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PRC Maritime Operational Capability and the Task for the ROK Military (중국군의 해양작전능력과 한국군의 과제)

  • Kim, Min-Seok
    • Strategy21
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    • s.33
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    • pp.65-112
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    • 2014
  • Recent trends show that the PRC has stepped aside its "army-centered approach" and placed greater emphasis on its Navy and Air Force for a wider range of operations, thereby reducing its ground force and harnessing its economic power and military technology into naval development. A quantitative growth of the PLA Navy itself is no surprise as this is not a recent phenomenon. Now is the time to pay closer attention to the level of PRC naval force's performance and the extent of its warfighting capacity in the maritime domain. It is also worth asking what China can do with its widening naval power foundation. In short, it is time to delve into several possible scenarios I which the PRC poses a real threat. With this in mind, in Section Two the paper seeks to observe the construction progress of PRC's naval power and its future prospects up to the year 2020, and categorize time frame according to its major force improvement trends. By analyzing qualitative improvements made over time, such as the scale of investment and the number of ships compared to increase in displacement (tonnage), this paper attempts to identify salient features in the construction of naval power. Chapter Three sets out performance evaluation on each type of PRC naval ships as well as capabilities of the Navy, Air Force, the Second Artillery (i.e., strategic missile forces) and satellites that could support maritime warfare. Finall, the concluding chapter estimates the PRC's maritime warfighting capability as anticipated in respective conflict scenarios, and considers its impact on the Korean Peninsula and proposes the directions ROK should steer in response. First of all, since the 1980s the PRC navy has undergone transitions as the focus of its military strategic outlook shifted from ground warfare to maritime warfare, and within 30 years of its effort to construct naval power while greatly reducing the size of its ground forces, the PRC has succeeded in building its naval power next to the U.S.'s in the world in terms of number, with acquisition of an aircraft carrier, Chinese-version of the Aegis, submarines and so on. The PRC also enjoys great potentials to qualitatively develop its forces such as indigenous aircraft carriers, next-generation strategic submarines, next-generation destroyers and so forth, which is possible because the PRC has accumulated its independent production capabilities in the process of its 30-year-long efforts. Secondly, one could argue that ROK still has its chances of coping with the PRC in naval power since, despite its continuous efforts, many estimate that the PRC naval force is roughly ten or more years behind that of superpowers such as the U.S., on areas including radar detection capability, EW capability, C4I and data-link systems, doctrines on force employment as well as tactics, and such gap cannot be easily overcome. The most probable scenarios involving the PRC in sea areas surrounding the Korean Peninsula are: first, upon the outbreak of war in the peninsula, the PRC may pursue military intervention through sea, thereby undermining efforts of the ROK-U.S. combined operations; second, ROK-PRC or PRC-Japan conflicts over maritime jurisdiction or ownership over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands could inflict damage to ROK territorial sovereignty or economic gains. The PRC would likely attempt to resolve the conflict employing blitzkrieg tactics before U.S. forces arrive on the scene, while at the same time delaying and denying access of the incoming U.S. forces. If this proves unattainable, the PRC could take a course of action adopting "long-term attrition warfare," thus weakening its enemy's sustainability. All in all, thiss paper makes three proposals on how the ROK should respond. First, modern warfare as well as the emergent future warfare demonstrates that the center stage of battle is no longer the domestic territory, but rather further away into the sea and space. In this respect, the ROKN should take advantage of the distinct feature of battle space on the peninsula, which is surrounded by the seas, and obtain capabilities to intercept more than 50 percent of the enemy's ballistic missiles, including those of North Korea. In tandem with this capacity, employment of a large scale of UAV/F Carrier for Kill Chain operations should enhance effectiveness. This is because conditions are more favorable to defend from sea, on matters concerning accuracy rates against enemy targets, minimized threat of friendly damage, and cost effectiveness. Second, to maintain readiness for a North Korean crisis where timely deployment of US forces is not possible, the ROKN ought to obtain capabilities to hold the enemy attack at bay while deterring PRC naval intervention. It is also argued that ROKN should strengthen its power so as to protect national interests in the seas surrounding the peninsula without support from the USN, should ROK-PRC or ROK-Japan conflict arise concerning maritime jurisprudence. Third, the ROK should fortify infrastructures for independent construction of naval power and expand its R&D efforts, and for this purpose, the ROK should make the most of the advantages stemming from the ROK-U.S. alliance inducing active support from the United States. The rationale behind this argument is that while it is strategically effective to rely on alliance or jump on the bandwagon, the ultimate goal is always to acquire an independent response capability as much as possible.

