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Objective Parry⁃Romberg syndrome is a rare disease characterized by unilateral facial progressive atrophy accompanied by ipsilateral intracranial lesions and/or cerebral atrophy, this article is aimed to analyze the clinical, radiological and pathological features of patients with Parry ⁃ Romberg syndrome and explore the microvascular mechanism in the pathogenesis of the disease, to provide reference for understanding the nature of disease. Methods and Results The age of onset was 27 and 17 years old of the 2 patients respectively. Case 1 initially presented with left⁃sided progressive hemifacial atrophy and developed paroxysmal pain, twitch and numbness on the left face. Case 2 presented with a band ⁃ like alopecia in the left fronto⁃parietal area with cutaneous atrophy, and sudden right limb mild hemiplegia. The MRI of Case 1 revealed a space⁃occupying lesion in the left frontal and insular lobes without enhancement. The MRI of Case 2 showed recent lacunar cerebral infarction in left posterior limb of internal capsule. The histopathological examination of Case 1 showed hemorrhage, microvascular thrombosis, fibrinoid necrosis of vascular walls and mild peri⁃microvascular chronic inflammatory cell infiltration, who was irresponsive to prednisone. Case 2 received aspirin and remained free from any cerebrovascular event at his one⁃year⁃ follow up. Conclusions The microvascular mechanism may be the pathogenesis of Parry ⁃ Romberg syndrome, and the antiplatelet therapy may be an optional schedule for stroke prevention and treatment in patients with Parry⁃Romberg syndrome.

Objective: It is critical to identify factors that significantly impede the correct action of calling emergency medical service (EMS) in the high-risk population with a previous history of transient ischemic attack (TIA) and further explore the urban–rural difference in China. Methods: Participants with previous TIA from the China National Stroke Screening Survey and its branch study (FAST-RIGHT) were interviewed cross-sectionally (n = 2,036). The associations between the outcome measure of not calling EMS and multiple potential risk factors were examined, including demographic information, live (or not) with families, medical insurance type, urban or rural residence, awareness of stroke symptoms, annual personal income, presence of cardiovascular disease or risk factors, and stroke history in family members or friends. The sample was further stratified to explore the urban–rural difference by their residency. Results: The proportion of not calling EMS was 36.8% among all participants with previous TIA, and these were 21.7 and 48.4% among urban and rural participants, respectively. Among rural participants, risk factors that were significantly associated with not calling EMS included primary school education [odds ratio (OR) 2.50, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.89–3.33], living with family (OR 2.09, 95% CI 1.33–3.36), unaware stroke symptoms (OR 2.60, 95% CI 1.81–3.78), and low income (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.19–2.07). Among urban participants, only low income was significantly associated with an increased risk of not calling EMS (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.10–2.72). Conclusions: Rural residents with previous TIA in China had a higher percentage of not calling EMS. Multiple risk factors have been identified that call for targeted intervention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many studies have suggested that the clinical features of male patients with ischemic stroke are different from those of female patients, but related data on Chinese patients are scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the differences in treatment delays, complications related to intravenous thrombolysis, and prognosis between male and female patients with ischemic stroke in China. Methods: The data of patients with ischemic stroke who received intravenous thrombolysis were retrospectively analyzed. The data were obtained from the China Hospital Stroke Registry from January 2017 to April 2019. The general clinical characteristics, onset-to-door time, door-to-needle time, complications related to thrombolysis, National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores, and in-hospital mortality were compared between male and female patients to