• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.10-16
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• 2018

Background: A detailed evaluation of the underground mine climate requires extensive measurements to be performed coupled to climatic modeling work. This can be labor-intensive and time-consuming, and consequently impractical for daily work comfort assessments. Therefore, a simple indicator like a heat stress index is needed to enable a quick, valid, and acceptable evaluation of underground climatic conditions on a regular basis. This can be explained by the unending quest to develop a "universal index," which has led to the proliferation of many proposed heat stress indices. Methods: The aim of this research study is to discuss the challenges in identifying and selecting an appropriate heat stress index for thermal planning and management purposes in underground mines. A method is proposed coupled to a defined strategy for selecting and recommending heat stress indices to be used in underground metal mines in the United States and worldwide based on a thermal comfort model. Results: The performance of current heat stress indices used in underground mines varies based on the climatic conditions and the level of activities. Therefore, carefully selecting or establishing an appropriate heat stress index is of paramount importance to ensure the safety, health, and increasing productivity of the underground workers. Conclusion: This method presents an important tool to assess and select the most appropriate index for certain climatic conditions to protect the underground workers from heat-related illnesses. Although complex, the method presents results that are easy to interpret and understand than any of the currently available evaluation methods.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.338-351
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• 2018

This study was conducted in a long-term experimental forest in the central hardwoods region of southwestern Michigan to retrospectively examine the role of past forest management practices and climate on red oak (Quercus rubra L.) productivity. Initially, in 1971, plots within the experimental forest were treated separately with a clearcut and shelterwood regeneration harvest in an attempt to increase red oak regeneration. From 1987-1989, a new study was initiated within a portion of the clearcut and shelterwood plots to evaluate the effectiveness of additional oak crop tree release using mechanical and chemical applications. Cumulative diameter and mortality rates of 719 red oaks were monitored across the four silvicultural treatments: Clearcut-A (clearcut without additional release treatment), Clearcut-B (clearcut with additional release treatment), Shelterwood-A (shelterwood without additional release), and Shelterwood-B (shelterwood with additional release) plus an untreated control. Increment cores were obtained from red oak trees and neighboring competitor species. Tree-ring analyses (dendrochronology) were applied to examine the effect of these silvicultural treatments and climatic factors (temperature and precipitation) on red oak productivity. The results indicated that crop tree release following a clearcut or shelterwood harvest reduced mortality rates and thus increased survival of red oak. Red oak in control plots or plots only receiving the initial regeneration harvesting treatment and no additional competition release were negatively affected by climatic stress, which included summer moisture stress. In contrast, red oak in plots that received the competition release treatment from shade tolerant tree species not only had higher tree level productivity (i.e., tree basal area) and lower mortality rates, but were also relatively more resilient to climatic stress by showing limited or no associations between climate and growth.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.312-323
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• 2008

The purpose of this paper is to analyze thermal sensation which is measured by human physioclimatic reactions in South Korea. Relationships between Temperature-Humidity Index(THI) and human thermal sensation scale are derived from a questionnaire, which investigates degree of volunteer's thermal sensation with respect to each biometeorological condition. Analyses of these empirical relationships make it possible to calculate thermal sensational indices and to classify bioclimatic types for individual weather stations based on long-term(1971-2000) averages of monthly temperature and humidity data. A generalized annual physioclimatic maps for each Annual Cumulative Thermal Sensation Index for the 68 stations are constructed to show men tend to feel in various areas. The Monthly thermal sensations are affected by latitude, altitude, orographic effects and systems of airmasses. The Annual Cumulative Thermal sensations are increasing towards northern areas and inland, and that the major factors are largely derived from cold stress in winter. The Annual Physioclimatic Types are grouped 8 climatic types(M, ES, M-ES, M-S, W-ES, C-ES, C-M, C-M-ES) according to climatic stress. Results of this study can be applied for evaluation of thermal environment in our daily activities, and for searching relevant sports training-sites, climatherapy etc.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.291-295
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• 1982