Relationships of Scrotal Circumference of Hanwoo Sire to Semen Production and Performance, Carcass Traits of Offspring (한우 종모우의 고환둘레와 정액 생산 및 후대의 성장${\cdot}$도체형질과의 관계)

  • Lee, S.-S.;Park, N.-H.;Jeong, J.;Won, Y.-S.;Kang, K.-O.
    • Journal of Embryo Transfer
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    • v.19 no.2
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    • pp.127-132
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    • 2004
  • Ninety-two heads of sire, ranging from 4 to 8 years old, and semen production records of 8,628 from those sire and the performance and carcass traits from 814 heads of those offspring were used to investigate the relationships of scrotal circumference(SC) of Hanwoo sire to semen characteristics and performance, carcass traits of those offspring. Average SC of sire were 38.7 cm. The semen volume, sperm concentration and total sperm number at first and second ejaculation were 5.63 mL and 5.32 mL, $17.9{\times}108/mL$ and 15.0${\times}10^8$/mL, and 100.3${\times}10^8$/ ejaculation and 79.4${\times}10^8$/ejaculation, respectively. SC is positively correlated with semen volume(1st : ${\gamma}$=0.27, P<0.05 ; 2nd : ${\gamma}$=0.19, P<0.10), sperm concentration(1st : ${\gamma}$=0.21, P<0.05) and total sperm number(1st $:{\gamma}=0.38$, 2nd : ${\gamma}$=0.28, P<0.01). The live weights of those offspring were 49.2, 281.1, 436.3 and 534.4 kg at 6, 12, 18, 22 months old, respectively, and average daily gain(ADG) were 0.81 kg/day. And, carcass weight, longissimus dorsi area, backfat thickness and marbling score were 313.8 kg, 77.9 cm, 0.62 cm and 2.47, respectively. There were tended to be positive relationships between SC of sire and live weight of 6 months old(${\gamma}$=0.08, P<0.10), 12(${\gamma}$=0.18, P=0.10), 18(${\gamma}$=0.21, P<0.10), 22(${\gamma}$=0.20, P<0.10), ADG(${\gamma}$=0.25, P<0.05), carcass weight(${\gamma}$=0.18, P<0.10) and longissimus dorsi area(${\gamma}$=0.18, P<0.10) of those offspring. However, SC and backfat thickness, marbling score have no significant relationship. This results indicate that SC of sire was related to semen production and the gain weight of those offspring, positively. However, further investigation are needed to confirm the results.

Clinical and Polysomnographic Characteristics of REM Sleep-Dependent Obstructive Sleep Apnea (REM 수면 의존성 폐쇄성 수면무호흡증 환자의 임상적 특성과 수면 변인에 관한 연구)

  • Lee, Yu-Jin;Lee, Soon-Jeong;Kang, Dong-Jin
    • Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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    • v.15 no.2
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    • pp.77-81
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    • 2008
  • Introduction: REM sleep which shows characteristic muscle atonia and increased resistance of upper respiratory track is known to be vulnerable to sleep apnea. Previous studies reported that REM sleep-dependent (or related) obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (REM-dependent OSA) could be one of sleep disordered breathing. The present study aimed to investigate clinical findings and polysomnographic variables of REM-dependent OSA. Methods: Fifty-six patients diagnosed with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea by overnight polysomnography (5$53.7{\pm}16.7$ years, 42 males). REM-dependent OSA was defined as AHI-REM/AHI-NREM ratio>2. We compared clinical and polysomnographic findings between REM-dependent OSA and No REM-dependent OSA patients. Results: Among 56 patients, 37.5% (n=21, average age of $52.3{\pm}19.7$ years, 14 males) met the REM-dependent OSA criteria. There were no significant differences in age, sex and body mass index between two groups. After controlling for age, sex, body mass index and periodic leg movements index, REM-dependent OSA patients showed significantly lower AHI, lower number of oxygen desaturation events and higher stage 2 sleep proportion compared to No REM-dependent OSA patients (p=0.010, p=0.006, p=0.031, respectively). After controlling for age, sex, body mass index and periodic legs movements index, AHI-REM was positively correlated with the number of oxygen desaturation events in REM-dependent OSA group (p=0.002). Conclusion: Current results suggested that 37.5% of patients with mild to moderate severity of obstructive sleep apnea could be classified into REM-dependent OSA. REM-dependent OSA was more common in mild severity of OSA, equally prevalent in both sexes and accompanied with sleep architecture changes, i.e. increased proportion of stage 2. In addition, apneic events during REM sleep in REM-dependent OSA were related to oxygen desaturation.

