This study investigates activism as a powerful force for social and environmental change in South Asian fashion industries, specifically those in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India. It defines the characteristics of fashion activism within regional contexts and explores the manifestation of fashion activism in a range of styles and practices. By combining a qualitative literature review with social media analysis, this study evaluates the role of activism in fashion and reveals that fashion serves as a vital medium for advocating social change while fostering a sense of community and identity among marginalized groups. The key findings indicate that social media is crucial for amplifying activist messages, encouraging stakeholder collaboration, and raising awareness regarding urgent social issues. In contrast to prior studies, which have primarily focused on a single topic, this research encompasses a comprehensive spectrum of activism within the fashion domain, examining critical themes such as cultural identity, gender equality, economic empowerment, and environmental justice. The findings suggest that fashion activism catalyzes significant transformations beyond conventional metrics, promoting a holistic framework for understanding social justice and sustainability. Furthermore, this study highlights the transformative potential of the fashion industry in driving social progress and emphasizes the need for further research to better understand these movements.

Uranium-contaminated soil can be cleaned using an acid washing process. However, high-concentration acid washing generates substantial amounts of radioactive waste, making it essential to develop a treatment process using low-concentration acid. This study evaluated the effectiveness of low-concentration sulfuric acid washing for uranium removal from contaminated soil. Experiments were conducted with a 0.05 M sulfuric acid solution. With a mixing ratio of soil to acid solution at 1:5, three consecutive washes were sufficient to remove uranium from contaminated soil to clearance level. During the acid washing process, real-time pH monitoring was performed to analyze the correlation between uranium leaching and pH changes. This led to the establishment of a monitoring-based process control strategy. In conclusion, we identified an effective method for removing uranium from soil under low acid concentration conditions. Consequently, significant reductions in radioactive waste generation are anticipated.

Acid-washed solutions containing various ions, including uranium, are produced by washing uranium-bearing soil or minerals with H2SO4. Conventional extraction processes are complex, as they involve multiple steps and generate significant amounts of radioactive organic waste, posing environmental risks. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a simplified process that can selectively extract uranium while minimizing radioactive waste production. In this study, thermodynamic equilibrium calculations were performed to investigate the selective extraction of uranium through its reaction with H2O2. A basic additive was introduced to facilitate this reaction. The calculation results indicated that uranium in acid-leached solutions could be selectively extracted through a single-step precipitation process, which was experimentally validated. These findings can be utilized to design an efficient process for obtaining high-purity uranium from uranium-bearing soil or minerals.

최근 국내에서는 온라인 거래를 통한 화훼류의 판매가 증가 하고 있다. 온라인 플랫폼의 종류에 따라서 각기 다양한 운송 시스템과 포장 방법을 이용하고 있지만, 품질과 관련된 정보가 부족한 실정이다. 특히, 일반 택배 배송을 이용하는 직거래 방식 은 다양한 외부 환경에 노출되기 때문에 품질에 문제가 발생할 수 있다. 절화장미는 외부의 환경에 노출되는 통기 구멍이 있는 포장 박스와 외부의 환경과 단절된 밀폐된 포장 박스가 사용되 고 있다. 포장 박스의 종류에 따른 절화장미의 품질을 조사한 결과 통기구가 있는 포장 박스를 이용하여 택배 운송한 절화장 미는 운송 중의 낮은 습도로 인해 생체중 감소가 높아 품질이 하락하였다. 밀폐된 포장 박스를 이용해서 운송한 절화장미는 통기 구멍이 있는 포장 박스를 이용해 운송한 절화장미보다 생 체중 감소는 작았지만, 포장 박스 내부의 온도가 높아져 품질이 하락하였다. 내부가 코팅된 밀폐형 포장박스 내부에 절화장미와 함께 냉매를 동봉하여 포장 후 운송하면, 운송 중 포장박스 내부 의 온도를 경감하고 품질을 보존하는 효과가 있었다.

Hydrangea is widely grown as an ornamental plant with a high commercial value owing to its appealing features. Although many cultivars exist as genetic resources, they cannot be effectively used for breeding due to insufficient information regarding their genetic relationships and breeding compatibility. Intraspecific and intergeneric hybridizations within the family, Hydrangeaceae present opportunities to create cultivars with desirable traits, however, breeding efforts in Hydrangea through interspecific hybridization have achieved limited success. The low viability of interspecific hybrids may be attributed to cytogenetic incompatibility between the species. Therefore, a deeper cytogenetic understanding of this genus could enhance future breeding programs. This review focuses on the importance of cytogenetic data in the breeding of hydrangeas and the different cytogenetic techniques utilized in this genus. Future directions for cytogenetic research in Hydrangea are also discussed.

