• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.49-60
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• 2021

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) is an important cash crop in Tanzania as a source of income to cashew growers and provides foreign exchange for the country. Despite its significance, the crop is threatened by fast spreading disease known as cashew Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum. Field assessment and laboratory tests were conducted to determine incidences of the disease, severity, ecological factors that influence them and explored the pathogen host specificity in six cashew growing districts. The results revealed significant (P<0.001) variation of disease incidences and severity among the studied districts. The results further revealed that there is both positive and negative correlation between the incidence and severity of the disease versus the evaluated ecological factors. The soil pH, soil temperature, air temperature, and relative humidity depicted positive correlation of disease incidence and severity versus ecological factors at ρ=0.50 and ρ=0.60, ρ=0.20 and ρ=0.94, ρ=0.11 and ρ=0.812, ρ=0.05 and ρ=0.771 respectively while nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon depicted negative correlations at ρ=-0.22 and ρ=-0.58, ρ=-0.15 and ρ=-0.94, ρ=-0.19 and ρ=-0.12 respectively. In terms of host range, none of the weed species was found to be a carrier of Fusarium pathogen implying that it is host specific or semi selective. The results revealed that the tested ecological parameters favor the growth and development of Fusarium pathogen. Thus, management of the disease requires nutrients replenishment and soil shading as essential components in developing appropriate strategies for the control and prevention of further spread of the disease.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.2
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• pp.354-366
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• 2021

Limited data about the effects of various factors on forage quality and β-carotene content of rye produced in Korea are available, so this study investigated the effects of two preservation methods. Samples were collected from rye harvested every 5 days between April 25 and May 31, and comparisons were done among rye silage wilted for different periods of time and hay of three growth stages of rye. For the silage, dry matter (DM), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) contents increased with advanced maturity of rye, whereas crude protein, in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), total digestible nutrients (TDN), relative feed value (RFV), and DM loss decreased (p < 0.0001). Wilting increased the DM content and pH value significantly (p < 0.0001). Silage harvested at the heading stage had the lowest pH value (4.45), propionic acid (0.83 g/kg DM), butyric acid (0 g/kg DM), and fungi and yeast populations (3.70 Log CFU/g of fresh matter [FM]); conversely, it had the highest lactic acid (9.7 g/kg DM), lactic acid bacteria (LAB) (6.87 Log CFU/g of FM), total microorganisms (TM) (7.33 Log CFU/g of FM), and Flieg's score (70) (p < 0.0001). Wilting elevated LAB and TM populations, but it had no consistent effect on other fermentation products. Both delayed harvest and prolonged wilting decreased β-carotene content. Rye silage harvested around May 9 (heading stage) with 24 h of wilting was preferred for highland, Pyeongchang. For rye hay, advanced maturity decreased DM loss, IVDMD, TDN, and RFV, but it increased DM, ADF, and NDF significantly (p < 0.05). β-carotene was decreased by delay of hay-making. Consequently, to attain lower DM loss and higher hay quality, the harvest date of May 9 (heading stage) is recommended.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.759-769
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• 2021

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of stocking density on the behavior, productivity, and metabolism of periparturient Holstein cows as well as calf performance. Methods: A total of 48 periparturient cows were randomly assigned into three groups at 28 days (±3 days) before their expected calving date. The stocking densities of the groups, relative to the standard cubicle and feed bunk number, were i) 80% (13 cows), ii) 100% (16 cows), and iii) 120% (19 cows). Lying and rumination behavior was recorded using electronic data loggers and HR-Tags from d -21 ("d-" means days before calving) until the calving date, d 0. Lying time was assessed to determine the diurnal total hours spent lying per day. Rumination time was averaged in 2 hours interval periods over 24 hours during the experimental period. Results: Cows in the 80% group spent more time lying and ruminating between d -21 and d -7 and tended to ruminate more between d -14 and d 0. Calcium levels tended to be higher for cows in the 80% group, no other observable differences were found in monitored blood parameters. Moreover, 3.5% fat corrected milk and energy corrected milk yields were higher in 80% group in the first month of lactation. No other observable differences were found in the yield and composition of colostrum and milk in the first 10 months of lactation. The growth and performance of calves in the first week of life was not affected by stocking density of the dams. Conclusion: We concluded that lower stocking density may increase lying and ruminating behavior of prepartum Holstein cows. However, this did not translate into improved productivity and metabolism.

