• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.112-115
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• 2009

In nature, some creatures have the ability to walk vertically or upside down on various natural surfaces. One of them, Tokay Gecko has billions of nano-hair at the epidermis of its digital. These nano hairs makes atomistic attractive force to the surface, therefore, it could walk and run on the vertical or upside surfaces. Recently, many researchers tried to fabricate the dry adhesive structure mimicking the nano-hair structure. in this study, I tried to survey these studies to discuss the direction of future fabrication works of dry adhesive structures.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.40 no.7
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• pp.673-677
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• 2016

Recently, engineering applications have started to adopt solutions inspired by nature. The peculiar adhesive properties of gecko skin are an example, as they allow the animal to move freely on vertical walls and even on ceilings. The high adhesive forces between gecko feet and walls are due to the hierarchical microscopical structure of the skin. In this study, the effect of metal coatings on the adhesive strength of synthetic, hierarchically structured, dry adhesives was investigated. Synthetic dry adhesives were fabricated using PDMS micro-molds prepared by photolithography. Metal coatings on synthetic dry adhesives were formed by plasma sputtering. Adhesive strength was measured by pure shear tests. The highest adhesion strengths were found with coatings composed of 4 nm thick layers of Indium, 8 nm thick layers of Zinc and 6 nm thick layers of Gold, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.106-114
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• 2020

The development of transportation and the expansion of the pet market has become the main causes of the increase in the cross-border migration of non-native species. Moreover, recent sales over the Internet were a factor that has promoted pet trades. While the import of non-native species has been steadily increasing in the Republic of Korea, it is not clear how these imported species are traded and how large the trade is. Considering that most of the non-native species found in the wild are the results of release by humans understanding the present situation of pet trades can identify potential non-native species that can enter the wild. This study surveyed the number of species, frequency, and prices of non-native amphibians and reptiles sold in 25 online pet shops from January 22 to February 10, 2019. The results of the survey showed that a total of 677 species of non-native amphibians and reptiles were sold, and the Squamata group accounted for the largest part of them at 65.4% (443 species). The number of non-native amphibians and reptiles sold in online pet shops in 2019 was 2.1 times larger than the 325 species officially imported in 2015. The non-native amphibians and reptiles sold in most pet shops were Litoria caerulea (21 shops) and Correlophus ciliatus (24 shops). The lowest price for non-native amphibians and reptiles was 3,000 won, and the highest price was 100 million won for Rhacodactylus leachianus of Squamata. Among the non-native amphibians and reptiles sold in online pet shops, 11 species were found in the wild and were sold at relatively low prices. We confirmed that Mauremys reevesii, an endangered species class II and natural monument no. 453, and American bullfrogs (albino), an ecosystem disturbing species, were being sold in online pet shops. Moreover, 21.6% of the 677 non-native amphibians and reptiles sold in online pet shops were species designated as CITES. The results of this study can be the important reference data for understanding the status of non-native amphibians and reptiles that are imported and sold in Korea and evaluating and predicting the potential for them to enter the wild.