Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Retrospective Study on Dog Bite Associated Rabies in Human and the Use of Post-exposure Prophylaxis in Nepal during 2008 to 2017

A 10-year (2008-2017) retrospective canine-mediated human rabies epidemiology was studied to assess the burden of rabies in Nepal. To this end, the number of dog bites, the use of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and human death records from 2008 to 2017 were retrieved from Sukraraj Tropical Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal. The findings revealed that the number of human rabies occurrences was consistent with minor fluctuations throughout the study period. There were 252,297 dog bite cases in humans recorded between 2008 and 2017. Every month, 2,102 people were bitten by mostly stray dogs. There was a gradual increase in PEP use throughout 10 years. On average, 36,995 PEP dosages were used per year for stray dog bites. The PEP consumption and the number of human deaths were negatively correlated. A total of 482 human rabies deaths were recorded in Nepal during the study period. On average, 49 people died of canine-mediated rabies each year. Although there was an increase in the use of PEP, the number of human deaths and street dog bites recorded were still high. The high mortality due to rabies could then be attributed to the flawed surveillance system and stray dog population management, and not merely the lack of PEP services. Hence, it is recommended that the government agencies and other concerned stakeholders should organize mass vaccination and population management program for stray dogs in order to reduce the country’s rabies burden.
Preliminary evidence of oxidation in standard oven drying of cotton: attenuated total reflectance/Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, colorimetry, and particulate matter formation

Currently, oven drying in air is often utilized to generate the percentage of moisture in cotton fibers. Karl Fischer Titration, another method for cotton moisture measurement, has been compared to the oven drying method. The percentage of moisture as generated by the oven method tracks those of Karl Fischer Titration, but there are differences between the two. In fact, a bias exists in the measured moisture loss employing the standard oven drying method. In addition, the moisture data collected via Karl Fischer Titration demonstrates smaller variances than those data collected in the oven. The aim of this study is to determine what is causing those differences. In the current report, particulate matter formation and browning of oven-treated cotton samples have been observed, suggesting visible indirect evidence that cotton oxidation may be occurring. It is noteworthy that three types of oxidation processes may be occurring during the current study: heating in air, scouring and bleaching, and periodate-driven processes. The first two oxidative processes yield non-specific products, whereas the periodate-driven oxidative products are well-defined in the literature. Thus, a method was needed to gain direct evidence for this postulated cotton oxidation that may be contributing to the bias in the standard oven drying method used to calculate moisture loss in cotton. Thus, this preliminary study employed Attenuated Total Reflectance/Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy to determine if direct evidence for oxidation can be observed for oven-treated cotton samples.
Investigating User Resistance of Employees Working at Technology Companies in Istanbul towards Digital Transformation 1

Technology companies in a continuous transformation process within the scope of Industry 4.0 practices have followed rapidly changing and developing technological advances closely and have made permanent and successful digital transformation efforts. However, there might be met with resistance of employees sometimes during the digital transformation process. This study examines the user resistance of the employees working at technology companies in Istanbul towards digital transformation and determining user resistance factors. A survey questionnaire was prepared to gather the data. In this regard, The Scale of User Resistance towards Information Systems Implementation developed by Kim & Kankanhalli (2009) with 24 statements was used. The scale has seven dimensions: user resistance, perceived value, switching benefits, switching costs, colleague opinion, self-efficacy for change, and organizational support. The target population of the study consists of the employees working at the technology companies in Istanbul. One of the pioneer companies of the information technology sector was selected as the sample group, and 220 employees attended the research based on voluntariness. SPSS 22.0 program was used for the analysis of the data. According to the results, it was found that the participants have low-level user resistance and adapt to the digital transformation at high-level generally. Furthermore, as the result of hypothesis tests, the findings indicate an effect of perceived value and switching benefits, self-efficacy on user resistance, self-efficacy and organizational support on switching costs, and colleague opinion on perceived value and switching benefits, were reached. At the end of the research, the findings were interpreted via previous research findings. Some recommendations were made for both future studies and the sector on adaptation to the digital transformation.
Carboxylated Latexes for Covalent Coupling Antibodies, I

