Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Review on the Concentrations of Benzo[a]pyrene in the Indian Environment Since 1983

ABSTRACT The concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene [B(a)P] in the Indian environment since 1983 are reviewed. For this purpose, nearly sixty research papers on the determination of B(a)P in the Indian environment published in International journals were evaluated. The literature survey showed that the most of the research on determining the B(a)P levels in the Indian environment had been published in recent years. This review tabulated all the analytical parameters, such as extraction method, analyzed equipment, sampling medium, and detection limit in determination of B(a)P in the environment. This study also compares the concentration of B(a)P reported in the Indian environment with other Asian and Western countries. This review predicts that the concentrations of B(a)P reported in the ambient air of India were much higher than the Western countries, such as Germany, Italy, Greece, USA, and UK. On the other hand in Asian countries, the concentrations of B(a)P were reported in India were higher than the countries, such as Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan but comparable with China.
Turkish Textile and Clothing Industry After 2005: A Future Projection

ABSTRACT Textile industry had stimulated world’s industrialization progress, and now, it has considerable amount of world trade and output. Not only did this sector play important role as providing employment in the world economy, but also performed social role amongst nations, which directly affects daily life of people. The textile and clothing industry is also crucial both economically and socially for Turkey. Therefore, this research predicts competitive position of the Turkish textile and clothing industry after 2005, in which date the quotas will be demolished. In order to investigate this purpose Porter’s diamond model was used. WORLD TEXTILE INDUSTRY Textiles and clothing are among the first manufactured products an industrializing economy produces as well as food and material based products. The textiles and clothing industry played both critical and crucial roles in the early stage of in Britain, parts of North America, Japan, and since last two decades in the export -oriented growth of Turkish economy. Advanced industrial countries in Western Europe and the US dominated the world economy and controlled most of the industrial production before World War II. Nevertheless, the less-developed countries (LDCs) tended to concentrate in the production and supply of raw materials. Particularly, after 1940s, major textiles and clothing industrial production has shifted out from developed countries and moved to Japan. Since then, Japan was the leade r in industrialization and economic development in the Asian region. In 1970s, the high cost of production and labor shortages had compelled Japanese textiles and clothing firms to invest their production in other Asian nations. Following Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan became three of the four Asian newly industrializing countries (NICs) with textiles and clothing as their major export industry ( Au and Chan, 2003 ). From 1955-2000, world export trade in total merchandise had increased by 64.8 times from US$ 96 bn. to US$ 6,243 bn. For the same period, total manufactures’ exports demonstrated an amazing increase by 112 times from a value of US$ 41 bn. accelerated to US$ 4,630 bn. (Fig. 1). For the textile and clothing (textiles and clothing) export trade, despite having been conducted through a series of quantitative export restrained stages, also demonstrated increases of 34 times and 249 times respectively (Fig. 2). Figure 1: World Merchandise and Manufacture Trade, 1955 -2000 Source: WTO Statisti cs
Governance, Firm Internationalization, and Stock Liquidity Among Selected Emerging Economies from Asia

The study is conducted to find out the impact of the countryand corporate-level governance and firm internationalization on stock liquidity of 120 listed firms in Japan, Hong Kong, Pakistan, and India. Panel data is used in the current study. The annual time span covered in the current study is 10 years. The current study explores results based on secondary data. The findings of the ‘robust panel corrected standard error’ estimator shows that the internationalization strategy of firms positively influences the stock liquidity. The internationalization strategy of multinational corporations proves to be an effective methodology for improving stock liquidity in the home market as well as abroad. The study also shows that a stronger relationship exists between stock liquidity and internationalization in those countries where the regulatory settings are effective, the judiciary system is efficient and shareholders’ rights are protected. Corporate governance and stock liquidity are negatively associated. The study also finds a negative relationship between country-level governance mechanisms and stock liquidity. Whereas the ‘robust panel corrected error’ estimator shows a positive association between corporate governance mechanisms and firm internationalization. The study depicts that effective corporate governance motivates multinational companies to expand their business abroad.
Influence of Vaccination Characteristics on COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance Among Working-Age People in Hong Kong, China: A Discrete Choice Experiment

