Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modelling Urban Water Use in Developing Countries: A Preliminary Application to Lagos Metropolitan Area of Nigeria

Water is a basic human need which its availability in potable form is gradually becoming grossly inadequate for domestic use in many countries, especially in the developing countries including Nigeria. Treatment and supply of potable water to rapidly growing urban and rural populations in developing countries is an enormous challenge for water supply agencies. Rapid increase in population coupled with improved standard of living in Nigeria has overstretched the existing water supply facilities and resulted in inadequate potable water supply. To resolve this problem, there is the need to shift from the conventional supply driven approach to one that integrates an understanding of water demand and its management. Therefore, it is imperative for water policy makers to understand current water use practices and coping mechanisms employed by households to meet their daily water needs. Understanding of this phenomenon will allow decision makers to evaluate water supply effects as well as economic of proposed and existing water supply facilities. This work explores how high-income, medium-income and low-income households in Lagos metropolitan area of Nigeria combine water from multiple sources to meet their daily water demand. The data that drives model results include estimates of water price and household willingness to pay for water from different sources. A simulation model is built to enable water planners estimate the quantity of water use by different household types from different sources.
Dense water cascading off the continental shelf

[1] Cascading is a specific type of buoyancy-driven current in which dense water formed by cooling, evaporation, or freezing in the surface layer over the continental shelf descends down the continental slope to a greater depth. We have identified, by world-wide trawling and analysis of raw databases, several distinct mechanisms of preconditioning for cascades. We have validated, where possible, existing theories and developed simple models, which allow estimation of the parameters for preconditioning, initiating, and down-slope fluxes as well as evolution of the temperature contrasts during cascading events. Compliance or noncompliance of observations with these simple and easy-to-use models has been related to the stage of cascade development and to local factors. Estimates of observed down-slope transport rates in case studies accord with theory, which is thereby substantially validated. Typical values of cascading transport rates were in the range 0.5–1.6 m2s−1. We hazard a very approximate global estimate of order 105 km3yr−1 or average 3 Sv based on our findings and previous studies.
The development of papain‐like protease from SARS‐CoV‐2, a potential drug target for antiviral screening: A review

The SARS‐CoV‐2 outbreak caused a global pandemic, claiming numerous lives and becoming this century’s most widespread life‐threatening disease. The virus relies on two specific enzymes to facilitate replication, 3‐Chymotrypsin‐like protease (3CLPro) and Papain‐like‐protease (PLpro). These enzymes are crucial in breaking down nonstructural polypeptides into functional proteins. PLpro with LXGG↓X recognition and cleavage sites also play a role in deubiquitylase (DUB) and delSGylase by cleaving after the double glycine residue of ubiquitin (Ub) and ISG15 as a mechanism to suppress the host’s innate immune response. Despite its important role in the viral infection cycle and the potential for drug discovery, no antivirals have been approved as PLpro inhibitors. Therefore, this review focuses on PLpro protein, its recombinant product development and purification, and its application as a protein target in drug discovery for COVID‐19 screening to develop effective COVID‐19 drugs.
Forests and water: A state-of-the-art review for Colorado

Cover photos from upper left in clockwise order: The winter snowpack in the sub-alpine and alpine zones produces most of Colorado's runoff. Aerial photo of a portion of the Coon Creek experimental watershed in south-central Wyoming. The forest cover was removed from 24% of this 4130-acre watershed by cutting 240 openings 3 to 10 acres in size and building the associated road network. A primary purpose of the study was to determine whether the flow increases observed on small experimental watersheds could be scaled up to larger basins. View of the North Fork of the South Platte River southeast of Pine, Colorado. The higher portions of the South Platte River basin provide much of the water for the Denver metropolitan area and other communities to the north and east. View of a small swale that burned at high severity in June 2002 Hayman fire. Prior to the fire there was 80% ground cover and no distinguishable channel. Picture was taken after a 0.67-inch rain event in July 2002. Colorado State University is an equal opportunity/affi rmative action institution and complies with all Federal and Colorado State laws, regulations, and executive orders regarding affi rmative action requirements in all programs. The Offi ce of Equal Opportunity is located in 101 Student Services. In order to assist Colorado State University in meeting its affi rmative action responsibilities, ethnic minorities, women, and other protected class members are encouraged to apply and to so identify themselves. Executive Summary 1. Forests occupy 22.6 million acres in Colorado, or 32% of the land area. Nearly three-quarters of the forest lands in Colorado are in public ownership. About 55% of the forested area is considered as suitable for forest harvest. National forests comprise nearly half of the forested area and approximately 60% of the area considered suitable for forest harvest. There are no signifi cant, privately-owned, industrial forest lands in Colorado. 2. Most of the runoff in Colorado comes from forest and alpine areas above approximately 9000 ft (2730 m) in elevation , and is generated by snowmelt from approximately mid-April to mid-July. The dominant role of high-elevation areas is due to the increase in precipitation with increasing elevation, the decrease in potential evapotranspi-ration with increasing elevation, and the concentration of snowmelt in a relatively short period of time. In lower elevation forests the amount of runoff per unit area is greatly reduced because the rainfall and …
Effect of connecting rain barrels on the storage size reduction