Maturity at harvest is the key factor influencing storage life and the final quality of fruit. This study examined how the firmness of ‘Sweet Gold’ kiwifruit at harvest affects its post-ripening characteristics to create a maturity chart. Throughout the storage period, firmness decreased in all categories of fruit: hard, medium, and soft. ‘Soft’ fruits lost 40% of their firmness within 2 days after harvest, whereas ‘hard’ fruits remained firmer than soft fruits throughout the storage period and had the least soluble solids content, indicating a slower ripening progression. The acidity of ‘soft’ kiwifruit was very low from the day of harvest, suggesting that it was utilized as a respiratory substrate during ripening. The a-values (indicating redness) for ‘soft’ fruits gradually increased until day 6, stabilizing thereafter. ‘Soft’ fruits exhibited the highest ethylene production rate throughout storage. They showed a climacteric rise in ethylene on day 13, compared to ‘medium’ and ‘hard’ fruits, which exhibited increases on days 19 and 21, respectively. This data can help determine the optimal ethylene treatment duration for ripening ‘Sweet Gold’ kiwifruit. The firmness of ‘Sweet Gold’ kiwifruit at harvest is a crucial factor in determining its marketability and can effectively serve as a maturity index to estimate its shelf life.

The cost of treating water purification plant water treatment residuals is high, with a low recovery rate and unstable effluent water quality, particularly in plants using lake and reservoir water sources in severe cold regions. Maximizing water resource utilization requires integrating water treatment residuals concentration and treatment effectively. Here, ceramic membrane technology was employed to separate supernatant and substrate after pretreatment. Optimal settling was achieved using 75 μm magnetic powder at 200 and 4 mg/L of nonionic polyacrylamide co-injection. Approximately 65% of the separated supernatant was processed by 0.1–0.2 μm Al2O3 ceramic membranes, yielding a membrane flux of 50 L/m2h and a water recovery rate of 99.8%. This resulted in removal rates of 99.3% for turbidity, 98.2% for color, and 87.7% for color and permanganate index (chemical oxygen demand, COD). Furthermore, 35% of the separated substrate underwent treatment with 0.1–0.2 μm mixed ceramic membranes of Al2O3 and SiC, achieving a membrane flux of 40 L/m2h and a water recovery rate of 73.8%. The removal rates for turbidity, color, and COD were 99.9%, 99.9%, and 82%, respectively. Overall, this process enables comprehensive concentration and treatment integration, achieving a water recovery rate of 90.7% with safe and stable effluent water quality.

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) are novel nanocarbon materials and widely used nanoparticles. They have gradually gained popularity in various fields due to their abundance, inexpensive cost, small size, ease of engineering, and distinct properties. To determine the antibacterial activity of metal-doped CQDs (metal-CQDs) containing Fe, Zn, Mn, Ni, and Co, we chose Staphylococcus aureus as a representative Gram-positive strain and Escherichia coli as a representative Gram-negative bacterial strain. Paper disc diffusion tests were conducted for the qualitative results, and a cell growth curve was drawn for quantitative results. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and IC50 were measured from cell growth curves. As a result, all of the metal-CQDs showed toxicity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Furthermore, Gram-negative bacteria was vulnerable to metal-CQDs than Gram-positive bacteria. The toxicity differed concerning the type of metal-CQDs; Mn-CQDs exhibited the highest efficacy. Hence, this study suggested that CQDs can be used as new nanoparticles for antibiotics.

In this work, the depth of the interphase in graphene polymer systems is determined by the properties of graphene and interfacial parameters. Furthermore, the actual volume fraction and percolation onset of the nanosheets are characterized by the actual inverse aspect ratio, interphase depth, and tunneling distance. In addition, the dimensions of graphene, along with interfacial/interphase properties and tunneling characteristics, are utilized to develop the power-law equation for the conductivity of graphene-filled composites. Using the derived equations, the interphase depth, percolation onset, and nanocomposite conductivity are graphed against various ranges of the aforementioned factors. Moreover, numerous experimental data points for percolation onset and conductivity are presented to validate the equations. The optimal levels for interphase depth, percolation onset, and conductivity are achieved through high interfacial conductivity and large graphene nanosheets. In addition, increased nanocomposite conductivity can be attained with thinner nanosheets, a larger tunneling distance, and a thicker interphase. The calculations highlight the considerable impacts of interfacial/interphase factors and tunneling distance on the percolation onset. The highest nanocomposite conductivity of 0.008 S/m is acquired by the highest interfacial conduction of 900 S/m and graphene length (D) of 5 μm, while an insulated sample is observed at D < 1.2 μm. Therefore, higher interfacial conduction and larger nanosheets cause the higher nanocomposite conductivity, but the short nanosheets cannot promote the conductivity.

