Food Safety and Sustainability: The Case of the New Organizational Arrangements between Rural Producers and Consumers of Organic Products in Japan

The relationship between consumers and producers is changing, and has impacted governments, organizations, production, and the agribusiness. New standards in food consumption, with a strong emphasis on safety food and production sustainability have becoming worries for these agencies. The Seikatsu Club Consumer's Cooperative (SCCC), case study focused in this paper, can help spread these concepts, improving the relationship with the natural environment. In Japan, this type of cooperative has new contractual arrangements between rural producers and final consumers, called Teikei System, that it was build from of a trusty commitment of them. A brief history of Japanese immigration in Brazil and their large contribution to the Brazilian agriculture development, it was discussed the possibility of these arrangement can established in some cooperatives of rural producers Nikkeys (descendent of Japanese) in Brazil.sustainability, network consumers-rural producers, organics food consumption, Japan, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

The Effect of Social EWOM on Consumers’ Behaviour Patterns in the Fashion Sector

The study described in this chapter aimed to enhance knowledge on the influence of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) on consumer’s decision-making processes. eWOM emerged as a key driver in consumers’ decision-making processes given its greater impact on purchasing decisions compared to other communication channels. Specifically, the study focused on the reviews of fashion products on social networks (SNs) and built on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model in order to identify the determinants of social eWOM adoption and intention to buy the reviewed product. The survey method was used to gather data from 230 Italian consumers. Structural equation modelling was used to estimate the model proposed. Results revealed that when consumers seek information on fashion products, the user-friendliness of SNs and social cues (homophily and normative social influence) positively impact social eWOM (opinion-seeking), which in turn influences the intention to purchase the reviewed products. The study contributes both theoretically and empirically to the understanding of the role of social eWOM in influencing consumer behaviour. At the theoretical level, it supports the adequacy of the S-O-R model for explaining the consumer decision-making process in the context of social eWOM. From a managerial perspective, the findings highlight the importance of taking into consideration both structural (accessibility) and social relationship variables while developing social media marketing strategies

La conformación del cooperativismo en Brasil: tendencias y desafíos en el Siglo XXI

The paper deals with the subject of cooperativism focusing on a view of the co-operative system in Brazil, as well as the process of formation and consolidation of the models and the influences of the different aspects of co-operative thought. We then present an analysis of the process of economic modernisation and the transformations in the co-operative system in the 70s to 90s decades, and lastly, we analyse the current tendencies and challenges for cooperativism in Brazil.Cooperativism, Brazil, modernisation, economic alternatives and employment.

Is black always the opposite of white? The comprehension of antonyms in schizophrenia and in healthy participants

In this study, we tested the online comprehension of antonyms in 39 Italian patients with paranoid schizophrenia and in an equal number of pairwise-matched healthy controls. Patients were rather accurate in identifying antonyms, but compared to controls, they showed longer response times and higher priming scores, suggesting an exaggerated contextual facilitation. Presumably, this reflects a deficient controlled semantic processing and an overreliance on stored semantic representations

Classroom procedures based on the multisensory approach for 6th graders to develop reading comprehension at Unidad Educativa San Francisco

