Risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) among palm oil mill workers

The palm oil industry is the fourth largest contributor to the Malaysian Gross National Income (GNI) but the importance of this industry to the nation’s economy does not preclude them from the risk of being affected by the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) among the workers in palm oil mills. Previous studies carried out have not properly explained the exact reasons for the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) among the palm oil mill workers. Thus, this study aim to determine the association between risk factors and MSD among palm oil mill workers. A total of 120 male workers were consecutively enrolled in this crosssectional study. Information on sociodemographic, working, lifestyle, health and injury factors were collected via questionnaire and face-to-face interviews. A high lifetime prevalence of MSD (71.7 percent) among palm oil mill workers was found. However, the one-year prevalence of MSD among the same population was only 50.8 percent. Logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, Body Mass Index (BMI) and smoking revealed that the risk factors: history of previous injury [2.35, 95 percent CI 1.12-4.93], Osteoarthritis [3.9, 95 percent CI 1.568-9.708] and perception of exertion [8.09, 95 percent CI 1.358-48.170] was found to be significantly associated with MSD symptoms reported in the past 12 months. As a conclusion, exposure to the combination of these risk factors may lead to an increased risk of developing MSD among palm oil mill workers

The Role of Earthworms in Tropics with Emphasis on Indian Ecosystems

The paper highlights the research carried out by different scientists in India on aspects of earthworm population dynamics and species diversity, associated with other soil fauna and microflora. It also deals with the importance of earthworm activity on physicochemical properties of soil with reference to India and other tropical countries. Stress is laid on the earthworm plant association and importance of the secretions of earthworms as plant growth stimulators. Moreover, the earthworm species reported and being utilized for vermicomposting in India are discussed, since vermicomposting is the ultimate technology which renders for the improvement of soil fertility status and plant growth. Earthworms serve as indicators of soil status such as the level of contamination of pollutants: agrochemicals, heavy metals, toxic substances, and industrial effluents; human-induced activities: land-management practices and forest degradation. In all these fields there is lacuna with respect to contributions from India when compared to the available information from other tropical countries. There is lot of scope in the field of research on earthworms to unravel the importance of these major soil macrofauna from holistic ecological studies to the molecular level

Deficiency in the endocytic adaptor proteins PHETA1/2 impairs renal and craniofacial development

A critical barrier in the treatment of endosomal and lysosomal diseases is the lack of understanding of the in vivo functions of the putative causative genes. We addressed this by investigating a key pair of endocytic adaptor proteins, PH domain-containing endocytic trafficking adaptor 1 and 2 (PHETA1/2; also known as FAM109A/B, Ses1/2, IPIP27A/B), which interact with the protein product of OCRL, the causative gene for Lowe syndrome. Here, we conducted the first study of PHETA1/2 in vivo, utilizing the zebrafish system. We found that impairment of both zebrafish orthologs, pheta1 and pheta2, disrupted endocytosis and ciliogenesis in renal tissues. In addition, pheta1/2 mutant animals exhibited reduced jaw size and delayed chondrocyte differentiation, indicating a role in craniofacial development. Deficiency of pheta1/2 resulted in dysregulation of cathepsin K, which led to an increased abundance of type II collagen in craniofacial cartilages, a marker of immature cartilage extracellular matrix. Cathepsin K inhibition rescued the craniofacial phenotypes in the pheta1/2 double mutants. The abnormal renal and craniofacial phenotypes in the pheta1/2 mutant animals were consistent with the clinical presentation of a patient with a de novo arginine (R) to cysteine (C) variant (R6C) of PHETA1. Expressing the patient-specific variant in zebrafish exacerbated craniofacial deficits, suggesting that the R6C allele acts in a dominant-negative manner. Together, these results provide insights into the in vivo roles of PHETA1/2 and suggest that the R6C variant is contributory to the pathogenesis of disease in the patient

High-powered police motorcycle: muscle discomfort among Malaysian traffic police riders

Discomfort due to riding a motorcycle is an issue that need to be addressed as it has long-term effects of musculoskeletal disorders on motorcyclists especially among occupational motorcyclist. Thus, this study was conducted to analyse the rating of muscle discomfort and correlation with the risk factors among traffic police riders. A cross-sectional study was carried out among 137 male traffic police riders (high-powered motorcycle) with the age between 20 to 39 years old. The 100-mm visual analogue scale questionnaire included ratings of perceived discomfort scales for 20 specific body regions was used in the study. The results indicate that the lower back (left and right) were the highest mean of discomfort which were 56.6 mm and 55.9 mm respectively. This followed with right (48.5±36.2 mm) and left (48.4±30.3 mm) upper back, and right hand (47.0±33.0 mm). The mean of overall discomfort ratings for all regions were more than 20 mm. Besides, there is a strong positive significant correlation between duration of ridings (hours) and overall discomfort ratings (p<0.01, r=0.785) and moderate positive correlation between year of traffic police motorcycle riding experience and overall discomfort ratings (p<0.01, r=0.410). As a conclusion, cumulative riding hours, riding experience and no support of the back area of the body in motorcycle seat, are the most concern in this study as this are the contributing factors to the muscle discomfort among traffic police riders while riding high-powered motorcycle. Thus, this study suggested an additional feature is needed in current motorcycle design in order to enhance comforts of traffic police riders. Also, it will improve the condition of traffic police riders’ discomfort and indirectly also improve their work and health performance as well as productivity

Excitation Laser Power and Temperature-Dependent Luminescence of Optically Trapped Upconversion Particles

The routinely adopted ensemble luminescence spectroscopy of rare-earth-ion-doped upconversion micro-/nanoparticles does not provide insights into the role of shell passivation and plasmonic particle incorporation at a single-particle level. Herein, we compare the results of silica shell formation as well as further incorporation of plasmonic nanoparticles onto the green 1 (2H11/2 to 4I15/2 transition, λ520 nm), green 2 (4S3/2 to 4I15/2, transition, λ540 nm), and red (4F9/2 to 4I15/2 transition) upconversion luminescence of an optically trapped single upconversion particle. Analysis of the results at a single upconversion particle level illustrates that the core–shell particle exhibits a higher intensity for green as well as red emission, and the effect is further pronounced with attachment of plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) onto the SiO2 shell. Trapping laser power-dependent studies of an optically trapped particle show a linear increasing behavior for green 1, green 2, and red emissions with a slope value near 1. On the other hand, laser power-dependent studies using the Yb resonant 980 nm laser with a laser power that is 2 orders of magnitude less than the trapping laser show two slope values (changing from less than 1 to more than 1) for the double-logarithmic plot of luminescence of the upconversion microparticle (UCMP) and UCMP@SiO2 trapped particles, whereas the signal intensity saturates with a single slope value for a UCMP@SiO2@Au particle. The temperature-dependent luminescence of the thermally coupled intensity ratio of emission green 1 (520 nm) and green 2 (540 nm) can be applied as a temperature sensor. The thermal sensitivity measurements within the biologically relevant temperature range (298–333 K), using optically trapped particles, reveal distinctions in thermal sensitivity among UCMP, UCMP@SiO2, and UCMP@SiO2@Au. The results from the present study can find applications in bioimaging, single-cell studies, optical thermometers, photothermal converters, etc

Recent Progress Using Graphene Oxide and Its Composites for Supercapacitor Applications: A Review

Supercapacitors are prospective energy storage devices for electronic devices due to their high power density, rapid charging and discharging, and extended cycle life. Materials with limited conductivity could have low charge-transfer ions, low rate capability, and low cycle stability, resulting in poor electrochemical performance. Enhancement of the device’s functionality can be achieved by controlling and designing the electrode materials. Graphene oxide (GO) has emerged as a promising material for the fabrication of supercapacitor devices on account of its remarkable physiochemical characteristics. The mechanical strength, surface area, and conductivity of GO are all quite excellent. These characteristics make it a promising material for use as electrodes, as they allow for the rapid storage and release of charges. To enhance the overall electrochemical performance, including conductivity, specific capacitance (Cs), cyclic stability, and capacitance retention, researchers concentrated their efforts on composite materials containing GO. Therefore, this review discusses the structural, morphological, and surface area characteristics of GO in composites with metal oxides, metal sulfides, metal chalcogenides, layered double hydroxides, metal–organic frameworks, and MXene for supercapacitor application. Furthermore, the organic and bacterial functionalization of GO is discussed. The electrochemical properties of GO and its composite structures are discussed according to the performance of three- and two-electrode systems. Finally, this review compares the performance of several composite types of GO to identify which is ideal. The development of these composite devices holds potential for use in energy storage applications. Because GO-modified materials embrace both electric double-layer capacitive and pseudocapacitive mechanisms, they often perform better than pristine by offering increased surface area, conductivity, and high rate capability. Additionally, the density functional theory (DFT) of GO-based electrode materials with geometrical structures and their characteristics for supercapacitors are addressed

