Advances in the investigation of N6-isopentenyl adenosine i6A RNA modification.

Prenylation (isopentenylation), a key post-transcriptional modification with a hydrophobic prenyl group onto the biomacromolecules such as RNA and proteins, influences their localization and function. Prenyltransferases mediate this process, while cytokinin oxidases degrade the prenylated adenosine in plants. This review summarizes current progress in detecting prenylation modifications in RNA across species and their effects on protein synthesis. Advanced methods have been developed to label and study these modifications in vitro and in vivo, despite challenges posed by the inert chemical properties of prenyl groups. Continued advancements in bioorthogonal chemistry promise new tools for understanding the precise biological functions of prenylated RNA modifications and other related proteins.

Comparative Efficacy of Micro-Needle-Knife Therapy and Acupuncture in Acute Ankle Sprains: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND Micro-needle knife (MNK) therapy releases the superficial fascia to alleviate pain and improve joint function in patients with acute ankle sprains (AAS). We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MNK therapy vs that of acupuncture. MATERIAL AND METHODS This blinded assessor, randomized controlled trial allocated 80 patients with AAS to 2 parallel groups in a 1: 1 ratio. The experimental group received MNK therapy; the control group underwent conventional acupuncture treatment at specified acupoints. Clinical efficacy differences between the 2 groups before (time-point 1 [TP1]) and after treatment (TP2) were evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and Kofoed ankle score. Safety records and evaluations of adverse events were documented. One-month follow-up after treatment (TP3) was conducted to assess the intervention scheme's reliability. RESULTS VAS and Kofoed ankle scores significantly improved in both groups. No patients dropped due to adverse events. At TP1, there were no significant differences between the 2 groups in terms of VAS and Kofoed scores (P>0.05). However, at TP2, efficacy of MNK therapy in releasing the superficial fascia was significantly superior to that of acupuncture treatment (P<0.001). At TP3, no significant differences in scores existed between the groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that 6 sessions of MNK therapy to release the superficial fascia safely and effectively alleviated pain and enhanced ankle joint function in patients with AAS, surpassing the efficacy of conventional acupuncture treatment. Future studies should increase the sample size and introduce additional control groups to further validate the superior clinical efficacy of this intervention.

A controlled study of the hygienic technical evaluation of the transaxillary approach for inflation-free single-port lumpectomy versus conventional transcervical anterior open surgery in radical thyroid cancer resection.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate sanitary techniques for radical thyroid cancer surgery via the transaxillary approach without inflation single-port endoscopic surgery (TAWISES) and the conventional open anterior cervical approach (COACAS) in a controlled manner. METHODS: This work was a retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 60 patients admitted to our hospital for unilateral radical thyroid cancer surgery between 01/2021 and 12/2022. The control group underwent COACAS (30 patients), and the experimental group underwent TAWISES (30 patients). The patients' operative time, intraoperative bleeding volume, 24-h postoperative pain index, drainage tube carrying time, hospitalization duration and complication rate were compared and analyzed. The patients were followed up for 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively and evaluated based on numbness, muscular tightness, pain and other discomfort in the neck, as well as satisfaction with social adaptation and cosmetic incisions. The recurrence status was assessed for 1 year in both groups of patients. A questionnaire survey was conducted to assess patient acceptance of the two surgical approaches. The economic characteristics (cost-effectiveness and cost-utility) of the different approaches in our region were evaluated comprehensively. RESULTS: The length of the incision, drainage tube carrying time and hospitalization duration were greater in the experimental group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The differences in complication rate, intraoperative bleeding volume, 24-h postoperative pain index and recurrence rate were not statistically significant between the two groups (P > 0.05). Neck discomfort was greater in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant at the 3-month postoperative follow-up (P < 0.05). The differences at the 6- and 12-month postoperative follow-ups were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). However, mild discomfort was significantly more common in the experimental group (63.33% > 36.67%, 80% > 53.33%, P < 0.05). The experimental group had better social adaptability, greater total medical costs, and better overall patient medical satisfaction than did the control group (P < 0.05). The acceptance of TAWISL was greater than that of COACAS (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Compared with COACLAS, TAWISES is safe and effective and better meets the cosmetic, psychological and social adaptation needs of patients. TAWISES is also more cost effective and can be better utilized for the population in our region, filling the gap in surgical modalities for thyroid cancer in in our region.

