Study of the cultural influence in footwear design

This study aims to analyze the influence of culture in footwear design through the six cultural dimensions of Geert Hofstede. Initially, it was developed an experimental work involving the data search of the footwear industry of countries evaluated by Hofstede and statistical analysis of correlation with their cultural dimensions to identify some explanatory relationship. Posteriorly, the analysis of the relations between the aesthetic elements shoe design and the cultural model of Hofstede in order to check for explanatory relations between them. To evaluate the shoe design, it was conceived an evaluation tool of the shoe design that includes the parameters: shape, color, surface, style and material. Through the use of the evaluation tool, it was concluded that the cultural model of Hofstede is not completely explanatory, although there are some relations with the aesthetic aspects shoe design of the selected countries.Este trabalho é financiado por Fundos FEDER através do Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade – COMPETE e por Fundos Nacionais através da FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia no âmbito do projeto UID/CTM/00264.”info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Study of cultural influence in the shoe Design

Dissertação de mestrado em Design e MarketingGeert Hofstede, ao longo da sua pesquisa, identificou seis dimensões culturais que aparecem com maior ou menor frequência numa sociedade e concedeu a estas os parâmetros que vão do 0 ao 112: indulgente e restritivo, individualismo e coletivismo, masculinidade e feminilidade, orientação a longo prazo e orientação a curto prazo, aversão à incerteza e distância do poder. Apesar de utilizar o ambiente de trabalho de uma multinacional, ao longo das décadas, o modelo cultural de Hofstede mostrou-se eficiente nas avaliações de diferentes áreas. Contudo, na área do design de calçados não foram identificados estudos que validem este modelo cultural. Portanto, fez-se o necessário estudo do modelo cultural de Hofstede aplicando ao design de calçados. Em primeiro lugar, efetuou-se uma revisão bibliográfica sobre os conceitos de cultura, calçados e o estudo da cultura por Hofstede. Posteriormente, foi efetuado um trabalho experimental que envolveu a pesquisa de dados da indústria do calçado dos países avaliados por Hofstede e a análise estatística de correlação com as respectivas dimensões culturais, para identificar alguma relação explicativa. Em virtude de não ter sido possível identificar relações muito significativas e conclusivas resolveu-se dar continuidade ao estudo, com o foco nas relações entre os elementos estéticos do design de calçados e o modelo cultural de Hofstede, a fim de verificar a existência de relações explicativas entre ambos. Para avaliar o design dos calçados foi concebida uma ferramenta de avaliação do design de calçados, que inclui os parâmetros: formato, cor, superfície, estilo e material. Neste processo, também foram levantadas algumas hipóteses com base nos conceitos mencionados sobre Hofstede e a aparência estética do calçado, sendo respondidas ao longo do desenvolvimento do trabalho empírico. Através utilização da ferramenta de avaliação, foi possível concluir que o modelo cultural de Hofstede embora apresente algumas relações com os aspetos estéticos do design de calçados dos países selecionados, não é totalmente explicativo. Portanto, não foi possível validar o modelo cultural de Hofstede na área do design de calçados através deste projeto.Geert Hofstede, during his research, identified six cultural dimensions that appear more or less frequency in a society and gave to these parameters a range from 0-112: indulgent and restrictive, individualism and collectivism, masculinity and femininity, long term orientation and short-term orientation, uncertainty avoidance and power distance. Despite using the work in the environment of a multinational, through the decades, the cultural model of Hofstede proved to be effective in evaluations of different areas. However, in shoe design there were not identified studies that validate this cultural model. Therefore, there was the need to study the cultural model of Hofstede applying it to shoe design. Initially, it performed a literature review on the concepts of culture, the study of culture by Hofstede, footwear and semiotic. Posteriorly, it was developed an experimental work involving the data search of the footwear industry of countries evaluated by Hofstede and statistical analysis of correlation with their cultural dimensions to identify some explanatory relationship. Because it was not possible to identify significant relations, it was decided to continue the study with a focus on the relations between the aesthetic elements shoe design and the cultural model of Hofstede in order to check for explanatory relations between them. To evaluate the shoe design, it was conceived an evaluation tool of the shoe design that includes the parameters: shape, color, surface, style and material. In this process, it was also indicated some hypotheses based on the concepts mentioned about Hofstede and the aesthetic appearance of the shoe, being answered during the development of the empirical work. Through the use of the evaluation tool, it was concluded that the cultural model of Hofstede is not completely explanatory, although there are some relations with the aesthetic aspects shoe design of the selected countries. Therefore, through this project it was not possible validate the cultural model of Hofstede in shoe design

