Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Production of Autoantibodies against Citrullinated Antigens/Peptides by Human B Cells

Autoantibodies against citrullinated protein Ags (ACPA) are associated with the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This immune response against citrullinated protein Ags, which is thought to be facilitated by certain MHC HLA-DR alleles, is highly specific for this disease and has been speculated to be involved in the pathogenesis. We have previously studied cultures of B cells for the production of Abs against HLA Ags. The aim of the current study was to examine the role of B cells in the production of ACPA in patients with RA. Peripheral blood B cells from RA patients and healthy people were cultured with EL4-B5, a murine cell line expressing human CD40L, and with T cell factors to stimulate the in vitro production of Abs by B cells isolated from peripheral blood. ACPA were produced by cultured B cells from RA patients, as determined by reactivity to cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP). The results showed that 22% of the healthy persons tested also had B cells that could produce ACPA. Patients with HLA-DR alleles carrying the RA-associated shared epitope appeared to have more B cells with autoimmune potential for CCP than those without such HLA alleles (odds ratio 8.1, p = 0.001). In healthy individuals, anti-CCP–producing B cells were also observed more frequently if the RA-associated MHC genes were present (odds ratio 8.0, p = 0.01). Analysis of B cells in cultures may shed light on the interaction of genetic and environmental factors in the development of RA.
Trends in Scientific Literature on Addiction to the Internet, Video Games, and Cell Phones from 2006 to 2010

Background: The goals of the present work were to retrieve the scientific articles published on addiction to the Internet, video games, and cell phones and to analyze the pattern of publications in this area (who is doing the research, when and where it is taking place, and in which journals it is being published), to determine the research being conducted as well as to document geographical trends in publication over time in three types of technological addictions: Internet, cell phones, and video games. Methods: Articles indexed in PubMed and PsycINFO between 2006 and 2010 related to the pathological use of Internet, cell phones, and video games were retrieved. Search results were reviewed to eliminate articles that were not relevant or were duplicates. Results: Three hundred and thirty valid articles were retrieved from PubMed and PsycINFO from 2006 to 2010. Results were compared with those of 1996–2005. The year with the highest number of articles published was 2008 (n = 96). The most productive countries, in terms of number of articles published, were China (n = 67), the United States (n = 56), the United Kingdom (n = 47), and Taiwan (n = 33). The most commonly used language was English (70.3%), followed by Chinese (15.4%). Articles were published in 153 different journals. The journal that published the most articles was Cyberpsychology and Behavior (n = 73), followed by Chinese Journal of Clinical Psychology (n = 27) and International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction (n = 16). Internet was the area most frequently studied, with an increasing interest in other areas such as online video games and cell phones. Conclusions: The number of publications on technological addictions reached a peak in 2008. The scientific contributions of China, Taiwan, and Korea are overrepresented compared to other scientific fields such as drug addiction. The inclusion of Internet Gaming Disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition could change the publication trends in the technological addiction area and underline the relevance of this upcoming disorder in dissatisfaction with life in general.
Genetic diversity of rice germplasm used in Taiwan breeding programs

Rice is one of the most important cereal crops in the world and is the major crop in Taiwan. Assessment of genetic diversity of rice germplasm is imperative for conservation and breeding. We used 114 simple sequence repeat (SSR) and 5 sequence tagged site (STS) markers with 80 common rice varieties, including 52 japonica and 28 indica varieties used in Taiwan breeding programs, and detected 395 alleles. The mean number of alleles per marker was 3.5, range 2 to 7. The mean polymorphism information content (PIC) for each marker was 0.43 (range 0.04-0.76). The japonica and indica varieties were obviously separated into clusters by the distance-based unweighted pair-group method with averages (UPGMA) and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA). Taiwan and Japanese japonica varieties aggregated in the same clusters because of their highly similar genetic background. The genetic diversity was greater for indica than japonica varieties. The genetic diversity of Taiwan cultivars was relatively narrow, specifically in japonica varieties, and introduced exotic elite cultivars exhibited enriched alleles. The differentiation of domestic and introduced indica cultivars was moderate (F(subscript ST)=0.25), which was the same revealed japonica cultivars (F(subscript ST)=0.15). However, there was no significant differentiation between Taiwan and Japanese japonica cultivars as supported by the small FST (0.05); thus, introducing exotic germplasm other than from Japan should enlarge the gene pool of Taiwan cultivars. This DNA polymorphism analysis revealed genomic relationships in Taiwan rice germplasm, and the database on ‘The Resource of Rice Genetic Markers in Taiwan' is useful for cultivar identification, local germplasm conservation and breeding programs.
Relationship of cash conversion cycle and PRGap with firm performance: an empirical study of Taiwanese companies

