• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.503-510
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• 2014

The study was conducted to determine the effect of feeding diets containing Andrographis paniculata leaves (APL), whole Andrographis paniculata plant (APWP) and a control without Andrographis paniculata (AP0), on growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat yield of 24 intact Boer bucks. The results obtained indicated that inclusion of Andrographis paniculata significantly improved feed intake, weight gain, feed efficiency and live weight. The ratios of carcass to fat, lean to bone, lean to fat, and composition of meat were also improved. In addition, there were significant differences (p<0.05) between the dietary treatments in dressing percentage and chilling loss. Goats fed on AP0 (control) had significantly higher proportions of fat and bone, as well as thicker back fat than the supplemented animals (APL and APWP). Higher gut fill in animals fed Andrographis paniculata suggested slow rate of digestion, which could have improved utilization and absorption of nutrients by the animals. Goats fed Andrographis paniculata also produced higher meat yield and relatively lower fat contents (p<0.05).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.1794-1802
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• 2001

Biotechnology will play critical role in improving animal productivity. Animal growth rate and muscle deposition potential can be greatly improved by the application of biotechnology and biotechnological products. Administration of recombinant somatotropin (ST) or other compounds such as IGF-1 and growth hormone-releasing peptides (GHRPs) can enhance growth rate and carcass lean percentage. Gene transfer offers a powerful approach to manipulate endocrine system and metabolic pathways toward faster growth and better feed efficiency. Biotechnology is also extensively used for improving metabolism and activity of gut microorganisms for better nutrient digestibility. Knockout of growth-inhibiting genes such as myostatin results in considerable acceleration of body weight and muscle growth. Animal growth can also be improved by the use of gene therapy. Immunomodulation is another approach for efficient growth through controlling the activity of endogenous anabolic hormones. All the above aspects will be discussed in this review.

• 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.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.226-232
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• 1999

Early-weaning at an age of less than 21 days and removal of pigs to a second isolated site, which is commonly referred to as segregated early weaning (SEW), has been shown to substantially reduce disease transfer from the dam. This strategy has been successful in reducing the number of pathogens, but has not been successful in eliminating all pathogens. Although SEW has failed in most instances to totally eliminate pathogens, performance as measured by gain and efficiency through the nursery phase has been shown to be enhanced. In addition, SEW pigs have been shown to perform well on less complex nursery diets. Pigs which are continued on a similar isolation regime to market weight have been shown to have a remarkable improvement in feed intake, gain and efficiency. However, pigs which are co-mingled with conventional pigs after the nursery phase have either no improvement in performance or reduced performance. Backfat and carcass lean yield have been shown to be enhanced by SEW in high lean gain pigs, but not in lower lean gain pigs. Exposure of pigs to antigens which activate the immune system and increase the level of immunological stress has been suggested as the mechanism involved in depressing growth and performance of pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.1391-1394
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• 2002

The polymorphism of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in 13 pig breeds (total n=559) was detected by PCR-Hha I- RFLP, and allele A (151 bp and 28 bp) or allele B (116 bp, 35 bp and 28 bp) were observed. In these pig breeds, it was found that European pig breeds carried high frequencies of allele B, while Chinese native pig breeds carried high frequencies of allele A. Meanwhile the role of porcine IGF-I was investigated in 117 Nanchang White pigs and 360 Large Yorkshire pigs. Eight traits about growth and carcass were recorded for analyzing the associations between IGF-I gene polymorphism and performance quantitative traits. In the Nanchang White pigs, those with AA genotype generally had higher birth weight than those with AB genotype (p<0.05), but all these genotypes had no significant effect on the other traits which had been analyzed. In Large Yorkshire pigs, those with BB genotype had higher 2 months and 6 months body weight than those with AA genotype (p<0.05), and had a thicker hind-back-fat thickness and mid-back-thickness than those with AB and BB genotypes (p<0.05). And those with BB genotype were the thinnest in Large Yorkshire. Furthermore, pigs with AA genotype had a lower lean percentage than those with AB and BB genotypes (p<0.01), and the lean percentage of those with BB genotype was the highest. Based on these results, it is possible to make the IGF-I gene locus into the application of marker-assisted selection programmes.

• Journal of Construction Engineering and Project Management
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.12-22
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• 2014

Over the last decade, Saudi Arabia has experienced significant economic increases as evidenced by the 30% growth in its gross domestic product; furthermore, the construction industry has increased 10% in the same time period. Due to this significant growth, the construction industry is encountering issues related to construction quality resulting in significant waste and associated environmental impacts. In this research, we applied our previously developed framework that integrates three different methods-Lean, Green, and Six-sigma - to a residential construction complex in Saudi Arabia. Our aim of this case study was to explore the application of the framework in practice to glean quantitative results and further validate the framework. In the case study, we used the developed framework to identify a significant issue related to quality and delays - final completion of 53 residential units was delayed because of failed exterior buildings surfaces. We then used the framework to define the causes behind the defects via a field investigation of the 53 units. Of the defect, construction execution was responsible for 43% of the defect, 31% untrained workers, 19% unfavorable construction weather condition, with 7% accounting for other issues. A procedure was developed in concert with the construction manager and overall developer reducing the amount of rework and waste causes revealed by the field examination and the framework. Although two steps were added to the original construction process to overcome waste causes, still save a lot of resources and reduces environmental impact. In summary, we found that the Lean, Green, Six-sigma framework increased productivity, quality, and reduced waste.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.211-222
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• 2011

