Tephritidae is a large family that includes several fruit and vegetable pests. These organisms usually harbor a variegated bacterial community in their digestive systems. Symbiotic associations of bacteria and fruit flies have been well-studied in the genera Anastrepha, Bactrocera, Ceratitis, and Rhagoletis. Molecular and culture-based techniques indicate that many genera of the Enterobacteriaceae family, especially the genera of Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Pectobacterium, Citrobacter, Erwinia, and Providencia constitute the most prevalent populations in the gut of fruit flies. The function of symbiotic bacteria provides a promising strategy for the biological control of insect pests. Gut bacteria can be used for controlling fruit fly through many ways, including attracting as odors, enhancing the success of sterile insect technique, declining the pesticide resistance, mass rearing of parasitoids and so on. New technology and recent research improved our knowledge of the gut bacteria diversity and function, which increased their potential for pest management. In this review, we discussed the diversity of bacteria in the economically important fruit fly and the use of these bacteria for controlling fruit fly populations. All the information is important for strengthening the future research of new strategies developed for insect pest control by the understanding of symbiotic relationships and multitrophic interactions between host plant and insects.

The oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) is a destructive insect pest of a wide range of fruit crops. Commensal bacteria play a very important part in the development, reproduction, and fitness of their host fruit fly. Uncovering the function of gut bacteria has become a worldwide quest. Using antibiotics to remove gut bacteria is a common method to investigate gut bacteria function. In the present study, three types of antibiotics (tetracycline, ampicillin, and streptomycin), each with four different concentrations, were used to test their effect on the gut bacteria diversity of laboratory-reared B. dorsalis. Combined antibiotics can change bacteria diversity, including cultivable and uncultivable bacteria, for both male and female adult flies. Secondary bacteria became the dominant population in female and male adult flies with the decrease in normally predominant bacteria. However, in larvae, only the predominant bacteria decreased, the bacteria diversity did not change a lot, likely because of the short acting time of the antibiotics. The bacteria diversity did not differ among fruit fly treatments with antibiotics of different concentrations. This study showed the dynamic changes of gut bacterial diversity in antibiotics-treated flies, and provides a foundation for research on the function of gut bacteria of the oriental fruit fly.

Antarctic and Southern Ocean science is vital to understanding natural variability, the processes that govern global change and the role of humans in the Earth and climate system. The potential for new knowledge to be gained from future Antarctic science is substantial. Therefore, the international Antarctic community came together to ‘scan the horizon’ to identify the highest priority scientific questions that researchers should aspire to answer in the next two decades and beyond. Wide consultation was a fundamental principle for the development of a collective, international view of the most important future directions in Antarctic science. From the many possibilities, the horizon scan identified 80 key scientific questions through structured debate, discussion, revision and voting. Questions were clustered into seven topics: i) Antarctic atmosphere and global connections, ii) Southern Ocean and sea ice in a warming world, iii) ice sheet and sea level, iv) the dynamic Earth, v) life on the precipice, vi) near-Earth space and beyond, and vii) human presence in Antarctica. Answering the questions identified by the horizon scan will require innovative experimental designs, novel applications of technology, invention of next-generation field and laboratory approaches, and expanded observing systems and networks. Unbiased, non-contaminating procedures will be required to retrieve the requisite air, biota, sediment, rock, ice and water samples. Sustained year-round access to Antarctica and the Southern Ocean will be essential to increase winter-time measurements. Improved models are needed that represent Antarctica and the Southern Ocean in the Earth System, and provide predictions at spatial and temporal resolutions useful for decision making. A co-ordinated portfolio of cross-disciplinary science, based on new models of international collaboration, will be essential as no scientist, programme or nation can realize these aspirations alone.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2013 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, August 4 – August 8, 2013.

The oxidation behavior of Zr2[Al(Si)]4C5 and Zr3[Al(Si)]4C6 in air has been investigated. The oxidation kinetics of bulk Zr2[Al(Si)]4C5 and Zr3[Al(Si)]4C6 at 900–1300 °C generally follow a parabolic law at a very short initial stage and then a linear law for a long period with the activation energy of 237.9 and 226.8 kJ/mol, respectively. The oxide scales have a duplex structure, consisting of mainly an outer porous layer of ZrO2, Al2O3, and aluminosilicate/mullite, and a thin inner compact layer of these oxides plus remaining carbon. The oxidation resistance of Zr2[Al(Si)]4C5 and Zr3[Al(Si)]4C6 has been improved compared with Zr2Al3C4, and is much better than ZrC due to larger fraction of protective oxidation products, Al2O3 and aluminosilicate/mullite.

