The escalating impacts of climate change are compelling individuals to flee their homes, giving rise to a new category of refugees known as climate refugees. Despite clear evidence linking climate change to forced migration, the protection of these refugees’ human rights remains unaddressed by any existing international legal framework. This paper explores the necessity of embracing a new comprehensive international legal framework tailored to climate refugees. It advocates for a legal framework that addresses prevention and remedies the issues faced by climate refugees and ensures their human rights are safeguarded. We also argued that the Comprehensive International Legal Framework should have a collective obligation to safeguard the rights of climate refugees on the global scale and to provide a solution that integrates the various rules of law, meets humanitarian needs, and is tailored to the protection of the rights of climate refugees.

This study explores the integration of ChatGPT, OpenAI’s conversational AI, into English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms at Korean universities, focusing on student interactions and language learning strategy preferences. It categorises interactions using the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) and Strategic Self-Regulation (S2R) frameworks to evaluate the pedagogical effectiveness of AIassisted learning. Ninety-nine university students participated in training sessions with ChatGPT prompts tailored to different learning strategies. Data were collected through surveys, chat transcripts, and qualitative feedback. Results indicate frequent student interactions with ChatGPT, averaging 4.49 strategies in initial training chats. Compensatory strategies like error correction and adaptive difficulty received high ratings, while social strategies were rated lowest. Metacognitive strategies, especially planning and summarising, were also well-received. The study concludes that ChatGPT supports diverse learning strategies, enhancing linguistic competence and promoting self-regulated learning. However, limitations such as AI accuracy and authenticity issues highlight the need for continued human interaction in language education.

The interface area of the face sheet and core of the sandwich composite is seen as a weakness due to its low de-bonding toughness. To overcome this concern, it is critical to develop a suitable modification strategy to enhance the de-bonding toughness of the face sheet/core interface. In the present study, the corrugated core reinforced sandwich composite was prepared through co-curing and secondary bonding approaches. The MWCNTs reinforced adhesive was induced in the face sheet/core interface in different weight concentrations. The MWCNT-reinforced adhesive was prepared using the sonication technique, and its dispersion was examined using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The three-point bending test revealed that sandwich composite prepared using the co-cure method has higher flexural strength than secondary bonded samples due to better bonding face sheet and corrugated core. Compared with MWCNT-free corrugated core reinforced co-cured sandwich composites (CCSC), the flexural strength of 1 wt.% MWWCNT-induced sandwich composite was increased by 101.28%. The microstructural study showed that secondary bonded samples had extensive fibre breakage at the face plate due to early de-bonding of the face sheet and corrugated core. Furthermore, the free vibrational analysis was performed to evaluate the natural frequency and damping values of the corrugated core reinforced sandwich composite. The modal test results indicated that inducing 1wt.% MWCNTs in the face sheet/core interface had enhanced the natural frequencies of co-cured sandwich composites. The present study provides a suitable method to address the weaker de-bonding toughness concerns of face sheet/core interface region of sandwich structures.

This study investigates the relationship between language learning strategy (LLS) preferences and AI writing tool use among 147 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners at a South Korean university. Participants were divided into two groups based on their preferred language learning strategies, as determined by the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL): memory/compensation strategies (Group 1) and metacognitive strategies (Group 2). The SILL survey was followed up with assessments on the participants’ use of AI writing tools and their reflections on how these tools were used in the writing process. Results revealed some minor correlations between specific strategy types and functions in AI writing tools— including preferences which suggest that metacognitive strategy users use AI writing tools for the development of ideas and structuring the writing process—but were limited due to individual learner variables which had not been measured. The findings provide directions for the consideration of language learning strategies when designing AI writing tools to create personalized and effective learning experiences.

