Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changes in sexual activities, function, and satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic era: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Introduction Little is known about the impact of the coronavirus on sexual behavior, function, and satisfaction. Aim The aim of the present study was to systematically review people’s sexual function and behaviors and their changes in sexual activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Comprehensive searches in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were conducted with keywords in accordance with MeSH terms: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, sexual health, sexual function, sexual dysfunctions, sexuality, sexual orientation, sexual activities, and premarital sex. Two reviewers independently assessed full-text articles according to predefined criteria: original design, English studies, and investigating either the general population or sexual minorities. Results Risk of bias in the studies was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and data were pooled via random effects meta-analyses. We utilized the standardized mean difference to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on sexual activity, functioning, and satisfaction. We included 19 studies in the analysis and 11 studies in the meta-analysis, with a sample size of 12 350. To investigate sexual activity changes, a sample size of 8838 was entered into the subgroup analysis, which showed a significant decrease in both genders (5821 women, P < .033; 3017 men, P < .008). A subgroup meta-analysis showed that the sexual function of men and women during the COVID-19 pandemic significantly declined (3974 women, P < .001; 1427 men, P < .001). Sexual desire and arousal decreased in both genders, though mainly in women. In investigating sexual satisfaction changes during the COVID-19 pandemic, a meta-analysis with a sample size of 2711 showed a significant decrease (P < .001). The most indicative changes in sexual behaviors during the pandemic were the increase in masturbating and usage of sex toys. Greater COVID-19 knowledge was associated with lower masturbation, oral sex, and vaginal sex. The more protective behaviors were associated with less hugging, kissing, cuddling, genital touching, watching porn with a partner, and vaginal sex. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic led to increased challenges and changes for individuals’ sexual behaviors. Efforts for preventive strategies should therefore be concentrated between pandemics, while ensuring that there is information available to the population during a pandemic for help in times of psychological distress or crisis.
The Role of the CEE Region’s Banking Sector in the Time of the Russo-Ukrainian War: Measuring Volatility Spillovers

In this paper, I investigate the volatility spillovers of the European banking network in 21-22. Applying the Diebold-Yilmaz framework to the daily stock return, which identified volatilities for 14 European banks, I analyse the impact of the first 100 days of the Russo-Ukrainian War on the banking sector. The empirical results suggest that the volatility-connectedness of the system reaches its maximum at a time of war. Similar to the earlier empirical literature, I find that, in calm periods, large banks play a critical role in volatility risk transmission. However, I conclude that, during the first 100 days of the Russo-Ukrainian War, the key participants in the financial network were institutions from the CEE region. My results suggest that, considering the banking network’s macro and groupaggregated level volatility connectedness, an early-warning system to detect troubled financial institutions should be built.
Research on the Customer Loyalty of Bicycle-sharing Company Based on PLS-SEM Model

A booming development of bicycle sharing market has attracted an inrush of capital, entrepreneurs, and startups from 2016. Meanwhile, the bicycle sharing industry brings an economical and environment-friendly lifestyle to the society. However, there is a fierce competition among bicycle-sharing companies, and how to improve the bicycle-sharing branding satisfaction to attract and keep the customer stock becomes a crucial issue. By virtue of the structural equation model, this paper demonstrates an evaluation model of customer loyalty, combined with the actual collected data, through partial least squares regression, the influences of the variable factors on customer loyalty are analyzed. Furthermore, the results show that a model of Shared Cycling Customer Loyalty based on the existing Chinese customer satisfaction model has good compatibility with actual situation, and among all factors, three factors are more influential, they are influence customer loyalty, availability and customer satisfaction. Finally, this paper proposes some suggestions for improving the real value of the bicycle-sharing industry.
Sexual Orientation, Drug Use Preference during Sex, and HIV Risk Practices and Preferences among Men Who Specifically Seek Unprotected Sex Partners via the Internet

The present study entailed conducting a content analysis of 1,434 ads/profiles posted on one of the most popular “Men who have Sex with Men” (MSM) websites that specifically fosters unprotected sex. Ads/profiles were selected randomly based on the American ZIP code of residence (n = 1,316), with a randomly-drawn oversampling of profiles of men who self-identified as heterosexual or “curious” rather than gay or bisexual (n = 118). Data were collected between September 2006 and September 2007. The purpose of the present paper is to examine the conjoint effects of self-identified sexual orientation and preference for having/not having sex while high, on men’s sought-after sexual risk. Analytical comparisons of the four groups showed that, on most measures, the combination of sexual orientation and drug use preference during sex differentiated the men. Generally speaking, gay/bisexual men who advertised online for partners with whom they could have sex while high expressed the greatest interest in risky sexual behaviors (e.g., felching, unprotected oral sex, unprotected anal sex) and various risk-related preferences (e.g., multiple partner sex, anonymous sex, eroticizing ejaculatory fluids). This is especially true when they are compared to their heterosexual/“curious” counterparts whose online profiles were not as likely to indicate a desire for having sex while high.
The Dilemmas Of Shared Service Center In Taiwan E-Government- A Case Study On Ministry Of Finance

