• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2014

Recent 2 decades, including in vitro maturation (IVM), assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) achieved noteworthy development. However the efficiency of ARTs with in vitro matured oocytes is still lower than that with in vivo oocytes. To overcome those limitations, many researchers attempted to adapt co-culture system during IVM and consequently maturation efficiency has been increased. The beneficial effects of applying co-culture system is contemplated base on communication and interaction between various somatic cells and oocytes, achievement of paracrine factors, and spatial effects of extracellular matrix (ECM) from somatic cell surface. The understanding of co-culture system can provide some information to narrow the gap between in vitro and in vivo. Here we will review current studies about issues for understanding cu-culture system with various somatic cells to improve in vitro maturation microenvironment and provide bird view and strategies for further studies.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2009

To search a new pig pheromonal odorant, the $N^1$-allyl-$N^2$-(tetrahydrofuran-Z-ylmethyl)oxalamide molecule predicted by ligand based approach and molecular docking method was synthesized by nucleophilic addition-elimination reaction ($Ad_{NU-E}$) between N-allyloxalamic acid ethylester and tetrahydrofurlmethylamine. According to the evaluation results for efficiency of pig estrus control, the synthesized pig pheromonal $N^1$-allyl-$N^2$-(tetrahydrofuran-2-ylmethyl)oxalamide molecule advanced the estrus by 11.3 days (p<0.05) compared with the non-pheromone group. And from these results, it is predicted that the synthesized pig pheromonal compound will be able to increase the reproduction efficiency of pig.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.1635-1648
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• 2022

Thermal stress due to extreme changes in the thermal environment is a critical issue in cattle production. Many previous findings have shown a decrease in feed intake, milk yield, growth rate, and reproductive efficiency of cattle when subjected to thermal stress. Therefore, selecting thermo-tolerant animals is the primary goal of the efficiency of breeding programs to reduce those adverse impacts. The recent advances in molecular genetics have provided significant breeding advantages that allow the identification of molecular markers in both beef and dairy cattle breeding, including marker-assisted selection (MAS) as a tool in selecting superior thermo-tolerant animals. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which can be detected by DNA sequencing, are desirable DNA markers for MAS due to their abundance in the genome's coding and non-coding regions. Many SNPs in some genes (e.g., HSP70, HSP90, HSF1, EIF2AK4, HSBP1, HSPB8, HSPB7, MYO1A, and ATP1A1) in various breeds of cattle have been analyzed to play key roles in many cellular activities during thermal stress and protecting cells against stress, making them potential candidate genes for molecular markers of thermotolerance. This review highlights the associations of SNPs within these genes with thermotolerance traits (e.g., blood biochemistry and physiological responses) and suggests their potential use as MAS in thermotolerant cattle breeding.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 1994

There are several gene transfer methods available to introduce foreign DNA into animal. The most common method at present is microinjection. However, the overall efficiency of producing practical application of gene transfer technology to livestock species is production of pharmaceuticals. Rare human proteins, which cannot be produced into milk of transgenic animals. Large amount of biologically active protein may be obtained from transgenic farm animals using this system. Growth-related application to livestock species using growth hormone genes or factor genes have been disappointing. There were many undesirable side effects noted in the transgenic animals. More sophisticated on or off transgene expression are needed to control expression of transgenes in the transgenic animals. Turning positive effects while circumventing potentially harmful effects.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.241-244
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• 2000

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect on evapotranspiration and yield of soybean according to different soil water conditions, and to find the optimum time and amount for irrigation in soybean cultivation. The difference between potential evapotranspiration (PET) and maximum evapotranspiration (MET) during growing season of soybean planted in lysimeter was higher during reproductive stage than during vegetative one. The maximum crop coefficient was obtained at beginning seed stage of soybean. Soil water coefficient of irrigation treatment was higher than that of non-irrigation treatment during soybean growth stage in field experiment. Grain yield was highest in lysimeter due to its high water use efficiency and evapotranspiration rate.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.15-19
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• 2010

