Beef meat preferences of consumers from Northwest Italy: Analysis of choice attributes.

In this research the importance of several choice attributes of beef for Piedmontese consumers was examined. The survey was conducted on a sample of consumers in sixteen meat stores in Piedmont, Northwest Italy. A choice experiment (Best-Worst scaling methodology) was used to identify consumer preferences and five clusters of purchaser. The responses were also analyzed on the basis of two variables, the frequency of meat consumption and the place of purchase. Piedmontese consumers considered "price" as the most important factor in meat purchasing, but "animal welfare" considerations played some part too.

[Emergence of Salmonella Typhimurium monophasic serovar: determinants of antimicrobial resistance in porcine and human strains]. / Emergenza di una variante monofasica di Salmonella Typhi- murium: caratteri di antibiotico-resistenza in stipiti isolati dalla filiera suinicola e da casi di infezione nell'uomo.

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) is a common cause of non-typhoideal salmonellosis in humans and animals; since the end of '90 a monophasic serovar defined by the antigenic formula 4,5:i:- has been emerged. This study shows occurrence of monophasic serovar in Italy (Lombardia Region) and analyses antimicrobial resistance of 147 S. Typhimurium and 45 monophasic strains. Multiple drug resistance (MDR) has been detected in 94,5% and 76,6% of 55 porcine and 137 human isolates, respectively; tetra-resistance pattern AmSSuTe is the most common among in both sources (55 out of 116 strains of MDR S. Typhimurium and 16 out of 41 strains of MDR monophasic variant). Transfer of resistance determinants has been investigated by plasmid conjugation for all the 157MDR strains: only 16 isolates (10,2%) gave positive results, and transfer has almost been partial. Data from our investigation and data reported by other studies show a wide difference in the circulating phenotypes and in polymorphism of S. Typhimurium, confirmed also by the emergence of the monophasic serovar.

[Public food service in Milan city and Hinterland: GMP application (Part 1)]. / Ristorazione pubblica: indagine campionaria in due AASSLL dell'area milanese. Nota 1: Applicazione dell'autocontrollo.

Food service establishments are recognized as a critical sector concerning foodborne diseases occurrence, that is associated to contributing factors such as the anticipated preparation of meals that are often highly handled, and long-time distributed. A survey has been planned to evaluate the application of HACCP plan, in order to select a statistically representative sample of food services (restaurant, pizza-shop, bar, ..) in two Milan area' Public Health Units (PHU). During the inspections a proper check-list has been filled up in order to give a conformity evaluation about the global situation and about three specific sections: hygiene of food-handlers, procedures control, temperatures management. The food services have been found satisfactory in 9/106 and 5/54 cases in Milan City and in hinterland, respectively; among the two areas, highly significant differences have been revealed about temperatures management (68% and 28% unsatisfactory, respectively). In Milan City restaurants provided with HACCP plan scores are significantly different from unprovided restaurants scores (global and the three sections' evaluation); in Milan hinterland differences between provided and unprovided HACCP plan restaurants regard temperature management scores only. Useful suggestions to improve the quality of surveillance activity come from complex and heterogeneous findings shown in this study.

[Public food service in Milan city and Hinterland: food-handlers training level (Part 2)]. / Ristorazione pubblica: indagine campionaria in due AASSLL dell'area milanese. Nota 2: Grado di preparazione del personale.

The prevention and control of foodborne diseases play an important role in public health and the responsibility of food-handlers is of great concern: their training on food safety is particularly required in the critical sector of public food service establishments. The food-handlers knowledge has been evaluated by a questionnaire filled up in two Public Health Units (PHU) in Milan City and Milan hinterland. Only 11.5% of food-handlers turned at to be good trained; the wrong answers are concentrated on the section titled "temperatures management" (68 and 59% in Milan City and in Milan hinterland, respectively). Only for 31.4% of food-handlers the attendance to training courses is well documented, although the knowledge level seems to be partially influenced by training activity: exclusively in Milan City food-handlers an highly significant difference has been found among "trained" and "no-trained" workers in correct answers about temperatures management (p= 0.0046). The frequency of exact answers isn't associated to the satisfaction level revealed during inspection of restaurants. Focusing the attention on the insufficient efficacy of training courses and the lacking connection between knowledge and behaviour, a critical revision of training activity quality seems to be necessary. In future some professional training activities in the field should be promoted.

[Evaluation of dairy production in the alpine regions of Valcamonica and Sondrio, and the adherence to hygienic practice guidelines]. / Valutazione igienico-sanitaria degli alpeggi della Valcamonica e della provincia di Sondrio. Applicabilità di un sistema di autocontrollo.

