Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Irrigating Africa: policy barriers and opportunities for enhanced productivity of smallholder farmers

Abstract African governments have ambitious plans to expand irrigated agriculture, though existing smallholder schemes have largely failed to use land and water sustainably or become profitable. Six government-owned irrigation schemes in Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe were assessed to identify common policy barriers and opportunities for higher productivity among smallholder farmers. Issues like insecure land tenure systems, unclear institutional arrangements and poor access to markets have contributed to limited profitability. Reform of currently insecure land tenure, strengthening farmer organizations and reforming policies are recommended so that governments step back from scheme management and foster market linkages to enable more profitable irrigated agriculture.
Influence of cement thickness on the bond strength of tooth-colored posts to root dentin after thermal cycling.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of different resin cement thickness on the push-out bond strength of different posts (CAD/CAM zirconia post (ZR post)) and an individually formed glass fiber reinforced composite post (IPN post) prior to and after thermal cycling (TC). METHODS Post spaces with a height of 9 mm and a diameter of 1.5 mm were drilled in 80 mandibular premolar teeth. Two groups (n = 40) were formed according to the posts used (IPN posts or ZR posts). Then the specimens were randomly assigned into two sub-groups according to the post diameter: (1) 1.5 mm in diameter and (2) 1.2 mm in diameter (n = 20/per group). All posts were luted with a self-adhesive luting agent according to the manufacturer's instructions by using endo tips. Half of the samples (n = 10) were submitted to thermal cycling (5000 cycles, 5-55 °C). Thereafter, four 2-mm thick horizontal sections were obtained and subjected to push-out test. Failure modes were assessed quantitatively and morphologically. The data were statistically analyzed with a three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) (p < 0.05). Statistical differences in failure modes were investigated by chi-square tests at a significance level of p < 0.05. RESULT Push-out bond strengths were significantly influenced both by the post diameter and thermal cycling. Larger (1.5 mm) diameter post results were statistically higher than 1.2 mm results (p < 0.05). Moreover, TC significantly increased the bond strength results (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between ZR and IPN posts (p = 0.219). CONCLUSION The bond strengths of ZR and IPN posts were significantly decreased when the resin cement layer was thick. In addition, thermal cycling drastically influenced bond strengths of the tested post materials. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE The fit between tooth-colored endodontic posts and post spaces should be as tight as possible.
Effect of Mitomycin-C on Vocal Fold Healing in a Canine Model

For evaluation of the effect of topical mitomycin-C on vocal fold healing and return of function after surgical excision of mucosa, 6 dogs underwent suspension microlaryngoscopy with bilateral microflap excision of vocal fold mucosa. Topical mitomycin-C, a chemotherapeutic agent and a fibroblast inhibitor, was applied randomly to one side, with the contralateral side serving as the control. Laryngeal videostroboscopy (LVS) was performed on each animal before the operation, at 2 weeks, and before sacrifice at 4 weeks. Both functional analysis with LVS and histologic analysis were performed in a blinded fashion to determine the effect of mitomycin-C on healing. Histologic analysis was augmented with computer morphometries. The LVS revealed diminished mucosal wave vibration in the vocal folds treated with mitomycin-C, as well as a more atrophic appearance to the vibratory surface. The vocal folds treated with mitomycin-C showed fewer fibroblasts and less collagen within the superficial layer of the lamina propria than the control vocal folds (p < .05, Student's f-test, paired analysis). Inflammatory infiltrate was not significantly different between the two sides. Consistent with the known suppression of fibroblast proliferation by mitomycin-C, the treated vocal folds showed less connective tissue response to the surgical injury. In contrast to the reported positive effects of mitomycin-C on tracheal and glottic stenosis, the observed decrease in the healing response in the present study had negative consequences on the vocal fold vibratory pattern.
Courts' Decisions, Cooperative Investments, and Incomplete Contracts

Buyers may try to motivate their sellers to make relationship-specific investments to reduce the probability that the design of the goods they procure is defective. In some countries, courts examine how much real authority the seller had in performing the work to assign liability for a design failure. I show that this courts’ approach induces the sellers to under-invest and the buyers to under-specify the design of the goods. I find that this approach can also make it harder to sustain optimal relational contracting, leading to the conclusion that it cannot be justified on efficiency grounds.
Smoking withdrawal in smokers with and without posttraumatic stress disorder.

