• BMB Reports
• /
• v.56 no.1
• /
• pp.24-31
• /
• 2023

Urological cancers such as kidney, bladder, prostate, and testicular cancers are the most common types of cancers worldwide with high mortality and morbidity. To date, traditional cell lines and animal models have been broadly used to study pre-clinical applications and underlying molecular mechanisms of urological cancers. However, they cannot reflect biological phenotypes of real tissues and clinical diversities of urological cancers in vitro system. In vitro models cannot be utilized to reflect the tumor microenvironment or heterogeneity. Cancer organoids in three-dimensional culture have emerged as a promising platform for simulating tumor microenvironment and revealing heterogeneity. In this review, we summarize recent advances in prostate and kidney cancer organoids regarding culture conditions, advantages, and applications of these cancer organoids.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.131-141
• /
• 2023

This study aimed to identify the determinants of physical frailty among the old-old adults in rural Korean communities. A total of 191 individuals aged 75 and older were included in the study, with the majority being female. Participants were classified into healthy (n=47), pre-frail (n=54), and frail (n=90) groups. Significant differences were found across these groups in terms of age, gender, education level, depression, and nutritional status. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that age (OR=1.16), depression (OR=0.21), malnourishment (OR=10.85), and short physical performance ability (OR=0.70) were significant predictors of physical frailty. These findings underscore the multifaceted nature of physical frailty among old-old adults in urban-rural complex communities and highlight the need for comprehensive and integrated interventions. Such interventions should consider not only physical factors but also broader health conditions and socio-demographic influences impacting the elderly. Further research is needed to develop and evaluate interventions that address these determinants and promote health equity among the elderly population in urban-rural complex communities

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.12-17
• /
• 2023

This study investigates the effects of online English writing instruction on university students' writing performance and their anxiety. A total of 34 participants completed the pre- and post- writing tests as well as the surveys regarding perceived anxiety toward English writing. Reflection papers and interviews were employed to triangulate the results of the questionnaires. Quantitative analysis of learners' writing outcomes and surveys revealed that online writing instruction helped improve students' writing skills and reduce writing anxiety. The interviews and reflection papers demonstrated that learners found the writing instruction helpful in reducing somatic anxiety, avoidance behavior, and cognitive anxiety. The current study suggests that adopting non-face-to-face online writing instruction aids EFL students in developing their writing and alleviating writing anxiety.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.42-47
• /
• 2023

The majority of research on Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) programs has focused primarily on Grammarly, whereas QuillBot and its use in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms remains limitedly explored. This study examined the effectiveness of using QuillBot on the writing quality of college students. A total of 26 participants took pre- and post-writing tests, and four analytical tools were applied to assess their writing quality in terms of syntactic complexity, lexical diversity, lexical richness, and readability. Results of the syntactic complexity analysis across the four indices demonstrates that the syntactic complexity of EFL writing increased significantly, and substantial differences were observed in lexical richness and readability. These results suggest that QuillBot can compensate for the drawbacks of Grammarly and assist EFL writers in improving their overall writing quality.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.207-219
• /
• 2014

Three-dimensional (3D) culture system is useful technique for study of in vivo environment and it was used various experiments. This study was investigated to establish of embryo co-culture system and changes of PAs activity in 3D cultured endometrial cells of pigs. In results, growth of stromal cells into gel matrix were detected only with endometrial and myometrial cells. The most rapid growth of stromal cells were confirmed in $2.5{\times}10^5cells/ml$ and gel matrix containing 15% FBS. Expression of urokinase-PA (uPA) after treatment of hCG (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 IU/ml) were higher than without hCG, but, there are not significant difference among the treatment. On the other hand, expression of uPA after treatment of $IL-1{\beta}$ (0.1, 1, 10 and 100 ng/ml) were higher than without $IL-1{\beta}$, but, there are not significant difference. Expression of uPA after treatment of estrogen (0.2, 2, 20 and 200 ng/ml) were not difference, but PA activity was significantly decreased (p<0.05). Blastocyst was producing in PZM-3 medium containing FBS and endometrial cells were grown in PZM-3 medium. When embryos development with cultured endometrial cells, cleavage rates were not significant difference and blastocyst were not produced in co-culture with stromal cells and 3D culture system. 3D culture system had similar activity to in vivo tissue and these features are very useful for study of in vivo physiology. Nevertheless 3D culture system was not proper in embryo co-culture system. Therefore, we suggest that 3D culture system with embryo co-culture need continuous research.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.92-98
• /
• 2021

