Lacustrine shale oiliness influenced by diabase intrusions in the Paleogene Funing Formation,Subei Basin,China

The research on the correlation between hydrocarbon accumulations and magmatic activities has always attracted aroused much wide attention.Existing research has primarily the hydrocarbon generations capability of source rocks and the quality of reservoirs by diabase intrusions.whereas,rare systematic research has been conducted on the oiliness and enrichment mechanism.To be specific,the diabase intrusive zone,the contact metamorphic zone and the normal shale zone of the Funing Formation in the Gaoyou Sag,Subei Basin were taken as the object of this study.Moreover,in this study,the hydrocarbon generation quality,reservoir quality,and oil-bearing quality of diabase-metamorphic zone-normal shale were evaluated using X-ray diffractions,argon ion polishing-field emission scanning electron microscope,energy spectrum,rock slice/light-sheet microscopic observations,organic geochemical tests,N_(2) gas adsorption and 2D NMR tests.The results indicated that the intrusive zone,the metamorphic zone,and the normal zone were formed in order by the degree of effect of diabase intrusions.Secondly,the oil content of different parts exhibited significant heterogeneity due to the baking effect of diabase,and the metamorphic zone had the significantly better oil-bearing nature than the intrusive zone.Lastly,a distribution model was proposed for the diabase intrusive zone-metamorphic zone-normal surrounding rock zone.

Propofol vs midazolam plus fentanyl for upper gastrointestinal endomicroscopy:A randomized trial

AIM:To compare the endomicroscopic image quality of integrated confocal laser endomicroscopy(iCLE)and sedation efficacy of propofolvs midazolam plus fentanyl(M/F).METHODS:Consecutive outpatients undergoing iCLE were prospectively recruited and randomized to the propofol group(P group)or M/F group.The patient,performing endoscopist and endoscopic assistant were blinded to the randomization.The quality of endomicro-scopic images and anesthetic efficacy outcomes were blindly evaluated after iCLE examination.RESULTS:There were significantly more good quality endomicroscopic images in the propofol group than in the M/F group(72.75%vs 52.89%,P<0.001).The diagnostic accuracy for upper gastrointestinal mucosal lesions using confocal laser endomicroscopy favors the P group,although this did not reach statistical significance.Adverse events and patient assessment were not significantly different for M/F vs propofol except for more frequent intraprocedural recall with M/F.Procedure duration and sedation times were significantly longer in the M/F group,while the scores of endoscopist,anesthetist and assistant assessment were all significantly better in the P group.CONCLUSION:Sedation with propofol might increase the proportion of good quality endomicroscopic images,and may result in improved procedural efficacy and diagnostic accuracy during iCLE examination.

Reverse effect of curcumin on CDDP-induced drug-resistance via Keap1/p62-Nrf2 signaling in A549/CDDP cell

Objective: To assess the effect of curcumin on CDDP-induced drug resistance and explore the underlying molecular mechanism through Nrf2 system and autophagy pathway.Methods: A drug-resistant cell model was established by exposing A549/CDDP cell to2 μg/mL CDDP. A549/CDDP cell was treated with 20 μg/mL CDDP and 10 μM curcumin. The cell viability and apoptosis level, the signals of Keap1/P62-Nrf2 and autophagy pathway were analyzed.Results: CDDP induction promoted drug-resistant phenotype in A549/CDDP cell and activated autophagy as well as Nrf2 signals in A549/CDDP cell. Meanwhile, curcumin combination attenuated autophagy and Nrf2 activation induced by CDDP, and reversed the drug-resistant phenotype. Notably, curcumin combination augmented Keap1 transcription. Furthermore, Keap1 ablation with short hairpin RNAs hampered the efficacy of curcumin, suggesting Keap1 played a crucial role on reversal effect of curcumin.Conclusions: The present findings demonstrate that CDDP promotes abnormal activation of Nrf2 pathway and autophagy, leading to drug resistance of A549/CDDP cell.Curcumin attenuates this process and combat drug-resistance through its potent activation on Keap1 transcription, which is essential for interplay between oxidative stress induced Nrf2 activation and autophagy/apoptosis switch.

