Integration of Hydrogels and 3D Bioprinting Technologies for Chronic Wound Healing Management.

The integration of hydrogel-based bioinks with 3D bioprinting technologies presents an innovative approach to chronic wound management, which is particularly challenging to treat because of its multifactorial nature and high risk of complications. Using precise deposition techniques, 3D bioprinting significantly alters traditional wound care paradigms by enabling the fabrication of patient-specific wound dressings that imitate natural tissue properties. Hydrogels are notably beneficial for these applications because of their abundant water content and mechanical properties, which promote cell viability and pathophysiological processes of wound healing, such as re-epithelialization and angiogenesis. This article reviews key 3D printing technologies and their significance in enhancing the structural and functional outcomes of wound-care solutions. Challenges in bioink viscosity, cell viability, and printability are addressed, along with discussions on the cross-linking and mechanical stability of the constructs. The potential of 3D bioprinting to revolutionize chronic wound management rests on its capacity to generate remedies that expedite healing and minimize infection risks. Nevertheless, further studies and clinical trials are necessary to advance these therapies from laboratory to clinical use.

One Case of Abnormal Decrease of Interferon Gamma Release Assay Result Caused by Melphalan.

BACKGROUND: Interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) is an important method to detect the specific antigen of tuberculosis, which is crucial to the diagnosis of tuberculosis or potential tuberculosis infection. METHODS: We report a case of myelosuppression caused by the use of Melphalan in the treatment of multiple myeloma, resulting in an abnormal decrease in interferon gamma release assay results. RESULTS: We collected blood samples from the patient for retesting and the result of the test did not differ significantly. Upon reviewing the case, it was found that the patient's use of Melphalan treatment resulted in bone marrow suppression and extreme reduction of peripheral blood lymphocytes. Therefore, it is speculated that the abnormal decrease of the interferon gamma release assay result is caused by bone marrow suppression, which is caused by the use of Melphalan. CONCLUSIONS: When patients with multiple myeloma are treated with Melphalan, it can lead to bone marrow suppression and result in false negative interference gamma release assay results. Laboratory staff should consider the existence of such interference and communicate with clinical doctors in a timely manner.

A photo-modulated nitric oxide delivering hydrogel for the accelerated healing of biofilm infected chronic wounds.

Biofilm infection and impaired healing of chronic wounds are posing tremendous challenges in clinical practice. In this study, we presented a versatile antimicrobial hydrogel capable of delivering nitric oxide (NO) in a controllable manner to dissipate biofilms, eliminate microorganisms, and promote the healing of chronic wounds. This hydrogel was constructed by Schiff-base crosslinking of oxidized dextran and antimicrobial peptide ε-poly-lysine, further encapsulating photothermal nanoparticles bearing NO donor. This hydrogel could continuously and slowly release NO, effectively dissipating biofilms, and promoting the proliferation of mouse fibroblasts and the migration of endothelial cells. Upon exposure to NIR laser irradiation, the hydrogel generated hyperthermia and rapidly released NO, resulting in the efficient elimination of a broad spectrum of drug-resistant Gram-positive/negative bacterial and fungal biofilms through the synergistic effects of NO, photothermal therapy, and the antibacterial peptide. Notably, the hydrogel demonstrated exceptional in vivo therapeutic outcomes in accelerating the healing process of mice diabetic wounds infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by successfully eliminating biofilm infection, regulating inflammation, and facilitating angiogenesis and collagen deposition. Overall, this proposed hydrogel shows great promise in accommodating the various demands of the complex repair process of chronic wounds infected with biofilms. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The presence of biofilm infections and underlying dysfunctions in the healing process made chronic wound become stuck in the inflammation stage and difficult to heal. This work developed a NIR laser-modulated three-stage NO-releasing versatile antimicrobial hydrogel (DEPN) exhibiting good therapeutic efficacy for chronic wound. This DEPN hydrogel could inherently and slowly released NO to disperse biofilm. Upon NIR laser irradiation, the DEPN hydrogel generated hyperthermia and induced a rapid burst release of NO effectively eliminating a broad spectrum of drug-resistant bacterial and fungal biofilms. Subsequently, the DEPN hydrogel continually release NO slowly to promote the tissue remolding. This DEPN hydrogel displays great potential in treatment of chronic wounds infected with biofilm.

A Case of False Insulin Test Results Due to the Megaloblastic Anemia.

