Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stigmatic receptivity in a dichogamous early-divergent angiosperm species, Annona cherimola (Annonaceae): influence of temperature and humidity.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY A variety of mechanisms to prevent inbreeding have arisen in different angiosperm taxa during plant evolution. In early-divergent angiosperms, a widespread system is dichogamy, in which female and male structures do not mature simultaneously, thus encouraging cross pollination. While this system is common in early-divergent angiosperms, it is less widespread in more recently evolved clades. An evaluation of the consequences of this system on outbreeding may provide clues on this change, but this subject has been little explored. METHODS In this work, we characterized the cycle and anatomy of the flower and studied the influence of temperature and humidity on stigmatic receptivity in Annona cherimola, a member of an early-divergent angiosperm clade with protogynous dichogamy. KEY RESULTS Paternity analysis reveals a high proportion of seeds resulting from self-fertilization, indicating that self-pollination can occur in spite of the dichogamous system. Stigmatic receptivity is environmentally modulated--shortened by high temperatures and prolonged by high humidity. CONCLUSIONS Although spatial and temporal sexual separation in this system seems to effectively decrease selfing, the system is modulated by environmental conditions and may allow high levels of selfing that can guarantee reproductive assurance.
Increased Risk of Parkinson's Disease in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea

AbstractObstructive sleep apnea (OSA), characterized by repetitive episodes of apnea/hypopnea and hypoxia, is associated with systemic inflammation and induces metabolic, endocrine, and cardiovascular diseases. Inflammation might have an impact on neurodegenerative diseases. This study investigates the possible association between OSA and Parkinson's disease (PD). Random samples out of 1 million individuals were collected from Taiwan's National Health Insurance database. A total of 16,730 patients with newly diagnosed OSA from 2002 to 2008 were recruited and compared with a cohort of 16,730 patients without OSA matched for age, gender, and comorbidities using propensity scoring. All patients were tracked until a diagnosis of PD, death, or the end of 2011.During the mean 5.6-year follow-up period, the incidence rates of PD were 2.30 per 1000 person-years in the OSA cohort and 1.71per 1000 person-years in the comparison group. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) for PD was greater in older patients (≧ 65 years) and male patients with OSA than the controls, respective IRRs being 1.34 and 1.47. After adjustment for the comorbidities, patients with OSA were 1.37 times more likely to have PD than patients without (95% CI = 1.12–1.68, P < 0.05). Subgroup analysis showed that older patients and patients with coronary artery disease, stroke, or chronic kidney disease had a higher risk for PD than their counter parts. Log-rank analysis revealed that patients with OSA had significantly higher cumulative incidence rates of PD than the comparison group (P = 0.0048). Patients with OSA are at an increased risk for subsequent PD, especially elderly male patients.
Maternal somatic mosaicism of FOXF1 mutation causes recurrent alveolar capillary dysplasia with misalignment of pulmonary veins in siblings

Maternal Somatic Mosaicism of FOXF1 Mutation Causes Recurrent Alveolar Capillary Dysplasia with Misalignment of Pulmonary Veins in Siblings Ho Ming Luk, Tao Tang, Kwong Wai Richard Choy, Ming For Tony Tong, On Kit Wong, and Fai Man Ivan Lo* Department of Health, Clinical Genetic Service, Hong Kong, China Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China Department of Pathology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong, China
Examining How the Great Firewall Discovers Hidden Circumvention Servers

Recently, the operators of the national censorship infrastructure of China began to employ "active probing" to detect and block the use of privacy tools. This probing works by passively monitoring the network for suspicious traffic, then actively probing the corresponding servers, and blocking any that are determined to run circumvention servers such as Tor. We draw upon multiple forms of measurements, some spanning years, to illuminate the nature of this probing. We identify the different types of probing, develop fingerprinting techniques to infer the physical structure of the system, localize the sensors that trigger probing---showing that they differ from the "Great Firewall" infrastructure---and assess probing's efficacy in blocking different versions of Tor. We conclude with a discussion of the implications for designing circumvention servers that resist such probing mechanisms.
On the mis-presentation and misinterpretation of gender-related data: The case of Ingalhalikar’s human connectome study

