Objective:To analyze the factors influencing sarcopenia in older patients with chronic diseases, both in community settings and hospitals, and to develop a risk prediction model for sarcopenia.Methods:We recruited a total of 403 older adults with chronic diseases, consisting of 251 individuals from a community in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, and 152 hospitalized patients from the Department of Geriatrics at Jiangsu Province Hospital.Assessments were conducted using a general information questionnaire, serum sample collection, the mini nutritional assessment-short form(MNA-SF), the mini-mental state examination(MMSE), and the geriatric depression scale(GDS).Binary Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify influencing factors and to construct a risk prediction model for sarcopenia, which was illustrated using a nomogram.The model's discrimination was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and the area under the curve(AUC).Results:The prevalence of sarcopenia among community-dwelling older adults with chronic conditions was found to be 4.0%(10/251).In contrast, the prevalence in hospitalized older adults with chronic conditions was significantly higher at 36.2%(55/152).Binary Logistic regression analysis identified several independent risk factors for sarcopenia, including hospitalization( OR=14.391、95% CI: 6.284-32.955、 P<0.001), male gender( OR=3.321、95% CI: 1.587-6.950、 P=0.001), lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)levels( OR=2.542、95% CI: 1.160-5.572、 P=0.020), cognitive impairment( OR=2.654、95% CI: 1.269-5.550、 P=0.010), and the use of four or more types of medication( OR=2.328、95% CI: 1.952-5.689、 P=0.044).Based on these risk factors, a nomogram was developed as a predictive model for assessing sarcopenia risk.The AUC for this prediction model was 0.860(95% CI: 0.815-0.912), indicating a sensitivity of 0.831 and a specificity of 0.760. Conclusions:The incidence of sarcopenia is notably high among older patients with chronic diseases.A risk prediction model that incorporates factors such as hospitalization history, gender, LDL-C levels, cognitive function, and types of medication demonstrates significant potential for predicting sarcopenia.This model serves as a valuable foundation for the early screening and intervention of sarcopenia.

Objective:To analyze epidemiological characteristics of leprosy in China from 2016 to 2020, and to provide a scientific basis for further elimination of leprosy.Methods:Data collation and statistical analysis were conducted on annual reports on leprosy epidemic surveillance in China (excluding Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan regions) from 2016 to 2020.Results:From 2016 to 2020, a total of 2 697 new cases of leprosy were reported in China, including 46 (1.71%) children, 894 (33.15%) females, 374 (13.87%) floating people, 2 443 (90.58%) multibacillary cases, and 546 (20.24%) cases of grade 2 disabilities. A total of 203 relapsed cases were reported in the meantime. By the end of 2020, there had been 1 893 registered leprosy cases in China, and the number of cases was 68.62% fewer than that in 2010 (6 032 cases) ; there were 36 (1.2%) counties or cities with a prevalence rate above 1 per 100 000, and 72 (17.73%) new cases suffered from grade 2 disabilities.Conclusion:From 2016 to 2020, the reported incidence and prevalence of leprosy in China steadily decreased year by year, and overall, leprosy was still lowly prevalent.

Advances in novel drugs, therapies, and genetic techniques have revolutionized the diagnosis and treatment of cancers, substantially improving cancer patients' prognosis. Although rare tumors account for a non-negligible number, the practice of precision medicine and development of novel therapies are largely hampered by many obstacles. Their low incidence and drastic regional disparities result in the difficulty of informative evidence-based diagnosis and subtyping. Sample exhaustion due to difficulty in diagnosis also leads to a lack of recommended therapeutic strategies in clinical guidelines, insufficient biomarkers for prognosis/efficacy, and inability to identify potential novel therapies in clinical trials. Herein, by reviewing the epidemiological data of Chinese solid tumors and publications defining rare tumors in other areas, we proposed a definition of rare tumor in China, including 515 tumor types with incidences of less than 2.5/100 000 per year. We also summarized the current diagnosis process, treatment recommendations, and global developmental progress of targeted drugs and immunotherapy agents on the status quo. Lastly, we pinpointed the current recommendation chance for patients with rare tumors to be involved in a clinical trial by NCCN. With this informative report, we aimed to raise awareness on the importance of rare tumor investigations and guarantee a bright future for rare tumor patients.
Humans ; Neoplasms/pathology* ; Biomarkers ; Prognosis ; Oceans and Seas ; China/epidemiology*

