BACKGROUND: Severe stroke has high rates of mortality and morbidity. This study aimed to investigate the clinical course, causes of worsening, and outcomes of severe ischemic stroke. METHODS: This prospective, multicenter cohort study enrolled adult patients admitted ≤30 days after ischemic stroke from nine hospitals in China between September 2017 and December 2019. Severe stroke was defined as a score of ≥15 on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Clinical worsening was defined as an increase of 4 in the NIHSS score from baseline. Unfavorable functional outcome was defined as a modified Rankin scale score ≥3 at 3 months and 1 year after stroke onset, respectively. We performed Logistic regression to explore baseline features and reperfusion therapies associated with clinical worsening and functional outcomes. RESULTS: Among 4201 patients enrolled, 854 patients (20.33%) had severe stroke on admission. Of 3347 patients without severe stroke on admission, 142 (4.24%) patients developed severe stroke in hospital. Of 854 patients with severe stroke on admission, 33.95% (290/854) experienced clinical worsening (median time from stroke onset: 43 h, Q1-Q3: 20-88 h), with brain edema (54.83% [159/290]) as the leading cause; 24.59% (210/854) of these patients died by 30 days, and 81.47% (677/831) and 78.44% (633/807) had unfavorable functional outcomes at 3 months and 1 year respectively. Reperfusion reduced the risk of worsening (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 0.24, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.12-0.49, P  <0.01), 30-day death (adjusted OR: 0.22, 95% CI: 0.11-0.41, P  <0.01), and unfavorable functional outcomes at 3 months (adjusted OR: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.08-0.68, P <0.01) and 1 year (adjusted OR: 0.17, 95% CI: 0.06-0.50, P  <0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Approximately one-fifth of patients with ischemic stroke had severe neurological deficits on admission. Clinical worsening mainly occurred in the first 3 to 4 days after stroke onset, with brain edema as the leading cause of worsening. Reperfusion reduced the risk of clinical worsening and improved functional outcomes. REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03222024.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Prospective Studies ; Ischemic Stroke/mortality* ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Stroke ; Brain Ischemia

Objective To explore the policy foundations of early family education and rehabilitation support systems for children with developmental disabilities aged zero to three years,based on the International Classification of Functioning,Disability and Health(ICF),and to construct a comprehensive,whole-person and whole-lifecycle support system integrating early childhood education and rehabilitation services for families;and to propose corresponding sys-tem architecture,construction pathways and governance models.Methods Policy documents were compared,which were related to children's rehabilitation from the World Health Orga-nization,early education guidelines for children with disabilities from the United Nations Educational,Scientific and Cultural Organization,the U.S.Individuals with Disabilities Education Act,European Union children's reha-bilitation policies,and the"14th Five-Year Plan"from China Disabled Persons'Federation.The related policy frameworks and key content of early family education and rehabilitation were reviewed,and the composition,implementation pathways and governance models of the support system were systymatically analyzed.Results The support system consisted of early screening and assessment,family education and parent training,counsel-ing and personalized education and rehabilitation support,community support and resource integration,and re-mote digital support platforms.The study proposed the implementation pathways for five systems,including early screening and assessment,family education and parent training,counseling and personalized rehabilitation support,community support and resource integration,and remote digital support platforms.It emphasized gover-nance mechanisms such as multidisciplinary collaboration,interdepartmental coordination and support from re-mote digital platforms to build a continuous service chain from standardized assessments to interdepartmental collaboration.Conclusion The person-centered approach and whole life span development concept based on the ICF model,as well as the guiding principles of the health services continuum,provide systematic theoretical and policy support for early childhood education and rehabilitation for children with developmental disabilities aged zero to three years.Through multidisciplinary collaboration,interdepartmental coordination and the application of digital platforms,a scientific,continuous and child-centered support system can be built.This not only facilitates early detection and precise intervention but also promotes multi-party collaboration among families,communities and profes-sional institutions.It will further integrate disability prevention,rehabilitation and healthcare services,thereby im-proving children's functional abilities and family quality of life.