BACKGROUND: Megaloblastic anemia is a subtype of anemia with increased red blood cell volume. These megaloblastic cells can be easily destroyed in the bone marrow and spleen, leading to ineffective hematopoiesis. Insulin-degrading enzymes (IDE) in erythrocytes can break down the insulin into amino acid fragments; thus, when hemolysis occurs, IDE can be released into the blood, resulting in low insulin measurement values. METHODS: This article reports a case of false insulin test results due to the hemolysis resulting from megaloblastic anemia. RESULTS: The patient's first fasting glucose results indicated that the glucose and C-peptide levels were within the normal range while her insulin level was abnormally low. After hemolysis was corrected, the relevant indicators were re-evaluated and all the results were normal. CONCLUSIONS: This article reports a patient diagnosed with megaloblastic anemia, whose dysmorphic erythrocytes cause severe extravascular hemolysis. It was the occurrence of hemolysis that the IDE released into the blood, leading to the abnormal insulin test result.

Two Cases of False Elevation of MCHC.

BACKGROUND: Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) is one of the parameters detected by blood cell analyzers, often used together with mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin content (MCH) as diagnostic indicators for anemia classification. It has important clinical value in early detection of the cause of anemia and the underlying etiology of anemia. Therefore, the accuracy of MCHC results is of great significance for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. METHODS: We reported two cases of false elevation of MCHC. Considering the possibility of cold agglutination and lipid blood interference detection, we used 37℃ water bath and plasma exchange to correct for interference on the sample. RESULTS: After correcting the interference, MCHC returned to normal, consistent with the patient's disease status. Therefore, the two cases of abnormal elevation of MCHC are considered to be pseudo elevation caused by interference. CONCLUSIONS: For specimens with abnormally elevated MCHC levels, experimenters should first analyze possible interfering factors and choose effective methods to correct different interferences, providing accurate testing reports for doctors and patients.

Interfacial delivery of carbon monoxide via smart titanium implant coating for enhanced soft tissue integration with switchable antibacterial and immunomodulatory properties.

Soft tissue integration around titanium (Ti) implants is weaker than that around natural teeth, compromising long-term success of Ti implants. Carbon monoxide (CO) possesses distinctive therapeutic properties, rendering it as a highly promising candidate for enhancing STI. However, achieving controlled CO generation at the STI interface remains challenging. Herein, a controlled CO-releasing dual-function coating was constructed on Ti surfaces. Under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, the designed surface could actively accelerate CO generation for antibiosis against both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. More importantly, in the absence of NIR, the slow release of CO induces macrophage polarization from pro-inflammatory phenotype towards pro-regenerative phenotype. In a rat implantation model with induced infection, the designed surface effectively controlled the bacterial infection, alleviates accompanying inflammation and modulated immune microenvironment, leading to enhanced STI. Single-cell sequencing revealed that the coating alters the cytokine profile within the soft tissue, thereby influencing cellular functions. Differentially expressed genes in macrophages are highly enriched in the PIK3-Akt pathway. Furthermore, the cellular communication between fibroblasts and macrophages was significantly enhanced through the CXCL12/CXCL14/CXCR4 and CSF1-CSF1R ligand-receptor pair. These findings indicate that our coating showed an appealing prospect for enhancing STI around Ti implants, which would ultimately contribute to the improved long-term success of Ti implants.

Severe Coagulation Dysfunction caused by Vitamin K Deficiency in an Elderly Patient.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin K deficiency can lead to severe coagulation dysfunction, which may be dangerous and fatal, especially in patients undergoing surgery. METHODS: We report an 84-year-old male patient with gallstones and cholecystitis who had a severe coagulation disorder without bleeding symptoms after endoscopic papillary balloon dilation for removal of bile duct stones. After vitamin K supplementation, the coagulation dysfunction was corrected the next day. RESULTS: In this case, long-term antibiotic treatment, inadequate diet, and abnormal liver function led to coagulation dysfunction. After vitamin K supplementation, the blood coagulation disorder was corrected and serious consequences were prevented. Significantly elevated coagulation function was considered to be caused by vitamin K deficiency. CONCLUSIONS: This case indicates that coagulation dysfunction caused by vitamin K deficiency may occur within a few days. Laboratory personnel should fully understand the risks of vitamin K deficiency in elderly patients undergoing surgery with severely restricted diet, impaired absorption, and long-term use of cephalosporin anti-inflammatory therapy, and promptly remind clinical doctors.

A Case of Pseudoelevation of Serum CA19-9 Level.

