Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Histopathological Evaluation of 432 Cases of Goiter

Introduction Thyroid nodules are among the commonly encountered surgical specimens in histopathology laboratory. Thyroid nodules can be solitary or multiple. Carcinoma of thyroid is uncommon accounting for only 1% of all human tumors. Annual incidence of thyroid cancer is 0.5 to 10:100,000 person’s world wide. The prevalence of carcinoma is lower in multinodular goiter (MNG) than in solitary thyroid nodule (STN) (2). Malignancy is seen in only 0 to 11% of patients with MNG and is usually an incidental finding in thyroidectomy specimens, and in 3 to 33% of patients with STN. Clinical assessment based on physical examination of thyroid nodule helps to distinguish cases having high risk of malignancy. Iodine uptake thyroid scan, ultrasonography of the gland and fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) can also play a significant role in establishing the preoperative diagnosis of malignancy, but FNAC is the modality of choice. One shortcoming of FNAC in MNG is false negative result because the needle may not go into the nodule on which the test needs to be done. However, its role in solitary nodule is well established. Help of ultrasound guidance for FNAC can be taken if the cell yield is poor on aspiration. STN is the most common indication for surgical resection as prevalence of malignancy is more in solitary nodules. However, the solitary nodules should be cold on thyroid scan because hot nodules are less likely to be malignant. Malignancy in thyroid is mostly seen in hypo functioning cold nodules which do not take up iodine. Men develop thyroid nodules less frequently than women. Another fact is that frequency of malignancy in STN is more common in men than in women. Solitary cold nodules in men should be thoroughly investigated. Malignant nodules need to be treated surgically whereas benign nodules can be managed conservatively. Thyroid malignancy does not cause hypo or hyperthyroidism. Patients with thyroid malignancy usually reveal normal thyroid function tests. This study is aimed to see the histological pattern and ascertain the frequency and pattern of malignancy in goiter and STN in both sexes so that recommendations can be made for management.
Mineralogy of hilgardite-4M from evaporites in New Brunswick

Hilgardite*4M occurs as euhedral crystals in the Salt Springs and Penobsquis evaporite deposits of New Brunswick. It is monocligric, space group Aa, a 11.470(3), b ll.32l(4), c 6.321(5) A, I : fr . U2 Q)n . The mineral is biaxial (+), a 1.623Q). p r.628(2), t l.6s6Q\. 2V (meas.) 34Q)",2V(calc.)Mo,Y = b, Ztrc = l" (intheacuteanCle 0). The measured and calculated densities are 2.67(3) and 2.676Q) g/cm3, respectively. The crystals from New Brunswick are more complex morphologically than the type material from Louisiana, andthe following forms havebeen identi f ied: {010}, {100}, {160}, { l_40}, { l l0}, {01U, { l l l } , {322}, l2r rl, l23r), 1s221, 13 r rl, ls22}, 1231\, 13221, { I 3 1 }, { 122} and {3? 21. Electron-microprobe analyses of thee crystals showed no cations other than Ca and minor Sr. Some Sr-rich, platy crystals with values of Ca,/(Ca+ Sr) as low as 0.55 were also analyzed, but this material appears to be a triclinic polymorph of hilgardrte4M. The most Carich sample gave the following analytical datai CaO 32.1, SrO 0.3, Cl 10.2, B2O3(52.4), H2O (5.4), sum-1@. 4, less O=Cl 2.3, total 98.1 wt,qo (with B2O3 and water calculated to conform to the ideal formula, Cap5OeCl.H2O), TGA and evolved gas analysis of New Bruisfoik ma6rial gave 5.9 wt.qo water and 17,4 wt9o (FICI + other volatiles). Very similar results were obtained from the Louisiana material. The HCI probably is derived from the contents of channels in the zeolitic structure.
Characterization of cassava starch-based edible film enriched with lemongrass oil (Cymbopogon citratus)

Abstract. Resianingrum R, Atmaka W, Khasanah LU, Kawiji, Utami R, Praseptiangga D. 2016. Characterization of cassava starch-based edible film enriched with lemongrass oil (Cymbopogon citratus). Nusantara Bioscience 8: 278-282. Good packaging is necessary to prevent food spoilage before and after processing. The edible film maintains food quality and eco-friendly packaging. Cassava starch-based edible film is capable of being developed because of the approaching appearance of plastic packaging. The addition of essential oils can be used as an alternative to improve the antimicrobial properties of the edible film. Lemongrass oil consists of active compounds that shown antimicrobial activity. Therefore, the characteristics of cassava starch-based edible film incorporated with lemongrass oil were investigated. Concentration of lemongrass oils varied at 0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75% and 1%. The analyzed edible film characteristics include thickness, water vapor transmission rate, tensile strength, elongation, and antimicrobial activity. The results showed that the addition of lemongrass oil increased the thickness, tensile strength, and antimicrobial activity but decreased the elongation of edible films. The water vapor transmission rate of edible films was not affected by the addition of lemongrass oil.
Improving an Active‐Optical Reflectance Sensor Algorithm Using Soil and Weather Information

