• Horticulture, Environment, and Biotechnology : HEB
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• v.59 no.6
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• pp.815-826
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• 2018

The intense drought affecting olive production in Northern Chile underscores the need to research non-traditional irrigation strategies to obtain the best crop performance. Accordingly, this study aimed to obtain preliminary data to guide future research on this topic. Different water replenishment levels on crop evapotranspiration ($ET_c$ ; 13.5, 27.0, 40.5, and 54%) were established in a young orchard, cv. Arbequina, from the end of fruit drop (EFD) to full bloom in the next season. We evaluated the influence of plant water status (${\Psi}_{stem}$ ) and crop load, considered as function of fruit number divided by trunk cross-sectional area, on reproductive and productive variables using multiple linear regressions. Our results show that crop load and ${\Psi}_{stem}$ measured from EFD to harvest affected yield components. Nevertheless, ${\Psi}_{stem}$ had the strongest influence on fruit size, pulp development, oil accumulation, and yield. Oil content and yield were reduced by 54% and 50% for each MPa, respectively, from ${\Psi}_{stem\;EFD-H}$ -1.8 MPa, an effect that intensified as crop load increased. During the period of flower development (September-November), the number of flowers per inflorescence and percentage of perfect flowers were reduced when ${\Psi}_{stem}$ was less than -2.0 MPa. These preliminary results showed that bud differentiation, inflorescence and flower formation are highly sensitive to water deficit.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.33-43
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• 2021

Along with the widespread use of pesticides in the world, concerns over human health impacts are rapidly growing. There is a large body of evidence on the relationship between the exposure to pesticides and the elevated rate of chronic diseases such as different types of cancers, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson, Alzheimer, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), birth defects, and reproductive disorders. This research assessed the health risk of pesticide residues by the dietary intake of vegetables collected from the agro-based markets of Dhaka, Bangladesh. As some of the banned pesticides were also found in vegetable samples, they may pose a higher risk because of cheaper availability and hence the government of Bangladesh should take strong measures to control these banned pesticides. Five organo phosphorus (chlorpyrifos, parathion, ethion, acephate, fenthion) and two carbamate (carbaryl and carbofuran) pesticide residues were identified in twenty four samples of two common vegetables (tomato and brinjal). The pesticide residues ranged from below a detectable limit (< 0.01) to 0.36 mg·kg^-1. Acephate, chlorpyrifos, ethion, and carbaryl were detected in only one sample, while co-occurrence occurred twice for parathion. Continuous monitoring and strict regulation should be enforced regarding the control of pesticide residues in fresh vegetables and other food commodities in Bangladesh.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.381-389
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• 2021

Maogusi dance is an ancient ritual dance of the Tujia, a Chinese ethnic minority living in the remote region of the western Hunan Province of China. With characters, dialogues, simple story plots and unique performance procedures, it expresses ancient people's devout worship of nature, totems, ancestors, and reproduction in the uncivilized age. With the advancement of human civilization and the opening to the outside world, many dances of the ethnic minority gradually have faded out, while the Maogusi dance is still popular among the Tujia people and its spiritual symbols have been passed on through the generations. It is recognized by experts in dance and drama circles as the original source of Chinese dance and drama. From the perspectives of philosophy, religion, anthropology and folklore, this paper tries to remove the mysterious veil covering the Maogusi dance of the Tujia to explain how its ancient spiritual symbols have survived and why the original ecological consciousness has been preserved. These aims would help in understanding the deep connotation of this ancient Chinese art with its long history and profound culture.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.12
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• pp.1817-1826
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• 2022

Public concern on the methods of raising food-producing animals has increased, especially in the last two decades, leading to voluntary and mandated changes in the animal production methods. The primary objective of these changes is to improve the welfare of farm animals. The use of gestational stalls is currently a major welfare issue in swine production. Several studies assessed the welfare of alternative housing systems for gestating sows. A comparative study was performed with gestating sows housed in either individual stalls or in groups in a pen with an electronic sow feeder. This review assessed the welfare of each housing system using physiological, behavioral, and reproductive performance criteria. The current review identified clear advantages and disadvantages of each housing system. Individual stall housing allowed each sow to be given an individually tailored diet without competition, but the sows had behavioral restrictions and showed stereotypical behaviors (e.g., bar biting, nosing, palate grinding, etc.). Group-housed sows had increased opportunities to display such behavior (e.g., ability to move around and social interactions); however, a higher prevalence of aggressive behavior, especially first mixing in static group type, caused a negative impact on longevity (more body lesions, scratch and bite injuries, and lameness, especially in subordinate sows). Conclusively, a more segmented and diversified welfare assessment could be beneficial for a precise evaluation of each housing system for sows. Further efforts should be made to reduce aggression-driven injuries and design housing systems (feeding regimen, floor, bedding, etc.) to improve the welfare of group-housed sows.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.883-895
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• 2024

