IT MIGHT NOT BE PERFECT… BUT IT IS THE BEST GIFT EVER!

Ines Branco-Illodo,Teresa Heath 글로벌지식마케팅경영학회 2018 Global Marketing Conference Vol.2018 No.07

This study identifies the best gift ever as a new type of gift with specific characteristics that make it different from the ideal, „perfect gift‟. For this, we draw on consumers‟ lived experiences to understand the underlying traits of their most cherished gifts. This understanding is of great importance for retailers, who strive to assist consumers on their search for the „perfect gift‟ (Mintel, 2015). As Belk (1996) suggests, the „perfect gift‟ involves sacrifice, altruism, luxury, surprise and is uniquely appropriate for the recipient. Although this concept has been widely used in the literature, there remain two main limitations to address. First, existing work focused on the „perfect gift‟ is conceptual and considers this type of gift in its ideal form, thus neglecting actual experiences of givers and receivers as consumers of their most special gifts. Although some empirical research exists around the subject (Tuten & Kiecker, 2009), these studies assume the „perfect gift‟ conceptualisation proposed by Belk (1996) or suggest that “the „perfect gift‟ metaphor is not always an accurate prototype for giving” (Otnes, 2018, p.222). In addition to this, the retail environment has changed considerably since Belk‟s (1996) work. The new digital world reconfigures the definitions of gift-giving contextualised in a pre-digital landscape (Belk, 2013; Otnes, 2018), raising questions for example, of whether digital gifts can be perfect (Belk, 2013). In order to address these concerns, we propose to study participants‟ experiences of their best gift ever (both given and received); to this effect, we conducted 27 face-to-face semi-structured interviews. We did not prompt participants with any characteristics of the „perfect gift‟ from the literature but rather focused on capturing participants‟ insights about their best gift ever in their own terms. While we drew insights on the categorisation of the perfect gift proposed by Belk (1996), we adopted an interpretivist perspective allowing themes to emerge from the data (Holbrook & O‟Shaughnessy, 1988). Our findings show that the best gift ever might not be perfect but it is attainable and proposed as a new concept to understand gifts. This extends existing research beyond the notion that the perfect gift, like most perfection, remains an ideal more than a reality in our gift giving (Belk, 1996, p.76). Our analysis suggests that the best gift ever is: 1) experiential (i.e. symbolic meanings are associated with the shared giver-receiver experience), 2) memorable (i.e. the experience is remembered vividly and gift meaning evolves overtime); and 3) delightful (i.e. experience of deep emotions of delight, excitement and pleasure). Finally, although the best gift ever shares characteristics with those of the perfect gift including appropriateness, sacrifice, altruism and luxury, our data shows that these characteristics defining the ideal perfect gift (Belk, 1996) are not necessarily met by the best gift ever in most cases. That is, not all of these traits were simultaneously present within the same best gift ever experience and some of them were not important for our participants. Practitioners could support customers in the creation of the best gift ever by helping to build memorable and delightful gift experiences, the value of which can be enhanced over time.

Effect of Acupuncture on Post-implant Paresthesia

Crischina Branco Marques Sant’Anna,Paulo Renato Junqueira Zuim,Daniela Atili Brandini,Aimee Maria Guiotti,Joao Batista Vieira,Karina Helga Leal Turcio 사단법인약침학회 2017 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.10 No.2

Paresthesia is defined as an alteration in local sensibility, associated with numbness, tingling, or unpleasant sensations caused by nerve lesions or irritation. It can be temporary or permanent. The treatment protocol for facial paresthesia is primarily based on the use of drugs and implant removal, which may not be completely effective or may require other risk exposure when there is no spontaneous regression. However, other therapeutic modalities such as acupuncture can be used. The aim of this study is to report a case of a patient with paresthesia of the inferior alveolar nerve and pain caused by an implant surgery performed 2 years earlier. The patient received acupuncture treatment during 4 months of weekly sessions. Six points were used: Large Intestine (LI4), Large Intestine (LI11), Stomach (ST36), Liver (LR3), Extra Head and Neck (E-HN-18), and Stomach (ST5). The visual analog scale was used before and after each session for the analysis of paresthesia and pain, together with assessment of the paresthesia by delimitation of the desensitized region of the skin and presented discomfort. Pain remission and reduction in the size of the paresthesia area occurred after four sessions.

