• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.64 no.2
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• pp.353-364
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• 2022

The present study aimed to assess the feasibility of increasing the slaughter weight (SW) of non-lean finishing pigs to improve their meat quality. A total of 36 (Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc gilts and barrows were slaughtered at 115 (Av), 125 (Hi), or 135 (XHi) kg, followed by physicochemical analyses and sensory evaluation on their longissimus dorsi (LD) and Semimembranosus (SM) muscles. Backfat thickness was greater (p < 0.05) for the XHi (31.2 mm) and Hi (29.3 mm) groups than for Av (25.0 mm). Dressing percentage and yield of the belly per whole carcass were also slightly greater for XHi and Hi vs. Av. The intramuscular fat (IMF) content of SM was greater for XHi (2.64%) than for Av (1.83%) and Hi (2.04%) and also was correlated with SW (r = 0.55). The pH value, lightness, redness, drip loss, shear force, and moisture and protein contents of LD and SM, as well as IMF content of LD, were unaffected by SW. Percentages of 14:0, 16:0, and total saturated fatty acids (FA) were less for Hi and XHi vs. Av in SM, those of total unsaturated FA, 18:2, 20:4, and n-6 being opposite; FA composition of LM was not influenced by SW except for a reduced 18:0 percentage for XHi vs. Av. The sensory score was less for XHi vs. Av for odor in fresh LD and SM, and less for Hi and XHi vs. Av for aroma in fresh LM; scores for color, drip loss, marbling, and acceptability were unaffected by SW. As for cooked muscles, none of the scores for color, aroma, flavor, juiciness, tenderness, and acceptability was affected by SW, except for a greater LD color score for Hi and XHi vs. Av. Collectively, the results suggested that the increased yield of the carcass and belly due to increased SW is outbalanced negatively by excessive backfat deposition in production efficiency, whereas the SW increase exerts little influence on overall sensory quality of fresh or cooked meat. Production of non-lean market pigs overweighing 115 kg therefore will be uneconomical unless consumers pay a substantial premium for the over-fattened pork.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.9-25
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• 2023

Yogurt fermentation is known to be beneficial because it provides a low pH and harsh environment for foodborne pathogens and improves organoleptic properties. Additionally, organic acids produced through fermentation have a good effect on the viscosity and gelling properties of yogurt. Several potential health benefits of probiotic and generally recognized as safe strains have been suggested. Yogurt is the preferred vehicle for delivering probiotics to health-conscious consumers. Therefore, manufacturers of probiotic beverages must comply with the relevant regulations. The development of probiotic yogurt begins with the selection of strains with safety and functional properties of probiotics. The selected probiotic strain should be technically suitable for viability and improve organoleptic quality while maintaining the number of bacteria above the standard value during processing and storage conditions. In addition, the efficacy of probiotic strains contained in yogurt should be investigated, confirmed, and approved according to well-designed clinical trials. Although various methods are used to detect probiotic strains, the recently widely used next generation sequencing method can be actively utilized. In the future, more research should be conducted with the latest methods to identify probiotic functions and accurately detect probiotic strains.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.3.1-3.14
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• 2023

Objectives: This study evaluated the effect of different nanoparticulated zinc oxide (nano-ZnO) and conventional-ZnO ratios on the physicochemical properties of calcium aluminate cement (CAC). Materials and Methods: The conventional-ZnO and nano-ZnO were added to the cement powder in the following proportions: G1 (20% conventional-ZnO), G2 (15% conventional-ZnO + 5% nano-ZnO), G3 (12% conventional-ZnO + 3% nano-ZnO) and G4 (10% conventional-ZnO + 5% nano-ZnO). The radiopacity (R_ad), setting time (S_et), dimensional change (D_c), solubility (S_ol), compressive strength (C_st), and pH were evaluated. The nano-ZnO and CAC containing conventional-ZnO were also assessed using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Radiopacity data were analyzed by the 1-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni tests (p < 0.05). The data of the other properties were analyzed by the ANOVA, Tukey, and Fisher tests (p < 0.05). Results: The nano-ZnO and CAC containing conventional-ZnO powders presented particles with few impurities and nanometric and micrometric sizes, respectively. G1 had the highest Rad mean value (p < 0.05). When compared to G1, groups containing nano-ZnO had a significant reduction in the S_et (p < 0.05) and lower values of D_c at 24 hours (p < 0.05). The C_st was higher for G4, with a significant difference for the other groups (p < 0.05). The S_ol did not present significant differences among groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The addition of nano-ZnO to CAC improved its dimensional change, setting time, and compressive strength, which may be promising for the clinical performance of this cement.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.20-26
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• 2023

