Machine learning is a sub field of artificial intelligence which allows forecasting through learning past behaviors and rules from old data. In today"s world, machine learning is being used almost in ...any fields such as education, medicine, veterinary, banking, telecommunication, security, and bio-medical sciences. In human health, although machine learning is generally preferred particularly in predicting diseases and identifying respective risk factors, it is obvious that there are a limited number of publications where this method was applied on veterinary or indicates whether it is correct and applicable. In this review, it was observed that the neural network, logistic regression, linear regression, multiple regression, principle component analysis and k-means methods were frequently used in examined publications and machine learning application in veterinary field upward momentum. Additionally, it was observed that recent developments in the field of machine learning (deep learning, ensemble learning, voice recognition, emotion recognition, etc.) is still new in the field of veterinary. In this review, publications are examined under clustering, classification, regression, multivariate data analysis and image processing topics. This review aims at providing basic information on machine learning and to increase the number of multidisciplinary publications on computer sciences/engineering and veterinary field.
•Algae meal from Saccharina latissima to broiler breeders increase iodine in egg.•Algae meal from Saccharina latissima to broiler breeders impair chick quality.•Abdominal fat in broiler breeders is ...increased by algal extract supplementation.•Algal extract supplementation to breeders does not adversely affect chick quality.•Algal supplementation does not affect antibody responses to vaccination in breeders.
Breeder nutrition is an important factor for chick quality since the chick embryo relies on nutrients available in the egg for growth and development. In addition, the egg is providing the chick with important antibodies that are vital during the first weeks of life. Brown algae contains several bioactive compounds, and dietary supplementation with algal extracts have shown improved gut health and immune responses in both pigs and poultry. The aim of this study was to investigate if feeding the brown algae Saccharina latissima, intact or as an extract, to broiler breeders can affect breeder hens’ antibody responses to vaccination, egg quality and transfer of antibodies and nutrients to the egg and thereby improve the quality of newly hatched chicks. Forty-five hens and nine roosters of the parent lines of the fast-growing broiler Ross 308 were included in the experiment where hens were 31 weeks at the start. The hens were housed individually and fed one of three dietary treatments for seven weeks; (a) control, (b) addition of 0.6% algal meal or (c) addition of 0.08% algal extract. The hens were given a booster vaccination against infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) 21 days after the start of experiment. During experimental days 32–42, hens were naturally mated every 5th day and hatching eggs were collected. A total of 255 chicks were hatched, and chick quality was assessed. Moreover, on chick day three, blood was collected from 48 focal chickens and total immunoglobulin Y levels and specific titres to IBV in serum were determined. The results showed that feeding the brown algae Saccharina latissima, intact or as an extract to broiler breeders did not affect egg production, egg quality, antibody responses to vaccination or transfer of antibodies from hen to chick. However, feeding intact algae significantly increased the levels of iodine and decreased the level of selenium in the eggs and resulted in a lower proportion of chicks with maximum quality score. Interestingly, algal feeding, both intact and as an extract, increased the abdominal fat pad in broiler breeders by about 17% without affecting BW. In conclusion, supplementation of broiler breeder diets with algal extract from Saccharina latissima, but not intact algal meal is a promising dietary strategy to increase the abdominal fat pad without causing any adverse effects on nutrient level in eggs or chick quality.
•Milk yield gaps in Africa result from biophysical and socio-economic constraints.•Entry points for cellphone applications’ use to reduce cattle milk yield gaps in Africa were identified.•The actual ...contribution of a feed advisory tool to close milk yield gaps was assessed.•Use of a stand-alone smartphone application did not significantly reduce milk yield gaps.•Factors limiting the contribution of some ICTs to close milk yield gaps were discussed.
There are growing expectations that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) applications could help improve on-farm yields amongst smallholder farmers in developing countries, and consequently, food and nutrition security. However, few studies have quantified the actual contribution of ICT applications on farmers’ yields, and these studies predominantly focused on crop production. We assessed the potential of ICT applications to close milk yield gaps among small- and medium scale dairy cattle farmers in Africa. First, we developed a theoretical framework summarizing biophysical and socio-economic constraints that foster milk yield gaps and discussed which constraints can be addressed using ICT applications. Second, using a case study of a feeding advice application for dairy cattle pre-tested with farmers in rural Kenya, we analyzed how much stand-alone the application could contribute to close dairy cattle milk yield gaps. Our findings suggest that ICT applications could help address some existing biophysical and socio-economic constraints fostering milk yield gaps, including data collection for breeding programs, feeding management advice, and facilitating access to markets and capital. Our stand-alone ICT application closed yield gaps by 2 % to 6 % on representative farms. Several factors may explain the limited actual contribution of selected ICT applications to reduce existing milk yield gaps, including the quality of the input data and models used in ICT applications, and more structural constraints that cannot be addressed by digital tools. Therefore, although ICT applications could help address constraints to achieving higher milk yields on dairy farms, a significant contribution to improve yields may only be achieved when conditions surrounding their use are adequate.
