How Can We Recognize Multicultural Education in Japan? : A Case Study of the Practice in Kawasaki City

The idea of multicultural education was introduced in the middle of the 1980\u27s in Japan. And as the number of foreigners was increasing, the Japanese society paid attention to the importance of Kyosei which means living-togetherness. However, multicultural education as well as Kyosei have already been made by the educational practice. It started by the change of identification of Korean-Japanese and Japanese in Kawasaki city since the 1970\u27s. The purpose of this paper is to examine the process of the formation of multicultural education. To meet the end, this article analyzes the following three questions ; First, how does the movement for multicultural education start? Second, how does it solidify the educational practice and the idea of kyosei? Third, how can we perceive the process that creates multicultural education? The formation of multicultural education shows the paradigm shift of framework in education and the importance of kyosei. This consists of two main components which are the right to learn and identity

Gender-common and gender-specific determinants of child dietary diversity in eight Asia Pacific countries

Background Optimal child feeding practices contribute to reducing child undernutrition in low- and middle-income countries. Minimum dietary diversity (MDD) is a key indicator of complementary feeding quality for children aged 6-23 months. We aimed to examine the gender-common and gender-specific factors associated with the failure to meet MDD in eight Asia Pacific countries. Methods The study used data of children aged 6-23 months from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted in Afghanistan (n = 8410), Bangladesh (n = 2371), Nepal (n = 1478), Pakistan (n = 3490), Cambodia (n = 2182), Indonesia (n = 5133), Myanmar (n = 1379), and Timor-Leste (n = 2115). A total of 41 household, maternal, and child-level variables were examined for association with MDD using univariate and multivariable logistic regressions. All analyses accounted for the survey design and sampling weights. Results Being aged 6-11 months, not receiving Vitamin A supplementation, low maternal education, belonging to a low wealth quintile, and having two or more young children in the household were factors related to the failure to meet MDD among both male and female children. Mothers’ not watching TV or not being exposed to media at least once a week, delivery at home, young age, and engagement to non-agricultural work were only significant risk factors among female children. Non-professional delivery assistance, unsafe disposal of children’s stool, tolerant attitudes towards domestic violence, and rural residence were significant factors only among male children. Conclusions It is possible that male and female children in the region may consume food in various ways, because the factors for meeting MDD are not the same for different genders of children. It is advised to enhance dietary diversity in child nutrition programmes through gender-specific activities

A Study on the Concept of ""The Right to Learn"" in Adult Education

The purpose of this paper is to examine the definition of ""the right to learn"" in Adult Education in Japan. The paper will first review two different views on the definition of ""the right to learn"". One considers ""the right to learn"" as a concept that is based on the education legal system. The other defines the concept from the perspective of human rights. The former approach does not cover minorities\u27right to learn which can not be guaranteed equal access to learning. The latter one focuses on the problem of right to learn for minorities, which requires further development. Secondly, based on the re-examination of the two different viewpoints, this essay will argue that there is a need to take into consideration ""the third generation of human rights"" by examining its nature and significance. Finally, the paper will conclude that ""the right to learn"" should be considered from the perspective of ""the third generation of human rights""

The Role of a Local Government for the Foreigner\u27s Right to Learn in Adult Education

This paper aims to show how a local government can provide an opportunity to learn for foreigners in Japan by examining the process that led to the establishment of Fureai center in Kawasaki city in 1980\u27s. First, there is an analysis of the formulation of Min, which means learners, by a Korean-Japanese organization called seikyusha. Then, a further analysis of the collaboration between the Kan, which means a local government, and the Min in the establishment of Fureai center. Finally, an outline of how the policies on foreigners in Kawasaki city are affected this process. This paper will show not only how important the collaboration between learners and a government is, but also how we should perceive the foreigner\u27s right to learn

The Paradigm Shift in Lifelong Education in South Korea : Focusing on the Change of the Legal System

The Lifelong Education Law was established in 1999 as the result of the education reform in the middle of 1990\u27s in South Korea. It not only means the change of the legal system but also a paradigm shift of the idea of lifelong education. This paper is to examine the meaning and significance of the changes brought by the establishment of the Lifelong Education Law. This paper will first review the content and limits of the Social Education Law. Secondly, the process of the education reform and the article of the right to learn in the Fundamental Law of Education (which is the philosophical ground of the Lifelong Education Law) will be described. Thirdly, the paper will grasp the features of the Lifelong Education Law and based on the examination of this, it will focus on community lifelong education. Finally, the paper will suggest how we can make lifelong education sustainable

