Competency-based Learning in a Real and Multicultural Marketing Consultancy Project

AbstractThe European Higher Education Area proposes a reformulation of the teaching methodologies based on the education–learning teaching methodologies, oriented to a continuous process of acquisition of competences that improve the professional profile. The great variety of courses and universities involved in the framework of the European Higher Education Area are concerned to know the satisfaction level of students and how it is possible to attend to their needs. The present work provides empirical evidence of how satisfaction improves the perception of acquired competences of the marketing students who had followed the methodology of the International Virtual Consulting Firm (IVCF). It is an innovative project about an international educational program designed to bring college students closer to the skills required by companies to facilitate their entry into the labour market. The universities can use these results to incorporate similar methodologies in their study plans and to improve the attractiveness of their marketing studies

Quality and Innovation as Factors of Differentiation for the Electronic Commerce of Underwear of a Latin American Brand in Spain

El principal objetivo de este estudio es conocer si la satisfacción en la compra en línea de ropa interior está precedida por la calidad del producto y la innovación, dos de los aspectos más diferenciadores y competitivos en este sector. Se propone un pequeño modelo empírico para probar la incidencia sobre la satisfacción, tomando como caso de estudio la empresa colombiana Leonisa, que opera en Europa a través del comercio electrónico. Se comprobó que la mezcla de calidad en toda la cadena de valor puede generar satisfacción y lealtad en el cliente, por lo que una  orientación estratégica hacia la calidad y la innovación en el comercio electrónico permite mantenerse y posicionarse en un mercado muy competitivo.O principal objetivo deste estudo é determinar se a satisfação em comprar lingerie on-line é precedida de qualidade do produto e inovação, dois dos mais diferenciadores e aspectos competitivos neste setor. Propôs-se para fazer um pequeno modelo empírico para testar o impacto na satisfação, tendo como estudo de caso Leonisa.com a empresa colombiana, que opera na Europa através de comércio eletrônico. Verificou-se que a mistura de qualidade e inovação em toda a cadeia de valor pode gerar satisfação e fidelidade do cliente, de modo que uma  orientação estratégica para a qualidade no e-commerce pode manter e posicionar a empresa em um mercado muito competitivo.The main objective of this study is to determine whether satisfaction in buying underwear online is preceded by product quality and innovation, two of the most differentiators and competitive aspects in this sector. It was proposed to make a small empirical model to test the impact on satisfaction, taking as a case study Leonisa.com the Colombian company, which operates in Europe through electronic commerce. It was found that the mixture of quality throughout the value chain can generate satisfaction and customer loyalty, so a strategic orientation towards quality and innovation in e-commerce can maintain and positioning the company in a very competitive market

MEDIATING EFFECTS OF WORK VALUES ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPITAL AND PERSONALITY TRAITS TO TEAM CLIMATE

This study investigated the mediating effects of work values on the relationship between psychological capital and personality  traits and team climate. A validated self-constructed questionnaire was administered to randomly selected 347 regular workers of the three organizations which include hospital and business firms in  Zimbabwe. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) the mediating effects of work values on psychological capital and personality traits to team climate was established. This study revealed  that the respondents’ psychological capital was rated high in terms of optimism and average in resilience. The personality traits in terms of neuroticism and agreeableness were high. The work values in terms of altruism and management  were also rated high by the respondents. Interpersonal relations and cooperation as dimensions of team climate were rated average. In the alternative model, both components of work values have a positive relationship with psychological capital.  Furthermore, among the components of work values, only altruism partially mediated the relationship between psychological capital and team climate. This result implies that psychological capital can improve the employees’ work values, which in turn improves teamwork. A confirmatory model was developed based on the result of this study

Search for eccentric black hole coalescences during the third observing run of LIGO and Virgo

Despite the growing number of confident binary black hole coalescences observed through gravitational waves so far, the astrophysical origin of these binaries remains uncertain. Orbital eccentricity is one of the clearest tracers of binary formation channels. Identifying binary eccentricity, however, remains challenging due to the limited availability of gravitational waveforms that include effects of eccentricity. Here, we present observational results for a waveform-independent search sensitive to eccentric black hole coalescences, covering the third observing run (O3) of the LIGO and Virgo detectors. We identified no new high-significance candidates beyond those that were already identified with searches focusing on quasi-circular binaries. We determine the sensitivity of our search to high-mass (total mass M>70 M⊙) binaries covering eccentricities up to 0.3 at 15 Hz orbital frequency, and use this to compare model predictions to search results. Assuming all detections are indeed quasi-circular, for our fiducial population model, we place an upper limit for the merger rate density of high-mass binaries with eccentricities 0<e≤0.3 at 0.33 Gpc−3 yr−1 at 90\% confidence level

