• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.477-490
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• 2011

The concept of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) has been developed and expanded to identify essential components of mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) by Ball and her colleagues (2008). This study proposes an alternative perspective to view MKT focusing on key developmental understandings (KDUs) that carry through an instructional sequence, that are foundational for learning other ideas. In this study we provide constructive components of KDUs in fraction multiplication by focusing on the constructs of 'three-level-of-units structure' and 'recursive partitioning operation'. Expecially, our participating preservice elementary teacher, Jane, demonstrated that recursive partitioning operations with her length model played a significant role as a KDU in fraction multiplication.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.131-135
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• 2009

MicroRNAs control gene expression by inhibiting translation or promoting degradation of their target mRNAs. Since the discovery of the first microRNAs, lin-4 and let-7, in C. elegans, hundreds of microRNAs have been identified as key regulators of cell fate determination, lifespan, and cancer in species ranging from plants to humans. However, while microRNAs have been shown to be particularly abundant in the brain, their role in the development and activity of the nervous system is still largely unknown. In this review, we describe recent advances in our understanding of microRNA function at synapses, the specialized structures required for communication between neurons and their targets. We also propose how these advances might inform the molecular model of memory.

• Korean Parent-Child Health Journal
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.49-60
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• 2008

This is an underlying study for expanding child growth and developmental screening program, which had been implemented as a part of maternal child health service in a certain public health center located in P City. This study attempted to develop system model to discover, consult and follow-up developmental disabilities in children in early stage. For the purpose of providing groundwork for further development of screening program, the system model was analyzed and evaluated. One of the focuses of this study was developing practical tool that can aid small number staffs of public health center to handle large number of patients. 9 types of developmental checklist by key month was developed to support understaffed public health center. These checklists were also supplied to other public health centers, greatly improving qualitative and quantitative development of screening project. Also, the 4-step program of operating and managing child growth and developmental screening was proved to be quite effective. Total 632 children were evaluated and 21 of them were suspected to have developmental problem. Among these children, 8 children were determined to receive regular supervision of public health center. Other 13 children were recommended to visit professional institution, but only 7 of them actually visited institution. Four of these children who visited professional institution are currently receiving treatment, while the other 3 children were determined to require close observation. Five times of screening education were provided to the staffs in public health center and personnel in charge of children in every district public center in P City. The purpose of this training was to improve individuals' capability to implement project and to establish basis for expanding child growth and developmental screening program. The participants were guided to have continuous attention for the project, and their knowledge, skill and recognition were greatly improved through educational training. Also, professional child consulting and education, including lecture for baby food and baby food menu exhibition, were given to parents. Through this opportunity, parents acquired higher understanding about baby food while the local residents' recognition for maternal child health service was greatly improved.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.42 no.11
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• pp.810-819
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• 2019

For physiological or pathological understanding of bone disease caused by abnormal behavior of osteoclasts (OCs), functional studies of molecules that regulate the generation and action of OCs are required. In a microarray approach, we found the suppression of tumorigenicity 5 (ST5) gene is upregulated by receptor activator of nuclear $factor-{\kappa}B$ ligand (RANKL), the OC differentiation factor. Although the roles of ST5 in cancer and ${\beta}-cells$ have been reported, the function of ST5 in bone cells has not yet been investigated. Knockdown of ST5 by siRNA reduced OC differentiation from primary precursors. Moreover, ST5 downregulation decreased expression of NFATc1, a key transcription factor for osteoclastogenesis. In contrast, overexpression of ST5 resulted in the opposite phenotype of ST5 knockdown. In immunocytochemistry experiments, the ST5 protein is colocalized with Src in RANKL-committed cells. In addition, ST5 enhanced activation of Src and Syk, a Src substrate, in response to RANKL. ST5 reduction caused a decrease in RANKL-evoked calcium oscillation and inhibited translocation of NFATc1 into the nucleus. Taken together, these findings provide the first evidence of ST5 involvement in positive regulation of osteoclastogenesis via Src/Syk/calcium signaling.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.211-215
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• 2008

To gain a better understanding of the methylation imprinting changes associated with heat stress in early development, we used bisulfite sequencing and bisulfite restriction analysis to examine the DNA methylation status of imprinted genes in early embryos (blastocysts). The paternal imprinted genes, H19 and Igf-2r, had lower methylation levels in heat-stressed embryos than in control embryos, whereas the maternal imprinted genes, Peg3 and Peg1, had similar methylation pattern in heat-stressed embryos and in control embryos. Our results indicate that heat stress may induce aberrant methylation imprinting, which results in developmental failure of mouse embryos, and that the effects of heat shock on methylation imprinting may be gene-specific.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2015