Bean, G. M. ; Kitchen, N. R. ; Camberato, J. J.; Ferguson, R. B. ; Fernandez, F. G. ; Franzen, D. W. ; Laboski, C. A. M. ; Nafziger, E. D. ; Sawyer, J. E. ; Scharf, P. C. ; Schepers, J.; and Shanahan, J. S. , "Improving an ActiveOptical Reflectance Sensor Algorithm Using Soil and Weather Information" (2018). Agronomy & Horticulture -Faculty Publications. 1294. https://digitalcommons.unl. edu/agronomyfacpub/1294
Voltage control of unidirectional anisotropy in ferromagnet-multiferroic system

Magnetoelectricity enables a new class of nonvolatile, ultralow-energy computing with quantum materials for AI & Moore’s law. Demonstration of ultralow energy switching mechanisms is imperative for continued improvements in computing devices. Ferroelectric (FE) and multiferroic (MF) order and their manipulation promise an ideal combination of state variables to reach attojoule range for logic and memory (i.e., ~30× lower switching energy than nanoelectronics). In BiFeO3 (BFO), the coupling between the antiferromagnetic (AFM) and FE order is robust at room temperature, scalable in voltage, stabilized by the FE order, and can be integrated into a fabrication process for a beyond-CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) era. The presence of the AFM order and a canted magnetic moment in this system causes exchange interaction with a ferromagnet such as Co0.9Fe0. 1 or La0.7Sr0. 3MnO3. Previous research has shown that exchange coupling (uniaxial anisotropy) can be controlled with an electric field. However, voltage modulation of unidirectional anisotropy, which is preferred for logic and memory technologies, has not yet been demonstrated. Here, we present evidence for electric field control of exchange bias of laterally scaled spin valves that is exchange coupled to BFO at room temperature. We show that the exchange bias in this bilayer is robust, electrically controlled, and reversible. We anticipate that magnetoelectricity at these scaled dimensions provides a powerful pathway for computing beyond modern nanoelectronics by enabling a new class of nonvolatile, ultralow energy computing elements.
Net Interest Margin: Does Ownership Matter?

Net Interest Margin (NIM) or spread is the difference between interest earned and interest expended by a bank divided by its total assets. A competitive banking system is expected to foster greater efficiency which should get reflected in lower NIM. In the Indian banking industry, NIM has come down subsequent to banking sector reforms but the decline has been very slow. However, it is commonly believed that NIM in developing countries is higher than that in developed countries. The reasons could be lack of sufficient competition, higher intermediation costs, and response to changing regulations. To the extent that NIM can be considered as an indicator of bank performance and efficiency, it is very important to study what are the factors that affect NIM. On the other hand, an ongoing debate in the context of industry performance is the relation between ownership and performance. The theoretical literature suggests that private enterprises are more efficient than public enterprises. However, the empirical evidence is mixed in this regard. It is in this context that this paper studies the determinants of NIM in Indian banking and attempts to draw policy implications based on the exercise. The authors use balance sheet data of all Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding Regional Rural Banks) for the period 1997–98 to 2000–01 and explore, inter alia, the relationship between ownership and performance. Using econometric techniques of panel regression, viz., fixed effects model and random effects model, they find that even after accounting for bank-specific variables indicating health of banks and regulatory requirements, nature of ownership per se matters in determining NIM. Ownership is represented by dummy variables which take a value of one when a bank belongs to a particular ownership group, and zero otherwise. Statistical significance of the coeffi- cients of the dummy variables indicates that ownership may have a significant associa- tion with NIM. The major findings emerging from the regression analysis can be summarized as follows: NIM is not significantly associated with size of banks. Proportion of non-interest income does not have a significant impact on NIM. Proportion of investment in government securities adversely affects NIM. Proportion of advances to the priority sector positively affects NIM. Higher Capital Adequacy Ratio is associated with higher NIM. Higher Non Performing Assets are associated with lower NIM. Nature of ownership is a significant determinant of NIM. Foreign banks have the highest NIM, followed by public, private, and new private banks. Insights emerging from such an analysis can be useful to both bank managers and policy makers. Managers can benefit from knowledge of the ways in which business decisions can affect spreads. It is also useful for the policy makers to be aware of how regulatory and supervisory decisions can affect efficiency in the banking industry, both group-wise as well as across banks.
A sensitivity analysis approach for informative dropout using shared parameter models