Subject-oriented and non Subject-oriented Long-distance Anaphora: an integrated approach

( Antonio Branco ),( Palmira Marrafa ) 한국언어정보학회 1996 국제 워크샵 Vol.1996 No.-

We discuss data showing that, unlike other long-distance anaphors widely documented in the literature (e.g. ziji from Chinese, cuki from Korean, zibun, from Japanese, etc.), the Portuguese ele proprio is not subject-oriented. This supports a reformulation of Principle Z, encompassing subject-oriented and non subject-oriented long-distance anaphora, which shows up as the fourth binding principle. The striking internal congruence of the resulting four principle based Binding Theory cogently makes it apparent that the binding symmetries are far more richer than the problematic single distributional symmetry between anaphors and pronouns that has been continuously assumed to hold by most of the research of the last three decades. We also discuss how the data involving the Portuguese long-distance anaphor add to the growing evidence that the generalization assumed in mainstream GB approaches about the universal correlation between "simplex" anaphors. longdistance anaphora, subject-orientedness and intermediate blocking effects is most likely not to be empirically grounded.

Fatal cases of Theileria annulata infection in calves in Portugal associated with neoplastic-like lymphoid cell proliferation

Sandra Branco,João Orvalho,Alexandre Leitão,Isadora Pereira,Manuel Malta,Isabel Mariano,Tânia Carvalho,Rui Baptista,Brian R. Shiels,Maria C. Peleteiro 대한수의학회 2010 JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE Vol.11 No.1

This study was carried out to investigate fifteen cases of acute lethal infection of calves (≤ 4 months of age) by the protozoan parasite Theileria (T.) annulata in the south of Portugal. Calves developed multifocal to coalescent nodular skin lesions, similar to multicentric malignant lymphoma. Infestation with ticks (genus Hyalomma) was intense. Theileria was seen in blood and lymph node smears, and T. annulata infection was confirmed by isolation of schizont-transformed cells and sequencing of hypervariable region 4 of the 18S rRNA gene. At necropsy, hemorrhagic nodules or nodules with a hemorrhagic halo were seen, particularly in the skin, subcutaneous tissue, skeletal and cardiac muscles, pharynx, trachea and intestinal serosa. Histologically, nodules were formed by large, round, lymphoblastoid neoplastic-like cells. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) identified these cells as mostly CD3 positive T lymphocytes and MAC387 positive macrophages. A marker for B lymphocytes (CD79αcy) labeled very few cells. T. annulata infected cells in these nodules were also identified by IHC through the use of two monoclonal antibodies (1C7 and 1C12) which are diagnostic for the parasite. It was concluded that the pathological changes observed in the different organs and tissues were caused by proliferation of schizont-infected macrophages, which subsequently stimulate a severe uncontrolled proliferation of uninfected T lymphocytes.

Treatment of Masticatory Muscle Pain with Acupuncture: Is It Necessary to Associate with Occlusal Splints?

Crischina Branco Marques Sant’Anna,Fernanda Pereira de Caxias,Paulo Renato Junqueira Zuim,Marcella Santos Januzzi,Emily Viviane Freitas da Silva,Karina Helga Leal Turcio 사단법인약침학회 2021 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.14 No.3

Background: Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are treated by different modalities including splints, physiotherapy, and acupuncture. Although all of these offer evidencebased benefits to the patients, avoiding overtreatment is of paramount importance. Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of muscle pain treatment with acupuncture combined with or without occlusal splints. Methods: Recruited patients were allocated to G1 (acupuncture) and G2 (acupuncture and occlusal splint) groups and treated in four consecutive weekly sessions (P1, P2, P3, and P4). The reported pain (RP) and the pressure pain threshold (PPT) of the masseter and temporalis muscles were assessed before and after each session. Results: RP decreased after each session in G1, except at P4. In G2, the RP decreased only after the first session, and the PPT did not vary. Conclusion: The assessed treatments did not influence the PPT levels of the masseter and anterior temporalis muscles in patients with temporomandibular disorders. Our findings suggest that occlusal splints may not be mandatory along with the acupuncture treatment.

Gastroprotective Effect of Serjania erecta Radlk (Sapindaceae): Involvement of Sensory Neurons, Endogenous Nonprotein Sulfhydryls, and Nitric Oxide

Ana Paula Corrêa Castelo Branco Nappi,Roberta Gomes Coelho,Neli Kika Honda,Catharine Ferrazoli,Arnildo Pott,Clélia Akiko Hiruma-Lima 한국식품영양과학회 2009 Journal of medicinal food Vol.12 No.6

