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Magnolia kobus is a deciduous, broadleaved tree native to Jeju Island of Korea and Japan. The species has been introduced in mainland Korea as a landscape plant, and some individual plants have been found in forests of the mainland. The objective of the present study was to examine whether M. kobus individuals have spontaneously formed communities as part of a natural settlement process. Diameter at breast height (DBH), flower, fruit, and GPS coordinates were recorded for all M. kobus individuals in the study sites. Age of the trees was determined using an increment borer. A total of 158 M. kobus individuals were identified. The reverse J-shaped Diameter at breast height distribution trend was confirmed. DBH and age of M. kobus samples were positively correlated, confirming that the distribution of individuals with varying DBH classes suggested an uneven-aged forest with the coexistence of trees from different generations. In all the survey sites, individuals of M. kobus with small DBH that did not reach inflorescence formation and fructification stages coexisted with individuals that flowered and produced fruits, which suggested the presence of overlapping generations of trees. Therefore, we concluded that M. kobus individuals were forming populations in the forests of mainland Korea.

Cellulose–silk fibroin (CSF) films were prepared by blending cellulose and silk fibroin (SF) in different ratios (10:0, 10:3, 10:6, 10:9, and 10:12 wt%) in 60% LiBr aqueous solution. All of the blend films were transparent, and their coloration gradually increased with increasing SF content. Interestingly, cross-sections of all of the tested films were observed by scanning electron microscopy and exhibited similar morphologies. The silk II structure was not well developed in the CSF; however, regenerated SF affected the crystal structure of the cellulose and formed intermolecular hydrogen bonds with cellulose. EDS mapping showed that cellulose and silk in the film were distributed uniformly. The mechanical properties of the dry-state film was greatly improved with the addition of an appropriate amount of SF. In contrast with the dry-state films, the films in the wet state exhibited smaller tensile strengths and E-modulus as SF content increased; however, the elongation values were higher than those in the dry-state films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field study evaluated the effects of NPK (21:17:17) and compost on vegetative growth, proteins, and carbohydrates of Moringa oleifera. The experimental design was randomized complete block design (RCBD) with six treatments replicated three times. Compost and NPK fertilizers were applied together which include control (without fertilizer) 5 t ha−1 (Compost), 120 kg ha−1 (NPK), 50 + 50% ha−1 (NPK + Compost), 10 + 50% ha−1 (NPK + Compost), and 50 + 10% ha−1 (NPK + Compost) per plot. For NPK fertilizer, the rate was 10 and 50% of 120 kg ha−1 and for compost it was 10 and 50% of 5 t ha−1. The measured growth parameters were plant height (cm), stem girth (mm), number of leaves, and number of branches per plant. Results showed that 120 kg ha−1 (NPK) treatment produced plants of more height, stem girth, more number of leaves, maximum number of branches as compared to other treatments at week 8 with higher protein. Carbohydrate content was high in 50 + 50% (NPK + Compost) compared to others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]