• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.462-470
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• 2021

Background: Fatigue is pervasive, under-reported, and potentially deadly where flight operations are concerned. The aviation industry appears to lack a standardized, practical, and easily replicable protocol for fatigue risk assessment which can be consistently applied across operators. Aim: Our paper sought to present a framework, supported by real-world data with subjective and objective parameters, to monitor aircrew fatigue and performance, and to determine the safe crew configuration for commercial airline operations. Methods: Our protocol identified risk factors for fatigue-induced performance degradation as triggers for fatigue risk and performance assessment. Using both subjective and objective measurements of sleep, fatigue, and performance in the form of instruments such as the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale, Samn-Perelli Crew Status Check, Psychomotor Vigilance Task, sleep logs, and a wearable actigraph for sleep log correlation and sleep duration and quality charting, a workflow flagging fatigue-prone flight operations for risk mitigation was developed and trialed. Results: In an operational study aimed at occupational assessment of fatigue and performance in airline pilots on a three-men crew versus a four-men crew for a long-haul flight, we affirmed the technical feasibility of our proposed framework and approach, the validity of the battery of assessment instruments, and the meaningful interpretation of fatigue and work performance indicators to enable the formulation of safe work recommendations. Conclusion: A standardized occupational assessment protocol like ours is useful to achieve consistency and objectivity in the occupational assessment of fatigue and work performance.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.163-171
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• 2021

Objective: Considering the importance of dairy farming and the negative effects of heat stress, more tolerant genotypes need to be identified. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of heat stress via temperature-humidity index (THI) and diurnal temperature variation (DTV) in the genetic evaluations for daily milk yield of Holstein dairy cattle, using random regression models. Methods: The data comprised 94,549 test-day records of 11,294 first parity Holstein cows from Brazil, collected from 1997 to 2013, and bioclimatic data (THI and DTV) from 18 weather stations. Least square linear regression models were used to determine the THI and DTV thresholds for milk yield losses caused by heat stress. In addition to the standard model (SM, without bioclimatic variables), THI and DTV were combined in various ways and tested for different days, totaling 41 models. Results: The THI and DTV thresholds for milk yield losses was THI = 74 (-0.106 kg/d/THI) and DTV = 13 (-0.045 kg/d/DTV). The model that included THI and DTV as fixed effects, considering the two-day average, presented better fit (-2logL, Akaike information criterion, and Bayesian information criterion). The estimated breeding values (EBVs) and the reliabilities of the EBVs improved when using this model. Conclusion: Sires are re-ranking when heat stress indicators are included in the model. Genetic evaluation using the mean of two days of THI and DTV as fixed effect, improved EBVs and EBVs reliability.

• Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Planning & Design
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.83-91
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• 2020

Environmental conditions are known to impact human health and behavior, emotions such as pleasure, anxiety, and depression, and reduce stress. Interior design that elevates emotional comfort and satisfaction can help improve mental health and well-being. This study is a systematic review that analyzed previous empirical studies that explored the effect of interior design elements on the user's emotional response which is quantitatively evaluated by bio-signal and qualitatively evaluated through self-reported questionnaire surveys. This paper aims to derive the attributes of interior design and biometric indicators that affect the user's positive emotion through the synthesis of previous studies and to confirm the feasibility of measuring bio-signals as an objective evaluation tool for architectural design and as a quantitative research method. As a result of the review, the biometric data from EEG, fMRI, ECG, EMG, GSR, and eye-tracking were used to measure the participants' emotional responses, which were manifested as positive or negative depending on certain attributes of interior design such as the form, color, lighting, material and furniture. The attributes of interior design related to the positive emotional response were the curved shape, high ceiling, openness of space, and subdued tone colors. Standard lighting conditions and wooden spaces were related to stress reduction in terms of comfort and relaxation. The free arrangement of furniture was related to the user's positive emotions. On the other hand, consistent experimental protocols could not be found, and although the sample sizes of the studies were small, the studies have demonstrated the feasibility of the emotional response measurement by using the biometric data. Therefore this method can be a useful objective tool in the measurement of human-centric data in architectural design, and to develop the evidence-based design to induce positive emotions and minimize stress.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.8
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• pp.1199-1208
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• 2023

Objective: The purpose of this study was to perform a comparative analysis of metabolite levels in serum and milk obtained from cows fed on different concentrate to forage feed ratios. Methods: Eight lactating Holstein cows were divided into two groups: a high forage ratio diet (HF; 80% Italian ryegrass and 20% concentrate of daily intake of dry matter) group and a high concentrate diet (HC; 20% Italian ryegrass and 80% concentrate) group. Blood was collected from the jugular vein, and milk was sampled using a milking machine. Metabolite levels in serum and milk were estimated using proton nuclear magnetic resonance and subjected to qualitative and quantitative analyses performed using Chenomx 8.4. For statistical analysis, Student's t-test and multivariate analysis were performed using Metaboanalyst 4.0. Results: In the principal component analysis, a clear distinction between the two groups regarding milk metabolites while serum metabolites were shown in similar. In serum, 95 metabolites were identified, and 13 metabolites (include leucine, lactulose, glucose, betaine, etc.) showed significant differences between the two groups. In milk, 122 metabolites were identified, and 20 metabolites (include urea, carnitine, acetate, butyrate, arabinitol, etc.) showed significant differences. Conclusion: Our results show that different concentrate to forage feed ratios impact the metabolite levels in the serum and milk of lactating Holstein cows. A higher number of metabolites in milk, including those associated with milk fat synthesis and the presence of Escherichia coli in the rumen, differed between the two groups compared to that in the serum. The results of this study provide a useful insight into the metabolites associated with different concentrate to forge feed ratios in cows and may aid in the search for potential biomarkers for subacute ruminal acidosis.

