Satisfação e retenção de praticantes em contexto universitário: estudo de caso das atividades aquaticas do programa UPFIT

A qualidade do serviço tem sido referida como determinante para satisfação do consumidor, que por sua vez é decisiva na sua retenção no consumo de um serviço. A satisfação resulta habitualmente da avaliação feita pelo consumidor sobre o serviço adquirido com base nas suas necessidades e expectativas, resultando num sentimento de satisfação ou insatisfação. O estudo da satisfação do consumidor poderá dar à instituição indicações válidas sobre a sua intenção futura de retenção que, por sua vez, influenciará o desempenho financeiro da instituição. Na indústria do desporto, esta realidade é ainda mais vincada devido às baixas taxas de retenção que a caraterizam. Especificamente na natação, uma das modalidades de eleição dos portugueses, este estudo da satisfação do consumidor é ainda mais preponderante, já que as piscinas são infraestruturas de gestão complexa, que deverá ser eficiente garantindo a sua sustentabilidade, e justificando o investimento efetuado na sua construção. O presente estudo surge exatamente na necessidade de melhorar continuamente a qualidade dos serviços prestados nas atividades aquáticas do Programa de Fitness da UPorto, conhecendo-se cada vez mais os comportamentos de consumo dos utentes, e tendo como objetivo a gestão eficaz dos recursos visando reter o utente. Neste sentido, o objetivo principal do presente estudo consiste em efetuar uma análise comparativa da satisfação sobre a qualidade do serviço (limpeza e arrumação, temperatura, manutenção, técnicos, e aulas) e retenção (razões para não frequentarem mais; recomendação; e aspetos a melhorar para aumento dos serviços) dos utentes das atividades aquáticas do Programa de Fitness da UPorto, em 2015 e 2016.Foi aplicado um questionário, em dois momentos distintos (2015 e 2016), no Programa de Fitness da UPorto, a 151 utentes (52 e 99, em 2015 e 2016, respetivamente) que frequentam as atividades aquáticas. O questionário de 7 questões foi inicialmente desenvolvido para responder a questões da prática da gestão e posteriormente revisto por dois professores universitários que adequaram a estrutura e conteúdo. Os resultados obtidos permitiram concluir que a satisfação dos utentes com a imagem e simpatia dos técnicos aumentou. Todavia, a satisfação com a limpeza da piscina, temperatura ambiente da piscina e balneários, tratamento da água da piscina, atendimento dos rececionistas, feedbacks e dinamismo durante as aulas, e utilização do material pelos professores diminuiu de 2015 para 2016. Este estudo permitiu ainda concluir na análise da retenção, que nenhum dos itens avaliados parece ser a causa de menor assiduidade dos utentes; que de forma global que “não há nada a melhorar” nas atividades aquáticas; e que todos os utentes avaliados, têm a intenção de aconselhar as atividades aquáticas a um amigo/familiar.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Biodegradation of mono-, di- and trifluoroacetate by microbial cultures with different origins

This work focused on the biodegradation of three structurally related fluoroacetates (FAs), mono- (MFA), di- (DFA) and trifluoroacetate (TFA), using as microbial inocula samples collected from a site with a long history of industrial contamination and activated sludge obtained from a municipal wastewater treatment plant. Biodegradation experiments were carried out under different modes of substrate supplementation, which included (i) FAs fed as sole carbon sources; (ii) FAs (only for DFA and TFA) fed in co-metabolism with sodium acetate; and (iii) mixtures of MFA with DFA or TFA. Biodegradation of the target compounds was assessed through fluoride ion release. Defluorination was obtained in the cultures fed with MFA, while DFA and TFA were recalcitrant in all tested conditions. When present in mixture, DFA was shown to inhibit biodegradation of MFA, while TFA had no effect. A total of 13 bacterial isolates obtained from MFA degrading cultures were found to degrade 20mgL-1 of this compound, as single strains, when supplemented as a sole carbon source. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene indicated that among these degrading bacteria only Delftia acidovorans had been previously reported to be able to degrade MFA. This work shows that, despite their similar chemical structures, biodegradation of the three tested FAs is very distinct and draws attention to the unknown impacts that the accumulation of DFA and TFA may have in the environment as a result of their high recalcitrance.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sludge retention time impacts on polyhydroxyalkanoate productivity in uncoupled storage/growth processes

