalty individually and in a comparative manner between the control and ‘artified’ groups. In the CbBE model, dimensions are analyzed individually since Awareness and brand Image measures are not comparable because they are collected through different measure methods, respectively through multiple choice and open-ended questions. Such dimensions as Image, Quality and Loyalty which were raised through Likert scales were then subjected to mono multivariate statistical analysis. The main results are shown in table 1. By reading the results for CbBE, Hypothesis H1 [Consumers’ awareness remain strong when the brand is ‘artified’] has been confirmed. The aided brand awareness shows no important differences between the two groups, so visual artists may modify logos or the appearance of luxury products without the fear of compromising brand awareness in the final consumers. Hypothesis H2a [Consumers’ free associations to the brand are connected to the arts when the brand is ‘artified’ (e.g. the word art, contemporary art or the name of the artist)] was not confirmed. Hypothesis H2b was partially confirmed as Generic Associations and Brand Personality were impacted by the use of the visual arts, while Organizational Associations were not. Brand loyalty and Perceived Quality were not impacted by the Visual Arts either, so Hypothesis H3 and H4 were not confirmed. As a main result for CbBE analysis, the Visual Arts have an impact on Customer-based Brand Equity, limited to Brand Image dimensions. The fact that Brand Image is one of the most complex dimensions of brand value opens the way to the development of future analysis and research in the visual arts as external source for brand equity, especially for Brand Personality. The main results of our research show that an artification effect is visible especially at the level of brand image and brand personality, two complex and valuable components of Brand Value from a consumer perspective. This opens to further in-depth analysis of these two components for future research. Large luxury groups (such as Cartier and Prada) have long used an art-based strategy to increase the value of their products, avoiding the risk of a loss of prestige perceived by the final consumer who would no longer recognize the exclusivity of a product that seems to be increasingly more industrial than handmade. Art can therefore contribute to alter and rework the image and market position of a specific brand or an entire product line, ensuring the transition from an ordinary image to a prestigious one, or strengthening the existing prestigious perception (Hetsroni & Tukachinsky, 2005; Lee et Al., 2015). We believe that a strategy based on art implemented by luxury companies is beneficial mainly to support the perception of rarity by the final consumer. Luxury goods would have to be unique or at least not produced in too high volumes precisely because of their craftsmanship and the care with which they are made. Rarity is not compatible with the increase in sales volumes required by the financial holdings that own the same luxury brands (Roux and Lipovetsky, 2003; Kapferer, 2012; 2014; 2015). The artification process we researched would have exactly the dual purpose of improving the brand image of companies that apply it, while increasing the perception of luxury in end consumers. What is more, we believe that the luxury brands from the industry sector that belong to large financial conglomerates now have the strength to simultaneously apply all the components in the artification process, by sustaining activities of sponsorship, philanthropy or generic collaboration with artists. The fact that luxury products are an integral part of the world of visual arts combined with the fact luxury brands have now the strong support base of large financial conglomerates can ensure the right economic and cultural support needed for the application of such a strategy. In the case of fashion companies, we believe artification is a process in itinere. In our experiment free associations to the brand show that only 2 consumers out of 880 remembered or knew the name of the artist (Yayoi Kusama) and 10 people indicated the substantive ‘art’ or ‘contemporary arts’ as free associations in the ‘artified group’ (only 2 in the control group). This shows that luxury brands ‘art-based strategy cannot only concentrate on temporary collaborations with artists. Luxury brands as Louis Vuitton must act as art institutions able to display arts collections to the widest public and bestow art status and global recognition to collaborating artists (Masè and Cedrola, 2017). This strategy relies on LV ability to raise consumers’ awareness of the arts. While the art-oriented public recognizes artistic collaborations, the larger public does not yet is still very much aware of new designs. Novelty is equally perceived by both, but is partially decoded by one category of consumers.

