Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Review of American Thyroid Association guidelines for diagnosis and management of hyperthyroidism and other causes of thyrotoxicosis.

Thyrotoxicosis has multiple etiologies, manifestations, and potential therapies. Appropriate treatment requires an accurate diagnosis and is influenced by coexisting medical conditions and patient preference. This document describes evidence-based clinical guidelines for the management of thyrotoxicosis that would be useful to generalist and subspecialty physicians and others providing care for patients with this condition. The American Thyroid Association (ATA) previously cosponsored guidelines for the management of thyrotoxicosis that were published in 2011. Considerable new literature has been published since then, and the ATA felt updated evidence-based guidelines were needed. The association assembled a task force of expert clinicians who authored this report. They examined relevant literature using a systematic PubMed search supplemented with additional published materials. An evidence-based medicine approach that incorporated the knowledge and experience of the panel was used to update the 2011 text and recommendations. The strength of the recommendations and the quality of evidence supporting them were rated according to the approach recommended by the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation Group. Clinical topics addressed include the initial evaluation and management of thyrotoxicosis; management of Graves’ hyperthyroidism using radioactive iodine, antithyroid drugs, or surgery; management of toxic multinodular goiter or toxic adenoma using radioactive iodine or surgery; Graves’ disease in children, adolescents, or pregnant patients; subclinical hyperthyroidism; hyperthyroidism in patients with Graves’ orbitopathy; and management of other miscellaneous causes of thyrotoxicosis. New paradigms since publication of the 2011 guidelines are presented for the evaluation of the etiology of thyrotoxicosis, the management of Graves’ hyperthyroidism with antithyroid drugs, the management of pregnant hyperthyroid patients, and the preparation of patients for thyroid surgery. The sections on less common causes of thyrotoxicosis have been expanded. One hundred twenty-four evidence-based recommendations were developed to aid in the care of patients with thyrotoxicosis and to share what the task force believes is current, rational, and optimal medical practice.
THE UPTAKE AND EFFECTS OF POLY- AND PERFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES ON LARVAL AND JUVENILE AMPHIBIANS

Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous contaminants across the globe, can bioaccumulate in aquatic taxa, and potentially biomagnify in food webs. Consequently, research examining the influence of PFAS on wildlife is warranted. Amphibians are sensitive to contaminants such as PFAS because of their porous skin and associations with aquatic habitats where contaminants accumulate. Because PFAS tend to bioaccumulate and can adversely affect the endocrine system, there is a need to examine uptake rates to inform ecotoxicology studies, as well as a need to examine sublethal effects. To address these knowledge gaps I conducted two experiments. First, I exposed larval northern leopard frogs (Rana pipiens), American toads (Anaxyrus americanus), and eastern tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) to PFAS chemicals perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) or perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) at concentrations of 10 or 1000 ppb for 10 days and sampled them every 48 hours during the exposure period. In the next experiment, I examined the effects of PFAS exposure via contaminated substrate on the survival and growth of post metamorphic amphibians of the same species. I found that, for all species, body burdens often reached steady state within 48 to 96 h of exposure. Steady-state body burdens of PFOA ranged from 3,819–16,481 ng/g dry weight among treatments and species (corresponding BCFs of 0.5 to 2.5), while PFOS body burdens ranged from 6,955–489,958 ng/g dry weight (corresponding BCFs of 47–259) among treatments and species. These data suggest that steady state is rapidly reached in larval amphibians exposed to PFAS, particularly regarding PFOS. This reflects a high potential for trophic transfer of PFAS within food webs because amphibians are often low in trophic position and are important prey for many aquatic and terrestrial species. In post-metamorphic amphibians, there was no influence of PFAS on survival or mass. However, significant effects on snout-vent length were observed in all species, and body condition differences were observed for two of my species. I found that all leopard frogs increased in scaled mass index (SMI) when exposed to a PFAS treatment, indicating an increased body condition. Toads exhibited a more variable SMI pattern across treatments, with no outstanding trends, and tiger salamanders did not differ significantly across treatments. These data suggest that sublethal effects vary greatly depending on the species, possibly due to life history traits. Future research examining biomagnification potential is warranted to determine the influence of PFAS on food webs. Additionally, there is a need to determine the physiological mechanisms underlying the observed effects of PFAS exposure.
Novel intramolecular base-pairing of the U8 snoRNA underlies a Mendelian form of cerebral small vessel disease

