This study aims to to provide a systematic and sustainable strategic direction for road transportation ODA projects in Mozambique to help solve economic bottlenecks and contribute to national and regional economic growth at a time when the country is recovering from the economic shock and cessation of international aid caused by the past "Tuna Bond Scandal" and showing strong commitment to improving the road transportation sector led by the government. Through this, we aim to enhance the effectiveness of Korea's ODA projects and contribute to building a mutually beneficial cooperation model between Mozambique and Korea. Key indicators were established based on literature reviews, and an AHP survey was conducted targeting local road transport officials. The results were utilized to calculate the weights for each indicator and derive the project priorities. The study identified "sustainability" as the most critical factor among the social necessity indicators, highlighting the importance of long-term stability in road transport infrastructure. In the economic necessity category, "cost-effectiveness" emerged as a key priority, emphasizing resource optimization for maximum impact. Within policy necessity, alignment with government development goals was deemed essential for project success. Prioritization of road transport ODA projects based on sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with government policies is concluded to significantly enhance their impact. By addressing the immediate and long-term needs of Mozambique's transport infrastructure, the proposed strategy ensures resource efficiency and socioeconomic benefits. This approach not only improves the effectiveness of ODA initiatives but also fosters stronger partnerships between donor and recipient countries. Ultimately, the findings contribute to the development of systematic and sustainable ODA strategies for Mozambique.

Tricholoma matsutake, one of the most famous edible mushroom in Asia, has been cultivated in red pine forest. Because of its difficulty in artificial cultivation, T. matsutake cultivation has relied on foraging in the forest. Under certain environmental conditions, T. matsutake form the Shiro, the condensed mycelium, and develop into fruiting bodies. Among the certain environmental conditions, fungal communities play a major role in the mushroom development. Therefore, fungal community investigations for Bonghwa and Yangyang have been conducted on soil with fairy rings in the past, soil with existing fairy rings, and soil with presumptive fairy rings developing in the future. From the six soil samples, total 163 genera of fungi were detected and species diversity and species abundance of each sample were also analyzed. In result, the species diversity and species abundance of the fairy rings in Yangyang were lower than those in Bonghwa. In comparison with the fairy rings in Yangyang and Bonghwa, the dominance of the genus Tricholoma was higher and that of the genus Motilella was lower in Yangyang. Through the continuous study, establishment of optimal environmental conditions to promote the T. matsutake cultivation is highly expected.

Despite their historical use, studies on the genetic functions of mushrooms and varietal improvement via biomolecular techniques are limited compared to other organisms. Recent advancements in CRISPR/Cas9 have enabled precise genetic modifications in mushrooms, with RNP-based systems offering high editing efficiency without foreign gene insertion. In this study, we optimized gene-editing conditions for Ganoderma lucidum (Yongji 2) by utilizing RNP/nanoparticle complexes to enhance efficiency. The optimal conditions included a 0.2 M sorbitol buffer (pH 7.0) and a protoplast-to-complex ratio of 10:1. Among eight gRNAs designed for the catA gene, three were identified with high activity, and PEG-mediated transformation resulted in successful gene edits, primarily involving 1 bp deletions. The editing efficiency reached 7–8%, demonstrating that nanoparticle-supported RNP systems are effective for marker-free gene editing in mushrooms. These findings highlight a promising approach for advancing genetic research and varietal improvement in G. lucidum and other mushroom species.

In order to develop a stable production and delicious unique cultivar of beech mushrooms, we generated hybrids using wild resources collected domestically, and we developed excellent strains by identifying the mycelial cultivability of the hybrid strains. The developed strains were cultivated according to the type of spawn and incubation time, and strains with excellent yield and shape were first selected, and second strains with less bitterness and excellent taste were selected through quantitative descriptive analysis. This was verified in farms, and ‘HM6-6’, which had a good reputation in the field, was directly developed cultivars as ‘Maruking’. In addition, the yield was high overall in the 90-day culture of the growth substrate inoculated with solid spawn, and the ‘Maruking’ cultivar, was also best in the 90-day culture. The yield was high overall in the 75-day culture of the liquid spawn, but ‘Maruking’ showed excellent yield when cultured for 70 days.

