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.

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.

본 연구에서 Acyrthosiphon (Acyrthosiphon) lactucae를 국내에서 처음으로 보고한다. 이 종의 무시성충에 대한 형태학적 정보, 분포지역, 기주 식물, 한국에 분포하는 Acyrthosiphon 속 종들의 분류키를 제공한다.

온실 내부 환경은 지역에 따라 외부 환경의 영향을 지속적으로 받는다. 본 연구는 몽골, UAE(아부다비), 호 주(퀸슬란드) 등 지역별로 구축된 한국형 스마트 온실의 환경 특성을 비교하고자 수행하였다. 몽골과 아부다비의 온실 모두 내외부 엔탈피 차이가 감소함에 따라 환기율이 증가하였다. 아부다비의 반밀폐형 온실에서는 10시부터 14시까지 평균 내부 기온이 외부 기온보다 약 7－10°C 낮았고 내부 VPD(12mbar)는 외부 VPD(56mbar)보다 4.6 배 낮았는데 이 결과는 포그 시스템 운영과 관련이 있는 것으로 보인다. 퀸즐랜드 온실의 경우, 내부 온도가 외부 온 도보다 11시 기준 약 3.81°C 높았고, 내부 엔탈피와 VPD가 외부 온도보다 높았으며, 내부와 외부의 엔탈피 차이가 증가함에 따라 환기율이 증가하였다. 이 결과로 엔탈피를 낮추는 것은 환기와, VPD를 낮추는 것은 포그 시스템 작 동과 관련이 있는 것을 알 수 있다. 또한, 작물 생육에 적합한 환경 조건을 효과적으로 관리하기 위해 엔탈피와 VPD 기반의 포그, 환기 또는 난방 시스템이 필요하다는 것을 알 수 있다.

In this study, ultrasonic waves were combined with chemical cleaning to regenerate expensive membranes or solid filters. Nitric acid cleaning alone achieved a flux recovery rate of 68%, but when ultrasonic waves were applied simultaneously, the rate increased to 91%. Similarly, cleaning with HYDREX 4710, a membrane detergent, achieved a flux recovery rate of 76%, which improved to 95% when combined with ultrasonic waves. The operational lifespan of the membranes increased by 125 hours when ultrasonic waves were used in conjunction with cleaning agents compared to using an organic detergent alone. SEM and EDX analyses of unused membranes and membranes prior to chemical cleaning revealed significant adsorption of both organic and inorganic substances, such as aluminum (Al) and silicon (Si). These findings demonstrate that combining chemical cleaning with ultrasonic waves is a highly efficient method for membrane regeneration.

The recent release of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant highlights the need for accurate tritium measurement, particularly near the minimum detectable activity (MDA) of 5 Bq·L−1 set by South Korea’s Nuclear Safety and Security Commission. This study aims to improve low-level tritium measurement accuracy by optimizing the region of interest (ROI) for quench curve determination. These adjustments are crucial for separating tritium signals from background noise. Quench standards were prepared and measured using a liquid scintillation counter (LSC). Three ROIs were analyzed to assess the impact of channel selection on measurement precision: A 20-148 channel range optimized via figure of merit (FOM) analysis, a 20-250 channel range covering tritium’s full beta spectrum, and a broad 1-1024 channel range. Quench curves were obtained by fitting the counting efficiency of each ROI to the quench standards. Tritium samples with six different activity levels were prepared, and their radioactivity was calculated using the quench curves. Selecting appropriate ROIs for quench curve determination is critical for measuring low-concentration tritium accurately. This approach reduces uncertainty and emphasizes reliable methods to improve the precision and consistency of tritium measurements.