Shared parameter models (SPMs) are a useful approach to addressing bias from informative dropout in longitudinal studies. In SPMs it is typically assumed that the longitudinal outcome process and the dropout time are independent, given random effects and observed covariates. However, this conditional independence assumption is unverifiable. Currently, sensitivity analysis strategies for this unverifiable assumption of SPMs are underdeveloped. In principle, parameters that can and cannot be identified by the observed data should be clearly separated in sensitivity analyses, and sensitivity parameters should not influence the model fit to the observed data. For SPMs this is difficult because it is not clear how to separate the observed data likelihood from the distribution of the missing data given the observed data (i.e., ‘extrapolation distribution’). In this article, we propose a new approach for transparent sensitivity analyses for informative dropout that separates the observed data likelihood and the extrapolation distribution, using a typical SPM as a working model for the complete data generating mechanism. For this model, the default extrapolation distribution is a skew‐normal distribution (i.e., it is available in a closed form). We propose anchoring the sensitivity analysis on the default extrapolation distribution under the specified SPM and calibrate the sensitivity parameters using the observed data for subjects who drop out. The proposed approach is used to address informative dropout in the HIV Epidemiology Research Study.
Subclinical Atherosclerosis Imaging in People Living with HIV

In many, but not all studies, people living with HIV (PLWH) have an increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) events compared to the general population. This has generated considerable interest in the early, non-invasive detection of asymptomatic (subclinical) atherosclerosis in PLWH. Ultrasound studies assessing carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) have tended to show a somewhat greater thickness in HIV+ compared to HIV−, likely due to an increased prevalence of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors in PLWH. Coronary artery calcification (CAC) determination by non-contrast computed tomography (CT) seems promising to predict CV events but is limited to the detection of calcified plaque. Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) detects calcified and non-calcified plaque and predicts CAD better than either CAC or CIMT. A normal CCTA predicts survival free of CV events over a very long time-span. Research imaging techniques, including black-blood magnetic resonance imaging of the vessel wall and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography for the assessment of arterial inflammation have provided insights into the prevalence of HIV-vasculopathy and associated risk factors, but their clinical applicability remains limited. Therefore, CCTA currently appears as the most promising cardiac imaging modality in PLWH for the evaluation of suspected CAD, particularly in patients <50 years, in whom most atherosclerotic coronary lesions are non-calcified.
Mint Street Memo No . 08 State Government Yield Spreads – Do Fiscal Metrics Matter ?

Spreads of state development loans (SDLs) relative to the yields of central government securities of corresponding maturity appear to be caused by illiquidity and prevailing market conditions. Nevertheless, inter-state variations are hardly observed in market pricing of the loans in primary auctions. This presents little market incentives for state governments to improve their fiscal positions and lower their debt. Introduction The spreads on state development loans (SDLs) that come in the form of market bond issuances measure the premia of states’ loans over central government securities and could be affected by a) SDLs being sub-sovereign securities; b) lack of liquidity in the secondary market for SDLs; and, c) differing fiscal parameters of state governments. Apart from prevalence of buy and hold investors for SDLs, most states have till recently, preferred to issue fresh papers, thereby failing to create security-wise trading volume even as the quantity of the outstanding remains significant. Consequently, state securities are not actively traded and hence attract high illiquidity discount. We document that although the spreads of SDLs relative to the central government securities caused by such illiquidity and prevailing market conditions are evident, inter-state variations in spreads are hardly observed in the market pricing of SDLs in the primary auctions. This presents little market incentives for state governments to improve their fiscal and debt positions. Chart 1 shows (for one sample date) that yield differentials across states are marginal, despite material differences in deficits or their debt to gross state domestic product (GSDP) ratio. This lack of inter-state variation has been observed to be a persistent feature of data over time (results available upon request). Chart 1Cut-off Yields of 19 SDLs as on March 14, 2017 Primary Auction with Varying Fiscal Matrix 1 Seema Saggar is Director, Madhusudan Adki is Assistant Adviser and Rahul T is Research Officer in Internal Debt Management Department at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The findings and views in this paper are entirely those of the authors and should not necessarily be interpreted as the official views of RBI. 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5 0 5 10 Cu tof f y ie ld Gross Fiscal Deficit to GSDP (%) 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5 0 20 40 60 Outstanding Liabilities to GSDP (%)
Phylogeny and toxicology of Lyngbya wollei (Cyanobacteria, Oscillatoriales) from north‐eastern Australia, with a description of Microseira gen. nov.

