Assessing exterior egg quality indicators using machine vision

ABSTRACT

1. The objective of this study was to develop a machine vision method for analysing exterior parameters of chicken eggs to automate the stage of primary sorting.

2. The developed algorithm based on predetermined thresholds calculated egg quality indicators, including geometric dimensions, shape index and the mottling grade. The algorithm was implemented with an experimental setup that combined the image-based and the candling methods. A total of 400 egg samples were analysed.

3. Comparison of results of the algorithm with those obtained using the traditional manual method showed that mean value of radii values difference was 0.095 ± 0.058 mm for the sharp and 0.080 ± 0.047 mm for the blunt end of the egg, with standard deviations of 0.58 mm and 0.49 mm, respectively.

4. The correlation coefficient between the shape index values determined by the two methods was 0.93; the standard deviation of absolute differences between corresponding values was 1.05%.

5. The results of mottling grade estimation were compared using F-measure and confusion matrix.

6. The results allow the possibility to perform the assessment of egg exterior quality factors in an automatic mode, independent of the expertise of a grader.     

基于机器视觉技术的苦豆子颗粒外观质量评价研究

利用机器视觉技术建立一种苦豆子颗粒外观质量评价方法,并将该方法用于苦豆子颗粒生产中产品的外观质量评价,以此提高苦豆子颗粒剂生产质量控制水平。该方法首先对苦豆子颗粒进行数字图像采集、特征提取、特征降维,以用于建立苦豆子颗粒外观特征图谱。然后将参比颗粒外观特征图谱与苦豆子颗粒对照指纹图谱进行相似度计算,以相似度值为标准对参比颗粒外观质量进行评价。本研究中依据中国药典中颗粒剂有关要求,对不同主药含量、不同粒度、不同水分的苦豆子颗粒分别进行了外观质量评价。根据相似度计算结果以及数字图像采集误差建议将0.8700作为苦豆子颗粒外观相似度评价的相似度合格值,即苦豆子颗粒生产中外观质量评价的相似度值不得低于0.8700。该方法具有设备简单、操作简便、快速等优点,可以用于苦豆子颗粒生产中产品外观质量评价。     

Behavior of hearing or vision impaired and normal hearing and vision dogs (Canis lupis familiaris): Not the same,but not that different

The article compared behavioral characteristics of dogs (Canis lupis familiaris) labeled as hearing and/or vision impaired by their owners with cohort dogs labeled as having normal hearing and vision (NHV) by their owners. The Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire, developed by Hsu and Serpell (2003), was used to survey owners. Four hundred sixty-one dog owners completed the online survey, with 183 of these being owners of hearing and/or vision impaired (HVI) dogs. Data analysis revealed that HVI dogs were reported by owners to show less aggression, less excitement, and were less likely to engage in behaviors, such as chasing of rabbits and rolling in feces than their normally hearing/seeing (NHV) cohorts. HVI dogs, however, were reported to be more likely to chew inappropriate objects, consume feces, bark excessively, and engage in greater licking behavior. When owners were surveyed about the type of training method used, owners of HVI dogs were found to be more likely to use hand signs, physical prompts, or combination of these training methods. Owners of NHV dogs reported being more likely than owners of HVI dogs to use gestures or report no formal training with their dogs. The data provide evidence that HVI dogs are as trainable as NHV dogs, can make excellent pets, and show behavior that is well within the parameters of NHV dog behavior. Still, because of their sensory limitations, specialized training methods and adaptations should be implemented with these dogs. This may limit HVI dogs to owners who are motivated, understand the sensory deficits, and are willing to engage in the modified training.     

Reproducibility of an objective four‐choice canine vision testing technique that assesses vision at differing light intensities

Objective The increasing importance of canine retinal dystrophy models means accurate vision testing is needed. This study was performed to evaluate a four‐choice vision testing technique for any difference in outcome measures with repeated evaluations of the same dogs. Animals studied Four 11‐month‐old RPE65‐deficient dogs. Procedures Vision was evaluated using a previously described four‐choice vision testing device. Four evaluations were performed at 2‐week intervals. Vision was assessed at six different white light intensities (bright through dim), and each eye was evaluated separately. The ability to select the one of the four exit tunnels that was open at the far end was assessed (‘choice of exit’) and recorded as correct or incorrect first tunnel choice. ‘Time to exit’ the device was also recorded. Both outcomes were analyzed for significance using anova . We hypothesized that performance would improve with repeated testing (more correct choices and more rapid time to exit). Results ‘Choice of exit’ did not vary significantly between each evaluation (P = 0.12), in contrast ‘time to exit’ increased significantly (P = 0.012), and showed greater variability in dim light conditions. Conclusions We found no evidence to support the hypothesis that either measure of outcome worsened with repeated testing; in fact, the ‘time to exit’ outcome worsened rather than improved. The ‘choice of exit’ gave consistent results between trials. These outcome data indicate the importance of including a choice‐based assessment of vision in addition to measurement of device transit time.     

