Rural Electrification Programmes in Kenya : Policy Conclusion from a Valuation Study

Developing countries have struggled with low electrification rates in the rural areas. This study investigates one major issue impeding the rural electrification programmes in rural Kenya: high connection payments. The paper uses estimates obtained from a stated preference study, namely a contingent valuation method completed in 2007, to examine the willingness to pay to connect to grid-electricity and photovoltaic services. Expanding rural electrification will need subsidies, but the study shows that some forms of subsidy are more effective than others. The key findings suggest that the government needs to reform the energy subsidies, increase market ownership and performance of private suppliers, establish financial schemes and create markets that vary according to social-economic and demographic groups.rural electrification; willingness to pay (wtp); affordability; sub-saharan africa; energy

Choice experiment study on the willingness to pay to improve

Modern forms of energy are an important vehicle towards poverty alleviation in rural areas of developing countries. Most developing countries’ households heavily rely on wood fuel which impact their health and social–economic status. To ease such a dependency, other modern forms of energy, namely electricity, need to be provided. However, the quality of the electricity service, namely reliability, is an important factor in reducing this dependency. This paper discusses a choice experiment valuation study conducted among electrified rural households located in Kisumu, Kenya, in which the willingness to pay (WTP) to avoid power outages or blackouts was estimated. A mixed logit estimation was applied to identify the various socio-economic and demographic characteristics which determine preferences to reduce power outages among a household’s users. In conclusion, several of the socio-economic and demographic characteristics outlined in this paper were identified and can assist service differentiation to accommodate the diverse households’ preferences towards the improvement of the electricity service.developing country, rural, power outages, willingness to pay, random parameter logit

Demand for Electricity Connection in Rural Areas : The Case of Kenya

A modern form of energy, in particular electricity for household use, is an important vehicle in alleviating poverty in developing countries. However, access and costs of connecting to this service for most poor in these countries is inconceivable. Policies promoting electricity connection in rural areas are known to be beneficial in improving the socio-economic and health well-being for households. This paper examines willingness to pay (WTP) for rural electrification connection in Kisumu district, Kenya, using the contingent valuation method (CVM). A nonparametric and a parametric model are employed to estimate WTP values for two electricity products: grid electricity (GE) and photovoltaic (PV) electricity. The results indicate that respondents are willing to pay more for GE services than PV and households favoured monthly connection payments over a lump sum amount. Some of the policies suggested in this paper include: subsidizing the connection costs for both sources of electricity, adjusting the payment periods, and restructuring the market ownership of providing rural electricity services.double bounded; contingent valuation; electricity connection; rural; willingness to pay (wtp)

Dosimetric Verification of Gamma Passing Rate for Head and Neck Cases Treated with Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) Treatment Planning Technique

