Direct Visualization of Individual mRNA Export Through Differential Fluorescent Labeling

Department of Biomedical EngineeringThe nuclear export of mRNA through the nuclear pore complex is a crucial step in gene expression and is tightly regulated through signal-recognizing proteins. Though the mRNAs in the cytoplasm are well imaged in fixed or living cells, the detection of the export event has been difficult due to the lack of adequate technique to distinguish nuclear and cytoplasmic mRNAs, while it is crucial in elucidating the mechanism of controlling their life cycle. We developed a novel fluorescent labeling tool that will mark the nuclear and cytoplasmic mRNAs differently. Using the tool, we can potentially trace the full life cycle of mRNAs from transcription, splicing, to translation. We present our preliminary results on developing the labeling tool and tracking the live mRNA export dynamics.ope

ScanHash: Scannable Dynamic Hashing

Department of Computer Science and EngineeringIndexing structure is getting important as the storage device is getting faster. Persistent memory such as Intel Optane DC Persistent Memory which is now commercially available is one of emerging fast storage devices that is byte-addressible, non-volatile and it has comparable access latency to the DRAM. On the other hand, traditional relational operation database has limitations to store large-scale data in terms of performance and scalability because of its relation. To overcome the limitations, a non-relational database called NoSQL such as key-value stores came out to handle big-data which is nowadays widely adopted for the commercial database system like MongoDB and it is necessary to have efficient indexing to provide fast performance. In this work, we present a novel dynamic hashing technique, ScanHash, that gets benefit fast point query of hash table index with sorting buckets in the natural order of keys to support scan operations. ScanHash provides efficient point query using based on the extendible hash table structure and scan query by sorted bucket with natural key order. To avoid the problem caused by the skewness of key distribution, we suggest the key remapping function replacing the hash function with the approximated cumulative distribution function. In our experimental results, ScanHash shows overall better performance than the state-of-the-art B+-tree for persistent memory.clos

DEVELOPMENT OF AN EDUCATIONAL ONLINE GAME FOR THE INTERVENTION OF KOREAN DYSLEXIA - A GAME UTILIZING SYLLABLE COUNTING FOR PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS INTERVENTION -

5% of the world population suffers from dyslexia (difficulty in reading), and according to research, the brain begins to distinguish characters at the age of 60 months. Thus, at the time when children are learning to speak at the age of 60 months, the dyslexic intervention is most needed. During intervention, the teacher needs to use a verified method according to the educational needs of the students with dyslexia. In Korea, the number of teachers specialized for dyslexia education is highly insufficient. Therefore, a program that accessible to as many dyslexic children as possible in highly in need which can offered independent yet effective learning.  This study aimed to develop an effective online game program for the treatment of dyslexia. We first researched the contents and characteristics of the current phonological dyslexia interventions, and examined the needs of stakeholders. Then, based on the survey results, we designed a game for phonological awareness (syllable counting)

From carbon nanotubes and silicate layers to graphene platelets for polymer nanocomposites

In spite of extensive studies conducted on carbon nanotubes and silicate layers for their polymer-based nanocomposites, the rise of graphene now provides a more promising candidate due to its exceptionally high mechanical performance and electrical and thermal conductivities. The present study developed a facile approach to fabricate epoxy–graphene nanocomposites by thermally expanding a commercial product followed by ultrasonication and solution-compounding with epoxy, and investigated their morphologies, mechanical properties, electrical conductivity and thermal mechanical behaviour. Graphene platelets (GnPs) of 3.5

Chronostratigraphy of the Larsen blue-ice area in northern Victoria Land, East Antarctica, and its implications for paleoclimate

