A WEB BASED EXPERT SYSTEM FOR MILCH COW DISEASE DIAGNOSIS SYSTEM IN CHINA

Abstract: A web-based multi-models expert system called DCDDS is presented in this paper, which developed for diagnosis of dairy cow diseases through the symptoms submitted by users on web. As it is accepted that the inference engine and the relevant knowledge representation are the crucial part of diagnosis expert system, which limits its application and popularization in animal disease diagnosis. To break the limit and raise accuracy, this paper compares and appraises the existed systems and presents a solution that contains three models-Case-based reasoning (CBR), Subjective Bayesian theory and D-S evidential theory. Accordingly a knowledge representation method which can support the three different models is also designed. Up to the complicacy of the group of symptoms users acquired, they can choose which of the three models should be adopted to meet the best resolve. The performance of the proposed system was evaluated by an application to the field of dairy cow disease diagnosis using a real example of dairy cow diseases. The result indicates that the new methods have improved the inference procedures of the expert systems, and have showed that the new architecture has some advantage over the conventional architectures of expert systems on both efficiency and accuracy

An online decision support system of searching and preliminary diagnosis on duck diseases

本研究目的在發展一套鴨病線上查詢與初步診斷決策支援系統，使農民可以透過網路查詢與初步診斷鴨病。本系統透過網路之便利性，讓使用者可以更方便地獲得有關鴨病的資訊並協助使用者瞭解鴨病相關知識。本系統是採用Microsoft Windows Server 2003作業系統，以ASP.NET 2.0 (Active Server Pages.NET 2.0) 結合Microsoft Access 2007資料庫撰寫而成。本系統之架構包括資料庫、知識庫、圖片庫和功能描述等功能。 本系統主要分成九個部分，包括使用前須知、鴨外觀介紹、鴨品種、鴨影片、鴨病分類、鴨病診斷系統、相關網站連結、聯絡我們及操作手冊。「使用前須知」讓使用者可輕易的搜尋及學習有關鴨病的基本知識。「鴨外觀介紹」提供了外觀各部位的名稱解釋及圖片說明。「鴨品種」包含小型、輕型及重型等三種類型，協助使用者瞭解有關鴨品種起源之資訊，其中包括一般特徵、體重、顏色和育種等知識。「鴨病分類」包括病毒、細菌、真菌、營養、寄生蟲、毒素及雜項疾病等七項。本系統共收集39種鴨常見疾病，提供使用者依據系統之分類做搜尋。「鴨病診斷系統」部分則將外觀症狀分成一般頭或頸、眼睛、皮膚或羽毛、腿或翅、神經、呼吸、排泄和蛋生產性狀等九種。本系統收集鴨病之相關資訊包含病因及分類、臨床症狀、主要發病年齡、處理及預防。使用者先選擇觀察到之鴨外觀症狀，系統會協助使用者做出初步診斷與列出可能之疾病，並依加權值總分結果排列，和說明推論之依據。系統也提供相關鴨病資訊與建議以及適當的處理方式給使用者做參考。「相關網站」則提供了與鴨隻健康有關的網站。若使用者有任何問題、建議或評論，可以透過網站的「聯絡我們」來與管理者聯絡。為了能讓使用者快速地瞭解如何操作本系統，網站也提供了「操作手冊」供使用者參考。本系統具有網際網路方便的特性且操作簡單，提供使用者更多樣化獲得鴨病相關資訊之管道。The purpose of this research was to develop an online decision support system through symptom search and preliminary diagnosis for duck diseases. Farmers could then make use of this system to determine the possible duck illness via Internet. It is expected to take advantage of web convenience and let users receive relevant information regarding duck diseases more conveniently and to assist them to understand and learn about knowledge of duck diseases. This system used Microsoft Windows Server 2003 operation system and was written with ASP.NET 2.0 (Active Server Pages.NET 2.0) coordinated with Microsoft Access 2007 Database. The system structure and component, such as database, knowledge base and image base and functional description are included in this system. This system was mainly divided into nine sections in terms of basic information, diagram of duck, breed of duck, duck video, duck disease classification, duck disease diagnosis system, link to related sites, contact us, and manual. Users could easily search and learn duck basic information in the first section. The section of diagram of duck offered external illustration on each appellation and pictorial illustration of duck. The section of duck breed includes three types regarding small breed, light breed, and heavy breed to assist users to learn duck breed information concerning origin, general characteristics, weight, color, and breed tips. The section of duck disease classification includes seven parts regarding virus, bacteria, fungus, nutrition, parasite, toxin and miscellaneous diseases. This system collected 39 common diseases for duck to provide farmers to search according to classification of the system. The section of preliminary diagnosis system on