This paper analyses consumers’ perception of the country image of Italy across 7 emerging countries: Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, South Africa, and Turkey. Drawing from the international marketing and tourism literature (De Nisco, Papadopoulos and Heslop, 2017; Roth and Diamantopoulos, 2009), 4 main structural dimensions of the Italian country image were chosen as focus of investigation: general country image, product-country image, tourism destination image and cultural heritage image. The empirical research was based on a survey conducted on a sample of 4,550 respondents intercepted through an online panel. Two preliminary exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were ran to refine the scales and to summarize the data into structural factors. The first EFAs grouped measurement scales in 7 components: tourism destination image; general country image; product country image; product accessibility; evaluation of hedonic products; evaluation of utilitarian products; and evaluation of Italy as a tourism destination. The second EFA identified 3 distinct components of the cultural heritage image construct, i) art, literature, history, movies, ii) sociality, cooking, handcrafts and iii) traditions, expression, celebrations. Using the dimensions resulting from the EFA as data input, a latent class analysis was then employed. A 4-cluster solution emerged and the four segments reveal how the general country, product, tourism and cultural heritage components of place image are related and of how they jointly affect consumers’ intentions. Moreover, the study provides additional evidence of country of origin effects from the perspective of consumers from emerging markets, where both the

Introduction Marketing research frequently highlights the role of branding in customer’s decision making in a variety of sectors (Khan et al., 2015). Especially in cases where brands are related to the provision of services, creating competitive experiences seems to be an aspect of paramount importance for marketers (Hartman, et al., 2009). For this reason branding could be regarded as a means to improve a business’s performance (Hsu et al., 2011). Gilmore and Pine (2002) confirm the necessity for a brand to be associated with competitive characteristics, since it is widely acceptable that just selling a product is not enough, thus, the customer should go through a memorable experience in order to support, and, even more, to stay loyal to a brand. According to Liu et al. (2017) in the hotel industry visitors’ brand attitude and brand performance could mediate or moderate loyalty. Although the tourism and hospitality industry heavily relates on experience (Yuan & Wu, 2008), literature does not adequately examine the respective field (Ritchie & Hudson, 2009). This drawback combined with the new tendencies generated by the globalisation (Khan et al., 2015) lead to the need of further research which this study contributes to. The study focuses on hotel branding and existing literature in order to examine the way that brand influences tourists’ purchasing intentions and loyalty. In order to achieve this aim, the role of income and age on brand identification, the study examines the impact of brand identification, image and awareness in visitor satisfaction and price and quality issues, resulting to the formulation of loyalty. The theoretical contribution of the study concerns the examination of the influence of branding on visitors’ loyalty in accommodation establishments, something that is under-researched from previous studies, especially when dealing with destinations heavily affected by an economic crisis. Proposed Model The proposed model is based on the combination of two theories, which are the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA). Following Ajzen (1991) TPB focuses on three determinants of the human behaviour: (i) reactions towards a basic behaviour (ii) attitude towards others’ approval or disapproval of a behaviour, and (iii) perceptions of the degree of difficulty in performing a behaviour. Furthermore, TRA is used in order to predict an individual’s behaviour based on their existing attitudes and intentions, defined by the expectations of the individual in terms of its attitudinal outcomes (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975; Untaru et al., 2016). Based on TPB and TRA, the study structures a linear model, formulating its constructs with the use of previous studies of Davvetas and Diamantopoulos (2017), Escalas and Bettman (2003; 2005), Kim and Kim (2005), Liu et al. (2017), Nam et al. (2011), Popp and Woratschek (2017), Sanchez et.al. (2006), Sincovics et al. (2010), Tarnanidis et al. (2015), Tsiros and Mittal (2000), and Yoo, et al. (2000). The model suggests that loyalty is influenced by visitor satisfaction and price quality issues, whilst the latter two constructs are impacted by brand aspects (identification; name; awareness). The following hypotheses were formulated: H1. Brand identification has a direct positive influence on satisfaction. H2. Brand identification has a direct positive influence on price and quality. H3. Satisfaction is positively affected by brand image. H4. Price-quality nexus is positively affected by brand image. H5. Brand awareness positively influences satisfaction. H6. Brand awareness has a direct impact on price-quality nexus. H7. Loyalty is positively affected by satisfaction. H8. Price-quality nexus exert direct influence on loyalty. Methodology The research was held at the Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” from June till August 2017. The respondents were adult tourists visiting Athens for holidays. The study was based on structured questionnaires, which are deemed suitable in cases when quantitative data are required, especially in public spaces and wherever the sample is self-selecting (e.g. tourist destinations, airports etc.) (Brotherton, 2015). Following Akis et al. (1996), for the study 95% minimum level of confidence, and 5% statistical error was selected. While the analogy 50/50 between positive and negative views applies, with N>20 and cumulative probability (Z) is 1.96 the sample size is calculated as follows: Out of 400 respondents 328 completed their questionnaires successfully. The response rate was 82 per cent. The questionnaire is based on previous research and consists of 57 Likert scale statements (1 strongly disagree; 5 strongly agree), also examining the socio-demographics of age and income. Results Structural Equation Model (SEM) was employed for the analysis of linear relations. Figure 1 illustrates the generated standardised coefficients of the model. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was applied for testing the compatibility of the data with the proposed model that was generated from respective previous research. Following Kline’s (2010) selection of indices’ importance, the study has generated the following indices: χ2=327.206, df=172, χ2/df=1.902 [acceptable value: 0≤χ2/df≤2; Schermelleh-Engel, Moosbrugger & Müller (2003)], CFI=.907, [acceptable value is when CFI is close to 1.0; Weston & Gore (2006)], SRMR=.769 [acceptable value is when SRMR<.8; Hu & Bentler (1999)], and RMSEA=.487 [acceptable value is when RMSEA<.5; Browne & Cudeck (1993)]. In factor analysis (Table 1) all values less than .4 were suppressed in an effort to evaluate higher coefficients (Norman & Streiner, 2008). The overall Cronbach A was .904, whilst in all constructs it has exceeded the minimum limit of .7. In addition, the Average Variance Explained (AVE) was higher than .5 [minimum acceptable .5; Kim (2014)]. Managerial Implications Several managerial implications could be generated from this study. First, the research can provide useful guidance to tourism and hospitality stakeholders, on reforming brand strategies accordingly in terms of achieving higher customer satisfaction and optimal outputs from price-quality nexus. Through these aspects the accommodation establishments and destinations can become more competitive and competent to pull prospective visitors. The study also constitutes a useful guide for market segmentation in terms of the influence of income and age in brand aspects. As the results indicate, the substantial influence of socio-demographics on the formulation of brand aspects can significantly influence targeted marketing and promotional activities for both, hotels and destinations. Limitations Despite the research’s theoretical contribution, several limitations need to be highlighted. Since the survey was conducted in a destination heavily affected by the current economic crisis (Athens) the influence of brand and loyalty aspects may differ in other metropolitan destinations having other characteristics. Therefore, any generalization should be made with caution. Moreover, the examination of different groups (i.e.: accommodation managers/owners; destination authorities) may generate different outcomes in terms of branding focus and loyalty formulation. Thus, the evaluation of perspectives of tourism and hospitality stakeholders is essential for the holistic approach of these matters. Finally, since perceptions may change over time, the repetition of this research may contribute to the understanding of the evolution of perspectives and their extent of alteration.