INTRODUCTION Previous research on smoking withdrawal in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been limited by the use of retrospective and observational methods and has lacked repeated assessments on the first day of abstinence and evaluation of the conditioned effects of smoking. METHODS Smokers with (n = 17; 59% female) and without (n = 30; 17% female) PTSD completed 3 randomly ordered experimental sessions using a 2 (group: PTSD vs. non-PTSD) × 3 (smoking condition: usual brand vs. nicotine free vs. no smoking) design. Before the smoking manipulation, participants completed self-report measures of smoking urges and withdrawal, followed by withdrawal assessment after the smoking manipulation. RESULTS Compared with smokers without PTSD, smokers with PTSD exhibited higher craving (χ₁² = 16.60, p < .001) and habit withdrawal (χ₁² = 10.38, p = .001) following overnight abstinence. PTSD smokers also exhibited worsening negative affect throughout the morning when not smoking a cigarette (χ₁² = 11.30, p = .004). After smoking, smokers with PTSD reported diminished relief from craving (χ₁² = 6.49, p = .011), negative affect (χ₁² = 4.51, p = .034), arousal (χ₁² = 6.46, p = .011), and habit withdrawal (χ₁² = 7.22, p = .007), relative to smokers without PTSD. CONCLUSIONS Results of this preliminary investigation suggested that after overnight abstinence, PTSD smokers experienced worse withdrawal symptoms and greater urges to smoke for both positive and negative reinforcement. Research on smoking withdrawal early in the course of smoking abstinence in PTSD could inform interventions targeting abstinence early in the quit attempt.
Influence of a GT repeat element on shear stress responsiveness of the VWF gene promoter

Summary. Background: Plasma von Willebrand factor (VWF) is mainly derived from endothelial cells, cells that express a large repertoire of genes that are transcriptionally regulated by fluid shear stress. Endothelial VWF expression is not uniform throughout the vasculature, and levels are increased at regions associated with disturbed blood flow and steep gradients of shear stress. It is, however, unknown whether shear stress influences the regulation of VWF gene expression. Objectives: Our objective was to evaluate the effect of shear stress on endogenous endothelial VWF mRNA expression and VWF promoter (− 2722 to − 1224) activity and to determine whether genetic elements modulate this flow‐induced expression. Methods: A parallel plate flow chamber was used to expose endothelial cells to a shear level of 15 dynes cm−2 for 24 or 6 h. VWF mRNA expression was analyzed. Various VWF promoter constructs that each contain either SNP haplotypes 1 or 2 and either a 17‐GT or a 23‐GT repeat element were transfected into endothelial cells, and flow‐induced promoter activation was assessed. Results: When endothelial cells were exposed to shear stress, endogenous VWF mRNA expression increased 1.84‐fold and average VWF promoter activity was enhanced 3.4‐fold. Single nucleotide polymorphisms at − 2708 and − 2525, and the shear stress‐response element at − 1585, are not responsible for the shear stress‐induced increase. Rather a GT repeat element at − 2124 mediates the increase in activity, and the length of this polymorphic repeat element influences the magnitude of induction. Conclusions: Shear stress enhances VWF promoter activity and a polymorphic GT repeat element mediates the stress‐induced transactivation.
Academic Performance Gaps and Family Income in a Rural Elementary School: Perceptions of Low-Income Parents.

