The role of the gut microbiota in colorectal cancer (CRC) development has garnered attention, highlighting probiotics as potential adjuncts in CRC prevention and treatment. In recent years, probiotics and their derivatives have demonstrated mechanisms that may contribute to anticancer properties. This study investigates the cytotoxic effects of Bifidobacterium bifidum KCTC 3357, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus KCTC 5033, Limosilactobacillus reuteri VA 103, Bacillus galactosidilyticus VA 107, and Lactococcus taiwanensis VE101 on CT-26 mouse colon carcinoma cells using live cells, heat-killed cells (paraprobiotics), and cell-free supernatants (CFS, postbiotics) through an MTT assay. The results indicate that live bacterial strains, such as KCTC 3357, VA 103, and VA 107, promoted CT-26 cell viability, while heat-killed cells and CFS exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxicity. Inactivated forms of KCTC 3357 and VE 101, as well as CFS at 10 mg/mL concentration of KCTC 5033, VA 103, and VE 101, showed the strongest antiproliferative effects. These findings suggest that non-viable probiotic derivatives, such as paraprobiotics and postbiotics, offer promising therapeutic potential for CRC, providing a safer and more stable alternative to live probiotics. However, further research is required to explore their mechanisms of action, in vivo efficacy, and potential clinical applications.

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are widely used as essential power sources for electric vehicles and energy storage systems. Among various cathode materials, Li[Ni0.9Mn0.1]O2 (NM90) has gained significant attention for enhancing the performance of LIBs due to its high energy density and nontoxicity. However, increasing the nickel content introduces challenges, including structural instability and cation mixing. To address these issues, we propose a surface coating strategy using nitrogendoped carbon quantum dots (NCQDs). NCQDs provide high electrical conductivity and electrochemically active sites, so the NCQDs coating effectively enhanced both structural stability and electrical/ionic conductivity. The NCQDs were synthesized via a hydrothermal method, and NM90 were synthesized by co-precipitation. The fabricated NCQD/NM_5 electrode exhibited superior electrochemical properties, including a high initial capacity of 189.6 mAh/g, excellent rate performance, and an outstanding capacity retention of 81.5 % after 200 cycles in 1C. These superior results demonstrate that surface modification using the NCQDs strategy for Li[Ni0.9Mn0.1]O2 cathode materials will contribute to the further development of cycle stability and ultrafast performance in energy storage systems.

Probiotics have been evaluated as therapeutic agents for cancer treatment in an increasing number of studies. This study investigated the inhibitory and cytotoxic effects of specific Lactobacillus strains on a human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line (HT-29). The strains assessed were Limosilactobacillus (L.) reuteri VA 102, Ligilactobacillus (L.) animalis VA 105, and Limosilactobacillus (L.) reuteri KCTC 3594 (ATCC 23272). The viability of HT-29 cells was evaluated using the MTT assay. The findings revealed that cell-free supernatants (CFS) exhibited significant anticancer effects. Heat-inactivated L. reuteri VA 105 and L. reuteri KCTC 3594 induced a pronounced reduction in cell viability. Furthermore, live cultures of L. reuteri VA 105 and L. reuteri VA 102 also showed reduced cell viability compared to the control group. These results suggest that CFS and heat-inactivated cells may be more suitable for therapeutic applications than live bacteria owing to their improved safety profiles and reduced potential for adverse effects. Our findings also emphasize the potential anticancer benefits of these LAB strains.

Graphene-based solar cells and supercapacitors integrated into photosupercapacitors represent a pioneering advancement. These devices leverage the exceptional properties of graphene, such as high conductivity and large surface area, to enhance both solar energy conversion and energy storage. The integration of these technologies into photosupercapacitors creates a multifunctional device capable of harnessing solar energy and storing it efficiently. This innovative approach holds promise for sustainable and versatile energy solutions, marking a significant step towards developing efficient and compact energy storage systems. This integration addresses the intermittent nature of solar power generation by providing a continuous and reliable power supply through energy storage. Supercapacitors are one such energy device with a high-power density and excellent specific capacitance which is integrated will a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) comprising a single system of photosupercapacitor. A novel electrode material of NiO/CuO/Co3O4/rGO was synthesized which serves as the Pt-free counter electrode of DSSC and working or storage electrode of supercapacitor later was used as the intermediate electrode and storage electrode of a photosupercapacitor. The integrated photosupercapacitor device had a photovoltage of 0.81 V with arealspecific capacitance, energy and power density of 190.12 mF cm− 2, 17.325 μW h cm− 2 and 0.162 mW cm− 2, respectively. The device self-discharged in 385 s with an overall conversion efficiency of 2.17%, resulting in a self-charged energy device.