Marketing in the sharing economy The shift on the enhanced complexity of customers‟ needs has created a new business model termed as the sharing economy emerging through the traditional B2B2C sector, and substituted with micro-entrepreneurs who act as service providers (Kumar, Lahiri, and Dogan, n.d.). The importance of the sharing economy is based on the fact that in a short period of time it has managed to disrupt well-established fields (i.e.: taxi and accommodation industry), through the provision of low-cost convenience without the ownership responsibility (Eckhardt & Bardhi, 2015). In general, the sharing economy service providers are not responsible for marketing and promotional aspects since this is an aspect taken care of the service enablers (i.e.: Airbnb). In the sharing economy, marketing needs to focus on the development of early adopters, meaning younger generations (Laciana & Rovere, 2011), since they are the largest generational cohort, and are expected to remain the largest one for the forthcoming decades (Fry, 2016), whilst they have a considerably lower spending capacity than older people (Henderson, 2016). Therefore, younger generations select cost-efficient options and engage in utility-based brand switching (Kumar et al., n.d.). As a result, sharing economy marketing strategies mainly focus on apps or websites where their existing customers may visit (McAlone, 2016). Moreover, multigenerational marketing is considered as a rational segmentation strategy for service enablers (Eckhardt & Bardhi, 2015), since the older a generation is the lower the general adoption rates in sharing economy marketing (Hall & Krueger, 2015). Still, the complex decision-making of consumers in sharing economy‟s marketing is affected by several factors such as price and quality issues and the associated risks (Pappas, 2017). Despite the importance of sharing economy in modern business, the literature is silent on the complexity of aspects affecting the related marketing activities. The paper examines the complexity of marketing activities formulation examining peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation holidaymakers in Athens, Greece. It specifically evaluates the impact of risks, price and quality issues, and social aspects, on P2P accommodation marketing activities, also including the socio-demographics of age and income. The research contribution is in both, theoretical and methodological domains. In terms of literature the study provides an understanding of the complexity formulation of marketing activities, with special reference to the sharing economy. Methodologically-wise, the research implements fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), which is considered new to the study of tourism and hospitality (Pappas & Papatheodorou, 2017). It further compares fsQCA suitability with regression, which is the dominant correlational mode of analysis. Study tenets In service industry research the term „tenet‟ is used to describe testable precepts able to identify complex conditions (Papatheodorou & Pappas, 2017). This study has formulated six tenets: (T1) The same attribute has the ability to determine a different decision for marketing activities depending on its configuration with other attributes (T2) A complex configuration with at least two simple conditions can leads to an outcome condition that can have a consistently high score (Recipe principle) (T3) Complex configurations can influence the marketing activities for P2P holidaymakers (T4) When the combinations differ on the simple conditions of configurations, they can influence in a positive or negative manner the marketing activities for P2P holidaymakers (T5) Sufficient marketing activities do not always result in a high outcome score (Equifinality principle), and (T6) When the Y scores are high, a given recipe for the marketing activities is not relevant for all cases. Complexity in tourism Complexity theory focuses on complex systems with nonlinear dynamics, characterised by self-organisation, emergence, and evolution (Arévalo & Espinosa, 2015). The theory is used to evaluate the nonparametric, and dynamic processes of complex phenomena in several different disciplines (Olya & Al-ansi, 2018). Tourism complexity is based on several conflicting elements, such as the translocal relationships and multilocality, the heterogeneity of actors, the places and governance globalisation, and the extreme diversity of operations (Darbellay & Stock, 2012). Moreover, tourism deals with complex policies involving multiple actors, and a perpetually changing multi-level coordination in a local, national and international level (Lai, Hsu, and Wearing 2016). The degree of behavioural complexity renders Newtonian (linear) thinking inadequate and highlights the necessity for nonparametric (nonlinear) research (Laws & Prideaux, 2005). Method The study was held in Athens, Greece in adult P2P accommodation holidaymakers. Following the study of Pappas (2017), structured questionnaires were distributed to the P2P rentals, asking from the holidaymakers to fill them in during their stay. As Akis, Peristianis and Warner (1996) suggest, the study‟s sample size should have a minimum of 95 percent level of confidence and a maximum of 5 percent statistical error, whilst the most conservative response of 50/50 (meaning half of the respondents would express positive views and the other half negative ones) was adopted. For N>20, t-table defines cumulative probability (Z) in 1.96 level. Following Akis et al. (1996), the sample size calculation is: Rounded to 400 In total, 712 useful responses were collected, generating a statistical error of 