식품 포장 분야에서 바이오센서와 바이오폴리머 기반 나 노복합체, 즉 바이오나노복합체의 통합이 점차 산업 전문 가들에 의해 인식되고 있으며, 이는 식품의 품질과 안전 에 대한 우려가 증가함에 따라 주도되고 있습니다. 식품 포장에 내장된 바이오센서는 포장된 상품의 미생물에 의 한 변질을 지속적으로 모니터링함으로써 식품의 완전성을 유지하는 핵심 요소로 업계를 변화시킬 준비가 되어 있다. 동시에, 탁월한 기계적, 열적, 광학적, 항균적 특성으로 인 해 바이오폴리머 기반 나노복합체의 연구와 적용이 크게 확대되었다. 이러한 특성은 이들을 혁신적인 포장 솔루션 에 적합한 주요 재료로 만든다. 그러나 지능형 식품 포장 시스템 발전에 바이오센서와 바이오나노복합체를 사용하 는 잠재적인 장애물과 전망을 탐구하는 것은 아직 충분하 지 않다. 바이오나노복합체와 바이오센서의 융합을 제안 하는 것은 스마트 포장 산업을 재정의하는 획기적인 단계 로, 이 기술들을 더 깊이 이해하여 지속 가능하고 경제적 으로 실행 가능한 스마트 포장 옵션의 개발을 촉진할 필 요성을 강조한다. 이 리뷰는 바이오센서와 바이오나노복 합체에 대한 기존 연구와 개발 동향을 철저히 검토하고, 가까운 미래에 스마트 식품 포장 산업에서 진전을 이끌어 낼 앞으로의 도전과 기회를 강조하는 데 전념하고 있다.

This study involved the heterogenization of a binder pitch (BP) using a small amount of nanocarbon to improve physical properties of the resulting graphite electrode (GE). Heterogenization was carried out by adding 0.5–2.0 wt.% platelet carbon nanofiber (PCNF) or carbon black (CB) to a commercial BP. To evaluate the physical properties of the BPs, we designed a new model graphite electrode (MGE) using needle coke as a filler. The heterogenized binder pitch (HBP) with PCNF or CB clearly increased the coking value by 5–13 wt.% compared to that of the as-received BP. Especially, the model graphite electrodes prepared with HBPs containing 1.0 wt.% PCNF or CB showed significantly improved physical properties compared to the control MGE from the as-received BP. Although the model graphite electrodes prepared with HBPs showed similar properties, they had smaller pore sizes than the control. This indicates that heterogenization of the BP can effectively decrease the pore size in the MGE matrix. Correlating the average pore sizes with the physical properties of the model graphite electrodes showed that, for the same porosity, matrices formed by the HBP with a smaller average pore size can effectively improve the apparent density, tensile strength, and oxidation resistance of the model graphite electrodes.

Activated carbon has broad application prospects for treating pollutants due to its easy availability, low cost and good adsorption. In our work, nano-activated carbons (NAC) with abundant functional groups are obtained by the oxidation modification of HNO3, ( NH4)2S2O8, and KMnO4, which are used to construct the particle electrodes to degrade NDEA in a continuous flow electrochemical reactor, and the influence of relevant factors on the performance of NDEA removal is discussed. The experimental data show that the optimal degradation efficiency is 42.55% at the conditions of 3 mL/min influent water flow, 0.21 M electrolyte concentration, 10 mA/cm2 current density, and 10 μg/mL initial NDEA concentration. The degradation of NDEA conforms to a quasi second order kinetic equation. The electrocatalytic mechanism of NAC electrodes for removing NDEA is firstly discussed. The effects of different free radicals on the degradation of NDEA are also demonstrated through free radical quenching experiments, indicating that the degradation of NDEA is dominated by ⋅OH. The degradation pathway of NDEA and final products are obtained using GC–MS. NAC particle electrodes as the cheap and efficient electrocatalyst in continuous flow electrochemical reactor system provide a greener solution for the removal of disinfection by-products from drinking water.

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.