Cow pea (Vigna unguiculata) was intercropped with Ziziphus spina-christi as summer forage in two consecutive seasons of 2017 and 2018. The aims to find out suitable agroforestry practice for saline soils of Khartoum State. And to investigate effect of tree spacing on forage biomass yield under semi -irrigated systems. Completely randomized block design with 3 replicates was conducted for this trial. Thus Z.spina-christi that fixed at 4×4 m was intercropped with cowpea at 1 m and 1.5 m spacing from trees trunk. Tree growth parameters were measured in terms of tree height, tree collar diameter, tree crown diameter and fruit yield per tree. While crop were parameters were determined in terms of plant height, number of plant, forage biomass yield per ha and land equivalent ratio. Soil profile of 1×1 m and 1.5 m depth was excavated and its features were described beside its chemical and physical properties were analyzed for 0-10 cm, 0-30 cm, and 30-60 cm and 60-100 cm layers. The results revealed that soil pH, CaCO₃, SAR, ESP, and EC ds/m were increased by increasing soil depths. Meanwhile tree growth in terms of tree height was significant in the first season 2017 when compared with tree collar diameter and tree crown diameter. Also significant differences were recorded for tree growth when compared with sole trees in the second season in 2018. Tree fruit showed marked variations between the two seasons, but it was higher under intercropping particularly at ZS2. Crop plant height was highly significant under sole cropping than intercropping in first season in 2017. In contrast forage biomass yield was significant under intercropping in ZS1 and ZS2 treatments. Land equivalent ratio was advantageous under this agroforestry system particularly under ZS2. Thus it recorded 5 and 9 for ZS2 in the two consecutive seasons respectively. Therefore, it is feasible to introduce this agroforestry system under such arid lands to provide summer forage yield of highly nutritive value and low cost for animals feed as well as to increase farmers' income and to halt desertification and to sequester carbon.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.681-689
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• 2023

Purpose: Muons are characterized by a strong penetrating ability and can travel through thousands of meters of rock, making them ideal to image large volumes and substances typically impenetrable to, for example, electrons and photons. The feasibility of 3D image reconstruction and material identification based on a cosmic ray muons tomography (MT) system with triangular bar plastic scintillator detectors has been verified in this paper. Our prototype shows potential application value and the authors wish to apply this prototype system to 3D imaging. In addition, an MT experiment with the same detector system is also in progress. Methods: A simulation based on GEANT4 was developed to study cosmic ray muons' physical processes and motion trails. The yield and transportation of optical photons scintillated in each triangular bar of the detector system were reproduced. An image reconstruction algorithm and correction method based on muon scattering, which differs from the conventional PoCA algorithm, has been developed based on simulation data and verified by experimental data. Results: According to the simulation result, the detector system's position resolution is below 1 ~ mm in simulation and 2 mm in the experiment. A relatively legible 3D image of lead bricks in size of 20 cm × 5 cm × 10 cm used our inversion algorithm can be presented below 1× 10⁴ effective events, which takes 16 h of acquisition time experimentally. Conclusion: The proposed method is a potential candidate to monitor the cosmic ray MT accurately. Monte Carlo simulations have been performed to discuss the application of the detector and the simulation results have indicated that the detector can be used in cosmic ray MT. The cosmic ray MT experiment is currently underway. Furthermore, the proposal also has the potential to scan the earth, buildings, and other structures of interest including for instance computerized imaging in an archaeological framework.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.8-16
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• 2022

Rice (brown rice: milled rice=50:50) was cooked using different concentrations of hyaluronic acid (HA) solution (0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7%, respectively) as the cooking water, and the properties of the cooked rice were compared. As the HA content increased, the moisture content of the cooked rice significantly increased, and the textural properties, including hardness, cohesiveness, and adhesiveness, except springiness, significantly decreased. For color, as the HA amount increased, the L^* value decreased, whereas the b^* values increased. The free radical scavenging effect and total polyphenol content also increased significantly as the amount of HA increased. In the sensory test, the hardness of the samples containing HA was higher than that of the control; however, there was no significant difference in the overall acceptability. Based on the above results, much softer cooked brown rice could be produced using HA solution (up to 0.7%) as the cooking water, and additional beneficial characteristics, such as antioxidant effect, can be obtained.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.1061-1070
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• 2023

