• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.85-94
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• 2000

These experiments were conducted to examine the effects of theophylline, pentoxifylline and heparin on frozen-thawed Hanwoo sperm for enhancing motility and viability of sperm. Frozen-thawed semen collected from one bull was treated in TALP(tyrode-albuminlactate-pyruvate) containing varous concentrations of theophylline and pentoxifylline. After incubated at 5% CO2 in air atmosphere for 6 hours, the motility of sperm after the treatments was characterized by CASA(computer aided semen analysis) system. When monitored notility(MOT) and curvilinear velocity(VCL), theophylline and pentoxifylline exerted their optimal action at the concentration of 30 mM and 3 mM, respectively. No difference of sperm motility was observed when the sperm was treated with both substances compared with a single treatment of each substance. Comparison was then made for evaluating the effect of theophylline and / or pentoxiophylline on the motility and viability of significant treatment effects of each substance, high MOT and VCL values were detected in sperm treated with theophylline. In the case of sperm viability examined by an eosin-nigrosin staining, however, a significant decrease was found after the combined treatment of theophylline+pentoxyphilline than after the treatment with heparin alone or no treatment(P<0.05). In conclusion, theophylline, pentoxiphylline or heparin can be used for enhancing the motional characteristics and viability of frozen thawed Hanwoo semen. Considering characteristics of these substances, theophyline may be useful in the artificial insemination system, which requires vigorous sperm motility. While, heparin supporting sperm viability in vitro can be effectively used for improving in vitro-fertilization system.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.15-27
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• 2001

To identify an antioxidant system, Se and Vit. E were administered into Hanwoo young sire and the effects of administration on blood components(Se, Vit. E, chemical values, estradiol-17 $\beta$, testosterone) were examined. The 16 heads ranging from twenty to thirty two months of age were randomly assigned to control group, Se-administered group(Se-group), Vit. E-administered group(Vit. E-group) and Se and Vit. E administered group(Se and Vit. E-group). Each reagent (Se : 0.1 mg, Vit. E . 1,500IU, Se+vit. E : 0.1 mg+1,500IU per kg of body weight, respectively) administered 3 times every 30days by intramuscular injection. Se concentration in serum was higher in Se-group and Se and Vit. E-group than in control group and Se and Vit. E-group also was higher than Vit. E-group(p<0.05). Although all Se-, Vit. E-administered groups were a little higher than control group, the injection of Se and Vit. E were not significant effect on Vit. E concentration in serum(p>0.05). All groups showed significant variance by periods, but there were not significantly different among groups in blood chemical values. The estradiol-17 $\beta$ concentrations of all Se-, Vit. E-administered groups were a little higher than those of control group, but there were not significant(p>0.05). There have no significant difference among groups in testosterone concentration. These results indicate that the administration of Se, Se + Vit. E increase Se concentration in Hanwoo young bull.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.220-225
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• 1999

The aim of these experiments was to investigate the effects of bovine oviduct epithelial cells (OEC) derived from different segments to bind sperm binding and maintain their motility in vitro. In experiment 1, the number of sperm attached to OEC derived from isthmus or ampulla, the motility of unattached sperm during co-culture and fertilizing ability were assessed. In experiment 2, heparin treated sperm (hsp) or no treated sperm (nsp) were used to evaluate OEC binding ability of capacitated sperm. In experiment 1, regardless of their origin, approximately 65% of the sperm were attached to OEC within 2h. From 6h of co-culture, the numbers of unattached sperm on ampullary OEC were significantly higher than those on isthmic OEC (p<0.005). From 12h of co-culture, the motility of unattached sperm on isthmic OEC were significantly higher than those on ampullary OEC(p<0.05). The cleavage rate of oocytes inseminated on OEC derived from isthmic segment was also significantly higher than those from ampullary segment (p<0.01). In experiment 2, the numbers of unattached hsp on OEC were significantly higher than those of controls (p<0.01), between 2-24h examination. From 12h of co-culture, the motility of unattached nsp were significantly greater than those of hsp (p<0.01). These results show that bovine OEC derived from the isthmus play more important role(s) for sperm binding, maintaining motility and fertilization in vitro than those from the ampulla, and heparin induced capacitation may change sperm binding ability on OEC in vitro.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.187-195
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• 2000

