Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Managerial Values and Practices Sharing Common Cultural Heritage: A Comparison of Cultural Values in Hong Kong, Taiwan and the People's Republic of China

ABSTRACT This paper explores managerial values and practices in three rapidly growing economies in Asia: Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the People's Republic of China. Differences and similarities in six cultural dimensions were investigated. Although participants in the present study share a common cultural heritage, their cultural values may be very different. Implications for cross-cultural research and practical applications are explored.
Aiming at low disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis with initial combination therapy or initial monotherapy strategies: the BeSt study.

AIM To evaluate the efficacy and safety of four different treatment strategies for patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS In the BeSt study, 508 patients with newly diagnosed (< 2 years) active RA were randomised to be treated according to four treatment strategies: 1. sequential monotherapy, 2. step up to combination therapy (both starting with methotrexate), 3. initial combination therapy with methotrexate, sulphasalazine, and a tapered high dose of prednisone, and 4. initial combination therapy with methotrexate and infliximab. Three-monthly therapy adjustments were dictated by calculation of the Disease Activity Score (DAS), with the goal to achieve and maintain a DAS <or= 2.4. Functional ability was measured every 3 months with the Health Assessment Questionnaire. Radiographs of hands and feet were assessed yearly, blinded for patient identity and treatment, and in random order, to measure joint damage progression (Sharp/van der Heijde score). RESULTS After 2 years of treatment, 80% of all patients achieved the goal of DAS <or= 2.4, and 42% reached clinical remission (DAS < 1.6). Initial combination therapy, either with prednisone (group 3) or with infliximab (group 4), resulted in earlier improvement in functional ability, more continuous clinical remission (DAS < 1.6), and less joint damage progression than initial monotherapy (groups 1 and 2). Patients in groups 1 and 2 needed more therapy adjustments, including introduction of combination therapy with prednisone or infliximab, to achieve a DAS <or= 2.4, whereas many patients in groups 3 and 4 were able to taper their medication to sulphasalazine or methotrexate, respectively, monotherapy. The adverse events profile was comparable in all groups. The presence or absence of rheumatoid factor, HLA DR4, or anti-CCP was not associated with radiologic damage progression. CONCLUSION In patients with early, active RA, remarkable clinical improvement and suppression of joint damage progression can be achieved with frequent, objectively steered treatment adjustments. The best chance for an early clinical and radiologic response lies with initial combination therapy with either methotrexate, sulphasalazine and prednisone or with methotrexate and infliximab, which can be tapered to DMARD monotherapy once low disease activity is achieved.
The Political Legacy of the Gulag Archipelago

We study the long-run consequences of the Gulag on political preferences in modern Russia. We find that the location of a Gulag camp in a district is positively associated with anti-communist voting during the last Soviet 1991 referendum and the first post-Soviet 1996 presidential election. We interpret these results causally, arguing that Gulag camps provided evidence on Soviet political repression, which, in turn, affected the elections’ results. We provide additional evidence on the validity of the “information” channel.
Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests for Diagnosis of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Oropharyngeal Infections

ABSTRACT The optimal methods for the diagnosis of pharyngeal Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection are uncertain. The objective of this study was to define the performance of culture and nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) for the diagnosis of pharyngeal N. gonorrhoeae. In this cross-sectional study, males and females >15 years old who acknowledged performing fellatio or cunnilingus (in the previous 2 months) were recruited from three clinics (two human immunodeficiency virus clinics and one sexually transmitted diseases clinic) located in Birmingham, AL. The test performance of culture for N. gonorrhoeae, the Gen-Probe Aptima Combo 2 transcription-mediated amplification assay (TMA), the BD ProbeTec ET amplified DNA strand displacement assay (SDA), and the Roche Cobas Amplicor PCR was defined by using a rotating “gold standard” of any positive results by two or three of the three tests that excluded the test being evaluated. A total of 961 evaluable test sets were collected. On the basis of a rotating gold standard of positive results by two of three comparator tests, the sensitivity and the specificity were as follows: culture for N. gonorrhoeae, 50.0% and 99.4%, respectively; PCR, 80.3% and 73.0%, respectively; TMA, 83.6% and 98.6%, respectively; and SDA, 93.2% and 96.3%, respectively. On the basis of a rotating gold standard of positive results by three of three comparator tests, the sensitivity and specificity were as follows: culture for N. gonorrhoeae, 65.4% and 99.0%, respectively; PCR, 91.9% and 71.8%, respectively; TMA, 100% and 96.2%, respectively; and SDA, 97.1% and 94.2%, respectively. In conclusion, currently available NAATs are more sensitive than culture for the detection of pharyngeal gonorrhea in at-risk patients. PCR is substantially less specific than culture, TMA, or SDA and should not be used for the detection of pharyngeal gonorrhea.
The impact of media reporting of suicide on actual suicides in Taiwan, 2002–05

