Factors Influencing Consumer Behavior toward Green Products: A Systematic Literature Review.

In the last few decades, humans have consumed more resources than in all of previous history. Hence, we are living in times in which the topic of environmental protection is a global concern. The paper aims to conduct a systematic literature review on consumer behavior, as well as identifying the main factors that interfere with consumer behavior toward green products. A total of 37 studies were found and systematized using inclusion and exclusion criteria. The papers were selected only if they featured research on consumer perceptions of green products. Using this search strategy, a literature analysis was performed based on papers extracted from Web of Science, Emerald Insights, Springer Link, and Science Direct. As a result, various factors that influence consumer behavior toward green products were identified, such as social norms, natural environmental orientation, the company's perceived green image, green product characteristics, perceived risks and inconvenience of buying green products, perceived benefits of buying green products, institutional trust, sociodemographic characteristics, and consumer confidence. Even though completing a systematic literature review is not something new in academic research, the novelty of this paper is found in its theme: consumer behavior toward green products. Although the analyzed articles highlight quite varied reasons, the articles emphasize that the green products should take into account the needs, expectations, and perceptions of customers.

Measuring learning potential in people with schizophrenia: A comparison of two tasks.

Learning potential measures utilize dynamic assessment methods to capture performance changes following training on a cognitive task. Learning potential has been explored in schizophrenia research as a predictor of functional outcome and there have been calls for psychometric development in this area. Because the majority of learning potential studies have utilized the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), we extended this work using a novel measure, the Rey Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCFT). This study had the following aims: 1) to examine relationships among different learning potential indices for two dynamic assessment tasks, 2) to examine the association between WCST and ROCFT learning potential measures, and 3) to address concurrent validity with a performance-based measure of functioning (Test of Grocery Shopping Skills; TOGSS). Eighty-one adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder completed WCST and ROCFT learning measures and the TOGSS. Results indicated the various learning potential computational indices are intercorrelated and, similar to other studies, we found support for regression residuals and post-test scores as optimal indices. Further, we found modest relationships between the two learning potential measures and the TOGSS. These findings suggest learning potential includes both general and task-specific constructs but future research is needed to further explore this question.

Patterns of association between performance in a natural environment and measures of executive function in people with schizophrenia.

This study examined the relationships between a set of real-world performance measures and a set of executive function measures with a sample of community based individuals with schizophrenia (N=80). Participants were given a battery of cognitive tests and were evaluated with a real-world performance measure, the Test of Grocery Shopping Skills (TOGSS). Using canonical correlation analysis, executive functions of planning, problem solving, working memory, and task persistence were significantly related to grocery shopping efficiency and accuracy. Two canonical variates with moderate correlations (0.547 and 0.519) explain that 30% of the variance in the executive function and grocery shopping measures was shared. These results identify patterns of association between executive function performance and the independent living skill of grocery shopping indicating the Test of Grocery Shopping Skills may be considered a sensitive measure of executive function performance in a real-world setting.

The prevalence of night eating syndrome and binge eating disorder among overweight and obese individuals with serious mental illness.

The prevalence of night eating syndrome (NES) and binge eating disorder (BED) was assessed among overweight and obese, weight-loss-seeking individuals with serious mental illness (SMI). Sixty-eight consecutive overweight (BMI > or = 25 kg/m(2)) and obese (BMI > or = 30 kg/m(2)) individuals with SMI (mean age = 43.9 years; mean BMI = 37.2 kg/(2); 67.6% Caucasian, 60.3% female) who were enrolled in a group behavioral weight loss treatment program were assessed at baseline for NES and BED with clinician-administered diagnostic interviews. Using conservative criteria, 25.0% met criteria for NES, 5.9% met criteria for BED, and only one participant met criteria for both NES and BED. This is the first study to find that obese individuals with SMI, compared with previously studied populations, are at significantly greater risk for NES, but are not at greater risk for BED. Stress, sleep, and medication use might account for the high prevalence of NES found in this population.

Knowledge of grocery shopping skills as a mediator of cognition and performance.

