Efficacy of team work in health promotion and secondary prevention in patients admitted for cardiovascular rehabilitation

The object of the study was to evaluate the immediate efficacy of periodical educational meetings organized in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Department aimed to improve knowledge about cardiovascular pathology, risk factors and correct life style. Methods: from October 2008 a multiprofessional group organized educational meetings for patients and their relatives, using two questionnaires to explore patients’ level of knowledge, before and after the meeting. Results: 124 patients (90 males) answered the questionnaire 1, while questionnaire 2 was completed by 93 subjects (70 males). From the answers to questionnaire 1, a significant improvement of knowledge about coronary anatomy and cardiovascular therapy emerged. Indeed, 99% of patients vs 81% before the meeting (p=0.001) understood the coronary artery function, 69% vs 44% (p=0,0001) of participants was familiar with coronary angioplasty, 81% vs. 64% (p=0,003) demonstrated to understand the coronary artery bypass and finally 85% vs. 52% (p=0,0001) were able to distinguish mechanical from biological prosthesis. From answers to questionnaire 2, a trend in favour to an improvement of knowledge regarding coronary risk factors and correct life style emerged. Younger patients (<70 ys) had a higher baseline level knowledge (p=0,003 and p=0.001 group 1 and 2, respectively) compared to older subjects, but in the latter a trend in favour of enhanced knowledge (p=0.06) after the educational meetings emerged. Conclusions: educational meetings are significantly correlated with an improvement of patients’ knowledge regarding cardiovascular pathology and treatments independently from patients’ age

Conservazione prolungata della materia prima e processi ossidativi nel salame e nella mortadella

Sono stati studiati gli effetti che una conservazione prolungata delle materie prime può avere sui fenomeni ossidativi dei lipidi nel salame Milano e nella mortadella. A tal fine sono state acquislate le materie prime (spalle, rifilature di prosciutto, pancettoni e lardo) che sono state confezionate in fogli di polietilene e cartoni, congelate a -20°C e corservate per un periodo di 6 mesi. Con tali materie prime sono stati prodotti salami e mortadelle a 0, l, 3 e 6 mesi di conservazione. La stabilità ossidativa dei lipidi è stata valutata sulle materie prime e sui prodotti alle stesse scadenze tramite la detetminazione del numero dei perossidi, del TBA e degli ossidi del colesterolo. Ne è emerso un quadro sostanzialmente positivo con valori del numero dei perossidi e del TBA piuttosto contenuti, con la assenza del 7-cheto e del 25-OH colesterolo, la presenza sporadica a livelli modesti del 7-OH-colesterolo e del 5,6a-epossi-colesteroleo con il 20-OHcolesterolo costantemente presente nelle materie prime e abbastanza frequente anche nei prodotti

Lean colour of green and matured Parma hams: comparative evaluation and technological relevance of sensory and objective data

Research has been conducted on the relationship between sensory evaluation and objective measurement of pork colour. The study also investigated the relationship between the colour of fresh meat and the colour of matured hams. Sensory evaluation was carried out at 24 h post mortem on the freshly cut surfaces of green hams trimmedfor Parma ham production. Objective measurements were performed at the same time on Semimembranosus and Biceps femoris muscles with a Minolta Chromameter Reflectance II CR200/08. Cold carcass weight, lean content, trimmed ham weight, 45 min and 24 h post mortem pH of Semimembranosus muscle were also recorded. The hams were processed according to Parma ham technology. Weight losses at standard processing times were collected. At the end of processing a sample of about one-third of the hams was evaluated for internal lean colour and lean firmness both by sensory panel and objective measurements. Proximate composition was also determined. The results showed highly significant relationships between colour sensory scores and the coordinates L*, b* and hue of the C.I.E. L*a*b* coiour system. Among the other parameters measured on fresh meat only 24 h pH was related at a very signt$cant level with sensory and objective colour values. Correlation coeficients were generally higher jor Semimembranosus than Biceps femoris. Matured ham colour was linked with fresh meat sensory judgements, L*, hue and a* values. The relationship, though, was not suficiently strong for use in predicting the colour of matured hams from green ham characteristics. Processing appears to have a positive effect on the colour of pale meat. Weight losses were mainly linked with lean meat content; other quality attributes being less important. Lean firmness of matured hams was related to the colour and pH of the fresh meat