Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Avian Influenza in Hong Kong 1997–2002

Abstract In 1997, a high-pathogenicity H5N1 avian influenza virus caused serious disease in both man and poultry in Hong Kong, China. Eighteen human cases of disease were recorded, six of which were fatal. This unique virus was eliminated through total depopulation of all poultry markets and chicken farms in December 1997. Other outbreaks of high-pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) caused by H5N1 viruses occurred in poultry in 2001 and 2002. These H5N1 viruses isolated had different internal gene constellations to those isolated in 1997. No new cases of infection or disease in man due to these or other H5N1 viruses have been reported. This paper provides an overview and chronology of the events in Hong Kong relating to avian influenza, covering the period from March 1997 to March 2002.
Exclude Me If You Can

We examined how individualistic versus collectivistic cultural backgrounds affected the psychological experience of social exclusion. We found that Turkish, Chinese, and Indian participants (collectivistic background) differed in their experience of social exclusion from German participants (individualistic background): German participants experienced lower fulfillment of psychological needs in response to social exclusion, whereas Turkish, Chinese, and Indian participants were affected to a lesser extent (Turkey, India, Hong Kong) or not at all (mainland China) by social exclusion manipulations. Testing two different explanatory mechanisms in Study 3, we found that the difference in dealing with social exclusion was not associated with activating social representations in participants with collectivistic background but with exclusion being associated with more threat in participants with individualistic background. In Study 4, cultural differences emerged also on the physiological level: German participants’ heart rates were increased when excluded, whereas Chinese participants showed no change in heart rate during exclusion. The results are discussed regarding their implications for the role of self-construal and culture when dealing with the threat of social exclusion.
[Characterising people who demanded the rapid HIV test in Andalusia between 2013 and 2014].

BACKGROUND The aim of the study was to describe people who demanded the HIV screening test in Andalusia (Spain). DESIGN Cross-sectional study carried out by social organisation collaborating with the Program for early diagnosis of HIV in Andalusia. Participants underwent an oral HIV test and answered a survey beforehand, from September 2013 to August 2014. The study included a descriptive analysis of data and a logistic regression in order to determine the risk factors associated with a reactive test result. We analysed variables related to: social organisation, sociodemographic characteristics, risk exposure that caused the test, previous test history, history of sexually transmitted infections (predictive variables) and test result (dependent variable). RESULTS It was possible to characterise 1,844 people (48%). They were mostly men (70%) who had sex with men (MSM) in the last 12 months (59%). The 53% had a previous HIV test and came to social organisations after an exposure to risk, especially unprotected oral sex (75%), vaginal (50%) and/or anal (38%). Twenty-three percent was foreigners. A positive result was associated to: HIV work area, male sex, MSM, unprotected sex (anal, with HIV+ person or with sex worker) and test antecedent (p<0.05). These unprotected practices and male sex were also significant in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS This approach of the study made it possible to characterise a great number of people (around 50%). These results will guide improvements in the Program's data collection and future community interventions.
Investors' Perceptions of Auditor Independence: Evidence from Hong Kong

Purpose:This paper examines Investors’ perceptions of auditor independence in Hong Kong. Design/ methodology/ approach: A survey research design was employed using questionnaires distributed to audited financial statement users and certified public accountants (CPAs). The survey covered six aspects of the auditor-client relationship: audit firm size, competition for audit clients, regulations, auditor tenure, provision of non-audit services (NAS), and audit fees. The data was tested using Multiple Regression and Factor Analysis. Findings: The findings of the analysis are that: audit firm size does influence auditor independence; a high level of competition does influence auditor independence; strict regulation and sever punishment does enhance auditor independence; and auditor tenure of 5 years or more does influence auditor independence. Practical / social implications: Findings support both a code of ethics and ongoing professional development for auditors to maintain high standards in regards to auditor independence.
FACTORS FOR USER INTENTION TO SWITCH BROWSERS: A CROSS-NATIONAL SURVEY

