BACKGROUND: Prolonged standing has been hypothesized as a vital contributor to discomfort and muscle fatigue in the workplace. The objective of this study was to develop a decision support system that could provide systematic analysis and solutions to minimize the discomfort and muscle fatigue associated with prolonged standing. METHODS: The integration of object-oriented programming and a Model Oriented Simultaneous Engineering System were used to design the architecture of the decision support system. RESULTS: Validation of the decision support system was carried out in two manufacturing companies. The validation process showed that the decision support system produced reliable results. CONCLUSION: The decision support system is a reliable advisory tool for providing analysis and solutions to problems related to the discomfort and muscle fatigue associated with prolonged standing. Further testing of the decision support system is suggested before it is used commercially.
Fatigue ; Human Engineering ; Muscle Fatigue

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to determine the psychological fatigue and analyze muscle activity of production workers who are performing processes jobs while standing for prolonged time periods. METHODS: The psychological fatigue experienced by the workers was obtained through questionnaire surveys. Meanwhile, muscle activity has been analyzed using surface electromyography (sEMG) measurement. Lower extremities muscles include: erector spinae, tibialis anterior, and gastrocnemius were concurrently measured for more than five hours of standing. Twenty male production workers in a metal stamping company participated as subjects in this study. The subjects were required to undergo questionnaire surveys and sEMG measurement. RESULTS: Results of the questionnaire surveys found that all subjects experienced psychological fatigue due to prolonged standing jobs. Similarly, muscle fatigue has been identified through sEMG measurement. Based on the non-parametric statistical test using the Spearman's rank order correlation, the left erector spinae obtained a moderate positive correlation and statistically significant (rs = 0.552, p < 0.05) between the results of questionnaire surveys and sEMG measurement. CONCLUSION: Based on this study, the authors concluded that prolonged standing was contributed to psychological fatigue and to muscle fatigue among the production workers.
Electromyography ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Muscle Fatigue ; Muscles ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: There have been some concerns related to manual handling of large items in industry. Manual handling operations of large sheet metal may expose workers to risks related to efficiency as well as occupational safety and health. Large sheet metals are difficult to move and burdensome to lift/transfer, and handling the sharp sheet edges may result in contact stress and/or cut injuries on the workers. METHODS: Through observation, interview, and immersive simulation activities, a few problems related to current handling of sheet metals were identified. A sheet metal trolley-lifter was then designed and fabricated to address these issues. A pilot study on the use of the developed trolley-lifter for handling sheet metals was conducted to compare between the new and traditional handling methods. RESULTS: The pilot study of the trolley-lifter showed promising results in terms of improving the cycle time, manpower utilization, and working postures compared with the traditional handling method. CONCLUSION: The trolley-lifter offers an alternative solution to automation and a mechanized assistive device by providing a simple mechanism to assist the handling of sheet metals effectively and safely.
Automation ; Human Engineering ; Metals ; Methods ; Occupational Health ; Pilot Projects ; Posture ; Self-Help Devices

Introduction: The past few years have shown a marked improvement in acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) thrombolysis therapy in Malaysia. We analysed our data on stroke code activation performed in a non-neurologist hospital. Methods: Data of all stroke code activated patients from September 2019 to September 2020 was collected. Demographic, clinical characteristics and outcomes of these patients were analysed and reviewed with published data in Malaysia. Results: Seventy cases were stroke code activated. Majority of the stroke cases (80%) were ischaemic in nature with the highest subgroups of lacunar infarct at 60.7%. Hypertension is the most prevalent risk factor followed by dyslipidaemia and diabetes. The median time for onset-to-door was 95minutes, door-to-CT was 24minutes, door-to-decision was 46.5 minutes and door-to-needle was 80minutes. There was a sequential reduction in median door-to-CT and door-to-needle time to 16.5 and 65.5minutes respectively. Fifteen patients (21.4%) were given thrombolysis therapy. The median NIHSS score was 7.5 on arrival and 6 upon discharge. They had an improvement of mRS from a median of 4 upon discharge to 1 at six months follow-up. There were no haemorrhage incidences post thrombolysis. The outcome of LACI strokes versus non-LACI strokes was similar at 3 and 6-months follow-up despite non-LACI strokes having a more severe presentation upon admission. Conclusion: With AIS thrombolysis therapy, non-LACI strokes may have similar functional outcomes as LACI strokes. With backup support from hospitals with neurologists and neurosurgeons, physician-led AIS thrombolysis therapy is implementable in a non-neurologist centre. Strong adherence to protocol is pertinent to ensure success.