identify any sex differences in these factors. A multi-factorial analysis was conducted to explore whether sex is associated with in-hospital mortality and complications of intracerebral hemorrhage after thrombolysis. Results: A total of 26,475 patients with ischemic stroke who received intravenous thrombolysis were involved in the study. The data were collected from 902 hospitals in 29 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in China. The door-to-needle time was longer in female than in male patients (49 [35, 67] vs. 48 [35, 65], P = 0.008). Furthermore, the frequencies of intracerebral hemorrhage (4.1 vs. 3.2%, P < 0.001) and in-hospital mortality (2.55 vs. 1.83%, P < 0.001) were higher in female vs. male patients. However, sex was not associated with intracerebral hemorrhage and in-hospital mortality according to the adjusted multi-factorial analysis. In addition, improvement in NIHSS scores was greater in female patients than in male patients [−3 (−6, −1) vs. −3 (−5, −1), P = 0.036]. Conclusions: After adjusting for other predictors sex was not associated with intracerebral hemorrhage after thrombolysis or in-hospital mortality. Further study is warranted to evaluate the long-term outcomes in the different sexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The use of bipolar membranes (BMs), modified by plasma-induced polymerization, as diaphragms for H2 production from water electrolysis, is discussed in this paper. The performance is demonstrated by measuring the cell voltage and rate of hydrogen production for cells operated with or without the BMs, as a function of current densities. The results of the electrochemical properties of the BMs show that the polyvinylidene fluoride-grafted 2-methacrylic acid 3-(bis-carboxymethylamino)-2-hydroxyl-propyl ester (PVDF-grafted-GMA-IDA) BM has great potential for water electrolysis in 0.1M KCl. As a result of characterization of the steady-state E–I curves, cell voltage reductions of up to 500 and 300mV by using the PVDF-grafted-GMA-IDA and polyethersulfone-grafted-GMA-IDA (PES-grafted-GMA-IDA) BMs, respectively, are observed at 250mA/cm2 in 0.1M KCl, compared to the water system. The efficiency of H2 production, by using the BMs grafted onto the GMA-IDA monomer as diaphragms is enhanced about 10–20% compared with the water system. In addition, the energy saved by using the GMA-IDA grafted BMs is decreased by around 10–40% at certain values of current densities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Unawareness of stroke symptoms and low income are two barriers that affect the seeking of emergency medical service (EMS). This study aimed to assess the effect of unawareness and low income on seeking EMS and to investigate the regional distribution of the unawareness and low-income status and their associations with failing to call EMS in China., Methods: A total of 187,723 samples from the China National Stroke Screening Survey was interviewed cross-sectionally. Four status of awareness and annual income were identified: unaware and low-income, unaware-only, low-income-only, and aware and regular income. The outcomes were whether they intended to call EMS or not. The regional distribution of each status and their associations with not calling EMS were presented., Results: The status of unaware and low-income, unaware-only, and low-income-only accounted for 6.3% (11,806/187,673), 11.9% (22,241/187,673), and 21.5% (40,289/187,673) of the total sample, respectively. Not calling EMS was significantly associated with the status of unaware and low-income (odds ratio [OR]: 3.21, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.07-3.35), unaware-only (OR: 2.38, 95% CI: 2.31-2.46), and low-income-only (OR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.63-1.71), compared with the aware and regular income status. The Midwest regions had higher percentages of people in the unaware and low-income status; the East, South, and Central had higher percentages of unaware-only status; the North and Northeast regions had a higher percentage of low-income-only status, compared with other regions., Conclusion: The existence of the regional difference in unawareness and low income justifies the specific stroke education strategies for the targeted regions and population., (Copyright © 2021 The Chinese Medical Association, produced by Wolters Kluwer, Inc. under the CC-BY-NC-ND license.)