Introduction Literally explosive is the growth of social media. The estimated number of monthly active Facebook users by the fourth quarter of 2016 is around 1.86 billion, almost a quarter of the world population, meaning that one in four people on the globe uses Facebook to read news, share gossips, communicate ideas, and build relationships with others. In the United States alone, 72% of all Internet users are reported to use Facebook (Pew Research, 2015), and to many, Facebook is no longer a small part of the Internet, but rapidly becoming the Internet itself. As peer-to-peer information sharing becomes a global mainstream, concerns about the credibility of information shared online is growing fast as well. With no gatekeeper in a traditional sense, rumors and fabricated information lacking reliable evidences (e.g., fake news) may spread wide and fast, and individuals are left alone to assess and judge which among them is likely to be true (Metzger, Flanagin, & Medders, 2010). Unfortunately, we know very little about how individuals assess information fed through online social networks, and how such processing of information in the social media environment differs from those in traditional media environment. In social media like Facebook where individuals and organizations interact through direct or indirect social relationships, what people can give and take is partly determined by with whom they have relationships and their locations in the entire network (Brands, 2014). For example, if one’s network consists mostly of college students, the network may be flooded with gossips, news, and information particularly appealing to them (e.g., how to pull an A from the hideous professor). If the network is made up of people from diverse backgrounds, meanwhile, the information shared therein will be as diverse as heterogeneous are the members’ characteristics and preferences. Network topology may, therefore, be a crucial factor that shapes not only what you encounter in your own network, but also the way you assess the information found therein (Sohn, 2014). An identical message may be construed differently depending on how it has been encountered (e.g., who liked/shared in Facebook) as well as where it originates (e.g., who are the original source of the message). For instance, the news regarding the effectiveness of alternative medicine on curing cancer may be assessed differently depending on whether it is shared by lay people with similar interest or medical experts, which subsequently affects one’s decision to share it. Whereas it is already well-founded that the original source quality plays an important role in communication (Visser & Cooper, 2007), relatively little attention has been devoted to unveiling the role of intermediate social environment lying between the original source and the final recipients. This study is aimed at examining systematically the role of social relations in individuals’ assessment of and decision to share information encountered in social media. More specifically, the focus will be on testing in an experimental setting how social relationship properties, reflecting psychological distance, shape individuals’ assessment of risk/benefit associated with the information received. Psychological Distance and Decision under Risk We are routinely exposed to a myriad of information from our immediate social circles including close friends and acquaintances as well as mass media. Some of them could be about the opportunities for earning extra profits (e.g., stock or real estate investment opportunities), while others about how to maintain better health (e.g., avoiding harmful chemical-intake). Whether it is about money, health or others, the decision to take an action on the information is a function of how to assess the risks involved. According to the prospect theory (Kahneman & Tversky, 1979), people have an inherent tendency of being more sensitive to the loss than benefit of anything, making them prefer avoiding loss to having an equivalent amount of gain. This loss-aversive tendency also implies that people prefer the possible to sure loss, even if the former is greater than the latter. In other words, people become risk-seeking to avoid any loss with certainty. Suppose, for example, you are given a choice between losing $750 for sure and doing a gamble such that you lose $1000 with 75% chance or lose nothing with 25% chance. Despite the identical expected value ($1000 x .75 + $1000 x 0 = $750), people tend to lean over to the gamble rather than the sure loss. This may work in the opposite way for benefit – you may prefer the sure to possible gain, meaning that you become risk-aversive when benefit is at stake. An interesting question is whether such a risk-seeking or aversion tendency is malleable (Tversky & Simonson, 1993). It is widely known that a message with identical contents can be construed differently depending on whether it is stated or framed in terms of benefit or loss (Slovic, 1995). Then, we might ask whether people construe messages differently depending on where they are from – whether they are from close-knit groups, distant acquaintances or some anonymous others. Prior studies have seldom considered such social contextual influence, which is essential to understanding communication in social media (Sohn, 2014). Suppose you are considering taking an alternative medicine for treating a chronic illness of yours, which will surely get worse with no treatment (i.e., loss with certainty). The alternative medicine’s effectiveness is largely unknown and has never been