This study examined the factors influencing user intention to switch Internet browsers. By analyzing surveys completed by 301 respondents in Turkey, 338 respondents in Taiwan, and 240 respondents in Thailand, this study found that experience and attractionâ€”but not satisfaction or familiarityâ€”considerably influenced Internet user intention to switch Web browsers. The results also show that user preference was a significant factor varying the degrees among the respondents (P-value < 0.05 for Turkey and P-value < 0.001 for Taiwan and Thailand). In other words, preference had a marginally significant effect on Turkish usersâ€™ switching intention and a highly significant effect on the Taiwanese and Thai usersâ€™ intention to switch browsers. The implications of the study results are extensively discussed. To cite this document: Chian-Son Yu, Wachara Chantatub, and Basak Mendi, "FACTORS FOR USER INTENTION TO SWITCH BROWSERS: A CROSS-NATIONAL SURVEY", International Journal of Electronic Commerce Studies, Vol.8, No.2, pp.108-133, 2017. Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi. org/10.7903/ijecs.1522
Electromyographic activity of vastus medialis obliquus and vastus lateralis muscles during functional activities in subjects with patellofemoral pain syndrome Atividade eletromiográfica do vasto medial oblíquo e vasto lateral durante atividades funcionais em sujeitos com síndrome da dor patelofemura

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the amplitude and onset of electrical activation of the vastus medialis obliquus (VMO), vastus lateralis longus (VLL) and vastus lateralis obliquus (VLO) during functional activities in individuals with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). Methods: Twenty women participated in the study: ten in a control group and ten in the group with PFPS. The electromyographic signal of the quadriceps muscle was detected using simple active differential surface electrodes and a four-channel electromyography system, during open kinetic chain activities (using an isokinetic dynamometer) and closed kinetic chain activities (step and squat maneuvers). For the statistical analysis, Student's t test and ANOVA with Tukey's post-hoc method were used, with a significance level of p≤0.05. Results: The results suggested that the electrical activation of the VMO was less intense than in the VLO (p=0.04) and that there was greater delay in VMO onset (p=0.0023) in the group with PFPS, with regard to all of the functional activities evaluated. There was a significant difference between the VMO and VLO in relation to the activities of isokinetic extension at 30o/s (p=0.042) and step down with knee flexion at 75o (p=0.038) in the group with SDPF, and in the activities of rising from a bench (p=0.041), single-leg hop (p=0.046) and heel raising (p=0.004) in the control group. Conclusions: Under the experimental conditions used, this study suggests that there is an imbalance in the electric activity and abnormal recruitment patterns among the VMO, VLL and VLO muscles in individuals with PFPS, with greater delay and lower amplitude of activation of the VMO in this group.
Antifungal prophylaxis in liver transplant recipients: a randomized placebo‐controlled study

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of two antifungal prophylaxis regimens in liver transplant recipients. One hundred and twenty‐nine consecutive recipients were randomized to receive sequential treatment with intravenous liposomal amphotericin B + oral itraconazole, intravenous fluconazole + oral itraconazole, or intravenous and oral placebo. Frequency and incidence of mycotic colonization, local and systemic infection of mycotic origin, causes of death, and possible risk factors for mycotic infection were evaluated. The incidence of mycotic colonization was higher in the placebo group (P<0.01), but there was no significant difference in the incidence of infection between the three groups. Pre‐transplant colonization, severity of liver disease, and graft rejection were all risk factors for the development of fungal infection. The routine use of antifungal prophylaxis for all liver transplant recipients does not seem to be justified.
Risk of psychiatric disorders in patients with chronic insomnia and sedative-hypnotic prescription: a nationwide population-based follow-up study.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Previous epidemiological studies have established insomnia as a major risk factor for mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders. However, the associations between insomnia with sedative-hypnotic prescriptions and various psychiatric disorders have not been thoroughly examined. The current study involved evaluating the risk of psychiatric disorders, namely schizophrenia, mood, anxiety, somatoform, and substance-related disorders, over a 6-y follow-up period in three groups: patients with insomnia and sedative-hypnotic prescriptions (Inso-Hyp), those with insomnia and without sedative-hypnotic prescriptions (Inso-NonHyp), and those with neither insomnia nor sedative-hypnotic prescriptions (NonInso-NonHyp). METHODS We used a historical cohort study design to compare the risk of psychiatric disorders among the three groups. Data regarding these patients were derived from reimbursement claims recorded in Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to compare the 6-y risk of subsequent psychiatric disorders among the Inso-Hyp, Inso-NonHyp, and NonInso-NonHyp groups. RESULTS Compared with the Inso-NonHyp and NonInso-NonHyp group patients, the Inso-Hyp group patients exhibited a higher risk of psychiatric disorders, particularly bipolar disorders (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR]: 7.60; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.31-10.89 and AHR: 14.69; 95% CI: 11.11-19.43, respectively). Moreover, among the Inso-Hyp patient group, insomnia prescribed with benzodiazepine, a longer duration of sedative-hypnotic action, and higher doses of sedativehypnotics were significantly associated with a higher risk of depressive and anxiety disorders. CONCLUSION The Inso-Hyp group exhibited a higher risk of developing psychiatric disorders than did the Inso-NonHyp and NonInso-NonHyp groups. The results regarding patients with insomnia and sedative-hypnotic prescriptions associated with the risk of psychiatric disorders can serve as a reference for care providers when managing sleep disturbances.
Analyzing China's Blocking of Unpublished Tor Bridges

