Slaughterhouse by-products composting: can microorganisms inoculum addition mitigate final compost odor emission?

Small slaughterhouses generate biowaste, which for economic reasons, is generally destined for composting. Inoculating appropriate microorganisms can improve biodegradation efficiency and mitigate odor generation during the composting process and can give rise to composts with neutral or pleasant odors. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the odor intensity reduction of compost generated with and without a formulated inoculum (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Bacillus subtilis, and Rhodopseudomonas palustris). A set of experimental data was collected and analyzed according to the German "Verein Deutscher Ingenieure" odor protocol. The results showed that adding microorganisms was effective in reducing unpleasant odors in all three composts generated from swine, cattle, and poultry slaughterhouse by-products during both summer and winter seasons. Additionally, soil odor was predominant in composts that were inoculated in the two tested seasons (i.e., summer and winter). On the other hand, composts without inoculation had odors similar to peat for swine compost, ammonia for cattle compost, and manure for poultry compost, regardless of the season tested. Overall, composting process with appropriate inoculum can help in the correct disposal of slaughterhouse wastes by transforming organic matter into composts, which can have economic and environmental value as a soil conditioner and/or fertilizer.

High satisfaction rate and range of motion can be expected in frozen shoulder after awake manipulation with brachial plexus block.

BACKGROUND: Adhesive capsulitis (AC) is a disease of the glenohumeral joint that is characterized by pain and both passive and active global stiffness with a slow and insidious onset. The disease can occur spontaneously (primary AC) or it can be secondary to other comorbidities, surgery, or trauma, such as fracture or dislocation. Multiple treatment approaches have been suggested: intra-articular steroid injection, physical therapy, manipulation under total anesthesia, and arthroscopic or open surgery. Shoulder manipulation under anesthesia is usually proposed to patients that suffer from severe AC and have already undergone several nonoperative treatments without benefit. Different techniques have been proposed. This study presents our manipulation technique and the clinical results we achieved after shoulder mobilization under brachial plexus block in patients with phase III primary AC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed on a sample of 110 patients with phase III AC who were treated with this manipulation and followed up for 1 year. Patients underwent two assessments-before the procedure (T0) and 4 months after it (T1)-based on the Numerical Rating Scale, Simple Shoulder Test, and joint range of motion to assess shoulder pain, function, and joint articulation, respectively. Furthermore, the patients had to express their degree of satisfaction with the procedure and the results achieved. RESULTS: Positive and statistically significant results were recorded in terms of pain reduction (ΔNPRS = - 5.4; p < 0.01) and improved functionality (Simple Shoulder Test Δ = 5; p < 0.01). Passive range of motion was statistically significantly increased for each movement at T1. Large increases were observed in extrarotation range of motion (ROM): R1 (Δ = 77.5°) and R2 (Δ = 70°), whereas little improvements were observed in intrarotation ROM. Patients achieved satisfying functional and articular recovery in all cases. Complications that needed further treatment occurred in three cases: a brachial plexus injury, a glenoid flake fracture, and persistent pain and stiffness. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we proposed a standardized method of manipulation under brachial plexus block for patients affected by phase III adhesive capsulitis. The technique was applied among a large cohort of patients, who reported a high satisfaction rate and range-of-motion recovery after 4 months. This could represent an alternative treatment to surgery that has a shorter timeline and does not require patient hospitalization. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, retrospective cohort study.

Swine slaughterhouse biowaste: an environmental sustainability assessment of composting, amended soil quality, and phytotoxicity.

In this article, the environmental sustainability of a circular economy concept applied to the management of biowaste was studied. To achieve this goal, the composting performance, compost-amended soil health, and phytotoxicity were assessed in the case of management of solid waste from a small swine slaughterhouse. Microorganisms present in a similar composting process were used as inoculums to improve the efficiency of composting. Addition of the inoculum promoted a faster and more efficient composting process than composting without the inoculum. The physical, chemical, and microbiological characteristics of soil were considered to be improved after compost application. Phytotoxicity tests in soils with and without compost amendment showed that a soil-compost mixture (90:10 and 70:30 mass ratios) was not phytotoxic to the plant species Sorghum saccharatum and Lepidium sativum, and that soil with compost showed higher plant biomass growth than that without compost amendment. The triple bottom line methodology used in this study can help in the assessment of circular economy activity in relation to the environmentally sustainable management of solid waste generated in small swine slaughterhouses.

Development of a low-cost inoculum to improve composting of cattle slaughterhouse by-products.

