Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Professionals' Criteria for Detecting and Reporting Child Sexual Abuse

Professionals who are likely to come into contact with children play an essential role in the protection of children, thus we aimed to study the criteria they use to identify and report child sexual abuse cases. Based on the Factorial Survey design, we presented 974 Spanish (90%) and Latin American professionals from six fields (Psychology, Social Services, Education, Health, Law and Security) with hypothetical situations of sexual interaction with minors (systematically varying the type of sexual act, the child's and the other person's sex and age, the use of coercion and the type of strategy employed to involve the child), in order to examine their perception of abuse and willingness to report. According to results, the factors or criteria that most impact assessments are age asymmetry and use of coercion. Specifically, professionals are significantly more likely to perceive abuse and intend to report it if the other person involved in the interaction is much older than the minor and/or uses a coercive strategy, especially force, drugs or blackmail. Another relevant criterion is the type of sexual act, since acts involving intercourse, digital penetration or oral sex are significantly more likely to be deemed as abuse and reported. Los profesionales de disciplinas que favorecen el contacto con niños/as juegan un papel esencial en la protección de la infancia y por ello, estudiamos cuáles son los criterios que aplican para detectar y denunciar casos de abuso sexual. Basándonos en la Encuesta Factorial, preguntamos a 974 profesionales españoles (90%) y latinoamericanos de seis ramas distintas (Psicología, Servicios Sociales, Educación, Salud, Justicia y Seguridad) si consideran abusivas y si denunciarían diversas situaciones hipotéticas de interacción sexual (variando sistemáticamente el tipo de conducta sexual, el sexo y la edad del menor y la otra persona, el uso de coerción y la estrategia usada para implicar al menor). Los resultados indican que la asimetría de edad y el uso de coerción son los criterios que más tienen en cuenta los profesionales; en concreto, la probabilidad de percibir un abuso y denunciar es significativamente mayor si la otra persona en la interacción tiene mucha más edad que el menor y/o usa una estrategia coercitiva, especialmente, las drogas, la fuerza o el chantaje. Otro criterio importante es el tipo de conducta sexual, dado que los actos de coito, penetración digital, y sexo oral tienen una probabilidad significativamente mayor de percibirse como abusivos y ser denunciados.
Cultural Dimensions and Framing the Internet in China

/ The current study introduces Hofstede's cultural dimensions into framing research by conducting a cross-cultural comparative analysis of news coverage of the Internet in China from 2000 to 2004 in Hong Kong, Singapore, the US and the UK. Differences were found in terms of both the salience of Internet-related issues and the use of news frames across societies. The patterns of cultural influence of cultural dimensions with interaction effects varied with different types of generic news frames (i.e. human interest, conflict, responsibility, morality and economic consequences). The dimension of long-/short-term orientation was found significant in determining the presence of most types of news frames.
Information Searching and the Travel Behaviours of MICE Travellers: a Cross-cultural Study

Little is known about the infl uence of cultural factors on the information searching and travel behaviour of MICE travellers. This lack of attention includes an absence of any investigation of the two types of information searching, namely external and internal, in particular destination settings. In addressing the evident gap in the literature, this paper aims to examine the information search behaviours of MICE travellers to Taiwan on the basis of country of usual residence and language spoken. In particular, the study examines the infl uence of internal and external information searching on the behaviour of MICE travellers. The specific research objectives are (1) to examine the role of cultural factors in explaining information search strategies; (2) to investigate cultural factors as determinants of travel behaviour across three language groups (Japanese, Chinese and English); and (3) to explore the infl uence of internal and external information seeking strategies on actual travel behaviour.
Contrasting Lay Theories of Polyculturalism and Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism and polyculturalism are two lay theories of culture that have been associated with some similar intergroup attitudes and behaviors. But other than the studies of Rosenthal and Levy in the United States, there have been no studies that directly distinguish between these two lay theories. In this study, we use confirmatory factor analysis procedures to show that multiculturalism and polyculturalism represent two distinct latent constructs among our 1,730 participants in six Asian cultural groups (China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, the Philippines). Moreover, we show that essentializing race is associated with endorsement of multiculturalism (but not polyculturalism) in five cultural groups (except Hong Kong). The results provide strong cross-cultural empirical evidence for the distinction between the two lay theories and, more importantly, point to aspects of the lay theory of multiculturalism that relate to why it is sometimes associated with stronger stereotyping and prejudice toward minority cultural groups.
Singaporean and Taiwanese Pre-service Teachers’ Beliefs and their Attitude Towards ICT Use: A Comparative Study

