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Objective: Sex differences in outcomes of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) remain controversial. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the sex differences in the prognosis of patients with aSAH. Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of aSAH patients admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery of General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, from April 2020 to January 2022. The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was used to evaluate outcomes at 3-month post-discharge. Baseline characteristics, in-hospital complications and outcomes were compared after 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM). Results: A total of 665 patients were included and the majority (63.8%) were female. Female patients were significantly older than male patients (59.3 ± 10.9 years vs. 55.1 ± 10.9 years, P < 0.001). After PSM, 141 male and 141 female patients were compared. Comparing postoperative complications and mRS scores, the incidence of delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) and hydrocephalus and mRS ≥ 2 at 3-month were significantly higher in female patients than in male patients. After adjustment, the analysis of risk factors for unfavorable prognosis at 3-month showed that age, sex, smoking, high Hunt Hess grade, high mFisher score, DCI, and hydrocephalus were independent risk factors. Conclusion: Female patients with aSAH have a worse prognosis than male patients, and this difference may be because females are more vulnerable to DCI and hydrocephalus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase in consumers' awareness of healthy diet, the development of green foods has become a significant research direction for the modern food industry. Umami peptides, derived from the hydrolysis of natural proteins, which possess nutritional and functional properties. However, protein hydrolysates face many problems, such as a low amount of effective umami peptides, insufficient umami intensity and poor stability. Therefore, the article introduced different pathways to enhance the intensity of umami peptides, and emphatically illustrated the protection and controlled release of these peptides through encapsulation transport systems, including the development of umami peptides, encapsulation materials, methods, quality standards, and their release mechanisms. The review can provide a valuable reference for the development of umami peptides into new flavorings, which aligns with the future trends in the flavoring industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To ramp-up the utilization of wind energy, the uncertainty of wind power needs to be properly addressed in its integration into the power grid. The main challenge is to well tackle the risk induced by the uncertain wind power generation in different operation stages of a wind farm. This paper studies a novel bi-level multi-timescale scheduling approach for accommodating the wind power uncertainty via a robust optimization formulation. Wind farm day-ahead and intra-day operations consider different scheduling timescales. A two-stage robust optimization model is developed to plan the day-ahead power generation commitments to the power grid. A multi-stage robust optimization model is proposed to refine intra-day wind farm operation instructions. The overall decision-making process aims to minimize the wind farm operational cost. The proposed models are solved by using computationally tractable optimization methods, which offer a desired performance guarantee. A comprehensive case study based on real datasets to demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed approach is carried out. Average cost reductions of 46.648% and 6.883% are achieved by comparing with the deterministic method and the static robust method, respectively. Results verify that the proposed method can provide optimal and robust wind farm operations schedules with a lower cost, higher flexibility, and less conservativeness. Results also demonstrate the feasibility of applying the proposed approach to the real-world wind farm and providing reliable operation guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Simultaneously scheduling power productions and maintenance activities of an offshore wind farm is studied. • A two-stage model is developed to offer different time-scale schedule of power productions and maintenance. • Uncertainty of wind power and tide conditions on scheduling is considered. • Robust schedules of the two-stage model tackle uncertainties while optimize operations and maintenance. This paper studies the model for scheduling both offshore wind farm maintenance tasks and power productions in consideration of their distinct scheduling timescales and the wind power uncertainty. A two-stage adaptive robust optimization model is formulated to derive the optimal schedule, which well handles wind turbine maintenance tasks and maximizes wind farm power productions by anticipating the worst wind power output scenario based on a wind power uncertainty set and a set of metocean conditions. In two decision stages, we schedule maintenance tasks daily and power productions hourly respectively. The proposed model is equivalently transformed to a form which can be efficiently solved by the column-and-constraint generation algorithm. Numerical experiments demonstrate the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed model considering wind farms of different large sizes. Results show that the developed model can maximize the total power production of the wind farm and enhance the robustness of obtained maintenance schedules against the wind power uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platelet hyperreactivity contributes to the pathogenesis of COVID‐19, which is associated with a hypercoagulability state and thrombosis disorder. It has been demonstrated that Vitamin D deficiency is associated with the severity of COVID‐19 infection. Vitamin D supplement is widely used as a dietary supplement due to its