Retailers and apparel imports: variables associated with relative proportions of imports carried
Purposes of this exploratory study were: (i) to determine retailers' views toward imported apparel, (ii) to gain insight into retailers' reasons for carrying imported apparel, and (iii) to examine variables associated with relative proportions of imported apparel carried in stock. Interviewers surveyed 191 retailers in the eastern U.S.A., using a structured telephone interview. Data analysis included chi-square tests of association and frequency distributions. The proportion of stock retailers reported to be imported was cross-tabulated with a number of variables. Results gave insight into retailers' reasons for carrying imported apparel, although a majority appeared to favour domestic apparel; results also indicated some of the problems associated with carrying foreign-made goods. Results can be useful to manufacturers in their efforts to counter retailers' trend to carry increasing quantities of imported apparel and to educators preparing graduates for employment in this sensitive sector.
Imported Versus U.S.-Produced Apparel: Consumer Views and Buying Patterns
In the current controversy over limitation of imported apparel products into the U.S., con sumers have had little opportunity to be heard. This study sought to determine consumers' views of imported versus U.S.-produced apparel, to determine the product qualities which influence the consumer to buy one over the other and to examine consumer views toward imported apparel in relation to various purchasing practices and demographic variables. A structured telephone interview schedule was used by trained callers in a survey of 408 con sumers chosen randomly from telephone directories in 10 selected areas of the Eastern U.S. In general, consumers did not appear indifferent or apathetic to the issue of whether the apparel they buy has been produced in the U.S. or another country. A majority of the consumers took notice of whether clothing was imported and preferred to have domestically produced apparel, primarily because they perceived garments produced in other countries as being of poorer quality. A summary of the relationships between consumers' views toward imported apparel and some of the demographic variables and purchasing practices of the respondents indicated that in many ways concern over imported apparel appears to be a middle-socioeconomic class phenomenon.
Protective effect of ginsenoside Re on acute gastric mucosal lesion induced by compound 48/80
The protective effect of ginsenoside Re, isolated from ginseng berry, against acute gastric mucosal lesions was examined in rats with a single intraperitoneal injection of compound 48/80 (C48/80). Ginsenoside Re (20 mg/kg or 100 mg/kg) was orally administered 0.5 h prior to C48/80 treatment. Ginsenoside Re dose-dependently prevented gastric mucosal lesion development 3 h after C48/80 treatment. Increases in the activities of myeloperoxidase (MPO; an index of neutrophil infiltration) and xanthine oxidase (XO) and the content of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS; an index of lipid peroxidation) and decreases in the contents of hexosamine (a marker of gastric mucus) and adherent mucus, which occurred in gastric mucosal tissues after C48/80 treatment, were significantly attenuated by ginsenoside Re. The elevation of Bax expression and the decrease in Bcl2 expression after C48/80 treatment were also attenuated by ginsenoside Re. Ginsenoside Re significantly attenuated all these changes 3 h after C48/80 treatment. These results indicate that orally administered ginsenoside Re protects against C48/80-induced acute gastric mucosal lesions in rats, possibly through its stimulatory action on gastric mucus synthesis and secretion, its inhibitory action on neutrophil infiltration, and enhanced lipid peroxidation in the gastric mucosal tissue.