University of Macau / Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences

Garantir a qualidade dos alimentos é um crescente objetivo dos governos, das companhias e dos agentes de padronização e certificação do comércio internacional. Seus esforços são direcionados a influenciar a percepção do consumidor quanto aos muitos atributos de um produto alimentar, com um cuidado particular em relação aos vinculados com a nutrição e segurança. A garantia da qualidade está ganhando em proeminência porque os atributos de qualidade estão sendo melhor monitorados por governantes, consumidores e companhias. Essa melhor avaliação sugere o aparecimento de garantias de qualidade voluntárias proporcionadas por companhias e de regulação pelo governo. Os mecanismos formais e informais têm sido analisados separadamente na literatura sobre regulação e marketing. A análise da interação dos mecanismos proporciona visões conflitantes e extremas como a reputação sendo substituída pela regulação, nos casos em que exclusivamente a ação do estado é defendida como suficiente, e outra, em que a atuação do estado é desnecessária devido à confiança do consumidor na reputação da marca ou organização. Uma terceira visão ocorre quando a regulação é complementada com o uso de estratégias privadas de reputação sobre o produto ou organização e vice versa. O objetivo geral do trabalho é analisar essa relação de complementaridade ou substituição entre os mecanismos formais e informais relacionados à segurança do alimento com base na percepção do consumidor de carne bovina. A pesquisa de campo foi conduzida com 591 consumidores do município de Piracicaba, Brasil, abordados em suas residências e nos estabelecimentos de comercialização de carne mais comuns, o açougue e o supermercado. Eles ordenaram os nove produtos hipotéticos em função de sua preferência por aqueles que proporcionam uma maior ou menor percepção de segurança e qualidade. O modelo de análise proposto foi gerado a partir do modelo hedônico e do ferramental da teoria dos jogos. Nove produtos hipotéticos foram gerados a partir de uma matriz ortogonal de um conjunto de vinte e sete combinações possíveis de três intensidades diferentes, baixa, média e alta, de conhecimento sobre a marca (mecanismo informal), intensidade de fiscalização (mecanismo formal) e preço. Pela técnica de análise conjunta, a importância dada pelo consumidor para a intensidade de fiscalização foi de 42,05% e para a intensidade de conhecimento sobre a marca foi de 28,9%. A ordem crescente de preferência para os níveis do atributo marca foi: “sem marca", “marca desconhecida" e “marca conhecida"; e para a fiscalização: “ausência de fiscalização", “fiscalização esporádica" e “fiscalização intensiva". A importância atribuída ao preço foi de 29,66%. O nível médio foi o mais preferido (R$ 12,00), seguido pelo baixo (R$ 8,00) e alto (R$ 16,00). Essa menor preferência pelo nível de maior preço pode significar um trade-off a favor de um preço mais baixo e uma dissociação do atributo como elemento de percepção de alta qualidade. Apenas 7,1% dos entrevistados afirmam que o preço contribui para uma maior percepção da alta qualidade do produto, enquanto para a fiscalização intensiva a porcentagem foi de 73,6%. Não foi possível identificar segmentos de consumidores com comportamentos e preferências distintas. O modelo Ordered Probit e o modelo de regressão de Poisson foram utilizados para analisar a relação de complementaridade ou substituição. A análise de interação entre marca e fiscalização foi feita mantendo-se o preço constante. A percepção da qualidade do produto pelo consumidor é significativamente maior quando há um aumento concomitante da intensidade do conhecimento sobre a marca e da intensidade da fiscalização em relação a um aumento individual desses mecanismos. Também foi constatado que a complementaridade é significativamente maior de um nível baixo para um nível médio do que de um nível médio para um nível alto. No tocante à complementaridade entre preço e fiscalização, mantendo-se a intensidade de conhecimento sobre a marca constante, a complementaridade também foi constatada, embora sem significância no nível mais alto. Foram sugeridas ações públicas e privadas que, utilizadas em conjunto, elevam a percepção de qualidade do consumidor em relação à carne comercializada. Devido ao pequeno escopo geográfico dos dados coletados, estudos mais aprofundados, em outras localidades, podem comprovar a complementaridade desses mecanismos e captar diferenças regionais. Aplicações deste modelo a outros problemas que envolvam estratégias privadas e públicas conjuntas, como a questão ambiental, também podem ser úteis. / The guarantee of the good quality of food is a growing focus of governments, companies and the international standardization, certification and trade agents. Their efforts are addressed to influence the consumer's perception over the many attributes of a food product, with special attention to the nutrition and safety attributes. The warranty of quality is overcoming in prominence because the attributes of quality are being better appraised by governments, consumers and companies. This better evaluation suggests the emersion of more proportionate voluntary quality warranties by companies and more regulation by the government. The formal and informal mechanisms have been analyzed in general, separately on marketing and regulation literature. The analysis of the interaction among these mechanisms provides conflicting and extreme visions like the reputation being substituted by the regulation needs, in the cases where exclusively the action of the government is defended as enough, and other, where the performance of the state is unnecessary due to the consumer's trust in the reputation of the brand or organization. A third vision happens when the regulation is complemented with the use of private strategies of reputation on the product or organization and vice versa. The main goal of this study was to analyze the complementarity and substitution relationship between the formal and informal mechanisms related to food safety based on the bovine meat consumer's perception. The model proposed was generated from the framework of game theory and of the hedonic demand analysis of attributes. Nine hypothetical products were generated starting from an orthogonal matrix of a group of twenty-seven possible combinations of three different intensities of knowledge on the brand (informal mechanism), monitoring (formal mechanism) and price. The research was conducted with 591 consumers in the city of Piracicaba, Brazil. The consumers were interviewed in their residences and in the butchery and retail stores. They organized these hypothetical products in their order of preference on those that provide a higher or smaller perception of safety and quality. Using the technique of conjoint analysis, the importance given by the consumer for the intensity of monitoring was of 42.05% and for the brand knowledge intensity was 28.9%. The preference for the levels of these attributes was growing with their increase, the growing order preference was the levels “without brand", “less known brand" and “well known brand" and for the monitoring the “absence of monitoring", “eventual monitoring" and “intensive monitoring." The importance attributed to the price was 29.66%. The medium level was the most favorite (R$ 12.00), followed by the lower (R$ 8,00) and the higher (R$ 16,00). That could mean a trade-off in favor of a lower price and a dissociation of these attribute as an element of a high quality perception. Only 7.1% of the interviewees affirm that the price contributed to a higher perception of the high product quality while for the intensive monitoring was 73.6%. It was not possible to identify consumers' segments with different behaviors and preferences. The Ordered Probit model and the Poisson regression model were used to analyze the complementarity and substitution relationship. Between brand and monitoring, maintaining the price constant, the perception of the product quality by the consumer is significantly higher when there is a concomitant increase of the intensity of knowledge on the brand and on the intensity of the monitoring in relation to an exclusive increase of each those mechanisms. It was also verified that complementarity is significantly higher from a low level to a medium level than from a medium level to a high level. Concerning complementarity between price and monitoring, maintaining the intensity of knowledge about the constant brand, the complementarity was also verified but in a smaller level of significance. Public policies and private strategies that improve the quality perception of the consumer's quality regarding meat consumption were suggested. Due to the small geographical scope of the data analyzed, other studies conducted in other places can prove the complementarity or not of those mechanisms, and capture regional differences. Applications of this model to other problems that involve private and public strategies combined, as the environmental issues, can be also useful.