duck diseases separated apparent clinical symptoms into nine sections in term of general, head or neck, eyes, skin or feathers, leg or wing, nerve, respiratory, dropping, and egg production. The relevant information of duck diseases collected in this system concerns pathogenesis and classification, clinical symptom, main attack age, treatment and prevention. Users could select symptom according to description that observed from duck at first. The system will then assist user to do preliminary diagnosis to give possible diseases, relative rank of weighted value, and reasons of inference. Users could therefore understand relevant information and suggestion, appropriate treatments are also provided. The part of link to related sites offered relevant websites of duck health. If users have any questions, suggestions, and comments, they could show their opinion in the part of contact us. In order to make users to handle this system quickly, a manual was also provided. This system combines the feature of Internet convenience with simple operation, users could get relevant information of duck diseases more diversified.Chinese abstract………………………………………………………………………… i English abstract……………………………….…………………………………………... ii Table of contents……………………………………………………..…………………… iv List of tables………………………………..……………………………………………... vii List of figures……………………………..………………………………………………. viii Chapter I. Introduction………………………………………………………………………...…… 1 II. Literature review……………………….……………………………………………… 3 1. Duck production…………………………………………………………………... 3 1.1 World duck production……………………………………………………........... 3 1.2 Taiwan duck production…………………………………………………………. 7 1.3 Thailand duck production………………………………………………………... 8 2. Duck-raising systems in Thailand……………………………………………….... 10 2.1 Closed high-biosecurity system……..…………………………………………... 10 2.2 Open house system……………………………..………………………………... 10 2.3 Grazing system (Free-range ducks)……………….…………………………….. 11 2.4 Backyard ducks…………………….……………………………………………. 11 3. Duck diseases……………………………………………………………………... 12 4. Introduction to computer application in animal agriculture. …………………… 14 5. Artificial Intelligence…………………………………………………………… 16 5.1 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence…………………………………………… 16 5.2 The basic of expert systems………………………………………………...…… 17 5.3 Definition of expert system……………………………………………………… 18 5.4 Advantages of expert systems…………………………………………………… 21 5.5 Disadvantages of rule-based expert systems……….……………………………. 23 6. Various expert systems in animal science………………………………………… 23 6.1. Fish-Expert: a web-based expert system for fish disease diagnosis……………. 23 6.2. Pig-Vet: a web-based expert system for pig disease diagnosis…………………. 25 6.3. A web based expert system for milch cow disease diagnosis system in China… 26 6.4. Decision support system of searching and preliminary diagnosis on pig diseases…………………………………..…………………………..…………. 27 6.5. Decision support system of searching and preliminary diagnosis on chicken diseases online…………………………………..……………………………… 28 III. Materials and methods………………………………………………………………... 31 1. Knowledge acquisition and data collection……………………………………...... 31 1.1 Knowledge acquisition………………………………………………………….. 31 1.2 Data collection………………………………………………………………….. 33 2. Knowledge representation………………………………………………………….. 33 3. System design……………………………………………………………………… 34 3.1 Software selection…………………………………………………….………… 34 3.2 Programming language.………………………………………………………... 36 3.3 Database………………………………………………………………………… 37 IV. Results and discussion……………………………………………………………… 38 1. The framework of system……………………………………………………........... 38 2. Introduction to main function of the system………………………………………... 39 2.1 Basic information...…………………………………………………………… 39 2.2 Diagram of duck…………………………………………...…………………..... 40 2.3 Breed of duck……………………………………………………........................ 42 2.4 Duck video……………………………………………………………………… 44 2.5 Duck disease classification……………………………………………………... 44 2.6 Duck disease diagnosis system………………………………………................. 