음식물류폐기물의 퇴비화는 경제적인 자원화 방법이지만, 염분함량이 높아 토양에 투입될 경우 염류집적으로 인한 작물 생육 피해가 우려된다. 바이오차는 양이온교환능력이 높은 물질로 염분피해가 우려되는 토양에 적용 시 Na+이온을 흡착하여 작물생육 피해를 줄여줄 것으로 생각된다. 이에 본 연구는 바이오차와 혼합하여 제조한 음식물류폐기물 혼합 펠렛 퇴비(이하, 음폐혼합펠렛퇴비) 사용 시 배추 생육과 토양에 미치는 영향을 평가하고 이에 따른 무기질비료 절감 효과를 알아보고자 하였다. 처리구는 무비구(NF), 무기질비료 반량(NPK0.5), 무기질비료(NPK), 무기질비료+ 음폐퇴비(FWC), 무기질비료+음폐혼합펠렛퇴비(FWCB)이다. 배추 생육조사 결과, FWCB처리구에서 엽장, 엽폭, 구고 및 구폭 모두 가장 높았다. 수량조사 결과 8,300 kg 10a-1로 가장 높게 나타났으며, NPK처리구에 비해 무기질비료를 50% 사용하였으나 수량은 13.6% 높게 나타났다. 토양화학 성 결과 FWCB에서 EC는 0.59 ds m-1, 교환성 Na은 0.35 cmolc kg-1으로 다른처리구보다 높게 나타났으나 적정범위 이내였다. 본 연구결과, 음폐혼합펠릿퇴비의 사용은 작물의 양분 및 유기물공급 뿐만 아니라 바이오차로 인한 양이온 고정 효과로 작물 생산성을 향상시키는 것으로 생각되며, 비료성분의 공급원으로써 배추의 생육 및 생산성을 증진할 수 있는 기술로 활용이 가능할 것으로 판단된다.

The world is transitioning towards sustainable agriculture, which includes reducing chemical fertilizers and increasing the adoption of eco-friendly materials. Red clay, known for its colloidal properties, adsorption, and ion exchange capabilities, has become eco-friendly due to its non-toxic nature. However, when red clay is applied in its insoluble powdered form, its absorption by plants is limited. Processed red clay (PRC) was developed to overcome these limitations, and microbial formulations containing Lactobacillus fermentum (MFcL) were applied alongside it. Chlorophyll content and fluorescence values decreased over time after cucumber transplantation. However, co-application of PRC and MFcL resulted in higher chlorophyll content than PRC alone, suggesting that this combination could alleviate plant growth reduction caused by stress. Although the total yield of cucumbers was highest in the NF group, yield per plant increased by more than 10% in the PRC treatment compared to NF. Additionally, yield was higher when PRC was applied alongside MFcL than with MFcL alone. While the proportion of marketable fruits decreased over time in the NF treatment, it increased in the PRC treatment. Soil analysis revealed that PRC application increased soil pH by 3% and available silicon content by 7.6% compared to NF, while available phosphate levels decreased by 13%. Analysis of microbial density in the soil showed that bacteria levels significantly increased by 2-fold in PRC+MFcL compared to NF, while actinomycetes decreased by 1.5-fold. In conclusion, PRC treatment positively influenced cucumber growth, and co-application with microbial fertilizers demonstrated a synergistic effect.

본 연구는 관상적 가치가 뛰어난 한반도 자생식물 너도개미 자리[Minuartia laricina (L.) Mattf.]의 산업화를 위한 대량 번 식 기술을 개발하기 위해 수행되었다. 종자 번식 실험에서는 2023년 8월 16일 형태적으로 완전히 성숙한 종자를 채종하여 사용하였으며, 종자의 내부 형태를 관찰한 결과 배가 완전히 발달하여 미숙배로 인한 형태적 휴면(MD)은 없음을 확인하였 다. 또한, 종자를 증류수에 침지시켜 수분 흡수율을 조사한 결과 수분흡수 24시간 후 약 66%의 수분 흡수율을 보여 불투수성 종피에 의한 물리적 휴면(PY)도 없음을 확인하였다. 실온 (22±2℃)에서 후숙처리(Dry after-ripening)를 0, 4, 21주 실 시 후 각각 4, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30℃로 설정된 기내 발아 실험을 진행하였다. 실험의 결과, 후숙 4주 처리 후 20℃에 치상한 종자 의 발아율이 약 76%로 가장 높았다. 후숙 처리를 하지 않은 종자는 12주 내 어떠한 온도 조건에서도 발아하지 않아 생리 적 휴면(PD)으로 판단되었다. 삽목 번식 실험에서는 줄기삽목 (Stem-cutting) 방식으로 진행하였고, 루톤 분제 처리가 발근 에 미치는 영향을 조사하였다. 루톤 분제를 처리하지 않은 처리 구는 발근율과 생존율이 100%로 나타났으며, 루톤 분제가 처리 된 삽수는 이들보다 발근율과 생존율이 통계적으로 유의하게 낮았다. 따라서 너도개미자리 종자는 생리적 휴면 종자로 분류 되며, 4주간의 후숙 처리가 휴면 타파에 효과적인 것으로 확인 되었다. 또한, 너도개미자리 삽목 번식 시 별도의 발근 촉진제 처리가 필요하지 않음을 확인하였다.

