This study was conducted to investigate the effects of feeding DDGS and full-fat soybean in the finishing diet on the performance, carcass characteristics and unsaturated fatty acid composition of Hanwoo steers. Thirty Hanwoo steers (average age, 26.4 months; weight, 756.69 kg) were assigned into Control (no additive), DS (DDGS supplemented) and FS (full-fat soybean supplemented). The feeding rate of DDGS and full-fat soybean was set at 10% and 5% in the finishing diet, respectively, and the in vivo trial was conducted for 122 days. The final body weight was 779.81, 774.20 and 791.95 kg for Control, DS and FS, respectively, and the average daily gain was not different among treatments. The feed conversion ratio was lower in FS compared to Control. Carcass cold carcass weight, backfat thickness, M. longissimus dorsi area and marbling scores were not different among treatments, and moisture, crude protein, and crude fat content in carcass were not different. The melting point of sirloin ranged from 25 to 26℃ among treatments. The saturated fatty acid, C18:0, was lower in the FS than in Control. C18:1, the main unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) in carcasses, did not show any difference among treatments, but C18:2 was higher in DS than in Control. Total UFAs were higher in the FS than in Control. Based on the above results, DDGS feeding was effective in improving feed conversion ratio and C18:2 content, and full-fat soybean feeding was effective in improving feed conversion ratio and increasing UFA content.

We introduce a new clustering algorithm, MulGuisin (MGS), that can identify distinct galaxy over-densities using topological information from the galaxy distribution. This algorithm was first introduced in an LHC experiment as a Jet Finder software, which looks for particles that clump together in close proximity. The algorithm preferentially considers particles with high energies and merges them only when they are closer than a certain distance to create a jet. MGS shares some similarities with the minimum spanning tree (MST) since it provides both clustering and network-based topology information. Also, similar to the density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN), MGS uses the ranking or the local density of each particle to construct clustering. In this paper, we compare the performances of clustering algorithms using controlled data and some realistic simulation data as well as the SDSS observation data, and we demonstrate that our new algorithm finds networks most correctly and defines galaxy networks in a way that most closely resembles human vision.

진저 비어는 생강과 설탕을 이용한 발효 음료로, 가볍 게 탄산화된 특유의 매운맛이 특징이며, 주로 가정에서 직 접 만들어진다. Ginger bug라는 스타터 컬처를 사용한 자 연적 발효 과정을 통해 만들어지며, 이는 상업용 음료와 달리 발효된 상태의 살아있는 미생물을 포함한다. 이 연 구는 두 가지 다른 방법으로 가정용 진저 비어를 직접 제 조하여 진저 비어의 미생물 군집의 변화를 분석하고자 하 였다. 레시피 1과 2의 발효 결과, 총 균수(aerobic plate count, APC)는 최대 6 log CFU/mL에 도달했고, 효모와 곰팡이 수(yeast and mold, YM)는 6.5 log CFU/mL로 가 장 높았다. 레시피 2에서는 진저 비어를 만들기 전에 ginger bug를 발효하였으므로 알코올 함량이 0.655%까지 증가한 반면, 레시피 1에서는 0.15% 미만이었다. 다양성 분석 결 과, ginger bug에서 높은 수준의 Enterobacteriaceae가 발견 되어 발효 과정과 재료 취급이 미생물 군집 변화에 영향 을 미쳤음을 시사했다. 생강과 진저 비어 전반에서 Lactococcus가 낮은 수준으로 검출되었고, 진저 비어에서 는 셀룰로오스를 분해하는 Trabulsiella 균주가 발견되어 프로바이오틱스 가능성을 시사하였다. 본 연구는 진저 비 어의 미생물 군집에 대한 최초의 연구로, 진저 비어 제조 시 재료로부터 기원한 미생물이 어떻게 변화하는지에 대 한 통찰을 제공한다. 또한, 다양한 환경에서의 발효 조건 이 미생물 군집과 제품의 품질에 미치는 영향을 탐구하는 데 기여할 것이다. 연구 결과는 진저 비어의 품질 향상에 대한 향후 연구에 중요한 자료를 제공할 것이다.

