Synthesis, Characterization, and Electrocatalytic Activity toward Methanol Oxidation of Carbon-Supported Pt(x)-(RuO(2)-M)(1-x) Composite Ternary Catalysts (M = CeO(2), MoO(3), or PbO(x))

Carbon-supported platinum is commonly used as an anode electrocatalyst in low-temperature fuel cells fueled with methanol. The cost of Pt and the limited world supply are significant barriers for the widespread use of this type of fuel cell. Moreover, Pt used as anode material is readily poisoned by carbon monoxide produced as a byproduct of the alcohol oxidation. Although improvements in the catalytic performance for methanol oxidation were attained using Pt-Ru alloys, the state-of-the-art Pt-Ru catalyst needs further improvement because of relatively low catalytic activity and the high cost of noble Pt and Ru. For these reasons, the development of highly efficient ternary platinum-based catalysts is an important challenge. Thus, various compositions of ternary Pt(x)-(RuO(2)-M)(1-x)/C composites (M = CeO(2), MoO(3), or PbO(x)) were developed and further investigated as catalysts for the methanol electro-oxidation reaction. The characterization carried out by X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry point out that the different metallic oxides were successfully deposited on the Pt/C, producing small and well-controlled nanoparticles in the range of 2.8-4.2 nm. Electrochemical experiments demonstrated that the Pt(0.50)(RuO(2)-CeO(2))(0.50)/C composite displays the higher catalytic activity toward the methanol oxidation reaction (lowest onset potential of 207 mV and current densities taken at 450 mV, which are 140 times higher than those at commercial Pt/C), followed by the Pt(0.75)(RuO(2)-MoO(3))(0.25)/C composite. In addition, both of these composites produced low quantities of formic acid and formaldehyde when compared to a commercially available Pt(0.75)-Ru(0.25)/C composite (from E-Tek, Inc.), suggesting that the oxidation of methanol occurs mainly by a pathway that produces CO(2) forming the intermediary CO(ads).

Grafisk profilering med praktisk tillämpning på Rookiefestivalen

This degree project includes both a theoretic component and a practical component within the graphicprofiling domain. Literature on graphic design has been studied for the theoretical part and the achievedknowledge has been used for the practical part. The project has been to produce graphic materialfor “Rookiefestivalen” in Hultsfred.In modern society it is important for a corporation to distinguish itself from others by using a graphicprofile. Through using a graphic profile the company can have an affect on how it is perceived byothers. This is true not only for corporations as both organisations, societies and other events will benefitfrom the use of a graphic profile.The material that’s been produced is not within the traditional boundaries of graphic profiling. It israther marketing material for the festival. The graphic profile was applied to a variety of things suchas posters, flyers, ad’s and the festival’s website. The result is to be seen in the appendix of this degreeproject and on the Internet: http://www.rookierockparty.se

Hur retusch påverkar skönhetsannonsers attraktion : En studie om målgruppens åsikter och köplust

Tidigare studier som gjorts inom området visade att kvinnor anser att kvinnors skönhet inte är värderad enligt rimliga normer i vårt samhälle. Hård retuschering motarbetas på många håll, bland annat genom att organisationer som ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) och politiska partier som Liberaldemokraterna i Storbritannien arbetar för att missledande retuschering ska försvinna. En studie har visat att det, för att öka annonsers attraktionskraft, är viktigt att den ökade skönheten hos en modell är relevant för produktens användningsområde, då betraktaren anstränger sig intellektuellt vid betraktandet av bilden. Det finns dock inga tidigare studier som bevisar om en retuscherad modell faktiskt ökar målgruppens köplust av skönhetsprodukter vid rådande samhällsattityder och skönhetsideal. Två enkätundersökningar gjordes därför med sammanlagt 1480 deltagare. Produkten i studien var en fiktiv hudkräm. Genom att i den ena undersökningen låta betraktaren möta modellbilden i en situation som efterliknade verkligheten, på så sätt att de inte fick veta om den var retuscherad, kunde studien svara på om retuschering ökade köplusten. Bilder med bortretuscherade skönhetsfläckar och utväxt prefererades. Att retuschera bort flyghår ökade inte köplusten. I den andra jämförande undersökningen kunde betraktaren jämföra den retuscherade med den oretuscherade modellbilden. Resultaten visade att skönhetsfläckar och flyghår tillåts och prefereras borttagna, men inte utväxt. I intervjuer med fem kvinnor hördes målgruppens attityder om vad som ansågs var tillåtet att retuschera. Svaren tydde på att en relevant och försiktig retuschering prefererades. Att lämna några födelsemärken ökade trovärdigheten.

