Chatbots are technological tools equipped with artificial intelligence that allow companies to interact with their consumers. Through their computers or mobile devices, consumers can use this technology to search for information, make purchases or request after-sales services. This study aims to identify the role of attitude toward chatbots and privacy concern in the relationship between attitude toward mobile advertising and behavioral intent to use chatbots. After reviewing the literature, the study proposes a moderated mediation model. Through a survey, the study shows that attitude toward mobile advertising does not have a direct effect on the behavioral intent to use chatbot, but is rather mediated by one’s attitude toward chatbots. In fact, the interactivity is unidirectional in the case of mobile advertising (from the company to the consumer), but bidirectional in the case of chatbots (in which consumers have an active role in communication). In line with these assumptions, the data analysis shows that internet privacy concerns only negatively moderate the relationship between attitude toward chatbots and behavioral intent to use this technology. These results can be useful for companies and researchers in terms of developing and testing new digital marketing strategies. The paper concludes with a discussion of the results’ theoretical and managerial implications.

Purpose: This paper delves into evaluating the effectiveness of warning messages as a deterrent against excessive fat consumption. It examines how consumers perceive the fat content of food products when presented with two distinct label types: (1) a textual warning, providing succinct information about the fat content, and (2) a pictorial warning, offering a visual representation that immediately signifies the fat content.Design/methodology/approach: Two quantitative studies were carried out. Study 1 employed a questionnaire to evaluate the efficacy of textual and pictorial warning messages on high- and low-fat food products. Similarly, Study 2 replicated this comparison while incorporating a neuromarketing instrument to gauge participants’ cerebral reactions.Findings: Results indicate that pictorial warnings on high-fat foods significantly deter consumers’ purchasing intentions. Notably, these pictorial warnings stimulate the left prefrontal area of the cerebral cortex, inducing negative emotions in consumers and driving them away from high-fat food items.Originality/value: While the influence of images over text in shaping consumer decisions is well understood in marketing, this study accentuates the underlying mechanism of such an impact through the elicitation of negative emotions. By understanding this emotional pathway, the paper presents fresh academic and managerial perspectives, underscoring the potency of pictorial warnings in guiding consumers towards healthier food choices.Highlights: Textual warnings do not seem to discourage high-fat product consumption. A pictorial warning represents the fat content of an equivalent product. Pictorial warnings decrease the intention to purchase a high-fat product. Pictorial warnings determine an increase in negative emotions.

Background and Objective: BRAT1 encephalopathy is an ultra-rare autosomal recessive neonatal encephalopathy. We delineate the neonatal electroclinical phenotype at presentation and provide insights for early diagnosis. Methods: Through a multinational collaborative, we studied a cohort of neonates with encephalopathy associated with bi-allelic pathogenic variants in BRAT1 for whom detailed clinical, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging information was available from the onset of symptoms. Neuropathological changes were also analyzed. Results: We included nineteen neonates. Most neonates were born at term (16/19) from non-consanguineous parents. 15/19 (79%) were admitted soon after birth to a neonatal ICU, exhibiting multifocal myoclonus, both spontaneous and exacerbated by stimulation. 7/19 (37%) had arthrogryposis at birth, and all except one progressively developed hypertonia in the first week of life. Multifocal myoclonus, which was present in all but one infant, was the most prominent manifestation, and did not show any EEG correlate in 16/19 (84%). vEEG at onset was unremarkable in 14/19 (74%) infants, and 6 (33%) had initially been misdiagnosed with hyperekplexia. Multifocal seizures were observed at a median age of 14 days (range: 1-29). During the first months of life, all infants developed progressive encephalopathy, acquired microcephaly, prolonged bouts of apnea, and bradycardia, leading to cardiac arrest and death at a median age of 3.5 months (range: 20 days to 30 months). Only seven infants (37%) received a definite diagnosis before death, at a median age of 34 days (range: 25 to 126), and almost two-thirds (12/19, 63%) were diagnosed 8 days to 12 years post mortem (median: 6.5 years). Neuropathology examination, performed in 3 patients, revealed severely delayed myelination and diffuse astrogliosis, sparing the upper cortical layers. Discussion: BRAT1 encephalopathy is a neonatal-onset, rapidly progressive neurological disorder. Neonates are often misdiagnosed as having hyperekplexia, and many die undiagnosed. The key phenotypic features are multifocal myoclonus, an organized EEG, progressive, persistent, and diffuse hypertonia, and an evolution into refractory multifocal seizures, prolonged bouts of apnea, bradycardia, and early death. Early recognition of BRAT1 encephalopathy allows for prompt workup, appropriate management, and genetic counselling.

Perceptions of negative events related to service disruptions, negative consumer associations with other brand users, or business activities not in line with consumer ethical standards can lead consumers to abandon and change a brand. Focusing on a low-cost airline company, the study analyses how negative events can affect brand loyalty by considering the mediating effect of consumers’ psychological characteristics in terms of difficulty in choosing between alternatives (choice difficulty) and tendency to switch brands (brand switcher). The paper tests two hypotheses by administering a structured questionnaire to a sample of 260 tourists and shows that: (1) brand switcher negatively mediates the relationship between negative events and brand loyalty; (2) choice difficulty positively mediates the relationship between negative events and brand loyalty. The findings carry theoretical and managerial implications and confirms the value of communication strategies in increasing brand loyalty.