This study was done to examine the relationship between serum chemical values (urea nitrogen, glucose, total protein and cholesterol) of recipients and pregnancy rate following embryo transfer. Blood samples were taken from 184 Holstein heifers or cows on Day 6 or 7 (Day 0=day of estrus) to analysis for serum urea nitrogen, glucose, total protein and cholesterol concentrations. After selection of recipients, frozen Holstein embryos were thawed and directly transferred to recipients non-surgically. The average serum concentrations of urea nitrogen, glucose, total protein and cholesterol were 13.8 mg/dl, 56.5 mg/dl, 7.2 mg/dl, 124.8 mg/dl, respectively. The average concentrations of serum urea nitrogen and cholesterol were lower (P<0.05) in pregnant recipients (10.7 mg/dl, 99.2 mg/dl) than in non-pregnant recipients (13.0 mg/dl, 122.2 mg/dl), respectively, although the concentrations of glucose and total protein were not different. These results show serum urea nitrogen and cholesterol concentrations can be used important factors for selection of recipients in Holstein.

The aims of these study were to diagnose early pregnancy and reproductive disorders by using progesterone concentration and ultrasonography. The measurement of blood progesterone (P) concentration was conducted to diagnose pregnancy and to detect corpus luteum (CL) or evaluate disorder of CLs. As a result, the incidence rates of reproductive disorders were as follows : SH and EED (41.9%), inacitve ovaries (32.6%), follicullar cyst (9.3%), PCL (7.0%), endometritis (4.7%), pyometra (2.3%) and luteal cyst (2.3%). 61 Cows having Pconcentration 1.0 ng/ml(at the insemination) were increased to 1.0 ng/ml 6day after insemination. 50 cows among 61 cows were diagnosed pregnant. 8 cows among 13 HanWoos having Pconcentration 1.0 ng/ml at the insemination and 1.0 ng/mnl 6 day after insemination had non-ovulatory estrus and the others had Pconcentration 1.0 ng/ml at the insemination and 1.0 ng/ml 6 day after insemination, which was the error of estrus detection. All 13 cows were diagnosed non-pregnant. 47 cows diagnosed pregnant after insemination of Pconcentration 3.0 ng/ml were examined by ultrasonography at 30 day post-insemination. As a result, 41 cows were diagnosed pregnant (87.2%) but 14 cows having Pconcentration 3.0 ng/ml at 21 day after insemination was diagnosed to non-pregnancy. Calving intervals by surveying 100 cows were as follows 11~12 months (20%), 12~13 months (36%), 13~14 months (19%), 14 months (25%), respectively. In conclusion, hormone and ultrasonography help to detect reproductive disorders exactly and diagnose early pregnancy. This study suggest that diagnosis of early pregnancy and reproductive disorder by blood Pconcentration and ultrasonography improve reproduction management of HanWoo.

The ovaries of 178 Holstein heifers or cows (heifer; 41, 1 parity; 72, 2 parity; 65) on Day 6 or 7 (Day 0=day of estrus) were examined by transrectal ultrasonography. Diameter of corpus luteum (CL) and large follicle ( 10 mm), and luteal tissue area were determined by ultrasound system with a 5 MHB rectal probe. Blood samples were taken to progesterone analysis. After selection of recipients, frozen Holstein embryos were thawed and directly transferred to recipients non-surgically. The diameter of CL and luteal tissue area was greater (P<0.01) on Day 7 than on Day 6 in heifers, 1 parity or 2 parity cows, respectively, although progesterone concentrations were not different. The presence of fluid-filled luteal cavitied or multiple CL (2 or more) did not affect serum progesterone concentration. A large follicles were observed in 67.4% of heifers or cows and the average diameter was 14.1 mm. Greater luteal tissue area attributed higher pregnancy in heifers, but not in cows, although there were no difference on pregnancy rate according to progesterone concentration in heifers or cows. The pregnancy rate of recipients contained a large follicle at embryo transfer was lower than that of recipients not contained. These results show ultrasonic assessment of ovaries in Holstein recipients is a reliable tool to determine the follicle and CL for recipient selection.

The objective of this study was to apply the multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET) program practically in dairy herds. Forty five superior Holstein cows ranked in 5% according to Type-Production Index(TPI) in Korea were selected as donors. The donors were superovulated with pFSH and the embryos collected from donors were frozen and preserved. The preserved embryos and frozen Holstein embryo imported from foreign country were thawed and transferred to recipients. The results obtained were as follows; 1. The total number of ova and freezable embryos collected per donor was 6.5 and 2.8, respectively. 2. The freezable embryos were obtained more(p<0.05) when the body condition score (BCS) of donors was in range of 2.50∼3.25(4.1) than in range of 3.50∼4.00(1.9), while the total number of ova was not changed. 3. The season affected on the collected number of freezable embryos(6.1 in winter, 4.5 in fall, 1.1∼1.5 in spring and summer, P<0.05), and the total number of obtained ova were more in winter than in other seasons(P<0.05). 4. Embryos were transferred to 343 recipients and 152 cows were confirmed pregnant(44.3%). 5. The higher pregnancy was obtained (P<0.05) when embryos were transferred in summer(53.3%) than in fall(36.0%), while the pregnancy rate was not affected by the origin and developmental stage of embryos, and the parity, BCS and estrus induction of recipients. From these results, the pregnancy rate was considered to be acceptable for the embryo transfer with domestic or imported Holstein embryos, however embryo production from superior Holstein donors was unsatisfactory for application of MOET scheme.

