Abundância e distribuição sazonal de espécies autóctones de camarões peneídeos no canal de abastecimento do sistema primar de aquicultura orgânica (Laguna de Guaraíras, Tibau do Sul, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil)

Guaraíras lagoon, located in Tibau do Sul in the eastern littoral of Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil), presents a permanent connection to the sea, which guarantees the occurrence of a rich biodiversity, which includes the autochthonous shrimp species Litopenaeus schmitti, Farfantepenaeus subtilis and Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis. In spite of being subject to a strong human intervention in the last decade, mainly related to the installation of shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) farms, the lagoon is still scarcely studied. The present study aims at characterizing the populations of the three autochthonous penaeid shrimp species inhabiting Guaraíras, taking into consideration their abundance and seasonal distribution in the inflow channel of Primar System of Organic Aquaculture (Tibau do Sul, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil). Twelve monthly samples were carried out from May 2005 to April 2006 with the aid of a circular cast net in the inflow channel, which is daily supplied with water from Guaraíras. Sampling months were grouped in trimesters according to the total pluviosity, thus comprising four trimesters. Water salinity was monitored twice a week and temperature values registered on a daily basis at noon, during the study period. The daily pluviosity data from the municipality of Tibau do Sul were supplied by Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária do Rio Grande do Norte (EMPARN). Collected shrimp were identified, weighted, measured and sexed. L. schmitti specimens (0.2 g to 17.8 g) were distributed in 1.3 g weight classes intervals. From the eighth sampling month (December 2005) onwards, males were classified into three categories, in accordance with the development of their petasm: (a) rudimentary petasm, (b) partially formed petasm, and (c) completely formed petasm. Among the ecological variables, rainfall showed the greatest dispersion (s.d.=187.74Rainfall and abundance of L. schmitti were negatively correlated (r = -0.85) whereas its abundance and water salinity were positively correlated (r = 0.63). Among 1,144 collected individuals, 1,127 were L. schmitti, 13 were F. subtilis and 4 were F. brasiliensis, which corresponded to 98.51%, 1.14% and 0.35% of the total of collected individuals. L. schmitti occurred in 100 % of all samples. Differently, the presence of F. subtilis and F. brasiliensis was restricted to 33% and 17% of the collected samples, respectively. The present study confirmed the occurrence of L. schmitti, F. brasiliensis and F. subtilis in Guaraíras. However, this lagoon seems to be primarily inhabited by juvenile Litopenaeus schmitti. The population of L. schmitti analysed showed a seasonal pattern of distribution. In general, in the months of high salinity and absence of rain, the number of individuals was higher than in the wet months. Further studies on the reproductive biology and ecology of L. schmitti, F. brasiliensis and F. subtilis may elucidate questions referring to the abundance, period, and phase of occurrence of these shrimp genera in Guaraíras. Finally, the risks associated to the establishment of L. vannamei in the lagoon provide a novel outlet for studies in this biotope

Ecologia reprodutiva do peixe-donzela, Stegastes fuscus cuvier, 1830 (osteichthyes: pomacentridae) em arrecifes rochosos da praia de Búzios, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil

The reproductive ecology of fish plays a key role both for rational exploitation methods and for protective measures of natural stocks. The purpose of this study was to analyze the reproductive aspects of the damsel-fish, Stegastes fuscus, during October 2004 to September 2005, in the coastal rocky reefs of Búzios Beach, Nísia Floresta, RN. Fish were captured using hooks and hand nets, during low tide. Reproduction was determined using sexual ratio, mean length of first maturation (L50), absolute fecundity and macroscopic characteristics of gonads. The following parameters were related to gonadosomatic index (GSI): condition factor (CF), hepatosomatic index (HSI), rain fall and temperature. In relation to sex distribution, it was observed that 78% were females and 22% were males. The L50 was 6.2 cm for females and 7.0 for males. Average fecundity was 6832 oocytes. Results showed that S. fuscus had better body condition in the months prior to spawning, particularly during initial and intermediate stages of maturation. Five stages of gonadal maturation were identified through macroscopic analysis: immature, in maturation, mature, spent and resting. The HSI was inversely related to the GSI. This was possibly due to the reproductive cycle of this species which was associated to the dry period of this region. During this period, low rain fall and high temperatures provide an propitious reproductive condition for the study species

