Teaching is often regarded as a profession with a high probability of job burnout. Research has shown a close relationship between teachers’ motivation and their burnout, but it has not been closely explored among EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers in Chinese contexts. Considering the large number of college English teachers in Chinese universities and recent changes in their role, the study explores the relationship between their motivation and burnout, as well as the factors that affect teacher burnout among Chinese college English teachers. For this purpose, a total of 261 college English teachers from ten Chinese universities participated in the survey. Among them, 68 teachers submitted their narratives on teacher burnout using the narrative frame. The results showed that high mastery and relational goals and a low level of work avoidance goals contributed to higher motivation and less teacher burnout. The demand for research, lack of autonomy, and guanxi-based practices influenced Chinese teachers’ burnout. The results show that teacher burnout is highly context-dependent and affected by the organizational structure and cultural practices. An organizational support needs to be provided for teachers to maintain their mastery goal orientations and increase their autonomy as professional teachers.

실내 벽면녹화용으로 많이 이용되고 있는 덩굴식물 스킨답 서스(Epipremnum aureum)는 줄기의 상·하 유인방향에 생장 차이를 보이는 것으로 알려져 있으나 그 원인에 대해서는 구 체적으로 알려져 있지 않다. 본 연구에서는 광원의 위치(상· 하)와 줄기 유인방향(상·하)에 따른 스킨답서스의 생장반응을 15주간 조사하였다. 그 결과 정상적인 식물 생장 환경조건인 광원이 위에 있고 줄기를 위로 유인한 처리를 제외하고는 광 원이 아래에 위치하거나 줄기를 아래로 유인한 처리에서는 굴 곡과 뒤틀림 정도가 매우 컸다. 이것은 굴광성과 항굴지성에 대한 식물체 지상부의 반응 결과이며, 굴광성과 항굴지성의 경합반응은 식물체 아래 광원이 위치하고 줄기를 아래로 유인 했을 때 더욱 뚜렷하였다. 광원의 위치와 줄기 유인방향에 따 른 스킨답서스의 생장 반응은 굴광성과 항굴지성으로 설명 가 능하며 굴광성의 영향이 상대적으로 높게 나타났다.

Probiotic lactic acid bacteria are live microorganisms that provide health benefits when administered in adequate amounts and may exhibit antiproliferative effects on various cancer cell lines, including colon cancer. This study investigates the cytotoxic effects of three Lactobacillus strains - Limosilactobacillus (L.) reuteri VA 102, Ligilactobacillus (L.) animalis VA 105, and Limosilactobacillus (L.) reuteri KCTC 3594 (ATCC 23272) - on mouse colon carcinoma cells (CT-26). Live cells, heat-killed cells, and cell-free supernatant (CFS) of Lactobacillus sp. were prepared and used to treat CT-26 cells at different concentrations. The cytotoxic effect was assessed using the MTT assay. The results indicated that the CFS of all strains significantly reduced the viability of CT-26 cells in a dose-dependent manner, with the VA 102 strain showing the most pronounced effect. Heat-killed cells of L. reuteri VA 102 and L. reuteri KCTC 3594 (ATCC 23272) also reduced cell viability. These findings suggest the potential anticancer properties of these Lactobacillus strains and indicate that CFS and heat-killed cells may offer a safer and more effective alternative to live bacteria for therapeutic applications. Our study contributes to the understanding of the potential of Lactobacillus strains, particularly L. reuteri VA 102, L. reuteri KCTC 3594 (ATCC 23272), and L. animalis VA 105, as possible candidates for cancer treatment and control.

As environmental concerns escalate, the increase in recycling of aluminum scrap is notable within the aluminum alloy production sector. Precise control of essential components such as Al, Cu, and Si is crucial in aluminum alloy production. However, recycled metal products comprise various metal components, leading to inherent uncertainty in component concentrations. Thus, meticulous determination of input quantities of recycled metal products is necessary to adjust the composition ratio of components. This study proposes a stable input determination heuristic algorithm considering the uncertainty arising from utilizing recycled metal products. The objective is to minimize total costs while satisfying the desired component ratio in aluminum manufacturing processes. The proposed algorithm is designed to handle increased complexity due to introduced uncertainty. Validation of the proposed heuristic algorithm's effectiveness is conducted by comparing its performance with an algorithm mimicking the input determination method used in the field. The proposed heuristic algorithm demonstrates superior results compared to the field-mimicking algorithm and is anticipated to serve as a useful tool for decision-making in realistic scenarios.

고주파 흡수제(Accusorb MRI)를 이용한 자기공명영상 검사 중 화재가 발생했다. 다행히 환자는 화상을 입지는 않았 지만 스트랩과 4채널 코일의 케이블, Accusorb MRI가 녹아서 탄 흔적이 발견되었다. 자기공명영상 검사에 사용되 는 도구의 안전 지침을 준수해야 하지만 이를 지키지 않으면 화상, 열상, 장비 손상의 위험이 있다. 사고를 방지하기 위해서는 철저한 사전 점검을 해야 하고 모든 기기, 물품들이 자기공명영상 검사 시 사용 가능한 제품인지 확인하고 사용법을 정확하게 숙지하여야 한다.