Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antibodies to Porphyromonas gingivalis Are Associated with Anticitrullinated Protein Antibodies in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Their Relatives

Objective. Anticitrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) are relatively specific for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and predate disease. The oral pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis may play a role in breaking immune tolerance to citrullinated antigens. We studied a cohort of patients with RA and their relatives looking for associations between anti-P. gingivalis antibodies and ACPA. Methods. Patients with RA (n = 82) and their relatives (n = 205) from a North American Native (NAN) population were studied, along with 47 NAN and 60 non-NAN controls. IgM and IgA rheumatoid factor (RF) were tested by nephelometry and ELISA. Second-generation anticyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP2) isotypes and IgG anti-P. gingivalis lipopolysaccharides were tested by ELISA. HLA-DRB1 typing was performed by sequencing. Oral hygiene and smoking habits were assessed by questionnaires. Results. Autoantibody frequency in patients with RA and relatives: ACPA 91% vs 19%, respectively; IgM RF 82% vs 17%; IgA RF 48% vs 22%. Anti-P. gingivalis levels were higher in patients with RA compared to relatives and controls (p = 0.005) and higher in ACPA-positive patients with RA than in ACPA-negative patients with RA (p = 0.04) and relatives (p < 0.001), but comparable in RF-positive and RF-negative patients and relatives. Poor oral hygiene and smoking were prevalent, but with no clear association with autoantibodies. Relatives with 2 shared-epitope alleles were more likely to be ACPA-positive (OR 2.5, p = 0.02). Conclusion. In a genetically predisposed population of NAN patients with RA and their relatives, anti-P. gingivalis antibodies were associated with ACPA. These findings suggest that immune responses to P. gingivalis may be involved in breaking immune tolerance to citrullinated antigens.
Autoantibody profiling as early diagnostic and prognostic tool for rheumatoid arthritis

Background: Early treatment prevents progression of joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but diagnosis in early disease is impeded by lack of appropriate diagnostic criteria. Objective: To study the value of rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide autoantibodies (anti-CCP), and anti-RA33 autoantibodies for diagnosis of RA and prediction of outcome in patients with very early arthritis. Methods: The prospective follow up inception cohort included 200 patients with very early (<3 months) inflammatory joint disease. Autoantibodies were measured at baseline and analysed in a tree based model which aimed at determining the added diagnostic value of testing for anti-CCP and anti-RA33 as compared with RF alone. Results: RA was diagnosed in 102 patients, while 98 developed other inflammatory arthropathies. Receiver operator curve analysis showed an optimum cut off level for RF at 50 U/ml, above which anti-CCP and anti-RA33 had no additional diagnostic value. Remarkably, RF ⩾50 U/ml and anti-CCP showed similar sensitivity and high specificity for RA, but overlapped considerably. Anti-RA33 was less specific and did not correlate with RF or anti-CCP. Among patients with RA, 72% showed at least one of these three autoantibodies, compared with 15% of non-RA patients. RF ⩾50 U/ml and anti-CCP were predictors of erosive disease, whereas anti-RA33 was associated with mild disease. Conclusions: Stepwise autoantibody testing in early inflammatory joint disease, starting with RF, followed by anti-CCP (in patients with RF <50 U/ml), and finally anti-RA33, should be used as a sensitive and effective strategy for distinguishing patients with RA at high risk for poor outcome.
Science, Technology and Changing Power Relations: the negotiation process of the agreement on Finnish-Soviet Scientific-Technical Cooperation, 1955

Finland and the Soviet Union signed the Agreement on Finnish-Soviet Scientific-Technical Cooperation, the so-called TT-agreement, in 1955. Previous research has emphasized the viewpoint that the agreement was part of a new ‘softer’ strategy of the Soviet Union, the aim of which was to entangle Finland scientifically and technologically in the Soviet sphere of influence, and that anti-communist Finns formed a unanimous front against this inconvenient initiative. This article illustrates that adopting a different perspective makes possible an interpretation which indicates that the negotiation process for the agreement was less straightforward. Throughout the negotiations it is possible to observe the key issues of centralization and decentralization as well as the question of the status of science and technology policy in Finnish society. In essence, the TT-agreement was about determination of power relations and dominion not only between Finland and the Soviet Union but also between different interest groups inside Finland.
Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Antibody Is Associated with Interstitial Lung Disease in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at risk to develop RA-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD). This retrospective study aimed to investigate the potential association of the positivity of serum anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (anti-CCP2) and rheumatoid factor (RF) with RA-ILD in RA patients. Methods A total of 285 RA patients were recruited at the inpatient service of Peking Union Medical College Hospital in China between 2004 and 2013. Individual patients were evaluated for the evidence of ILD. The concentrations of serum anti-CCP2 and RF in individual patients were measured. The potential risk factors for ILD in RA patients were assessed by univariate and multivariate models. Results There were 71 RA patients with RA-ILD, accounting for 24.9% in this population. The positive rates of anti-CCP2 and RF in the patients with RA-ILD were significantly higher than that in the patients with RA-only (88.7% vs. 67.3%, p<0.001; 84.5% vs. 70.6%, p = 0.02, respectively). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that RA patients with positive serum anti-CCP2, but not RF, were associated with an increased risk of ILD (crude odds ratio [cOR] 3.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.74–8.43, p<0.001; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.50, 95% CI 1.52–8.04, p<0.001). Conclusion Our findings suggest that positive serum anti-CCP2, but not RF, may be associated with RA-ILD in RA patients.
Oral sex related knowledge and oral sex behavior among homosexual and heterosexual men in Belgrade: A cross-sectional study