OBJECTIVE: Cognitive impairments in serious mental illness are associated with poorer community outcomes; yet the mechanisms through which cognition limits functioning are unknown. This study examined knowledge of grocery shopping skills as a mediator of cognition and performance of grocery shopping skills. METHODS: Fifty-one individuals with serious mental illness were administered measures of cognition, as well as measures of knowledge and performance of grocery shopping skills. RESULTS: When knowledge of grocery shopping skills was introduced as a mechanism through which cognition influences performance, almost perfect mediation was achieved (slope of the regression dropped from B=.32 to B=.03). CONCLUSIONS: The search for mediators can improve our understanding of how cognition influences community functioning.

The relations between cognition and the independent living skill of shopping in people with schizophrenia.

A great deal of interest has developed regarding the impact of cognitive deficits on the everyday functioning of people with schizophrenia. This study examined the relationships between cognitive functioning and the performance of a specific independent living skill (grocery shopping) in a sample of 73 individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Cognitive variables included tests of verbal memory, executive functioning, verbal fluency, sustained attention and visual motor skill. Functional outcome was measured with the Test of Grocery Shopping Skills, which is an ecologically based performance measure that requires participants to shop for 10 items within an actual grocery store. Accuracy on the shopping task was significantly associated with fewer perseverative responses on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, better verbal memory and faster processing speed. Shopping efficiency (i.e. less redundancy) was associated with better performance on several cognitive tasks, including verbal memory, verbal fluency, sustained attention and executive functioning. Results of this study extend previous research by examining the relation between cognition and the actual performance of daily living skills under natural circumstances.

Inhibition of complement alternative pathway in mice with Fab antibody to recombinant adipsin/factor D.

Mouse adipsin is a serine protease secreted mainly by adipocytes. Similarly to factor D of human complement, it cleaves factor B. That adipsin is the equivalent of human factor D in the mouse is further suggested by their structural homology. Specific antisera against recombinant mouse adipsin (r-adipsin) were produced in rabbits. Anti-r-adipsin IgG was shown to bind to radiolabeled r-adipsin and to inhibit its hemolytic activity. In vitro, these antibodies Ab and Fab fragments thereof inhibited the adipsin/factor D hemolytic activity of mouse serum. They also blocked C3 activation induced by cobra venom factor (CVF), but did not interfere with classical pathway function. After intravenous injection of anti-r-adipsin Fab into BALB/c mice, the adipsin/factor D hemolytic activity of serum was abolished during a 4-h period. The C3 depleting effect of CVF injected intravenously was significantly delayed in BALB/c mice which had been pretreated with anti-r-adipsin Fab. These experiments demonstrate that mouse adipsin is the only form of mouse factor D and that anti-r-adipsin antibody can be used to produce a specific inhibition of the alternative pathway in vivo.

Purification of human complement factor D from the peritoneal fluid of patients on chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

We describe a simple procedure for the purification of human factor D from the peritoneal fluid (PF) of patients with end stage renal failure (ESRF) on chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). The main advantages of this method are: (1) a relative enrichment of factor D in PF versus plasma (factor D/total protein enriched 3.8-fold); thus, added to the elevated concentration of factor D in ESRF, the enrichment compared to normal human serum is approximately 50 fold. (2) This biological source of factor D is almost unlimited, since around 10 liters of PF are removed per day from each patient. The purification is performed in three simple steps-Bio Rex 70, Heparin Sepharose CL 6B and Mono S FPLC- and milligrams of highly purified factor D are obtained. Peritoneal fluid might be a valuable source for the purification of other low MW proteins which accumulate in renal failure.

A monoclonal antibody which blocks the function of factor D of human complement.

Factor D is an essential enzyme for activation of complement by the alternative pathway (AP). It has been difficult to obtain mouse monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) which block the function of factor D. We have developed a strategy to obtain such Mabs using a double screening procedure of the initial clones. We selected the clone whose supernatant had the lowest level of anti-factor D Ab by ELISA and abolished factor D haemolytic activity. Addition of this Mab to human serum was shown to abolish conversion of C3 by cobra venom factor, haemolysis of rabbit erythrocytes, and activation of C3 and C5 by cuprophane dialysis membranes.