Effects of WeChat platform-based health management on health and self-management effectiveness of patients with severe chronic heart failure

BACKGROUND Epidemiological studies have found that the prevalence of chronic heart failure in China is 0.9%,the number of people affected is more than 4 million,and the 5-year survival rate is even lower than that of malignant tumors.AIM To determine the impact of WeChat platform-based health management on severe chronic heart failure patients’health and self-management efficacy.METHODS A total of 120 patients suffering from chronic heart failure with cardiac function grade III-IV,under the classification of the New York Heart Association,were admitted to our hospital in May 2017.In January 2020,they were divided into two groups:A control group(with routine nursing intervention)and an observation group(with WeChat platform-based health management intervention).Changes in cardiac function,6-min walking distance(6MWD),high-sensitivity cardiac troponin(hs-cTnT),and N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP)were detected in both groups.The Self-Care Ability Scale(ESCA)score,Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire score,and compliance score were used to evaluate self-management ability,quality of life,and compliance of the two groups.During a follow-up period of 12 mo,the occurrence of cardiovascular adverse events in both the groups was counted.RESULTS The left ventricular ejection fraction,stroke output,and 6MWD increased,and the hs-cTnT and NT-proBNP decreased in both the groups,as compared to those before the intervention.Further,cardiac function during the 6MWD,hs-cTnT,and NT-proBNP improved significantly in the observation group after intervention(P<0.05).The scores of self-care responsibility,self-concept,self-care skills,and selfcare health knowledge in the observation group were higher than those of the control group before intervention,and their ESCA scores were significantly improved after intervention(P<0.05).The Minnesota heart failure quality of life(LiHFe)scores of physical restriction,disease symptoms,psychological emotion,social relations,and other items were decreased compared to those of the control group before intervention,and the LiHFe scores of the observation group were significantly improved compared to those of the control group(P<0.05).With intervention,the compliance scores of rational diet,regular medication,healthy behavior,and timely reexamination were increased,thereby leading to the compliance scores of the observation group being significantly improved compared to those of the control group(P<0.05).During the 12 mo follow-up,the incidence rates of acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic rehospitalization in the observation group were lower than those of the control group,and the hospitalization time in the observation group was shorter than that of the control group,but there was no significant difference between the two groups(P>0.05).CONCLUSION WeChat platform-based health management can improve the self-care ability and compliance of patients with severe chronic heart failure,improve the cardiac function and related indexes,reduce the occurrence of cardiovascular adverse events,and enable the avoidance of rehospitalization.

Formation and distribution characteristics of Proterozoic–Lower Paleozoic marine giant oil and gas fields worldwide

There are rich oil and gas resources in marine carbonate strata worldwide.Although most of the oil and gas reserves discovered so far are mainly distributed in Mesozoic,Cenozoic,and upper Paleozoic strata,oil and gas exploration in the Proterozoic–Lower Paleozoic（PLP）strata—the oldest marine strata—has been very limited.To more clearly understand the oil and gas formation conditions and distributions in the PLP marine carbonate strata,we analyzed and characterized the petroleum geological conditions,oil and gas reservoir types,and their distributions in thirteen giant oil and gas fields worldwide.This study reveals the main factors controlling their formation and distribution.Our analyses show that the source rocks for these giant oil and gas fields are mainly shale with a great abundance of type I–II organic matter and a high thermal evolution extent.The reservoirs are mainly gas reservoirs,and the reservoir rocks are dominated by dolomite.The reservoir types are mainly karst and reef–shoal bodies with well-developed dissolved pores and cavities,intercrystalline pores,and fractures.These reservoirs arehighly heterogeneous.The burial depth of the reservoirs is highly variable and somewhat negatively correlated to the porosity.The cap rocks are mainly thick evaporites and shales,with the thickness of the cap rocks positively correlated to the oil and gas reserves.The development of high-quality evaporite cap rock is highly favorable for oil and gas preservation.We identified four hydrocarbon generation models,and that the major source rocks have undergone a long period of burial and thermal evolution and are characterized by early and long periods of hydrocarbon generation.These giant oil and gas fields have diverse types of reservoirs and are mainly distributed in paleo-uplifts,slope zones,and platform margin reef-shoal bodies.The main factors that control their formation and distribution were identified,enabling the prediction of new favorable areas for oil and gas exploration.

