Investigating the influence of reference group judgements of global warming on consumers

Objective: To examine the influence of different reference group judgments of global warming on consumers. Methodology: A scale measuring the influence of reference group judgments’ on consumers was developed using secondary research. The scale was evaluated by renowned researchers and a statistician. It was pretested prior to being administered to consumers using mall intercept. 548 responses were obtained and the data analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 20.0. The Cronbach alpha for the reference group scale is 0.889. Findings: Descriptive statistics revealed that the greatest reference group influence on consumers about global warming was experts in the field. Independent t-test results on gender revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in responses between males and females, while one way ANOVA tests revealed that there were significant differences in responses between groups belonging to different ethnic groups and generation cohorts. However there were no significant differences in responses with groups having different levels of education using the one-way ANOVA. Conclusions: Reference group judgments’ of global warming can be used to influence consumers in relation to global warming. Experts in the field appear to be the best option. Using reference group judgments and segmenting consumers on the basis of generation cohort and ethnic group may be beneficial in trying to influence certain groups of consumers in relation to global warming. However segmenting consumers on the basis of sex and education in order to use reference group influence does not appear beneficial since there is no difference in their responses

Magnetic And Magnetocaloric Properties On The U1-y Ry Ga2 (r=er And Dy) Compound

The magnetic, calorimetric, and magnetocaloric properties of the pseudobinary U1-y Ry Ga2 (R=Er and Dy) series were studied to determine its potential as a candidate for use in cryogenic magnetic refrigeration. The partial substitution of Dy and Er for U provides a wide range of the ordering temperature and increases the saturation magnetic moment. The results for U1-y Dyy Ga2 with 0.6<y<0.9 show evidences of a spin-glass-like (SG) behavior, possibly as a consequence of competing anisotropy and exchange interactions within a frustrated hexagonal spin lattice. The isothermal magnetic entropy change (Δ Smag) observed for U Ga2 shows a well defined peak centered on TC, which is gradually broadened and shifted to lower temperatures as the Er and Dy content increases. For low concentrations (0.2≤y≤0.4) a tablelike profile is observed in the Δ Smag curve. © 2008 American Institute of Physics.1037Gschneidner Jr., K.A., Pecharsky, V.K., Tsokol, A.O., (2005) Radiat. Prot. Dosim., 68, p. 1479Bruck, E., (2005) J. Phys. D, 38, p. 381Yu, B.F., Gao, Q., Zhang, B., Meng, X.Z., Chen, Z., (2003) Int. J. Refrig., 26, p. 622Gschneidner Jr., K.A., Pecharsky, A.O., Pecharsky, V.K., (2001), 11, p. 433. , Cryoolers (Academic-Plenum, New York), Vol.,Smaili, A., Chahine, R., (1996) Adv. Cryog. Eng., 42, p. 445Hashimoto, T., Kuzuhura, T., Sahashi, M., Inomata, K., Tomokiyo, A., Yayama, H., (1987) J. Appl. Phys., 62, p. 3873Lima, A.L., Gschneidner Jr., K.A., Pecharsky, V.K., Pecharsky, A.O., (2003) Phys. Rev. B, 68, p. 134409De Oliveira, N.A., Von Ranke, P.J., (2003) J. Magn. Magn. Mater., 264, p. 55Tsai, T.H., Sellmyer, D.J., (1979) Phys. Rev. B, 20, p. 4577Doukouŕ, M., Gignoux, D., (1982) J. Magn. Magn. Mater., 30, p. 111Gignoux, D., Schimitt, D., Takeuchi, A., Zhang, F.Y., (1991) J. Magn. Magn. Mater., 97, p. 15Andreev, A.V., Belov, K.P., Deryagin, A.V., Levitin, R.Z., Menovsky, M., (1979) J. Phys. Colloq., 4, p. 82Mydosh, J.A., (1993), Spin Glasses: An Experimental Introduction (Taylor&Francis, London)Markin, P.E., Baranov, N.V., Sinitsyn, E.V., (1991) Physica B, 168, p. 19