The present review was aimed to assess the feasibility of increasing the slaughter weight (SW) of finishing pigs. Growth performance, including ADG, ADFI and gain:feed, does not change significantly with increasing SW between 110 and $135{\pm}5kg$ in lean-genotype pigs, whereas in non-lean pigs, ADG and gain:feed decrease with increasing SW within the similar range of BW. Backfat thickness (BFT) and marbling of the carcass, which are greater in barrows than in gilts, increase with the increase of SW. The SW could be increased by using a low-energy diet and thereby reducing the rate of fat deposition per weight gain. The yield of the belly increases with the increase of SW, which may be economically significant in Korea. However, yields of some other primal cuts do not change so much as to affect the carcass value. The redness and fat content of the muscle increase slightly with the increase of SW whereas moisture content is minimally influenced by SW. Muscular protein content rarely changes, but sometimes increases slightly, with increasing SW. Other physicochemical characteristics, including lightness, pH, drip loss, and cooking loss of the muscle, are barely influenced by SW. Marbling of fresh loin and ham increases with increasing SW. Sensory characteristics of fresh loin, ham, and belly, including color, aroma, off-flavor, drip, and acceptability, are not influenced significantly by SW. The eating quality of cooked pork also has almost no relation to SW. In conclusion, it is thought that the current SW for moderately lean barrows and gilts can be raised up to 125 and 135 kg, respectively, with BFT at these weights predicted to be approximately 24 mm near the last rib, without compromising the meat quality.

• Journal of mucopolysaccharidosis and rare diseases
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.44-48
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• 2015

Body fat distribution in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is characterized by reduce lean body mass (LBM), increased total body fat mass (FM), and lower percentage of visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Individuals with PWS seem to have a lower risk for insulin resistance with high levels of adiponectin, an anti-atherogenic adipocytokine that is decreased in visceral fat hypertrophy subjects compared to simple obese subjects, both in children and in adults. The mechanism of the reduction in visceral adiposity in PWS is still unclear. It might be related to qualitative intrinsic characteristics of adipocyte or novel genetic influences on the control of fat distribution. However, obesity remains a critical problem, and obesity status plays a crucial role in individual metabolic risk clustering and development of metabolic syndrome (Mets) in PWS children and adults. Long-term growth hormone (GH) treatment after cessation of skeletal growth improved body composition, with an increase in lean body mass and a reduction in total body fat and subcutaneous and visceral fat in PWS adults. Thus, the role of GH is important after childhood because it might attenuate obesity and Mets in PWS adult by adipocyte modification.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.44-49
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• 2006

The aim of this study was to evaluate the body composition difference and obesity prevalence in grade 5 to 8 by gender. A total of 1,333 students, 707 boys and 631 girls, were recruited from one elementary and one middle school in Seoul, Korea. Anthropometric measurements including height, weight, lean body mass, and body fat were assessed. Height and weight were increased by grade, but Body Mass Index (BMI) by grade showed no significant difference among boys. Lean body mass had growth spurt between 7 and 8 grade among boys compared to gradual increase among girls. Overweight and obesity prevalence were higher among elementary schoolers than middle schoolers. Overweight (BMI for age> $85^{th}$ percentile) prevalence was about $44\%$ among $5^{th}$ grade boys compared $29\%$ among same grade girls. These results provided that there were prominent difference regarding body growth and obesity prevalence in gender and grade. Further studies for children and adolescents should be considered their body composition change.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.27-37
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• 2024

The poultry plays a crucial role in the animal industry, providing humans with efficient, high-quality animal protein. The rapid growth and short generational intervals of broilers offer significant benefits compared to other economic animals. This growth and increased muscle mass in modern commercial broilers result from advancements in breeding. However, the high productivity of contemporary broilers indicates they are approaching their physiological limits, with excessive fat accumulation becoming a significant industry issue. This not only reduces lean meat yield and feed efficiency but also negatively impacts consumers, especially due to problematic abdominal fat, which consumes more energy than lean meat production. Laying hens, reared for extended periods, maintain high productivity, producing a substantial number of eggs. This productivity in laying hens, akin to broilers, stems from genetic selection and breeding. For egg production, laying hens require physiological support for necessary nutrients. In this context, yolk fat accumulation is a critical physiological process. Lipoproteins, essential in avian lipid metabolism, are vital for yolk and body fat accumulation. Understanding these lipoproteins and their metabolism is key to developing healthier, more productive animals, offering economic benefits to farmers and improved nutritional quality to consumers. This review focuses on the physiological aspects of dietary fat transport, fatty acid biosynthesis in the liver, fat accumulation in the abdomen and muscles, and lipid deposition in egg yolks in chickens. It also highlights recent research trends in the regulation of fat metabolism in poultry.