Polyurethane nanomicelle is a promising functional drug delivery system. In this work, the polyurethane (P3-PU) was synthesized from PLGA₁₂₀₀-PEG₁₄₅₀-PLGA₁₂₀₀ (P3, a thermosensitive and biodegradable triblock copolymer) and L-lysine ester diisocyanate (LDI). Then, reactive benzaldehyde was further imported to terminate P3-PU to obtain benzaldehyde modified polyurethane (P3-PUDA). The micelles, temperature-sensitive P3-PU nanomicelle and P3-PUDA nanomicelle, were systematically investigated, including the size, stability, temperature sensitivity, drug loading and release behavior, cytotoxic on human hepatocytes (L02), and inhibitory effect on human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2). The results show the thermosensitive behavior of the micelles can be adjusted by the terminal group. The polyurethane micelles with a uniform size between 20 nm and 30 nm showed excellent stability and good biocompatibility to L02 cells. Besides, in vitro experiments showed that Dox-loaded P3-PUDA micelles exhibited faster and higher release rate at 37 °C and better inhibitory effect on HepG2 than the Dox-loaded P3-PU micelles. Moreover, the achieved benzaldehyde modified polyurethanes also provides various possibilities to adjust further to enlarge its applications. Therefore, the polyurethane micelles will have great potential in the field of drug carriers. Graphical abstract

Background: Population knowledge and attitudes toward obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome are critical to public health initiatives to overcome the disease. Healthcare education is an appropriate approach to expediting the process to build active medical practice models in the public.Objective: This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding OSA and healthcare education demand among the Chinese general population.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was performed online via Wenjuanxing in China between 8 February and 8 March 2022, using a 34-item questionnaire designed and reviewed by multidisciplinary experts.Results: This study enrolled 1507 respondents, aged 18 to 68, with a city-to-countryside ratio of approximately 2:1. Four-fifths of respondents reported that they had children (n = 1237), and mothers accounted for 57.7%. If they or their children had symptoms of OSA, nearly nine in 10 respondents would undertake positive medical practices, especially parents. A total of 89.4% of the respondents reported a desire to receive healthcare education through the new multimedia approach, and most were concerned about the etiology of OSA.Conclusion: The current study indicated that even the higher educated and urban populations in China had insufficient knowledge about positive attitudes toward and practices regarding OSA, indicating an urgent demand for healthcare education. A special emphasis should be placed on appropriating population demand for healthcare education and promoting the benefits of active medical practice models in sleep medicine.

Injection laryngoplasty with biomaterials is an effective technique to treat glottic insufficiency. However, the inadequate durability, deficient pro-secretion of extracellular matrix (ECM) and poor functional preservation of current biomaterials have yielded an unsatisfactory therapeutic effect. Herein, a self-fusing bioactive hydrogel comprising modified carboxymethyl chitosan and sodium alginate is developed through a dual-crosslinking mechanism (photo-triggered and dynamic covalent bonds). Owing to its characteristic networks, the synergistic effect of the hydrogel for vocal folds (VFs) vibration and phonation is adequately demonstrated. Notably, owing to its inherent bioactivity of polysaccharides, the hydrogel could significantly enhance the secretion of major components (type I/III collagen and elastin) in the lamina propria of the VFs both in vivo and in vitro. In a rabbit model for glottic insufficiency, the optimized hydrogel (C₁A₁) has demonstrated a durability far superior to that of the commercially made hyaluronic acid (HA) Gel. More importantly, owing to the ECM-inducing bioactivity, the physiological functions of the VFs treated with the C₁A₁ hydrogel also outperformed that of the HA Gel, and were similar to those of the normal VFs. Taken together, through a simple-yet-effective strategy, the novel hydrogel has demonstrated outstanding durability, ECM-inducing bioactivity and physiological function preservation, therefore has an appealing clinical value for treating glottic insufficiency.