Fatores que influenciam a compra de produtos verdes : teoria dos valores de consumo

Mestrado em MarketingHoje em dia, assistimos da parte dos consumidores a uma mudança de atitude perante os seus comportamentos de consumo em resposta às crescentes preocupações ambientais. O marketing tem assumido um papel de destaque nesta mudança de comportamento, sendo que, a área do marketing onde incide este tema é conhecida como marketing verde. A investigação identifica quais os fatores que influenciam o comportamento de compra verde. Para tal, foram definidos os seguintes objetivos: identificar quais os valores de consumo que influenciam o comportamento; perceber se a preocupação ambiental, definida como uma atitude para a preservação do meio ambiente também influencia o comportamento; e, verificar se existe o desvio entre as atitudes e os comportamentos encontrado em outras investigações, bem como perceber se os valores de consumo têm alguma influência sobre a atitude. Nesta investigação foi aplicada a teoria dos valores de consumo, desenvolvida por Sheth et al. (1991), que defende que o comportamento do consumidor é influenciado por cinco valores de consumo, valores funcionais, sociais, emocionais, condicionais e epistêmicos. O estudo foi de carácter quantitativo, recorrendo-se a um inquérito online e a uma amostra de 197 inquiridos. Os resultados demonstram que os valores funcionais qualidade (fator qualidade), valores emocionais (fatores emocionais), valores epistêmicos (fatores de curiosidade, novidade e conhecimento) e a preocupação ambiental influenciam o comportamento de compra do consumidor. Verificou-se ainda que, os mesmos valores que influenciam o comportamento também influenciam a atitude, levando a crer que os valores podem influenciar direta ou indiretamente o comportamento através de atitudes.Nowadays, we have witnessed when it comes to consumers to a change of attitude towards their consumption behaviors in response to growing environmental concerns. The marketing has assumed a prominent role in this change of behavior, and the area of marketing which focuses this issue is known as green marketing. The research identifies the factors that influence the behavior of green purchasing. For this purpose, the following goals were defined: identifying which consumption values influence behavior; realize the environmental concern, defined as an attitude to the preservation of the environment also influences behavior; and check if there is a discrepancy between attitudes and behaviors found in other investigations, as well as understand if consumption values have some influence on attitude. In this research the theory of consumption values, developed by Sheth et al. (1991), was applied. This thesis argues that consumer behavior is influenced by five values of consumption; functional, social, emotional, conditional and epistemic values. The study was quantitative, resorting to an online survey and a sample of 197 respondents. The results demonstrate that functional values quality (quality factor), emotional values (emotional factors), epistemic values (factors of curiosity, novelty and knowledge) and environmental concerns influence the buying behavior of the consumer. It was also found that the same values that influence behavior also influence the attitude, leading us to believe that the values can directly or indirectly influence behavior through attitudes

Green buying behavior and the theory of consumption values: A fuzzy-set approach

Using a consumer survey, this study examines whether consumption values can predict green buying behavior. The examination is based on the theory of consumption values and uses the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. The results show that the functional value is almost always necessary but is not sufficient by itself for predicting green buying. However, three “causal recipes” formed with the functional value are sufficient. These recipes use the emotional, conditional and social values combined individually with the functional value. Other three combinations of consumption values are also sufficient for predicting green buying. In contrast, the absence of the functional value is a sufficient condition for not green buying, as well as three other “causal recipes”. This finding can help marketing managers develop appropriate strategies. Further, this finding supports and clarifies the role of the theory of consumption values by taking advantage of the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis.This work is funded by the National Funds through FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Nonlinear dynamic analysis for safety assessment of heritage buildings: Church of Santa Maria de Bélem