• International Journal of Knowledge Content Development & Technology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.29-46
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• 2020

The paper describes the quantitative and qualitative dimensions of artificial neural networks (ANN) in India in the global context. The study is based on research publications data (8260) as covered in the Scopus database during 1999-2018. ANN research in India registered 24.52% growth, averaged 11.95 citations per paper, and contributed 9.77% share to the global ANN research. ANN research is skewed as the top 10 countries account for 75.15% of global output. India ranks as the third most productive country in the world. The distribution of research by type of ANN networks reveals that Feed Forward Neural Network type accounted for the highest share (10.18% share), followed by Adaptive Weight Neural Network (5.38% share), Feed Backward Neural Network (2.54% share), etc. ANN research applications across subjects were the largest in medical science and environmental science (11.82% and 10.84% share respectively), followed by materials science, energy, chemical engineering and water resources (from 6.36% to 9.12%), etc. The Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur and the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee lead the country as the most productive organizations (with 289 and 264 papers). Besides, the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (33.04 and 2.76) and Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (24.26 and 2.03) lead the country as the most impactful organizations in terms of citation per paper and relative citation index. P. Samui and T.N. Singh have been the most productive authors and G.P.S.Raghava (86.21 and 7.21) and K.P. Sudheer (84.88 and 7.1) have been the most impactful authors. Neurocomputing, International Journal of Applied Engineering Research and Applied Soft Computing topped the list of most productive journals.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.280-286
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• 2021

The objective of this study was to prove the effect of pig slurry application with charcoal on nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), feed value and ammonia (NH₃) emission from maize forage. The four treatments were applied: 1) non-pig slurry (only water as a control), 2) only pig slurry application (PS), 3) pig slurry application with large particle charcoal (LC), 4) pig slurry application with small particle charcoal (SC). The pig slurry was applied at a rate of 150 kg N ha^-1, and the charcoal was applied at a rate of 300 kg ha-1 regardless of the size. To determine the feed value of maize, crude protein, dry matter intake, digestible dry matter, total digestible nutrient, and relative feed value were investigated. All feed value was increased by charcoal treatment compared to water and PS treatment. Also, the NUE for plant N was significantly higher in charcoal treatments (LC and SC) compared to PS treatment. On the other hand, there is no significant difference for feed value and NUE between LC and SC. The NH₃ emission was significantly reduced 15.2% and 27.9% by LC and SC, respectively, compared to PS. Especially, SC significantly decreased NH₃ emission by 15% compared to LC. The present study clearly showed that charcoal application exhibited positive potential in nitrogen use efficiency, feed value and reducing N losses through NH₃ emission.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.374-378
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• 2022

The feeding habits of the Glowbelly Acropoma japonicum were examined based on 849 specimens collected from the coastal waters of the South Sea of Korea. The total length (TL) of these specimens ranged from 2.6 to 13.0 cm. A. japonicum fed majorly on Euphausia pacifica (Euphausiacea, % index of relative importance; IRI, 51.9). However with growth, its diet shifted from copepoda to euphausiacea. Overall, as the body size of A. japonicum increased, the mean weight of prey within the stomach (mW/ST) increased.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.34-44
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• 2019

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to present what the port of Pyeongtaek, the hub of Korean trade with China, should improve in the current situation, wherein the e-commerce trade volume between Korea and China is increasing due to the development of online technology. Design/methodology - In this study, through prior research and expert interviews on e-commerce and port activation between borders, we derived the main improvement factors for 1) Administration and Systems, 2) Facilities, 3) Transport, and 4) Manpower, and selected 12 detailed variables for the major improvement factors. To identify the relative importance of the major improvement factors, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method was applied, and a survey was conducted among 15 related experts. Findings - As a result, among the 12 detailed variables, Composition of Association (0.267) was the first factor to be improved, followed by Incentive Support (0.143) and E-Commerce Cluster (0.131). Based on these analyses, the main implications of this study are, first, in the current situation where the cross-border e-commerce market is growing, Pyeongtaek Port needs to form a consultative body among the government, local governments, and related businesses in connection with cross-border e-commerce and develop various support policies for the e-commerce market. Second, it will have to be able to provide differentiated services from competing ports by establishing e-commerce market-oriented clusters. Originality/value - In existing related studies, various improvements were presented to revitalize trade in line with the growth of the cross-border e-commerce market. However, with regard to most cross-border e-commerce businesses, one-dimensional improvement measures, such as improvement of payment systems, improvement of customs clearance services, and promotion of human resources, are presented in a piecemeal manner. In other words, none of the studies have proposed the importance and priority of each measure in terms of both the forward-looking and efficient allocation of resources, which is the purpose of this study. Therefore, this study contributed politically, practically, and academically by presenting countermeasures for ports to revitalize cross-border e-commerce and presenting strategic priorities using quantitative analysis methods.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.355-363
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• 2021

