pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
Virtual World, Defined from a Technological Perspective, and Applied to
  Video Games, Mixed Reality and the Metaverse

There is no generally accepted definition for a virtual world, with many
complimentary terms and acronyms having emerged implying a virtual world.
Advances in systems architecture techniques such as, host migration of
instances, mobile ad-hoc networking, and distributed computing, bring in to
question whether those architectures can actually support a virtual world.
Without a concrete definition, controversy ensues and it is problematic to
design an architecture for a virtual world. Several researchers provided a
definition but aspects of each definition are still problematic and simply can
not be applied to contemporary technologies. The approach of this article is to
sample technologies using grounded theory, and obtain a definition for a
`virtual world' that is directly applicable to technology. The obtained
definition is compared with related work and used to classify advanced
technologies, such as: a pseudo-persistent video game, a MANet, virtual and
mixed reality, and the Metaverse. The results of this article include: a break
down of which properties set apart the various technologies; a definition that
is validated by comparing it with other definitions; an ontology showing the
relation of the different complimentary terms and acronyms; and, the usage of
pseudo-persistence to categories those technologies which only mimic
persistence.Comment: 36 pages, 2 figure
Multiscale motion saliency for keyframe extraction from motion capture sequences

Cataloged from PDF version of article.Motion capture is an increasingly popular animation technique; however data acquired by motion capture can become substantial. This makes it difficult to use motion capture data in a number of applications, such as motion editing, motion understanding, automatic motion summarization, motion thumbnail generation, or motion database search and retrieval. To overcome this limitation, we propose an automatic approach to extract keyframes from a motion capture sequence. We treat the input sequence as motion curves, and obtain the most salient parts of these curves using a new proposed metric, called 'motion saliency'. We select the curves to be analysed by a dimension reduction technique, Principal Component Analysis (PCA). We then apply frame reduction techniques to extract the most important frames as keyframes of the motion. With this approach, around 8% of the frames are selected to be keyframes for motion capture sequences. Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Crowd Motion Capture

International audienceIn this paper a new and original technique to animate a crowd of human beings is presented. Following the success of data-driven animation models (such as motion capture) in the context of articulated figures control, we propose to derivate a similar type of approach for crowd motions. In our framework, the motion of the crowds are represented as a time series of velocity fields estimated from a video of a real crowd. This time series is used as an input of a simple animation model that ”advect” people along this timevarying flow. We demonstrate the power of our technique on both synthetic and real examples of crowd videos. We also introduce the notions of crowd motion editing and present possible extensions to our work
How to stop binge drinking and speeding motorists : effects of relational-interdependent self-construal and self-referencing on attitudes toward social marketing

How can marketers stop speeding motorists and binge drinking? Two experiments show that the beliefs consumers have about the degree to which they define themselves in terms of their close relationships (i.e., relational-interdependent self-construal (RISC)) offer useful insights into the effectiveness of communications for two key social marketing issues—road safety (Study 1, New Zealand sample) and alcohol consumption (Study 2, English sample). Further, self-referencing is a mechanism for these effects. Specifically, people who define themselves in terms of their close relationships (high-RISCs) respond most favorably to advertisements featuring a dyadic relationship (two people), and this favorable response is mediated by self-referencing. In contrast, people who do not include close relationships in their sense of self (low-RISCs) respond most favorably to self-reference advertisements featuring solitary models
The direct and interactive effects of store-level promotions on impulse purchase: Moderating impact of category familiarity and normative influences

Marketing literature conceptually and empirically establishes the direct effects of different variables on impulse purchase. However, the simultaneous interactions between variables influencing impulse purchase are yet to be studied. This paper measures the direct effects of store-level promotions, brand equity, and price consciousness and also examines the interactive effects of store-level promotions and the moderating influence of category familiarity and normative influences. The results demonstrate the importance of simultaneous examination of interplay between different consumer and store-level variables. Collectively, the results provide substantial segmentation opportunities for manufacturers of branded goods and retailers. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Empirical evidence from the Lebanese consumers

