• Title/Summary/Keyword: Performance maintenance

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Influence of Quaternary Benzophenantridine and Protopine Alkaloids on Growth Performance, Dietary Energy, Carcass Traits, Visceral Mass, and Rumen Health in Finishing Ewes under Conditions of Severe Temperature-humidity Index

  • Estrada-Angulo, A.;Aguilar-Hernandez, A.;Osuna-Perez, M.;Nunez-Benitez, V.H.;Castro-Perez, B.I.;Silva-Hidalgo, G.;Contreras-Perez, G.;Barreras, A.;Plascencia, A.;Zinn, R.A.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.29 no.5
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    • pp.652-658
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    • 2016
  • Twenty $Pelibuey{\times}Katahdin$ ewes ($35{\pm}2.3kg$) were used to determine the effects of the consumption of standardized plant extract containing a mixture of quaternary benzophenanthridine alkaloids and protopine alkaloids (QBA+PA) on growth performance, dietary energetics, visceral mass, and ruminal epithelial health in heat-stressed ewes fed with a high-energy corn-based diet. The basal diet (13.9% crude protein and 2.09 Mcal of net energy [NE] of maintenance/kg of dry matter) contained 49.7% starch and 15.3% neutral detergent fiber. Source of QBA+PA was Sangrovit RS (SANG) which contains 3 g of quaternary benzophenathridine and protopine alkaloids per kg of product. Treatments consisted of a daily consumption of 0 or 0.5 g SANG/ewe. Ewes were grouped by weight and assigned to 10 pens (5 pens/treatment), with two ewes per pen. The experimental period lasted 70 days. The mean temperature humidity index during the course of this experiment was $81.7{\pm}1.0$ (severe heat stress). There were no treatment effects on water intake. Dry matter intake was not affected (p = 0.70) by treatments, but the group fed SANG had a numerically (11.2%) higher gain in comparison to the control group, SANG improved gain efficiency (8.3%, p = 0.04), dietary NE (5.2%, p<0.01) and the observed-to-expected NE (5.9%, p<0.01). Supplemental SANG did not affect ($p{\geq}0.12$) carcass characteristics, chemical composition of shoulder, and organ weights (g/kg empty body weight) of stomach complex, intestines, and heart/lung. Supplemental SANG decreased liver weight (10.3%, p = 0.02) and increased visceral fat (16.9%, p = 0.02). Rumen epithelium of ewes fed SANG had lower scores for cellular dropsical degeneration (2.08 vs 2.34, p = 0.02), parakeratosis (1.30 vs 1.82, p = 0.03) and neutrophil infiltration (2.08 vs 2.86, p = 0.05) than controls. It is concluded that SANG supplementation helped ameliorate the negative effects of severe heat on growth performance of feedlot ewes fed high-energy corn-based diets. Improvement in energetic efficiency may have been mediated, in part, by anti-inflammatory effects of supplemental SANG and corresponding enhancement of nutrient uptake.

A Study on the Systemic Improvement for the Enactment and Revision of the National Fire Safety Code (국가화재안전기준(NFSC)의 제·개정 시스템 개선에 관한 연구)

  • Song, Young-Joo;Kim, Tae-Woo;Jeong, Keesin
    • Fire Science and Engineering
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    • v.34 no.2
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    • pp.110-119
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    • 2020
  • The National Fire Safety Code (NFSC) sets forth the installation methods and technical standards of firefighting facilities. This information is stipulated in the attached Table 1 of the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Fire Prevention and Installation, Maintenance and Safety Control of Fire-Fighting Systems. The NFSC serves as a foundation for fire prevention and public safety. However, the current version of the NFSC has been under scrutiny due to its delayed enactment and revision process. This is because of its structural inflexibility, time-consuming procedures, and mixed usage of both performance and technical standards. Furthermore, there are difficulties with keeping its unique specialties due to the absence of a specialized, permanent independent entity that enacts, revises, and maintains its standards. Moreover, the NFSC lacks collectivity, openness, and consistency. Therefore, to overcome the aforementioned obstacles, this study investigates the operational and legal status of the NFSC and the problems regarding its enactment and revision process. Further, it presents suggestions for system improvement by analyzing and comparing the information with domestic and foreign counterparts dedicated to managing their similar technical NFSC standards. First, the study recommends that the legal performance and technical standards mixed within the current NFSC should be separated. Second, the enactment and revision of technical standards should be implemented by the private sector and not by the government. Third, technical standards should adopt a user-oriented approach for the code system.

