• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 1995

In this paper, the effectiveness and accuracy of using the direct estimation method were investigated in determining a worker's lifting capacity or the maximum acceptable weight of lifting (MAWOL) of symmetrical fifting tasks in the workplace were investigated. Six lifting tasks involving two vertical fifting start-end points (0-80cm, 47-102cm) and three lifting frequencies (1, 2, and 4 lifts/minute) were studied. Ten young, male subjects performed the six lifting tasks to predict the MAWOL using the psychophysical method and the direct estimation method. The main results indicated that there were no significant differences between the MAWOLs determined by the two methods except for the lifting frequency of 4 lifts/minute. Analysis of variance was performed on the task rating data to check the consistency of the task rating across subjects, which revealed no significant difference.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.279-291
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• 2015

Objective: The purpose of the study is to evaluate appropriate weight for aged farmers in manually handling livestock feed in bags using ergonomic methods. Background: In the livestock industry in South Korea, despite the trend of aging of labor manpower, heavy items are still manually handled in many farms. In particular, among stockbreeding works, the handling of feed in bags weighing 25~30kg is reported as a cause of frequent injuries and musculoskeletal system diseases. However, studies on the standard for recommended weight allowed considering the physical characteristics of aged farmers older than 60 years with greatly decreased physical strength and muscle strength are insufficient. Method: To evaluate appropriate weight for handling of heavy livestock feed in bags, physical techniques for measuring recognized levels of physical work loads, the NLE (NIOSH lifting equation) a method that is an observation type technique, and an ergonomic modeling technique to predict compressive force imposed on L5/S1 were used. Subjects who participated in the experiment were organized into two groups of males/females with mean age exceeding 60 years, and lifting tasks were evaluated for nine weight levels. Results: Based on the results of psychophysical measurement, females showed a tendency of more drastic increases compared to males when weight was over 19kg. The results of estimation of regression models for the weight, 18.0 kg ($r^2=0.97$) and 15.3kg ($r^2=0.97$) were evaluated as stable load for males and females, respectively. In addition, both the observation type evaluation and ergonomic model evaluation showed stable loads in a range of 15~18kg. Conclusion: Given the results of the study, the weight of the feed in bags currently distributed to farms can become a cause of not only overexertion but also farm work related disasters such as musculoskeletal disorders and safety accidents. Providing livestock feed in bags weighing not more than 19kg for aged farmers is judged desirable, and managerial improvement for this matter is considered necessary. Application: The results of the present study can be utilized as useful data for institutional improvement of the weight of livestock feed in bags.

• Bulletin of the Korean Institute for Industrial Safety
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.11-17
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• 2003

In recent years, work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are one of major issues in occupational safety and health in Korea, since the number of injured workers has rapidly increased and the related regulation was amended to improve the work conditions. Main risk factors of WMSDs in Korean industries include manual handling of heavy weight loads, awkward postures, repetitive tasks, prolonged static muscle contraction, and so on. in this article, some ergonomics case studies for identifying the risk factors of WMSDs and far their prevention were introduced. They include a biomechanical analysis for the heavy-weight handling task in a machine-repair shop, physiological evaluation of backpack-carrying tasks in a beverage delivery job, and a set of psychophysical studies to evaluate static-postural load. These studies showed that there are several different ergonomic approaches to identifying and evaluating risk factors of WMSDs and to eliminating them or reducing their levels, and that it is important to select proper methods and apply them in improving the work conditions according to the characteristics of the task. In addition, it needs to develop practical and effective ergonomic tools to prevent WMSDs and to provide these tools to the safety managers in the field so that they can improve the tasks by themselves.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.9-14
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• 2012

The objectives of this study were to compare the results of HSL (Health and Safety Laboratory) ramp test with perceived sense of slip onto the several different floor surfaces under contaminated conditions. There are a variety of approaches from biomechanical measurements to psychophysical test and human perception. However, controversies over these approaches still remain. Some widely accepted methods need to be improved. AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) was used to evaluate the perception of slipperiness of seven different floor surfaces under the contaminated condition with glycerol solution. Twelve subjects worn same footwear and walked with self-selected step and cadence along the test floors. The angle of inclination obtained for water wet condition using 5 l/min with HSL ramp test was compared to perception of slipperiness. The surface roughness ($R_z$) related very well both AHP (r=0.95) and ramp test (r=0.92). The high significant correlation (r=0.90) was found between AHP and HSL ramp test.The HSL ramp test values (Coefficient of Friction, COF) according to subjective evaluation were divided into two categories. There were high correlations between test results (subjective evaluation, HSL ramp test) and surface roughness in Rz. Perception rating obtained with AHP showed a high correlation with COF obtained with HSL ramp test.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.213-219
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• 2017

Objective: The present study identified the minimum legible text size by an experiment for eight combinations of background and text colors, which will be used in designing visual information on group-view display (GVD). Background: Information on minimum legible text size is needed to design the visual information presented on GVD in a radioactive waste control room. Method: The experiment was conducted for 22 male participants (age: mean = 37, SD = 6.7; visual acuity: over 0.8) who were recruited by considering demographic characteristics of current control room operators. Eight combinations of background and text colors were considered and the minimum legible text size was determined for each combination by applying the method of limits, one of psychophysical methods. Results: The minimum legible text size was significantly different in accordance with the combination of background and text colors. Statistical analysis results showed that luminance contrast and color contrast between background and text influenced the minimum legible text sizes. Conclusion: This study concluded that the minimum legible text size is 8 minute of arc for various combinations of background and text colors. Application: The minimum legible text size identified in the present study can be utilized in designing visual information on GVD at the main control room in a radioactive waste facility.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.671-681
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• 2011

Objective: The purpose of this study is to compare the workload level at each lower limbs posture and suggest the ergonomic workstation guideline for working period by evaluating the imbalanced lower limbs postures from the physiological and psychophysical points of view. Background: Many workers like welders are working in various imbalanced lower limbs postures either due to the narrow working conditions or other environmental conditions. Method: Ten male subjects participated in this experiment. Subjects were asked to maintain 3 different lower limbs postures(standing, squatting and bending) with 3 different working conditions(balanced floor with no scaffold, imbalanced floor with 10cm height of scaffold, and imbalanced floor with 20cm height of scaffold). EMG data for the 4 muscle groups(Retus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis, Tibialis Anterior, Gastrocnemius) from each lower limbs posture were collected for 20 seconds every 2 minutes during the 8 minutes sustaining task. Subjects were also asked to report their discomfort ratings of body parts such as waist, upper legs, lower legs, and ankle. Results: The ANOVA results showed that the EMG root mean square(RMS) values and the discomfort ratings(CR-10 Rating Scale) were significantly affected by lower limbs postures and working time(p<0.05). The correlation was analyzed between the EMG data and the discomfort ratings. Also, prediction models for the discomfort rating for each posture were developed using physical condition, working time, and scaffold height. Conclusion: We strongly recommend that one should not work more than 6 minutes in a standing or squatting postures and should not work more than 4 minutes in a bending posture. Application: The results of this study could be used to design and assess working environments and methods. Furthermore, these results could be used to suggest ergonomic guidelines for the lower limbs postures such as squatting and bending in the working fields in order to prevent fatigue and pain in the lower limbs body.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.58-63
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• 2012

An altitude chamber, also known as a hypobaric chamber, is a device used during aerospace or high terrestrial altitude research or training to simulate the effects of high altitude on the human body. Although data from altitude chamber researches using experimental animals have been accumulated, studies in the humans exposed to hypobaric conditions are seldomly reported. Despite the importance of altitude chamber flight training in the field of aviation physiology, the hematological analysis of post-flight physiological changes has rarely been performed. The aims of the present study were to investigate the alterations in blood components during altitude chamber flight and to determine whether the differences between pre- and post-flight values are significant. Sixty experienced pilots in the Republic of Korea Air Force were enrolled in the altitude chamber flight training. Venous blood samples were obtained before and immediately after the flight. Compared with the pre-flight values($6.32{\times}10^3/mm^3$, $5.02{\times}10^6/mm^3$, 15.61 g/dL, respectively), white blood cell count, red blood cell count and hemoglobin level were significantly increased after the flight($6.77{\times}10^3/mm^3$, $5.44{\times}10^6/mm^3$, 16.26 g/dL; p=0.006, p=0.012, p<0.001, respectively). These alterations may be attributable to the exposure to hypobaric hypoxia, 100% oxygen supply for denitrogenation, considerable rise and fall in altitude and psychophysical stress due to these factors. In further studies, experimental groups and methods should be individualized to ensure objectivity and diversification. In addition, multiple time-frame analyses regarding the changing pattern of each blood component are also required to elucidate the physiological process for adapting to the high terrestrial altitude exposure.

