Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Structural and Functional Evaluation of Modifications in the Composite Skin Graft: Cryopreserved Dermis and Cultured Keratinocytes

Structural and functional aspects of modifications in the composite skin graft consisting of cultured keratinocytes and cryopreserved dermis were determined. Cryopreserved human cadaveric dermis separated from skin by short and mild trypsinization was compared with dermis obtained by prolonged incubation in medium and with fresh dermis obtained by the same methods. All types of dermis were shown to retain normal ultrastructure and topographic organization, as detected by scanning and transmission electron microscope and immunofluorescence analysis. However, in fresh skin, the layers were more firmly attached, mechanical separation was more difficult, and residual epidermis often remained attached to the dermis. Keratinocytes attached better, began replication earlier, and generally reached higher cell numbers when cultured on trypsinized dermis than on medium-treated dermis. The performance of several modifications in the reconstitution and grafting procedures of the composite skin graft after transplantation to athymic mice was examined. Cultured epidermis combined onto trypsinized or medium-treated whole and meshed dermis, dermis pregrafted and allowed to take before transplanting epidermis on top, and keratinocytes grown into multiple epithelia on top of trypsinized meshed or whole dermis prior to grafting. The best grafting results were obtained with an “instant” reconstituted skin model: multiple epithelia grown in vitro combined immediately before grafting onto meshed trypsinized dermis. The transplantation results of this modification were significantly better than those of all the other modifications, including initial growth of keratinocytes into multiple epithelia on top of trypsinized dermis prior to grafting.
The Impact of Demographic Factors, Beliefs, and Social Influences on Residential Water Consumption and Implications for Non-Price Policies in Urban India

In rapidly growing urban areas in India and the developing world, water demands typically exceed supply. While local governments may implement management programs to reduce demand for freshwater, water savings are dependent on the conservation behaviors of individuals. A household survey is presented here to examine residential water end uses and conservation behaviors in Jaipur, India. The survey explores end uses, engagement in conservation behaviors, and the influence of demographic factors, water sources, beliefs about water, and social pressures on these behaviors are tested. The survey was conducted at 248 households, including 29 households in the slums. Our study finds that while the majority of participants recognize the importance of water conservation, they do not necessarily conserve water themselves. Households report engaging most frequently in water-conservation behaviors that require little effort or financial investment. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) results and subsequent pairwise comparisons indicate higher incomes, longer water-supply durations, and the belief that droughts are preventable are positively correlated with overall amenability to adoption of water-conservation behaviors and technology. Binomial logistic regression analysis indicates that being in the age group 26–35, having higher income, and giving a neutral response about the responsibility of the government to provide relief during a drought were all predictors of the installation of dual-flush (DF) toilets. Education levels and water awareness were found to have no correlation with conservation behaviors or amenability to conservation technology adoption. Results are applied to examine their possible implications from a demand-management perspective and provide suggestions for further research and policy decisions.
Study of closed-loop control of two-stage matrix converter based on expert control

In order to improve the stability of the output voltage of the two-stage matrix converter (TSMC) under disturbance load and unbalance load, a control strategy based on expert adaptive PID control is presented. Under synchronous rotating coordinate through d-q transformation, the system adopts the expert PID controllers to trace the given voltage of d-q components. The parameters of PID controller are regulated adaptively and by contrast with the traditional PID control, the closed-loop control system with the expert PID control has the better dynamic performance and stronger robustness. Numerical simulation verified the validity and effectiveness of the proposed control method.
Current and remote blood pressure and cognitive decline.

CONTEXT Previous studies raise the possibility that blood pressure (BP) in middle age predicts later cognitive decline. OBJECTIVE To examine prospectively the relationship of BP with level of and change in cognitive function in the elderly. DESIGN Longitudinal, population-based study comprising subjects enrolled in the East Boston component of the Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (EPESE) (1982-1983) and the Hypertension Detection and Follow-Up Program (HDFP) (1973-1974). SETTING East Boston, Mass. PARTICIPANTS Of the 3657 participants in the EPESE with baseline BP measurements, 2068 also participated in the HDFP. Subjects were aged 65 to 102 years at baseline in the EPESE and had mental status and memory assessed at baseline and 3 and 6 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Numbers of errors on the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire and the East Boston Memory Test and rates of change in these numbers of errors. Subjects had BP measured both at baseline in the EPESE and 9 years before, as part of the HDFP. RESULTS In analyses adjusted for age, sex, and education, there was no strong linear association between BP and cognition. The associations found were fairly small in magnitude, and varied according to which test was used to measure cognition. There was little evidence for an effect of BP on change in cognitive function with either test, or for an effect on level of function on the memory test. In analyses of level of mental status questionnaire performance, however, elevated systolic BP (> or =160 mm Hg) 9 years before baseline was associated with a 14% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4%-25%) increase in error rate, relative to the referent (130-139 mm Hg). Baseline systolic BP had a U-shaped association with the number of errors; error rates were 9% higher compared with the referent group among those with systolic BP lower than 130 mm Hg (95% CI, 1%-17%) and 7% greater (95% CI, 0%-15%) among those with elevated systolic BP. Diastolic BP 9 years before baseline also had a U-shaped association with errors on the mental status questionnaire. CONCLUSION The findings do not suggest a linear association of BP with cognitive decline, but they are consistent with a more complex relationship between BP and cognition than previously appreciated.
Integration between the face and the mandible of Pongo and the evolution of the craniofacial morphology of orangutans.

