Estimated Body Weight Research Articles

Genetic Comparisons of Body Weight, Average Daily Gain, and Breast Circumference between Slow-Growing Thai Native Chickens (Pradu Hang dum) Raised On-Site Farm and On-Station.

To ensure that any new technology developed within an experimental station is appropriate to the community’s needs and compatible with the existing systems, on-site farm research is an important component in examining the effectiveness of agricultural research. The present study examined the growth performance and genetics of Thai native chickens under conditions typically experienced by farmers on smallholder farms (on-site farms) compared with at an experimental unit (on-station). There were 1694 Thai native chickens (Pradu Hang dum) used in this experiment, and they were divided into 613 chickens for the on-station and 1081 chickens for the on-site farm experiments. The individual chicken data included the birth weight (BW0) and body weight at 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age (BW4, BW8, BW12, and BW16, respectively), ADG from 0−4, 4−8, 8−12, 12−16 weeks of age (ADG0−4, ADG4−8, ADG8−12, ADG12−16, respectively), and breast circumference at 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age (BrC8, BrC12, BrC16, respectively). A multiple traits animal model and a selection index were used to estimate the variance components, genetic parameters, and breeding values of growth traits. The results showed that the body weight, average daily gain, and breast circumference at 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age of Thai native chickens raised on-station were higher than those raised on-site at the farm among mixed-sex and sex-segregated chickens, while the birth weight and body weight at four weeks of age (BW0 and BW4) and ADG from 0−4 weeks of age (ADG0−4) were not significantly different (p > 0.05). The heritability estimates of body weight, average daily gain, and breast circumference in the chickens raised at the on-site farm and on-station were moderate to high, with on-station values slightly higher than on-site farm values. The heritability estimates of body weight were 0.236 to 0.499 for the on-site farm, and 0.291 to 0.499 for on-station. For average daily gain, the heritability estimates were 0.274 to 0.283 for the on-site farm and 0.298 to 0.313 for on-station; meanwhile, and for breast circumference, the heritability estimates were 0.204 to 0.268 for the on-site farm and 0.278 to 0.296 for on-station. Both phenotypic and genetic correlations among and between growth traits were positive and ranged from low to high values. The top 20% of the estimated breeding values and selection indices in the on-site farm and on-station experiments showed that the body weight at eight weeks of age (BW8), ADG from 4−8 weeks of age (ADG4−8), and breast circumference at eight weeks of age (BrC8) should be used as selection criteria for Thai native chicken breeding programs. In conclusion, the genetic parameters and breeding values in on-station experiments showed that the breeding program by selection index for improving growth performance is valid. Therefore, to implement such a breeding program in an on-site farm, an intensive or semi-intensive farm system should be considered to minimize the effect of genotype-environment interaction.

Does distance matter? Embodiment and perception of personalized avatars in relation to the self-observation distance in virtual reality

Virtual reality applications employing avatar embodiment typically use virtual mirrors to allow users to perceive their digital selves not only from a first-person but also from a holistic third-person perspective. However, due to distance-related biases such as the distance compression effect or a reduced relative rendering resolution, the self-observation distance (SOD) between the user and the virtual mirror might influence how users perceive their embodied avatar. Our article systematically investigates the effects of a short (1 m), middle (2.5 m), and far (4 m) SOD between users and mirror on the perception of their personalized and self-embodied avatars. The avatars were photorealistic reconstructed using state-of-the-art photogrammetric methods. Thirty participants repeatedly faced their real-time animated self-embodied avatars in each of the three SOD conditions, where they were repeatedly altered in their body weight, and participants rated the 1) sense of embodiment, 2) body weight perception, and 3) affective appraisal towards their avatar. We found that the different SODs are unlikely to influence any of our measures except for the perceived body weight estimation difficulty. Here, the participants perceived the difficulty significantly higher for the farthest SOD. We further found that the participants’ self-esteem significantly impacted their ability to modify their avatar’s body weight to their current body weight and that it positively correlated with the perceived attractiveness of the avatar. Additionally, the participants’ concerns about their body shape affected how eerie they perceived their avatars. The participants’ self-esteem and concerns about their body shape influenced the perceived body weight estimation difficulty. We conclude that the virtual mirror in embodiment scenarios can be freely placed and varied at a distance of one to four meters from the user without expecting major effects on the perception of the avatar.

