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Aims: With daily subcutaneous low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) injections for long periods, there is a high risk of local side effects, such as pain, bruising, and hematoma. This study aimed to compare the impact of cold application on post-injection pain, bruising, and hematoma in patients receiving subcutaneous LMWH following urologic surgery. Methods: This was a single-blind, randomized control trial. Urology inpatients were randomly assigned to three groups; Group 1: cold application for 2 min before injection, Group 2: cold application for 5 min before injection, and Group 3: control group with no cold application. Post-injection pain was assessed immediately after injection. Bruising and hematoma were assessed at 48th and 72nd hours. Results: The study included 26 patients in Group 1 (age=63.85±9.89 years; male=84.6%), 26 patients in Group 2 (age=64.54±11.66 years; male=80.8%), and 26 patients in Group 3 (age=65.65±11.36 years; male=88.5%). The pain scores in Groups 1 (11.58±12.06) and Group 2 (6.08±9.11) were lower than Group 3 (28.35±20.97) (p

Fruit firmness in sweet cherries (Prunus avium L.) is a critical quality parameter highly valued by consumers as it is associated with fruit freshness. In general, firm fruit also cope better with storage and handling. Gibberellic acid (GA) is commonly used by sweet cherry producers to increase firmness, soluble solids content and fruit size. This study evaluated the effects of GA on the rheological properties of sweet cherry fruit at harvest and postharvest storage. Specifically, GA's influence on susceptibility to mechanical damage during handling was evaluated. The following GA treatments were applied to two sweet cherry cultivars 'Bing' and 'Lapins': T0, control, T30—GA at 15 ppm applied at pit-hardening and straw-colour stages; T45—GA at 25 ppm at pit-hardening and GA at 20 ppm at straw-colour; and T60—GA at 30 ppm applied at pit-hardening and straw-colour. The results indicate that GA delayed harvest by two to four days in both cultivars, with 'Lapins' also showing a significant increase in fruit size. Regardless of spray concentration, GA increased the modulus of elasticity and fruit resistance evaluated as stress at the maximum point at harvest. These effects persisted after 35 days of storage at 0 °C and an additional three days of shelf-life at 15 °C. While the strain or deformation capacity of the fruit at bioyield at harvest was constant across treatments, it was, however, lower in the GA-treated fruit than in the controls during storage at 0 °C under the high-humidity conditions of modified atmosphere packaging. The less mature fruit harvested at colour 3.0 (red/mahogany) were stiffer (reduced deformation) and more sensitive to induced mechanical injury than the fruit harvested later at colour 3.5 (mahogany). The GA treatments increased fruit resistance to damage without increasing tissue deformability. Other questions associated with stiffer tissues and lower deformability during storage at 0 °C under high humidity should be further studied, specifically cultivars that are naturally high in box-cracking sensitivity during storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients are often advised to keep the initial postoperative dressings dry and undisturbed for 24 to 72 hours. However, these requirements may result in significant disruption of patients' activities of daily living, such as bathing, leisure, and exercise. Compare standard management of keeping wounds dry and covered (48 hours) with early (6 hours) postoperative water exposure. Investigator-blinded, randomized (1:1), controlled trial evaluating rate of infection and additional outcomes of interest. Overall, 437 patients were randomized to either the early (6-hour) water exposure (n = 218) intervention group or the standard cohort (n = 219). The incidence of culture-proven infection in the intervention group (1.8%) was similar to the standard group (1.4%) (P >.99). There was also no difference in rates of bleeding or bruising. Scar assessment using the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale revealed similar scar outcomes. Single site, academic center. Surgical wounds can be allowed to get wet in the immediate postoperative period with no increased incidence of infection or other complications and with similar cosmesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to analyze blunt-force trauma is crucial for deciphering valuable clues concerning mechanisms of injury and as evidence for medico-legal investigations. The use of alternate light sources (ALS) has been studied over the past decade, and is proposed to outperform conventional white light (CWL) during bruise assessments. In response to the growing interest of the technology worldwide, a systematic review of the literature was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) to address the ability of ALS to detect and visualize bruising. From an initial 4055 records identified, ten studies met the eligibly criteria and were selected for this review. Evaluation also included a novel framework, referred to as SPICOT, to further systematically assess both scientific evidence and risk of bias in forensic literature. Analysis reveals that narrowband wavelengths within in the infrared or ultraviolet spectral ranges do not significantly outperform CWL in visualizing or detecting bruising. However, wavelengths within the visible spectrum, particularly 415 nm combined with longpass or bandpass yellow filters, are more effective. However, the majority of selected studies only address the sensitivity of ALS, and therefore, results may only be considered valid when the location of a bruise is known. Further investigation is required to understand the specificity of ALS, in particular how the use of topical cosmetic products, previous wounds/scar-tissue, tattoos, moles and freckles may affect detection. The ethical concern regarding the interpretation of enhanced visualized trauma should also be considered in prospect discussions prior to implementing ALS into routine practice. Nevertheless, this review finds that narrowband ALS within the visible spectrum demonstrates potential for improved injury documentation, outperforming CWL in the detection and visualization