A wide range of research has been conducted regarding reasons for the achievement gap between low income students and higher income students, but there is limited research regarding parental perspectives, and particularly fewer studies of parental perceptions of low-income, rural elementary school parents. This study examined the extent to which an income-related achievement gap existed at a particular rural school and explored low-income parent perceptions of the achievement gap and factors contributing to it. This was a mixed-method, primarily qualitative study. Quantitative data was collected from a group of sixty-two free and reduced lunch students and a comparison sample of higher income students which included academic, attendance, and discipline reports. Findings indicated a gap does exist at the school. Qualitative data included interviews of six parents of low-income students and delved into topics regarding how participants perceive various factors affect the performance of their children. Four themes emerged: parental involvement and capacity, access to resources, the role of the schools and limits, and American societal and governmental systems. Implications suggest that this particular rural school and others with similar demographics would benefit from specific strategies to assist in understanding cultural differences to improve instruction and, ultimately, avenues to include parents by exploring current practices that may be unintentionally discriminating.
Single‐axon tracing and three‐dimensional reconstruction of centre médian‐parafascicular thalamic neurons in primates

The axonal projections from the centre médian (CM)/parafascicular (Pf) thalamic complex in squirrel monkeys were studied after microiontophoretic injections of biotinylated dextran amine under electrophysiological guidance. A total of 29 axons connected to their parent cell body were entirely reconstructed from serial sections with a camera lucida. Our investigation shows that the CM and Pf nuclei in primates comprise three types of projection neurons: (1) neurons that innervate densely and focally the striatum; (2) neurons that arborize diffusely in the cerebral cortex; and (3) neurons that innervate both striatum and cerebral cortex. Striatal innervation of CM origin consists of dense clusters of axon terminals exhibiting pedunculated varicosities and forming oblique bands in the dorsolateral sector of putamen (sensorimotor striatal territory). The same type of striatal innervation occurs in the head of caudate nucleus (associative striatal territory) in cases of Pf‐labeled neurons. The CM neurons that target cerebral cortex arborize principally in motor and premotor areas, whereas Pf neurons innervate chiefly prefrontal areas. Cortical innervation from both nuclei is much more profuse in layers V and VI than in layer I. Our three‐dimensional reconstruction studies show that dendritic and axonal arborizations of CM neurons extend essentially along the sagittal plane. These results revealed that, in contrast to rodents where virtually all Pf neurons project to both striatum and cortex, the primate CM/Pf complex harbors several types of highly patterned projection neurons. As such, this complex might be considered as an integral part of the widely distributed basal ganglia neuronal system. J. Comp. Neurol. 481:127–144, 2005. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Treatment of Periodontal Disease During Pregnancy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether treating periodontal disease prevents preterm birth and other major complications of pregnancy. METHODS: This single-center trial was conducted across six obstetric sites in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia. Pregnant women identified by history to be at risk (n=3,737) were examined for periodontal disease. Approximately 1,000 women with periodontal disease were allocated at random to receive periodontal treatment commencing around 20 weeks of gestation (n=542) or 6 weeks after the pregnancy was completed (controls; n=540). The treatment included mechanical removal of oral biofilms together with oral hygiene instruction and motivation at a minimum of three weekly visits, with further visits if required. RESULTS: There were no differences between the control and treatment groups in preterm birth (9.3% compared with 9.7%, odds ratio [OR] 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI 0.7–1.58], P=.81), birth weight (3,450 compared with 3,410 g, P=.12), preeclampsia (4.1% compared with 3.4%, OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.44–1.56, P=.55), or other obstetric endpoints. There were four unexplained stillbirths in the control group and no pregnancy losses in the treated group (P=.12). Measures of fetal and neonatal well-being were similar in the two groups, including abnormalities in fetal heart rate recordings (P=.26), umbilical artery flow studies (P=.96), and umbilical artery blood gas values (P=.37). The periodontal treatment was highly successful in improving health of the gums (P<.01). CONCLUSION: The evidence provided by the present study does not support the hypothesis that treatment of periodontal disease during pregnancy in this population prevents preterm birth, fetal growth restriction, or preeclampsia. Periodontal treatment was not hazardous to the women or their pregnancies. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, www.clinicaltrials. gov, NCT00133926. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: I
Target Setting in Tournaments: Theory and Evidence from China

