• Development and Reproduction
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 2012

Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical with weak estrogenic activity is reported to affect preimplantation embryos, fetuses and alter their postnatal development. This study amied to determine the relation between the levels of BPA in the amniotic fluid and pregnancy outcomes. ELISA was used to measure amniotic fluid BPA in 120 pregnant women who underwent genetic amniocentesis at 15~20 weeks gestation. The most common indication for amniocentesis was advanced maternal age (35 yrs or older). BPA was detected in all amniotic fluid. The range of amniotic fluid BPA concentrations was from 0.89 ng/mL to 37.13 ng/mL with a mean level of 7.24 ng/mL. We compared the means of amniotic fluid BPA concentrations according to maternal age (${\geq}35$ vs. <35 yrs), fetal sex (male vs. female), gestational age at birth (${\geq}37$ vs. <37 weeks), and infant birth weight (${\geq}2.5$ vs. <2.5 kg). No significant differences were found in these outcomes. This is the first report of amniotic fluid BPA levels in Korean pregnant women. Our findings suggest that BPA may not affect the pregnancy outcomes such as fetal sex, preterm delivery and low birth weight. Whether prenatal exposure to BPA can have teratogenic effect on developing embryo needs to be studied.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.317-323
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• 2000

Experimental cohorts of Mugil cephalus were divided into 5 groups : seawater~normal feed (SWN), acclimation to freshwater~normal feed (GFWN), acclimation to freshwater~salt feed (Gf\iVS), freshwater. normal feed (FWN) and freshwater-salt feed (f\iVS). Growth was faster in the SWN, Gf\iVS, and GFWN groups than in the f\iVS and FWN groups. Condition factor did not differ among the groups. Survival (92 %) of the juveniles was the highest in the Gf\iVS group; however, the others showed no significant difference. Moisture of FWN group was significantly higher than that of SWN group (P < 0.05). Potassium concentration was significantly higher in the SWN group than that of others (P < 0.05). It was highest (30 mmolfl) among the cohort of SWN.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 2008

Animal carcasses have always been and continue to be a major burden in animal production. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of thermophilic anaerobic digestion for animal carcasses. A batch test using ground meat and organ as the model substrate showed that animal carcasses arehighly biodegradable at thermophilic anaerobic condition. The volatile solids (VS) destruction and $CH_4$ yieldranged from 52.7 to 58.5% and from 220 to 243 mL/g VS, respectively, at initial substrate VS in the range of 1.5~7.7%. However, high ammonia concentration inhibited continuous operation at substrate VS above 2.5%. As ammonia is formed during the degradation of proteineous organic materials, the major constituent of animal carcasses, the only way to reduce the ammonia concentration would be dilution. Co-digestion with other waste stream without high nitrogen content is recommended as an economically feasible approach for thermophilic digestion of animal carcass.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2007

This study was conducted to examine the role of intact cumulus cells during in vitro fertilization (IVF) on sperm penetration, male pronuclear (MPN) formation and subsequent embryo development of oocytes matured and fertilized in vitro. Cumulus-oocyte complexes obtained from the slaughtered gilt ovaries were matured for 44 h in TCM199 containing 10% porcine follicular fluid, epidermal growth factor and hormones. After maturation culture, denuded oocytes or oocytes with intact cumulus cells were coincubated with frozen-thawed boar semen for 8h in a modified tris-buffered medium containing 5mM caffeine and 10mM calcium chloride. Putative zygotes were fixed and examined for sperm penetration and MPN formation (Experiments $1{\sim}3$), or cultured in North Carolina State University-23 medium fo. 156 h (Experiment 3). In Experiment 1, sperm penetration was examined after insemination of denuded oocytes and oocytes with intact cumulus cells at the concentration of $7.5{\times}10^5$ sperm/ml. Optimal sperm concentration for IVF of cumulus-intact oocytes was determined in Experiment 2 by inseminating intact oocytes with $2{\sim}5{\times}10^6$ sperm/ml. In Experiment 3, denuded or intact oocytes were inseminated at the concentrations of $7.5{\times}10^5$ and $4.0{\times}10^6$ sperm/ml, respectively, and in vitro embryo development was compared. Sperm penetration was significantly (p<0.01) decreased in cumulus-intact oocytes compared to denuded oocytes (35.2% vs. 77.4%). Based on the rates of sperm penetration and normal fertilization, the concentration of $4.0{\times}10^6$ sperm/ml was optimal for the IVF of intact oocytes compared to other sperm concentrations. The presence of intact cumulus cells during IVF significantly (p<0.05) improved embryo cleavage (48.8% vs. 58.9%), blastocyst (BL) formation (11.0% vs. 22.8%) and embryo cell number $(22{\pm}2\;vs.\;29{\pm}2\;cells)$ compared to denuded oocytes. In conclusion, these results suggest that intact cumulus cells during IVF inhibit sperm penetration but improve embryo cleavage, BL formation and embryo cell number of porcine embryos produced in vitro.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.524-533
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• 2001