3.67 per cent. The questionnaire consists of 24 Likert scale statements adopted from previous research, including two socio-demographic questions (age; income). The study employed fsQCA for the evaluation of complex configurations. fsQCA is considered a mixed method since it employs quantitative testing and qualitative inductive reasoning, and it is able to examine the potential complex relationships that have a bearing upon the outcome of interest, and identifies combinations of binary sets generated from its predictors. Since the research also estimated negated sets (presence or absence of a simple condition), the symbol “~” was used for the indication of an attributional absence. Research calibration was made by using 42 randomly selected individual cases. For the evaluation of the marketing activities „f_ma‟ affecting holidaymakers, the calibrated fuzzy-sets used were „f_a‟ for age, „f_i‟ for income, „f_r‟ for risks, „f_sa‟ for social aspects, „f_pi‟ for price issues, and „f_qi‟ for quality issues. Results Three sufficient configurations emerged from the research. More specifically, the first solution (f_a*f_i*~f_r*~f_sa*f_pi*f_qi) concerns the price-quality nexus, the second configuration (f_a*~f_i*f_r*~f_sa*f_pi*~f_qi) deals with price sensitivity, and the third one (f_a*~f_i*f_r*f_sa*~f_pi*f_qi) focuses on social interaction. The generated solutions for marketing activities are presented in the table below. The results indicate that all four simple conditions appear in at least one solution (T1), whilst at least two simple conditions are included in each sufficient configuration (T2). Moreover, the findings suggest that the solutions focus on: (i) price-quality nexus (ii) price sensitivity, and (iii) social interaction (T3). In addition, none of the simple conditions appears in all configurations (T4), and three different solutions seem to lead to the same outcome (T5). Finally, the coverage varies from .429 to .453, meaning that none of the solutions applies in all cases (T6). As a result, the findings confirm the six tenets of the study. fsQCA versus regression The study used a structural equation model for the examination of linear relationships, and implemented Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), since the sum of the examined items is based on previous analytic research. Due to the large sample (N=712) χ2/df instead of χ2 was selected, since it is considered as a better estimate of goodness (Chen & Chai, 2007). Following Kline (2010), the research estimated the four most important fit indices: χ2=634.921, df=352, χ2/df=1.803 (acceptable value 0≤χ2/df≤2 [Schermelleh-Engel, Moosbrugger & Müller, 2003]), CFI=.902 (acceptable value is when CFI is close to 1.0 [Weston and Gore 2006]), SRMR=.782 (acceptable value is when SRMR<.8 [Hu & Bentler, 1999]), and RMSEA=.475 (acceptable value is when RMSEA<.5 [Browne & Cudeck, 1993]). In factor analysis, all values less than .4 were suppressed (minimum acceptable value .4 [Norman & Streiner, 2008]) in an effort to evaluate higher coefficients. In all constructs, the Average Variance Explained (AVE) was higher than .5 (minimum acceptable .5 [Kim, 2014]), and the convergent validity (CR) higher than .7 (minimum acceptable value: .7 [Huang, Wang, Wu, & Wang, 2013]). The Figure below explains the study‟s endogenous variables. The comparison of fsQCA with regression highlights that the latter cannot encapsulate the full range of alternative combinations, in restricts the presence/absence of a construct or socio-demographic in one outcome, whilst the row coverage in all sufficient configurations (also showcasing high consistency) is higher than the overall R2 (.393). As a result, fsQCA seems to be more efficient than regression concerning the examination of marketing activities on P2P holidaymakers, since it better presents the influence of the constructs under examination. Managerial implications The study offers a number of managerial implications. For starters, through the use of fsQCA, traditional accommodation providers and destinations can better understand complexity aspects of consumer trends, being able to sufficiently reposition their marketing activities. Moreover, fsQCA can assist on the clarification of the factors affecting marketing complexity in tourism and hospitality, and better promote and advertise the products and services in reference. The understanding of complex marketing patterns, can further lead to the formulation of competitive advantages and strengthen the competitiveness of the enterprises engaged in a destination, as well as the destination itself. In addition, destinations can better comprehend the complex evolution of sharing economy and build upon its strengths, aving the opportunity to formulate a cooperative market towards traditional establishments and P2P rentals. Limitations Despite the theoretical and methodological contribution of the study, several limitations need to be highlighted. The main limitation derives from the study‟s main strength, which is the limited application of fsQCA in tourism and hospitality. Much further use of fsQCA in the field could reveal its full potential. Another limitation deals with the examination of other groups, such as the holidaymakers selecting traditional establishments for their stay, P2P stakeholders, and destination authorities. Since different groups of respondents may produce different outcomes, any generalisation of the findings should be made with caution. Finally, if the research is repeated in some other destination or in later time, the focus of the generated complex configurations may alter. Therefore, the results should be carefully interpreted.

