Haemaphysalis longicornis는 사람과 동물에게 여러 심각한 병원체를 전달하는 주요 매개체로, 한반도에 널리 분포하고 있다. H. longicornis는 Rickettsia spp., Borrelia spp., Francisella spp., Coxiella spp., 그리고 중증열성혈소판 감소증후군 바이러스 (SFTS virus) 등을 매개하는 것으로 알려져 있다. 국내에 서식하는 H. longicornis의 미생물 군집과 관련된 연구는 많이 진행되지 않은 것으로 확인되었다. 이 연구는 한반도 내 다양한 지역에서 채집된 H. longicornis의 미생물군집 다양성을 지역별, 성장 단계 및 성별에 따라 분석하였다. 2019년 6월부터 7월까지 질병관리청 권역별기후변화매개체감시거점센터 16개 지역에서 채집한 H. longicornis의 16S rRNA 유전자 V3-V4 영역을 PCR로 증폭 후 Illumina MiSeq 플랫폼으로 시퀀싱하였다. Qiime2를 활용한 미생물 다양성 분석을 통해 총 46개의 샘플에서 1,754,418개의 non-chimeric reads를 얻었으며, 평균 126개 의 operating taxonmic unit (OTU) 을 식별하여 총 1,398개의 OTU를 확인하였다. 대부분의 지역에서 Coxiella spp.가 우점종으로 나타났으며, 특히 Coxiella endosymbiont는 가장 높은 우점도를 보이며, Coxiella burnetii와 계통 발생 학적으로 유사한 것으로 확인되었다. 이 연구를 통해 분석된 결과는 각 지역의 H. longicornis 미생물군집 데이터 베이스 구축에 활용되었으며, 이를 통해 지역별 미생물군집의 특이성을 식별할 수 있게 하였다. 이는 한반도의 H. longicornis에 의한 질병 전파 연구와 이를 통한 공중보건 개선에 기여할 것으로 기대된다.

국내 원예작물에서 화분매개곤충의 의존도는 해마다 증가하고 있다. 우리는 사과, 딸기 등 화분매개곤충의 의존도가 높은 주요 과수와 시설작물에 대하여 화분매개곤충의 사용기술을 개발하고 이를 현장에 적용하는 연구를 수행하고 있다. 2021년부터 2022년까지 딸기, 키위 등 5가지 주요 농작물에서 화분매개벌을 적용한 결과, 딸기에서 뒤영벌의 적용결과 기존 꿀벌과 통계적으로 같은 수준의 화분매개효과를 나타내었으며, 하우스에서 농약적용시 하우스 밖으로 벌통을 위치시키는 것이 방치보다 벌의 소실을 20% 더 감소시킬 수 있었다. 인공수분 에 의존하고 있는 씨없는 수박에서 수분수 식재와 꿀벌을 이용함으로 기존 벌 방사보다 16% 착과율을 향상시킬 수 있었다. 시설고추에서 꿀벌과 뒤영벌의 혼합사용시 기존 꿀벌 방사보다 고추 수량이 10% 향상되었고, 토마토 에서 660㎡당 뒤영벌의 봉군량을 1.5배 증가시 토마토 수량은 4.4% 향상되었다. 키위는 꿀벌로 기존의 인공수분 을 충분히 대체할 수 있었고, 인건비가 60%이상 절감되었다. 또한 현재 시판중인 30종의 살충제와 27종의 살균제 에 대하여 24시간내 반수치사를 보인 농약은 각각 살충제 6종와 살균제 4종 이었다. 이어서 2023년부터 참외, 멜론, 사과, 단감에 대한 현장적용연구가 진행되고 있다.

Bee traffic at the hive entrance can be used as an important indicator of foraging activity. We investigated patterns of honeybees and bumblebees near their hives as a basis for calculating bee traffic using the image deep learning. The flight pattern near the hive differed significantly according to bee at entering and leaving the hive. Honeybees mainly showed flight that changed flight direction more than once (69.5%), whereas bumblebees mainly performed straight flight (48.7%) or had a single turn (36.5%) in flight. When bees entered the hive, honeybees primarily showed one-turn or two-turn flight patterns(88.5%), and bumblebees showed a one-turn flight pattern (48.0%). In contrast, when leaving the hive, honeybees primarily showed a straight flight pattern (63.0%), and bumblebees primarily showed a straight or one-turn pattern (90.5%). There was a significant difference in flight speed according to the flight pattern. The speed of straight flight (0.89±0.47 m/s) was 1.5 to 2.1 times faster than flight where direction changed. Therefore, our results can help determine the capturing and recognizing the flying image of bees when calculating bee traffic by image deep learning.

