This article presents my personal reflections on the process of conducting fieldwork as part of my PhD research into participant recruitment in South Korea. I discuss the challenges and negotiations ...I faced during my PhD fieldwork. The aim is to examine the following three issues: (1) obstacles faced in gaining entry to the fieldwork sample when conducting research in my own country, (2) the influence of my personal identity (i.e., my gender, race, class, religion, nationality, and age) on my fieldwork experiences, and (3) the research process itself and the strategies I used to overcome my vulnerability and marginality. I conclude by raising several ethical considerations and dilemmas, followed by a discussion of the significant implications of the study topic in terms of researcher safety and well-being when undertaking fieldwork and how this can be ameliorated.
Redefining Multicultural Families in South Korea provides an in-depth look at the lives of families in Korea that include immigrants. Ten original chapters in this volume, written by scholars ...in multiple social science disciplines and covering different methodological approaches, aim to reinvigorate contemporary discussions about these multicultural families. Specially, the volume expands the scope of “multicultural families” by examining the diverse configurations of families with immigrants who crossed the Korean border during and after the 1990s, such as the families of undocumented migrant workers, divorced marriage immigrants, and the families of Korean women with Muslim immigrant husbands. Second, instead of looking at immigrants as newcomers, the volume takes a discursive turn, viewing them as settlers or first-generation immigrants in Korea whose post-migration lives have evolved and whose membership in Korean society has matured, by examining immigrants’ identities, need for political representation, their fights through the court system, and the aspirations of second-generation immigrants.
This study expands a currently limited body of knowledge on South Korean women married to migrant husbands from developing countries living in South Korea. It presents the findings obtained from a ...series of semi-structured interviews in order to see how marriage to a migrant husband from a developing country impacts a woman's sense of belonging over the course of her married life. These women experienced a significant change in status within their own ethnic community, which eventually impacted their hope that their children will forge a sense of transnational belonging or find a sense of belonging within a religious community.
This article attempts to increase awareness and understanding of an adult's perceived necessities in South Korea (hereafter, Korea) and addresses the need to adopt a consensual approach to current ...measurement methods in Korea. The research utilized an online survey of Korean adults aged between 20 and 69 years, across the nation of Korea. The results are used to draw up a list of indicators considered to be necessary for life in Korea such that, if people cannot afford several of the items on the list, it might be considered that they are living in relative poverty. As well as examining public perceptions across different social groups within Korea, public attitudes on the necessities of life from neighbouring countries such as Japan and Taiwan are compared to see whether there is a consensus on the basic necessities of life across East Asia. The implications for an East Asian poverty framework are considered.
Osteoarthritis (OA), primarily characterized by cartilage degeneration, is caused by an imbalance between anabolic and catabolic factors. Here, we investigated the role of zinc (Zn2+) homeostasis, ...Zn2+ transporters, and Zn2+-dependent transcription factors in OA pathogenesis. Among Zn2+ transporters, the Zn2+ importer ZIP8 was specifically upregulated in OA cartilage of humans and mice, resulting in increased levels of intracellular Zn2+ in chondrocytes. ZIP8-mediated Zn2+ influx upregulated the expression of matrix-degrading enzymes (MMP3, MMP9, MMP12, MMP13, and ADAMTS5) in chondrocytes. Ectopic expression of ZIP8 in mouse cartilage tissue caused OA cartilage destruction, whereas Zip8 knockout suppressed surgically induced OA pathogenesis, with concomitant modulation of Zn2+ influx and matrix-degrading enzymes. Furthermore, MTF1 was identified as an essential transcription factor in mediating Zn2+/ZIP8-induced catabolic factor expression, and genetic modulation of Mtf1 in mice altered OA pathogenesis. We propose that the zinc-ZIP8-MTF1 axis is an essential catabolic regulator of OA pathogenesis.
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•Zinc importer ZIP8 is upregulated in osteoarthritic cartilage of human and mice•ZIP8-mediated zinc influx activates MTF1 transcription factor•Genetic modulation of Zip8 and Mtf1 in mice alters OA pathogenesis•Zinc·ZIP8·MTF1 axis regulates catabolic factor expression and OA pathogenesis
Upregulated zinc importer ZIP8 in osteoarthritic cartilage causes cellular Zn2+ influx and MTF1 activation in chondrocytes, which, together, drive catabolic factor expression and osteoarthritis cartilage destruction.