Influence of Ionophore Supplementation on Growth Performance, Dietary Energetics and Carcass Characteristics in Finishing Cattle during Period of Heat Stress

  • Barreras, A.;Castro-Perez, B.I.;Lopez-Soto, M.A.;Torrentera, N.G.;Montano, M.F.;Estrada-Angulo, A.;Rios, F.G.;Davila-Ramos, H.;Plascencia, A.;Zinn, R.A.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.26 no.11
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    • pp.1553-1561
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    • 2013
  • Forty-eight crossbred heifers ($378.1{\pm}18$ kg) were used in a 56-d feeding trial (four pens per treatment in a randomised complete block design) to evaluate the influence of ionophore supplementation on growth performance, dietary energetics and carcass characteristics in finishing cattle during a period of heat stress. Heifers were fed a diet based on steam-flaked corn (2.22 Mcal $NE_m/kg$) with and without an ionophore. Treatments were: i) control, no ionophore; ii) 30 mg/kg monensin sodium (RUM30); iii) 20 mg/kg lasalocid sodium (BOV20), and iv) 30 mg/kg lasalocid sodium (BOV30). Both dry matter intake (DMI) and climatic variables were measured daily and the temperature humidity index (THI) was estimated. The maximum THI during the study averaged 93, while the minimum was 70 (THI average = $79.2{\pm}2.3$). Compared to controls, monensin supplementation did not influence average daily gain, the estimated NE value of the diet, or observed-to-expected DMI, but tended (p = 0.07) to increase (4.8%) gain to feed. Compared to controls, the group fed BOV30 increased ($p{\leq}0.03$) daily gain (11.8%), gain to feed (8.3%), net energy of the diet (5%), and observed-to-expected DMI (5.2%). Daily weight gain was greater (7.6%, p = 0.05) for heifers fed BOV30 than for heifers fed MON30. Otherwise, differences between the two treatments in DMI, gain to feed, and dietary NE were not statistically significant (p>0.11). Plotting weekly intakes versus THI, observed intake of controls was greater (p<0.05) at THI values ${\leq}77$ than ionophore groups. When THI values were greater than 79, DMI of control and MON30 were not different (p = 0.42), although less than that of groups fed lasalocid (p = 0.04). Variation in energy intake was lower (p>0.05) in the ionophores group (CV = 1.7%) than in the control group (CV = 4.5%). Inclusion of ionophores in the diet resulted in relatively minor changes in carcass characteristics. It is concluded that ionophore supplementation did not exacerbate the decline of DM intake in heat-stressed cattle fed a high-energy finishing diet; on the contrary, it stabilised feed intake and favoured feed efficiency. Ionophore supplementation reduced estimated maintenance coefficients around 10% in finishing cattle during a period of heat stress. This effect was greatest for heifers supplemented with 30 mg lasalocid/kg of diet.

