• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.131-137
• /
• 2021

The purpose of this study was to present the reference value of the intracranial translucency(IT) of the fetus using the mid sagittal plane of the post brain in the early pregnancy ultrasound screening test and to find the clinical significance. From August 2018 to February 2020, the IT of 1529 singleton fetus whose crown lump length were 40.6 mm to 78.3 mm in length among the mothers undergoing regular checkups at Hospital I were measured and analyzed retrospectively. As the crown lump length increased, the IT showed a 54.3% explanatory power and tended to increase(p<0.001). In addition, through frequency analysis, the standard value for the percentile of the IT by gestational weeks was calculated. As a result, it was possible to establish a standard value for Koreans with an IT, and it will be usefully applied as an auxiliary screening test for spina bifida in the evaluation of fetal post brain in early pregnancy.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.120-131
• /
• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Low early pregnancy serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25[OH]D) levels can increase gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk, although inconsistent findings related to that association have been reported. This study examined the association of serum vitamin D with GDM and the possible influencers on this association. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This study included 259 pregnant women within the Seremban Cohort Study (SECOST). Blood samples at < 14 weeks of gestation were drawn to determine serum 25(OH)D levels. GDM diagnosis was made at 24 to 32 weeks of gestation using a standard procedure. Association between serum vitamin D and GDM was tested using binary logistic regression. RESULTS: Nearly all women (90%) had mild (68.3%) or severe (32.2%) vitamin D deficiency (VDD). Non-GDM women with mild VDD had a significantly higher mean vitamin D intake than GDM women with mild VDD (t = 2.04, p < 0.05). Women with higher early pregnancy serum vitamin D levels had a greater risk of GDM. However, this significant association was only identified among those with a family history of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and in women with a body mass index indicating overweight or obese status. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of VDD in this sample of pregnant women underscores the need for effective preventive public health strategies. Further investigation of this unexpected association between serum vitamin D level and GDM risk in predominantly VDD pregnant women and the potential effects of adiposity and family history of T2DM on that association is warranted.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.8-12
• /
• 1999

The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) test could be applied well in clinic of men, horses or dogs. But the ESR test was not applied to clinic ruminants except for buffaloes since it was too low measure. To overcome this problem angled tube method was developed. This method was found to be useful for making diagnosis and prognosis. The results were summarized as follows. 1. In the early pregnancy condition, corrected ESR did not changed when compared with normal valures. 2. In the middle pregnancy condition, corrected ESR was increased when compeared with normal valures. 3. In the latter pregnancy condition, corrected ESR was increased when compeared with normal valures. 4. After parturition condition, corrected ESR did not changed when compeared with normal valures.

• Korean Parent-Child Health Journal
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.3-14
• /
• 2008

Purpose: This study was to investigate the healthy lifestyle of women during pregnant. Method: This study reviewed the preceding researches related to pregnant women's healthy lifestyle through websites, articles, and books. Result: To promote healthy and pleased pregnancies, pregnant women were encouraged to get early and regular prenatal care. It included information, education, and counseling about how to handle special arrangements for pregnancy: weight gain, drug, smoking, alcohol, exercise, air travel, dental care, maternity clothes, vaccination, sex during pregnancy, workplace, hair treatment, hot tubs & saunas. Conclusion: Prenatal visits gave expected woman and partner chances to increase self-care and performance of a healthy lifestyle and then reduced the risk of having pregnancy-related complications.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.48 no.4
• /
• pp.295-302
• /
• 2021

As glucocorticoids are well-known as important regulators of stress and the immune system, their function and clinical use have elicited substantial interest in the field of reproduction. In particular, the effect of glucocorticoid therapy on endometrial receptivity during assisted reproduction, including in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles, has led to a great deal of interest and controversy. However, previous studies have not been able to provide consistent and reliable evidence due to their small, non-controlled designs and use of different criteria. Considering the potential risk of exposure to glucocorticoids for mothers and fetuses in early pregnancy, the use of glucocorticoids in IVF cycles should be carefully evaluated, including the balance between risk and benefit. To date, there is no conclusive evidence that the use of glucocorticoids improves the pregnancy rate in IVF cycles with unselected subjects, and a further investigation should be considered with a proper study design.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.301-307
• /
• 1997

