The molecular structures of 2,6-diaza-1,3,5,7-tetraoxaspiro[3,3]heptane (1) and its dinitro derivative, 2,6-dinitro-2,6-diaza-1,3,5,7-tetraoxaspiro[3,3]heptane (2), were fully optimized without symmetry constraints at $HF/6-31G^*$ level of theory. A bisected conformation with respect to the ring is preferred with a $C_2$ symmetric structure. The density of each molecule in the crystalline state was estimated to 1.12 and 2.36 $g/cm^3$ using PM3/VSTO-3G calculations from the molecular volume. The heat of formation was calculated for two compounds at the CBS-4M level of theory. The detonation parameters were computed using the EXPLO5 software: D = 6282 m/s, $P_{C-J}$ = 127 kbar for compound 1, D = 7871 m/s, $P_{C-J}$ = 307 kbar for compound 2, and D = 6975 m/s, $P_{C-J}$ = 170 kbar for 60% compound 2 with 40% TNT. Specific impulse of compound 1 in aluminized formulation when used as monopropellants was very similar to that of the conventional ammonium perchlorate in the same formulation of aluminum.

Synthesis of tetrahydroimidazo[1,2-a]pyridines and tetrahydropyrido[1,2-a] pyrimidines by a one-pot and three component reaction of ${\alpha}$-oxoketenedithioacetals, diamines and DMAD in water has been described. Different routes for accessing the desired compounds were examined and a few specially designed-substrates have been utilized further to afford the new imidazo and pyrido fused [1,8] naphthyridine tetracyclic compound by $S_NAr$ intramolecular cyclization.

We have synthesized disc-like large silver nanomaterials that have nanostructured bumps on the surface using smaller nanoplate seeds. The size and shape of the bumpy nanostructures are rationally controlled by changing the concentrations of nanoplate seeds, silver ion, reductant, and citrate ion. Importantly, the synthetic mechanism of these bumpy nanostructures is remarkably similar to that of the conventional seed-mediated growth based on tiny seeds. We have further investigated the catalytic properties of the bumpy nanostructures for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol, which is associated with a concomitant color change from yellow to colorless.

We have performed DFT calculations to devise some possible fullerene dimers (from $C_{60}$ and $C_{80}$) connected through $C_{24}$ and $C_{36}$ bridge cages with the face-to-face linking model. The fullerene dimers with $C_{36}$ bridges have lower binding energies and greater HOMO-LUMO gaps than those of the fullerene dimers with $C_{24}$ bridges. Also, the replacement of $C_{60}$ cages with $C_{80}$ ones always leads to an increase in binding energies and HOMO-LUMO gaps in these systems. Dimerization of $C_{60}$ and $C_{80}$ fullerenes with $C_{24}$ and $C_{36}$ results in a significant decrease in antiaromaticity of the antiaromatic cages $C_{24}$ and $C_{80}$, and an increase in the aromaticity of the aromatic cages $C_{36}$ and $C_{60}$. Therefore, DFT results indicate that those fullerene dimers involving the initially harshly antiaromatic $C_{24}$ or $C_{80}$ cages are more energetically favorable configuration than the fullerene dimers involving the aromatic $C_{36}$ and $C_{60}$ cages.

Octadecyl-modified graphene (graphene-C18) was fabricated and used as adsorbent in hollow fiber liquid phase microextraction (HF-LPME) for the first time. The extraction performance of graphene-C18 reinforced HF-LPME was evaluated using chlorophenols as model analytes. The factors affecting the extraction efficiency, such as extraction time, pH of the sample solution, agitation rate, the concentration of graphene-C18 and salt addition were optimized. After the graphene-C18 reinforced HF-LPME of the chlorophenols from honey sample, the analytes were separated and determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The linearity was observed in the range of 5.0-200.0 ng $g^{-1}$ for 2-chlorophenol and 3-chlorophenol, and 2.0-200.0 ng $g^{-1}$ for 2,3-dichlorophenol and 3,4-dichlorophenol, respectively. The limits of detection (S/N = 3) of the method were lower than 1.5 ng $g^{-1}$. The recoveries of the method were between 88% and 108%. The method is simple, sensitive and has been resoundingly applied to analysis of chlorophenols in honey samples.

