• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.228-233
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• 2011

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of GnRH antagonist multiple-dose protocol (MDP) with oral contraceptive pill (OCP) pretreatment in poor responders undergoing IVF/ICSI, compared with GnRH antagonist MDP without OCP pretreatment and GnRH agonist low-dose long protocol (LP). Methods: A total of 120 poor responders were randomized into three groups according to controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) options; GnRH antagonist MDP after OCP pretreatment (group 1), GnRH antagonist MDP without OCP pretreatment (group 2) or GnRH agonist luteal low-dose LP without OCP pretreatment (group 3). Patients allocated in group 1 were pretreated with OCP for 21days in the cycle preceding COS, and ovarian stimulation using recombinant human FSH (rhFSH) was started 5 days after discontinuation of OCP. Results: There were no differences in patients' characteristics among three groups. Total dose and days of rhFSH used for COS were significantly higher in group 3 than in group 1 or 2. The numbers of mature oocytes, fertilized oocytes and grade I, II embryos were significantly lower in group 2 than in group 1 or 3. There were no significant differences in the clinical pregnancy rate and implantation rate among three groups. Conclusion: GnRH antagonist MDP with OCP pretreatment is at least as effective as GnRH agonist low-dose LP in poor responders and can benefit the poor responders by reducing the amount and duration of FSH required for follicular maturation.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 1988

The contraception practice rate in Korea has steadily increased from 9% in 1964 to 72% in 1987. Accordingly, natural increase rate of population declined from 28.4 per 1,000 in 1964 to 12.4 per 1,000 in 1987. Notably in recent years, the acceptance of surgical contraception services has sharply increased in this country. Now the author analyzes various factors influencing successful vasectomy and vasovasostomy based on his experience in performing more than 8,000 vasectomies and 1,000 vasovasostomies during the past 25 years. These various factors consist of preoperative screening interview, surgical vasectomy technique, vas irrigation technique, open-ended vasectomy, complications from vasectomy, sperm granuloma formation, spermatogenesis and steroidogenesis after vasectomy, immunological consequences after vasectomy, prostatic diseases and vasectomy, late post-vasectomy syndrome, psychological effects after vasectomy, and success rates of vasovasostomy. Besides, the author makes more comments on the results of the clinical trials on new approaches to reversible vas occlusion technique with a new device of Intravasal Thread and to reversible suppression of spermatogenesis with long-acting sex hormones.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.135-141
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• 2013

This study aimed to improve the reproductive efficiency of dairy herds by comparison and analyzing estrous appearance rate, conception and non-conception rate according to the stage of lactation using the lactation and reproductive records of average (less than 10,000 liters milk in 305 days) and high yielding (more than 10,000 liters milk in 305 days) Holstein cows (n=102). Milk production and reproduction data were collected between January 2010 and December 2012 from Holstein cows kept in the commercial dairy farms. Average (n=32) and high yielding (n=24) Holstein cows used to analyze the relationship between milk yield and reproductive performance. Our results showed that estrous appearance rate according to the stage of lactation was 25.0% (30~59d), 40.6% (60~89d), 25% (90~110d) and 9.4% (>111d) in average yielding cows and 16.7% (30~59d), 20.8% (60~89d), 12.5% (90~110d) and 50.0% (>111d) in high yielding cows, respectively. Conception rate according to the stage of lactation was 87.5% (30~59d), 61.5% (60~89d), 75.0% (90~110d) and 66.7% (>111d) in average yielding cows and 25.0% (30~59d), 0% (60~89d), 33.3% (90~110d) and 50.0% (>111d) in high yielding cows, respectively. Days between parturition and conception was 23.7% (<149d), 0% (150~209d) and 0% (>210 d) in average yielding cows and 69.0% (<149 d), 77.8% (150~209d) and 38.9% (>210d) in high yielding cows, respectively. Conception rate from 110 days postpartum in high yielding cows was 41.7% (110~150d), 50.0% (151~180d) and 50.0% (>181d). Body condition score (BCS) in 120 days postpartum was $2.64{\pm}0.1$ in average yielding cows and $2.28{\pm}0.1$ in high yielding cows, respectively.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.59-64
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• 1998