These studies were performed to provide some basic informations for developing an automatic system in dairy farming cattle in order that the farmers may easily and automatically detect the maintenance of pregnancy and the fact of abortion of the pregnant cows and also to find out the diseased animals with fever. As a method of automatical detection of the maintenance of pregnancy or the fact of abortion, weighing the pregnant cows was conducted from one month-pregnancy to the term using a digital balance. From the first to the 3rd month of pregnancy the body weight of dairy cows was slowly increased (less than 2% per month), then, relatively high increase (3.4% -4.3% per month) from the fourth to the seventh month followed by decrease (3.3%) in the 8th month and very low increase (0.8-0.9%) from the 9th month to the term were shown, resulting in increase of 128.8 kg (25.05%) of body weight to be compared with the first weight. More than 107, increase of body weight to be compared with the first month-weight was denoted from the 61th month of pregnancy and more than 20% increase from the 7th or the 8th month of pregnancy as wells consequently it was presumed that detection of the maintenance of pregnancy is possible from the 4th or the 5th month of pregnancy. It was possible to diagnose a cow aborted at the 6th month by continual weighing the cow from the 1st month of pregnancy. The calved cows showed considerably higher decrease of body weight even in the third week after parturition (p<0.01)to be compared with the body weight near to the term (81.8-102.0 kg, 14-16% decrease). During the same period of 8months, the pregnant cows gained 127.4 kg (24.78% increase), whereas the non-pregnant cows gained 33.0 kg (0.71% increase) to be compared with the first weight showing considerably higher increase of body weight gain in the pregnant cows than the non-pregnant cows (p<0.01). The statistics of body temperatures of dairy cattle were collected from three clinics including the Teaching Hospital of Chonbuk University and the diseases were classified simply by the major symptoms manifested, denoting the highest temperature in respiratory disease ($39.8{\circ}C$) and the lowest in alimentary disease ($39.6{\circ} C$). These informations of body temperatures were expected to be of value for early and automatical detection of the diseased animals with fever when automatic machinery would be established. The results of periodic weighing the body weight of pregnant cows while milking were also expected to be of great use for the farmers to detect the maintenance of pregnancy and the fact of abortion when the automatic system is established in the near future.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.20 no.10
• /
• pp.446-451
• /
• 2019

This study investigated the application of artificial insemination and pregnancy diagnosis kit for Korean native black goats. Semen was collected by electrical ejaculation, followed by semen analysis and artificial insemination in three goat strains (Dangjin, Jangsu and Tongyoung). Pregnancy was confirmed using a cow pregnancy test kit (IDEXX Rapid Visual Pregnancy Test kit) and ultrasound diagnosis. Analysis revealed that semen collected from male Korean native black goats by electrical ejaculation was about 1~1.5 ml in volume, $18{\sim}25{\times}10^8/ml$ concentration, and having > 97% motility. Furthermore, confirmation of pregnancy by pregnancy test kit and ultrasound diagnosis after artificial insemination were similar. In addition, the efficiency of pregnancy was 20~40% for all three strains: Tongyoung was the highest with 44%, followed by Dangjin (%), and Jangsu (20%). This study determines the artificial fertilization efficiency and the feasibility of using a cow pregnancy test kit for early pregnancy diagnosis in Korean native black goats. Although further research is required for validation, the results of the current study contribute to the breeding and improvement of Korean native black goat in research institutions as well as in general farms.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.13 no.10
• /
• pp.1359-1366
• /
• 2000

