Information Package Research Articles

Product aesthetics and consumer buying decision in the cosmetic sub-sector in Nigeria

In the recent modern marketing age, there is huge competition of product atheistic due to changing life style of the consumers and the improvement in cosmetic products. Every organization focuses on the packaging positioning of products because that is the main tool of stimulating consumer buying decision. The objective of this paper was to examine the effect of product aesthetics on the consumer buying decision. This research identified the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. This survey research consists on the primary data which were collected through the distribution of the questionnaire and SPSS software was b used for the purpose of the analysis. This study consists on the response of the 100 respondents and tested the reliability of the model. Findings shows that the dimensions of product atheistic such as product information and product packaging have positive effect on consumer buying decision. Results also shows that the dimensions of product packaging explain the variability of consumer buying decision of cosmetic brands in selected super supermarkets. The study recommended that management of supermarkets should engage the services of professionals who are knowledgeable about customer reactions towards product information and texts in order to continuously develop and improve on their packaging so as to boost their consumer purchase decision. Keywords: Product Aesthetics, Product Information, Product Packaging, Consumer and Buying Decision.

A Comprehensive Assessment of Quality of Antimalarial Medicines in Mainland Tanzania: Insights from Five Years of Postmarket Surveillance.

Sustainable access to high-quality antimalarial medicines is pivotal to achieving universal and effective malaria control. Poor-quality antimalarial medicines are prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, impeding malaria control initiatives and claiming the lives of many children. Regular monitoring of the quality of antimalarial medicines is crucial to ensure the quality of service to the community. A cross-sectional study using a postmarket surveillance (PMS) approach was conducted from 2019 to 2023. Samples were collected from the port of entry, local manufacturers, and various distribution outlets in 15 regions of mainland Tanzania. The samples were subjected to tier 1 evaluation, comprising a product information review (PIR) and identification using the Global Pharma Health Fund-Minilab® techniques. Samples that failed the identification tests and 10% of the samples from distribution outlets that passed the tests were subjected to confirmatory testing (tier 2), which included assays, related substances, dissolution, and sterility per the pharmacopeial monographs. During five annual PMSs, 2,032 antimalarial samples were collected and subjected to quality tests. All samples complied with the standard specifications for identity, dissolution, related substances, sterility, physical evaluation, disintegration, and assay. A total of 292 (55.5%) tested samples failed the PIR evaluation, with incomplete package information in leaflets contributing to 64.7% of all deviations. Antimalarial medicines circulating in the mainland Tanzanian market meet expected quality standards. Continuous monitoring of the quality of antimalarial medicines is recommended.

Increasing the Confidence of Local Brand Through Package Design and Information Label

Packaging design issues are rapidly gaining the attention of researchers as evidence indicates that most consumers are making choice decisions based on product package design. Furthermore, product information on packaging, such as ingredients and nutrition information, also increases consumers’ attention since consumers are concerned about healthy products. This study seeks to develop a theoretical model to show the effects of consumer attitudes toward visual food packaging and information labels on brand awareness and purchase intention. Six hundred fifty people completed a self-administered online questionnaire based on the literature. The empirical results show that attitudes toward visual packaging and information labels directly impact brand awareness and indirectly (through brand awareness) influence purchase intention. Surprisingly, the comparison between global and local brands shows no differentiation between global and local brands. It means the local brands can compete with the global brands. Additionally, this research indicated no differentiation between high and low business reputations. It implies that consumers in Indonesia have positive perceptions and the same favorability for any brand. This study provides managers with insights emphasizing the visual packaging design factors and informative labels to form consumers’ brand awareness and influence purchase intention.

