A Low-Cost IoT Platform for Heat Stress Monitoring in Dairy Cattle

Abstract Background The effect of heat stress on livestock production is a worldwide issue. Animal performance is influenced by exposure to harsh environmental conditions potentially causing genotype-by-environment interactions (G × E), especially in highproducing animals. In this context, the main objectives of this study were to (1) detect the time periods in which heifer fertility traits are more sensitive to the exposure to high environmental temperature and/or humidity, (2) investigate G × E due to heat stress in heifer fertility traits, and, (3) identify genomic regions associated with heifer fertility and heat tolerance in Holstein cattle. Results Phenotypic records for three heifer fertility traits (i.e., age at first calving, interval from first to last service, and conception rate at the first service) were collected, from 2005 to 2018, for 56,998 Holstein heifers raised in 15 herds in the Beijing area (China). By integrating environmental data, including hourly air temperature and relative humidity, the critical periods in which the heifers are more sensitive to heat stress were located in more than 30 days before the first service for age at first calving and interval from first to last service, or 10 days before and less than 60 days after the first service for conception rate. Using reaction norm models, significant G × E was detected for all three traits regarding both environmental gradients, proportion of days exceeding heat threshold, and minimum temperature-humidity index. Through single-step genome-wide association studies, PLAG1, AMHR2, SP1, KRT8, KRT18, MLH1, and EOMES were suggested as candidate genes for heifer fertility. The genes HCRTR1, AGRP, PC, and GUCY1B1 are strong candidates for association with heat tolerance. Conclusions The critical periods in which the reproductive performance of heifers is more sensitive to heat stress are trait-dependent. Thus, detailed analysis should be conducted to determine this particular period for other fertility traits. The considerable magnitude of G × E and sire re-ranking indicates the necessity to consider G × E in dairy cattle breeding schemes. This will enable selection of more heat-tolerant animals with high reproductive efficiency under harsh climatic conditions. Lastly, the candidate genes identified to be linked with response to heat stress provide a better understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms of heat tolerance in dairy cattle.

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IoT Platform for Energy Sustainability in University Campuses

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21020357 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 357

Author(s):

Pedro Moura ◽

José Ignacio Moreno ◽

Gregorio López López ◽

Manuel Alvarez-Campana

Keyword(s):

Energy Demand ◽

New Technologies ◽

Low Cost ◽

Sustainable Use ◽

High Energy ◽

Appropriate Technology ◽

Monitoring And Control ◽

Energy Sustainability ◽

University Campuses ◽

Iot Platform

University campuses are normally constituted of large buildings responsible for high energy demand, and are also important as demonstration sites for new technologies and systems. This paper presents the results of achieving energy sustainability in a testbed composed of a set of four buildings that constitute the Telecommunications Engineering School of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. In the paper, after characterizing the consumption of university buildings for a complete year, different options to achieve more sustainable use of energy are presented, considering the integration of renewable generation sources, namely photovoltaic generation, and monitoring and controlling electricity demand. To ensure the implementation of the desired monitoring and control, an internet of things (IoT) platform based on wireless sensor network (WSN) infrastructure was designed and installed. Such a platform supports a smart system to control the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and lighting systems in buildings. Furthermore, the paper presents the developed IoT-based platform, as well as the implemented services. As a result, the paper illustrates how providing old existing buildings with the appropriate technology can contribute to the objective of transforming such buildings into nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEB) at a low cost.

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PSVII-6 Effects of heat stress on proteolysis in dairy cattle skeletal muscle

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skaa054.298 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 98 (Supplement_3) ◽

pp. 168-168

Author(s):

Melissa S Roths ◽

Megan A Abeyta ◽

Tori Rudolph ◽

Brittany Wilson ◽

Matthew B Hudson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Skeletal Muscle ◽

Heat Stress ◽

Dairy Cattle ◽

Electric Heating ◽

Economic Loss ◽

Urea Nitrogen ◽

Plasma Urea ◽

E3 Ligases ◽

Acclimation Period ◽

Milk Urea

Abstract Heat stress (HS) occurs when internal body temperatures are elevated above a thermoneutral zone in response to extreme environmental temperatures. In the U.S. dairy industry, HS results in economic loss due to decreased feed intake, milk quality, and milk yield. Previous work has demonstrated increased plasma urea nitrogen in heat stressed dairy cattle which is thought to originate from increased skeletal muscle proteolysis, however this has not been empirically established. The objective of this investigation was to determine the extent to which HS promotes proteolysis in skeletal muscle of dairy cattle. We hypothesized HS would increase activation of the calpain and proteasome systems in skeletal muscle. To test this hypothesis, following a 3-d acclimation period in individual box stalls, all lactating dairy cows were held under thermoneutral (TN) conditions for 4-d for collection of baseline measures and then exposed to TN or HS conditions for 7-d followed by a biopsy of semitendinosus (n=8/group). To induce HS, cattle were fitted with electric heating blankets, which they wore for the duration of the heating period. This approach increased rectal temperature 1.1°C (P< 0.05), respiratory rate by 33 bpm (P< 0.05), plasma urea nitrogen by 19% (P=0.08) and milk urea nitrogen by 26% (P< 0.05), and decreased dry matter intake by 32% (P< 0.05) and milk production by 26% (P< 0.05) confirming HS. Contrary to our expectations, we discovered that calpain I and II abundance and activation, and calpain activity were similar between groups. Likewise, protein expression of E3 ligases, MafBx and Murf1, were similar between groups as was total ubiquitinated proteins and proteasome activity. Collectively, and counter to our hypothesis, these results suggest skeletal muscle proteolysis is not increased following 7-d of HS. These data question the presumed dogma that increased blood urea nitrogen is due to elevated proteolysis in skeletal muscle.

