Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Baseline haematological, serum biochemical and some urine parameters in Nigerian indigenous dogs

Introduction: Haematological and serum biochemical profiles of dogs are essential in the diagnosis and monitoring of systemic disease in veterinary medicine. The aim of this study was to determine the baseline haematological, serum biochemical and some urine parameters in clinically healthy dogs presented to the Veterinary teaching hospital (VTH), Ahmadu Bello University (A.B.U.), Zaria, Nigeria. Methods: Thirty apparently healthy dogs comprising of 19 males and 11 females aged between 9 to 36 months were sampled in this study. Whole blood was collected via cephalic venepuncture for determination of haematological parameters. Serum was processed from the whole blood to determine the concentrations of serum metabolites, serum electrolytes, blood urea nitrogen (BUN)/creatinine ratio, anion gap (AG) as well as serum activities of liver enzymes. Urinalysis was done using urine. Data was analysed using Graph pad prism version 5.2. Mean values were determined. Results: No significant (p > 0.05) differences related to sex were observed in the values of packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin (Hb) concentration, red blood cell counts (RBC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), differential and total white blood cell counts. The PCV (p < 0.005), Hb (p < 0.05) and Hb (p < 0.01) of the adults were significantly higher in the young Nigerian indigenous dogs. However, the MCV, MCHC, differential and total white blood cell counts were insignificant in both age groups. Significance: These baseline data would help clinicians to recognize deviations from normal clinicopathological parameters especially in Nigerian Indigenous dogs.
SURFACE TEXTURING FOR TRIBOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS: A REVIEW

: Surface texturing is one of the surface modification techniques which deliberately change the texture of the surface, in order to improve, among other things, its tribological performance. This is obtained through different patterns, which can be on micro or nano scale, created on the contact surfaces. The performance of a textured surface depends on the shape, geometry and pattern of the surface texture and the operating condition of the components in contact. There is a number of various techniques for surface texturing, among which laser surface texturing is most often used. The different surface texture shapes, different textured area ratios and patterns, different lubrication regimes with different contact geometries and materials have been subject of theoretical and experimental research for many years. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art of researches that consider various surface texturing for tribological application, as well as its effect on performance enhancement. Conclusions of this paper may provide guidance for optimal design of surface textures in practical engineering applications.
TRIBOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF EXPERIMENTAL HARD ALLOY GRADES WITH MODIFIED COBALT BINDER UNDER CONDITIONS OF DRY FRICTION ON TITANIUM-ALUMINUM ALLOY VT-3

The paper is dedicated to investigations of tribological characteristics of experimental tool hard alloy (HA) grades based on tungsten carbide with modified cobalt binder under conditions of dry friction on disks made of titanium-aluminum alloy VT-3, as well as measures of their surface micro-hardness. All measured parameters were compared with similar characteristics of standard HA grade VK8, on the basis of which these experimental grades were developed. The research found that the surface micro-hardness of all experimental HA grades as pins were higher than that for the basic grade VK8; the highest value was fixed for the HA grade with symbol mark 2.22 (composition of the binder 5.65% Co +1.8% Mo +0.6% Ti). The highest wear resistance was obtained for 2.23 (5.1%Co+2.7%Mo+0.61%Ti) and 2.21 (5.4%Co+1.43%Fe+0.82% Cu), the lowest – for grade 2.22. The analysis of friction processes peculiarities allows to explain the high wear resistance of grades 2.21 and 2.23 by features of surface structures (“the third body”) formation during friction. Friction process for these HA grades include the periods of “the third body” intensive growth to the considerable thickness values, as well as the periods of its abrasion; due to this phenomena resulting wear rates for these two grades proved to be significantly lower than for the base grade VK8. The "third body" generated during friction protects surfaces from wear, at the same time it has its own significant shear resistance and increases actual contact area, due to this phenomena the friction forces for grades 2.21 and 2.23 are somewhat higher than for basic grade VK8. The grade 2.22 is characterized by the highest average friction force and its r.m.s. deviation value, which result in the greatest wear rates for both the HA pins and rotating disks. So according to the results of testing the best results among the investigated experimental HA grades were obtained for grade 2.23: the lowest average friction coefficient and the lowest track surface roughness on rotating disks, as well as the highest wear resistance values.
Structure of the open cluster Collinder 463 revealed by Gaia astrometry

