This study analyzes the discourse of Korean internet users regarding patient clothing and identifies the changes to structure and content of clothing resulting from infectious disease outbreaks. The analysis draws on texts from Korean blogs, internet cafes, and news articles from 2011 to 2021 related to patient clothing. Using Ucinet 5 and NodeXL 1.0.1 programs, network density, centrality, and cluster analyses were conducted using the Wakita–Tsurumi algorithm. Additionally, Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling was applied using Python 3.7 to further explore thematic patterns within the discourse. Throughout the period of study, it was found that users consistently discussed the specific purpose and functionality of patient clothing. Following the outbreak of COVID-19, the distribution and influence of keywords related to the functional aspects of patient clothing, such as “hygiene and safety,” significantly increased. An increased focus was placed on elements such as functionality, activity, autonomy, hygiene, and safety during the pandemic as public health concerns grew. It can be seen that patients increasingly share their experiences online and hospitalization rates surge during health crises; this study provides valuable insights into how the design of patient clothing can be improved through various informatics techniques. It underscores the evolving perception of patient clothing as essential medical equipment during health emergencies. In addition, it offers practical guidance for enhancing designs that better reflect shifting societal concerns, particularly regarding health, safety, and patient comfort.

본 연구는 제주도 모슬포 해역에서 채집된 대형 포식성 복족류인 붉은입두꺼비고둥(Tutufa bufo) 두 개체를 대상 으로 테트로도톡신(TTX) 존재 여부를 조사하였다. 일본에 서 채집된 붉은입두꺼비고둥의 내장에서 TTX가 검출된 사례가 보고된 바 있으며, 최근 제주도 남부 해역에서 해 당 종이 혼획되고 있으나, 한국 해역에 분포하는 붉은입 두꺼비고둥의 TTX 축적에 대한 정보는 부족하다. 이에 본 연구에서는 경쟁적 효소면역분석법(cELISA) 을 사용하여 붉은입두꺼비고둥의 주요 연조직(전타액선, 구강부, 소화 선, 생식소, 아가미, 신장, 근육, 후타액선)을 분석하였다. 분석 결과, 모든 조직에서 TTX 농도는 검출 한계 미만으 로 나타났다. 그러나 TTX 축적에는 개체 간, 지역적, 계 절적 변동 가능성이 존재할 수 있으므로, 한국 해역에서 붉은입두꺼비고둥의 TTX 축적 위험을 정확하게 평가하기 위해서는 추가적인 시료 확보와 계절별 연구가 요구된다.

Kori Unit 1, the first commercial nuclear power plant (NPP) in Korea, was permanently shut down in 2017 and was scheduled for decommissioning. Various programs must be planned early in the decommissioning process to safely decommission NPPs. Radiological characterization is a key program in decommissioning and should be a high priority. Radiological characterization involves determining the decommissioning technology to be applied to a nuclear facility by identifying the radiation sources and radioactive contaminants present within the facility and assessing the extent and nature of the radioactive contaminants to be removed from the facility. This study introduces the regulatory requirements, procedures, and implementation methods for radiological characterization and proposes a methodology to link the results of radiological characterizations for each stage. To link radiological characteristics, this study proposes to conduct radiological characterization in the decommissioning phase to verify the results of radiological characterization in the transitional phase of decommissioning NPPs. This enables significantly reducing the scope and content of radiological characterization that must be performed in the decommissioning phase and maintaining the connection with the previous phase.

In Korea, two types of spent nuclear fuels (SNFs) are generated, pressurized light water reactor type (PWR) and pressurized heavy water reactor type (PHWR; CANDU), that differ greatly in size, decay heat, and radioactive characteristics. Technology development for the disposal of SNFs has mainly focused on PWR SNFs that are large in size and have extremely high decay heat and radioactivity. However, CANDU SNFs should be considered differently from PWR SNFs in deep geological disposal systems because their characteristics significantly differ from those of PWR SNFs in terms of their dimensions, number of SNF bundles, and handling systems in nuclear power plant sites. In this paper, after reviewing the status of the CANDU SNF disposal concept by Canada and Korea, concepts related to the direct geological disposal of CANDU SNFs were described, and two concepts were proposed based on the results of the development. The engineered barrier systems developed using these two concepts were comparatively analyzed in terms of disposal safety, disposal efficiency, and technical maturity. Based on the results of the comparative analyses, a vertical-type emplacement disposal concept was determined as a reference concept for the deep geological disposal of CANDU SNFs.

Interim dry cask storage systems comprising AISI 304 or 316 stainless steel canisters have become critical for the storage of spent nuclear fuel from light water reactors in the Republic of Korea. However, the combination of microstructural sensitization, residual tensile stress, and corrosive environments can induce chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking (CISCC) for stainless steel canisters. Suppressing one or more of these three variables can effectively mitigate CISCC initiation or propagation. Surface-modification technologies, such as surface peening and burnishing, focus on relieving residual tensile stress by introducing compressive stress to near-surface regions of materials. Overlay coating methods such as cold spray can serve as a barrier between the environment and the canister, while also inducing compressive stress similar to surface peening. This approach can both mitigate CISCC initiation and facilitate CISCC repair. Surface-painting methods can also be used to isolate materials from external corrosive environments. However, environmental variables, such as relative humidity, composition of surface deposits, and pH can affect the CISCC behavior. Therefore, in addition to research on surface modification and coating technologies, site-specific environmental investigations of various nuclear power plants are required.

