• Journal of applied mathematics & informatics
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• v.28 no.5_6
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• pp.1185-1202
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• 2010

In this paper, we have studied the dynamical behaviour such as boundedness, local and global stabilities, bifurcation of a single species population affected by environmental toxicant and population toxicant. We have also studied the effect of discrete delay of the environmental toxicant on the instantaneous growth rates of the population biomass and population toxicant due to incubation period. The length of delay preserving the stability is also estimated. Computer simulations are carried out to illustrate our analytical findings.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Environment and Ecology Conference
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• 2006.10a
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• pp.98-102
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• 2006

We studied the behavior of black vultures breeding in Erdenesant, Mongolia through time budget observation. We observed a pair of black vulture for 115 days from April 30 to August 22, 2005, of which 15 days were before hatching and 100 days of brood rearing. The egg hatched on May $14^{th}$. Incubation was done by both a male and female vultures, but the period covered by the male vulture(56.82%) was longer than that by the female one(34.62%). In the early days of brood rearing, time spent by the female vulture at the nest took 54.9 % and it was 19.27% for the male. In the middle of brood rearing period, just inaction and preening were noticed, as they watched their chicks for a long time without sheltering chick under the parent's body. Late brood rearing period was characterized by less chick care and adults mostly stayed in the nest only when to feed the chicks. During breeding time, both the male and the female vulture fed only the chicks and did not give food to each other. During rearing period, the male vulture fed the chick more often than female.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.237-247
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• 2013

This study was to examine single or combined in vitro effects of environmental endocrine disruptors on boar sperm characteristics, oxidative stress damage in sperm and development of porcine IVF embryos. Addition of various concentration of NP (10, 20, $30{\mu}M$), DBP (10, 50, $100{\mu}M$) and BPA (1, 5 or $10{\mu}g/ml$) on boar sperm characteristics such as percentages of sperm motility, viability, membrane integrity and mitochondrial activity were dose-dependently decreased within 3, 6 or 9 hr incubation period (p<0.05). The overall detrimental effects increased with incubation time increasement. NP, DBP and BPA showed the detrimental effects on sperm membrane and mitochondria of energy production organelles affecting cell viability with the dependancy of dose and incubation time. In combination effects, NP ($10{\mu}M$) + DBP ($10{\mu}M$) significantly decreased boar general sperm characteristics for 3 or 6 hr incubation period compared with control (p<0.05). When both of NP and DBP concentrations (NP; $30{\mu}M$, DBP; $100{\mu}M$) increase, the detrimental effects on sperm characteristics were larger than those of low concentration combination (p<0.05). The inhibitory effects of NP ($30{\mu}M$) + BPA ($10{\mu}g/ml$) on sperm characteristics were larger than those of NP ($10{\mu}M$) + BPA ($1{\mu}g/ml$) (p<0.05). DBP ($100{\mu}M$) + BPA ($10{\mu}g/ml$) decreased sperm characteristics compared with the low concentration combination (DBP $10{\mu}M$ + BPA $1{\mu}g/ml$, p<0.05). This result indicates the detrimental effects of both chemicals on sperm characteristics were dose dependent. Addition of NP ($30{\mu}M$) + DBP ($100{\mu}M$), NP ($30{\mu}M$) + BPA ($10{\mu}g/ml$), DBP ($10{\mu}M$) + BPA ($1{\mu}g/ml$) or DBP ($100{\mu}M$) + BPA ($10{\mu}g/ml$) significantly increased lipid peroxidation for 3 or 6 hr incubation period (p<0.05) compared with no addition control. NP (${\geq}20{\mu}M$) decreased the percentages of IVF embryo development from morulae and blastocyst stages (p<0.05) and its detrimental effects were dose-dependant. BPA 0, 1, 5 or $10{\mu}g/ml$ decreased significantly and dose-dependently the percentage of morulae plus and blastocysts (p<0.05). Combinations of DBP ($100{\mu}M$) plus NP ($30{\mu}M$) and DBP ($100{\mu}M$) plus BPA ($10{\mu}g/ml$) did not affect on morulae and blastocyst development, but NP ($30{\mu}M$) plus BPA ($10{\mu}g/ml$) has significant detrimental effect on embryo development at these stages (p<0.05). These overall results indicate that the partial detrimental effects on boar sperm characteristics and embryo development by NP, DBP, BPA or the combination of these chemicals might be due to the increasement of lipid peroxidation and free radical formation in the cell and there were no specific interaction effects on boar sperm and embryo degeneration among the combined treatments.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.421-425
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• 1990

