• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 1976

Introduction Recently, changes in the patterns and concepts of maternity care, in both developing and developed countries have been accelerating. An outstanding development in this field is the number of deliveries taking place in hospitals or maternity centers. In Korea, however, more than 90% of deliveries are carried out at home with the help of untrained relatives or even without helpers. It is estimated that less than 10% of deliveries are assisted by professional persons such as a physician or a midwife. Taking into account the shortage of professional person i11 rural Korea, it is difficult to expect widespread prenatal, postnatal, and delivery care by professional persons in the near future, It is unrealistic, therefore, to expect rapid development of MCH care by professional persons in rural Korea due to economic and sociological reasons. Given these conditions. it is reasonable that an educated village women could used as a "maternity aid", serving simple and technically easy roles in the MCH field, if we could give such a women incentive to do so. The midwife and physician are assigned difficult problems in the MCH field which could not be solved by the village worker. However, with the application of the village worker system, we could expect to improve maternal and child hoalth through the replacement of untrained relatives as birth attendants with educated and trained maternity aides. We hope that this system will be a way of improving MCH care, which is only one part of the general health services offered at the local health centre level. Problems of MCH in rural Korea The field of MCH is not only the weakest point in the medical field in our country hut it has also dropped behind other developing countries. Regarding the knowledge about pregnancy and delivery, a large proportion of our respondents reported having only a little knowledge, while 29% reported that they had "sufficient" knowledge. The average number of pregnancies among women residing in rural areas was 4.3 while the rate of women with 5 or more pregnancies among general women and women who terminated childbearing were 43 and 80% respectively. The rate of unwanted pregnancy among general women was 19.7%. The total rate for complications during pregnancy was 15.4%, toxemia being the major complication. The rate of pregnant women with chronic disease was 7%. Regarding the interval of pregnancy, the rates of pregnancy within 12 months and within 36 months after last delivery were 9 and 49% respectively. Induced abortion has been increasing in rural areas, being as high as 30-50% in some locations. The maternal death rate was shown 10 times higher than in developed countries (35/10,000 live births). Prenatal care Most women had no consultation with a physician during the prenatal period. Of those women who did have prenatal care, the majority (63%) received such care only 1 or 2 times throughout the entire period of pregnancy. Also, in 80% of these women the first visit Game after 4 months of gestation. Delivery conditions This field is lagging behind other public health problems in our country. Namely, more than 95% of the women deliveried their baby at home, and delivery attendance by a professional person occurred only 11% of the time. Attendance rate by laymen was 78% while those receiving no care at all was 16%. For instruments used to cut the umbilical corn, sterilized scissors were used by 19%, non-sterilized scissors by 63% and 16% used sickles. Regarding delivery sheets, the rate of use of clean sheets was only 10%, unclean sheets, vinyl and papers 72%, and without sheets, 18%. The main reason for not using a hospital as a place of delivery was that the women felt they did not need it as they had previously experience easy deliveries outside hospitals. Difficult delivery composed about 5% of the total. Child health The main food for infants (95%) was breast milk. Regarding weaning time, the rates within one year, up to one and half, two, three and more than three years were 28,43,60,81 and 91% respectively, and even after the next pregnancy still continued lactation. The vaccination of children is the only service for child health in rural Korea. As shown in the Table, the rates of all kinds of vaccination were very low and insufficient. Infant death rate was 42 per 1,000 live births. Most of the deaths were caused by preventable diseases. Death of infants within the neonatal period was 83% meaning that deaths from communicable diseases decreased remarkably after that time. Infant deaths which occurred without medical care was 52%. Methods of improvement in the MCH field 1. Through the activities of village health workers (VHW) to detect pregnant women by home visiting and. after registration. visiting once a month to observe any abnormalities in pregnant women. If they find warning signs of abnormalities. they refer them to the public health nurse or midwife. Sterilized delivery kits were distributed to the expected mother 2 weeks prior to expected date of delivery by the VHW. If a delivery was expected to be difficult, then the VHW took the mother to a physician or call a physician to help after birth, the VHW visits the mother and baby to confirm health and to recommend the baby be given proper vaccination. 2. Through the midwife or public health nurse (aid nurse) Examination of pregnant women who are referred by the VHW to confirm abnormalities and to treat them. If the midwife or aid nurse could not solve the problems, they refer the pregnant women to the OB-GY specialist. The midwife and PHN will attend in the cases of normal deliveries and they help in the birth. The PHN will conduct vaccination for all infants and children under 5, years old. 3. The Physician will help only in those cases referred to him by the PHN or VHW. However, the physician should examine all pregnant women at least three times during their pregnancy. First, the physician will identify the pregnancy and conduct general physical examination to confirm any chronic disease that might disturb the continuity of the pregnancy. Second, if the pregnant woman shows any abnormalities the physician must examine and treat. Third, at 9 or 10 months of gestation (after sitting of the baby) the physician should examine the position of the fetus and measure the pelvis to recommend institutional delivery of those who are expected to have a difficult delivery. And of course. the medical care of both the mother and the infants are responsible of the physician. Overall, large areas of the field of MCH would be served by the VHW, PHN, or midwife so the physician is needed only as a parttime worker.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.1-17
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of Melandrii Herba (MH), Akebia Quinata Decaisne (AQ), and Tetrapanax Papyriferus (TP) on milk secretion and aquaporin (AQP) expression in lactating mice. Methods: For the experiment, the mice were divided into three groups, which were orally administered MH (2,720 mg/kg), TP (400 mg/kg) and AQ (2,800 mg/kg) extracts respectively for 3 weeks from Day 1 after the birth, compared with the control group (C group), which was administered distilled water. A group consisted of six infantile mice per postpartum mouse. For comparison with the C group, non-pregnant SKH-1 mice were used as the virgin group. Results: 1. When it comes to the immunohistochemical staining for prolactin receptors in the mammary glands, the AQ and MH groups showed a strong immune response to the secretory epithelial cells constituting the mammary alveoli, while the TP group represented a weaker immune response. 2. In the immunohistochemical staining for AQP in the mammary glands, AQP1 showed a strong immune response in the walls of capillaries and venules around the mammary alveoli, and AQP3 in the epithelial cells constituting the mammary alveoli, and AQP5 in some tissues between the mammary alveoli. AQP1 was expressed in the order of TP group>AQ group=C group>MH group, and AQP3 was MH group and AQ group>TP group=C group, and AQP5 was MH group>C group>AQ group and TP group. 3. In the Western blot, AQP1 was expressed in the order of TP group>AQ group>C group>MH group, and AQP3 was MH group>AQ group>C group>TP roup, and AQP5 was MH group>TP Group>C group>AQ group. All of AQP1, 3, 5 expression were significantly higher in the C group than in the Virgin group. Conclusions: The administration of Akebia Quinata Decaisne, Tetrapanax Papyriferus and Melandrii Herba have the effect of improving prolactin levels in postpartum mice and increasing the expression of prolactin receptor and AQPs in the mammary glands, suggesting that lactation might be enhanced by the development of the mammary glands.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.1749-1754
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• 2003