Objective:To explore the psychometric characteristics of the Chinese version of the health-related social capital scale.Methods:From March to May 2020, after the original scale was translated into Chinese following the Brislin improved translation model, 251 community-dwelling senior citizens aged 65 and above were selected by convenient sampling method. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 22.0, including tests of significance, correlation analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis.Results:Exploratory factor analysis extracted three factors: social participation, social cohesion, and reciprocity, which accounted for a cumulative contribution rate of 61.72%. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the three-factor model fitted well(χ 2/ df=1.22, RMSEA=0.04, CFI=0.98, GFI=0.93, IFI=0.98, TLI=0.97). Social capital was significantly correlated with perceived social support positively ( r=0.36, P<0.01), and with loneliness negatively ( r=-0.30, P<0.01). The three factors were significantly correlated with the total scale ( r=0.85, 0.50 and 0.52, respectively, all P<0.01). And correlations between the items of each factor were 0.24-0.55, 0.30-0.59, 0.44-0.70, respectively(all P<0.01). The Cronbach's α coefficients of the total scale and three factors were 0.74, 0.72, 0.65 and 0.62, respectively(all P<0.01), and their retest reliability were 0. 92, 0. 87, 0. 82 and 0. 96, respectively(all P<0.01). Conclusion:The Chinese version of health-related social capital scale conforms to the three-factor model with good reliability and validity, which can be used to assess the social capital status of community-dwelling older adults in China.

Objective:To explore the association between parental socioeconomic status (SES) and preschoolers’ consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB).Methods:In June 2018, all preschoolers from 15 kindergartens were selected from the jurisdiction of Education Commission in Dongcheng District of Beijing by using an equal-proportion stratified cluster sampling method in the study. A self-designed questionnaire was used to investigate the parents of preschoolers to obtain the basic information of preschoolers and parents, the consumption situation of preschoolers’ sugar-sweetened beverages and the perception of parents to SSB. A tatol of 3 217 preschoolers were finally included in the analysis. A generalized structural equation model was used to analyze the relationship between preschoolers' consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and their parents' socioeconomic status and the mediating effect of their cognition of sugar-sweetened beverages. The size of mediating effect was estimated by using deviation correction non-parameter percentile Bootstrap method.Results:The age of 3 217 preschoolers was (4.23±0.67) years, of which 52.6% ( n=1 692) were boys, and 77.62% ( n=2 497) were SSB consumers. Among the parents of 3 217 preschoolers, fathers and mothers accounted for 24.90% ( n=801) and 75.10% ( n=2 416), and the M ( P25, P75) scores of SES were 66.7 (62.5, 69.5) and 69.5 (64.6, 71.4), respectively. The proportion of parents who took the initiative to learn about their children's consumption of SSB, lacked confidence in restricting preschooler's consumption of SSB and read nutrition labels before purchasing food was 74.08% ( n=2 383), 82.90% ( n=2 667) and 36.24% ( n=1 166), respectively. The generalized structural equation model showed that after adjusting for preschoolers’ gender, age, body mass index (BMI) of preschoolers and their parents, preschoolers’ consumption of SSB was negatively associated with their parents’ SES score [path coefficient (95% CI):-4.69×10 -2 (-6.56×10 -2,-2.69×10 -2) ]. The mediating effect of parents’ perception of SSB consumption could explain 48.71% of the total effect [path coefficient (95% CI):-2.28×10 -2 (-3.54×10 -2, -1.10×10 -2)]. Conclusion:The consumption of SSB in preschoolers is negatively associated with their parent’s SES, and this relationship is partially mediated by parent’s perception of SSB consumption.