Atividade física e outros fatores associados à função sexual em mulheres de meia idade

Este estudo teve por objetivo avaliar os fatores associados à disfunção sexual em mulheres de meia idade. Realizou-se um estudo descritivo transversal, que compreendeu 370 mulheres, entre 40 a 65 anos, atendidas nas Unidades Básicas de Saúde de cada distrito sanitário (Norte, Sul, Leste e Oeste) da cidade de Natal, no estado do Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil. Para avaliar a função sexual utilizou-se o Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). A sintomatologia climatérica foi avaliada por meio do Menopause Rating Scale (MRS). O Índice de Blatt-Kupperman (IMBK) foi utilizado para avaliação quantitativa global da ocorrência de sintomas/queixas. A atividade física foi avaliada pelo questionário International Physical Activity Questionnaire - IPAQ (versão curta). A avaliação da qualidade de vida geral se deu pelo WHOQOL-Bref. A análise estatística foi realizada utilizando o programa estatístico MINITAB version16. Além de análises descritivas das variáveis categorizadas, utilizou-se o teste qui-quadrado de Person com o intuito de verificar possíveis associações entre as variáveis sociodemográficas, comportamentais, clínicas, níveis de atividade física, sintomatologia climatérica, qualidade de vida e a função sexual das mulheres estudadas. Desenvolveu-se a regressão logística para verificar a influência dessas variáveis sobre a disfunção sexual. Considerou-se o nível de significância de 5% para todos os testes. Os resultados mostraram que a média de idade das mulheres estudadas foi de 49,8 (±8,1) anos. Do total dessas mulheres, 67% apresentaram disfunção sexual. Observou-se que 54,5% delas se encontravam na pré-menopausa. Avaliando a influência das variáveis sobre a função sexual; faixa etária (56-65) (p<0,001), estado civil (divorciada/separada) (p < 0,001), escolaridade (baixa) (p=0,017), menopausa (p < 0,001), histerectomia (p = 0,016), nível de atividade física (sedentária) (p=0,002), sintomas do climatério (forte) (p<0,001) e qualidade de vida (baixa) (p<0,001), estiveram associados à disfunção sexual em mulheres de meia idade. Concluiu-se neste estudo que fatores sociodemográficos, clínicos, comportamentais, níveis de atividade física, sintomatologia climatérica e qualidade de vida influenciam significativamente a função sexual na mulher de meia idade

Escola para os filhos dos outros: trajetória histórica da escola industrial de Natal (1942-1968)

This paper presents a reconstruction of the historical trajectory of the Escola Industrial de Natal (Industrial School of Natal), in the period 1942 to 1968, based on the analysis of its cultural, social and pedagogical characteristics in a process in which its educational practices and the individuals who constructed them were getting involved in their actions. In this sense, the concepts of memory and school culture occupied a central place to understand the elements that characterized its administrative and pedagogical organization such as, for example, its curriculum, aims, disciplinary rules, clientele, teachers, leaders and the configuration of the institutional power. Designed to meet the demands of an industrial process that has strengthened in the country, throughout its history, the Escola Industrial de Natal was becoming a space predominantly occupied by individuals, from economically disadvantaged social groups in society, in search of a professional training that would guarantee them the exercise of a profession. The time frame from 1942 to 1968 allowed us to verify the changes caused by the Organic Law of Industrial Education of 1942, and the Law number 3.552, from 1959, in the organizational structure of this school. In this context, a characteristic that was evident was the purpose of making it flow between the students the love for the country, the respect for civic values and the belief that industrial education would be able to boost the country's development, an aspect that reached a bigger dimension from the 1950 s. Marked the disciplinary character of this institution the control over the actions of individuals, developed through its multiple educational practices in specific areas and in the predetermined time, under the constant gaze of those who participated, in some from, in driving this process. On the other hand, the vocational and human training, provided to students, allowed new opportunities for social integration, not only in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, but also in other regions of Brazil. Conversely, during his career, the Escola Industrial de Natal has remained being seen as an organized institution, with good teachers, but intended for the children of others

