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This doctoral dissertation investigates the impact of incidental aesthetics on consumer perceptions. The author refers to incidental aesthetics in two dimensions. One is in the aesthetic properties of product context that is not directly related to its functional performance. And second is in the aesthetic attributes found in unexpected sources defined as ordinary objects, places, and people. Drawing on theories from aesthetics, psychology, and consumer behavior, this dissertation examines in two manuscripts how and why incidental aesthetics influence consumer evaluations. The first paper, 'Welded Together: How Responses to Incidental, Nondiagnostic Sensory Context (Mis)Guide Simultaneous Product Evaluations,' studies how evaluations of incidental aesthetics from a sensory experience with nondiagnostic product contextual cues are merged with the evaluations of the target product. The second paper, 'Consumer Attentiveness to Beauty in the Ordinary,' examines an understudied dimension of beauty. The construct of attentiveness to beauty in the ordinary is defined as the degree to which individuals mindfully identify and formulate an aesthetic judgment of common visual elements and integrate this mindset into their daily experiences. The authors develop a four-item Attentiveness to Beauty in the Ordinary Scale to measure the construct. Using a mixed-methods approach, combining a series of laboratory experiments and field studies from a diverse sample of consumers (Npaper1 = 49,435; Npaper2 = 2,051), the authors show in the first paper that unappealing (appealing) incidental sensory experiences lead to lower (higher) product evaluations, including perceived quality and purchase intention. The effect emerges when the incidental evaluation pertains to a dimension closely related to the product dimension being evaluated. In the second paper, the findings provide evidence of validity and reliability of the Attentiveness to Beauty in the Ordinary Scale, situate the scale in a network of related constructs such as appreciation of beauty, engagement with beauty, dispositional awe, voluntary simplicity, materialism, mindfulness, and subjective happiness, and demonstrate the predictive value of the scale for consumer perceptions and behavior. Specifically, people high (vs. low) in ordinary beauty attentiveness are less discriminating in aesthetic evaluations of ordinary elements, find higher product quality in naturally-aesthetic packaging, are less persuaded by endorsers' attractiveness, and are more likely to buy imperfect produce. This dissertation contributes to the literature on aesthetics and sensory marketing by revealing that aesthetic experiences that are not intentionally designed or not expected but naturally occur in consumption environments have a significant impact on consumer evaluations. The results have practical implications for marketers and designers, who can leverage the power of incidental aesthetics in marketing strategies to enhance product perceptions. Doctor of Philosophy This dissertation explores, across two papers, how natural aesthetic qualities found in things, people, places, or in product contexts, referred to as incidental aesthetics, can influence our perceptions and evaluations of products. In the first paper, the authors find a novel effect in which consumers "merge" aesthetic evaluations of incidental product context that do not affect the functionality of the product (e.g., bad/good music on headphones) with product evaluations they make at the same time (e.g., bad/good quality headphones). This effect occurs because people spontaneously mix the evaluation of the context (e.g., music sound) with the evaluation of a closely related product attribute (e.g., sound quality). In the second paper, the authors define attentiveness to beauty in the ordinary as a disposition that some people have of being more open to finding beauty when it is not expected (i.e., incidental aesthetics) and therefore seeing beauty more frequently in everyday situations than other people. The authors create a scale to measure this individual disposition and find that 1) people with high (vs. low) attentiveness to ordinary beauty see less of a difference in the beauty of elements high and low in aesthetics, 2) find higher product quality in naturally-aesthetic packaging, 3) are less persuaded by the attractiveness of an endorser in an advertisement, and 4) are more likely to buy aesthetically imperfect produce. Adding to existing research, the findings of both papers provide new insights into the impact of incidental aesthetics in consumption settings. Surprisingly, even when aesthetic experiences are not intentionally designed or expected to be found, they can still play a significant role in shaping consumer behavior. These findings have practical implications for marketers, who should consider the incidental aesthetics of their products and contexts to create a more positive experience for consumers, leading to higher product perceptions. Overall, this research suggests that the power of aesthetics in influencing behavior extends beyond what consumers consciously perceive or expect to find.