Accuracy of patient weight estimated by physician and anthropological formulae – a comparison with actual measurement

Introduction: Estimation of weight is important in the intensive care unit but most ICUs do not have a weighing machine for these patients who are unable to stand up. Aim: To compare the accuracy of estimation of weight by the physician, weight estimated using anthropological formulae with actual weight of the patient. Methods: This was a prospective, observational, single centre study. A hundred adult patients, 18-60 years of age, of either gender, waiting for elective surgery in the preoperative waiting area, who were conscious and able to stand were enrolled for the study. The patient's actual weight and height were measured. Experienced anaesthesia consultant unaware of patient's actual weight, was asked to visually estimate the weight of the patient. The patient's height when supine, abdominal girth and length of tibia were measured. Patient's weight was calculated using various anthropological formulae Results: The mean±SD age of the patients was 44.07±14.06 years. 49 were women and 51 were men. There was good correlation between weight estimated by the physician and as calculated by linear regression irrespective of their BMI. Calculated weight was close to actual weight only in patients with normal build but not with low or high BMI. Conclusion: Estimation of patient body weight by an experienced clinician can be fairly reliable. For more objective estimations, linear regression using abdominal and thigh circumference can be used. Anthropometric formulae such as Miller's, Devine's, Robinson's and weight measured using tibial length overestimate weight at low BMI levels and underestimate when BMI is high.

Body Weight and Biometric Parameters of Piglets Reared under Intensive System of Management in the Humid Tropic

Purpose: A total of 60 pigs of both sexes (30 males and 30 females) reared under intensive system of management were randomly sampled and used in this study that lasted for 20 weeks, to assess the relationship between bodyweight and biometric parameters.
 Methodology: Data obtained for bodyweight (kg), height (cm), body length (cm) and heart girth (cm) were subjected to Bivariate Pearson Correlation, analysed using SPSS version 25.
 Findings: The result showed that despite higher numerical values recorded for female pigs, there were no correlation between sex and other body biometric parameters. However, body weight had strong correlation with other biometric parameters analysed. The body length had the highest direct contributions (r = 0.981) to body weight in male and female pigs respectively.
 Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The forecast indices recorded in this work could be employed to predict bodyweight estimation and help in making management decision and breeding programs for genetic improvement in pigs.

Use of Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines Algorithm to Predict Body Weight from Body Measurements of Anatolian buffaloes in Türkiye.

Anatolian buffalo is an important breed reared for meat and milk in various regions of Türkiye. The present study was performed to estimate body weight (BW) from several body measurements, such as tail length (TL), shoulder height (SH), withers height (WH), body length (BL), chest circumference (CC), shank diameter (SD) and birth weight (BiW). The data set was taken from Muş Province of Türkiye. In this respect, 171 Anatolian buffaloes were used. To estimate the BW, different proportions of the training and test sets were used with the MARS algorithm. The optimal MARS was determined at a proportion of 70-30%. The MARS model displays the heaviest BW that can be produced by Anatolian buffalo according to tail length, body length, chest circumference and shoulder height. In conclusion, it could be suggested that the MARS algorithm may allow animal breeders to obtain an elite population and to determine the body measurements affecting BW as indirect selection criteria for describing the breed description of Anatolian buffalo and aiding sustainable meat production and rural development in Türkiye.