polymerization are negatively charged in a broad pH range The aim of the present work is to prepare and characterize of 3–10 (4), but their surface charge density is extremely carboxylated latexes (CLs) in order to bind antibodies covalently high (4). At a low ionic strength the antibody cannot pene-and efficiently. Carboxylated latexes were prepared by surfactant-trate the double layer of the particle and thus, no coupling free emulsion polymerization using an azo-initiator, which pro-occurs (11). The carboxylated latexes prepared by an azo-vides carboxyl end groups on the latex surface directly. Two latexes initiator have a rigid interface and the surface charge density were characterized using different techniques: particle size by is significantly lower. These types of particles have been electron microscopy and photocorrelation spectroscopy, surface used less in covalently coupling antibodies and antigens to charge density by conductimetric and potentiometric titrations, polymer carriers in the development of particle-enhanced and electrophoretic mobility versus pH and ionic strength (KBr). The colloidal stability of both latexes shows that these carboxylated optical immunoassays. latexes can be used for biomedical applications. Activation of car-In this paper, we report the preparation of surfactant-free boxyl end groups was performed using the carbodiimide method, carboxylated polymer latexes which enables the covalent and the best conditions for covalent coupling of IgG were obtained. coupling of antibodies with a high efficiency rate. The elec-trokinetic properties and colloidal stability of these latexes A. Material In recent years, a great deal of attention has been given to the use of polymer colloids on a large scale in biomedical Styrene monomer was obtained from Merck and was dis-applications (1–5) for a number of reasons. First, such poly-tilled at reduced pressure and at 40ЊC. The purified monomer mer colloids are easy to produce and can be prepared with was stored at 05ЊC until required. The initiator used in this a high degree of monodispersity (6). Second, they can be work was the 4,4؅-azobis(4-cyanopentanoic acid) (ACPA) used in separating biomacromolecules and immunoassays from Aldrich and was used as received. Potassium persulfate, because of their good biocompatibility (7). The application sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride, hydrochloric acid, and of such polymer colloids requires control of the surface sodium hydroxide (all from Merck) were analytical grade chemical properties of microparticles and control of the pro-reagents and were used without further purification. Double-cess by which they are synthesized (8–10). There are nu-distilled and deionized (DDI) water was used …
Towards More Balanced Territorial Relations—The Role (and Limitations) of Spatial Planning as a Governance Approach

Decision-makers, planners and administrators involved in different policy domains at different governance levels face the important challenge of fostering more balanced, sustainable and territorially integrated development. Well-designed, multi-level, multi-sector and multi-actor governance arrangements can play a key role in this process through orchestrating the interplay between different spheres, activities, actors and interests. In this paper, we examine the role of spatial planning in improving the relations between rural, peri-urban and urban areas. We analyse the strengths and limitations of spatial planning and explore the connections with territorial development. The methodology used for this analysis combines regional case studies in seven European locations—Ede, Frankfurt/Rhein-Main, Styria/Graz, Helsinki, Lisbon, Lucca and Mid Wales, with rapid appraisals, the analysis of published data, expert judgement and triangulation. We ask under which conditions spatial planning can induce more balanced, sustainable territorial relations, and look at the contribution planning can make to achieving sustainable development goals. The problem of ineffective (or toothless) plan implementation provides the entry point into the analysis and discussion. We illustrate why mutually beneficial relations between urban, peri-urban and rural communities (and territories) cannot simply be planned. Instead, these relationships need to be supported by strategies, policy instruments and governance arrangements that foster synergies between different actors and activities. The planning process itself needs to become more transparent and participatory. We conclude that the questions addressed in this article in an exploratory fashion merit further research especially as a more sustainable and territorially integrated development is becoming increasingly important in European policy making.
CEP Discussion Paper No 1234 July 2013 The Buyer Margins of Firms ' Exports

We use highly disaggregated firm-level export data from Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Uruguay over the period 2005-2008 to provide a precise characterization of firms' export margins, across products, destination countries, and crucially customers. We show that a firm's number of buyers and the distribution of sales across them systematically vary with the characteristics of its destination markets. While most firms serve only very few buyers abroad, the number of buyers and the skewness of sales across them increases with the size and the accessibility of destinations. We develop a simple model of selection with heterogeneous buyers and sellers consistent with these findings in which tougher competition induces a better alignment between consumers' ideal variants and firms' core competencies. This generates an additional channel through which tougher competition leads to higher productivity and higher welfare and hints at an additional source of gains from trade as long as freer trade fosters competition.
Hot-Air Drying and Rehydration Characteristics of Red Kidney Bean Seeds

The effects of pretreatments such as citric acid and hot water blanching and air temperature on drying and rehydration characteristics of red kidney bean seeds were investigated. Drying experiments were carried out at four different drying air temperatures of 50°C, 60°C, 70°C, and 80°C. It was observed that drying and rehydration characteristics of bean seeds were greatly influenced by air temperatures and pretreatments. Four commonly used mathematical models were evaluated to predict the drying kinetics of bean seeds. The Weibull model described the drying behaviour of bean seeds at all temperatures better than the other models. The effective moisture diffusivities (Deff) of bean seeds were determined using Fick's law of diffusion. The values of Deff were between 1.25 × 10−9 and 3.58 × 10−9 m2/s. Activation energy was estimated by an Arrhenius-type equation and was determined as 24.62, 21.06, and 20.36 kJ/mol for citric acid, blanch, and control samples, respectively.
Local Exhaust Ventilation to Control Dental Aerosols and Droplets