The composting process is an option for acceptable environmental management of cattle slaughterhouse by-products. The goals of this article were (i) to make a low-cost inoculum using popular supermarket ingredients and microorganisms that are already present in the composting environment, and (ii) to compare the efficiency of the composting process with and without the application of formulated inoculum. Initially, a consortium of microorganisms already present in the composting environment (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Bacillus subtilis, and Rhodopseudomonas palustris) was prepared in a low-cost culture medium for use as an inoculum for the composting process. The composting process with the addition of the inoculum was more efficient than the composting process without the inoculum, in terms of both the chemical composition and the process efficiency, but mainly in relation to the time required for composting, with the mean times for decay of 50% of the windrows' temperature (taking in to account the difference between internal and external windrow temperatures) being 96 days without inoculum and 65 days with inoculum. Thus, inoculum made with low-cost supermarket products reduced the composting time and yielded compost of better quality.

Ultra-broadband high-resolution microdroplet spectrometers for the near infrared.

By stabilizing the evaporation dynamics of a microliter fluorocarbon droplet, we demonstrate a fast-scan optofluidic Fourier transform (FT) spectrometer on the tip of an optical fiber operating in the 1000-2000 nm window with a resolution of 3.5 cm-1 (i.e., <1 nm at 1560 nm). Compared with other FT near-infrared (NIR) small-scale spectrometers reported in the literature, the fluorocarbon droplet spectrometer shows the largest wavelength span and span/resolution ratio, allowing spectral analysis of broadband or narrowband radiation to be easily performed. Our results open the way for the practical application of droplet spectrometers as advanced optofluidic NIR analyzers with small size and low cost that are capable of operating in harsh environments, even in the absence of electrical power sources.

Light pressure in droplet micro-resonators excited by free-space scattering.

A droplet optical resonator is a unique environment to investigate light-matter interaction and optomechanics in liquids. Here, we report on light pressure effects derived from whispering gallery modes excited in a liquid-polymer droplet micro-resonator by free-space laser scattering. From the nonlinear resonance spectrum observed in the visible, we provide evidence of photon pressure exerted at the liquid-air boundary and quantify it with a coherent physical model. Our findings pave the way to studies on micro-rheology and nonlinear optofluidics, where droplets serve as miniature liquid laboratories.

A self-operating broadband spectrometer on a droplet.

Small-scale Fourier transform spectrometers are rapidly revolutionizing infrared spectro-chemical analysis, enabling on-site and remote sensing applications that were hardly imaginable just few years ago. While most devices reported to date rely on advanced photonic integration technologies, here we demonstrate a miniaturization strategy which harnesses unforced mechanisms, such as the evaporation of a liquid droplet on a partially reflective substrate. Based on this principle, we describe a self-operating optofluidic spectrometer and the analysis method to retrieve consistent spectral information in spite of the intrinsically non-reproducible droplet formation and evaporation dynamics. We experimentally realize the device on the tip of an optical fiber and demonstrate quantitative measurements of gas absorption with a 2.6 nm resolution, in a 100 s acquisition time, over the 250 nm span allowed by our setup's components. A direct comparison with a commercial optical analyzer clearly points out that a simple evaporating droplet can be an efficient small-scale, inexpensive spectrometer, competitive with the most advanced integrated photonic devices.

Distal biceps tendon rupture: advantages and drawbacks of the anatomical reinsertion with a modified double incision approach.

BACKGROUND: Distal biceps tendon rupture occurs more often in middle-aged male population, involving the dominant arm. In this retrospective study, it's been described the occurrence of the most frequent adverse events and the clinical outcomes of patients undergoing surgical repair of distal biceps tendon rupture with the modified Morrey's double-incision approach, to determine better indications for patients with acute tendon injury. METHODS: Sixty-three patients with acute distal biceps tendon rupture treated with a modified double-incision technique between 2003 and 2015 were retrospectively evaluated at a mean 24 months of follow-up. Clinical evaluation including range of motion (ROM) and isometric strength recovery compared to the healthy contralateral side assessment, together with documentation of nerve injury, was performed. Patients were asked to answer DASH, OES and MEPS scores. RESULTS: The ROM recovery showed excellent results compared to the healthy contralateral side. The reported major complications included: one case of proximal radio-ulnar synostosis, 3 cases of posterior interosseous nerve (PIN) palsy and one case of a-traumatic tendon re-rupture. Concerning minor complications, intermittent pain, ROM deficiency < 30° in flexion/extension and pronation/supination, isometric flexion strength deficiency < 30% and isometric supination strength deficiency < 60%, lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve (LACBN) injury, were observed. The average DASH score was 8.5; the average OES was 41.5 and the MEPS was 96.3. CONCLUSION: The Morrey modified double-incision technique finds its indication in young and active patients if performed within 2 weeks from injury. If performed by experienced surgeons, the advantages can exceed the drawbacks of possible complications.

