Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diverging Paths? A Comparative Look at Childcare Policies in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan

This article compares state policies to support childcare in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, using fuzzy set ideal type analysis to determine the nature of institutional arrangements with respect to labour, money and time provisions. We then note their implications for familialization and defamilialization in the three countries. Our analysis suggests a common pattern towards the increased use of financial support amongst the three countries over time; however, this commonality does not mean their childcare policies are converging, as the financial supports differ in focus, with Japan concentrating on familialization by valuing family care, and Korea exclusively employing policy to facilitate the use of market-based care services. For its part, Taiwan has been strengthening familialization by increasing the leave compensation to value time off to provide care. The different labour, money and time dimensions vis-a-vis the familialization/defamilialization matrix suggest varying implications of institutional arrangements for gender.
What Can We Learn from the Past: A Common Pre-existing Symptom of Three Recent Real Estate Pricing Bubbles

This study puts forth a holistic framework incorporating the supply and demand for money and credit, risk premiums, and expected income growth to consolidate and interconnect the various causes of the three (Japan, Hong Kong, and the United States) most recent and dramatic international real estate bubbles. Findings indicate a common pre-existing symptom (the presence of negative real interest rates) across all three events. This finding should help future policy makers in determining the existence of on-coming asset pricing bubbles.
The efficacy of single-session motivational interviewing in reducing drug consumption and perceptions of drug-related risk and harm among young people: results from a multi-site cluster randomized trial.

AIM To test whether a single session of motivational interviewing (discussing alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use) would lead successfully to reduction in use of these drugs or in perceptions of drug-related risk and harm among young people. DESIGN Cluster randomized trial, allocating 200 young people in the natural groups in which they were recruited to either motivational interviewing (n=105) or non-intervention education-as-usual control condition (n=95). SETTING Ten further education colleges across inner London. PARTICIPANTS Two hundred young people (age range 16-20 years) currently using illegal drugs, with whom contact was established through peers trained for the project. INTERVENTION The intervention was adapted from the literature on motivational interviewing in the form of a 1-hour single-session face-to-face interview structured by a series of topics. MEASUREMENTS Changes in self-reported cigarette, alcohol, cannabis and other drug use and in a range of drug-specific perceptions and other indicators of risk and harm. Measurement at recruitment and follow-up interview 3 months later. FINDINGS A good follow-up rate (89.5%; 179 of 200) was achieved. In comparison to the control group, those randomized to motivational interviewing reduced their of use of cigarettes, alcohol and cannabis, mainly through moderation of ongoing drug use rather than cessation. Effect sizes were 0.37 (0.15-0.6), 0.34 (0.09-0.59) and 0.75 (0.45-1.0) for reductions in the use of cigarettes, alcohol and cannabis, respectively. For both alcohol and cannabis, the effect was greater among heavier users of these drugs and among heavier cigarette smokers. The reduced cannabis use effect was also greater among youth usually considered vulnerable or high-risk according to other criteria. Change was also evident in various indicators of risk and harm, but not as widely as the changes in drug consumption. CONCLUSIONS This study provides the first substantial evidence of non-treatment benefit to be derived among young people involved in illegal drug use in receipt of motivational interviewing. The targeting of multiple drug use in a generic fashion among young people has also been supported.
Estimating the proportion of HIV transmissions from main sex partners among men who have sex with men in five US cities

Background:HIV incidence in the United States among men who have sex with men (MSM) has been increasing since 2000, and MSM remain the most heavily impacted risk group in the US HIV epidemic. Methods:We modeled HIV transmissions, using data from MSM in five US cities from the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System, the HIVNET Vaccine Preparedness Study, and other published data. Annual HIV transmissions were estimated by partner type (main or casual) and by sex type (receptive anal intercourse, insertive anal intercourse, or oral sex). Results:Sixty-eight percent [95% confidence interval (CI) 58–78) of HIV transmissions were from main sex partners because of a higher number of sex acts with main partners, more frequent receptive roles in anal sex with main partners, and lower condom use during anal sex with main partners. By sex type, 69% (95% CI 59–79) of infections were from receptive anal intercourse, 28% (95% CI 19–38) were from insertive anal intercourse, and 2% (95% CI 0–5) were from oral sex. The model-based estimated HIV incidence rate was 2.2% (95% CI 1.7–2.7) per year. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated estimates of transmission from main sex partners as low as 52% (95% CI 41–62) and as high as 74% (95% CI 68–80). Conclusion:According to our model, most HIV transmissions among MSM in five US cities are from main sex partners. HIV prevention efforts should take into account the risks of HIV transmissions in male partnerships, and couples-based HIV prevention interventions for MSM should be given high priority in the US HIV prevention research portfolio.
International inter-sectoral collaboration in university research centres: innovation systems in the United States and beyond in comparative perspective

