• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.539-545
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• 2022

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of beekeeping by-products added to drinking water on the growth performance and intestinal and fecal microflora of Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice. A total of 72 five-week-old ICR mice with an initial body weight (BW) of 24.57 ± 0.60 g were used in a two-week experiment. The four treatment groups were as follows; 1) CON, normal distilled water; 2) T1, CON with 0.7% beehive extract; 3) T2, CON with 0.7% propolis (PRO); and 4) T3, CON with 0.7% royal jelly (RJ). Each treatment consisted of 6 replicate cages with 3 mice per cage. At 0 - 1 week, T3 showed a significantly higher (p < 0.05) body weight gain (BWG) and feed efficiency (G : F) than that of CON. Compared with CON, T2 showed a significantly higher (p < 0.05) BWG and feed intake at 1 - 2 weeks. During the entire period, T2 and T3 showed a significantly higher (p < 0.05) BWG and G : F compared to CON. The amount of Salmonella and Lactobacillus in the large intestine was significantly decreased and increased (p < 0.05) in T2 and T3, respectively, compared to CON. The amount of Escherichia coli in the fecal matter was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) compared to CON in all treatment groups to which beekeeping by-products were added. In conclusion, the addition of PRO or RJ to the drinking water of ICR mice had a positive effect on the growth performance and the intestinal and fecal microflora.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.867-874
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• 2023

Recently, many problems are occurring in the bee ecosystem due to rapid climate change. The decline in the bee population and changes in the flowering period are having a huge impact on the harvest of bee-keepers. Since it is impossible to continuously observe the beehives in the hive with the naked eye, most people rely on knowledge based on experience about the state of the hive.Therefore, interest is focused on smart beekeeping incorporating IoT technology. In particular, with regard to swarming, which is one of the most important parts of beekeeping, we know empirically that the swarming time can be determined by the sound of the queen bee, but there is no way to systematically analyze this with data.You may think that it can be done by simply recording the sound of the queen bee and analyzing it, but it does not solve various problems such as various noise issues around the hive and the inability to continuously record.In this study, we developed a system that records queen bee sounds in a real-time cloud system and analyzes sound patterns.After receiving real-time analog sound from the hive through multiple channels and converting it to digital, a sound pattern that was continuously output in the queen bee sound frequency band was discovered. By accessing the cloud system, you can monitor sounds around the hive, temperature/humidity inside the hive, weight, and internal movement data.The system developed in this study made it possible to analyze the sound patterns of the queen bee and learn about the situation inside the hive. Through this, it will be possible to predict the swarming period of bees or provide information to control the swarming period.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.183-196
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• 2017

Objective: The purpose of this research was to assess the agreement between job physical risk factor analysis by ergonomists using ergonomic methods and physical examinations made by occupational physicians on the presence of musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremities. Background: Ergonomics is the systematic application of principles concerned with the design of devices and working conditions for enhancing human capabilities and optimizing working and living conditions. Proper ergonomic design is necessary to prevent injuries and physical and emotional stress. The major types of ergonomic injuries and incidents are cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs), acute strains, sprains, and system failures. Minimization of use of excessive force and awkward postures can help to prevent such injuries Method: Initial data were collected as part of a larger study by the University of Utah Ergonomics and Safety program field data collection teams and medical data collection teams from the Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (RMCOEH). Subjects included 173 male and female workers, 83 at Beehive Clothing (a clothing plant), 74 at Autoliv (a plant making air bags for vehicles), and 16 at Deseret Meat (a meat-processing plant). Posture and effort levels were analyzed using a software program developed at the University of Utah (Utah Ergonomic Analysis Tool). The Ergonomic Epicondylitis Model (EEM) was developed to assess the risk of epicondylitis from observable job physical factors. The model considers five job risk factors: (1) intensity of exertion, (2) forearm rotation, (3) wrist posture, (4) elbow compression, and (5) speed of work. Qualitative ratings of these physical factors were determined during video analysis. Personal variables were also investigated to study their relationship with epicondylitis. Logistic regression models were used to determine the association between risk factors and symptoms of epicondyle pain. Results: Results of this study indicate that gender, smoking status, and BMI do have an effect on the risk of epicondylitis but there is not a statistically significant relationship between EEM and epicondylitis. Conclusion: This research studied the relationship between an Ergonomic Epicondylitis Model (EEM) and the occurrence of epicondylitis. The model was not predictive for epicondylitis. However, it is clear that epicondylitis was associated with some individual risk factors such as smoking status, gender, and BMI. Based on the results, future research may discover risk factors that seem to increase the risk of epicondylitis. Application: Although this research used a combination of questionnaire, ergonomic job analysis, and medical job analysis to specifically verify risk factors related to epicondylitis, there are limitations. This research did not have a very large sample size because only 173 subjects were available for this study. Also, it was conducted in only 3 facilities, a plant making air bags for vehicles, a meat-processing plant, and a clothing plant in Utah. If working conditions in other kinds of facilities are considered, results may improve. Therefore, future research should perform analysis with additional subjects in different kinds of facilities. Repetition and duration of a task were not considered as risk factors in this research. These two factors could be associated with epicondylitis so it could be important to include these factors in future research. Psychosocial data and workplace conditions (e.g., low temperature) were also noted during data collection, and could be used to further study the prevalence of epicondylitis. Univariate analysis methods could be used for each variable of EEM. This research was performed using multivariate analysis. Therefore, it was difficult to recognize the different effect of each variable. Basically, the difference between univariate and multivariate analysis is that univariate analysis deals with one predictor variable at a time, whereas multivariate analysis deals with multiple predictor variables combined in a predetermined manner. The univariate analysis could show how each variable is associated with epicondyle pain. This may allow more appropriate weighting factors to be determined and therefore improve the performance of the EEM.