Elaine Schornobay-Lui, Eduardo Carlos Alexandrina, Mônica Lopes Aguiar, Werner Siegfried Hanisch, Edinalda Moreira Corrêa and Nivaldo Aparecido Corrêa
There has been a growing concern about air quality because in recent years, industrial and vehicle emissions have resulted in unsatisfactory human health conditions. There is an…
Abstract
Purpose
There has been a growing concern about air quality because in recent years, industrial and vehicle emissions have resulted in unsatisfactory human health conditions. There is an urgent need for the measurements and estimations of particulate pollutants levels, especially in urban areas. As a contribution to this issue, the purpose of this paper is to use data from measured concentrations of particulate matter and meteorological conditions for the predictions of PM10.
Design/methodology/approach
The procedure included daily data collection of current PM10 concentrations for the city of São Carlos-SP, Brazil. These data series enabled to use an estimator based on artificial neural networks. Data sets were collected using the high-volume sampler equipment (VFA-MP10) in the period ranging from 1997 to 2006 and from 2014 to 2015. The predictive models were created using statistics from meteorological data. The models were developed using two neural network architectures, namely, perceptron multilayer (MLP) and non-linear autoregressive exogenous (NARX) inputs network.
Findings
It was observed that, over time, there was a decrease in the PM10 concentration rates. This is due to the implementation of more strict environmental laws and the development of less polluting technologies. The model NARX that used as input layer the climatic variables and the PM10 of the previous day presented the highest average absolute error. However, the NARX model presented the fastest convergence compared with the MLP network.
Originality/value
The presentation of a given PM10 concentration of the previous day improved the performance of the predictive models. This paper brings contributions with the NARX model applications.
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Sofia Alexandra Cruz and Manuel Abrantes
The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent to which the nature of a particular work activity – cleaning – changes across organizational contexts, considering specific…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent to which the nature of a particular work activity – cleaning – changes across organizational contexts, considering specific industry characteristics and working conditions in urban settings in Portugal.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws on the qualitative analysis of data collected between 2010 and 2013 using open-ended interviews with employees and direct observation in two shopping malls.
Findings
The empirical evidence illuminates how the contexts under study shape the behavior of actors and their power relations. By placing the perspective of employees at the core of the analysis, the paper demonstrates that workplaces provide a major site of conflict and negotiation regarding dignity in cleaning work, but this dispute takes on different contours and sources of tension across organizational contexts.
Originality/value
The seminal comparative analysis of commercial cleaning and housecleaning undertaken in this paper sheds light on the varying distribution of roles and authority at work. Differently than in earlier studies, the actual modes of service interaction in this industry are documented in a detailed and critical manner.
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K.A. Marques, C.E Celli, J.H. Passoni, D. Teixeira, E. Bachiega, E.S. Vidal, W.M. Carvalho, M.L. Aguiar and J.R. Coury
The monitoring of respirable particulate matter (PM10) and of total carbon percentage (mass basis) in the atmosphere of São Carlos (SP) was performed in the period between…
Abstract
The monitoring of respirable particulate matter (PM10) and of total carbon percentage (mass basis) in the atmosphere of São Carlos (SP) was performed in the period between September 1997 and January 2000. São Carlos, located in the central region of the state of São Paulo, has a population of close to 180,000 inhabitants and about 500 industrial establishments of medium to small size, mainly dealing with metallurgy, textiles, food and ceramics. The equipment used for air monitoring was a high volume sampler (GVS‐GRASEBY/GMW) equipped with a one‐stage inertial separator for a 10μm particle cut diameter. The PM10 concentration was determined by gravimetry and the total carbon concentration by the Ströheim method. The results show a well defined seasonal dependence of both the PM10 and of the total carbon concentration. Higher concentrations of PM10 and carbon were observed in autumn and winter, which also coincided with low relative humidity and precipitation. The measured trends were compared with the PM10 data from the city of São Paulo in the same period and showed similar seasonal dependence. However, in relative terms, the PM10 concentration in São Carlos showed stronger seasonal dependence than in São Paulo.
