Effects of gonadotrophin treatments on meiotic and developmental competence of oocytes in porcine primordial follicles following xenografting to nude mice

Our objective was to improve the developmental ability of oocytes in porcine primordial follicles xenografted to nude mice, by treating the host mice with gonadotrophins to accelerate follicular growth. Ovarian tissues from 20-day-old piglets, in which most of the follicles were primordial, were transplanted under the kidney capsules of ovariectomized nude mice. Gonadotrophin treatments were commenced around 60 days after vaginal cornification in the mice. Ovarian grafts were obtained 2 or 3 days after treatment with equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG-2 and eCG-3 groups), after porcine FSH infusion for 7 or 14 days, or after infusion of porcine FSH for 14 days with a single injection of estradiol antiserum (FSH-7, FSH-14 and FSH-14EA groups, respectively). Gonadotrophin treatments accelerated follicular growth within the xenografts compared with that in control mice given no gonadotrophins, consistent with higher (P < 0.05) circulating inhibin levels in the gonadotrophin-treated mice. In contrast, circulating mouse FSH levels were significantly (P < 0.05) depressed. We recovered large numbers of full-sized oocytes with meiotic competence to the mature stage from the eCG-3, FSH-7, and FSH-14EA, unlike in the control group. Moreover, 56% of matured oocytes with the first polar body (n = 39) were fertilized in vitro in the FSH-14EA group. After in vitro fertilization and subsequent culture for 7 days, one blastocyst was obtained from each of the eCG-3, FSH-7 and, FSH-14EA groups, whereas no blastocysts appeared in the other groups. Exogenous gonadotrophins--not mouse FSH--stimulated the growing follicles that had developed from the primordial follicles in the xenografts: the effects were incomplete but improved to some extent the meiotic and developmental abilities of the oocytes.     

Measurement of the amount and number of pollen particles of Cryptomeria japonica (taxodiaceae) by imaging with a photoacoustic microscope

A photoacoustic microscope (PAM), which includes a condenser microphone and a pair of linear-motor-driven pulse stages, was specially designed for spectroscopic applications. The PAM was applied to measure the amount and number of pollen particles of Cryptomeria japonica (CJ), which is known for its allergic function against eyes and nose. The advantage of photoacoustic (PA) imaging is both its high sensitivity and its counting ability up to high concentrations of the specimen. The CJ pollen particles were fixed on a piece of adhesive tape or on albumen (egg white) on a glass slide set in a PA cell. The PA image showed the ability of this method to count CJ pollen from the several-hundred-milligram region to even a single particle. The PA signal obtained was integrated over the specimen surface. The dependence of the PA signal on the amount or number of the pollen particles was measured. The resulting coefficients of correlation of the calibration curves for the amount and the number of pollen particles were 0.94 and 0.97, respectively.     

Fullerene Rosette: Two-Dimensional Interactive Nanoarchitectonics and Selective Vapor Sensing

The simplicity of fullerenes as assembled components provides attractive opportunities for basic understanding in self-assembly research. We applied in situ reactive methods to the self-assembly process of C₆₀ molecules with melamine/ethylenediamine components in solution, resulting in a novel type of fullerene assemblies, micron-sized two-dimensional, amorphous shape-regular objects, fullerene rosettes. ATR–FTIR spectra, XPS, and TGA results suggest that the melamine/ethylenediamine components strongly interact and/or are covalently linked with fullerenes in the fullerene rosettes. The broad peak for layer spacing in the XRD patterns of the fullerene rosettes corresponds roughly to the interdigitated fullerene bilayer or monolayer of modified fullerene molecules. The fullerene rosettes are made from the accumulation of bilayer/monolayer assemblies of hybridized fullerenes in low crystallinity. Prototype sensor systems were fabricated upon immobilization of the fullerene rosettes onto surfaces of a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), and selective sensing of formic acid was demonstrated as preliminary results for social-demanded toxic material sensing. The QCM sensor with fullerene rosette is categorized as one of the large-response sensors among reported examples. In selectivity to formic acids against basic guests (formic acid/pyridine >30) or aromatic guests (formic acid/toluene >110), the fullerene rosette-based QCM sensor also showed superior performance.     

Local strain distribution near grain boundaries under tensile stresses in highly irradiated SUS316 stainless steel

Local strain near grain boundaries under tensile stress was examined using the EBSD technique for cold-worked SUS316 stainless steel irradiated to 73 dpa. Distribution of misorientation in the same areas was analyzed while macroscopically deforming the specimen at an elastic strain level of 0.03% and a plastic strain level of 3%. A clear increase in local strain was detected within 4 μm from the grain boundaries at the 3% plastic strain. It was confirmed that high local strain was produced at the 0.03% elastic strain near the grain boundaries which exhibited higher misorientations at the plastic strain. Detailed analysis in areas within 1 μm from individual grain boundaries also revealed that local strain was increased at some boundaries at the 0.03% elastic strain.     

High-Density Polyethylene(HDPE) Surface Treatment Using an RF Capacitive Atmospheric Pressure Cold Ar Plasma Jet

In this study,a high-density polyethylene（HDPE,5-mm-thick,0.95 g/cm3） surface was treated using an RF capacitive atmospheric pressure cold Ar plasma jet.By using this Ar plasma jet,a hydrophilic HDPE surface was formed during the plasma treatment.In particular, the effects of an additive gas（N₂ or O2） on the HDPE surface treatment were investigated in detail.It was shown that the addition of N2 or O2 gas had an important influence on the HDPE surface treatment.Compared to pure Ar plasma treatment,a lower value of water contact angle （WCA） was obtained when a trace of N2 or O2 gas was added.It was also found that besides the quantities of active species in the plasma jet,the treatment temperature played an important role in the HDPE surface treatment.This is because surface molecular motion is not negligible when the treatment temperature is close to the melting point of the polymer.     

Nanoarchitectonics,Method for Everything in Materials Science

Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials -     

The high-frequency phenomenon of copper clad aluminum wires which are lower the alternating current resistance than copper solid wires,and the application of copper clad aluminum wires to the electrical equipment

The paper is proposed approximate formulas of the ac resistance of lead wires and coils which made by using copper clad aluminum (CCA) wires. There are the frequency range that the ac resistance of CCA wires is lower than it of cupper solid wires for lead wires and coils of an electrical equipment. It is shown that the application of CCA wires is economical as comparing with copper solid wires, if the design is due to successful calculation in the electrical equipment. The measured resistance is compared with the formula. CCA wires is an example of multiple conductors which shall be expected to apply in future.