Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Shear bond strength of posterior composite cores

This study was designed to evaluate the shear bond strength (SBS) of posterior composite resin cores to tooth surface using two dental adhesives and two retentive means. Thirty extracted permanent molars were used for this purpose. They were made flat by removing the occlusal one third using “stone grinding wheal”. Teeth were then randomly divided into six groups: Groups I and IV: Scotchbond Multipurpose Plus (SbMP) and All bond 2 dental adhesives were used for groups I and IV respectively to adhere composite to the flat tooth surface with no retentive mean as the control group. Groups II and V: A circumferential slot was prepared and composite attached to the tooth using SbMP and All bond 2 for groups II and V respectively. Groups III and VI: Four self threading pins were placed and composite adhered using SbMP and All bond 2 for groups III and VI respectively. After storage and thermal cycling, the SBS for each group was measured using “universal testing machine”. The results varied according to the retentive mean and dental adhesive used. Groups with four pins produced the highest SBS and groups with no retentive mean showed the lowest SBS. Also the groups using All bond 2 adhesive generally had higher values when compared with the same groups using SbMP dental adhesive. Within the limits of this study, it is indicated that when the highest SBS is to be achieved, then All bond 2 dental adhesive with pins should be used.
Contracting and quality upgrading: Evidence from an experiment in Senegal

Linking producers to export markets can improve incomes and welfare, but accessing these markets requires meeting international quality standards. Contracts between producers and buyers may facilitate meeting these standards by aligning incentives, alleviating constraints, and reducing uncertainty for producers. In partnership with two groundnut farming cooperatives in Senegal, we implement a new contracting arrangement that bundles price premium certainty with training and credit for the purchase of a new quality-improving technology. We conduct a randomized experiment to test whether this contract induces adoption of the technology and improvements in production quality. Producers randomly offered the contract are significantly more likely to purchase and use the technology. In areas where quality is otherwise low due to agro-climatic conditions, producers in the treatment group are significantly more likely to comply with international quality standards. We also find that producers in the treatment group increase output sales to the cooperative on average. Importantly, the new contract is significantly more effective at increasing sales to the cooperative for producers who are more reciprocal and for whom signaling reliability is more valuable. Comments welcome: jdeutschmann@wisc.edu. The authors would first like to thank the farmers and management teams at our partner cooperatives for their investment and eager participation in the project. The authors additionally thank Laura Schechter for her tireless support and contributions to developing this line of research; Mariama Konte, Samba Mbaye, Medoune Sall, and the team at CRDES for their work implementing the project; Abiodun Opaleye, Lamine Senghor, and the IITA Aflasafe team for their support of the project; and Brad Barham, Augustin Bergeron, Molly Lipscomb, Ana Paula Melo, Alex Orenstein, Jacob Ricker-Gilbert, Adam Theising, Emilia Tjernström, and seminar participants at the Global Poverty Research Lab, the LEAP/LdA Virtual Summer School in International and Development Economics, and the UW-Madison Agricultural and Applied Economics department for helpful comments and suggestions. This project received financial support from the CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets and the Agricultural Technology Adoption Initiative. Deutschmann acknowledges additional support from the UW AAE Kenneth and Pauline Parsons Graduate Fellowship Fund and SRGC Fund. This study received IRB approval from IFPRI (MTID-19-0628) and is registered with the AEA RCT Registry (AEARCTR0006315). Any errors in this draft are the sole responsibility of the authors.
Mezlocillin Alone and in Combination with Aminoglycosides against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

A total of 103 isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were studied to compare the in vitro effectiveness of three beta-lactam antibiotics (piperacillin, ticarciflin, and meziocillin) when used alone and in combination with four aminoglycosides (tobramycin, gentamicin, amikacin, and netilmicin). All drugs were tested as single agents against a standard inoculum (5 x 105 CFU/ml). The three antipseudomonal penicillins were also tested against the isolates at a higher inoculum concentration (107 CFU/ml). Synergy testing was performed by the two-dimensional checkerboard method and was defined by (i) a fractional bactericidal index of -0.5 and (ii) bacterial killing accomplished at antibiotic concentrations no greater than those achievable in serum. All combinations were assessed for synergy. The degree of synergy was further'analyzed by dividing the isolates into groups based on their susceptibility and resistance to the individual agents in the combination. The overall effectiveness of the various aminoglycoside-antipseudomonal penicillin combinations was assessed regarding their ability to kill the isolates either as single agents or through synergy. Piperacillin was the most active antipseudomonal penicillin, and tobramycin and amikacin were the most active aminoglycosides when used as single agents. When tested against isolates at a higher inoculum concentration, ticarcillin was significantly more active than the other beta-lactams. The highest degree of overall synergy was noted with gentamicin-ticarcillin (78.2% of strains) and amikacin-piperacillin (77% of strains). When assessed for overall effectiveness, all combinations containing amikacin were the most active. The combination of amikacin-piperacillin was the most effective, with activity against 96% of all isolates.
EFFECT OF PUBLIC FINANCE MANAGEMENT AUTOMATION ON FINANCIAL PERFROMANCE OF KIAMBU COUNTY GOVERNMENT IN KENYA