This study was carried out to compare lactic acid bacteria count of liquid type yogurts with various experimental conditions during shelf-life period. The conditions were media(BCP and Elliker agar), incubation conditions(aerobic and anaerobic), dilution waters(saline and phosphate buffer) and dilution methods(10 and 100 times). All of the samples were incubated at $37^{\circ}C$ for 72 hrs. In the case of counting L. acidophilus as a yogurt starter culture, there were differences on dilution waters and incubation conditions, but were no difference on media and dilution methods. In the case of counting L jugurti and mixed strain with L. acidophilus and L. casei, there were differences on media, incubation conditions and dilution waters, but was no difference on dilution methods. For L. casei in the yogurt, media and dilution methods were shown slightly different viable cell count but incubation conditions were not shown difference. In the case of counting L. bulgaricus, there were differences on media, incubation conditions and dilution methods, but was no difference on dilution waters. Therefore, the measurment of lactic acid bacteria count may be effective if preferred experimental conditions are selected for different types of strain.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.141-148
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• 2014

Quercetin and genistein, plentifully present in fruits and vegetables, are flavonoid family members that have antioxidative function and plant-derived phytoestrogen activity. The antioxidative effects of quercetin and genistein on boar sperm characteristics and in vitro development of IVF embryo were investigated. The sperm motility was increased by addition of genistein $50{\mu}M$ for 6 hr incubation compared to control (p<0.05). The sperm viability was increased by addition of quercetin 1 and $50{\mu}M$ and genestein 1 and $50{\mu}M$ for 3 hr incubation. In addition, the sperm viability seemed to be increased dose-dependantly by addition of quercetin or genistein 1 and $50{\mu}M$, respectively (p<0.05). The membrane integrities were not increased by quercetin or genistein treatments for 3 hr or 6 hr incubation period except for quercetin $1{\mu}M$ for 3 hr incubation. In mitochondrial activities, addition of quercetin $50{\mu}M$ for 6 hr incubation increased mitochondrial activity but decreased at $100{\mu}M$ concentration compared with control (p<0.05). When porcine IVF embryos were cultured in PZM-3 medium supplemented with low concentrations of quercetin ($1{\sim}10{\mu}M$), the developmental rates to morula and blastocyst increased but significantly decreased at high concentrations of quercetin ($25{\sim}50{\mu}M$). The highest developmental rate to blastocysts among all concentrations of quercetin was shown at quercetin $10{\mu}M$ (p<0.05). The developmental rates to morula or blastocysts at low ($0.01{\sim}1{\mu}M$) and high ($5{\sim}10{\mu}M$) concentrations of genistein were not significantly different among all treatment group and genistein did not affect on IVF embryo development. These results suggest that quercetin and genistein seem to have positive effects at certain concentrations on sperm characteristics such as motility, viability and mitochondrial activity. In addition, low concentrations of quercetin (1, 5 and $10{\mu}M$) in this experiment, seem to have beneficial effect on porcine IVF embryo development but genistein did not affect on it at all given concentrations ($0.01{\sim}10{\mu}M$).

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.135-139
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• 2001

To observe the changes in isotopic composition (${\delta}^{15}N$) of $NO_3{^-}$ during denitrification, an incubation experiment using soil treated with nitrification inhibitor (2-chloro-6-trichloromethyl-pyridine) under water-saturated condition was conducted for 153 h. The $NO_3-N$ concentration decreased from 73.3 to $20.6mg\;kg^{-1}$ during the incubation period, with denitrification rate constant of $0.00905h^{-1}$, and ${\delta}^{15}N$ values of $NO_3-N$ increased from +0.9 to +25.5‰ with decreasing the $NO_3-N$ concentration. The increase in the ${\delta}^{15}N$ values of $NO_3-N$ is due to kinetic isotope fractionation, which always results in $^{15}N$ enrichment of the substrate. The isotopic fractionation factor calculated in this study was 1.0196, an indication that 1.96% more $^{14}NO_3{^-}$ reacted at a given time interval than a comparable number of $^{15}NO_3{^-}$. The ${\delta}^{15}N$ values measured through the incubation study showed a good agreement with the results calculated from the Fochts isotope fractionation model. Our results suggest that when the ${\delta}^{15}N$ of $NO_3{^-}$ is used for tracing the fate of N, the kinetic isotope fractionation associated with denitrification must be taken into consideration.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.556-562
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• 2009

The biological treatment of TNT-containing wastewater, known commonly as pink water, was investigated using a stirred tank reactor with Stenotrophomonas maltophilia OK-5 bacterial culture. S. maltophilia OK-5 exhibited effective degradation of TNT contained in pink water, completely degrading TNT (100 mg/L) within 6 days of incubation. The dark-red brown color derived from Hydride-Meisenheimer complex became more pronounced during the incubation period, which was determined quantitatively. High-pressure liquid chromatography was used to measure residual TNT, which also resolved the metabolic intermediates (i.e., 2,4-dinitrotoluene, 2,6-dinitrotoluene and 2,4-dinitro-6-hydroxytoluene). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to verify these intermediates. Quantification of the nitroreductase (pnrB) gene isolated from S. maltophilia OK-5 growing in pink water was performed with real-time PCR. The amount of pnrB gene copies increased to $10^3$-fold after 5 days of incubation time.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.1030-1038
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• 2007