This paper selects Xi'an and Suzhou as the research objects, uses the methods of questionnaire and situational simulated method to discuss the impact of tourists' perceived destination image and self-concept congruity on intention to visit, and the moderating effect of self-construal (independent / interdependent). The Study I found the following results: the tourists' perceived destination image and self-concept congruity as well as the self-concept congruity dimensions (actual self-concept congruity, ideal self-concept congruity, social self-concept congruity, ideal social self-concept congruity) have a significant positive effect on intention to visit; the impact of ideal self-concept congruity is greater than that of actual self-concept congruity; the impact of ideal social self-concept congruity is greater than that of social self-concept congruity; and the ideal self-concept congruity has strongest impact on intention to visit. The Study II found out that: self-construal has moderating effect on this impact; the higher the actual self-concept congruity perceived by the tourists of independent self-construal, the greater the intention to visit; the higher the social self-concept congruity perceived by the tourists of interdependent self-construal, the greater the intention to visit. The research conclusion has certain reference value for building of tourism destination image, understanding of the tourism decision-making of the tourists and formulation and implementation of marketing strategies of relevant departments and enterprises.

We evaluate the loyalty of a tourist destination considering tangible and intangible factors using the city of Porto as a case study. We observed that the main dimensions that the tourists associate with the visit and consequently with the city, in order of importance, were: i) engagement with the city of Porto, ii) identification with city of Porto, iii) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of the city of Porto, iv) experiences in the city of Porto, and v) having visited visiting the city of Porto. Direct interviews were administered in the main tourist’s points in the city during the month of October 2017. The survey was only applied to the respondents who pursued tourism in the city of Porto, with 958 valid questionnaires. The questionnaire included the sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents, the evaluation of level of importance of the eleven factors related to the trip, the level of agreement with the eight statements on the engagement with Porto developed by Sprott et al. (2009) – applied for the first time to a destination - and, in the final part, the evaluation of the intention to return to city of Porto. The eleven statements related to the importance of various factors associated to the trip and the eight statements that evaluate the engagement with the city were subjected to a principal components analysis with varimax rotation in order to identify the main dimensions. A logistic regression was used to explore the determinants of the likelihood to return to Porto considering the respondents’ sociodemographic variables and the main dimensions obtained in the factorial analysis (related to the important factors on the trip and the engagement with the city). Regarding the intention to return, which is the proxy of tourists’ loyalty to the destination, we observed that it is positively influenced by the engagement with the city, the tourist’s perception of CSR, the good experience in the city and having visited the city. These results connect the political, economic and marketing objectives in the tourism sector. The goals need to be aligned and the stakeholders(visitors, local residents and business, public bodies and government) must work together to maintain a solid and unified destination image. Considering that the city of Porto has been in the spotlight at an international level as one of the top cities’ destinations, this kind of information is fundamental for Porto to continue to be an attractive city tourism destination.