Despite the remarkable longevity of heritage constructions, they typically present several structural fragilities inherent to their own material and constructive features. This fact is particularly relevant when seismic loads are concerned, because a very significant portion of such constructions lack adequate seismic resistance and require retrofitting interventions in order to mitigate their vulnerability. However, to guarantee the success of the interventions, the interventions should be carefully selected based on a full understanding of the dynamic response of the building and, particularly, its most vulnerable structural elements. Due to many reasons, the issues associated with this kind of analysis are still difficult to address; therefore, research on this subject should be encouraged. Taking this into account, the church of Santa Maria de Belem, one of the most emblematic buildings of the monastery of Jeronimos complex in Lisbon, is used in this work as a case study to discuss the nonlinear dynamic response of cultural heritage buildings. The nonlinear dynamic behavior of the church was numerically simulated with a three-dimensional (3D) model using artificially generated seismic acceleration time histories, in agreement with seismic hazard scenarios for return periods of 475, 975, and 5,000 years. The dynamic response of the church is discussed and a comparison against results derived from a pushover analysis is also presented. Finally, a modal analysis is presented, estimating the damage level that would be present in the church after the occurrence of such seismic scenarios.This work was partly financed by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) funds through the Operational Programme Competitiveness Factors (COMPETE) and by national funds through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) within the scope of project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007633. The authors are also grateful to three anonymous reviewers whose comments significantly improved the clarity of the paper

Risk and resilience in practice: Cultural heritage buildings

[Excerpt] The recent occurrence of devastating natural and man-made hazardous events has raised the awareness ofnumerous international institutions connected to dis-aster risk reduction (DRR) and disaster risk manage-ment (DRM). The development of new risk assessmentand mitigation strategies is, therefore, internationallyencouraged, particularly by focussing on the identifica-tion of the most vulnerable elements to reduce theirvulnerability, while enhancing preparedness and recov-ery capacity. In the particular case of cultural heritage,international frameworks and programmes for DRR areincreasingly echoing concerns about its protection fromdisasters given its irreplaceable value for society.Coherent recommendations for assessing and mitigat-ing disaster risk in the built cultural heritage should,therefore, be considered a priority. Still, in order to beable to define more adequate mitigation strategies andoutline appropriate conservation and restoration inter-ventions that will reduce vulnerabilities and enhancethe overall resilience, the protection of cultural heritagebuildings should be based on a comprehensive knowl-edge of risks. [...]- (undefined

On the use of web mapping platforms to support the seismic vulnerability assessment of old urban areas

European countries are affected by various levels of seismic hazard, including many areas with medium to high seismicity. Heavy damage over large areas has been observed in past earthquakes in these countries, particularly in masonry buildings located in historical centers, confirming the need for enhancing the current knowledge on the seismic vulnerability of these constructions, so more informed technical and political decisions towards the mitigation of the risk can be taken. However, the characterization of building stocks for engineering purposes is still an open issue due to the enormous amount of resources that such a project would require. Nevertheless, the availability of virtual images and maps represents an outstanding opportunity for having remote approaches to urban environments. The role of on-site inspections can be complemented or even substituted by means of these remote approaches, provided it is complemented with suitable approaches. The use of these resources is not new, but the critical assessment of their capabilities and limitations deserves a critical discussion. The present paper aims at assessing the opportunities offered by web-based mapping platforms in the context of seismic vulnerability assessment of masonry buildings in old urban areas. After evaluating the advantages and shortcomings of some of the most popular web-based mapping services, an explanatory application to a set of 39 buildings located in the historic center of the city of Leiria (Portugal) is presented and critically discussed, contrasting the results obtained by using on-site and remote inspections. Two different seismic vulnerability assessment approaches are applied and analyzed herein, confirming that web-based mapping platforms can represent an efficient and cost-effective complement to traditional field surveys when the large-scale seismic vulnerability of old urban areas is of interest

Parametric and machine learning-based analysis of the seismic vulnerability of adobe historical buildings damaged after the September 2017 Mexico earthquakes