Pyrochemical processing and molten-salt reactors have recently garnered significant attention as they are promising options for future nuclear technologies, such as those for recycling spent nuclear fuels and the next generation of nuclear reactors. Both of these technologies require the use of high-temperature molten salt. To implement these technologies, one must understand the electrochemical behavior of fission products in molten salts, lanthanides, and actinides. In this study, a rotating-disk-electrode (RDE) measurement system for high-temperature molten salts is constructed and tested by investigating the electrochemical reactions of Sm3+ in LiCl–KCl melts. The results show that the reduction of Sm3+ presents the Levich behavior in LiCl–KCl melts. Using the RDE system, not only is the diffusion-layer thickness of Sm3+ measured in high-temperature molten salts but also various electrochemical parameters for Sm3+ in LiCl–KCl melts, including the diffusion coefficient, Tafel slope, and exchange current density, are determined.

The initial radionuclide migration quantity depends on the total amount of solubilized species. Geochemical modeling based on a thermodynamic database (TDB) has been employed to assess the solubility of radionuclides. It is necessary to evaluate whether the TDB describes the domestic repository conditions appropriately. An effective way to validate the TDB-based modeling results is through direct comparisons with experimentally measured values under the conditions of interest. Here, the solubilities of trivalent Sm, Eu, and Am were measured in synthetic KURT-DB3 groundwater (Syn- DB3) and compared with modeling results based on ThermoChimie TDB. Ln2(CO3)3·xH2O(cr) (Ln = Sm, Eu) solids were introduced into the Syn-DB3 and dissolved Sm and Eu concentrations were monitored over 223 days. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that the crystallinity of the solid compounds was maintained throughout the experiments. The dissolved Sm and Eu concentrations at equilibrium were close to the predicted solubilities of Sm2(CO3)3(s) and Eu2(CO3)3(s) based on the ThermoChimie TDB. The Am solubility measured under oversaturated conditions was comparable to the measured Eu concentrations, although they were measured under different experimental settings. More experimental data are needed for Am-carbonate solid systems with careful characterization of the solid phases to better evaluate Am solubility in domestic groundwater conditions.

알스트로메리아(Alstroemeria)는 알스트로메리아과(Alstroemeriaceae) 에 속하는 단자엽 식물로, 세계적으로 인기 있는 절 화 작물이다. 국내에서도 재배되는 대부분의 품종은 수입묘로, 비싼 로열티를 지불하고 있어 국내 품종 육성의 필요성이 제기 되고 있다. 따라서 본 연구는 수정 전 장벽 타파 방법 중 하나인 화주절단수분법을 알스트로메리아에 적용하여 자가수분을 통 한 착과율과 종자 결실 수를 파악하여 화주절단수분법의 가능성 을 알아보기 위해 수행하였다. 그 결과 착과율은 무 절단, 20% 절단, 50% 절단, 90% 절단, 100% 절단에서 각각 80%, 60%, 30%, 10%, 0%로 나타났으며, 처리구별로 수분 전과 수확 후 자방의 크기는 통계적으로 유의한 차이가 없었다. 종자 결실 수는 무 절단, 20% 절단, 50% 절단, 90% 절단, 100% 절단에서 각각 22개, 10개, 3개, 1개, 0개로 나타났다. 자방 당 종자수는 2.2개 1개 0.2개, 0.1개, 0개로 확인되었다. 이 실험결과를 바탕 으로, 자가수분을 통한 화주절단수분법으로는 자방 당 종자 수 의 증대를 기대하기 어렵지만, 자가불화합성 계통 또는 종간교 배를 통한 품종 육성 시 화주절단수분법이 새로운 품종 육성에 활용될 가능성이 있을 것으로 판단된다.

본 연구는 관상적 가치가 뛰어난 한반도 자생식물 너도개미 자리[Minuartia laricina (L.) Mattf.]의 산업화를 위한 대량 번 식 기술을 개발하기 위해 수행되었다. 종자 번식 실험에서는 2023년 8월 16일 형태적으로 완전히 성숙한 종자를 채종하여 사용하였으며, 종자의 내부 형태를 관찰한 결과 배가 완전히 발달하여 미숙배로 인한 형태적 휴면(MD)은 없음을 확인하였 다. 또한, 종자를 증류수에 침지시켜 수분 흡수율을 조사한 결과 수분흡수 24시간 후 약 66%의 수분 흡수율을 보여 불투수성 종피에 의한 물리적 휴면(PY)도 없음을 확인하였다. 실온 (22±2℃)에서 후숙처리(Dry after-ripening)를 0, 4, 21주 실 시 후 각각 4, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30℃로 설정된 기내 발아 실험을 진행하였다. 실험의 결과, 후숙 4주 처리 후 20℃에 치상한 종자 의 발아율이 약 76%로 가장 높았다. 후숙 처리를 하지 않은 종자는 12주 내 어떠한 온도 조건에서도 발아하지 않아 생리 적 휴면(PD)으로 판단되었다. 삽목 번식 실험에서는 줄기삽목 (Stem-cutting) 방식으로 진행하였고, 루톤 분제 처리가 발근 에 미치는 영향을 조사하였다. 루톤 분제를 처리하지 않은 처리 구는 발근율과 생존율이 100%로 나타났으며, 루톤 분제가 처리 된 삽수는 이들보다 발근율과 생존율이 통계적으로 유의하게 낮았다. 따라서 너도개미자리 종자는 생리적 휴면 종자로 분류 되며, 4주간의 후숙 처리가 휴면 타파에 효과적인 것으로 확인 되었다. 또한, 너도개미자리 삽목 번식 시 별도의 발근 촉진제 처리가 필요하지 않음을 확인하였다.