Objectives: This thesis includes two distinct pieces of work. The purpose of the systematic review was to address a gap in the literature by examining available evidence relating to the use of Emotional Regulation (ER) strategies (avoidance, problem solving, reappraisal, rumination, and suppression) on the wellbeing of older people. The empirical paper aimed to examine the role of ER strategies and ageism on adjustment and retirement satisfaction. It also sought to examine the impact of other contextual factors such as financial status, health, and social support on retirement wellbeing. Methods: A systematic review of cross-sectional studies examining a quantitative association between one aspect of ER (avoidance, problem-solving, reappraisal, rumination and /or suppression) and a self-reported quantitative well-being measure was completed via a comprehensive literature search of electronic databases. Studies were included if the participants were 60 years or older and without cognitive impairment. Wellbeing was explored in a broader way not only including measures of the absence of illness but positive constructs such as positive affect, positive social relations or autonomy. In the empirical study, participants completed a postal survey which included ER strategies, attitudes to ageing, adjustment and satisfaction with retirement and contextual factors such as financial status, health and social support. A series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the independent contributions of ER strategies and attitudes to aging to adjustment to, and satisfaction with, retirement. Results: Twenty studies met inclusion criteria for the systematic review. The relationship between life satisfaction, positive emotion and ER was explored by four studies while nineteen out of twenty studied the relationship between ER and anxiety and depression. Only a conclusion about ER and negative mood measures could be made given the scarcity of research examining the association between ER and positive psychological concepts. Rumination was found to be the ER strategy most strongly associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression in OP population, while mixed results were found for avoidance, problem solving, suppression and reappraisal. Findings from the empirical study indicated that traditional predictors of adjustment (wealth and health) accounted for 12% of the total variance in outcome. Problem-solving was the strongest variable in the model explaining 24% of the difference in adjustment. Interestingly, the retirees who reported not having used problem-solving as a mechanism to cope with retirement were the most adjusted. Regarding satisfaction, retirees tended to experience higher retirement satisfaction if they had a greater level of self-rated mental health and increased access to household income (explained 14% and 9% of the total variance respectively). However, retirees who reported high levels of rumination experienced lower retirement satisfaction (rumination accounted for 8% of the total variance). Ageism was not a predictor of retirement adjustment or satisfaction. Conclusions: According to the systematic review, rumination seems to be the ER strategy most strongly associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression in OP population. This finding was consistent despite the heterogeneity of the studied populations and a variety of outcome measures. Further research is needed to explore the impact of ER strategies on measures of physical health and wellbeing in OP. The results of the empirical paper support the role of traditional predictors (wealth and health) in satisfaction and adjustment with retirement. The retirees who adjusted better to retirement were those who did not use problem-solving as a strategy to confront retirement. Retirees who reported high levels of rumination experienced lower retirement satisfaction. Ageism did not predict retirement satisfaction or adjustment. These findings are discussed in the context of retirement planning and successful ageing.