In recent years, the search on fabrication of highly efficient, stable, and cost-effective alternative to Pt for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) has led to the development of new catalysts. In this study, we investigated the electrocatalytic HER activity of the Toray carbon substrate by creating defect sites in its graphitic layer through ultrasonication and anodization process. A series of Toray carbon substrates with active sites are prepared by modifying its surface through ultrasonication, anodization, and ultrasonication followed by anodization procedures at different time periods. The anodization process significantly enhances the surface wettability, consequently resulting in a substantial increase in proton flux at the reaction sites. As an implication, the overpotential for HER is notably reduced for the Toray carbon (TC-3U-10A), subjected to 3 min of ultrasonification followed by 10 min of anodization, which exhibits a significantly lower Tafel slope value of 60 mV/dec. Furthermore, the reactivity of the anodized surface for HER is significantly elevated, especially at higher concentrations of sulfuric acid, owing to the enhanced wettability of the substrate. The lowest Tafel slope value recorded in this study stands at 60 mV/dec underscoring the substantial improvements achieved in catalytic efficiency of the defect-rich carbon materials. These findings hold promise for the advancement of electrocatalytic applications of carbon materials and may have significant implications for various technological and industrial processes.

In this study, an attempt was made to approximate the main characteristic values of Bi0.5(Na0.78K0.22)0.5TiO3 (= BNKT) depending on the content of Fe2O3 additives, aiming to approach the values of lead(Pb) piezoelectric ceramic materials (PZT). Specifically, when the piezoelectric coefficient (d33) value of lead(Pb) piezoelectric ceramic material (PZT polycrystalline ceramic powder) is 300[pC/N] or higher, it is applied for hard purposes such as ultrasonic welding machines and cleaning machines, and when it exceeds 330[pC/N], it is applied for soft purposes like piezoelectric sensors. In this study, research and development were conducted for devices with a piezoelectric coefficient (d33) of 300[pC/N] or more for actuators. For this purpose, K+ exceeding 0.02 to 0.12 mol% was added to (Na0.78K0.22)0.5Bi0.5TiO3 to analyze structural changes due to K+ excess, and (Na0.78K0.22)0.5Bi0.5TiO3 + 8mol% K2CO3 Ti4+ was substituted with Fe3+ to manufacture lead-free piezoelectric materials. As a result, ceramics with Fe3+ substitution at x = 0.0075 yielded an average value of d33 = 315[pC/N]. Furthermore, for ceramics with Fe3+ substitution at x = 0.0075, the average values of maximum polarization (Pmax), residual polarization (Prem), and coercive field (Ec) were found to be 39.63 μC/cm2, 30.45 μC/cm2, and 2.50 kV/mm, respectively. The reliable characteristic values obtained from the research results can be applied to linear actuator components (such as the zoom function of mobile cameras, LDM for skin care, etc.) and ultrasonic vibration components.

본 연구에서는 호흡동조화기법의 대안으로 딥러닝 자유호흡기법에서 b-value 별 겉보기확산계수 값을 평가하고 확 산강조영상과 겉보기확산계수 지도의 해부학적 일치성을 분석하여 적절한 여기횟수 값을 알아보고자 하였다. 연구 방법은 2023년 7월부터 2024년 1월까지 간 자기공명영상 검사가 의뢰된 성인 남녀 35명을 대상으로 하였고 사용 장비는 Magnetom Skyra 3.0T(Siemens, Germany)를 이용하였다. 자유호흡기법의 비교를 위해 b-value 50, 400, 800(s/mm2)의 여기횟수를 각각 딥러닝 호흡동조화기법에서 2,3,4으로 딥러닝을 이용하지 않은 일반 자유호 흡기법에서 4,6,8으로 검사하였다. 딥러닝을 추가한 일반 자유호흡기법에서는 1,2,3 여기횟수, 2,3,4 여기횟수, 3,5,6 여기횟수, 4,6,8 여기횟수로 변화하였다. 연구 결과 딥러닝 자유호흡기법에서 간의 좌엽과 우엽, 담낭의 평균 겉보기확산계수 값은 딥러닝 호흡동조화기법과 비교하여 모두 통계적 유의성을 확인하였다. 한편 정성적 평가의 해 부학적 일치성을 분석한 결과 딥러닝 자유호흡기법의 3,5,6 여기횟수와 4,6,8 여기횟수에서 가장 높은 점수를 얻었 으며 검사 시간에서는 딥러닝 호흡동조화기법과 비교하여 약 51%, 40% 감소하였다. 따라서 간 진단에 있어 딥러닝 자유호흡기법에서 b-value 별 적절한 여기횟수 값을 이용한다면 겉보기확산계수 지도의 정확도 유지와 함께 검사 시간을 감소시킬 수 있어 임상적으로 유용한 검사가 될 것으로 사료된다.