Abstract In this work we present our new estimates of the fundamental parameters of the open cluster Collinder 463, based on Gaia astrometric and PanSTARRS photometric data. In addition to updating previously available parameter values we highlight the existence of an extended stellar “halo” which is closely related to the presently known star cluster.
Fire Prevention Service Provision Within a New Age of Local Government Retrenchment

This dissertation examines the effects of the Great Recession on the provision of fire prevention services by local government fire departments in the United States. Fire prevention is integral to community fire protection and equally important as emergency response. Anecdotal evidence at the time indicated that fire prevention program cuts were among the first made by fire departments. This exploratory study utilizes data from a nonrepresentative convenience sample of fire prevention providers who responded to the Vision 20/20 Fire Prevention Cuts Survey in 2012 regarding the effects of the Great Recession. Recurrent economic downturns keep this topic relevant given the pervasive financial stress faced by local government. The study first developed a common method of comparing fire prevention programs across communities. This method is informed by the literature on public cutback budgeting and uses an ordinal index based on the locus of budgetary control. It was applied to score different community-based provision schemes for plan review, new construction inspection, existing building inspection, public education and fire-arson investigation services. Higher index scores are associated with these services being consolidated under the fire department. Lower scores are associated with fewer services provided by multiple entities. Analysis showed that larger communities protected by career-oriented fire departments tend to concentrate provision of all five services under the local fire department, while smaller communities protected by volunteer-oriented departments tend to spread out provision among different entities or not provide some services. Analysis in the second part of the research found that departments in these larger communities were also the most likely to make budget cuts to fire prevention. This implies that larger populations proportions will face increased fire risk during retrenchment. The last part of this study examined cutback strategies. Results indicated that across the board cuts predominate at the department level, but that there are clear preferences within fire prevention to cut existing building inspections before other services. Short-term budget balancing approaches in the form of personnel cuts are universal regardless of cut depth. However, many departments also apply longer-term strategies to lessen the impact on those two services.
Bandwidth estimation and rate adaptation for 360-degree mobile video streaming

The popularity of 360-degree (panoramic) videos is evident in recent years. Support from device manufacturers and commercial video platforms made the streaming of 360-degree video content available for a large number of users. The majority of these users are connected through cellular networks usually using their smartphones, which have limited resources shared among multiple users at the same time. Therefore, users usually receive a small amount of bandwidth that can vary according to other users requests. Unfortunately, 360-degree videos have very high bandwidth requirements which make their streaming challenging on cellular networks. In this thesis, we address two problems: capacity estimation and rate adaptation. For capacity estimation, we propose a new method, referred to as Phy360, that leverages information from the network structure and transmission patterns to get a precise estimation of the network current capacity. For the second problem, we propose a rate adaptation algorithm for tiled 360-degree videos, which results in smooth and high quality viewports. We implemented the proposed algorithms in an LTE testbed. Our evaluation shows that Phy360 achieves more accurate bandwidth estimation and is robust to diﬀerent channel conditions, and our rate adaptation algorithm improves the overall 360-degree video quality, compared to the closest works in the literature.
The gonads of Zyginidia pullula males feminized by Wolbachia pipientis

Zyginidia pullula (Boheman) (Hemiptera Cicadellidae) is a widespread central European leafhopper about 3 mm long. It is a multivoltine species, with a bisexual reproduction. Some females collected in Northern Italy, when mated with males, give origin to an exclusively female brood. These lineages are infected by Wolbachia pipientis (Rickettsiales), an α-proteobacterium known to induce several reproductive manipulations in its arthropod host. In Z. pullula, the infection by W. pipientis induces feminization of genetical males. These feminized males are characterised by intersexual phenotypes, i.e. they are females harbouring upper pygofer appendages, a typical male secondary sexual feature. In this study we report preliminary results on the ovary histological structure and the immunohistochemical localization of W. pipientis in the gonads of these aberrant females (intersexes).
On the presence of intermediate black holes in three globular clusters