Ultralight vector dark matter search using data from the KAGRA O3GK run

Among the various candidates for dark matter (DM), ultralight vector DM can be probed by laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors through the measurement of oscillating length changes in the arm cavities. In this context, KAGRA has a unique feature due to differing compositions of its mirrors, enhancing the signal of vector DM in the length change in the auxiliary channels. Here we present the result of a search for U(1)B−L gauge boson DM using the KAGRA data from auxiliary length channels during the first joint observation run together with GEO600. By applying our search pipeline, which takes into account the stochastic nature of ultralight DM, upper bounds on the coupling strength between the U(1)B−L gauge boson and ordinary matter are obtained for a range of DM masses. While our constraints are less stringent than those derived from previous experiments, this study demonstrates the applicability of our method to the lower-mass vector DM search, which is made difficult in this measurement by the short observation time compared to the auto-correlation time scale of DM

Dietary plasticity in an invasive species and implications for management: the case of the monk parakeet in a Mediterranean city

Behavioural flexibility may play a relevant role during invasion of a new habitat. A typical example of behavioural flexibility favouring invasion success refers to changes in foraging behaviour. Here we provide data on changes in the foraging strategies of monk parakeets Myiopsitta monachus over a period of 17 years (2001–2017) in Barcelona city. During this time, consumption of food on the ground increased by more than 25 % and the consumption of anthropogenic food increased by 8 %. Detailed information about the food consumed is provided. Feeding on the ground and consumption of low plants allow parakeets to reach not only anthropogenic food but also crops, thereby increasing the risk of crop damage as the invasion evolves. Early detection of damage to crops is crucial in order to prevent further harm, and makes the precautionary principle highly relevant. Key words: Behavioural shift, Diet, Crop damage, Spillover, Longitudinal stud

Diet to tissue discrimination factors for the blood and feathers of the monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) and the ring–necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri)

Diet to tissue discrimination factors for the blood and feathers of the monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) and the ring–necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri). Stable isotope analyses (SIAs) have been widely used in recent years to infer the diet of many species. This isotopic approach requires using diet to tissue discrimination factors (DTDFs) for each prey type and predator tissue, i.e., to determine the difference between the isotopic composition of the predator tissues and the different prey that conform its diet. Information on DTDF values in Psittaciformes is scarce. The aim of this study was to assess DTDF values for the carbon and nitrogen isotopes of the monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) and the ring–necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri), two invasive alien species of concern. We fed captive birds of the two parakeet species on a single–species diet based on sunflower seeds to establish the DTDFs for the blood and feathers. In the monk parakeet (N = 9) DTDFs were Δδ13C 2.14‰ ± 0.90 and Δδ15N 3.21‰ ± 0.75 for the blood, and Δδ13C 3.97‰ ± 0.90 and Δδ15N 3.67‰ ± 0.74 for the feathers. In the ring–necked parakeet (N = 9), the DTDFs were Δδ13C (‰) 2.58 ± 0.90 and Δδ15N (‰) 2.35 ± 0.78 for the blood, and Δδ13C 3.64‰ ± 0.98 and Δδ15N 4.10‰ ± 1.84 for the feathers. DTDF values for the ring–necked parakeet blood were significantly higher than those for the monk parakeet blood. No difference was found between the two species in the DTDF for feathers. Our findings provide the first values of DTDFs for blood and feathers in these parakeets, factors that are key to infer the diet of these species based on SIA. Key words: Stable isotopes, Parrots, Captive birds, Control diet, Invasive specie

Diet to tissue discrimination factors for the blood and feathers of the monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) and the ring–necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri)

