Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) and fertility restoration have been utilized as valuable tools for F_1-hybrid seed production in many crops despite laborious breeding processes. Molecular markers for the selection of CMS-related genes help reduce the expenses and breeding times. A previously reported genomic region containing the Ppr-B gene, which is responsible for restoration of fertility and corresponds to the Rfo locus, was used to develop gene-based or so-called "functional" markers for allelic selection of the restorer-of-fertility gene (Rfo) in F_1-hybrid breeding of radish (Raphanus sativus L.) Polymorphic sequences among Rfo alleles of diverse breeding lines of radish were examined by sequencing the Ppr-B alleles. However, presence of Ppr-B homolog, designated as Ppr-D, interferes on specific PCR amplification of Ppr-B in certain breeding lines. The organization of Ppr-D, resolved by genome walking, revealed extended homology with Ppr-B even in the promoter region. Interestingly, PCR amplification of Ppr-D was repeatedly unsuccessful in certain breeding lines implying the lack of Ppr-D in these radishes. Ppr-B could only be successfully amplified for analysis through designing primers based on the sequences unique to Ppr-B that exclude interference from Ppr-D gene. Four variants of Rfo alleles were identified from 20 breeding lines. A combination of three molecular markers was developed in order to genotype the Rfo locus based on polymorphisms among four different variants. These markers will be useful in facilitating F_1-hybrid cultivar development in radish.

The utility of soil-gas surveys is directly proportional to their accuracy in reflecting and representing changes in the subsurface concentrations of source compounds. Passive soil-gas vapor-phase is merely a fractional trace of the source, so, as a matter of convenience, the units used in reporting detection values from EMFLUX surveys are smaller than those employed for source-compound concentrations. According to the Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) Program Annual Report, approximately 16 U.S. million dollars were spent for environmental site investigations at over 1,600 Underground Storage Tank (UST) sites and approximately over 1,000 acres of land was characterized and remediated in the State of Illinois in the year of 2003 alone. The main purpose of this study is to propose an idea to significantly reduce the site investigation cost by utilizing a passive soil-gas survey and conventional intrusive drilling method and to fully define the three dimensional characteristics of subsurface contamination from two industrial drycleaning facilities.

The effect of precoating of silica with polyamine surfactants on the adsorption of five model compounds containing asphalt-like functionalities was studied. Hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride (HDTMA) and 1-hexadecylamine were used for silica precoating. The model compounds representing five asphalt functionalities were benzoic acid, phenol, benzylbenzoate, benzophenone, and quinoline. All the adsorption isotherms conformed well to the Langmuir adsorption model. All the model compounds showed decreased adsorption with the HDTMA precoating. However, two acidic compounds, benzoic acid and phenol, showed enhanced adsorption on the silica precoated with 1-hexadecylamine. In aqueous solutions, the adsorption of the acidic compounds were in the following order: silica precoated with 1-hexadecylamine > silica precoated with HDTMA > uncoated silica.

금속제련공학 및 환경과학 분야에 있어서 물질전체를 구성하고 있는 화학적 조성이 중요한 요소이나, 입자 표면의 화학조성과 미분화된 입자들의 표면 반응성을 제어함과 동시에, 입자 계면에서 일어나는 중금속과 유기물질등의 반응은 제련공정과 환경오염에 중요한 역할을 한다. 그러므로, 수용액상에 존재하는 여러 종류의 화학 물질과 광물입자 표면 사이에서 일어나는 계면반응 과정의 이해는 상당히 중요한 것이다. 일반적으로 입자 표면 분석에는 ex-situ 법을 사용하는 X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS) 분석 방법이 많이 적용되고 있으나, 이는 분석대상시료의 크기가 보통 100 마이크론에서 1 cm 정도의 범위 안에 혼재-혼합되어있는 고체 입자들을 분석하기 때문에 채취 분석된 X-ray의 원래 발산한 입자표면을 분석할 수는 없다. 그래서 본 연구에서는 Time-of-Flight Secondary-Ion Mass Spectroscopy (TOF-SIMS)를 응용하여 황화광물의 부유선광 공정 중 생성된 미세한 유화광물입자(30~75 microns) 표면에 형성된 무기, 유기물의 반응 관찰을 통해 이들의 정성분석 및 상대적 정량분석법을 연구하고자 하였다.