• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.747-755
• /
• 2009

The feed resource for animals is a major cost determinant for profitability in livestock production enterprises, and thus any effort at improving the efficiency of feed use will help to reduce feed cost. Feed conversion ratio, expressed as feed inputs per unit output, is a traditional measure of efficiency that has significant phenotypic and genetic correlations with feed intake and growth traits. The use of ratio traits for genetic selection may cause problems associated with prediction of change in the component traits in future generations. Residual feed intake, a linear index, is a trait derived from the difference between actual feed intake and that predicted on the basis of the requirements for maintenance of body weight and production. Considerable genetic variation exists in residual feed intake for cattle and pigs, which should respond to selection. Phenotypic independence of phenotypic residual feed intake with body weight and weight gain can be obligatory. Genetic residual feed intake is genetically independent of its component traits (body weight and weight gain). Genetic correlations of residual feed intake with daily feed intake and feed conversion efficiency have been strong and positive in both cattle and pigs. Residual feed intake is favorably genetically correlated with eye muscle area and carcass weight in cattle and with eye muscle area and backfat in pigs. Selection to reduce residual feed intake (excessive intake of feed) will improve the efficiency of feed and most of the economically important carcass traits in cattle and pigs. Therefore, residual feed intake can be used to replace traditional feed conversion ratio as a selection criterion of feed efficiency in breeding programs. However, further studies are required on the variation of residual feed intake during different developmental stage of production.

• Journal of Power Electronics
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.157-163
• /
• 2012

Internet Data Centers (IDCs), which are essential facilities in the modern IT industry, typically have scores of MW of concentrated electric loads. The provision of an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) is necessary for the power feed system of IDCs owing to the need for stable power. Thus, conventional IDC AC power feed systems have three cascaded power conversion stages, (AC-DC), (DC-AC), and (AC-DC), resulting in a very low conversion efficiency. In comparison, DC power feed systems require only a single power conversion stage (AC-DC) to supply AC main power to DC server loads, resulting in comparatively high conversion efficiency and reliability [4-11]. This paper compares the efficiencies of a 220V AC power feed system with those of a 300V DC power feed system under equal load conditions, as established by the Mok-Dong IDC of Korea Telecom Co. Ltd. (KT). Experimental results show that the total operation efficiency of the 300V DC power feed system is approximately 15% higher than that of the 220V AC power feed system.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.64 no.2
• /
• pp.312-329
• /
• 2022

Feed cost is the main factor affecting the economic benefits of pig industry. Improving the feed efficiency (FE) can reduce the feed cost and improve the economic benefits of pig breeding enterprises. Liver is a complex metabolic organ which affects the distribution of nutrients and regulates the efficiency of energy conversion from nutrients to muscle or fat, thereby affecting feed efficiency. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that can regulate feed efficiency through the modulation of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. In this study, we analyzed miRNA profiling of liver tissues in High-FE and Low-FE pigs for the purpose of identifying key miRNAs related to feed efficiency. A total 212~221 annotated porcine miRNAs and 136~281 novel miRNAs were identified in the pig liver. Among them, 188 annotated miRNAs were co-expressed in High-FE and Low-FE pigs. The 14 miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed (DE) in the livers of high-FE pigs and low-FE pigs, of which 5 were downregulated and 9 were upregulated. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis of liver DE miRNAs in high-FE pigs and low-FE pigs indicated that the target genes of DE miRNAs were significantly enriched in insulin signaling pathway, Gonadotropin-releasing hormone signaling pathway, and mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway. To verify the reliability of sequencing results, 5 DE miRNAs were randomly selected for quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The qRT-PCR results of miRNAs were confirmed to be consistent with sequencing data. DE miRNA data indicated that liver-specific miRNAs synergistically acted with mRNAs to improve feed efficiency. The liver miRNAs expression analysis revealed the metabolic pathways by which the liver miRNAs regulate pig feed efficiency.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.50 no.4
• /
• pp.297-302
• /
• 2010

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of feeding probiotics (gene modified yeast) on the growth performances in pigs. In pigs, this study investigated the effects of dietary probiotics which contained antibacterial probiotics (OR-7, bacteriocin, gene modified yeast) on growth performances and feed efficiency in pig farm. A total of 150 pigs were studied. The treatments are probiotics yeast (PY) 0.3% (basal diet + 0.3% plasmid modified probiotics), PY 0.5% (basal diet + 0.5% plasmid modified probiotics), yeast (Y) 0.3% (basal diet + 0.3% probiotics), Y 0.5% (basal diet + 0.5% probiotics) and control (basal diet). Weight gain, feed intake and feed efficiency were periodically recorded for 90 days. The treatment group trended higher weight gain, feed intake and feed efficiency than control. And, the PY group trended higher weight gain, feed intake and feed efficiency than Y group.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• v.10 no.5
• /
• pp.387-394
• /
• 2019

Membrane distillation (MD) is one of the water treatment processes which involves the momentum, heat and mass transfer through channels and membrane. In this study, CFD modeling has been used to simulate the heat and mass transfer in the direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD). Also, the effect of operating parameters on the water flux is investigated. The result shows a good agreement with the experimental result. Results indicated that, while feed temperature is increasing in the feed side, water flux improves in the permeate side. Since higher velocity leads to the higher mixing and turbulence in the feed channel, water flux rises due to this increase in the feed velocity. Moreover, results revealed that temperature polarization coefficient is rising as flow rate (velocity) increases and it is decreasing while the feed temperature increases. Lastly, the thermal efficiency of direct contact membrane distillation is defined, and results confirm that thermal efficiency improves while feed temperature increases. Also, flow rate increment results in enhancement of thermal efficiency.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.5 no.3
• /
• pp.126-136
• /
• 1995