The expansion of healthcare services to serve as many people as possible has led to the decentralisation of laboratory testing. Many laboratory tests are now made available at district hospitals and rural health clinics for certain states or provinces. Consequently, there is a proliferation of laboratory tests, techniques, equipment, and other required commodities at the different medical laboratories. The lack of central governance has resulted in a widely-diverse and non-standardised laboratory services that may eventually affect the quality of healthcare delivery to patients. To ensure a high-quality and standardised healthcare delivery across a state or a province, it is important that the relevant stakeholders outline and implement the necessary strategies to establish a streamlined medical laboratory network. In this article, we discuss the significance of laboratory procurement consolidation and centralisation in the steering of the standardisation of laboratory operations leading to a high-quality and efficient chemical pathology services in a defined region.

Introduction: Pushing and pulling activities are common in daily life and industrial workplaces. These activities are potentially contributing to muscle fatigue in the back and shoulder if not managed ergonomically. Therefore, this study aimed to quantify the maximum strength of Malaysian adults in horizontal symmetrical two-handed pushing and pulling with different handle heights and stances. Methods: Forty-seven participants of 24 males and 23 females were recruited in pushing and pulling experiments. The participants were assistant engineers and postgraduate students of a technical university. The dependent variable was the magnitude of push/ pull force. The independent variables consisted of action, handle height and stances. The experimental design was set for 2 actions, 3 handle heights and 2 stances, yielding 12 variables combinations. Results: Key findings of this study revealed that combination of pull action, handle height at elbow level and staggered stance exhibited greatest force. On the contrary, combination of push action, handle height at knuckle level and parallel stance resulted in lowest force. In pushing test, both male and female participants obtained greatest force of 233.3 N and 121.7 N, respectively, when the handle height was at elbow level and staggered stance. Similarly, in pulling test, males and females obtained highest force of 242.9 N and 152.4 N, respectively. Conclusion: This study concluded that handle height at elbow level and staggered stance exhibited greatest force in pushing and pulling activities. This study provides information to individuals who involved in pushing and pulling tasks with least force exertion to minimize muscle fatigue in the back and shoulder. Future studies should consider the following recommendations: 1) Participants of study should involve manufacturing industry workers. 2) To study the effect of pushing and pulling tasks on muscle activity.

Exoskeletons are wearable devices that can enhance human strength and are used in various fields, such as healthcare and the manufacturing industry. However, poorly designed exoskeletons can strain the muscles and cause injuries to users. The objectives of this review paper are to review the ergonomics factors that contribute to a harmonious user-exoskeleton interaction and to explore the current trends, challenges, and future directions for developing ergonomically designed exoskeletons. In this review, 102 relevant papers published from 2015 to 2023 were retrieved from Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. These papers were considered in the analysis for gathering relevant information on the topic. The authors identified six ergonomics factors, namely kinematic compatibility, contact pressure, postural control, metabolic cost, cognitive workload, as well as task demands and workplace conditions, that can influence the interaction between users and exoskeletons. By understanding and addressing these ergonomics factors during the design and development process, exoskeleton designers can enhance the user experience and adoption of the devices in daily living activities and industrial applications.

Aims: Psittacine birds such as parrots, macaws, cockatoos, lovebirds and parakeets, are widely reared as household pets or at aviary due to their attractive features. However, the status of virus-causing diseases of psittacine species in Malaysia is fairly under-documented. Therefore, this study was aimed to detect the presence of three common avian viruses that infect psittacine birds, i.e. beak and feather disease virus (BFDV), avian polyomavirus and avian papillomavirus. Methodology and results: Faecal samples from twelve asymptomatic captive psittacine birds of different species were collected from an undisclosed animal garden in Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. Briefly, the sample was homogenised and resuspended with SM buffer with the ratio 1:1 (weight of sample/g: volume of SM buffer/mL) before centrifugation at 1,000 × g for 20 min. The supernatant was collected and filtered before subjected to genomic DNA extraction using a commercialised kit. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was used to screen the V1, VP1 and L1 genes of beak and feather disease virus (BFDV), avian polyomavirus and avian papillomavirus, respectively. Findings revealed that the samples were negative for BFDV and avian polyomavirus. However, positive results of 1.5 kbp PCR amplicon were detected for avian papillomavirus in four out of the 12 samples (33.33%), which was from the white-crested cockatoo, African grey parrot, yellow-collared macaw and Senegal parrot. Sequence analysis of the L1 gene from the Senegal parrot Poicephalus senegalus revealed 93% identity to a reference Psittacus erithacus timneh avian papillomavirus. Conclusion, significance and impact of study This study added to the limited prevalence data of three important avian viruses which infect captive psittacines in Seri Kembangan, Selangor, Malaysia. Avian papillomavirus, but not BFDV and avian polyomavirus, was detected in the collected captive psittacine birds. Therefore, a routine screening can be performed to monitor the health status of birds despite their asymptomatic manifestation, in order to prevent possible virus transmission.
Virus Diseases ; Birds