Body Parameters Research Articles

Analysis and Design of Low-Power Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Circuit for Wearable Battery-Free Power Supply Devices

Improving microelectronic technologies has created various micro-power electronic devices with different practical applications, including wearable electronic modules and systems. Furthermore, the power sources for wearable electronic devices most often work with electrical energy obtained from the environment without using standard batteries. This paper presents the structure and electrical parameters of a circuit configuration realized as a prototype of a low-power AC-DC conversion circuit intended for use as a power supply device for signal processing systems that test various biomedical parameters of the human body. The proposed prototype has to work as a wearable self-powered system that transfers electrical energy obtained through mechanical vibrations in the piezoelectric generator. The obtained electrical energy is used to charge a single low-voltage supercapacitor, which is used as an energy storage element. The proposed circuit configuration is realized with discrete components consisting of a low-voltage bridge rectifier, a low-pass filter, a DC-DC step-down (buck) synchronous converter, a power-controlling system with an error amplifier, and a window detector that produces a “power-good” signal. The power-controlling system allows tuning the output voltage level to around 1.8 V, and the power dissipation for it is less than 0.03 mW. The coefficient of energy efficiency achieved up to 78% for output power levels up to 3.6 mW. Experimental testing was conducted to verify the proposed AC-DC conversion circuit’s effectiveness, as the results confirmed the preliminary theoretical analyses and the derived analytical expressions for the primary electrical parameters.

Modeling of intervertebral discs’ parameters of the lumbar spine base on somatometric data

The relevance of the study arises from the high prevalence of spinal column pathology and the rapid advancement of diagnostic technologies, which necessitate the refinement of criteria for identifying changes in the structural components of the spine, particularly one of its most vulnerable elementsт – the intervertebral discs. The reliance on subjective criteria for assessing intervertebral discs during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) highlights the need for more objective, quantitative criteria to evaluate intervertebral disc changes. The aim of the study was to develop an optimal, practical model for calculating the total size index of intervertebral discs based on external body parameters, applicable in clinical practice, and to validate its effectiveness. To achieve this goal, lumbar spine MRI was performed on young women aged 16 to 26 years who were native residents of the Vinnytsia region. The main group consisted of 80 participants, including 52 young women aged 16-20 years and 28 women aged 21-26 years; the validation group included 65 females aged 16-26 years. Anthropometric measurements, including height and body weight, were recorded for all participants. Using data from the main group, mathematical modeling was conducted to determine the total size of lumbar intervertebral discs. The modeling process employed stepwise regression analysis based on somatodisc coefficients of individual intervertebral discs and anthropometric parameters. As a result, a model was developed to calculate somatodisc coefficients using body height and weight. Further algebraic transformations of the somatodisc coefficient yielded a formula for calculating individualized total disc size indicators, integrating vertical, sagittal, and transverse dimensions. The predictive accuracy of the obtained models ranged from 85 % to 91 %. When the actual total size measurements of intervertebral discs in the main group were compared to the mathematically modeled values, deviations did not exceed ±10 %. This mathematical model for calculating the total size of lumbar intervertebral discs based on somatometric data enables the determination of individualized normative metrics and the objective identification of early degenerative disc changes. When comparing clinical visual assessments of intervertebral disc changes using Pfirrmann grading with mathematical evaluations in the validation group, agreement was observed in 91 % of cases. Discrepancies were identified in 9 %, necessitating further analysis to prevent underdiagnosis or overdiagnosis of intervertebral disc changes. Thus, mathematical modeling serves as a tool for determining individualized normative metrics. The proposed mathematical models for calculating the total size of intervertebral discs based on body height and weight represent a powerful supplement to existing criteria for intervertebral disc assessment.

Footstep reward for energy-efficient quadruped gait generation and transition through deep reinforcement learning

The generation of quadruped robot gait through deep reinforcement learning (DRL) has emerged as a prominent topic in recent years. However, DRL methods face challenges in generating specific and energy-efficient gait patterns, as well as in achieving gait transition. These methods often require imposing restrictions on movement or on the learning process to achieve proper gait specification and generation, thereby limiting the quadruped model movement achievable with DRL training. In this paper, we propose a new DRL reward design method, called FootStep Reward, to successfully generate specific gait patterns that exhibit animal-like energetic properties. Our method is capable of generating Walk, Trot, and Gallop gait patterns at any velocity while demonstrating better energy efficiency compared to similar gait specification methods. Additionally, we employ our method to analyze the impact of two body parameters: model mass and joint stiffness, increasing our understanding of how these parameters influence Walk, Trot and Gallop gait efficiency. Finally, we implement the FootStep Reward method to generate gait transitions and successfully achieve the transition from Walk to Trot gait, optimizing locomotion at low and medium velocities.

