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Social media become an important space where people receive and share up-to-date health-related information during the rapid global spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). While information sharing in social media has been shown to improve relations, reduce stress, and enhance life satisfaction, little is known about reciprocal sharing. Situated in COVID-19 pandemic, this study conceptualizes information sharing as a communication process during which sharers expect the receivers to reciprocate, while receivers feel obligated to return the favor. Building upon social exchange theory and studies on social media sharing, the study tested a model of moderated mediation in which sharing of COVID-19 information was predicted to enhance life satisfaction by encouraging reciprocal sharing, i.e., information reciprocity. Subjective norms, attitudes, and perceived usefulness of the information was predicted to moderate the mediation. The hypothesized mediation was supported by data from a survey of 511 online participants in China. Furthermore, the indirect effect appeared stronger among the respondents who found the information more useful, reported more positive attitude, or perceived more subjective norms. The findings suggest that expected reciprocation may be an important incentive for social sharing, and received reciprocation may be a central part of the mechanism through which sharing benefits the sharer. Policymakers and communicators may need to take information reciprocity into consideration when designing health information campaign to confront communal threats.

Background The survival benefit of adjuvant transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after hepatectomy remains controversial. We aimed to investigate the survival efficacy of adjuvant TACE after hepatectomy for HCC. Methods 1491 patients with HCC who underwent hepatectomy between January 2018 and September 2021 at four medical centers in China were retrospectively analyzed, including 782 patients who received adjuvant TACE and 709 patients who did not receive adjuvant TACE. Propensity score matching (PSM) (1:1) was performed to minimize selection bias, which balanced the clinical characteristics of the two groups. Results A total of 1254 patients were enrolled after PSM, including 627 patients who received adjuvant TACE and 627 patients who did not receive adjuvant TACE. Patients who received adjuvant TACE had higher disease-free survival (DFS, 1- ,2-, and 3-year: 78%-68%-62% vs. 69%-57%-50%, p Conclusions Adjuvant TACE may be a potential way to monitor early tumor recurrence and improve postoperative survival in patients with HCC.

Background and purpose To investigate the association of different status of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) and infarction number with recurrence after acute minor stroke and transient ischaemic attack (TIA). Methods This study was a post hoc analysis of the Clopidogrel in High-risk Patients with Acute Nondisabling Cerebrovascular Events (CHANCE) trial, and includes 886 patients with acute minor stroke and TIA. The status of CSVD and infarction number was recorded for each individual. Infarction number were classified as multiple acute infarctions (MAIs≥2), single acute infarction (SAI =1), and non-acute infarction (NAI =0). The CSVD burden were grouped into non-CSVD (0 score) and CSVD (1–4 score). The primary outcome was a recurrent stroke at the 1-year follow-up. The secondary outcomes were recurrent ischaemic stroke, composite vascular event (CVE), and TIA. We analyzed the relationships between different status of CSVD burden and infarction pattern with the risk of outcomes using multivariable Cox regression models. Results Among all 886 patients included in present analysis, recurrent stroke was occurred in 93 (10.5%) patients during 1-year follow-up. After adjusted for all potential covariates, compared with patients with non-CSVD and NAI, patients with CSVD and MAIs were associated with approximately 9.5-fold increased risk of recurrent stroke at 1 year (HR 9.560, 95% CI 1.273–71.787, p=0.028). Similar results observed in ischaemic stroke and CVE. Conclusion The status of CSVD and infarction number predicted recurrent stroke in patients with acute minor stroke and TIA, especially for those with coexistent CSVD and MAIs.

Radial artery occlusion (RAO) is still a major complication of coronary catheterization (CC) via transradial access (TRA). Recently, coronary angiography (CAG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) through distal transradial access (dTRA) have been proven to be safe and feasible, but RAO recanalization and complete CC via dTRA have been rarely reported. Twenty-nine consecutive patients with RAO were enrolled in the present study. RAO was first confirmed by ultrasonography and after puncture of the distal radial artery (RA) in the anatomical snuffbox; cannula angiography was conducted to confirm total RAO. With the exception of two patients, we successfully recanalized the occluded RA in 27 patients. After RAO recanalization, subsequent CAG and PCI were successful, and no complications occurred. RAO recanalization and complete coronary catheterization via dTRA are safe and feasible.

Motuo and Naqu are two typical regions of the Tibetan Plateau with different geographical locations and climate regimes. These differences may lead to discrepancies in the raindrop size distributions (DSDs) and precipitation microphysical processes between the two regions. This paper investigates discrepancies in the DSDs using disdrometer data obtained during the rainy season in Motuo and Naqu. The DSD characteristics are studied under five different rainfall rate categories and two precipitation types (stratiform and convective). For the total data sets, the number concentrations of drops with diameters D > 0.6 (D < 0.6) mm are higher (lower) in Naqu than in Motuo. The fitted normalized gamma distributions of the averaged DSDs for the five rainfall rate categories show that Naqu has a larger (lower) mass-weighted mean diameter Dm (normalized intercept parameter, log10Nw) than does Motuo. The difference in Dm between Naqu and Motuo increases with the rainfall rate. Convective clusters in Naqu could be identified as continental-like, while convective precipitation in Motuo could be classified as maritime-like. The relationships between the shape factor μ and slope parameter Λ of the gamma distribution model, the radar reflectivity Z and the rainfall rate R are also derived. Furthermore, the possible causative mechanism for the notable DSD variation between the two regions during the rainy season is illustrated using reanalysis data and automated weather station observations. Cold rain processes are mainly responsible for the low concentrations of large drops observed in Naqu, whereas warm rain prevails in Motuo, producing abundant small drops.