The kinetic studies on the reactions of O-methyl N,N-diisopropylamino phosphonochloridothioate with X-anilines and X-pyridines have been carried out in acetonitrile. The free energy relationship with X in the anilines exhibits biphasic concave upwards with a break region between X = (H and 4-F), giving unusual negative ${\beta}_X$ and positive ${\rho}_X$ values with weakly basic anilines. The unusual phenomenon is rationalized by isokinetic relationship. A stepwise mechanism with a rate-limiting leaving group departure from the intermediate is proposed based on the selectivity parameter and variation trend of the deuterium kinetic isotope effects with X. The free energy relationship with X in the pyridines exhibits biphasic concave upwards with a break point at X = 3-MeO. A concerted mechanism is proposed based on relatively small ${\beta}_X$ value, and frontside and backside nucleophilic attack are proposed with strongly and weakly basic pyridines, respectively.

Protonated caffeine ($CH^+$) and glucosamine ($GH^+$) overlapped in an analysis with ion mobility spectrometryquadrupole mass spectrometry. Ethyl lactate vapor (L) at different concentrations from 0 to 22 mmol $m^{-3}$ was added as a buffer gas modifier to separate these signals. The drift times of $CH^+$ and $GH^+$ increased with L concentration. The drift time increase was associated to clustering equilibria of $CH^+$ and $GH^+$ with one molecule of L and the equilibrium of $GH^+$ was more displaced to the formation of $GLH^+$ than that of $GLH^+$. $GH^+$ clustered more to L than $CH^+$ because $GLH^+$ formed more stable hydrogen bonds (26.30 kcal/mol) than $GLH^+$ (24.66 kcal/mol) and the positive charge in $GH^+$ was more sterically accessible than in $CH^+$. The aim of this work was to use theoretical calculations to guide the selection of a buffer gas modifier for IMS separations of two compounds that overlap in the mobility spectra and predict this separation, simplifying that empirical process.

The protolytic dissociation process of hydrochloric acid (HCl) and hydrofluoric acid (HF) is studied using the B3LYP and MP2 methods with the 6-311+G(d,p) basis set in the gas phase and in aqueous solution. To study the phenomena in detail, discrete and discrete/continuum models were applied by placing water molecules in various positions around the acid. The dissociation process was studied using the thermodynamic cycle involving the structures optimized both in the gas phase and in aqueous solution and was analyzed with two key energy factors, relaxation free energy (${\Delta}G_{Rex(g)}$) and solvation free energy (${\Delta}G_s$). Based on the results, we could understand the dissociation mechanism and wish to propose the best way to study acid dissociation process using the CPCM methodology in aqueous solution.

In this study, we introduced the RRLR oligopeptide sequences on the surface of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer and characterized the physical properties and gene carrier activity of the novel polymer using HEK 293, NIH3T3, and HeLa cells. The RRLR peptide sequences were derived from a mouse fibroblast growth factor 3 (FGF3) protein containing a bipartite NLS motif. The entire sequence of FGF3 is RLRRDAGGRGGVYEHLGGAPRRRK and it has two functional sequences RLRR and RRRK at N-terminus and C-terminus, respectively. In particular, PAMAM G4-RRLR conferred enhanced transfection efficiency and lower cytotoxicity compared with those of PEI 25 kDa, PAMAM G4-R, and PAMAM G4 in various cell lines. These results suggest that the introduction of N-terminal oligopeptides of FGF3 on the surface of PAMAM holds promise as an effective non-viral gene delivery carrier for gene therapy.

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) theoretical level were performed for two novel explosives (compounds B and C) based on the guanidine-fused bicyclic skeleton $C_4N_6H_8$ (A). The heats of formation (HOFs) were calculated via isodesmic reaction. The detonation properties were evaluated by using the Kamlet-Jacobs equations. The bond dissociation energies (BDEs) for the thermolysis initiation bond were also analyzed to investigate the thermal stability. The results show that the compounds have high positive HOF values (B, 1064.68 $kJ{\cdot}mol^{-1}$; C, 724.02 $kJ{\cdot}mol^{-1}$), high detonation properties (${\rho}$, D and P values of 2.04 $g{\cdot}cm^{-3}$ and 2.21 $g{\cdot}cm^{-3}$, 9.98 $km{\cdot}s^{-1}$ and 10.99 $km{\cdot}s^{-1}$, 46.44 GPa and 59.91 Gpa, respectively) and meet the basic stability requirement. Additionally, feasible synthetic routes of the these high energy density compounds (HEDCs) were also proposed via retrosynthetic analysis.

