Background: Stroke often results in hemiparesis, which leads to asymmetrical plantar pressure and impaired balance control. The gastrocnemius muscle plays a key role in plantar flexion and postural stability. Dysfuncion of this muscle is associated with decreased posterior foot pressure and increased fall risk in stroke patients. Objectives: To investigate the effects of gastrocnemius muscle stimulation using microcurrent stimulation therapy on plantar pressure distribution and functional balance in stroke patients. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: Twenty chronic stroke patients were divided into an experimental group (microcurrent stimulation therapy+conventional rehabilitation therapy) and a control group (conventional rehabilitation therapy only). plantar pressure (posterior foot pressure), center of anteroposterior pressure displacement (CAP), and balance ability were measured using the berg balance scale (BBS) and functional reach test (FRT) before and after 8 weeks of intervention. Results: The experimental group showed statistically significant increases in posterior foot pressure and reductions in CAP after intervention. BBS and FRT scores also significantly improved. Although the control group showed some improvements, the changes were smaller and less consistent. Conclusion: Microcurrent stimulation targeting the gastrocnemius muscle improved plantar pressure symmetry and postural stability in stroke patients, suggesting its effectiveness as an adjunctive balance rehabilitation intervention.

Background: The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is widely used for movement assessment but suffers from subjective scoring that leads to inconsistent evaluations. While previous studies have focused on reliability, the validity of AI-supported assessment remains unexplored. Objectives: To evaluate the reliability and validity of an AI-based motion analysis system using MediaPipe for three FMS movements. Design: Prospective reliability and validity study with repeated measures. Methods: Thirty healthy adults (age 23.4±2.8 years) performed three FMS tests (Deep Squat, Hurdle Step, Inline Lunge) recorded on video. Three evaluators (two experienced physical therapists and one novice) assessed recordings in three phases: Phase 1 involved traditional assessment by experts only to establish criterion reference, Phase 2 had all evaluators using AI support, and Phase 3 consisted of repeated AI-supported assessment. The AI system provided real-time visual feedback of joint angles and alignment through MediaPipe skeletal tracking. Results: Criterion validity showed strong agreement between traditional expert assessment and AI-supported assessment (r=0.94, P<.05). Inter-rater reliability improved from good (ICC=0.89) to excellent (ICC=0.91) with AI support. The novice evaluator achieved immediate expert-level performance with only 0.05 points difference from experts. Intra-rater reliability was excellent for all evaluators (ICC=0.84-0.89). Conclusion: The AI-based system demonstrated strong validity and improved reliability for fundamental movement assessment. While AI support enabled novice evaluators to achieve expert-level performance immediately, it may increase sensitivity to subtle movement variations. This technology shows promise for standardizing movement screening, though current limitations restrict its application to standing movements.

In this paper, a water rescue mission system was developed for water safety management areas by utilizing unmanned mobility( drone systems) and AI-based visual recognition technology to enable automatic detection and localization of drowning persons, allowing timely response within the golden time. First, we detected suspected human subjects in daytime and nighttime videos, then estimated human skeleton-based poses to extract human features and patterns using LSTM models. After detecting the drowning person, we proposed an algorithm to obtain accurate GPS location information of the drowning person for rescue activities. In our experimental results, the accuracy of the Drown detection rate is 80.1% as F1-Score, and the average error of position estimation is about 0.29 meters.

Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam., IRG) is a widely cultivated winter forage crop known for its high yield and nutritional value. This study evaluated the processing characteristics and feeding performance of IRG-based pellets in Hanwoo cattle (Bos taurus coreanae) and Korean native black goats (Capra hircus). IRG was harvested at the optimal growth stage and processed into two pellet formulations: IRG ≥80% (with up to 20% soybean meal) and 100% IRG. Feeding trials were conducted under ad libitum feeding conditions. Hanwoo cattle showed higher intake of 100% IRG pellets (7.9 kg/day/head) than IRG ≥80% pellets (7.5 kg/day/head, p<0.05), with similar average daily gain (0.9 ± 0.4 kg/day/head). Conversely, black goats exhibited significantly lower intake of IRG ≥80% pellets (54.6 g/day/head) compared to 100% IRG pellets (266 g/day/head), likely due to reduced palatability associated with soybean meal inclusion. These findings suggest that IRG pellets are suitable for Hanwoo cattle, while further optimization of pellet size and formulation is required to improve acceptance in goats. Future studies should assess long-term impacts on digestion, rumen fermentation, and metabolic responses.

