곤충의 외골격/표피(exoskeleton/cuticle)는 구조 다당류인 키틴(chitin)과 큐티클 단백질(cuticle proteins)로 이루어진 세포외기질 (extracellular matrix)로서 외부 환경스트레스, 물리적 손상과 병원성 미생물 등으로부터 자신을 보호하는 피부와 골격의 역할을 한다. 그러나 곤 충은 원래 가지고 있던 표피를 분해하고, 새로운 표피로 교체하는 ‘탈피(molting 또는 ecdysis)’를 주기적으로 거쳐야 정상적인 성장과 발달을 할 수 있다. 따라서, 곤충은 탈피 과정마다 원래 가지고 있던 표피 일부를 분해하는 동시에 안쪽에는 새로운 표피를 생성한다. 이 과정에서 탈피액에 있 는 키틴을 가수분해하는 효소인 chitinases (CHTs)와 N-acetylglucosaminidases (NAGs)가 오래된 표피(old cuticle)의 키틴 섬유를 분해하는 데 중요한 역할을 한다. 최근에는 이들 chitinolytic enzyme들과 함께 lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs)가 키틴의 glycosidic bonds를 산화적으로 절단하여 오래된 표피를 효과적으로 분해한다는 것이 새롭게 밝혀져 주목을 받고 있다. 본 종설에서는 곤충의 탈피 과정에서 CHTs와 LPMOs의 생리학적 기능을 기술하고, 오래된 표피의 결정성 키틴을 분해하는 과정에 대한 새로운 분자 기작을 소개하고자 한다.

This study investigates the effects of marine biofouling on the propulsion performance of a 2.99-ton HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) coastal fishing vessel through full-scale sea trials. Four operating conditions, clean hull, fouled hull, partially cleaned hull, and completely cleaned hull, were tested to analyze changes in ship speed and engine revolutions. The maximum speed decreased from 32.2 kn in the clean condition to 18.7 kn under fouling, corresponding to a 42% reduction in performance, and recovered to 29.0 kn (about 90% of the original speed) after complete cleaning. Additionally, immersion tests of HDPE, FRP, and aluminum panels showed that all materials experienced severe fouling during spring and summer; however, HDPE surfaces exhibited lower adhesion strength and easier removal of organisms. These findings confirm that hull cleanliness has a significant influence on the propulsion efficiency of small vessels and highlight the necessity of proactive cleaning to maintain HDPE vessel performance. Future research will include comparative evaluations with FRP and aluminum vessels to assess the substitution potential of HDPE hulls and provide technical evidence for the wider adoption of eco-friendly fishing vessels.

This study analyzes the automotive behavior and its impact on driving safety when the Micro controller Unit (Micom), a core component of the automotive Engine Control Unit (ECU), is exposed to high temperatures. The automotive behavior was observed with and without the ECU housing cover under thermal exposure, and the temperature of the Micom was determined using heat transfer principles. The results showed that with the housing cover in place, a thermal equilibrium was maintained at approximately 160[°C], and the Micom's temperature was about 73[°C], which is within its guaranteed operating limits and did not affect the automotive behavior. When the housing cover was removed, the engine stoped to operate at approximately 220[°C], and it is presumed that the Micom's internal circuitry was damaged. These findings can provide useful quantitative data for future reliability assessments of ECUs and for investigations into sudden unintended acceleration phenomena.

TiO2/CNT/GO heterostructure nanocomposite was synthesized by solvothermal method for the removal or degradation of methylene blue (MB). The physical and chemical characteristics were assessed by various characterization techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the external and internal morphology of the heterostructure materials with irregular shapes. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that the internal structure was preserved after incorporating CNTs and GO into TiO2, and the average particle size distribution was determined using an SEM histogram with an average particle size of 85.5 nm. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) was performed to evaluate the elemental mapping of heterojunction confirm the presence of C, O, and Ti. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed a crystalline nature and the size of as synthesized material was calculated as 17.08 nm. UV–vis spectroscopy (UV–vis) was conducted to observe the optical behavior and light scattering phenomena of heterostructure materials. Various factors, such as different doses of heterostructure (0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 g), dye concentration (10, 20, and 30 ppm), irradiation time (0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min), were carried out at 25 °C. The TiO2/ CNT/GO heterostructure induced 91% methylene blue (MB) degradation in 120 min with superior cycling stability after regeneration for four cycles. The optimal reaction conditions were adopted to obtain the highest degradation rate using 0.2 g of the heterostructure, 30 ppm MB concentration, 120 min of light irradiation, and 25 °C reaction temperature. The TiO2/ CNT/GO photocatalyst exhibited enhanced kinetic performance, catalytic stability, structural reliability, and reactivity for 91% degradation efficiency of MB.