Este trabajo es un proyecto de investigación basado primeramente en el estudio de la teoría del Enfoque Multisensorial. Para desarrollarlo, fue necesario analizar el estudio del Dr. Samuel TorreyOrton sobre problemas del aprendizaje, el que lo llevó a establecer un procedimiento de instrucción multisensorial. Estos y otros análisis permitieron a las investigadoras de este proyecto crear un folleto, el cual contiene lecturas e instrucciones para ser aplicadas de manera multisensorial. Es por eso que no solo se recopiló lecturas sino también material multisensorial, con el fin de enseñar a los estudiantes a través de este enfoque. Para llevar a cabo este proyecto, se involucró a veintiocho (28) estudiantes del sexto de básica, paralelo “B”, de la Unidad Educativa “San Francisco”. Se tomó una prueba previa a los estudiantes para medir su nivel de comprensión lectora. Después, se aplicaron los procedimientos en el aula basados en el Enfoque Multisensorial(lectura en voz alta, presentaciónde vocabulario, presentación de un video, actuación de una obra de teatro y manejo de materiales de escultura), así como se usó material multisensorial(tarjetas de memoria, videos, materiales de escultura, entre otros) para desarrollar una clase que duró ochenta (80) minutos. Este proceso se administró durante siete sesiones en un periodo de tres semanas y media. Finalmente, se aplicó una prueba posterior para verificar los logros del proyecto. Los resultados de la prueba posterior mostraron una gran mejoría en la comprensión lectora de los estudiantes.This work is a research project based on a study of the theory of the Multisensory Approach. Thus, it was necessary to learn about Dr. Samuel Torrey Orton’s study on learning disabilities, which led him to establish a multisensory instruction procedure. This and other analyses allowed the researchers of this project to create a booklet that contains readings and instructions to be applied in a multisensory manner. That is why, not only stories, but also multisensory material, were collected in order to teach students through this approach. To carry out this project, twenty-eight (28) students of 6th “B” grade from UnidadEducativa “San Francisco” were involved. A pre-test on reading comprehension was taken by the students in order to measure their reading comprehension level. After that, classroom procedures based on the Multisensory Approach (reading aloud, presenting vocabulary, presenting a video, acting out a role play, and manipulating sculpting materials) and multisensory material (flash cards, videos, sculpting materials, among others) were comprised in a single class that lasted eighty (80) minutes. This process was administered for seven sessions during three and a half weeks. Finally, a post-test was applied in order to find out the effects of the project. The results of the post-test showed great improvement in the students’ reading comprehension.Licenciada en Ciencias de la Educación en Lengua y Literatura InglesaCuenc

Condicionantes de los procesos de flexibilización y precarización en el contexto de la globalización : un estudio comparativo del sector de las nuevas tecnologías de la información y de la comunicación en España y Brasil

