Suchergebnisse

This study aims at identifying the dynamics of the innovation system for functional foods (FF) in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Functional food is any healthy food claimed to have a health-promoting or disease-preventing property beyond the basic function of supplying nutrients. Health has been named as the most significant trend and innovation driver in the global food and drinks market. Brazil is one of the leading countries in food production and consumption, and the market for functional foods have been growing 10% per year, three times more than the market for conventional foods. Although this food category is considered mature in some developed markets (such as in Japan, in the Nordic countries and in the U.S), it is still unknown for many consumers, especially those located in developing countries. On the other hand, functional foods has been attracting the attention of multinationals and local food industries, since innovation can significantly impact on their competitive advantages. Therefore, in this study, first we are going to investigate consumers' motivations, attitudes and intention to buy functional foods, since the market demands a better understanding of this trend. A survey with 450 consumers was conducted and provided quantitative insights. Secondly, we identified the availability of functional food products in the local retail market, through observation techniques. Our aim was to confront consumers' needs with local food companies' market supply. In a further stage, we are going to analyse the functioning of this innovation system, describing the agents involved in this context and their relations through in-depth interviews with local representatives (stakeholders). Innovation system is here understood as the set of distinct institutions which jointly and individually contribute to the development and diffusion of new technologies and which provides the framework within which governments form and implement policies to influence the innovation process. As such "it is a system of interconnected institutions to create, store and transfer the knowledge, skills and artefacts which define new technologies." (Metcalfe, 1995). Hence, we are investigating issues such as: Are local food companies ready to innovate in such a competitive and dynamic scenario? How can this system respond to consumers' demands? Are there conditions for an innovative food network in South Brazil? Our contributions help to shed light into these questions. Preliminary results indicate that the innovation system for functional foods in Rio Grande do Sul is incipient, but it is developing fast. Stronger governance and co-ordination strategies are needed. There are few local functional food products in the market, but those are attractive to consumers and indicate promising opportunities. The survey shows that interviewed consumers presented positive attitudes towards functional foods and enough purchasing power to buy it. Nutritionists and other health professionals have high credibility and could help inform consumers about the benefits of particular categories of functional foods. Food industry itself is not regarded as the most trustworthy source. Finally, this study shows that the understanding of Brazilian consumers is fundamental to help food companies define their strategies. To map the most accepted categories of functional foods is also important, aiming to avoid the "tentative and error" approach.

The relationship between resource management, local populations, and property regimes has long puzzled researchers and policy-makers. The constant failure of conservation policy reliant upon privatization and statization, has led both policy makers and researchers to recognize the importance of customary practices to achieve conservation. Yet, the overemphasis on "traditional populations" and "collective property regimes" as the way to promote conservation can be misleading. In this paper, we discuss the debate on local populations and resource conservation in the Southeastern Atlantic Forest, Brazil. The analysis focuses on 1) the concept of traditional populations; 2) the complexity of overlapping property regimes; 3) the potential for a loose relationship between "traditional populations" and "collective property regimes," and; 4) the implications of this approach for "non-traditional populations." We conclude that the bias toward "tradition" and "collective property regimes" threatens the entire range of local communities along what might be called a traditional-non-traditional populations gradient.

ABSTRACT Purpose: This research was based on the "happy, productive worker" hypothesis. The objective was to analyze the predictive relationships, through a multilevel approach, between the variables well-being at work, organizational justice, organizational support, and the dependent variable individual job performance. Originality/value: The multilevel study of individual job performance and its relations with well-being and organizational variables are still a current gap in the literature, as well as the possibility of testing whether well-being at work can be considered a collective phenomenon. The presence of organizational support in the model, operationalized at the team level, represents an important contribution to the development of theories focused on teams' roles in organizations, especially their impact on organizational variables. Design/methodology/approach: Considering the proposed analysis at two different levels, a multilevel design model was adopted. The final sample consisted of 730 individuals and 32 units. The data were collected through a questionnaire composed of four previously validated scales. Data analysis followed the six steps proposed by Hox, Moerbeek, and Schoot (2017) for multilevel models for each of the samples. Findings: The explanatory model presented a predictive relationship between achievement (well-being at work factor), operationalized as an individual-level variable, and individual job performance; a predictive relationship between interactional justice, also operationalized as an individual-level variable, and individual job performance, and a predictive relationship between collective perceptions of organizational support, operationalized as a team-level variable, and individual job performance.

In situ pulse respirometry was applied in an activated sludge bubble column treating synthetic wastewater for the estimation of the (i) maximum specific oxygen consumption rate, (ii) substrate affinity constant, (iii) biomass growth yield, (iv) maintenance coefficient, and (v) specific endogenous respiration rate. Parameters obtained through respirometry were compared to those obtained by the chemostat method, based on substrate and biomass measurements, under several dilution rates. The low sensitivity of substrate measurement methods and the difficulties of sampling heterogeneous biomass suspension are critical issues limiting the applicability of the chemostat method. Additionally, the extensive time consuming nature of this method allows concluding that chemostat method presents several disadvantages in comparison with in situ pulse respirometric techniques. Parameters were obtained from respirograms by fitting ASM1 and ASM3 models, and from experiments performed by injecting pulses of increasing substrate concentration. The injection of pulses of increasing concentration was the most adequate method, with several advantages such as a simpler experimental data interpretation and results with better confidence. Considering the assessment and comparison of the experimental and calculation methods presented, it is recommended that kinetic and stoichiometric parameters estimation in mixed aerobic cultures should preferentially be performed by using in situ respirometric techniques. ; This project was financed by the European Union in the Framework of the Marie Curie Actions (IRG4 6647). C.S. Oliveira and F. Thalasso received a grant from Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (SFRH/BD/32289/2006 and SFRH/BI/15847, respectively). A. Ordaz received a grant from Conacyt ...

Several spectroscopic techniques, as infrared, Raman, fluorescence and/or mass spectrometry, have been tested in the context of bacterial typing being the degree of success highly dependent of the taxonomic level. Instrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy, due to the natural bacterial fluorophores, have been claimed to be a reliable alternative to the standard typing methods with some published works reporting its success. In this work we evaluate the ability of this technique to discriminate four closely related species belonging to the so-called Acinetobacter calcoaceticus Acinetobacter baumannii complex. Single-point and two dimensional fluorescence spectral data were acquired at room temperature and 25ºC. Spectra were analysed by partial least squares discriminant analysis and soft independent modelling of class analogy. The percentage of correct species assignments, ranging from 4.2 - 97.7%, is highly dependent of the experimental conditions and the data analysis. It seems that the results benefit from a strictly temperature control being those achieved with two-dimensional data slightly better. Nevertheless, it was impossible to achieve a satisfactory percentage of correct assignments for the four species simultaneously pointing to several limitations of this technique for such purposes. ; This work received financial support from the European Union (FEDER funds POCI/01/0145/FEDER/007265) and National Funds (FCT/MEC, Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Ministério da Educação e Ciência) under the Partnership Agreement PT2020 UID/QUI/50006/2013. Cristina Quintelas was supported by a postdoctoral grant (SFRH/BPD/101338/2014). Clara Sousa was funded through the NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000024 – "New Technologies for three Health Challenges of Modern Societies: Diabetes, Drug Abuse and Kidney Diseases". Thanks are due to Alexandr Nemec from the Laboratory of Bacterial Genetics, National Institute of Public Health, Prague – Czech Republic, for providing all the bacterial isolates used in this ...