A confiança interorganizacional nas compras

This research is part of the field of organizational studies, focusing on organizational purchase behavior and, specifically, trust interorganizational at the purchases. This topic is current and relevant by addressing the development of good relations between buyer-supplier that increases the exchange of information, increases the length of relationship, reduces the hierarchical controls and improves performance. Furthermore, although there is a vast literature on trust, the scientific work that deal specifically at the trust interorganizational still need further research to synthesize and validate the variables that generate this phenomenon. In this sense, this investigation is to explain the antecedents of trust interorganizational by the relationship between the variable operational performance, organizational characteristics, shared values and interpersonal relationships on purchases by manufacturing industries, in order to develop a robust literature, most consensual, that includes the current sociological and economic, considering the effect of interpersonal relationships in this phenomenon. This proposal is configured in a new vision of the antecedents of interorganizational trust, described as significant quantitative from models Morgan and Hunt (1994), Doney and Cannon (1997), Zhao and Cavusgil (2006) and Nyaga, Whipple, Lynch (2011), as well as qualitative analysis of Tacconi et al. (2011). With regard to methodological aspects, the study assumes the form of a descriptive, survey type, and causal trace theoretical and empirical. As for his nature, the investigation, explicative character, has developed a quantitative approach with the use of exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling SEM, with the use of IBM software SPSS Amos 18.0, using the method of maximum verisimilitude, and supported by technical bootstraping. The unit of analysis was the buyer-supplier relationship, in which the object under investigation was the supplier organization in view of the purchasing company. 237 valid questionnaires were collected among key informants, using a simple random sampling developed in manufacturing industries (SIC 10-33), located in the city of Natal and in the region of Natal. The first results of descriptive analysis demonstrate the phenomenon of interorganizational trust, in which purchasing firms believe, feel secure about the supplier. This demonstration showed high levels of intensity, predominantly among the vendors that supply the company with materials that are used directly in the production process. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, performed on each variable alone, generated a set of observable and unobservable variables more consistent, giving rise to a model, that needed to be further specified. This again specify model consists of trajectories was positive, with a good fit, with a composite reliability and variance extracted satisfactory, and demonstrates convergent and discriminant validity, in which the factor loadings are significant and strong explanatory power. Given the findings that reinforce the model again specify data, suggesting a high probability that this model may be more suited for the study population, the results support the explanation that interorganizational trust depends on purchases directly from interpersonal relationships, sharing value and operating performance and indirectly of personal relationships, social networks, organizational characteristics, physical and relational aspect of performance. It is concluded that this trust can be explained by a set of interactions between these three determinants, where the focus is on interpersonal relationships, with the largest path coefficient for the factor under study

A confiança interorganizacional nas compras

This research is part of the field of organizational studies, focusing on organizational purchase behavior and, specifically, trust interorganizational at the purchases. This topic is current and relevant by addressing the development of good relations between buyer-supplier that increases the exchange of information, increases the length of relationship, reduces the hierarchical controls and improves performance. Furthermore, although there is a vast literature on trust, the scientific work that deal specifically at the trust interorganizational still need further research to synthesize and validate the variables that generate this phenomenon. In this sense, this investigation is to explain the antecedents of trust interorganizational by the relationship between the variable operational performance, organizational characteristics, shared values and interpersonal relationships on purchases by manufacturing industries, in order to develop a robust literature, most consensual, that includes the current sociological and economic, considering the effect of interpersonal relationships in this phenomenon. This proposal is configured in a new vision of the antecedents of interorganizational trust, described as significant quantitative from models Morgan and Hunt (1994), Doney and Cannon (1997), Zhao and Cavusgil (2006) and Nyaga, Whipple, Lynch (2011), as well as qualitative analysis of Tacconi et al. (2011). With regard to methodological aspects, the study assumes the form of a descriptive, survey type, and causal trace theoretical and empirical. As for his nature, the investigation, explicative character, has developed a quantitative approach with the use of exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling SEM, with the use of IBM software SPSS Amos 18.0, using the method of maximum verisimilitude, and supported by technical bootstraping. The unit of analysis was the buyer-supplier relationship, in which the object under investigation was the supplier organization in view of the purchasing company. 237 valid questionnaires were collected among key informants, using a simple random sampling developed in manufacturing industries (SIC 10-33), located in the city of Natal and in the region of Natal. The first results of descriptive analysis demonstrate the phenomenon of interorganizational trust, in which purchasing firms believe, feel secure about the supplier. This demonstration showed high levels of intensity, predominantly among the vendors that supply the company with materials that are used directly in the production process. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, performed on each variable alone, generated a set of observable and unobservable variables more consistent, giving rise to a model, that needed to be further specified. This again specify model consists of trajectories was positive, with a good fit, with a composite reliability and variance extracted satisfactory, and demonstrates convergent and discriminant validity, in which the factor loadings are significant and strong explanatory power. Given the findings that reinforce the model again specify data, suggesting a high probability that this model may be more suited for the study population, the results support the explanation that interorganizational trust depends on purchases directly from interpersonal relationships, sharing value and operating performance and indirectly of personal relationships, social networks, organizational characteristics, physical and relational aspect of performance. It is concluded that this trust can be explained by a set of interactions between these three determinants, where the focus is on interpersonal relationships, with the largest path coefficient for the factor under study

