Evaluation of a new work seat for industrial sewing operations : Results of three field studies

A newly developed work seat for industrial sewing operations was compared with a traditional sewing work seat to evaluate the effectiveness of design features. The new seat was designed with special seat-pan and backrest features to accommodate the musculoskeletal geometry of a low sit-stand posture. The seat-pan consisted of a pelvic support which supported the ischial tuberosities and areas behind them, and a thigh support which maintained the theghs at a 15[deg] downward angle, resulting in a 105[deg] trunk-thigh angle. The backrest consisted of a lumbar support which preserved lumbar lordosis and a thoracic support which supported the upper back during backward leaning. The traditional work seat was similar to an office chair (i e, a large horizontal seat-pan and a wide backrest) with the exception of having a higher than normal seat-height.This investigation consisted of three studies to compare the seats: (1) A user comfort and acceptance experiment which compared the initial psychophysical responses of 50 industrial sewers when introduced to the new seat; (2) a backrest usage experiment which compared the duration of backrest use among 10 industrial sewers; and (3) a follow-up experiment to evaluate chair preference after extended use of the new seat. The results of the user comfort and acceptance experiment found that the new work seat had greater comfort and user preference; the results of the backrest usage experiment found that the new seat had greater backrest use than the traditional seat; the results of the follow-up experiment found that the preference for the new seat was maintained over time and not due to a Hawthorne Effect.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/28024/1/0000462.pd

An experimental approach to work seat design: Development of a chair for industrial sewing.

For a work seat to be effective, its design characteristics must consider both body geometry and the specific postures required to perform a job. This investigation was performed to develop a general research methodology for designing task-specific, ergonomically-sound work seats. This methodology was used to develop specific design recommendations for chairs used in industrial sewing operations. The results of this investigation are presented as a series of three papers. The first paper investigated the desired work posture for industrial sewing operations. A fractional factorial experiment was used to evaluate seven set adjustment variables. Overall discomfort, localized discomfort, height reduction, and electromyography (EMG) were used to assess the significance of these variables. The preferred posture was a low sit-st and posture which maintained the thighs at an angle 15 degrees below the horizontal. The second paper investigated a prototype sewing chair with seat-pan and backrest design features to accommodate the low sit-st and posture. The seat-pan consisted of a pelvic support for the ischial tuberosities, and a thigh support to maintain the thighs at a 15-degree downward angle. The backrest consisted of a lumbar support and a thoracic support for the upper back during backward leaning. This chair was compared to a traditional sewing chair in three field experiments--user comfort, backrest usage, and general preference. These experiments found that the prototype chair was preferred to the traditional chair. The third paper developed an anthropometric procedure for determining design specifications for the size, contour and location of the seat-pan and backrest for the low sit-st and posture, and an evaluation procedure for selecting backrest design alternatives. A three-dimensional anthropometric device was used to measure the contour of the thigh and spine. EMG and subjective comfort were used to compare backrest alternatives. The study found that that ischial tuberosities were a good seat-design reference point for describing body geometry and quantifying body movements. EMG and body discomfort were related to backrest shape, but not backrest distance. Both measures suggested that the back should be supported by a thoracic support slanted 15 degrees behind the vertical.Ph.D.Industrial engineeringUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162152/1/8907177.pd

The Development of Digital Human Animation Figures using 3D Anthropometric Database

[[abstract]]© 2008 SAE International - The objective of this study is to develop 3D animation human figures using an existing anthropometrical database - the Taiwanese 3D BodyBank with 135 male and female subjects. Each subject was scanned with 9 postures, one of standing postures was designated as 'standard' to develop animation figures, and the other 8 were used for evaluation purpose. The database was stratified into 15 different body size groups, 5 heights and 3 weights, for the development of 15 animation figures each for the males and the females. For both genders, we began with the establishment of a prototype model of the animation figure on the median body size group.[[department]]工業工程與工程管理學

Clinical Features and Predictors of a Complicated Treatment Course in Peripheral Tuberculous Lymphadenitis

