프로바이오틱스는 인체 내에서 정상 균총의 역할을 하며 건강에 도움을 주는 미생물을 의미하며, 식품이나 미생물총에서 유래한 비교적 안전한 균주이다. 프로바이오틱스로 많이 사용되는 젖산균은 소화를 돕고 장내환경을 보호해줄 뿐 아니라 면역조절기능 또한 가지고 있다. 대표적으로 Th1 반응을 유도하여 Th1/Th2 균형을 이루게 하는 것을 중심으로, 알레르겐에 반응하는 IgE 및 침윤된 비만세포와 호산구를 감소시키고 면역 억제 기능이 있는 Treg을 유도함으로 알레르기 반응을 완화시킨다고 알려져 있다. 하지만 프로바이오틱스를 이용한 알레르기 질환에 대한 치료 및 예방 효과는 질병 별로 다르게 나타났다. 아토피 피부염에 대해서는 예방 및 치료 효과가 검증되고 있고 알레르기 비염과 음식물 알레르기에서는 예방 효과는 미미했지만 치료효과에서 긍정적이었다. 기관지 천식의 경우 프로바이오틱스의 예방 및 치료 효과를 거의 볼 수 없었지만, 최근에는 특정 균주가 기관지 천식 환자에서 임상 증상을 향상시킨다는 보고가 있다. 균주의 장내생존율을 높이고 재조합 유산균을 만드는 백신 기술과 함께 프로바이오틱스는 미래의 안전한 알레르기 예방 및 치료제로서 기대할 수 있을 것이며 지속적인 시장의 확대를 통해 차세대 건강기능식품으로 떠오를 것이다.

본 연구는 세계적으로 점점 애완 식품 시장이 발달하고 있음에 따라 천연물을 소재로 하여 치석, 치태를 감소시킬 수 있는 기능성 수제 간식을 개발하고 그것을 통하여 구강의 건강을 개선하고자 진행하였다. 연구에 사용된 개들은 주변 학우들에게 연구에 대하여 설명을 해주고 동의한 학우들의 개들에 통하여 진행하였다. 간식 급여 기간은 2016년 5월 11일 ~ 25일까지 2주간 급여를 진행하였고, 체중을 기준으로 급여하였다. 지표를 이용하여 치석, 치태의 축적도를 관능검사로 평가하였다. 상이한 대상을 통한 연구로 인하여 정확하지 못한 실험 결과를 초래 하였다. 이를 확인하기 위한 적절한 동물들의 사용과 재료에 대한 연구와 실험방법, 실험기간을 제대로 확립한다면 치석, 치태 감소에 좋은 새로운 소재라 생각한다.

2010년 아르헨티나 육류회의에서, 유엔 식량농업기구는 2050년 쇠고기를 먹는 것 은 사치일 것이며, 인구증가에 따른 경작지 감소와 광우병, 구제역, 조류인플루엔자 등으로 인해 육류는 안정성을 위협받게 되어 비용, 영양, 환경문제, 기타 질병 등을 고려 할 때 미래의 식량후보는 곤충이라고 발표했다. 우리나라도 이에 대비해야 할 것이라 판단하였고, 그를 위해 미래 주요 생산자이자 소비자가 될 대학생을 대상으로 식용곤충에 대한 인식조사를 실시하였다. 설문조사는 온라인 200명과 오프라인 582명에게 실시하여 표본집단의 크기를 충분히 크게 하였다. 또한 식용곤충 시장을 점유하고 있는 ‘P사’에서도 인터뷰를 실시해 시장 현황에 대한 내용을 참고하였다. 우리나라에서는 곤충을 주요 식량으로 이용하지 않는 만큼, 해당 설문조사에서는 대학생들이 식용 곤충에 대해 부정적인 인식을 가지고 있다는 결과가 나왔다. 식용곤충의 영양학적 가치 및 실용적인 측면을 알리고 곤충의 형태가 보이지 않는 가공 식품으로 제조하는 등의 방향을 제시하면 미래 식량자원으로 기여할 수 있을 것이라 판단된다.

