• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.119-133
• /
• 1997

In spite of much progress in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) program, the pregnancy rate remains at 20-30%, and the endometrial implantation rate per embryo transferred at 10-15%. As a result, about 90% of embryos may fail to implant to the endometrium, and many attempts such as optimization of follicular development, improvement of in vitro culture system including coculture, and micromanipulation of zona pellucida have been made to improve embryonic implantation after IVF-ET. Recently, several procedures of assisted hatching (AH) using micromanipulation have been introduced, and pregnancies and births have been obtained after AH. To develop and establish AH as an effective procedure to improve embryonic implantation, AH with partial zona dissection (PZD) was performed in 116 cycles of 89 infertile couples who had previous repeated failures of standard IVF-ET more than two times (Group I: 71 cycles in 54 patients), or who had implantation failure of embryos with good quality (Group II: 15 cycles in 13), or who had undergone AH without specific indication (Group III: 30 cycles in 22) from January, 1995 to Februry, 1996, and the outcomes of AH were analyzed according to pregnancy rate. The number of oocytes retrieved after controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) was $9.9{\pm}7.1$ in Group I, $11.5{\pm}4.5$ in Group II, and $7.9{\pm}6.4$ in Group III. The number of embryos transferred after AH was $4.7{\pm}1.8$ in Group I, $5.3{\pm}1.3$ in Group II, and $3.5{\pm}2.4$ in Group III. The mean cumulative embryo score (CES) was $56.8{\pm}30.0$ in Group I, $76.1{\pm}35.9$ in Group II, and $38.5{\pm}29.9$ in Group III. The overall clinical pregnancy rate per cycle and per patient was 12.7% (9/71) and 16.7% (9/54) in Group I, 33.3% (5/15) and 38.5% (5/13) in Group II, and 6.7% (2/30) and 9.1% (2/22) in Group III, respectively. There were significant differences in the numbers of oocytes retrieved and embryos transferred, CES, and the clinical pregnancy rate per cycle among three groups. There was a significant inverse correlation between basal serum FSH level and CES, and no pregnancy occurred in patients with CES less than 20. In conclusion, AH of human embryos with PZD prior to ET has improved the implantation and pregnancy rates in IVF-ET patients with the past history of repeated failures, especially in spite of transfer of embryos with good quality, and AH will provide a range of novel techniques which may contribute much to effective management of infertile couples.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.63-70
• /
• 2009

Objective: This study was performed to investigate the effectiveness of minimal stimulation using rhFSH and GnRH antagonist compared with GnRH antagonist multidose protocol (MDP) in IVF treated patients with aged 40 and above. Methods: Seventy-five patients with aged 40 and above were equally randomized to minimal stimulation group (n=37) or GnRH antagonist MDP group (n=38). For minimal stimulation group, ultrasound monitoring was started on cycle day 7 or 8. Daily injections of 0.25 mg cetrorelix together with 150 IU rhFSH were started from the day at 13${\sim}$14 mm of a leading follicle diameter. For GnRH antagonist MDP group, daily injections of 225 IU rhFSH were initiated from cycle day 2 and GnRH antagonist was started at a dose of 0.25 mg/day on rhFSH stimulation day 6 or the day at 13${\sim}$14 mm of leading follicle diameter. In both groups, transvaginal ultrasound-guided oocyte retrieval was performed. According to cleavage and morphologic characteristics of embryos, embryos were transferred 3 to 5 days after oocyte retrieval. Results: There were no differences in patients' characteristics and cycle cancellation rate between the two groups. Total dose and duration of rhFSH used were significantly fewer and shorter in minimal stimulation group than those in GnRH antagonist MDP group. The numbers of oocytes retrieved, mature oocytes and transferred embryos were also lower in minimal stimulation group. However, there were no significant differences in the clinical pregnancy rate and miscarriage rate between the two groups. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that minimal stimulation protocol provides comparable pregnancy rates to GnRH antagonist MDP with fewer dose and days of rhFSH used, and thus can be a cost-effective alternative in women aged 40 and above.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.229-241
• /
• 2008