The study investigates how working capital management (WCM) impacts the profitability and operating performance of publicly traded companies in Republic of China, Taiwan. The authors use the quarterly data of 539 stocks listed on the Stock Exchange of Taiwan from 2008 to 2015, containing 17,248 observations. The study examines whether two WCM variables, namely, the cash conversion cycle (CCC), as well as the gap between days of payables outstanding and days of sales outstanding (PRGap) have any significant effects on firm profitability and operating performance. The findings demonstrate that there are significantly negative relationships between the CCC and performance indicators, whereas there are consistent positive relationships between PRGap and performance indicators.
Notes on some sertulariid hydroids (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) from the tropical western Pacific, with descriptions of nine new species

Forty-three species of sertulariid hydroids (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa: Sertulariidae), collected from the tropical western Pacific (Taiwan, Philippines, New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands) during various expeditions of the French Tropical Deep-Sea Benthos program, are discussed. Of these, nine are new to science: Gonaxia nova sp. nov., G. plumularioides sp. nov., Sertularella folliformis sp. nov., Se. plicata sp. nov., Se. pseudocatena sp. nov., Se. splendida sp. nov., Se. tronconica sp. nov., Se. tubulosa sp. nov., and Symplectoscyphus paucicatillus sp. nov. The subspecies Symplectoscyphus johnstoni (Gray, 1843) tropicus Vervoort, 1993 is raised to species but, in order to avoid the secondary homonymy with Sy. tropicus (Hartlaub, 1901), the replacement name, Sy. fasciculatus nom. nov., is introduced. The male and female gonothecae of Diphasia cristata Billard, 1920, the male gonothecae of Gonaxia elegans Vervoort, 1993, as well as the female gonothecae of Salacia macer Vervoort & Watson, 2003, are described for the first time. Additional notes on the morphology of several other species are provided. All taxa are illustrated, in most cases using figures drawn at the same scale, so as to highlight the differences between related species.
Does East Asia Move towards an Optimum Currency Area? Evidence from the Multivariate Structural VAR Analysis

Focusing on the symmetry in structural shocks and employing a four-variable structural vector auto-regression model, this paper investigated the dynamic trend of the feasibility for East Asian economies to form a currency union. The analysis of correlations of external supply shocks, domestic supply shocks, real demand shocks and monetary shocks (nominal shocks) with a sample period from 1980 to 2010 suggests that it is not reasonable for East Asia to form a single currency union currently in the entire region. However, a viable approach for regional monetary integration would be to start with smaller currency areas: Northeast Asian sub-region cluster including Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong, and Southeast sub-regional cluster including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, and other economies might be included later. We can reasonably expect that the integration of these sub-regional currency areas may lead to a single currency in East Asia when a sufficient degree of economic convergence is achieved.
Process of Religious Conversion in the Catholic Charismatic Movement: A Qualitative Analysis *