Despite the automation of public finance management functions with an aim of enhancing financial performance of counties in Kenya, cases of misreporting still abound. For instance, published financial statements of county government of Kiambu included some items exclusively reserved for the national government. In addition, own-source revenues declined by 24 percent in the year ended June 2018 compared to a similar period the previous year. Objectives: These adverse findings motivated the current research which sought to establish the influence of public finance automation on financial performance of Kiambu county government. The specific objectives were to examine the extent to which revenue collection automation, cash management automation, financial reporting automation and internal control automation impacted on financial performance of the county government. Findings: The study targeted 20 senior officials of the Kiambu government and attained a response rate of 85 percent. Based on the findings, cash management automation and internal control automation had significant positive influence on financial performance. However, revenue collection automation and financial reporting automation had a significant but negative influence on financial performance. The study recommends that the county government should embrace automation of both cash management and internal controls as both are positively linked to performance. Further, the study recommends to the county leadership to investigate the reasons underlaying the negative influence of revenue collection and financial reporting automation.
Predicting Average Cooperation in the Repeated Prisoner’s Dilemma

We predict cooperation rates across treatments in the experimental play of the indefnitely repeated prisoner’s dilemma using simulations of a simple learning model. We suppose that learning and the game parameters only infuence play in the initial round of each supergame. Using data from 17 papers, we fnd that our model predicts out-of-sample cooperation at least as well as more complicated models with more parameters and machine learning algorithms. Our results let us predict how cooperation rates change with longer experimental sessions, and explain and sharpen past fndings on the role of strategic uncertainty.
Emotional intelligence training in sports: The influence of a season long intervention program on trait emotional intelligence Running head: EI training

The aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of an emotional intelligence (EI) training intervention in sport to improve EI at trait level with participants who were not previously motivated to do so. Sixty-seven players from a professional rugby club participated in the study. One group received the EI training intervention, while the other group served as a control group. Participants of both groups were required to complete the trait EI questionnaire in the pre and post-test. The intervention consisted of four face-to-face sessions over a five-month period, with homework and follow-up procedures between sessions. The control group attended video match analyses. Results showed that the EI training was partially successful in increasing EI at the trait level, however adding age as a covariate decreased the effect size of the EI training. Our findings demonstrate that it is possible to increase EI in participants who may not have preexisting motivation to do so through specific intervention. Although, demographic characteristics of intervention and control groups should be held constant in order to draw clearer conclusions in future research.
Influence of Starter Cultures' Type on the Microbiological, Rheological and Sensory Properties of Ayran Samples from Goat's Milk

Dairy products are one of the most widely-investigated food products. However, reducing cost while improving nutritional value and flavour is a classic problem in milk production. Besides, consumers have increased demand for natural foods and beverages with high nutritional value, health and rich taste. All of this has spawned a growing academic interest in using different types of milk to replace raw cow's milk in recent years. In this research, drinkable fermented milk products from goat's milk with different starters were studied. The aim of this study was to describe and compare Fatty Acid (FA) profiles of ayran from goat milk produced by Saanen breeds. The microbiological, chemical (pH, lactic acid, total solids, protein), rheological and sensory properties of ayran samples were investigated during a 10-day storage period. This study found that both samples (Micromilk and Sacco) have little difference in the basic content and chemical composition of selected physical characteristics according to the instrumental and organoleptic evaluation results. However, although the first starter culture (Micromilk) sample had the highest overall evaluation score, the second sample (Sacco) had a tighter clot and shorter fermentation duration. Also, it was found that during storage of the concentrations of lactic acid microorganisms in fermented beverages, the type of sourdough was insignificant. The shelf life of ayran is limited to 10 days at a temperature of 4±2°C.
Net topologies, space groups, and crystal phases

Quotient graphs and nets — the graph theore tical correspondences of cells and crystal structures — are reintroduced independent from crystal structures. Based on this, the issue of iso- and automorphism of nets, the graph theoretical equivalent of symmetry operations, is closely examined. A result, it is shown that the topology of a net (that is the bonds in a crystal) constrains severely the symmetry of the embedding (that is the crystal), and in the case of connected nets the space group except for the setting. Several examples are studied and conclusions on phases are drawn (pseudo-cubic FeS2versus pyrite; α-versusβ-quartz; marcasite-versus rutile-like phases).
SCREENING FOR α-GLUCOSIDASE INHIBITORS FROM COPTIDIS-REHMANNIAE HERB COUPLE BY USING ULTRAFILTRATION LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY/MASS SPECTROMETRY

