For incompletely reduced graphene oxides (RGOs), an effect of oxygen functional groups such as carboxyl, phenol, carbonyl, and quinone on electrochemical capacitive behavior was studied. To prepare ...RGO thin-film electrodes, a simple fabrication process by (i) dropping and evaporating the graphene oxide (GO) solution, (ii) irradiating pulsed light, and (iii) heat-treating at 200 ∼ 360°C was applied. It was notable that the pulsed light irradiation was effective to prevent the disfiguring of deposited GO thin-film during the thermal reduction. From XRD analyses, interlayer distances of the RGOs were gradually decreased from 0.379 to 0.354nm. As increasing the thermal reduction temperature from 200 to 360°C, XPS O 1s spectra analyses showed that the atomic percentages of carboxyl and phenol of the RGOs were sustained as 5.40±0.36 and 4.77±0.41 at% respectively. Meanwhile, those of carbonyl and quinone of the RGOs were gradually declined from 3.10 to 1.81 and from 1.32 to 0.65 at% with different thermal reduction temperature respectively. For all RGO thin-film electrodes, the specific capacitance from the CV measurement in 6M KOH was sustained as ca. 220 F g−1 at the scan of 5mV s−1. However, in 1M H2SO4, the specific capacitance was gradually decreased from 171 to 136 F g−1. After 100,000 cycles in 6M KOH, 1M H2SO4, and 0.5M Na2SO4, the RGO (200°C) electrodes showed ca. 92, 54, and 104% of the initial capacitances respectively. The atomic percentages of the oxygen functional groups involved in the pseudocapacitive Faradaic reaction were decreased after the cycle test. Especially in 1M H2SO4, quinone group was decreased to ca. 48% of initial atomic percentage, which seems to be a main reason for the drastic reduction of capacitance. The specific pseudocapacitance per unit atomic percentage for either carboxyl or phenol group in 6M KOH was obtained as 12.59 F g−1 at%−1. For carbonyl group in 1M H2SO4, it was a slightly deviated value as 13.55 F g−1 at%−1. For quinone group in 1M H2SO4, it was 27.09 F g−1at%−1.
The sustainability labeling on the front of a package featured in a print advertisement may influence consumers' product evaluations and purchase decisions. The findings of this exploratory study ...suggest that consumers seem to evaluate the sustainability claim more favorably if the advertisement highlights the personal impact on them. Moreover, environmental involvement appears to further moderate the effects of sustainability claims and environmental impact framing. The interactions that emerged in this study suggest that sustainability labeling effects constitute a complex phenomenon that warrants future research.
Tumor cells are often associated with abundant macrophages that resemble the alternatively activated M2 subset. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) inhibit anti-tumor immune responses and promote ...metastasis. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibition is known to prevent breast cancer metastasis. This study hypothesized that COX-2 inhibition affects TAM characteristics potentially relevant to tumor cell metastasis. We found that the specific COX-2 inhibitor, etodolac, inhibited human M2 macrophage differentiation, as determined by decreased CD14 and CD163 expressions and increased TNFα production. Several key metastasis-related mediators, such as vascular endothelial growth factor-A, vascular endothelial growth factor-C, and matrix metalloproteinase-9, were inhibited in the presence of etodolac as compared to untreated M2 macrophages. Murine bone marrow derived M2 macrophages also showed enhanced surface MHCII IA/IE and CD80, CD86 expressions together with enhanced TNFα expressions with etodolac treatment during differentiation. Using a BALB/c breast cancer model, we found that etodolac significantly reduced lung metastasis, possibly due to macrophages expressing increased IA/IE and TNFα, but decreased M2 macrophage-related genes expressions (Ym1, TGFβ). In conclusion, COX-2 inhibition caused loss of the M2 macrophage characteristics of TAMs and may assist prevention of breast cancer metastasis.
Abstract Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) are increasingly using social media as a communication platform to promote their charitable marketing efforts. The purpose of our research is to investigate ...how NPOs can enhance message effectiveness by utilizing a social media influencer and different product benefit appeals (utilitarian vs. hedonic) in their social media posts to enhance attitudes toward the donation campaign and word‐of‐mouth (WOM) intention, leading to higher donation behavior. Across two experimental studies, we show that an NPO's donation post (i.e., social media post promoting a donation campaign) is evaluated more favorably when paired with a hedonic benefit appeal, while an influencer's donation post is more favorable when paired with a utilitarian benefit appeal. Further, we find that the effects of source and product benefit appeal types on donation behavior are serially mediated by attitude toward the donation campaign and WOM intention. As the use of influencers is becoming increasingly popular to support fundraising and charitable causes, our findings provide timely implications for researchers and practitioners who are interested in optimizing NPO communication strategies in the digital landscape.