The biological roles of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) proteins have long been extensively explored in eukaryotic organisms including fungi, animals and plants. This gene family has evolutionary well conserved kinase domain and shares similar phosphorylation properties to their substrate proteins. However, their specific biological roles are surprisingly distinct in different organisms. GSK3s play key role in key regulating the cytoskeleton and metabolic processes in animal systems, but plant GSKs are involved in quite different processes, such as flower development, brassinosteroid signaling, abiotic stresses, and organogenesis. In particular, recent studies have reported the critical multiple functions of BIN2 and its related paralogues plant GSK3s during organogenesis via connecting hormonal or developmental programs. In this review, we outline the recent understanding in the versatile functions related in physiological and biochemical relevance, which are mediated by plant GSK3s in various cellular signaling.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.163-168
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• 2014

Wnt proteins are a family of secreted glycoproteins that are evolutionarily conserved and considered to be involved in extensive developmental processes in metazoan organisms. The characterization of wnt genes may improve understanding the parasite's development. In the present study, a wnt4 gene encoding 491amino acids was amplified from cDNA of metacestodes of Taenia solium using reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR). Bioinformatics tools were used for sequence analysis. The conserved domain of the wnt gene family was predicted. The expression profile of Wnt4 was investigated using real-time PCR. Wnt4 expression was found to be dramatically increased in scolex evaginated cysticerci when compared to invaginated cysticerci. In situ hybridization showed that wnt4 gene was distributed in the posterior end of the worm along the primary body axis in evaginated cysticerci. These findings indicated that wnt4 may take part in the process of cysticerci evagination and play a role in scolex/bladder development of cysticerci of T. solium.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.136-146
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• 1996

Studies on normal human embryos and on malformed human hearts have been two main sources of the information on the developmental cardiology, Recent advances in the biological technology has opened a new era and descriptive embryology is being shifted into dynamic developmental biology. In this review, we discuss the current understanding on the cardiac embryology relevant to clinical practices of pediatric cardiology. Classical cardiac embryology starts with understanding on five segments of a straight heart tube : the sinus venosus, the primitive atria, the embryonic left ventricle, the embryonic right ventricle and the truncus arteriosus. Key steps in the normal morphogenetic process are the complex spiral septation of ventriculoarterial junction and two jumping connections : between the embryonic right atrium and embryonic right ventricle, and between the embryonic left ventricle and the aorta. Only after these two steps are successfully completed, the third fetal stage tak s place, when myocardial growth and remodeling take place There are two outstanding progresses on the cardiac embryology during recent five-year period. One is immunohistochemical mapping of the conduction system in the developing heart and the other is the understanding on the neural crest cell migration followed by molecular detection of the microdeletion of chromosome 22. A balanced progress of classical morphological studies, modern biological technics and advanced clinical medicine is an urgent task for doctors and scientists dealing with children with sick hearts.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.796-808
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• 2018

The intracellular bacterium Wolbachia pipientis is widespread in arthropods. Recently, possibilities of novel Wolbachia-mediated hosts, their distribution, and natural rate have been anticipated, and the coconut leaf beetle Brontispa longissima (Gestro) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), which has garnered attention as a serious pest of palms, was subjected to this interrogation. By adopting Wolbachia surface protein (wsp) and multilocus sequence type (MLST) genotypic systems, we determined the Wolbachia infection density within host developmental stages, body parts, and tissues, and the results revealed that all the tested samples of B. longissima were infected with the same Wolbachia strain (wLog), suggesting complete vertical transmission. The MLST profile elucidated two new alleles (ftsZ-234 and coxA-266) that define a new sequence type (ST-483), which indicates the particular genotypic association of B. longissima and Wolbachia. The quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed a higher infection density in the eggs and adult stage, followed by the abdomen and reproductive tissues, respectively. However, no significant differences were observed in the infection density between sexes. Moreover, the wsp and concatenated MLST alignment analysis of this study with other known Wolbachia-mediated arthropods revealed similar clustering with distinct monophyletic supergroup B. This is the first comprehensive report on the prevalence, infection dynamics, and phylogeny of the Wolbachia endosymbiont in B. longissima, which demonstrated that Wolbachia is ubiquitous across all developmental stages and distributed in the entire body of B. longissima. Understanding the Wolbachia infection dynamics would provide useful insight to build a framework for future investigations, understand its impacts on host physiology, and exploit it as a potential biocontrol agent.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.151-166
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• 2023

Yeast extract is a product prepared mainly from waste brewer's yeast, which is rich in nucleotides, proteins, amino acids, sugars and a variety of trace elements, and has the advantages of low production cost and abundant supply of raw material. Consequently, yeast extracts are widely used in various fields as animal feed additives, food flavoring agents and additives, cosmetic supplements, and microbial fermentation media; however, their full potential has not yet been realized. To improve understanding of current research knowledge, this review summarizes the ingredients, production technology, and applications of yeast extracts, and discusses the relationship between their properties and applications. Developmental trends and future prospects of yeast extract are also previewed, with the aim of providing a theoretical basis for the development and expansion of future applications.