• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.70-76
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• 2003

Three experiments were conducted to determine the effects of a sorghum-specific enzyme system, derived from an Aspergillus niger and Bacillus subtilis fermentation extract (carbohydrase activity of 1,650 $\alpha$-amylase units and cellulase activity of 30 fibrinolytic units/mL), on growth performance of finishing pigs. In Exp. 1,192 pigs (average initial BW of 46.1 kg) were fed sorghum-based diets without or with 360 mL of enzyme system per ton of sorghum in a 78 d growth assay. For d 0 to 39, gain/feed was improved (p<0.03) with enzyme supplementation, but ADG was not affected (p>0.15). For d 39 to 78 and overall (d 0 to 78), ADG, gain/feed, and digestibilities of DM and N were not affected (p>0.13) by enzyme supplementation. Backfat thickness, fat-free lean index, and scores for stomach keratinization and ulcers also were not affected (p>0.15) by the dietary treatments. In Exp. 2,168 pigs (average initial BW of 58.4 kg) were fed diets without or with 150, 300, or 450 mL/ton of the same enzyme system used in Exp. 1. Adding as much as 450 mL enzyme system / ton of sorghum did not affect (p>0.15) ADG or gain/feed for d 0 to 29 of the growth assay. However, during d 29 to 63, ADG increased by 11% (linear effect, p<0.02) and gain/feed increased by 10% (linear effect, p<0.06) as enzyme concentration was increased from none to 450 mL/ton of sorghum. For the overall period (d 0 to 63), ADG tended to increase (p<0.08) with enzyme supplementation, but gain/feed and digestibilities of DM and N were not affected (p>0.14). Carcass characteristics (dressing percentage, backfat thickness, and fat free lean index) also were not affected (p>0.20) by addition of the enzyme system. In Exp. 3,176 pigs (average initial BW of 46.7 kg) were fed diets without or with 450, 900, or 1,350 mL/ton of the same enzyme system used in Exp. 1 and 2 in a 71 d growth assay. Adding up to 1,350 mL/ton of enzyme had no effects (p>0.15) on ADG, gain/feed, digestibilities of DM and N, and carcass characteristics (dressing percentage, backfat thickness, and fat-free lean index). In conclusion, finishing pigs fed diets with a sorghum-specific enzyme system showed some positive trends for improved growth performance, but those effects were not large and (or) consistent.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.101-109
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• 2019

Seaports play a vital role in the economic development of countries, especially for countries having long coastlines such as Vietnam Seaport industry in Vietnam has witnessed an impressive development in recent years. The national cargo throughput in the period 2013-2017 achieved a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.8%/year, higher than that of the world (5.1%). However, the differences in planning policies and infrastructure systems has led to the differences in port performance efficiency of regional ports. Therefore, it is necessary to have a general and accurate view of the picture of Vietnam's seaport. The objective of this study was to analyze the relative efficiencies of 26 Vietnam container terminals using traditional output-oriented CCR and BCC DEA model. Malmquist P roductivity Index (MP I) was also applied to evaluate changes in container terminals productivity over time.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.497-504
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• 2021

This extended study aims to analyze empirically the influence of firm diversification on firm performance moderated by the stages of the firm life cycle, which consists of introduction, growth, maturity, and decline. The target population of this study is the firms listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange. The sampling method uses purposive sampling in the multi-business firm in Indonesia; it includes as many as 127 firms over the period from 2011 to 2017, totaling 889 firm-year observations. The firm performance is measured using a return of equity while the level of firm diversification with the minimum number of two operating segments is proxied by the Herfindahl index. The analysis method used in this study is the estimator model of the Generalized Method of Moment (GMM). The main findings show that the firm life cycle at the stage of growth and maturity significantly strengthens the influence of firm diversification on firm performance. On the other hand, the stage of decline fails to moderate the relationship between firm diversification and firm performance. This study discusses the implications and contributions of the findings theoretically, and provide some policy justifications for potential investors before they invest their money in the capital market.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.592-600
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• 2003

