In Natural Analogue Study, Concrete is one of the important engineering barrier components in the Multi-thin wall concept of radioactive waste disposal and plays the most important role in disposal sites. The concrete barrier at the disposal site loses its role as a barrier due to various deterioration phenomena such as settlement, earthquake, and ground movement, causing the disposed waste to leak into the natural ecosystem. Some of the key factor is deterioration triggered by sulfate attack. Concrete deterioration induced by sulfate is commonly manifested in an extensive scale when a concrete structure makes contact with soil or water, aggravating its performance. In this study, an accelerated concrete deterioration evaluation experiment was performed using a total of three experimental methods to evaluate the reaction between concrete and water. The first experiment was a deterioration evaluation using Demi. Water, the second was a deterioration evaluation using KURT groundwater after extraction, and the last experiment was a concrete deterioration evaluation using KURT groundwater and sodium sulfate. For all of these experiments, accelerated concrete deterioration experiments were conducted after immersion for a total of 365 days, and specimens were taken out at 30-day intervals and characterization analysis such as SEM and EDS was performed. Experimental analyzes have shown that various chemical species are generated or destroyed over time. In the future, we plan to continue to conduct a total of three concrete deterioration evaluation experiments above, and additionally evaluate the chemical reaction between bentonite and concrete.

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), which is a traditional Korean crop, has been known as a health food due to its rich nutrition. This study was conducted to evaluate the change in flavonoid content of flowers and seeds during post-flowering growth of Korean tartary buckwheat variety ‘Hwanggeummiso’, with the aim of providing basic data for the development of functional food and feed additive. Tartary buckwheat took 69 and 99 days from the sowing date to reach the flowering and maturity stages, respectively. As a result of examining the flavonoid components of each part of tartary buckwheat, chlorogenic acid, rutin, and isoquercitrin of flowers increased from the flowering period on 22 May (0 days after flowering) to 42 days after flowering, while quercetin increased until 21 days after flowering and then decreased thereafter. In seeds, chlorogenic acid, rutin, and isoquercitrin were most abundant at the time of seed-bearing on 14 days after flowering, and showed a decreasing tendency thereafter. On the other hand, quercetin showed a tendency to increase until 21 days after flowering and then decrease. Overall, the flavonoid content was higher in flowers than in seeds, with rutin being particularly prominent. Based on this, the possibility as food materials and feed additives was confirmed using buckwheat produced in Korea.

Two dimensional(2D) crystals, composed of a single layer or a few atomic layers extracted from layered materials are attracting researchers’ interest due to promising applications in the nanoelectromechanical systems. Worldwide researchers are preparing devices with suspended 2D materials to study their physical and electrical properties. However, during the fabrication process of 2D flakes on a target substrate, contamination occurs, which makes the measurement data less reliable. We propose a dry transfer method using poly-methyl methacrylate(PMMA) for the 2D flakes to transfer onto the targeted substrate. The PMMA is then removed from the device by an N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone solution and a critical point dryer, which makes the suspended 2D flakes residue free. Our method provides a clean, reliable and controllable way of fabricating micrometer-sized suspended 2D nanosheets.

The electronic and optical characteristics of molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) film significantly vary with its thickness, and thus a rapid and accurate estimation of the number of MoS2 layers is critical in practical applications as well as in basic researches. Various existing methods are currently available for the thickness measurement, but each has drawbacks. Transmission electron microscopy allows actual counting of the MoS2 layers, but is very complicated and requires destructive processing of the sample to the point where it will no longer be useable after characterization. Atomic force microscopy, particularly when operated in the tapping mode, is likewise time-consuming and suffers from certain anomalies caused by an improperly chosen set point, that is, free amplitude in air for the cantilever. Raman spectroscopy is a quick characterization method for identifying one to a few layers, but the laser irradiation causes structural degradation of the MoS2. Optical microscopy works only when MoS2 is on a silicon substrate covered with SiO2 of 100~300 nm thickness. The last two optical methods are commonly limited in resolution to the micrometer range due to the diffraction limits of light. We report here a method of measuring the distribution of the number of MoS2 layers using a low voltage field emission electron microscope with acceleration voltages no greater than 1 kV. We found a linear relationship between the FESEM contrast and the number of MoS2 layers. This method can be used to characterize MoS2 samples at nanometer-level spatial resolution, which is below the limits of other methods.

The two related species in the tribe Archipini, Adoxophyes paraorana and Pandemis heparana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), are insect pests of fruit trees in Korea. We investigated differences in pheromone system and seasonal flight of these two species. GC-MS analyses of pheromone gland extracts revealed that females of both species produce blends of Z11-14:OAc, Z9-14:OAc, and Z11-14:OH in similar ratios. The average ratio of three components in extracts was estimated to be 3:100:0.3 for A. paraorana and 3:100:2 for P. heparana. Field tests showed that Z11-14:OAc and Z9-14:OAc were essential for attraction of A. paraorana males and the presence of Z11-14:OH in primary binary blend did not induce any synergistic or inhibitory effect. For the attraction of P. heparana males, however, all three components, Z11-14:OAc, Z9-14:OAc and Z11-14:OH, were indispensable. These results suggest that male A. paraorana do not discriminate between conspecific females and those of P. heparana in the field. Comparison of the flight phenologies in apple and pear orchards showed that the two species are sympatric and overlap in flight periods. This finding eliminates pheromone specificity and seasonal separation as premating reproductive isolation mechanism between A. paraorana and P. heparana.

