• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.675-681
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• 2020

This study describes an efficient and stable droplet vitrification following cryopreservation of strawberry shoot tip (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) accessions 'Massey' and 'MDUS3816'. The shoot tips were precultured in Murashige and Skoog (MS) liquid medium supplemented with sucrose (0.3-0.7M). Precultured explants were osmoprotected with loading solution (LS, C4) containing 17.5% glycerol and 17.5% sucrose for 40 min and exposed to dehydration solution (B1) containing 50% glycerol and 50% sucrose for 40 min at 25oC. Subsequently, the explants were transferred onto droplets containing 2.5 µL PVS3 on sterilized aluminum foils (4 cm× 0.5 cm) prior to direct immersion in liquid nitrogen (LN) for 1 h. The highest regrowth rate (%) in both the cultivars was obtained when the shoot tips were precultured with 0.3M sucrose for 30 h + 0.5M sucrose for 16 h at 25oC. The cryopreserved shoots tips exhibited 57.8 % recovery rate by culturing in NH₄NO₃-free MS medium supplemented with 3% sucrose, 1.0 g/L casein, 1.0mg/L GA₃, and 0.5 mg/L BA for 5 weeks and in MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L GA₃ for 8 weeks. Variation was not observed in both of ploidy analysis and morphological investigation on plantlets of two accessions cryopreserved under variable preculture conditions.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.24-30
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• 2011

Objective: The objectives of this study were to analyze efficacy of immature and mature mouse oocytes after vitrification and warming by applying various combinations of cryoprotectants (CPAs) and/or super-rapid cooling using slush nitrogen ($SN_2$). Methods: Four-week old ICR female mice were superovulated for GV- and MII-stage oocytes. Experimental groups were divided into two groups. Ethylene glycol (EG) only group: pre-equilibrated with 1.5 M EG for 2.5 minutes and then equilibrated with 5.5 M EG and 1.0 M sucrose for 20 seconds. EG+dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) group: pre-equilibrated with 1.3 M EG+1.1 M DMSO for 2.5 minutes and equilibrated with 2.7 M EG+2.1 M DMSO+0.5 M sucrose for 20 seconds. The oocytes were loaded onto grids and plunged into $SN_2$or liquid nitrogen ($LN_2$). Stored oocytes were warmed by a five-step method, and then their survival, maturation, cleavage, and developmental rates were observed. Results: The EG only and EG+DMSO groups showed no significant difference in survival of immature oocytes vitrified after warming. However, maturation and cleavage rates after conventional insemination were greater in the EG only group than in the EG+DMSO group. In mature oocytes, survival, cleavage, and blastocyst formation rates after warming showed no significant difference when EG only or EG+DMSO was applied. Furthermore, cleavage and blastocyst formation rates of MII oocytes vitrified using $SN_2$ were increased in both the EG only and EG+DMSO groups. Conclusion: A combination of CPAs in oocyte cryopreservation could be formulated according to the oocyte stage. In addition, $SN_2$ may improve the efficiency of vitrification by reducing cryoinjury.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.385-391
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• 2006

In vitro-grown axillary buds of Melia aredarach were successfully cryopreserved by vitrification. On the MS medium supplemented with BA 1 mg/L, multiple shoots were developed within $4{\sim}5$ weeks. Plantlets of Melia azedarach were cold-hardened at $10^{\circ}C$ for a 16-hr photo-period for 6 weeks. Excised axillary shoot-tips from hardened plantlets were precultured on a solidified Murashige & Skoog agar medium (MS) supplemented with 0.7 M sucrose for 1 day at $25^{\circ}C$. Axillary shoot-tip meristems wert dehydrated using a highly concentrated vitrification solution (PVS2) for 60 min at $0^{\circ}C$ prior to a direct plunge into liquid nitrogen (LN). The PVS2 vitrification solution consisted of 30% glycerol (w/v), 15% ethylene glycol (w/v), 15% DMSO (w/v) in MS medium containing 0.4M sucrose. After short-term warming in a water bath at $40^{\circ}C$, the meristems were transferred into 2 ml of MS medium containing 1.2M sucrose for 15 min and then planted on solidified MS culture medium. Successfully vitrified and warmed meristems resumed growth within 2 weeks and directly developed shoots without intermediary callus formation. The survival rate of cold-hardened plantlets for 3 and 4 weeks was 90%. We did not find any difference in PCR-band patterns between control and cryopreserved plants. This method appears to be a promising technique for cryopreserving axillary shoot-tips from in vitro-grown plantlets of Medicinal plants.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.145-153
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• 1999

