The making of national giants: technology and governments shaping the international expansion of oil companies from Brazil and China

This chapter analyses foreign direct investments (henceforth FDI) in the oil industry from two large emerging economies, Brazil and China, with the purpose to understand the role of Governments and technology in the internationalisation strategies of those firms. The chapter shows that the Brazilian oil company, Petrobras, internationalised in the 1970s in order to secure oil resources, and throughout time developed technological capabilities that explain its current success and worldwide expansion. Chinese firms have risen later and are making their outward moves in order to catch up technologically with the world's leading firms.multinational corporations, emerging economies, oil companies, technology, technological exploitation, competitive advantages.

Developing a CSR Strategy: 5 Steps to Get Started

Nowadays, it has been widely accepted that corporate social responsibility (CSR) makes business sense; that a company will financially do well if it does good. On this point, a number of empirical studies (Barnett & Salomon, 2011; Eccles et al., 2012; Edmans et al., 2014) have found a positive relationship between corporate social responsibility and financial performance. The authors of these studies conclude that CSR is cost effective, makes businesses more sustainable, and improves the image of the company, making it more attractive to investors, customers, and employees (Bear, 2010)

Atraindo Aedes aegypti com smartphones através de sua frequência sonora

Com o passar dos anos do Aedes aegypti, tornou-se uma das maiores preocupações da saúde pública, já que é responsável por transmitir arboviroses como a dengue, febre amarela, Chikungunya e Zika. O desenvolvimento de metodologias para atrair e combater essa espécie de mosquito é explorado em diversas modalidades como sonoras, olfativas e visuais. Porém, podem demandar gastos em recursos financeiros ou limitações logísticas. Por isso, nesta pesquisa foi desenvolvida uma aplicação para smartphones capaz de atrair o mosquito da dengue (Ae. aegypti) sonoramente, através da reprodução das frequências do bater de suas asas. A metodologia, implicou em diversos testes em laboratório em que se avaliou a eficácia da aplicação. A solução deste problema contribui para o aumento da eficiência de armadilhas desenvolvidas para conter o mosquito. Também pode ser um avanço tecnológico para os agentes de saúde responsáveis por realizar o combate ao mosquito. A aplicação não utilizará recursos extras além do próprio smartphone do usuário e poderá ser utilizada em conjunto com outra aplicação para identificar o mosquito. Da mesma, o usuário deverá ter conhecimento e cuidados ao utilizar o aplicativo, considerando que poderá estar se expondo a picadas dos mosquitos.Over the years, Aedes aegypti has become one of the greatest public health concerns, as it is responsible for transmitting arboviruses such as dengue, yellow fever, Chikungunya and Zika. The development of methodologies to attract and combat this species of mosquito is explored in different ways, such as sound, smell and visual. However, they may require expenditures on financial resources or logistical limitations. Therefore, in this research an application was developed for smartphones capable of attracting the dengue mosquito (Ae. aegypti) by sound, by reproducing the frequencies of the beating of its wings. The methodology involved several tests in the laboratory in which the effectiveness of the application was evaluated. The solution to this problem contributes to increasing the effi ciency of traps developed to contain the mosquito. It can also be a technological advance for the health agents responsible for combating the mosquito. The application will not use extra resources beyond the user’s own smartphone and can be used in conjunction with another application to identify the mosquito. Likewise, the user must be aware and careful when using the application, considering that he may be exposed to mosquito bites

Lighting systems and users interactions in classrooms and laboratory rooms

In Brazil, there has been an increase in the use of certifications designed to assess and improve building performance. Despite these advances, there is still little knowledge concerning the buildings’ post-occupancy. Thus, the present work aimed to evaluate the occupants’ behaviour regarding the use of lighting and internal shading devices. Classrooms and laboratories at UFMG Architecture and Design School were used as case study. The main objective was to analyse how a cycle of influences works: how occupants influence energy consumption and act in relation to the buildings systems, as well as how the building and the internal systems influence the occupants’ behaviour. Firstly, daylighting and artificial lighting conditions of the rooms were diagnosed. As for the occupants’ behaviour analysis in loco, observations were made to evaluate barriers and potentials in the systems use. Afterwards, changes were made in the lighting circuits division, in the curtain types and informative posters were installed in the studied rooms. The results showed that there is a hierarchy in the use of classroom systems, in which professors are the main controllers and that in laboratories the systems use is well distributed among occupants. It was considered that the original evaluated systems did not meet the occupants’ expectations in general, so changes were proposed. The changes proved to be efficient once the interaction of users to the systems improved in quality and in number. This research allowed to infer that a more occupant-centered design leads to a more efficient use of spaces