A scintillator using organic materials can be easily manufactured in various shapes and sizes to suit the user’s purpose. A quantum dot (QD)-based scintillator has a number of advantages over commercial scintillators, including emission wavelength control, high-purity emission of a specific wavelength, high photoluminescence efficiency, and good photostability. The organic scintillators doping with various agents into the polymer media to increase scintillation efficiency and to control the emissioning wavelength through energy transfer process. In this study, scintillator enhancement was observed with different QDs material and detection response to gamma and neutron was investigated in energy spectrum. Multishell- structure QDs (CdS/CdZnS/ZnS) were fabricated and utilized to offset the shortcomings of single-shell-structure QDs, and the optical properties and the gamma and neutron detection performance capabilities were evaluated. The results of the evaluation of the detection response of the QD-based scintillator confirmed that the neutron/gamma classification performance was similar to that of a commercial scintillator. Furthermore, the gamma detection efficiency was improved by 34–38% (in the case of 137Cs) compared to a commercial scintillator. This study is especially notable in that the organic scintillator incorporated with the newly fabricated QDs can be utilized for gamma and neutron detection for the operation and decommissioning various nuclear facilities.

Sequential zone picking is an order picking method designed to enhance warehouse efficiency by dividing the storage area into multiple zones and picking items in a sequential order across these zones. Picked items are often placed in dedicated totes and transported between zones using a conveyor system, which manages the picking flow but can occasionally result in inefficiencies during the process. This study presents a variant of the sequential zone picking system, called a dual-lane zone picking system (DZP), which consists of two parallel conveyor lanes without buffers between consecutive zones. This conveyor configuration allows the picker in each zone to alternate processing between the two lanes, thereby lessening the constraints of tote transitions between zones and improving both system throughput and picker utilization. We design and conduct a series of experiments using a discrete-event simulation model to evaluate the performance of DZPs. The experiment results indicate that DZP surpasses the original single-lane zone picking system by shortening the system’s mean flow time in low flow intensity scenarios and achieving a higher maximum throughput and worker utilization in high flow intensity scenarios. Additionally, we investigate the effects of the number of zones and order batching size on the performance of DZP to gain further insights into the system’s operational control.

Si-based anodes are promising alternatives to graphite owing to their high capacities. However, their practical application is hindered by severe volume expansion during cycling. Herein, we propose employing a carbon support to address this challenge and utilize Si-based anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Specifically, carbon supports with various pore structures were prepared through KOH and NaOH activation of the pitch. In addition, Si was deposited into the carbon support pores via SiH4 chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and to enhance the conductivity and mechanical stability, a carbon coating was applied via CH4 CVD. The electrochemical performance of the C/Si/C composites was assessed, providing insights into their capacity retention rates, cycling stability, rate capability, and lithium-ion diffusion coefficients. Notably, the macrostructure of the carbon support differed significantly depending on the activation agent used. More importantly, the macrostructure of the carbon support significantly affected the Si deposition behavior and enhanced the stability by mitigating the volume expansion of the Si particles. This study elucidated the crucial role of the macrostructure of carbon supports in optimizing Si-based anode materials for LIBs, providing valuable guidance for the design and development of high-performance energy-storage systems.

To improve the lithium-ion battery performance and stability, a conducting polymer, which can simultaneously serve as both a conductive additive and a binder, is introduced into the anode. Water-soluble polyaniline:polystyrene sulfonate (PANI:PSS) can be successfully prepared through chemical oxidative polymerization, and their chemical/mechanical properties are adjusted by varying the molecular weight of PSS. As a conductive additive, the PANI with a conjugated double bond structure is introduced between active materials or between the active material and the current collector to provide fast and short electrical pathways. As a binder, the PSS prevents short circuits through strong π‒π stacking interaction with active material, and it exhibits superior adhesion to the current collector, thereby ensuring the maintenance of stable mechanical properties, even under high-speed charging/discharging conditions. Based on the synergistic effect of the intrinsic properties of PANI and PSS, it is confirmed that the anode with PANI:PSS introduced as a binder has about 1.8 times higher bonding strength (0.4 kgf/20 mm) compared to conventional binders. Moreover, since active materials can be additionally added in place of the generally added conductive additives, the total cell capacity increased by about 12.0%, and improved stability is shown with a capacity retention rate of 99.3% even after 200 cycles at a current rate of 0.2 C.