Effect of Ni substitution on the formability and magnetic properties of Gd50Co50 amorphous alloy

A small amount of Ni was added into the binary Gd50Co50 amorphous alloy to replace Gd in order to obtain ternary Co50Gd50-xNx(x=1,2,and 3)amorphous alloys.Compared to the binary Gd50Co50 amorphous alloy,the Co50Gd50-xNx amorphous alloys show an enhanced Curie temperature(TC)with a weakened formability.The maximum magnetic entropy change(-Δ^Smpeak)of the Co50Gd50-xNx amorphous alloys is found to decrease with the increasing TC.The adiabatic temperature rise(ΔTad)of the Co50Gd47Ni3 amorphous alloy is superior to that of the Fe-based metallic glasses at room temperature.The variation of the TC and-Δ^Smpeak of the Gd50Co50 amorphous alloy with Ni addition,and the mechanism involved,were discussed.

Dynamic profile of ocular refraction in pediatric cataract patients after lens surgeries

AIM: To study the change in ocular refraction in patients with pediatric cataracts(PCs) after lens extraction. METHODS: A total of 1258 patients who were undergoing cataract extraction with/without intraocular lens(IOL)implantation were recruited during preoperative examinations between Jan 2010 and Oct 2013. Patient ages ranged from 1.5 mo to 14y. Follow-ups were conducted at1 wk, 1, and 3 mo postoperatively and every 3 mo in the first year, then 6 mo thereafter. Ocular refraction [evaluated as spherical equivalent(SE)] and yearly myopic shift(YMS)were recorded and statistically analyzed among patients with age at surgery, baseline ocular refraction, gender,postoperative time and laterality(bilateral vs unilateral). RESULTS: By Dec 31st 2015, 1172 participants had been followed for more than 2y. The median follow-up period was 3y. The critical factors affecting the ocular refraction of PC patients were baseline ocular refraction, postoperative time for both aphakic and pseudophakic eyes. YMS grew most rapidly in young childhood and early adolescence. CONCLUSION: After lens surgeries, ocular refraction in PC patients shows an individual difference of change.Further concerns should be raising to monitor the rapid myopic shift at early adolescence of these patients.

Locomotion Optimization and Manipulation Planning of a Tetrahedron-Based Mobile Mechanism with Binary Control

Locomotion and manipulation optimization is essential for the performance of tetrahedron-based mobile mechanism. Most of current optimization methods are constrained to the continuous actuated system with limited degree of freedom(DOF), which is infeasible to the optimization of binary control multi-DOF system. A novel optimization method using for the locomotion and manipulation of an 18 DOFs tetrahedron-based mechanism called 5-TET is proposed. The optimization objective is to realize the required locomotion by executing the least number of struts.Binary control strategy is adopted, and forward kinematic and tipping dynamic analyses are performed, respectively.Based on a developed genetic algorithm(GA), the optimal number of alternative struts between two adjacent steps is obtained as 5. Finally, a potential manipulation function is proposed, and the energy consumption comparison between optimal 5-TET and the traditional wheeled robot is carried out. The presented locomotion optimization and manipulation planning enrich the research of tetrahedron-based mechanisms and provide the instruction to the successive locomotion and operation planning of multi-DOF mechanisms.

