• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.1 no.4
• /
• pp.223-232
• /
• 1988

Fifty-two wether lambs weighing 30 kg were randomly assigned to 5 treatment groups; 1) initial slaughter. 2) control-maintenance (CON-MT), 3) control-ad libitum (CON-AL), 4) cimaterol-maintenance (CIM-MT) and 5) cimaterol-ad libitum (CIM-AL). Ad libitum-fed animals had free access of a high-concentrate diet, whereas maintenance animals were restricted in feed intake to maintain the initial weight of 30 kg for 90 days. Cimaterol was administered in the feed at 10 mg/kg. Regardless of feeding level, the administration of CIM improved carcass weight (p < .05), dressing % (p < .01), longissimus muscle area (p < .01), leg conformation and muscling (p < .01), USDA yield and quality grades (p < .01) and protein concentration (p < .01) in carcass as well as in muscle. Cimaterol feeding decreased organ wt (p < .01), baekfat depth (p < .01), intramuscular fat and overall fatness. Cimaterol was effective for muscle accretion even under restricted feeding condition. The greater accretion of muscle was the result of the hypertrophy of both type I and type II muscle fibers but the hypertrophy of type II fiber (110%) was much greater than that of type I fiber (37%). Cimaterol feeding decreased muscle DNA concentrations but the number of nuclei per muscle fiber was not changed, indicating that the lower DNA concentration was due to the dilution effect caused by the hypertrophy of muscle fiber. As evidenced by lower flank streaking, lower marbling and darker muscle, CIM feeding adversely affected meat quality. Meat tenderness was also adversely affected, resulting in significantly (p H .01) tougher meat in CIM-fed animals.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.15 no.7
• /
• pp.1045-1050
• /
• 2002

The aims of this study were to detect spontaneously occurring apoptosis in cultured porcine ovarian cells, to examine the role of growth hormone (GH), tyrosine kinase (TK), protein kinase G (PKG) and cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) in the control of this process, and to determine whether the effect of GH on apoptosis is mediated by TK-, PKG- and cdc2-dependent intracellular mechanisms. We studied the action of pGH (10 ng/ml), blockers of TK (genistein, lavendustin, both 100 ng/ml), PKG (Rp-Br-PET-cGMPS, 50 nM; KT5823, 100 ng/ml) and CDK (olomoucine, $1{\mu}g/ml$), as well as combinations of GH with these blockers, on the onset of apoptosis in cultured granulosa cells isolated from antral (3-6 mm) porcine follicles. The functional characteristics of an early apoptotic event, DNA fragmentation, were determined using terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL), whilst morphological signs of advanced apoptosis such as pyknosis, chromatin marginalization, shrinkage and fragmentation of nucleus, were detected using routine light microscopy. After culture, some ovarian granulosa cells exhibited DNA fragmentation, which in some cases was associated with morphological apoptosis-related changes (pyknosis, shrinkage and fragmentation of the nucleus). GH significantly reduced the proportion of TUNEL-positive cells. Neither TK nor CDK blockers when given alone, significantly affected the percentage of TUNEL-positive cells although both PKG blockers significantly increased this index. Furthermore, TK and PKG blockers given together with GH, prevented or reversed the inhibitory effect of GH on apoptosis, whilst the CDK blocker olomoucine promoted it. These observations demonstrate apoptosis in porcine ovaries and suggest the involvement of GH, TK, PKG and CDK in the control of this process. They also suggest that the effect of GH on ovarian apoptosis is mediated or regulated by multiple signalling pathways including TK-, PKG- and CDK-dependent intracellular mechanisms.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.314-319
• /
• 2008

Duck (Anas platyrhynchos) is one of the most important domestic avian species in the world. In the present research, fifteen polymorphic microsatellite markers were used to evaluate the diversity and population structure of 26 Chinese indigenous duck breeds across the country. The Chinese breeds showed high variation with the observed heterozygosity (Ho) ranging from 0.401 (Jinding) to 0.615 (Enshi), and the expected heterozygosity (He) ranging from 0.498 (Jinding) to 0.707 (Jingjiang). In all of the breeds, the values of Ho were significantly lower than those of He, suggesting high selection pressure on these local breeds. AMOVA and Bayesian clustering analysis showed that some breeds had mixed together. The FST value for all breeds was 0.155, indicating medium differentiation of the Chinese indigenous breeds. The FST value also indicated the short domestication history of most of Chinese indigenous ducks and the admixture of these breeds after domestication. Understanding the genetic relationship and structure of these breeds will provide valuable information for further conservation and utilization of the genetic resources in ducks.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.451-455
• /
• 2015