Male rats were fed a purified diet containing one of 3 experimental diets, gelatinized rice starch that was not modified physically (RC), gelatinized physically modified rice starch using ultrasonic homogenizer(RU), gelatinized physically modified rice starch using hydroshear homogenizer(RH) during 28 days. RC was used as the rice starch control. Feeding a physically modified rice starch (RU) caused an increase in liver weight and RH increased RNA and protein contents in kidney significantly although there were no differences in food intakes compared to feeding a RC diet. The wet weight of liver, kidney and heart were higher in RU. The wet weights of fecal output of the rats fed RH was greater than in rice control group. The gut transit time was longer in the rats fed RH than in the rice control group significantly. Serum GOT, GPT, total bilirubin concentration were tended to be lower and blood urea nitrogen was significantly lower in RH group. The maturation index of kidney was higher in RU than in RC. These results suggest that physically modified rice starch improved growth performance and physiological functions in organs of growing rats.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.390-398
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• 2015

A feeding experiment was conducted to determine the use of distillers dried grain (DDG) as a partial replacement for fish meal in the diet for juvenile rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli. Four iso-nitrogenous (50% crude protein) and iso-caloric (4.3 kcal/g) diets (designated as DDG0, DDG7, DDG14, and DDG21) were formulated to contain 0, 7, 14, and 21% DDG. Triplicate groups of juvenile rockfish (initial body weight, $10.2{\pm}0.2g$) were fed one of the experimental diets to visual satiety twice a day (09:00 and 17:00) for 8 weeks. At the end of the feeding trial, survival of rockfish was above 97% and not affected by dietary DDG levels (P>0.05). Weight gain, feed efficiency and daily feed intake of juvenile rockfish were significantly decreased with increase of dietary DDG levels (P<0.05). Condition factor, hepatosomatic index and visceralsomatic index of juvenile rockfish were not significantly affected by dietary DDG levels (P>0.05). No significant differences were observed in the contents of moisture, crude protein, crude lipid and ash of the whole body and dorsal muscle in juvenile rockfish fed the experimental diets (P>0.05). Therefore dietary inclusion of DDG as a replacement for fish meal could depress the growth of juvenile rockfish.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.66-70
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• 2005

The experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of gamma radiation on the early growth performance and physiological traits of BT2 clone tea, the most promising cultivar released by Bangladesh Tea Research Institute. The fresh shoot cuttings were irradiated with seven different levels of gamma radiation such as 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 Gy from Cobalt 60Co source (Dept. of PlantBreeding, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture). Thereafter, the irradiated shoot cuttings were planted in polythene bags and kept under natural conditions. It was observed that callusing was initiated from 8th weeks after placement of tea shoot cuttings in the polythene bags and completed by 12th weeks. The morphological growth of tea shoot cuttings were recorded under varying levels of gamma radiation and growth stages. It was observed that the number of leaves, number of primary branches, base diameter, root length and total leaf area per plant significantly increased with the progress of time and increasing levels of gamma radiation, however, the plant height showed decreasing trend with the increasing levels of gamma radiation, which could be due to the change in chromosomal structure and genetic makeup. After 56 weeks of planting, the plant height, the number of leaves and primary branches per plant, base diameter, root length and total leaf area per plant recorded were 65.70 cm, 30.67, 7.33, 1.48 cm, 23.50 cm, and 1250.67 cm2 per plant respectively under the radiation level 60 Gy, whereas the corresponding figures of the above parameters at the control treatment were 76.21 cm, 18.33, 3.67, 0.92 cm, 17.75 cm and 778.33 cm2 per plant, respectively. A significant relationship was observed among the physiological growth parameters with the increasing levels of gamma radiation. The total dry matter gain, leaf area index, absolute growth rate and relative growth rate were significantly influenced with the rising levels of gamma radiation (up to 60 Gy), whereas the net assimilation rate of individual tea plant non-significantly responded as compared to those of control treatment. Finally after 56 weeks of planting, the maximum total dry weight gain, leaf area index, absolute growth rate, relative growth rate and net assimilation rate recorded under 60 Gay radiation level were 40.25 g/plant/week, 4.25, 1.18 g/week, 0.0621g/g/week and 17.07 g/m2/week respectively.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.45-56
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• 2024

