Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
From Indicators to Policies: Open Sustainability Assessment in the Water and Sanitation Sector

A water and sanitation sustainability index (WASSI) was developed and estimated in four cities of the province of Salta, in northern Argentina. The index was built with nine descriptors and fifteen indicators that covered all essential aspects of the sustainability of local water and sanitation management systems. Only one of the cities studied obtained a sustainability value above the acceptability threshold adopted (50 of 100 points). Results indicate that the water company needs to address some environmental and social issues to enhance the sustainability of the systems studied. The WASSI was conceptually robust and operationally simple, and could be easily adapted to the case studies. The index can be followed and updated online on a web site specially developed for this project. This website could be useful to promote participatory processes, assist decision makers, and facilitate academic research. According to local stakeholders, a more open sustainability assessment based on sustainability indices and supported by virtual tools would be relevant and highly feasible. It would help decision makers improve the sustainability and transparency of water and sanitation management systems, and promote more sustainable water policies in the region and beyond.
Implementation of Recognizing Indoor Activities Using Cloud Service for Machine Learning

Online changing point detection of activities is needed to achieve automatically monitoring service for home elderly. In the previous study, we proposed the system that captures activities of the elderly using speech dialog by Virtual Agent based on environmental changes. Speciﬁcally, in this paper, we focus on auto activity recognition using machine learning on the proposed system and implement this subsystem using machine learning service on the cloud. Also, we collect sensor data and activity logs and execute machine learning to evaluate Auto Recognition accuracy.
Assessment of the Trend, Cause and Effect of Deforestation Using GIS and Remote Sensing in Goba District, Bale Zone, South Eastern Ethiopia

The conversion of forested areas to non-forest land was a series problem in study area of Goba district. The objectives of this study were to assess the trends, causes and effects of deforestation in Goba district, Bale zone, Ethiopia. Descriptive research method was employed to achieve these stated objectives. Satellite image of the three times and socio-economic survey were the main data sources for this study. ERDAS imagine 9.2 and ArcGIS 10 tools were applied for land use and land cover type classification, and analysis and mapping. These land use land and over change data were obtained from USGS. Socio-economic data collected through questionnaires, focus group discussions and interviews on the causes and impacts of land use and land cover change were analyzed quantitatively using SPSS software and content analysis for qualitative data. These analyzed data were expressed in percent and in words. The result shows that there was variation in the extent of land use and land cover change among different categories/classes at different study periods. Open area and Bush land showed decreasing change during first period of comparison and increasing change in the second period of comparison. In contrast, agricultural area, Bale temperate vegetation and built up area showed increasing. Built up area, agricultural area and Bale temperate vegetation increased by 80.05, 15.84, and 7.40 percent respectively, however, open area, grassland, forest land and bush land decreased by 1.58, 1.21, 0.97, and 0.28 percent per year for the last 29 years respectively. In general, in study district forest cover was 50.87% of the total area in 1986 and decreased to 36.57% in 2015 whereas agricultural area was increased from 3.45% to 19.28% respectively. This implies an increasing agricultural area at the expense of other land use cover categories, particularly natural forest. The study indicated that increasing population, forest fire and fuel wood consumption, overgrazing, and agriculture and settlement expansion and road construction caused forest cover change in the district. A decrease in livelihood incomes, volume of the surface water and in contrary increase in rain fall and temperature variability and forest product costs were among the major observed effects of deforestation in study area. Based on these findings, the study recommends the need to introduce and develop agricultural extension services, alternative energy sources and awareness raising services to the study area.
Finite Element Approximations of Landau-ginzburg Model for Structural Phase Transitions in Shape Memory Alloys

This paper deals with nite element approximations of the Landau-Ginzburg model for structural phase transitions in shape memory alloys. The non-linear evolutionary system of partial diierential equations is discretized in time by nite diierences and in space by very simple nite elements, that is, the linear element for the absolute temperature and the Hermite cubic element for the displacement. Thus both the displacement and the strain are obtained directly. Error estimates for the fully discrete scheme are derived.
Implication of the GRB2-associated phosphoprotein SLP-76 in T cell receptor-mediated interleukin 2 production

