Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Slow release of growth factors and thrombospondin-1 in Choukroun's platelet-rich fibrin (PRF): a gold standard to achieve for all surgical platelet concentrates technologies

Platelet concentrates for surgical topical applications are nowadays often used, but quantification of the long-term growth factor release from these preparations in most cases is impossible. Indeed, in most protocols, platelets are massively activated and there is no significant fibrin matrix to support growth factor release and cell migration. Choukroun's platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), a second generation platelet concentrate, is a leucocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin biomaterial. Here, we show that this dense fibrin membrane releases high quantities of three main growth factors (Transforming Growth Factor b-1 (TGFβ-1), platelet derived growth factor AB, PDGF-AB; vascular endothelial growth factor, VEGF) and an important coagulation matricellular glycoprotein (thrombospondin-1, TSP-1) during 7 days. Moreover, the comparison between the final released amounts and the initial content of the membrane (after forcible extraction) allows us to consider that the leucocytes trapped in the fibrin matrix continue to produce high quantities of TGFβ-1 and VEGF during the whole experimental time.
Whole-Systems Assessment of the Value of Energy Storage in Low-Carbon Electricity Systems

Energy storage represents one of the key enabling technologies to facilitate an efficient system integration of intermittent renewable generation and electrified transport and heating demand. This paper presents a novel whole-systems approach to valuing the contribution of grid-scale electricity storage. This approach simultaneously optimizes investment into new generation, network and storage capacity, while minimising system operation cost, and also considering reserve and security requirements. Case studies on the system of Great Britain (GB) with high share of renewable generation demonstrate that energy storage can simultaneously bring benefits to several sectors, including generation, transmission and distribution, while supporting real-time system balancing. The analysis distinguishes between bulk and distributed storage applications, while also considering the competition against other technologies, such as flexible generation, interconnection and demand-side response.
Performance of growing lambs fed two levels of concentrate with conventional or macerated timothy hay.

Thirty-two Outaouais male lambs were used in a 2 x 2 factorial design to compare growth and carcass characteristics of lambs fed conventional and macerated hay at two levels of concentrate. Timothy hay was harvested with either a prototype mower-macerator or a conventional mower-conditioner. Hays offered for ad libitum intake were fed with isonitrogenous supplements containing either 400 g of commercial concentrate or a mixture of 100 g of commercial concentrate and 158 g of canola meal. Lambs were fed from an initial weight of 22 kg to a slaughter weight of 43 kg. Feeding the highest level of concentrate tended to decrease hay intake but increased DMI and ADG. Feeding macerated hay had no effect on DMI, digestibility, ADG, and gain:feed. There was an interaction (P < .08) between type of conditioning and feeding level of concentrate for carcass weight, dressing percentage, and muscular conformation of hind leg roast. In general, the highest values were obtained for lambs fed the higher level of concentrate. Efficiency of ME utilization for gain was similar among treatments. These data suggest that the benefits of macerated timothy hay and higher amounts of concentrate on carcass quality are additive.
The Shedding of the Mucosa of the Bronchial Tree in Asthma

llen, whichisa good descriptive term.We haveselected theeponym "Creolabody," whichhasthemeritofbeing euphonious and succinct. (Creola was the Christian nameofthepatient inwhosesputum thesecolumnarcellclusters wereoriginally observed inourmaterial.) Theywerenoticed previously byVierordt (1883), andsubsequently by Farber, Wood,Pharr,andPierson (1957), Carabelli (1958), CohenandPrentice (1959), and KossandDurfee(1961). Thelastfourauthors believed thattheywerefragments ofmucosa whichhad becomedetached becauseitwas hyperplastic, butnone of theothersoffered reasons whytheywerefoundinthesputaof asthmatics. Afterstudying theirmorphology, onehasnodoubtthat theyarefragments ofshed, though notnecessarily hyperplastic, mucosa,of thelowerrespiratory tract. Ifthatiswhattheyare,andifshedding of bronchial andbronchiolar mucosaoccurs almost exclusively inbronchial asthma, these columnar cell clusters should befoundequally exclusively insputaofasthmatics, andmoreshould befound during attacks ofasthmathanwhenthedisease isquiescent. Thesputaofasthmatics andnonasthmatics havebeenanalysed andcompared to findoutifthis isso.
Social protection as a strategy to address climate-induced migration