Objective:To analyze serum inflammatory factors associated with antihistamine resistance in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) .Methods:A total of 88 CSU patients were enrolled from Guangzhou Dermatology Hospital from January 2022 to December 2024. All patients received antihistamine treatment according to the "Guideline for diagnosis and treatment of urticaria in China (2022) " . Based on the 7-day urticaria activity score (UAS7) after 4-week treatment, these patients were divided into an antihistamine-sensitive group and an antihistamine-resistant group. Serum levels of inflammatory factors at the initial visit were analyzed using the Olink-targeted proteomics technology. Specific biomarkers associated with antihistamine resistance were identified, and Spearman correlation analysis was carried out to analyze correlations among differentially expressed proteins. A logistic regression model was constructed based on the Olink proteomics data, and the predictive performance of the model was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Measurement data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation or median (lower quartile, upper quartile) .Results:The 88 CSU patients aged 12 to 81 (38.78 ± 13.89) years, with the disease duration being 18 (7.00, 60.00) months. There were 32 patients in the antihistamine-sensitive group and 56 in the antihistamine-resistant group. No significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of age, disease duration, gender, or history of allergic diseases (all P > 0.05) . After 4 weeks of antihistamine treatment, the UAS7 score was significantly higher in the antihistamine-resistant group (25.00 [15.25, 31.00] points) than in the antihistamine-sensitive group (0.50 [0.00, 4.00] points; Z = -7.08, P < 0.001) . The Olink-targeted proteomics identified 5 differentially expressed proteins between the two groups: compared with the antihistamine-sensitive group, the antihistamine-resistant group showed > 2-fold higher expression of fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) , interleukin-15 receptor subunit alpha (IL-15RA) , eotaxin (CCL11) , and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) ; in contrast, the expression of sulfotransferase 1A1 (ST1A1) in the antihistamine-sensitive group was 2.54 times that in the antihistamine-resistant group. Among the differentially expressed proteins, MCP-1 showed the highest specificity (1.00) for predicting antihistamine resistance, followed by CCL11 (0.97) . Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between MCP-1 and CCL11, and a significant negative correlation between IL-15RA and ST1A1. ROC curve analysis showed that MCP-1 and CCL11 had area under the curve values of 0.603 and 0.630, respectively, in predicting antihistamine resistance. Conclusion:MCP-1 and CCL11 may be potential biomarkers for predicting antihistamine resistance in CSU patients.

Objective To construct a theoretical framework for early home-based education and rehabilitation for infants and tod-dlers with developmental disabilities,using the bio-psycho-social model of the International Classification of Functioning,Disability and Health(ICF).Methods On the base of integrating ecosystem theory,neuroplasticity theory,family systems theory and rehabilitation concept of World Health Organization,a home-based education and rehabilitation system encompassing biologi-cal,psychological,social and policy dimensions was developed.Results Within the ICF framework,it was set the operational intervention goals for infants and toddlers in dimensions of motor,language,cognition,emotion and social interaction,while personalized goals were formulated in consider-ation of different types of developmental disabilities.Furthermore,a home-based education and rehabilitation sys-tem was designed,including early screening and assessment,development of personalized intervention plans,home-based education and rehabilitation training,continuous monitoring and adjustment,digital empowerment and remote guidance,as well as disability prevention,and early education and rehabilitation.It involved five stag-es:needs assessment,plan development,plan implementation,dynamic assessment and feedback,and summary and referral.Conclusion This study has constructed a five-stage process,providing an effective framework for the comprehensive re-habilitation of infants and toddlers.ICF framework provides both theoretical and practical guidance for early in-tervention in infants and toddlers with developmental disabilities.

Objective To explore the policy foundations of early family education and rehabilitation support systems for children with developmental disabilities aged zero to three years,based on the International Classification of Functioning,Disability and Health(ICF),and to construct a comprehensive,whole-person and whole-lifecycle support system integrating early childhood education and rehabilitation services for families;and to propose corresponding sys-tem architecture,construction pathways and governance models.Methods Policy documents were compared,which were related to children's rehabilitation from the World Health Orga-nization,early education guidelines for children with disabilities from the United Nations Educational,Scientific and Cultural Organization,the U.S.Individuals with Disabilities Education Act,European Union children's reha-bilitation policies,and the"14th Five-Year Plan"from China Disabled Persons'Federation.The related policy frameworks and key content of early family education and rehabilitation were reviewed,and the composition,implementation pathways and governance models of the support system were systymatically analyzed.Results The support system consisted of early screening and assessment,family education and parent training,counsel-ing and personalized education and rehabilitation support,community support and resource integration,and re-mote digital support platforms.The study proposed the implementation pathways for five systems,including early screening and assessment,family education and parent training,counseling and personalized rehabilitation support,community support and resource integration,and remote digital support platforms.It emphasized gover-nance mechanisms such as multidisciplinary collaboration,interdepartmental coordination and support from re-mote digital platforms to build a continuous service chain from standardized assessments to interdepartmental collaboration.Conclusion The person-centered approach and whole life span development concept based on the ICF model,as well as the guiding principles of the health services continuum,provide systematic theoretical and policy support for early childhood education and rehabilitation for children with developmental disabilities aged zero to three years.Through multidisciplinary collaboration,interdepartmental coordination and the application of digital platforms,a scientific,continuous and child-centered support system can be built.This not only facilitates early detection and precise intervention but also promotes multi-party collaboration among families,communities and profes-sional institutions.It will further integrate disability prevention,rehabilitation and healthcare services,thereby im-proving children's functional abilities and family quality of life.