Background: Although the risk of sexually transmitted infections is far greater during vaginal and anal sex than during oral sex, increasing practice of oral sex and low rates of barrier method use will probably increase the relative importance of oral sex as a route of transmission for genital pathogens. Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate knowledge and attitudes about oral sex and sexually transmitted infections, as well as oral sex practices, both among heterosexuals and homosexual men and to compare those two groups. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, data were collected from consecutive sexually active male patients who ever had oral sex and who attended counselling for sexually transmitted infections at the City Institute for Skin and Venereal Diseases in Belgrade from March to June 2016. One dermatologist interviewed all participants. Results: The study included 359 men who ever had oral sex, 95 (26.5%) homosexual and 264 (73.5%) heterosexual men. In comparison with heterosexual men, homosexual men had considerably more lifetime sexual partners and oral sex partners during the past 3 months, and significantly more frequently practiced oral-anal sex. Oral-sex related knowledge of all participants was unsatisfactory [correct answers were given by 95 (26.5%) to 277 (77.2%) participants], but it was significantly better in homosexual men than in heterosexual. Frequency of condom use and human immunodeficiency virus testing was also significantly higher in the case of homosexual than heterosexual men. Limitations: The study was not performed in representative sample of population. It was restricted to the patients. Consequently it is questionable whether the results obtained could be generalized. Conclusion: Oral sex related knowledge deficits and risky oral sex practice exist in both homosexual and heterosexual men. These findings indicate a need for effective public health campaign and patient education about the risks of unprotected oral sex.
Beta, Firm Size, Book-to-Market Equity and Stock Returns

The capital asset pricing model (CAPM), which has dominated finance theory for over thirty years, is concerned with the relationship between risk and the expected return on risky assets. According to the CAPM the market beta alone is sufficient to explain security returns and that there is a positive expected premium for investing in beta risks. However, evidence shows that the single risk factor is not quite adequate for describing the cross-section of stock returns. The current consensus is that firm size and book-to-market equity factors are pervasive risk factors besides the overall market factor. In this paper we compare the explanatory power of a single index model with the multifactor asset-pricing model of Fama and French (1996) for Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines. Our findings suggest that the CAPM beta alone is not sufficient to describe the cross-section of expected returns. We also find that the absolute pricing errors of the CAPM are quite large when compared with the multifactor model of Fama and French (1996). Our findings show that firm size and book-to-market equity help explain the variation in average stock returns in a meaningful manner.
The Uneven Growth of Democratic Legitimacy in East Asia

The consolidation of a democracy requires ‘broad and deep legitimation, such that all significant political actors, at both the elite and mass levels, believe that the democratic regime is the most right and appropriate for their society, better than any other realistic alternative they can imagine’ (Diamond, 1999, p. 65). An assessment of the extent of normative commitment to democracy among the public at large can tell us much about how far the political system has really traveled toward democratic consolidation (Chu, Diamond, & Shin, 2001). A robust popular base of legitimation entails both widespread and strongly felt attachment to a democratic regime and dwindling support for non-democratic alternatives. These two dimensions of popular commitment to democratic legitimacy are conceptually different and empirically distinguishable (Rose, Mishler, & Haerpfer, 1998; Shin & Wells, 2005). To this end, we seek to answer three empirical questions: To what extent do citizens in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Mongolia, the Philippines, Thailand and Hong Kong support democracy as a system of government as measured by overtly favorable orientations toward democracy? How many people in these countries still consider authoritarian arrangements as desirable alternatives? Do attachment to democracy and detachment from authoritarianism reinforce each other, yielding a coherent attitudinal foundation for sustainable democracy? To answer these questions, this paper uses the first-wave East Asia Barometer (EAB) survey data, which consist of responses collected through face-to-face interviews of randomly selected eligible voters in these countries and territories. Before presenting the empirical findings, a succinct overview of the regional political trends in the context of the ‘third wave’ of democratization is called for.
Evidence on the dynamic relationship between international trade and the stock market

