Because intact FMDV particles (146S) are often unstable in vitro, stabilizing foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) antigens remains a key challenge in studying viral charateristics. Therefore, finding optimal condition to stabilize the FMDV is essential. In this study, we investigated formulations and potentials of several stabilizers such as appropriate buffer, excipients, and storage conditions to enhance the stability of 146S. Inactivated FMDV O-Jincheon (O-JC) was dissolved in various buffer formulations, and stored at 4℃ for two months to evaluate quantity of 146S at every 2-week interval. Among phosphate buffered saline (PBS), Tris buffered saline (TBS), HEPES buffered saline (HBS), and MOPS buffered saline (MBS), PBS showed more effective 146S stabilization that showed 1.3-1.6 fold higher 146S fraction than TBS, HBS, and MBS after storage for 2 weeks. However, constant dissociations of 146S were observed in all formulations at 8 weeks. Compared with other FMDVs, A22 Iraq and SAT-1, in PBS, O-JC proved to be the least stable in PBS. A variety of excipients including carbohydrate, sugar alcohol, cryo-protectant were tested for the capability in protecting O-JC from dissociation. By adding 4-8% sucrose, more than 60% of 146S fractions were maintained at 8 weeks, those were at least 1.8 fold higher than the PBS-only control. Addition of 1% β-cyclodextrin showed synergistic enhancement in O-JC stability. As the results of this study, it could be suggested that the PBS-based buffer together with 4-8% sucrose + 2% sorbitol or 2% sucrose + 2% sorbitol + 1% β-cyclodextrin could help the better stability of the O-JC in vaccine preparation.

Following the attack on Israel by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023, Israel declared war on the Gaza Strip. In the relentless and nonstop bombardment of the Gaza Strip, about 40,000 Palestinian civilians have lost their lives, the majority of whom were children and women. Additionally, more than 92,000 Palestinians have been injured and many more are still missing or under the rubble. The dire situation in the Gaza Strip requires a firm stand from the international community, as what is happening to the Palestinian people is nothing short of genocide. This paper discusses Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip and illustrates how these actions meet the criteria for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. It also discusses the case filed by South Africa against Israel in the International Court of Justice, alleging that Israel has violated the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

장미 속은 오랜 시간에 걸쳐 잡종화, 배수화 및 육종 등을 통해 약 250개의 종과 30,000여 품종이 존재하는 진화 역사를 가지고 있으며, 다양한 분류체계로 구분되고 있다. 이에, 본 연구 는 장미 속 자원의 다양성을 평가하고 자생식물 해당화의 육종적 활용을 위해 수행되었다. 장미 속 자원의 형태학적 다양성을 확인하기 위해 장미 속 자원 303점에 대해 형태적 특성조사를 실시하고 해당화 및 장미 속 자원 29점을 선발하여 SSR 분석을 실시하였다. 추가적으로, 해당화의 육종적 활용을 위한 자원 6점 을 선발하고 화분 검정을 실시하였다. 본 연구의 결과, 장미 속 자원 303점의 다양성 평가 결과에서 유사한 형태적 특징을 지닌 자원끼리 7개 그룹으로 나뉘었다. 선발된 29개 자원의 형태학적 데이터와 분자학적 데이터를 이용한 군집 분석 결과, 데이터의 유사성을 보인 자원끼리 각각 5개, 4개 그룹으로 구분되었다. 또한, 혼합분석 시에는 3개 그룹으로 확인되었다. 분류 결과를 바탕으로 자생 식물을 이용한 정원장미 육종을 위해 각각 특성이 다른 해당화를 3점 선발하였고 장미 속 자원에 속하는 정원 장미 3점을 선발하여 총 6자원을 선발하였다. 선발된 자원의 화분 검정 결과, 종간 교잡체를 제외한 5가지 자원에서 90% 이상의 정상화분율을 확인하였다. 본 결과는 자생식물 해당화를 재평가 하고 정원 장미 육종 전략 수립에 도움이 될 것으로 기대된다.