As one of the internationally leading country in electronic governing, Taiwanese government is facing difficulties in the application of shared service center (SSC), especially the integration of back-office information systems. Taiwanese government is promoting a government organization reform project, being aimed at improving the efficiency and quality of government services. With the advance of reforming, Taiwanese government plans to reinforce the SSC applications in every Ministry. The purpose of this research is through in-depth interviews with the staff in the Ministry of Finance (MOF) 1
Occurrence of bovine ephemeral fever in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, in 2012 and development of a reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction assay to detect bovine ephemeral fever virus gene

In September 2012, several cows and a calf showed decreased activity, anorexia and fever on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, and the cases were diagnosed as bovine ephemeral fever (BEF). We isolated BEF virus (BEFV) from one of the affected cows and then determined the complete genome sequence of the G gene, which encodes a class I transmembrane glycoprotein of BEFV. The BEFV isolate in this case, ON-3/E/12, was sorted into the same cluster as other BEFV isolates in Japan, Taiwan and China obtained in 1996−2004 and was most closely related to a 2002 Chinese isolate, JT02L, according to the phylogenetic analysis of the complete G gene. Since inactivated vaccines for BEF available in Japan are considered effective against the ON-3/E/12 isolate as well as other isolates in East Asia from 1996−2004, annual vaccination should be conducted to prevent BEF in Okinawa. Additionally, in this study, we developed an RT-PCR assay to detect the BEFV gene in Japan and neighboring countries. Our assay was able to amplify target sequences in all of the tested BEFV isolates, including 18 isolates in Japan and another isolate in Australia. The assay was found to be useful also for testing RNA samples extracted from bovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and the detection limit of the assay was 10 copies per tube. We believe that our assay would be an important tool for the screening of BEFV infection and the diagnosis of BEF.
North Korean Civil-Military Trends: Military-First Politics to a Point

Abstract : Unlike the study of other authoritarian regimes, first the Soviet Union and more recently China, which have given rise to a cottage industry of analysis on all aspects of things military, the same cannot be said of the Korean People's Army (KPA), the armed forces of the Democratic People s Republic of Korea (DPRK). In the small world of Pyongyang watchers, articles and books devoted to the KPA are few and in most cases deal with the armed forces themselves (order of battle) rather than the high command that oversees the machinery. This monograph examines the role of the KPA within the power structure of North Korea. The author describes the landscape of military and security institutions that ensure the regime s security and the perpetuation of the Kim dynasty. He also highlights the influential power brokers, both civilian and military, and describes how they fit into the leadership structure. Finally, he considers the role of the KPA in regime politics, especially as it relates to the upcoming succession and economic reform. An understanding of the North Korean leadership does not mean only recognizing the personalities who occupy the top political positions within the regime. In his landmark book, Shield of the Great Leader, Joseph Bermudez noted that over its 50-year history, the DPRK has developed into one of the most militarized countries in the world, with the KPA existing alongside the Korean Worker s Party (KWP) as the two cornerstones of the regime. During this time, the role of the high command and its ties to the leadership and decisionmaking have changed.
Genetic Diversity and Population Structure in Aromatic and Quality Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Landraces from North-Eastern India

The North-eastern (NE) India, comprising of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura, possess diverse array of locally adapted non-Basmati aromatic germplasm. The germplasm collections from this region could serve as valuable resources in breeding for abiotic stress tolerance, grain yield and cooking/eating quality. To utilize such collections, however, breeders need information about the extent and distribution of genetic diversity present within collections. In this study, we report the result of population genetic analysis of 107 aromatic and quality rice accessions collected from different parts of NE India, as well as classified these accessions in the context of a set of structured global rice cultivars. A total of 322 alleles were amplified by 40 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers with an average of 8.03 alleles per locus. Average gene diversity was 0.67. Population structure analysis revealed that NE Indian aromatic rice can be subdivided into three genetically distinct population clusters: P1, joha rice accessions from Assam, tai rices from Mizoram and those from Sikkim; P2, chakhao rice germplasm from Manipur; and P3, aromatic rice accessions from Nagaland. Pair-wise FST between three groups varied from 0.223 (P1 vs P2) to 0.453 (P2 vs P3). With reference to the global classification of rice cultivars, two major groups (Indica and Japonica) were identified in NE Indian germplasm. The aromatic accessions from Assam, Manipur and Sikkim were assigned to the Indica group, while the accessions from Nagaland exhibited close association with Japonica. The tai accessions of Mizoram along with few chakhao accessions collected from the hill districts of Manipur were identified as admixed. The results highlight the importance of regional genetic studies for understanding diversification of aromatic rice in India. The data also suggest that there is scope for exploiting the genetic diversity of aromatic and quality rice germplasm of NE India for rice improvement.
Once Is Not Enough: Withholding Postoperative Prophylactic Antibiotics in Prosthetic Breast Reconstruction Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Infection

