Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pricing the Priceless: Cost-Benefit Analysis of Environmental Protection

Many analytical approaches to setting environmental standards require some consideration of costs and benefits. Even technologybased regulation, maligned by cost-benefit enthusiasts as the worst form of regulatory excess, typically entails consideration of economic costs. Cost-benefit analysis differs, however, from other analytical approaches in the following respect: it demands that the advantages and disadvantages of a regulatory policy be reduced, as far as possible, to numbers, and then further reduced to dollars and cents. In this feature of cost-benefit analysis lies its doom. Indeed, looking closely at the products of this pricing scheme makes it seem not only a little cold, but a little crazy as well. Consider the following examples, which we are not making up. They are not the work of a lunatic fringe, but, on the contrary, they reflect the work products of some of the most influential and reputable of today's cost-benefit practitioners. We are not sure whether to laugh or cry; we find it impossible to treat these studies as serious contributions to a rational discussion. Several years ago, states were in the middle of their litigation against tobacco companies, seeking to recoup the medical expenditures they had incurred as a result of smoking. At that time, W. Kip Viscusi-a professor of law and economics at Harvard and the primary source of the current $6.3 million estimate for the value of a statistical life'-undertook research concluding that states, in fact, saved money
Current Status of Tick-Borne Diseases in South Korea.

BACKGROUND Bites with tick-borne pathogens can cause various bacterial, viral, or parasitic diseases in humans. Tick-transmitted diseases are known as contributing factors to the increasing incidence and burden of diseases. The present article investigated the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases in South Korea. METHODS The incidence and distribution of common tick-borne diseases in Korea (Lyme disease, Q fever, and severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome [SFTS]) were investigated and analyzed, using data from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) infectious disease reporting system. A literature review was compiled on the current status of uncommon tick-borne diseases (Rickettsia, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, bartonellosis, tularemia, tick-borne encephalitis, and babesiosis). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS In South Korea, SFTS is an emerging disease, showing a rapid increase in reports since 2012, with high mortality. Likewise, reports of Lyme disease and Q fever cases have also been rapidly increasing during 2012-2017, although caution should be taken when interpreting these results, considering the likely influence of increased physician awareness and reporting of these diseases. Other tick-borne diseases reported in South Korea included spotted fever group rickettsiae, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, tularemia, Bartonella, and babesiosis. Evidences on human infection with tick-borne encephalitis virus and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever were recently unavailable, but both need constant monitoring.
Group 1 ITI Consensus Report: The influence of implant length and design and medications on clinical and patient-reported outcomes.

OBJECTIVES The aim of Working Group 1 was to address the influence of different local (implant length, diameter, and design) and systemic (medications) factors on clinical, radiographic, and patient-reported outcomes in implant dentistry. Focused questions on (a) short posterior dental implants (≤6 mm), (b) narrow diameter implants, (c) implant design (tapered compared to a non-tapered implant design), and (d) medication-related dental implant failures were addressed. MATERIALS AND METHODS Four systematic reviews were prepared in advance of the Consensus Conference and were discussed among the participants of Group 1. Consensus statements, clinical recommendations, and recommendations for future research were based on structured group discussions until consensus was reached among the entire expert Group 1. The statements were then presented and accepted following further discussion and modifications as required by the plenary. RESULTS Short implants (≤6 mm) revealed a survival rate ranging from 86.7% to 100%, whereas standard implant survival rate ranged from 95% to 100% with a follow-up from 1 to 5 years. Short implants demonstrated a higher variability and a higher Risk Ratio [RR: 1.24 (95% CI: 0.63, 2.44, p = 0.54)] for failure compared to standard implants. Narrow diameter implants (NDI) have been classified into three categories: Category 1: Implants with a diameter of <2.5 mm ("Mini-implants"); Category 2: Implants with a diameter of 2.5 mm to <3.3 mm; Category 3: Implants with a diameter of 3.3 mm to 3.5 mm. Mean survival rates were 94.7 ± 5%, 97.3 ± 5% and 97.7 ± 2.3% for category 1, 2 and 3. Tapered versus non-tapered implants demonstrated only insignificant differences regarding clinical, radiographic, and patient-reported outcomes. The intake of certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and proton pump inhibitors is associated with a statistically significant increased implant failure rate. The intake of bisphosphonates related to the treatment of osteoporosis was not associated with an increased implant failure rate. CONCLUSIONS It is concluded that short implants (≤6 mm) are a valid option in situations of reduced bone height to avoid possible morbidity associated with augmentation procedures; however, they reveal a higher variability and lower predictability in survival rates. Narrow diameter implants with diameters of 2.5 mm and more demonstrated no difference in implant survival rates compared to standard diameter implants. In contrast, it is concluded that narrow diameter implants with diameters of less than 2.5 mm exhibited lower survival rates compared to standard diameter implants. It is further concluded that there are no differences between tapered versus non-tapered dental implants. Certain medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and proton pump inhibitors showed an association with a higher implant failure rate.
Double-level binary tree Bayesian compressed sensing for block structured sparse signals

