Working in prolonged standing position among industrial workers has been shown to be associated with different
potentially serious health outcomes, namely lower back pain, leg pain, fatigue, discomfort, and other health issues.
Personalisation of insole offers a solution that will provide a perfect fit and comfort to the shoes wearer based on
the ergonomic considerations. It works in a way that it alters the pressure away from painful areas by increasing the
surface area that supports the weight of the body and evenly distributes it to the whole plantar area. Survey was
conducted among workers at a manufacturing industry company to study on the level of pain experienced by them
together with their foot anthropometry. Then, the foot pressure of each of the workers was collected by using
pressure measurement device (F-scan). Combination of these data was used to design the customized insole that is
fit for the worker. The personalised insoles were fabricated by using Additive Manufacturing technology. After that,
the insoles were validated by using the F-scan and Electromyogram (EMG) to ensure their effectiveness in reducing
pressures on the foot and muscle activity hence improving the comfort of the shoe wearer. At the end of the
experiment, it was found that the insole is able to reduce the peak pressure of four out of five areas of the worker’s
foot with the reduction of pressure percentage ranging from 6% to 28%.
This study is to qualitatively evaluate a locally produced hydroxyapatite (HA), made by AMREC-SIRIM in an experimental animal bone defect using New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. HA cylindrical blocks measuring 2.5 mm (D) x 1.0 mm (H) were implanted in the rabbits' left tibia. The tibias were harvested within one to three weeks post-implantation. The implantion site was cut into thin undecalcified sections of about 30 microm to 60 microm and stained with Toluidine Blue and Goldner's Masson Trichrome. Microscopic examinations using standard light microscopy of these slides were performed.
Hydroxyapatite is a calcium phosphate bioceramic that has been shown by many authors to be biocompatible with bioactive properties. It is widely accepted as the best synthetic material available for surgical use as a bone graft substitute. HA granules produced by AMREC-SIRIM from local materials underwent 5 types of sterilisation techniques with different ageing periods. Samples were tested for chemical and phase composition and microbial contamination before and after being sterilised. From the microbiological tests done, none of the unsterilised positive control yielded a positive culture. Results from X-Ray diffraction studies found that all the sterilisation techniques did not chemically degrade or structurally change the HA granules significantly.
Dengue has enormous health impacts globally. A novel approach to decrease dengue incidence involves the introduction of Wolbachia endosymbionts that block dengue virus transmission into populations of the primary vector mosquito, Aedes aegypti. The wMel Wolbachia strain has previously been trialed in open releases of Ae. aegypti; however, the wAlbB strain has been shown to maintain higher density than wMel at high larval rearing temperatures. Releases of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes carrying wAlbB were carried out in 6 diverse sites in greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with high endemic dengue transmission. The strain was successfully established and maintained at very high population frequency at some sites or persisted with additional releases following fluctuations at other sites. Based on passive case monitoring, reduced human dengue incidence was observed in the release sites when compared to control sites. The wAlbB strain of Wolbachia provides a promising option as a tool for dengue control, particularly in very hot climates.