of bruising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: With daily subcutaneous low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) injections for long periods, there is a high risk of local side effects, such as pain, bruising, and hematoma. This study aimed to compare the impact of cold application on post-injection pain, bruising, and hematoma in patients receiving subcutaneous LMWH following urologic surgery. Methods: This was a single-blind, randomized control trial. Urology inpatients were randomly assigned to three groups; Group 1: cold application for 2 min before injection, Group 2: cold application for 5 min before injection, and Group 3: control group with no cold application. Post-injection pain was assessed immediately after injection. Bruising and hematoma were assessed at 48th and 72nd hours. Results: The study included 26 patients in Group 1 (age=63.85±9.89 years; male=84.6%), 26 patients in Group 2 (age=64.54±11.66 years; male=80.8%), and 26 patients in Group 3 (age=65.65±11.36 years; male=88.5%). The pain scores in Groups 1 (11.58±12.06) and Group 2 (6.08±9.11) were lower than Group 3 (28.35±20.97) (p<0.001). At the 48th hour, the frequency of bruising in Group 1 (11.5%) and Group 2 (11.5%) was lower than that in Group 3 (38.5%) (p=0.021), and the bruise size in Group 1 (4.00±1.73 mm) was lower than that in Group 3 (15.00±7.07 mm) (p=0.020). No hematomas was detected in any patient groups at the 48th and 72nd hours. Conclusions: This study showed that although cold application for 2 or 5 minutes before injection reduced pain and bruising frequency, application for 2 minutes was more effective on bruise size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality of yellow peaches was severely reduced due to bruising. Detection of bruised areas in yellow peach is easily disturbed by the calyx and stem ends. Therefore, it is proposed to utilize hyperspectral imaging in conjunction with I-Otsu in the detection of bruise detection in yellow peach after distinguishing between calyx and stem end using curvature-assisted Hough transform circle detection. The band ratio was used to improve the contrast of the images, and the improved Otsu method was used to improve the segmentation accuracy. Noise in the image is eliminated by adaptive median filtering. The effects of the calyx and stem ends are eliminated by curvature-assisted Hough transform circle detection. Spectral bands with valid feature information were selected by principal component analysis and key single-wavelength images (452.8 nm, 608.9 nm, 671.8 nm, 689.4 nm, 825.7 nm, and 966.2 nm) were selected from the loading curves of the spectral regions to create PC images and band ratio images. Band ratio (Q608.9/689.4) images with I-Otsu were used to segment the bruise region. Ultimately, 96% of the bruised yellow peaches were correctly identified. This study demonstrates that hyperspectral imaging combined curvature-assisted Hough transform circle detection and I-Otsu can accurately identify bruised areas as well as calyx and stem ends in yellow peach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the preslaughter phase, cattle are transported from their place of origin to a slaughter facility, experiencing transportation, lairage, environmental factors, and novel environments. Although research exists that has focused how the preslaughter phase impacts cattle welfare and meat quality, some significant preslaughter management factors and subsequent welfare and meat quality outcomes have not been thoroughly explored. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of preslaughter management factors on welfare and meat quality outcomes in fed beef cattle in the United States. Transportation factors, environmental characteristics, lairage factors, cattle characteristics, and several meat quality variables were collected from 5 federally inspected commercial processing facilities in the United States. After excluding slaughter lots that included <75% complete datasets, a total of 619 slaughter lots representing 84,508 head of cattle were used for further analysis. Predictor variables of interest included processing plant, cattle breed, sex class, operation shift at the plant, distance traveled to the plant, truck waiting time to unload at the plant, lairage duration and space allowance, temperature humidity index, and windspeed. Outcome variables of interest included cattle mobility, carcass bruising, dark cutting (DC), quality grades, and hot carcass weights. Logistic and linear regressions were used to analyze the associations between the predictor and outcome variables of interest. Increased distance traveled and truck waiting time were associated with higher odds of mobility impairment (P  = 0.0009 and P  = 0.007, respectively), with each 10 km increase in distance traveled having an odds ratio (OR) of 1.001 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.000 to 1.001) and each 1-min increase in waiting time having an OR of 1.003 (CI: 1.001 to 1.004). Conversely, a 10-km increase in distance traveled decreased the odds of carcass bruising (OR: 0.997, CI: 0.996 to 0.998; P  < 0.0001). Longer lairage was associated with increased odds of DC (P  = 0.0415), with each 60-min increase in duration having an OR of 1.034 (CI: 1.001 to 1.068). The results demonstrate the importance of truck arrival management (i.e. scheduling, prioritizing unloading) on mobility. Focusing on lairage management (i.e. density and time) may provide some opportunities to improve meat quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preslaughter management factors and their impacts on cattle welfare and meat quality are well documented in current literature. However, certain management factors related to transportation and lairage are underrepresented. Benchmarking preslaughter management factors that can impact welfare and meat quality outcomes will allow the industry to identify areas for improvement. The objective of the current study was to benchmark preslaughter management factors for a nationwide sample of commercial fed cattle processing facilities. Five processing facilities in the West, Midwest, and Southwest regions of the United States were sampled from March 2021 to July 2022. Data were collected on a total of n  = 637 slaughter lots representing n  = 87,220 