Metal-free N–S- and N–P-doped nanocarbon (SCNP and PCNP) electrocatalysts prepared through sustainable microwaveassisted synthesis using hemigraphis alternata plant leaves. The prepared heteroatom-doped nanocarbon materials are active catalysts for the two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) to produce 65–70% of hydrogen peroxide. As evidenced from the XPS, most proportion of the doped heteroatoms contain the oxygen functional groups in the nanocarbons. These attributes are the critical factors to see the selective two-electron transfer ORR for the PCNP and SCNP. This approach shed light on the critical role of dual heteroatoms doping and the oxygen functionalities in nanocarbon towards the selectivity of ORR. We believe that this method would allow the preparation of heteroatom that contains oxygen functionalities. Our work paves a sustainable way of preparation of nanocarbon based ORR catalysts that are only selective for two-electron transfer process.

본 연구는 공기주입 이중피복온실과 관행 이중피복온실의 생육환경과 단열성능을 비교하기 위하여 수 행하였다. 두 온실의 온도, 상대습도, 포차, 이산화탄소농도, 일사량, 딸기 생산량 및 난방연료소비량을 비교하 였다. 공기주입온실이 관행온실보다 야간에 상대습도가 더 높고 포차는 더 낮게 나타나 딸기의 생육에 좋지 않은 환경을 보여주었다. 이산화탄소농도는 공기주입온실이 관행온실보다 더 높게 나타났으며, 이는 공기주입 온실이 더 밀폐되어 있어 환기량이 적기 때문인 것으로 판단된다. 관행온실의 광투과율이 77%로 공기주입온실 의 72%보다 더 높아 관행온실의 광환경이 더 우수한 것으로 나타났다. 관행온실의 딸기 생산량이 더 높게 나 타났으며, 이는 관행온실의 생육환경이 공기주입온실보다 더 우수한 결과로 판단된다. 난방연료는 공기주입온 실에서 더 적게 소모되어 공기주입온실의 단열성능이 더 우수한 것으로 나타났다.

Polarbear is a ground-based experiment located in the Atacama desert of northern Chile. The experiment is designed to measure the Cosmic Microwave Background B-mode polarization at several arcminute resolution. The CMB B-mode polarization on degree angular scales is a unique signature of primordial gravitational waves from cosmic in ation and B-mode signal on sub-degree scales is induced by the gravitational lensing from large-scale structure. Science observations began in early 2012 with an array of 1,274 polarization sensitive antenna-couple Transition Edge Sensor (TES) bolometers at 150 GHz. We published the first CMB-only measurement of the B-mode polarization on sub-degree scales induced by gravitational lensing in December 2013 followed by the first measurement of the B-mode power spectrum on those scales in March 2014. In this proceedings, we review the physics of CMB B-modes and then describe the Polarbear experiment, observations, and recent results.

We identify a strong lensing galaxy in the cluster IRC 0218 that is spectroscopically confirmed to be at z = 1:62, making it the highest-redshift strong lens galaxy known. The lens is one of the two brightest cluster galaxies and lenses a background source galaxy into an arc and a counterimage. With Hubble Space Telescope (HST) grism and Keck/LRIS spectroscopy, we measure the source redshift to be zS = 2:26. Using HST imaging, we model the lens mass distribution with an elliptical power-law prole and account for the effects of the cluster halo and nearby galaxies. The Einstein radius is θE = 0.38+0.02-0.01" (3.2+0.2 -0.1 kpc) and the total enclosed mass is Mtot(< θE) = 1.8+0.2 -0.1 X 1011 M⊙. We estimate that the cluster environment contributes ~ 10% of this total mass. Assuming a Chabrier IMF, the dark matter fraction within θE is fChab DM = 0.3+0.1 -0.3, while a Salpeter IMF is marginally inconsistent with the enclosed mass (fSalp DM = -0.3+0.2 -0.5).

The Eclipsing Binaries Minima (BIMA) Monitoring Project is a CCD-based photometric observational program initiated by Bosscha Observatory - Lembang, Indonesia in June 2012. Since December 2012 the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) has joined the BIMA Project as the main partner. This project aims to build an open-database of eclipsing binary minima and to establish the orbital period of each system and its variations. The project is conducted on the basis of multisite monitoring observations of eclipsing binaries with magnitudes less than 19 mag. Dierential photometry methods have been applied throughout the observations. Data reduction was performed using IRAF. The observations were carried out in BVRI bands using three dierent small telescopes situated in Indonesia, Thailand, and Chile. Computer programs have been developed for calculating the time of minima. To date, more than 140 eclipsing binaries have been observed. From them 71 minima have been determined. We present and discuss the O-C diagrams for some eclipsing binary systems.

The reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated during the somatic cell transfer nuclear (SCNT) procedures may cause the mitochondrial dysfunction and DNA damage, which may result in restricts the reprogramming of SCNT embryos and play a key direct role in apoptosis. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of antioxidant treatment during the SCNT procedures on the inhibition of mitochondria and DNA damages in bovine SCNT embryos. The reconstituted oocytes were treated with antioxidants of 25 μM β-mercaptoethanol (β-ME) or 50 μM vitamin C (Vit. C) during the SCNT procedures. In vitro fertilization (IVF) was performed for controls. Mitochondrial morphology and membrane potential (ΔΨ) were evaluated by staining the embryos with MitoTracker Red or JC-1. Apoptosis was analyzed by Caspase-3 activity assay and TUNEL assay, and DNA fragmentation was measured by comet assay at the zygote stage. Mitochondrial morphology of non-treated SCNT embryos was diffused within cytoplasm without forming clumps, while the IVF embryos and antioxidant treated SCNT embryos were formed clumps. The ΔΨ of β-ME (1.3±0.1, red/green) and Vit. C-treated (1.4±0.2, red/green) SCNT embryos were significantly higher (p<0.05) than that of non-treated SCNT embryos (0.9±0.1, red/ green), which similar to that of IVF embryos (1.3±0.1, red/green). Caspase-3 activity was not difference among the groups. TUNEL assay also revealed that little apoptosis was occurred in SCNT embryos as well as IVF embryos regardless of antioxidant treatment. Comet tail lengths of β-ME and Vit. C-treated SCNT embryos (337.8±23.5 μm and 318.7 ±27.0 μm, respectively) were shorter than that of non-treated SCNT embryos (397.4± 21.4 μm) and similar to IVF embryos (323.3±10.6 μm). These results suggest that antioxidant treatment during SCNT procedures can inhibit the mitochondrial and DNA damages of bovine SCNT embryos.

In ruminants, Interferon-τ (IFN-τ) has the role of recognizing pregnancy signals produced by the embryo and it may have an important role during the luteolysis. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of IFN-τ on prostaglandin synthesis, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene expression in vitro and secretion of progesterone (P4) in vivo. The epithelial and stromal cells isolated from bovine endometrium were cultured with different doses of IFN-τ (0, 0.02, 0.2 and 2 μg/ml). Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG, 1.5 IU/ml) was used as a positive control. Prostaglandin E2 and F2α levels in the culture media were analyzed by enzyme immunoassays, and total RNA was extracted from the cells for RT-PCR. P4 concentrations in blood samples were assayed by chemiluminescent immunoassay system. In epithelial cells, COX-2 gene expression was increased in the presence of IFN-τ (p<0.05), but it was not significantly different in all groups of stromal cells except 2 μg/ml IFN-τ group (p<0.05). Although IFN-τ did not affect PGE2 and PGF2α production in epithelial cells, it decreased PGE2 and PGF2α production significantly in stromal cells (p<0.05). In vivo experiment, the P4 concentrations in blood sample was significantly increased after injection of 1 μg/ml IFN-τ. These results indicate that PG production was mediated by COX-2 expression in the stromal cells but it did not affect in the epithelial cells, and suggest that treatment of IFN-τ was to improve the implantation environment of uterine by maintenance of high P4 concentration. * This work was carried out with the support of “Cooperative Research Program for Agriculture Science & Technology Development (Project No. PJ907008)” Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea.

New methods are developed to estimate the effective temperature (Te), surface gravity (log g), and metallicity ([A/H]) simultaneously with the spectral line depth ratios. Using the model atmosphere grids, depth values are calculated for the wavelength range of 4000 A–5600 A for various temperatures, gravities, and metallicities. All possible different combinations of line depth ratios for different pairs of ratios are investigated. A graphical 3D figure is produced with X, Y, and Z axes corresponding to Te, log g, and [A/H], respectively. By reading a cross point of two curves plotted by a connection of three parameters obtained from spectral line depth ratio pairs on each of the three projected planes, Te, log g, and [A/H] are determined simultaneously. In addition, an analytical method is devised based on the similar algorithm developed for the graphical method. Our methods were applied to estimate the fundamental atmospheric parameters of the Sun and Arcturus.