Ischemic stroke is a high mortality disease that causes irreversible damage. Chlorogenic acid is a polyphenolic substance with neuroprotective properties. Bcl-2 family proteins perform a critical role in apoptosis process. Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL are anti-apoptotic proteins that prevent cell death, and Bax and Bad are pro-apoptotic proteins that promote apoptosis. We investigated whether chlorogenic acid modulates Bcl-2 family proteins during focal cerebral ischemia. We made a rat model of ischemic stroke by performing middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Chlorogenic acid (30 mg/kg) or phosphate-buffered saline was treated via intraperitoneal injection 2 hr before MCAO. Neurological behavioral tests were performed 24 hr after MCAO damage and cortical tissues were collected. Reverse transcription-PCR, Western blot, and immunofluorescence staining were performed to observe changes in Bcl-2 family proteins expression. MCAO-damage induced neurobehavioral disorders and chlorogenic acid alleviate these deficits. Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL expressions were decreased and Bax and Bad expressions were increased in MCAO animals. However, chlorogenic acid treatment attenuated the decrease of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL and the increase of Bad and Bax due to MCAO surgery. Moreover, chlorogenic acid treatment attenuated MCAO-induced upregulation of caspase-3. These findings suggest that chlorogenic acid exerts neuroprotective effects against MCAO damage by regulating Bcl-2 family proteins including Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, Bax, and Bad.

Dysmicoccus brevipes (Cockerell), Dysmicoccus neobrevipes Beardsley and Pseudococcus longispinus (Targioni-Tozzetti) are widely-distributed pests that feeds on many economically important hosts, particularly tropical fruits and ornamentals. The potential distribution of these mealybug pests into South Korea remains a primary concern because of their high incidence in interceptions screened during inspection. Hence, these species prompted a modelling effort to assess their potential risk of introduction. Potential risk maps were developed for these pests with the CLIMEX model based on occurrence records under environmental data. The potential distribution of these pests in South Korea in the 2020s, 2050s and 2090s was projected based on the RCP 8.5 climate change scenario. Results show that D. brevipes, D. neobrevipes and P. longispinus have little potential for invasion in the exterior environment of South Korea due to high cold stress in the 2020s. However, for D. brevipes and P. longispinus, 3 and 86 locations in Jejudo, were predicted to be marginally suitable for this pest under future climate factors, respectively. In that respect, the results of these model predictions could be used to prepare a risk-based surveying program that improves the probability of detecting early D. brevipe, D. neobrevipes and P. longispinus populations.

Five insecticides (Acrinathrin, Dinotefuran, Emamectin benzoate, Chlorfenapyr and fluxametamide) approved for tomato cultivation were evaluated in Frankliniella occidentalis populations collected from Chungcheong province (Cheongyang, Chungju and Gongju). Leaf dip bioassay was used to evaluate resistance levels (LC50). Bioassays on Acrinathrin demonstrated higher LC50 concentration in evaluated populations. In particular, the Chungju population was 745.61 times the recommended concentration of the insecticide. Other remarkable resistance levels were recorded for the Dinotefuran with 435.06 times and 196.29 times the recommended concentrations for the populations from Chungju and Gongju, respectively. Bioassays for Emamectin benzoate, Chlorfenapyr and Fluxametamide showed low resistance to insecticides in the evaluated populations.

Yellow flower thrips (WFT), Frankliniella occidentalis is mainly controlled using chemical control methods. But the continuous use of chemical pesticides in greenhouse may contribute to development of insecticide resistance. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the insecticidal activity of eleven insecticides against the WFT occurring in greenhouse pepper cultivation in the Gyeonggi province. The results showed no resistance in treatments with emamectin benzoate, fluxametamide, and flometoquin while high levels of resistance were recorded in treatments with acrinathrin, acetamiprid, and dinotefuran. The Anseong and Yeoju population was more resistant against spinetoram and chlorfluazuron, respectively, than populations from other regions.

In this paper, a simple, cost-effective, and efficient electrochemical sensor for molecular imprinting melatonin was established. The molecular imprinted films were formed by in situ electrochemical polymerization using molecular imprinting technology. The modification method, modification time and other parameters of the electrode were optimized. Under optimized conditions, the sensor responds to melatonin concentration in a linear range of 0–100 μM. The detection limit was 0.171 μM. In addition, the sensor has little response to interfering substances, such as uric acid, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and glucose, and can be tested in real samples. The recoveries were 98.73–101.60%.

