Background and objective: In closed-type plant production systems, controlling the spectral distribution of light strongly influences plant morphophysiological traits. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the growth, yield, plant quality, chlorophyll fluorescence, and remote sensing vegetation indices of Korean thistle (Cirsium setidens (Dunn) Nakai) exposed to different light qualities with the aim of identifying spectral conditions that enhance plant quality.Methods: Eight different light-emitting diode (LED) spectra were applied: monochromatic red (630 nm), green (520 nm), and blue (450 nm); a purple LED composed of red and blue wavelengths supplemented with far-red (approximately 17.6%); and white LEDs at 2100, 3000, 4100, and 6500 K. Measurements included plant growth, yield (biomass), plant quality indices (relative moisture content, S/R ratio, compactness, and Dickson quality index), chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and remote sensing vegetation indices. Subsequently, principal component analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, and hierarchical clustering were performed.Results: According to the results, the red LED effectively increased shoot size and biomass; however, this was accompanied by elevated photochemical stress-related indicators. Across the various white LED treatments, SPAD units and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were comparatively high, and photochemical efficiency indices such as PIABS and Fv/Fm were favorable, whereas plant size was relatively smaller than under red LED treatment. Under the purple LED, leaf length and width increased together with higher carotenoid reflectance index 2 (CRI2) and anthocyanin reflectance index 2 (ARI2) values, suggesting pigment accumulation in leaves, which we interpret as an effect of the relatively high proportion of far-red wavelength. Under the red and green LEDs, relative declines in Fv/Fm and NDVI, together with increases in ABS/RC and DIo/RC, indicated a typical photochemical stress pattern. However, these may represent downregulation signals associated with PSII-PSI excitation partitioning and spectral acclimation, rather than damage responses. Consequently, reliance on any single metric should be avoided, and an integrative approach that utilizes multiple parameters and indices is recommended.Conclusion: In conclusion, white LED treatments can be useful options for cultivating C. setidens by concurrently enhancing plant quality and maintaining favorable photochemical efficiency, whereas the monochromatic red LED treatment is effective at increasing plant size and biomass but is more likely to be accompanied by photochemical stress-associated signals. These findings offer practical insights for spectral optimization of C. setidens production in closed plant production systems. Future studies should further refine supplemental wavelengths, R:B:FR ratios, and irradiance settings to improve physiological vigor.

Background and objective: Today, "horticulture" has become synonymous with a healthy lifestyle. But when did people start believing that plant-mediated activities were beneficial for mental health and begin engaging in them? While records of garden creation and flower planting can be found in historical texts like the Samguk Sagi and Goryeosa, detailed accounts are scarce, and research into plant-mediated activities within a historical and cultural context is extremely limited.Methods: This study aimed to investigate the plant-mediated activities that induced positive emotional changes, as documented in records written by literati in the late Joseon Dynasty (18th century), a period when horticultural culture flourished alongside urban development. It also sought to analyze the causal relationship between plant-mediated activities and emotional changes. This research utilized translated documents of classical texts written in Chinese characters. From 245 classical documents in the Korea Classical Literature Translation Institute's comprehensive database, 159 personal literary collections were selected. Among these, 33 documents written by 18th-century literati were chosen, and two additional single-volume publications were added, totaling 35 documents for the study. To extract plant-mediated activities, we established four analytical elements: activity space, activity behavior, and expression of emotional change. We only selected records that included expressions indicating positive emotional changes after a plant-mediated activity.Results: Our research identified 12 plant-mediated activities that met the analysis criteria. These activities included appreciating flowers and trees, listening to rain fall on plantain leaves, writing on or admiring leaves, and strolling in gardens, all of which contributed to positive emotional changes.Conclusion: The 18th-century plant-mediated activity records extracted in this study align with previous research findings that plant-mediated activities can influence stress reduction and recovery. However, experimental studies are needed to verify their psychophysiological effects.