OBJECTIVES Extant Pongo diverges from other hominids by a series of craniofacial morphological features, such as a concave face, a reduced supraorbital torus, or an upwardly orientated palate. These traits are not independent because the skull is a complex integrated structure. The aim of this study is to describe the relationship between the face and mandible of Pongo, in order to examine the link between mandibular structures and the set-up of the unique facial features of orangutans. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using 3D geometric morphometrics, the morphological integration between face and mandible of Pongo is compared to that of the three extant hominids: Homo, Pan, and Gorilla. Pooled within-species partial least squares analyses are computed in order to quantify the patterns and levels of integration. RESULTS The covariation analyses show unique patterns of integration and levels of correlation in Pongo when compared to other hominids. This study shows that the craniofacial features distinguishing Pongo from African great apes are related to differences in the patterns of integration and levels of correlation between facial and mandibular shape. DISCUSSION Changes in important functions may play a part in these modifications of craniofacial integration. This study underlines the importance of the mandible and of the mandibular functions in the development of the unique craniofacial features of Pongo.
Kurosu, a Traditional Vinegar Produced from Unpolished Rice, Suppresses Lipid Peroxidation in Vitro and in Mouse Skin

The in vitro antioxidative activities of various kinds of vinegar were investigated by using a linoleic acid autoxidation model detected by the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) method and the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical system. An ethyl acetate extract of Kurosu (EK), a vinegar made from unpolished rice, exhibited the highest antioxidative activity in both systems. EK (5 mg) inhibited 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced edema formation (14%) and myeloperoxidase activity (52%, P<0.01) in female ICR mouse skin. Furthermore, EK significantly suppressed double TPA application-induced H2O2 generation (53%, P<0.01) and lipid peroxidation determined by the TBA-reacting substance level (95%, P<0.01). In a two-stage carcinogenesis experiment with dimethylbenz[a]anthracene/TPA, EK significantly reduced the number of tumors per mouse by 36% (P<0.05) at 15 weeks after promotion. These results suggest that the antitumor-promoting effect may be partially due to the antioxidative properties of EK such as the decomposition of free radicals and interference with free radical-generating leukocytes.
Comparative study of software and hardware solutions for partial shading in PV system

The energy yield of the PV system is reduced significantly due to partial shading. To mitigate this problem, two approaches, namely the software and hardware solutions are introduced by many researchers. However, no effort thus far has been made to compare their performances. This paper carries out the evaluation of the particle swarm optimization (software solution) and the energy recovery circuit (hardware solution), by subjecting them to various partial shading conditions. The results are benchmarked with the conventional perturb and observe method. It is found that the hardware approve exhibits higher energy yield. However, this is archived with the expense of additional components.
A New Tool for Evaluating and Designing the Thermal Environment in Telecom Central Offices

Telecom central offices need a metric for evaluating and designing the thermal environment to ensure effective equipment cooling without excessive energy usage. This paper presents such a metric: the rack cooling index (RCI). Although the equipment intake temperatures provide a picture of the environment, there is no yardstick for interpreting the data. The RCI has the capacity to change this situation; the index is a metric of compliance with (industry) temperature specifications, where 100% means that the equipment is ideally cooled. More importantly, it allows standardized and unbiased comparisons between different thermal environments. Ultimately, the cost of controlling the thermal conditions needs to be understood. Therefore, a cost metric for cooling the equipment room is reviewed. By incorporating the RCI and cost functions in the design process, it can be shown that a design not only improves the environment but also saves energy. The RCI is currently used to evaluate various cooling solutions as well as develop telecom standards for optimal thermal design of equipment rooms. Other applications include real-time monitoring and design specifications. It has the capacity to support non-technical decision makers since interpreting the index does not require an in-depth understanding of its definition. A design with an RCI of 95% is obviously better than one with 85%
A Sometimes Hidden Economic Dimension to Individual Immigration Preferences: Cross-National Evidence in Support of the Labor Competition Hypothesis