SFRH/BD/104767/2014 program ( GA 773375 ) UIDP/04378/2020 UIDB/04378/2020The process involving mixed microbial cultures (MMCs) and waste-based substrates emerged as an alternative solution to reduce the market price of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). The selection of an efficient MMC that displays a significant PHA accumulation potential and a high growth rate is considered a key factor for the MMC PHA production feasibility. This study used a pilot plant to investigate the dynamics of growth vs storage in a mixed culture fed with fermented fruit waste under uncoupled carbon and nitrogen feeding. Varying sludge retention times (SRTs) (2 and 4 d) and organic loading rates (OLRs) (from 2.6 to 14.5 gCOD.L−1.d−1) were imposed for this purpose. Results showed that, regardless of the OLR imposed, cultures selected at lower SRT grew faster and more efficiently using stored PHA. However, they had inferior specific storage rates and accumulation capacity, resulting in lower PHA productivity. Additionally, the polymer storage yield was independent of the SRT, and was directly linked with the abundance of putative PHA-storers in the MMC. The high PHA productivity (4.6 ± 0.3 g.L−1.d−1) obtained for the culture selected at 4 d of SRT was 80% above that obtained for the lower SRT tested, underlining the importance of achieving a good balance between culture growth and accumulation capacity to increase the viability of the PHA-producing process from wastes.publishersversionpublishe

Molecular determinants of ligand specificity in family 11 carbohydrate binding modules - An NMR, X-ray crystallography and computational chemistry approach

12 pags, 6 figs, 1 tabThe direct conversion of plant cell wall polysaccharides into soluble sugars is one of the most important reactions on earth, and is performed by certain microorganisms such as Clostridium thermocellum (Ct). These organisms produce extracellular multi-subunit complexes (i.e. cellulosomes) comprising a consortium of enzymes, which contain noncatalytic carbohydrate-binding modules (CBM) that increase the activity of the catalytic module. In the present study, we describe a combined approach by X-ray crystallography, NMR and computational chemistry that aimed to gain further insight into the binding mode of different carbohydrates (cellobiose, cellotetraose and cellohexaose) to the binding pocket of the family 11 CBM. The crystal structure of C. thermocellum CBM11 has been resolved to 1.98 Å in the apo form. Since the structure with a bound substrate could not be obtained, computational studies with cellobiose, cellotetraose and cellohexaose were carried out to determine the molecular recognition of glucose polymers by CtCBM11. These studies revealed a specificity area at the CtCBM11 binding cleft, which is lined with several aspartate residues. In addition, a cluster of aromatic residues was found to be important for guiding and packing of the polysaccharide. The binding cleft of CtCBM11 interacts more strongly with the central glucose units of cellotetraose and cellohexaose, mainly through interactions with the sugar units at positions 2 and 6. This model of binding is supported by saturation transfer difference NMR experiments and linebroadening NMR studies. © 2008 The Authors.The authors would like to thank the research network REQUIMTE (Project Reqmol), as well as the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT-MCTES), for financial support through projectPTDC⁄QUI⁄68286⁄2006 and scholarships SFRH⁄BPD⁄27237⁄2006 and SFRH⁄BD⁄31359⁄200

Polyhydroxyalkanoate granules quantification in mixed microbial cultures using image analysis: Sudan Black B versus Nile Blue A staining

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) can be produced and intracellularly accumulated as inclusions by mixed microbial cultures (MMC) for bioplastic production and in enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) systems. Classical methods for PHA quantification use a digestion step prior to chromatography analysis, rendering them labor intensive and time-consuming. The present work investigates the use of two quantitative image analysis (QIA) procedures specifically developed for PHA inclusions identification and quantification. MMC obtained from an EBPR system were visualized by bright-field and fluorescence microscopy for PHA inclusions detection, upon Sudan Black B (SBB) and Nile Blue A (NBA) staining, respectively. The captured color images were processed by QIA techniques and the image analysis data were further treated using multivariate statistical analysis. Partial least squares (PLS) regression coefficients of 0.90 and 0.86 were obtained between QIA parameters and PHA concentrations using SBB and NBA, respectively. It was found that both staining procedures might be seen as alternative methodologies to classical PHA determination.The authors thank the Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT) Strategic Project PEst-OE/EQB/LA0023/2013 and the Project "BioEnv - Biotechnology and Bioengineering for a sustainable world", REF. NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000048, co-funded by the Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2 - O Novo Norte), QREN, FEDER. The authors also acknowledge the financial support to Daniela P. Mesquita through the postdoctoral grant (SFRH/BPD/82558/2011) and the project PTDC/EBB-EBI/103147/2008 provided by FCT