Test of the Mechanical and Acoustic Parameters of the Electric Guitar Body

The aim of the work is a mechanical and acoustic analysis of electric guitar bodies. Samples of ash, oak, walnut, lime tree, and fir were selected for mechanical tests - with constant moisture content, made of latewood, and free from defects. The tests were carried out on the Brinell device to determine the hardness of the wood and on the MCT3 machine from Anton Paar to determine the microhardness and elastic moduli. The elastic properties of wood are determined by its anisotropy and have different values depending on the direction of force in relation to the fibers. The wood showed the greatest stiffness along the fibers and, in the case of forces acting perpendicular to the fibers, the stiffness was much lower. Sound transmission tests of selected acoustic parameters were carried out. They involved measuring and analyzing the frequency and damping of vibrations of guitar bodies using a special vibration sensor. The acoustic parameters of a guitar body experimentally made from walnut were compared with those of a mass-produced Ibanez guitar made of ash wood. Each species of wood has its own characteristic blend of physical properties, such as grain structure, density, weight, and strength, which influence the final tonal power of the guitar. The test results of various wood species indicate significant strength and acoustic-resonance differences, which determine the absorption of vibrations, sound amplification, and sound transmission. The use of specific wood for a guitar body is related to the musician's artistic vision and the purpose of the instrument.

Effect of different water salinity ecosystems on the decompositions of partially submerged buried cadavers in tropical regions

ABSTRACT The decomposition process of a partially submerged, buried body differs significantly from that of a body decomposing on the soil surface. Consequently, locating partially submerged clandestine graves and determining the time since death (TSD) of a buried cadaver presents considerable challenges for forensic authorities. A simulated burial experiment was conducted to closely observe the effects of environmental physicochemical parameters of a water body on the decomposition of partially submerged buried cadavers. In this study, 50 g of fatty flesh from a commercial pig (Sus scrofa) was buried at a depth of 10 cm in soil adjacent to freshwater and brackish water ecosystems. The fatty tissue was allowed to decompose for 270 days and was sampled at 31 designated sampling points. The decomposition rate in the brackish water ecosystem was higher than in the freshwater ecosystem, averaging 1.35 g/day and 1.53 g/day, respectively. Additionally, water salinity was found to be the primary factor influencing the decomposition in the freshwater ecosystem, while dissolved oxygen and pH levels predominantly affected the decomposition rate in the brackish water ecosystem. These findings may aid in identifying partially submerged clandestine graves and/or estimating the post-mortem burial duration of remains.

Morphological data of the superior vena cava predicted by multiple linear regression equations

This study explores the main surface markers in the hemodialysis puncture catheterization pathway and the relative spatial position of venous vessels in the puncture results, providing data support for venous puncture. Seventy cadavers were studied; angles of vertical axis with superior vena cava, left and right brachiocephalic vein at the confluence and circumference of superior vena cava were the primary parameters. Bivariate correlation analysis was used to determine in relation to other body parameters, and a regression equation was also obtained. The angle of the vertical axis with the superior vena cava at the confluence was linearly correlated with the distances between the coracoid processes and the jugular notch to coracoid processes. The angle of the vertical axis with left brachiocephalic vein was linearly correlated with the thickness of thorax and the length from the upper pericardial margin to the confluence. The angle of the vertical axis with right brachiocephalic vein was correlated with clavicular midline length, acromial distance, intersection point of clavicle to clavicular midline, confluence to clavicular midline, superior edge of the blood vessels to superior edge of clavicle at the right intersection, and superior edge of pericardium to confluence. There is a linear relationship between the superior vena cava circumference and the distance from the superior vena cava to the aorta. A number of parameters influence angles of the vertical axis with superior vena cava, left and right brachiocephalic veins and the superior vena cava circumference which can provide guidance for intubation.

