Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Use of the DeLaval cell counter (DCC) on goats' milk

Milk quality is measured by a variety of parameters and one of these is the number of somatic cells in the milk. Within the bovine dairy industry there are maximum acceptable levels on bulk milk cell counts and these are being introduced into caprine dairy production. The reference method for cell counting in goats is the direct microscope (DM) method using pyronin Y-methyl green stain, which stains cell DNA. The use of the DeLaval cell counter (DCC) on goats' milk was compared with this reference method. Samples from 102 udder halves were cell counted using the direct microscope method and the DeLaval cell counter (DCC). Each sample was counted twice by two different observers by the DM method and once using DCC. DCC showed large coefficients of regression (1·03) and correlation (0·95) when compared with the DM cell count (F1,199=1080·0; P<0·001). Goat, udder half and reader type were significant factors.
Electronic commerce opportunities for improving corporate customer support in banking in Greece

Banking, one of the most information intensive sectors, is an ideal domain for the successful development of e‐commerce. The present exploratory study focuses on e‐commerce opportunities for improving corporate customer services in the Greek banking sector. It reports on a survey of 11 marketing and information systems managers from five major Greek banks. The results indicate that the potential of e‐commerce ranges from simple applications, such as giving information about services, to more sophisticated ones that involve customers in services design and customisation. Suitable management actions are proposed to Greek banks in order to fully benefit from the Internet.
Answer Garden: a tool for growing organizational memory

Answer Garden allows organizations to develop databases of commonly asked questions that grow “organically” as new questions arise and are answered. It is designed to help in situations (such as field service organizations and customer “hot lines”) where there is a continuing stream of questions, many of which occur over and over, but some of which the organization has never seen before. The system includes a branching network of diagnostic questions that helps users find the answers they want. If the answer is not present, the system automatically sends the question to the appropriate expert, and the answer is returned to the user as well as inserted into the branching network. Experts can also modify this network in response to users' problems. Our initial Answer Garden database contains questions and answers about how to use the X Window System.
An electrically small antenna for potential aircraft applications

Two different techniques for matching electrically small antennas (ESAs) are proposed. In this case, two prototypes have been built for potential aircraft applications at VHF and UHF bands with a size reduction factor up to 50 % over other state-of-the-art antennas for this application. Both prototypes have been simulated (in CST suite software) and measured. Gain response has also been included for comparison purposes with current aircraft antennas.
Morphometric and anatomic study of the hind limb of a dog.

OBJECTIVE To obtain the anatomic and morphometric data required for biomechanical analysis of the hind limb in dogs. ANIMALS A healthy adult mixed-breed 23-kg male dog. PROCEDURE Following euthanasia of the dog, all muscles of the right hind limb were identified and meticulously removed. Physiologic cross-sectional areas (PCSA) and architectural indices (AI) were calculated. The coordinates for the origin and insertion of each muscle were determined, using orthogonal right-handed coordinate systems embedded in the pelvis, femur, and tibia. RESULTS PCSA and AI were calculated for 29 muscles, and coordinates for the origins and insertions of these muscles were determined. CONCLUSIONS Results provide the morphometric and anatomic data necessary for 3-dimensional biomechanical studies of the hind limb in dogs.
Understanding solutions as technology-driven business innovations

Purpose – This paper aims to provide a better understanding of the innovation challenges firms face when developing and commercialising solutions in the capital goods sector; challenges related to the interdependencies between the supplier/innovator and the customers, as well as the solution’s impact on their competencies and activities. Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws upon the emerging body of literature on solutions and established frameworks within innovation management literature. It explores a real-time longitudinal case study of “Alpha” (an international specialist in centrifugal separation, heat exchange and fluid handling), including an R&D project, the project’s transformation into an internal corporate venture and the years of the venture up until its integration into the corporate. Findings – This paper characterises solutions as involving product and business innovation. By clarifying the differences between how the solution affects the customers and the suppliers, the use of th.
Effect of Ferric Chloride Addition and Holding Time on Gravity Belt Thickening of Waste Activated Sludge