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Strength Evaluation of Sin91e-Radius Total Knee Replacement (TKR) (인공무릎관절의 단축법위 회전시 근력정가)

  • Wan, Jin-Young;Sub, Kwak-Yi
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.14 no.3
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    • pp.484-489
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    • 2004
  • Artificial joint replacement is one of the major surgical advances of the 21th century. The primary purpose of a TKA (Total Knee Arthroplasty) is to restore normal knee Auction. Therefore, ideally, a TKA should: (a) maintain the natural leverage of the knee joint muscles to ensure generating adequate knee muscle moments to accomplish daily tasks such as rising from a chair or climbing stairs;(b) allow the same range of motion as an complete knee; and (c) provide adequate knee joint stability. Four individuals (2 peoples after surgery one year and 2 peoples after surgery three years) participated in this study. All they were prescreened for health and functional status by the same surgeon who performed the operations. Two days of accommodation practice occurred prior to the actual strength testing. The isometric strength (KIN-COM III) of the quadriceps and hamstring were measured at 60$^\circ$ and 30$^\circ$ of knee flexion, respectively. During isokinetic concentric testing, the range of motion was between 10$^\circ$ to 80$^\circ$ of knee flexion (stand-to-sit) and extension (sit-to-stand). for a given test, the trial exhibiting maximum torque was analyzed. A 16-channel MYOPACTM EMG system (Run Technologies, Inc.) was used to collect the differential input surface electromyographic (EMG) signals of the vastus medialis (VM), vastus lateralis(VL), rectus femoris (RF) during sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit tests. Disposable electrodes (Blue SensorTM, Medicotest, Inc.) were used to collect the EMG signals. The results were as follows; 1. Less maximum concentric (16% and 21% less for 1 yew man and 3 years mm, respectively) and isometric (12% and 29%, respectively) quadriceps torque for both participants. 2.14% less maximum hamstrings concentric torque for 1 year man but 16% greater torque for 3 years mm. However, 1 year man had similar hamstring isometric peak torque for both knees. 3. Less quadriceps co-contraction by 1 year man except for the VM at 10$^\circ$-20$^\circ$ and 30$^\circ$-50$^\circ$ range of knee flexion.

FABRICATION OF MYOMUCOSAL FLAP USING CULTURED ORAL EPITHELIUM IN RABBIT MODEL (가토모델에서 배양 구강상피를 이용한 근-점막 피판의 형성에 관한 연구)

  • Shin, Young-Min;Chung, Hun-Jong;Ahn, Kang-Min;Park, Hee-Jung;Sung, Mi-Ae;Kim, Soung-Min;Hwang, Soon-Jung;Kim, Myung-Jin;Jahng, Jeong-Won;Kim, Sung-Po;Yang, Eun-Kyung;Song, Kye-Yong;Lee, Jong-Ho
    • Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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    • v.27 no.3
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    • pp.226-237
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    • 2005
  • Purpose : Extensive defect of oral and maxillofacial area is usually reconstructed with composite flap including skin paddle. However, if the defects are lined with only skin components, the mucosa's role in mastication and texture are not restored. Furthermore, stiffness and hair-growing prevent denture rehabilitation and good oral hygiene. This study was performed to overcome the disadvantages of composite soft tissue flaps including the skin and to make a model for myo-mucosal flaps. Materials and methods : Buccal mucosa sized $0.5\times1.0\;cm^2$ from New Zealand rabbit (around 1.5kg) was harvested and cultivated by the modification of Rheinwald and Green's keratinocyte culture method. Cultured mucosa was grafted on the fascia of latismus dorsi as form of mucosal sheet. After 7, 10, 14 days, the myomucosal flap was excised and evaluated under light microscope with H & E and immunohistochemical staining. As control group, harvested buccal mucosa from rabbit was transplanted to gracilis muscle(n=6). Results : From 7 days after prelamination, the basal layer of the grafted mucosa resembled that of normal mucosa. As control group, transplanted mucosa had original shape but there's slight inflammatory reaction. Prelaminated mucosa has 19.8$\pm$4.59 cell layers and some samples have more than 20 layers. The expression rate of PCNA was relatively strong (42.9%$\pm$14.1) at the basal layer of grafted mucosa and the laminin was found at the basal layer. On the contrary, prelaminated mucosa at 10 days showed moderate expression rate of PCNA(32.4%$\pm$4.62). We found the mucosal layer was somehow disappeared and there is strong inflammatory reaction. After 14 days prelamination, the grafted oral keratinocytes were almost disappeared and expression of PCNA was not observed. Conclusion : We can make 75 fold large mucosal($3850mm^2$) sheet from small samples of mucosa $(50mm^2)$. Epithelial sheet that grafted on the fascia of muscle underwent differentiation and proliferation. But after 10, 14 days, there was strong inflammatory reaction and the grafted mucosa was destroyed from surface layer. In rabbit model, transfer of fascio-mucosal flap should be done from 7 to 10 days after prelamination.