Teachers' epistemological and pedagogical beliefs and their attitude towards ICT use are identified as the second-order barrier for the integration of ICT in the classrooms. In this paper, we report the findings obtained from a recent survey and conducted among Singaporean and Taiwanese pre-service teachers (N=108). The results indicate that pre-service teachers' epistemological beliefs were generally relativistic. They were inclined to believe in the constructivist notion of teaching. The results also suggested that pre-service teachers from Singapore and Taiwan hold beliefs that are congruent to the educational reform effort from their respective countries. However, the pre-service teachers' attitude towards ICT use does not seem to be associated with their epistemological and pedagogical beliefs. The findings suggest that further efforts are required to foster more productive use of ICT to support constructivist teaching.
Social Psychological Origins of Conspiracy Theories: The Case of the Jewish Conspiracy Theory in Malaysia

Two studies examined correlates of belief in a Jewish conspiracy theory among Malays in Malaysia, a culture in which state-directed conspiracism as a means of dealing with perceived external and internal threats is widespread. In Study 1, 368 participants from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, completed a novel measure of belief in a Jewish conspiracy theory, along with measures of general conspiracist ideation, and anomie. Initial analysis showed that the novel scale factorially reduced to a single dimension. Further analysis showed that belief in the Jewish conspiracy theory was only significantly associated with general conspiracist ideation, but the strength of the association was weak. In Study 2, 314 participants completed the measure of belief in the Jewish conspiracy theory, along with measures of general conspiracist ideation, and ideological attitudes. Results showed that belief in the Jewish conspiracy theory was associated with anti-Israeli attitudes, modern racism directed at the Chinese, right-wing authoritarianism, and social dominance orientation. General conspiracist ideation did not emerge as a significant predictor once other variables had been accounted for. These results suggest that there may be specific cultural and social psychological forces that drive belief in the Jewish conspiracy theory within the Malaysian context. Specifically, belief in the Jewish conspiracy theory among Malaysian Malays appears to serve ideological needs and as a mask for anti-Chinese sentiment, which may in turn reaffirm their perceived ability to shape socio-political processes.
Cancer Control Programs in East Asia: Evidence From the International Literature

Cancer is a major cause of mortality and morbidity throughout the world, including the countries of North-East and South-East Asia. Assessment of burden through cancer registration, determination of risk and protective factors, early detection and screening, clinical practice, interventions for example in vaccination, tobacco cessation efforts and palliative care all should be included in comprehensive cancer control programs. The degree to which this is possible naturally depends on the resources available at local, national and international levels. The present review concerns elements of cancer control programs established in China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan in North-East Asia, Viet Nam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia as representative larger countries of South-East Asia for comparison, using the published literature as a guide. While major advances have been made, there are still areas which need more attention, especially in South-East Asia, and international cooperation is essential if standard guidelines are to be generated to allow effective cancer control efforts throughout the Far East.
Young stroke patients are at high risk for subsequent end-stage renal disease: a population-based observational study.

BACKGROUND An increased incidence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in stroke patients has not been confirmed. The aim of this population-based study was to examine the risk of ESRD in stroke patients in Taiwan. METHODS We conducted a nationwide cohort study of 442 355 patients newly diagnosed with stroke, but without prior history of ESRD. Data were collected from Taiwan's National Health Insurance claims data during 2000-2008. Incidence and standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of ESRD were calculated using the general population of Taiwan as the reference. RESULTS Among all stroke patients, 7813 (1.77%) developed ESRD with a mean follow-up of 4.11 years. The SIR for ESRD was 2.78 [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.72-2.84] among stroke patients of all ages and was 22.73 (95% CI: 20.39-25.20) for patients aged 25-44 years. Male patients with stroke had a higher risk of ESRD (SIR: 2.94, 95% CI: 2.85-3.03) among stroke patients of all ages, and it was 23.41 (95% CI: 20.46-26.36) for male patients aged 25-44 years. CONCLUSIONS Increased risk of ESRD in stroke patients is confirmed in Taiwan, and male patients between ages 25 and 44 years were at higher risk of ESRD compared with their counterparts in the general population. The clinical implication of our results is to closely monitor renal function in stroke patients, particularly those of younger age.
Optical properties (uv-vis and ftir) of gamma irradiated polymethyl methacrylate (pmma)

The effect of gamma irradiation on the UV-Vis and FTIR spectroscopy of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) foils has been studied. A new absorption band is observed in the visible spectral range due to color centers induced in the gamma irradiated PMMA. This band shows maximum absorption (low transmission) for 10 kGy irradiation, which decreases and saturates after 50 kGy followed by a further increase at 500 kGy. The FTIR peaks show an increased absorption up to ~100 kGy irradiation, which reverses for higher doses. Broad band absorption is observed in FTIR spectra around 1600 and 3600 cm-1 due to absorption of moisture in the irradiated samples. The reduction in the absorption intensity at 1718 cm-1 in the irradiated PMMA (> 100 kGy) is found associated with the demerization of the carbonyl groups. An initial increase in the absorption of FTIR peaks with increase in the doses of irradiation is due to increased cross linking in the PMMA structure that is induced by the absorption of moisture. The demerization of carbonyl groups becomes dominant at higher doses of irradiation (~500 kGy).
Beyond Language Barriers: Teaching Self-Efficacy among East Asian International Teaching Assistants.

