BackgroundThe rough labour market in the Philippines affects the employability. The Philippines has a unemployment rate of in-between 7-8 percent. Therefore, many Filipinos are seeking employment overseas. Today, ten percent of the population are working on the globalized market. The globalization has affected the industry, where 28 percent of the entire worlds seafarers are Filipinos. Previous researches establish that Filipinos are popular because of their knowledge in English and due to their adaptability.PurposeOur aim is to examine why a group of Filipino seafarers choose their profession. The aim is also to examine how they experience their work on international vessels, as well as if they experience any changes in life when working as international seafarers.MethodWe made a qualitative study through a ship management located in Manila in the Philippines. We used semi-structured interviews, which were applied on ten seafarers.ResultsOur respondents mention the well-paid wages as an important reason when choosing to work as a seafarer. The wages are significant in order to support family members and to have the opportunity to live a wealthy life. The seafarers are working long periods away from home that causes homesickness. A good relationship with the crew is for many seafarers important, since they are living and working together. / Program: Organisations- och personalutvecklare i samhället

The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of metacognition as a mediator of the relationship between smoking dependence and depression/anxiety/ negative impact of life experiences. A sample of 202 adult smokers completed the following questionnaires: Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Life Experiences Survey (LES), Meta-Cognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30), and Fagerstr&ouml / m Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND). The path analyses were used to test a mediation model in which depression, anxiety, or negative impact of life experiences was the predictor of metacognition, which in turn was a predictor of smoking dependence. Twelve mediation models were tested using total scores of metacognition, and its factors including positive beliefs about worry, negative beliefs about worry, lack of cognitive confidence, beliefs about need to control thoughts, and cognitive self-consciousness as mediator variables. The models included depression, anxiety, or negative impact of life experiences as independent variables / and smoking dependence as dependent variable. The results suggested that neither total metacognition score nor the individual metacognitive dimensions did mediate the relationship between smoking dependence and depression/anxiety/negative impact of life experiences. The results and limitations, as well as the implications of these findings, were discussed by referring to the relevant literature.

Building envelopes are elements with a long lifetime, which provide a barrier between internal and external space and contribute to the internal environmental conditions provision. Their complex role ensures a large impact on the environmental and energy performance of a building and the occupant perception of a space. This study looks at the use of novel materials and processes to help reduce the environmental impact of buildings by improving facade and transparent roof design. There are three main strands to the work. First, novel building components, ETFE foil cushions were examined. Physical testing has shown that ETFE foil cushions compare favourably to double glazing in terms of thermal and daylighting performance which was also noted as one of the most likeable feature by occupants. Environmental impact analysis has indicated that ETFE foils can reduce the environmental impact of a building through reduced environmental burden of both the construction and operation of the building. Secondly, a cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) was carried out for float glass, which considered the environmental impacts of glass manufacture. The embodied energy was calculated to be 13.4 ± 0.5 GJ per tonne while the total number of eco-points 243 ± 11 per tonne. It is shown that float glass is comparable to the use of steel, and highly preferable to the use of aluminium as a cladding panel. Finally, a concept design tool (FACADE) was developed by defining a large number of office facade models and employing dynamic thermal, daylighting and environmental impact modelling to create a database which can be accessed through a user friendly interface application. A parametric analysis has indicated that using natural ventilation where possible can reduce the environmental impact of offices by up to 16%. Improving the standard of the facade and reducing the internal heat loads from lighting and equipment can reduce environmental impact up to 22%. This study makes a significant contribution to understanding the environmental impact of building envelope individual and integrated components.