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Social democratic unionism has arguably been one of the most successful worker organisations in modern history. Through collective bargaining and political influence, this type of…
Abstract
Social democratic unionism has arguably been one of the most successful worker organisations in modern history. Through collective bargaining and political influence, this type of unionism has been effective in redistributing the gains from capitalist markets. This paper reviews the challenges, pathways and dilemmas social democratic unions face in the knowledge economy. Similar to industrialisation, the knowledge economy has the potential to fundamentally change the social fabric that trade unions derive their power resources from. There are three major and interrelated challenges: (1) technological change and the knowledge economy, (2) new socio-political coalitions and (3) keeping employers in. Focussing on Denmark and Sweden, it is argued that these three challenges strike the core of social democratic unionism, as they can undermine the ability to encompass the whole labour market because of polarisation or upgrading of jobs. The paper goes on to outline three possible pathways: ‘going radical’, ‘going academic’ and ‘going old-school’. ‘Going radical’ entails a sharper focus on fighting precarious work with other regulatory means other than collective bargaining. ‘Going academic’ entails a focus on education and lifting all occupational groups. ‘Going old-school’ entails adapting the principle of collective bargaining to new types of companies and occupations while sticking to the regulatory means as before. It is argued that none of the strategies is a silver bullet to the challenges, but that a key to the success of any of the strategies is that minimum wage levels are defended, as this will fuel investment in education for lower-paid work.
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The body of scholarship on YouTube is an expanding area of scholarly inquiry. Existent research indicates that music videos are one of the most salient features of YouTube…
Abstract
The body of scholarship on YouTube is an expanding area of scholarly inquiry. Existent research indicates that music videos are one of the most salient features of YouTube. Interactionist research about popular music has provided important insights through interviews with fans and audience members; however, this work has yet to examine audience engagement with music videos on YouTube. Using Qualitative Media Analysis, I illustrate how the researcher of popular music can work with user comments collected from YouTube. Thematic understandings largely consistent with nostalgia that emerged from an analysis of user-generated comments in response to selected music videos on YouTube are explored. I conclude by suggesting some directions for future research.
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Berna Kurkcu, Eylem Üstünsoy and Bekir Bora Dedeoğlu
This study has two main purposes. First, the effects of health anxiety and perceived social value on the intention to consume functional food were examined. Second, the role of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study has two main purposes. First, the effects of health anxiety and perceived social value on the intention to consume functional food were examined. Second, the role of health knowledge levels in these relationships was identified.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample consisted of 271 restaurant consumers on the European side of Istanbul between August and October 2021. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the research model.
Findings
Restaurant consumers revealed that health anxiety and perceived social value positively affect functional food consumption intentions. Moreover, health knowledge levels have a negative moderating effect on the relationship between health anxiety and functional food consumption intentions.
Originality/value
Thanks to the findings of this study, the roles of health anxiety, perceived social value and health knowledge in functional food consumption were determined, thus filling a vital literature gap.
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Aino Heiskanen and Toni Ryynänen
It is suggested that the detrimental externalities of intensive livestock production can be reduced by manufacturing animal proteins with cellular agriculture technologies. This…
Abstract
Purpose
It is suggested that the detrimental externalities of intensive livestock production can be reduced by manufacturing animal proteins with cellular agriculture technologies. This study explores consumer attitudes towards cultured proteins based on representative Finnish survey data (n = 1,452).
Design/methodology/approach
Sum variables from the principal component analysis were utilized in the cluster analysis to identify potential consumer groups of cultured proteins in Finland. A regression analysis was used to find out the explanatory factors of positive first reaction, willingness to taste, willingness to use and support for the establishment of a national cultured meat sector.
Findings
Most of the respondents (72%) would taste cultured products, but attitudes of optimists (n = 516), moderates (n = 479) and sceptics (n = 457) differ in terms of the environment, livestock farming and cultured proteins. Most optimists (77%), almost quarter (23%) of moderates and less than a fifth (18%) of sceptics support cultured proteins. The environmental concerns are shared by optimists and moderates, whereas moderates and sceptics tend to be more suspicious. Positive attitudes are significantly influenced by social norms and respondents' beliefs regarding their global and national benefits. Major concerns pertain to anticipated dictation force of big companies, negative effects on Finnish agriculture, product attributes, use of genetically modified organisms and experienced (un)naturalness of cultured foods.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the understanding of Finnish consumers' attitudes towards cultured proteins. The identification of potential consumer segments and the elucidation of their attitudes are relevant, given the anticipated acceleration in the development of cultured foods.
