Modelling fat and protein concentration curves for Irish dairy cows

peer-reviewedThe objective of this study was to acquire a well-fitting, single-equation model that would represent the fat and protein concentration curves of milk from Irish dairy cows. The dataset consisted of 16,086 records from both spring and autumn calving cows from both experimental and commercial herds. Many models cited in the literature to represent milk yield were examined for their suitability to model constituent curves. Models were tested for goodness-of-fit, adherence to the assumptions of regression analysis, and their ability to predict total fat and protein concentration for an entire lactation. Wilmink’s model best satisfied these criteria. It had the best Mean Square Prediction Error (goodness-of-fit) value, it satisfied the assumptions of regression analysis (multicollinearity, heteroskedasticity, autocorrelation and normality of distribution), and it predicted the actual concentration of the constituents to within 0.01 percentage point

Toward a dynamical systems analysis of neuromodulation

This work presents some first steps toward a more thorough understanding of the control systems employed in evolutionary robotics. In order to choose an appropriate architecture or to construct an effective novel control system we need insights into what makes control systems successful, robust, evolvable, etc. Here we present analysis intended to shed light on this type of question as it applies to a novel class of artificial neural networks that include a neuromodulatory mechanism: GasNets. We begin by instantiating a particular GasNet subcircuit responsible for tuneable pattern generation and thought to underpin the attractive property of “temporal adaptivity”. Rather than work within the GasNet formalism, we develop an extension of the well-known FitzHugh-Nagumo equations. The continuous nature of our model allows us to conduct a thorough dynamical systems analysis and to draw parallels between this subcircuit and beating/bursting phenomena reported in the neuroscience literature. We then proceed to explore the effects of different types of parameter modulation on the system dynamics. We conclude that while there are key differences between the gain modulation used in the GasNet and alternative schemes (including threshold modulation of more traditional synaptic input), both approaches are able to produce tuneable pattern generation. While it appears, at least in this study, that the GasNet’s gain modulation may not be crucial to pattern generation , we go on to suggest some possible advantages it could confer

Applying the Team of Life as a Group Intervention within a Community Football Organisation

Background: Young men are seldom heard by services, can find it difficult to speak about difficulties and face numerous barriers to help-seeking. Football-based approaches can be effective at making support accessible and familiar. The Team of Life is a collective narrative practice methodology that uses footballing metaphors to encourage young people to speak about their lives, recognise skills and strengths and tackle problems. Aims: The current study aimed to explore the experience of attending a Team of Life group. Evaluating whether the intervention has an influence on the individuals, whether it has an impact on how the football team functions and whether effects of the group extend to the other ‘Teams’ in participants lives. Methods: A four-session Team of Life group was run with ten young people from a local community football club. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with the ten participants. Analysis was conducted using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2022). Results: Three overarching themes were generated. The first theme: ‘Internal Changes and Mentality - Thinking About Football Helped Us Think About Ourselves’ described the changes the participants noticed in themselves from attending the group. The second theme: ‘A Better Team Spirit in the Changing Room’ described the changes the participants had noticed in their teammates. The final theme: ‘Celebrating our Supporters in the Stands’ focuses on the impact of participants recognising their Team of Life and support system. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate that the Team of Life group intervention can be implemented in a community football club and highlights the importance of taking support into places where young people already are. The experiences of the participants demonstrate the value of metaphors, safe spaces, and benefits for individuals and group cohesion. Implications from the research and recommendations for services, communities and future research are discussed and highlighted

Farm-gate N and P balances and use efficiencies across specialist dairy farms in the Republic Ireland

working paperThis study establishes farm gate N and P balances and use efficiencies based on the average of 2 years of Teagasc National Farm Survey data in 2009 and 2010. The weighted average farm gate N surplus for this nationally representative sample of specialist dairy farms was 143.4 kg N ha-1. Average farm gate nitrogen use efficiency was 23.2%. For dairy farms operating under an EU Nitrates Derogation, the average N surplus was higher at 181.8 kg N ha-1 and averageN use efficiency was slightly lower at 22.2%. The total average farm gate P balance was 4.1 kg ha-1 in surplus, and P use efficiency averaged 83.9%. P balance ranged from -7.3 to 23.0 kg ha-1. A total of 27% had a negative P balance. The average P surplus for farms with a Nitrates Derogation was below the average of all farms at 3.5 kg P ha-1 and average P use efficiency for these Derogation farms was above the average of all farms at 90%

Host-Source Country linkages as determinants of foreign acquisitions by Indian MNEs

This experimental paper explains foreign acquisitions by Indian multinational enterprises by reference to location specific factors in both the source country (India) and host countries together with variables required designed to capture the distance between India and the host country, both geographic and psychic. The paper finds that country specific advantages play an important role in explaining Indian foreign acquisitions. The general model performs well and Indian institutional and domestic capital variables add explanatory value

Detection of abnormal recordings in Irish milk recorded data

peer-reviewedThe objective of this study was to detect abnormal recordings of milk yield, fat concentration and protein concentration in Irish milk-recorded data. The data consisted of 14,956 records from both commercial and experimental herds with 92% of the recordings recorded manually and the remainder recorded electronically. The method used in this paper was a modified version of the method employed by the Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory in Maryland, USA and conformed with the guidelines outlined by the International Committee of Animal Recording. The results illustrate the effectiveness of detecting abnormal recordings in Irish milk records. The method described in this paper, defines the upper and lower limits for each production trait and these limits along with the slope parameters were used to determine if a recording was abnormal or not. Three percent of milk yield recordings, 5% of fat concentration recordings and less than 1% of protein concentration recordings were found to be abnormal. The proportion of values declared abnormal in manually recorded and electronically recorded data were examined and found to be significantly different for fat concentration