A s?ntese de ze?litas a partir de res?duos (cinza leve de carv?o) ? pertinente, j? que sua composi??o e forma??o fazem estes materiais atrativos para a aplica??o em v?rias ?reas, como no tratamento de efluentes industriais e na agricultura. O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar o carregamento de diferentes tipos de ze?litas (Na-P1, A e X), obtidas por diferentes processos de s?ntese, com macronutrientes (f?sforo e pot?ssio) atrav?s de solu??es sint?ticas e com efluente industrial, visando utilizar o material obtido como fertilizante. Para isto, foram realizados testes de adsor??o dos nutrientes, dessor??o, solubilidade, lixivia??o, peletiza??o e cultivo de flores do tipo Tagetes patula. Tamb?m foi realizada a modifica??o de ze?litas com melhor desempenho de adsor??o com CaCl2, FeCl3, LaCl3 a fim de aumentar a capacidade de adsor??o dos nutrientes. As ze?litas que apresentaram melhores desempenho de adsor??o foram as do tipo X (149 mg P-PO4/g ze?lita e 349 mg K/g ze?lita), produzidas por processo hidrot?rmico em escala piloto. O modelo cin?tico de adsor??o mais adequado foi o intraparticular e os dados de equil?brio foram melhores descritos pela isoterma de Freudhlich. A modifica??o do material resultou em aumentos de adsor??o em at? 4 vezes (625 mgP-PO4/g ze?lita) para PO4 e 2 vezes (427 mgK/gze?lita) para K, quando comparado com as ze?litas n?o modificadas. Os testes realizados com efluente industrial apresentaram alta remo??o (> 90%) dos nutrientes de interesse. Nos testes de solubiliza??o, as concentra??es de nutrientes liberados foram acima da exigida por legisla??o (68% para PO4-2 e 33 % para K2O) e os testes de lixivia??o em solo indicaram que a libera??o ? cont?nua, sendo maior nas primeiras horas de contato. O desenvolvimento da Tagete patula foi satisfat?rio, sendo que algumas dosagens resultaram em desempenhos melhores que com fertilizantes comerciais. Os testes de peletiza??o foram promissores, n?o sendo afetado propriedades qu?micas e cristalinas. Estes resultados indicam que o uso de ze?litas na adsor??o de nutrientes presente em efluente ? atrativo e que as condi??es para aplica??o do material como fertilizante s?o favor?veis. The synthesis of zeolites from residues (fly ash) is pertinent, since their composition and formation make these materials attractive for application in various areas, such as in the treatment of industrial effluents and in agriculture. The objective of this work was to carry out the loading of different types of zeolites (Na-P1, A and X), obtained by different synthesis processes, with macronutrients (phosphorus and potassium) through synthetic solutions and with industrial effluent, in order to use the material obtained as a fertilizer. For this, tests of nutrient adsorption, desorption, solubility, pelletization and cultivation of Tagetes patula type flowers were carried out. The modification of zeolites with better adsorption performance with CaCl2, FeCl3, LaCl3 was also carried out in order to increase the adsorption capacity of nutrients. The zeolites that showed the best adsorption performance were type X (149 mg P-PO4/g zeolite and 349 mg K/g zeolite), produced by hydrothermal process in pilot scale. The most adequate adsorption kinetic model was the intraparticular one and the equilibrium data were better described by the Freudhlich isotherm. The material modification resulted in adsorption increases of up to 4-times (625 mgP-PO4/g zeolite) for PO4 and 2-times (427 mgK/gzeolite) for K, when compared to unmodified zeolites. Tests performed with industrial effluent showed high removal (> 90%) of the nutrients of interest. In the solubilization tests, the released nutrient concentrations were above those required by legislation (68% for PO4-2 and 33% for K2O) and the soil leaching tests indicated that the release is continuous, being greater in the first hours of contact. The development of Tagete patula was satisfactory, with some dosages resulting in better performance than commercial fertilizers. Pelletization tests were promising, not affecting chemical and crystalline properties. These results indicate that the use of zeolites in the adsorption of nutrients present in effluent is attractive and that the conditions for applying the material as fertilizer are favorable. Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior - CAPES

