Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of miR-155 rs767649 Polymorphism on Rheumatoid Arthritis Activity in Egyptian Patients

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory condition that impacts not only the musculoskeletal system but also various other systems in the body, including the cutaneous, ocular, respiratory, cardiovascular, and circulatory systems. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of naturally occurring and highly conserved transcripts that primarily function in the regulation of gene expression. They accomplish this by facilitating the degradation of messenger RNA (mRNA) or by repressing mRNA translation. miRNAs are well-known regulators of a variety of cellular processes. Therefore, we aimed to detect the impact of miR-155 rs767649 polymorphism on RA activity. Methods: This case-control study included 66 Egyptian patients with RA who visited Al-Zhraa University Hospital, Internal Medicine Department, Cairo, Egypt, and 50 apparently healthy control subjects matched for age and sex. The participants were subjected to full clinical evaluation, including assessments of the disease activity score (DAS), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), liver and kidney function, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (anti-CCP), and miR-155 polymorphism using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: In the RA group, the majority (98.5%) were female, with a mean age of 43 years, while in the control group, 94% were female, with a mean age of 43.4 years. Comparison of laboratory parameters indicated significantly lower hemoglobin levels, higher ESR, and higher serum creatinine and anti-CCP levels in the RA group than in the control group. The RA group had a significantly higher frequency of TT genotypes and significantly lower frequencies of TA and TT genotypes than the control group. Considering the TT genotype and T allele as references, TA, AA, and TA/AA genotypes in the dominant model; AA in the recessive model; and A allele were significantly associated with protective effects against RA development (p<0.05, odds ratio<1). Conclusion: rs767649, the functional variant of miR-155, plays an important role in susceptibility to the increased risk of RA, suggesting that miR-155 can be used as a therapeutic target for the treatment of Egyptian patients with RA.
Russian invasion 2022: analysis of persistent volatility and return spillovers among IMOEX, WTI and Russian OT (10Y)

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is creating instability in the financial markets, with European stock markets falling, and the effects reflected in energy and food prices. A war scenario brings with it a humanitarian crisis and it is the most vulnerable who suffer the worst consequences. Based on these events it is intended in this paper to test the persistence of returns on the IMOEX capital market, Russian Sovereign OT (10 YR), and the WTI oil index over the period April 24th, 2017, to April 22nd, 2022. To perform this analysis different approaches were undertaken to analyse, if: (i) do the analysed markets exhibit persistence in their returns? The results suggest that the returns do not follow the i.i. d. hypothesis from dimension 2, reinforcing the idea that time series returns are nonlinear in nature or have a significant nonlinear component, except for the Russian capital market, which was expected considering the results of the Ljung-Box (with squares of the returns) and ARCH-LM tests. These findings allow the creation of efficient portfolio diversification strategies, opening room for market regulators to take steps to ensure better informational information for investors operating in these financial markets.
One Country, Two Legal Systems?

From May 31 to June 13, 1999, the Joseph R. Crowley Program in International Human Rights (or “delegation”) conducted a mission in Hong Kong in conjunction with the Committee on International Human Rights of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York (‘Association‘ or ‘ABCNY ‘). The purpose of the mission was to examine the status of the rule of law in Hong Kong two years after the transition from British to Chinese rule. This Special Report documents the delegation’s investigation, summarizes its findings, and sets forth its conclusions and recommendations. Part I considers the rule of law as a foundation of international human rights and China’s obligations under international law to protect the rule of law in Hong Kong. After recounting the right of abode decisions themselves, it examines both the legality and prudence of the HKSAR administration’s request for a reinterpretation, including the alternatives that it could have pursued. This Part concludes by analyzing the reinterpretation that Beijing issued and the effect it has had, or is likely to have, on subsequent related cases. Part II examines Hong Kong’s progress towards full democracy, measuring that progress against the Basic Law and international law. It begins by reviewing the relevant international obligations applicable to the PRC and the HKSAR. Next, this part details the electoral system and limits on legislative power, including the composition of LegCo, Hong’s Kong’s legislature, the selection of the Chief Executive, and the separation of powers within the HKSAR government. Finally, this Part assesses the development of democratization in Hong Kong in light of the international standards previously discussed. The third and final part of this Special Report explores the status and implementation of Hong Kong’s basic international human rights obligations under its domestic law. It then focuses on two areas, labor rights and anti-discrimination protection, as case studies in which fundamental rights protected under international law have been eroded or underenforced by the HKSAR administration.
Oral sex and transmission of non-viral STIs.