팽이버섯 포장필름의 국산화 및 동남아시아 지역을 대 상으로 한 수출용 필름을 개발하기 위하여, 개발된 포장 필름을 현재 시중에 유통 중인 포장필름 및 수입산 포장 필름과 함께 저장 중 팽이버섯의 저장 온도별 품질변화에 이어 유리당, 유리아미노산, 구성아미노산 등에 대한 영양 학적 특성변화를 검토하였다. 유리당 함량을 분석한 결과, 저장 온도가 높아질수록 유리당 함량이 약간씩 증가하는 경향을 보였으나, 포장 필름의 종류에 따라서는 큰 차이 를 나타내지 않았다. 유리아미노산의 경우 저장온도가 올 라감에 따라 methionine은 증가하는 반면, tyrosine은 감 소하였다. Polyphenol oxidase의 활성 확인결과 본 과제 로 인해 개발된 포장지가 우수함을 확인하였다. 베타글루 칸 함량은 건강 기능성 식품의 표준 지표로 사용되는 성 분이나 버섯 저장성을 판단하는 지표로 사용하기에는 적 당하지 않을 것으로 여겨진다.

Digital divide commonly means the gap among diverse stakeholders, businesses, physical areas, and individual people in terms of opportunities, accessibilities, and usabilities (Acılar, 2011). Lee and Park (2011) and Barzilai-Nahon (2006) suggested that the digital divide issues should be considered as an important public issue because proper public response may enhance or reduce the information gaps by the digital divide. This study is a follow-up study of the study of Lee and Park. This study’s main aim is to clarify the changes of the digital divide in the rural areas during five years and to find out meaningful factors to reduce the gaps between the rural area and urban area. To achieve the research aim, this study analyzes the public data by ITSTAT and previous studies on the digital divide. Also this study follows the system thinking approach to model the causal relationships among diverse factors on the digital divide. With the results, this study suggests that the factors to measure the digital divide should be re-designed including smartphone penetration and accessibilities. Especially, current digital divide scoring factors should be considered in the way of social welfare.

India is largest producer of banana in the world producing 29.72 million tonnes from an area of 0.803 million ha with a productivity of 35.7 MT ha-1 and accounted for 15.48 and 27.01 per cent of the world’s area and production respectively (www.nhb.gov.in). In India, Tamil Nadu leads other states both in terms of area and production followed by Maharashtra, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. In Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, Kurnool district had special reputation in the cultivation of banana in an area of 5765 hectares with an annual production of 2.01 lakh tonnes in the year 2012-13 and hence, it was purposively chosen for the study. On 23rd November 2003, the Government of Andhra Pradesh has commenced a comprehensive project called ‘Andhra Pradesh Micro Irrigation Project (APMIP)’, first of its kind in the world so as to promote water use efficiency. APMIP is offering 100 per cent of subsidy in case of SC, ST and 90 per cent in case of other categories of farmers up to 5.0 acres of land. In case of acreage between 5-10 acres, 70 per cent subsidy and acreage above 10, 50 per cent of subsidy is given to the farmer beneficiaries. The sampling frame consists of Kurnool district, two mandals, four villages and 180 sample farmers comprising of 60 farmers each from Marginal (<1ha), Small (1-2ha) and Other (>2ha) categories. A well structured pre-tested schedule was employed to collect the requisite information pertaining to the performance of drip irrigation among the sample farmers and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model was employed to analyze the performance of drip irrigation in banana farms. The performance of drip irrigation was assessed based on the parameters like: Land Development Works (LDW), Fertigation costs (FC), Volume of water supplied (VWS), Annual maintenance costs of drip irrigation (AMC), Economic Status of the farmer (ES), Crop Productivity (CP) etc. The first four parameters are considered as inputs and last two as outputs for DEA modelling purposes. The findings revealed that, the number of farms operating at CRS are more in number in other farms (46.66%) followed by marginal (45%) and small farms (28.33%). Similarly, regarding the number of farmers operating at VRS, the other farms are again more in number with 61.66 per cent followed by marginal (53.33%) and small farms (35%). With reference to scale efficiency, marginal farms dominate the scenario with 57 per cent followed by others (55%) and small farms (50%). At pooled level, 26.11 per cent of the farms are being operated at CRS with an average technical efficiency score of 0.6138 i.e., 47 out of 180 farms. Nearly 40 per cent of the farmers at pooled level are being operated at VRS with an average technical efficiency score of 0.7241. As regards to scale efficiency, nearly 52 per cent of the farmers (94 out of 180 farmers) at pooled level, either performed at the optimum scale or were close to the optimum scale (farms having scale efficiency values equal to or more than 0.90). Majority of the farms (39.44%) are operating at IRS and only 29 per cent of the farmers are operating at DRS. This signifies that, more resources should be provided to these farms operating at IRS and the same should be decreased towards the farms operating at DRS. Nearly 32 per cent of the farms are operating at CRS indicating efficient utilization of resources. Log linear regression model was used to analyze the major determinants of input use efficiency in banana farms. The input variables considered under DEA model were again considered as influential factors for the CRS obtained for the three categories of farmers. Volume of water supplied (X1) and fertigation cost (X2) are the major determinants of banana farms across all the farmer categories and even at pooled level. In view of their positive influence on the CRS, it is essential to strengthen modern irrigation infrastructure like drip irrigation and offer more fertilizer subsidies to the farmer to enhance the crop production on cost-effective basis in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, India. This study further suggests that, the present era of Information Technology will help the irrigation management in the context of generating new techniques, extension, adoption and information. It will also guide the farmers in irrigation scheduling and quantifying the irrigation water requirements in accordance with the water availability in a particular season. So, it is high time for the Government of India to pay adequate attention towards the applications of ‘Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and its applications in irrigation water management’ for facilitating the deployment of Decision Supports Systems (DSSs) at various levels of planning and management of water resources in the country.

