OBJECTIVE To investigate the improvement mechanism of Huatan tongmai decoction on rats with polycystic ovary syndrome （PCOS） by regulating autophagy through phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase（PI3K）/protein kinase B（AKT）/mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） pathway. METHODS A total of 40 rats were randomly divided into blank group （purified water）， model group （purified water）， traditional Chinese medicine group [Huatan tongmai decoction， 24 g/（kg·d）] and chemical drug group [metformin， 0.16 g/（kg·d）]， with 10 rats in each group. Except for blank group， other groups were given a combination of high-fat diet and intragastric administration of 1 mg/kg letrozole suspension to establish PCOS rat model. After modeling， they were given relevant medicine or water intragastrically， once a day， for 42 consecutive days. After the last administration， the pathological and ultrastructural changes of ovarian tissue were observed. The levels of follicle stimulating hormone （FSH）， testosterone （T）， estradiol （E2） ，luteinizing hormone （LH） in serum were detected，and the LH/FSH ratio was calculated. mRNA expressions of Beclin-1， p62 and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 （LC3） in ovarian tissue were detected. The expressions of related proteins of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and autophagy in rat ovarian tissues were also detected. RESULTS Compared with blank group， the pathological damage and ultrastructural changes of the ovarian tissue in the model group rats were obvious， and a large number of autophagosomes could be seen in cells. The levels of T and LH and the LH/FSH ratio in serum， as well as mRNA and protein expressions of Beclin-1 and LC3， were increased significantly （P＜0.05）， while the levels of E2 and FSH in serum， as well as mRNA and protein expressions of p62 and the phosphorylation levels of PI3K， AKT and mTOR proteins in ovarian tissue， were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）. Compared with model group， the pathological damage of ovarian tissue in the administration groups was significantly reduced， the number of autophagosomes was smaller， and the expression levels of the above indicators were significantly reversed （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Huatan tongmai decoction can inhibit autophagy in ovarian granular cells by activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway， regulate the secretion of sex hormones， alleviate pathological damage in ovarian tissues， and promote normal follicular development， thereby exerting an ameliorative effect on PCOS rats.

Objective:To investigate the iodine nutritional status of pregnant women in Hangzhou City and analyze its influencing factors, in order to provide a basis for guiding pregnant women in Hangzhou City to supplement iodine scientifically.Methods:A stratified random sampling method was used to conduct a questionnaire survey on 1 400 pregnant women in Hangzhou City from March to October 2018. Random urine samples and household salt samples from pregnant women were collected, and the levels of urine iodine and salt iodine were measured using arsenic cerium catalytic spectrophotometry and direct titration, respectively. The iodine nutritional status of pregnant women with different basic characteristics and dietary levels were analyzed and compared (Kruskal-Wallis test), and the main influencing factors affecting the urinary iodine concentration level of pregnant women were identified (the ordinal multiple classification logistic regression analysis).Results:The median urinary iodine of pregnant women was 135.00 μg/L, and the qualified iodized salt consumption rate of pregnant women was 83.36% (1 167/1 400). In terms of basic characteristics, there were statistically significant differences in the distribution level of urine iodine among pregnant women with different pregnancy frequency, delivery frequency, and natural abortion frequency ( P < 0.05). In terms of diet, the frequency of consuming milk, yogurt, meat, and whether pregnant women consumed cabbage and cauliflower showed statistically significant differences in urinary iodine distribution levels ( P < 0.05). Ordinal multiple classification logistic regression analysis showed that the urine iodine levels of pregnant women who were pregnant twice were higher than those who were pregnant ≥3 times ( OR = 1.64, P = 0.003). Pregnant women who never or occasionally consumed yogurt had lower urine iodine levels than or equal to those who consumed 2 bottles of yogurt per day ( OR = 0.53, P = 0.044). Pregnant women who never or occasionally consumed meat and those who consumed meat once a week had higher urinary iodine levels than that who consumed meat ≥2 times per week ( OR = 1.40, 1.47, P < 0.05). Conclusions:The overall iodine nutrition of pregnant women in Hangzhou City is at an deficiency level. Pregnancy experience and dietary level are influencing factors on iodine nutrition of pregnant women. It is necessary to carry out in-depth health education for pregnant women, improve the dietary structure during pregnancy, and improve the abnormal iodine nutrition of pregnant women.