The buffalo is an important livestock resource in several countries of South Asia and the Mediterranean regions. However, reproductive efficiency is compromised due to known problems of biological and management origins, such as lack of animal selection and poor nutrition. Under optimal conditions puberty is attained at 15 to 18 months in river buffalo, 21 to 24 months in swamp buffalo and is influenced by genotype, nutrition, management and climate. However, under field conditions these values deteriorate up to a significant extant. To improve reproductive efficiency, several protocols of oestrus and ovulation synchronization have been adopted from their use in commercial cattle production. These protocols yield encouraging pregnancy rates of (30% to 50%), which are comparable to those achieved in buffaloes bred at natural oestrus. The use of sexed semen in buffalo heifers also showed promising pregnancy rates (50%) when compared with conventional non-sexed semen. Assisted reproductive technologies have been transferred and adapted to buffalo but the efficiency of these technologies are low. However, these latest technologies offer the opportunity to accelerate the genetic gain in the buffalo industry after improving the technology and reducing its cost. Most buffaloes are kept under the small holder farming system in developing countries. Hence, future research should focus on simple, adoptable and impact-oriented approaches which identify the factors determining low fertility and oestrus behaviour in this species. Furthermore, role of kisspeptin needs to be explored in buffalo.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.17
• /
• pp.7943-7957
• /
• 2015

Background and Aims: Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world. The aim of this study was to investigate the growth-suppression potentiality of a crude saponin extract (CSENS) prepared from medicinal herb, Nigella sativa, on human colon cancer cells, HCT116. Materials and Methods: HCT116 cells were subjected to increasing doses of CSENS for 24, 48 and 72 h, and then harvested and assayed for cell viability by WST-1. Flow cytometry analyses, cell death detection ELISA, fluorescent stains (Hoechst 33342 and acridine orange/ethidium bromide), DNA laddering and comet assays were carried out to confirm the apoptogenic effects of CSENS. Luciferase reporter gene assays, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analyses were performed to assess the impact of CAERS and CFEZO on the expression levels of key regulatory proteins in HCT116 cells. Results: The results demonstrated that CSENS inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis. Apoptosis was confirmed by flow cytometry analyses, while CSENS-treated cells exhibited morphological hallmarks of apoptosis including cell shrinkage, irregularity in cellular shape, cellular detachment and chromatin condensation. Biochemical signs of apoptosis, such as DNA degradation, were observed by comet assay and gel electrophoresis. The pro-apoptotic effect of CSENS was caspase-3-independent and associated with increase of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. CSENS treatment down-regulated transcriptional and DNA-binding activities of NF-${\kappa}B$ and AP-1 proteins, associated with down-regulation of their target oncogenes, c-Myc, cyclin D1 and survivin. On the other hand, CSENS up-regulated transcriptional and DNA-binding activities of Nrf2 and expression of cytoprotective genes. In addition, CSENS modulated the expression levels of ERK1/2 MAPK, p53 and p21. Conclusions: These findings suggest that CSENS may be a valuable agent for treatment of colon cancer.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
• /
• 2001.10a
• /
• pp.610-615
• /
• 2001

Over 800 thousand tons per year (TPY) agricultural biowastes, such as sugar cane bagasse, sugarcane leaf, rice straw, rice husk and corn leaf, are produced in Taiwan. These biomasses are the major types of agricultural wastes and are abundantly available. However, these biowastes cause disposal and landfill problems. Ossification ashes of the agricultural biowastes containing 70-95 % amorphous silica would make the utilization system of agricultural biowaste ashes become highly economically and environmentally attractive. Experimentally, high crystallinity (99%$^{+}$) zeolites ZSM-5 and ZSM-48 synthesized from the reaction mixtures containing a silica source from ashes of these biowastes gasification were investigated. Tetrapropylammonium bromide (TPABr) and 1,6-diamino-hexane (C$_{6}$ DN) were used as structure-directing agents in syntheses of ZSM-5 and ZSM-48, respectively. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDX) data indicated that ZSM-5 or ZSM-48 with a high crystallinity can be obtained within 48 hours of crystallization in the high pressure (15-20 atm) autoclave at 393-473 K. The Si/Al ratios of synthetic zeolite products were determined by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and induced couple plasma/mass spectroscopy (ICP/MS). It was observed that the ZSM-5 crystals a.e composed of hexagonal rod-shaped crystals with typically 8-13 пm in size by SEM. In addition, ZSM-48 crystalline materials are composed of spherical aggregates of needle-shaped or rod-like crystals with typically 2-3 пm in diameter and 6-8 пm in length.h.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.25 no.5
• /
• pp.694-698
• /
• 2004