Existing research has shown that a belief in karma may negatively affect luxury consumption because people may avoid “sinful” consumption of expensive products as a result of karmic investment. In ...this research, we examine the role of karmic beliefs on luxury consumption that individuals may contend is a form of justification. We show that karmic beliefs lead to higher purchase intention of luxury goods by consumers (Study 1), and this effect is mediated by belief in a just world (BJW) (Study 2). We also demonstrate an important boundary condition of promotion focus between karmic beliefs and BJW (Study 3). Our research provides an alternative perspective to investigate the impact of karmic beliefs and the justification mechanism in luxury consumption.
Given various “green” communication protocols offered in the marketplace, this paper adds insight on how consumers process sustainability labeling information with scale ratings. Drawing from ...ambiguity theory and numerosity literature, we conduct two experiments to examine the impact of brand-based sustainability levels and the range of scale magnitude on product evaluations. In general, we find that labels with scale ratings can be effective in influencing consumer attitudes toward the brand. However, the use of moderately high sustainability scores (as opposed to extremely high) and/or a larger scale range (e.g., 1-1,000) increases perceived ambiguity for consumers and reduces the persuasiveness of the information. We also find that the degree of sustainability skepticism moderates these relationships and that consumers who are skeptical toward labeling are more difficult to convince. We provide implications for researchers, managers, and policy makers.
As a new family member of the emerging two‐dimensional (2D) monoelemental materials (Xenes), germanene has shown promising advantages over the prototypical 2D Xenes, such as black phosphorus (BP) and ...graphene. However, efficient manufacture of novel germanene nanostructures is still a challenge. Herein, a simple top‐down approach for the liquid‐exfoliation of ultra‐small germanene quantum dots (GeQDs) is presented. The prepared GeQDs possess an average lateral size of about 4.5 nm and thickness of about 2.2 nm. The functionalized GeQDs were demonstrated to be robust photothermal agents (PTAs) with outstanding photothermal conversion efficacy (higher than those of graphene and BPQDs), superior stability, and excellent biocompatibility. As a proof‐of‐principle, 2D GeQDs‐based PTAs were used in fluorescence/photoacoustic/photothermal‐imaging‐guided hyperpyrexia ablation of tumors. This work could expand the application of 2D germanene to the field of photonic cancer nanomedicine.
A facile, top‐down, liquid‐exfoliation approach to produce ultra‐small germanene quantum dots (GeQDs) is presented. 2D GeQDs are robust photothermal therapeutic (PTT) agents and can be used for hyperpyrexia ablation of tumors guided by multimodal (photoacoustic, PA; NIR fluorescence, FL; photothermal, PT) imaging.
Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have drawn tremendous attention due to their unique physicochemical properties and promising applications in the fields of electronics, energy storage, and ...catalysis. Recently, the biomedicine community has gradually started to recognize the great potential of these nanostructured materials for biomedical applications - in particular those related to cancer therapy. In this review, we provide a brief overview of a few representative 2D nanomaterials, discuss their preparation strategies and physicochemical properties, and highlight their applications in cancer nanomedicine. We expect that this review will shed some light on the new opportunities associated with 2D nanomaterials for biomedical research.
Little research has explicitly considered the influence of retailer-provided sustainability disclosure at points of purchase for brands within specific product categories. Thus, this paper examines ...the conditions wherein sustainability labels with scale ratings assist consumers in determining the sustainability performance of products. Study 1 findings demonstrate that, when concerned with social desirability, consumers' product evaluations are greater for products with high (vs. low) sustainability levels. When not concerned with social desirability, this pattern exists so long as the levels are consistent with category-based expectations. Extending these findings, Study 2 results show that evaluations and purchase-related outcomes are greater for products with high levels within (vs. outside) expectations for low-efficacy consumers not concerned with social desirability. Yet, these effects are mitigated for low-efficacy consumers concerned with social desirability. Further, Study 3 suggests that the effect is attenuated for low-efficacy consumers at low levels and for high-efficacy consumers irrespective of sustainability level.
Introduction
This cross‐sectional study aimed to determine the association between receiving external help after sexual harm and suicidal ideation among Korean adolescents. The help received was ...classified into professional and nonprofessional to test the strength of the association according to the type of help.
Methods
Using data from the 2017−2019 Korean children and youth rights study, we analyzed a total of 18,740 middle and high school students. The dependent variable was suicidal ideation; the primary and secondary independent variable was experience of sexual harm and receiving help after sexual harm, respectively. Data were analyzed using χ2 tests and multivariable logistic regression analyses.
Results
Experience of sexual harm was significantly associated with higher suicidal ideation, and receiving help after sexual harm was significantly associated with lower suicidal ideation compared with not receiving help, regardless of gender. Furthermore, lower suicidal ideation was more strongly associated with receiving professional help in female adolescents, and receiving nonprofessional help in male adolescents.
Conclusions
Receiving help after sexual harm was negatively associated with suicidal ideation, and the strength of this association varied with gender and the type of help received. These results can aid the development of evidence‐based crisis intervention for victims of sexual harm.
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