The studies had been conducted to evaluate the grain processing effects for ruminants on starch digestion, body weight gain and feed efficiency since 1970. This research deals with experimental results on chemical structure, gelatinization, microbial starch digestion in rumen, intestinal starch digestion in rumen, roles of protozoa, intestinal starch digestion of bypass starch, limits to starch digestion in small intestine. The grain processing has different effects on digestion, weight gain and feed efficiency when different grain sources and contents is used, and the quality and quantity of roughage is different. The economical and efficient method of grain processing should be selected considering weight gain and feed efficiency enhancement than digestibility.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.49-57
• /
• 2007

The optimization of the cladding parameters was studied to maximize the deposition efficiency in the laser cladding using a low power pulsed Nd:YAG laser. STS304 stainless steel plate and Co alloy powder were used as a substrate and powder for cladding, respectively. The six cladding parameters were selected through preliminary experiments and their effects on the deposition efficiency were analyzed statistically. Experiments were designed and carried out using the Taguchi experimental method using a L18 orthogonal array. It was found from the results of analysis of variance(ANOVA) that the powder feed position and powder feed angle had the most significant effects on the deposition efficiency, but the powder feed rate and laser focal position had nearly no effects. The deposition efficiency could be maximized at 0mm of the powder feed position and 50o of the powder feed angle in the experimental range. From this experimental analysis, a new laser cladding head with 20o of the powder feed angle was designed and manufactured. With a new laser cladding head, the highest deposition efficiency of 12.2% could be obtained.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.64 no.2
• /
• pp.330-342
• /
• 2022

We aimed to investigate candidate proteins related to long-term caloric restriction and feed efficiency in bovine longissimus dorsi muscle (LM). A total of 31 Korean native steers were randomly distributed to ad libitum (n = 16) or caloric restriction group (n = 15) to conduct two feeding trials for 13 mon. In the first trial (10-18 mon of age), steers were fed with 100% ad libitum (NE_g = 0.63 Mcal/kg) or caloric restriction (80% of the previous day's feed intake of ad libitum group). In the second trial (18-23 mon of age), the energy value of 100% ad libitum diet was 1.13 Mcal/kg NE_g and those in caloric restriction group diet was 0.72 Mcal/kg NE_g. At the endpoint of this experiment, in each group, 6 animals were selected with high (n = 3) or low feed efficiency (n = 3) to collect muscle tissue samples (6 animals/group). From muscle tissues of 23 mo of age, we excavated 9 and 12 differentially expressed (two-fold or more) proteins in a nutritional group and feed efficiency group using two-dimensional electrophoresis, respectively. Of these proteins, heat shock protein beta-6 was up-regulated in both the caloric restriction and the low feed efficiency group. In bovine embryonic fibroblasts, the mRNA expression of heat shock protein beta-6 increased after adipogenic differentiation, however, decreased after myogenic differentiation. Our data provide that heat shock protein beta-6 may be an adipogenic protein involved in the mechanism of caloric restriction and feed efficiency in the LM of the steer.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Power Electronics
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.27-33
• /
• 2012

Internet Data Centers (IDC), as essential facilities for modern IT industry, typically have scores of MW of concentrated electric loads. Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) are necessary for the power feed system of IDCs because of stable power requirement. Thus, conventional AC power feed systems of IDCs have three cascaded power conversion stages such as (AC-DC), (DC-AC), and (AC-DC), which results in very low conversion efficiency. On the contrary, DC power feed systems need just a single power conversion stage (AC-DC) supplying AC mains power to DC server loads, which gives comparatively high conversion efficiency and reliability. This paper compares the efficiencies between 220V AC power feed system and 300V DC power feed system on equal load conditions which were established in Mok-Dong IDC of Korea Telecom company (KT). Experimental results show that the total operation efficiency of the 300V DC power feed system is around 15% higher than that of the 220V AC power feed system.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.23-31
• /
• 2022

As a herbal supplement, Dioscorea batatas Decne (DBD) presents potent antioxidant activity and diverse health benefits. In the present study, functions of a 30 kDa glycoprotein isolated from DBD (hereafter, DBD glycoprotein) in the regulation of feed efficiency and fecal malodor in mice were explored. DBD glycoprotein produced protective effect against cytotoxicity induced by the ecotoxicological endocrine-disrupting substance bisphenol A in gastrointestinal epithelial HT-29 cells. To investigate its potential roles in the regulation of feed efficiency and fecal malodor, mice were administered an oral injection of DBD glycoprotein for 2 weeks. Compared with the control values, the weight of internal organs (liver, heart, kidney, and spleen) and levels of glutamate pyruvate transaminase, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, and lactic dehydrogenase were not significantly changed during DBD glycoprotein administration for 2 weeks. Interestingly, DBD glycoprotein improved feed efficiency and reduced hydrogen sulfide concentration without altering the ammonia level in mouse feces. Collectively, these results indicate that DBD glycoprotein is a functional agent that exerts gastrointestinal protective effects against ecotoxicological substances, improves feed efficiency, and reduces fecal malodor.