This study proposes a weighted ensemble deep learning framework for accurately predicting the State of Health (SOH) of lithium-ion batteries. Three distinct model architectures—CNN-LSTM, Transformer-LSTM, and CEEMDAN-BiGRU—are combined using a normalized inverse RMSE-based weighting scheme to enhance predictive performance. Unlike conventional approaches using fixed hyperparameter settings, this study employs Bayesian Optimization via Optuna to automatically tune key hyperparameters such as time steps (range: 10-35) and hidden units (range: 32-128). To ensure robustness and reproducibility, ten independent runs were conducted with different random seeds. Experimental evaluations were performed using the NASA Ames B0047 cell discharge dataset. The ensemble model achieved an average RMSE of 0.01381 with a standard deviation of ±0.00190, outperforming the best single model (CEEMDAN-BiGRU, average RMSE: 0.01487) in both accuracy and stability. Additionally, the ensemble's average inference time of 3.83 seconds demonstrates its practical feasibility for real-time Battery Management System (BMS) integration. The proposed framework effectively leverages complementary model characteristics and automated optimization strategies to provide accurate and stable SOH predictions for lithium-ion batteries.

본 연구에서는 국내 미기록종인 Euandrolaelaps yamauchii (Ishikawa, 1982)를 채집하여 해당종의 새로운 분포지로서 기록하였다. 또한, Euandrolaelaps yamauchii (Ishikawa)의 완모식표본과 한국산 표본을 함께 비교검경하여 개정된 분류학적 진단정보를 제시하였으며, 검경에 사용 한 현미경사진 및 도판과 국내에 보고된 Euandrolaelaps속에 대한 분류키도 함께 제공하였다.

This study was conducted from 2022 to 2024 at the Grassland and Forage Crops Division, National Institute of Animal Science (RDA), in Cheonan, Korea, to develop a medium-maturing variety of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.). The newly developed tetraploid cultivar, named ‘Spider’, is characterized by its green leaves, semi-erect growth habit in late autumn, and erect growth habit in mid-spring. With a heading date of May 16, ‘Spider’ is classified as a medium-maturing variety. Compared to the control cultivar ‘Kowinmaster’, ‘Spider’ has a 1.0 mm wider leaf blade, a 1.6 cm longer leaf blade, and is 5 cm taller in plant height. Its dry matter yield (10,169 kg/ha) is significantly higher than that of ‘Kowinmaster’ (p<0.05). The crude protein content of ‘Spider’ is 10.4%, which is 0.2% higher than that of the control. Additionally, ‘Spider’ has a neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content of 49.5% and an acid detergent fiber (ADF) content of 26.6%, showing a 2.2% lower NDF and a 0.2% higher ADF compared to ‘Kowinearly’.

The commercial feed additive, native rumen microbes (RC), derived from a diverse microbial community isolated from the rumen of Hanwoo steers is being explored to enhance rumen fermentation and improve ruminant feed utilization. This study evaluated the impact of native rumen microbes supplementation on methane emissions, microbial diversity, and fermentation efficiency on in vitro assessment. Treatments were as follows: CON (basal diet, without RC); T1 (basal diet + 0.1% RC); T2 (basal diet + 0.2% RC). Rumen fermentation parameters, total gas, and methane production were assessed at 12, 24, and 48 h of incubations. The in vitro gas production was carried out using the Ankom RF Gas Production System. Supplementation of RC significantly reduced the total gas production at 12, 24, and 48 hours of incubation (p < 0.05). Volatile fatty acid concentrations were increased, while acetate and propionate were decreased (p < 0.05) at 48 h by the supplementation of RC. Notably, the 0.1% inclusion level of RC significantly reduced methane production by 28.30% and 21.21% at 12 and 24 hours. Furthermore, microbial diversity analysis revealed significant shifts (p < 0.05) in bacterial composition between the control and treatment groups, while supplementation also promoted the growth of bacterial populations, such as Succiniclasticum. These findings suggest that native rumen microbes supplementation, particularly at 0.1% inclusion level, can enhance rumen microbial composition while significantly reducing methane production in vitro.

This study was conducted to reset the withdrawal time (WT) for amoxicillin (AMX) in pigs as a part of positive list system (PLS) program introduction. Forty-two healthy pigs were orally administered with AMX at doses of 10 mg/kg body weight (BW) (AMX-1, n=20) and 20 mg/kg BW (AMX-2, n=20), twice daily for 5 days, respectively. After the treatment, tissue samples were collected from four pigs at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 14 days post-administration, respectively. Based on a previously established analysis method, residual AMX concentrations in pig tissues were determined using LC-MS/MS. In both AMX-1 and AMX-2 groups, AMX levels in all tissues except fat was below the limit of quantification (LOQ) at one day after the final administration. According to the European Medicines Agency’s guideline on determination of withdrawal periods, the withdrawal periods for AMX-1 and AMX-2 in fat tissue were established as 0 and 2 days, respectively. In conclusion, the estimated WT of AMX in edible tissues of pigs is shorter than the current WT recommendation of 5 days for AMX.

