• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.171-178
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• 2009

$PM_{2.5}$ is one of critical air pollutants due to its high absorbability of heavy metallic fumes, PAH and bacillary micro organisms. Such a fine particulate matter is often formed through various nucleation processes including condensation. This study attempts to find the nucleation behaviors of $PM_{2.5}$ arisen from coal power stations using a classical heterogeneous Fletcher's theory. The numerical simulation by C-language could approximate the nucleation process of $PM_{2.5}$ from water vapor, of which approach revealed the required energy for embryo formation and embryo size and nucleation rate. As a result of the calculation, it was found that wetting agents could affect the particle nucleation in vapor condensation. In particular, critical contact angle relates closely with the vapor saturation. Particle condensation could be reduced by lowering the angles. The wetting agents aid to decrease the contact angle and surface tensions, thereby may contribute to save the formation energy.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.943-953
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• 2012

Because of their unique properties, nano-sized metallic nanomaterials (NMs) have been used in extensive applications of biomedicine, electronics, optics, engineering, and personal care products. Accordingly, with the increasing release of NMs into the environment, numerous studies of nanoecotoxicity have been conducted. Fish embryo toxicity test (FET) has many benefits in evaluating toxicity of NMs as an alternative to a whole-body test in fish. In this study, we collected and analyzed the toxicity studies of metallic NMs on freshwater fish embryos. Most studies have demonstrated that metallic NMs are highly toxic during the early development of fish embryos. However, it should be noted that the results for the same NMs on the same test species show variation due to differences in the size or surface properties of the test NMs and exposure conditions. For the safe use of metallic NMs, we need to analyze their effects based on their properties, test species, environmental media, and diverse conditions.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.215-219
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• 2010

The objective of this study was to examine the reproductive characteristics of cloned miniature piglets produced from surrogate domestic pigs. Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) miniature pig embryos were transferred into domestic pigs. As controls, domestic pigs of the same breed with surrogates for SCNT embryos and miniature pigs of the same breed with the somatic cell donor were bred by artificial insemination and natural mating, respectively. Surrogate domestic pigs that farrowed cloned miniature piglets had a significantly longer gestation length (118.1 days) than conventionally bred domestic (115.4 days) and miniature (115.5 days) pigs. Furthermore, the birth weight of cloned miniature piglets produced from domestic pigs (743 g) was significantly greater than that of miniature piglets produced by natural breeding (623 g). Also, cloned miniature piglets had a significantly lower weaning rate (49.7%) than conventionally produced domestic (91.5%) and miniature (100%) piglets. No differences were observed between female and male cloned piglets in gestation length, litter size, birth weight, or weaning rate. Our results demonstrate that gestation length is extended in domestic pigs that are transferred with SCNT miniature pig embryos and that cloned miniature piglets have increased birth weight and high pre-weaning mortality.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.209-212
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• 2007

This study was performed to establish the early pregnancy diagnosis with evaluation of size of embryonic vesicles and change of crown-rump length (CRL) by transrectal ultrasonography in the Korean black goats. Early pregnancy diagnosis was performed in the 114 goats from 19 to 35 days after coitus by transrectal 5.0 MHz transducer. Embryonic vesicles and CRL in the 142 goats from 19 to 42 days was measured to establish the correlation between gestational age and these parameters. The early pregnancy diagnosis achieved 80% accuracy after days 25 and 100% accuracy after days 28 after breeding. Diameters of embryonic vesicle and CRL were significantly increased with the gestational age. In these facts, early pregnancy diagnosis is possible on Days 25 after breeding and measurement of embryonic vesicles and CRL were useful to predict the gestational age in Korean black goat.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.337-342
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• 2018

Cryopreservation is mainly used for preservation of boar sperm. However, this method stresses the sperm by reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the conception rate and the litter size are not more efficient than the liquid preservation of spermatozoa. Therefore, we use chitosan which is a natural product derived antioxidant compound. We used GnHA (chitosan+hyaluronic acid) and GnHG (chitosan hydrogel) as chitosan complexes to cryopreserve boar sperm for improve sperm metabolism and function. Sperm parameter (sperm motility, progressive motility, path velocity, straight-line velocity, curvilinear velocity) is measured by computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) using frozen sperm with GnHA or GnHG (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1 mg/mL), respectively. Also, lipid peroxidation analysis using malondialdehyde (MDA) is performed to confirm the antioxidative effect of chitosan in frozen spermatozoa. CASA analysis showed GnHA and GnHG are effective against cryopreserved boar sperm. And antioxidant effect is measured by lipid peroxidation analysis. GnHA and GnHG, which is chitosan complex are effective for boar sperm cryopreservation by antioxidant effect.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.684-690
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• 2023

This study was conducted bimonthly from February to December 2021 to reveal the ecology of Sargassum thunbergii in the intertidal zone along the coasts of Korea. Separate surveys on the period of embryo formation were conducted from February 2021 to December 2022. The growth of S. thunbergii began to increase in February, reached a maximum in June, and was at a minimum in October. Air vesicles were formed from February to June, April to August, and February to August on the east, west, and south coasts, respectively. Receptacles were observed from April to June on the east coast, but from April to August on the west and south coasts. The earliest release of embryos was observed in late May 2022 on the south coast, followed by early June on the east and west coasts. The average size of leaves, stems, and air vesicles was maximum on the east coast and minimum on the west coast, whereas leaf and internode intervals were maximum on the west coast and minimum on the east coast. Plant length, biomass, and the number of branches showed maximum values in the south coast and minimum values in the east coast.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.66 no.1
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• pp.156-166
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• 2024