본 연구는 자유학기제에서 농업 연계 프로그램의 필요성과 활용 가능성을 탐색하고 텃밭을 활용한 자 유학기제 농업 연계 프로그램의 개발방향을 제시하는 것을 목적으로 한다. 이를 위해 학생과 교사를 대상으로 자유학기제 운영 만족도, 개선 요구사항, 농업 연계 프로그램의 필요성과 활용 가능성에 대한 인식을 조사하였다. 연구결과, 학생과 교사 모두 농업 연계 프로그램이 자유학기제의 교육적 목표에 부합한다고 인식하였으며, 특히 환경학과의 융합 가능성이 높게 평가되었다. 텃밭을 활용한 프로그램 의 구체적인 활동으로는 식물기르기, 수확, 요리 및 공예 활동 등이 적합하다고 분석되었다. 본 연구는 텃밭을 활용한 자유학기제 프로그램의 개발에 필요한 기초자료를 제공하며, 맞춤형 프로그램 개발, 전 문 강사 배치, 인프라 확충 등을 제언하였다.

외국인투자유치를 통해서 지역발전과 경제성장을 이루려는 목적으로 도입된 경제자유구역이 2003년 본격적으 로 도입된 지 20년이 넘었다. 그동안 경제자유구역 연구는 주로 정책적인 측면에서 이루어졌다. 경제자유구역에 실제로 투자한 외국인투자가 시각에서 한국의 경제자유구역이 어떻게 받아들여지고 있는가를 정확하게 평가하는 것이 필요하다. 이에 본 연구에서는 인천경제자유구역 송도지구에서 장기간에 걸쳐서 투자와 경영활동을 성공적으 로 수행하고 있는 4개의 외국인투자기업(삼성바이오로직스, 셀트리온, 얀센백신, 아이센스)에 대한 사례분석을 통 해서 경제자유구역에 대한 심도 있는 평가와 경제자유구역 발전을 위한 정책적 시사점을 도출하고 있다. 본 연구 에서는 더닝의 해외직접투자 절충이론 ‘OLI 프레임워크’를 적용하여 사례를 자세히 분석하고, 경제자유구역 관련 정 책적 시사점을 도출하였다. 본 연구 결과 외국인투자가의 다양한 기업특유우위(Ownership specific advantage) 를 확인할 수 있었고, 각 사례 기업이 중요하게 평가한 인천경제자유구역의 다양한 입지특유우위(Location specific advantage)도 파악할 수 있었다. 100% 지분율의 얀센백신 사례에서는 내부화우위(Internalization advantage) 를 확인할 수 있었으며, 소수지분으로 투자한 나머지 사례에서는 한국기업과 파트너가 되어 협력적 투자를 실행한 동기도 확인할 수 있었다. 본 사례연구 결과로 도출된 정책적 시사점은 첫째, 외국인투자유치에서 결정적인 역할을 한 양질의 토지를 확충할 경제자유구역 추가 지정, 둘째, 경제자유구역 내 외국기업 단독 또는 협력 등 다양한 방식의 연구개발 사업에 대한 지원을 확충 등이다.

