Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Health Care Insurance Fraud Detection Using Blockchain

The health care industry is one of the important service providers that improves people lives. As the cost of the healthcare service increases, health insurance becomes the only way to get quality service in case of an accident or a major illness. As health insurance will reduces the costs and provides financial and economic stability for an individual. One of the main tasks of healthcare insurance providers is to monitor and manage the data and to provide support to customers. Due to regulations and business secrecy, insurance companies do not share the patient’s data but since the data are not integrated and not in sync between insurance providers, there has been an increase in the number of fraud’s occurring in healthcare. Often times ambiguous or false information is provided to health insurance companies in order to make them pay for some false claims to the policy holders. The individual policyholder may also claim benefits from multiple insurance providers. There is a financial loss of billions of dollars each year as estimated by the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association (NHCAA). In order to prevent health insurance fraud, it is necessary to build a system to securely manage and monitor insurance activities by integrating data from all the insurance companies. As blockchain provides an immutable data maintaining and sharing, we propose a blockchain based solution for health insurance fraud detection.
A Metasurface Superstrate for Mutual Coupling Reduction of Large Antenna Arrays

In this paper, a <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\varepsilon $ </tex-math></inline-formula>-negative metasurface superstrate is proposed for mutual coupling reduction of large antenna arrays. Unlike the previous decoupling metasurface works that are mostly confined to two-ports antennas, the proposed decoupling superstrate can be extended to massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. A <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$4\times 4$ </tex-math></inline-formula> antenna array is used as an example to illustrate the decoupling performance of the proposed metasurface. With the decoupling metasurface, the worst mutual coupling of the antenna array is improved by 8 dB over the operation bandwidth with a maximum mutual coupling reduction of 25 dB. Moreover, the decoupling metasurface also help restore the radiation patterns, bring down the active voltage sanding wave ratio, and broaden the bandwidth of the array.
Prevalence of early stages of heart failure in an elderly risk population: the Copenhagen Heart Failure Risk Study

Aims To describe the prevalence of heart failure (HF) stages in elderly outpatients with risk factors for HF but without known HF, and characterise the clinical, biochemical and echocardiographic findings in each stage. Background Early stages of HF are underdiagnosed; nevertheless, they are associated with an increased risk of hospitalisation and increased mortality. The prevalence of HF stages in elderly high-risk patients is unknown. Methods A total of 400 patients were consecutively included: ≥60 years old, ≥1 risk factor for HF (diabetes, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, atrial fibrillation, hypertension), and without known or suspected HF. HF stages were defined as the following: stage A (risk factor for HF, normal echocardiography), stage B (abnormal echocardiography, without symptoms of HF) and stage C (abnormal echocardiography, symptoms of HF, clinical signs/increased plasma aminoterminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide [NT-proBNP] concentrations). Results After thorough examination 44.25% of patients were categorised as HF stage A, 37.5% were HF stage B and 18.25% HF stage C. Those with higher stages of HF were older (p<0.001) and more often had atrial fibrillation (p=0.006). The median plasma NT-proBNP concentrations (pg/mL) were 132.5 for HF stage A, 275.5 for HF stage B and 400.0 for HF stage C (p<0.001). Detectable plasma troponin-I was more frequent with abnormal echocardiography: HF stage A 9.7%, HF stage B 27.3% and HF stage C 30.1% (p<0.001). HF stage C reported higher score on the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (p<0.001). Conclusions In an elderly high-risk population without known or suspected HF, more than half were HF stage B or C. Higher stages of HF had increased plasma concentrations of NT-proBNP and troponin-I, besides a reduced quality of life. Focus on symptoms and signs of HF in this population are warranted.
Bluetooth devices fingerprinting using low cost SDR

Physical fingerprinting is a trending domain in wireless security. Those methods aim at identifying transmitters based on the subtle variations existing in their handling of a communication protocol. They can provide an additional authentication layer, hard to emulate, to improve the security of systems. Software Defined Radios (SDR) are a tool of choice for the fingerprinting, as they virtually enable the analysis of any wireless communication scheme. However, they require expensive computations, and are still complex to handle by newcomers. In this paper, we use low cost SDR to propose a physical-layer fingerprinting approach, that allows recognition of the model of a device performing a Bluetooth scan, with more than 99.8% accuracy in a set of ten devices.
Identifying species' characteristics associated with natural population die‐offs in mammals

