Hyperlipidaemia is a major cause of atherosclerosis and related CVD and can be prevented with natural substances. Previously, we reported that a novel Bacillus-fermented green tea (FGT) exerts anti-obesity and hypolipidaemic effects. This study further investigated the hypotriglyceridaemic and anti-obesogenic effects of FGT and its underlying mechanisms. FGT effectively inhibited pancreatic lipase activity in vitro (IC50, 0·48 mg/ml) and ameliorated postprandial lipaemia in rats (26 % reduction with 500 mg/kg FGT). In hypertriglyceridaemic hamsters, FGT administration significantly reduced plasma TAG levels. In mice, FGT administration (500 mg/kg) for 2 weeks augmented energy expenditure by 22 % through the induction of plasma serotonin, a neurotransmitter that modulates energy expenditure and mRNA expressions of lipid metabolism genes in peripheral tissues. Analysis of the gut microbiota showed that FGT reduced the proportion of the phylum Firmicutes in hamsters, which could further contribute to its anti-obesity effects. Collectively, these data demonstrate that FGT decreases plasma TAG levels via multiple mechanisms including inhibition of pancreatic lipase, augmentation of energy expenditure, induction of serotonin secretion and alteration of gut microbiota. These results suggest that FGT may be a useful natural agent for preventing hypertriglyceridaemia and obesity.

Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet) which consists of three identical 1.6 m wide-field telescopes with 18k × 18k CCDs, is the first optical survey system of its kind. The combination of fast optics and the mosaic CCD delivers seeing limited images over a 4 square degrees field of view. The main science goal of KMTNet is the discovery and characterization of exoplanets, yet it also offers various other science applications including DEep Ecliptic Patrol of SOUTHern sky (DEEP-South). The aim of DEEP-South is to discover and characterize asteroids and comets, including Near Earth Objects (NEOs). We started test runs last February after commissioning, and will return to normal operations in October 2015. A summary of early results from the test runs will be presented.

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) successfully completed the development of Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet, Park et al. 2012) in mid-2015, following which it conducted test runs for several months. ‘DEep Ecliptic Patrol of the Southern sky’ (DEEP-South, Moon et al. 2015), which will be used for asteroid and comet studies, will not only characterize targeted asteroids, carrying out blind surveys toward the sweet spots, but will also mine the data of such bodies using the KMTNet archive. We report preliminary lightcurves of four Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) from test runs at KMTNet-CTIO in the February - May 2015 period.

We started ‘DEep Ecliptic Patrol of the Southern sky’ (DEEP-South, DS) (Moon et al. 2015) in late 2012, and conducted test runs with the first Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet) (Park et al. 2012), a 1.6 m telescope with 18k x 18k CCD stationed at CTIO in early 2015. While the primary objective of DEEP-South is the physical characterization of small Solar System bodies, it is also expected to discover a large number of such bodies, many of them previously unknown. An automated observation scheduling, data reduction and analysis software subsystem called ‘DEEP-South Scheduling and Data reduction System’ (DS SDS) is thus being designed and implemented to enable observation planning, data reduction and analysis with minimal human intervention.

Band contrast (BC) is a qualitative measure of electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD), which is derived from the intensity of the Kikuchi bands. The BC is dependent upon several factors including scanning electron microscope measurement parameters, EBSD camera setup, and the specimen itself (lattice defect and grain orientation). In this study, the effective factors for BC variations and the feasibility of using BC variations for the quantification of microstructure evolutions have been investigated. In addition, the effects of the lattice defect and the grain orientation on the BC variations are studied. Next, a shear-deformed microstructure of 316L stainless steel, which contains nanosized grains and a large portion of twin boundaries, is revealed by BC map and histogram. Recovery and recrystallization of shear-deformed 316L stainless steel are displayed by BC variations during isothermal annealing at 700 and 800°C, respectively. It is observed that the BC turns bright as the shear-deformed crystal structure is recovered or recrystallized.

The syntxhesis, photo-physics, and electroluminescence of new types of Iridium(III)-encapsulated dendrimers are described. Thus, four different iridium complexes [Ir(III)(C^N)2(LX), Blue-DCBP, Green-DCBP, Yellow-DCBP, and Red-DCBP] with ancillary ligand tethered to the CBP dendritic unit were synthesized and investigated for their photo-physical properties. A large enhancement in electroluminescence performance was observed by using these dendrimers as host/dopant hybrid materials in layered emitting diodes. In particular, host/dopant ratio can be systematically adjusted by varying dendritic generations. These results demonstrate that new Ir(III)-encapsulated dendrimers can be used as potential single-layer materials for organic light emitting diodes. Large difference in the intra-molecular charge transfer phosphorescence quantum yields and electroluminescence effiencies were observed among dendriritic generations.

