Aggregation chimaeras were made from embryos of C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice. Chimaeric and control females were mated with ICR males at 8 weeks of age and their litter sizes were evaluated over a 5-month period after the first mating. Progeny tests showed that 18 of 27 chimaeras produced oocytes of both genotypes. The mean litter sizes of C57BL/6, BALB/c and their F1 crosses (C57BL/6 × BALB/c and BALB/c × C57BL/6) were 8·14, 9·36, 13·38 and 13·40, respectively. The mean for chimaeras was 11·54 and chimaeric heterosis was evident, but it was not as much as heterosis in the F1 When the chimaeras were classified into the mixed and single-genotype progeny chimaeras, chimaeric heterosis was observed only in the mixed-progeny chimaeras. Quantitative GPI analyses in ten organs showed that the degree of chimaerism in the mixed-genotype progeny chimaeras was higher than that in most of the single-genotype progeny chimaeras and that the degree of chimaerism in the ovaries was positively correlated with litter size in the mixed-genotype progeny chimaeras. On the other hand, such correlation was not observed in the single-genotype progeny chimaeras.

The amelogenin (AMEL) gene exists on both sex chromosomes of various mammalian species and the length and sequence of the noncoding regions differ between the two chromosome-specific alleles. Because both forms can be amplified using a single primer set, the use of AMEL in polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods has facilitated sex identification in various mammalian species, including cattle, sheep and humans. In this study, we designed PCR primers to yield different-sized products from the AMEL genes on the X (AMELX) and Y (AMELY) chromosomes of pigs. PCR amplification of genomic DNA samples collected from various breeds of pigs (European breeds: Landrace, Large White, Duroc and Berkshire; Chinese breeds: Meishan and Jinhua and their crossbreeds) yielded the expected products. For all breeds, DNA from male pigs produced two bands (520 and 350 bp; AMELX and AMELY, respectively), whereas samples from female pigs generated only the 520 bp product. We then tested the use of PCR of AMEL for sex identification of in vitro-produced (IVP) porcine embryos sampled at 2 or 5 to 6 days after fertilization; germinal vesicle (GV)-stage oocytes and electroactivated embryos were used as controls. More than 88% of the GV-stage oocytes and electroactivated embryos yielded a single 520 bp single band and about 50% of the IVP embryos tested produced both bands. Our findings show that PCR analysis of the AMEL gene is reliable for sex identification of pigs and porcine embryos.

The interaction between molecular outflow from a protostar and ambient molecular cloud would play an important role in dissipating circumstellar envelope, changing chemical composition, and triggering next generation star formation. In order to investigate the interaction in submillimeter wavelength, we have made line observations toward the low mass protostar IRAS 13036-7644 (Class 0/I) in the Cha II dark cloud. Although millimeter observations found CO outflow and evidence of mass infall toward the protostar (e.g. Lehtinen 1997), no submillimeter observation has been reported so far.

Outflow-cloud interaction is an important issue in discussions about star formation in clusters because it could generate turbulence and restrain star formation activities, as well as it causes outflow-triggered star formation.

The possibility of using aged porcine oocytes treated with caffeine, which inhibits the decrease in M-phase promoting factor activity, for pig cloning was evaluated. Cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) were cultured initially for 36h and subsequently with or without 5mM caffeine for 24h (in total for 60h: 60CA+ or 60CA– group, respectively). As a control group, COCs were cultured for 48h without caffeine (48CA–). The pronuclear formation rates at 10h after electrical stimulation in the 60CA+ and 60CA– groups decreased significantly (p<0.05) compared with the 48CA– group. However, the fragmentation rate was significantly higher (p<0.05) in the 60CA– group than in the 60CA+ and 48CA– groups. When the stimulated oocytes were cultured for 6 days, the 60CA+ group showed significantly lower blastocyst formation and higher fragmentation or degeneration rates (p<0.05) than the 48CA– group. However, the number of total cells in blastocysts was not affected by maturation period or caffeine treatment. When somatic cell nuclei were injected into the non-enucleated oocytes and exposed to cytoplasm for a certain duration (1–11h) before the completion of maturation (48 or 60h), the rate of nuclear membrane breakdown after exposure to cytoplasm for 1–2h in the 60CA– oocytes was significantly lower (p;<0.05) than in the other experimental groups. The rate of scattered chromosome formation in the same 60CA– group tended to be lower (p=0.08) than in the other groups. After the enucleation and transfer of nuclei, blastocyst formation rates in the 60CA+ and 60CA– groups were significantly lower (p<0.05) than in the 48CA– group. Blastocyst quality did not differ among all the groups. These results suggest that chromosome decondensation of the transplanted somatic nucleus is affected by both the duration of exposure to cytoplasm and the age of the recipient porcine oocytes, and that caffeine treatment promotes nuclear remodelling but does not prevent the decrease in the developmental ability of cloned embryos caused by oocyte aging.