Objectives To assess changes in the intensity of suicide news reporting in Taiwan's local newspapers after the arrival of a daily tabloid-type newspaper, Apple Daily (AD), and evaluate the impact of suicide news reporting on actual suicides and possible mutual causation. Methods A counting process was used to estimate the intensity of daily suicide news items reported in the China Times (CT) and United Daily (UD) before and after the arrival of AD (2002–05). Poisson regression models were used to assess the impact of the intensity of suicide news reporting on the actual number of next day suicides. Granger's causation model was used to assess mutual causation between suicide news reporting and actual suicides. Results There was a significant increase in reporting intensity of suicide news in the UD soon after the entry of the AD into Taiwan's media market, while a delayed increase of approximately 1 year was observed in the CT. After the arrival of the AD, the reporting intensity in the UD was significantly related to the occurrence of actual suicides (p<0.05), even after controlling for social variables, whereas no significant correlation was previously observed. Mutual causation between suicide news reporting and actual suicides was also observed. Conclusions The presence of the AD in Taiwan has fuelled competitive reporting of suicide news among traditional newspapers. This increase in the intensity of suicide news reporting has consequently had an impact on the actual number of suicides. This provides further empirical support for improving media reporting as a key element in suicide prevention.
Behavioral and Relational Contexts of Adolescent Desire, Wanting, and Pleasure: Undergraduate Women's Retrospective Accounts

Studies of adolescent female sexuality often focus on coitus to the exclusion of noncoital behaviors, the relational context of sexual interactions, and adolescent women's subjective perceptions of their experiences. In this study, 38 undergraduate women's retrospective accounts of their adolescent heterosexual experiences were examined. Generalized estimating equation models were used to test the relation of diverse heterosexual behaviors and relationship types to participants' subjective perceptions of desire, wanting, and pleasure. Of the sexual behaviors, coitus was the strongest predictor of participants' subjective perceptions. Compared to coitus, erotic touching, manual stimulation, and fellatio were significantly less predictive; there were no differences between coitus and cunnilingus or coitus and kissing. Of the relationships (serious, dating, “friends with benefits” [FWBs], and “hookups”), FWBs was the strongest predictor of participants' desire, wanting, and pleasure; in comparison, hookups were significantly less predictive. These findings offer insight into the sexual behaviors and preferences of young women, as well as distinctions between types of non-romantic sexual relationships.
Role adaptation of family caregivers for ventilator-dependent patients: transition from respiratory care ward to home.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES To explore the underlying theoretical framework for the role adaptation of family caregivers for ventilator-dependent patients after transferring from respiratory care ward to home. BACKGROUND The number of ventilator-dependent patients has been increasing worldwide. Under Taiwan's National Health Insurance policy, if ventilator-dependent patients are stable, they should be transferred from an acute care hospital to a subacute unit or home. DESIGN A qualitative design based on grounded theory was adopted for this study. METHODS One-on-one, in-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 15 family caregivers who were caretaking ventilator-dependent patients at their home two months after hospital discharge. Theoretical sampling was used until concepts emerging in data analysis were saturated. Analysis of audio-taped interview transcripts generated a process of role adaptation for family caregivers of a ventilator-dependent patient. RESULTS The caregiver's transition to the care-giving role is a dynamic process with consequences that are impacted by level of support from the family, affective rewards from the patient, patient's health condition and a balanced life schedule for the caregiver. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study can provide respiratory care professionals with skills to assess the needs of caregivers for ventilator-dependent patients and individualise interventions to caregivers' specific needs. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE The findings of this study contribute to nurses' understanding and promotion of role adaptation for family caregivers among ventilator-dependent patients.
Is It Necessary to Combine Detection of Anticitrullinated Protein Antibodies in the Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Objective. Antibodies against citrulline-containing epitopes, such as antiperinuclear factor (APF), antikeratin antibodies (AKA), antifilaggrin antibodies, and anticyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies, are specific in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Detection of APF, AKA, and anti-CCP has been widely used in clinical practice. However, studies on combined detection of these anti citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) in the significance of diagnosing RA have been limited. We aimed to detect APF, AKA, and anti-CCP antibodies and to evaluate the significance of combined detection of these ACPA in RA. Methods. A total of 551 patients with arthritic disorders, 304 with RA and 247 with other rheumatic diseases, were selected at the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology during the past 2 years. AKA and APF were tested by indirect immunofluorescence assay. Anti-CCP was detected using the second-generation ELISA kit. Results. The sensitivities of anti-CCP, AKA, and APF tests for RA were 76.2%, 43.4%, and 34.5%, respectively, while the specificities were 96.0%, 98.4%, and 99.6%. The combination of anti-CCP, AKA, and APF positivity had the highest specificity (100%), but it yielded a low sensitivity (28.3%). When 2 of the 3 ACPA were positive, the sensitivity and specificity were 48.4% and 99.2%, respectively. When either anti-CCP or AKA or APF was positive, sensitivity increased to 77.3%, but specificity decreased to 94.7%. Conclusion. Anti-CCP was the most valuable marker in the diagnosis of RA, among the 3 ACPA. Combined detection of anti-CCP, AKA, and APF did not increase the diagnostic capability for RA.
Angelique Chan Paul Cheung The Interrelationship between Public and Private Support of the Elderly : What Can We Learn from the Singaporean Case ?

