The Effects Of Task-Technology Fit On Use And User Performance Impacts: The Case Of The Human Resource Management Information System In The Malaysian Public Sector

The successful implementation of information systems (IS) in organisations depends on the ability of the IS to assist users in performing their tasks by fulfilling their expectations and delivering the desired results. This paper describes the research on how well the Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS) assists users in performing their tasks. The objective of this research is to identify gaps in HRMIS with regards to user needs in order to use HRMIS to assist them in performing their tasks and formulate recommendations to bridge the said gaps. Data was collected using a mixed methods approach of qualitative and quantitative methods. The quantitative data is being prepared for analysis and will be analysed using SPSS and AMOS. Content analysis was conducted on the open-ended responses which are being theme coded in SPSS for analysis. Content analysis will be conducted on the qualitative data upon its transcription and summarisation

A review on the applicability of remanufacturing in extending the life cycle of marine or offshore components and structures

One of the most significant and value-added End of Life (EoL) recovery strategies in the Circular Economy is remanufacturing in which the functionality and performance of products are retained. In the marine industry, the intensity of remanufacturing is low compared to other transportation industries such as aerospace, automotive and rail. This paper discusses current issues on Design for Remanufacturing (DfRem) in the marine industry and provides insights into how remanufacturing plays a significant role in enhancing reliability and safety during the extended life of marine products and structures. Today, with the large number of ships approaching EoL, remanufacturing should be the way forward due to its positive impact on the environment and socio-economy. While marine components such as engines, propeller shafts, compressors and pumps have been successfully remanufactured in many parts of the world, remanufacturing of large structures such as hull and vessels have not been reported thus far. As in all other industries, remanufacturing has to be initiated with a paradigm shift in the business models, designing parts and structures for efficient remanufacturing, and the establishment of relevant policies and standards in order to pave the way towards a more sustainable marine industry in the future

Visual function in patients with diabetic retinopathy

The screening efficiency of tests of visual acuity, colour vision, contrast sensitivity and central visual field in screening for Diabetic retinopathy (DR) was assessed (STUDY 1). ROC curve analysis and Bayesian test predictive values revealed the Composite Pseudoisochromatic Plate (Comp PIC) test of colour vision comprising 8 red—green Ishihara plates and 7 tritan plates, to be the most efficient test of all tests evaluated. For the screening of DR the test was 0.51 sensitive and 0.83 specific; whilst when used for screening of DR and/or other ocular complications the figures were 0.64 and 0.83, respectively. The performance of the other tests, when evaluated on their own, was unsatisfactory. When evaluated as a test battery the 3-test battery comprising the Comp PIC, Vistech VCTS 6000 and Amsler grid gave poorer results for the screening of DR alone (sensitivity=0.41 & specificity=0.83) when compared to the results obtained for the screening of DR and/or complications (sensitivity=0.72 & specificity=0.71). In STUDY 2, tests of colour vision, contrast sensitivity and visual field were assessed for their ability to grade the severity of visual dysfunction in patients with 3 clinically- defined grades of DR. Two tests were identified as being most appropriate for the purpose: the same Composite plates described earlier and the Standard Pseudoisochromatic Plates Part 2; the former was able to distinguish "significant DR" from mild DR while the latter was able to distinguish "referrable DR" (i.e. proliferative DR needing laser treatment) from mild and moderate DR. These two tests were also least affected by age and VA of the patients. Two studies were carried out to investigate the effects of laser panretinal photocoagulation treatment for DR on the following visual functions: Visual acuity, colour vision, contrast sensitivity and visual field. In STUDY 3 the comparative effects on visual function of three treatment modalities for proliferative DR (Argon 488/514nm; DYE-577nm; DYE-595nm) were investigated. Transient central field deterioration was noted for all three treatment modalities; this corresponded to the areas lasered. A mild and transient effect on colour vision was observed with the Argon 488/514nm which manifested as an increase in the blue-yellow partial scores on the Farnsworth-Munsell 1 1 100-Hue test. Overall there were not any clinically significant differences in the effects on the visual functions amongst the 3 treatment modalities tested. In STUDY 4, a visual function assessment was made on patients with extensive Argon laser panretinal photocoagulation (range 4,100 to 10,402). Patients were found to have a higher prevalence of tritan colour vision defects and some inner (zones 10 degrees inwards) visual fields losses when compared to a group with untreated pro1iferative DR. Relationships between visual function deficits and the amount/intensity of treatment were found to be unexpected; this included negative relationships for colour vision & contrast sensitivity defects

