• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.146-151
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• 2001

This study was carried out to find if the X-irradiation being used for clinical diagnosis during pregnancy would affect fetal development and cause fetal malformation in rats or not. To determine the dose and irradiation frequency of X-irradiation and gestation period by which fetal development would be affected when irradiated during pregnancy, seventy-two Sprague Dawley female rats (8 weeks old) were used for the experiment and grouped into three according to different gestation period of 5-8 days, and 6-12 days of gestation. Experimental rats were irradiated on the daily irradiation conditions of 40, 60, 80 kvp(kilo volt peak), 150 mA(milliampere), 0.25 sec and 4 times/day for both 5-8 days and 10-13 days of gestation, and 100 kvp, 100 mA, 2 min. and 4 times/day for 6-12 days of gestation. Rats were put in a small dark box when irradiated, which animals were sacrificed on the 20th day of gestation and mean litter size, fetal body weight, fetal crown-rump length(CRL) were investigated along with pathological findings. 1. Litter size were significantly decreased in the rats which were irradiated by both 60 and 80 kvp during 5 to 8 days of gestation and by 100 kvp during 6-12 days of gestation compared to those from the control rats(p<0.05) 2. Fetal body weight was significantly decreased in the fetus from the rats which were irradiated by both 60-80 kvp during 5-8 days of gestation and by 100 kvp during 6-12 days of gestation compared to those from the control rats(p<0.05). 3. There was no significant difference of fetal crown-rump length between all the experimental rats and the controls. 4. Fetal absorption, fetal death, and fetal malformation were not observed in the fetus form the rats irradiated by 40-80 kvp during 5-8 and 10-13 days of gestation, however, the pathological findings were found in those from the rats irradiated by 100 kvp during 6-12 days of gestation. 5. The harmful effect of x-irradiation on fetal development was estimated to occur when irradiated during 5-8 days of gestation. These results indicated that even X-irradiation for clinical diagnosis could affect fetal development in the early embryonic stage and when the fetus were exposed to frequent and prolonged x-irradiation with over dose.

• BMB Reports
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.427-432
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• 1995

Ganglioside GM3 and sialidase activities in human fetal liver have been investigated. Gangliosides were extracted from fetal livers by the Folch-Suzuki method and analyzed by high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). GM3 increased, but lactosylceramide (LacCer) decreased predominantly over the developmental stages. Sialidase in human fetal liver was mainly localized in the lysosomal fraction and its activity was high in the earlier stages of development. The optimum pH for this enzyme was 4.3~4.4. Sialidase was more active with the ganglioside mixture than with GM3, sialyllactose or fetuin. Fetal liver sialidase was still active (20% activity) in the presence of 25% methanol. These results suggested that the changes of the ganglioside GM3 and sialidase activity may be involved in the regulation of cell growth in human fetal liver during development.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.370-378
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• 2008

Purposes: The purposes of this descriptive survey study were to describe levels of Maternal-Fetal Interaction Belief and Maternal-Fetal Interaction, and to define their correlation. Method: Data were collected from 273 pregnant women who visited one public health center and OB/GY clinic in Gangneung city. The instrument used for this study was a self-report questionnaire that included the Maternal-Fetal Interaction Belief scale(MFIBS) and maternal-fetal interaction. Results: The mean scores for maternal-fetal interaction belief and maternal-fetal interaction were $107.41{\pm}15.67$ and $31.75{\pm}5.92$ respectively. For maternal-fetal interaction belief, there were significant differences according to education, religion, income, feeding plan, marriage satisfaction, family support, and husband's love. For maternal-fetal interaction, there were significant differences according to mother's age, period of pregnancy, marriage satisfaction, family support, husband's love. There was a correlation between maternal-fetal interaction belief and maternal-fetal interaction. Conclusion: Maternal-fetal interaction belief is related to increase in maternal-fetal interaction and fetal development. It is essential to develop a maternal-fetal interaction program that includes maternal-fetal interaction belief.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.55-64
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• 2006