Opto-mechanical oscillator in a nanoliter droplet.

Droplets are very simple physical systems, whereby surface tension shapes liquids into ideal opto-mechanical devices. This has recently enabled low-viscosity liquid samples to serve as miniature acoustic resonators harnessing optical generation of bulk vibrations, capillaries, or surface waves. Uniquely, a simple room-temperature pendant droplet can be activated as a hypersound-laser emitter when illuminated by a free-space, low-power visible laser thanks to stimulated Brillouin scattering of optical and acoustic whispering-gallery modes. Here, we demonstrate continuous operation of a liquid polymer opto-mechanical resonator and characterize its quality factor and long-term frequency stability. Our results point to the feasibility of all-liquid micro-mechanical oscillators working in the 50-100 MHz range. The stimulated generation of high-quality surface waves on nanoliter droplets gives momentum to new optical schemes for characterization of material viscous-elastic properties, laboratory investigation of atmospheric phenomena, and mass sensing for direct analysis of biological fluids based on ultrasound-hypersound coherent generation and detection.

High efficacy of direct-acting anti-viral agents in hepatitis C virus-infected cirrhotic patients with successfully treated hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of direct-acting anti-viral (DAA) therapy in patients with a history of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unknown. AIM: We prospectively evaluated whether previously treated HCC affects DAA efficacy in a large real-life cohort of cirrhotic patients. METHODS: From January to December 2015 all consecutive HCV mono-infected patients with cirrhosis and/or history of HCC attending 10 Italian tertiary liver centres were enrolled. Baseline characteristics and response to therapy were recorded. 1927 patients were enrolled (mean age: 62.1 ± 10.9 years; 1.205 males). Genotype 1 was the most frequent (67.9%) followed by genotypes 3 (12.4%), 2 (11.2%) and 4 (8.6%). 88.4% and 10.9% of cases were classified Child A and B, respectively, and 14 (<1%) cases were classified Child C. Ascites and hepatic encephalopathy occurred in 10.7% and 3.2% of patients, respectively. Varices were detected in 39.3% of patients. Suboptimal and optimal treatment was prescribed: 15.9% of patients received sofosbuvir/simeprevir, 33.4% sofosbuvir/ledipasvir, 20.2% a Viekirax + Exviera regimen, 15.7% sofosbuvir/ribavirin, 9.9% sofosbuvir/daclatasvir and 3.4% Viekirax; 1.3% of patients received an interferon-based regimen. RESULTS: The sustained virologic response (SVR) rate at intention-to-treat analysis was 95.1%. It differed significantly across Child classes, that is, 96.3%, 86.1% and 71.4% Child A, B and C, respectively (P < 0.0001) and across genotypes (P = 0.002). The SVR rate did not differ between patients with (95.0%) and those without previous HCC (95.1%). At multivariable analysis, SVR was significantly associated with HCV genotype, Child class. CONCLUSION: This large real-life study proves that the efficacy of DAA in cirrhotic patients is not impaired by successfully treated HCC.

Stimulated Brillouin Cavity Optomechanics in Liquid Droplets.

Liquid droplets are ubiquitous in nature wherein surface tension shapes them into perfect spheres with atomic-scale smooth surfaces. Here, we use stable droplets that cohost equatorial acoustical and optical resonances phase matched to enable the exchange of energy and momentum between sound and light. Relying on free-space laser excitation of multiple whispering-gallery modes, we harness a triple-resonant forward Brillouin scattering to stimulate optomechanical surface waves. Nonlinear amplification of droplet vibrations in the 60-70 MHz range is realized with spectral narrowing beyond the limit of material loss, thereby activating the droplet as hypersound-laser emitter.

Fundamental limits in high-Q droplet microresonators.

