Chronic wounds are a major health problem with increasing global prevalence, which endangers the physical and mental health of those affected and is a heavy burden to healthcare providers. Artemisia argyi extract (AE) has excellent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. In this research, we developed AE loaded composite hydrogel scaffold based on methacrylate gelatin (GelMA)/methacrylate hyaluronic acid (HAMA) and mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN) as sustained-release drug carrier vehicles for the treatment of chronic wounds. The presented GelMA/1%HAMA hydrogel possessed stable rheological properties, suitable mechanical properties, appropriate biodegradability, swelling, sustained-release AE capacity. In vitro antibacterial and cell experiments showed that the GelMA/HAMA/MSN@AE hydrogel had excellent antibacterial activity and biocompatibility and induced macrophages to differentiate into M2 phenotype. In vivo wound healing of rat full-thickness cutaneous wounds further demonstrated that the prepared GelMA/HAMA/MSN@AE hydrogel could significantly promote chronic wound healing by upregulating the expression of IL-4, TGF-β1, CD31, and α-SMA but downregulating the expression of TNF-α and IFN-γ and promoting M1-M2 macrophages polarization. Altogether, we believe that the GelMA/HAMA/MSN@AE hydrogel will have wide application prospects in healing chronic wounds.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD), often coexisting with various systemic disorders, may increase the risk of falls. Our study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk of falls among patients with CKD in China. Methods: We included patients with/without CKD from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Our primary outcome was the occurrence of fall accidents within the past 2 years. To enhance the robustness of our findings, we employed a multivariable logistic regression model, conducted propensity score analysis, and applied an inverse probability-weighting model. Results: A total of 12,658 participants were included, the prevalence of fall accident rates were 17.1% (2,028/11,837) among participants without CKD and 24.7% (203/821) among those with CKD. In the inverse probability-weighting model, participants with CKD exhibited higher fall accident rates (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.08–1.53, p = 0.005 ). Sensitivity and subgroup analysis showed the results still stable. Conclusions: The population in China afflicted with CKD has a significantly heightened risk of experiencing falls, underscoring the crucial importance of intensifying efforts in assessing and preventing fall risks.

Background and aims: Cognitive impairment (CI) is a prevalent condition in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), who face an elevated risk of developing cognitive decline. The fundamental mechanism underlying CI is linked to chronic inflammation, which can be gauged by the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII). The DII is categorized into anti-inflammatory diets with lower scores and pro-inflammatory diets with higher scores. Specifically, pro-inflammatory diets may contribute to chronic inflammation. However, the correlation between the inflammatory potential of diet and cognitive function in patients with CKD has not been explored. This study aims to investigate the connection between the inflammatory potential of diet and cognitive function in individuals with or without chronic kidney disease.Methods: Data from the 2011–2012 and 2013–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were utilized. Participants under the age of 60 or lacking DII, CI, CKD, and other essential data were excluded. DII was computed based on a 24-h dietary recall interview for each participant. Cognitive performance was evaluated using three cognitive tests: the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD) test, the Animal Fluency Test (AFT), and the Digital Symbol Substitution Test (DSST). Logistic regression analysis and subgroup analysis were conducted to assess the independent relationship between DII score and CI in the CKD and non-CKD populations.Results: The study included a total of 2069 subjects, with CI prevalence ranging from 21.4 to 23.5%. Multiple regression models showed that after adjusting for all covariates of the three cognitive function tests, higher DII scores were significantly associated with increased risk of CI (CERAD OR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.1 ~ 1.26, AFT OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.08 ~ 1.23, DSST OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.11 ~ 1.28). Subgroup analysis indicated that the effect of DII score on CI remained consistent in all subgroups (p > 0.05).Conclusion: Higher DII scores were associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment in people with or without CKD, suggesting that consuming a pro-inflammatory diet may contribute to the impairment of the cognitive function.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and mortality risk in Chinese patients with pneumonia.Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted using a multicenter hospital database of adult patients with pneumonia in China. We analyzed data from 635 patients diagnosed with pneumonia at six secondary and tertiary academic hospitals in China between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2019. Cox regression analysis was used to compare the mortality rates across the PNI tertiles. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) models, Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and Subgroup Analysis were used to explore the association between PNI and the clinical outcomes of these pneumonia patients.Results: A total of 635 patients were included. In the fully adjusted model, each 1-unit increase in PNI was associated with a 5.0% reduction in 30-day mortality risk (HR = 0.950, 95% CI: 0.929–0.972, p < 0.001) and a 4.5% reduction in 90-day mortality risk (HR = 0.955, 95% CI: 0.934–0.975, p < 0.001). Compared with the lowest PNI tertile (Tertile 1), patients in the highest tertile (Tertile 3) had a 64.5% lower risk of 30-day mortality (HR = 0.335, 95% CI: 0.212–0.594, p < 0.0001) and a 60.6% lower risk of 90-day mortality (HR = 0.394, 95% CI: 0.247–0.627, p < 0.0001). Restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis further illustrated a consistent inverse relationship between PNI and mortality risk. Additionally, Kaplan–Meier survival curves indicated significantly lower cumulative mortality with higher PNI values.Conclusion: Our investigation identified a significant association between poorer PNI scores and higher mortality in Chinese patients with pneumonia.

Pressure ulcers (PUs) have emerged as a substantial burden on individuals and society. The introduction of innovative dressings that facilitate the healing of pressure ulcer wounds represents a cost-effective alternative for treatment. In this study, the emphasis is on the preparation of Carthamus tinctorius L. polysaccharide (CTLP) as hydrogel microspheres (MPs), which are then encapsulated within a hydrogel matrix crosslinked with phenylboronic acid gelatin (Gelatin-PBA) and ϵ-polylysine-grafted catechol (ϵ-PL-Cat) to enable sustained release for promoting pressure ulcer healing. The presented Gelatin-PBA/ϵ-PL-Cat (GPL)/CTLP-MPs hydrogel demonstrated outstanding self-healing properties. In addition, in vitro experiments revealed that the hydrogel exhibited remarkable antibacterial activity, excellent biocompatibility. And it showed the capacity to promote vascular formation, effectively scavenge reactive oxygen species, and facilitate macrophage polarization from the M1 to M2 phenotype. In vivo wound healing of mice PUs indicated that the prepared GPL/CTLP-MPs hydrogel effectively accelerated the formation of granulation tissue and facilitated the healing of the wounds. In summary, in vivo and in vitro experiments consistently highlight the therapeutic potential of GPL/CTLP-MPs hydrogel in facilitating the healing process of PUs.