Unveiling the DHX15–G-patch interplay in retroviral RNA packaging

We explored how a simple retrovirus, Mason-Pfizer monkey virus (M-PMV) to facilitate its replication process, utilizes DHX15, a cellular RNA helicase, typically engaged in RNA processing. Through advanced genetic engineering techniques, we showed that M-PMV recruits DHX15 by mimicking cellular mechanisms, relocating it from the nucleus to the cytoplasm to aid in viral assembly. This interaction is essential for the correct packaging of the viral genome and critical for its infectivity. Our findings offer unique insights into the mechanisms of viral manipulation of host cellular processes, highlighting a sophisticated strategy that viruses employ to leverage cellular machinery for their replication. This study adds valuable knowledge to the understanding of viral-host interactions but also suggests a common evolutionary history between cellular processes and viral mechanisms. This finding opens a unique perspective on the export mechanism of intron-retaining mRNAs in the packaging of viral genetic information and potentially develop ways to stop it.

Using mixed methods and partnership to develop a program evaluation toolkit for organizations that provide physical activity programs for persons with disabilities

BackgroundThe purpose of this paper is to report on the process for developing an online RE-AIM evaluation toolkit in partnership with organizations that provide physical activity programming for persons with disabilities.MethodsA community-university partnership was established and guided by an integrated knowledge translation approach. The four-step development process included: (1) identify, review, and select knowledge (literature review and two rounds of Delphi consensus-building), (2) adapt knowledge to local context (rating feasibility of outcomes and integration into online platform), (3) assess barriers and facilitators (think-aloud interviews), and (4) select, tailor, implement (collaborative dissemination plan).ResultsStep 1: Fifteen RE-AIM papers relevant to community programming were identified during the literature review. Two rounds of Delphi refined indicators for the toolkit related to reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance. Step 2: At least one measure was linked with each indicator. Ten research and community partners participated in assessing the feasibility of measures, resulting in a total of 85 measures. Step 3: Interviews resulted in several recommendations for the online platform and toolkit. Step 4: Project partners developed a dissemination plan, including an information package, webinars, and publications.DiscussionThis project demonstrates that community and university partners can collaborate to develop a useful, evidence-informed evaluation resource for both audiences. We identified several strategies for partnership when creating a toolkit, including using a set of expectations, engaging research users from the outset, using consensus methods, recruiting users through networks, and mentorship of trainees. The toolkit can be found at et.cdpp.ca. Next steps include disseminating (e.g., through webinars, conferences) and evaluating the toolkit to improve its use for diverse contexts (e.g., universal PA programming).

Effect of Comprehensive HIV Prevention Information Package on Syphilis Infection Levels Among Youths in Kakamega and Kericho Counties, Kenya

The world's biggest threat to development and public health is HIV. Youth in sub-Saharan Africa are primarily affected by the HIV epidemic. Despite the availability of HIV prevention options, new infections among youth in Kenya only reduced by 56% between 2015 and 2021. Various HIV prevention interventions have been implemented among youth with little or no assessment of their effectiveness in reducing new HIV infections. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect comprehensive HIV prevention information package of the package on syphilis infections levels among the youths in Kakamega and Kericho counties, Kenya. A non-randomized control trial was conducted with Kakamega as intervention and Kericho as Comparison County. The pretest questionnaire was administered in both intervention and control counties in December 2001. The posttest questionnaire was administered in both intervention and control counties after nine months of providing HIV prevention information package. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data was transcribed and analyzed thematically. There was significant increase in knowledge of sexually transmitted infections in intervention county (t = 3.340, P = 0.021). There was significant number of youth in Kakamega county who reported unusual sores in genital area at endline (t = 2.035, P = 0.043). Similarly, more youths sought treatment after experiencing the syphilis symptoms (t = 1.931, P = 0.054) at endline in Kakamega county. There were no significant differences in the number of youths in Kericho county at endline who experienced unusual symptoms, sought treatment and informed their sexual partners (P > 0.05). The findings from the study will inform national rollout of the intervention to contribute to safer sexual behaviors among youth.

