• Human Ecology Research
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.147-162
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• 2022

Although the globally known one-child policy in China was abolished in 2016, the overall fertility rate in the country declined to 1.3 in 2020. In this study, we examined whether the achievement of major developmental tasks during the childrearing stage was associated with intentions to have a second child among Chinese married women. Based on family development theory, we included parenting adaptation, division of childcare responsibilities with the partner, and marital adjustment as key developmental tasks during the childrearing stage. The participants of this study were 315 married Chinese women who lived with a spouse and a child who had not yet entered elementary school. Data were collected through an online survey in February and March 2021. A multiple regression analysis of the data revealed that a lower level of economic parenting stress, a higher level of fairness in dividing childcare responsibilities with the partner, and a more positive change in their marital relationship after having the first child were associated with greater intentions to have a second child.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.73-101
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• 2012

This study attempts to assess the effects of childcare facilities and private education expenses on birth rate and also, to examine whether or not the quality and reliability of childcare facilities affect birth rate. Private education expenses are proxied by the number of private educational institutes or their employees. The study measures the quality and reliability of childcare facilities either by the number of employees per childcare facility or by the ratio of childcare facilities with less than 10 employees to total facilities. Empirical analysis is carried out with a cross-sectional data of 232 areas (si/gun/gu) in 2009. Empirical results indicate that the number of childcare facilities or their employees tended to increase birth rate, while private educational expenses had no effects on birth rate. It appears that the presence of good and reliable childcare facilities contributed to an increase in birth rate. The results provide several policy implications for an increase in fertility.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.349-359
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• 2010

Objective: This study was performed to compare the clinical outcome of elective single embryo transfer (eSET) performed at the cleavage stage to that of elective double embryo transfer (eDET). Methods: Of the women less than 36 years old who visited Daegu Maria from January 2008 to April 2009, the only women (n=330) with more than 8 mm of endometrial thickness and at least one good quality embryo, who were treated with GnRH agonist long protocol, were included in this study. After information about complications that can arise by multiple embryo transfer, either eSET or eDET was conducted by their request (167 and 163, respectively).Results: The implantation rate of eSET group was significantly higher than that of eDET group (53.9% vs. 40.2%, p<0.01). The twin pregnancy rate of eSET group was significantly lower than that of eDET group (1.1% vs. 32.3%, p<0.001). However, there were no significant differences between two groups in the clinical pregnancy (53.3% vs. 60.7%, p=0.172), ongoing pregnancy (47.3% vs. 54.6%, p=0.185) and live birth rates (44.9% vs. 50.9%, p=0.275). The number of the surplus embryos which developed to the blastocyst stage and cryopreserved at that stage was significantly higher in eSET group than that of eDET group ($3.2{\pm}2.6$ vs. $2.1{\pm}2.4$, p<0.001). Conclusion: These results suggest that eSET should reduce significantly the multiple baby pregnancy without decreasing the whole pregnancy rate in women with less than 36 years old.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.307-319
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• 2010

Objective: Vitrification requires a high concentration of cyroprotectant (CPA) and an elevated cooling speed to avoid ice crystal formation. We have evaluated the effect of different combinations of cooling rate and CPA on embryonic integrity (developmental competence) in order to increase the efficiency of vitrification without impairing embryo viabilit. We hypothesized that the combination of CPA or the increase of cooling rates can reduce the concentration of toxic CPA for vitrification. As consequently, we performed experiments to evaluate the effect of various composition of CPA or slush nitrogen ($SN_2$) on the mouse embryonic development following vitrification using low CPA concentration. Methods: Vitrification of mouse embryos was performed with EM grid using liquid nitrogen ($LN_2$) or $SN_2$ and different composition of CPAs, ethylene glycol (EG) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). After vitrification-warming process, their survival and blastocyst formation rates were examined. For analyzing long-term effect, these blastocysts were transferred into the uterus of foster mothers. Results: Survival and blastocyst formation rates of vitrified embryos were higher in EG+DMSO group than those in EG only. Furthermor, the group using $SN_2$ with a lower CPA concentration showed a higher survival of embryos and developmental rates than group using $LN_2$. Conclusion: The combination of EG and DMSO as CPAs may enhance the survival of mouse embryos and further embryonic development after vitrification. $SN_2$ can generate high survival and developmental rate of vitrified/warmed mouse embryos when a lower concentration of CPA was applied. Therefore, these systems may contribute in the improvement of cryopreservation for fertility preservation.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.87-93
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• 2013