Dye sensitized solar cells were fabricated using natural dyes extracted from beetroot, rose and strawberry. The ZnO nanorod working electrode has been prepared by simple hydrothermal method. The crystallinity and morphology of the prepared electrode has been studied using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy techniques. The effect of natural dye extract temperature, pH of the dye and the solvent used for dye preparation on the solar cell characteristics have been studied. The efficiency of strawberry extract sensitized ZnO nanorod solar cells are found to be better than the other solar cells sensitized using beetroot and rose extracts.

In our previous articles, an approach has been proposed for the evaluation of the uncertainty of overall result from multiple measurements. In the approach, uncertainty sources were classified into two groups: the first including those giving same 'systematic' effect on each individual measurement and the second including the others giving 'random' effect on each individual measurement and causing a variation among individual measurement results. The arithmetic mean of the replicated measurements is usually assigned as the value for the overall result. Uncertainty of the overall result is determined by separately evaluating and combining an overall uncertainty from sources of the 'systematic' effect and another overall uncertainty from sources of the 'random' effect. This conceptual approach has been widely adopted in chemical metrology society. In this study, further logical proof with more detailed mathematical expressions is provided on the approach.

Time-dependent formulations of the reactive scattering theory based on the wavepacket correlation functions with the M${\phi}$ller wavepackets for the electronically nonadiabatic reactions are presented. The calculations of state-to-state reactive probabilities for the quasi-Jahn-Teller scattering model system were performed. The conical intersection (CI) effects are investigated by comparing the results of the two-surface nonadiabatic calculations and the single surface adiabatic approximation. It was found that the results of the two-surface nonadiabatic calculations show interesting features in the reaction probability due to the conical intersection. Single surface adiabatic calculations with extended Born-Oppenheimer approximation using simple wavepacket phase factor was found to be able to reproduce the CI effect semi-quantitatively, while the single surface calculations with the usual adiabatic approximation cannot describe the scattering process for the Jahn-Teller model correctly.

In this study, we report a new approach for $Mn_3O_4$-graphene nanocomposite by ex situ method. This nanocomposite shows two-dimensional aggregation of nanoparticle, and doping effect by decorated manganese oxide ($Mn_3O_4$), as well. The graphene film was made through micromechanical cleavage of graphite on the $SiO_2/Si$ wafer. Manganese oxide ($Mn_3O_4$) nanoparticle with uniform cubic shape and size (about $5.47{\pm}0.61$ nm sized) was synthesized through the thermal decomposition of manganese(II) acetate, in the presence of oleic acid and oleylamine. The nanocomposite was obtained by self-assembly of nanoparticles on graphene film, using hydrophobic interaction. After heat treatment, the decorated nanoparticles have island structure, with one-layer thickness by two-dimensional aggregations of particles, to minimize the surface potential of each particle. The doping effect of $Mn_3O_4$ nanoparticle was investigated with Raman spectra. Given the upshift in positions of G and 2D in raman peaks, we suggest that $Mn_3O_4$ nanoparticles induce p-doping of graphene film.

In attempt to lead compounds exhibiting both insecticidal and fungicidal activities, a series of O-benzyl oximeether derivatives were designed and synthesized by introducing ${\beta}$-methoxyacrylate pharmacophore into a scaffold. The insecticidal activity against Aphis fabae and the fungicidal activity against Erysiphe graminis were screened. The title compounds exhibited remarkable insecticidal and fungicidal activities. The most potent compound 6d was identified. Its insecticidal $LC_{50}$ against A. fabae is 6.4 mg/L, which is lower than that of chlorfenapyr (19.4 mg/L) and even close to the level of imidacloprid (4.8 mg/L). Its fungicidal $EC_{90}$ in preventive and curative treatment against E. graminis are 2.2 and 4.8 mg/L, respectively, which are lower than azoxystrobin (7.0 and 5.9 mg/L). These results indicate that compound 6d can be considered as a lead for further developing new O-benzyl oxime-ether typed candidates with both fungicidal and insecticidal activities.