Background/PurposeThere remains uncertainty regarding the treatment strategy for patients with peripheral tuberculous lymphadenitis (pTBL) in areas endemic for tuberculosis. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the clinical features and assess the predictors of a complicated treatment course in pTBL. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 97 pTBL patients from January 1995 through to December 2004 was conducted. Patient characteristics with and without a complicated treatment course, defined as prolonged treatment (> 9 months) and/or relapse, were compared for determining the predictors.ResultsThe disease occurred predominantly in females (57.7%) with a mean age of 37. Most patients (72%) were asymptomatic. Cervical nodes were the most common (72%) manifestations. Fifty-six patients completed a 6-9 month course of therapy without relapse; 28 had a prolonged but complete treatment course, and 13 relapsed within a mean of 8.5 months after treatment (range, 3-42 months; median, 7.8 months). Of 97 pTBL patients, six had enlarged or newly appeared lymph nodes during treatment. Multivariate analysis indicated that low body mass index and bilateral cervical nodes were independent determinants of a complicated treatment course with the odds ratios of 1.2 (95% CI, 1.01-1.41; p = 0.042) and 3.9 (95% CI, 1.08-14.0; p = 0.038), respectively.ConclusionThis study found that pTBL is more likely to occur in young female patients. For patients who present with bilateral cervical nodes and low body mass index, a prolonged treatment course to ensure disease control should be considered

Association between Flow-Mediated Dilation and Skin Perfusion Pressure with Peripheral Artery Disease in Hemodialysis Patients

Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) is used to noninvasively assess the health of blood vessels and it has been shown to have a similar predictive ability for cardiovascular disease to traditional risk factors. Skin perfusion pressure (SPP) refers to the blood pressure required to restore capillary or microcirculatory flow after controlled occlusion and the return of flow. SPP has been shown to be an important measurement when making clinical decisions for patients with limb ischemia and to be a predictor of the likelihood of wound healing. Peripheral artery disease is common in hemodialysis (HD) patients. However, little is known about the association between FMD or SPP and peripheral artery disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between FMD and SPP with brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and ankle-brachial index (ABI) in HD patients in Taiwan, an area with a high rate of ESRD. This study was conducted at a regional hospital in southern Taiwan. ABI and baPWV values were measured using an ABI automated device. FMD and SPP were measured using ultrasound and a microvasculature blood flow monitor, respectively. Eighty patients were enrolled in this study. Compared to the patients with an ABI ≥ 0.95, those with an ABI < 0.95 had lower SPP of the feet (dorsal and plantar portions, both p < 0.001). After multivariable adjustments, low triglycerides (p = 0.033) and high calcium–phosphate product (p = 0.018) were significantly associated with low FMD. Further, low ABI (p = 0.001) and low baPWV (p = 0.036) were significantly associated with low SPP of dorsal portions. Old age (p = 0.005), low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p = 0.016), and low ABI (p = 0.002) were significantly associated with low SPP of plantar portions. This study demonstrated an association between FMD and SPP with peripheral artery disease in HD patients. Patients with low ABI and baPWV had a high risk of low SPP of the feet. However, there was no significant correlation between FMD and ABI or baPWV

Glucose transporter 4 promotes head and neck squamous cell carcinoma metastasis through the TRIM24-DDX58 axis