Purpose This paper aims to discuss the roles of social protection in reducing and facilitating climate-induced migration. Social protection gained attention in the international climate negotiations with the establishment of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage. Yet, its potential to address migration, considered as a key issue in the loss and damage debate, has not been sufficiently explored. This paper aims at identifying key characteristics of social protection schemes which could effectively address climate-induced migration and attempts to derive recommendations for policy design. Design/methodology/approach Based on the existing literature, the paper links empirical evidence on the effects of social protection to climate-related drivers of migration and the needs of vulnerable populations. This approach allows conceptually identifying characteristics of effective social protection policies. Findings Findings indicate that social protection can be part of a proactive approach to managing climate-induced migration both in rural and urban areas. In particular, public work programmes offer solutions to different migration outcomes, from no to permanent migration. Benefits are achieved when programmes explicitly integrate climate change impacts into their design. Social protection can provide temporary support to facilitate migration, in situ adaptation or integration and adaptation in destination areas. It is no substitution for but can help trigger sustainable adaptation solutions. Originality/value The paper helps close research gaps regarding the potential roles and channels of social protection for addressing and facilitating climate-induced migration and providing public support in destination, mostly in urban areas.
Nitrous Oxide Induces Preemptive Analgesia in the Rat That is Antagonized by Halothane

BackgroundNoxious stimulation-induced sensitization of the central nervous system has been proposed as a key element in the development of subsequent protracted pain. Accordingly, the authors used the formalin model of pain to test the hypothesis that general anesthesia can produce preemptive analgesia and thereby interfere with noxious stimulation-induced central sensitization. MethodsRats received 0.9% or 1.8% halothane, 30% or 75% nitrous oxide (N2O), or 75% N2O plus 0.9% halothane (n = 4 or 5 per group). Control rats (n = 5) received only 100% oxygen. Fifteen minutes after the induction of anesthesia, formalin was injected subcutaneously into a hind paw of each rat, and anesthesia was maintained for 5 more min. Because the behavioral pain response to formalin (i.e., flinching of the injected paw) is biphasic, these treatment groups were anesthetized only during phase 1 (acute phase). Another group (n = 5) received 75% N2O only during phase 2 (delayed phase). Reversibility of the N2O effect was tested by the administration of naloxone before phase 1 or naltrexone during phase 2 (n = 5 per group). Finally, additional rats anesthetized as described above (n = 4 or 5 per group) underwent tail-flick testing during anesthesia. ResultsAll anesthetics reduced phase 1 pain behavior, but only N2O produced antinociception on tail-flick testing. Thirty percent and 75% N2O, administered during phase 1, suppressed phase 2 flinching 29% and 49%, respectively, whereas nitrous oxide administered after phase 1 did not suppress phase 2 pain behavior. This effect of nitrous oxide was reversed by an opioid antagonist given during phase 1 but not phase 2. Halothane administered during phase 1 had no effect on phase 2 flinching, and it antagonized the effect of 75% N2O. ConclusionsNitrous oxide induces dose-dependent preemptive analgesia in this model that is reversed partially by naloxone, thus suggesting the involvement of endogenous opioids in this action. In contrast, halothane has no preemptive analgesic properties and even antagonizes the analgesic effect of nitrous oxide. Hence, the hypnotic potency of an anesthetic is a poor indication of its preemptive analgesic potential.
Health Diplomacy in the Political Process of Integration in Latin America and the Caribbean

