[Research on quantitative evaluation of revise requirements of Specifications of Air Sampling for Hazardous Substances Monitoring in the Workplace (GBZ 159-2004)]

Objective: To conduct quantitative evaluation on the revise requirements of Specifications of Air Sampling for Hazardous Substances Monitoring in the Workplace (GBZ 159-2004) , clarify the problems and suggestions during its implementation for improvement, and provide a basis for the revision of the standard. Methods: From April to September 2021, stratified convenient sampling method was adopted and semi-open questionnaire was used to investigate the occupational health personnel in CDC, occupational prevention and control institutes, employers, third-party technical service institutions and universitie. The entropy weight of each index and the score based on entropy weight of GBZ 159 were calculated. Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to describe the correlation between the two indexes and radar chart was drawn for comprehensive evaluation. Results: A total of 151 questionnaires were received from the respondents, of which 147 were valid, with an effective recovery rate of 97.35%, involving 29 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. The median G scores of the necessity and urgency of GBZ 159 revision based on entropy weight were 2.84 and 3.17, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (M=-25.50, P<0.001) . The trend of the score G of necessity and urgency based on entropy weight was basically the same for all secondary items (r(s)=0.9998, P<0.001) , and the score G of urgency based on entropy weight was higher than that of necessity. The highest score G of necessity and urgency based on entropy weight was "3.13 long time sampling", which were 7.56 and 8.23 respectively. This was followed by "3.12 short time sampling", which were 7.19 and 7.13 respectively. Conclusion: GBZ 159 has encountered some new problems and challenges in the implementation process, and some of its technical indicators have been out of line with the actual practice of occupational health at present. These are the two items that urgently needs to be revised and improved, such as "3.13 long time sampling" and "3.12 short time sampling" and other items need to be revised and improved.

Applying multivariate techniques to fingerprint water quality impact of the Fundão Dam breach within the Rio Doce basin

The Fundão Dam breach on 5 November 2015 (the "Event") released tailings, water, soil and/or sediments, and other debris to downstream watercourses. This breach included both direct and indirect impacts from scouring of soils and sediments along and within the affected courses. Multivariate statistical techniques were used to determine the potential of fingerprinting the impact of the breach compared to pre-Event water quality conditions and unaffected watercourses. The selection of key parameters is an important first step for multivariate analyses. Analysis of too many parameters can mask important trends and relationships, while analysis of too few may miss significant water quality indicators. A two-phased selection process was used to identify key parameters that indicated impact from the Event: (a) unbiased, principal component analysis to extract chemically dominant profiles among all measured parameters and (b) comparison of metals' concentrations between unaffected soils and/or sediments and tailings samples. Radar charts of key parameters along with statistical comparisons to pre-Event and not-affected waterways were then aggregated over space and time to assess impact and potential recovery to pre-Event conditions. Nine parameters were identified that characterize tailings-related (direct) and background soil and/or sediment-related (indirect) impacts. Spatially and temporally aggregated radar charts and nonparametric Mann-Whitney U tests were used to assess the statistical significance of these impacts during each wet season since the breach. Indirect parameters, like aluminum and lead, returned to pre-Event levels in the first wet season after the Event. By the 2018/2019 wet season, most of the direct and indirect parameters had returned to pre-Event levels. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:133-147. © 2023 NewFields Companies, LLC. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Visualization of acetabular coverage with radar chart before and after curved periacetabular osteotomy in dysplastic hips

BACKGROUND

Curved periacetabular osteotomy (CPO) is indicated for patients with developmental dysplasia of hip (DDH) to prevent progressive osteoarthritis. Patients with DDH have not only lateral acetabulum dysplasia but also anterior and posterior dysplasia. The full circumference acetabular coverage angle (ACA) of the femoral head should be evaluated preoperatively. This study aimed to determine the full circumference ACA in the patients with DDH before and after CPO compared with the coverage in normal patients.

METHODS

Twenty-three patients (a total of 24 hips) with DDH undergoing CPO between February 2006 and March 2014 were included in this study. The normal group was defined as the normal side in patients with unilateral osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) and the non-collapsed femoral head side in patients with bilateral ONFH. Pre- and postoperative hip functions were evaluated using the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) hip score. ACA was measured using pre- and postoperative three-dimensional computed tomography (3DCT) and described as a clock using a radar chart. The ACA of the normal group was evaluated in the same manner as that for patients who underwent CPO. The ACA before CPO was compared with the ACA after CPO, the ACA before CPO was compared with that of the normal group and the ACA after CPO was compared with that of the normal group at each location.

