Wireless and Opto-Stimulated Flexible Implants: Artificial Retina Constructed by Ferroelectric BiFeO3-BaTiO3/P(VDF-TrFE) Composites.

The degeneration of retinal photoreceptors is one of the primary causes of blindness, and the implantation of retinal prostheses offers hope for vision restoration in individuals who are completely blind. Flexible bioelectronic devices present a promising avenue for the next generation of retinal prostheses owing to their soft mechanical properties and tissue friendliness. In this study, we developed flexible composite films of ferroelectric BiFeO3-BaTiO3 (BFO-BTO) particles synthesized by the hydrothermal method and ferroelectric poly(vinyldene difluoride-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) polymer and investigated their applications in artificial retinas. Owing to the coupling of the photothermal effect of BFO-BTO particles and the pyroelectric effect of the P(VDF-TrFE) polymer, the composite films demonstrate a strong photoelectric response (a maximum peak-to-peak photovoltage > 80 V under blue light of 100 mW/cm2) in a wide wavelength range of light (from visible to infrared) with the inherent flexibility and ease of preparation, making it an attractive candidate for artificial retinal applications. Experimental results showed that blind rats implanted with artificial retinas of the composites display light-responsive behavior, showcasing the effectiveness of vision restoration. This study demonstrates a novel approach for employing ferroelectric materials in vision restoration and offers insights into future artificial retina design.

Exploring the influencing factors on acne, melasma, and rosacea: A case-control study in China.

BACKGROUND: The severity and treatment response of acne, melasma, and rosacea may be influenced by various currently unclear internal and external factors. This study aimed to provide evidence to the influencing factors for the mentioned conditions through a real-world case-control study. METHODS: An online survey consisting of 60 questions was implemented, collecting information on demographics, socioeconomics, genetic factors, lifestyle habits, environmental exposures, and skin care behaviors. Then we constructed univariate and multivariate logistic regressions. Furthermore, we analyzed the dose-response relationship between exposure and outcome. RESULTS: A total of 399 individuals, including 94 acne patients, 107 melasma patients, and 91 rosacea patients were included. Acne and melasma were positively correlated with screen time (acne: odds ratio [OR]: 2.24, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.25-4.02; melasma: OR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.09-2.31), while exercise exerted a protective effect on both acne (OR: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.13-0.77) and melasma (OR: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.22-0.80) in a dose-response relationship. In addition, males were associated with an elevated risk of acne (OR: 6.62, 95% CI: 1.01-43.26). Aging (OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.07-1.24) and irregular bowel movements (OR: 2.99, 95% CI: 1.11-8.08) were independent risk factors for melasma. Rosacea was positively associated with BMI (OR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.01-1.35). CONCLUSION: In our study, we highlighted exercise as an independent protective factor for both acne and melasma in a dose-response trend. Inversely, extended use of electronic equipment was independently associated with higher risks of acne and melasma. Rosacea, however, was more likely to be related with BMI.

Correction: Fang et al. Study on Dispersion, Adsorption, and Hydration Effects of Polycarboxylate Superplasticizers with Different Side Chain Structures in Reference Cement and Belite Cement. Materials 2023, 16, 4168.

In the original publication [...].

Membrane-Active All-Hydrocarbon-Stapled α-Helical Amphiphilic Tat Peptides: Broad-Spectrum Antibacterial Activity and Low Incidence of Drug Resistance.

Multidrug resistance against conventional antibiotics has dramatically increased the difficulty of treatment and accelerated the need for novel antibacterial agents. The peptide Tat (47-57) is derived from the transactivating transcriptional activator of human immunodeficiency virus 1, which is well-known as a cell-penetrating peptide in mammalian cells. However, it is also reported that the Tat peptide (47-57) has antifungal activity. In this study, a series of membrane-active hydrocarbon-stapled α-helical amphiphilic peptides were synthesized and evaluated as antibacterial agents against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including multidrug-resistant strains. The impact of hydrocarbon staple, the position of aromatic amino acid residue in the hydrophobic face, the various types of aromatic amino acids, and the hydrophobicity on bioactivity were also investigated and discussed in this study. Among those synthesized peptides, analogues P3 and P10 bearing a l-2-naphthylalanine (Φ) residue at the first position and a Tyr residue at the eighth position demonstrated the highest antimicrobial activity and negligible hemolytic toxicity. Notably, P3 and P10 showed obviously enhanced antimicrobial activity against multidrug-resistant bacteria, low drug resistance, high cell selectivity, extended half-life in plasma, and excellent performance against biofilm. The antibacterial mechanisms of P3 and P10 were also preliminarily investigated in this effort. In conclusion, P3 and P10 are promising antimicrobial alternatives for the treatment of the antimicrobial-resistance crisis.

