• Journal of the Korean BIBLIA Society for library and Information Science
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.43-66
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• 2020

This study analyzed Korean children's books that include ethnically and racially diverse characters, focusing on representation of ethnic minority and cultural sensitivity. Drawing from fiction recommendations by Happy Morning Reading from 2005 to 2017, only 32 books out of 3,214 books, less than 1%, include people with racially and ethnically diverse background. Among the 32 books, 23 featured educative messages inspired by the belief of social justice; four could be categorized as so-called 'melting pot' books, five depicted stories featuring characters that respect different cultures from their own. The issue tackled in the stories differed with the economical standing of the character's country of origin. When a character or her/his parent is from a developing country, the main issues of the book were racial discrimination, bullying, hostility against foreign-born parents, or harsh experience of migrant workers. On the other hand, when a character or her/his parent is from a developed country, the plots often surround the character's hopes, wishes, or personal worries. Only one book was illustrated by a person with immigration background; the others were all written and illustrated by Koreans with no immigration background.

• Journal of the Korean BIBLIA Society for library and Information Science
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.5-27
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• 2019

This study analyzed the effects of comic book reading program on Korean proficiency and acculturation of youth with immigration background, by conducting a six-month reading program with five teenagers with immigration background. Ten comic books were selected from published by School Library Journal, based on the themes - that are related to the lives of youth with immigration background - and interests of participating teens. According to the literacy skills test conducted before and after the reading program, the participating teens' Korean proficiency has generally improved, particularly in the areas of interpretation and vocabulary. In terms of writing, grammatically incorrect sentences, phrases, and expressions have declined. Most participants showed stable adjustment to Korean culture, but one participant who felt still insecure of her ethnic identity deeply empathized with one of the characters of the books, and shared the difficulties of living as an outsider of a society. The participants of this research learned or rediscovered the joy of reading through this comic book reading program; at the end of the program, many of them expanded their interest in reading novels, books without any illustrations.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.5257-5264
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• 2016

Background: Though people of color (POC) are less likely to become afflicted with skin cancer, they are much more likely to die from it due to delay in detection or presentation. Very often, skin cancer is diagnosed at a more advanced stage in POC, making treatment difficult.The purpose of this research was to improve awareness regarding skin cancers in people of color by providing recommendations to clinicians and the general public for early detection and photo protection preventive measures. Methods: Data on different types of skin cancers were presented to POC. Due to limited research, there are few resources providing insights for evaluating darkly pigmented lesions in POC. Diagnostic features for different types of skin cancers were recorded and various possible risk factors were considered. Results: This study provided directions for the prevention and early detection of skin cancer in POC based on a comprehensive review of available data. Conclusions: The increased morbidity and mortality rate associated with skin cancer in POC is due to lack of awareness, diagnosis at a more advanced stage and socioeconomic barriers hindering access to care. Raising public health concerns for skin cancer prevention strategies for all people, regardless of ethnic background and socioeconomic status, is the key to timely diagnosis and treatment.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.1175-1179
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• 2015

Background: Expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) is up-regulated in human cancers. The aim of present study was to investigate the role of MMP-9 C-1562T polymorphism and its interaction with MMP-2 C-735T polymorphism in susceptibility to breast cancer in a population from Western Iran with Kurdish ethnic background. Materials and Methods: The study sample of 205 individuals consisted of 101 breast cancer patients and 104 healthy subjects. MMP-9 C-1562T and MMP-2 C-735T variants were identified using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Results: Among 67.4% of studied patients the breast cancer developed in the third and forth decades of the life. The frequency of MMP-9 T allele was 17.3% in patients and 10.1% in controls. The presence of T allele significantly increased the risk of breast cancer by 1.87-fold [OR=1.87 (95% CI 1.05-3.33, p=0.035)]. The frequency of MMP-9 CT+TT genotype tended to be higher in those patients with a family history of cancer in first degree-relatives (36.8%) than those without a family history (28.3%, p=0.37). We observed an interaction between the MMP-9 -1562 T allele with MMP-2 -735 C allele that significantly increased the risk of breast cancer [OR=1.42 (95% CI 1.02-1.98, p=0.036)]. Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that MMP-9 C-1562T polymorphism alone and in combination with MMP-2 C-735T polymorphism increased the risk of breast cancer that might be a useful biomarker in identifying women at risk of developing breast cancer. Also, this study revealed that in most women from Western Iran breast cancer presents in third and fourth decades of life.

