As the rapid economic growth and over-consumption within the largest population worldwide has resulted in harmful environment deterioration, a shift to more sustainable consumption behaviors is required in China. Although public interests in sustainability have increased and consumers' attitudes are positive, their behavioral intentions are not consistent with attitudes. This study aims to uncover psychological drivers and barriers (consumption values, social norms, and attitudes to sustainable apparel products) of Chinese consumers' behavioral intentions toward sustainable apparel products (SAP) by exploring the attitude-behavioral intention gap. Online survey data were used to examine the moderating impacts of consumption values and social norms on relationship between Chinese consumers' attitudes and behavioral intentions toward SAP. Results from moderating regression analysis suggest that (1) Chinese consumers' SAP attitudes had a strong positive effect on the purchase intention toward SAP, (2) aesthetic values positively moderated the relationship between the SAP attitude and purchase intention, whereas conspicuous values negatively moderated the relationship, and (3) utility values and social norms did not show any significant moderating influences on the relationship between the SAP attitude and purchase intention. Our study validates the attitude-behavior gap model in sustainable consumer behavior and discusses how the current findings can assist researchers and practitioners in the Clothing and Textiles field alike to fine-tune sustainable programs and marketing strategies in China.

In addition to abrusoside A [1], abrusosides B [2], C [3], and D [4], three further sweet glycosides based on the novel cycloartane-type aglycone, abrusogenin [5], were isolated from an n-BuOH-soluble extract of the leaves of Abrus precatorius. Using a combination of spectral methods, the structures of compounds 1-4 were assigned, respectively, as the 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl, the 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----2)-beta-D-6-methylglucuronopyranosyl+ ++, the 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl, and the 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----2)-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl derivatives of compound 5. After it established that compounds 1-4 were neither acutely toxic with mice nor mutagenic with Salmonella typhimurium strain TM677, they were found by a human taste panel to exhibit sweetness potencies in the range 30-100 times greater than sucrose.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between atmospheric qualities with different levels of task relevance in luxury fashion brand web sites and their impact on consumer attitude toward the site and brand, which is essential to build valid strategies for e-retailing. Design/methodology/approach – An empirical study was conducted and quantitative analyses of 292 respondents’ shopping experiences yielded findings that confirm the impact of atmospherics upon the shopper’s views of the web site and the brand. Structural equation modeling was used to test the research hypotheses. Findings – Both low task-relevant atmospherics (web site design, responsive customer service) and high task-relevant atmospherics (product information, convenience) affect the consumers’ revisit intentions toward the web site, while web site design directly affected brand attitude. The study also illustrates the mediating roles of product information and convenience to the relationships between web site design and responsive customer service and the consumers’ revisit intentions toward the site. Practical implications – This study provides insights for luxury e-tailing. Luxury e-tailers should understand the different effects depending upon the types of web atmospheric qualities and use them strategically. Originality/value – The main contribution of the study is to highlight the unique aspects of luxury online shopping in the Korean context. This study also contributes to e-commerce research by providing an expanded understanding of the interrelationship between types of web atmospheric qualities.

Extracts of Thladiantha grosvenorii fruits, Stevia rebaudiana leaves, and Abrus precatorius leaves were investigated using Mongolian gerbil electrophysiological and conditioned taste aversion procedures, which were designed to respond to sucrose. A close correlation was observed between extracts of these sweet plants known to contain sweet principles and those extracts indicated as being sweet by a combination of these gerbil bioassays. The methods employed seem to be suitable for use in aiding the purification of highly sweet compounds of plant origin.

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