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of vitrification solution and developmental stage on the survival rate of vitrified-thawed human blastocyst embryos. Human blastocyst embryos were cryopreserved by vitrification using EFS and GE solution, and their survival rates were examined after thawing and further culture. EFS solution was consisted of 40% ethylene glycol, 18% Ficoll 70 and 0.3M sucrose. GE solution was consisted of 25% glycerol and 25% ethylene glycol. Embryos were exposed to EFS and GE solution by 2 steps and 3 steps, respectively, and plunged into liquid nitrogen after loading into 0.25ml plastic straws. Blastocysts were classified into 4 groups in accordance with their developmental stage: into 1) EEB, 2) MEB and 3) EdB, of blastocysts developed on day 5, and 4) 6d-Bla(the blastocysts which formed on day 6). The blastocysts at each stage were vitrified by GE solution and cryopreserved in LN2. After thawing them, we examined their survival rates, respectively. The resulted of this study were as follows: 1. The survival rate of blastocysts vitrified by GE solution was 64.4%, significantly higher than that (5.7%) vitrified by EFS solution (P<0.001). 2. When the blastocysts were vitrified by GE solution according to each developmental stage, the survival rates of EEB, MEB, EdB and 6d-Bla were 65.9%, 65.9%, 73.2% and 58.1%, respectively. In conclusion, the cryopreservation of human blastocysts by vitrification is likely to have a marked advantage in terms of cost, work and time as compared to the conventional slow freezing in IVF-ET programs.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.259-265
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• 2019

This study was designed to investigate the effects of alpha-glucosyl rutin (G-rutin) and its comparative effects with other antioxidants (glutathione: GSH, catalase: CATA and beta-mercaptoethanol : ${\beta}ME$) on dog sperm freezing. In the first experiment (E1), the spermatozoa were diluted in freezing extender supplemented with 0 (control), 0.001, 0.01, or 0.1% G-rutin and frozen using liquid nitrogen ($LN_2$). The progressive motility, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and apoptosis of spermatozoa were assessed after sperm thawing at $37^{\circ}C$ for 25 sec. In the second experiment (E2), 0.1% G-rutin group was compared with 10 mM ${\beta}-ME$, $5{\mu}M$ GSH and $50{\mu}M$ CATA groups by assaying progressive motility, viability and gene expression of Bcl-2 and SMCP after sperm freezing and thawing. In E1, 0.1% G-rutin group showed higher (P < 0.05) post-thaw progressive motility and lower (P < 0.05) ROS levels. In E2, the expressions of SMCP in G-rutin group were higher (P < 0.05) than in CATA group while Bcl-2 expression of G-rutin group was higher (P < 0.05) than ${\beta}-ME$ and CATA groups. However, there were no significant differences in progressive motility and viability. Therefore, we suggest that G-rutin can be used as a potentially antioxidative supplement in dog sperm freezing extender on the basis of gene expression related to motility and apoptosis as well as ROS level.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.207-212
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• 2009

The aim of present experiment was to examine commercial synthetic extender(AndroMed) for semen cryopreservation of Korean Black Bull. Semen was collected from a Korean Black Bull using an artificial vagina and transported to the laboratory. The semen was diluted 1:1 by AndroMed. The pellect was diluted to final sperm concentration of $5{\times}10^5/ml$ by doubling in every 10 minutes at $4^{\circ}C$ cold chamber. The semen was equilibrated for 1 hr at cold chamber and packed to 0.5 ml straw. The semen straws were located above 5 cm of liquid nitrogen for 5 minutes, above 5 cm for 10 minutes and above 10 cm for 10 min. And then the frozen straw was plunged to $LN_2$. The presented straws were examined the viability and motility after thawed at $37^{\circ}C$ water bath. Hanwoo semen was used as KPN (Korea Proven Bull Number) in this experiment. The survival rates was significantly higher in fresh semen than frozen semen ($80{\pm}14%\;and\;43{\pm}11%$). However, the motility rates was similar (80.7% and 66.4%). The survival and motility rates were higher in 5cm, 10 min treatment group than the other two groups in straw-located height and duration above $LN_2$ ($50{\pm}14%$ and 70.7% vs, 33.18% and $65{\pm}7%$ vs, 30.14% and 65.7%, respectively). The development rates to cleavage was higher in Black Cow than Hanwoo semen (62.2%, 64.4%), However, The development rates to blastocyst was higher in Hanwoo than Black cow semen (25.9%, 23.0%). In conclusion. The present results that acceptable fertilization and cryopreservation could be obtained by in vitro fertilization with frozen-thawed semen using a synthetic semen extender (AndroMed).

