Dynamic learning need reflection system for academic education and its applicability to intelligent agents

This paper suggests a new concept DLNR (Dynamic Learning Need Reflection) and its system practically used in the education at Japanese University. The effects, particularly on the learning of software agents, are analyzed. DLNR’s goal is to increase students' learning motivation through dynamically clarifying and reflecting their learning need. To achieve this goal, DLNR includes “prerequisite conditions”, “no compulsory subjects”, “payment for each learning subject”, and “GPA (Grade Point Average)” for estimating learning results. Using a tool developed for realizing DLNR, students design their learning need, namely their own graduation timeline by themselves to achieve their academic goal towards their job after graduation. Through taking classes, students dynamically modify the timeline reflectively according to the intermediate results such as shown by GPA. DLNR’s effects are evaluated. Particularly, DLNR was found applicable to the learning of software agents for intelligent system assistants, through incorporating more general tool such as Story board

Estimadores de parámetros genéticos para características de crecimiento de ganado Charolais mexicano

Charolais calf records provided by the Mexican Charolais Breeders Association for an eight year period (1997-2005) were analyzed to estimate genetic and phenotypic parameters for birth weight (n=39,821), weaning weight adjusted to 205 d (n=39,556), and postweaning gain (n=21,831). Estimates of (co)variance components were obtained by REML with an EM algorithm and single-trait animal models. Maternal permanent environmental effects were unimportant for birth weight and postweaning gain and were not included in the final model. Estimates of direct heritability were 0.22, 0.33, and 0.45 for birth weight, adjusted weaning weight and postweaning gain, respectively. Estimates for the corresponding maternal component were 0.16, 0.17, and 0.14. Estimates of total heritability and direct-maternal genetic correlation were 0.12 and -0.65, 0.16 and -0.72, and 0.20 and -0.84 for birth weight, adjusted weaning weight and postweaning gain, respectively. For adjusted weaning weight, the estimated maternal permanent environmental variance (28.93 kg2) accounted for 4 % of the estimated total phenotypic variance (765.43 kg2). Expected response to single-trait selection for growth traits of Mexican Charolais cattle would be lessened due to highly negative direct-maternal genetic correlations.Registros de becerros Charolais, proporcionados por la Charolais Herd Book de México y generados en un periodo de ocho años (1997-2005), se analizaron para estimar parámetros genéticos y fenotípicos para peso al nacer (n=39,821), peso al destete ajustado a 205 días (n=39,556) y ganancia posdestete (n=21,831). Estimadores de componentes de (co)varianza se obtuvieron usando Máxima Verosimilitud Restringida con el algoritmo Esperanza-Maximización y modelos animal para una sola característica. Los efectos del ambiente materno permanente no fueron importantes para peso al nacimiento y ganancia posdestete, por lo que no se incluyeron en el modelo final. Los estimadores de heredabilidad directa fueron 0.22, 0.33 y 0.45 para peso al nacimiento, peso al destete ajustado a 205 días y ganancia posdestete, respectivamente. Los estimadores de heredabilidad para el efecto genético materno fueron 0.16, 0.17 y 0.14. Los estimadores de heredabilidad total y de correlación genética entre efectos directos y maternos fueron 0.12 y -0.65, 0.16 y -0.72, y 0.20 y -0.84 para peso al nacimiento, peso al destete ajustado a 205 días y ganancia posdestete, respectivamente. Para peso al destete ajustado a 205 días, el estimador de la varianza del ambiente materno permanente (28.93 kg2) explicó un 4 % del estimador de la varianza fenotípica (765.43 kg2). La respuesta esperada a la selección para una sola característica de crecimiento de ganado Charolais mexicano, podría ser menor debido a las altas y negativas correlaciones entre efectos genéticos directos y maternos

Community-based environmental management for malaria control: evidence from a small-scale intervention in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Historically, environmental management has brought important achievements in malaria control and overall improvements of health conditions. Currently, however, implementation is often considered not to be cost-effective. A community-based environmental management for malaria control was conducted in Dar es Salaam between 2005 and 2007. After community sensitization, two drains were cleaned followed by maintenance. This paper assessed the impact of the intervention on community awareness, prevalence of malaria infection, and Anopheles larval presence in drains. A survey was conducted in neighbourhoods adjacent to cleaned drains; for comparison, neighbourhoods adjacent to two drains treated with larvicides and two drains under no intervention were also surveyed. Data routinely collected by the Urban Malaria Control Programme were also used. Diverse impacts were evaluated through comparison of means, odds ratios (OR), logistic regression, and time trends calculated by moving averages. Individual awareness of health risks and intervention goals were significantly higher among sensitized neighbourhoods. A reduction in the odds of malaria infection during the post-cleaning period in intervention neighbourhoods was observed when compared to the pre-cleaning period (OR = 0.12, 95% CI 0.05-0.3, p < 0.001). During the post-cleaning period, a higher risk of infection (OR = 1.7, 95% CI 1.1-2.4, p = 0.0069) was observed in neighbourhoods under no intervention compared to intervention ones. Eighteen months after the initial cleaning, one of the drains was still clean due to continued maintenance efforts (it contained no waste materials and the water was flowing at normal velocity). A three-month moving average of the percentage of water habitats in that drain containing pupae and/or Anopheles larvae indicated a decline in larval density. In the other drain, lack of proper resources and local commitment limited success. Although environmental management was historically coordinated by authoritarian/colonial regimes or by industries/corporations, its successful implementation as part of an integrated vector management framework for malaria control under democratic governments can be possible if four conditions are observed: political will and commitment, community sensitization and participation, provision of financial resources for initial cleaning and structural repairs, and inter-sectoral collaboration. Such effort not only is expected to reduce malaria transmission, but has the potential to empower communities, improve health and environmental conditions, and ultimately contribute to poverty alleviation and sustainable development

Ketone bodies : A double-edged sword for mammalian life span.

