Incidence, morbidity, mortality and disparities in dementia: A population linked electronic health records study of 4.3 million individuals.

INTRODUCTION: We report dementia incidence, comorbidities, reasons for health-care visits, mortality, causes of death, and examined dementia patterns by relative deprivation in the UK. METHOD: A longitudinal cohort analysis of linked electronic health records from 4.3 million people in the UK was conducted to investigate dementia incidence and mortality. Reasons for hospitalization and causes of death were compared in individuals with and without dementia. RESULTS: From 1998 to 2016 we observed 145,319 (3.1%) individuals with incident dementia. Repeated hospitalizations among senior adults for infection, unknown morbidity, and multiple primary care visits for chronic pain were observed prior to dementia diagnosis. Multiple long-term conditions are present in half of the individuals at the time of diagnosis. Individuals living in high deprivation areas had higher dementia incidence and high fatality. DISCUSSION: There is a considerable disparity of dementia that informs priorities of prevention and provision of patient care.

Machine learning based predictive model of Type 2 diabetes complications using Malaysian National Diabetes Registry: A study protocol.

Background: The prevalence of diabetes in Malaysia is increasing, and identifying patients with higher risk of complications is crucial for effective management. The use of machine learning (ML) to develop prediction models has been shown to outperform non-ML models. This study aims to develop predictive models for Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) complications in Malaysia using ML techniques. Design and methods: This 10-year retrospective cohort study uses clinical audit datasets from Malaysian National Diabetes Registry from 2011 to 2021. T2D patients who received treatment in public health clinics in the southern region of Malaysia with at least two data points in 10 years are included. Patients with diabetes complications at baseline are excluded to ensure temporality between predictors and the target variable. Appropriate methods are used to address issues related to data cleaning, missing data imputation, data splitting, feature selection, and class imbalance. The study uses 7 ML algorithms, including logistic regression, support vector machine, k-nearest neighbours, decision tree, random forest, extreme gradient boosting, and light gradient boosting machine, to develop predictive models for four target variables: nephropathy, retinopathy, ischaemic heart disease, and stroke. Hyperparameter tuning is performed for each algorithm. The model training is performed using a stratified k-fold cross-validation technique. The best model for each algorithm is evaluated on a hold-out dataset using multiple metrics. Expected impact of the study on public health: The prediction model may be a valuable tool for diabetes management and secondary prevention by enabling earlier interventions and optimal resource allocation, leading to better health outcomes.

Analysis of the role of BrRPP1 gene in Chinese cabbage infected by Plasmodiophora brassicae.

Introduction: The clubroot disease caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae (P. brassicae) poses a serious threat to the economic value of cruciferous crops, which is a serious problem to be solved worldwide. Some resistance genes to clubroot disease in Brassica rapa L. ssp pekinensis cause by P. brassicae have been located on different chromosomes. Among them, Rcr1 and Rcr2 were mapped to the common candidate gene Bra019410, but its resistance mechanism is not clear yet. Methods: In this experiment, the differences of BrRPP1 between the resistant and susceptible material of Chinese cabbage were analyzed by gene cloning and qRT-PCR. The gene function was verified by Arabidopsis homologous mutants. The expression site of BrRPP1 gene in cells was analyzed by subcellular localization. Finally, the candidate interaction protein of BrRPP1 was screened by yeast two-hybrid library. Results: The results showed that the cDNA sequence, upstream promoter sequence and expression level of BrRPP1 were quite different between the resistant and susceptible material. The resistance investigation found that the Arabidopsis mutant rpp1 was more susceptible to clubroot disease than the wild type, which suggested that the deletion of rpp1 reduces resistance of plant to clubroot disease. Subcellular location analysis confirmed that BrRPP1 was located in the nucleus. The interaction proteins of BrRPP1 screened from cDNA Yeast Library by yeast two-hybrid are mainly related to photosynthesis, cell wall modification, jasmonic acid signal transduction and programmed cell death. Discussion: BrRPP1 gene contains TIR-NBS-LRR domain and belongs to R gene. The cDNA and promoter sequence of BrRPP1 in resistant varieties was different from that in susceptible varieties led to the significant difference of the gene expression of BrRPP1 between the resistant varieties and the susceptible varieties. The high expression of BrRPP1 gene in resistant varieties enhanced the resistance of Chinese cabbage to P. brassicae, and the interaction proteins of BrRPP1 are mainly related to photosynthesis, cell wall modification, jasmonic acid signal transduction and programmed cell death. These results provide important clues for understanding the mechanism of BrRPP1 in the resistance of B. rapa to P. brassicae.

Spinel LiMn2O4 as a Capacitive Deionization Electrode Material with High Desalination Capacity: Experiment and Simulation.