A pervasive phosphorylation cascade modulation of plant transcription factors in response to abiotic stress.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Transcriptional regulation of stress-responsive genes is a crucial step in establishing the mechanisms behind plant abiotic stress tolerance. A sensitive method of regulating transcription factors activity, stability, protein interaction, and subcellular localization is through phosphorylation. This review highlights a widespread regulation mechanism that involves phosphorylation of plant TFs in response to abiotic stress. Abiotic stress is one of the main components limiting crop yield and sustainability on a global scale. It greatly reduces the land area that is planted and lowers crop production globally. In all living organisms, transcription factors (TFs) play a crucial role in regulating gene expression. They participate in cell signaling, cell cycle, development, and plant stress response. Plant resilience to diverse abiotic stressors is largely influenced by TFs. Transcription factors modulate gene expression by binding to their target gene's cis-elements, which are impacted by genomic characteristics, DNA structure, and TF interconnections. In this review, we focus on the six major TFs implicated in abiotic stress tolerance, namely, DREB, bZIP, WRKY, ABF, MYB, and NAC, and the cruciality of phosphorylation of these transcription factors in abiotic stress signaling, as protein phosphorylation has emerged as one of the key post-translational modifications, playing a critical role in cell signaling, DNA amplification, gene expression and differentiation, and modification of other biological configurations. These TFs have been discovered after extensive study as stress-responsive transcription factors which may be major targets for crop development and important contributors to stress tolerance and crop production.

Early postnatal irradiation-induced age-dependent changes in adult mouse brain: MRI based characterization.

BACKGROUND: Brain radiation exposure, in particular, radiotherapy, can induce cognitive impairment in patients, with significant effects persisting for the rest of their life. However, the main mechanisms leading to this adverse event remain largely unknown. A study of radiation-induced injury to multiple brain regions, focused on the hippocampus, may shed light on neuroanatomic bases of neurocognitive impairments in patients. Hence, we irradiated BALB/c mice (male and female) at postnatal day 3 (P3), day 10 (P10), and day 21 (P21) and investigated the long-term radiation effect on brain MRI changes and hippocampal neurogenesis. RESULTS: We found characteristic brain volume reductions in the hippocampus, olfactory bulbs, the cerebellar hemisphere, cerebellar white matter (WM) and cerebellar vermis WM, cingulate, occipital and frontal cortices, cerebellar flocculonodular WM, parietal region, endopiriform claustrum, and entorhinal cortex after irradiation with 5 Gy at P3. Irradiation at P10 induced significant volume reduction in the cerebellum, parietal region, cingulate region, and olfactory bulbs, whereas the reduction of the volume in the entorhinal, parietal, insular, and frontal cortices was demonstrated after irradiation at P21. Immunohistochemical study with cell division marker Ki67 and immature marker doublecortin (DCX) indicated the reduced cell division and genesis of new neurons in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus in the hippocampus after irradiation at all three postnatal days, but the reduction of total granule cells in the stratum granulosun was found after irradiation at P3 and P10. CONCLUSIONS: The early life radiation exposure during different developmental stages induces varied brain pathophysiological changes which may be related to the development of neurological and neuropsychological disorders later in life.

Enhanced Electrochemical Performance of Aprotic Li-CO2 Batteries with a Ruthenium-Complex-Based Mobile Catalyst.

Li-CO2 batteries are regarded as next-generation high-energy-density electrochemical devices. However, the greatest challenge arises from the formation of the discharge product, Li2 CO3 , which would accumulate and deactivate heterogenous catalysts to cause huge polarization. Herein, Ru(bpy)3 Cl2 was employed as a solution-phase catalyst for Li-CO2 batteries and proved to be the most effective one screened so far. Spectroscopy and electrochemical analyses elucidate that the RuII center could interact with both CO2 and amorphous Li2 C2 O4 intermediate, thus promoting electroreduction process and delaying carbonate transformation. As a result, the charge potential is reduced to 3.86 V and over 60 discharge/charge cycles are achieved with a fixed capacity of 1000 mAh g-1 at a current density of 300 mA g-1 . Our work provides a new avenue to improve the electrochemical performance of Li-CO2 batteries with efficient mobile catalysts.

