Distributed computing as a new opportunity for stakeholders in dairy cattle management and breeding

peer reviewedCurrently the uses of on-farm computers and of centralized performance-recording based tools are considered as two opposite models for dairy management. However, dividing the problem into complementary tasks, each of which is optimally solved, is an opportunity that should also be considered by stakeholders. recent development solved data exchange issues allowing the use of adapted distributed computing algorithms. as example milk yield and composition are given. Different research projects and several commercial companies are focussing on the development of on-farm tools, mostly near infrared (nir) based, other projects are developing and implementing tools based on mid infrared (mir), available only through performance recording.Both are complementary, as nir based measurements are easier and less expensive, available at every milking, but mir based measurements are more precise, however only obtained every 4 weeks. numerous advantages arise when combining both types of measurements. it will be shown that statistical theory exists to base advanced modelling on, using optimally the longitudinal data generated by this type of setting. this will open different novel opportunities to optimize currently used on-farm and off-farm management and breeding tools

The Function of Seed Mucilage in Flax (\u3ci\u3eLinum usitatissimum\u3c/i\u3e)

Flax seeds, when imbibed, secrete a halo of mucilage composed of polysaccharides. It has been proposed that this mucilage serves as a reservoir of nutrient for the germinating seed. Seed mucilages in other species have been found to alleviate water stress, inhibit germination in unfavorable conditions, and trap and digest microorganisms. While establishing a protocol for studying flax seed mucilage, I tested the different models and quantified the amount of mucilage per seed. I found that 11-14% of the seed\u27s dry weight is mucilage. Nutrition and digestion of microorganisms do not appear to play roles in the function of flax seed mucilage. Alleviation of water stress and inhibition of germination are better supported by my experimental data

Genetic evaluation considering phenotypic data and limited molecular information using a novel equivalent model: Case study using effect of the mh locus on milk production in the dual-purpose Belgian Blue breed

The introduction of molecular information into genetic evaluation systems is currently under research. Based on an equivalent method, we developed from existing theory a new alternative strategy for the prediction of gene effects and especially their smooth integration into genetic evaluations. Underlying hypothesis were based on the idea that knowledge of genotypes will not affect overall additive genetic variance but only change expected values of genetic effects for animals with known genotypes. However, all animals could not be genotyped. Thus, the developed equations were modified to allow the integration of the known genotype for a portion of the population. This strategy was tested for the mh locus (responsible for the double-muscling phenotype) in dual-purpose Belgian Blue cattle. The genotype was determined for 123 bulls and 1940 cows (+/+ 19.5, mh/+ 39.3 and mh/mh 41.2%). These animals had 11,150 daughters with test-day (TD) records. The genotypes were incorporated into a modified genetic evaluation based on the current routine multi-trait multibreed test-day model used in the Walloon Region (Belgium). Data used included 12,829,309 TD records for 689,057 dairy cows in production. The pedigree file contained 1,606,024 animals (cows with TD records and ancestors). Computation of the modified mixed model equations was done solving iteratively two systems of equations, one for the polygenic effects and one for the gene effect until the relative differences in the gene solutions were below 10-5. A linear extrapolation was also used to speed up the convergence of gene effects. As expected, the mh locus exerts negative effects on milk production traits. For the first three lactations, the average estimated allelic substitution effects were -158.7 kg milk, -8.93 kg fat and -5.64 kg protein per lactation (305 days)

Combining microsatellite and pedigree data to estimate relationships among Skyros ponies.

Relationship coefficients are particularly useful to improve genetic management of endangered populations. These coefficients are traditionally based on pedigree data, but in case of incomplete or inexistent pedigrees they are replaced by coefficients calculated from molecular data. The main objective of this study was to develop a new method to estimate relationship coefficients by combining molecular with pedigree data, which is useful for specific situations where neither pedigree nor molecular data are complete. The developed method was applied to contribute to the conservation of the Skyros pony breed, which consists of less than 200 individuals, divided into 3 main herds or subpopulations. In this study, relationships between individuals were estimated using traditional estimators as well as the newly developed method. For this purpose, 99 Skyros ponies were genotyped at 16 microsatellite loci. It appeared that the limitation of the most common molecular-based estimators is the use of weights that assume relationships equal to 0. The results showed that, as a consequence of this limitation, negative relationship values can be obtained in small inbred populations, for example. By contrast, the combined estimator gave no negative values. Using principal component analysis, the combined estimator also enabled a better graphic differentiation between the 3 subpopulations defined previously. In conclusion, this new estimator can be a promising alternative to traditionally used estimators, especially in inbred populations, with both incomplete pedigree and molecular information