Background Ziprasidone mesylate injection is an atypical antipsychotic drug which is recently approved in China. In combination with its oral formulation, sequential therapy with ziprasidone brings new interventions to patients with agitation in the acute phase of schizophrenia. The purpose of this 7-day multicenter study conducted in China was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ziprasidone sequential treatment through intramuscular/oral routes in agitated patients with schizophrenia. Methods A total of 95 patients were enrolled from three centers in this study. The study duration was 7 days. In the first 3 days, subjects were administered an intramuscular injection of ziprasidone 10–40 mg daily and started sequentially with oral ziprasidone 40–80 mg at dinner (or lunch) from the day of the last intramuscular injection. In the following 4 days, according to the severity of the symptoms and the drug response, 120–160 mg of ziprasidone was orally administered daily. In total, six visits were scheduled to assess the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Behavioral Activity Rating Scale (BARS), the Clinical Global Impression of Severity (CGI-S), and Improvement (CGI-I) scores throughout the procedure. Lastly, adverse events were recorded during treatment. Results Out of the 95 patients that were enrolled, 83 cases were effectively completed. Visits 3, 4, 6, PANSS, and PANSS-excited component (PANSS-EC) subscale points, and Visit 2–Visit 6 viewpoints, BARS scale points, and baseline scores denote a progressive downward trend (P Conclusions Ziprasidone IM demonstrated significant and rapid reduction in agitation, and sequential oral formulation keep stability and continuation of the treatment can further ensure efficacy. Ziprasidone sequential therapy may provide a new approach to acute agitation in schizophrenic patients. Trial registration The Chinese Clinical Trials Registry; URL: https://www.chictr.org.cn: ChiCTR-OIC-16007970.

Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation poses one of the most vexing challenges. Gut microbiota dysbiosis can proceed aGVHD and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have promising therapeutic potential for aGVHD. However, whether hAMSCs affect the gut microbiota during aGVHD mitigation remains unknown. Accordingly, we sought to define the effects and underlying mechanisms of human amniotic membrane-derived MSCs (hAMSCs) regulating the gut microbiota and intestinal immunity in aGVHD. By establishing humanized aGVHD mouse models and hAMSCs treatment, we found that hAMSCs significantly ameliorated aGVHD symptoms, reversed the immune imbalance of T cell subsets and cytokines, and restored intestinal barrier. Moreover, the diversity and composition of gut microbiota were improved upon treatment with hAMSCs. Spearman’s correlation analysis showed that there was a correlation between the gut microbiota and tight junction proteins, immune cells as well as cytokines. Our research suggested that hAMSCs alleviated aGVHD by promoting gut microbiota normalization and regulating the interactions between the gut microbiota and intestinal barrier, immunity. Graphical Abstract

Background Understanding factors that influence healthy or unhealthy eating can inform intervention strategies. This study ascertained whether and how unintentional exposure to food and nutrition information influenced healthy eating concerns. The study tested body comparison, body satisfaction, and body mass index as three mechanisms that potentially link food information encounter, commonly known as information scanning, to healthy eating concerns. Methods A sample of 440 online participants (mean age = 29.15 years) was used to investigate: (1) how unintentional exposure to food and nutrition information, i.e., information encounter (IE), affects healthy eating concerns (HEC); (2) how the effect of IE on HEC is mediated by body comparison (BC); (3) how the paths of the mediation model are moderated by body satisfaction (BS) or body mass index (BMI). Results The findings show a positive and sizable total effect of IE on HEC – a whole-scale increase in information encounter is associated with a substantial increase in healthy eating concerns by 15 percentage points (bp = 0.150). BC is found to mediate the effect of IE on HEC in an all-positive complementary mediation. Both the indirect and the direct-and-remainder paths show sizable effects. The mediated path contributes about 20% of the total effect between IE and HEC (cp = 20%), while the direct-and-remainder path contributes the rest (cp = 80%). BS was found to moderate the relationship between IE and BC, the first leg of the mediation. The moderation effect is large – the effect of IE on BC is much smaller on the highly and the moderately satisfied than on the lowly satisfied (slope differential bp = -.60). BMI was found to moderate the direct-and-remainder effect of IE on HEC, controlling BC. That is, the effect of IE on HEC, after filtering out the mediated effect through BC, is much larger for those with high or low BMI than those with healthy BMI (slope differential bp = .32). Conclusions Exposure, even if unintentional, to food and nutrition information is an important predictor of HEC. BC, BS, and BMI are important factors that help to explain the process through which information affects behaviors.

Background and objective The new non-invasive arterial stiffness indices, arterial pressure volume index (API) is explored as a novel marker of residual stress in the wall of the peripheral muscular arteries at zero-stress state in clinical settings. The present study aimed to study the association of API with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in China (China-PAR). Methods According to China-PAR score, participants were divided into three groups: low risk ( Results The study included 4311 participants. After adjustments for confounding factors, high API was independent factor associated with high risk China-PAR categories, and the probability of high API was 1.366 times higher than that in normal API subjects. While, the independent factors associated with high API were BMI, blood pressure and heart rate. Furthermore, API had a significant U-shaped association with China-PAR. CVD risk was lowest with API of 19 units, the fastest increase at 26 units and the flattest starting point at 59 units. Conclusion API, an indicator of arterial stiffness and residual stress, had a U-shaped association with China-PAR score and might play an important role in predicting CVD risk in Chinese natural populations.

Mycorrhizal symbiosis has been evolved to be ubiquitous in natural and agricultural ecosystems. Mycorrhiza formation helps host plants acquire more nutrients and water, thereby improving host plant resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses. Molecular crosstalk begins between symbiotic partners before the establishment of mycorrhizal symbiosis. Signaling molecules and small secreted proteins are then released from the two symbionts. Signaling molecules released from the fungi include Myc factors, indole 3-acetic acid, and hypaphorine, etc. Meanwhile, they secrete some carbohydrate active enzymes (e.g., proteases and lipases), and proteins with conserved LysM and CFEM motifs. These secreted signaling molecules and proteins function outside the host cell wall and improve the establishment efficiency of mycorrhizal symbiosis. Here we focus on the functions of these signaling molecules and secreted proteins released from mycorrhizal fungi at the early stage of mycorrhiza formation. Since global advances are much slower than those involved in pathogenic fungi, we hope the research in this field promotes deservedly.

A novel Pseudomonas sp. GZWN4 with the aerobic nitrogen removal ability was isolated from aquaculture water, whose removal efficiency of NO2−–N, NO3−–N and NH4+–N was 99.72%, 82.54% and 98.62%, respectively. The key genes involved in nitrogen removal, nxr, napA, narI, nirS, norB and nosZ, were successfully amplified and by combination with the results of nitrogen balance analysis, it was inferred that the denitrification pathway of strain GZWN4 was NO3−–N → NO2−–N → NO → N2O → N2. The strain GZWN4 had excellent nitrite removal performance at pH 7.0–8.5, temperature 25–30 ℃, C/N ratio 5–20, salinity 8–32‰ and dissolved oxygen concentration 2.52–5.73 mg L−1. The receivable linear correlation (R2 = 0.9809) was obtained with the range of quantification between l03 and 108 CFU mL−1 of the strain by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Strain GZWN4 could maintain high abundance in the actual water and wastewater of mariculture and the removal efficiency of TN were 52.57% and 63.64%, respectively. The safety evaluation experiment showed that the strain GZWN4 had no hemolysis and high biosecurity toward shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. The excellent nitrogen removal ability and adaptability to aquaculture environment made strain GZWN4 a promising candidate for treatment of water and wastewater in aquaculture.

