Objective:To investigate the application value of dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) in identifying field cancerization in actinic keratosis (AK) in the elderly.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical, dermoscopic, and RCM features of elderly (> 60 years old) patients, who were confirmedly diagnosed with AK and had complete medical records at Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital from January 2022 to December 2023.Results:A total of 132 elderly patients with AK were included. Dermoscopy showed brownish-gray pseudonetwork pigment patterns, follicular horn plugs, irregular branched vessels, and rosette signs in AK lesions. Histopathological examination in 51 patients revealed that 47 (92.16%) were confirmedly diagnosed with AK. Field cancerization was observed in 106 patients (80.3%), among whom 66 (62.26%) had irregular branched vessels, 88 (83.02%) predominantly exhibited brownish-gray pseudonetwork pigment patterns, and 83 (78.30%) showed scattered brown pigment networks/fingerprint-like patterns. Post-treatment follow-up of 63 patients showed varying degrees of changes in vascular and pigment structures by dermoscopy, with significant reductions in follicular horn plugs and superficial yellow-white scales or keratin masses. RCM examinations in 41 AK patients all showed disordered arrangements of keratinocytes presenting as atypical honeycomb patterns, with atypical cells in the AK lesions; in the field cancerization areas of 20 patients, RCM revealed keratinocytes disorderedly arranged in an irregular honeycomb pattern, with some keratinocytes exhibiting mild atypia. Thirty-four AK patients underwent dynamic RCM monitoring before and after 1, 3 and 6 months of ALA-PDT treatment, which showed gradual regularization of arrangements of keratinocytes and reduction of atypical cells, as well as reappearance of atypical keratinocytes upon recurrence.Conclusions:The incidence of field cancerization was relatively high in elderly AK patients. Dermoscopy and RCM are helpful for the early identification of AK and field cancerization, especially in patients with multiple lesions and with difficulties in multi-site biopsy.

Objective:To investigate the application value of dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) in identifying field cancerization in actinic keratosis (AK) in the elderly.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical, dermoscopic, and RCM features of elderly (> 60 years old) patients, who were confirmedly diagnosed with AK and had complete medical records at Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital from January 2022 to December 2023.Results:A total of 132 elderly patients with AK were included. Dermoscopy showed brownish-gray pseudonetwork pigment patterns, follicular horn plugs, irregular branched vessels, and rosette signs in AK lesions. Histopathological examination in 51 patients revealed that 47 (92.16%) were confirmedly diagnosed with AK. Field cancerization was observed in 106 patients (80.3%), among whom 66 (62.26%) had irregular branched vessels, 88 (83.02%) predominantly exhibited brownish-gray pseudonetwork pigment patterns, and 83 (78.30%) showed scattered brown pigment networks/fingerprint-like patterns. Post-treatment follow-up of 63 patients showed varying degrees of changes in vascular and pigment structures by dermoscopy, with significant reductions in follicular horn plugs and superficial yellow-white scales or keratin masses. RCM examinations in 41 AK patients all showed disordered arrangements of keratinocytes presenting as atypical honeycomb patterns, with atypical cells in the AK lesions; in the field cancerization areas of 20 patients, RCM revealed keratinocytes disorderedly arranged in an irregular honeycomb pattern, with some keratinocytes exhibiting mild atypia. Thirty-four AK patients underwent dynamic RCM monitoring before and after 1, 3 and 6 months of ALA-PDT treatment, which showed gradual regularization of arrangements of keratinocytes and reduction of atypical cells, as well as reappearance of atypical keratinocytes upon recurrence.Conclusions:The incidence of field cancerization was relatively high in elderly AK patients. Dermoscopy and RCM are helpful for the early identification of AK and field cancerization, especially in patients with multiple lesions and with difficulties in multi-site biopsy.

Background and aims:Inflammatory factors play significant roles in the development and occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).However,the tumor-protective functions of growth differentiation factors(GDFs)in HCC are yet to be clarified.In this study,we aimed to evaluate the expression levels of 10 GDFs in tumor and paratumor tissues from patients with HCC and perform in vitro and in vivo ex-periments to elucidate the role of GDF7 in regulating the proliferation and metastasis of HCC.Methods:The gene expression of 10 GDFs was compared between HCC and paratumors using The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset and patient-derived tissues.A tumor microarray containing 108 HCC tissue samples was used to explore the prognostic value of GDF7 expression.Loss-of-function experiments were also performed in vitro and in vivo to investigate the role of GDF7 in HCC.Results:The mRNA and protein levels of GDF7 were significantly lower in HCC tumors than in para-tumors(P＜0.001).Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that decreased GDF7 expression in HCC was asso-ciated with worse overall survival(5-year rate:61.8％vs.27.5％,P＜0.001)and increased recurrence risk(P＜0.001).Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that low GDF7 expression,the presence of microvascular invasion,and elevated alpha-fetoprotein(AFP)levels were independent risk factors for tumor recurrence and poor survival.Downregulation of GDF7 also increased the tumor growth in HCC cells and in an HCC xenograft model.GDF7 knockdown promoted migration and invasion via epithelial-mesenchymal transition.Meanwhile,a negative correlation between JunB proto-oncogene(JUNB)and GDF7 was observed in HCC tissues.Modulating JUNB levels altered GDF7 protein expression.Conclusions:GDF7 is a potential biomarker for predicting superior outcomes in patients with HCC.GDF7 amplification is a potential therapeutic option for HCC.

