Antecedentes de la Economía Colaborativa en un Escenario de Pandemia: Actitudes Pro-sociales, Comportamientos Pasados y Expectativas de Transformación

[EN] The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to have a significant impact on most sharing economy activities, and at present, it is particularly challenging to achieve a consensual model to predict sharing economy behaviour. Based on empirical and theoretical premises established before the pandemic, we intend to explore the association between a set of psychosocial variables (i.e., cooperation, environmental awareness, past behaviour) and sharing economy behaviour, particularly the use of shared assets (i.e., cars and accommodation) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the present study analyses the mediating role of transformation expectations, as the decision to engage or not in sharing behaviour may be influenced by beliefs about the consequences of those actions from the user’s perspective. This study comprised a total of 596 participants. Data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire and was statistically analysed and interpreted using PLS 3.0. Structural Equation Modelling statistical software. Contrary to our predictions, the results show that cooperation negatively influenced the willingness to participate in sharing activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, that environmental awareness was not a significant predictor, and that past sharing behaviour has the strongest influence on the willingness to share during pandemic times. Finally, the mediating effect of transformation expectations was significant in both associations, i.e., pro-environmental consciousness and past sharing experiences, and the willingness to adopt sharing behaviour during COVID-19.[ES] Se espera que la pandemia de COVID-19 tenga un impacto importante en la mayoría de las actividades de la economía colaborativa, y en la actualidad, es particularmente difícil lograr un modelo consensual para predecir el comportamiento de la economía colaborativa. Sobre la base de premisas empíricas y teóricas establecidas antes de la pandemia, pretendemos explorar la asociación entre un conjunto de variables psicosociales (es decir, cooperación, consciencia ambiental, comportamiento pasado) y el comportamiento de la economía colaborativa, en particular el uso de activos compartidos (automóviles y alojamiento), durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Además, el presente estudio analiza el papel mediador de las expectativas de transformación, ya que la decisión de participar o no en el comportamiento de compartir puede estar influenciada por creencias sobre las consecuencias de esas acciones desde la perspectiva del usuario. Este estudio comprendió un total de 596 participantes. Los datos se recopilaron a través de un cuestionario autoadministrado y se analizaron e interpretaron estadísticamente utilizando el PLS 3.0., un software estadístico de modelación de ecuaciones estructurales. Contrariamente a nuestras predicciones, los resultados muestran que la cooperación influyó negativamente en la voluntad de participar en actividades compartidas durante la pandemia de COVID-19, que la conciencia ambiental no fue un predictor significativo y que el comportamiento de compartir en el pasado tiene la influencia más fuerte en la voluntad de compartir durante tiempos de pandemia. Finalmente, el efecto mediador de las expectativas de transformación fue significativo en ambas asociaciones, es decir, la conciencia proambiental y las experiencias pasadas de intercambio, y la disposición a adoptar un comportamiento de intercambio durante COVID-19.This research is financed by national funds through FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology under the project UIDB/04630/2020

Antecedents of the Sharing Economy in a Pandemic Scenario: Prosocial Attitudes, Past Behaviour and Transformation Expectations

The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to have a significant impact on most sharing economy activities, and at present, it is particularly challenging to achieve a consensual model to predict sharing economy behaviour. Based on empirical and theoretical premises established before the pandemic, we intend to explore the association between a set of psychosocial variables (i.e., cooperation, environmental awareness, past behaviour) and sharing economy behaviour, particularly the use of shared assets (i.e., cars and accommodation) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the present study analyses the mediating role of transformation expectations, as the decision to engage or not in sharing behaviour may be influenced by beliefs about the consequences of those actions from the user’s perspective. This study comprised a total of 596 participants. Data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire and was statistically analysed and interpreted using PLS 3.0. Structural Equation Modelling statistical software. Contrary to our predictions, the results show that cooperation negatively influenced the willingness to participate in sharing activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, that environmental awareness was not a significant predictor, and that past sharing behaviour has the strongest influence on the willingness to share during pandemic times. Finally, the mediating effect of transformation expectations was significant in both associations, i.e., pro-environmental consciousness and past sharing experiences, and the willingness to adopt sharing behaviour during COVID-19.Se espera que la pandemia de COVID-19 tenga un impacto importante en la mayoría de las actividades de la economía colaborativa, y en la actualidad, es particularmente difícil lograr un modelo consensual para predecir el comportamiento de la economía colaborativa. Sobre la base de premisas empíricas y teóricas establecidas antes de la pandemia, pretendemos explorar la asociación entre un conjunto de variables psicosociales (es decir, cooperación, consciencia ambiental, comportamiento pasado) y el comportamiento de la economía colaborativa, en particular el uso de activos compartidos (automóviles y alojamiento), durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Además, el presente estudio analiza el papel mediador de las expectativas de transformación, ya que la decisión de participar o no en el comportamiento de compartir puede estar influenciada por creencias sobre las consecuencias de esas acciones desde la perspectiva del usuario. Este estudio comprendió un total de 596 participantes. Los datos se recopilaron a través de un cuestionario autoadministrado y se analizaron e interpretaron estadísticamente utilizando el PLS 3.0., un software estadístico de modelación de ecuaciones estructurales. Contrariamente a nuestras predicciones, los resultados muestran que la cooperación influyó negativamente en la voluntad de participar en actividades compartidas durante la pandemia de COVID-19, que la conciencia ambiental no fue un predictor significativo y que el comportamiento de compartir en el pasado tiene la influencia más fuerte en la voluntad de compartir durante tiempos de pandemia. Finalmente, el efecto mediador de las expectativas de transformación fue significativo en ambas asociaciones, es decir, la conciencia proambiental y las experiencias pasadas de intercambio, y la disposición a adoptar un comportamiento de intercambio durante COVID-19.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Molecularly Imprinted Dispersive-Based Extraction Method for Melamine in Milk (MIDE HPLC DAD)