Drought is one of the environmental factors inhibiting plant productivity and growth, leading to oxidative damage. This study aims to identify the role of sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) as a hydrogen sulfide (H2S) donor in drought stress tolerance in Brassica napus. Drought-induced stress symptoms appeared eight days after treatment, showing wilted leaves and a significant reduction of leaf water potential. Drought-induced increase of lipid peroxidation was significantly reduced by NaHS application. NaHS-treated plants mitigated stress symptoms under drought conditions by reducing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content, confirmed with H2O2 localization in situ. Furthermore, NaHS promotes photosynthetic activity by maintaining chlorophyll and carotenoid content, thereby supporting plant growth under drought conditions. Pyrroline-5-carboxylate and proline contents were significantly increased by drought but further enhanced by NaHS treatment, indicating the important roles of proline accumulation in drought stress tolerance. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insight into the roles of NaHS in alleviating drought stress by reducing oxidative stress and promoting proline accumulation. Therefore, NaHS may serve as an effective strategy to enhance crop production under drought-stress conditions.

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of seeding dates on the growth characteristics, dry matter yield and mineral contents of rye cultivated in the paddy field. The field experiment was conceived as a randomized block design performed in triplicate with seeding dates of October 19 (T1), October (T2), November 2 (T3), November 9 (T4), and November 16 (T5). All treatments was harvested on May 22 of the following year. Plant length, stem diameter, dry matter yield, and total digestible nutrient (TDN) yield were higher in rye with early seeding dates (p<0.05), whereas TDN was higher with late seeding dates (p<0.05). There was no significant difference between crude protein and ether extract among the different seeding dates. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) were higher with early seeding dates (p<0.05). K and Ca contents were significantly higher at T1 as compared to other treatments (T2, T3, T4 and T5). There was no significant difference in Mg and Na content among T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 treatments. P content was higher in the order T1 > T2 > T3 > T4 > T5 (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in free sugar contents (glucose, fructose and sucrose) by treatments, whereas total free sugar content was the highest in T1 than in the other treatments (p<0.05). Collectively, the results obtained in this study indicate that it is favorable to seed (T1 and T2) soon after harvesting rice to increase dry matter, TDN yield and total free sugar content of rye in the midlands of Korea.

With technological advancements, Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) has garnered increasing interest in L2 writing research, significantly enhancing our understanding of AWE tools’ practices and efficacy in L2 writing instruction. However, the relationships between feedback types (teacher vs. AWE) and different dimensions of engagement (cognitive and affective) remain largely underexplored. This study investigates the impact of feedback types on learners’ cognitive and affective engagement, as well as their L2 writing development. Seventy-two EFL learners participated as part of their regular English curriculum. Over twelve weeks, students received feedback on their essays from either a teacher or AWE programs. Progress in writing abilities was tracked through measurement tests, and engagement questionnaires were administered. Results indicated that both feedback types improved L2 writing abilities. However, teacher feedback proved more effective in promoting students’ cognitive and affective engagement compared to AWE feedback.