This research aimed to investigate heterogeneity regarding governance, agricultural productivity, and food security between developed and developing nations. Utilizing a three-stage least squares (3SLS) simultaneous equation model, this study found that governance could positively impact food security through capital accumulation and agricultural productivity in both developed and developing countries. However, the magnitude of these effects differed significantly between country groups, with developed countries showing stronger governance-food security linkages than developing countries. This study reaffirms the importance of governance while showcasing its potential to vary based on a country’s economic level. Additionally, it sheds comprehensive light on impacts of agricultural production and agricultural capital accumulation on food security.

This study evaluated the bactericidal efficacy of a disinfectant containing chlorine dioxide as its main ingredient against Paenibacillus larvae (P. larvae) that is the causative agent of American foulbrood. A bactericidal efficacy test by broth dilution method was used to determine the lowest effective dilution of the disinfectant following exposure to P. larvae for 30 min at 4°C. The disinfectant and test bacterium were diluted with low and high organic matter (OM) suspension according to treatment condition. On low and high OM conditions, the bactericidal activity of the disinfectant against P. larvae was 2.5 and 1.25 fold dilution, respectively. The recommended dilution time of the disinfectant in low and high OM was 2.0 and 1.0 fold dilution, respectively. As the disinfectant possesses bactericidal efficacy against P. larvae, the disinfectant can be used to prevent American foulbrood in larvae of honeybees.

Background: Heat stress during summer impairs reproductive performance in sows, causing summer infertility. Cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) plays a crucial role in steroid hormone metabolism in the liver and has been shown to be upregulated under stress conditions. However, the effect of seasonal heat stress on CYP1A2 expression in sow ovaries remains poorly understood. Methods: Ovaries were collected from crossbred sows during different seasons in Korea. The control group (CON) was exposed to optimal temperatures for swine rearing (22.0-24.5℃) during spring, while the heat-stressed group (HS) experienced high temperatures (30.5-37.0℃) during summer. Temperature-humidity index (THI) was calculated to assess thermal stress severity. CYP1A2 expression was analyzed using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC), and these values were statistically compared with THI by Pearson’s correlation analysis. Results: The HS exhibited significantly higher THI values compared to the CON (88.11 vs. 66.67). Western blot analysis revealed significant upregulation of CYP1A2 expression in the HS compared to CON (1.89 vs. 1.00). IHC demonstrated that CYP1A2 was specifically localized in granulosa cells of mature follicles, with a significantly higher proportion of CYP1A2-positive follicles in the HS (15.92%) compared to CON (9.08%). When the obtained values were compared with THI values, CYP1A2 expression showed a strong positive correlation with THI (r = 0.41 and 0.74). Conclusions: This study revealed that heat stress can alter the ovarian microenvironment, including the expression of CYP1A2. These findings emphasize the need for effective thermal management strategies to mitigate heat stress-induced reproductive dysfunction in livestock production.

Small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises(SMEs) have traditionally relied on skilled labor to support multi-variety, small-batch production. However, demographic changes such as low birth rates and aging populations have led to severe labor shortages, prompting increased interest in collaborative robots(cobots) as a viable alternative. Despite this necessity, many SMEs continue to face significant challenges in implementing such technologies due to technical, organizational, and environmental(TOE) constraints. While prior research has mainly focused on technology adoption from the perspective of user organizations, this study adopts a differentiated approach by analyzing adoption factors from the perspective of smart factory experts—specifically, evaluators/mentors and solution providers—who play a critical role in Korea’s policy-driven smart manufacturing environment. Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP), the study evaluates the relative importance and prioritization of adoption factors across three dimensions: technology, organization, and environment. Survey data collected from 20 smart factory experts indicate that top management support, relative advantage, and safety are key determinants in cobot adoption. Furthermore, the findings reveal that organizational readiness and technical effectiveness have greater influence on implementation decisions than external pressures such as partner pressure. This study provides new insights by incorporating expert perspectives into the adoption framework and offers practical policy and managerial implications to support cobots implementation in the SMEs.

This study investigated the flowering response of three Korean native Aster species, namely A. hayatae, A. spathulifolius, and A. koraiensis, to varying photoperiods. Three-month-old plants propagated from cuttings were grown under four different photoperiods: 9, 12, 14, and 16 h. Aster hayatae flowered under all conditions, with flowering rates of 92%, 85%, 65%, and 27% under 9-, 12-, 14-, and 16-h photoperiods, respectively. Flowering in A. hayatae was promoted by shorter photoperiods, classifying it as a facultative short-day plant. Aster spathulifolius flowered only under 9- and 12-h photoperiods, with no significant difference between these treatments, suggesting that the species is an obligate short-day plant. However, given the low A. spathulifolius flowering rates of 27% and 13% under 9- and 12-h photoperiods, respectively, further research is required. Aster koraiensis did not flower under any photoperiod, possibly due to vernalization requirements or juvenility. These findings offer valuable insights into the photoperiodic flowering responses of these three Korean native Aster species, enhancing our understanding of their ecological traits and potential horticultural applications.