This series of research reports deals with the status of the elderly in several Asian countries. It presents research that is being conducted under a broad project sponsored by the U.S. National Institute on Aging, the Comparative Study of the Elderly in Four Asian Countries (Grant No. AGO7637). The goal is to measure the social, economic and health characteristics of the older population (age 60 and above), to predict what changes may occur over the next decades, and to suggest implications for public policy. The original countries involved in the study are the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. Reports on the elderly in other countries in Asia and on methods developed through the project using data from various countries may also be included in this report series.
Effectiveness of University Matriculation Examination and Post-University Matriculation Examination on the Academic Performance of Nigerian Undergraduate Students

This is a case study that examines the relative effectiveness of University Matriculation Examination (UME) and Post University Matriculation Examination (Post-UME) on the final year academic performance of students admitted to Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko in 2004-2005 and 20052006 sessions, being the last set of students admitted with UME and first set admitted with Post-UME respectively. This is a descriptive research design of ex-post facto type. The population consists of the entire students admitted into this university for the two sessions. The researcher made use of a proforma to collect the scores of 2005-2006 candidates on their UME, Post-UME and class of degrees at the 2008-2009 final year examination. This same proforma was also used to collect the scores of 2004-2005 students on their UME and class of their degrees in the 2007-2008 final year examination. Using Pearson product moment correlation and t-test statistics to analyze data, findings show that there is a low relationship between students’ score in UME and Post-UME. More so, Post-UME was more effective than the UME but the difference was so little. It was recommended that: 1. JAMB should be saddled with the responsibility of conducting pre-qualifying examination whereby universities should be allowed to conduct a Post-UME screening 2. For the Post-UME screening, students should only be tested on their level of coherence in the English language through essay writing and oral interviews in addition to objective tests. 3. A bench mark of 180 is recommended for calling students for Post-UME screening.
Structural Change in Stock Price Volatility of Asian Financial Markets

Structural change in the volatility of five Asian and U.S. stock markets is examined during the post-liberalization period (1990-2005) of Asian financial markets using the Sup-LM test. Four Asian financial markets (Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore) experienced structural changes. However, test results do not support the structural changes in volatility for Thailand and the U.S. Also, the empirical results show that the GARCR persistent coefficients tend to increase while the ARCH impact coefficients decrease in Asian markets, which implies that the volatility process has become more persistent.
Mean and Volatility Spillover Effects in the U.S. and Pacific-Basin Stock Markets

This paper investigates the mean return and volatility spillover effects from the U.S. and Japan to four Asian stock markets, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. The empirical results from examining the data for the period of 1984 to 1991 suggest that the U.S. market is more influential than the Japanese market in transmitting returns and volatilities to the four Asian markets. In addition, the observed spillover effects are unstable over time in the sense that the spillovers increase substantially after the October 1987 stock market crash. Furthermore, the evidence indicates that while the cross–country stock investing hypothesis cannot by itself explain the international transmissions of return and volatility, the market contagion also plays an important role in the transmission mechanism.
Law, trust and institutional change in China: evidence from qualitative fieldwork

ABSTRACT China’s rapid growth in the absence of autonomous legal institutions of the kind found in the west appears to pose a problem for theories which stress the importance of law for economic development. In this article we draw on interviews with lawyers, entrepreneurs and financial market actors to illustrate the complexity of attitudes to contract, corporate and financial law and economic growth in contemporary China. In the case of product markets, we find that business relations are increasingly characterised by a mix of trust-based transacting and legal formality. Financial markets are less like their western counterparts, thanks to the preponderant role of government in asset allocation, and a lack of transparency in market pricing. Overall, China’s experience does not suggest that law is irrelevant or unrelated to growth, but that legal and economic institutions coevolve in the transition from central planning to a market economy.
Intraspecific polyploidy of Houttuynia cordata and evolution of chromosome number in the Saururaceae