Incidence and risk factors of bradycardia in pediatric patients undergoing intranasal dexmedetomidine sedation.

BACKGROUND: Dexmedetomidine is widely used for non-invasive pediatric procedural sedation. However, the hemodynamic effects of intravenous dexmedetomidine are a concern. There has been a growing interest in the application of intranasal dexmedetomidine as a sedative in children. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence of bradycardia in children undergoing intranasal dexmedetomidine sedation and to identify the associated risk factors. METHODS: Data pertaining to pediatric patients who underwent intranasal dexmedetomidine sedation for non-invasive investigations at the Kunming Children's Hospital between October 2017 and August 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Out of 9984 children who qualified for inclusion, 228 children (2.3%) developed bradycardia. The incidence of bradycardia in the group that received additional dose of dexmedetomidine was higher than that in the group that did not receive additional dose (9.2% vs 16.7%; P = .003). The incidence of bradycardia in males was higher than that in females (2.6% vs 1.8%; P = .007). On multivariate logistic regression, only male gender showed an independent association with the occurrence of bradycardia (odds ratio 1.48; 95% confidence interval 1.11-1.97; P = .008). CONCLUSIONS: The overall incidence of bradycardia in children after sole use of intranasal dexmedetomidine sedation was 2.3%. Male children showed a 1.48-fold higher risk of bradycardia. However, the blood pressure of the children who developed bradycardia was within the normal range. Simple wake-up can effectively manage bradycardia induced by intranasal dexmedetomidine sedation.

Serious airway-related adverse events with sevoflurane anesthesia via facemask for magnetic resonance imaging in 7129 pediatric patients: A retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: This retrospective study evaluated the safety and effectiveness of sevoflurane anesthesia by facemask for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning among pediatric patients in a high-volume MRI department. METHODS: The medical records of 7129 pediatric patients (median age 12 months, range 4.0-36.0 months) who were administered anesthesia during MRI scanning were reviewed. Anesthesia via 8% and 1.5%-2% sevoflurane was used for induction and maintenance, respectively. All the patients were monitored by anesthetists in the postanesthesia care unit. Vital signs were recorded every 5 minutes. Airway-related adverse events, sevoflurane induction time, MRI scanning time, and recovery time were recorded. Patients were discharged when no complications were found for 10-15 minutes, with Aldrete's score ≥9. RESULTS: After sevoflurane anesthesia, there were 28 severe airway-related adverse events (0.4%, 95% CI: 0.2%-0.5%), and 12 patients had severe respiratory apnea (0.2%, 95% CI: 0.1%-0.2%). The percentage of patients with respiratory apnea was significantly higher in preterm infants compared with term infants (2.4% cf. 0.5%, P = 0.012). Sixteen patients had severe airway obstruction (0.2%, 95% CI: 0.1%-0.3%). CONCLUSION: The major severe airway-related adverse events among pediatric patients associated with sevoflurane anesthesia were respiratory apnea and airway obstruction. The respiratory condition of preterm infants should be monitored carefully when under sevoflurane anesthesia. Overall, sevoflurane is safe and can be used efficiently for pediatric anesthesia in high-volume MRI departments.

Optimal Sensor Formation for 3D Cooperative Localization of AUVs Using Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) Method.