Changes of growth and histopathological feature in the mantle structure of the equilateral venus, Gomphina veneriformis exposed to tribultyltin chloride (TBTCl) for 36 weeks were observed. Concentrations of TBTCl were 0, 0.4, 0.6, and $0.8{\mu}g/L$. A regression analysis by power function of SPSS was shown that the growth of experimental groups was significantly decreased after 12 weeks of exposure. For histological analysis, mantle tissues were characterized using H-E stain, AB-PAS (pH 2.5) reaction and Masson's trichrome stain, and epidermal layer thickness and mucous cell distribution were analysed using the image analyser. The mantle had 4-folds (inner-inner, inner-outer, middle, and outer) and its epidermal layer consisted of simple epithlia. A periostracum was observed in the periostracal groove between middle and outer fold. Inner epidermal layer consisted of simple ciliated columnar epithelia, but the outer epidermal layer consisted of simple non-ciliated columnar epithelia. Alcian blue positive mucous cells showed blue color (7462c, 653c) in the inner fold, violet color (2583c) in the middle fold, and blue color (647c, 7455c) in inner epidermal layer (numbers in the parenthesis are codes of Pantone process coated color). Hemolymph sinus in the mantle was extended, and mucous cells in inner plica of the middle fold were stained as blue (7455c) and violet (2587c), after 12 weeks of TBTCI exposure. Cilia and striated border were disappeared, and number of mucous cells in the inner epidermal layer was reduced. Serious histopathological changes in middle and outer fold near the periostracum were observed after 36 weeks. Moreover, epidermal layer thickness and mucous cell distribution were showed decreasing tendency as exposure time to TBTCI was increased. Results of this study suggested that TBTCl induced growth disorder with histopathological changes.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.103-110
• /
• 1994

Since the supply of the Southeast Asian tropical timber decreases and its price steeply increases in the international lumber market, door and window frame manufacturers in this country are eagerly searching for their substitutes. This is the first step to replace Southeast Asian tropical timber by low grade North American softwoods, whose reliable and steady supply is expected, but their appearances are not as good as the tropical timber. In this study, knot distribution on the softwood boards and their warp were examined The yield and production cost were also calculated. The average numbers of knots on a door frame were 7.2 for Douglas-fir and 3.4 for Western hemlock. Only 11% of the knots of Douglas-fir door frames are larger than 5cm in diameter, while are 35% of the knots of Western hemlock. The deformations of door frames, after 2 months air-drying, were measured with a warp table. The deformations of Western hemlock door frames were mostly less than 6mm, while those of Douglas-fir distributed in the range of 0.5 and 9.5mm. The yield of Western hemlock is higher than that of Douglas-fir. It can be concluded that the door frames made of the softwoods are compatible with those made of the tropical timber in most aspects except appearance.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.518-524
• /
• 2015

The objective of this research was to investigate the influence of various depths of expanded rice hull (ERH) medium and fixation dates of runner plantlets of 'Seolhyang' strawberry on the growths in nursery field and in plastic house soil after transplanting. The five treatments in medium depths (30, 50, 70, 90, and 110 mm) and four treatments in fixation dates (1st and 15th July and 1st and 15th August) were tested. The growths of runner plantlets were investigated before transplanting to plastic house soil. The early growth and inflorescence rates of crops after transplant to plastic house soil were also investigated. The plant height and fresh weight of runner plantlets were the highest in the medium depths of 50, 70, and 90 mm. The medium depth of 30 mm had higher numbers of first roots, but lower root fresh weight compared to those of 70, 90, and 110 mm. The treatment of 30 mm in medium depth showed poorer growth in all indexes except root length and root weight compared to those of 70, 90, and 110 mm. The runner plantlets fixed on July 1 and July 15 showed good root growth and the weights of ERH adhered to form root balls were 18.3 g and 13.9 g, respectively. The detached amount of ERH was less than 40% in the two treatments when root balls were shaken by a vibratory sieve shaker. The plant growth at 45 days after transplanting to plastic house soil were not significantly different when the runner plantlets were fixed in the period from July 1 to Aug. 1. The inflorescence rates of the first cluster were 93 to 100% when runner plantlets were fixed in the period from July 1 to Aug. 1. By contrast the runner plantlets fixed on the Aug. 15 had a 67% in florescence rate for the first cluster. These results indicate that optimum depth of ERH medium was 7 cm and the ranges of optimum fixation dates are from July 20 to 25.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.448-453
• /
• 2014