The construction of the concepts of diplomacy and health diplomacy must consider their conceptions and practices, at both the global and regional levels. Health diplomacy is vitally important in a global context, where health problems cross national borders and more new stakeholders appear every day, both within and outside the health sector. On the other hand, regional integration processes provide excellent opportunities for collective actions and solutions to many of the health challenges at the global level. In the current global context, the best conditions for dealing with many health challenges are found at the global level, but the regional and subregional spheres also play essential roles.
Heteromeric Complexes of Native Collectin Kidney 1 and Collectin Liver 1 Are Found in the Circulation with MASPs and Activate the Complement System

The complement system is an important part of the innate immune system. The complement cascade may be initiated downstream of the lectin activation pathway upon binding of mannan-binding lectin, ficolins, or collectin kidney 1 (CL-K1, alias CL-11) to suitable microbial patterns consisting of carbohydrates or acetylated molecules. During purification and characterization of native CL-K1 from plasma, we observed that collectin liver 1 (CL-L1) was copurified. Based on deglycosylation and nonreduced/reduced two-dimensional SDS-PAGE, we detected CL-K1 and CL-L1 in disulfide bridge-stabilized complexes. Heteromeric complex formation in plasma was further shown by ELISA and transient coexpression. Judging from the migration pattern on two-dimensional SDS-PAGE, the majority of plasma CL-K1 was found in complex with CL-L1. The ratio of this complex was in favor of CL-K1, suggesting that a heteromeric subunit is composed of one CL-L1 and two CL-K1 polypeptide chains. We found that the complex bound to mannan-binding lectin–associated serine proteases (MASPs) with affinities in the nM range in vitro and was associated with both MASP-1/-3 and MASP-2 in plasma. Upon binding to mannan or DNA in the presence of MASP-2, the CL-L1–CL-K1 complex mediated deposition of C4b. In favor of large oligomers, the activity of the complex was partly determined by the oligomeric size, which may be influenced by an alternatively spliced variant of CL-K1. The activity of the native heteromeric complexes was superior to that of recombinant CL-K1. We conclude that CL-K1 exists in circulation in the form of heteromeric complexes with CL-L1 that interact with MASPs and can mediate complement activation.
Evaluation of Final Examination Papers in Engineering: A Case Study Using Bloom's Taxonomy

Questions are used to obtain information, stimulate thinking, and redirect reasoning. Academics in higher education use questions on a daily basis to stimulate thinking and reasoning in students. Final examination papers are used by academics to assess the retention and application skills of students. The assumption, however, exists that questions relating to application skills at universities of technology should start to dominate the higher academic levels in education, with a subsequent drop in questions regarding retention skills. These questions may be categorized as either higher order or lower order questions. This article attempts to distinguish between these two types of questions in light of Bloom's taxonomy, with similar concepts such as deep and surface learning being examined. The literature review is applied to an electrical engineering module titled Electronics, which serves as the case study. The results of this study indicate that a high percentage of the final examination papers dealt with the objective ¿Application,¿ where students had to make use of numerous mathematical equations to solve various unknowns. The results also indicated that academics in electronics are using more lower order than higher order questions in their final examination papers. A balance is suggested between these two types of questions for various academic levels at universities of technology.
Devolving water governance in the Kenyan Arid Lands: from top-down drought and flood emergency response to locally driven water resource development planning

Abstract The Kenyan Constitution calls for a devolved response to the stewardship of water and other natural resources. A case study based on planners’ experiences illustrates the shift towards a governance approach that is inclusive, integrates available technologies to achieve resilience to both flood and drought, and works across scales from the settlement to the catchment. Devolution is a slow process, and the challenges are many. Recent observations show that increasing local agency in water resource development is helping alleviate drought and flood emergencies. Nevertheless, more concerted action is still needed from the centre.
A path-based recommendations approach for online systems via hyperbolic network embedding

