Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Judicialized Law‐Making and Opportunistic Enforcement: Explaining the EU's Challenge of National Defence Offsets

This article seeks to explain how the European Union (EU) – by challenging national defence offsets – managed to move into a highly sensitive policy area under formerly exclusive Member State competence. Whereas major accounts of integration depict defence policy as a least likely case, our process‐tracing analysis shows that the EU's recent challenge of defence offsets was a case of supranational self‐empowerment. We theorize two consecutive strategies of judicial politics, which the Commission employed at different policy stages to overcome opposition from Member States and defence firms against domestic policy change: judicialized law‐making and opportunistic enforcement. Both strategies depend on three scope conditions: expansive case law of the European Court of Justice (ECJ), its fit with policy priorities of the Commission and a credible threat of follow‐up litigation.
Small gallstones, preserved gallbladder motility, and fast crystallization are associated with pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis is a severe complication of gallstones with considerable mortality. We sought to explore the potential risk factors for biliary pancreatitis. We compared postprandial gallbladder motility (via ultrasonography) and, after subsequent cholecystectomy, numbers, sizes, and types of gallstones; gallbladder bile composition; and cholesterol crystallization in 21 gallstone patients with previous pancreatitis and 30 patients with uncomplicated symptomatic gallstones. Gallbladder motility was stronger in pancreatitis patients than in patients with uncomplicated symptomatic gallstones (minimum postprandial gallbladder volumes: 5.8 ± 1.0 vs. 8.1 ± 0.7 mL; P = .005). Pancreatitis patients had more often sludge (41% vs. 13%; P = .03) and smaller and more gallstones than patients with symptomatic gallstones (smallest stone diameters: 2 ± 1 vs. 8 ± 2 mm; P = .001). Also, crystallization occurred much faster in the bile of pancreatitis patients (1.0 ± 0.0 vs. 2.5 ± 0.4 days; P < .001), possibly because of higher mucin concentrations (3.3 ± 1.9 vs. 0.8 ± 0.2 mg/mL; P = .04). No significant differences were found in types of gallstones, relative biliary lipid contents, cholesterol saturation indexes, bile salt species composition, phospholipid classes, total protein or immunoglobulin (G, M, and A), haptoglobin, and α‐1 acid glycoprotein concentrations. In conclusion, patients with small gallbladder stones and/or preserved gallbladder motility are at increased risk of pancreatitis. The potential benefit of prophylactic cholecystectomy in this patient category has yet to be explored. (HEPATOLOGY 2005.)
High Step-Up Converter Based on Coupling Inductor and Bootstrap Capacitors With Active Clamping

As generally acknowledged, the high step-up dc-dc converter is widely used in the sustainable energy system as the front-end stage of the dc-ac converter. Therefore, a high step-up converter combining one coupling inductor and two bootstrap capacitors, together with the active voltage-clamping circuit which pumps portion of the leakage inductance energy to the output, is presented herein. By doing so, the efficiency at light load can be upgraded greatly, and hence tends to be flat between the minimum load and the rated load. In this letter, the basic operating principles of this converter are first illustrated in detail, and second some experimental results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed high step-up converter topology.
Antecedents of Virtual Community members' participation: the Triandis Interpersonal behavior Perspective

Virtual communities have emerged as a new form of business model in the electronic business field. Understanding the motivations behind members’ participation is essential for virtual community organizers. Using the Triandis model of interpersonal behavior, this paper investigated reasons why members participate in virtual community activities. The results showed that the interpersonal behavior perspective is effective in explaining virtual community members’ participation. Habit was identified as having a strong effect on members’ participation.
Design and Experimental Results of a Spherical Antenna Array for a Conformal Array Demonstrator

Conformal antenna arrays fitted to non-planar surfaces on parts of modern aircrafts, vehicles or ships are considered an attractive alternative for many applications whereas planar arrays or reflector antennas have definite drawbacks. Some of the potential advantages are improved aerodynamics, increased payload, large field of view (LFOV) and low observability (LO). However, the usage of conformal array technology in commercial applications is still comparably rare. Recent examples of antenna arrays on curved apertures are typically of cylindrical shape but only exhibit a weak degree of curvature. The present paper describes the development of a spherical antenna array with 95x3 antenna elements, a diameter of 300 mm and an opening angle of 112deg . Since the number of antenna elements on a planar or curved antenna aperture required for high directivity and two-dimensional beam steering can easily become very large, especially if an element spacing around half the free space wave length is required, the antenna elements are arranged in sub-arrays, each carrying 3 circularly polarized patch antennas at a centre frequency of f = 9.5 GHz and a phase corrected feed network on a common substrate. The sub-array is suited for easy integration into antenna arrays with double curved aperture and can be seen as a trade-off between antenna gain vs. beam granularity. Experimental results on antenna matching and radiated far field patterns as well as measured beam forming results will be presented.
Rates and Risk Factors for Unplanned Emergency Department Utilization and Hospital Readmission Following Bariatric Surgery

