Since the birth of Dolly using fully differentiated somatic cells as a nuclear donor, viable clones were generated successfully in many mammalian species. These achievements in animal cloning demonstrate developmental potential of terminally differentiated somatic cells. At the same time, the somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) technique provides the opportunities to study basic and applied biosciences. However, the efficiency generating viable offsprings by SCNT remains extremely low. There are several explanations why cloned embryos cannot fully develop into viable animals and what factors affect developmental potency of reconstructed embryos by the SCNT technique. The most critical and persuasive explanation for inefficiency in SCNT cloning is incomplete genomic reprogramming, such as DNA methylation and histone modification. Numerous studies on genomic reprogramming demonstrated that incorrect DNA methylation and aberrant epigenetic reprogramming are considerably correlated with abnormal development of SCNT cloned embryos even though its mechanism is not fully understood. The SCNT technique is useful in cloning farm animals because pluripotent stem cells are not established in farm animal species. Therapeutic cloning combined with genetic manipulation will help to control various human diseases. Also, the SCNT technique provides a chance to overcome excessive demand for the organs by production of transgenic animals as xenotransplantation resources. Here, we describe the factors affecting the efficiency of generating cloned farm animals by the SCNT technique and discuss future directions of animal cloning by SCNT to improve the cloning efficiency.

This research was carried out as a basic survey to provide more effective and improved food service for the soliders of the Armed Forces who are serving to defend the Republic of Korea subjects were selected randomly who were serving in the army for a short-term. Following is the result of a survey regarding the situation of their meals, dietary life, and their food preference of 190 kinds of foodstuffs. As a result of surveying the dietary life of the soldiers, they indicated that there was dissatisfaction in the current Food Service because it lacked tasted and the same kind of meals were being served too frequently with regard to this, many subjects expressed that they were eating out because of the quality of they get from the regular meal service the meals, that is they were eating in restaurants to resolve their dissatisfaction over the quality of the meals. It was also surveyed that in the current meals there is a need to diversify ways in preparing food, increase the number of dishes, and improve the tasts of the food by using improved cooking method. It seemed that the soldiers were satisfied in the quantitative level of the current food service but that there is a need to improve the meals in quality. Following is the result of a survey on the preference of foodstuffs. In case of rice as the stationary food, mixture of five-grain plain white cooked rice showed a higher propensity compared to plain whte boiled rice. This shows that soliders prefer various cereals in their rice. Soliders liked soup made from meat better than vegetable soup or soup made from fish. Especially there was a high performance for beef soup. Soliders liked One-dish meals such as fried rice or boiled rice with asserted mixtures, noodled, and dumplings on the whole-soliders generally liked vegetables and they liked uncooked vegetables better than cooked vegetables. Generally everyone liked beverages and there was a high preference for dessert. Among various rice cakes soliders liked songpyon(rice cake steamed on a layer of pine needles) and injolmi (cake made from glutinous rice). On the other hand, soliders did not like food prepared with fish, biscuits and candy very much. In the way of preparing food, soliders liked food that were fried in deep far rather than food cooked in water. Also they liked pot stem better than soup. As examined in the survey, those surveyed wanted improvement in the quality and diversity of the food rather than increase the number of food and quality. Therefore there is a need for diversified supply and demand of quality of meal service.