A new method for the simultaneous determination of seven transition metal ions in water and food by microcolumn high-performance liquid chromatography has been developed. The lead, cadmium, mercury, nickel, cobalt, silver and tin ions were pre-column derivatized with tetra-(4-aminophenyl)-porphyrin ($T_4$-APP) to form the colored chelates which were then enriched by solid phase extraction with $C_{18}$ cartridge. The enrichment factor of 50 was achieved by eluted the retained chelates from the cartridge with tetrahydrofuran (THF). The chelates were separated on a ZORBAX Stable Bound microcolumn ($2.0{\times}50\;mm,\;1.8\;{\mu}m$)with methanol-tetrahydrofuran (95 : 5, v/v, containing 0.05 mol/L pyrrolidine-acetic acid buffer salt, pH = 10.0) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min and detected with a photodiode array detector from 350-600 nm. The seven chelates were separated completely within 2.0 min. The detection limits of lead, cadmium, mercury, nickel, cobalt, silver and tin are 4 ng/L, 3 ng/L, 6 ng/L, 5 ng/L, 5 ng/L, 6 ng/L, 4 ng/L respectively in the original samples. This method was applied to the determination of the seven transition metal in water and food samples with good results.

• 한국태양에너지학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2012.03a
• /
• pp.488-493
• /
• 2012

In this study, in order to utilize the seawater as a heat source at Gangneung city near the East Sea in Korea, an annual heating performance of a screw heat pump was simulated. For a simulation, the maximum heating capacity of heat pump was assumed at 3.5 MW. An ambient temperature at Gangneung city was calculated from the TMY2 weather data, while the seawater temperature was calculated from the regression equation based on the measurement by the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute of Korea. The heating load was assumed linearly dependent on the ambient temperature, while the maximum heating load was assumed to appear when the ambient temperature is below $-2.4^{\circ}C$, which is the temperature of TAC 2.5% for heating at Gangneung city. A heat pump performance at full-load was calculated from the regression equation, which involves refrigerant's evaporating and condensing temperatures, based on a commercial screw compressor performance map. A heating supply temperature which determines refrigerant's condensing temperature was assumed linearly dependent on the heating load. A performance degradation due to the part-load operation of heat pump was also considered. Simulation results show that an annual heating coefficient of performance ($COP_H$) of a seawater-source screw heat pump is approximately 2.8 and that it is necessary to improve part-load performance to increase an annual performance of the heat pump.

• Elastomers and Composites
• /
• v.43 no.3
• /
• pp.173-182
• /
• 2008

Rubber-pad forming process for materials such as metal in which portions of the die which act upon the material is composed of a natural or synthetic rubber or elastomer material. This makes the rubber pad forming process relatively cheap and flexible, high accuracy for small product series in particular. In this study, we carried out the physical test and finite element analysis of elastomer such as natural rubber and urethane for steel rack rube forming. The non-linear property of elastomer which are described as strain energy function are important parameter to design and evaluate of elastomer component. These are determined by material tests which are uni-axial tension and bi-axial tension. This study is concerned with simulation and investigation of the significant parameters associated with this process.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.354-363
• /
• 1997

The purpose of the present work is to show the best thermal storage material and the sensitivity of the parameters on the thermal performance by experimentally investigating the effects of the parameters on the thermal performance of the spherical capsule system using paraffins superior to the commercial one. The paraffins were n-Tetradecane and the mixture of n-Tetradecane 40% and n-Hexadecane 60%. The experimental parameters were the Reynolds number of 8, 12, and 16 and the inlet temperature of-7, -4, -1, and $2^{\circ}C$. The charging and the discharing time, the dimensionless thermal storage amount, and the averge heat transfer coefficient in the tank were obtained by utilizing the local temperature variation in the tank. The local charging and discharging time in the tank was axially and radially different a lot. The effects of the inlet temperature on the charging and the discharging time were larger during the charging process than during the discharging process, but the effects of the Reynolds number on the charging and the discharging time were in reverse order. The paraffins were better by 11~72% than the water with the inorganic material in the charging time aspect, but no difference in the discharging time aspect. The effects of the Reynolds number on the dimensionless thermal storage amount were smaller than the effects of the inlet temperature during the charging process, but in reverse order during the discharging process within the working range of the experimental parameters. The effects of the inlet temperature and the Reynolds number on the average heat transfer coefficient were larger during the discharging process than during the charging process. The average heat transfer coefficient for the paraffins was larger by 40% maximum than that for the commercial material during the charing and the discharging process.