Detecting and predicting changes in milk homogeneity using data from automatic milking systems

To ensure milk quality and detect cows with signs of mastitis, visual inspection of milk by prestripping quarters before milking is recommended in many countries. An objective method to find milk changed in homogeneity (i.e., with clots) is to use commercially available inline filters to inspect the milk. Due to the required manual labor, this method is not applicable in automatic milking systems (AMS). We investigated the possibility of detecting and predicting changes in milk homogeneity using data generated by AMS. In total, 21,335 quarter-level milk inspections were performed on 5,424 milkings of 624 unique cows on 4 farms by applying visual inspection of inline filters that assembled clots from the separate quarters during milking. Images of the filters with clots were scored for density, resulting in 892 observations with signs of clots for analysis (77% traces or mild cases, 15% moderate cases, and 8% heavy cases). The quarter density scores were combined into 1 score indicating the presence of clots during a single cow milking and into 2 scores summarizing the density scores in cow milkings during a 30-h sampling period. Data generated from the AMS, such as milk yield, milk flow, conductivity, and online somatic cell counts, were used as input to 4 multilayer perceptron models to detect or predict single milkings with clots and to detect milking periods with clots. All models resulted in high specificity (98-100%), showing that the models correctly classified cow milkings or cow milking periods with no clots observed. The ability to successfully classify cow milkings or cow periods with observed clots had a low sensitivity. The highest sensitivity (26%) was obtained by the model that detected clots in a single milking. The prevalence of clots in the data was low (2.4%), which was reflected in the results. The positive predictive value depends on the prevalence and was relatively high, with the highest positive predictive value (72%) reached in the model that detected clots during the 30-h sampling periods. The misclassification rate for cow milkings that included higher-density scores was lower, indicating that the models that detected or predicted clots in a single milking could better distinguish the heavier cases of clots. Using data from AMS to detect and predict changes in milk homogeneity seems to be possible, although the prediction performance for the definitions of clots used in this study was poor

Homogeneity density scores of quarter milk in automatic milking systems

Milk quality and clinical mastitis in dairy cows are monitored by detecting visually abnormal milk. A standardized method to evaluate clots in milk and studies of the incidence and dynamics of clots in milk at the quarter level are lacking. We validated a method to score clot density in quarter milk samples and describe the prevalence and dynamics of the density scores between consecutive samplings and periods in 4 farms with automatic milking systems. Using in-line filters, we collected quarter milk samples at each milking during 3 periods of 30 h each in each farm. Clot density was scored based on coverage of the filter area as 0 (negative), 1 (trace), 2 (mild), 3 (moderate), 4 (heavy), and 5 (very heavy). The score for a specific quarter and milking is referred to as the quarter milking score (QMS). Three assessors independently scored 902 images of filter samples with a Fleiss kappa value of 0.72. In total, 21,202 quarter milk samples from 5,398 milkings of 621 cows were collected. Of the quarter filter samples, 2.4% had visible clots, distributed as mild (1.4%), moderate (0.6%), heavy (0.3%), and very heavy (= 4, corresponding to 9.4% of all periods, harbored 86% and 94% of all QMS of 2 to 5 and 3 to 5, respectively. Of these cases, cows sampled in all 3 periods and clots in only 1 period had a quarter period sum score >= 1 in 1.8 different quarters in average. Corresponding numbers for the cows with clots or traces in 2 or 3 periods were 2.2 and 2.5 different quarters, respectively. A QMS of 2 to 5 in the preceding milking increased the chance of a QMS >1 in the following milking, with an average chance of 38%. The probability of a QMS > 1 increased with increasing previous QMS, a higher sum of QMS during the milking period, longer milking interval, and higher lactation number, but decreased with increasing days in milk. Our study showed that the method of clot-density scoring is feasible to perform and reproducible for investigating the occurrence and dynamics of clots in milk. Elevated clot-density scores clustered within certain cows and cow periods and appeared in new quarters of the cows over time. The low recurrence of QMS of 1 and 2 within quarters indicated that QMS 3 could be a reasonable threshold for detecting quarters with abnormal milk that require further attention

