Multisensory Analysis of Consumer-Product Interaction During Ceramic Tile Shopping Experiences.

The need to design products that engage several senses has being increasingly recognised by design and marketing professionals. Many works analyse the impact of sensory stimuli on the hedonic, cognitive, and emotional responses of consumers, as well as on their satisfaction and intention to purchase. However, there is much less information about the utilitarian dimension related to a sensory non-reflective analysis of the tangible elements of the experience, the sequential role played by different senses, and their relative importance. This work analyses the sensorial dimension of consumer interactions in shops. Consumers were filmed in two ceramic tile shops and their behaviour was analysed according to a previously validated checklist. Sequence of actions, their frequency of occurrence, and the duration of inspections were recorded, and consumers were classified according to their sensory exploration strategies. Results show that inspection patterns are intentional but shifting throughout the interaction. Considering the whole sequence, vision is the dominant sense followed by touch. However, sensory dominance varies throughout the sequence. The dominance differences appear between all senses and within the senses of vision, touch and audition. Cluster analysis classified consumers into two groups, those who were more interactive and those who were visual and passive evaluators. These results are very important for understanding consumer interaction patterns, which senses are involved (including their importance and hierarchy), and which sensory properties of tiles are evaluated during the shopping experience. Moreover, this information is crucial for setting design guidelines to improve sensory interactions and bridge sensory demands with product features.

Coronavirus and other airborne agents with pandemic potential.

The recent emergence of a novel coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) has caused a pandemic, which is the most severe infectious disease outbreak in many decades. Other infective agents such as influenza as well as other neglected viruses such as Lassa virus, Nipah virus or poxviruses are also a cause for concern owing to their attack rate and potential for global spread. Drug-resistant bacteria, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, are already a significant public health issue in many countries, and it is expected that they will be expanding in the near future. Finally, airborne bioterrorism agents have high morbidity and mortality rates and should be looked with concern in the current international unrest.

Long-term treatment of patients with HIV-1: the role of atazanavir.

BACKGROUND: The introduction of highly-active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) remains a major milestone in the management of HIV-infected patients. Protease inhibitors (PI) are commonly used as part of triple combinations, given that to antiviral potency, better tolerance and convenience has been achieved in recent years. OBJECTIVE: To summarize and update evidence-based information about atazanavir (ATV) on initial, simplification, and rescue interventions in HIV patients. METHODS: Review of observational and randomized trials reported in medical conferences, peer-reviewed journals, and treatment guidelines. RESULTS: ATV is a second-generation PI, which has shown across studies potent antiviral activity and high genetic barrier, both in HAART-naïve patients or after virological failure. Indulgent metabolic profile, in terms of insulin glucose and lipid levels, adds value to this drug for the long-term management of HIV infection.