Analise SWOT do gerenciamento de resíduos do coco verde em duas agroindústrias do estado do Rio Grande do Norte

In the current conjuncture, the environmental factor has been changing the position of companies that are practicing or minimally adopting environmental management. Such tool has been used by companies to face the problems caused by solid waste, in particular green coconut waste, which is constantly among the material discarded by society (companies/ consumer). It is a typical tropical fruit whose fresh water is very benefic for human health, and its popularization has caused a progressive increase of its consumption. Following this stream of thought, this present work came up with an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities SWOT analysis on green coconut solid waste management at two agribusiness companies in the state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN), Brazil, aiming to know the challenges and the potentials of this kind of waste. According to the approach of the problem, this work fits a descriptive, exploratory, and qualitative research. The data collection was obtained by a questionnaire and a structured interview, in order to evaluate the strategic posture of agribusiness companies through SWOT analysis, which is an English acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. The SWOT analysis is an effective tool to analyze the internal and external environment of an organization. This tool contributes to locate the company at the environment in question and when well applied it enables the detection of mistakes, the strengthening of correct procedures, the avoidance of threats, and the bet on opportunities. The studied agribusiness industries have very similar profiles, such as a long business life span, and a strategy that extends the useful life of the fruit, by using its waste for the manufacturing of new subproducts. In both, the daily quantity of waste resulted of this process reaches approximately 20 thousand units of the fruit in high season, being necessary a focus directed at use and/or treatment of these waste. Further to SWOT analysis, it was ascertained that the agribusiness company A works through a defensive marketing strategy and acts vulnerably, in other words, unable of acting before this market segment, for it has decided to stop using the waste due to a lack of equipment and technology. On the other hand, the agribusiness company B has incorporated an offensive marketing strategy because even not possessing equipments, technology, and appropriated internal installations, it still insists on use and benefits of green coconut waste in its agribusiness. Thus, it is considered that the potential of green coconut waste management for the production of several subproducts reduces the impacts produced by inappropriate placement and generates profits in a short, medium and long term. Such profits being tangible and intangible, as the interest for sustainability actions is not only a matter of obtaining return on capital, but it is an important question in order to move on into business, since it is not enough to have quality on products and process nowadays. It is necessary to establish socio-environmental practices aiming the image of the company as the prevailing role on consumers buying decision

Benefícios e dificuldades na adoção de um sistema de gestão da qualidade no Rio Grande do Norte

Taking competitive advantage or satisfy the client are the reasons why companies have been implementing a Quality Management System (QMS). It brings benefits such as the improvement in the processes, products and services; an enhancement in the image of the company (marketing) and satisfaction of the clients. As a whole, this paper aims to evaluate the results obtained from the implementation of the QMS in the certified companies in the ISO 9001 standard, contained in the database of INMETRO, of the Rio Grande do Norte State (RN). In order to achieve the goals, a bibliographical research about the theme quality management system was made and, subsequently a survey was made with the managers of the certified companies in RN, using the online questionnaire. Out of 27 companies that have the certificate in Rio Grande do Norte, 21 responded the data collection instrument. The data analysis was made through techniques of descriptive and multivariate statistics: cluster analysis. The research instrument used contained 20 questions that address the main theme of this dissertation. Using the cluster analysis, four groupings that possessed similarities concerning the survey answers were found. This analysis allowed us to conclude that the QMS boosts significant improvements in the organizations, such as: quality in the reputation of the company and sales increase. On the other hand, it allowed us to identify as main difficulties: the dissemination of the quality culture, lack of commitment of the whole organization and the resistance of the workers

A percepção da fiscalização dos contratos de mão de obra terceirizada pelos agentes envolvidos nesse processo no âmbito da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte: uma análise sob o modelo do principal-agente

Outsourcing has emerged as one of the new ways of guiding the work. For its advantages and be consistent with the paradigms of managerial reform, outsourcing also started to be used in the Public Administration. However, taking into account the particularities of the latter, some issues are relevant when outsourcing concluded with the State. Gains notoriety, for example, the step of monitoring these contracts, to the extent that, from this activity, we can avoid the negative effects of outsourcing like the fact that the state will pay for labor and wage liens that are obligation of the company providing the services. This study aims to understand the perception that this process is under the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, from the point of view of different stakeholders, also explaining the motivations that these agents have to perform the supervisory process. As a theoretical basis was used the Agency Theory, which reinforces the supervisory activities as a necessary means to minimize moral hazard and adverse selection, seeking to understand not only the different motivations tax contracts to properly perform their duties, but also analyze other phenomena arising from this contractual relationship. To achieve the proposed objectives, were taken a literature review and a presentation of how to organize the management and oversight of contracts in UFRN. The methodological procedures included questionnaires and interviews with those involved in the process. After analyzing the results obtained in the survey instruments , and also based on the laws, regulations and instructions governing the procurement process within the UFRN, it was concluded that the process of overseeing the outsourcing of labor contracts in UFRN is not fully institutionalized, some points should be strengthened in order to have the consolidation of this process, highlighting the need for training of UFRN servers that act as tax, the knowledge that the contractual penalties are applied effectively, the need that there is a supervisor of tax of contractors and also the realization of the rotation system of outsourced employees