under rigorous scientific tests. You post your thought about adopting it and have just got replies from two different sources in your Facebook network – a close friend and a mere acquaintance. Your friend says that using the alternative approach can be detrimental to your health (i.e., loss frame), while the acquaintance mentions that s/he trusts the medicine’s benefits (i.e., benefit frame). What would be your choice given the comments? Would your choice be reversed if your friend says its benefit, while the acquaintance warns its side effects? It is posited in construal-level theory that “people use increasingly higher levels of construal to represent an object as the psychological distance from the object increases” (Trope & Liberman, 2010, p. 441). When there are pros and cons with respect to a course of action, people perceive cons (i.e., losses) psychologically closer than pros (i.e., benefits), which provides an explanation of why loss aversion occurs. In addition, it has been found that pros become more salient than cons as temporal distance to the action increases (e.g., buying a computer a year later; Eyal, Liberman, Trope, & Walther, 2004). Taken together, it may be inferred that the cons are salient when the action of interest is thought psychologically proximal, but the pros become more salient as it gets more psychologically distant. This inference can be applied to other distance dimensions including social distance as well. Combining benefit-loss frames and social distance perceptions, we can come up with the following four different conditions as summarized in Table 1. With all other things held equal, people tend to feel loss psychologically closer than benefit. However, the salience of either benefit or loss in a person’s mind may also depend on how the information is presented -- whether a message with the information comes from a proximal or distant source. For example, if a message with emphases on an alternative medicine’s benefit came from a proximal source (BP), further decrease in psychological distance might make salient its potential side effects, and thus lessen the benefit’s influence on decision. Similar inferences can be made to the case when a message with emphases on loss came from a distant source (LD). Due to the increase in psychological distance, it might become difficult to think of the negative aspects of the target (Herzog, Hansen & Wanke, 2007). If the message emphasizing either benefit or loss is aligned respectively with a distal (BD) or proximal source (LP), in contrast, they will become more salient in the person’s mind, which would exert a disproportionate influence on decision. Given the discussion, the following hypotheses can be proposed: H1a. People perceive the benefit more salient, and thus are more likely to make a risky choice when it is supported by socially distant others than when no information of the social distance to the source is given (i.e., control condition). H1b. People perceive the benefit less salient, and thus are less likely to make a risky choice when the benefit is supported by socially close others than when no information of the social distance to the source is given (i.e., control condition). H2a. People perceive the loss more salient, and thus make a risky choice less when the loss is warned by socially close others than when when no information of the social distance to the source is given. H2b. People perceive the loss less salient when the loss is warned by socially distant others than when no information of the social distance to the source is given. Experimental Design A 2 (message frames) x 3 (social distance) between-subjects online experiment will be conducted as follows. Subjects will be given multiple hypothetical risky choice situations with respect to such issues as making an investment, adopting a new medical treatment, purchasing a product. After being exposed to the choice scenarios, they will be asked a series of questions for measuring their issue-involvement levels, attitudes to the issue presented, thoughts related to benefits and losses, and final choices, along with relevant psychological and demographic characteristics. Implications No communication ever occurs in a social vacuum. Just as our everyday behaviors are shaped and often constrained by the physical places in which they are performed (e.g., rooms, streets, buildings), we communicate in a social setting consisting of direct and/or indirect relationships among people (Gifford, 2013). The knowledge of one’s social surroundings becomes more important in social media due to the manifest location dependency—meaning one’s position in a relationship network basically defines what can be seen and done. No matter whether information originally came from a newspaper, television program, or blog, the information is eventually transmitted via one of the network members, highlighting the importance of relationship patterns and qualities in communication processes. That is, in any socially-networked environment, people rely not only on inferences about the original source quality (e.g., authority, expertise), but also on the social contexts through which the information is received and shared. Most previous research has focused mainly on the former (i.e., source quality) while overlooking both the latter (i.e., social contexts) and any possible interactions between the two (Metzger, Flanagin, & Medders, 2010). The current study is believed to bridge the gap so that communication processes in the social media environment could be understood in a more systematic fashion.