Transverse emittance dilution due to coupler kicks in linear accelerators

One of the main concerns in the design of low emittance linear accelerators (linacs) is the preservation of beam emittance. Here we discuss one possible source of emittance dilution, the coupler kick, due to transverse electromagnetic fields in the accelerating cavities of the linac caused by the power coupler geometry. In addition to emittance growth, the coupler kick also produces orbit distortions. It is common wisdom that emittance growth from coupler kicks can be strongly reduced by using two couplers per cavity mounted opposite each other or by having the couplers of successive cavities alternation from above to below the beam pipe so as to cancel each individual kick. We therefore analyze consequences of alternate coupler placements. We show here that for sufficiently large Q values, alternating the coupler location from before to after the cavity leads to a cancellation of the orbit distortion but not of the emittance growth, whereas alternating the coupler location from before and above to behind and below the cavity cancels the emittance growth but not the orbit distortion. These compensations hold even when each cavity is individually detuned, e.g. by microphonics. Another effective method for reducing coupler kicks that is studied is the optimization of the phase of the coupler kick. This technique is independent of the coupler geometry but relies on operating on crest. A final technique studied is symmetrization of the cavity geometry in the coupler region with the addition of a stub opposite the coupler, which reduces the amplitude of the off axis fields and is thus effective for off crest acceleration as well. We show applications of these techniques to the energy recovery linac (ERL) planned at Cornell University

Developing the EU Farm Accountancy Data Network to derive indicators around the sustainable use of nitrogen and phosphorus at farm level.

peer-reviewedThis study uses a national farm survey which is part of the European Union (EU) Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) to develop environmental sustainability indicators in the use of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) across a range of farm systems in the Republic of Ireland. Farm level micro data were used to calculate all inputs and outputs of N and P that cross the farm gate and to derive balances (kg ha-1) and overall use efficiencies across 827 farms in 2012. The sample is populated weighted to represents 71,480 farms nationally. Results indicated an average N balance of 71.0 kg ha-1 and use efficiency of 36.7% across the nationally representative sample. Nitrogen balances were between two and four times higher across specialist dairy farms compared to livestock rearing and specialist tillage systems. Nitrogen use efficiency was generally lowest across milk producing systems compared to livestock rearing and tillage systems. Phosphorus balance and use efficiency averaged 4.7 kg ha-1 and 79.6% respectively across the sample. Specialist tillage and dairying farms had higher average P balances compared to other livestock based systems. The approach developed in this analysis will form the benchmark for temporal analysis across these indicators for future nutrient balance and efficiency trends and could assist other members of the EU FADN to develop similar nationally representative indicators.Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marin

A Multiple Goals Perspective on Burnout Disclosure and Support among Attending Physicians

Burnout is a common experience among physicians and has been identified as a precursor to substance abuse and suicide ideation. When not addressed, burnout can have many negative personal, relational and professional consequences. Research about the burnout experience is limited due to the taboo nature of the topic. The present study used a multiple goals theoretical perspective to examine how physicians disclose burnout in order to access social support. Attending physicians from various specialties (N = 30) participated in one-on-one interviews and were asked to discuss their burnout experience, conversational goals during burnout disclosure, catalysts and barriers for disclosure, and provide details about how they evaluated supportive messages from others. Participants also completed a questionnaire in which they were asked to provide demographic information and details about their work experience. Interviews were transcribed and coded using qualitative descriptive analysis. Overall, the findings highlight conversational goals and dilemmas that were salient for participants when disclosing burnout and how they evaluated supportive responses from others. Specifically, results indicated participants’ burnout experiences involved emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, loss of work fulfillment, feeling stuck or wanting to leave the field of medicine, and recognition of changes about themselves. Participants reported having multiple task and identity goals during disclosure and identified how these goals often led to conversational dilemmas. Participants described using several strategies for disclosing burnout, including not calling it burnout, sharing knowledge with other physicians, choosing appropriate confidants, sharing selective information, and not disclosing. Factors that made it easier for them to disclose included normalization of burnout, others disclosing burnout, shared professional experiences, perceived confidentiality, and their role as an attending. Participants also identified factors that made disclosure difficult, including stigma and fear of judgment, the perception that no one cares or that support is unavailable. Additionally, participants found responses more supportive when they included listening, support for professional changes, sympathy and compassion or reassurance. Less supportive responses included dismissal of feelings, canned responses, or inadequate professional support. Theoretically, the results provide evidence for the three categories commonly used to conceptualized burnout (i.e., emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, loss of work fulfillment), while also highlighting two sub-categories related to loss of work fulfillment (i.e., wanting to leave medicine but feeling stuck; recognizing changes about themselves). The results also provide evidence of how stigma influences conversational goals, highlighting an opportunity to further investigate potential connections between types of goals and evaluation of supportive responses. Practically, the findings provide insight for how physicians can effectively disclose burnout and how healthcare administrators and friends and family members of physicians can be more supportive when responding to burnout disclosure