head of cattle. Variables of interest included general cattle characteristics, distance traveled to the plant, truck wait times to unload, environmental conditions, lairage density, and lairage duration. Additionally, mobility was scored using a four-point locomotion scale (one being normal, not lame, and four being extremely reluctant to move). Carcasses were also observed for bruising using the following scale: no bruises, bruises smaller or larger than a deck of cards, and having multiple bruises. Descriptive statistics were performed on the data at the lot and individual animal level. On average, cattle traveled 155.8 ± 209.6 km (mean ± SD) from the feedlot to the processing facility and waited 30.3 ± 39.7 min to unload. Once in lairage pens, cattle were held for 200.7 ± 195.0 min. The mean lairage stocking density was 3.1 ± 2.0 m2 per head. A majority of the cattle scored a mobility score of 1 (n  = 77,645, 91.8%), 7.8% (n  = 6,125) were scored as a two and the remaining less than one percent of cattle were scored as either a 3 or 4 (n  = 265). Carcasses with bruises less than or equal to the size of a deck of cards (n  = 22,672, 27.1%) were less frequent than bruises measuring greater than the size of a deck of cards (n  = 34,427, 42.6%). Of carcasses that were bruised, 65.2% (n =  39,856) had multiple bruises of varying size. This baseline data on preslaughter management factors identifies opportunities for improvement in wait times, lairage densities, and factors that cause bruising. Future studies should explore the relationships between these factors and their impacts on welfare and meat quality, report the economic value of these outcomes, and explore industry acceptability and adoptability of optimal preslaughter management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-harvest activities, which include sorting, loading, unloading, and transporting, are potential factors that cause mechanical damage and bruises to fresh produce. This would directly impact fruit shelf-life and, therefore, cause economic losses. This study developed a finite element (FE) model for pear fruit where a steel impactor drop-based test was utilized. The FE model was validated by evaluating it as the experimental model in order to identify bruises of the pear fruit. Therefore, to minimize bruises on the pear fruit, a recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) spring-based design was proposed in order to serve as a cushioning design for pear fruits. Design of experiments and response surface methodology were performed in order to minimize the fruit bruise susceptibility response subject to different spring design parameters. The results revealed that reduced spring pitch and increased coil thickness would significantly minimize bruises of pear fruit. The recycled PET proposed design proved its efficiency in reducing FE pear fruit model bruises by about 50%. This study provides insights on assessing bruise susceptibility using finite element analysis and reusing plastic for fresh produce packaging, thus reducing loops in supply chains and achieving a circular economy.

The aim of this study was to evaluate pre-slaughter risk factors on the probability of bruising and the number of bruises in different regions of the bovine carcass. The study evaluated the data from 4061 batches of slaughtered cattle, totalling 199,026 carcasses, from Hereford and Aberdeen Angus animals in crosses with continental European breeds and Zebu cattle. The factors that caused injury were sex, handling conditions (score), vehicle type, vehicle load density (kg/m2), travel time (minutes), travel distance (kilometres), physiological maturity (dentition), animal reactivity (score), and carcass fat (score). The type of vehicle had the greatest influence on the probability of carcass bruising and affected all carcass cuts. More bruising occurred in vehicles with a greater load capacity. A higher chance of bruising was seen in groups of older animals, those with an excitable temperament and, especially, in groups of females. Higher load densities during transport resulted in a greater chance of bruising occurring in all cuts except the hindquarters. Distance and travel time are unstable in the models, but also detrimental, increasing the probability of bruising and the number of bruises in the various cuts. The results of this study suggest that good practices in the welfare, handling and transport of the animals, as well as training the personnel responsible for their handling, should be adopted to minimise the risk of injury at different locations on the carcass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruit is often bruised during picking, transportation, and packaging, which is an important post-harvest issue especially when dealing with fresh fruit. This paper is aimed at the early, automatic, and non-destructive ternary (three-class) detection and classification of bruises in kiwifruit based on local spatio-spectral near-infrared (NIR) hyperspectral (HSI) imaging. For this purpose, kiwifruit samples were hand-picked under two ripening stages, either one week (7 days) before optimal ripening (unripe) or at the optimal ripening time instant (ripe). A total of 408 kiwi fruit, i.e., 204 kiwifruits for the ripe stage and 204 kiwifruit for the unripe stage, were harvested. For each stage, three classes were considered (68 samples per class). First, 136 HSI images of all undamaged (healthy) fruit samples, under the two different ripening categories (either unripe or ripe) were acquired. Next, bruising was artificially induced on the 272 fruits under the impact of a metal ball to generate the corresponding bruised fruit HSI image samples. Then, the HSI images of all bruised fruit samples were captured either 8 (Bruised-1) or 16 h (Bruised-2) after the damage was produced, generating a grand total of 408 HSI kiwifruit imaging samples. Automatic 3D-convolutional neural network (3D-CNN) and 2D-CNN classifiers based on PreActResNet and GoogLeNet models were used to analyze the HSI input data. The results showed that the detection of bruising conditions in the case of the unripe fruit is a bit easier than that for its ripe counterpart. The correct classification rate (CCR) of 3D-CNN-PreActResNet and 3D-CNN-GoogLeNet for unripe fruit was 98% and 96%, respectively, over