Oocyte enucleation is essential for somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) in the production of cloned animals or embryonic stem cells from adult somatic cells. Most studies of oocyte enucleation have been performed using micromanipulator-based techniques, which are technically demanding, time-consuming, and expensive. Several recent studies have used chemical-induced oocyte enucleation; however, each has been plagued by low efficiency and toxicity. In this study, I found that the co-treatment of murine oocytes with demecolcine and BMI-1026, a potent cdk1 inhibitor, resulted in a high enucleation rate (97%). This method is entirely independent of a micromanipulator and is suitable for the large-scale production of enucleated oocytes. This new method of enucleation will be useful in SCNT and in the development of handmade cloning techniques.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.115-119
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• 1976

The survey was carried out to investigate the average number of days from parturition to conception to 349 calving cases out of Holstein cows in total 154 heads observed. The results were as follows: 1. The average number of days from parturition to conception was $97.41{\pm}8.22$ and it's similar during the period from primipara to 4th calving order, and irregular during on and after 5th. 2. The average number of days from parturition to conception in calving month was observed all through the year: the prolongation among on April and July, and the brief duration among on January and March. 3. In the cases under 50 and 150 days after delivery, the distribution showed 53.56% and 83.91%, respectively, and it's about 20% between 70 and 90 days after delivery.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.79-85
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• 2012

Minipigs are regarded as one of the most important laboratory animal in that anatomical and physiological properties are similar to human and their reproduction efficiency is relatively higher compared to other large animal species. Particularly, several diseases that cannot be mimicked in rodent models are successfully occurred or induced in pig models therefore it has been interested in a valuable model for human diseases. Pigs are also 'standard' species in xenotransplantation research. To maximize experimental outcome using minipigs, establishment and management of proper animal facility, right animal husbandry and control of pathogens are very important. In this review, we summarized several international guidelines related with minipigs published by several companies or governments and discuss optimal conditions for providing informative ideas to the researchers who want to use minipigs in their future studies.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.1565-1571
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• 2003

Physiological mechanisms, involved in unusual ovulatory sequences in domestic hen are remaining undefined. One hundred individually caged white leghorn birds were divided into two equal groups viz. control and treatment, and 2-bromo-$\alpha$-ergocryptine, was administered to birds in the treatment group to modulate prolactin (PRL) secretion from anterior pituitary gland. The effect of modulation of PRL concentrations on egg production, sequence length and intersequence pause length were studied by analysis of oviposition records of the birds from 24 to 72 weeks of age. The surviving 48 birds in the control and treatment groups averaged $34.58{\pm}1.7$ and $25.67{\pm}1.15$ sequences of oviposition, with a mean sequence length of $9.92{\pm}0.63$ and ${\pm}1.12$ days respectively. Most of the birds had a single characteristically long sequence during the entire reproductive cycle, which averaged $46.04{\pm}3.09$ days in the control birds and $59.33{\pm}4.44$ days in the treated birds. 2-bromo-$\alpha$-ergocriptine treatments had significantly decreased (p$\leq$0.01) the circulating concentrations of PRL compared to the birds of the control group. This resulted in a significant increase (p$\leq$0.01) in the number of laying days in birds of the treatment group with a concomitant decrease in the intersequence pause length. The decreased PRL levels during prime sequences in birds of the both groups, reveals the negative role of the circulating PRL levels on egg production with concomitant shorter intersequence pause length. Hence, modulation of PRL with dopamine agonist may enhance the reproductive efficiency of hens later in life.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2007

To search of a new porcine pheromonal odorant for biostimulation control system technologies to offer a potentially useful and practical way to improve reproductive efficiency in livestock species, the two dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models between physicochemical parameters as descriptors of 2-cyclohexyloxytetrahydrofurane (A), 2-phenoxytetrahydrofurane (B) analogues and binding affinity constant ($p[Od.]_{50}$) for porcine odorant-binding protein (pOBP) as receptor of pig pheromones were derived and disscused. The statistical quality of the optimized 2D-QSAR model is good ($r^{2}=0.964$) and accounts for 96.4% of the variance in the binding affinity constants. It was found that the binding affinity constants were dependent upon the optimal value, $(SL)_{opt.}=1.418$ of substituent lipole (SL) in molecules. Therefore, the SL constant was very important factor for binding affinity.