In this article, the possibility of sharing rain barrels and the potential benefit of reducing storage size through physical and non‐physical connections of rain barrels in a community are investigated. Using the concepts of homogeneous/heterogeneous users in rainwater harvesting systems (RWHS), two simple cases of a community composed of four prospective users are examined. The first is performed with the users who have the same mean and variance in water demands (homogeneous users), and the second is with the users with different means and variances (heterogeneous users). To take account for the rainfall characteristics in different places, historical records from six cities in the USA are used for storage–reliability–yield analysis. The result indicates that required total storage can be reduced by connecting multiple rain barrels. In addition, a significant difference is found between homogeneous and heterogeneous user groups. Homogeneous users do not achieve a substantial benefit from connecting their rain barrels; these users may even be disadvantaged by sharing. In contrast, heterogeneous users receive benefit by reducing the total required storage. Most benefit is expected between users with maximum difference in mean water demands. The reduction in storage size was as considerable as 37% in this study. The quantity of storage reduction depends on locations and target reliabilities. Knowledge of the benefits and limitations of rain barrel connections can improve RWHS performance through ability to customize a network plan for individual users. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Maize and Grace: Africa's Encounter with a New World Crop, 1500-2000

Preface 1. Africa and the World Ecology of Maize 2. Naming the Stranger: Maize's Journey to Africa 3. Maize's Invention in West Africa 4. Seeds of Subversion in Two Peasant Empires 5. How Africa's Maize Turned White 6. African Maize, American Rust 7. Breeding SR-52: The Politics of Science and Race in Southern Africa 8. Maize and Malaria 9. Maize as Metonym in Africa's New Millennium Appendix: Tables Notes Select Bibliography Acknowledgments Illustration Credits Index
A prototype physical database for passive microwave retrievals of precipitation over the US Southern Great Plains

An accurate understanding of the instantaneous, dynamic land surface emissivity is necessary for a physically based, multi‐channel passive microwave precipitation retrieval scheme over land. In an effort to assess the feasibility of the physical approach for land surfaces, a semi‐empirical emissivity model is applied for calculation of the surface component in a test area of the US Southern Great Plains. A physical emissivity model, using land surface model data as input, is used to calculate emissivity at the 10 GHz frequency, combining contributions from the underlying soil and vegetation layers, including the dielectric and roughness effects of each medium. An empirical technique is then applied, based upon a robust set of observed channel covariances, extending the emissivity calculations to all channels. For calculation of the hydrometeor contribution, reflectivity profiles from the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission Precipitation Radar (TRMM PR) are utilized along with coincident brightness temperatures (Tbs) from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI), and cloud‐resolving model profiles. Ice profiles are modified to be consistent with the higher frequency microwave Tbs. Resulting modeled top of the atmosphere Tbs show correlations to observations of 0.9, biases of 1K or less, root‐mean‐square errors on the order of 5K, and improved agreement over the use of climatological emissivity values. The synthesis of these models and data sets leads to the creation of a simple prototype Tb database that includes both dynamic surface and atmospheric information physically consistent with the land surface model, emissivity model, and atmospheric information.
Evaluation of Semen Quality of Free-Range Chickens After Addition of Putri Malu Leaf Herbal Extract (Mimosa pudica Linn)

This research was conducted to determine the effect of female shy daughter (Mimosa pudica Linn) leaf extract supplementation on the semen quality of native chickens. In this study, 18 male native chickens aged approximately 1 year with an average weight of 2.0 kg were used, divided into 6 treatments, each with 3 replications, each consisting of 1 chicken. Basal feed in this study used BR-1 chicken feed produced by PT. Japfa Comfeed Indonesia Tbk. As an adjustment before treatment, the chickens were reared for 1 week with basic feed. As a control before being given treatment, sperm was taken from chickens and used as a control. Furthermore, the chickens began to be given treatment by giving shame daughter leaf extract supplementation. The study was conducted experimentally using a completely randomized design by allocating 18 free-range male chickens which were divided into 6 treatments, each treatment consisting of three replications, one chicken each. The conclusion of this study is that the supplementation of Putri Mal leaf extract as much as 0.50 cc to 2 cc per day per chicken can increase sperm count per ml of free-range chicken semen, viability, motility, thickness, and color density, while the volume and pH of semen do not experience change.
COMPARISON OF FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME BETWEEN TITANIUM ELASTIC NAILING AND HIP SPICA CAST IN TREATMENT OF FEMORAL SHAFT FRACTURES IN CHILDREN

