• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.235-244
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify quality of sleep and its influencing factor among middle-aged male workers. Methods: The subjects of this study were 411 middle-aged male workers living in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do. The data were based from self-reported using structured questionnaires asking about low urinary tract symptoms, circadian rhythm, quality of life and sleep quality including general characteristics. The data were collected from September 11 to October 31, 2013 and analyzed by t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient and hierarchical regression. Results: Mean score of the sleep quality was $5.03{\pm}2.57$ (range: 0~21) and reported as bad sleep quality in 55.7%. Low urinary tract symptoms (${\beta}$=.30, p<.001), circadian rhythm (${\beta}$=-.17, p<.001), quality of life (${\beta}$=-.14, p<.001) were shown as significant association of sleep quality. Conclusion: Strategies to improve sleep quality in middle-aged male workers are necessary and nursing intervention should be developed to improve education program for prevention and management of low urinary tract symptoms. It is also necessary to legalize the institutional devices to upgrade work environment and to place regulations on overtime at work places in order for these workers to obtain sufficient sleep time for recovery of biological rhythms and improving sleep quality.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.67-74
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• 1999

To investigate the effect of the circadian variations on the toluene metabolism, 50％ toluene in olive oil (0.2 m1/100 g body weight) was intraperitoneally administered to the rats every other day for 6 days both in the night; 24:00 and the day; 12:00. Each group of animals was sacrificed at 8 hr after last injection of toluene. Hepatic microsomal aniline hydroxylase activity was more increased in control rats of night phase than those of day phase. On the other hand, the activities of hepatic benzylalcohol dehydrogenase in control rats of night phase showed the similiar value with that in those of day phase and in case of toluene treatment, these enzyme activities in rats of night phase were rather more decreased than those of day phase. Furthermore, hepatic benzaldehyde dehydrogenase activities were more or less higher in the control rats of night phase than those of day phase and by toluene treatment, enzyme activities of rats of night phase were somewhat decreased than those of day phase. in vitro, benzylalcohol or benzaldehyde inhibited the activities of benzylalcohol or aldehyde dehydrngenase prepared from the rats liver supematant. There were no differences in urinary hippuric acid contents between the night phase and day phase both in the control and toluene treated group. The increasing rate of liver weight per body weight (％), serum xanthine oxidase activities were higher in rats of night phase than in those of day phase by toluene treatment. In conclusion, these results indicate that the producing rate of benzylalcohol and benzaldehyde from toluene may be higher in rats of night phase than those of day phase.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.77-97
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• 1994

The circadian system represents a temporal order which is mediated by the mutual coupling of oscillators and by the synchronizing effects of zeitgebers. It is known that well-being of man depends partly on the maintenance of this order, and that repeated or long lasting disturbances to it such as shift work will Cause harmful effects. This study was a quasi-experimental study to test the effect of shift directions for the clinical nurses on the circadian rhythm. Fourteen nurses working at the general units of Y hospital were selected according to the established criteria. Fourteen subjects were assigned to a weekly shift but the directions of shift work were phase delay first and then phase advance or vice versa. Oral temperature, total sleeping time, frequency of sleep-wake cycle, fatigue, mental performance, and physical symptom were measured during these days except holidays. The data collection period was from April 26, 1993 to July 3, 1993. MANOVA and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used for statistical analysis. The results are summarized as follows. 1. Having worked on evening and night shifts in either phase delay or phase advance schedules, temperature rhythms of shift workers were gradually adapted to the new sleep-wake cycles. A complete adaptation to work on the night shift was achieved the sixth day of the night shift in the phase delay schedule compared to the partial adaptation to the work on the night shift in the phase advance schedule. Accordingly, by putting evening shift between day and night shifts, it will be possible for circadian rhythm to adapt easily to the night shift. 2. There were differences in the total sleeping time, frequency of steep-wake cycle, fatigue, and physical symptom except for mental performance between night shift and day, evening shift. This indicates further that shift workers working on the night shift have a hard time adapting to the shift work compared to the other shifts. 3. Evaluating all the acrophases of temperature rhythm either in phase delay or phase ad-vance schedules, it was shown that night to evening shift in the phase ad-vance schedule revealed the smallest phase move. Also phase advance schedule showed poorer adaptation to shift work than phase delay schedule in connection with total sleeping time, frequency of sleep-wake cycle, fatigue, mental performance, and physical symptom. It is suggested, taken together, these findings reflect that phase delay schedule facilitated the degree of adjustment to the shift work compared to the phase advance schedule.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 2012

Circadian rhythmicity (e.g. secretory pattern of hormones) plays an important role in the control of reproductive function. We hypothesized that the alteration of feeding pattern via meal time shift/restriction might disrupt circadian rhythms in energy balance, and induce changes in reproductive activities. To test this hypothesis, we employed simple animal model that not allowing $ad$ $libitum$ feeding but daytime only feeding. The animals of $ad$ $libitum$ feeding group (Control) have free access to food for 4 weeks. The day feeding (=reverse feeding, RF) animals (RF group) have restricted access to food during daytime (0900-1800) for 4 weeks. After completing the feeding schedules, body weights, testis and epididymis weights of animals from both group were not significantly different. However, the weights of seminal vesicle (control : RF group = $0.233{\pm}0.014g$ : $0.188{\pm}0.009g$, $p$<0.01) and prostate (control : RF group = $0.358{\pm}0.015g$ : $0.259{\pm}0.015g$, $p$<0.001) were significantly lower in RF group animals. The mRNA levels of pituitary common alpha subunit ($C{\alpha}$; control : RF group = $1.0{\pm}0.0699$ AU : $0.1923{\pm}0.0270$ AU, $p$<0.001) and $FSH{\beta}$ (control : RF group = $1.0{\pm}0.1489$ AU : $0.5237{\pm}0.1088$ AU, $p$<0.05) were significantly decreased in RF group. The mRNA levels of ACTH were not significantly different. We were unable to find any prominent difference in the microstructures of epididymis, and there were slight alterations in those of seminal vesicles after 4 weeks of reversed feeding when compared to control samples. The present study demonstrates that the shift and/or restriction of feeding time could alter the pituitary gonadotropin expression and the weights of seminal vesicle and prostate in rats. These data suggest the lowered gonadotropin inputs may decrease androgen secretion form testis, and consequently results in poor response of androgen-dependent tissues such as seminal vesicle and prostate.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2020

Mobile digital devices are very familiar and useful devices in the daily life of modern people, and are used for various tasks such as communication, reading, writing, and playing media. As the use of mobile digital devices has become more prevalent, user time has also been increasing. In particular, the number of people who use digital devices before sleep is growing. The light pollution associated with these devices is classified into four categories: urban sky glow, glare, light trespass, and clutter. The pattern in which modern people use digital devices corresponds to light pollution caused by light trespass and clutter from light exposure to artificial light at night. The light pollution caused by digital devices can cause melatonin secretion suppression, delayed sleep onset, reduction of sleepiness before bedtime, and periodic rhythm and cognitive function disturbances. In addition, a study of children and adolescents showed there may be disturbances in the sleep-wake cycle and circadian rhythm, deterioration of sleep quality, and daytime fatigue due to light pollution caused by artificial light at night from mobile digital devices. A multi-faceted research effort is also necessary to investigate the healthy use of mobile digital devices based on research evidence and insights with an accurate evaluation of the influence of mobile digital devices as a form of light pollution.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.12-19
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• 2016

Neuropeptides produced from prohormones by selective action of endopeptidases are vital signaling molecules, playing a critical role in a variety of physiological processes, such as addiction, depression, pain, and circadian rhythms. Neuropeptides bind to post-synaptic receptors and elicit cellular effects like classical neurotransmitters. While each neuropeptide could have its own biological function, mass spectrometry (MS) allows for the identification of the precise molecular forms of each peptide without a priori knowledge of the peptide identity and for the quantitation of neuropeptides in different conditions of the samples. MS-based neuropeptidomics approaches have been applied to various animal models and conditions to characterize and quantify novel neuropeptides, as well as known neuropeptides, advancing our understanding of nervous system function over the past decade. Here, we will present an overview of neuropeptides and MS-based neuropeptidomic strategies for the identification and quantitation of neuropeptides.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.237-247
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• 2009

Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is the major neurohormone secreted during the night by the vertebrate pineal gland. The circadian pattern of pineal melatonin secretion is related to the biological clock within the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus in mammals. The SCN coordinates the body's rhythms to the environmental light-dark cycle in response to light perceived by the retina, which acts mainly on retinal ganglion cells that contain the photopigment melanopsin. Calbindin-D9k (CaBP-9k) is a member of the S100 family of intracellular calcium- binding proteins, and in this review, we discuss the involvement of melatonin and CaBP-9k with respect to calcium homeostasis and apoptotic cell death. In future studies, we hope to provide important information on the roles played by CaBP-9k in cell signal transduction, cell proliferation, and $Ca^{2+}$ homeostasis in vivo and in vitro.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 1999.10b
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• pp.10-10
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• 1999

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Korean journal of aerospace and environmental medicine
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.61-65
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• 2020

In the case of aviation maintenance work, several kinds of shift works are performed during day and night, and a lot of works are performed on the ramp due to the characteristics of the aircraft flight schedule. Maintenance workers are often exposed to the sun or in cold temperatures for aircraft maintenance works. The fatigue risk of the maintenance workers will be weighted. In particular, the work at night shift under normal biological rhythms can make maintenance workers feel sleepy during daytime work. It can also affect the safety of aircraft and individual workers. Accordingly, this study will consider fatigue-related previous researches in the field of aviation maintenance, review the effects of shift work, and how fatigue affects aviation mechanics during the day/night shifts. Considering these factors, we tried to present a plan that can minimize the fatigue of aviation workers through this study.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.556-561
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• 1995

Persisent circadian rhythms in carbon assimilation, stomatal conductance and soluble carbohydrate concentration were investigated during grain filling period in rice plant transferred from a natural photoperiod to constant conditions. A weak rhythm in photosynthesis, measured as carbon assimilation, and stomatal opening, as conductance to water vapor, with a period of approximately 24-hours, occurred under constant condition. Carbon assimilation and stomatal conductance reached maximum values near noon and minimum values near midnight during the early stage (until 72-hour) after transferring to constant condition, and then the amplitude and phase were changed slowly, the rhythms with little damping, reaching maximum values near midnight and minimum values near noon during 96~120-hours after transferring. However, photosynthesis in plants grown for 14days after anthesis under constant moderate light(day and night) did not oscillated in constant condition unlike plants grown under a cycle of light and darkness. These phenomenon was observed in soluble carbohydrate concentration in flag leaves as well. Evidences from several approaches indicate that endogenous rhythms of $CO_2$ assimilation, stomatal conductance and soluble carbohydrate concentration are closely couped with each other and particularly important to plants, which depend on the natural day-night cycle as a external signal.