Slow freezing cryopreservation of Korean bovine blastocysts with an additional sucrose pre-equilibration step.

Introduction: Embryo cryopreservation is a valuable technique used for preserving genetic resources for long periods. However, the survival rate of embryos is dependent on the method used. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the efficiency of slow freezing method but with an additional dehydration step prior to freezing to overcome the formation of ice crystals.

Correlations between Properties of Pore-Filling Ion Exchange Membranes and Performance of a Reverse Electrodialysis Stack for High Power Density.

The reverse electrodialysis (RED) stack-harnessing salinity gradient power mainly consists of ion exchange membranes (IEMs). Among the various types of IEMs used in RED stacks, pore-filling ion exchange membranes (PIEMs) have been considered promising IEMs to improve the power density of RED stacks. The compositions of PIEMs affect the electrical resistance and permselectivity of PIEMs; however, their effect on the performance of large RED stacks have not yet been considered.

Amino Functionalization of Zirconium Diboride for High Dispersion Stability and Solid Loading.

Zirconium diboride (ZrB²) is an ultrahigh-temperature ceramic (UHTC) with excellent thermal and mechanical properties. To fabricate a complexly structured UHTC sintered body with high density a high-solid-loading slurry with low viscosity is required to fill the mold well. Extensive studies have been carried out to improve the dispersion properties, including those on solvents and surfactants.

Holding of bovine blastocysts at suprazero temperatures using small molecules.

Although assisted reproductive technology (ART) currently exists, the only embryo preservation technology that is available is cryopreservation. In the present study, small molecules were used to hold embryos at room temperature. The basic medium for embryo holding for a short period of time at 4 °C, 10 °C and 20 °C consisted of 1% BSA non-cryopreservation medium (BNC) instead of fetal bovine serum.

Microarray analysis of embryo-derived bovine pluripotent cells: The vulnerable state of bovine embryonic stem cells.

Although there are many studies about pluripotent stem cells, little is known about pluripotent pathways and the difficulties of maintaining the pluripotency of bovine cells in vitro. Here, we investigated differently expressed genes (DEG) in bovine embryo-derived stem-like cells (eSLCs) from various origins to validate their distinct characteristics of pluripotency and differentiation. We identified core pluripotency markers and additional markers which were not determined as pluripotency markers yet in bovine eSLCs.

Improvement of pregnancy rate by intrauterine administration of dexamethasone and recombinant human leukemia inhibitory factor at the time of embryo transfer in cattle.

Bovine embryos (day 5) were cultured to day 10 with or without 100 ng/mL PGF2α in medium supplemented with control; 100 nM Dex; 1,000 U/mL recombinant human leukemia inhibitory factor (rhLIF); or Dex+rhLIF. Although the rates to development to the blastocyst were not significantly different among groups, the hatching rate after additional culture with Dex +/or rhLIF was significantly higher in all supplemented groups than the control ( < 0.05).

Development of MgO-C Refractory Having High Oxidation Resistance by Metal Coating Process.

Graphite has been modified with a coating reagent, which can form coating layer of a metal on the surface of graphite, to effectively prevent the oxidation of graphite used as a carbon source, compared to common antioxidants. The oxidation of graphite is resisted by the high oxidation reactivity of metal and the oxygen barrier effect of coating layer. Therefore, the metal layer should be homogeneously and continuously coated on the surface of graphite and the coating efficiency of metal should be increased.

Thiazovivin, a Rho kinase inhibitor, improves stemness maintenance of embryo-derived stem-like cells under chemically defined culture conditions in cattle.

Despite numerous reported attempts, successful isolation of genuine embryonic stem cells of cattle has been rare. Previous studies have shown that Thiazovivin, a Rho-associated kinase inhibitor, improves the survival and self-renewal of human embryonic stem cells. The present study demonstrates the effect of Thiazovivin on the derivation of embryo-derived stem-like cells.

Ceramic-Based Composite Solid Electrolyte for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Solid-state electrolytes such as lithium ion conducting ceramic or solid polymers have been studied as substitutes for liquid electrolytes, but critical problems exist at the interfacial resistance between the solid electrode and the solid electrolyte. In this study, we combined 80 wt % Li Ti Al (PO ) (LTAP) as a lithium ion conducting ceramic with 10 wt % of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVdF) as a binder, and 10 wt % 1 M LiPF in ethyl carbonate/dimethyl carbonate (EC/DMC) to develop a new composite electrolyte. The ceramic-based composite electrolyte showed thermal stability and high ionic conductivity through reduction of the interface resistance.

In vitro culture of stem-like cells derived from somatic cell nuclear transfer bovine embryos of the Korean beef cattle species, HanWoo.

We established and maintained somatic cell nuclear transfer embryo-derived stem-like cells (SCNT-eSLCs) from the traditional Korean beef cattle species, HanWoo (Bos taurus coreanae). Each SCNT blastocyst was placed individually on a feeder layer with culture medium containing three inhibitors of differentiation (3i). Primary colonies formed after 2-3 days of culture and the intact colonies were passaged every 5-6 days.

Thermoelastic characteristics of thermal barrier coatings with layer thickness and edge conditions through mathematical analysis.

The thermoelastic behaviors of such as temperature distribution, displacements, and stresses in thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are seriously influenced by top coat thickness and edge conditions, which were investigated based on the thermal and mechanical properties of plasma-sprayed TBCs. A couple of governing partial differential equations were derived based on the thermoelastic theory. Since the governing equations are too involved to solve analytically, a finite volume method was developed to obtain approximations.