Background and objective: Rapid urbanization in South Korea has intensified environmental concerns such as surface sealing, urban heat accumulation, and ecological degradation. Green Infrastructure (GI) has been adopted as a spatial strategy to address these issues. However, existing empirical studies remain fragmented by spatial scale and methodology. This study conducts a scoping review to synthesize research trends and identify how GI functions are examined across diverse analytical contexts.Methods: Using identification, screening, and inclusion procedures, 31 empirical studies were selected from 4,294 records retrieved from the Research Information Sharing Service (RISS) database. The selected studies were classified according to research context, including spatial level, types of GI elements, and methodological approach, and were subsequently analyzed to identify thematic patterns.Results: GI research was concentrated in metropolitan regions, where data availability and environmental pressures are relatively high. The analytical scale was closely associated with the types of GI elements examined: large parks and wetlands at the metropolitan level, low impact development (LID) facilities and river corridors at the municipal level, and gardens and biotopes at the sub-municipal level. Accordingly, functional themes also varied by spatial scale ranging from hydrologic regulation and climatic mitigation to particulate matter reduction and user-centered experiences. Methodologically, GIS-based analyses were used to examine spatial distribution; hydrological modeling assessed stormwater runoff and infiltration processes; field monitoring documented operational changes; indicator-based analyses structured environmental performance metrics; and sociocultural approaches addressed user perceptions and accessibility.Conclusion: Empirical studies on GI in South Korea have primarily focused on environmental aspects, while social and economic dimensions have been comparatively less examined. The strong concentration of study sites in the Seoul metropolitan area indicates limited regional representativeness. To more comprehensively capture the diverse functions and context-specific characteristics of GI, future research should incorporate broader spatial coverage and adopt multi-method.

Background and objective: Public interest in landscape architecture and gardening has been steadily increasing. However, except for academic programs within university departments of landscape architecture, the conceptual frameworks and contents of related educational programs remain fragmented and inconsistent. Existing research has addressed these areas, but it has primarily focused on individual case studies of educational programs. This study aims to identify research trends in landscape architecture and garden education and to propose future directions for research and professional training in these fields.Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted. Using the keywords “landscape architecture education,” “garden education,” “landscape architecture and garden college,” “citizen gardener,” and “gardening education,” a total of 5,339 bibliographic records were retrieved. Based on predefined selection criteria, 51 studies were initially screened, and through qualitative review, 27 journal articles and 15 theses were selected, resulting in a final analysis of 42 studies.Results: The majority of the studies, regardless of type, were published within landscape-related academic fields, such as university departments of landscape architecture and the Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture. The studies were categorized by their target group: general public education, education for majors, and practitioner training. Landscape architecture education primarily focused on majors and practitioners, while garden education centered on the general public. The findings indicate that research on landscape architecture education has concentrated on enhancing the professional knowledge and practical skills of students and practitioners, whereas garden education has emphasized civic engagement and the development of citizen experts.Conclusion: To foster professionals and ensure the continued development of landscape architecture and garden education, both the quantity and diversity of research must be expanded. At the programmatic level, landscape architecture education requires revitalized training for practitioners, while garden education needs a clearer definition of professional expertise.

Background and objective: Agro-healing activities often present accessibility challenges for people with physical disabilities (PWPs) and vertical farms may provide a potential solution. However, there are limited empirical data regarding PWPs’ activities in vertical farms. This study, which comprised two studies, investigated upper limb muscle activation using electromyography (1) during vertical farming activities and (2) during these activities using universal assistive tools.Methods: Surface electromyographic activity of the left and right anterior deltoid, biceps brachii, brachioradialis, and flexor carpi ulnaris was recorded in 22 adults with paraplegia during five vertical farming tasks: sowing seeds, transplanting seedlings, transplanting developed plants (mature seedlings), harvesting, and selecting and packaging. (2) In a separate study, the same muscles were measured in 27 adults with paraplegia while performing three tasks—soaking seeding plates, sowing, and transplanting developed plants —using both traditional methods and task-specific assistive tools.Results: In all activities, activation of the left and right anterior deltoid was significantly higher than that of all other muscles (p < .05). During harvesting, activation of the left and right flexor carpi ulnaris was significantly higher compared to other activities (p < .05). (2) The use of assistive tools led to significantly higher activation of the right biceps brachii during soaking seeding plates, the left biceps brachii during sowing, and the right flexor carpi ulnaris during transplanting mature seedlings, compared to traditional methods (p < .05).Conclusion: Vertical farming activities predominantly involve movements that require ‘lifting’ objects, which caused the use of the anterior deltoid muscles. The use of the developed assistive tools can promote engagement of a broader range of upper limb muscles, potentially preventing fatigue and promoting the physical and vocational rehabilitation of people with paraplegia in the context of vertical smart farming.

