Quality improvement of traditional dry fermented sausages based on innovative technological strategies

Dry fermented sausages are highly appreciated food specialties, mainly in Portugal and other southern European countries. Therefore, all research efforts aiming at improving the food quality and safety of traditional dry sausages are of interest, since they are likely to result in products with higher added value and quality standards most suited to the requirements and concerns of the modern consumers. Among those efforts, it may be highlighted the studies involving innovative processing parameters and technologies to overcome practical problems gathered in the meat industry, which are mostly associated with food quality and safety. Additionally, characterization of traditional dry sausages and rationalization of their processing are essential for further achievement of any official certification. Thus, this article attempts to point out some research lines of highest interest in meat science (and particularly to the broad variety of regional dry fermented sausages), towards to the valorisation of technological, nutritional and commercial features. In addition, it is here emphasized the importance for the continuous improvement of the quality and safety of meat products as a way to respond to the current concerns regarding its consumption and the general advices in reducing its daily intake.

Qualidade e comunicação nas organizações de saúde : Aplicação prática no Hospital CUF Infante Santo

A presente dissertação discute a cada vez maior exigência de qualidade nas organizações de saúde, que deve ser encarada como uma ferramenta de gestão e de mudança, e a necessidade intrínseca de uma melhor e mais abrangente rede de comunicação, que se impõe para a transmissão de informação e conhecimento, numa sociedade que a uma velocidade atroz se encontra em constante mutação e desenvolvimento. Neste sentido, a temática em estudo assume particular importância no contexto actual, pois apenas a qualidade representa o garante da subsistência da organização abrindo caminho à eficiência e à eficácia organizacional e de interesse para a instituição, pois parte do conhecimento da percepção dos enfermeiros, que na organização de saúde estão directa e proporcionalmente relacionados com a satisfação do cliente. Os enfermeiros asseguram a manutenção dos padrões de qualidade, que a organização pretende alcançar e comunicar, sendo fundamentais na imagem global transmitida e, consequentemente, na criação de valor da própria organização. Este estudo apresenta como objectivo principal averiguar o conhecimento, o envolvimento e quais as necessidades sentidas, na perspectiva dos enfermeiros, no âmbito da comunicação organizacional, de modo a melhorar a comunicação na organização de saúde, de forma a promover uma gestão de qualidade, garantindo uma subsequente imagem global de excelência. A investigação empírica analisou de forma sistemática informação relevante na área da qualidade, da comunicação organizacional e da inovação. Assim, aplicou-se um inquérito por questionário, fundamentado nos princípios de autores como Deming (1986); Chiavenato (2004); Druker (2000); Biscaia (2000) e Jeffries, (1992), junto dos enfermeiros do Hospital CUF Infante Santo. Com a realização de uma investigação exploratório-descritiva coloca-se a tónica na definição de conceitos e na descrição de factores, através de uma abordagem híbrida qualitativa e quantitativa, foi possível empreender-se o estudo e edificar-se os resultados, que permitem fazer uma caracterização de um conjunto de necessidades a colmatar no âmbito da comunicação interna e verificar a receptividade a inovações de forma a conseguir um maior envolvimento, formação e adesão dos enfermeiros nas políticas de qualidade. As conclusões apuradas levaram à apresentação da indispensabilidade de um envolvimento dos enfermeiros na gestão organizacional ao nível das políticas de qualidade e dos processos de melhoria contínua, observando a emergência de necessidades comunicacionais, nomeadamente a intranet, numa atitude afirmativa de imposição deste canal como um importante facilitador, desde que adaptado à realidade da organização. ABSTRACT: This dissertation discusses the increasing demand for quality in health organizations, which should be seen as a management and change tool, and the intrinsic need of a better and wider communication network, which is required for the transmission of information and knowledge, in a society that is at an atrocious speed constantly changing and developing. ln this sense, the theme in study assumes particular importance in the current context, thus only the quality represents the guarantee of the continuation and existence of the organization opening the way to organizational efficiency and effectiveness and of interest to the institution, as by part of the perception knowledge of the nurses, which in the health organization are directly and proportionately related to the client’s satisfaction. The nurses ensure the maintenance of the quality standards, that the organization aims to reach and communicate, being fundamental in the global image transmitted, and consequently, in the creation of value for the organization itself. The study presents as main objective the investigation of knowledge, the involvement and which necessities needed and felt, in the nurses' perspective, within the organizational communication, as to better the communication within the health organization, in such a way to promote the quality management, guaranteeing a subsequent global image of excellence. The empirical research analyzed in systematic way information relevant in the area of quality, of the organizational communication and innovation. Thus, a survey questionnaire was applied, based on the principles of authors such as Deming (1986); Chiavenato (2004); Druker (2000); Biscaia (2000) e Jeffries, (1992), among nurses of the Infante Santo CUF Hospital. With the completion of an exploratory-descriptive research, the emphasis was put on the concepts definition and the factors description, through a quality and quantity hybrid approach, it was possible to carry out the study and edify the results, which permit in the making of a characterization of a group or set of necessities to cover in the internal communication ambit and verify the acceptability to innovations so that a greater involvement be achieved, training and adherence of the nurses in the quality policies. The conclusions reached led to the presentation of the indispensability of an involvement of the nurses in the organizational management at the level of the quality policies and the processes for continuous improvement, observing the emergency of communication needs, namely the intranet, in an affirmative attitude of imposition of this channel such as an important facilitator, as long as ifs adapted to the reality of the organization.

Use of Coarse-resolution models of species' distributions to guide local conservation inferences

Distribution models are used increasingly for species conservation assessments over extensive areas, but the spatial resolution of the modeled data and, consequently, of the predictions generated directly from these models are usually too coarse for local conservation applications. Comprehensive distribution data at finer spatial resolution, however, require a level of sampling that is impractical for most species and regions. Models can be downscaled to predict distribution at finer resolutions, but this increases uncertainty because the predictive ability of models is not necessarily consistent beyond their original scale. We analyzed the performance of downscaled, previously published models of environmental favorability (a generalized linear modeling technique) for a restricted endemic insectivore, the Iberian desman (Galemys pyrenaicus), and a more widespread carnivore, the Eurasian otter ( Lutra lutra), in the Iberian Peninsula. The models, built from presence–absence data at 10 × 10 km resolution, were extrapolated to a resolution 100 times finer (1 × 1 km). We compared downscaled predictions of environmental quality for the two species with published data on local observations and on important conservation sites proposed by experts. Predictions were significantly related to observed presence or absence of species and to expert selection of sampling sites and important conservation sites. Our results suggest the potential usefulness of downscaled projections of environmental quality as a proxy for expensive and time-consuming field studies when the field studies are not feasible. This method may be valid for other similar species if coarse-resolution distribution data are available to define high-quality areas at a scale that is practical for the application of concrete conservation measures