Polyacrylamide (PAM) -HgS nanocomposites were successfully prepared in polyacrylamide (PAM) matrix. From TEM and XRD characterizations, the synthesized HgS nanocrystals were chain-like spherical in shape with a diameter of about 40-60 nm and high crystalline quality. The quantum-confined effect of HgS nanocrystals was confirmed by UV-vis diffuse reflection spectra. The optical properties of products were investigated by using photoluminescence (PL) spectra, which showed that HgS nanocrystals exhibited good optical properties with maximum emission peak at about 640 and 650 nm at different reaction temperatures. The interaction of HgS nanocrystals with PAM was studied through FT-IR spectroscopy and TG analysis, which suggested that $Hg^{2+}$ could interact with functional groups of PAM. The experimental results indicated that PAM not only induced nucleation, but also inhibited further growth of HgS crystals and play an important role in the formation of PAM/HgS nanocomposites. In addition, the possible mechanism of HgS nanoparticles growth in PAM solution was also discussed.

A multi-channel microchip electrophoresis (MCME) method with parallel laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection was developed for rapid screening of H1N1 virus. The hemagglutinin (HA) and nucleocapsid protein (NP) gene of H1N1 virus were amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The amplified PCR products of the H1N1 virus DNA (HA, 116 bp and NP, 195 bp) were simultaneously detected within 25 s in three parallel channels using an expanded laser beam and a charge-coupled device camera. The parallel separations were demonstrated using a sieving gel matrix of 0.3% poly(ethylene oxide) ($M_r$ = 8,000,000) in $1{\times}$ TBE buffer (pH 8.4) with a programmed step electric field strength (PSEFS). The method was ~20 times faster than conventional slab gel electrophoresis, without any loss of resolving power or reproducibility. The proposed MCME/PSEFS assay technique provides a simple and accurate method for fast high-throughput screening of infectious virus DNA molecules under 400 bp.

A simple and general method that selectively introduces metal binding sites into a protein can greatly increase the ability to design and biosynthesize artificial metalloproteins. Here, we report the incorporation of a phenanthroline-containing amino acid (Phen-Ala) into proteins in Escherichia coli by using the $tRNA{^{Tyr}}_{CUA}$ and tyrosyl aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase pair (BpyRS) from Methanococcus jannaschii, which was originally developed for a bipyridine-containing amino acid (Bpy-Ala). The incorporation efficiency of BpyRS for Phen-Ala was comparable to that for Bpy-Ala. Because of its high metal-binding ability and characteristic spectral properties, Phen-Ala can be a useful alternative to the existing metal-chelating amino acids for the design and synthesis of artificial metalloproteins.

Tageteserecta flower like zinc oxide nanostructures composed of hexagonal nanorods were synthesized via sonochemical method at room temperature. The synthesized nanomaterials exhibited wurtzite hexagonal phase structure with the single crystalline nature. The diameter of the individual nanorods that constitute the flower shaped zinc oxide structures is in the range of 120-160 nm. The sonication time effectively determined the morphological properties of the prepared materials. The catalytic activity of prepared zinc oxide nanostructures towards N-formylation reactions were evaluated without any surface modification and the nanostructures exhibited good reaction yield with the prompt recyclability behavior.

New electron deficient acceptor-acceptor-acceptor type of monomer unit composed of weak electron accepting benzimidazole and relatively strong electron accepting benzothiadiazole derivatives namely 4,7-bis(6-bromo-1-(2-ethylhexyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole (BBB) was synthesized. The Stille polycondensation of the newly synthesized BBB monomer with electron donating 2,6-bis(trimethyltin)-4,8-bis(2-ethylhexyloxy)benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene (BDT) afforded donor-acceptor-acceptor-acceptor type of polymer namely 2,6-(4,8-bis(2-ethylhexyloxy)benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene)-alt-4,7-bis(1-(2-ethylhexyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole (PBDTBBB). The opto-electrical studies revealed that the absorption band of PBDTBBB appeared in the range of 300 nm-525 nm and its highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels were positioned at -5.18 eV and -2.84 eV, respectively. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the polymer solar cell (PSC) prepared from PBDTBBB:PC71BM (1:2 wt %) blend was 1.90%.