Comparison of outcomes and characteristics of patients admitted to the ICU with COVID-19 and other community-acquired pneumonia based on propensity score matching.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the similarities and differences between patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and those with other community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), utilizing propensity score matching (PSM), regarding hospitalization expenses, treatment options, and prognostic outcomes, aiming to inform the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19. METHODS: Patients admitted to the ICU of the Third People's Hospital of Datong City, diagnosed with COVID-19 from December 2022 to February 2023, constituted the observation group, while those with other CAP admitted from January to November 2022 formed the control group. Basic information, clinical data at admission, and time from symptom onset to admission were matched using PSM. RESULTS: A total of 70 patients were included in the COVID-19 group and 119 in the CAP group. The patients were matched by the propensity matching method, and 37 patients were included in each of the last two groups. After matching, COVID-19 had a higher failure rate than CAP, but the difference was not statistically significant (73% vs. 51%, p = 0.055). The utilization rate of antiviral drugs (40% vs. 11%, p = 0.003), γ-globulin (19% vs. 0%, p = 0.011) and prone position ventilation (PPV) (27% vs. 0%, p < 0.001) in patients with COVID-19 were higher than those in the CAP, and the differences were statistically significant. The total hospitalization cost of COVID-19 patients was lower than that of CAP patients, and the difference was statistically significant (27889.5 vs. 50175.9, p = 0.007). The hospital stay for COVID-19 patients was shorter than for CAP patients, but the difference was not statistically significant (10.9 vs. 16.6, p = 0.071). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that limited medical resources influenced patient outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing substantial demands for ICU capacity and medications during this period could have potentially reduced the mortality rate among COVID-19 patients.

[Distribution Prediction of Soil Heavy Metals Based on Remote Sensing Temporal-Spatial-Spectral Features and Random Forest Model].

Obtaining soil heavy metal content characteristics and spatial distribution is crucial for preventing soil pollution and formulating environmental protection policies. We collected 304 surface soil samples (0-20 cm) in the Changqing district. At the same time, the spectral, temporal, and spatial features of soil heavy metals were derived from multi-remote sensing data; the temporal-spatial-spectral features closely related to soil heavy metals were selected via correlation analysis and used as input independent variables. The measured soil arsenic (As) content was used as the dependent variable to establish a spatial prediction model based on the random forest (RF) algorithm. The results showed the following:the As content in the soils exceeded the background value by 43.17% but did not exceed the risk screening values and intervention values, indicating slight heavy metal pollution in the soil. The accuracy ranking of the spatial prediction models with one feature type from high to low was spatial features (ratio of performance to inter-quartile range (RPIQ)=3.87)>temporal features (RPIQ=2.57)>spectral features (RPIQ=2.50). The spatial features were the most informative for predicting soil heavy metals. The models using temporal-spatial, temporal-spectral, and spatial-spectral features were superior to those using only one feature type, and the RPIQ values were 4.81, 4.21, and 4.70, respectively. The RF model with temporal-spatial-spectral features achieved the highest spatial prediction accuracy (R2=0.90; root mean square error (RMSE)=0.77; RPIQ=5.68). The As content decreased from the northwest to the southeast due to Yellow River erosion and industrial activities. The spatial prediction of soil heavy metals incorporating remote sensing temporal-spatial-spectral features and the random forest model provides effective support for soil pollution prevention and environmental risk control.

