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Drawing on qualitative interviews with South Korean (Korean hereinafter) migrants in Western Canada, this study examines the migrants' sense of belonging and social networking practices during their post‐migration settlement and adaptation, including during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The study focuses on a relatively recent cohort of Korean labour migrants whose main motivation for migration was to explore flexible and relaxed ways of living in the host society. Through an analysis of these migrants' lived experiences, the study examines how they have managed various forms of social networking and developed particular senses of social belonging. The study reveals the migrants' lack of a sense of social belonging and tendency to pursue individualized micro‐networks, which were particularly challenged during the COVID‐19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), caused by environmental factors associated with the host's genetic traits, is represented by Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Despite the increasing number of patients with IBD, the current treatment is limited to symptomatic therapy. A complex IBD model mimicking the human IBD etiology is required to overcome this limitation. Herein, we developed novel complex IBD models using interleukin 2 receptor subunit gamma (Il2rg)-deficient mice, high-fat diet, dextran sodium sulfate, and Citrobacter rodentium. The more IBD factors applied complexly, colon length shortened and inflammation worsened. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines increased with increased IBD factors. Anti-inflammatory cytokine decreased in all factors application but increased in Il2rg deficiency and Westernized diet combination. Additionally, the pro-inflammatory transcription factors and leaky intestinal epithelial marker were upregulated by a combination of IBD factors. Species diversity decreased with IBD factors. Phylogenetic diversity decreased as IBD factors were applied but increased with combined Il2rg deficiency and Westernized diet. The more IBD factors applied complexly, the more severe the dysbiosis. Finally, we developed a novel complex IBD model using various IBD factors. This model more closely mimic human IBD based on colonic inflammation and dysbiosis than the previous models. Based on these results, our novel complex IBD model could be a valuable tool for further IBD research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global fans' engagement with K-pop (South Korean pop music) demonstrates how audiences' daily lives and identities are interwoven with transcultural media. This study explores how global K-pop fan cultures have evolved along with the genre's expansion overseas, with particular reference to Peruvian fans in the Global South context. Drawing on Peruvian fans' accounts of the global K-pop fanscapes – the universes experienced and mediated through fan practices, the study addresses the complexities, negotiations, and conflicts in audience engagement with transcultural media. By examining how K-pop fans in a distant locale imaginarily identify with K-pop idols and interact with other global fans and non-fans, the study reveals that local fans may realize their identity in the global fanscapes while being aware of power relations that operate between different audiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In July 2020, the South Korean government announced a 5-year, post-pandemic plan. This purportedly proactive policy aimed to advance digital and green industries to lay the groundwork for the post-pandemic era. This article examines the South Korean government's early proposal of a post-pandemic policy, titled the Korean New Deal, in order to explore how the pandemic crisis may affect the policymakers' envisioning of the post-crisis society. Moreover, the study examines how this early predictive plan may reveal the ways in which the pandemic is utilized for discursive politics. Drawing on the critical discourse analysis of policy documents and news coverage, this article questions how the 'old' language of the developmental state is incorporated into the 'new' policy. The study also shows how COVID-19's impacts and uncertainties are translated into political discourses., Author(s): Kyong Yoon [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.17091.3e, 0000 0001 2288 9830, English and Cultural Studies, University of British Columbia Okanagan, , 1148 Research Rd, Kelowna, BC, Canada Introduction The [...]

Drawing on qualitative interviews with K-pop fans in Lima, Peru, this study explores how Latin fans think about and negotiate K-pop industries' citations of Latin pop music tropes. It addresses the ways in which K-pop's practices of citing other cultures are perceived by the audience whose culture is cited. The Peruvian fans in this study suggest that the citations of other cultures observed in K-pop offer versatile entry points for them to easily engage in the cultural genre. For them, K-pop is a novel cultural genre that has become an alternative yet intimate cultural resource, especially compared to hegemonic American pop music. By providing an analysis of Latin K-pop fans' lived experiences through the lens of cultural hybridity and appropriation, this audience study contributes to the field of transcultural media research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The body louse, Pediculus humanus humanus, is an obligate blood-feeding ectoparasite and an important insect vector that mediates the transmission of diseases to humans. The analysis of the body louse genome revealed a drastic reduction of the chemosensory gene repertoires when compared to other insects, suggesting specific olfactory adaptations to host specialization and permanent parasitic lifestyle. Here, we present for the first time functional evidence for the role of odorant receptors (ORs) in this insect, with the objective to gain insight into the chemical ecology of this vector. We identified seven putative full-length ORs, in addition to the odorant receptor co-receptor (Orco), and expressed four of them in the Xenopus laevis oocytes system. When screened with a panel of ecologically-relevant odorants, PhumOR2 responded to a narrow set of compounds. At the behavior level, both head and body lice were repelled by the physiologically-active chemicals. This study presents the first evidence of the OR pathway being functional in lice and identifies PhumOR2 as a sensitive receptor of natural repellents that could be used to develop novel efficient molecules to control these insects.