Background: There has been a trend toward limiting perioperative prophylactic antibiotics, based on research not conducted in plastic surgery patients. The authors' university hospital instituted antibiotic prescribing guidelines based on the Surgical Care Improvement Project. An increased rate of surgical-site infections was noted in breast reconstruction patients. The authors sought to determine whether the change in antibiotic prophylaxis regimen affected rates of surgical-site infections. Methods: A retrospective study compared patients undergoing breast reconstruction who received preoperative and postoperative prophylactic antibiotics with a group who received only a single dose of preoperative antibiotic. Type of reconstruction and known risk factors for implant infection were noted. Results: Two hundred fifty patients were included: 116 in the pre–Surgical Care Improvement Project group and 134 in the Surgical Care Improvement Project group. The overall rate of surgical-site infections increased from 18.1 percent to 34.3 percent (p = 0.004). Infections requiring reoperation increased from 4.3 percent to 16.4 percent (p = 0.002). Multivariate logistic regression demonstrated that patients in the Surgical Care Improvement group were 4.74 times more likely to develop a surgical-site infection requiring reoperation (95 percent CI, 1.69 to 13.80). Obesity, history of radiation therapy, and reconstruction with tissue expanders were associated with increased rates of surgical-site infection requiring reoperation. Conclusions: Withholding postoperative prophylactic antibiotics in prosthetic breast reconstruction is associated with an increased risk of surgical-site infection, reoperation, and thus reconstructive failure. The optimal duration of postoperative prophylactic antibiotic use is the subject of future study. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.
Becoming a Consumer Society: A Longitudinal and Cross-Cultural Content Analysis of Print Ads from Hong Kong, the People's Republic of China, and Taiwan

Results of a longitudinal study of ads from Hong Kong, the People's Republic of China (PRC), and Taiwan depict distinctive consumer cultures. PRC ads emphasize utilitarian appeals, promise a better life, and focus on states of being as a consumption theme. Hong Kong ads stress hedonistic values, promise easier and American lifestyles, and focus on doing. Taiwan ads fall between these two extremes, but are converging toward Hong Kong ads in consumption appeals over time. PRC ads, presumably anchored by remnants of an anti-materialistic political ideology, seem to chart a different trend.
Does the linkage between stock market performance and economic growth vary across Greater China?

Despite the phenomenal development in stock markets in China, there is little research on the linkage between stock prices and economic growth in Greater China: mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. This article represents a step towards systematically investigating the relationship between stock market performance and economic growth in Greater China by conducting causality tests within the VECM framework. We find one-way causality running from growth to stock prices in the long run and also running from stock prices to economic growth in the short run. These findings suggest that economic fundamentals are the main determinants of movements in stock prices in the long run and stock markets act as a leading economic indictor of future economic growth in Greater China in the short run.
After the Party, the After-Parties? The Effects of Communist Successor Parties on Economic Reform in Central and Eastern Europe

WITH THE RISE OF GLOBALISATION AND THE DIFFUSION of neoliberal economic reform throughout the world, the relevance of partisanship for economic reform has become the subject of much controversy. Set against the existing scholarship on partisan effects in theOECD countries and Latin America, post-1989 Central and Eastern Europe presents an intriguing case for several reasons. As in the developed and developing countries alike, countries from Central and Eastern Europe also faced global economic pressures, but unlike them, they simultaneously needed to construct a market economy. Indeed, after the fall of communism in Central and Eastern Europe, the creation of a liberal capitalist system became one of the central goals proclaimed by the new democratic governments. This goal became reinforced by the desire for and the concrete steps taken towards rapid economic and political integration with the European Union (EU). Not only did the previously communist countries have to ‘build capitalism without capitalists’, but to the dismay of the former anti-communist opposition and numerous Western observers alike, the task of creating the new economic system paradoxically often rested with the re-elected members of ex-communist parties, whose predecessors, only a few years earlier, had been in charge of running the centrally planned economies.
Falls Incidence, Risk Factors, and Consequences in Chinese Older People: A Systematic Review