O Tratamento com a fluoxetina (mas não com outros farmacos antidepressivo e ansioíiticos) reverte o déficit de memória aversiva causado por estresse agudo de contenção em camundongos

The physiologist H. Selye defined stress as the nonspecific response of the body to any factors that endanger homeostasis (balance of internal environment) of the individual. These factors, agents stressors, are able to activate the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, thus resulting in the physiological responses to stress by the release of glucocorticoids that leads to psychophysiological changes, including effects on cognitive functions such as learning and memory. When this axis is acutely stimulated occurs a repertoire of behavioral and physiological changes can be adaptive to the individual. Notwithstanding, when the HPA axis is chronically stimulated, changes may favor the development of, such as anxiety disorders. Some drugs used in the clinic for the treatment of anxiety disorders these can exert effects on cognitive function, on the HPA axis and on the anxiety. In this context, the aim of our study was to investigate the effects of administration i.p. acute of diazepam (DZP, 2 mg/kg), buspirone (BUS, 3 mg/kg), mirtazapine (MIR, 10 mg/kg) and fluoxetine (FLU, 10 mg/kg) in male mice submitted to acute restraint stress, and evaluated using plus-maze discriminative avoidance task (PMDAT), which simultaneously evaluates parameters such as learning, memory and anxiety. Our results demonstrated that (1) the administration of DZP and BUS, but not FLU, promoted anxiolytic effects in animals; (2) administration mirtazapine caused sedative effect to animals; (3) in the training session, the animals treated with BUS, MIR and FLU learned the task, on the other hand DZP group showed impairment in learning; (4) in the test session, animals treated with DZP, BUS, and MIR showed deficits in relation to discrimination between the enclosed arms, aversive versus non-aversive arm, demonstrating an impairment in memory, however, animals treated with FLU showed no interference in the retrieval of this memory; (5) acute stress did not interfere in locomotor activity, anxiety, or learning on the learning task, but induced impairment in retrieval memory, and the group treated with FLU did not demonstrated this deficit of memory . These results suggest that acute administration of drugs with anxiolytic and antidepressant activity does not interfere with the learning process this aversive task, but impair its retrieval, as well as the acute restraint stress. However, the antidepressant fluoxetine was able to reverse memory deficits promoted by acute stress, which may suggest that modulation, even acutely serotonergic neurotransmission, by selectively inhibiting the reuptake of this neurotransmitter, interferes on the process of retrieval of an aversive memory

Relação entre a cárie precoce da infância com o índice de Apgar e outros fatores de risco

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the association of early childhood caries (ECC) with the Apgar score (AS) and other variables related to the child (conditions at birth and medical history) and related to the child and parents and / or guardians and family (demographic, socioeconomic and behavioral). One hundred and twenty healthy children aged between 3-5 years-old treated by Pediatric Dentistry Area of Dentistry College of the Federal University of Uberlandia during 2015 were selected. To obtain qualitative and quantitative variables a questionnaire was applied as an interview to the parents and/or guardians. The 5-minute AS (interest exposure) was obtained through the record in the Child Health Handbook. To assess the prevalence of caries (clinical dependent variable), a single calibrated researcher conducted the clinical examination, according to the criteria of the World Health Organization. Caries experience was measured using the indexes dmft and dmfs. The children were classified into three groups, according to age and dmfs index: no caries (NC), with ECC and with severe early childhood caries (S-ECC). Data were tabulated and submitted to statistical analysis using the SPSS software (IBM, Inc, Chicago, Illinois, USA) 17th version. Three logistics models were carried out having the following classifications: NC and ECC, NC and S-ECC, ECC and S-ECC (p<0.05). The overall ECC prevalence, considering children with ECC and S-ECC, was 55,8% (n= 67). The AS was not a statistically significant variable. The child’s age, weaning age and recent hospitalization were variables associated with the ECC prevalence. The age of brush start and the educational level of the mother were variables associated with the S-ECC prevalence. Considering the ECC and the S-ECC groups, the child's age and the beginning of the use of fluoride toothpaste, recent hospitalization, the educational level of the mother and the father's income were associated with the S-ECC prevalence. Considering the methodology employed and the analysis of results, it was concluded that there was no association between the ECC with the AS in healthy children. However, an association was found of ECC and S-ECC with some variables related to birth and to medical history of the child (recent hospitalization), demographic (child’s age), socioeconomic (educational level of the mother and father's income) and behavioral (age of brush start, weaning age and use of fluoride toothpaste) related to children and to the parents and/or guardians.