In this stuyd, the effect of the dominant follicle aspiration for the superovulatory response in HanWoo was investigated. The criterion for the presence or absence of a dominant follicle based on their morphological examination. The dominant follicle was aspirated 48hr before the onset of superovulation treatment by 6.5MHz convex probe connected with a carrier and superovulation induced by FSH (Super-Ov Tyrer, Texas, U.S.A) adminstered twic a day s.c. over 4 day in a decreasing regimen. From 13 HanWoo scanned daily to determine the presence and growth of the dominant follicle, its an average diameter of 15.4mm was measured and an average diameter of corpora lutea was 18.7mm on day of follicular aspiration. In the experiment, a follicular remove by ultrasound-guided aspiration, the ovarian response was significantly enhanced when animals were superovulated in the aspiation of a dominant follicle compare with animals superovulated non-aspiration of a dominat follicle. In the aspiration of a dominant follicle donors yieleded more corpora lutea(14.44.7 vs 8.63.4) and transferable embryos(8.94.2 vs 5.42.7) than control. In cows in which the dominant follicle had been aspirated under sonographical control 2 days before superovuation, the number of corpus lutea and transferable embryos were significantly enhanced compared with animals superovulated in the presence of a dominant follicle (14.44.7 vs 6.92.7, ; 8.94.2 vs 3.31.6). After 7 days of artificial insemination, the embryos at 7 days were cllected by uterine flushing after dominant follicle insemination, the embryos at 7 days were collected by uterine flushing after dominant follicle aspiration and superovulation treatment, and evaluated their quality by morphological criteria. Sixteen embryos with excellent and good grade were transferred into 8 recipient cows. Six pregnancies were identified at 60 and 120 days of gestation by rectal palpations. In conclusion, the present study showed that 1) the presence or absence of a dominant follicle signficicnatly affects superovulatory responses, and 2) ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration of the dominant follicle and superovuation treatment provides an accurate and procedure to increase ovarian responses in HanWoo.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of in vitro fertilization, culture and embryo development according to in vitro maturation rate, protectant composition and equilibrium time after frozen /thawing of bovine immature oocytes. This results obtained in studies on the effect of different cryoprotectants on the viability, maturation and development of in vitro bovine oocytes were as follow: 1.The post-thawing of immature oocytes matured to metaphase II during culture time for 0 to 26 h, and those group (62~3%) were low than control group (76.7%). The optimal maturation time of frozen-thawed immature oocytes was at 24 h. 2.The viability of cryopreserved immature oocytes was not affected by sort of cryoprotectants. The developmental competence of frozen4hawed oocytes was not affected by cryoprotectants. These results indicate that an optimal maturation time of frozen /thawed immature oocytes was at 24h. Furthermore the viability of cryopreserved immature oocytes was not affected by sort of cryoprotectants and developmental competence of frozen /thawed oocytes.

Plasma sprayed ceramic coatings are widely used in various industrial fields to improve their properties or to reduce the production cost. The ceramic powders for plasma spray coating have been mainly manufactured by spray drying or fused+crushed process. In this study, chromium oxide which has better mechanical properties than those of the other ceramic was selected and agglomerated chromium oxide powders for plasma spray coating were produced by spray drying process with a various processing condition. The large hollow powders and the harsh surfaced powders are formed at high slurry feed rate more than 163 g/min. and low binder concentration less than 2wt%, respectively. These powders cause the considerable decrease of flowability and apparent density. The powders produced by spray drying process have the spherical shape with the mean size of 45 , but these are shown lower apparent density and flowability than the powders produced by fused+crushed powders. The plasma spray coated layers by spray dried powders are shown a different microstructure with that by fused+crushed powders in porosity shape, but their properties such as density, hardness and bond strength are similar.

The present study was carried out to produce in vitro fertilized embryos with immature follicular oocytes collected by transvaginal aspiration from Holstein cows. A simple aspiration apparatus consists of two stainless steel tubes, an inner tube (needle holder; 1.2cmdiameter, 55cm long) and an outer tube (1.5cm diameter, 4Scm long), and a hand-operated vacuum pump was used. Under epidural anesthesia, the needle guide was passed into the vagina of the cow to a point next to the cervix. An ovary was placed against the wall of the vagina over the end of the aspiration needle by rectal manipulation. As the needlepassed into the ovary, an assistant was asked to apply vacuum(l00mrnHg) and the ovary was manipulated back and forth in all directions over the needle. When all sites of the ovary was aspirated, the needle was withdrawn and the needle guide was moved to the other side of ovary and the procedure was repeated. When the oocyte aspiration procedure was finished, collected fluid was transported to laboratory. Oocytes surrounded with at least 1 layer of cumulus cells were matured, fertilized and cultured in vitro. The results were as follows; Ninety seven oocytes were collected by transvaginal aspiration from seventeen Holstein cows(5.7 /head). The number of oocytes surrounded with at least 1 layer of cumulus cells were 60(61.9%). Following in vitro maturation, fertilization and culture, the cleavage and development rate to morula+blastocyst were 83.3% and 30.0%, respectively. From this study, transferable in vitro fertilized embryos could be produced with imma- ture follicular oocytes collected by transvaginal aspiration from Holstein cows using a simple aspiration apparatus