Sheep Wool for Sustainable Architecture

AbstractSheep wool is a natural material, already used for thermal insulation of pitched roofs, in the form of soft mats. The paper presents a research project called Cartonlana, concerning a new sheep wool-based product with two main innovative features: it is a stiff panel, unlike the existing soft wool mats; it has a low environmental impact, using local recycled sheep wool, otherwise disposed as special waste. Physical and chemical properties of Cartonlana panel were determined by measurements, in order to demonstrate its effectiveness as insulation for buildings: thermal conductivity, acoustic absorption coefficient, absorption of formaldehyde, thermal transmittance of a wall

Building insulation products based on natural fibers: Wool and hemp panels

FITNESs, Fibre Tessili Naturali per l’Edilizia Sostenibile (Natural Textile Fibers for Sustainable Building), is a research project concerning an experimental hemp and sheep wool insulation panel. The new panel has two main innovative features: unlike the already existing hemp and wool insulation mats, it is a semi-rigid product and has low environmental impact, as shown by the Life Cycle Assessment. FITNESs panels are particularly suitable for eco-building sector, as they are 100% natural, recyclable and made with by-products from local production chains (Piemonte Region). The paper presents the production process of the panel from wool and hemp fibers and some experimental applications for sustainable architecture

APPLICATIONS OF BUILDING INSULATION PRODUCTS BASED ON NATURAL WOOL AND HEMP FIBERS

FITNESs, Fibre Tessili Naturali per l’Edilizia Sostenibile (Natural Textile Fibers for Sustainable Building), is a research project concerning an experimental hemp and sheep wool insulation panel. The new panel has two main innovative features: unlike the already existing hemp and wool insulation mats, it is a semi-rigid product and has low environmental impact, as shown by the Life Cycle Assessment. FITNESs panels are particularly suitable for eco-building sector, as they are 100% natural, recyclable and made with by-products from local production chains (Piemonte Region). The paper presents the production process of the panel from wool and hemp fibers and some experimental applications for sustainable architecture

Fitness: Sheep-wool and Hemp Sustainable Insulation Panels

FITNESs, Fibre Tessili Naturali per l'Edilizia Sostenibile (Natural Textile Fibers for Sustainble Building), is a research project concerning an experimental hemp and sheep wool insulation panel. The new panel has two main innovative features: unlike the already existing hemp and wool insulation mats, it is a semi-rigid product and it has a low environmental impact, as shown by the Life Cycle Assessment. FITNESs panels are particularly suitable for eco-building sector, they are 100% natural, recyclable and made with by-products from local production chains (Piemonte Region). The paper presents the results of thermal conductivity, acoustic absorption coefficient and thermal transmittance of an experimental wall measurements, in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of FITNESs panels as an insulation product for buildings

Autologous Matrix-Induced Chondrogenesis (AMIC) and AMIC Enhanced by Autologous Concentrated Bone Marrow Aspirate (BMAC) Allow for Stable Clinical and Functional Improvements at up to 9 Years Follow-Up: Results from a Randomized Controlled Study

The aims of the study were to evaluate long-term outcomes after autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis (AMIC) in the treatment of focal chondral lesions and to assess the possible improvements given by the combination of this technique with bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC). Twenty-four patients (age range 18–55 years) affected by focal knee chondral lesions were treated with standard AMIC or AMIC enhanced by BMAC (AMIC+). Pain (Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)) and functional scores (Lysholm, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), Tegner, Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS)) were collected pre-operatively and then at 6, 12, 24, 60, and 100 months after treatment. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation was performed pre-operatively and at 6, 12, and 24 months follow-ups. Patients treated with AMIC+ showed higher Lysholm scores (p = 0.015) and lower VAS (p = 0.011) in comparison with patients in the standard AMIC group at the 12 months follow-up. Both treatments allowed for functional and pain improvements with respect to pre-operative levels lasting up to 100 months. MRI revealed consistent cartilage repair at 24 months in both groups. This study shows that AMIC and AMIC+ are effective treatments for focal chondral lesions with beneficial effect lasting up to 9 years. AMIC+ allows for faster recovery from injury, and is thus more indicated for patients requiring a prompt return to activity. Level of evidence: II, randomized controlled trial in an explorative cohort

In vitro characterization of stem/progenitor cells from semitendinosus and gracilis tendons as a possible new tool for cell-based therapy for tendon disorders