A method for the simultaneous determination of arsenobetaine, arsenite, arsenate, dimethylarsinic acid, monomethylarsonic acid, selenite, selenate, bromate, bromide, iodate, and iodide in bottled drinking water and fruit juice samples was established by using high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The separation of eleven compounds was performed on an ion exchange chromatography column (Dionex IonPac AS14) with 20 mmol L-1 (NH4)2CO3 (pH 10) and 50 mmol L-1 (NH4)2CO3 (pH 10) as a mobile phase. The limits of quantification of the method were 0.17 - 1.2 μg L-1 for the test compounds in bottled drinking water and 0.34 - 2.4 μg L-1 in fruit juice. The average recoveries ranged from 85.8 to 102.2%, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) obtained in fortification recovery studies were generally

The Homeodomain leucine zipper (HD-Zip) transcription factor family is one of the most important transcription factor families in the plant kingdom and it plays pivotal roles in plant development, growth as well as response to all kinds of stresses. However, the HD-Zip gene family has not been characterized in pineapple yet. Pineapple is one of the most economically important tropical fruit in the world. Here, we identified a total of 33 HD-Zip genes in pineapple by a genome-wide study. These 33 genes were divided into 4 subgroups and variably located on 14 chromosomes and one scaffold_1724. The gene structure and conserved motifs of these genes relatively share similar characteristics in a subfamily. We found at least two abiotic stress responding cis-elements in the promoter region of AcoHDzip genes, the light-responsive element is the most abundant cis-element that can be found in all the genes. Besides, transcriptome analysis showed the expression profile of 33 genes in different developmental stages. We identified the nine genes with higher expression in gynoecium and two genes with highly expressed in ovules and flowers respectively. Our studies will provide valuable information about the HD-Zip transcription factor family in pineapple, which would be useful for further functional studies in plant growth, plant development, and stress response.

Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) is a convenient tool for gene expression analysis. However, reliability of its result is influenced largely by the selection of reference genes. Pineapple molecular breeding is limited due to lack of understanding of sexual organs’ development. Similarly, only a few reference genes have identified for qRT-PCR analysis in pineapple stamen and ovule. In this study, we initially identified 20 candidate reference genes using transcriptome data, and determined their expression stabilities in 36 ovule and stamen developmental samples using qRT-PCR. Three algorithms, GeNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper were used to determine the superiority of those candidate genes. Our results revealed that the use of combined RPS4 and RPL23 during ovule development, CCR and RPS4 during stamen development were sufficient for reliable normalization. These recommended reference genes were further verified by evaluating the temporal expression abundance of the meiosis-specific protein-encoding genes AcASY1 and AcASY3 in all experimental samples. Our results complement previous pineapple normalization study by providing appropriate reference genes during the entire reproductive period, and will beneficial for future studies on the pineapple stamen and ovule development. Finally, this result will help for the molecular breeding of pineapple for crop improvement.

Fibroblast growth factor receptor type 2 (FGFR2) has emerged as a key oncogenic factor that regulates gastric cancer (GC) progression, but the underlying mechanism of FGF–FGFR2 signaling pathway remains largely unknown. To identify the potential molecular mechanisms of the oncogenic FGFR2 in gastric carcinogenesis and convey a novel therapeutic strategy, we profiled the FGFR alterations and analyzed their clinical associations in TCGA and Hong Kong GC cohorts. We found that FGFR2 overexpression in GC cell lines and primary tumors predicted poor survival and was associated with advanced stages of GC. Functionally, growth abilities and cell cycle progression of GC were inhibited by inactivation of ERK–MAPK signal transduction after FGFR2 knockdown, while apoptosis was promoted. Meanwhile, the first-line anti-cancer drug sensitivity was enhanced. RNA-seq analysis further revealed that YAP1 signaling serves as a significant downstream modulator and mediates the oncogenic signaling of FGFR2. When stimulating FGFR2 by rhFGF18, we observed intensified F-actin, nuclear accumulation of YAP1, and overexpression of YAP1 targets, but these effects were attenuated by either FGFR2 depletion or AZD4547 administration. Additionally, the FGF18–FGFR2 signaling upregulated YAP1 expression through activating c-Jun, an effector of MAPK signaling. In our cohort, 28.94% of GC cases were characterized as FGFR2, c-Jun, and YAP1 co-positive and demonstrated worse clinical outcomes. Remarkably, we also found that co-targeting FGFR2 and YAP1 by AZD4547 and Verteporfin synergistically enhanced the antitumor effects in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, we have identified the oncogenic FGF–FGFR2 regulates YAP1 signaling in GC. The findings also highlight the translational potential of FGFR2–c-Jun–YAP1 axis, which may serve as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for GC.

Chemotherapy-induced alopecia is a common and emotionally traumatic side effect on breast cancer patients. In order to make up for the deficiency of measuring tools in China, our study aims at translating the chemotherapy-induced alopecia distress scale (CADS) into Chinese and evaluating the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of CADS (CADS-C) in breast cancer patients. The validity and reliability of CADS-C were measured by a questionnaire survey among 301 breast cancer patients from Chinese mainland. Construct validity was assessed through factor analysis and contrasted group comparisons. The validity of the content was examined by an experts group. The internal consistency and test–retest reliability were evaluated by calculating Cronbach’s alpha and the intraclass correlation coefficient. The content validity index was 0.94; a structure with three factors was revealed by exploratory factor analysis which explained 65.40% of the variance and proved by confirmatory factor analysis. The contrasted group comparisons showed significant differences among different degrees of alopecia. The average variance extracted and composite reliability and correlations between CADS and body image, quality of life and self-esteem proved the convergent validity. The Cronbach’s alpha and the intraclass correlation coefficient of the total scale were 0.90 and 0.89 respectively, indicating satisfactory internal consistency and time stability. The scale appears to be a reliable and valid tool to measure chemotherapy-induced alopecia distress among breast cancer patients in China.