This research was conducted in order to examine whether the type of credit card (premier vs. standard card) influences consumer purchase decisions regarding luxury consumption. The present research reports three experiments with online panels of non-student adults, which find that (1) the use of a premier card (vs. a standard card) leads to a more goal-congruent choices, (2) the effect is mediated by a temporary increase in the perception of pride, and (3) the effect is pronounced for people with a low level of chronic pride. The effect of payment methods on consumer spending has been a concern of theory and research in consumer behavior (Bernthal, Crockett, & Rose, 2005; Feinberg, 1986; Prelec & Lowenstein, 1998; Soman, 2001). This research stream has shown that consumers tend to spend more when they use a credit card than when they pay cash and has proposed various theoretical mechanisms to account for the phenomenon (Chatterjee & Rose, 2012; Prelec & Simester, 2001; Soman, 2001; Thomas, et al., 2011). However, researchers have paid little attention to the effect of different types of credit cards (i.e., premier vs. standard card) on consumer decisions. We contend that the use of a premier card (vs. a standard card) can increase the feeling of pride momentarily and in turn increase consumers’ motivation to pursue a long-term goal that they value. As a result, they prefer a choice alternative that is more congruent with the goal. To be specific, the use of a premier card would increase the choice of luxury alternative, and that this effect would be pronounced for those who value material possessions (i.e., high materialism). This expectation was confirmed in the studies that we have performed. In three experiments, participants were shown a credit card(either premier or standard) and were asked to assume that they were going to use it for their purchase. Then, they were asked to make choices in shopping contexts. Participants with premier credit card, compared to those with standard card, showed more goal-consistent choices. They were more likely to choose luxury alternatives, and this effect was apparent only for those who have a high materialistic value. When the choice set includes both a low-calorie food and a high-calorie food, the use of a premier card increased the choice of low-calorie food, and this effect was apparent only for those with diet goal. These effects were mediated by the feeling of pride. Three studies in combination provide insights into the effect of types of credit cards on consumer spending regarding luxury consumption and the processes underlying the effect, which have not been reported elsewhere. The use of a premier credit card (vs. a standard credit card) led to a greater choice of luxury alternatives over standard alternatives and a greater choice of low-calorie foods over high-calorie foods. However, these effects were apparent only when people highly valued the goal under consideration (i.e., high materialism or strong diet goal). Finally, these effects were attributable to a momentary increase in the perception of pride by virtue of the use of a premier card, and consequently, the effects were observable only for people who have a relatively low chronic pride. The effects we observed in this research generalized over different product categories and different long-term goals. Nevertheless, it is desirable to extend findings in more diverse consumption categories (e.g., services) as well as to identify additional variables that moderate the magnitude of the effect. In addition, it is worth considering alternative underlying mechanisms than the one we considered (i.e., the feeling of pride) in future research. For example, a premier card may increase individuals’ construal level, thereby affecting consumer purchase decisions.

This research examines how advertising message effectiveness differs depending on media types that provide fashion information among teenagers. Employing cloth consumption value and ‘fitness’ of fashion style, young people’s attitudes toward advertising and brand of fashion product were analyzed. Theoretical contribution and practical implication for fashion industry are discussed. Introduction Teenagers are an important consumer group in the clothing market, and the market size is expanding. They are more likely to absorb new information and respond to social influences, compared to other age groups. Thus, it is expected that teenagers are greatly influenced by the fashion information gained when making a purchase decision. In adolescence, the peer group is especially influential, as well as the media. Therefore, it is possible that their use of information source will differ from other groups. The most popular medium for Korean teenagers in recent years is social media. A Social Network Service (SNS) is a web-based service that allows individuals to build social relationships, providing a place for users to exchange information and opinions by providing a platform for communication (Boyd & Ellison, 2007). As development of mobile Internet technology, smart phone or tablet PC is commonly used in Korea and SNS becomes vital way for communication for young people. Most of teenagers are using SNS daily and exchanging their opinion each other. Recently, it attracts increasing attention for marketers to deliver advertising messages as a new marketing tool. Fashion companies widely employ SNS in their marketing activities to enhance brand images, retain customers (Cho & Park, 2012). SNS serves as a platform for “many-to-many” interactive communication, unlike traditional mass media for ‘one-to-many’ communication. Unlike traditional media, SNS has a wider influence on participants. Therefore, exactly the same message could be differently functioned by the advertising delivering system. This study seeks to look at how message effectiveness differs depending on the type of media that provides fashion information. As mentioned earlier, social media has distinct characteristics from the traditional mass