Fault Detection and Identification in an Acid Gas Removal Unit Using Deep Autoencoders.

An acid gas removal unit (AGRU) in a natural gas processing plant is designed specifically to remove acidic components, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S), from the natural gas. The occurrence of faults, such as foaming, and to a lesser extent, damaged trays and fouling, in AGRUs is a commonly encountered problem; however, they are the least studied in the open literature. Hence, in this paper, shallow and deep sparse autoencoders with SoftMax layers are investigated to facilitate early detection of these three faults before any significant financial loss. The dynamic behavior of process variables in AGRUs in the presence of fault conditions was simulated using Aspen HYSYS Dynamics. The simulated data were used to compare five closely related fault diagnostic models, i.e., a model based on principal component analysis, a shallow sparse autoencoder without fine-tuning, a shallow sparse autoencoder with fine-tuning, a deep sparse autoencoder without fine-tuning, and a deep sparse autoencoder with fine-tuning. All models could distinguish reasonably well between the different fault conditions. The deep sparse autoencoder with fine-tuning was best able to do so with very high accuracy. Visualization of the autoencoder features yielded further insight into the performance of the models, as well as the dynamic behavior of the AGRU. Foaming was relatively difficult to distinguish from normal operating conditions. The features obtained from the fine-tuned deep autoencoder in particular can be used to construct bivariate scatter plots as a basis for automatic monitoring of the process.

Nodakenin attenuates cartilage degradation and inflammatory responses in a mice model of knee osteoarthritis by regulating mitochondrial Drp1/ROS/NLRP3 axis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative disease with few treatments. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Radix Angelicae biseratae (RAB) is commonly used to treat OA. Nodakenin (Nod) is one main coumarin active component in RAB and exhibits anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anti-apoptotic effects. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by mitochondria play a vital role in the pathogenesis of OA. We hypothesized that Nod might ameliorate cartilage degradation and inflammatory responses by regulating the mitochondrial Drp1/ROS/NLRP3 axis. With this, the effects of Nod on a mouse model of knee OA and activated primary chondrocytes were assessed. The results showed that Nod intervention improved bone volume, lowered trabecular separation, and increased trabecular number in the subchondral bone. Nod decreased the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) scores and increased collagen II-positive areas in the articular cartilage of the tibial plateau. Compared with OA mice, Nod-treated animals exhibited lower levels of inflammatory factors in the serum and synovitis of the knee joint. In vitro results indicated that Nod suppressed dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) phosphorylation and massive ROS production by Drp1-dependent mitochondrial fission in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated chondrocytes. Moreover, Nod inhibited the mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines (COX 2, IL-1ß, and TNF-α), nod-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, and matrix metalloproteinase 13 expression in activated chondrocytes. In conclusion, Nod attenuates cartilage degradation and inflammatory responses in mice with OA by regulating the mitochondrial Drp1/ROS/NLRP3 axis, suggesting its potential for OA therapy.

Role of psychotherapy strategy for the management of patients with Tourette syndrome - A Bayesian network meta-analysis.

Tourette's syndrome (TS) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by high comorbidity. Treatment with psychotherapy is highly recommended, however, there exists limited available evidence on the use and the optimal psychotherapeutic outcome is debatable. We performed a systematic search on several bibliographic databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting the use of psychotherapy treatment in TS patients, from inception to August 1st, 2020, and without language restrictions. Outcome measures were measured by the Yale global tic severity scale (YGTSS) to determine the efficacy of psychotherapy. Data were pooled as Standard mean difference (SMD) in the Bayesian analysis of the random effect model. A total of 17 RCTs with 9 treatments and 1042 participants were included from an initial 4901 records. The primary outcome including, Comprehensive behavioral intervention (CBIT) [SMD = -1.43, 95%Credible interval (CrI): -2.39, -0.44], Exposure with response prevention (ERP) [SMD = -1.37, 95%CrI: -2.62, -0.13], Habit reversal therapy (HRT) [SMD = -0.93, 95%CrI: 1.83, -0.05], and Behavior therapy (BT) [SMD = -0.85, 95%CrI: 1.51, -0.18], were found to be significantly lower in the TS group compared with the control group (including wait-list, treatment-as-usual or other named control group). Based on the Surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA), CBIT (SUCRA value = 86.97%, 95%CrI: 44%, 100%) was found to be a suitable psychotherapeutic treatment for TS patients. High-quality RCTs on psychotherapy are needed to perform for establishing the foundation of the generation of evidence-based guidelines.

