The objective of this study was to determine the ultrasonication-assisted extraction conditions that maximize the DPPH radical scavenging activity of extracts obtained from the stems of Lespedeza bicolor Turcz through the application of the Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Before delving into the analysis of extraction conditions using the RSM model, we conducted efficiency validation of ultrasonication-assisted extraction and executed single-factor experiments for ethanol concentration, extraction time, and extraction temperature. The data obtained from these single-factor experiments were employed to construct the Box-Behnken Design (BBD). In these results, in the single-factor experiments, it was evident that the parameters for ethanol concentration, extraction time, and extraction temperature exhibited quadratic trends. The single-factor experiments allowed us to discern the trends for each parameter leading to the maximum antioxidant capacity, and this data was subsequently applied to the BBD. Following the completion of initial experiments, a Response Surface Methodology (RSM) model was constructed based on Box-Behnken Design (BBD). According to the predictive model developed in this study, it was anticipated that performing ultrasonic-assisted extraction for 85.0412 minutes at an ethanol concentration of 32.573% and an extraction temperature of 51.5608°C will result in a DPPH radical scavenging activity of 79.7146%. The predictive results were statistically verified through a comparative analysis with actual measurements and ANOVA analysis, confirming the statistical significance of the model. The finding of this study underscore the significance of optimizing extraction conditions in the precise quantification of the antioxidant potential for economic advantages in both experimental and industrial contexts.

The study of blowfly (Diptera, Calliphoridae) biodiversity and distribution is crucial for forensic investigations involving cadavers. Abiotic and biotic factors, such as seasonality and habitat type, have significant impacts on blowfly populations. However, few forensic entomology studies have been conducted in South Korea, particularly the Gyeongsangnam-do region. To address this, in this study, an extensive year-long survey was conducted to analyze the compositions, habitat preferences, distribution, and seasonal abundance of forensically relevant blowflies in urban and forested habitats in Gyeongsangnam-do, utilizing mouse carcass-baited traps set for 48 h each month. A total of 3,478 adult blowflies were recorded, encompassing six genera and 14 species, with a noted absence of specimens during the winter months. The predominant species was Lucilia porphyrina, accounting for 37.1% of the total sample, followed by Chrysomya pinguis (27.5%), Lucilia sericata (7.6%), and Lucilia illustris (7.1%). The species composition was consistent across all surveyed regions; however, seasonal variation in species diversity was evident, with a peak in spring and decline in summer. Notably, certain species exhibited clear preferences for either urban (Calliphora calliphoroides and L. sericata) or forested habitats (L. porphyrina and Ch. pinguis). This pioneering study elucidates the diverse blowfly communities in Gyeongsangnam-do, highlighting significant seasonal and habitat-dependent variations.

단백질의 구조 예측은 생명 과학 및 의약학 분야의 핵심적인 연구 주제 중 하나로, 단백질의 기능 및 상호작용을 이해하기 위한 주요 정보를 제공할 수 있어 다양한 연구가 수행되고 있다. 이러한 연구의 일환으로 최근 Google DeepMind의 AlphaFold2가 등장하였으며, 단백질 구조 예측 성능을 대폭 향상시켜 CASP(Critical Assessment of Protein Structure Prediction)에서 뛰어난 평가점수를 받아 단백질 구조 예측 분야의 최신 기술을 크게 향상시켰다. 이러한 컴퓨터 기반의 단백질의 구조 예측 방법은, 고전적인 방법을 사용하여 직접 단백질 구조를 결정하는 방법 에 비해 매우 정확하고 빠르며 경제적인 비용으로 수행될 수 있어 단백질 구조 예측 및 생리학 연구를 수행하는 연구자들에게 유용한 방법론이 될 것으로 사료된다. 따라서 본 연구소에서는 곤충을 포함한 무척추 자생동물을 연구하는 연구자들을 위해 단백질 구조 예측을 수행할 수 있도록 64Core/128Threads의 CPU, 256GB의 RAM과 6장의 GeForce RTX 3090으로 이루어진 GPU(Graphical Processing Unit) 고성능 컴퓨터 시스템에 AlphaFold2 program을 구축하였다. 최근 인간을 대상으로 한 단백질 구조 예측 연구는 상당한 진전을 보이고 있지만, 곤충을 포함한 자연계의 동물을 대상으로 한 연구는 여전히 미비한 상황이다. 이러한 자생동물자원연구의 확대를 위해 본 연구소에서 구축한 GPU 시스템 및 생물정보학적 분석 방법이 많이 활용되어야 하며, 이를 위해서는 연구자들 의 협력과 참여가 필요하다.