The study was undertaken to see the effect of elevated feeding during pre-partum or pre- as well as post-partum period on the productive and reproductive performance of crossbred cows. The experiment lasted for 60 d pre-partum to 120 d post-partum. Eighteen dry pregnant crossbred cows divided into three equal groups were fed either as per NRC feeding standard (C) or 20% above NRC during 60 d pre-partum ($T_1$) or fed 20% above NRC during both 60 d pre-partum to 120 d post-partum ($T_2$) period. During prepartum period body weight gain was significantly ($p{\leq}0.05$) higher in $T_1$ and $T_2$ groups than that of control group. The animals fed at higher plane of nutrition ($T_1$ and $T_2$) took significantly lesser time for complete relaxation of pelvic muscles, act of calving and for expulsion of placenta than that of control group. Moreover, such cows delivered 2 to 3 kg heavier calves as compared to normal fed dams. During post-partum period, the average daily milk yield was significantly higher in $T_2$ group than that in $T_1$ and control groups. The peak yield was significantly higher in $T_2$ group, it took longer time to reach peak production but it was more persistent in this group as compared to $T_1$ and control groups. Average milk fat, solids-not-fat (SNF) and total solids were significantly higher in $T_1$ and $T_2$ groups as compared to control group. Body weight losses incurred during early lactation were not even compensated by end of 4th month of lactation in C and $T_1$ groups whereas the animals in $T_2$ group gained 2.0 kg. The 1st post-partum estrus and conception rate were better in high fed groups ($T_1$ and $T_2$) than that of control group. The returns over feed cost of milk production were higher in $T_2$ group followed by $T_1$ and control groups indicating the advantage of elevated feeding during pre- and post-partum periods.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.59 no.12
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• pp.25.1-25.7
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• 2017