Phosphorus removal using ferric chloride (FeCl3) addition was demonstrated at the Egan Water Reclamation Plant. Concurrently, sludge thickening performance problems occurred in the gravity belt thickeners (GBTs). Blinding problems and polymer demand change were attributed to FeCl3 and long sludge holding times. Laboratory tests were conducted to gain insight to the GBT problems. Sludge holding time effects before polymer conditioning and thickening and prolonged contact of the solids with FeCl3 were evaluated via modified time‐to‐filter and blinding tests developed for this study. The tests assessed the sludge filterability under polymer and FeCl3 conditioning treatments and varying sludge holding and FeCl3 contact times. It was determined that fresh sludge was the easiest to thicken compared with sludge stored for any length of time. The FeCl3 improved thickening; however, when both the FeCl3 and polymer were used as conditioners, higher FeCl3 concentrations resulted in thickening inhibition compared with polymer alone.
Automatic Traffic Accident Detection Based on the Internet of Things and Support Vector Machine

Recent years, the transportation efficiency and related issues have become one of the main focuses of the global world. Along this line, intelligent transportation systems (ITS) based on Internet of Things (IoT) has become a common solution to may transportation problems, such as traffic prediction, road status evaluation, traffic accident detection, etc. In this paper, we focus on the traffic accident detection in the IoT platform. Specifically, we propose an overall framework of intelligent transportation. Then, for traffic accident detection, we proposed a Support Vector Machine (SVM) modified by Ant Colony Algorithm (ACA) as the solution. We conduct experiments on real world traffic data to predict 7 types of traffic accidents. The results show that our proposed method is effective and efficient.
Importance of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in ovarian physiology of mammals

Summary Ovarian folliculogenesis in mammals is a complex process. Several compounds have been tested during in vitro culture of follicular cells for a better understanding of the mechanisms and factors related to ovarian folliculogenesis in mammals. From these compounds, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) can be highlighted, as it is strongly associated with angiogenesis and, in recent years, its presence in ovarian cells has been investigated extensively. Previous studies have shown that the presence of VEGF protein, as well as mRNA expression of its receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) increases during follicular development. Therefore, it is likely that the interaction between VEGF and VEGFR-2 is crucial to promote follicular development. However, few studies on the influence of this factor on follicular development have been reported. This review addresses aspects related to the structural characterization and mechanism of action of VEGF and its receptors, and their biological importance in the ovary of mammals.
Estimation model and simulation for auditory localization with fewer sensors

A sound from long distance may arrive different sensors at different moment. Existing field Anti-Sniper systems always need 4 or more sound sensors to locate sound source. This paper gave a method to make some assumptions and estimate the orientation of the sound source with fewer sensors. The following simulation gave the calculation contrast, which showed that the method in paper could narrow the scope of sound source target effectively, and promote the practical solution of Anti-Sniper system in battlefield.
Inhibition of iNOS attenuates skeletal muscle reperfusion injury in extracellular superoxide dismutase knockout mice

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) are closely involved in the mechanism of skeletal muscle ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. This study was designed to determine the effects of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibitor 1400W on the reperfused cremaster muscle in extracellular superoxide dismutase knockout (EC‐SOD−/−) mice. The muscle was exposed to 4.5 h of ischemia, followed by 90 min of reperfusion. Mice received either 3 mg/kg of 1400W or the same amount of phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS, as a control) subcutaneously at 10 min before the start of reperfusion. 1400W treatment markedly improved the recovery speed of vessel diameter and blood flow in the reperfused cremaster muscle of EC‐SOD−/− mice compared to controls. Histological examination showed reduced edema in the interstitial space and muscle fiber, and reduced density of nitrotyrosine (a marker of total peroxinitrite (ONOO−) level) in 1400W‐treated muscles compared to controls. Our results suggest that iNOS and ONOO− products are involved in skeletal muscle I/R injury. Reduced I/R injury by using selective inhibition of iNOS perhaps works by limiting cytotoxic ONOO− generation, a reaction product of nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide anion (O2−). Thus, inhibition of iNOS appears to be a treatment strategy for reducing clinical I/R injury. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. Microsurgery 25:606–613, 2005.
Nouns, verbs, and verbal nouns: Their structures and their structural cases

One much-discussed question concerning the noun-verb distinction from a crosslinguistic, typological perspective is whether this distinction is continuous or discrete. Not surprisingly given their general commitments and styles of analysis, functionalist theorists have tended to see it as continuous (Bhat, 1994, Dixon, 1982, Hengeveld, 1992, Stassen, 1997, Wetzer, 1996), whereas formal generative linguists have seen it as discrete (Baker, 2003, Chomsky, 1970). However, it seems like this should be a relatively straightforward empirical question. One might wonder then, trying to put prejudices aside, why there has been so much disagreement about it. Considering the matter again, it seems clearer to me than ever that this is probably not such a straightforward empirical question after all. Rather, the answer depends on what we mean by the terms “noun” and “verb”, and that is largely a conceptual matter. Indeed, there are at least three distinct linguistic units that the question might reasonably be about, as listed in (1).
Contribution of Informal Businesses (IBs) To Basic Social Services in the Central Region of Liberia 1 : A Major Step Toward Post-Conflict Private Sectors Capacity Building and Development