Paecilomyces tenuipes (P. tenuipes) is a fungus cultivated artificially by South Korean researchers, utilizing rice bran as its substrate. The increased demand for this fungus has not been met with successful cultivation methods for fruiting body production in natural environments. Therefore, we tested the effect on the growth of P. tenuipes using a Solid media based on pests. In this results, the Solid media based on M.alternatus was effective in increasing the growth of P. tenuipes and the content of cordycepin. Moreover, we confirmed the conditions for manufacturing a Solid media based on M.alternatus for P. tenuipes growth. We suggested that the growth-promoting compounds offers valuable insights for optimizing fungal cultivation conditions, thereby enhancing productivity and contributing to a broader understanding of fungal physiology in varying nutritional environments.

The bentonite buffer material is a crucial component in an engineered barrier system used for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Because a large amount of heat from the disposal canister is released into the bentonite buffer material, the thermal conductivity of the bentonite buffer is a crucial parameter that determines the design temperature. At the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), a new standard bentonite (Bentonil-WRK) has been used since 2022 because Gyeongju (KJ) bentonite is no longer produced. However, the currently available data are insufficient, making it essential to investigate both the basic and complex properties of Bentonil-WRK. Thus, this study evaluated its geotechnical and thermal properties and developed a thermal conductivity empirical model that considers its dry density, water content, and temperature variations from room temperature to 90°C. The coefficient of determination (R2) for the model was found to be 0.986. The thermal conductivity values of Bentonil-WRK were 1–10% lower than those of KJ bentonite and 10–40% higher than those of MX-80 bentonites, which were attributable to mineral-composition differences. The thermal conductivity of Bentonil-WRK ranged between 0.504 and 1.149 W·(m−1·K−1), while the specific heat capacity varied from 0.826 to 1.138 (kJ·(kg−1·K−1)).

Plants synthesize antioxidant compounds as a defense mechanism against reactive oxygen species. Recently, plant-derived antioxidant compounds have attracted attention due to the increasing consumer awareness in the heath industry. However, traditional methods for measuring the antioxidant activity of these compounds are time-consuming and costly. Therefore, our study constructed a quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model that can predict antioxidant activity using graph convolutional networks (GCN) from plant structural data. The accuracy (Acc) of the model reached 0.6 and the loss reached 0.03. Although with lower accuracy than previously reported QSAR models, our model showed the possibility of predicting DPPH antioxidant activity in a wide range of plant compounds (phenolics, polyphenols, vitamins, etc.) based on their graph structure.

Since rice is the main food in Korea, there are no regulations on corn milling yet. Corn is known as one of the world's top three food crops along with wheat and rice, and it is known that 3.5 billion people worldwide use corn for food. In addition, corn mills are not developed or sold in Korea, but the use of corn mills is increasing significantly in many countries in Southeast Asia. In the Philippines, as Korea's rice mill import increases, Korea's KAMICO (Korea Agricultural Machinery Industry Cooperative) and domestic company A agreed to develop a corn mill jointly with PHilMech, an organization affiliated with the Philippine Ministry of Agriculture. However, research on corn milling was very insignificant, so the development was carried out based on the technology of Korea's rice mill. Rice milling is performed by peeling off the skin of rice and producing brown or white rice, so it is carried out by removing the skin and cutting the skin. On the other hand, in the corn mill, the skin of the corn is peeled, pulverized and selected to produce main products suitable for edible use. Therefore, in order to develop a corn mill, processes such as peeling, transfer, grinding, sorting, and by-product separation are required, and suitable parts must be developed. In addition, the performance must be gradually improved through experiments in which corn is repeatedly milled. The Philippines produces 7.98 million tons/year of corn, which is about 100 times that of Korea, and is mostly consumed as a staple food. This is about 10% of the total crop production in the Philippines. In addition, the main cultivation complexes of corn are the mountainous regions of Tarlac or Pangasinan, and the produced corn is 72.4% of the so-called yellow corn called Arabel and Sarangani, and the remaining 27.6% are known as white corn. In this study, it was intended to produce grains of 2.5 mm or less suitable for food for yellow corn and to develop a corn mill for 200 kg per hour. Detailed conditions for development are stipulated as more than 55% of the main product recovery rate, more than 31% of the by-product recovery rate, less than 5% of the raw material loss rate, and more than 80% of the embryo dislocation rate. In this study, to achieve this, the overall process of the corn mill was developed, and the optimal conditions for the corn mill were obtained through the development of parts and empirical tests to improve performance. In addition, it was intended to achieve the development goal by evaluating and analyzing the performance of each part so that it did not conflict.

