• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.159-178
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• 2011

Korea has been widely recognized as the most successful country for reversal of the rise in sex ratio at birth (from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s) in a short period of time. However, unusually high sex ratios at birth are still observed in most regions as parity increases. Given that imbalanced sex ratios at high birth orders are mostly due to son-selective abortion, it still remains questionable whether son-selective reproductive behavior has vanished in Korea. The main purpose of this study is to analyze the pattern of changing trends and socioeconomic differentials in sex ratio at birth. Micro-data from birth registration for 2009 are utilized. Attention is focused on analyzing sex ratios at birth in Youngnam region according to age of mother, parity, educational attainment of parents, and occupation of parents. A series of simulations are also conducted in this paper to show how prenatal sex screening and son-selective abortion have affected the level of sex ratio at birth for years 1994, 2005 and 2009.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.117-128
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• 2021

The skeletal muscle development of Hanwoo steer has been processed in the prenatal and postnatal periods. Bovine satellite cell located in perimysium of muscle tissues has differentially distributed in peripheral tissues. The study of postnatal development of satellite cells can help understand the genetic and functional regulation of meat characteristics. Factors affecting muscle size increase are related to the accumulation of DNA or synthesis of RNA proteins. In this study, we observed muscle development and differentiation after culturing bovine satellite cells derived from longissimus dorsi and semimembranosus regions of Hanwoo muscle tissue. In addition, RNA sequencing data were analyzed for differentially expressed genes (DEG) involved in intracellular muscle development and growth. The DEG of the two muscle tissues were compared according to 1day, 2day, 4day, and 7day. The overall gene expression level was confirmed by the heat map. Gene Ontology (GO) classification method was used to compare the expression level of gene groups affecting LD and SM development. The histology of GO was consistent with the time-cause change of LD and SM cell morphology. SM showed more active skeletal muscle development than LD. Even within the same time, SM expressed more genes than LD, thus synthesizing more muscle fibers

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.28-37
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• 2022

Pregnancy requires an important interpretation of thyroid function tests. The presence of anti-thyroid antibodies and viral infectious agents affect the health of both the fetus and the mother. Hence, a selective evaluation of thyroid function in pregnancy is required. This study is a retrospective cross-sectional survey to examine the correlation between thyroid hormones and viral infections during pregnancy. The results showed that the triiodothyronine (T3) decreased with increasing age, especially in the hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive group (P<0.01). In addition, although negative for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), thyroxine (FT4) showed a significant increase in near-threshold or twin pregnant women (P<0.05). The thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) was highly distributed at the age of 30, and there was no statistically significant correlation with other viral infection factors. In addition, as a result of dividing and analyzing the result of TSH by the quantiles, FT4 and T3 showed a positive correlation but showed a negative correlation with TSH (P<0.05). Therefore, the evaluation of prenatal thyroid screening during pregnancy and viral infection factors should reflect the time of pregnancy, exposure to infection, and the quantitative values. Adequate thyroid hormone and viral infections availability is important for an uncomplicated pregnancy and optimal fetal development.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.269-278
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• 2002

Objective s: Chromosome aneuploidy is associated with recurrent abortion and congenital anomaly and genetic diseases occur repeatedly in the specific families. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) can prevent aneuploidy or genetic disease by selecting normal embryos before implantation and is an alternative to prenatal diagnosis. The aim of this study is to assess the outcome of PGD cycles by using FISH or PCR, and to determine the clinical usefulness and values in patients with risk of chromosomal aneuploidy or genetic disease. Materials and Methods: From 1995 to Apr. 2001, a total of 108 PGD cycles in 65 patients with poor reproductive outcome were analyzed. The indications of PGD were translocation (n=49), inversion (n=2), aneuploidy screening (n=7), Duchenne muscular dystrophy (n=5) and spinal muscular atrophy (n=2). PGD was applied due to the history of recurrent abortion, previous birth of affected child or risk of aneuploidy related to sex chromosome aneuploidy or old age. Blastomere biopsy was performed in 6$\sim$10 cell stage embryo after IVF with ICSI. In the single blastomere, chromosome aneuploidy was diagnosed by using FISH and PCR was performed for the diagnosis of exon deletion in DMD or SMA. Results: The FISH or PCR amplification was successful in 94.3% of biopsied blastomeres. The rate of transferable balanced emb ryos was 24.0% in the chromosome translocation and inversion, 57.1% for the DMD and SMA, and 28.8% for the aneuploidy screening. Overall hCG positive rate per transfer was 17.8% (18/101) and clinical pregnancy rate was 13.9% (14/101) (11 term pregnancy, 3 abortion, and 4 biochemical pregnancy). The clinical pregnancy rate of translocation and inversion was 12.9% (11/85) and abortion rate was 27.3% (3/11). In the DMD and SMA, the clinical pregnancy rate was 33.3% (3/9) and all delivered at term. The PGD results were confirmed by amniocentesis and were correct. When the embryos developed to compaction or morula, the pregnancy rate was higher (32%) than that of the cases without compaction (7.2%, p<0.01). Conclusions: PGD by using FISH or PCR is useful to get n ormal pregnancy by reducing spontaneous abortion associated with chromosome aneuploidy in the patients with structural chromosome aberration or risk of aneuploidy and can prevent genetic disease prior to implantation.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.86-97
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• 1978

