Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Financial and operational performance assessment: water/wastewater Egyptian utilities

The key problem in most of the water and wastewater utilities is the absence of performance assessment tools. This research utilized the calculation of a group of financial and operational indicators for a sample size of 117 public sector utilities located in the USA, Egypt and developing countries. These indicators are then used to depict the performance of the Egyptian utilities as compared to the sampled utilities. Practical application : The results furnished by the group of the indicators included in the study relay the performance of the Egyptian utilities in comparison to the USA utilities and utilities in developing countries. The results also indicated the resemblance in some performance aspects between the water and water/wastewater utilities in Egypt and the remaining developing countries studied. On the face of it, a significant gap was noticed in most of the results between Egypt and the USA. As an example, the return on sales of Alexandria Water General Authority (AWGA) was less than that of the USA water utilities by 60%. Furthermore, the average tariff charged in the USA was higher than those charged in Egypt by 95% while the tariff charged across the developing countries exceeded the Egyptian tariff by 66%.
The SADLI project safety critical software research in the medical diagnostic domain

The overall objective of the SADLI project was to implement a demonstration imaging system in diagnostic microscopy using functional programming under the discipline of a safety critical methodology in order to determine the benefits and the constraints that arise from so doing. For this implementation, we selected an application in cervical screening since it is clearly safety critical, software based and posed a wide range of technical problems which, if they could be solved, would demonstrate the effectiveness of the techniques applied.
Liberalization

Liberalization is a set of policies that apply to overcoming the distortions emanating from administratively managed markets. Originally it was conceived as one of the constituting elements of the four fundamental policies of systemic change, namely stabilization, liberalization, institution building, and privatization. Opening up markets and substituting administrative constraints with monetary ones were seen to be instrumental in overcoming soft budget constraints and shortages. It was also considered to be an easy measure to be sequenced early on. In hindsight incomplete liberalization has proven to be a major stumbling block to market building, in part because many markets— such as energy, transport, healthcare—remained monopolized. Furthermore, statist turns of the 2010s led to nationalization and monopolization in previously privatized sectors. Protectionism and national champions returned, limiting competitiveness and efficiency.
Optimization of thermoacoustic stacks for low onset temperature engines

Abstract Standing-wave thermoacoustic engines are typically optimized in order to obtain high system efficiency. However, in applications targeting the utilization of waste heat, it may be necessary to optimize them for a low onset temperature difference instead, so as to enable the engine's self-oscillation using low-grade energy sources. This article focuses on theoretical investigations of the critical temperature gradient in stacks, based on the assumptions of a short stack in a standing-wave acoustic field and an ideal gas. A dimensionless critical temperature gradient factor is obtained on the basis of the linear thermoacoustic theory and the analysis of the viscous and thermal relaxation losses for selected stack geometries. With a simple form, it reveals the effects of the stack geometry, the characteristic channel dimension, and the local acoustic impedance on the critical temperature gradient of the stack. In particular, it is shown that the impedance determines the proportion between the viscous loss, heat relaxation losses, and the power production from the heat energy. Numerical analysis based on this dimensionless factor clearly shows that there is an optimum channel dimension for each given stack location in the acoustic field. There exists a possible optimum combination of these parameters, which leads to the lowest critical temperature gradient.
Gender Responsive Language Use and Students’ Participation in Learning in Tanzanian Secondary Schools

The study investigated teachers’ level of knowledge on gender responsive language and how they apply in teaching and learning process to enhance equitable participation in learning. The study was conducted in Monduli district and Mbulu town council from Tanzania mainland. The study adopted a mixed methods research approach following concurrent embedded design. Eight schools were selected from which 146 teachers and 220 students were sampled to participate in the study. Data were collected through questionnaire, interviews and classroom observations. Then, thematic content analysis technique was used for qualitative data while descriptive analysis was conducted for quantitative data. The findings show that secondary school teachers had limited knowledge on gender responsive language which constrained their ability to use gender responsive language in classroom. Teachers were observed to use gender neutral language and sometime they used phrases which perpetuate superiority and inferiority between boys and girls respectively. The study recommends for extra efforts to raise teachers’ knowledge on gender responsive language so that none of the student would be denied learning chances because of the gender irresponsive language.
Economic and Sustainability Inequalities and Water Consumption of European Union Countries

Water scarcity is becoming a global concern for many reasons as its consumption increases. This research aimed to analyze sustainability inequalities in the water consumption of EU countries. Descriptive statistics using data for four AQUASTAT periods (2002, 2007, 2012, and 2017), and quotients for the AQUASTAT 2017 period, were calculated using a proposed econometric model. The main results were that countries with high GPD and population showed high water stress and total water withdrawal. Countries with lower industry-value-added-to-GDP quotients were among those with higher industrial water use efficiency, while low water-services-use-efficiency quotients were associated with high services value added to GDP. Suggestions for policymakers are provided and formula application guidelines for regional-level comparisons are described.
EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF VIBRATIONS IN UNDERGROUND STRUCTURES