Extreme natural events such as cold waves, droughts, floods or hurricanes can drastically impact wildlife populations and are expected to become more frequent and more intense in the coming decades. When populations experience abnormally high declines within a short time interval due to such phenomena, the losses can be referred to as natural population die‐offs (NPDOs). Although such events have been observed and population declines have been recorded, there is currently little known about which species might be most affected. Using a database of 72 NPDOs from 31 terrestrial herbivorous mammals, we modelled the effects of four biological traits (adult body mass, foraging strategy, home‐range area and territoriality) on the degree of population loss (severity) caused by extreme natural events. We found that the susceptibility to large NPDOs decreases with increased home‐range size for a given body mass. Foraging strategy was also found to be significantly associated with NPDO severity, with grazers and mixed feeders experiencing larger declines than browsers. Our analyses moreover suggested that wide‐ranging browsers might be less susceptible to large NPDOs than browsers with small home ranges. Identifying the traits shaping high biological sensitivity and/or limited adaptive capacity to extreme natural events can help us to identify those populations most likely to become increasingly vulnerable to NPDOs, allowing tailored interventions to be implemented to avoid local extinctions. This will be of the utmost importance for those populations already experiencing high levels of anthropogenic impact and distributed in regions where exposure to extreme natural events is expected to increase in the coming decades.
Home range and movement of the common eland (Taurotragus oryx Pallas 1766) in Kenya

Summary Data were collected in Kenya on the movements of individually recognizable wild eland over a 30-month period. Further information on movement was obtained from monthly ground counts of Nairobi National Park, and two aerial censuses of the Park and Athi Kapiti plains. Results indicated that adult male eland had restricted home ranges, but that females and juveniles carried out extensive seasonal movements between open grassland and bushed habitats. The numbers of eland in the Park were found to be related to rainfall over the previous two months in the areas outside the Park. It was concluded that females and juveniles were taking advantage of seasonal food abundance in open grassland areas, where the formation of large groups gives protection to small-sized juveniles.
Spatial Organization of a Bank Vole Population in Years of Small or Large Numbers

Examination was made of the effect of differences in the numbers of a free-living island population of Clethrionomys glareolus (Schreber, 1780), ort the elements of its spatial organization. Material obtained from studies on this population during the periods from 1966—1970 and 1972—1973 was used (In the second series the food supply was increased artificially for experimental purposes). Years of low level (1967, 1969), high (1966, 1968, 1970) and very high (1972, 1973) level of numbers were found to occur. It was found that in years with large numbers of bank voles individual home ranges are smaller than in years with low numbers. Both in peak years and years with low population numbers the home ranges of males are larger than those of females, and the hierarchy of successive entries into the population of generations is maintained in respect of the size of home ranges. Tendency to clumping distribution is always observed in spring, whereas in summer and autumn distribution may be either clumping or random. A positive correlation was found between; the proportion of the youngest group of individuals and tendency to clumping distribution. The average number of individuals per trapping station does not significantly differ between years of high and low numbers. In all the study years (including those with supplementary food supply) higher density of bank voles is observed on the station in the optimum habitat, in comparison with the suboptimal habitat, although the increase in the number of individuals in the latter, together with increase in population numbers, was significantly greater than in the optimum habitat.
High-resolution snow depth monitoring for entire mountain ranges

Reliable information on the spatial distribution of snow in mountain ranges are critical for risk assessments, outdoor activities, water resource management and alpine ecology. Despite it’s importance, we lack an accurate monitoring of the continuous distribution of snow in space and time, which currently constitutes one of the most important unsolved problems in mountain hydrology. In this study, we present a novel approach for snow depth mapping based on satellite data and ground station networks, that takes topographical and meteorological differences into account. The resulting maps provide snow depth quantities for entire mountain ranges in a 20 m spatial resolution on a daily basis. We validate our geo-statistical model based on 61 airborne snow depth surveys from the European Alps and Rocky Mountains. Overall, the average correlation coefficients and RMSE is 0.32 and 0.85 m in the US and 0.22 and 0.53 m in Switzerland, respectively. Given the highly variable nature of snow depths, these numbers indicate an important milestone towards improved snow monitoring in alpine regions with versatile applications.
The Views of Family Companies on Venture Capital: Empirical Evidence from the UK Small to Medium-Size Enterprising Economy

This explorative research paper draws evidence from a database of small to medium-size unquoted private companies (n = 240) in the UK and reports on the family business and venture capital relationship from the demand side. Following the review of literature relating to financial affairs of private companies, the main research inquiries are outlined and a set of generic hypotheses is elicited based on the pecking order theory—that is, private companies, including family-controlled ventures, have a propensity to finance their operations in a hierarchical fashion, first using internally available funds, followed by debt and, finally, external equity (Petitt & Singer, 1985). Univariate statistical analyses confirm that family companies adhere strongly to the pecking order principles of financial development. The paper explores factors governing the rationale of owner-managing directors of private and family companies for considering venture capital dealings as well as main areas of concern about the deal structures. The paper then concludes with a discussion of the policy implications from the perspective of the owner-manager, financier, and enterprise policy maker. To encourage equity development of smaller privately held companies, particularly family firms, there is room for policy initiatives that respect the financial philosophy of private companies.
Comparison of soil respiration among three temperate forests in Changbai Mountains, China