Objective:To identify unplanned emergency resource utilization in the perioperative period following bariatric surgery. Summary of Background Data:Avoidable emergency department (ED) utilization and hospital readmissions pose a significant economic burden to our healthcare system. The extent of this problem is poorly studied in the bariatric literature. Methods:Using New York statewide longitudinal administrative data, 38,776 patients, who underwent primary bariatric surgery from 2010 to 2013, were analyzed. Multiple logistic regression models analyzed all variables with P < 0.05 on univariate models. Results:The 30-day unplanned ED utilization rate was 11.3% and 30-day hospital readmission rate was 5.3%. ED visits resulted in an inpatient admission 34.9% of the time. In total, 17.5% had 2 or more 30-day unplanned ED presentations. Patients presenting to the ED were more likely to be black, have pulmonary disease, be insured by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, travel further distances for index procedure, and have a surgical procedure other than gastric banding. In total, 46.7% presented to a nonindex hospital and 32.5% were admitted. Patients presenting to a nonindex hospital were significantly less likely to be admitted than those presenting to an index hospital. Conclusions:Unplanned perioperative healthcare utilization is a significant burden incurred by the bariatric population. A clear opportunity is identified for improvement in healthcare delivery—particularly for high-risk and high-frequency utilizers. Presentation to nonindex hospitals has important implications to the accuracy of current patient safety and quality outcomes measures. System measures designed to capture all unplanned resource utilization, not just those to index hospitals, are crucial for accurate evaluation.
Behavioral factors influencing performance management systems' use

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to substantiate conclusions from De Waal's case study research about the role of behavioral factors in the use of performance management systems. Design/methodology/approach - De Waal's exploratory research is replicated in four more Dutch organizations. Data were collected through the use of questionnaires, interviews and document research. Data of the additional case studies were combined with De Waal's. Pattern matching was used to compare all case studies. De Waal's initial research design was extended through the inclusion of different levels of matches in the pattern matching exercise. Findings - Analysis on different levels of matches showed that behavioral factors can be ranked according to their relative importance. The research has demonstrated that it is possible to identify which behavioral factors are the most important ones for the use of a performance management system. Research limitations/implications - The results of the research are limited to the Dutch situation. Practical implications - The research findings allow managers to focus their attention on what is most important to improve the use of their performance management systems, and hence to enhance the performance of their company. Originality/value - This paper is useful for both researchers and practitioners in that it gives interesting new insights into the relative importance of behavioral factors in the use of performance management systems.
An inverse association between history of childhood eczema and subsequent risk of type 1 diabetes that is not likely to be explained by HLA‐DQ, PTPN22, or CTLA4 polymorphisms

Stene LC, Rønningen KS, Bjørnvold M, Undlien DE, Joner G. An inverse association between history of childhood eczema and subsequent risk of type 1 diabetes that is not likely to be explained by HLA‐DQ, PTPN22, or CTLA4 polymorphisms.
Trade Preferences, Economies of Scale and Dynamic Productivity Upgrading in African Manufacturing Firms: The Production Technology–Institutional Context Nexus

Economic justification for the idea that a trade preference incentive can, through its enhanced market facility, bring about dynamic productivity gains to beneficiary firms is rooted in the logic of economies of scale. Under the assumption that this scale driven efficiency does not accrue randomly to firms, this paper argues that striking the right kind of complementarity between attributes of production technology and those of the institutional environment is the key to realizing it. Precisely, a framework is presented in which a production technology with strong potential for internal (firm level) economy requires availability of highly skilled and competent professionals in the management of large scale concerns for successful appropriation. On the other hand, if the potential for scale economy is revealed to be strong only at external (industry) level, then success in actualizing it would ultimately be determined by the efficiency of socioeconomic support structures that obtains in the wider macro level environment. Empirical support for these claims is demonstrated in the responses of African manufacturing firms to the trade incentives of African Growth and Opportunity Act Scheme.
Marketing Ecotourism through the Internet: An Evaluation of Selected Ecolodges in Latin America and the Caribbean