The ejaculates from 67 HanWoo prove bull, bred in Livestock Improvement Main center of NLCF, were used to determine the correlation between the sperm motional characteristics and the pregnancy rate of artificial insemination(AI). The motional characteristics of sperm were analysed by Computer-assisted sperm analyser(CASA), thereafter inseminated equally 1,256 heads of cow regarding to parity, age, and live weight. There were no significant difference(p>0.05) in the pregnancy rate according to year from 1996 to 1998, but the LIN, ALH, STR, BCF, MAD and WOB of sperm in the year 1997, were highest pregnancy rate, were higher than those of sperm in the year 1998, were lowest pregnancy rate(p<0.05). The semen had no significant effect on pregnancy rate according to season(p>0.05). However spring, had a little higher pregnancy rate than that of autumn, were higher than autumn in VSL, VAP, LIN, ALH, BCF, MAD and WOB, but in DNM. The pregnancy rates of spring in the year 1996 and 1997 were higher than that of autumn in the year 1998(p<0.05). The spring in the year 1997, highest in pregnancy rate, were higher than the autumn in the year 1998 in VSL, VAP, LIN, STR, BCF, MAD and WOB, but in DNM(p<0.05). There were no the motion characteristic of sperm that was significant correlate with pregnancy rate of AI as the semen were analysed before artificial insemination and those, had some degree characteristics in motility, viability and abnormality, were used to AI. However there were a tendency that the higher the VSL, VAP, ALH, LIN, STR, BCF, MAD and WOB and the lower the DNM were, the higher the pregnancy rate of AI were.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.271-278
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• 1994

The aim of this study was to compare the two culture systems 1) co-culture with cumulus cells and 2) chemically defined medium supplemented with amino acids (CR1aa) and fetal calf serum (FCS) of in vitro produced bovine embryos from follicular oocytes in vitro. Bovine follicular oocytes were collected from ovaries of slaughtered cows and matured in TCM199 supplemented with 10% FCS and hormones (1$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml FSH-P and 1$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml oestradiol-17$\beta$)24 hours at 39$^{\circ}C$ under 5% CO2 in air. The capacitation of spermatozoa from ejaculated or frozen bull semen was induced by centrifugation through Percoll density gradient (45%, 90%). Then capacitated spermatozoa (1$\times$106/ml) were inseminated into 50${mu}ell$ droplet containing matured follicular oocytes and incubated for 40~42 hours. Cleaved embryos of 2~4cell stage were transferred to the co-culture with cumulus cells and/or CR1aa medium supplemented with FCS. In semen source, the developmental rates to the blastocyst and the hatched blastocyst stages were higher in ejaculated semen(27.6% and 14.9%) than those of frozen-thawed semen(18.3% and 11.8%), respectively. In two culture systems, the proportions of embryonic development upto the blastocysts and the hatched blastocysts were higher of CR1aa medium (22.1% and 12.1%) than those of cumulus cell co-culture (16.8% and 5.1%), respectively. The number of cells in exapnded blastocysts was slightly higher in cumulus cells co-culture (122.6$\pm$8.5) than that in CR1aa medium (117.9$\pm$5.9). The present results indicated that the early development of in vitro produced bovine embryos can be maintained efficiently in CR1aa medium as well as in co-culture with cumulus cells.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.5 no.6
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• pp.580-587
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• 2004

The purpose of this study is to examine if the trading volume can apply to the short-term forecasting of the futures price change by verificating the casuality between trading volume and futures price in the KOSPI 200 futures market. The outcome of the research is summarized as follows. In the analysis of subordinate periods, based on the yearly time segments, trading volume were found to lead futures price. As for trading volume, it was under comparably greater influence of its self of the past than the return rate of futures. In the analysis of subordinate periods, based on the trend of the futures market, trading volume lead return rate of futures feebly in a bull market. But return rate of futures lead trading volume significantly in a bearish market.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.121-131
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• 2012

