Characteristics Of Marble Research Articles

Marbling-Net: A Novel Intelligent Framework for Pork Marbling Segmentation Using Images from Smartphones.

Marbling characteristics are important traits for the genetic improvement of pork quality. Accurate marbling segmentation is the prerequisite for the quantification of these traits. However, the marbling targets are small and thin with dissimilar sizes and shapes and scattered in pork, complicating the segmentation task. Here, we proposed a deep learning-based pipeline, a shallow context encoder network (Marbling-Net) with the usage of patch-based training strategy and image up-sampling to accurately segment marbling regions from images of pork longissimus dorsi (LD) collected by smartphones. A total of 173 images of pork LD were acquired from different pigs and released as a pixel-wise annotation marbling dataset, the pork marbling dataset 2023 (PMD2023). The proposed pipeline achieved an IoU of 76.8%, a precision of 87.8%, a recall of 86.0%, and an F1-score of 86.9% on PMD2023, outperforming the state-of-art counterparts. The marbling ratios in 100 images of pork LD are highly correlated with marbling scores and intramuscular fat content measured by the spectrometer method (R2 = 0.884 and 0.733, respectively), demonstrating the reliability of our method. The trained model could be deployed in mobile platforms to accurately quantify pork marbling characteristics, benefiting the pork quality breeding and meat industry.

MicroRNA-100 Reduced Fetal Bovine Muscle Satellite Cell Myogenesis and Augmented Intramuscular Lipid Deposition by Modulating IGF1R.

Previously, microRNA-100 (miR-100) and its putative mRNA target, insulin-like growth factor receptor-1 (IGF1R) were identified as differentially and inversely expressed in bovine longissimus dorsi (LD) muscles with divergent intramuscular fat (IMF) content by our group. While IGF1R signaling is implicated in myogenesis and muscle lipid metabolism, the underlying regulatory mechanisms are poorly understood. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the regulation of IGF1R by miR-100 during bovine muscle satellite cell (BMSC) myogenesis and lipid deposition. MiR-100 was confirmed to target the IGF1R 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) by luciferase reporter assay. Furthermore, expression of miR-100 and IGF1R was reciprocal during BMSC differentiation, suggesting a crosstalk between the two. Correspondingly, miR-100 mimic (agomiR) suppressed the levels of IGF1R, PI3K/AKT pathway signaling, myogenic gene MYOG, muscle structural components MYH7 and MYH8, whereas the inhibitor (antagomiR) had no clear stimulating effects. The IGF1R inhibitor (BMS-754807) curtailed receptor levels and triggered atrophy in muscle myotubes but did not influence miR-100 expression. AgomiR increased oleic acid-induced lipid deposition in BMSC myotubes supporting its involvement in intramuscular fat deposition, while antagomiR had no effect. Moreover, mitochondrial beta-oxidation and long-chain fatty acid synthesis-related genes were modulated by agomiR addition. Our results demonstrate modulatory roles of miR-100 in BMSC development, lipid deposition, and metabolism and suggest a role of miR-100 in marbling characteristics of meat animals and fat oxidation in muscle.

A numerical study on true triaxial strength and failure characteristics of jointed marble

A numerical study on true triaxial strength and failure characteristics of jointed marble

Effect of fatigue loading-confining stress unloading rate on marble mechanical behaviors: An insight into fracture evolution analyses

Rocks in underground works usually experience rather complex stress disturbance. For this, their fracture mechanism is significantly different from rocks subjected to conventional triaxial compression conditions. The effects of stress disturbances on rock geomechanical behaviors under fatigue loading conditions and triaxial unloading conditions have been reported in previous studies. However, little is known about the dependence of the unloading rate on fatigue loading and confining stress unloading (FL-CSU) conditions that influence rock failure. In this paper, we aimed at investigating the fracture behaviors of marble under FL-CSU conditions using the post-test X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning technique and the GCTS RTR 2000 rock mechanics system. Results show that damage accumulation at the fatigue stage can influence the final fracture behaviors of marble. The stored elastic energy for rock samples under FL-CSU tests is relatively larger compared to those under conventional triaxial tests, and the dissipated energy used to drive damage evolution and crack propagation is larger for FL-CSU tests. In FL-CSU tests, as the unloading rate increases, the dissipated energy grows and elastic energy reduces. CT scanning after the test reveals the impacts of the unloading rate on the crack pattern and a fracture degree index is therein defined in this context to represent the crack dimension. It shows that the crack pattern after FL-CSU tests depends on the unloading rate, and the fracture degree is in agreement with the analysis of both the energy dissipation and the amount of energy released. The effect of unloading rate on fracture evolution characteristics of marble is revealed by a series of FL-CSU tests.