Association between preoperative hemoglobin with length of hospital stay among non-cardiac and non-obstetric surgery patients: a secondary analysis of a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies concerning the association between preoperative Hemoglobin (HB) level and the Length Of hospital Stay (LOS) in patients with non-cardiac surgery and non-obstetric surgery remain inconclusive. Herein, the objective of this study was to analyze whether and to what extent the preoperative HB level was connected with the LOS in non-cardiac and non-obstetric surgery patients. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was performed at a single institution, involving patients who underwent elective non-cardiac, non-obstetric surgery from April 2007 to September 2013. Clinical characteristics of patients such as demographics, comorbidities, preoperative HB level, LOS, mortality, procedure length, and pulmonary hypertension (PHTN) Severity Class data were collected. A univariate analysis was used to determine the association between clinical characteristics and LOS. Multivariate regression analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between preoperative HB level and LOS. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: In this study, 311 patients were included. We observed that compared with the LOS > 7 days group, the average HB level of patients in the LOS ≤ 7 days group was higher (12.04 ± 2.20 g/dl vs. 10.92 ± 2.22 g/dl, p < 0.001). In addition, there were fewer patients with moderate-to-severe anemia in LOS ≤ 7 days group than the LOS > 7 days group (32.74% vs 58.82%, p < 0.001). In addition, we found that patients with LOS ≤ 7 days were accompanied with lower mortality (0.44% vs. 7.06%, p < 0.001) and lower mean combined pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) and right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) than that in patients with LOS > 7 days (42.56 ± 11.97 vs. 46.00 ± 12.37, p < 0.05). After controlling for relevant confounders, we discovered a nonlinear association between preoperative HB level and LOS as well as a threshold effect based on LOS. Specifically, when preoperative HB level was less than 11.9 g/dL, LOS decreased by 2 days for each 1 g/dL increase in HB level. However, LOS did not alter substantially with the rise of preoperative HB level when it was higher than 11.9 g/dL. CONCLUSION: Our study showed a close non-linear association between preoperative HB level and LOS in patients with non-cardiac surgery and non-obstetric surgery. In particular, for patients with preoperative HB less than 11.9 g/dL, increasing the preoperative HB level can help shorten the LOS after operation.

No Evidence of Causal Association Between Atopic Dermatitis and Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma: A Bidirectional Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) can present with open-angle glaucoma, but powerful evidence to support their causal relationship is absent. Objective: To investigate the causal association of AD with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Methods: A bidirectional 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was performed with the software R. Results: Eighteen single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used in the forward MR analysis with AD as exposure. The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method produced a result that genetically predicted AD was not associated with POAG (odds ratio [OR] = 1.10, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.95-1.27, P = 0.215). Fifty-one SNPs were used in the reverse MR analysis with POAG as exposure. The IVW method yielded a result that genetically predicted POAG was not correlated with AD (OR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.95-1.01, P = 0.191). The bidirectional causal effect estimates were consistent with supplementary MR methods (MR-Egger, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode). The sensitivity analysis showed stable results. Conclusions: This bidirectional 2-sample MR study did not give evidence of causal association between AD and POAG.

Interlayer and Phase Engineering Modifications of K-MoS2@C Nanoflowers for High-Performance Degradable Zn-Ion Batteries.

2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have garnered significant interest as cathode materials for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) due to their open transport channels and abundant Zn2+ intercalation sites. However, unmodified TMDs exhibit low electrochemical activity and poor kinetics owing to the high binding energy and large hydration radius of divalent Zn2+. To overcome these limitations, an interlayer engineering strategy is proposed where K+ is preintercalated into K-MoS2 nanosheets, which then undergo in situ growth on carbon nanospheres (denoted as K-MoS2@C nanoflowers). This strategy stimulates in-plane redox-active sites, expands the interlayer spacing (from 6.16 to 9.42 Å), and induces the formation of abundant MoS2 1T-phase. The K-MoS2@C cathode demonstrates excellent redox activity and fast kinetics, attributed to the potassium ions acting as a structural "stabilizer" and an electrostatic interaction "shield," accelerating charge transfer, promoting Zn2+ diffusion, and ensuring structural stability. Meanwhile, the carbon nanospheres serve as a 3D conductive network for Zn2+ and enhance the cathode's hydrophilicity. More significantly, the outstanding electrochemical performance of K-MoS2@C, along with its superior biocompatibility and degradability of its related components, can enable an implantable energy supply, providing novel opportunities for the application of transient electronics.

Kinetics of ester-105 degradation by La/TiO2 photocatalysis.

