Agricultural engineering based on system analysis and elctronic imaging

In this paper, we present the need for system analysis and electronic imaging for the study of Agricultural Engineering. In fact, the system analysis aims to structure the analysis of agricultural systems. In fact, we present a literature review of system analysis and the need for electronic imaging. Then, two applications of Agricultural Engineering are presented. In fact, the basic principle of the application of stock management of a grain weighing system is presented. An application of the identification of the behavioral criteria of dairy cattle through electronic imaging is presented. Finally, the different results obtained from these applications are discussed.

Identification of the behavioral criteria of dairy cattle on the basis of electronic imaging

The paper deals with the identification of the behavioral criteria of dairy cattle through Imaging. The objective of the study is the optimization of the rate of pregnancy in these cows. Indeed, the gestural behaviors of 200 cows belonging to a stable were observed by giving more attention to cows that show signs of heat known. A camera was used to record the different postures and the different behaviors of these cows. The quantitative data of reproduction studied farm showed that the rate of pregnancy in these cows is far from optimal. This is due essentially to a lack of monitoring and observation of cows in heat negatively affecting the economics of the operation. Detecting cows in heat can be made and improved by using Imaging. This will facilitate the life of farmers and increase their income and decreasing the time for detection of the heat.

Enhancing the Selection and Performance of Working Dogs

Dogs perform a variety of integral roles in our society, engaging in work ranging from assistance (e.g., service dogs, guide dogs) and therapy to detection (e.g., search-and-rescue dogs, explosive detection dogs) and protection (e.g., military and law enforcement dogs). However, success in these roles, which requires dogs to meet challenging behavioral criteria and to undergo extensive training, is far from guaranteed. Therefore, enhancing the selection process is critical for the effectiveness and efficiency of working dog programs and has the potential to optimize how resources are invested in these programs, increase the number of available working dogs, and improve working dog welfare. In this paper, we review two main approaches for achieving this goal: (1) developing selection tests and criteria that can efficiently and effectively identify ideal candidates from the overall pool of candidate dogs, and (2) developing approaches to enhance performance, both at the individual and population level, via improvements in rearing, training, and breeding. We summarize key findings from the empirical literature regarding best practices for assessing, selecting, and improving working dogs, and conclude with future steps and recommendations for working dog organizations, breeders, trainers, and researchers.

Validation of the Short Dark Triad in a German Sample

The structure, correlates, and assessment of the Dark Triad are widely discussed in several fields of psychology. Based on the German version of the Short Dark Triad (SDT), we add to this by (a) providing a competitive test of existing structural models, (b) testing the nomological network, and (c) proposing an ultrashort 9-item version of the SDT (uSDT). A sample of N = 969 participants provided data on the SDT and a range of further measures. Our competitive test of five structural models revealed that fit indices and nomological network assumptions were best met in a three-factor model, with separate factors for psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism. The results provided an extensive overview of the raw, unique, and shared associations of Dark Triad dimensions with narcissism facets, sadism, impulsivity, self-esteem, sensation seeking, the Big Five, maladaptive personality traits, sociosexual orientation, and behavioral criteria. Finally, the uSDT exhibited satisfactory psychometric properties. The highest overlap in expected relations between SDT and uSDT, and convergent and discriminant measures was also found for the three-factor model. Our study underlines the utility of a three-factor model of the Dark Triad, extends findings on its nomological network, and provides an ultrashort instrument.

Laying personality BARE: Behavioral frequencies strengthen personality-criterion relationships

Personality consists of stable patterns of cognitions, emotions, and behaviors, yet personality psychologists rarely study behaviors. Even when examined, behaviors typically are considered to be validation criteria for traditional personality items. In the current study (N = 332,489), we conceptualize (self-reported, yearlong) behavioral frequencies as measures of personality. We investigate whether behavioral frequencies have incremental validity over traditional personality items in correlating personality with six outcome criteria. We use BISCUIT, a statistical learning technique, to find the optimal number of items for each criterion’s model, across three pools of items: traditional personality items (k = 696), behavioral frequencies (k = 425), and a combined pool. Compared to models using only traditional personality items, models using the combined pool are more strongly correlated to four criteria. We find mixed evidence of congruence between the type of criterion and the type of personality items that are most strongly correlated with it (e.g., behavioral criteria are most strongly correlated to behavioral frequencies). Findings suggest that behavioral frequencies are measures of personality that offer a unique effect in describing personality-criterion relationships beyond traditional personality items. We provide an updated, public-domain item pool of behavioral frequencies: the BARE (Behavioral Acts, Revised and Expanded) Inventory.

