Objective To evaluate the inhibitory activity of fluoxetine alone and in combination with fluconazole on Candida albicans.Methods This study used standard strains of Candida albicans,clinical isolates of Candida albicans,and drug-resistant strains of Candida albicans for experiments to prepare the planktonic and biofilm states of Candida albicans,respectively.The effect of fluoxetine on Candida albicans was detected by XTT reduction method.Pharmacodynamic properties of fluoxetine against Candida albicans biofilm were determined by improved time-kill test.The morphological changes of fluoxetine on Candida albicans biofilm were observed by scanning electron microscopy,and the synergistic effect of fluoxetine combined with fluconazole on Candida albicans biofilms was detec-ted by the checkerboard dilution method.Results Fluoxetine had inhibitory effects on three types of Candida albicans biofilms.The minimum drug concentration that inhibited 50%activity(SMIC50)of biofilms of standard strains of Candida albicans and drug-resistant strains was 32 μg/mL;the SMIC50 of clinical strains of Candida albicans biofilm was 64 μg/mL.Time-kill test displayed that the bio-film activity of three types of Candida albicans significantly decreased compared to the control group at the fluoxetine concentration of 1×SMIC50 and 2×SMIC50.Scanning electron microscopy observation showed that compared with the control group,the number of fungal hyphae in the biofilm of Candida albicans treated with fluoxetine decreased and their morphology wrinkled.The checkerboard microdilu-tion method showed that the combination of fluoxetine and fluconazole exhibited a synergistic effect on the standard strain of Candida al-bicans bioflim,while showing no or antagonistic effects on the other two strains.Conclusion Fluoxetine alone has inhibitory effects on biofilms of different types of Candida albicans and has a synergistic inhibitory effect on biofilms of standard strains of Candida albicans combined with fluconazole.

Objective To evaluate the effects of chloroquine alone and in combination with traditional antifungal agents on the Candi-da albicans biofilms and its drug resistance.Methods This study used standard strains of Candida albicans,and drug-resistant strains of Candida albicans.The inhibitory effects of chloroquine alone and in combination with antifungal drugs on biofilms of Candida albi-cans were detected by XTT reduction method and chessboard dilution method respectively.The morphological characteristics of biofilms were observed under scanning electron microscopy.Results Chloroquine at the concentration of 50 μmol/L or above showed a direct inhibitory effect and increased with concentration.Chloroquine combined with amphotericin B had a synergistic inhibitory effect.Results of the time-killing curve showed that the growth trends of biofilms treated with chloroquine alone and combined with amphotericin B var-ied in different time periods during the experimental culture.Morphological observation also revealed that chloroquine alone and in com-bination with amphotericin B could reduce the ability of Candida albicans to form hyphae and biofilms.Conclusion Chloroquine has an inhibitory effect on Candida albicans biofilms and can reduce its drug resistance.Furthermore,chloroquine shows a synergistic anti-fungal effect when combined with amphotericin B.

Objective:To introduce the therapeutic effect of forearm radial artery perforator propeller flap for repair of hand and wrist soft tissue defects.Methods:The clinical data of patients with soft tissue defects of hand and wrist who received the treatment with forearm radial artery perforator propeller flap in Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital from January 2018 to September 2020 were collected. The radial artery of the forearm was projected on the skin surface as the axis, and the nearest perforator was selected as the rotation point according to the location of the soft tissue defect. The radial artery perforator propeller flap was designed based on the location, area and shape of soft tissue defect. The length of the large paddle of the flap is equal to the distance between the proximal side of the wound edge and the rotation point plus the length of the wound, and the length of the small paddle of the flap is equal to the distance between the proximal side of the wound edge and the rotation point. The donor site was closed directly or with full-thickness skin graft from the ipsilateral upper arm. The survival, appearance of the flap and skin graft, hand and wrist function and patients satisfactory rate were observed and recorded.Results:A total of 6 patients were included, including 4 males and 2 females; the mean age was 40.5 years (range, 25-65 years ). There were 1 case on the palm side of the hand, 1 case on the dorsal side of the hand, 3 cases on the volar side of the wrist, and 1 case on the dorsal side of the wrist. The area of soft tissue defect after debridement was 2 cm × 3 cm-7 cm × 10 cm. The forearm radial artery perforator propeller flap ranged from 3 cm × 4 cm to 8 cm × 11 cm. The donor site was closed directly in 3 cases, and with full-thickness skin graft in 3 cases. The flaps in all 6 patients survived completely with primary healing. The skin grafts for the donor site in 3 cases survived completely. The patients were followed up for 3 months to 1 year, with an average of 5 months. The function of the hand and wrist recovered well. The texture of the flap was similar to that of the surrounding tissue with good appearance, no swelling or slight swelling, no obvious color difference. The donor site healed well without scar hyperplasia. The patients were satisfied with the surgical results.Conclusion:Propeller flap pedicled with forearm radial artery perforator is a simple and effective method to repair soft tissue defects of wrist and hand with reliable recovery of appearance and function. The patients’ satisfactory rate is also high.