α-Glucosidase inhibitors have been used for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) for a long time. The natural α-glucosidase inhibitors from Chinese herbal medicine have become an attractive therapeutic approach for treating T2DM due to their low toxicity. The assays for the discovery of compounds in natural product extracts, however, mostly needed labor-intensive and time-consuming purification. In the current study, the screening of α-glucosidase inhibitors from Coptidis-Rehmanniae herb couple which was composed of Rhizoma Coptidis and Radix Rehmanniae, was investigated by ultrafiltration liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (UF-LC/MS). As a result, four compounds binding to α-glucosidase were observed and identified to be jatrorrhizine, coptisine, palmatine, and berberine. Subsequently, the sustained off-resonance irradiation collision-induced dissociation Fourier transform mass spectrometry was performed for validation. In addition, the specific binding of ligands to α-glucosidase was demonstrated using UF-LC/MS and the ligands were ranked in order of affinity for α-glucosidase. The relative affinity order for the ligands was coptisine > jatrorrhizine > palmatine ≈ berberine, which indicated that coptisine and jatrorrhizine exhibited more potent α-glucosidase inhibitory activity compared to palmatine and berberine. Therefore, UF-LC/MS might provide not only a powerful tool for screening α-glucosidase inhibitors in complex samples but also a useful platform for bioactive compounds discovery of the efficient anti-diabetic drugs.
Reconstructed high-resolution forest dynamics and human impacts of the past 2300 years of the Parc national de Mont-Orford, southeastern Québec, Canada

We used a high-resolution lacustrine pollen record from Étang Fer-de-Lance (45°21′21.9′N, 72°13′35.3′W), southeastern Québec, Canada, together with microcharcoal, to infer forest dynamics and human impacts over the past 2300 years. The lake is located in the eastern sugar maple-basswood forest domain of the Northern Temperate Forest of eastern North America. We found that the pollen percentages and influxes of Fagus grandifolia (American beech) and Tsuga canadensis (eastern hemlock) significantly declined over the past 700 years. Over the last millennium, the pollen percentages and influxes of the Picea species (P. glauca, P. mariana, P. rubens) (white, black, and red spruce), and Pinus strobus (eastern white pine) significantly increased. We showed that these shifts in forest composition are being driven by changes in regional climate. In addition to the pollen percentage changes, the Medieval Climate Anomaly (AD 800–1300) appeared as increased pollen influxes and the Dark Ages Cold Period (AD 400–700) and Little Ice Age (AD 1400–1800) appeared as decreased pollen influxes. The signal for human modification of the landscape first appeared at ~AD 1550–1650 as increases in Ambrosia (ragweed) and Poaceae (grasses) from possible Indigenous agriculture. The signal of European settler landscape modification appeared at ~AD 1770 as the beginning of a steep, “classic” Ambrosia rise. It intensified over the subsequent 250 years as further increases in non-arboreal pollen taxa and early successional Acer (maple) species. Microcharcoal analysis showed that fire was a re-occurring event in the sugar maple-basswood domain, but had little impact on forest composition.
Modeling extinction in forced opposed-flow smolder

We address a discrepancy between smolder extinction theory and experimental work regarding whether extinction can occur under oxygen-depleted conditions. Single heterogeneous (solid/gas) reaction models that model the complex reaction process of smoldering with a single reaction predict extinction for large head winds only when oxygen remains (fuel-limited smolder). Experimental evidence, however, shows that oxygen concentrations are essentially zero for smolder waves close to the extinction limit. We consider a two-step sequential reaction scheme in which the solid fuel is converted to char, which also reacts with oxygen to produce ash. This generic scheme leads to extinction with oxygen depletion. The model suggests that oxygen depletion is caused by the second reaction while extinction is driven by the first. Solid fuel must be completely converted to char for extinction to occur while oxygen consumption in the secondary reaction induces oxygen depletion. Spatial separation of the localized reactions is predicted to increase with head wind as a precursor to extinction.
SYNTHESIS OF C-3 HALOGENE-SUBSTITUTED APOCODEINES AND APOMORPHINES

Abstract A new effective method has been elaborated for the preparation of the hitherto unknown C-3 halogene derivatives (Cl, Br) of apocodeine and apomorphine, as well as of their N-demethyl-N-substituted (N-propyl, N-alkyl) analogues. These compounds are expected to possess an effect on the dopamine receptor system.
Polymers and supercritical fluids: opportunities for vibrational spectroscopy