The biosphere of the earth is not only about to overpass the limit to meet the food demand of the world but also the stability of its food production has been also jeopardized by the disasters and pests, especially by the unpredictable weather disasters. In addition the agricultural and industrial pollution against biosphere aggravates the unstability of agricultural production and constitutes a threat in securing the food of the world. In Korea the yield level of crops has been greatly enhanced by the improved agrotechnologies and varietal improvement, but the yield variability due to unfavorable weather events and pests remained unchanged with the change in time. Among weather-related disasters the drought and flood damages has occurred most frequently and impacted most greatly on the agricultural production and its stability. During last decade (1970-l980) the rice production experienced the average annual loss of 0.544 million metric ton which was composed of 0.21 million M/T by climatic disaster, 0.21 million M/T by disease and 0.12 million M/T by insects, and the annual loss of upland crop production from climatic disasters amounted to 0.06 million metric tons. Especially in 1980, the global climatic disasters due to cold or hot temperature endangered the agricultural production all over the world and also the rice production of Korea recorded the unprecedented yield reduction of about 30 percent due to cool summer weather. Nowadays, the unusual weather conditions are prevaling throughout the world, and agro-meteologists predict that the unpredictable cool summer and drought will often attack the rice and other crops in 1980's. To meet the coming weather unstability and to secure the stable crop production, multilateral efforts should be rendered. Therefore, the Korea Society of Crop Science, which commemorates the 20th anniversary of its founding, prepared the symposium on Meteological Stress in Crop Production and its Countermeasures to discuss the decrease in agricultural production due to weather-related disasters and to devise the multilateral counter-measures against the unfavorable weather events.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.410-419
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• 2018

Purpose: CLIMEX, a species distribution modeling tool, includes various types of parameters representing climatic conditions; the estimation of these parameters directly determines the model accuracy. In this study, we investigated the sensitivity of parameters for the climatic suitability calculated by CLIMEX for Metcalfa pruinosa in South Korea. Methods: We first changed 12 parameters and identified the three significant parameters that considerably affected the CLIMEX simulation response. Results: The result indicated that the simulation was highly sensitive to changes in lower optimal temperatures, lower soil moisture thresholds, and cold stress accumulation rate based on the sensitivity index, suggesting that these were the fundamental parameters to be used for fitting the simulation into the actual distribution. Conclusion: Sensitivity analysis is effective for estimating parameter values, and selecting the most important parameters for improving model accuracy.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.347-355
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• 2020

Several sensors have been developed for soil and plants to assess plant stress due to climate change. Therefore, the objective of the study is to nondestructively evaluate temperature stress on plant by monitoring climatic and soil conditions and plant responses using various sensors. Plant responses were monitored by electrical conductivity in plant stem and sap flow rate. Electrical conductivity in plant stem reflects the physiological activity of plants including water and ion transport. Fully grown Brassica oleracea var. italica was exposed to 20/15 ℃ (day/night) with 16 h photoperiods as a control, low temperature 15/10 ℃, and high temperature 35/30 ℃ while climatic, soil, and plant conditions were monitored. Electrical conductivity in plant stem and sap flow rate increased during the day and decreased at night. Under low temperature stress, electrical conductivity in plant stem of Brassica oleracea var. italica was lower than control while under high temperature stress, it was higher than control indicating that water and ion transport was affected. However, chlorophyll a and b increased in leaves subjected to low temperature stress and there was no significant difference between high temperature stressed leaves and control. Free proline contents in the leaves did not increase under low temperature stress, but increased under high temperature stress. Proline synthesis in plant is a defense mechanism under environmental stress. Therefore, Brassica oleracea var. Italica appears to be more susceptible to high temperature stress than low temperature.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.1450-1455
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• 2017

Objective: The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effect of dietary ${\beta}-mannanase$ on productive performance, egg quality, and utilization of dietary energy and nutrients in aged laying hens raised under hot climatic conditions. Methods: A total of 320 84-wk-old Hy-line Brown aged laying hens were allotted to one of four treatments with eight replicates in a completely randomized design. Two dietary treatments with high energy (HE; 2,800 kcal/kg nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy [$AME_n$]) and low energy (LE; 2,700 kcal/kg $AME_n$) were formulated. Two additional diets were prepared by adding 0.04% (MN4) or 0.08% ${\beta}-mannanase$ (MN8) to LE treatment diets. The feeding trial was conducted for 28 d, covering a period from July to August in South Korea. The average daily room temperature and relative humidity were $29.2^{\circ}C$ and 83%, respectively. Results: Productive performance, egg quality, and cloacal temperature were not influenced by dietary treatments. The measured $AME_n$ values for MN8 diets were similar to those for HE diets, which were greater (p<0.05) than those for LE and MN4 diets. However, the $AME_n$ values for MN8 diets did not differ from those for LE and MN4 diets. Conclusion: The addition of ${\beta}-mannanase$ to low energy diets increases energy values for diets fed to aged laying hens. However, this increase has little positive impacts on performance and egg quality. These results indicate that dietary ${\beta}-mannanase$ does not mitigate the heat stress of aged laying hens raised under hot climatic conditions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.713-722
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• 2004