An undescribed Colletotrichum species was isolated from leaf spots on Rubus idaeus (raspberry) in the summer of 2013 in the Jilin Province in northeast China. Based on morphology and ITS sequence data, it was identified as belonging to the Colletotrichum destructivum species complex. Phylogenetic analyses of combined ITS, GAPDH, ACT, CHS-1 and TUB2 sequence data revealed that the fungus represents a new species described here as Colletotrichum neorubicola sp. nov. Pathogenicity testing confirmed that this new species is pathogenic to R. idaeus.

This study aims to evaluate the effects of prolonged expressive writing on health outcomes in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy to help understand how the dosage of an expressive writing intervention might moderate its effects. A total of 112 breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy were randomly allocated to the expressive writing group (n = 56) or the prolonged expressive writing group (n = 56). The expressive writing group received the standard expressive writing intervention based on Pennebaker’s prompt to write for at least 20 min over four consecutive days (4 sessions). The prolonged expressive writing group used a modified prompt: write for at least 20 min 3 times a week over a 4-week period (12 sessions); patients could choose whether to write on consecutive days or not. All participants were required to write about their stressor-related upsetting or traumatic feelings about breast cancer. Outcomes were assessed and compared at baseline, as well as 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months postintervention. There was no significant difference in the patients’ quality of life, or physical and psychological wellbeing between the expressive writing group and the prolonged expressive writing group at any time point (all p > .05). The quality of life of breast cancer patients significantly decreased in the two groups over time (F = 40.64, p

Previous studies suggested that serine can promote the synthesis of selenoproteins and the interaction, transformation, and replacement of serine, cysteine, and selenocysteine have been observed in the human body. This study was designed to clarify whether the dietary intakes of serine and sulfate-containing amino acids (SAAs) could directly affect the selenium (Se) nutritional status or the level of milk Se in lactating women. Breast milk and plasma samples were collected from a total of 264 lactating Chinese women when they revisited their local hospital at the 42nd day postpartum to detect the concentration of Se with ICP-MS and the content of selenoprotein P (SEPP1) and the activity of glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPX3) in the plasma by ELISA. The daily Se intake by each subject was calculated based on her own plasma Se concentration. The 24-h dietary record data for 3 consecutive days were collected to calculate their dietary intakes of protein together with each amino acid daily based on the China Food Composition Tables (CFCT). Ordinal polytomous logistic regression was applied to examine the determinants of BMI values for lactating women. For all subjects, the concentration of plasma SEPP1 and milk Se of participants with insufficient Se intake were significantly associated with the dietary intake of serine and 2 SAAs (methionine and cystine), respectively (P 0.05). No significant correlation was found between each amino acid related to the synthesis of endogenous serine and every biomarker of the Se nutrition status in subjects with an insufficient dietary protein intake (P 0.05). The ordinal logistic regression analysis showed that dietary protein intake (ordinal OR 1.012, 95% CI = 0.004-0.020, P = 0.002) and plasma SEPP1 (ordinal OR 0.988, 95% CI = - 0.023 to - 0.001, P = 0.036) affected the BMI value together in these lactating women. In conclusion, dietary serine and SAAs were found to directly affect the nutritional status, and both high protein intake and low plasma SEPP1 might be the health risks in these lactating Chinese women.

Cu-SSZ-13 catalyst, as the most popular selective catalytic reduction on filter (SCRF) catalyst in diesel exhaust purification, may suffer from severe alkali deposition derived from engine oil, urea solution and biodiesel fuel. These accumulated deposits inevitably affect both of the NOx reduction and soot oxidation reactions. Unlike deactivation effect of alkali impurities on Cu-SSZ-13 catalyst for NH3-SCR process, which has been extensively studied and well documented, the impact of alkali deposition on soot oxidation over SCRF catalyst is still poorly understood. Herein, we reported the influence of potassium salts deposition on soot oxidation of Cu-SSZ-13 catalyst. Compared with the fresh Cu-SSZ-13, these K-impregnated catalysts show promoted activities toward soot oxidation with the promotion effect of K2SO4 > K2CO3 > K3PO4. The generated copper compounds instead of potassium salts are found to be responsible for the enhanced catalytic activity. The NO oxidation over the K2CO3-impregnated catalyst is accelerated by CuOx clusters, resulting in a low ignition temperature toward soot oxidation in the presence of NOx. Contrarily, K2SO4- and K3PO4-impregnated catalysts show higher ignition temperature values because the generated copper sulfates and phosphates present weakened NO oxidation activities especially in the low-temperature region. This work provides new insight into understanding the affecting mechanism of alkali impurities on SCRF catalysts. The generated Cu species induced by the deposition of different potassium salts, rather than alkali species themselves, are responsible for the promoted soot oxidation activity of the K-impregnated Cu-SSZ-13 as a SCRF catalyst.

We studied the genetic diversity of 34 fig varieties (Ficus carica L.) to provide a reference for analyzing the phylogenetic relationships and variety identification of figs. A total of 34 fig materials were amplified by inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) molecular marker technique. The products were detected by agarose gel electrophoresis and analyzed by using POPGENE 1.32 and NTSYS 2.10. Nine polymorphic primers were screened from 100 ISSR primers, and 107 loci were amplified, 74 were polymorphic loci, and the polymorphic loci ratio was 69.16%. The number of alleles was observed. The Na average was 1.6729, and the effective allele number (Ne) was 1.4022. The Nei’s gene diversity index (He) was 0.2316. The Shannon information index (I) was 0.3447, and the genetic similarity coefficient (GS) was between 0.6262 and 0.9720 the average values. UPGMA method was used to construct the clustering map. With GS 0.824 as the threshold, 34 fig varieties were divided into eight groups, thus indicating that ISSR molecular markers can be effectively applied to the genetic diversity analysis of different fig varieties.

Backgroud and purposeTriglyceride-glucose (TyG) index has been considered a surrogate marker of insulin resistance. We investigated the association between TyG index and stroke recurrence and compared the effectiveness of TyG index with homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in predicting stroke recurrence and death in nondiabetic acute ischemic stroke patients.MethodsNondiabetic acute ischemic stroke patients from the ACROSS-China (Abnormal Glucose Regulation in Patients with Acute Stroke across China) registry were included. TyG index was performed and classified into four groups by quartiles. The outcomes were stroke recurrence and death within 1 year. The association between TyG index and the risk of stroke recurrence and death were analyzed by Cox regression models. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the prediction of TyG index and HOMA-IR for stroke recurrence and death. Delong test was used for comparing the differences between area under the curve (AUC) of TyG index and HOMA-IR.ResultsAmong the 1226 patients included, the median (interquartile range) of TyG index was 5.8 (5.5–6.2). Both the third and fourth quartiles of TyG index were associated with an increased risk of stroke recurrence (adjusted hazard ratio 2.04, 95% confidence interval 1.26–3.31; adjusted hazard ratio 1.86, 95% confidence interval 1.13–3.06). Patients with fourth quartiles of TyG index were associated with a higher mortality risk (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.91; 95% confidence interval, 1.62–2.53). Regarding stroke recurrence within 1 year, the AUC (95% confidence interval) of the ROC curve for the TyG index was similar to that of the HOMA-IR[0.56 (0.52–0.61) vs 0.57 (0.52–0.61);P = 0.93]. Regarding death within 1 year, the AUCs (95% confidence interval) of the ROC curve for the TyG index and HOMA-IR were 0.55 (0.50–0.61) and 0.59 (0.53–0.64), respectively (P = 0.32).ConclusionsElevated TyG index was associated with an increased risk of stroke recurrence and death. However, neither of TyG nor HOMA-IR can be a qualified predictor of stroke recurrence and death in nondiabetic acute ischemic stroke patients.

In August 2014, leaf spots were found on Polygonatum odoratum in Jilin Province in China. The fungus isolated from the diseased leaves was identified as Colletotrichum spaethianum based on pathogenicity, morphology and molecular characterization. The fungus was re-isolated from lesions that developed on leaves after inoculation. This report is the first of a disease on P. odoratum caused by C. spaethianum.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the pathogen of tuberculosis (TB), can survive in host macrophages and induce macrophages to M2 phenotype might result in latent MTB infection. During the latent phase, the expression of MTB heat-shock protein 16.3 (Hsp16.3) is markedly increased among most of bacterial proteins, but the role of Hsp16.3 in macrophage M2 polarization is not clear. In this work, we found that macrophages incubated with 100 ng/ml MTB Hsp16.3 increased the production of Arg-1, IL-10, TGF-beta, and CD206. These results showed that MTB Hsp16.3 may induce macrophage M2 phenotype. And the interaction of Hsp16.3 with macrophages was found to depend on chemokine receptors CCRL2 and CX3CR1. Additionally, we used overexpression and silencing techniques to further verify the effect of CCRL2 and CX3CR1 on MTB Hsp16.3-induced M2 polarization macrophages. Furthermore, we explored the downstream signaling molecules of CCRL2 and CX3CR1 and we found MTB Hsp16.3 altered the signal transduction of the AKT/ERK/p38-MAPK. Taken together, this study provides evidence that MTB Hsp16.3 promotes macrophages to M2 phenotype and explores its underlying mechanism.

Chitin is the second-most abundant bioresource and widely used in the food, agricultural, biomedicine, and other industries. However, under the mutual restriction of extraction cost and environmental protection, it is relatively difficult to prepare chitin from natural sources by pure separation. The aim of this study is to extract chitin from fresh crab shell waste by decalcification (DC) and deproteinization (DP) using glutamic acid and alkaline protease. The optimum technological conditions for DC and DP were as follows: (1) 5% (w/v) glutamic acid solution was used as decalcifying agent, the ratio of material to liquid was 1:10 (m/v), and the ash content in chitin was 0.83 ± 0.027% after decalcification at 75° C for 12 h. (2) Using alkaline protease as enzymatic hydrolyzer, 1500 U of alkaline protease was added per gram of crab shell. Under the conditions of material-liquid ratio of 1:10 (m/v) and pH value of hydrolysate of 9.0, N content in chitin was 6.63 ± 0.10% after 6 h of enzymatic hydrolysis at 55° C. And the extraction rate of chitin was 92.25 ± 0.51%. As a decalcifying agent, glutamic acid could be recycled with a recovery rate of 77.42 ± 2.16%. Calcium carbonate in crab shell was converted into calcium hydrogen phosphate by calcium glutamate, and protein into amino acids and polypeptides, which could be used as feed additives. The "glutamic acid-enzymolysis" for extracting chitin from crab shell is a relatively closed process, which has the advantages of mild reaction, greatly reducing the discharge of three wastes and high comprehensive utilization rate of raw materials.

Government data sharing can effectively improve the efficiency and quality of government services and enhance the ability of providing government services. However, data sharing may bring the risk of citizen privacy leakage. It is a challenging problem on improving government governance and service levels when sharing government data while guaranteed citizens’ privacy. For the diversity types and complex attributes of government data, this paper proposes a cluster-based anonymous table data sharing privacy protection method (CATDS). Firstly, preprocessing the data table. According to the correlation degree between attributes, the clustering algorithm is used to divide the data attribute column to generate multiple tables. That can reduce the data dimension and improve the algorithm execution speed. Then clustering the table data using k-medoids clustering algorithm to generate a clustering result table that initially satisfies the ķ-anonymity requirement. That can reduce the next generalization degree and improve the data availability. Finally, anonymizing the resulting clusters through generalization technique to ensure the privacy of the shared data. By comparing the CATDS with the Incognito algorithm which is a classical ķ-anonymity algorithm, it is proved that the proposed algorithm can effectively reduce the amount of information loss and improve the availability of shared table data while protecting the private information of shared table data.

Dual-polarization (dual-pol) radar can measure additional parameters that provide more microphysical information of precipitation systems than those provided by conventional Doppler radar. The dual-pol parameters have been successfully utilized to investigate precipitation microphysics and improve radar quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE). The recent progress in dual-pol radar research and applications in China is summarized in four aspects. Firstly, the characteristics of several representative dual-pol radars are reviewed. Various approaches have been developed for radar data quality control, including calibration, attenuation correction, calculation of specific differential phase shift, and identification and removal of non-meteorological echoes. Using dual-pol radar measurements, the microphysical characteristics derived from raindrop size distribution retrieval, hydrometeor classification, and QPE is better understood in China. The limited number of studies in China that have sought to use dual-pol radar data to validate the microphysical parameterization and initialization of numerical models and assimilate dual-pol data into numerical models are summarized. The challenges of applying dual-pol data in numerical models and emerging technologies that may make significant impacts on the field of radar meteorology are discussed.

NAC [no apical meristem (NAM), Arabidopsis transcription activation factor (ATAF1/2) and cup-shaped cotyledon (CUC2)] proteins is one of the largest classes of plant specific transcription factors and plays a critical role in plant growth, development process, and abiotic/biotic stresses. In this study, 73 NAC genes (AcNACs) were identified from the pineapple genome. Phylogenetic analysis showed that AcNACs could be divided into 13 subgroups. Gene structure analysis showed that the number of introns varied from 0 to 12. Motif analysis revealed that all of the identified AcNACs had the conserved NAC domain and motif 6 is the conserved motif. Most of the AcNACs were located in chromosome except AcNAC68, AcNAC70, AcNAC71 and AcNAC72, which were presented on unanchored scaffolds. Furthermore, we analysed AcNAC expression patterns in vegetative organs and in sexual organs, namely ovules and stamens, at different developmental stages respectively. Five AcNAC genes (AcNAC6; AcNAC7; AcNAC48; AcNAC70; AcNAC71) were not detected in vegetative organs. AcNAC55 exhibited the highest expression level in vegetative organs. Six AcNAC genes (AcNAC11, AcNAC18, AcNAC27, AcNAC28, AcNAC40, and AcNAC55) showed high expression levels in all reproductive organs. Seven AcNAC genes (AcNAC26, AcNAC34, AcNAC40, AcNAC43, AcNAC63 and AcNAC65) were induced under abiotic stresses. These data provided a new insight of NAC gene family in pineapple and revealed the diverse function of NAC transcription factors in pineapple growth and development.

Shengjin Lake is a typical lake-type wetland in the lower of the Yangtze River, which is also an important national nature reserve in China. It is of great significance to evaluate the ecological risk of land use for promoting the coordinated development of land use and ecological environment. In this paper, according to the TM remote sensing images of Shengjin Lake wetland in Anhui province in 1986, 2002 and 2016, we used supervised classification method to divide the Shengjin Lake reserve into eight types of land use, and then we acquire land use information after the statistics of land utilization type and area, so as to analyze land use ecological risk indicator factors. Then we used analytic hierarchy process to calculate the weight of each index factor and established the land use ecological risk assessment index system. On this basis, the model of ecological risk assessment of land use was established by hierarchical analysis and fuzzy mathematics. The results showed that the overall ecological risk of Shengjin Lake wetland was intermediate in rank, from 1986 to 2016, the ecological risk of land use increased. Among them, the land use ecological risk index of the core area was relatively low, but it also showed a gradually increasing trend. The ecological risk index of the experimental area was higher. The ecological risk index of the buffer area changed obviously, and the ecological risk was serious.

VQ protein, contain a conserved and short FxxxVQxLTG amino acid sequence motif. Some VQ proteins play important roles in development process and abiotic/biotic stress in plants. However, there has not been a systematic study of the VQ family in plants. The results revealed that Group I genes are conserved in plant development in angiosperms; Group IV and Group X in eudicots and Group I, Group VI and Group VII in monocots are involved in drought response; Group I and Group IV are the most important groups and conservational in response to salt stress in eudicots but not in monocots; VQ genes in Group II and Group IV which responded to cold stress were overlapped in angiosperms; Group IV, Group V, Group VI and Group IX in eudicots and Group VI in monocots play key roles in response to ABA treatment; Group IV in eudicots while Group V and Group VI are irreplaceable in response to biotic stress in monocots. We propose that this study provides solid foundations for the investigation of the functions and evolution of VQ genes in angiosperms.

In the past decade, online patient-provider communication (OPPC) has emerged as a viable avenue for cancer survivors to communicate with their providers. However, little is known about the patterns of OPPC among cancer survivors. Thus, the current study aims to explore the trend of OPPC used by cancer survivors, and the influence of digital divide on OPPC in the past decade. Data from the 2008, 2011, 2013, and 2017 iterations of the nationally representative survey of Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) were analyzed. Only cancer survivors were included in the analyses. Descriptive analyses and multivariate regressions were performed. Email has been the most typical means of OPPC; its adoption rate has increased from 9.7 to 36.6% in the past 10 years. More options for OPPC (e.g., mobile app, social medial, video conferencing, electronic health records) have been adopted since 2013. Physical Internet access was a significant predictor of OPPC over the four iterations, while cognitive access failed to predict OPPC in all the four waves. The effect of socio-demographic access varied vastly across iterations, with greater influences in 2017. This study illustrates an increasing trend in OPPC use among cancer survivors. Significant digital divide barriers also exist in the adoption and diffusion of OPPC. OPPC is an important communication channel for cancer survivors and will become more important in the digital era. Targeted interventions to address the digital divide barriers affecting OPPC could be developed to benefit underserved cancer survivors and to bridge health disparities.

During the research on high-quality hole drilling technology for glass fiber–reinforced polymer (GFRP), more and more researchers have discovered and focused on the coupling effect between the machining parameters on the damage at the hole exit. Most of them have verified and described this phenomenon by mathematical statistics, but there is no further analysis for its mechanism. In this paper, a set of orthogonal experiments were conducted to investigate the coupling effect between the clearance angles of outer cutting edges, the spindle speed, and the feed speed when drilling the GFRP materials with candlestick drills. Through the experimental results shown by the response surface, the influencing factors of the exit damage were divided into the pushing effect, cutting effect, and the physical properties of the material according to the special damage formation process. It was found that the reason for the coupling effect of the machining and tool parameters was that the change of these parameters would have different effect on the pushing, cutting, and physical properties of the materials at the same time. In addition, the optimal machining parameters for each candlestick drill were also given according to the experimental results.