Recently we described the molecular cloning of SLP-76, a hematopoietic cell-specific 76-kD protein that was first identified through its association with GST/Grb2 fusion proteins. The primary sequence of SLP- 76 predicts a protein of 533 amino acids comprising an amino-terminal region with numerous potential tyrosine phosphorylation sites, a central region rich in proline residues, and a single carboxy-terminal SH2 domain. Here we demonstrate formally that Grb2 associates with unphosphorylated SLP-76 and map the Grb2 binding site on SLP-76 undergoes rapid tyrosine phosphorylation and associates with tyrosine phosphoproteins of 36, 62, and 130 kD. In vitro experiments show that the SH2 domain of SLP-76 associates with the 62- and 130-kD proteins and additionally with a serine/threonine kinase. Finally, we demonstrate that transient overexpression of SLP-76 results in dramatically enhanced TCR-mediated induction of nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) and interleukin (IL) 2 promoter activity; and we provide evidence that a functional SLP-76 SH2 domain is required for this effect. Our data document the in vivo associations of SLP-76 with several proteins that potentially participate in T cell activation and implicate SLP-76 itself as an important molecule in TCR-mediated IL-2 production.
Enhancing Reading Comprehension Of Efl Students With Learning Disabilities: Qualitative Findings

This paper describes the results of an evaluation study of an intervention program designed to EFL students with learning disabilities who wished to pass the national English matriculation exam in Israel. The innovative teaching technique aimed at imparting students with concrete reading comprehension strategies to enhance their EFL reading comprehension and their EFL academic self-efficacy. The findings indicated an enhancement of both reading comprehension and academic self-efficacy. The content analysis of students' verbal narratives also unveiled the factors that enabled these improvements. The prominent variables were found to be teacher-student dialogues which enabled free interactions during class time and the concreteness of the reading comprehension strategies both of which reduced anxiety and increased motivation. Additional resulting variables were an increased task-persistence and an adoption of selfregulation processes. There were also few indications of learners’ difficulty to apply the strategies learnt during the intervention program emanating from inattentiveness, inability to adopt self-regulation processes, and to adjust to the class size and to the duration of the intervention program. Conceptually, foreign language reading acquisition involved the integration of three processes; the strategicpedagogical, the cognitive and the emotional one. Practically, this study may lay the basis for the development of frameworks for EAP teachers and curriculum designs. © 2018 Published by Future Academy www.FutureAcademy. org.UK
P2RX7 Purinoceptor: A Therapeutic Target for Ameliorating the Symptoms of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Background Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common inherited muscle disease, leading to severe disability and death in young men. Death is caused by the progressive degeneration of striated muscles aggravated by sterile inflammation. The pleiotropic effects of the mutant gene also include cognitive and behavioral impairments and low bone density. Current interventions in DMD are palliative only as no treatment improves the long-term outcome. Therefore, approaches with a translational potential should be investigated, and key abnormalities downstream from the absence of the DMD product, dystrophin, appear to be strong therapeutic targets. We and others have demonstrated that DMD mutations alter ATP signaling and have identified P2RX7 purinoceptor up-regulation as being responsible for the death of muscles in the mdx mouse model of DMD and human DMD lymphoblasts. Moreover, the ATP–P2RX7 axis, being a crucial activator of innate immune responses, can contribute to DMD pathology by stimulating chronic inflammation. We investigated whether ablation of P2RX7 attenuates the DMD model mouse phenotype to assess receptor suitability as a therapeutic target. Methods and Findings Using a combination of molecular, histological, and biochemical methods and behavioral analyses in vivo we demonstrate, to our knowledge for the first time, that genetic ablation of P2RX7 in the DMD model mouse produces a widespread functional attenuation of both muscle and non-muscle symptoms. In dystrophic muscles at 4 wk there was an evident recovery in key functional and molecular parameters such as improved muscle structure (minimum Feret diameter, p < 0.001), increased muscle strength in vitro (p < 0.001) and in vivo (p = 0.012), and pro-fibrotic molecular signatures. Serum creatine kinase (CK) levels were lower (p = 0.025), and reduced cognitive impairment (p = 0.006) and bone structure alterations (p < 0.001) were also apparent. Reduction of inflammation and fibrosis persisted at 20 mo in leg (p = 0.038), diaphragm (p = 0.042), and heart muscles (p < 0.001). We show that the amelioration of symptoms was proportional to the extent of receptor depletion and that improvements were observed following administration of two P2RX7 antagonists (CK, p = 0.030 and p = 0.050) without any detectable side effects. However, approaches successful in animal models still need to be proved effective in clinical practice. Conclusions These results are, to our knowledge, the first to establish that a single treatment can improve muscle function both short and long term and also correct cognitive impairment and bone loss in DMD model mice. The wide-ranging improvements reflect the convergence of P2RX7 ablation on multiple disease mechanisms affecting skeletal and cardiac muscles, inflammatory cells, brain, and bone. Given the impact of P2RX7 blockade in the DMD mouse model, this receptor is an attractive target for translational research: existing drugs with established safety records could potentially be repurposed for treatment of this lethal disease.
An Intelligent Intrusion Prevention System for Cloud Computing (SIPSCC)