Objective:To analyze serum inflammatory factors associated with antihistamine resistance in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) .Methods:A total of 88 CSU patients were enrolled from Guangzhou Dermatology Hospital from January 2022 to December 2024. All patients received antihistamine treatment according to the "Guideline for diagnosis and treatment of urticaria in China (2022) " . Based on the 7-day urticaria activity score (UAS7) after 4-week treatment, these patients were divided into an antihistamine-sensitive group and an antihistamine-resistant group. Serum levels of inflammatory factors at the initial visit were analyzed using the Olink-targeted proteomics technology. Specific biomarkers associated with antihistamine resistance were identified, and Spearman correlation analysis was carried out to analyze correlations among differentially expressed proteins. A logistic regression model was constructed based on the Olink proteomics data, and the predictive performance of the model was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Measurement data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation or median (lower quartile, upper quartile) .Results:The 88 CSU patients aged 12 to 81 (38.78 ± 13.89) years, with the disease duration being 18 (7.00, 60.00) months. There were 32 patients in the antihistamine-sensitive group and 56 in the antihistamine-resistant group. No significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of age, disease duration, gender, or history of allergic diseases (all P > 0.05) . After 4 weeks of antihistamine treatment, the UAS7 score was significantly higher in the antihistamine-resistant group (25.00 [15.25, 31.00] points) than in the antihistamine-sensitive group (0.50 [0.00, 4.00] points; Z = -7.08, P < 0.001) . The Olink-targeted proteomics identified 5 differentially expressed proteins between the two groups: compared with the antihistamine-sensitive group, the antihistamine-resistant group showed > 2-fold higher expression of fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) , interleukin-15 receptor subunit alpha (IL-15RA) , eotaxin (CCL11) , and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) ; in contrast, the expression of sulfotransferase 1A1 (ST1A1) in the antihistamine-sensitive group was 2.54 times that in the antihistamine-resistant group. Among the differentially expressed proteins, MCP-1 showed the highest specificity (1.00) for predicting antihistamine resistance, followed by CCL11 (0.97) . Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between MCP-1 and CCL11, and a significant negative correlation between IL-15RA and ST1A1. ROC curve analysis showed that MCP-1 and CCL11 had area under the curve values of 0.603 and 0.630, respectively, in predicting antihistamine resistance. Conclusion:MCP-1 and CCL11 may be potential biomarkers for predicting antihistamine resistance in CSU patients.

Objective To construct a theoretical framework for early home-based education and rehabilitation for infants and tod-dlers with developmental disabilities,using the bio-psycho-social model of the International Classification of Functioning,Disability and Health(ICF).Methods On the base of integrating ecosystem theory,neuroplasticity theory,family systems theory and rehabilitation concept of World Health Organization,a home-based education and rehabilitation system encompassing biologi-cal,psychological,social and policy dimensions was developed.Results Within the ICF framework,it was set the operational intervention goals for infants and toddlers in dimensions of motor,language,cognition,emotion and social interaction,while personalized goals were formulated in consider-ation of different types of developmental disabilities.Furthermore,a home-based education and rehabilitation sys-tem was designed,including early screening and assessment,development of personalized intervention plans,home-based education and rehabilitation training,continuous monitoring and adjustment,digital empowerment and remote guidance,as well as disability prevention,and early education and rehabilitation.It involved five stag-es:needs assessment,plan development,plan implementation,dynamic assessment and feedback,and summary and referral.Conclusion This study has constructed a five-stage process,providing an effective framework for the comprehensive re-habilitation of infants and toddlers.ICF framework provides both theoretical and practical guidance for early in-tervention in infants and toddlers with developmental disabilities.