The fetal central nervous system (CNS) is sensitive to diverse environmental factors, such as alcohol, heavy metals, irradiation, mycotoxins, neurotransmitters, and DNA damage, because a large number of processes occur during an extended period of development. Fetal neural damage is an important issue affecting the completion of normal CNS development. As many concepts about the brain development have been recently revealed, it is necessary to compare the mechanism of developmental abnormalities induced by extrinsic factors with the normal brain development. To clarify the mechanism of fetal CNS damage, we used one experimental model in which 5-azacytidine (5AZC), a DNA damaging and demethylating agent, was injected to the dams of rodents to damage the fetal brain. 5AzC induced cell death (apoptosis)and cell cycle arrest in the fetal brain, and it lead to microencephaly in the neonatal brain. We investigated the mechanism of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in the neural progenitor cells in detail, and demonstrated that various cell cycle regulators were changed in response to DNA damage. p53, the guardian of genome, played a main role in these processes. Further, using DNA microarray analysis, tile signal cascades of cell cycle regulation were clearly shown. Our results indicate that neural progenitor cells have the potential to repair the DNA damages via cell cyclearrest and to exclude highly affected cells through the apoptotic process. If the stimulus and subsequent DNA damage are high, brain development proceeds abnormally and results in malformation in the neonatal brain. Although the mechanisms of fetal brain injury and features of brain malformation afterbirth have been well studied, the process between those stages is largely unknown. We hypothesized that the fetal CNS has the ability to repair itself post-injuring, and investigated the repair process after 5AZC-induced damage. Wefound that the damages were repaired by 60 h after the treatment and developmental processes continued. During the repair process, amoeboid microglial cells infiltrated in the brain tissue, some of which ingested apoptotic cells. The expressions of genes categorized to glial cells, inflammation, extracellular matrix, glycolysis, and neurogenesis were upregulated in the DNA microarray analysis. We show here that the developing brain has a capacity to repair the damage induced by the extrinsic stresses, including changing the expression of numerous genes and the induction of microglia to aid the repair process.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.25-28
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• 1997

The present study was conducted to determine the effect of recombinant human follicle stimulating hormone (rhFSH) on the estrogen synthesis by human fetal ovarian tissues. Fetal ovaries were 18-19 weeks old (18 wks:n=1, 19 wks:n=2). One case of 19-week-old fetal ovaries were obtained from anencephalic fetus. Obtained ovarieswere cleaned and diced around $600\mu\textrm{m}$ pieces, and cultured in the sandwich agar bed system for 21-23 days. Estrone ($E_{1}$) and estradiol-17 $\beta$($E_{2}$) in the medium was measured by radioimmunoassay. Amount of $E_{2}$ synthesis was greater than $E_{1}$ in both normal cases. In contrast, fetal ovaries from anencephalic fetus did not produce neither $E_{1}$ nor $E_{2}$ in the presence or absence of rhFSH. Results suggest that the fetal ovaries have a capacity of estrogen production at 18-19 weeks of gestation Existence of FSH receptor is also supposed. Different results by anecephalic fetal ovaries suggest the difference in the development between normal and anencephalic fetal ovaries.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.189-202
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• 1997

The hypothalamic peptide GnRH plays a central role in the regulation of the mammalian reproductive axis. Recent studies suggested that GnRH stimulates or inhibits the ovarian steroidogenesis and gametogenesis directly. Our previous report indicated that GnRH gene is expressed in adult rat ovary as well as in hypothalamus and that the expressed GnRH may induce the follicular atresia and apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells in rat. Therfore, we studied whether GnRH gene is expressed in the mouse fetal ovary, when the germ cells are degenerating by apoptosis during gonad diffeerentiation. Mouse fetal gonads were obtained on the 12, 15,18 and 20th day of gestation from the mother mice superovulated (10 IU PMSG and 10 IU hCG) and mated. The morphological changes of fetal ovaries were examined histochemically by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The fetal sex was confirmed by PCR methods for sexing. RT-PCR methods were used to examine the expression of GnRH gene and the sex steroid hormones were determined by conventional radioimmunoassays. The levels of estradiol (E) and progesterone (P) were increaseduntil 18th day of gestation and then E was decreased just before parturition. The morphological changes of fetal gonadal tissue sections showed the ovarian development and coincided with the result of PCR analysis for sexing using ovary- or testis- specific oligonucleotide primers. Immunoreactive GnRH in placenta was decreased gradually until the end of gestation but fetal brain and ovarian GnRH were increased. The level of GnRH gene expression was increased during fetal ovarian development from 12 till 18th day and decreased suddenly on 20th day just before birth. From these results, it is suggested that ovarian GnRh may play a regulatory role on the germ cell differentiation of fetal ovary.