OBJECTIVES: To review the literature on the role of oral sex in the transmission of non-viral sexually transmitted infections (STIs). METHOD: A Medline search was performed using the keywords oro-genital sex, and those specific to each infection. Further references were then taken from each article read. CONCLUSIONS: Oral sex is a common sexual practice between both heterosexual and homosexual couples. Oro-genital sex is implicated as a route of transmission for gonorrhoea, syphilis, Chlamydia trachomatis, chancroid, and Neisseria meningitidis. Other respiratory organisms such as streptococci, Haemophilus influenzae, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae could also be transmitted by this route. Fellatio confers risk for acquisition of infection by the oral partner. Cunnilingus appears to predispose to recurrent vaginal candidiasis although the mechanism for this is unclear, while a link between oro-genital sex and bacterial vaginosis is currently being studied. Oro-anal sex is implicated in the transmission of various enteric infections. In view of the increased practice of oral sex this has become a more important potential route of transmission for oral, respiratory, and genital pathogens.
Bradycardia and Hypotension from Improper Use of Aconite Root: A Case Report and Brief Review

Background: Adverse reactions associated with Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) are usually the result of unpredictable active/toxic ingredients, inaccurate or mistaken beliefs, or poor supervision. The herb that most commonly induces severe adverse effects in Hong Kong and China is aconite root. More than 200 species of Aconitum plants are used for medicinal purposes, with aconite roots producing analgesic, anti-inflammatory, cardiotonic, and anti-tumor effects. The active components are alkaloids; these can be toxic, but CHM processing methods lower their toxicity and increase the pharmacological efficacy. However, aconite poisoning can result from inadequate decoction time or exceeding the recommended dose. Case Report: Here we report the case of a 92-year-old woman who presented with life-threatening bradycardia and hypotension. This started 1 h after she inappropriately consumed a herbal decoction containing Fuzi for mood fluctuation and health maintenance; Fuzi, an aconite root, has known cardiotoxicity. Electrocardiography showed supraventricular abnormalities, including sinus bradycardia and low-amplitude P waves. After an infusion of normal saline and inotropic agents for 25 h, the clinical manifestations subsided, her sinus rhythm returned to normal, and she was discharged. At follow-up 2 weeks later, she was in good health and had ceased taking any CHM. Conclusions: Standardized processing methods, stringent regulations, and cooperation between health professions can ensure medication safety and establish a fully-fledged operating process for these valuable drugs. We hope this report will help establish correct attitudes toward CHM and will assist Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners to become more familiar with Aconitum plants.
The Emission of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins and Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans from Steel and Cement-Kiln Plants in Vietnam

Stack gas and fly ash samples were collected in two steel plants and three cement kiln plants for the determination of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). A standard sampling method (U.S EPA method 23) was used following the requirements for isokinetic sampling of stack gas emission. The quantification of PCDD/Fs was done by high resolution gas chromatography, coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/ HRMS). The results demonstrated that PCDD/F concentrations in steel plants varied from 0.234 to 0.577 ng/Nm 3 on a mass basis, and 0.048 to 0.166 ng/Nm 3 on a TEQ basis. In cement kiln plants, the mass concentration varied from 0.280 to 5.32 ng/Nm 3 , while TEQ concentration varied from 0.033 to 0.837 ng TEQ/Nm 3 . In general, PCDD/F emissions from steel industry in Vietnam were slightly lower than those reported for European Union, and were comparable to those reported for Taiwan and Korea. A similar trend was observed for the emissions of PCDD/Fs from cement kiln industry in Vietnam. PCDD/F emission factors for steel and cement kiln industries were also estimated to compare with the guidelines of the UNEP for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) inventory.
Monitoring of Thromboembolic Events Prophylaxis: Where Do We Stand?

Background: Thromboembolic events are one of the most important causes of mortality in the hospitalized patients. Evaluation of anticoagulants intake patterns compared to the standard treatment guidelines is necessary for improving the quality of prophylaxis managements. The present study was performed to evaluate the pattern of heparin and enoxaparin intake compared to the standard treatment guidelines for thromboprophylaxis. Methods: The present study was conducted on 305 patients admitted to the two referral teaching hospitals. The patients were classified according to the treatment guidelines of American College of Chest Physicians and based on the type of risk (low, moderate, and high). Finally, prophylaxis regimen was assessed based on the standard treatment guidelines and the intervention was performed in case of contradiction. Results: In this study, averagely, prophylactic regimen showed 83.3% compliance with the standard treatment guidelines. Moreover, 188 patients (61.6%) were in moderate and high risk groups and needed prophylaxis therapy. Among these patients, 93% (175 patients) received appropriate prophylaxis. According to the results, being above 40 years old, infection, and inactivity were the most important risk factors in the patients with the prevalence of 81.6%, 47.9%, and 43.3%, respectively. Conclusion: Although treatment guidelines are available for the prophylaxis of thromboembolic events, prophylaxis regimens are not always administered in accordance with these guidelines. Failure to observe these guidelines could increase the cost of treatment and risk of thrombosis as well as other serious problems for the patients. J Hematol. 2015;4(4):223-227 doi: http://dx.doi. org/10.14740/jh232e
KRAS mutation and abnormal expression of Cripto‐1 as two potential candidate biomarkers for detection of colorectal cancer development

