A motivação e satisfação organizacional como factores essenciais de conquista de melhores resultados empresariais: Estudo de caso no Hotel Marine Club Beach Resort

A motivação no âmbito organizacional está relacionada à qualidade de desempenho e esforços de seus colaboradores, constituindo a energia motriz para atingir os resultados desejados. Com a chegada da globalização, o avanço tecnológico, aumento da competitividade entre as empresas, custos de contratação, treinamentos e processo de automação industrial, a exigência do melhor desempenho de seus colaboradores está cada vez maior. Por esse motivo, as empresas estão sempre buscando alternativas que motivem seus colaboradores, com o intuito de proporcionar um melhor clima organizacional e desempenho dos seus profissionais. O presente trabalho tem por objectivo estudar a satisfação dos trabalhadores como factores essenciais de motivação e sucesso empresarial no Hotel Marine Club Beach Resort, da ilha de Boa vista. Além de se valorizar o conhecimento técnico e científico do profissional é igualmente importante ter em consideração estas condicionantes (satisfação e motivação no trabalho), que embora sejam de carácter psicológico e emocional, desempenham um papel preponderante na produtividade do trabalhador, acabando por influenciar o sucesso de qualquer empresa. Conclui-se que o grau de motivação e satisfação do hotel é bom, o ambiente organizacional também é satisfatório mas é preciso que o hotel melhora as políticas de gestão tais como, benefícios em relação a promoções, salários e valorização do colaborador para mantê-los motivados e satisfeitos no trabalho.

Bacterial transcriptional regulators for degradation pathways of aromatic compounds.

Human activities have resulted in the release and introduction into the environment of a plethora of aromatic chemicals. The interest in discovering how bacteria are dealing with hazardous environmental pollutants has driven a large research community and has resulted in important biochemical, genetic, and physiological knowledge about the degradation capacities of microorganisms and their application in bioremediation, green chemistry, or production of pharmacy synthons. In addition, regulation of catabolic pathway expression has attracted the interest of numerous different groups, and several catabolic pathway regulators have been exemplary for understanding transcription control mechanisms. More recently, information about regulatory systems has been used to construct whole-cell living bioreporters that are used to measure the quality of the aqueous, soil, and air environment. The topic of biodegradation is relatively coherent, and this review presents a coherent overview of the regulatory systems involved in the transcriptional control of catabolic pathways. This review summarizes the different regulatory systems involved in biodegradation pathways of aromatic compounds linking them to other known protein families. Specific attention has been paid to describing the genetic organization of the regulatory genes, promoters, and target operon(s) and to discussing present knowledge about signaling molecules, DNA binding properties, and operator characteristics, and evidence from regulatory mutants. For each regulator family, this information is combined with recently obtained protein structural information to arrive at a possible mechanism of transcription activation. This demonstrates the diversity of control mechanisms existing in catabolic pathways.

Photoinhibition of photosynthesis in natural assemblages of marine phytoplankton

estudia la fotosÍntesis en el fitoplancton, como función unica y continua de luz disponible, desde la respuesta linear inicial hasta la inhibición extrema

Producción primaria en el ambiente marino en el Pacífico sudeste, Perú, 1960-2000

Los resultados de investigación sobre producción primaria dentro del alcance interdisciplinario del ambiente marino frente a la costa peruana incluyen estudios nacionales, extranjeros y de investigación conjunta a través de proyectos internacionales (1960-2000). La circulación en la costa peruana es dominada por una corriente hacia el ecuador en una capa de 20 a 50 m. La estructura de plumas del afloramiento se presenta en cada área y podría ser la clave para el desarrollo de cadenas cortas y productivas: fitoplancton peces clupeidos. La distribución de nutrientes sigue la pluma de temperatura, con altos valores en la costa y bajos lejos de la costa; la clorofila muestra mínimos valores cerca de la costa (10 mn) que se incrementa al alejarse. El crecimiento del fitoplancton en aguas peruanas, varía de 0,5 a 0,8 d/d. En aguas recién afloradas el crecimiento es limitado por falta de “condicionamiento biológico” y de compuestos orgánicos (15°S). Estos tipos de agua pueden estar relacionados con las “aguas azules” de altos nutrientes y pobre fitoplancton con células de pequeño tamaño (clorofila <2 μg/L) y con “aguas marrones” con denso fitoplancton, (clorofila >5 μg/L), mayor diversidad y con células de diámetro >5μ. La media de producción primaria fue 3 gC/m2/d (1960-1985), comparable a la mayoría de estudios en los cuales varía entre 3 y 4 gC/m2/d en la franja costera, el último valor es altamente variable en espacio, siendo más frecuente dentro de 10 km. Valores mayores de 12 gC/m2/d se encontraron en el afloramiento de Chimbote. El Niño, La Niña y fases del ENSO, afectan la producción primaria. Las temperaturas bajas originan cambios en la composición química del fitoplancton y reducen el índice de productividad mgC/mgclor-a/d que también es atribuido a limitaciones de luz.

Bacterial subfamily of LuxR regulators that respond to plant compounds.

Pseudomonas fluorescens are rhizobacteria known for their biocontrol properties. Several antimicrobial functions are crucial for this process, and the experiments described here investigate the modulation of their expression during the plant-bacterium interaction. The role of a LuxR family regulator in interkingdom signaling has been investigated using genome-scale transcriptome analysis, gene promoter studies in vivo and in vitro, biocontrol assays, and response to plant compounds. PsoR, a LuxR solo or orphan regulator of P. fluorescens, was identified. PsoR is solubilized and activates a lux-box-containing promoter only in the presence of macerated plants, suggesting the presence of a plant molecule(s) that most likely binds to PsoR. Gene expression profiles revealed that genes involved in the inhibition of plant pathogens were affected by PsoR, including a chitinase gene, iron metabolism genes, and biosynthetic genes of antifungal compounds. 2,4-Diacetylphloroglucinol production is PsoR dependent both in vitro and in vivo. psoR mutants were significantly reduced for their ability to protect wheat plants from root rot, and damping-off caused by Pythium ultimum infection. PsoR most likely senses a molecule(s) in the plant and modulates expression of genes that have a role in biocontrol. PsoR and related proteins form a subfamily of LuxR family regulators in plant-associated bacteria.

Development of bioreporter assays for the detection of bioavailability of long-chain alkanes based on the marine bacterium Alcanivorax borkumensis strain SK2.

Long-chain alkanes are a major component of crude oil and therefore potentially good indicators of hydrocarbon spills. Here we present a set of new bacterial bioreporters and assays that allow to detect long-chain alkanes. These reporters are based on the regulatory protein AlkS and the alkB1 promoter from Alcanivorax borkumensis SK2, a widespread alkane degrader in marine habitats. Escherichia coli cells with the reporter construct reacted strongly to octane in short-term (6 h) aqueous suspension assays but very slightly only to tetradecane, in line with what is expected from its low water solubility. In contrast, long-term assays (up to 5 days) with A. borkumensis bioreporters showed strong induction with tetradecane and crude oil. Gel-immobilized A. borkumensis reporter cells were used to demonstrate tetradecane and crude oil bioavailability at a distance from a source. Alcanivorax borkumensis bioreporters induced fivefold more rapid and more strongly when allowed physical contact with the oil phase in standing flask assays, suggesting a major contribution of adhered cells to the overall reporter signal. Using the flask assays we further demonstrated the effect of oleophilic nutrients and biosurfactants on oil availability and degradation by A. borkumensis. The fluorescence signal from flask assays could easily be captured with a normal digital camera, making such tests feasible to be carried out on, e.g. marine oil responder vessels in case of oil accidents.