O efeito da terapia comportamental para enurese sobre outros problemas de comportamento

O objetivo do estudo foi investigar o efeito do tratamento para enurese sobre os escores de outros problemas de comportamento. Foram coletadas as informações de 97 prontuários de crianças e adolescentes atendidos no período de 2002 a 2006 em uma clínica-escola de psicologia, em programa específico para enurese com uso do alarme de urina. Os dados sobre problemas de comportamento foram avaliados por meio do Child Behavior Checklist, respondido pelas mães antes e depois do tratamento. Foi encontrada uma redução significativa nos escores de problemas de comportamento, independentemente do sucesso ou não no tratamento para enurese.

Perfil dos bolsistas de produtividade do Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) na área de Medicina Veterinária

No presente estudo, submeteram-se dados da população de bolsistas de produtividade do Comitê de Medicina Veterinária do Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) ao cálculo de índices cientométricos, em um esforço para avaliar o perfil de pesquisadores de diferentes níveis perante vários parâmetros. Outras variáveis, como o local de formação, gênero, local de trabalho e formação de recursos humanos foram também anotados e avaliados. Há uma clara predominância do gênero masculino (72,37%), os quais se encontram em sua grande maioria radicados nas regiões Sul e Sudeste do país. A maioria dos bolsistas concluiu seu doutorado no Brasil. Dentre os parâmetros de produção analisados, a formação de recursos humanos é alta em todos os níveis; dentre as variáveis cientométricas, os índices de citações e o índice h são decrescentes do nível mais alto (PQ-1A) ao nível 2; todavia, a variação intragrupos é muito alta para estes e outros derivado do índice h. Uma modificação do índice H, o índice AWCR, em que o cálculo leva em conta a idade dos artigos publicados e citados, parece mais adequado à estratificação dos bolsistas. No âmbito geral, estudos deste tipo poderiam ser repetidos no médio prazo com vistas a aprimorar as fórmulas de ranqueamento de bolsistas.

A gestão da organização social no contexto da reforma do estado no Brasil: o caso ABTLus (LNL/CNPq)

The present work has as its basic purpose observing the principal administrative changes originated from the implementation of the Social Organization Project, inserted in the recent administrative reforms in Brazil, proposed from the Director Plan of the State Reform and approved by the National Congress in November of 1995. In the course of the text will be presented the main factors of the transformation from a bureaucratic public administration to a managerial public administration, specifically focusing the change from a Government Organization to a Social Organization. To reach the proposed objective, a case study of the Brazilian Association of Light Sincrotron Technology - ABTLuS, that represented the first Social Organization installed in Brazil, responsible for the management of the National Laboratory of Light Sincrotron - LNLS, under form of administration contract signed with Nationl Research Council - CNPq and Science and Technology Ministry - MCT. Initially, was developed the theoretical framework, based on the existent literature. Proceeding, field researches were realized in the cities of Campinas - SP, in Brasília - DF and in Rio de Janeiro - RJ. As a consequence of the accomplished work, it was possible to observe that the implementation of the SO administrative model brought more administrative flexibility for the qualified institution. This fact induced to gains of agility and efficiency, with more responsibilities, for the leaders as well as for the employees of ABTLuS. As for the other two important items consisted in the Director Plan, related with the cultural change (from bureaucratic to managerial) and with the social control (larger interaction in the relationship State-society), it is important to stand out the need of a larger time for evaluation, considering that the LNLS presents peculiar characteristics (subject approached in the work). The Social Organization ABTLuS counts with a little more than two years of administration contract, therefore the process is still in course.