Colorectal cancer (CRC), regardless of standard procedures of treatment and screening, is still considered one of the deadliest cancers in the Western world, and in economically developed Asian countries, especially Iran. The current study was undertaken to investigate whether changes in the level of Cripto‐1 (CR‐1) expression and KRAS mutations have a cumulative effect on the onset and progression of CRC. Fifty colorectal tissue samples, including 35 colorectal carcinomas with matching adjacent mucosa, and 15 colorectal adenomas, were chosen for analysis. Twenty‐five CRC biopsies and 15 adenoma were analyzed for KRAS mutations by DNA sequencing (Sanger sequencing), and all 50 patients (35 CRCs and 15 adenomas) were evaluated by immunohistochemistry for the CR‐1 protein expression. The inducible somatic KRAS mutation (G12D) was observed in nine (36%) of CRC patients, and in two (13.3%) of adenoma patients. The CR‐1 expression level in both adenomas (P < .05) and carcinomas (P < .001), were significantly different, compared with the matching adjacent mucosa. The intensity of CR‐1 staining in adenomas was less than the intensity of staining, detected in the CRCs (P < .001). The G12D KRAS mutation and CR‐1 abnormalities are significantly associated as two signature biomarkers with potential clinical characteristics for the detection of CRC development.
Professional work and learning with smartphones: a comparative study of school librarians from Australia, Hong Kong and United Kingdom

The study explores the role of mobile technologies in school librarians‟ daily work and professional learning and development. The aim of the study is to examine how school librarians search, access, use and share information via their smartphones, what smartphone functionalities they use for these purposes, and what apps and social media are most frequently used. The study is based on empirical research conducted on a sample of school librarians/teacher librarians in Australia, Hong Kong and United Kingdom. Data were collected with online survey. The major finding of this study is that school librarians in Australia and Hong Kong widely use smartphone technologies for their daily needs and for professional work and learning. Various smartphone functionalities tools are used to satisfy these varied needs. Also school librarians from Hong Kong use various smartphone functionalities more frequently than study participants from Australia and UK. Barriers to smartphone use are also discussed but it seems that they do not detract school librarians from using smartphone technologies for their daily professional activities.
Revisiting the Asian regulatory regimes in transnational education: how local politics (re)oriented higher education policy in Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong

ABSTRACT Literature suggests that state–market relations in Asian transnational education appear as a hybrid of economic socialism and economic liberalism as well as of supra-territoriality and sovereignty. Such a notion of hybrid focuses on how Asian states manage the struggles over the meaning and value of higher education, thereby addressing various ways in which states participate in neoliberal globalisation. This paper argues that Asian states’ higher education policy choices are restricted by local politics and the resulting policy agendas. This argument explains the paradoxical situation that Malaysia continuously encounters when developing its regulatory regime to govern transnational education. The argument also illuminates the recalibrations that appeared in the transnational education policies of Singapore and Hong Kong. The paradox and recalibrations reveal how a political perspective on transnational education is important to understand Asian states’ responses to globalisation in higher education regardless of the nature of their regulatory regimes.
Trouble in Paradise? Disclosure After Tax Haven Leaks

Tax haven leaks have attracted negative public attention in recent years, prompting scrutiny of corporate behavior in leaked jurisdictions. We investigate whether U.S. companies with subsidiaries in implicated tax havens change their disclosure behavior after a leak. The Offshore Leaks, Panama Papers, Bahamas Leaks, and Paradise Papers are included in this study. We analyze the leaks as separate exogenous shocks to the affected firms’ behavior using a difference-in-differences approach. First, we focus on the readability of tax footnotes in annual reports. Our results suggest that tax footnotes are less readable after a firm’s tax haven is implicated in a leak. This finding suggests that implicated firms try to obfuscate information and hide unethical conduct. Second, we investigate firms’ disclosures of tax expenses using GAAP effective tax rates and find that companies report higher tax expenses after a leak. These changes in behavior could indicate that firms are concerned about the increasingly critical public attitude toward doing business in leaked low-tax jurisdictions and that they are taking measures to counteract possible negative reputational consequences. JEL Classification: F23, G14, H26, M41
Analysis of Herding Behavior in Developing Countries