In the tissue distribution study, the expression of GHR2 is significantly higher than GHR1 in many tissues of the seabream including the gonad, kidney, muscle, pituitary and spleen. In vivo hormone treatment data indicated that cortisol and testosterone have differential expression regulation between GHR1 and GHR2. On the other hand, hepatic expression of both GHR1 and GHR2 in seabream was decreased by estradiol treatment. In primary cultures of seabream hepatocytes, the expression patterns after treatment by the various concentrations of hormones were consistent with the in vivo results. / To study the actions of environmental estrogens on the somatotropic axis, a transgenic yeast system was developed for estrogenicity screening. The fish estrogen receptor (gfER) and a reporter vector containing the estrogen responsive element (ERE) were expressed in yeast cells as a means to identify potential estrogens. Using this system, more than fifty chemicals including pesticides, herbicides, industrial chemicals and phytoestrogens were screened. Ten compounds including dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and bisphenol A (BPA) were demonstrated to exhibit estrogenic activities. And a compound (malachite green, MG) with novel anti-estrogenenic activities was identified. Then BPA and MG were focused to explore the disrupting effects of environmental estrogens on the two GHRs. Through the method of real-time PCR, both compounds could attenuate the gene expression level of GHRs in seabream hepatocytes. Using the method of luciferase assay, the signal transduction of the two GHRs was found to be desensitized by both BPA and MG. / Two genomic contigs of putative growth hormone receptor (GHR) were identified in fugu and zebrafish genomes by in silico analysis, suggesting the presence of two GHR subtypes in a single teleost species. This hypothesis was tested by cloning the full-length cDNA sequence of a second GHR subtype from the black seabream in which the first GHR subtype has been previously reported. Phylogenetic analysis of known GHR sequences from various vertebrates revealed that fish GHRs cluster into two distinct clades, viz. GHR1 and GHR2. The biological activities of both GHR subtypes from seabream had been examined using the reporter transcription assays in cultured eukaryotic cells. It was demonstrated that both of them have differential signal transduction upon Spi 2.1, beta-casein and c-fos promoter activities. / by Jiao, Baowei. / "December 2006." / Adviser: Christopher H. K. Cheng. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-09, Section: B, page: 5662. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 150-180). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