Background: Rabbit breeding with high performance imported ones would be of benefit for genetic diversity and improvement of performance in domestic rabbit breeds. The rearing of more productive rabbit breeds could be pathway to improve the productivity and reduce the production cost. Maternal nutritional status exert a great influence on reproductive functions of does, which may expand from conception, through gestation and parturition and development of kits to puberty. Methods: Four breeds of rabbit were evaluated for their parturition, weaning and pubertal differences among the rabbit population in Ibadan, Nigeria. The breed consist of Fauve De Bourgogne (FDB), Chinchilla (CHA), British Spot (BS) and New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. A total of 60 bucks and 360 does consisting of 15 bucks and 90 does per breed were mated in 6 mating cycles, three each of natural mating and artificial insemination. All does were synchronized for estrus with 20 IU pregnant mare serum gonadotropin 48 h prior to mating. The does after parturition were assessed for milk yield (g) and kit survival rate (%) till weaning, weight changes of kits from birth to puberty. At puberty, the pubertal age (days) and weight (g) of the offspring were assessed. Result: Results obtained reveals that British Spot doe had highest milk yield among the breeds which significantly increased growth of kit and weight at weaning in British Spot rabbits. Survival rates of Chinchilla kits were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than Fauve de Bourgogne, British Spot and New Zealand White kits. Puberty attainment of the rabbits indicates that British spot does and Fauve de Bourgogne bucks are early maturing. Conclusion: Chinchilla shows high kit survivability and British spot has highest milk yield among the four breeds of rabbit.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.35-49
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• 1986

Recipients are an integral part of embryo transfer and they are expensive to maintain as a good recipient. Recipient management is one of the most important components in a successful embryo transfer program. Management includes selection and subsequent care of the animals. A good recipient is basically on "open" cows or heffers whose reproductive tract is capable of receiving one or two embryos and incubating it to term. Potential recipients should be always be healthy and cycling normally ranging from 18 to 23 days. A thorough veterinary examination is recommended for candidate of recipients and cattle for questionable health should be eliminated from the recipient herd. Age and size of recipients are particularly important considerations when heifers are used, because of most embryos available for transfer are from large dams and sires. Body condition can influence a recipient's production, reproduction and health. Obese and underconditioned cattle should be avoided for use. Transfer of fresh embryos especially requires precise synchronization of donors and recipients. For estrus synchronization, PGF$_2$$\alpha$ is injected twice 10 to 12 days apart and short4erm progestagen treatment is applied to potential recipient cattle by coil into vagina (PRID) or ear implant (Synchro-Mate-B). The highest pregnancy results are achieved in recipients at exact synchrony with donors or 12 to 24 hr earlier than donors. Estrus detection is a major factor in breeding efficiency. High accuracy can be achieved by use of heat mount detection alds or by obserbing cattle for 30-minute peroids 3 times daily. Assay progesterone in milk can be used to discrIminate between pregnant and nonprenant recipients. Rectal palpation on day 35 to 70 after is an accurate and safe method of pregnancy diagnosis. Embryonic mortality in recipients may be associated with factors such as high environmental temperature and nutritional or lactational stress in early lactation period. Achievement of short calving interval requires concentrated management activity during the first 90 days following calving. Acceptable candidate for a recipient should be routinely vaccinated for infectious diseases. Proper nutritional programs according to NRC requirements and body condition scoring system for recipient cattles are vital to the ultimate success of an embryo transfer program.r program.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.1130-1142
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• 2023

