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Yang Q, Hui X, Huang Y, Chen M, Huang S, Xiao D. A Long-Term Video Tracking Method for Group-Housed Pigs. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1505. [PMID: 38791722 PMCID: PMC11117257 DOI: 10.3390/ani14101505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Pig tracking provides strong support for refined management in pig farms. However, long and continuous multi-pig tracking is still extremely challenging due to occlusion, distortion, and motion blurring in real farming scenarios. This study proposes a long-term video tracking method for group-housed pigs based on improved StrongSORT, which can significantly improve the performance of pig tracking in production scenarios. In addition, this research constructs a 24 h pig tracking video dataset, providing a basis for exploring the effectiveness of long-term tracking algorithms. For object detection, a lightweight pig detection network, YOLO v7-tiny_Pig, improved based on YOLO v7-tiny, is proposed to reduce model parameters and improve detection speed. To address the target association problem, the trajectory management method of StrongSORT is optimized according to the characteristics of the pig tracking task to reduce the tracking identity (ID) switching and improve the stability of the algorithm. The experimental results show that YOLO v7-tiny_Pig ensures detection applicability while reducing parameters by 36.7% compared to YOLO v7-tiny and achieving an average video detection speed of 435 frames per second. In terms of pig tracking, Higher-Order Tracking Accuracy (HOTA), Multi-Object Tracking Accuracy (MOTP), and Identification F1 (IDF1) scores reach 83.16%, 97.6%, and 91.42%, respectively. Compared with the original StrongSORT algorithm, HOTA and IDF1 are improved by 6.19% and 10.89%, respectively, and Identity Switch (IDSW) is reduced by 69%. Our algorithm can achieve the continuous tracking of pigs in real scenarios for up to 24 h. This method provides technical support for non-contact pig automatic monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiumei Yang
- College of Mathematics and Informatics, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (Q.Y.); (X.H.); (Y.H.); (M.C.); (S.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Smart Agricultural Technology in Tropical South China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Xiangyang Hui
- College of Mathematics and Informatics, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (Q.Y.); (X.H.); (Y.H.); (M.C.); (S.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Smart Agricultural Technology in Tropical South China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yigui Huang
- College of Mathematics and Informatics, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (Q.Y.); (X.H.); (Y.H.); (M.C.); (S.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Smart Agricultural Technology in Tropical South China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Miaobin Chen
- College of Mathematics and Informatics, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (Q.Y.); (X.H.); (Y.H.); (M.C.); (S.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Smart Agricultural Technology in Tropical South China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Senpeng Huang
- College of Mathematics and Informatics, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (Q.Y.); (X.H.); (Y.H.); (M.C.); (S.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Smart Agricultural Technology in Tropical South China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Deqin Xiao
- College of Mathematics and Informatics, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (Q.Y.); (X.H.); (Y.H.); (M.C.); (S.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Smart Agricultural Technology in Tropical South China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangzhou 510642, China
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Yang H, Zhang C, Chao X, Zhao J, Liu M, Chen J, Liu S, Wang T, Muhammad A, Schinckel AP, Zhou B. A Functional Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in the 3' Untranslated Region of the Porcine JARID2 Gene Is Associated with Aggressive Behavior of Weaned Pigs after Mixing. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:27. [PMID: 38203196 PMCID: PMC10779117 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
In pig production, pigs often show more aggressive behavior after mixing, which adversely affects animal welfare and growth performance. The Jumonji and structural domain-rich AT interaction domain 2 (JARID2) gene plays an important role in neurodevelopment in mice and various psychiatric disorders in humans. The JARID2 gene may impact the aggressive behavior of pigs. By observing the behavior of 500 weaned pigs during the first 72 h after mixing, the ear tissue samples of the 12 most aggressive and 12 least aggressive pigs were selected for DNA resequencing based on the intensity of their aggressive behavior. Large group correlation analysis indicated that the rs3262221458 site located in the 3'-UTR region of the porcine JARID2 gene has a strong relationship with the aggressive behavior of weaned pigs. Pigs with the mutant TT genotype of rs3262221458 have more aggressive behavior than those pigs with the GG and GT genotypes. The dual luciferase assay indicated that the luciferase activity of the plasmids containing the G allele of rs326221458 was significantly less than that of plasmids containing the T allele of rs326221458 and control groups. The binding ability of miR-9828-3p to sequences containing the T allele was less than that of sequences containing the G allele. The overexpression of miR-9828-3p in porcine neuroglial cells (PNGCs) and PK15 cells significantly decreased the mRNA and protein levels of the JARID2 gene. In addition, miR-9828-3p inhibited the proliferation of PNGCs. After inhibiting miR-9828-3p, the mRNA and protein expression levels of JARID2 increased, and the proliferation of PNGCs showed an opposite trend to the cells that forced the expression of miR-9828-3p. In addition, interference with the JARID2 gene by siRNA can effectively inhibit the proliferation of PNGCs. In summary, we found that the rs326221458 locus regulates the expression of the JARID2 gene by affecting the binding of miR-9828-3p and the JARID2 gene, thereby affecting the aggressive behavior of weaned pigs after mixing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (H.Y.); (C.Z.); (X.C.); (J.Z.); (M.L.); (J.C.); (S.L.); (T.W.); (A.M.)