University research centres often involve a mix of inter-sectoral and international collaboration. Although the contributions of federally-funded research centres to the United States economy have been studied extensively, less is known about the international aspects of university research centres. The collaborations involved are influenced by opportunities and challenges arising from the national innovation systems of each partner organisation. The centres may also contribute to the innovation systems of the home countries of partners. In response, this article presents two case studies of United States university research centres engaged in international and inter-sectoral engineering research collaborations and the associated roles of the innovation systems of California and the United States more generally, involving France, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea. The case studies demonstrate the feasibility, and also the limitations, of using published accounts to understand the history, mission, and membership of such centres with international partners without government funding – leading to the identification of directions for future research on centres with international membership. The membership of the centres suggests that international collaborations may be a response to market and government failure in the public production of knowledge.
CYTOTOXIC T LYMPHOCYTE PRECURSOR FREQUENCY ANALYSES IN BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTATION WITH VOLUNTEER UNRELATED DONORS VALUE IN DONOR SELECTION

Between May 1989 and February 1994, we performed 48 volunteer unrelated donor BMTs for first chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia using in vivo T cell depletion for acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD) prophylaxis. In 40 cases, adequate material was available to measure the frequency of antirecipient MHC cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursor (CTLp) cells in the blood of potential donors. This supplemented standard serological typing, one-dimensional isoelectric focusing for class I proteins, and allogenotyping for DR and DQ alleles using DNA RFLP analysis in the donor selection process. All recipients were conditioned with cyclophosphamide 120 mg/kg, TBI 1320 cGy, and intravenous Campath 1G. GvHD prophylaxis consisted of CsA, short-course methotrexate, and intravenous Campath 1G. Minimum follow-up in all surviving recipients was 100 days. The development of aGvHD and the probability of leukemia-free survival were compared between the high frequency group (CTLp>l in 100,000) (n=15) and the low frequency group (CTLp<l in 100,000) (n=25). There was a trend for increasing grade of aGvHD, which was statistically significant in the high frequency group when compared with the low frequency group (P=0.003). Both a high frequency of CTLp (relative risk [RR] = 9.0, P=0.016) and HLA mismatch (RR=6.7, P=0.023) were predictors of severe aGvHD (grade III or IV). Multivariate analysis showed that CTLp group (RR=3.4, P=0.015) and CMV status (RR=3.9, P=0.008) were predictors of leukemia-free survival. Further investigation showed an interaction between the two, such that CMV seropositive recipients in the high frequency group had a relative risk of 9.4 (P=0.0001) of treatment failure (death or relapse) when compared with other combinations. We conclude that with our present GvHD prophylaxis regimen, CTLp frequency analysis predicts post-BMT outcome and is a valuable aid in donor selection.
Value of anti-modified citrullinated vimentin and third-generation anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide compared with second-generation anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide and rheumatoid factor in predicting disease outcome in undifferentiated arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE Autoantibodies such as rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-citrullinated protein autoantibodies (ACPAs) determined by testing with second-generation anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP-2) are frequently measured in clinical practice because of their association with disease outcome in undifferentiated arthritis (UA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Recently, 2 new ACPA tests were developed: third-generation anti-CCP (anti-CCP-3) and anti-modified citrullinated vimentin (anti-MCV) autoantibody tests. To facilitate the decision on which autoantibody to test in daily practice, this study evaluated the capability of these autoantibodies and combinations of them to predict 3 outcome measures: progression from UA to RA, the rate of joint destruction in RA, and the chance of achieving sustained disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD)-free remission in RA. METHODS Patients with UA (n=625) were studied for whether UA progressed to RA after 1 year. Patients with RA (n=687) were studied for whether sustained DMARD-free remission was achieved and for the rate of joint destruction during a median followup of 5 years. Positive predictive values (PPVs) for RA development and for associations with the disease course in RA were compared between single tests (anti-CCP-2, anti-CCP-3, anti-MCV, and RF) and between combinations of these tests. RESULTS Among the single tests performed in patients with UA, anti-CCP-2 tended to have the highest PPV for RA development (67.1%), but the 95% confidence intervals of the other tests overlapped. Among the single tests in patients with RA, all 4 tests showed comparable associations with the rate of joint destruction and with the achievement of remission. In both ACPA-positive and ACPA-negative RA, the presence of RF was not associated with more joint destruction. For all outcome measures, performing combinations of 2 or 3 autoantibody tests did not increase the predictive accuracy compared with performing a single test. CONCLUSION For clinical practice, a single autoantibody test is sufficient for risk estimation in UA and RA.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder in East Asia: A Review of the Literature