The Use of Some Nonlinear Functions to Explain Growth in Japanese Quails with Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines Algorithm

The study aimed was to determine the best nonlinear function describing the growth stages of the Japanese quail breed. To this aim, growth functions such as exponential, logistic, von Bertalanffy, Brody, and Gompertz were used as nonlinear functions is used in the description of the body weight-age relationship of male and female Japanese quails. The Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS) data mining algorithm was applied to the individual growth parameters obtained from the determined as the best fit model, and the relationship between sex and growth parameters with it has been revealed. The study dataset was 1267 body weight-age records collected from the hatching to the 6th week of age of 181 Japanese quails consisting of 90 females and 91 males. Each model was applied separately for both males and females. Model fit criteria such as coefficient of determination (R2), adjusted coefficient of determination (R2adj), Akaike's information criterion (AIC), and Bayes information criterion (BIC) were used to evaluate the performances of the growth functions used individually. All the statistical analyses were made by the R package program. The growth curve models were ranked in the form of Logistic > Gompertz > von Bertalanffy > Brody > Exponential according to the goodness of fit criteria. The most suitable model among the non-linear models in terms of performance was logistic. When the relationship between the growth curve parameters and body weight of the logistic model was explained with the MARS algorithm, the goodness of fit criteria showed that the obtained MARS model showed reliable performance. In addition, Pearson’s correlation coefficient between real and estimated body weight was found quite strong for the MARS algorithm (r=0.935). The results showed that the MARS algorithm can be presented as a good reference for breeders to establish breed standards and selection strategies for Japanese quails in growth parameters for breeding purposes.

Insight into selective breeding for robustness based on field survival records: New genetic evaluation of survival traits in pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) breeding line.

Survival can be considered a relatively ‘old’ trait in animal breeding, yet commonly neglected in aquaculture breeding because of the simple binary records and generally low heritability estimates. Developing routine genetic evaluation systems for survival traits however, will be important for breeding robust strains based on valuable field survival data. In the current study, linear multivariate animal model (LMA) was used for the genetic analysis of survival records from 2-year classes (BL2019 and BL2020) of pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) breeding lines with data collection of 52, 248 individuals from 481 fullsib families. During grow-out test period, 10 days intervals of survival data were considered as separate traits. Two survival definitions, binary survivability (S) and continuous survival in days (SL), were used for the genetic analysis of survival records to investigate; 1) whether adding more survival time information could improve estimation of genetic parameters; 2) the trajectory of survival heritability across time, and 3) patterns of genetic correlations of survival traits across time. Levels of heritability estimates for both S and SL were low (0.005–0.076), while heritability for survival day number was found to be similar with that of binary records at each observation time and were highly genetically correlated (r g > 0.8). Heritability estimates of body weight (BW) for BL2019 and BL2020 were 0.486 and 0.373, respectively. Trajectories of survival heritability showed a gradual increase across the grow-out test period but slowed or reached a plateau during the later grow-out test period. Genetic correlations among survival traits in the grow-out tests were moderate to high, and the closer the times were between estimates, the higher were their genetic correlations. In contrast, genetic correlations between both survival traits and body weight were low but positive. Here we provide the first report on the trajectory of heritability estimates for survival traits across grow-out stage in aquaculture. Results will be useful for developing robust improved pacific white shrimp culture strains in selective breeding programs based on field survival data.

Equine Anthelmintic Resistance: Horse Owner and Yard Manager Perception of the Barriers Affecting Strategic Control Measures in England.