safety and health benefits. In this study, we investigated the direct effects and underlying mechanisms of 1,25(OH)2D3 on platelet hyperreactivity induced by SRAS‐CoV‐2 spike protein via Western blot and platelet functional studies in vitro. Firstly, we found that 1,25(OH)2D3 attenuated platelet aggregation and Src‐mediated signaling. We further observed that 1,25(OH)2D3 attenuated spike protein‐potentiated platelet aggregation in vitro. Mechanistically, 1,25(OH)2D3 attenuated spike protein upregulated‐integrin αIIbβ3 outside‐in signaling such as platelet spreading and the phosphorylation of β3, c‐Src and Syk. Moreover, using PP2, the Src family kinase inhibitor to abolish spike protein‐stimulated platelet aggregation and integrin αIIbβ3 outside‐in signaling, the combination of PP2 and 1,25(OH)2D3 did not show additive inhibitory effects on spike protein‐potentiated platelet aggregation and the phosphorylation of β3, c‐Src and Syk. Thus, our data suggest that 1,25(OH)2D3 attenuates platelet aggregation potentiated by spike protein via downregulating integrin αIIbβ3 outside‐in signaling. Significance Statement: Platelets exhibit enhanced platelet function and play a crucial role in thrombotic disorders in patients with COVID‐19. Several studies also explore the positive effects of vitamin D supplement on COVID‐19. However, the antiplatelet effect of vitamin D on spike protein‐potentiated platelet hyperreactivity is still unknown. In this study, we have observed that 1,25(OH)2D3 could attenuate spike protein‐potentiated platelet aggregation via inhibiting integrin αIIbβ3 outside‐in signaling in vitro. This study revealed the effects and mechanisms of 1,25(OH)2D3 on spike protein‐potentiated platelet aggregation. However, Clinical trials are needed to further confirm this effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type IV collagen is an integral component of basement membranes. Mutations in COL4A1, one of the key genes encoding Type IV collagen, can result in a variety of diseases. It is clear that a significant proportion of mutations that affect splicing can cause disease directly or contribute to the susceptibility or severity of disease. Here, we analyzed exonic mutations and intronic mutations described in the COL4A1 gene using bioinformatics programs and identified candidate mutations that may alter the normal splicing pattern through a minigene system. We identified seven variants that induce splicing alterations by disrupting normal splice sites, creating new ones, or altering splice regulatory elements. These mutations are predicted to impact protein function. Our results help in the correct molecular characterization of variants in COL4A1 and may help develop more personalized treatment options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data-driven predictions of wind turbine power outputs have received numerous discussions with using turbine data from the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system itself. It is of a high curiosity on studying the feasibility of extending the prediction capability with additionally considering data of other sources and the data-driven modeling principle of doing so. To respond such problem and introduce more innovative prediction techniques, this paper presents a pioneering attempt of studying a two-channel deep network modeling method for wind power predictions which leverage both the wind farm data and farm geoinformation. Novelty can be profiled as follows: 1) To accommodate multi-source data in the input, a new high-dimensional input form of two components, a tensor and a graph, is developed; 2) To advance predictions with such input, a deep graph attention convolutional recurrent (GACR) method, which develops one novel deep network channel with stacking multiple graph convolution and long short term memory (GCN-LSTM) layers for engineering high-level latent features from high-dimensional inputs and another classical feature selection channel for directly engaging valuable wind turbine attributes, is proposed. Comprehensive computational experiments are conducted to verify the value of such modeling development by comparing it with a set of competitive benchmarking models. An ablation study is also conducted to explain the necessity and value of network modules in the proposed method. A new state-of-the-art prediction performance is achieved. • A deep learning wind power prediction method leveraging multi-source data is developed. • A double channel feature engineering is developed for parallel latent feature learning and raw feature selection. • A graph attention convolutional recurrent network is designed for more accurate wind power predictions. • A new state-of-the-art short-term wind power prediction performance is achieved by our proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of extensively used photocatalysts, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) can generate free radicals under proper light irradiation, thereby achieving excellent antibacterial performance. However, the requirement of using light activation has limited its application to wider fields. In addition, nano-copper (Cu NPs) have gradually attracted the attention of researchers due to their excellent antibacterial properties. However, the high surface activity of nanoparticles makes them easy to agglomerate, and Cu NPs are easily oxidized, which affect the antibacterial activity. By synthesizing Cu–ZnO composite nanoparticles and loading the particles onto low melting-point polyethylene terephthalate (LMPET) fibers, we have developed a novel catalytic fiber (Cu–ZnO@LMPET) that can generate active species without needing light. It was found that Cu–ZnO@LMPET fibers with the copper content of 5 wt% (vs. ZnO NPs) or above could achieve 99% antibacterial effects on S. aureus and E. coli under dark conditions. Moreover, the antibacterial rates against E. coli and S. aureus could still be larger than 97 and 98%, respectively, even if the fibers were washed 50 times. In-vitro biocompatibility assessment also displayed that the as-prepared fibers had superb cytocompatibility. These results indicate that our developed fibers have highly efficient antibacterial properties, good washing resistance and high stability. Thus, our work has shed new light on the use of Cu–ZnO NPs for antibacterial purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platelet hyperreactivity and oxidative stress are the important causes of thrombotic disorders in patients with COVID-19. Oxidative stress, induced by the excessive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), could increase platelet function and the risk of thrombus formation. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), exhibits strong antioxidative activity and anti-platelet effect. However, the effects and mechanisms of CoQ10 on attenuating platelet aggregation induced by spike protein have never been studied. This study aims to investigate whether the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein potentiates human platelet function via ROS signaling and the protective effect of CoQ10 in vitro. Using a series of platelet function assays, we found that spike protein potentiated platelet aggregation and oxidative stress, such as ROS level, mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization, and lipid damage level (MDA and 8-iso-PGF2α) in vitro. Furthermore, CoQ10 attenuated platelet aggregation induced by spike protein. As an anti-platelet mechanism, we showed that CoQ10 significantly decreased the excess production of ROS induced by spike protein. Our findings show that the protective effect of CoQ10 on spike protein-potentiated platelet aggregation is probably associated with its strong antioxidative ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The paper adopted a green and environmentally friendly methyl ester method to synthesize three new N-myristyol aromatic amino acid surfactants with aromatic ring. • The surface/interface property, foam property, emulsification property and decontamination property were studied and compared with N-lauryl amino acid sodium. • The paper can provide the key directions on the research and application of amino acid surfactant in related fields. In this paper, three N-myristyol amino acid surfactants were synthesized by methyl myristate method. The structures were characterized by MS, FTIR and 1HNMR. The surface/interface, foam, emulsification and decontamination property were studied and compared with N-lauryol amino acid sodium. The results showed that the order of foam property was SMTr > SMTy > SMP, the order of emulsification was SMP > SMTr > SMTy. The presence of phenolic hydroxyl group and indolyl group, surface/interfacial and foam property increased and emulsification property decreased. N-myristyol amino acid sodium had better surface/interface, emulsification and foam property, while the decontamination property was lower than that of N-lauryol amino acid sodium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As some of the most promising alternatives to traditional non-degradable materials, photodegradable materials have advantages of environmental benignity and rapid degradation under simple conditions. In this work, nontoxic TiO 2 and cost-effective g-C 3 N 4 have been compounded in a weight of 9:1 to form a photocatalytic additive with high activity. A 25 wt% loading of this photocatalytic additive has been incorporated into the polyacrylonitrile (PAN) by centrifugal electrospinning to prepare an abiotic degradable PAN material. Our results showed that the PAN chain could be almost fully degraded within 90 h in an aqueous medium under simulated sunlight in the absence of microorganisms. Product analysis implied that degradation of the PAN chain mainly involved the breaking of –CN and C–C bonds by radicals, followed by oxidation of terminal groups to carboxyl and gradual mineralization to CO 2 and H 2 O. This design strategy may provide new insight for the production and degradation mechanism of photodegradable polymer. [Display omitted] • A PAN material can be abiotic biodegraded completely under sunlight. • The heterojunction structure of TiO 2 /g-C 3 N 4 greatly improved photocatalytic activity. • A new opinion to solve microplastic pollution in water environment is proposed. • The photodegradation mechanism of PAN is systematically analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The peroxymonosulfate-based advanced oxidation process (PMS-AOP) is widely studied as a powerful technology for organic pollutants degradation in wastewater. In this paper, an inventive one-step method utilizing potassium persulfate (KPS) as an oxidizing agent was put forward to prepare metal-free carboxyl modified graphite phase carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 (KPS)), which was applied to significantly activate PMS for the degradation of organic compound carbamazepine (CBZ) under solar radiation. Without strong acids and organic solvents, the process was considered green, low-cost, and facile. The characterizations showed that g-C 3 N 4 (KPS) was successfully doped with carboxyl groups on g-C 3 N 4. Besides, •OH, 1O 2 , •O 2 − and h+ were generated in the photocatalytic system of g-C 3 N 4 (KPS)/PMS. As a result, a possible CBZ photocatalytic degradation pathway was proposed. This work not only discovered a novel method of activating PMS but also offered valuable insights for the preparation of efficient metal-free catalysts for wastewater environmental governance. [Display omitted] The carboxyl-modified g-C 3 N 4 prepared by a novel one-step method could efficiently activate PMS under solar radiation. The photogenerated electron-hole pairs of g-C 3 N 4 (KPS) were effectively separated to enhance the ability of organic pollutants degradation. g-C 3 N 4 (KPS) exhibited excellent cyclability in wastewater containing a variety of anions and a wide pH range. The catalytic mechanism of g-C 3 N 4 (KPS)/PMS/solar radiation system was proposed, and •OH, 1O 2 , •O 2 −, h+ were the main active species of the catalytic system. A possible photocatalytic degradation process of CBZ was presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]