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Objectives:Little is known about the influence of routine laboratory measurements and lifestyle factors on generic quality of life (QOL) at older ages. We aimed to study the relationship between generic QOL and laboratory measurements and lifestyle factors in community dwelling older Chinese people. Methods:We conducted a cross-sectional analysis. Six hundred and ninety nine elders were randomly selected from the examinees of the annual health examination in Taipei City, Taiwan. Blood, urine and stool of the participants were examined and lifestyle data were collected. Participants completed the CASP-19 (control, autonomy, self-realization, pleasure) questionnaire, a 19-item QOL scale. The relationship between QOL and laboratory results and lifestyle factors was explored, using multiple linear regression and profile analysis. Results:The mean age of the participants was 75.5 years (SD = 6.5), and 49.5% were female. Male gender standardized β coefficients (β = 0.122) and exercise habit (β = 0.170) were associated with a better QOL, whereas advanced age (β = −0.242), blurred vision (β = −0.143), depression (β = −0.125), central obesity (β = −0.093), anemia (β = −0.095), rheumatoid arthritis (β = −0.073), Parkinsonism (β = −0.079), malignancy (β = −0.086) and motorcycle riding (β = −0.086) were associated with a lower QOL. Profile analysis revealed that young–old males, social drinkers, regular exercisers and car drivers had the best QOL (allp< 0.001). Conclusion:Of the many laboratory measurements, only anemia was associated with the lower QOL. By contrast, several lifestyle factors, such as social drinking, exercise habit and car driving, were associated with better QOL, whereas abdominal obesity and motorcycle riding were associated with lower QOL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study seeks to examine whether being listed as a particular type of share (H share, red-chip stock, Taiwan-based stock, or Hong Kong local stock) on the main board of the Hong Kong Exchange will affect the idiosyncratic risks and market risks. The findings are as follows: (1) different political connections mainly affect idiosyncratic risk, (2) the hypothesis of big size with high market risk is supported, (3) the idiosyncratic risks of all the companies in each category taken by category are negatively correlated with expected short-run returns. These results mean that investors should hold the stocks with previous low idiosyncratic risk to earn high expected returns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a long time, Taiwan was confined to being an object of the EU's China policy, but the EU increasingly treats Taiwan as a partner in its own right. EU-Taiwan relations are in their most dynamic stage since the EU opened its representative office in Taipei in 2003. But the 'One China policy' still constrains EU-Taiwan relations, as the EU only recognizes the People's Republic of China as a sovereign state and not Taiwan. The article analyzes EU-Taiwan relations through the lens of Normative Power Europe. Taiwan has gained more attention and support in the EU, because Taiwan is Asia's most liberal democracy. Furthermore, Taiwan also fits well into the EU's geo-economic strategy of de-risking. China's increasingly aggressive policy towards Taiwan and strong support from the United States for Taiwan strengthen the EU's support for Taiwan, too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International capital mobility and economic restructuring have brought training and skills acquisition to the forefront of policy dialogues. Taiwan has gone beyond most countries in promoting vocational education and setting strict quotas for schooling. Although the education plans do not have separate targets for men and women, they have gendered outcomes. Estimates of earnings premiums using ordinary least squares and quantile regression techniques indicate that only men have gained consistently higher premiums from vocational school compared to general schooling. Women who were denied access to the university system have forgone college premiums that exceed those of men. Also, the commerce track, in which women cluster, yields an earnings penalty compared to general schooling, while the technical track, in which men predominate, yields an earnings premium. Policy reforms based on relaxing education quotas and enforcing equal opportunity legislation would provide women with more rewarding education and career options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Looks at the impact which domestic political factors had on Taiwan's bargaining position, at the April 1993 talks between political representatives from China and Taiwan in Singapore. Changes which occurred in Taiwan's political system; Examination of how this domestic political change impacted on Taiwan's policy towards China; Reciprocal influence which the results of that policy had on Taiwan's political transition.