Association between plasma irisin in pregnancy and postpartum glucose levels among Chinese women: A cohort study.

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: The association between plasma irisin and glucose levels in the general population is controversial, and few studies have longitudinally detected this correlation. We aimed to examine whether irisin in pregnancy was associated with postpartum glucose levels among Chinese women and explore the modifiable factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We carried out a prospective cohort study in Guangzhou, China, during 2017 and 2018, and 453 pregnant women (20-28 weeks) were enrolled. Plasma irisin levels in pregnancy were tested. At 6-8 weeks after delivery, 93 women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) underwent a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test, and the other 360 women had a fasting blood glucose (FBG) test. Multivariable linear, quantile and logistic regressions were carried out. RESULTS: The mean plasma irisin in mid-pregnancy was 13.73 ng/mL. We observed a significantly negative association between mid-pregnancy irisin and postpartum FBG (ß: -0.056 ± 0.024). However, quantile regression showed the association was only significant in high percentiles of FBG levels (P50 to P95 ), and the magnitude showed an increasing trend. Higher baseline irisin was also associated with a lower risk of postpartum impaired fasting glucose (relative risk 0.563, 95% confidence interval 0.384-0.825). Furthermore, we found significant interactions between irisin and predominant breast-feeding on FBG and impaired fasting glucose (both Pinteraction  < 0.05). In women with GDM, baseline irisin was non-significantly associated with postpartum postprandial 2-h glucose levels (ß: -0.305 ± 0.160, P = 0.061). CONCLUSIONS: Plasma irisin levels in mid-pregnancy were negatively associated with FBG levels and impaired fasting glucose at 6-8 weeks postpartum among Chinese women, and stronger associations were observed in women with higher FBG values. Furthermore, breast-feeding might modify this relationship.

Baicalein Alleviates Osteoarthritis Progression in Mice by Protecting Subchondral Bone and Suppressing Chondrocyte Apoptosis Based on Network Pharmacology.

As life expectancy increases, Osteoarthritis (OA) is becoming a more frequently seen chronic joint disease. The main characteristics of OA are loss of articular cartilage, subchondral bone sclerosis, and synovial inflammation. Baicalein (Bai), a traditional Chinese medicine extracted from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, has been demonstrated to exert notable anti-inflammatory effects in previous studies, suggesting its potential effect in the treatment of OA. In this study, we first predicted the action targets of Bai, mapped target genes related to OA, identified potential anti-OA targets for Bai, performed gene ontology (GO) enrichment, and KEGG signaling pathway analyses of the action targets, and analyzed the molecular docking of key Bai targets. Additionally, the effect and potential mechanism of Bai against OA were verified in mouse knee OA models induced by destabilized medial meniscus (DMM) surgery. GO and KEGG analyses showed that 19 anti-OA targets were mainly involved in the response to oxidative stress, the response to hypoxia and apoptosis, and the PI3K-Akt and p53 signaling pathways. Molecular docking results indicated that BAX, BCL 2, and Caspase 3 enriched in the apoptotic signaling pathway have high binding affinity with Bai. Validation experiments showed that Bai can significantly attenuate the loss of articular cartilage (OARSI score), suppress synovial inflammation (synovitis score), and ameliorate subchondral bone resorption measured by micro-CT. In addition, Bai notably inhibited the expression of apoptosis-related proteins in articular cartilage (BAX, BCL 2, and Caspase 3). By combining network pharmacology with experimental validation, our study identifies and verifies the importance of the apoptotic signaling pathway in the treatment of OA by Bai. Bai may have promising application and potential therapeutic value in OA treatment.

