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Objective: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a leading cause of dementia, with a rising global burden. Remnant cholesterol (RC), a component of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, has been implicated in cardiovascular diseases and metabolic disorders, but its role in AD remains unclear. This study investigated the association between RC levels and the risk of AD among elderly patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in a real-world clinical setting. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using electronic medical records from Gongli Hospital of Shanghai Pudong New Area, covering the period from 2013 to 2023. The study included 15,364 elderly patients aged 65-80 years with T2D. RC levels were calculated using the equation. The primary outcome was the diagnosis of AD, validated by neurologists using ICD-10-CM code G30. Cox proportional hazards models were employed to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for AD across quartiles of RC levels, adjusting for potential confounders. Results: Over a mean follow-up of 3.69 ± 1.33 years, 312 new cases of AD were identified. A U-shaped relationship was observed between RC levels and AD risk, with the lowest risk associated with RC levels between 0.58-0.64 mmol/L. Both lower (<0.52 mmol/L) and higher (≥0.77 mmol/L) RC levels were linked to increased AD risk. Compared to the reference group (Q2: 0.52-0.64 mmol/L), the adjusted HRs (95% CI) for the lowest and highest quartiles were 1.891 (1.368-2.613) and 1.891 (1.363-2.622), respectively. Each 1 mmol/L increase in RC was associated with a 3.47-fold higher risk of AD (HR=4.474, 95% CI 2.330-8.592). Conclusion: RC levels may serve as a predictive biomarker for AD risk, with both extremes posing a higher risk. Future studies should explore the mechanistic pathways and potential interventions targeting RC to prevent AD in high-risk populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monodisperse biodegradable polymer microspheres show broad applications in drug delivery and other fields. In this study, we developed an effective method that combines microfluidics with interfacial instability to prepare monodispersed poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-b-polyethylene glycol (PLGA-PEG)/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres with tailored surface morphology. By adjusting the mass ratio of PLGA-PEG to PLGA, the concentration of stabilizers and the type of PLGA, we generated microspheres with various unique folded morphologies, such as "fishtail-like", "lace-like" and "sponge-like" porous structures. Additionally, we demonstrated that risperidone-loaded PLGA-PEG/PLGA microspheres with these folded morphologies significantly enhanced drug release, particularly in the initial stage, by exhibiting a logarithmic release profile. This feature could potentially address the issue of delayed release commonly observed in sustained-release formulations. This study presents a straightforward yet effective approach to construct precisely engineered microspheres offering enhanced control over drug release dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogel actuators with complex 3D initial shapes show numerous important applications, but it remains challenging to fabricate such actuators. This article describes a polyelectrolyte‐based strategy for modulating small‐scale internal stresses within hydrogels to construct complex actuators with tailored 3D initial shapes. Introducing polyelectrolytes into precursor solutions significantly enhances the volume shrinkage of hydrogel networks during polymerization, allowing us to modulate internal stresses. Photopolymerization of these polyelectrolyte‐containing solutions through a mask produces mechanically strong hydrogel sheets with large patterned internal stresses. Consequently, these hydrogel sheets attain complex 3D initial shapes at equilibrium, in contrast to the planar initial configuration of 2D actuators. We demonstrate that these 3D actuators can reversibly transform into other 3D shapes (i.e. 3D‐to‐3D shape transformations) in response to external stimuli. Additionally, we develop a predictive model based on the Flory‐Rehner theory to analyze the polyelectrolyte‐mediated shrinking behaviors of hydrogel networks during polymerization, allowing precise modulation of shrinkage and internal stress. This polyelectrolyte‐boosted shrinking mechanism paves a route to the fabrication of high‐performance 3D hydrogel actuators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interfacial solar seawater desalination is considered as one of the most promising sustainable techniques for producing fresh water. Janus hydrogel evaporators with a hydrophobic top layer and a hydrophilic bottom layer have been demonstrated as an effective way to accelerate water evaporation and reject salt ions. However, the existing strategies make it difficult to achieve precise control over surface wettability and confine a thin hydrophobic layer to the hydrogel's surface, both of which were considered to have a significant impact on solar seawater desalination. Herein, we fabricated amphiphilic Janus patch-grafted hydrogel evaporators, in which ultrathin hydrophobic polystyrene patches were uniformly and discretely distributed on the top of the hydrogel and hydrophilic quaternized poly(4-vinyl pyridine)s (QP4VPs) were entangled within the hydrogel network. By the rational design of the Janus patch size and surface coverage, the wettability of Janus hydrogels could be precisely regulated. The Janus hydrogel resulted in optimized solar water evaporation performance with an evaporation rate of 3.2 kg m−2 h−1 and Janus patch surface coverage of ∼60%. Moreover, the Janus hydrogel has a superior salt ion rejection ratio, which was attributed to the high ionic strength of the QP4VP-rich entangled layer. The amphiphilic Janus patch-grafted hydrogels outperformed all non-photothermal hydrogels and were comparable to photothermal hydrogels, in terms of water evaporation rate and salt ion rejection ratio, demonstrating their potential for solar seawater desalination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]