The use of behavioural biometrics to assess biological states in livestock

使用行为生物识别技术评估牲畜的生物状态

• 批准号: RGPIN-2014-05396
• 负责人: Bench, Clover
• 金额: $ 2.11万
• 依托单位: University of Alberta
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=630831
• 关键词: use; behavioural; biometrics; assess; biological

Disease in feedlot cattle presents substantial costs to the beef industry, as well as implications for animal welfare and public health. The early detection of sick individuals is essential for prompt treatment and to control the transmission of pathogens through a population. The incorporation of fidgeting as a behavioural biometric in combination with infrared thermography has revealed an increase in the accuracy of detecting respiratory disease one week or more prior to the onset of clinical symptoms up to 83.5%. My research program is both original and innovative in that it specifically investigates how behavioural biometrics can be used as part of automated technology and detection systems in livestock to improve the health and well-being of livestock. My research has already established proof of concept that fidgeting behaviour correlates to the onset of illness in cattle and that we are able to automatically detect this phenomenon using an infrared thermography scanning station. This technology and software has recently been patented (Bench and Schaefer, 2013) and continues to receive international interest.In the proposed research, we will continue to investigate disease behavioural biometrics in cattle in order to answer the question: Is fidgeting and other micro-behaviours an epiphenomenon for disease in livestock? And, if so, what is the underlying physiological mechanism and how do these micro-behaviours develop and change over time so they can be used as an early disease biometric? The specific short-term objectives of my research program are to characterize the ontogeny of fidgeting micro-behaviours in beef cattle and to ascertain the physiological mechanisms underlying micro-behaviours as a disease biometric using kinematic (biomechanical) analysis. One primary hypothesis to be tested is that fidgeting behaviour in sick cattle results from hyperalgesia (an increased sensitivity to pain) as a result of viral cytokines and inflammation, which can be kinetically mapped through the head, neck and shoulder regions of calves. This research has a strong potential for further technology innovation and to advance basic science questions about the development of sickness behaviour in calves.Our current research investigations will further knowledge of fundamental disease behaviours that are crucial to the survival of many organisms and, in the long-term, will serve as the foundation work for determining the heritability of behaviour biometrics associated with disease and their energetic requirements of an animal. The primary benefit of this research in Canada will be improved animal health, welfare and food safety through the early identification of disease which will enable earlier treatment and recovery in animals. An overall reduction in livestock antibiotic use is also a benefit by targeting only animals in need of treatment, leading to a subsequent reduction in antibiotic-resistant microbes and decreased transfer of such microbes to food products.

饲养场牛的疾病给牛肉工业带来了巨大的成本，以及对动物福利和公共卫生的影响。病人的早期发现对于迅速治疗并控制病原体通过人群的传播至关重要。将烦躁的作为行为生物识别与红外热力学结合结合起来表明在临床症状发作之前，一周或更长时间检测呼吸道疾病的准确性提高了83.5％。我的研究计划既是原始的又是创新的，因为它专门研究了如何将行为生物识别技术用作牲畜自动化技术和检测系统的一部分，以改善牲畜的健康和福祉。我的研究已经建立了概念证明，即烦躁的行为与牛的疾病发作相关，并且我们能够使用红外热仪扫描站自动检测到这种现象。该技术和软件最近已获得专利（Bench and Schaefer，2013年），并继续受到国际兴趣。在拟议的研究中，我们将继续调查牛的疾病行为生物识别技术，以回答以下问题：烦恼和其他微观行为是否是livestock疾病的Epiphenomenon？而且，如果是这样，那么基本的生理机制是什么？这些微型行为如何随着时间的推移而发展和变化，以便它们可以用作早期疾病生物识别？我的研究计划的特定短期目标是将烦恼的肉牛微观烦恼的个体表征，并确定使用运动学（生物力学）分析的微型行为生物识别的生理机制。要测试的一个主要假设是，由于病毒细胞因子和炎症的结果，患病的牛的烦躁行为是由于痛苦的过敏症（对疼痛的敏感性增加），可以在动力学上通过犊牛的头部，颈部和肩部区域进行运动映射。这项研究具有进一步的技术创新的强大潜力，并提出有关犊牛疾病行为发展的基础科学问题。我们当前的研究研究将进一步了解基本疾病行为，这些行为对于许多生物体的生存至关重要，从长远来看，这将是确定与疾病和他们能量的动物需求相关的行为生物遗产的基础工作。这项研究在加拿大的主要好处将通过早期鉴定疾病来改善动物健康，福利和食品安全，这将使动物的早期治疗和恢复。牲畜抗生素使用的总体减少也是仅针对需要治疗的动物，从而导致抗生素耐药的微生物的降低并减少此类微生物向食品的转移。