Our current environmental situation requires serious attention. We can see the problems that our environment is facing everywhere, including air pollution, ozone depletion, global warming, hazardous waste disposal and water pollution. Today, consumers are aware that their individual consumption behaviour affects the environment and these consumers are more conscious of the seriousness of environmental degradation. Thus, consumers are increasingly engaging in environmentally friendly behaviour and are interested in supporting businesses that are engaging in green strategies. Green purchasing behaviour can help achieve a sustainable environment. Four factors that may influence green purchasing behaviour were examined in this study: perceived seriousness of environmental problems, perceived environmental responsibility, perceived effectiveness of environmental behaviour and concern for self-image in environmental protection. Data were collected from Lebanon, and three factors were found to have positive effects on green purchasing behaviour. The results also indicated that the perceived seriousness of environmental problems was the main contributor to green purchasing behaviourPublishedN/
Identifying factors that promote consumer behaviours causing expired domestic food waste

Many commentators argue that domestic food waste is strongly influenced by consumer behaviours. This article reports on a study using mixed-methods to identify key factors responsible for promoting consumer behaviours that lead to domestic food waste through the lens of the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory. Based on the study’s findings, three factors are proposed that cause behaviours that lead to food waste: supply knowledge – does a consumer know what food they have available; location knowledge – does a consumer know where to locate food items, and; food literacy – to what degree do past experience and acquired knowledge impact on a consumer’s food consumption and wastage practices. We analyse the study’s findings in light of a review of literature about consumer food wastage behaviours and in turn, present new insights into consumer behaviour, food waste, and the use of technology to reduce food waste
The Affect Heuristic In Early Judgments of Product Innovations

34 pagesAccording to the affect heuristic, people often rely upon their overall affective impression of a target to form judgments of risk.  However, innovation research has largely characterized risk perception as a function of what the consumer knows rather than how they feel. In three studies, this research investigates the use of the affect heuristic in consumer judgments of product innovations. The findings indicate that judgments of risks and benefits associated with product innovations are inversely related and affectively congruent with evaluations of those innovations. Additionally, more affectively extreme evaluations are associated with increasingly disparate judgments of risk and benefit. This research contributes to our theoretical understanding of both consumers’ evaluations of innovations and the affect heuristic.  Implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed.2016-09-1
Green consumerism:the influence of product attributes and values on purchasing intentions

Generally, a majority of consumers support the idea of purchasing green products,. However, this is often not translated in actual behaviour. We argue that there is a trade-off between the influence of product attributes on purchasing decisions, whereby it is assumed that consumers tend to focus on egoistic product characteristics first, followed by green product characteristics. In two experimental studies (N=100 and N=107) we find support for this reasoning: if product attributes fulfil self-serving motives (low price, familiar or well-known brand) green product attributes (cruelty free and low environmental impact) influence purchasing intentions more than when self-serving motives are not fulfilled (high price, unfamiliar or unknown brand). Further, we investigated if and how values weaken or strengthen the influence of product attributes on purchasing intentions. We conclude that biospheric values steer how product attributes influence purchasing intentions stronger than egoistic values. In line with our expectations, we find that if biospheric values are weak, egoistic product attributes are more influential, whereas if biopheric values are strong green product attributes are more influential
Addressing the cross-country applicability of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB): A structured review of multi-country TPB studies

The theories of reasoned action and planned behaviour (TRA/TPB) have received substantial research interest from consumer behaviourists. One important area of interest which has not been adequately researched concerns the impact of national culture on the TRA/TPB components and interrelationships. To date, no systematic assessment of the impact of culture on the TRA/TPB model relationships has been undertaken. In order to understand the potential impact of culture on the TRA/TPB model relationships a structured review of TRA/TPB studies is undertaken. Studies that have quantitatively applied the TRA/TPB across at least two countries within a consumption domain since 2000 are reviewed. The authors propose that two of Hofstedeâ��s cultural dimensions, individualism and power distance, may moderate the TRA/TPB relationships. The review highlights that the impact of subjective norm on intention varies most across countries, with the relationship between intention and both attitude and perceived behavioural control operating more similarly across country samples. Further, a systematic assessment of variation in the TRA/TPB model relationships via multilevel modelling shows that only the subjective norm-intention relationship varies across the countries studied. The relationship between subjective norm and intention is found to be influenced by power distance, with a stronger relationship evident in high power distance cultures. This review is the first of its kind and is of significance in addressing the emic versus etic nature of the TRA/TPB. Importantly, the article outlines relevant avenues and recommendations for future cross-national research utilizing the TRA/TPB
The value increment of mass-customized products: An empirical assessment

