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In vitro gametogenesis, the process of generating gametes from pluripotent cells in culture, is a powerful tool for improving our understanding of germ cell development and an alternative source of gametes. Here, we induced primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs) from pluripotent stem cells of the northern white rhinoceros (NWR), a species for which only two females remain, and southern white rhinoceros (SWR), the closest species to the NWR. PGCLC differentiation from SWR embryonic stem cells is highly reliant on bone morphogenetic protein and WNT signals. Genetic analysis revealed that SRY-box transcription factor 17 (SOX17) is essential for SWR-PGCLC induction. Under the defined condition, NWR induced pluripotent stem cells differentiated into PGCLCs. We also identified cell surface markers, CD9 and Integrin subunit alpha 6 (ITGA6), that enabled us to isolate PGCLCs without genetic alteration in pluripotent stem cells. This study provides a first step toward the production of NWR gametes in culture and understanding of the basic mechanism of primordial germ cell specification in a large animal.

Data on light-ion production in light nuclei such as carbon, nitrogen and oxygen are particularly important in calculations of dose distributions in human tissue for radiation therapy at neutron beams, and for dosimetry of high energy neutrons produced by high-energy cosmic radiation interacting with nuclei (nitrogen and oxygen) in the atmosphere. When studying neutron dose effects, special consideration on carbon and oxygen is needed since they are, by weight, the most abundant elements in human tissue. The MEDLEY setup at The Svedberg Laboratory (TSL), Uppsala, Sweden has been used to measure such data with double-differential cross sections (DDX) for the (n, xp), (n, xd), xt), (n,(3)He), and (n,alpha) reactions from C, 0, Si, Ca, Fe, Pb, and U around 96 MeV. At the new Uppsala neutron beam facility the available energy range of quasi mono-energetic neutron beams is extended up to 175 MeV. The detector setup used in MEDLEY consists of eight so-called telescopes mounted at different angles inside all evacuated reaction chamber. Each of the telescopes consists of two fully depleted Delta E silicon surface barrier detectors (SSBD) and a CsI(Tl) crystal. In order to make measurements at this higher neutron energy possible some changes in the detector setup compared to the campaign at 96 MeV were applied Accordingly, the second Delta E detectors have been replaced by 1000 mu m thick SSBDs as well as the size of the crystals used as E detectors was increased to a total length of 100 mm and a diameter of 50 mm. The Delta E - E technique is used to identify the light ions, and cutoff energies as low as 2.5 MeV for protons and 4.0 MeV for alpha particles are achieved. The data are normalised relative to elastic up scattering measured in one of the telescopes at 20 degrees. Preliminary DDXs for oxygen are presented and compared with theoretical calculations.

Double-differential production yields of light ions (p, d, t, (3)He, and alpha) from a thin silicon target induced by 175 MeV quasi mono-energetic neutrons were measured using the MEDLEY setup at the The Svedberg Laboratory (TSL) in Uppsala in order to benchmark evaluated nuclear data and nuclear reaction models. The MEDLEY is a conventional spectrometer system which consists of eight counter telescopes. Each telescope is composed of two silicon surface barrier detectors as the Delta E detectors and a CsI(Tl) scintillator as the E detector for particle identification. The telescopes are placed at angles from 20 degrees to 160 degrees in steps of 20 degrees. The measured double-differential yields of light ions are compared with PHITS calculations using the following nuclear reaction options: the high-energy nuclear data library (JENDL/HE-2007), the quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) model, and the intra-nuclear cascade (INC) model.

Neutron beam characterization measurements have been carried out in both the AN:ITA and QMN modes using the incident proton beam of 180 MeV at the The Svedverg Laboratory (TSL) in Uppsala. The spectral neutron flux data have been obtained by measuring elastic np-scattering with the Medley setup. The experimental results in the ANITA and QMN modes are compared with an MCNPX simulation and with the systematics of QMN spectra, respectively.