In September 2017, two strong earthquakes hit the central region of Mexico, producing substantial damage to the historical buildings. A retroactive analysis for assessing the pre-event seismic vulnerability of these constructions allowed for testing the suitability of an existing parameter-based approach based on material and geometrical features. More than 160 adobe buildings in four municipalities of the State of Morelos were surveyed and included in a vulnerability-oriented GIS database. Data were collected on-site and managed by resorting to open-source GIS software combined with a Python-based database management tool and a cloud-based platform for onsite data collection using mobile devices. The parameter-based approach was used for assessing the analytical seismic vulnerability of the buildings and implementing a secondary, more conservative assessment that considers uncertainties associated with the data acquisition process. The capabilities of the database were further used to train a Machine Learning algorithm aimed at overcoming some representativeness limitations of the parameter-based analytical method. This third approach was found to be suitable for assessing the vulnerability of the building typologies addressed in this investigation. Although the implementation discussed in this paper is limited to a specific vernacular typology, it can be used to conduct customized local calibrations.- This work was partly financed by FCT/MCTES through national funds (PIDDAC) under the R & D Unit Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering (ISISE), under reference UIDB/04029/2020. This research was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through grant number PD/BD/150385/2019. The field campaigns in the State of Morelos were financed by the Instituto de Ingenieria - Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (Institute of Engineering - National Autonomous University of Mexico) through the project R562

Towards a multi-marker prognostic strategy in acute heart failure: a role for GDF-15

AIMS: Growth differentiation factor (GDF)-15 mirrors inflammation and oxidative stress in cardiovascular diseases. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is associated with cardiomyocyte stretch in heart failure (HF). The objective of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of plasma GDF-15 and BNP in acute HF. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied a subgroup of patients prospectively recruited in an acute HF registry (follow-up: 2 years; endpoint: all-cause mortality). Cox regression multivariate models were built to study the association of GDF-15 and mortality. Further cross-classification according to discharge GDF-15 (mean) and BNP (mean) and association with mortality was studied. We studied 158 patients: seventy-nine were male, mean age was 75 years, 55.1% had left ventricular ejection fraction < 40%, mean discharge BNP was 1000 pg/mL, and mean GDF-15 was 3013 ng/mL. Higher BNP and GDF-15 predicted 2-year mortality. Patients with GDF-15 ≥ 3000 ng/mL had a multivariate adjusted 2-year death risk of 1.86 (1.08-3.18). Patients discharged with both BNP and GDF-15 above the mean had an adjusted hazard ratio of 4.33 (2.07-9.06) when compared with those with both <mean. CONCLUSIONS: Higher GDF-15 associated with worse prognosis in acute HF independently of BNP. When both biomarkers GDF-15 and BNP were elevated at discharge, the 2-year mortality risk increased over four-fold. Biomarkers related to different pathophysiological pathways can provide incremental prognostic information in acute HF.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Preparação de extratos de própolis dos Açores e avaliação das suas atividades antimicrobiana e antioxidante

Própolis é uma substância resinosa natural produzida pelas abelhas a partir de material de origem vegetal recolhido na flora circundante, sendo utilizado posteriormente na construção e reparação das suas colmeias [1]. Este produto apresenta uma composição química muito complexa e também muito diversa, bem como diversas atividades biológicas de interesse [2,3]. No presente trabalho estudaram-se cinco amostras de própolis recolhidas em 2010, na ilha Terceira (Açores, Portugal) com o objetivo de avaliar a sua capacidade antioxidante e as suas propriedades antimicrobianas. Para o efeito prepararam-se extratos etanólicos das amostras em estudo. O potencial antioxidante foi avaliado através de uma técnica eletroquímica, a voltametria. A atividade antimicrobiana foi estimada pelo método de incorporação dos extratos em placas com meio de cultura apropriado, utilizando como indicadores de suscetibilidade um painel de leveduras e bactérias de interesse em diferentes áreas. Em relação à atividade antimicrobiana, os extratos foram mais ativos contra leveduras do que contra bactérias, e genericamente mais ativos contra as bactérias Gram-negativas que contra as Gram-positivas. No entanto, os extratos mais ativos contra leveduras não foram os mais eficazes contra bactérias, sugerindo modos de ação distintos sobre procariotas e eucariotas. Os resultados sugerem ainda uma relação entre algumas características macroscópicas das amostras, como por exemplo a cor, o aroma e a dureza, e a sua atividade antifúngica, o que poderá constituir um importante marcador. Quanto ao potencial antioxidante, verificou-se existirem também diferenças entre os cinco extratos estudados, apresentando o extrato 4 maior atividade antioxidante, enquanto que os extratos 1 e 3 apresentam capacidade antioxidante semelhante. A inexistência de uma correlação entre a capacidade antioxidante e os espetros de atividade antimicrobiana revela que os compostos responsáveis por estas bioatividades sejam distintos. Em conclusão, apesar das amostras serem provenientes de uma região relativamente circunscrita, existem diferenças significativas quanto à composição e bioatividades analisadas