An easy and selective molecularly imprinted dispersive extraction method (MIDE) coupled with HPLC-DAD was developed for melamine´s analysis in commercial milk samples.  The molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was synthetized by suspension polymerisation with melamine as template, while methacrylic acid, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate and chloroform were used as monomer, cross-linker and porogenic solvent, respectively.  The analytical methodology was validated presenting a limit of detection of 0.6 mg/kg. The recovery percentage in spiked milk samples ranged from 92.9% to 102.0% with an intermediate precision of 5.0%. The analysis of real samples with MIDE revealed melamine´s presence in 20% of the cases with a maximum concentration of 9.3 ± 0.3 mg/kg, which exceeds the maximum recommended level of 2.5 mg/kg

Utjecaj internog marketinga na predanost organizaciji – nalazi iz institucija skrbi za osobe starije životne dobi

The provision of institutional care, particularly for the elderly, assumes dedication and commitment of the employees. Hence, identifying the prevailing level of organizational commitment (OC) and precisely which internal marketing (IM) techniques may be deployed to shape this performance is of inherent importance. The objective of this research project is, correspondingly, to ascertain the extent to which IM influences the OC of employees at three elderly care support institutions. To study this influence, we selected a sample of 188 individuals, all employees at the three institutions who agreed to participate in the study by answering a questionnaire. As regards IM, quality of work, ascending communication, and valuing and sharing information are the most commonly adopted practices at institutions. In terms of OC related dimensions, we found the affective and the instrumental to be the predominant types of commitment. Our findings support a moderately positive correlation between the IM and OC variables. This study enables an evaluation of respective institutions, informing them of the changes that are both feasible and necessary to the provision of quality care services and, consequently, a higher level of employee commitment and performance.Pružanje institucijske brige, posebno za osobe starije životne dobi, pretpostavlja posvećenost i predanost zaposlenika. Stoga je iznimno važno identificiranje prevladavajuće razine organizacijske predanosti i tehnika internog marketinga koje se mogu primijeniti za oblikovanje takvog djelovanja. S tim u skladu, cilj istraživačkog projekta jest utvrditi doseg utjecaja internog marketinga na organizacijsku predanost zaposlenika u tri institucije za skrb o osobama starije životne dobi. Za proučavanje ovog utjecaja odabrali smo uzorak od 188 ispitanika, zaposlenika triju institucija koji su pristali sudjelovati u istraživanju putem anketiranja. Za sam interni marketing, kvaliteta rada, komunikacija prema gore te vrednovanje i dijeljenje informacija najčešće su usvojene prakse u institucijama. U pogledu dimenzija povezanih s predanošću organizaciji, saznali smo da su prevladavajuće vrste predanosti bile afektivna i instrumentalna. Naši rezultati pokazuju umjereno pozitivnu korelaciju između varijabli internog marketinga i organizacijske predanosti. Istraživanje omogućuje procjenu pojedinačnih institucija i njihovo informiranje o izvedivim i potrebnim promjenama za pružanje kvalitetnih usluga skrbi te, posljedično, više razine zaposlenikove predanosti i djelovanja

Preliminary Feasibility Study of Benzo(a)Pyrene Oxidative Degradation by Fenton Treatment

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are considered priority compounds due to their toxic and carcinogenic nature. The concern about water contamination and the consequent human exposure has encouraged the development of new methods for PAHs removal. The purpose of this work was to study the feasibility of a degradation process of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) in aqueous matrices by oxidation with Fenton reagent. A laboratory unit was designed to optimize the factors which may influence the process: pH (3.5 to 6.0), temperature (30 to 70°C), H2O2 (20 to 150 mg L−1), Fe2+ concentration (2.75 to 5.50 mg L−1), and the initial concentration of the pollutant (10 to 100 μg L−1). The pH did not influence significantly the results in the range studied. An increase in temperature from 30 to 70°C improved the removal efficiency from 90% to 100%. The same effect was observed for ferrous ion concentrations from 2.75 to 5.50 mg L−1 (increase from 78% to 100% removal). The H2O2 concentration played a double role during the process: from 20 to 50 mg L−1 an increase in the removal efficiency was achieved, but for higher concentrations (>50 mg L−1) the degradation is lower. This study proved that the degradation of benzo(a)pyrene by Fenton's reagent is a viable process

Multivariate analysis for the classification and differentiation of Madeira wines according to main grape varieties

In order to differentiate and characterize Madeira wines according to main grape varieties, the volatile composition (higher alcohols, fatty acids, ethyl esters and carbonyl compounds) was determined for 36 monovarietal Madeira wine samples elaborated from Boal, Malvazia, Sercial and Verdelho white grape varieties. The study was carried out by headspace solid-phase microextraction technique (HS-SPME), in dynamic mode, coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Corrected peak area data for 42 analytes from the above mentioned chemical groups was used for statistical purposes. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied in order to determine the main sources of variability present in the data sets and to establish the relation between samples (objects) and volatile compounds (variables). The data obtained by GC–MS shows that the most important contributions to the differentiation of Boal wines are benzyl alcohol and (E)-hex-3-en-1-ol. Ethyl octadecanoate, (Z)-hex-3-en-1-ol and benzoic acid are the major contributions in Malvazia wines and 2-methylpropan-1-ol is associated to Sercial wines. Verdelho wines are most correlated with 5-(ethoxymethyl)-furfural, nonanone and cis-9-ethyldecenoate. A 96.4% of prediction ability was obtained by the application of stepwise linear discriminant analysis (SLDA) using the 19 variables that maximise the variance of the initial data set