There has been no detailed research on the contribution of informal businesses (IBs) to private sector development (PSD) in Liberia prior to and after the 14-year civil war. Available researches have focused on access to microfinance, as opposed to profiling the contribution of IBs to PSD and the social economic lives of the population, which is the focal point of this paper. The paper, therefore, seeks to assess the overall performance of IBs in order to determine their contribution to private sector-based economic interventions and basic services of the population in Liberia, using the CRL as a case study. Results show that almost all IBs owners or persons in informal businesses (PIBs) paid for health services of household and extended family members; 61% in-school PIBs were supported by IBs, while 90% of PIBs financed in-school children/dependents through IBs. Further, IBs provided food security for 92% of PIBs and family member.Aside from the fact IBs are job opportunities, 5% of PIBs provided employment for other job seekers; majority of PIBs supported the housing needs of households; with 39% living in their ownconstructed houses through IBs; most of the PIBs who are renting pay rentage from IBs; 62% of IBs contributed to community projects; and 20% contributed to county development projects. Findings further indicated that IBs contributed to PSD because they created investment in CRL in post-conflict Liberia as compared to prior to the war. The implications of the research are indicated, limitations pin-pointed and recommendations outlined.
COMBINING WORK AND FAMILY LIFE IN SLOVENIA: AN ETHIC OF CARE PERSPECTIVE FOR NORMATIVE POLICY ANALYSIS

Taking the ethic of care perspective, the paper deals with the way in which Slovenian family policy conceptualises the relationship between family and work responsibilities. While Slovenian family policy seems to be modern as far as recognition of heterogeneity of family life and promotion of equal opportunities are concerned, the approach through the ethic of care reveals several problems, such as the emphasis on the model of the economically independent individual; reduction of care to a child care within the family and omitting other aspects of care (care for elderly, for the self etc.). The analysis of the normative framework of Slovenian family policy shows that special priority in the work-family relationship goes to work, under the assumption that all adults are actively present in the labour force and are capable of taking care of them, while care is needed only by the really dependent people (e.g. disabled, elderly, children). The article ends up with some proposals for improving policy of reconciliation of family and work.
International Product Differentiation Through a Country Brand: An Economic Analysis of National Branding as a Marketing Strategy for Agricultural Products

Trade policy initiatives of developed country governments are in flux. Governments’ need for new trade policy measures has arisen partly because of constraints imposed on the use of export subsidies by the Agreement on Agriculture reached as part of the Uruguay Round of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in 1994. Further disciplines on export subsidies and other policy measures may be agreed on in the Doha Round of World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations, accentuating the need for new policy measures. While the Doha Round may not successfully reach an agreement, the current modalities show provisional agreement on the elimination of multiple forms of export subsidies. There is provisional agreement on more stringent restrictions on the use of export credit programs. Controls on exporting state trading agencies’ ability to subsidize exports are tentatively agreed (Furtan, 2005). Food aid, which can also be used to circumvent disciplines on export subsidies, is also likely to be subject to WTO disciplines.
Entry Mode Choice in Service Industries

The article presents empirical evidence which indicates the immense diversity in entry mode choice patterns among various service industries. It attempts to explain this variation in terms of certain service attributes and motives for foreign market entry, using the transaction cost analysis as its theoretical basis. While entry mode choice associated with “hard” services (those that do not require the providers to be physically proximate to the receivers) resembles that in manufacturing firms, organisations providing “soft” services (characterised by inseparable production and consumption) enter world markets almost exclusively via foreign direct investment and contractual transfers. This diversity poses challenges to practitioners, policy makers and researchers in this field.
Economic empowerment of housing beneficiaries