An experiment was carried out to study plasma levels of hormones and metabolites of crossbred Holstein cattle during late pregnancy (28 days pre partum), early lactation (30 days post partum), mid-lactation (120 days post partum) and late lactation (210 days post partum). Two breed types of Holstein $Friesian{\times}Red$ Sindhi (50:50 = 50%HF) and Holstein $Friesian{\times}Red$ Sindhi (87.5:12.5 = 87.5%HF) were divided into four groups of four animals each. Two groups of each breed were fed with either rice straw treated with 5% urea or pangola hay (Digitaria decumbens) as the source of roughage throughout the experiments. There were a substantial increases in the mean levels of total triiodothyronine ($T_3$), insulin and glucagon at the onset of lactation, and maintained in a high levels during lactation advance for all groups of experiments. The mean levels of prolactin and thyroxine ($T_4$) were not significantly different among groups of animals, but the plasma cortisol concentration was slightly higher in both groups of 50%HF in comparison with those of 87.5%HF animals. The mean levels of plasma growth hormone (GH) of both groups of 87.5%HF animals feeding on either hay or urea treated rice straw markedly rose in the early period of lactation and markedly reduced in mid- and late lactation. These changes were accompanied with changes of milk yield. In contrast to 50%HF animals, plasma GH levels were considerably higher in the late pregnant period than in the early period of lactation and it remained constant as its value at the early lactation throughout the experimental period. The high levels of both plasma progesterone and estradiol concentration significantly declined after parturition and remained low through lactating period. The plasma glucose level in the 50%HF animals feeding on either hay or urea treated rice straw was higher than the 87.5%HF animals in all periods of experiments. Changes in plasma FFA levels of both types of crossbred animals were depended on the endocrine status during late pregnancy and lactation. The levels of plasma FFA of 50%HF animals were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those of 87.5%HF animals during late pregnancy. Both plasma ${\beta}$-hydroxybutyrate and lactate concentrations were not affected by feeding on either hay or urea treated rice straw during late pregnancy and lactation. These data demonstrate that there were no differences in the physiological performances in the same crossbred animals fed either hay or urea treated rice straw. The 87.5%HF animal has the genetic potential for a high milk yield and homeorhetic adaptation for mammary function differed from 50%HF animals during periods of lactation. Altering lactation persistency in 87.5%HF is regulated mainly by chronically acting growth hormones through the period of lactation.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.101-105
• /
• 2006

To conduct this study, researchers personally visited two maternity hospitals, one public centers, and two gymnastics classes for pregnant women in some areas of Seoul from March 14 to April 28, 2005 to determine a simplified oral hygiene index to measure cleanness for 200 women in the twenty weeks and over of pregnancy in order to examine their oral health conditions and provide basic data for the future oral health care and education in oral hygiene for pregnant women and, consequently, drew the following conclusions. 1. Simplified oral hygiene index between early, middle, and late pregnancy. It was shown that the Early was $1.10{\pm}.91$, Middle was $1.78{\pm}1.02$, The simplified oral hygiene index of Late was $1.73{\pm}1.03$. The simplified oral hygiene index of Total was $1.47{\pm}1.03$, with a Food debris index $0.96{\pm}0.51$ and a Calculus score $0.51{\pm}0.52$. 2. There were statistically significant differences in the simplified oral hygiene index of both the upper and the lower jaws between early, middle, and late pregnancy (p < 0.01). It was shown that the Food debris index, Calculus score, and the simplified oral hygiene index all increased with the approach of delivery. 3. There were statistically significant differences in the simplified oral hygiene index of both the anterior and the posterior areas between early, middle, and late pregnancy (p < 0.01). It was found that the Food debris index, Calculus score, and the simplified oral hygiene index all increased with the approach of delivery.

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.207-214
• /
• 2010

The tremendous changes of uterine endometrium are observed during early pregnancy and protease and their inhibitors are involved in regulation of cell proliferation and remodeling of the tissues through remodeling the extracellular matrix (ECM). Some of the proteases and protease inhibitors have been suspected to a factor in endometrial changes but many parts of their expression profiles and the physiological roles are not uncovered. To evaluate the functional roles of them, in this study the expression profiles of proteases and protease inhibitors were analyzed using real-time quantitative PCR analysis. Mmp9 (matrix metalloproteinase 9) mRNA levels peaked on day 4 at the time of implantation. On the other hand, Ela2 (neutrophil elastase, NE) mRNA levels were peaked on day 2 of pregnancy. Its expression were decreased until day 4 of pregnancy but increased rapidly until day 7 of pregnancy and decreased again. NE inhibitor Slpi (secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor, SLPI) mRNA levels were related with the implantation stage and with the levels of Ela2. At the time of implantation the expression levels of Slpi mRNA were about 5 times higher than the Ela2 mRNA in the uterus. In the implantation stage embryos, Mmp9 specific mRNA was only detected at the blastocyst. On the other hand, the expression level of SLPI was higher than that of the Ela2 mRNA at blastocyst and 4.5 day p.c. embryos. Based on these results it is suggested that MMP9, SLPI, and NE have important physiological role in embryo implantation both in uterus and embryos.