Background and objective: Vietnam—historically defined by its mountainous and forested landscapes—has long relied on forests as a foundation of its economy, culture, and security. While forest management during the colonial and modern periods has been widely studied, the premodern period remains understudied. This article examines forest conditions and the policies regulating their exploitation, management, and protection under the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1883).Methods: Using an environmental history approach, the study analyzes chronicles compiled by the Nguyen court’s Office of State Historiography (Quoc su quan), chiefly the Dai Nam thuc luc (Veritable Records of the Great South) and the Dai Nam nhat thong chi (Comprehensive Encyclopaedia of the Great South). These sources provide insights into forest resources, administrative measures, and official perceptions of nature. Selected case studies highlight key patterns of governance.Results: Although the Nguyen dynasty lacked systematic forest surveys or a formal forestry code, the royal court issued numerous edicts on timber extraction, taxation, land reclamation, and wildlife control. It also established guard posts in forested regions to suppress banditry and prohibited unauthorized logging near royal tombs and frontier zones. These policies reflect a pragmatic model of environmental governance balancing fiscal, strategic, and ecological concerns.Conclusion: Forest governance under the Nguyen dynasty demonstrates how premodern Vietnamese statecraft linked resource extraction with moral order and administrative authority. Comparison with earlier dynasties and later colonial forestry highlights both continuity and transformation in Vietnam’s long tradition of state-managed nature.

Background and objective: This study establishes a foundational modeling framework for quantitative research by developing and evaluating a baseline convolutional neural network (CNN) to classify tree representations in Donggwoldo, a 19th-century Korean court painting. Rather than focusing solely on performance optimization, the objective is to construct an initial methodology for identifying tree types based on their pictorial characteristics and converting traditional visual records into structured digital data. This research illustrates the potential of deep learning as a methodological bridge between artistic depictions and quantitative analysis within cultural heritage studies.Methods: A dataset of 580 high-resolution tree images was extracted from the Dong-A University and Korea University versions of Donggwoldo. These were manually categorized into six types based on art-historical classifications. To address data limitations and imbalance, augmentation techniques—including grayscale conversion, zooming, horizontal flips, and random color adjustments—were applied to enhance diversity while preserving stylistic integrity. A transfer learning model based on ResNet50V2 was implemented, utilizing pretrained layers as feature extractors. Two fully connected layers with ReLU activation and dropout regularization were added to prevent overfitting, with early stopping employed to ensure stable convergence.Results: The model achieved an overall classification accuracy of approximately 98% on a 150-image test set. Confusion matrix analysis indicated that rare misclassifications were primarily due to low resolution, background interference, and incomplete segmentation. Despite these challenges, the CNN effectively distinguished between diverse depiction styles, confirming the feasibility of applying deep learning to traditional paintings.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that CNNs can effectively transform traditional pictorial information into structured digital data. By establishing a baseline model, the research provides a methodological foundation for the quantitative analysis of historical landscape imagery. These results highlight deep learning’s potential as a complementary tool for cultural heritage studies, with future research directions including automated segmentation and interdisciplinary integration with landscape architecture.