Consumer ethics (CE) is defined by Muncy and Vitell (1992) as the moral standards to guide consumers’ behaviors in obtaining and disposing of goods and services. Regarding ethical issues, consumers have concerns on human, animal or environmental welfare (Gregory-Smith, Smith, & Winklhofer, 2013). As Liu, Yang, and Zeng (2015) describe, unethical consumer behavior (UCB) may cause underlying damage to society, reflecting the dysfunctional, dark or sinister side of consumer behavior. In consumer ethics literature, early studies focus on discussing the dark side of consumer behavior or unethical consumer behavior (UCB), such as returning goods you damaged, taping a movie off the television, shoplifting, etc. (Vitell & Muncy, 2003), counterfeit consumption (Tang, Tian, & Zaichkowsky, 2014; Wilcox, Kim, & Sen, 2009). In last few decades, more attention has been given to the study of the bright side, for instance, green purchase (e.g., Lee, 2008 & 2009; Chan, 2008); sustainable consumption (Lee, 2014), or fair trade (Chatzidakis, Kastanakis, & Stathopoulou, 2016). Within the studies on the bright side of consumer ethics, some of them investigate consumers’ attitude towards green purchase and its relationship with green purchase intention and behavior (e.g., Chai & Chen, 2009; Chen & Chai, 2010; Cherian & Jacob, 2012; Han, Hsu, & Lee, 2009; Vermeir & Verbeke, 2006). Among these studies, the semantic-differential scale of attitudes towards green purchase (AGP) developed by Taylor and Todd (1995) is more commonly adopted (e.g., Chai & Chen, 2009; Chan, 2001, Chen & Chai, 2010; Mostafa, 2006 & 2007). This AGP scale contains three items, namely i) I dislike/like the idea of purchasing green products, ii) Purchasing green products is a bad/good idea, and iii) I have a/an unfavourable/favourable attitude towards purchasing a green version of a product. Some other studies on the bright side of consumer ethics investigate consumers’ intention to purchase different green products, such as organic skin/hair care product (Kim & Chung, 2011), organic food (Paul & Rana, 2012), the relationship between environmental concern and green products purchase (Kangun, Carlson, & Grove, 1991), ecologically packaged products purchase (Schwepker & Cornwell, 1991) or organic vegetables (Sparks & Shepherd, 1992). There are several green purchase intention (GPI) scales asking if respondents will buy product of green version, less polluting for ecology or environmental concern (Chan 2001; Chen & Chang, 2012; Taylor & Todd, 1995). Vitell and Muncy (2005) develop a consumer ethics scale with four categories of (un)ethical consumer behaviors, they are i) ethical consumer behaviors (i.e., recycling and doing good), ii) unethical consumer behaviors (i.e., actively benefiting from illegal activities [e.g., returning damaged goods when the damage was your own fault]; passively benefiting at the expense of others [e.g., lying about a child’s age to get a lower price], iii) questionable but generally legal practices [e.g., using a coupon for merchandise you did not buy], and iv) no harm/no foul activities [e.g., returning merchandise after buying it and not liking it]. In this scale, the ‘recycling’ and ‘doing good’ categories are similar to the Taylor and Todd’s (1995) AGP scale. It is quite surprising that there seems no research putting them together in studying green purchase intention. This conceptual paper attempts to fill this research gap. Conspicuous consumption, another type of consumption, also reveals some aspects of consumer ethics. It has been clearly defined that conspicuous consumption involves extravagant consumption (Veblen, 1899/1915), purchase of luxury goods (e.g., O’Cass & Frost, 2002; Shukla, 2008) or scarce products (Gierl & Huettl, 2010) to display wealth or to demonstrate personal taste (e.g., Blumer, 1969; Bourdieu, 1979/1984; Trigg, 2001). Extant literature illustrates that some terms are associated with conspicuous consumption behavior, such as ‘materialism’ (e.g., Podoshen, Li, & Zhang, 2011), ‘unnecessary expenses’ (e.g., Veblen (1899/1915), ‘conspicuous waste’ and ‘overconsumption’ (e.g., Carr, Gotlieb, Lee, and Shah, 2012; Chaudhuri, Mazumdar, & Ghoshal, 2011), ‘luxury consumption’ (Kwek & Lee, 2013), and ‘conspicuous taste’ (Bourdieu, 1979/1984). A relatively more complete scale of conspicuous consumption orientation developed by Chaudhuri et al. (2011) contains 12 items, which explicitly covers all items related to wealth, status and taste. With a closer look on the definition and the terms to describe conspicuous consumption, it is not hard to find out explicit remarks or implicit comments that various kinds of conspicuous consumption can be unethical, creating negative impacts in economical, socio-culturally and environmental contexts. First, conspicuous consumption can be a waste of economic resources. For instance, in conspicuous consumption feasting in Chinese communities, ordering more foods than enough would create wastes. Besides, conspicuous consumption is associated with impulse/impulsive buying (Zhang & Shrum, 2009). In modern economies with higher materialism, conspicuous consumption is highly related to expenditures of visible goods like high fashion clothing (O’Cass, 2001), jewelry, cars (Bloch, 1981; Charles, Hurst, & Roussanov, 2009), housing or mobile phones (Spero & Stone, 2004). Impulsive conspicuous consumption of new fashion in every season is another type of consumption creating more wastes. Second, conspicuous consumption can be harming to environment. For example, to demonstrate wealth or status, some people eat endangered species or killing wild animals, e.g., shark fin (Eriksson & Clarke, 2015), monkey or turtle. conspicuous consumption of clothing, ornaments or decorative items made of endangered species (e.g., ivory from elephant, skin from fox are also harming the nature. Given the ethical feature of conspicuous consumption is obvious, it is surprising that ethical issues of conspicuous consumption have yet been discussed prominently. Moreover, seldom of the studies in conspicuous consumption or CE discuss the bright side of conspicuous consumption. In fact, some types of consumption can be ethical and conspicuous. For instance, Griskevicius, Tybur, and Van den Bergh (2010), when they study conspicuous conservation, they prove that status competition can help promote pro-environmental behavior. Alike, Sexton and Sexton (2014) reveal the green buying of energy saving vehicles. There are in fact more examples of ethical and conspicuous consumption, like consumption of eco-friendly clothing, accessories or dining, etc. In this regard, if there are more conspicuous and green consumptions, e.g., eco-friendly vehicles, decoration material, clothing or cuisines, conspicuous consumption can facilitate the development of a greener and harmonious societies on the contrary. Nowadays, amid the proliferation of environmental protection ideology, more consumers are willing to have green purchase. If the purchases are also ‘socially visible’, we may call them as ‘conspicuous green purchase’. Following this logic, if consumers have a higher tendency in consumer ethics and conspicuous consumption, they may have a higher green purchase intention (GPI). This proposition may be particularly valid for branded fashion, visible consumer electronics, or vehicles. In conspicuous GPI, consumers can show off their wealth, fashion taste and conservation virtue through displaying green products or green purchase publicly. Recently, a sustainable consumption report published by the Consumer Council in Hong Kong (Consumer Council, 2016) reveals that Hong Kong people has a high level of awareness and purchase intention of sustainable products, but they have a low level in action taking. In this regard, perhaps, the conspicuousness in the consumption of green products can be an additional motivation to enhance consumers' purchase intention. Surprisingly, there seems no research to explore to find out the mediating effect of conspicuous consumption on the relationship between AGP and GPI. This conceptual paper tries to fill this research gap. To sum, this conceptual paper aims to explore the relationship between these four constructs, attitudes towards green purchase (AGP), consumer ethics (CE), conspicuous consumption (CC) and conspicuous green purchase intention (CGPI). More specifically, this paper tries to examine the mediating effects of CE or CC on the relationship between AGP and CGPI. Considering the discussion above, the following propositions are generated. P1: A person with positive AGP tends to have a higher CGPI than a person with negative AGP. P2: A person with a higher CE orientation (recycling and doing good) and positive AGP tends to have a higher CGPI than a person with a lower CE orientation. P3: A person with a higher CC orientation and positive AGP tends to have a higher CGPI than a person with a lower CE orientation. This conceptual paper has both theoretical and practical implications. It helps integrate four constructs, namely attitudes towards green purchase, consumer ethics, conspicuous consumption and green purchase intention in one study, building better theories in these areas. This paper also helps marketers of green products to pay more attention to the market segment that consumers are both ethical and conspicuous consumption oriented, hence conveying more appropriate promotion messages and selecting right channels of distribution. Finally, more green purchase would help us to make better societies with higher moral standard in consumption.