Liquid droplet whispering-gallery-mode microresonators open a new research frontier for sensing, optomechanics and photonic devices. At visible wavelengths, where most liquids are transparent, a major contribution to a droplet optical quality factor is expected theoretically from thermal surface distortions and capillary waves. Here, we investigate experimentally these predictions using transient cavity ring-down spectroscopy. With our scheme, the optical out-coupling and intrinsic loss are measured independently while any perturbation induced by thermal, acoustic and laser-frequency noise is avoided thanks to the ultra-short light-cavity interaction time. The measurements reveal a photon lifetime at least ten times longer than the thermal limit and indicate that capillary fluctuations activate surface scattering effects responsible for light coupling. This suggests that droplet microresonators are an ideal optical platform for ultra-sensitive spectroscopy of highly transparent liquid compounds in nano-liter volumes.

Seroepidemiology of HEV and HAV in two populations with different socio-economic levels and hygienic/sanitary conditions.

The epidemiological scenarios of hepatitis E virus (HEV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections have changed in the last few decades, but precise epidemiological data on the prevalence of anti-HEV and anti-HAV, alone or in combination, in the general population are scanty. We investigated HEV and HAV seroprevalence comparing two population samples living in Northern (Abbiategrasso, Milan) and Southern Italy (Cittanova, Reggio Calabria), the latter being characterized by a poorer socio-economic level and hygienic/sanitary conditions. Based on census records, we randomly enrolled and tested 3,365 subjects (Abbiategrasso, n = 2,489; Cittanova, n = 876) aged 18-75 years for anti-HAV and anti-HEV. Anti-HAV (71.3 % vs 52.5 %) and anti-HEV (17.8 % vs 9.0 %) prevalence rates were higher in Southern Italy (both p < 0.001). Most anti-HEV-positive subjects also had anti-HAV. Subjects testing positive for anti-HAV, alone or with anti-HEV, were older (p < 0.001 in both populations) and showed a trend toward declining prevalence in the youngest birth cohorts. The prevalence of subjects with a positive result for anti-HEV alone did not change in birth cohorts in the two towns. Detection of anti-HEV was independently associated with anti-HAV, town, birth cohort, and education level in multivariate analysis. Low socio-economic level and hygienic/sanitary conditions are associated with high HAV and HEV seroprevalence rates in Italy. Recent improvements, especially in the South, have led to a declining prevalence of anti-HAV, alone or with anti-HEV. Seroprevalence of HEV alone is uniformly low and does not change in birth cohorts born between 1938 and 1993.

Super-Resonant Intracavity Coherent Absorption.

The capability of optical resonators to extend the effective radiation-matter interaction length originates from a multipass effect, hence is intrinsically limited by the resonator's quality factor. Here, we show that this constraint can be overcome by combining the concepts of resonant interaction and coherent perfect absorption (CPA). We demonstrate and investigate super-resonant coherent absorption in a coupled Fabry-Perot (FP)/ring cavity structure. At the FP resonant wavelengths, the described phenomenon gives rise to split modes with a nearly-transparent peak and a peak whose transmission is exceptionally sensitive to the intracavity loss. For small losses, the effective interaction pathlength of these modes is proportional respectively to the ratio and the product of the individual finesse coefficients of the two resonators. The results presented extend the conventional definition of resonant absorption and point to a way of circumventing the technological limitations of ultrahigh-quality resonators in spectroscopy and optical sensing schemes.

Fiber Bragg grating laser sensor with direct radio-frequency readout.

A fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-coupled ring laser sensor is demonstrated. In the proposed configuration the interrogating source, the sensing head and the readout instrument are integrated in a single fiber-optic device. An FBG inserted within a bidirectional fiber ring couples the two counterpropagating modes of the cavity, generating a splitting of the resonant wavelengths proportional to the FBG reflectivity. When the cavity gain is brought beyond threshold, the two peaks of the split resonances simultaneously lase, leading to a beat note in the emission spectrum whose frequency tracks any small shift of the FBG reflectivity spectrum. Such a beat note can be simply monitored by a frequency counter, without the need for an optical spectrometer, allowing to significantly reduce size and costs of the sensor setup. The sensing performance compares well to the state-of-the-art thermo-mechanical fiber sensors.

Laser-frequency locking to a whispering-gallery-mode cavity by spatial interference of scattered light.

We present a simple and effective method for frequency locking a laser source to a free-space-coupled whispering-gallery-mode cavity. The scheme relies on the interference of spatial modes contained in the light scattered by the cavity, where low- and high-order modes are simultaneously excited. A dispersion-shaped signal proportional to the imaginary component of the resonant optical field is simply generated by spatial filtering of the scattered light. Locking of a diode laser to the equatorial modes of a liquid droplet resonator is demonstrated using this scheme, and its performance is compared to the Pound-Drever-Hall technique. This new approach makes laser-frequency locking straightforward and shows a number of advantages, including robustness, low cost, and no need for sophisticated optical and electronic components.