Objective:To explore the efficacy and safety profile of sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir ± ribavirin (SOF/VEL/VOX±RBV) for salvage treatment of chronic hepatitis C patients who have failed direct-acting antivirals (DAAs).Methods:Patients with chronic hepatitis C who failed DAAs±RBV treatment and were treated in five hospitals in Chongqing, Guangdong, Guizhou, and Guangxi from January 2022 to December 2023 were included in this retrospective study. One or more courses of DAAs±RBV therapy were evaluated for all patients who had been previously treated. Virological rebound occurrence was observed during the follow-up. SOF/VEL/VOX±RBV was used for one course of salvage treatment. Virological and biochemical indicators were analyzed before salvage therapy, post-treatment, and drug discontinuation at 12 weeks. Adverse drug events were recorded during treatment. Data between groups were compared using t-tests or non-parametric tests.Results:A total of 26 cases of chronic hepatitis C who had failed DAAs±RBV were included in this study, with an age of (52.9±9.6) years. Twenty-one cases (80.8%) were male, sixteen (61.5%) had a history of drug abuse, two (7.7%) had combined human immunodeficiency virus infection, and fourteen (53.8%) had combined cirrhosis. The previous DAA regimen of 21 cases (80.8%) included SOF/VEL. The baseline HCV RNA load of salvage treatment was (5.8±1.6) log 10 IU/ml, and 16 cases (61.5%) were genotype 3. All patients completed the 12-week SOF/VEL/VOX±RBV salvage treatment and achieved sustained virological response (SVR) at the end of treatment. All 22 cases were followed up for 12 weeks following treatment completion and attained SVR12, including patients with genotype 3 and cirrhosis. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) had normalized return rates of 94.1% and 93.8%, respectively, following therapy. ALT, AST, FIB-4 index, APRI, and aPMAP scores were significantly lower than those before treatment ( Z=-3.980, -3.875, -3.461, -3.582, P<0.05). The proportion of patients in the high-risk group of liver cancer dropped (52.6% before treatment and 33.3% after treatment), and more patients were reclassified to medium-and low-risk groups. Two cases (7.7%) experienced nausea and diarrhea, one case (3.8%) had a headache, and one case (3.8%) had fatigue, all of which were well managed during treatment. There were no serious adverse events, deaths, or interruptions of treatment due to adverse reactions. Conclusions:SOF/VEL/VOX is a safe and effective salvage treatment option for chronic hepatitis C patients who have failed DAAs therapy, and may be particularly beneficial to refractory populations infected with genotype 3 and combined with cirrhosis.

Objective:To explore the efficacy and safety profile of sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir ± ribavirin (SOF/VEL/VOX±RBV) for salvage treatment of chronic hepatitis C patients who have failed direct-acting antivirals (DAAs).Methods:Patients with chronic hepatitis C who failed DAAs±RBV treatment and were treated in five hospitals in Chongqing, Guangdong, Guizhou, and Guangxi from January 2022 to December 2023 were included in this retrospective study. One or more courses of DAAs±RBV therapy were evaluated for all patients who had been previously treated. Virological rebound occurrence was observed during the follow-up. SOF/VEL/VOX±RBV was used for one course of salvage treatment. Virological and biochemical indicators were analyzed before salvage therapy, post-treatment, and drug discontinuation at 12 weeks. Adverse drug events were recorded during treatment. Data between groups were compared using t-tests or non-parametric tests.Results:A total of 26 cases of chronic hepatitis C who had failed DAAs±RBV were included in this study, with an age of (52.9±9.6) years. Twenty-one cases (80.8%) were male, sixteen (61.5%) had a history of drug abuse, two (7.7%) had combined human immunodeficiency virus infection, and fourteen (53.8%) had combined cirrhosis. The previous DAA regimen of 21 cases (80.8%) included SOF/VEL. The baseline HCV RNA load of salvage treatment was (5.8±1.6) log 10 IU/ml, and 16 cases (61.5%) were genotype 3. All patients completed the 12-week SOF/VEL/VOX±RBV salvage treatment and achieved sustained virological response (SVR) at the end of treatment. All 22 cases were followed up for 12 weeks following treatment completion and attained SVR12, including patients with genotype 3 and cirrhosis. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) had normalized return rates of 94.1% and 93.8%, respectively, following therapy. ALT, AST, FIB-4 index, APRI, and aPMAP scores were significantly lower than those before treatment ( Z=-3.980, -3.875, -3.461, -3.582, P<0.05). The proportion of patients in the high-risk group of liver cancer dropped (52.6% before treatment and 33.3% after treatment), and more patients were reclassified to medium-and low-risk groups. Two cases (7.7%) experienced nausea and diarrhea, one case (3.8%) had a headache, and one case (3.8%) had fatigue, all of which were well managed during treatment. There were no serious adverse events, deaths, or interruptions of treatment due to adverse reactions. Conclusions:SOF/VEL/VOX is a safe and effective salvage treatment option for chronic hepatitis C patients who have failed DAAs therapy, and may be particularly beneficial to refractory populations infected with genotype 3 and combined with cirrhosis.