• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.143-151
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• 2021

Background: Plants are able to optimize defense responses induced by various herbivores, which have different feeding strategies. Local and systemic responses within a plant after herbivory are essential to modulate herbivore-specific plant responses. For instance, leaf-chewing herbivores elicit jasmonic acid signaling, which result in the inductions of toxic chemicals in the attacked leaf (tissue-specific responses) and also in the other unattacked parts of the plant (systemic responses). Root herbivory induces toxic metabolites in the attacked root and alters the levels of transcripts and metabolites in the unattacked shoot. However, we have little knowledge of the local and systemic responses against stem-boring herbivores. In this study, we examined the systemic changes in metabolites in the wild tobacco Nicotiana attenuata, when the stem-boring herbivore Trichobaris mucorea attacks. Results: To investigate the systemic responses of T. mucorea attacks, we measured the levels of jasmonic acid (JA), JA-dependent secondary metabolites, soluble sugars, and free amino acids in 7 distinct tissues of N. attenuata: leaf lamina with epidermis (LLE), leaf midrib (LM), stem epidermis (SE), stem pith (SP), stem vascular bundle (SV), root cortex with epidermis (RCE), and root vascular bundle (RV). The levels of JA were increased in all root tissues and in LM by T. mucorea attacks. The levels of chlorogenic acids (CGAs) and nicotine were increased in all stem tissues by T. mucorea. However, CGA was systematically induced in LM, and nicotine was systematically induced in LM and RCE. We further tested the resource allocation by measuring soluble sugars and free amino acids in plant tissues. T. mucorea attacks increased the level of free amino acids in all tissues except in LLE. The levels of soluble sugars were significantly decreased in SE and SP, but increased in RV. Conclusions: The results reveal that plants have local- and systemic-specific responses in response to attack from a stem-boring herbivore. Interestingly, the level of induced secondary metabolites was not consistent with the systemic inductions of JA. Spatiotemporal resolution of plant defense responses against stem herbivory will be required to understand how a plant copes with attack from herbivores from different feeding guilds.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.115-125
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• 2021

Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) are known to be involved in regulating plant responses to abiotic stresses such as salinity, cold temperature and dehydration,. Although CDPKs constitute a large multigene family consisting of 31 genes in rice, only a few rice CDPKs' functions have been identified. Therefore, in order to elucidate the functions of OsCPK11 in rice, this study was intended to focus on the expression pattern analysis of OsCPK11 in wild type and ND0001 oscpk11 mutant plants under these abiotic stresses. For the salt, cold and drought stress treatment, seedlings were exposed to 200 mM NaCl, 4℃ and 20% PEG 6,000, respectively. RT-PCR and quantitative real-time PCR were performed to determine the expression patterns of OsCPK11 in wild type and ND0001 mutant plants. RT-PCR results showed that OsCPK11 transcripts in the wild type and heterozygous mutant were detected, but not in the homozygous mutant. Real-time PCR results showed that relative expression of OsCPK11 of wild type plants was increased and reached to the highest level at 24 hr, at 6 hr and at 24 hr under salt, cold and drought stress conditions, respectively. Relative expression of OsCPK11 of ND0001 homozygous plant was significantly reduced compared to that of wild type. These results suggested that oscpk11 homozygous mutant knocks out OsCPK11 and OsCPK11 might be involved in salt, cold and drought stress signaling by regulating its gene expression.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.219-228
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of participation in the educational community through cooperative relationships between early childhood teachers and researchers in early childhood mathematics education using storytelling, and to find out the meaning of those experiences. Reputable researchers began with the formation of the educational community on March 14, 2016, and continued until July 26, 2016, and collected transcripts of discussions of educational community meetings, reflective journal data of teachers and researchers, and transcript of individual interviews by teachers. As a result of the study, first, the experience of participating in the educational community in early childhood mathematics education using storytelling shared personal mathematics experiences and mathematical situations, understood and learned mathematics content knowledge through sharing, and communicated through the educational community. Second, looking at the meaning of the experience of participating in the early childhood mathematics education educational community using storytelling, learn together through mathematical errors and learn the direction of better instruction through sharing. Grown up as a teacher who enjoys the mathematics exploration process, and promoted joint practice through cooperation in early childhood mathematics education using storytelling.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.837-854
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• 2021

