Salinity stress is a major threat to plant growth and development, affecting crop yield and quality. This study investigated the effects of different salinity levels on photosynthetic responses and bulb growth of Lilium LA hybrid “‘Serrada’.” Plants were irrigated with 1 L of 0, 200, and 400 mM NaCl solutions every two weeks for 14 weeks in a greenhouse. At the end of the cultivation period, the substrate pH decreased, and electrical conductivity increased with increasing salinity. Regardless of salinity levels, the days to flowering and number of flowers were similar among treatments. In contrast, the flower width, plant height, number of leaves, and leaf area decreased with increasing NaCl concentrations. Although there were no differences in the photosystem II (PSII) operating efficiency and maximum quantum yield of PSII, net CO2 assimilation rates (An) and stomatal conductance (gs) were significantly reduced at 200 and 400 mM NaCl solutions compared to the control. At 400 mM NaCl solution, bulb diameter and weight significantly decreased at the end of the experiment. These results suggest that bulb growth inhibition could be attributed to limiting photosynthetic rate and stem growth. This finding suggests that salinity mitigation is necessary to maintain plant growth and photosynthetic capacity in lily cultivation on salt-affected soils.

Entomopathogenic fungi serve as eco-friendly alternatives to chemical pesticides. In this study, we investigate the interactions between mosquitoes and Metarhizium anisopliae JEF-157, which showed high insecticidal activity against mosquitoes, by RNA-seq analysis. RNA from mosquitoes was extracted at the median lethal time to identify changes in gene expression. The results showed 580 genes were up-regulated, while 336 genes were down-regulated in fungal treated mosquitoes. Up-regulated genes were related to metabolic and cellular processes such as cytochrome P450, DNA replication, and apoptosis. Down-regulated genes were involved in metabolism pathways such as lysosome, starch and sucrose metabolism, and fatty acid biosynthesis. These results are crucial for elucidating the mechanisms of fungal invasion and interaction in insects, providing insights for future pest management strategies.

The Republic of Korea (ROK), as a member state of the IAEA, is operating the State’s System of Accounting for and Control (SSAC) and conducting independent national inspections. Furthermore, an evaluation methodology for the material unaccounted for (MUF) is being developed in ROK to enhance capabilities of national inspection. Generally, physical and chemical changes of nuclear material are unavoidable due to the operating system and structure of facilities, an accumulation of material unaccounted for (MUF) has been issued. IAEA developed statistical MUF evaluation method that can be applied to all facilities around the world and it mainly focuses on the diversion detection of nuclear materials in facilities. However, in terms of the national safeguard inspection, an evaluation of accountancy in facilities is additionally needed. Therefore, in this research, a new approach to MUF evaluation is suggested, based on the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM) that an evaluation of measurement uncertainty factors is straightforward. A hypothetical list of inventory items (LII) which has 6,118 items at the beginning and end of the material balance period, along with 360 inflow and outflow nuclear material items at a virtual fuel fabrication plant was employed for both the conventional IAEA MUF evaluation method and the proposed GUM-based method. To calculate the measurement uncertainty, it was assumed that an electronic balance, gravimetry, and a thermal ionization mass spectrometer were used for a measurement of the mass, concentration, and enrichment of 235U, respectively. Additionally, it was considered that independent and correlated uncertainty factors were defined as random factors and systematic factors for the ease of uncertainty propagation by the GUM. The total MUF uncertainties of IAEA (σMUF) and GUM (uMUF) method were 37.951 and 36.692 kg, respectively, under the aforementioned assumptions. The difference is low, it was demonstrated that the GUM method is applicable to the MUF evaluation. The IAEA method demonstrated its applicability to all nuclear facilities, but its calculated errors exhibited low traceability due to its simplification. In contrast, the calculated uncertainty based on the GUM method exhibited high reliability and traceability, as it allows for individual management of measurement uncertainty based on the facility’s accounting information. Consequently, the application of the GUM approach could offer more benefits than the conventional IAEA method in cases of national safeguard inspections where factor analysis is required for MUF assessment.

This study examined the subacute oral toxicity of Dendropanax morbiferus H.Lév leaves hot-water extracts (DMWE) using male and female Spargue-Dawley rats. Rats were orally administered the DMWE at dose levels of 0, 250, 500, 1,000, and 2,000 mg/kg body weight (BW) for four weeks. For experimental period, clinical signs and the number of deaths were examined, and feed intake and BW of all experimental animals were measured once a week for four weeks. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected from all rats, and all animals were euthanized and autopsies were performed to collect major organs. No dead animals were found during the experimental period. In addition, no differences were found between control and DMWE-treated groups in feed intakes, BW changes, organ weights, clinical signs, hematological parameters, and serum biochemical parameters. The results of this study provided evidence that oral administration of DMWE at the dose of 2,000 mg/kg BW is safe in rats and may not exert severe toxic effects.

In this study, the acute toxicity of Dendropanax morbiferus H.Lév leaf hot-water extracts (DMWE) was examined in male and female ICR mice. Mice were orally administered the DMWE at dose levels of 0, 250, 500, 1,000 and 2,000 mg/kg body weight (BW) for single-dose toxicity test. There were no significant differences in change of BW between control and all DMWE treated-groups. In hematological and blood biochemical analysis, none of the parameters were affected by the DMWE. Similarly, there were no significant effects on markers for liver and kidney functions in all DMWE treated-groups. Since there were no adverse effects of the DMWE in single oral toxicity tests, even at the highest doses, it was concluded that the lethal dose 50 (LD50) of DMWE is estimated at > 2,000 mg/kg BW.