Intraspecific polyploidy and cytogeography were clarified in the samples of Houttuynia cordata (Saururaceae) studied in the Sino-Japanese region of eastern Asia, ranging from Nepal, China, northern Thailand, Taiwan to Japan. Five chromosome numbers of 2n=72, 80, 96, 112 and 128 were detected, four of which were firstly recorded here. These chromosome numbers suggested that the basic chromosome number of Houttuynia could be x=8. The observed cytotypes were evaluated as 2n=72, 80, 96, 112 and 128, and represented 9x, 10x, 12x, 14x, and 16x, respectively. The continental part of east Asia harbored intraspecific polyploidy ranging from 9x to 16x, and only one cytotype of 12x or 2n=96 was found from the eastern edge of the Asian continent between Taiwan and Japan. The evolution of basic chromosome number was discussed based on a phylogenetic tree of the Saururaceae, suggesting that x=11 was an archaic basic chromosome number in this family. Houttuynia may have experienced a disploid reduction from x=11 to x=8, as an autoapomorphy and subsequent intraspecific polyploidization in continental eastern Asia.
The Impact of Macroeconomic and Corporate Governance Factors on Firm Value of Taiwanese Green Technology Industry: A Consideration of Differential Slope

Presently, the Taiwanese government is emphasizing the development of the green energy industry to lower the country’s dependence on oil imports and to conserve Taiwan’s environment. Green energy is considered to be an emerging and favored industry. This paper uses pooled estimation regression and Differential Slope Estimation to explore the relevant key factors of macroeconomics and corporate governance that affect firm value in Taiwan’s green technology industry. Results suggest that when the return on equity is high, the firm’s stock price increases as well. The TCRI, which is indicative of a firm’s credit rating was found to be significantly and negatively related to stock price. Therefore, a lower credit rating has a higher stock price. In addition, our analysis also showed that both the foreign investor stockholding rate and board size have a significant and positive relationship with stock price. More foreign investors and a larger board of directors may increase the execution and performance of the company’s corporate governance, thereby raising the firm’s stock price.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MUTUAL FUND FLOWS AND STOCK MARKET RETURNS: A COMPARATIVE EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS

This paper examines the relationship between aggregate equity mutual fund flows and excess stock market returns in Hong Kong and Singapore. Our findings demonstrate that, in Hong Kong, two-way causality exists between aggregate equity mutual fund flows and stock market returns. In comparison, despite their close proximity and reputation as global hubs no such finding is reported in the case of Singapore. We find that in Singapore, neither aggregate equity mutual fund flows Granger-cause subsequent excess stock market returns nor excess stock market returns Granger-cause subsequent aggregate equity mutual fund flows. The difference in findings is attributed to the degree of openness for each country. Additionally, for both Hong Kong and Singapore, we find that contemporaneous aggregate unexpected equity mutual fund flows positively affect excess stock market returns and vice versa. The study contributes to the literature by providing support with what is already known in regards investor heuristics, that excess stock market returns has a positive effect on aggregate equity mutual fund flows.
Persistent high-risk behavior and escalating HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B incidences among men who have sex with men living in Bangui, Central African Republic

Introduction HIV in sub-Saharan Africa remains a great concern in men who have sex with men (MSM). Intervention on MSM is a key strategy to control the burden of HIV among this population. Herein we assessed the effect of 2 years of HIV testing and counseling on risk-tacking and HIV and STI incidences among MSM living in Bangui in the Central African Republic. Methods The incidences of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B and the sexual behavior characteristics were assessed at inclusion and after 2 years of follow up in the prospective MSM cohort. Results 99 MSM were included and followed up during 2 years. The mean age of study MSM was 24 years (range, 14-39); among those, the majority was single (84.8%) and unemployed (33.3%) or students (23.9%). The majority (up to 80%) were living in only 4 (out of 10) neighboring district of Bangui. Insertive anal intercourse showed significant decrease from 54% at inclusion to 46% after 2 years of follow up (P < 0.001). In contrast, we observed slight increase in receptive anal intercourse (60% versus 66%) and oral sex (70% versus 74%), but the difference did not reach statistical significance. Finally, the prevalences of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B increased significantly from 29% to 41%, 12% to 21% and 14% to 23%, respectively. Conclusion These observations indicate that medical care and counseling on MSM does not provide significant changes in risk-taking, whereas the incidences of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B remained high. Innovative interventions should be conceived for the MSM population living in Bangui.