Faced with aging populations, declining resources, and limited agricultural productivity, rural areas in South Korea require innovative solutions. This study investigated the potential of drone-based vegetation indices (VIs) to analyze soybean growth patterns in open-field smart agriculture in Goesan-gun, Chungbuk Province, South Korea. We monitored multi-seasonal normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the normalized difference red edge (NDRE) data for three soybean lots with different irrigation methods (subsurface drainage, conventional, subsurface drip irrigation) using drone remote sensing. Combining NDVI (photosynthetically active biomass, PAB) and NDRE (chlorophyll) offered a comprehensive analysis of soybean growth, capturing both overall health and stress responses. Our analysis revealed distinct growth patterns for each lot. LotA(subsurface drainage) displayed early vigor and efficient resource utilization (peaking at NDVI 0.971 and NDRE 0.686), likely due to the drainage system. Lot B (conventional cultivation) showed slower growth and potential limitations (peaking at NDVI 0.963 and NDRE 0.681), suggesting resource constraints or stress. Lot C (subsurface drip irrigation) exhibited rapid initial growth but faced later resource limitations(peaking at NDVI 0.970 and NDRE 0.695). By monitoring NDVI and NDRE variations, farmers can gain valuable insights to optimize resource allocation (reducing costs and environmental impact), improve crop yield and quality (maximizing yield potential), and address rural challenges in South Korea. This study demonstrates the promise of drone-based VIs for revitalizing open-field agriculture, boosting farm income, and attracting young talent, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and prosperous future for rural communities. Further research integrating additional data and investigating physiological mechanisms can lead to even more effective management strategies and a deeper understanding of VI variations for optimized crop performance.

• Management Science and Financial Engineering
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.89-104
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• 2008

Growth curves including Bass, Logistic and Gompertz functions are widely used in forecasting the market demand. Nonlinear least square method is often adopted for estimating the model parameters but it is difficult to set up the starting value for each parameter. If a wrong starting point is selected, the result may lead to erroneous forecasts. This paper proposes a method of selecting starting values for model parameters in estimating some growth curves by nonlinear least square method through grid search and transformation into linear regression model. Resealing the market data using the national economic index makes it possible to figure out the range of parameters and to utilize the grid search method. Application to some real data is also included, where the performance of our method is demonstrated.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.4.1-4.6
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• 2017

Juvenile Anoplopoma fimbria (mean length $16.8{\pm}2.2cm$, and mean weight $72.8{\pm}5.4g$) were exposed for 2 months with different levels of ammonia (0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00, and 1.25 mg/L). Growth performances such as daily length gain, daily weight gain, condition factor, and hepatosomatic index were significantly decreased by ammonia exposure. Hematological parameters such as red blood cell (RBC) count, hematocrit, and hemoglobin were also significantly decreased. In plasma inorganic components, calcium and magnesium were significantly decreased by ammonia exposure. In plasma organic components, there was no alteration in cholesterol and total protein. In enzyme plasma components, glutamic oxalate transaminase (GOT) and glutamic pyruvate transaminase (GPT) were significantly increased. The results of this study indicated that ammonia exposure can induce significant growth reduction and blood biochemistry alterations of A. fimbria.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.9.1-9.7
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• 2019

The study investigated the changes in growth performance, hematological parameters, plasma components, and stress indicators of juvenile starry flounder, Platichthys stellatus, depending on varying exposure to hexavalent chromium. P. stellatus was exposed to waterborne chromium at 0, 50, 100, 200, and 400 ppb for 4 weeks. The result showed that Cr exposure resulted in decreased daily length gain (DLG), daily weight gain (DWG), condition factor (CF), and hepatosomatic index (HIS) in P. stellatus. In terms of hematological parameters, red blood cell (RBC) count, hematocrit (Ht), and hemoglobin (Hb) significantly decreased at 400 ppb after 2 weeks. In terms of plasma components, inorganic analysis was unchanged and cholesterol, an organic component, considerably increased at 400 ppb after 4 weeks. Plasma enzyme components including glutamic oxalate transaminase (GOT) and glutamic pyruvate transaminase (GPT) were significantly increased. Stress indicators such as cortisol and glucose were notably increased over 100 ppb after 4 weeks with increasing chromium concentration. The results indicate that exposure to waterborne Cr induced toxic effects on growth, hematological parameters, plasma components, and stress indicators.