We have measured double-differential (angle and energy) cross sections for light-ion (p, d, t, (3)He, and a) production in the interaction of quasi-monoenergetic 175 MeV neutrons with iron and bismuth. Measurements have been performed at the The Svedberg Laboratory, Uppsala (Sweden), using the Medley setup which allows low-energy thresholds and wide energy and angular ranges. Medley is a spectrometer system consisting of eight three-element telescopes placed at angles from 20 degrees to 160 degrees, in steps of 20 degrees. Each telescope is composed of two silicon surface barrier detectors and a CsI(Tl) scintillator, to perform particle identification, fully stop the produced light-ions and measure their kinetic energy. The time-of-flight was used to reduce the contribution from the low energy tail in the accepted incident neutron spectrum. We report double-differential production cross sections for protons, deuterons, tritons, (3)He and alpha particles and compare them with model calculations with TALYS-1.2.

Over the past years an experimental programme has been run at the neutron beam of The Svedberg Laboratory with the aim to study light-ion production induced by 96 and 175 MeV neutrons for a wide variety of targets. The measurements have been conducted using the Medley facility which allows measurement of p, d, t, He-3 and alpha production at fixed angles (from 20 to 160 degrees in steps of 20 degrees) over a wide dynamic range. An overview of the results obtained at the now finished campaign at 96 MeV will be given. Since 2007 we have been running at 175 MeV with C, O, Si, Fe, Bi and U as target material. Preliminary results from these measurements will be shown and compared to model calculations with Talys-1.2. We also summarize the Medley measurements of elastic np and nd scattering and of angular distributions of fission fragments.

Y. Naitou, H. Arimura, N. Kitano, S. Horie, H. Ogiso, T. Hosoi, T. Shimura and H. Watanabe, "Charge trapping properties in TiO_2/HfSiO/SiO_2 gate stacks probed by scanning capacitance microscopy", Appl. Phys. Lett. 92, 012112 (2008) https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2828863., The charge-trapping properties of the high-permittivity titanium oxide-hafnium silicate-silicon dioxide (TiO_2/HfSiO/SiO_2) gate stacks have been studied using scanning capacitance microscopy. From the bias stress examination of the gate stacks, we concluded that there were electron traps within the films, and these trap densities increased with an increase in the oxidation temperature used for the fabrication of TiO_2 top dielectrics. Furthermore, we found that the distribution of these charged defects was inhomogeneous within the gate stacks. These results are attributed to Ti diffusion through the dielectric layers, which caused electrical defects within the gate stacks.

Y. Naitou, H. Arimura, N. Kitano, S. Horie, H. Ogiso, T. Hosoi, T. Shimura and H. Watanabe, "Charge trapping properties in TiO_2/HfSiO/SiO_2 gate stacks probed by scanning capacitance microscopy", Appl. Phys. Lett. 92, 012112 (2008) https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2828863., The charge-trapping properties of the high-permittivity titanium oxide-hafnium silicate-silicon dioxide (TiO_2/HfSiO/SiO_2) gate stacks have been studied using scanning capacitance microscopy. From the bias stress examination of the gate stacks, we concluded that there were electron traps within the films, and these trap densities increased with an increase in the oxidation temperature used for the fabrication of TiO_2 top dielectrics. Furthermore, we found that the distribution of these charged defects was inhomogeneous within the gate stacks. These results are attributed to Ti diffusion through the dielectric layers, which caused electrical defects within the gate stacks.

Y. Naitou, H. Arimura, N. Kitano, S. Horie, H. Ogiso, T. Hosoi, T. Shimura and H. Watanabe, "Charge trapping properties in TiO_2/HfSiO/SiO_2 gate stacks probed by scanning capacitance microscopy", Appl. Phys. Lett. 92, 012112 (2008) https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2828863., The charge-trapping properties of the high-permittivity titanium oxide-hafnium silicate-silicon dioxide (TiO_2/HfSiO/SiO_2) gate stacks have been studied using scanning capacitance microscopy. From the bias stress examination of the gate stacks, we concluded that there were electron traps within the films, and these trap densities increased with an increase in the oxidation temperature used for the fabrication of TiO_2 top dielectrics. Furthermore, we found that the distribution of these charged defects was inhomogeneous within the gate stacks. These results are attributed to Ti diffusion through the dielectric layers, which caused electrical defects within the gate stacks.