Abstract We investigate whether the globular clusters 47 Tuc, ω Cen and NGC 6624 contain intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) by fitting a large grid of N-body simulations against their surface density and velocity dispersion profiles. In our simulations we vary the initial cluster size, the initial mass function and the initial density profile of the clusters as well as the mass fraction of a central intermediate-mass black hole. We find that the surface density and velocity dispersion profiles of all three clusters can be better reproduced by models that do not contain a central IMBH than by any of our IMBH models. If ω Cen and NGC 6624 contain any IMBHs at all, they have to be significantly less massive than suggested in the past.
Bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner), Lepidoptera : Noctuidae) occurrences in Bt- and non-Bt-cotton fields, Marble Hall, Mpumalanga, South Africa

Helicoverpa armigera is one of the major pests of cotton crops. Bt-cotton, (transgenic cotton) that contains cry genes from Bacillus thuringiensis, was introduced as a control measure against Heliothis virescens in the U.S.A. Cry genes encode for toxins that are toxic to lepidoteran pests. The effect of Bt-cotton (cv. NuOpal) on H. armigera population numbers and egg parasitism was investigated. Scouting was conducted once a week over two cotton-growing seasons at a cotton farm near Marble Hall. The number of damaged bolls, bollwormeggs and larvae were determined in non-Bt- (cv. Delta Opal) and Bt-cotton fields. No pesticides were used during the first season. A sprayed non-Bt cotton field was included in the second season's study. Pheromone traps baited with the sex pheromone of H. armigera were checked on a weekly basis to determine the number of adults in the fields under investigation. Bollworm eggs were collected during the second season to determine egg parasitism. The number of bollworm larvae and damaged cotton bolls were kept below threshold levels by the presence of the Bt-gene in the Bt-cotton fields and by insecticide applications in the non-Bt-cotton fields. Moth numbers, H. armigera oviposition and parasitoid emergence from bollworm eggs by Trichogrammatoidea lutea and Telenomus ullyetti were not influenced by the presence of the Bt-gene. Bt-cotton can therefore be useful in an integrated pest management programme under an irrigation system, because it resulted in a reduction in the number of insecticide applications per season and did not affect the biological control agents T. lutea and T. ullyetti.
Determinants of the initiation of meiotic recombination