The Grifola frondosa cultivar KMCC03118 was used to isolate monokaryotic strains via spore separation, resulting in the successful crossbreeding of strains KMCC03118-11 and KMCC03118-23, which produced F1 hybrids. These F1 hybrids were then further crossed with various monokaryotic strains to generate F2 progeny. In evaluating the effects of different medium compositions on fruit body development, it was found that a substrate consisting of wheat bran and dried sawdust, with a carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio of 66-68, provided the most favorable conditions for mycelial growth. Among the strains tested, KMCC03137 and GF-18-50 demonstrated superior characteristics, including a larger fruit body diameter, thicker pileus, and greater stipe thickness, with the highest productivity observed at 143.6 ± 13.3 g and 144.7 ± 15.2 g, respectively. Furthermore, the color of the caps (L: 29.7 ± 7.1, a: 2.6 ± 0.7, b: 8.2 ± 1.8) remained consistent, indicating stable high-quality production. Based on these results, the optimal substrate composition for enhancing both the quality and productivity of the fruit bodies was determined to be 42% Quercus sp. sawdust, 42% Quercus sp. fermented sawdust, 6% wheat bran, and 10% dried tofu residue. This study provides a crucial foundation for the commercial cultivation and breeding improvement of Grifola frondosa, offering valuable insights into its genetic enhancement, and providing essential data for future research aimed at increasing the species' genetic diversity and productivity.

This study aims to examine total factor productivity (TFP) and its determinants in offshore fisheries under the worsening fishing environment and to propose policy improvement based on the estimation results. We identified a decline in TFP of offshore fisheries from 2012 to 2020 employing the global Malmquist productivity index (GMPI), with the primary cause being the regression of the production possibility frontier due to the reduction of fishery resources. Moreover, utilizing the system generalized method of moments (GMM), we found that the determinants, such as the cessation of operations in Japan’s EEZ, vessel age, fishing experience, and oil prices, contribute to a decrease in the TFP of offshore fisheries. Therefore, this study suggests implementing a total allowable catch (TAC)-centered fishery resource management policy, along with reducing loan interest rates and extending the repayment period for the vessel modernization project. Furthermore, it is necessary to improve the TFP of offshore fisheries by providing regular training for fishermen, implementing the tax-free petroleum stockpiling project, and developing alternative fishing grounds.

Oyster mushroom is one of the most widely cultivated and consumed mushrooms in Korea, and mechanization and automation of cultivation systems have enabled mass production. Many cultivars have been developed to replace the old ones such as ‘Suhan‘ and ‘Chunchuneutari 2 ho,‘ which have been cultivated for over 20 years. Among these, ‘Soltari‘ was developed in 2015. Although it has excellent quality, its cultivation is challenging and the productivity is somewhat lower. To address these issues, the Mushroom Division at the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science selected the genetic resource KMCC05165 and attempted hybridization between monokaryons from KMCC05165 and ‘Soltari(KMCC04940)’. Through repeated cultivation tests and evaluation of fruiting body characteristics, the superior strain ‘Po-2019-smj22’ was selected and finally named ‘Otari‘. The optimal mycelial growth temperature of ‘Otari’ was between 25 and 30°C and optimal fruiting body growth temperature was between 13 and 18°C. Mycelial growth on PDA medium was best at 25°C, and at the same temperature, mycelial growth was similar across four media: PDA, MEA, MCM, and YM. In 1,100 mL bottle cultivation, the yield was approximately 174 g, which is about 5% higher than the control cultivar ‘Soltari‘, and the number of valid individuals was also higher at about 25. The diameter and height of the pileus were 29.8 mm and 17.6 mm, respectively, slightly smaller than ‘Soltari‘, and the stipe was thin and long with a thickness of 12.2 mm. Additionally, the pileus’ lightness index (L index) was 30.7, indicating a darker brown color compared to 'Soltari.' With excellent mycelial growth, ease of cultivation, and high yield, the new cultivar ‘Otari‘ is expected to be widely adopted by domestic oyster mushroom farms.