Field-induced structural and orbital transformations leading to large bulk photovoltaic response in modified barium titanate

Ferroelectric systems are gaining importance in the perspective of capitalizing on their potential in energy applications. In particular, the ferroelectric photovoltaic effect is one of the attractive fields because of the reported above bandgap photovoltage. Although numerous efforts are being made to understand the ferroelectric photovoltaic mechanism, correlations among the structural, orbital, and photovoltaic characteristics, useful to engineer the system for applications, are rarely being investigated. Here, such correlations are established in electric field-induced studies carried out on the lead-free ferroelectric Ba0.875(Bi0.5Li0.5)0.125TiO3 system. Upon poling, x-ray diffraction studies reveal a twofold enhancement in the orthorhombic phase fraction at the expense of the tetragonal phase in comparison with the unpoled sample. The ex situ and in situ Raman studies demonstrate the field-induced changes in the structural characteristics. Furthermore, the Rayleigh analysis validates the field-induced lattice deformation in accordance with x-ray diffraction and Raman studies. Notably, the Ba0.875(Bi0.5Li0.5)0.125TiO3 sample exhibits anomalous open-circuit voltage (12 V) under the poling condition. To substantiate the experimental finding, density functional theory calculations are carried out. The theoretical calculations elucidate that the conduction band edge of the orthorhombic phase has a vital contribution from z character orbitals, which is further enhanced under poling to give rise to a higher shift current and, hence, a better photovoltaic response. However, the tetragonal phase's orbital characters are robust upon poling. Overall, these studies pave the way for designing ferroelectric systems for better photovoltaic properties

Regulation of the cholesterol efflux transporters ABCA1 and ABCG1 in retina in hemochromatosis and by the endogenous siderophore 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid

AbstractHypercholesterolemia and polymorphisms in the cholesterol exporter ABCA1 are linked to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Excessive iron in retina also has a link to AMD pathogenesis. Whether these findings mean a biological/molecular connection between iron and cholesterol is not known. Here we examined the relationship between retinal iron and cholesterol using a mouse model (Hfe−/−) of hemochromatosis, a genetic disorder of iron overload. We compared the expression of the cholesterol efflux transporters ABCA1 and ABCG1 and cholesterol content in wild type and Hfe−/− mouse retinas. We also investigated the expression of Bdh2, the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of the endogenous siderophore 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,5-DHBA) in wild type and Hfe−/− mouse retinas, and the influence of this siderophore on ABCA1/ABCG1 expression in retinal pigment epithelium. We found that ABCA1 and ABCG1 were expressed in all retinal cell types, and that their expression was decreased in Hfe−/− retina. This was accompanied with an increase in retinal cholesterol content. Bdh2 was also expressed in all retinal cell types, and its expression was decreased in hemochromatosis. In ARPE-19 cells, 2,5-DHBA increased ABCA1/ABCG1 expression and decreased cholesterol content. This was not due to depletion of free iron because 2,5-DHBA (a siderophore) and deferiprone (an iron chelator) had opposite effects on transferrin receptor expression and ferritin levels. We conclude that iron is a regulator of cholesterol homeostasis in retina and that removal of cholesterol from retinal cells is impaired in hemochromatosis. Since excessive cholesterol is pro-inflammatory, hemochromatosis might promote retinal inflammation via cholesterol in AMD