Simple SummaryEquine anthelmintic resistance poses a threat to the health and welfare of horses worldwide. With no new imminent anthelmintic classes, it is vital to decrease resistance rate and preserve available classes. Traditional indiscriminate anthelmintic use is not synonymous with a strategic control ideology; however, many continue to implement outdated practices. In comparison to livestock farmers, there have been few social science studies examining the behaviours of horse owners. This study aimed to understand the perceived barriers faced by horse owners and yard managers to adopting a strategic approach to helminth control, and to explore their experiences. Semi-structured interviews permitted the exploration of the stakeholders’ beliefs, opinions, experiences, attitudes, and behaviours. Personal resources, internal influences, and external influences were identified by participants as the barriers to adoption of strategic controls. Two further themes impacting effective implementation of strategic controls emerged surrounding helminth information and source, as well as accurate dosing. Challenges associated with anthelmintic administration and bodyweight estimation suggest that inaccurate dosing is prevalent. Industry wide implementation of a single ‘best practice’ could support prescriber decision-making to encourage uptake of effective strategic helminth controls. The barriers identified in this study could help influence guidance given to horse owners through a better understanding of their beliefs and behaviours.Equine anthelmintic resistance poses a threat to the health and welfare of horses worldwide. With no new imminent anthelmintic classes, it is vital to decrease the resistance rate and preserve available classes. Traditional indiscriminate anthelmintic use is not synonymous with a strategic control ideology; however, many continue to implement outdated practices. In comparison to livestock farmers, there have been few social science studies examining horse owner behaviours. This study aimed to understand the perceived barriers faced by horse owners and yard managers to adopting a strategic approach to helminth control, and to explore their experiences. Semi-structured interviews permitted the exploration of the stakeholders’ beliefs, opinions, experiences, attitudes, and behaviours. Personal resources, internal influences, and external influences were identified by participants as the barriers to adoption of strategic controls. Two further themes impacting effective implementation of strategic controls emerged surrounding helminth information and source, as well as accurate dosing. Challenges associated with anthelmintic administration and bodyweight estimation suggest that inaccurate dosing is prevalent. Industry-wide implementation of a single ‘best practice’ could support prescriber decision-making to encourage uptake of effective strategic helminth controls. The barriers identified in this study could help influence guidance given to horse owners through a better understanding of their beliefs and behaviours.

Reducing stocking density benefits behaviour of fast- and slower-growing broilers

The broiler industry has come under sustained pressure from welfare organizations to improve broiler welfare. Breed and stocking density are important factors for broiler welfare and are often specified as criteria for higher welfare systems. However, it remains unknown how slower-growing broilers respond to a reduction in stocking density with regard to their behaviour, and whether this response differs from fast-growing broilers. Therefore, we compared fast- (Ross 308) and slower-growing broilers (Ranger Classic) housed at 4 different stocking densities (24, 30, 36 and 42 kg/m2, based on slaughter weight) with regard to their behaviour, responses to behavioural tests (i.e., novel object (NO), human approach (HA) and free-space (FS) test) and enrichment use at 4 target body weights (TBW’s, 0.4, 1.1, 1.7 and 2.1 kg). The experiment had a 2 × 4 factorial design with 4 replicates (pens) per treatment (total of 32 pens). Thinning (15%) was done in a 50/50 male/female ratio at 38 (Ross 308) and 44 (Ranger Classic) days of age (estimated body weight of 2.2 kg). We hypothesized that slower-growing broilers would respond more strongly to a reduction in stocking density with regard to their behaviour. As slower-growing broilers are more active and show more comfort and foraging behaviours, it is expected that with increasing space they will respond with a larger increase in these types of behaviours compared to fast-growing broilers. Contrary to our hypothesis, hardly any interactions between breed and stocking density were found, indicating that fast- and slower-growing broilers showed similar responses to a reduction in stocking density. Broilers housed at lower stocking densities (24 and/or 30 kg/m2) showed more comfort and foraging behaviour, and showed more frolicking, running and sparring in the FS test compared to those housed at higher stocking densities (36 and/or 42 kg/m2). Slower-growing broilers showed less ingestion, more locomotion, standing, comfort and foraging behaviour, made better use of the enrichment by sitting on the bale, and more slower-growing broilers approached a human and NO compared to fast-growing broilers. In conclusion, reducing stocking density positively affected performance of comfort, foraging and play behaviours, indicating improved welfare. Slower-growing broilers showed more locomotive, comfort and foraging behaviours, less fear and a better use of enrichments, suggesting improved welfare compared to fast-growing broilers. Thus, reducing stocking density and using slower-growing broilers would benefit broiler welfare, where combining both would further improve broiler welfare with regard to their behaviour.