Enhancing sustainable food innovation through consumer participatory co-creation: A case study on plant-based dietary snack bars in Thailand

The veggie bar is a novel dietary concept that caters to the growing trend of individuals who prioritize their health and search for wholesome meal options. However, developing new food products without essential customer insights may put the potential success of food innovation at risk. Our study adopted a participatory co-creation approach to investigate market segmentation and innovate veggie snack bar product features. Focus group discussions at 4 locations across Thailand were employed to examine target segments and examine customers’ insights. A total of 64 respondents, who are fitness enthusiasts (n = 32) and office workers with busy lifestyles (n = 32), participated in this study. This research presented how to co-create a sustainable food product and led to creative ingredient compositions for a new line of veggie bars that reduce sugar and boost nutrition with fiber and probiotics. Scent and taste were also adjusted to disguise vegetable aromas with natural flavor enhancers and add exotic fruits and savory spices to satisfy various consumer tastes. The study also stressed the importance of texture for ease of consumption and produced environmentally friendly and informative packaging to meet customer expectations for sustainability and health. These findings show that product innovation in the food industry can suit consumers’ changing tastes and health concerns.

BV2-derived extracellular vesicles modulate microglia inflammatory profile, neuronal plasticity, and behavioural performances in late adult mice

BackgroundDuring aging, both the brain and the immune system undergo a progressive impairment of physiological functions. Microglia, the immunocompetent cells of the central nervous system, shift towards a chronic mild inflammatory state that impacts brain homeostasis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by microglia transport packages of molecular information that mirror the inflammatory status of donor cells and modulate the inflammatory phenotype of recipient microglia and other cell types. ResultsWe demonstrated that intranasal administration of EVs derived from microglial-like BV2 cells to late adult mice (16–20 months of age) shifts microglia toward a “juvenile” morphology affecting their inflammatory profile. Mice treated with BV2-derived EVs have a reduction of anxiety-like behavior and an increased spatial learning, with sex-dependent differences. Further, BV2-derived EVs increased neuronal plasticity both in male and female mice. These findings suggest the involvement of microglial cells in vesicles-mediated anti-aging effect. ConclusionsOur data indicate that BV2-derived EVs could represent a resource to slow down age-dependent inflammation in the mouse brain.

IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology Publication Information

IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology Publication Information

IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology Information for Authors

IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology Information for Authors

The Effect of Unhealthy Food Packaging Information Boundaries on Consumer Purchasing Intentions.

Existing studies have examined unhealthy food packaging information, mainly focusing on aspects such as the content, color, and text, whilst paying less attention to the boundaries of information. This paper investigates unhealthy foods through three experiments, revealing that the presence (vs. absence) of packaging information boundaries on unhealthy foods has a negative impact on consumers' purchasing intentions (p = 0.040) (Experiment 1). The feeling of constraint mediates this effect (β = -0.078, CI: [-0.1911, -0.0111]) (Experiment 2). Additionally, consumers with an independent self-construal exhibit reduced purchasing intentions when unhealthy food packaging information boundaries are present (vs. absent) (p < 0.001), whereas those with an interdependent self-construal show increased purchasing intentions under the same conditions (p = 0.024) (Experiment 3). This paper reveals the psychological mechanism and boundary conditions of unhealthy food packaging information boundaries affecting consumers' purchasing intention and provides practical inspiration for government policy-making related to unhealthy food packaging.

PET-CT-guided, symptom-based, patient-initiated surveillance versus clinical follow-up in head neck cancer patients (PETNECK2): study protocol for a multicentre feasibility study and non-inferiority, randomised, phase III trial