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of metformin on ultraviolet A (UVA) -induced photoaging of an immortalized human keratinocytes cell line (HaCaT), and to explore its potential mechanisms.Methods:Cell counting kit 8 (CCK8) assay was performed to evaluate the effect of metformin at different concentrations (0 - 100 mmol/L) on the viability of HaCaT cells, and 10 mmol/L metformin was selected for subsequent experiments. Cultured HaCaT cells were divided into a blank control group (conventional culture), a metformin group (treated with culture medium containing 10 mmol/L metformin), a UVA irradiation group (conventional culture for 24 hours followed by 10 J/cm 2 UVA irradiation) and a metformin + UVA group (treated with culture medium containing 10 mmol/L metformin for 24 hours followed by 10 J/cm 2 UVA irradiation) ; UVA irradiation was performed at a dose of 10 J/cm 2 once a day for 3 consecutive days. After 4-day treatment, cells were collected, the β-galactosidase assay was performed to determine the proportion of senescent cells in each group, 2′, 7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate assay to detect levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the comet assay to detect DNA damage levels. Additionally, some HaCaT cells were divided into the blank control group, metformin group, 1.25 μmol/L dorsomorphin (an adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase [AMPK] inhibitor) + metformin group, and 2.5 μmol/L dorsomorphin + metformin group, and cells in the latter two groups were treated with 1.25 and 2.5 μmol/L dorsomorphin respectively for 2 hours, followed by the treatment with 10 mmol/L metformin for 24 hours. Western blot analysis was performed to determine the cellular localization and phosphorylation levels of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). By using the small-interfering RNA (siRNA) -mediated silencing method, siRNA-Nrf2 was transfected into HaCaT cells to knock down Nrf2 expression (siRNA-Nrf2 group) ; 2.5 μmol/L dorsomorphin-treated HaCaT cells or Nrf2-knockdown HaCaT cells were treated with metformin and UVA irradiation (dorsomorphin + metformin + UVA group, siRNA-Nrf2 + metformin + UVA group, respectively), and the proportions of senescent cells were further calculated in each group. Statistical analysis was carried out by using one-way analysis of variance and two-way analysis of variance, and least significant difference (LSD) - t test was used for multiple comparisons. Results:Treatment with different concentrations of metformin for 24 hours could affect the viability of HaCaT cells to varying degrees ( F = 5 206.31, P < 0.001) ; there were no significant differences in the relative survival rates of HaCaT cells between the 10 - 20 mmol/L metformin groups and the control group (0 mmol/L metformin group, all P > 0.05), while the relative cell survival rates were significantly lower in the 25 - 100 mmol/L metformin groups than in the control group (all P < 0.05). After UVA irradiation, HaCaT cells shrank significantly and became narrow and elongated, and the intercellular spaces increased; the relative cell survival rate was significantly lower in the UVA irradiation group (76.13% ± 1.03%) than in the blank control group (100.00% ± 1.24%, LSD- t = 14.86, P < 0.001), but significantly higher in the metformin + UVA group (106.69% ± 2.45%) than in the UVA irradiation group (LSD- t = 11.55, P < 0.001). Moreover, the UVA irradiation group showed significantly increased proportions of senescent cells (45.14% ± 4.98%), intracellular ROS levels (144.61% ± 4.91%), and percentages of DNA in the tail (75.33% ± 1.77%) compared with the blank control group (23.84% ± 1.89%, 55.49% ± 1.57%, 1.88% ± 0.29%, respectively, all P < 0.001), while the metformin + UVA group showed significantly decreased proportions of senescent cells (24.26% ± 1.34%), intracellular ROS levels (58.62% ± 2.17%), percentages of DNA in the tail (15.83% ± 1.23%) compared with the UVA irradiation group (all P < 0.001). Western blot analysis showed that the Nrf2 expression in the cytoplasm was lower in the 10 mmol/L metformin group than in the blank control group, while the phosphorylated Nrf2 expression in the nuclei was higher in the 10 mmol/L metformin group than in the blank control group, suggesting that metformin could effectively induce the phosphorylation of Nrf2 and its nuclear translocation; both the pretreatment with 1.25 and 2.5 μmol/L dorsomorphin could significantly reduce the phosphorylation levels of AMPKα and Nrf2 induced by 10 mmol/L metformin. The proportions of senescent cells in the dorsomorphin + metformin + UVA group and the siRNA-Nrf2 + metformin + UVA group were 67.84% ± 2.74% and 65.94% ± 1.33%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the metformin + UVA group (37.76% ± 1.64%, t = 14.45, 13.34, respectively, both P < 0.001) . Conclusion:Metformin may inhibit UVA-induced photoaging of HaCaT cells by activating the AMPK/Nrf2 signaling pathway, scavenging ROS and reducing DNA damage.