Relationships among carcass traits, auction price, and image analysis traits of marbling characteristics in Korean cattle beef

Marbling score (MS) is related to beef auction price (AP) in Korea, but how these relate to marbling texture (i.e. number and distribution of marbling particles [MPs]) is not known. We examined relationships among carcass traits, carcass AP, and image analysis marbling texture traits. In experiment 1, carcass data and longissimus thoracis (LT) were obtained from Korean cattle steers reared under similar feeding conditions. MS, quality grade (QG), and AP were related (P < 0.001) to numbers of coarse MPs and fine MPs and fineness index. In experiment 2, LT images photographed at a slaughterhouse were used in regression analysis within individual QG classes (QGs: 1 [middle], 1+, and 1++ [best]). AP was related (P < 0.001) to numbers of coarse MPs and fine MPs and fineness index in both QGs 1+ and 1++ but not in QG 1. Overall, several marbling texture traits were related to AP, but both MS and QG were more strongly related to AP.

PSV-37 Relationships among carcass and sensory traits, auction price, and computer image analysis traits of marbling characteristics in Korean beef cattle

Abstract This study examined relationships among carcass and sensory traits, auction price, and computer image analysis (CIA) traits of marbling characteristics in Korean cattle beef. In experiment 1, 43 Korean cattle steers reared in similar feeding conditions were slaughtered at 34 months of age, and carcass traits were evaluated by official meat graders. Carcass auction prices were determined by wholesalers. Cross-sectional photographs of the beef were taken at the 13th thoracic vertebra using beef carcass photography equipment. Image files were analyzed for marbling characteristics using Beef Analyzer II software. Longissimus thoracis (LT) samples obtained after carcass grading were analyzed for sensory traits. Correlations among several variables were analyzed using either Pearson’s correlation or Spearman’s correlation analysis. Marbling score and quality grade (QG) had strong positive correlations (0.63 ≤ r ≤ 0.88, P &amp;lt; 0.01) with several CIA traits, including number of coarse marbling particles (MPs), number of fine MPs, and fineness index. Auction price had strong positive correlations (0.69 ≤ r ≤ 0.76, P &amp;lt; 0.01) with these CIA traits. Most sensory traits were not correlated with CIA traits. In experiment 2, 267 additional LT images photographed at the slaughter house were used for correlation analysis between auction price and CIA traits within an individual QG class [QGs 1 (middle), 1+, and 1++ (best)]. Carcass auction price was positively correlated (0.36 ≤ r ≤ 0.51, P &amp;lt; 0.01) with number of coarse MPs, number of fine MPs, and fineness index in both QGs 1+ and 1++ but not in QG 1. Overall, marbling score and QG had positive correlations with several CIA traits of marbling characteristics. Carcass auction price had positive correlations with CIA traits in QGs 1+ and 1++ but not in QG 1. In conclusion, a CIA method after modification could be incorporated into current beef quality grading systems.

Geochemical and isotopic characteristics of Zangalline marble, Ranya area, Qandil Series, northeastern Iraqi Kurdistan Region: implications for genesis

The Zangalline marble of Paleogene age outcrops in Qandil Thrust Blocks, which are situated in NE Iraq close to the Iranian borders about (16) km from Haj Umaran town, NE Iraq within the thrust front and elevation ranging between (600–1568) m. The marble has been quarried for a long time and has been used as building stone and dimension stone. Chemical characteristics of these marbles are used to determine their provenance. The samples were subjected to a series of analytical techniques, including X-ray fluorescence and C-O isotope analysis. The Zangalline marbles have variable content of Si and Al from almost silicate rich rocks to pure marble and may have been deposited in shallow structural basins. The Chemical Index of Alteration and the Chemical Index of Weathering have the same percentage range values of 12.32–72.74% and 12.33–73.78% with an average value of 27.80 and 27.99 indicating that a low degree of weathering of the source materials must have taken place. The relatively high contents of K2O and Na2O suggest that the source rocks may have been exposed to very week physical and chemical weathering. The tectonic discrimination diagram suggests that the marble of Zangalline area is quartz-rich sediments and derived from plate interiors or stable continental areas and deposited in passive continental margins. The average carbon and oxygen isotope ratios of Zangalline marbles are 2.289% and 25.16%, respectively indicated that the deposit was a typical marine carbonate source and belong to similar geological units which the source may be Aqra Bakhma, Qamchuuqa Formations and/or Sarmord Formations, recrystallized at low temperatures in the open system coupled with either CO2 out gassing or fluid/rock interactions and the heat energy was most likely derived from nearby magmatic fluid/rocks.