A premise of this thesis is that too much emphasis is still placed on dealing with the crisis of housing provision, rather than planning for housing development in South Africa. Little consideration is given to the economic improvement of the housing beneficiaries. The following research question was posed: What can and should be done in order for housing beneficiaries to become economically empowered? Government has the obligation to enhance and maintain the personal social welfare of its inhabitants. Housing is part of a package of social welfare services that includes physical health as well as the incorporeal element within a human being. Housing is also a process of how people came to be housed, starting at the moment when they first apply for a house. Economic empowerment should be linked to the four dimensions of development, i.e. equity, capacity-building, participation, self-reliance. Equity leads to economic empowerment by providing equal access to economic opportunities. capacity-building has aspects of developing skills, providing access to, and establishing supportive structures for economic empowerment. Participation is concerned with achieving power to influence decisions. Finally, self-reliance is linked to economic empowerment because it refers to the ability of people to produce most of its basic needs as well as producing surpluses with which to trade for those commodities and services which it does not produce efficiently itself (Burkey, 1993:51). Economic empowerment of housing beneficiaries implies a micro, individual level focus of economic development. According to Gildenhuys (1993:26) economic welfare refers to the development of the economic and material welfare and prosperity of the individual. Apart from a micro focus, a multi-objective focus is required for sustainability. According to Dalal-Clayton and Bass (2000:12), sustainable development entails balancing economic, social and environmental objectives. Finally, there are two dimensions to economic empowerment, namely, empowerment of the housing beneficiaries, as well as empowerment of development facilitators. ii Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za
Erythrocytes as controllers of perfusion distribution in the microvasculature of skeletal muscle

In 1929, August Krogh identified the matching of oxygen (O2) supply with demand in skeletal muscle as a fundamental physiological process. In the intervening decades, much research has been focused on elucidating the mechanisms by which this important process occurs. For any control system to be effective, there must be a means by which the need is determined and a mechanism by which that information is coupled to an appropriate response. The focus of this review was to highlight current research in support of the hypothesis that the mobile erythrocyte, when exposed to reduced O2 tension, releases ATP in a controlled manner. This ATP interacts with purinergic receptors on the endothelium producing both local and conducted vasodilation enabling the erythrocyte to distribute perfusion to precisely match O2 delivery with need in skeletal muscle. If this is an important mechanism for normal physiological control of microvascular perfusion, defects in this process would be anticipated to have pathophysiological consequences. Individuals with either type 2 diabetes (DM2) or pre‐diabetes have microvascular dysfunction that contributes to morbidity and mortality. DM2 erythrocytes and erythrocytes incubated with insulin at levels similar to those seen in pre‐diabetes fail to release ATP in response to reduced O2 tension. Knowledge of the components of the signal transduction pathway for low O2‐induced ATP release suggest novel therapeutic approaches to ameliorating this defect. Although the erythrocyte may be but one component of the complex O2 delivery process, it appears to play an important role in distributing oxygen within the microvasculature.
Opposite Effects of Androgens and Estrogens on Adipogenesis in Rat Preadipocytes: Evidence for Sex and Site-Related Specificities and Possible Involvement of Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 Receptor and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptorγ 21.

To investigate the role of sex steroid hormones in adipose tissue development and distribution, we have studied the effect of various sex steroids (testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and 17beta-estradiol) in vitro, on the proliferation and differentiation processes in rat preadipocytes from deep (epididymal and parametrial) and superficial (femoral sc) fat deposits. All added steroids failed to affect the growth rate of preadipocytes from male rats when determined from day 1 to day 4 after plating, whether FCS was present or not in the culture medium. In contrast, in preadipocytes from female rats, we observed a positive effect (x2) of 17beta-estradiol (0.01 microM) on the proliferative capacities of sc but not parametrial preadipocytes. When preadipocytes were exposed to testosterone or DHT (0.1 microM) during the differentiation process, the glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity was significantly decreased in epididymal preadipocytes only. When preadipocytes from male rats were exposed to 17beta-estradiol (0.01 microM), the differentiation capacities of preadipocytes were not modified. However, in parametrial preadipocytes from ovariectomized female rats, 17beta-estradiol significantly increased (x1.34) the glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity. In differentiated preadipocytes that had been exposed to sex steroids, expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma2 was up-regulated by 17beta-estradiol but not by androgens. As described in other cell types, sex steroids modulate insulin growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) expression in preadipocytes. Indeed, IGF1R levels were either enhanced by 17 beta-estradiol (0.01 microM) in sc preadipocytes from female ovariectomized rats or decreased by DHT (0.01 microM) in epididymal preadipocytes. These effects were reversed by simultaneous exposure to androgen or estrogen receptor antagonists. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that, in rat preadipocytes kept in primary culture and chronically exposed to sex hormones, androgens elicit an antiadipogenic effect, whereas estrogens behave as proadipogenic hormones. Moreover, our results suggest that these opposite effects could be related to changes in IGF1R (androgens and estrogens) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma2 expression (estrogens).