Three populations of the freshwater filamentous cyanobacterium Lyngbya wollei (Farlow ex Gomont) Speziale and Dyck have been putatively identified from north‐eastern Australia and found to produce the potent cyanotoxin cylindrospermopsin (CYN) and its analog deoxy‐cylindrospermopsin (deoxy‐CYN). We investigated the phylogeny and toxicology of strains and mats isolated from two of these populations using a combination of molecular and morphological techniques. Morphologically the strains corresponded to the type description, however, the frequency of false‐branching was low, and variable over time. Strains and mat samples from both sites were positive for the cyrF and cyrJ genes associated with CYN biosynthesis. Phylogenetic analysis of these genes from Australian L. wollei sequences and comparable cyanobacterial sequences revealed that the genes in L. wollei were more closely related to homologous genes in Oscillatoria sp. PCC 6506 than to homologs in Nostocalean CYN‐producers. These data suggest a common evolutionary origin of CYN biosynthesis in L. wollei and Oscillatoria. In both the 16S rRNA and nifH phylogenies, the Australian L. wollei strains formed well‐supported clades with United States L. wollei (= Plectonema wollei) strains. Pair‐wise sequence similarities within the 16S rRNA clade containing all eleven L. wollei strains were high, ranging from 97% to 100%. This group was distantly related (<92% nucleotide similarity) to other taxa within the group previously considered under the genus Lyngbya sensu lato (C. Agardh ex Gomont). Collectively, these results suggest that this toxigenic group is evolutionarily distinct and sufficiently distant as to be considered a separate genus, which we have described as Microseira gen. nov. and hence transfer to it the type M. wollei comb. nov.
Costing School Transport in Spain

Abstract School transport in Spain is conceived administratively as a regular, but special, public transport service financed by the Spanish regional governments through private sector contracts adjudicated by public tendering. As such it has two special features in comparison to systems elsewhere. First, larger operators use conventional buses (rather than special school buses) and these can also be used for regular services during school hours. Second, as these are regional services, often only regional operators bid for these tenders, so contract assignment resembles a bargaining process between operators and administrations, tempering an adequate operation of the market. This problem is common to all Spanish regions. The situation described has generated high costs (i.e. 15% increase in contract costs in the past year although the number of contracts did not vary significantly). For this reason the Government of Cantabria commissioned research to examine the problem. A simple cost allocation model allowed us to detect that school transport costs were, on average, approximately 18% higher than what could be deemed reasonable. This article describes the problem, the reasons why it has occurred and explains the model built to examine it in certain detail. It also shows the immediate consequences of its application (i.e. the reaction of the main operators and their changed strategy) and the steps taken by the Regional Government, based on our results, to ensure a proper operation of the market in the future.
Attributional styles of support staff working with people with intellectual disabilities exhibiting challenging behaviour

Abstract Background Attributions are cognitive variables that influence a person's behaviour. Although a large volume of research has been conducted on the attributions of support staff with regard to challenging behaviour (CB) exhibited by people with intellectual disabilities (ID), studies on patterns of attributional dimensions (i.e. attributional styles) are scarce. Method Using semi‐structured interviews, 19 support staff members were asked to describe incidents of aggressive, self‐injurious and sexualized challenging behaviour. Data on attributions were analysed using the Leeds Attributional Coding System. Results Four attributional styles differed significantly for aggressive, self‐injurious and sexualized challenging behaviour. In addition, support staff members largely attributed these three types of CB to characteristics and behaviour of clients with ID. Conclusions The results indicate that it is important to train support staff to recognize and understand the ways in which their attributions and behaviour influence the existence and maintenance of CB.
Parechoviruses – Underestimated Risk

Abstract Parechoviruses are small, non-enveloped, icosahedral-shaped capsid viruses belonging to the Picornaviridae family. They are characterized by a single-positive-strand genomic RNA and as others RNA viruses have a great potential for genetic variation, the rapid evolution and adaptation. Genus Parechovirus has been established in the 90s and currently, 19 types of human parechoviruses (HPeV) are discovered. They usually cause mild respiratory or gastrointestinal illness, mainly in young children, but also can cause severe diseases such as encephalitis, meningitis, myocarditis, acute flaccid paralysis and sepsis. Severe HPeV infections in infants are also associated with a risk of long-term complications. Although it is known that HPeV plays a significant role in severe pediatric diseases, routine diagnostics are not performed in clinical practice. No antiviral drugs have been approved for the treatment of HPeV infections, and only symptomatic treatment is available. Increased detection of human parechovirus infection in infants and connection of serious clinical complication with parechovirus infection was the reason why surveillance was established in some countries, while the worldwide extensive surveillance needs to be performed in order to monitor prevalence, genetic diversity, and clinical significance of HPeV. Although the first HPeV strains were discovered 6 decades ago, recognition of HPeV biology, epidemiology, evolution and pathogenicity still requires more research to appreciate the risk for public health that these small viruses can be. 1. Introduction. 2. Classification, structure and replication. 3. Cellular receptors and HPeV variability. 4. Course of infection 5. HPeV types in the world 6. Diagnosis 7. Pathogenesis 8. Summary