• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.121-130
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of breeding conditions on reproductive efficiency of thoroughbred broodmares by ultrasonography. The mean age and breeding career of 120 mares used in this study were 11 years old and 6 years, respectively. The average pregnancy rate and embryonic loss rate were 87.5%, 11.8%. The groups that were 8-10 years old, 4-6 years, maiden and mated on May showed the highest pregnancy rate. While mares mated on 1st estrus post partus had the highest ovulation rate but showed the highest embryonic loss rate and he lowest pregnancy rate. And broodmares that had more intrauterine foreign bodies such as cyst and fluid with age and breeding career had represented lower pregnancy rate and higher embryonic loss rate than those having normal uterine condition. These results suggest that the breeding condition and uterine environment of mares had a significant influence on reproductive efficiency.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 1998

We have previously demonstrated that specific antigens involved in autoimmunity in endometriosis may be endometrial proteins with molecular weight (mw) of 71, 92, and 103 kilodalton (kDa). The purposes of this study were to determine the incidence of IgG antibodies against these endometrial antigens in peritoneal fluid of patients with endometriosis and to evaluate the antigenic differences between the endometria of patients with and without endometriosis. Forty peritoneal fluid (PF) from 24 patients with endometriosis and 16 patients without endometriosis (control patients) were tested against endometrial protein from patients (n=8) with endometriosis and from control patients (n=10) by western blot. Fifteen (62.5%) of 24 PF samples from patients with endometriosis had specific Immunoglobuiin (Ig) G antibodies against one of three endometrial proteins with mw of 71, 92 and 103 kDa but none of PF samples from control patients had these antibodies. The electrophoretic pattern of endometrial proteins from patients with endometriosis was similiar to that from control patients. Furthemore there was no significant difference in specific PF Immunoglobulin G binding to endometrial proteins regardless of origin of these proteins. Our data indicate that specific humoral immune response can be found in PF of patients with endometriosis and that specific antigens inducing this immune response are present in human endometrium and that there is no antigenic difference between the endometria of patients with and without endometriosis.

• 대한생식의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1996.11a
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• pp.62-62
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• 1996

• 대한생식의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1996.11a
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• pp.61.2-62
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• 1996

• 대한생식의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1995.12a
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• pp.56.2-57
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• 1995

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.261-271
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• 2004

Objective: This study was performed to evaluate the possibility of prolonged culture of human embryonic stem cells (hESC; SNUhES2) on human amniotic fluid cells (hAFC), which had been storaged after karyotyping. Method: The hAFC was prepared for feeder layer in the presence of Chang's medium and STO medium (90% DMEM, 10% FBS) at $37^{circ}C$ in a 5% $CO_2$ in air atmosphere. Prior to use as a feeder layer, hAFC was mitotically inactivated by mitomycin C. The hESCs on hAFC were passaged mechanically every seven days with ES culture medium (80% DMEM/F12, 20% SR, bFGF). Results: The hAFC feeder layer support the growth of undifferentiated state of SNUhES2 for at least 59 passages thus far. SNUhES2 colonies on hAFC feeder appeared slightly angular and flatter shape as compared with circular and thicker colonies observed with STO feeder layer and showed higher level with complete undifferentiation in seven days. Like hESC cultured on STO feeders, SNUhES2 grown on hAFC expressed normal karyotype, positive for alkaline phosphatase activity, high telomerase activity, Oct-4, SSEA-3, SSEA-4, Tra-1-60 and Tra-1-81 and formed embryoid bodies (EBs). Conclusion: The hAFC supports undifferentiated growth of hESC. Therefore, these results may help to provide a clinically practicable method for expansion of hESC for cell therapies.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.173-179
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• 1991