This paper presents how Digital Knowledge Ecosystem such as “Govi Nena” (translates as agriculture intelligence) can be used to provide a more effective and practical solution to eliminate the inefficiencies in agricultural markets and achieve higher productivity and price stability. In order to establish the framework to analyze the system, this paper uses a set of hypothetical scenarios faced by value chain actors based on a review of the literature, established knowledge and recent developing country experiences. The scenario analysis reveals that “Govi Nena” enables farmers to make effective production decisions, deepens the level of value chain integration, and enhances the level of welfare for the society as a whole.

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have always mattered in agriculture too. In day-to-day practices of agriculture and allied sectors, the farmers often share their information. Changing weather patterns, soil conditions, pests and diseases always throw challenges to small and marginal farmers. So, the farmer needs up-dated information to cope with and even benefit from these changes. In the developing countries like India, where agriculture still plays a crucial role (over 58% of the rural households depend on agriculture as their livelihood) and the rising population from 1027 million to 1419 million during 2001-16 (a total rise of 38 percent or 1.3 percent per year) pose a lot of pressure on land and other resources to meet the food security needs on one hand and to meet the challenges of globalization on the other. Understanding and addressing these challenges are very crucial, in which ICT can play a major role. With the booming mobile, wireless, and Internet industries, ICT has found a foothold even in poor marginal and smallholder farms and in their activities. The survey conducted among the 120 farmers in Srikakulam district in India revealed that, ICT has revolutionized the agriculture in the modern days. Production and marketing information is accessed by 91% of the sample farmers through mobile in 2015, where it was only 5% in 2005. The extent of use of mobile phones by the farmers varied with the decision to be taken by them like Harvesting, packing, and storing (94%), Selling Decision (91%), Seed purchase (89%), Application of fertilizers and pesticides (88%) and Land preparation and planting (84%), other package of practices (77%). The farmers further opined that, ‘Voice’ was the dominating source of communication (96%) compared to Short Message Service (SMS) (only 27%) and Internet access (10%), as majority are illiterate. The use of camera (71%), Bluetooth (33%), Radio (61%) TV (41%) are the other means of sharing the information. In this context of importance of ICTs in Indian agriculture, greater attention justifies about the applications of ICT’s to alleviate poverty and promote economic growth of the farming population.