the test set. At the same time, the CCRs of 3D-CNN-PreActResNet and 3D-CNN-GoogLeNet for ripe fruit were both 86%, computed over the test set. On the other hand, the CCRs of 2D-CNN-PreActResNet and 2D-CNN-GoogLeNet for unripe fruit were 96 and 95%, while for ripe fruit, the CCRs were 91% and 98%, respectively, computed over the test set, implying that early detection of the bruising area on HSI imaging was consistently more accurate in the unripe fruit case as compared to its ripe counterpart, with an exception made for the 2D-CNN GoogLeNet classifier which showed opposite behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The slaughter process is the last stage of management and represents a point at which the welfare of the cattle is compromised. The objective of this study was to evaluate the animal welfare indicators of cattle in a Federal Inspection Type slaughterhouse. The slaughter process of 1,167 animals [740 males (63.8 %) and 420 females (36.2 %)] was observed in a Federal Inspection Type slaughter plant in northwestern Mexico. Management and behavioral variables, as well as indicators of return to sensitivity were recorded, and the bruises observed on the carcasses were characterized. 10 % of the cattle received electric shocks with prods, while 24.2 % were beaten by operators. Arching of the spine was observed (44.5 %), 62.2 % of the animals exhibited sensitivity during exsanguination. The prevalence of bruising was 88.8 %. Females had 1.62 % higher risk of bruising than males and the presence of large horns increased the risk of bruising by 1.46 %. The characteristics of the bruises observed were bright red (93.8 %), mottled (71.5 %), small (82.9 %), and grade 1 (95.7 %). The area most affected by bruises was the dorsal-lumbar area, with 58.3 %. It was concluded that the animals included in this study were exposed to conditions conducive to stress, including the use of the electric prod by the operators, undesirable behaviors of cattle during herding, ineffective stunning, and the presence of bruises on the carcasses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lemons are a popular citrus fruit known for their medicinal and nutritional properties. However, fresh lemons are vulnerable to mechanical damage during transportation, with bruising being a common issue. Bruising reduces the fruit's shelf life and increases the risk of bacterial and fungal contamination, leading to economic losses. Furthermore, discoloration typically occurs after 24 h, so it is crucial to detect bruised fruits promptly. This paper proposes a novel method for detecting bruising in lemons using hyperspectral imaging and integrated gradients. A dataset of hyperspectral images was captured in the wavelength range of 400–1100 nm for lemons that were sound and artificially bruised (8 and 16 h after bruising), with three distinct classes of images corresponding to these conditions. The dataset was divided into three subsets i.e., training (70%), validation (20%), and testing (10%). Spatial–spectral data were analyzed using three 3D-convolutional neural networks: ResNetV2, PreActResNet, and MobileNetV2 with parameter sizes of 242, 176, and 9, respectively. ResNetV2 achieved the highest classification accuracy of 92.85%, followed by PreActResNet at 85.71% and MobileNetV2 at 83.33%. Our results demonstrate that the proposed method effectively detects bruising in lemons by analyzing darker pixels in the images, subsequently confirming the presence of bruised areas through their spatial distribution and accumulation. Overall, this study highlights the potential of hyperspectral imaging and integrated gradients for detecting bruised fruits, which could help reduce food waste and economic losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periocular haemorrhage without a preceding history of trauma, and in the absence of vascular malformations is rare. While acute proptosis is well described in the setting of orbital pathology, accompanying periocular haemorrhage has been rarely reported. We describe three cases with these concomitant presenting signs in orbital malignancies - metastatic small cell bladder carcinoma, haemangiopericytoma (solitary fibrous tumour) and myeloma. Clinical photographs and radiology are presented with review of the current literature. All cases had an associated rapid onset of severe proptosis and co-existing periocular bruising on the same side. The presence of ecchymosis of the eyelids in addition to proptosis without a history of trauma warrants thorough investigation to rule out underlying potential sight and life threatening illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Valsalva purpura refers to purpura resulting from performing the Valsalva maneuver, a forced expiratory effort against a closed glottis. There are limited reported cases of Valsalva purpura in children, specifically on the cheeks. We present the case of a 7-year-old child who developed Valsalva purpura on his cheeks after performing the Valsalva maneuver during deep breathing exercises by holding his breath underwater during his swimming sessions. This article overviews the relationship between the Valsalva maneuver, purpura, and similar cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Mechanical harvesting with over‐the‐row harvesters in super‐high‐density (SHD) table olive orchards increases the effectiveness of fruit removal, although bruising can limit the fruit quality. Additionally, an early harvest in periods less favourable to quality production is increasingly frequent as a result of global warming. The present study explores the impact on olive quality of harvesting at dawn when the environmental temperature is low. The study was carried out for 2 years on two cultivars with different tolerance to bruising ('Manzanilla de Sevilla' and 'Manzanilla Cacereña'), grown in SHD conditions and harvested at two timepoints: dawn and morning. RESULTS: Fruit morphology was not modified by the moment of harvest in either of the cultivars. Fruit harvested at dawn produced less CO2 and ethylene and was less damaged externally and internally compared to fruit harvested in the morning. However, environmental conditions throughout development influenced the response because the highest values of bruising (incidence, area and volume of damaged area), total internal damage and the number of tissue ruptures increased in the year with the hottest summer, and the differences between harvest treatments were less evident. CONCLUSION: Mechanical harvesting at dawn contributes to reducing the damage in olive fruit. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eggplant is an important vegetable crop grown worldwide. Eggplant flowers have typical poricidal anthers which need a vibratory motion for effective pollination. This study was conducted to identify the major flower visitors and their effect on eggplant pollination/fruit set. Nine different species of bees visited eggplant flowers. The pollination efficiency index of the buzz pollinating bee, Amegilla violacea, was found to be the highest and was the most efficient pollinator of eggplant. The fruit set, fruit weight, and the number of seeds per fruit increased with an increase in the level of anther cone bruising and with a greater number of buzzes made by the native bee. Our study confirmed the distinct role of native sonicating bees and emphasizes the need to conserve the native bee fauna for enhancing fruit and seed set in eggplant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• After subcutaneous injection administrations, local complications such as ecchymosis, hematoma, and pain can be seen at the injection site usually depending on the injection technique. • As a result of our study, ecchymosis development and pain intensity were found to be lower in the compression group than in the cold application and control groups. • In addition, ecchymosis and pain developed less in the cold application group compared to the control group. Subcutaneous administration may result in complications such as bruising and pain at the injection site. This study was performed as in order to determine the effect of cold application and compression on pain and bruising in subcutaneous heparin injection. The study was a randomized controlled trial. 72 patients were included in the study. Each patient in the sample was both experimental (cold and compression) and control groups and 3 different parts of abdomen were used for injection of each patient. The data of the research were collected by using Patient Identification Form, Subcutaneous Heparin Observation Form and Visual Analog Scale (VAS). In the study, it was observed that after heparin injection, ecchymosis developed in 16.4%, 28.8%, and 54.8% of the patients, respectively, and pain was experienced during injection in 12.3%, 43.5%, and 44.2% of the patients, respectively, on the pressure, cold application, and control site groups, and this difference was statistically significant (p<0.001). In the study, it was found that bruising size of the compression group was smaller in contrast with the other groups. When the VAS mean was examined for the groups, it was found that the patients in the compression group had lower pain than the other groups. In order to prevent complications that may arise in nurses' subcutaneous heparin injections and to increase the quality of patient care, it may be recommended to transfer the 60-second compression application after subcutaneous heparin applications to clinical applications and to conduct studies comparing compression and cold application with other applications for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Cellulite 80%–98% of post‐pubertal women and results in cutaneous dimples in the affected area. Aims: Therapies that target collagenous fibrous septae often provide successful outcomes. Materials & Methods: Collagenase clostridium histolyticum‐aaes (CCH) for injection consists of two collagenases which, under physiologic conditions, disrupt collagen structures by hydrolyzing Type I and III collagen. Results: Subcutaneous CCH was approved in the United States in 2020 for the treatment of moderate‐to‐severe cellulite in the buttocks of adult women. Although bruising is primarily an aesthetic concern, a conspicuous procedure‐induced bruise may limit a patient's social activities and result in hesitation to undergo a similar cosmetic procedure in the future. Conclusion: The purpose of this review is to describe the available techniques for hastening bruise resolution and how they apply to resolving bruises associated with a CCH injectable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical damage is a threat to both food security and sustainability. Bruising is the most common type of mechanical damage, and it causes a huge economic loss due to rejection of fresh produce and downgrading of the appearance quality by consumers. Therefore, this study aims to examine the effect of bruising during postharvest handling using a pendulum test technique. Pomegranate fruit were bruised once at two impact levels (1.189 ± 0.109 and 2.298 ± 0.239 J) and then stored (at 5 °C ± 1 °C and 22 °C ± 1 °C) for 28 days. The study evaluated the effect of impact bruising, storage temperature, and duration on the bruise magnitude and quality attributes of the bruised and non-bruised pomegranates. The results showed that the investigated factors affect the bruise size of bruised pomegranates. Increasing storage temperature from 5 to 22 °C and impact level from 1.189 to 2.298 J increased the bruise area, bruise volume, and bruise susceptibility over time. Alterations in total soluble solids (TSS) and titratable acidity (TA%) were statistically (p < 0.05) induced by bruising, particularly at a high impact. The total soluble solids (TSS) content was reduced in all tested pomegranate fruit (bruised and non-bruised) and recorded the highest percentage decline in those impacted at a high level and stored at 22 °C, at 16.81%. The combination of both studied factors did not affect the water activity (Aw) of aril or the mesocarp of bruised or non-bruised fruit. Bruising parameters and quality attributes were strongly correlated in this study, excluding water activity (Aw). The regression models showed a good determination coefficient (R2) between the predicted and measured values of bruise susceptibility (BS), total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA%), and sugar: acid ratio (TSS:TA). The study demonstrates that bruising at a high impact level and long-term storage both affected the susceptibility of pomegranates to bruise, and altered fruit