• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.832-838
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• 2024

Objective: The use of molecular genetic methods in pig breeding can significantly increase the efficiency of breeding and breeding work. We applied the F_st (fixsacion index) method, the main focus of the work was on the search for common options related to the number of born piglets and the weight of born piglets, since today the urgent task is to prevent a decrease in the weight of piglets at birth while maintaining high fertility of sows. Methods: One approach is to scan the genome, followed by an assessment of Fst and identification of selectively selected regions. We chose Large White sows (n = 237) with the same conditions of keeping and feeding. The data were collected from the sows across three farrowing. For genotyping, we used GeneSeek GGP Porcine HD Genomic Profiler v1, which included 68,516 single nucleotide polymorphisms evenly distributed with an average spacing of 25 kb (Illumina Inc, San Diego, CA, USA). Results: Based on the results of the Fst analysis, 724 variants representing selection signals for the signs BALWT, BALWT1, NBA, and TNB (weight of piglets born alive, average weight of the 1st piglets born alive, total number born alive, total number born). At the same time, 18 common variants have been identified that are potential markers for both the number of piglets at birth and the weight of piglets at birth, which is extremely important for breeding work to improve reproductive characteristics in sows. Conclusion: Our work resulted in identification of variants associated with the reproductive characteristics of pigs. Moreover, we identified, variants which are potential markers for both the number of piglets at birth and the weight of piglets at birth, which is extremely important for breeding work to improve reproductive performance in sows.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.347-360
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• 1993

The project was undertaken to provide information on the present system of traditional pig farming in the South Pacific region, to identify the problems currently limiting productivity of such pigs and to offer practical strategies which could be used for increasing productivity of the animals. The problems were identified by surveying some 220 subsistence pig farms in eleven island countries in the South Pacific region using a prepared questionnaire. The units were found to be generally small, consisting of about 2-4 sows per herd. The productivity of the units as assessed in terms of sow reproductive efficiency was rather low, being only about 7.5. Feed, housing, breeding, disease, marketing, lack of capital, technical know-how and existing social traditions were identified as current constraints. Based on three of the most limiting factors identified namely feed, housing and breeding, strategies for improvement were developed on the basis of better and more effective use of locally available feed resources, better housing and genetic improvement through crossbreeding programmes. These improvement strategies were tested as a package model on some ten farms in two of the island countries. The results of these on-farm trials indicated that using the improvement strategies increased sow reproductive efficiency by approximately 60 percent, to nearly 12. The significance of these findings in the overall management of traditionally raised pigs in the South Pacific region is discussed.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.182-187
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• 2000

Forty-two Holstein cows (21 multiparous) were assigned by calving date and parity to three dietary sequences to evaluate the effect of time of initiating fat supplementation to diets on lactation and reproductive performance. The dietary sequences were: 1) control, no supplemental fat from 1 to 98 days in milk (DIM) ; 2) control diet from 1 to 28 DIM then 3% supplemental fat (calcium salts of long-chain fatty acids) from 29 to 98 DIM; or 3) 3% supplemental fat from 1 to 98 DIM. Feeding supplemental fat did not enhance mean milk and 4% fat corrected milk (FCM) yields, but efficiency of FCM production was higher for cows fed supplemental fat. Milk fat percentage was unchanged whereas milk protein percentage was depressed with fat supplementation. Feeding supplemental fat reduced DMI and energy balance but there were no differences among treatments on time to resumption of ovarian cyclicity or conception rate to first service. Concentrations of progesterone during the first two ovulatory cycles tended to be greater in the fat-supplemented groups. Feeding supplemental fat starting at either parturition or 29 DIM increased efficiency of FCM production, but did not greatly enhance reproductive performance.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.203-209
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• 2011

