• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.828-833
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• 2017

Objective: The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different methionine (Met) sources on production performance, reproduction performance, egg quality and serum biochemical indices in broiler breeders. Methods: After receiving a basal diet (containing 0.25% Met) for a 2-wk pretreatment period, a total of 360 39-wk-old Lingnan yellow broiler breeders were randomly allocated to four treatments with six replicates each (15 birds per replicate). Breeders were fed with basal diets (control) or diets supplemented with DL-methionine (DLM), DL-2-hydroxy-4-methylthio butytric calcium (MHA-Ca) and coated DL-Met (CME) respectively. Results: The results showed that CME supplementation promoted laying rate and decreased feed-to-egg ratio (F/E) (p<0.05), DLM and MHA-Ca supplementation decreased F/E (p<0.05) when compared with control group. The rate of fertility, hatchability and birthrate were higher (p<0.05) in DLM, MHA-Ca, and CME groups than control group. Compared with control group, CME increased the eggshell thickness (p<0.05); MHA-Ca improved the eggshell thickness, shell ratio and eggshell strength (p<0.05). Results also showed that CME elevated the concentration of total protein in serum (p<0.05); MHA-Ca improved the concentration of calcium in serum (p<0.05). The concentration of serum uric acid in DLM, MHA-Ca, and CME groups was lower than that in control group (p<0.05). Besides, CME had higher concentrations of serum taurine, cysteine and cystanthionine (p<0.05) while MHA-Ca and DLM promoted the serum taurine concentration (p<0.05) compared with control group. Conclusion: Based on the results, it was concluded that Met supplementation could enhance the production and reproduction performance as well as the antioxidant status and egg quality of broiler breeders. In terms of improving the production performance, reproduction performance and antioxidant performance, CME was superior to DLM and MHA-Ca; but in regard to the enhancement of eggshell quality and serum Ca concentration, MHA-Ca was superior to DLM and CME.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.603-620
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• 2015

The National Pension of Korea is a public social security system designed to alleviate social risks and poverty that has had a major impact on the quality of life for the aging population. However, a rapidly aging population and low fertility threaten the sustainability of national pension in Korea. The National Pension Research Institute publishes a nancial projection every ve years; consequently, the government has lowered the entitlements for the sustainability of national pension based on the projection results. The current reform of the pension system that arbitrarily reduces the entitlements might detract from the income security role of the national pension for pensioners without accounting for the highest elderly poverty rate in the OECD countries. We first discuss methods for the financial projection of the national pension in terms of population, subscribers, and pensioner projections in order to estimate the pension reserve fund and the financial depletion year. We also conduct a sensitivity analysis for population variables, institutional variables, and economic variables based on pension reserves and the financial depletion year. We evaluate intergenerational fairness between the income hierarchy by conducting a money's worth analysis. Finally, we investigate the possibility of the sustainability of national pension by adjusting pension contributions and entitlements (income replacement rate). A new dependency ratio shows that a simple reform of the national pension does not secure the sustainability of the national pension without adapting a pay-as-you-go system.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.215-222
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• 2016

Nitrogen (N) fertilizer management is one of the important aspects of economic production of sorghums in sustainable agriculture. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of different N application rates and its split N application methods on productivity, growth characteristics, N accumulation, N use efficiency (NUE), and feed value of Sorghum ${\times}$ Sudangrass hybrids. Treatments consisted of five N application rates (0, 150, 200, 250, and $300kg\;ha^{-1}$) and two split N application methods (40% in basal N, 30% at the growing stage, and 30% after the first harvest vs. 50% in basal N and 50% after the first harvest). Plant height, leaf width, and stem diameter were increased ($p{\leq}0.05$) with increasing N fertility rates at each harvest. Chlorophyll content (expressed as SPAD values) was the highest at a rate of $300\;kg\;N\;ha^{-1)$ (first harvest, 46.32; second harvest, 33.09). It was the lowest at zero N (first harvest, 21.56; second harvest, 18.5). Total N, N uptake, and NUE were increased with higher N rates. Split N application had little effect on total N, amount of N uptake, or NUE. Total dry matter yields were the highest ($21,715\;kg\;ha^{-1}$) at a rate of $300\;kg\;N\;ha^{-1}$. It was the lowest ($10,054\;kg\;ha^{-1}$) at zero N. Our results suggest that more than $300\;kg\;N\;ha^{-1}$ can improve dry matter yield to be above 116% compared to zero N, thus enhancing the agronomic characters of sorghums. However, no significant effect had been found for split N application. Further work is needed to determine the optimal N levels and the effect of split N application rates.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.455-460
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• 2014