In blue-ice areas (BIAs), deep ice is directly exposed at the surface, allowing for the cost-effective collection of large-sized old-ice samples. However, chronostratigraphic studies on blue-ice areas are challenging owing to fold and fault structures. Here, we report on a surface transect of ice with an undisturbed horizontal stratigraphy from the Larsen BIA, northern Victoria Land, East Antarctica. Ice layers defined by dust bands and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) surveys indicate a monotonic increase in age along the ice flow direction on the downstream side, while the upstream ice exhibits a potential repetition of ages on scales of tens of meters, which result from a complicated fold structure. Stable water isotopes (δ18Oice and δ2Hice) and components of the occluded air (i.e., CO2, N2O, CH4, δ15N–N2, δ18Oatm (=δ18O-O2), δO2/N2, δAr/N2​​​​​​​, 81Kr, and 85Kr) are analyzed for surface ice and shallow ice core samples. Correlating δ18Oice, δ18Oatm, and CH4 records from the Larsen BIA with ice from previously drilled ice cores indicates that the gas age at various shallow vertical coring sites ranges between 9.2–23.4 kyr BP, while the ice age sampled from the surface ranges from 5.6 to 24.7 kyr BP. Absolute radiometric 81Kr dating for the two vertical cores confirms ages within acceptable levels of analytical uncertainty. A tentative climate reconstruction suggests a large deglacial warming of 15 ± 5 ∘C (1σ) and an increase in snow accumulation by a factor of 1.7–4.6 (from 24.3 to 10.6 kyr BP). Our study demonstrates that BIAs in northern Victoria Land may help to obtain high-quality records for paleoclimate and atmospheric greenhouse gas compositions through the last deglaciation, although in general climatic interpretation is complicated by the need for upstream flow corrections, evidence for strong surface sublimation during the last glacial period, and potential errors in the estimated gas age–ice age difference.</p

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness of Non-Face-to-Face Coaching

This study examined the effectiveness of non-face-to-face coaching in South Korea in order to present alternatives in the post-COVID-19 environment. The research collected domestic studies on non-face-to-face coaching in South Korea and analysed the studies through a systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Among 1081 papers retrieved from the database, we selected ten papers for meta-analysis. Using the random effect model to measure effect size, the total effect size of non-face-to-face coaching was 0.77. When we divided the effect of non-face-to-face coaching into psychological, cognitive, and physical effects, the cognitive effects were the largest. In addition, examining non-face-to-face coaching by type resulted in a larger effect size of web-based online coaching in comparison to telephone coaching. By contrast, the effect sizes of non-face-to-face coaching by subject had the largest effect size on subjects with the highest level of vulnerability. This study found that non-face-to-face coaching had a large effect, with relatively large cognitive and psychological effects. Future investigations should supplement the present research through follow-up studies on non-face-to-face coaching

Effects of Physical Exercise on Women with Disabilities in South Korea: A Meta-Analysis

This study is the first to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the effects of physical exercise on South Korean women with disabilities using the data of previous studies. This study performed a meta-analysis of the effect sizes of exercise programs for women with disabilities using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3.0 and a total of 16 papers with 154 participants. The largest effect sizes were found for changes in muscle strength (d = 2.407) for treatment effects, horseback riding (d = 3.080) for exercise type, 45&ndash;50 min (d = 3.080) for duration of a single exercise session, three times (d = 0.963) for frequency of exercise per week, 15 weeks (d = 1.974) for period of exercise and 45 times (d = 1.974) for total number of sessions. The results of this meta-analysis showed that exercise programs suitable for the individual-level characteristics of disabled individuals can and should be developed and implemented

First-Year College Student Life Experiences during COVID-19 in South Korea

The purpose of this study is to examine the first-year students’ experience in college during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide a better understanding of their daily life. Using inductive content analysis, this study examined the characteristics and experiences of students who started college during the COVID-19 period in South Korea. We analyzed 623 pieces of content, using data presented by a total of 81 study subjects. From this analysis, we derived 22 primary keywords, which we divided into eight categories, and then reclassified into three general topics: self-awareness (i.e., self-reflection), activities (i.e., engagement in activities), and resources (i.e., creating relationships or producing results). The results showed that, although first-year college students experienced difficulties in adapting to the COVID-19 situation, they tried to cope with them. Our findings shed light on the experiences of college students who experienced psychological problems during the COVID-19 pandemic and overcame related challenges