Extraction of Problem Events from Web Documents to Construct Cause-Effect Loop

This research aims to extract problem events, particularly cause-effect concept pair series with explanations by several simple sentences with causative/effect concepts, from web documents of drug addiction. The extracted problem events are used to construct cause-effect loop which benefits for the problem analysis in the solving system. The research has three problems; how to determine the cause/effect event concepts expressed by verb phrases having a problem of the overlap between causative-verb concepts and effect-verb concepts, how to determine the series of cause-effect concept pairs with the causative/effect concept boundary consideration, and how to determine the feedback-loop of cause-effect concept pair series. Therefore, we apply the event rate to solve the overlap problem. We then propose using N-WordCo to determine the cause-effect concept pair series and also use a cue-word set to solve the feedback-loop. The research results provide the high precision of the problem event extraction from the documents

Heritage Tourism and Vibrant Life of the Baan Lao Community, Chao Phraya River, Bangkok, Thailand

The reputations of primary and secondary tourist destinations are hierarchically created through its value to the nation. Prioritizing a conservation project and tourism development can have major differences. Values attached to a destination by inhabitants are different from those of tourists, and are often influenced by the promotional campaigns designed by authorized agencies. A primary destination is then worthy of promotion and conservation as it serves a nation's purposes economically, socially and politically, while a destination that is not corresponding in such ways is usually disregarded. Koh Kret is an established primary tourism destination for domestic visitors, though not for international visitors. However, the Baan Lao Community can be developed as a secondary tourism destination for visitors to Koh Kret. Koh Kret and Baan Lao Community in Thailand are illustrations of significance and value. By understanding the Baan Lao community's significance, value and values, it is an opportunity to develop the area as a secondary tourist destination, and help preserve the way of life of local inhabitants along the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, Thailand

Demand for Narcotics in Thailand, with Policy Implications

The paper examines the demand for narcotic drugs, based on Becker (1968), as purported rational behavior of human beings. The results from sampling surveys in eight provinces in Thailand in 2014, representing nationwide drug users/addicts, show that the demand for narcotics (amphetamines, ice drug, and marijuana) are price inelastic (between -0.533 and -0.701), as well as normal goods. The key econometric coefficients in models A and B are 0.192 and 0.0467, respectively, and an increase in income will lead to an increase in the demand for narcotics. In addition, factors affecting the demand for narcotics are the age and age squared of the user, friendship, family member relationship, social relationship, reasons for drug use, risk behavior, and expected punishment. Public policy implications are also proposed and analysed

Takayasu arteritis with an initial presentation of chronic monoarthritis mimicking oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Patients with Takayasu arteritis (TA) generally present with non-specific symptoms that, if unrecognized and untreated, may develop vessel stenosis and/or aneurysm. There is limited data regarding chronic monoarthritis as the initial presentation in children with TA. We report a 6-yearold girl diagnosed and treated as oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). She later developed stroke with malignant hypertension and was definitively diagnosed with TA. She additionally developed proteinuria secondary to focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. This is the report of a patient with chronic monoarthritis mimicking oligoarticular JIA which chronic monoarthritis was the presentation of TA. Since JIA is a diagnosis of exclusion, any atypical features of oligoarticular JIA should illuminate the possibility of an alternative diagnosis. Our literature review focused on musculoskeletal presentations of children with TA

Outcomes in children with rheumatic diseases following COVID-19 vaccination and infection: data from a large two-center cohort study in Thailand

IntroductionVaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is effective in protecting patients from severe COVID-19 infection. Disease flare-up following immunization in children with rheumatic disorders may result in patient reluctance to receive the vaccine. Underlying rheumatic diseases or the use of immunosuppressive drugs may influence the outcomes of COVID-19 vaccination and infection. We aimed to describe outcomes in children with rheumatic diseases following COVID-19 immunization and infection.MethodsThis retrospective study was performed at two large academic centers in Thailand. During the COVID-19 pandemic, all patients were routinely queried about COVID-19-related conditions. We included patients with rheumatic diseases aged <18 years who received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine or had a history of COVID-19 infection with more than 6 months of recorded follow-up after the last vaccine dose or COVID-19 illness. Demographic information and data on clinical symptoms, disease activity, treatment, outcomes, and COVID-19 vaccination and infection were collected.ResultsA total of 479 patients were included. Most (229; 47.81%) patients had juvenile idiopathic arthritis, followed by connective tissue diseases (189; 39.46%), vasculitis syndromes (42; 8.76%), and other rheumatic diseases (19; 3.97%). Approximately 90% of patients received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccination, and half of the patients had COVID-19 infection. Among patients, 10.72% and 3.27% developed a flare after COVID-19 vaccination and COVID-19 illness, respectively. Flare severity after COVID immunization and infection was mainly mild to moderate. The predictor of flare after COVID-19 vaccination was the use of prednisolone ≥10 mg/day before vaccination (hazard ratio: 2.04, 95% confidence interval: 1.05–3.97, p = 0.037). Inactive disease before receiving the COVID-19 vaccination was a predictor of inactive status after a flare (hazard ratio: 2.95, 95% confidence interval: 1.04–8.40; p = 0.043). Overall, 3.36% and 1.61% of patients experienced a new onset of rheumatic disease after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and after COVID-19 infection, respectively.ConclusionThe COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for children with rheumatic disease, particularly those who are in stable condition. After COVID-19 vaccination, patients—especially those with active disease before vaccination or those receiving concurrent prednisolone doses of ≥10 mg/day—should be closely monitored