Motivated by the prevalence of economic targets at all levels of territory administration in China, this article proposes a Tullock contest model to study optimal target setting in a multi-layered tournament-based organisation. In our model, targets are used by upper-level officials to convey the importance of economic growth and incentivise subordinates in the tournaments. Our model predicts a top-down amplification of economic growth targets along the jurisdiction levels, which explains the observed pattern in China. Using both provincial and prefectural-level data, we test the model predictions and find consistent evidence.
Behavioral Hearing Thresholds Between 0.125 and 20 kHz Using Depth-Compensated Ear Simulator Calibration

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to obtain behavioral hearing thresholds for frequencies between 0.125 and 20 kHz from a large population between 10 and 65 yr old using a clinically feasible calibration method expected to compensate well for variations in the distance between the eardrum and an insert-type sound source. Previous reports of hearing thresholds in the extended high frequencies (>8 kHz) have either used calibration techniques known to be inaccurate or specialized equipment not suitable for clinical use. Design: Hearing thresholds were measured from 352 human subjects between 10 and 65 yr old having clinically normal-hearing thresholds (<20 dB HL) up to 4 kHz. An otoacoustic emission probe fitted with custom sound sources was used, and the stimulus levels individually tailored on the basis of an estimate of the insertion depth of the measurement probe. The calibrated stimulus levels were determined on the basis of measurements made at various depths of insertion in a standard ear simulator. Threshold values were obtained for 21 frequencies between 0.125 and 20 kHz using a modified Békésy technique. Forty-six of the subjects returned for a second measurement months later from the initial evaluation. Results: In agreement with previous reports, hearing thresholds at extended high frequencies were found to be sensitive to age-related changes in auditory function. In contrast with previous reports, no gender differences were found in average hearing thresholds at most evaluated frequencies. Two aging processes, one faster than the other in time scale, seem to influence hearing thresholds in different frequency ranges. The standard deviation (SD) of test–retest threshold difference for all evaluated frequencies was 5 to 10 dB, comparable to that reported in the literature for similar measurement techniques but smaller than that observed for data obtained using the standard clinical procedure. Conclusions: The depth-compensated ear simulator-based calibration method and the modified Békésy technique allow reliable measurement of hearing thresholds over the entire frequency range of human hearing. Hearing thresholds at the extended high frequencies are sensitive to aging and reveal subtle differences, which are not evident in the frequency range evaluated regularly (⩽8 kHz). Previously reported gender-related differences in hearing thresholds may be related to ear-canal acoustics and the calibration procedure and not because of differences in hearing sensitivity.
Executive Functioning and Observed Versus Self-Reported Measures of Functional Ability

This study investigated the relationship between measures of executive functioning and both observed and self-reported functional ability. It was hypothesized that performance on a direct assessment of functional ability would have a stronger correlation with performance on measures of executive functioning than a self-report measure of functional ability. Results supported the hypothesis, indicating that self-report measures may not be sensitive to early decline in functional ability. Results also provide evidence to support the use of measures of executive functioning to detect early decline in functional ability that otherwise may not be detected by the typical self-report measures used in clinical settings. While lack of insight into functional deficits has been demonstrated in the literature in older adults with dementia, this study demonstrated lack of insight in a non-demented, community dwelling sample of older adults.
A mathematical model for simulating daily bed occupancy in an intensive care unit*