The primary therapeutic approach for Brucella species infections has mainly been based on antibiotic treatment. However, the development of vaccines for brucellosis control remains controversial. Furthermore, there is currently no licensed vaccine available for human brucellosis. This study aims to evaluate the effect of a combination of recombinant protein vaccines against Brucella (B.) abortus infection using a mouse model. Two B. abortus genes, namely dapB and gpm, were cloned and expressed in competent Escherichia (E.) coli DH5α using the pCold-TF vector. Successfully cloned vectors were subjected to PCR amplification using specific primer pairs. The apparent sizes of dapB and gpm were detected at 807 bp and 621 bp, respectively. Besides, the purified recombinant proteins dapB and gpm were detected using SDS-PAGE electrophoresis with correct sizes of 82.86 kDa and 87.61 kDa, respectively. These recombinant proteins were used to immunize mice as a combined subunit vaccine (CSV) to elicit host immunity against B. abortus infection. Mice immunized with CSV exhibited increased proliferation of CD4+ and/or CD8+ T cells at week 7th and 9th before sacrifice, in comparison to the control group. Notably, CSV immunization showed a significant decrease in bacterial burden in the spleen compared to the control group. Altogether, CSV using dapB and gpm induced host adaptive immune response against Brucella infection, suggesting its potential as an effective new subunit vaccine candidate.

이 글은 2023년 5월 서울 아트선재센터에서 개최된 '디지털 복제 시대의 회화' 세미나 에서 발표했던 글을 발전시킨 것으로, 회화를 스크린과 모바일 기기에서 디지털 방식으로 복 제하는 것과 마주할 때의 충격과 윤리적 측면을 조명해 보고자 하였다. 이 연구에서 나는 영 국의 영화 제작자 사이먼 이브즈가 그의 영화 <회화의 초상>(2022)에서 나의 그림들 가운데 하나를 클로즈업하여 묘사한 것을 토대로, 클로즈업의 개념에 대해 고찰해 보고, 회화에 대 한 디지털 복제가 예술작품에 대한 번역이 될 수 있다는 아이디어를 검토해 보았다.

The rise of social media has led to SMEs adopting some of these platforms into their day to day activities i.e. Facebook, Instagram, twitter, YouTube. Studies on social media adoption and SMEs firm performance are relatively new and fragmented in their focus, however there is an increasing interest from academia and practitioners for further research and investigation within this area. This study’s aim is to understand the factors that influence social media adoption in SMEs; taking into consideration how they apply entrepreneurial orientation, and absorptive capacity plays a role.

We investigate the incremental predictive power of three consumer dispositions – xenocentrism, cosmopolitanism and ethnocentrism – on domestic and foreign product purchase intentions, after taking the impact of consumer demographics and product category-specific variables into account. Using data from an online survey of 201 Turkish consumers, hierarchical regression analysis reveals that widely used demographic variables (namely, age, gender and education) do not significantly influence consumer intentions to buy either domestic or foreign clothing products. Of the consumer dispositions, xenocentrism exerts a significant negative effect on domestic product purchase intentions, cosmopolitanism has a positive effect on foreign product purchase intentions, while ethnocentrism shows no effect on either domestic or foreign product purchase intentions. Implications of the findings are considered and future research directions identified.

This study examined effects of pronunciation training using automatic speech recognition technology on common pronunciation errors of Korean English learners. Participants were divided into two groups. One group was given instruction and training about the use of automatic speech recognition for pronunciation practice. The other group was not given such instruction or training as a control group. A pre- and post-test experimental design was used. The treatment period was four weeks. Participants who were taught about using automatic speech recognition for pronunciation practice showed small but significant improvements in pronunciation accuracy than those who did not. In addition, automatic speech recognition was found to assist in the diagnostic evaluation of common pronunciation errors, although it did not produce statistically significant improvements. Participants responded positively to the use of automatic speech recognition for pronunciation practice and testing, although there remain some concerns over technical aspects of the test.

Bacterial phytopathogen Pectobacterium causes soft rot disease in several vegetable crops globally, resulting in heavy agricultural losses at both the pre and postharvest stages. The present work was carried out to screen Kimchi cabbage genetic resources conserved at the National Agrobiodiversity Center, Rural Development Administration, Korea, for resistance against the soft rot pathogen Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum KACC 21701 over a period of three years (from 2020 to 2022). Infection of the phytopathogen was carried out at four-leaf stage and for each accession, twenty-five plants per germplasm were infected with KACC 21701. Kimchi cabbage cultivars Wangmatbaechu, Seoulbaechu, and CR Kiyoshi were used as control. Seven-days post-infection, the Disease Index (DI) values were manually recorded from zero to four, zero matched perfectly heathy plants and four completely dead plants. The 682 accessions of Kimchi cabbage exhibited varying degrees of disease resistance to KACC 21701 and thirty accessions, exhibiting a DI≤2, were considered for replication studies. During the replication studies, four landrace germplasms (IT102883, IT120036, IT120044, and IT120048) and one cultivar (IT187919) were confirmed to be moderately susceptible to KACC 21701. Results of the preliminary screening as well as replication studies were documented for the all the 682 germplasms. Addition of such information to the passport data of stored germplasms might serve as potential bio-resource for future breeders and researchers to develop resistant varieties or study the mechanisms involved in resistance of plants to such phytopathogen.