The cooperative localization of submerged autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) using the Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) measurements of surface AUV sensors is an effective method for many applications of AUVs. Proper positioning of the sensors to maximize the observability of the AUVs is very critical for cooperative localization. In this paper, a novel method for obtaining the optimal formation of sensor AUVs has been presented for the three-dimensional (3D) cooperative localization of targets using the TDOA technique. An evaluation function for estimating the optimal formation has been derived based on Fisher Information Matrix (FIM) theory for a single target as well as multiple-target cooperative localization systems. An iterative stepping algorithm has been followed to solve the evaluation function and obtain the optimal positions of the sensors. The algorithm ensured that the computation complexity should remain limited, even when the number of sensor AUVs is increased. Various simulation examples are then presented to calculate the optimal formation for different systems/situations. The effect of the position of the reference sensor and operating depth of the target AUVs on the optimal formation of the sensors has also been studied, and conclusions are drawn. For implementation of the proposed method for more practical scenarios, a simulation example is also presented for cases when the target's position is only known with uncertainty.

Prognostic value of three different lymph node staging systems in the survival of patients with gastric cancer following D2 lymphadenectomy.

The log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS) was defined as the log of the ratio between the number of positive lymph nodes and the number of negative lymph nodes, which is a novel and promising nodal staging system for gastric cancer. Here, we aimed to compare the prognostic effect of pN, lymph node ratio (LNR) and LODDS. The association between overall survival and pN, LNR and LODDS was retrospectively analysed. The discriminatory ability and monotonicity of gradients (linear trend χ (2) score), homogeneity ability (likelihood ratio test) and prognostic stratification ability (Akaike information criterion [AIC] and receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curve) were compared among three lymph node staging systems. The pN, LNR and LODDS were all identified as independent prognostic factors for gastric cancer patients in the multivariate analysis. LODDS showed the best prognostic performance (linear trend χ (2) score 266.743, likelihood ratio χ (2) test score 427.771, AIC value 5670.226, area under the curve (AUC) 0.793), followed by LNR and pN. In patients with different levels of retrieved lymph nodes (≤10, 11-14, 15-25 and >25), LODDS was the most powerful for prognostic prediction and discrimination of the heterogeneity among the subgroups. Significant differences in survival were observed among patients in different LODDS subgroups after being classified according to the pN and LNR classifications. LODDS appears to be a more powerful system for predicting the overall survival of gastric cancer patients, as compared to LNR and pN, and may serve as an alternative nodal staging system for gastric cancer.

Asymmetric additions of thioglycolates and N-Boc aldimines catalyzed by a bifunctional tertiary-amine squaramide.

A highly enantioselective asymmetric addition reaction of thioglycolates and N-Boc aldimines was promoted by a bifunctional tertiary-amine squaramide catalyst. As a result, a number of chiral N,S-acetal derivatives were efficiently synthesized with good enantioselectivities.

Neurogenesis in the Hippocampus of Patients with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.

The mobilization of endogenous neural stem cells in order to substitute lost neurons in the adult brain may reduce the negative effects of patients with chronic neurodegenerative diseases. However, abnormal neurogenesis may be harmful and could lead to the worsening of patients' symptoms. In the brains of patients and animal models with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), increased newly generated neurons in the subgranular zone (SGZ) at early stages after brain insults have been speculated to be involved in epileptogenesis. However, this argument is unsupported by evidence showing that (1) hippocampal neurogenesis is reduced at chronic stages of intractable TLE, (2) decreased neurogenesis is involved in epileptogenesis, and (3) spontaneous recurrent seizures occur before newly generated neurons are integrated into hippocampal neural pathways. Therefore, the hypothesis of increased neurogenesis in epileptogenesis may need to be re-evaluated. In this paper, we systemically reviewed brain neurogenesis and relevant molecules in the regulation of neurogenesis in SGZ. We aimed to update researchers and epileptologists on current progresses on pathophysiological changes of neurogenesis at different stages of TLE in patients and animal models of TLE. The interactions among neurogenesis, epileptogenesis and cognitive impairment, and molecules' mechanism involved in neurogenesis would also be discussed. Future research directions are proposed at the end of this paper.

