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Rocco Papalia,1 Guglielmo Torre,1 Sebastiano Vasta,1 Biagio Zampogna,1 Douglas R Pedersen,2,3 Vincenzo Denaro,1 Annunziato Amendola3 1Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Rome, Italy; 2Department of Biomedical Engineering, 3Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA Background: Bone bruises are frequently associated with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears as a result of trauma or direct shear stress of the bone. Purpose: To review the evidence regarding the characteristics of the bone bruise associated with ACL tears, its relevance on clinical outcomes, and its progression over time. In particular, the long-term effects of the bone bruise on the knee osteochondral architecture and joint function were evaluated. Study design: Review; level of evidence: 4. Methods: An electronic search was performed on PubMed. Combinations of keywords included: “bone bruise AND knee”; “bone bruise AND anterior cruciate ligament”; “bone bruise AND osteo-chondral defects”. Any level of evidence studies concerning bone bruises in patients with partial or complete ACL tears were retrieved. Results: A total of 25 studies were included; three of them investigated biomechanical parameters, seven were concerned with clinical outcomes, and 15 were radiological studies. Evaluation of the bone bruise is best performed using a fat-saturated T2-weighted fast spin echo exam or a short tau inversion recovery sequence where fat saturation is challenging. The location of the injury has been demonstrated to be more frequent in the lateral compartment of the joint (lateral femoral condyle and lateral tibial plateau). It is associated with ACL tears in approximately 70% of cases, often with collateral ligament or meniscal tears. Mid- and long-term outcomes demonstrated a complete healing of the marrow lesions at magnetic ρresonance imaging, but chondral defects detected with T1ρ sequences are still present 1 year after the ACL injury. Functional examination of the knee, through clinical International Knee Documentation Committee scores, did not show any correlation with the bone bruise. Conclusion: Although bone bruise presence yields to higher pain levels, no correlation with functional outcomes was reported. Most studies have a short-term follow-up (

The milk production is strongly influenced by the dairy cow welfare related to a good nutrition and the analysis of the digestibility of feeds allows us to evaluate the health status of the animals. Through faeces' visual examination it is possible to estimate the quality of diet fed in terms of lacking in fibre or too high in non-structural carbohydrates. The study was carried out in 2021, on four dairy farms in central Italy. The purpose of this work is the classification and evaluation of dairy cow faeces using RGB image analysis through an artificial intelligence (AI) (convolutional neural network (CNN)) algorithm. The main features to analyse are pH, colour and consistency. For the latter two RGB imaging was combined with deep learning and AI to reach objectivity in samples' evaluation. The images have been captured with several smartphones and cameras, under various light conditions, collecting a data set of 441 images. Images acquired by RGB cameras are then analysed through CNN technology that extracts features and data previously standardized by a faecal score index assigned after a visual analysis and based on five classes. The results achieved with different training strategies show a training accuracy of 90% and a validation accuracy of 78% of the model which allow us to identify problems in bovine digestion and to intervene promptly in feed variation. The method used in this study eliminates subjectivity in field analysis and allows future improvement of increasing the data set to strengthen the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this review is to evaluate the clinical role of sarcopenia in patients affected by osteoarthritis (OA) of major joints. Methods: An online database research was performed, in order to retrieve all articles investigating the relationship between sarcopenia and OA. No peer-reviewed journal was excluded. Papers in English, French, Spanish and Italian language were considered. After consulting the full-text article, five studies have been included in the review. Results: Of the five studies included, four are prospective studies and only one is a cross-sectional study which retrieved data retrospectively. A total of 4,231 patients, presenting a mean age of 62.0 years, were studied. Three studies evaluated only female subjects. Weight, height and body mass index were reported in all the articles. Knee OA has been assessed using the Kellgren-Lawrence grading system and the American college of rheumatology criteria. Alterations of the lean body mass on body weight ratio have been reported to be as a significant predictive parameter in two studies. Relationship between radiographic OA and an increase in the leg lean mass has been observed in one study. Conclusions: We cannot support neither the thesis of a direct effect of sarcopenia on OA development nor the opposite relation, because the up-to-date literature lacks basic science studies concerning these topics. The absence of clinical studies regarding measurements and tools to compare sarcopenia and OA do not allow to definitely clarify this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper design, realization and testing of a novel small scale adsorption refrigerator prototype based on activated carbon/ethanol working pair is described. Firstly, experimental activity has been carried out for identification of the best performing activated carbon available on the market, through the evaluation of the achievable thermodynamic performance both under air conditioning and refrigeration conditions. Once identified the best performing activated carbon, the design of the adsorber was developed by experimental dynamic performance analysis, carried out by means of the Gravimetric-Large Temperature Jump (G-LTJ) apparatus available at CNR ITAE lab. Finally, the whole 0.5 kW refrigerator prototype was designed and built. First experimental results both under reference air conditioning and refrigeration cycles have been reported, to check the achievable performance. High Specific Cooling Powers (SCPs), 95 W/kg and 50 W/kg, for air conditioning and refrigeration respectively, were obtained, while the COP ranged between 0.09 and 0.11, thus showing an improvement of the current state of the art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: PRP is obtained by centrifugation of whole blood with the aim of producing plasma with high concentration of platelets. The literature provides little information about the variability of the clinical efficacy of PRP in relation to the biological characteristics of the product. Objectives of the study in question are: clinical evaluation of effectiveness of PRP "home made" a group of 89 patients, analysis of cytokine profile and concentrations of growth factors in a 10 patients homogeneous group, during treatment with intra-articular and peritendinous injections of PRP; description of possible correlation between changes in cytokine pattern and concentration of growth factors with clinical response to treatment in the same group of patients. Methods: 89 patients were selected and declared fit to receive treatment with PRP "home made". In view of the underlying disease, (Tendinopathy, Epicondylitis, Chondral Lesions, Degenerative lesions of grade I-II-III-IV, Rotator Cuff Lesions) patients underwent to 3-5 cycles of intra-articular or peritendinous injections of PRP, at intervals of 7 or 15 days apart. Scores of clinical evaluation were administered to each patient before treatment, before any infiltration, and six months after the last injection. The concentration of growth factors, and inflammatory cytokines present in the PRP, were evaluated in a homogeneous group of 10 patients with degenerative lesions of the knee cartilage of grade III-IV sec. Kellgren- Lawrence century. Finally correlation between growth factors, cytochine and haematological parameters of the patient and PRP with clinical parameters was analyzed. Results: Overall Response Rate (ORR) was noted in 69 of 83 patients (84%). In addition, all the scores used have shown a significant rate (P <0.05) in the period immediately after the second injection. Analysis of the growth factors showed a progressive increase in concentration than baseline, after the first application, with a peak level at the second (beginning of the period of clinical improvement statistically significant), and subsequent decrease at the third infiltration. Several more (P=0.01) or less (P=0.05) significant correlations were identified, both with clinical scores and haematological index. The pattern of inflammatory cytokines, after a stable trend from time 0, showed a decrease after the second clinical application, at the peak of growth factors and beginning of the patient's clinical improvement. Conclusions: the results reported clinical efficacy in 84% of patients treated. In addition, the biological analysis showed at the beginning of the clinical improvement the increase in growth factors and decrease in inflammatory cytokines. More level I studies are necessary to identify the best production methodology and application of the product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]