Sparsity is one of the key points in the compressed sensing (CS) theory, which provides a sub-Nyquist sampling paradigm. Nevertheless, apart from sparsity, structures on the sparse patterns such as block structures and tree structures can also be exploited to improve the reconstruction performance and further reduce the sampling rate in CS framework. Based on the fact that the block structure is also sparse for a widely studied block sparse signal, in this study, a double-level binary tree (DBT) hierarchical Bayesian model is proposed under the Bayesian CS (BCS) framework. The authors exploit a recovery algorithm with the proposed DBT structured model, and the block clustering in the proposed algorithm can be achieved fastly and correctly using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method. The experimental results demonstrate that, compared with most existing CS algorithms for block sparse signals, our proposed DBT-based BCS algorithm can obtain good recovery results with less time consuming.
Incidence and outcomes of acute kidney injury among patients attending intensive care unit in China

Background: Despite vigorous and substantial measures to combat acute kidney injury (AKI) in intensive care unit (ICU), incidence and mortality of AKI is steadily increasing over time that requires more efforts needed to understand disease condition and course. Current study was aimed to determine incidence and outcomes of patients attending ICU in China. Methodology: Data from patients attending ICU during March 2014 to August 2014 were prospectively collected. AKI was stratified according to AKIN classification system. Patients with and without AKI were compared by appropriate statistical methods. Logistic regressions were used to determine predictors of AKI, longer ICU stay and mortality. Results: Incidence of AKI was 47.1% (769/1633) in total cohort including AKIN-I (8.7%), AKIN-II (15.3%) and AKIN-III (23.1%). Old age (OR 3.4), diabetes (OR 2.8), high SOFA/APACHE II scores (OR 2.2/4.1), sepsis (OR 9.4) and vasopressors (OR 6.2) were significant predictors of AKI. AKIN-III (OR 7.4), multiple organ dysfunctions (OR 3.8), RRT (OR 5.5) and mechanical ventilation (OR 2.7) were strongly associated with longer ICU stay. ICU mortality in our study was 27.4%. Elderly patients (OR 3.3) with AKIN-III (OR 5.6) having high SOFA score (OR 2.5) requiring RRT (OR 7.1) and mechanical ventilation (OR 9.2) had higher odds of death in our study. Conclusions: AKI imposes substantial burden to the health care system and patients in terms of morbidity, mortality and cost of care (hospital stay). Identification of high risk patients and adequate measures in timely manners may go in long run to combat AKI in ICU.
Effects of Fluid Dynamic Forces Created by Rotary Orbital Suspension Culture on Cardiomyogenic Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) have the potential to become an effective resource for regenerative medicine in heart disease. The efficiency of cardiomyocyte differentiation changes drastically depending on the quality of hESC aggregates known as embryoid bodies (EBs). This study compares the production of EBs in rotary orbital suspension culture at various speeds with that in a simple static suspension culture. None of the outgrowths of EBs formed in static suspension culture developed beating. In contrast, outgrowths from EBs formed at 100 rpm had the highest rate of beating, 70%, and increased the expression of Nkx2.5, a master gene of cardiomyocyte differentiation. Outgrowths from EBs developed at slower rotational speeds showed more endoderm gene expression. At faster speeds, the expression of ectoderm markers increased. A computational hydrodynamic simulation showed that the liquid medium shear stress on the bottom was restricted to the periphery at 30 and 55 rpm and the center at 120 rpm. The analysis showed that at 100 rpm, the shear stress was uniformly distributed in the dish. Our results suggest that shear stress by fluid dynamic forces induces the differentiation of specific cell phenotypes from hESCs depending on rotational speed. For cardiomyocyte differentiation, 100 rpm was the most effective speed.
Identifying Organizational Factors for Successful Business Intelligence Implementation