This study was designed to evaluate the influence of pronuclear age on the survival and post-thawing development after cryopreservation of mouse embryos. Freezing and thawing were performed in the different pronuclear stages of mouse embryos after IVF. Embryos were obtained from $F_1$ hybrid mice and classified into 4 groups according to the pronuclear stage (6hr, 9hr, 12hr and 15hr after insemination). Pronuclear ova were slowly cooled in a biological freezer using 1.5M 1,2-propanediol and 0.1M sucrose as cryoprotectant. Thawing was done at room temperature and 1,2-propanediol was removed by multi-step dilutions. Both frozen-thawed embryos and control fresh embryos were cultured in vitro in Ham's F-10 medium supplemented with 4mg/ml BSA. In control group, the development rate after 48hr was 99.3%, and the complete hatching rate after 144hr was 61.3%. In experimental groups, the survival rate after thawing was 95.4% in 6hr, 88.7% in 9hr, 75.2% in 12hr and 62.4% in 15hr after insemination, the development rate after 48hr was 61.1, 77.0, 67.0 and 79.6%, respectively, and the complete hatching rate after 144hr was 25.7, 43.7, 42.2 and 60.0%, respectively. The survival rate in 15hr was significantly lower (p<0.05) compared with other groups. In vitro development rates after 48hr were similar in all groups, but complement hatching rate was significantly lower (p<0.05) in 6hr group. In conclusion, cryopreservation of mouse pronuclear ova with 2 distinct pronuclei (9hr and 12hr groups) showed better results after thawing compared with early (6hr group) or late pronuclear ova just prior to cleavage (15hr group).

• 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.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.197-202
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• 2020

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify environmental factors strongly associated with and to estimate genetic parameters of reproductive traits in Japanese Black heifers. Methods: Data included reproduction records of Japanese Black heifers born between 2004 and 2014. First service non-return rate (NRR) to 56 days from first to successful insemination (FS), number of services per conception (IN), age at first calving (AFC) and gestation length were analyzed with the use of the general linear model. Genetic parameters were estimated with the use of the univariate animal model of the residual maximum likelihood. Results: Averages of reproductive traits over eleven years were assessed, and the effects of farm, year, month, artificial insemination technician and interaction of farm×year on the traits were determined. Estimated heritability of FS was very low and that of AFC was higher than that of the other traits. A close genetic relation was observed among NRR, IN, and FS; however, their heritabilities were very low. AFC shows favorable genetic correlation with IN and FS. Conclusion: Low heritabilities of most reproductive traits in Japanese Black heifers are strongly influenced by farm management practices, and that large residual variances make genetic evaluation difficult. Among the reproductive traits, AFC is potentially more useful for genetic improvement of heifer reproductive traits because it has high heritability and favorable genetic correlations with IN and FS.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.369-375
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• 2003

The ultrasonography was performed in 77,924 subestrous dairy cows from 680 dairy farms at 57 districts. The cows were examined for confirmation of resumption of ovaries and uterus after 30 days postpartum, for early pregnancy diagnosis after 30 days post-insemination, confirmation of pregnancy at 8 month post-insemination, and for diagnosis of reproductive dysfunctions, respectively. The results of reproductive examination by ultrasonography in 77,924 dairy cows were ovarian disorders 35,452 (46.8%), uterine disorders 10,721 (13.8%), pregnancy and pregnant failure 24,044 (30.8%), adhesion of reproductive tracts 167 (0.2%), freematins 13 (0.01%) and others 6,527 (8.4%) cows, respectively. The 13,732 (49.6%) cows out of 27,694 cows were treated for silent heat or error of estrus detection, 3,473 (12.5%) cows for follicular cysts, 815 (3.0%) cows for luteal cysts, 606 (2.2%) cows for inactive ovaries, 4 (0.01%) cows for granulosa cell tumors, and 6,455 (23.3%) cows for endometritis, respectively. The indices of reproductive efficiencies before (2001-08-10) and after (2003-07-20) periodical examination of reproductive status were as follows; the mean intercalving interval were shortened from 471 days to 383 days, the mean interval calving to conception were shortened from 187 days to 99 days, the mean interval calving to first service were shortened from 105 days to 67 days, the mean cows showing heat by 60 days postpartum were increased from 33% to 89%, the mean conception rate to first service were increased from 43% to 68%, and the mean service per conception were shortened from 2.6 times to 1.8 times, respectively. These results suggest that periodical examination of reproductive status would be useful for the improvement of the reproductive performance in dairy cows.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.266-275
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• 2022

