Elevated levels of mercapturic acids of acrolein and crotonaldehyde in the urine of Chinese women in Singapore who regularly cook at home

10.1371/journal.pone.0120023PLoS ONE103e012002

Assessing the risk of reoperation for mild pulmonary vein obstruction post-TAPVC repair: a retrospective cohort study

ObjectiveThis study investigates the impact of mild pulmonary vein obstruction, detected via echocardiography before hospital discharge, on the likelihood of reoperation in patients who have undergone repair for Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection (TAPVC).MethodUtilizing a single-center, retrospective cohort approach, we analyzed 38 cases from October 2017 to December 2023, excluding patients with functionally univentricular circulations or atrial isomerism. Our primary outcome was the necessity for reoperation within one year due to anatomical issues related to the initial TAPVC repair. Mild obstruction was defined as a pulmonary vein flow velocity ≥1.2 m/s.ResultOur findings revealed that 31.6% of patients exhibited pre-discharge mild obstruction. During the median follow-up of 10 months, reoperations were notably higher in the mild obstruction group compared to the normal group, with a significant association between pre-discharge mild obstruction and increased risk of reoperation. Specifically, in the fully adjusted model, mild obstruction was linked to a 13.9-fold increased risk of reoperation.ConclusionOur results suggest that a pre-discharge echocardiography Doppler velocity threshold of 1.2 m/s could serve as a critical predictor for reoperation, emphasizing the need for targeted follow-up strategies for at-risk patients

Industrial Robot Trajectory Accuracy Evaluation Maps for Hybrid Manufacturing Process based on Joint Angle Error Analysis

Industrial robots have been widely used in various fields. The joint angle error is the main factor that affects the accuracy performance of the robot. It is important to notice that these kinematic parameters error cannot be eliminated from the robot system completely. Even after calibration, these errors still exist and will be fluctuated during the robot system running. This paper proposed a new method of finding the best position and orientation to perform a specific working path based on the current accuracy capacity of the robot system. By analyzing the robot forward/inverse kinematic and the angle error sensitivity of different joint in the serial manipulator system, a new evaluation formulation is established for mapping the trajectory accuracy within the robot’s working volume. The influence of different position and orientation on the movement accuracy of the end effector has been verified by experiments and discussed thoroughly. Finally, a visualized evaluation map can be obtained to describe the accuracy difference of a robotic laser deposition working path at different positions and orientations. This method is helpful for making the maximum usage of the robot’s current accuracy ability rather than blindly pursuing the higher accuracy of the robot system

Simple synthesis of Ce/Cu/Fe nanoparticle-modified activated carbon for the removal of F(Ⅰ)

This work reports a method to prepare metal-modified adsorbents using itaconic acid fermentation waste liquid (IAFWS) and apply them to the removal of fluoride ions from fluorinated wastewater. Three metals (Fe, Cu and Ce) were used to modify the activated carbon and three adsorbents were obtained (Fe/C, Cu/Fe/C and Ce/Fe/C). The adsorption capacities of Fe/C and Cu/Fe/C reach the highest at pH=6, which are 52.1 mg/g and 56.3 mg/g, respectively. The optimum pH of Ce/Fe/C adsorption is 7, and the adsorption capacity is 61.2 mg/g. The optimal pH of the three adsorbents is in the general pH range of fluorinated wastewater. The adsorbent has an extremely long service life and its performance remains stable after 8 cycles. The results show that all three adsorbents can be used for F- removal in water for many times, but Ce/Fe/C has the best adsorption performance. This study not only solves the problem of treatment of IAFWS, but also applies it to the degradation of fluoride ions in water, achieving a dual role in environmental protection

Burden of Total and Cause-Specific Mortality Related to Tobacco Smoking among Adults Aged ≥45 Years in Asia: A Pooled Analysis of 21 Cohorts

