The utilization of pig slurry (PS) as an organic fertilizer plays a pivotal role in nutrient recycling within agricultural systems. However, this practice concomitantly leads nitrogen (N) losses through ammonia (NH₃) volatilization and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of wood biochar on mitigating NH3 and N2O emissions and enhancing N retention from PS-applied soil, and plant biomass production during the vegetative growth of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.). The experiment consisted of three treatments: 1) water (non-PS), 2) PS, and 3) PS combined with wood biochar (PS+WB). The PS+WB treatment resulted in the maintenance of elevated soil water content during the experimental period. The PS+WB treatment significantly enhanced soil nitrogen retention compared to PS alone, maintaining higher total N and NH₄⁺-N levels while reducing NO₃⁻ -N accumulation. Wood biochar application also leds to substantial reductions in NH₃ and N₂O emissions, mitigating environmental N losses. The PS+WB treatment resulted in an improvement of shoot biomass, crude protein content, and total digestible nutrients, indicating enhanced forage quality. The increased soil moisture content in PS+WB further contributed to plant growth benefits. These findings demonstrate that wood biochar is an effective amendment for improving nitrogen retention, reducing gaseous N emissions, and enhancing crop productivity in PS-amended soils.
The development of artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly enhanced virtual reality (VR) content. However, existing integrations of VR and AI technologies have largely focused on the isolated applications of each technology, limiting the potential for creating content that meets the original purposes of AI technologies. This paper proposes a fairy tale VR game that integrates AI technologies to provide personalized and immersive user experiences. Key innovations include the implementation of interactive non-playable characters using OpenAI's ChatGPT, dynamic storytelling based on user choices, and realistic hand gesture recognition through the Meta Quest 2 controller. Additionally the game employs advanced AI systems such as GPT-4 and DALL-E to generate customized sentences and images, enriching the interactivity and educational value of VR environments. Our study makes a significant contribution to the literature by bridging the gap between traditional VR games and AI-driven interactivity, demonstrating how AI technologies can transform user engagement and immersion.
Background: The cumulus cells (CC) play an essential role in protecting oocytes and providing molecular signals for meiotic and cytoplasmic maturation. Gonadotropins stimulate CC proliferation, promote the release of factors that resume oocyte maturation, and activate small G proteins. Among these, Ras, a GTP-binding protein, participates in signaling pathways that regulate cell growth, division, and proliferation. This study aimed to investigate the changes in the Ras subfamily and gonadotropin receptor expression during porcine CC maturation. Methods: Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were incubated in a medium supplemented with follicular stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and epidermal growth factor (EGF) for 44 hours. CCs were collected from the COCs at 0, 22, and 44 hours, and mRNA expression levels of gonadotropin and growth factor receptors (FSHR, LHR, EGFR), Ras subfamily members (H-Ras, K-Ras, N-Ras, R-Ras), and Ras GTPases (RASA1, SOS1) were analyzed using quantitative RT-PCR. Results: The results revealed that LHR and R-Ras mRNA expression significantly increased only at 44 hours compared to the 0-hour group (p < 0.05). Conversely, RASA1 mRNA levels decreased significantly at the same time points. No significant changes were observed in H-Ras, K-Ras, N-Ras , or SOS1 expression. Conclusions: In conclusion, the observed increase in LHR and R-Ras and the decrease in RASA1 provide new insights into the molecular dynamics of Ras subfamily members during porcine CC maturation, contributing to a better understanding of the regulatory mechanisms underlying oocyte development.
This study aimed to estimate the accumulated temperature requirements for phenological changes in Lilium. Eight cultivars of three lily types were cultivated in open field conditions for phenological observations based on floral organ development. Growing degree days (GDD) requirements for phenological changes were calculated and verified using Lilium LA hybrid ‘Serrada’ under greenhouse conditions. Lilium Oriental hybrids exhibited higher GDD requirements compared to Lilium FA and LA hybrids for their phenological development. Estimations of phenological change dates in greenhouse cultivation were accurate within 1–3 days. These results provide a reliable description for predicting lily development stages across diverse cultivation environments by quantifying the accumulated temperature requirements for key phenological events.
A 13-year-old female lion underwent a simple mastectomy for a rapidly growing abdominal mass, confirmed as mammary adenocarcinoma after histopathological examination. Mammary tumors are common in domestic cats but less frequently reported in African lions. This report presents the first documented case of mammary adenocarcinoma in an African lion in South Korea. The mass was successfully excised through stable anesthesia and surgery. This report adds to the limited literature on mammary tumors in large felids and discusses the need for tailored management strategies.
This research, grounded in the extended technology acceptance model, aimed to explore the relationships among factors influencing Korean EFL learners’ acceptance of ChatGPT for English learning in a voluntary usage context. To this end, a questionnaire was distributed to college students who had used ChatGPT for language learning, utilizing a convenience sampling method. A total of 400 responses were analyzed to test hypotheses using structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings revealed that learners’ perceived usefulness significantly predicted their intention to continue using ChatGPT, while perceived ease of use did not. Moreover, learners’ result demonstrability was found to be a predictor of perceived usefulness, whereas subjective norm was not. Both playfulness and output quality significantly influenced learners’ perceived ease of use. This study identified key factors that could enhance EFL learners’ acceptance of ChatGPT by improving perceptions of usefulness and ease of use, offering valuable insights for integrating ChatGPT into English education.