A method for making AlGaN with a high AlN molar fraction and low dislocation density is needed for fabricating deep ultraviolet emitters and detectors. In this study, we reduced the dislocation density in AlGaN over a large surface area by using low-pressure MOVPE on a continuously rugged epitaxial AlN substrate. The AlN molar fraction of the AlxGa1-xN was × = 0.51, and atomic steps in the surface were clearly observed with an atomic force microscope (AFM). In addition, the dislocation density was estimated to be 8.8 × 107 cm−2, which is two orders of magnitude lower than that of AlGaN grown on a flat AlN epitaxial layer. Our results indicate that the dislocation density of AlGaN can be greatly reduced by using a rugged AlN epitaxial substrate with continuously inclined facet.

We investigated effects of invasive adenylate cyclase (iAC), 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) and dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dbcAMP) on porcine oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM), in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and subsequent embryonic development. Porcine oocytes were collected in Hepes-buffered NCSU-37 supplemented with or without 0.1 μg/ml iAC and 0.5 mM IBMX. IVM was performed in a modified NCSU-37 supplemented with or without 1 mM dbcAMP for 22 h and then without dbcAMP for an additional 24 h. After IVF, oocytes were cultured in vitro for 6 days. After 12 h of IVM, no difference in nuclear status was observed irrespective of supplementation with these chemicals during collection and IVM. At 22 h, most (95%) of the oocytes cultured with dbcAMP remained at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage, whereas 44.3% of the oocytes cultured without dbcAMP underwent GV breakdown. At 36 h, oocytes cultured with dbcAMP had progressed to prometaphase I or metaphase I (MI) (32.6% and 49.3%, respectively), whereas non-treated oocytes had progressed further to anaphase I, telophase I or metaphase II (MII) (13.6%, 14.3% and 38.0%, respectively). At 46 h, the rate of matured oocytes at MII was higher in oocytes cultured with dbcAMP (81%) than without dbcAMP (57%), while the proportion of oocytes arrested at MI was lower when cultured with dbcAMP (15%) than without dbcAMP (31%). The rate of monospermic fertilisation was higher when oocytes were cultured with dbcAMP (21%) than without dbcAMP (9%), with no difference in total penetration rates (58% and 52%, respectively). The blastocyst rate was higher in oocytes cultured with dbcAMP (32%) than without dbcAMP (19%). These results suggest that a change in intracellular level of cAMP during oocyte collection does not affect maturational and developmental competence of porcine oocytes and that synchronisation of meiotic maturation using dbcAMP enhances the meiotic potential of oocytes by promoting the MI to MII transition and results in high developmental competence by monospermic fertilisation.

We have reported recently a novel method for cross-linking conjugated polymers involving a “precursor polymer” route, where the electrochemical method can be used to prepare ultrathin films on conducting metal and metal oxide surfaces. In this paper, we present the design, synthesis, protocol, and recent results in the application of these thin film materials. An emphasis will be given on how these films are characterized in-situ by a combined surface plasmon spectroscopy (SPS) and electrochemical approach. As a methodology, the concept can be extended to new methods of electrodeposition, patterning, and grafting of conjugated polymers on electrochemically addressable metal surfaces. Compared to spin-cast or electropolymerized monomer films, they are very robust both thermally and mechanically. Other applications of these films to sensors, dielectric materials, non-lithographic patterning, etc. are currently being investigated.

A CO survey of the LMC has been completed in the J = 1−0 carbon monoxide emission at 2.6 mm wavelength with NANTEN. This survey has revealed the first complete sample of giant molecular clouds (GMCs) in the LMC at a linear resolution of ∼ 40 pc. The GMCs exhibit a good spatial correlation with youngest stellar clusters often associated with the giant H II regions. The ages of clusters associated with GMCs are fairly young, ≲ 10 Myr, demonstrating that cluster formation is ongoing in these GMCs. In addition, compact groups of the young clusters are often found at the peak position of the GMCs, e.g., N159 and N44, while much looser groups are away from the GMCs. This suggests that the clusters are formed in groups and are dispersed as they become old.