• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.7
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• pp.613-621
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• 2018

The capacity of differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), which include both embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, into cardiomyocytes (CMs) in vitro provides an unlimited resource for human CMs for a wide range of applications such as cell based cardiac repair, cardiac drug toxicology screening, and human cardiac disease modeling. However, their applicability is significantly limited by immature phenotypes. It has been well known that currently available CMs derived from hPSCs (hPSC-CMs) represent immature embryonic or fetal stage CMs and are functionally and structurally different from mature human CMs. To overcome this critical issue, several new approaches aiming to generate more mature hPSC-CMs have been developed. This review describes recent approaches to generate more mature hPSC-CMs including their scientific principles, advantages, and limitations.

• Journal of Engineering Education Research
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.59-63
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• 2010

A survey was conducted on 300 working women(one woman/company) who specialize in STEM(Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in the Busan region(south of Korea) to determine their job satisfaction. The overall response of women working in industry is relatively positive although they do experience a certain limit as female workers. The serious difficulties are long work hours and restriction of behavior in consequence of being the minority. Respondents anticipate an increase in number of working women in the STEM field due to the enforcement of women resource policies in Korea. Survey results about career development show that some of the most important factors in professionalism are responsibility, gumption and cooperation. The expectation of promotion is very low. Sexual discrimination is distinctly appearing in wages and promotions. If they decide to quit their job in the midstream, the key reason is in the difficulties of compatibility between home and occupation. Survey results about job satisfaction to work in industry reveal that 31.0% of respondents are satisfied because their job is consistent with their specialty; 30.7% of respondents are working where they wanted. Among respondents who intend to change their job, only 20.7% of respondents wanted to keep their specialties. Two factors involved in the respondents' satisfaction during work are special technical achievement and practical application of their knowledge. But, they are unsatisfied in terms of implementing their leadership.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.484-499
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• 2015

This study explores the impact of a STEM integration teacher professional development program focusing on teachers' perception of engineering and their attitudes toward integrating engineering into teaching. A total of sixty-eight teachers from ten schools participated in the program for five days. Data are collected from three main sources including (1) pre and post concept maps probing teachers' perceptions about the engineering discipline, (2) a pre and post survey measuring teachers' self-efficacy of teaching science/mathematics within the engineering context, and (3) engineering integrated science and (or) mathematics lesson plans and teaching reflections. This study utilizes both qualitative and quantitative research methods depending on the data we have collected. The results show that both science and math teachers thought that integrating engineering into teaching provided valuable outcomes, i.e., promoting students' learning about engineering and improving their interest in science or math through real-world problem solving exercises. Participants also felt more comfortable about integrating engineering in their teaching after the program. The results also imply that the teachers' understandings of engineering become more concrete after the program. This study also provides an overview of the challenges and advantages of teaching engineering in K-12 science and mathematics classrooms.

• BMB Reports
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.247-252
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• 2012

Although previous studies have demonstrated that BMP9 is highly capable of inducing osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells, the molecular mechanism involved remains to be fully elucidated. In this study, we showed that BMP9 simultaneously promotes the activation of Smad1/5/8, p38 and ERK1/2 in C3H10T1/2 cells. Knockdown of Smad4 with RNA interference reduced nuclear translocation of Smad1/5/8, and disrupted BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation. BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation was blocked by p38 inhibitor SB203580, whereas enhanced by ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059. SB203580 decreased BMP9-activated Smads singling, and yet PD98059 stimulated Smads singling in C3H10T1/2 cells. The effects of inhibitor were reproduced with adenovirus expressing siRNA targeted p38 and ERK1/2, respectively. Taken together, our findings revealed that Smads, p38 and ERK1/2 are involved in BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation. Also, it is noteworthy that p38 and ERK1/2 may play opposing regulatory roles in mediating BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of C3H10T1/2 cells.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.371-386
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• 2012

Spatial ability has been valued as one component of intelligence and as an talented domain. The researchers agree that spatial ability is associated with the achievements in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines and important in STEM education. The purpose of this study is to assess Korean middle school students' spatial ability and compare Gifted Students and General Students' spatial ability. For this purpose, 'The Revised PSVT:R' was translated into Korean and administered 509 Korean middle school students, and also internal consistency reliability evidence and construct validity evidence of 'The Revised PSVT:R' were examined. This study explored the spatial ability of Korean middle school students (graded 7 through 9), and investigated association between spatial ability and students' mathematics achievement, the students' spatial ability according to their gender and grade level. As a result, this study shows that gifted students were better than general students in spatial ability. And there were significant correlations between spatial ability and mathematics, science, Korean language achievement. According to these results, spatial ability should be included as one of the important components in identifying students for gifted education programs.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.121-133
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• 2020

This study proposes a lesson design framework to design a science and engineering integrated lesson in a meaningful and easy way based on engineering design, which is the core feature of STEM education. The science and engineering integrated lesson design framework is developed based on the analysis of domestic and foreign theoretical and practical research papers and expert discussion on science and engineering integrated education as well as the feedbacks from science teachers. The science and engineering integrated lesson design framework uses engineering design as the main pedagogical method. The framework includes the core elements of the engineering integrated lesson suggested in previous studies and the achievement level of each grade group suggested in NGSS and provides a way for teachers to easily introduce engineering design into science classes. In addition, the framework developed in this study complements the shortcomings of the complicated Korean STEAM education framework. It can also provide specific guidance to in-service teachers as well as pre-service teachers to easily understand and apply engineering design and problem solving processes to science and engineering integrated lessons.

• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.301-310
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• 2022

Background and Objectives: RUNX2 plays an essential role during the odontoblast differentiation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs). RUNX2 Exon 5 is an alternative exon and essential for RUNX2 transcriptional activity. This study aimed to investigate the regulatory mechanisms of RUNX2 exon 5 alternative splicing in human DPSCs. Methods and Results: The regulatory motifs of RUNX2 exon 5 were analyzed using the online SpliceAid program. The alternative splicing of RUNX2 exon 5 in DPSCs during mineralization-induced differentiation was analyzed by RT-PCR. To explore the effect of splicing factor YBX1 on exon 5 alternative splicing, gaining or losing function of YBX1 was performed by transfection of YBX1 overexpression plasmid or anti-YBX1 siRNA in DPSCs. Human RUNX2 exon 5 is evolutionarily conserved and alternatively spliced in DPSCs. There are three potential YBX1 binding motifs in RUNX2 exon 5. The inclusion of RUNX2 exon 5 and YBX1 expression level increased significantly during mineralization-induced differentiation in DPSCs. Overexpression of YBX1 significantly increased the inclusion of RUNX2 exon 5 in DPSCs. In contrast, silence of YBX1 significantly reduced the inclusion of exon 5 and the corresponding RUNX2 protein expression level. Knockdown of YBX1 reduced the expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OC) and the mineralization ability of DPSCs, while overexpression of YBX1 increased the expression of ALP and OC and the mineralization ability of DPSCs. Conclusions: Human RUNX2 exon 5 is conserved evolutionarily and alternatively spliced in DPSCs. Splicing factor YBX1 promotes the inclusion of RUNX2 exon 5 and improves the mineralization ability of DPSCs.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.110-113
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• 2001

Post-harvest diseases of kiwifruit caused severe damages on the fruits during storage, transportation, marketing and consumption. Phomopsis sp. was reported to be one of the major causal organisms of post-harvest fruit rots of kiwifruit. Symptoms of stem-end rot caused by Phomopsis sp. appeared at the stem-end area of the fruit as it ripened. The brown pubescent skin at the area became soft and lighter in color than the adjacent firm healthy tissues. A watery exudate and white mycelial mats were frequently visible at the stem-end area forming a water-drop stain down the sides on the dry brown healthy skin. When the skin was peeled back, the affected flesh tissue was usually watersoaked, disorganized, soft and lighter green than the healthy tissue. Phomopsis sp. was consistently isolated from the diseased fruits, and its pathogenicity was confirmed by an artificial inoculation test on healthy fruit of kiwifruits. The mycological characteristics of the telemorph state of the fungus produced on potato-dextrose agar were in accordance with those of Diaporthe actinidiae. This is the first report on the occurrence of a telemorph state of D. actinidiae as the causal organism of stem-end rot of kiwifruit in Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.394-406
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• 2019

The cellular senescence may be due to damage by the reactive oxygen species (ROS). This study has compared the antioxidant activity in the human cell lines of various origins, including 10S and 50S-derived normal skin fibroblasts, and 10S bone marrow, dental tissue and adipose-derived adult stem cells. After being exposed to $H_2O_2$, half inhibitory concentration ($IC_{50}$) values by cytotoxicity assay was significantly (P<0.05) lower in 50S-derived skin fibroblasts, than in 10S-derived skin fibroblasts and various adult stem cell lines. The cell population doubling time (PDT) and the cell frequency with high senescence associated-${\beta}$-galactose activity were remarkably increased in 50S-derived fibroblasts exposed to 50 ppm $H_2O_2$ for 7 days, than those of 10S-derived fibroblasts and various adult stem cell lines. Further, the expression level of antioxidant-related genes, glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and catalase (CAT), was investigated in 10S and 50S-derived skin fibroblasts, and 10S-derived various adult stem cells by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The expression level of GPX was higher in most of cell lines, compared to CAT, and a significantly (P<0.05) higher expression level of GPX was observed in 10S-derived skin fibroblasts and adult stem cell lines, compared to 50S-derived skin fibroblasts. We concluded that old-aged skin fibroblasts seemed to be less resistant against ROS than young-aged skin fibroblasts and adult stem cells.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.375-384
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• 2014

The number of students choosing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related careers are declining. Thus it became a worldwide challenge in the $21^{st}$ century. As public images of the engineers are unfavorable and inaccurate, misconceptions and stereotypes about engineers are prevailing. The purpose of this study was to investigate elementary school students' perceived mental and pictorial images of engineers and the nature of engineering work. This study involved 512 fifth and sixth grade students (Boys: 287 and Girls: 225) from four elementary schools at one of metropolitans in South Korea. The Draw An Engineer-Korean version (DAE-K) was developed based on Draw an Engineer (DAE) and Draw a Scientist (DAS), and Song and Kim (1999)'s instruments. A pilot-tested was conducted with 33 elementary students prior to the main study. The students were asked to answer how they think the engineers would be, to draw an engineer at work, and to write the engineer's personal information and the job description. Engineers were perceived as a person fixing, building, manufacturing, working outdoors in labors' clothes such as a robe. Engineers were shown with building tools, robots, airplanes, machines, conveyor belt, etc. Moreover, compared to the scientists, engineers were perceived as less intelligent, less imaginative, and less accurate. The results of this study revealed that elementary school students had a lack of accurate images of engineers. Students' current perceived images of engineers could help educators find the baselines for the future engineering education in elementary schools. In addition, the findings of this study could also contribute to the development of engineering education in terms of gender issues, STEM career choice, and even cultural diversity.