After spermatogenesis, spermatozoa come in contact with fluids in the epididymis where they mature. During ejaculation, spermatozoa are mixed with secretions from prostate gland, vesicular glands, and bulbourethral glands. During natural mating, seminal plasma is deposited in the female reproductive tract eliciting various physiological and immunological responses. With the advances in proteomics, the components of seminal plasma have been identified and the information may be valuable in identifying markers for fertility. Components of seminal plasma that affect fertility have been discovered and the mechanism of action of these factors has been determined. The objective of this study was to determine the specific seminal plasma proteins from Korean native cattle, Hanwoo, and Korean native brindle cattle (KNBC) with the long term goal of improving fertilization rate. After SDS-PAGE and 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis, proteins were identified by Q-ToF analysis. They include plasma serine protease inhibitor precursor and platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase after SDS-PAGE. Number and density of the spots in 2-dimensional gels were higher in KNBC than Hanwoo. Proteins identified from the paired spots of both breeds include chain A, bull seminal plasma PDC-109 Fibronectin Type II module, BSP-30 kDa precursor, and Spermadhesin Z13 or its precursor. Interestingly, some proteins were identified from multiple spots. The functional differences of these diverse forms of the proteins may require further studies. With their previously reported roles in sperm capacitation by these proteins, the studies on the mechanism of action, ligand interaction and the variation in the genome may help improving fertility in cattle.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.31-35
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• 2011

The fine structures of the sperm morphology in the Myotis daubentonii ussuriensis were observed by transmission electron microscope. The results showed that the sperm head revealed bullet shaped, the width was showed a slender more than toward the posterior region to anterior region of nucleus. The sperm head was about $4.5{\mu}m$ in length, being about $2.0{\mu}m$ in width. The nuclear length was $4.3{\mu}m$, occupied most of the sperm head. The nucleus and acrosome were separated by the apical body. The neck region was composed the basal plate, capitulum and segmented columns. The segmented columns were about 12 to 14 in number and connected with the outer dense fibers of the middle piece. The mitochondria sheath were arranged like the thread of a screw, and the total number of mitochondrial gyres were 57. The satellite fibers were observed irregularly among the outer dense fibers in the middle piece. Except the middle piece they are not observed in the principal and end pieces of the tail. In general, the tail show axoneme composed of a 9+2 microtubular pattern, and microtubules of the end piece were arranged irregularly.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.77-86
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• 1998

A combined technology of transvaginal ovum pick-up(OPU) system with in vitro-oocyte manipulation technique can be used for improving reproductive efficiency in the cattle. The objective of this study was to establish a newly-conceived breeding program using OPU in the pregnant cows. The OPU trial was performed in pregnant cows every 10 days from 40 through 90 days of artificial insemination (Al), and number of follicles in ovary, number of retrieved oocytes and embryo development following in vitro-fertilization, were evaluated. Reduced number of follicles in the ovaries of pregnant cows was firstly detected from 70 days after A' and a significant (P<0.05) decrease in the follicle number (5.4 follicles /donor) was found at 90 days than at 40, 50, 60 and 80 days after Al (8.0~9.2). A similar pattern was also observed in the number of oocytes retrieved by OPU apparatus during experimental period. When retrieved oocytes were matured and inseminated in vitro with frozen bull semen, development of the oocytes to the blastocyst stage was not significantly affected by the retrieval time. Four embryos (morula or blastocyst stage) derived from oocytes retrieved from pregnant cows were nonsurgically transferred to four recipient cows on day 7 of estrus cycle. For the first time in Korea, three of four transferred embryos developed to live calves with normal physiological parameters. In conclusion, an effective breeding program employing pregnant cow can be developed by use of OPU trial and in vitro culture techniques of oocytes ; OPU system could be repeated in pregnant cows with no risk of abortion and viable offsprings were borne after transfer to the recipients.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.333-341
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• 1998

The study was investigated on the effect of austenitizing and austempering conditions on retained austenite amount and carbon contents in retained austenite and simultaneously the effect of these variation on hardness, tensile and impact properties. A material of as-cast condition is composed of bull's eye structure with ferrite surrounding spheroidized graphite having about $5-10{\mu}m$ size and matrix structure of pearlite. Then, the contents of spheroidized graphite was about 5%. The retained austenite and carbon contents in the retained austenite were increased with the increasing of austenitizing and austempering temperatures, while the retained austenite showed the peak value and is decreased with increasing of austempering time. With increasing of austenitizing temperature, tensile strength, elongation and impact absorb energy increased and hardness was almost not changed, while with increasing of austempering temperature, tensile strength and hardness decreased, whereas elongation and impact absorb energy was increased. With increasing of retained austenite amount, the tensile strength is slowly decreased but elongation was increased with direct proportion. Also, Impact absorb energy is shown identity value untile about 18%, but rapidly increased above it. Elongation and Impact absorb energy are strongly controlled by the amount of retained austenite, but tensile strength is affected with various factors such as retained austenite amount and bainitic morphology.