Abstract In this study, micro-defects on/in carbon fibers were modified by irradiation with an electron beam, which improved the mechanical strength of single carbon fibers. The electron beam irradiation was 10 kGy (using a 1.5 MeV accelerator in the air). The total doses ranged from 100 to 500 kGy. The tensile strength of the single carbon fiber was measured using a universal testing machine. The micro-defects on the fiber surface were observed with scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, and those in the fiber were evaluated by Raman spectroscopy. In conclusion, the electron beam treatment produced changes in the micro-defects on/in the carbon fibers, resulting in up to 14% improvement in the tensile strength of single carbon fiber.

The structural safety of prototype transport and storage containers for very low-level radioactive liquid waste was experimentally estimated for its localization development. Transport containers for radioactive liquid waste have been researched and developed, however, there are no standardized commercial containers for very low-level radioactive waste in Korea. In this study, the structural safety of the designated IP-2 type container capable of transporting and temporarily storing large amounts of very low-level liquid waste, which is generated during the operation and decommissioning of nuclear power plants, was demonstrated. The stacking and drop tests, which were conducted to determine the structural integrity of the container, verified that there was no external leakage of the contents in spite of its structural deformation due to the drop impact. This study shows the effort required for the localization of the technology used in manufacturing transport and storage containers for very low-level radioactive liquid waste, and the additional structural reinforcement of the container in which the commercial intermediate bulk container (IBC) external frame was coupled.

The acrosome cap allows sperm to penetrate the egg membrane and produce male pronuclei within female chicken eggs, facilitating successful fertilization. Given this, it is important to establish practical methods for evaluating the integrity of the acrosome cap and thus the quality of the rooster’s sperm. There are several established methods for evaluating the acrosomes of mammalian sperm, but none of these methods are suitable for evaluating the acrosome status of rooster spermatozoa. Therefore, a simplified method for evaluating the rooster acrosome is needed. Here we evaluated the usefulness of CBB (coomassie brilliant blue) staining of the acrosome at concentrations of 0.04%, 0.08%, and 0.3% CBB solutions. Our data revealed a clear staining pattern for intact acrosome caps at 0.04% and 0.08% CBB but not at 0.3% CBB. This protocol revealed differences in acrosome integrity between fresh and frozen rooster sperm smears suggesting that CBB staining may facilitate easier semen evaluation in roosters. This protocol allows for the accurate differential staining of acrosome cap in rooster spermatozoa.

목적 : 서로 다른 디자인의 시표를 사용하여 원거리 자각적 주시시차 교정 전, 후의 정적 및 동적입체시를 비교 및 분석해 보고자 하였다. 방법 : 12명(남자 7명, 여자 5명)의 시각적 불편함을 느끼는 대상자를 선정하였다. MKH 차트, 차트프로젝터 십자시표를 사용하여 원거리 수평 주시시차를 교정하였고, 주시시차 교정 전, 후의 원거리 정적 및 동적 입체시력, 원거리 입체시깊이를 측정하였다. 결과 : MKH 차트, 차트프로젝터 십자시표에서 자각적으로 측정된 원거리 수평 주시시차 교정 값은 각각 0.77±0.53 △, 0.29±0.30 △으로 측정되었고 유의한 차이가 있었다(p=0.011). 주시시차 교정 전 원거리 정적입 체시력은 102.50±73.99″이었고, MKH 차트, 차트프로젝터 십자시표를 사용한 교정 후는 각각 42.50±29.27″ (p=0.003), 50.00±44.52″(p=0.003)로 유의한 감소가 있었다. 주시시차 교정 전 원거리 동적입체시력은 24.46±6.60″이었고, MKH 차트, 차트프로젝터 십자시표를 사용한 교정 후는 각각 15.26±7.61″(p=0.008), 17.56±5.67″(p=0.019)로 유의한 감소가 있었다. 주시시차 교정 전 원거리 입체시깊이는 1,107.08±52.72 mm 이었고, MKH 차트, 중심융합자극점이 있는 차트프로젝터 십자시표를 사용한 교정 후는 각각 1,136.08±62.40 mm(p=0.002), 1,120.00±51.52 mm(p=0.028)로 유의한 증가가 있었다. 결론 : 시표의 디자인에 따른 원거리 자각적 주시시차 교정 값에는 유의한 차이가 있었고, 주시시차 교정 후의 정적 및 동적입체시는 두 시표에서 모두 유의하게 향상되었다. 따라서 원거리 자각적 주시시차 교정은 입체시의 개선에 긍정적인 효과를 줄 수 있는 것으로 생각된다. 본 연구에서는 MKH 차트를 통해 주시시차를 교정한 후 입 체시가 상대적으로 가장 많이 향상되었다.

Chinese cabbage or pakchoi (Brassica Rapa subsp. Chinensis) is one of the most popular vegetables in Korea. It is grown and consumed throughout the year because it has many benefits. This study reports on the growth performance of pakchoi grown in the hydroponic system using a Food Juke Box (FJB) under different light compositions. The chlorophyll content (CC), root fresh weight (RFW), and shoot fresh weight (SFW) were measured. Further, various vegetation indices (VIs), such as modified chlorophyll absorption in reflectance index (MCARI1), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), optimized soil-adjusted vegetation index (OSAVI), and structure insensitive pigment index (SIPI), were employed to predict SFW. The study results indicated a significant increase in the CC of pakchoi with different light treatments compared with the control. The CC was highest under treatment with 70% white light, 20% blue light, and 10% red light (T1) than under treatment with 50% white light, 30% blue light, and 20% red light (T2). All used VIs showed significant differences with different light combination treatments. There was no significant change in RFW and SFW between the control and T1. However, a significant reduction in RFW and SFW was observed in T2 compared with the control. A comparison between T1 and T2 demonstrated that RFW and SFW were increased by 23% and 25%, respectively, compared with those in T2. The correlation result showed that SFW had a significant positive correlation with RFW (0.76***). Further, a significant negative correlation was observed with OSAVI (−0.25*), MCARI1 (−0.54***), and CC (−0.19*). In conclusion, our findings implied that different light combinations in pakchoi affected the photosynthetic pigments although they did not improve SFW. This research will pave the way for pakchoi production in hydroponics using smart farming FJB. This will further promote plant development, especially for domestic consumption, and help fulfill the growing demand for leafy vegetables.

