Background: Dairy cows exposed to heat stress have reduced milk production, milk quality, and conception rates, leading to lower profits. This study was conducted to analyze the effect of heat stress according to Temperature-Humidity Index (THI) on the milk production of Korean Holstein cows. Methods: Monthly maximum temperature and average relative humidity data from January 2017 to August 2024 were obtained from 62 observation points used by the Korea Meteorological Administration to calculate the national average. Using this data, the THI, a key indicator for assessing heat stress in Korean Holstein cows, was calculated. Additionally, data from 240,088 Korean Holstein cows, collected through tests conducted by the Dairy Cattle Improvement Center of the NH-Agri Business Group, were analyzed. Results: Comparative analysis of the relationship between THI and milk production revealed that milk yield remained relatively stable until THI reached the “very severe” heat stress threshold (THI ≥ 79). Beyond this level, milk production showed a tendency to decline. Conversely, when THI dropped below this threshold, milk yield tended to recover. Notably, the temperature in September, typically considered part of the autumn season, has been rising in recent years, with THI values now approaching the very severe stress level (THI ≥ 79). Conclusions: These findings suggest that establishing an appropriate farm environment and implementing systematic THI management are essential for mitigating the decline in milk production, as well as the associated economic losses, caused by rising domestic temperatures due to global warming.

본 연구는 우리나라에 자생하는 목본 관상용 식물인 먼나무 (Ilex rotunda)와 으름덩굴(Akebia quinata)을 대상으로 삽목 효율을 분석하였다. 삽수는 녹지와 숙지로 구분하고 생장조절 제 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA)와 시판용 발근촉진제 루톤 (Rootone)을 처리하여 대조군과 비교하였다. 그 결과, 발근율 (녹지, 숙지)은 먼나무(50.9, 19.0%) 및 으름덩굴(52.8, 28.5%) 로 두 수종 모두 숙지보다는 녹지가 손쉽게 발근되었다. 생장조절 제의 발근 촉진 효과는 녹지보다는 숙지에서 두드러졌으며, 생장 조절제 효과는 두 수종에서 상이하게 나타났으며, IBA와 루톤에 대한 두 수종의 발근 반응이 다르게 나타냈다. IBA 1,000ppm 처리는 먼나무의 발근을 촉진시켰고(65.9%) 으름덩굴에서는 고 사에 따른 발근율 저하를 야기하였으며(5.0%), 오히려 으름덩굴 은 루톤 처리로 발근이 촉진되었다(83.3%).

Germination of chili pepper seeds is critical for crop yield and resource utilization. A high germination rate increases yield and effectively reduces resource wastage. This study collected 450 macroscopic images of chili pepper seeds and constructed a dataset for deep learning training through standardized germination experiments. Six deep learning models were evaluated to improve the chili pepper seed classification accuracy and germination rate. After comparing the performance of the models, MobileNet_v2 performed the best, not only having the fewest number of parameters but also achieving a 98.89% accuracy and 97.82% F1 score. The model improved the original germination rate from 87.33% to 100% on the test set, significantly optimizing the seed selection process

Crop diseases seriously affect food security, and traditional identification methods are inefficient and inaccurate. This paper proposes a GoogLeNet model with an attention mechanism. By integrating an attention module inside the Inception module, the recognition ability of subtle disease features and complex backgrounds is improved. Based on strict data preprocessing and enhancement, the proposed method achieves 87.75% accuracy on the AI Challenger 2018 crop disease dataset, which is better than the existing advanced methods, which verifies the effectiveness and practicability of the method and provides technical support for smart agriculture.

Animal pattern recognition from nighttime grayscale images is crucial for wildlife protection and ecological monitoring. Most of the current models suffer from a large parameter scale, making them unsuitable for deployment in resource-constrained environments. To address this challenge, this study proposes a multi-layer knowledge distillation approach based on the teacher Convnext model to improve the lightweight student model's classification performance effectively. Experimental results show that the parameters of the distilled CifarResNet20 model are only 0.27M, and the accuracy is 88.76%, which is superior to the traditional single-layer distillation and another tiny student model. The study confirms the efficiency and practical value of the proposed method in practical applications such as ecological monitoring.