The mobile medical service has been operated for many years by a number of medical schools and hospitals as a most convenient means of medical service delivery to the people residing in such area where the geographical and socioeconomic conditions are not good enough to enjoy modern medical care. Despite of official appraisal showing off simply with numbers of outpatients treated and medical persons participated, however, as well recognized, the capability (in respect of budget, equipment and time) of those mobile medical teams is so limitted that it often discourages the recipients as well as medical participants themselves. In the midst of rising need to secure medical service of good quality to all parts of the country, and of developing concept of primary health care system, authors evaluated the effectiveness of and problems associated with mobile medical servies program through the community diagnosis of a village (Opo-myun, Kwangju-gun) to obtain the information which may be halpful for future improvement. 1. Owing to the nationwide Sae-Maul movement powerfully practiced during last several years, living environment of farm villages generally and remarkably improved including houses, water supply and wastes disposal etc. Neverthless, due to limitations in budget time and lack of knowledge (probably the most important), these improvements tend to keep up appearances only and are far from the goal which may being practical benefit in promoting the health of the community. 2. As a result of intensive population policy led by the government since 1962, there has been considerable advances in understanding and the rate of practicing family planning through out the villages and yet, one should see many things, especially education, to be done. Fifty eight per cent of mothers have not received prenatal check and the care for most (72%) delivery was offered by laymen at home. 3. Approximately seven per cent of the population was reported to have chronic illness but since only a few (practically none) of the people has had physical check up by doctors, the actual prevalence of chronic diseases may reach many times of the reported. The same fact was observed also in prevalence of tuberculosis; the patients registered at local health center totaled 31 comprising only 0.51% while the numbers in two neighboring villages (designated as demonstration area of tuberculosis control and mass examination was done recently) were 3.5 and 4.0% respectively. Prevalence rate of all dieseses and injuries expereinced during one month (July, 1977) was 15.8%. Only one tenth of those patients received treatment by physicians and one fifth was not treated at all. The situation was worse as for the chronic patients; 84% of all cases either have never been treated or discontinued therapy, and the main reasons were known to be financial difficulty and ignorance or indifference. 4. Among the patients treated by our mobile clinic, one third was chronic cases and 45% of all patients, by the opinion of doctors attended, were those who may be treated by specially trained nurses or other paramedics (objects of primary care). Besides, 20% of the cases required professional managements of level beyond the mobile team's capability and in this sense one may conclude that the effectiveness (performance) of present mobile medical team is quite limitted. According to above findings, the authors would like to suggest following for mobile medical service and overall medicare program for the people living in remote country side. 1. Establishment of primary health care system secured with effective communication and evacuation (between villages and local medical center) measures. 2. Nationwide enforcement of medical insurance system. 3. Simple outpatient care which now constitutes the main part of the most mobile medical services should largely be yielded up to primary health care unit of the village and the mobile team itself should be assigned on new and more urgent missions such as mass screening health examination of the villagers, health education with modern and effective audiovisual aids, professional training and consultant services for the primary health care organization.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.125-132
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• 2010

Purpose: Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), also known as embryo screening, is a pre-pregnancy technique used to identify genetic defects in embryos created through in vitro fertilization. PGD is considered a means of prenatal diagnosis of genetic abnormalities. PGD is used when one or both genetic parents has a known genetic abnormality; testing is performed on an embryo to determine if it also carries the genetic abnormality. The main advantage of PGD is the avoidance of selective pregnancy termination as it imparts a high likelihood that the baby will be free of the disease under consideration. The application of PGD to genetic practices, reproductive medicine, and genetic counseling is becoming the key component of fertility practice because of the need to develop a custom PGD design for each couple. Materials and Methods: In this study, a survey on the contents of genetic counseling in PGD was carried out via direct contact or e-mail with the patients and specialists who had experienced PGD during the three months from February to April 2010. Results: A total of 91 persons including 60 patients, 49 of whom had a chromosomal disorder and 11 of whom had a single gene disorder, and 31 PGD specialists responded to the survey. Analysis of the survey results revealed that all respondents were well aware of the importance of genetic counseling in all steps of PGD including planning, operation, and follow-up. The patient group responded that the possibility of unexpected results (51.7%), genetic risk assessment and recurrence risk (46.7%), the reproduction options (46.7%), the procedure and limitation of PGD (43.3%) and the information of PGD technology (35.0%) should be included as a genetic counseling information. In detail, 51.7% of patients wanted to be counseled for the possibility of unexpected results and the recurrence risk, while 46.7% wanted to know their reproduction options (46.7%). Approximately 96.7% of specialists replied that a non-M.D. genetic counselor is necessary for effective and systematic genetic counseling in PGD because it is difficult for physicians to offer satisfying information to patients due to lack of counseling time and specific knowledge of the disorders. Conclusions: The information from the survey provides important insight into the overall present situation of genetic counseling for PGD in Korea. The survey results demonstrated that there is a general awareness that genetic counseling is essential for PGD, suggesting that appropriate genetic counseling may play a important role in the success of PGD. The establishment of genetic counseling guidelines for PGD may contribute to better planning and management strategies for PGD.