This paper uses the gradual expansion of the European railway network to investigate how this key technological driver of modernization affected ethnic separatism between 1816 and 1945. Combining new historical data on ethnic settlement areas, conflict, and railway construction, we test how railroads affected separatist conflict and successful secession as well as independence claims among peripheral ethnic groups. Difference-in-differences, event study, and instrumental variable models show that, on average, railway-based modernization increased separatist mobilization and secession. These effects concentrate in countries with small core groups, weak state capacity, and low levels of economic development as well as in large ethnic minority regions. Exploring causal mechanisms, we show how railway networks can facilitate mobilization by increasing the internal connectivity of ethnic regions and hamper it by boosting state reach. Overall, our findings call for a more nuanced understanding of the effects of European modernization on nation building.

What is the role of law in imperial state-building projects? We study this question of historical significance with an empirical focus on Russian arbitrazh (commercial) courts in Crimea. We document the increase in the number of disputes that involve the Russian state and strong pro-government favoritism in court decisions. We also find that arbitrazh courts are used as a check on local political elites. At the same time, our analysis establishes favoritism toward local businesses in disputes with Russian businesses. Most importantly, we highlight that this stick-and-carrot legal politics is not only imposed from above: Local judges who defected to Russia act more favorably than outsider judges appointed from Russia toward the Russian state and businesses, plausibly because local judges want to signal their loyalty. The implication is that imperial legal domination emerges not only through directives from the metropole but also through the everyday contributions of local imperial intermediaries.

Studies on household income and consumption in Southern Europe have primarily focused on rural areas and factory workers. In this study, we aim to incorporate evidence of household income, considering the earnings of all household members and not just the male wage, using the population list of Zaragoza (Spain) from 1924. This population list is the first (and the last) to systematically record the wages of all citizens regardless of their family role or age. Our results confirm that, in 1924, most working-class households still required the labour of women and/or children to meet basic consumption needs (on average, they contributed nearly sixty per cent of the household income). Based on different food consumption baskets, the results also show that, with household income, the majority of working-class families could afford a basic consumption basket but not a nutritionally more complete basket.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) and coronary heart disease (CHD) can both cause significant morbidity and mortality. The association of MDD and CHD has long been identified, but the mechanisms still require further investigation. Seven mRNA microarray datasets containing samples from patients with MDD and CHD were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus. Combined matrixes of MDD and CAD were constructed for subsequent analysis. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Functional enrichment analyses based on shared DEGs were conducted to identify pivotal pathways. A protein-protein network was also applied to further investigate the functional interaction. Results showed that 24 overlapping genes were identified. Enrichment analysis indicated that the shared genes are mainly associated with immune function and ribosome biogenesis. The functional interactions of shared genes were also demonstrated by PPI network analysis. In addition, three hub genes including MMP9, S100A8, and RETN were identified. Our results indicate that MDD and CHD have a genetic association. Genes relevant to immune function, especially IL-17 signalling pathway may be involved in the pathogenesis of MDD and CHD.

“Relativistic thermodynamics” should be understood not as a generalization of a non-relativistic theory but as an application of a general thermodynamic framework, neutral as to spacetime setting and allowing arbitrary conserved quantities, to the specific case of relativity. That framework gives an unambiguous result as to the thermodynamics of relativistically moving systems (an answer coinciding with Einstein’s, and Planck’s, original results). Thermodynamic temperature is unambiguously defined as rate of change of energy with entropy at constant momentum; that said, its operational significance is limited and other measures of energy/entropy covariance, which incorporate momentum transfer, are often more useful.

Machine learning (ML) models have been developed to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to accelerate systematic reviews (SRs). However, their use has been limited due to concerns about their performance and practical benefits. We developed a high-recall ensemble learning model using Cochrane RCT data to enhance the identification of RCTs for rapid title and abstract screening in SRs and evaluated the model externally with our annotated RCT datasets. Additionally, we assessed the practical impact in terms of labour time savings and recall improvement under two scenarios: ML-assisted double screening (where ML and one reviewer screened all citations in parallel) and ML-assisted stepwise screening (where ML flagged all potential RCTs, and at least two reviewers subsequently filtered the flagged citations). Our model achieved twice the precision compared to the existing SVM model while maintaining a recall of 0.99 in both internal and external tests. In a practical evaluation with ML-assisted double screening, our model led to significant labour time savings (average 45.4%) and improved recall (average 0.998 compared to 0.919 for a single reviewer). In ML-assisted stepwise screening, the model performed similarly to standard manual screening but with average labour time savings of 74.4%. In conclusion, compared with existing methods, the proposed model can reduce workload while maintaining comparable recall when identifying RCTs during the title and abstract screening stages, thereby accelerating SRs. We propose practical recommendations to effectively apply ML-assisted manual screening when conducting SRs, depending on reviewer availability (ML-assisted double screening) or time constraints (ML-assisted stepwise screening).