Association of early life factors with the incidence of overweight and obesity among primary school students in Guangzhou / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To investigate the associations between early life factors and the incidence of overweight and obesity and to provide a reference for childhood overweight and obesity prevention.@*Methods@#A total of 5 172 children aged 6-11 years from 5 primary schools in Guangzhou were enrolled using stratified random cluster sampling method. After two years follow up, 3 315 children were included in the final analysis. Questionnaire was used to collect children s early life factors. Height and weight were measured objectively at baseline and follow up.@*Results@#The incidence of overweight and obesity was 8.7% in children. After adjustment for confounders, results from the Logistic regression analysis showed that maternal pre pregnancy underweight was negatively associated with the incidence of childhood overweight and obesity( OR=0.54, 95%CI =0.38-0.76)( P <0.05). While excessive gestational weight gain during pregnancy( OR=1.55, 95%CI =1.14-2.10) and caesarean section ( OR=1.30, 95%CI =1.00-1.68) were positively associated with the incidence of childhood overweight and obesity( P <0.05).@*Conclusion@#Both excess gestational weight gain and caesarean section would increase the risk of the overweight and obesity of their offspring, while maternal pre pregnancy underweight would reduce the risk of childhood overweight and obesity.

Current status and correlates of screen time among children in Guangdong during the COVID-19 pandemic / 中国学校卫生

@#To investigate the current status of online classes, screen time and its influencing factors among primary school students in Guangdong during the 2019 novel coronavirus pandemic.@*Methods@#Using the convenience sampling method, a total of 5 266 pupils aged 6-12-years-old from Guangzhou, Zhanjiang, and Zhongshan participated in the online questionnaire. ANOVA or chi square tests were performed to compare differences in online classes and screen time between grades, and multinomial Logistic regression was performed to analyze the correlates of recreational screen time.@*Results@#The prevalence of prolonged recreational screen time was 42.2% and 55.2% on weekdays and weekends, respectively. Recreational screen time increased by 40.31 min/d on weekdays and 33.07 min/d on weekends, compared to usual school semesters. The average duration of an online class was (26.07±9.62) min, which totaled (110.41±51.98)min per day. Sex, grade, being the only child, and parents education levels were identified as the influencing factors of prolonged recreational screen time. Children who practiced moderate levels (weekdays: OR =1.27; weekends: OR =1.40; P <0.05) or lower levels of physical activity (weekdays: OR =1.86; weekend: OR =1.84; P < 0.05 ) were at a higher risk of prolonged recreational screen time than those who practiced more vigorous physical activity. Children whose parents limited their screen time to a moderate (weekdays: OR=1.61, P <0.05) or lower level (weekdays: OR=1.32, P < 0.05 ) had a higher risk of prolonged recreational screen time than those with a higher frequency. Children with parents recreational screen time ≥ 2 h/d had a higher risk of prolonged recreational screen time than the reference group; children who exhibited moderate to vigorous levels of physical activity <1 h/d (weekdays: OR=1.31, P <0.05), and those used electronic devices for learning 1-2 h/d (weekdays: OR =2.65; weekend: OR =2.65; P <0.05) or for ≥2 h/d (weekdays: OR =4.05, weekend: OR=5.24, P < 0.05 ) were at a higher risk of prolonged recreational screen time than the reference group.@*Conclusion@#During the COVID-19 pandemic, the level of screen time among children in Guangdong was high. Behavioral monitoring and targeted interventions are needed to promote children s health.

Association of sedentary behaviors with visual acuity among primary school students:a cohort study / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To examine the association of sedentary behaviors with visual acuity among primary school children, and to provide a reference basis for the prevention and control of poor vision.@*Methods@#Using stratified random cluster sampling method, a total of 4 969 students in grade 1-4 were selected from 5 primary schools in Guangzhou in 2017, and then were followed up in 2019. A validated questionnaire was used to collect data on children s sedentary behaviors, including doing homework, watching TV, playing computer/video games, and taking the bus/car between home and school. Visual acuity was measured in the baseline and the follow up using a 5 m standard logarithmic visual acuity chart. Multiple linear regression and Logistic regression were conducted to analyze the relationship between sedentary behaviors and visual changes.@*Results@#The two year cumulative incidence of poor vision was 48.74%. Homework time was inversely associated with visual acuity of left eye( β=-0.012, 95%CI =-0.023- -0.002 ). Homework time was positively correlated with poor vision( OR =1.16, 95% CI =1.05-1.27). However, total sedentary time, screen time and bus/car time were not statistically associated with changes in visual acuity( P >0.05).@*Conclusion@#Increased homework time was associated with poorer vision in primary school students. Interventions to reduce the academic burden should be taken.