51 2.7 Link to related sites………………………………………................................... 56 2.8 Contact us……………………………………….................................................. 56 2.9 Manual………………………………………...................................................... 56 3. System validation…………………………………………………………………… 58 V. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………....... 71 VI. References…………………………………………………………………………….. 72 VII. Appendix…………………………………………………………………………….. 77 1. Manual of an online decision support system of searching and preliminary diagnosis on duck diseases……………………………………………………… 77 2. ASP.NET code on preliminary duck disease diagnosis ………………………….. 8

An online decision support system of searching and preliminary diagnosis on duck diseases

本研究目的在發展一套鴨病線上查詢與初步診斷決策支援系統，使農民可以透過網路查詢與初步診斷鴨病。本系統透過網路之便利性，讓使用者可以更方便地獲得有關鴨病的資訊並協助使用者瞭解鴨病相關知識。本系統是採用Microsoft Windows Server 2003作業系統，以ASP.NET 2.0 (Active Server Pages.NET 2.0) 結合Microsoft Access 2007資料庫撰寫而成。本系統之架構包括資料庫、知識庫、圖片庫和功能描述等功能。 本系統主要分成九個部分，包括使用前須知、鴨外觀介紹、鴨品種、鴨影片、鴨病分類、鴨病診斷系統、相關網站連結、聯絡我們及操作手冊。「使用前須知」讓使用者可輕易的搜尋及學習有關鴨病的基本知識。「鴨外觀介紹」提供了外觀各部位的名稱解釋及圖片說明。「鴨品種」包含小型、輕型及重型等三種類型，協助使用者瞭解有關鴨品種起源之資訊，其中包括一般特徵、體重、顏色和育種等知識。「鴨病分類」包括病毒、細菌、真菌、營養、寄生蟲、毒素及雜項疾病等七項。本系統共收集39種鴨常見疾病，提供使用者依據系統之分類做搜尋。「鴨病診斷系統」部分則將外觀症狀分成一般頭或頸、眼睛、皮膚或羽毛、腿或翅、神經、呼吸、排泄和蛋生產性狀等九種。本系統收集鴨病之相關資訊包含病因及分類、臨床症狀、主要發病年齡、處理及預防。使用者先選擇觀察到之鴨外觀症狀，系統會協助使用者做出初步診斷與列出可能之疾病，並依加權值總分結果排列，和說明推論之依據。系統也提供相關鴨病資訊與建議以及適當的處理方式給使用者做參考。「相關網站」則提供了與鴨隻健康有關的網站。若使用者有任何問題、建議或評論，可以透過網站的「聯絡我們」來與管理者聯絡。為了能讓使用者快速地瞭解如何操作本系統，網站也提供了「操作手冊」供使用者參考。本系統具有網際網路方便的特性且操作簡單，提供使用者更多樣化獲得鴨病相關資訊之管道。The purpose of this research was to develop an online decision support system through symptom search and preliminary diagnosis for duck diseases. Farmers could then make use of this system to determine the possible duck illness via Internet. It is expected to take advantage of web convenience and let users receive relevant information regarding duck diseases more conveniently and to assist them to understand and learn about knowledge of duck diseases. This system used Microsoft Windows Server 2003 operation system and was written with ASP.NET 2.0 (Active Server Pages.NET 2.0) coordinated with Microsoft Access 2007 Database. The system structure and component, such as database, knowledge base and image base and functional description are included in this system. This system was mainly divided into nine sections in terms of basic information, diagram of duck, breed of duck, duck video, duck disease classification, duck disease diagnosis system, link to related sites, contact us, and manual. Users could easily search and learn duck basic information in the first section. The section of diagram of duck offered external illustration on each appellation and pictorial illustration of duck. The section of duck breed includes three types regarding small breed, light breed, and heavy breed to assist users to learn duck breed information concerning origin, general characteristics, weight, color, and breed tips. The section of duck disease classification includes seven parts regarding virus, bacteria, fungus, nutrition, parasite, toxin and miscellaneous diseases. This system collected 39 common diseases for duck to provide farmers to search according to classification of the system. The section of preliminary diagnosis system on duck diseases separated apparent clinical symptoms into nine sections in term of general, head or neck, eyes, skin or feathers, leg or wing, nerve, respiratory, dropping, and egg production. The relevant information of duck diseases collected in this system concerns pathogenesis and classification, clinical symptom, main attack age, treatment and prevention. Users could select symptom according to description that observed from duck at first. The system will then assist user to do preliminary diagnosis to give possible diseases, relative rank of weighted value, and reasons of inference. Users could therefore understand relevant information and suggestion, appropriate treatments are also provided. The part of link to related sites offered relevant websites of duck health. If users have any questions, suggestions, and comments, they could show their opinion in the part of contact us. In order to make users to handle this system quickly, a manual was also provided. This system combines the feature of Internet convenience with simple operation, users could get relevant information of duck diseases more diversified.Chinese abstract………………………………………………………………………… i English abstract……………………………….