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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]

This paper employed the foam scanning method to investigate the foam properties of erucamide propyl amine oxide under various conditions, including different concentrations, temperatures, mineralization levels, salts, polymers, and weak alkaline conditions. The study covered aspects such as foaming ability, foam stability, foam carrying liquid capacity, drainage rate, and foam morphology. The research results indicated that as the concentration of the surfactant increased, the foaming ability and foam-carrying liquid capacity of erucamide propyl amine oxide increased, while foam stability and drainage rate remained relatively stable. With an increase in temperature, the foaming ability, maximum carrying liquid capacity, and drainage speed gradually increased significantly, while foam stability slightly decreased. The maximum carrying liquid capacity and drainage speed of the system increased nearly nine-fold. Different levels of mineralization, salt, and sodium carbonate had little impact on the foaming ability and foam stability of the foam system but increased the foam carrying liquid capacity and drainage rate. At the same salt concentration, the magnesium chloride system exhibited better foaming ability and foam stability but lower carrying liquid capacity and drainage rate compared to the sodium chloride system. As the temperature increased, the number of foams initially increased and then decreased, and 55°C was identified as a critical point. With the increase of time, the number of small bubbles decreased, the size of the foam increased, and the size became more uniform. The number of bubbles with a radius greater than 0.1 mm was almost unchanged with temperature increased at 200 s after N2-blowing. Therefore, erucamide propyl amine oxide exhibited excellent foam properties and demonstrated good salt and weak alkaline resistance. However, it was significantly influenced by temperature and polymers. This work provided data support for its application in the fields of daily chemicals, agriculture, medicine, and energy. [Display omitted] [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]

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]