Association of sedentary bouts with cardiometabolic risk factors among children aged 7 to 12 years in Guangzhou / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To investigate the association between sedentary bouts and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, and to provide a reference for controlling and reducing the incidence of CVD in children.@*Methods@#Cluster random sampling was used to select 356 students from five primary schools in Guangzhou. Sedentary behavior and physical activity were assessed using ActiGraph GT3X accelerometers, which were worn for 7 consecutive days. According to the sedentary bout duration of each participant, sedentary time was classified into categories of 1-<5, 5-<10, 10-<15, 15-<20 and ≥20 min bouts. Physical examinations were carried out to identify cardiometabolic risk factors. Multivariate linear regression was performed to analyze the relationship between sedentary bouts and CVD risk factors.@*Results@#After adjusting for confounding factors, the time accumulated in sedentary bouts of 5-<10, 10-<15, 15-<20 min in duration were positively associated with higher cardiometabolic risk scores ( B =1.24， 2.01 ，2.40), negatively associated with lower HDL ( B =-0.13，-0.21，-0.27). The time accumulated in sedentary bouts of 1-<5, 5-<10 , 10-<15, 15-<20 min in duration were positively associated with BMI levels ( B =1.07，1.89，2.86，3.65), and waist circumference ( B =2.79，4.81，8.04，10.14)( P <0.05).@*Conclusion@#These results suggested that sedentary bouts of 5-<20 min were associated with an unfavorable cardiometabolic risk profile. Our finding suggests no more than 20 min accumulated sedentary time for children.

Emotional and behavioral problems and determinants among primary and middle school students aged 6 to 17year-old in Guangdong Province during the COVID-19 pandemic / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To gain a better understanding of the emotional and behavioral problems associated determinants of primary and middle school students from Guangdong Province during the COVID-19 pandemic, so as to provide a basis for developing targeted intervention strategies.@*Methods@#Using the method of convenience sampling, an online questionnaire survey was carried out among primary and middle school students from Guangzhou, Zhanjiang and Zhongshan from March to April 2020. The emotional and behavioral problems of primary and middle school students were assessed using the Conners Parental Symptoms Questionnaire(PSQ), and a self compiled questionnaire was used to collect basic information related to the primary and middle school students and the influencing factors of emotional and behavioral problems. A total of 7 755 valid questionnaires were retrieved and statistically analyzed using the chi square test and multivariate Logistic regression.@*Results@#The detection rate of emotional and behavioral problems among children and adolescents aged 6 to 17-years-old in Guangdong Province was 14.8%; that was 21.0%, 14.4%, 7.3 %, and 10.1% in lower primary school students, upper primary school students, junior high school students, and high school students, respectively. The detection rate of the psychosomatic and hyperactivity index in boys was higher than that observed in girls, and the detection rate of anxiety in boys was lower than that observed in girls( P <0.05). There were statistically significant differences in emotional and behavioral problems in children in different grades( P <0.05). The results of the regression analysis showed that male students were at risk of psychosomatic ( OR= 1.37 , 95%CI =1.04-1.82) and hyperactivity disorders( OR=1.58, 95%CI =1.21-2.06), whereas the male gender was a protective factor for anxiety( OR=0.50, 95%CI =0.39-0.64). Grades were identified as the influencing factors of all of the factors related to emotional and behavioral problems. Students who reported excessive screen time and insufficient sleep were more likely to experience emotional and behavioral problems.@*Conclusion@#The detection rate of emotional and behavioral problems among primary and middle school students in Guangdong Province during the COVID-19 epidemic was high, which was associated with sex, grade, screen time and sleep. It is necessary to develop and implement targeted intervention measures.

Association of Reallocating Time in Different Intensities of Physical Activity with Weight Status Changes among Normal-Weight Chinese Children: A National Prospective Study.