Pigs are genetically, anatomically, and physiologically similar to humans. Recently, pigs are in the spotlight as a suitable source animal for xenotransplantation. However, to use pigs as source animals, pigs should be raised in designated pathogen-free facilities. There is abundant data from embryo transfer (ET) experiments using farm pigs as surrogates, but data on ET experiments using minipigs are scarce. Eighty minipigs were used for ET experiments and after transplantation, the implantation and delivery rates were investigated. It was also confirmed whether the pregnancy rate could be increased by changing the condition or surgical method of the surrogate. In the case of minipigs that gave birth, the size of the fetal sac on the 28th day of ET was also measured. The factors that can affect the pregnancy rate such as estrus synchronization program, ovulation status at the time of ET, the number of repeated ET surgeries, and the ET sites, were changed, and the differences on the pregnancy rate were observed. However there were no significant differences in pregnancy rate in minipigs. The diameter of the implanted fetal sac on the 28th day after ET in the minipigs whose delivery was confirmed was calculated to be 4.7 ± 0.5 cm. In conclusion, there were no significant differences in pregnancy rate of minipigs in the comparative experiment on various factors affecting the pregnancy rate. However, additional experiments and analyses are needed due to the large individual differences of the minipigs.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.121-126
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• 2012

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of in vitro culture media on embryonic development of in vitro-matured (IVM) oocytes after parthenogenetic activation (PA) in pigs. Immature pig oocytes were matured in TCM-199 supplemented with porcine follicular fluid, cysteine, pyruvate, EGF, insulin, and hormones for the first 22 h and then further cultured in hormone-free medium for an additional 22~26 h. IVM oocytes were activated by electric pulses and cultured in porcine zygote medium-3 (PZM-3) and North Carolina State University-23 supplemented with essential and non-essential amino acids (NCSU-23aa). These media were further modified by supplementing 2.77 mM myo-inositol, 0.34 mM trisodium citrate, and $10{\mu}M$ ${\beta}$-mercaptoethanol (designated as mPZM-3 and mNCSU-23aa, respectively). Culture of PA embryos in mPZM-3 significantly increased development to the blastocyst stage than culture in NCSU-23aa (36.2% vs. 24.8%, p<0.05). Modified PZM-3 showed a significantly higher blastocyst formation than NCSU-23aa in both groups of embryos that were activated at 44 h and 48 h of IVM (51.0% vs. 35.5% and 49.0% vs. 34.2% in oocytes activated at 44 h and 48 h of IVM, respectively). Irrespective of the follicle diameter where oocytes were collected, embryonic development to the blastocyst stage was increased (p<0.05) by the culture in mPZM-3 compared to culture in NCSU-23aa (25.9% vs. 34.2% and 32.9% vs. 44.8% in embryos derived from small and medium size follicles, respectively). Our results demonstrated that culture media had significant effect on preimplantation development PA embryos and that mPZM-3 was superior to mNCSU-23 in supporting development to the blastocyst stage in pigs. This beneficial effect of mPZM-3 on embryonic development was not impaired by other factors such as time of oocyte activation and origin of immature oocytes (small and medium size follicles).

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2005

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of various factors of recipients such as recipient parity, body condition score(BCS), estrus type, corpus luteum, uterine size and uterine horn, on pregnancy and abortion after transfer of in vitro produced Korean Native Cow embryos. The pregnancy rate of nulliparous $(43.5\%)$was significantly higher than that of multiparous $(33.6\%)$, but there were no difference in the abortion rates $(122.6\;vs.\;7.5\%)$. There were no difference in pregnancy among the groups of BCS treatment, but the abortion rate was significantly higher in the group of below BCS $2.0\~3.0\;(55.6\%)$ than the group of BCS $3.0\~3.9\;(10.8\%)$. The pregnancy and abortion rates from the estrus type, corpus luteum, uterine size and uterine hem were not differ among treatment groups.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.287-293
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• 2000

This study was undertaken to access the effects of collection method, room temperature at oocyte recovery and culture media on the oocyte quality, fertilization and cleavage rates of in vitro matured and fertilized oocytes of Korean native goats. Ovaries obtained from a slaughterhouse were transported to the laboratory and were divided into 2 groups. One group of ovaries was maintained at 30 to 35$^{\circ}C$ of the room temperature and another group was remained at 20 to $25^{\circ}C$ during oocyte recovery. The oocytes were recovered by follicle aspiration, slicing and aspiration+slicing methods from 3 groups of follicles according to size; <2 mm, 2 to 6 mm and >6 mm. The matured oocytes were inseminated with buck epididymal spermatozoa at a concentration of 3~3.5$\times$10$^{6}$ m1 and fertilization was identified when 2 pronuclei were present in the cytoplasm. Although the recovery rate per ovary obtained by the combination of follicle aspiration + slicing(19.6$\pm$2.2) method was higher than aspiration(11.7$\pm$1.1) and slicing(14.8$\pm$1.8) collection, optimal recovery according to oocyte grades resulted form ovarian slicing compared to aspiration or combined methods(P<0.05). However, no significant differences were found in the mean number(2.5$\pm$1.8; 3.3$\pm$3.3; 2.9$\pm$2.4) and the proportion of favorable oocytes(Grades I, II and III) recovered(31.6%, 36.0%, 36.4%,) according to follicle size(<2 mm; 2 to 6 mm; >6 mm). Fertilization rate was 60.0%, 67.7%, 70.6% and 56.4% and the proportion of embryos/zygotes was 11.1%, 7.1%, 5.0% and 2.8% in 20~$25^{\circ}C$/BO, 30~35$^{\circ}C$/BO, 20~$25^{\circ}C$/TALP and 30~35$^{\circ}C$ /groups, respectively.