The present study examined roles that perceived English fluency and sociocultural adaptation difficulty play in predicting self-efficacy beliefs for teaching in a sample of 119 international teaching assistants (ITAs) from East Asian countries of China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Results showed that a positive relationship between perceived English fluency and teaching self-efficacy was not apparent until the moderating influence of sociocultural adaptation difficulty was examined. More specifically, at high levels of adaptation difficulty, positive relations between English fluency and teaching self-efficacy were found; however, as sociocultural adaptation difficulty decreased, the effect of perceived fluency in English on efficacy decreased. Implications for ITA training as well as limitations of the study were discussed.
Tourism Demand Modeling and Forecasting: A Review of Literature Related to Greater China

Greater China, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, contributes significantly to both regional and global tourism developments. Empirical research on tourism demand modeling and forecasting has attracted increasing attention of scholars both within and beyond this region. One hundred eighty articles are identified that were published in both English‐ and Chinese‐language journals since the beginning of the 1990s. This study presents the largest scale of literature survey on tourism demand studies. Furthermore, this is the first attempt in tourism demand review studies that focuses exclusively on one geographic region and covers bilingual literature. Particular emphasis of this review is placed on research development, geographic focus, data type and frequency, measurement of tourism demand, modeling and forecasting techniques, demand elasticity analysis, forecasting exercises, and emerging research trends. Comparisons between the two bodies of literature published in two languages show a number of research gaps, such as the diversity and sophistication of the research methodology, rigor of the modeling and forecasting process, and theoretical foundations of demand analysis. Correspondingly, constructive recommendations are made to further advance tourism demand studies related to Greater China. 包括中国内地、香港、澳门和台湾在内的整个大中华区对亚洲及全球的旅游发展一直贡献巨大。 大中华地区内外的学者对旅游需求建模和预测的实证研究也越来越重视。 自90年代初以来，共有180篇关于旅游需求模型和预测的实证研究在中文和英文期刊发表。 本文是对旅游需求文献所作的一次最大规模的述评。 本文也是首篇集中研究一个地理区以及涵盖中英文文献的旅游评论文章。 本文的评论重点包括研究发展、地理焦点、数据类型和频率、需求弹性分析、预测活动以及研究趋势。 通过比较分析中文和英文文献发现两种语言的文献在许多研究方面都存在差距，如研究方法的多样性和复杂性、建构模型和预测过程的严谨程度以及需求分析的理论基础。 本文最后提出相应的建议，以期进一步推进大中华旅游需求研究的质量。
The role of rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody in diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Rheumatoid Factor (RF) occurs in 70- 90% of patients with established rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (Anti-CCP) detection may be used to confirm the diagnosis of RA in patients with uncharacterized chronic inflammatory arthritis. This study is an attempt to evaluate the role of RF and anti-CCP in the diagnosis and prognosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: Blood samples were obtained from 55 patients with established RA and 55 healthy controls. Anti-CCP and RF were measured by ELISA and nephelometry. The patient's demographics, disease duration, DMARDs usage, ESR and radiographic abnormalities were recorded. Results: Fifty five RA patients and 55 healthy age and sex matched controls were enrolled. Odd ratio (OR) was 87.42 (CI=11.2-680.1) for RF and 27.48 (6/08-124/09) for Anti- CCP. Five patients had used more than 3 DMARDs; all of them were RF positive and 4 were also anti-CCP positive. Eleven patients had erosions in their radiographs; 10 of them were seropositive for RF and 9 positive for anti-CCP. Conclusion: Our study suggests that despite lack of specificity, RF continues to be a central part of the definition of RA due to favorable sensitivity profile and the combined use of RF. Also, anti-CCP is a more powerful diagnostic and prognostic tool.
Is Corruption in China 'Out of Control'? A Comparison with the U.S. In Historical Perspective

This paper compares corruption in China over the past 15years with corruption in the US between 1870 and 1930, periods that are roughly comparable in terms of real income per capita. Corruption indicators for both countries and both periods are constructed by tracking corruption news in prominent US newspapers. Several robustness checks confirm the reliability of the constructed corruption indices for both countries. The comparison indicates that corruption in the US in the early 1870s, when its real income per capita was about $2800 (in 2005 dollars), was 7–9 times higher than China’s corruption level in 1996, the corresponding year in terms of income per capita. By the time the US reached $7500 in 1928, approximately equivalent to China’s real income per capita in 2009, corruption was similar in both countries. The findings imply that, while corruption in China is an issue that merits attention, it is not at alarmingly high levels, compared to the US historical experience. In addition, the paper articulates a theoretical framework within which the relationship between corruption and economic development can be understood. The model is used to explain the “life-cycle” of corruption in the development process–rising at the early stages of development, and declining after modernization has taken place. Hence, as China continues its development process, corruption will likely decline.
Global Financial/Economic Crisis and Tourist Arrival Forecasts for Hong Kong