Hypertension is characterized by excessive renin-angiotensin system activity, leading to blood vessel constriction. Several synthetic compounds have been developed to inhibit renin and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). These drugs often have adverse side effects, driving the exploration of plant protein-derived peptides as alternative or supplementary treatments. This study assessed the phenolic compound and amino acid content and the antioxidant and antihypertensive activity of 5 South Korean staple crops. Sorghum had the highest phenolic compound content and exhibited the highest antioxidant activity. Millet grains, particularly finger millet (38.86%), showed higher antihypertensive activity than red beans (14.42%) and sorghum (17.16%). Finger millet was found to contain a large proportion of branched-chain, aromatic, and sulfur-containing amino acids, which are associated with ACE inhibition. In particular, cysteine content was positively correlated with ACE inhibition in the crops tested (r=0.696, p<0.01). This study confirmed that the amino acid composition was more correlated with the antihypertensive activity of grains than the phenolic compound content. Finger millet mainly contained amino acids, which have higher ACE inhibitory activity, resulting in the strongest antihypertensive activity. These findings underscore the antihypertensive potential of select crops as plant-based food ingredients, offering insight into their biological functions.

This comprehensive study delves into the intricate process of exfoliating and functionalizing boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) extracted from hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), and meticulously explores their potential application within epoxy composites. The extensive research methodology encompasses a sequence of treatments involving hydrothermal and sonication processes aimed at augmenting the dispersion of BNNSs in solvents. Leveraging advanced analytical techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and FTIR spectroscopy, the study rigorously analyzes a spectrum of changes in the BNNS’s properties, including layer count variations, interlayer interactions, crystal structure modifications, and the introduction of functional groups. The research also rigorously evaluates the impact of integrating BNNSs, specifically glycidyl methacrylate (GMA)-functionalized BNNSs, on the thermal conductivity of epoxy composites. The conclusive findings exhibit notable enhancements in thermal properties, predominantly attributed to the enhanced dispersion of fillers and enhanced interactions within the epoxy matrix. This pioneering work illuminates the wide potential of functionalized BNNSs for significantly enhancing the thermal conductivity of epoxy composites, paving the way for advanced materials engineering and practical applications.

Background: Leydig cells, crucial for testosterone production, express ion channels like ANO1 that influence hormone secretion. This study investigates the expression and role of the Tandem of P domains in a weak inward rectifying K+ channel-related Acid-Sensitive K+-1 (TASK-1) channel in these cells, exploring its impact on testicular function and steroidogenesis. Methods: TASK-1 expression in Leydig cells was confirmed using immunostaining, while RT-PCR and Western Blot (WB) validated its expression in the TM3 Leydig cell line. The effect of a TASK-1 channel blocker on cell viability was assessed through live/dead staining and MTT assays. Additionally, the blocker’s effect on testosterone secretion was evaluated by measuring testosterone levels. Results: Immunohistochemical analysis revealed a predominant presence of TASK- 1, along with c-Kit and ANO-1, in Leydig cells adjacent to seminiferous tubules and also in Sertoli and spermatogenic cells. Expression levels of TASK-1 mRNA and protein were significantly higher in TM3 Leydig cells compared to TM4 Sertoli cells. In addition, blocking TASK-1 in TM3 cells with ML365 induced cell death but did not affect LHinduced testosterone secretion. Conclusions: These findings suggest that TASK-1 in Leydig cells is crucial for their viability and proliferation, highlighting its potential importance in testicular physiology.