全球视野下的中国草原生态系统可持续发展

探讨了为什么和怎样从全球视野实现我国草原生态系统可持续发展,这是共同性原则的要求,国际社会特别是发达国家对解决这一问题应担负更多的责任。我国草原生态系统的退化已影响周边国家和全球的生态环境。世界环境组织为实现我国草原生态系统可持续发展提供了组织保障,我国应树立资源的全球观点,在全球范围内实现资源共享和优化配置,与毗邻的国家构造自然共同体,选择国际通行的考核政绩的标准,借鉴实现可持续发展的组织形式。     

Position of the head is not associated with changes in horse vision

It has become accepted that the horse cannot see directly in front when the nose is lowered and must therefore rely on the rider. We tested the hypothesis that this conclusion would be correct only if the horse did not adjust the eyeball horizontal axis to changes of the head position. The results of the present study suggest that it is unlikely that horses have limited vision in relation to their head position when driven by the rider, and that the horse maintains the optimal horizontal eyeball position regardless of head position relative to the ground.     

Functional MRI as a tool to assess vision in dogs: the optimal anesthetic

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a recent advance in neuroimaging that provides a picture of brain activity with excellent spatial resolution. Current methods used to evaluate canine vision are poorly standardized and vulnerable to bias. Functional MRI may represent a valuable method of testing vision in dogs if the impacts of anesthesia on fMRI are understood. Six dogs were scanned during visual stimulation, each under three different anesthetic protocols (isoflurane, propofol, fentanyl/midazolam) to address the questions: (1) Can visually evoked fMR signals be reliably recorded in anesthetized dogs? and (2) Which anesthetic agent permits the least suppression of visually induced fMR signal in dogs? This study confirms that visual stimuli reliably elicit neural activity and fMR signal change in anesthetized dogs. No significant differences in images acquired under the three anesthetics were found, and there was no significant relationship between anesthetic dose and brain activity, within the range of doses used in this study. Images obtained during isoflurane anesthesia were more consistent between dogs than those obtained with the other two agents. This reduced variation may reflect the fact that inhalant anesthesia is more easily controlled than intravenous anesthesia under conditions associated with high field fMRI.     

Broiler weight estimation based on machine vision and artificial neural network

1. Machine vision and artificial neural network (ANN) procedures were used to estimate live body weight of broiler chickens in 30 1-d-old broiler chickens reared for 42 d.

2. Imaging was performed two times daily. To localise chickens within the pen, an ellipse fitting algorithm was used and the chickens’ head and tail removed using the Chan–Vese method.

3. The correlations between the body weight and 6 physical extracted features indicated that there were strong correlations between body weight and the 5 features including area, perimeter, convex area, major and minor axis length.

5. According to statistical analysis there was no significant difference between morning and afternoon data over 42 d.

6. In an attempt to improve the accuracy of live weight approximation different ANN techniques, including Bayesian regulation, Levenberg–Marquardt, Scaled conjugate gradient and gradient descent were used. Bayesian regulation with R² value of 0.98 was the best network for prediction of broiler weight.

7. The accuracy of the machine vision technique was examined and most errors were less than 50 g.     

The quality of life of pet dogs owned by elderly people depends on the living context,not on the owner's age

Social and physical changes associated with human aging may influence the characteristics of the relationship between dogs and their owners and ultimately pets' quality of life. In view of the need of data on this aspect, this study examined the effects of owners' age on the quality of life of dogs. We compared parameters of dogs' quality of life (owners' care and attachment to them and pets' physical condition) between elderly and adult owners living in rural/suburban areas of 2 cities in Northern Italy. Within this context, the only finding was the lower degree of health care provided to dogs by their elderly owners, suggesting a lack of specific information about dog health care, rather than a general effect of the owners' age on the relationship with their pet. Dogs' quality of life parameters were also compared between elderly people living in rural/suburban areas and another sample of elderly people living in city centers. The latter were more attached to their dogs and provided them with a higher level of care. In conclusion, this study found very limited concerns about the adoption of dogs late in their owners' lives. However, in view of the importance of the living context of the elderly on their pets' quality of life, this aspect warrants further investigation.     