Probiotic lactic acid bacteria are live microorganisms that provide health benefits when administered in adequate amounts and may exhibit antiproliferative effects on various cancer cell lines, including colon cancer. This study investigates the cytotoxic effects of three Lactobacillus strains - Limosilactobacillus (L.) reuteri VA 102, Ligilactobacillus (L.) animalis VA 105, and Limosilactobacillus (L.) reuteri KCTC 3594 (ATCC 23272) - on mouse colon carcinoma cells (CT-26). Live cells, heat-killed cells, and cell-free supernatant (CFS) of Lactobacillus sp. were prepared and used to treat CT-26 cells at different concentrations. The cytotoxic effect was assessed using the MTT assay. The results indicated that the CFS of all strains significantly reduced the viability of CT-26 cells in a dose-dependent manner, with the VA 102 strain showing the most pronounced effect. Heat-killed cells of L. reuteri VA 102 and L. reuteri KCTC 3594 (ATCC 23272) also reduced cell viability. These findings suggest the potential anticancer properties of these Lactobacillus strains and indicate that CFS and heat-killed cells may offer a safer and more effective alternative to live bacteria for therapeutic applications. Our study contributes to the understanding of the potential of Lactobacillus strains, particularly L. reuteri VA 102, L. reuteri KCTC 3594 (ATCC 23272), and L. animalis VA 105, as possible candidates for cancer treatment and control.

중국 국가 통계국에서 발표한 데이터에 따르면, 2022년 60세 이상 인구는 전체의 19.6%이며, 2035년에는 4억을 초과하여 고령화 사회의 단계에 접어들 것이라고 한다. 질병의 발병률이 매우 높은 고령층은 의약품의 복용 과정에서 주의해야 할 점이 많은 반면, 이에 대한 이해가 부족하여 의약품의 복용에 따른 잠재적인 위험에 항상 노출되어 있다. 이에 따라 의약품 포장에 대한 고령층의 요구를 수용하고, 의약품 복용의 정확성과 편의성을 향상시키는 문제는 당면의 과제가 되고 있다. 본 연구는 디지털 휴먼 기술을 도입하여 의약품 포장의 혁신적인 디자인을 강구하고, 이를 통해 고령층의 의약품 관련 문제에 대한 해결을 목표로 한다. 의약품 포장 디자인에 디지털 휴먼 기술을 적용하는 것은 최근 디지털 발전의 추세에 부합하며, 고령층을 대상으로 하는 의약품 포장 디자인에 새로운 사로를 제공할 수 있다. 따라서 본 연구는 문헌 분석법 및 사례 분석법 등을 통해 고령층을 대상으로 하는 의약품 포장 디자인의 발전 현황을 파악하여, 기존 제한적인 정보만을 제공하던 단일 시각 형태의 전통적인 의약품 포장 디자인의 한계를 극복하고, 새로운 디자인 방안을 제시하여 고령층이 더 다양한 방식으로 의약품 포장을 통해 필요한 정보를 인식할 수 있도록 만들고자 하였다. 기존 의약품 포장 디자인에 대한 분석을 바탕으로 본 연구는 디지털 휴먼 기술과 의약품 포장의 결합에 대한 타당성을 도출했고, 실례를 통해 디지털 휴먼 기술이 의약품 포장에 있어 상당한 응용 가치와 잠재력을 가지고 있다는 사실을 검증하였다.

This study assessed the effectiveness of brand image communication on consumer perceptions of cruelty-free fashion brands. Brand messaging data were gathered from postings on the official Instagram accounts of three cruelty-free fashion brands and consumer perception data were gathered from Tweets containing keywords related to each brand. Web crawling and natural language processing were performed using Python and sentiment analysis was conducted using the BERT model. By analyzing Instagram content from Stella McCartney, Patagonia, and Freitag from their inception until 2021, this study found these brands all emphasize environmental aspects but with differing focuses: Stella McCartney on ecological conservation, Patagonia on an active outdoor image, and Freitag on upcycled products. Keyword analysis further indicated consumers perceive these brands in line with their brand messaging: Stella McCartney as high-end and eco-friendly, Patagonia as active and environmentally conscious, and Freitag as centered on recycling. Results based on the assessment of the alignment between brand-driven images and consumer-perceived images and the sentiment evaluation of the brand confirmed the outcomes of brand communication performance. The study revealed a correlation between brand image and positive consumer evaluations, indicating that higher alignment of ethical values leads to more positive consumer assessments. Given that consumers tend to prioritize search keywords over brand concepts, it’s important for brands to focus on using visual imagery and promotions to effectively convey brand communication information. These findings highlight the importance of brand communication by emphasizing the connection between ethical brand images and consumer perceptions.