1 0 0 0 OA Current knowledge on the effects of humidity on physiological and psychological responses
- 著者
- Naoshi Kakitsuba
- 出版者
- Japanese Society of Human-Environment System
- 雑誌
- 人間-生活環境系学会英文誌 (ISSN:13451324)
- 巻号頁・発行日
- vol.20, no.1, pp.1-10, 2018 (Released:2018-06-11)
- 参考文献数
- 92
- 被引用文献数
- 8 12
This paper introduces current knowledge on the effects of humidity on physiological and psychological responses. Reviewing this topic is quite challenging, for two reasons. The first is the fact that humidity is not an independent variable, but a dependent one. Since humidity is strongly associated with temperature, the effect of humidity per se may not be clearly defined. The second reason is that the physiological and psychological impacts of humidity have brought attention to various research fields related to human comfort and health, and knowledge has thus been accumulated from various disciplines. To arrange vast amounts of information, therefore, limitations on the scope are required before introduction. This paper investigated four different research fields: thermal physiology; exercise physiology; hygiene; and dermatology. Selected papers were then introduced chronologically to confirm current knowledge in each research field.From the perspective of exercise physiology, the magnitude of heat stress during exercise in hot and humid environments appears to be clearly estimable from the current knowledge. From the perspective of hygiene, inspired gas conditioned to core temperature and fully saturated with water would provide the optimal condition for mucosal health and function. In terms of dermatology, properties of the stratum corneum appear to have been fully clarified, and water diffusion through the skin can be properly estimated from current knowledge. With thermal physiology and engineering related to indoor environments, current knowledge may be sufficient to provide optimal thermal environments in consideration of effect of humidity. However, discrepancies between physiological and psychological responses and large individual differences in psychological responses to variations in relative humidity have not yet been resolved, due probably to unknown mechanisms in the perception of humidity without specific receptors within the skin. Such issues may require further studies in all research fields related to human comfort and health.
1 0 0 0 OA PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF HEAT ADAPTATION
- 著者
- Nigel A.S. Taylor
- 出版者
- Japanese Society of Human-Environment System
- 雑誌
- 人間-生活環境系学会英文誌 (ISSN:13451324)
- 巻号頁・発行日
- vol.4, no.1, pp.11-22, 2000 (Released:2004-02-27)
- 参考文献数
- 89
- 被引用文献数
- 31 41
During prolonged exercise or work in the heat, human thermal homeostasis is first challenged, and eventually lost, as one moves from a compensable state through to uncompensable heat stress. During the first week of such exposure, work and athletic performance is most affected, and the threat of heat illness is greatest. However, given adequate time, the body will undergo a three-phase adaptation to better tolerate the heat. In this review, the principles and practices of the six primary methods by which such heat adaptation may be achieved are evaluated. One technique involves repeated exposure to both heat and exercise, and is designed to elevate and maintain a target body temperature, by varying the intensity of the work rate during the acclimation period: the controlled-hyperthermia (isothermal) technique. It is recommended that this method provides the most dependable, and least hazardous, means of adapting workers and athletes for heat stress.
- 著者
- Joo-Young Lee Hyo Hyum Lee
- 出版者
- Japanese Society of Human-Environment System
- 雑誌
- 人間-生活環境系学会英文誌 (ISSN:13451324)
- 巻号頁・発行日
- vol.17, no.1, pp.001-011, 2014 (Released:2014-12-08)
- 参考文献数
- 55
- 被引用文献数
- 8 11
During the 1960~80s Korean breath-hold women divers (haenyeo) received attention from environmental physiologists, especially Professor Suk-Ki Hong and colleagues, due to their unique ability to resist cold water wearing only a thin cotton bathing suit (so-jung-ee). Eventually, Haenyeos began to wear wetsuits to avoid severe cold stress instead of the cotton bathing suit from the mid 1970’s.With advancing social industrialization, the number of haenyeos rapidly decreased and a total of 4,507 haenyeos works as of 2013. The average age of haenyeos is 70 years old and the oldest haenyeos currently diving is 92 years old. Today, some senior haenyeos over fifty years old share the diving experiences of their youth by wearing the classic cotton bathing suits. At present it is predicted that the tradition of haenyeos could cease to exist in 10-15 years because of their aging. At this point in time, it is worth reviewing the history of haenyeos’ diving practices and acclimatization/deacclimatization to cold. The present review described the diving practices and physiology of haenyeos related to cotton bathing suits and wetsuits. Finally, we suggest interdisciplinary research on haenyeos from the viewpoint of social-environmental physiology and intangible cultural heritage.
- 著者
- Masaki Yoshioka Shintaro Yokoyama Satoshi Koguchi Koichi Ikeda
- 出版者
- Japanese Society of Human-Environment System
- 雑誌
- 人間-生活環境系学会英文誌 (ISSN:13451324)
- 巻号頁・発行日
- vol.12, no.2, pp.73-77, 2009-12-30 (Released:2010-07-08)
- 参考文献数
- 8
We intended to clarify the present states of special old age nursing homes and elderly health care facilities in Japan especially in a cold climate region. A questionnaire survey about maintenance and control of living environment for all special old age nursing homes and elderly health care facilities in Sapporo and Fukuoka City, and Hokkaido, Saitama, Kanagawa, Osaka Prefecture and Tokyo Metropolis was performed. The main questionnaire asks about heating, air-cooling, ventilation system, sanitary system and indoor air quality including bio-aerosol and odors. We send the questionnaire sheets, which were A-4 size and four pages, to total 1,479 homes and facilities. We received total 646 answers, about 44% of total number. The 95 questionnaire items were converted 249 categories for statistical analyses.The present database for special old age nursing homes and elderly health care facilities consists of about 160,000 data. The data obtained from Sapporo City and Hokkaido Prefecture were compared with those of other regions. We show the characteristics of special old age nursing homes and elderly health care facilities in a cold climate region in this paper. The main differences were set values of air temperature in both winter and mid-summer, and air-cooling system.