The role of the gut microbiota in colorectal cancer (CRC) development has garnered attention, highlighting probiotics as potential adjuncts in CRC prevention and treatment. In recent years, probiotics and their derivatives have demonstrated mechanisms that may contribute to anticancer properties. This study investigates the cytotoxic effects of Bifidobacterium bifidum KCTC 3357, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus KCTC 5033, Limosilactobacillus reuteri VA 103, Bacillus galactosidilyticus VA 107, and Lactococcus taiwanensis VE101 on CT-26 mouse colon carcinoma cells using live cells, heat-killed cells (paraprobiotics), and cell-free supernatants (CFS, postbiotics) through an MTT assay. The results indicate that live bacterial strains, such as KCTC 3357, VA 103, and VA 107, promoted CT-26 cell viability, while heat-killed cells and CFS exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxicity. Inactivated forms of KCTC 3357 and VE 101, as well as CFS at 10 mg/mL concentration of KCTC 5033, VA 103, and VE 101, showed the strongest antiproliferative effects. These findings suggest that non-viable probiotic derivatives, such as paraprobiotics and postbiotics, offer promising therapeutic potential for CRC, providing a safer and more stable alternative to live probiotics. However, further research is required to explore their mechanisms of action, in vivo efficacy, and potential clinical applications.

Background: The poultry industry experiences genetic losses due to recurring infectious diseases, necessitating effective preservation strategies. Nitric oxide plays a crucial role in male reproduction, and optimal NO (nitric oxide) levels may enhance sperm viability. This study investigated the effects of SNAP (S-nitroso-Nacetylpenicillamine) on the longevity of rooster sperm. Methods: Semen was diluted with Beltsville Poultry Semen Extender-I containing 0 or 25 μM SNAP and stored at 10°C. Sperm motility and acrosome integrity were assessed at 1, 3, and 7 days. NO levels were quantified by DAF-FM diacetate and AI trials were evaluated by fertility and hatchability. Results: On day 1, sperm motility in the SNAP 25 μM-treated group was significantly higher than in the control. NO quantification confirmed that SNAP-treated semen exhibited higher NO levels. For fertilization and hatchability assessment, hens were divided into two groups based on the presumed duration sperm resided in sperm storage tubules. Before artificial insemination, the sperm was preserved at low temperature (10°C) to maintain viability. Fertilization rates were significantly higher in the SNAP-treated group in both short-term and long-term SST storage conditions. However, hatchability was only significantly improved in the SNAP-treated group when fertilization occurred after extended storage. Conclusions: These findings suggest that NO enhances sperm viability and fertility in poultry semen stored at low temperatures. SNAP 25 μM enhances AI efficiency by maintaining sperm viability and extending fertilization potential. Further research is needed to refine NO-based fertility enhancement strategies for avian species.

Probiotics have been evaluated as therapeutic agents for cancer treatment in an increasing number of studies. This study investigated the inhibitory and cytotoxic effects of specific Lactobacillus strains on a human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line (HT-29). The strains assessed were Limosilactobacillus (L.) reuteri VA 102, Ligilactobacillus (L.) animalis VA 105, and Limosilactobacillus (L.) reuteri KCTC 3594 (ATCC 23272). The viability of HT-29 cells was evaluated using the MTT assay. The findings revealed that cell-free supernatants (CFS) exhibited significant anticancer effects. Heat-inactivated L. reuteri VA 105 and L. reuteri KCTC 3594 induced a pronounced reduction in cell viability. Furthermore, live cultures of L. reuteri VA 105 and L. reuteri VA 102 also showed reduced cell viability compared to the control group. These results suggest that CFS and heat-inactivated cells may be more suitable for therapeutic applications than live bacteria owing to their improved safety profiles and reduced potential for adverse effects. Our findings also emphasize the potential anticancer benefits of these LAB strains.