Design and characteristic analysis of a high-performance deformable piezoelectric wind energy harvester based on coupled vibrations

The current vortex-induced vibration piezoelectric wind energy harvesters have a narrow operating wind speed range, while galloping piezoelectric energy harvesters are at risk of damage from excessive amplitude at high wind speeds, a novel high-performance deformable piezoelectric wind energy harvester based on coupled vibrations (DPWEH) has been proposed. The alteration of the compound blunt body shape effectively modifies the shedding characteristics and intensity of vortices, subsequently influencing the vibration mode and output voltage of the system. The vibration mode transitions from galloping to coupled vibration, ultimately to vortex-induced vibration. The rigid wing and long elastic beam suppress galloping at high wind speeds. A thinner flexible wing can extend the duration of coupled vibration. A smaller wing width ratio and larger Y-type base wing width are beneficial for increasing the output voltage. By optimizing the parameters of the compound blunt body, the onset wind speed can be effectively reduced, the effective wind speed bandwidth can be expanded, and the DPWEH can undergo coupled vibration for an extended duration while stably generating electricity. The peak output power is 0.36 mW at a load of 150 kΩ. Moreover, the energy harvester demonstrates the prolonged power generation capability of signal transmitters and 100 LED lights.

IoT-based Ubiquitous Healthcare System with Intelligent Approach to an Epidemic

Background:: The recent pandemic has shown its different shades across various solicitations, especially in the healthcare sector. It has a great impact on transforming the traditional healthcare architecture, which is based on the physical approaching model, into the modern or remote healthcare system. The remote healthcare approach is quite achievable now by utilizing multiple modern technological paradigms like AI, Cloud Computing, Feature Learning, the Internet of Things, etc. Accordingly, the pharmaceutical section is the most fascinating province to be inspected by medical experts in restoring the evolutionary healthcare approaches. COVID-19 has created chaos in the society for which many unexpected deaths occur due to delays in medication and the improper prognosis at an irreverent plan. As medical management applications have become ubiquitous in nature and technology-oriented, patient monitoring systems are getting more popular among medical actors. Method: The Internet of Things (IoT) has achieved the solution criteria for providing such a huge service across the globe at any time and in any place. A quite feasible and approachable framework has evolved through this work regarding hardware development and predictive patent analysis. The desired model illustrates various approaches to the development of a wearable sensor medium that will be directly attached to the body of the patients. These sensor mediums are mostly accountable for observing body parameters like blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, etc., and transmit these data to the cloud storage via various intermediate steps. The storage medium in the cloud will be storing the sensor-acquired data in a time-to-time manner for a detailed analysis. Further, the stored data will be normalized and processed across various predictive models. Results and Conclusion: The model with the best accuracy will be treated as the resultant model among the numerous predictive models deployed in the cloud. During the hardware development process, several hardware modules are discussed. After receiving sensor-acquired data, it will be processed by the cloud's multiple machine-learning models. Finally, thorough analytics will be developed based on a meticulous examination of the patients' cardinal, essential, and fundamental data and communicated to the appropriate physicians for action. This model will then be used for the data dissemination procedure, in which an alarm message will be issued to the appropriate authorities.

Heritability of docility and correlation with body weight and linear body measurements in cattle

Abstract This study aimed to estimate heritability of docility and its correlations with body weight and linear body measurements in cattle. The number of animals tested for docility was 132. Fixed factors such as breed, sex, hump status and age contemporary group were fitted in the models. The body parameters measured were body weight, body length, heart girth and height at withers. Docility was scored on a scale of 1 to 5. The data was analysed using restricted maximum likelihood method. The results indicate mean docility score of 2.82 ± 1.51. The heritability of docility was 0.23 ± 0.05 which implies that docility in the cattle population can respond to selection. The heritability of body weight (0.013 ± 0.004) and the linear body measurements (range: 0.001 ± 0.15 to 0.02 ± 0.20) were very low. The genetic and phenotypic correlation between docility and body weight was 0.48 ± 0.07 and 0.60 ± 0.04 respectively. The genetic and phenotypic correlations between docility and the linear body measurements ranged from -0.99 ± 0.18 to -0.14 ± 0.25 and from 0.09 ± 0.20 to 0.60 ± 0.04 respectively. It was concluded that improvement of docility in the cattle population is possible through mass selection.