본 연구는 소래풀을 경관화훼로 이용하기 위해 온도조건에 따른 발아특성을 알아보고 회귀분석(bilinear, parabolic, beta distribution)모델을 통해 주요온도(최저, 최적 및 최고온 도)를 구명하고자 하였다. 소래풀 종자는 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35℃ 항온 조건 중 25℃에서 약 6~7일만에 최종발아율이 100%에 도달하였으며, 발아세, 발아속도, 평균발아속도와 평균발아시간이 각각 100%, 21.37ea/day, 14.48, 4.39일 로 다른 처리보다 발아특성이 우수하였다. 이를 바탕으로 발아 속도(germination rate, GR)가 50%인 시점(GR50)을 역수로 (1/GR50)하여 주요온도를 분석한 결과, bilinear모델의 경우, 최저, 최적 및 최고온도는 4.8℃, 25.8℃, 35.6℃였으며 (R2=0.9566, p<0.001), parabolic모델은 최저온도 6.1℃, 최 적온도 21.6℃, 최고온도 36.7℃였다(R2=0.8818, p<0.001). 또한 beta distribution 모델의 주요온도는 최저온도 6.1℃, 최 적온도는 23.1℃, 최고온도 40.1℃였다(R2=0.9102, p<0.001). 본 연구에서 분석한 회귀모델 모두 0.1% 수준에서 통계적 유의 차가 인정된 것으로 보아 소래풀 종자의 발아 시 최저온도는 4.8~6.1℃, 최고온도는 35.6~40.1℃, 최적온도는 21.6~25.8℃ 이며, 50% 이상의 발아율을 기대하였을 때 온도의 범위는 20~25℃가 적합할 것으로 판단된다. 이와 같은 결과는 소래풀 을 이용하여 경관조성을 할 때 파종 및 발아시기를 예측할 수 있는 자료로 활용될 수 있을 것으로 판단된다. 그러나 경관조성 을 하는 현장에서 실질적인 도움을 제공할 수 있도록 발아의 주요온도 모델과 함께 식물의 생물계절 관점에서 추가적인 연구 가 필요할 것으로 판단된다.

Based on the motivation theories, we postulated that interest in learning languages influences the self-efficacy beliefs of students about their capabilities as second/foreign language (L2) English learners. This study examined the longitudinal causal relation between affective interest and cognitive self-efficacy in the L2 motivational context using the Gyeonggi Education Panel Study (GEPS) data from South Korea. A secondary school student sample from 2015–2020 GEPS over six years comprised 6,314 students (3,189 males and 3,125 females). Using a parallel growth model (PPM) with Mplus 8.4, the results indicated that the initial level and growth rate of L2 English interest positively predicted L2 English self-efficacy. Subsequently, the initial level of L2 English interest exhibited a negative cross-effect on the growth rate of L2 English self-efficacy. Finally, the sequential causal effect of L2 English interest on self-efficacy was found across the six-year period. The findings are discussed in terms of the pedagogical implications in English learning and teaching practices and further research.

Metacognition in L2 listening has garnered attention, but there is limited research on concrete methods to practice it in high school EFL contexts. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of self-annotation interventions in a high school EFL listening classroom. Through the analysis of pre- and post-listening tests, students’ annotations over 10 sessions, and a post-questionnaire, this study reveals that selfannotation interventions improve students’ comprehension, confidence, and motivation. Both higher- and lower-level students demonstrated improved L2 listening test scores compared to the control group, with the former generating more analytical selfannotations and achieving more statistically significant progress. The thematic analysis of students’ self-annotations identified recurring patterns that can inform effective listening instruction, while also enabling students to recognize and correct their mistakes, as well as receive cognitive and affective support. This study emphasizes the importance and feasibility of incorporating self-annotation in high school EFL listening classrooms, making students’ reflection processes observable and actionable, and providing recommendations for effective metacognitive interventions.

With medical use of hemp, many medicinal cultivars were bred worldwide. Propagating cultivar using seed has a high cost. On the other hand, vegetatively propagating cultivar has various merits including short breeding period and uniformity. This study aimed to determine optimal conditions for propagating hemp after cutting, including sterilizing of rooting media, rooting hormone, and mixing ratio of growing media and sand of rooting media. Korean landrace strain of hemp plant was grown in Wagner pot (size: 1/2,000 a) for 60 days. Its branches were cut to 70∼80 mm in length and used for cutting slips. The rooting medium, a horticultural nursery medium, was autoclaved for 3 hours at 120 ℃. The mixing ratio of sand and nursery media was 9:1, 7:3, 5:5, or 3:7 in weight. Cutting slips were coated with rooting hormone (1-naphthylacetamide 0.4%) just before planting. Cutting materials were planted in a tray pot of 72 cells and grown in a walk-in-chamber for 28 days with a temperature of 25 ℃ and an intensity of radiation of 800 μmol/㎡/sec. Seedling rates were 61.1%, 77.8%, and 63.0% for mixing ratios of 1:9, 3:7, and 5:5 of sand mixed with horticultural nursery medium. These seedling rates were significantly higher than a seedling rate of 31.5 % for a mixing ratio of 7:3. Root lengths were 97 mm, 91 mm, and 81 mm for mixing ratios of 1:9, 3:7, and 5:5 of sand mixed with horticultural nursery medium. These root lengths were significantly longer than a root length of 37 mm for a mixing ratio of 7:3. Rooting rates were 81.1 % and 91.2 % for slips coated with rooting hormone and sterilized rooting media, respectively. They were 40.0 % and 18.3 % for slips not coated with rooting hormone or sterilized rooting media, respectively. Thus, for vegetative propagating (cutting) of medicinal hemp, sterilizing of rooting media and coating slips with rooting hormone will be essential to conducting the propagation process.