A caracteriza??o do ar em minas subterr?neas de carv?o ? importante pois, permite avaliar quest?es voltadas a seguran?a de trabalho e ao meio ambiente. O presente estudo tem como objetivo determinar as concentra??es de metano (CH4) e di?xido de Carbono (CO2) ao longo do sistema de ventila??o de tr?s minas subterr?neas de carv?o (Minas A, B e C), localizadas na Jazida Sul Catarinense, no Sul do Brasil. O CH4 ? um g?s asfixiante e inflam?vel cuja concentra??o deve ser monitorada devido a seu risco de explosividade. O CO2, ? um g?s asfixiante e deve, assim como o CH4, ser monitorado. Ambos os gases s?o considerados gases de efeito estufa (GEE). Para a amostragem e posteriormente caracteriza??o dos gases, m?todos cromatogr?ficos foram testados e coletores foram validados. Os resultados indicaram que, para a estocagem das amostras de ar das minas, os frascos de borosilicato com septos de borracha but?lica e capa protetora de PTFE/Silicone (AV_BR) tiveram melhor desempenho. Os dois m?todos cromatogr?ficos estudados permitem a an?lise dos gases, cada qual com suas restri??es. As maiores concentra??es de CH4 (1,8%) encontram-se em ?reas de forte emana??o desse g?s na Mina A, abaixo do limite de explosividade (5%). Por outro lado, os limites de exposi??o (3.900 ppm e 5.000 ppm) para o CO2 foram ultrapassados (6.086 ppm) nas ?reas de emana??o, indicando a necessidade de aumento do n?vel de ventila??o nestes locais. Na mina que apresenta maiores emiss?es (mina A) as estimativas variaram de 173 t CH4 /ano (M?todo 3) a 3.984 t CH4 /ano (M?todo 1). A aplica??o da metodologia alternativa (M?todo 3) permitiu a estimativa pioneira de emiss?es diretas de CO2 indicando contribui??es de 27 a 77% para as emiss?es totais dos GEE pelas minas estudadas. Sendo assim, cabe ressaltar que os resultados obtidos nesse estudo s?o uma tentativa de aprimorar essas estimativas. Por?m, para melhorar a precis?o dos invent?rios, um maior n?mero de amostragens deve ser feito abrangendo todas as minas em opera??o no pa?s. A characterization of the air in underground coal mines is important because it allows the issues focused on safety at work and the environment. The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) along the ventilation system of three underground coal mines (Minas A, B and C) located in Jazida Sul Catarinense in the South CH4 is an asphyxiant and flammable gas that needs to be monitored because of its explosive risk. CO2 is a choking gas and should, like CH4, be monitored. Both are greenhouse gases (GHG). For sampling and subsequent characterization of the gases, chromatographic methods were tested and collectors were validated. The results indicated that, for storage of air samples from the mines, borosilicate bottles with butyl rubber septa and PTFE / Silicone protective cap (AV_BR) performed better. The two chromatographic methods studied the analysis of gases, each with its restrictions. The highest concentrations of CH4 (1.8%) are in areas of strong gas emanation at Mine A, below the explosive limit (5%). Therefore, exposure limits (3,900 ppm and 5,000 ppm) for CO2 were exceeded (6,086 ppm) in the emanation areas, indicating a need to increase the level of ventilation at these sites. (Mine A) as varied estimates of 173 t CH4 / year (Method 3) at 3,984 t CH4 / year (Method 1). The application of the alternative methodology (Method 3) allowed a pioneer estimation of direct CO2 emissions, indicating contributions of 27 to 77% for total GHG emissions for mines studied. Therefore, it should be emphasized that the results obtained in this study are an attempt to improve these estimates. However, to improve the accuracy of inventories, more sampling should be done covering all mines in operation in the country. Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior - CAPES