This study uses vector autoregressive analysis to examine the dynamic interactions of monthly real stock returns, return volatility, exchange rates, export growth and import growth for Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan for the period 1975–91. We find that exports and imports have significant interactions. The results also indicate that stock returns in Hong Kong and Singapore Granger-cause trade flows. Return volatility is found to react strongly to trade news in all four countries, a result supporting the efficient-market hypothesis.
Property Tax and Housing Returns

This paper evaluates the effects of property tax on housing. While land tax and capital gains tax are widely used for curbing hoarding of land and speculation, its effectiveness is inconclusive. The imposition of a capital gains tax will impair the liquidity of property transaction, lower the rate of return on property investment, and reduce revenue from land sales which represents an important tax resource for the communities. This paper shows that a capital gains tax is capitalized into housing prices. Individuals tend to postpone the purchase of houses because of transaction taxes. Using an impulse response function, we show that a transaction tax has a dynamic negative impact on housing returns. While this paper focuses on Hong kong, for the purpose of comparison Singapore and Taiwan are also discussed.
Competing in the Global Flat Panel Display Industry: Introduction

The flat panel display industry (encompassing products such as LCDs for laptop computers) is of interest as a global industry with rapid technological turnover where in place of the East catching up with the West, it is a case of the West trying to catch up with the technologically advanced East. In East Asia itself, both Korea and Taiwan are making significant progress in catching up with Japan through various forms of technology leverage strategies. The special issue teases out these issues, in the context of the specific competitive dynamics of the global flat panel display industry.
Environmental disputes in China: A case study of media coverage of the 2012 Ningbo anti-PX protest

Environmental disputes have surged in China over the past few years. For many scholars, this trend indicates the proliferation of “Not In My Back Yard” resistance among ordinary Chinese citizens. Yet, to what extent does the “Not In My Back Yard” label accurately reflect the complexity of Chinese environmental activism? This article seeks to address this question through a case study of the 2012 Ningbo anti-para-xylene protest. By analyzing how the event was reported in four news sources (Xinhua News Agency, China Daily, South China Morning Post, and Associated Press), the article reveals that while the narratives of domestic sources presented the event as an unfortunate incident caused by irrational citizens, oversea sources presented it as a liberal resistance initiated by China’s rising middle class against an authoritarian government. Both storylines, however, failed to recognize the urban–rural dynamics underlying the protest. Such neglect not only raises concerns regarding the inherent ambiguity of China’s environmental activism but also invites us to think beyond the stereotypical label of “Not In My Back Yard. ”
Male Circumcision in Siaya and Bondo Districts, Kenya: Prospective Cohort Study to Assess Behavioral Disinhibition Following Circumcision

Background:Evidence for efficacy of male circumcision as an HIV prevention measure is increasing, but there is serious concern that men who are circumcised may subsequently adopt more risky sexual behaviors. Methods:Using a prospective cohort study, we compared sexual behaviors of 324 recently circumcised and 324 uncircumcised men at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after circumcision/study enrollment. The main outcome indicators were incidence of sexual behaviors known to place men at increased risk of acquiring HIV, namely, having sex with partners other than their wife/wives for married men or other than “regular” girlfriends for unmarried men. Results:During the first month following circumcision, men were 63% and 61% less likely to report having 0 to 0.5 and >0.5 risky sex acts/week, respectively, than men who remained uncircumcised. This difference disappeared during the remainder of follow-up, with no excess of reported risky sex acts among circumcised men. Similar results were observed for risky unprotected sex acts, number of risky sex partners, and condom use. Discussion:During the first year postcircumcision, men did not engage in more risky sexual behaviors than uncircumcised men, suggesting that any protective effect of male circumcision on HIV acquisition is unlikely to be offset by an adverse behavioral impact.
Cross Cultural Variables: Evaluating Emplyess Attitudes Across Four Regions of Asia, Europe, North and Latin America

This poster reports the findings from two exploratory analyses on the relationship between job attitudes and the geographic/cultural setting of business organizations. The first analysis is an overview of the levels and correlates of job satisfaction in four regions, North America, East Asia, Europe, and Latin America, and in nine countries of East Asia – China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, and Thailand – where differences in employee attitudes between the many countries have received scant attention. This analysis uses normative data for 1990-2003 collected from 255 companies representing about 2.6 million employees. The second analysis uses 2002 survey data from three large multinational companies, in financial services, manufacturing, and oil & gas production, to examine the relative importance of top and immediate management, recognition, teamwork, salary and pay, and other employee attitudes for overall job satisfaction across these four regions. The analysis is intended to indicate those areas of employment.
Competencies Sought By Knowledge Management Employers: Content Analysis Of Online Job Advertisements