Correlation of Marbling Characteristics with Meat Quality and Histochemical Characteristics in Longissimus Thoracis Muscle from Hanwoo Steers.

The objective of this study was to investigate the correlations of marbling characteristics, including marbling score, intramuscular fat (IMF) content, and fleck traits, with meat quality traits and histochemical characteristics of the longissimus thoracis muscle from Hanwoo steers. Marbling fleck characteristics, especially area, number, and fineness (F) index, measured by computerized image analysis were strongly correlated with marbling score and IMF content (p<0.05). However, coarseness (C) index and F/C ratio were somewhat limited relationships with marbling score. In contrast, the IMF content and the number of smaller white flecks increased with increasing lightness value (p<0.05). Moreover, beef with higher marbling scores showed lower cooking loss and Warner-Bratzler shear force value compared to beef with lower marbling scores (p<0.05). Regarding the muscle bundle traits, as number of bundle increased, number of marbling flecks increased (p<0.05), although most marbling characteristics did not have significant correlation with muscle fiber or bundle characteristics.

An elastoplastic coupling mechanical model for hard and brittle marble with consideration of the first stress invariant effect

The mechanical properties of hard and brittle marble have three typical characteristics: (1) elastoplastic coupling, (2) strain hardening and softening and (3) shear dilatancy. To accurately describe the deformation and failure characteristics of marble, this paper developed an elastoplastic coupling mechanical model based on cyclic loading tests. The proposed mechanical model includes the following three characteristics. First, the elastic modulus was quantitatively related to both the first stress invariant and a specially defined internal variable. Second, evolution laws for strength parameters (c and φ) with the internal variable were suggested based on Mohr–Coulomb yield criterion. Third, an evolution law of the dilatancy angle that considered both the first stress invariant and the internal variable was proposed, and its identification method was provided. Then, the proposed mechanical model was embedded in FLAC3D using C++ programming language. A triaxial compression experiment and an engineering case were simulated using the proposed model, respectively, and good agreements between the simulated results and test data were observed. Thus, the proposed model had a capability to accurately simulate the main mechanical characteristics of marble. Effort of this work could provide an important reference to accurately predict the mechanical response of rockmass in deep rock engineering.

Growth- and breed-related changes of marbling characteristics in cattle1

The objective of this study was to investigate the growth- and breed-related changes of marbling characteristics in cattle. Four cattle breeds with different growth impetus and muscularity were reared and slaughtered under experimental conditions. German Angus, as a typical beef cattle; Galloway, as a smaller, environmentally resistant beef cattle; Holstein-Friesian, as a dairy-type cattle; and double-muscled Belgian Blue, as an extreme type for muscle growth, were used. These 4 breeds were expected to have differences in muscle development and i.m. fat deposition. Between 5 and 15 bulls of each breed were slaughtered at 2, 4, 6, 12, or 24 mo of age. Marbling characteristics were determined and classified in LM and semitendinosus muscle by computerized image analysis. Among breeds, differences appeared in the quantity, structure, and distribution of the marbling flecks in both muscles. The deposition of fat in the double-muscled Belgian Blue bulls remained substantially inferior to that of the other breeds, up to the age of 24 mo. Marbling in German Angus bulls particularly showed larger (P < 0.05) marbling fleck areas. Galloway cattle had the greatest (P < 0.05) number and the most regular (P < 0.05) distribution of the marbling flecks in young animals. Furthermore, for marbling characteristics in Holstein-Friesian animals, a great number and slightly finer structure were observed compared with the other breeds investigated. Postnatal growth-related changes of marbling in LM were characterized by as much as a 40-fold increase in the number of marbling flecks from 2 to 24 mo of age but also by up to a 4-fold enlargement in the area of the marbling flecks. The structure of marbling flecks was determined by 2 development trends. On the one hand, the marbling flecks became larger (P < 0.05), and the structure became coarser, which was reflected by an increasing (P < 0.01) proportion of long marbling flecks as well as an increasing (P < 0.01) maximum skeleton line length. On the other hand, continually new small, round marbling flecks appeared. This caused a decrease (P < 0.01) in the proportion of the 3 largest marbling fleck areas. The distribution of the marbling flecks became more regular (P < 0.05) with increasing proportion and number of marbling flecks. The results suggest that hyperplasia of adipocytes plays an important role in marbling during growth of muscle in cattle.