Effect of Risk Perception on Willingness to Pay for Improved Water Quality

Groundwater quality improvement benefits for Nebraska were estimated using both contingent valuation (CV) and averting expenditures (AE) methods. Willingness to pay (WTP) and averting expenditures were measured based on a mail survey of 4,000 randomly selected Nebraska households that was conducted in mid October 1997. A double-bounded referendum format was used to elicit WTP for water quality improvements. The questionnaire also solicited information on the socioeconomic factors hypothesized to influence WTP and averting expenditures, including: risk perceptions, age, level of education, income, length of stay in Nebraska, source of water supply, opinions regarding who should pay for water quality programs, and presence of children as well as pregnant woman in the home. The response rate for the Dillman mail survey procedure was 35 percent, resulting in 1416 useable responses

Willingness to pay for water quality improvement: Differences between contingent valuation and averting expenditure methods

Water quality improvement benefits for Nebraska were estimated using both contingent valuation (CV) and averting expenditures (AE) methods. Willingness to pay (WTP) and averting expenditures were measured based on a mail survey of 4,000 randomly selected Nebraska households that was conducted in mid October 1997. The response rate for the Dillman mail survey procedure was 35 percent, resulting in 1416 useable responses. Willingness to pay for improving water quality was estimated from the double bounded CV results, using censored logistic regression. The estimated mean WTP was at $9.50 per month per household for a nitrate program and \$9.72 per month per household for reducing all contaminants. The households with the highest WTP were young, with high income, who perceived significant risk, did not use a private well, and were more likely to have taken some averting action. Averting expenditures were analyzed as a check on the validity of the CV approach using a two stage Heckman model. When averting expenditures were averaged across all respondents, mean averting costs were much lower than the CV results at$6.00 and \$8.20 per month per household for nitrates and all contaminants, respectively. A comparison of the CV and averting expenditure results suggested that the true WTP for improved water quality lies somewhere between the lower bound established by the averting expenditures approach and the upper bound established by the CV analysis. Based on this premise, Nebraska citizens were willing to pay between$45 and \$72 million per year for programs to reduce nitrate contamination and from$62 to \$74 million to address water quality problems from all contaminants. The major policy implications from the study were that there was considerable total financial support for drinking water quality programs; that policy officials should consider financing alternatives for both utility fees and taxes which are more closely linked to ability to pay; and that there was a need for testing and education programs to reduce the discrepancies between perceived and actual water quality risk

Oligopolistic pricing over the deterministic market demand cycle: Some evidence from United States portland cement industry

The recent development of theoretical models have extended predictions as to how a firm behaves under different assumptions about the future movement in market demands. Rotemberg and Saloner (1986) proposed equilibrium conditions that allow firms to set self-enforcing collusive market prices when demand shocks are independently distributed but observable. Haltiwanger and Harrington (1991) formulated a theory of self enforcing collusion when the market demand cycle is deterministic. They predict that if firms collude, given the same market demand for output, the prices in the bust periods are always lower than in the boom. They also predict that the collusive profit should reach its peak before the market cycle reaches its peak. What is the actual oligopolist behavior, however, still depends on the empirical test that may be applied to each theory. I test their theories using data from the portland cement industry. Portland cement is a major input in construction. The construction activities themselves need to be planned, and take time to complete. Thus the market demand for portland cement in the future is believed to be deterministic. As it is proposed by Haltiwanger and Harrington (1992), when the market demand is deterministic, the firms in an industry may formulate a self-enforcing collusive price. So this study aims to test if there is tacit collusion in any portland cement market in the United States. Both the collusive price and profit properties proposed by Haltiwanger and Harrington are tested in twenty-five regional markets. The price hypothesis is empirically tested by using an equation system comprised of the market demand and supply relations, differentiating the boom and the bust periods of market demand cycles defined from 1974 to 1989 The equation system is simultaneously estimated from panel data using the three-stage least square technique. The estimated prices between the boom and bust support that tacit collusion exists in portland cement markets. The estimated profit paths, however, mitigates the results of the estimated prices because some markets experience a profit peak before a demand peak. A strong support of tacit collusion in portland cement markets needs further study

Implementation and assessment of a structured curriculum for a 4-week pediatric rheumatology rotation for pediatric residents

Abstract Background General pediatricians often initially address children’s musculoskeletal (MSK) issues and play a crucial role in triaging and managing patients’ rheumatologic conditions. This study assessed the effectiveness of a structured curriculum in enhancing pediatric residents’ knowledge, MSK examination skills, and confidence during a 4-week pediatric rheumatology rotation. Methods Pediatric residents in their either second or third year who participated in the 4-week rheumatology rotation once across three academic years (July 2020–June 2023) were enrolled. Residents’ knowledge, MSK examination skills, and confidence were assessed at pre- and post-rotation by using 25 multiple-choice questions, the Thai pediatric Gait Arms Legs Spine examination, and a questionnaire, respectively. The curriculum comprised instruction on MSK examinations, interactive lectures, case-based discussion, topic reviews, MSK radiology conference, clinical experience in rheumatology clinic and consultations, with self-guided learning with educational resources. Results Fifty-eight pediatric residents (48 females, 10 males) with a mean age of 28.9 ± 0.8 years participated. Significant improvements were noted postrotation. Knowledge scores rose from 63.0 ± 12.2 to 79.7 ± 9.1 (mean difference 16.7 ± 10.3, p < 0.001). Similarly, MSK examination scores increased from 67.5 ± 14.4 to 93.6 ± 8.7 (mean difference 26.1 ± 14.6, p < 0.001). Residents also reported a marked increase in confidence across all evaluated areas, including history taking, MSK examination, arthrocentesis, and diagnosing and treating rheumatologic conditions (p < 0.001). Conclusions The 4-week structured curriculum in the pediatric rheumatology rotation significantly enhanced pediatric residents’ knowledge, MSK examination skills, and confidence. These findings support the integration of pediatric rheumatology rotations into pediatric residency training programs