Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nationalism and War: Is nationalism the cause or consequence of the end of empire?

This chapter addresses the question of whether and to what degree nationalism was the cause or the consequence of imperial collapse. We go about this task in four steps. The first three steps use quantitative data that cover most of the world since 1816. In the first step, we simply analyze the temporal relationship between the transition from empire to nation-state and the foundation of nationalist organizations. We find that in the overwhelming majority, the latter precedes the former. We then proceed to a more fine-grained analysis and ask whether these nationalist organizations were perhaps inspired by imperial retreat from other parts of the empire, such that a partial imperial breakdown would further fuel the flames of nationalism elsewhere. No such effect emerges, however. In the third step, we determine whether nationalist mobilization is a cause for the individual transitions from empire to nation-state observed in the history of today's countries and find this to be the case, even if we take a host of other factors into account (including the weakening of empire through wars). In the fourth and most important step, we go beyond these coarse quantitative analyses and shift to empires as units of analysis, asking to what degree nationalism caused imperial collapse. Discussing the demise of the Ottoman, Habsburg, French, British, Portuguese and Soviet empires, we assess the varying degrees to which nationalist movements contributed to each imperial collapse and the extent to which each transition was due to other, unrelated factors, including the voluntary retreat of empire or the breakdown of empire due to defeat in international wars. We find that in all cases of imperial collapse nationalist movements played an important, and sometimes, crucial role (for the opposing view, see Betts 1991; Burbank and Cooper 2010; Flint 1983; Sked 2001; Solnick 1998). There is little evidence – with a handful of exceptions such as the Central Asian republics and some African countries – for the idea that imperial breakdown produces nationalist movements or nation-states without a previous agitation for them.
Molar mass, surface tension, and droplet growth kinetics of marine organics from measurements of CCN activity

The CCN‐relevant properties and droplet growth kinetics are determined for marine organic matter isolated from seawater collected near the Georgia coast. The organic matter is substantially less CCN active than (NH4)2SO4, but droplet growth kinetics are similar. Köhler Theory Analysis (KTA) is used to determine the average organic molar masses of two samples, which are 4370 ± 24% and 4340 ± 18% kg kmol−1. KTA is used to infer surface tension depression, which is in excellent agreement with direct measurements. For the first time it is shown that direct measurements of surface tension are relevant for CCN activation, and this study highlights the power of KTA.
Comparison of hospital length of stay in patients treated with non–vitamin K oral anticoagulants or parenteral agents plus warfarin for venous thromboembolism

Objectives: Existing research comparing hospital length of stay for patients treated with non–vitamin K oral anticoagulants or parenteral bridging to warfarin has been conducted primarily with the agent rivaroxaban. The objective of this study was to compare hospital length of stay between patients initiated on the non–vitamin K oral anticoagulants, apixaban or rivaroxaban, and patients initiated on parenteral anticoagulation agents plus warfarin for the treatment of venous thromboembolism. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at an 859-bed, not-for-profit, teaching hospital. Adult patients admitted for a primary diagnosis of venous thromboembolism between 1 November 2012 and 31 August 2015 and treated with apixaban or rivaroxaban or a parenteral anticoagulant plus warfarin were included in the study. Eligible patients were identified using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes for a primary diagnosis of acute thromboses and emboli and medication administration record data. Individuals using anticoagulation therapy prior to admission, released from the emergency department, or treated with thrombectomy or fibrinolytic therapy were excluded. Results: A total of 152 patients were included in this study. Patient characteristics, including renal function, were similar between study arms. Venous thromboembolism treatment with apixaban or rivaroxaban compared to a parenteral anticoagulant plus warfarin was associated with a reduced hospital length of stay (2.63 vs 5.33 days; p < 0.05) and decreased total hospital cost adjusted to 2015 dollars (US$21,694 vs US$38,851; p = 0.013). Conclusion: These results suggest that treatment with a non–vitamin K anticoagulant may significantly reduce hospital length of stay and total hospital cost compared to a parenteral anticoagulant plus warfarin for patients admitted for venous thromboembolism.
ff-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass May Increase Late ortality : A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials

o a t p A D U LT C A R D IA C Background. Although a lot of randomized trials of ff-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) versus n-pump CABG were conducted, the majority of them eported only early outcomes. Previous meta-analyses of few randomized trials found no differences for 1-year to -year mortality. Methods. We focused late (>1 year) all-cause mortality nd performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled rials of off-pump versus on-pump CABG. The MEDLINE, he EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Conrolled Trials were searched using PubMed and OVID. For ach study, data regarding all-cause mortality in both the ff-pump and on-pump groups were used to generate isk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals. Studypecific estimates were combined using inverse varianceeighted averages of logarithmic RRs in both fixedffects and random-effects models. Results. Our search identified 11 results of 12 randomzed trials (4,326 patients) of off-pump versus on-pump
Rendering and validation of high-fidelity graphics using region-of-interest