Objective:To introduce the therapeutic effect of forearm radial artery perforator propeller flap for repair of hand and wrist soft tissue defects.Methods:The clinical data of patients with soft tissue defects of hand and wrist who received the treatment with forearm radial artery perforator propeller flap in Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital from January 2018 to September 2020 were collected. The radial artery of the forearm was projected on the skin surface as the axis, and the nearest perforator was selected as the rotation point according to the location of the soft tissue defect. The radial artery perforator propeller flap was designed based on the location, area and shape of soft tissue defect. The length of the large paddle of the flap is equal to the distance between the proximal side of the wound edge and the rotation point plus the length of the wound, and the length of the small paddle of the flap is equal to the distance between the proximal side of the wound edge and the rotation point. The donor site was closed directly or with full-thickness skin graft from the ipsilateral upper arm. The survival, appearance of the flap and skin graft, hand and wrist function and patients satisfactory rate were observed and recorded.Results:A total of 6 patients were included, including 4 males and 2 females; the mean age was 40.5 years (range, 25-65 years ). There were 1 case on the palm side of the hand, 1 case on the dorsal side of the hand, 3 cases on the volar side of the wrist, and 1 case on the dorsal side of the wrist. The area of soft tissue defect after debridement was 2 cm × 3 cm-7 cm × 10 cm. The forearm radial artery perforator propeller flap ranged from 3 cm × 4 cm to 8 cm × 11 cm. The donor site was closed directly in 3 cases, and with full-thickness skin graft in 3 cases. The flaps in all 6 patients survived completely with primary healing. The skin grafts for the donor site in 3 cases survived completely. The patients were followed up for 3 months to 1 year, with an average of 5 months. The function of the hand and wrist recovered well. The texture of the flap was similar to that of the surrounding tissue with good appearance, no swelling or slight swelling, no obvious color difference. The donor site healed well without scar hyperplasia. The patients were satisfied with the surgical results.Conclusion:Propeller flap pedicled with forearm radial artery perforator is a simple and effective method to repair soft tissue defects of wrist and hand with reliable recovery of appearance and function. The patients’ satisfactory rate is also high.

New threats posed by the emerging circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2 highlight the need to find conserved neutralizing epitopes for therapeutic antibodies and efficient vaccine design. Here, we identified a receptor-binding domain (RBD)-binding antibody, XG014, which potently neutralizes β-coronavirus lineage B (β-CoV-B), including SARS-CoV-2, its circulating variants, SARS-CoV and bat SARSr-CoV WIV1. Interestingly, antibody family members competing with XG014 binding show reduced levels of cross-reactivity and induce antibody-dependent SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein-mediated cell-cell fusion, suggesting a unique mode of recognition by XG014. Structural analyses reveal that XG014 recognizes a conserved epitope outside the ACE2 binding site and completely locks RBD in the non-functional "down" conformation, while its family member XG005 directly competes with ACE2 binding and position the RBD "up". Single administration of XG014 is effective in protection against and therapy of SARS-CoV-2 infection in vivo. Our findings suggest the potential to develop XG014 as pan-β-CoV-B therapeutics and the importance of the XG014 conserved antigenic epitope for designing broadly protective vaccines against β-CoV-B and newly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 ; Antibodies, Neutralizing ; Antibodies, Viral ; COVID-19 ; Epitopes ; Humans ; SARS-CoV-2/genetics* ; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/genetics*