• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.467-475
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• 2015

Improvement for carcass traits related to beef quality is the key concern in beef production. Recent reports found that epigenetics mediates the interaction of individuals with environment and nutrition. The present study was designed to analyze the genetic effect of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in seven epigenetic-related genes (DNMT1, DNMT3a, DNMT3b, DNMT3L, Ago1, Ago2, and HDAC5) and two meat quality candidate genes (CAPN1 and PRKAG3) on fourteen carcass traits related to beef quality in a Snow Dragon beef population, and also to identify SNPs in a total of fourteen cattle populations. Sixteen SNPs were identified and genotyped in 383 individuals sampled from the 14 cattle breeds, which included 147 samples from the Snow Dragon beef population. Data analysis showed significant association of 8 SNPs within 4 genes related to carcass and/or meat quality traits in the beef populations. SNP1 (13154420A>G) in exon 17 of DNMT1 was significantly associated with rib-eye width and lean meat color score (p<0.05). A novel SNP (SNP4, 76198537A>G) of DNMT3a was significantly associated with six beef quality traits. Those individuals with the wild-type genotype AA of DNMT3a showed an increase in carcass weight, chilled carcass weight, flank thicknesses, chuck short rib thickness, chuck short rib score and in chuck flap weight in contrast to the GG genotype. Five out of six SNPs in DNMT3b gene were significantly associated with three beef quality traits. SNP15 (45219258C>T) in CAPN1 was significantly associated with chuck short rib thickness and lean meat color score (p<0.05). The significant effect of SNP15 on lean meat color score individually and in combination with each of other 14 SNPs qualify this SNP to be used as potential marker for improving the trait. In addition, the frequencies of most wild-type alleles were higher than those of the mutant alleles in the native and foreign cattle breeds. Seven SNPs were identified in the epigenetic-related genes. The SNP15 in CAPN1 could be used as a powerful genetic marker in selection programs for beef quality improvement in the Snow Dragon Beef population.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.373-389
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• 2008

This study was conducted to evaluate exposure level and risk of heavy metals in livestock foodstuffs and Korean foods. Based on the "Food Intake Data," a part of the 2005 National Health & Nutrition Survey and the "2005 Seasonal Nutrition Survey", 113 Korean foods items were selected. 3 samples from different manufacturers of each 113 items of Korean foods were purchased on summer and fall, so total 678 samples were used. The food groups were classified into 15 categories. For the livestock foodstuffs category, meats and poultry (chicken, pork, pork belly, beef, beef feet soup), milks and dairy products (milk, ice cream, liquid yoghourt, sherbet), eggs (egg) were selected. It was found that the daily amount of heavy metals intake (mg/person/day) from livestock foodstuffs is 0.00020 arsenic, 0.00000 cadmium, 0.00020 lead, and 0.00006 mercury, and the daily amount of heavy metals intake (mg/person/day) from Korean foods is 0.0265 arsenic, 0.0083 cadmium, 0.0067 lead, and 0.0028 mercury. Daily amount of heavy metals intake from livestock foodstuffs was low among the food groups. For risk assessment, PDI (Probable Daily Intake) was calculated and compared with PTWI (Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake) of JECFA (Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additive). Relative hazard of these livestock foodstuffs was 0.006% in arsenic, 0.000% in cadmium, 0.085% in lead, and 0.149% in mercury. Relative hazard of Korean foods was 0.941% in arsenic, 14.676% in cadmium, 3.319% in lead, and 6.860% in mercury. Thus, livestock foodstuffs and Korean foods were as safe as satisfied with the recommended standards of JECFA.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.142-148
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• 2013