We have controllably grown carbon nanotubes using uniformly distributed cobalt nanoparticles as catalyst. Cobalt nanoparticles with a uniform size were synthesized by chemical reaction and colloidal solutions including the cobalt nanoparticles were prepared. The cobalt nanoparticles were uniformly distributed on silicon substrates by a spin-coating method. Carbon nanotubes with a uniform diameter were synthesized on the cobalt nanoparticles by thermal chemical vapor deposition of acetylene gas. The density and vertical alignment of carbon nanotubes could be controlled by adjusting the density of Co nanoparticles.

Fluorescent dyes including Nile Red (NR), fluorescein, rhodamine and 4- (dicyanomethylene)-2-methyl-6-(p-dimethylaminostyryl)-4H-pyran (DCM) derivatives were investigated to find an application for the organic light emitting device (OLED). Relationship between the molecular structure and optical property was calculated by ab initio (HF and DFT/6-31G*) and semiempirical (AM1/PM3 and INDO/S) calculation methods for the geometry optimization and for the information of electronic transition, respectively. The absorption maximum and the oscillator strength of molecules strongly depended on the molecular dipole moment, especially for the molecules having both strong electron donor and acceptor group. Since the calculated results were comparable with several experimental results, these semiempirical molecular orbital calculation methods could be used as a powerful prediction tool for optical properties of the luminescent molecules.

A surface of thin square PTFE samples (1×1×0.2 cm3) was irradiated with Ar+ ion at 1 keV with varying ion dose from 5 x 1014 to 1 x 1017 ions/cm2 with and without oxygen environment. The chemical structure of the surface was examined by XPS. The high resolution XPS spectra showed decreased intensity of the Fls peak and formation of the Ol s peak when irradiated with O2 environment. The Ols peak reached the maximum height at the ion dose of 1 x l015 ions/cm2. The increase of the Ols peak may be attributed to the reaction of oxygen atoms and the free radicals created by Ar+ bombardment. Adhesion tests were conducted on 2000 Å thick Al or Cu film which was evaporated on the irradiated and unirradiated PTFE samples with and without O2 environment. Full detachment of the metal films was observed when PTFE samples were not modified. With regard to the Al film, partial detachment of the film occurred when PTFE was irradiated without O2 environment, regardless of ion dose. No detachment of the film occurred when PTFE was irradiated with O2 environment with the ion dose exceeding 1 x 1016 ions/cm2. As to the Cu film, partial detachment was observed with or without O2 environment when the ion dose was 5 x 1014 ions/cm2. No detachment occurred with or without O2 environment when the ion dose was 1 x 1015 ions/cm2 or greater. The adhesion of an adhesive (Crystal Bond) to the irradiated PTFE samples was found to increase significantly with increasing ion dose up to 1 x 1016 ions/cm2 in tensile tests. It appears that three separate mechanisms are at work in improving adhesion of Cu/PTFE and Al/PTFE system. The first is the surface roughness of PTFE caused by Ar+ bombardment, the second is the chemical changes on the PTFE surface, and the third is a change of the interface between the metal and PTFE. The wettability of the PTFE surface was also determined by dropping water droplets on the modified surfaces. The contact angle between water droplets and the irradiated surface of PTFE samples decreased with ion dose up to 1 x 1015ions/cm2, increased at higher dose, and finally increased to the extent that no wetting was possible at 1 x 1017 ions/cm2. The PTFE samples irradiated with Ar+ without O2 gas environment had lower contact angle than those with O2, even though the samples with O2 developed hydrophilic groups on the irradiated surface. This result on wettability is not consistent with our earlier results on PMMA and PC and is due to the unusually high level of surface roughness of PTFE caused by Ar+ bombardment.

We have studied the structural properties of hydrogenated carbon films deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The substrate holder in reaction chamber could be biased and be heated. The Raman peak intensity at 1350 cm−1 was increased by reducing CH4 flow rate. The film structure changed from soft a-C:H to hard carbon with decreasing CH4 flow rate, resulted from increased self-bias. The 1520 cm−1 peak shifts to higher frequency by reducing the CH4flow rate, probably resulted from the increased internal stress.