[Predict value of European system for cardiac operative risk evaluation II on 30 days operative mortality in patients with severe coronary artery disease undergoing active treatments].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the predict value of European system for cardiac operative risk evaluation (EuroSCORE) II on early death in patients with severe coronary artery disease undergoing active treatment. METHODS: Consecutive 2 240 patients with three-vessel disease ( with or without left main disease) diagnosed by elevtive coronary angiogram between July 2011 and September 2012 were screened for this study, data from 1 892 patients who underwent active treatments (percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting) were analyzed retrospectivly. The predicted 30 days operative mortality calculated with EuroSCORE II was compared with the actual one. The calibration and discrimination of EuroSCORE II were tested with Hosmer-Lemeshow χ2 test and area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve respectively. RESULTS: Age was 61.0 (54.0-68.0) years old and 75.8% (1,435/1,892) were male in this cohort, 58.0% (1,097/1,892) patients received percutaneous coronary intervention and 42.0% (795/1,892) patients received coronary artery bypass grafting. The overall 30 days operative mortality was 0.53% (10/1,892), 30 days operative mortality predicted by EuroSCORE II was 0.85% (95% CI:0. 44%-1.26%). The calibration (χ2 = 3.47 and P > 0.10) and discrimination (area under ROC curve was 0.75) of EuroSCORE II were satisfactory. CONCLUSION: EuroSCORE II could precisely predict 30 days operative mortality for three-vessel disease patients with or without left main disease undergoing active treatments.

The expression and clinical significance of UHRF1 in soft tissue sarcomas and its prognostic value.

To explore the expression and prognostic value of UHRF1 gene in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) and its related molecular mechanism. The expression data and clinicopathological parameters of STS were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The expression level of UHRF1 in STS and adjacent tissues and its relationship with clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed. The expression level of UHRF1 in STS tissues was significantly higher than that in paracancerous tissues (P < .001), and the overall survival (OS) time of patients with high UHRF1 expression was significantly shorter than that of patients with low UHRF1 expression (P = .002). The expression of UHRF1 was correlated with tumor necrosis, histological type and metastasis, and the differences were statistically significant (P = .013; P = .001; P = .002). The area ratio under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve between STS tissue and adjacent tissue of UHRF1 expression was 0.994. Number of tumors (HR = 0.416, 95%CI = 0.260-0.666, P < .001), depth of tumor (HR = 2.888, 95%CI = 0.910-9.168, P = .033), metastasis (HR = 2.888, 95% CI = 1.762-4.732, P < .001), residual tumor (HR = 2.637, 95% CI = 1.721-4.038, P < .001) and UHRF1 expression (HR = 1.342, 95% CI = 1.105-1.630, P = .003) were significantly associated with OS, and high expression of UHRF1 (HR = 1.387, 95%CI = 1.008-1.907, P = .044) was an independent risk factor for the prognosis of STS patients. The results of the nomogram exhibited that UHRF1 expression level had a significant effect on the total score value. GSEA enrichment analysis suggested that UHRF1 was involved in 14 signaling pathways regulating mRNA spliceosome, cell cycle, P53 signaling pathway were identified. Single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) exhibited that the expression of UHRF1 in STS was positively correlated with the level of Th2 cell infiltration, and negatively correlated with plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC), natural killer cells (NK), Eosinophils, Mast cells, etc. UHRF1 expression is involved in the immune microenvironment of HCC and affects the occurrence and development of HCC. UHRF1 is highly expressed in STS tissues. It is involved in the regulation of multiple tumor-related signaling pathways and immune cell microenvironment, suggesting that UHRF1 may be a potential molecular marker for prognosis prediction and targeted therapy of STS patients.

Lycium barbarum Ameliorates Neural Damage Induced by Experimental Ischemic Stroke and Radiation Exposure.