Diet to tissue discrimination factors for the blood and feathers of the monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) and the ring–necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri). Stable isotope analyses (SIAs) have been widely used in recent years to infer the diet of many species. This isotopic approach requires using diet to tissue discrimination factors (DTDFs) for each prey type and predator tissue, i.e., to determine the difference between the isotopic composition of the predator tissues and the different prey that conform its diet. Information on DTDF values in Psittaciformes is scarce. The aim of this study was to assess DTDF values for the carbon and nitrogen isotopes of the monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) and the ring–necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri), two invasive alien species of concern. We fed captive birds of the two parakeet species on a single–species diet based on sunflower seeds to establish the DTDFs for the blood and feathers. In the monk parakeet (N = 9) DTDFs were Δδ13C 2.14‰ ± 0.90 and Δδ15N 3.21‰ ± 0.75 for the blood, and Δδ13C 3.97‰ ± 0.90 and Δδ15N 3.67‰ ± 0.74 for the feathers. In the ring–necked parakeet (N = 9), the DTDFs were Δδ13C (‰) 2.58 ± 0.90 and Δδ15N (‰) 2.35 ± 0.78 for the blood, and Δδ13C 3.64‰ ± 0.98 and Δδ15N 4.10‰ ± 1.84 for the feathers. DTDF values for the ring–necked parakeet blood were significantly higher than those for the monk parakeet blood. No difference was found between the two species in the DTDF for feathers. Our findings provide the first values of DTDFs for blood and feathers in these parakeets, factors that are key to infer the diet of these species based on SIA. Key words: Stable isotopes, Parrots, Captive birds, Control diet, Invasive speciesDiet to tissue discrimination factors for the blood and feathers of the monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) and the ring–necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri). Stable isotope analyses (SIAs) have been widely used in recent years to infer the diet of many species. This isotopic approach requires using diet to tissue discrimination factors (DTDFs) for each prey type and predator tissue, i.e., to determine the difference between the isotopic composition of the predator tissues and the different prey that conform its diet. Information on DTDF values in Psittaciformes is scarce. The aim of this study was to assess DTDF values for the carbon and nitrogen isotopes of the monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) and the ring–necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri), two invasive alien species of concern. We fed captive birds of the two parakeet species on a single–species diet based on sunflower seeds to establish the DTDFs for the blood and feathers. In the monk parakeet (N = 9) DTDFs were Δδ13C 2.14‰ ± 0.90 and Δδ15N 3.21‰ ± 0.75 for the blood, and Δδ13C 3.97‰ ± 0.90 and Δδ15N 3.67‰ ± 0.74 for the feathers. In the ring–necked parakeet (N = 9), the DTDFs were Δδ13C (‰) 2.58 ± 0.90 and Δδ15N (‰) 2.35 ± 0.78 for the blood, and Δδ13C 3.64‰ ± 0.98 and Δδ15N 4.10‰ ± 1.84 for the feathers. DTDF values for the ring–necked parakeet blood were significantly higher than those for the monk parakeet blood. No difference was found between the two species in the DTDF for feathers. Our findings provide the first values of DTDFs for blood and feathers in these parakeets, factors that are key to infer the diet of these species based on SIA. Key words: Stable isotopes, Parrots, Captive birds, Control diet, Invasive speciesDiet to tissue discrimination factors for the blood and feathers of the monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) and the ring–necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri). Stable isotope analyses (SIAs) have been widely used in recent years to infer the diet of many species. This isotopic approach requires using diet to tissue discrimination factors (DTDFs) for each prey type and predator tissue, i.e., to determine the difference between the isotopic composition of the predator tissues and the different prey that conform its diet. Information on DTDF values in Psittaciformes is scarce. The aim of this study was to assess DTDF values for the carbon and nitrogen isotopes of the monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) and the ring–necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri), two invasive alien species of concern. We fed captive birds of the two parakeet species on a single–species diet based on sunflower seeds to establish the DTDFs for the blood and feathers. In the monk parakeet (N = 9) DTDFs were Δδ13C 2.14‰ ± 0.90 and Δδ15N 3.21‰ ± 0.75 for the blood, and Δδ13C 3.97‰ ± 0.90 and Δδ15N 3.67‰ ± 0.74 for the feathers. In the ring–necked parakeet (N = 9), the DTDFs were Δδ13C (‰) 2.58 ± 0.90 and Δδ15N (‰) 2.35 ± 0.78 for the blood, and Δδ13C 3.64‰ ± 0.98 and Δδ15N 4.10‰ ± 1.84 for the feathers. DTDF values for the ring–necked parakeet blood were significantly higher than those for the monk parakeet blood. No difference was found between the two species in the DTDF for feathers. Our findings provide the first values of DTDFs for blood and feathers in these parakeets, factors that are key to infer the diet of these species based on SIA. Key words: Stable isotopes, Parrots, Captive birds, Control diet, Invasive specie