• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.1293-1302
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• 2014

The aim of study was to determine the energy requirements for maintenance and growth of forty-one Saanen, intact male kids with initial body weight (BW) of $5.12{\pm}0.19$ kg. The baseline (BL) group consisted of eight kids averaging $5.46{\pm}0.18$ kg BW. An intermediate group consisted of six kids, fed for ad libitum intake, that were slaughtered when they reached an average BW of $12.9{\pm}0.29$ kg. The remaining kids (n = 27) were randomly allocated into nine slaughter groups (blocks) of three animals distributed among three amounts of dry matter intake (DMI; ad libitum and restricted to 70% or 40% of ad libitum intake). Animals in a group were slaughtered when the ad libitum-treatment kid in the group reached 20 kg BW. In a digestibility trial, 21 kids (same animals of the comparative slaughter) were housed in metabolic cages and used in a completely randomized design to evaluate the energetic value of the diet at different feed intake levels. The net energy for maintenance ($NE_m$) was $417kJ/kg^{0.75}$ of empty BW (EBW)/d, while the metabolizable energy for maintenance ($ME_m$) was $657kJ/kg^{0.75}$ of EBW/d. The efficiency of ME use for NE maintenance ($k_m$) was 0.64. Body fat content varied from 59.91 to 92.02 g/kg of EBW while body energy content varied from 6.37 to 7.76 MJ/kg of EBW, respectively, for 5 and 20 kg of EBW. The net energy for growth ($NE_g$) ranged from 7.4 to 9.0 MJ/kg of empty weight gain by day at 5 and 20 kg BW, respectively. This study indicated that the energy requirements in goats were lower than previously published requirements for growing dairy goats.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.51-60
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• 2012

Concrete sleepers are essential components of the conventional railway. As support elements, sleepers are always subjective to a variety of time-dependent loads attributable to the train operations, either wheel or rail abnormalities. It has been observed that the sleepers may deteriorate due to these loads, inducing the formation of hairline cracks. There are two areas along the sleepers that are more prone to crack: the central and the rail seat sections. Several non-destructive methods have been developed to identify failures in structures. Health monitoring techniques are based on vibration responses measurements, which help engineers to identify the vibration-based damage or remotely monitor the sleeper health. In the present paper, the dynamic effects of the cracks in the vibration signatures of the railway pre-stressed concrete sleepers are investigated. The experimental modal analysis has been used to evaluate the modal bending changes in the vibration characteristics of the sleepers, differentiating between the central and the rail seat locations of the cracks. Modal parameters changes of the 'healthy' and cracked sleepers have been highlighted in terms of natural frequencies and modal damping. The paper concludes with a discussion of the most suitable failure indicator and it defines the vibration signatures of intact, central cracked and rail seat cracked sleepers.

• Journal of Communications and Networks
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.18-27
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• 2007

The conventional normalized least mean square (NLMS) algorithm is the most widely used for adaptive identification within a non-stationary input context. The convergence of the NLMS algorithm is independent of environmental changes. However, its steady state performance is impaired during input sequences with low dynamics. In this paper, we propose a new NLMS algorithm which is, in the steady state, insensitive to the time variations of the input dynamics. The square soot (SR)-NLMS algorithm is based on a normalization of the LMS adaptive filter input by the Euclidean norm of the tap-input. The tap-input power of the SR-NLMS adaptive filter is then equal to one even during sequences with low dynamics. Therefore, the amplification of the observation noise power by the tap-input power is cancelled in the misadjustment time evolution. The harmful effect of the low dynamics input sequences, on the steady state performance of the LMS adaptive filter are then reduced. In addition, the square root normalized input is more stationary than the base input. Therefore, the robustness of LMS adaptive filter with respect to the input non stationarity is enhanced. A performance analysis of the first- and the second-order statistic behavior of the proposed SR-NLMS adaptive filter is carried out. In particular, an analytical expression of the step size ensuring stability and mean convergence is derived. In addition, the results of an experimental study demonstrating the good performance of the SR-NLMS algorithm are given. A comparison of these results with those obtained from a standard NLMS algorithm, is performed. It is shown that, within a non-stationary input context, the SR-NLMS algorithm exhibits better performance than the NLMS algorithm.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.15.1-15.6
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• 2016