The Impact of Sleep Deprivation on Patients’ Pain Level, Mood, and Overall Hospital Satisfaction

Objective: To identify the correlation between sleep deprivation and patient pain, mood, and satisfaction of stay. Design: Quasi-experimental, Descriptive Setting: Hays Medical Center Acute Care Unit Participants: Acute Care patients of Western Rural Kansas Methods: During their hospital treatment, patients will be subcategorized into two groups. One group will have nighttime disturbances limited to three events per night. The other group will have no changes to their nighttime treatment. Patients will then receive surveys to collect data on pain level, mood, and satisfaction of hospital stay. They will receive these surveys on day one, day three, and the day of discharge. Results/Conclusion: Pending results and data collection

Use of multitrait evaluation procedures to improve reliability of early prediction of survival

Multitrait, across-country evaluation procedures were adapted to improve reliability of survival breeding values by combining direct information with yield and functional traits: milk persistency, somatic cell count, fertility (male and female), and calving ease (direct and maternal). A set of bulls was selected from the Austrian Simmental population based on mean original reliabilities of at least 0.50 for yield traits or of at least 0.20 for functional traits. Only breeding values above these limits were retained. The breeding values were deregressed, assuming that they were obtained by single-trait, sire-maternal grandsire models. An expectation maximization restricted maximum likelihood algorithm based on the multitrait, across-country evaluation equations was used to compute genetic correlations among all of these traits. These equations were solved, and the reliabilities of the solutions were also estimated. Mean rank correlation between direct and combined breeding values was 0.85 with values as low as 0.67 for the group of youngest bulls, Direct (original), indirect, and combined reliabilities were compared to appreciate the impact of our procedures on improvement of reliability of survival breeding values; This improvement, dependent on the level of reliability of direct and indirect information, could be up to 0.24 for animals with low direct reliability and high indirect reliability. For young bulls born in 1992 without reliable direct survival information but with already reliable information on yield and functional traits, mean reliability improvement was 0.13. For all bulls this value was still 0.06

Public Spending Priorities in Qatar

Together with previous survey findings, SESRI’s study of fiscal priorities among Qataris demonstrates the importance to citizens of healthcare and education, and to a lesser extent other sectors such as social security and infrastructure. Not only do citizens desire to see these sectors prioritized fiscally, but they also want the state to provide these services free of charge. Healthcare and education are essential and universally-utilized services that, absent state provision, leave hefty bills for citizens as they seek these services privately. The state’s prioritization of healthcare and education in its 2017 budget is therefore in line with citizens’ preferences. Yet, prioritization need not necessarily imply increased spending. The findings here suggest that a key driver of Qataris’ prioritization of health, education and other sectors is dissatisfaction with the quality of service. In other words, fiscal prioritization may be in large part a proxy for perceived quality, and an increase in perceived quality of a given service may obviate the need for increases in actual spending. In a time of fiscal tightening, the state can address citizens’ concerns through a focus on efficient and professional service provision, rather than additional monetary investment. توضح نتائج الدراسة التي أجراها معهد البحوث االجتماعية واالقتصادية المسحية حول ترتيب أولويات اإلنفاق لدى القطريين، إلى جانب نتائج الدراسة المسحية السابقة؛ أهمية خدمات الرعاية الصحية والتعليم بالنسبة للمواطنين، وترتيب القطاعات األخرى مثل الضمان االجتماعي والبنية التحتية في سلم األولويات. وال يرغب المواطنون في رؤية هذه القطاعات تتصدر األولوية المالية فحسب؛ بل يتطلعون أيضًا إلى أن توفر لهم الدولة هذه الخدمات بالمجان. ويعد قطاعا الرعاية الصحية والتعليم من الخدمات األساسية والمقدمة على الصعيد العالمي، وتكلف المواطن فواتير ضخمة في سعيه للحصول عليها عبر القطاع الخاص، وذلك إذا غفلت الدولة عن توفيرها. ولذلك تتماشى أولويات الدولة في الرعاية الصحية والتعليم في ميزانيتها لعام 2017 مع تفضيالت المواطنين. ومع ذلك، فإن تحديد األولويات ال يعني بالضرورة زيادة اإلنفاق. وتشير النتائج هنا إلى أن أحد العوامل الرئيسية في تحديد أولويات القطريين في قطاعات الصحة والتعليم وغيرها من القطاعات هو ً عدم الرضا عن جودة الخدمة. وبعبارة أخرى، قد يشكل ترتيب األولويات المالية في جانب كبير منه بديال عن الجودة المتوقعة، وقد تؤدي الزيادة في جودة الخدمة المقدمة إلى تجنب الحاجة إلى زيادة اإلنفاق الفعلي. وبإمكان الدولة في فترات الترشيد المالي التعاطي مع مخاوف المواطنين من خالل التركيز على ً توفير الخدمات بكفاءة ومهنية، بدال من االستثمار النقدي اإلضافي

