• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.247-268
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• 1996

It has been known for a long time that gonadotropins and steroid hormones play a pivotal role in a series of reproductive biological phenomena including the maturation of ovarian follicles and oocytes, ovulation and implantation, maintenance of pregnancy and fetal growth & development, parturition and mammary development and lactation. Recent investigations, however, have elucidated that in addition to these classic hormones, multiple growth factors also are involved in these phenomena. Most growth factors in reproductive organs mediate the actions of gonadotropins and steroid hormones or synergize with them in an autocrine/paracrine manner. The insulin-like growth factor(IGF) system, which is one of the most actively investigated areas lately in the reproductive organs, has been found to have important roles in a wide gamut of reproductive phenomena. In the present communication, published literature pertaining to the intrauterine IGF system will be reviewed preceded by general information of the IGF system. The IGF family comprises of IGF-I & IGF-II ligands, two types of IGF receptors and six classes of IGF-binding proteins(IGFBPs) that are known to date. IGF-I and IGF-II peptides, which are structurally homologous to proinsulin, possess the insulin-like activity including the stimulatory effect of glucose and amino acid transport. Besides, IGFs as mitogens stimulate cell division, and also play a role in cellular differentiation and functions in a variety of cell lines. IGFs are expressed mainly in the liver and messenchymal cells, and act on almost all types of tissues in an autocrine/paracrine as well as endocrine mode. There are two types of IGF receptors. Type I IGF receptors, which are tyrosine kinase receptors having high-affinity for IGF-I and IGF-II, mediate almost all the IGF actions that are described above. Type II IGF receptors or IGF-II/mannose-6-phosphate receptors have two distinct binding sites; the IGF-II binding site exhibits a high affinity only for IGF-II. The principal role of the type II IGF receptor is to destroy IGF-II by targeting the ligand to the lysosome. IGFs in biological fluids are mostly bound to IGFBP. IGFBPs, in general, are IGF storage/carrier proteins or modulators of IGF actions; however, as for distinct roles for individual IGFBPs, only limited information is available. IGFBPs inhibit IGF actions under most in vitro situations, seemingly because affinities of IGFBPs for IGFs are greater than those of IGF receptors. How IGF is released from IGFBP to reach IGF receptors is not known; however, various IGFBP protease activities that are present in blood and interstitial fluids are believed to play an important role in the process of IGF release from the IGFBP. According to latest reports, there is evidence that under certain in vitro circumstances, IGFBP-1, -3, -5 have their own biological activities independent of the IGF. This may add another dimension of complexity of the already complicated IGF system. Messenger ribonucleic acids and proteins of the IGF family members are expressed in the uterine tissue and conceptus of the primates, rodents and farm animals to play important roles in growth and development of the uterus and fetus. Expression of the uterine IGF system is regulated by gonadal hormones and local regulatory substances with temporal and spatial specificities. Locally expressed IGFs and IGFBPs act on the uterine tissue in an autocrine/paracrine manner, or are secreted into the uterine lumen to participate in conceptus growth and development. Conceptus also expresses the IGF system beginning from the peri-implantation period. When an IGF family member is expressed in the conceptus, however, is determined by the presence or absence of maternally inherited mRNAs, genetic programming of the conceptus itself and an interaction with the maternal tissue. The site of IGF action also follows temporal (physiological status) and spatial specificities. These facts that expression of the IGF system is temporally and spatially regulated support indirectly a hypothesis that IGFs play a role in conceptus growth and development. Uterine and conceptus-derived IGFs stimulate cell division and differentiation, glucose and amino acid transport, general protein synthesis and the biosynthesis of mammotropic hormones including placental lactogen and prolactin, and also play a role in steroidogenesis. The suggested role for IGFs in conceptus growth and development has been proven by the result of IGF-I, IGF-II or IGF receptor gene disruption(targeting) of murine embryos by the homologous recombination technique. Mice carrying a null mutation for IGF-I and/or IGF-II or type I IGF receptor undergo delayed prenatal and postnatal growth