Objective: This study was performed to compare the efficiency of slow freezing and vitrification based on survival, development to blastocysts, and cell numbers of blastocysts. Changes in embryonic gene expression in fresh and frozen-thawed embryos were also examined. Methods: Eight-cell stage embryos were collected from superovulated female BDF1 mice. The collected embryos were randomly divided into three groups. One group was maintained as fresh controls (n=42), one was frozen by slow freezing (n=43), and one was cooled by vitrification (n=43). After thawing or cooling, survival rates, development to blastocyst, and cell numbers and inner cell mass (ICM) cell numbers of blastocysts were compared with those of the control group. The expressions of eight genes ($Rbm3$, $Birc5$, $Sod1$, $Sod2$, $Cirbp$, $Caspase3$, $Trp53$, $Hsp70.1$) were examined by real time-quantitative polymerase chain reaction in the fresh and frozen-thawed embryos. Results: There were no significant differences in the slow freezing and vitrification groups' survival rate after thawing (88.4% vs. 88.4%), development to blastocyst (100% vs. 97.4%), cell numbers ($107.0{\pm}21.0$ vs. $115.0{\pm}19.7$), or ICM cell numbers of blastocysts ($11.3{\pm}5.2$ vs. $11.1{\pm}3.7$). Cell numbers of blastocysts were significantly ($p$ <0.05) lower in the frozen-thawed embryos than the fresh embryos. There were no significant differences in the slow freezing and the vitrification groups' expressions of the eight genes. The expressions of $CirbP$ and $Hsp70.1$ were higher in the frozen-thawed embryos than in the fresh embryos but there were no significant differences. Conclusion: These results suggest that there were no significant differences between embryos that underwent slow freezing and vitrification.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.777-784
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• 2001

Evaluation of the granulosa cell (GC) monolayers developed from small (<5 mm) and large (>5 mm) follicles on the meiotic competence of caprine oocytes during in vitro maturation was done in this study in comparison to the granulosa cell coculture. Ovaries were collected from the local abattoir and follicular contents were aspirated for the monolayer culture. For IVM the oocytes were collected by puncturing the nonatretic follicles (>4 mm). Results revealed that at the same seeding rate, small follicular granulosa cell monolayer achieved confluence 24-48 h earlier than large follicular granulosa cell monolayer. GC monolayers significantly p (<0.05) improved the rate of meiotic resumption and nuclear maturation (84.76% vs 74.74%) after 27 h of culture in comparison to GC coculture. Statistically there was no significant difference in the maturation rate between the caprine oocytes matured over small or large follicular GC monolayers. It is concluded from the present study that GC monolayers support better nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation of growing caprine oocytes which is evident by better maturation rate over GC monolayer as compared to the oocytes matured with GC coculture. Granulosa cells from small and large follicles can be used for IVM with more or less in the same efficiency after conditioning them with maturation media in 18-24 h before the onset of culture.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.191-195
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• 1997

The objective of this study were to compare two methods of analysis of milk urea nitrogen (MUN) and to relate conentration of MUN to pregnancy rate in dairy cows. The Azotest and Sigma method for MUN analysis were compared. The Azotest consistently underestimated the Sigma values for same samples, except for those in rank 3. The CV for the Azotest, within each rank, were less than 15%, demonstrating acceptable repeatability of the Azotest within a rank. Concentrations of MUN higher or lower than MUN in rank 3 and 4 were associated with decreased pregnancy rate. Mun concentrations in rank 5 and 6 were associated with a, pp.oximately a 16 percentage point decrease in pregnancy rate. Mun concentrations in rank 5 and 6 were associated with a, pp.oximately a 16 percentage point decrease in pregnancy rate after AI in dairy cow. This results suggest that Azotest may be benificial to dairy producers to monitor urea nitrogen concentration in their herd in efforts to maintain or improve reproductive efficiency.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.77-83
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• 2000

The purpose of this study was to develop a breeding technique to increase Hanwoo of superior characteristics. In the present study, reproductive status of Hanwoo such as size of farm, breeding system and gestationi length was investigated. In addition, effect of low dose administration of prostaglandin F2$\alpha$(PGF2$\alpha$) on luteolysis was examined. The size of farm was classified by the total number of cows and the number of breeding stocks, respectively. The distribution of herd size of < 5, 6~10, 11~30, 31~50 and > heads was 31%, 15%, 39%, 4% and 11%, respectively. Furthermore, the distribution of breeding stock size of <5, 6~10, 11~30, 31~50 and > 50 heads was 36%, 28%, 31%, 3% and 3%, respectively. Average parity was 2.1 in breeding stock. In breeding pattern, artificial in semination(A.I), estrus synchronization-A.I and natural mating was 92.7%, 2.4% and 4.9% respectively. Gestational length of Hanwoo was ranged 253~316 days (average length : 285 days) after estrus( estrus=0). To induce luteolysis, PGF2$\alpha$ was injected into ovarian parenchyma by a modified ovarian injector. The effect of administration of 6mg PGF2$\alpha$ on luteolysis and estrus induction was betweer (P<0.01) when PGF2$\alpha$ was administered into ovarian parechyma than when administered intramuscluarly (71 vs. 91%). When PGF2$\alpha$ was injected into ovarian parenchyma, a decreased concentration to 3 mg did not significantly decreaed its luteolytic effect(92%). When AI was performed following PGF2$\alpha$ treatment, the intraovarian injection group yielded a higher pregnancy rate(69 vs. 88%) than the IM injection groups, regardless of the dosage. In conclusion these results suggest that increasing herd size and regular reproductive management are needed to improve reproductive efficiency in Hanwoo industry. Furthermore, intraovarian administration of PGF2$\alpha$ is effective way to induce luteolysis compared with intramuscular injection.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.149-158
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• 2022