A new variety of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), named 'Alfaking' was developed between 2015 and 2023 at the Grassland and Forages Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Cheonan, Republic of Korea. The variety was produced through artificial hybridization, with ‘Paravivo’ serving as the maternal line and ‘WL514’ as the paternal line. ‘Alfaking’ underwent field tests across four regions (Cheonan, Pyeongchang, Jeongeup, and Jinju) to evaluate its agronomic characteristics and forage production over two years (2022-2023). The dry matter yield of ‘Alfaking’ reached 22,516 kg/ha, which is 11% higher than the control variety, ‘Vernal.’ ‘Alfaking’ exhibited 2.1% higher crude protein content than ‘Vernal’ in forage nutritive value. The development of this new alfalfa variety, which exhibits excellent adaptability to challenging environmental conditions, is expected to enhance forage cultivation and productivity in Korea.

Corn is essential for both humans and animals. The crop is the third most important food crop after rice and wheat. A rise in farming is resulting in a lack of self-sufficiency of high quality forages. Therefore, corn cultivars in Korea must be optimized to increase productivity and yield. A study was conducted in Pyeongchang, South Korea between 2021-2022 to evaluate the characteristics and productivity of three corn cultivars: Kwangpyeongok, AGR 41, and Nero IT. Different varieties of corn were sown in Pyeongchang on April 29 and April 27 of 2021 and 2022, respectively. The productivity and characteristics of the cultivars Kwangpyeongok, AGR 41, and Nero IT were evaluated during the yellowing ripening stage. The characteristics included the leaves, stems, grain, and stover content. Across different corn cultivars, there was no significant difference in stem height, diameter, forage or grain quantity based on an average of two years. Yet, significant differences were noted in the stem heights of all cultivars between 2021 and 2022 (p<0.05). There was a significant difference in the diameters of Kwangpyeongok and Nero IT between 2021 and 2022. A significant difference in forage yield was observed for Nero IT between 2021 and 2022. The yield of grains and forages was higher in 2021 than in 2022, which could be attributed to temperature and precipitation variations. We can conclude from these data that all cultivars in Pyeongchang showed significant productivity and yield, which could be useful to produce nutrient rich silage for livestock.

Considering the various health problems associated with obesity in dogs, including renal diseases, joint disorders, and skin diseases, effective management strategies and guidelines are urgently needed. This situation has led to a growing demand for veterinary medications aimed at addressing obesity in dogs. However, the field faces a significant hurdle due to the absence of standardized guidelines for assessing the effectiveness of these anti-obesity medications in dogs. In response to this gap, the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) in Korea has made a crucial step by introducing clinical trial guidelines to evaluate the efficacy of treatments for canine obesity, specifically aimed at approving veterinary medicinal products. The guidelines outlined the selection criteria for target dogs, highlighting the importance of consistency within the control and treated groups. Treatment efficacy is subsequently evaluated by physical examination, body fat reduction, and biochemical indicators. In addition, the guidelines cover dosage and administration, monitoring after dosing, and statistical analysis. By doing so, this guideline not only highlights the significance of the APQA’s initiative in improving the care of obese dogs but also provides practical insights to enhance the standardization and effectiveness of clinical trials in veterinary medicine.

Italian ryegrass (IRG) has become a vital forage crop due to its increasing cultivation area and its role in enhancing forage self-sufficiency. However, its production is susceptible to environmental factors such as climate change and drought, necessitating precise yield prediction technologies. This study aimed to assess the growth characteristics of IRG and predict dry matter yield (DMY) using vegetation indices derived from unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based remote sensing. The Green Leaf Index (GLI), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), normalized difference red edge (NDRE), and optimized soil-adjusted vegetation index (OSAVI) were employed to develop DMY estimation models. Among the indices, GLI demonstrated the highest correlation with DMY (R² = 0.971). The results revealed that GLI-based UAV observations can serve as reliable tools for estimating forage yield under varying environmental conditions. Additionally, post-winter vegetation coverage in the study area was assessed using GLI, and 54% coverage was observed in March 2023. This study assesses that UAV-based remote sensing can provide high-precision predictions of crop yield, thus contributing to the stabilization of forage production under climate variability.