The focus of this study is to develop and employ a barium hexaferrite/graphitic carbon nitride nanocomposite, abbreviated as BaFe/gCN NC, for photocatalytic degradation of Congo red (CR) under visible light illumination. Barium hexaferrite and graphitic carbon nitride were prepared using sol–gel and thermal polymerization methods to achieve an even distribution and good contact at the interface. The nanocomposite was then prepared through the sonication method. The properties of synthesized materials were confirmed by the examination of their physicochemical properties. By employing an X-ray diffractometer (XRD), the structure analysis of the synthesized materials provided a hexagonal form. It was also observed that the band gap of this composite was estimated to be 2.7 eV using UV–visible spectroscopy analysis. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the vibrational modes along with the chemical structure and bonding present in the samples. The characteristics of BaFe/gCN nanocomposite reveal that the hexagonal grain boundary is probably distributed all over the surface of g-C3N4 nanosheets, as observed from high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM). It was confirmed from the XPS analysis that the elements and chemical states of BaFe/gCN NCs are present in the form of Ba 3d, Fe 2p, O 1s, N 1s, and C 1s. Finally, 50 mg of the produced material is degraded with the help of BaFe/gCN photocatalyst, removing 90% of CR dye at 10 mg/L initial dye concentration in 150 min. Moreover, the removal ability for CR by BaFe/gCN NC was maintained more than 88% during three test cycles. As a result of increased light absorption properties of BaFe/gCN and the prevention of electron and hole recombination, active oxygen species were produced, and hence the photocatalytic activity increases.

Multivalent ions in natural aqueous solutions—such as seawater, brackish water, and freshwater—can negatively affect the performance of ion exchange membranes (IEMs) used in electrochemical energy and environmental devices. In this study, a pore-filling cation exchange membrane (CEM) permeable to multivalent ions was fabricated to minimize performance degradation caused by such ions. To achieve this, multilayer pore-filling CEMs were prepared by performing two impregnation processes using monomer electrolyte solutions of different compositions (varying deionized water content and monomerto- crosslinker ratios). As a result, a highly crosslinked electrolyte polymer formed on the internal side of the CEM, while a low-crosslinked polymer formed on the external side. Due to the presence of the low-crosslinked outer polymer layer, the multilayer pore-filling CEM exhibited a smaller increase in resistance caused by Mg2+ ions. Furthermore, based on the correlation between permselectivity and resistance measured in a 0.45 M NaCl + 0.05 M MgCl2 solution, which simulated the Mg2+ concentration in seawater, an optimal structure of multilayer pore-filling CEM was identified, and it exhibited a minimized increase in resistance and a permselectivity of over 90 %.

Graphite cores in nuclear reactors are critical components subjected to severe irradiation conditions. Despite the known susceptibility of graphite to radiation-induced damage, detailed microstructural analyses are limited. Existing works of literature have identified changes in crystallite morphology and orientation as early indicators of structural degradation, but the precise micro-mechanisms are not fully understood. This research explicates these micro-mechanisms using advanced analytical transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to examine irradiated graphite at doses up to 1 dpa (displacements per atom). TEM imaging and diffraction analysis captured detailed changes in crystallite structure. Even at low radiation doses (~ 0.1 dpa), a 15% alteration in crystallite morphology and orientation was observed. Significant crystal lattice rotations up to 5 degrees and micro-deformations were also detected. Additionally, the formation of micro-kinks and kink bands, ranging from 50 to 200 nm, were identified as potential deformation processes, consistent with phenomena in other layered materials. These results advance our understanding of the micro-mechanisms driving structural degradation and deformation in irradiated graphite. This research has significant implications for developing improved models and strategies to enhance the performance and longevity of graphite cores in nuclear reactors, contributing to the advancement of nuclear energy technology.

Targeted protein degradation (TPD) is an emerging therapeutic strategy that leverages the natural protein degradation systems of cells to eliminate disease-associated proteins selectively. Unlike traditional small molecule inhibitors, which merely suppress protein activity, TPD degrades target proteins directly, offering a novel approach to addressing undruggable proteins. The two most extensively studied TPD technologies, proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) and molecular glues (MGs), utilize the ubiquitin–proteasome system to induce TPD. PROTACs function as bifunctional molecules that recruit an E3 ubiquitin ligase (E3 ligase) to a target protein, leading to its ubiquitination and subsequent degradation, while MGs enhance protein–protein interactions to facilitate ubiquitination and protein clearance. These approaches have shown promising therapeutic potential in treating cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and autoimmune diseases, with several compounds currently undergoing clinical trials. Despite these advances, challenges such as limited bioavailability, pharmacokinetic constraints, and target selectivity remain obstacles to the widespread application of TPDbased therapies. Recent developments, including the discovery of novel E3 ligases, linker optimization, and AI-driven drug design, have addressed these limitations, paving the way for the next generation of precision-targeted therapeutics. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms, applications, and future directions of PROTACs and MGs in drug discovery, highlighting their potential to revolutionize modern targeted therapy.