Background: Hyperoxemic cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) has been recognized as a safe technique and is widely used in cardiac surgery. However, hyperoxemic CPB may produce higher toxic oxygen species and cause more severe oxidative stress and ischemia/reperfusion injury than normoxemic CPB. This study was undertaken to compare inflammatory responses and myocardial injury between normoxemic and hyperoxemic CPB and to examine the beneficial effect of normoxemic CPB. Material and method: Thirty adult patients scheduled for elective cardiac surgery were randomly divided into normoxic group (n=15), who received normoxemic CPB (about Pa $O_{2}$ 120 mmHg), and hyperoxic group (n=15), who received hyperoxemic CPB (about Pa $O_{2}$ 400 mmHg). Myeloperoxidase (MPO), malondialdehyde (MDA), adenosine monophosphate (AMP), and troponin-T (TnT) concentrations in coronary sinus blood were determined at pre- and post-CPB. Total leukocyte and neutrophil counts in arterial blood were measured at the before, during, and after CPB. Lactate concentration in mixed venous blood was analyzed during CPB, and cardiac index (Cl) and pulmonary vascular

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.269-274
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of rbST treatment on progesterone concentration, volume of luteal tissue and pregnancy rate following embryo transfer. Recipient cows were assigned to control and rbST group, of which was given a single injection of rbST (500 mg. sc) at estrus detection. The concentration of progesterone was not significantly different between control and at 0, 3, 6 days after rbST treatment. However, the concentration of progesterone at 9, 12 days was significantly higher than in control group (4.6 and 6.8 vs. 3.9 and 4.5 ng/ml P4). The pregnancy rate after embryo transfer in rbST treatment was significantly higher than in control group (64.0 vs. 47.1 %; p<0.05). The results indicated that rbST treatment in recipient cows could be improved the efficiency of pregnancy rate after embryo transfer.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.50-59
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• 2010

A pilot-scale test for production of biogas was conducted in an specially designed anaerobic digester (KH-ABC) in which the highly concentrated organic waste (food-waste and piggery-manure) was treated. The effect of inhibitive material to the reaction on anaerobic digestion and the feasibility of digested fluid for the liquefied fertilizer were investigated. The production rate of biogas, the concentration of methane($CH_4$) in biogas, and the digesting rate of volatile solid(VS) were analyzed in the variance of the operating conditions ; the influent rate, the mixture ratio of food waste and piggery manure, and the hydraulic retention time(HRT), etc. The production rate of biogas increased from 1.2 to $2.0kg-VS/m^3{\cdot}d$ with the organic loading rate(OLR). The most suitable operating conditions were recorded at $6m^3/day$ of an influent rate, 2:3 of the raw material mixture ratio(food waste : piggery manure) and 25 days of HRT, respectively. Under those conditions, the production rate of biogas, the concentration of methane($CH_4$) in biogas and the digesting rate of volatile solid(VS) were $220m^3/day$, 64%, and 70%, respectively. The concentration of inhibitive materials was below toxic standard and the anaerobic digested fluid(raw material mixture ratio of 3:7) could meet the condition of the liquefied fertilizer.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.23-28
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• 2022