The present study reveals the pharmacological action of Serjania erecta Radlk. (Family Sapindaceae), an important medicinal plant species used in the Brazilian Pantanal against gastric pain. The methanolic (Me) and chloroformic (Se) extracts obtained from leaves of S. erecta were challenged by a very strong necrotizing agent in rodents, absolute ethanol. Se was also confronted with a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor (NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester), a capsaicin cation channel transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 antagonist (ruthenium red), or a sulfhydryl-blocker (N-ethylmaleimide) to evaluate the participation of these cytoprotective factors in gastroprotection. In an in vivo experimental model, Me and Se presented several degrees of gastroprotective action without signs of acute toxicity. The best gastroprotective effect was restricted to all doses of Se. The mechanisms involving the gastroprotective action of Se are related to an augmented defense mechanism of the gastrointestinal mucosa consisting of sensory neurons, nitric oxide, and sulfhydryl groups that prevent and attenuate the ulcer process. The presence of polyisoprenoids in the Se explains the potent gastroprotective action of this medicinal species. Effective gastroprotective action and the absence of acute toxicity indicate this species may be a promising herbal drug against gastric disease.

Proposal of a normative table for body fat percentages of Brazilian young adults through bioimpedanciometry

Braulio Henrique Magnani Branco,Marcelo Picinin Bernuci,Déborah Cristina Marques,Isabelle Zanquetta Carvalho,Carlos Andrés Lopera Barrero,Fabiano Mendes de Oliveira,Gabriel Fassina Ladeia,Nelson Nardo 한국운동재활학회 2018 JER Vol.14 No.6

Unbalanced wind buffeting effects on bridges during double cantilever erection stages

Mendes, Pedro A.,Branco, Fernando A. Techno-Press 2001 Wind and Structures, An International Journal (WAS Vol.4 No.1

This paper is focused on the torsional effects that are induced on bridge piers by unbalanced wind buffeting on the deck during double cantilever erection stages. The case of decks with variable cross section is considered in particular as this characteristic is typical of most frame bridges that are built by the cantilever method. The procedure outlined in the paper is basically an application of the method that Dyrbye and Hansen (1996) have illustrated for decks with constant cross section. This format was chosen because it is suitable for design purposes and may easily be implemented in structural codes. As a complement, the correspondence with the format that is adopted in the Canadian code (NBCC 1990) for the gust factor is established, which might be useful to bridge designers used to the North-American approach to the gust effects on structures. Only alongwind turbulence and horizontal movements of the deck are considered. The combination of torsional and bending effects is also discussed and it is illustrated with an example of application.

Body Composition as a Prognostic Factor of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Toxicity and Outcome in Patients with Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer

Carolina Palmela,Sónia Velho,Lisa Agostinho,Francisco Branco,Marta Santos,Maria Pia Costa Santos,Maria Helena Oliveira,João Strecht,Rui Maio,Marília Cravo,Vickie E. Baracos 대한위암학회 2017 Journal of gastric cancer Vol.17 No.1

Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity were associated with early termination of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with gastric cancer; additionally, sarcopenic obesity was associated with poor survival.

Incorporation of amoxicillin-loaded microspheres in mineral trioxide aggregate cement: an in vitro study

Bohns Fábio Rocha,Leitune Vicente Castelo Branco,Garcia Isadora Martini,Genari Bruna,Dornelles Nélio Bairros,Guterres Silvia Stanisçuaski,Ogliari Fabrício Aulo,de Melo Mary Anne Sampaio,Collares Fabrí 대한치과보존학회 2020 Restorative Dentistry & Endodontics Vol.45 No.4

Objectives: In this study, we investigated the potential of amoxicillin-loaded polymeric microspheres to be delivered to tooth root infection sites via a bioactive reparative cement. Materials and Methods: Amoxicillin-loaded microspheres were synthesized by a spray-dray method and incorporated at 2.5% and 5% into a mineral trioxide aggregate cement clinically used to induce a mineralized barrier at the root tip of young permanent teeth with incomplete root development and necrotic pulp. The formulations were modified in liquid:powder ratios and in composition by the microspheres. The optimized formulations were evaluated in vitro for physical and mechanical eligibility. The morphology of microspheres was observed under scanning electron microscopy. Results: The optimized cement formulation containing microspheres at 5% exhibited a delayed-release response and maintained its fundamental functional properties. When mixed with amoxicillin-loaded microspheres, the setting times of both test materials significantly increased. The diametral tensile strength of cement containing microspheres at 5% was similar to control. However, phytic acid had no effect on this outcome (p > 0.05). When mixed with modified liquid:powder ratio, the setting time was significantly longer than that original liquid:powder ratio (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Lack of optimal concentrations of antibiotics at anatomical sites of the dental tissues is a hallmark of recurrent endodontic infections. Therefore, targeting the controlled release of broad-spectrum antibiotics may improve the therapeutic outcomes of current treatments. Overall, these results indicate that the carry of amoxicillin by microspheres could provide an alternative strategy for the local delivery of antibiotics for the management of tooth infections.