Habitus Transformation: Immigrant Mother’s Cultural Translation of Educational Strategies in Korea

This study aims to examine the transformation of habitus through a case study of immigrant mothers who navigate a heated educational competition in South Korea. To illuminate the process of habitus change, this study investigates the ways in which immigrant mothers make sense of a unique educational cultural practice of Korean parents, which is heavy reliance on shadow education

Diverging Paths: Three Essays On The Transitions Of Working-Class Young People In South Korea

Despite the egalitarian ideal of “college-for-all,” research shows that working-class young people remain disadvantaged in the transition to college and work. However, while some experience upward mobility, most go to work. Yet, scholars have paid scant attention to these variant pathways to adulthood within the working-class young individuals. Particularly, they have not fully recognized varying roles that teachers play in the transition of working-class students to college and work. Moreover, working-class young people’s understanding of the transition to adulthood has been discussed only insufficiently in the literature. Therefore, this dissertation, consist of three independent but complementary essays, investigates various transitional experiences of the working-class young people. The results draw on a one-year of ethnography in a South Korean high school as well as the broader community which serves young individuals from working-class homes. The first article of the dissertation shows how teachers, as “mobility sponsors,” selectively help working-class students to go to college. Whereas teachers provide sponsorship for the college admissions of those working-class students with academic excellence, they take a “laissez-faire” approach for ordinary working-class students without helping them directly. The second article illustrates how teachers stigmatize working-class students who seek to become working-class workers. Teachers stereotype working-class work and criticize vocational aspirations. I also find that work-bound students report that teachers’ negative comments create emotional distress for them. The third article explores young workers’ subjective understanding of their status in the college-for-all society focusing particularly on gender differences. The study finds that female workers are pessimistic about their status because they believe that their lack of college education might adversely affect their transition to adult roles. On the other hand, male workers are optimistic as they believe that their future compulsory military service will help them to become a respectable male adult. Overall, the dissertation discusses the social implications of the college-for-all society by showing various struggles of working-class young people. It also calls for policy efforts to provide institutional support for their diverging pathways to adulthood

Chronic Exposure to Lead and Cadmium in Residents Living near a Zinc Smelter

This study aimed to measure lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) exposure levels in residents living near a zinc (Zn) smelter in Seokpo-myeon, Bonghwa-gun, South Korea, and identify factors affecting exposure. Residents aged ≥20 years living within 3 km and ≥30 km away from the smelter were classified as the exposure group (n = 549), and the control group (n = 265), respectively. Data were obtained through a questionnaire survey. Blood Pb levels in the exposure group (4.19 µg/dL) were higher than in the control group (2.70 µg/dL). The exposure group (1.32 µg/L) also had higher urinary Cd concentrations than the control group (0.80 µg/L). Male sex, older age, previous work at the smelter, smoking, and proximity to the smelter were associated with higher blood Pb levels on multivariate analysis; urinary Cd concentration was significantly higher in women, those who were older, those with experience of working in a Zn smelter or mine, those with proximity to the Zn smelter, and those who consumed locally grown vegetables. In conclusion, Zn smelters are major source of Pb and Cd pollution and require ongoing public health management to prevent potential adverse health effects

Effect of atmospheric pressure plasma on inactivation of pathogens inoculated onto bacon using two different gas compositions. Food Microbiol

a b s t r a c t Atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) is an emerging non-thermal pasteurization method for the enhancement of food safety. In this study, the effect of APP on the inactivation of pathogens inoculated onto bacon was observed. Sliced bacon was inoculated with Listeria monocytogenes (KCTC 3596), Escherichia coli (KCTC 1682), and Salmonella Typhimurium (KCTC 1925). The samples were treated with APP at 75, 100, and 125 W of input power for 60 and 90 s. Two gases, helium (10 lpm) or a mixture of helium and oxygen, (10 lpm and 10 sccm, respectively) were used for the plasma generation. Plasma with helium could only reduce the number of inoculated pathogens by about 1e2 Log cycles. On the other hand, the helium/oxygen gas mixture was able to achieve microbial reduction of about 2e3 Log cycles. The number of total aerobic bacteria showed 1.89 and 4.58 decimal reductions after plasma treatment with helium and the helium/oxygen mixture, respectively. Microscopic observation of the bacon after plasma treatment did not find any significant changes, except that the L * -value of the bacon surface was increased. These results clearly indicate that APP treatment is effective for the inactivation of the three pathogens used in this study, although further investigation is needed for elucidating quality changes after treatment

Polymeric nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes with btc2??? ions as bridging ligands (btc2???=1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid dianion)

Two new complexes of composition {[Ni(L)(btc(2-))].2H(2)O}(n) (1) {L = 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane} and {[Cu(L)(btc(2-))].H2O}(2) (2) were obtained by reacting [Ni(L)].2ClO4 or [Cu(L)].2ClO(4) and btc, and their structures were determined by analytical, spectroscopic, and X-ray diffraction methods. The blue complex I and violet complex 2 consist of ID polymeric chains with nickel(II) or copper(II) macrocycles and bridging btc(2-) ligands, respectively. In I the COO- groups on the 1,4-positions of the btc(2-) ligand are coordinated to the central nickel(II) atom, but in 2 the COOH groups on the 1,5-positions of the btc(2-) ligand are involved in interacting with the central copper(II) atom through an unusual carbonyl coordination

One‐Step Generation of Core–Gap–Shell Microcapsules for Stimuli‐Responsive Biomolecular Sensing

The versatile design of stimuli‐responsive microparticles embedding valuable biomolecules has great potential in a variety of engineering fields, such as sensors, actuators, drug delivery, and catalysis. Here, results are reported on thermoresponsive core–gap–shell (TCGS) microcapsules made of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm), which encapsulate hydrophilic payloads in a simple and stable manner. These are realized by a one‐step microfluidic approach using the phase separation of a supersaturated aqueous solution of NIPAm. Various designs of the microcapsules are achieved by individual control of the swelling or by incorporating pH‐responsive comonomers of the inner core and outer shell. The gap, i.e., the space between the inner core and outer shell, can be loaded with cargo‐like nanoparticles. The outer shell can serve as a stimuli‐responsive gateway for the transport of smaller molecules from the external solution. It is shown that the TCGS microcapsules are suitable as temperature controllable glucose sensors and hold promise in the design of controllable enzymatic reactions. The proposed platform provides an avenue for developing a new‐generation of microparticles for diverse and efficient engineering applications

One-Step Generation of Core–Gap–Shell Microcapsules for Stimuli-Responsive Biomolecular Sensing

The versatile design of stimuli-responsive microparticles embedding valuable biomolecules has great potential in a variety of engineering fields, such as sensors, actuators, drug delivery, and catalysis. Here, results are reported on thermoresponsive core–gap–shell (TCGS) microcapsules made of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm), which encapsulate hydrophilic payloads in a simple and stable manner. These are realized by a one-step microfluidic approach using the phase separation of a supersaturated aqueous solution of NIPAm. Various designs of the microcapsules are achieved by individual control of the swelling or by incorporating pH-responsive comonomers of the inner core and outer shell. The gap, i.e., the space between the inner core and outer shell, can be loaded with cargo-like nanoparticles. The outer shell can serve as a stimuli-responsive gateway for the transport of smaller molecules from the external solution. It is shown that the TCGS microcapsules are suitable as temperature controllable glucose sensors and hold promise in the design of controllable enzymatic reactions. The proposed platform provides an avenue for developing a new-generation of microparticles for diverse and efficient engineering applications