• Animal Bioscience
• /
• v.34 no.8
• /
• pp.1253-1270
• /
• 2021

Assessment of male fertility is based on the evaluation of sperm. Semen evaluation measures various sperm quality parameters as fertility indicators. However, semen evaluation has limitations, and it requires the advancement and application of strict quality control methods to interpret the results. This article reviews the recent advances in evaluating various sperm-specific quality characteristics and methodologies, with the help of different assays to assess sperm-fertility status. Sperm evaluation methods that include conventional microscopic methods, computer-assisted sperm analyzers (CASA), and flow cytometric analysis, provide precise information related to sperm morphology and function. Moreover, profiling fertility-related biomarkers in sperm or seminal plasma can be helpful in predicting fertility. Identification of different sperm proteins and diagnosis of DNA damage has positively contributed to the existing pool of knowledge about sperm physiology and molecular anomalies associated with different infertility issues in males. Advances in methods and sperm-specific evaluation has subsequently resulted in a better understanding of sperm biology that has improved the diagnosis and clinical management of male factor infertility. Accurate sperm evaluation is of paramount importance in the application of artificial insemination and assisted reproductive technology. However, no single test can precisely determine fertility; the selection of an appropriate test or a set of tests and parameters is required to accurately determine the fertility of specific animal species. Therefore, a need to further calibrate the CASA and advance the gene expression tests is recommended for faster and field-level applications.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.36-48
• /
• 1999

Field test was conducted in Chungbuk province to evaluate the soil fertility using landscape and soil attributes by application of geographic information system(GIS) in 48 tobacco fields during 2 years(1996 ; 23 fields, 1997 ; 25 fields). The soil fertility factors and fertilizer effects were estimated by twenty five independent variables including 13 chemical properties and 12 GIS databases. Twenty five independent variables were classified by two groups, 15 quantitative indexes and 10 qualitative indexes and were analyzed by multiple linear regression (MLR) of SAS, REG and GLM models. The estimation model for evaluation of soil fertility and fertilizer effect was made by giving the estimate coefficient for each quantitative index and for each group of qualitative index significantly selected by MLR. Estimation for soil fertility factors and fertilizer effects by independent variables was better by MLR than single regression showing gradually improvement by adding chemical properties, quantitative indexes and qualitative indexes of GIS. Consequently, it is assumed that this approach by MLR with quantitative and qualitative indexes was available as an evaluation model of soil fertility and recommendation of optimum fertilization for tobacco field.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
• /
• v.23 no.2 s.74
• /
• pp.137-148
• /
• 2005

This study compared one-child households' economic structures between those who determined not to have more children and those who have a birth plan. This study examined the demographic characteristics and economic variables such as income, consumption expenditures, assets. debt, and a subjective evaluation of future economic status. Especially, it compared the effects of socioeconomic variables on expenditures on a child between low-fertility and birth-planned households. From a questionnaire completed by a husband or wife of one-child households, 154 low-fertility households and 201 birth-planned households were obtained. A t-test, chi-square test, multiple regression analysis and a dummy variable interaction technique were used. The findings of this study are as follows: First, low-fertility households were older, had higher income, and had more educated, employed wives. Their marital duration was longer, and their child was older than those of birth-planned households. Second, low-fertility households had higher consumption expenditures than did birth-planned households. Especially, expenditures of apparel and shoes, health care, education, and entertainment were significantly higher for low-fertility households. Also, low-fertility households spent more than did birth-planned households on a child. However, low-fertility households had significantly more debt than did their counterparts, and their expectation level of future economic status were lower than that of birth-planned households. Third, the effects of socioeconomic variables on expenditures on a child were different between low-fertility and birth-planned households. Age, education level, husband's occupation, wife's employment status, income, net asset, and subjective evaluation of future economic status showed significant differences. Income elasticity of expenditure on a child was significantly higher for low-fertility households than their counterparts.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.123-132
• /
• 2000