Silicon pack cementation has been applied to improve the oxidation resistance of Zr2Al3C4. The Si pack coating is mainly composed of an inner layer of ZrSi2 and SiC and an outer layer of Al2O3 at 1200 °C. The growth kinetics of silicide coating at 1000–1200 °C obey a parabolic law with an activation energy of 110.3 ± 16.7 kJ/mol, which is controlled by inward diffusion of Si and outward diffusion of Al. Compared with Zr2Al3C4, the oxidation resistance of siliconized Zr2Al3C4 is greatly improved due to the formation of protective oxidation products, aluminosilicate glass, mullite, and ZrSiO4.

The isothermal oxidation behavior of Zr2Al3C4 in the temperature range of 500 to 1000 °C for 20 h in air has been investigated. The oxidation kinetics follow a parabolic law at 600 to 800 °C and a linear law at higher temperatures. The activation energy is determined to be 167.4 and 201.2 kJ/mol at parabolic and linear stages, respectively. The oxide scales have a monolayer structure, which is a mixture of ZrO2 and Al2O3. As indicated by x-ray diffraction and Raman spectra, the scales formed at 500 to 700 °C are amorphous, and at higher temperatures are α-Al2O3 and t-ZrO2 nanocrystallites. The nonselective oxidation of Zr2Al3C4 can be attributed to the strong coupling between Al3C2 units and ZrC blocks in its structure, and the close oxygen affinity of Zr and Al.

Layered stacking characteristics of ternary Zr–Al–C carbides were investigated using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Three previously unknown compounds, i.e., Zr4Al3C6, Zr5Al6C9, and Zr7Al6C11 were identified. The present study extends the structural information of ternary Zr–Al–C ceramics. The influence of the thickness of the NaCl-type Zr-C slab on the elastic properties of ternary Zr–Al–C ceramics is discussed based on first-principles calculations. In addition, direct atomic-resolution observations illustrate the process for forming the unique layered crystal structures of ternary Zr–Al–C ceramics. These results also provide insights into the formation mechanism of layered ternary Zr–Al–C carbides.

“Structural characterization of a new layered-ternary Ta4AlC3 ceramic” [J. Mater. Res. 21, 2587 (2006)]

This paper describes a new method to synthesize AlN nanowires by the nitridation of Ti3Si0.9Al0.1C2 solid solution. Single-crystalline AlN nanowires with the hexagonal wurtzite structure can be easily prepared using this method. In particular, the resulting AlN nanowires display a new growth orientation of 〈1011〉 besides 〈1000〉 and 〈0001〉. This work indicates that MN+1AXN compounds are promising raw reactants to synthesize one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures of nitrides and oxides.

Bulk Ta4AlC3, a new layered-ternary carbide in the Ta–Al–C system, was synthesized and characterized. Transmission electron microscopy investigations on this new phase are reported here. Selected area electron diffraction and convergent beam electron diffraction analyses indicated that this ternary carbide crystallized with the space group P63/mmc. Atomic-scale microstructures of Ta4AlC3 were achieved by means of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and Z-contrast scanning transmission electron microscopy. The experimental crystal structural parameters agreed well with the theoretical values obtained using density-functional calculations.

Diffusion bonding of Ti3SiC2 and nickel has been conducted at temperatures of 800 °C–1100 °C for 10–90 min under 6–20 MPa in a vacuum. The phase composition and microstructure of the joints were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and electron probe microanalysis. The total diffusion path of the joining is determined to be Ni/Ni31Si12 + Ni16Ti6Si7 + TiCx/Ti3SiC2 + Ti2Ni + TiCx/ Ti3SiC2. The growth of the reaction layer follows parabolic law, and the temperature dependence of the reaction constant, k, can be expressed as k = 1.68 × 10−4 exp(−118 ± 12 kJ/RT) m/s1/2. The diffusion of nickel through the reaction zone toward Ti3SiC2 is the main controlling step in the bonding process. Joint strengths were determined through shear tests. The maximum shear strength of 121 ± 7 MPa, which is close to the shear strength of Ti3SiC2, has been obtained under the condition of 1000 °C for 10 min under 20 MPa.