Decennial comparison of changes in social vulnerability: a municipal analysis in support of risk management

The concept of Social Vulnerability (SV) is characterized and distinguished by its complexity and multidisciplinarity. This concept takes into account the specific characteristics of the individual and his social and economic relations, as well as the physical environment where he is inserted. These differentiating characteristics make Social Vulnerability (SV) an indispensable work tool in the process of characterizing and understanding the degree of exposure of communities, as well as evaluating their capacity for resilience and recovery from hazardous events. This paper presents a comparison between the SV performed in 2008 with the results obtained in 2017 for the 278 municipalities of mainland Portugal. The methodology was based on the work developed by the Center for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra, which is distinguished by the fact that SV is composed of two components: Criticity and Support Capability. The analysis of SV and its components was done using Principal Components Analysis (PCA) starting from an initial set of 235 variables (90 for Criticality and 145 for Support Capability). With respect to Criticality, the results point out the importance of factors related to the economic condition, employment and factors related to the disadvantaged population and risk groups. Support Capability is strongly influenced by the population density and the most relevant factors for the final results are those related to civil protection response, economic and environmental dynamism and logistic and service capacity. Regarding the SV spatial distribution, the highest values are located mainly in the central and northern parts of the country, with emphasis on the Douro river valley and surrounding municipalities; also a general decrease of SV was recorded in the southern regions from 2008 to 2017.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Revealing the illegal harvesting of Manila clams (ruditapes philippinarum) using fatty acid profiles of the adductor muscle

The Manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) is one of the most traded bivalves in the world. Knowing its harvesting location is therefore paramount to guarantee the safety of consumers. The present study employs fatty acid (FA) profiles of the adductor muscle (AM) to reveal the most likely harvesting location of four batches of Manila clams suspected of having been illegally sourced from the Tagus estuary. In this ecosystem, where the collection of Manila clams is currently prohibited for food safety reasons, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) capture is known to occur. In order to trace the geographic origin of these four batches of Manila clams, a reference model based on the FA profiles of the AM was developed with specimens originating from the two most representative ecosystems supplying the trade-chain of this species in mainland Portugal (the Tagus estuary and Ria de Aveiro), as well as Ría de Vigo, a production area outside Portugal and that is also an important supplier. The ability of this model to allocate clams to its origin ecosystem was evaluated using independent datasets, with an allocation success of 100% (all samples were correctly assigned to its origin ecosystem, thus validating the model). Based on the reference model established, the harvesting location of the four batches suspected of originating from ongoing IUU in the Tagus estuary was investigated. Specimens from 3 of the 4 batches screened were classified, as most likely originating from the Tagus estuary (with a likelihood ranging from 90% up to 100%). These results highlight the potential of this approach to fight the IUU capture of Manila clams, as this practice endangers important habitats and threatens public health.publishe

Simulating maize yield in sub-tropical conditions of southern Brazil using Glam model

The objective of this work was to evaluate the feasibility of simulating maize yield in a sub‑tropical region of southern Brazil using the general large area model (Glam). A 16‑year time series of daily weather data were used. The model was adjusted and tested as an alternative for simulating maize yield at small and large spatial scales. Simulated and observed grain yields were highly correlated (r above 0.8; p<0.01) at large scales (greater than 100,000 km2), with variable and mostly lower correlations (r from 0.65 to 0.87; p<0.1) at small spatial scales (lower than 10,000 km2). Large area models can contribute to monitoring or forecasting regional patterns of variability in maize production in the region, providing a basis for agricultural decision making, and Glam‑Maize is one of the alternatives

Magnetocaloric Effect And Evidence Of Superparamagnetism In Gda L2 Nanocrystallites: A Magnetic-structural Correlation