Results on localization of growth hormone receptor (GHR), interaction of growth hormone (GH) with receptor in buffalo adipose tissue and identification of activated signaling molecules in the action of GH are presented. Bovine GH (bGH) was labeled with fluorescein or biotin. Fluorescein-labelled bGH was used for localization of GHRs in buffalo adipocytes. The receptors were present on the cell surface. The affinity of binding of GH to its receptor was determined by designing an experiment in which buffalo adipose tissue explants, biotinylated GH and streptavidin-peroxidase conjugate were employed. The affinity constant was calculated to be $2{\times}10^8M^{-1}$. The receptor density on adipose tissue was found to be 1 femto mole per mg of tissue. Signalling molecules generated in the action of GH were tentatively identified by employing Western blot and enhanced chemiluminescence techniques using anti-phosphotyrosine antibody. Based on molecular weights of proteins reactive to anti-phosphotyrosine antibody, three signaling molecules viz. insulin receptor substrate, Janus activated kinase (Jak) and mitogen activated protein were tentatively identified. These signaling molecules appeared in a time (incubation time of explants with growth hormone) dependent way. The activation of Jak2 was confirmed by employing anti-Jak2 antibody in a Western blot. The activation of Jak2 occurred during 5 min incubation of buffalo adipose tissue explants with GH and incubation for an additional period, viz. 30 min. or 60 min., resulted in a drastic reduction in activation. The results suggest that Jak2 activation is an early event in the action of GH in buffalo adipose tissue.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.165-167
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• 2014

Objective: The objective of this study is to estimate the effects of Inclear, a feminine cleanser, on sperm motility. Methods: Semen samples were obtained from infertile male patients. Following liquefaction, the raw semen samples were diluted with Ham's F-10 nutrient mixture medium containing 0.4% human serum albumin solution at a ratio of 1:3. The semen samples were subsequently centrifuged to separate the seminal plasma from the serum. The supernatant was discarded, and the pellet was resuspended. The sample was again centrifuged to remove cell debris, and the supernatant was removed. The final pellet was gently loosened by resuspension and incubated in medium alone as a control, and in a 10% solution of the medium plus Inclear. A sampling time of 30 minutes was selected on the basis of sperm transport studies. Sperm motility was evaluated with computer-assisted sperm analysis. Results: A total of 20 samples were analyzed. The mean age of patients was $34.40{\pm}2.96years$. There was no difference in sperm concentration and motility in the two samples at 0 minute and 30 minutes of incubation. In both semen samples, the sperm concentration and motility decreased after an incubation period of 30 minutes. However, there was no statistical difference between the samples. Sperm concentration and motility were not significantly different between the control and Inclear samples after 0 minute and 30 minutes of incubation. Conclusion: Inclear has no negative effects on sperm motility. This product can be recommended to pregnancy planners for vaginal hygiene and as a vaginal lubricant.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.181-189
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• 2008

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of $Ca^{2+}$, $HCO_3{^-}$ and BSA on the in vitro capacitation-associated protein tyrosine phosphorylation, hyperactivation and acrosome reaction in guinea pig sperm. Caudal epididymal sperm were incubated in four different groups: modified TALP (Tyrode's albumin lactate pyruvate) or TALP without one of the medium constituents ($Ca^{2+}$, $HCO_3{^-}$ and BSA). After incubation for the required time (0 h, 0.5 h, 1 h, 3 h, 5 h, and 7 h), sperm were removed for further experiment. The capacitation effect was assessed by CTC (Chlortetracycline) staining. Western blotting and indirect immunofluorescence were used to analyze the level and localization of tyrosine phosphorylation. The results showed that guinea pig sperm underwent a time-dependent increase in protein tyrosine phosphorylation during the in vitro capacitation and the percentage of protein tyrosine phosphorylated sperm increased from 36% to 92% from the beginning of incubation to 7 h incubation. Also, there was a shift in the site of phosphotyrosine-specific fluorescence from the head of sperm to both the head and the flagellum. Moreover, an absence of $Ca^{2+}$ or $HCO_3{^-}$ inhibited in vitro hyperactivation and acrosome reaction and decreased the phosphorylation of the proteins throughout the period of in vitro capacitation. However, an absence of BSA could not influence these processes if substituted by polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in the medium.