Abrindo espaços: os paulistas na formação da capitania do Rio Grande do Norte

The "paulistas", or be, the pioneers of the town of São Paulo of Piratininga, were hired by the Portuguese Crown as instrument of repression and social control between the centuries XVII and XVIII, were involved in conflicts of the Captainships of the North of the State of Brazil after expulsion of the West of Indian Company. That moment corresponds to the beginning of the conquest of the sertão , and of the consequent resistances offered by the Indians of the interior of the continent that barred the Portuguese colonial project. The colonial sertão was understood as all area outside of the Portuguese jurisdiction, in contrary condition to the Sugary zone. In such events, the labor of the "paulistas" was employed by the rights to his abilities in traversing the weeds. With that, we are going to detach the participation of the "paulistas" during and after the called "Guerra dos Bárbaros" in the captainship of Rio Grande, as well as the output of that space from the establishment of the groups that were mobilized for the conflict

Snake assemblage in a disturbed grassland environment in Rio Grande do Sul State, southern Brazil: Population fluctuations of Liophis poecilogyrus and Pseudablabes agassizii

A mark-recapture study of a snake assemblage using pitfall traps with drift fences was carried out in a disturbed grassland environment (e.g. cattle breeding and cultivations), located in the Pampa Biome, in the central region of the Rio Grande do Sul State, southern Brazil. From February 2001 to January 2004 we caught 272 snakes belonging to 20 species from the following families: Elapidae (5%), Viperidae (10%), and Colubridae (85%). The assemblage had a unimodal seasonal pattern of activity, and the highest number of captures occurred between September and May. There was a positive and significant correlation between the number of captures and monthly minimum and maximum average temperatures. Recruitment was observed from January to April. During the study, the area was affected by human activities, which altered the community structure: Pseudablabes agassizii was negatively affected by habitat devastation while Liophis poecilogyrus took advantage of this. Our results reinforced the impression that Pseudablabes agassizii is a habitat specialist species. We extend the understanding of the susceptibility of this species to environmental destruction in open natural environments of South America, and propose its use as a potential bio-indicator of the Pampa biome. We also discuss the importance of conservation strategies for snakes in grasslands of southern Brazil. © Finnish Zoological and Botanical Publishing Board 2007.

Description and interpretation of Cenozoic vertebrate ichnofossils in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil

In the neighborhood of the city of Boqueirão do Leão (State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil) a set of three big-sized tunnels has been found. One of the tunnels is only partially filled with sand and accessible along its entire length. It is horizontal, slightly sinuous, 36 m long, up to 4.2 m wide and up to 2.0 m high. The surface morphology of the walls is composed of anthropogenic marks, speleothems, black incrustations and traces like digging scratches and smoothed surfaces. The 2nd tunnel has its entrance blocked by sand and sandstone cobbles, but the end of the tunnel is only partially clogged and therefore accessible. This accessible portion is 12 m long, 3 m wide and 1.5 m high. The 3rd tunnel is completely filled and collapsed and is nowadays only indicated by concave roof features at its end. The general features of the tunnel system and the analysis of the surface morphology of the walls of the accessible portions permit to conclude that the tunnels were produced by ground sloths of the Cenozoic South American megafauna. The size of the tunnels suggests that its excavation was gradually carried out by successive generations of sloth herds, and not by a single individual animal. The primary function of the tunnels probably was not protection from predators, which had easy access to structures of this size, but to shelter during a drier climate. However, it is not yet possible to relate the tunnels to a specific ground sloth genus, a task that depends on the discovery of better-preserved tunnel systems. © 2013 by the Sociedade Brasileira de Paleontologia.

Pluriactivity and family farming in Brazil: the case of Rio Grande do Sul

Includes bibliography

Enterprise creation and economic recovery: the case of Rio Grande do Sul

Includes bibliography

The importance of Leptospira interrogans serovars Icterohaemorrhagiae and Canicola in coastal zone and in southern fields of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

The USAID and the teaching of mathematics in Rio Grande do Norte

In the 1960s occurred great changes in the general education and, specially in the mathematical teaching, throughout Brazil. Besides the Law Diretrizes e Bases for Education (law 4024/1961), such changes also was occurred by opposite educational movements. In one side, those ones that valorized the popular education and culture and, for the other side, the international agreements between universities and government organs, like SUDENE and MEC, with United States Agency for International Development (USAID). These agreements purposed the cultural alignment. In this article we will expose some of these agreements and their interference in two courses for teachers' education. These teachers taught mathematics for the elementary school, in Rio Grande do Norte.