The study deals with a religious conversion of members of the Catholic Charismatic movement. This movement is characterised by the integration of those aspects of spirituality, which draw on traditional religious life as well as on the spirituality of new religious movements. The consensual qualitative research was used for analyses of thirty stories of personal conversions from the members of this movement. The stories were described in a public bulletin, published by the movement. They were analysed in regard to the precedents of conversion, course of conversion and the consequences of conversion in personal life. The results of analysis showed that the typical process of religious conversion in this movement is preceded by some contact with religious issues in childhood and experiencing some problem in the period before conversion. The conversion is stimulated by meeting a religious person and attendance at prayer meetings, which lead to the experience of God's presence, and a cognitive insight into religious matters. Consequences of conversion include radical changes in spiritual life, increasing subjective well-being, improving social life and solving the antecedent problem. The results are discussed with regard to the previous theories and research on religious conversion as well as their limitations originating from the nature of the data.
Growth and development of Phaius tankervilleae (Banks) Blume when inoculated with orchid mycorrhizal fungi

1 Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan 10617, Republic of China. 2 Herbarium (TAI), College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan 10617, Republic of China. 3 Taoyuan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, Taoyuan, Taiwan 327, Republic of China. 4 Department of Agronomy, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan 10617, Republic of China.
INTERNATIONAL PRICE RELATIONSHIPS AND VOLATILITY TRANSMISSIONS BETWEEN STOCK INDEX AND STOCK INDEX FUTURES

This study investigates the international price relationship and volatility transmissions between stock index and stock index futures of Malaysia, Hong Kong and Japan. Vector Autoregression (VAR) GJR-GARCH model was applied to the nine years daily price. Japanese markets are the main information producer to the market price changes. International market interdependence only affected the domestic volatility transmission of spot and futures market in Hong Kong. Asymmetric effects exist in all markets and the volatility persistence in each market is high. Finally, the overall conditional correlation estimates for spot and futures markets are higher in the unrestricted model form compared to the restricted model
Further Evidence on Public Spending and Economic Growth in East Asian Countries

This article examines Wagner’s Law for East Asian countries (China, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea) for the period 1960 to 2007. Using the Gregory and Hansen (1996a & b) structural break techniques, we find a cointegrating relationship between real government spending and real income. Our preferred Gregory and Hansen models are with the level shift for Hong Kong and Taiwan and regime shift (change in intercept and slope coefficients) for China, Japan and South Korea. The income elasticity of government spending ranges from 0.756 to 1.155. With these findings, we infer that Wagner’s Law does hold for these countries, except for Hong Kong where the income elasticity is not highly statistically significant.
Management of Interstitial Lung Disease Associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) is a common extra-articular manifestation of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and that causes mortality in RA patients. Usual Interstitial Pneumonia (UIP) and Non Specific Interstitial Pneumonia (NSIP) are the most common forms of ILD in RA. While the response to treatment for NSIP is good, UIP responses poorly to treatment and prognosis is similar to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Smoking, structure of genetic, HLA haplotip, male gender, high titrated RF or/and presence of anti-CCP are thought to be risk factors for ILD in RA patients. One the other hand some drugs are used in treatment of RA like methotrexate, leflunomide, TNF inhibitors or non-TNF biologic drugs may contribute emerging or progression of ILD. By developing of the new treatment options, RA is considered to be a treatable disease and a notable number of the patients go in remission. Despite successful results have been reported with various therapeutic agents in the treatment of RA-associated ILD, no ideal specific treatment has yet been established, supported by a large randomized controlled trial.
Blood-Based Biomarkers for Cancer Immunotherapy: Tumor Mutational Burden in Blood (bTMB) is Associated with Improved Atezolizumab (atezo) Efficacy in 2L+ NSCLC (POPLAR and OAK)