Over the last few years, lead-free inorganic metal perovskites have gained impressive ground in empowering satellites in space exploration owing to their material stability and performance evolution under extreme space environments. The present work has examined the versatility of eight such perovskites as space radiation shielding materials by computing their photon, charged particles and neutron interaction parameters. Photon interaction parameters were calculated for a wide energy range using PAGEX software. The ranges of heavy charged particles (H, He, C, N, O, Ne, Mg, Si and Fe ions) in these perovskites were estimated using SRIM software in the energy range 1 keV-10 GeV, and that of electrons was computed using ESTAR NIST software in the energy range 0.01 MeV-1 GeV. Further, the macroscopic fast neutron removal cross-sections were also calculated to estimate the neutron shielding efficiencies. The examined shielding parameters of the perovskites varied depending on the radiation type and energy. Among the selected perovskites, Cs₂TiI₆ and Ba₂AgIO₆ displayed superior photon attenuation properties. A 3.5 cm thick Ba₂AgIO₆-based shield could reduce the incident radiation intensity to half its initial value, a thickness even lesser than that of Pb-glass. Besides, CsSnBr₃ and La_0.8Ca_0.2Ni_0.5Ti_0.5O₃ displayed the highest and lowest range values, respectively, for all heavy charged particles. Ba₂AgIO₆ showed electron stopping power (on par with Kovar) better than that of other examined materials. Interestingly, La_0.8Ca_0.2Ni_0.5Ti_0.5O₃ demonstrated neutron removal cross-section values greater than that of standard neutron shielding materials - aluminium and polyethylene. On the whole, the present study not only demonstrates the employment prospects of eco-friendly perovskites for shielding space radiations but also suggests future prospects for research in this direction.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.48-51
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• 2013

We report an unusual case of postoperative early gastric cancer with liver metastasis mimicking pancreaticobiliary carcinoma. A 73-year-old man with early gastric cancer was transferred for endoscopic treatment. The patient underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection for the treatment of the early gastric cancer. The pathological diagnosis was adenocarcinoma with extension to the deep submucosa and some lymphatic invasion. Therefore, subsequent a subtotal gastrectomy was performed. The histological results demonstrated residual adenocarcinoma confined to the mucosa. The resection margin and lymph node metastasis were negative. Thus, he was closely monitored for recurrence every 6 months. After 2 years, he was suddenly suspected of developing liver metastasis and local recurrence. He received a liver biopsy, and the pathological result was poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining suggested pancreaticobiliary carcinoma rather than metastatic adenocarcinoma from the stomach or colon, but primary focus was not found. We were sure that the recurrent stomach cancer metastasized to the liver because stomach cancer can show heterogeneous cytokeratin (CK) expression pattern with various histological features. Therefore, no single CK expression pattern has diagnostic value for distinguishing gastric carcinoma. The patient underwent chemotherapy for metastatic stomach cancer.

• ANNALS OF ANIMAL RESOURCE SCIENCES
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.165-171
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• 2019

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of gender on meat quality traits and sensory characteristics of pork loin. A total of 90 pork carcasses (180 days old, 45 barrows and 45 gilts, each gender group was consisted of fifteen 1+, 1 and 2 carcass grades) were selected and loin cuts were excised to investigate meat quality, electronic tongue measures and sensory panel test. There were significant differences in drip loss (1.66% vs 1.21%), released water (12.19% vs 10.68%) and cooking loss (23.67% vs 21.04%) between loins from barrow and gilt (p<0.05). However, no significant differences in meat color (CIE L^* a^* b^*) and shear force were observed between gender groups (p>0.05). Umami and richness values of barrow were significantly higher than those of gilt, while barrow had significantly lower sourness value compared to gilt(p<0.05). On the sensory evaluation, barrow scored higher in flavor, juiciness and tenderness both, and as a result, barrow (5.51 points) also scored significantly higher than gilt (4.86 points). These results suggest that the umami intensity and sensory taste of barrow loin are superior to gilt loin due to its high water-holding capacity.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.49-56
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• 2018

Recently, attempts have been made by dairy farms to shorten the time until the first estrus by feeding animals a high-energy diet during the heifer period. Energy consumption during the heifer period has been shown to be related to milk yield and reproductive performance. The present study was conducted to analyze the relationship between reproductive performance and energy intake in heifers. There were no differences in height or body weight between animals that were fed the Korean standard diet versus a high energy diet (110% of the Korean standard). However, there was a difference in the timing of the first estrus: 329.3 days under normal energy conditions versus 311 days under high energy conditions. There was no difference in the number of artificial insemination per gestation, but both the rate of female calf production and the weight of individual female calves increased in response to the high energy diet. Based on these results, it may be predicted that the reproductive performance of dairy cows will increase when the animals are fed a high energy diet (110% of the Korean standard). These results demonstrate a correlation between the amount of energy consumed and reproductive performance, and will be of great value to the dairy farming industry.