Metaverse, a Holistic Vision of the New Virtual Reality

Metaverse bursts into the media as a new marketing channel in September 2021, creating an explosion of reactions as brands join the race to be pioneers. Within a fully digital society and from a mature gaming industry, Metaverse is much more than an incubator of marketing and advertising ideas for brands, Metaverse is envisioned as a social disruption. This scenario raises three relevant questions to resolve over time: 1) Will the Metaverse finally take shape as a virtual society or, on the contrary, will it be integrated as one more channel of relationship within the context omnichannel? 2) how customers, brands and institutions are reacting to the Metaverse and 3) in any case, what transversal disruptive changes will be necessary in the new scenario of the Metaverse? From the deep and constant search for information in secondary sources (desk research methodology), this article seeks a holistic vision of the Metaverse, and its reading will allow defining specific areas of research on behavior patterns of people in this new virtual reality.Metaverso irrumpe en los medios como un nuevo canal de marketing en septiembre de 2021, creando una explosión de reacciones a medida que las marcas se unen en la carrera por ser pioneras. Dentro de una sociedad totalmente digital y de una industria del juego madura, Metaverso es mucho más que una incubadora de ideas de marketing y publicidad para marcas, Metaverso se concibe como una disrupción social. Este escenario plantea tres cuestiones relevantes a resolver en el tiempo: 1) ¿Metaverso se configurará finalmente como una sociedad virtual o, por el contrario, se integrará como un canal más de relación dentro del contexto omnicanal? 2) ¿cómo están reaccionando los clientes, marcas e instituciones ante Metaverso? y 3) en todo caso, ¿qué cambios disruptivos transversales serán necesarios en el nuevo escenario del Metaverso? Desde la búsqueda profunda y constante de información en fuentes secundarias (metodologia desk research), este artículo pretende una visión holística del Metaverso, y su lectura permitirá definir áreas específicas de investigación sobre patrones de comportamiento de las personas en esta nueva realidad virtual

Second asymptomatic carotid surgery trial (ACST-2): a randomised comparison of carotid artery stenting versus carotid endarterectomy

Background: Among asymptomatic patients with severe carotid artery stenosis but no recent stroke or transient cerebral ischaemia, either carotid artery stenting (CAS) or carotid endarterectomy (CEA) can restore patency and reduce long-term stroke risks. However, from recent national registry data, each option causes about 1% procedural risk of disabling stroke or death. Comparison of their long-term protective effects requires large-scale randomised evidence. Methods: ACST-2 is an international multicentre randomised trial of CAS versus CEA among asymptomatic patients with severe stenosis thought to require intervention, interpreted with all other relevant trials. Patients were eligible if they had severe unilateral or bilateral carotid artery stenosis and both doctor and patient agreed that a carotid procedure should be undertaken, but they were substantially uncertain which one to choose. Patients were randomly allocated to CAS or CEA and followed up at 1 month and then annually, for a mean 5 years. Procedural events were those within 30 days of the intervention. Intention-to-treat analyses are provided. Analyses including procedural hazards use tabular methods. Analyses and meta-analyses of non-procedural strokes use Kaplan-Meier and log-rank methods. The trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN21144362. Findings: Between Jan 15, 2008, and Dec 31, 2020, 3625 patients in 130 centres were randomly allocated, 1811 to CAS and 1814 to CEA, with good compliance, good medical therapy and a mean 5 years of follow-up. Overall, 1% had disabling stroke or death procedurally (15 allocated to CAS and 18 to CEA) and 2% had non-disabling procedural stroke (48 allocated to CAS and 29 to CEA). Kaplan-Meier estimates of 5-year non-procedural stroke were 2·5% in each group for fatal or disabling stroke, and 5·3% with CAS versus 4·5% with CEA for any stroke (rate ratio [RR] 1·16, 95% CI 0·86–1·57; p=0·33). Combining RRs for any non-procedural stroke in all CAS versus CEA trials, the RR was similar in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients (overall RR 1·11, 95% CI 0·91–1·32; p=0·21). Interpretation: Serious complications are similarly uncommon after competent CAS and CEA, and the long-term effects of these two carotid artery procedures on fatal or disabling stroke are comparable. Funding: UK Medical Research Council and Health Technology Assessment Programme

Treatment of headache [Tratamiento de las cefaleas]

[No abstract available

Treatment of headache [Tratamiento de las cefaleas]

[No abstract available

Crisis convulsivas. Concepto, clasificación y etiología

Las crisis epilépticas son síntomas de disfunción cerebral que producen una descarga hipersincrónica o paroxística de un grupo de neuronas, hiperexcitables, localizadas en el cortex cerebral. Las manifestaciones clínicas son muy variables y autolimitadas. Pueden ser reactivas a un estrés cerebral transitorio o a lesiones permanentes o bien forman parte de un síndrome neurológico más amplio denominado síndrome epiléptico. La prevalencia es de 5 por mil, en cuanto a epilepsia crónica, y la incidencia de crisis es superior a 50 casos por 100.000 habitantes y año. Las crisis epilépticas pueden ser parciales o focales (simples, complejas y con evolución a generalizadas) y generalizadas (ausencias, mioclonias, tónicas, clónicas, tónico-clónicas y atónicas). Se discute la etiopatogenia de las crisis, revisando los diferentes mecanismos involucrados en las crisis de comienzo parcial (inhibición defectuosa de los receptores GABA-A, activación defectuosa de los receptores GABA por las proyecciones provenientes del hipocampo, tamponamiento defectuoso del calcio intracelular, activación aumentada de los receptores NMDA, incremento de la sincronización neuronal debido las interacciones efácticas o incremento de la sincronización o activación debido a redes colaterales recurrentes excitadoras) y en las de comienzo generalizado en las que tienen una importancia fundamental las interacciones tálamo-corticales