Objective: Cow urine possesses several bioactive properties but the responsible components behind these bioactivities are still far from identified. In our study, we tried to identify the possible components behind the antimicrobial activity of cow urine by exploring the peptidome and metabolome. Methods: We extracted peptides from the urine of Sahiwal cows belonging to three different physiological states viz heifer, lactation, and pregnant, each group consisting of 10 different animals. The peptides were extracted using the solid phase extraction technique followed by further extraction using ethyl acetate. The antimicrobial activity of the aqueous extract was evaluated against different pathogenic strains like Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus agalactiae. The safety of urinary aqueous extract was evaluated by hemolysis and cytotoxicity assay on the BuMEC cell line. The urinary peptides were further fractionated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to identify the fraction(s) containing the antimicrobial activity. The HPLC fractions and ethyl acetate extract were analyzed using nLC-MS/MS for the identification of the peptides and metabolites. Results: A total of three fractions were identified with antimicrobial activity, and nLC-MS/MS analysis of fractions resulted in the identification of 511 sequences. While 46 compounds were identified in the metabolite profiling of organic extract. The urinary aqueous extract showed significant activity against E. coli as compared to S. aureus and S. agalactiae and was relatively safe against mammalian cells. Conclusion: The antimicrobial activity of cow urine is a consequence of the feeding habit. The metabolites of plant origin with several bioactivities are eliminated through urine and are responsible for their antimicrobial nature. Secondly, the plethora of peptides generated from the activity of endogenous proteases on protein shed from different parts of tissues also find their way to urine. Some of these sequences possess antimicrobial activity due to their amino acid composition.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.1614-1618
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• 2003

Twenty crossbred (HF${\times}$Tharparkar) dry pregnant cows were divided into four equal groups. They were supplemented with 1,000 I.U. $\alpha$-tocopheryl acetate from 0 (group I), 15 (group II), 30 (group III) and 60 (group IV) days before parturition to 1month of lactation. All the cows were kept under similar feeding and management conditions. Blood plasma samples collected on specific days were analyzed for $\alpha$-tocopherol, retinol, total antioxidant activity (FRAP), immunoglobulin and calcium. Plasma $\alpha$-tocopherol concentration at 30 days prepartum averaged 3.5, 4.1, 4.4 and $3.9{\mu}g/ml$ and decreased by 50.0, 41.4, 34.1 and 33.3 percent on the day of parturition in the four respective groups. After calving, plasma vitamin E started to recover earlier in groups II, III and IV as compared to group I. Mean plasma $\alpha$-tocopherol concentration at 21 days postpartum was significantly higher in groups II, III and IV (2.9, 3.5 and $3.1{\mu}g/ml$) compared to group I ($1.9{\mu}g/ml$) cows. Plasma retinol concentration also showed a substantial decrease in all the groups on the day of calving but recovered to its normal value at 3 weeks postpartum. Plasma total antioxidant activity averaged 901, 895, 859 and $875{\mu}mol/l$ in the four respective groups on 30 days prepartum and decreased on the day of calving in all the groups, but the decrease was less in groups III and IV. Plasma immunoglobulin concentration was higher in group IV, followed by groups III, II and I, respectively, showing better immune status of vitamin E supplemented cows due to less oxidative stress. Supplementation of vitamin E resulted in higher plasma calcium concentration. The data showed that vitamin E supplementation should be started at least 30 days prepartum to reduce oxidative stress in periparturient cows.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.13 no.1_2
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• pp.175-182
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• 1997