Subunit vaccines are being developed as a potential therapy for preventing microbial pathogen infection. In this study, the immunogenicity of recombinant Brucella (B.) abortus Fe/Mn superoxide dismutase (rFe/Mn SOD) protein as a subunit vaccine against B. abortus was investigated in BALB/c mice model. Brucella Fe/Mn SOD gene was cloned into a pcold-TF DNA vector. The bacterial recombinant protein was expressed using the Escherichia coli DH5α strain with a size of 82.50 kDa. The western blotting assay showed that rFe/Mn SOD reacted with Brucella-positive serum, indicating the potential immunoreactivity of this recombinant protein. After the second and third vaccinations, the peripheral CD4+ T cell population was increased significantly in the rFe/Mn SOD-immunized mice group compared to the PBS control group. Moreover, immunization of this recombinant protein increased the CD4+ T cell population from the first vaccination to the third vaccination. Meanwhile, the CD8+ T cells were slightly enhanced after the second vaccination compared to the first vaccination and compared to control groups. Fourteen days after the bacterial infection, the splenomegaly and the number of bacteria in the spleen were evaluated. The result showed that both rFe/Mn SOD and positive control RB51 decreased the bacterial replication in the spleen and the splenomegaly compared to control groups. Altogether, these results suggested that rFe/Mn SOD could induce host immunity against B. abortus infection.

Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) has recently emerged as an ideal disinfectant and has shown a wide range of antimicrobial activities in various pathogenic microorganisms. In this study, the virucidal effect of ClO2 at low concentration (0.02 ppm) and higher concentration (0.06 – 0.09 ppm) against Adenovirus and Herpesvirus was evaluated based on the NF T 72-281 and ASTM 1053-11 standard methods at different exposure times. The virus suspension was dried onto the carrier and then exposed to gaseous ClO2 (gClO2) at 22 ± 2∘C. For Adenovirus, exposure at a low concentration of ClO2 at the middle height resulted in the average log10 reduction of 0.95, 2.65, and 5.30 after 1, 3, and 6 h post-exposure (pe), respectively. Moreover, more than 4-log10 reduction was achieved at 4 and 6 h pe with higher concentrations of ClO2. On the other hand, the antiviral activity of gClO2 at the middle height was also effective against Herpesvirus. In particular, at 1 h pe, a less than 4-log10 reduction was observed at all examined concentrations of ClO2, whereas exposure for 3 and 6 h (with low concentration) or 2 h (with higher concentration) inactivated completely viruses attached to the carrier. These results suggested that ClO2 fumigation is a potential alternative method for disinfecting healthcare facilities, high-containment laboratories, and households with a safe concentration for human health.

We investigated the effect of a synthetic complement peptide C3a on the outcome of Brucella abortus 544 infection in a murine macrophage cell line RAW264.7 cell. First, we determined the highest non-cytotoxic concentration of the peptide in the cell line. We also found that the peptide significantly increased the growth of the bacteria at 8 and 24 h. Although the number of bacterial CFU was also elevated at 48 and 72 h, the increases were not significant as compared to controls. We further investigated the effect of C3a peptide on the growth of Brucella by pre-incubating the peptide at various temperatures and found that the effect was reversed at 24 h post-incubation suggesting that incubation of peptide at high temperatures including 65°C or 95°C could inactivate its action. This also could indicate the beneficial effect of high temperature during infection. Although several studies reported the inhibitory effect of different antimicrobial peptides including C3a, the present study preliminarily revealed that it had no positive contribution on the control of B. abortus 544 infection in vitro and indirectly to its receptor, CD88, which belongs to GPCR. Moreover, the encouraged further exploration of the effect of other similar peptides would be performed for the purpose of finding Brucella-host cell interaction for the control of disease progression.