Business intelligence (BI) has proliferated due to its growing application for business decision support. Research on organizational factors may offer significant use in BI implementation. However, a limited number of studies focus on organizational factors for revealing adverse impacts on effective decision support. The aim of this theoretical study is to conduct a literature analysis to identify organizational factors relevant to BI implementation. Through a systematic literature review, a qualitative content analysis on 49 relevant sample articles for generating themes inductively is adopted to reveal organizational factors. Findings suggest two contexts: information management that integrates factors such as technological capability and personnel capability and organizational context that integrates factors such as organizational capability, managerial decision, and organizational culture for facilitating embedding information management capability for BI implementation in businesses. It is hoped that these contextual understanding can be useful for further BI implementations.
Dinâmica da Digitação Aplicada à Autenticação Periódica de Usuários em Ambientes Virtuais de Aprendizagem

The authentication of users on a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is, in general, punctual and intrusive, occurring when the user connects to the environment, by typing his password. Such approach allows, after the initial login, that unauthenticated users take the role of authenticated users and perform tasks in the environment, causing, among other things, distortions in the perception about the academic performance of students. The objective of this work is, thus, to propose a mechanism to execute periodic and non-intrusive authentications of users in VLEs. The proposed mechanism uses machine learning techniques to build recognition models based on the keystroke dynamics of users and it is also independent of the used VLE. A prototype of the proposed mechanism, integrated with Moodle, was implemented and applied to a postgraduate course with seventeen users. The recognition models generated by the prototype in the case study showed a performance above 92% of accuracy, which is a positive indication about the viability of the utilization of the proposed mechanism.
Salicylic Acid and Malic Acid Together Alleviates More Effectively Al-induced Toxicity in Finger Millet ( Eleusine coracana L . ) Cultivars

To understand Al toxicity and tolerant mechanisms in plants, several studies have been conducted, but they are inconclusive. In the present work, the alleviating effect of salicylic acid (SA) and malic acid (MA) on Al-induced toxic effects in two finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) cultivars, IE 3618 (Al-resistant) and Ratnagiri (Al-sensitive) was evaluated. Two-week old seedlings were divided into different groups and grown in growth medium (1/10 Hoagland solution) alone or in the presence of Al or SA or SA+MA in the growth th medium for three days. Al treatment (100μM) caused 40% 65% drop in plant growth, relative water content (RWC) and 2-3 folds increase Al uptake, 2-5 folds raise in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, 0.5-2 folds increase in proline content when compared to their normal control plants. Elevated activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Peroxidase (POD) were observed while catalase (CAT) activity was reduced under Al stress. Al also caused 2-5 folds decrease in the plant concentrations of Ca, K, Mg and P. External supplementation of SA and MA together has greatly restored the Al-induced alterations in the said parameters than when SA was administered alone and our study confirmed that IE 3618 is Al-resistant than Ratnagiri.
THE ECONOMIC CAUSES OF OBESITY : A SURVEY