Cloud computing is a fast growing IT model for the exchange and delivery of different services through the Internet. However there is a plethora of security concerns in cloud computing which still need to be tackled (e.g. confidentiality, auditability and Privileged User Access). To detect and prevent such issues, the Intrusion Detection System (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) are effective mechanism against attacks such as SQL Injection. This study proposes a new service of IPS that prevents SQL injections when it comes over cloud computing website(CCW) using signature-based devices approach. A model has been implemented on three virtual machines. Through this implementation, a service-based intrusion prevention system in cloud computing (SIPSCC) is proposed, investigated and evaluated from three perspectives the vulnerability detection, average time, and false positives.
The influences of hyperbaric oxygen therapy with a lower pressure and oxygen concentration than previous methods on physiological mechanisms in dogs

Recently, hyperbaric oxygen therapy with a lower pressure and oxygen concentration (L-HBOT) than previous methods has been used for dogs in Japan; however, the influences of L-HBOT on dogs have not been clarified. To verify the influences of L-HBOT on physiological mechanism in dogs, we investigated blood gas parameters, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, heart rate variability, stress-related hormones and skin conductance (SC) in 4 clinically normal beagle dogs with catheters in their carotid arteries and jugular veins when they were quiet, after running, after receiving L-HBOT (30% oxygen concentration, 1.3 atmospheres absolute, 30 min) or after not receiving L-HBOT. The results showed there were no changes in blood gas parameters, heart rate variability and catecholamine levels after L-HBOT. GPx activity was significantly higher, and the SC and cortisol level were lower in dogs that received L-HBOT than those when they were quiet. These results suggested that L-HBOT may have a small influence on oxygenation dynamics, activate antioxidant enzymes such as GPx, restrain autonomic nervous activity and control the balance between oxidation and antioxidation inside the body.
An importance-performance analysis of E-service quality

This paper uses importance-performance analysis (IPA) to examine the difference between the importance of e-service quality and websites' actual performance. A 22 items questionnaire was handed out to buyers of 4 retail websites. The Scale-centered diagonal line IPA grids illustrated that the 10 e-service attributes fell into the Concentrate Here quadrant; 5 e-service attributes in the Keep Up the Good Work quadrant; and 4 e-service attributes in the Low Priority quadrant, and 3 e-service attributes in the Possible Overkill quadrant. Implications for e-service practitioners and researchers were discussed.
Adenylate cyclase system is essential for long-term facilitation at the crayfish neuromuscular junction

Long-term facilitation (LTF), a form of synaptic plasticity demonstrated at the crayfish neuromuscular junction, is induced by tetanic stimulation and persists for hours. LTF can be divided into 2 phases: a tetanic phase, which occurs during stimulation, and a long- lasting phase, which persists after stimulation. Activators and potentiators of cAMP (forskolin and 3-isobutyl-methyl-xanthine) produce facilitation of excitatory postsynaptic potentials, which attain approximately the amplitude of the long-lasting phase of LTF but last for a shorter time. Localized presynaptic injection of a protein inhibitor (“Walsh inhibitor”) specific for the cAMP-dependent protein kinase blocks the long-lasting phase of LTF at synapses near the injection site with no apparent effect on the tetanic phase. Normal LTF develops and persists at synapses of the same axon distant from the injection site. Localization of the injected inhibitor was confirmed by fluorescent tagging. Localized injection of SQ22,536, an adenylate cyclase inhibitor, also blocks the second phase of LTF near the injection site, but not at distant synapses. These experiments establish a role for adenylate cyclase activation in the long-lasting phase of LTF. The phosphatidylinositol second-messenger system is not important in LTF as inhibition of phospholipase C by injection of RA233, which blocks facilitatory effects of serotonin, does not affect any aspect of LTF.
Send Orders of Reprints at Reprints@benthamscience.net In-silico Algorithms for the Screening of Possible Microrna Binding Sites and Their Interactions