Using Owner Return as a Reinforcer to Operantly Treat Separation-Related Problem Behavior in Dogs

Separation-related problem behavior (SRPB) is a severe behavioral issue in which dogs engage in a variety of undesirable behaviors when the owner is absent, such as destructive behavior and excessive vocalization. Given the severity and high prevalence of SRPB, finding effective treatments is crucial. To date, most treatments have relied on habituation to increase tolerance to owner absence. Additionally, research has typically not utilized direct observations of the dog’s behavior and the treatment implemented with unknown treatment integrity. We evaluated an operant approach to SRPB using owner return as the reinforcer. After collecting baseline, we enrolled five dogs for treatment. Treatment involved differential reinforcement of either absence of problem behavior or occurrence of specific desirable behaviors. Behavioral criteria for delivering reinforcement changed based on the dog’s performance assessed through direct observation. We coached owners to ensure treatment integrity on each trial. From baseline, mean time to SRPB was 27.1 s. During treatment, all dogs increased their ability to stay alone without SRPB compared to baseline, indicating that contingent owner return can be a useful treatment. However, despite four training sessions, only one dog was able to stay alone for over 5 min. Our data demonstrate the slow-going progression of this SPRB treatment and the challenges of this behavioral issue.

Paradoxes of Universalism: The Case of the Swiss Disability Insurance

Social policies rely on specific expectations vis-a-vis their beneficiaries, who have to abide by certain eligibility criteria or behavioral standards to access the benefits or services provided. As such, they draw boundaries between the deserving and undeserving, which results in the following paradox: While social policies claim to be universal, they actually exclude potential beneficiaries by imposing on them the compliance with these eligibility criteria and behavioral standards. In other words, purportedly universal social policies may have exclusionary effects, in the form either of selectivity (street-level bureaucrats select what they perceive as legitimate beneficiaries) or of self-exclusion and non-take-up (people entitled do not claim benefits or services). Based on the case of the Swiss disability insurance, this article explores the extent of, and the reasons underlying, the paradoxes of universalism within active social policies. It relies on a mixed-methods research design, combining sequence analysis (showing the selectivity of active reforms regarding people’s access to disability benefits) and in-depth interviews. The conclusion of this article suggests that not all forms of universalism are equally exposed to such paradoxes and proposes a hypothesis to be explored in further research: The more requiring and precise in terms of eligibility criteria and behavioral standards social policies and activation strategies are (hard universalism), the higher the risk that they lead to selective practices in contradiction with their universal ambition. By contrast, fuzzier eligibility or behavioral criteria (soft universalism), which allow for adjustment to individual circumstances, may lead to more genuinely universal and inclusive social policies.

Rethinking Suicidal Behavior Disorder

Background: It is a peculiar fact that the deadliest psychiatric disturbance – suicidality – cannot be formally diagnosed. Suicidal behavior disorder (SBD), a condition for further study in the DSM-5, is the field's first attempt to capture suicidality in a diagnosis. Aims: To provoke discussion about the standing of suicidality as a diagnosable psychiatric condition. Method: I present pragmatic and conceptual rationales for why a diagnosis of suicidality is clinically useful but conclude that SBD does little to aid clinicians in assessing suicidality's symptoms, planning treatment, or monitoring progress. Results: To improve the clinical utility of SBD, I re-conceptualize it from the vantage point of descriptive psychiatry. I hypothesize that this revised SBD is an independent, episodic, and frequently co-occurring condition and propose new cognitive, affective, and behavioral criteria that more completely capture the phenomenology of suicidality. Conclusion: The revised SBD is a starting place for dialogue about whether a clinically significant presentation of suicidality is a mental illness and, if it is, what its defining features should be.