Retusch av landskapsfoto i annonser för turistmål : En kvantitativ undersökningkring den accepterade nivån av retusch

Etik kring bilder i annonser har diskuterats mycket, speciellt modell-, ochproduktbilder har kritiserats. Det tycks dock saknas forskning om acceptanskring efterbehandling av landskapsfotografier som ofta används vidmarknadsföring av turistmål. En webbenkätundersökning genomfördes medbildexempel för att undersöka vilken nivå av efterbehandling som ansågsverklighetstrogen, tilltalande och accepterbar i sådana annonser. Slutsatsenblev att fotografier där exponeringen korrigerats för att skapa en tydligare bildvar det mest accepterade. Skillnader i åsikter mellan åldrar, kön, de som haroch inte har tidigare erfarenhet av fotografi och retuschering diskuterades ochdet visade sig att kvinnor och de utan tidigare erfarenhet var lite mer kritiskatill efterbehandling. Det framkom att en del betraktare kan accepteraytterligare efterbehandling om den genomförs för att sälja en specifik känslaoch så länge inte betraktaren kan känna sig vilseledd.

Könsdiskriminering i svenska annonser : Skillnader och likheter i friade och fällda fall anmälda hos Reklamombudsmannen

Sexism och könsdiskriminering är ämnen som idag exponeras mycket i media. De tar stor plats och bäddar för diskussion både i sociala medier och i verkligheten. Beträffande könsdiskriminering i reklam är det oftast fall där kvinnor är utsatta för stereotypisk porträttering och objektifiering som leder till en offentlig debatt, men de senaste åren har visat på att liknande fall för män ökar. Denna kvalitativa studie har som syfte att undersöka och kartlägga utförandet av könsdiskriminering i svenska annonser i en visuell innehållsanalys, för att sedan jämföra vad som särskiljer friade och fällda fall. Reklamombudsmannens kriterier för könsdiskriminerande reklam ligger till grund för bedömande av material, samt definiering av analysens kategorier. I både friade och fällda fall visade sig bildens utformning och de porträtterade personerna vara av högsta relevans och motiv för att anmäla eller döma en annons för könsdiskriminering. Resultatet visade på att förekomsten av objektifierande reklam uppmärksammas och fälls mer än schabloniserande reklam, samt att annonser som visade större exponering av hud inte nödvändigtvis var den som fälldes mest då flera av fallen visade en tydlig koppling till den marknadsförda produkten.

The effects of television advertisements for junk food versus nutritious food on children's food attitudes and preferences

Television (TV) food advertising has attracted criticism for its potential role in promoting unhealthy dietary practices among children. Content analyses indicate junk food advertising is prevalent on Australian children's TV; healthy eating is rarely promoted. This paper presents (a) a cross-sectional survey examining associations between children's regular TV viewing habits and their food-related attitudes and behaviour; and (b) an experiment assessing the impact of varying combinations of TV advertisements (ads) for unhealthy and healthy foods on children's dietary knowledge, attitudes and intentions. The experimental conditions simulated possible models for regulating food ads on children's TV. Participants were 919 grade five and six students from schools in Melbourne, Australia. The survey showed that heavier TV use and more frequent commercial TV viewing were independently associated with more positive attitudes toward junk food; heavier TV use was also independently associated with higher reported junk food consumption. The experiment found that ads for nutritious foods promote selected positive attitudes and beliefs concerning these foods. Findings are discussed in light of methodological issues in media effects research and their implications for policy and practice. It is concluded that changing the food advertising environment on children's TV to one where nutritious foods are promoted and junk foods are relatively unrepresented would help to normalize and reinforce healthy eating.