The impact of heat stress (HS) on reproductive performance and its problems in cows remains to be investigated in Bangladesh. The study was, therefore, aimed to evaluate the effect of HS on fertility and reproductive health problems of dairy cows in a selected area of Bangladesh. A total of 1,095 cows from 500 farms were included in this study. The climate-related data were recorded daily basis for every month in a year and temperature-humidity index (THI) values were calculated to determine the level of HS. Concurrently, data on fertility parameters [number of services per conception (NSC), conception rate (CR) and calving to the first service interval (CFSI)], and reproductive problems were collected through a pre-defined questionnaire. The results show that crossbred [Native x Holstein-Friesian, (HF)] cows were more vulnerable (p < 0.05) to a magnitude of HS effects considering physiological parameters of cows [age, body condition score (BCS), parity and milk yield]. Regarding fertility, HS had no effect on NSC, CR and CFSI in both native and crossbred cows (p > 0.05). The findings on the reproductive problems indicate that HS had significant influence on the prevalence of anestrus (χ² = 21.814, p < 0.05) and retained placenta (χ² = 24.632, p < 0.05) in cows. Of note, the prevalence of repeat breeding syndrome was 2.5 folds higher in stress condition than in no stress condition. Abortion and dystocia were not influenced by HS. In conclusion, HS does not influence the fertility parameters of cows studied; however, anestrus and retained placenta are likely to occur under HS conditions in cows.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.111-117
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• 2017

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate pregnancy outcomes and the live birth rate at 1-year age increments in women aged ${\geq}40years$ undergoing fresh non-donor in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer (ET), and to identify predictors of success in these patients. Methods: This retrospective study was performed among women ${\geq}40years$ of age between 2004 and 2011. Of the 2,362 cycles that were conducted, ET was performed in 1,532 (73.1%). Results: The clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate in women ${\geq}40years$ significantly decreased with each year of increased age (p<0.001). Maternal age (odds ratio [OR], 0.644; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.540-0.769; p<0.001), basal follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels (OR, 0.950; 95% CI, 0.903-0.999; p=0.047), the number of high-quality embryos (OR, 1.258; 95% CI, 1.005-1.575; p=0.045), and the number of transferred embryos (OR, 1.291; 95% CI, 1.064-1.566; p=0.009) were significant predictors of live birth. A statistically significant increase in live birth rates was seen when ${\geq}3$ embryos were transferred in patients 40 to 41 years of age, whereas poor pregnancy outcomes were seen in patients ${\geq}43years$ of age, regardless of the number of transferred embryos. Moreover, the cumulative live birth rate increased in patients 40 to 42 years of age with repeated IVF cycles, but the follicle-stimulating hormone in those ${\geq}43years$ of age rarely showed an increase. Conclusion: IVF-ET has acceptable outcomes in those < 43 years of age when a patient's own oocytes are used. Maternal age, basal FSH levels, and the number of high-quality embryos and transferred embryos are useful predictors of live birth.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2010

This study was conducted to estimate the effect of the breed, sire-breeds, farrowing year, farrowing season and parity on number of born alive (NBA), number of weaning (NW) and survival rates of weaning (SRW) in swine. The data were obtained from 46,704 litters of the Landrace, Yorkshire, Duroc and Cross breed farrowed from 1996 to 2005 at 142 GP are registered in Korean Animal Improvement Association (KAIA). There was highly significant effect of breed, sire breed, farrowing year, farrowing season and parity on NBA, NW, SRW (p<0.01). The result of this study could be available to genetic improvement of reproductive traits as a basic reference in Korean pig industry. To achieve the more effective improvement of reproductive traits, additional research such as genetic parameter evaluation should be performed.