33 research outputs found
Social media marketing efforts of luxury brands : Influence on brand equity and consumer behavior
No full textInternational audienceScant evidence is available on of how social media marketing activities influence brand equity creation and consumers' behavior towards a brand. This research explores these relationships by analyzing pioneering brands in the luxury sector (Burberry, Dior, Gucci, Hermès, and Louis Vuitton). Based on a survey of 845 luxury brand consumers (Chinese, French, Indian, and Italian), who follow the five brands studied on social media, the study develops a structural equation model that helps to address gaps in prior social media branding literature. Specifically, the study demonstrates the links between social media marketing efforts and their consequences (brand preference, price premium, and loyalty). The study measures brands' social media marketing efforts as a holistic concept that incorporates five aspects (entertainment, interaction, trendiness, customization, and word of mouth). Another contribution of the study is that it finds that SMMEs have a significant positive effect on brand equity and on the two main dimensions of brand equity: brand awareness and brand image.<br/
A cross-cultural exploratory content analysis of the perception of luxury from six countries
No full textInternational audiencePurpose - The authors' research was carried out with the aim of analyzing perception of luxury and luxury brands among an international sample of young people. Design/methodology/approach - This article was based on an empirical study among 233 respondents. First, a qualitative analysis of content using the respondents' own words was conducted. Then, to show whether there are differences between countries and significant groups of countries, an analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA) was performed and analyzed with Fisher F-test and post-hoc Duncan tests. Findings - Beyond the belief in the existence of two stable groups of developed and developing countries with regard to luxury, this study shows a situation that requires further analysis. The main results show some strong cross-cultural differences in the perception of luxury, which is multi-faceted as demonstrated by previous studies in this field. Research limitations/implications - Results of this exploratory study confirm that the concept of luxury presents multiple facets, and the authors' analysis provides an in-depth survey of the main categories and attributes that can be used to describe this concept. Although this study was only exploratory in nature, a number of comments can be made to highlight the congruence between the concept of luxury for young people and recent academic literature. Practical implications - To maintain their brand equity, companies in the luxury sector seek to improve their image within younger targets. Managerial implications of the authors' research indicate that international luxury companies should take into consideration the multi-faceted concept of luxury in general, but also the main differences between countries in the continuum between the "status" and "emotional" dimensions of luxury. According to the authors' research, luxury companies cannot adopt a global strategy when addressing the six countries analyzed. Some managerial recommendations are developed in this perspective. Originality/value - The additional value of this article stems from its reliance on a cross-cultural in-depth study between six countries (Italy, France, Germany, China, Japan, and USA). The balance between qualitative and quantitative techniques makes this article particularly relevant when drawing both conceptual and managerial conclusions
Evaluation of T-cell infiltrating lymphocytes vs. Th2 in triple negative breast cancers (TNBC)
No full textInternational audienc
One-step nucleic acid amplification for detecting lymph node metastasis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
No full textInternational audienceBackground - In head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) 30% of cN0 patients have occult metastasis. LN invasion is a major prognostic factor. Sentinel lymph node (SLN) is an option for cN0 neck management. One-step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA) used to analyze SLN in breast cancer is also a candidate to get more reliable intraoperative HNSCC lymph node (LN) staging. Objective - To compare OSNA analysis to pathological analysis in cN0 HNSCC. Materials and methods - 157 LN from 26 cN0 HNSCC patients were prospectively analyzed (6.3LN/patient). Exclusion criteria were previous surgery or radiotherapy. Each node was cut into 4 equal pieces alternatively sent to pathological analysis and OSNA technique. IHC CK19 was performed on the primary tumor biopsy and RT-qPCR of CK19, PVA and EPCAM on the LN lysate of discordant cases. Results - OSNA was able to provide intraoperative result in all patients. OSNA detected 21 metastases. There were 139 concordant LN (88.5%). There were 18 initial discordant LN (11.5%), 13 (8.3%) were OSNA positive/pathological analysis negative, 5 (3.2%) were OSNA negative/pathological analysis positive. After elimination of allocation bias, false negative rate was 1.3%, sensitivity and specificity were 90% and 95.6%, PPV and NPV were 75% and 98.5%. Conclusion - Our results suggest that OSNA should be considered to improve SNB analysis both for increasing micro metastasis diagnosis and offer extemporaneous results. Study registered under clinicaltrials.gov database number NCT02852343
A cell-based system combined with flow cytometry to evaluate antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 transmembrane proteins in patients with COVID-19
No full textInternational audienceThis protocol describes a flow cytometry approach to evaluate antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 transmembrane proteins in COVID-19-positive patient sera samples without the need of specific laboratory facilities for viral infection. We developed a human-cell-based system using spike-expressing HEK293T cells that mimics membrane insertion and N-glycosylation of viral integral membrane proteins in host cells. This assay represents a powerful tool to test antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 variants and vaccine effectiveness. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Martin et al. (2021)
Sentinel lymph node analysis in breast cancer: contribution of one-step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA).