Background and objective: This study was conducted on Forsythia velutina, a special plant, in Gyeongsangnam-do Arboretum under the Gyeongsangnam-do Forest Environment Research Institute, which is located in the southern part of Korea. Methods: The research aimed to analyze the flowering characteristics of the plant by calculating the optimal temperature and humidity according to the flowering time and flowering period for 8 years from 2010 to 2017 in order to provide basic data for bioclimate studies of endemic plants. Results: It was observed that the Forsythia velutina showed a life cycle from mid-March and to mid-November. Average growth period was 243 (± 6.5) days. In testing the reliability of a single variable according to the meteorological factors, the Cronbach's Alpha was 0.701, which indicates that the findings were relatively reliable. The average date of flowering was March 16 (SD = 5.8) and the average date on which blossoms fall was March 29 (SD = 5.2). A substantial difference in flowering period was observed from year to year 11 to 23 days, with an average of 16 days (± 4.7). The temperature and humidity in February to March, which affect the flowering, were 2.9-5.5℃, and 66.5-73.0%, respectively, and showed differences every year. Conclusion: The correlation between flowering time and meteorological factors was positive, and the highest daily temperature and average daily temperature had the highest significance. When establishing basic data on plant species for the conservation of endemic plants, the changes in life cycle events and weather conditions are identified. It is believed that it will be helpful in establishing a conservation strategy for the plant species in the future.

• BMB Reports
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.244-249
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• 2022

Characterized by abnormal proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), neointima hyperplasia is a hallmark of vascular restenosis after percutaneous vascular interventions. Vaccinia-related kinase 1 (VRK1) is a stress adaption-associated ser/thr protein kinase that can induce the proliferation of various types of cells. However, the role of VRK1 in the proliferation and migration of VSMCs and neointima hyperplasia after vascular injury remains unknown. We observed increased expression of VRK1 in VSMCs subjected to platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB by western blotting. Silencing VRK1 by shVrk1 reduced the number of Ki-67-positive VSMCs and attenuated the migration of VSMCs. Mechanistically, we found that relative expression levels of β-catenin and effectors of mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) such as phospho (p)-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), p-S6, and p-4EBP1 were decreased after silencing VRK1. Restoration of β-catenin expression by SKL2001 and re-activation of mTORC1 by Tuberous sclerosis 1 siRNA (siTsc1) both abolished shVrk1-mediated inhibitory effect on VSMC proliferation and migration. siTsc1 also rescued the reduced expression of β-catenin caused by VRK1 inhibition. Furthermore, mTORC1 re-activation failed to recover the attenuated proliferation and migration of VSMC resulting from shVrk1 after silencing β-catenin. We also found that the vascular expression of VRK1 was increased after injury. VRK1 inactivation in vivo inhibited vascular injury-induced neointima hyperplasia in a β-catenin-dependent manner. These results demonstrate that inhibition of VRK1 can suppress the proliferation and migration of VSMC and neointima hyperplasia after vascular injury via mTORC1/β-catenin pathway.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.115-120
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• 2022

Background In addition to vascular endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are subject to continuous shear stress because of blood circulation. The angiogenic properties of VSMCs in extracranial arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) may exceed those of normal blood vessels if the body responds more sensitively to mechanical stimuli. This study was performed to investigate the hypothesis that rapid angiogenesis may be achieved by mechanical shear stress. Methods VSMCs were obtained from six patients who had AVMs and six normal controls. The target genes were set to angiopoietin-2 (AGP2), aquaporin-1 (AQP1), and transforming growth factor-beta receptor 1 (TGFBR1). Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time PCR were implemented to identify the expression levels for target genes. Immunofluorescence was also conducted. Results Under the shear stress condition, mean relative quantity values of AGP2, AQP1, and TGFBR1 in AVM tissues were 1.927±0.528, 1.291±0.031, and 2.284±1.461 when compared with neutral conditions. The expression levels of all three genes in AVMs were higher than those in normal tissue except for AQP1 under shear stress conditions. Immunofluorescence also revealed increased staining of shear stress-induced genes in the normal tissue and in AVM tissue. Conclusions Shear stress made the VSMCs of AVMs more sensitive. Although the pathogenesis of AVMs remains unclear, our study showed that biomechanical stimulation imposed by shear stress may aggravate angiogenesis in AVMs.