Impact of a Near-Surface Plasma Region on the Bow Shock Wave and Aerodynamic Characteristics of a High-Speed Model in Xenon

The main objective of this study is to demonstrate the active influence on the location of the bow shock wave, as well as on the parameters of an aerodynamic body, of a gas discharge organized near the frontal surface, between the body and the bow shock wave. The research is carried out using both experimental and numerical methods at the freestream Mach number M = 6.8. The working gas is xenon. It is shown that the location of the steady bow shock wave, along with the current and power of the discharge, is associated with the change in the adiabatic index of the plasma created by the discharge, which, in turn, is determined by plasma parameters such as the degrees of nonequilibrium and the degree of ionization. It is shown that the adiabatic index with the power supplied to the impact zone in the range of 30–120 kW can both increase and decrease in the range of 1.25–1.288. A study of the discharge-created plasma zone is conducted, and the correspondence between the gas discharge current and power and the average parameters in the plasma zone created by the discharge are presented. A good agreement between the numerical and experimental data is shown. The results obtained can be useful in the development of control systems for high-speed flows based not only on the effects of heating but also on the impact of plasma parameters.

ATGT3D: Animatable Texture Generation and Tracking for 3D Avatars

We propose the ATGT3D an Animatable Texture Generation and Tracking for 3D Avatars, featuring the innovative design of the Eye Diffusion Module (EDM) and Pose Tracking Diffusion Module (PTDM), which are dedicated to high-quality eye texture generation and synchronized tracking of dynamic poses and textures, respectively. Compared to traditional GAN and VAE methods, ATGT3D significantly enhances texture consistency and generation quality in animated scenes using the EDM, which produces high-quality full-body textures with detailed eye information using the HUMBI dataset. Additionally, the Pose Tracking and Diffusion Module (PTDM) monitors human motion parameters utilizing the BEAT2 and AMASS mesh-level animatable human model datasets. The EDM, in conjunction with a basic texture seed featuring eyes and the diffusion model, restores high-quality textures, whereas the PTDM, by integrating MoSh++ and SMPL-X body parameters, models hand and body movements from 2D human images, thus providing superior 3D motion capture datasets. This module maintains the synchronization of textures and movements over time to ensure precise animation texture tracking. During training, the ATGT3D model uses the diffusion model as the generative backbone to produce new samples. The EDM improves the texture generation process by enhancing the precision of eye details in texture images. The PTDM involves joint training for pose generation and animation tracking reconstruction. Textures and body movements are generated individually using encoded prompts derived from masked gestures. Furthermore, ATGT3D adaptively integrates texture and animation features using the diffusion model to enhance both fidelity and diversity. Experimental results show that ATGT3D achieves optimal texture generation performance and can flexibly integrate predefined spatiotemporal animation inputs to create comprehensive human animation models. Our experiments yielded unexpectedly positive outcomes.

Deep anomaly localization using surface-borehole TEM and its application in the Wulong Gold deposit

The localization of deep anomalies is a crucial geophysical topic. Surface-borehole transient electromagnetic method (TEM) offers advantages over traditional surface TEM method, including reduced interference from the ground and enhanced resolution capabilities for deep-seated local anomalies. In this study, the localization of deep anomalies was conducted using surface-borehole TEM methods. Based on the equivalence between the pure anomaly field generated by the anomaly body and the electromagnetic field generated by eddy current loops, the calculation of the pure anomaly field was achieved. The extraction of the pure anomaly field was accomplished through fitting the transient electromagnetic response over a large spatial range. By fitting the pure anomaly field with the eddy current loop field, the geometric parameters of the anomaly body were determined, which enabling anomaly localization. The effectiveness of the proposed method was evaluated through synthetic example and demonstrated through its application in the Wulong Gold Mine area. The results showcase the localization of anomalies exceeding a depth of 2800 m using surface-borehole TEM methods, highlighting their superior resolution capabilities compared to the surface TEM methods. Comprehensive well logging and downhole geochemical surveys indicate that the anomaly localized using surface-borehole TEM methods hold multi-metallogenic prospects, including Cu, Pb, Zn, Au, and Ag, presenting significant research value and potential economic benefits.

Validation of Multi-Frequency Inductive-Loop Measurement System for Parameters of Moving Vehicle Based on Laboratory Model.