Obesity rates have increased dramatically over the last 30 years. Rising obesity has developed into a considerable worldwide public health problem with significant economic and social consequences. Accordingly, obesity has become a subject of economic research. This paper provides a broad survey of the recent and growing economic literature on the causes of obesity. The literature, both theoretical and empirical, overall aims to explain the rising obesity trend and to identify the factors that contribute to obesity. Also surveyed are non-economic causes and consequences of obesity and the interconnection with economic influences. An understanding of the causes of obesity allows policies to be considered that might stem the global increase in obesity.
A systematic review of the survival and complication rates of zirconia‐ceramic and metal‐ceramic single crowns

OBJECTIVES The aim of the present systematic review was to analyze the survival and complication rates of zirconia-based and metal-ceramic implant-supported single crowns (SCs). MATERIALS AND METHODS An electronic MEDLINE search complemented by manual searching was conducted to identify randomized controlled clinical trials, prospective cohort and retrospective case series on implant-supported SCs with a mean follow-up time of at least 3 years. Patients had to have been clinically examined at the follow-up visit. Assessment of the identified studies and data extraction was performed independently by two reviewers. Failure and complication rates were analyzed using robust Poisson's regression models to obtain summary estimates of 5-year proportions. RESULTS The search provided 5,263 titles and 455 abstracts, full-text analysis was performed for 240 articles, resulting in 35 included studies on implant-supported crowns. Meta-analysis revealed an estimated 5-year survival rate of 98.3% (95% CI: 96.8-99.1) for metal-ceramic implant supported SCs (n = 4,363) compared to 97.6% (95% CI: 94.3-99.0) for zirconia implant supported SCs (n = 912). About 86.7% (95% CI: 80.7-91.0) of the metal-ceramic SCs (n = 1,300) experienced no biological/technical complications over the entire observation period. The corresponding rate for zirconia SCs (n = 76) was 83.8% (95% CI: 61.6-93.8). The biologic outcomes of the two types of crowns were similar; yet, zirconia SCs exhibited less aesthetic complications than metal-ceramics. The 5-year incidence of chipping of the veneering ceramic was similar between the material groups (2.9% metal-ceramic, 2.8% zirconia-ceramic). Significantly (p = 0.001), more zirconia-ceramic implant SCs failed due to material fractures (2.1% vs. 0.2% metal-ceramic implant SCs). No studies on newer types of monolithic zirconia SCs fulfilled the simple inclusion criteria of 3 years follow-up time and clinical examination of the present systematic review. CONCLUSION Zirconia-ceramic implant-supported SCs are a valid treatment alternative to metal-ceramic SCs, with similar incidence of biological complications and less aesthetic problems. The amount of ceramic chipping was similar between the material groups; yet, significantly more zirconia crowns failed due to material fractures.
Studies on morphology and interphase of poly(butylene terephthalate)/carbon nanotubes nanocomposites

The microstructure of poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) nanocomposites was investigated by simultaneous small angle X-ray scattering/wide angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) measurements at room temperature. The PBT was observed to crystallize in the α-phase. The dispersion of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in PBT, using in situ polymerization, materials with higher degree of crystallinity than neat PBT were produced. SAXS results indicated that the SWCNT may be preferentially distributed in the amorphous phase of PBT, although WAXS results suggested a nucleation ability of SWCNT, which was supported by the DSC results. Much more complex changes were induced by the dispersion of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in the PBT matrix. Evidence for the formation of an interphase with restricted chain mobility were found by dynamical mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and WAXS showed an increase of the crystallinity of the nanocomposites in comparison to neat PBT. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 50:1571–1576, 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers
Intertemporal Choice of Fuzzy Soft Sets