In vivo Evaluation of Immunomodulatory Activity of Lipopolysaccharide Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles (LPS-ZnNPS).

Klebsiella pneumoniae causes a wide variety of infectious diseases. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a large heat-stable polymer that is gram-negative bacteria's major outer membrane component, accounting for roughly 75% of the surface area and 5-10% of the total dry weight. Therefore the current in vivo study was carried out to investigate the immunomodulatory effect of purified lipopolysaccharide produced from local clinical Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates compared with ZnO-NPs and LPS-ZnO NPs. To do the experimental evaluations 35, Balb/c mouse was injected intramuscularly (i.m.) with different concentrations of the purified LPS, ZnoNPs and LPS-ZnoNPs for 12 days and immunized with 10% SRBCs (i.p) on day 4 and 8 of the schedule, while K. pneumoniae suspension and normal saline for positive and negative control groups. Focus on estimating body weight before and after treatment, Arthus and delayed-type hypersensitivity, and detecting serum level of cytokines (TLR-2, IL1Beta, IL4, and IL10) using sandwich ELISA. The data showed the highest value before and after treatment with LPS-ZnO NPs recorded in 2µg/mouse was 27. 92±1.48 and 31.50±0.4, respectively. In Arthurs reaction and Delayed type hypersensitivity, the highest results showed in the positive control group injected with K. pneumoniae 4.08±0.17 and 4.86±80.02, respectively. The results of TLR-2 showed the highest value in the positive control group, 242.17±3.98 pg/ml, followed by Group LPS at 135.51.58 pg/ml. The results of Interleukin-1Beta showed the highest value in the positive control group, 254.88±3.51 pg/ml, followed by Group LPS 174.3± 1.46 pg/ml. The concentration of IL-4 in serum of treated albino mice showed the highest value in the positive control group, 136.2±1.12 pg/ml, followed by Group LPS 86.12±1.49 pg/ml. While the highest value of IL-10 was recorded in the positive control group, 98.58± 4.09 pg/ml, followed by Group LPS- ZnoNP in concentration 4µg/ mouse was 86.018±0.69 pg/ml. The results of the statistical analysis showed a significant difference (P≤0.05) between LPS, ZnoNPs, and LPs-ZnoNPs treated groups and control groups (positive & negative). In the present study, we can conclude that LPS-ZnO NPs had a positive immunomodulatory effect on immune response in immunized mice. As shown in the results of the level of IL-1 beta, IL-4, IL-10, and TLRs-2, Abs titer, and Arthus and DTH reactions.

Development and Validation of a Length- and Habitus-Based Method of Ideal and Lean Body Weight Estimation for Adults Requiring Urgent Weight-Based Medical Intervention.

Accurate drug dosing in obese patients requires an estimation of ideal body weight (IBW) or lean body weight (LBW) for dosing hydrophilic medications. Erroneous weight estimates during the management of adults requiring weight-based treatment may contribute to poor outcomes. Existing methods of IBW and LBW estimation or measurement are very difficult to use during emergency care. A new point-of-care model would be useful to provide rapid estimates of IBW and LBW for this purpose. A model was derived based on the PAWPER XL-MAC tape, a pediatric weight estimation system which uses recumbent length and mid-arm circumference to estimate IBW and LBW. The new adult model was used to generate IBW and LBW estimations for a derivation sample (n=33155) and a validation sample (n=5926) from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) datasets. The model was developed in two steps, with calibration at each step, before being validated on an unused dataset. The outcome measure was to achieve >95% of IBW and LBW estimations within 20% of recognized reference standards (P20>95%) and >70% of estimations within 10% of these standards (P10>70%). The new model achieved a P20 of 100% and a P10 of 99.9% for IBW and a P20 of 98.3% and a P10 of 78.3% for LBW. This accuracy was maintained in both sexes, all ages, all ethnic groups, all lengths, and in all habitus types, except for the severely obese female subgroup. The modified PAWPER XL-MAC model proved to be an accurate method of IBW and LBW estimation. It could, therefore, have an important role in facilitating emergency drug dose calculations in obese adult patients.