Influences of shading and irrigation in summer hot pepper cultivation on the plant growth and mesophyll tissue were investigated. Hot pepper plants were exposed to three shade levels (0, $30{\pm}5$ and $80{\pm}5%$) and irrigated or non-irrigated in greenhouse condition. Plant height and leaf area were highest in 30% shading and stem diameter and fresh and dry weights were highest in no shading. Plant growth was better in rain shelters with irrigation than in those without irrigation. The numbers of hot pepper fruits in the beginning of harvest were 49 in rain shelters without irrigation and shading, 22 in those with irrigation and without shading, 5 in those without irrigation with 30% shading, and 1 in those with irrigation and 30% shading. However, 80% shading showed lowest flower number and flower abscission, resulting in no fruit set, regardless of irritation. This is because carbohydrate translocation from leaves to reproductive organs may be not enough for developing fruits due to the lack of sunlight. The yield of hot pepper tended to be higher in rain shelter with irrigation than in those without irrigation. In optical microscopy observation, the thickness and development of mesophyll tissues decreased as increasing the degree of shading but no effect of irrigation on mesophyll tissues was observed. When stomata were observed with scanning electron microscope (SEM), the shape of stomata was normal but tissues surrounding stomata were slightly wrinkled in plants grown under 30% shading. The large number of abnormal stomata and wrinkled leaves was observed among plants grown in rain shelters with 80% shading. In plants grown in rain shelters without irrigation, tissues surrounding stomata were wrinkled and 10-20% decrease in the number of stomata was observed. Therefore, in hot pepper cultivation in summer with high temperature, shading was not effective for fruit yield and mesophyll tissue development; if shading is unavoidable, high degree of shading is not advisable. Further studies are needed for appropriate cultivar selection and environment-control techniques in hot pepper cultivation in summer with high temperature.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.473-482
• /
• 2013

Molecular markers, as an efficient selection tool, have been and is being used for practical breeding program in chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). Recently, a lot of researches on inheritance and genetic analysis for quantitative traits including capsaicinoids, carotenoids, and sugar content in pepper are being performed worldwide. It has been also reported that QTL mapping is a necessary tool to develop molecular markers associated with the quantitative traits. In this study, we suggested a new method to construct a pepper genetic map using SNP (HRM) markers generated from NGS resequencing of female and male parents. Plant materials were C. annuum 'NB1' (female parent), C. chinense 'Jolokia' (male parent), and their $F_2$ population consisting of 94 progenies. Sequences of 4.6 Gbp and 6.2 Gbp were obtained from NGS resequencing of 'NB1' and 'Jolokia', respectively. Totally, 4.29 million SNPs between 'NB1' and 'Jolokia' were detected and the 1.76 million SNPs were clearly identified. Among them, total 145 SNP (HRM) primer pairs covering pepper genetic map were selected, and the 116 SNP (HRM) markers of them were located on this map. Total distance of the map, which consisted of 12 linkage groups and matched with basic chromosome numbers of pepper, was 1,167.9 cM. According to the mapping result, we concluded that our mapping method was suitable to construct a pepper genetic map fast and accurately. In addition, the genetic map could be directly used for QTL analysis of traits different between both parents.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.407-414
• /
• 2013

This study was carried out to understand the physiological characteristics of 'Manpungbae' (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai) pears through the seasonal changes of pericarp structure and anatomical differences between bagging and non-bagging treatment, and also fruit quality and peel coloration characteristics at the harvest time. The pericarp at full bloom was consists of outer epidermis, hypodermis, parenchyma cell, and inner epidermis from the exterior. The cell layers from the outer epidermis to vascular bundle increased rapidly 7-10 layers to 18-26 layers from full bloom (FB) to 77 days after full bloom (DAFB) and did not change significantly until maturity. Thus, the cell division period of 'Manpungbae' pear was until 77 DAFB and during this period, the thickness from hypodermis to vascular bundle increased from $73.1{\mu}m$ to $195{\mu}m$ in this period. Stone cells were formed from seven to 21 DAFB and stone cell clusters were formed around 49 DAFB. The cork cell layer was formed between 49 and 77 DAFB. 'Manpungbae' fruit pericarp was consists of 4.5 layers of the cork cell layers and seven layers of hypodermis which has the tannin at harvest time (161 DAFB). Comparison of the fruit enlargement and fruit structure development by bagging or non-bagging showed that 'Manpungbae' fruits without bagging had more than three cork cell layer than those with bagging at maturity. The size of stone cell clusters were varied in two treatments. Fruit weight was higher in the non-bagging treatment but there was no difference in soluble solid contents (SSC) between two treatments. The weight of the 'Manpunbae' fruit was distributed from 301 g to more 900 g and the average fruit weight was 677.2 g at harvest time, and fruits in the range of 551-800 g accounted for 71.6% of total production. The SSC, acidity and SSC/acidity ratio was $10.2-12.1^{\circ}Brix$, 0.10-1.24% and 9.76-14.31 respectively, and the SSC was higher in bigger fruit which had a very higher positive correlation with a fruit weight. However, the fruit firmness tended to be lower with fruit size which had a very higher negative correlation with the fruit weight and SSC. The cork cell layer numbers between yellowish brown and green pericarp were not different significantly, in 3.8 and 3.5 respectively.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.188-197
• /
• 2002

