Valores e significados do consumo de produtos de luxo

O mercado de produtos de luxo apresentou grande crescimento no Brasil nos últimos dez anos. Apesar disso, pesquisadores de marketing não dedicaram grande atenção a este fenômeno. A presente pesquisa tem o objetivo de suprir parcialmente essa lacuna, ao investigar quais os principais valores e significados do consumo de produtos de luxo no Brasil. A pesquisa valeu-se de um método qualitativo de investigação, com três fontes de evid��ncia principais: entrevistas em profundidade, consulta a materiais e observação. O foco do estudo recaiu sobre duas categoriais de produtos: vestuário e joalheria. Identificaram-se quatro valores fundamentais a orientar o consumo de produtos de luxo - a qualidade intrínseca dos produtos, o hedonismo, a preocupação com a aparência pessoal e a distinção –, e dois significados fortemente associados a ele – prazer e “impulsividade / compensação”. A pesquisa indicou ainda que o consumo de bens de luxo é influenciado pelos meios social, profissional e familiar. A comparação dos resultados deste estudo com trabalhos realizados em outros países mostrou que os produtos de luxo compartilham diversos significados e valores em sociedades do mundo todo. A pesquisa aponta também para a presença de características da moderna sociedade de consumo no Brasil.

Marketing hospitalar: uma visão gerencial

Concluímos que marketing em suma é a administração hospitalar sob a ótica do paciente. Deste modo, a nova concepção deve partir das necessidades do paciente, o hospital, os serviços, os recursos e as equipes multidisciplinares voltados para a satisfação do mercado

Análise do tratamento dado aos custos indiretos de fabricação (CIF) : um estudo de caso baseado no sistema de custeio ABC (activity based costing)

Apresenta as principais limitações dos Sitemas tradicionais de custos, as bases teóricas que fundamentam o Sistema de Custeio Baseado em Atividades - ABC Activity Based Costing, enuncia uma metodologia de aplicação do Sistema ABC para o cálculo da lucratividade de linhas diferentes de produtos e descreve a aplicação da metodologia enunciada em um estudo de caso, realizado em uma empresa do setor de bens de capital

Administração direta municipal brasileira: mudanças e melhorias perante a cultura organizacional: estudo de caso: Prefeitura do Município de São Paulo

Relaciona o problema da qualidade na prestação do serviço público com a cultura organizacional vigente e com o gerenciamento desta cultura. Descreve traços culturais presentes na administração pública direta a partir do estudo da cultura nacional, das burocracias e das especificidades de um departamento da Prefeitura do Município de São Paulo escolhido para análise. Mostra como ocorreram neste órgão: o processo de aculturação de técnicos recém-ingressos ao serviço público, a mudança gradual dos objetivos do departamento e sua utilização para fins políticos. Exibe aspectos da cultura do uso do poder que emana do Estado. Aproveita o desenvolvimento teórico da cultura na área de empresas e aponta a necessidade do aprofundamento do debate e do estudo cultural na administração pública direta, sugerindo um método próprio para este setor. Apresenta propostas, no âmbito cultural, para melhoria na qualidade da prestação do serviço público e mostra a visão de alguns governantes a este respeito

Effects of the basic fibroblast growth factor and its anti-factor in the healing and collagen maturation of infected skin wound

PURPOSE: The infection is one of the main factors that affect the physiological evolution of the surgical wounds. The aim of this work is to evaluate the effects of fibroblast growth factor (FGFâ) and anti-FGFâ in the healing, synthesis and maturation of collagen when topically used on infected skin wounds of rats. METHODS: An experimental study was perfomed in 60 male Wistar rats. All animals were divided in two groups (A and B). Each group was divided in three subgroups A1, B1; A2, B2 and A3, B3. After anesthesia with pentobarbital, two open squared wounds (1cm2), 4cm distant to each other, were done in the dorsal skin of all the rats. In group A (n=30) the wounds were contaminated with multibacterial standard solution, and in group B(n=30) the wounds were maintained sterile. These wounds were named F1 (for inflammation analysis) and F2 (for collagen study). The open wounds of A1 and B1 rats were topically treated with saline solution, A2 and B2 were treated with FGFâ and subgroups A3 and B3 were treated with FGFâ and anti-FGFâ. The rats were observed until complete epitelization of F2 wounds for determination of healing time and the expression of types I and III collagen, using Picro Sirius Red staining. Inflammatory reaction in F1 wounds was studied using hematoxilineosin staining. The three variable was measured by the Image Pro-Plus Média Cybernetics software. The statistical analysis was performed by ANOVA and Tukey test, considering p<0.05 as significant. RESULTS: It was observed that infection retarded significantly (p<0.05) the time of wound scarring and the topical application of FCFb reverted the inhibition of healing caused by bacteria. The inflammatory reaction was greater in the subgroup B2 than in B1 and A3, and the difference was significant (p<0.05). It was observed greater expression of type I collagen in all the subgroups treated with FCFb, when compared with the untreated subgroups. Type III collagen was significantly decreased in wounds of B3 rats, comparing to the other subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: The FCFb accelerated the healing of open infected wounds and contributed with maturation of collagen, enhancing the type I collagen density. The anti-FCFb antibody was able to attenuate the production of both type I and III collagen