In order to investigate the degree of sewage sludge dewaterability using Fe(II)/Na₂S₂O₈, STTF, SCST, water content, TS, VS, TB-EPS as carbohydrate and Protein were measured. The dosage of Na₂S₂O₈ was varied from 0.4 to 0.7 mmol/gVS and molar ratio of Fe(II)/Na₂S₂O₈ was varied from 0.5 to 0.7 mol/mol. According to the increase of the dosage of Na₂S₂O₈ and Fe(II)/Na₂S₂O₈ molar ratio, STTF and SCST increased from 1.00 to 15.00 and 4.51, respectively. Water content decreased to 82.6%. TB-EPS as carbohydrate and protein decreasing rate also increased to 37.16% and 57.34%, respectively. Especially, Na₂S₂O₈ 0.6 mmol/gVS and Fe(II)/Na₂S₂O₈ 0.6 mol/mol condition, water content dercreased to 83.1%, STTF and SCST increased to 13.64 and 4.19 which showed the cost effective improvement of dewaterability. It is considered that SO₄^- radical generated by Fe(II)/Na₂S₂O₈ degraded EPS and converted bound water to free water.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.214-222
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• 2012

Several acidogenesis batch tests, and BMP (Biochemical Methane Potential) with food waste leachate was tested at various organic loading rates (OLRs) on the mesophilic ($35^{\circ}C$) and thermophilic ($55^{\circ}C$) conditions. In acidogenesis batch test, VS removal efficiencies were 27.3% and 30.6% at $35^{\circ}C$ and $55^{\circ}C$, respectively. Removal efficiency of VS at $55^{\circ}C$ was higher than that at $35^{\circ}C$. With decrease in VS, SCOD increased as reaction time increased. Solubilization efficiency of VS were 27.4% and 33.4% at each reaction temperature within 4 days acid fermentation. Methane yield were 461 and 413 $mLCH_4/gVS$ at mesophilic and thermophilic BMP test, respectively. SCOD solubilizations in the themophilic acid fermenter showed 8~17% higher than those in the mesophilic fermenter. COD removal efficiency showed higher in the mesophilic acid fermenter at low organic loading rate. While at high organic loading rate, it was higher in the thermophilic acid fermenter. VS removal efficiency was higher at the mesophilic temperature, however, it decreased at OLR higher than 6 kg $COD/m^3{\cdot}day$. On the contrary, VS removal efficiency did not decrease but maintain at thermophilic temperature. The amount of methane gas generated from mesophilic methanogenesis digester was 12.6, 21.6, 27.4 L/day at OLR of 4, 5, 6 $COD/m^3{\cdot}day$, respectively. The amount of methane gas generated from themophilic methanogenesis digester was 14.3, 20.6, 25.2 L/day at each OLR, respectively, which is about 15~20 L/day lower than those generated at mesophilic digester.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.197-205
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• 2007

Objective: This study evaluated the pregnancy and implantation rates in fresh IVF-ET cycles or frozen-thawed ET (F-ET) cycles based on serum estradiol concentrations of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH). Methods: Clinical outcomes of 1,565 cycles of fresh IVF-ET with COH and 670 cycles of F-ET were retrospectively analyzed. Serum estradiol levels on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration were categorized into Group-A (1,000$\sim$2,000 pg/ml), Group-B (2,000$\sim$3,000 pg/ml), Group-C (3,000$\sim$4,000 pg/ml) and Group-D (> 4,000 pg/ml). Clinical pregnancy (CPR), implantation (IR) and delivery rates (DR) were compared among four groups subdivided into younger (< 35 years) and older ($\geq$ 35 years) women. Statistical analysis was performed by Student's t-test and chi-square test. Results: Overall clinical outcomes with fresh IVF-ET and F-ET cycles were similar: 41.2% vs 44.8% of CPR, 18.8% vs 19.6% of JR, and 33.2% vs 34.5% of DR, respectively. There were no significant differences in the clinical outcomes of all four groups between fresh IVF-ET and F-ET cycles of younger women according to the estradiol levels. However, the clinical outcomes of F-ET cycles of older women in Group-D were significantly higher than those of fresh IVF-ET cycles (51.3% vs 25.0% of CPR*, 18.6% vs 9.9% of IR and 33.3% vs 19.4% of DR;* p<0.05). Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that supraphysiological levels of estradiol during COH in fresh IVF-ET cycles of older women ($\geq$ 35 years) may be detrimental to implantation environments of endometrium and clinical outcomes, which could be improved by F-ET cycles.