Luxury brands and online consumer-generated content: dealing with the new lead of customers in brand perception

User-generated content – conteúdo gerado por usuários – cresceu consideravelmente na Internet nos cinco últimos anos, levando a grandes mudanças nas práticas de marketing. A força do e-word-of mouth, está aumentando e tem uma influência muito forte na percepção da marca pelos consumidores (Allsop, Basset & Hoskins, 2007). Todos os novos instrumentos fornecidos pela Internet permitiram a criação de comunidades de marca online, impactando o compromisso e a lealdade dos consumidores para com a marca (De Valk, Van Bruggen, Wierenga 2009). Todas essas interações criadas entre os consumidores e a marca são relativamente novas e incomuns para as empresas que devem adaptar suas práticas de marketing a essas mudanças. Dadas as especificidades que aplicam as marcas de luxo nas suas políticas de marketing (Kapferer and Bastien, 2009), a questão da adaptação das suas estratégias ao fenômeno de user-generated content é particularmente complicada. As marcas de luxo costumam ter habitualmente uma relação muito reservada com os seus consumidores, baseada em princípios de exclusividade e raridade (Kapferer, 1997). Esta dissertação busca proporcionar algumas pistas de entendimento sobre como as marcas de cosméticos de luxo podem adaptar suas estratégias de marketing em relação à expansão do conteúdo gerado por usuários na Internet. Esta pesquisa qualitativa sugere meios de controlar o conteúdo gerado por usuários, como o incentivar positivamente com certas práticas de marketing e como tirar proveito dele. A seguinte análise mostra que o conteúdo gerado por usuários tem duas facetas: pode atuar como um mídia digital para as empresas de luxo e como uma fonte de informação, inspiração e criação para o desenho dos novos produtos. Sendo um meio de comunicação, as empresas de cosméticos de luxo podem contar com a nova potência do “e-word-of-mouth” a fim de promover sua imagem de marca e seus produtos através do conteúdo gerado por usuários. Sendo uma fonte de inspiração, o conteúdo gerado por usuários pode conduzir a ótimos processos de co-criação e cooperação entre as marcas de cosméticos de luxo e seus consumidores com o objetivo de projetar produtos perfeitamente ajustados ao pedido dos consumidores.

Effects of physical and chemical immobilization on hematologic and biochemical variables in captive brown brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira)

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

Lead distribution in organic matter of loamy oxisol treated with manure and its effect on microbial biomass

This paper reports a study regarding the distribution of lead in the organic matter fractions of a loamy oxisol treated with stable manure, and its effect on the soil microbial biomass. The experimental design was a completely randomized factorial with three replicates. Treatments were four lead (Pb) rates (0, 200, 400, and 600 mg kg(-1) soil), two levels of manure (0 and 30 Mg ha(-1)) and two sampling times (30 and 60 days after lead application). Total and soil lead soluble in Mehlich 1 extractant, and Ph in the different fractions of the organic matter (fulvic acid, humic acid, and residual) were evaluated along with the soil microbial biomass. Data showed that lead, applied as PbCl2, was concentrated in the residual fraction. The application of manure at the rate of 30 Mg ha(-1) did not affect lead distribution in the fractions until 60 days after incorporation. Lead extracted by Mehlich 1 increased as function of the quantity applied. Manure stimulated the growth of the soil microbial biomass which was reduced by the 200 mg kg(-1) doses of lead, with manure application, increasing, however, with larger rates. Mehlich 1 extracted only part of the lead present in the residual fraction.

Immobilization of uricase in layer-by-layer films used in amperometric biosensors for uric acid

The layer-by-layer technique was exploited to immobilize the enzyme uricase onto indium tin oxide substrates coated with a layer of Prussian Blue. Uricase layers were alternated with either poly(ethylene imine) or poly(diallyidimethylammoniumchloride), and the resulting films were used as amperometric biosensors for uric acid. Biosensors with optimum perfomance had a limit of detection of 0.15 mu A mu mol 1(-1) cm(-2) with a linear response between 0.1 and 0.6 mu M of uric acid, which is sufficient for use in clinical tests. Bioactivity was preserved for weeks, and there was negligible influence from interferents, as detection was carried out at 0.0 V vs saturated calomel electrode.

