• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.235-245
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• 1996

Serial ultrasonographic examinations were performed on 9 pregnant Korea Jin-do bitches that were the Korean native breed, from days 15 to 60 pregnancy to determine the time of first detection and ultrasonographic appearance of the fetal and extra-fetal structures of pregnancy. Gestational age was timed from the day of ovulation (Day 0), which was estimated to occur when plasma progesterone concentration was first increased above 4.0 ng/ml. Gestational ages at earliest detection of the following fetal and extra-fetal structures were; gestational sac at days 17 to 22; placental layers in the uterine wall at days 20 to 24; zonary placenta at days 25 to 28; yolk sac membrane at days 22 to 24; amnionic membrane at days 27 to 29; embryo initial detection at days 21 to 23; fetal heartbeat at days 21 m 25; bipolar shape embryo at days 25 to 26; fetal movement at days 28 to 31; limb buds at days 31 to 35; anechoic area in head at days 31 to 36; stomach at days 34 to 37; urinary bladder at days 34 to 37; skeleton at days 36 to 38; dorsal sagittal tubular structure in vertebrae at days 36 to 38; lung hyperechoic vs liver at days 37 to 39; liver hypoechoic vs abdomen at days 37 to 40 and kidney at days 43 to 48, respectively.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.79-93
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• 1996

The differentiation of nail matrix and fine structure of matrix cells were studied with light and electron microscope using specimens from nails of thumb finger in Korean fetuses 14 to 24 weeks old. Fetal nail matrix consisted of two horizontal layers, thicker ventral and thinner dorsal matrices, originating from invagination of epidermis in proximal nail field. Matrix being generally thicker in its distal region than the apex became gradually thickened with increase of the fetal age. Each matrix consisted of single layer of basal cells and multiple layers of squamous cells which are arranged close to and parallel to the central axis of the nail mairix. The process of keratinization of fetal nail matrix was noted to be occured concurrently in the ventral and dorsal matrices along the central axis of matrix toward distal and dorsal direction. Squamous cells became matured with accumulation of tonofilaments, increase of keratohyalin granules, discharge of membrane coating granules, and narrowing of intercellular spaces, thickening of plasma membrane and finally being transformed into horny cells of nail plate. Horny cells of nail plate filled with fibrous elements in the electron dense amorphous substance. These findings of keratinization process of fetal nail matrix appeared to be similar to those of keratinization in epidermis and inner root sheath of the hair. In the nail matrix, however, corresponding region to the keratogenous zone of growing hair follicle was not observed. Vacuolated squamous cells of nail matrix seen on light microscopy was considered to be artefactual product, but squamous cells with condensed small nuclei rarely found adjacent nail plate was considered to be one of the squamous cells with unknown function. Proximal end of nail plate was observed on dorsal surface of nail field distal to the proximal nail fold at 14 and 16 weeks old human embryos. Proximal prolongation of the proximal end of nail plate was occured with advancing fetal age and afterward 21 weeks nail plate invaded into nail matrix. Melanin granule containing cells and Merkel cells were present only on the basal layer of dorsal nail matirx.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.287-296
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• 1997

Serial ultrasonographic examinations were daily performed on 8 bitches (5 Maltese and 3 Yorkshire terrier) from day 15 until parturition to determine the size of gestational structures. Gestational age was timed from the day of ovulation (day 0), which was estimated to occur when plasma progesterone concentration was first increased above 4.0 ng/ml. When the size of fetal and extra-fetal structures according to gestational age was measured, there was a difference between Maltese and Yorkshire terrier in extra-fetal structures (P<0.001), and no difference in fetal structrures (P<0.001). The correlations between the gestational age and the growth in fetal and extra-fetal structures were examined by regression analysis. The extra-fetal structure which showed high correlation from day 20 to 35 was inner chorionic cavity diameter in two breeds. The fetal structures which showed high correlation from day 36 until parturition was fetal head diameter in two breeds. In conclusions inner chorionic cavity diameter was the most accurate for estimation of gestational age and prediction of whelping day from day 20 to 35, and fetal head diameter from day 36 to parturitions respectively. Ultrasonography is very useful tool to evaluate the gestational age and to predict the whelping day in pet dogs.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.335-340
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• 2015

The objective of this study was to evaluate the initial detection time and development of the fetal genital structures using ultrasound in twelve pregnant small bitches. The initial detection time of the fetal genital structures was as follows: genital tubercle at days 32.6; os penis at days 45.2; labia at days 45.7; scrotum at days 47.5. Ultrasonograms of fetal genital structure according to gestational stage were as follows: Undifferentiated stage (before day 35), the genital tubercle was observed to have a small elevation and just a hyper-echogenic structure in the midline between the umbilical cord and the tail in male and female fetus. Migration stage (between day 35~45), the genital tubercle was observed as a hyper-echogenic, bilobular, oval shaped and the genital tubercle began to migrate from the initial position toward the umbilical cord in males, and toward the tail in females. Differentiated stage (after day 46), the penis and os penis were observed to stand out in the abdominal wall and the scrotum was observed toward the perineal region in male fetuses. The labia was detected at the base of the tail in female fetuses. These results indicate that ultrasound of fetal genital structures could be useful for fetal gender determination and a completely prepartum evaluation of the canine fetus.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.279-286
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• 1997