Abstract Background Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) represents a unique and major health concern worldwide. Significant increases in glucose uptake and aerobic glycolysis have been observed in HNSCC cells. Glucose transporters (GLUTs) represent a major hub in the glycolysis pathway, with GLUT4 having the highest glucose affinity. However, GLUT4’s role in HNSCC has not been fully appreciated. Methods An in silico analysis was performed in HNSCC cohorts to identify the most significant glucose transporter associated with HNSCC patient prognosis. An immunohistochemical analysis of a tissue microarray with samples from 90 HNSCC patients was used to determine the association of GLUT4 with prognosis. Complementary functional expression and knockdown studies of GLUT4 were performed to investigate whether GLUT4 plays a role in HNSCC cell migration and invasion in vitro and in vivo. The detailed molecular mechanism of the function of GLUT4 in inducing HNSCC cell metastasis was determined. Results Our clinicopathologic analysis showed that increased GLUT4 expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients was significantly associated with a poor overall survival (OS, P = 0.035) and recurrence-free survival (RFS, P = 0.001). Furthermore, the ectopic overexpression of GLUT4 in cell lines with low endogenous GLUT4 expression resulted in a significant increase in migratory ability both in vitro and in vivo, whereas the reverse phenotype was observed in GLUT4-silenced cells. Utilizing a GLUT4 overexpression model, we performed gene expression microarray and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) to determine that the transcription factor tripartite motif-containing 24 (TRIM24) was the main downstream regulator of GLUT4. In addition, DDX58 was confirmed to be the downstream target of TRIM24, whose downregulation is essential for the migratory phenotype induced by GLUT4–TRIM24 activation in HNSCC cells. Conclusions Here, we identified altered glucose metabolism in the progression of HNSCC and showed that it could be partially attributed to the novel link between GLUT4 and TRIM24. This novel signaling axis may be used for the prognosis and therapeutic treatment of HNSCC in the future

Additional file 1: Table S1. of Glucose transporter 4 promotes head and neck squamous cell carcinoma metastasis through the TRIM24-DDX58 axis

Demographic features of HNCC patient cohort. Table S2. GLUT overexpression activated transcription factors and their downstream targets ranked by Z-Score. Table S3. GLUT overexpression inhibited transcription factors and their downstream targets ranked by Z-Score. Table S4. List of TRIM24 downstream genes and their fold changes. Table S5. List of primers and knockdown clones’ information. Table S6. List of candidate probes >2.0-fold change cutoff by GLUT4 vs. control in FaDu cells. Figure S1. Box plot showing the expression of the GLUT family members correlated with the survival rate of the patients in the Petel HNSCC cohort (E-MTAB-1328, n = 89) in the SurvExpress database (HR = 3.37, P = 0.043). Figure S2. Forest plot of GLUT family members and their corresponding hazard ratios, probes and Cox-P values. Figure S3. GLUT4 overexpression model in vitro and in vivo. (A) Cell proliferation rate and (B) tumorigenicity ability in animal model GLUT4-overexpressing FaDu cells. Figure S4. Glucose uptake and lactate production in a panel of HNSCC cell lines. Figure S5. The migration abilities of with or without GLUT4 knockdown combined DDX58 or OASL knockdown in HSC-2 cells. Figure S6. Correlation plot of GLUT4 expression with the (A) OASL or (B) DDX58 RNA level in a clinical cohort (Pearson r = −0.7146, P < 0.001 and Pearson r = −0.6246, P < 0.001, respectively). (DOCX 2697 kb

PEOlated Micelle/Silica as Dual-Layer Protection of Quantum Dots for Stable and Targeted Bioimaging

CdSe/CdS/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) have been successfully encapsulated into poly­(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based polymeric micelle/silica dual layers <i>via</i> interfacial templating condensation. The encapsulation follows a green and straightforward microemulsion mechanism that directly proceeds in a near-neutral pH aqueous environment. No detriment to the optical properties of QDs is observed during encapsulation. The core–shell nanoparticles generated possess a polymeric micelle framework with a single QD encapsulated in the hydrophobic micellar core, an ultrathin (<5 nm in thickness) yet robust silica shell confined to the micellar core/corona interface and free PEO chains dangling on the surface. The free PEO chains effectively prevent nonspecific adsorption of biomolecules to the nanoparticles. Double shielding of polymeric micelle/silica shell remarkably improves the fluorescence resistance of QDs to strong acids and highly salted buffers. <i>In vitro</i> testing using MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells demonstrates that these organic/inorganic dual layer-protected QDs conjugated with folate show noncytotoxicity and bright fluorescence cellular imaging with high target specificity