Lanthanum-doped titanium (La/TiO2) nano-photocatalysts were prepared using the sol-gel method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), zeta potential, and low-temperature nitrogen adsorption analyses. Ester-105, a flotation collector from beneficiation wastewater, was chosen as the target pollutant. The influence of the initial ester-105 concentration, pH, and photocatalyst dosage on the photocatalytic degradation of ester-105 was investigated. To examine the kinetics of the adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of ester-105, a Langmuir adsorption model and Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic models were established and discussed. The synthesized photocatalyst comprised anatase-phase TiO2, with an isoelectric point of pH = 6.5, specific surface area of 56.1626 m2·g-1, and average pore size of 7.78 nm. The maximum adsorption and the adsorption equilibrium constant of La/TiO2 for ester-105 were determined as 0.338 mg·g-1 and 1.008 L·mg-1, respectively. The first-order kinetic reaction rate constant (k) exhibited a linear relationship with the initial ester-105 concentration. The optimal pH for ester degradation was theoretically determined to be 6.95, and the optimum photocatalyst dosage was found to be 0.2739 g·L-1. Experiments confirmed that the photocatalytic degradation of ester-105 using La/TiO2 followed the Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetics model, thereby providing a theoretical foundation for the photocatalytic degradation of ester-105 for industrial application.

The Antimicrobial, Hemostatic, and Anti-Adhesion Effects of a Peptide Hydrogel Constructed by the All-d-Enantiomer of Antimicrobial Peptide Jelleine-1.

Peptide hydrogels are believed to be potential biomaterials with wide application in the biomedical field because of their good biocompatibility, injectability, and 3D printability. Most of the previously reported polypeptide hydrogels are composed of l-peptides, while the hydrogels formed by self-assembly of d-peptides are rarely reported. Herein, a peptide hydrogel constructed by D-J-1, which is the all-d-enantiomer of antimicrobial peptide Jelleine-1 (J-1) is reported. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and rheologic study are performed to characterize the hydrogel. Antimicrobial, hemostatic, and anti-adhesion studies are carried out to evaluate its biofunction. The results show that D-J-1 hydrogel is formed by self-assembly and cross-linking driven by hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interaction, and π-π stacking force of aromatic ring in the structure of D-J-1. It exhibits promising antimicrobial activity, hemostatic activity, and anti-adhesion efficiency in a rat sidewall defect-cecum abrasion model. In addition, it also exhibits good biocompatibility. Notably, D-J-1 hydrogel shows improved in vitro and in vivo stability when compared with its l-enantiomer J-1 hydrogel. Therefore, the present study will provide new insight into the application of d-peptide hydrogel, and provides a new peptide hydrogel with antibacterial, hemostatic, and anti-adhesion efficacy for clinical use.

Study on the Effect of Main Chain Molecular Structure on Adsorption, Dispersion, and Hydration of Polycarboxylate Superplasticizers.

Polycarboxylate ether (PCE) with different main chain structures was prepared by aqueous solution free radical polymerization using unsaturated acids containing sulfonic acid groups, acrylamide groups, and carboxyl groups and isoprenyl polyoxyethylene ether (IPEG). The molecular structure was characterized by infrared spectroscopy and gel chromatography, while adsorption, dispersion, and hydration properties were studied using a total organic carbon analyzer, rheometer, and isothermal microcalorimeter, respectively. The results show that the adsorption process of PCE on cement particles is spontaneous physical adsorption. The adsorption forces are mainly electrostatic interaction, and hydrogen bonding. The introduction of sulfonic acid groups and polycarboxylic acid groups reduces the initial adsorption amount of PCE but can accelerate the adsorption rate of PCE on cement and increase the adsorption amount at the adsorption equilibrium. The introduction of acrylamide groups in the PCE main chain is beneficial to the initial dispersion of PCE and can reduce the plastic viscosity of cement slurry. PCE can delay the hydration of cement. The introduction of acrylamide groups and dicarboxylic acid groups in the PCE main chain helps prolong the induction period of cement hydration, while the introduction of sulfonic acid groups is not conducive to its retarding effect.

Study on Dispersion, Adsorption, and Hydration Effects of Polycarboxylate Superplasticizers with Different Side Chain Structures in Reference Cement and Belite Cement.