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of a fatty acid-balanced oil, instead of soybean oil, on reproductive performance, nutrient digestibility, blood indexes, milk composition in lactating sows, and fecal microbial composition in piglets. Methods: Twenty-four sows (Landrace×Yorkshire, mean parity 4.96) were randomly allotted to two treatments with twelve pens per treatment and one sow per pen based on their backfat thickness and parity. The experiment began on day 107 of gestation and continued until weaning on day 21 of lactation, lasting for 28 days. The control group (CG) was fed a basal diet supplemented with 2% soybean oil and the experimental group (EG) was fed the basal diet supplemented with 2% fatty acid-balanced oil. Results: The fatty acid-balanced oil supplementation increased (p<0.05) the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, and gross energy in sows. The lower (p<0.05) serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and albumin levels of sows were observed in the EG on day 21 of lactation. Dietary supplementation with the fatty acid-balanced oil decreased the fat content, increased the immunoglobulin G level, and changed (p<0.05) some fatty acid content in milk. Moreover, the fatty acid-balanced oil supplementation changed (p<0.05) the fecal microbial composition of piglets, where the average relative abundance of Spirochaetota was decreased (p<0.05) by 0.55% at the phylum level, and the average relative abundance of some potentially pathogenic fecal microorganism was decreased (p<0.05) at the species level. Conclusion: The fatty acid-balanced oil improved nutrient digestibility, changed the serum biochemical indices and milk composition of sows, and ameliorated the fecal microbial composition of piglets.

• Anatomy and Cell Biology
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.119-128
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• 2024

Glucocorticoids play a physiologic role in the adult male reproductive functions, modulating gonadal steroid synthesis and spermatogenesis, through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). The expression of GR has been described in several key testicular cell types, including somatic cells and early germ cell populations. Nothing is known on GR in human spermatozoa. Herein, we explored the GR expression and its possible role in normal and testicular varicocele semen samples from volunteer donors. After semen parameter evaluation by macro- and microscopic analysis, samples were centrifuged; then spermatozoa and culture media were recovered for further investigations. By western blotting and immunofluorescence analyses we evidenced for the first time in spermatozoa the presence of GR-D3 isoform which was reduced in sperm from varicocele patients. By treating sperm with the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DEXA), we found that survival, motility, capacitation, and acrosome reaction were increased in both healthy and varicocele samples. GR involvement in mediating DEXA effects, was confirmed by using the GR inhibitor mifepristone (M2F). Worthy, we also discovered that sperm secretes different cortisol amounts depending on its physio-pathological status, suggesting a defence mechanism to escape the immune system attach in the female genital tract thus maintaining the immune-privilege as in the testis. Collectively, our data suggests a role for glucocorticoids in determining semen quality and function, as well as in participating on sperm immune defensive mechanisms. The novelty of this study may be beneficial and needs to take into account in artificial insemination/drug discovery aimed to enhancing sperm quality.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.975-986
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• 2003

Present study was conducted to investigate the effect of the level of concentrates and pasture grazing in 36 autumn born Hanwoo heifers(initial body weight, 119.7${\pm}$25.6kg) for 426d including 195d for a pasture stage. The animals were fed commercial concentrates at a rate of 0.5%(T1), 1.0%(T2), 1.5%(T3) and 2.0%(T4) of body weight, respectively, for pre- and post-pasture. 1. Mean daily gains by treatments were 0.348, 0.403, 0.450 and 0.501kg for T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively, indicating that increases in concentrates intake was associated with the daily gain of grazing Hanwoo heifers. However, the mean daily gain was the highest for T2 during the pasture stage. 2. TDN intakes per 1kg gain were, on average, 8.61kg for the entire experimental period and 9.22kg for the pasture stage, respectively. In addition, the rate of roughage to concentrate during the entire experimental period was 49.6 to 68.2%(mean 58.5%). 3. Age reached 225 and 250kg of body weight was, on an average, 15.1mo. and 17.6mo., respectively, indicating that increasing the level of concentrates feeding(by 0.5% of body weight) reduced the first pregnancy by 0.9 mo. Ages and body weight for first service were 19.5mo. and 272.2 kg, respectively. Mean pregnant rate of total heads was approximately 52.8%, but appeared to 66.6% for T3 and T4. Therefore, it may be concluded that the optimum level of concentrates for autumn born Hanwoo heifers is 1.8% of body weight for indoor feeding on rice straw-based diet and 1.5% of body weight for a pasture stage, respectively.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.195-198
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• 2007