This study was conducted to explore parenting experiences for mothers of adolescent children. Participants in the study were 7 primary caregivers of children in the first to third grades of middle school in the Seoul area, and in-depth interviews were conducted from September to November 2019. After recording the interviews of each participant, the transcripts of verbal words and documents that were the summary of the interview were collected as data. In this study, the participants' perceptions of experiences and actions were analyzed by Smith & Osborn (2003)'s interpretative phenomenological method, which allows researchers to make meanings. As a result of data analysis, 6 major topics and 25 sub-themes were derived. The results derived from the parenting experiences of mothers of adolescents are largely six types: the implications of spending time with their children, unnatural act, the aesthetics of expression, the way to recharge energy, the mental heritage that they want to leave for their children, and resilience. The research results of this study can be presented so that they can learn the healthy responses and interaction of care-givers in a preventive educational dimension, as it provides both generality and specificity of how mothers should interact with their adolescent children in the field of clinical practice.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.673-689
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• 2022

To understand seasonal changes it is necessary to understand the relationship between celestial bodies in a three-dimensional space, and to this end, modeling activities in which students directly construct, use, evaluate, and modify three-dimensional models are important. In this study, the process of elementary school students using globes and light bulbs to model Earth's motion in a three-dimensional space as a cause of seasonal changes was analyzed. Seventeen sixth graders participated in the modeling process. After exploring phenomena and concepts related to seasonal change, students constructed models using globes and bulbs and used them to explain seasonal changes. Video data recording students' modeling process, students' activity sheets, and transcripts of post-interview were used as research data, and data triangulation was conducted. The modeling level analysis framework was also developed based on previous studies. In particular, the framework was developed in detail in this study in consideration of the concept of Earth's motion as well as understanding model and implementing modeling. In the final analysis framework, the 3D modeling level was classified from level 1 to level 3, and student performance that may appear at each level was specified. As a result of the study, there were two main levels of modeling using globes for elementary school students to explain seasonal changes. The rotation and tilt of the axis of rotation and revolution of the earth were considered but the level at which empirical evidence was not used (level 2), the level at which empirical evidence was used to explain seasonal chages (level 3). However, even when students use empirical evidence, it did not lead to the construction of a scientific model. In this study, the cause was explored in relation to the characteristics of the tool used for modeling.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.421-429
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• 2022

The expression of interleukin-1α (IL-1α) is elevated in monocytic cells, such as monocytes and macro-phages, within atherosclerotic arteries, yet the cellular molecules involved in cytokine upregulation remain unclear. Because peptidoglycan (PG), a major component of gram-positive bacterial cell walls, is detected within the inflammatory cell-rich regions of atheromatous plaques, it was investigated if PG contributes to IL-1α expression in monocytes/macrophages. Exposure of THP-1 monocytic cells to PG resulted in elevated levels of IL-1α gene transcripts and increased secretion of IL-1α protein. The transcription and secretion of IL-1α were abrogated by OxPAPC, an inhibitor of TLR2/4, but not by polymyxin B that inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced TLR4 activation. To understand the molecular mechanisms of the inflammatory responses due to bacterial pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) in diseased arteries, we attempted to determine the cellular factors involved in the PG-induced upregulation of IL-1α expression. Pharmacological inhibition of cell signaling pathways with LY294002 (a PI3K inhibitor), Akti IV (an inhibitor of Akt activation), rapamycin (an mTOR inhibitor), U0126 (a MEK inhibitor), SB202190 (a p38 MAPK inhibitor), SP6001250 (a JNK inhibitor), and DPI (a NOX inhibitor) also significantly attenuated the PG-mediated expression of IL-1α. These results suggest that PG induces the monocytic or macrophagic expression of IL-1α, thereby contributing to vascular inflammation, via multiple signaling molecules, including TLR2, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, and MAPKs.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.693-702
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• 2023

The present study examined the rate of cell growth and differentiation potential into adipocytes in A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells exposed to each adipogenic medium containing glucose metabolism hormones, such as thyroxine (T4) thyroid hormone and glucocorticoid (GC) adrenal steroid hormone, as well as pioglitazone (PGZ), a PPARγ agonist. Following each adipogenic treatment for 2 weeks, the rate of cell growth was significantly (p<0.05) inhibited, and the level of telomerase activity was significantly (p<0.05) decreased in the PGZ-based adipogenic medium containing both T4 and GC hormone compared with those containing each T4 or GC hormone. Moreover, the adiposome-like vesicles were highly reacted with Oil-Red O staining solution, and the levels of transcripts expressed in the differentiating adipocytes for adipogenesis, including adinopectin, leptin, and resistin, were significantly (p<0.05) increased in the PGZ-based adipogenic medium containing both T4 and GC hormone compared with those of the adipogenic medium containing each T4 or GC hormone, implying that adipocytic differentiation has fully occurred in the A549 cancer cells. Based on present observations, the PGZ-based adipogenic medium containing both T4 and GC efficiently induces inhibition of cell growth and cellular differentiation into adipocytes in A549 cancer cells rather than in the adipogenic medium containing only T4 or GC hormone. Adipogenic treatment could provide potential probability in cancer chemotherapy.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.351-368
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• 2023