Background: To elucidate the relationship between seven occupational dermatoses (ODs) and 20 types of work in Greece. Methods: This was a prevalence epidemiologic study of certain ODs among 4,000 workers employed in 20 types of enterprise, in 104 companies, in 2006-2012, using data from company medical records, questionnaires, occupational medical, and special examinations. The ${\chi}^2$ test was applied to reveal statistically significant relationships between types of enterprises and occurrence of ODs. Results: A high percentage (39.9%) of employees included in the study population suffered from ODs. The highest prevalence rates were noted among hairdressers (of contact dermatitis: 30%), cooks (of contact dermatitis: 29.5%), bitumen workers (of acne: 23.5%), car industry workers (of mechanical injury: 15%), construction workers (of contact urticaria: 29.5%), industrial cleaning workers (of chemical burns: 13%), and farmers (of malignant tumors: 5.5%).We observed several statistical significant correlations between ODs (acute and chronic contact dermatitis, urticaria, mechanical injury, acne, burns, skin cancer) and certain types of enterprises. There was no statistically significant correlation between gender and prevalence of ODs, except for dermatoses caused by mechanical injuries afflicting mainly men [${\chi}^2(1)=13.40$, p < 0.001] and for chronic contact dermatitis [${\chi}^2(1)=5.53$, p=0.019] afflicting mainly women. Conclusion: Prevalence of ODs is high in Greece, contrary to all official reports by the Greek National Institute of Health. There is a need to introduce a nationwide voluntary surveillance system for reporting ODs and to enhance skin protection measures at work.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.283-287
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• 2014

Sexed semen is commonly used for the production of calves of the desired gender. Gender selection is important in animal production industries. For example, female cattle are required for the dairy industry while males are preferred in the beef cattle industry. The present study was to assess the in vivo embryo production efficiency using the semen separated according to sex during superovulation in Hanwoo. Seventy Hanwoo donor cows were flushed on day 7 of estrus cycle with same FSH and artificial insemination by the same technicians. Embryos were recovered on 7 days after the third insemination by flushing the uterus with embryo collection medium. KPN semen straws used artificial insemination contained 20 million sperm (total number 60 million per donor). Sex-sorted semen straws contained 4 million sperm (total number 12 million per donor). The results obtained were as follows: No differences were observed in the efficiency of superovulation rates on KPN semen 87%, and sexed semen 100%, respectively. The mean numbers of total embryos are each $12.58{\pm}8.31$ and $13.25{\pm}7.86$. The mean numbers of transferable embryos, sexed semen were significantly lower than KPN semen ($3.75{\pm}1.98$ vs. $8.23{\pm}6.07$, P<0.05). The rates of unfertilized embryos from superovulation using sexed semen were significantly higher than KPN semen (50% vs. 15%, P<0.05). The rate of degenerated 2-cell embryos from sexed and KPN semen was 60.87% and 11.11%, respectively (p<0.05). In conclusion, these results indicate that superovulation using sexed semen was useful, but efficient embryo production was important to reducing the damage caused by the Flowcytometer-based sperm sorting procedure.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.337-345
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• 2011

In order to provide an effective preparedness for a nuclear or radiological emergency happening in the domestic or neighborhood countries and to solve the vague fear of the people for the ingestion of radioactive livestock products, the establishment of national guideline level for radionuclides in feed is urgently necessary. This is because it is important to secure the safety and to manage the crisis in the agricultural, fishery and food sector by performing the effective safety control during and after nuclear incident. This study was performed to investigate the report cases of international organizations and foreign countries to set up a domestic control standard for managing radioactive substances that may be contaminated in animal feeds due to the nuclear power plant incident. In addition, an attempt was made to provide a useful reference that can help prepare a domestic control standard, using a coefficient that can consider the transfer into livestock through the intake of radioactive contaminated animal feeds. The standard radioisotopes investigated were confined to radioactive cesium ($^{137+134}Cs$) and iodine ($^{131}I$). Guideline level for the radionuclides was calculated by using the transfer coefficient factor and the maximum daily intake of animal feed provided by IAEA. For example, the maximum daily intake of animal feed was set as $25kg\;d^{-1}$ for dairy cows, $10kg\;d^{-1}$ for beef cattle, $3.0kg\;d^{-1}$ for pigs and $0.15kg\;d^{-1}$ for chickens. The result values for radioactive cesium were calculated as $8,696Bq\;kg^{-1}$, $4,545Bq\;kg^{-1}$, $1,667Bq\;kg^{-1}$ and $2,469Bq\;kg^{-1}$, respectively. The results for radioactive iodine showed the ranges between $741Bq\;kg^{-1}$ and $76,628Bq\;kg^{-1}$. These data can be utilized as a scientific reference for the preparation of a crisis management manual for the emergency control due to nuclear power plant accident in Korea and neighboring country. These results will contribute to establish the safe feed management system at national level as manual for responding the radioactive exposure of agricultural products and animal feeds, which are currently not established.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.113-119
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• 2017

