The purpose of this study was to investigate the development of bovine nuclear transfer (NT) embryos cultured in serum-free conditions. Bovine NT embryos cultured in various culture conditions were compared blastocyst development, total cell number and apoptosis using TUNEL assay. In experiment 1, blastocyst rates of NT embryos were significantly higher (P<0.01) in FBS (22.0％) and BSA (26.6％) groups than in PVA (6.3％) group. Total cell number was significantly higher in FBS (78.4±19.4) and BSA (90.9±29.1) groups than in PVA group (46.0±0.0). Apoptotic cell number was significantly fewer in FBS (3.1±1.4) and BSA (1.7±1.4) groups than in PVA group (7.0±20.0) However, all of results were not different between the FBS and BSA group. In experiment 2, blastocyst rates of NT embryos were significantly higher (P<0.05) in fatty acid free-BSA (FAF-BSA) group (26.8％) than in fraction V-BSA group (11.2％). Total cell number were somewhat higher in FAF-BSA group (89.8±30.7) than in fraction V-BSA group (88.1±19.3). Apoptotic cell number were somewhat fewer in FAF-BSA (1.7±1.5) group than in fraction V-BSA group (4.2±2.9). These findings suggest that serum free condition were effective for the in vitro development of bovine NT embryos. Therefore, we concluded that fatty acid free-BSA has beneficial effect in development bovine NT embryos and can be use as a serum substitute.

DNA methylation at CpG sites, which is a epigenetic modification, is associated with gene expression without change of DNA sequences. During early mouse embryogenesis, dynamic changes of DNA methylation occur. In this study, DNA methylation patterns of porcine embryos produced in vivo and in vitro were examined at various developmental stages by the immunocytochemical staining method. Interestingly, active demethylation was not observed on the paternal pronucleus of porcine zygotes. However, differences were detected in the passive demethylation process between in vivo and in vitro embryos. There was no change in the DNA methylation state until the blastocyst stage of in vivo embryos, whereas partial demethylation was observed in several blastomeres from a 4 cell stage to a morula stage of in vitro embryos. The whole genome of inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE) cells in porcine blastocysts were evenly methylated without de novo methylation. Our findings demonstrate that genome-wide demethylation does not occur in pig embryos during preimplantation development unlike murine and bovine embryos. It indicates that the machinery regulating epigenetic reprogramming may be different between species.

Raman spectroscopy has been used to investigate the structure of coal tar pitch heat-treated up to 3000℃ by using 514.5 run Ar ion laser line. Four critical temperature ranges were found on pyrolyzing coal tar pitch, which correspond to four distinct processes from disordered carbons to the well-ordered graphite structure. The range of heat treat temperature (HTT) below 1000℃ corresponds to gas evolution during the pyrolysis of coal tar pitch. Above the HTT are correlated to rearrangements of enlarged molecules, growth of the molecules along the direction of plane, finally stacking in the normal direction of the plane, in the respective HTT ranges of 1000-2000, above 2000 and 2500-3000℃.

실내에서 담배거세미나방의 영기별 약제감수성을 조사한 결과 시험된 약제 모두 유충의 영기가 높아질수록 약제감수성은 낮았다. Chlorpyrifors-methyl과 chlorpyrifos의 독성은 3령부터, etofenprox+PAP와 deltamethrin은 2령부터 현저히 떨어졌다. 포트시험결과 deltamethrin을 제외한 4약제 모두 90% 이상의 방제가를 보여 담배거세미나방의 방제에 유용하게 사용될 수 있을 것으로 생각된다. 하지만 야외에서 담배거세미나방은 전 영기가 혼재되어 있고 영기별 약제감수성이 다르기 때문에 적절한 약제선택은 물론 유충 발생초기에 약제를 살포하는 것이 중요하다.

The electrical, mechanical and optical capabilities have been tested of the microdensitometer PDS 1010GMS at the Korea Astronomy Observatory. The highest stage of scan speed 255 csu (conventional speed unit) is measured to be 47 mm/s. At this speed the position is displaced by 4 μ m to the direction of scanning and the density is underestimated by 0.4 ∼ 0.7 D . Standard deviation in the measured density is proportional to A − 0.46 , where A is the area of scan aperture. The accuracy of position repeatability is ± 1 μ m , and that of density repeatability is ± ( 0.003 ∼ 0.03 ) D . Callier coefficient is determined to be 1.37; the semispecular density is directly proportional to the diffuse density up to 3.5D. Because the logarithmic amplifier has a finite response time, the densities measured at high scan speeds are underestimated to the degree that speeds higher than 200 csu are inadequate for making an accurate astronomical photometry. After power is on, an about 5 hour period of warming is required to stabilize the system electrically and mechanically as well. On the basis of this performance test, we have determined the followings as the optimum scan parameters for the astronomical photometry: For the scan aperture 10 ∼ 20 μ m is optimal, and for the scan speed. 20 ∼ 50 csu is appropriate. These parameter values are chosen in such a way that they may keep the density repeatability within ± 0.01 D , the position displacement under 1 μ m , and the density underestimation below 0.1D even in high density regions.