At the end of 2011, China’s Great Firewall (GFW) began to block unpublished Tor bridges. Past studies of this blocking have found that the ﬁrewall implements both deep packet inspection (DPI) and active probing in order to identify and block usage of the Tor protocol. We build upon the information from previous studies conducted in 2012 and 2015, using a vantage point in China, and bridge relays that we deploy in the US, Canada, and the UK. We determine the extent to which both published and unpublished relays, speciﬁcally bridges, are currently blocked by the GFW. We also analyze the active scanners employed by the GFW, and determine the viability of various deployed circumvention methods. We speciﬁcally observe that a simple technique to identify and not respond to the GFW’s scanners is effective in keeping a bridge relay from being blocked. We conclude by discussing the current circumvention methods, and how best to implement these circumvention meth-ods to improve the accessibility of the Tor based on our measurements.
Incentives Versus Standards: Properties of Accounting Income in Four East Asian Countries, and Implications for Acceptance of IAS

The East Asian countries Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand provide rare insight into the interaction between accounting standards and the incentives of managers and auditors. Their standards derive from common law sources (UK, US, and IAS) that are widely viewed as higher quality than code law standards. However, their preparers’ incentives imply low quality. We show their financial reporting quality is not higher than under code law, with quality operationalized as timely recognition of economic income (particularly losses). It is
The impact of R&D offshoring on the home knowledge production of OECD investing regions

This paper investigates the relationship between home and offshore R&D activities on the knowledge production of the investing home region. Debate is ongoing on whether R&D offshoring complements the R&D performed at home. In the light of increased offshoring of innovative activities to emerging countries, we explicitly focus on Brazil, Russia, India, China, Singapore and Taiwan. We suggest that complementarity should obtain, when home region and offshore R&D activities are dissimilar as well as when offshore R&D activities is about modular and less complex technologies. We ground our predictions on arguments related to geographical technological specialisation and reverse knowledge transfer from offshore locations to home regions within the more general open innovation trend. Using a theoretical framework based on the international business literature and the regional system of innovation perspective, we estimate a knowledge production function for a sample of 221 regions from 21 OECD countries with home region patent applications as the dependent variable. Our test supports our predictions on the complementarity between home region and offshore R&D. (This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)
Everyday solitude, affective experiences, and well-being in old age: the role of culture versus immigration

Abstract Objectives: Being alone is often equated with loneliness. Yet, recent findings suggest that the objective state of being alone (i.e. solitude) can have both positive and negative connotations. The present research aimed to examine (1) affective experience in daily solitude; and (2) the association between everyday affect in solitude and well-being. We examined the distinct roles of culture and immigration in moderating these associations. Method: Using up to 35 daily life assessments of momentary affect, solitude, and emotional well-being in two samples (Canada and China), the study compared older adults who aged in place (local Caucasians in Vancouver , Canada and local Hong Kong Chinese in Hong Kong, China) and older adults of different cultural heritages who immigrated to Canada (immigrated Caucasians and immigrated East Asians). Results: We found that older adults of East Asian heritage experienced more positive and less negative affect when alone than did Caucasians. Reporting positive affect in solitude was more positively associated with well-being in older adults who had immigrated to Canada as compared to those who had aged in place. Conclusions:These findings speak to the unique effects of culture and immigration on the affective correlates of solitude and their associations with well-being in old age.
The Political Economy Consequences of China's Export Slowdown