Capacitive deionization (CDI) is a newly developed desalination technology with low energy consumption and environmental friendliness. The surface area restricts the desalination capacities of traditional carbon-based CDI electrodes while battery materials emerge as CDI electrodes with high performances due to the larger electrochemical capacities, but suffer limited production of materials. LiMn2O4 is a massively-produced lithium-ion battery material with a stable spinel structure and a high theoretical specific capacity of 148 mAh·g-1, revealing a promising candidate for CDI electrode. Herein, we employed spinel LiMn2O4 as the cathode and activated carbon as the anode in the CDI cell with an anion exchange membrane to limit the movement of cations, thus, the lithium ions released from LiMn2O4 would attract the chloride ions and trigger the desalination process of the other side of the membrane. An ultrahigh deionization capacity of 159.49 mg·g-1 was obtained at 1.0 V with an initial salinity of 20 mM. The desalination capacity of the CDI cell at 1.0 V with 10 mM initial NaCl concentration was 91.04 mg·g-1, higher than that of the system with only carbon electrodes with and without the ion exchange membrane (39.88 mg·g-1 and 7.84 mg·g-1, respectively). In addition, the desalination results and mechanisms were further verified with the simulation of COMSOL Multiphysics.

Design and analysis of a novel furnace throat for removing dust particles in flue gas emitted from copper smelting furnace by a computational method.

A novel furnace throat structure was designed to reduce dust particle concentration in the flue gas emitted from the copper smelting industry. A two-stage turbulence model of the furnace throat based on the RNG k-ε model combined with the stochastic trajectory model was developed to analyze the gas flow and particle trajectories in this furnace throat structure. The resulting turbulent flow fields and particle trajectories under different operating conditions were shown and discussed. It indicates that the furnace throat plays an important role in separating the dust particles from the flue gas by applying centrifugal force and subsequent resistance force. Moreover, the effects of the radius of the inner flue, the number of the spiral plate, and the number of the spiral plate turns on the particle collection efficiency were analyzed to optimize the throat structure. The simulation results show that the furnace throat with inner flue radius of 0.05 m, two spiral plates, and two spiral plate turns has the highest particle collection efficiency. Furthermore, a series of experimental tests were conducted to validate the accuracy of the simulation results, and the measured experimental data show a good correlation with the numerical results.

Design and analysis of continuous-flow reactors for copper sulfide precipitation process by a computational method.

Sulfide precipitation method has been widely applied in heavy metal-polluted wastewater treatment, due to the low solubility of most metal sulfide precipitates. Nevertheless, the relevant hydrodynamics studies on the metal sulfide precipitation process are rarely found in the literature. In this study, three continuous-flow sulfide precipitation reactors (CFSPRs) were designed and evaluated by a computational method. To characterize the process efficiency of copper sulfide precipitation in different reactors, fluid velocity field, species concentration distribution, and reaction rate distribution maps were acquired as simulation results. A two-factor designed set of boundary conditions was used to determine their effects on processing efficiency. The model results indicate that the inflow rate and reactor layout have significant effects on the copper sulfide precipitation process. The layout of reactor no. 3 and the inflow rate of 0.75 m/s prove to have higher treatment efficiencies than those at other conditions. Possible explanations for the simulation results were proposed. The model data of effluent concentration were compared and statistically analyzed with the measured concentrations of copper ion and sulfur ion in the outlet stream, and the results demonstrate a strong correlation between them, which suggests the model is reasonably accurate.

A preliminary study on the occurrence and behavior of sulfonamides, ofloxacin and chloramphenicol antimicrobials in wastewaters of two sewage treatment plants in Guangzhou, China.

Wastewater samples collected from two sewage treatment plants (STPs) in Guangzhou, China were acidified, solid-phase extracted (SPE) with Oasis HLB cartridges, followed by instrumental measurement by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with a diode array UV detector (DAD) and a fluorescence detector (FLD) for the occurrence and fate of antimicrobial compounds sulfadiazine (SDZ), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), ofloxacin (OFX) and chloramphenicol (CAP). Antimicrobials have been detected at 5.10-5.15, 5.45-7.91, 3.52-5.56 and 1.73-2.43 microg L(-1) for SDZ, SMX, OFX and CAP in the raw sewages of the two STPs, respectively. The concentrations of antimicrobials do not show substantial changes after preliminary mechanical sedimentation. No quantifiable sulfonamides and chloramphenicol have been identified, and >85% of ofloxacin has been removed in the effluents after activated sludge treatment in the two STPs, indicating that activated sludge treatment is effective and necessary to remove antimicrobial substances in municipal sewage.

Evaluation of the HP 6890/5973 bench-top gas chromatograph/mass selective detector for use in mobile laboratories.