Customers’ opinions on social network platforms are known to influence peer behaviour (Bai, 2011; Eirinaki, Pisal, & Singh, 2012). Customers are also known to be more engaged in sharing their experiences by writing online reviews and recommendations that may be useful to others (Cantallops & Salvi, 2014; Tang & Guo, 2015; Xu & Li, 2016). Actually, user-generated content (UGC) on social network platforms has emerged as an important source for understanding and managing consumers’ expectations, particularly using automated and semi-automated knowledge extraction techniques from text such as text mining and sentiment analysis (Zhang, Zeng, Li, Wang, & Zuo, 2009). This research analyses dimensions of online customer engagement and associated concepts in customers’ reviews through (i) a global sentiment analysis using positive, neutral and negative sentiments and (ii) a topic-sentiment analysis to capture latent topics in online reviews. Furthermore, it examines what influences customers to contribute their online reviews, beyond the features of each focal company or brand. The research methodology is based on a text mining approach, using the MeaningCloud tool. The study focuses on Yelp.com reviews and includes a random sample of 15,000 unique reviews of restaurants, hotels and nightlife entertainment in eleven cities in the USA. An innovative customer engagement dictionary is created, based on previously validated scales using known dimensions of engagement, experience, emotions and brand advocacy, and extended using WordNet 2.1 lexical database. The research findings reveal a high impact of the engagement cognitive processing dimension and hedonic experience on customers’ review endeavour. The study results further indicate that customers seem to be more engaged in positively advocating a company/brand than the contrary. The findings will help social network managers to reinforce their platforms.

Clithon retropictus has been protected by the Ministry of Environment as an endangered species since 1998 and has been listed on the state red list of endangered species category II. It is viewed as a representative for all endangered species in the northeastern coastal waters of Korea. Most of the habitats of C. retropictus have been found to be in an unstable state because of development projects such as road construction, small stream development, irrigation for securing agricultural water, and flood prevention. These habitats are damaged by small stream maintenance projects and development, and the risk of damage is increasing and active efforts are needed in order to protect them. Although the Ministry of Environment is striving to preserve this endangered species, the habitat of C. retropictus is still facing external threats because it spreads to only a small area at high densities. Therefore, in order to protect the habitat of C. retropictus, a level II endangered species, it is urgent to make an effort to minimize habitat damage and to take measures for its protection.

The objective of this study was to investigate the dynamic neural mobilization program on the changes in muscle activity and nerve conduction velocity (NVC) in stroke patients. The participants were sampled and randomly divided into experimental group I (n=12) who underwent arm neural mobilization and experimental group II (n=13) who underwent arm dynamic neural mobilization. As the pretest, peripheral NVC of the radial, median, and ulnar nerves were measured using the Viking Quest; the biceps brachii, brachioradialis, flexor carpi radialis, and extensor carpi radialis activities were measured with sEMG. Each intervention program consisted of 10 trials per set and three sets per session. The intervention programs were performed once daily for four weeks (four days/week). Posttest measurements were taken equally as the pretest measurements. Significant differences in peripheral NVC in all sections of the radial and median nerves and wristbelow elbow and below elbow-above elbow areas of the ulnar nerve, as well as in muscle activity of all muscles except the biceps brachii. These findings indicate that dynamic neural mobilization was effective in increasing peripheral NVC and altering the muscle activity.

In this study, to replace the ‘J-slot joint’, a joint device between a disposal canister and an emplacement jig in Deep Borehole Disposal process, a novel joint device was designed and tested. The novel joint device was composed of a wedge on top of a disposal canister and a hook box at the end of a winch system. The designed joint device had merits in that it can recombine an emplaced canister freely without the replacement of the joint component. Moreover, it can be applied to various emplacement jigs such as drill pipes, wire-lines, and coiled tubing. To demonstrate the designed joint device, the joint device (Φ 110 mm, H 148 mm), a twin canister string (Φ 140 mm, H 1,105 mm), and a water tube (Φ 150 mm, H 1,500 mm) as a borehole model were manufactured at 1/3 scale. As deployment muds, Na-type bentonite (MX-80) and Ca-type (GJ II) bentonite muds were prepared at solid contents of 7wt% and 28wt%, respectively. The manufactured joint device showed good performance in pure water and viscous muds, with an operation speed of 10 m·min-1. It was concluded that the newly developed joint device can be used for the emplacement and retrieval of a deep disposal canister, below 3~5 km, in the future.

Cu(II) can cause health problem for human being and phosphate is a key pollutant induces eutrophication in rivers and ponds. To remove of Cu(II) and phosphate from solution, chitosan as adsorbent was chosen and used as a form of hydrogel bead. Due to the chemical instability of hydrogel chitosan bead (HCB), the crosslinked HCB by glutaraldehyde (GA) was prepared (HCB-G). HCB-G maintained the spherical bead type at 1% HCl without a loss of chitosan. A variety of batch experiment tests were carried out to determine the removal efficiency (%), maximum uptake (Q, mg/g), and reaction rate. In the single presence of Cu(II) or phosphate, the removal efficiency was obtained to 17 and 16%, respectively. However, the removal efficiency of Cu(II) and phosphate was increased to 50~55% at a mixed solution. The maximum uptake (Q) for Cu(II) and phosphate was enhanced from 11.3 to74.4 mg/g and from 3.34 to 36.6 mg/g, respectively. While the reaction rate of Cu(II) and phosphate was almost finished within 24 and 6 h at single solution, it was not changed for Cu(II) but was retarded for phosphate at mixed solution.

