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Fulltext Ergonomic task analysis in electronics industries: some case studies

Tan GL

J Hum Ergol (Tokyo), 1996 Jun;25(1):49-62.
PMID: 9551132 DOI: 10.11183/jhe1972.25.38

The analyses of a few tasks were carried out in an electronics factory. The main objectives are to identify the ergonomic and biomechanical hazards of problem work tasks, to analyze each task systematically in order to evaluate the workers' exposures to the risk factors of force, posture pressure and repetition and to make recommendations to reduce the risks and hazards. The methodology includes objective measures--detailed analysis by going through training manuals, job description and production records. Subjective measures include interviewing the operator and supervisors informally, the operators were also required to fill in a structured questionnaire. The paper concludes by making recommendations to reduce the ergonomic hazards by engineering solutions, redesign or administrative controls or the implementation of procedures.
Fulltext Ohmic-rectifying conversion of Ni contacts on ZnO and the possible determination of ZnO thin film surface polarity

Saw KG, Tneh SS, Tan GL, Yam FK, Ng SS, Hassan Z

PLoS One, 2014;9(1):e86544.
PMID: 24466144 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0086544

The current-voltage characteristics of Ni contacts with the surfaces of ZnO thin films as well as single crystal (0001) ZnO substrate are investigated. The ZnO thin film shows a conversion from Ohmic to rectifying behavior when annealed at 800°C. Similar findings are also found on the Zn-polar surface of (0001) ZnO. The O-polar surface, however, only shows Ohmic behavior before and after annealing. The rectifying behavior observed on the Zn-polar and ZnO thin film surfaces is associated with the formation of nickel zinc oxide (Ni1-xZnxO, where x = 0.1, 0.2). The current-voltage characteristics suggest that a p-n junction is formed by Ni1-xZnxO (which is believed to be p-type) and ZnO (which is intrinsically n-type). The rectifying behavior for the ZnO thin film as a result of annealing suggests that its surface is Zn-terminated. Current-voltage measurements could possibly be used to determine the surface polarity of ZnO thin films.
Fulltext Immunological corollary of the pulmonary mycobiome in bronchiectasis: the CAMEB study

Mac Aogáin M, Chandrasekaran R, Lim AYH, Low TB, Tan GL, Hassan T, et al.

Eur Respir J, 2018 07;52(1).
PMID: 29880655 DOI: 10.1183/13993003.00766-2018

Understanding the composition and clinical importance of the fungal mycobiome was recently identified as a key topic in a "research priorities" consensus statement for bronchiectasis.Patients were recruited as part of the CAMEB study: an international multicentre cross-sectional Cohort of Asian and Matched European Bronchiectasis patients. The mycobiome was determined in 238 patients by targeted amplicon shotgun sequencing of the 18S-28S rRNA internally transcribed spacer regions ITS1 and ITS2. Specific quantitative PCR for detection of and conidial quantification for a range of airway Aspergillus species was performed. Sputum galactomannan, Aspergillus specific IgE, IgG and TARC (thymus and activation regulated chemokine) levels were measured systemically and associated to clinical outcomes.The bronchiectasis mycobiome is distinct and characterised by specific fungal genera, including Aspergillus, Cryptococcus and ClavisporaAspergillus fumigatus (in Singapore/Kuala Lumpur) and Aspergillus terreus (in Dundee) dominated profiles, the latter associating with exacerbations. High frequencies of Aspergillus-associated disease including sensitisation and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis were detected. Each revealed distinct mycobiome profiles, and associated with more severe disease, poorer pulmonary function and increased exacerbations.The pulmonary mycobiome is of clinical relevance in bronchiectasis. Screening for Aspergillus-associated disease should be considered even in apparently stable patients.
Distinct "Immunoallertypes" of Disease and High Frequencies of Sensitization in Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis

Mac Aogáin M, Tiew PY, Lim AYH, Low TB, Tan GL, Hassan T, et al.

Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 2019 04 01;199(7):842-853.
PMID: 30265843 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201807-1355OC

RATIONALE: Allergic sensitization is associated with poor clinical outcomes in asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cystic fibrosis; however, its presence, frequency, and clinical significance in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis remain unclear.
OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency and geographic variability that exists in a sensitization pattern to common and specific allergens, including house dust mite and fungi, and to correlate such patterns to airway immune-inflammatory status and clinical outcomes in bronchiectasis.
METHODS: Patients with bronchiectasis were recruited in Asia (Singapore and Malaysia) and the United Kingdom (Scotland) (n = 238), forming the Cohort of Asian and Matched European Bronchiectasis, which matched recruited patients on age, sex, and bronchiectasis severity. Specific IgE response against a range of common allergens was determined, combined with airway immune-inflammatory status and correlated to clinical outcomes. Clinically relevant patient clusters, based on sensitization pattern and airway immune profiles ("immunoallertypes"), were determined.
MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A high frequency of sensitization to multiple allergens was detected in bronchiectasis, exceeding that in a comparator cohort with allergic rhinitis (n = 149). Sensitization was associated with poor clinical outcomes, including decreased pulmonary function and more severe disease. "Sensitized bronchiectasis" was classified into two immunoallertypes: one fungal driven and proinflammatory, the other house dust mite driven and chemokine dominant, with the former demonstrating poorer clinical outcome.
CONCLUSIONS: Allergic sensitization occurs at high frequency in patients with bronchiectasis recruited from different global centers. Improving endophenotyping of sensitized bronchiectasis, a clinically significant state, and a "treatable trait" permits therapeutic intervention in appropriate patients, and may allow improved stratification in future bronchiectasis research and clinical trials.