LBD-001, a recombinant human interferon $\gamma$ produced by genetically engineered yeast as a host system, was intravenously administered to pregnant female rats (Sprague-Dawley) from day 17 of gestation to day 21 of lactation at dose levels.of $0.35 \times 10^6$, $0.69 \times 10^6$, and $1.38 \times 10^6$ I.U./kg/day. In vasopressin-treated group, vasopressin (5 I.U./kg/day) was intravenously injected only for 5 days of perinatal period. (1) No signicant changes by the treatment of LBD-001 were observed in the body weights, food and water consumption, feeding and nurshing behaviors, and the weights of main organs of mother rats. In vasopressin-treated group, no significant changes were observed except the decrease in the food consumption on day 18 of gestation and one case of abnormal offspring with bleeding spots on the skin. (2) No significant changes in the body weights, survival rates, locomotor activity, emotional development. and the motor coordination of offsprings (F1) by the treatment of LBD-001 were observed except the fact that increase of ambulation in the female offsprings of LBD-001 ($0.69 \times 10^6$ or $1.38 \times 10^6$ I.U./kg/day)-treated groups and the increase of rearing in the males of LBD-($1.38 \times 10^6$ I.U./kg/day)-treated group, and the increase of the weight of liver and ovaries in the female offsprings in the LBD-001 ($1.38 \times 10^6$ I.U./kg/day)-treated group were observed. Altogether, the results show that LBD-001 at the dose of $1.38 \times 10^6$ I.U./kg/day or less does not significantly affect the mother rats and their offsprings (F1) except the minor influences when treated during the perinatal and postnatal period.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.313-322
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• 1982

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of long- term Ginseng administration on metabolism of rats during growing period. A group of pregnant rats was divided into 2 groups, the one was given 18% casein diet and the other, 18% casein diet with ginseng powder 500 mg/kg body was during the gestation and lactation. After weaning, 84 male offsprings were taken at random from the 2 groups. The rats from each group were divided subsequently into 2 groups. Ginseng and control group. The rats were sacrificed at three different times -7, 11, 17 weeks of age. The body weight and amount of food intake were measared during the feeding period. After sacrificing, the weight of some organs, liver glycogen. serum total lipid values, urinary nitrogen and creatinine were examined. The results were analysed by t-test and F-test Results obtained are summarized as follows : 1) Addition of Ginseng did not significantly affect the body weight of rats. 2) The weight of liver, testis, epididymal fat pad were not significantly different between ginseng group and control group during the experimental period. 3) Urinary nitrogen and creatinine did not have significance among all the experimental groups. 4) Amount of liver glycogen was not statistically significant in the ginseng group and control group. 5) The serum total lipid values of rats Iron ginseng group was not statistically different from that of the control group. It can be concluded that Ginseng, 500 mg ginseng powder /kg body wt, does not affect the metabolism of rats under the conditions of this study.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.73-81
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• 1998

Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were administered with Q-35 at the dose levels of 0, 30, 100 and 300 mg/kg/day by oral gavage from gestation day 17 to lactation period. Effects of the test chemical on general findings, reproductive performance of dams and development of Fl generation were examined. There were no treatment related changes in physical signs, body weight, necropsy findings, organ weights, delivery and nursing behavior. In 100 and 300 mg/fg/day treated groups, the food consumption of dams was decreased significantly during gestational day 19~21. The gestation length of 300 mg/tg/day treated group was increased significantly compared to the control group (22.3 $\pm$0.48 vs 22.0$\pm$0.39). Although the gestational length of all groups were in normal range of the rat, potential effect of the drug could not be ruled out. External anomaly of Fl fetus induced by Q-35 was not detected in any groups. There were no treaoent related changes in physical development, reflex functions, sensory functions, locomotor activity and motor coordinating activity. Estrus cycle, fertility and reproductive performance of Fl were not changed in all treated groups. There was no external abnormality related to the drug administration on the examination of F2. These results suggest that Q-35 has no adverse effect on the peri- and postnatal period in rats except the reduction of food consumption at the beginning of drug administration and the potential effect on the elongation of gestation length.