The advance of Internet technology worldwide has contributed to the growing impacts of online marketing of ecotourism destinations. Despite much discussion devoted to defining ecotourism conceptually, knowledge regarding how ecotourism is actually practiced and how it is marketed through the Internet is still lacking. The purpose of this study was to address these issues by exploring how ecotourism is marketed through the Internet. A sample was selected from ecolodge operators listed on the website of The International Ecotourism Society. Content analysis was used to examine the online marketing information of these ecolodges. The study findings suggest that ecolodge operators sampled in this study provided a variety of ecotourism products to meet the diverse interests of the ecotourist market. The online marketing messages of these ecolodges also indicated that most of them only partially aligned with ecotourism principles. Recommendations are made regarding social marketing and ecolabelling for online ecotourism marketing to better shape tourist expectations, attitudes and behaviours in ways that support the sustainable practices professed as ecotourism.
Endogenous oxidative stress produces diversity and adaptability in biofilm communities

Many bacterial species are capable of biofilm growth, in which cells live and replicate within multicellular community groups. Recent work shows that biofilm growth by a wide variety of bacterial species can generate genetic diversity in microbial populations. This finding is significant because the presence of diverse subpopulations can extend the range of conditions in which communities can thrive. Here, we used biofilms formed by the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa to investigate how this population diversity is produced. We found that some cells within biofilms incur double-stranded DNA breaks caused by endogenous oxidative stress. Genetic variants then result when breaks are repaired by a mutagenic mechanism involving recombinatorial DNA repair genes. We hypothesized that the mutations produced could promote the adaptation of biofilm communities to changing conditions in addition to generating diversity. To test this idea, we exposed biofilms to an antibiotic and found that the oxidative stress-break repair mechanism increased the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The diversity and adaptability produced by this mechanism could help biofilm communities survive in harsh environments.
Differences in the distribution of cytogenetic subtypes between multiple myeloma patients with and without a family history of monoclonal gammopathy and multiple myeloma

We previously reported an increased risk of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) in first‐degree relatives of MGUS and multiple myeloma patients. Here, we examine whether primary cytogenetic categories of myeloma differ between patients with and without a family history of MGUS or myeloma. We studied 201 myeloma patients with available data on family history and molecular cytogenetic classification. Myeloma with trisomies was more common in probands who had an affected first‐degree relative with MGUS or myeloma compared with those without a family history (46.9% vs. 33.5%, P = 0.125); however, the difference was not statistically significant. Additional studies on the cytogenetic types of myeloma associated with familial tendency are needed.
Physical Activity Trends in South Carolina, 1994–2000

Objectives: During the 1990s, physical activity recommendations and surveillance methods were developed in an attempt to increase and monitor, respectively, regular physical activity prevalence rates. For this article, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data were analyzed to determine whether regular physical activity proportions in South Carolina adults changed from 1994 to 2000. The physical activity prevalence rates for South Carolina were compared with national rates and Healthy People 2000 goals to measure progress. The rate of physical activity counseling by physicians and other health professionals was also analyzed from 1998 to 1999. Methods: Total subjects included 10,495 adults ages 18 years and older from South Carolina and 545,445 from the remainder of the United States. Using random-digit dialing procedures in 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2000, the two most frequent types of leisure-time physical activity performed in the past month were identified. For activities listed, the frequency (days/wk) and duration (minutes/d) were obtained. Linear regressions were performed on regular physical activity and inactivity for the total population and by gender, race, age, and body mass index (BMI). Data pertaining to whether or not a physician or other health professional had provided physical activity counseling were also obtained for 1998 and 1999. Results: From 1994 to 2000, the proportion of South Carolina adults participating in regular leisure time physical activity significantly increased (10.8%). Interestingly, the prevalence of regular physical activity in the rest of the nation remained unchanged during this time. Although significant increases were observed in nearly all subgroups, physical activity prevalence rates for South Carolina adults lagged behind national levels and did not meet Healthy People 2000 goals. Physical activity counseling by physicians and other health professionals increased from 1998 (24.1%) to 1999 (30.4%). Conclusions: While it is not known what factors influenced regular physical activity from 1994 to 2000, they seem to have been equally effective in South Carolina adults of both genders, both races, regular and overweight status, and nearly all age groups. Despite these positive trends, additional efforts are needed to develop and implement effective community and primary care physical activity interventions that facilitate improvements among the nearly two-thirds of South Carolina adults who do not participate in sufficient physical activity to reap significant health benefits.
The Choice of CES Production Techniques and Balanced Growth