Vibrations produced on the ground surface by engineering construction processes can damage underground structures. At present there is little knowledge of the level of surface vibrations that could cause such damage. The relevant British Standards, BS 5228 and BS 7385, have little relevance to underground structures. This paper presents experimental investigations on small model tunnels that were instrumented with miniature accelerometers. Impulsive and vibratory loadings were produced on the soil surface by a drop hammer mechanism and an electric eccentricmass motor respectively to simulate dynamic loading from construction activity. It was found that tunnels with different lining materials absorb different amounts of vibration energy. Power spectrum analysis of the acceleration signals showed that the vibrations are transferred into a brass model tunnel at lower frequencies than for a plastic model tunnel. A relationship has been proposed for the ratio of energy transferred and the ratio of impedance mi.
LTPP data analysis - phase 1: validation of guidelines for k-Value selection and concrete pavement performance prediction

Several important issues concerning the effect of slab support on concrete pavement performance were studied in a National Cooperative Highway Research Program project, "Support Under Concrete Pavements" (NCHRP 1-30). The results were promising, however, the data that were available for analysis were limited. This study was conducted to further field-verify and develop the improved support guidelines proposed in NCHRP 1-30, using the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) database, in order to establish their practicality and appropriateness for use in concrete pavement design nationwide. This study was also conducted to further field-verify the proposed revised American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) performance model to the fullest extent possible using the design, materials, climate, traffic, and performance data available in the LTPP database for General Pavement Section 3 (GPS-3) (jointed plain concrete pavement), GPS-4 (jointed reinforced concrete pavement), and GPS-5 (continuously reinforced concrete pavement). Guidelines, revised on the basis of the results of this field verification study, are presented in the appendix in the form of a proposed addendum to the AASHTO Design Guide. The documentation of these field verification efforts using the LTPP database is provided in this report.
Long non-coding RNA HOTAIR regulates proliferation, migration and invasion of human cervical cancer cells by modulating expression of MAPK1

Introduction Accumulating evidence suggests that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are dysregulated in cancer cells and may be responsible for the development and progression of this disease. Herein, the role and therapeutic potential of aberrantly expressed lncRNA HOTAIR were investigated in cervical cancer. Material and methods The expression profile of the lncRNA HOTAIR was determined by quantitative RT-PCR. CCK-8 and colony formation assays were used for determination of cell viability. DAPI and annexin V/PI assays were used for detection of apoptosis. Wound healing and transwell assays were used to monitor cell migration and invasion. Results The results showed that the expression of lncRNA HOTAIR was significantly (p < 0.01) upregulated (up to 4.1-fold) in cervical cancer cell lines. Silencing of lncRNA HOTAIR expression resulted in inhibition of the proliferation of the DoTc2 cervical cancer cells via induction of apoptotic cell death. HOTAIR silencing also resulted in decrease of the migration and the invasive properties of the cervical cancer cells. HOTAIR has been reported to interact with MAPK1 in cancer cells, and in this study MAPK1 was found to be overexpressed (up to 3.7-fold) in all the cervical cancer cells and silencing of HOTAIR inhibited the expression of MAPK1 in DoTc2 cervical cancer cells. Silencing of MAPK1 in DoTc2 cells also inhibited their proliferation and metastasis via induction of apoptosis. Co-transfection experiments showed that silencing of MAPK1 and lncRNA HOTAIR causes inhibition of DoTc2 cell growth synergistically. Conclusions These results indicate that lncRNA HOTAIR may prove to be an important therapeutic target for management of cervical cancer.
Computer simulation of heterogeneous polymer photovoltaic devices

Polymer-based photovoltaic devices have the potential for widespread usage due to their low cost per watt and mechanical flexibility. Efficiencies close to 9.0% have been achieved recently in conjugated polymer based organic solar cells (OSCs). These devices were fabricated using solvent-based processing of electron-donating and electron-accepting materials into the so-called bulk heterojunction (BHJ) architecture. Experimental evidence suggests that a key property determining the power-conversion efficiency of such devices is the final morphological distribution of the donor and acceptor constituents. In order to understand the role of morphology on device performance, we develop a scalable computational framework that efficiently interrogates OSCs to investigate relationships between the morphology at the nano-scale with the device performance. In this work, we extend the Buxton and Clarke model (2007 Modelling Simul. Mater. Sci. Eng. 15 13–26) to simulate realistic devices with complex active layer morphologies using a dimensionally independent, scalable, finite-element method. We incorporate all stages involved in current generation, namely (1) exciton generation and diffusion, (2) charge generation and (3) charge transport in a modular fashion. The numerical challenges encountered during interrogation of realistic microstructures are detailed. We compare each stage of the photovoltaic process for two microstructures: a BHJ morphology and an idealized sawtooth morphology. The results are presented for both two- and three-dimensional structures.
Edaphic properties as key drivers for woody species distributions in tropical savannic and forest habitats