The scientist-led Research and Education (R&E) program aims to strengthen gifted science students' research capabilities under the guidance of scientists. Students' actual research experiences in scientist-led R&E activities range from understanding how scientists conduct research to actively participating in research. To develop R&E that promotes student agency, i.e., student participation, this study aimed to identify the pedagogical characteristics that supported gifted science students' agentic participation in the scientist-led R&E program. We conducted interviews with learners and scientists in three teams undertaking R&E activities every three months. The interview covered their perceptions of R&E activities, student participation, and scientists' support for the activities. The recordings and transcripts of the interviews were used as primary data sources for the analysis. The trajectory of each team's activities, as well as the learners' and scientists' dynamic positioning were identified. Based on this analysis, we inductively identified the pedagogical characteristics that emerged from classes in which the scientists supported the students' learning and engagement in research. Regarding agency, three types of student participation were identified: 1) the sustained exercise of agency, 2) the initial exercise and subsequent discouragement of agency, and 3) the continuous non-exercise of agency. Two pedagogical characteristics that supported the learners' agentic participation were identified: 1) opportunities for students to take part in research management and 2) scientist-student interactions encouraging learners to present expert-level ideas. This study contributes to developing pedagogies that foster gifted science students' agentic participation in scientist-led R&E activities.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.421-433
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• 2023

This study examined the reasoning of gifted elementary science students in a socioscientific issues (SSI) classroom discussion on COVID-19-related trash disposal challenges. This study aimed to understand the characteristics of evidence use and decision-making difficulties in each type of SSI-related reasoning. To this end, the transcripts of 17 gifted students of elementary science discussing SSIs in a classroom were analyzed within the framework of informal reasoning. The analysis framework was categorized into three types according to the primary influence involved in reasoning: rational, emotional, and intuitive. The analysis showed that students exhibited four categories of evidence use in SSI reasoning. First, in the rational reasoning category, students deemed and recorded scientific knowledge, numbers, and statistics as objective evidence. However, students who experienced difficulty in investigating such scientific data were less likely to have factored them in subsequent decisions. Second, in the emotional reasoning category, students' solutions varied considerably depending on the perspective they empathized with and reasoned from. Differences in their views led to conflicting perspectives on SSIs and consequent disagreement. Third, in the intuitive reasoning category, students disagreed with the opinions of their peers but did not explain their positions precisely. Intuitive reasoning also created challenges as students avoided problem-solving in the discussion and did not critically examine their opinions. Fourth, a mixed category of reasoning emerged: intuition combined with rationality or emotion. When combined with emotion, intuitive reasoning was characterized by deep empathy arising from personal experience, and when combined with rationality, the result was only an impulsive reaction. These findings indicate that research on student understanding and faculty knowledge of SSIs discussed in classrooms should consider the difficulties in informal reasoning and decision-making.

• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.485-515
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to explore bullying among senior women at a senior center. Using ethnographic research technique, we examined the process in which members of the senior center engaged in and responded to bullying. Purposive sampling method was used to choose a senior center as the subject of this study. Within the center, 16 senior women participated in the study. In-depth interviews and participatory research methods were used to collect data. We analyzed the transcripts of the interviews based on the ethnographic analysis method presented by Spradley (1979). Themes that emerged from these participatory research and interviews include: members of the senior center creating loners, people being bullied causing damages to the group, taking actions to respond to bullying, and failing to solve the bullying problems. First, the victims of bullying became loners with no one to rely on through other members' verbal attacks, discrimination, isolation, and stopping the victim to use the senior center. Second, the victims were under attack but also caused troubles at the senior center and harmed others at the same time. Third, while engaging in bullying, senior women attempted to deal with bullying problems in many ways. These attempts include: avoiding the conflict, withstanding, attempting to mediating, and so on. Finally, bullying remained to be a recurring phenomenon at the senior center. New victims of bullying continuously appeared and the influence of bullying was felt not only within the senior center but outside as well. Based on the findings of this study, we suggest that practitioners and researchers take into account factors that affect bullying among senior women.