The Rabbit Hole

El Banco Interamericano de Finanzas (BanBif) es el quinto banco comercial más grande del Perú y con más de 30 años en el mercado. Fue fundado en el año 1990 y con sede en Lima, forma parte del grupo empresarial de origen español de Ignacio Fierro. Este grupo, mejor conocido como Grupo Fierro, surgió en la década de los 50 y hoy cuenta con presencia en diferentes países. Actualmente, ofrece productos de ahorro (cuenta de ahorro digital, depósito a plazo, CTS, haberes, etc.), de crédito (tarjetas de crédito, préstamos de libre disponibilidad, hipotecario, etc.), seguros y productos de inversión entre otros. Su público objetivo en este caso está compuesto por adultos mayores de 65 años, a lo que se refieren como clientes Silver. BanBif propone el reto de crear una campaña de fidelización, pero sin olvidar el branding para crear una propuesta de valor orientada a sus clientes Silver con el objetivo de que sea rentabilizado y tenga una relación a largo plazo con el banco con un tono de comunicación cercano, amable y confiable. Para lograr este objetivo, se desarrolló un estudio de mercado con adultos mayores de 65 años de Lima. Esto se realizó para conocer el estilo de vida, necesidades y problemas de los adultos mayores, sobre todo, en el ámbito financiero. Para ello, se emplea una metodología mixta, utilizando como instrumentos el social listening, encuestas y entrevistas. Los hallazgos de la investigación permitieron detectar oportunidades y necesidades en el público objetivo que conllevaron al desarrollo estratégico de la campaña de comunicación publicitaria para BanBif denominada “Sigue disfrutando con BanBif”. Esta propuesta vincula los productos del banco con las necesidades de los clientes Silver logrando comunicar su rol como aliado financiero.The ‘Banco Interamericano de Finanzas’ (BanBif) is the fifth largest commercial bank in Peru and has been in the market for more than 30 years. Founded in 1990 and based in Lima, it is part of the Ignacio Fierro business group of Spanish origin. This group, better known as Grupo Fierro, emerged in the 1950s and today is present in different countries. Currently, it offers savings products (digital savings account, term deposit, CTS, assets, etc.), credit products (credit cards, freely available loans, mortgages, etc.), insurance and investment products, among others. In this case, their target audience is made up of adults over the age of 63, which they refer to as Silver clients. BanBif proposes the challenge of creating a customer loyalty campaign but without forgetting the branding, to create a value proposition aimed at its Silver clients. The aim of the campaign is to make their money profitable and establish a long-term relationship with the bank with a close communication tone, friendly and trustworthy. To achieve this objective, a market study was developed with adults over the age of 63 in Lima. This was done to learn about the lifestyle, needs and problems of older adults, especially in the financial field. For this, a mixed methodology was used, like social listening with surveys and interviews as instruments. The research findings made it possible to detect opportunities and needs in the public objective that led to the strategic development of the advertising communication campaign for BanBif called "Keep enjoying with BanBif". This proposal links the bank's products with the needs of the Silver clients, managing to communicate its role as a financial partner

Toxicity of the Herbicide Atrazine: Effects on Lipid Peroxidation and Activities of Antioxidant Enzymes in the Freshwater Fish Channa Punctatus (Bloch)

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the toxicity and effects of a commercial formulation of the herbicide atrazine (Rasayanzine) on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme system in the freshwater air breathing fish Channa punctatus. The 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h LC50 of atrazine, calculated by probit analysis, were determined to be 77.091, 64.053, 49.100, 44.412 and 42.381 mg·L−1, respectively, in a semi static system with significant difference (p < 0.05) in LC10–90 values obtained for different times of exposure. In addition to concentration and time dependent decrease in mortality rate, stress signs in the form of behavioral changes were also observed in response to the test chemical. In fish exposed for 15 days to different sublethal concentrations of the herbicide (1/4 LC50 = ∼10.600 mg·L−1, 1/8 LC50 = ∼5.300 mg·L−1 and 1/10 LC50 = ∼4.238 mg·L−1) induction of oxidative stress in the liver was evidence by increased lipid peroxidation levels. The antioxidants superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione reductase (GR) responded positively in a concentration dependent pattern, thus, suggesting the use of these antioxidants as potential biomarkers of toxicity associated with contaminations exposure in freshwater fishes