Structural and Inhibitor Studies of Norovirus 3C-like Proteases

Noroviruses have a single-stranded, positive sense 7–8 kb RNA genome, which encodes a polyprotein precursor processed by a virus-encoded 3C-like cysteine protease (3CLpro) to generate mature non-structural proteins. Because processing of the polyprotein is essential for virus replication, norovirus 3CLpro has been targeted for the discovery of anti-norovirus small molecule therapeutics. Thus, we performed functional, structural and inhibition studies of norovirus 3CLpro with fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assay, X-ray crystallography, and NMR spectroscopy with a synthetic protease inhibitor. Three 3CLpro from Norwalk virus (NV, genogroup I), MD145 (genogroup II) and murine norovirus-1 (MNV-1, genogroup V) were optimized for a FRET assay, and compared for the inhibitory activities of a synthetic protease inhibitor (GC376). The apo 3D structures of NV 3CLpro determined with X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy were further analyzed. In addition, the binding mode of NV 3CLpro-GC376 was compared with X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy. The results of this report provide insight into the interaction of NV 3CLpro with substrate/inhibitor for better understanding of the enzyme and antiviral drug development

Synthesis and anti-norovirus activity of pyranobenzopyrone compounds

During the last decade, noroviruses have gained media attention as the cause of large scale outbreaks of gastroenteritis on cruise ships, dormitories, nursing homes, etc. Although noroviruses do not multiply in food or water, they can cause large outbreaks because approximately 10–100 virions are sufficient to cause illness in a healthy adult. Recently, it was shown that the activity of acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase-1 (ACAT1) enzyme may be important in norovirus infection. In search of anti-noroviral agents based on the inhibition of ACAT1, we synthesized and evaluated the inhibitory activities of a class of pyranobenzopyrone molecules containing amino, pyridine, substituted quinolines, or 7,8-benzoquinoline nucleus. Three of the sixteen evaluated compounds possess ED[subscript]5[subscript]0 values in the low micrometer range. 2-Quinolylmethyl derivative 3A and 4-quinolylmethyl derivative 4A showed ED[subscript]5[subscript]0 values of 3.4 and 2.4 [mu]M and TD[subscript]5[subscript]0 values of >200 and 96.4 [mu]M, respectively. The identified active compounds are suitable for further modification for the development of anti-norovirus agents

Reversal of the Progression of Fatal Coronavirus Infection in Cats by a Broad-Spectrum Coronavirus Protease Inhibitor

Citation: Kim Y, Liu H, Galasiti Kankanamalage AC, Weerasekara S, Hua DH, Groutas WC, et al. (2016) Reversal of the Progression of Fatal Coronavirus Infection in Cats by a Broad-Spectrum Coronavirus Protease Inhibitor. PLoS Pathog 12(3): e1005531. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1005531Coronaviruses infect animals and humans causing a wide range of diseases. The diversity of coronaviruses in many mammalian species is contributed by relatively high mutation and recombination rates during replication. This dynamic nature of coronaviruses may facilitate cross-species transmission and shifts in tissue or cell tropism in a host, resulting in substantial change in virulence. Feline enteric coronavirus (FECV) causes inapparent or mild enteritis in cats, but a highly fatal disease, called feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), can arise through mutation of FECV to FIP virus (FIPV). The pathogenesis of FIP is intimately associated with immune responses and involves depletion of T cells, features shared by some other coronaviruses like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus. The increasing risks of highly virulent coronavirus infections in humans or animals call for effective antiviral drugs, but no such measures are yet available. Previously, we have reported the inhibitors that target 3C-like protease (3CLpro) with broad-spectrum activity against important human and animal coronaviruses. Here, we evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of our 3CLpro inhibitor in laboratory cats with FIP. Experimental FIP is 100% fatal once certain clinical and laboratory signs become apparent. We found that antiviral treatment led to full recovery of cats when treatment was started at a stage of disease that would be otherwise fatal if left untreated. Antiviral treatment was associated with a rapid improvement in fever, ascites, lymphopenia and gross signs of illness and cats returned to normal health within 20 days or less of treatment. Significant reduction in viral titers was also observed in cats. These results indicate that continuous virus replication is required for progression of immune-mediated inflammatory disease of FIP. These findings may provide important insights into devising therapeutic strategies and selection of antiviral compounds for further development for important coronaviruses in animals and humans