Industries that use or produce radionuclides have unintentionally released these substances into surrounding soils and sediments. To address this problem, Beautiful Environmental Construction (BEC) Co. developed the BEC’s Radioactive Soil Decontamination (BERAD) system to remove contaminants and reduce the volume of radionuclide-contaminated soils. Owing to the limited availability of radioactive isotopes such as 60Co, 90Sr, 137Cs, and uranium-contaminated soil, naturally occurring elements in soil were used in this demonstration. The soil was divided into six size fractions via manual wet sieving and the BERAD system. Then, the concentrations of uranium, cobalt, strontium, cesium, and iron in each fraction were measured. The results of both separations showed that a considerable amount of each element is retained in the finer size fractions (<0.2 mm). After BERAD separation, the corresponding values yielded 53% uranium, 45% strontium, 66% cobalt, and 53% cesium in the fine size (<0.2 mm) fractions of 35% by weight. The study found that the concentrations of these elements increased as the particle sizes decreased. Iron and micaceous minerals played a significant role in retaining the elements. The pilot scale BERAD system yielded results that were similar to those obtained via laboratory wet-sieving and was successfully demonstrated as a soil washing technology.

Ectopic ureter refers to a congenital anomaly in which one or both ureters do not connect to the urinary bladder at the correct anatomical site. This case report discusses the case of a 6-year-old female mixed-breed dog diagnosed with chronic urinary incontinence, systemic hypertension, pancreatitis, and sepsis resulting from an ectopic ureter. Treatment involved an initial nephro-ureterectomy to address severe pyonephrosis, followed by ureteroneocystostomy for the remaining functional kidney. Post-surgical outcomes showed notable improvements in clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, and blood pressure. This report emphasizes the need for early diagnosis and appropriate surgical treatment in cases of ectopic ureter. Additionally, it aims to present the clinical symptoms and conditions resulting from prolonged disease progression, as well as the corresponding treatment methods and prognosis.

One of the key challenges for the commercialization of carbon nanotube fibers (CNTFs) is their large-scale economic production. Among CNTF spinning methods, surfactant-based wet spinning is one of the promising techniques for mass producing CNTFs. Here, we investigated how the coagulation bath composition affects the spinnability and the properties of CNTFs in surfactant-based wet spinning. We used acetone, DMAc, ethanol, and IPA as coagulants and analyzed the relationship between coagulation bath composition and the properties of CNTFs in terms of kinetic and thermodynamic coagulation parameters. From a kinetic perspective, we found that a low mass transfer rate difference (MTRD) is favorable for wet spinning. Based on this finding, we mixed the coagulant bath with solvent in a proper ratio to reduce the MTRD, which generally improved the wet spinning. We also showed that the coagulation strength, a thermodynamic parameter, should be considered. We believe that our research can contribute to establishment of surfactant-based wet spinning of CNTFs.

This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of combining acidification with adsorbents (zeolite and biochar) to mitigate the environmental impacts of pig slurry, focusing on ammonia (NH3) emission and nitrate (NO3 -) leaching. The four treatments were applied: 1) pig slurry (PS) alone as a control, 2) acidified PS (AP), 3) acidified pig slurry with zeolite (APZ), and 4) acidified pig slurry with biochar (APB). The AP mitigates NH3 emission and NO3 - leaching compared to PS alone. Acidification reduced the cumulative NH3 emission and its emission factor by 35.9% and 12.5%, respectively. The APZ and APB increased NH4 +-N concentration, with the highest level in APB, compared to AP. The NH4 + adsorption capacity of APB (0.90 mg g-1) was higher than that of APZ (0.63 mg g-1). The APB and APZ treatments induced less NH3 emission compared to AP. The cumulative NH3 emission was reduced by 12.2% and 27.6% in APZ and APB, respectively, compared to AP treatment. NO3 - leaching began to appear on days 12 and 13, and its peak reached on days 16 and 17, which were later than AP. The cumulative NO3 - leaching decreased by 17.7% and 25.0% in APZ and APB, respectively, compared to AP treatment. These results suggest that combining biochar or zeolite with acidified pig slurry is an effective method to mitigate NH3 emission and NO3 - leaching, with biochar being particularly effective.