Neuroscience and education: prime time to build the bridge

As neuroscience gains social traction and entices media attention, the notion that education has much to benefit from brain research becomes increasingly popular. However, it has been argued that the fundamental bridge toward education is cognitive psychology, not neuroscience. We discuss four specific cases in which neuroscience synergizes with other disciplines to serve education, ranging from very general physiological aspects of human learning such as nutrition, exercise and sleep, to brain architectures that shape the way we acquire language and reading, and neuroscience tools that increasingly allow the early detection of cognitive deficits, especially in preverbal infants. Neuroscience methods, tools and theoretical frameworks have broadened our understanding of the mind in a way that is highly relevant to educational practice. Although the bridge’s cement is still fresh, we argue why it is prime time to march over it

Extraction of coffee antioxidants: impact of brewing time and method

The aim of this work was to study the extraction behavior of the main coffee antioxidants (caffeoylquinic acids, melanoidins and caffeine) and the antioxidant capacity, during brewing time in the most widely consumed coffee brew methods (filter and espresso) in coffee. Antioxidant capacity by colorimetric assays (Folin-Ciocalteau, ABTS and DPPH) and electron spin resonance spectroscopy techniques (Fremy's salt and TEMPO) were analyzed. In espresso coffee, more than 70% of the antioxidants (except dicaffeoylquinic acids, diCQA) of a coffee brew were extracted during the first 8s. In filter coffee, a U-shape antioxidants extraction profile was observed, starting later (after 75 s) in Vietnam coffee than in Guatemala one, probably due to different wettability. Other technological parameters, such as turbulences and a longer contact time between water and ground coffee in filter coffeemaker, increased extraction efficiency, mainly in less polar antioxidant compounds as diCQA. In conclusion, these technological factors should be considered to optimize coffee antioxidants extraction that can be used as ingredients for functional foods

Monitoring Temporal Changes in SARS-CoV-2 Spike Antibody Levels and Variant-Specific Risk for Infection, Dominican Republic, March 2021-August 2022

To assess changes in SARS-CoV-2 spike binding antibody prevalence in the Dominican Republic and implications for immunologic protection against variants of concern, we prospectively enrolled 2,300 patients with undifferentiated febrile illnesses in a study during March 2021-August 2022. We tested serum samples for spike antibodies and tested nasopharyngeal samples for acute SARS-CoV-2 infection using a reverse transcription PCR nucleic acid amplification test. Geometric mean spike antibody titers increased from 6.6 (95% CI 5.1-8.7) binding antibody units (BAU)/mL during March-June 2021 to 1,332 (95% CI 1,055-1,682) BAU/mL during May-August 2022. Multivariable binomial odds ratios for acute infection were 0.55 (95% CI 0.40-0.74), 0.38 (95% CI 0.27-0.55), and 0.27 (95% CI 0.18-0.40) for the second, third, and fourth versus the first anti-spike quartile; findings were similar by viral strain. Combining serologic and virologic screening might enable monitoring of discrete population immunologic markers and their implications for emergent variant transmission

Evaluation of spent coffee obtained from the most common coffeemakers as a source of hydrophilic bioactive compounds

The main hydrophilic antioxidant compounds (3-, 4-, and 5-monocaffeoylquinic and 3,4-, 3,5-, and 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acids, caffeine, and browned compounds, including melanoidins) and the antioxidant capacity (Folin-Ciocalteu, ABTS, DPPH, Fremy's salt, and TEMPO) were evaluated in Arabica and Robusta spent coffee obtained from the preparation of coffee brews with the most common coffeemakers (filter, espresso, plunger, and mocha). All spent coffee grounds, with the exception of those from the mocha coffeemaker, had relevant amounts of total caffeoylquinic acids (6.22-13.24 mg/g of spent coffee), mainly dicaffeoylquinic acids (3.31-5.79 mg/g of spent coffee), which were 4-7-fold higher than in their respective coffee brews. Caffeine ranged from 3.59 to 8.09 mg/g of spent coffee. The antioxidant capacities of the aqueous spent coffee extracts were 46.0-102.3% (filter), 59.2-85.6% (espresso), and <42% (plunger) in comparison to their respective coffee brews. This study obtained spent coffee extracts with antioxidant properties that can be used as a good source of hydrophilic bioactive compounds

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection