• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.102-109
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• 2024

Background: In today's modern world, longer working hours, shift work, and working at night have become major causes of the disruption of our natural circadian rhythms. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the type of shift work (rotating vs. fixed day), duty period (on-duty vs. off-duty), and working period within each shift (nighttime vs. daytime) on the circadian rhythm characteristics of nurses who provide direct patient care. Methods: This cross-sectional study used a purposive sampling method. Cosinor analysis was applied to analyze the actigraphy data of nurses providing direct patient care for seven consecutive days. The linear mixed effects model was then used to determine any variances between shift type, duty period, and working period within each shift for the nurses. Results: The mesor value did not differ according to nurses' shift type, duty period, and working period within each shift. The amplitude was statistically higher in on-duty nurses and in daytime working hours. The acrophase was significantly delayed in nighttime working hours. As well as nurses in rotating shift had experience. Conclusion: Our findings revealed that the peak activity of nurses occurs significantly later at night while working and nurses working during nighttime hours may have a weaker or less distinct circadian rhythm. Thus, this study suggests that limits be placed on the number of rotating nighttime shifts for nurses.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.62.2-62.2
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• 2013

Recent spectroscopic observations have provided evidence for complex chemical evolution by supernovae and/or asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in the two metal-poor globular clusters (GCs) NGC2419 and M15. In particular, the horizontal branches (HBs) of these metal-poor GCs are very extended in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. The origin of these peculiar features, as well as that for the Sandage period-shift effect observed in these clusters, are yet to be understood. Here we show, by constructing population models including the Nitrogen enhanced subpopulation, that the second generation populations in these clusters would be enhanced not only in Helium, but also in Nitrogen. This working hypothesis can simultaneously explain the observed extended feature on the HB and the period-shift of RR Lyrae variables.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.154-164
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• 1994

The secular period behavior of 23 field RR Lyrae stars is studied in order to determine if the observed period changes could be attributed, at least in the mean, to stellar evolution. The sample of stars is subdivided into two Oosterhoff groups based on the metallicity and period-shift. Despite the small sample size, we found a distinct bias toward positive period changes in the group II variables. The period changes of the group I variables, however, are small and in the mean near zero. This is consistent with the behavior predicted by the recent evolutionary models, as was the case for the variables in globular clusters. This provides yet another support for the Lee, Demarque, and Zinn (1990) evolutionary models of RR Lyrase stars and their explanation of the Sandage period-shift effect.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.267-268
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• 2015

One of the long-standing problems in modern astronomy is the curious division of globular clusters (GCs) into two groups, according to the mean period (<$P_{ab}$>) of type ab RR Lyrae variables. In light of the recent discovery of multiple populations in GCs, we suggest a new model explaining the origin of the Sandage period-shift and the difference in mean period of type ab RR Lyrae variables between the two Oosterhoff groups. In our models, the instability strip in the metal-poor group II clusters, such as M15, is populated by second generation stars (G2) with enhanced helium and CNO abundances, while the RR Lyraes in the relatively metal-rich group I clusters like M3 are mostly produced by first generation stars (G1) without these enhancements. This population shift within the instability strip with metallicity can create the observed period-shift between the two groups, since both helium and CNO abundances play a role in increasing the period of RR Lyrae variables. The presence of more metal-rich clusters having Oosterhoff-intermediate characteristics, such as NGC 1851, as well as of most metal-rich clusters having RR Lyraes with the longest periods (group III) can also be reproduced, as more helium-rich third and later generations of stars (G3) penetrate into the instability strip with further increase in metallicity. Therefore, although there are systems where the suggested population shift cannot be a viable explanation, for the most general cases, our models predict that RR Lyraes are produced mostly by G1, G2, and G3, respectively, for the Oosterhoff groups I, II, and III.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.82.1-82.1
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• 2014

The presence of multiple populations is now well-established in most globular clusters (GCs) in the Milky Way. In light of this progress, here we suggest a new model explaining the origin of the Sandage period-shift and the difference in mean period of type ab RR Lyrae variables () between the two Oosterhoff groups. In our models, while matching the observed color-magnitude diagrams, the difference in is naturally reproduced as the instability strip is occupied by different subpopulations with increasing metallicity. The instability strip in the metal-poor group II clusters is populated by second generation stars (G2) with enhanced helium and CNO abundances, while the RR Lyraes in the metal-rich group I clusters are mostly produced by first generation stars (G1) without these enhancements. This population shift within the instability strip can create the observed period-shift between the two groups, since both helium and CNO abundances play a role in increasing the period of RR Lyrae variables. The presence of more metal-rich Oosterhoff group III clusters having RR Lyraes with longest can also be reproduced, if more helium-rich third generation stars (G3) are present in these GCs.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.52.1-52.13
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• 2023