Estimating Lean Body Weight in Adults With the PAWPER XL-MAC Tape Using Actual Measured Weight as an Input Variable.

IntroductionAccurate drug dose calculation in obese patients requires an estimation of lean body weight (LBW) for dosing hydrophilic medications. Inaccurate weight estimates during the management of critically ill obese adults may contribute to inaccurate drug doses and consequential poor outcomes. Existing methods of LBW estimation or measurement may be very difficult or impossible to use during emergency care. A point-of-care model that could provide rapid, accurate estimates of LBW would, therefore, be of significant clinical value.MethodsA model was derived based using the adult version of the PAWPER XL-MAC tape. This derived model used recumbent length and measured total body weight (TBW) to estimate LBW. The derived model was used to generate LBW estimations in a random sample from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) datasets (n=33,215). The benchmark outcome measure was to achieve >95% of LBW estimations within 20% of DXA-measured fat-free mass (P20>95%) and >70% of estimations within 10% of DXA-measured fat-free mass (P10>70%).ResultsThe new model achieved a P20 of 99.7% and a P10 of 86.4% for LBW in the pooled sample and exceeded the minimum accuracy standards. This accuracy was maintained in both sexes, all ages, all ethnic groups, all lengths and in all habitus types.ConclusionsThe modified PAWPER XL-MAC model, using TBW as an input variable, proved to be an accurate method of LBW estimation. It could potentially have an important role in facilitating emergency drug dose calculations in critically ill or injured obese adult patients.

Protective role of <em>Benincasa hispida</em> (Thunb.) Cogn. fruit extract against gentamicin induced nephrotoxicity in rats

Drug induced nephrotoxicity is an important cause of renal failure. Gentamicin, an aminoglycoside antibiotic, is a recognized nephrotoxicant in human beings. Use of plant based natural products in the treatment of such renal disorders caused by toxins is not uncommon. In this study, we investigated the nephro-protective potential of hydroalcoholic whole fruit extract of Ash guard, Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn. (HABH) against the toxicity caused by gentamicin in albino Wistar rats. Animals were divided into four groups consisting of six animals in each treatment like normal control (Gr. I), gentamicin 80 mg/kg, i.p. (Gr. II), gentamicin 80 mg/kg, i.p. + HABH 200 (Gr. III) and 400 mg/kg, p.o. (Gr. IV). The degree of protection was assessed by estimating body weight, kidney weight, urine volume of the animals, biochemical parameters in urine and blood and histopathological examination of kidneys. The in vivo antioxidant activity was assessed by estimating the levels of GSH and lipid peroxidation in kidney tissues. The treatment with HABH (200 and 400 mg/kg, p.o) markedly reduced gentamicin induced elevation of urinary sodium, potassium electrolytes, urinary glucose, blood urea and creatinine levels. It also increased the relative body weight of animals, urinary creatinine along with preservation of antioxidant glutathione. The comparative histopathological study of kidneys showed almost normal architecture as in normal control group. The results demononstrated beneficial nephroprotective effects of hydro-alcoholic whole fruit extract of B. hispida by potentially reversing the conditions of kidney damage induced by gentamicin