Many layered ternary ceramics displayed unusual thermal shock behavior, i.e., the retained strengths of as-quenched samples increased with increasing quench temperature above a critical quench temperature. However, the causation was not clear even though this phenomenon has been observed for 10 years. In this study, the thermal shock behavior of Ti3SiC2 and Ti3AlC2, two representative members of layered ternary ceramics, was investigated. The results indicated that the formation of surface oxides was responsible for this abnormal phenomenon. These results might contribute to the understanding of this unusual behavior of other layered ternary ceramics.

Chemical solution processing of Gd2Zr2O7 (GZO) thin films via sol-gel and metalorganic decomposition (MOD) precursor routes have been studied on textured Ni-based tape substrates. Even though films processed by both techniques showed similar property characteristics, the MOD-derived samples developed a high degree of texture alignment at significantly lower temperatures. Both precursor chemistries resulted in exceptionally dense, pore-free, and smooth microstructures, reflected in the cross-sectional and plan-view high-resolution scanning and transmission electron microscopy studies. On the MOD GZO buffered Ni–3at.% W (Ni–W) substrates with additional CeO2/YSZ sputtered over layers, a 0.8-μm-thick YBa2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO) film, grown by an ex situ metalorganic trifluoroacetate precursor method, yielded critical current, Ic (77 K, self-field), of 100 A/cm width. Furthermore, using pulsed-laser deposited YBCO films, a zero-field superconducting critical current density, Jc (77 K), of 1 × 106 A/cm2 was demonstrated on an all-solution, simplified CeO2(MOD)/GZO(MOD)/Ni–W architecture. The present study establishes GZO buffers as a candidate material for low-cost, all-solution coated conductor fabrication.

The field emission properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) from various sources are investigated for the application of field emission displays. Comparisons are made between graphite with Ni metal as catalyst and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon as precursor by the arc discharge method. Cathode deposits are examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) to determine microstructure. Carbon structure is studied using Raman spectroscopy. Electron field emission characteristics are measured with the diode method at 10-6 torr pressure. In this study, SEM micrographs of cathode deposits show dense random fiber-like carbon nanotubes. The HRTEM images clearly exhibit characteristic features of multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Microstructural investigation provides evidence that both the metal catalyst and the precursor can be used to synthesize carbon nanotubes. The Raman spectrum shows a stronger peak at about 1580 cm-1 indicating formation of a well-graphitized carbon nanotube. The degree of carbon nanotube graphitization is high and is in good agreement with the HRTEM result. From field emission measurements, the lowest onset field is about 1.0 V/μm and can be attributed to highly sharp tips and the high density of carbon nanotubes. Based on microstructure characterization and field emission measurements, the influence on field emission properties including turn on voltage and threshold voltage of carbon nanotubes synthesized from different sources is discussed.

We report a study of a-Si:H/a-SiGe:H dual-bandgap p-i-n type tandem solar cells and Modules. Refined bandgap grading in the a-SiGe:H bottom cell results in higher Jsc (higher red response) without loss in FF or Voc. IMprovements in the tunnel junction consisting of doped widegap a-SiC:H and μC-Si lead to higher FF and lower optical loss. Undoped widegap a-SiC:H is used as interface layers in the top junction. Initial conversion efficiencies of 11.4% and 10.5% have been obtained for small-area cells and one-square-foot modules, respectively. The double junction cells and modules exhibit good stability and saturation of light-induced degradation, showing only ∼15% decrease in conversion efficiency after more than 1000 hours of simulated AM1.5 illumination. The stabilized efficiencies are 9.6% and 9.1%, respectively, for small area cell and large area Module. We also present some findings from the computer simulations of multijunction solar cell performance using a simple lump-circuit device Model.

An aqueous, metallo-organic precursor for PbTiO3 (PT), Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 (PZT), and (Pb1−x, Lax) (Zry, Ti1−y)1−x/4O3 (PLZT) ceramic powders has been developed employing the acetate complexes of Pb2+, La3+, Zr4+, and Ti4+. The crystallization behavior (e.g., degree of crystallization and crystallite size) was examined over the temperature range of 400–700 °C with concentrations of excess lead varying from 0–5% using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy techniques. It was found that PT, PZT, and PLZT crystallize at temperatures as low as 450 °C, 500 °C, and 500 °C, respectively, and the excess lead required for crystallization of the perovskite phase is ⋚1%. Intermolecular mixing among acetate precursors via chelating and bridging structures was evident and appeared to be responsible for the low crystallization temperatures. The process is compared to the current sol-gel methods for its possible use in thin film ferroelectric manufacture.