• Journal of Korean Medical classics
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.157-174
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• 2018

Objectives : The objective of this research is to look deeper into the thoughts of Sajudang in her book on fetal education, Taegyoshin-gi(TGSG), published in the early 19th century Joseon, which focused on her understanding of human development and bodily relationship the mother has with her child with comparison to Korean Medical texts. Methods : The characteristics of TGSG were laid out with comparison to previous texts on fetal education of both China and Korea. After this, they were closely cross-examined with Korean Medical thoughts on human creation, mother-child relationship, and mind-body relationship. Results : Sajudang's thoughts on fetal education as written in TGSG, show a deep understanding of human development and the father and mother's roles in it, expanding the responsibility of fetal education from just the mother to both father and mother. There is also awareness of the importance of the Heart that is at the center of the fetal education process, and of the mother-child relationship through blood. Conclusions : Fetal education as discussed in TGSG expands from previous discourses on the topic, distinguishing itself with thorough understanding of how fetal education works, when it begins, and what the roles of the parents and the community are. This attributes to Sajudang's knowledge that came from both books and her actual experiences.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 2016

Purpose: This study aimed to develop supplementary material about the electronic fetal monitoring for nursing students, and to test the effects on electronic fetal monitoring related knowledge and confidence on nursing performance in delivery room. Methods: Totally 58 nursing students were recruited either experimental group (n=30) or a control group (n=28). A non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design was employed to test the effects on fetal monitoring related knowledge and confidence on nursing performance in delivery room. The supplementary material about the electronic fetal monitoring was developed based on Analysis, Design, Development, Implement and Evaluation (ADDIE) model. Fetal monitoring related knowledge and confidence on nursing performance in delivery room were self-reported by the scales that author developed. Data were collected at pre-test and after the 6-week intervention. Results: There was significant difference in confidence on nursing performance in delivery room between two groups after intervention. Conclusion: These findings suggest the importance of the supplementary material about the electronic fetal monitoring for nursing students to improve confidence on nursing performance in delivery room.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.65-71
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• 2016

Cell-free nucleic acids (cf-NAs) originate in trophoblasts and are detected in the maternal plasma. Using innovative bioinformatic technologies such as next-generation sequencing, cf-NAs in the maternal plasma have been rapidly applied in prenatal genetic screening for fetal aneuploidy. Amniotic fluid is a complex and dynamic fluid that provides growth factors and protection to the fetus. In 2001, the presence of cf-NA in amniotic fluid was reported. Amniotic fluid is in direct contact with the fetus and is derived from fetal urine and maternal and fetal plasma. Therefore, these genetic materials have been suggested to reflect fetal health and provide real-time genetic information regarding fetal development. Recently, several studies evaluated the global gene expression changes of amniotic fluid cell-free RNA according to gestational age. In addition, by analyzing the transcriptome in the amniotic fluid of fetal aneuploidy, potential key pathways and novel biomarkers for fetal chromosomal aneuploidy were identified. Here, we review the current knowledge of cell-free RNA in amniotic fluid and suggest future research directions.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.1161-1167
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• 1999

To investigate the effect of diazepam on fetal development in pregnant rats, this experiment was performed in eighty Sprague-Dawley female rats which were 8 weeks old and grouped into two according to different diazepam treatment period during 5-9 days of gestation and 10-14 days of gestation. Both experimental groups were included by saline treated groups (control) and diazepam-treated groups (6mg, 12mg and 24mg), respectively. Diazepam was injected to pregnant rats subcutaneously, which were sacrified on 20 days of gestation and mean litter size, fetal body weight, fetal crown-rump length (CRL) and pathological findings were examined. 1. Concerning mean litter size, diazepam-treated groups showed lower mean litter size than control in both 5-9 days and 10-14 days of gestation groups(p < 0.05) without difference according to dosage of diazepam and day of gestation. 2. Concerning fetal body weight, diazepam-treated groups during 5-9 days of gestation showed lower fetal body weight than control and the other treated group during 10-14 days(p < 0.01) without difference according to dosage of diazepam. Diazepam-treated group during 10-14 days of gestation showed no difference among experimented groups. 3. Concerning fetal crown-rump length (CRL), diazepam-treated groups during 5-9 days of gestation showed shorter CRL than control and the other treated group during 10-14 days of gestation(p < 0.01) without difference according to dosage of diazepam. 4. Reduction of mean litter size, fetal body weight and CRL was shown from when treated by the dosage of 6mg/kg of diazepam. 5. Maternal mortality according to dosage of the 20mg/kg of diazepam were 30% and 20% in the treated group during 5-9 days and 10-14 days of gestation, respectively. These results indicated that diazepam treatment in pregnant rats caused considerable reduction of mean litter size, fetal body weight and fetal crown-rump length when treated during 5-9 days of gestation.