Black ice, a thin and nearly invisible ice layer on roads and pavements, poses a significant danger to drivers and pedestrians during winter due to its transparency. We propose an efficient black ice detection system and technique utilizing Global Positioning System (GPS)-reflected signals. This system consists of a GPS antenna and receiver configured to measure the power of GPS L1 band signal strength. The GPS receiver system was designed to measure the signal power of the Right-Handed Circular Polarization (RHCP) and Left-Handed Circular Polarization (LHCP) from direct and reflected signals using two GPS antennas. Field experiments for GPS LHCP and RHCP reflection measurements were conducted at two distinct sites. We present a Normalized Polarized Reflection Index (NPRI) as a methodological approach for determining the presence of black ice on road surfaces. The field experiments at both sites successfully detected black ice on asphalt roads, indicated by NPRI values greater than 0.1 for elevation angles between 45o and 55o. Our findings demonstrate the potential of the proposed GPS-based system as a cost-effective and scalable solution for large-scale black ice detection, significantly enhancing road safety in cold climates. The scientific significance of this study lies in its novel application of GPS reflection signals for environmental monitoring, offering a new approach that can be integrated into existing GPS infrastructure to detect widespread black ice in real-time.

This study proposes a soil moisture retrieval method from ground reflection signals received by Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna modules consisting of an up-looking (UP) right-hand circular polarization (RHCP) and two down-looking (DW) RHCP and left-hand circular polarization (LHCP) signals. Field experiments at four different surface types (asphalt, grassland, dry soil, and moist soil) revealed that the DW RHCP and LHCP signals are affected by antenna height and multipath interference signals. The strength differences between the DW LHCP and UP RHCP signals were in good agreement with the DW LHCP signals. Methodologically, this study applied a spectrum analysis to the detrended surface-reflected signals for RHCP and LHCP. The study indicated that the down-looking antenna exhibited greater sensitivity to reflected GPS signals than the up-looking antenna. We demonstrated the feasibility of estimating soil moisture using GPS signals, by comparing LHCP signals received by the down-looking antenna with theoretical values. This study presents a novel method for estimating soil moisture in vegetated areas, leveraging the advantage of crosspolarization comparisons to achieve stronger signal strength than single-polarization reflection signals. With further research, including long-term observations and detailed analysis, the proposed method has the potential to enhance performance significantly.

노지 나방류 해충인 담배거세미나방 방제를 위한 유충기생성 천적 2종인 긴등기생파리와 예쁜가는배고치벌 의 방사조건을 확립하고자 콩 재배포장에서 방사거리 및 방사밀도별 기생율을 조사하였다. 긴등기생파리는 방사 후 24시간 이내 방사지점으로부터 10m까지 이동하여 나방류 유충을 기생하였으며, 예쁜가는배고치벌도 방사지점으로부터 15m에서도 기주유충에 산란하여 고치가 형성된 것이 확인되었다. 긴등기생파리는 면적당 방사밀도가 높아질수록 기생율이 증가했으며, ㎡당 0.15마리(천적:해충=1:5) 방사했을 때 평균기생율 63.1%로 나타났다. 예쁜가는배고치벌은 긴등기생파리와 같은 방사밀도에서 평균기생율 47.8%로 확인되었으나, 방사 밀도에 따른 기생율 차이는 없었다.

M. pruinosa has been found on 98 families and 345 species of plants, indicating a wide host range. Since its first report in a persimmon orchard in Gimhae in 2009, it had spread to 126 municipalities over 12,429 ha. Because of powerful dispersal ability, it’s difficult to control with insecticides. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the population density through the release of M. pruinosa’s natural enemy, N. typhlocybae. N. typhlocybae females prey on or externally parasitize the nymphs of M. pruinosa. This natural enemy was introduced from Italy in 2017 through an international cooperative project between National Institute of Agricultural Sciences and University of Padova for controlling the sporadic pest, Metcalfa pruinosa. This study reported the results of mass rearing N. typhlocybae indoors and releasing them outdoors from 2020 to 2023 in 21 regions nationwide, showing an average parasitism rate of 27.3% and an average production of 7.9 cocoons per host, suggesting the possibility of their establishment in Korea.

Determining the number of operators who set up the machines in a human-machine system is crucial for maximizing the benefits of automated production machines. A man-machine chart is an effective tool for identifying bottlenecks, improving process efficiency, and determining the optimal number of machines per operator. However, traditional man-machine charts are lacking in accounting for idle times, such as interruptions caused by other material handling equipment. We present an adjusted man-machine chart that determines the number of machines per operator, incorporating idleness as a penalty term. The adjusted man-machine chart efficiently deploys and schedules operators for the hole machining process to enhance productivity, where operators have various idle times, such as break times and waiting times by forklifts or trailers. Further, we conduct a simulation validation of traditional and proposed charts under various operational environments of operators’ fixed and flexible break times. The simulation results indicate that the adjusted man-machine chart is better suited for real-world work environments and significantly improves productivity.