EL FACTOR HUMANO EN LOS SISTEMAS DE GESTIÓN DE CALIDAD DEL SERVICIO: UN CAMBIO DE CULTURA EN LAS EMPRESAS TURÍSTICAS

Over the last years we observe how closely related the competence growth and the need to improve the quality of the tourist companies are. But the fact that the improving of the quality is not enough to face up to the effects that globalization has in this sector calls the attention. The repercussion of the human factor has been analyzed and investigated in the tourist sector, but it has been verified how later it does not join in the measure systems and quality service improvement. For this reason this investigation raises a review of the models of quality measurement of the service incorporating the employee as a key piece in the development of the services and in the loyalty and satisfaction of the customers. The secondary role that the employee has adopted opposite to the customer eliminates any significant function in terms of the quality management of the service. Therefore, it becomes necessary to create new models of quality management that integrate the employee and then this helps the companies in this sector obtain important and different increases in the quality of the service.En los últimos años observamos como el incremento de la competencia y la necesidad de mejorar la calidad de las empresas turísticas están íntimamente relacionadas. Pero llama la atención que la mejora de la calidad no sea suficiente para hacer frente a los efectos que la globalización tiene en el sector. La repercusión del factor humano se ha analizado e investigado en el sector turístico pero se ha comprobado cómo posteriormente no se incorpora en los sistemas de medición y mejora de la calidad del servicio. Por este motivo esta investigación plantea una revisión de los modelos de gestión de calidad del servicio incorporando como pieza clave en el desarrollo de los servicios y en la fidelización y satisfacción de los clientes, al empleado. Su papel secundario ha dejado como único juez y sabio de la calidad al cliente, dejando al empleado sin ningún tipo de función significativa en cuanto a la gestión de la calidad del servicio. Se hace necesario por tanto crear nuevos modelos de gestión de calidad que integren al empleado y de esta forma ayudan a las empresas del sector a conseguir incrementos significativos y muy diferentes hacia la calidad del servicio

Políticas de recursos humanos en las pequeñas y medianas empresas con orientación hacia la calidad total

This research analyses the impacts of Human Resource Management on Total Quality Management. For that, we analyse the concept of Total Quality Management and its principles. Next, the best human resources practices were established based on the total quality management practices set forth the authors. This process leads to an optimum human resource practices for the companies that adopt the total quality model. Finally, an empirical test was carried out for retail travel agencies with «Q» distinction for quality.El presente trabajo de investigación analiza el impacto de las prácticas de recursos humanos en la gestión de calidad total. Para ello se analiza el concepto de gestión de calidad total y los principios sobre los que se asienta. Posteriormente se analizan las diferentes prácticas de recursos humanos que según la literatura sobre gestión de la calidad son más importantes. De esta manera se consigue determinar las mejores prácticas de recursos humanos para empresas que lleven a cabo modelos de gestión de calidad total. Para finalizar, se lleva a cabo una contrastación empírica de estas prácticas en una serie de agencias de viajes minoristas que tienen la Q de calidad

Hydrotreating of Guaiacol and Acetic Acid Blends over Ni2P/ZSM-5 Catalysts: Elucidating Molecular Interactions during Bio-Oil Upgrading

[EN] Catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) is an effective technology for upgrading pyrolysis bio-oils. Although, in the past years, this process has been extensively studied, the relevance of the cross-reactivity between the numerous chemical components of bio-oil has been scarcely explored. However, molecular coupling can be beneficial for improving the bio-oil characteristics. With the aim of gaining a better understanding of these interactions, this work investigates the catalytic hydrodeoxygenation of mixtures of two typical components of pyrolysis bio-oils: guaiacol and acetic acid. The catalytic tests were carried out employing a bifunctional catalyst based on nickel phosphide (Ni2P) deposited over a commercial nanocrystalline ZSM-5 zeolite. The influence of both hydrogen availability and temperature on the activity and product distribution, was evaluated by carrying out reactions under different H2 pressures (40¿10 bar) and temperatures (between 260 and 300 °C). Using blends of both substrates, a partial inhibition of guaiacol HDO occurred because of the competence of acetic acid for the catalytic active sites. Nevertheless, positive interactions were also observed, mainly esterification and acylation reactions, which could enhance the bio-oil stability by reducing acidity, lowering the oxygen content, and increasing the chain length of the components. In this respect, formation of acetophenones, which can be further hydrogenated to yield ethyl phenols, is of particular interest for biorefinery applications. Increasing the temperature results in an increment of conversion but a decrease in the yield of fully deoxygenated molecules due to the production of higher proportion of catechol and related products. Additional experiments performed in the absence of hydrogen revealed that esterification reactions are homogeneously self-catalyzed by acetic acid, while acylation processes are mainly catalyzed by the acidic sites of the zeolitic support.The authors thank to the Spanish “Ministry of Economy and Competiveness” for their financial support through the project CATPLASBIO (CTQ2014-60209-R), as well as to the “Regional Government of Madrid” and European Structural Funds for the RESTOENE2 (S2013/MAE-2882) project