Recently, active research in Korea and worldwide has begun to focus on gene function and cultivar development using gene editing tools. This research, in addition to studies on edible mushroom, aims to enhance the physical and biochemical characteristics of mushrooms for applications in materials and substance production. For these studies, efficient isolation of protoplasts from the target mushroom is critical. However, several commercial cell wall-lysing enzyme cocktails, including Novozyme234, Glucanex, and Lysing enzymes, have recently been discontinued. In this study, we aimed to identify alternative enzyme systems to replace the discontinued cell wall-lysing enzymes for stable isolation of protoplasts from Ganoderma lucidum. To select an optimal osmotic buffer, enzyme function in 0.6 and 1.2 M Sorbitol, Sucrose, Mannitol, and KCl was assessed. The effect of reaction time was also evaluated. Protoplast isolation efficiency of each alternative enzyme was tested using lysing enzymes from Trichoderma harzianum, Chimax-N, and Yatalase, either individually or in combination. This matrix of studies identified enzymes and optimal conditions that could replace the discontinued lysing enzymes.

Geopolymer, also known as alkali aluminum silicate, is used as a substitute for Portland cement, and it is also used as a binder because of its good adhesive properties and heat resistance. Since Davidovits developed Geopolymer matrix composites (GMCs) based on the binder properties of geopolymer, they have been utilized as flame exhaust ducts and aircraft fire protection materials. Geopolymer structures are formed through hydrolysis and dehydration reactions, and their physical properties can be influenced by reaction conditions such as concentration, reaction time, and temperature. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of silica size and aging time on the mechanical properties of composites. Commercial water glass and kaolin were used to synthesize geopolymers, and two types of silica powder were added to increase the silicon content. Using carbon fiber mats, a fiber-reinforced composite material was fabricated using the hand lay-up method. Spectroscopy was used to confirm polymerization, aging effects, and heat treatment, and composite materials were used to measure flexural strength. As a result, it was confirmed that the longer time aging and use of nano-sized silica particles were helpful in improving the mechanical properties of the geopolymer matrix composite.

In this study, Ni-Y2O3 powder was prepared by alloying recomposition oxidation sintering (AROS), solution combustion synthesis (SCS), and conventional mechanical alloying (MA). The microstructure and mechanical properties of the alloys were investigated by spark plasma sintering (SPS). Among the Ni-Y2O3 powders synthesized by the three methods, the AROS powder had approximately 5 nm of Y2O3 crystals uniformly distributed within the Ni particles, whereas the SCS powder contained a mixture of Ni and Y2O3 nanoparticles, and the MA powder formed small Y2O3 crystals on the surface of large Ni particles by milling the mixture of Ni and Y2O3. The average grain size of Y2O3 in the sintered alloys was approximately 15 nm, with the AROS sinter having the smallest, followed by the SCS sinter at 18 nm, and the MA sinter at 22 nm. The yield strength (YS) of the SCS- and MA-sintered alloys were 1511 and 1688 MPa, respectively, which are lower than the YS value of 1697 MPa for the AROS-sintered alloys. The AROS alloy exhibited improved strength compared to the alloys fabricated by SCS and conventional MA methods, primarily because of the increased strengthening from the finer Y2O3 particles and Ni grains.

We aimed to develop outstanding domestic varieties suitable for both columnar and cylindrical-shape substrates, aiming to replace foreign varieties. and bred a high-quality new strain named ‘Charmjon’, using genetic resources collected from Japan and China. The optimal cultivation temperature for Charmjon’s mycelial growth was found to be 25°C, and its mycelial growth at 15°C and 25°C was superior to the control variety. In terms of mycelial growth characteristics based on the substrate, Charmjon exhibited excellent mycelial strength on PDA medium compared to the control variety. Through columnar and cylindrical-shape substrates cultivation, we assessed the quantity and morphological characteristics of the fruiting bodies. The results confirmed that Charmjon can be produced stably using both cultivation methods, and it showed higher yields and individual weights than the control variety. In addition, the color of the pileus was notably darker, and the shape of the pileus varied depending on the cultivation method. The test of genetic diversity revealed that Charmjon has distinct genetic characteristics compared to the control varieties.