Background It was uncertain if direct endovascular thrombectomy (ET) was superior to bridging thrombolysis (BT) for patients with acute ischemic stroke caused by large-vessel occlusions. We aimed to examine real-world clinical outcomes of ET using nationwide registry data in China and to compare the efficacy and safety between BT and direct ET. Methods and Results Patients treated with ET from a nationwide registry study in China were included. Rapid neurological improvement, intracranial hemorrhage, and in-hospital mortality were compared between the 2 groups using multivariate logistic models and propensity-score matching analyses. A total of 7674 patients from 592 stroke centers were included. The median onset-to-puncture time, onset-to-door time, and door to puncture time were 290, 170, and 99 minutes, respectively. A total of 2069 (27.0%) patients received BT treatment. Patients in the BT group had a significantly shorter onset-to-puncture time (235 versus 323 minutes; P <0.001) and onset-to-door time (90 versus 222 minutes; P <0.001) compared with the direct ET group. The prior use of intravenous thrombolysis was associated with a higher rate of rapid neurological improvement (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.83; 95% CI, 0.71-0.96) and higher risk of intracranial hemorrhage (adjusted OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.18-1.80) in multivariate analyses and propensity-score matching analyses. Conclusions This study reflects the current application of ET in China. More patients received direct ET than BT. Our results suggested that favorable short-term outcomes could be achieved with BT compared with direct ET. Higher risk of intracranial hemorrhage was observed in the BT group.

Introduction: Different categories of hospitals in China have varying levels of patient education. Stroke recognition and emergency medical services (EMS) usage in patients appears to be closely associated with patient education in hospital. This study aimed to explore the effect of hospital classification in China on a patient's ability to recognise stroke symptoms and the likelihood of using the EMS., Material and Methods: A cross-sectional, community-based study was conducted from January to May 2017, and 1,426 residents who had previously been hospitalised were analysed. The patients involved in the study were from 69 administrative areas in China. Multivariable logistic regression models were developed separately for primary, secondary, and tertiary hospitals to identify the associations between hospital grades and patient stroke recognition or the prospects of them using the EMS., Results: Among the 1,426 patients studied, 725 had been admitted to tertiary hospitals, 448 to secondary hospitals, and 253 to primary hospitals. According to univariate analysis, tertiary hospital patients were more likely to use the EMS than patients in primary and secondary hospitals. The difference therein was still significant after full adjustment., Conclusions: Patients in tertiary hospitals were significantly more likely to use the EMS promptly compared to patients in primary or secondary hospitals. Therefore, patient education on timely EMS usage at stroke onset should be enhanced in primary and secondary hospitals in China.

Background: Many studies have suggested that the clinical features of male patients with ischemic stroke are different from those of female patients, but related data on Chinese patients are scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the differences in treatment delays, complications related to intravenous thrombolysis, and prognosis between male and female patients with ischemic stroke in China. Methods: The data of patients with ischemic stroke who received intravenous thrombolysis were retrospectively analyzed. The data were obtained from the China Hospital Stroke Registry from January 2017 to April 2019. The general clinical characteristics, onset-to-door time, door-to-needle time, complications related to thrombolysis, National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores, and in-hospital mortality were compared between male and female patients to identify any sex differences in these factors. A multi-factorial analysis was conducted to explore whether sex is associated with in-hospital mortality and complications of intracerebral hemorrhage after thrombolysis. Results: A total of 26,475 patients with ischemic stroke who received intravenous thrombolysis were involved in the study. The data were collected from 902 hospitals in 29 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in China. The door-to-needle time was longer in female than in male patients (49 [35, 67] vs. 48 [35, 65], P = 0.008). Furthermore, the frequencies of intracerebral hemorrhage (4.1 vs. 3.2%, P < 0.001) and in-hospital mortality (2.55 vs. 1.83%, P < 0.001) were higher in female vs. male patients. However, sex was not associated with intracerebral hemorrhage and in-hospital mortality according to the adjusted multi-factorial analysis. In addition, improvement in NIHSS scores was greater in female patients than in male patients [-3 (-6, -1) vs. -3 (-5, -1), P = 0.036]. Conclusions: After adjusting for other predictors sex was not associated with intracerebral hemorrhage after thrombolysis or in-hospital mortality. Further study is warranted to evaluate the long-term outcomes in the different sexes., (Copyright © 2020 Cai, Li, Li, Liu and Peng.)