How mutations in the non-coding U8 snoRNA cause the neurological disorder leukoencephalopathy with calcification and cysts (LCC) is poorly understood. We report the first vertebrate mutant U8 animal model for interrogating LCC-associated pathology. Mutant U8 zebrafish exhibit defective central nervous system development and ribosomal RNA (rRNA) biogenesis, with tp53 activation which monitors ribosome biogenesis. Importantly, LCC patient fibroblasts demonstrate rRNA processing defects. Human precursor-U8 (pre-U8) containing a 3’ extension rescued mutant U8 zebrafish, indicating conserved biological function. Analysis of LCC-associated U8 alleles in zebrafish revealed that one null and one hypomorphic, but still functional, allele combine to cause LCC. Mutations involving any one of seven nucleotides within the human pre-U8 3’ extension, or 5’ region of U8, alter processing of pre-U8, and identify a novel base-pairing interaction between the 5’ end and 3’ extension of human pre-U8. Variants in these seven nucleotides, one of which is present on a single allele in almost all patients, act as hypomorphic mutations. Given that biallelic null U8 alleles are likely incompatible with human development, identification of hypomorphic mutations mediating viable embryogenesis furthers understanding of LCC molecular pathology and cerebral vascular homeostasis.
O MÉTODO HIIT E SEUS BENEFÍCIOS PARA A QUALIDADE DE VIDA NO SÉCULO XXI

A medida que estudos apontam que a pratica de exercicios fisicos intensos vem prevenindo doencas relacionadas ao sistema cardiovascular e estendendo seus beneficios ao bem estar, consequentemente ha uma melhora na qualidade de vida. Com isso, vem crescendo o numero de adeptos a modalidade de HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). O objetivo desta pesquisa, foi compreender sobre os beneficios do metodo inovador HIIT como auxiliar no emagrecimento e seu elemento motivador para a pratica de exercicios fisicos regulares. Foram considerados nas fases de estudos artigos cientificos atuais mais relevantes sobre os efeitos e beneficios deste metodo para a elaboracao de um questionario, aplicado com 33 alunas da Academia Kangoo Space. Considerando os aspectos que permearam os dados coletos deste estudo, atraves da percepcao dos beneficios da saude fisica geral e principalmente na avaliacao da compreensao das alunas sob o ponto de vista motivacional para seguirem praticando a modalidade. Houve a superacao do metodo HIIT e sua influencia na pratica regular e frequencia no programa de exercicios. Compreendendo que a motivacao para a pratica de exercicios fisicos regulares, foi devido a intensidade da pratica, treinos diferenciados, e sensacao de bem estar apos as aulas. Alem da percepcao de promover saude cardiovascular, emagrecimento, prevencao de doencas e qualidade de vida. Com isso o treinamento HIIT pode ser considerado um grande aliado para a populacao manter-se ativa praticando exercicios regulares, estimulando sua pratica assidua, assim como estimulando os cuidados na alimentacao, e seu aspecto afetivo relacionado ao estilo de treinamento escolhido.
Antecedents of Customer loyalty in Quick Restaurant Sector

---The present study examines the relationship between customer service, commitment, communication, corporate image and trust with customer loyalty. The study was designed to develop the understanding of loyalty. Five antecedents were extracted as suggested by the review of literature. The empirical research has been conducted to find the affect of extracted antecedents on loyalty especially in quick service restaurants. An integrated model was developed and tested using the data collected from the customers of QSR in tri-city area of Chandigarh i
Sero-Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Q Fever in Cattle and Buffaloes Managed at Institutional Dairy Farms