Effect of blocking vision and olfaction on sexual responses of haltered or loose stallions

Ten stallions were used in a modified split-plot design involving four treatments and two handling methods. Treatments were: a) vision and olfaction not blocked; b) vision blocked, olfaction not blocked; c) vision not blocked, olfaction blocked; and d) vision and olfaction blocked. The methods of handling were: a) stallions turned loose in teasing area, and b) stallions handled on a lead shank. Stallions teased four estrous mares, four diestrous mares and four geldings. Criteria for evaluation of stallion behavior was duration of investigation (sec), of area as well as various portions of the stimulus animal's anatomy, and other pre-copulatory sexual behaviors (Table 1) in duration and frequency. Except for area investigation and no investigation, there were more frequent or longer responses when vision was not blocked compared to blocked (P<0.05). Events associated with display of flehmen and mounting activity were lower (P<0.05) when vision was blocked. Handling a stallion on a lead shank, while teasing, resulted in 23 longer or more frequent pre-copulatory sexual behaviors than when the stallions were loose. There were more frequent or longer (P<0.05) behavioral responses when stallions were handled on a lead shank and olfaction was not blocked. Events such as duration and number of flehmen responses were lower (P<0.05), and time of no investigation was longer (P<0.001) when olfaction was blocked. There was no difference (P>0.05) in the time spent inyestigating estrous mares, diestrous mares or geldings, except for number of flehmen responses. Number of flehmen responses to estrous mares was higher (P<0.05) than to diestrous mares, while number of flehmen responses to diestrous mares was higher (P<0.001) than to geldings. Blocking olfaction did not decrease frequency or duration of sexual behaviors as much as blocking vision (P<0.05), resulted in decreased (P<0.05) flehmen responses. Blocking vision significantly decreased (P<0.05) teasing behaviors, duration of erection, flehmen, and number of mounts regardless of stimulus animal. Stallions utilized visual stimuli to a greater extent than olfactory stimuli. Handling stallions on a lead shank appeared to enhance expression of precopulatory behavior compared to when the stallions were loose.     

Owner perceptions of radiotherapy treatment for veterinary patients with cancer

Veterinary clients may have trepidation about treating their pet with radiotherapy because of concerns about radiation side effects or repeated anaesthetics. The purpose of this study is to assess whether owners' attitudes towards veterinary radiotherapy, including concerns over side effects, change during the course of treatment, and whether radiotherapy was perceived to affect pets' quality of life (QOL). A prospective cohort study of clients from 2012 to 2015 was performed. Pets received palliative or definitive radiotherapy for various tumours. Clients completed questionnaires before, during and after radiotherapy. Questions assessed owner preconceptions before treatment, including side effect expectations, actual side effects experienced and overall satisfaction with the process. In addition, at each time point, the owners assessed their pet's QOL using a simple numerical scale. Forty‐nine patients were included. After completing treatment, owners were significantly less concerned about potential side effects of radiotherapy (P < 0.001), side effects associated with repeat anaesthetics (P < 0.001), and about radiotherapy in general (P < 0.001). QOL did not show a significant change at any point during or after treatment. Following treatment, 94% reported that the experience was better than expected and 100% supported the use of radiotherapy in pets. This is the first prospective study evaluating client attitudes and satisfaction before and after radiotherapy treatment in pets. The results indicate that radiotherapy is well tolerated, and the anxiety associated with radiotherapy is significantly alleviated after experiencing the process. These results will help veterinarians allay client concerns, and will hopefully lead to an increase in clients pursuing radiotherapy in pets.     

重组水貂生长激素pVAX1-mGH及其在小鼠肌肉组织中表达的研究

将化学合成的水貂生长激素基因mGH插入载体pVAX1,将经过PCR、酶切鉴定、测序正确的pVAX1-mGH重组质粒,注射到小鼠后肢的股四头肌,空白对照组注射PBS,于注射后5、10、20、40、60d,眼球采血,取注射部位的肌肉组织进行免疫组化研究,结果证明在胞浆中有特异性蛋白表达。     