The paper presents research on a system for measuring the parameters of a vehicle in motion and the process of validating it under laboratory conditions. The measurement system uses four inductive-loop (IL) sensors, two slim ILs and two wide ILs. The vehicle speed, wheelbase, length, and overhangs are all determined on the basis of a vehicle magnetic profile (VMP) waveform. VMPs are captured from the continuous IL-based impedance measurement. The impedance measurement for a single IL is performed simultaneously at three carrier frequencies. The uncontrolled measurement conditions in the field on a real road test bed (RTB), including the speed of passing vehicles, motivated the development of a laboratory test bed (LTB). This LTB serves as a model of an existing measurement setup installed on the road, i.e., the RTB. The LTB includes IL sensors and a movable model of the vehicle made in 1:50 scale. The LTB enables validation of the whole measurement system in the vehicle speed range from 10 km/h up to 150 km/h in 5 km/h increments in fully controlled conditions. The measurement results are presented in the distance domain, calculated from the VMPs and the measured speed. The largest errors in estimating vehicle-model body parameters, on a natural scale, do not exceed 4.3 cm.

Studies on biodiversity of Nycticorax nycticorax- Linnaeus, 1758 at Manchar Lake, Sindh, Pakistan

The lake manchar is considered as one of the largest freshwater lakes in Pakistan, it’s located in district of Jamshoro. This wetland plays a substantial role in providing habitats to variety of resident and migratory birds. It provides shelter to the vast biodiversity that has daily and seasonal dependencies for all the life-support systems. Birds use this lake for drinking water, breeding, rearing young ones and social interactions. Meanwhile, birds play important role in balancing the ecosystem and food web of the ecosystem by conserving maintainable population levels of prey and predator species, and after death provide food to scavengers as well as decomposers. Birds are best pollinators, help in plant production through their services as pollinators or seed dispersers and increase forest growth, also help in environmental conservation. Considering the valuable role of wetlands and importance of avifaunal species in agriculture, food chains, ecosystem and pharmaceutics, a comprehensive study is carried out to evaluate diversity of socio-economically valuable avifaunal species at Manchar Lake. Monthly field surveys were conducted from January 2024 to October 2024, resulting in the collection of 80 specimens of Nycticorax nycticorax. Minor variation was recorded in body parameters including body weight, size of beak, body length, wingspan, limbs length, length of tail feathers, and width of web. Nycticorax nycticorax Weight of body 302±1.53 Length of beak 72± 1.20 Length of Wingspan 190±3.22 Length of limbs 787±140.5 Length of tail feathers 314±3.12 limbs Length of body 21.5±0.95. Nycticorax nycticorax was recorded to be the predatory bird, and their occurrence was abundant in the lake premises. The highest prevalence of recorded species occurred in January, February, and March, with the lowest richness observed in June and July. The study concluded that Manchar Lake is experiencing significant pollution due to runoff from agricultural fields, residential areas, and other sources. This pollution, combined with factors such as massive hunting, climatic changes, seasonal fluctuations, and decreasing food resources, has led to a decline in bird populations at the lake

Design of Positive Pressure Re-Acceleration Assisted Seeding Mechanism for Corn Based on CFD-EDEM Gas-Solid Coupling Simulation

This study proposes a positive pressure re-acceleration assisted seeding mechanism and analyzes the motion mechanism of corn seeds during the seeding process. By employing the CFD-EDEM gas-solid coupling simulation analysis method, the fluid characteristics, initial ejection velocity of seeds, seed dropping time difference, and sowing position difference in the seeding mechanism under different structural parameters of the air pressure valve body were investigated. The optimal structural parameters of the air pressure valve body were determined (nozzle gap c = 0.6 mm, throat constriction diameter d = 16 mm, and throat constriction length l = 44 mm). A multi-factor experimental method was used to explore the effects of airflow pressure, forward speed during sowing, and sowing distance on sowing performance, aiming to identify the optimal working parameters for the positive pressure re-acceleration seeding mechanism. High-speed camera technology was used to record and analyze the seed movement process. The results indicate that an increase in positive pressure within the seed guide tube shortens the sowing time of corn seeds, reduces the coefficient of variation of seed dropping time difference, and effectively improves the consistency of sowing distance. The optimal parameters are a forward speed of 8 km/h, sowing distance of 20 cm, airflow pressure of 10 kPa, with a sowing distance coefficient of variation of 7.56%, and a seed dropping time difference coefficient of variation of 5.35%.