We present and validate a region-of-interest(ROI ) rendering system, in which the rendering parameters of the image are adapted based on models of human vis ual attention. Rendering realistic computer graphics imagery using global illumination algorithms is computationally expensive and this process can take many hours . The inclusion of participating media, such as fog or dust, considerably comp ounds this problem, since the scattering of the light due to the medium must also be computed. However, human perception of the final rendered image is not f ully dependent on all of these computations. By removing unnecessary details , this performance overhead can be substantially reduced. Perceptually-ba sed selective rendering algorithms achieve this by exploiting limitations of the human visual system, and the rendering quality is varied spatially across the image. In area s of high perceptual importance the algorithm adapts to provide a more accura te solution relative to less significant areas. Two general visual attention processes exist and these are referred to as bottomup and top-down. Computational models of the bottom-up process indicate whe r a human observer’s attention would be automatically drawn while free-viewing images. Features that attract attention are referred to as salient. Models of top-down processes are related to the visual task being performed by the observe r. Our ROI rendering system accounts for both bottom-up and top-down computational models by introducing a novel importance map(IM ). This IM is a combination of a saliency map and a task map. The saliency map is based on low-level features such as colour, intensity, and orientation. The task map is based on the objects rela ted to the visual task. This thesis assesses the perceived quality of selective ly rendered still images and animations using IMs. Results of qualitative psychophysical e xperiments, using human observers, are presented as well as quantitative d fferences metrics. The results demonstrate that a perceived high quality can still be ach ieved while computation is reduced by up to an order of magnitude.
How much personal care in four group practices?

OBJECTIVE--To establish the degree of continuity of care in general practice. DESIGN--Retrospective study of the records of all eligible patients attending the surgery at randomly selected sessions. SETTING--Four large group practices in the Southampton Health District, one of which operated a strict system of personal lists. PATIENTS--776 Patients who had been registered for at least two years and had consulted at least 12 times over six years or less. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Continuity score for each patient calculated from the number of consultations (out of the past 12) with his or her usual doctor. Number of the times the patients had consulted the doctor with whom they were registered. RESULTS--In the practice with personal lists a mean of 10 of the 12 consultations had been with the same doctor (83% of consultations), but in the three practices with combined lists the means were 5.9 (49%), 6.2 (52%), and 6.9 (58%). Continuity was associated with increased age and with the recording of a major problem. In the practices with combined lists 63 of 72 children consulted at least five different doctors. Only 140 of 489 patients currently in the practice who were identified as being registered with a doctor had most usually consulted that doctor in the practices with combined lists. CONCLUSIONS--Personal continuity of care may be fairly low in group practice, especially for younger and healthier patients registered at practices with combined lists. These findings support the Department of Health's recent decision to make "target payments" (for cervical smears and childhood immunisations) to groups rather than to individual principals but pose a question for the future of individual clinical responsibility.
Transformational Leadership and the Performance of Research and Development Project Groups

A longitudinal study was conducted of transformational leadership and the performance of project groups in three industrial research and development organizations. As hypothesized, transformational leadership predicted higher project quality and budget/schedule performance ratings at time I and one-year later at time 2. A moderator effect was hypothesized and found for type of research and development work. Here, transformational leadership was a stronger predictor of project quality ratings for research projects than for development projects. Initiating structure, however was a stronger predictor of project quality ratings for development projects than for research projects. Theoretical and methodological issues for transformational leadership research in professional organizations are discussed.
MiRNAs as potential biomarker of kidney diseases: A review

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 22 nucleotides short, non‐coding and tissue‐specific single‐stranded RNA which modulates target gene expression. Presently, shreds of evidence confirmed that miRNAs play a key role in kidney pathophysiology. The objectives of the present review are to summarize new research data towards the latest developments in the potential use of miRNAs as a diagnostic biomarker for kidney diseases. This holistic information will update the existing knowledge of kidney disease biomarkers. “miRNA profile for Diabetic Kidney disease, Acute kidney injury, Renal fibrosis, hemodialysis, transplants, FSGS, IgAN, etc.” are the search keywords which have been used in this review. The search outcome gave an exciting insightful perception of miRNAs competence as a biomarker. Also it is observed that various samples as plasma, urine and biopsies were used for profiling the miRNA expression. The miRNAs were not only used for diagnostic biomarkers but also for therapeutic targets. Each kidney disease showed different miRNAs expression profile and few miRNAs quite common with some kidney diseases. miRNAs are simple and efficient diagnostic biomarkers for kidney diseases.
Do Information Technology Investments lead to Bigger or Smaller Governments? - Theory and Evidence in U.S. State Governments

