Keynote Address: Expanding Human Rights to Persons with Disabilities: Laying the Groundwork for a Twenty-First Century Movement

Dr. Lee’s keynote speech provides a brief history of disability rights as provided for by international human rights treaties. The speech focuses in particular on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (“CRC”) and the recently enacted Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (“CRPD”). The CRC was the first treaty to include a specific provision dealing with the rights of children with disabilities. In this speech, Dr. Lee takes the position that although the CRPD does not create new rights for persons with disabilities, it still represents an important step forward. Dr. Lee emphasizes that the CRPD establishes a legal framework that explicitly addresses the needs and situations of persons with disabilities

The Role of Student-Teacher Relationship on Effects of Maltreatment on Juvenile Delinquency

Objectives: Society has been experiencing rapid change, in which adolescents have increasingly faced with difficulties with balanced development and social adaptation. Juvenile delinquency caused by such difficulties is the most serious social problem. Most of research has reported that family relationship is largely the cause for juvenile delinquency. To prevent the problems associated with parental maltreatment, efforts to identify variables that primarily affect juvenile delinquency are needed. Student-teacher relationship is considered as important protective factors in the ecosystem. Thus, this study analyzed the relationship among parental maltreatment, juvenile delinquency, student-teacher relationship. In addition, the moderating effects of student-teacher relationship in relation to parental maltreatment, and juvenile delinquency were also verified. Method: This study used data from Korean Youth Panel Survey (KYPS) conducted by National Youth Policy Institute. Participants were 2,253(1,136 boys, 1,117 girls) middle school students (9th graders) in 3rd wave data. We extracted eight questions relating to maltreatment, fourteen questions relating Juvenile delinquency, and five questions relating to student- teacher relationship. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and hierarchical regression analysis were used. Results: First, parental maltreatment was positively related to juvenile delinquency. And student-teacher relationship was also negatively related to juvenile delinquency. Second, the moderating effects of student-teacher relationship on effects of parental maltreatment on juvenile delinquency were evident. Conclusion: To prevent juvenile delinquency that experienced parental maltreatment, this study has broad clinical and policy implications. Positive student-teacher relationship is an important protective factor of alleviating the negative consequences of parental maltreatment

Interrelationship Among School Characteristics, Parental Involvement, And Children’s Characteristics In Predicting Children’s Victimization By Peers: Comparison Between The United States And Three Eastern Asia Countries

To identify ways that national culture, school characteristics, and individual attributes impact the victimization of students in Grade 8, data from the United States and three East Asian countries (i.e., Japan, S. Korea, and Taiwan) were compared using the 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Hierarchical Liner Modeling (HLM). The school-level factors measured by school size, school resources, and perceived behavioral problems on campus did not predict middle school students’ victimization in the United States, but significant positive parental involvement and negative school resources were found to impact the victimization of students in the East Asian countries. Regarding the effects of the student-level variables, boys, in comparison to girls and students showing less attachment to the schools, were more victimized in U.S. and East Asian schools. Individual students’ perceived parental monitoring was a significant and positive predictor of students’ victimization in the East Asian schools only. The standard test scores in mathematics were not predictive of victimization in U.S. and East Asian participants. The results indicated that understanding the ecological factors involved in victimization is important to intervene effectively, protect students, and prevent peer victimization on campus.