Rare predicted loss-of-function variants of type I IFN immunity genes are associated with life-threatening COVID-19

BackgroundWe previously reported that impaired type I IFN activity, due to inborn errors of TLR3- and TLR7-dependent type I interferon (IFN) immunity or to autoantibodies against type I IFN, account for 15-20% of cases of life-threatening COVID-19 in unvaccinated patients. Therefore, the determinants of life-threatening COVID-19 remain to be identified in similar to 80% of cases.MethodsWe report here a genome-wide rare variant burden association analysis in 3269 unvaccinated patients with life-threatening COVID-19, and 1373 unvaccinated SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals without pneumonia. Among the 928 patients tested for autoantibodies against type I IFN, a quarter (234) were positive and were excluded.ResultsNo gene reached genome-wide significance. Under a recessive model, the most significant gene with at-risk variants was TLR7, with an OR of 27.68 (95%CI 1.5-528.7, P=1.1x10(-4)) for biochemically loss-of-function (bLOF) variants. We replicated the enrichment in rare predicted LOF (pLOF) variants at 13 influenza susceptibility loci involved in TLR3-dependent type I IFN immunity (OR=3.70[95%CI 1.3-8.2], P=2.1x10(-4)). This enrichment was further strengthened by (1) adding the recently reported TYK2 and TLR7 COVID-19 loci, particularly under a recessive model (OR=19.65[95%CI 2.1-2635.4], P=3.4x10(-3)), and (2) considering as pLOF branchpoint variants with potentially strong impacts on splicing among the 15 loci (OR=4.40[9%CI 2.3-8.4], P=7.7x10(-8)). Finally, the patients with pLOF/bLOF variants at these 15 loci were significantly younger (mean age [SD]=43.3 [20.3] years) than the other patients (56.0 [17.3] years; P=1.68x10(-5)).ConclusionsRare variants of TLR3- and TLR7-dependent type I IFN immunity genes can underlie life-threatening COVID-19, particularly with recessive inheritance, in patients under 60 years old

The risk of COVID-19 death is much greater and age dependent with type I IFN autoantibodies

International audienceSignificance There is growing evidence that preexisting autoantibodies neutralizing type I interferons (IFNs) are strong determinants of life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia. It is important to estimate their quantitative impact on COVID-19 mortality upon SARS-CoV-2 infection, by age and sex, as both the prevalence of these autoantibodies and the risk of COVID-19 death increase with age and are higher in men. Using an unvaccinated sample of 1,261 deceased patients and 34,159 individuals from the general population, we found that autoantibodies against type I IFNs strongly increased the SARS-CoV-2 infection fatality rate at all ages, in both men and women. Autoantibodies against type I IFNs are strong and common predictors of life-threatening COVID-19. Testing for these autoantibodies should be considered in the general population

The risk of COVID-19 death is much greater and age dependent with type I IFN autoantibodies

International audienceSignificance There is growing evidence that preexisting autoantibodies neutralizing type I interferons (IFNs) are strong determinants of life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia. It is important to estimate their quantitative impact on COVID-19 mortality upon SARS-CoV-2 infection, by age and sex, as both the prevalence of these autoantibodies and the risk of COVID-19 death increase with age and are higher in men. Using an unvaccinated sample of 1,261 deceased patients and 34,159 individuals from the general population, we found that autoantibodies against type I IFNs strongly increased the SARS-CoV-2 infection fatality rate at all ages, in both men and women. Autoantibodies against type I IFNs are strong and common predictors of life-threatening COVID-19. Testing for these autoantibodies should be considered in the general population