The contribution of Trichoderma to balancing the costs of plant growth and defense

Trichoderma is a fungal genus of cosmopolitan distribution and high biotechnological value, with several species currently used as biological control agents. Additionally, the enzyme systems of the fungus are widely applied in industry. Species of Trichoderma protect plants against the attack of soil-borne plant pathogens by competing for nutrients and inhibiting or killing plant pathogenic fungi and oomycetes, through the production of antibiotics and/or hydrolytic enzymes. In addition to the role of Trichoderma spp. as biocontrol agents, they have other benefi cial effects on plants, including the stimulation of plant defenses and the promotion of plant growth. In this review, we focus on the complex plant defense signaling network that allows the recognition of fungi as non-hostile microbes, including microbial-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs), damageassociated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and secreted elicitors. We also examine how fungal interactions with plant receptors can activate induced resistance by priming and balancing plant defense and growth responses. Our observations are integrated into a model describing Trichoderma-plant hormone signaling network interactions. [Int Microbiol 2013; 16(2):69-80]Keywords: Trichoderma spp.; plant–Trichoderma symbiosis; Arabidopsis thaliana; phytohormone networking&nbsp

Influencia de la flexibilidad organizativa y de las prácticas de recursos humanos en el compromiso de los empleados

Companies need to be flexible to adapt to the competitive environment. The flexibility of the employee's behavior is an indicator of the flexibility of the company. The more flexible the management practices of human resources, the overall flexibility of the company will increase. Therefore, this paper is to determine whether high-performance practices supported by organizational variables that improve the flexibility of the company have a positive impact on employee commitment. We analise this relationship in companies that are highly valued by the Great Place to Work in terms of human resource practices. Through cluster analysis, we conclude the existence of two groups of companies: one in which companies use high-performance practices but are at an initial stage of implementation and achieving a high employee commitment although the organization is not too flexible, and a second group that conducted high-performance practices get better results in terms of commitment having a very flexible organizational structure.Las empresas buscan una mayor flexibilidad para adaptarse al entorno y poder competir. La flexibilidad del comportamiento del empleado representa un indicador de la flexibilidad de la empresa. Cuanto más flexibles sean las prácticas de gestión de recursos humanos, la flexibilidad global de la empresa más se incrementará. Por ello, en el presente estudio se trata de determinar si las prácticas de alto rendimiento apoyadas en variables organizativas que mejoren la flexibilidad de la empresa influyen de manera positiva en el compromiso de los empleados. Esta relación se analiza en empresas que se encuentran bien valoradas por el «Great Place to Work» debido a las prácticas de recursos humanos que utilizan y donde se observa, mediante el análisis cluster realizado, la existencia de dos grandes grupos de empresas: uno en el que las empresas utilizan prácticas de alto rendimiento pero se encuentran en una fase inicial de implementación y en el logro de un alto compromiso de sus empleados y donde su organización no es demasiado flexible; y un segundo grupo que llevando a cabo prácticas de alto rendimiento consigue mejores resultados en cuanto a compromiso y que presenta una estructura organizativa muy flexible

Prácticas de recursos humanos de alto compromiso y ventaja competitiva. Un estudio sobre su implantación y la generación de valor para la empresa