The efficiency of artificial insemination (AI) for horses remains unsatisfactory. It is mainly because each process of AI causes a detrimental effect on semen quality. To sustain quality of semen properly, several factors including libido of stallions and sperm damage during sperm processing and preservation should be considered. Stallions with decent libido produce a high ratio of sperm to seminal plasma in their ejaculates, which is the ideal semen composition for maintaining sperm quality. Thus, to maximize the fertility rate upon AI, stallions should be appropriately managed to enhance their libido. Seminal plasma should have a positive effect on horse fertility in the case of natural breeding, whereas the effects of seminal plasma on both sperm viability and quality in the context of AI remain controversial. Centrifugation of semen is performed during semen processing to remove seminal plasma and to isolate fine quality sperm from semen. However, the centrifugation process can also result in sperm loss and damage. To solve this problem, several different centrifugation techniques such as Cushion Fluid along with dual and single Androcoll-E$^{TM}$ were developed to minimize loss of sperm and to damage at the bottom of the pellet. Most recently, a new technique without centrifugation was developed with the purpose of separating sperm from semen. AI techniques have been advanced to deliver sperm to optimal region of female reproductive tract at perfect timing. Recombinant equine luteinizing hormone (reLH) and low dose insemination techniques have been developed to maximize both fertility rate and the efficiency of AI. Horse breeders should consider that the entire AI procedure should be optimized for each stallion due to variation in individual horses for a uniformed AI protocol.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.378-380
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• 2012

BACKGROUND: In Korea, green manure has been cultivated for reducing chemical fertilizer application, maintaining soil fertility, and feeding livestock in winter season. We evaluated the phosphate balance under green manure-rice cultivating system with different removal rates of green manure for maintaining soil fertility. METHODS AND RESULTS: The barley and hairy vetch mixture was selected as the green manure in this study. The barley and hairy vetch was sowed at a rate of 135 and 23 kg/ha, respectively, without fertilizer application. Total aboveground biomass was 12000 (barley: 5400 kg/ha, hairy vetch: 6600 kg/ha) kg/ha, and these green manure were incorporated with different input rates before rice planting. The input rates of green manure in this study were 0 (NPK+0%), 25 (NPK+25%), 50 (NPK+50%), 75 (NPK+75%) and 100 % (NPK+100) and the standard fertilization (NPK) without green manure cultivation. All treatments were applied with standard fertilizer (N-P-K: 90-19.6-48.3 kg/ha) before rice planting. The highest rice yield was observed in NPK+50% which was 20% higher compared with NPK. The phosphate balance with different incorporation rates of green manure was-104.0,-76.8,-52.9,-27.4, and 6.0 kg/ha for NPK+0%, NPK+25%, NPK+50%, NPK+75%, and NPK+100%, respectively. CONCLUSION(S): The use of green manure for livestock feeding in green manure-rice cropping systems could remove a huge amount of phosphate. This cropping system strongly requires phosphate application before green manure seeding for maintaining soil fertility.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.117-124
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• 2021

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to analyze the factors affecting the enactment of local municipalities' ordinance for supporting Korean Medicine infertility treatment in the metropolitan area. Methods : For Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi Province, data on the enactment of Korean Medicine infertility treatment and socio-demographic data of the local municipalities were collected through the Enhanced Local laws and regulations Information System and on-line statistical database. Logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the factors affecting the enactment of the ordinance, The enactment of the ordinance was dependent variable, and the budgeting of local municipalities, the number of population, the number of births, the number of Korean Medicine doctors, and the total fertility rate were used as independent variables. Results : Up to 2000, the ordinances for supporting Korean Medicine infertility treatment were enacted in 16 local municipalities and the budget for that was supported by 18 local municipalities. Regarding the effect on the enactment of the ordinances, it was found that budgeting of Korean Medicine infertility treatment had a positive (+) effect, and the metropolitan government's budgeting and the total fertility rate had a negative (-) effect. Conclusions : This study suggests that the ordinance for Korean Medicine infertility treatment is a policy tool derived based on the problem of low fertility faced by each local municipality rather than the political influence of health provider's groups.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.275-289
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• 2002