Spheroidization of molybdenum powder by radio frequency thermal plasma

To control the morphology and particle size of dense spherical molybdenum powder prepared by radio frequency（RF） plasma from irregular molybdenum powder as a precursor, plasma process parameters were optimized in this paper. The effects of the carrier gas flow rate and molybdenum powder feeding rate on the shape and size of the final products were studied. The molybdenum powder morphology was examined using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. The powder phases were analyzed by X-ray diffraction. The tap density and apparent density of the molybdenum powder were investigated using a Hall flow meter and a Scott volumeter. The optimal process parameters for the spherical molybdenum powder preparation are 50 g/min powder feeding rate and 0.6 m^3/h carrier gas rate. In addition, pure spherical molybdenum powder can be obtained from irregular powder, and the tap density is enhanced after plasma processing. The average size is reduced from 72 to 62 μm, and the tap density is increased from 2.7 to 6.2 g/cm^3. Therefore, RF plasma is a promising method for the preparation of high-density and high-purity spherical powders.

Total endovascular repair of aberrant right subclavian artery using caster branched stent-graft

A 57-year-old man has 20-year history of hypertension presented with intermittent chronic pain in the chest area and shoulder blades over the last three months.Computed tomographic angiography(CTA)on admission revealed a chronic type B aortic dissection(TBAD)with an aberrant right subclavian artery(ARSA)crossed behind the trachea and bovine aortic arch(Figure IB).

Vascular damage and anti-angiogenic effects of tumor vessel-targeted adenovirus-mediated herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene

AIM： To explore the therapeutic efficacy and mechanism of herpes simplex virus-thymidine kinase （HSV-tk） targeting angiogenesis against hepatocellular carcinoma in vivio and in vitro. METHODS： Recombinant adenovirus containing kinase domain insert with receptor （KDR） or cytomegalovirus （CMV） promoter-controlled HSV-tk gene （AdKDR-tk and AdCMV-tk） was constructed using pAdeasy system. The expression of KDR antigen in human umbilical venous endothelial cells （HUVEC） and HepG2 was detected with histological analysis of cells. The virus was used to infect HUVEC and HepG2. Following administration of ganciclovir （GCV）, the survival rate of gene-transfected HUVEC and HepG2 was evaluated by MTT method. To develop hepatocarcinomas in 32 Balb/C mice with HepG2 cells, the mice were divided into four groups： ganciclovir group （Ⅰ）, Ad group （Ⅱ）, AdCMV-tk group （Ⅲ） and AdKDR-tk group （Ⅳ）. Then selective administration of recombinant adenovirus or Ad via the intratumorial was given to all rats. Ganciclovir （GCV） was given at a dose of 100 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 （ip） started on the following day and lasted 10 d. Microvessel density （MVD） of tumor in all the treated animals were examined by the immunohistochemical methods and tumor burden was evaluated 10 d before and alter the last GCV dose.RESULTS： Immunocytochemical staining indicated the expression of KDR antigen in HUVEC. Under adenovirus infection index of 100, with increasing GCV concentration from 0 up to 50 mg/L, the survival rate of AdKDR-tk- transfected HUVEC and HepG2 decreased from 100% to （28.94 ± 5.67）% and （75.45 ± 2.91）% at proper order, respectively （P 〈 0.01）, while the survival rate of AdCMV- tk-transfected HUVEC and HepG2 declined from 100% to （17.56 ± 2.48）% and （23.15± 5.72）%, respectively （P 〉 0.05）. Compared with group I, there was a decrease of tumor weight by 14.7% in group Ⅲ and by 23.6% in group Ⅳ. And there was a distinct difference between group M and Ⅳ （P 〈 0.05）. The median MVD for all groups was 37.4 ± 8.6, 30.6 ± 7.8, 27.6 ± 7.1, and 10.7 ± 4.1 （microvessels/mm^2） in group Ⅰ, Ⅱ, M and IV, respectively. And there was a marked difference between group M and Ⅱ （P 〈 0.05）, Ⅳ and Ⅱ （P 〈 0.01）, and Ⅳ and M （P 〈 0.01）. CONCLUSION： KDR promoter-HSV-tk gene may effectually restrain the growth of tumor via targeting angiogenesis for hepatocellular carcinoma with treatment of GCV.