In a PNAS paper on the human connectome, Ingalhalikar et al. conclude that their “results reveal fundamental sex differences in the structural architecture of the human brain” and link these differences to behavioral sex differences (1). Others have previously referred to the difficulties in linking sex differences in brain structure to sex differences in behavior (2). We would like to focus here on the selective choice of data that forms the basis for such strong conclusions. Specifically, Ingalhalikar et al. claim that they have found “fundamentally different connectivity patterns in males and females” (1), with males having greater intrahemispheric connectivity and females, greater interhemispheric connectivity. Indeed, inspection of figure 2A in ref. 1, which depicts over one brain the connections that were stronger in males compared with females, and over another brain the connections that were stronger in females compared with males, clearly gives this impression. However, does this impression present a loyal picture of the human connectome? Clearly figure 2 in ref. 1 does not represent reality, as in reality both males and females have both intra- and interhemispheric connections. The authors only found a difference between the strength of some of these connections—that is, a quantitative difference—yet they present it as a qualitative one. Moreover, Ingalhalikar et al. do not provide any data that can help the reader evaluate the size of the differences and therefore corroborate the authors’ conclusion that these differences are indeed fundamental. Specifically, the authors do not provide the number of connections (of the 95 × 95 assessed) that show a sex difference, so we do not know whether the two genders were mainly similar or mainly different. Nor do Ingalhalikar et al. provide any estimate of the size of these differences (such as Cohen’s d) that is needed to evaluate the extent of overlap between the distribution of the strength of these connections in males and in females. Such information is needed to determine whether the statistically significant differences are also meaningful. It should be stressed that for any given difference between means, there is a sample size for which this difference will be statistically significant. For example, in a behavioral study in which the imaging subjects were a subset (3), Cohen’s d as small as 0.02 (i.e., the difference between the means of males and females was 2% of the SD) were statistically significant because of the large sample size [∼3,500; the highest Cohen’s d in that study was 0.33 (3)].
Information and communicative technology use enhances psychological well-being of older adults: the roles of age, social connectedness, and frailty status

ABSTRACT Objectives: Information and communicative technology (ICT) use is a potential vehicle for improving the psychological well-being (PWB) of older people. We examined the roles of age, frailty, and social connectedness in the relationship between ICT use and PWB. Method: Telephone interviews were conducted in mid-2016 with 1201 participants aged 50 and above (55.7% female) residing in Hong Kong, China. The participants reported PWB, ICT use (frequency of using the Internet and smart devices), frailty status, contact with family, friends, and neighbors, self-rated health, subjective financial sufficiency, education level, and employment status. Results: We found that the association between ICT and PWB was moderated by age: ICT was associated with PWB only among old-olds (75+), but not in other age groups. This moderation was mediated by contact with family, but not with friends or neighbors. The moderation was further qualified by frailty status: the ICT-by-age moderation was found only among frail, but not pre-frail or robust older adults. Conclusion: The findings suggest that ICT use can potentially enhance the PWB of older adults aged 75+ through facilitating their contact with family members. These benefits might be particularly salient for those who were frail. Improving ICT access and literacy among older adults may be promising.
A problem solving strategy based on a case study from SARS epidemic

In the first half of the year 2003, the whole world was seriously panicked by SARS, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndromes. Taiwan was also heavily stricken. While the public in Taiwan was run over by the fear of this unprecedented disaster, the key factors contributing to the ineffective control of the epidemic was identified to be a series of fault decisions made by the panic-stricken official. Since March 31, 2013, a cumulative total of 400 H7N9 influenza infections, including 125 deaths, have been confirmed in China and Hong Kong. Thus far, a cumulative total of 601 suspected H7N9 cases and 156 deaths worldwide have been reported to Taiwan CDC (Centers for Disease Control). The infection in Taiwan has been confirmed in four imported cases, including one death. In order to provide a problem solving strategy for well managing this potential crisis by government, this study tries to use the concept of Case Based Reasoning (CBR) to apply a case study of SARS epidemic. One important question is often asked: what would have happened if the disease control officer had competent problem solving skills and had timely reacted in line with this epidemic development? It is our task to simulate the problem solving process in the SARS war by deploying the Theory of Constraints (TOC) Problem Solving Model. We also discuss and demonstrate some of findings about TOC application in problem solving.
Newspaper coverage of the 2011 protests in Egypt

This study analyses the coverage of the 2011 Egyptian protests provided by Al Ahram, Arab News, China Daily, Guardian International, International Herald Tribune and Jerusalem Post, with regard to the type and intensity of the coverage, potential shifts in tunes and interaction with some types of social media. The results show the large role played by national policies and diplomatic relations as well as prevailing news themes in determining the type and intensity of coverage provided. Geographic proximity was also found to be an important factor in influencing coverage. Moreover, a shift in tune, although not significant, was found in the coverage of Al Ahram and Arab News. Finally, the study found that journalists demonstrated a clear preference for citing conventional rather than social media sources in their stories.
Beliefs about Overconfidence, Including Its Cross-National Variation