Predictors of musculoskeletal disorders among public elderly care home workers in west coast Malaysia

Background: Work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) among elderly care home workers is related to the type of movement and work environment. Frequency and burden of manual handling while assisting elderly residents and domestic tasks contributed to the MSD symptoms over several body parts such as neck, shoulder, forearm, hand, lower back leg and foot. The objectives of this study are to determine the prevalence of MSD among elderly care home worker, associated factors and predictors contribute to MSD symptoms among the workers. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in eight elderly care home in West Coast Malaysia from February until July 2016. Eight elderly care home was selected. A total of 252 workers were randomly selected based on simple random sampling method. Validated and reliable self-administered questionnaire was used. The dependent variable was worker with MSD symptoms and independent variable were socio demographic factors organizational and factors ergonomic factors. Analysis was done using SPSS Version 22. Chi-square test and logistic regression was used for analysis. Result: Based on respondents report, prevalence rate of WMSD in the previous 12 months was 50%. Prevalence rate was highest at lower back (33.8%). Twenty three percent (23%) of them needed to get treatment and 15.3% needed to take sick leave due to MSD. Highest prevalence rate of WMSD was among female (56.9%) and assistant nurse (55.6%). The predictors for WMSD were female (AOR=2.0, 95% CI=1.1-3.6) and burden of manual task (AOR=2.2, 95% CI=1.3-4.0). Conclusion: The prevalence of WMSD was high among the female workers and assistant nurses. Burden of manual handling tasks was an important factor associated with MSD. Hence ergonomic intervention is important to reduce prevalence of WMSD among the workers

MPEG-4 video transmission using distributed TDMA MAC protocol over IEEE 802.15.4 wireless technology

The issues of green technology nowadays give an inspiration to the researcher to make all the future design to be energy efficient. Medium Access Control (MAC) layer is the most effective layer to provide energy efficient due to its ability to control the physical radio directly. One of the important applications in the future is a video transmission that can be transmitted with low-cost and low power consumption. MPEG-4 is one of the international standards for moving video. MPEG-4 provide better compression and primarily design at low bit rate communication. In order to achieve good quality for video application, the design at MAC layer must be strong. Therefore, to increase the performance of the MPEG-4 in IEEE 802.15.4, in this paper we propose a cross layer design between MAC layer and Application layer. A priority queue will be implemented at MAC scheduling depends on the level of frame important in MPEG-4 format frame. A distributed Time division Multiple Access (TDMA) will be used for MAC protocol to provide reliable data transmission for high priority frame

Handover Algorithm based VLP using Mobility Prediction Database for Vehicular Network

This paper proposes an improved handover algorithm method for vehicle location prediction (VLP-HA) using mobility prediction database. The main advantage of this method is the mobility prediction database is based on real traffic data traces. Furthermore, the proposed method has the ability to reduce handover decision time and solve resource allocation problem. The algorithm is simple and can be computed very rapidly; thus, its implementation for a high-speed vehicle is possible. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method, QualNet simulation is carried out under different velocity scenarios. Its performance is compared with conventional handover method. The superiority of the proposed method over conventional handover method in deciding the best handover location and choosing candidate access points is highlighted by simulation. It was found that VLP-HA has clearly reduced handover delay by 45% compared to handover without VLP, give high accuracy, hence low complexity algorithm

Design and Shape Optimization of Strain Gauge Load Cell for Axial Force Measurement for Test Benches