Objective: Fluctuations in ovarian steroids during specific phases of the reproductive cycle, such as pre-menstruation, have been hypothesized to contribute to women's increased vulnerability to depression. This current study's goal is to summarize the literature regarding Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) in the East Asian countries of Taiwan, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Japan, and Korea. Method: A Pubmed and Chinese Electronic Periodical Service (CEPS) literature review was conducted using the key words “Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder” along with “Japan,” “Korea,” “Taiwan,” “Hong Kong,” and “Macau. ” Using these criteria, 17 articles were found. Three articles were excluded because they did not involve PMDD in the aforementioned countries. In addition to this search, an article found in a review of the research on reproductive mental health disorders in China was utilized. That review contained one article regarding PMDD with an English language abstract, which was utilized in this current article. Results: The rates of PMDD in East Asia (1.3–2.8%) appear to be lower than that seen in the Western literature (3–8%). Many of the risk factors for PMDD were the same in the Eastern and Western literature, although some key differences were found. The few studies on treatment of PMDD in East Asia have shown positive results. Conclusions: The rates of PMDD appear to be lower in East Asia, though reasons for this result are discussed. Few studies have been conducted examining the efficacy of psychotropic medications commonly used to treat PMDD in this population.
Understanding inter-individual social networks in mixed-species bird flocks

Mixed-species flocks (MSFs) are an important form of social organisation in forest bird communities worldwide. MSFs provide participants with the benefits of reduced predation risk and/or enhanced foraging efficiency. Recent work has shown that participation in MSFs confers long-term survival benefits in the face of anthropogenic change. However, our understanding of MSFs mainly comes from studies that examine species-level networks, where each node is a unique species and the edges or connections between nodes are associations/interactions between species. While valuable, such approaches might not allow us to understand and investigate the mechanisms that drive MSF formation and structure because social interactions and their effects occur at the individual-level. Empirical studies on multi-species, individual-level MSF social networks have seldom been undertaken due to the various complexities and logistical challenges involved. In this study, we use mist-netting and colour-ringing followed by a standardised observation protocol to construct individual-level social networks in MSFs at 2000m ASL in Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh, Eastern Himalaya, India. First, we found two separate flocktypes at our study site, comprising two distinct sets of understorey species. The mechanisms contributing to individual-level co-occurrences are likely to differ between these flocktypes, and with MSFs in the Neotropics. The Rusty-fronted Barwing (the nuclear species of one flocktype) shows spatially disjunct territories for each flock while the Yellow-throated Fulvetta (nuclear species of the other flocktype) shows large spatial overlap in its MSF networks, which is likely driven by non-individual-specific benefits such as predation risk dilution. Further, the addition of associating individuals to the social networks has opposite impacts on the two networks. The addition of Coral-billed Scimitar Babblers to the barwing networks greatly reduces network modularity because the associating individuals bridge two modules of barwings (both spatially and in the social network). On the contrary, territorial Rufous-capped Babblers and Grey-cheeked Warblers increase the modularity of the spatially overlapping fulvetta network. Our study provides novel insights into flock formation mechanisms in the Eastern Himalaya, likely applicable to other multi-species flock systems in the Old World.
CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSALS FOR AMENDMENT OF APPENDICES I AND II A. Proposal Inclusion of the Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) on Appendix II of CITES

• Traditionally, whale sharks were hunted for their liver oil, used for waterproofing traditional wooden boats. In recent years, demands for meat and fins increased, catering the international trade which becomes the main stimulus for new fisheries. Taiwan is the main known market for meat, but meat is presumably also valued by Chinese communities elsewhere, although lack of trade monitoring hinders identification of other consumer states. The huge fins are reported on sale in China, Taiwan and Singapore. Poaching has supplied unsuccessful attempts at illegal export of meat to Taiwan and Hong Kong from the Philippines where the species is protected.
Secular trends in growth, maturation and physical performance: A review