Background: The purpose of the present study was to determine geographic clustering of breast cancer incidence in Kanagawa Prefecture, using cancer registry data. The study also aimed at examining the association between socio-economic factors and any identified cluster. Materials and Methods: Incidence data were collected for women who were first diagnosed with breast cancer during the period from January to December 2006 in Kanagawa. The data consisted of 2,326 incidence cases extracted from the total of 34,323 Kanagawa Cancer Registration data issued in 2011. To adjust for differences in age distribution, the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) and the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of breast cancer were calculated for each of 56 municipalities (e.g., city, special ward, town, and village) in Kanagawa by an indirect method using Kanagawa female population data. Spatial scan statistics were used to detect any area of elevated risk as a cluster for breast cancer deaths and/or incidences. The Student t-test was performed to examine differences in socio-economic variables, viz, persons per household, total fertility rate, age at first marriage for women, and marriage rate, between cluster and other regions. Results: There was a statistically significant cluster of breast cancer incidence (p=0.001) composed of 11 municipalities in southeastern area of Kanagawa Prefecture, whose SIR was 35 percent higher than that of the remainder of Kanagawa Prefecture. In this cluster, average value of age at first-marriage for women was significantly higher than in the rest of Kanagawa (p=0.017). No statistically significant clusters of breast cancer deaths were detected (p=0.53). Conclusions: There was a statistically significant cluster of high breast cancer incidence in southeastern area of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was suggested that the cluster region was related to the tendency to marry later. This study methodology will be helpful in the analysis of geographical disparities in cancer deaths and incidence.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.135-141
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• 1997

The early studies demonstrated that the relative amount of FSH was important for stimulating normal ovarian activity and demonstrated the existence of a threshold level for FSH, above which follicular growth was activated. It was found that only a modest increase in circulating FSH level above the threshold (between 10 and 30%) was required to stimulate folliculogenesis. In addition, FSH is primary responsible for initiating estradiol production through the activation of the aromatase enzyme system in granulosa cells, follicular secretion and growth. LH on the other hand, plays a supportive role in ovarian steroidogenesis, stimulating the ovarian thecal cells to produce androgen, the precursor for estradiol synthesis. But there is now an increasing number of reports in the literature demonstrating an adverse effect of LH on fertility and miscarriage in infertile and fertile women. So HP-FSH is the drug of a highly purified FSH preparation which has a higher specific activity and far fewer impurities than FSH. This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HP-FSH administered (SC; subcutaneous) versus FSH(IM; intramuscular) for ovulation induction. 20 candidates patients for ovulation induction were participated. All patients underwent pituitary desensitizing with a long gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist protocol and ovulation induction was started with HP-FSH SC (10 patients; group I) or FSH IM (10 patients; group II). After ovulation, outcome of ovulation induction and local reaction of injection site were compared. There were no difference of outcome of ovulation in two groups except pregnancy rate/embryo transfer. Group I had a higher pregnancy rate/ embryo transfer than Group II (44.4% Vs 28.6%). Pain, redness, tenderness, bruising and itching when the injection received on the first 5 days of treated (50 SC and 50 IM injections) were assessed. There were no significant difference (P>0.05) in the incidence of tenderness, bruising and itching between the IM and SC injection. But IM injection (FSH) had a tendency of higher above incidence. The number of reports of pain, redness were significantly increased in IM injection group (P<0.05). These results indicate that SC administration of HP-FSH has been shown to be as effect for superovulation as traditional gonadotropins, with an improved safety profile due to the removal of extaneous proteins.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.813-827
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• 2015

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of organic inputs on soil properties in a newly reclaimed organic soils. The soil of the experiment site was very low in soil fertility and the physico-chemical properties were poor. Several organic input treatments with different source of nutrient were placed, including compost in combination with green manures for organic agricultural practices, chemical fertilizers for conventional agricultural practices, and control without fertilizer. The experiment was conducted with continuous cropping system during 3 years. The chemical properties concentration in compost+green manure treatment was increased continually compare to control and chemical fertilizer treatment, and closed to the recommended rate of fertilizer. The organic matter value for compost+green manure treatment was increased from 0.86~0.96% to 2.00~2.29% by continuous nutrient supply of compost and green manure. However, further investigation on increasing of organic matter value for 3 years is necessary to monitor carefully during the long-term because it will help to clarify the all mechanisms of organic matter on organic input application way. The available phosphate value for compost+green manure treatment was generally increased from 21.9~27.1 mg/kg to 182.0~394.1 mg/kg. In case of exchange cation, the concentration for compost+green manure treatment was increased during 2 years within the range to the recommended rate of fertilizer, however, it is expected to cause a rather over supply for 3 years.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.188-196
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• 2014