CO2 efflux from forest soils is an important process in the global carbon cycle; however, effects of stand age and successional status remain uncertain. We compared soil respiration and its relationship to soil carbon content, forest floor mass, root biomass, soil temperature, and soil moisture content among three temperate forest ecosystems in Changbai Mountains, northeastern China, from 2003 to 2005. Forest types included an old-growth, mixed coniferous and broad-leaved primary forest (MN), a middle-aged, broad-leaved secondary forest (BL), and a young coniferous plantation forest (CP). Average annual soil CO2 efflux at BL (1477.9 ± 61.8 g C·m–2·year–1) was significantly higher than at CP (830.7 ± 48.7 g C·m–2·year–1) and MN (935.4 ± 53.3 g C·m–2·year–1). Differences in soil temperature among those sites were not statistically significant but contributed to the differences in annual CO2 efflux. In addition, the temperature response of soil CO2 efflux was higher at MN (Q10 = 2.78) than that at BL (Q10 = .
Stumping trials in British Columbia — organic matter removal and compaction effects on tree growth from seedlings to midrotation stands

There is considerable interest in understanding the repercussions of compaction and organic matter removal on soil quality and forest productivity. However, long-term field trials examining the effects of machinery and forest biomass removal on soil quality and stand regeneration are scarce. We present 20–31 years of tree growth results from four unique stump removal field trials. Each site had both treatments with varying amounts of organic matter removal (from tree stem harvesting to removal of tree stumps to loss of roots) and treatments with different levels of compaction due to site preparation machinery. Tree heights among the different treatments at midrotation were the same or taller than those with minimal organic matter removal and compaction. However, when stand development was evaluated using the quantity of tree volume for the given number of trees planted, treatment effects were clearly evident; tree volumes were significantly lower in compacted treatments, whereas organic matter removal did.
Use of orlistat in obese, dyslipidemic patients

Obesity is associated with dyslipidemia, Type 2 diabetes and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Orlistat has been shown to be an effective adjunct to diet and exercise to promote weight loss. This article surveys recent literature regarding the effects of orlistat on lipids in obese, dyslipidemic patients. It is concluded that orlistat lowers total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides. Evidence that orlistat may have a pharmacological effect on lipids independent of weight loss is also discussed.
Identification of hepatic NPC1L1 as an NAFLD risk factor evidenced by ezetimibe‐mediated steatosis prevention and recovery

Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a serious global public health concern. Nevertheless, there are no specific medications for treating the associated abnormal accumulation of hepatic lipids such as cholesterol and triglycerides. While seminal findings suggest a link between hepatic cholesterol accumulation and NAFLD progression, the molecular bases of these associations are not well understood. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that hepatic Niemann‐Pick C1‐Like 1 (NPC1L1), a cholesterol re‐absorber from bile to the liver, can cause steatosis, an early stage of NAFLD using genetically engineered L1‐Tg mice characterized by hepatic expression of NPC1L1 under the control of ApoE promoter. Contrary to wild‐type mice that have little expression of hepatic Npc1l1, the livers of L1‐Tg mice fed a high‐fat diet became steatotic within only a few weeks. Moreover, hepatic NPC1L1‐mediated steatosis was not only prevented, but completely rescued, by orally administered ezetimibe, a well‐used lipid‐lowering drug on the global market, even under high‐fat diet feedings. These results indicate that hepatic NPC1L1 is an NAFLD‐exacerbating factor amendable to therapeutic intervention and would extend our understanding of the vital role of cholesterol uptake from bile in the development of NAFLD. Furthermore, administration of a TLR4 inhibitor also prevented the hepatic NPC1L1‐mediated steatosis formation, suggesting a latent link between physiological roles of hepatic NPC1L1 and regulation of innate immune system. Our results revealed that hepatic NPC1L1 is a novel NAFLD risk factor contributing to steatosis formation that is rescued by ezetimibe; additionally, our findings uncover feasible opportunities for repositioning drugs to treat NAFLD in the near future.
Comparison of the Accuracy of Digital Radiography with Conventional Radiography and Visual Examination in the Detection of Permanent Teeth Interproximal Caries