A commonly used judgment research task requires the subject to choose among alternative answers to a general knowledge question and then state a probability that the selected response is correct. People often exhibit overconfidence in this task. Such overconfidence is stronger in most Asian countries than in Western countries. This article addresses lay expectations and accounts for this difference, as well as for such overconfidence more generally. An empirical study demonstrated that subjects in both Taiwan and the United States typically expect cross-national variations to be the opposite of those that actually occur. It also showed that dominant lay theories for overconfidence rest exclusively on factors such as inflated self-appraisals. A review revealed that such accounts are consistent with scholarly self-esteem explanations for a variety of self-appraisals. However, existing data imply that overconfidence in general knowledge rests on other mechanisms. The extensive theoretical and practical implications of the observed overconfidence misattributions and cross-national variations are discussed.
Oral Sex, Young People, and Gendered Narratives of Reciprocity

Young people in many countries report gender differences in giving and receiving oral sex, yet examination of young people’s own perspectives on gender dynamics in oral heterosex are relatively rare. We explored the constructs and discourses 16- to 18-year-old men and women in England used in their accounts of oral sex during in-depth interviews. Two contrasting constructs were in circulation in the accounts: on one hand, oral sex on men and women was narrated as equivalent, while on the other, oral sex on women was seen as “a bigger deal” than oral sex on men. Young men and women used a “give and take” discourse, which constructed the mutual exchange of oral sex as “fair. ” Appeals to an ethic of reciprocity in oral sex enabled women to present themselves as demanding equality in their sexual interactions, and men as supporting mutuality. However, we show how these ostensibly positive discourses about equality also worked in narratives to obscure women’s constrained agency and work with respect to giving oral sex.
Cultural Relativity in Action: A Comparison of Self-Ratings Made by Chinese and U.S. Workers

Using a sample of 982 leader-subordinate dyads drawn from nine different organizations in the Republic of China (i.e., Taiwan), self-ratings of performance were compared with supervisory ratings of subordinate performance. Results indicated that Chinese employees rated their job performance less favorably than did their supervisors (i.e., they exhibited a modesty bias). This modesty bias occurred relatively uniformly across gender, various educational levels, and age groups. These results are contrary to the typically reported U.S. finding that self-ratings of performance are more lenient than are supervisory ratings. A further comparison of the means of supervisory and self-ratings between this study and previous U.S. research revealed that the modesty bias appeared to be produced by the lower self-ratings made by Chinese workers as compared to their U.S. counterparts. The findings suggest that culture plays a critical role in shaping workers' perceptions of their own work performance. Results of this study are discussed in terms of their implications for future research and practice in international human resource management.
¿Push-Pull¿ Factors Influencing International Student Destination Choice

Examines the factors motivating international student choice of the host country. It describes a “push‐pull” model motivating the student’s desire to seek overseas education and influencing the decision process in selection of a final study destination. Drawing on the findings from research studies undertaken in Indonesia, Taiwan, China and India, the paper examines the factors influencing host country selection and additional research that examines the factors influencing choice of final host institution. Based on these findings the paper argues that economic and social forces within the home country serve to “push” students abroad. However, the decision as to which host country they will select is dependent on a variety of “pull” factors. After drawing together the findings, the paper then examines the implications for governments and education institutions seeking to recruit international students.
How Did China's WTO Entry Benefit U.S. Consumers?

China's rapid rise in the global economy following its 2001 WTO entry has raised questions about its economic impact on the rest of the world. In this paper, we focus on the U.S. market and potential consumer benefits. We find that the China trade shock reduced the U.S. manufacturing price index by 7.6 percent between 2000 and 2006. In principle, this consumer welfare gain could be driven by two distinct policy changes that occurred with WTO entry. The first, which has received much attention in the literature, is the U.S. granting permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) to China, effectively removing the threat of China facing very high tariffs on its exports to the U.S. A second, new channel we identify is China reducing its own input tariffs. Our results show that China's lower input tariffs increased its imported inputs, boosting Chinese firms' productivity and their export values and varieties. Lower input tariffs also reduced Chinese export prices to the U.S. market. In contrast, PNTR had no effect on Chinese productivity nor export prices, but did increase Chinese entry into the U.S. export market. We find that at least two-thirds of the China WTO effect on the U.S. price index of manufactured goods was through China lowering its own tariffs on intermediate inputs.
Psychosocial Factors Predicting SARS-Preventive Behaviors in Four Major SARS-Affected Regions