D.R. Gandara, M. Kowanetz, T.S. K. Mok, A. Rittmeyer, L. Fehrenbacher, D. Fabrizio, G. Otto, C. Malboeuf, D. Lieber, S.M. Paul, L. Amler, T. Riehl, E. Schleifman, C.A. Cummings, P.S. Hegde, W. Zou, A. Sandler, M. Ballinger, D.S. Shames Thoracic Oncology, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA, USA, Oncology Biomarker Development, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA, Clinical Oncology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China, Thoracic Oncology, Lungenfachklinik Immenhausen, Immenhausen, Germany, Oncology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Vallejo, CA, USA, Cancer Immunotherapy, Foundation Medicine Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA, Product Development, Foundation Medicine Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA, Molecular Biology and Sequencing, Foundation Medicine Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA, Product Development Clinical (Oncology), Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA, Oncology Biology Development, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA, Biostatistics, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA, Product Development Oncology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
The Revolutions of 1989 and Defection in Warsaw Pact States

ABSTRACT Data on Central and Eastern European anti-Communist revolutions are plagued by missing values, and a disproportional amount of scholarly attention has been given to nonviolent strategies adopted by revolutionaries during the collapse of Communism when compared to the behavior of state security and armed forces. This study turns attention to the latter through providing among the first comprehensive explanations of varying types of defection that arose during the Warsaw Pact state revolutions. It discovers that four states experienced varied forms of defection. Before concessions were granted to the opposition, Czechoslovakia experienced commander plus subordinate resistance, while Romania experienced subordinate resistance. In contrast, after regimes made concessions, Bulgaria experienced both commander and subordinate resistance as did East Germany. These results offer new implications for our understanding of civil–military relations during mass dissent.
2019 novel coronavirus disease in hemodialysis (HD) patients: Report from one HD center in Wuhan, China

The outbreak of COVID-19 originated in Wuhan has become a global epidemic of contagious diseases, which poses a serious threat to human life and health, especially for those with underlined diseases. However, Impacts of COVID-19 epidemic on HD center and HD patients are still unknown. In this report, we reviewed the whole course of the epidemic emerged in the HD center of Renmin Hospital, Wuhan University from January 14, 2020, the day the first case was confirmed, to February 17, 2020, the day the epidemic extinction. There are totally 37 cases among 230 HD patients and 4 cases among 33 staff being diagnosed with COVID-19. The epidemiology, clinical presentation and immune profile of dialysis patients contracted COVID-19 were further studied. We found that the two key measures we took in response to the epidemic, one was upgrading level of prevention and protection on January 21 and the other one starting universal screening, isolating, and distributing the infected cases on February 4, were effective in the epidemic control. No new COVID-19 case had been diagnosed since February 13. During the epidemic, 7 HD patients died, including 6 with COVID-19 and 1 without COVID-19. The presumed causes of death were not directly related to pneumonia, but due to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, hyperkalemia, etc. Most of the leukocytes in the peripheral blood of the HD patients infected with COVID-19 decreased, and the CT images of the chest mostly showed the ground glass like changes on the right side. The symptoms of most of the patients were mild, and there were no cases admitted to ICU. The frequency of lymphocytes in PBMCs and the serum level of inflammatory cytokines were assessed in HD patients contracted COVID-19 or not, non-HD COVID-19 patients, as well as healthy volunteers. The results showed that lymphocytes of T cell, Th cells, killer T cells, as well as NK cells in PBMCs of HD patients decreased significantly than other groups. HD patients with COVID-19 also displayed remarkable lower serum level of inflammatory cytokines than other COVID-19 patients. Our study indicates that HD patients are the highly susceptible population and HD centers are high risk area in the outbreak of COVID-19 epidemic. Measures of prevention, protection, screening, isolation, and distribution are essential in the epidemic management and should be taken in the early stage. HD Patients with COVID-19 are mostly clinical mild and unlikely progress to severe pneumonia due to the impaired cellular immune function and incapability of mounting cytokines storm. More attention should be paid to prevent cardiovascular events, which may be the collateral impacts of COVID-19 epidemic on HD patients.
Systematics of Hypnea asiatica sp. nov. (Hypneaceae, Rhodophyta) based on morphology and nrDNA SSU, plastid rbcL, and mitochondrial cox1.