The correlation between structural and magnetic properties of GdAl2, focusing on the role played by the disorder in magnetic ordering and how it influences the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) are discussed. Micrometric-sized particles, consisting of nanocrystallites embedded in an amorphous matrix, were prepared by a mechanical milling technique and characterized by means of x-ray diffraction, scanning and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy as well as magnetic measurements as a function of an applied external magnetic field and temperature. The results show that the average particle size is just slightly diminished (≈7%) with the milling time (between 3 and 13 h), whereas the average crystallite size undergoes an expressive reduction (≈43%). For long milling times, structural disorders mostly associated with crystallite size singularly affect the magnetic properties, leading to a large tablelike MCE in the temperature range between 30 and 165 K. Below 30 K, nanocrystallites with dimensions below a given critical size cause an enhancement in the magnetic entropy change related to superparamagnetic behavior. In contrast, for low milling times, relative cooling power values are improved. These striking features along with the small magnetic hysteresis observed make the milled GdAl2 a promising material for application in the magnetic refrigeration technology. Finally, a discussion in an attempt to elucidate the origin of the spin-glass states previously reported in the literature for mechanically milled GdAl2 samples for very long times (400 and 1000 h) is presented. © 2016 American Physical Society.93

Elderberry Stalks as a Source of High-Value Phytochemical: Essential Minerals and Lipophilic Compounds

Elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) consumption has been growing in the last years, generating a large number of stalks (~10% of the berries bunch) that are still under-valorized. This study focused on the evaluation of elderberry stalks as a source of high-value phytochemicals. In this vein, the essential mineral content and lipophilic composition were analyzed for the first time. In addition, the polar fraction was evaluated regarding its total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity by both 2,2-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) and 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl hydrate (DPPH) assays. The lipophilic fraction was mainly composed of triterpenic acids (2902.20 mg kg−1 of dry weight (dw)), fatty acids (711.73 mg kg−1 dw) and sterols (288.56 mg kg−1 dw). Minor amounts of long-chain aliphatic alcohols and other components were also detected. Ursolic acid (2265.83 mg kg−1 dw), hexadecanoic acid (219.85 mg kg−1 dw) and β-sitosterol (202.74 mg kg−1 dw) were the major lipophilic components verified. The results of this study also indicated that elderberry stalks might be used as a natural source of essential minerals, particularly calcium, iron and potassium, which are known to play important roles in various body functions. The analysis of the polar fraction also showed that elderberry stalks present TPC as high as elderberry themselves as well as considerable antioxidant activity (1.04 and 0.37 mmol TE g−1 of extract, against respectively ABTS and DPPH radicals). These results highlight the potential of elderberry stalks as a natural source of high-value phytochemicals that may be explored in several fieldspublishe

Major anthocyanins in elderberry effectively trap methylglyoxal and reduce cytotoxicity of methylglyoxal in HepG2 cell line

The accumulation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) in the body is implicated in numerous diseases, being methylglyoxal (MGO) one of the main precursors. One of the strategies to reduce AGEs accumulation might be acting in an early stage of glycation by trapping MGO. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate, for the first time, the potential of elderberries polyphenols to trap MGO, access the formation of MGO adducts, and evaluate the cytoprotection effect in HepG2 and Caco-2 cells. The results demonstrated that monoglycosylated anthocyanins (cyanidin-3-glucoside and cyanidin-3-sambubioside) are very efficient in trapping MGO, forming mono- and di-adducts. Quercetin-3-glucoside and quercetin-3-rutinoside reacted slowly, while diglycosylated anthocyanins did not react. The trapping of MGO by elderberry monoglycosylated anthocyanins significantly decreased the MGO cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells (∼70 % of cell viability), while the effect in Caco-2 cells was lower (∼50 %). Thus, elderberry phenolics present antiglycation potential by trapping MGOpublishe