This study was conducted to analyze the productivity and economic feasibility of truss-limited tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) grown at a high density in Cambodia during the rainy season. During the rainy season in Cambodia, due to excessive rain and very high temperature, tomatoes cannot grow well in an open field, leading to a greatly reduced yield. High density truss-limited cultivation (HDTLC) of tomatoes can shorten the growing season and increase yields. In conventional cultivation (control), tomatoes were transplanted at a spacing of 70×40 cm and harvested up to the 4th fruit cluster. In HDTLC, tomatoes were transplanted at a spacing of 20×20 cm or 25×25 cm and harvested up to the 2nd fruit cluster. Plant heights in HDTLC were higher than those in the control at 22 days after transplanting (DAT). At 39 DAT, plant heights did not differ between 25×25 cm and control. At 60 DAT, plant height, stem diameter, leaf length, and leaf width of the HDTLC were lower than those of the control. Fruit length and width were also lower in HDTLC compared to those of the control. However, sugar content was more than 19% higher in HDTLC compared to that in the control. Yield per plant of the control was the highest, but yields per ha in HDTLCs were 99% (20×20 cm) and 38% (25×25 cm) higher, respectively, compared to that of the control. No pesticides were used for disease control in this experiment. However, to ensure yield, it is recommended to observe the disease status of plants and spray pesticides at the appropriate time. The disease index (1: disease-free; 5: all leaves were disease-infected) of late blight (Phytophthora indestans) was significantly higher for 20×20 cm (4.5) and 25×25 cm (3.6) groups compared to the control (2.0). Income with 20×20 cm (5,668 thousand KRW) and 25×25 cm (1,863 thousand KRW) were 4.9 and 1.6 times higher, respectively, compared to that with the control (1,149 thousand KRW). So, we want to spread the HDTLC technology, which transplanting of tomato seedlings at 20×20 cm intervals and harvests up to 2nd fruit cluster, to Cambodian farmers.

Obesity, a global health concern characterized by excessive fat accumulation, necessitates the discovery of anti-obesity compounds. Rottlerin, known for its anti-cancer effects as a mitochondrial uncoupler, has been a subject of interest. However, its impact on reducing intracellular lipid accumulation remains a gap in our understanding. This study aimed to fill this gap by dissecting the mechanism of rottlerin in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. We treated differentiated 3T3-L1 cells with 0-20 mM of rottlerin for 48 hours to assess its capability to induce lipid accumulation. Notably, we observed no cytotoxicity associated with the treatment of rottlerin up to 20 mM, indicating its safety at these concentrations. Lipid accumulation, measured by oil Red O, was downregulated dose-independently by rottlerin. We also found that key lipogenic enzymes, including SCD1 and DGAT1, were decreased. The transcription factor of lipogenic genes, SREBP1, was reduced by approximately 80% with rottlerin. LRP6, a crucial link between de novo lipogenesis mechanism reactions and Wnt signaling, was also degraded by around 70%. Interestingly, the downstream regulation of LRP6, b-catenin, and TCFL2 was diminished by rottlerin. Our data indicate that rottlerin alleviates adipocyte lipid accumulation by suppressing the LRP6/β-catenin/SREBP1c pathway. These findings underscore the potential of rottlerin as a safe nutraceutical for combating obesity.