Cooperação e competição entre políticas no Brasil: os cursos da governabilidade no presidencialismo da catalização

Public policies have been studied in the various fields of humanities and social sciences, from different theoretical and technical aspects. However, there is still a lack of studies that incorporate the dimension that encompasses the political action and its interference in such actions, also recognizing the importance of the institutional setting of the Brazilian presidential model in implementing these policies. This fragmented and multiparty system has led to power heterogeneous sets of political parties. Thus, the ministerial offices, more than assisting the President´s government project, manage particularized agendas, which are party biased and have the influence of interest groups in hegemonic themes addressed by government agencies. When these agendas operate in sectoral and specialized policies, the friction level is apparently low. However, when this occurs in intersectoral actions, such as in regional development, there is evidence of strong signs of competition among government agencies, which in theory, should operate in an integrated manner. Although this is not a specific feature of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva´s government- the period to be studied- there was similar behavior in Fernando Henrique Cardoso´s presidency, one realizes that the expansion of coalition on behalf of governance is increasingly interfering in the outcome of intersectoral public policies, due to these multiple arguments in action. In order to understand these processes, this study focused on the Sustainable and Integrated Development Programme for Differentiated Meso-Regions (PROMESO), part of the National Policy for Regional Development (NPRD). The program provides interface with various government agencies and their public policies in a clear intersectoral design. The research sought to identify and analyze the relationships between government agencies and their programs with interest groups, whether political parties or other segments of civil society, highlighting the logic of favoritism, which poses in second place the integration of actions in the intersectoral policies. Therefore, besides the theoretical debate that incorporates several categories of political science, public administration, public policy, geography and economics, the study focused on secondary sources, using different government agencies databases in order to raise information. It was observed that the interference of partisan politics has been disastrous for some public policies. Thus, the research confirms that cooperative character is fragile within government agencies, often limited to official documents, and that there is indeed, a striking feature of competition, especially when it comes to transversalized policies

Programa de aquisição de alimentos (2003-2010): avaliação da implementação pela CONAB no Rio Grande do Norte

This thesis aimed to evaluate the implementation of the Food Acquisition Program(PAA) through CONAB RN in the period of 2003-2010 with the perception of all agents involved in the implementation of the government program.For the methodological trajectory it was adopted a descriptive bibliographical and documentary approach with triangular qualitative and quantitative, also called evaluative research.The theoretical model was supported by the authors Draibe (2001), Aguilar and Ander-Egg (1994) and Silva(2001), among others, that focused on family farming and evaluation of implementation of public policy having as a category of analysis the size implementation of policy and the latter divided into 10 theoretical dimensions.The universe consisted of three groups: the first were the managers and technicians from CONAB(RN and Brasilia), totaling 15 subjects. The second group was of associations/cooperatives that participated in the programin 2010, totaling a sample in each access of 15 representatives. The third group of subjects totaled with 309 representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations that received donations of food for the same period. Semi-structured interviews and forms were adopted as instruments of data collection.The data were processed qualitatively by the analysis of content (interviews and documents) and quantitatively by means of statistical tests that allowed inferences and adoption of frequencies. Among the key find ingests that the program is not standing as a structure supported by planning. The interests of the performers do not necessarily converge with the objectives of the Food Acquisition Program (PAA). A shockof goals was identified (within the same program) when comparingthe financial agent (Ministry of Rural Development and of Social Development and Fight Against Hunger Ministry r) and the executor, CONAB/RN. Within the assessed dimensions, the most fragileis the sub-managerial decision-making and Organizational Environment and internal assessment, still deserves attention the sizeof logistical and operational Subsystem, as this also proved weak.The focusin the quest toexpand thequantificationof the resultsof theFood Acquisition Program (PAA)by CONAB/RN does forget a quality management focused on what really should be:the compliance with the institutional objectives of the government program.Finally, the perspective for the traded implementation should be re-examined because excessive discretion by managers along with technical staff has characterized there al role of the Food Acquisition Program (PAA) as public policy. We conclude that the implementation model, which apparently aggregates values to the benefitted citizens, has weakened the context of work on family farms having the management model of the implementation process be reviewed by the Federal Government and point too ther paths, which have as a guide line the emancipation and developmentof the field or in the field andat the same time enables the reduction of nutritional deficiency of beneficiaries in a balanced and coherent way