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Experiments on Energy-Efficient Evaporative Cooling Systems for Poultry Farm Application in Multan (Pakistan)

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13052836 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (5) ◽

pp. 2836

Author(s):

Khawar Shahzad ◽

Muhammad Sultan ◽

Muhammad Bilal ◽

Hadeed Ashraf ◽

Muhammad Farooq ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heat Stress ◽

Low Cost ◽

Evaporative Cooling ◽

Thermal Exposure ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

The Body ◽

Dew Point ◽

Sweat Glands ◽

Cooling Systems ◽

Humidity Index

Poultry are one of the most vulnerable species of its kind once the temperature-humidity nexus is explored. This is so because the broilers lack sweat glands as compared to humans and undergo panting process to mitigate their latent heat (moisture produced in the body) in the air. As a result, moisture production inside poultry house needs to be maintained to avoid any serious health and welfare complications. Several strategies such as compressor-based air-conditioning systems have been implemented worldwide to attenuate the heat stress in poultry, but these are not economical. Therefore, this study focuses on the development of low-cost and environmentally friendly improved evaporative cooling systems (DEC, IEC, MEC) from the viewpoint of heat stress in poultry houses. Thermodynamic analysis of these systems was carried out for the climatic conditions of Multan, Pakistan. The results appreciably controlled the environmental conditions which showed that for the months of April, May, and June, the decrease in temperature by direct evaporative cooling (DEC), indirect evaporative cooling (IEC), and Maisotsenko-Cycle evaporative cooling (MEC) systems is 7–10 °C, 5–6.5 °C, and 9.5–12 °C, respectively. In case of July, August, and September, the decrease in temperature by DEC, IEC, and MEC systems is 5.5–7 °C, 3.5–4.5 °C, and 7–7.5 °C, respectively. In addition, drop in temperature-humidity index (THI) values by DEC, IEC, and MEC is 3.5–9 °C, 3–7 °C, and 5.5–10 °C, respectively for all months. Optimum temperature and relative humidity conditions are determined for poultry birds and thereby, systems’ performance is thermodynamically evaluated for poultry farms from the viewpoint of THI, temperature-humidity-velocity index (THVI), and thermal exposure time (ET). From the analysis, it is concluded that MEC system performed relatively better than others due to its ability of dew-point cooling and achieved THI threshold limit with reasonable temperature and humidity indexes.

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Low-Cost Compact Theft-Detection System using MPU-6050 and Blynk IoT Platform

2020 IEEE Bombay Section Signature Conference (IBSSC) ◽

10.1109/ibssc51096.2020.9332214 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Atharva Karnik ◽

Diksha Adke ◽

Pushkar Sathe

Keyword(s):

Detection System ◽

Low Cost ◽

Iot Platform

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The differences in heat stress resistance due to dairy cattle breed

Mljekarstvo ◽

10.15567/mljekarstvo.2017.0203 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 112-122 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Vesna Gantner

Keyword(s):

Heat Stress ◽

Dairy Cattle ◽

Stress Resistance ◽

Cattle Breed ◽

Heat Stress Resistance

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Low cost driver device for microclimate maintenance in the pre-milking of dairy cattle

Engenharia Agrícola ◽

10.1590/s0100-69162013000100001 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 33 (1) ◽

pp. 01-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Irenilson M. da Silva ◽

Héliton Pandorfi ◽

Ângelo J. S. de Vasconcelos ◽

Renato Laurenti ◽

Cristiane Guiselini

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cattle ◽

Environmental Control ◽

Cooling System ◽

System Development ◽

Low Cost ◽

Cost Driver ◽

Monitoring And Control ◽

Laboratory Calibration ◽

Evaporative Cooling System ◽

And Control

Due to the importance of the environment on animal production and thus environmental control, the study aims to build a system for monitoring and control the meteorological variables, temperature and relative humidity, low cost, which can be associated with an evaporative cooling system (ECS). The system development included all the stages of assembly, test and laboratory calibration, and later the validation of the equipment carried in the field. The validation step showed results which allowed concluding that the system can be safely used in the monitoring of these variables. The controller was efficient in management of the microclimate in the waiting corral and allowed the maintenance of the air temperature within the comfort range for dairy cattle in pre-milking with averaged 25.09 ºC during the afternoon. The equipment showed the lower cost (R$ 325.76) when compared to other middle market (R$ 450.00).

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