Pore structure evolution of lacustrine organic-rich shale from the second member of the Kongdian formation in the Cangdong Sag,Bohai Bay Basin,China

Pyrolysis experiments were conducted on lacustrine organic-rich shale from Cangdong Sag in Bohai Bay Basin,China,to investigate the impact of hydrocarbon generation on shale pore structure evolution.Thermal evolution is found to control the transformation of organic matter,hydrocarbon products characteristics,and pore structure changes.Furthermore,pore volume and specific surface area increase with increasing maturity.In low-mature stage,the retained oil content begins to increase,pore volumes show slight changes,and primary pores are occluded by the generated crude oil of high molecular weight and density.In the oil-window stage,the retained oil content rapidly increases and reaches maximum,and pore volumes gradually increase with increasing thermal maturity.At high mature stage,the retained oil content begins to decrease,and the pore volume increases considerably owing to the expulsion of liquid hydrocarbon.In over mature stage,natural gas content significantly increases and kerogen transforms to asphalt.Numerous organic pores are formed and the pore size gradually increases,resulting from the connection of organic pores caused the increasing thermal stress.This study lays a foundation for understanding variation of hydrocarbon products during the thermal evolution of lacustrine shales and its relationship with the evolution of shale reservoirs.

CASC15 Gene Polymorphisms and Glioma Susceptibility in Chinese Children

Objective:Gliomas are the most common tumors in the central nervous system.The cancer susceptibility candidate 15(CASC15)gene has been reported to be a susceptibility gene for several types of cancer.No studies have been carried out on the predisposing effect of CASC15 gene single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)on glioma risk.Methods:In order to determine whether CASC15 gene SNPs are involved in glioma susceptibility,the first association study in a relatively large sample,which consisted of 171 patients and 228 healthy controls recruited from China,was performed.The contribution of SNPs(rs6939340 A>G,rs4712653 T>C and rs9295536 C>A)to the risk of glioma was evaluated by multinomial logistic regression,based on the calculation of the odds ratio(OR)and 95%confidence interval(CI).Results:In the single locus and combined analysis,it was revealed that the genetic risk score had no significant associations between CASC15 gene SNPs and glioma risk.However,in the stratified analysis,a significant decrease in risk of glioma was observed in subjects of<60 months old with the rs4712653 TT genotype,when compared to those with the CC/CT genotype(OR=0.12,95%CI=0.02-0.91,P=0.041).Conclusion:The present study provides referential evidence on the association between the genetic predisposition of the CASC15 gene and glioma risk in Chinese children.However,more well-designed case-control studies and functional experiments are needed to further explore the role of CASC15 gene SNPs.

Secondary coronary artery ostial lesions:Three case reports

BACKGROUND Atherosclerosis is one of the main causes of coronary artery ostial lesions seen clinically.Secondary coronary artery ostial lesions are rare,and cases reported previously were associated with syphilitic vasculitis and aortic dissection.Here,we report three rare cases of secondary coronary ostial lesions.Due to their rareness,these lesions can easily be neglected,which may lead to misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis.CASE SUMMARY We present three patients with acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina caused by secondary coronary artery ostial lesions.In Case 1,coronary angiography(CAG)revealed 90%stenosis of the left main coronary ostium.Chest contrast computed tomography(CT)suggested thymic carcinoma invading the left main coronary ostium.Coronary artery bypass grafting and tumor resection were performed.In Case 2,echocardiography revealed a sinus of Valsalva aneurysm(SVA)-like dilatation.CAG showed a right coronary sinus giant aneurysm and complete obstruction of the right coronary artery(RCA)ostium.Aortic contrast CT confirmed these findings.The Bentall procedure was performed.In Case 3,CT CAG identified an anomalous origin of the right coronary artery(AORCA)from the left sinus of Valsalva coursing between the aorta and pulmonary trunk,causing severe RCA ostium stenosis by compression.Surgical correction of the AORCA was performed.CONCLUSION The cases reported here suggest that we should consider other causes of coronary ostial lesions other than atherosclerosis.