We show that allowing firms a choice of CES production techniques (via the distribution parameter between capital and labor) can result in a new class of production functions that produces short-run capital-labor complementarity but yields a long-run unit elasticity of substitution. This is shown to occur if we provide a mathematical framework for this choice that maintains strict essentiality of the production process and satisfies the requirement of unit-invariance. The class of production functions derived are consistent with a balanced growth path even in the presence of capital-augmenting technical progress. The approach yields a simple yet powerful way of introducing CES-type production functions in macroeconomic models.
Crystal orientation dependence of fatigue characteristics in single crystal silicon measured using a rotating micro resonator

This paper reports the effect of crystal orientation on the fatigue fracture characteristics of single crystal silicon (SCS). Two types of micro resonators that have the same shapes were aligned to different directions: lang110rang and lang100rang. As a result, significant fatigue-life difference was observed. The lang100rang oriented test pieces showed almost 104 times longer fatigue life than the lang110rang oriented test pieces against same bending deflection. The difference is discussed through the fracture surface observation and stress analyses including both anisotropic elastic properties and anisotropic fracture strength.
Cues for Timing and Coordination: Latitude, Letterman, and Longitude

Daylight, television schedules, and time zones can alter timing and induce temporal coordination of economic activities. With the American Time Use Survey for 2003–2004 and data from Australia for 1992, we show that television schedules and the locations of time zones affect the timing of market work and sleep, with differences in timing being generated partly by returns to coordination with other agents. The responsiveness to time zone differences is greatest among workers in industries in national markets. An exogenous shock resulting from an area’s nonadherence to daylight saving time leads its residents to alter work schedules to coordinate with people elsewhere.
An Exploratory Study of Administrative Workers in the Arts

This study focuses on an exploration of value differences between administrative workers in the arts and workers in for-profit business organizations. Data were collected among both for-profit and arts workers to determine if there are differences in the things they value in the workplace. Analyses indicate that there are differences between the groups' work values. The managerial implications of the study are then discussed at length. Here has been an increasing appreciation of the special problems and administrative imperatives faced by managers in semi-public organization and not-for-profit arts organizations in particular. Most arts organizations function somewhere in the gray area between a public agency (as they are frequently supported by, and responsible to, both municipal and Federal programs) and true not-for-profits. As such, administrators in arts organizations look to the experiences of both public agencies, as well as not-for-profit organizations, to provide guidance on the daily management of their organizational mission.
Comparison of Human Menopousal Gonadotropin with Recombinant Follicle Stimulating Hormone in Ovulation Stimulation During Intrauterine Insemination

Fecundability increases when ovulation induction was conducted before starting intrauterine insemination procedure (IUI). Human Menopousal gonadotrophin (HMG) and recombinant follicle stimulating hormone (rFSH) are gonadotropin hormones that are widely used in the stimulation of ovulation in infertile patients. Although comparison of gonadotropin preparations have been carried out in IVF, but comparison of rFSH preparations and HMG on IUI was still lacking. The aim of this study was to compare rFSH and HMG, each was combined with clomiphene citrate in infertile women undergone intrauterine insemination (IUI). This study was a retrospective study in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Wahidin Sudirohusodo. Samples were infertile patients who meet these following criteria: women aged 20-45 years, infertility of unknown cause for approximately 12 months, had a history of induced ovulation for approximately 6 cycles without IUI, IVF or ICSI, patent tubes examined with hysterosalpingography, and normal semen analysis according to 1999 WHO criteria. A total of 78 patients consisted of 30 patients using clomiphene citrate + rFSH and 48 other patients using clomiphene citrate + HMG. In two groups, total dosage, duration of gonadotropin administration, follicle count, mean size of follicles, endometrial line size and pregnancy were compared. Statistical test using Levene T and unpaired t test was conducted using SPSS 16 for Windows version. There was no statistically significant difference among total dosage, duration of gonadotropins administration, follicle counts, mean size of follicles, and endometrial line size. The mean number of pregnancy was higher in patients treated with clomiphene citrate + hMG but this difference was not statistically significant. hMG and rFSH was equally effective in stimulating ovulation in intrauterine insemination.
Guidelines on the Diagnosis and Management of Pericardial Diseases

ESC Committee for Practice Guidelines (CPG), Silvia G. Priori (Chairperson) (Italy), Maria Angeles Alonso Garcia (Spain), Jean-Jacques Blanc (France), Andrzej Budaj (Poland), Martin Cowie (UK), Veronica Dean (France), Jaap Deckers (The Netherlands), Enrique Fernandez Burgos (Spain), John Lekakis (Greece), Bertil Lindahl (Sweden), Gianfranco Mazzotta (Italy), Jo~ ao Morais (Portugal), Ali Oto (Turkey), Otto A. Smiseth (Norway)