BACKGROUND: Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) is usually synthesized by pancreatic and bile duct cells and is present in small amounts in serum. During the period of tumor disease, its serum level significantly increases, and it is the most widely used serum tumor marker for diagnosis and monitoring therapy of pancreatic cancer. METHODS: We reported a case of abnormal elevation of serum CA19-9. Considering the possibility of detection interference, we used heterophilic antibody blocking analysis, detection by different analysis systems, and polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation to evaluate the reliability of abnormally elevated CA19-9 concentration. RESULTS: Repeated measurements on the Roche Cobas 8000 system of another hospital significantly reduced the CA19-9 concentration, as did PEG precipitation. Therefore, the abnormally elevated level of CA19-9 in this patient is considered to be pseudoelevation caused by interferences. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest considering the presence of detection interference in cases with elevated CA19-9 levels but no related clinical manifestations to prevent false positives. PEG precipitation may be a simple and feasible solution to eliminate interference.

Systematic review of the risk of urolithiasis following parathyroidectomy in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.

OBJECTIVE: Parathyroidectomy (PTX) is the conclusive therapy for primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), but its effect on the risk of urolithiasis is inconclusive. We comprehensively reviewed the currently available research to investigate the impact of PTX on the likelihood of urolithiasis among individuals suffering PHPT. METHODS: Internet-based articles in English language released on Cochrane, PubMed, Scopus, Web of knowledge, and Embase up to September, 2023 were comprehensively reviewed. Each publication in contrast to the incidence, occurrence, or recurrence of urolithiasis after PTX versus medical treatment in PHPT patients was included. The outcome with pooled relative risks (RRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was examined employing DerSimonian and Laird's model of random effects. To determine the range of the real effect size of a future study in 95% of all populations, a prediction interval (PI) was also established. RESULTS: Finally, ten studies involving 74,190 patients were included. Results from randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies (OSs) both revealed that PTX did not substantially lessen the vulnerability of urolithiasis among individuals with PHPT (RCTs: pooled relative risk [RR] 0.42, 95%CI 0.13-1.41, p = 0.163; OSs: pooled RR 1.37, 95%CI 0.96 to 1.97, p = 0.084). The PI (RCT: 0.03 to 5.96; OSs: 0.44-4.20) containing 1.0 suggested the possibility of consistent results in future studies. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses supported the above findings, and no evidence showed publication bias. CONCLUSION: Our analysis from the available RCTs or OSs did not give adequate or exact proof that the average effect of PTX lowers the incidence of urolithiasis among PHPT persons based on the random-effects model. Future research shall take into account the common effect of PTX as well as the prerequisites of preventive stone procedures, which will further help us assess the effectiveness of PTX in reducing kidney calculus comorbidity and develop techniques to avoid stone sequelae in these individuals.

Association of hypoglycaemia with the risks of arrhythmia and mortality in individuals with diabetes - a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Hypoglycaemia has been linked to an increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias by causing autonomic and metabolic alterations, which may be associated with detrimental outcomes in individuals with diabetes(IWD), such as cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and mortality, especially in multimorbid or frail people. However, such relationships in this population have not been thoroughly investigated. For this reason, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: Relevant papers published on PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Knowledge, Scopus, and CINHAL complete from inception to December 22, 2022 were routinely searched without regard for language. All of the selected articles included odds ratio, hazard ratio, or relative risk statistics, as well as data for estimating the connection of hypoglycaemia with cardiac arrhythmia, CVD-induced death, or total death in IWD. Regardless of the heterogeneity assessed by the I2 statistic, pooled relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were obtained using random-effects models. Results: After deleting duplicates and closely evaluating all screened citations, we chose 60 studies with totally 5,960,224 participants for this analysis. Fourteen studies were included in the arrhythmia risk analysis, and 50 in the analysis of all-cause mortality. Hypoglycaemic patients had significantly higher risks of arrhythmia occurrence (RR 1.42, 95%CI 1.21-1.68), CVD-induced death (RR 1.59, 95% CI 1.24-2.04), and all-cause mortality (RR 1.68, 95% CI 1.49-1.90) compared to euglycaemic patients with significant heterogeneity. Conclusion: Hypoglycaemic individuals are more susceptible to develop cardiac arrhythmias and die, but evidence of potential causal linkages beyond statistical associations must await proof by additional specifically well planned research that controls for all potential remaining confounding factors.