When faced with market uncertainty and high volatility in financial markets, the potential for herding behavior in the stock market is likely to increase. This will cause instability in the financial market and also the economy of a country. The purpose of this study is to analyze herding behavior in the stock markets of developing countries including China, the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Taiwan and Thailand. This type of research is quantitative research and the population in this study is stocks listed on the Stock Exchanges of all developing countries with a time period from January 2016 to December 2020. The sampling method used is purposive sampling. The data used are monthly stock index data, VIX, world oil prices and the fed funds rate. Data analysis was performed through panel data regression, which is a combination of cross section and time series using the Eviews program. The results showed that there was no herding behavior in developing countries. The result of this research is that the fed fund rate has a significant effect on herding behavior in developing countries, especially in Indonesia. Keywords: Herding, Market Volatility, Oil Price, Fed Fund Rate.
COVID and Cognitive Warfare in Taiwan

In this study, we examine China’s cognitive warfare coordinated with military air operations during the COVID pandemic in Taiwan. In May 2021, Taiwan experienced its first novel coronavirus outbreak with up to 500 daily cases. The Chinese government launched a series of coordinated “cognitive warfare” campaigns targeting Taiwan in addition to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) frequent air force incursions into Taiwan’s air zone. Meanwhile, through manipulation of the vaccine supply, China turned COVID vaccine into a political issue in Taiwan involving multiple players including pharmaceutical developers, tech giants, and local politicians. Combining multiple sources of data, we analyze the Chinese Government’s orchestrated cognitive and information warfare (IW) efforts targeted at influencing the Taiwan public’s trust in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government as well as its home-developed vaccine. Identifying the patterns of influencing using cognitive and IW, we found China’s ultimate goal was to instill skepticism and confusion in Taiwan’s public about the President Tsai Ing-wen’s health policy and more generally undermine the creditability of the DPP government.
Intracellular Transport of Vaccinia Virus in HeLa Cells Requires WASH – VPEF / FAM 21 – 1 Retromer Complexes and Recycling molecules Rab 11 and Rab 22 2 3 Running head : WASH-VPEF / FAM 21-Retromer in Vaccinia Trafficking 4

1 Retromer Complexes and Recycling molecules Rab11 and Rab22 2 3 Running head: WASH-VPEF/FAM21-Retromer in Vaccinia Trafficking 4 Jye-Chian Hsiao, Li-Wei Chu , Yung-Tsun Lo, Sue-Ping Lee, Tzu-Jung Chen, Cheng5 Yen Huang, Yueh-Hsin Ping and Wen Chang 6 Institute of Molecular Biology, Imaging core, Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, 7 Institute of Genome Sciences, Department and Institute of Pharmacology, Institute of 8 Biophotonics, Biophotonics and Molecular Imaging Research Center, VYM Genome Research 9 Center, Infection and Immunity Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, 10 Taiwan, Republic of China. 11 12 Word count for the Abstract: 172 words 13 Word count for Importance: 126 words 14 Word count for the text: 5750 words 15
A review of 40 years of interpreting research in China (1978–2018)

Abstract Through the methods of literature review and content analysis of mostly journal articles (and occasionally other types of literature when necessary), this paper is the first to examine and review the 40 years of development in interpreting research in China (Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan all included) since the adoption of the policy of “reform and opening up” in 1978. It divides these 40 years of interpreting research in China into three periods: a stage of initial development (1978–1995), a stage of relatively quick development (1996–2005) and a stage of vigorous growth (2006–2018). Based on a panoramic view of the general picture, the paper further investigates the popular research topics, major research methods and main characteristics of each period through a combined quantitative and qualitative approach. Thus, it also showcases the overall and period-specific characteristics of how interpreting research has progressed in China, as well as the quality and quantity of the respective research results that were produced in the past 4 decades. This is followed by an analysis of the problems and insufficiencies that exist in China’s interpreting studies at present. In so doing, the article is finally able to provide advice for future interpreting research in China.
Estimating the potential for coral adaptation to global warming across the Indo‐West Pacific

The potential of reef‐building corals to adapt to increasing sea‐surface temperatures is often debated but has rarely been comprehensively modeled on a region‐wide scale. We used individual‐based simulations to model adaptation to warming in a coral metapopulation comprising 680 reefs and representing the whole of the Central Indo‐West Pacific. Encouragingly, some reefs—most notably Vietnam, Japan, Taiwan, New Caledonia and the southern half of the Great Barrier Reef—exhibited high capacity for adaptation and, in our model, maintained coral cover even under a rapid “business‐as‐usual” warming scenario throughout the modeled period (200 years). Higher resilience of these reefs was observed under all tested parameter settings except the models prohibiting selection and/or migration during warming. At the same time, the majority of reefs in the region tended to collapse within the first 100 years of warming. The adaptive potential (odds of maintaining high coral cover) of a given reef could be predicted based on two metrics: the reef's present‐day temperature, and the proportion of recruits immigrating from warmer locations. The latter metric explains the most variation in adaptive potential, and significantly correlates with actual coral cover changes observed throughout the region between the 1970s and the early 2000s. These findings will help prioritize coral conservation efforts and plan assisted gene flow interventions to boost the adaptive potential of specific coral populations.