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro developmental promoting effect of human amniotic fluid (AF) on pronucleate 1-cell mouse embryos. The AF was obtained from five patients undergoing amniocentesis for the routine diagnosis of fetal abnormality. The supernatant was filtered ($0.22{\mu}m$) after centrifugation and stored at $-20^{\circ}C$. One-cell embryos were cultured in four study groups (10% AF, 0.4% BSA, 10% AF+0.4% BSA & no-supplement in Ham's F10) for 6 days (EXP. 1). Significantly more embryos hatched in 10% AF (P<0.0l), although no difference was found among other three groups. The embryos were also cultured in varous concentration of AF (0, 10, 50 & 100%) for 7 days (EXP. 2). The rate of hatched blastocysts was significantly higher in 10%- and 50% group than in 0% and 100%- one at day 6 (P<0.05) and day 7 (P<0.005), although no difference was found between 10% and 50%- group.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.186-193
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• 2020

Objective: The effectiveness of Staphylococcus protein A (SPA) in improving the penetration ability of sperm and reducing antisperm antibody (ASA) titers in immunologically infertile males was evaluated. Methods: Seminal fluid samples were obtained from 15 infertile men, and ASA titers were assessed with the latex agglutination test. Identification of immunoglobulin (Ig) classes and characterization of the antigens involved in the immune response were performed using indirect immunofluorescence. Local ASAs typically present as a mixture of IgG and IgA classes. The capillary tube penetration method was used to assess the capability of spermatozoa to penetrate the cervical mucus (CM). Results: ASAs associated with the neck region of sperm showed a significantly lower migration distance in the CM of infertile females than ASAs associated with the head or tail segments. ASA-positive seminal fluid exhibited significant increases in the mean migration distance (2.6 ± 1.4 cm vs. 1.54 ± 1.1 cm, respectively; p< 0.001) and sperm concentration (174 ± 121.0 × 10³/mL vs. 101 ± 93.7 × 10³/mL, respectively; p= 0.033) after treatment with SPA compared to pre-treated samples. A significant reduction (p< 0.01) in the recorded ASA titer was detected. Conclusion: These results indicate that SPA can be used as a sorting regimen for insemination programs. However, further studies are warranted to assess its influence on pregnancy rate.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2022

The angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor (ACE2) appears to be widely expressed in cells in the testes, predominantly in spermatogonia, Sertoli cells, and Leydig cells, and its co-expression with transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) is essential for the entry of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). For this reason, the male reproductive system could be considered a potential target for SARS-CoV-2, as well as a possible reservoir of infection. However, to date, there is very little evidence about the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in semen and testicular samples. The aim of this paper was to review the current evidence regarding the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on male fertility and sexual health, with a particular focus on reproductive hormones, the presence of the virus in seminal fluid and testis, and its impact on fertility parameters. We found very limited evidence reporting the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in semen and testicular samples, and the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on reproductive hormones and fertility parameters is unclear. The quality of the examined studies was poor due to the small sample size and several selection biases, precluding definitive conclusions. Hence, future well-designed prospective studies are needed to assess the real impact of SARS-CoV-2 on male reproductive function.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.229-237
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• 1995

The purpose of this study is to define requisite content of physiology for nursing education. This study classifies the subjects of physiology into 15 areas. The areas are cell and cell membrane, body fluid, nervous system, special sense, muscular system, blood, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, urinary system, digestive system, energy metabolism, body temperature, immune system, endocrine system, and reproductive system. Each subject area is further classified into subarea, resulting in a total of 194 subarea. The importance of each subarea is measured with a 3-point scale using a questionnaire. The subjects of this study were full-time professors teaching nursing in Korean universities. The analysis of the data collected from 68 respondents is as follows. 1. The areas of physiology necessary for nursing education in the order of importance are : body fluid, blood, endocrine, immune system, body temperature, urinary system, respiratory system, digestive system, reproductive system, energy metabolism, nervous system, cardiovascular system, cell and cell membrane, muscular system, and special sense. 2. Depending on the specific areas of nursing(such as pediatric nursing, maternity nursing), the importance of each physiology area may differ. For instance, the most important area for maternity nursing is reproductive physiology, whereas one for the psychiatric nursing is neuro-physiology. 3. The importance of each physiology area does not determine the importance of its subarea. For example, while the importance of cell and cell membrane was relatively very low across the respondents from different areas of nursing science, the importance of such subarea as osmosis, diffusion, and filteration reported by most respondents were high.