Objective    To evaluate the short- and mid-term outcomes of sequential anastomosis and simple anastomosis of saphenous vein in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods    The clinical data of 438 patients who underwent sequential anastomosis of saphenous vein and 165 patients who underwent simple anastomosis of saphenous vein from 2015 to 2018 in Daxing Teaching Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. After propensity score matching, 130 pairs of patients were included in the sequential anastomosis group [78 males and 52 females, aged 60 (52, 68) years] and simple anastomosis group [80 males and 50 females, aged 61 (52, 70) years]. The short- and mid-term clinical outcomes were compared. Results    The two propensity score-matched groups had similar baseline clinical data. No significant difference was found between sequential anastomosis and simple anastomosis groups in the in-hospital outcomes, including in-hospital death (1.5% vs. 1.5%, P=1.000), the incidence of complications (4.6% vs. 6.2%, P>0.05), and the mean flow of grafts (30.0±11.8 mL/min vs. 28.0±9.5 mL/min, P=0.597). The operation time of the sequential anastomosis group was shorter than that of the simple anastomosis group (142.5±21.2 min vs. 186.3±27.6 min, P<0.001). The drainage of the sequential anastomosis group was less than that of the simple anastomosis group (204.7±39.6 mL vs. 271.3±48.3 mL, P<0.001). The follow-up time was 12-60 (28.3±8.9) months, during which the mortality of the two groups was not statistically different (3.2% vs. 4.0%, P=0.796). Conclusion    The saphenous vein sequential anastomosis of saphenous vein is superior to the simple anastomosis. Sequential anastomosis technique can reduce aortic anastomosis,  shorten operation time, and reduce bleeding drainage during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. The short- and mid- term clinical effects are satisfactory.

Objective To identify the potential prognostic biomarkers of the immune-related genes signature for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods Original HCC data were downloaded from TCGA, and the immune activity of each sample was calculated by ssGSEA. HCC samples were divided into high and low immune cell infiltration groups by "GSVA" package and "hclust" package. The ESTIMATE algorithm scored the tumor microenvironment in each HCC sample. The "limma" package and Venn diagram identified effective immune-related genes. Univariate Cox, Lasso regression and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to explore key genes. The "rms" package was used to create nomograms and draw calibration curves. Results Compared with the high immune cell infiltration group, the tumor purity of the samples in the low immune cell infiltration group was higher, the immune score, ESTIMATE score and stromal score were lower. In the high immune cell infiltration group, the immune components were more abundant, and the expression levels of TIGIT, PD-L1, PD-1, LAG3, TIM-3, CTLA4 and HLA family were higher. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that four immune-related genes (S100A9, HMOX1, IL18RAP and FCER1G) were used to construct the prognosis model. Compared with other clinical features, the risk score of this prognostic model was recognized as an independent prognostic factor. Conclusion This study identified the immune-related core genes which may be used in targeted therapy and immunotherapy of HCC.

Based on ASP.NET framework, The Intelligent Estimated System for Rational Deployment of Medical Equipment (MERDIS) is designed and developed with SQL Server 2012 database and C# language. The system is used to realize the rational deployment suggestions and evaluation of medical equipment in hospitals. The system input the data of hospital medical equipment and clinical pathway into the database, and then feedback the deployment information to users which are calculated by big data information, so as to achieve the purpose of giving rational deployment of hospital medical equipment.
Databases, Factual ; Equipment Design ; Hospitals

Objective    To evaluate the clinical efficacy of preoperative intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) insertion in patients with off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG) surgery. Methods    The clinical data of 130 patients who underwent OPCABG with IABP from 2015 to 2019 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups, including a group A (preoperative IABP insertion, n=72) and a group B (emergent IABP insertion, n=58). There were 42 males and 30 females in the group A with an average age of 60-72 (65.0±5.2) years. There were 32 males and 26 females in the group B with an average age of 56-73 (62.3±7.6) years. The in-hospital mortality rate and prognosis were compared between the two groups. Results    The in-hospital mortality rate in the group A (4.2%) was significantly lower than that in the group B (12.1%, P=0.002). The IABP time (40.8±10.3 min vs. 65.3±15.6 min), mechanical ventilation time (18.7±6.1 min vs. 48.7±10.5 min) and ICU stay time (48.1±7.8 min vs. 90.2±21.3 min) of the group A were shorter than those of the group B (P<0.05). The number of bypass grafts was not significantly different between the two groups (3.6±1.2 vs. 3.8±1.0, P=0.387). Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality included age [OR=1.04, 95%CI (1.01, 1.10), P=0.030], female [OR=2.56, 95%CI (1.53, 6.12), P=0.000] and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter [OR=1.05, 95%CI (1.01, 1.13), P=0.030]. Preoperative IABP support was the protective factor [OR=0.17, 95%CI (0.01, 0.78), P=0.005]. Conclusion    Patients undergoing OPCABG with preoperative IABP insertion may reduce in-hospital mortality rate and improve outcomes.

Objective     To evaluate the clinical efficacy of coronary artery bypass grafting in the treatment of coronary artery disease patients aged over 70 years. Methods     A total of 160 patients with coronary atherosclerotic heart disease underwent off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting from January 2013 to December 2017. There were 94 males and 66 females at age of 70–85 (76.67±2.33) years. Operations were performed by using sternal median incision with the assistance of local myocardial surface fixator and shunt plug, and the saphenous vein and internal mammary arterywere used as grafted vessels. Results     All the patients were received successful off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting without death, and the cardiac function improved significantly. There were 62 patients with the internal mammary artery bridge and 98 patients with the whole vein bridge. All the patients were followed-up for 1 to 4 years. All the patients had obvious relief of angina pectoris. Conclusion     Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting for the treatment of elderly patients with coronary heart disease is an effective and safe operation, especially for patients with renal insufficiency, cerebrovascular disease, respiratory disease and severe left ventricular dysfunction.