Monitoring system for physical activity and fitness based on service robots and biomechanics

Exercise is one of the important ways for people to exercise, with characteristics such as sociality and strong participation. Especially with the improvement of the level of economic development and the improvement of the quality of life of the people, more and more people begin to attach importance to the maintenance of their own health. Physical fitness monitoring, as an effective means, is widely used in daily life, especially among the elderly. However, most of the existing monitoring methods are relatively simple, lacking pertinence, and the data collection process is relatively cumbersome and unstable, which cannot meet current needs. Therefore, it is very necessary to explore a new type of equipment that can more comprehensively and accurately monitor various physiological parameters of the human body to replace existing traditional detection technologies. Service Robots are currently the most promising intelligent hardware products. They mainly provide personalized services centered on users, sensing user behavior and implementing intelligent decision-making based on their characteristics, thereby better meeting the needs of different groups of people. This article focused on the research and development of Service Robots, and designed a comprehensive solution for Service Robots based on theories such as the Internet of Things, cloud computing, big data technology, and artificial intelligence. This article compared existing intelligent monitoring systems with fitness monitoring systems based on Service Robots, and proved that the user experience of fitness monitoring with robot participation has improved by about 4.68%. Its application scenarios were richer and its effects were more significant, enabling it to better complete tasks such as analysis and prediction of physical fitness status, real-time warning, etc., reducing the risk of people suffering from diseases, and enhancing individual protection awareness.

Association between Serum Cortisol Level and Erectile Function in Healthy Men from the General Population

Purpose: The aim of the study is to investigate the association between serum levels of cortisol and erectile function in healthy men aged 45-60 years. Material and methods: The serum level of cortisol was measured. The international index of erectile function-5 items (IIEF-5) was used to assess the erectile function. Data were gathered on the age of participants, Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference, family history of cardiovascular disease, and their habits including alcohol consumption and smoking. Two subgroups were defined, based on the IIEF-5 total score: the normal erectile function group with an IIEF-5 total score ≥ 22 points, and the erectile dysfunction group with an IIEF-5 total score <22 points. Results: A positive significant correlation was found between cortisol levels and IIEF-5 total score (r = 0.299, p = 0.003). Cortisol level and IIEF-5 total score showed negative significant correlations with BMI (r = -0.276, p = 0.004), (r =-0.193, p = 0.041), respectively; and waist circumference (r = -0.319, p = 0.001), (r = -0.283, p = 0.003), respectively. Men with normal erectile function had significantly higher cortisol levels (377 nmol/L vs. 308 nmol/L, p = <0.001); significantly lower BMI (25 kg/m2 vs. 27 kg/m2, p = 0.005), and waist circumference (97 cm vs. 104 cm, p = <0.001) compared to men with erectile dysfunction. In multivariate regression analysis adjusted for the age of participants, alcohol consumption, smoking, and family history of cardiovascular disease, IIEF-5 total score showed a significant negative association only with waist circumference (β = -0.194, p = 0.031, 95% CI = -0.370, -0.018). Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate a significant positive association between serum levels of cortisol and erectile function in healthy men. This association seems, however, to be affected by variations in body parameters, mainly waist circumference in such men.

The Implications of Sacralized Transitional Vertebra on Spinal Alignment.