Marketing 4.0: Enhancing Consumer-Brand Engagement through Big Data Analysis

Marketing evolves in parallel with technology. During the last five years, Marketing 3.0 has become the most innovative marketing approach, but of growing, is research focusing on Marketing 4.0: the market- ing of big data. Much has been speculated, but academic journals have published little about Marketing 4.0. Maybe, because the total understanding of Marketing 4.0 requires: firstly, a depth knowledge about the evolution of marketing, especially about Marketing 3.0, and secondly, an analysis of how a range of technology –not only the Internet and social media- can be used to design marketing strategies that enhance the brand-consumer relationship. Taking into account how consumers’ behavior has been chang- ing since the beginning of this century, this chapter seeks to review Marketing 4.0 concepts, analyzing how big data can be used to enhance the consumer-brand relationship

La integración de las funciones de Marketing e innovación en producto: Fomentando el uso de las TIC en el desarrollo de un comportamiento cooperativo

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role that ICT use in marketing plays in the processes of product innovation, as an element that strengthens the cooperation and communication among agents within the innovation project, reducing the obstacles to innovation and enhancing the development of differentiated products. The study of a sample of companies allows us to contrast initial hypotheses and establish a profile of an innovative company as well. Thus, as a final result, two ideas emerge from the analysis. First, intensive ICT use in marketing makes the company more innovative, as it perceives that its usage breaks down barriers to innovation and speeds up processes that in turn become more efficient. Second, increasing ICT use in marketing encourages company predisposition to collaborate with and integrate particular agents within the business environment in the development of the innovation process, improving the degree of adaptation of the new product to market demands

Online distribution strategies: A mix of globalization and diversification in the fashion market

The growing importance of online channels, social media, and mobile commerce (m-commerce) has given rise to new retail formats, that use only channel used and which have enabled many new consumers to access certain establishments despite geographical barriers. The fashion sector may be one of the most heavily affected by these developments, due to the highly seasonal nature of the products, keen competitive rivalry, widespread reliance on outsourcing, high brand power variety of pricing policies, and strong emotional implications for consumers, who identify with specific brands. This chapter aims at analyzing the main strategies that retail operators are currently following in the industry in order to differentiate from other retailers. A special interest will be placed on the role of the brand, examining how retailers in the industry use private labels as a differentiation resource. The authors also review the case of ASOS, a global retailer which has proven able to adapt to every market, with a view to determining how it has dealt with the myriad challenges involved. © 2018 by IGI Global

Metaverse, a Holistic Vision of the New Virtual Reality

Metaverse bursts into the media as a new marketing channel in September 2021, creating an explosion of reactions as brands join the race to be pioneers. Within a fully digital society and from a mature gaming industry, Metaverse is much more than an incubator of marketing and advertising ideas for brands, Metaverse is envisioned as a social disruption. This scenario raises three relevant questions to resolve over time: 1) Will the Metaverse finally take shape as a virtual society or, on the contrary, will it be integrated as one more channel of relationship within the context omnichannel? 2) how customers, brands and institutions are reacting to the Metaverse and 3) in any case, what transversal disruptive changes will be necessary in the new scenario of the Metaverse? From the deep and constant search for information in secondary sources (desk research methodology), this article seeks a holistic vision of the Metaverse, and its reading will allow defining specific areas of research on behavior patterns of people in this new virtual reality.Metaverso irrumpe en los medios como un nuevo canal de marketing en septiembre de 2021, creando una explosión de reacciones a medida que las marcas se unen en la carrera por ser pioneras. Dentro de una sociedad totalmente digital y de una industria del juego madura, Metaverso es mucho más que una incubadora de ideas de marketing y publicidad para marcas, Metaverso se concibe como una disrupción social. Este escenario plantea tres cuestiones relevantes a resolver en el tiempo: 1) ¿Metaverso se configurará finalmente como una sociedad virtual o, por el contrario, se integrará como un canal más de relación dentro del contexto omnicanal? 2) ¿cómo están reaccionando los clientes, marcas e instituciones ante Metaverso? y 3) en todo caso, ¿qué cambios disruptivos transversales serán necesarios en el nuevo escenario del Metaverso? Desde la búsqueda profunda y constante de información en fuentes secundarias (metodologia desk research), este artículo pretende una visión holística del Metaverso, y su lectura permitirá definir áreas específicas de investigación sobre patrones de comportamiento de las personas en esta nueva realidad virtual