Antimicrobial profile screening of two oils of Copaifera genus

O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar a atividade inibitória de óleos de copaíba sobre o crescimento dos micro-organismos: Shigella flexneri, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Citrobacter freundi, Staphylococcus aureus, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae e Haemophilus parasuis. Foi realizado um teste de difusão em ágar com duas soluções a 10% de óleos de copaíba obtidos de duas diferentes espécies de copaíba (Copaifera officinalis e C. langsdorffii) e um controle negativo com tween 80 e água. Os isolados clínicos de H. parasuis e A. pleuropneumoniae foram incubados em microaerofilia. Os resultados mostraram três espécies Gram-negativas inibidas por ambas as soluções de óleo de copaíba: E. coli, P. aeruginosa e S. flexneri. Na inibição de P. aeruginosa o óleo de C. officinalis foi superior ao de C. langsdorffii (P<0,05). Todas as cepas de S. aureus tiveram seu crescimento inibido pelas soluções no ensaio, sem diferença estatística entre os halos. Estes resultados sugerem que o óleo de copaíba pode ser uma fonte potencial de compostos inibitórios para ser utilizada como antimicrobianos no tratamento de infecções humanas e animais e conservação de alimentos

Magnetization And Specific Heat In U 1-xla Xga 2 And Magnetocaloric Effect In Uga 2

We have investigated the properties of the ferromagnetic series U1-x Lax Ga2. The magnetization results show a reduction of μeff and of Tc when x is increased. The electronic coefficient γ of the specific heat increases to a maximum of 260 mJUmol K2 at x=0.75. This behavior is probably consequence of delocalization of 5f electrons, causing enhancement of the density of states. For x=0.9 the ordering disappears and a non-Fermi-liquid behavior is observed. U Ga2 also presented a significant magnetocaloric effect of Δ Smag =-3.5 Jkg K at 120 K and H=7 T which can be modified by chemical pressure. © 2005 American Institute of Physics.9710Andeev, A.V., Belov, K.P., Deriagin, A.V., Levitin, R.Z., Menovsky, A., (1979) J. Phys. Colloq., 4, p. 82Da Silva, L.M., Gandra, F.G., Rojas, D.P., Cardoso, L.P., Medina, A.N., (2002) Physica B, 312-313, p. 906Tran, V.H., Kaczorowski, D., Roisnel, T., Tróc, R., Noel, H., Bouŕe, F., Andŕ, G., (1995) Physica B, 205, p. 24Gandra, F.G., Rojas, D.P., Shlyk, L., Cardoso, L.P., Medina, A.N., (2001) J. Magn. Magn. Mater., 226, p. 1312Barbara, B., (1973) J. Phys. (Paris), 34, p. 1039Sechovsky, V., Havela, L., Svoboda, P., (1986) J. Less-Common Met., 121, p. 163Segal, E., Wallace, W.E., (1975) J. Solid State Chem., 13, p. 201Radwanski, R.J., Kim-Ngan, N.H., (1995) J. Magn. Magn. Mater., 140, p. 1373Zapf, V.S., Dickey, R.P., Freeman, E.J., Sirvent, C., Maple, M.B., (2002) Phys. Rev. B, 65, p. 024437Pecharsky, V.K., Gschneider Jr., K.A., (1997) Phys. Rev. Lett., 78, p. 4494Pecharsky, V.K., Gschneider Jr., K.A., (1997) Phys. Rev. Lett., 78, p. 4494Plackowski, T., Junod, A., Bouquet, F., Sheikin, I., Wang, Y., Jezÿowski, A., Mattenberger, K., (2003) Phys. Rev. B, 67, p. 184406Svobodaa, P., Sechovsky, V., Menovsky, A.A., (2003) Physica B, 339, p. 177Gama, S., Coelho, A.A., De Campos, A., Carvalho, A.M.G., Gandra, F.G., Von Ranke, P.J., De Oliveira, N.A., Phys. Rev. Lett