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) comprise a recently discovered class of small, non-coding RNA molecules of 21-25 nucleotides in length that regulate the gene expression by base-pairing with the transcripts of their targets i.e. protein-coding genes, leading to down-regulation or repression of the target genes. However, target gene activation has also been described. miRNAs are involved in diverse regulatory pathways, including control of developmental timing, apoptosis, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, modulation of immune response to macrophages, and organ development and are associated with many diseases, such as cancer. Computational prediction of miRNA targets is much more challenging in animals than in plants, because animal miRNAs often perform imperfect base-pairing with their target sites, unlike plant miRNAs which almost always bind their targets with near perfect complementarity. In the past years, a large number of target prediction programs and databases on experimentally validated information have been developed for animal miR-NAs to fulfil the need of experimental scientists conducting miRNA research. In this review we first succinctly describe the prediction criteria (rules or principles) adapted by prediction algorithms to generate possible miRNA binding site interactions and introduce most relevant algorithms, and databases. We then summarize their applications with the help of some previously published studies. We further provide experimentally validated functional binding sites outside 3'-UTR region of target mRNAs and the resources which offer such predictions. Finally, the issue of experimental validation of miRNA binding sites will be briefly discussed.
The Influence Of Religious Values, Social Factor And Service Quality In Individual Customer Decision Using Murabahah Financial On Islamic Bank, Indonesia

The purpose of research is analyze influence of religious values, social factor and service quality in psychology, trust and customer individual decision using Murabahah Financial on Islamic Bank in Indonesia. The research was used survey methods with the number of sample 180 person. Analysis data were used Structural Equation Model (SEM). The result was showed that religious values has significant influence to psychology factor and trust, but the religious value indirect influence to customer decision. The religious values has indirect influence through psychology factor and trust. Social factor has significant influence to psychology factor, trust and customer decision. Then service quality has significant influence to psychology factor, trust and customer decision. Psychology factor has a significant influence to trust but indirect influence to customer decision. Trust has a Significant influence to individual customer decision using Murabahah Financial from Islamic Bank in Indonesia.
A Fast Real-Time Rendering Method of 3D Terrain

In this paper, we propose an improved algorithm for real-time rendering of large 3D scene, in which we combine quad-tree hierarchy, level of detail (LOD) and out-of-core algorithm. In order to get an efficient rendering method, we construct a scene hierarchy to maintain the rendering scene tree, use quad-tree to simplify terrain meshes, and import the out-of-core algorithm to reduce memory requirements. There are two key steps in his algorithm: Firstly, we will simplify the scene data using quad-tree algorithm. Then we could get a set of simplified meshes for rendering. Secondly, View-dependent out-of-core method is imported to determine which part of meshes should be rendering or delete from the memory. Then we could reduce the memory requirements at runtime. In the last part of the paper, we use terrain data to test out algorithm. Comparing to traditional quad-tree algorithm our method run faster and need less memory requirements. (5 pages)
On the Expressiveness of some Runtime Validation Techniques

Runtime validation techniques have been proposed as artifacts to detect and/or correct unforeseen behaviours of computer systems. Their common features is to give only partial validation results, based on a restricted set of system executions produced in the real execution environment. A key issue is thus to better understand which kind of properties can (or cannot) be validated using such techniques. We focus on three techniques known as runtime verification, property-oriented testing, and runtime enforcement. We present these approaches at an abstract level and in a unified framework, and we discuss their respective ability to deal with properties on infinite execution sequences, that are commonly encountered in many application domains.
Automatic Summarization Considering Time Series and Thread Structure in Electronic Bulletin Board System for Discussion

On electronic bulletin board systems for discussion, a topic diversifies into multiple subtopics, and the entire structure becomes complicated. It is helpful to show users summarizations of the arguments because they can help in understanding the contents more easily. The purpose of this paper is to propose an automatic summarization method of a single thread considering time series, reply relationships and user information. In the proposed method, all threads are structured in several clusters by hierarchical clustering, and important sentences are selected from each cluster using LexRank, which is a stochastic graph-based method for computing the relative importance of textual units. Finally, we conducted quantitative and qualitative analysis by comparing the proposed method with MMR. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can reduce redundancies more and extract fewer sentences unrelated to the whole context of the summary than MMR. However, the proposed method included fewer important words than MMR.
Issues, progress and new results in robust adaptive control

We overview recent progress in the field of robust adaptive control with special emphasis on methodologies that use multiple‐model architectures. We argue that the selection of the number of models, estimators and compensators in such architectures must be based on a precise definition of the robust performance requirements. We illustrate some of the concepts and outstanding issues by presenting a new methodology that blends robust non‐adaptive mixed µ‐synthesis designs and stochastic hypothesis‐testing concepts leading to the so‐called robust multiple model adaptive control (RMMAC) architecture. A numerical example is used to illustrate the RMMAC design methodology, as well as its strengths and potential shortcomings. The later motivated us to develop a variant architecture, denoted as RMMAC/XI, that can be effectively used in highly uncertain exogenous plant disturbance environments. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.