• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.445-450
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• 2023

Background: The impact of COVID-19 infection on workers' work function persists even after the acute phase of the infection. We studied this phenomenon in Japanese workers. Methods: We conducted a one-year prospective cohort study online, starting with a baseline survey in December 2020. We tracked workers without baseline work functioning impairment and incorporated data from 14,421 eligible individuals into the analysis. We estimated the incidence rate ratio for new onset of work functioning impairment due to COVID-19 infection during follow-up, using mixed-effects Poisson regression analysis with robust variance. Results: Participants reporting infection between January and December 2021 showed a significantly higher incidence of new work functioning impairment (adjusted incidence rate ratio: 2.18, 95% confidence interval: 1.75-2.71, p < 0.001). The formality of the recuperation environment correlated with a higher risk of work functioning deterioration in infected individuals (p for trend <0.001). Conclusion: COVID-19-infected workers may continue to experience work difficulties due to persistent, post-acute infection symptoms. Companies and society must urgently provide rehabilitation and social support for people with persistent symptoms, recognizing that COVID-19 is not just a transient acute infection.

• Mycobiology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.114-119
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• 2014

The wood decay fungi Antrodia P. Karst. play important ecological roles and have significant industrial and economic impacts as both wood degraders and sources of pharmaceutical and biotechnological products. Although each Antrodia species has distinct morphological characteristics, the misidentification rate is especially high due to their simple morphological characters. A combination of morphological and internal transcribed spacer region sequence analyses revealed that 27 of 89 specimens previously identified by morphology alone were correct, whereas 35 of these specimens were misidentified as other Antrodia species. We report here that seven Antrodia species exist in Korea (A. albida, A. heteromorpha, A. malicola, A. serialis, A. sinuosa, A. sitchensis, and A. xantha) and based on these specimens, we provide taxonomic descriptions of these species, except for A. serialis, which was only confirmed by isolate.

• Hwankyungkyoyuk
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.31-44
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• 2008

This study was aimed at developing and providing textbook writers with information and materials required to introduce forest education ideas and paradigm into primary, middle, and high school students, responding to establishment of the new national curriculum. Research methods included interview with school teachers, literature review on forest education and policy, analysis of writings and drawings of elementary school students. As a primary result, the study produced a framework that can be applied to analyze and understand how people think of and put a value on forest, consisting of 1) Resource-Economic Perspective, 2) Environmental-Ecological Perspective, 3) Cultural-Educational Perspective, and 4) Existential-Ethical Perspective. To test its validity, the developed framework was applied to the processes of reorganizing and interpreting the outcomes of teacher interview and writings and drawings of elementary school students. The results of applications showed that current school education mostly focused on ecological-environmental (about 50%) and cultural-educational (about 30%) perspectives on forest. To improve the quality of current forest education in schools, five main directions including integration, balance, interrelatedness, identity, and systematic approaches were suggested.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.14 no.3 s.50
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• pp.46-54
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• 2005

This study explored how the elementary schools provided proper interior environments to the students in terms of ecological aspects. 14 cases-7 in Busan and 7 in Osaka which were newly built or remodelled since 2000 were selected. These schools were analyzed based on the eco-school guideline suggested In the former study. The guideline categorizes into three parts: 1) energy efficiency related with lighting, ventilation, heating and insulation, 2) greening, 3) sustainability including recycling water system and use of environmentally friendly materials. The results showed that Korean schools require more systematic planning for natural lighting, ventilation, Insulation, greening and new water system while Japanese schools need use of environmentally friendly materials and consideration for natural lighting, insulation and interior greening. Especially, natural lighting and natural ventilation through roof window, atrium, wind tower and use of natural insulation and blind window system should be basically considered at the Initial planning. Also, this study reveals that ecological approach including greening and natural lighting with various architectural form should be applied in future elementary school design to make the school environment more agreeable and economical.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.41-51
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• 2001

'The Ecological Forest' in Youido Park was intended to be an artificial forest in urban center, following the form of natural forests in central Korea. This study was to investigate the planting plan and the vegetation change of 'the Ecological Forest' and to compare it with natural forests of similar plant composition. The natural forests had slopes between $12^{\circ}$ and $21^{\circ}$, whereas 'the Ecological Forest' had slopes between $2^{\circ}$ and $6^{\circ}$. It was unlikely that the slope condition was adequate to show 'toposequence succession' at 'the Ecological Forest'. The soil bulk density and soil hardness of 'the Ecological Forest' were higher than those of the natural forests. The soil pH of 'the Ecological Forest' was 7.45, which was greater than that of the natural forests. There were some changes in plant composition and amounts 2 years after the construction : the number of conifers was reduced from 383 to 338 ; the number of deciduous trees was reduced from 4717 to 1158. It was because of the young trees dead in the sub-tree layer. The herbaceous species planted were 14 families, 31 species, which increased to 37 families, 93 species after 2 years. In case of horizontal structure of vegetation, trees and shrubs were distributed evenly in the natural forests, whereas 'the Ecological Forest' showed uneven distribution with higher total density. In case of vertical structure of vegetation, the natural forests had distinctive layers with dominant species distributed in each layers. In 'the Ecological Forest', however, dominant species were only in tree layer. The natural forests had greater average tree height, tree density, however, and basal area than 'the Ecological Forest'. The results showed that there were some differences in the structure between 'the Ecological Forest' and natural forests. The management plan should be applied in order that the natural condition be restored in 'the Ecological Forest' by competition between plant species and natural processes.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.13-20
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• 2017

