This study was conducted from 2021 to 2024 at the Grassland and Forage Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Korea, to develop a high-yielding, medium-maturing Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) cultivar. The newly developed cultivar, named ‘Aura’ is a tetraploid type characterized by green leaves, a semi-erect growth habit before winter, and an erect growth habit during spring growth. ‘Aura’ headed on May 11, approximately 10 days later than the check cultivar ‘Kowinearly’, confirming its classification as a medium-maturing cultivar. At the heading stage, plant height reached 105 cm, which was greater than that of the control cultivar. In addition, leaf blade width, spike length, and spikelet number were greater in ‘Aura’ indicating vigorous growth. The average dry matter yield of ‘Aura’ across four regions was 10,535 kg/ha, which was significantly higher than that of ‘Kowinearly’ (p<0.05). The crude protein content of ‘Aura’ was 10.5%, which was 2.2 percentage points higher than that of the check cultivar. In contrast, acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber concentrations were lower in ‘Aura’ resulting in slightly greater total digestible nutrient content and relative feed value. Furthermore, ‘Aura’ maintained stable winter survival across all test locations. These results indicate that ‘Aura’ is a promising medium-maturing cultivar with high productivity, stable winter hardiness, and favorable forage quality for cultivation in Korea.

CoS2 is a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) because of its high theoretical capacity. However, its practical application is hampered by severe volume expansion during cycling. In this study, fluorine-doped carbon-coated CoS2 (F-CoS2@C) was synthesized via NaCl template-assisted carbon coating using petroleum-derived pyrolyzed fuel oil, followed by CF4 plasma treatment. The proposed method of synthesis enables control of the carbon layer thickness, formation of a void structure, and introduction of fluorine functional groups. F–CoS2@C delivered 295 mAh/g at 5 A/g and retained 375 mAh/g after 500 cycles at 1 A/g. The enhanced electrochemical performance is attributed to the void carbon structure and fluorine-induced interfacial stabilization. The carbon structure increased electrolyte penetration and electrical conductivity, and mitigated volume changes. Fluorine doping promoted the formation of a LiF-rich solid electrolyte interphase layer and enhanced the electronic transport by semi-ionic C-F bonds. This study offers a promising strategy for the development of transition metal sulfide/carbon composites as high-performance LIB anodes.

Porous hard carbon has recently gained attention as an anode material for KIB because of its superior potassium ion storage performance. In this study, an efficient method for producing polyethylene-based hollow porous carbon is presented. Partial sulfonation was applied, and the porosity of the resulting carbon material was regulated by the sulfonation time. A hollow structure with the high specific surface area of 173.3 m2/g was achieved via partial sulfonation and carbonization without additional activation. Using polyethylene (PE)-based porous carbon as an anode material for KIB, a high specific discharge capacity of 187 mAh/g and excellent rate capability at 1000 mA/g were achieved. Moreover, potassium-ion storage mechanisms were identified and compared with those of non-porous PE-based carbon anodes. This study provides an effective method for preparing porous PE-based carbon with superior energy storage performance.

Fluorinated carbons ( CFX) are promising cathode materials for lithium primary batteries due to their high energy density, yet suffer from poor electronic conductivity. Manganese dioxide ( MnO2), on the other hand, offers superior rate capability, but limited capacity. Here, we design MnO2/ CFx hybrid cathodes by combining MnO2 with CFX materials synthesized at controlled fluorination levels (x = 0.4–1.0) to synergistically optimize both energy and power performance. Structural and spectroscopic analyses reveal that moderate fluorination (x = 0.6) induces a favorable balance of semi-ionic C–F and interfacial O–F bonds, enhancing electron delocalization and charge transfer at the MnO2/ CFX interface. In contrast, excessive fluorination (x ≥ 0.8) leads to the formation of electrochemically inert C–F2 and C–F3 species, suppressing redox kinetics. As a result, MnO2/ CFX-0.6 delivers a discharge capacity of 390 mAh g–1−1 at 0.05 C and retains 182 mAh g–1−1 at 4 C, outperforming both pristine MnO2 and other CFX variants. This work establishes interfacial fluorine bonding configuration, not just bulk F/C ratio, as a critical design parameter for high-performance hybrid cathodes.