A Study on Analysis of Productive Construction Project and Influential Elements for Public Owner's Perspective - Focused on Highway Construction - (발주자 관점의 생산적인 건설 프로젝트와 영향요소의 분석에 관한 연구 - 고속도로 건설사업을 대상으로 -)

  • Woo, Sungkwon;Lee, Young-Hwan;Chang, Chul-Ki;Lee, Siwook
    • KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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    • v.32 no.6D
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    • pp.645-653
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    • 2012
  • The productivity management of highway construction is required to innovate the efficiency of investment The productivity management of highway construction is required to innovate the efficiency of investment cost for newly constructed projects and to improve the quality of these projects, as the maintenance and management expenses are steadily increasing for existing highways under operation. However, clear criteria, methods or requirements to measure the productivity and performance in the construction of highways have not been properly established yet. This study defined 5 major elements of the productive projects in terms of construction management which is one of major tasks of the owner. There were the 43 influential elements significantly affecting on the productivity and these elements were categorized into the hierarchical structure which was composed of 3 levels. Also, this study conducted a survey for Korea Expressway Corporation who is the largest owner in Korea's highway construction. As a result, major project performance indicators, which should be addressed for management, to execute the projects successfully, are presented through understanding the extent of the affection of productivity elements on the elements of project performance to attain the productive projects and through understanding the extent of demand to be improved.

The Nutritive Value of Mulberry Leaves (Morus alba) and Partial Replacement of Cotton Seed in Rations on the Performance of Growing Vietnamese Cattle

  • Vu, Chi Cuong;Verstegen, M.W.A.;Hendriks, W.H.;Pham, K.C.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.24 no.9
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    • pp.1233-1242
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    • 2011
  • The in vivo digestibility of mulberry leaves (Morus alba) and the effects of the partial replacement of cotton seed with fresh mulberry leaf in rations on the performance of growing Vietnamese cattle was investigated. For the in vivo digestibility trial, twenty castrated rams of Phanrang breed (a local prolific breed) with an initial weight of 23-25 kg, were first assigned to four groups according to weight and then randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatments to determine digestibility of nutrients in mulberry leaves (M. alba), natural Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) and buffalo grass (Panicum maximum cv. TD 58). All forages were cut and chopped daily before being offered (at 120% maintenance) to the sheep. In the feeding trial, 20 Laisind (Vietnam yellow cows${\times}$Red Sindhy bulls) crossbred bulls averaged 18 month old and 184 kg were used to investigate the effect of partial replacement of cottonseed in the diet by mulberry leaves on live weight gain and feed conversion rate. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with four levels of fresh mulberry leaves which varied from 0 to 15% of total dietary dry mater and five animals per treatment over an 84 day period. The in vivo digestion trial showed the superior quality of mulberry leaves compared with the grasses. Chemical analysis indicated that mulberry leaves had the highest CP and the lowest NDF contents (22.3 and 31.1% DM, respectively) among the four forages tested. Digestibility of DM and OM of the mulberry leaf (66.4 and 71.8%, respectively) was also the highest but that of CP (58.2%) and NDF (58.4%) was the lowest of the four forages evaluated (p<0.05). Consequently, the ME value and therefore net energy (NE) and unit feed for lactation (UFL) values of the mulberry leaves, which was estimated from chemical composition and digestibility values, were the highest among the forages investigated in the present study. Results of the feeding trial showed no treatment effect on average daily gain (ADG) of the cattle. The values were 554, 583, 565 and 568 g/d for animals in the diets of 0, 5, 10, and 15% mulberry leaves inclusion, respectively. Total DM intake of the animal was not affected by the treatment when expressed as kg/animal/d. However, when adjusted for metabolic weight of the animal the DM intake was reduced (p<0.05) as whole cottonseed was replaced by mulberry leaves in the ration. When the level of mulberry leaves in the ration increased from 5 to 15% of dietary DM at the expense of whole cottonseed, CP and ME intakes of the cattle were significantly decreased (p<0.05) and the feed to gain ratio reduced by 8 to 14% as compared with the control diet (p<0.05). Mulberry leaf is a good feed ingredient for ruminants because of its high level of crude protein and high digestibility of nutrients and energy. Mulberry leaves can be efficiently used as a source of protein supplement to replace cottonseed, a more expensive animal feeds ingredient, in the diet for Vietnamese cattle.