Received: Revised: Accepted: Published online: July 07, 2018 January 06, 2019 January 07, 2019 March 07, 2019 The present study was conducted to determine the sero-prevalence of Q fever and associated risk factors in institutional dairy farms in Punjab, Pakistan. A total 11 dairy farms were investigated from different areas of Punjab province. Out of these farms, a total of 827 animals (cows n=419 and buffaloes n=408) were investigated. Presence of anti-Coxiella burnetii antibodies was determined by indirect ELISA. The overall prevalence in dairy animals (cattle and buffaloes) was 6.1% (95% CI: 4.5-7.9). In cattle prevalence was higher (7.6%; 95% CI: 5.3-10.6) than in buffaloes (4.4%; 95% CI: 2.6-6.9). The probability of occurrence of disease in cattle was higher (7.63%; OR=1.9, 95% CI: 0.99-3.25) than in buffalo (1.00%; OR=1.00) The difference in sero-prevalence between the two-dairy species was significant (p=0.052, . Stratification of Q fever as per the breed of cattle indicated that the sero-prevalence was the highest (13%) in Cholistani followed by Sahiwal (7.5%) and cross bred (2.6%). Animals age between 2.1 to 5 year (OR=2.56, 95% CI 1.05, 6.20), contact with small ruminants (OR=1.43, 95% CI 0.63, 3.25), tick infestations (OR=4.91, 95% CI 2.40, 10.00), dry-dusty environment (OR=1.55, 95% CI 0.54, 4.43), retained fetal membranes (OR=1.68, 95% CI 0.94, 5.73) and abortion history (OR=2.17, 95% CI 0.88, 5.35) were risk factors for the seropositivity of Q fever. The results of the study indicated that Q fever is prevalent in cattle and buffalo managed at institutional dairy farms in Punjab. ©2019 PVJ. All rights reserved
The rise and rise of financial technology: The good, the bad, and the verdict

Abstract While the use of the term fintech or financial technology has proliferated widely, theoretical work on the concept has lagged behind. This article attempts to capture the discussion on fintech, to provide a critique of the literature, and to propose future research opportunities. In order to do so, a list of peer-reviewed journals was compiled, identified, examined, coded, and classified into high-level themes to be reviewed, analysed, and interpreted. After synthesising the notion of fintech in the literature, this article proposes several potential areas for further exploration, divided into the following themes: definition, attributes, adoption, regulation, and competition. Fintech or financial technology is a relatively new subject in the literature but commonly cited as one of the most important innovations in the financial industry. It is expected that this article will help researchers and academics who are interested in studying the phenomenon more broadly.
FIGS (FICUS CARICA L.): CULTIVATION METHOD AND PRODUCTION BASED IN MALAYSIA

Ficus (Moraceae) is a tree or shrub natively originated from East Asia countries such as Middle East and Turkey. However, determination of the most suitable cultivation method in Malaysia has becoming one of the major concerns in figs industry. This is because figs can be easily found in cold and temperate regions compared to the equator regions. Therefore, this paper will discuss on the method of figs cultivation and its production based on the market demands in Malaysia. Simple propagation methods such as cutting, and layering are the most recommended method used for cultivating the fig trees. As for the production, figs are mainly processed as food such as jam, tea, dipping sauce, spaghetti sauce and dried processed food or available fresh. It is also used in traditional medicine as it is claimed to be good remedies in treating severe health problem such reducing blood
Research of the risk factors predicting progression and prognosis of acute respiratory distress syndrome