Of Styles and Methods. A quest for JRC’s identity at times of change

Some reflections are offered on challenges and opportunities for the JRC as a ‘boundary organisation’ between science and policy, at a time of increased complexity and polarisation and decreased trust in scientific enterprise. Some specific threats are identified in relation to the key role played by the JRC in the practice of front-line policy support. JRC is identified as a potentially relevant player to improve the quality of evidence feeding into the policy process. To achieve this potential, the JRC must develop in-house cultures and styles of reflexivity and humility, adopt more participatory styles of science co-production, and become confident enough of its role that it can dare to say ‘the emperor is naked’ whenever EU institutions appear to be in need of such a call.JRC.DDG.01-Econometrics and applied statistic

A percepção de pessoas com deficiência intelectual sobre a sexualidade

The sexuality of people with intellectual disabilities is still a taboo, but it is understood by occupational therapy as a fundamental stage in life. Objective: To describe the perception of people with intellectual disabilities about sexuality. Method: a descriptive exploratory study of qualitative nature was carried out with eight students - aged between 13 and 42 years, from an institution for people with disabilities. A semi-structured interview was used to investigate the perception of sexuality and collect sociodemographic data; Thematic-categorical content analysis was used for data evaluation. Results: content analysis made it possible to establish two thematic categories: experiences in affective relationships and knowledge acquired about sexuality. Perceptions about sexuality are infantilized and families find it difficult to provide sex education. Conclusions: the study points out the necessity to create strategies to better teach sexuality and reproductive health for this population, also as a way of protecting these people.La sexualidad de las personas con discapacidad intelectual sigue siendo un tabú, pero la terapia ocupacional la entiende como una etapa fundamental de la vida. Objetivo: describir la percepción de las personas con discapacidad intelectual sobre la sexualidad. Método: estudio exploratorio descriptivo, de carácter cualitativo, realizado con ocho estudiantes de una institución para personas con discapacidad, con edades comprendidas entre 13 y 42 años. Se utilizó una entrevista semiestructurada para investigar la percepción de la sexualidad y recolectar datos sociodemográficos; para la evaluación de los datos se utilizó el análisis de contenido temático-categórico. Resultados: el análisis de contenido permitió establecer dos categorías temáticas: experiencias en las relaciones afectivas; y conocimientos adquiridos sobre la sexualidad. Las percepciones sobre la sexualidad están infantilizadas y las familias tienen dificultades para brindar educación sexual. Conclusiones: el estudio señala la necesidad de crear estrategias de educación en sexualidad y salud reproductiva para esta población, incluso como una forma de proteger a estas personas.A sexualidade de pessoas com deficiência intelectual ainda é um tabu, mas é entendida pela terapia ocupacional como etapa fundamental para a vida. Objetivo: descrever a percepção de pessoas com deficiência intelectual sobre a sexualidade. Método: estudo exploratório descritivo, de natureza qualitativa, realizado com oito alunos de uma instituição para pessoas com deficiências, com idade entre 13 e 42 anos. Utilizou-se uma entrevista semiestruturada para investigar a percepção sobre a sexualidade e coletar dados sociodemográficos; para a avaliação dos dados utilizou-se a análise de conteúdo temático-categorial. Resultados: a análise de conteúdo possibilitou estabelecer duas categorias temáticas: experiências em relacionamento afetivo; e conhecimento adquirido sobre sexualidade. As percepções sobre a sexualidade são infantilizadas e as famílias tem dificuldades em prover educação sexual. Conclusões: o estudo aponta a necessidade da criação de estratégias de educação em saúde sexual e reprodutiva para esta população, inclusive como forma de proteção dessas pessoas

Performance assessment of mortars produced with sand from fluidized bed of biomass burning plants

Trabalho apresentado em ICEUBI 22 – International Congress on Engineering, Innovation & Sustainability Praxis, 28 - 30 de novembro de 2022,Covilhã, PortugalN/

Short-term effects of social stressors at work on rumination and physical symptoms in social workers

The present study focuses on social stressors at work and the development of physical symptoms in social workers on a daily basis. In a seven-day diary study it was anticipated that daily rumination functions as a mediator, linked to additional daily physical symptoms in individuals. Before and after work, 81 social workers completed daily questions on social stressors, rumination, and physical symptoms. Multilevel analyses of up to 391 daily measurements revealed that more intense social stressors predicted more rumination, as well as physical symptoms. Rumination anteceded higher physical symptoms. A test of the indirect effects showed a significant indirect path from social stressors at work via rumination to physical symptoms. Hence, it was found that social stressors and rumination contribute to the ongoing health crisis in the social work profession. These findings advance our understanding of the stress mechanisms in social work, as well as point to individual and organizational aspects that occupational health prevention programs should consider

A zine about our practice

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