This paper seeks to restore labor competition as an explanation for anti-immigration attitudes, recognizing that education may proxy both individual-level skill and cultural socialization. We thus need new tests to distinguish the effect of education based on skill from that due to socialization. If the education effect is consistent with these relationships, then we can have greater confidence that it is capturing the former and not simply the latter. This paper thus develops and conducts a new test, using data from the International Social Survey Program’s National Identity Survey fielded in 2013 across thirty-two countries. From a factoral framework, our test identifies three national-level factors that should influence how much labor market pressure lower skilled citizens feel from immigration: the quantity of immigrants, the direction of capital/investment flows, and the amount of trade protection. These national-level factors are interacted with individual-level education, showing that the attitudinal differences based on education increase with more immigrants but decrease with greater investment inflows and increased trade protection. These results demonstrate why this economic dimension may sometimes be hidden: in national contexts where there are few immigrants, capital follows labor, and/or there is trade protection, labor competition as a driver of anti-immigration preferences should lessen.
Posterior cerebral artery stenosis with midbrain infarction.

BACKGROUND Brain infarction secondary to stenosis of the posterior cerebral artery is uncommon. We report a patient with midbrain infarction and symptoms of both Benedikt's and pupil-sparing oculomotor palsy syndromes secondary to posterior cerebral artery stenosis. CASE DESCRIPTION A 51-year-old woman developed diplopia, left ptosis, and right hemiataxia and hyperactive tendon reflexes. Pupils were equal and reactive. Radiological examination revealed stenosis of the posterior cerebral artery and left-sided midbrain infarct. CONCLUSIONS Stenosis of the posterior cerebral artery may cause only midbrain infarction and may be responsible for Benedikt's and pupil-sparing oculomotor palsy syndromes.
Analgesic, antipyretic and Ulcerogenic properties of an indigenous formulation – Kalpaamruthaa

A modified indigenous Siddha formulation Kalpaamruthaa (KA), containing Semecarpus anacardium nut milk extract (SA), dried powder of Emblica officinalis (EO) fruit and honey was evaluated for its analgesic, antipyretic and Ulcerogenic properties. Both SA and KA, at a dose of 150 mg/kg b. wt were compared with the standard drug diclofenac sodium. KA exhibited an enhanced effect on all properties compared with that found with sole SA treatment, and is likely to be due to synergistic and additive interactions within the complex mixture of phytochemicals present in KA. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Depth of invasion as a predictive factor for cervical lymph node metastasis in tongue carcinoma

Many histopathologic parameters in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma have been identified as predictive factors for cervical metastasis. Several studies focused on tumor thickness, and the depth of invasion was suggested to have a relationship to the occurrence of cervical metastasis. Nonetheless, the criterium for elective neck therapy in terms of tumor depth is still inconclusive. Therefore, a retrospective study was undertaken to substantiate the differing results in the literature with our own findings concerning the interrelationship between tumor thickness and clinically suspicious neck, as well as occult neck disease. In addition, the study attempted to identify further predictive factors for cervical metastasis in squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue.
Dietary balanced protein in broiler chickens. 1. A flexible and practical tool to predict dose–response curves

1. An empirical model of exponential form was developed, different versions of which can be used to predict growth rate, feed conversion and carcase and breast meat yield of broiler chickens as a function of dietary balanced protein (DBP) content. The model was developed to support decision-making by nutritionists. The model helps in determining DBP contents that maximise profit. 2. The model avoids the practical disadvantages of existing methods. In contrast with mechanistic models, only data that are generally known by broiler nutritionists are required as input. Compared with predictions derived from one or a few feeding trials, the model predictions are more accurate (because the model was derived from many data-sets) and more flexible (because a description of the type of broiler was included as input for the model). 3. Broiler response studies from the literature and the Nutreco Poultry and Rabbit Research Centre (27 data-sets in total) were used in the model development to select significant variables, to quantify the parameters and to evaluate the accuracy of the predictions. 4. Input variables were DBP content, maximum performance level, age, year (indicating genetic potential) and sex. The model, including the assumption that the shape of the dose–response curves to DBP content is independent of broiler and feed characteristics, gave an accurate simulation of growth rate, feed conversion and breast meat for nearly all data-sets. Effects of DBP content on carcase yield were relatively small, except for carcases without skin and skin fat.
Does Sustainability Affect Real Estate Market Values? Empirical Evidence from the Office Buildings Market in Milan (Italy)

The construction industry is the world’s largest consumer of energy and producer of greenhouse gases. For this reason, there is a broad debate on how to make the built environment more sustainable. Although the positive externalities of energy-efficient retrofitting and new construction are known, the economic effects that green building has on the real estate sector in Italy are less evident. The aim of this paper is to analyze the Italian real estate market to investigate if, and to what extent, demand appreciates the supply of green real estate assets. The research focused on the analysis of 55 development projects of office buildings (with and without environmental certification) located in Milan, at present the most dynamic and flourishing real estate market in Italy. Through these case studies the authors investigated the premium price that is generated in certified real estate development projects. The results highlight a premium price, especially for high levels of sustainability. Similarly, the rate of absorption of certified assets reflects a preference for green properties, which are absorbed by the real estate market in less than half of the time foreseen for real estate without an environmental certification.
The potential clinical utility of intravascular ultrasound guidance in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents.