Falls incidence in Chinese older people has been reported to be approximately half that of Caucasian populations. It is possible that the falls risk factor profile may differ significantly between Caucasian and Chinese populations, and a better understanding of this reported difference in incidence and associated risk factors may influence potential approaches to future intervention. A systematic literature review was conducted using the EMBase, Medline, Chinese Electronic Periodical Services, and WanFangdata databases to collate and evaluate the studies that have addressed the incidence and risk factors for falls in Chinese older people. Twenty‐one studies conducted in China, Hong Kong, Macao, Singapore, and Taiwan met the inclusion criteria. Fall rates ranged between 14.7% and 34% per annum (median 18%). In the four prospective studies, injuries were reported by 60% to 75% of those reporting falls, with fractures constituting 6% to 8% of all injuries. One hundred thirty‐two variables were identified as fall risk factors, with commonly reported factors being female sex, older age, use of multiple medications, gait instability, fear of falling, and decline in activities of daily living. The findings reveal a consistently lower incidence of self‐reported falls in Chinese older people than in Caucasian older people, although the types and prevalence of risk factors were not dissimilar from those found in studies of Caucasian older people. A greater understanding of the health, behavioral, and lifestyle factors that influence fall rates in Chinese populations is required for elucidating fall prevention strategies in Chinese and non‐Chinese older people.
Have radiographic progression rates in early rheumatoid arthritis changed? A systematic review and meta-analysis of long-term cohorts.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate, firstly, all published data on baseline and annual progression rates of radiographic damage from all longitudinal observational cohorts, and secondly, the association of standard clinical and laboratory parameters with long-term radiographic joint damage. METHODS A comprehensive search of the literature from 1975 to 2014, using PubMed, SCOPUS and Cochrane databases, identified a total of 28 studies that investigated long-term radiographic progression, and 41 studies investigating predictors of long-term radiographic progression. This was submitted and approved by PROSPERO in February 2014 (Registration Number: CRD42014007589). RESULTS Meta-analysis indicated an overall baseline rate of 2.02%, and a yearly increase of 1.08% of maximum damage. Stratified analysis found that baseline radiographic scores did not differ significantly between cohorts recruiting patients pre- and post-1990 (2.01% vs 2.03%; P > 0.01); however, the annual rate of progression was significantly reduced in the post-1990 cohorts (0.68% vs 1.50%; P < 0.05). High levels of acute phase markers, baseline radiographic damage, anti-CCP and RF positivity remain consistently predictive of long-term radiographic joint damage. CONCLUSION Critical changes in treatment practices over the last three decades are likely to explain the reduction in the long-term progression of structural joint damage. Acute phase markers and presence of RF/anti-CCP are strongly associated with increased radiographic progression.
The significance of rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus.

UNLABELLED Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) resembles rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in at least two areas: it involves joints (arthritis) and it can lead to rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP) positivity, both with a lower prevalence than in RA. OBJECTIVES The present study aimed to quantify the prevalence of RF and anti-CCP antibodies in a SLE group, to note their possible correlations with clinical and laboratory variables. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study analyzed 45 SLE patients, 139 RA patients and 147 normal subjects by measuring RF and anti-CCP2 titers and comparing/correlating inter-groups or subgroups divided by criteria such as arthritis and RF/anti-CCP positivity. RESULTS In the SLE group, 6.7% (3/45) were anti-CCP positive, 15.5% (7/45) were RF positive and 4.4% (2/45) were positive for both tests. A cut-off titer of anti-CCP antibodies < 1.25 U/mL had 82.2% sensitivity and 90.6% specificity for SLE. A cut-off titer of RF antibodies < 18.5 U/mL had 84.4% sensitivity and 83.5% specificity for SLE. The arthritis SLE subgroup did not differ significantly from the non-arthritis SLE subgroup. Anti-CCP positive SLE patients with or without arthritis had a RF titer 6 times higher than anti-CCP negative SLE patients. CONCLUSIONS Anti-CCP antibodies and RF are detectable in SLE with lower titers and prevalence than in RA. The SLE articular involvement does not influence the titers and positivity frequencies of RF and anti-CCP antibodies, nor does the latter associate with SLE arthritis, suggesting no pathogenic role in the development of SLE arthritis.
RFID-based electronic fare toll collection system for multi-lane free flow - a case study towards Malaysia toll system improvement

RFID-based Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system for Multi-lane free flow (MLFF) is a system that enables collection of toll payments electronically using RFID tags, allowing for nonstop toll collection and free-flow of high-speed travelling at toll highway with use of ordinary multilane road segments and aim to eliminate toll plazas and booths. The system allows vehicles with passive RFID tag to emit communication with front-end reading system to uniquely identifying and classifying each vehicle and transfer the toll transaction back to a centralized back office system for revenue collection by deducting from the account of vehicle owner. The RFID-based ETC systems have been implemented in developed and developing countries like Turkey, Taiwan and countries of South America. The review is focused on the RFID-based ETC system architecture that has been implemented by some these countries. The review may help to understand how the overall system works hence it shall provide the essential information in migrating and re-engineering current toll booth ETC lane system to MLFF system and serve as a reference view of the system concept in developing a new RFIDBased ETC system for MLFF