Traumatic injury or surgery may trigger extensive bleeding. However, conventional hemostatic methods have limited efficacy and may cause surrounding tissue damage. In this study, we use self-assembling peptides (SAPs) and specifically extend fragments of functional motifs derived from fibronectin and laminin to evaluate the capability of these functionalized SAPs in the effect of hemostasis and liver tissue regeneration. From the results, these peptides can self-assemble into nanofibrous network structure and gelate into hydrogel with pH adjustment. In animal studies, the efficacy of hemostasis is achieved immediately within seconds in a rat liver model. The histological analyses by hematoxylin-eosin stain and immunohistochemistry reveal that SAPs with these functionalized motifs significantly enhance liver tissue regeneration. In brief, these SAPs may have potential as pharmacological tools to extensively advance clinical therapeutic applications in hemostasis and tissue regeneration in the field of regenerative medicine.

s u m m a r yObjectives: Emergency room visits by nursing home patients with bloodstream infections (BSIs) are not uncommon and pose challenges to clinicians when selecting appropriate antimicrobial agents. This research aims to discover distinct bacteriology in nursing home patients by focusing particularly on antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. Methods: This retrospective study enrolled patients aged 65 years or older who had documented positive blood culture reports between May 2006 and June 2008. Patients were further categorized into subgroups according to nursing home history and the timely trend of hospital exposure. Results: The adjusted risk of BSIs associated with nursing home exposure was significantly higher in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (odds ratio (OR) 2.0; 95% CI 1.5e2.8), Methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species (OR 1.7; 95% CI 1.2e2.5), and Enterobacteriaceae-extended spectrum b-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (OR 2.4; 95% CI 1.5e3.9), but not in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (OR 1.4; 95% CI 0.9e2.2) or Acinetobacter baumannii (OR 0.9; 95% CI 0.5e1.5). Conclusion: Host environmentsdnursing home or hospital exposuredwere shown to be more significant than medical comorbid conditions for acquiring antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. Each unique environment increased the risk for acquiring some pathogens, but not all. In addition, these environmental factors may also exert cumulative effects toward some specific pathogens.

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