• Journal of Korean Society of Disaster and Security
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.33-47
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• 2023

Under the "Act on Safety Control of Small Public Facilities (enacted in 2015)", each local government selects and conducts annual safety inspections for small public facilities. Among small public facilities, small bridges pose high risks and are heavily utilized by local residents, making them challenging to manage due to their large numbers and limited resources. Therefore, there is a need for a rational selection method that considers the management capacity of local governments, as well as the establishment of objective risk evaluation and maintenance planning for small hazardous facilities. In this study, we propose a selection method based on structural and functional classification of small bridges, considering the management capacity of local governments. Additionally, we present quantitative evaluation indicators for ten risk evaluation criteria, aiming to facilitate objective risk evaluation.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.69-81
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• 2009

This study was intended to evaluate the objective landscape of rural region using an additive integration index method in the Seondong region of Gochang-gun, Jeollabuk-do, Korea. This study consisted of the following three steps. First, this study developed an additive integration index calculation model for landscape assessment based on indicators and weight to each space type in accordance with three landscape fields which were developed by the expert Delphi method. Second, this study used NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and permeable area rate, which were available from high resolution satellite image, to calculate the green naturality degree, area rate, and building coverage respectively. Third, this study has calculated the landscape assessment index of rural regions using an additive integration index method made of assessment data and weight for each indicator. This study has found the following results: 1) landscape level was very poor in all 6 types of space, marking grade five; 2) while the highest level of natural landscape and mixed landscape was grade two, that of artificial landscape was grade five; 3) based on objective landscape, grade five showed the highest frequency, and grade one, two, three, and four followed in that order.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.7-13
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• 2007

Hearing loss in newborns is the most frequently occurring birth defect. If hearing impaired children are not identified and managed early, it is difficult for many of them to acquire the fundamental language, social and cognitive skills that provide the foundation for later schooling and success in society. All newborns, both high and low risk, should be screened for hearing loss in the birth hospital prior discharge (Universal Newborn Heaing Screening, UNHS). Objective physiologic measures must be used to detect newborns and very young infants with hearing loss. Recent technological developments have produced screening methods and both evoked otoacoustic emission (EOAE) and auditory brainstem response (ABR) have been successfully implemented for UNHS. Audiologic evaluation should be carried out before 3 months of age and infants with confirmed hearing loss should receive intervention before 6 months of age. All infants who pass newborn hearing screening but who have risk indicators for other auditory disorders and/or speech and language delay receive ongoing audiologic surveillance and monitoring for communication development. Infants with sensorineural hearing loss are managed with hearing aids and receive auditory and speech-language rehabilitation therapies. Cochlear implants can be an outstanding option for certain children aged 12 months and older with severe to profound hearing loss who show limited benefit from conventional amplifications.

• Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.19-37
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• 2014

In an attempt to develop comprehensive evidence-based methods for evaluation of the R&D performance of cross-disciplinary projects, a joint bibliometric analysis of patents and publications was performed for two industry-university-government collaborative projects aimed at commercialization: Hokkaido University Research & Business Park Project (2003-2007; 63 inventors; 176 patents; 853 papers), and Matching Program for Innovations in Future Drug Discovery and Medical Care - phase I (2006-2010; 46 inventors; 235 patents; 733 papers). Besides the simple output indicators (for five years period), and citations (from the publication date to the end of 2012), science maps based on the network analysis of words and co-authorship relations were generated to identify the prominent research themes and teams. Our joint analysis of publications and patents yields objective and mutually complementing information, which provides better insights on research and commercialization performance of the large-scale projects. Hence, such analysis has potential for use in the industry-university project's performance evaluation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.428-435
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• 2016

The objective of this study was to clarify the most effective component of grazing for improving welfare of fattening pigs. This study compared welfare indicators of 20 fattening pigs aged 100 to 124 days (the prior period) and 138 to 164 days (the latter period) in an indoor housing system (IS), an outdoor pasturing system (OP), a concrete floor paddock system (CF), a concrete floor paddock system with fresh grass (FG), or a soil floor paddock system (SF). The last three treatments include important components of a grazing system: extra space, grass feed, and soil floor. Behavior, wounds on the body, and performances, measured as average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio, were observed. CF pigs behaved similarly to IS pigs. FG pigs showed higher levels of foraging, chewing and activity. SF pigs engaged in higher levels of foraging, exploring, activity, and rooting, and showed a similar amount of playing behavior as OP pigs. ADG was the same in all treatments at the prior period, and increased in the order FG, IS, CF, SF, and OP at the latter. The behaviors and performance of SF pigs resembled those of OP which seemed to indicate a consistently higher standard of welfare than the other treatments. In conclusion, the existence of a soil floor is the most important component of a pasture for improving the welfare of pigs.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.39-58
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• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the mediating effects of parenting efficacy on the relationship between parenting alliance and parenting stress, and to investigate whether the relationships between these indicators were the same for mothers and fathers. Methods: A sample of 228 parents (114 mothers and 114 fathers) of 6 month old infants in Gyeonggi Province completed measures of Perceived Parenting Competence, Parenting Alliance Inventory, and Parenting Stress Inventory-Short Form. Results: The results indicated that parenting alliance produced its effect directly and indirectly through parenting efficacy on parenting stress. Using multiple group SEM analyses, it revealed that fathers parenting efficacy was mediated by parenting alliance and that the strength of the pathways was stronger for fathers than for mothers. Conclusion/Implications: These findings suggest that parenting alliance can improve father's parenting efficacy. The differential predictors of mother and father efficacy as well as their implications for future research are discussed.