Background: The femur, also known as the thigh bone, holds several notable distinctions within the human body. It is the longest bone, exhibiting considerable strength and durability. Ongoing debate exists regarding the optimal management approach for femoral shaft fractures in children. Objectives: To compare the frequency of functional outcome between titanium elastic nailing versus hip spica cast in treatment of femoral shaft fractures in children. Methods: This randomized control trial was conducted at Sahiwal Teaching Hospital Sahiwal. Total 140(70 in each group) patients were enrolled after fulfilling the predetermined selection criteria. Patients were randomly assigned to two separate groups. Group A patients were managed with Titanium elastic nail (TEN) method and group B patients were managed with hip spica cast method. After 3rd month, functional outcome was noted in both groups. Results: The mean age of the patients was 5.92±2.03 years, 65% patients were male. After 3rd month, in TEN group excellent outcome was seen in 59(84.3%) patients and in Spica Cast group it was seen in 7(10%) patients (p-value=<0.05). Conclusion: This study concluded that titanium elastic nailing offers higher percentage of excellent functional outcomes compared to hip spica cast in treatment of femoral shaft fractures in children Keywords: Femoral Shaft Fractures, Hip Spica Cast, Titanium Elastic Nailing, Functional Outcome
Fiscal policy and economic performance in dollarized countries: El Salvador, Panama and Ecuador between 2000-2022

This article seeks to determine the behaviour of fiscal policy indicators in dollarized countries during the period 2000-2022 and the impact of these indicators on economic growth in: Panama, El Salvador and Ecuador. It is considered that, although all three countries are governed by dollarization, however, the results in terms of economic performance are dissimilar. In the period analysed, two major crises were experienced, the one of the world "crack" of 2008 and the one of covid-19, which strongly impacted in 2009 and 2020, respectively. By means of the fixed effects panel data model and the elasticity calculation, having as a variable dependent on economic growth, the theoretical relevance and statistical significance in fiscal variables is evidenced, such as: total government expenditure and tax revenues; also in other macroeconomic sectors such as exports, imports, gross fixed capital formation, as well as the interest rate as a control variable. The results validate the theoretical background; the objective of fiscal sustainability in the dollarized countries studied must go hand in hand with the participation of the State, both in aggregate demand and in regulating the interest rate.
The role of Poiseuille flow in creating depth‐variation of asthenospheric shear

SUMMARY Asthenospheric flow accommodates differential shear between plate and mantle motions (Couette flow) and hosts additional flow driven by horizontal pressure gradients (Poiseuille flow) that may be associated with mantle upwelling and subduction. Large uncertainties in the upper mantle flow field and its rheological structure have thus far hindered our ability to constrain the relative importance of Couette and Poiseuille flows in the asthenosphere. However, quantifying the relative contributions of asthenospheric Couette and Poiseuille flows and determining the pattern of their distribution around the globe could help discriminate among competing theories of asthenospheric origin and shed light on thermal history of the Earth. We propose a new method to quantify asthenospheric Poiseuille flow using observations of the depth-dependence of azimuthal seismic anisotropy, which can be obtained from frequency-dependent surface wave tomography models. In particular, we employ a simple 1-D Couette-Poiseuille flow model and analytically solve for depth-profiles of the strain axis orientations, which approximates the orientations of azimuthal seismic anisotropy. We show that Couette-Poiseuille flow induces rotation of azimuthal seismic anisotropy with depth provided that the horizontal pressure gradient has a component transverse to plate motion. We then construct an algorithm that uses depth rotations of azimuthal anisotropy to invert for horizontal pressure gradients everywhere in the asthenosphere and test it on a global numerical mantle flow model. A comparison of pressure gradients predicted using our method with those computed directly from the numerical model shows that our algorithm is stable and accurate, unless the pressure gradient is nearly parallel to plate motion. Applying this method to seismic data will require additional constraints on asthenospheric geometry and viscosity structure. In the numerical model, we establish that Poiseuille flow drives ∼40 per cent of the total flow velocity amplitude in the asthenosphere, which indicates that pressure gradients from mantle convection may be an important component of asthenospheric dynamics that can, in principle, be constrained seismically.
Aging and Age-Related Epigenetic Drift in the Pathogenesis of Leukemia and Lymphomas: New Therapeutic Targets