One of the most important outstanding questions in biology involves the precise spatial and temporal regulation of gene activity, which enables different cell types to express the specific set of genes required for their function and is therefore a cornerstone for complex biological life. Cis-regulatory elements, such as gene promoters and enhancers, play a key role in controlling gene activity. These elements physically interact with the genes they regulate within structural chromatin domains. The organisation of chromosomes into these domains is critical for specific regulation of gene expression and disruption of these structures underlies common human disease. However, it is not understood how chromatin domains form, how interactions between the cis-regulatory elements contained within them are established, or how such interactions influence gene expression. The major hurdles in addressing these questions are to determine chromatin structures with high resolution and sensitivity and to examine their dynamic nature within single cells. To overcome these, I have developed Tri-C, a new chromosome conformation capture assay that can analyse concurrent chromatin interactions at single alleles at high resolution. By combining Tri-C with conventional chromosome conformation capture techniques, I have analysed the three-dimensional regulatory landscapes of the well-characterised murine globin loci at unprecedented depth. Additionally, to examine the roles of cis-regulatory elements in establishing chromatin architecture, I have analysed how engineered deletions in enhancers and CTCF-binding elements in the murine alpha-globin locus disrupt its chromatin landscape. These analyses reveal that the chromatin domains containing the globin genes represent compartmentalised structures, which are delimited by CTCF boundaries. The heterogeneity of interactions in these domains between individual cells is indicative for a dynamic process of loop extrusion underlying their formation. Within chromatin domains, preferential structures are formed in which multiple enhancers and promoters interact simultaneously. These complexes provide a structural basis for understanding how multiple cis-regulatory elements cooperate to establish robust regulation of gene expression. Importantly, these complex, tissue-specific structures, cannot be explained by loop extrusion alone and indicate other, independent mechanisms contributing to chromosome architecture, likely involving interactions mediated by multi-protein complexes. Together, these analyses show that the current view of genome organisation, in which chromosomes are organised by stable loops and domains that self-assemble into hierarchical structures, is not correct. Rather, chromatin architecture reflects a complex interplay between distinct molecular mechanisms contributing to the formation of regulatory landscapes that facilitate precise, robust control of gene expression.

Ribosome synthesis is a very complex and energy consuming process in which pre-ribosomal RNA (pre-rRNA) processing and folding events, sequential binding of ribosomal proteins and the input of approximately 200 trans-acting ribosome assembly factors need to be tightly coordinated. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, ribosome assembly starts in the nucleolus with the formation of a very large 90S-sized complex. This ~2.2MDa pre-ribosomal complex is subsequently processed into the 40S and 60S assembly intermediates (pre-40S and pre-60S), which subsequently mature largely independently. Although we have a fairly complete picture of the protein composition of these pre-ribosomes, still very little is known about the rRNA structural rearrangements that take place during the assembly of the 40S and 60S subunits and the role of the ribosome assembly factors in this process. To address this, the Granneman lab developed a method called ChemModSeq, which made it possible to generate nucleotide resolution maps of RNA flexibility in ribonucleoprotein complexes by combining SHAPE chemical probing, high-throughput sequencing and statistical modelling. By applying ChemModSeq to ribosome assembly intermediates, we were able to obtain nucleotide resolution insights into rRNA structural rearrangements during late (cytoplasmic) stages of 40S assembly and for the early (nucleolar) stages of 60S assembly. The results revealed structurally distinct cytoplasmic pre-40S particles in which rRNA restructuring events coincide with the hierarchical dissociation of assembly factors. These rearrangements are required to trigger stable incorporation of a number of ribosomal proteins and the completion of the head domain. Rps17, one of the ribosomal proteins that fully assembled into pre-40S complexes only at a later assembly stage, was further characterized. Surprisingly, my ChemModSeq analyses of nucleolar pre-60S complexes indicated that most of the rRNA folding steps take place at a very specific stage of maturation. One of the most striking observations was the stabilization of 5.8S pre-rRNA region, which coincided with the dissociation of the assembly factor Rrp5 and stable incorporation of a number of ribosomal proteins.

The aim of this programme of research was to build on existing knowledge of impression management and self-presentation in the sport context. Theoretical advancement was made with the integration of two well-established social psychological frameworks of impression management phenomena; Leary’s (1995) topography of dispositional self-presentational motives, and Leary and Kowalski’s (1990) Two-Component Model of Impression Management – including situational impression motivation and impression construction – are complimentary, and their combination reflects a trait x state approach to understanding interpersonal behaviour in sport contexts. Athletes are assessed by team-mates, coaches, selectors, and the audience at a frequent rate. If they are aware of this, it could be viewed as an opportunity for personal and social development, or a threat to their existent identities. In both cases, the athlete must ensure that their performance is not affected by such thoughts, otherwise they risk conveying a negative impression regardless of their self-presentational motives (Leary, 1992). The present thesis incorporates three novel studies that address a multitude of first and second generation research questions (cf. Zanna & Fazio, 1982). Key findings include, but are not limited to: athletes have a strong dispositional motive to attain intra- and interpersonal goals via their self-presentations; if their impression efficacy does not match their impression motivation they tend to appraise this as a challenge, not a threat, contrary to theoretical expectations; in a laboratory setting, heightened impression motivation is associated with improved performance rather than increased distractibility and performance decrements (as was anticipated); impression management is important in developing desired social identities within university sport subcultures; and impression management is implicated in positive and negative group dynamics. In achieving its aims, the present thesis developed a new measurement scale, devised a successful experimental manipulation of impression motivation, and employed stimulated recall interview methodology; all novel or challenging approaches in sport psychology.