노지 나방류 해충인 담배거세미나방 방제를 위한 유충기생성 천적 2종인 긴등기생파리와 예쁜가는배고치벌 의 방사조건을 확립하고자 콩 재배포장에서 방사거리 및 방사밀도별 기생율을 조사하였다. 긴등기생파리는 방사 후 24시간 이내 방사지점으로부터 10m까지 이동하여 나방류 유충을 기생하였으며, 예쁜가는배고치벌도 방사지점으로부터 15m에서도 기주유충에 산란하여 고치가 형성된 것이 확인되었다. 긴등기생파리는 면적당 방사밀도가 높아질수록 기생율이 증가했으며, ㎡당 0.15마리(천적:해충=1:5) 방사했을 때 평균기생율 63.1%로 나타났다. 예쁜가는배고치벌은 긴등기생파리와 같은 방사밀도에서 평균기생율 47.8%로 확인되었으나, 방사 밀도에 따른 기생율 차이는 없었다.

M. pruinosa has been found on 98 families and 345 species of plants, indicating a wide host range. Since its first report in a persimmon orchard in Gimhae in 2009, it had spread to 126 municipalities over 12,429 ha. Because of powerful dispersal ability, it’s difficult to control with insecticides. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the population density through the release of M. pruinosa’s natural enemy, N. typhlocybae. N. typhlocybae females prey on or externally parasitize the nymphs of M. pruinosa. This natural enemy was introduced from Italy in 2017 through an international cooperative project between National Institute of Agricultural Sciences and University of Padova for controlling the sporadic pest, Metcalfa pruinosa. This study reported the results of mass rearing N. typhlocybae indoors and releasing them outdoors from 2020 to 2023 in 21 regions nationwide, showing an average parasitism rate of 27.3% and an average production of 7.9 cocoons per host, suggesting the possibility of their establishment in Korea.

Bangladeshi medicinal plants (BMP) have a history of traditional use in treating chronic inflammatory diseases, but a BMP bark’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects remain largely unexplored. This study assessed methanolic extracts’ antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties from the bark of 15 medicinal plant species native to Bangladesh. The methanol extracts of BMP bark were evaluated for their total antioxidant activity and ability to counteract inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Among the 15 bark extracts from BMP, Albizia odoratissima (A. odoratissima), Engelhardia spicata (E. spicata), and Shorea robusta (S. robusta) showed the highest total phenolic contents and total antioxidant capacity by effectively scavenging free radicals. In particular, these three bark extracts significantly reduced the mRNA expression of LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines and enzymes inducible by inflammation in macrophages. Also, the mRNA expression of NADPH oxidase 2 was significantly suppressed by the three bark extracts in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. These results suggest that out of the 15 bark extracts obtained from medicinal plants in Bangladesh, the extracts from A. odoratissima, E. spicata, and S. robusta exhibit substantial total antioxidant capacity by efficiently scavenging free radicals and also inhibit LPS-induced inflammation in macrophages.

토복령은 우수한 항균, 항산화, 항염증 효능을 가진 소재로 알려져 있다. 이러한 토복령(Smilax china)의 추출물의 기능성을 화장품에 적용하기 위한 기초연구로써 토복령에서 발견되는 플라보노이드인 quercetin, catechin, naringenin의 농도별 경피 투과 특성을 조사할 필요성이 있다. Marzulli의 정의에 적 용한 결과 케르세틴의 Kp 값은 0.1 mg/mL에서 "빠름"으로 분류되었고, 0.2 및 0.4 mg/mL에서 "보통"으로 분류되었다. 특히, 농도가 증가함에 따라 투과 속도가 감소하는 경향이 있었다. 나린제닌의 경우 Flux 값은 각각 0.1, 0.2 및 0.4 mg/mL 농도에서 0.69, 1.07 및 1.42 μg/hr/cm²이었으며, 해당 Kp 값은 각각 6.95, 5.34 및 3.56이었다. 나린제닌의 Kp 값은 모든 농도에서 "보통" 범주에 속하며, 케르세틴과 관찰된 것과 같이 농도가 높아짐에 따라 투과 속도가 감소하였다. 카테킨의 경우 Flux 값은 각각 0.1, 0.2 및 0.4 mg/mL 농도에서 0.75, 1.09 및 1.66 μg/hr/cm²이었으며, 해당 Kp 값은 각각 7.55, 5.46 및 4.16이었다. 카테킨의 Kp 값은 모든 농도에서 일관되게 "보통"으로 분류되었다. 여드름 저해능 및 항염증 효능이 우수 한 토복령 추출물의 유효성분인 quercetin, catechin, naringenin의 경피 투과 특성이 보통 이상으로 나타나 기능성 화장품에 사용할 수 있는 우수한 천연물 소재인 것을 확인할 수 있었다.