In this paper we introduce and demonstrate new recommendation algorithms for large-scale online systems, such as e-shops and cloud services. The proposed algorithms are based on the combination of network embedding in hyperbolic space with greedy routing, exploiting properties of hyperbolic metric spaces. Contrary to the existing recommender systems that rank products in order to propose the highest ranked ones to the users, our proposed recommender system creates a progressive path of recommendations towards a final (known or inferred) target product using greedy routing over networks embedded in hyperbolic space. Thus, it prepares the user by intermediate recommendations for maximizing the chances that he/she accepts the recommendation of the target product(s). This casts the problem of locating a suitable recommendation as a path problem, where leveraging on the efficiency of greedy routing in graphs embedded in hyperbolic spaces and exploiting special network structure, if any, pays dividends. Two variants of our recommendation approach are provided, namely Hyperbolic Recommendation-Known Destination (HRKD), Hyperbolic Recommendation-Unknown Destination (HRUD), when the target product is known or unknown, respectively. We demonstrate how the proposed approach can be used for producing efficient recommendations in online systems, along with studying the impact of the several parameters involved in its performance via proper emulation of user activity over suitably defined graphs.
The Costs of Trade Protectionism: Evidence from Spanish Firms and Non-Tariff Measures

La implantacion de medidas proteccionistas no arancelarias se ha asociado a la debilidad del comercio mundial en los ultimos anos. En este trabajo investigamos los efectos que dichas barreras comerciales no arancelarias pueden haber tenido en el crecimiento de las exportaciones espanolas durante el periodo 2009-2013 utilizando datos administrativos a nivel de empresa-producto-destino. De acuerdo con nuestros resultados, las medidas proteccionistas no arancelarias reducen significativamente el crecimiento de las exportaciones a nivel de empresa-producto-destino. Ademas, estas barreras no arancelarias tambien reducen el crecimiento de las exportaciones a nivel de empresa y afectan negativamente a otras variables como el crecimiento de la productividad. Por el contrario, el impacto positivo de la eliminacion de algunas de estas barreras no arancelarias no resulta estadisticamente significativo.
Feed consumption, diet digestibility and mineral utilization in captive blackbuck (Antelope cervicapra) fed different levels of concentrates.

A feeding trial was conducted to know the level of concentrates in the diet of Antelope cervicapra at which diet digestibility and mineral utilization were optimum. Fifteen blackbucks (25-33 kg BW) were distributed into three groups of five each. Fresh oat (Avena sativa) and berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum) fodders were offered ad libitum to all the animals. In addition, animals in groups II and III received concentrate mixture at the rate of 0.5 and 1% of BW, whereas animals in group I received no concentrates. As the level of concentrates increased, consumption of fodder decreased resulting in decreased consumption of neutral detergent fibre (NDFom), acid detergent fibre (ADFom), hemicellulose and cellulose. However, overall total dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) intake was not significantly different between the groups. Digestibility of DM, OM and gross energy (GE) increased while that of NDFom and ADFom decreased with increased level of concentrates in the diet. Intake of P, Zn, Cu and Mn increased with increased level of concentrate supplementation; however, consumption of Ca and Fe followed the reverse trend. Absorption of P and Zn increased with increased level of concentrate supplementation. Serum concentration of Zn increased when concentrate was supplemented at the rate of 0.5% BW beyond which there was no further improvement. Increasing the level of concentrates in the diet was resulted in increased serum glucose and cholesterol levels. Forage-only diet was inadequate in supply of energy, P and zinc. Supplementation of concentrates at the rate of 0.5% BW was able to meet the requirement of these nutrients. Supplementation at the rate of 1% BW supplied energy and P in excess of requirement. It was concluded that the feeding of concentrates to the captive blackbuck fed forage-based diets should be restricted to 0.5% of BW.
International Consensus Statement on the Clinical and Therapeutic Management of Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy

Abstract: Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is currently estimated as the most frequent mitochondrial disease (1 in 27,000–45,000). Its molecular pathogenesis and natural history is now fairly well understood. LHON also is the first mitochondrial disease for which a treatment has been approved (idebenone–Raxone, Santhera Pharmaceuticals) by the European Medicine Agency, under exceptional circumstances because of the rarity and severity of the disease. However, what remains unclear includes the optimal target population, timing, dose, and frequency of administration of idebenone in LHON due to lack of accepted definitions, criteria, and general guidelines for the clinical management of LHON. To address these issues, a consensus conference with a panel of experts from Europe and North America was held in Milan, Italy, in 2016. The intent was to provide expert consensus statements for the clinical and therapeutic management of LHON based on the currently available evidence. We report the conclusions of this conference, providing the guidelines for clinical and therapeutic management of LHON.
Accounting Quality in Private Firms During the Transition Towards International Standards