본 연구는 한국산 여로속 서식지의 식물과 토양 특성을 구명하기 위하여 여로속 6종의 식물에 대한 식물체의 무기이온 분석, 서식지의 토양 이온분석, 식물과 토양과의 상관관계, 지역별 토양특성을 이용한 분산분석과 군집분석 및 PCA Ordination 분석을 시행하였다. 식물체의 무기이온 분석 결과, 양이온 및 음이온의 함량에서는 박새가 높았으며, 긴잎여로가 낮은 값을 보였다. 식물과 토양과의 상관관계 분석 결과에서는 거의 모든 여로속 식물에서 K-선호성을 보였으며 특히, 긴잎여로가 가장 높은 K-선호성을 보였다. 전체적으로 토양의 낮은 K/Ca 비에도 불구하고 식물체내 높은 K/Ca 비를 보였으며 특히, 긴잎여로와 일부 파란여로가 매우 높은 체내 K/Ca 비를 보였다. 식물체 물질 함량을 변수로 적용한 군집분석 및 PCA Ordination 분석의 결과는 크게 세 그룹으로 나눌 수 있으며, 박새를 제 1그룹, 긴잎여로를 제 2그룹, 파란여로, 여로, 참여로, 흰여로를 제 3그룹으로 구분할 수 있었다. 이는 한국산 여로족의 엽록체 DNA와 핵 DNA (ITS)의 염기서열분석 및 계통학적 연구와 유사한 결과를 나타내었다. 전반적으로 여로속(Veratrum) 식물은 pH 5.1∼5.6의 산도를 갖는 전형적인 산림토양에 서식하면서 질소와 총 이온함량이 매우 낮은 환경에도 불구하고 체내 삼투를 적절히 조절하며 열악한 환경을 극복하는 것으로 여겨진다.

Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) have been the subject of extensive research for their potential applications in various fields, including photovoltaics and medicine. In recent years, researchers have focused their attention on CNMs as their high electrical conductivity, low cost, and large surface area are promising in replacing traditional platinum-based counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). In addition to their electrical properties, CNMs have also displayed antibacterial activity, making them an attractive option for medical applications. The combination of CNMs with metal oxides to form composite materials represents a promising approach with significant potential in various fields, including energy and biology. Here, we introduce porous carbon nanospheres (PCNS) derived from Cocos nucifera L. and its ZnO composite (PCNS/ZnO) as an alternative material, which opens up new research insights for platinum-free counter electrodes. Bifacial DSSCs produced using PCNS-based counter electrodes achieved power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of 3.98% and 2.02% for front and rear illumination, respectively. However, with PCNS/ZnO composite-based counter electrodes, the efficiency of the device increased significantly, producing approximately 5.18% and 4.26% for front and rear illumination, respectively. Moreover, these CNMs have shown potential as antibacterial agents. Compared to PCNS, PCNS/ZnO composites exhibited slightly superior antibacterial activity against tested bacterial strains, including gram-positive Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and gram-negative Vibrio harveyi (V. harveyi) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) with MIC values of 125, 250, 125, and 62.5 μg/ml, respectively. It is plausible that the outcomes observed were influenced by the synergistic effects of the composite material.

본 연구는 기능성 화장품 소재로서 생태교란종으로 지정되어있는 가시박 (Sicyos angulatus L., SA)의 이용 가능성을 알아보기 위하여 항산화, 미백, 항균, 항염증 효능 평가를 수행한 후, 에멀션 안정성을 확인하였다. SA는 초순수 (SAW)와 70% EtOH (SAE)로 추출하였다. SAE는 SAW와 비교하 여 DPPH radical 및 ABTS+ radical에 대한 소거 활성과 SOD 유사 활성이 보여 항산화의 효능이 뛰어 나며, tyrosinase의 활성을 저해하여 멜라닌 생성을 억제하였다. SAW는 Escherichia coli (E.c), Staphylococcus epidermidis (S.e), Staphylococcus aureus (S.a), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P.a), Cutibacterium acnes (C.a) 균주에 대한 항균 효과가 없는 반면, SAE는 S.a를 제외한 E.c, S.e, P.a, C.a 균주에서 clear zone이 생성되어 항균 활성을 나타내었다. LPS를 처리한 RAW 264.7 세포에서 SAE는 SAW보다 iNOS 및 COX-2의 발현량이 억제됨으로써 NO의 생성량을 억제하여 항염증에 대한 효능을 나타내었다. SAE을 첨가한 에멀션을 4℃, 25℃, 50℃의 온도에서 분리 현상이 관찰되지 않고, pH와 점 도는 수치상 큰 변화가 없었으며, 입자크기가 대조군 에멀션의 입자와 유사하므로 제형에 영향을 끼치지 않음을 확인하였다. 본 연구 결과를 기반으로, 기능성 화장품 연구에 새로운 소재로서의 활용 가능성을 제시하고자 한다.