The study aims were to present in vitro susceptibilities of clinical isolates from Gram-negative bacteria bloodstream infections (GNBSI) collected in China. GNBSI isolates were collected from 18 tertiary hospitals in 7 regions of China from 2018 to 2020. Minimum inhibitory concentrations were assessed using a Trek Diagnostic System. Susceptibility was determined using CLSI broth microdilution, and breakpoints were interpreted using CLSI M100 (2021). A total of 1,815 GNBSI strains were collected, with E. coli (42.4%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (28.6%) being the most prevalent species, followed by P. aeruginosa (6.7%). Susceptibility analyses revealed low susceptibilities (<40%) of ESBL-producing E. coli and K. pneumonia to third-/fourth-generation cephalosporins, monobactamases, and fluoroquinolones. High susceptibilities to colistin (95.0%) and amikacin (81.3%) were found for K. pneumoniae, while Acinetobacter baumannii exhibited a high susceptibility (99.2%) to colistin but a low susceptibility to other antimicrobials (<27.5%). Isolates from ICUs displayed lower drug susceptibility rates of K. pneumoniae and A. baumannii than isolates from non-ICUs (all P < 0.05). Carbapenem-resistant and ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae detection was different across regions (both P < 0.05). E. coli and K. pneumoniae were major contributors to GNBSI, while A. baumannii exhibited severe drug resistance in isolates obtained from ICU departments.

Worldwide, voluntary agri-environmental programs encourage farmers to adopt environmentally friendly practices. However, the impact of program design on farmers’ participation and long-term practice persistence is unclear. Toward improving program effectiveness, this study illustrates the value of a tailored practice-specific approach to agri-environmental program design. We present a case study of programs promoting cover crops, a conservation practice that can improve soil health and reduce nutrient pollution, drawing from five focus groups with farmers (n = 20) and program administrators (n = 14) in the U.S. Midwest (Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana). Participants perceived cover crop programs to best support farmers is characterized by flexibility and minimal transaction costs. Participants suggested a more data-driven approach to program design particularly for understanding the farm-level economic implications of cover crop use. Integrating financial planning and participatory research components alongside traditional financial incentives and technical assistance were proposed as valuable strategies to enhance program design and broaden the appeal of conservation practices like cover crops.

Allied states often seek to discourage other members from engaging in unnecessary conflicts, frequently working to mitigate and de-escalate tensions during crises involving their partners. This study investigates the de-escalatory influence of alliances − referred to as the restraint effect − on state behaviour during international crises. The central question addressed is: under what conditions does the restraint effect of alliances become more pronounced? The study hypothesizes that relatively weak states allied with major powers are more likely to experience a stronger restraint effect compared to others. This hypothesis is empirically tested using multiple regression models. The findings provide evidence of an additional restraint effect associated with the presence of a major ally within defence pacts. Furthermore, the temporal analysis reveals that this effect is particularly evident during the Cold War era.

A growing number of states are adopting a feminist foreign policy (FFP). While this change has excited much scholarly attention, the process by which countries decide to adopt FFP remains unclear: How can we explain their journey toward the formal adoption of FFP? What factors create an environment in which these states were willing (and able) to declare their foreign policy feminist? We bring together literature on FFP and foreign policy change to identify the factors that lead to the uptake of FFP. The roles of a favorable domestic context, policy entrepreneurs, a new governing coalition, and the international context for feminism are highlighted as having clear impact on the decision to adopt FFP. The paper focuses on two different cases: Sweden, which pioneered the idea of FFP until a rollback on its position following domestic elections in 2022, and Chile, which only adopted FFP in 2022.

The intuition that knowledge requires the satisfaction of some sort of anti-luck condition is widely shared. I examine the claim that modal robustness is sufficient for satisfying this condition: for a true belief to be non-luckily true, it is sufficient that this belief is safe and sensitive. I argue that this claim is false by arguing that, at least when it comes to beliefs in necessary truths, satisfying the anti-luck condition requires satisfying a non-modal condition. I also advance a plausible candidate for this condition and argue for the implausibility of mathematical Platonism on this basis.

We assessed the hospital environment as a reservoir of vancomycin-resistant E. faecium (VRE) and compared environmental VRE isolates to bloodstream infection E. faecium isolates. We identified distinct environmental and patient reservoirs, with the environment dominated by vanB VRE. Environment-clinical reservoir spillover accounted for 292/895 (33%) of putative transmission links.