Objective To compare the differences in setup error ( SE) assessment and correction between three-dimensional cone-beam computed tomography ( 3DCBCT ) and four-dimensional CBCT ( 4 DCBCT ) in breast irradiation patients during free breathing after breast-conserving surgery . Methods Twenty patients with breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery were recruited for external beam breast irradiation and 4DCBCT and 3DCBCT simulation. The target volumes were delineated. Volumetric modulated arc therapy plans were designed using the MONACO v510 treatment planning system. 3DCBCT and 4DCBCT images were collected alternately five times each before breast irradiation. The CT images were matched, and the interfraction SEs were acquired. After online setup correction, the residual errors were calculated, and the SEs, systematic errors, and random errors were compared. The paired t test was used for comparison between groups. Results The SEs acquired by 4DCBCT were significantly larger than those acquired by 3DCBCT in three directions ( P=0035, 0018, 0040 ) . After online setup correction, the random errors based on 3DCBCT were significantly smaller than those based on 4DCBCT in left-right and anterior-posterior ( AP ) directions ( 0.5± 039 mm vs. 0.7± 030 mm, P=0005;0.9± 109 mm vs. 1.2± 048 mm, P=0000) , and the residual errors based on 3DCBCT were also significantly smaller than those based on 4DCBCT in AP direction (0.2±033 mm vs. 0.6±063 mm, P=0000). The setup margins based on 4DCBCT was significantly larger than those based on 3DCBCT in AP direction both before and after online setup correction (P=0002). Conclusions Compared with 3DCBCT, 4DCBCT has more advantages in monitoring the SEs in three directions. Both 3DCBCT and 4DCBCT have similar efficacy in random error correction. The satisfying position repeatability and minimized target volume margins will be achieved by online setup correction.

Objective To investigate the effect of dexamethasone combined with oridonin on proliferation and apoptosis in multiple myeloma cells U266 and the related molecular mechanism. Methods Exponential phase of growth U266 cells were treated with different concentrations of oridonin combined with dexamethasone or alone. U266 cells treated by DMSO were taken as control group. The proliferation inhibitory ratios were measured by CCK-8 assay followed by 24 h, 48 h and 72 h. Apoptosis induction was assessed by using Annexin V-FITC kit. Real time PCR was used to examine the mRNA changes of Notch1, NF-κB/p65 and bcl-2. Western blot assay was applied to detect the protein expression of Notch1, cleaved Notch1, NF-κB/p65 and bcl-2. Results Compared with that in control group, proliferation in all the experimental groups was inhibited (P<0.05), and the apoptosis was promoted (P<0.05); especially the combination of dexamethasone and oridonin had a synergistic effect on the proliferation and apoptosis of U266 cells (P<0.05). The results of PCR and Western blot showed that after treatment of U266 cells with dexamethasone, the mRNA as well as their protein levels of NF-κB/p65 and bcl-2 were decreased compared with those in the control group (P<0.05). Moreover, the mRNA and protein expression of Notch1, cleaved Notch1, NF-κB/p65 and bcl-2 was obviously down-regulated in oridonin group and the combination group (P<0.05). Conclusion Combination of dexamethasone and oridonin can significantly increase the anti-tumor effect by inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis of U266 cells, which may be related to the inhibition of the Notch1 pathway.

AIM:To study the epigenetic mechanisms involved in the evolution of prostate cancer from an an-drogen-dependent state to an androgen-independent state , and the global difference of histone H 3 methylation between an-drogen-dependent and -independent prostate cancer cells .METHODS:The methylation sites and patterns of histone H 3 in androgen-dependent prostate cancer cell line LNCaP and androgen-independent prostate cancer cell line DU 145 were ana-lyzed by heavy methyl stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture ( SILAC) coupled with 2D LC-MS/MS.West-ern blotting was used to verify the results from MS .The differential expression of related methylases and demethylases was tested by real-time PCR.RESULTS:Five methylation sites on histone H3 were found in both cell lines, the patterns of which were as follows: H3K14me2, H3R17me1, H3K36me1, H3K36me2, H3K36me3, H3R72me2, H3K79me1 and H3K79me2.There were 2 different peptides both containing methylated H 3K36,“KSAPATGGVKKPHR” and“KSAPSTG-GVKKPHR”, which were different from the 31th amino acid residue “A” and “S”.The former peptide belonging to his-tone H3 variants, H31T, H31 and H32, was mainly identified in DU145 cells, the total peptide counts of which were much more than that of the latter peptide belonging to histone H 3 variant H31T, suggesting that these 2 cell lines expressed differ-ent histone H3 variants.Mono-and dimethylation of H3K36 were not different between these 2 cell lines, but the trimethyl-ation was significantly higher in DU 145 cells than that in LNCaP cells .Many H3K36 demethyltransferases were decreased in DU145 cells compared with LNCaP cells .CONCLUSION: The differential expression of histone H 3 variants and H3K36 demethyltransferases may result in up-regulation of H3K36 tri-methylation during the evolution of prostate cancer from an androgen-dependent state to an androgen-independent state .