Background: Along with individual-level factors, vaccination-related characteristics are important in understanding COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. This study aimed to determine the influence of these characteristics on vaccine acceptance to formulate promotion strategies after considering differences among respondents with different characteristics. Methods: An online discrete choice experiment was conducted among people aged 18–64 years in Hong Kong, China, from 26 to 28 February 2021. Respondents were asked to make choices regarding hypothetical vaccination programmes described by vaccination-related characteristics—the attributes derived from a prior individual interview. Subgroup analysis was performed to identify the differences in vaccination-related characteristics among respondents with different personal characteristics. Results: A total of 1,773 respondents provided valid responses. The vaccine efficacy and brand were the most important factors affecting acceptance, followed by the exemption of quarantine for vaccinated travelers, safety, venue for vaccination, vaccine uptake of people in their lives, and recommendations by general physicians or government. Frequent exposure to vaccination information on social media has been associated with increasing vaccine refusal. Substantial preference heterogeneity for the attributes was found among people of different ages, incomes, chronic conditions, and previous acceptance of influenza vaccines. Conclusion: The findings provided evidence to formulate interventions to promote vaccine uptake, including the provision of vaccination at housing estate or workplaces, involvement of general physicians and interpersonal communication in vaccine promotion and information dissemination, and exemption of quarantine for vaccinated people. Moreover, social media is a significant information channel that cannot be neglected in the dissemination of official information.
Selective Laser Sintering of Poly(L-Lactide)/Carbonated Hydroxyapatite Nanocomposite Porous Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering

Wen You Zhou1, Min Wang2, Wai Lam Cheung2,* and Wing Yuk Ip3 1Biomedical and Tissue Engineering Research Group, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, 34 Hospital Road, Hong Kong, China 2Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China 3Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The University of Hong Kong, Sassoon Road, Hong Kong, China
Real Exchange Rate in China: A Long-run Perspective

This paper investigates the RMB exchange rate from a long-run viewpoint. Whether Chinas rapid economic growth brought about real exchange rate appreciation between 1975 and 2002 is empirically examined, based on a supply-side model, the BalassaSemuelson Hypothesis (BSH). The same test is conducted on Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and India. Our result indicates that the BSH only exists where the industrial structure has been upgraded and the economy has been successfully transformed from an agricultural economy to a manufacturing economy. Interestingly, China, among those where the BSH does not present, appears to be upgrading its industrial and trade structure. We then try to answer the question of why past rapid growth has no significant relationship with the RMB real exchange rate and what factors are underlying the trend of the RMB real exchange rate. We expect an appreciating trend of RMB real exchange rate in the foreseeable future, presuming that Chinas industrial upgrading process continues and the factors pertaining to the BSHs prediction, such as rise of wage rates in both tradables and nontradables, become more significant.
Sociodemographic and seroprevalence profile of sexually transmitted infections (HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and Syphilis) in asymptomatic pregnant females

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are infections transmitted from person to person by sexual contact. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) also referred to as STIs and venereal diseases are illness that has significant probability of transmission between humans by means of sexual behavior, vaginal intercourse, anal sex and oral sex, influenced by sociodemographic profile of patients. Globally 499 million new episodes of curable STIs occur in the age group of 15-49 years, 80% in developing countries and 79 million in India alone. There is significant decline in bacterial STIs (syphilis, gonorrhea) while viral STIs are showing an increasing trend (Hepatitis B, HIV, herpes, genital warts). STIs and their complication rank in the top five disease categories for which adult seek health care. The prevalence of STIs increase the risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV infection by three to five times.
A Holistic Approach to Identification of Covid-19 Patients from Chest X-Ray Images utilizing Transfer Based Learning

Novel coronavirus likewise called COVID-19 began in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and has now outspread over the world. Around 8 millions of individuals previously got influenced by novel coronavirus and it causes at any rate 500,000 deaths. There are just about 90,000 individuals contaminated by COVID-19 in Bangladesh too. As it is an exceptionally new pandemic infection, its diagnosis is challenging for the medical community. In regular cases, it is hard for lower incoming countries to test cases easily. RT-PCR test is the most generally utilized analysis framework for COVID-19 patient detection. However, by utilizing X-ray image based programmed recognition can diminish the expense and testing time. So according to handling this test, it is important to program and effective recognition to forestall transmission to others. In this paper, we attempt to distinguish COVID-19 patients by chest X-ray images. We execute different pre-trained deep neural system models, for example, Sequential, DenseNet121, ResNet152 and EfficientNetB4 to assess the most productive outcome. And aims to utilize transfer-based learning. We assess this outcome by AUC, where EfficientNetB4 has 0.997 AUC, ResNet50 has 0.967 AUC, DenseNet121 has 0.874 AUC and the Sequential model has 0.762 AUC individually. And EfficientNetB4 has achieved 98.86% accuracy.
Bidirectional Elastic Diode with Frequency-Preserved Nonreciprocity

Xin Fang, Jihong Wen, Li Cheng, and Baowen Li† Laboratory of Science and Technology on Integrated Logistics Support, College of Intelligent Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410073, China Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China. Paul M Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering and Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA
Phylogeographical Analysis on Squalidus argentatus Recapitulates Historical Landscapes and Drainage Evolution on the Island of Taiwan and Mainland China