The load cell is an indispensable component of many engineering machinery and industrial automation for measuring and sensing force and torque. This paper describes the design and analysis of the strain gauge load cell, from the conceptional design stage to shape optimization (based on the finite element method (FEM) technique) and calibration, providing ample load capacity with low-cost material (aluminum 6061) and highly accurate force measurement. The amplifier circuit of the half Wheatstone bridge configuration with two strain gauges was implemented experimentally with an actual load cell prototype. The calibration test was conducted to evaluate the load cell characteristics and derive the governing equation for sensing the unknown load depending on the measured output voltage. The measured sensitivity of the load cell is approximately 15 mV/N and 446.8 µV/V at a maximum applied load of 30 kg. The findings are supported by FEM results and experiments with an acceptable percentage of errors, which revealed an overall error of 6% in the worst situation. Therefore, the proposed load cell meets the design considerations for axial force measurement for the laboratory test bench, which has a light weight of 20 g and a maximum axial force capacity of 300 N with good sensor characteristic

Nutrient Composition of Selected Cooked and Processed Snack Foods

Nutrient composition of 27 cooked snack foods and 19 processed snacks was determined. The cooked foods were mostly cereal based, made from wheat flour, rice or rice flour, and almost all of them were traditional Malaysian kuih or dishes. The processed snacks studied were chocolate, cereal, tuber, fish and prawn products. The levels of 19 nutrients were tabulated, expressed as per 100 g edible portion. Selected nutrients in each serving or packet of the foods were also presented. The paper is intended as a contribution to the knowledge on nutrient composition of local snack foods, for which information is still greatly lacking. The number of foods studied is only a fraction of the total number available. More work in this area will have to be carried out, to meet the increasing demand for such data

CRIg-expressing peritoneal macrophages are associated with disease severity in patients with cirrhosis and ascites

Infections are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with decompensated cirrhosis and ascites. Hypothesizing that innate immune dysfunction contributes to susceptibility to infection, we assessed ascitic fluid macrophage phenotype and function. The expression of complement receptor of the immunoglobulin superfamily (CRIg) and CCR2 defined two phenotypically and functionally distinct peritoneal macrophage subpopulations. The proportion of CRIg(hi) macrophages differed between patients and in the same patient over time, and a high proportion of CRIg(hi) macrophages was associated with reduced disease severity (model for end-stage liver disease) score. As compared with CRIg(lo) macrophages, CRIg(hi) macrophages were highly phagocytic and displayed enhanced antimicrobial effector activity. Transcriptional profiling by RNA sequencing and comparison with human macrophage and murine peritoneal macrophage expression signatures highlighted similarities among CRIg(hi) cells, human macrophages, and mouse F4/80(hi) resident peritoneal macrophages and among CRIg(lo) macrophages, human monocytes, and mouse F4/80lo monocyte-derived peritoneal macrophages. These data suggest that CRIg(hi) and CRIg(lo) macrophages may represent a tissue-resident population and a monocytederived population, respectively. In conclusion, ascites fluid macrophage subset distribution and phagocytic capacity is highly variable among patients with chronic liver disease. Regulating the numbers and/or functions of these macrophage populations could provide therapeutic opportunities in cirrhotic patients

Numerical modelling of coastal structure using SPH-based DualSPHysics model

Coastal structures are implemented along the coasts as measures to counter coastal erosion and the detrimental effects caused by sea waves. In order to maximize the efficiency of these structures, sea conditions during extreme events should be taken into consideration as to avoid the occurrence of wave overtopping, erosion and thus leading to structure failure. This study with the objective to identify the force exerted on several coastal structures and overtopping occurrence under a variety of wave conditions will be compared with the numerical results done by Dang et al., (2021). This study, however, focuses on three different structures; the vertical wall, the trapezoidal wall and the stepped wall, and is simulated using DesignSPHysics, a new addition to the open-source code named DualSPHysics. A simulation with no coastal structure is also presented in this study. The cases take damping systems into account, particularly active wave absorption system. Furthermore, overtopping simulations were conducted as to assess the various structures under the chosen wave conditions. Results signifies that, the stepped wall has the least overtopping occurrence in comparison to the other structures. The simulation presented in this study well replicates that of the study done by Dang et al., (2021)