Análise da eficiência de contratos de serviços de elevada especificidade terceirizados pela petrobras

The definition of the boundaries of the firms is subject that has occupied the organizational theorists long ago, being the seminal work of Coase (1937) indicated as the trigger for one theoretical evolution, with emphasis on governance structures, which led to a modern theory of incomplete contracts. The Transaction Cost Economics (TCE) and Agency Theory arise within this evolution, being widely used in studies related to the theme. Empirically, data envelopment analysis (DEA) has established itself as a suitable tool for analysis of efficiency. Although TCE argues that specific assets must be internalized, recent studies outside the mainstream of theory show that, often, firms may decide, for various reasons, hire them on the market. Researches on transaction costs face with the unavailability of information and methodological difficulties in measuring their critical variables. There`s still the need for further methodological deepening. The theoretical framework includes classic works of TCE and Agency Theory, but also more recent works, outside the mainstream of TCE, which warn about the existence of strategies in use of specific assets that aren`t necessarily aligned with the classical ideas of TCE. The Brazilian oil industry is the focus of this thesis, that aimed to evaluate the efficiency of contracts involving high specificity service outsourced by Petrobras. In order to this, we made the categorization of outsourced services in terms of specificity, as well the description of services with higher specificity. Then, we verified the existence of relationship between the specificity of services and a number of variables, being found divergent results than those that are preached by the mainstream of TCE. Then, we designed a DEA model to analyze the efficiency in the use of onshore drilling rigs, identified among the services of highest specificity. The next step was the application of the model to evaluate the performance of drilling rigs contracts. Finally, we verified the existence of relationship between the efficiency of contracts and a number of variables, being found, again, results not consistent with the theory mainstream. Regarding to analyze of efficiency of drilling rigs contracts, the model developed is compatible with what is found in academic productions in efficiency of drilling rigs. The results on efficiency show a wide range of scores, with efficiencies ranging from 31.79% to 100%, being low the sample efficiency average. There is consonance between the model results and the practices adopted by Petrobras. The results strengthen the DEA as an important tool in studies of efficiency with possibility to use for analysis other types of contracts. In terms of theoretical findings, the results reinforce the arguments that there are situations in which the strategies of the organizations, in terms of use of assets and services of high specificity, do not necessarily follow what is recommended by the mainstream of TCE