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of hormones treated (progesterone, and combination of progesterone and estradiol) on the reproductive performance of dairy cattle. The intravaginal CIDR was inserted in the vagina of cow on day 14 (P-7, PE-7), 16 (P-5, PE-5) and 18 (P-3, PE-3) post-insemination to stimulate progesterone secretion with (PE) and without estradiol(P). The CIDR was removed on 7 (P-7, PE-7), 5 (P-5, PE-5) and 3 (P-3, PE-3) days after. The cows for control group were not treated with CIDR or hormones. Conception rate, the duration needed for conception after AI and the number of AI services needed for conception were measured. Conception rate in control, CIDR without estradiol (P-7, P-5 and P-3) and CIDR treated (PE-7, PE-5 and PE-3) cows were 15.8%, 40.0%, 31.5%, 28.6%, 62.5%, 50.0% and 0%, respectively. The days needed for conception after AI in control, P-7, P-5, p-3, PE-7, PE-5 and PE-3 were 64.9, 63.0, 59.1, 8.0, 0.0, 18.9 and 83.3 days, respectively. The days needed for conception in cows treated with CIDR (PE-7) has shown longer than control and PE-3 (p<0.05). The number of AI services needed for conception in control, CIDR (PE-7, PE-5 and PE-3) and CIDR without estradiol treated cows (P-7, P-5 and P-3) were 27, 2.3, 1.9, 1.3, 1.0, 1.7 and 2.8 times, respectively. The number of AI services needed for conception have shown significantly lower in PE-7 compared to control and PE-3.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.115-119
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• 2007

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of hormones (progesterone, and combination of progesterone and estradiol) on the reproductive performance of dairy cattle. The intravaginal CIDR was inserted in the vagina of cow on day 14 post-insemination to stimulate progesterone secretion with and without estradiol. The CIDR was removed on the day of next expected estrus. The cows for control group were not treated with CIDR or hormones. Conception rate, estrus interval, estrus intensity and serum progesterone were measured. Conception rates in control, CIDR without estradiol and CIDR treated cows were 15.4, 38.9 and 60%, respectively. Estrus interval in cows treated with CIDR was 26.5 days compared with 37.1 and 48.5 days in control and CIDR without estradiol treated cows. Estrus signs were more intense in cows treated with CIDR compared with control and CIDR without estradiol treated cows. Pregnant cows treated with CIDR showed higher serum progesterone concentration than pregnant and non-pregnant cows in control group. Particularly, serum progesterone was significantly higher in CIDR treated pregnant cows compared to non-pregnant cows at days 1, 2 and 6 of gestation. It may be concluded from present results that CIDR treatment is better than CIDR without estradiol to improve conception rate in dairy cattle.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.33-44
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to estimate the genetic parameters and trend of Landrace and Yorkshire pigs, which were raised on private farms from 1999 to 2005 and tested for their reproductive performance by the Korea Animal Improvement Association. Prior to analysis, records without pedigree or having value with larger than±3×standard deviation for the Total number of born were excluded. The effects of breed and environmental factors were estimated with least square method(Harvey, 1979), and estimation of breeding values and genetic parameters were performed on the data of 1’st litter only with GIBBSF90(Misztal, 2001) which was programmed according to Gibbs Sampling method based on Bayesian Inference by Gianola and Fernando(1986), Jensen(1994) and others. Gibbs sampling was performed 50,000 times for each parameter, and the first 5000 samples were regarded as those in burn-in period and thus, excluded for post hoc analysis. Total number of born and total number of accident were statistically significant(p<0.01) for the breed, farrowing year, farrowing season and parity effects, and the number born alive at birth was statistically significantp<(0.01) for the breed, farrowing year, farrowing season and parity effects. No particular trend was observed in the genetic and phenotypic improvement of the total number of born and number born alive at birth before 2001, when the piglet registration system started, but the tendencies of increasing for the total number of born and number born alive and decreasing for the total number of accident were observed since 2001. Somewhat higher heritability estimates of our study seems to be attributed to the situations that first parity records with poor farrowing performances were used in the analyses and it was impossible to obtain accurate reproductive performance due to the absence of criteria for record keeping at the level of individual farms.