Thermal Fatigue Behavior of Air-Plasma Sprayed Thermal Barrier Coating with Bond Coat Species in Cyclic Thermal Exposure.

The effects of the bond coat species on the delamination or fracture behavior in thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) was investigated using the yclic thermal fatigue and thermal-shock tests. The interface microstructures of each TBC showed a good condition without cracking or delamination after flame thermal fatigue (FTF) for 1429 cycles. The TBC with the bond coat prepared by the air-plasma spray (APS) method showed a good condition at the interface between the top and bond coats after cyclic furnace thermal fatigue (CFTF) for 1429 cycles, whereas the TBCs with the bond coats prepared by the high-velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) and low-pressure plasma spray (LPPS) methods showed a partial cracking (and/or delamination) and a delamination after 780 cycles, respectively.

Fabrication of nanosized Al2O3 coated reinforcing particle using electrostatic force.

Titanium carbide (TiC) particles have been coated with aluminum (Al) phase to enhance the compatibility with a metal matrix based on Al, expecting the homogenous dispersion of TiC particles into the matrix. The TiC particles were uniformly dispersed in the aqueous solution of pH 12. The aluminum nitrate as a precursor of Al phase was added to the solution dispersed with the TiC particles.

Dominant factors governing the rate capability of a TiO2 nanotube anode for high power lithium ion batteries.

Titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) is one of the most promising anode materials for lithium ion batteries due to low cost and structural stability during Li insertion/extraction. However, its poor rate capability limits its practical use. Although various approaches have been explored to overcome this problem, previous reports have mainly focused on the enhancement of both the electronic conductivity and the kinetic associated with lithium in the composite film of active material/conducting agent/binder.

Non-Prestonian behavior of rectangular shaped ceria slurry in shallow trench isolation chemical mechanical planarization.

Rectangular ceria particles were synthesized using the flash creation method. The influence of the morphology of ceria particles and the surfactant concentration on the removal rate was systematically investigated. These ceria slurries with polymeric surfactant molecules as the passivation agents of Si3N4 film, shows an exceptional non-Prestonian behaviors.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Al2O3 composites with surface-treated carbon nanotubes (CNTs): dispersibility of modified carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on Al2O3 matrix.

Aluminum oxide (Al2O3) matrix have been reinforced by the multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to overcome the inherent brittleness of Al2O3 matrix. In order to increase mechanical properties of MWCNTs-Al2O3 composites, MWCNTs need to be well dispersed and individually incorporated in Al2O3 matrix. In this work, aluminum hydroxide (Al(OH)3) used as a Al2O3 precursor and MWCNTs were mixed in an aqueous solution for the homogeneous mixing of hetero-particles, as functions of the content of MWCNTs and the potential hydrogen (pH) of Al(OH)3 suspension.

Mechanical properties of porous Al2O3 composite with surface modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs).

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been reinforced in alumina (Al2O3) matrix to overcome the inherent brittleness of the Al2O3 matrix. In this work, MWCNTs were treated by acid to provide hydrophilicity to hydrophobic MWCNTs, inducing the homogeneous dispersion of MWCNTs in an aqueous solution. Aluminum hydroxide (Al(OH)3) as a Al2O3 precursor was added in the solution with the modified MWCNTs, and then this mixture solution was filtered at room temperature.

Size effect in Ni-coated TiC particles for metal matrix composites.

Nickel (Ni) particles have been coated on the surface of titanium carbide (TiC) particles to enhance the dispersion of TiC particles into a molten metal and to achieve an improvement in the mechanical and thermal properties of the metal matrix. The adhesion of Ni particles on the surface of TiC particles is induced by the attractive force between the TiC with a negative charge and the Ni cation in an aqueous solution. The powders prepared with the relatively large particle sizes of 1, 4, and 40 microm show both TiC and Ni phases, whereas that prepared with a particle size of 0.

Fracture Modes in Curved Brittle Layers Subject to Concentrated Cyclic Loading in Liquid Environments.

Damage response of brittle curved structures subject to cyclic Hertzian indentation was investigated. Specimens were fabricated by bisecting cylindrical quartz glass hollow tubes. The resulting hemi-cylindrical glass shells were bonded internally and at the edges to polymeric supporting structures and loaded axially in water on the outer circumference with a spherical tungsten carbide indenter.

A CIDR-based timed embryo transfer protocol increases the pregnancy rate of lactating repeat breeder dairy cows.

This study evaluated the pregnancy rates following either a controlled internal drug release (CIDR)-based timed artificial insemination (TAI) or an embryo transfer (TET) protocol compared with that following a single PGF(2alpha) injection and AI after estrus (AIE) in lactating repeat breeder dairy cows. Fifty-three lactating dairy cows diagnosed as repeat breeders were used in this study and were randomly assigned to the following three treatments. (1) Cows, at random stages of the estrous cycle, received a CIDR device and 2 mg estradiol benzoate (EB; Day 0), a 25 mg PGF(2) (alpha) injection at the time of CIDR removal on Day 7 and a 1 mg EB injection on Day 8.

Relationships among estrous behavior, superovulatory response and grade 1 embryo sex ratio in superovulated Holstein heifers.

In this study, we first attempted to determine whether the timing of artificial insemination affects the sex ratio of seven-day-old embryos in superovulated Holstein heifers. The superovulatory treatment consisted of eight decreasing doses of FSH for 4 days and 2 doses of PGF(2alpha) given with the last two doses of FSH. The superovulated heifers were given a GnRH analogue 48 h after the first PGF(2alpha) treatment and were artificially inseminated 48 h (n=10) or 56 h (n=8) after the first PGF(2alpha) treatment.