Objective: Optimizing culture media for the incubation of immature oocytes is a vital strategy to increase the oocyte maturation rate during in vitro maturation (IVM) programs. This study evaluated the IVM and fertilization rates of human germinal vesicle (GV) and metaphase I (MI) oocytes using two different maturation media (commercial and homemade) with or without growth differentiation factor 9-β (GDF9-β). supplementation. Methods: Immature oocytes from intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles were collected and assigned to one of two IVM culture media (commercial or homemade; cleavage-stage base). After maturation, MII oocytes were examined under an inverted microscope for the presence of the polar body, zona pellucida (ZP) birefringence, and meiotic spindle (MS) visualization after maturation in four conditions (commercial or homemade medium, with or without GDF9-β. ICSI was done for matured oocytes, and fertilization was confirmed by the visualization of two distinct pronuclei and two polar bodies. Results: No significant differences were found between the two culture media in terms of the time and rate of oocyte maturation or the rate of fertilization (p>0.05). Growth factor supplementation increased the 24-hour maturation rate for both GV and MI oocytes only in homemade medium. The maturation rate after 24 hours was higher for MI oocytes (p<0.05). Similar results were observed for MS visualization and ZP structure in both types of media (p>0.05). Conclusion: Higher rates of oocyte maturation and fertilization were observed after application of homemade medium supplemented with GDF9-β. Therefore, this combination may be recommended as an alternative for clinical IVM programs.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.111-115
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• 2004

Nutrition plays an important role in maintaining the larval health, cocoon quality and reproductive potential in Antheraea mylitta D. Nutritional efficiency greatly influenced if food is not adequate and of quality. A. mylitta silkworms were subjected to food deprivation for the period of 0 hr to 12 hrs /day to assess its effect on various nutritional parameters and indices, and its manifestation at different levels. Food ingesta, digesta, gain in body weight declined significantly at each level of deprivation, so also food utilization efficiency like consumption index (CI), growth rate (GR), approximate digestibility (AD), and efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI). This stress leads to decline in mean daily food ingesta by 16.73% to 39.76% and digesta by 28.98% to 54.01 % following a significant reduction in average daily body weight gain (27.68% to 55.09%). Food deprivation a1so caused significant loss in the silk gland weight, cocoon and shell weight (14.37% to 53.69%), lowered the fecundity (35.86 % to 83.59%) and in number of eggs laid per gram body weight, but simultaneously the number of non-chorionated eggs increased significantly.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.44-48
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• 1999

Uptake, assimilation and translocation of nitrogen and dry matter assimilation and translocation in ten rice cultivars were observed in no-till direct-sown rice-vetch cropping system. There was a large degree of variation in N-uptake, grain yield, nitrogen translocation efficiency and dry matter assimilation and translocation in tested rice cultivars. Forty kg N/ha base, as compound fertilizer (21-17-21% of N-P-K) three weeks after sowing and 30 kg N/ha top-dressed at panicle initiation stage as in the form of (NH$_4$)$_2$$CO_2$ was applied. ‘Newbounet’, ‘Daesanbyeo’, and ‘Hwayeongbyeo’ showed higher translocation efficiency. The contribution of pre-heading dry matter assimilates to grain ranged from 33% to 99% of dry grain weight. Dry matter of ‘Calrose 76’ was lower than Newbounet but N content was higher in Calrose 76 than Newbonnet. By maturity, N content in vegetative parts declined considerably more than dry matter, vegetative and reproductive parts, N translocation efficiency, and N harvest index. Nitrogen translocation efficiency was greater in ‘Nonganbyeo’, Daesanbyeo, and Newbounet. Grain N concentration was positively correlated with N concentration or N content of the vegetative parts at heading in Nonganbyeo, ‘Dasanbyeo’, ‘Dongjinbyeo’, and Newbonnet. These results indicated that the greater amount of dry matter and N accumulated before heading stage, the higher translocation rates of dry matter to grain and the greater net losses at maturity.