One of the traits of cancer cells is abnormal DNA methylation patterns. The idea that age-related epigenetic changes may partially explain the increased risk of cancer in the elderly is based on the observation that aging is also accompanied by comparable changes in epigenetic patterns. Lineage bias and decreased stem cell function are signs of hematopoietic stem cell compartment aging. Additionally, aging in the hematopoietic system and the stem cell niche have a role in hematopoietic stem cell phenotypes linked with age, such as leukemia and lymphoma. Understanding these changes will open up promising pathways for therapies against age-related disorders because epigenetic mechanisms are reversible. Additionally, the development of high-throughput epigenome mapping technologies will make it possible to identify the “epigenomic identity card” of every hematological disease as well as every patient, opening up the possibility of finding novel molecular biomarkers that can be used for diagnosis, prediction, and prognosis.
Multimodal Physical Exercise Affects Visuo-Spatial Working Memory: Preliminary Evidence from a Descriptive Study on Tai-Chi Practitioners and Runners

Recent evidence has shown a relationship between physical exercise (PE) and cognitive functioning. However, it is unknown if unimodal and multimodal modalities of PE affect cognitive abilities in different ways. To fill this gap, we analyzed the effects of unimodal PE (running) and multimodal PE (Tai Chi) on specific cognitive abilities. A sample of 33 participants (mean age = 52.6 ± 7.2) divided into eleven runners, eleven Tai Chi practitioners, and eleven age-matched sedentary individuals were subjected to a neuropsychological tests battery to assess shifting and problem solving abilities (Rule Shift Cards, BADS-RS, and Key Search tasks), verbal fluency (semantic and phonemic verbal fluency tasks), verbal memory (Rey’s 15 words test), visuo-spatial working memory (Corsi test), and global cognitive functioning (clock-drawing test). The results showed significantly higher BADS-RS scores in runners and Tai Chi practitioners in comparison to the sedentary participants, thus evidencing improved shifting abilities for active individuals. Interestingly, post hoc analysis showed significantly higher span scores of Corsi test only in Tai Chi practitioners as compared to sedentary participants, suggesting how multimodal PE facilitates the visuo-spatial working memory processes. Although preliminary, our descriptive study indicates that the type of PE could modulate specific cognitive domains, even if the practice of motor activity favors a global cognitive improvement.
Advanced Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma: new insights in prognostic factors using gene and microRNA expression signatures

Classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) is assumed to be a curable tumor, but an important fraction of patients with advanced disease do not respond favorably to the standard chemotherapy regimens based on adriamycin and current predictive systems, based on clinical and analytical parameters, fail to accurately identify these high risk patients. Thus, the identification of biomarkers associated with treatment response remains a critical challenge in this lymphoid malignancy. cHL represents a distinctive model of histological complexity, with a minor population of the characteristic tumor cells, the Hodgkin and Reed Sternberg cells (HRS) diluted in a complex reactive inflammatory background. The intrinsic relationship between the HRS cells and their microenvironment is only partially understood but important advances in the understanding of the cHL pathophysiology are being made. Indeed, microarray expression studies of tumor samples have led to the identification of signatures and biological processes associated to Hodgkin? s lymphoma pathogenesis and treatment response, showing that outcome in cHL patients could be related with both biological characteristic components of cHL tumors. However, no steps towards the translation of gene profiling results into routine clinical practice have been made. This study identified gene subsets expressed either by the tumoral HRS cells and the Hodgkin? s microenvironment showing that robust methodologies based on quantitative realtime-PCR- (RT-PCR) assays are suitable for expression profiling of tumors and can be easily applied to paraffin-embedded samples. By a sequential analysis process, functional gene signatures associated with treatment response were first identified and finally a quantitative RT-PCR assay for patients with advanced cHL was described, incorporating a limited number of genes and pathways from tumor and microenvironment cell components, designed for application to routine formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples. This model was able to identify patient subgroups with highly different probabilities of treatment failure. Additionally, it was able to incorporate one of the well established clinical variables (Stage IV), thus integrating the main biological and molecular characteristics of the tumors related with treatment response and the tumor burden estimation in a single scoring system. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been described to be essential regulators of cell differentiation and biological processes, emerging as robust predictor and prognostic markers. Specific signatures from the HRS cells and their microenvironment have been proposed, but the potential prognostic role of them remains unclear. Thus, this study additionally investigated whether miRNA signatures could allow to a better understanding of cHL pathogenesis and identified a cHL miRNA signature related to treatment response.