El objetivo principal de la tesis es realizar un análisis sobre España (Unión Europea) y Brasil (Latinoamérica), respecto a los condicionantes de los procesos de flexibilización y precarización en el contexto de la globalización y efectuar un estudio comparativo profundizando en el sector de las nuevas tecnologías de la información y de la comunicación en España y Brasil y su inserción en tres sectores dinámicos: banca, informática y telecomunicaciones en las dos economías en estudio. La hipótesis central de la investigación es que la utilización de las tecnologías de la información y de la comunicación genera tanto flexibilidad como precariedad laboral en el ámbito de las empresas, pero este proceso no es lineal ni sucede en cada sociedad, país, región o localidad. La metodología de la investigación aplicada fue de ámbito cuantitativo y cualitativo. La primera parte consta del marco conceptual donde se analiza el proceso de globalización, los mercados internacionales y regionales, la organización del mercado de trabajo y las tendencias mundiales, destacando los grados de desarrollo e impactos en el ambito de las empresas y de las relaciones laborales. Destacan los cambios en la estructura produtiva, el trabajo inmaterial y la influencia de las TIC’s en los países en estudio, región y localidad de Valencia - España y Belo Horizonte - Brasil. Así mismo, se estudian los condicionantes macroeconómicos, los procesos de flexibilización, configuración y segmentación del mercado de trabajo en los dos países a partir de los años noventa. En la segunda parte se presenta el diseño de la investigación cualitativa, el método de tratamiento de la información, seguido del analisis de los resultados comparados a partir de los conceptos - clave, destacando los resultados de España y Brasil. Muestra el análisis cuantitativo, subrayando la técnica de muestreo y el “Survey” y señala, en primer lugar, el análisis estadístico por país y por sectores (banca, informática y telecomunicaciones). A continuación, se exponen los indicadores así como la metodología de análisis, el método y aplicación de los instrumentos utilizados para elaboración de los indicadores de flexibilidad y de precariedad a partir de los resultados globales por país/sectores. Se finaliza con el análisis comparativo de los indicadores generales por país y sectores en estudio. Como conclusión hay que destacar que las nuevas tecnologías de la información y de la comunicación han promovido grandes cambios en el mercado laboral, han contribuido al proceso de flexibilización y de precarización en los últimos años en los dos países en estudio. Sin embargo, las TIC’s aún son medios para el cambio y no el cambio propiamente dicho, pues hay otras cuestiones que están en juego, como los agregados macroeconómicos, las diretrices y políticas gubernamentales y la organización de los trabajador@s y [email protected] ultimate goal of this dissertation is to analyze Spain (European Union) and Brazil (Latinoamerica) in terms of the conditioning factors regarding flexibilization and precarization processes in the context of globalization. In order to do that, we carry out a thorough comparative study regarding the field of new technologies as well as of information and communication technology both in Spain and Brazil, their insertion into three dynamic areas – banking system, information technology and telecommunication. The main hypothesis is based on the notion that the use of information and communication technologies generates both flexibility and precariousness/job and insecurity/instability within the scope of companies. However, this process is neither linear nor follows a single path, varying according to each society, country, region or locality. The methodology used in this research is both quantitative and qualitative. The first part of this work introduces our theoretical framework, in which we analyze the globalization process, both international and domestic markets, labor market organization and its worldwide tendencies, highlighting the levels of development as well as the impacts of the aforementioned process in the scope of companies and labor relations. Also, we pay special attention to the changes in productive structure, immaterial labor and the influence of ICTs in the coutries under research, most particularly in the following regions: Valencia – Spain and Belo Horizonte – Brazil. In order to do that, we have analyzed the macroeconomic conditioning factors and the processes regarding flexibilization, shaping and segmentantion of labor market on both countries since the 1990s. In the second part of the dissertation, we present the design of the qualitative research, our data processing method and the analysis of our comparative results based on the key concepts, highlighting the results regarding Spain and Brazil. Also, we call attention to the role played by sampling and survey techniques in our qualitative analises, particularly to the statistics analysis by country according to the mentioned areas: banking system, information and telecommunication. Secondly, we show the indicators as well as the methodology adopted in the analyzes, the method and appication of the tools used to elaborate the indicators of flexibility and precarity/precariousness/instability based on the global results according to country and area. We close this section with a comparative analysis of general indicators classified both by country and by researched area. In conclusion, we emphasize that new information and communication technologies have caused large changes in the labor market, contributing, for the last years, to the process of its flexibilizations and precarization in both countries. However, we claim, ICTs are means to a change, not the change itself, since there are other issues at stake, such as the macroeconomic aggregates, government policies and guidelines as well as the organization of both workers and citizens

Proizvodnja biovodika u mikrobnom električnom članku s pomoću umjetno stvorene zajednice denitrificirajućih bakterija