Determinants and prognostic implications of Cardiac Troponin T measured by a sensitive assay in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The cardiac troponins are biomarkers used for diagnosis of myocardial injury. They are also powerful prognostic markers in many diseases and settings. Recently introduced high-sensitivity assays indicate that chronic cardiac troponin elevations are common in response to cardiovascular (CV) morbidity. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) confers a high risk of CV disease, but little is known about chronic cardiac troponin elevations in diabetic subjects. Accordingly, we aimed to understand the prevalence, determinants, and prognostic implications of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) elevations measured with a high-sensitivity assay in patients with T2DM.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>cTnT was measured in stored, frozen serum samples from 124 subjects enrolled in the Asker and Bærum Cardiovascular Diabetes trial at baseline and at 2-year follow-up, if availabe (96 samples available). Results were analyzed in relation to baseline variables, hospitalizations, and group assignment (multifactorial intensive versus conventional diabetes care for lowering CV risk).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>One-hundred thirteen (90 %) had detectable cTnT at baseline and of those, 22 (18 % of the total population) subjects had values above the 99th percentile for healthy controls (13.5 ng/L). Levels at baseline were associated with conventional CV risk factors (age, renal function, gender). There was a strong correlation between cTnT levels at the two time-points (r = 0.92, p > 0.001). Risk for hospitalizations during follow-up increased step-wise by quartiles of hscTnT measured at baseline (p = 0.058).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Elevations of cTnT above the 99th percentile measured by a highly sensitive assay were encountered frequently in a population of T2DM patients. cTnT levels appeared to be stable over time and associated with conventional CV risk factors. Although a clear trend was present, no statistically robust associations with adverse outcomes could be found.</p

Från tolkning av utbildningsmål till bedömning av måluppfyllelse : Observationer och reflektioner mot bakgrund av Högskoleverkets utvärdering av företagsekonomi 2011-2012

Uppsatsen behandlar bedömningen av examensarbeten i samband med Högskoleverkets utvärdering av företagsekonomi 2011-2012. Syftet är att beskriva överväganden som gjordes i bedömargruppen under utvärderingsprocessen, att redogöra för olika delar av tillvägagångssättet från mål till formulering av omdömen för de olika utbildningarna, och att iefterhand reflektera över den genomförda utvärderingen. I uppsatsen behandlas vår syn på bedömargruppens hantering av Högskoleförordningens mål, den praktiska bedömningen av de utvalda examensarbetena och utvärderingens resultat. Avslutningsvis presenteras några reflektioner runt utvärderingens styrkor och svagheter och möjliga följder av en fortsatt framtida tillämpning av utvärderingsmetodiken. Beskrivningen och bedömningen av förloppen är våra egna och andra som varit med om processen kan ha en annan syn på vadsom hänt och hur man kan se på det.Godkänd; 2012; 20120911 (andersn

Farliga ord och vanliga oarter : Om språkbruk i företagsekonomiska rapporter och uppsatser på svenska

Företagsekonomiska uppsatser och promemorior är antagligen i genomsnitt varken bättre eller sämre än texter som skrivs av studenter i andra ekonomiska eller samhällsvetenskapliga ämnen. Men företagsekonomer skriver mycket, vilket ger möjlighet till mer övning i att uttrycka sig på god svenska än för många andra. Å andra sidan exponeras företagsekonomer också mycket för branschjargong, svengelska och så kallade grafiska hyss som ibland rentav framförs med anspråk på att vara normbildande. Vidare har den tekniska utvecklingen på ordbehandlingsområdet underlättat skrivarbetet mycket, men det har också gjort det möjligt att göra fel på många nya sätt. Vår avsikt här är att peka på en del fel som erfarenheten har visat att både företagsekonomer och andra kan förledas till att göra, men råden har en viss tonvikt på ekonomiskt språkbru

Multidimensional Social Capital as a Boost or a Bar to Innovation

Innovation does not only demand new ideas, financial resources, and knowledge of supplier and user systems, but also social capital. Social capital facilitates interaction in business networks. However, social capital is often vague, at times described as a “catch-all notion”.  In this paper an operational definition of social capital is suggested to enable network management of business innovations. Three underpinning dimensions of social capital are empirically tested in a regional strategic network – the socio-economic, the network and the actor-oriented dimensions with a focus on the latter one. Empirical case data were collected in 2004 and 2010. The application of the concepts and the comparisons between these two points in time enhance understanding of how social capital can be used to promote innovation processes