108 research outputs found
Validation of a commercial collar‐based sensor for monitoring eating and ruminating behaviour of dairy cows
The use of sensor technologies to monitor cowsâ behavior is becoming commonplace in the context of dairy production. This study aimed at validating a commercial collar-based sensor system, the AFICollarÂź (Afimilk, Kibbutz Afikim, Israel), designed to monitor dairy cattle feeding and ruminating behavior. Additionally, the performances of two versions of the software for behavior classification, the current software AFIfarmÂź 5.4 and the updated version AFIfarmÂź 5.5, were compared. The study involved twenty Holstein-Friesian cows fitted with the collars. To evaluate the sensor performance under different feeding scenarios, the animals were divided into four groups and fed three different types of feed (total mixed ration, long hay, animals allowed to graze). Recordings of hourly rumination and feeding time produced by the sensor were compared with visual observation by scan sampling at 1 minute intervals using Spearman correlation, concordance correlation coefficient (CCC), BlandâAltman plots and linear mixed models for assessing the precision and accuracy of the system. The analyses confirmed that the updated software version V5.5 produced better detection performance than the current V5.4. The updated software version produced high correlations between visual observations and data recorded by the sensor for both feeding (r = 0.85, CCC = 0.86) and rumination (r = 0.83, CCC = 0.86). However, the limits of agreement for both behaviors remained quite wide (feeding: â19.60 min/h, 17.46 min/h; rumination: â15.80 min/h, 15.00 min/h). Type of feed did not produce significant effects on the agreement between visual observations and sensor recordings. Overall, the results indicate that the system can provide farmers with adequately accurate data on feeding and rumination time, and can be used to support herd management decisions. Despite all this, the precision of the system remained relatively limited, and should be improved with further developments in the classification algorithm
Comparison of spatial-temporal analysis modelling with purely spatial analysis modelling using temperature data obtained by remote sensing
Received: March 25th, 2021 ; Accepted: May 20th, 2021 ; Published: October 5th, 2021 ; Correspondence: [email protected] in climatic elements directly affect the productivity of agricultural activities.
Temperature is one of the climatic elements that varies in space and time.Therefore,
understanding spatial variations in temperature is essential for many activities. Given the above,
the objective of this work was to compare the performance of the proposed spatiotemporal
analysis model with that of purely spatial analysis using temperature data obtained by remote
sensing. The experimental data were arranged in a grid with 403 spatial locations, with 22 samples
collected in a 24-hour period. The statistical software R Core Team (2020) was used to perform
the analysis. The packages used in the analyses were âgeoRâ, âCompRandFldâ, âscatterplot3dâ,
and âfieldsâ. For making the maps, the software ArcGIS was used. The behavioural analysis of
spatiotemporal dependence indicated, through the covariogram graph of the data, that there is a
strong spatial dependence. For the cases of purely spatial analysis of phenomena, a separate
spatial model for each time is justified because this type of model presents a smaller prediction
error and requires simpler processing than the space-time model. It was possible to compare the
space-time analysis with the purely spatial analysis using temperature data obtained by remote
sensing images. The data modelled with the purely spatial analysis had, on average, lower error
than those with the space-time model
Building performance analysis of a dairy factory in South Iraq: appraisal of a local bio-based envelope
Received: February 4th, 2021 ; Accepted: April 24th, 2021 ; Published: April 29th, 2021 ; Correspondence: [email protected] have a relevant impact on the environment, and building materials cause
environmental impacts during all life cycle stages: production, utilization, management and
demolition. The global request for more efficient buildings with less environmental impacts has
grown during the last years. Among various technologies, thermal insulation has proven to be
helpful in reducing emissions by increasing energy conservation. This paper intends to show how
the Building Performance Analysis (BPA) supports the decision-making process in many areas
where common insulation materials are not available and there is a general reluctance to use local
natural materials. A building located in the city of Al Chubaish in Dhi Qar Province in Iraq is
examined as a case study. The construction is designed for processing buffalo milk. It was built
in the first decade of the century, during the Iraqi conflict, using only the materials available at
that time, most of which, concrete bricks, mortar and plaster. Currently, this dairy factory is a