  يجب اختبار كل خطة علاج إشعاعي معدل الشدة (IMRT) والتحقق منها قبل أي علاج للتحقق من جودتها. جهاز كشف فانتوم نوع   Octavius ​​4D-1500 هو جهاز حديث ومؤهل لإجراء ضمان الجودة. هدفت هذه الدراسة إلى مقارنة معايير قياس الجرعات الشائعة 3٪ / 3 مم مع 2٪ / 2 مم لخطط الراس والرقبة(H&N) لتقنية IMRT. خمسة وعشرون مريضًا يعانون من ورم في الرأس والرقبة (H&N) تم علاجهم باستخدام شعاع فوتون الأشعة السينية 6MV باستخدام برنامج تخطيط العلاج موناكو 5.1 وتم ارسالها الى المعجل الخطي  Elekta ثم اختبارهم لدراسة التحقق من المعالجة المسبقة باستخدام جهاز OCTAVIUS 4D-1500 . تم تقييم الفرق بين الجرعة المخططة والمقاسة باستخدام طريقة تحليل مؤشر جاما المحلي والعالمي عند عتبة 10٪. يتم تنفيذ معايير DD / DTA بنسبة 3٪ / 3 مم و 2٪ / 2 مم. يظهر فرق كبير بين جرعة النقطة المقاسة والمحسوبة لخطط العلاج. تُظهر المقارنة التي تم إجراؤها بين معدل تمرير جاما بين 2٪ / 2 مم و 3٪ / 3 مم اختلافًا كبيرًا بين المحلي والعالمي أن 2٪ / 2 مم أكثر حساسية لتغير الجرعة من 3٪ / 3 مم. تُظهر وحدة الشاشة الإجمالية (MU) علاقة خطية سالبة مع كل من المعايير وأنواع GP. أظهر ارتباط كبير بين إجمالي MU و GP العالمية عند معيار 2 ٪ / 2 مم. تظهر خاتمة الدراسة أن معيار 2٪ / 2 مم أكثر حساسية لتغيرات توزيع الجرعة من 3٪ / 3 مم. يجب أن يؤخذ العدد الإجمالي لوحدات المراقبة في الاعتبار أثناء التخطيط لأورام H&N باستخدام خطط IMRT.Each Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) plan needs to be tested and verified before any treatment to check its quality. Octavius 4D-1500 phantom detector is a modern and qualified device for quality assurance procedure. This study aims to compare the common dosimetric criteria 3%/3 mm with 2%/2 mm for H&N plans for the IMRT technique. Twenty-five patients with head and neck (H&N) tumor were with 6MV x-ray photon beam using Monaco 5.1 treatment planning software and exported to Elekta synergy linear accelerator then tested for pretreatment verification study using Octavius 4D-1500 phantom detector. The difference between planned and measured dose were assessed by using local and global gamma index (GI) analysis method at threshold 10%. The DD/DTA criteria are performed with 3%/3 mm and 2%/2 mm. A significant difference is shown between the measured and calculated point dose for the treatment plans. A comparison made between the gamma passing rate between the 2%/2 mm and 3%/3 mm shows a significant difference for local and global which shows that the 2%/2 mm are more sensitive to dose variation than 3%/3 mm. The total monitor unit (MU) shows a negative linear relationship with both criteria and %GP types. A significant correlation is shown between the total MU and global %GP at 2%/2 mm criterion. The conclusion of the study indicates that 2%/2 mm criterion is more sensitive to the dose distribution changes than the 3%/3 mm. The total number of monitor units should be taken into consideration during the planning of H&N tumors using the IMRT plans

Enhancement of Bending Strength of Helical Gears by Using Asymmetric Involute Teeth Profiles

This paper presents an alternative method to enhance the bending stress for helical gears achieved that by using Asymmetric Involute Teeth Profiles. Theoretically, ??the bending stress of a symmetric gear tooth is calculated by classical Lewis equation (1892), then this equation is developed by M.Q. Abdullah (2012) to take into account the effect of asymmetry of tooth profiles. In this paper, the bending stress for helical gear teeth with asymmetric profile has been calculated analytically by modifying the M.Q. Abdullah equation. In this paper, analytically this equation has been modified to find the bending stress for helical gear with asymmetric teeth at a specified number of teeth (14 teeth) at any helix angle. Also this value has been verified by using numerical solution based on the finite element method technique that done by the software Autodesk simulation mechanical is package v2014. Where the generation process of helical gear have been modelled by using 3D CAD Graphics Software Autodesk inventor professional 2014. The results of this work indicate to the most important conclusion of a helical gear drive with asymmetric teeth profiles having loaded side pressure angle of ( ) and unloaded side pressure angle of ( ) is better than a helical gear drive with symmetric teeth profiles having standard pressure angles of ( ) from the point of view of tooth bending strength. There are significant enhancement in the results of maximum tooth bending stress for asymmetric involute of tooth gear compared with the standard gear. In addition, the results demonstrate optimum helix angle is ( ) which has the highest enhancement percentage. Keywords: Gear, Helical, Involute profile, Asymmetric, Bending Stress, Autodesk inventor, Simulation