media. Thus, even when it is the same advertising information, its impact on the consumer can vary when transmitted through the mass media and through social media. In addition, social media is a collection of various social platforms that share specific properties rather than a single media. Thus, depending on the type of social media, the same ad information can also be expected to elicit differing responses from consumers. In this study, female youth were studied as subjects of research. The survey method was utilized. This will allow us to explore the impact of various media on female youth's response on fashion advertisement. Understanding the sources of information important in youth will help develop effective clothing products marketing. The use of clothing sources varies depending on the group. Therefore, each vendor is expected to establish effective marketing methods through research on the use of the clothing information sources of the target audience. Theoretical Background Type of Media In this study, type of advertising media was mainly categorized as follows: Social Network Service (SNS) and mass media. More specifically, SNS was reassigned into three by characteristics of service such as network-type, share-type, and blog-type (Chung & Lee, 2015). Overall, four types of media were analyzed in this study and each service was represented by Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and magazine ad in the order named. Social Desirability and SNS Along the development of Internet based technology (IT), ways of advertising placement became diverse and moved focus on IT based service including SNS. Especially for young people, fashion industries are willing to catch their eyes on SNS. By the nature, young SNS users are eager to search, blog, and share what they have earned on SNS for various reasons. Sharing fashion information is very important for young female. Their expressions on SNS mean what they are; what I eat, wear and so on. A fellow feeling, so called ‘we-ness’, is extremely essential for Korean young people. Looking alike does not only share collectivistic spirits, but also makes feel not fall behind the trendy style. Using SNS is one of the best ways of confirming their fellow feeling and at the same time it reduces peer pressure. From the domain of fashion marketing, research on communication had been mostly focused on mass media, and research on SNS communication, sharing of consumption information among consumers had been insufficient (Jun & Park, 2013). Fashion companies are recently trying to utilize SNS as a new alternative to have efficient effects with little costs. The SNS communication effect plays a large role in the consumption of consumers and analyzes the influence of SNS on the responses of the customers. SNS has the characteristic in which recommendations of friends or reliable acquaintances based on trust are important (Jung & Cho, 2016). Fashion Information Source and Clothing Consumption Value Consumers’ choice of clothing is based on the information gained. Information provided by the media or other people's clothing is the main source of decision making. In this case, the media and the surrounding people will become sources of desirable fashion style. Earlier, Cox(1967) classified the type of information sources as marketer-driven sources, consumer-driven sources, and neutral sources. Several scholars classified information sources as personal and non-personal sources, and direct observations and experiences (Andreasen 1968, Sproles 1979). Park and Yoo(2000) classified consumers according to fashion lifestyles and analyzed the sources of information that each group utilized. Each group tended to use different types of fashion information sources. Fashion-following group and personality-oriented group utilized more media and personal information, such as print media and television, compared to pragmatism group and conformity group. Personality-oriented group tends to use more direct observation than other groups. Conformity group showed the least use of mass media, purchase experience, observation, and interpersonal information source. This result shows that the types and degree of information used varies depending on the consumer’s fashion lifestyle. Research has found that clothing consumption value is one of the major variables which affect consumer’s use of information source. Among several classifications of consumption values, Sheth’s model is the most utilized model in Korea fashion academia (Han and Kim, 2002). Sheth et al. (1991) classified consumption values into functional value, social value, emotional value, epistemic values, and conditional value. Han and Kim (2002) classified consumer groups into 4 groups utilizing Sheth’s classification: the Conspicuous, the Epistemic, the Social/Conformitive, and the Indifferent. There were significant different among the four groups in information search process. The Conspicuous and the Epistemic more tend to search carefully the clothes inside the store or in the show window than other groups. The two group members answered that they make a decision based on my own tastes than the other groups. Research Questions and Hypotheses Based on the earlier discussion, we propose following research question and hypotheses. Research Question 1: Would advertising message’s effect on young people’s attitudes toward advertising and brand of fashion product be different, depending on their consumption value of clothing? Hypothesis 1-1: Consumers in different consumption values groups will show different response to the same advertising message delivered through different channels. Specifically, social conformity group are more likely to show positive attitude toward advertising and brand presented on network-type SNS than advertising and brand presented on other platforms. Hypothesis 1-2: The Expressive is more likely to show positive attitude toward advertising and brand presented on magazine than other groups are. Research Question 2: Would advertising