Meristem culture (MC) is a technique for producing virus-free garlic plants with high vigor and productivity. We assessed the changes in the agronomic traits of “Namdo” garlic over several generations after the cultivation of MC-induced bulbils. We examined the plant height, leaf sheath length and diameter, leaf number, bulb weight and diameter, clove number, and bulb size distribution. Compared with that of the control, bulb weights of the first-generation bulbils cultivated for three and two years and the second-generation bulbils cultivated for one year increased by 8.7–27.2, 13.9–30.4, and 36.6–46.9%, respectively. In three and two-year cultivation of the firstgeneration bulbils and one-year cultivation of the second-generation bulbils, the proportions of extra-large-sized bulb weight in meristem-cultured plants were 16.2–38.6, 24.0–35.8, and 27.1–51.1%, respectively, whereas that of the control was 7.6%. Thus, the first-generation bulbils can be cultivated for three years to renew the seed bulbs while maintaining productivity.

본 연구는 대승불교 경전인 『유마경』과 『승만경』에 나타난 여성관에 대하여 비교 고찰하고 여성에 대한 사상, 가치관과 위치를 탐구하고자 한 다. 『유마경』은 보살도의 실천이 대승불교 수행정신의 핵심을 강조하면서 세속의 적극적인 참여와 재가불교의 이상을 펼치고 중생의 평등적 깨달 음에 주목한다. 반면, 『승만경』은 여성의 깨달음의 가능성을 강조하며, 여래장(如來藏)사상을 담고 있다. 특히 승만 부인이 주인공으로 등장하여 여성의 적극적인 종교참여와 불교 내 여성의 역할과 여성도 남성과 동등 하게 깨달음을 얻을 수 있음을 보여준다. 본 연구는 두 경전에서 나타난 대승불교에서의 여성의 역할과 위치가 어떻게 다루어지고 있는지를 살펴보았고, 여성에 대한 긍정적인 시각과 그 시각이 현대 사회에서 여성의 지위 향상에 기여하는 방법을 탐색해 보았다. 그들 경전이 여성에 대한 전통적인 관념을 타파하고 성의 차별 없는 모든 중생이 깨달음을 얻는 가능성을 근본적인 사상에 주목하게 되 었다.

It would be advantageous to grow legume forage crops in order to increase the productivity and sustainability of sloped croplands in Hamkyongbukdo. In particular, the identification of potential cultivation areas for alfalfa in the given region could aid decision-making on policies and management related to forage crop production in the future. This study aimed to analyze the climate suitability of alfalfa in Hamkyongbukdo under current and future climate conditions using the Fuzzy Union model. The climate suitability predicted by the Fuzzy Union model was compared with the actual alfalfa cultivation area in the northern United States. Climate data obtained from 11 global climate models were used as input data for calculation of climate suitability in the study region to examine the uncertainty of projections under future climate conditions. The area where the climate suitability index was greater than a threshold value (22.6) explained about 44% of the variation in actual alfalfa cultivation areas by state in the northern United States. The climatic suitability of alfalfa was projected to decrease in most areas of Hamkyongbukdo under future climate scenarios. The climatic suitability in Onseong and Gyeongwon County was analyzed to be over 88 in the current climate conditions. However, it was projected to decrease by about 66% in the given areas by the 2090s. Our study illustrated that the impact of climate change on suitable cultivation areas was highly variable when different climate data were used as inputs to the Fuzzy Union model. Still, the ensemble of the climate suitability projections for alfalfa was projected to decrease considerably due to summer depression in Hamkyongbukdo. It would be advantageous to predict suitable cultivation areas by adding soil conditions or to predict the climate suitability of other leguminous crops such as hairy vetch, which merits further studies.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of ‘individual coaching’ and ‘L2 learning experiences’ on TOEIC learning among low proficiency learners. Among the 194 college students who received classroom coaching, the 23 students who scored 2 to 6 (out of 25) on Simple TOEIC 1 were given three individual coaching sessions. The effect of coaching was quantitatively proven through the independent samples t-test conducted on the scores of Simple TOEIC 1 and Simple TOEIC 2 between the individual coaching mixed group and the classroom coaching only group. The more individual coaching participants had different types of L2 learning experiences, the more their English achievement improved. In contrast, students who participated in classroom coaching only saw their academic performance decline. During individual coaching, participants who improved their English language achievement had positive learning experiences and feelings (confidence), while those who did not improve their grades experienced negative learning experiences and feelings. The clearer each participant’s learning goals (ideal L2 self) were, the more specific and continuous learning was possible, which was linked to improved English language achievement. Qualitative data from individual coaching sessions revealed the reasons for some participants’ academic success or failure.