노린재과(Pentatomidae)에 속하는 꼬마갈색노린재속(Plautia Stål)은 중간 정도의 크기, 녹색 몸체, 그리고 갈색을 띠는 반시초(hemelytra) 가 특징인 속이다. 특히 갈색날개노린재와 같은 일부 종은 중요한 농업 해충으로 간주되어 이들의 방제에 대한 연구의 필요성이 높다. 본 연구는 한 국산 Plautia 속의 분류 현황을 검토하고 관련된 기생자(parasitoids) 정보를 제공하는 것을 목표로 했다. 재검토 결과, 한국에서 P. splendens Distant, 1900으로 알려졌던 꼬마갈색노린재는 P. himechabane Ishikawa and Moriya, 2019로 재동정되었다. 각 종들은 종별 사진과 암수 생식 기 구조를 기반으로 분류되었으며, 색상 변이와 암컷 저정낭(spermatheca)의 관찰 가능한 차이를 보여주는 그림이 포함되었다. 추가적으로, 알려 진 꼬마갈색노린재속에 대한 기생자의 목록을 검토했으며, 새로 발견된 두 종의 꼬마갈색노린재속 관련 응애에 대한 정보를 제공한다. 이 응애 중에 는 한국에서 처음으로 기록되는 Lobogynium 속이 포함된다.

본 연구는 해안림 복원에 활용되는 자생식물인 돈나무 (Pittosporum tobira), 통보리사초(Carex kobomugi), 순비기 나무(Vitex rotundifolia)의 테트라졸륨(tetrazolium, TZ) 검정 조건을 규명하고자 하였다. 세 종의 종자 모두 절개하지 않은 상태에서는 활력이 관찰되지 않았으나, 절개 후에는 각각 96.7%, 57.5%, 60.7%의 활력이 관찰되어 절개가 필수적이었 다. 이는 과피 또는 종피가 TZ 용액의 침투를 물리･화학적으로 제한하기 때문이다. 돈나무는 25-35oC에서 24시간 처리만으 로도 높은 활력을 보였다. 통보리사초는 30-35oC, 24-48시간 처리에서 비교적 높은 활력을 보였으나, 처리 온도와 시간에 따른 활력 차이는 통계적으로 유의하지 않았다. 이는 종자의 작은 배 크기와 단단한 과포로 인해 TZ 용액의 침투가 제한되었 기 때문으로 판단된다. 또한, 7월 성숙기에 채종한 종자와 10월 탈리가 시작된 시기에 채종한 종자 간에 활력 차이가 관찰되어 활력 검정 시 종자의 성숙 단계를 고려할 필요가 있다. 순비기나 무는 25-30oC에서 48시간 처리 시 90%의 활력을 보였다. 결론 적으로, 종자의 구조와 성숙도를 반영한 종별 TZ 검정 조건을 설정하면 국내 자생식물 종자의 활력 평가 정확도를 높일 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

A total of 128 halophilic and marine-associated bacterial strains were isolated from environmental marine samples and fermented seafood products collected in the Sacheon region of South Korea. The aim was to secure region-specific microbial resources and evaluate their potential for industrial use. The isolates belonged to 4 phyla, 15 families, 30 genera, and 61 species. The phylum Bacillota, particularly the family Bacillaceae, was the major taxonomic group (62.5%), comprising 14 genera and 36 species, such as Alkalihalobacillus, Bacillus, Caldibacillus, Cytobacillus, Fictibacillus, Halobacillus, Lysinibacillus, Metabacillus, Neobacillus, Oceanobacillus, Priestia, Rossellomorea, Rummeliibacillus, and Ureibacillus. Members of the phylum Pseudomonadota, primarily the family Alteromonadaceae, accounted for 4.7% of the isolates and included the genera Marinobacter and Microbulbifer. All isolates identified as members of the phylum Pseudomonadota were strong auxin producers or showed high extracellular enzyme activities. Functional characterization showed that 86 strains (67.2%) exhibited hydrolytic activity for at least one enzyme (protease, amylase, or lipase), and 32 strains (25%) produced auxin. The functions of the microbial resources in the Sacheon region are highly diverse. Collectively, the isolated strains show potential for application in managing marine environments, bioprocessing, and the fermented seafood industry, underscoring their value as genetic resources for future biotechnological use in South Korea.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and qualified presumption of safety (QPS)-designated Bacillus strains are widely applied to enhance the nutritional and functional properties of natural products. Green garlic (Allium sativum L.), a common Korean vegetable and recognized functional food, is valued for its antioxidant and immune-enhancing activities. In this study, we investigated the functional properties of green garlic fermented with LAB and QPS-designated Bacillus strains. A total of 450 strains were isolated from marine environments, livestock sources, and diverse agricultural and fishery products, including fermented derivatives, of which 191 originated from agricultural products. Enzyme assays identified 89 strains with strong protease and amylase activities. After excluding taxonomic duplicates, we obtained seven QPS-designated Bacillus strains and four LAB strains characterized by robust growth in media containing green garlic. Fermentation using Sacheon green garlic powder was conducted for 4 days, and compared with the control, we found that the antioxidant activity of green garlic fermented with Latilactobacillus curvatus GH-11-11 and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens JY-48-5 increased by 144.0% and 145.8%, respectively. In addition, relative to a non-fermented extract, a 2-day fermentation with JY-48-5 enhanced α-glucosidase inhibitory activity by over 189.4%. These findings indicate that cultures of selected LAB and QPS-designated Bacillus strains could serve as promising starters for enhancing the bioactive properties of foods, and also emphasize the importance of regional microbial resources.