Accumulating evidence suggests health benefits of ketone bodies, and especially for longevity. However, the precise role of endogenous ketogenesis in mammalian life span, and the safety and efficacy of the long-term exogenous supplementation of ketone bodies remain unclear. In the present study, we show that a deficiency in endogenous ketogenesis, induced by whole-body Hmgcs2 deletion, shortens life span in mice, and that this is prevented by daily ketone body supplementation using a diet containing 1,3-butanediol, a precursor of β-hydroxybutyrate. Furthermore, feeding the 1,3-butanediol-containing diet from early in life increases midlife mortality in normal mice, but in aged mice it extends life span and prevents the high mortality associated with atherosclerosis in ApoE-deficient mice. By contrast, an ad libitum low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet markedly increases mortality. In conclusion, endogenous ketogenesis affects mammalian survival, and ketone body supplementation may represent a double-edged sword with respect to survival, depending on the method of administration and health status

Use of records of bovine somatotropin treated cows in genetic evaluation

Predicted breeding values (PBV) for dairy cattle may be biased when DHI records of bST-treated cows are used in genetic evaluations. Test-day records and 305-d lactation records of 12,745 Holstein cows obtained from the North Carolina State Dairy Records Processing Center were used to estimate the effects of bST and to predict breeding values on milk production traits and somatic cell score (SCS). Average percentages of increase due to bST treatment in the latter part of lactation were 3.9, 4.8, 4.0, and 2.9 for milk, fat, protein, and SCS, respectively. These differences increased with the number of postpartum days after the peak or middle of lactation. To assess the potential for bias in genetic evaluations, breeding values for milk, fat, and protein yields and SCS were predicted and compared using a 305-d lactation model and test-day models with and without adjusting for effects of bST. Correlations between PBV for 305-d lactation records adjusted and unadjusted for bST were ranging from.996 to.999 for the top 2% of cows and the top 10% of sires. These results suggest that bias of PBV due to ignoring bST treatment or genotype by bST interaction might be small. Correlations between PBV from a 305-d lactation model and a test-day model which defined the lactation curve by each season were higher than for other models for any production trait. Test-day records of 1503 Holstein cows in second lactation were used to investigate the influence of bST treatment in first lactation on lactating cows in second lactation. The effects of bST on milk, fat, and protein yields, and SCS were estimated using a test-day model. Cows receiving bST in the first lactation produced less milk and protein in the second lactation than cows not receiving bST in the first lactation, although most of the contrasts were not statistically significant. Cows receiving bST in the first lactation had lower SCS in second lactation than the other cows with some significant differences

Use of records of bovine somatotropin treated cows in genetic evaluation

Predicted breeding values (PBV) for dairy cattle may be biased when DHI records of bST-treated cows are used in genetic evaluations. Test-day records and 305-d lactation records of 12,745 Holstein cows obtained from the North Carolina State Dairy Records Processing Center were used to estimate the effects of bST and to predict breeding values on milk production traits and somatic cell score (SCS). Average percentages of increase due to bST treatment in the latter part of lactation were 3.9, 4.8, 4.0, and 2.9 for milk, fat, protein, and SCS, respectively. These differences increased with the number of postpartum days after the peak or middle of lactation. To assess the potential for bias in genetic evaluations, breeding values for milk, fat, and protein yields and SCS were predicted and compared using a 305-d lactation model and test-day models with and without adjusting for effects of bST. Correlations between PBV for 305-d lactation records adjusted and unadjusted for bST were ranging from.996 to.999 for the top 2% of cows and the top 10% of sires. These results suggest that bias of PBV due to ignoring bST treatment or genotype by bST interaction might be small. Correlations between PBV from a 305-d lactation model and a test-day model which defined the lactation curve by each season were higher than for other models for any production trait. Test-day records of 1503 Holstein cows in second lactation were used to investigate the influence of bST treatment in first lactation on lactating cows in second lactation. The effects of bST on milk, fat, and protein yields, and SCS were estimated using a test-day model. Cows receiving bST in the first lactation produced less milk and protein in the second lactation than cows not receiving bST in the first lactation, although most of the contrasts were not statistically significant. Cows receiving bST in the first lactation had lower SCS in second lactation than the other cows with some significant differences

Principal components approach for estimating heritability of mid-infrared spectrum in bovine milk

Mid-Infrared spectrometry predicts the milk components (e.g., %fat, %protein) from spectral data reecting the milk composition. The data included 9,663 test days on 1,937 cows in 1 to 12 parity recorded from April 2005 to May 2006. Each sample was scanned by MilkoScan FT6000 into 1,060 points. Due to the high dimension, principal components approach (PCA) was done to reduce the traits and indicated that 48 principal components (PC) described 99.02% of information. These PC were analyzed by multi-trait REML using the canonical transformation. This analysis considered 2,850 rst lactation records for 738 cows in 7 breeds from 26 herds. Effects included in the multi-trait model were herd*test date, lactation stage, permanent environmental and animal random effects. The estimates of the variances were back transformed to the initial scales. Heritabilities varied from 0.005% to 57.20% for the different pin numbers. Spectral regions with heritability greater than 5% were located between 1 to 181; 194 to 558 and 709 to 1,060 pin numbers. PCA involving points in those regions demonstrated that only 9 PC explained 99.23% of information. MidInfrared spectrum contains specic regions with substantial genetic information potentially useful for selecting improved milk quality directly on spectral data