Ischemic stroke and cranial radiotherapy may induce brain inflammatory response, oxidative stress, apoptosis and neuronal loss, and impairment of neurogenesis. Lycium barbarum has anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and anti-aging properties, may produce both neuroprotective and radioprotective effects. In this narrative review paper, we described the neuroprotective effect of Lycium barbarum in different animal models of experimental ischemic stroke and limited studies in irradiated animal models. Relevant molecular mechanisms are also summarized. It has been shown that in experimental ischemic stroke models, Lycium barbarum produces neuroprotective effects by modulating neuroinflammatory factors such as cytokines and chemokines, reactive oxygen species, and neurotransmitter and receptor systems. In irradiation animal models, Lycium barbarum prevents radiation-induced loss of hippocampal interneurons. Given its minimal side-effects, these preclinical studies suggest that Lycium barbarum may be a promising radio-neuro-protective drug that can be used as an adjunct treatment to radiotherapy for brain tumor and in the treatment of ischemic stroke. At molecular levels, Lycium barbarum may regulate PI3K/Akt/GSK-3ß, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, PKCε/Nrf2/HO-1, keap1-Nrf2/HO-1, and NR2A and NR2B receptor- related signal transduction pathways to produce neuroprotective effects.

Outcome of patients with colorectal liver metastasis: analysis of 1,613 consecutive cases.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to evaluate the long-time outcome of patients with colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) undergoing different types of therapy and identify prognosis factors. METHODS: From 2000 to 2010, 1,613 consecutive patients with CRLM were identified. Clinicopathological and outcome data were collected and analyzed by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Synchronous liver metastasis (SLM), female, grade III-IV, T4 and N positive of primary tumor, bilobar disease, number of liver metastases ≥ 4, size of largest liver metastases ≥ 5 cm, serum CEA level ≥ 5 ng/ml, and CA19-9 level ≥ 37 u/ml were the predictors of adverse outcome using univariate analysis. The median survival and 5-year survival rate for patients after resection of liver metastases was 49.8 months and 47%, better than that for those after other therapy. In addition, patients without treatment had the poorest survival. Sixty-four initially unresectable patients underwent surgery after conversion therapy with a median survival of 36.9 months and a 5-year survival of 30%. By multivariate analysis, SLM, poorly differentiated primary tumor, number of liver metastases ≥ 4, size of largest liver metastases ≥ 5 cm, and no surgical treatment of liver metastases were found to be independent predictors of poor survival. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with CRLM could get long-term survival benefit from different types of therapy, and resection of liver metastases was the optimal strategy. A predictive model using these above five factors may be of use in stratifying patients who may benefit from intensive surveillance and adjuvant therapy.

Effects of aerobic exercise on hippocampal SUMOylation in APP/PS1 transgenic mice.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease. SUMOylation, a post-translational modification, has been found to be dysregulated in the AD brain and to exacerbate learning and memory disabilities and increase amyloid beta (Aß) expression further. To investigate whether exercise-induced alleviation of AD was associated with SUMOylation, which still remains unknown, 3-month-old C57BL/6 mice and APP/PS1 transgenic mice were randomly divided into the wild-type control (WC), wild-type exercise (WE), APP/PS1 control (AC), and APP/PS1 exercise (AE) groups. Mice in the exercise groups underwent a 3-month treadmill exercise regimen. We observed impaired learning and memory abilities in APP/PS1 mice, but the 3-month treadmill exercise regimen improved spatial learning and memory abilities in wild-type and APP/PS1 mice. In addition, senile plaques, SUMO1 mRNA, and SENP1 mRNA levels increased in the hippocampi of APP/PS1 mice. However, 3-month treadmill exercise decreased the levels of senile plaques, SUMO1 mRNA and SENP1 mRNA as well as may reduce SUMO1 modification in 6-month-old APP/PS1 mice, but SUMO2 mRNA expression, SUMO2/3 modification, and overall SUMOylation levels did not significantly change. Our results suggest that the impaired learning and memory abilities and aggregations of Aß may relate to increased hippocampal SUMO1 transcription levels; the beneficial effects of treadmill exercise on learning and memory performances and AD pathogenesis may associated with the abatement of SUMO1 modification, but may not with SUMO2/3 modification.