message’s effect on young people’s attitudes toward advertising and brand of fashion product be different, depending on their age group? Hypotheses 2-1: Young women will have better responses to SNS-based ads than magazine ads to older women. Research Question 3: Would advertising message’s effect on young people’s attitudes toward advertising and brand of fashion product be different, depending on their perception of ‘fitness’ of their desired fashion style? Hypotheses 3-1: When they perceive the presented style on the ad does not fit to their desired fashion style, network-type SNS is more likely to get positive attitude from the social conformity group than from the other groups. Methodology This present study aims to investigate the effects of advertising message by operating delivering system on consumers’ attitude toward fashion advertising and purchase intentions. This research employed a 4 (consumption value of clothing: expressive, practical, unique, social/conformity) X 4 (Advertising media type: network-type SNS, share-type SNS, blog-type SNS, and magazine) X 2 (fashion style fitness: fit/not fit) between subjects factorial design. The survey was conducted on 200 more young females, aged 16 to 24. Main Discussion Points This study aims to investigate how a fashion product ad works depending on the type of media on which the fashion advertising presents. To do this, authors will compare the advertising effectiveness among magazine ad, Facebook (Network type SNS), Instagram (Share type SNS), and Twitter(blog type SNS). First of all, we are going to examine how each advertising medium works depending on consumer’s consumption values, their age, and the perception of fitness of their desired fashion style. Based on the results, the theoretical contribution and practical implication will be discussed. This discussion will provide us deeper understanding on how fashion industry utilizes advertising media when female youth is a major target group

A consumer is an individual entity with various motivations. This study is intended to incorporate a hierarchical structure of motivation to understand self-determined motivation for purchasing secondhand merchandise at thrift stores. A conceptual model adopted from Cadwallader et al. (2010)’s comprehensive model of motivation used in a marketing context was developed to investigate motivational process in secondhand merchandise shopping. The conceptual model includes the three levels of motivational structure–the global, contextual (environmental concern and frugality), and situational motivation. A series of the causal relationships among the three levels of self-determined motivations and buying intention to shop at thrift stores were hypothesized. A total of 219 respondents from two different northeastern state universities in the U.S. completed a self-administered survey. The results indicated that secondhand merchandise shopping is well explained in the hierarchical structure of self-determined motivation where the global motivation had a positive impact on the contextual motivations regarding environmental concern and frugality. Of the two contextual motivations, only environmental concern had a positive impact on situational motivation for shopping at thrift stores. Finally, the situational motivation positively influenced the intention to shop at thrift stores. The results of this model suggest that the hierarchical structure of self-determined motivation would be a very useful framework to understand consumer behavior for apparel shopping. Also, further research can be done to identify other contextual motivational factors to understand consumer motivation for shopping at thrift stores.

Fe-6.5 wt.% Si alloys are widely known to have excellent soft magnetic properties such as high magnetic flux density, low coercivity, and low core loss at high frequency. In this work, disc-shaped preforms are prepared by spark plasma sintering at 1223 K after inert gas atomization of Fe-6.5 wt.% Si powders. Fe-6.5 wt.% Si sheets are rolled by a powder hot-rolling process without cracking, and their microstructure and soft magnetic properties are investigated. The microstructure and magnetic properties (saturation magnetization and core loss) of the hot-rolled Fe-6.5 wt.% Si sheets are examined by scanning electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, vibration sample magnetometry, and AC B–H analysis. The Fe-6.5 wt.% Si sheet rolled at a total reduction ratio of 80% exhibits good soft magnetic properties such as a saturation magnetization of 1.74 T and core loss (W5/1000) of 30.7 W/kg. This result is caused by an increase in the electrical resistivity resulting from an increased particle boundary density and the oxide layers between the primary particle boundaries.

In this work, p-type Bi−Sb−Te alloys powders are prepared using gas atomization, a mass production powder preparation method involving rapid solidification. To study the effect of the sintering temperature on the microstructure and thermoelectric properties, gas-atomized powders are consolidated at different temperatures (623, 703, and 743 K) using spark plasma sintering. The crystal structures of the gas-atomized powders and sintered bulks are identified using an X-ray diffraction technique. Texture analysis by electron backscatter diffraction reveals that the grains are randomly oriented in the entire matrix, and no preferred orientation in any unique direction is observed. The hardness values decrease with increasing sintering temperature owing to a decrease in grain size. The conductivity increases gradually with increasing sintering temperature, whereas the Seebeck coefficient decreases owing to increases in the carrier mobility with grain size. The lowest thermal conductivity is obtained for the bulk sintered at a low temperature (603 K), mainly because of its fine-grained microstructure. A peak ZT of 1.06 is achieved for the sample sintered at 703 K owing to its moderate electrical conductivity and sustainable thermal conductivity.