Purpose: this study was conducted to characterize tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) isolated from human semitendinosus and gracilis tendons in terms of stemness properties and multi-differentiation potential. Methods: TSPCs were isolated from waste portions of semitendinosus and gracilis tendons from three donors who underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. TSPCs were plated in culture until passage 4, when experiments to assess cell proliferation, viability and clonogenic ability were performed. The immunophenotype of TSPCs was evaluated by cytofluorimetric analysis. The in vitro osteogenic, chondrogenic, adipogenic and tenogenic potential was evaluated using biochemical, histological and gene expression analysis to detect specific differentiation markers. Statistical analysis was performed using Student’s t-test. Results: after a few passages in culture the cell populations showed a homogeneous fibroblast-like morphology typical of mesenchymal stem cells. The average doubling time of TSPCs increased from 52.4±4.8 at passage 2 to 100.8±23.4 hours at passage 4. The highest percentage of colonies was also found at passage 4 (4.7±2.3%). TSPCs showed the typical mesenchymal phenotype, with high expression of CD73, CD90 and CD105 and no expression of CD34 and CD45. Cells induced to differentiate toward osteogenic lineage showed significant upregulations of ALP activity (+189%, p<0.05) and calcified matrix deposition (+49%, p<0.05) compared with undifferentiated cells; culture in chondrogenic medium also provoked a significant increase in glycosaminoglycan levels (+108%, p<0.05). On the other hand, TSPCs were not able to respond to adipogenic stimuli. Scleraxis gene expression and decorin gene expression, considered tenogenic markers, were already very high in control cells, and culture in tenogenic medium further increased these values although not significantly. Conclusions: our data show that it is possible to isolate TSPCs from very small fragments of tissue and that they show the typical features of MSCs and multi-differentiation potential, above all toward osteogenic and chondrogenic lineages. Clinical relevance: this study can be considered one of the first attempts to clarify the biology of tendon cell populations, focusing in particular on the potential applicability of this cell source for future regenerative medicine purposes

Epidemiology of Posterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstructions in Italy: A 15-Year Study

Background: The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is an essential element in knee stability. PCL reconstructions represent an under-investigated topic in the literature due to the rarity of this type of knee injury. This study aims to investigate the incidence of PCL reconstructive surgeries in Italy, following their trend during a 15-year period. Methods: The National Hospital Discharge records (SDO) collected by the Italian Ministry of Health between January 2001 and October 2015 were analyzed. The database reports anonymous data comprising patients’ ages, genders, International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes for diagnosis and intervention, census regions, regions of hospitalization, lengths of hospitalization and types of reimbursement. Results: The overall incidence of PCL reconstructions in the Italian population during the study period was 0.46 surgeries per 100,000 inhabitants/year, ranging from 0.32 to 0.54. The median patient’s age was 30 years old, and the male:female ratio was 5.3. PCL lesions were isolated in 39.7% of patients, while anterior cruciate ligament injuries were the most frequently associated lesions (31.1%). Conclusions: The incidence of PCL reconstruction in Italy was low and stable during the study period. Young men are the category at the highest risk for these procedures. Given the paucity of epidemiological data on PCL reconstructions, this data may represent a reference for the current and foreseeable needs in PCL surgeries for countries sharing similar cultural context

Epidemiology of Posterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstructions in Italy: A 15-Year Study

Background: The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is an essential element in knee stability. PCL reconstructions represent an under-investigated topic in the literature due to the rarity of this type of knee injury. This study aims to investigate the incidence of PCL reconstructive surgeries in Italy, following their trend during a 15-year period. Methods: The National Hospital Discharge records (SDO) collected by the Italian Ministry of Health between January 2001 and October 2015 were analyzed. The database reports anonymous data comprising patients’ ages, genders, International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes for diagnosis and intervention, census regions, regions of hospitalization, lengths of hospitalization and types of reimbursement. Results: The overall incidence of PCL reconstructions in the Italian population during the study period was 0.46 surgeries per 100,000 inhabitants/year, ranging from 0.32 to 0.54. The median patient’s age was 30 years old, and the male:female ratio was 5.3. PCL lesions were isolated in 39.7% of patients, while anterior cruciate ligament injuries were the most frequently associated lesions (31.1%). Conclusions: The incidence of PCL reconstruction in Italy was low and stable during the study period. Young men are the category at the highest risk for these procedures. Given the paucity of epidemiological data on PCL reconstructions, this data may represent a reference for the current and foreseeable needs in PCL surgeries for countries sharing similar cultural context