식물의 흡수를 통한 공기오염물질 제거는 생육 상태에 따라 그 효과가 달라진다. 실내에서 토양수분의 공급은 식물의 생 육을 위한 기본적인 관리 사항이다. 따라서 본 연구는 토양수 분함량에 따른 생리적 반응이 가스상 공기오염물질인 톨루엔 저감에 미치는 영향을 구명하고, 최적의 생육과 공기 정화 효 과를 위한 적정 토양수분함량을 찾고자 수행하였다. 이를 위 해 스파티필름과 파키라를 사용하여 40일 동안의 평균 토양 수분함량을 25%, 20%, 15%, 10%로 처리한 후 양자수율, 광 합성률, 기공전도도, 증산량 등 생리적 지수와 엽면적당 톨루 엔 저감량을 측정하였다. 그 결과 스파티필름은 토양수분함량 을 20~25%로 관리할 때 생육이 양호하고 최적의 톨루엔 저 감 효과를 얻을 수 있을 것으로 판단되며, 10% 이하 건조에 대한 주의가 요구된다. 반면 파키라는 토양수분함량 20% 이 하 처리구에서 톨루엔 저감량이 증가하였으나 10% 처리구에 서 생장량이 저하될 가능성이 있으므로, 공기 정화와 생육을 위한 최적 토양수분함량은 15~20% 범위이며, 25% 이상으로 장기간 유지하는 것은 과습을 유발할 가능성이 있는 것으로 판단된다.

The radiological characterization of SSCs (Structure, Systems and Components) plays one of the most important role for the decommissioning of KORI Unit-1 during the preparation periods. Generally, a regulatory body and laws relating to the decommissioning focus on the separation and appropriate disposal or storage of radiological waste including ILW (intermediate level waste), LLW (low level waste), VLLW (very low level waste) and CW (clearance waste), aligned with their contamination characteristics. The result of the preliminary radiological characterization of KORI Unit-1 indicated that, apart from neutron activated the RV (reactor vessel), RVI (reactor vessel internals), and BS (biological shielding concrete), the majorities of contamination were sorted to be less than LLW. Radiological contamination can be evaluated into two methods. Due to the difficulties of directly measuring contamination on the interior surfaces of the pipe, called CRUD, the assessment was implemented by modeling method, that is measuring contamination on the exterior surfaces of the pipes and calculating relative factors such as thickness and size. This indirect method may be affected by the surrounding radiation distribution, and only a few gamma nuclides can be measured. Therefore, it has limitation in terms of providing detailed nuclide information. Especially, α and β nuclides can only be estimated roughly by scaling factors, comparing their relative ratios with the existing gamma results. To overcome the limitation of indirect measurement, a destructive sampling method has been employed to assess the contamination of the systems and component. Samples are physically taken some parts of the systems or components and subsequently analyzed in the laboratory to evaluate detailed nuclides and total contamination. For the characterization of KORI Unit-1, we conducted the radiation measurement on the exterior surfaces of components using portable instruments (Eberline E-600 SPA3, Thermo G20-10, Thermo G10, Thermo FH40TG) at BR (boron recycle system) and SP (containment spray system) in primary system. Based on these results, the ProUCL program was employed to determine the destructive sample collection quantities based on statistical approach. The total of 5 and 8 destructive sample quantities were decided by program and successfully collected from the BR and SP systems, respectively. Samples were moved to laboratory and analyzed for the detail nuclide characteristics. The outcomes of this study are expected to serve as valuable information for estimating the types and quantities of radiological waste generated by decommissioning of KORI Unit-1.

EU taxonomy requires to solve problems for safe management of radioactive waste and disposal of spent fuel, which is a precondition for growing demand for nuclear power plant. Currently, Korea manages about 18,000 tons of high-level radioactive waste at temporary storage facilities in nuclear power plant sites, but such temporary storage facilities are expected to become saturated sequentially from 2031. Therefore, it is necessary to secure a permanent disposal facility to safely treat high-level radioactive waste. In accordance with the second basic plan for high-level radioactive waste management in 2021, it is necessary to establish requirements for regulatory compliance for the site selection and site acquisition, investigation and evaluation, and construction for the establishment of a deep geological disposal facility. In this study, we analyzed the regulatory policies and cases of leading foreign countries related to deep geological disposal facilities for high-level radioactive waste disposal waste such as IAEA, USA, Sweden, and Finland using data analysis methodology. To analyze a large amount of textbased document data, text mining is applied as a major technology and a verification standard that secures validity and safety based on the regulatory laws described so far is developed to establish a regulatory base suitable for domestic deep geological disposal status. Based on the collected data, preprocessing and analysis with Python were performed. Keywords and their frequency were extracted from the data through keyword analysis. Through the measured frequency values, the contents of the objects and elements to be regulated in the statutory items were grasped. And through the frequency values of words co-occurring among different sections through the analysis of related words, the association was obtained, and the overall interpretation of the data was performed. The results of analyzing regulations of major foreign countries using text mining are visualized in charts and graphs. Word cloud can intuitively grasp the contents by extracting the main keywords of the contents of the regulations. Through the network connection graph, the relationship between related words can be visually structured to interpret data and identify the causal relationship between words. Based on the result data, it is possible to compare and analyze the factors to be supplemented by analyzing domestic nuclear safety case and regulations.

