Unconscious Thinking, Feeling and Behavior Towards Products and Brands: Introduction to a Journal of Brand Management Special Issue

This introduction reviews the motivating forces behind this issue, exploring the role of nonconscious consumer behavior in branding environments. The article establishes a foundation of unconscious research in psychology and consumer behavior, and then provides an introduction to the four articles that follow. The article concludes with a call to adopt an inclusive interpretive-positivistic stance to the study of unconscious consumer-brand behavior, attitudes and beliefs

Polish children in Norway : between national discourses of belonging and everyday experiences of life abroad

This chapter examines dimensions of self-identification among Polish migrant children in Norway. The arguments are situated within childhood studies and take into account the novel framings of children in mobility/migration scholarship, as well as articularities of Polish context Stemming from the TRANSFAM research project (2013-2016), this work “gives children a voice” through a qualitative research methodology. The study illuminates those national, transnational and global elements that are paramount for daily life family practices and featured in children’s narratives. The paper focuses on the importance of socializing agents (family, peer groups, culture) for the constructions of belonging. It concludes with arguments for acknowledging the contemporary hybrid and relational identities of children who grow up transnationally between Norway and Poland

Antioxidants in single methylene-blue-treated plasma units cannot be used to predict pathogen inactivation treatment success.

Measurement of antioxidant power (AOP) can be useful to validate the execution of the pathogen inactivation (PI) treatment of plasma units. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Theraflex technology for plasma units routinely used in Belgium. AOP was tested on plasma units treated by Theraflex with various non-complete treatment scenarios. AOP was quantified electrochemically using disposable devices and was expressed as equivalent ascorbic acid concentration. During a complete PI treatment, AOP rose from 195 ± 32 to 230 ± 42 μmol/L eq. ascorbic acid after addition of methylene blue (MB), and decreased to 192 ± 30 μmol/L eq. ascorbic acid after illumination and finally to 177 ± 27 μmol/L eq. ascorbic acid after final filtration. Without MB, the final filtration had no effect on the plasma AOP (197 ± 22 μmol/L eq. ascorbic acid before filtration and 194 ± 22 μmol/L eq. ascorbic acid after filtration). With no MB and no illumination, there was no significant difference between the plasma AOP at the beginning (188 ± 23 μmol/L eq. ascorbic acid) and at the end of the process (179 ± 21 μmol/L eq. ascorbic acid). AOP measurement may not indicate the effectiveness of the PI treatment

Analysis of 516 Reports of Reactions after the Transfusion of Labile Blood Products

BACKGROUND: In order to assess the implemented preventive measures of transfusion reactions (TR) and to make a study of residual reactions, we analyzed 516 TR reports from 14 hospitals, for three years since 1996 to 1998. METHODS: Clinical signs were classified according to seven etiologic categories. Systematic anti-erythrocyte and anti-leucocyte detection, as well as bacterial control of the returned bag were performed. RESULTS: The TR incidence is 3.7 per 1.000 products. Platelet concentrates (PC) provoke 7.4 TR per 1.000 transfusions, and red cell concentrates (RCC) 3.8. There are as many TR with apheresis platelets (AP), pre-storage leuco-depleted, as with random platelets, post-storage leuco-depleted, and as many with leuco-depleted RCC as with non leuco-depleted RCC. Leuco-depleted AP provoke more allergic reactions than other blood components. TR with AP are much more frequent in children than in adults. Plasma removal from AP before transfusion decreases reaction frequency. CONCLUSIONS: The lack in efficacy failure of pre-storage deleucocytation in TR prevention should be due to related patient factors. Etiology of AP allergic reactions deserves further study. PC suspension in synthetic medium before transfusion is an efficient means for RT decreasing. Hemovigilance system has to be improved so that all TR be reported

Factor VIII and fibrinogen recovery in plasma after Theraflex methylene blue-treatment: Effect of plasma source and treatment time

Background. The quality of fresh-frozen plasma is affected by different factors. Factor VIII is sensitive to blood component storage processes and storage as well as pathogen-reduction technologies. The level of fibrinogen in plasma is not affected by the collection processes but it is affected by preparation and pathogen-reduction technologies. Materials and methods. The quality of plasma from whole blood and apheresis donations harvested at different times and treated with a pathogen-reduction technique, methylene blue/light, was investigated, considering, in particular, fibrinogen and factor VIII levels and recovery. Results. The mean factor VIII level after methylene blue treatment exceeded 0.5 IU/mL in all series. Factor VIII recovery varied between 78% and 89% in different series. The recovery of factor VIII was dependent on plasma source as opposed to treatment time. The interaction between the two factors was statistically significant. Mean levels of fibrinogen after methylene blue/light treatment exceeded 200 mg/dL in all arms. The level of fibrinogen after treatment correlated strongly with the level before treatment. There was a negative correlation between fibrinogen level before treatment and recovery. Pearson's correlation coefficient between factor VIII recovery and fibrinogen recovery was 0.58. Discussion. These results show a difference in recovery of factor VIII and fibrinogen correlated with plasma source. The recovery of both factor VIII and fibrinogen was higher in whole blood plasma than in apheresis plasma. Factor VIII and fibrinogen recovery did not appear to be correlated. © SIMTI Servizi Srl

Quality process control in blood transfusion

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First-time whole blood donation: A critical step for donor safety and retention on first three donations

Aim of the study. – Whole blood donation is generally safe although vasovagal reactions can occur (approximately 1%). Risk factors are well knownand prevention measures are shown as efficient. This study evaluates the impact of the donor’s retention in relation to the occurrence of vasovagalreaction for the first three blood donations. Material and methods. – Our study of data collected over three years evaluated the impact of classical risk factors and provided a model includingthe best combination of covariates predicting VVR. The impact of a reaction at first donation on return rate and complication until the third donationwas evaluated. Results. – Our data (523,471 donations) confirmed the classical risk factors (gender, age, donor status and relative blood volume). After stepwisevariable selection, donor status, relative blood volume and their interaction were the only remaining covariates in the model. Of 33,279 first-timedonors monitored over a period of at least 15 months, the first three donations were followed. Data emphasised the impact of complication at firstdonation. The return rate for a second donation was reduced and the risk of vasovagal reaction was increased at least until the third donation. Conclusion. – First-time donation is a crucial step in the donors’ career. Donors who experienced a reaction at their first donation have a lowerreturn rate for a second donation and a higher risk of vasovagal reaction at least until the third donation. Prevention measures have to be processedto improve donor retention and provide blood banks with adequate blood supply