[A case control study:the treatment of cervical vertigo with micro needle knife].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of micro needle knife therapy on cervical vertigo. METHODS: A total of 300 patients with cervical vertigo treated from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019 were randomly divided into micro needle knife group (96 cases, 4 cases falling off), traditional acupuncture group (96 cases, 4 cases falling off) and oral drug group(95 cases, 5 cases falling off). The micro needle knife group was treated with micro needle knife in the local upper cervical segment once every other day for 7 times; the traditional acupuncture group was treated with traditional acupuncture once a day for 2 weeks;the oral drug group was given Merislon (betahistine mesilate tablets) orally, 6 mg each time, 3 times a day for 2 weeks. The patients were followed up before treatment, at the end of treatment and 3 months after treatment. The dizziness handicap inventory(DHI) was observed and the curative effect was evaluated according to the DHI score. RESULTS: At the end of the course of treatment and 3 months after the treatment, DHI scores of the three groups were significantly lower than those before treatment(P<0.01), and the DHI scores of micro needle knife group were lower than those of traditional acupuncture group and oral drug group at the same time point after treatment (P<0.01). There was no statistically significant difference in DHI scores between traditional acupuncture group and oral drug group at the same time after treatment(P< 0.05). The curative effect was evaluated according to DHI score:in micro needle knife group, 50 cases were cured, 28 cases were markedly effective, 14 cases were improved, the total effective rate was 95.83%; in traditional acupuncture group, 28 cases were cured, 26 cases were markedly effective, and 24 cases were improved, with the total effective rate of 81.25%;in oral drug group, 18 cases were cured, 20 cases were markedly effective, and 28 cases were improved, with the total effective rate of 69.47%. The total effective rate of micro needle knife group was significantly higher than that of other two groups (χ2=45.956, P=0.000). Among the cured patients in the three groups, the time required in the micro needle knife group was significantly less than that in the traditional acupuncture group and oral drug group(F=18.796, P=0.000). CONCLUSION: Micro needle knife loosening atlantoaxial soft tissue has obvious curative effect on cervical vertigo which clinical cure rate, effective rate and treatment time required for cured patients are better than traditional acupuncture and oral drug.

SAR Analysis of Heterocyclic Compounds with Monocyclic and Bicyclic Structures as Antifungal Agents.

Infections caused by eukaryotic organisms, such as fungi, are generally more difficult to treat than bacterial infections. With the widespread use of antifungal drugs in humans and plants, resistance and toxicity have emerged. Therefore, it is desirable to develop new antifungal drugs with low toxicity that are not susceptible to the development of resistance. This review presents a summary of the past few years (2017-2021) of research on heterocyclic compounds as antifungal agents for use in humans and plants, focusing on the structure-activity relationships (SAR) of these compounds. This review may provide ideas and information for designing and developing new antifungal drugs with fewer side effects compared with currently available drugs.

[Micro-needle knife in treatment of cervical vertigo and its effect on vertebral artery hemodynamics].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of micro-needle knife therapy and betahistine mesilate tablets in the treatment of cervical vertigo (CV) and the influence on the mean blood flow velocity (Vm) of vertebral artery. METHODS: A total of 200 patients with CV were randomly divided into a micro-needle knife group (100 cases, 5 cases dropped off) and a medication group (100 cases, 3 cases dropped off). In the micro-needle knife group, micro-needle knife was performed on the suboccipital triangle of the atlantoaxial segment of the posterior neck, once every other day, for a total of 7-time treatment. The medication group received oral betahistine mesilate tablets, 6 mg each time, three times a day, for 14 consecutive days. The dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) scores of the two groups were observed before treatment, after treatment and during follow-up 3 months after treatment; the Vm of vertebral artery was compared between the two groups before and after treatment, and the clinical effect was evaluated during follow-up. RESULTS: After treatment and during follow-up, the DHI scores of the two groups were lower than those before treatment (P<0.001), and those in the micro-needle knife group were lower than the medication group (P<0.001). After treatment, the Vm of bilateral vertebral arteries in both groups was higher than that before treatment (P<0.05), and that in the micro-needle knife group was higher than the medication group (P<0.05). The total effective rate of the micro-needle knife group was 96.8% (92/95), which was higher than 67.0% (65/97) of the medication group (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Micro-needle knife therapy can improve vertigo symptoms and balance dysfunction, increase the mean blood flow velocity of vertebral artery in CV patients, and its clinical efficacy is better than oral betahistine mesilate tablets.