N-type porous silicon (PS) layers and thermally oxidized PS layers have been characterized by various measuring techniques such as photoluminescence (PL), Raman spectroscopy, IR, HRSEM and transmittance measurements. The top surface of PS layer shows a stronger photoluminescence peak than its bottom part, and this is ascribed to the difference in number of fine silicon particles of 2~3 nm in diameter. Observed characteristics of PL spectra are explained in terms of microstructures in the n-type PS layers. Common features for both p-type and n-type PS layers are as follows: the parts which can emit visible photoluminescence are not amorphous, but crystalline, and such parts are composed of nanocrystallites of several nm’s whose orientations are slightly different from Si substrate, and such fine silicon particles absorb much hydrogen atoms near the surfaces. Light emission is strongly dependent on such fine silicon particles. Photoluminescence is due to charge carrier confinement in such three dimensional structure (sponge-like structure). Characteristics of visible light emission from ntype PS can be explained in terms of modification of band structure accompanied by bandgap widening and localized levels in bandstructure. It is also shown that hydrogen and oxygen atoms existing on residual silicon parts play an important role on emission stability.

Unidirectionally solidified TiAl alloys were prepared by optically-heated floating zone method at growth rates of 10 to 70 mm/h in flowing argon. The microstructures and tensile properties of these crystal bars were found to depend strongly on the growth rate and alloy composition. TiAl alloys with composition of 47 and 50 at.%Al grown under the condition of 10 mm/h showed Ti3Al(α2)/TiAl(γ) layer structures similar to single crystals. As the growth rate increased, the alloys with 47 and 50 at.%Al compositions showed columnar-grain structures. However, the alloys fabricated under the condition of 10 mm/ h had a layered structure, but the alloy with increased growth rate consisted of γ single phase grains. The alloy with a 53 at.%Al composition showed a γ single phase regardless of the growth rate. Room-temperature tensile tests of these alloys revealed that the columnar-grained material consisting of the layered structure showed a tensile ductility of larger than 4 % and relatively high strength. The high strength is caused by stress concentration at the grain boundaries; this enhances the secondary slip or deformation twinning across the layered structure in the vicinity of the grain boundaries, resulting in the appreciable ductility.

Ni-C composite films were prepared by co-deposition using a combined technique of plasma CVD and ion beam sputtering deposition. Depending on the deposition conditions, Ni-C thin films manifested three kinds of microstructure: (1) nanocrystallites of non-equilibrium carbide of nickel, (2) amorphous Ni-C film, and (3) granular Ni-C film. The electrical resistivity was also found to vary from about 102 μΩcm for the carbide films to about 104 μΩcm for the amorphous Ni-C films. The Ni-C films deposited at ambient temperatures showed very low TCR values compared with that of metallic nickel film, and all the films showed ohmic characterization, even those in the amorphous state with very high resistivity. The TCR value decreased slightly with increasing of the flow rate of CH4. For the films deposited at 200 oC, TCR decreased with increasing CH4 flow rate; especially, it changed sign from positive to negative at a CH4 flow rate of 0.35 sccm. By increasing the CH4 flow rate, the amorphous component in the film increased; thus, the portion of Ni3C grains separated from each other became larger, and the contribution to electrical conductivity due to thermally activated tunneling became dominant. This also accounts for the sign change of TCR when the filme was deposited at higher flow rate of CH4. The microstructures of the Ni-C films deposited in these ways range from amorphous Ni-C alloy to granular structures with Ni3C nanocrystallites. These films are characterized by high resistivity and low TCR values; the electrical properties can be adjusted over a wide range by controlling the microstructures and compositions of the films.

The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, acts as a vector of more than 100 plant viruses. B. tabaci is known to harbor a primary endosymbiont (Portiera) and 6 secondary endosymbionts (Arsenophonus, Cardinium, Fritschea, Hamiltonella, Rickettsia and Wolbachia). These endosymbionts play important roles in the acquisition and transmission of plant viruses. Using PCR analysis, we identified endosymbiotic bacteria in various B. tabaci populations collected from different places of Korea. Distribution of endosymbionts was different according to the biotype of B. tabaci. Subsequently, their relative densities of endosymbionts were compared between TYLCV-viruliferous and non-viruliferous populations of the Q biotype using quantitative realtime PCR. We found that the densities of Portiera, Cardinium and Hamiltonella are higher in viruliferous than non-viruliferous whiteflies. Our results suggest the role of endosymbiont for the TYLCV transmission of whiteflies.

