• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.245-263
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• 2016

This study was conducted to investigate the thermoregulatory behavior of young males in terms of self-identified thermal tolerance. We recruited 436 male students from Seoul ($24.0{\pm}4.6yr$ in age, $175.3{\pm}5.5cm$ in height, $70.1{\pm}10.6kg$ in body mass, and $23.0{\pm}2.7$ in BMI) in accordance with four types of self-identified thermal tolerance: 1) tolerable of both cold and heat, BCH (N=15); 2) heat tolerable only, HTO (N=118); 3) cold tolerable only, CTO (N=162); and 4) neither cold nor heat tolerable, NCH (N=141). The questionnaire consisted of 55 questions regarding preference to cold or heat environment, seasonal thermoregulatory behaviors including clothing habits, seasonal sleeping environments, health care/physical fitness, and anthropometric items. The results showed that: 1) BCH preferred less auxiliary heating devices, gloves/hats, or thermal underwear in winter and had very few experiences with cold/heat injuries or catching a cold, whereas NCH showed the opposite behavior and experiences as BCH; 2) thermoregulatory behaviors were not symmetrical between summer and winter. Most male students preferred cold beverage/foods to using cooling devices to lower body temperature in summer, whereas auxiliary heating devices were preferred to warm beverage/foods to maintain body temperature in winter; 3) thermoregulatory behaviors of NCH had more items in common with HTO than CTO, while the behaviors of BCH were more closely related to CTO than the behaviors of BCH were more closely related to CTO than HTO. Overall, we confirmed that thermoregulatory behaviors were apparently classified by self-identified thermal tolerance, and such behaviors could be adjusted by improving cold or heat tolerance.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.487-494
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• 2014

This study investigates thermoregulatory behaviors of obese children for their thermal comfort. Nine normal-weight children (NWC) and nine obese children (OC) participated in the study. All subjects were fourth-graders and sixth-graders in elementary school. An informed consent form was obtained from each child and his or her mother. The questionnaire method was used, and the experiment was conducted to determine the preferred amount of clothing at $17^{\circ}C$ and the preferred temperature at $33^{\circ}C$. According to the results, OC were more susceptible to heat than NWC, whereas there was no significant difference in their susceptibility to cold. There were no significant differences of the oral temperature and the mean skin temperature between the two groups, but changes in forearm blood flow were less in OC than in NWC. There was no significant difference in the preferred amount of clothing between OC and NWC, and the preferred temperature was higher in NWC than in OC. The results based on the questionnaire are consistent with those based on the experiment. A compositive study of physical exercise, eating behavior, and wearing behavior should be useful for developing programs for preventing and treating obese children.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.425-430
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• 1999

Complex environmental control systems were developed, which control properly the pig's environment in windowless pig-housing based on the thermoregulatory behaviors of pigs and concentrations of noxious gases (CO2 and NH3). The this study was conducted to assess the performance of complex environmental control systems by raising weaned piglets and growing pigs under different seasonal conditions. Average daily gain of pigs in the experimental pig-housing was slightly higher than that of pigs in the conventional pig-housing. Average daily gain was not significantly different in winter and spring(P＞0.05), but was significantly different in summer(P＜0.05). Feed conversion rate of pigs in the experimental pig-housing was smaller than that of pigs in the conventional pig-housing. Feed conversion rate was not significantly different in environment for weaned piglets and growing pigs resulted in the improved daily gain, feed conversion rate, and carcass quality of the finishing pigs. These results showed that the performance of the complex environmental control systems in windowless pig-housing was excellent for weaned piglets and growing pigs.