quality. Thus, these factors need to be considered during the postharvest supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Beef Quality Audit ( NBQA )-2022 serves as a benchmark of the current market cow and bull sectors of the U.S. beef industry and allows comparison to previous audits as a method of monitoring industry progress. From September 2021 through May 2022, post-slaughter hide-on animals ( n  = 6,674), carcasses ( n  = 5,746), and offal items (heads and tongues: n  = 7,282; lungs and hearts: n  = 6,708; viscera, kidneys, and livers: n  = 6,358) were surveyed at 20 commercial beef processing facilities across the United States. There were 37.8% of cattle with no visible mud contamination. Native (unbranded) hides were observed in 88.3% of cattle. Carcass bruising was observed on 66.7% of cow carcasses and 46.4% of bull carcasses, similar to percentages observed in the 2007 and 2016 audits. Nearly all cattle were free of knots (98.2%) or injection-site lesions (97.1%). Harvest-floor assessments found that 45.0% of livers, 22.2% of viscera, 19.3% of kidneys, 46.6% of lungs, 19.9% of hearts, 11.2% of heads, and 6.4% of tongues were condemned. The leading cause of condemnation for these offal items was contamination, aside from livers with the majority resulting in condemnation from the presence of an abscess. Of the cows surveyed, 25.4% carried a fetus, an 8% increase compared to those observed in 2016, and a 14.8% increase compared to cows surveyed in 2007. Findings from the NBQA-2022 identified areas of improvement and areas that required continued research and producer education to improve market cow and bull welfare, by-product quality, and offal value., Competing Interests: There are no known conflicts of interest by any of the authors., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science.)

Easy bruising and ecchymosis are common symptoms in clinical practice, yet distinguishing benign from clinically significant cases can be challenging. We report the case of a 46-year-old woman who presented in December 2023 with easy bruising and increased menstrual flow, revealing new-onset pancytopenia in laboratory tests. Initially diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia inversion (inv) (16), subsequent results were inconclusive, leading to a diagnosis of Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH). Following clinical and analytical deterioration, a repeat bone marrow study in March 2024 identified Aplastic Anemia (AA). When evaluating easy bruising and ecchymosis, a thorough history and physical examination are essential, sometimes requiring further investigation and referral. AA is a rare and heterogeneous disease that requires excluding other causes of bone marrow failure for proper diagnosis. Its severity and the patient's age determine treatment and prognosis. This case underscores the importance of investigating common symptoms that may signal serious underlying conditions, as well as the complexities involved in diagnosing AA., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Fernandes et al.)

Objective: Tranexamic acid is a potential rhytidectomy adjunct; however, its route of administration, benefits, and safety remain a topic of debate. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of topical and subcutaneous TXA during rhytidectomy., Methods: This is a retrospective, 3-arm analysis of a single surgeon's practice from Aug. 2019 to Nov. 2023. 175 consecutive patients underwent rhytidectomy; 55 did not receive TXA (8/2019-12/2020), 65 received intraoperative topical 25 mg/mL TXA (1/2021-7/2022), and 55 received subcutaneous 5 mg/mL TXA (7/2022-11/2023). Measured outcomes included drain output, bruising, operative time, estimated blood loss, and complications., Results: Subcutaneous and topical TXA had similar drain outputs (11.32 mL vs. 12.98 mL, respectively) and bruising scores (20.93 vs. 22.12, respectively). These were significantly less than the control group (24.05 mL, p < 0.001 and 36.28, p < 0.001, respectively). The subcutaneous group operative time (196.13 min) was less than the topical and control groups (212.72 min, p = 0.01; 207.90 min, p = 0.037, respectively) in patients who underwent rhytidectomy with platysmaplasty. EBL and seroma formation in the subcutaneous TXA group were significantly less than the control (23.92 mL vs. 31.67 mL, p = 0.011; 3.60% vs. 18.18%, p = 0.03, respectively). Hematoma, epidermolysis, and infection rates were similar between all groups., Conclusion: Both topical and subcutaneous TXA use during rhytidectomy are associated with reduced postoperative drain output and bruising without an increased risk of complications. Subcutaneous TXA has the added associated benefit of decreasing operative time, EBL, and seroma formation., Level of Evidence: III Laryngoscope, 2024., (© 2024 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

Peaches are easily bruising during all stages of postharvest handling, maturity can affect the characteristics and detection of bruising, which is directly related to the quality and shelf life of peach. The main objective of this research was to investigate the effect of maturity on the early detection of postharvest bruising in peach based on structured multispectral imaging (S-MSI) system. The S-MSI data was measured for bruised peaches, followed by microstructural (CLSM), and biochemical (oxidative browning-related enzyme activities, gene expression, and phenolic compound metabolism) measurements. As the maturity increases, the external impact stress could further induce the accumulation of phenolics through the phenylpropane pathway and pulp oxidative browning, resulting in more pronounced external damage; and the spectral reflectance value of bruised peach was getting smaller, and the spectral waveform gradually flattened out. Three characteristic bands of 781, 824, 867 nm were selected from structured spectra (669–955 nm) related to bruising. The watershed algorithm was adopted for bruise detection, the detection rates for bruised peaches based on three maturity levels (S1–S3) were 91–92%, 90.71–97.43%, and 97.14–99.86%, respectively. This research demonstrated that S-MSI system coupled with watershed algorithm, can enhance our capability of detecting the early bruised peaches of different maturity levels.