O uso intensivo de áreas do solo provoca alterações na sua qualidade, tornando-se necessária a criação de métodos de avaliação e monitoramento. A técnica de Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida (ACV) é uma importante ferramenta para o cálculo de impactos ambientais, relativos a um sistema de produto com fronteiras delimitadas, sendo o Uso do Solo uma das categorias de impacto avaliada. Na ACV este impacto é avaliado, a partir de fatores de caracterização, os quais utilizam indicadores que quantificam as consequências de modificações na estrutura do solo, levando em consideração a realidade e as características morfológicas de cada país ou região. Este estudo tem como objetivo apresentar adequações relacionadas às condições brasileiras do modelo para a caracterização de impactos provocados pelo uso do solo, a partir da adaptação de fatores de caracterização. De acordo com a pesquisa bibliográfica acerca dos métodos de avaliação do uso do solo na ACV, dois grupos são avaliados a Biodiversidade e as Funções de Suporte de Vida (FSV). Neste estudo foram identificados diferentes métodos que avaliam os impactos nas FSV e a partir de alguns critérios adotados foram posteriormente submetidos a uma análise, a fim de se determinar o método de maior relevância para as condições brasileiras. O método escolhido utiliza como indicador a Matéria Orgânica do Solo (MOS), porém devido à ausência de dados em algumas regiões, podem ser utilizados valores de Carbono Orgânico do Solo (COS), componente essencial da MOS. Os valores para o COS no estado natural foram atribuídos segundo dados de literatura para o bioma Amazônia, os quais foram posteriormente adaptados para se obter o COS para os tipos de uso de solo considerados neste estudo, segundo a realidade brasileira. / The intensive use of land areas cause changes in its quality, making it necessary to create methods for assessing and monitoring. The technique of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an important tool for the calculation of environmental impacts related to a product system with defined borders, and the Land Use category of impact assessed. In this LCA impacts are assessed from factors characterization using indicators that quantify the effects of changes in soil structure, taking into account the reality and the morphological characteristics of each country or region. This study aims to present adjustments related to the Brazilian model for characterizing impacts caused by land use, based on the calculation of characterization factors. In accordance with the literature of the LCA methods, two groups contribute to this category Biodiversity and Life Support Functions (FSV). In this study were discussed and evaluated different methods to calculate (FSV), from some criteria adopted, these were subjected to a comparative analysis, to the method of greatest relevance to Brazilian conditions. The method chosen to use as an indicator of Soil Organic Matter (SOM), but due to lack of data in some regions, can be used values of Soil Organic Carbon (COS) essential component of SOM. The values for COS in the natural state were assigned according to the literature data of the Amazon biome, which were adapted to obtain the COS for the types of land use considered in this study according to the Brazilian reality.

O uso intensivo de áreas do solo provoca alterações na sua qualidade, tornando-se necessária a criação de métodos de avaliação e monitoramento. A técnica de Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida (ACV) é uma importante ferramenta para o cálculo de impactos ambientais, relativos a um sistema de produto com fronteiras delimitadas, sendo o Uso do Solo uma das categorias de impacto avaliada. Na ACV este impacto é avaliado, a partir de fatores de caracterização, os quais utilizam indicadores que quantificam as consequências de modificações na estrutura do solo, levando em consideração a realidade e as características morfológicas de cada país ou região. Este estudo tem como objetivo apresentar adequações relacionadas às condições brasileiras do modelo para a caracterização de impactos provocados pelo uso do solo, a partir da adaptação de fatores de caracterização. De acordo com a pesquisa bibliográfica acerca dos métodos de avaliação do uso do solo na ACV, dois grupos são avaliados a Biodiversidade e as Funções de Suporte de Vida (FSV). Neste estudo foram identificados diferentes métodos que avaliam os impactos nas FSV e a partir de alguns critérios adotados foram posteriormente submetidos a uma análise, a fim de se determinar o método de maior relevância para as condições brasileiras. O método escolhido utiliza como indicador a Matéria Orgânica do Solo (MOS), porém devido à ausência de dados em algumas regiões, podem ser utilizados valores de Carbono Orgânico do Solo (COS), componente essencial da MOS. Os valores para o COS no estado natural foram atribuídos segundo dados de literatura para o bioma Amazônia, os quais foram posteriormente adaptados para se obter o COS para os tipos de uso de solo considerados neste estudo, segundo a realidade brasileira. / The intensive use of land areas cause changes in its quality, making it necessary to create methods for assessing and monitoring. The technique of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an important tool for the calculation of environmental impacts related to a product system with defined borders, and the Land Use category of impact assessed. In this LCA impacts are assessed from factors characterization using indicators that quantify the effects of changes in soil structure, taking into account the reality and the morphological characteristics of each country or region. This study aims to present adjustments related to the Brazilian model for characterizing impacts caused by land use, based on the calculation of characterization factors. In accordance with the literature of the LCA methods, two groups contribute to this category Biodiversity and Life Support Functions (FSV). In this study were discussed and evaluated different methods to calculate (FSV), from some criteria adopted, these were subjected to a comparative analysis, to the method of greatest relevance to Brazilian conditions. The method chosen to use as an indicator of Soil Organic Matter (SOM), but due to lack of data in some regions, can be used values of Soil Organic Carbon (COS) essential component of SOM. The values for COS in the natural state were assigned according to the literature data of the Amazon biome, which were adapted to obtain the COS for the types of land use considered in this study according to the Brazilian reality.