Modern society needs constantly the rationality and the efficiency, and this flow of the time has become the paradigm of the whole society. This paradigm has a large influence on the architectural design and industry. Modern technology represented by the development of digital instrument and Information Technology through internet has created and developed two big trend, Parametric Design and BIM(Building information Modeling) in the architectural design and industry. These technologies, though created for different reasons, have a lot of influence on the architectural design and industry for a common purpose such as efficiency and rationality across the boundaries. In this context, this research will be embodied through the example about how parametric design should be made in the beginning of pre-design phase for BIM application. This research aims to consider the design process of Walt Diseny Consert Hall, the work of Frank O. Ghery, a deconstructivism architect, and to embody the shape of National Nederlanden Building in Prague, the Czech Republic, using parametric design tool in pre-design phase. This research later aims to be used as the basic data that can be applied to the entire architectural industry from a planning and a detailed design to a construction for the ultimate BIM application beyond the range of parametric design in pre-design phase. Later, the plan using the parametric design algorithm and BIM application in construction document phase will be conducted.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.421-428
• /
• 2021

This study intended to identify the differences of pre-service elementary school teachers' perceptions on instructional design between face-to-face and online instruction. Lesson plans for face-to-face and online instruction were analyzed by 84 participants who were seniors at C university of education. Results of content analysis indicate that 'Providing Learning Guidance' domain is the biggest domain in terms of the frequency gap between face-to-face and online instruction. Frequency differences by domains between face-to-face and online instruction were found to be significant as a result of Chi-square test. Frequency differences by instructional elements in the 'Providing Learning Guidance' domain between face-to-face and online instruction were found to be statistically significant as well. In conclusion, this study indicates the differences of pre-service elementary school teachers' perceptions on instructional design between face-to-face and online instruction, which implies the necessity for the development and implementation of professional development programs focusing on the perceptions on instructional design of online instruction for pre-service elementary school teachers.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.77-83
• /
• 2023

This study aimed to analyze the personality of 141 pre-service early childhood teachers who will be in charge of the quality of education in the early childhood curriculum and to verify the differences in the career resilience according to the personality types. Career resilirnce, which measures the ability to cope with various problems and create ideas according to the work environment, was judged to be a very important factor for teacher-child interaction and successful operation of the early childhood curriculum. The results of the study showed that, among personality types, in the case of extraversion and conscientiousness, groups with average scores or higher scored higher in creativity, flexibility, challenging spirit, and future orientation than the groups below. In the case of the openness personality, higher scores in creativity, flexibility and challenging spirit, and in the case of the agreeable personality, the group showed significantly higher scores in flexibility and future orientation. In the case of the neurotic personality, on the contrary, the group with below average score received higher scores in flexibility, challenging spirit, and future orientation. The significance of this study is that it suggests the need for comprehensive programs such as various extracurricular programs, curricula, and counseling to help and promote the formation of more positive personalities of pre-service early childhood teachers.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.7-18
• /
• 2016

The first D2C-era web-real variety show in Korea was broadcast via tvN of CJ E&M. The web-real variety program 'SinSeoYuGi' accumulated 54 million views, along with 50 million views at the Chinese portal site QQ. This study carries out an analysis using text mining that extracts portal site blogs, twitter page views and associative terms. In addition, this study derives viewers' response by extracting key words with opinion mining techniques that divide positive words, neutral words and negative words through customer sentiment analysis. It is found that the success factors of the web-real variety were reduced in appearance fees and production cost, harmony between actual cast members and scenario characters, mobile TV programing, and pre-roll advertising. It is expected that web-real variety broadcasting will increase in value as web contents in the future, and be established as a new genre with the job of 'technical marketer' growing as well.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.16-23
• /
• 2010

Adipocyte differentiation in human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs) is not as efficient as that in murine pre-adipocytes when induced by adipogenic agents including insulin, dexamethasone, and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IDX condition). Therefore, the promotion of adipocyte differentiation in hBM-MSCs has been used as a cell culture model to evaluate insulin sensitivity for anti-diabetic drugs. In hBM-MSCs, $PPAR{\gamma}$ agonists or sulfonylurea anti-diabetic drugs have been added to IDX conditions to promote adipocyte differentiation. Here we show that troglitazone, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma ($PPAR{\gamma}$) agonist, significantly reduced the levels of anti-adipogenic $PGE_2$ in IDX-conditioned hBM-MSC culture supernatants when compared to $PGE_2$ levels in the absence of $PPAR{\gamma}$ agonist. However, there was no difference in the mRNA levels of cyclooxygenases (COXs) and the activities of COXs and prostaglandin synthases during adipocyte differentiation in hBM-MSCs with or without troglitazone. In hBM-MSCs, troglitazone significantly increased the mRNA level of 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (HPGD) which can act to decrease $PGE_2$ levels in culture. These results suggest that the role of $PPAR{\gamma}$ activation in promoting adipocyte differentiation in hBM-MSCs is to reduce anti-adipogenic $PGE_2$ levels through the up-regulation of HPGD expression.