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** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THIS INTEGRATED PROJECT ADVANCES DEVELOPMENT OF AN ELECTRICAL IMPEDANCE SPECTROSCOPE (EIS) DEVICE AND ITS VALIDATION AS A RAPID ON-FARM DECISION TOOL FOR REPRODUCTIVE MANAGEMENT OF THE SWINE BREEDING HERD. RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES WILL SIMULTANEOUSLY ADVANCE THE EIS TOOL AND TECHNICAL COMPETENCE OF CURRENT FARM WORKERS AND FUTURE WORKFORCE, WITH A CROSS-INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERSHIP.THE RESEARCH PORTION OF THE PROPOSED WORK BUILDS ON SUBSTANTIAL FOUNDATIONAL PROOF-OF-CONCEPT, DEMONSTRATING CONSISTENT EIS ON-FARM SUCCESS FOR: BLUETOOTH COMMUNICATION WITH A SMARTPHONE, STABLE CALIBRATION, RAPID READING TIME, QUALITY READING, SAFETY FOR VARIABLE ANIMAL SIZE, DATA RETENTION AND INTEGRITY. CURRENT EIS CAN PREDICT ESTRUS, EARLY PREGNANCY AND FARROWING AND WAS VALIDATED AGAINST CONFIRMED PRODUCTION MEASURES AND ADVANCED PHYSIOLOGIC DIAGNOSTICS.THE PROPOSED NEXT STEPS IN DEVELOPMENT SIMULTANEOUSLY ADDRESS NEEDS IN THREE AREAS: (1) MODEL IMPROVEMENT; (2) HARDWARE IMPROVEMENT; AND (SOFTWARE IMPROVEMENT). TASKS TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS INCLUDE: VALIDATE THE SYSTEM COMPONENTS IN A COMPREHENSIVE TOOL, REFINE AND IMPLEMENT THE PREDICTIVE LEARNING MODELS IN REAL TIME, ADD IMPROVEMENTS FOR FUNCTIONALITY AND ERGONOMICS WITH INPUT FROM ON-FARM USERS, EVALUATE OVERALL ANIMAL WELFARE AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS, AND INTEGRATE EIS INTO A SMARTBARN SOFTWARE THAT MAPS THE BREEDING BARN AND INTEGRATES EIS DATA WITH ANIMAL STATUS.THE EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT DEVELOPS EXPERIENCES FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS, UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS, AND NON-TECHNICAL AUDIENCES INCLUDING CURRENT FARM STAFF. THE PRIMARY ACTIVITY FOCUSES ON A SUMMER REU FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT MINORITY AND UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS. THE REU CONSISTS OF A COLLECTIVE GROUP EXPERIENCE, AND EACH INDIVIDUAL WILL CHAMPION EITHER RESEARCH SUPPORT AND/OR DEVELOPMENT OF OUTREACH MATERIALS. IN ADDITION TO THE REU, TRAINING AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR PRODUCERS AND ALLIED INDUSTRY THROUGH CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS, VIDEOS, AND OTHER OUTREACH METHODS.

$760,000FY2023National Institute of Food and AgricultureUSDA

University Of Illinois

Investigators

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** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THIS INTEGRATED PROJECT ADVANCES DEVELOPMENT OF AN ELECTRICAL IMPEDANCE SPECTROSCOPE (EIS) DEVICE AND ITS VALIDATION AS A RAPID ON-FARM DECISION TOOL FOR REPRODUCTIVE MANAGEMENT OF THE SWINE BREEDING HERD. RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES WILL SIMULTANEOUSLY ADVANCE THE EIS TOOL AND TECHNICAL COMPETENCE OF CURRENT FARM WORKERS AND FUTURE WORKFORCE, WITH A CROSS-INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERSHIP.THE RESEARCH PORTION OF THE PROPOSED WORK BUILDS ON SUBSTANTIAL FOUNDATIONAL PROOF-OF-CONCEPT, DEMONSTRATING CONSISTENT EIS ON-FARM SUCCESS FOR: BLUETOOTH COMMUNICATION WITH A SMARTPHONE, STABLE CALIBRATION, RAPID READING TIME, QUALITY READING, SAFETY FOR VARIABLE ANIMAL SIZE, DATA RETENTION AND INTEGRITY. CURRENT EIS CAN PREDICT ESTRUS, EARLY PREGNANCY AND FARROWING AND WAS VALIDATED AGAINST CONFIRMED PRODUCTION MEASURES AND ADVANCED PHYSIOLOGIC DIAGNOSTICS.THE PROPOSED NEXT STEPS IN DEVELOPMENT SIMULTANEOUSLY ADDRESS NEEDS IN THREE AREAS: (1) MODEL IMPROVEMENT; (2) HARDWARE IMPROVEMENT; AND (SOFTWARE IMPROVEMENT). TASKS TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS INCLUDE: VALIDATE THE SYSTEM COMPONENTS IN A COMPREHENSIVE TOOL, REFINE AND IMPLEMENT THE PREDICTIVE LEARNING MODELS IN REAL TIME, ADD IMPROVEMENTS FOR FUNCTIONALITY AND ERGONOMICS WITH INPUT FROM ON-FARM USERS, EVALUATE OVERALL ANIMAL WELFARE AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS, AND INTEGRATE EIS INTO A SMARTBARN SOFTWARE THAT MAPS THE BREEDING BARN AND INTEGRATES EIS DATA WITH ANIMAL STATUS.THE EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT DEVELOPS EXPERIENCES FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS, UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS, AND NON-TECHNICAL AUDIENCES INCLUDING CURRENT FARM STAFF. THE PRIMARY ACTIVITY FOCUSES ON A SUMMER REU FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT MINORITY AND UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS. THE REU CONSISTS OF A COLLECTIVE GROUP EXPERIENCE, AND EACH INDIVIDUAL WILL CHAMPION EITHER RESEARCH SUPPORT AND/OR DEVELOPMENT OF OUTREACH MATERIALS. IN ADDITION TO THE REU, TRAINING AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR PRODUCERS AND ALLIED INDUSTRY THROUGH CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS, VIDEOS, AND OTHER OUTREACH METHODS. · GrantIndex