Background: China's rapidly growing beauty consumer market has led to environmental deterioration and Chinese citizens are aware of this important issue, however, despite positive pro-environmental attitudes, consumers are reluctant to buy green products. This issue is known as the attitude-behavior gap, and existing research lacks information on how this gap operates in the Chinese beauty market. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to use the ACB (Affective, Cognitive, Behavioral) Attitude Model to explore how the attitude-behavior gap works in the Chinese beauty market, specifically, the attitudes of Chinese consumers and how they influence behavior. Method: This study was an exploratory qualitative study in which 30 Chinese participants were interviewed in 3 focus groups consisting of 10 participants each. For the purpose of this study, participants' attitudes toward beauty and personal care products were investigated. Conclusion: The empirical findings show that green knowledge is considered the most important factor in the attitude-behavior gap, as consumption habits and patterns hinder purchase behavior. Second, is health consciousness, where purchase behavior is hindered by the skepticism of product attributes and insufficient information. Third, self-image, as overpackaging makes consumers think that it is detrimental to their image of green consumption. Finally, social influence is the least important factor, as Chinese people are collectivistic and purchasing behavior is more likely to be influenced by surroundings. By prioritizing these four factors, beauty companies and marketers can understand what is preventing Chinese consumers from purchasing beauty and personal care products, and then have the appropriate marketing strategies to respond.

En la actualidad el país ha ido aumentando el consumo de productos de cuidado e higiene personal, esto sucede por el crecimiento económico, el aumento de los ingresos de la población a lo largo de los años y que las personas buscan más información acerca de qué productos deben consumir según las tendencias. ¿Sabía usted que en un solo día una mujer puede consumir hasta 12 productos de limpieza con aproximadamente 100 ingredientes que son perjudiciales para la salud y el medio ambiente? Cada año se producen 120,000 mil millones de unidades de empaques de cosméticos y de limpieza personal y la mayoría para ser usados una sola vez. Es por eso, que en el mercado han ido ingresando muchas marcas internacionales al país y se han creado nuevas marcas a nivel nacional. Muchas de estas marcas que se encuentran en el mercado se han especializado para diferentes tipos de segmentos específicos, con características específicas como que sus productos están elaborados con insumos que cuiden tanto su bienestar físico como el del medio ambiente. Por este motivo, este trabajo de investigación se basó en proponer una alternativa de idea de negocio en donde los productos están elaborados con insumos y componentes libres de químicos y con un formato innovador.  Q´umir es una empresa encargada de la comercialización y fabricación de jabón, shampoo y acondicionador en sólido para diferentes tipos de piel y cabello (seca, grasa y mixta), le sumamos que utilizamos ingredientes naturales y ecológicos que brindan hidratación y firmeza. / Currently the country has been increasing the consumption of personal care and hygiene products, this is due to economic growth, the increase in the income of the population over the years and that people are looking for more information about what products they should consume according to trends. Did you know that in a single day a woman can consume up to 12 cleaning products with approximately 100 ingredients that are harmful to health and the environment? Every year 120 billion units of cosmetic and personal cleansing packaging are produced, and most are for one-time use. That is why, many international brands have entered the country in the market and new brands have been created at a national level. Many of these brands that are on the market have specialized for different types of specific segments, with specific characteristics such as that their products are made with inputs that take care of both their physical and environmental well-being. For this reason, this research work was based on proposing an alternative business idea where the products are made with inputs and components that are free from chemicals and with an innovative format. Q´umir is a company in charge of the commercialization and manufacture of soap, shampoo and conditioner in solid for different types of skin and hair (dry, oily and mixed), we add that we use natural and ecological ingredients that provide hydration and firmness for women. / Trabajo de investigación

Part A The use of nonionic associative thickeners was proposed for personal care applications. Various limitations of current rheology modifiers used in personal care were discussed. Nonionic associative polymers were examined as both thickeners and emulsifiers. The structure/property relationship for nonionic polymers and their ability to thicken and emulsify were fully examined. Results showed an increase in thickening efficiency for nonionic associative polymers with higher log(P) (partition coefficient) values. This was due to the formation of smaller aggregates and increased bridging between aggregates. The connection between oil polarity, log(P) of the associative polymer, and emulsion stability showed no relationship however; as the log(P) value of the polymer decreased, emulsion stability increased. The effects of nonionic associative polymer molecular weight and thickening efficiency proved to be positive; as molecular weight increased, thickening efficiency increased. Specific interactions between nonionic associative thickeners and common ingredients in personal care products were also explored. The interaction between nonionic associative thickeners and surfactants proved to be dependent on surfactant type as well as hydrophobe shape and size on the associative thickener. There appeared to a clear effect of salt on the thickening and emulsifying capabilities of the nonionic associative polymers but the exact interaction was not yet determined. Part B Superoxide dismutation (SOD) chemistry pertaining to manganese enzymes was explored. A series of manganese SOD mimetic enzymes were synthesized and their SOD activity was examined. The McCord-Fridovich Assay showed mimetic enzymes containing secondary amine bonds and electron difficiency around bonding sites had higher SOD activity. Click chemistry was used for the synthesis of a 1,4-triazole containing tridentate ligand. The ideal reaction conditions chosen for the click reaction was a solvent blend of 1:1 dichloromethane and water with copper sulfate and sodium ascorbate as a catalyst. The tridentate ligand was grafted onto azido-functionalized polystyrene. Infrared spectroscopy was used to confirm the completion of the click reaction. The azide peak at 2100 cm-1 was removed after the click reaction was performed on the azido-functionalized polystyrene.