The primary argument in favor of mass customization is the delivery of superior customer\ud
value. Using willingness-to-pay (WTP) measurements, Franke & Piller (2004) have recently\ud
shown that customers designing their own watches with design toolkits are willing to pay\ud
premiums of more than 100% (DWTP). In the course of three studies, we found that this type\ud
of value increment is not a singular occurrence but might rather be a general phenomenon, as\ud
we again found average DWTPs of more than 100% among customers designing their own\ud
cell phone covers, T-shirts, and scarves. Building on this, we discuss the sources of benefits\ud
that are likely to explain this tremendous value increment. We argue that compared to\ud
conventional standard products, a mass-customized product might render the following\ud
utilitarian and hedonic benefits: (1) First, the output might be beneficial as self-designed\ud
products offer a much closer fit between individual needs and product characteristics. In\ud
addition to this mere functional benefit, extra value might also stem from (2) the perceived\ud
uniqueness of the self-designed product. As the customer takes on the role of an active codesigner,\ud
there may also be two general 'do-it-yourself effects': (3) First, the process of\ud
designing per se is likely to allow the customer to meet hedonic or experiential needs (process\ud
benefit). (4) Customers may also be likely to value the output of self-design more highly if\ud
they take pride in having created something on their own (instead of traditionally buying\ud
something created by somebody else). This is referred to as the 'pride of authorship' effect. (author's abstract
Extending the brand image on new products: The facilitative effect of happy mood states

Investigates the influence of mood and brand favorability on the evaluation of brand extensions. It is argued that affective states have an impact on the likelihood that the evaluation of a new product is based on the implications of the brand rather than on the implications of the features of the new product. Specifically, participants reported more positive evaluations of a new product when it was introduced by a positive rather than a negative brand – and this differential impact of category information was more pronounced for participants in a positive compared to a neutral or a negative mood
Ethical consumption practices: Co-production of self-expression and social recognition

Ethical considerations regularly demand references to the moral climate, which, as a form of grand narrative or regime of truth, provides direction for choices between right and wrong, good and bad, ethical and unethical. Yet from a postmodern perspective, the moral climate has scattered into countless narratives, such that what is good or ethical may no longer be certain everywhere and in every situation. In a postmodern world, no essential grand narrative, regime of truth, or foundational ethical direction exists, because the self has been rendered free and autonomous from traditional values. As an independent agent, the postmodern self confronts a plethora of  possibilities. Although the confrontation of multiple narratives appears in radical postmodern theory as saturating and disorienting, this article posits that clear signs of ethical directions within postmodern pluralism remain.Full Tex
Conspicuous donation behaviour: scale development and validation

This paper builds on the concept of conspicuous donation behaviour (CDB) through further conceptualisation and operationalisation of this construct.  The paper reports on developing the CDB scale via a three-stage process, which included five data collections using a total of 1311 respondents.  The data analysis indicates that the resulting eight-item (two factor) CDB scale has face, content, convergent, discriminant and predictive validity and the CDB scale is reliable across samples.  The CDB scale has the potential for significant usage in the development and testing of theory, as well as in practical applications.Griffith Business School, Department of MarketingFull Tex
Consumer decision making in low-income families : the case of conflict avoidance

This paper explores consumer decision making in low-income families. The focus is on the issue of conflict avoidance within the family when making consumption choices. Whereas previous studies have focused on conflict resolution strategies, this paper considers the ways in which families prevent conflict from arising in the first instance. These include individual control in purchasing and budgeting decisions, giving in to the requests of children and ensuring open communication about the family's financial situation. Importantly, the connections between the poverty narrative and the family decision making narrative are considered as the decision making strategies employed are not only aimed at avoiding conflict but also making experiences of poverty more manageable
On emotions and salsa : some thoughts on dancing to rethink consumers

Dance forms are a big business, highly marketable commoditized cultural universes, with a plethora of markets constructed around their spirit, vitality and possibilities. In this paper, we explore one particular dance form, that of Salsa, arguing that as consumer researchers we look for a more vibrant vocabulary and mindset with which to capture the experiential and transcendental nature of such social associations. We demonstrate that the metaphor of dancing is useful to revitalize our notions of consumer actions; taking them out of the grey mundane of calculative and rational action into the possibilities of emotional economies constructed around the effervescence and vitality of the social (cf. Maffesoli, [1996])
Modelling consumer entertainment software choice: An exploratory examination of key attributes, and differences by gamer segment