This study investigated the quality characteristics of cream soup added with Pleurotus eryngii powder. Pleurotus eryngii was dried in a hot air dryer at $40^{\circ}C$ for 8 hours and at $60^{\circ}C$ for 8 hours. The dried Pleurotus eryngii was pulverized using a pin mill, and the powder was sieved through a 60~100 mesh. Sensory evaluations of cream soup added with different-sized particles of Pleurotus eryngii powder were performed. Cream soup added with Pleurotus eryngii powder of particles below $150{\mu}m$ showed good appearance, taste, and mouth-feel. Quality characterization of cream soup added with 5~20% Pleurotus eryngii powder showed that L value decreased with increasing Pleurotus eryngii, whereas a and b values increased. Sensory evaluations revealed that cream soup with 15% Pleurotus eryngii powder had significantly better taste, mouth-feel, and overall acceptability (p<0.05) than other samples. Thus, cream soup with 15% Pleurotus eryngii powder of particle size below $150{\mu}m$ was the most desirable and could be successfully used as convenience food in the food processing industry.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.107-123
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• 2018

The global impact of climate change on agriculture is now increasing. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of climate change on livestock productivity. The variables that have the greatest influence on climate change factors were examined through previous studies and expert surveys. We also used the actual productivity data of livestock farmers to investigate the relationship with climate change. In order to evaluate the climate for changes in livestock productivity, national representative data (such as bullocks, dairy, pigs, laying hens, and broilers) were surveyed in Korea. Also, to select and classify evaluation indexes, we selected climate change factor variables as prior studies and studied the weighting factor of climate variable factors. In this study, the researchers of industry, academia, and farmers in the livestock sector conducted questionnaires on the indicators of vulnerability to climate change using experts, and then weighed the selected indicators using the hierarchical analysis process (AHP). In order to verify the validity of the evaluation index, was examined using domestic climate data (temperature, precipitation, humidity, etc.). Correlation and regression analysis were performed. The empirical relationship between climate change and livestock productivity was examined through this study. As a result, we used data with high reliability of statistical analysis and found that there are significant variables.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.277-282
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• 2011

The present research was carried out to evaluate the possibility of increasing female offspring production ratios using artificial insemination buffer (AIB) before artificial insemination (AI). In this experiment, we optimized AIB composition, made an AIB gun and analyze factors affecting AI non-return rate after AIB treatment. The AIB was made with the base of Tris-buffer supplemented with L-arginine and several other chemicals that might reduce the motility of male sperm compared to the female counterpart, therefore, increasing the possibility of fertilization by female sperm. AIB must be deposited into $2^{nd}$ to $4^{th}$ cervix by AIB gun. After 15 min of AIB deposition, frozen semen was deposited into the same place. A total of 348 cattle were inseminated with AIB insemination, and there were no significant differences between AIB and traditional AI non-return rates (56.8% vs. 55.7%). The AI non-return rate in AIB group, however, differed significantly among 7 Hanwoo farms. The parturition numbers ($1^{st}$ to $7^{th}$) of cows did not affect AIB AI rate. The proportion of AIB AI success rates was significantly higher in Hanwoo cows than in dairy cows (61.0% vs. 48.7%), but the average AI success rate did not differ significantly between AIB and conventional AI (56.8% vs. 55.7%). The female offspring production rate in $2^{nd}$ to $4^{th}$ cervix deposition place was significantly higher than that in the uterus body (77.7% vs. 59.6%, p<0.05). The injection volume of AIB in 5 and 10 ml was significantly higher than that in 2 ml (77.7%, 78.7% vs. 51.8%, p<0.05), but there were no differences in AIB injection volume between 5 and 10 ml. The best exposure time of AIB in the cervix was 10 to 15 min rather than 5 min (79.2%, 77.2% vs. 52.6%, p<0.05). AIB therefore needs to have an exposure time of at least over 10 min for a higher production rate of female offspring. In conclusion, AIB could be used in AI industry to increase the female offspring ratio and AIB AI can increase the AI success rate.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Near Infrared Spectroscopy Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.1247-1247
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• 2001