While single strand DNAs have been widely used for the scaffold of brightly fluorescent silver nanoclusters (Ag NCs), double strand DNAs have not been as successful. Herein, we report a novel synthetic approach for bright Ag NCs using branched double strand DNAs as the scaffolds for synthesis. X-shaped DNA (X-DNA) and Y-shaped DNA (Y-DNA) effectively stabilized Ag NCs, and both X-DNA and Y-DNA resulted in brightly fluorescent Ag NCs. The concentration and molar ratio of silver and DNA were found important for the fluorescence efficiency. The brightest Ag NC with the photoluminescence quantum efficiency of 19.8% was obtained for the reaction condition of 10 ${\mu}M$ X-DNA, 70 ${\mu}M$ silver, and the reaction time of 48 h. The fluorescence lifetime was about 2 ns for the Ag NCs and was also slightly dependent on the synthetic condition. Addition of Cu ions at the Ag NC preparations resulted in the quenching of Ag NC fluorescence, which was different to the brightening cases of single strand DNA stabilized Ag NCs.

The cuprous oxide cubes with the special porous surface constructed by nano-prisms have been successfully fabricated by a solvothermal method. The template-free method is simple and facile without any surfactant. The X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) pattern suggests that the as-prepared product is the pure primitive cubic $Cu_2O$. The effects of the experimental parameters, such as the reaction temperature, reaction time and the concentration of sodium acetate anhydrous, on the morphologies of the products were investigated in detail by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Based on the time-dependent experiments, the possible formation mechanism was proposed. Using photocatalytic degrading reactive dyes as the model reaction and xenon lamp to simulate sunlight, the $Cu_2O$ cubes with the porous surface might possess higher photocatalytic activity than those of the commercial $Cu_2O$ powder in the visible-light region, indicating the excellent photocatalytic performance.

Ru/C-catalyzed hydrogenation of m-xylylene diamine into 1,3-cyclohexanebis(methylamine) was greatly accelerated by the presence of $LiNO_3$, $NaNO_2$, or $NaNO_3$. It was found that the effect of the nitrate salt was significantly affected by the size of cation. The promoting effect of the nitrate salt increased with the decrease of the cation size: $LiNO_3$ ~ $NaNO_2$ > $KNO_3$ > $CsNO_3$ >> [1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium]$NO_3$. XRD analysis of the recovered catalysts after the hydrogenation reactions showed that $LiNO_3$ and $NaNO_2$ were completely transformed into LiOH and NaOH, respectively, along with the evolution of $NH_3$, while $KNO_3$ and $CsNO_3$ remained unchanged.

The design, synthesis, and structural characterization of two new palladium complexes based on Schiff base ligands is reported; $[Pd(L1)_2]$ (1) and $[Pd(L2)_2]$ (2), [HL1 = 2-((E)-(2,6-diethylphenylimino)methyl)-4,6-dibromophenol, L2 = (E)-N-benzylidene-2,6-diethylbenzenamine], which are obtained by functionalizing Schiff base ligands with or without electron-withdrawing groups. Both compounds are mononuclear structures. Comparisons are made to the compounds 1 and 2 to analyze and understand the effect of electron-withdrawing groups. Antibacterial activity studies indicate the electron-withdrawing groups on Schiff base ligands enhance antibacterial activity. Catalytic activity, however, is reduced due to the enhanced steric-hindrance of the electron-withdrawing groups. Electronic absorption and emission properties of HL1, L2, 1 and 2 are also reported.