This paper examines the impact of the global financial/economic crisis on the demand for Hong Kong tourism by residents of 10 major source markets for the period 2009–2012. To capture the influence of this crisis, the Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model (ADLM) is used to calculate the demand elasticities, and four scenarios (ranging from the most pessimistic to the most optimistic) are created to examine the possible impacts of changes in source market income levels and the price of tourism on the demand for Hong Kong tourism in these markets. The demand elasticities reveal that the economic conditions in the source markets are the most significant determinants of demand for Hong Kong tourism. In the most pessimistic scenario, total tourist arrivals to Hong Kong are projected to reach 27.6 million in 2009 and 26.0 million in 2012, whereas in the most optimistic scenario, these numbers are 30.7 million in 2009 and 33 million in 2012. In all of the scenarios, tourist arrivals from the long-haul markets are expected to suffer more losses relative to the short-haul markets during the 2009–2012 forecasting period. The forecasts also indicate that the market shares of the source markets will change slightly over this period, with Mainland China, Taiwan and Japan constituting the dominant markets for Hong Kong tourism.
Is There Competition in the Exhibition Market in Asia? Analysis of the Positioning of Major Asian Exhibition Host Cities

There have been few efforts made to identify the positioning of exhibition host countries or cities, even though studies on the positioning of convention host destinations have been popular. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the positioning of exhibition cities as perceived by a sample of exhibitors who participated in exhibitions held in Hong Kong. A total of 304 questionnaires were collected at the PATA Travel Mart 2006, the Hong Kong Jewelry and Watch Fair, Aircraft Interiors Expo ASIA 2006, MIPIM Asia 2006, and Electronic Asia 2006. The results of this study found that there is a strong competition between major exhibition host cities in Asia, including Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Seoul and Tokyo. The respondents showed the highest preference for Hong Kong and Singapore as an exhibition host destination.
Site Selection Using Hybrid Analytical Hierarchy Processing: Evidence from Taiwanese Electronics Assembly Firms in China

ABSTRACT An upswing in labor costs and currency appreciation during the 1980s caused Asian countries and economic entities such as Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan to search for new manufacturing sites to obtain lower manufacturing costs. China, with its huge, rapidly growing market, was one of the main options for these Asian economic dynamos. How to find an appropriate method to evaluate an optimum place for a factory setup in China is essential to an enterprise. Analytical hierarchy processing (AHP) is a method to solve complex multicriteria decision problems. However, to make decisions based only on AHP results is not sufficiently reliable, especially when the results are too close to be precisely determined. To strengthen AHP analysis, we propose a “hybrid AHP” method. This method computes an error band (EB) of final AHP scores using its 95% Confidence Interval to estimate AHP score error and calculates EB combined with a “bootstrap” to mitigate expert pectoral bias. Based on our methods, our decision rule is “maximized AHP score and minimized EB. ” To verify our methods, we took Taiwanese electronic assembly manufacturers selecting manufacturing sites in China as a case study. Our research found that Eastern China has a relatively higher consensus of preference for establishing their manufacturing sites.
Estimation of dynamic asymmetric tail dependences: an empirical study on Asian developed futures markets

In this research, we employ three two-parameter Archimedean copulas (BB1, BB4 and BB7) to investigate the dynamic asymmetric tail dependences between two of three Asian developed futures markets, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore, during the post-Asian financial crisis period. We first model the marginal distribution by conditional skewed-t distribution and find that higher moments of each filtered index futures return are time dependent. We then extend the two-parameter copulas incorporating time-varying tail dependences to capture the dynamic asymmetries. The estimated results provide strong evidence of asymmetric dependence across the three futures markets. Moreover, to take account of data snooping, we implement Hansen's (2005) superior predictive ability test to evaluate the model fitting. We found that the BB7 copula for the Hang Seng–MSCI SIN (Morgan Stanley Capital International index) pair and the BB1 copula for the Nikkei 225–MSCI SIN pair outperform the simple symmetric Gaussian copula. These best model fittings also demonstrate that the probability of dependence in bear markets is higher than in bull markets further exposing downside dependent risk in these markets. Finally, based on the model evaluation result, we estimate the copula-based portfolio Value at Risks (VaRs) and the diversification benefits at both lower and higher confidence levels. The results clearly show that the conditional copula-based portfolio VaR models can provide higher degree of diversification benefit at higher confidence level. Therefore, these sophisticated copula models are adequate and considerable for the financial risk management.