Evaluation method of soil fertility by combination of soil color characteristics and survey data from soil map as well as chemical properties was investigated on total 35 field and pot experiments. Total 35 tobacco fields including 11 fields located at Cheonweon county in Chungnam Province, 9 fields located at Goesan county in Chungbuk Province, and 15 fields located at Youngcheon county in Kyongbuk Province were selected in 1984 to cover the wide range of distribution in landscape and soil attributes. Yields of tobacco grown on the plots of both the pot and field experiment which were not applied with any fertilizer were considered as basic fertility of the soil (BFS). The BFS was estimated by 32 independent variables including 15 chemical properties, 3 color characteristics, and 14 soil survey data from soil map. Twenty-four independent variables containing 16 quantitative variables selected from 24 quantitative variables by collinearity diagnostics and 8 qualitative variables, were classified and analyzed by multiple linear regression (MLR) of REG and GLM models of SAS. Tobacco yield of field experiment showed high variations by eight times in difference between minimum and maximum yield indicating the diverse soil fertility among the experimental fields. Evaluation for the BFS by the MLR including quantitative variables was still more confidential than that by a single index and that showed more improvement of coefficient of determination ($R^2$) in pot experiment than in field experiment. Evaluation for the BFS by MLR in field experiment was still improved by adding qualitative variables as well as quantitative variables. The variability in the BFS of field experiment was explained 43.2% by quantitative variables and 67.95% by adding both the quantitative and qualitative variables compared with 21.7% by simple regression with NO$_3$-N content in soil. The regression evaluation for the best evaluation of the BFS of field experiment by MLR included NO$_3$-N content, L value, and a value of soil color as quantitative variables and available soil depth and topography as qualitative variables. Consequently, it is assumed that this approach by the MLR including both the quantitative and qualitative variables was available as an evaluation model of soil fertility for tobacco field.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.157-162
• /
• 2005

To find out the possible inefficiencies of artificial inseminators at rectovaginal insemination in cows, inseminators' skill were evaluated by controlling the semen thawing procedure adopted and by using the technique of dye deposition in the genital tract of slaughtered cows. This was followed by refreshment training for the inseminators. Thirty seven artificial insemination technicians regularly working in the government, cooperative and NGO (Non Government Organization) artificial insemination programmes at different places of Bangladesh were included in the study. Individual technicians were asked to thaw a semen straw and deposit dye in the genital tract of slaughtered cows following the procedures they would have adopted in their actual practices of insemination. The time and water temperature adopted by technicians were recorded and genital tract after sham artificial insemination was dissected to determine the site of dye deposition. Then, the inseminators took part in a three days intensive training program. The training program was ended up with the same tests for thawing frozen semen straw and dye deposition in the genital tract of slaughtered cows. At pre training evaluation, only $25\%\;and\;72\%\;(n=36)$ inseminators adopted co..ect thawing time and temperature, respectively. At post training evaluation, all inseminators thawed semen straws for proper time and temperature. At pretraining evaluation, $21(57\%),\;11 (30\%)\;and\;3(8\%)$ inseminators deposited dye at the body of uterus, in the vagina or in cervix, and into the horn of uterus, respectively. In $2(5\%)$ cases dye did not pass into the genital tract, instead back flowed through the space between the barrel of insemination gun and sheath. At post training evaluation, all inseminators successfully deposited dye in the body of uterus. Frequent evaluation of inseminators' skill and subsequent training would help improvement of the artificial insemination technicians' skill.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.229-238
• /
• 2000

The purpose of reproductive toxicity studies is to evaluate all effects resulting from paternal or maternal exposure that interfere with conception, development, birth, and maturation of offspring. In 1966, the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) published guidelines for a three-segment study for drug testing to examine adverse effects on fertility and pregnancy. Three segments were proposed: Segment I, Study of Fertility and General Reproductive Performance, to provide information on breeding, fertility, nidation, parturition, neonatal effects and lactation: Segment II, Teratological study, to provide information on embryo toxicity and teratogenicity: and Segment III. perinatal and Postnatal Study, to provide information on late fetal development, labour and delivery, neonatal viability, and growth and lactation. The classic guideline is still used to this day with only monor modification throughout the world. In the present review, the principles and methods of reproductive toxicity studies are discussed with special attention given to scientific issues.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.47 no.4
• /
• pp.237-244
• /
• 2020