The Regional Veterinary Service of Lombardy (northern Italian region) developed guideline on good hygienic practices to improve the safety of milk production and transformation in the mountain pastures and to grant the European acknowledgment (EU seal). Therefore we carried out 26 inspections in Valcamonica (Province of Brescia) and 30 in the Sondrio's province (26% and 16% respectively) in mountain pastures that had required the acknowledgment. The data analysis has shown that in Valcamonica 26.9% of the mountains pastures was conform to the regulations, in Sondrio's province instead 6.6% was conform; the frequency of acceptable conformity level increases respectively to 46% and to 33%, if we also consider the mountains pastures in restructuring phase and with very low level of non conformity. Our study emphasizes the need of structural adjustments of these traditional setting and of education of workers in order to improve the food safety and operator's life quality, and also to promote the maintenance of mountain pastures in the Alpine region.

Identification of epithelial cells in bronchoalveolar lavage.

1. Damage to the bronchial epithelium occurs after the inhalation of toxic substances and allergens, and through virus infections and it may lead to increased desquamation of epithelial cells in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). 2. In this study we compared two methods of staining the epithelial cells of BAL, the conventional cytochemical May Grunwald-Giemsa stain (MGG) and an immunocytochemical technique using a monoclonal antibody anti-human cytokeratin (CK) detected with APAAP immuno-alkaline phosphatase. BAL was obtained from 13 subjects and the epithelial cells were cytocentrifuged either immediately after collection (fraction A) or after washing (fraction B). 3. Higher percentages of epithelial cells were identified in fraction A with CK (20.0 +/- 5.1%) than in fraction A with MGG (11.2 +/- 2.3%), which recognized only ciliated epithelial cells. In fact a proportion of CK-positive cells (34%) in fraction A were not ciliated. Underestimation of epithelial cells by MGG compared to CK was more pronounced in fraction B (8.0 +/- 2.9% and 22.9 +/- 3.0%, respectively) as there was a relative loss of ciliated CK+ cells after washings. 4. These results suggest that immunocytochemical staining with an anti-cytokeratin monoclonal antibody is more sensitive than using the MGG stain in detecting epithelial cells in BAL.

Prednisone inhibits late asthmatic reactions and airway inflammation induced by toluene diisocyanate in sensitized subjects.

To determine the importance of airway inflammation for late asthmatic reactions induced by toluene diisocyanate (TDI), we investigated whether prednisone prevented them [corrected] by modifying the associated airway inflammatory reaction. We measured FEV1 before and at regular intervals after exposure to TDI and performed bronchoalveolar lavage at 8 hours after TDI in two groups of subjects with previously documented late asthmatic reactions, in one group, after no treatment, and in the other group, after treatment with prednisone (50 mg/day for 4 days). After no treatment, each subject developed a late asthmatic reaction, an increase in airway responsiveness, polymorphonuclear leukocytosis, and increased albumin in bronchoalveolar lavage. By contrast, after treatment with prednisone, no subject developed a late asthmatic reaction or an increase in airway responsiveness, and the number of leukocytes and the concentration of albumin were normal in bronchoalveolar lavage. These results suggest that late asthmatic reactions induced by TDI may be caused by airway inflammation and that prednisone may block them [corrected] by inhibiting the inflammatory reaction of the airway induced by TDI in sensitized subjects.

Sciatic nerve block by the anterior and posterior approach for operations on the lower extremity. A comparative study.

The results of the analgesic block of the lower extremity by means of an anterior (150 patients) or a posterior (114 patients) approach to the sciatic nerve, associated to a "3 in 1 block" were compared. The anterior approach technique was associated with a higher incidence of failures, insufficient analgesia and hence a higher demand for intraoperative analgesic and sedative drugs. Also tolerance to a pneumatic tourniquet over the proximal thigh was less than with the posterior approach. However, the sciatic nerve block by anterior approach granted a more prolonged analgesia. This technique was suitable for trauma patients immobilized in the supine position, for patients with skeletal traction on Zupinger frame, both for surgery and for closed reduction of lower extremity fractures.

[Precurarization using pancuronium in male subjects. Evaluation of certain clinical effects]. / La précurarisation par pancuronium chez le sujet de sexe masculin. Evaluation de certains effets cliniques.

The authors studied certain effects in the male subject of precurarisation using different doses of pancuronium. The results obtained show that the maximum doses used, corresponding to 0.01 Omg/kg of pancuronium, were associated with subjective symptoms which were well tolerated by the conscious patient, a decreases in the incidence of fasciculations, antagonistic effects against succinylcholine and a decreases in postoperative myalgia. In their conclusion, the authors confirm that the maximum doses of pancuronium used require an increase in doses of succinylcholine in order to avoid the antagonism phenomenon, and that doses ranging from 0.010 to 0.020 mg/kg of pancuronium could be used in order to completely eliminate postoperative myalgia related to succinylcholine.