We report a method for preparing rare earth oxides (RexOy) from the recycling process for spent Ni-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries. This process first involves a leaching of spent Ni-MH powders with sulfuric acid at 90℃, resulting in rare earth precipitates (i.e., NaRE(SO4)2·H2O, RE = La, Ce, Nd), which are converted into rare earth oxides via two different approaches: i) simple heat treatment in air, and ii) metathesis reaction with NaOH at 70℃. Not only the morphological features but also the crystallographic structures of all products are systematically investigated using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD); their thermal behaviors are also analyzed. In particular, XRD results show that some of the rare earth precipitates are converted into oxide form (such as La2O3, Ce2O3, and Nd2O3) with heat treatment at 1200℃; however, secondary peaks are also observed. On the other hand, rare earth oxides, RExOy can be successfully obtained after metathesis of rare earth precipitates, followed by heat treatment at 1000℃ in air, along with a change of crystallographic structures, i.e., NaRE(SO4)2·H2O → RE(OH)3 → RExOy.

본 논문은 피터 브뢰헐의 <이카로스의 추락이 있는 풍경>(1560년대)에 나타난 ‘노동’의 의미를 16 세기 네덜란드의 사회·문화적 맥락에서 해석하고자 한 것이다. 본 작품의 주제는 ‘구원에 이르는 현 세 삶의 방식’으로 ‘행동적 삶’과 ‘관상적 삶’이 본보기로 제시되었다. 또한 ‘교만’을 경계하고 도덕적 삶 을 실천하면 구원받을 것이라는 윤리지침이 제시되었다. 주목할 점은 ‘행동적 삶’이 ‘노동’으로 표현되 며 강조된 점, 가장 위협적인 악덕으로 ‘교만’이 묘사된 점, 그리고 이러한 삶의 방식이 ‘구원’과 연결된 다는 점이다. 본고에서는 본 작품의 주제를 당대 안트베르펀의 경제·종교적 상황과 도시민 문화의 틀 에서 고찰하였고, 16세기 네덜란드인들의 노동관과 현세 중심적인 삶의 태도가 반영된 것으로 분석하 였다.

본고는 ‘寒山’이라고 알려진 인물의 詩作集인 『寒山詩』를 고찰한 글이다. 천태산에서 國淸 寺 승려인 豐干, 拾得 등과 교유하면서 창작활동을 한 그의 시집에는 불교적 색채가 강렬하게 드러나 있다. 그러나 사상적 이념에는 젊은 시절 받았던 儒家적 훈도의 영향과 환경과 시대적 상황에 따른 道家적 기풍이 함께 어우러져 있음을 발견할 수 있다. 본고는 『寒山詩』의 전체적 면모를 파악하기 위하여 불가 이외에 유가와 도가의 사상이 한산의 시에 끼친 영향을 고찰한 글이다. 유가적 경향을 살펴보면, 시에서 『論語』의 글귀 인용 및 그 내용의 주제화, 유교 정치사상의 핵심인 『書經』의 민본사상, 유교 윤리의 핵심가치인 『孝經』의 ‘孝’, 『禮記』 등을 언급하며 긍정적 성향을 보였다. 다른 한편으로는 평생을 유교경전을 탐독하면서도 ‘백정’신세를 면치 못하는 선비, 추위와 굶주림에서 벗어나지 못한 선비, 유가의 경전은 박통하면서도 농기구 사용도 하지 못하여 자신 및 집안경제를 빈궁에 빠뜨리는 유가의 인물들을 내세워 허울뿐인 유가적 경향에 대한 날카로운 비판을 가하기도 하였다. 도가적 경향을 살펴보면, 『莊子』 逍遙遊를 통한 도가적 가치관, 자연에서 ‘仙書’ 혹은 黃帝 와 老子의 글을 중얼거리는 화자의 모습, 『莊子』 應帝王의 혼돈의 일화, 天地를 棺으로 삼고 죽어서는 곤충의 먹이가 되겠다는 莊子의 이야기, 손에 늘 老子의 『道德經』을 들고 다닌다는 화자의 모습 등을 통해 긍정적 성향을 보였다. 다른 한편으로는 불로장생의 신선이 되려는 환상에 빠져 심신을 망쳐버리는 인간들의 모습, 도가의 신선술을 신봉하던 漢武帝와 秦始皇 의 무덤에 무성한 잡초 등의 이야기를 통해 도가적 환상에 대한 비판적 성향을 나타내었다. 이상의 연구를 통해서 불자의 모습이 강하게 각인된 한산의 시에서 과거에 걸어왔던 유가의 경향과 시대적 조류인 도가의 양상도 함께 존재하고 있음을 살펴볼 수 있었다.