Edaphic gradients can explain plant species distribution at a local scale in the neotropics and elsewhere, but few studies have evaluated the individual responses of species to such gradients. We collected data on species and soils in open savannic and forest formations (totalling five habitats in each formation), aiming to evaluate the importance of edaphic factors on the distribution of woody plant species in tropical habitats. Logistic regression was used to test the influence of predictor variables (soil texture and fertility) on plant occurrence (presence or absence). Most species (73%) responded to the edaphic gradients. However, the edaphic gradients did not explain the distribution of the remaining 27% of species, which implies the existence of other factors determining their occurrence. Soil fertility (nutritional status) was the major factor in forest habitats (65% of the species which showed significant response), while soil texture was the most explanatory factor for species occurrence in open habitats (55% of the species that showed a significant response). Thus, nutrient status was less limiting and soil texture was more limiting in savannic formations, whereas the opposite was observed for forest formations. Most species showing a relationship with edaphic gradients had a unimodal response, which is in accordance with the literature. Our study showed that soil properties largely regulate the distribution of plant species in tropical habitats, despite other factors not investigated here also having an effect on several of the studied species. Models of species distribution that take into account environmental heterogeneity are key for the elaboration of strategies for the conservation and restoration of ecosystems.
Bicycle Wheel as Prestressed Structure

Bicycle wheels achieve their structural efficiency by making use of prestressing in three ways. Tests show that the bottom spokes carry virtually all the load by compressive forces, which reduce the tensile prestress set up in the spokes when the wheel was made. The test results are compared with an analysis that considers the spokes as a disk that can carry force in one direction only. This is shown to give good agreement, as does an analysis that considers the rim as a straight beam on an elastic foundation. The behavior of the wheel with an inflated tire is also considered, and it is shown that good comparisons with theory are obtained if the reaction from the road is assumed to be distributed over a specific length of the rim. Prestressing is shown to be important also in the mechanism by which the various forces are transmitted through the tire from the road to the rim.
Semisupervised Game Player Categorization From Very Big Behavior Log Data

Extracting the specific category of the players, such as the malignant Bot, from the huge log data of the massive multiplayer online role playing games, denoted as MMORPGs, is an important basic task in game security and personal recommendation. In this article, we propose a parallel semisupervised framework to categorize specific game players with a few label-known target samples, which are denoted as bait players. Our approach first presents a feature representation model based on the players’ level granularity, which can acquire aligned feature representations in the lower dimensional space from the players’ original action sequences. Then, we propose a semisupervised clustering method, extended from the bisecting $k$ -means model, to extract the specified players with the help of those bait players. Due to massive amounts of game log data, the computation complexity is an extreme challenge to implement our feature representation and semisupervised extraction approaches. We also propose a hierarchical parallelism framework, which allows the data to be computed horizontally and vertically simultaneously and enables varied parallel combinations for the steps of our semisupervised categorization approach. The comparable experiments on real-world MMORPGs’ log data, containing more than 465 Gbytes and million players, are carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed approach compared with the state-of-the-art methods.
Does the presence of elephant dung create hotspots of growth for existing seedlings?

Abstract Megaherbivores play a central role in the evolution and functioning of ecosystems. In tropical forests elephant species are some of the few remaining megaherbivores. Through elephant foraging, nutrients that would be locked in leaves and stems, taking months or years to decay, are quickly liberated for use. In 10 experimental sites in Kibale National Park, Uganda, we set up 10 pairs of plots (4 × 4 m), each pair involved one treatment, elephant dung addition, and one control. After 1 y, we quantified growth (height and leaf number) and survival of young light-demanding (12) and shade-tolerant (19) plant species (439 stems in total). In general, the addition of elephant dung did not increase seedling growth, and it only increased the number of leaves in shade-tolerant plants with a large initial number of leaves. Researchers have speculated that the loss of elephants would shift the composition of African forests to slow-growing tree species. However, this is not supported by our finding that shows some slow-growing shade-tolerant plants grew more new leaves with additional nutrient input from elephant dung, a condition that would occur if elephant numbers increase.
Work Intensification and Social Relations: A Study of Enterprise Agreements in the Queensland Food Processing Industry

This article investigates the impact of flexible working conditions negotiated through enterprise bargaining on social relationships among workers. It explores how types of clauses in enterprise agreements may erode social relations both at, and beyond, workplaces in various ways, which may also intensify work. The study suggests that although the benefits of enterprise bargaining may enhance organisational performance, the extent and form of disruptions to social relations both within and outside the organisation is important for a balanced appraisal of enterprise bargaining.
Flow regime transition simulation incorporating entrapped air pocket effects