Pharmaceuticals, personal care products (PPCPs) and other trace organic contaminants (TOrCs) encompass a diverse group of chemicals that are not currently monitored or regulated in US drinking water or wastewater. Researchers have found low levels of TOrCs in aquatic and terrestrial environments all over the globe, and observed negative effects on impacted biota. The primary source of TOrCs in the environment is domestic wastewater discharges. Centralized wastewater treatment plants present greater risks on a global scale, but on a local scale, onsite treatment systems may have more potent impacts on resources that are invaluable to residents, including groundwater, surface waters, and soils. The objective of this thesis is to identify and characterize promising treatment technologies for onsite TOrC remediation. Receptors who could be impacted by TOrC discharges are assessed, and applications that may require alternative treatment are identified. The best treatment technologies are recognized as those that protect sensitive environmental receptors, provide permanent removal pathways for as many TOrCs as possible, and are not prohibitively expensive to install or maintain. Findings from a pilot study show increased removal of conventional pollutants and TOrCs in an aerobic treatment unit (ATU), two types of biofilter, and a hybrid constructed wetland, all relative to septic tank effluent. The constructed wetland achieved the highest nutrient removals with TN concentrations below 10 mg/L throughout the study. A system with an ATU and peat biofilters achieved the highest removals of persistent pharmaceuticals carbamazepine and lamotrigine (>85% and >95%, respectively). / Master of Science

Untreated human sewage pollution in surface water is of concern because it contributes to the degradation of aquatic ecosystems and it could be a potential hazard to human health. Also, any pollution of surface water, which ultimately supplies drinking water, may affect the drinking water quality. Improper operation and maintenance of separate storm sewer systems are prominent contributors of untreated sewage to source waters, resulting from illicit connections, leakage of sewers, or cross-connections. This thesis studied anthropogenic markers to track untreated sewage in an urban watershed with separate storm sewer system, under dry weather conditions. The main feature of these chemical markers is their degradation behavior at municipal wastewater treatment plants: some markers are completely removed (labile markers), whereas others show only partial or no removal at all (conservative markers). A set of ubiquitous chemical markers with practical analytical detection limits was selected to exploit the labile vs conservative distinction, and determine if untreated human sewage was discharged from stormwater outfalls. The presence of labile markers alone was not enough to confirm the occurrence of untreated sewage in stormwater outfalls. The concentration ratios between labile and conservative markers from several chemical groups (pharmaceuticals and personal care products, over-the-counter medications, artificial sweeteners, and human metabolites) created a chemical fingerprint of untreated sewage, and it was statistically demonstrated to track untreated human sewage in local stormwater outfalls. / Civil Engineering

BACKGROUND:The widespread utilization of organic compounds in modern society and their dispersion through wastewater have resulted in extensive contamination of source and drinking waters. The vast majority of these compounds are not regulated in wastewater outfalls or in drinking water while trace amounts of certain compounds can impact aquatic wildlife. Hence it is prudent to monitor these contaminants in water sources until sufficient toxicological data relevant to humans becomes available. A method was developed for the analysis of 36 trace organic contaminants (TOrCs) including pharmaceuticals, pesticides, steroid hormones (androgens, progestins, and glucocorticoids), personal care products and polyfluorinated compounds (PFCs) using a single solid phase extraction (SPE) technique with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The method was applied to a variety of water matrices to demonstrate method performance and reliability.RESULTS:UHPLC-MS/MS in both positive and negative electrospray ionization (ESI) modes was employed to achieve optimum sensitivity while reducing sample analysis time (<20min) compared with previously published methods. The detection limits for most compounds was lower than 1.0 picogram on the column while reporting limits in water ranged from 0.1 to 15ng/L based on the extraction of a 1L sample and concentration to 1mL. Recoveries in ultrapure water for most compounds were between 90-110%, while recoveries in surface water and wastewater were in the range of 39-121% and 38-141% respectively. The analytical method was successfully applied to analyze samples across several different water matrices including wastewater, groundwater, surface water and drinking water at different stages of the treatment. Among several compounds detected in wastewater, sucralose and TCPP showed the highest concentrations.CONCLUSION:The proposed method is sensitive, rapid and robust / hence it can be used to analyze a large variety of trace organic compounds in different water matrixes.

