Consumer evaluation of a hydro-conservation model and its efficiency on improving the collard greens cv. manteiga shelf life (Brassica oleracea, cv. acephala)

[PORT] Neste estudo avaliou-se a aceitação, pelo consumidor, de um equipamento com temperaturas hidrocontroladas e sua eficiência no aumento do tempo de prateleria de couve manteiga (Brassica oleracea, v. acephala). O método de hidroconservação consiste em utilizar uma solução aquosa como meio trocador de calor entre o evaporador e o produto armazenado. O equipamento analisado foi um modelo híbrido onde as câmaras de armazenamento foram parcialmente submersas na solução aquosa. Foram usadas oito câmaras de 7371 cm3 . A aceitação do equipamento foi avaliada através de questionário apresentado próximo do equipamento em um ponto de venda da região central da cidade de São Carlos- SP-BR. A couve manteiga foi escolhida por ser amplamente comercializada no Brasil e apresentar um curto tempo de prateleira. Após higienização e segmentação as amostras foram lacradas em sacos de polietileno de baixa densidade (PEBD) instalados nas câmaras de armazenamento. O tempo de prateleira foi estimado através de teste sensorial e do teor de água das folhas. A análise dos questionários indicou alto índice de aprovação do equipamento (acima de 90%) e índice de rejeição nulo. O teste sensorial mostrou que o consumidor julgou o produto adequado ao consumo por um período de armazenamento superior a 20 dias, três vezes mais que o tempo de prateleira da couve armazenada em geladeira. Neste período a perda de massa foi de 5,8%. Conclui-se que o modelo industrial avaliado mostrou-se viável, tanto do ponto de vista da aprovação pelo público consumidor como pela capacidade de conservação de couve manteiga processada, capacidade esta que pode ser estendida para outros produtos olerícolas. [ENG] This study evaluated the acceptability of an equipment that uses hydrocontroled temperature system, and its efficiency on increasing the shelf life time of collard greens (Brassica oleracea cv. acephala). The hydroconservation method uses a water solution to exchange heat between the evaporator and the stored product. On this paper, however, an hybrid model was evaluated where small storage chambers were parcialy submerged in the solution. There were used eight chambers with 7371 cm3. The acceptability of the equipment was evaluated based on a form fullfiled by the consumers close to the equipment, in a small market at São Carlos-SP-BR. The collard greens was choosen because of its big market in Brazil and its short shelf life time. After satinization and segmentation the samples were inserted in polietilene of low density (PEBD) bags with lock, installed in the storage chambers. The shelf life time was estimated from organoleptic tests and the water content of the leaves. The analysis of the forms showed the high aceptance index (above 90%) of the equipment, and no rejection. The organoleptic tests indicated that the costumer evaluated the equipment positively on storing the collad greens for more than 20 days, three times more than the shelf life when stored in a refrigerator. Along the experiment the mass loss was 5,8%. The conclusions list includes the positive evaluation of the industrial model and its efficency on improving the shelf life time, what can be extended to other vegetables

Fighting Misconceptions to Improve Compliance with Influenza Vaccination among Health Care Workers: An Educational Project

The compliance with influenza vaccination is poor among health care workers (HCWs) due to misconceptions about safety and effectiveness of influenza vaccine. We proposed an educational prospective study to demonstrate to HCWs that influenza vaccine is safe and that other respiratory viruses (RV) are the cause of respiratory symptoms in the months following influenza vaccination. 398 HCWs were surveyed for adverse events (AE) occurring within 48 h of vaccination. AE were reported by 30% of the HCWs. No severe AE was observed. A subset of 337 HCWs was followed up during four months, twice a week, for the detection of respiratory symptoms. RV was diagnosed by direct immunofluorescent assay (DFA) and real time PCR in symptomatic HCWs. Influenza A was detected in five episodes of respiratory symptoms (5.3%) and other RV in 26 (27.9%) episodes. The incidence density of influenza and other RV was 4.3 and 10.8 episodes per 100 HCW-month, respectively. The educational nature of the present study may persuade HCWs to develop a more positive attitude to influenza vaccination

A randomized comparative study of patients undergoing myocardial revascularization with or without cardiopulmonary bypass surgery: The MASS III Trial

The MASS III Trial is a large project from a single institution, The Heart Institute of the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil (InCor), enrolling patients with coronary artery disease and preserved ventricular function. The aim of the MASS III Trial is to compare medical effectiveness, cerebral injury, quality of life, and the cost-effectiveness of coronary surgery with and without of cardiopulmonary bypass in patients with multivessel coronary disease referred for both strategies. The primary endpoint should be a composite of cardiovascular mortality, cerebrovascular accident, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and refractory angina requiring revascularization. The secondary end points in this trial include noncardiac mortality, presence and severity of angina, quality of life based on the SF-36 Questionnaire, and cost-effectiveness at discharge and at 5-year follow-up. In this scenario, we will analyze the cost of the initial procedure, hospital length of stay, resource utilization, repeat hospitalization, and repeat revascularization events during the follow-up. Exercise capacity will be assessed at 6-months, 12-months, and the end of follow-up. A neurocognitive evaluation will be assessed in a subset of subjects using the Brain Resource Center computerized neurocognitive battery. Furthermore, magnetic resonance imaging will be made to detect any cerebral injury before and after procedures in patients who undergo coronary artery surgery with and without cardiopulmonary bypass