IntroductionThe pre-slaughter management period is a critical juncture in the beef supply chain, having implications not only for animal welfare and product quality, but also for profitability. During this period, cattle are exposed to many stressors in a short time, many of which have been shown to impact meat quality. Understanding how cattle management during this terminal step in the production chain affects meat quality and economic outcomes is crucial.MethodsThe objective of this study was to investigate, synthesize, and report on research evaluating the impact of management factors during the pre-slaughter period on beef meat quality. A systematic approach was used to search for peer-reviewed and primary studies published in English in CAB Abstracts, PubMed, and Web of Science. A total of 3,217 non-duplicate records were screened for eligibility; articles were deemed eligible for inclusion if they included beef cattle in the pre-slaughter period and reported at least one meat quality outcome. After three screening rounds, 85 articles met all inclusion criteria. Data pertinent to the scoping review’s aims were extracted, including study location, population characteristics, pre-slaughter factors reported, and outcomes of interest.ResultsEurope (35, 41%) and South America (21, 25%) represented approximately two-thirds of the studies. Bulls (37, 43.5%) and steers (34, 40.0%) were the most reported sex classes, with the most frequent breed types reported as predominantly British or Continental and Bos indicus breeds (24, 28.2%; 24, 28.2%, respectively). Transportation (n=46), lairage (n=36), and handling (n=35) practices were the most reported pre-slaughter factors. Overall, 59 studies reported pH as an outcome of interest – almost double that of the next highest outcome, bruising (n=35). Muscle pH was most assessed with predictors at the abattoir (n=37); conversely, the effects of transportation were most evaluated on bruising (n=23).DiscussionA trend across all the categories was that there were relatively few studies evaluating the impact of pre-transport factors on meat quality. Charting the relevant literature is a critical step towards understanding the relationship between pre-slaughter management and end-product quality; doing so will help industry stakeholders in the beef production chain optimize management practices that improve meat quality and enhance profitability.

Blueberry quality is one of the most important elements that needs to be evaluated when automatisation processes, such as harvest automation, occur along the supply chain. The aim of this work was to evaluate the suitability of two blueberry cultivars, of new introduction for the area of study, to the mechanical harvest. Particularly the influence of harvest method was evaluated on the quality of cv. Cargo® and Top Shelf® for a short storage time (max. 28 days) in normal atmosphere assuming so an immediate sale of blueberries. Samples mechanically harvested were compared in terms of qualitative performance with samples manually picked throught two activity carried on two years. In the activity 1 a preliminary laboratory test simulation of mechanical harvest was carried on to evaluate the attitude of both cultivars to the automatisation process and the berries were evaluated immediately after the harvest time. The activity 2 was aimed to evaluate the quality of berries mechanically harvested in field and after the storage process at 2 ± 1 °C and 90% RH in a cold room for 28 days under normal atmospheric conditions (NA). The higher percentage of shrivelled berries for the simulation of mechanical harvest samples (SEH) (activity 1) and berries harvested with the Easy Harvester machine® (EH samples) (activity 2) in the post-harvest period was probably due to the low % of pruin on berries skin content at the harvest time (0 days). All samples although achieved a quality assessment equivalent to still marketable berries after 28 days of storage. TSSC were significantly higher in the EH group for both years. TSSC and TA were higher in Cargo® than in Top Shelf®. In general the automatisation of the harvesting process did not significantly affect blueberry quality after storage.

Background Aims Materials & Methods Results Conclusion Cellulite 80%–98% of post‐pubertal women and results in cutaneous dimples in the affected area.Therapies that target collagenous fibrous septae often provide successful outcomes.Collagenase clostridium histolyticum‐aaes (CCH) for injection consists of two collagenases which, under physiologic conditions, disrupt collagen structures by hydrolyzing Type I and III collagen.Subcutaneous CCH was approved in the United States in 2020 for the treatment of moderate‐to‐severe cellulite in the buttocks of adult women. Although bruising is primarily an aesthetic concern, a conspicuous procedure‐induced bruise may limit a patient's social activities and result in hesitation to undergo a similar cosmetic procedure in the future.The purpose of this review is to describe the available techniques for hastening bruise resolution and how they apply to resolving bruises associated with a CCH injectable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child abuse and neglect remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Dermatologists may not fully conceptualize their crucial role in the evaluation of child abuse and neglect as both mandated reporters and experts in skin pathology. This CME article summarizes the current information on cutaneous signs and clinical signs of abuse for dermatologists so that they gain more insight into the skin examination for child abuse and neglect, develop confidence in their ability to distinguish dermatologic signs of accidental versus inflicted trauma, and more frequently consider abuse and neglect in their differential diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a case of immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) in a 5-year-old female presenting with a maxillofacial injury. The patient attended through the emergency department with marked right periorbital ecchymosis and swelling following a head first collision. This case highlights the importance of early diagnosis of ITP, as well as consideration of a haematological cause in the presence of unexplained or excessive bruising.