Human Resource (i.e. HR) Management is a factor possessing a great potential to be innovation generative and competitive advantageous for the company. The main aim of this paper is to determine if some HR practices, and to be more concrete, those oriented to improve employees’ commitment to the company, will bring a common identity distinguishable from the rest of the companies. All these facts form part of a previous overview and analysis of HR practices, trying to identify which of them correspond to those called High Commitment Practices. Besides the theoretical foundation, in order to analyze the appointed main goal, the case method has been applied helping to determine new study variables to prove if there are more company realities that achieve these purposes and studying how are they achieved. Along this part of the empirical analysis, Semco, a brazilian company that has attracted the interest of the experts for its innovative HR practices is examined. With its organizational design, very different to the rest of the companies a own identity is generated, which is the base of its competitive advantages and therefore, of its good results.Este trabajo ha obtenido el Accésit Premio Estudios Financieros 2010 en la modalidad de recursos humanos. La gestión de recursos humanos es un factor en las empresas que posee un gran potencial para ser generador de innovación y de ventaja competitiva. En el presente estudio, se trata de determinar si, en concreto, las prácticas de recursos humanos orientadas a mejorar el compromiso de los empleados con la empresa reportan una identidad común y diferenciadora del resto de empresas, logrando de esta forma una ventaja competitiva sostenible. Todo ello parte de un análisis previo sobre cuáles serían aquellas prácticas de recursos humanos que se corresponden con las prácticas de alto compromiso. Además de la fundamentación teórica, para analizar el objetivo principal señalado, se ha aplicado el método del caso, ayudando a determinar nuevas variables de estudio y permitiendo comprobar si existen realidades empresariales que consigan estos resultados y estudiar cómo lo han conseguido. En esta parte de análisis empírico, se analiza la empresa Semco, una compañía brasileña que ha atraído el interés de los expertos por las innovadoras prácticas de recursos humanos y por su diseño organizativo muy diferente del resto de empresas, que generan una identidad propia que es la base de su ventaja competitiva y por ende de sus buenos resultados

Involvement of the Transcriptional Coactivator ThMBF1 in the Biocontrol Activity of Trichoderma harzianum

[EN] Trichoderma harzianum is a filamentous fungus well adapted to different ecological niches. Owing to its ability to antagonize a wide range of plant pathogens, it is used as a biological control agent in agriculture. Selected strains of T. harzianum are also able to increase the tolerance of plants to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, little is known about the regulatory elements of the T. harzianum transcriptional machinery and their role in the biocontrol by this species. We had previously reported the involvement of the transcription factor THCTF1 in the T. harzianum production of the secondary metabolite 6-pentyl-pyrone, an important volatile compound related to interspecies cross-talk. Here, we performed a subtractive hybridization to explore the genes regulated by THCTF1, allowing us to identify a multiprotein bridging factor 1 (mbf1) homolog. The gene from T. harzianum T34 was isolated and characterized, and the generated Thmbf1 overexpressing transformants were used to investigate the role of this gene in the biocontrol abilities of the fungus against two plant pathogens. The transformants showed a reduced antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici race 2 (FO) and Botrytis cinerea (BC) in confrontation assays on discontinuous medium, indicating that the Thmbf1 gene could affect T. harzianum production of volatile organic compounds (VOC) with antifungal activity. Moreover, cellophane and dialysis membrane assays indicated that Thmbf1 overexpression affected the production of low molecular weight secreted compounds with antifungal activity against FO. Intriguingly, no correlation in the expression profiles, either in rich or minimal medium, was observed between Thmbf1 and the master regulator gene cross-pathway control (cpc1). Greenhouse assays allowed us to evaluate the biocontrol potential of T. harzianum strains against BC and FO on susceptible tomato plants. The wild type strain T34 significantly reduced the necrotic leaf lesions caused by BC while plants treated with the Thmbf1-overexpressing transformants exhibited an increased susceptibility to this pathogen. The percentages of Fusarium wilt disease incidence and values of aboveground dry weight showed that T34 did not have biocontrol activity against FO, at least in the 'Moneymaker' tomato variety, and that Thmbf1 overexpression increased the incidence of this disease. Our results show that the Thmbf1 overexpression in T34 negatively affects its biocontrol mechanismsSIThis research project was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Project no. AGL2015-70671-C2) and the Junta de Castilla y León (Project no. SA009U16

Diseño, desarrollo, ensamblado y despliegue de una herramienta prototipo con tecnología arduino para la recolección de residuos solidos, flotantes en el tramo de la desembocadura del río Bogotá al Magdalena, año 2023