Application of computer image analysis to measure pork marbling characteristics

Sixty longissimus (L) muscle chops were selected according to marbling score in order to develop a technique for the quantitative description of marbling fat by means of computer image analysis (CIA) and study its relationship with intramuscular fat content and shear force variation in pork. L muscle samples were taken from gilts belonging to three genetic lines differing in carcass leanness, namely Large White (LW), Meishan-derived dam line (M) and Synthetic Genex 3000 (SG). SG gilts had leaner loins (P<0.001) than LW and M. However, the SG loins were more marbled (P<0.001) and had higher IMF content. In addition, CIA analysis showed that marbling fat was finer and better distributed in the SG line. CIA marbling characteristics were significantly correlated with both IMF content (P<0.001) and shear force values (P<0.05) demonstrating the reliability of this technique to assess the contribution of marbling characteristics to variations in pork eating quality.

Analysis of image-based measurements and USDA characteristics as predictors of beef lean yield

This paper describes a comprehensive analysis of the 12th rib image measurements, USDA yield characteristics and USDA yield grade as predictors of beef lean yield. The predictors were used in separate groups to construct three sets of multiple linear regression models for the prediction of lean yield of 241 carcasses. Fat thickness is traditionally considered the most useful predictor. The analysis showed that the percent rib eye area was a more useful single predictor than fat thickness, and that the average fat thickness was insignificant when rib eye area and fat area were used. While marbling is traditionally considered a predictor of quality, the results showed that marbling characteristics were also useful for yield prediction. The usually-observed large differences in accuracy between the predictions of lean weight and lean percentage were shown to result from the variations in carcass weight. Statistical diagnostics confirmed the suitability of the models developed. A neural network model was tested and the results suggested that the inclusion of nonlinearity in the predictive models did not prove beneficial. Important predictors were identified and the advantages of computer vision and image processing techniques were further demonstrated.

Recognizing marbling in dry-cured Iberian ham by multiscale analysis

Dry-cured Iberian ham is one of the most valuable meat products in Spain, with a first-rate consumer acceptance. Visually discernible characteristics of fat and lean, such as marbling, have an effect on the acceptability and palatability of ripened Iberian ham pieces. Important marbling properties include the amount and spatial distribution of intramuscular fat streaks. Chemical processing is the only proved way to determine the fat level of pig meat, but this technique is tedious, destroying and unable to offer information about fat distribution. The determination of Iberian ham sensorial quality has traditionally involved appraisal of marbling characteristics by descriptive analysis methods, which rely heavily on visual evaluation and testing by panels of trained graders. We present a novel method to recognize marbling in Iberian ham images to provide the base for the design of an automatic, non-destroying expert computer system, based on computer vision and pattern recognition techniques, which shall allow food technology industries to evaluate and characterize Iberian ham independently of the subjective and variable criteria of human testers.

Isotope-Geochemical and Mineralogical-Petrographic Characteristics of the Pergamon Altar Marble

We report preliminary results of our provenance study of marble from the Telephos Frieze of the Pergamon altar. The emphasis here is on the stable isotope geochemistry of marble. The obtained δ13C values (2.4 to 3.5‰) vary insignificantly. However, the δ18O values give two clusters. The isotopically light marbles (close to −9.5‰) derive from panels 1–8 and the heavy marbles (−3.5 to −1.0‰) derive from panels 11–50. Mineralogical, petrographic and geochemical investigations (accessory minerals, grain size distribution, rare earth elements) further refined the marble characteristics. In spite of certain differences observed (grain size distributions, isotopy and contents of certain elements) for the two marble groups, the present data support a common provenance. So far, east Aegean islands and the Marmara region are favored.

Beef Marbling and Color Score Determination by Image Processing

ABSTRACTSixty steaks with various degrees of marbling and color were subjected to sensory evaluation and image processing. Marbling and color scores were assigned to each steak with USDA marbling score cards and a lean color guide. Images were recorded for each steak under the same conditions as used for sensory analysis. Steak images were processed for color and marbling characteristics. Image processing effectively predicted the lean color (R2= 0.86) and marbling scores (R2= 0.84). Image processing was an effective tool for determining USDA quality attributes of fresh meat.