Modifying the softening point (SP) of pitch is crucial owing to its substantial influence on pitch applicability. This study presents a novel fluorination technique for engineering the SP of mesophase pitch (MP). Low-concentration fluorine gas was used to modify the edge sites of the MP, allowing for either an increase or decrease in the SP by controlling the gas reactivity. The fluorination was conducted with 20 vol% F2 gas under reaction temperature of 25, 50, and 75 ℃ for 2 h in atmospheric pressure. A reduction in SP was achieved through edge alkylation, with a decrease of up to 14.1% observed after the fluorination. Conversely, an increase in SP resulted from edge dealkylation at higher reaction temperatures. As the modified MPs retained perfect anisotropy, this study offers an effective strategy for adjusting the SP to meet application needs without causing structural deterioration.

Modern society seeks coexistence across boundaries, inspiring fashion studies that transcend gender norms to promote equality and harmony. The current study aimed to (a) analyze and classify the design characteristics of men’s genderless fashion (Study 1) and (b) investigate the perceptions, attitudes, and purchase intentions of millennial and Gen Z male consumers regarding genderless fashion (Study 2). For the first study, we selected 192 photographs highlighting genderless features from the men’s clothing collections of 2020 F/W and 2021 S/S in Paris, Milan, London, and New York. A group of fashion experts conducted the classification, with an inter-coder reliability of 92.1%. Genderless fashion was classified into four design properties: fusion, mixing male and female characteristics; juxtaposition, showing coexistence without mixing; transition, emphasizing opposite characteristics; and neutrality, showing neither male nor female features. For Study 2, an online survey was conducted with men in their 20s and 30s (N=74, MeanAge=31.04). The participants reviewed 12 representative photographs that were obtained from Study 1, evaluating recognition, attitudes, and purchase intentions. The results showed that the participants perceived transition as the most feminine, while they judged juxtaposition, fusion, and neutrality as more neutral. The stronger the feminine elements in the materials, colors, silhouettes, fit, and decorative details were, the lower the attitudes and purchase intentions became. This research is significant vis-à-vis identifying the design characteristics of men’s genderless fashion and providing design directions that may encourage actual purchases among millennial and Gen Z male consumers.

Nickel is widely used in industrial fields such as electrocatalysis and energy storage devices. Although micron-sized nickel particles exhibit excellent mechanical durability, their low specific surface area limits their reactivity. We modified the surface of micron-sized nickel particles with nanostructured nickel oxalate and investigated the effects of the solvent dielectric constant, surfactant, and thermal treatment atmosphere on the resulting particle morphology and phase transformation. Rietveld refinement analysis confirmed that changes in the solvent dielectric constant led to increased or diminished crystallinity of specific planes in nickel oxalate, resulting in diffraction patterns distinct from standard JCPDS data. These structural changes were also found to influence the morphology of the synthesized nickel oxalate. The results demonstrate that nickel oxalate serves as an effective precursor for producing Ni and NiO phases, and shape control of the final product can increase the surface reactivity of micron-sized nickel materials.