BackgroundApproximately 40% of treated head and neck cancer (HNC) patients develop recurrence. The risk of recurrence declines with time from treatment. Current guidelines recommend clinical follow-up every two months for the first two years after treatment, with reducing intensity over the next three years. However, evidence for the effectiveness of these regimes in detecting recurrence is lacking, with calls for more flexible, patient-centred follow-up strategies.MethodsPETNECK2 is a UK-based multi-centre programme examining a new paradigm of follow-up, using positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT)-guided, symptom-based, patient-initiated surveillance. This paradigm is being tested in a unblinded, non-inferiority, phase III, randomised controlled trial (RCT). Patients with HNC, one year after completing curative intent treatment, with no clinical symptoms or signs of loco-regional or distant metastasis will be randomised using a 1:1 allocation ratio to either regular scheduled follow-up, or to PET-CT guided, patient-initiated follow-up. Patients at a low risk of recurrence (negative PET-CT) will receive a face-to-face education session along with an Information and Support (I&S) resource package to monitor symptoms and be in control of initiating an urgent appointment when required. The primary outcome of the RCT is overall survival. The RCT also has an in-built pilot, a nested QuinteT Recruitment Intervention (QRI), and a nested mixed-methods study on patient experience and fear of cancer recurrence (FCR). An initial, single-arm feasibility study has been completed which determined the acceptability of the patient-initiated surveillance intervention, the completion rates of baseline questionnaires, and optimised the I&S resource prior to implementation in the RCT.DiscussionWe hypothesise that combining an additional 12-month post-treatment PET-CT scan and I&S resource will both identify patients with asymptomatic recurrence and identify those at low risk of future recurrence who will be empowered to monitor their symptoms and seek early clinical follow-up when recurrence is suspected. This change to a patient-centred model of care may have effects on both quality of life and fear of cancer recurrence.Trial registrationISRCTN: 13,709,798; 15-Oct-2021.

Pendampingan Pembuatan Legalitas Usaha dan Inovasi Kemasan dalam Upaya Peningkatan Penjualan Bakso Sapi Frozen

This community service activity was carried out with the aim of increasing sales of Omasan Taste frozen beef meatballs through assistance in the business licensing process and updates in product packaging design. Small businesses like Omasan Taste often experience difficulties in obtaining official licenses and creating attractive and safe packaging. Through training, consultation, and assessment, this mentoring aims to assist in the setup and management of business licenses, such as P-IRT licensing and halal certification, as well as improved packaging design. The results showed that having a complete business license can increase customer confidence, while attractive and informative packaging design succeeded in increasing interest in the product. This is reflected in increased purchases and market expansion. In this way, the assistance successfully boosted Omasan Taste's sales through strategies to increase consumer confidence and product competitiveness in a larger market.

IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology Publication Information

IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology Publication Information

IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology Information for Authors

IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology Information for Authors

Questionnaire Survey of Information Printed on the Blister Pack of Medicine in Japan

Introduction: In Japan, dispensing medicines in blister packs is more common than dispensing them in boxes containing the blister packs. Handling errors by health care professionals and medication errors by patients can occur depending on the level of understanding of the package information. Methods: A survey was conducted to determine whether the expiration dates and medicinal effects of 220 randomly selected blister packs were recorded. In the survey, respondents were asked to indicate the percentage of blister-packed medicines that they expected would have expiration dates and medicinal effects written on them. Respondents were then asked to rate the expiration dates and medicinal effects written on the blister pack medicines on a scale of 10, from unnecessary to very necessary. Results: Of the 220 randomly selected blister packs, expiration dates were listed on 10.5%, and medicinal effects were listed on 31.4%. In the questionnaire survey, pharmacists accurately described the percentages of expiration dates and medicinal effects, whereas the prescribing doctors and nurses did not. Medical professionals wanted the expiration dates written on blister packs. Regarding the description of medicinal effects, there were differences in requests among the prescribing doctors, nurses, and pharmacists. Conclusion: We focused on the level of understanding of information printed on oral drug blister packs. There are differences among medical professionals, such as prescribing doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, in their views on the expiration dates and descriptions of the medicinal effects of blister packs. Medical professionals had differing opinions on the items listed on the blister packs, such as the expiration date and medicinal effects. This can potentially cause medical malpractice and reduce medication adherence.