Retrospective study of a multicentric prospective database. This study aimed to determine, in a cohort of healthy volunteers, the impact of sacralized lumbo-sacral transitional vertebra (LSTV) on spinal alignment according to its grade, particularly regarding lumbar lordosis magnitude and distribution, and the implications for spinopelvic parameters measurement. There is little data regarding spinopelvic alignment assessment in LSTV patients. This study included healthy volunteers with full-body stereoradiographs in free-standing position aged over 18. Castellvi grade, pelvic parameters (measured on S1 and L5), L1-S1 lumbar lordosis (LL) and segmental lordosis for each disc and vertebral body, thoracic kyphosis, cervical lordosis, lower limb, and global alignment parameters were assessed. Castellvi I and II were considered as Low-grade and Castellvi III and IV as High-grade LSTV. Alignment parameters between No-LSTV, Low- and High-grade LSTV were compared. Propensity score matching was used to match PI in No-LSTV and Low-grades. Spinopelvic parameters measured on S1 in No-LSTV group and on L5 in High-grade were compared. 713 subjects were included, of whom 23 Low-grades and 27 High-grades. Mean pelvic incidence was 51.0±11.0° and mean age was 37.5±16.2 years. LL distribution was different between groups, with an apex and inflexion point significantly higher in High-grade (P<0.001). Kyphosis in the LSTV segment was compensated for by a steeper increase of LL above L5 in the High-grades. Low-grades and PI-matched No-LSTV presented similar alignment parameters. There were minor differences in parameters measured on S1 in No-LSTV and no L5 in High-grades. Subjects with low-grade LSTV present similar alignment as PI-matched No-LSTV subjects, and S1 should be taken as reference to measure spinopelvic parameters. High-grade LSTV subjects have kyphotic L5-S1 segment with more cranial lumbar apex and thoracolumbar inflexion point. In these subjects, spinopelvic parameters should be measured on L5.

Application of digital transformation tools in dairy cattle farming and their role in improving population health and animal productivity

The aim of the study is to explore the ways of implementing digital technologies and modern technical solutions to ensure the population health of animals in the context of contemporary dairy farming. The paper discusses modern digital technical tools and automated processes in dairy farming facilitated by these tools. In the course of the study, the main tasks for successful digital transformation and ensuring the population health of animals in dairy farming were identified: searching for biomarkers of pathological and physiological states of animals, developing methods for determining found biomarkers, developing technical solutions for parameter registration and their implementation into production. At the moment, automatic systems for diagnosing the state of the animal’s body have been implemented using sound sensors, devices for determining the activity of the animal and the position of the body in space. Sensors for determining the electrical conductivity of milk make it possible to determine mastitis at the initial stage of the pathological process. Sensors for determining the concentration of hormones in milk make it possible to determine the period of the sexual cycle. ICS cameras allow you to determine areas of inflammation on the animal’s body. A modern 3-D camera system, combined with software, allows automatic measurement of animal body parameters on a daily basis. Thus, the implemented automated systems make it possible to reduce the time of human contact with an animal, which has a positive effect on the health of the animal. On the other hand, constant monitoring of important indicators of animal health allows timely detection of the onset of the disease. All of the above helps ensure population health on dairy farms.

Effect of Age on the Body Parameters, Scrotum, Seminal Characteristics, Spermatozoa Integrity and Sexual Behavior in Ganjam Buck

Background: Bucks raised for breeding purposes receive no special attention and are raised at random without following the correct selection process. Besides, the fertility of the male bucks is never addressed. Goat breeders have noted a sharp decline in the reproductive efficiency of Ganjam goats, associated with a lengthened kidding interval, fewer successful pregnancies and decreased twining frequency. The measurement of male fertility parameters is crucial for estimating the breeding performance of any species since males contribute 50% of the reproductive efficiency. Methods: Six Ganjam bucks of age 1.5(B1), 2(B2), 2.5(B3), 3.5(B4), 4(B5) and 4.5(B6) years procured after selection on the basis of their body morphometry and sexual behaviour were maintained under optimum management practice. They were trained for semen collection. For study on effect age on the semen qualities, they were classified into two age groups and ejaculates were collected during two phases. Bucks of age below 3 were considered under Age group I and bucks older than 3 years were assigned Age group II. Twelve ejaculates from each buck were collected, six ejaculates between the month of July to August and six ejaculates during October to November. The total of 72 ejaculates was evaluated for the study of seminal characteristics. Besides, the external body parameters, scrotal parameters and sexual behaviour of the bucks were also recorded before each semen collection. Result: The bucks of age group II were found to be having significantly higher (p less than 0.01) body weight, mean body length and average value of chest girth than age group I bucks in the present study. The mean value of scrotal width of the bucks of age group II was significantly higher (p less than 0.01) as compared to that of age group I. The mean value of abnormalities of the bucks of age group II was significantly higher (p less than 0.01) than that of age group I. The mean value of acrosome integrity and MBRT of the bucks of age group II was significantly higher (p less than 0.05) to that of age group I. The present study will be helpful in the selection of Ganjam buck at appropriate age for breeding purpose basing on their body parameters, scrotum, seminal characteristics, spermatozoa integrity and sexual behavior.