2022년 10월부터 2023년 5월까지 친환경 딸기재배 농가에서 점박이응애는 칠레이리애응애와 사막이리응애, 진딧물은 콜레마니진디벌을 대상으로 하는 천적처리구와 유기농자재를 사용하는 관행방제구에서 천적의 해 충 밀도억제 효과를 조사하였다. 천적처리구에서 점박이응애 성충 밀도는 잎당 1.5마리 이하, 알은 4개 이하로 관리되었고, 사막이리응애는 잎당 최대 0.4마리까지 증가하여 점박이응애 밀도억제에 많은 영향을 미친것으로 보인다. 반면, 관행방제구에서 점박이응애 밀도는 천적 방사구에 비하여 오히려 많은 발생량을 보였지만, 3월 9일부터는 사막이리응애의 증가와 유기농자재의 효과로 점박이응애 밀도는 급격하게 감소하였다. 진딧물 천적 처리구에서 진딧물 밀도는 1월부터 발생하였으며 3월 상순에 잎당 0.3마리까지 증가하였으나 이후 감소하였고, 콜레마니진디벌은 진딧물 발생이 많지 않아 3.9마리/㎡(2회) 방사하는 데 그쳤다. 한편, 관행방제구 포장의 진딧 물은 유기농자재의 영향으로 거의 발생하지 않았다.

The decision between standardization and localization (or adaptation) of advertising strategy is crucial for the performance of product/service in foreign markets. Since the online advertising media have diluted the physical boundaries between countries, decision making related to international advertising has focused more on message strategy rather than media strategy. In this paper, the authors utilize movie poster images as a typical example of online advertising of service business. Employing image deep learning approach, the researchers calculate the level of localization and its effect on the financial performance in a foreign market. This research will expand the academic discussion in international advertising strategy and movie marketing.

To improve the quality of jujube (Zizyphus jujuba Miller var. hoonensis), which is a fruit of health functional, the effect of polyphenol preparation treatment on the fruit characteristics of two cultivars (cv. Bokjo and cv. Sangwang) of jujube was investigated. There was no difference in the height and breast diameter of jujubes tested between the polyphenol treatments and non treatment. Jujube trees treated with polyphenol preparation produced significantly more fruit than untreated in both cultivars. In cvultivar of Bokjo, the polyphenol preparation treatment increased the fruit's fresh weight and dry weight more than two times, respectively, compared to the untreated treatment. Polyphenol preparation tr eatments also changed the leaf characteristics of jujube trees. In the polyphenol-treated trees, leaf thickness tended to be thickest at the top and thinnest at the bottom. Polyphenol preparation treated jujube trees showed no difference in chlorophyll content. Moisture content was slightly higher in the untreatment than in the treatments. Visually, the polyphenol preparation treatment had a dark green color. Jujubes treated with polyphenol preparations showed differences in polyphenol content in fruits. The polyphenol content in both peel and flesh of the treatments were much higher than that of the untreatment. Reducing sugar was contained more in the peel than in the flesh and was higher in the untreatment than in the polyphenol preparation treatments. Treatment with polyphenol preparation showed differences in fruit appearance. As described above, it was found that the treatment of polyphenol preparation changed the leaves, fruit shapes and components of jujube trees. In particular, jujubes treated with polyphenol preparations are expected to contribute significantly to eco-friendly and highly functional jujube cultivation, as they appear to produce many fruits and increase the content of polyphenols and sugars.