본 연구에서는 커피(C. Arabica)의 FT-IR 스펙트럼 데이터 를 기반한 다변량통계분석을 이용한 대사체 분석을 통해 품종 식별을 하여 육종 연구에 기초자료로 활용하고자 한다. 1. FT-IR 스펙트럼 데이터를 이용한 PCA(principal component analysis), PLS-DA(partial least square discriminant analysis) 그리고 HCA(hierarchical clustering analysis) 분석을 통해 품종 분류가 가능하였다. 2. 커피 품종들은 FT-IR 스펙트럼 부위인 1700-1500-1 (Amide I 과 II을 포함하는 아미노산 및 단백질계열의 화합물 들), 1500-1300-1 (phosphodiester group을 포함한 핵산 및 인지질의 정보), 1100-950cm-1 (단당류나 복합 다당류를 포함하는 carbohydrates 계열의 화합물)에서 질적, 양적 정보의 차이가 나타났다. 3. PCA 상에 나타난 8품종의 커피 품종이 각각 그룹을 형성하였다. 그 중 ‘Caturra’와 ‘Mahsellesa’ 품종은 각각의 그룹을 나타내면서 C. arabica 종에서도 다른 대사체 정보를 나타내는 것으로 확인하였고, ‘Catuai’, ‘CR-95’, ‘Geisra’, ‘Obata’, ‘Vemecia’ 그리고 ‘non’ 품종은 유사한 대사체 정보를 나타내는 것으로 확인하였다. 4. PLS-DA 분석의 경우 PCA 분석 보다 커피 품종간 식별이 뚜렷하게 나타났다. 5. 본 연구에서 확립된 대사체 수준에서 커피의 품종 식별 기술은 품종, 계통의 신속한 선발 수단으로 활용이 가능할 것으로 기대되며 육종을 통한 품종개발 가속화에 기여 할 수 있을 것으로 예상된다.

There always exist nonzero inspection errors whether inspectors are humans or automatic inspection machines. Inspection errors can be categorized by two types, type I error and type II error, and they can be regarded as either a constant or a random variable. Under the assumption that two types of random inspection errors are distributed with the “uniform” distribution on a half-open interval starting from zero, it was proved that inspectors overestimate any given fraction defective with the probability more than 50%, if and only if the given fraction defective is smaller than a critical value, which depends upon only the ratio of a type II error over a type I error. In addition, it was also proved that the probability of overestimation approaches one hundred percent as a given fraction defective approaches zero. If these critical phenomena hold true for any error distribution, then it might have great economic impact on commercial inspection plans due to the unfair overestimation and the recent trend of decreasing fraction defectives in industry. In this paper, we deal with the same overestimation problem, but assume a “symmetrical triangular” distribution expecting better results since our triangular distribution is closer to a normal distribution than the uniform distribution. It turns out that the overestimation phenomenon still holds true even for the triangular error distribution.

Understanding the classification of malocclusion is a crucial issue in Orthodontics. It can also help us to diagnose, treat, and understand malocclusion to establish a standard for definite class of patients. Principal component analysis (PCA) and k-means algorithms have been emerging as data analytic methods for cephalometric measurements, due to their intuitive concepts and application potentials. This study analyzed the macro- and meso-scale classification structure and feature basis vectors of 1020 (415 male, 605 female; mean age, 25 years) orthodontic patients using statistical preprocessing, PCA, random matrix theory (RMT) and k-means algorithms. RMT results show that 7 principal components (PCs) are significant standard in the extraction of features. Using k-means algorithms, 3 and 6 clusters were identified and the axes of PC1~3 were determined to be significant for patient classification. Macro-scale classification denotes skeletal Class I, II, III and PC1 means anteroposterior discrepancy of the maxilla and mandible and mandibular position. PC2 and PC3 means vertical pattern and maxillary position respectively; they played significant roles in the meso-scale classification. In conclusion, the typical patient profile (TPP) of each class showed that the data-based classification corresponds with the clinical classification of orthodontic patients. This data-based study can provide insight into the development of new diagnostic classifications.

The trans-differentiation potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is employed, but there is little understanding of the cell source-dependent trans-differentiation potential of MSCs into corneal epithelial cells. In the present study, we induced trans-differentiation of MSCs derived from umbilical cord matrix (UCM-MSCs) and from dental tissue (D-MSCs), and we comparatively evaluated the in vitro trans-differentiation properties of both MSCs into corneal epithelial-like cells. Specific cell surface markers of MSC (CD44, CD73, CD90, and CD105) were detected in both UCM-MSCs and D-MSCs, but MHCII and CD119 were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in UCM-MSCs than in D-MSCs. In UCM-MSCs, not only expression levels of Oct3/4 and Nanog but also proliferation ability were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than in D-MSCs. In vitro differentiation abilities into adipocytes and osteocytes were confirmed for both MSCs. UCM-MSCs and D-MSCs were successfully trans-differentiated into corneal epithelial cells, and expression of lineage-specific markers (Cytokeratin-3, -8, and -12) were confirmed in both MSCs using immunofluorescence staining and qRT-PCR analysis. In particular, the differentiation capacity of UCM-MSCs into corneal epithelial cells was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of D-MSCs. In conclusion, UCM-MSCs have higher differentiation potential into corneal epithelial-like cells and have lower expression of CD119 and MHC class II than D-MSCs, which makes them a better source for the treatment of corneal opacity.

Myosin is considered as the vital motor protein in vertebrates and invertebrates. Our present study was conducted to decipher the occurrence of myosin in dog fish (Squalus mitsukurii). We isolated one clone containing 979 bp cDNA sequence, which consisted of a complete coding sequence of 453 bp and a deduced amino acid sequence of 150 amino acids from the open reading frame with molecular weight, isoelectric point and aliphatic index are 16.72 Kda, 4.49 and 78.00, respectively. It contained 428 bp long 3' UTR with single potential polyadenylation signals (AATAAA). The predicted EF CA2+ binding domains were identified in residue 6-41, 83-118 and 133-150. A BLAST search indicates this protein exhibits a strong similarity to whale shark (Rhincodon typus) MLC3 (91% identical) and also house mouse (Mus musculus) MLC isoform 3f (81% identical). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that this protein is a MLC 3 isoform like protein. This protein also demonstrates highly conserved region with other myosin proteins. Homology modeling of S. mitsukuri was performed using crystal structure of Gallus gallus skeletal muscle myosin II based on high similarity. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), quantitative PCR results exhibits dogfish myosin protein is highly expressed in muscle tissue.