Dental procedures produce aerosols that may remain suspended and travel significant distances from the source. Dental aerosols and droplets contain oral microbes, and there is potential for infectious disease transmission and major disruption to dental services during infectious disease outbreaks. One method to control hazardous aerosols often used in industry is local exhaust ventilation (LEV). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of LEV on aerosols and droplets produced during dental procedures. Experiments were conducted on dental mannequins in an 825.4-m3 open-plan clinic and a 49.3-m3 single surgery. Ten-minute crown preparations were performed with an air-turbine handpiece in the open-plan clinic and 10-min full-mouth ultrasonic scaling in the single surgery. Fluorescein was added to instrument irrigation reservoirs as a tracer. In both settings, optical particle counters (OPCs) were used to measure aerosol particles between 0.3 and 10.0 µm, and liquid cyclone air samplers were used to capture aerosolized fluorescein tracer. In addition, in the open-plan setting, fluorescein tracer was captured by passive settling onto filter papers in the environment. Tracer was quantified fluorometrically. An LEV device with high-efficiency particulate air filtration and a flow rate of 5,000 L/min was used. LEV reduced aerosol production from the air-turbine handpiece by 90% within 0.5 m, and this was 99% for the ultrasonic scaler. OPC particle counts were substantially reduced for both procedures and air-turbine settled droplet detection reduced by 95% within 0.5 m. The effect of LEV was substantially greater than suction alone for the air-turbine and was similar to the effect of suction for the ultrasonic scaler. LEV reduces aerosol and droplet contamination from dental procedures by at least 90% in the breathing zone of the operator, and it is therefore a valuable tool to reduce the dispersion of dental aerosols.
The Minimum Wage and Wage Inequality

E ven a cursory look at the empirical literature in most fields of economics reveals that a majority of applications use simple parametric approaches such as ordinary least squares regression or two-stage least squares accompanied by simple descriptive statistics. The use of such methods has persisted despite the development of more general nonparametric techniques in the recent (and perhaps not-so-recent) statistics and econometrics literatures. At least two possible explanations for this come to mind. First, given the challenges—or lack of—provided by economic theories with empirical content, the parametric toolkit is more than sufficient. Where serious first-order problems in nonexperimental inference exist, they are in the inadequacy of the research design and data, not in the limitations of the parametric approach. Second, the predominant use of parametric approaches may reflect the lack of sufficient computational power or the difficulty of computation with off-the-shelf statistical software. Given the recent advances in computing power and software (as well as the development of the necessary theoretical foundation), only the first point remains an open question. The purpose of this article is to make the case that nonparametric techniques need not be limited to use by econometricians. Our discussion is divided into two parts. In the first part, we focus on “density estimation”—estimation of the entire distribution of a variable or set of variables. In the second part, we discuss nonparametric regression, which concerns estimation of regression functions without the straightjacket of a specific functional form.
WATER VAPOR FEEDBACK AND GLOBAL WARMING

■ Abstract Water vapor is the dominant greenhouse gas, the most important gaseous source of infrared opacity in the atmosphere. As the concentrations of other greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, increase because of human activity, it is centrally important to predict how the water vapor distribution will be affected. To the extent that water vapor concentrations increase in a warmer world, the climatic effects of the other greenhouse gases will be amplified. Models of the Earth’s climate indicate that this is an important positive feedback that increases the sensitivity of surface temperatures to carbon dioxide by nearly a factor of two when considered in isolation from other feedbacks, and possibly by as much as a factor of three or more when interactions with other feedbacks are considered. Critics of this consensus have attempted to provide reasons why modeling results are overestimating the strength of this feedback. Our uncertainty concerning climate sensitivity is disturbing. The range most often quoted for the equilibrium global mean surface temperature response to a doubling of CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere is 1.5 ◦C to 4.5◦C. If the Earth lies near the upper bound of this sensitivity range, climate changes in the twenty-first century will be profound. The range in sensitivity is primarily due to differing assumptions about how the Earth’s cloud distribution is maintained; all the models on which these estimates are based possess strong water vapor feedback. If this feedback is, in fact, substantially weaker than predicted in current models, sensitivities in the upper half of this range would be much less likely, a conclusion that would clearly have important policy implications. In this review, we describe the background behind the prevailing view on water vapor feedback and some of the arguments raised by its critics, and attempt to explain why these arguments have not modified the consensus within the climate research community.
Nicolau syndrome: a review of case studies