Spo11, zuerst in Saccharomyces cerevisiae beschrieben, ist ein eukaryotisches Homolog der archealen DNS Topoisomerase VIA Untereinheit und ist fur die Bildung von DNS Doppelstrangbruchen (DSB) wahrend der Meiose notwendig. Die DNS wird bevorzugt an bestimmten Stellen im Genom, welche meiotische Rekombinations Hotspots genannt werden, geschnitten. Nach dem DNS Schnitt wird Spo11 mit einem kovalent gebundenen Oligonukleotid von der Bruchstelle gelost. Diese kurze einzelstrangige DNS Sequenz entspricht genau dem Ort des Doppelstrangbruches. Das Arabidopsis thaliana Genom kodiert, anders als bei Saugern und Hefe, wo es nur ein Spo11 gibt, fur drei Spo11 Homologe, AtSPO11-1, AtSPO11-2 und AtSPO11-3. Nur AtSPO11-1 und AtSPO11-2 sind fur die Meiose notwendig, wahrend AtSPO11-3 an der somatischen Endoreduplikation beteiligt ist. Bei S. cerevisae sind zusatzlich zu Spo11 zumindest 9 andere Proteine an der DSB Bildung beteiligt. Bei Arabidopsis sind bisher nur die drei Proteine AtPRD1, AtPRD2 und AtPRD3, als essentiell fur die SPO11 abhangige DSB Bildung, identifiziert worden. Das Hauptthema dieser Arbeit war die Entwicklung eines Protokolls, um genomweit DSB Stellen in Arabidopsis thaliana zu identifizieren. Zuerst wurde ein Deep-Sequencing basierendes Protokoll unter Zuhilfenahme eines Modellsubstrates, einem HRP Protein gekoppelt an ein 30 Nukleotide langes Oligonukleotid, entwickelt und optimiert. Nach der erfolgreichen Optimierung der einzelnen Reaktionsschritte und der Sequenzierung wurden Saccharomyces cerevisiae und Schizosaccharomyces pombe verwendet, um die Methode zu testen und die Resultate mit denen von bereits publizierten DSB Karten zu vergleichen. Die Resultate fur beide Hefen waren sehr gut reproduzierbar und es wurde eine gute Ubereinstimmung mit den genomischen Hotspot Karten, die bereits mit anderen Methoden produziert wurden, gefunden. Um diese Methode auf Arabidopsis thaliana zu ubertragen, wurde eine transgene Linie, welche eine funktionelle, getaggte Version von AtSPO11-1 (AtSPO11-1/18xmyc) exprimiert, generiert. Das Protein wurde erfolgreich aus Pflanzenmaterial, welches meiotische Zellen enthalt, prazipitiert und fur das oben genannte Protokoll verwendet. Die ersten Deep-Sequencing Durchgange, welche mit Arabidopsis Material durchgefuhrt wurden, brachten 3,5 Millionen und 2,2 Millionen Sequenzen, welche zum Arabidopsis Genom passen. Ein weiteres Ziel dieser Arbeit war die gezielte Stimulation von meiotischer Rekombination in A. thaliana. Eine spezifische DNS Bindedomane wurde an den C-Terminus von AtSPO11-1 fusioniert (AtSPO11-1/Gal4) und es wurden Pflanzen hergestellt, die korrespondierende Cis-Elemente (5xUAS) tragen. Nach dem Kreuzen der Pflanzen mit den vorher genannten Features wird erwartet, dass AtSPO11-1/Gal4 an die 5xUAS Stellen bindet, um in weiterer Folge die Bildung von meiotischen Doppelstrangbruchen zu stimulieren. Weiters wurde versucht, Interaktionspartner von AtSPO11-1 und AtSPO11-2 zu finden. Fur diesen Zweck wurden verschiedene Strategien, wie Massenspektrometrie, direkte Yeast two-hybrid Interaktion und Co-Immunoprazipitation verwendet.
Observation on oceanographic parameters of nearshore waters off Yanam, during the cyclonic storm

The current and temperature at different levels were measured at 75 m water depth off Yanam, which is 12 km away from the coast for a period of 40 days during August–October 2005. The tides and winds were measured at 60 m water depth during the same period. A cyclonic storm developed in the Bay of Bengal on 18 September 2005 and crossed the coastline at 250 km northeast of the measurement location on 19 September 2005. Variations in the oceanographic parameters near the measurement location during the passage of the cyclone are described in this communication. The measured currents were mainly non-tidal. The measurements show a decrease of 8.6–11.5°C in sea-water temperature at different depths and the currents were in the direction of the wind during the cyclonic storm.
Production Shocks, Exports and Market Prices: An Analysis of the Rice Sector in Myanmar