…………………………………………... ii Table of contents……………………………………………………..…………………… iv List of tables………………………………..……………………………………………... vii List of figures……………………………..………………………………………………. viii Chapter I. Introduction………………………………………………………………………...…… 1 II. Literature review……………………….……………………………………………… 3 1. Duck production…………………………………………………………………... 3 1.1 World duck production……………………………………………………........... 3 1.2 Taiwan duck production…………………………………………………………. 7 1.3 Thailand duck production………………………………………………………... 8 2. Duck-raising systems in Thailand……………………………………………….... 10 2.1 Closed high-biosecurity system……..…………………………………………... 10 2.2 Open house system……………………………..………………………………... 10 2.3 Grazing system (Free-range ducks)……………….…………………………….. 11 2.4 Backyard ducks…………………….……………………………………………. 11 3. Duck diseases……………………………………………………………………... 12 4. Introduction to computer application in animal agriculture. …………………… 14 5. Artificial Intelligence…………………………………………………………… 16 5.1 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence…………………………………………… 16 5.2 The basic of expert systems………………………………………………...…… 17 5.3 Definition of expert system……………………………………………………… 18 5.4 Advantages of expert systems…………………………………………………… 21 5.5 Disadvantages of rule-based expert systems……….……………………………. 23 6. Various expert systems in animal science………………………………………… 23 6.1. Fish-Expert: a web-based expert system for fish disease diagnosis……………. 23 6.2. Pig-Vet: a web-based expert system for pig disease diagnosis…………………. 25 6.3. A web based expert system for milch cow disease diagnosis system in China… 26 6.4. Decision support system of searching and preliminary diagnosis on pig diseases…………………………………..…………………………..…………. 27 6.5. Decision support system of searching and preliminary diagnosis on chicken diseases online…………………………………..……………………………… 28 III. Materials and methods………………………………………………………………... 31 1. Knowledge acquisition and data collection……………………………………...... 31 1.1 Knowledge acquisition………………………………………………………….. 31 1.2 Data collection………………………………………………………………….. 33 2. Knowledge representation………………………………………………………….. 33 3. System design……………………………………………………………………… 34 3.1 Software selection…………………………………………………….………… 34 3.2 Programming language.………………………………………………………... 36 3.3 Database………………………………………………………………………… 37 IV. Results and discussion……………………………………………………………… 38 1. The framework of system……………………………………………………........... 38 2. Introduction to main function of the system………………………………………... 39 2.1 Basic information...…………………………………………………………… 39 2.2 Diagram of duck…………………………………………...…………………..... 40 2.3 Breed of duck……………………………………………………........................ 42 2.4 Duck video……………………………………………………………………… 44 2.5 Duck disease classification……………………………………………………... 44 2.6 Duck disease diagnosis system………………………………………................. 51 2.7 Link to related sites………………………………………................................... 56 2.8 Contact us……………………………………….................................................. 56 2.9 Manual………………………………………...................................................... 56 3. System validation…………………………………………………………………… 58 V. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………....... 71 VI. References…………………………………………………………………………….. 72 VII. Appendix…………………………………………………………………………….. 77 1. Manual of an online decision support system of searching and preliminary diagnosis on duck diseases……………………………………………………… 77 2. ASP.NET code on preliminary duck disease diagnosis ………………………….. 8