Enhanced spectral response of π-phase shifted fiber Bragg gratings in closed-loop configuration.

The transmission spectrum of a ring resonator enclosing a π-phase shifted fiber Bragg grating (π-FBG) shows a spectral feature at the Bragg wavelength that is much sharper than resonance of the π-FBG alone, and that can be detected with a simple integrated cavity output technique. Hence, the resolution of any sensor based on the fitting of the π-FBG spectral profile can be largely improved by the proposed configuration at no additional fabrication costs and without altering the sensor robustness. A theoretical model shows that the resolution enhancement attainable in the proposed closed-loop geometry depends on the quality factor of the ring resonator. With a commercial grating in a medium-finesse ring, a spectral feature 12 times sharper than the π-FBG resonance is experimentally demonstrated. A larger enhancement is expected in a low-loss, polarization maintaining setup.

Surgeon's experience influences UKA survivorship: a comparative study between all-poly and metal back designs.

PURPOSE: Concerns exist regarding prosthetic positioning and post-operative limb alignment in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). In this study, we hypothesized deviations of the post-op anatomical femoro-tibial angle (aFTA) and the tibial component alignment to be factors influencing UKA survivorship. Moreover, by a comparison between all-poly and metal back UKAs, we hypothesized that prosthetic design plays a role in implant survivorship. METHODS: One hundred ninety-five medial UKAs were performed on 176 patients by two experienced surgeons and one low-UKA user. One hundred and forty-seven UKAs were included in the study: 72 all-poly and 75 metal back. Measurements were performed on radiographs: mechanical femoro-tibial angle, Cartier angle, aFTA and tibial posterior slope (PS) on pre-op radiographs; femoral and tibial component varus/valgus, aFTA and tibial component PS on post-op radiographs. RESULTS: At an average follow-up of 61 months (min. 30, max. 107), 147 UKAs were evaluated: The reported survivorship rate was 93.1 %. Eleven implants underwent revision: ten all-poly and one metal back. No differences were reported between the two groups in the radiographic measurements. Significant radiographic differences were reported between revised and not revised UKAs: Revised UKAs were associated with overcorrection of the pre-op Cartier angle and under correction of pre-op aFTA. Most of revised UKAs were performed by the low-volume UKA surgeon. CONCLUSIONS: Surgeon's experience is essential to achieve good results in UKA: Preserving the tibial epiphyseal axis and avoiding excessive or insufficient corrections of the pre-operative limb alignment are predictor of successful replacement, while prosthetic designs, models and fixation geometry do not affect UKA outcome. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Split-mode fiber Bragg grating sensor for high-resolution static strain measurements.

We demonstrate a strain sensor with very high sensitivity in the static and low frequency regime based on a fiber ring cavity that includes a π phase-shifted fiber Bragg grating. The grating acts as a partial reflector that couples the two counter-propagating cavity modes, generating a splitting of the resonant frequencies. The presence of a sharp transition within the π phase-shifted fiber Bragg grating's spectral transmittance makes this frequency splitting extremely sensitive to length, temperature, and the refractive index of the fiber in the region where the grating is written. The splitting variations caused by small mechanical deformations of the grating are tracked in real time by interrogating a cavity resonance with a locked-carrier scanning-sideband technique. The measurable strain range and bandwidth are characterized, and a resolution of 320 pϵ/Hz(1/2) at 0 Hz is experimentally demonstrated, the highest achieved to date with a fiber Bragg grating sensor.

High-sensitivity ring-down evanescent-wave sensing in fiber resonators.

We report on optical-fiber cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) in the liquid phase using a laser emitting at telecommunication wavelengths. A fiber-ring cavity, comprising a short evanescent-wave coupler for radiation-matter interaction, is used as a sensor while its resonance modes are frequency locked to the laser. Exploiting the intrinsic sensitivity and noise immunity of the CRDS technique, we show that liquid absorption can be detected down to a level that is nearly a factor of 20 above the shot noise limit. We provide a thorough comparison between the experimental results and various noise contributions and address different expressions that can be used to calculate the shot noise equivalent absorbance. As a proof of principle, polyamine detection in aqueous solutions is carried out demonstrating a minimum detectable absorbance of 1.8×10(-7) Hz(-1/2), which, to our knowledge, is the best sensitivity limit reported to date for evanescent-wave sensors.