Research background. This study provides insight into the use of a designed microbial community to produce biohydrogen in simple, single-chamber microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). The ability of MECs to stably produce biohydrogen relies heavily on the setup and microorganisms working inside the system. Despite having the most straightforward configuration and effectively avoiding costly membranes, single-chamber MECs are prone to competing metabolic pathways. We present in this study one possible way of avoiding this problem using characteristically defined, designed microbial consortium. Here, we compare the performance of MECs inoculated with a designed consortium to MECs operating with a naturally occurring soil consortium. Experimental approach. We adapted a cost-effective and simple single-chamber MEC design. The MEC was gastight, 100 mL in volume, and equipped with continuous monitoring for electrical output using a digital multimeter. Microorganisms were sourced from Indonesian environmental samples, either as denitrifying bacterial isolates grouped as a designed consortium or natural soil microbiome used in its entirety. The designed consortium consisted of five species from the Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter genera. The headspace gas profile was monitored periodically with a gas chromatograph. At the end of the culture, the composition of the natural soil consortium was characterized by next generation sequencing and the growth of the bacteria on the surface of the anodes by field emission scanning electron microscopy. Results and conclusions. We found that MEC using a designed consortium presented a better H2 production profile, with the ability of the system to maintain headspace H2 concentration relatively stable for a long time after reaching stationary growth period. In contrast, MECs inoculated with soil microbiome exhibited a strong decline in headspace H2 profile within the same time frame. Novelty and scientific contribution. This work utilizes a designed, denitrifying bacterial consortium isolated from Indonesian environmental samples that can survive in a nitrate-rich environment. Here we propose using a designed consortium as a biological approach to avoid methanogenesis in MECs, as a simple and environmentally friendly alternative to current chemical/physical methods. Our findings offer an alternative solution to avoid the problem of H2 loss in single-chamber MECs along with optimizing biohydrogen production through bioelectrochemical routes.Pozadina istraživanja. Ovo istraživanje pruža uvid u moguću primjenu umjetno stvorene mikrobne zajednice za proizvodnju biovodika u jednostavnom električnom članku bez membrane. Stabilna proizvodnja biovodika u električnom članku uvelike ovisi o dizajnu sustava i odabiru mikroorganizama. Iako se koristi jednostavan dizajn mikrobnog električnog članka bez skupih membrana, često dolazi do kompeticije mikroorganizama uključenih u metaboličke puteve. U ovome radu je predstavljen jedan od mogućih načina rješavanja tog problema s pomoću specifične, umjetno stvorene zajednice bakterija. Uspoređen je učinak mikrobnog električnog članka inokuliranog s umjetno stvorenom zajednicom mikroorganizama s onim mikrobnog električnog članka koji sadržava prirodnu zajednicu mikroorganizama prisutnih u tlu. Eksperimentalni pristup. Prilagodili smo jeftini i jednostavni mikrobni električni članak bez membrane, koji je nepropusan za plinove, volumena 100 mL i opremljen digitalnim multimetrom koji neprekidno prati električni izlaz. Mikroorganizmi su izolirani iz uzoraka tla u Indoneziji, i korišteni ili kao umjetno stvorena zajednica izoliranih denitrificirajućih bakterija, ili kao ukupan mikrobiom tla. Umjetno stvorena mikrobna zajednica sadržavala je pet vrsta iz rodova Pseudomonas i Acinetobacter. Periodički je praćen sastav oslobođenih plinova pomoću plinskog kromatografa. Pri završetku uzgoja je okarakteriziran sastav prirodne zajednice bakterija sekvenciranjem nove generacije, dok je njihov rast na površini anoda praćen pomoću pretražnog elektronskog mikroskopa s emisijom polja elektrona. Rezultati i zaključci. Utvrdili smo da se s pomoću umjetno stvorene zajednice bakterija u mikrobnom električnom članku proizvede više vodika, te da je njegova koncentracija relativno stabilna dulje vrijeme nakon što je dosegnuta stacionarna faza rasta bakterija. Suprotno tome, u električnom članku inokuliranom mikrobiomom iz tla je opažen znatan pad proizvodnje vodika u istom vremenskom razdoblju. Novina i znanstveni doprinos. U ovom je radu korištena umjetno stvorena zajednica denitrificirajućih bakterija izoliranih ih uzoraka tla iz Indonezije, koje imaju sposobnost preživljavanja u okolišu bogatom nitratom. Predlažemo primjenu umjetno stvorene zajednice, radi izbjegavanja pojave metanogeneze u mikrobnom električnom članku, kao jednostavnu i ekološki prihvatljivu alternativu proizvodnji vodika pomoću fizikalno-kemijskih metoda. Dobiveni rezultati nude rješenje problema gubitka vodika u mikrobnom električnom članku bez membrane, te optimiraju proizvodnju biovodika bioelektrokemijskim putem

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