Diabetes duration or age at onset and mortality in insulin-dependent diabetics: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This meta-analysis was conducted given the contradictory findings from studies on the influence of diabetes duration or age at onset on mortality in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). METHODS: Electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Knowledge, Scopus, and CINHAL) were comprehensively searched to identify relevant studies until October 31, 2022. All of the selected articles contained statistics on hazard ratios, relative risks (RRs), or odds ratios, or data for estimating the association between diabetes duration or age at onset and total mortality in IDDM patients. Regardless the heterogeneity assessed by the I2 statistic, pooled RRs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for total mortality were acquired via random effect meta-analysis with inverse variance weighting. RESULTS: This meta-analysis finally included 19 studies involving 122, 842 individuals. Both age at onset and diabetes duration were positively associated with an increased mortality rate in IDDM patients. Specifically, the pooled RRs for age at onset and diabetes duration were 1.89 (95%CI 1.43-2.50) and 1.89 (95%CI 1.16-3.09) respectively. Subgroup analyses revealed that only prepubertal onset was associated with a greater survival advantage than pubertal or postpubertal onset. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this meta-analysis and systematic review suggest that a later age at onset or longer diabetes duration is associated with increased risk of total mortality in IDDM patients. However, this conclusion shall be interpreted with caution due to the possibility of residual confounding and be confirmed in the future by well-designed studies.

A Case of Pseudoelevation of Prostate Specific Antigen Level.

BACKGROUND: Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is an important marker for the diagnosis, monitoring and efficacy evaluation of prostate cancer. Therefore, the accuracy of PSA detection results is of great significance for the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. METHODS: We reported a case with abnormally elevated PSA. The patient's serum samples were subjected to investigations for suspected interference. Interference studies included measurement of PSA on different analytical platforms, serial dilutions, heterophilic blocking tube (HBT) analysis and polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation. RESULTS: In this case, the abnormal increases in the results of PSA detected by Abbott i2000SR immune analyzer were considered to be the pseudoelevation caused by interferences, resulting in unnecessary prostate puncture examination. CONCLUSIONS: When the patient's PSA level is abnormally elevated, which is not consistent with the clinical diagnosis, we should consider immunological interference in PSA assays. Pretreatment with PEG may be an economical, simple, and feasible scheme for removing interference.

Sub-50 nm core-shell nanoparticles with the pH-responsive squeezing release effect for targeting therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma.

The development of drug delivery systems with high drug loading capacity, low leakage at physiological pH, and rapid release at the lesion sites remains an ongoing challenge. In this work, core-shell poly(6-O-methacryloyl-D-galactose)@poly(tert-butyl methacrylate) (PMADGal@PtBMA) nanoparticles (NPs) of sub-50 nm are facilely synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) soap-free emulsion polymerization with the assistance of 12-crown-4. A hydrophilic poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) core can then be revealed after deprotection of the tert-butyl groups, which is negatively charged and can adsorb nearly 100% of incubated doxorubicin (DOX) from a solution at pH 7.4. The physical shrinkage of PMAA chains below pH 6.0 endows the core with the squeezing effect, therefore realizing rapid drug release. It is demonstrated that the DOX release rate of PMADGal@PMAA NPs at pH 5 was 4 times that at pH 7.4. Cellular uptake experiments confirm the high targeting ability of the galactose modified PMADGal shell to human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells. The fluorescence intensity of DOX in HepG2 cells is 4.86 times that of HeLa cells after 3 h incubation. Moreover, 20% cross-linked NPs show the highest uptake efficiency by HepG2 cells due to their moderate surface charge, size and hardness. In summary, both the core and the shell of PMADGal@PMAA NPs promise the rapid site-specific release of DOX in HepG2 cells. This work provides a facile and an effective strategy to synthesize core-shell NPs for hepatocellular carcinoma targeting therapy.

A False Insulin Level in a Patient with Insulin Autoimmune Syndrome: a Case Report.

BACKGROUND: Insulin autoimmune syndrome (IAS) is a rare condition in which spontaneous severe hypoglycemia without previous exposure to exogenous insulin, and is characterized by hyperinsulinemia and high titers of insulin autoantibodies (IAA). METHODS: This paper reports a case of IAS with false insulin test results due to the hook effect. RESULTS: The patient's blood samples were collected at 0, 30, 60, 120, 180 minutes for measurement of serum insulin after a 3-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The results of serum insulin levels were 1,698.6 pmol/L at fasting, 1,633.05 pmol/L at 30 minutes post load, 1,691.14 pmol/L at 60 minutes post load, 1,780.67 pmol/L at 120 minutes post load, and 1,807.93 pmol/L at 180 minutes post load. Dilution and re-analysis of the specimens revealed that the actual insulin concentrations were 217,516 pmol/L at fasting, 228,456 pmol/L at 30 minutes post load, 250,474 pmol/L at 60 minutes post load, 273,266 pmol/L at 120 minutes post load, and 291,232 pmol/L at 180 minutes post load. The insulin level results before and after the dilution had significant discrepancies. It was the hook effect caused by the high concentration of insulin in the serum that made the first test inaccurate. CONCLUSIONS: Serum insulin in patients with IAS is abnormally elevated, and extremely high concentrations of it may have a hook effect during assay resulting in inaccurate results. The laboratory should analyze and review the test results in combination with the patient's clinical case data, to detect interference in time and avoid erroneous diagnosis and treatment of patients.