Enraizamento de estacas semilenhosas de lichieira utilizando ácido indolbutírico

O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar o enraizamento de estacas semilenhosas de lichieira ( Litchi chinensis Sonn.) da cultivar Bengal, empregando ácido indolbutírico (AIB) e sistema de nebulização intermitente. As estacas apicais foram coletadas nos meses de outubro (Primavera), janeiro (Verão) e abril (Outono), acondicionadas adequadamente e transferidas para uma estufa com nebulização intermitente, onde receberam as aplicações de : 0; 1.000; 2.000; 3.000 e 4.000 mg L-1 de AIB, com imersão da base das estacas, durante 10 segundos, e de 200 mg L-1 de AIB, com imersão das bases por 24 horas, em aeração. em seguida, foram colocadas para enraizar em substrato de vermiculita, com casca de arroz carbonizada, na proporção de 1:1. Após 100 dias, foram obtidos os dados referentes à porcentagem de estacas vivas com folhas, porcentagem de estacas enraizadas por parcela, comprimento médio de raiz por estaca enraizada (cm), número médio de raízes formadas por estaca enraizada, massa média da matéria fresca das raízes (g), massa média da matéria seca das raízes(g). Pelos resultados, concluiu-se que não há necessidade da aplicação do AIB para o enraizamento de estacas de lichieira, cultivar Bengal, e que a melhor época de coleta das mesmas é o verão.

Oxygen dynamics and the effects of heat treatments in SBCO samples investigated by mechanical spectroscopy

The compound SmBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-delta) (SBCO)-obtained by substituting rare-earth Sm for Y in the well-known and most studied YBa(2)Cu(3)O(6+delta) (YBCO)-is potentially attractive to study in order to understand the superconductivity mechanism in physics and in electronic device applications. For SBCO, the possibility of variable stoichiometry and the high mobility of oxygen in CuO(x) planes give rise to a rich phase diagram. This study reports on the effect of heat treatments in an oxygen atmosphere on the anelastic properties of this oxide, in which relaxation processes were observed, attributed to oxygen atom jumps present in the Cu-O planes during the orthorhombic phase.

Diet-induced obesity in rats leads to a decrease in sperm motility

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Effect of Psidium cattleianum leaf extract on Streptococcus mutans viability, protein expression and acid production

Plants naturally produce secondary metabolites that can be used as antimicrobials. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of Psidium cattleianum leaf extract on Streptococcus mutans. The extract (100%) was obtained by decoction of 100 g of leaves in 600 ml of deionized water. To assess killing, S. mutans biofilms were treated with water (negative control) or various extract dilutions [ 100, 50, 25% (v/v) in water] for 5 or 60 min. To evaluate the effect on protein expression, biofilms were exposed to water or 1.6% (v/v) extract for 120 min, proteins were extracted and submitted to 2-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis. Differentially expressed proteins were identified by mass spectrometry. The effect of 1.6% (v/v) extract on acid production was determined by pH measurements and compared to a water control. Viability was similar after 5 min of treatment with the 100% extract or 60 min with the 50% extract (about 0.03% survival). There were no differences in viability between the biofilms exposed to the 25 or 50% extract after 60 min of treatment (about 0.02% survival). Treatment with the 1.6% extract significantly changed protein expression. The abundance of 24 spots was decreased compared to water (p < 0.05). The extract significantly inhibited acid production (p < 0.05). It is concluded that P. cattleianum leaf extract kills S. mutans grown in biofilms when applied at high concentrations. At low concentrations it inhibits S. mutans acid production and reduces the expression of proteins involved in general metabolism, glycolysis and lactic acid production. Copyright (C) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Facial and dental injuries due to dog bite in a 15-month-old child with sequelae in permanent teeth: a case report

This article reports a longitudinal follow-up of a 15-month-old child with dental trauma resulting from an attack by a dog. The injury consisted of laceration of the facial tissues and loss of the upper central deciduous incisors, in addition to loss of bone tissue in the same area. A malformation of the crown of the right central permanent incisor and complete change of the shape of the left central permanent incisor were observed. The etiological factors of childhood injuries as well as the importance of dental emergency care are discussed and the 14-year clinical and radiographic follow up of the case is presented.

Distribution and hydrolytic enzyme characteristics of Candida albicans strains isolated from diabetic patients and their non-diabetic consorts

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Oxacillin Resistance and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profile of Staphylococcus saprophyticus and Other Staphylococci Isolated from Patients with Urinary Tract Infection

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Assignment and frequency measurement of rotational transitions of (CD3OH)-C-13 by intracavity laser Stark spectroscopy

We present the results of an intracavity Stark spectroscopy experiment on the fundamental state of (CD3OH)-C-13. We use an optically pumped hybrid waveguide FIR laser, CH2F2 as active molecule, and (CD3OH)-C-13 as absorbent molecule. No Brewster window is needed to separate the lasing gas from the absorbing deuterated methanol. An absorption line is assigned as E(l) symmetry (n, K, J): (1,4,18) --> (1,5,18) and its frequency is measured as 63.08631 cm(-1) with a precision of a few parts in 10(7); two more absorptions are reported and a tentative assignment for one of them.

Oxygen mobility in SmBa2Cu3O7-delta measured by anelastic spectroscopy

Anelastic spectroscopy has been performed on a sample of superconducting oxide SmBa2Cu3O7-delta (SBCO) using a torsion pendulum operating with frequency around 10 Hz. A thermally activated relaxation peak is observed near 500 K with the activation enthalpy of 1.55 +/- 0.03 eV and the pre-exponential factor of approximately 10(-15) s, which is attributed to the mobility of non-stoichiometric oxygen by jumps in positions O1 and O5 of the lattice. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.