AIMS To assess the impact on clinical outcomes of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guidance during drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. IVUS guidance during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been demonstrated to be useful in optimizing stent deployment. However, it is not proved that routine use of IVUS guidance with DES implantation can prevent stent thrombosis or restenosis. METHODS AND RESULTS The clinical outcomes of 884 patients undergoing IVUS-guided intracoronary DES implantation from April 2003 to May 2006 were compared with the outcomes of a propensity-score matched population undergoing DES implantation with angiographic guidance alone. The primary endpoint of the study was definite stent thrombosis at 12 months. The secondary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE). After propensity-score matching, the two groups were well matched for clinical and angiographic characteristics. Patients undergoing IVUS-guided DES implantation underwent less direct stenting, more post-dilation, and had greater cutting balloon and rotational atherectomy use. At 30 days and at 12 months, a higher rate of definite stent thrombosis was seen in the No IVUS group (0.5 vs. 1.4%; P = 0.046) and (0.7 vs. 2.0%; P = 0.014), respectively. There were no major differences in late stent thrombosis and MACE (14.5 vs. 16.2%; P = 0.33) at 12 month follow-up between the groups. Rates of death and Q-wave myocardial infarction were similar, and there was no significant difference between groups in target vessel revascularization. However, a trend was seen in favour of the IVUS group in target lesion revascularization (5.1 vs. 7.2%; P = 0.07). IVUS guidance was an independent predictor of freedom from cumulative stent thrombosis at 12 months (adjusted HR 0.5, CI 0.1-0.8; P = 0.02). CONCLUSION IVUS guidance during DES implantation has the potential to influence treatment strategy and reduce both DES thrombosis and the need for repeat revascularization.
Factors related to treatment and outcomes of avulsed teeth.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to examine factors associated with avulsion injury and to specify the association between these factors and the treatment, as well as the outcomes of avulsed permanent incisors in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS The sample consisted of 51 children with 62 avulsed permanent incisors, whose injuries had been managed in the period 1998-2006. The study was prospective, recording the history of the accident, concomitant injuries, age, gender, apical maturity of the root, replantation rate, storage media, extra-alveolar duration, endodontic treatment, compliance and recall appointments response. Factors were analysed in relation to postoperative outcomes, classified as functional healing (FH), infection-related (inflammatory) resorption (IRR) and replacement resorption (RR). RESULTS The average age of patients was 10.7 years (range 7-19). In 16/51 patients, tooth avulsion was caused by a road traffic accident. Avulsion was accompanied by concomitant injuries in all cases. Thirty of 62 avulsed teeth were not replanted and 32 incisors were replanted after dry storage. Time until replantation ranged between 15 min and 9 h (median 60 min). The observation period ranged from 1 to 6 years (median 2 years). FH was observed in 5/32, IRR in 20/32 and RR in 7/32 incisors. Ten teeth were extracted during 5-years of observation. Immature incisors exhibited significantly more complications compared with mature teeth (P = 0.04). Storage media and extra-alveolar duration did not significantly affect the survival of replanted teeth (P = 0.253, P = 0.350). Teeth in which endodontic treatment was in temporary phase exhibited significantly more complications in comparison with teeth with completed endodontic treatment (P = 0.0l6). CONCLUSION The combination of delayed replantation and unphysiological storage is followed by low survival. Incisors with open apices exhibited lower survival compared with incisors with closed apices. Replanted incisors that required prolonged treatment with calcium hydroxide exhibited more complications compared with incisors with completed root canal treatment.
Universal power line manager for micro grid

In micro grid many power quality issues like voltage sag, swell, power frequency variation, and harmonics are present. This paper proposes a new power line conditioner called Universal Power Line Manager for micro grid. The power circuit of a general universal power line manager (UPLM) is based on the combination of UPQC, UPFC and frequency changer (matrix converter). This equipment incorporates compensation functions like voltage sag, voltage swell, reactive power compensation, current harmonic rejection, real power flow control, damping the system and also provides frequency regulation. For this integration, the compensator proposed in this paper will be called as the Universal Power Line Manager (UPLM). Simulation results are presented to confirm that the new approach has better performance over the existing power quality conditioners in micro grid.