This study aimed to understand the nutrient absorption, usage and allocation of Carpinus cordata in different soil and light environments. Seasonal changes of foliar nitrogen, phosphorous, chlorophyll contents, leaf mass per area (LMA) and nutrient retranslocation rates were investigated for C. cordata saplings growing in a natural deciduous broadleaved forest and an Manchurian fir (Abies holophylla) plantation in Gwangneung, Kyunggido. The deciduous forest had lower leaf area, higher light penetration, and better soil fertility than the Manchurian fir forest. However, available soil phosphorous content in the deciduous forest was only one third of that in the Manchurian fir forest, which caused lower foliar phosphorous content and higher P retranslocation rate of C. cordata in the deciduous forest than that in the Mancurian fir forest. Soil nitrogen contents in the deciduous forest were higher than that in the Manchurian fir forest, however, no differences in foliar nitrogen content and retranslocation rate in C. cordata between the two stands were found. C. cordata in the Manchurian fir forest with high LAI throughout a year, had lower LMA, foliar nitrogen content and chlorophyll a/b, while had higher total chlorophyll content and chlorophyll/N than that in the deciduous forest. These results implied C. cordata under different environments are using different strategies for nutrient use and allocations.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.113-132
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• 2021

Despite the diverse system development and improvement initiatives that have been created to improve the environments of child birth and nurturing, the birth rate in Korean society remains low. Some minor teenage single parents give birth and raise children. Teenage single parents are supported by the Single-Parent Family Support Act, but some of their needs are still not being addressed. As each single parent has different backgrounds and socioeconomic characteristics, an investigation is required for developing differentiated support in which they will be considered both parents and children. Therefore, this study identifies the unique problems encountered by teenage parents, focuses on single mothers giving birth, and explores measures that teenage parents can use to be independent members of civil society. Three suggestions are presented for the period from pregnancy and childbearing to parenting. First, there should be an education support plan that will enable them to finish tertiary education, and parent education. Second, measures should be created to initiate a change in direction in indifferent biological(real) fathers: these should enlighten and help them participate in rearing their children. Third, in addition to improvements of the current systems only targeting single parent-family support, which will help differentiate teenage parent support from adolescent single parent-family support, assistance should be given for teenage single parents to grow as a Subject of Rights through tailored independent support programs.

• Industry Promotion Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.79-86
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• 2021

Due to the change in the demographic structure, the problem of low birth rate and aging population leads to a serious decrease in human resources, and the necessity of introducing foreign workers is increasing. This study believes that the introduction of foreign workforce is the most effective to expand the working-age population in the era of low birthrate and aging, when demographic changes begin in earnest, and to this end, it sought to devise measures to improve the legal system for migrant workers. As a result of this study, first, the legal system for migrant workers should be unified and improved. It is necessary to establish or unify management agencies so that the 「Immigration Control Act」 and the 「Labor Act」 can establish a cooperative relationship. Second, the 「Immigration Control Act」 should be revised to make it easier for migrant workers to find employment. It is necessary to positively review the employment permit system and acquisition of nationality. Third, there should be no equity or discrimination against migrant workers. Under the principle of mutual benefit, employers and migrant workers should not be equally discriminated against. Fourth, the social insurance system must be added to the legal system of migrant workers. Therefore, the legal system should be reorganized so that migrant workers are not discriminated against in various insurance systems including the four major social insurance systems. In conclusion, the problem of low birthrate and aging population has become a serious social problem due to changes in the demographic structure, and the decrease in the possible generation population has reached a level of concern. The importance of migrant workers' employment and work environment is increasing. Nevertheless, related legal and institutional problems still exist, and measures to improve the legal system for migrant workers are needed.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.237-245
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• 2020

This study investigated the effects of breed, laying age, and egg storage period on hatching performance. Eggs were collected from early laying period (27 to 29 weeks old) and late laying period (50 to 52 weeks old) in Hwanggalsaek Jaeraejong, Korean Rhode Island Red, and Korean White Leghorn chicken breeds. Eggs laid for each period were stored for 3, 7 and 14 days and then hatched. Fertility, hatchability, and embryonic mortality were observed to determine the hatching performance. The results showed that hatching performance was affected by breed, laying age, and egg storage period with independently or interactively. The Korean Rhode Island Red breed had the lowest hatching performance. Hatchability and early embryonic mortality rate increased in early laying period eggs compared to the late laying period, but the late embryonic mortality rate increased in late laying period eggs. Additionally, hatching performance decreased as the egg storage period increased. Using breed-specific hatching management techniques, avoiding late laying period eggs, and shortening the egg storage period to seven days after laying may improve the hatching performance.