This clinical score may help identify acute stroke patients with high risk of DVT. In addition, it also serves as a platform to develop further models of DVT prediction in stroke patients based on clinical factors.

This is the first report of long-term functional outcomes in ICH patients from mainland China. Our study elucidates the risk factors that may influence functional outcomes post-ICH and therefore facilitate the development of management strategies to improve ICH care in China.

In our study, depression occurred in >40% of patients within the first year after stroke. Persistent depression is the first independent determinant of prognosis during the first year after stroke.

ObjectiveInsomnia is a highly prevalent disorder among patients suffering from stroke. The association between insomnia and stroke mortality is less studied, particularly using the latest diagnostic criteria. The current study examined the relationship between insomnia and mortality among patients with first-evonal hazard models were used to calculate HRs for stroke er stroke in China.MethodsPatients with acute cerebrovascular diseases (stroke) were recruited from 56 hospitals in mainland China. Insomnia was defined as difficulty falling asleep, or difficulty staying asleep or waking up early, for at least two consecutive visits. Demographic data, medical history and clinical data were collected. Four follow-up visits occurred within the first year after stroke, and the last follow-up call was conducted 6 years later. Cox proportional hazard models were used to calculate HRs for stroke mortality.ResultsInsomnia was reported by 38.4% (489/1273) of patients at baseline. During the 6 years of follow-up, after adjusting for all confounders, insomnia was found to be associated with increased mortality (HR=1.66, 95% CI 1.10 to 2.48). Old age (HR=1.08, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.10), stroke recurrence in the first year of follow-up (HR=2.53, 95% CI 1.48 to 4.31) and stroke survivors with hypertension (HR=1.62, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.53) had substantially higher risk of mortality.ConclusionsBesides old age, stroke recurrence in the first year of follow-up and hypertension, insomnia is associated with increased risk of mortality in patients with first-ever stroke in China. More studies about prompt and efficient interventions for insomnia are expected in the future.Trial registration number rctn62169508.

In CNSR, differences in stroke clinic characteristics and health care were observed among various age groups, and the old patients, receiving lower levels of stroke care, had the worst outcomes. Knowledge of the age differences in ischemic stroke may be helpful to appropriately allocate the limited health resources and to improve stroke outcomes.

According to the cancer stem cell theory, cancers can be initiated by cancer stem cells. This makes cancer stem cells prime targets for therapeutic intervention. Eradicating cancer stem cells by efficient targeting agents may have the potential to cure cancer. In this review, we summarize recent breakthroughs that have improved our understanding of cancer stem cells, and we discuss the therapeutic strategy of targeting cancer stem cells, a promising future direction for cancer stem cell research.

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Background: More than 60 genetic susceptibility loci associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have been established in populations of Asian and European ancestry. Given ethnic differences and environmental factors, validation of the effects of genetic risk variants with reported associations identified by Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWASs) is essential. The study aims at evaluating the associations of T2DM with 29 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 19 candidate genes derived from GWASs in a northern Han Chinese population. Method: In this case-control study, 461 T2DM-diagnosed patients and 434 controls were recruited at the Jidong oil field hospital (Hebei, China) from January 2009 to October 2013. A cumulative genetic risk score (cGRS) was calculated by summation of the number of risk alleles, and a weight GRS (wGRS) was calculated as the sum of risk alleles at each locus multiplied by their effect sizes for T2DM, using the independent variants selected. Result: The allelic frequency of the “A” allele at rs17106184 (Fas-associated factor 1, FAF1) was significantly higher in the T2DM patients than that of the healthy controls (11.7% vs. 6.4%, p < 0.001). Individuals in the highestquartile of wGRS had an over three-fold increased risk for developing T2DM compared with those in the lowest quartile (odds ratio = 3.06, 95% CI = 1.92–4.88, p < 0.001) adjusted for age, sex, BMI, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). The results were similar when analyzed with the cGRS. Conclusions: We confirmed the association between rs17106184 (FAF1) and T2DM in a northern Han Chinese population. The GRS calculated based on T2DM susceptibility variants may be a useful tool for predicting the T2DM susceptibility.