In 1921, 1924 and 1929-1934, markets for the future delivery of wheat went through periods of extreme volatility and/or significant depression, and in all three cases there were significant and long-lasting changes to both the institutional and regulatory framework of these Chicago-dominated grain markets. There was no real change after these key reforms until 1974, while indeed much of the original regulatory and market innovation remains. The result of the severe depression of 1921 was the Futures Trading Act of 1921. In 1924-25, the so-called ‘Cutten corner’ market turmoil was followed by three key institutional innovations brought about in 1926 by US federal government coercion of the grain futures trading industry in collusion with industry leaders. The Great Depression gave birth to the 1936 Commodity Exchange Act. This Act was based on research done by the government and/or with government-mandated evidence that essentially saw the small grain gambler as needing protection from the grain futures industry, and was pushed through by a coalition of farmers’ organisations and the agency responsible for the 1922 Act’s administration. The government demanded information that was begrudgingly provided, and the studies of this data formed the basis of a political and intellectual justification of the usefulness of futures markets to the marketing of farm products that influenced the Act of 1936 and – more importantly - continues to today. My key thesis is that government worked closely with the futures industry to the extent that the agency was captured by special interests for much of the interwar period, and I claim that government intervention was responsible for the essential changes that assured the dominance of futures markets, with the Chicago Board of Trade as their hub. The lasting institutions created in the 1920s and 1930s continue to immensely influence the financial markets of today, including being incorporated into the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010. My study differs from the accepted account that sees federal regulation as an irrational ‘populist’ attempt at controlling or even banning the markets, with the new institutions developed during the interwar period as the result of effective industry self-regulation in spite of state interference. The findings are based on a theory-driven reading of archives of the Chicago Board of Trade, its regulator the Grain Futures Administration, and the other key government agencies engaging with the grain trade, the USDA, the Federal Farm Board and the Federal Trade Commission. The approach here differs from the accepted accounts in that it is based mostly on my archival work, including the newly reorganised (in 2014) Chicago Board of Trade archive, rather than on public sources such as Congressional hearings and newspaper stories.

Background Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is considered to be one of the most debilitating and difficult to treat mental disorders. Traditionally, studies investigating the aetiology and mechanisms associated with the development and exacerbation of BPD have relied on the use of clinical populations. As a consequence, the opportunities to understand vulnerabilities and fundamental processes that may contribute to the development and maintenance of the disorder have been limited. Objectives The aim of this study was to examine the potential interactions and mediating effects of metacognition and emotion regulation on the relationships among different forms of childhood abuse, attachment, and parental bonding with a composite of core BPD features designed to encompass major areas of personality functioning and pathological personality traits (per DSM-5 section III). Method: A non-clinical sample of 695 students in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland took part in an internet survey composed of a battery of self-report measures. This was geared to identify features associated with BPD, emotion regulation difficulties, characteristics of metacognition, adult insecure attachment, fundamental parental bonding styles and signs of childhood maltreatment. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the data. Results All variables of interest had a direct effect on the development of features associated with BPD. Metacognition was found to mediate the effects of all three forms of childhood abuse used in the study as well as the effects of adult insecure attachment on the development BPD related traits. Emotion regulation suppression was found to mediate the effects of sexual and physical childhood abuse (but not emotional abuse, adult insecure attachment, parental bonding indifference, or parental bonding overprotection) on the development of borderline features. In addition, the lack of emotion regulation reappraisal was found to mediate the effects of sexual abuse and adult insecure attachment (but not emotional or physical abuse, parental bonding indifference, or parental bonding overprotection) on the development of BPD related traits. Discussion These findings have important clinical and theoretical implications. The results provide support and understanding of the role of mediating mechanisms in the exacerbation and in the development of features associated with BPD. This is important because metacognition and emotion regulation may be more amenable to change than traumatic past experiences and/or deep seeded patterns of attachment. In addition, further development in this area of research has the potential to lead to better and more effective psychotherapeutic treatments for BPD.

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