The estrogen-related receptor (ERR) family of orphan nuclear receptor is composed of ERRα, ERRβ, and ERRγ, which are known to regulate various isoform-specific functions under normal and ...pathophysiological conditions. Here, we investigate the involvement of ERRs in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA) in mice. Among ERR family members, ERRγ is markedly upregulated in cartilage from human OA patients and various mouse models of OA. Adenovirus-mediated overexpression of ERRγ in mouse knee joint or transgenic expression of ERRγ in cartilage leads to OA. ERRγ overexpression in chondrocytes directly upregulates matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3 and MMP13, which are known to play crucial roles in cartilage destruction in OA. In contrast, genetic ablation of Esrrg or shRNA-mediated downregulation of Esrrg in joint tissues abrogates experimental OA in mice. Our results collectively indicate that ERRγ is a novel catabolic regulator of OA pathogenesis.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by impairment of the loadbearing function of articular cartilage. OA cartilage matrix undergoes extensive biophysical remodeling characterized by decreased ...compliance. In this study, we elucidate the mechanistic origin of matrix remodeling and the downstream mechanotransduction pathway and further demonstrate an active role of this mechanism in OA pathogenesis. Aging and mechanical stress, the two major risk factors of OA, promote cartilage matrix stiffening through the accumulation of advanced glycation end-products and up-regulation of the collagen cross-linking enzyme lysyl oxidase, respectively. Increasing matrix stiffness substantially disrupts the homeostatic balance between chondrocyte catabolism and anabolism via the Rho–Rho kinase–myosin light chain axis, consequently eliciting OA pathogenesis in mice. Experimental enhancement of nonenzymatic or enzymatic matrix cross-linking augments surgically induced OA pathogenesis in mice, and suppressing these events effectively inhibits OA with concomitant modulation of matrix degrading enzymes. Based on these findings, we propose a central role of matrix-mediated mechanotransduction in OA pathogenesis.
In the field of surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), advances in nanotechnology and surface chemistry have contributed to fabricating the metal substrates with highly sophisticated architectures ...and strong binding affinity to target molecules which enhanced the sensitivity to target molecules. However, the elaborate yet complicated steps for the synthesis, patterning, and surface modification of metal substrates have often resulted in compromising the reliability, reproducibility, and reusability as SERS substrates. Here, a fully programmable and automated digital maskless flow microlithography process that spatiotemporally controls the fluid flow, UV irradiation, and the shape and location of SERS polymer matrix is provided to fabricate a reliable, reproducible, and reusable hydrogel‐based 3D SERS substrate. The SERS substrates are located inside the microfluidic device in the form of disk‐shaped hydrogels. By rationally designing the functional group chemistry of the hydrogel microposts, Ag nanoparticles are homogeneously synthesized in situ, a target molecule is amplified by 25‐fold inside the microposts, and an enhancement factor as high as 2.4 × 108 is observed. Furthermore, a highly reusable multitarget sensing capability is demonstrated by a sequential analysis of multiple analytes without the trace of former analytes via the intermittent washing step.
Highly sensitive reliable, reproducible, and reusable hydrogel surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate is created as 3D hydrogel microposts via programmable and automated maskless microlithography technique in the microfluidic channel. Consecutive detection of multiple analytes including structural isomers and a date rape drug demonstrates the practical applicability of the SERS substrate.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by impairment of the load-bearing function of articular cartilage. OA cartilage matrix undergoes extensive biophysical remodeling characterized by decreased ...compliance. In this study, we elucidate the mechanistic origin of matrix remodeling and the downstream mechanotransduction pathway and further demonstrate an active role of this mechanism in OA pathogenesis. Aging and mechanical stress, the two major risk factors of OA, promote cartilage matrix stiffening through the accumulation of advanced glycation end-products and up-regulation of the collagen cross-linking enzyme lysyl oxidase, respectively. Increasing matrix stiffness substantially disrupts the homeostatic balance between chondrocyte catabolism and anabolism via the RhoâRho kinaseâmyosin light chain axis, consequently eliciting OA pathogenesis in mice. Experimental enhancement of nonenzymatic or enzymatic matrix cross-linking augments surgically induced OA pathogenesis in mice, and suppressing these events effectively inhibits OA with concomitant modulation of matrix degrading enzymes. Based on these findings, we propose a central role of matrix-mediated mechanotransduction in OA pathogenesis.
Osteoarthritic cartilage destruction is caused primarily by an imbalance between chondrocyte catabolism and anabolism. Various proinflammatory cytokines that disrupt this metabolic balance during osteoarthritis (OA) pathogenesis have been identified. Here, in addition to these biochemical pathways, we demonstrate that changes in the biophysical properties of the chondrocyte microenvironment triggered by cartilage matrix cross-linking play a causal role in OA pathogenesis. Two major OA risk factors, aging and mechanical stress, cause matrix stiffening via nonenzymatic and enzymatic collagen cross-linking through the accumulation of advanced glycation end-products and the upregulation of lysyl oxidase, respectively. Data from the current study illustrate the dynamic nature of physical remodeling of cartilage ECM and elucidate the key mechanotransduction pathway regulating chondrocyte metabolism and osteoarthritic cartilage destruction.
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