The journey of prochloraz pesticide in Citrus sinensis: Residual distribution, impact on transcriptomic profiling and reduction by plasma-activated water.

Prochloraz (PTIC) is a hazardous fungicide used worldwide on agricultural produce despite concerns about potential impacts on human health and environmental pollution. The residue of PTIC and its metabolite 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) in fresh produce has largely not been clarified. Herein, we address this research gap by examining residues of PTIC and 2,4,6-TCP in fruit of Citrus sinensis through a typical storage period. PTIC residue in the exocarp and mesocarp peaked on days 7 and 14, respectively, while 2,4,6-TCP residue gradually increased throughout storage period. Based upon gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and RNA-sequencing analysis, we reported the potential impact of residual PTIC on endogenous terpene production, and identified 11 DEGs encoding enzymes involved in terpene biosynthesis in Citrus sinensis. Additionally, we investigated both the reduction efficacy (max: 58.93%) of plasma-activated water in citrus exocarp and the minimal impact on quality attributes of citrus mesocarp. The present study not only sheds light on the residual distribution of PTIC and its impact on endogenous metabolism in Citrus sinensis, but also further provides theoretical basis for potential approaches for efficiently reducing or eliminating pesticide residues.

Differences in clinical characteristics and chest CT findings between severe and critical H1N1 pneumonia.

INTRODUCTION: Critical H1N1 pneumonia patients usually have one of the symptoms such as respiratory failure, septic shock, multiple organ dysfunction, or other need for intensive care management, which are associated with high risk of mortality. It is essential to differentiate the severity of H1N1 pneumonia and take corresponding target treatments. OBJECTIVES: We aim to investigate the differences in clinical characteristics and chest computed tomography (CT) findings between severe and critical patients with H1N1 pneumonia. METHODS: A total of 27 patients diagnosed with H1N1 pneumonia from October 2018 to March 2019 were retrospectively analyzed, and the differences in clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, and chest CT findings between the severe group (15 patients) and the critical group (12 patients) were compared. RESULTS: Frequency of dyspnea at rest was higher in critical group than that in severe group (P = 0.019). The neutrophil percentage was higher (P = 0.014) and the lymphocyte percentage was lower (P = 0.025) in critical compared with severe group. Bilateral lung involvement was the predominant pattern in both severe and critical patients, whereas the number of involved lobes in critical patients was more than that in severe patients (P = 0.024). Peripheral distribution was the predominant pattern in severe patients (40%), whereas more diffuse involvement of the lungs was observed in critical patients (83.30%). Ground-glass opacities and consolidation were the main CT findings in both groups, and prevalence of consolidation was higher in critical relative to severe group (83.30%). CONCLUSION: Compared with severe patients, those with critical H1N1 pneumonia were more likely to present with dyspnea at rest and decreased lymphocyte percentage. Chest CT showed that diffuse bilateral involvement and higher prevalence of consolidation are associated with critical outcomes.

Galactosylated Core-Shell Nanoparticles with pH/GSH Dual Sensitivity for Targeting Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Galactosylated core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) with diameters of sub-50 nm were fabricated in one pot by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) soap-free emulsion polymerization. Their galactosylated shells and acidic cores endow them with high targeting and drug loading efficiencies, respectively. Morever, the physical shrinkage and cleavage of the disulfide cross-linked NPs can realize the rapid release of loaded doxorubicin (DOX) under pH 5.0 and reduced glutathione (GSH) conditions. The combination of these excellent properties resulted in an even lower IC50 of DOX-loaded NPs than free DOX, demonstrating that this platform would be promising in targeting the therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Nanoporous electrode with stable polydimethylsiloxane coating for direct electrochemical analysis of bisphenol A in complex wine media.