Background and objective: This study was conducted to examine changes in perceptions, job competency improvements, program preferences, and satisfaction among middle-aged women following their participation in National Competency Standards (NCS)-based flower design programs, who faced the dual challenges of re-employment and the recovery of self-identity amid the constraints of career interruption.Methods: An online survey was administered to middle-aged women (aged 40-65) who had participated in NCS-based floristry programs offered by lifelong education and vocational training institutions in the Seoul metropolitan area between June 30 and July 27, 2025. The questionnaire comprised 30 items rated on a five-point Likert scale and covered awareness of the NCS, job performance competency, program perception, component preferences, and satisfaction. Additionally, in-depth interviews were conducted with three selected participants to provide qualitative insights that complemented the quantitative data.Results: Survey results indicated that although overall awareness of the NCS reached 52.2%, understanding of specific elements—such as learning modules (42.6%), competency units (39.8%), and the level system (37.5%)—remained relatively low. Job performance competencies were highest in material preparation (89.2%) but comparatively lower in creative design areas (70-79%). Perceptions of NCS-based floristry programs were strongly positive, with high agreement regarding job suitability for middle-aged women (94.0%), enhancement of professional competency (94.0%), increased employment opportunities (93.6%), and psychological stability (97.0%). Participants who held relevant certificates reported significantly more positive responses across all items (p < .001). Preferences for program components were also notably high, particularly for practice-oriented training (97.2%), instructor expertise (97.0%), individualized guidance (97.0%), and a comfortable learning environment (98.8%). Overall satisfaction exceeded 90%, and both recommendation intention (96.0%) and intention to re-enroll (96.0%) received highly favorable evaluations.Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that NCS-based floristry programs contribute not only to the development of technical skills but also to psychological recovery and enhanced social participation among middle-aged women. Furthermore, improvements to future programs are expected to enhance participants’ understanding of the NCS framework, expand training in advanced creative competencies, reinforce industry-practice linkages and further improve the learning environment and instructor expertise.

Background and objective: Urban regeneration through repurposing abandoned railway infrastructure has become a prominent strategy for sustainable urban development. However, a limited understanding of how users perceive and use these transformed spaces remains. This study aimed to evaluate how users perceive the Jinju Railway Culture Park (JRCP), which was created by regenerating a 100-year-old railway station site that ceased operations in 2012 into a cultural park.Methods: A survey of 112 users, conducted from September to November 2024, evaluated JRCP’s combined or dual functions as an urban park and a cultural park through assessments of user satisfaction and intention to revisit, importance-performance analysis (IPA), and keyword analysis.Results: The results indicated high user satisfaction with overall green spaces (M = 4.15) and facilities (M = 3.99), as well as a strong intention to revisit (M = 4.21), suggesting the park’s successful physical regeneration into a basic urban park. In the IPA analysis, historical and cultural attributes received the highest ratings (Importance = 3.99, Performance = 3.90), while social attributes exhibited the largest gap between importance and performance (Importance = 3.75, Performance = 3.43). In particular, “exhibition/performance information” and “cultural space” were identified as priority areas for improvement. Although the terms “train” (8.9%) and “railway” (7.9%) were most frequently mentioned in the keyword analysis, the purpose of visit for “exploring railway history” received a relatively low score of 2.71 on a 5-point scale.Conclusion: While JRCP has successfully achieved physical regeneration as a typical urban park, further improvements are needed to fulfill its required role as a cultural park. To ensure the park’s sustainable use, cultural programs should be developed to enhance its appeal as a visitor destination-particularly those that strengthen its social functions and touristic value.

Background and objective: This study examines the current status of Khmer language use and identifies the key factors affecting language maintenance among the Khmer community in the Mekong Delta, with Vinh Chau Town (Soc Trang Province) selected as a representative case. The research aims to clarify how social, cultural, and policy-related influences shape the sustainability of the Khmer language in both family and community contexts.Methods: A mixed-method research design was employed. Qualitative methods were first used to develop the theoretical foundation and construct the 4Ps model. This was followed by a quantitative survey administered to 90 Khmer respondents. The survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to validate the model.Results: Findings show that the Khmer language remains actively used in households, pagodas, and community rituals; however, literacy skills—particularly reading and writing—are declining among younger generations due to the dominance of Vietnamese in formal education and the complexity of Khmer script. EFA results identify four major factor groups influencing language behavior: Promotion (β = 0.382), Place (β = 0.358), Policy (β = 0.322), and Persons (β = 0.296).Conclusion: The study highlights the need for targeted interventions to strengthen Khmer language preservation. Recommendations include improving bilingual education, expanding Khmer teacher training, enhancing the roles of pagodas and community institutions, and promoting Khmer communication practices across social settings. The proposed 4Ps model contributes to a deeper understanding of ethnic minority language sustainability and offers empirical insights for policymaking aimed at supporting the long-term cultural vitality of the Khmer community in the Mekong Delta.