• The Southeast Asian review
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.127-165
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• 2014

This article regards the phase of political confrontations in Thailand and Burma as a prolonged and inconclusive political struggle between national revolution forces and civil revolution forces. It argues that in Thai case, anti-monarchy constitutional revolution has led to a right-wing national revolution based on state nationalism consolidating capitalist economic system by Sarit's military coup, while in Burmese case, anti-British imperialism movement in colonial era has resulted in a left-wing national revolution grounded on state nationalism associating with socialist economic system by Ne Win's military coup. It is also interesting to note that the two cases experienced state nationalism denying autonomous civil society as a process of nation-building in spite of their contrasting ideologies. In both cases, it became inevitable to have national revolution forces clinging to official nationalism and state nationalism confronting with civil revolution forces seeking popular nationalism and liberal nationalism. In particular, unlike Burmese society, Thai society, without colonial history has never experienced a civil war mobilizing anti-colonial popular nationalism including ethnic revolt. This article considers Dankwart Rustow's argument that national unity as a background condition must precede all the other phases of democratization, but that otherwise its timing is irrelevant. In this context, Thai democratization without national unity which began earlier than Burmese is taking a backward step. For the time being, there would be no solution map to overcome severe political polarization between the right-wing national revolution forces defending official nationalism cum state nationalism and the civil revolution forces trying to go beyond official nationalism towards popular nationalism cum liberal nationalism. In contrast, paradoxically belated Burmese democratization has just taken a big leap in escaping from serious and inconclusive nature of political struggle between the left-wing national revolution forces to defend official nationalism cum state nationalism and civil revolution based on popular nationalism cum liberal nationalism towards a reconciliation phase in order to seek solutions for internal conflicts. The two case studies imply that national unity is not a background condition, but a consequence of the process of political polarization and reconciliation between national revolution forces and civil revolution forces.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.25.1-25.12
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• 2023

Background: In Korea, little research has focused on the relationship between discrimination in the workplace and sleep health. Thus, this study aims to investigate the association between such discriminatory experiences and insomnia, a common sleep disorder, using Korean employees' data. Methods: This study used data from the 6th Korea Working Conditions Survey. Discrimination experiences due to age, ethnic background, nationality, race, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, educational level, hometown, and employment status were investigated. The Minimal Insomnia Symptom Scale estimated insomnia symptoms. The association between discrimination experience and insomnia symptoms were analyzed using survey-weighted logistic regression analysis. Results: Based on experiences of discrimination over the past 12 months, insomnia symptoms were associated with discrimination experience due to religion (odds ratio [OR]: 3.70; 95% confidential interval [CI]: 1.58-8.69), sex (OR: 2.51; 95% CI: 1.87-3.37), age (OR: 2.30; 95% CI: 1.88-2.81), hometown (OR: 2.07; 95% CI: 1.44-2.97), employment status (OR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.37-2.10), and educational level (OR: 1.67; 95% CI: 1.31-2.14). Furthermore, the prevalence of insomnia symptoms increased with the number of discrimination experiences. Conclusions: In this study, discrimination experiences due to religion, sex, age, hometown, employment status, and educational level were significantly associated with insomnia symptoms. Furthermore, as the number of discrimination experiences increased, so did the prevalence of insomnia. Preventing workplace discrimination may improve workers' sleep health.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.492-507
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• 2020

