The impact of androgen levels on serum metabolic profiles in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the impact of serum androgen levels on metabolic profiles in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). METHODS: We included 216 patients with PCOS and 216 healthy individuals selected as the control group. According to the measured serum androgen levels, patients with PCOS were divided into the hyperandrogenism group and non-hyperandrogenism group. Clinical metabolic indicators were assessed and compared between the two groups. Additionally, we assessed the correlation between androgen levels and clinical metabolic indicators. RESULTS: The body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, mF-G score, and acne score, as well as T, LH, LSH/FSH, FPG, Cr, UA, TG, TC, and LDL-C levels were significantly higher in the PCOS group than in the control group. The incidence of hyperandrogenism and clinical hyperandrogenism in the PCOS group was significantly higher than that in the control group. Regarding clinical hyperandrogenism, hirsutism, acne, and acanthosis nigricans were significantly more common in the PCOS group than in the control group. Serum androgen levels were significantly correlated with the mF-G score, acne score, FSH, glucose concentration at 30 min, glucose concentration at 60 min, glucose concentration at 120 min, FINS, N120, HOMA-IR, HbA1c, AUCG, UA, TG, and hHDL-Clevels. CONCLUSION: Elevated serum androgen levels are commonly observed in patients with PCOS and are associated with multiple metabolic abnormalities. Therefore, it is recommended to regularly monitor glucose and lipid metabolism-related indicators in patients with PCOS who have elevated androgen levels.

Cervical Cancer, Human Papillomavirus Infection, and Vaccine-Related Knowledge: Awareness in Chinese Women.

Cervical cancer (CC) has a high incidence and mortality and is accompanied by lack of organized CC screening programs, lack of health-care facilities, and a lack of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among female population in the world, particularly China. We recruited 487 females who visited the outpatient department of the First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province from November 2015 to January 2016 to complete a standardized-designed questionnaire. We found that only 39.6% of the females knew about the role of HPVs in the development of cervical cancer. Moreover, none of the females knew that HPV could cause penile carcinomas, perianal carcinomas, and head and neck carcinomas. The majority of the participants acquired information about cervical cancer, HPV, and the HPV vaccine from medical workers. Only 15.6% of the recruited females had heard about the HPV vaccine. The overall HPV vaccine acceptance rate was higher (91.2%) if the vaccine was available free of cost. In this study, we found high acceptability of the HPV vaccine in Chinese women and high awareness about cervical cancer. However, very low levels of knowledge about HPVs and their role in cancer development among the recruited women is alarming. Therefore, it is very important to initiate educational programs to raise awareness and knowledge about cervical cancer, HPV, and the HPV vaccine in this region.

The distribution of human papillomavirus genotypes in cervical cancer and intraepithelial neoplasia lesions among Chinese women in Yunnan Province.

This study was designed to explore baseline data about the prevalence and distribution of human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes among Chinese women who had cervical intraepithelial lesions and cervical cancer. A total of 511 patients were recruited, and biopsy samples were collected from these patients. Polymerase chain reaction was used to detect HPV-positive samples, and the HPV GenoArray kit was used for genotyping. A total of 23 genotypes were detected, including 13 that were high risk-HPV (HR-HPV), 3 that were potential high risk-HPV (PHR-HPV) and 7 that were low risk-HPV (LR-HPV). The prevalence rates of HPV infection in Han women diagnosed with cervical intraepithelial lesions (CIN) 1, 2, and 3 and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) were 98.30%, 97.56, 100% and 90%, respectively. The HPV-positive cases in women of other ethnicities diagnosed with CIN1, CIN2, and CIN3 and SCC were 95%, 90.91%, 88.23% and 83.33%, respectively. The most frequent genotypes in both ethnic groups were HPV-16, 52, and 58. LR-HPV was detected in SCC lesions in the non-Han ethnic group. In the Han ethnic group, the LR-HPV genotype was mostly restricted to CIN1 lesions. Furthermore, we found a high prevalence of PHR-HPV-81 in SCC lesions among Han women. Ethnic background, smoking, sex at an early age, unprotected sex, use of contraceptives, and the withdrawal method were found to be significantly associated with HPV infection. In conclusion, this study explores epidemiological data regarding the prevalence of HPV and the genotype distribution in patients with SCC and CIN lesions in Yunnan Province, China.