The yield heterosis of rice is sought by farmers and strong contributes to food safety, but the quality of hybrid rice may be reduced. Therefore, developing new varieties with both high yield and good quality is a heavily researched topic in hybrid rice breeding. However, the molecular mechanism governing yield heterosis and high rice quality has not been elucidated to date. In this study, a comparative transcriptomics and genomic analysis was performed on a hybrid rice variety, Chuanyou6203 (CY6203), and its parents to investigate the molecular mechanism and gene regulation network governing the formation of yield and quality stages. A total of 66,319 SNPs and InDels between CH3203 and C106B were detected in the 5′-UTR, exon, intronic, and 3′-UTR regions according to the reference genome annotation, which involved 7473 genes. A total of 436, 70, 551, 993, and 1216 common DEGs between CY6203 and both of its parents were identified at the same stage in panicles and flag leaves. Of the common DEGs, the numbers of upregulated DEGs between CY6203 and CH3203 were all greater than those of upregulated DEGs between CY6203 and C106B in panicles and flag leaves at the booting, flowering, and middle filling stages. Approximately 40.61% of mRNA editing ratios were between 0.4 and 0.6, and 1.68% of mRNA editing events (editing ratio ≥ 0.8) in CY6203 favored one of its parents at three stages or a particular stage, suggesting that the hypothetical heterosis mechanism of CY6203 might involve dominance or epistasis. Also 15,934 DEGs were classified into 19 distinct modules that were classified into three groups by the weighted gene coexpression network analysis. Through transcriptome analysis of panicles and flag leaves in the yield and quality stages, the DEGs in the green-yellow module primarily contributed to the increase in the source of CY6203 due to an in increase in photosynthetic efficiency and nitrogen utilization efficiency, and a small number of DEGs related to the grain number added spikelet number per panicle amplified its sink. The balanced expression of the major high-quality alleles of C106B and CH3203 in CY6203 contributed to the outstanding quality of CY6203. Our transcriptome and genome analyses offer a new data set that may help to elucidate the molecular mechanism governing the yield heterosis and high quality of a hybrid rice variety.

The status of FOXP3 and its isoforms in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. We aimed to investigate the expression and function of FOXP3 and its isoforms in HCC. The study was performed on 84 HCC patients, HCC cell lines and a mouse tumor model. The levels of FOXP3 and its isoforms were determined by nested PCR, quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. The correlation between their levels and clinicopathologic characteristics was analyzed. The full length of FOXP3 (FOXP3) and exon 3-deleted FOXP3 (FOXP3Δ3) were found to be the major isoforms in HCC. The levels of FOXP3Δ3 mRNA and protein in HCC tumor samples were not significantly different from their adjacent normal tissues. The high expression of FOXP3 protein in HCC patients showed a good overall survival. The overexpression of FOXP3 significantly reduced tumor cell proliferation, migration and invasion. The immunofluorescence result indicated that FOXP3 needed to be translocated into the nucleus to exert its inhibitory function. The luciferase assay demonstrated that FOXP3 could be synergistic with Smad2/3/4 to inhibit the oncogene c-Myc. The co-immunoprecipitation results further revealed that FOXP3 could interact with Smad2/3/4. The chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay showed that both FOXP3 and Smad2/3/4 bound the promoter of the c-Myc to inhibit it. The in vivo mouse tumor model study confirmed the inhibitory effect of FOXP3. Collectively, the expression of tumor FOXP3 can inhibit the growth of HCC via suppressing c-Myc directly or indirectly via interacting with Smad2/3/4. Therefore, FOXP3 is a tumor suppressor in HCC.

Background Evidence-based practice (EBP) education or training are considered fundamental to building and strengthening an EBP culture, as well as to encouraging evidence-based academic and clinical practice in the nursing community. However, few valid and reliable instruments are available for the assessment of EBP teaching and learning in clinical nurses in China. Translation, reliability, and validity testing of the English Evidence-Based Practice Profile Questionnaire (EBP2Q), which has strong psychometric properties, may encourage evaluation and promote the implementation of EBP in Mainland China. Methods Based on established guidelines for the development of questionnaires, the English EBP2Q was translated and cross-culturally adapted. The Chinese version of the EBP2Q (EBP2Q-C) was validated using a sample of 543 nurses. Structural validity was evaluated through exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, and the questionnaire was tested for convergent and criterion validity. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability were also evaluated. Results The content validity index demonstrated good content validity (≥0.98). An eight-factor structure was obtained in the exploratory factor analysis, and verified by a three-order factor model from the confirmatory factor analysis (χ2/df = 2.001; RMSEA = 0.065; SRMR = 0.077; and CFI = 0.884). The Spearman’s rank correlation analysis of the EBP2Q-C with the Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire showed moderate correlations for Practice (0.58) and Confidence (0.68) and a low correlation for Sympathy (0.32). Criterion validity was demonstrated by significant differences in terms of nurses’ highest education, present position, EBP training, involvement in research programs, and level of understanding of English. Both the overall Cronbach’s α and the Cronbach’s α for the domains exceeded 0.70. The intraclass correlation coefficients for the domains ranged between 0.75 and 0.96, indicating satisfactory repeatability. Conclusions Except for the convergent validity of the Sympathy domain, the EBP2Q-C provided evidence of validity and reliability. Therefore, it can be applied in EBP education or training assessment in Mainland China.

Background The increased bone marrow angiogenesis is involved in the progression of multiple myeloma (MM) with the underlying mechanism poorly understood. Cancer-released exosomes could play an important role in the pathological angiogenesis through exosomal microRNAs (miRs) delivery. It is reported that miR-29b played an important role in regulating the tumor angiogenesis. Methods In this study, we explored the role of C6-ceramide (C6-cer, a Ceramide pathway activator) in the angiogenic effect of MM exosomes and its potential mechanism. MM cells (OPM2 and RPMI-8226) treated with C6-cer were studied for its effects on the endothelial cell (EC) functions. Results Our results showed that exosomes released from MM cells treated by C6-cer (ExoC6-cer) significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and tube formation of ECs. For mechanism studies, we found that the level of miR-29b was increased in ECs treated by ExoC6-cer, while mRNA and protein expressions of Akt3, PI3K and VEGFA were decreased in ECs, indicating the involvement of Akt pathway. Furthermore, downregulation of miR-29b by inhibitor administration could prevent the ExoC6-cer-induced cell proliferation, migration and angiogenesis of ECs, accompanied with the increased expressions of Akt3, PI3K and VEGFA. Conclusions Collectively, our data suggest that ExoC6-cer-mediated miR-29b expression participates in the progression of MM through suppressing the proliferation, migration and angiogenesis of ECs by targeting Akt signal pathway.