AbstractContent analysis of job advertisements is considered a reliable method for determining the demands of job market. The aim of this study was to identify competencies required by knowledge management (KM) employers through analyzing job advertisements appeared in selected job portals. The study used 110 English language job advertisements from China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore. It was found that a majority of the advertisements did not ask for knowledge management qualifications rather a general degree or a qualification in computing, business or library and information studies was preferred. It was also noted that almost all job advertisements put more emphasis on personality traits than other competencies, namely KM core processes, KM technologies, and human capital management. The highly sought after personality-related competencies were communication skills, analytical thinking skills, and leadership skills. The top three competencies related to KM core processes were knowledge transfer and sharing, knowledge discovery and acquisition, and knowledge organization. The top three IT and infrastructure related competencies were familiarity with content management systems, knowledge portals, and development and maintenance of knowledge repositories. This paper suggests that KM academic programs should regularly review their curricula to incorporate new trends and competencies required by the KM job market.
Evaluating the appropriateness of thromboprophylaxis in an acute care setting using a computerised reminder, through order‐entry system

Aims: Evidence suggests that thromboprophylaxis is still significantly underutilised across the United States despite its relationship with morbidity, mortality and resource expenditure. Previous randomised trials that have incorporated computerised reminders, through order‐entry systems, have resulted in increased rates of thromboprophylaxis and lower incidences of clinically diagnosed deep‐vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. The primary purpose of this prospective, observational study is to evaluate the use and appropriateness of preset computerized thromboprophylaxis regimens for patients in a major county metropolitan hospital over a 1‐month period by evaluating the proportion of patients actually receiving recommended thromboprophylaxis according to established hospital guidelines.
Back-shoring or re-shoring: determinants of manufacturing offshoring from emerging to least developing countries (LDCs)

ABSTRACT Offshore outsourcing is mainly the flow of tasks from developed to emerging country firms in search of low cost production facilities. Many of these firms are now shifting their outsourcing activities from emerging to least developing countries. This paper shed light on determinants of firms based in emerging countries’ decision on shifting their outsourcing to least developing countries and to what extent it differs from developed country firm’s offshoring to emerging countries. Survey based data collected from offshoring client firms based first in South Korea and Taiwan and then engaged in re-shoring their outsourcing activities to Bangladesh and data was analyzed by multiple regression analysis. The current study found that offshoring firms enter into re-shoring to least developing countries to avail cost advantages; to have access to supplier capabilities and to focus more on strategic activities as well as to reap advantages from the institutional policy oriented advantages available in least developed countries. The findings revealed that several production factors have effects on firm’s re-shoring decision to LDCs. Transferring offshoring to LDCs and exporting from there to the developed country markets, the offshoring creates the global production network (GPN) integrating developing, emerging and developed countries.
The Central Philosophy of Tibet: A Study and Translation of Jey Tsong Khapa's Essence of True Eloquence

This is the paperback edition of the first full study, translation, and critical annotation of the Essence of True Eloquence by Jey Tsong Khapa (1357-1419), universally acknowledged as the greatest Tibetan philosopher. Robert Thurman's translation and introduction present a strain of Indian Buddhist thought emphasizing the need for both critical reason and contemplative realization in the attainment of enlightenment. This book was originally published under the title Tsong Khapa's Speech of Gold in the "Essence of True Eloquence. " "I am very happy that Tsong Khapa's masterpiece of Tibetan Buddhist philosophy has been translated into English, and can now be studied by Western philosophers and practitioners of Buddhism. It has long been one of my favorite works, and I hope that others will appreciate its deep thought and lucid insights as we have for centuries in Tibet. "--From the foreword by the Dalai Lama
Asia‐Pacific Leukemia Consortium: An innovative and collaborative initiative to improve care of leukemia and related diseases in the Asia‐Pacific region

The burden of leukemia and related diseases is rapidly growing in Asia. Currently, there is a paucity of regional collaborative groups/initiatives that focus exclusively on the management of leukemia in the Asia‐Pacific (APAC) region. The Asia‐Pacific Leukemia Consortium (APLC) was established on the 8 September 2021 to understand the status quo, unmet needs, and ways to improve the management of leukemia and related diseases in the APAC region. The APLC working group set up a group of experts from various countries (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China, and Australia) to discuss on the status of: (i) clinical trials; (ii) disease registry database; (iii) genetic and tissue repository; (iv) patient advocacy and care; and (v) disease prevention and education in the APAC region. Low levels of awareness about leukemia amongst the public, lack of financial support, and limited access to newly approved therapies were identified as barriers to the implementation of effective leukemia management in low‐ or mid‐income Asian countries. Patients often enroll in clinical trials to gain access to novel/approved therapies. The APLC group aims to address the growing threat of leukemia through a collaborative approach to advance disease prevention, research, clinical trials, and education.