Stop telling me stories (she said)

I remember when I was young, an advertising billboard poster proudly proclaimed: Coke Adds Life. An anti-advertising group were always at the ready to delete a D and graffiti a cross over the F to create the more believable slogan: Coke Ads Lie. Take the ‘f’ out of Life and we are left with a lie. This ad-busting was not only a reminder that Coke ads lie, but that all advertisements lie.

Developing effective advertising self-regulation in Australia: reflections on the old and new systems

The regulation of advertising is a controversial and difficult process. Over the past three decades, two attempts have been made in Australia to produce more acceptable ads. This paper reviews these systems using a macro framework for analysis which contextualises advertising in society. The systems have the fundamental process of handling complaints about advertising in common, however there are advantages and disadvantages of each and these are discussed. Important insights for the development of regulation of advertising are presented together with critical implications for the future of the industry.

The web in marketing : information cue usage in two commercial domains

The study reported in this paper involves a comparison of Resnik & Stern’s (e.g., 1977) information cue usage in websites registered in two commercial domains of the World Wide Web (Web)—.com (global domain managed by VeriSign) and .com.au (a country domain, auDomain, managed by the Australian Domain Name Administrator—AUDA). The hypothesised higher use of information cues by digital marketers with .com registered domain names relative to .com.au registered domain names is not supported. Examination of the audited websites in the two-domain comparison confirms that the Web provides a richer marketing communication medium than other media analysed in a meta-analysis of 117 datasets by Abernethy & Franke (1996). The study is important given the acknowledged influence of advertising information on consumer responses to ads and the brands they relate, to both in traditional and new media (Aaker & Stayman, 1990; Brown & Stayman, 1992; Bruner & Kumar, 2000).

VVP808 is a novel agent that improves glucose tolerance in DIO mice

As the prevalence of diabetes mellitus continues to increase, there is an urgent need to discover new, effective treatment strategies to combat this disorder. In this study, we tested a novel agent, VVP808, which we previously demonstrated has insulin-sensitising properties (as measured by an increase in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes). A dose-ranging study was performed (10-100mg/kg/d) in C57BL/6J mice that had been fed a high-fat diet (45% of energy) for 12 weeks. VVP808 was administered by single daily oral gavage for a period of 16 days. Body weight, food intake and water intake were measured daily, whilst fasting blood glucose and plasma insulin levels were measured at the beginning and end of the study, with an intra-peritoneal glucose tolerance test (ipGTT) performed on day -1 and day 13. Administration of VVP808 to diet-induced obese (DIO) mice caused a strong dose-dependent improvement in glucose tolerance. There was a 34-42% reduction in the blood glucose area under the curve (AUC) at doses of 20mg/kg, 50mg/kg and 100mg/kg VVP808 (p=0.02-0.005). Administration of VVP808 resulted in a small but significant reduction in body weight in the 50mg/kg and 100mg/kg treated animals relative to vehicle (p=0.01 and 0.001 respectively). This decrease in body weight was associated with a reduction in food intake for the 100mg/kg treated animals only. Epididymal fat pad weight was significantly reduced in animals treated with 100mg/kg VVP808 (p=0.01). Furthermore, treatment with VVP808 for 16 days resulted in a highly significant dose-dependent reduction in fasting blood glucose levels relative to vehicle treated animals (p= 0.01-0.001). In conclusion, our data showed that VVP808 acts in a dose-dependent manner to reduce fasting blood glucose levels and improve glucose tolerance. These data suggest that VVP808 is an interesting new agent with potential for development as a novel therapeutic for type 2 diabetes.