As the E-commerce market grows, the importance of personalized recommendation systems is increasing. Existing collaborative filtering and content-based filtering methods have shown a certain level of performance, but they have limitations such as cold start, data sparseness, and lack of long-term pattern learning. In this study, we design a matching system that combines a hybrid recommendation system and hyper-personalization technology and propose an efficient recommendation system. The core of the study is to develop a recommendation model that can improve recommendation accuracy and increase user satisfaction compared to existing systems. The proposed elements are as follows. First, the hybrid-hyper-personalization matching system provides recommendation accuracy compared to existing methods. Second, we propose an optimal product matching model that reflects user context using real-time data. Third, we optimize Personalized Recommendation System using deep learning and reinforcement learning. Fourth, we present a method to objectively evaluate recommendation performance through A/B testing.
This study is a follow-up study to a previous study that analyzed the process of participants with different brain tendencies using content through user interviews in developing a mobile application that reflects theories related to brain information processing. By reflecting the guidelines obtained through prototype development and user research, a responsive web that can be used in educational settings was developed. This study utilized the characteristic that Chinese characters are created by visualizing images and applied it to art education, where visual images are important in learning. Based on research on the differences in information processing methods between the left and right brains, this content was developed following the guidelines of a previous study that reflects the characteristics of information processing that differ depending on the user's brain tendencies, and we hope that it will be helpful in educational settings.
Maize (Zea mays. L) is one of the major sources of green fodder for livestock in Pakistan. Crop management plays a key role in obtaining high yields for green fodder. Fertilizer application, seed rate, and row spacing are critical components of crop management, which can significantly affect crop biomass. To determine the best production technology, a two-year (2021-2023) study was conducted at the research area of National Agricultural Research Center, Islamabad. Plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, green fodder yield per acre, and green fodder yield per hectare were recorded. Various row spacing (15 cm, 30 cm, 45 cm, and 60 cm), fertilizer ratio (N: P = 55:30, 65:40, 75:50, and 85:60), and seed rates (30 kg/ac, 35 kg/ac, 40 kg/ac, and 45 kg/ac) were applied. Results obtained experiments revealed that in both growing seasons, the maximum green fodder yield was obtained when fertilizer N: P ratio was 75:50 (green fodder biomass: 74.61 t/ha and 72.56 t/ha). Similarly, the optimal seed rate was found to be 40 kg/ac, which resulted in the highest green fodder yield (73.41 t/ha and 72.88 t/ha in two seasons). Furthermore, the plant of maize at row spacing of 30 cm was found to generate the maximum green fodder yield (72.39 t/ha and 72.40 t/ha, respectively). Green fodder yield per hectare was found to be positively correlated with plant height, number of leaves, and leaf area. These findings underscore the significance of applying a fertilizer ratio of N: P = 75:50, a seed rate 40 kg/ac, and a row spacing of 45 cm for higher yields of green fodder in maize crop.
목적 : COVID-19 팬데믹 기간 동안 사회적 거리두기와 비대면 활동 증가로 인해 생활습관이 크게 변화하였다. 본 연구는 근거리 작업시간, 수면시간, 스트레스 수준의 변화가 비정시(근시, 원시, 난시) 발생에 미치는 영향을 분 석하고자 하였다. 방법 : 본 연구는 질병관리청 국민건강영양조사 제8기(2019~2021년도) 조사 중 2020년에 참여한 대상자들 중 만 40세 이상인 성인들을 대상으로 수행된 단면 연구이다. 연구 대상자는 안검진을 받은 성인 중 안과 질환이 없는 2,564명을 포함하였다. 굴절 이상은 등가구면굴절력을 기준으로 하였다. 결과 : 근거리 작업시간이 하루 4시간 이상인 그룹에서 근시 유병률이 유의하게 증가하였다. 반면, 1시간 이하 의 근거리 작업을 수행하는 그룹에서는 원시 유병률이 높았다(p<0.0001). 수면시간이 6~8시간인 그룹에서 근시 유병률이 가장 높았으며, 원시는 6시간 미만 그룹에서 높았다(p=0.0082). 스트레스 수준이 높은 그룹에서 근시 유 병률이 유의하게 증가하는 경향을 보였으나, 다중 로지스틱 회귀분석에서는 근거리 작업시간이 짧은 그룹에서 난시 유병률이 더 높은 경향을 보였으며(p<0.0001), 수면시간과 스트레스의 영향은 통계적으로 유의하지 않았다. 결론 : 본 연구 결과, 근거리 작업시간 증가가 근시 발생에 가장 큰 영향을 미치는 요인임이 확인되었으며, 수면 패턴과 스트레스 또한 비정시와 연관성을 가질 수 있음을 시사하였다. 이는 COVID-19 팬데믹과 같은 환경적 변 화가 시력 건강에 미치는 영향을 이해하고, 근시 예방 및 관리 전략을 수립하는 데 기여할 수 있다.
This study examined impact of agricultural cooperative membership on technical efficiency, income, and costs of coffee farmers in Southern Shan State, Myanmar. Using stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) and propensity score matching (PSM) methods, this study estimated average treatment effect on the treated of agricultural cooperative participation. Results showed that technical efficiency, total income, and total variable costs were significantly higher for cooperative members than for comparable non-members. However, net income of members is not significantly different from that of comparable non-members.