Genetic parameters of stearoyl coenzyme-A desaturase 9 activity estimated by test-day model

peer reviewedDairy and beef products account for a large part of fat intake in human nutrition and therefore can be linked to dietary diseases. The stearoyl Coenzyme-A desaturase 9 (delta-9) gene was identified as a potential functional candidate gene affecting milk fat composition in dairy cattle. The objective of this research was to estimate the genetic parameters of delta-9 activity indicator traits and to study the relationship between delta-9 activity as described by these indicator traits and common milk production traits. A total of 126,331 test-day records were obtained from 14,259 Holstein (> 84% Holstein gene) heifers belonging to 105 herds. The studied traits were milk yield, percentages of fat and protein, content of monounsaturated fatty acids, and 3 ratios reflecting the delta-9 activity (C14:1/ C14:0; C16:1/C16:0 and C18:1/C18). The used model was a multiple-trait random regressions test-day model and included as fixed effects: herd x date of test, class of age, and month x year. Random effects were herd x year of calving, permanent environmental, additive genetic, and residual effects. The fatty acid contents were estimated by mid-infrared spectrometry. Delta-9 activity varied within year and lactation. The obtained heritability estimates of delta-9 as well as the genetic and phenotypic correlation varied also through lactation. This study suggests potential improvements of delta-9 activity and subsequently milk fat composition can be achieved by animal management but also by breeding and animal selection

A recursive algorithm for decomposition and creation of the inverse of the genomic relationship matrix

peer reviewedSome genomic evaluation models require creation and inversion of a genomic relationship matrix (G). As the number of genotyped animals increases, G becomes larger and thus requires more time for inversion. A single-step genomic evaluation also requires inversion of the part of the pedigree relationship matrix for genotyped animals (A22). A strategy was developed to provide an approximation of the inverse of G (G− 1) that may also be applied to the inverse of A22 (A22 −1). The algorithm proceeds by creation of an incomplete Cholesky factorization (T−1) of G−1. For this purpose, a genomic relationship threshold determines whether 2 animals are closely related. For any animal, the sparsity pattern of the corresponding line in T−1 will thus gather elements corresponding to all close relatives of that animal. Any line of T−1 is filled in with resulting estimators of the least-squares regression of genomic relationships between close relatives on genomic relationship between the animal considered and those close relatives. The G−1 was computed as the matrix product (T-1)' D-1 T-1 where D−1 is a diagonal matrix. Then, T-1G(T-1)' resulted in a new matrix that is close to diagonal and also needs to be inverted. The inverse of that matrix was approximated with the same decomposition as for approximation of the inverse of G (G−1) , and the procedure was repeated in successive rounds of recursion until a matrix was obtained that was close enough to diagonal to be inverted element by element. Two applications of the approximation algorithm were tested in a single-step genomic evaluation of US Holstein final score, and correlation coefficients between estimated breeding values based on either real or approximated G−1 were compared. Approximations came closer to G−1 as the number of recursion rounds increased. Approximations were even more accurate and expected to be faster for A22. Timesaving strategies are needed to reduce the computing time required for the algorithm