During his life, Friedrich Hayek drastically changed his evaluation of Aristotle’s role in the history of political and economic thought. Initially considering Aristotle as one of the forerunners of the liberal tradition, he then came to consider Aristotle’s philosophy as the source of collectivist thought. By examining both published and unpublished materials, this article shows that Hayek’s attack on Aristotle in The Fatal Conceit is authentic and puts Hayek’s affirmations on Aristotle in the context of his intellectual development. Hayek’s rejection of Aristotle can be related to his increasing emphasis on the abstract nature of the rules governing complex phenomena. However, this does not explain why Hayek felt compelled to take such a stance on an ancient philosopher who was highly esteemed in the school he belonged to. Hayek’s abandonment of the established view on the Aristotelian roots of the Austrian school can be better understood by considering the intellectual environment of his time. His eventual adoption of Karl Popper’s point of view on Aristotle meant taking a stance against Karl Polanyi’s democratic socialism and distancing himself from Wilhelm Röpke’s Catholic conservatism.

A tantalizing open problem, posed independently by Stiebitz in 1995 and by Alon in 1996 and again in 2006, asks whether for every pair of integers $s,t \ge 1$ there exists a finite number $F(s,t)$ such that the vertex set of every digraph of minimum out-degree at least $F(s,t)$ can be partitioned into non-empty parts $A$ and $B$ such that the subdigraphs induced on $A$ and $B$ have minimum out-degree at least $s$ and $t$, respectively.

In this short note, we prove that if $F(2,2)$ exists, then all the numbers $F(s,t)$ with $s,t\ge 1$ exist and satisfy $F(s,t)=\Theta (s+t)$. In consequence, the problem of Alon and Stiebitz reduces to the case $s=t=2$. Moreover, the numbers $F(s,t)$ with $s,t \ge 2$ either all exist and grow linearly, or all of them do not exist.

Artificial sweeteners are used to reduce energy intake, but studies suggest that consumption during pregnancy may impact the offspring’s risk of overweight. In this longitudinal cohort study, we aimed to examine the association between consumption of artificially sweetened or sugar-sweetened beverages during pregnancy and offspring overweight from birth to 18 years in the Danish National Birth Cohort. A total of 101 042 pregnancies were enrolled in the Danish National Birth Cohort from 1996 to 2002. Follow-up was conducted throughout pregnancy, childhood and adolescence. Additionally, 72 821 women completed an FFQ during pregnancy, reporting intake of beverages sweetened with artificial sweeteners or sugar. Offspring height and weight were obtained during childhood and adolescence. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to estimate the OR for overweight concerning maternal beverage consumption. Analyses were adjusted for risk factors for childhood overweight, including maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI, physical activity and smoking in pregnancy, healthy eating index, paternal BMI, socio-economic status and duration of breastfeeding. We found increased odds of overweight in 7-, 11-, 14- and 18-year-old offspring whose mothers reported drinking ≥ 1 artificially sweetened beverage daily during pregnancy compared with no consumption (18 years: adjusted OR 1·26 (95 % CI 1·12, 1·42)). We found decreased adjusted odds of overweight in 11- and 18-year-old offspring whose mothers reported drinking ≥ 1 sugar-sweetened beverage daily during pregnancy compared with no consumption. We found that consumption of artificially sweetened beverages during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of overweight in childhood and adolescence after adjustment for risk factors for childhood overweight.

Detrimental impacts of early ecological adversity on children’s development are known, but our understanding of their mechanisms and factors contributing to multifinality of developmental trajectories triggered by adversity is incomplete. We examined longitudinal pathways from ecological adversity parents experienced when children were infants, measured as a cumulative index of fine-grained scores on several ecological risks, to children’s future self-regulation (SR) in 200 U.S. Midwestern community families (96 girls). Parents’ observed power-assertive styles were modeled as mediators, and their negative internal working models (IWMs) of the child, coded from interviews – as moderators. Both were assessed twice, at 16 months and at 3 years, to inform our understanding of their developmental timing. Children’s SR was reported by parents and observed at 4.5 years. Path analyses revealed moderated mediation in mother-child relationships: A path from higher early ecological adversity to elevated power assertion to children’s poorer SR was significant only for mothers with highly negative IWMs of the child. Maternal negative IWMs assessed early, at 16 months, moderated the link between ecological adversity and power assertion. Once elevated, maternal power assertion was stable through age 3 and not moderated by IWM at age 3. There were no significant effects in father-child relationships.