Introduced in 1996, the Agilent (Hewlett Packard) HP 6890/5973 GC/MSD system is the latest of the bench-top GC/mass spectrometry (MS) family. Started with the HP 5970 MSD, introduced in the mid-1980s, has provided small/medium size laboratories with the power of a true MS that provides selectively and library-searchable capability. This paper presents study results on instrumental sensitivity achieved with the new MSD, with examples illustrating trace-level analysis of semi-volatile compounds such as PCB and Dioxins. Investigations were carried out to study the effect of some operational parameters such as ionisation energy, dynode voltages and dwell time. In the standard electron impact selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode, the new MSD can provide sub-picogram level sensitivity for chlorinated hydrocarbons. In scan mode, under optimal condition, the system can generate library-searchable spectra from sub-nanogram quantity of analytes. This sensitivity level rivals traditional GC with selective detectors such as electron capture detector but at the same time possesses the advantage of computerised library search against a database of over 100 thousand spectra. The relatively compact size makes the system practical in a mobile laboratory, providing qualitative as well as quantitative data in spill emergencies analyses.

Accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) of environmental organic compounds in soils using a modified supercritical fluid extractor.

Accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) has been applied to the quantitative extraction of a selected list of semi-volatiles, which include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phenols, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and total petroleum hydrocarbons. Two conventional supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) systems, the Suprex Prep Master and SFE/50 systems have been modified to function as ASE systems. Using solvent instead of supercritical fluid, extraction in an enclosed system proceeded under high pressure and temperature. Parameters such as extraction temperature and effect of modifiers were investigated. Although limited by a 150 degrees C maximum oven temperature, effective extraction could be carried out in less than 25 min for all the compounds studied. The technique was applied to a variety of real matrices contaminated with hydrocarbons, PAHs and phenols. Validations of the technique were performed using standard reference materials. Recoveries for these matrices were good (>75%) and precision (R.S.D.) was generally less than 10%. Primarily a rapid field extraction technique, comparison with other rapid extraction such as sonication and microwave assisted extraction (MAP) were made. Recoveries were found to be comparable to MAP and superior to sonication. On the present ASE system, only sequential extraction can be carried out but given the rapid nature of the process, about 15 samples can be carried out in a working day.

The release of lindane from contaminated building materials.

The release of the organochlorine pesticide lindane (γ-hexachlorocyclohexane) from several types of contaminated building materials was studied to assess inhalation hazard and decontamination requirements in response to accidental and/or intentional spills. The materials included glass, polypropylene carpet, latex-painted drywall, ceramic tiles, vinyl floor tiles, and gypsum ceiling tiles. For each surface concentration, an equilibrium concentration was determined in the vapour phase of the surrounding air. Vapor concentrations depended upon initial surface concentration, temperature, and type of building material. A time-weighted average (TWA) concentration in the air was used to quantify the health risk associated with the inhalation of lindane vapors. Transformation products of lindane, namely α-hexachlorocyclohexane and pentachlorocyclohexene, were detected in the vapour phase at both temperatures and for all of the test materials. Their formation was greater on glass and ceramic tiles, compared to other building materials. An empiric Sips isotherm model was employed to approximate experimental results and to estimate the release of lindane and its transformation products. This helped determine the extent of decontamination required to reduce the surface concentrations of lindane to the levels corresponding to vapor concentrations below TWA.

Optimization of acid hydrolysis conditions for feruloylated oligosaccharides from rice bran through response surface methodolgy.

Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the hydrolysis conditions with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) to obtain the maximum amount of feruloylated oligosaccharides from rice bran. The TFA concentration and hydrolysis time effects on feruloylated oligosaccharides recovery are studied. The optimum hydrolysis conditions for maximizing feruloylated oligosaccharides recovery were 193 mM TFA concentration and 1.36 h of hydrolysis time. Under these conditions the corresponding acyl ferulic group quantity was 78.63 microg in 1 mL of hydrolysate. The model was experimentally verified with a satisfactory coefficient of R (2) (= 0.96). The quantity of acyl ferulic group in the feruloylated oligosaccharides, purified using Amberlite XAD-4, was 916.12 microg/g of rice bran under the optimum hydrolysis conditions. The proposed method accounted for 54.08% of the total acyl ferulic group in rice bran. The results suggest that the proposed conditions were useful in maximizing recovery of feruloylated oligosaccharides from rice bran.

Water Activity Relationships for Selected Mesophiles and Psychrotrophs at Refrigeration Temperature.

The growth rate and lag phase of Pseudomonas fluorescens , Brochothrix thermosphacta , Salmonella typhlmurium , Enterococcus faecalis , and Staphylococcus aureus were studied in liquid media as a function of temperature, water activity (aw) and solute type. The lag phase lengthened and the growth rate decreased when the temperature was lowered or the aw reduced, and these variations depended on the aw-controlling solute. In general, the magnitude order of the solute effect on the growth rate parameters was glycerol < NaCl < sucrose. This effect can be related to the ability of the solutes to permeate the cell and can be explained by the osmoregulatory mechanism. The specific growth rate was not as sensitive to the aw-controlling solute as the lag phase. A linear extrapolation method was a reliable and convenient method to estimate the minimum aw for microbial growth.