Flow regime transition is observed in closed conduit when there is a transition between free surface and pressurized flows. This condition is often observed in stormwater storage tunnels undergoing rapid filling. Such tunnels provide stormwater control inurbanized areas, relieving the stormwater collection system during intense storms. Operational issues have been reported in such tunnels during intense rain events, some of which linked to air pocket entrapment. These issues motivated development of flowregime transition models and more recent models attempt to improve predictions by accounting for air effects in formulations. However, no comparative study has been performed between recent models that account for air pockets and earlier models that don't include this feature. This work aims to address this gap, focusing on an actual tunnel geometry that was proposed for the city of Washington, DC. Results indicate that including air in model formulation yielded more realistic predictions of low pressures.
Microfluidic Rapid and Autonomous Analytical Device (microRAAD) to Detect HIV from Whole Blood Samples

Early Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) testing is critical to preventing transmission and providing treatment to HIV-positive individuals, yet an estimated 30% of HIV-positive individuals do not know their status because of barriers to early diagnosis. Readily accessible, highly sensitive, and rapid diagnostic tests would enable patients’ prompt treatment with anti-retroviral therapies and reduce transmission. However, existing HIV diagnostic technologies either do not detect early stages of infection or require multiple days of laboratory processing, delaying notification of patients’ status. Molecular techniques that amplify HIV RNA can detect the earliest stages of infection, within 8-10 days after transmission. However, most of these molecular assays require cold-chain storage of reagents, significant sample preparation, and extensive laboratory infrastructure. To achieve early detection, we developed a reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay with a limit of detection of 10 HIV-1 RNA copies visualized by eye using a lateral flow immunoassay. To demonstrate automated sample-to-answer detection of HIV, we incorporate dried amplification reagents and wax valves in low-cost substrates with resistive heating elements and circuitry. By combining controlled heating with paper’s capillary flow, our assembled device automatically isolates viral particles from human blood samples, amplifies HIV-1 RNA, and transports products to a detection zone. We determine that as few as 105 HIV-1 viral particles can be separated from whole blood, amplified, and visually detected within 90 minutes of sample addition into our Microfluidic Rapid and Autonomous Analysis Device (microRAAD). The low-cost and automated attributes of microRAAD demonstrate its utility as a point-of-care testing platform.
Extreme Historical UK Floods and Maximum Flood Estimation

Historical flood events recorded as flood marks on bridges and houses or reported in newspapers and journals provide valuable information on the maximum size of floods which are likely to occur in the UK. For hydrological analysis peak water level must be converted to peak discharge, which is problematic even when the flood has been recorded at a flow gauging station. This paper describes some of the methods used to calculate the magnitude of extreme floods. Sixty-nine historical UK floods are plotted on a graph of discharge versus drainage area and compared with curves published in 1933 and 1960 which were used to estimate the Normal Maximum Flood required for dam spillway design before 1975. From that date the design standard became the Probable Maximum Flood. PMF is calculated for 17 sites where extreme floods have occurred. For six events the observed peak discharge exceeded PMF. Possible reasons for these findings are discussed.
PENGARUH PEMBELAJARAN BERBASIS MASALAH TERHADAP PENGUASAAN KONSEP DAN KETERAMPILAN PROSES SAINS SISWA KELAS V

Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah mengetahui pengaruh pembelajaran berbasis masalah terhadap penguasaan konsep sains dan keterampilan proses sains siswa kelas V SD. Penelitian ini merupakan kuasi eksperimen dengan rancangan penelitian Nonequivalent-groups Pretest-Posttest Design . Kelas eksperimen yaitu kelas VB SDN 01 Labuhan Sumbawa (n=38) dengan pembelajaran berbasis masalah dan kelas kontrol yaitu Kelas VA SDN 01 Labuhan Sumbawa (n=36) dengan pembelajaran kon-vensional. Data dianalisis dengan statistik deskriptif dan MANOVA. Hasil penelitian adalah sebagai berikut. (1) Pembelajaran berbasis masalah berpengaruh signifikan dan lebih baik dibandingkan dengan pembelajaran konvensional terhadap penguasaan konsep sains siswa SD (Sig.=0.000,p<0.05). (2) Pembelajaran berbasis masalah berpengaruh signifikan dan lebih baik dibandingkan dengan pem-belajaran konvensional terhadap keterampilan proses sains siswa SD (Sig.=0.000,p<0.05). Penelitian ini memiliki implikasi bahwa guru harus mulai meninggalkan model pembelajaran konvensional dan beralih ke pembelajaran berbasis masalah dan guru harus dapat menjadi mediator dan fasilitator dalam pembelajaran. Kata kunci : pembelajaran berbasis masalah, penguasaan konsep sains, keterampilan proses sains.