Several aspects of research on secular trends in growth, matur- ity status and physical performance are reviewed with a primary focus upon data for the United States, Europe and Japan. Increases in height and weight during childhood and adolescence, reductions in the age at menarche, and in- creases in adult stature have occurred over several generations in Europe, Ja- pan and United States. Secular trends in height have stopped in many devel- oped countries while weight has continued to increase, resulting in a secular increase in overweight and obesity as indicated in the BMI. Data for body pro- portions are less extensive, but suggest proportionally larger increases in leg length. Corresponding trends have occurred in other developed countries (e.g., Canada, Australia, Taiwan), and to a lesser extent in many developing coun- tries. Secular improvements in selected measures of static strength and motor performance during the last century are generally proportional to increases in body size. More recent comparisons over shorter time intervals yield more variable results and indicate changes independent of body size and more related to indicators of lifestyle, specifically changes in school programs, re- duced physical activity and increased television and video games.
Mirror Neurons: Fire to Inspire

Mirror neurons got a great deal of attention from connoisseurs and in scientific reports. Mirror neurons have the capability of observation and execution of action to code both “my action and your action”. Firstly they were found in an area of f5 region of ventral premotor cortex and inferior parietal lobule of monkey brain. Mirror neuron system (MNS) is the driving force behind the great leap forward in human evolution. Both monkeys and human are born with MNS. Sensory or motor experience may trigger the development of mirror neurons. Adult group show an intrinsic difference between goal directed and non –goal directed action observation condition. Recently neurons with mirror characteristics have been found outside the rostral part of inferior parietal lobule and inferior frontal gyrus. Human neuroimaging experiments confirm a wide overlap between cortical areas in human and areas where mirror neurons have been reported in macaque monkey. Still there is a lack of studies about MNS in neurosurgical patients so the goal is to describe the application of an fMRI protocol to identify the MNS in patient with mass lesion in premotor area. The goal of this review was to give a brief explanation of MNS covering their origin, observation, execution, innateness, evolution, development, empathy and recent developments like fMRI, neuroimaging and mapping.
Google's PageRank and beyond - the science of search engine rankings

Why doesn't your home page appear on the first page of search results, even when you query your own name? How do other web pages always appear at the top? What creates these powerful rankings? And how? The first book ever about the science of web page rankings, Google's PageRank and Beyond supplies the answers to these and other questions and more. The book serves two very different audiences: the curious science reader and the technical computational reader. The chapters build in mathematical sophistication, so that the first five are accessible to the general academic reader. While other chapters are much more mathematical in nature, each one contains something for both audiences. For example, the authors include entertaining asides such as how search engines make money and how the Great Firewall of China influences research. The book includes an extensive background chapter designed to help readers learn more about the mathematics of search engines, and it contains several MATLAB codes and links to sample web data sets. The philosophy throughout is to encourage readers to experiment with the ideas and algorithms in the text. Any business seriously interested in improving its rankings in the major search engines can benefit from the clear examples, sample code, and list of resources provided. Many illustrative examples and entertaining asides MATLAB code Accessible and informal style Complete and self-contained section for mathematics review
Hepatitis B: global scientific development from a critical point of view

Hepatitis B is the tenth leading cause of death worldwide. Countries with high endemicity, such as China and Taiwan show high scientific productivity in this field and dominate the top ten list of the most productive authors worldwide, providing four of them. This is remarkable, as the USA and Europe usually maintain leading positions, not only regarding country‐specific scientific productivity, but also top ten ranking of most productive and most cited authors in other important medical sectors. So far, a scientometric analysis of the topic ‘hepatitis B’ has not been generated despite an increased need for it in times of modified evaluation criteria for academic personnel and a subsequent tendency to co‐authorship and author self‐citation. In this study, scientometric methods and large‐scale data analysis were used to evaluate quality and quantity of scientific research dealing with the topic ‘hepatitis B’ and to contribute to distinguish relevant research output. Data were gained from Pubmed and ISI‐Web. In the time span of 1971–2011, 49 166 items were published by 250 countries, of which the USA have been the most productive supplier with 28% of all publications, followed in considerable distance by Germany, China, the United Kingdom, Japan, France, Italy and Taiwan, respectively. The USA have established their position as centre of international cooperation. Their cooperation with China proves to be the most productive one. The most prolific journals in the field of hepatitis b were ‘Hepatology’, the ‘Journal of Hepatology’ and the ‘Journal of Medical Virology’. h‐index, citation rate and impact factor, commonly used for assessment of scientific quality, were determined and discussed critically with regard to distortion by bias of self‐citation and co‐authorship.