The objective of this study was to verify the effect of pig slurry application with acidification and biochar on feed value, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of maize forage, and ammonia (NH3) emission. The four treatments were applied: 1) non-pig slurry (only water as a control, C), 2) only pig slurry application (P), 3) acidified pig slurry application (AP), 4) acidified pig slurry application with biochar (APB). The pig slurry and biochar were applied at a rate of 150 kg N ha-1 and 300 kg ha-1, respectively. The AP and APB treatments enhanced all feed values compared to C and P treatments. The NUE for plant N was significantly increased 92.1% by AP and APB treatment, respectively, compared to the P treatment. On the other hand, feed values were not significantly different between AP and APB treatments. The acidification treatment with/without biochar significantly mitigated NH3 emission compared to the P treatment. The cumulative NH3 emission throughout the period of measurement decreased by 71.4% and 74.8% in the AP and APB treatments. Also, APB treatment reduced ammonia emission by 11.9% compared to AP treatment. The present study clearly showed that acidification and biochar can reduce ammonia emission from pig slurry application, and pig slurry application with acidification and biochar exhibited potential effects in feed value, NUE, and reducing N losses from pig slurry application through reduction of NH3 emission.

This study aimed to determine whether hormonal hypersecretion could cause morphological problems in the mouse vagina and affect the ovaries and nearby extra uterine organs. All mice were synchronized to estrus before the experiment. Then human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), progesterone, and testosterone were continuously administered for about 6 days to maintain hormone hypersecretion, and then morphological changes were analyzed, and Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) activity and Casp-3 expression were evaluated. As a result of the analysis, in the case of hCG, the morphological change did not show a significant difference from the vagina of normal estrus. In the case of progesterone, changes were observed in the mucosa zone and basal membrane, and it was confirmed that the activity of MMPs was increased in squamous epithelium cells. On the other hand, in the case of testosterone, overall changes in vaginal tissues were observed, and MMPs activity was increased to a very high level in all sections. The expression of Casp-3 was also the highest compared to other groups. Therefore, as a result of this study, it is thought that hormone hypersecretion affects the morphological changes of the vagina other than the ovaries and uterus and induces the activity of MMPs to cause morphological degeneration of tissues.

분화국화 ‘솔라에그(등록번호 8569)’는 2015년 경상남도농 업기술원 화훼연구소에서 분홍색 ‘포인트에그’를 감마선 처리 를 하여 육성하였다. 특성검정과 형질 안정성은 2017년에서 2018년까지 3회를 수행하였다. ‘솔라에그’는 분홍색 꽃잎(54D) 과 적자색 중심부(59B)를 가진 ‘아네모네’ 형태이다. 꽃과 잎 색깔과 모양에서는 ‘솔라에그’와 ‘포인트에그’ 간의 차이는 거 의 없었다. ‘솔라에그’의 식물체와 개화 연구에서 조명과 억제 재배를 했을 때 약 42일로 개화소요시간은 비슷했다. 그러나 초장, 꽃 크기, 꽃 중심부 크기와 착화수에서 ‘포인트에그’와 비교했을 때 차이가 있었다. 특히, 자연재배조건에서 꽃 크기 는 4cm으로 대조품종과 비교했을 때 컸다. 국화 품종에서는 꽃의 크기가 상업적으로 중요한 형질이다. ‘솔라에그’의 표현 형과 개화기 연구와 비교하여 배수성, RAPD, 세포 크기 및 수 분석을 하였다. 이들 결과에서는 표현형의 변화는 작은 유전 적 변이와 세포 분열 증가와 관련이 있을 것이라고 추정하고 있다. 중형 크기의 ‘솔라에그’는 분화국화로 이용되며 농가의 평균소득 증대를 기대할 수 있다.

Coccidiosis is caused by infection of Eimeria species and an significant parasitic disease in poultry. Various kinds of natural products have been studied to find alternative treatments for coccidiosis in chickens, but the effect of Houttuynia cordata on Eimeria infection has not been investigated. The aim of this study is to study the anticoccidial effect of H. cordata extract (HCE) in chickens after oral infection by Eimeria tenella. Anticoccidial effects of the HCE was evaluated in chickens after oral infection with E. tenella. This study was performed on threeday- old chicks (n = 30). These animals were divided into 3 groups; HCE 0.2% treated/infected (n = 10), HCE untreated/infected (n = 10) and non-infected control (n = 10). The effect of HCE on E. tenella infection was assessed by two parameters; fecal oocysts shedding and body weights gain. the chicks fed HCE significantly reduced fecal oocysts when compared to the E. tenella-infected group fed standard diets (p<0.05). Furthermore, the HCE-based diet improved weight loss due to E. tenella infection. Our data shows that HCE had significant antiprotozoal activity against E. tenella. These findings may have implications for the development of anticoccidial drugs.