Background:Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for many diseases. We sought to quantify the burden of tobacco-smoking-related deaths in Asia, in parts of which men's smoking prevalence is among the world's highest.Methods and Findings:We performed pooled analyses of data from 1,049,929 participants in 21 cohorts in Asia to quantify the risks of total and cause-specific mortality associated with tobacco smoking using adjusted hazard ratios and their 95% confidence intervals. We then estimated smoking-related deaths among adults aged ≥45 y in 2004 in Bangladesh, India, mainland China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan-accounting for ∼71% of Asia's total population. An approximately 1.44-fold (95% CI = 1.37-1.51) and 1.48-fold (1.38-1.58) elevated risk of death from any cause was found in male and female ever-smokers, respectively. In 2004, active tobacco smoking accounted for approximately 15.8% (95% CI = 14.3%-17.2%) and 3.3% (2.6%-4.0%) of deaths, respectively, in men and women aged ≥45 y in the seven countries/regions combined, with a total number of estimated deaths of ∼1,575,500 (95% CI = 1,398,000-1,744,700). Among men, approximately 11.4%, 30.5%, and 19.8% of deaths due to cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and respiratory diseases, respectively, were attributable to tobacco smoking. Corresponding proportions for East Asian women were 3.7%, 4.6%, and 1.7%, respectively. The strongest association with tobacco smoking was found for lung cancer: A 3- to 4-fold elevated risk, accounting for 60.5% and 16.7% of lung cancer deaths, respectively, in Asian men and East Asian women aged ≥45 y.Conclusions:Tobacco smoking is associated with a substantially elevated risk of mortality, accounting for approximately 2 million deaths in adults aged ≥45 y throughout Asia in 2004. It is likely that smoking-related deaths in Asia will continue to rise over the next few decades if no effective smoking control programs are implemented.Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary. © 2014 Zheng et al

Joint effects of known type 2 diabetes susceptibility loci in genome-wide association study of Singapore Chinese: The Singapore Chinese health study

Background: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified genetic factors in type 2 diabetes (T2D), mostly among individuals of European ancestry. We tested whether previously identified T2D-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) replicate and whether SNPs in regions near known T2D SNPs were associated with T2D within the Singapore Chinese Health Study. Methods: 2338 cases and 2339 T2D controls from the Singapore Chinese Health Study were genotyped for 507,509 SNPs. Imputation extended the genotyped SNPs to 7,514,461 with high estimated certainty (r2>0.8). Replication of known index SNP associations in T2D was attempted. Risk scores were computed as the sum of index risk alleles. SNPs in regions ±100 kb around each index were tested for associations with T2D in conditional fine-mapping analysis. Results: Of 69 index SNPs, 20 were genotyped directly and genotypes at 35 others were well imputed. Among the 55 SNPs with data, disease associations were replicated (at p<0.05) for 15 SNPs, while 32 more were directionally consistent with previous reports. Risk score was a significant predictor with a 2.03 fold higher risk CI (1.69-2.44) of T2D comparing the highest to lowest quintile of risk allele burden (p = 5.72×10-14). Two improved SNPs around index rs10923931 and 5 new candidate SNPs around indices rs10965250 and rs1111875 passed simple Bonferroni corrections for significance in conditional analysis. Nonetheless, only a small fraction (2.3% on the disease liability scale) of T2D burden in Singapore is explained by these SNPs. Conclusions: While diabetes risk in Singapore Chinese involves genetic variants, most disease risk remains unexplained. Further genetic work is ongoing in the Singapore Chinese population to identify unique common variants not already seen in earlier studies. However rapid increases in T2D risk have occurred in recent decades in this population, indicating that dynamic environmental influences and possibly gene by environment interactions complicate the genetic architecture of this disease. © 2014 Chen et al

Morphological study of the superficial palmar arch and its significance in clinical operation