Development of Simple and Rapid Radioactivity Analysis for Thorium Series in the Products Containing Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) (천연방사성물질(NORM)을 함유한 가공제품 내 토륨계열 방사능 평가를 위한 간단/신속 분석법 개발)

  • Yoo, Jaeryong;Park, Seyoung;Yoon, Seokwon;Ha, Wi-Ho;Lee, Jaekook;Kim, Kwang Pyo
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.41 no.1
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    • pp.71-79
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    • 2016
  • Background: It is necessary to analyze radioactivity of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) in products to ensure radiological safety required by Natural Radiation Safety Management Act. The pretreatments for the existing analysis methods require high technology and time. Such destructive pretreatments including grinding and dissolution of samples make impossible to reuse products. We developed a rapid and simple procedure of radioactivity analysis for thorium series in the products containing NORM. Materials and Methods: The developed method requires non-destructive or minimized pretreatment. Radioactivity of the product without pretreatment is initially measured using gamma spectroscopy and then the measured radioactivity is adjusted by considering material composition, mass density, and geometrical shape of the product. The radioactivity adjustment can be made using scaling factors, which is derived by radiation transport Monte Carlo simulation. Necklace, bracelet, male health care product, and tile for health mat were selected as representative products for this study. The products are commonly used by the public and directly contacted with human body and thus resulting in high radiation exposure to the user. Results and Discussion: The scaling factors were derived using MCNPX code and the values ranged from 0.31 to 0.47. If radioactivity of the products is measured without pretreatment, the thorium series may be overestimated by up to 2.8 times. If scaling factors are applied, the difference in radioactivity estimates are reduced to 3-24%. Conclusion : The developed procedure in this study can be used for other products with various materials and shapes and thus ensuring radiological safety.

Growth Performance, Carcass Yield, and Quality and Chemical Traits of Meat from Commercial Korean Native Ducks with 2-Way Crossbreeding

  • Heoa, K.N.;Hong, E.C.;Kim, C.D.;Kim, H.K.;Lee, M.J.;Choo, H.J.;Choi, H.C.;Mushtaq, M.M.H.;Parvin, R.;Kim, J.H.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.28 no.3
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    • pp.382-390
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    • 2015
  • This work was conducted to investigate the performance and meat characteristics of commercial Korean native duck (KND). A total of 180 1-d-old ducklings of 2-way crossbreds from A and B lines (from National Institute of Animal Science) were used in this work and divided into 4 groups (3 replicates/group, 15 birds/replicate). The four groups were 4 crossbreds as AA (A line [♀]${\times}$A line [♂]), AB (A line [♀]${\times}$B line [♂]), BB (Pure line B strains) and BA (B strains [♀]${\times}$A strain [♂]). Ducks were fed diets based on corn-soybean meal for 0 to 3 wk (22.4% crude protein [CP], 2,945 kcal/kg metabolizable energy [ME]) and 3 to 8 wk (18.4% CP, 3,047 kcal/kg ME). As a result of this study, average body weight of 4 crossbreds were 625, 1,617, 2,466, and 2,836 g at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks, respectively, and significantly increased over the period of time (p<0.05). Body weight of BB group was greater than other crossbreds at the age of 6 weeks (p<0.05). There was a significant difference in weekly body weight gains (p<0.05), which were 573, 991, 850, and 371 g at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks old, respectively. Uniformity of 4 crossbreds was 84.9%, 80.5%, and 72.5% at 6, 7, and 8 weeks, respectively, and there was no difference among crossbreds. Body weight gain of BB crossbred was highest among crossbreds (p<0.05). Weekly feed intake significantly increased with weeks as 669, 1,839, 2,812, and 3,381 g at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks respectively (p<0.05). Feed intakes of AA and BB crossbreds were higher at 2 to 4 weeks old than others and that of BB crossbred was highest at 4 to 6 weeks old (p<0.05). Weekly feed conversion ratios were 1.17, 1.86, 3.32, and 9.37 at 0 to 2, 2 to 4, 4 to 6, and 6 to 8 weeks old, respectively, and it increased with age (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in feed conversion ratio among crossbreds. Carcass yields of 4 crossbreds were 73.6%, 71.6%, 73.5%, and 71.7%, respectively, so there was no significant difference among crossbreds. There was no difference in wing, neck, breast and leg ratios among crossbreds. However, back ratios of 4 crossbreds were 17.6%, 18.0%, 15.8%, and 17.6%, respectively, and back ratio of BB was the highest among crossbreds. Finally, these results may provide the basic data on the production, carcass quality, fatty acid and amino acid composition of commercial KND with 2-way crossbreeding.