경상남도농업기술원 화훼연구소에서 2021년 화색이 연황 색이며 화심이 녹색인 미니 절화용 거베라 품종 ‘크림쿠키’ (Cream Cookie)를 육성하였다. ‘크림쿠키’ 품종은 2014년 황색 미니 ‘Sun City’를 모본으로, 백색 미니 ‘Blandy’를 부 본으로 인공교배를 실시하여 육성된 품종이다. 2021년까지 생육 및 개화 특성검정과 기호도 조사를 실시하였으며 ‘크림 쿠키’의 생육 및 개화특성을 대조품종인 ‘Sun City’와 비교하 였다. ‘크림쿠키’는 연황색(RHS 4C) 꽃잎과 녹색 화심을 가진 반겹꽃 거베라 품종이다. 화폭이 7.1cm인 작은 꽃이며, 화경 장은 58.9cm였다. 화경 직경은 상부 0.4cm, 하부 0.7cm 였 다. 외부설상화의 길이는 2.8cm이며 폭은 0.8cm였다. 개화 소요일수는 65.7일로 ‘Sun City’에 비하여 18.8일 빨랐으며, 첫 개화시 엽수는 22.4매였다. 연간 주당 절화수량은 102.3 본으로 ‘Sun City’의 82.0본에 비하여 20.3본이 많았다. 절 화수명은 17.8일로 ‘Sun City’보다 4.1일 더 길었다. ‘크림쿠 키’는 화폭이 7.1cm의 미니 품종으로 연간 주당 100본 이상 절화 생산이 가능하다. 또한 수확 후 꽃 캡 씌우기, 꽃목 보강 등 추가적인 작업을 생략할 수 있어 생산비 절감이 가능하므 로 농가보급 확대가 기대된다.

이 연구는 1세대 스마트 온실의 재배환경 데이터와 장미 절 화의 품질 특성 데이터를 수집하고 그 요인들 간의 상관 관계 를 분석하여 절화수명 예측 및 최적 환경 조성의 기초 자료를 얻고자 수행되었다. 이를 위해, 토경재배(SC) 및 암면배지경 양액재배(RWH) 하우스 각 1개소를 선정하여 1년간 기온, 상 대습도(RH) 및 수증기압차(VPD), 일적산광량(DLI), 근권온도 등의 환경 데이터와 매월 말 수확된 장미 ‘Miss Holland’ 절 화의 품질 특성 데이터를 수집하였으며, 이 데이터와 절화수 명과의 상관관계를 분석하였다. 절화수명은 10월과 11월을 제외하고는 SC 하우스에서 RWH 하우스보다 더 길었다. 절 화수명과 환경 및 생육 특성 간의 상관관계 분석에서 SC 하우 스의 상관계수는 RWH 하우스보다 조금 더 높았으며, 절화수 명 예측을 위한 요소들도 두 하우스 간에 차이가 있었다. SC 하우스의 절화수명 Y=0.848X1+0.366X2-0.591X3+2.224X4- 0.171X5+0.47X6+0.321X7+9.836X8-110.219(X1-X8: 최고 RH, RH 일교차, DLI, pH, Hunter’s b value, EC, 절화 장, 잎 두께; R2=0.544)로 예측되었고, RWH 하우스의 절화수명 Y=-1.291X1+52.026X2-0.094X3+0.448X4-3.84X5+0.624X6 - 8.528X7+28.45(X1-X7: 경경, 야간 VPD, 최고 근권온도, 최 저 근권온도, 기온 일교차, RH 일교차, 최고 VPD; R2=0.5243) 로 예측되었다. 이 두 모델식으로부터 SC 하우스에서는 RH, EC 및 pH가, 그리고 RWH 하우스에서는 근권 온도가 절화수명에 더 큰 영향을 미친다는 것을 추론할 수 있다. 따라서 각 재배 방법에 따라 장미의 절화수명에 더 큰 영향을 미치는 환경적 요인을 효율적으로 관리할 필요가 있다.

We produced an activated carbon using sodium-lignosulfonate, in which we investigated how the sodium salt in lignin served as the activating agent during heat treatment. Our process resulted in a product with a high specific surface area of 1324 m2/ g at 800 °C and microporous structure. During the activation process, we observed the consumption of carbon due to the dehydration reaction of NaOH and the reduction of Na2CO3 to metallic Na, which created pores through oxidation/ reduction reactions. The intercalation of metallic Na between the lattices at high temperatures formed additional pores and increased the specific surface area. Our proposed mechanism holds promise for enhancing the control of the microstructure and porosity of activated carbons through the thermal treatment of biomass.