Engineering Titanium-Hydroxyapatite Nanocomposite Hydrogels for Enhanced Antibacterial and Wound Healing Efficacy.

External factors often lead to predictable damage, such as chemical injuries, burns, incisions, and wounds. Bacterial resistance to antibiotics at wound sites underscores the importance of developing hydrogel composite systems with inorganic nanoparticles possessing antibacterial properties to treat infected wounds and expedite the skin regeneration process. In this study, a promising TiO2-HAp@PF-127@CBM inorganic and organic integrated hydrogel system was designed to address challenges associated with bacterial resistance and wound healing. The synthesized TiO2-hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanocomposites were coated with an FDA-approved PluronicF-127 polymer and combined with a carbomer hydrogel (CBM) to accomplish the final product. The synthesized nanoparticles exhibit enhanced biocompatibility against L929 and HUVECs and cell proliferation effects. To mitigate oxidative stress caused by TiO2-induced reactive oxygen species in dark environments for effective antibacterial effects, HAp promotes cell proliferation, expediting wound skin layer formation. CBM binds to inorganic nanoparticles, facilitating their gradual release and promoting wound healing. The reduced inflammation and enhanced tissue regeneration observed in the TiO2-HAp@PF-127@CBM group suggest a favorable environment for wound repair. These results align with prior findings highlighting the biocompatibility and wound-healing properties of titanium-HAp-based materials. The ability of the TiO2-HAp@PF-127@CBM hydrogel dressing to promote granulation tissue formation and facilitate epidermal regeneration underscores its potential for promoting antibacterial effects and wound healing applications.

Associations between cardiovascular diseases and cancer mortality: insights from a retrospective cohort analysis of NHANES data.

BACKGROUND: This study explored the association of cardiovascular disease (CVD) with cancer mortality risk in individuals with or without a history of cancer, to better understand the interplay between CVD and cancer outcomes. METHODS: Utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning 1999 to 2018, a retrospective cohort analysis was conducted. This analysis accounted for the survey's complex design to ensure national representativeness. The association of CVD with cancer mortality was assessed through multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: The present study included 59,653 participants, of whom 54,095 did not have cancer and 5558 had a history of cancer. In individuals without cancer, heart failure (HF) was associated with an increased risk of mortality from cancer (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.09-1.69; P = 0.005). In participants with cancer, HF correlated with a higher risk of mortality from cancer (HR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.32-2.34; P < 0.001). Diabetes (DM), hypertension (HBP) and coronary heart disease (CHD) were not significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality from cancer. Significant differences were observed in the interaction between cancer and CHD (HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.53-0.87; P = 0.002). For cancer and HBP, a similar trend was noted (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.62-0.91; P = 0.003). No significant differences were found in interactions between HF, DM and cancer. CONCLUSIONS: HF was associated with an increased risk of mortality from cancer, regardless of cancer history, while HBP, CHD and DM showed no significant association. These findings underscore the importance of understanding the mechanisms behind the increased risk of cancer mortality following HF.

Associations of different type of physical activity with all-cause mortality in hypertension participants.

Few studies explored the association of different type of physical activity with all-cause mortality in hypertension (HBP) participants. A retrospective cohort analysis was performed using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data to explore association of moderate-intensity physical activity (MPA), vigorous-intensity physical activity (VPA), sedentary behavior with mortality in HBP individuals. Among 10,913 HBP participants followed for a median of 6.2 years, VPA was not associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality compared to participants without VPA in multivariate Cox survival analysis. MPA was linked to lower all-cause mortality at durations of 0-150 min/week (HR, 0.72; 95% CI 0.58-0.88), 150-300 min/week (HR, 0.71; 95% CI 0.52-0.96), and > 300 min/week (HR, 0.61; 95% CI 0.49-0.77) compared to no MPA. Sedentary behavior of 6-8 h/day (HR, 1.35; 95% CI 1.15-1.59) and > 8 h/day (HR, 1.55; 95% CI 1.34-1.79) were associated with increased mortality risk versus < 6 h/day. Further research is needed to explore whether VPA can improve outcomes for HBP individuals and to determine the optimal duration of VPA.MPA is linked to lower mortality risk, indicating its potential as the best physical activity intensity for HBP individuals.

Synthesis of Multifunctional Mn3O4-Ag2S Janus Nanoparticles for Enhanced T1-Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Photo-Induced Tumor Therapy.

The global burden of cancer is increasing rapidly, and nanomedicine offers promising prospects for enhancing the life expectancy of cancer patients. Janus nanoparticles (JNPs) have garnered considerable attention due to their asymmetric geometry, enabling multifunctionality in drug delivery and theranostics. However, achieving precise control over the self-assembly of JNPs in solution at the nanoscale level poses significant challenges. Herein, a low-temperature reversed-phase microemulsion system was used to obtain homogenous Mn3O4-Ag2S JNPs, which showed significant potential in cancer theranostics. Structural characterization revealed that the Ag2S (5-10 nm) part was uniformly deposited on a specific surface of Mn3O4 to form a Mn3O4-Ag2S Janus morphology. Compared to the single-component Mn3O4 and Ag2S particles, the fabricated Mn3O4-Ag2S JNPs exhibited satisfactory biocompatibility and therapeutic performance. Novel diagnostic and therapeutic nanoplatforms can be guided using the magnetic component in JNPs, which is revealed as an excellent T1 contrast enhancement agent in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with multiple functions, such as photo-induced regulation of the tumor microenvironment via producing reactive oxygen species and second near-infrared region (NIR-II) photothermal excitation for in vitro tumor-killing effects. The prime antibacterial and promising theranostics results demonstrate the extensive potential of the designed photo-responsive Mn3O4-Ag2S JNPs for biomedical applications.