Background:After a stroke, the control of the trunk muscle may be severely impaired. Due to the importance of trunk control in complex daily postures, the ability to adopt a correct sitting posture is considered a determinant of the recovery of independent function after a stroke.Objects:The purposes of this study were to compare differences in buttock pressure between the left and right sides of hemiplegic patients and differences in their pelvic tilting angles (sagittal and coronal planes) after sitting training with visual biofeedback (VBF) in real time.Methods:Twenty-two individuals with unilateral strokes (11 left-side and 11 right-side hemiplegic stroke patients) participated in this study. Buttock pressure was measured using a pressure mat, and pelvic angles were measured using a palpation meter.Results:The asymmetry of pressure between the right and left (first and third chamber) sides was significantly decreased after the VBF training. The measurements obtained using the palpation meter revealed a significant decrease in the pelvic angles pre- versus post-intervention.Conclusion:VBF training may be distribute a patient’s buttock pressure equally while in a sitting posture and increase the length of time a stroke patient can maintain a symmetrical sitting posture. It can also improve pelvic control while sitting in a neutral position.

Embryo transfer (ET) could be a relevant tool for genetic improvement programs in horses similar to those already underway in other species and produce multiple foals from the same mare in one breeding season. However, there have been no reports describing equine embryo transfer performed in Korea. In the present study, we performed an equine embryo collection and transfer procedure for the first time. We examined the embryo collection and pregnancy, size of embryo during the incubation period after collection, and progesterone (P4) and estradiol-17ß (E2) concentrations in mare’s serum at embryo collection and transfer. A total of 16 donors responded to estrus synchronization; estrus was induced in 12 donors and 4 recipients, and artificial insemination was successful in 10 donors and six blastocysts were collected from donors. Of these blastocysts, we monitored the size of blastocysts for 3 day during incubation and transferred 2 blastocysts to a recipient, with 1 successful pregnancy and foal achieved. The dimensions of equine embryo at day 7 to day 9 were 409 μm, 814 μm and 1,200 μm. The serum P4 and E2 concentrations were 7.91±0.37 ng/μL and 45.45±12.65 ng/μL in the donor mare, and 16.06±3.27 ng/μL and 49.13±10.09 ng/μL in the recipient mare.

It is very difficult to get the information about semen quality analysis in transgenic pigs because of limited numbers and research facilities. Therefore, in the present study, we analyzed the semen quality of transgenic boars generated for xenotransplantation research. Briefly, the semen samples were collected from 5 homozygous α1,3-Galactosyltransferase knock-out (GalT-/-) transgenic boars and immediately transported to the laboratory. These semen samples were decupled with DPBS and conducted to analyze semen parameters by a computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) system. The boar semen were examined all 12 parameters such as total motility (TM), curvilinear velocity (VCL), straight line velocity (VSL), average path velocity (VAP), and hyperactivated (HYP), etc. In results, among the 5 GalT-/- boars, three boars (#134, 144, and 170) showed normal range of semen parameters, but #199 and 171 boars showed abnormal ranges of semen parameters according to standard ranges of semen parameters. Unfortunately, #171 boar showed azoospermia symptom with rare sperm counts in the original semen. Conclusively, assessment of semen parameters by CASA system is useful to pre-screening of reproductively healthy boar prior to natural mating and artificial insemination for multiplication and breeding.

The p21-activated kinases (PAKs) are a family of serine/threonine protein kinases and activated by binding with activated Rho GTPases such as Rac or Cdc42. PAKs regulate actin cytoskeletal remodeling, cell motility, cell survival, and apoptosis. Also, PAKs are involved in several diseases such as cancer, virus infectious diseases, mental retardation, Alzheimer and Parkinson's diseases. Therefore, the substances that are able to inhibit PAK activation can be used as powerful tools and medicines for PAK relative diseases or specific inhibitors for study of PAK signaling pathway. In this study, we investigated and characterized the 5 compounds of 4-benzene-1, 2-naphthoquinone (NQ) family as candidate substances to inhibit the PAK1 activation in vitro and in cells. Binding between p21-binding domain (PBD) of PAK1 and Cdc42 was blocked by 5 NQ-compounds in ELISA assay. Myelin basic protein (MBP) phosphorylation was dramatically reduced by treatment of these compounds in vitro kinase assay for Cdc42-induced or constitutive active PAK1 mutant. Also, phosphorylation at Thr 423 of transfected PAK1 was inhibited by treatment of 5 NQ-compounds in 293T cells, respectively. Finally, NQ-5 inhibited strongly the PAK1 activation by PDGF stimulation and cell motility in PDGF-induced wound migration assay in NIH 3T3 cells. Therefore, these NQ compounds will be good candidates as target molecules to regulate PAK1-related diseases or inhibitors to study PAK1 signaling pathway.