The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, is a vector of more than 100 plantdiseased viruses as well as a serious pest to various horticultural crops. Virus acquisition affects the vector’s development and reproduction, but its mechanism is largely unknown. Here we compared the temperature responses between non-viruliferous and TYLCV-viruliferous Q biotype of B. tabaci. When both non-viruliferous and viruliferous whiteflies were exposed for 1 and 3 h at 4, 25, and 35°C, the mortality rate of viruliferous whiteflies is higher than nonviruliferous after exposure at 4°C and 35°C, but no differences at 25°C between them. Analysis of the expression levels of heat shock protein (hsp) genes using the quantitative realtime PCR showed that viruliferous whiteflies has higher expression in hsp70, and hsp90 at both 4°C and 35°C, but no differences at 25°C. The results suggest that vector insects may not be durable to unfavorable temperature conditions when they acquisite plant viruses.

The oral toxicities of symbiotic bacteria Photorhabdus temperata ssp temperata (Ptt), mutually associated with entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis megidis, and P. luminescens ssp. laumondii (TT01) with H. bacteriophora, were demonstrated to adults of the sweetpotato whitefly Bemisia tabaci. Sucrose solution (25%) containing bacteria-free supernatant of culture media of symbiotic bacteria was ingested into adult whiteflies within the glass tube. Whitefly mortalities were shown similar patterns against two bacterial media. Mortalities were significantly increased to 60-64% at 36 hours and almost 100% at 60 hours after treatments. In addition, We demonstrated the effect of oral ingestion of symbiont culture media on the gene expression of B. tabaci. Several genes fluctuated those expression levels. Our results suggest that oral ingestion of symbiont culture media of entomopathogenic nematodes significantly changed metabolic rates and highly lethal to whiteflies. The use of symbiotic bacteria of entomopathogenic nematodes provides a great potential as an alternative genetic resource of Bacillus thuringiensis, a major resource of microbial insecticide.

The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, is a vector insect of more than 100 plant-diseased viruses as well as a serious pest of various horticultural crops. B. tabaci is a species-complex that consists of at least 24 biotypes, which show different biological characteristics including host range, fecundity, insecticide resistance and virus transmission. Here we identified biotype, endosymbiotic bacteria, and tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) acquisition of various B. tabaci populations collected in Korea. In addition, we compared those profiles with B. tabaci collected from Bangladesh and Myanmar, and the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum. PCR diagnosis of cytochrome oxidase I (COI) showed that all B. tabaci populations of Korea were Q-biotype and closely related with a subgroup I (MedBasin 1), which is indigenous to the Western Mediterranean area. Ribosomal DNA analysis of 5 endosymbionts showed that both Cardinium and Hamiltonella were detected in most tested populations while the presence of Arsenophonus, Fritschea and Wolbachia dependent on populations. Our results suggest that the acquisition of TYLCV do not related with the endosymbiont profile of B. tabaci.

In this study, a preliminary evaluation of the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of the Ficus erecta var. sieboldii (Miq.) King (FES) leaf extract has been performed to assess its potential as a natural resource for food and medicinal materials. FES was extracted using 70% EtOH and then fractionated sequentially using n-hexane, CH2Cl2, EtOAc, and n-BuOH. To screen for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents effectively, the inhibitory effect of the FES extracts on the production of oxidant stresses (DPPH, xanthine oxidase, and superoxide) and pro-inflammatory factors (NO, iNOS, COX-2, PGE2, IL-6, and IL-β) in the murine macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 activated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was examined. Among the sequential solvent fractions of FES, the CH2Cl2 and EtOAc fractions showed decreased production of oxidant stresses (DPPH, xanthine oxidase and superoxide), and the hexane and CH2Cl2 fractions of FES inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory factors (NO, iNOS, COX-2, and PGE2). The CH2Cl2 fraction also inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β). These results suggest that FES has a significant effects on the production of oxidant stresses and pro-inflammatory factors and may be used a natural resource for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents.