This study evaluated the immunogenicity of the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine in a guinea pig model to refine preclinical assessment methods. 24 guinea pigs were divided into four groups for immunohistochemical, histopathological, and molecular analyses, including qRT-PCR and ELISA. The ELISA results revealed significant elevations in interleukin 2 (IL-2), interferon-gamma (IFN- ), and tuberculosis-specific antibodies in vaccinated guinea pigs, particularly γ notable after 6 weeks. Although lung cytokine levels remained unchanged, spleen gene expression showed significant differences in interleukin-17, interleukin-12, interleukin-1β, and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 after 6 weeks. Immunohistochemistry revealed peak IL-2 expression at 8 weeks and significant IFN-γ and TNF-α expression at 6 weeks. This study confirmed the effectiveness of BCG vaccine in guinea pigs, providing crucial insights for future tuberculosis vaccine development and standardizing immune response indicators.

Nano-oxide dispersion–strengthened (ODS) superalloys have attracted attention because of their outstanding mechanical reinforcement mechanism. Dispersed oxides increase the material’s strength by preventing grain growth and recrystallization, as well as increasing creep resistance. In this research, atomic layer deposition (ALD) was applied to synthesize an ODS alloy. It is useful to coat conformal thin films even on complex matrix shapes, such as nanorods or powders. We coated an Nb-Si–based superalloy with TiO2 thin film by using rotary-reactor type thermal ALD. TiO2 was grown by controlling the deposition recipe, reactor temperature, N2 flow rate, and rotor speed. We could confirm the formation of uniform TiO2 film on the surface of the superalloy. This process was successfully applied to the synthesis of an ODS alloy, which could be a new field of ALD applications.

GN01 is a new antiviral medicine acting against Korean Sacbrood virus (KSBV) of honeybees. It contains 5 mg/mL of active ingredient, double stranded RNAs(dsRNA), that homologous to KSBV ribonucleic acid coding coat protein (VP1) of virus and inducing RNA interference (RNAi). RNA medicine is generally recognized as safe for rapid breakage by intrinsic ribonuclease and limited absorption from gastrointestinal tract. However, there were no data of repeat-dose toxicity in laboratory animals for dsRNA targeting SBV. This study was performed to investigate toxicity of GN01 in SD rats after weekly oral dosing for 28 days and to determine its no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL). Male and female SD rats were orally administered with GN01 at 0, 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg bw/day of dsRNA once per week for 28 days (total 5 administrations). The highest dose 100 mg/kg bw/day was determined based on the maximum volume injectable (20 mL/kg bw) via gavage. During treatment period, clinical signs, functional and sensory responses, body weights, food and water consumption, ophthalmological findings and urinalysis were investigated. After treatment period, hematological and clinical biochemistry tests and examination of necropsy findings, organ weights and histopathological lesions were performed. There were no significant differences between all test groups and vehicle control group in all measured parameters. Therefore, the NOAEL of GN01 was determined 100 mg/kg bw/day, the highest dose administered. In conclusion, repeated oral administration of GN01, a dsRNA medicinal product, is safe even at the maximum available dose in rats.

The solid-state chemistry of uranium is essential to the nuclear fuel cycle. Uranyl nitrate is a key compound that is produced at various stages of the nuclear fuel cycle, both in front-end and backend cycles. It is typically formed by dissolving spent nuclear fuel in nitric acid or through a wet conversion process for the preparation of UF6. Additionally, uranium oxides are a primary consideration in the nuclear fuel cycle because they are the most commonly used nuclear fuel in commercial nuclear reactors. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the oxidation and thermal behavior of uranium oxides and uranyl nitrates. Under the ‘2023 Nuclear Global Researcher Training Program for the Back-end Nuclear Fuel Cycle,’ supported by KONICOF, several experiments were conducted at IMRAM (Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials) at Tohoku University. First, the recovery ratio of uranium was analyzed during the synthesis of uranyl nitrate by dissolving the actual radioisotope, U3O8, in a nitric acid solution. Second, thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) of uranyl nitrate (UO2(NO3)2) and hyper-stoichiometric uranium dioxide (UO2+X) was performed. The enthalpy change was discussed to confirm the mechanism of thermal decomposition of uranyl nitrate under heating conditions and to determine the chemical hydrate form of uranyl nitrate. In the case of UO2+X, the value of ‘x’ was determined through the calculation of weight change data, and the initial form was verified using the phase diagram for the U-O system. Finally, the formation of a few UO2+X compounds was observed with heat treatment of uranyl nitrate and uranium dioxide at different temperature intervals (450°C-600°C). As a result of these studies, a deeper understanding of the thermal and chemical behavior of uranium compounds was achieved. This knowledge is vital for improving the efficiency and safety of nuclear fuel cycle processes and contributes to advancements in nuclear science and technology.

Polymeric carbon nitride (p-C3N4) is a promising platform as a metal-free photo-catalyst for various reactions. The p-C3N4 can be produced by thermal poly-condensation of organic precursors. Their morphological and chemical structures depend on reaction conditions during the poly-condensation. In this study, two p-C3N4 materials are produced by heat treatment of urea under different gaseous conditions with air (urea-derived carbon nitride under air, UCN-A) and N2 (UCN-N), respectively. UCN-A and UCN-N samples are mesoporous materials and show excellent photocatalytic activities for degrading rhodamine B, an organic pollutant, under the irradiation of visible light. The UCN-A shows the better photocatalytic activity than UCN-N. Various characterizations reveal that more porous structures and larger surface areas of UCN-A are reasons for the better photocatalytic performance.

Thermoelectric materials and devices are energy-harvesting devices that can effectively recycle waste heat into electricity. Thermoelectric power generation is widely used in factories, engines, and even in human bodies as they continuously generate heat. However, thermoelectric elements exhibit poor performance and low energy efficiency; research is being conducted to find new materials or improve the thermoelectric performance of existing materials, that is, by ensuring a high figure-of-merit (zT) value. For increasing zT, higher σ (electrical conductivity) and S (Seebeck coefficient) and a lower к (thermal conductivity) are required. Here, interface engineering by atomic layer deposition (ALD) is used to increase zT of n-type BiTeSe (BTS) thermoelectric powders. ALD of the BTS powders is performed in a rotary-type ALD reactor, and 40 to 100 ALD cycles of ZnO thin films are conducted at 100oC. The physical and chemical properties and thermoelectric performance of the ALD-coated BTS powders and pellets are characterized. It is revealed that electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity are decoupled, and thus, zT of ALD-coated BTS pellets is increased by more than 60% compared to that of the uncoated BTS pellets. This result can be utilized in a novel method for improving the thermoelectric efficiency in materials processing.

Deep geological disposal is generally accepted to be the most practical approach to handling radioactive wastes. Bentonite has been considered as a buffer material in deep geological disposal repositories (DGR) for high-level radioactive wastes. Evaluating the effect of short-term bentonite alteration on EBS performance has limitations in safety assessment over thousands of years. Information on bentonite characteristics under various conditions obtained from natural systems can be used to evaluate long-term safety of bentonite buffer. The purpose of this study was to investigate mineralogical and physicochemical characteristics of bentonite in the Naah mine located in Yangnam-myeon, Gyeongju-si for a natural analogue of the bentonite barrier in DGR. A total of 15 samples were collected at regular intervals from the bentonite layer and andesitic lapilli tuff (i.e., parent rock) at the boundary with the bentonite layer. The bentonite layer is located at a depth of about 1 m below the ground surface. Each sample was separated into particles < < 75 μm and particles < 2 μm through grinding and sedimentation processes. The separated subsamples were characterized mineralogically and physiochemically using various analytic techniques. Bentonite samples have a similar SiO2/Al2O3 ratio to the parent rock and a lower (Na+K)/Si ratio than the parent rock, indicating depletion of alkali components during bentonitization. The parent rock and bentonite samples have similar mineral composition (i.e., quartz, feldspars, opal-cristobalite-tridymite and montmorillonite). Results of XRD analysis on the randomly distributed particles < 2 μm indicate that bentonite is mostly composed of Ca-montmorillonite, which is a typical dioctahedral smectite. Results of FTIR and VNIR analysis indicate that montmorillonite contained in bentonite is Al-dioctahedral montmorillonite, and Al is substituted with Mg in some octahedron units. The mineralogical and physicochemical characteristics are similar regardless of sampling location. These results suggest that bentonite potentially exposed to weathering, located near the ground surface, has hardly altered.

This study aimed to examine the changes in dry matter yield and growth characteristics of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in response to variations in sowing dates during the autumn season of 2021-22 in a dry paddy field of Chilbo-myeon, Jeongeup-si, Jeollabuk-do. Treatments comprised four sowing dates at 10-day intervals, i.e., October 8, October 18, October 28, and November 8, 2021. The winter survival rate of alfalfa showed a significant difference between different treatments but was at a satisfactory level for all (p<0.05). The winter survival rate for the fourth sowing date, a month later than the first sowing date, was approximately 11.7% lower than that for the first sowing date. The plant height ranged between 82.3–93.1 cm and 60.5–63.7 cm at the first and second harvest, respectively, smaller at the second harvest than at the first harvest. The total dry matter yield of alfalfa was the highest at 13,316 kg/ha for the first sowing date, and the later the sowing date, the lower the dry matter yield. The protein content of alfalfa ranged between 13.6–17.3% in the first harvest, lower than the standard alfalfa protein content of 20% or more. In relative feed value, the first sowing (Oct. 8) was the most significantly higher in the first harvest (p<0.05). These results suggest that the early and mid-October sowing dates are optimum for sowing alfalfa during autumn and result in improved plant growth, dry matter yield, protein content, and winter survival compared to those at later sowing dates. Therefore, dry paddy fields can be safely employed for alfalfa cultivation with sowing dates in early and mid-October during autumn.

This study deals with replacement analysis of deteriorated equipment for improving productivity of production system. Frequent breakdown of the deteriorated equipment causes a situation that reduces productivity such as low product quality, process delay, and repair cost. However, the replacement of new equipment will be required a high initial investment cost, so it is important to analysis the economic feasibility. Therefore, we analyze the effect of the production system due to the aging effect of the equipment and the feasibility of equipment replacement based on the economic analysis. The process flow, working time, logistics movement, etc. are analyzed in order to build the simulation modeling for a ship and land switchboard production system. Using numerical examples, the economic feasibility analysis of equipment replacement through replacement of existing deteriorated equipment and additional arrangement of new facilities is performed.

In this study, the near-complete genome sequence of the novel reassortant H1N2 influenza A virus strain A/swine/Korea/KS60/2016 is reported. Sequences of the hemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA), and polymerase basic 2 (PB2) genes were analyzed, revealing that the isolates contain segments from previous Korean swine H1N2 strains. Additionally, the remaining genes of this strain originated from human H1N1 strains in 2009.