From virtually nowhere 20 years ago to sales of US$ 9.5 billion in 2007, the video game industry has now overtaken movie industry box-office receipts in terms of annual sales, and blockbuster video games can out perform blockbuster movies for opening-week sales. This dramatic growth is likely to continue in coming years. Yet there has been little scholarly attention to consumers within the industry. This research fills this gap by providing a comprehensive study of consumer behaviour in the gaming industry, using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB); a widely used, robust and reliable consumer research instrument. The study elicits key salient attributes for the major constructs in the TPB model - attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control - and shows how these key constructs affect purchase intention. To avoid aggregation error in analysing overall market data, this study segments the market and examines differences in perspective by gamer type. We therefore examine differences in these key salient attributes by gamer type to understand consumer motivations better
Countering negative country of origin effects using imagery processing

A favorable product country of origin (e.g., an automobile made in Germany) is often considered an asset by marketers. Yet a challenge in today's competitive environment is how marketers of products from less favorably regarded countries can counter negative country of origin perceptions. Three studies investigate how mental imagery can be used to reduce the effects of negative country of origin stereotypes. Study 1 reveals that participants exposed to country of origin information exhibit automatic stereotype activation. Study 2 shows that self-focused counterstereotypical mental imagery (relative to other-focused mental imagery) significantly inhibits the automatic activation of negative country of origin stereotypes. Study 3 shows that this lessening of automatic negative associations persists when measured one day later. The results offer important implications for marketing theory and practice
Synthesis and antitumour evaluation of benzopsoralen analogues

The synthesis of five new analogues of benzopsoralens, derived from
xanthen-9-one and carbazole is described. The preparation of the hydroxylated
precursors, their formylation and the formation of the pyranone ring, by the
reaction between ortho-formylated heterocycles and diethyl malonate in EtOH,
will be discussed. The inhibitory effect on the growth of human tumour cell lines
(MCF-7, SF-268 and NCI-460) of the final products was evaluated and is
discussed in terms of the 3D-geometry and electronic density distribution. The
compounds showing significant biological activity in this study were those having
angular structures.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) - I&D226/94,  POCTI-SFA-3-686), PRAXIS XXI/BD/19707/99)FEDERFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG)Conselho Nacional do Desenvolvimento Científico eTecnológico - Brasil (CNPq
The  'Azirine/Oxazolone Method'  in peptaibol synthesis: preparation of a Dderivative of trichotoxin A-50 (G)

The synthesis of a mixture of epimeric derivatives of the peptaibol trichotoxin A-50 (G) is described. The 'azirine/oxazolone method' has been used as a superior method for the introduction of the Aib as well as the Iva units into the peptide chain. In this protocol, 2,2-disubstituted 2H-azirin-3-amines are the synthons for 2,2-disubstituted glycines, which undergo coupling with N-protected amino or peptide acids in high yield, and without any need of coupling reagents. The problem of the instability of the amide function of the Gln side chain under the conditions of the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of Z-Gln-(Aib)n-N(Me)Ph was solved by using an appropriate protecting group for the amide function of the Gln side chain, e.g., the triphenylmethyl (trityl; Tr) group. The structures of two intermediate peptides, i.e., the segments comprising residues 1–5 and 10–13, resp., were established by X-ray crystallography
Synthesis and Antibacterial Evaluation of a Novel Series of 2-(1,2-Dihydro-3-oxo-3H-pyrazol-2-yl)benzothiazoles

The 2-(1,2-dihydro-3-oxo-3H-pyrazol-2-yl)benzothiazole scaffold was selected as a central core structure for the discovery of novel antibacterial compounds. A systematic variation of the substituents on the oxo-pyrazole moiety, as well as on the benzo moiety, led to the creation of a small and focused library of benzothiazoles that was subjected to antibacterial screening. In a first round of screening, activity of the compounds against six representative microorganisms was established. For the most potent congeners, MIC values against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa were determined. The structure-activity relationship study clearly revealed that subtle structural variations influence the antibacterial activity to a large extent. The most potent congeners displayed MIC values of 3.30 mu m.status: publishe
Synthesis of Lipid Oligonucleotide Conjugates for RNA Interference Studies

The synthesis of RNA molecules carrying lipids at their 3’-termini and 5’-termini is reported. These\ud
conjugates were fully characterized by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and HPLC chromatography.\ud
The ability of these conjugates to silence gene expression was evaluated in the inhibition of the tumor\ud
necrosis factor. All the lipid siRNA derivatives were compatible with RNA interference machinery if\ud
transfected with oligofectamine. In the absence of a transfection agent, some lipid siRNA derivatives\ud
can exert a slight reduction of gene expression.Peer reviewe