• Journal of Rhinology
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.200-206
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• 2022

Background: Little is known about the occurrence of gustatory dysfunction (GD) in relation to different aetiologies of olfactory dysfunction (OD) as assessed by psychophysical chemosensory tests. The aim of this study was to analyse gustatory function in patients with OD and to investigate clinical factors associated with GD. Methods: A total of 742 individuals who underwent both olfactory and gustatory function tests at a tertiary medical centre from November 2019 to March 2021 were retrospectively enrolled. Olfactory and gustatory function were assessed by the YSK olfactory and gustatory function tests, respectively. Patients with OD were classified into four groups according to the aetiology: sinonasal disease, post-infection OD (PIOD), post-traumatic OD (PTOD), and others. Secondary outcomes included age, sex, smoking history, and alcohol history. Results: Among the 488 patients with OD, 93 (19.1%) showed GD and 395 (80.9%) had normal gustatory function. Only 25 (9.8%) among 254 individuals with normosmia showed GD. Analyses of these frequencies revealed a significant association between OD and GD. In addition, the taste score was significantly lower in patients with OD than individuals with normosmia. The frequency of GD was significantly higher in patients with PTOD (53.6%) than in those with OD of other aetiologies (sinonasal disease, 6.7%; PIOD, 13.0%; others, 24.4%). In the multivariate analysis, age ≥55 years and PTOD were associated with a high frequency of GD among patients with OD. Conclusions: The current study show that GD is significantly associated with OD. In particular, GD is more common in patients with PTOD than in those with OD of other aetiologies.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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• v.37 no.5C
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• pp.393-402
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• 2012

In this study, we propose a signal processing algorithm to measure the arousal level of a human subject using a PPG(Photoplethysmography) sensor. From the measured PPG signals, the arousal level is determined by PPI(Pulse to Pulse Interval) and discrete-time signal processing. We ran psychophysical experiments displaying visual stimuli on TV display while measuring PPG signal from a finger, where the nature landscape scenes were used for restorative effect, and the urban environments were used to stimulate the stress. However, the measured PPG signals may include noise due to subject movement and measurement error, which results in incorrect detections. In this paper, to mitigate the noise impact on stimulus detection, we propose a detecting algorithm using digital signal processing methods and statistics of measured signals. A filter is adopted to remove a high frequency noise and adaptively designed taking into account the statistics of the measured PPG signals. Moreover we employ a hysteresis method to reduce the distortion of PPI in decision of emotional. Via experiment, we show that the proposed scheme reduces signal noise and improves stimulus detection.

• The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.9-14
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• 2024

Hue, value, and chroma are the fundamental colour components used in colour property research to identify colour in the digital media environment. In the Munsell colour system, which is based on the characteristics of visual perception, the basic properties are classified into hue, value, and chroma. The methods for recording these three properties can be divided into the colour appearance system and the colour mixing system: in the former, they are documented based on a colour chart that focuses on visual perception, and in the latter, accurate numerical records are kept without concern for discolouration. Colour terminology is crucial for conveying and expressing colours, and colours can be classified and defined according to the combination of hue, value, and chroma. With the development of various media, it has become possible to represent a range of colours previously unachievable, necessitating basic research into the characteristics of colour perception by further subdividing digital-oriented colour studies. In this study, we conducted psychophysical experiments to identify and analyse the categories of value and chroma needed to recognise each colour among the ten representative colours of the Munsell colour system, based on visual perception on a display. This study analyses the results of these experiments, defines their significance as foundational research data on colour perception characteristics, and suggests directions for future research.