No full textInternational audienceOne-step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA, Sysmex, Kobe, Japan) offers an excellent opportunity for accurate exhaustive sentinel lymph node (SLN) examination in breast cancer patients. Calibrated with conventional postoperative histology, this molecular technique yields comparable results intraoperatively, expressed as micrometastasis, macrometastasis or no metastasis depending on the CK19 mRNA copy number amplified in SLN lysates. We applied OSNA to detect metastasis in 810 SLNs from 367 patients with early stage breast cancer. We compared the rate of OSNA-positive SLNs in patients with invasive breast cancer (< 2 cm) versus the rate observed in a historical cohort using conventional histological examination of SLNs. No significant difference was observed, the OSNA assay was positive in 24.4% of patients, compared with positive histology in 24.8% in the historical cohort if including patients with isolated tumour cell (ITC) and in 23.4% excluding them. Opportunities for optimised patient management using OSNA are discussed: intraoperative detection of OSNA-positive SLNs enables axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) during the same procedure; standard OSNA techniques enable the establishment of homogeneous groups based on examination of whole SLNs for valid comparisons between different centres
Get Woke: The Themes and Receptions of the Works of Kate Chopin
No full textKate Chopin was a prolific writer in the late nineteenth century, popular for her copious number of short stories focusing on the circumstances and lives of married women, that is, the relationship between women and the institution of marriage itself. She published these short stories primarily in magazines such as Vogue, Atlantic Monthly, and Century (Clark), and they were well received by the public, especially women, during that time. Her most popular stories were compiled into two collections: Bayou Folk, published in 1894, and A Night in Acadie, published in 1897. Both collections were highly praised by critics and served to further improve Chopin’s reputation as an author, with Bayou Folk receiving positive reviews for its “crispness of dialogue” as well as its “charm and tenderness” (Hale and Godey 432). However, while her short stories undoubtedly prove her popularity in the late nineteenth century, her lengthier works mark her fall from public graces. With the publishing of The Awakening came an uproar of public ridicule, with critics labeling it “morbid, vulgar, and disagreeable” (Clark). The novella was so hated that it was banned from public libraries and was read by virtually no one until the 1950s, when scholars finally began to recognize its merits. It took twenty more years after this for the book to resurface for the public. Chopin was not writing anything new or more vulgar than some of her most popular short stories, so why was The Awakening criticized so harshly by critics and audiences when all it really did was elaborate on the preexisting themes of her previous stories
SARS-CoV-2 integral membrane proteins shape the serological responses of COVID-19 patients
No full textInternational audienceSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has elicited a unique mobilization of the scientific community to develop efficient tools to understand and combat the infection. Like other , SARS-CoV-2 hijacks host cell secretory machinery to produce viral proteins that compose the nascent virions; including spike (S), envelope (E), and membrane (M) proteins, the most exposed transmembrane proteins to the host immune system. As antibody response is part of the anti-viral immune arsenal, we investigate the immunogenic potential of S, E, and M using a human cell-based system to mimic membrane insertion and N-glycosylation. Both S and M elicit specific Ig production in patients with SARS-CoV-2. Patients with moderate and severe diseases exhibit elevated Ig responses. Finally, reduced Ig binding was observed with spike G614 compared to D614 variant. Altogether, our assay points toward an unexpected immune response against M and represents a powerful tool to test humoral responses against actively evolving SARS-CoV-2 variants and vaccine effectiveness
Structural determination of bilayer graphene on SiC(0001) using synchrotron radiation photoelectron diffraction
No full text© 2018 The Author(s). In recent years there has been growing interest in the electronic properties of \u27few layer\u27 graphene films. Twisted layers, different stacking and register with the substrate result in remarkable unconventional couplings. These distinctive electronic behaviours have been attributed to structural differences, even if only a few structural determinations are available. Here we report the results of a structural study of bilayer graphene on the Si-terminated SiC(0001) surface, investigated using synchrotron radiation-based photoelectron diffraction and complemented by angle-resolved photoemission mapping of the electronic valence bands. Photoelectron diffraction angular distributions of the graphene C 1s component have been measured at different kinetic energies and compared with the results of multiple scattering simulations for model structures. The results confirm that bilayer graphene on SiC(0001) has a layer spacing of 3.48 Å and an AB (Bernal) stacking, with a distance between the C buffer layer and the first graphene layer of 3.24 Å. Our work generalises the use of a versatile and precise diffraction method capable to shed light on the structure of low-dimensional materials