Selecting random parameters in discrete choice experiment for environmental valuation: A simulation experiment

This paper examines the various tests commonly used to select random parameters in choice modelling. The most common procedures for selecting random parameters are: the Lagrange Multiplier test as proposed by McFadden and Train (2000), the t-statistic of the deviation of the random parameter and the log-likelihood ratio test. The identification of random parameters in other words the recognition of preference heterogeneity among population is based on the fact that an individual makes a choice depending on her/his: tastes, perceptions and experiences. A simulation experiment was carried out based on a real choice experiment and the results indicated that the power of these three tests depends importantly on the spread and type of the tested parameter distribution.choice experiment, simulation, preference heterogeneity, random parameter logit, tests for selecting random parameters

Geographical Analysis of Sanitation Workers in the Urban District of Kut

Cleaning is one of the services provided by the state and its ad hoc institutions. Every developed country is clean due to the good planning and attention given to the staff of all municipalities and service institutions. Beside, the attention paid to this sector is considered one of the windows to maintain the states’ aesthetics. If janitors stop disposing of all the discarded wastes, the result will be having big piles of waste, affecting accordingly the health and safety of its citizens and the aesthetics of the areas. The janitors and those responsible for them are those that the state must take care of because of their importance to the state in general and to the province in particular. The importance of the research comes from the fact that the janitors are an integral part of the urban population of kut district. They further have a positive role in the removal of waste within the district, and because they are a neglected segment, the researcher has decided to address them in the present research because of the  importance of the topic. The study has thus adopted the general approach in geography, i.e., the descriptive analytical approach to show detailed data on the sanitation workers. The study has mainly concluded that most of the janitors are of illiterate level of education and the lowest level of education is a preparatory school or above. Moreover, their income is of a low level, and so they live in slums, and some of them have no housing owned by them

The Emergence of Kurdism with Special Reference to the Three Kurdish Emirates within the Ottoman Empire 1800-1850

The aim of this thesis is to study the concept of Kurdism and its emergence in the first half of the nineteenth century. The study explores the foundations, origins and evolution of Kurdish nationalism, which has grown out of Kurdism. It focuses on the three Kurdish emirates of Soran, Botan and Baban and their relationship with the Ottomans during the first half of the nineteenth century. Warm Ottoman-Kurdish relations continued until the beginning of the New Order (Nizami Cedit) under Sultan Selim III 1789-1807 and Sultan Mahmud II 1808-1839, and the modernisation and administrative reform (known in Turkish as Tanzimat) of the empire, which took place between 1839-1876. At this time, central power was in the hands of the Sultan who abolished all local authorities in the capital and in the Ottoman provinces, including Kurdish semi-autonomous emirates. This direct rule was met by strong Kurdish resistance. From this point, the Kurds conceived of the Ottomans as the “other” whose direct rule over them was unwelcome. They resisted the Ottoman policy of centralisation and the notion of Kurdism flourished. This can be regarded as a key turning point for the development of Kurdish nationalism, reinvigorating a Kurdish consciousness in respect of politics, language and literature. Kurdish Melas (Islamic scholars), popular poets and Kurdish folkloric poets played a major role in the creation of Kurdism in the first half of the nineteenth century in Soran, Botan and Baban emirates. Kurdish writers and scholars turned to literary forms for the expressions of Kurdish cultural politics. This thesis examines a range of literary sources to consider the rule of Kurdish mirs (princes), in politics, and the position of Kurdish intellectuals in the politics of language and culture in Kurdish emirate in the first half of the nineteenth century. This study shows how identification with Kurdism had enabled the Kurds to articulate their claim to their community and their emirates. Kurdism went on to engender Kurdish nationalism, whose growth was reflected in the late nineteenth century through the Kurdish revolt of 1880 by Sheikh Ubeydullah Nehri, the establishment of the first Kurdish newspaper in 1897 and the literature of the period, and which matured further in the twentieth century