Objective: To understand the status of childcare center disinfection around the COVID-19 pandemic, the needs of professional technical support, so as to give advice for improvement measures. Methods: Using multi stage stratified sampling method, one was selected from each area of northern and southern Anhui Province, with 3 counties/districts selected from each city. A total of 54, 58, 60 childcare institutions were selected. A questionnaire survey, as well as on site visits and data check were administered in these childcare centers in Anhui Province were implemented. Information regarding the three stage disinfection work from 2019 to 2022 and technical support needs were collected. Results: A total of 54, 58, 60 childcare centers were investigated in 2019, 2020 and 2021-2022. Most of the childcare centers recorded disinfection work (96.3%, 96.6%, 98.3%), while few of them ( 26.4% , 26.3%, 58.3%) monitored disinfection factor intensity. The implementing rate of disinfection effect evaluation was 68.3% at the stage of normal prevention and control, the highest demand rate for professional technical support was guidance and training ( 95.0% ), and the highest demand rate for training content was disinfectant preparation method (81.7%). There were significant differences in the rate of disinfection tableware room allocation (A: 93.3%, B: 70.0%), and the rate of disinfection effect evaluation among different cities (A: 53.3%, B: 83.3%)( χ 2=6.24, 5.46, P <0.05). Conclusions From 2019 to 2022, childcare center disinfection has significantly improved, however, disinfection factor intensity monitoring and disinfection effect evaluation are neglected during the stage of normal prevention and control. The demand for professional technical institutions to provide disinfectant preparation method guidance and training is high.It is suggested to strengthen the monitoring and evaluation of disinfection and related technical guidance.

Good sleep is essential for children′s physical and mental health, growth, and development.Adequate and high-quality sleep positively impacts children′s quality of life, memory, learning, attention, mood, and behavior.Children of different ages have different sleep needs.Children have various sleep problems in different cultures.Therefore, it is significant to guide children to get healthy sleep by popularizing the sleep problems of Chinese children of all ages and in all dimensions.Based on China′s social and cultural background, this paper summarizes the contents related to children′s sleep physiology, good sleep habits, common sleep problems, sleep apnea disorders, hypnagogic sleep, narcolepsy, insomnia, and other issues that interfere with children′s sleep.Chinese sleep experts summarize and interpret the 100 sleep health problems of children that medical workers and parents are most concerned about.To promote children′s sleep health and popularize solutions to sleep problems.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between serum indexes of children with simple obesity in Xinjiang area and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAS)system, thus providing evidence to clarify the pathogenesis of childhood obesity.Methods:It was a cross-sectional study involving 41 children with simple obesity (case group) and 41 age-matched healthy children (control group) through the cluster random sampling in Tacheng area of Xinjiang.The mean age of in both groups was (10.04±1.66) years and (10.12±1.68) years, respectively.Serum adipokines, insulin level and RAS indexes between groups were compared by the Student′s t test.The correlation between serum adipokines and RAS activity in children with simple obesity was assessed by the Pearson′ s correlation test. Results:The serum adiponectin(APN) level[(7.90±1.96) μg/L vs.(8.87±1.61) μg/L, P=0.017]was significantly lower in case group than that of control group, while leptin[(6.81±1.88) ng/L vs.(5.87±1.79) ng/L, P=0.023]and resistin levels[(12.61±3.63) ng/L vs.(10.18±3.07) ng/L, P=0.002] were significantly higher.RAS indexes, including the renin[(35.78±10.08) ng/L vs.(29.24±10.69) ng/L, P=0.007], aldosterone (ALD)[(106.90±20.18) ng/L vs.(97.68±17.60) ng/L, P=0.028] and angiotensin-Ⅱ (Ang-Ⅱ)[(55.65±10.37) ng/L vs.(48.78±9.26) ng/L, P=0.002] levels were significantly higher in case group than those of control group.In the case group, serum APN level was negatively correlated with renin, ALD and Ang-Ⅱ levels ( r=-0.646, -0.752, -0.839, all P<0.001), while serum leptin and resistin levels were positively correlated with renin, ALD and Ang-Ⅱ levels ( r=0.940, 0.871, 0.875; 0.877, 0.892, 0.914, all P<0.001). Conclusions:Serum adipokine in school-age children with simple obesity in Xinjiang area is dysregulated, which interferes with the activity of RAS.