To improve horse welfare and ensure a sustainable equestrian future, we need to understand human behavior in relation to the challenges of the sector. The purpose of this paper is to map and analyze ...how individuals within the equine sector in Sweden and Norway define the environmental challenges they are faced with and how these are related to questions about horse welfare. A mixed-methods parallel design was used. The data consist of survey answers and semi-structured interviews. The survey, responded to by 697 Swedish and Norwegian participants, ensured statistical validity and power through a sample size calculation yielding approximately 385 participants. To deepen the understanding, 36 semi structured interviews with Swedish and Norwegian interviewees were conducted. An analysis of convergencies and divergencies between the data sets provided robust insights into the perceptions and behaviors within the equine sector in Sweden and Norway. The findings show that the equine sector has cultivated a stronger environmental commitment over the last 15 years (Svala, 2008). However, many participants express a perceived lack of influence on this transformation. The COM-B model (Michie, Van Stralen & West, 2011; Michie, Atkins & West, 2014) and previous research on 'thinking structures on climate delay' (Wormbs & Wolrath, 2023) are used to interpret the data. The analysis indicates that there is an overall capacity for change, and that skills and knowledge exist, but some individuals desire more information and a deeper understanding of the issues at hand. Higher barriers to change were found in the opportunity component, where physical constraints such as location, resources, and time seem challenging for individual actors to influence. Economic factors are also identified as impediments to transformation. Cultural norms related to orderliness within stables, although not directly addressing ecological nor ethical challenges, might serve as a foundation for promoting environmental initiatives that will also improve horse welfare.
Remote labs that enable students to conduct real-world experiments at a distance using a computer and Web-based tools can be the only realistic method of performing practical experiments in the ...context of distance learning.
eSience Tempus project "Maghreb Network of remote labs" offers an innovative pedagogical approach which integrates eLearning and is complementary to classroom learning. The main objective of this project is to create an efficient remote labs network in the Maghreb region for the modernization of higher education in technological sciences.
The current paper summarizes the work carried out on a heat exchanger bench to be fully accessed and controlled remotely. Through this new device a student of Mechanical Engineering is introduced to many fundamental aspects of heat transfer.
•Enclosing of communal dryland has emerged as a default but highly contested development pathway in East Africa.•While critics warn about negative social effects of enclosures, advocates instead ...emphasize their ecological and economic potential.•By (1) adopting a system-perspective; (2) highlightening questions of land tenure; and (3) linking enclosures to international land restoration initiatives, negative impacts can be mitigated and potentials embraced.•Enclosures are not a universal solution for all places and conditions, but can contribute towards sustainable dryland development if they form part of inclusive, transparent and legitimate land management strategies.
Drylands in Sub-Saharan Africa are subject to rapid and enduring population increase, agricultural expansion, land large-scale infrastructure developments, as well as climate change, affecting some 265 million pastoralists and agro-pastoralists. These changes are promoting a transition from traditional pastoralist ways of life characterized by seasonal mobility, towards more sedentary livelihoods based on more intensive and commercial uses of land-based resources. As part of of this ongoing transition, establishment of enclosures on pastoralist commons is emerging as a default, but highly contested, development pathway. Based on a review of the current enclosure debate across the natural, economic, and social sciences, with a geographical focus on the East African drylands, we discuss the potential and limitations of enclosures as land management tool, and propose a conceptual framework for how enclosures can act as an integral part of sustainable pastoralist land use. Such a framework constitute an important piece of the puzzle for more productively linking the urgent need of innovative ways of managing pastoralist rangelands, to the present international and national commitments to restoration of degraded lands.
School-industry collaboration can be an effective way to implement STSE issues to teaching. However, teachers´ negative beliefs, lack of knowledge, resources, support and opportunities to collaborate ...with companies can impede the efficient implementation. In this case-study, 42 Finnish and Slovenian pre-service teachers´ STSE beliefs were first examined before and after the school-industry collaboration course by survey. After the course, beliefs of 8 Finnish pre-service teachers were analyzed in more detail by open-ended questionnaires and reflective writing. The pre-service teachers were more confident to teach STSE issues after the course in both countries. However, they needed more support and knowledge from the community members they collaborated with (i.e. representatives of industries, university teacher, student colleagues and school teachers). The industry-based teaching material was considered beneficiary especially for mixed-ability classrooms and the whole course was regarded useful for future practices. The results of this research highlight the importance of pre-service teacher education and practices with STSE issues. The positive and negative beliefs should be examined frequently already during the pre-service education in order to develop tools for teacher support and encouragement. This research promotes a practical example and ideas of a local school-company collaboration.
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