Government growth has been a long-standing research issue among public economists as well as an important concern of the general public. We investigate the impact of government IT investments on government growth. Drawing on the literature on public economics, political sciences, and IT value, we offer theoretical discussions and four mechanisms as to the relationship between IT investments and government expenditures, leading to propose the two competing hypotheses that IT investments either expand or shrink the amount of government expenditures. We test which prediction prevails in the context of U.S. state government with data on IT investments, state government finances, demography, and other institutional and socio-economical factors. The empirical investigations support the hypothesis that greater IT investments are associated with smaller state government size as a ratio to state gross domestic product.
Computational Technique for Analysis of Superconductive Fault Current Limiters With Saturated Core

A computational technique is proposed for the analysis and design optimization of inductive-type superconducting fault current limiters (SFCL) with variable impedance for power systems application. The technique is applicable for a wide range of magnet systems. The paper is focused on the analysis of electromagnetic transients. A methodological example of a model SFCL is presented. Numerical experiments are described to study nonlinear effects at saturated and unsaturated states. Results demonstrate that the nonlinear magnetic behavior of the SFCL components affects noticeably the accuracy of predictions.
Lysosomal enzyme activity in rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis.

Evidence is increasing that lysosomal enzymes play an important role in inflammation (de Duve and Wattiaux, 1966; Weissmann, 1967; Houck, 1968; Fell, 1969; Dingle, 1969). Increased activities have been reported in human rheumatoid synovia and synovial membrane, and in other inflamed tissues (Smith and Hamerman, 1962; Luscombe, 1963; Barland, Novikoff, and Hamerman, 1964; Lehman, Kream, and Brogna, 1964; Kerby and Taylor, 1967; Weissmann, Spilberg, and Krakauer, 1969). Recent work suggests that cells which migrate to inflammatory sites, which include blood polymorphonuclear leucocytes and tissue macrophages, may partially discharge their lysosomal enzymes into the extracellular spaces, probably as a result of excessive endocytosis (Weissmann, 1967; Fell, 1969). It has been suggested that the acidic anti-inflammatory drugs, phenylbutazone, mefenamic and flufenamic acids, ibufenac, and indomethacin, may exert their beneficial effect by partially inhibiting some of these enzymes (Anderson, 1968, 1969a), or in common with anti-inflammatory steroids and chloroquine (de Duve, Wattiaux, and Wibo, 1963; Weissmann, 1964) by stabilizing cell and lysosome membranes (Tanaka and lizuka, 1968). Enzyme activity has also been detected in certain experimental inflammations in animals, including rat paws made oedematous by formalin, serotonin, dextran (Kalbhen, 1963; Domenjoz and Morsdorf, 1965), or carrageenin injection (Coppi and Bonardi, 1968). It appeared to be of interest to know whether similar increases in lysosomal enzyme activity occur in rats made polyarthritic by injection of Freund's complete adjuvant. This experimental model of systemic chronic inflammation (Pearson, 1956; Newbould, 1963), some symptoms of which resemble those in human rheumatoid arthritis, is used extensively for detecting and evaluating compounds with anti-inflammatory properties. It is concluded that the extensive tissue breakdown in adjuvant arthritis is due to the release and degradative action of lysosomal enzymes on connective tissue components. Effects on these inflammatory changes after the oral administration of phenylbutazone, hydrocortisone, and D-penicillamine are described and discussed. A preliminary account of part of this work has already been published (Anderson, 1969b).
Liquid nitrogen to room-temperature thermometry using niobium nitride thin films

Niobium nitride thin-film thermometry has been developed for the temperature range of 70 to 300 K. The deposition parameters have been optimized in order to get the best performances, i.e., the highest temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR), up to 300 K. The TCR is found to be largely higher than 1% as the temperature is lowered from 300 K, up to 6% at 77 K. These significant performances are compared to the one of regular platinum thermometer as well as to other resistive thermometer: semiconductor type or amorphous metal to insulator transition materials. It is discussed how the properties of the NbN thin films could be due to a high-temperature Mott transition.
Salicylate Poisoning Potential of Topical Pain Relief Agents: From Age Old Remedies to Engineered Smart Patches

The pain relief capabilities of methyl salicylate are well established and a multitude of over-the-counter products populate pharmacy shelves. Over-application of the topical preparation containing the drug, or its accidental ingestion, invariably result in salicylate poisoning and in severe cases can be fatal. The drug has been a regular feature of the US National Poison Database Survey over the past decade and continues to pose a risk to children and adults alike. The aim of the review has been to cast a spotlight on the drug and assess why its use remains problematic, how technology could offer more efficacious delivery regimes, and minimise the possibility of accidental or intentional misuse.
Voltage Stability Enhancement in Contingency Conditions Using Shunt FACTS Devices