very inefficient structure in terms of energy saving. But because its elementary form, it is a perfect
example to investigate how a simple exterior wall insulation can improve building performance
in extreme environmental conditions. Accordingly, two different models have been created. One
is the replica of the real building without any upgrading. The second instead presents a thermal
insulation realized with reed bio-based material locally available. Through advanced simulation
engines and building performance analysis data integrated into Autodesk Revit, each model has
been tested to identify significant improvements in terms of energy savings in this particular
stressed background
Patients and doctors group meetings: an innovative way to explore severe asthma backstage
Severe asthma patients' life is heavily influenced by the disease, which has impact on personal and professional choic-es or general lifestyle. Despite the available tools to help physicians investigating the patient-reported outcomes there is a need for a more standardised and structured approach to include the evaluation of quality of life together with the emotions of patients into the routine clinical interaction. We hereby report the use of an active listening and insight approach to understand the emotions of patients with severe asthma through dedicated in-person meetings involving a group of patients with their doctors, caregivers and an external moderator. The initiative "Patients insight meeting" was organized within 17 specialist referral centres for severe asthma in Italy in 2019 and involved 149 patients. Insights related to 4 different items were collected and a task force composed by the external moderators produced a general report including the suggestions from the participating centres. This experience of group-meetings involving both patients and doctors together represents an innovative way to investigate real life experience and the emotions of asthmatic patients, highlighting unmet needs related to patient's experience of his/her disease that need to be included in severe asthmatics' management strategy
Quantitative analysis of pulmonary vasculature in systemic sclerosis at spirometry-gated chest CT
Objective To prospectively investigate whether differences in pulmonary vasculature exist in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and how they are distributed in patients with different pulmonary function. Methods Seventy-four patients with SSc undergoing chest CT scan for interstitial lung disease (ILD) screening or follow-up were prospectively enrolled. A thorough clinical, laboratory and functional evaluation was performed the same day. Chest CT was spirometry gated at total lung capacity and images were analysed by two automated software programs to quantify emphysema, ILD patterns (ground-glass, reticular, honeycombing), and pulmonary vascular volume (PVV). Patients were divided in restricted (FVC% <80, DLco%<80), isolated DLco% reduction (iDLco-FVC%â„80, DLco%<80) and normals (FVC%â„80, DLco%â„80). Spearman Ï, Mann-Whitney tests and logistic regressions were used to assess for correlations, differences among groups and relationships between continuous variables. Results Absolute and lung volume normalised PVV (PVV/LV) correlated inversely with functional parameters and positively with all ILD patterns (Ï=0.75 with ground glass, Ï=0.68 with reticular). PVV/LV was the only predictor of DLco at multivariate analysis (p=0.007). Meanwhile, the reticular pattern prevailed in peripheral regions and lower lung thirds, PVV/LV prevailed in central regions and middle lung thirds. iDLco group had a significantly higher PVV/LV (2.2%) than normal (1.6%), but lower than restricted ones (3.8%). Conclusions Chest CT in SSc detects a progressive increase in PVV/LV as DLco decreases. Redistribution of perfusion to less affected lung regions rather than angiogenesis nearby fibrotic lung may explain the results. Further studies to ascertain whether the increase in PVV/LV reflects a real increase in blood volume are needed
Oral CorticoSteroid sparing with biologics in severe asthma: A remark of the Severe Asthma Network in Italy (SANI)
According to the data derived from several national and international registries, including SANI (Severe Asthma Network Italy), and considering the strong impact that frequent or regular use of oral corticosteroid has on quality of life (QoL) of severe asthmatics, as well as on the costs for managing corticosteroid-related diseases, oral corticosteroid sparing up to withdrawal should be considered a primary outcome in the management of severe asthma. New biologics have clearly demonstrated that this effect is possible, with concomitant reduction in the rate of exacerbations and in symptom control. Then, there is no reason for using so frequently oral corticosteroid before having explored all alternatives currently available for a large part of severe asthmatics
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