The accuracy of the extracted optical constants by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy critically depends on the accuracy of the sample thickness. However, due to the large number of optimization steps, it is time consuming to extract the optical constants over a broad frequency range and determine the sample thickness simultaneously using conventional algorithms. With particular emphasis on thin liquid samples, a three-dimensional optimization algorithm was used to obtain the optical constants and sample thickness simultaneously, significantly reducing the calculation time. In the experiments, the THz signals of 200-μm-thick water in a known cuvette were measured, and its accurate thickness and optical constants were determined by the algorithm, validating the effectiveness of the approach.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a member within the family Arteriviridae of the order Nidovirales. Replication of this positive-stranded RNA virus within the host cell involves expression of viral replicase proteins encoded by two ORFs, namely ORF1a and ORF1b. In particular, translation of ORF1b depends on a -1-ribosomal frameshift strategy. Thus, nonstructural protein 9 (nsp9), the first protein within ORF1b that specifies the function of the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, is expressed as the C-terminal extension of nsp8, a small nsp that is encoded by ORF1a. However, it has remained unclear whether the mature form of nsp9 in virus-infected cells still retains nsp8, addressing which is clearly critical to understand the biological function of nsp9. By taking advantage of specific antibodies to both nsp8 and nsp9, we report the following findings. (1) In infected cells, PRRSV nsp9 was identified as a major product with a size between 72 and 95 kDa (72–95 KDa form), which exhibited the similar mobility on the gel to the in vitro expressed nsp8–9(ORF1b), but not the ORF1b-coded portion (nsp9(ORF1b)). (2) The antibodies to nsp8, but not to nsp7 or nsp10, could detect a major product that had the similar mobility to the 72–95 KDa form of nsp9. Moreover, nsp9 could be co-immunoprecipitated by antibodies to nsp8, and vice versa. (3) Neither nsp4 nor nsp2 PLP2 was able to cleave nsp8–nsp9 in vitro. Together, our studies provide experimental evidence to suggest that nsp8 is an N-terminal extension of nsp9. Our findings here paves way for further charactering the biological function of PRRSV nsp9. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s12250-018-0054-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and their receptors are significant components during fundamental cellular processes. FGF18 plays a distinctive role in modulating the activity of both tumor cells and tumor microenvironment. This study aims to comprehensively investigate the expression and functional role of FGF18 in gastric cancer (GC) and elucidate its regulatory mechanisms. The upregulation of FGF18 was detected in seven out of eleven (63.6%) GC cell lines. In primary GC samples, FGF18 was overexpressed in genomically stable and chromosomal instability subtypes of GC and its overexpression was associated with poor survival. Knocking down FGF18 inhibited tumor formation abilities, induced G1 phase cell cycle arrest and enhanced anti-cancer drug sensitivity. Expression microarray profiling revealed that silencing of FGF18 activated ATM pathway but quenched TGF-β pathway. The key factors that altered in the related signaling were validated by western blot and immunofluorescence. Meanwhile, treating GC cells with human recombinant FGF18 or FGF18-conditioned medium accelerated tumor growth through activation of ERK-MAPK signaling. FGF18 was further confirmed to be a direct target of tumor suppressor, miR-590-5p. Their expressions showed a negative correlation in primary GC samples and more importantly, re-overexpression of FGF18 partly abolished the tumor-suppressive effect of miR-590-5p. Our study not only identified that FGF18 serves as a novel prognostic marker and a therapeutic target in GC but also enriched the knowledge of FGF-FGFR signaling during gastric tumorigenesis.

The computed tomography angiography (CTA) spot sign is a validated predictor of haematoma expansion (HE) in spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage (SICH). We investigated whether defining the iodine concentration (IC) inside the spot sign and the haematoma on Gemstone spectral imaging (GSI) would improve its sensitivity and specificity for predicting HE. From 2014 to 2016, we prospectively enrolled 65 SICH patients who underwent single-phase spectral CTA within 6 h. Logistic regression was performed to assess the risk factors for HE. The predictive performance of individual spot sign characteristics was examined via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The spot sign was detected in 46.1% (30/65) of patients. ROC analysis indicated that IC inside the spot sign had the greatest area under the ROC curve for HE (0.858; 95% confidence interval, 0.727–0.989; p = 0.003). Multivariate analysis found that spot sign with higher IC (i.e. IC > 7.82 100 μg/ml) was an independent predictor of HE (odds ratio = 34.27; 95% confidence interval, 5.608–209.41; p < 0.001) with sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of 0.81, 0.75, 0.90 and 0.60, respectively; while the spot sign showed sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of 0.81, 0.79, 0.73 and 0.86. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the IC in haematomas was independently associated with HE (odds ratio = 1.525; 95% confidence interval, 1.041–2.235; p = 0.030). ICs in haematoma and in spot sign were all independently associated with HE. IC analysis in spectral imaging may help to identify SICH patients for targeted haemostatic therapy. • Iodine concentration in spot sign and haematoma can predict haematoma expansion • Spectral imaging could measure the IC inside the spot sign and haematoma • IC in spot sign improved the positive predictive value (PPV) cf. CTA

Backgrounds The previous studies on the association between marital status and stroke outcomes were rare. Furthermore, the existing studies mostly focused on the protective effect of marriage on survival. We conducted the study to evaluate the association between marital status and adverse stroke outcomes in patients with AIS based on China national stroke registry. Methods This was a multicenter, prospective cohort study of patients with AIS. Patients were classified into two groups based on marital status at admission: married and unmarried. The primary outcomes included all-cause mortality, stroke recurrence, combined endpoint, and stroke disability. Stroke disability was defined as modified Rankin Scale of 2–6. Results Of 12,118 patients, 1220 were unmarried and 10,898 married. Unmarried patients had higher proportion of 1-year post-stroke events than married patients did. As compared with being unmarried, the adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence interval of being married for outcomes were as follows: 0.70 (0.58–0.84) for all-cause mortality, 0.78 (0.66–0.91) for stroke recurrence, 0.77 (0.66–0.90) for combined endpoint, and 0.75 (0.65–0.88) for stroke disability. Interactions between marital status and education were significant for all outcomes except for stroke disability. Conclusions Marital status was associated with all adverse stroke outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke, especially in those with middle-school education. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00415-018-8793-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.