Background: The superficial palmar arch is a crucial blood supply to the palm. However, it exhibits significant variations, posing challenges in surgical procedures. Gaining a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between differenttypes, physiological indices, and the clinical significance of the superficial palmar arch will enhance the accuracy of diagnosing and treating patients. Materials and methods: In this study, we dissected a total of 72 specimens, comprising 39 males and 33 females. We observed the type, length, and diameter of the superficial palmar arch and analysed its correlation with the disease. Additionally, we conducted Doppler ultrasound measurements on 20 healthy volunteers (10 males and 10 females) and 18 patients with superficial palmar arch injury (10 males and 8 females) to assess the classification, diameter, intimal thickness, and blood flow velocity of the superficial palmar arch. We collected information on 9 male patients with finger fractures and observed the classification of the superficial palmar arch, fracture healing time, and basic function recovery time. Lastly, we analysed rare variant specimens encountered during the anatomy process. Results: In the exploration of human anatomy, there were 4 types of superficial palmar arch: ulnar artery arch type in 17 cases (23.61%), radial ulnar artery type in 46 cases (63.89%), ulnar artery without arch type in 6 cases (8.33%), and 3cases (4.17%) of double arch type of radial and ulnar artery. One case of nonarched type was found in an imaging examination (5%). In one elderly male specimen, the hand’s superficial palmar arch artery was tortuous and dilated. In addition, there was a positive correlation between the diameter and length of the superficial palmar arch (except the second common palmar digital artery in women), among which the ulnar artery and the third common palmar digital artery had the strongest correlation. Compared to healthy volunteers, patients with ulnar injury in the radial-ulnar artery type exhibited a decrease in the diameter and blood flow velocity of the ulnar artery, as well as the second and thirdcommon palmar digital arteries. No such change was observed in patients with radial injury. Additionally, patients with ulnar injury in other types of radial-ulnar artery also experienced a decrease in the diameter and blood flow velocity of the ulnar artery. Finger fracture patients with ulnar artery with arch and ulnar artery without arch had shorter fracture healing time and basic function recovery time compared to those with radial-ulnar artery type. Conclusions: This study investigated the relationship between the classification, physiological index, and clinical significance of the superficial palmar arch at all levels. The results demonstrated that when the superficial palmar arch is damaged, it is important to consider both the classification and the site of damage, because this potentially results in improved therapeutic outcomes. These findings provide a basis for future clinical research

Morphological study of the superficial palmar arch and its significance in clinical operation

BACKGROUND: The superficial palmar arch is a crucial blood supply to the palm. However, it exhibits significant variations, posing challenges in surgical procedures. Gaining a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between different types, physiological indices, and the clinical significance of the superficial palmar arch will enhance the accuracy of diagnosing and treating patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we dissected a total of 72 specimens, comprising 39 males and 33 females. We observed the type, length, and diameter of the superficial palmar arch and analysed its correlation with the disease. Additionally, we conducted Doppler ultrasound measurements on 20 healthy volunteers (10 males and 10 females) and 18 patients with superficial palmar arch injury (10 males and 8 females) to assess the classification, diameter, intimal thickness, and blood flow velocity of the superficial palmar arch. We collected information on 9 male patients with finger fractures and observed the classification of the superficial palmar arch, fracture healing time, and basic function recovery time. Lastly, we analysed rare variant specimens encountered during the anatomy process. RESULTS: In the exploration of human anatomy, there were 4 types of superficial palmar arch: ulnar artery arch type in 17 cases (23.61%), radial ulnar artery type in 46 cases (63.89%), ulnar artery without arch type in 6 cases (8.33%), and 3 cases (4.17%) of double arch type of radial and ulnar artery. One case of nonarched type was found in an imaging examination (5%). In one elderly male specimen, the hand’s superficial palmar arch artery was tortuous and dilated. In addition, there was a positive correlation between the diameter and length of the superficial palmar arch (except the second common palmar digital artery in women), among which the ulnar artery and the third common palmar digital artery had the strongest correlation. Compared to healthy volunteers, patients with ulnar injury in the radial-ulnar artery type exhibited a decrease in the diameter and blood flow velocity of the ulnar artery, as well as the second and third common palmar digital arteries. No such change was observed in patients with radial injury. Additionally, patients with ulnar injury in other types of radial-ulnar artery also experienced a decrease in the diameter and blood flow velocity of the ulnar artery. Finger fracture patients with ulnar artery with arch and ulnar artery without arch had shorter fracture healing time and basic function recovery time compared to those with radial-ulnar artery type. CONCLUSIONS: This study investigated the relationship between the classification, physiological index, and clinical significance of the superficial palmar arch at all levels. The results demonstrated that when the superficial palmar arch is damaged, it is important to consider both the classification and the site of damage, because this potentially results in improved therapeutic outcomes. These findings provide a basis for future clinical research