Background: Our previous study had identified the SNP (g.81966377T > C) and indel (g.81966364D > I) located in the promoter of APM1 to have a significant effect on marbling in Hanwoo. APM1 encodes an adipocytokine called adiponectin, which plays a significant role in lipogenesis. The aim of this study was to verify and validate the effect of the SNP and indel on marbling and other carcass traits in a large, representative, countrywide population of Hanwoo cattle. The carcass traits measured were marbling (MAR), backfat thickness (BFT), loin eye area (LEA), and carcass weight (CAW). Results: Primers were designed to amplify 346 bp of the genomic segment that contained the targeted SNP (g.81966377) and the indel (g.81966364). After data curation, the genotypes of 8,378 individuals identified using direct sequencing analysis estimated frequencies for C (0.686) and T (0.314) respectively showing genotype frequencies for CC (0.470), CT (0.430) and TT (0.098). The genotypes were significantly associated with MAR, BFT and LEA. The indel had significant effect on marbling (P < .0001) with strong additive genetic effects. The allele frequencies was estimated at (DEL, 0.864) and insertion (INS, 0.136) presenting genotypes of D/D (75.63 %), D/I (21.44 %), and I/I (2.92 %). Significant departure from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was not detected for both the SNP and the indel. Conclusion: The SNP genotypes showed significant association with MAR, BFT and LEA with strong additive genetic effects, while the indel was significantly associated with MAR. The results confirmed that the variants can be used as a genetic marker for improving marbling in Hanwoo.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.35-40
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• 2004

Final disposal of radioactive waste generated from Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) requires the detailed information about the characteristics and the quantities of radionuclides in waste package. Most of these radionuclides are difficult to measure and expensive to assay. Thus it is suggested to the indirect method by which the concentration of the Difficult-to-Measure (DTM) nuclide is estimated using the correlations of concentration - it is called the scaling factor - between Easy-to-Measure (Key) nuclides and DTM nuclides with the measured concentration of the Key nuclide. In general, the scaling factor is determined by the log mean average (LMA) method and the regression method. However, these methods are inadequate to apply to fission product nuclides and some activation product nuclides such as 14$^{C}$ and 90$^{Sr}$ . In this study, the artificial neural network (ANN) method is suggested to improve the conventional SF determination methods - the LMA method and the regression method. The root mean squared errors (RMSE) of the ANN models are compared with those of the conventional SF determination models for 14$^{C}$ and 90$^{Sr}$ in two parts divided by a training part and a validation part. The SF determination models are arranged in the order of RMSEs as the following order: ANN model

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.253-262
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• 2020

Background: The public health care system of a country is shaped and driven by its historical background as well as social, economic, and cultural structures. This study sheds light on the unique features, strengths, and weaknesses of the health insurance systems of South Korea (Korea) and Peru. Methods: The capacity mapping tool was used to explore the Korean and Peruvian population and geographical structures; health insurance laws, regulations, and policies; payment systems; eligibility and contribution collection; and long-term care insurance. Results: The study found that the Korean government took the lead in integrating multiple insurers into a single-payer system in an effort to reinforce and stabilize its health insurance system in 2000. Peru has been developed mixed model such based on taxes and contributions, to address a gap between different social classes. Peruvian government developed a two-axis system, one for low-income earners, financed by taxes, and another financed by contributions paid by workers and government officials in the formal sector. Peru has introduced many variations to its fee payment and insurer systems, target population, and coverage scope, and maintains its health insurance system accordingly to this day. Conclusion: The current study provides observation of the Health Insurance System in two different countries and helps to understand possible ways to improve the health insurance system in both countries. Based on this study, Peru will be able to see how its system differs from Korea's and benefit from the related policy implications.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
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• v.2
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• pp.33-37
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• 2006