Purpose : Nowadays, drinks, foods and snacks have frequently been intensified with calcium and the insights into the importance of calcium-intake in general has developed in Korea. In this decade, we found the numbers of children who was visited to our hospital for evaluation of hematuria defined with hypercalciuria were increased. So we tried to compare the mean levels of serum calcium, alkaline phosphate, sodium, potassium, chloride, BUN, creatinine, bicarbonate and urinary pH who visited our hospital in 1991, 1992 with in 2000, 2001. Materials and methods : Between January 1991 to December 1992, and between January 2000 to December 2001, each 366 children and 488 children, aged 1 month to 15 years, who presented in our hospital for tonsilectomy and adenoidectomy or for inguinal herniorrhaphy were enrolled in the study, The children in the study were checked the level of serum calcium, alkaline phosphate, sodium, potassium, chloride, BUN, creatinine, bicarbonate and urinary pH with the machine which was corrected the similar levels of practical chemical levels in serum. We compared each mean levels in 1991s' group with in 2001s' group totally and separately through the age and sex. We used t-test to analysis data. Results : The levels of serum calcium, alkaline phosphate, creatinine, sodium, potassium, and urinary pH of 2001s' group were significantly higher than the levels of 1991s' group(P<0.05). The each level was $9.91{\pm}0.50\;mg/dL,\;248.58{\pm}94.98\;U/L,\;0.61{\pm}0.14\;mg/dL,\;138.64{\pm}2.22\;mM/L,\;4.35{\pm}0.40\;mM/L,\;6.18{\pm}0.86$ in 2001s' and $9.13{\pm}0.68;mg/dL,\;198.26{\pm}79.34\;U/L,\;0.433{\pm}0.18\;mg/dL,\;137.86{\pm}2.67\;mM/L,\;4.22{\pm}0.36\;mM/L,\;5.83{\pm}0.95$ in 1991s'. And the levels of serum bicarbonate, $23.64{\pm}2.57\;mM/L$ in 2001s' was significantly lower than the 1991s', $24.60{\pm}2.23\;mM/L$(P<0.05). The similar results were detected each age and sex group. Conclusion : The levels of serum calcium increase in this decade. The results will be used as a basic data for the national health plan in the years to come.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.27-34
• /
• 1999

Purpose: This study was designed to investigate the changes in soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) level in sera and urines of children with primary nephrotic syndrome, eliminating the confounding effects of age, proteinuria, and steroid treatment. Methods: Soluble IL-2R was measured by ELISA in sera and urines from patients with minimal change nephrotic syndrome or focal segmental glomerulosclerosis as well as from healthy controls. The serum levels and urinary sIL-2R/creatinine ratios were compared between control group and the 12 patient groups divided by their ages (0-1, 2-4, over 5 years), and presence or absence of proteinuria and/or steroid treatment (PU+Tx-, PU+Tx+, PU-Tx+, PU-Tx-). Results: Though the differences were not statistically significant probably because of the small numbers, serum sIL-2R levels seemed to be higher in younger age groups both in patients and control group. Nephrotic children did not show higher serum levels than normal children. Among the patients, proteinuric condition seemed to raise and steroid treatment tended to suppress the serum sIL-2R levels. Urinary sIL-2R/creatinine ratios were higher in younger age groups, more significantly in patients (P<0.001). Proteinuria and steroid treatment affected the urinary sIL-2R/creatinine ratios by the same way as the serum sIL-2R levels. Serum sIL-2R levels and urinary sIL-2R/creatinine ratios were not different between groups of different histologic findings or steroid responsiveness (P>0.05). Conclusion: Serum sIL-2R levels and the urinary sIL-2R/creatinine ratios were higher in younger age, and they were not higher in nephrotic patients compared to control group. The patients in relapse showed higher levels, while the levels were suppressed with steroid treatment. In proteinuric state, urinary sIL-2R/creatinine ratios reflected serum sIL-2R levels.