Direct electrochemical analysis of bisphenol A (BPA) in alcoholic drinks without proper sample preparation is a major challenge. The current work reports a nanoporous electrode design with ultrathin polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coating grafted on the top of an indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode with silica nanochannels membrane and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide micelles (SNCM), using a facile contact heating step. The proposed PDMS@SNCM/ITO electrode was subjected to direct ultra-trace detection of BPA in the linear range of 1.0-100.0 µM and detection limit of 0.23 µM, under optimized pH 8 and an accumulation time of 9.0 min. The analytical utility of the proposed method was checked in real wine samples for BPA detection with successful recovery percentages in the range from 95.20 ± 8.53 to 96.22 ± 10.00. The intrinsic hydrophobic features, exceptional stability, and sensitivity of the proposed electrode show potential for food safety surveillance in complex food matrices.

Direct electrochemical detection of Cu(â ¡) ions in juice and tea beverage samples using MWCNTs-BMIMPF6-Nafion modified GCE electrodes.

Due to a small amount of Cu (Ⅱ) ions being beneficial and too much being harmful, it is necessary to establish a rapid and direct detection method. Herein, we reported a platform based on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIMPF6), and Nafion solution-modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for the direct electrochemical detection of Cu (II) ions. We used differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry, including the electrodeposition of Cu (Ⅱ) ions on the modified GCE and subsequent anodic stripping. Under the optimum conditions, the linear range was 20 µg·L-1 âˆ¼ 950 µg·L-1, the limit of detection (LOD) was 16 µg·L-1, and the limit of quantification (LOQ) was 54 µg·L-1 for Cu (II). We realized the quantitative detection of Cu (Ⅱ) ions in juice and tea beverage without tedious pretreatment. The result showed that the sensor had good anti-interference and practicability for actual food samples.

In Vitro Activity of Delafloxacin and Finafloxacin against Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma Species.

The in vitro activity of two new fluoroquinolones, delafloxacin and finafloxacin, were evaluated against M. hominis and Ureaplasma spp. The MICs of delafloxacin, finafloxacin, and two classical fluoroquinolones (moxifloxacin and levofloxacin) were tested against 29 M. hominis and 67 Ureaplasma spp. isolates using the broth microdilution method. The molecular mechanisms underlying fluoroquinolone resistance were also investigated. Delafloxacin exhibited low MICs against M. hominis and Ureaplasma spp., including the levofloxacin-resistant isolates. For M. hominis, delafloxacin showed low MIC90 value of 1 µg/mL (MIC range, <0.031 -1 µg/mL) compared to 8 µg/mL for finafloxacin, 16 µg/mL for moxifloxacin, and 32 µg/mL for levofloxacin. For U. parvum and U. urealyticum, delafloxacin had low MIC90 values (U. parvum, 2 µg/mL; U. urealyticum, 4 µg/mL) compared to 16 -32 µg/mL for finafloxacin, 16 µg/mL for moxifloxacin, and 32 - >32 µg/mL for levofloxacin. The two mutations GyrA S153L and ParC S91I were commonly identified in fluoroquinolone-resistant M. hominis, and ParC S83L was the most frequent mutation identified in fluoroquinolone-resistant Ureaplasma spp. Delafloxacin displayed lower MICs against fluoroquinolone-resistant isolates of both M. hominis and Ureaplasma spp. that have mutations in the quinolone resistance determining regions (QRDRs) than the two classical fluoroquinolones. Delafloxacin is a promising fluoroquinolone with low MICs against fluoroquinolone-resistant M. hominis and Ureaplasma spp. Our study confirms the potential clinical use of delafloxacin in treating antimicrobial-resistant M. hominis and Ureaplasma spp. infections. IMPORTANCE Fluoroquinolone resistance in Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma spp. is on the rise globally, which has compromised the efficacy of the currently available antimicrobial agents. This study evaluated the antimicrobial activity of two new fluoroquinolones, delafloxacin and finafloxacin, for the first time, against M. hominis and Ureaplasma spp. clinical isolates. Delafloxacin and finafloxacin displayed different antimicrobial susceptibility profiles against M. hominis and Ureaplasma spp. in vitro. Delafloxacin was found to be more effective against M. hominis and Ureaplasma spp. than three classical fluoroquinolones (finafloxacin, moxifloxacin, and levofloxacin). Finafloxacin displayed activity similar to moxifloxacin but superior to levofloxacin against M. hominis and Ureaplasma spp. Our findings demonstrate that delafloxacin is a promising fluoroquinolone with outstanding activity against fluoroquinolone-resistant M. hominis and Ureaplasma spp.