This paper investigates the application of FACTS devices to extend voltage stability margin in electric power systems. Most of methods proposed for allocation of FACTS devices consider only the normal state of network. Nevertheless, voltage collapses usually initiated by a single contingency. Therefore, in this paper a strategy for location of FACTS devices based on contingency studies is proposed. Using modal analysis, a probabilistic index is defined which can be used to rank of system buses based on their effect on system voltage stability enhancement under all possible contingencies. It is shown that this method leads to a uniform reactive power supply in the system. Consequently, it will be effective in more contingency conditions. The IEEE 14-bus test system is used to demonstrate the proposed approach of placing shunt FACTS devices. The obtained results show that allocation of FACTS devices using the proposed approach improves the system voltage stability under contingency conditions with smaller size of FACTS to be installed compared to other methods.
Psm3 Acetylation on Conserved Lysine Residues Is Dispensable for Viability in Fission Yeast but Contributes to Eso1-Mediated Sister Chromatid Cohesion by Antagonizing Wpl1

ABSTRACT In budding yeast and humans, cohesion establishment during S phase requires the acetyltransferase Eco1/Esco1-2, which acetylates the cohesin subunit Smc3 on two conserved lysine residues. Whether Smc3 is the sole Eco1/Esco1-2 effector and how Smc3 acetylation promotes cohesion are unknown. In fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe), as in humans, cohesin binding to G1 chromosomes is dynamic and the unloading reaction is stimulated by Wpl1 (human ortholog, Wapl). During S phase, a subpopulation of cohesin becomes stably bound to chromatin in an Eso1 (fission yeast Eco1/Esco1-2)-dependent manner. Cohesin stabilization occurs unevenly along chromosomes. Cohesin remains largely labile at the rDNA repeats but binds mostly in the stable mode to pericentromere regions. This pattern is largely unchanged in eso1Δ wpl1Δ cells, and cohesion is unaffected, indicating that the main Eso1 role is counteracting Wpl1. A mutant of Psm3 (fission yeast Smc3) that mimics its acetylated state renders cohesin less sensitive to Wpl1-dependent unloading and partially bypasses the Eso1 requirement but cannot generate the stable mode of cohesin binding in the absence of Eso1. Conversely, nonacetylatable Psm3 reduces the stable cohesin fraction and affects cohesion in a Wpl1-dependent manner, but cells are viable. We propose that Psm3 acetylation contributes to Eso1 counteracting of Wpl1 to secure stable cohesin interaction with postreplicative chromosomes but that it is not the sole molecular event by which this occurs.
Cervical spine injuries in patients 65 years old and older: epidemiologic analysis regarding the effects of age and injury mechanism on distribution, type, and stability of injuries.

OBJECTIVE Our objective was to describe types and distribution of cervical spine injuries in elderly patients in regard to causative trauma mechanism and patient age. MATERIALS AND METHODS The distribution and type of 225 cervical spine injuries in 149 consecutive patients 65 years old and older over a 5-year interval were retrospectively assessed. For each patient, initial admission imaging studies were reviewed, and injuries were classified. Trauma mechanism (falls from standing or seated height vs higher energy mechanisms) and initial clinical and neurologic status were recorded. Data were correlated according to patients' age (65-75 years and >75 years) and causative trauma mechanism. RESULTS Ninety-five (64%) of 149 patients had upper cervical spine injuries. Fifty-nine (40%) of 149 patients had multilevel injuries. Main causes for cervical spine injuries were motor vehicle crashes in "young elderly" (65-75 years old; 36/59, 61%) and falls from standing or seated height in "old elderly" (>75 years old; 36/90, 40%). Fracture patterns at risk for neurologic deterioration were common (>50%), even in the absence of acute myelopathy or radiculopathy. Patients older than 75 years, independent of causative mechanism, and patients who fell from standing height, independent of age, were more likely to have injuries of the upper cervical spine (p = 0.026 and p = 0.006, respectively). CONCLUSION Cervical spine injuries in elderly patients tend to involve more than one level with consistent clinical instability and commonly occur at the atlantoaxial complex. Old elderly patients and patients who fall from standing height are more prone to injuries of the upper cervical spine.
A randomized controlled trial of darbepoetin alfa administered as a fixed or weight‐based dose using a front‐loading schedule in patients with anemia who have nonmyeloid malignancies

The effect of using fixed versus weight‐based doses for erythropoietic agents has not been reported previously. To investigate this issue, the authors conducted a randomized Phase II study of darbepoetin alfa administered as either a fixed dose or a weight‐based dose using an accelerated correction and maintenance dosing regimen (front‐loading).