Phytase immobilization on modified electrodes for amperometric biosensing

Phytase (myo-inositol hexaphosphate phosphohydrolase) and phytic acid (myo-inositol hexaphosphate) play an important environmental role, in addition to being a health issue in food industry. Phytic acid is antinutritional due to its ability to chelate metal ions and may also react with proteins decreasing their bioavailability. In this work, we produced biosensors with phytase immobilized in Layer-by-Layer (LbL) films, which could detect phytic acid with a detection limit of 0.19 mmol L-1, which is sufficient to detect phytic acid in seeds of grains and vegetables. The biosensosrs consisted of LbL films containing up to eight bilayers of phytase alternated with poly(allylamine) hydrochloride (PAH) deposited onto an indium-tin oxide (ITO) substrate modified with Prussian Blue. Amperometric detection was conducted in an acetate buffer solution (at pH 5.5) at room temperature, with the biosensor response attributed to the formation of phosphate ions. In subsidiary experiments with the currents measured at 0.0 V (vs. SCE), we demonstrated the absence of effects from some interferents, pointing to a good selectivity of the biosensor. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessment of the In Vivo Genotoxicity of New Lead Compounds to Treat Sickle Cell Disease

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

Mutagenicity of New Lead Compounds to Treat Sickle Cell Disease Symptoms in a Salmonella/Microsome Assay

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Immobilization of streptavidin in sol-gel films: Application on the diagnosis of hepatitis C virus

Recent advances have accelerated the development of biosensors for the analysis of specific gene sequences. In this kind of biosensor, a DNA probe is immobilized on a transducer and the hybridization with the target DNA is monitored by suitable methodology. In the present work, the streptavidin (STA) was encapsulated in thin films siloxane-poly(propylene oxide) hybrids prepared by sol-gel method and deposited on the graphite electrode surface by dip-coating process. Biotinylated 18-mer probes were immobilized through STA and a novel amperometric DNA biosensor for the detection and genotyping of the hepatitis C virus (genotypes 1, 2A/C, 2B and 3) is described. The HCV RNA from serum was submitted to reverse transcriptase-linked polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and biotin-labeled cDNA was obtained. Thus, the cDNA was hybridized to the target-specific oligonucleotide probe immobilized on the graphite electrode surface and following the avidin-peroxidase conjugate was added. The enzymatic response was investigated by constant potential amperometry at -0.45 V versus Ag/AgCl using H2O2 and KI solutions. HCV RNA negative and positive controls and positive samples of sera patients were analyzed and the results were compared to commercial kit. The proposed methodology appeared to be suitable and convenient tool for streptavidin immobilization and diagnose of HCV disease. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Surface dental enamel lead levels and antisocial behavior in Brazilian adolescents

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

Electromechanical properties of 0-3 vegetable based polyurethane and lead zirconate titanate composite.

Composite made of Lead Zirconate Titranate (PZT) ceramic powder and castor oil based polyurethane (PU) were prepared in the thin film form with 0-3 connectivity by spin coating. The composite films were obtained in the thickness range of 100 mum to 300 mum using 33-vol.% of ceramic. The samples mechanical resistance. The material was characterised by dielectric spectroscopy, thermally stimulated discharge current (TSDC), hysteresis measurements and laser-intensity-modulation method (LIMM). The pyroelectric coefficient at 343 K was 7x10(-5) C.m(-2) K-1 for the sample poled with 10 MV/m at 373 K for Ih. The results show that this new composite can be used as suitable piezo and pyroelectric sensors.

Banana Peel Applied to the Solid Phase Extraction of Copper and Lead from River Water: Preconcentration of Metal Ions with a Fruit Waste

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

Modeling the dielectric response of lanthanum modified lead zirconate titanate ferroelectric ceramics-an approach to the phase transitions in relaxor ferroelectrics

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

Synthesis, characterization, and application of modified silica in the removal and preconcentration of lead ions from natural river water

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