A kinetic study on aminolysis of 4-chloro-2-nitrophenyl X-substituted-benzoates (6a-i) in MeCN is reported. The Hammett plot for the reactions of 6a-i with piperidine consists of two intersecting straight lines, while the Yukawa-Tsuno plot exhibits an excellent linear correlation with ${\rho}_X$ = 1.03 and r = 0.78. The nonlinear Hammett plot is not due to a change in rate-determining step (RDS) but is caused by the resonance stabilization of substrates possessing an electron-donating group in the benzoyl moiety. The Br${\phi}$nsted-type plot for the reactions of 4-chloro-2-nitrophenyl benzoate (6e) with a series of cyclic secondary amines is linear with ${\beta}_{nuc}$ = 0.69, an upper limit for reactions reported to proceed through a concerted mechanism. The aminolysis of 6e in aqueous medium has previously been reported to proceed through a stepwise mechanism with a change in RDS on the basis of a curved Br${\phi}$nsted-type plot. It has been concluded that instability of the zwitterionic tetrahedral intermediate ($T^{\pm}$) in MeCN forces the reaction to proceed through a concerted mechanism. This is further supported by the kinetic result that the amines used in this study are less reactive in MeCN than in $H_2O$, although they are more basic in MeCN over 7 $pK_a$ units.

Ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI- MS/MS) provides a high-speed method to screen a large number of samples for small molecules with specific properties. In this study, UPLC-ESI-MS/MS with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was employed to screen urinary phospholipid (PL) content for biomarkers of prostate cancer. From lists of urinary PLs structurally identified using nanoflow LC-ESI-MS/MS, 52 PL species were selected for quantitative analysis in urine samples between 22 cancer-free urologic patients as controls and 45 prostate cancer patients. Statistical treatment of data by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis yielded 14 PL species that differed significantly in relative concentrations (area under curve (AUC) > 0.8) between the two groups. Among PLs present at higher levels in prostate cancer urine, phosphatidylcholines (PCs) and phosphatidylinositols (PIs) constituted the major head group PLs (3 PCs and 7 PIs). For technical reasons, PL species of low abundance may be underrepresented in data from UPLC-ESI-MS/MS performed in MRM mode. However, the proposed method enables the rapid screening of large numbers of plasma or urine samples in the search for biomarkers of human disease.

The adsorption behavior of the sulphate ($SO{_4}^{2-}$) on the external surface of (5,0), (8,0), and (10,0) zigzag AlNNTs was studied by using density functional calculations. Adsorption energies in the nanotubes are about -8.59, -8.04, -8.60 eV with a charge transfer of 0.59, 0.48, 0.56|e| from the sulphate ion to the nanotubes, respectively. The adsorption energies indicated that sulphate ion can be absorbed strongly on the nanotubes. Therefore, these nanotubes can be used for adsorption of sulphate ion from the environmental systems. It was found that diameter of the AlNNTs has slight role in the adsorption of sulphate ion. The electronic properties of the nanotubes showed notable changes upon the adsorption process.

Here we report a facile synthesis of ruthenium (Ru) Nanoparticles (NPs) by chemical co-precipitation method. The calcination of ruthenium hydroxide samples at $500^{\circ}C$ under hydrogen atmosphere lead to the formation of $Ru^0$ NPs. The size and aggregation of Ru NPs depends on the pH of the medium, and type of surfactant and its concentration. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope image (TEM) analyses of particles indicated the formation of $Ru^0$ NPs, and have 10 to 20 nm sizes. As-synthesized $Ru^0$ NPs are characterized and investigated their catalytic ability in click chemistry (azidealkyne cycloaddition reactions), showing good results in terms of reactivity. Interestingly, small structural differences in triazines influence the catalytic activity of $Ru^0$ nanocatalysts. Click chemistry has recently emerged to become one of the most powerful tools in drug discovery, chemical biology, proteomics, medical sciences and nanotechnology/nanomedicine. In addition, preliminary tests of recycling showed good results with neither loss of activity or significant precipitation.

Real-time monitoring of hourly atmospheric radon (Rn-222) concentration was performed throughout 2011 at Gosan station, Jeju Island, one of the least polluted regions in Korea, in order to characterize the background levels, and temporal variations on diurnal to seasonal time-scales. The annual mean radon concentration for 2011 was $2527{\pm}1356$ mBq $m^{-3}$, and the seasonal cycle was characterized by a broad winter maximum, and narrow summer minimum. Mean monthly radon concentrations, in descending order of magnitude, were Oct > Sep > Feb > Nov > Jan > Dec > Mar > Aug > Apr > Jun > May > Jul. The maximum monthly mean value (3595 mBq $m^{-3}$, October), exceeded the minimum value (1243 mBq $m^{-3}$, July), by almost a factor of three. Diurnal composite hourly concentrations increased throughout the night to reach their maximum (2956 mBq $m^{-3}$) at around 7 a.m., after which they decreased to their minimum value (2259 mBq $m^{-3}$) at around 3 p.m. Back trajectory analyses indicated that the highest radon events typically exhibited long-term continental fetch over Asia before arriving at Jeju. In contrast, low radon events were generally correlated with air mass fetch over the North Pacific Ocean. Radon concentrations typical of predominantly continental, and predominantly oceanic fetch, differed by a factor of 3.8.