Nicolau syndrome, although it is quite rare, often occurs following intramuscular injections of different medications, especially diclofenac and penicillins. Accordingly, its symptoms usually begin with severe pain during injection, leading to ulceration and necrosis of the local tissue over time. Immediate diagnosis and treatment in the case of this syndrome, are of great importance. There are no established criteria for Nicolau's diagnosis, and preferably, these can be achieved by examining the patient's symptoms and eliminating differential diagnoses. The proposed treatments are primarily symptomatic therapy and measures such as fasciotomy, debridement, and plastic surgery provided in the affected area. The exact cause of this syndrome has not been determined yet. However, since vasospasm, thrombosis, and embolism have been observed in majority of Nicolau syndrome cases, so any intra-arterial/para-arterial injection or any other factor leading to these three conditions could be hypothetically regarded as the cause of this problem. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of Nicolau's symptoms, diagnosis, treatment methods, and prevention. It also investigates the association between the incidence of this disease and some factors such as gender, age, injection method, and causative drugs, in order to widen our understanding on this syndrome and help practitioners with a much faster diagnosis method and step-by-step approach to Nicolau syndrome.
Economic Freedom and the CO2 Kuznets Curve Christian

Politicians and international organisations advocate for increased regulation and government control of industry in order to handle climate change and reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions. However, it remains an open question how economic freedom is associated with environmental damage and whether deregulation is harmful to the environment or incentivises the use of green technology. On one hand, more government control and regulation may force firms and individuals to reduce their emissions. On the other hand, more economic freedom is likely to enable innovation and the adoption of green technological development. In this paper, I therefore combine data on growth in greenhouse gas emissions and GDP per capita with the Fraser Institute’s Economic Freedom of the World indices in order to test if economic freedom affects emissions. I do so in the context of estimating a standard Environmental Kuznets Curve in which economic freedom can both reduce overall levels as well as shift the shape of the curve. The results suggest that economic freedom reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also shifts the top point of the Kuznets Curve to the left. Part of this effect may be due to the effect of economic freedom on the adoption of renewable energy.
The Power of Doing Nothing: Evidence from index fund ownership

Index funds are an increasingly important part of the U.S. stock market with the average S&P 1500 firm having 22% of their equity held by index funds in 2018. We document the growth and composition of the index fund segment of the institutional investor market and show how index funds are fundamentally different conceptually and operationally than traditionally utilized institutional investor categories. Further, building on concurrent research finding that index funds engage less with portfolio firms than other investors, we find that greater index fund ownership is associated with less bias (greater frequency of missing earnings and fewer abnormal accruals) and less obfuscation (more readable, more negative, and more specific disclosures) in financial reporting. Additional analysis finds results consistent with this effect being due to index funds wielding power through lower engagement and not higher oversight. Finally, we document that the distinctions between fund-level holdings and institutional-level holdings have important empirical ramifications leading to different implications.
1cm Agency Costs, Business Cycles, and Equity Prices

This paper investigates pricing implications of corporate governance decisions. Agency costs, proxied by commonly used corporate governance indices, arise because insiders are self-interested and vary across firms. First, they differ in their agency costs’ level during initial financing, and firms with higher initial costs have lower stock returns afterwards because insiders select a lower (sticky) leverage ratio. Second, they vary along with their difference in agency costs in bad versus good times. Firms having higher costs in bad versus good times also have higher returns because of outsiders’ preference for firms with lower agency costs during recessions. JEL Codes: G30, G12, G32, G14
Seeking Analyst Coverage: Can Non-Professional Analysts Compensate for the Decline in Professional Analyst Coverage?*

We study whether research support by non-professional analysts (NPAs) can compensate for the recent decline of professional analysts’ (PAs) stock coverage. In particular, we employ an instrumental variables approach to estimate the causal impact of NPA coverage on the market liquidity of covered stocks. We find that stocks that are covered by NPAs in a given quarter display substantially higher market liquidity (as measured by trading volume). The impact of NPA coverage is stronger when there is no simultaneous PA coverage and is decreasing in market capitalization and book-to-market ratio. These findings suggest that NPA coverage stimulates market liquidity by increasing investor recognition and reducing information asymmetry. However, investor recognition seems to be the dominant channel. In summary, our results imply that NPA trading support may compensate for the loss of PA coverage.