On the use of web mapping platforms to support the seismic vulnerability assessment of old urban areas

European countries are affected by various levels of seismic hazard, including many areas with medium to high seismicity. Heavy damage over large areas has been observed in past earthquakes in these countries, particularly in masonry buildings located in historical centers, confirming the need for enhancing the current knowledge on the seismic vulnerability of these constructions, so more informed technical and political decisions towards the mitigation of the risk can be taken. However, the characterization of building stocks for engineering purposes is still an open issue due to the enormous amount of resources that such a project would require. Nevertheless, the availability of virtual images and maps represents an outstanding opportunity for having remote approaches to urban environments. The role of on-site inspections can be complemented or even substituted by means of these remote approaches, provided it is complemented with suitable approaches. The use of these resources is not new, but the critical assessment of their capabilities and limitations deserves a critical discussion. The present paper aims at assessing the opportunities offered by web-based mapping platforms in the context of seismic vulnerability assessment of masonry buildings in old urban areas. After evaluating the advantages and shortcomings of some of the most popular web-based mapping services, an explanatory application to a set of 39 buildings located in the historic center of the city of Leiria (Portugal) is presented and critically discussed, contrasting the results obtained by using on-site and remote inspections. Two different seismic vulnerability assessment approaches are applied and analyzed herein, confirming that web-based mapping platforms can represent an efficient and cost-effective complement to traditional field surveys when the large-scale seismic vulnerability of old urban areas is of interest

Antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of propolis ethanol extracts from Terceira Island (Azores, Portugal)

Publicado em "Planta Medica, vol. 80, nr. 16 (2014) P1L17" (Book of abstracts)Bees produce a resinous mixture named propolis known to have several functions in the beehive, namely structural and sanitary [1,2]. Propolis presents a rich and complex chemical composition, imparted from the several plant materials collected, and several compounds and extracts have been associated with biological activities of high interest [3]. This study focuses on the antimicrobial activity and antioxidant capacity of ethanolic extracts (EE) obtained from propolis samples collected in 2010, in five different areas of the Terceira Island (Azores Archipelago). Antimicrobial activity was evaluated by dilution assay incorporating different EE concentrations in solid media. Bacteria and yeasts of clinical and agrofood relevance were used as indicators of susceptibility. The results showed that Gram-positive bacteria displayed more resistance (best MIC value 200 µg/ml) than the Gram-negative (100 µg/ml). Extracts with higher antibacterial activity (e.g. EE4 and EE5) were generally distinct from those with greater activity against yeast (EE1), but species-specific susceptibilities and extract-specific efficacies against particular microorganisms were also observed, only EE1 was effective against S. epidermidis. A relationship between propolis macroscopic characteristics (colour, hardness and odour) and its antifungal activity was noticed. If confirmed for a broader range of samples, this relationship may constitute an important diagnostic tool. The antioxidant capacity was assessed using cyclic voltammetry [4]. EE4 and EE5 showed the highest antioxidant capacities (39.6 and 23.5 mM eq. gallic acid, respectively), in agreement with results from the antimicrobial assays. Chemical characterization of all EE are underway. Despite being collected in a somewhat confined geographic area propolis samples exhibited diverse antimicrobial activities with different efficiencies and antioxidant capacities