An Empirical Study on Information system for Performance of Phisical Distribution - by Agricaltural Products - (물류정보화 수준이 물류성과에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구 - 농산물을 중심으로 -)

  • Kwon, Oh-cheol;Kim, Sang-cheol
    • Journal of Distribution Science
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    • v.5 no.1
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    • pp.57-73
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    • 2007
  • There are more problems in distributing agricultural and special products than industrial products because they have such restrictions as seasonal fluctuation in the quantity, indeterminate and diverse shapes, many farm households, a small amount of shipment, and mandatory guide and maintenance. However, with social atmosphere called well-being, there are increasing concerns about inorganic agricultural products and direct trade with farmers. It is therefore urgent to stabilize the price of agricultural and special products and to correctly grasp and improve logistics activities for those dealing with agricultural and special products in order to supply fresh ones. This study aimed at examining logistics activities and the information technology level for agricultural and special products, determining how these factors affect logistics performance, and eventually suggesting a scheme to improve the logistics achievements for agricultural and special products. For this purpose, it selected information technology and logistics activity levels as independent variables and logistics performance as a dependent variable. The information technology level was measured for utility, holding level, and concern, respectively, and the logistics activity level was tested for the level of using the logistics information system in those companies concerned. From the above-mentioned findings, it is urgent to enhance distribution technology and its level immediately since distribution of agricultural and special products is poor in Korea and good distribution can contribute to a reduction of logistics costs or improvement of customer service.

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A study on the Combustion Control System and Thermal Efficiency (연소제어시스템과 열효율 향상 방안에 관한 연구)

  • Zhang, Yong-Nam;Park, Soo-Hong
    • The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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    • v.5 no.6
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    • pp.645-650
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    • 2010
  • In this research, the problem of combustion and its system in Hyundai Heavy Industries and Sachuan Unison will be analyzed in order to provide some methods of thermal efficiency improvement and help to make a positive influence on fuel savings and their productivity. In forging industries, in order to improve the material properties of the industrial heating elements which are being used, depending on different operation conditions of system equipment and combustion systems, fuel consumption and material properties can get a profound influence. Thus, analyzing about combustion system characteristics of 100 tons heating furnace and heat treatment furnace which are in operation in Hyundai Heavy Industry will be done. In usual, air-fuel ratio is proper for capacity of burner installed in each heating device, otherwise burner gets an automatic turn down ratio. It has a profound influence on heating performance and precision of temperature because it is the fixed characteristics of every industrial furnace. Even if there are some methods to improve the heating performance of a furnace installed with a large capacity burner, it is very difficult to obtain the precision of temperature in maintenance interval. Based on this, performance of burner can be drove to best by improving combustion system. Proper Combustion characteristic for each heating interval was analyzed in heating furnace in Hyundai Heavy Industry. A project plan for improving fuel savings and increasing precision of temperature was presented in this research.

An Efficient Indexing Technique for Location Prediction of Moving Objects in the Road Network Environment (도로 네트워크 환경에서 이동 객체 위치 예측을 위한 효율적인 인덱싱 기법)

  • Hong, Dong-Suk;Kim, Dong-Oh;Lee, Kang-Jun;Han, Ki-Joon
    • Journal of Korea Spatial Information System Society
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    • v.9 no.1
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    • pp.1-13
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    • 2007
  • The necessity of future index is increasing to predict the future location of moving objects promptly for various location-based services. A representative research topic related to future index is the probability trajectory prediction technique that improves reliability using the past trajectory information of moving objects in the road network environment. However, the prediction performance of this technique is lowered by the heavy load of extensive future trajectory search in long-range future queries, and its index maintenance cost is high due to the frequent update of future trajectory. Thus, this paper proposes the Probability Cell Trajectory-Tree (PCT-Tree), a cell-based future indexing technique for efficient long-range future location prediction. The PCT-Tree reduces the size of index by rebuilding the probability of extensive past trajectories in the unit of cell, and improves the prediction performance of long-range future queries. In addition, it predicts reliable future trajectories using information on past trajectories and, by doing so, minimizes the cost of communication resulting from errors in future trajectory prediction and the cost of index rebuilding for updating future trajectories. Through experiment, we proved the superiority of the PCT-Tree over existing indexing techniques in the performance of long-range future queries.