Review of child maltreatment prevention programs in South Korea

Objective: The objective of this study is twofold. The first objective is to examine the status of studies on the effect of child maltreatment prevention programs in South Korea. The second objective is to recommend directions for child maltreatment prevention programs based on the results of the first objective.Procedure: A literature search of prevention programs for child maltreatment was conducted. Research studies published from 1989 to 2013 were identified through a computerized selection process, resulting in 198 studies. Further detailed search of keywords ultimately identified 37 studies focusing on child maltreatment prevention programs. These 37 studies were further classified and reviewed. Results: This study was able to find several pertinent findings. First, child maltreatment prevention programs targeting teachers and parents were not sufficient. Second, child maltreatment prevention programs for high risk population were also insufficient in the selected literatures. Third, based on the existing studies, child maltreatment prevention programs in South Korea lacked diversified contents. Fourth, most research measured effectiveness through attitude and awareness factors. Finally, child maltreatment programs were not systematic and mainly were conducted as one-time programs.Conclusions: There needs to be more studies examining the effectiveness of prevention programs for child maltreatment, notably, sustainable and long-term effects of prevention programs. Moreover, these programs need to include high-risk populations, with more diverse contents, that are systematically included throughout all three levels of prevention – primary, secondary, and tertiary

Formation of Artificial Lipid Membrane and their Photolysis in Mineral Water including Germanium

We have attempted to determine the Germanium ion (Ge 4+ ) effect on the human body by observing the formation of artificial lipid membrane and photolysis in the mineral water containing Ge 4+ ion. The artificial lipid membrane is prepared by using the phospholipid in the Germanium water and the formation efficiency of the liposomes is compared with those obtained in the plain mineral water without Ge 4+ ion. This work shows that the liposomes are formed in the Germanium water better than in the non-Germanium water. The liposomes can be photolyzed by superoxide anion (O 2 -. ) produced in the presence of some peptide such as NAT (N-acethyl-L-tryptophan). However, this is inhibited by superoxide dismutase (SOD), and it was found that the activity of SOD on the inhibition of the liposomes oxidative damage is higher in the Germanium water than in the non-Germanium water. It is concluded that the Ge 4+ ion in mineral water helps the formation of new cell as well as elevation of SOD activity for the lipid oxidation

Mobile Health App for Adolescents: Motion Sensor Data and Deep Learning Technique to Examine the Relationship Between Obesity and Walking Patterns

With the prevalence of obesity in adolescents, and its long-term influence on their overall health, there is a large body of research exploring better ways to reduce the rate of obesity. A traditional way of maintaining an adequate body mass index (BMI), calculated by measuring the weight and height of an individual, is no longer enough, and we are in need of a better health care tool. Therefore, the current research proposes an easier method that offers instant and real-time feedback to the users from the data collected from the motion sensors of a smartphone. The study utilized the mHealth application to identify participants presenting the walking movements of the high BMI group. Using the feedforward deep learning models and convolutional neural network models, the study was able to distinguish the walking movements between nonobese and obese groups, at a rate of 90.5%. The research highlights the potential use of smartphones and suggests the mHealth application as a way to monitor individual health

Porphyra tenera Extracts Have Immune Stimulation Activity via Increasing Cytokines in Mouse Primary Splenocytes and RAW264.7 Macrophages

Abstract Porphyra tenera has long been consumed as food in Korea and Asia. The effects of Porphyra tenera extracts on the immune system are largely unknown. Therefore, this study investigated the immune-stimulating effects of ethanol and water extracts of P. tenera. The immunomodulatory potential of P. tenera was evaluated by determining its effect on cell viability and cytokine expression of mouse RAW264.7 cells and splenocytes. We investigated the effect of 10% ethanol extracts of laver (P. tenera) on the RAW264.7 cells. Production of nitric oxide (NO) and cytokines (interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-2, and IL-4, inducible NO synthase, and interferon-γ) in RAW264.7 macrophages was slightly higher after treatment with P. tenera extracts. Ethanol extracts upregulated and enhanced the functions of macrophages, such as NO and cytokines (IL-1β, IL-2, and IL-4, inducible NO synthase, and interferon-γ) production. In addition, cytokine concentrations were significantly increased in cells treated with different doses of P. tenera ethanol extracts compared to the control group. Overall, the results demonstrated that P. tenera extracts enhanced cytokine secretion in mouse splenocytes and macrophages. From these findings, it can be concluded that P. tenera possess a natural compound with immune-stimulatory activity. P. tenera extract is a good immunostimulant from natural compounds