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A |     2026年8月，据《韩国先驱报》等媒体报道，距离韩国定于2027年2月全面生效的禁食狗肉法案仅剩数月，今年夏天成为该国狗肉合法交易的最后一个伏季。按照韩国传统习俗，三伏天喝一碗热气腾腾的狗肉汤滋补身体，这曾是狗肉馆一年中最火爆的消费旺季。如今，随着禁令进入倒计时，首尔及韩国多地的狗肉馆迎来了专程前来"吃最后一碗狗肉汤"的老食客，整个行业正逐步走向落幕。    这项禁令的落地，标志着韩国绵延数百年的狗肉消费传统将正式终结。受宠物饲养普及、动物福利意识提升等因素影响，当地社会舆论已发生明显转向。    

    Photo: VCG
Chinese researchers have developed a multifunctional electrode coating that addresses key challenges in long-term brain-computer interface (BCI) implantation, including signal loss and tissue adhesion, bringing BCI one step closer to clinical application, the Global Times learned from the research team behind the findings on Sunday. 
As an emerging field combining neuroscience and artificial intelligence (AI), BCI faces a major challenge of ensuring long-term compatibility between electrodes and brain tissue. Previous clinical trials showed that immune responses could cause implanted electrodes to retract after just three months, severely reducing signal quality and the number of available channels. 
This problem stems from chronic inflammation triggered by implants, which creates insulating scar tissue around electrodes and separates them from neurons. Irreversible adhesion between electrodes and brain tissue after long-term implantation also makes device removal risky, potentially causing brain injury during follow-up surgeries.
Experiments showed that flexible neural electrodes coated with this material could operate stably in the brain for more than 300 days and could be safely removed without causing damage. This means the universal coating technology can make electrodes not only operate stably over the long term but can also be safely removed and replaced after aging, paving the way for long-term BCI applications.
Developed by the research team led by Zhang Wei at the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, associated with Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology and NeuroXess, a high-tech life science company specializing in BCI technologies, the cationic alternating peptide electrode coating preserves electrode flexibility and conductivity, while offering antibacterial, anti-protein adsorption and immune-rejection-inhibiting functions. 
A 300-day animal study showed the coating's effectiveness. Bare electrodes experienced a sharp loss of recording capability after 90 days of implantation and could barely detect neuronal signals after 300 days. In contrast, coated electrodes maintained stable recording channels and consistently captured neural signals above 155 microvolts. 
In terms of neural modulation, after 300 days of implantation, conventional electrodes required a current of 100 microamps to induce weak limb responses, while coated electrodes triggered clear movements with only 2 microamps, improving modulation efficiency by 50 times. 
Notably, the removal tests highlighted a key advantage of the coating that electrodes no longer form irreversible bonds with brain tissue. In the experiments, the coated electrodes were removed intact, with minimal damage to the surrounding brain tissue, Zhang told the Global Times on Sunday.
。韩国此前发布的一项民调显示，超过八成民众明确支持这项禁令，近九成受访者表示未来无意食用狗肉。在2024年该法案通过前的调查中，这一趋势已十分清晰。然而，禁令也给相关产业链上的从业者带来了巨大的生存与转型压力。据韩国政府统计，超过5600家企业受到该立法影响。部分餐馆已开始尝试将狗肉更换为黑山羊肉等替代菜品，但经营者普遍反映，黑山羊汤的消费受众与原有食客重叠度很低，收益难以填补狗肉销量减少带来的利润缺口。而政府承诺提供的转型援助补贴金额也十分有限，完全不足以支撑整个行业完成软着陆。根据法案规定，在2027年缓冲期结束后，个人屠宰狗以生产狗肉的，将面临最高3年监禁或3000万韩元罚款；养狗以生产狗肉或出售狗肉的人，将被处以最高两年监禁或2000万韩元罚款。    在曾是韩国最著名狗肉市场之一的京畿道城南市牡丹市场，餐馆林立的巷子里仍能看到午餐食客的身影，但多数商家早已转向其他菜品，仍点"补身汤"的顾客已寥寥无几，且绝大多数都是老年人。有店主感慨，曾经繁华的贸易集散地如今成了"老人镇"，自己做了一辈子的行当马上就要画上句号。