Hsp90 is an ubiquitous molecular chaperone protein, which plays an important role in regulating maturation and stabilization of many oncogenic proteins. Due to its potential to simultaneously disable multiple signaling pathways, Hsp90 represents great promise as a therapeutic target of cancer. In this study, we synthesized flavokawain analogues and evaluated their biological activities against drug-resistant cancer cells. The study indicated that compound 1i impaired the growth of gefitinib-resistant non-small cell lung cancer (H1975), down-regulated the expression of Hsp90 client proteins including EGFR, Her2, Met, Akt and Cdk4, and upregulated the expression of Hsp70. The result strongly suggested that compound 1i inhibited the proliferation of cancer cells through Hsp90 inhibition. Overall, compound 1i could serve as a potential lead compound to overcome the drug resistance in cancer chemotherapy.

A simple, highly sensitive and selective method based on the rhodamine B-covered gold nanoparticle with dual-readout (colorimetric and fluorometric) detection for $\small{L}$-cysteine is proposed. A mechanism is that citrate-stabilized AuNPs were modified with RB by electrostatic interaction, which enables the nanometal surface energy transfer (NSET) from the RB to the AuNPs, quenching the fluorescence. In the presence of $\small{L}$-cysteine, it was used as a competitor in the NSET by the strongly Au-S bonding to release RB from the Au surface and recover the fluorescence, and the red-to-purple color change quickly, which was monitored simply by the naked eye. Under the optimum conditions, the detection limit is as low as 10 nM. The method possessed the advantages of simplicity, rapidity and sensitivity at the same time. The method was also successfully applied to the determination of $\small{L}$-cysteine in human urine samples, and the results were satisfying.

We prepared dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) with enhanced energy conversion efficiency using open-ended $TiO_2$ nanotube arrays with a $TiO_2$ scattering layer. As compared to closed-ended $TiO_2$ nanotube arrays, the energy conversion efficiency of the open-ended $TiO_2$ nanotube arrays was increased from 5.63% to 5.92%, which is an enhancement of 5.15%. With the $TiO_2$ scattering layer, the energy conversion efficiency was increased from 5.92% to 6.53%, which is an enhancement of 10.30%. After treating the open-ended $TiO_2$ nanotube arrays with $TiCl_4$, the energy conversion efficiency was increased from 6.53% to 6.89%, a 5.51% enhancement, which is attributed to improved light harvesting and increased dye adsorption.

In this study, water-dispersible ZnS:Mn nanocrystals were synthesized by capping the surface with conventional and simple structured amino acid ligands: $\small{L}$-Glycine and $\small{L}$-Alanine. The ZnS:Mn-Gly and ZnS:Mn-Ala nanocrystal powders were characterized by XRD, HR-TEM, EDXS, ICP-AES, and FT-IR spectroscopy. The optical properties were measured by UV-Visible and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The PL spectra for the ZnS:Mn-Gly and ZnS:Mn-Ala showed broad emission peaks at 599 nm and 607 nm with PL efficiencies of 6.5% and 7.8%, respectively. The measured average particle size from the HR-TEM images were $6.4{\pm}0.8$ nm (ZnS:Mn-Gly) and $4.1{\pm}0.5$ nm (ZnS:Mn-Ala), which were also supported by Debye-Scherrer calculations. In addition, the degree of aggregation of the nanocrystals in aqueous solutions were measured by a hydrodynamic light scattering method, which showed formation of sub-micrometer size aggregates for both ZnS:Mn-Gly ($273{\pm}94$ nm) and ZnS:Mn-Ala ($233{\pm}34$ nm) in water due to the intermolecular attraction between the capping amino acids molecules. Finally, the cytotoxic effects of ZnS:Mn-Gly and ZnS:Mn-Ala nanocrsystals over the growth of wild type E. coli were investigated. As a result, no toxicity was shown for the ZnS:Mn-Gly nanocrystal in the colloidal concentration region from 1 ${\mu}g/mL$ to 1000 ${\mu}g/mL$, while ZnS:Mn-Ala showed significant toxicity at 100 ${\mu}g/mL$.