Supercritical fluids are used for enhanced processing of polymeric materials. Therefore, there is a need to understand how supercritical fluids interact with polymeric materials and how they may modify many facets of process operations. In situ spectroscopy provides a route for understanding and optimising polymer processing with supercritical fluids. In situ spectroscopy probes interactions between supercritical CO 2 and polymers at a molecular level and provides a fundamental understanding of the origin of the plasticising effect of supercritical carbon dioxide on glassy polymers. The changes in polymers subjected to supercritical fluids have been elucidated via in situ ATR(Attenuated Total Reflectance)-IR spectroscopy. The key feature of our new approach is the use of a modified diamond ATR accessory to measure spectra of polymers subjected to high-pressure gas, supercritical fluids or near-critical water. A variety of novel applications for the use of in situ ATR-IR spectroscopy to polymers are described.
Effects of earthworm activity and P-solubilizing bacteria on P availability in soil

The effects of phosphate solubilizing bacteria (Bacillus megateriumi) (PSB) and earthworms (Pheretima guillelmi and Eisenia fetida) on phosphorus (P) turnover and transformation in soil were investigated in a laboratory experiment lasting for 21 days. The treatments included soil + P. guillelmi (SW1), soil + E. fetida (SW2), soil + B. megaterium (SB), soil + P. guillelmi + B. megaterium (SBW1), soil + E. fetida + B. megaterium (SBW2), and the control with sterilized soil (control) only. The results showed that the number of B. megaterium. was enhanced in all treatments especially those with earthworms added when compared with the control. Activities of acid phosphatase (pH = 6.5) increased in all treatments, especially in the presence of P. guillelmi with or without PSB (64 % and 38 %, respectively). Significant increases in both inorganic P and water-soluble P were observed in treatments involving B.megaterium. and earthworms when compared with the control. Inoculation of both earthworms and PSB had significant effects on microbial growth, enzymatic activity, and thus enhanced the release of available P. The dual inoculation of earthworms and bacteria further accelerated P transformation. Different performances observed for the earthworm species were probably due to their different feeding habits and physiology.
Subjective and objective assessments of physical activity in professional active women aged 50 to 64 years

Background: The aim of the study was to present data on subjective and objective assessments of physical activity in employed women and differences in their activity levels depending on age, education level, place of residence, financial status, and BMI. Another aim was to evaluate correlations of physical activity assessed subjectively and objectively with the aforementioned variables. Methods: Ninety employed women aged 50 to 64 years were divided into 3 groups. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-S) was used for the subjective assessment, and the ActiGraph GT3X activity monitor was used for objective assessment. Results: The subjective assessment of total physical activity levels in the women was significantly higher than their objective assessment. The statistically significantly highest physical activity levels assessed by means of the questionnaire were found for women with the poorest financial status, or primary or secondary education levels and, for the assessments using accelerometers, the women with a BMI indicating overweight. A weak positive correlation (R = 0.25) was found between the total physical activity levels assessed subjectively and objectively. Conclusions: It seems that the use of only one tool for evaluation of physical activity level is not very conclusive. The use of both subjective and objective tools is needed to obtain reliable information about physical activity level.
THE TOXIC POTENTIAL OF TRACE METALS IN FOODS. A Review

Our foods contain trace amounts of a wide range of heavy metals: some of these have a biochemical function, others are contaminants. Trace metals can contaminate foods through agricultural technology, industrial pollution, geological sources and food processing. Some results from recent Canadian monitoring surveys are given with particular emphasis on data from lead and cadmium analyses. Consideration is given to the criteria that can be used to determine the priorities in the design of a monitoring program for trace metals in foods.
Solubility of Carbon Dioxide in Aqueous Solutions Containing Acetic Acid or Sodium Hydroxide in the Temperature Range from 313 to 433 K and at Total Pressures up to 10 MPa

The solubility of carbon dioxide in aqueous solutions containing acetic acid and in aqueous solutions containing sodium hydroxide was measured in the temperature range from 313 to 433 K and total pressures up to 10 MPa. The molalities of acetic acid or sodium hydroxide in the liquid phase were about 4 and 1 mol/kg, respectively. Experimental results are reported and compared to correlations and predictions.
Hetero-and low-dimensional structures Ionic conduction properties of nanocrystalline Er 2 Ti 2 O 7 functional material

The rare-earth titanate Er2Ti2O7 nanoceramic prepared by the modified combustion technique exhibits cubic pyrochlore structure with the space group m Fd3 . Powder XRD and vibrational spectroscopic tools have been used for structural identification and confirmation. The detailed optical and photoluminescence (PL) properties of the sample have been analyzed using UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and PL spectroscopy. Impedance spectroscopic studies have revealed that the material exhibits conduction by hopping of ions, which increases with temperature. Z-View software has been used to fit the impedance data and deduce the electrical parameters of the samples from the equivalent circuit. The grain activation energy is less than that of grain boundary, which implies that grain conduction is predominant in the sample. The optical and electrical studies confirm that the material is a possible candidate to fabricate optical devices and construct solid oxide fuel cells.