Non-Contact Documentation of Physical Characteristics of Ecstasy Tablets, Hemp Coins, and Imprint Punches by using 3D Optical Surface Scanning

The description of seized illicit ecstasy tablets and other pressed drug products is an important step in casework. The physical and visual analysis and the description of the characteristics can be employed for intelligence purposes. Besides photography and manual measurements of dimensions, some optical instruments are employed for detailed measurements of physical characteristics. In this work, the method of 3D surface digitizing is introduced as a suitable tool for highly accurate documentation of small objects, especially for pressed drug products. The resulting detailed information about the geometry, and the results of an automatic comparison of apparently uniform tablets and coins with punches, can support drug intelligence.

Morphological, chemical and physical characteristics of cryosolic soils from Arctic Canada

Cryosols are permafrost-affected soils whose genesis is dominated by cryogenic processes, resulting in unique macromorphologies, micromorphologies, thermal characteristics, and physical and chemical properties. In addition, these soils are carbon sinks, storing high amounts of organic carbon collected for thousands of years. In the Canadian soil classification, the Cryosolic Order includes mineral and organic soils that have both cryogenic properties and permafrost within 1 or 2 m of the soil surface. This soil order is divided into Turbic, Static and Organic great groups on the basis of the soil materials (mineral or organic), cryogenic properties and depth to permafrost. The great groups are subdivided into subgroups on the basis of soil development and the resulting diagnostic soil horizons. Cryosols are commonly associated with the presence of ground ice in the subsoil. This causes serious problems when areas containing these soils are used for agriculture and construction projects (such as roads, town sites and airstrips). Therefore, where Cryosols have high ice content, it is especially important either to avoid these activities or to use farming and construction methods that maintain the negative thermal balance.

Physical Characteristics and Estimated Hydraulic Conductivity from Grain-Size Distribution for Vashon Till, South-Central Puget Lowland, Washington

Population growth, urban development, and increased commercial and industrial activity in the south-central Puget Lowlands of Washington State has led to an increased demand for groundwater. The Vashon till is a glacially consolidated, low-permeability unit comprising unstratified clay, silt, cobbles and boulders with ubiquitous coarse-grained lenses and is an extensive surficial unit throughout the south-central Puget Lowland. Thus, understanding the physical and hydrological characteristics – specifically, the hydraulic conductivity – of this unit is a necessary component of a groundwater model. This study provides (1) a record of the physical characteristics of Vashon till deposits within the study area; and (2) an estimate of the highest, lowest, and average value of saturated hydraulic conductivity based on the grain-size distribution of Vashon till samples collected from six field sites in the Puyallup River Watershed. Analysis shows that the average moisture content ranges between about 1 and 6%, average dry bulk density is about 2.20 g/cm3, and average porosity is about 17%. Grain-size distributions show that half of the samples analyzed are well graded, while the other half is poorly graded. Grain-size distributions also show an average d10 value of about 0.20 mm, and average ff values ≤ 16%, which are key values in estimating the saturated hydraulic conductivity of over-consolidated glacial deposits. Based on these observed values, the estimates of hydraulic conductivity range from a minimum of 0.02 m/d to a maximum of 1.38 m/d in within the general Vashon till.

Fractionation and interesterification of palm (Elaeis guineensis) oil from Peruvian Amazon

In the present work, the physical and chemical characteristics of the fruit of the oily palm coming from the river basin of the Manitf (Region Loreto - Peru) were studied. Also, the fractionation of the palm oil and the interesterification of mixtures of palm oil/estearin was carried out. Physico- chemical properties of the crude oil and of the products obtained and fatty acids were analysed by gas chromatography The level of saturated fatty acids increased from 51,17% in the palm oil to 54,31% in the stearin. The best products for the food industry were the interesterified samples as they had melting points close to 37 degrees C.