Background: Because oxidative stress can induce decreased quality of caprine semen during the storage, there has been limitation for the use of stored semen in the assisted reproductive technologies. The present study, therefore, assesses the potential of Annona muricata (A. muricata ) to reduce semen storage associateddamages. Methods: Semen was collected by electro-ejaculation from ten bucks, and extended with Tris-egg yolk (TEY) supplemented with A. muricata leaf aqueous extract (SAE) at 20 (SAE20), 40 (SAE40), and 80 (SAE80) μg/mL. Sperm variables including motility, motion characteristics, viability, membrane functionality, and DNA integrity were assessed at different storage periods (6, 24, 48, and 72 hr). In addition, oxidative stress indicators in the extender supplemted with SAE were also assessed for each group. Results: By adding SAE at 80 μg/mL in TEY, the storage of goat buck semen was improved, resulting in reduced loss of sperm motility, viability, DNA fragmentation, and membrane integrity during chilled storage at 4℃ for up to 72 hr. In addition, enrichment of TEY extender with SAE significantly (p < 0.05) reduced malondialdehyde, an indicator of oxidative stress, compared to the negative control. Conclusions: Supplementation of SAE in TEY extender can reduce buck spermatozoa liquid storage associated damages due to oxidative stress.

호접란은 세계적으로 분화뿐만 아니라 절화로도 판매되는 주 요 화훼작물이다. 상업적 종묘 대량생산은 조직배양 기술에 의 해 이루어지고 있으나 우리나라는 아직까지 균일하고 우수한 발근묘 생산 기술이 확립되지 않았다. 생육이 고르고 우수한 발근 배양묘를 생산하기 위한 적정 배양 신초수를 찾기 위해 용적 500mL 유리 배양병에 호접란 2품종(‘Lovely Angel’과 ‘UniVivace’)의 신초를 1, 4, 7, 10개씩 배양한 후 3개월에 지상부 및 지하부 초기 생육 특성을 조사한 결과, 7개의 신초를 배양하였을 때 신초의 생육이나 뿌리 유도 및 생육에 효과적이 었다. 또한, 배양병 재질이 발근묘 생육에 미치는 영향을 확인하 고자 용적이 500mL로 동일한 유리 배양병과 플라스틱 배양병 에 신초 7개 배양 3개월 후 2품종의 생육 특성을 비교한 결과, 2품종 모두 플라스틱 배양병 보다는 유리 배양병이 유의적으로 생육에 효과적인 것으로 확인되었다. 기내 발근묘 생산을 위한 배양병 재질의 영향은 이후까지 지속적으로 영향을 미치는 것으 로 확인되었다. 결론적으로, 균일한 호접란 발근묘 생산은 플라 스틱 재질보다는 유리병 재질의 배양병이 적합하며, 특히, 용적 이 500mL인 유리 배양병의 경우 신초를 7개(묘당 재식면적 5.4㎠) 이내로 배양하는 것이 바람직한 것으로 확인되었다.

최근 국내외 화장품과 식품산업에서 다양하게 사용되어 지고 있는 콜라겐 단백질 제품은 점차 그 용도와 특성에 따라 보다 고도화, 기능화 되어 가고 있다. 피부 건강의 지표인 콜라겐은 다양한 용도로 개발되어 사용되고 있으 며, 콜라겐의 소비가 증가함에 따라 용도에 적합한 최적 화된 콜라겐 제품의 개발이 중요한 연구 분야이다. 특히 여러 기업과 연구기관들에 의해서 콜라겐의 흡수율을 높 이기 위한 다양한 노력이 이루어지고 있다. 따라서 본 연 구에서는 프란즈(Franz) 세포 시스템을 이용하여 국내에서 판매되는 다양한 분자량별 콜라겐 제품의 경피 및 구강 상피세포 투과성을 비교하였다. 그 결과, 피부 표피/진피 조직과 비교하여 구강점막 조직의 콜라겐 흡수율이 분자 량 500달톤과 1,000달톤의 경우 모두 통계적으로 유의하 게(각각 약 10배, 2배) 높은 것으로 확인되었다. 또한, 분 자량별 구강점막 조직 흡수율을 비교한 결과, 분자량 500 달톤의 콜라겐이 분자량 1,000달톤 제품에 비해 흡수율이 2-3배 증가함을 확인하였다. 분자량 500달톤의 경우 Cmax 와 AUCt 값이 가장 높게 나타났으며, 피부 표피/진피 세 포에 비해 구강점막세포 시험군의 모든 지표가 높은 것으 로 나타났다. 본 연구 결과는 피부 흡수보다는 구강 점막 세포를 통한 콜라겐의 흡수방법이 콜라겐 체내 흡수증가 에 유효한 수단임을 시사하며, 분자량 1,000달톤 이하에서 도 보다 더 작은 500달톤의 저분자 콜라겐의 흡수율이 증 가되는 것으로 보아 콜라겐의 분자량이 흡수율 증가의 주 요한 요소임을 확인할 수 있었다.