Synanthedon haitangvora (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) is an economically important pest of apple trees in Korea and China. We report here the identification of compounds in pheromone gland extracts of female S. haitangvora, and the male responses to blends of different components and ratios in the field. Two major components from pheromone gland extracts of S. haitangvora females were identified as Z3,Z13-18:OAc and E2,Z13-18:OAc, and the average ratio of these components was about 1:1. Seven minor components, Z9-16:OAc, Z11-16:OAc, Z9-18:OAc, Z13-18:OAc, E3,Z13-18:OAc, Z3,Z13-18:OH, and E2,Z13-18:OH, also were identified from gland extracts. Field tests showed that male S. haitangvora were attracted to Z3,Z13-18:OAc alone, but the maximum number of males was attracted to the binary blend of Z3,Z13-18:OAc and E2,Z13-18:OAc mimicking the blend found in female extracts. The addition of minor components to a 1:1 blend of Z3,Z13-18:OAc and E2,Z13-18:OAc did not increase the numbers of moths captured. The only significant effect of minor components was the strong inhibitory effect of adding Z3,Z13-18:OH to the primary binary blend. Increasing doses of the optimum pheromone blend in the lures from 0.1 to 2.0 mg increased trap catches of male S. haitangvora.

We tested differences in female pheromone production and male response in three species of the genus Adoxophyes in Korea. Females of all three species produced mixtures of Z9-14:OAc and Z11-14:OAc as major components but in quite different ratios. The ratio of Z9-14:OAc and Z11-14:OAc in pheromone gland extracts was estimated to be 100:198 for A. honmai, 100:23 for A. orana, and 100:3880 for A. sp. Field tests showed that males of each species were preferentially attracted to the two-component blends of Z9-14:OAc and Z11-14:OAc mimicking the blends found in pheromone gland extracts of conspecific females. The effects of minor components identified in gland extracts on trap catches varied with species. Addition of 10me-12:OAc or E11-14:OAc to the binary blend of Z9-14:OAc and Z11-14:OAc significantly increased captures of A. honmai males, whereas E11-14:OAc exhibited a strongly antagonistic effect on catches of A. sp. males. Moreover, Z9-14:OH or Z11-14:OH added to the binary blends increased attraction of male A. orana but not A. honmai and A. sp. males, suggesting that these minor components, in addition to the relative ratios of the two major components, play a noteworthy role in reproductive isolation between Adoxophyes species in the southern and midwestern Korea where these species occur sympatrically.

Geneally, rice seeds regardless indica or japonica are showing low germination ratio or completely lost germination ability together with lost of good eating quality under high temperature and humidity conditions. Thus, this study was designed to evaluate a longevity for conservation of good eating quality during long term storage in rice. For the longevity evaluation, germination ability was studied after 5 days of high temperature and humidity stress (50℃/RH 95%). Dharial, originated from Bangladesh and showing weedy type with red pericarp, was selected as a good donor for longevity genes. A mutant was developed from Dharial through EMS mutagenesis and two populations of Dharial/4*Ilmibyeo and Dharial/4*Gopumbyeo were also developed for genetic study. In the 2-DE analysis followed by MALDI-TOF MS with wild and mutant lines, several candidate genes were identified. In the longevity test of two populations, a few lines showing good germination ability after high temperature and humidity stress were selected and subjected to confirm the relationships between longevity and conservation of good eating quality under long term storage.

An unbalance of rice productions and consumptions caused serious problems in both of agricultural area and grain market of korea. In recently, various efforts for rice processing products such as rice noodles and rice wines are in progress to overcome the unstable rice market. Among them, waxy rice is predominant items in processing rice. However, varietal features of starch viscosity are not considered in the processing industries and rice breeding field. In this study, 12 waxy rices and 2 cultivars Ilmibyeo(japonica) and IR72(Indica) were studied for physicochemical and amylogram to characterize the use of waxy rices. The amylose contents of waxy rices were from 7.1 to 8.1% with soft gel consistency and relatively low alkali digestion value(1.4% KOH) compare to Ilmibyeo. In the amylogram analysis(RVU) of waxy rices, unlikely normal rices, very fast peak time(about 3.5 min.) was obtained compare to that of 6.2 min. of Ilmibyeo. And 2 to 3 groups were classified based on peak viscosity and consitency of RVU. Wangchal, Odorokimochi and Hangangchal showed relatively high peak viscosity seemed not suitable for rice cake due to the hardness speed. And most of waxy rices developed in korea were believed to be suitable for oil fried cakes(Hankwa) because of a certain grade of starch degradation speed. And Mochiminori and Midoromochi originated from japan could be a good sources in waxy rice breeding program to improve the cooking properties especially in slow down of hardness speed with very low peak viscosity, hot viscosity and cool viscosity.