Effects of electrophysiological heterogeneity on vulnerability to re-entry in human ventricular tissue: A simulation study.

In this study, we constructed a two-dimensional ventricular tissue sheet with cellular electrophysiology modified from the Ten Tusscher 2006 Model. Heterogeneity was created by dividing the tissue into endocardium, midmyocardium and epicardium, further enhanced by a central ischemic zone. Subsequently, we investigated how electrophysiological heterogeneity affects re-entry initiation and maintenance in this tissue. Furthermore, we analyzed the vulnerable window (VW) under several conditions and concluded that heterogeneity across various myocardia expands the VW further than the monolayer myocardium model does.

Low-energy defibrillation research using a rabbit ventricular model: optimizing the potential gradient distribution using multiple epicardial electrodes.

Cardiac potential gradient distribution directly affects defibrillation efficacy, and the electrode configuration that ensures optimal distribution is yet to be determined. In this study, a rabbit ventricular finite element conductor model containing blood perfusion in ventricular cavities was developed. The electric field was solved on the model by using 95% myocardial volume potential gradient higher than 5 V/cm as the successful defibrillation threshold (DFT). Multiple epicardial electrodes (MEE) protocols and a SCAN protocol were used to identify the optimum defibrillation method. Results showed that when using the SCAN protocol, DFT energy reduced to 4.3% that of the control group which had the traditional implantable cardioverter defibrillator current path. Rapidly switching scanning stimuli generated using MEE pairs is a promising low-energy defibrillation method. For multiple electrodes defibrillation, the distribution of the electrode pairs determine the defibrillation efficacy, and the counteraction effect has negative effect on defibrillation. These findings can provide suggestions for clinical applications.

Low-energy defibrillation with multi-electrodes stimulation: A simulation study.

The objective of this study is to explore the possible ways to reduce defibrillation energy and further reveal the mechanism of electric defibrillation. A bidomain simulation study was performed on a rabbit whole-ventricle electrophysiological model and the feasibility of the defibrillation strategy with multi-electrodes stimulation was verified. Simulation results indicate that the new approach is effective in low-energy defibrillation.

Analytical and semipreparative resolution of enatiomers of albendazole sulfoxide by HPLC on amylose tris (3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) chiral stationary phases.

Broad spectrum anthelmintic agent-albendazole sulfoxide (ABZSO) have been separated and semiprepared on amylose tris (3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) chiral stationary phases by HPLC using mobile phases contained with n-hexane and different alcohols. For analytical separation the influence of the nature and content of alcoholic modifiers on separation were systemically studied. Then, the analytical methods were scaled up to semipreparative loading to obtain small quantities (about 1 g) of both ABZSO enantiomers. Especially, different loading amounts were investigated for their effect on various parameters of semipreparative HPLC. In addition, optical rotation and circular dichroism (CD) of both ABZSO enantiomers collected were determined and single enantiomers were found stable in configuration for 1 year.

The simultaneous multiple sites epicardial mapping of ventricular fibrillation.

Some recently researches have showed that cardiac electrical activities are chaotic during ventricular fibrillation (VF) [1]. It is very difficult to realize the originations and evolvements of these complex activities by used of non-simultaneous mapping techniques. Simultaneous multiple sites epicardial mapping is one of the precise mapping techniques developed in recent years. Fudan University has designed a novel 64/176-channel epicardial mapping system [2]. The new design includes a multi-electrodes patch, 64-channel ECG (electrocardiogram) signal amplifier, 80-channel A/D converter and a PC (personal computer). It uses finite hardware resources to detect depolarization wave from any way, any direction wherever in the whole mapping area. In this article we will discuss the characteristics of the mapping system and some interesting results we have obtained from the animal trials by use of this system.

Stability of Cardiac Action Potential Duration under Periodic Pacing.

Action potential duration (APD) alternans is believed to be a loss of stability and contributes much to the reentry arrhythmias. The purpose of this study is to analyze the stability conditions for one-dimension model and higher dimension model. These criterions are concluded by linear stability analysis in nonlinear dynamics. They should be useful for finding of cardiac control algorithms in low energy defibrillation and the designing of antiarrhythmic drug.