Abstract We study the historical development of Slovenian Accounting Standards (SAS) and their association with accounting quality (AQ). We focus on private firms where the financial reporting process is characterised by low demand for high-quality reporting. We investigate three distinct editions of SAS since 1994 and test how their development towards international standards is related to AQ. Aggregate earnings management measures indicate that the use of accounting discretion decreases with less earnings smoothing over time. The main features of AQ have been consistent throughout historical development. Asymmetric timeliness of earnings, the ability of earnings to predict future cash flows, and the ability of accruals to mitigate mismatching are all present throughout. We also document typical departures from properties of high AQ. For example, accruals do not (always) facilitate timely recognition of losses. However, these can be attributed to the overwhelming influence of reporting incentives (e.g. taxation, debt, size) rather than to the (lower) quality of accounting standards.
Should the Acetabular Cup be Medialised in Total Hip Arthroplasty?

Background During total hip arthroplasty (THA), medialisation of the cup decreases the lever arm of body weight and is considered to be beneficial. Theoretically it should be compensated by an equivalent increase of the femoral offset in order to maintain global offset. Goal of the study We investigated via a numerical model the forces on each bundle of the abductor muscles and the loading forces at the head-cup interface. We compared THA with and without medialisation of the cup and with and without restoration of the global offset. Method A digital finite element model of the hip joint with THA was constructed. Monopodal weight-bearing was simulated with the cup positioned so that the hip centre of rotation was left unchanged. Forces in the abductors and pressure on the prosthetic head were measured and then compared with three other configurations: 1. Medialisation of the cup by 5 to 15mm with reproduction of the native femoral offset or; 2. with an increased femoral offset compensating for the cup medialisation and; 3. no medialisation of the cup with a femoral offset increased. Results Medialisation of the cup decreased stresses on the head-cup interface and on the abductor muscles, even when the global offset was not restored. Anatomical placement of the cup did not give the best results. The optimal outcome in terms of stress was observed when the cup was medialised but global offset restored. Any increase of global offset significantly increases the length and the tension in the anterior bundles of the abductor muscles.
Hemostatic Activation under Anticoagulant Treatment: A Comparison of Unfractionated Heparin vs. Nadroparin in the Treatment of Proximal Deep Vein Thrombosis

Summary Background: Multiple clinical trials have been performed to compare standard heparin with low molecular weight heparin in the therapy of deep vein thrombosis, but little is known about the time course of the markers of hemostatic system during the treatment with these two heparin regimens. Methods: Twenty patients with proximal deep vein thrombosis confirmed by duplex ultrasound and phlebography were randomly assigned to either unfractionated heparin (UH) given as an intravenous bolus of 80 U/kg followed by a constant infusion of 18 U/kg/h, or nadroparin 185 AXa IU/kg once daily subcutaneously. Oral anticoagulants were started at day 4. Markers of hemostatic activation (F1+2, FPA, TAT, D-dimer) were measured daily for 4 days. Primary end-points were the time course of these markers; secondary endpoints consisted in the evaluation of thromboembolic and hemorrhagic complications by clinical outcome and Marder score. Results: Treatment with UH resulted in a rapid achievement of therapeutic heparin levels. UH reduced markers of fibrin formation and fibrinolysis more rapidly than nadroparin (p < 0.05). Within the nadroparin group activation of prothrombotic markers four hours after the subcutanous injection (peak level) was significantly lower when compared with the time prior to injection (trough level). Secondary endpoints showed no significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion: Continuous intravenous perfusion of UH administered on a basis of a weight-adjusted nomogram controlled markers of the hemostatic system more rapidly than once-daily subcutaneously administered weight-adjusted nadroparin.