Estimating body weight in conventional growing pigs using a depth camera

Automated body weight (BW) estimation can be a useful tool for continuous monitoring of growth in commercial pigs, whereas deviations could indicate welfare problems. We validated a depth camera for BW estimation in 251 conventional growing pigs on two farms. Scale-based BW of individual pigs was used as gold standard (Farm 1: 107 pigs, BW range: 16–130 kg, recorded on three days; Farm 2: 144 pigs BW range: 20–114 kg, recorded on nine days). The camera was placed above the individual feeding station (Farm 1) or multi-partitioned feeder (Farm 2) and combined with a radio frequency identification system. Whenever a pig visited the feeding site, three-dimensional images were taken, and all individual daily images were used to calculate the median individual estimated BW. The pen estimated BW was calculated by taking the median of all daily picture estimates. A very high agreement (Concordance Correlation Coefficient >0.96) between scale-based BW and estimated BW was found on both farms at individual and pen level. Additionally, the individual-level and pen-level BW estimation errors of the median weight over the fattening period were low on both farms (≤3.6%). Yet, the camera's BW estimation performance decreased in pigs weighing >110 kg on Farm 1. Whereas, on Farm 2, the performance decreased when pigs weighed approximately 60 kg and were subjected to a typical dietary change, which potentially increased the competition for access to the multi-partitioned feeder and, consequently, limited body boundary detection.

Investigation of a Statistical Model for Estimating Body Weight from Chest Girth Measurement in Holstein females

Investigation of a Statistical Model for Estimating Body Weight from Chest Girth Measurement in Holstein females

Influence of the cattle body weight estimation for drug dosing on the pharmacokinetic and efficacy of ivermectin against Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus

This study aimed to evaluate how the method of body weight estimation of a herd (average vs individual) for drug dosing may affect the pharmacokinetics and therapeutic efficacy of ivermectin 3.15% against Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. The trial was performed in two populations of R. (B.) microplus with different levels of susceptibility to ivermectin: San Martín (SM) (incipient resistance) and Colonia Benítez (CB) (susceptible). Twenty-one (SM) and forty-two (CB) 12-month-old Braford heifers, naturally infested with R. (B.) microplus, were individually weighed and divided into three groups (G). G1 and G2 were treated with a dose of ivermectin 3.15% (IVOMEC GOLD®) at a dose rate of 630 μg/kg of body weight (1 mL/50 kg). G1 received a uniform dose of ivermectin calculated according to the average of the individual body weights. G2 received a dose of ivermectin calculated according to the exact body weight of each animal. G3 were the control group. Ivermectin concentrations were measured from blood samples from day 1 to day 21 post-treatment. The efficacy of the treatment was evaluated by counting female ticks. In both populations the differences in the doses of ivermectin administered did not affect the pharmacokinetics and therapeutic efficacy of the drug. Nevertheless, it is necessary to avoid the sub-dosage of cattle to reduce the selection pressure for resistance on the tick populations.

Towards the Estimation of Body Weight in Sheep Using Metaheuristic Algorithms from Biometric Parameters in Microsystems.

The Body Weight (BW) of sheep is an important indicator for producers. Genetic management, nutrition, and health activities can benefit from weight monitoring. This article presents a polynomial model with an adjustable degree for estimating the weight of sheep from the biometric parameters of the animal. Computer vision tools were used to measure these parameters, obtaining a margin of error of less than 5%. A polynomial model is proposed after the parameters were obtained, where a coefficient and an unknown exponent go with each biometric variable. Two metaheuristic algorithms determine the values of these constants. The first is the most extended algorithm, the Genetic Algorithm (GA). Subsequently, the Cuckoo Search Algorithm (CSA) has a similar performance to the GA, which indicates that the value obtained by the GA is not a local optimum due to the poor parameter selection in the GA. The results show a Root-Mean-Squared Error (RMSE) of 7.68% for the GA and an RMSE of 7.55% for the CSA, proving the feasibility of the mathematical model for estimating the weight from biometric parameters. The proposed mathematical model, as well as the estimation of the biometric parameters can be easily adapted to an embedded microsystem.