and development with 30-60% normal weights at birth. Moreover, mice lacking the type I IGF receptor or IGF-I plus IGF-II die soon after birth. Intrauterine IGFBPs generally are believed to sequester IGF ligands within the uterus or to play a role of negative regulators of IGF actions by inhibiting IGF binding to cognate receptors. However, when it is taken into account that IGFBP-1 is expressed and secreted in primate uteri in amounts assessedly far exceeding those of local IGFs and that IGFBP-1 is one of the major secretory proteins of the primate decidua, the possibility that this IGFBP may have its own biological activity independent of IGF cannot be excluded. Evidently, elucidating the exact role of each IGFBP is an essential step into understanding the whole IGF system. As such, further research in this area is awaited with a lot of anticipation and attention.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.70 no.1
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• pp.7-16
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• 1985

To grasp canonical correlations, their related backgrounds in various growth factors of stem, the characteristics of stem by synthetical dispersion analysis, principal component analysis and canonical correlation analysis as optimum method were applied to Larix leptolepis. The results are as follows; 1) There were high or low correlation among all factors (height ($x_1$), clear height ($x_2$), form height ($x_3$), breast height diameter (D. B. H.: $x_4$), mid diameter ($x_5$), crown diameter ($x_6$) and stem volume ($x_7$)) except normal form factor ($x_8$). Especially stem volume showed high correlation with the D.B.H., height, mid diameter (cf. table 1). 3) (1) Canonical correlation coefficients and canonical variate between stem volume and composite variate of various height growth factors ($x_1$, $x_2$ and $x_3$) are ${\gamma}_{u1,v1}=0.82980^{**}$, $\{u_1=1.00000x_7\\v_1=1.08323x_1-0.04299x_2-0.07080x_3$. (2) Those of stem volume and composite variate of various diameter growth factors ($x_4$, $x_5$ and $x_6$) are ${\gamma}_{u1,v1}=0.98198^{**}$, $\{{u_1=1.00000x_7\\v_1=0.86433x_4+0.11996x_5+0.02917x_6$. (3) And canonical correlation between stem volume and composite variate of six factors including various heights and diameters are ${\gamma}_{u1,v1}=0.98700^{**}$, $\{^u_1=1.00000x_7\\v1=0.12948x_1+0.00291x_2+0.03076x_3+0.76707x_4+0.09107x_5+0.02576x_6$. All the cases showed the high canonical correlation. Height in the case of (1), D.B.H. in that of (2), and the D.B.H, and height in that of (3) respectively make an absolute contribution to the canonical correlation. Synthetical characteristics of each qualitative growth are largely affected by each factor. Especially in the case of (3) the influence by the D.B.H. is the most significant in the above six factors (cf. table 2). 3) Canonical correlation coefficient and canonical variate between composite variate of various height growth factors and that of the various diameter factors are ${\gamma}_{u1,v1}=0.78556^{**}$, $\{u_1=1.20569x_1-0.04444x_2-0.21696x_3\\v_1=1.09571x_4-0.14076x_5+0.05285x_6$. As shown in the above facts, only height and D.B.H. affected considerably to the canonical correlation. Thus, it was revealed that the synthetical characteristics of height growth was determined by height and those of the growth in thickness by D.B.H., respectively (cf. table 2). 4) Synthetical characteristics (1st-3rd principal component) derived from eight growth factors of stem, on the basis of 85% accumulated proportion aimed, are as follows; Ist principal component ($z_1$): $Z_1=0.40192x_1+0.23693x_2+0.37047x_3+0.41745x_4+0.41629x_5+0.33454x_60.42798x_7+0.04923x_8$, 2nd principal component ($z_2$): $z_2=-0.09306x_1-0.34707x_2+0.08372x_3-0.03239x_4+0.11152x_5+0.00012x_6+0.02407x_7+0.92185x_8$, 3rd principal component ($z_3$): $Z_3=0.19832x_1+0.68210x_2+0.35824x_3-0.22522x_4-0.20876x_5-0.42373x_6-0.15055x_7+0.26562x_8$. The first principal component ($z_1$) as a "size factor" showed the high information absorption power with 63.26% (proportion), and its principal component score is determined by stem volume, D.B.H., mid diameter and height, which have considerably high factor loading. The second principal component ($z_2$) is the "shape factor" which indicates cubic similarity of the stem and its score is formed under the absolute influence of normal form factor. The third principal component ($z_3$) is the "shape factor" which shows the degree of thickness and length of stem. These three principal components have the satisfactory information absorption power with 88.36% of the accumulated percentage. variance (cf. table 3). 5) Thus the principal component and canonical correlation analyses could be applied to the field of forest measurement, judgement of site qualities, management diagnoses for the forest management and the forest products industries, and the other fields which require the assessment of synthetical characteristics.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.31-46
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• 1977

The study was made to give some helpful information for policy-making on ornamental tree cultivation by doing a survey on general situations, management analysis, and future prospects of the ornamental tree growing. The study was carried out through literature studies related to the subject, questionaire surveys, and on-the-spot investigation. The questionaire surveys could be divided into two parts: pre-questionaire survey and main-questionaire survey. In the pre-questionaire survey, the researchers intended to identify the total number of ornamental tree growers, cultivation areas in size and their locations. The questionaires were sent to each town and county administration authorities, forest cooperatives, and related organizations through-out the nation. The main-questionaires were prepared for detailed study and the questionaires were sent to 200 tree growers selected by option by taking considerations of the number of tree growers and the size of cultivating areas in regions. The main findings and some information obtained in the survey were as follows: 1. The total land for ornamental tree growing was amounted to 1,873.02 hectares and the number of cultivators was totaled to 2,717. 2. The main occupations of the ornamental tree growers were found in horticulture (41.9%), agronomy (25.9%), officialdom (11.3%), animal husbandry (6.5%), business circle(4.8%), and forestry (3.2%) in sequence. 3. The ornamental trees were cultivated mostly upperland (54.8), forest land (19.4%), rice paddy (11.3%) and others. 4. The educational training of the tree growers seemed quite high. The results of the survey indicated that a large number of tree growers was occupied by college graduates (38.7%), and then high school graduates (34.7%), middle school graduates (12.9%) in order. 5. The tree farming was undertaken as a side-job (41.9%) rather than main-job (23.4%), but a few of respondents rated as subsidiary-job (18.6%). 6. The management status classified by the rate of hired labors used was likely to belong to three categories: independant enterprise management (41.9%); half independant management (31.5%); and self-management (32.4%). 7. The majority of the tree growers sold their products to the consumers through middle-man channel (48.4%), or directly to the house-holder and detailers (13.7%), but a few of the respondents answered that they disposed of their products by bidding (11.2%) or by direct selling to the contractors (4.8%). 8. The channel cf marketing seemed somewhat complicated. The results of the survey were as: (1) producers ${\rightarrow}$consumers (22.6%) (2) producers ${\rightarrow}$field middle-men${\rightarrow}$consumers (33.1%) (3) producers ${\rightarrow}$field middle-men${\rightarrow}$first stage brokers${\rightarrow}$consumers (15.3%) (4) producers ${\rightarrow}$field middle-men${\rightarrow}$second stage middle-men${\rightarrow}$brokers${\rightarrow}$consumers (5.7%) (5) producers${\rightarrow}$field middle-men${\rightarrow}$third stage middle-men${\rightarrow}$second stage middlemen${\rightarrow}$brokers${\rightarrow}$consumers (4.8%) 9. It was responded that the margin for each stage of middle-men or brokers was assumed to be 30-50%(33.1%), 20-30%(32.3%), 50-100%(9.7%), and 100-200%(2.4%) in sequence. 10. The difference between the delivery price of consumers and field selling price of the producers seemed quite large. Majority of producers responded that they received half a price compared to the consumer's prices. 11. About two thirds of the respondents opposed to the measure of "Law on Preservation and Utilization of Agricultural Land" in which says that all the ornamental trees grown on flat agricultural lands less than 8 degrees in slope must be transplanted within three years to other places more than 8 degrees in slope. 12. The tree growers said that they have paid rather high land taxes than they ought to pay (38.7%), but come responded that land tax seemed to be appropriate (15.3%), and half of the respondents answered "not known". 13. The measures for the standardization of ornamental trees by size were backed up by a large number of respondents (57.3%), but one third of the respondents showed negative answer (29.8%). 14. About half of the respondents favored the systematic marketing through organization such as forest cooperatives (54%), but quite a few respondents opposed to organizing the systematic marketing channel (36.3%). 15. The necessary measures for permission in ornamental tree cultivation was rejected by a large number of respondents (49.2%) than those of favored (43.6%).