Constituents of animal biofluids such as milk, blood and urine contain information specifically related to metabolic and health status of the ruminant animals. Some changes in composition of biofluids can be attributed to disease response of the animals. Mastitis is a major problem for the global dairy industry and causes substantial economic losses from decreasing milk production and reducing milk quality. The purpose of this study was to investigate potential of NIRS combined with multivariate analysis for cow's mastitis diagnosis based on NIR spectra of milk, blood and urine. A total of 112 bulk milk, urine and blood samples from 4 Holstein cows were analyzed. The milk samples were collected from morning milking. The urine samples were collected before morning milking and stored at -35$^{\circ}C$ until spectral analysis. The blood samples were collected before morning milking using a catheter inserted into the carotid vein. Heparin was added to blood samples to prevent coagulation. All milk samples were analyzed for somatic cell count (SCC). The SCC content in milk was used as indicator of mastitis and as quantitative parameter for respective urine and blood samples collected at same time. NIR spectra of blood and milk samples were obtained by InfraAlyzer 500 spectrophotometer, using a transflectance mode. NIR spectra of urine samples were obtained by NIR System 6500 spectrophotometer, using 1 mm sample thickness. All samples were divided into calibration set and test set. Class variable was assigned for each sample as follow: healthy (class 1) and mastitic (class 2), based on milk SCC content. SIMCA was implemented to create models of the respective classes based on NIR spectra of milk, blood or urine. For the calibration set of samples, SIMCA models (model for samples from healthy cows and model for samples from mastitic cows), correctly classified from 97.33 to 98.67% of milk samples, from 97.33 to 98.61% of urine samples and from 96.00 to 94.67% of blood samples. From samples in the test set, the percent of correctly classified samples varied from 70.27 to 89.19, depending mainly on spectral data pretreatment. The best results for all data sets were obtained when first derivative spectral data pretreatment was used. The incorrect classified samples were 5 from milk samples,5 and 4 from urine and blood samples, respectively. The analysis of changes in the loading of first PC factor for group of samples from healthy cows and group of samples from mastitic cows showed, that separation between classes was indirect and based on influence of mastitis on the milk, blood and urine components. Results from the present investigation showed that the changes that occur when a cow gets mastitis influence her milk, urine and blood spectra in a specific way. SIMCA allowed extraction of available spectral information from the milk, urine and blood spectra connected with mastitis. The obtained results could be used for development of a new method for mastitis detection.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Grassland Science Conference
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• 2002.09b
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• pp.131-156
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• 2002

Although economically viable, the livestock industry is currently facing a number of challenging environmental problems and highly complex social issues, many of which are related to its size and geographically concentrated nature. Increased emphasis on environmental quality has also placed new demands on livestock producers to ensure that their production practices are in harmony with natural environment. In terms of sustainable agricultural systems, ruminants have served and will continue to serve a valuable role. They are particularly useful in converting vast renewable resources from rangeland, pasture, and crop residues or other by-product into food edible for human. With ruminants, land that is too poor or too erodable to cultivate becomes productive. Also, nutrients in by-products are utilized and do not become a waste-disposal problem. In Korea, however, native and dairy cattle production is not consistent with the advantageous roles of ruminant livestock in sustainable agricultural system because imported feed grains become the main basis for cattle raising. At present the ruminant livestock producers are heavily concentrated in and around the urban areas. About 75% of all the nation's cattle herds are kept on the outskirts of urban areas. As a result, the amount of pasture and forage land available per head of cattle is generally small. Furthermore, animals are raised in a cattle shed with high density. This situation is rather unfavorable for the national economic and environmental points of view As nation income increased, the demand for livestock products grew at an unforeseeable pace. But the pasture area involving in current utilization is tended to decrease during recent years. Based on the above figures more than 250,000 ha of pasture ought to be available for the present herd of cattle. It is obvious that these needs can scarcely be met with arable lands. Lands area for the establishment of new grassland have to be found in the hills and mountains which have not yet been used for crop framing or livestock. The development of extensive grasslands in the hill and woodland areas is now a declared aim. The starting point of the present work is the lack of knowledge of forage production and utilization in hill pasture and woodland in spite of indispensable necessity for livestock production in Korea. The importance of pastoral system in hill region and woodland is particularly emphasized in a standpoint of sustainable livestock production. Main chapter comprises the principle and techniques applicable for improving the utilization of hill pasture and woodland. We finally discussed the problems to solve and future works for a successful livestock production in hill and mountainous area in Korea.