Conditioned Medium from Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells Promotes Proliferation,Migration,Invasion and Angiogenesis of Adipose Derived Stem Cells

Preeclampsia（PE） is a pregnancy-specific hypertensive complication,closely related to endothelial dysfunction.Adipose derived stem cells（ADSCs） have the capacity to differentiate into endothelial cells for vascular repair.Therefore,we hypothesized that induced endothelial differentiation of ADSCs might hold great potential for the treatment of PE.In this study,the primary ADSCs and human umbilical vein endothelial cells（HUVECs） were isolated by the collagenase digestion method.The supernatant of HUVECs was collected from the first generation of cells.Then,ADSCs were divided into two groups：ADSCs alone group and induced ADSCs（i ADSCs） group.In i ADSCs group,ADSCs were induced by HUVECs conditioned medium and ADSCs special culture medium at a ratio of 1：1 over a two-week period.In order to identify the endothelial characteristics of i ADSCs,CD31 and CD34 were examined by flow cytometry.The proliferation,migration,invasion and angiogenesis assays were employed to compare the bioactivity of i ADSCs and ADSCs.Furthermore,The levels of angiogenic related factors including vascular endothelial growth factor（VEGF） and placenta growth factor（Pl GF） were detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting.Results showed conditioned medium from HUVECs promoted ADSCs proliferation,migration,invasion and angiogenesis.In addition,the levels of VEGF and Pl GF were significantly enhanced in i ADSCs group.This study uncovered the i ADSCs application potential in the therapy and intervention of PE.

Application of sinomenine in rheumatic diseases

Sinomenine is widely used in a variety of rheumatic diseases, and more and more attention has been paid to theadverse reaction in allergic reactions, digestive tract, blood, circulatory and nervous system. The application ofsinomenine in rheumatoid diseases and its side effects were reviewed here, which may provide a reference for thesafe and effective application of sinomenine preparations.

A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of Yiyiren Decoction in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Objective： To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of Yiyiren Decoction combined with western medicine and western medicine alone in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Methods： Databases of CNKI, VIP, Wanfang Data, PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library, and Embase were retrieved by computers. The references of the included studies, relevant dissertations, and conference proceedings were manually retrieved. The search intervals were from the database inception until July 2017. The retrieval and screening of studies were carried out respectively by 2 researchers, and the quality and data were evaluated and extracted according to Jadad quality scale. Meta-analysis was performed with RevMan5.3 software. Results： （1） A total of 7 randomized controlled trials and 485 patients were enrolled, among which 262 cases were in experimental group and 223 cases were in control group. The point of 2 studies was 3, other studies were 1-2. The studies included indicated that the group baselines were comparable. （2）The total effective rate of Yiyiren Decoction with western medicine group was higher than that of western medicine group （RR = 0.85, 95%CI [0.78, 0.92]. Improved Conditions of tender joint count （MD = -2.79, 95%CI [-3.47, -2.12]）; erythrocyte sedimentation rate （MD = -9.5, 95%CI [15.67, -3.33]）; and C-reactive protein （MD = -3.36, 95%CI [-5.45, -1.27]） were superior to control group. There was no significant difference on the side effects of drugs and the rheumatoid factor between the two groups. Conclusion： Yiyiren Decoction with western medicine had advantages in alleviating clinical symptoms and laboratory index of rheumatoid arthritis patients. While, the quality of included studies was low and possible publication bias was present, further multi-center double-blind randomized control trials with larger sample are needed.