Fruit is often bruised during picking, transportation, and packaging, which is an important post-harvest issue especially when dealing with fresh fruit. This paper is aimed at the early, automatic, and non-destructive ternary (three-class) detection and classification of bruises in kiwifruit based on local spatio-spectral near-infrared (NIR) hyperspectral (HSI) imaging. For this purpose, kiwifruit samples were hand-picked under two ripening stages, either one week (7 days) before optimal ripening (unripe) or at the optimal ripening time instant (ripe). A total of 408 kiwi fruit, i.e., 204 kiwifruits for the ripe stage and 204 kiwifruit for the unripe stage, were harvested. For each stage, three classes were considered (68 samples per class). First, 136 HSI images of all undamaged (healthy) fruit samples, under the two different ripening categories (either unripe or ripe) were acquired. Next, bruising was artificially induced on the 272 fruits under the impact of a metal ball to generate the corresponding bruised fruit HSI image samples. Then, the HSI images of all bruised fruit samples were captured either 8 (Bruised-1) or 16 h (Bruised-2) after the damage was produced, generating a grand total of 408 HSI kiwifruit imaging samples. Automatic 3D-convolutional neural network (3D-CNN) and 2D-CNN classifiers based on PreActResNet and GoogLeNet models were used to analyze the HSI input data. The results showed that the detection of bruising conditions in the case of the unripe fruit is a bit easier than that for its ripe counterpart. The correct classification rate (CCR) of 3D-CNN-PreActResNet and 3D-CNN-GoogLeNet for unripe fruit was 98% and 96%, respectively, over the test set. At the same time, the CCRs of 3D-CNN-PreActResNet and 3D-CNN-GoogLeNet for ripe fruit were both 86%, computed over the test set. On the other hand, the CCRs of 2D-CNN-PreActResNet and 2D-CNN-GoogLeNet for unripe fruit were 96 and 95%, while for ripe fruit, the CCRs were 91% and 98%, respectively, computed over the test set, implying that early detection of the bruising area on HSI imaging was consistently more accurate in the unripe fruit case as compared to its ripe counterpart, with an exception made for the 2D-CNN GoogLeNet classifier which showed opposite behavior.

Lemons are a popular citrus fruit known for their medicinal and nutritional properties. However, fresh lemons are vulnerable to mechanical damage during transportation, with bruising being a common issue. Bruising reduces the fruit’s shelf life and increases the risk of bacterial and fungal contamination, leading to economic losses. Furthermore, discoloration typically occurs after 24 h, so it is crucial to detect bruised fruits promptly. This paper proposes a novel method for detecting bruising in lemons using hyperspectral imaging and integrated gradients. A dataset of hyperspectral images was captured in the wavelength range of 400–1100 nm for lemons that were sound and artificially bruised (8 and 16 h after bruising), with three distinct classes of images corresponding to these conditions. The dataset was divided into three subsets i.e., training (70%), validation (20%), and testing (10%). Spatial–spectral data were analyzed using three 3D-convolutional neural networks: ResNetV2, PreActResNet, and MobileNetV2 with parameter sizes of 242, 176, and 9, respectively. ResNetV2 achieved the highest classification accuracy of 92.85%, followed by PreActResNet at 85.71% and MobileNetV2 at 83.33%. Our results demonstrate that the proposed method effectively detects bruising in lemons by analyzing darker pixels in the images, subsequently confirming the presence of bruised areas through their spatial distribution and accumulation. Overall, this study highlights the potential of hyperspectral imaging and integrated gradients for detecting bruised fruits, which could help reduce food waste and economic losses.

Aim of this research is determination of effects of ambient temperature and mechanical damage level that can be occurred due to postharvest processes to CO2 production of pear fruit by using static measurement method. CO2 production data were used for calculation of respiration rate and dry matter loss. Total weight losses and changes in hardness of fruits were also determined. Experiments were performed under 2 temperatures (2±2 and 22±2) and 5 damage levels (not damaged, peeled, impacted from 10, 20 and 30 cm heights). Increasing of impact height increased bruising volume values. For both temperature conditions, CO2 production, respiration rate and dry matter loss values of undamaged (firm) pear samples were found rather lower compared to peeled and damaged samples. Increasing of ambient temperature highly increased these values. Respiration rate and dry matter loss of peeled samples were found rather higher compared to others in both conditions. Effects temperature or damage levels on respiration rate were found significant statistically. Fruit hardness of peeled and impacted from different impact heights rather decreased after experiments. Obtained data in this research can be used to predict dry matter loss values throughout the storage and average shelflife of pear and similar fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Injectable dermal fillers are in high demand. Patients undergoing this treatment are frequently burdened by bruising in the days following the procedure. Bruises associated with dermal fillers usually resolve spontaneously within 10 to 14 days, but patients want shorter downtime. We present a case of a bruise treatment with Nd:YAG laser consisting of three sessions in two day intervals, where the bruise resolved after seven days from the start of laser treatment. To date, the reports on laser therapy for bruise resolution are mostly limited to intense pulsed light and pulsed dye laser, and this case report contributes to the demonstration of Nd:YAG laser efficacy for this indication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]