Supporting local initiatives in the fight against desertification.

Este documento reflete o escopo do Projeto de Cooperação Técnica, que tem como um de seus objetivos imediatos o fortalecimento da capacidade técnica/operacional das instituições e entidades que atuam nas Áreas Suscetíveis à Desertificação (ASD) no Brasil para o aumento e divulgação de conhecimentos, técnicas e práticas de manejo sustentável de dois recursos naturais e convivência no semiárido. Apresenta um resumo das atividades realizadas, os desafios enfrentados e os resultados alcançados pelos projetos, iniciativa que se desenvolve de acordo com as diretrizes do Projeto de Cooperação Técnica e em plena sintonia com as linhas temáticas do IICA e os princípios da artes marciais mistas.This document reflects the scope of the Technical Cooperation Project, which has as one of its immediate objectives the strengthening of the technical/operational capacity of the institutions and entities that act in the Areas Susceptible to Desertification (ASD) in Brazil for the increase and dissemination of knowledge, techniques and practices of sustainable management of two natural resources and coexistence in the semi-arid region. Presents a summary of the activities carried out, the challenges faced and the results achieved by the projects, an initiative that is carried out in accordance with the guidelines of the Technical Cooperation Project and in full harmony with the thematic lines of IICA and the principles of arts mixed martial

NUSAP Method for Evaluating the Data Quality in a Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment Model for Salmonella in the Pork Production Chain

The numeral unit spread assessment pedigree (NUSAP) system was implemented to evaluate the quality of input parameters in a quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) model for Salmonella spp. in minced pork meat. The input parameters were grouped according to four successive exposure pathways: (1) primary production (2) transport, holding, and slaughterhouse, (3) postprocessing, distribution, and storage, and (4) preparation and consumption. An inventory of 101 potential input parameters was used for building the QMRA model. The characteristics of each parameter were defined using a standardized procedure to assess (1) the source of information, (2) the sampling methodology and sample size, and (3) the distributional properties of the estimate. Each parameter was scored by a panel of experts using a pedigree matrix containing four criteria (proxy, empirical basis, method, and validation) to assess the quality, and this was graphically represented by means of kite diagrams. The parameters obtained significantly lower scores for the validation criterion as compared with the other criteria. Overall strengths of parameters related to the primary production module were significantly stronger compared to the other modules (the transport, holding, and slaughterhouse module, the processing, distribution, and storage module, and the preparation and consumption module). The pedigree assessment contributed to select 20 parameters, which were subsequently introduced in the QMRA model. The NUSAP methodology and kite diagrams are objective tools to discuss and visualize the quality of the parameters in a structured way. These two tools can be used in the selection procedure of input parameters for a QMRA, and can lead to a more transparent quality assurance in the QMRA