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.185-194
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• 2018

The aim of this study was performed to evaluate the effects of ice-binding protein from the arctic yeast Leucosporidium (LeIBP) supplementation on cryopreservation of boar sperm. The collected semen was diluted ($1.5{\times}10^8/ml$) in lactose egg yolk (LEY) and cooled at $5^{\circ}C$ for 3 h. The cooled semen was then diluted ($1{\times}10^8/ml$) in LeIBP containing LEY with 9% glycerol and maintained at $5^{\circ}C$ for 30 min. The semen was divided into six experimental groups (control, 0.001, 0.005, 0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 mg/ml of LeIBP). The straws were kept on above the liquid nitrogen ($LN_2$) vapors for 20 minutes and then plunged into $LN_2$. After thawing, computer-assisted sperm analysis was used for sperm motility and flow cytometry was performed to assess the viability, acrosome integrity (FITC-PSA/PI), ROS (DCF/PI), lipid peroxidation (BODIPY C11/PI) and apoptosis (Annexin V/PI), respectively. No significant responses were observed for sperm motility. However, sperm viability was significantly increased on 0.05 and 0.1 mg/ml of LeIBP groups compared to control (P < 0.05). In addition, acrosome integrity was significantly increases LeIBP groups (P < 0.05) and both ROS and lipid peroxidation level were lower in all LeIBP groups than those of control (P < 0.05). On the other hand, a significant higher apoptosis rate was observed in 0.05 and 0.1 mg/ml of LeIBP groups compared to control (P < 0.05). It can be assumed that a supplementation of LeIBP in boar sperm freezing extender is an effective method to increase the sperm qualities after cryopreservation.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.385-390
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was undertaken to evaluate of cryopreservation efficiency in ${\alpha}$ 1,3-galactosyltransferase knock-out(GalT KO) cloned miniature pig sperm. To compare ability of frozen-thawed sperm characteristics, three different pig strains (GalT KO) cloned miniature pig, PWG miniature pig and Duroc were used. The ejaculated semen from the three pig species was diluted with same volume extender and added to LEY solution for freezing. The diluted semen was placed in 0.5 ml straws, and freezing was initiated by exposing the straws to liquid nitrogen ($LN_2$) vapours for 10 min before placing them into $LN_2$ for cryopreservation. After thawing, the sperm ability were assessed for viability (SYBR-14/PI staining), abnormality (Rose Bengal staining), and acrosome status (intactness, intensity and capacitation) (chlorotetracycline, CTC staining). The viability of frozen-thawed GalT KO pig sperm had no significant difference as compared with Duroc and PWG miniature pig sperm. However, The CTC pattern of frozen-thawed GalT KO cloned miniature pig spermatozoa showed significantly lower rates in F pattern and AR pattern (p<0.05) and significantly higher rates in B pattern than Duroc and PWG miniature pig (p<0.05). The abnormality of GalT KO cloned miniature pig sperm was significantly lower as compared to Duroc and PWG miniature pig sperm (p<0.05). In conclusion, GalT KO cloned miniature pig semen can be cryopreserved successfully and used for artificial insemination reasonably.

• 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.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.20-24
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• 2020

The purpose of this analytic study is to design and examine an efficient hydrogen liquefaction cycle by using a pre-cooler. The liquefaction cycle is primarily comprised of a pre-cooler and a refrigerator. The fed hydrogen gas is cooled down from ambient temperature (300 K) to the pre-cooling coolant temperature (either 77 K or 120 K approximately) through the pre-cooler. There are two pre-cooling methods: a single pre-coolant pre-cooler and a cascade pre-cooler which uses two levels of pre-coolants. After heat exchanging with the pre-cooler, the hydrogen gas is further cooled and finally liquefied through the refrigerator. The working fluids of the potential pre-cooling cycle are selected as liquid nitrogen and liquefied natural gas. A commercial software Aspen HYSYS is utilized to perform the numerical simulation of the proposed liquefaction cycle. Efficiency is compared with respect to the various conditions of the heat exchanging part of the pre-cooler. The analysis results show that the cascade method is more efficient, and the heat exchanging part of the pre-coolers should have specific UA ratios to maximize both spatial and energy efficiencies. This paper presents the quantitative performance of the pre-cooler in the hydrogen liquefaction cycle in detail, which shall be useful for designing an energy-efficient liquefaction system.