This study aims to develop fashion designs that combine atlas fabric with the characteristics of Uygur costume to modernize the costume of the Xinjiang Uygur. Research contents and methods are as follows. First, based on previous studies, research analysis was conducted on the cultural background, clothing characteristics, and material of Uygur clothing. Second, based on such research contents, designs combining the characteristics of Uygur costume and atlas fabric were presented. Third, to analyze the utilization of atlas fabric and examine fabric characteristics, material was gathered from collections on domestic and foreign web sites. Through field explorations of local museums in the Xinjiang area, minority group culture was observed in more detail. Based on collection of traditional clothing and analysis of its characteristics, fashion designs that apply contemporary trends were developed. General silhouettes without any restrictions to the waist and decorations made using embroidery were often used. Atlas silk, developed in China using Ikat weaving methods, is an important traditional clothing fabric of the minority group Xinjiang. Based on such data collection analysis, the produced works highlighted traditional ethnic characteristics by extracting classical patterns of atlas fabric, modifying or partially expanding them, combining them with hand knitting, and adding contemporary sensations, thus providing confirmations of the possibility of popularizing classic patterns in more practical manners.

• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.33-42
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to research the development of jacquard fabrics by the Bi-Dan patterns of Dan-Chung as one of the traditional korean symbols. For performing this design study, it designed a surface design of the geometric images in Bi-Dan patterns using by EAT Jacquard Textile CAD system and simulated to fabrics for the clothing & bags. To consider the modern image of Bi-Dan patterns in the Dan-Chung motives, the theoretical background was made on the basic elements, compositions and symbolic meanings of Dan-Chung patterns. To merchandise the fashion items and see the visual image, these jacquard fabric simulations was processed by two-dimension modeling through YoungWoo CNI CAD. The applied weave structure was based on a single layer of 5 or 10 points-satin and a double layer of 8 points-satin. Among the fabric simulations of Bi-Dan patterns, the six simulated fabrics were woven into the real jacquard fabrics under the electronic Stabuli jacquard loom in $120{\sim}130$ picks per inch and 171 ends per inch. These developed jacquard fabrics of Bi-Dan patterns were appeared a contemporary yet ethnic feeling so that they could make use of the unique korean cultural products by the further commercialization.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.36 no.9
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• pp.13-33
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• 1998

The purpose of this study is to examine the styles of street fashion in youth sub-culture which has the leading power of 1990's Korean fashion flow. This topic has been explored in documentary studies about the youth sub-culture and the background of street fashion. Then, it also continued to classify street fashion styles in order to grasp the meaning as a young fashion. The results of this study are as follows. Street fashio of Korean youth are composed of four styles. ; The first is a hip-hop style. The hip-hop of Korea is started by 'Taiji Boys' and their representative apperances are the big-baggy pants, the reversed cap, the thrown backpack. The second is a reggae style. It is formed by the singer 'Kim Gun Mo'. It features the primary color and the use of ethnic fabrics. The third is a kitch style. The kitch is definitely represented by the old, the childish and the satire appearances. It came up with the rock band 'pipiband'. The forth is a sporty style. It comes from 'basketball' and 'skateboarding' which the young people prefer. Its designs are applied from the back-number of players, the names of the teams, the stripes of active-feeling. Based on this study, I designed cloths with 3 concepts to present a new design direction of Street Fashion. Work 1, 「JOY-RIDE」 represented the freedom and the release which are shown by pop music and dance. Work 2, 「GAMMA ENERGY」 represented the dynamic energy through sports games. Work 3, 「AROUND THE CORNER」 represented the form of street including comers, walls, roads etc.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.131-149
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• 2014

Tibetans are one of the ethnic Chinese minorities, and this research examined the characteristics and features of their traditional costumes by investigating their historical, geographical and cultural background. This research also examined the cultural elements according to their characteristics based on Tibet's nature, religion, arts culture such as the Jang-po, Chin-sam, Kam-kjun and belts, which are used to fix the costumes. Based on such studies the traditional Tibetan costumes were set as a motif and were expressed appropriately into a contemporary style. By studying the composition of its costumes and its costume culture, the characteristics of the Tibetan costumes could be classified into four features. First, the 'variability of form' expresses a new type depending on how it is worn. Second, the 'color contrast' shows a strong visual contrast. Third, the 'difference of materials' combines different materials into one. Fourth, the 'symbolic meaning' grants meaning to the wearer. As a result of this study, by using the characteristics of the Tibetan nature culture, religion culture and art culture as a basis, two suits of clothes for each characteristics and six suits of clothes were produced as a fashion design product.