Hypnea is an economically and ecologically important red alga including about 53 species worldwide. Here, we describe H. asiatica sp. nov. from Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. Specimens of this species from the northwestern Pacific have often been assigned to H. charoides. Hypnea asiatica is distinguished by percurrent main axes, branches with abruptly curved adaxial branchlets, and the presence of lenticular thickening in the walls of medullary cells. It is abundant in wave-exposed sites from summer through fall and produces tetrasporangial sori in fall. We analyzed three genes from three different genomes: nuclear SSU rDNA from 27 specimens, plastid rbcL from 51 specimens, and mitochondrial cox1 from 41 specimens, including putative relatives and H. charoides from Australia. All analyzed DNA datasets produced congruent trees in which H. asiatica was always separated from H. charoides. Network analysis of cox1 haplotypes indicated geographic structuring across the species distribution range. Although Hypnea was found to be monophyletic, the distant relationship between H. asiatica and the other species raises questions about divergence pathways within the genus.
Horizontal and Elevational Distributions of Apodemus peninsulae, A. draco and A. latronum

Abstract. Horizontal and elevational distributions of Apodemus peninsulae, A. draco and A. latronum are illustrated. A total of 1,355 museum specimens were identified by their cranial measurements and the size of t7 cusp on the first upper molar in 180 localities of Russia, Mongolia, China, Taiwan, Korea, Myanmar, India and Japan. Apodemus peninsulae belonged to “the northern pattern”, A. draco to “the southern China pattern” with “the Hengduan Shan pattern”, and A. latronum to “the Hengduan Shan pattern”, respectively, among nine distributional patterns reported previously. The distribution of A. latronum did not extend eastward from the Min Jiang along 104°E, and southward from the Jinsha Jiang between 101°E and 104°E in eastern and southeastern Sichuan, China. Relative compositions of elevational occurrence where the three species of Apodemus showed a gradual decrease ranging from 500 m to 3,500 m classes in A. peninsulae, the greatest concentration in the 2,000–2,500 m classes between 500 m and 4,500 m classes in A. draco, and a gradual increase from 1,500 m to 5,000 m classes in A. latronum, respectively. Elevation where mice were collected in localities related significantly and negatively with latitudes except for A. latronum. The three species were collected mainly in deciduous and coniferous forest. Critical reinvestigation is needed for A. peninsulae and A. draco collected from several provinces in China.
The cytokine storm and COVID‐19

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), which began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, has caused a large global pandemic and poses a serious threat to public health. More than 4 million cases of COVID‐19, which is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), have been confirmed as of 11 May 2020. SARS‐CoV‐2 is a highly pathogenic and transmissible coronavirus that primarily spreads through respiratory droplets and close contact. A growing body of clinical data suggests that a cytokine storm is associated with COVID‐19 severity and is also a crucial cause of death from COVID‐19. In the absence of antivirals and vaccines for COVID‐19, there is an urgent need to understand the cytokine storm in COVID‐19. Here, we have reviewed the current understanding of the features of SARS‐CoV‐2 and the pathological features, pathophysiological mechanisms, and treatments of the cytokine storm induced by COVID‐19. In addition, we suggest that the identification and treatment of the cytokine storm are important components for rescuing patients with severe COVID‐19.
Recycling Behavior Under China’s Social and Economic Transition

With the end of top-down recycling campaigns and rising living standards in post-Mao China, public participation in recycling can no longer be taken for granted. This article examines the differences in recycling behaviors between social groups differentiated by age, gender, education, employment, and level of household incomes in Wuhan—China’s fifth largest city. Based on the analysis of empirical data, gender, age, and household income were identified as three important factors affecting individual recycling behavior in the city. For economic incentives, households with different incomes did take different actions, and individuals in lower income households were more active in recycling. Females, especially older women, play a crucial role in recycling household waste. Given the gender processes in China’s households, the domestic division of labor is expected to drive housewives to not only shoulder most of the routine housework duties but also to bear the responsibility for recycling. However, the conservation tradition for recycling from the factor of age will likely disappear in the near future with the passing of the current older generation.