In the decommissioning process of nuclear power plants, Ni-59, Ni-63 and Fe-55 present in radioactive waste are crucial radionuclides used as fundamental indicators in determining waste treatment methods. However, due to their low-energy emissions, the chemical separation of these two radionuclides is essential compared to others. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the suitability of various pre-treatment methods for decommissioning waste materials by conducting characteristic assessments at each chemical separation stage. The goal is to find the most optimized pre-treatment method for the analysis of Ni-59, Ni-63 and Fe-55 in decommissioning waste. The comparative evaluation results confirm that the chemical separation procedures for Fe and Ni are very stable in terms of stepwise recovery rates and the removal of interfering radionuclides. However, decommissioning waste materials, which mainly consist of concrete, metals, etc., possess unique properties, and a significant portion may be low-radioactivity waste suitable for on-site disposal. Considering that the chemical behavior and reaction characteristics may vary at each chemical separation stage depending on the matrix properties of the materials, it is considered necessary to apply cascading chemical separation or develop and apply individual chemical separation methods. This should be done by verifying and validating their effectiveness on actual decommissioning waste materials.

The nuclear power plant (NPP) decommissioning market is expected to expand not only domestically but also overseas. Proven technologies must be applied to decommission NPP. This is based on Article 41-2, Paragraph 2 of the domestic ‘Enforcement Decree Of The Nuclear Safety Act’. Proven technology refers to technology that has verified that it can be applied in the field through demonstration. In other words, in order to carry out NPP decommissioning, verification must be done. Demonstration refers to reducing technological uncertainty and directly verifying services implemented in the field. From a technology commercialization perspective, demonstration requires an approach based on technology readiness level (TRL) from a technology perspective and market readiness level (MRL) from a market perspective. The characteristics of demonstration also differ depending on the characteristics of each field. The demonstration in the field of nuclear energy is the demonstration of demand matching. This is to confirm the feasibility of the technology in the company’s required environment. In order to perform demonstration, a scenario must be derived by reflecting demonstration design considerations. After evaluating the derived scenario, an actual assessment is conducted using lab-based demonstration/virtual environment demonstration/real environment demonstration. What must be preceded by an actual assessment is confirming the consumer’s requirements. In this study, the necessary environment and requirements of consumer’s to perform NPP decommissioning were reviewed. The domestic decommissioning procedure requirements management system presents decommissioning procedures, potential worker accidents, and worker requirements. In the case of foreign countries, it was confirmed that complex wide need, cost benefit, risk reduction, waste generation, operation, reliability and maintenance (RAM) improvement and quantitative measures were evaluated for the technology to be demonstrated. Also the requirements for demonstrating decommissioning need to a detailed review of actual decommissioning cases. Therefore, a comparison must be made between the requirements based on actual NPP decommissioning cases and the requirements derived from this research process. Afterwards, the empirical research approach proposed by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy was applied. The empirical research approach proposed by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy is to secure a track record over a certain period of time and performance under conditions similar to the actual environment in the final research stage at the TRL level 6 to 8. Through this, it will be possible to confirm the suitability of overseas technology for domestic application.

The presence of organic components in spent scintillation liquid should be considered during all steps of radioactive waste processing for final disposal. Scintillation liquids often referred to as cocktails are generated form radiochemical analyses of radionuclides, which mainly consists of mixtures of liquid organic materials such as toluene and xylene. Typical features of these liquid organic materials are volatility, combustibility and toxicity. These are the reason why special attention must be paid to the management of liquid organic radioactive wastes. To select an appropriate waste management strategy and to design the treatment process of spent scintillation cocktails, it is required to investigate the nature of the waste such as specific radioactivity and moisture content. The analysis results of spent scintillation liquid generated at Wolsong nuclear power plants will be discussed. An overview of the technical approaches available for the treatment of organic radioactive waste will be additionally provided.