Purpose: to understand the tasks that health care aides (HCAs) are responsible for in a nursing home setting, and to understand which of these tasks HCAs feel are more important. Methods: In Phase 1, focus groups were conducted to validate the list of tasks and ensure HCAs could differentiate between them, according to task urgency, quality of care, and quality of life. During Phase 2, HCAs participated in a Delphi process to reach consensus on the relative importance of these tasks. Results: Participants reached consensus that 12 of 31 tasks were highly important according to task urgency. Of these, 10 were from the medical domain (e.g., skin care). Similar results were reached for the other definitions of importance. Conclusions: This study provides a framework for classifying HCA tasks into three domains (medical, social and indirect). Irrespective of the definition of importance used, medical tasks are consistently deemed as more important. / October 2016

[pt] Este estudo tem como principal objetivo identificar, dentro da indústria de Higiene Pessoal e Cosméticos, como as estratégias das empresas afetam o seu posicionamento e, principalmente, o seu desempenho. O período desta pesquisa compreende os anos de 2002 a 2006. Para atingir o objetivo principal, foram identificadas as principais dimensões estratégicas adotadas pelas firmas que operam no setor e a forma como competem. Utilizou-se, para este fim, uma base de dados composta de 41 firmas, contendo informações sobre o seu comportamento estratégico. Os dados foram obtidos através de pesquisas diretas na empresas. Para a avaliação, foram consideradas 14 variáveis estratégicas, 4 variáveis de desempenho e 5 variáveis de ambiente. A análise dos dados coletados foi realizada através de métodos estatísticos multivariados, tais como: análise de fator, análise de cluster e MANOVA. A presença de grupos estratégicos na indústria em questão foi criteriosamente avaliada. Os resultados obtidos nesta análise sugerem que a média das diferenças de desempenho em grupos estratégicos formados pode ser explicada em função das diferenças entre as decisões estratégicas de cada firma da amostra utilizada. / [en] The main goal of this study is to identify, within the Personal Care and Cosmetics industry, how companies strategies can affect their positioning and, specially, their performance. The study comprehended the period between 2002 and 2006. To reach the main goal of this work, strategic dimensions adopted by the companies were identified, as well as the form they compete. A database containing 41 companies and their strategic behaviors was obtained by applying direct questionnaires to the studied companies. Fourteen strategic variables, four performance variables and five environmental variables were considered. The collected data was evaluated through multivariate statistical methods, such as: factor analysis, cluster analysis and MANOVA. The presence of strategic groups was carefully analyzed. The results obtained from this analysis suggest that differences in the average performance of the formed strategic group can be explained by the different strategic decisions of each company in the utilized sample.

Abstract The purpose of the study was to examine how personal assistants experience their psychological contract and how the psychological contract was fulfilled against their supervisor or manager.A qualitative method was used and seven interviews were conducted with personal care assistants from various workplaces. The interviews were analysed with thematic analysis and resulted in five main themes. Expectations, personal but not private, what really stands in the contract, how people look at the profession and fulfilment. In conclusion, the main result was that the personal care assistants experienced that the internal psychological contract consisted of the relation to the supervisor or manager and the accessibility to the employer. The personal care assistants felt that the contents of the external psychological contract consisted of the work duties, employment security, working hours and the attractiveness of the profession. The majority of the respondents felt that the internal and external psychological contract was fulfilled. None of the respondents considered that the internal and external psychological contract was not fulfilled at all.

This qualitative exploratory research study examined the experiences of older women (over age 55) whose husbands had been admitted to a personal care home (PCH) in Winnipeg, Manitoba within the previous twelve (12) months. In-depth, semi-structured, one-on-one interviews were conducted with six (6) women. Socialist feminist and feminist caregiving theoretical frameworks along with narrative analysis were used gain insight into the participants’ needs surrounding their experiences of the admission. Findings include the fact that changes in women’s formal and informal supports began occurring years before their husbands’ admissions. The all-encompassing role as caregiver for their families continued to be central in their lives even after the admission. While women met their material and emotional needs through a range of formal and informal services, the participants were more likely to see needs met through informal means. Themes emerging from the research included those of guilt, entitlement, obligation, and reciprocity.