Highspeed steels (HSS) with a combination of good wear resistance and toughness are finding new, non-cutting applications such as rolls and rollers. In this paper, the research interests are focused on the microstructural evolution of a SMo-6W series high speed steel during HIPping and the effect of HIPping process parameters on its microstructure and properties. HIPping process variables includes; temperature, pressure and hold time. The microstructures of the HIPped HSS were examined by SEM, OM and X-ray diffraction whereas the properties measured were the relative density, hardness, and bend strength at room temperature. In HIPped materials, MC and M6C were the major carbides formed in a matrix of martensite. The effect of powder size on the microstructure and mechanical properties of HIPped materials was insignificant. However, HIPping temperature and hold time strongly affected the carbide size and distribution. The results show that at proper HIPping temperature and pressure conditions, the final products approach the full density ( > 99% RD). The particle boundaries were completely eliminated without an eminent microstructural coarsening. The bend strength was about 2.3 Gpa, which is superior to cast HSS. At excessive HIPping temperatures, rapid carbide coarsening occurred, thus deteriorating the mechanical properties of the P/M steels.

Rice (Oryza sativa) is an excellent model monocot with a known genome sequence for studying developmental seeds. In the study, the seeds of 10th day after flowering (DAF) were conducted RNA-Seq of the variety Shindongjin and Sugary mutant using RNA-seq technique. Approximately 202 and 214 million high-quality paired-end reads (101-bp in size) were generated in Shindongjin and Sugary mutant, respectively. Comprehensive analysis on the transcript levels of genes which encode starch-synthesis enzymes is fundamental for the assessment of the function of each enzyme and the regulatory mechanism of starch biosynthesis in seeds. Quantitative real-time PCR was also used to validate the expression profiles of 28 rice genes encoding six classes of enzymes, viz., ADPglucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), starch synthase, starch branching enzyme, starch debranching enzyme, starch phosphorylase, and disproportionating enzyme at different developmental grain- filling stages (DAF 1-14) between Shindongjin and Sugary mutant. The results showed that the expression of most of starch synthesis genes were up-regulated except the cytosolic AGPase small subunit2b (AGPS2b), which sharply decreased at grain-filling stages in Sugary mutant. These results will expand our understanding of the complex molecular and cellular events in rice grain-filling stages and provide a fundamental understanding of future studies on developmental endosperm in rice and other cereal crops.

Rice blast disease caused by the fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae is one of the most destructive rice diseases worldwide. Resistance to rice blast pathogen mostly shows a quantitative trait controlled by several genes. A total of 13 major blast resistance (R) genes were reported in a number of Korean rice varieties using molecular markers. The Pi-ta gene, which locates near to the centromere of chromosome 12, was haplotyping using 1790 accessions including cultivated and wild varieties in previous research. However, the genetic variations of other R genes in rice still not clear. Three R genes, Pi9, Pia, and Pib on chromosome 6, 11 and 2 respectively, were resequenced among 84 accessions of rice core set. Different types of halotype among the 84 accessions were detected. Some new SNPs and InDels found in exon part of R genes were expected to result into amino acid changes following analysis of the genetic code variations, and the germplam in this rice core set which are resistance to blast were explored. We are expecting to develop the new functional markers and incorporate of resistance genes into existing rice cultivars and finally these apply outcomes in breeding rice resistance to blast diseases.

AGenome-wide association studies (GWAS) have proven a useful technique for identifying genetic loci responsible for natural variation in rice. With the fast developed next-generation sequencing technology, it is possible for people to carry out GWAS by phenotyping different traits. However, how to make full use of huge data, abandon unnecessary data, and solve the problem of data application effectively seems still an obstacle for many researchers. Taking the case of whole-genome resequencing of Korean authentic rice core set, here we present a general technological path of GWAS including: 1) a schematic view of sequencing-based GWAS in rice; 2) a user-friendly and interactive web application for GWAS in rice by the aid of experience from Arabidopsis; 3) Haplotype and association analysis of candidate genes in a certain mechanism pathway, giving 10 starch synthesis genes as example; and 4) functional validation by Trans- and Mata-Omics analysis.

The plant family chrysanthemum is known for its medicinal, ornamental, and economic purposes. Owing to its economic and biological significance to the difficult identification based on morphological characters, it is useful to develop DNA barcodes. DNA sequence data enable not only the inference of phylogenetic relationships but also provide an efficient method for species-level identifications under terms DNA barcoding or DNA taxonomy. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the utility of DNA barcoding in discriminating Chrysanthemum species. Four cpDNA regions (matK, rpoC, rpoB, trnH-psbA) and one nuclear (ITS) marker have sequenced from 28 specimens of 11 species from 4 genera of Chrysanthemum which were collected from 5 provinces in Korea. Comparisons of within and between species levels of sequence divergence showed that genetic variation between species exceeds variation within species.