Determination of β-Carotene and Retinol in Korean Noodles and Bread Products (가공 및 외식식품 중 면류 및 제빵류의 레티놀 및 베타카로틴 함량 조사)

  • Shin, Jung-Ah;Chun, Ji Yeon;Lee, Junsoo;Shin, Ki Yong;Lee, Soon Kyu;Lee, Ki-Teak
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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    • v.42 no.12
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    • pp.1949-1957
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    • 2013
  • The contents of ${\beta}$-carotene and retinol in processed and restaurant foods, such as Korean noodles, mandus, rice cakes and bread products, were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV/visible and fluorescence detector, respectively. Samples were collected from different local areas (i.e. Gangwon-do, Gyeonggi-do, Gyeongsang-do, Seoul, Jeolla-do, and Chungcheong-do). After homogenization, samples were hydrolyzed by direct alkali saponification; thereafter, fat-soluble components were extracted by a mixture of n-hexane/ethylacetate (85:15, v/v), containing 0.01% butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). ${\beta}$-carotene and retinol contents in infant formula used as an in-house material for the analytical quality control. Among 14 Korean noodles, high contents of ${\beta}$-carotene were found in Bibim-Guksu (average 442.43 ${\mu}g/100g$) and Jjolmyeon (average 301.39 ${\mu}g/100g$). In 4 Korean mandus, the highest contents of ${\beta}$-carotene was determined in Kimchi-mandu (average 197.64 ${\mu}g/100g$), resulting in 33.3 RE of the converted vitamin A. Among 12 Korean rice cakes, Maeun-Tteokbokki and Modm-Chaltteok contained relatively high content of ${\beta}$-carotene with 205.11 and 41.33 ${\mu}g/100g$, respectively, while retinol was detected only in Maeun- Tteokbokki (1.65~10.45 ${\mu}g/100g$). In addition, among 8 bread products, 77.3 RE of pastry, 51.2 RE of buttercream- bread, and 41.4 RE of morning roll were found as the contents of the converted vitamin A.

Reference Values of Functional Parameters in Gated Myocardial Perfusion SPECT : Comparison with $QGS^{\circledR}$ and $4DM^{\circledR}$ Program (게이트 심근 관류 스펙트의 심기능 지표의 정상 참고값 : $QGS^{\circledR}$ 프로그램과 $4DM^{\circledR}$ 프로그램의 비교)

  • Jeong, Young-Jin;Park, Tae-Ho;Cha, Kwang-Soo;Kim, Moo-Hyun;Kim, Young-Dae;Kang, Do-Young
    • The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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    • v.39 no.6
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    • pp.430-437
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    • 2005
  • Purpose: The objectives of this study were - First, to determine the normal range of left ventricular end diastolic volume (EDV), end systolic volume (ESV) and election fraction (EF) from gated myocardial perfusion SPECT for Quantitative Gated SPECT (QGS) and 4D-MSPECT (4DM), respectively. Second, to evaluate the relationships between values produced by both software packages. Materials & Methods: Tc-99m MIBI gated myocardial perfusion SPECT were performed for 77 patients (mean age: $49.6{\pm}13.7y$, n=37(M), 40(F)) with a low likelihood (<10%) of coronary artery disease (CAD) using dual head gamma camera (E.CAM, Siemens, USA). Left ventricular EDV, ESV and EF were automatically measured by means of QGS and 4DM, respectively. Results: in QGS, the mean EDV, ESV and EF for all patients were $78.2{\pm}25.2ml,\;27.4{\pm}12.9ml\;and\;66.6{\pm}8.0%$ at stress test respectively, not different from rest test (p>0.05). In 4DM, the mean EDV, ESV and EF for all patients were $89.1{\pm}26.4ml,\;29.1{\pm}12.8ml\;and\;68.5{\pm}6.7%$ at stress test. Most cases in 4DM, there was no significant difference statistically between stress and rest test (p>0.05). But statistically significant difference was found in EF ($68.5{\pm}6.7%$ at stress vs $70.9{\pm}8.0%$ at rest, p<0.05). Correlation coefficients between the methods for EDV, ESV and EF were comparatively high (0.95, 0.93, 0.71 at stress test and 0.95, 0.90, 0.69 at rest test, respectively). However, Bland-Altman plots showed a large range of the limit value of agreement for EDV, ESV and EF between both methods ($-30ml{\sim}10ml,\;-12ml{\sim}8ml,\;-14%{\sim}11%$ at stress test and $-32ml{\sim}5ml,\;-13ml{\sim}13ml,\;-18%{\sim}12%$ at rest test). Conclusion: We found the normal ranges of EDV, ESV and EF for patients with a low likelihood of CAD in both methods. We expect these values will be a good reference to interpret gated myocardial perfusion SPECT. Although good correlation was observed between both methods, they should not be used interchangeably. Therefore, when both programs are used at the same site, it will be important to apply normal limits specific to each method.

Systems for Production of Calves from Hanwoo(Korean Cattle) IVM/IVF/IVC Blastocyst II. Simple, Efficient and Successful Vitrification of Hanwoo Blastocyst (체외생산된 한우 배반포기배로부터 송아지 생산을 위한 체계 II. 한우 배반포기배를 간편하면서 효율적이고 성공적으로 유리화 동결하는 방법)

  • Kim, E.Y.;Kim, D.I.;Park, N.H.;Weon, Y.S.;Nam, H.K.;Lee, K.S.;Park, S.Y.;Yoon, S.H.;Park, S.P.;Chung, K.S.;Lim, J.H.
    • Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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    • v.23 no.4
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    • pp.281-291
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    • 1999
  • The objective of this study was to optimize the freezing/thawing method of in vitro produced Hanwoo blastocysts. Day 7 blastocysts after IVF were vitrified using EFS40 (40% ethylene glycol, 18% ficoll, 0.3 M sucrose and 10% FBS added m-DPBS) as a freezing solution and electron microscope (EM) grid (V-G) or straw (V-S) as an embryo container. In both method, freezing/thawing were treated by 2-step, treatment time was required in V-G method and V-S method, for 2 min / 3 min and 3.5 min / 10 min, respectively. Embryo survival was assessed as re-expanded and hatched rates at 24 h and 48 h after warming, respectively. The results obtained in these experiments were summarized as follows: when the effect of exposure in vitrification solution and chilling injury from freezing procedure on in vitro produced expanded blastocysts were examined, at 24 h after warming, embryo survival in exposure group (100.0%) was not different compared to that in control group (100.0%), although those results were significantly different with two vitrified groups (V-G: 87.8, V-S: 77.8%) (P<0.001). However, at 48 h after warming, hatched rates of V-G group (67.8%) were significantly higher than those of V-S group (53.3%) (P<0.05). In addition, this hatched rate in V-G group was not different with that in exposure group (73.3%). When the effects of embryo developmental stage (early, expanded and early hatching blastocysts) and embryo container (EM grid and straw) to the in vitro survival of vitrified-warmed day 7 Hanwoo blastocysts were simultaneously examined, fast developed embryos were indicated the better resistance to freezing than delayed developed one, irrespective of embryo containers (early; 57.1 & 24.4%, expanded; 84.7 & 60.6%, early hatching; 91.7 & 80.0%) (P<0.001). Especially, in expanded and early hatching blastocysts, embryo survival of V-G group (67.8, 95.0%) was significantly higher than those of V-S group (53.0, 65.0%) at 48 h post warming, respectively (P<0.05, P<0.001). Therefore, this study indicates that Hanwoo blastocysts can be cryopreserved more simple, efficient and successful by vitrification method using EM grid.

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