Anthropometric characteristics and motor skills in talent selection and development in indoor soccer

Kick performance, anthropometric characteristics, slalom, and linear running were assessed in 49 (24 elite, 25 nonelite) postpubertal indoor soccer players in order to (a) verify whether anthropometric characteristics and physical and technical capacities can distinguish players of different competitive levels, (b) compare the kicking kinematics of these groups, with and without a defined target, and (c) compare results on the assessments and coaches` subjective rankings of the players. Thigh circumference and specific technical capacities differentiated the players by level of play; cluster analysis correctly classified 77.5% of the players. The correlation between players` standardized measures and the coaches` rankings was 0.29. Anthropometric characteristics and physical capacities do not necessarily differentiate players at post-pubertal stages and should not be overvalued during early development. Considering the coaches` rankings, performance measures outside the specific game conditions may not be useful in identification of talented players.

Toxicity-directed approach of polyester manufacturing industry wastewater provides useful information for conducting treatability studies

A broader characterization of industrial wastewaters, especially in respect to hazardous compounds and their potential toxicity, is often necessary in order to determine the best practical treatment (or pretreatment) technology available to reduce the discharge of harmful pollutants to the environment or publicly owned treatment works. Using a toxicity-directed approach, this paper sets the base for a rational treatability study of polyester resin manufacturing. Relevant physical and chemical characteristics were determined. Respirometry was used for toxicity reduction evaluation after physical and chemical effluent fractionation. Of all the procedures investigated, only air stripping was significantly effective in reducing wastewater toxicity. Air stripping in pH 7 reduced toxicity in 18.2%, while in pH 11 a toxicity reduction of 62.5% was observed. Results indicated that toxicants responsible for the most significant fraction of the effluent`s instantaneous toxic effect to unadapted activated sludge were organic compounds poorly or not volatilized in acid conditions. These results led to useful directions for conducting treatability studies which will be grounded on actual effluent properties rather than empirical or based on the rare specific data on this kind of industrial wastewater. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Student characteristics and academic success: An econometric study of the performance of "equity groups"

Like previous volumes in the Educational Innovation in Economics and Business Series, this book is genuinely international in terms of its coverage. With contributions from nine different countries and three continents, it reflects a global interest in, and commitment to, innovation in business education, with a view to enhancing the learning experience of both undergraduates and postgraduates. It should prove of value to anyone engaged directly in business education, defined broadly to embrace management, finance, marketing, economics, informational studies, and ethics, or who has responsibility for fostering the professional development of business educators. The contributions have been selected with the objective of encouraging and inspiring others as well as illustrating developments in the sphere of business education. This volume brings together a collection of articles describing different aspects of the developments taking place in today’s workplace and how they affect business education. It describes strategies for breaking boundaries for global learning. These target specific techniques regarding teams and collaborative learning, transitions from academic settings to the workplace, the role of IT in the learning process, and program-level innovation strategies. This volume addresses issues faced by professionals in higher and further education and also those involved in corporate training centers and industry.

Checklist of health promotion environments at worksites (CHEW): Development and measurement characteristics

Purpose. Health promotion policy frameworks, recent theorizing, and research all emphasize understanding and mobilizing environmental influences to change particular health-related behaviors in specific settings. The workplace is a key environmental setting. The Checklist of Health Promotion Environments at Worksites (CHEW) was designed as a direct observation instrument to assess characteristics of worksite environments that are known to influence health-related behaviors. Methods. The CHEW is a 112-item checklist of workplace environment features hypothesized to be associated, both positively and negatively, with physical activity, healthy eating, alcohol consumption, and smoking. The three environmental domains assessed are (1) physical characteristics of the worksite, (2) features of the information environment, and (3) characteristics of the immediate neighborhood around the workplace. The conceptual rationale and development studies for the CHEW are described, and data from observational studies of 20 worksites are reported. Results. The data on CHEW-derived environmental attributes showed generally good reliability and identified meaningful sets of variables that plausibly may influence health-related behaviors. With the exception of one information environment attribute, intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.80 to 1.00. Descriptive statistics on selected physical and information environment characteristics indicated that vending machines, showers, bulletin boards, and signs prohibiting smoking were common across worksites. Bicycle racks, visible stairways, and signs related to alcohol consumption, nutrition, and health. promotion were relatively uncommon. Conclusions. These findings illustrate the types of data on environmental attributes that can be derived, their relevance for program planning, and how they can characterize variability across worksites. The CHEW is a promising observational measure that has the potential to assess environmental influences on health behaviors and to evaluate workplace health promotion programs.