Serial ultrasonographic examinations were daily performed on 11 bitches (5 Maltese and 3 Yorkshire terrier) from day 15 until parturition to determine the time of Sift detection and ultrasonographic appearance of the fetal and extra-fetal structures. Gestational age was timed from the day of ovulation (day 0), which was estimated to occur when p18sma progesterone concentration was first increased above 4.0 ng/ml. The gestational length in 8 bitches was 61.5 (range: 60-64) days. The initial detection time of fetal and extra-fetal structures were: gestational sac at days 20.5 (18-23); zonary placenta in the uterine wall at days 25.4 (24-30); yolk sac membrane at days 25,5 (23-37); amniotic mombrane at days 28.7 (25-32); embryo initial detection at days 23.3 (20-26); fetal heartbeat at days 23.9 (21-27); fetal movement at days 31.3 (26-34); limb buds at days 32.1 (29-35); rotomarh at days 35.3 (32-40); urinary bladder at days 35.6 (33-39); skeleton at days 37.8 (37- 40) and kidney at days 45.3 (41-49), respectively.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.283-297
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• 1998

Hemopoiesis and morphogenesis of the human fetal liver through from 10 to 32 weeks of gestation were investigated by light and electron microscopy. The results obtained were as follows. Hemopoiesis of fetal liver tissue was found from 10 to 32 weeks of gestation, but the hemopoiesis was decreased at 32 weeks of gestation. At the 32 weeks of gestation, matured erythrocytes were observed in the sinusoid, and formation of liver cell cord and portal triad were established. Differentiation of hepatic cell was characterized by the increase of amount of cell organelles within cytoplasm, decrease of hemopoietic cell, morphological change of nuclear envelope from folding form to round form during the developmental period. These results suggest that human fetal liver plays a hematopoietic function until bone marrow and spleen play their function, but morphology of liver at 32 weeks of gestation was differed with structure observed in liver of adult.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2007.10a
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• pp.467-468
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• 2007

In this paper, we have proposed a new method to extract the fetal ECG from a pregnant woman's abdominal signal using least square acceleration (LSA) filter and adaptive impulse correlation (AIC) filter. To evaluate the performance, the proposed method and other fetal ECG extraction techniques were processed using the real ECG data and then the results were compared. According to comparative results, the proposed method is powerful and successful for extracting the fetal ECG. It was able to separate perfectly even though the fetal beats overlap with the QRS wave of the maternal beats and to extract fetal ECG using any single-channel abdominal signal measured from pregnant woman's abdominal surface. Also, it could be implemented easily by fast computation time and simple structure. It is sure that our method could be useful for portable fetal monitoring system.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.247-254
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• 1996

Serial ultrasonographic examinations were performed on 9 pregnant Korea Jin-do dog from days 15 to 60 to determine the size of gestational structures throughout pregnancy. Gestational age was timed from the day of ovulation (Day 0), which was estimated to occur when plasma progesterone concentration was first increased above 4.0 ng/ml. Extra-fetal structures were measureable from days 17 to 49. Outer uterine diameter increased from $7.0{\pm}0.7$ ($mean{\pm}SD$)mm at day 17 to $54.0{\pm}2.2mm$ at day 49 and inner chorionic cavity diameter increased from $3.0{\pm}0.7mm$ at day 17 to $37.5{\pm}0.6mm$ at day 49. Uterine wall thickness increased from $2.8{\pm}0.4mm$ at day 17 to $8.3{\pm}0.5mm$ at day 49, placental thickness increased from $1.0{\pm}0.1mm$ at day 22 to $5.7{\pm}0.2mm$ at day 49 and length of chorionic cavity or zonary placenta increased from $5.5{\pm}1.3mm$ at day 20 to $52.3{\pm}2.2mm$ at day 49. Inner chorionic cavity diameter, outer uterine diameter and placental length each increased at a linear rate through day 37, after which time, each had a marked plateau in growth. Of the extra-fetal structures, inner chorionic cavity diameter was the most accurate for estimation of gestational age until day 37. Fetal structures were measureable from days l7 to 60. Crown-rump length, increased from $3.0{\pm}0.7mm$ at day 22 to $118.7{\pm}3.1mm$ at day 49, fetal body diameter increased from $4.0{\pm}0.7mm$ at day 25 to $55.8{\pm}1.7mm$ at day 60 and fetal head diameter increased from $4.3{\pm}0.6mm$ at day 26 to $29.8{\pm}0.8mm$ at day 60. Of the fetal structures, fetal head diameter was the most accurate for estimation of gestational age from day 37 until day 60.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2003

The hemopoiesis in human fetal spleen was studied with transmission electron microscope. There were undifferentiated proerythroblast, basophilic erythroblast, polychromatophilic erythroblast, and acidophilic erythroblast. Besides, enucleated nuclei and mitoses were present. Groups of erythroblastic cells were surrounded by certain cell. The structure was identical to erythropoietic island found in fetal liver. So, erythropoisis in spleen was developing in a pattern similar to fetal liver. Megakaryobalst were found in spleen, but there was no mature cells, cells in mitosis nor platelet formation. It was not clear whether megakaryoblast in circulation was trapped in spleen or participated in megakaryopoiesis. In summary, erythropoiesis took place in fetal spleen in a pattern similar to fetal liver and bone marrow. But it was not certain whether megakaryopoiesis took place in fetal spleen.

• BMB Reports
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.409-413
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• 1999

The cDNA encoding CMP-NeuAc:lactosylceramide ${\alpha}2$,3-sialyltransferase (GM3 synthase) was isolated from a human fetal brain cDNA library using sequence information obtained from amino acid sequences found in the conserved regions of the previously-cloned mouse GM3 synthase (mST3Gal V) and human sialyltransferases. The cDNA sequence included an open reading frame coding for 362 amino acids, and the primary structure of this enzyme predicted all the structural features characteristic of other sialyltransferases, including a type II membrane protein topology and both sialylmotifs. Comparative analysis of this cDNA with mST3Gal V showed 85% and 86% identity of the nucleotide and amino acid residues, respectively. The expression of this gene is highly restricted in both human fetal and adult tissues.