RESULTS

The mean JOA hip scores improved significantly from 69 preoperatively to 88 postoperatively. The superior, posterior, and anterior ACA after CPO significantly increased and the inferior ACA decreased compared with ACA before CPO. The superior, posterior, and anterior ACA before CPO were significantly smaller than ACA in the normal group. The ACA after CPO were similar to the normal group.

CONCLUSIONS

CPO improved the anterosuperior coverage of the femoral head but reduced its inferior coverage. The radar chart could visualize acetabulum full circumference and was useful for three-dimensional pre-postoperative evaluation.

Origami plot: a novel multivariate data visualization tool that improves radar chart

OBJECTIVES

We propose the origami plot, which maintains the original functionality of a radar chart and avoids potential misuse of its connected regions, with newly added features to better assist multicriteria decision-making.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

Built upon a radar chart, the origami plot adds additional auxiliary axes and points such that the area of the connected region of all dots is invariant to the ordering of axes. As such, it enables ranking different individuals by the overall performance for multicriteria decision-making while maintaining the intuitive visual appeal of the radar chart. We develop extensions of the origami plot, including the weighted origami plot, which allows reweighting of each attribute to define the overall performance, and the pairwise origami plot, which highlights comparisons between two individuals.

RESULTS

We illustrate the different versions of origami plots using the hospital compare database developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The plot shows individual hospital's performance on mortality, readmission, complication, and infection, as well as patient experience and timely and effective care, as well as their overall performance across these metrics. The weighted origami plot allows weighing the attributes differently when some are more important than others. We illustrate the potential use of the pairwise origami plot in electronic health records (EHR) system to monitor five clinical measures (body mass index [BMI]), fasting glucose level, blood pressure, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein ([LDL] cholesterol) of a patient across multiple hospital visits.

CONCLUSION

The origami plot is a useful visualization tool to assist multicriteria decision making. It improves radar charts by avoiding potential misuse of the connected regions. It has several new features and allows flexible customization.

Studied microRNA gene expression in human hepatocellular carcinoma by microRNA microarray techniques

AIM: To achieve a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of microRNA expression changes involved in hepatocellular carcinoma.

METHODS: In this research process, patients were not treated with antivirals, immunosuppressants or immunomodulators for at least 6 mo before collecting serum. The study population was composed of 35 outpatient hepatitis B virus (HBV) cases and 12 healthy control cases from the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University (Inner Mongolia, China) from July 2013 to April 2014. The 35 HBV cases were divided into two groups: a hepatocirrhosis group with 20 cases and a liver cancer group with 15 cases. All 35 cases carried HBsAg. The diagnostic criteria followed the European Association for the Study of the Liver 2012 (EASL2012) standards. MicroRNA (miRNA) was extracted from a control group of patients, a group with hepatocirrhosis and a group with liver cancer and its quality was analyzed using the human V2 microRNA expression beadchip. Cluster analysis and a radar chart were then applied to the miRNA changes.

RESULTS: The miRNA-qualified rate of human serum samples was 93%. The concentration of a single sample was > 200 ng/μL and the volume was > 5 μL. All miRNA serum samples were uncontaminated by the genome. The Mann-Whitney test showed significant differences in miRNA between each group, with a detection P-value of < 0.05. Illumina software was set up with Diff Score set to ± 13, meaning that P = 0.001.There were significant changes in miRNA expression between the three groups. miRNA-183 was the most up-regulated, followed by miRNA-373. miRNA-129 and miRNA-188 were both strongly down-regulated and miRNA-378 was down-regulated a small amount. The liver cancer group had greater changes, which indicated that changes in miRNA expression levels were caused by hepatocirrhosis. The liver cancer disease course then further increased these changes. In the pentagon created by these five miRNAs, three groups showed significant deviation. The liver cancer group had a bigger deviation trend. The chart indicated that miRNA expression changes occurred in the hepatocirrhosis group, which increased in the liver cancer disease course and were irreversible.

CONCLUSION: There was a significant relationship between the irreversible up-regulation of miRNA-183/373 and down-regulation of miRNA-129/188/378 and incidences of hepatocirrhosis and liver cancer.