Comparison of electrical conductivity of milk with other indirect methods for detection of subclinical mastitis

Efficacy of detecting subclinical mastitis by electrical conductivity of milk was compared with that of other indirect methods including chloride, sodium, potassium, lactose, bovine serum albumin, and somatic cell count of milk. Quarter samples of foremilk, strippings, and bucket milk were obtained from 75 cows at the afternoon milking over 8 wk. Infection of quarters was ascertained by bacteriological analysis. Electrical conductivity, chloride, and sodium content of milk were more accurate for predicting infection status of quarters than were other variables. Most variables were more accurate in predicting infection when measures were in strippings rather than in foremilk or bucket milk. For measures in strippings, misclassifications by electrical conductivity were 11.2 and 15.5% for false positives and false negatives. The accuracy of the electrical conductivity of milk for detection of subclinical mastitis compared favorably with all indirect methods. Accuracy of detection and adaptability to both manual and automatic cow-side mastitis detection systems indicate that the method has considerable potential as a screening test for subclinical mastitis.     

A block iterative finite element algorithm for numerical solution of the steady–state,compressible Navier–Stokes equations

An iterative method for numerically solving the time independent Navier–Stokes equations for viscous compressible flows is presented. The method is based upon partial application of the Gauss–Seidel principle in block form to the systems of the non-linear algebraic equations which arise in construction of finite element (Galerkin) models approximating solutions of fluid dynamic problems. The C⁰-cubic element on triangles is employed for function approximation. Computational results for a free shear flow at Re = 1000 indicate significant achievement of economy in iterative convergence rate over finite element and finite difference models which employ the customary time dependent equations and symptotic time marching procedure to steady solution. Numerical results are in excellent agreement with those obtained for the same test problem employing time marching finite element and finite difference solution techniques.     

Product development, innovation networks, infrastructure and agglomeration economies

The continuos inflow of new products is a fundamental condition for a well-functioning market economy. It has been argued that new products are the outcome of a process which is based upon the principle “novelty by combination”. This characterization applies well to the type of product development analyzed in this paper, which comprises the development of new products and the renewal of old products in the Swedish engineering industry through the adoption of a specific type of innovation, namely the incorporation of information technology based components and their pertinent software, i.e. microelectronics. According to the theoretical perspective presented in the paper, a new or a renewed product may result from “random collisions” or from a cautious matching between technical opportunities and customer needs. A necessary condition for such “collisions” or matching to occur is communication and, hence, communication in innovation networks is one key factor in product development. The empirical part of the paper contains an empirical test of the role of establishment characteristics, innovation networks, infrastructure endowment and agglomeration economies for the first use of micro-electronics in product development at the plant level. The empirical results seem to confirm the importance of innovation networks as well as of infrastructure endowment and agglomeration economies for an early use of micro-electronics in product development. Received: October 1994 / Accepted in revised form: November 1996     

Relationships among interpersonal conflict, requirements uncertainty, and software project performance

Interpersonal conflict and user requirements uncertainty are pervasive phenomena that plague information systems projects. Relevant literature indicates that interpersonal conflicts can negatively affect information system (IS) projects, even after controlling for the effects of conflict management and resolution. However, the negative emotional characteristics of conflict alone have limited explanatory power with regard to IS project success. The purpose of this study is to provide additional insights into this phenomenon by examining the impact on IS project performance made by the interaction between interpersonal conflict and requirement uncertainty (which comprises both diversity and instability). The authors surveyed the top 1600 companies in Taiwan and the results revealed that requirements instability would lead to potential interpersonal conflict and interpersonal conflict was directly associated with requirements diversity which, in turn, was negatively associated with final project performance.     

Fingerprint technology gathers momentum

Security conscious businesses in today's networked world not only look for new, improved ways to safeguard highly sensitive information, but also ways to detect or prevent intrusions, or theft of personal and company bank or credit cards, which can lead to sometimes catastrophic financial losses. Most computers and automatic teller machines still rely on personal identification numbers or passwords, things that can be stolen by a clever criminal.     

Milk yield, parity, and cow potential as variables for computerized concentrate supplementation strategy

A trial was conducted in a dairy of a cooperating kibbutz to investigate the cow's response to individual concentrate supplementation according to daily milk production when a feed mixture containing a 50:50 concentrate:forage offered in the bunk free choice. Concentrate supplementation was provided by computerized self-feeders for cows producing over 30 kg milk/d to a maximum of 10 kg/d concentrate (as fed) according to milk production. The results were compared with those cows fed, for ad libitum intake, a total ration of 73:27 concentrate: forage (high control) and 50:50 (low control). The performance variables of individually supplemented cows (milk yield, 4% FCM yield, and BW) were analyzed according to parity and milk yield potential. The results indicated that milk yield itself could not serve as the only variable for individual concentrate supplementation as applied in this experiment. Cows in different parities and with different milk yield potentials may respond differently to the concentrate supplementation strategy, and parity numbers, milk yield potential, and BW, in addition to daily milk yield, are possible variables to be considered when applying this feeding regimen in order to exploit its economic potential efficiently.