Objective To explore the early diagnosis and risk factors for judging prognosis of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and to provide references for clinical intervention. Methods Using the method for prospective cohort study, clinical data were collected from 64 ARDS and 66 high-risk ARDS patients in Department of Respiratory Diseases of Xinqiao Hospital from January 2013 to March 2016. They included patients' demographic data, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation system Ⅱ (APACHE Ⅱ) score, oxygenation index, blood routine test, coagulation function and inflammatory markers (procalcitonin, C-reaction protein, tumor necrosis factor and interleukin -6) within 24h and the state of survival or death of the 24th day. Risk factors for predicting progression of the high-risk ARDS patients into ARDS patients and influencing the prognosis of the ARDS patients were analyzed by using logistic regression. Results Univariate logistic regression analysis found that the independent risk factors for progression of ARDS were APACHE Ⅱ score (OR=6.764, P=0.001), hypoproteinemia (OR=10.54, P=0.002), white blood cell count (OR=3.912, P=0.012), fibrinogen (OR=9.953, P=0.064), and D-dimer (OR=4.239, P=0.029). The mortality rate was 43.75% (36/64) in ARDS group, and the oxygenation index (OR=6.573, P=0.014), platelet count (OR=9.376, P=0.003), hypoproteinemia (OR=10.738, P=0.056) were the independent risk factors of death in ARDS patients. Multivariate logistic regression showed that combination of multiple indicators for predicting ARDS improved the specificity, but reduce the sensitivity. APACHE Ⅱ and hypoproteinemia (sensitivity 62.50%, specificity 92.42%) and APACHE Ⅱ and D dimmer (sensitivity 62.07%, specificity 93.33%) had better specificity and sensitivity. The specificity and sensitivity of combining hypoproteinemia and platelet count to predict the risk of death in these patients were 77.78% and 60.71%. Conclusions In high-risk ARDS patients, combining hypoproteinemia or APACHEⅡ score with D-dimer to judge the development of ARDS has good specificity but poor sensitivity. For ARDS patients, low oxygenation index, thrombocytopenia and hypoproteinemia indicate a poor prognosis. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn. 0577-7402.2017. 05.17
Multiple Sclerosis Therapies in Pediatric Patients: Challenges and Opportunities

ABSTRACT Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune, chronic, inflammatory, and demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). The etiology of MS is most likely multifactorial; it is dependent on genetic, autoimmune, and environmental factors, with a variable course among patients. The two main clinical events that characterize MS are relapses and progression. In recent years, diagnosis and treatment of pediatric MS has drawn attention of the scientific community. Management of pediatric MS focuses on reducing relapses and symptoms via administration of disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) and specific symptomatic treatment. A multidisciplinary approach to pediatric MS treatment is preferred, which aims at alleviating and preventing the accumulation of neurological deficits. MS therapy should be based on DMDs, that is, immunomodulatory drugs. These drugs, which sequester immune system activity, are further subdivided into two categories: first-line and second-line immunomodulatory therapy. First-line immunomodulatory therapy (interferon beta-1a, interferon beta-1b, and glatiramer acetate) is ineffective (either no response or partial response) in roughly 30% of patients. Patients with a poor response to first-line therapy require second-line immunomodulatory therapy (natalizumab, mitoxantrone, fingolimod, teriflunomide, azathioprine, rituximab, dimethyl fumarate, daclizumab, alemtuzumab, and ocrelizumab). In addition to immunomodulatory drugs, treatment of relapses also involves the use of high intravenous doses of corticosteroids, administration of intravenous immunoglobulins, and plasmapheresis.
A Stochastic Model of Cascading Failure Dynamics in Cyber-Physical Power Systems