The PRIDE scale mechanical decladder is decladding apparatus for separating and recovering fuel material and cladding hull by horizontally slitting rod-cut. In order to enhance mechanical decladdng efficiency, the main requirements were considered as follows. Decladding of the fuel rods may be performed by rotation of three circular cutting blades inserted among the rollers arranged at 120° portion. In a mechanical decladder, a slitting assembly as a unit for slitting the cladding tube may include cutting blades for slitting and rollers for guiding extrusion of the cladding tube. Rotation of the cutting blades may be caused by the fuel rods being extruded from a plurality of rollers. Slitting intervals of rod-cuts having different diameters may be controlled by adding or removing a spacing plate between the cutting blade and a ranch bolt for fixing the slitting blade to the slitting assembly. An extrusion velocity with respect to the fuel rods may be controlled by a hydraulic pressure applied to the fuel rods. A force for cutting the fuel rods may be adjusted by controlling steel plates. Forces applied to a plurality of rollers may be generated by the hydraulic cylinder. The hydraulic pressure may be controlled by hydraulic pressure controller. The PRIDE scale mechanical decladder mainly consists of auto feeding module, hydraulic cylinder module and blade module. A load cell was installed between the hydraulic cylinder and the extrusion pin to measure the decladding force and slitting velocity, and a data acquisition system capable of obtaining data by using the RSC 232 was constructed. Also, the control panel can control the forward and backward movement of the extrusion pin, the hydraulic flow rate, and the hydraulic velocity. In the mechanical decladding test, 40 pieces of simulated rod-cuts were loaded in two auto feeding basket and slit by utilizing the 3-CUT blade modules in the housing, and hulls and simulated pellets were collected in the collection container. As a result, 80 pieces of simulated rodcut (brass pellets + Zry4 tube) were slit continuously without any problem. About 35 min was required to slit 80 rod-cuts and average decladding force was 260 kg. The decladding force of the ceramic simulated rod-cuts (castable) requires 25 kg less force than the brass pellets. Therefore, it is estimated that the spent fuel rod-cut can be fully split into three pieces using the mechanical decladder.

In this study, Bacillus velesensis TJS119, isolated from freshwater, demonstrated growth inhibition against insect pathogenic fungi. The culture medium of the B. velezensis TJS119 strain underwent sequential fractionation with n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and water. Notably, the n-butanol fraction exhibited significant antifungal activity against Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana. LC/MS analysis of antifungal peaks identified the production of various lipopeptides by B. velezensis TJS119, including two types of iturin A (C14, C15), four types of fengycin A (C14, C15, C16, C17), and two types of fengycin B (C16, C17). The antifungal efficacy of Iturin A and Fengycin against insect pathogenic fungi was further validated using the paper disc diffusion method. These findings underscore the potential of B. velezensis TJS119 as a promising candidate for future research and applications in the realm of agricultural biological controls against fungal diseases.

Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis larvae from industrial insects are traditionally recognized as functional health foods in South Korea. We evaluated the immuno-modulatory effects of feeding beneficial microorganism (Bacillus velezensis TJS119) to P. brevitarsis larvae as a dietary source. In this study, we investigated the immune-enhancing activities of P. brevitarsis larvae hot-water extract (PLW) and PLW after treatment with B. velezensis TJS119 (PLWB) using the RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line. We examined the effects of PLWB on cell proliferation, cytokine production, and nitric oxide production in RAW264.7 cells. PLWB showed no cytotoxicity at concentrations ranging from 7.8 to 1,000 μg/mL in RAW264.7 cells. Treatment with PLWB increased the production of nitric oxide and pro-inflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β)] at doses of 62.5 to 1,000 μ g/mL in RAW264.7 cells. As a result, PLWB exhibited a stronger immune-enhancing effect compared to PLW. In conclusion, the results of this study offer experimental evidence to support the potential utilization of PLWB as an immunity-enhancing nutraceutical ingredient.

Bacillus velezensis TJS119 was isolated from the freshwater, and antagonistic activity against of pathogenic fungi. Strain TJS119 showed a broad spectrum of antagonistic activities many fungal pathogens, including the green muscardine fungus Metarhizium anisopliae. The whole-genome sequence of B. velzensis TJS119 was analyzed using the illumina platform. The genome comprises a 3,809,913 bp chromosome with a G + C content of 46.43%, 3,834 total genes, 10 rRNA and 73 tRNA genes. The genome contained a total of 8 candidate gene clusters (difficidin, fengycin, bacillaene, macrolactin, bacillibactin, bacilysin, surfactin and butirosin) to synthesize secondary metabolite biosynthesis. Overall, our data will aid future studies of the biocontrol mechanisms of B. velezensis TJS119 and promote its application in insect disease control.