Phylogeographical analyses on Squalidus argentatus samples from thirteen localities within mainland China and Taiwan were conducted for biogeographic studies, as their dispersal strictly depends on geological evolution of the landmasses. A total of 95 haplotypes were genotyped for mtDNA cyt b gene in 160 specimens from nine river systems. Relatively high levels of haplotype diversity (h = 0.984) and low levels of nucleotide diversity (π = 0.020) were detected in S. argentatus. Two major phylogenetic haplotype groups, A and B, were revealed via phylogenetic analysis. The degree of intergroup divergence (3.96%) indicates that these groups diverged about 4.55 myr (million years) ago. Haplotype network and population analyses indicated significant genetic structure (FST = 0.775), largely concordant with the geographical location of the populations. According to SAMOVA analysis, we divided these populations into four units: Yangtze-Pearl, Qiantang-Minjiang, Jiulong-Beijiang and Taiwan groups. Mismatch distribution analysis, neutrality tests and Bayesian skyline plots indicated a significant population expansion for lineage A and B, approximately dated 0.35 and 0.04 myr ago, respectively. We found strong geographical organization of the haplotype clades across different geographic scales that can be explained by episodes of dispersal and population expansion followed by population fragmentation and restricted gene flow.
Low-dose tertiary prophylactic therapy reduces total number of bleeds and improves the ability to perform activities of daily living in adults with severe haemophilia A: a single-centre experience from Beijing

Full-dose prophylaxis treatment for persons with haemophilia is not affordable in China due to its economic constraints, particularly in adults requiring higher clotting factor (CFC) doses. Low-dose tertiary prophylaxis for adults with severe haemophilia A (SHA) in Beijing became feasible and implemented when government insurance covering 85% CFC cost in Beijing began in December 2009. The aim of this study was to evaluate the benefits of low-dose tertiary prophylaxis in SHA adults. Analysis of data on 33 patients on low-dose tertiary prophylaxis (5–10 IU/kg, two to three times per week) at the Haemophilia Treatment Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital between December 2009 and December 2013. The 33 patients (age 18–60 years, mean 33.4) were on prophylaxis for 20.8 ± 9.9 months (compared with prior on-demand therapy for 20.0 ± 11.7 months). Prophylaxis resulted in significant decrease in annual bleeding rate (ABR, 11.8 ± 7.6 vs. 41.5 ± 20.7, 71.1% reduction, P < 0.0001), and significant improvement in Functional Independence Score in Haemophilia (FISH) measurement reflecting improvement in self-care and mobility. Radiologic (Pettersson) joint score was neither improved nor deteriorated. Ten of the 33 patients originally wheel chair and bed-bound began to walk and function independently in their daily lives. Low-dose tertiary prophylaxis for adults with SHA in China is feasible and beneficial. Although the average ABR remained high, a significant improvement in self-care and mobility measured by FISH was observed. These promising clinical experiences form the basis for further formal studies with more defined therapeutic protocol and outcome measures for affordable prophylaxis regimens in haemophilia adults in China.
Learning Orientation, Guanxi, and Life Satisfaction: Evidence from China

This study examined the relationships of life satisfaction with learning orientation and Chinese guanxi. In addition, the moderating effect of guanxi on the relationship between learning orientation and life satisfaction was also examined. Two hundred and eighty usable survey responses from full time employees of People’s Republic China were used to test the proposed relationships. Results based on hierarchical regression analyses showed that both learning orientation and guanxi positively impacted life satisfaction. However, guanxi did not moderate the association between learning orientation and life satisfaction. The significance and limitations of the results are discussed.
Assessing participation in cross-border higher education in cities: Foreign education provision in Ho Chi Minh City

One of the limitations of research on global educational mobility has been the primary classification of key participants - students and educational institutions - in national terms. This paper tests the challenges involved in such methodological nationalism by examining the provision of cross-border education in one city. As Vietnam's commercial centre, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) has experienced rapid transformation over the past two decades as the country has moved steadily from a state-directed to a more market-driven and globally integrated economy. Since the late 1990s there has been a parallel growth in cross-border higher education in HCMC, through the outbound mobility of students and the provision of foreign programmes by international partnerships and branch campuses. Drawing on available data supplemented with insights gleaned from interviews and existing literature, this paper develops a methodology for identifying and quantifying the key features of each form of domestic, overseas and transnational provision. We estimate that around 6% of HCMC's tertiary students are studying overseas and between 2% and 3% in foreign programmes delivered in the city. The rates of enrolment in overseas and transnational programmes by students in HCMC are thus far higher than for Vietnam as a whole, but still considerably lower than in those well-established cross-border education hubs, Hong Kong and Singapore. We argue that concerns about the growth of private education and inequalities in access may continue to limit the growth of transnational provision in HCMC
A Different Path to Homeownership: The Case of Taiwanese Immigrants in Los Angeles