Comparison of mathematical models to estimate live weight through heart girth in growing Pelibuey sheep

Background: Assessment of animal growth based on live weight (LW) in traditional sheep production systems is limited by the high cost of purchase and maintenance of livestock scales. Objective: To develop and evaluate equations for LW prediction using heart girth (HG) in growing Pelibuey sheep. Methods: A dataset (n=415) of clinically healthy male Pelibuey sheep from two months to one year of age, with an average LW of 25.96 ± 10.25 kg and HG of 68.31 ± 10.53 cm, were used. Three equations were evaluated: LW (kg) = −37.70 + 0.93 × HG (Eq. 1); LW (kg) = −1.74 + 0.19 × HG + 0.008 × HG2 (Eq. 2); and LW (kg) = 0.003 × HG2.68 (Eq. 3). Results: The correlation coefficient between LW and HG was r = 0.94 (p<0.001). The three equations showed a high concordance correlation coefficient (CCCs≥0.97). However, the random error was the main component of the mean square partition of the prediction error (≥82.78%) only for Eqs. 1 and 2. The test for parameter identity (intercept=0; slope=1) was accepted only for Eq. 2 (p>0.05). On the other hand, for Eqs. 1 and 3 the intercept was different from zero and the slope was different from one (p<0.05). Conclusion: The second-degree equation accurately and precisely estimated body weight of growing Pelibuey sheep using the HG as a sole predictor variable.

Estimates of heritability and genetic correlation for growth traits at harvest in redclaw crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus

The current study assessed genetic parameters of three growth traits in redclaw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus, including body weight (BW), body length (BL) and carapace length (CL), and explored how the number of families affected the heritability estimates of these traits. A total of 350 families were produced, and seven family levels containing 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300 and 350 families respectively were designed. After a 170 d communally rearing period for 350 families, males had significantly higher BW and BL averages (P < 0.001), but significantly lower CL average than females (P < 0.001). Heritability estimates of BW, BL and CL based on 350 families were 0.138 ± 0.051, 0.123 ± 0.048 and 0.073 ± 0.035, with common environmental effects of 0.049 ± 0.024, 0.053 ± 0.023 and 0.039 ± 0.017, respectively. There were strong positive genetic correlations (0.863 ± 0.089–0.970 ± 0.028) between these growth traits. Among different family levels, heritability estimates ranged from 0.030 ± 0.090 to 0.138 ± 0.051, 0.010 ± 0.091 to 0.123 ± 0.048, and 0 to 0.073 ± 0.035, and common environmental effects ranged from 0.045 ± 0.101 to 0.092 ± 0.046, 0.053 ± 0.023 to 0.100 ± 0.047, and 0.038 ± 0.043 to 0.062 ± 0.033, for BW, BL and CL, respectively. Only heritability estimates of BW and BL based on 300 and 350 families, and that of CL based on 350 families, were significantly different from zero (P < 0.05), which suggested that larger numbers of families could contribute to more accurate estimation of heritability. The results indicate that there exists some genetic variation for our selection population to improve growth in C. quadricarinatus. However, the future program for redclaw crayfish needs to include crossing with outside stocks to replenish genetic variation of selection population.

Morphometric Differences in Body Dimensions of Local Goats Ladongi District, East Kolaka Regency

Goats are generally kept quite a lot and are livestock that have the potential to produce meat to meet protein of animal origin. This study aims to determine the difference between the body dimensions of local goats in Ladongi District, East Kolaka Regency with the research material of 165 Kacang goats and 121 Jawarandu goats. Peanut goats were divided into 3 age groups, namely (≤12 months, 13-24 months, &gt;24 months) each with 87, 46, 32 heads, and Jawarandu goats were divided into 3 age groups (≤12 months, 13 months). -24 months, &gt;24 months) each were 49, 33, 39 using a purposive sampling research method. Research parameters include the body measured includes body length, shoulder height, chest circumference, chest depth, hip height, hip width, and body weight. The data obtained were processed to obtain a correlation (r). The results showed that the age difference was very significant. The conclusion of the research variable that has the strongest correlation value in estimating body weight is chest circumference