Study on coinfecting vector-borne pathogens in dogs and ticks in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

Since dogs presenting several vector borne diseases can show none or nonspecific clinical signs depending on the phase of infection, the assessment of the particular agents involved is mandatory. The present study aimed to investigate the presence of Babesia spp., Ehrlichia spp., Anaplasma spp., Hepatozoon spp. and Leishmania spp. in blood samples and ticks, collected from two dogs from Rio Grande do Norte showing suggestive tick-borne disease by using molecular techniques. DNA of E. canis, H. canis and L. infantum were detected in blood samples and R. sanguineus ticks collected from dogs. Among all samples analyzed, two showed the presence of multiple infections with E. canis, H. canis and L. infantum chagasi. Here we highlighted the need for molecular differential diagnosis in dogs showing nonspecific clinical signs.

Distribution of Abacion texense (Loomis, 1937), the only milliped species traversing the Rio Grande, Mississippi, and Pecos rivers (Callipodida: Abacionidae)

Localities are documented for the milliped Abacion texense (Loomis, 1837) (Callipodida: Abacionidae) whose distribution forms both the northern and southern ordinal limits in the Western Hemisphere. The westernmost component of Abacion Rafinesque, 1820, A. texense is the only milliped species whose range spans the Mississippi and Pecos rivers and the Rio Grande. Distribution extremes are in Hennepin County (Co.), Minnesota, in the north; Terrell and Potter cos., Texas, in the west; Alcorn Co., Mississippi, in the east; and southwestern Tamaulipas, Mexico, in the south. Occurrences are projected for southeastern South Dakota, northwestern Alabama, and the southwestern periphery of Tennessee. The type series of A. texense consists solely of the male holotype, so a neotype will be needed if this individual is ever lost, because no paratypes were officially designated.

IMPOSEX AS AN INDICATOR OF ORGANOTIN POLLUTION AT RIO DE JANEIRO SOUTH COAST: SEPETIBA AND ILHA GRANDE BAYS

Imposex is the development of male sexual characteristics, i.e., penis and/or vas deferens in females of dioecious gastropods. This phenomenon has been associated to the use of the organotin based marine antifouling paints and used worldwide as a bioindicator of pollution by the TBT (antifouling agent) as well as to evaluate the related ecological impact. This study reports imposex in Stramonita haemastoma at south coast of Rio de Janeiro State (Brazil), specifically at Sepetiba and Ilha Grande Bays. All the stations where snails were found have shown imposex. Ilha Grande Bay presented the highest values of imposex indices when compared to Sepetiba Bay. The results suggest that high concentration of shipping activities and coastal morphology are the principal causes at the most polluted sites.

Waist circumference and waist circumference to height ratios of Kaingang indigenous adolescents from the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

The aim of this study was to describe the distribution of waist circumference (WC) and WC to height (WCTH) values among Kaingang indigenous adolescents in order to estimate the prevalence of high WCTH values and evaluate the correlation between WC and WCTH and body mass index (BMI)-for-age. A total of 1,803 indigenous adolescents were evaluated using a school-based cross-sectional study. WCTH values > 0.5 were considered high. Higher mean WC and WCTH values were observed for girls in all age categories. WCTH values > 0.5 were observed in 25.68% of the overall sample of adolescents. Mean WC and WCTH values were significantly higher for adolescents with BMI/age z-scores > 2 than for those with normal z-scores. The correlation coefficients of WC and WCTH for BMI/age were r = 0.68 and 0.76, respectively, for boys, and r = 0.79 and 0.80, respectively, for girls. This study highlights elevated mean WC and WCTH values and high prevalence of abdominal obesity among Kaingang indigenous adolescents.

Perfomance of methods for estimating reference evapotranspiration in the municipalities of Frederico Westphalen and Palmeira das Missoes, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

The estimation of reference evapotranspiration (ETo), used in water balance, allows to determine soil water content, assisting on irrigation management. The present study aimed to compare simple ETo estimating methods with the Penman-Monteith (FAO), in the folowing time scales: daily, 5, 10, 15 and 30 days and monthly in the counties of Frederico Westphalen and Palmeira das Missoes, in the Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. The methods tested had their efficiency improved by increasing the time scale of analysis, keeping the same performance for both locations. The highest and lowest ETo values occurred in December and June, respectively. Most methods underestimated ETo. For any of the time scales Makking and Radiaton FAO24 methods can replace the Penman-Monteith for estimating ETo.