Taiwanese immigrants in Los Angeles stand in contrast to the well-documented homeownership deficit among immigrants. Despite the tremendous growth in Taiwanese immigrants during the 1980s, the Taiwanese homeownership rate was not only among the highest of all ethnic groups in 1990, but also recorded a phenomenal increase of 16 percentage points between 1980 and 1990. This paper examines this trend and assesses the contributing factors. It reveals that (1) education and wealth were contributors to Taiwanese high homeownership; (2) Chinese immigrants in general and Taiwanese immigrants in particular had endowment-adjusted homeownership rates well above that of non-Hispanic whites, while the ways in which ethnic Chinese immigrants achieve high homeownership were reflective of their distinctive paths of immigration; (3) surprisingly, higher English proficiency, an indicator of acculturation, was negatively associated with Taiwanese homeownership; (4) the large rise in Taiwanese homeownership in the 1980s was largely contributed to by young, highly educated, newly arrived Taiwanese with a low level of income and a high level of wealth. Findings refute the hypothesis that immigrants are always plagued by homeownership deficits. Well-off immigrants, such as the Taiwanese, may have followed a path of assimilation not yet documented in the literature; acculturation and social adaptation may no longer be preconditions for their economic integration. The arrival of well-off immigrants has a significant potential to bolster regional demand for owner-occupied housing.
Buddhism and Cognitive Therapy

On June 13, 2005, I will be having a public dialog with the Dalai Lama in Göteborg, Sweden. This occasion has prompted me to share with the readers of Cognitive Therapy Today some of my thoughts regarding the relation of the theory underlying cognitive therapy to Tibetan Buddhism and some of the newer therapeutic approaches such as Attention Training, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, and the meditation component of Dialectic Behavioral Therapy.
The Impact of Road Blockage on Local Particulate Matter Multifractal Nature during the Hong Kong Protest

Abstract. Traffic emitted particulate matter in urban area has arisen concern both from public and authorities. In addition to technology improvement, traffic control is also considered as a promising way to enhance local air quality, but relevance effectiveness is always hard to describe and quantify. As an unexpected road blockage arose during Hong Kong protest and lasted more than 70 days, the aim of this study is to assess the influence of traffic flow transfer on the multifractality of local particulate matters (PMs). Based on the data sets before, during and after the protest, results show that road blockage does not interfere the daily cycle of PM in urban area, but can change the multifractality trend by intensifying their long-term persistence.
AMU and monetary cooperation in Asia

Regional monetary and financial cooperation among the monetary authorities of Asian countries have been further strengthening through the recent global financial crisis in 2007-2008. Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the ASEAN Members States, Peopleâ€™s Republic of China (PRC), Japan and Korea (ASEAN plus three) and the monetary authority of Hong Kong, China announced that the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization (CMIM) agreement came into effect on March 24, 2010. They also reached agreement on establishing a surveillance office, which is called an ASEAN plus three Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) and would ensure technical details of regional surveillance. The regional monetary cooperation in Asia has been discussed for years. For example, Ogawa and Shimizu (2005) proposed both an Asian Monetary Unit (AMU), which is a common currency basket computed as a weighted average of the thirteen ASEAN plus three currencies, and AMU Deviation Indicators (AMU DIs), which indicates deviation of each Asian currency in terms of the AMU compared with the benchmark rate. The AMU and the AMU DIs are considered as both surveillance measures under the Chiang Mai Initiative and coordinated exchange rate policies among Asian countries. In this paper, we show that monitoring the AMU and the AMU DIs plays an important role in the regional surveillance process under the CMIM. By using daily and monthly data of AMU and AMU DIs in the period between January 2000 to June 2010, which are available in a website of the Research Institute of Economy, Trade, and Industry (RIETI), we examine their usefulness as a surveillance indicator. Our studies of AMU and AMU DIs confirm as follows: First, an AMU peg system stabilizes Nominal Effective Exchange Rate (NEER) of each Asian country. Second, the AMU and the AMU DIs could warn overvaluation or undervaluation for each of Asia currencies. Third, trade imbalances within the region have been growing as the AMU DIs have been widening. Forth, the AMU DIs could predict huge capital inflows and outflows for the Asian country. The above fact-findings support usefulness of using the AMU and the AMU DIs as surveillance indicators for monetary cooperation in Asia.
Brain Circulation: How High-Skill Immigration Makes Everyone Better Off

Silicon Valley's workforce is among the world's most ethnically diverse. Not only do Asian and Hispanic workers dominate the low-paying, blue-collar workforce, but foreign-born scientists and engineers are increasingly visible as entrepreneurs and senior management. More than a quarter of Silicon Valley's highly skilled workers are immigrants, including tens of thousands from lands as diverse as China, Taiwan, India, the United Kingdom, Iran, Vietnam, the Philippines, Canada, and Israel.