Comparative study for cardiovascular risk factors of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis

Objective： To compare the difference of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis （RA） and osteoarthritis （OA）. Methods： A retrospective analysis was performed to compare the difference of cardiovascular factors between 44 patients with RA and 36 patients with OA in terms of their gender, age, body mass index, course of disease, carotid ultrasound related indicators, homocysteine, blood lipid levels, inflammation index, echocardiographic index, etc. Results： （1） General situation： there was no significant difference between two groups in terms of gender and age （P 〉 0.05）. However, body mass index of OA group was significantly higher than that of RA group and the course of disease of RA group was significantly longer than that of OA group （P = 0.024）. （2） Laboratory index： the level of homocysteine of RA group was significantly higher than that of OA group （P = 0.002）. Though there was no significant difference between these two groups in terms of total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein, apolipoprotein B and high density lipoprotein （P 〉 0.05）, the level of apolipoprotein A1 of RA group was significantly lower than that of OA group （P 〈 0.001） and the level of lipoprotein A of RA group was significantly higher than that of OA group （P 〈 0.001）. The levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C reactive protein of group RA were significantly higher than those of OA group （P 〈 0.001）. （3） Stroke volume and ejection fraction of echocardiography of RA patients were significantly lower than those of OA patients （P = 0.022, P = 0.009）. However, there was no significant difference between two groups in terms of aortic diameter, left atrial diameter, left ventricular end diastolic diameter, left ventricular end systolic diameter, left ventricular posterior wall thickness, left ventricular fractional shortening, right ventricular diameter, right atrial diameter, and interventricular septum thickness （P 〉 0.05）. Though significant difference in carotid artery plaque incidence between the two groups was not observed （P 〉 0.05）, the incidence of carotid artery thickening and carotid artery middle thickness were significantly different between the two groups （P 〈 0.001）. Conclusion： The rate for the occurrence of cardiovascular events in patients with RA was higher than those with OA. Additionally, effective control of RA patients’ conditions has the potential to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events.

Hydrogen Sulfide Promotes Root Organogenesis in Ipomoea batatas, Salix matsudana and Glycine max

In this report, we demonstrate that sodium hydrosulfide （NariS）, a hydrogen sulfide （H2S） donor, promoted adventitious root formation mediated by auxin and nitric oxide （NO）. Application of the HzS donor to seedling cuttings of sweet potato （Ipomoea batatas L.） promoted the number and length of adventitious roots in a dose-dependent manner. It was also verified that H2S or HS- rather than other sulfur-containing components derived from NariS could be attributed to the stimulation of adventitious root formation. A rapid increase in endogenous H2S, indole acetic acid （IAA） and NO were sequentially observed in shoot tips of sweet potato seedlings treated with HallS. Further investigation showed that H2S-mediated root formation was alleviated by N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid （NPA）, an IAA transport inhibitor, and 2-（4-carboxyphenyl）. 4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-0xide （cPTIO）, an NO scavenger. Similar phenomena in H2S donor-dependent root organogenesis were observed in both excised willow （Salix matsudana var. tortuosa Vilm） shoots and soybean （Glycine max L.） seedlings. These results indicated that the process of H2S-induced adventitious root formation was likely mediated by IAA and NO, and that H2S acts upstream of IAA and NO signal transduction pathways.

Multi-class classification method for strip steel surface defects based on support vector machine with adjustable hyper-sphere

Focusing on strip steel surface defects classification, a novel support vector machine with adjustable hyper-sphere （AHSVM） is formulated. Meanwhile, a new multi-class classification method is proposed. Originated from support vector data description, AHSVM adopts hyper-sphere to solve classification problem. AHSVM can obey two principles： the margin maximization and inner-class dispersion minimization. Moreover, the hyper-sphere of AHSVM is adjustable, which makes the final classification hyper-sphere optimal for training dataset. On the other hand, AHSVM is combined with binary tree to solve multi-class classification for steel surface defects. A scheme of samples pruning in mapped feature space is provided, which can reduce the number of training samples under the premise of classification accuracy, resulting in the improvements of classification speed. Finally, some testing experiments are done for eight types of strip steel surface defects. Experimental results show that multi-class AHSVM classifier exhibits satisfactory results in classification accuracy and efficiency.