Physical-chemical and mineralogical characterization of fine aggregates from construction and demolition waste recycling plants

Construction and demolition waste (CDW) represents around 31% of all waste produced in the European Union. It is today acknowledged that the consumption of raw materials in the construction industry is a non-sustainable activity. It is thus necessary to reduce this consumption, and the volume of CDW dumped, by using this waste as a source of raw materials for the production of recycled aggregates. One potential use of these aggregates is their incorporation in reinforced concrete as a replacement of natural aggregates. A concrete that incorporates these aggregates and still performs well requires them to be fully characterized so that their behaviour within the concrete can be predicted. Coarse recycled aggregates have been studied quite thoroughly, because they are simpler to reintroduce in the market as a by-product, and so has the performance of concrete made with them. This paper describes the main results of research designed to characterize the physical and chemical properties of fine recycled aggregates for concrete production and their relationship with mineralogical composition and preprocessing. The constraints of the incorporation of fine aggregates in reinforced concrete are discussed. It is shown that, unless a developed processing diagram is used, this application is not feasible. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The characteristics, clinical manifestations and outcomes of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 in the elderly

IntroductionThe objetctive of this study was to evaluate the 2009 Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) in the elderly and identify the clinical characteristics, mortality and prognostic factors of the infection in these patients.MethodsThis was an observational, retrospective study. Data were collected from the National Notifiable Diseases (SINAN), from the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Only patients 60 years old or more that had laboratory confirmed infections were included. The socio-demographic and clinical variables and outcomes were evaluated to compare mortality rates in the presence or absence of these factors.ResultsWe included 93 patients in the study, 16.1% of whom died. The symptoms of cough and dyspnea, the use of the antiviral oseltamivir, influenza vaccine and comorbidities influenced the outcomes of cure or death. Chest radiography can aid in diagnosis.ConclusionsAlthough relatively few elderly people were infected, this population presented high lethality that can be justified by the sum of clinical, physical and immunological factors in this population. Treatment with oseltamivir and vaccination against seasonal influenza have significantly reduced rates of hospitalization and mortality.

The influence of individual, social and physical environment factors on physical activity in the adult population in Andalusia, Spain

A person’s physical and social environment is considered as an influencing factor in terms of rates of engagement in physical activity. This study analyses the influence of socio-demographic, physical and social environmental factors on physical activity reported in the adult population in Andalusia. This is a cross-sectional study using data collected in the Andalusia Health Survey in 1999 and 2003. In addition to the influence of the individual’s characteristics, if there are no green spaces in the neighbourhood it is less likely that men and women will take exercise (OR = 1.26; 95% CI = 1.13, 1.41). Likewise, a higher local illiteracy rate also has a negative influence on exercise habits in men (OR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.21, 1.59) and in women (OR = 1.22; 95% CI = 1.07, 1.40). Physical activity is influenced by individuals’ characteristics as well as by their social and physical environment, the most disadvantaged groups are less likely to engage in physical activity

The influence of individual, social and physical environment factors on physical activity in the adult population in Andalusia, Spain.

A person's physical and social environment is considered as an influencing factor in terms of rates of engagement in physical activity. This study analyses the influence of socio-demographic, physical and social environmental factors on physical activity reported in the adult population in Andalusia. This is a cross-sectional study using data collected in the Andalusia Health Survey in 1999 and 2003. In addition to the influence of the individual's characteristics, if there are no green spaces in the neighbourhood it is less likely that men and women will take exercise (OR = 1.26; 95% CI = 1.13, 1.41). Likewise, a higher local illiteracy rate also has a negative influence on exercise habits in men (OR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.21, 1.59) and in women (OR = 1.22; 95% CI = 1.07, 1.40). Physical activity is influenced by individuals' characteristics as well as by their social and physical environment, the most disadvantaged groups are less likely to engage in physical activity.

Particle exposure scenarios for research and production activities involving nanomaterials

Nanomaterials with structures in the nanoscale (1 to 100 nm) often have chemical, physical and bioactive characteristics different from those of larger entities of the same material. This is interesting for industry but raises questions about the health of exposed people. However, little is known so far about the exposure of workers to inhalable airborne nanomaterials. We investigated several activities in research laboratories and industry to learn about relevant exposure scenarios. Work process analyses were combined with measurements of airborne particle mass concentrations and number−size distributions. Background levels in research settings were mostly low, while in industrial production, levels were sometimes elevated, especially in halls near busy roads or in the presence of diesel fork lifts without particle filters. Peak levels were found in an industrial setting dealing with powders (up to 80,000 particles/cm³ and up to 15 mg/m³). Mostly low concentrations were found for activities involving liquid applications. However, centrifugation and lyophilization of nanoparticle containing solutions resulted in very high particle number concentrations (up to 300,000 particles/cm³), whereas no increases were seen for the same activities conducted with nanoparticle−free liquids. No significant increases of particle concentrations were found for processes involving nanoparticles bound to surfaces. Also no increases were observed in laboratories that were visualizing properties and structures of small amounts of nanomaterials. Conclusion: When studying exposure scenarios for airborne nanomaterials, the focus should not only be on processes involving nano−powders, but also on processes involving intensively treated nanoparticle−containing liquids. Acknowledgement: We thank Chantal Imhof, MSc and Guillaume Ferraris, MSc for their contributions.