Endometrial cancer (EC) in young women tends to be early-stage and low-grade; therefore, such cases have good prognoses. Fertility-sparing treatment with progestin is a potential alternative to definitive treatment (i.e., total hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, pelvic washing, and/or lymphadenectomy) for selected patients. However, no evidence-based consensus or guidelines yet exist, and this topic is subject to much debate. Generally, the ideal candidates for fertility-sparing treatment have been suggested to be young women with grade 1 endometrioid adenocarcinoma confined to the endometrium. Magnetic resonance imaging should be performed to rule out myometrial invasion and extrauterine disease before initiating fertility-sparing treatment. Although various fertility-sparing treatment methods exist, including the levonorgestrel-intrauterine system, metformin, gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists, photodynamic therapy, and hysteroscopic resection, the most common method is high-dose oral progestin (medroxyprogesterone acetate at 500-600 mg daily or megestrol acetate at 160 mg daily). During treatment, re-evaluation of the endometrium with dilation and curettage at 3 months is recommended. Although no consensus exists regarding the ideal duration of maintenance treatment after achieving regression, it is reasonable to consider maintaining the progestin therapy until pregnancy with individualization. According to the literature, the ovarian stimulation drugs used for fertility treatments appear safe. Hysterectomy should be performed after childbearing, and hysterectomy without oophorectomy can also be considered for young women. The available evidence suggests that fertility-sparing treatment is effective and does not appear to worsen the prognosis. If an eligible patient strongly desires fertility despite the risk of recurrence, the clinician should consider fertility-sparing treatment with close follow-up.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.1-14
• /
• 1979

The fertility which is the combined factor is one of the important capability determiants of paddy soils. In this study, we aimed at attaining a quantitative evaluation of soil fertility and further establishing an objective fertility classification on the basis of the fertility evaluation. The samples used in this series studies were collected from Korean paddy field. They include deltas, flood plains, coastal plains, valley plains, fans and low terraces. On the basis of correlation analysis, factor analysis was applied to a set of 15 variables. As a result of factor analysis, five mutually independent and clearly definable fertility component factors were extracted from the 15 variables for the whole 90 surface soil samples. The fertility status of each sample soil could be objectively designated by the score of the five factors. As a means of summarizing the information obtained, taxonomic distances between all pairs of the samples were computed from these five factor scores further to be subjected to numerical taxonomy. Seven fertility groups were formulated, each of which was characterized by one or more of the fertility components. As this fertility classification was based on the present state of soil properties, it would be useful in pointing to the proper direction of further fertility amelioration and improvement for each group to enhance potential productivity of Korean paddy fields.

• 대한생식의학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2003.06a
• /
• pp.55-55
• /
• 2003

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.44 no.2
• /
• pp.90-95
• /
• 2017

Objective: We investigated whether the insemination method (in vitro fertilization [IVF] or intracytoplasmic sperm injection [ICSI]) affected morphokinetic events and abnormal cleavage events in embryonic development. Methods: A total of 1,830 normal fertilized embryos were obtained from 272 IVF and ICSI cycles that underwent ovum retrieval culture using a time-lapse system (Embryoscope) from June 2013 to March 2015. All embryos were investigated by a detailed time-lapse analysis that measured the developmental events in the hours after IVF or ICSI insemination. Results: No significant differences were observed between the two groups regarding clinical outcomes (p>0.05). ICSI-derived embryos showed significantly faster morphokinetics than those derived from conventional IVF, from the time to pronuclear fading to the time to 6 cells (p<0.05). However, no significant differences were found from the time to 7 cells to the time to expanded blastocyst (p>0.05). There were no differences in abnormal cleavage events between the two groups (p>0.05); they showed the same rates of direct cleavage from 1 to 3 cells, 2 multinucleated cells, 2 uneven cells, and reverse cleavage. Conclusion: The morphokinetics of embryo development was found to vary between IVF- and ICSI-fertilized oocytes, at least until the 6-cell stage. However, these differences did not affect the clinical outcomes of the embryo. Additionally, no significant differences in abnormal cleavage events were found according to the fertilization method.