Greenhouse gas emission from agricultural land is recognized as an important factor influencing climatic change. In this study, the national $CO_2$ emission was estimated for paddy soils, using soil GHG emission model (DNDC) with $1km^2$ scale. To evaluate the applicability of the model in Korea, verification was carried out based on field measurement data using a closed chamber. The total national $CO_2$ emission in 2015 was estimated at $5,314kt\;CO_2-eq$, with the emission per unit area ranging from $2.2{\sim}10.0t\;CO_2-eq\;ha^{-1}$. Geographically, the emission of Jeju province was particularly high, and the emission from the southern region was generally high. The result of the model verification analysis with the field data collected in this study (n=16) indicates that the relation between the field measurement and the model prediction was statistically similar (RMSE=22.2, ME=0.28, and $r^2=0.53$). More field measurements under various climate conditions, and subsequent model verification with extended data sets, are further required.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.249-256
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• 2015

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different levels and types of nitrogen fertilizer on seedlings and soil chemical properties in a semi-arid area, Mongolia. 2-year-old Populus sibirica and 4-year-old Ulmus pumila seedlings were planted in May 2014. Six treatments with three levels of nitrogen (low-level: urea $5g\;tree^{-1}$; medium-level: urea $15g\;tree^{-1}$, ammonium sulfate $33g\;tree^{-1}$, urea $15g\;tree^{-1}$ with potassium phosphate $10g\;tree^{-1}$; high-level: urea $30g\;tree^{-1}$) were applied and for the medium-level of nitrogen, different types of fertilizer were treated. Survival rate, root collar diameter (RCD) growth rate, leaf nitrogen concentration of seedlings, and soil chemical properties were determined in August 2014. The seedling survival rate of both species decreased as the level of nitrogen increased. This result can be explained by water stress caused by nitrogen fertilization in arid regions. The RCD growth rate of P. sibirica was significantly decreased by the treatment of high-level of nitrogen due to excessive nitrogen fertilization, and was increased by the treatment of ammonium sulfate due to sulfur which might promote nitrogen uptake. The leaf nitrogen concentration of P. sibirica did not change by the treatment of low-level of nitrogen, and was increased by the treatment of medium-level of nitrogen. There were no significant differences in the RCD growth rate and the leaf nitrogen concentration of U. pumila among the six treatments. None of soil chemical properties was affected by nitrogen fertilization. Overall, the low-level of nitrogen showed no effect on seedlings and soil chemical properties, except on survival rate of U. pumila and the high-level of nitrogen was considered excessive fertilization. Continuous monitoring of medium-level nitrogen fertilization including the ammonium sulfate, which increased early growth of seedlings, would be needed to elucidate the effect of fertilization on seedling growth and soil properties in a semi-arid region.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.68 no.3
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• pp.105-125
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• 2016

School absenteeism is considered one of the early predictors of school drop-out and serious delinquency or criminal behavior. The primary goal of the current study was to explore the protective and risk factors related to changing school absenteeism over time based on the ecological-systemic perspective. The data was derived from the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS) using the 2011 and 2012 survey waves collected from 2,378 elementary school students. Using this data, Panel Fixed Effects Analysis was conducted. Major findings indicated that daily computer usage, parental abuse, school activity attendance, and school grades had an effect on students missing school days over time. Specifically, high levels of computer usage and parental abuse were related to increased school absenteeism, while high levels of school activity attendance and school grades were associated with decreased school absenteeism. These findings emphasized the importance of predictive intervention for children and suggested the need to construct a school absenteeism monitoring system in South Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Educational Facilities
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.37-47
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• 2006

The conservation or practical use of a lot of closed schools which occurred from 1982 all over the country by governmental policy has been becoming important concerns to local resident and community with economical and administrative interest. A lot of examples, sold or rented to public institutions or a person, which have been using by welfare facilities for inhabitants, facilities for education, youth, company, culture and art, and other use, could be found. It could be said that the process of user's participation of these examples is very high, that is, a lot of examples of our surrounding is applied with ecological concept have participated by most users and local residents directly to architectural repair and renewal process, and practical use. In this background, I choose total five examples more than one by Chungbuk, Chungnam, Jeonbuk, Jeonnam district to investigate examples of closed schools applied ecological architectural concept and I researched reconfiguration of site, change of exterior or interior material, application of ecological system, and role as local community.

• Hwankyungkyoyuk
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.365-377
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• 1999

The concept of environmental education contains from teaching environmental pollutions and the importance of environment to the ecological relationship between human and the nature. The ultimate goal of environmental eduaction, however, is to build the environmental-friendly and responsible behavoir. One of the best way to achieve this goal is ecological learning centers, where students can observe and analyse threes, plants and animals, and they learn the principle of the environmental succession with feeling and understanding. Students internalize environmental awareness through experiencing the nature. In this paper, we would like to introduce the diverse types of ecological learning centers in germany and their programs focusing on the ecocenters in berlin, with an intention of adopting practical programs in korean school system.