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Influence of substituting steam-flaked corn for dry rolled corn on feedlot cattle growth performance when cattle are allowed either ad libitum or restricted access to the finishing diet

  • Gonzalez-Vizcarra, Victor Manuel;Plascencia, Alejandro;Ramos-Avina, Daniel;Zinn, Richard Avery
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.30 no.11
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    • pp.1563-1567
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    • 2017
  • Objective: The influence of substituting steam-flaked corn (SFC) for dry rolled corn (DRC) on feedlot cattle growth performance and dietary net energy when cattle are allowed either ad libitum or 2-h restricted access to the finishing diet was evaluated. Methods: Treatment effects were tested using 96 crossbred steers ($251{\pm}2kg$) during the initial 56 d of the finishing phase. Cattle were blocked by weight and randomly assigned within blocks to 16 pens (4 pens/treatment). Bunk space was sufficient (41 cm/head) to allow all steers access to the feed bunk at the same time. Treatments consisted of two finishing diets containing (dry matter basis) 77.1% corn grain processed by dry rolling (density = 0.50 kg/L) or steam flaking (density = 0.36 kg/L). Cattle were fed twice daily at 06:00 and 14:00 h, allowing for approximately 5% residual. In the case of restricted feeding, steers were allowed access to feeders for 1 h following each feeding, after which residual feed was withdrawn. Results: There were no treatment interactions on dry matter intake (DMI), average daily gain (ADG), gain efficiency (G:F), or dietary net energy (NE). Restricting feed access time reduced (p<0.01) feed intake, and hence, ADG. Substitution of SFC for DRC increased (p<0.01) ADG, feed efficiency (G:F), and estimated dietary NE, without affecting DMI. Based on tabular net energy of maintenance ($NE_m$) value (2.18 Mcal/kg) for DRC, the estimated $NE_m$ value for SFC using the replacement technique, averaged 2.44 Mcal/kg; an improvement of 10.7%. The ratio of observed-to-expected dietary NE was not affected by feed access time. Conclusion: Substitution of SFC for DRC in finishing diets for feedlot cattle enhanced ADG, gain efficiency, and the NE value of the diet. Although restriction of feed access time depressed DMI and ADG, it did not affect the comparative benefit of steam flaking toward enhancement of ADG, G:F, and dietary NE.

A study on the performance of the sacrificial anode used for cathodic protection of a marine bridge after 8 years (해상 교량에 설치된 희생양극식 전기방식의 8년 이후의 성능에 관한 연구)

  • Jeong, Jin-A;Ha, Ji-Myung;Lee, Du-Young;Lee, Sang-Deuk
    • Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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    • v.40 no.6
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    • pp.510-515
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    • 2016
  • Recently, corrosion occurred on the piles of a marine bridge located on the NamHae expressway in Korea. A sacrificial anode cathodic protection system was installed to prevent corrosion damage in the marine bridge. In the case of the marine bridge in this study, the sacrificial anode cathodic protection system was applied at the tidal and splash zones of the piles because the upper part of the structure was not corroded, and because corrosion occurs at the tidal and splash zones due to sea tides. To verify the performance of the sacrificial anode cathodic protection system 8 years later, cathodic protection (CP) current, CP potential, and degree of depolarization were measured. The experimental results on the performance of the sacrificial anode cathodic protection system from a total of 60 piles were classified into 4 categories: good CP effect results (13 piles), partial CP effect results (27 piles), temporarily erroneous results (5 piles), and need for maintenance because of delamination (15 piles). It was determined that additional repairs are required, such as the application of bulk anodes and jacket casings, for piles where the CP effect is poor.