We study how adverse economic shocks influence political outcomes in strong authoritarian regimes, by examining the export slowdown in China during the mid-2010s. We first show that prefectures that experienced a more severe export slowdown witnessed a significant increase in incidents of labor strikes, using a shift-share instrumental variables strategy. The prefecture party secretary was subsequently more likely to be replaced by the central government, particularly if the rise in strikes was greater than in other prefectures that saw comparable export slowdowns. These patterns are consistent with a simple framework we develop, where the central government makes strategic use of a turnover decision to induce effort from local officials in preserving social stability, and to screen them for retention. In line with the framework’s predictions, we find a heightened emphasis by local party secretaries – particularly younger officials whose career concerns are stronger – on upholding stability following negative export shocks. This is evident in both words (from textual analysis of official speeches) and deeds (from expenditures on public security and social spending).
Promotion Incentives, GDP Manipulation and Economic Growth in China: How Does Sub-National Officials Behave When They Have Performance Pressure?

In this paper, we attempt to answer two questions. What role does a mayor’s promotion incentive play in China’s regional economic growth? How do mayors behave when faced with promotion pressure? In doing so, we argue that significant GDP manipulation could partially reduce the explanatory power of promotion tournament theory in explaining China’s economic growth although through this tournament mechanism, the upper level government could still select high ability officials. To support our argument, we employ a regression discontinuity design that accounts for the age restriction imposed by the Communist Party of China (CPC) on the promotion of China’s prefecture-level city mayors. The empirical results show that mayors’ promotion incentives significantly increase the growth rate of statistical GDP by around 2% to 3%, while their effect on night-time light growth (an indicator of real economic growth) is merely 0.5%. This significant gap can be attributed to the artificial manipulation of GDP statistics, which is about 2.5%. The analysis points to the limits of performance-based promotion scheme in China and calls for caution when studying the complexity of sub-national officials’ behaviors when they have performance pressure.
Post‐mortem changes in myofibrillar proteins of breast and leg muscles from broilers, spent hens and Taiwanese Country Chickens

Post mortem ageing at 4°C was studied in the breast and leg muscles from broilers, White Leghorn spent hens and Taiwanese Country Chickens (TCC). Purified myofibrils were prepared from muscles after 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 days of post mortem storage at 4°C. SDS-PAGE was used to examine the changes in myofibrillar proteins of the muscles. Results showed that 30 kDa components appealed earlier in the breast muscles than in the leg muscles and in the order: broiler, TCC, and spent hen. The intensity of 30 kDa band increased with post mortem time. In the breast muscles, a decrease in the intensity of the α-actinin band could be observed at 1 day post mortem in broilers and TCC and at 3 days post mortem in spent hens. This decrease, however, could not be found in the leg samples until 5 or 7 day post mortem. Titin 1 band disappeared within 3 day post mortem in the breast samples but within 5 days in the leg samples. Similar results could be observed in the degradation of nebulin although traces of nebulin remained in the teg muscles of TCC after 7 days post mortem.
Conspiracy

The proliferation of statutory and common law powers that can be utilised to manage and control public protest gives the police a wide range of options to in any given scenario and requires a careful balance to be struck between the maintenance of order and facilitation of convention rights. This paper discusses a novel use of the criminal law of conspiracy and considers the potential benefits of this approach and the ramifications for the protection of convention rights. It is submitted that the controversial use of the criminal law against Chinese dissidents in the UK was perhaps a result of the law of unintended consequences arising from the development of a body of law that has been piecemeal and reactive.
Concise Information for the Frontline Health care workers in the era of COVID-19

Background: COVID-19, a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 has become a public health emergency of worldwide concern. Originated in Wuhan District of China, it has spread globally at a very rapid rate causing millions of deaths worldwide. Aims and Objectives: To summarize findings from all the current literature available from different databases regarding the epidemiological, clinical characteristics, laboratory diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control of the SARS-CoV-2. This will help out the reader to have a fine gist of all the data available on SARS-CoV-2 in an effective manner. Methods: All the research literature from Jan-March 2020 and available on the following online databases: bio-Rxiv, PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase as well as CNKI and Wang Fang data were included in the review. The keywords used for data search were “coronavirus,” “nCoV,” “2019-nCoV,” and “COVID-19. ” Conclusion: After undergoing extensive literature search, it can be concluded that it mainly effects elderly male population. Mode of transmission is droplet transmission and human to human transmission is present. The main diagnostic modality remains molecular assays though several rapid testing methods are on the way. Due to lack of specific treatment guidelines, Infection control and supportive treatment remain the mainstay. Plethora of experiments are under trails for development of effective vaccine which can be a ray of hope in future.