Studi Senyawa Perisa pada Online Marketplaces di Indonesia: Jenis Senyawa Perisa dan Legalitasnya

Various flavoring agents purchased by micro small medium enterprises (MSME) could be obtained through online marketplace. Their types and legalities have never been investigated in Indonesia. The objective of this study was to obtain an overview of the availability of the flavoring agents on online marketplace and their legality. The legality is defined as the flavoring agents which are marketed and have its compliance to regulation of Indonesian Food and Drug Agency (BPOM), otherwise is illegal. The profiles of online marketed flavoring agents on marketplace are obtained through online survey of flavorings advertisements documented using a check sheet as the tool. Tokopedia and Shopee were chosen as samples in this study because they both are the most popularly e-commerce sites clicked by consumers. A non-probability sampling and sample screening were carried out to obtain eligible samples until it achieved a predetermined amounts. There were 399 flavoring agents observed, with result of 262 legal flavoring agents (65.7%) and the rests were illegal. Mostly, they were of domestic flavorings (98.5 and 88% respectively). The cases of non-conformities forward the rules were: advertising without packaging, repacking, unregistered brands, and incompatible information in their packaging and/or labels when it was cross-checked with BPOM data. Due to the high number of illegal flavoring agents sold online, monitoring of the online flavoring markets should become a priority program of Indonesian government, while consumers need to be cautious. The traders and producer have an urgent action in taking a moral responsibility for the legality of the flavoring agents being marketed.

Word frequency and cognitive effort in turns-at-talk: turn structure affects processing load in natural conversation.

Frequency distributions are known to widely affect psycholinguistic processes. The effects of word frequency in turns-at-talk, the nucleus of social action in conversation, have, by contrast, been largely neglected. This study probes into this gap by applying corpus-linguistic methods on the conversational component of the British National Corpus (BNC) and the Freiburg Multimodal Interaction Corpus (FreMIC). The latter includes continuous pupil size measures of participants of the recorded conversations, allowing for a systematic investigation of patterns in the contained speech and language on the one hand and their relation to concurrent processing costs they may incur in speakers and recipients on the other hand. We test a first hypothesis in this vein, analyzing whether word frequency distributions within turns-at-talk are correlated with interlocutors' processing effort during the production and reception of these turns. Turns are found to generally show a regular distribution pattern of word frequency, with highly frequent words in turn-initial positions, mid-range frequency words in turn-medial positions, and low-frequency words in turn-final positions. Speakers' pupil size is found to tend to increase during the course of a turn at talk, reaching a climax toward the turn end. Notably, the observed decrease in word frequency within turns is inversely correlated with the observed increase in pupil size in speakers, but not in recipients, with steeper decreases in word frequency going along with steeper increases in pupil size in speakers. We discuss the implications of these findings for theories of speech processing, turn structure, and information packaging. Crucially, we propose that the intensification of processing effort in speakers during a turn at talk is owed to an informational climax, which entails a progression from high-frequency, low-information words through intermediate levels to low-frequency, high-information words. At least in English conversation, interlocutors seem to make use of this pattern as one way to achieve efficiency in conversational interaction, creating a regularly recurring distribution of processing load across speaking turns, which aids smooth turn transitions, content prediction, and effective information transfer.

Assessing Reusable Packaging: The Importance of Methodological Choices in Carbon Footprint Calculation

The reliability and clarity of environmental assessments represent an important prerequisite for measures towards the sustainable transformation of our economic system. Studies examining the environmental performance of reusables are often used to derive arguments for and against their use. Accordingly, it is important to have clarity about the influence of methodological decisions on the results of such studies. This paper analyses possible approaches to the allocation of environmental impacts of transport processes to reusable shipping packaging in the context of parcel deliveries. A model was developed to conduct comparative analyses of carbon emissions (carbon footprint) from the use of single-use vs. reusable shipping packaging and was subsequently applied to two reusable shipping packaging systems currently available on the market. The results showed that using different allocation models led to significant variations in the results for the carbon footprint of the analysed packaging (single-use and reusable), while at the same time, the calculated environmental break-even point in the comparison between the single-use and reusable options remained rather stable. The results highlight the importance of a clear and standardized methodological framework for the communication of footprint information for reusable shipping packaging. Moreover, for determining the environmental break-even point, the results suggest that aspects like the comparison scenario (i.e., the selection of the single-use packaging) are more important than the methodological choice of the allocation model for transportation processes.

IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology Information for Authors

IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology Information for Authors