This multinational study examined intended and actual adoption of SARS-preventive behaviors in major SARS-affected regions: Guangdong (China), Hong Kong, Singapore, and Toronto (Canada). The theory of reasoned action (TRA) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) were adopted as theoretical frameworks. A measure was constructed to assess attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control (PBC), knowledge of SARS, and SARS-preventive behaviors. Seventy-five working adults were recruited from each region. They completed the new measure in an initial study, and reported their actual behaviors 2 weeks later. Results provided cross-cultural generalizability of the TRA by showing that attitude and subject norm predicted SARS-preventive behaviors for all the groups. PBC was a statistically significant predictor for all participants except those from Guangdong, indicating that the TPB is applicable only to people from Hong Kong, Singapore, and Toronto. Knowledge of SARS also was found to be an independent predictor.
The Influence of Type 2 Diabetes and Glucose-Lowering Therapies on Cancer Risk in the Taiwanese

OBJECTIVE To investigate the association between type 2 diabetes, glucose-lowering therapies (monotherapy with either metformin, sulphonylurea or insulin) and cancer risk in Taiwan. METHODS Using Taiwan's National Health Research Institutes database of 1,000,000 random subjects from 2000-2008, we found 61777 patients with type 2 diabetes (age ≥20 years) and 677378 enrollees with no record of diabetes. RESULTS After adjusting for age and sex, we found patients with diabetes to have significantly higher risk of all cancers (OR: 1.176; 95% CI: 1.149-1.204, P < 0.001). Diabetic patients treated with insulin or sulfonylureas had significantly higher risk of all cancers, compared to those treated with metformin (OR: 1.583; 95% CI: 1.389-1.805, P < 0.001 and OR: 1.784; 95% CI: 1.406-2.262, P < 0.001). Metformin treatment was associated with a decreased risk of colon and liver cancer compared to sulphonylureas or insulin treatment. Sulfonylureas treatment was associated with an increased risk of breast and lung cancer compared to metformin therapy. CONCLUSIONS Taiwanese with type 2 diabetes are at a high risk of breast, prostate, colon, lung, liver and pancreatic cancer. Those treated with insulin or sulfonylureas monotherapy are more likely to develop colon and liver cancer than those treated with metformin.
European Union's Arms Embargo on China: Implications and Options for U.S. Policy. CRS Report to Congress

Abstract : The European Union (EU) is considering lifting its arms embargo on China, which was imposed in response to the June 1989 Tiananmen Crackdown. France, Germany, and other EU members claim that the embargo hinders the development of a "strategic partnership" with China. The Bush Administration and Members of Congress strongly oppose an end to the EU's arms embargo and urge stronger arms export controls. The United States contends that engagement with China need not send the wrong signals on China's human rights record and military buildup that threaten a peaceful resolution of Taiwan and other issues. The EU argues that the arms embargo -- which is not legally binding -- is weak and largely symbolic. Indeed, some EU members reportedly have allowed defense-related exports to China under the arms embargo. While such sales have raised questions about the effectiveness of the EU's arms embargo on China, they also point to the potential for future sales of military equipment or technology to China. EU governments stress that if and when the embargo is overturned, its end would be accompanied by a stronger EU arms export control regime that will improve accountability and better control arms sales to China and elsewhere. U.S. critics, however, remain skeptical that even a tighter EU Code will contain sufficient enforcement and transparency mechanisms to dissuade EU countries from exporting advanced defense technologies that could enhance China's military buildup and ultimately threaten common U.S., European, and Asian interests in peace and stability. Overall, there are two questions for Congress in examining U.S. policy toward the fate of the EU's arms embargo: what are the implications for U.S. interests in trans-Atlantic relations and China? ; and if U.S. interests are adversely affected, what are some options for Congress to discourage the EU from lifting its arms embargo on China and, if it is lifted, to protect U.S. national security interests in both Asia and Europ7
Social Capital and the Global Economy

Conventional maps of the global economy divide the major players into three groups: the United States and its partners in the North American Free Trade Agreement, the European Union (eu), and East Asia, led by Japan but with the four dragons (South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore) and the People's Republic of China catching up rapidly. This three-pronged geography is said to correspond to major divisions in the approach to political economy: at one pole lie Japan and the newly industrialized Asian economies, which have relied heavily on state-centered industrial policies to guide their development, while at the other extreme lies the United States, with its commitment to free-market liberalism. Europe, with its extensive social welfare policies, lies somewhere in between. This familiar map, while not wrong, is today not the most useful way of understanding global economic geography. The most striking difference among capitalist countries is their industrial structure. Ger many, Japan, and the United States were quick to adopt the corporate form of organization as they industrialized in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and today their economies are hosts to giant, professionally managed corporations like Siemens, Toyota, Ford, and Motorola. By contrast, the private sectors of France, Italy, and capi