To investigate the effects of Reference cement (RC) and Belite cement (LC) systems, different molecular structures of polycarboxylate ether (PCE) were prepared through the free radical polymerization reaction and designated as PC-1 and PC-2. The PCE was characterized and tested using a particle charge detector, gel permeation chromatography, a rotational rheometer, a total organic carbon analyzer, and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that compared to PC-2, PC-1 exhibited higher charge density and better molecular structure extension, with smaller side-chain molecular weight and molecular volume. PC-1 demonstrated enhanced adsorption capacity in cement, improved initial dispersibility of cement slurry, and a reduction in slurry yield stress of more than 27.8%. LC, with its higher C2S content and smaller specific surface area compared to RC, could decrease the formation of flocculated structures, resulting in a reduction in slurry yield stress of over 57.5% and displaying favorable fluidity in cement slurry. PC-1 had a greater retarding effect on the hydration induction period of cement compared to PC-2. RC, which had a higher C3S content, could adsorb more PCE, leading to a greater retarding effect on the hydration induction period compared to LC. LC and PC-2, on the other hand, exhibited inhibition during the hydration acceleration period. The addition of PCE with different structures did not significantly affect the morphology of hydration products in the later stage, which was consistent with the trend of KD variation. This indicates that the analysis of hydration kinetics can better reflect the final hydration morphology.

Study on the Effect of Polycarboxylate Ether Molecular Structure on Slurry Dispersion, Adsorption, and Microstructure.

This study synthesized polycarboxylate superplasticizer (PCE) with varying carboxyl densities and main chain degrees of polymerization. The structural parameters of PCE were characterized using gel permeation chromatography and infrared spectroscopy. The study investigated the impact of PCE's diverse microstructures on cement slurry's adsorption, rheology, hydration heat, and kinetics. Microscopy was used to analyze the products' morphology. The findings indicated that an increase in carboxyl density led to an increase in molecular weight and hydrodynamic radius. A carboxyl density of 3.5 resulted in the highest flowability of cement slurry and the most considerable adsorption amount. However, the adsorption effect weakened when the carboxyl density was the highest. Decreasing the main chain degree of polymerization led to a significant reduction in the molecular weight and hydrodynamic radius. A main chain degree of 16.46 resulted in the highest flowability of slurry, and both large and small main chain degrees of polymerization exhibited single-layer adsorption. PCE samples with higher carboxyl density caused the greatest delay in the induction period, whereas PCE-3 promoted the hydration period's acceleration. Hydration kinetics model analysis indicated that PCE-4 yielded needle-shaped hydration products with a small nucleation number in the crystal nucleation and growth stage, while PCE-7's nucleation was most influenced by ion concentration. The addition of PCE improved the hydration degree after three days and facilitated the strength's later development compared to the blank sample.

OSMR deficiency aggravates pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy by modulating macrophages and OSM/LIFR/STAT3 signalling.

BACKGROUND: Oncostatin M (OSM) is a secreted cytokine of the interleukin (IL)-6 family that induces biological effects by activating functional receptor complexes of the common signal transducing component glycoprotein 130 (gp130) and OSM receptor ß (OSMR) or leukaemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR), which are mainly involved in chronic inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases. The effect and underlying mechanism of OSM/OSMR/LIFR on the development of cardiac hypertrophy remains unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: OSMR-knockout (OSMR-KO) mice were subjected to aortic banding (AB) surgery to establish a model of pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy. Echocardiographic, histological, biochemical and immunological analyses of the myocardium and the adoptive transfer of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were conducted for in vivo studies. BMDMs were isolated and stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for the in vitro study. OSMR deficiency aggravated cardiac hypertrophy, fibrotic remodelling and cardiac dysfunction after AB surgery in mice. Mechanistically, the loss of OSMR activated OSM/LIFR/STAT3 signalling and promoted a proresolving macrophage phenotype that exacerbated inflammation and impaired cardiac repair during remodelling. In addition, adoptive transfer of OSMR-KO BMDMs to WT mice after AB surgery resulted in a consistent hypertrophic phenotype. Moreover, knockdown of LIFR in myocardial tissue with Ad-shLIFR ameliorated the effects of OSMR deletion on the phenotype and STAT3 activation. CONCLUSIONS: OSMR deficiency aggravated pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy by modulating macrophages and OSM/LIFR/STAT3 signalling, which provided evidence that OSMR might be an attractive target for treating pathological cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure.

Maslinic acid attenuates UVB-induced oxidative damage in HFF-1 cells.