饲粮锌水平对鹅再生羽绒品质、血清指标及毛囊发育相关基因表达的影响

本试验旨在探明饲粮锌水平对鹅再生羽绒品质、血清指标及毛囊发育相关基因表达的影响。试验选取在相同条件下饲养的5月龄健康霍尔多巴吉鹅128只,采绒后随机分成4组,每组4个重复,每个重复8只,公母各占1/2。4组试验鹅分别饲喂在基础饲粮(锌水平为31.68 mg/kg)中添加0、60、120和180 mg/kg一水合硫酸锌(ZnSO4·H2 O,折合成锌的添加量分别为0、21.79、43.57和65.36 mg/kg)的饲粮。预试期7 d,正试期42 d。结果显示:1)饲粮中添加不同水平的锌均可增加再生羽绒的千朵绒重以及背部、腹部、胸部绒朵长度,但差异均未达到显著水平(P>0.05)。再生羽绒的羽枝细度随着饲粮中锌添加量的增加而降低,且锌添加量为43.57和65.36 mg/kg时显著低于锌添加量为0和21.79 mg/kg时(P<0.05)。2)当饲粮中锌添加量为65.36 mg/kg时,血清中碱性磷酸酶(AKP)活性最高,显著高于锌添加量为0和21.79 mg/kg时(P<0.05);当饲粮中锌添加量为43.57 mg/kg时,血清中甘油三酯(TG)含量达到最高,显著高于锌添加量为0、21.79和65.36 mg/kg时(P<0.05)。饲粮中添加不同水平的锌对血清中总蛋白(TP)、白蛋白(ALB)和球蛋白(GLOB)含量未产生显著影响(P>0.05)。3)饲粮中添加不同水平的锌对血清中生长激素(GH)和泌乳素(PRL)浓度产生了影响显著(P<0.05),对类胰岛素生长因子-1(IGF-1)浓度未产生显著影响(P>0.05)。饲粮中锌添加量为21.79 mg/kg时,血清中GH和IGF-1浓度均最高,血清中PRL浓度则在锌添加量为43.57 mg/kg时最高。4)血清中锌含量随着饲粮中锌添加量的增加表现为先升高后降低,在锌添加量为43.57 mg/kg时达到最高。血清中钙和铁含量则随着饲粮中锌添加量的增加分别呈现上升和下降趋势。5)毛囊中表皮生长因子(EGF)基因的mRNA相对表达量随着饲粮中锌添加量的增加先升高后降低,在锌添加量为43.57 mg/kg时最高,显著高于锌添加量为65.36 mg/kg时(P<0.05)。毛囊中IGF-1基因的mRNA相对表达量也随着饲粮中锌添加量的增加先升高后降低,但各添加量之间差异不显著(P>0.05)。由此得出,在锌水平为31.68 mg/kg的基础饲粮中添加21.79~43.57 mg/kg锌(使饲粮锌水平达到53.47~75.25 mg/kg)可提高鹅血清中AKP活性以及GH、PRL和IGF-1浓度,影响血清钙和铁含量,提高再生羽绒的千朵绒重与绒朵长度,降低羽枝细度,还可以调节毛囊发育相关基因EGF和IGF-1的表达,从而促进羽绒再生。     

计算机视觉技术在智慧羊场中的研究进展

智慧羊场具有科学化、标准化管理的优点,是羊场转型发展的趋势.计算机视觉技术是人工智能的核心,可以实现非接触性、自动化、实时监测羊的个体信息.本文总结并分析了计算机视觉在羊场的个体识别方法、行为识别方法、体尺与体重估测、疾病监测的研究现状,并指出计算机视觉在智慧羊场的进一步发展趋势.     

Principles for ethical treatment decision‐making in veterinary oncology

Many owners of companion animals with cancer are overwhelmed by having to choose the “right course of action.” With the aim of reducing the burden on owners who are forced to act as surrogates for their animals, this work discusses principles that apply to ethical treatment decision‐making for animal patients with cancer. Four principles frequently used for ethical decision‐making in human medicine will be considered for their potential applicability in veterinary medicine. As a result of these considerations, preliminary guidelines are presented, along which a decision‐making discussion can be held. The deliberate integration of the non‐maleficence and beneficence principles into the purely empirical facts of what is medically possible helps to maintain a moral perspective in specialized veterinary medicine. At the same time, such guidelines may contribute to individual decision‐making in a way that animal patients neither have to endure unnecessarily severe side effects, nor that they are euthanized prematurely.     

基于机器视觉的饲料生产智能包装系统设计与应用研究

为提高饲料生产订单的包装效率、智能化程度、降低包装成本,文章基于机器视觉,从硬件选择与软件设计两个层面设计饲料生产智能包装系统。采用AutoMod软件对饲料生产智能包装系统进行仿真试验,检验整个包装系统效果。结果表明,该智能包装系统包装效率高、关键设备利用率高、系统可靠性、可行性良好。     

The effect of visiting zoos on human health and quality of life

The increased mental stress of daily life and aging of the population are serious matters in Japan. There are many studies regarding the effects of human-animal interactions on mental and physical human health, whereas there are few studies examining the effects of visiting zoos. To determine the effect of visiting zoos on human health and quality of life, two different zoos were visited by 70 participants in Experiment 1 and 163 participants in Experiment 2. In this study we administered the WHO QOL-26 questionnaire in Japanese to assess the psychological scales of participants, and blood pressures and pulse rates were measured to assess their physical scales. We also used pedometers to count the number of steps taken during zoo visits. Both zoo visits decreased blood pressure and participants demonstrated more than 6000 steps during each visit. The quality of life sub-scale scores were improved after zoo visits.