Effect of reactance traits on buying behavior in a limited sales advertisement

This study examined the effects of the reactance traits on people's intention to purchase limited products aod on their reactance reactions. Advertising limited sales can cause two independent responses: increase in the intention to purchase and increase in resistance to persuasion. We manipulated the magnitude of the pressure of persuasion in the advertising of chocolates. Participants were asked about their intention to purchase the chocolate, and their reactance reactions to the advertisement. Intention to purchase was lower with high-pressure advertisement than with low-pressure advertisement, regardless of reactance traits. High-pressure advertisement of limited products could cause psychological reactance to persuasion. The high-reactance participants, however, responded more negatively to the advertisement, and felt more frustration with the restriction. Although the reactance characteristics of participants did not affect their intention to purchase, it affected their reactance reactions to a limited sales advertisement

Study support for a junior high school student who has difficulty with solving graphic problems and word problems

This study is a case report of the cognitive counseling for a student who has difficulty with solving graphic and word problems. The student in this study was a boy of a junior high school first grader. He felt the difficulty in some arithmetic problems. He didn’t know how to solve graphic problems and word problems. He could solve computational problems fast, but he often made careless mistakes through the process of solving the problems. To reduce his troubles in arithmetic, we supported his learning based on three points. The first point, we explained to him formulas of figures to present figures made of paper. The second point, we supported his troubles in word problems by using charts to understand word problems. The third point, we tried to make his habits of review arithmetic problems after he finished them. This study, we could solve his troubles in graphic problems. However, we could not support enough having his strategy to solve word problems and making habits of review to reduce mistakes. He will master using charts with solving word problems and making habits of review when understanding the role of them in arithmetic problems

The effect of the speaker's confmnatory question on understandability of verbal explanation

Previous studies have shown that confirmatory questions enhance the understandability of an explanation. Examples include asking a degree of understanding of the listener and current state of the description target in verbal explanation. In the current study, we examined the effect of two types of confirmatory question by tbe speaker on tbe degree of understanding of the listener. The experimenter verbally explained to participants how to draw a geometric figore. We manipulated tbe types of explanation: (a) tbe speaker aaks a degree of understanding of the listener dwing explanation, (b) the speaker asks a current state of the description target during explanation, and (c) the speaker simply repeats the explanation. As a result, tbe highest understandability score was attained when tbe explanation was repeated. Accuracy scores of the drawing were high in all three situations; we therefore conclude that conimnatory questions are not effective in every situation of verbal explanation. Repetition of the explanation is sufficient to increase the listener's understanding if the content of the description is simple

Protective effect of pre- and post-vitamin C treatments on UVB-irradiation-induced skin damage

Abstract Several studies have reported the effects of vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid, AA) on ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced cell damage using cultured keratinocytes. However, the epidermis consists of multiple cell layers, and the effect of AA on UVB-induced damage to the human epidermis remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the effect of AA on UVB-induced skin damage using reconstituted human epidermis. The reconstituted human epidermal surface was treated with 100 and 500 mM AA and cultured for 3 h before (pre-AA treatment) or after (post-AA treatment) 120 mJ/cm2 UVB irradiation. Pre- and post-AA treatments of the epidermal surface suppressed UVB-induced cell death, apoptosis, DNA damage, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and the inflammatory response by downregulating tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) expression and release. Moreover, the pre-AA treatment was more effective at preventing UVB-induced skin damage than the post-AA treatment. In summary, pre- and post-AA treatments of the epidermis prevent UVB-induced damage

Drug-dependent analgesic efficacy in interscalene block for postoperative pain after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair: a comparison between ropivacaine and levobupivacaine

Background: Interscalene brachial plexus block (ISB) for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR) provides high analgesic efficacy for postoperative pain. However, different drug efficacies remain unclear. This retrospective study compared the efficacy of ropivacaine and levobupivacaine in a single-dose ISB for pain control after ARCR. Methods: This study included 173 patients who underwent ARCR; they were divided into the ISBR group (n = 61) that received ISB with 20 mL 0.375% ropivacaine and 3.3 mg dexamethasone, and the ISBL group (n = 112) that received ISB with 20 mL 0.25% levobupivacaine and 3.3 mg dexamethasone. Visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores were evaluated at 1, 4, 8, 12, 24, and 48 hours, postoperatively. Rebound pain was defined as a difference of ≥ 5 points between the highest and lowest VAS pain scores. Results: The mean VAS pain scores at 1 hour were not significantly different between the groups. ISBL administration resulted in significantly lower VAS pain scores at 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours than ISBR administration. Rebound pain rates in the ISBR and ISBL groups were 41.0% and 17.9%, respectively. Rebound pain was more frequent in the ISBR than in the ISBL group. Conclusion: ISB with levobupivacaine and dexamethasone can provide more effective postoperative pain control after ARCR than ropivacaine and dexamethasone