Background: Time spent in different intensity-specific physical activities is codependent, but the substitution effect of different activities on weight status changes in children remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the prospective association between reallocating time in different intensities of physical activity and weight status changes among Chinese children. Methods: A national sample of 15,100 normal-weight children aged 7-18 years (46.7% boys) were recruited in September 2013 and followed up for nine months. Vigorous-intensity physical activity (VPA), moderate-intensity physical activity (MPA), walking, and sedentary time were obtained by International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF). Height and weight were objectively measured, by which body mass index (BMI) and BMI z-score were calculated. Weight status was classified by the Chinese criteria for 7- to 18-year-old children. Isotemporal substitution analyses (including single-factor model, partition model, and isotemporal substitution model) were applied to examine the association of time allocation with weight status changes. Results: Each 30 min/day of increase in VPA was favorably associated with a 13.2% reduced risk of incident overweight/obesity in a single-factor model and a 15.6% reduced risk in a partition model. Negative associations were found between VPA, MPA, walking and the risk of being underweight in the single-factor model, but not in the partition model. In substitution models, replacing 30 min/day sedentary time with an equal amount of VPA was favorably associated with a 16.1% reduction of the risk of being overweight/obese. Conclusion: These findings highlight the need for promoting vigorous-intensity physical activity in children.

Air pollution-associated blood pressure may be modified by diet among children in Guangzhou, China.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the associations between long-term air pollution exposure and blood pressure in children, and to explore the modifying effects of diet on prehypertension and hypertension. METHODS: We evaluated 7225 primary school children aged 6-12 years from Guangzhou, China, in 2017. The blood pressure was measured objectively. The individual 1-year average concentration of particles with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 µm or less or 10 µm or less (PM2.5, PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone (O3) before each blood pressure measurement were calculated by inverse distance weighting interpolation according to each home address. Generalized linear mixed-effects models were used to examine the health effects and potential effect modifications by diet factors after adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: The results showed that the estimated increase in mean SBP was 0.92 mmHg (95% CI 0.05-1.79) per interquartile range increase in O3. An interquartile range increase in the 1-year mean of SO2 and O3 was associated with odds ratios of 1.26 (95% CI 1.04-1.52) and 1.20 (95% CI 1.06-1.35) for prehypertension, respectively. In addition, an interquartile range increase in PM2.5, SO2, and O3 exposure was positively associated with hypertension, with odds ratios of 1.33 (95% CI 1.11-1.61), 1.70 (95% CI 1.33-2.16), and 1.48 (95% CI 1.20-1.83), respectively. Stronger effect estimates between PM2.5, SO2, and O3 concentration on prehypertension were exhibited among subgroups of children with a higher intake of sugar-sweetened beverages. CONCLUSION: Long-term exposure to PM2.5, SO2, and O3 were associated with higher blood pressure levels in children, and dietary intake might modify these associations.

Association of different activity behaviors with body composition among children aged 6 to 12 years in Guangzhou / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To investigate the associations of reallocating sedentary time to different activity behaviors with body composition, and to provide a reference for prevention and control of childhood obesity.@*Methods@#By using cluster random sampling, 1 621 students from 5 urban primary school in Guangzhou were selected in 2017. Vigorous intensity physical activity (VPA), moderate intensity physical activity (MPA), walking, sedentary behavior, and sleeping were measured by self-reported questionnaire. Inbody 230 was used to assess body composition. Multiple linear regression models were applied to examine isotemporal substitution effect of activity behaviors.@*Results@#In younger children group (aged 6-9 years), replacing 30 min/day sedentary with VPA was associated with a 0.9% lower fat-free mass index(FFMI)(β=0.11, P=0.00). In older children group (aged 10-12 years), replacing 30 min/day sedentary with VPA was associated with a 1.0% lower FFMI(β=0.13, P=0.04); replacing 30 min/day sedentary to walking was associated with both a 2.9% lower percentage of body fat(PBF)(β=-0.65, P<0.01) and a 4.0% lower fat mass index(FMI)(β=-0.18, P=0.00).@*Conclusion@#Replacing sedentary with other intensities of physical activity is crucial for improving fatness status among children aged 6 to 12 years, especially among children aged 10 to 12 years. This current study suggests that children should increase physical activity while reducing sedentary for reducing risk of childhood obesity.