BACKGROUND: Oxidative damage is one of the major mechanisms of ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced damage to the skin. Maslinic acid (MA) is a natural compound of pentacyclic triterpene acids. It has been proved to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the effects of MA on oxidative damage in human foreskin fibroblast cells (HFF-1) and the potential molecular mechanisms. METHODS: A specific dose of UVB radiation was used to induce oxidative damage in HFF-1. Based on this, we performed measurements of cell proliferation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, antioxidant enzyme activity, inflammation-related mediators, and NF-κB nuclear localization with or without the addition of MA. RESULTS: MA significantly promoted cell proliferation viability at 10 and 20 µM. The addition of MA 24 h before UVB irradiation was more effective at enhancing cell proliferation and also produced lower ROS levels compared to co-cultured fibroblasts and MA for 24 h after irradiation. However, there was no statistically significant difference between groups at concentrations of 10 and 20 µM. The pretreatment group with MA had elevated superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, decreased IL-6 generation, and lowered mRNA levels of IL-6, TNF-α and MMP3 in comparison with the UVB-irradiated group without additional MA. Meanwhile, the nuclear translocation of NF-κB and the degradation of IκB were inhibited by MA pretreatment. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these findings suggest that MA may alleviate UVB-induced oxidative damage in HFF-1 by inhibiting the nuclear translocation of NF-κB.

Clinical observation and analysis of skin reactions caused by COVID-19 vaccination.

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination is now an essential strategy for controlling the COVID-19 epidemic. This study included 132 cases of adverse skin reactions after the injection of COVID-19 vaccination from January 2021 to January 2022. The rate of adverse skin reactions after the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were 52%, 40%, and 8% of total adverse skin reactions, respectively. The Urticaria-like rash was the most common manifestation of all adverse skin reactions, accounting for 40.15% of all adverse reactions. The Eczema-like rash was 27.27%. The rates of adverse skin reactions after vaccination with the COVID-19 vaccine in patients with a previous skin disease was 12.12%. Other rare skin adverse reactions after COVID-19 vaccination included herpes zoster, pityriasis rosea, erythema multiforme, chickenpox, herpes simplex, psoriasis, erythrodermatitis, arthus reaction, lichen planus recurrence, measles-like rash, frostbite rash, seborrhea, and vitiligo. There were 23 cases of adverse skin reactions in the same individual after two doses of COVID-19 vaccine. There were three cases of adverse skin reactions in the same person after three doses of the vaccine. Treatment measures are mostly mild regimens, such as oral antihistamines, compounded glycopyrrolate and topical weak to moderately potent corticosteroid creams. The total duration of these skin adverse reactions ranged from 2 weeks to 1 month.

A carrier-free, dual-functional hydrogel constructed of antimicrobial peptide Jelleine-1 and 8Br-cAMP for MRSA infected diabetic wound healing.

Bacterial infection and local growth factor deficiency are two of the major causes of the nonunion of diabetic wounds. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are believed to be alternatives to antibiotics against drug-resistant bacterial infections. 8-Bromoadenosine-3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate (8Br-cAMP) can promote cells to secrete growth factors and accelerate cell proliferation. In the present study, we constructed a hydrogel with antimicrobial peptide Jelleine-1 (J-1) and 8Br-cAMP without any other gelators or chemical crosslinking agents. The hydrogel was proved to promote the secretion of transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGFA) in vitro and in vivo. Notably, it exhibited potent potential for wound healing in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infected diabetic wounds. This would be attributed to the retention of AMPs and 8Br-cAMP on the wound site by the hydrogel system. In addition, the hydrogel also showed good biodegradability, proper stability, and good biocompatibility. This study would shed light on the development of carrier-free and multifunctional hydrogel for wound healing. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Bacterial infection and local growth factor deficiency are two of the major causes for the nonunion of refractory wounds. In the present study, an injectable carrier-free hydrogel was constructed of a natural antimicrobial peptide J-1 and 8Br-cAMP by eco-friendly physical crosslinking without any other gelators or chemical crosslinking agents. The hydrogel exhibited excellent antimicrobial activity and was proved to promote the secretion of TGF-ß and VEGFA in vitro and in vivo. Correspondingly, the hydrogel showed exceptionally wound healing effects in the wound model of MRSA infected diabetic rats. This study would provide an alternative strategy or a potential hydrogel dressing for the treatment of chronic or refractory wounds.