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a very important pathogen, especially for children.On a global scale, GAS is an important cause of morbidity and mortality.But the burden of disease caused by GAS is still unknown in China and also has not obtained enough attention.For this purpose, the expert consensus is comprehensively described in diagnosis, treatment and prevention of GAS diseases in children, covering related aspects of pneumology, infectiology, immunology, microbiology, cardiology, nephrology, critical care medicine and preventive medicine.Accordingly, the consensus document was intended to improve management strategies of GAS disease in Chinese children.

Objective:To investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of pulse oximetry among pediatric healthcare providers in China and analyze the factor influencing the KAP.Methods:A self-developed questionnaire was used for an online research on the KAP of 11 849 pediatric healthcare providers from 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities of China from March 11 to 14, 2022.The factors influencing the KAP of pulse oximetry among pediatric healthcare providers were examined by Logistic regression. Results:The scores of KAP, of pulse oximetry were 5.57±0.96, 11.24±1.25 and 11.19±4.54, respectively.The corresponding scoring rates were 69.61%, 74.95%, and 55.99%, respectively. Logistic regression results showed that the gender and working years of pediatric healthcare providers, the region they were located, and whether their medical institution was equipped with pulse oximeters were the main factors affecting the knowledge score (all P<0.05). Main factors influencing the attitude score of pediatric healthcare providers included their knowledge score, gender, educational background, working years, region, medical institution level, and whether the medical institution was equipped with pulse oximeters (all P<0.05). For the practice score, the main influencing factors were the knowledge score, gender, age, and whether the medi-cal institution was equipped with pulse oximeters (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Chinese pediatric healthcare providers need to further improve their knowledge about and attitudes towards pulse oximetry.Pulse oximeters are evidently under-used.It is urgent to formulate policies or guidelines, strengthen education and training, improve knowledge and attitudes, equip more institutions with pulse oximeters, and popularize their application in medical institutions.

Objective:To compare the reliability between infrared thermal imaging technology(IRT) and colour Doppler ultrasound (CDU) in the detection of perforators for anterolateral femoral perforator flap(ALTPF).Methods:From September, 2017 to September, 2019, a total of 25 patients(16 males and 9 females, aged 12-53 years old with an average age of 38.7 years old) underwent ALTPF surgery for the purpose of resurfacing and reconstruction. All patients had pedicled or free ALTPF sized from 5.0 cm×8.0 cm to 7.5 cm×30.0 cm. Among all cases, 21 received free flaps and 4 received pedicled flaps. All patients underwent routine IRT and CDU examinations to locate the perforators preoperatively.Results:Of the 25 patients, CDU detected 53 perforators and IRT detected 51 "hot spots". There were 50 "hot spots" that corresponded to the findings of CDU with a κ index at 0.712( P<0.05), representing a high degree of consistency. The sensitivity and specificity were 94.3% and 85.7%, respectively. Conclusion:IRT has a high consistency in detecting perforators for ALTPF in comparison with CDU. IRT features portable, low cost, non-invasive, and easy to operate. At the same time, IRT has advantages in the patients who have thin subcutaneous tissue. With higher accuracy, IRT is expected to become an important part of preoperative perforator navigation.

Objective:To screen differential metabolites and metabolic pathways in urine of adult patients with Kashin-Beck disease (KBD), so as to provide scientific basis for finding specific biomarkers and pathogenesis of KBD.Methods:In Yongshou County, the KBD area in Shaanxi Province, adult KBD patients were selected as the case group, and healthy people without clinical symptoms of KBD were selected as the control group in the same disease area. The subjects' fasting mid-morning urine was collected, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) technology was used to detect small-molecule metabolites in the urine. Multivariate statistical analysis [partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA)] and comparison with KEGG and human metabonomics database (HMDB) were used to identify and screen differential metabolites and metabolic pathways in KBD patients.Results:A total of 58 subjects were included, 39 cases in the case group, including 23 males and 16 females; the age was (61.2 ± 7.8) years old; the body mass index was (22.7 ± 6.5) kg/m 2. There were 19 cases in the control group, including 10 males and 9 females; the age was (50.0 ± 9.0) years old; the body mass index was (24.3 ± 5.5) kg/m 2. Three first-order differential metabolites (HT-2 toxin, T-2 tetraol and seleno-adenosine selenomethionine) were identified and screened, which were highly related to the pathogenesis of KBD, and all were down-regulated. There were 38 second-order differential metabolites, among them, 10 were up-regulated and 28 were down-regulated. Nine differential metabolic pathways were screened, mainly involving amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism and energy metabolism. Conclusions:The urine metabolism profiles of adult KBD patients and healthy people are significantly different, mainly involving amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism and energy metabolism. The first-order differential metabolites HT-2 toxin, T-2 tetraol and seleno-adenosine selenomethionine are highly correlated with the pathogenesis of KBD.