Objective: To compared the accuracy of digital radiography in the diagnosis of interproximal caries in permanent teeth with conventional radiography and visual examination. Material and Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 78 human premolars, which seem normal in primary examination, are mounted on the plaster in a pair-wise manner and their caries are visually evaluated. Conventional and digital radiographic images are taken under the same conditions and their caries are graded with Confidence Score. To determine the golden standard, after mesiodistal incision, the teeth are examined using stereomicroscopy. Finally, the results obtained by visual observation and conventional radiography as well as digital images were compared with those obtained from the stereomicroscopy to determine their accuracy in detecting the interproximal caries. Results: The consistencies between the visual, digital, and conventional methods with the standard method (microscopic histology) are 53%, 78%, and 50% respectively - all of them are significant (p<0.05). The highest and the lowest sensitivities are related to the digital (96%) and visual (88%) methods respectively, while the highest and lowest specificities are related to the digital (79%) and conventional (50%) methods respectively. The highest and lowest positive predictive value is related to the digital (79%) and conventional (80%) methods respectively. The highest and lowest negative predictive values are related to the digital (90%) and visual (71%) methods respectively. Compared with the standard methodology, the most accurate diagnostic accuracy can be seen for the digital method (91%). Conclusion: There is no significant difference in the diagnosis of interproximal caries by different methods, and the only advantage of digital radiography, compared with the conventional one, is storing radiographs without losing important information and the lower dose of radiation for the patient.
Prospects for the development of F1 hybrid varieties of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and other herbage grasses

Summary Consideration is given to the prospects of producing F1 hybrid varieties of perennial ryegrass, Lolium perenne, and other herbage grass species for commercial use. In the light of the results of interpopulational hydridization in this and other crop species and of the technical and economic disadvantages inherent in other methods of F1 hybrid seed production, it is concluded that the development of interpopulational F1 hybrid varieties, by the field interpollination of parent populations, is a desirable and worthwhile breeding objective.
Uplink Sum-Rate and Power Scaling Laws for Multi-User Massive MIMO-FBMC Systems

This paper analyses the performance of filter bank multicarrier (FBMC) signaling in conjunction with offset quadrature amplitude modulation (OQAM) in multi-user (MU) massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. Initially, closed form expressions are derived for tight lower bounds corresponding to the achievable uplink sum-rates for FBMC-based single-cell MU massive MIMO systems relying on maximum ratio combining (MRC), zero forcing (ZF) and minimum mean square error (MMSE) receiver processing with/without perfect channel state information (CSI) at the base station (BS). This is achieved by exploiting the statistical properties of the intrinsic interference that is characteristic of FBMC systems. Analytical results are also developed for power scaling in the uplink of MU massive MIMO-FBMC systems. The above analysis of the achievable sum-rates and corresponding power scaling laws is subsequently extended to multi-cell scenarios considering both perfect as well as imperfect CSI, and the effect of pilot contamination. The delay-spread-induced performance erosion imposed on the linear processing aided BS receiver is numerically quantified by simulations. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the close match between our analysis and simulations, and to illustrate and compare the performance of FBMC and traditional orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)-based MU massive MIMO systems.
Etiologia do declínio de mangostanzeiros no sul da Bahia

O declinio do mangostanzeiro (Garcinia mangostana L.) no litoral sul do Estado da Bahia e hoje o principal problema da cultura, sendo caracterizado por sintomas de murcha, amarelecimento, seca e queda de folhas. Este trabalho teve como objetivo acompanhar a evolucao da sintomatologia da doenca, isolar e identificar os potenciais patogenos causadores do declinio do mangostanzeiro. A doenca comeca com a necrose das radiculas, a qual atinge as raizes secundarias, primarias e progride ate a base do tronco que desenvolve lesoes necroticas extensas. Os sintomas secundarios sao clorose, murcha e queda das folhas. Das amostras de tecidos lesionados de plantas doentes levadas ao laboratorio, foram isolados e identificados os seguintes fungos: Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Lasiodiplodia parva, Mycoleptodiscus sp. , Rhizopus sp. , Stilbella sp. , Trichoderma spp. e Aspergillus sp. Apenas L. theobromae e L. parva foram patogenicas a fragmentos de raizes e caules de mangostanzeiros in vitro e a mudas de mangostanzeiros em casa de vegetacao, sendo o isolado da primeira especie o mais virulento. A taxonomia do genero Lasiodiplodia e algumas condicoes que influenciam no desenvolvimento da doenca no campo foram analisadas.
An exploratory study understanding the appropriated use of voice-based Search and Assistants

Voice-user interfaces are gaining popularity at an increasing rate. With a variety of voice-user interfaces being available, some as a part of the digital technologies such as smartphones (Google Assistant, voice-enabled search, Apple's Siri) and others as independent technology artifacts (Google Home, Amazon's Alexa as Echo), there is a diverse range of users who are adopting the technology for a variety of purposes. In this paper, we present an exploratory mixed-methods study describing their use by users from low-income and middle-income families of in-built voice-user interfaces.