Empreendedorismo e Cultura: um estudo sobre empreendedores estrangeiros no RN

This present study analyses the relationship between national culture and entrepreneurship, in order to contribute in understanding the impact and the influence of Brazilian culture under the business practices of foreign entrepreneur on the tourism area of Rio Grande do Norte state. Researchers in entrepreneurship field, such as Schumpeter (2005), Weber (2006), McClelland (1972), Murphy, Liao, Welsch (2006), Peyrefitte (1999), Blanchflower (1988), Filion (2000), among others, and in the national culture, high-lighting Caldas and Woods (1999), Hofstede (1997) and Barros and Prates (1996), are put together to create a starting point to this present research, that reaches out for a differential approach, in order to create a correlation between Brazilian culture and the foreign entrepreneur, who chose Rio Grande do Norte state to live and invest. It was observed that in the case of the Switzerland entrepreneur, where the cultural difference is more strong, either in Hofstede's perspective than in Brazilian s authors, the management practices are more negatively affected. The rationalization adopted by the entrepreneur and the employee s logic are in battle in a day-to-day operation of the company. In the case of the Argentinean entrepreneur, the cultural difference exists, but it does not impact as much, because of her personal characteristics and the similarities of Latin culture than surfaces the differences. Finally, this study showed the necessity of analyzing the enterprising regarding the cultural issue, in a way to highlight the different rationalities in different atmospheres where it is practiced the enterprise

A formação e o desenvolvimento de arranjos cooperativos sob a ótica da imersão social e da economia dos custos de transação: um estrudo de caso na Coopercam e na Unipesca

The current study analyzes the birth and development of two strategic alliances established between shrimp producers in Rio Grande do Norte: the Unipesca and the Coopercam. To achieve this aim, two approaches which, at first sight, could be considered contradictory were used: the Transactional Costs Economy and Embeddedness. The first approach is fundamentally based in the studies of Williamson (1985; 1991; 1996; 1999; 2000; 2002). Embededness, on the other hand, went through the review of a series of authors, such as Burt (1992), Granovetter (1973; 1985), Uzzi (1997), Gulati (1994; 1995; 1997; 1998; 1999; 2000), Nielsen (2005), Ring (2002), Ring and Van de Ven (1994), Zafirovski (2002), among others. To analyze the birth and development of the cooperatives in this study, Gulati s work (1998) was used. This study shows the steps to be studied for a better comprehension of an alliance: the decision of starting an alliance and the choice of the partners, the decision about the governance structure, the evolution of the alliance and the development of the companies which established this partnership. To carry this study out, a study case accordingly to Yin s proposal (2001) was adopted. Semi-structured interviews with pre-defined plots were conducted in two phases: in the beginning of 2006 and in the beginning of 2007. The subjects from the research were, in 2006, representative members of the main associations and corporations, besides the shrimp producers from the state, when the context of the activity was set. In the second phase, in 2007, representative members from the two cooperatives that were listed above were interviewed the president from Coopercam and the marketing manager from Unipesca. Besides these two members, directors from two important organizations in each of these cooperatives were also interviewed, giving out the necessary information for the research. Secondary data was also collected from the Brazilian Association of Crab producers website, as well as from news from important newspapers in RN, such as Tribuna do Norte. The primary data was analyzed in terms of quality, accordingly to the documental analysis technique. Thus, through the data that was collected, it can be concluded that the reasons that motivated the companies to cooperate can be explained in terms of the transactional costs economy. However, the choice of partners is more connected to aspects approached by the social embededness. When aspects related to development and evolution were analyzed, it could be seen that both aspects from TCE and Embededness were vital to explain the development of the cooperatives mentioned

Cultura organizacional e qualidade dos serviços turísticos :um estudo no setor de restaurantes

The present study seeks to describe the features and peculiarities of the relationship between organizational culture and the quality of tourism services, specifically in the restaurant sector, attempting to contribute toward maintaining the tourism sector of the city of Natal/RN. Thus, a descriptive and correlational study, with qualitative and quantitative approaches, of thirty-seven restaurants that are located in areas that compose the tourism corridor of Natal was undertaken. To collect the quantitative dada, the Organizational Culture Evaluation instrument of Cameron and Quinn (2006) was applied and the SERVPERF instrument of Cronin and Taylor (1992) was used to measure the quality of the services. The results suggest that the Clan and Innovation Cultures are associated with better levels of quality of services than those of the Market and Hierarchy Cultures. The relationships that were identified in this study are consistent with results found in other studies and the information reported here can serve as a basis for managers of the restaurant sector to reach excellence in their services, satisfying their customers and contributing to maintaining the tourism sector