Las herramientas tecnológicas que pueden desplegarse desde la ingeniería de sistemas, hoy en día, permiten brindar un impacto de mitigación positiva a un problema de la sociedad en un contexto determinado, de esta forma, son criteriosas de ser efectuadas y analizadas. Por lo cual, llevando las tecnologías de información y desarrollo a una investigación y a su aplicación en una problemática real, como la contaminación y de cómo afecta directamente a las personas cercanas a esta, se pueden llevar a cabo procesos que permitan el análisis y desarrollo de soluciones de impacten benéficamente en la sociedad. Para este proyecto se determina las variables, causas, efectos y enfoques respectivos a la problemática de la acumulación de residuos sólidos y a la contaminación que estos generan en el río Bogotá y el Magdalena. Por lo anterior, se realiza una investigación de carácter mixta con dos metodologías, una para la recolección de información y otra, para el diseño y desarrollo de una herramienta basada en la robótica, desglosando la solución, en este caso, en el diseño, desarrollo, ensamblado y despliegue de un robot recolector de residuos sólidos flotantes en el tramo de la desembocadura del río Bogotá, planteado para el 2023

Late-type members of young stellar kinematic groups - I. Single stars

This is the first paper of a series aimed at studying the properties of late-type members of young stellar kinematic groups. We concentrate our study on classical young moving groups such as the Local Association (Pleiades moving group, 20-150 Myr), IC 2391 supercluster (35 Myr), Ursa Major group (Sirius supercluster, 300 Myr), and Hyades supercluster (600 Myr), as well as on recently identified groups such as the Castor moving group (200 Myr). In this paper we compile a preliminary list of single late-type possible members of some of these young stellar kinematic groups. Stars are selected from previously established members of stellar kinematic groups based on photometric and kinematic properties as well as from candidates based on other criteria such as their level of chromospheric activity, rotation rate and lithium abundance. Precise measurements of proper motions and parallaxes taken from the Hipparcos Catalogue, as well as from the Tycho-2 Catalogue, and published radial velocity measurements are used to calculate the Galactic space motions (U, V W) and to apply Eggen's kinematic criteria in order to determine the membership of the selected stars to the different groups. Additional criteria using age-dating methods for late-type stars will be applied in forthcoming papers of this series. A further study of the list of stars compiled here could lead to a better understanding of the chromospheric activity and their age evolution, as well as of the star formation history in the solar neighbourhood. In addition, these stars are also potential search targets for direct imaging detection of substellar companions

Nitrogen Metabolism and Growth Enhancement in Tomato Plants Challenged with Trichoderma harzianum Expressing the Aspergillus nidulans Acetamidase amdS Gene

[EN] Trichoderma is a fungal genus that includes species that are currently being used as biological control agents and/or as biofertilizers. In addition to the direct application of Trichoderma spp. as biocontrol agents in plant protection, recent studies have focused on the beneficial responses exerted on plants, stimulating the growth, activating the defenses, and/or improving nutrient uptake. The amdS gene, encoding an acetamidase of Aspergillus, has been used as a selectable marker for the transformation of filamentous fungi, including Trichoderma spp., but the physiological effects of the introduction of this gene into the genome of these microorganisms still remains unexplored. No evidence of amdS orthologous genes has been detected within the Trichoderma spp. genomes and the amdS heterologous expression in Trichoderma harzianum T34 did not affect the growth of this fungus in media lacking acetamide. However, it did confer the ability for the fungus to use this amide as a nitrogen source. Although a similar antagonistic behavior was observed for T34 and amdS transformants in dual cultures against Rhizoctonia solani, Botrytis cinerea, and Fusarium oxysporum, a significantly higher antifungal activity was detected in amdS transformants against F. oxysporum, compared to that of T34, in membrane assays on media lacking acetamide. In Trichoderma-tomato interaction assays, amdS transformants were able to promote plant growth to a greater extent than the wild-type T34, although compared with this strain the transformants showed similar capability to colonize tomato roots. Gene expression patterns from aerial parts of 3-week-old tomato plants treated with T34 and the amdS transformants have also been investigated using GeneChip Tomato Genome Arrays. The downregulation of defense genes and the upregulation of carbon and nitrogen metabolism genes observed in the microarrays were accompanied by (i) enhanced growth, (ii) increased carbon and nitrogen levels, and (iii) a higher sensitivity to B. cinerea infections in plants treated with amdS transformants as detected in greenhouse assays. These observations suggest that the increased plant development promoted by the amdS transformants was at expense of defensesSIResearch project funding was from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Project no. AGL2015-70671-C2) and the Junta de Castilla y León (Projects no. SA230U13 and LE228U14). The grant awarded to Sara Domínguez by Junta de Castilla y León (Spain) and Wagner Bettiol was supported by a fellowship from the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo—FAPESP (Project no. 2014/03426-1