A 2D grid-like (4, 4)-connected topology coordination polymer, $[Co(BTA)_2(H_2O)_2]_n$ (1), where HBTA = 2-(1H-benzotriazol-1-yl)acetic acid, has been synthesized by hydrothermal method and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS). X-ray diffraction analyses indicated that 1 displays octahedral metal centers with secondary building units (SBUs) [$Co(BTA)_2(H_2O)_2$] bridged by the $BTA^-$ ligands. In the crystal, the 2D supramolecular architecture is further supported by $O-H{\cdots}O$, $O-H{\cdots}N$, $C-H{\cdots}O$ hydrogen bonds and ${\pi}{\cdots}{\pi}$ stacking interactions. The SPS of polymer 1 indicates that there are positive response bands in the range of 300-600 nm showing photo-electric conversion properties. There are good relationships between SPS and UV-Vis spectra.

$Cd_{1-x}Zn_xS$-sensitized $K_4Nb_6O_{17}$ composite photocatalysts (designated $Cd_{1-x}Zn_xS/K_4Nb_6O_{17}$) were prepared via a simple deposition-precipitation method. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), $N_2$ sorption, ultraviolet-visible light diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS), photoluminescence measurements (PL), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The $Cd_{0.8}Zn_{0.2}S$ particles were scattered on the surface of $K_4Nb_6O_{17}$, and had a relatively uniform size distribution around 50 nm. The absorption edge of $K_4Nb_6O_{17}$ was shifted to the visible light region and the recombination of photo-generated electrons and holes suppressed after $Cd_{0.8}Zn_{0.2}S$ loading. The $Cd_{0.8}Zn_{0.2}S$(25 wt %)/$K_4Nb_6O_{17}$ composite possessed the highest photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production under visible light irradiation, evolving 8.278 mmol/g in 3 h. Recyclability tests were performed, and the composite photocatalysts were found to be fairly stable. The mechanism of charge separation between the photogenerated electrons and holes at the $Cd_{0.8}Zn_{0.2}S/K_4Nb_6O_{17}$ composite was discussed.

Imaging Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (Imaging-DOAS) has been utilized in recent years to provide slant column density (SCD) distributions of several trace gas species in the plume. The present study introduces a new method using Imaging-DOAS data to determine two-dimensional plume structure from the plume emissions of power plant in conditions of negligible aerosol effects on radiative transfer within the plume. We demonstrates for the first time that two-dimensional distributions of sulfur dioxide ($SO_2$) and nitrogen dioxide ($NO_2$) in power plant emissions can be determined simultaneously in terms of SCD distribution. The $SO_2$ SCD values generally decreased with increasing distance from the stack and with distance from the center of the plume. Meanwhile, high $NO_2$ SCD was observed at locations several hundred meters away from the first stack due to the ratio change of NO to $NO_2$ in NOx concentration, attributed to the NO oxidation by $O_3$. The results of this study show the capability of the Imaging-DOAS technique as a tool to estimate plume dimensions in power plant emissions.

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) of $TiO_2$ thin film from $TiCl_4$ and $H_2O$ has been intensively studied since the invention of ALD method to grow thin films via chemical adsorptions of two precursors. However the role of HCl which is a gaseous byproduct in ALD chemistry for $TiO_2$ growth is still intriguing in terms of the growth mechanism. In order to investigate the role of HCl in $TiO_2$ ALD, HCl pulse and its purging steps are inserted in a typical sequence of $TiCl_4$ pulse-purge-$H_2O$ pulse-purge. When they are inserted after the first-half reaction (chemisorption of $TiCl_4$), the grown thickness of $TiO_2$ becomes thinner or thicker at lower or higher growth temperatures than $300^{\circ}C$, respectively. However the insertion after the second-half reaction (chemisorption of $H_2O$) results in severely reduced thicknesses in all growth temperatures. By using the result, we explain the growth mechanism and the role of HCl in $TiO_2$ ALD.