Purpose-Meat consumption decisions within a religious context can differ significantly from purchase decisions where religion does not play a key role. The purpose of this study is to investigate the determinants of Halal meat consumption within a Chinese Muslim population using the "marketing theory of planned behavior". The role of self-identity as a Muslim and dietary acculturation in the host culture is investigated. Design/methodology/approach-The study is based on a questionnaire survey. Cross-sectional data were collected through a survey of 368 Muslim participants, mainly from Xinjiang province in China. Data were analyzed by a series of regression analyses to test the model and the moderating effects of self-identity and dietary acculturation on behavioral intention. Findings-The results indicate that motivation to comply with religious requirements, and personal conviction, have a positive attitude toward behavioral intention to consume Halal meat. However, perceived control has a negative relationship with behavioral intention to eat Halal meat among Muslims. Results also show that in general, Halal meat consumption is determined by the pressure of others, personal conviction, and the perceived control. Practical implications-For marketing managers, Muslims with a low Muslim identity can be motivated to buy Halal meat by communicating through slogans that focus on the individual's opportunity to make his or her own choice(s). Originality/value-This paper will prove valuable to food-policy decision makers and food marketers, who might pursue identity and/or acculturation-related strategies in their distribution and communication efforts targeting the growing Halal food market segment in China and globally.

Microcirculation oxygen levels and blood volumes should be reflected in measurements of myocardial T 2 relaxation. This work describes the optimization of a spiral imaging strategy for robust myocardial T 2 measurement to minimize the standard deviation of T 2 measurement ( T 2 ). Theoretical and experimental studies of blurring at muscle/blood interfaces enabled the derivation of parameter sets which reduce T 2 to the level of 5%. Differences in myocardial T 2 relaxation should reflect differences in the underlying tissue characteristics. Prolongation of T 2 relaxation is characteristic of infarction, likely reflecting structural degradation and increases in local water content (1). The contributing tissue characteristics within viable myocardium include microcirculation blood volume and oxygen levels. Modulations in these parameters during vasodilation are the basis for myocardial BOLD-MRI (2-5).Myocardium which exhibits prolonged T 2 relaxation may be detected with confidence if the elevation in T 2 relaxation is greater than twice the standard deviation in the relaxation measurement ( T 2 ). Maximizing sensitivity to changes in the relaxation behavior, and thus to the underlying tissue characteristics, requires minimization of T 2 . T* 2 has been proposed as an alternative means for BOLD-MRI. However, the standard deviation in T* 2 ( T* 2 ) across measurements at different spatial locations at the same time point is about 40% (6). Regions of T* 2 nonuniformity correlated with regions of off-resonance. We believe variability in myocardial T 2 relaxation is more controllable, and will therefore yield improved sensitivity to underlying physiology.A magnetization preparation sequence with spiral imaging can provide robust T 2 relaxation measurement in vivo, with considerable insensitivity to off-resonance (4). However, spiral images are prone to blurring, which should lead to partial volume effects across the endocardial border in cardiac applications. Blurring within a spiral imaging strategy will depend on the resolution, the spiral readout duration, the local resonance frequency offset, and residual uncertainty in heart position following motion compensation.There are three goals to this work: 1) the spiral imaging method is optimized to minimize T 2 within a total scan time less than 5 min, while maintaining adequate pervoxel signal-to-noise ratio (SNR); 2) the residual T 2 using this method is characterized in vivo; and 3) the implications of the technical performance are examined using a two-site exchange relaxation model which relates the residual T 2 to a standard deviation in microcirculation oxygen levels ( %O 2 ) (7). MATERIALS AND METHODSAll measurements were performed using a 1.5 T GE Signa CV/i system (4 G/cm peak gradient amplitude, 150 mT/m/s peak slew rate). T 2 relaxation data were acquired using a T 2 -weighted magnetization-preparation spiral imaging protocol which has been validated for coronary sinus oximetry (4). Aspects of the pulse sequence and measurement protocol minimize errors associ...

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