This study examined the effects of two kinds of functional sun hats through a head-manikin test and a climatic chamber trial for farm workers in summer. Experiment was composed of four conditions. The first condition was the condition without any hat (Control). The second was the condition with a sun hat on the market (Hat A). The third was the condition with a functional sun hat made of reflective fabric (Hat B). The last was the condition with a functional sun hat having a ventilating structure as well as reflective fabric (Hat C). For the subjects in the climatic chamber trials, 12 healthy males volunteered. Air temperature, relative humidity and globe temperature in the chamber was maintained at $33{\pm}0.5^{\circ}C,\;65{\pm}5%RH\;and\;39{\pm}1^{\circ}C\;(WBGT\;33^{\circ}C)$. Subjects did a simulated red pepper-work (50-min work and 10-min rest, twice repetition) for 120 min. As the result of head-manikin test, the surface temperature on middle of back-neck was the lowest in Hat B of four conditions and the surface temperature on top of head was the lowest in Hat C. As the result of climatic chamber trials, there were apparent differences between with (Hat A, Hat B, Hat C) and without a sun hat (Control). In rectal temperature ($T_{re}$), mean skin temperature ($\={T}_{sk}$), heart rate (HR), total sweat rate (TSR), The physiological heat strain was less in the condition with hats than in the condition without a sun hat. As the increasing rate in Tre, Hat B is the most effective hat for alleviation heat strain. As the subjective responses, Hat B was the most effective hat for thermal comfort even though the difference was not significant. Hat C was less effective than Hat B and the reason might be the increase of weight due to inserting the ventilating structure.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.103-112
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• 2001

The development of infrared thermometry has led many researchers to use plant temperatures, and specifically the temperature of the crop canopy in the field, for estimating the water stress of a crop. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of leaf temperature in irrigation scheduling. An experiment was carried out in a greenhouse with chinese cabbage. Leaf temperature was measured with infrared thermometry and evapotranspiration of the crop was measured by lysimeters. Influence of the difference between leaf temperature and air temperature on crop evapotranspiration was evaluated under varying water stress condition. A further objective was to evaluate the effect of other climatic variables on the relationship between evapotranspiration and temperature difference between leaf and air. A statistical model for estimating evapotranspiration using the temperature difference, relative humidity. and radiation was developed and tested. Crop water stress index was calculated using vapour pressure deficit and the temperature difference. Relations between the crop water stress index and crop evapotranspiration was tested. The index was closely related with evapotranspiration.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.333-341
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• 2010

The objective of our study was to investigate the major reasons for the different growth and visible injury on the needles of black pine growing in Ulsan and Yeocheon industrial complex areas, South Korea. After 12 years of growth, we collected climatic and air pollutant data, and analyzed soil properties and the physiological characteristics of black pine needles. Annual and minimum temperatures in Ulsan were higher than those in Yeocheon from 1996 to 2008. Ozone ($O_3$) was the pollutant in greatest concentration in Yeocheon, and whereas the $SO_2$ concentration in most areas decreased gradually during the whole period of growth, $SO_2$ concentration in Yeocheon has increased continuously since 1999, where it was the highest out of four areas since 2005. Total nitrogen and cation exchange capacity in Yeocheon soil were significantly lower than those of Ulsan. The average growth of black pine in Yeocheon was significantly smaller than that in Ulsan, and the growth of damaged trees represented a significant difference between the two sites. Photosynthetic pigment and malondialdehyde content and antioxidative enzyme activity in the current needles of black pine in Yeocheon were not significantly different between damaged and healthy trees, but in 1-year-old needles, there were significant differences between damaged and healthy trees. In conclusion, needle damage in Yeocheon black pine can be considered the result of long-term exposure to oxidative stress by such as $O_3$ or $SO_2$, rather than a difference in climatic condition or soil properties, and the additional expense of photosynthate needed to overcome damage or alleviate oxidative stress may cause growth retardation.