The objective of this study was to develop an in vitro assessment of sperm fertilizing capacity of bulls and investigate the factors influencing sperm function and characteristics of frozen-thawed bovine spermatozoa. in vitro fertilization (IVF), the evaluation of motility and normal morphology, HOST (hypoosmotic swelling test), Ca-ionophore induced acrosome reaction, luminol and lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence for the measurement of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the measurement of malondialdehyde formation for the analysis of lipid peroxidation (LPO), and the evaluation of DNA fragmentation using the method of 747-mediated nick end labelling (TUNEL) by flow cytometry were performed in frozen-thawed bovine spermatozoa. Correlations between the rates of fertilization, blastocyst formation after IVF and the values of respective assays were investigated. 1. IVF rate and blastocyst formation rate averaged 64.4% and 34.3% for spermatozoa from high -fertility bull group and averaged 18.5% and 6.2% for spermatozoa from low-fertility bull group, respectively. There were significantly different between two bull groups. Sperm motility and percentage acrosome reaction averaged 79.0% and 66.2% for spermatozoa from high-fertility bull group and averaged 40.7% and 22.9% for spermatozoa from low-fertility bull group, respectivitely. There were not different between two bull groups. 2. Luminol depenent chemiluminescence, LPO and DNA fragementation averaged 6.4, 2.0 nmol and 2.6% from spermatozoa from high-fertility bull group and averaged 6.5, 3.1 nmol and 7.4% for spermatozoa from low-fertility bull group, respectively. There were significantly different between two bull groups. There was no significant difference in lucigenin dependent chemiluminescence between two bull groups. 3. Fertilization rate was positively correlated with motility and the rate of Ca-ionophore induced acrosome reaction, but negatively correlated with the frequency of luminol-dependent chemiluminescence, the rate of LPO, and the percentage of sperm with DNA fragmentation. There was no correlation between fertilization rate and the percentage of swollen spermatozoa, normal morphology, and the frequency of lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence. 4. Blastocyst formation rate was positively correlated with the rate of Ca-ionophore induced acrosome reaction, but negatively correlated with the frequency of luminol-dependent chemiluminescence, the rate of LPO, and the percentage of sperm with DNA fragmentation. There was no correlation between blastocyst formation rate and motility, the percentage of swollen spermatozoa, normal morphology, and the frequency of lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence. In conclusion, these data suggest that ROS significantly impact semen quality. The assays of this study may provide a basis fur improving in vitro assessment of sperm fertilizing capacity.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Poultry Science Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.116-117
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• 2002

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dilution rate and stored time of semen at 5, 25 and 35$^{\circ}C$ on mobility in liquid rooster semen. At 5$^{\circ}C$ cold temperature, no significant difference were found in sperm mobilities on dilution rate and stored time among treatments stored at 5$^{\circ}C$. Sperm mobility for the conservation of 1 hours at 25$^{\circ}C$ and 3 hours at 35$^{\circ}C$ were significantly higher for 1：2 and 1：3 dilution rate(semen： diluent) groups than for 1：1 dilution rate group(P〈0.05), In Fertility results after artificial insemination with different number of sperm per dole, fertilization rate of liquid rooster semen diluted with skim milk-glucose solution were 90.67, 94.00, 96.00, and 98.67% for 0.2${\times}$10$\^$8//dose, 0.4${\times}$10$\^$8//dose, 1.0${\times}$10$\^$8//dose, and 2.0${\times}$10$\^$8//dose groups, respectively. To have more than 90% fertility, 0.2${\times}$10$\^$8/ sperm per dose for the artificial insemination (AI) could be used, And to have more 94% fertility, 0.4${\times}$10$\^$8/ sperm per dose AI could be used practically.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.959-972
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• 2014

This study aims to describe childlessness trends and examine the factors impacting on the childlessness of married couples among Korean provinces between 1990 and 2010. The results are as follows: There have been differences in childlessness rates among provinces and over time as well. Furthermore, social development, transportation, women's status, and economic development have statistically significant positive impacts on ASMCR. It turns out that age-specific marital childlessness rate is rather accurate measurement than general marital childlessness rate in terms of exploring the factors influencing on the childlessness among Korean provinces. Korea's government policy to aid the married couples who are suffering from in-fecundity is strongly recommended to maintain its policy and extend its subjects in order to increase married couples' fertility rate. Furthermore, campaigns to change married couples' recognition and attitudes from unfavorable against childbearing to favorable toward childbearing so that the married couples would be willing to have childbearing in terms of fertility rate increase.