Piezoelectric technology, which converts mechanical energy into electrical energy, has recently attracted drawn considerable attention in the industry. Among the many kinds of piezoelectric materials, BaTiO3 nanotube arrays, which have outstanding uniformity and anisotropic orientation compared to nanowire-based arrays, can be fabricated using a simple synthesis process. In this study, we developed a flexible piezoelectric energy harvester (f-PEH) based on a composite film with PVDF-coated BaTiO3 nanotube arrays through sequential anodization and hydrothermal synthesis processes. The f-PEH fabricated using the piezoelectric composite film exhibited excellent piezoelectric performance and high flexibility compared to the previously reported BaTiO3 nanotube array-based energy harvester. These results demonstrate the possibility for widely application with high performance by our advanced f-PEH technique based on BaTiO3 nanotube arrays.

The consumption of Flammulina velutipes mushroom imported from Korea has been associated with the cases of listeriosis in the United States, Canada, and Australia. We investigated the effect of sanitizing the plastic wrapper (used in packaging F. velutipes) with slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) and ultraviolet C waterproof light-emitting diode (UVC-WLED) on reducing the Listeria monocytogenes. Further, the effect of UVC-LED on L. monocytogenes growth in F. velutipes at different storage temperatures (2, 4, and 10oC) was determined. The combined (SAEW+UVC-W-LED) treatment for 5–10 min reduced 99.9% of bacterial population from the contaminated plastic wrapper. In addition, the UVC-LED treatment for 3 min reduced the L. monocytogenes concentration in F. velutipes by 0.47 log CFU/g. Moreover, the growth of L. monocytogenes in the treated mushrooms was slower than that of the untreated (control) ones. L. monocytogenes concentration in F. velutipes increased over 3 log CFU/g at 2oC and 10oC for 60 and 10 days, respectively. The growth of L. monocytogenes at the bottom of mushrooms was faster than that at the top at both the temperatures. These results indicate that the combined SAEW+UVC-WLED treatment of plastic wrappers and the UVC-LED treatment of mushrooms can be used as potential hurdle technologies to control the risk of L. monocytogenes in mushrooms prior to packaging at farms.

The advancement in technology and availability of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) technology and the Internet made meaningful interaction possible in both on and offline environments, which is referred to as blended learning. Blended learning has recently begun to gain popularity in ELT, and appropriate models of blended learning need to be developed for EFL classrooms. However, there have not been many attempts to investigate its application and development of appropriate teaching and learning models of blended learning in the field of ELT, especially in relation to English language skills and subskills. Therefore, the purposes of this study are to investigate the students’ perspectives and effectiveness of blended learning in English pronunciation skills, and to explore gender differences in blended learning. The subjects of this study consist of 173 Korean university students, and quantitative data including questionnaire and pre-experiment were collected. The major findings of the study are as follows. First, students’ perspectives in blended learning, its components, and tools were very positive. Second, blended learning was found to be effective in the development of segmental and suprasegmental pronunciation skills. Third, there were few significant gender differences found regarding social aspects of online interaction. Implications and suggestions based on the findings and discussion are provided.