Since 2012/13, rice exports to China (which may have reached two million tons in 2015/16) boosted total demand for Myanmarâ€™s rice and rice prices. In mid-2016, however, China stopped rice imports through the main land entry point, putting substantial downward pressure on prices. Analysis presented in this paper, based on econometric estimates of consumption parameters and a simple model of Myanmarâ€™s rice supply and demand, suggests that market prices would fall by 26 to 43 percent or more (in real terms) in the absence of increased exports to the world market and/or government domestic procurement. Such a decline in prices could have seriously harmed Myanmarâ€™s rice producers, including many poor farmers with marketable surpluses. Model simulations suggest that government procurement of about one million tons would limit the estimated price decline to only 17 to 30 percent. Further refinements in the simulations are needed to take account for the seasonal nature of paddy production in Myanmar, possible price-responsiveness of export demand and the effects of changes in paddy incomes on farmer demand for rice. Medium-term analysis of procurement, storage and future sales is needed to analyze fiscal costs under various scenarios, as well, covering alternative shocks to production, export demand and world prices. Nonetheless, the main results are clear: without substantial market interventions on the order of one million tons (milled rice equivalent), the paddy (rice) price could fall dramatically when production increases or export demand declines.
Dissecting the molecular mechanisms underlying synpase development and neuronal functions in Caenorhabditiselegans

The ability of animals to modulate their behaviors based on environmental cues critically depends on the modulation of nervous system functions. Here we describe a pathway whereby C. elegans intestinal epithelial cells secret a signal(s) to regulate cholinergic synaptic transmission. Using genetic and pharmacological analyses, we demonstrate that the prohormone converting enzyme AEX-5 modulates cholinergic transmission from the intestine. The intestine derived signals appear to act on GABAergic neurons through AEX-2, a G-protein coupled receptor that is coupled with downstream Gs! and adenylate cyclase signaling. Interestingly, the AEX-5/AEX-2 signaling has been previously shown to control the rhythmic defecation motor program by activating GABA release from GABAergic neurons. In contrast, we find that for the modulation cholinergic transmission, AEX-5/AEX-2 depends at least partially on neuronal peptide signals, while GABA is dispensable for the process. We further show
Improved Radiative Transfer in the ANTARES Code

One of the most difficult and time-consuming tasks in multi-dimensional stellar radiative-hydrodynamics simulations is the calculation of the radiation field. We present two major improvements we achieved for the ANTARES code in this context. The first one is the use of Bezier splines in combination with the short characteristic method, resulting in a radiative transfer solver which shows more realistic results (less artifacts) and an increased stability compared to the method used so far. The second improvement presented is a radiative transfer solver based on the Eddington approximation. It allows for fast calculation of the radiation field with only a minor loss of precision. Additionally, it shows good numerical properties. These methods for radiative transfer, as newly-implemented within ANTARES, allow improved numerical results in the case of the Bezier method and much faster calculations in the case of the Eddington approximation.
Fatty Acid Profile of Meat from Lambs Fed on Diets Containing Mulberry Hay

— The aim of this trial was to evaluate fatty acid profile of meat from lambs fed on diets containing 0, 12.5 and 25.0% mulberry hay as a substitute for the concentrate. Twenty-four feedlot Ile de France lambs (average weight of 15kg and average age of 60 days) were randomized to receive the different diets and slaughtered at 32kg body weight. Increases were observed in the concentrations of the saturated pentadecanoic, heptadecanoic and arachidic fatty acids; of the monounsaturated nervonic fatty acid and of the polyunsaturated α -linolenic, ɣ -linolenic and eicosapentaenoic fatty acids. Increased conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) was also found in the meat of lambs fed on 12.5% mulberry hay. In addition, the omega-3 composition was augmented, while the omega-3/omega-6 ratio was decreased in mulberry hay-fed animals. In conclusion, a more desirable fatty acid profile was observed in lamb meat following the substitution of mulberry hay in the concentrate of fed, resulting in improved nutritional characteristics of the meat.
Forest Utilization in Oaxaca

Abstract Two communities, Ixtlan and Chalchijapa, located in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, are compared based on their utilization of local forests. The long-settled community of Ixtlan, with its pine-oak forests, is compared to the recently established village of Chalchijapa which is located in rain forest on the edge of the Chimalapas nature reserve. Constraints such as forest type and management, land ownership and tenure, and current and future plans for timber extraction and utilization are examined, as are methods of wood processing and milling. The degree and type of wood utilization carried out by these two timber-dependent communities is greatly reflective of the local forest type and social structure.