| | - Chunlei Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (H.Y.); (C.Z.); (X.C.); (J.Z.); (M.L.); (J.C.); (S.L.); (T.W.); (A.M.)
| | - Xiaohuan Chao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (H.Y.); (C.Z.); (X.C.); (J.Z.); (M.L.); (J.C.); (S.L.); (T.W.); (A.M.)
| | - Jing Zhao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (H.Y.); (C.Z.); (X.C.); (J.Z.); (M.L.); (J.C.); (S.L.); (T.W.); (A.M.)
| | - Mingzheng Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (H.Y.); (C.Z.); (X.C.); (J.Z.); (M.L.); (J.C.); (S.L.); (T.W.); (A.M.)
| | - Jiahao Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (H.Y.); (C.Z.); (X.C.); (J.Z.); (M.L.); (J.C.); (S.L.); (T.W.); (A.M.)
| | - Shuhan Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (H.Y.); (C.Z.); (X.C.); (J.Z.); (M.L.); (J.C.); (S.L.); (T.W.); (A.M.)
| | - Tianshuo Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (H.Y.); (C.Z.); (X.C.); (J.Z.); (M.L.); (J.C.); (S.L.); (T.W.); (A.M.)
| | - Asim Muhammad
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (H.Y.); (C.Z.); (X.C.); (J.Z.); (M.L.); (J.C.); (S.L.); (T.W.); (A.M.)
| | - Allan P. Schinckel
- Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA;
| | - Bo Zhou
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (H.Y.); (C.Z.); (X.C.); (J.Z.); (M.L.); (J.C.); (S.L.); (T.W.); (A.M.)
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Zhou H, Chung S, Kakar JK, Kim SC, Kim H. Pig Movement Estimation by Integrating Optical Flow with a Multi-Object Tracking Model. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:9499. [PMID: 38067875 PMCID: PMC10708576 DOI: 10.3390/s23239499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Pig husbandry constitutes a significant segment within the broader framework of livestock farming, with porcine well-being emerging as a paramount concern due to its direct implications on pig breeding and production. An easily observable proxy for assessing the health of pigs lies in their daily patterns of movement. The daily movement patterns of pigs can be used as an indicator of their health, in which more active pigs are usually healthier than those who are not active, providing farmers with knowledge of identifying pigs' health state before they become sick or their condition becomes life-threatening. However, the conventional means of estimating pig mobility largely rely on manual observations by farmers, which is impractical in the context of contemporary centralized and extensive pig farming operations. In response to these challenges, multi-object tracking and pig behavior methods are adopted to monitor pig health and welfare closely. Regrettably, these existing methods frequently fall short of providing precise and quantified measurements of movement distance, thereby yielding a rudimentary metric for assessing pig health. This paper proposes a novel approach that integrates optical flow and a multi-object tracking algorithm to more accurately gauge pig movement based on both qualitative and quantitative analyses of the shortcomings of solely relying on tracking algorithms. The optical flow records accurate movement between two consecutive frames and the multi-object tracking algorithm offers individual tracks for each pig. By combining optical flow and the tracking algorithm, our approach can accurately estimate each pig's movement. Moreover, the incorporation of optical flow affords the capacity to discern partial movements, such as instances where only the pig's head is in motion while the remainder of its body remains stationary. The experimental results show that the proposed method has superiority over the method of solely using tracking results, i.e., bounding boxes. The reason is that the movement calculated based on bounding boxes is easily affected by the size fluctuation while the optical flow data can avoid these drawbacks and even provide more fine-grained motion information. The virtues inherent in the proposed method culminate in the provision of more accurate and comprehensive information, thus enhancing the efficacy of decision-making and management processes within the realm of pig farming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Zhou
- Department of Electronics and Information Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea; (H.Z.); (J.K.K.)
- Core Research Institute of Intelligent Robots, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea; (S.C.); (S.C.K.)
| | - Seyeon Chung
- Core Research Institute of Intelligent Robots, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea; (S.C.); (S.C.K.)
| | - Junaid Khan Kakar
- Department of Electronics and Information Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea; (H.Z.); (J.K.K.)
- Core Research Institute of Intelligent Robots, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea; (S.C.); (S.C.K.)
| | - Sang Cheol Kim
- Core Research Institute of Intelligent Robots, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea; (S.C.); (S.C.K.)
| | - Hyongsuk Kim
- Core Research Institute of Intelligent Robots, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea; (S.C.); (S.C.K.)
- Department of Electronics Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea
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