Background: In 2019, the International Agency for Research on Cancer re-evaluated the carcinogenicity of night-shift work and reported that there is limited evidence that night-shift work is carcinogenic for the development of prostate cancer. Therefore, in 2020 and 2021, the Korean Epidemiologic Investigation Evaluation Committee concluded that 2 cases of prostate cancer were occupational diseases related to the night-shift work. Here, we report the 2 cases of prostate cancer in night-shift workers which were first concluded as occupational diseases by the Korean Epidemiologic Investigation Evaluation Committee. Case presentation: Patient A: A 61-year-old man worked as a city bus driver for approximately 17 years, from 2002 to 2019, and was exposed to night-shift work during this period. In March 2017, the patient was diagnosed with high-grade prostate cancer through core-needle biopsy after experiencing stinging pain lasting for 2 months. Patient B: A 56-year-old man worked as an electrician and an automated equipment operator in a cement manufacturing plant for 35 years from 1976 to 2013 and was exposed to night-shift work during this period. In 2013, the patient was diagnosed with high-grade prostate cancer through core needle biopsy at a university hospital because of dysuria that lasted for 6 months. Conclusions: The 2 workers were diagnosed with high-grade prostate cancer after working night shifts for 17 and 35 years respectively. Additionally, previous studies have reported that high-grade prostate cancer has a stronger relationship with night-shift work than low or medium-grade prostate cancer. Therefore, the Korean Epidemiologic Investigation Evaluation Committee concluded that night-shift work in these 2 patients contributed to the development of their prostate cancer.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2008

Incubation routine and sex role of Streaked Shearwaters Calonectris leucomelas at Sasudo Island, in Jeju, South Korea, were studied during the incubation period, June to August in 2002. Incubation routine in Procellariiformes represents a sequence of alternating shifts taken in turn by female and male in a species-specific pattern. Hence, coordination of individual incubation rhythms between partners is crucial for successful breeding attempt. In Streaked Shearwaters, incubation routine represents a sequence of alternating shifts taken in turn by male and female. The first incubation shift was made by male after female had laid the egg. The mean incubation period was 50.8 days until hatching. Males had spent on average 26.5 days incubating and females 24.3 days accordingly. The mean duration of incubation shifts decreased progressively from 6th and 7th shift to hatching. Overall, males had spent more time incubating than females during the incubation period, but the mean duration of the incubation shift 5.6 days for males and 5.7 days for females did not differ between males and females. There were no effect of the body size of the breeding pair on incubation performance. For males the mean of body weight decreased during the incubation, whereas for females it remained approximately stable. In Streaked Shearwaters, the duration of incubation shift and subsequent foraging trip are related to loss of body weight during the period of fasting. In addition, coordination of individual incubation rhythms affects their incubation behaviour.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.254-259
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• 2019

Background: This cross-sectional study assessed the sleep quality using the ActiGraph and investigated the relationship between the parameters of sleep assessment and the type of shift work in Korean firefighters. Methods: The participants were 359 firefighters: 65 day workers (control group) and 294 shift workers (shift work group: 77 firefighters with 3-day shift, 72 firefighters with 6-day shift, 65 firefighters with 9-day shift, and 80 firefighters with 21-day shift). Sleep assessments were performed using the ActiGraph (wGT3X-BT) for 24 hours during day shift (control and shift work group) and night shift and rest day (shift work group). The participants recorded bed time and sleep hours during the measurement period. Results: Sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and percentage of wake after sleep onset during night work were lower in the shift work group than control group (p < 0.05). Sleep efficiency decreased in night shift and increased in rest day, whereas wake after sleep onset increased in night shift and decreased in rest day (p < 0.05). Among shift work groups, sleep efficiency of 6-day shift was higher in day shift, and sleep efficiency of 21-day shift was lower in night shift than other shift groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: We found that the sleep quality in night shift of the shift work group was poorer than the control group. As to the type of shift work, sleep quality was good in 6-day shift and poor in 21-day shift. Thus, fast rotating shift such as 6-day shift may be recommended to improve the sleep quality of the firefighters.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.337-345
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of sleep/wake behavior for shiftwork in air traffic controllers (ATCs) using wrist actigraph for ten workers on a continuous full-day three-team three-shift system of forward rotation including on-duty and off-duty periods. The wrist actigraph data were recorded for three days (one shift cycle) for each subject. The mean activity counts during an on-duty period progressively increased from the night, the swing, to the morning shifts. The doze length during on-duty periods showed decreases in the morning and swing shifts as compared to the night shift. Total sleep time (TST) and sleep efficiency (SE) during off-duty periods increased in the morning-1 and swing-night shift compared to the morning-2 shift. Finally, I discussed the role of doze-taking during the burden on night shift ATCs.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2000.07b
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• pp.567-570
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• 2000

A design method of nonlinear feedback shift registers that can produce maximal-period sequences is given. Such a design is based on one-to-one mappings which are similar to well-known chaotic maps. Some properties of generated binary sequences are investigated and discussed.