Objectives:To develop a mathematical model for simulating the daily bed occupancy in an intensive care unit. Design:Data collection and retrospective analysis to develop a mathematical model for simulating daily bed occupancy in an intensive care unit. Setting:We studied all admissions to the intensive care unit at the Hospital of Navarra over a 9-yr period. Patients:Six-thousand three-hundred adult patients consecutively admitted to intensive care units at a tertiary care hospital. Interventions:None. Measurements and Main Results:The large set of data collected comprises an arrivals file, a patient file, and a bed occupancy file. The arrival file records the number of patients admitted to the intensive care unit each day, by admission type, and by day of the week. The patient file contains records for all patients admitted to the intensive care unit during the study period: Admission type, admission and discharge dates, age, sex, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score within the first 24 hrs, infections during hospitalization, and mortality. We used these two files to fit appropriate statistical models of arrival rates and length of stay by patient type. Based on this statistical analysis and the representation of the intensive care unit as a queuing problem, we built a simulation model. The bed occupancy file records the number of occupied beds at 4:00 PM each day. We used this file to validate the simulation model by testing the similarity of the real and simulated output data. The simulation model also includes bed management decisions related to patient discharge. Results:We obtained a valid simulation model that reproduced on a computer the patient flow through the intensive care unit at the Hospital of Navarra. This computerized simulation model can be used to study the intensive care unit bed occupancy profile and can be used as a reliable sizing and capacity analysis tool. As an example, we present the problem of estimating the number of beds needed to meet an increase in patient arrivals at the intensive care unit because of different causes. Conclusions:It is possible to develop simulation models that can be used to predict future intensive care unit resource needs. (Crit Care Med 2012; 40:–1104)
Childcare, Maternal Employment and Residential Location

The economic literature provides mixed evidence of the relationship between local childcare provision and maternal employment. We document this question further by focusing on the role of the provision of childcare services close to the family’s residential location. We use a simultaneous equations approach to estimate the employment and childcare decisions of mothers of children aged 0-3, conditional on their residential location. Our estimates are based on a rich data set, which matches household and individual level microdata for Luxembourg in conjunction with municipality level data (provision of childcare services and other local amenities) and travel time distances for the year 2011. In line with the evidence provided by the recent literature, we find that, in a context where the female employment rate and the availability of childcare have increased over the last years, policies that make childcare services more widely accessible have no effect on maternal employment.
Economic Evaluations of State Policies

Economic Evaluations of State Policies Chair of Supervisory Committee: Assistant Professor, Norma B. Coe, PhD Department of Health Services Alcohol consumption and access to care are important measures of individual and public health. The goal of this dissertation is to examine these outcomes within the context of state-level policy evaluations and via an exploratory methods study. In the first aim of the dissertation, we examine the effect of privatizing retail liquor sales and distribution on household-level alcohol purchases in Washington State by type of alcohol, using data from the Nielsen Consumer Panel Dataset. We use the differences-in-differences approach, with all other U.S. states serving as controls, to estimate the effect of privatization on household alcohol purchases. We find that privatization of liquor is associated with modest increases in liquor, beer, and ethanol purchases in the overall sample. Our subgroup analysis finds that there was variability in responsiveness to the policy. Privatization was associated with increases in liquor and ethanol purchases among low purchasers, an increase in liquor purchases among moderate purchasers, and a decrease in ethanol among high purchasers. In the second aim of the dissertation, we examine whether Massachusetts health reform reduced the overall financial burden of accessing health services, using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. We use the instrumental variables approach, with the
An LMI-Based Algorithm for Designing Suboptimal Static H2/Hinfinity Output Feedback Controllers

We consider the problem of designing a suboptimal ${\cal H}_2/{\cal H}_{\infty}$ feedback control law for a linear time-invariant control system when a complete set of state variables is not available. This problem can be necessarily restated as a nonconvex optimization problem with a bilinear, multiobjective functional under suitably chosen linear matrix inequality (LMI) constraints. To solve such a problem, we propose an LMI-based procedure which is a sequential linearization programming approach. The properties and the convergence of the algorithm are discussed in detail. Finally, several numerical examples for static ${\cal H}_2/{\cal H}_{\infty}$ output feedback problems demonstrate the applicability of the considered algorithm and also verify the theoretical results numerically.