Drought is one of the environmental factors inhibiting plant productivity and growth, leading to oxidative damage. This study aims to identify the role of sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) as a hydrogen sulfide (H2S) donor in drought stress tolerance in Brassica napus. Drought-induced stress symptoms appeared eight days after treatment, showing wilted leaves and a significant reduction of leaf water potential. Drought-induced increase of lipid peroxidation was significantly reduced by NaHS application. NaHS-treated plants mitigated stress symptoms under drought conditions by reducing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content, confirmed with H2O2 localization in situ. Furthermore, NaHS promotes photosynthetic activity by maintaining chlorophyll and carotenoid content, thereby supporting plant growth under drought conditions. Pyrroline-5-carboxylate and proline contents were significantly increased by drought but further enhanced by NaHS treatment, indicating the important roles of proline accumulation in drought stress tolerance. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insight into the roles of NaHS in alleviating drought stress by reducing oxidative stress and promoting proline accumulation. Therefore, NaHS may serve as an effective strategy to enhance crop production under drought-stress conditions.

The purpose of this study is to identify factors that influence consumers’ acceptance intentions towards Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Genetic Testing service. DTC genetic testing service can be considered in two aspects: the application of new technology in genetic testing customers can directly purchase and the services for receiving the test results customer can’t directly analyze. Existing technology-based acceptance models have difficulty fully explaining consumers’ acceptance intentions towards DTC genetic testing services. Therefore, this study aims to propose a new acceptance model considering these two characteristics. A survey was conducted with 377 potential consumers for this research. The analysis revealed that health interest, prior knowledge, subjective norms, innovativeness, perceived usefulness, and perceived value affect consumers’ acceptance intentions. The results obtained through this study can help establish strategies and marketing plans necessary for the diffusion of services, such as DTC genetic testing services, that combine a new technology and a service. In the long term, the accumulated DTC genetic testing results data can contribute to the development of national genetic information infrastructure and preventive medical applications, as well as improve individuals’ quality of life.

거저리는 식품으로 사용되기 때문에 유충기가 오래 지속되면 더 좋다. 반면에 거저리의 개체수 유지를 위 해 성장을 가속화하기 위해서는 유충이 빨리 성충이 되면 더 좋다. 이 연구에서는 개체군 밀도가 거저리의 발달 시 간에 미치는 영향을 구명하였다. 이를 위해 상단 7 cm, 하단 5 cm, 높이 3 cm 크기의 용기를 사용했다. 거저리는 용기 당 1, 2, 5, 10, 20마리의 밀도로 용기에서 서식하였다. 용기에 밀기울 1 g을 넣고 거저리의 먹이 여부에 따라 라벨을 붙였다. 실험은 세 번 반복되었다. 모든 실험에서 개체군 밀도가 높을수록 유충에서 번데기로의 변환 시간이 짧았 지만 번데기에서 성충으로 변환되는 시간은 크게 다르지 않았다. 또한 먹이가 있는 그룹에서 번데기로의 변환 시간 이 단축되었지만, 성충으로 변환되는 시간에는 차이가 없었다. 이 연구 결과는 유충기를 연장하기 위해 더 낮은 밀 도가 필요하고 더 빠른 속도로 성충이 필요하다면 밀도가 더 높아야 한다는 것을 보여주었다. 결론적으로 거저리의 발달 시간은 개체수 밀도에 의해 제어할 수 있을 것이다.

As the complexity and uncertainty of international construction projects increase, the importance of risk management capabilities in the construction industry has become more pronounced. Accordingly, Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) has become a widely adopted approach among organizations as a new way for more effective risk management. Despite its growing application, research related to ERM is still in its infancy, and most of the existing studies have been limited to financial industries. Therefore, this study aims to empirically examine the influence of ERM’s core elements on project risk management (PRM) and project performance within construction firms. Our findings indicate that the key ERM components—organization, policy, and culture—significantly enhance PRM processes, underscoring their critical role and importance. Additionally, effective PRM positively affects project outcomes, highlighting its significance for construction companies engaged in international projects. While ERM does not directly impact project performance, it indirectly improves outcomes through enhanced PRM capabilities. It suggests that ERM will contribute to the firm’s performance by improving the firm’s PRM capability through policies and a risk-focused culture corresponding to the adopted ERM organization and system..

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.