This paper first merges two noteworthy aspects of choice. On the one hand, soft sets and fuzzy soft sets are popular models that have been largely applied to decision making problems, such as real estate valuation, medical diagnosis (glaucoma, prostate cancer, etc.), data mining, or international trade. They provide crisp or fuzzy parameterized descriptions of the universe of alternatives. On the other hand, in many decisions, costs and benefits occur at different points in time. This brings about intertemporal choices, which may involve an indefinitely large number of periods. However, the literature does not provide a model, let alone a solution, to the intertemporal problem when the alternatives are described by (fuzzy) parameterizations. In this paper, we propose a novel soft set inspired model that applies to the intertemporal framework, hence it fills an important gap in the development of fuzzy soft set theory. An algorithm allows the selection of the optimal option in intertemporal choice problems with an infinite time horizon. We illustrate its application with a numerical example involving alternative portfolios of projects that a public administration may undertake. This allows us to establish a pioneering intertemporal model of choice in the framework of extended fuzzy set theories.
Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) for 5G Networks

In this chapter, we explore the concept of non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) scheme for the future radio access for 5G. We first provide the fundamentals of the technique for both downlink and uplink channels and then discuss optimizing the network capacity under fairness constraints. We further discuss the impacts of imperfect receivers on the performance of NOMA networks. Finally, we discuss the spectral efficiency (SE) of the networks that employ NOMA with its relations with energy efficiency (EE). We demonstrate that the networks with NOMA outperform other multiple access schemes in terms of sum capacity, EE and SE.
Snowfall retrieval at X, Ka and W bands: consistency of backscattering and microphysical properties using BAECC ground-based measurements

Abstract. Radar-based snowfall intensity retrieval is investigated at centimeter and millimeter wavelengths using co-located ground-based multi-frequency radar and video-disdrometer observations. Using data from four snowfall events, recorded during the Biogenic Aerosols Effects on Clouds and Climate (BAECC) campaign in Finland, measurements of liquid-water-equivalent snowfall rate S are correlated to radar equivalent reflectivity factors Ze, measured by the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) cloud radars operating at X, Ka and W frequency bands. From these combined observations, power-law Ze–S relationships are derived for all three frequencies considering the influence of riming. Using microwave radiometer observations of liquid water path, the measured precipitation is divided into lightly, moderately and heavily rimed snow. Interestingly lightly rimed snow events show a spectrally distinct signature of Ze–S with respect to moderately or heavily rimed snow cases. In order to understand the connection between snowflake microphysical and multi-frequency backscattering properties, numerical simulations are performed by using the particle size distribution provided by the in situ video disdrometer and retrieved ice particle masses. The latter are carried out by using both the T-matrix method (TMM) applied to soft-spheroid particle models with different aspect ratios and exploiting a pre-computed discrete dipole approximation (DDA) database for rimed aggregates. Based on the presented results, it is concluded that the soft-spheroid approximation can be adopted to explain the observed multi-frequency Ze–S relations if a proper spheroid aspect ratio is selected. The latter may depend on the degree of riming in snowfall. A further analysis of the backscattering simulations reveals that TMM cross sections are higher than the DDA ones for small ice particles, but lower for larger particles. The differences of computed cross sections for larger and smaller particles are compensating for each other. This may explain why the soft-spheroid approximation is satisfactory for radar reflectivity simulations under study.
Summertime U.S. Precipitation Variability and Its Relation toPacific Sea Surface Temperature

Abstract The year-to-year fluctuations in summertime precipitation over the U.S. Great Plains are examined in this study using data from 1950 to 1990. There are large interannual variabilities in precipitation amounts over the Great Plains during the period considered. A long-term trend in Great Plains precipitation from relatively wet conditions in the 1950s to relatively dry conditions in the 1980s is also identified. The spatial scale of the anomalous precipitation covers a large portion of the United States on seasonal mean timescales. It is shown that the Great Plains precipitation fluctuations are significantly correlated with the tropical, as well as North Pacific, sea surface temperature (SST) variations. Two leading modes of covariation between Pacific SST and the U.S. precipitation are identified, with the first mode having spatial and temporal characteristics of the El Nino–La Nina SST variation, while the second mode is confined to the North Pacific and contains the decadal trend. The relation.