1,895 research outputs found

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

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    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)

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    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

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    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.

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    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

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    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

    Public Spending Priorities in Qatar

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    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

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

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    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

    Nutritional Composition of Selected Traditional Native American Foods

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    Food choices have changed among Native American populations. Healthy food choices are subject to lifestyles, cooking skills, nutrition knowledge and the availability of healthy foods. There is a paucity of nutritional information on traditional and cultural Native American foods. Sixteen traditional Dakota recipes were prepared by members of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, Sisseton, South Dakota. These foods were pureed, lyophilized and analyzed for moisture, ash, fat, protein, carbohydrate and individual mineral content using officially accepted methods. The following mineral elements were analyzed: calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc. Methods of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) were employed in all cases. Native American traditional foods studied included: dried com soup, fish head soup, parched com, bean soup, hominy (Pasdaypi) soup, buffaloberry (Mastinpute) pudding, tripe soup, kabubu bread, buffalo (Tatanka) roast, chokecherry (Canpa) pudding, potato soup (Maka bdo), com balls (Wahuwapa Wasna), pemmican, plum (Kan\u27ta) pudding, turtle soup and wild rice (Psi) soup. Our study determined that traditional Native American recipes tested were generally healthier in relation to selected nutrients such as fat content, total calories, and sodium content when compared to contemporary recipes that use common ingredients. These foods may provide healthy choices in the Native American diet when prepared in traditional ways
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