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The aim of this paper is to discuss the rise of internationalized civil society elites in Poland engaged in the fields of development cooperation, democratization assistance…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to discuss the rise of internationalized civil society elites in Poland engaged in the fields of development cooperation, democratization assistance, humanitarian relief and global education in the framework of private international governance theory.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative sociological approach and the methodology of cross-case analysis are employed in this study of Polish internationalized civil society elites.
Findings
Evidence would be provided that whereas in some donor countries the gap between civil society elites engaged abroad and their locally active colleagues obstructs the travel of ideas, in Poland aid professionals freely move between sectors, which has allowed for better exchange of know-how and also enhanced their influence on policy-making. At the same time, the existing divides within internationalized civil society elites in Poland – between “democratizing” or “developmental”, between secular and religious and between progressive and conservative as of late – are indicative of the ongoing formation of these elites and of the heterogeneity of the community of aid professionals.
Social implications
In view of the worldwide fueling of populism by anti-elitist strategists, it is important to highlight the contribution of civil society elites to mainstreaming progressive humanitarian principles.
Originality/value
Whereas existing studies on elite formation in postsocialist countries like Poland examine political elites or the role of the intelligentsia for the fledgling middle class and local civil society, this paper focuses on the emergence of a stratum of Polish elites, which are both internationalized and engaged in the nonprofit sector.
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Resit Yildiz and Basak Dogru Mert
This paper aims to study inhibitory effect of 4-aminothiophenol on the corrosion of mild steel (MS) in 0.5 M HCl.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to study inhibitory effect of 4-aminothiophenol on the corrosion of mild steel (MS) in 0.5 M HCl.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, electrochemical experiments, quantum chemical calculations, potentiodynamic measurements, linear polarization resistance and scanning electron microscopy were used.
Findings
The experimental results suggest that this compound is efficient corrosion inhibitor and the inhibition efficiencies increase with increasing their (from 0.5 to 10.0 mM.) concentrations. This reveals that inhibitive actions of inhibitors were mainly due to adsorption on mild steel surface. The adsorption of these inhibitors was found to obey Langmuir adsorption model. The computed quantum chemical features show good correlation with empirical inhibition efficiencies.
Originality/value
The 4-aminothiophenol is suitable inhibitor for application in closed-circuit systems against corrosion. The study is original and has great impact in industrial area. The obtained theoretical results have been adapted with the experimental data.
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Nonsikelelo Sheron Mpofu, Josphat Igadwa Mwasiagi, Cleophas Achisa Mecha and Eric Oyondi Nganyi
This study aims to investigate the potential use of potato peel extracts as antibacterial finishes for cotton fabrics against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Potato…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the potential use of potato peel extracts as antibacterial finishes for cotton fabrics against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Potato peels are abundant as waste and provide a natural, cheaper and sustainable alternative means of preventing the spread of bacterial infections on cotton fabric.
Design/methodology/approach
This research included the characterization of potato peel extracts, application of the extract onto cotton fabric and efficacy testing of the treated cotton fabric against bacteria. Phytochemical screening, agar well diffusion antibacterial test, minimum inhibitory concentration and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) tests were used to characterize the extract. Antibacterial efficacy of the treated fabric was determined qualitatively using the disc diffusion assay and quantitatively using the bacteria reduction test.
Findings
Phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of several secondary metabolites including phenols and flavonoids. Antibacterial tests revealed a positive response in Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus with a zone of inhibition of 6.50 mm and 5.60 mm, respectively. Additional peaks on the FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of potato peel extract on the treated cotton fabric. The treated cotton fabrics showed efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli up to 20 washes.
Originality/value
This study introduced the application of potato peel extracts onto cotton fabrics and assessment of the antibacterial properties before and after washing. Results of this study suggest that potato peel extracts can be used as an organic eco-friendly antibacterial finish for cotton fabrics.