Uncertain events such as renewable generation and load fluctuation will introduce uncertainties into the grid that might severely affect the system's robustness against cascading failure. A stochastic model for studying the cascading failure dynamics of cyber-physical power systems is proposed, the aim being to examine the impacts of uncertainties on the system's vulnerability to cascading failure. This model retains the structural and operating characteristics of cyber-physical power systems. Topological failure and communication operational failure described by data traffic model are considered as being deterministic, whereas grid operational failure described by probabilistic load flow model is considered as being stochastic. Stochastic methods are used to select the failure-prone components and to determine the time of failure of each selected component. Moreover, the effects of load uncertainty and heavy load demands on the system's vulnerability to cascading failure are studied. Simulation results indicate that the failure propagation of a cyber-physical power system is the result of repeated mutual triggering between the power network and the coupled communication network. In addition, the increased load uncertainty can cause cascading failure, and the higher the load uncertainty the more severe the blackouts. Moreover, higher load demand makes the coupled system more vulnerable to cascading failure.
A pesquisa educacional na confluência de perspectivas quanti e qualitativas

Ensaio: aval. pol. públ. Educ. , Rio de Janeiro, v.28, n.106, p. 1-7, jan./mar. 2020 O número 106 da revista Ensaio apresenta a possibilidade de discussão a respeito da pesquisa e da avaliação de políticas educacionais na confluência de perspectivas macro, quantitativas, de larga escala e aquelas mais qualitativas, voltadas aos espaços micro, do cotidiano das experiências educacionais provisórias e locais.
Best practices for quality assurance in higher education: implications for educational administration

ABSTRACT This article is aimed at discussing best practices for assurance of quality in higher education in Nigeria. Across the world, higher education institutions strive to attain high quality and standards in all their activities especially teaching, research, community development and innovation. Higher education institutions of high quality and standards are highly subscribed by the general public and such institutions have recorded good public image globally. Quality assurance in academic activities of institutions of higher learning is predicated on several variables. This paper discusses the import of best practice in five key variables for the attainment of good quality and high-standard higher education in Nigeria. The paper argues that for the attainment of good quality higher education in Nigeria, educational administrators must give priority to the development of physical facilities and infrastructure, innovations; quality teaching, human resources, as well as curriculum innovation in line with market demand and the needs of students to meet standards that are globally acceptable.
Research progress on human settlements: From traditional data to big data+

: With the rapid development of urbanization, environmental issues have become increasingly prominent, and research on human settlements has become a hot topic in academia. Based on the literature about human settlements in China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Web of Science databases, this study analyzed the important research areas of human settlements in China and internationally with CiteSpace software, and discussed the progress of data acquisition methods, research methods and technologies, and research perspectives. The results show that: 1) The data acquisition method has changed from traditional sampling survey and official statistics acquisition to satellite remote sensing, equipment perception, thus realizing the transformation of traditional data to network big data acquisition. 2) The research methods are becoming increasingly more advanced, focusing on the combination of questionnaire survey, new geometrics models, and GIS, and introducing advanced technologies such as Internet of Things big data and artificial intelligence to make research methods more diverse and research results more accurate. 3) Social perception, rural revitalization, and mimicry of human habitat have become the research directions in recent years. In the future, the study of human settlements should make comprehensive use of the data acquired by traditional methods and modern technological means, learn and mine big data at much greater depth, and strengthen the study of rural revitalization and virtual human settlements.
The Influence of Organizational Respect on Job Satisfaction in the Human Services: Findings from a New York State Multi-Site Job Satisfaction Cross-Sectional Survey – A Short Commentary

INTRODUCTION This article is a summary discussing the author’s conceptualized and implemented Master’s research project for: Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service, May 2009: “The influence of organizational respect on job satisfaction in the human services”. The findings from a New York State-based multi-site job satisfaction cross-sectional survey design, drawing from a larger study, which utilized a longitudinal, quasi-experimental design. This research explored the relationship between respect and job satisfaction from a sample of 1,216 of nursing home staff. The following hypothesis has guided this study: respect on the job will be positively related to job satisfaction, when tenure (length of time employed by current employer obtained by Human Resources), site (location of facility), affect (Employee’s personality), and subgroups (professional and paraprofessionals) of nursing home staff, are controlled for.