Since 1993, the civil aviation community through RTCA (Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics) and the ICAO (International Civil Air Navigation Organization) have been working on the definition of GNSS augmentation systems that will provide improved levels of accuracy and integrity. These augmentation systems have been classified into three distinct groups: Aircraft Based Augmentation Systems (ABAS), Space Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS) and Ground Based Augmentation Systems (GBAS). The last one is an implemented system to support Air Navigation in CAT-I approaching operation. It consists of three primary subsystems: the GNSS Satellite subsystem that produces the ranging signals and navigation messages; the GBAS ground subsystem, which uses two or more GNSS receivers. It collects pseudo ranges for all GNSS satellites in view and computes and broadcasts differential corrections and integrity-related information; the Aircraft subsystem. Within the area of coverage of the ground station, aircraft subsystems may use the broadcast corrections to compute their own measurements in line with the differential principle. After selection of the desired FAS for the landing runway, the differentially corrected position is used to generate navigation guidance signals. Those are lateral and vertical deviations as well as distance to the threshold crossing point of the selected FAS and integrity flags. The Department of Applied Science in Naples has create for its study a virtual GBAS Ground station. Starting from three GPS double frequency receivers, we collect data of 24h measures session and in post processing we generate the GC (GBAS Correction). For this goal we use the software Pegasus V4.1 developed from EUROCONTROL. Generating the GC we have the possibility to study and monitor GBAS performance and integrity starting from a virtual functional architecture. The latter allows us to collect data without the necessity to found us authorization for the access to restricted area in airport where there is one GBAS installation.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.40
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• pp.303-336
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• 2022

'Otherness' is a major philosophical concept in modern Western thought. It has been a force through which the concept of a subject's rights emerged. This paper focuses on Emmanuel Levinas' discussion of 'otherness.' Levinas emphasizes our ethical responsibility for others, which is meaningful in that it can be applied as a paradigm of communication for use in modern society. In the context of modern times and multicultural societies, it is important to recognize the diversity of others and to promote coexistence. Coexistence at this time should be 'unifying' rather than subject-centered. This paper attempts to understand this narrative. An epic is a cognitive process that constitutes the fundamental desires and experiences of humans. Humans try to project and understand themselves through narratives. The possibility of coexistence with others can be examined by analyzing otherness as found within those narratives. Therefore, this paper suggests the possibility and direction of coexistence by analyzing the storytelling that establishes relationships by shaping characters in Guillermo del Toro's film, Shape of Water.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 2022

Background: Healthcare workers' attitudes toward vaccination have been widely described in the literature, but a restricted amount of studies assessed healthcare students' knowledge, attitudes, and opinions on this issue. This study aimed to estimate the influence of a degree course on knowledge and immunization behavior among healthcare students and to compare medical students with students from other health profession degree programs to identify possible differences. Methods: A multicenter, cross-sectional study was performed in 2018 in 14 Italian Universities (3,131 students were interviewed). A validated questionnaire was used to assess knowledge, attitudes, and opinions toward vaccinations, with a specific focus on influenza vaccine and attitudes toward mandatory vaccination policies. Statistical software STATA® 14 was used. Results: Significant differences were recorded between medical students and other healthcare students. The intention to get vaccinated against influenza during the next season and having been vaccinated in the previous season was higher in the medical group (p < 0.001). In the group of students of other health professions, we registered a lower probability of identifying themselves as a high-risk group for contracting infectious diseases as a consequence of their profession and health status (aOR 0.49; CI95%: 0.40-0.60) and an increased likelihood of defining their level of knowledge on vaccine-preventable diseases and related vaccinations as "insufficient/sufficient/fair" (aOR 1.31; CI95%: 1.11-1.56). Conclusions: Results show several differences between medical students and students of other health professions when it comes to vaccination knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions, as well as a general low tendency to be vaccinated against influenza.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.195-215
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• 2022

The increasing interest in CubeSat platforms ant their capability of enlarging the frontier of possible missions impose technology improvements. Miniaturized electrical propulsion (EP) systems enable new mission for multi-unit CubeSats (6U+). While electric propulsion systems have achieved important level of knowledge at equipment level, the investigation of the mutual impact between EP system and CubeSat technology at system level can provide a decisive improvement for both the technologies. The interaction between CubeSat and EP system should be assessed in terms of electromagnetic emissions (both radiated and conducted), thermal gradients, high electrical power management, surface chemical deposition, and quick and reliable data exchanges. This paper shows how a versatile CubeSat Test Platform (CTP), together with standardized procedures and specialized facilities enable the acquisition fundamental and unprecedented information. Measurements can be taken both by specific ground support equipment placed inside the vacuum facility and by dedicated sensors and subsystems installed on the CTP, providing a completely new set of data never obtained before. CTP is constituted of a 6U primary structure hosting the EP system, representative CubeSat avionics and batteries. For the first test campaign, CTP hosts the ambipolar plasma propulsion system, called Regulus and developed by T4I. After the integration and the functional test in laboratory environment, CTP + Regulus performed a Test campaign in relevant environment in the vacuum chamber at CISAS, University of Padua. This paper is focused on the test campaign description and the main results achieved at different power levels for different duration of the firings.