Objective:To explore the association between parental socioeconomic status (SES) and preschoolers’ consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB).Methods:In June 2018, all preschoolers from 15 kindergartens were selected from the jurisdiction of Education Commission in Dongcheng District of Beijing by using an equal-proportion stratified cluster sampling method in the study. A self-designed questionnaire was used to investigate the parents of preschoolers to obtain the basic information of preschoolers and parents, the consumption situation of preschoolers’ sugar-sweetened beverages and the perception of parents to SSB. A tatol of 3 217 preschoolers were finally included in the analysis. A generalized structural equation model was used to analyze the relationship between preschoolers' consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and their parents' socioeconomic status and the mediating effect of their cognition of sugar-sweetened beverages. The size of mediating effect was estimated by using deviation correction non-parameter percentile Bootstrap method.Results:The age of 3 217 preschoolers was (4.23±0.67) years, of which 52.6% ( n=1 692) were boys, and 77.62% ( n=2 497) were SSB consumers. Among the parents of 3 217 preschoolers, fathers and mothers accounted for 24.90% ( n=801) and 75.10% ( n=2 416), and the M ( P25, P75) scores of SES were 66.7 (62.5, 69.5) and 69.5 (64.6, 71.4), respectively. The proportion of parents who took the initiative to learn about their children's consumption of SSB, lacked confidence in restricting preschooler's consumption of SSB and read nutrition labels before purchasing food was 74.08% ( n=2 383), 82.90% ( n=2 667) and 36.24% ( n=1 166), respectively. The generalized structural equation model showed that after adjusting for preschoolers’ gender, age, body mass index (BMI) of preschoolers and their parents, preschoolers’ consumption of SSB was negatively associated with their parents’ SES score [path coefficient (95% CI):-4.69×10 -2 (-6.56×10 -2,-2.69×10 -2) ]. The mediating effect of parents’ perception of SSB consumption could explain 48.71% of the total effect [path coefficient (95% CI):-2.28×10 -2 (-3.54×10 -2, -1.10×10 -2)]. Conclusion:The consumption of SSB in preschoolers is negatively associated with their parent’s SES, and this relationship is partially mediated by parent’s perception of SSB consumption.

Objective: To carry out the 4^th round of third-party evaluation on the implementation and effect of the 1^st year of the 2^nd Phase National Healthcare Improvement Initiative(abbreviated as Initiative)since 2015. Methods: The 4^th round of the evaluation survey adopted the same methods, organization and execution, and technical roadmap as the former three rounds of evaluations. Results: The 4^th round of evaluation was carried out from 18 March to 9 April, 2019 at 185 public hospitals in 31 provinces(autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government)and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.Facility survey, health professional survey and patient survey were conducted at each of the sample health facilities. A total of 120 782 valid questionnaires were collected from 144 non-psychiatric health facilities, 16 246 valid questionnaires were obtained from 41 psychiatric health facilities, and 252 cases of outstanding departments/hospitals in healthcare improvement were also collected. The average overall scoring of the 12 dimensions to assess Initiative implementation at 144 non-psychiatric health facilities was 84.4%. The overall outpatient satisfaction scoring was 91.1%, 96.7%for the inpatients. The overall inpatient satisfaction(family members inclusive) at 41 psychiatric health facilities was 93%. Areas remaining to be improved include day-surgery, telemedicine and medical social work. Compared with technical services, non-technical care should be further strengthened. The compensation, workload and work environment of the healthcare providers are still to be improved. Conclusions The implementation of the Initiative by health facilities has been greatly improved. The percentage of health facilities and patients who had positive perceptions of improved doctor-patient relationship has been increasing. Patient care experiences at public hospitals have been generally improved, and the implementation of promoting traditional Chinese Medicine practices also made progress. However, work satisfaction of healthcare providers was found to be rather low, compared to the high level of patient satisfaction.

Objective To analyze the epidemiological features of leprosy in China from 2011 to 2015,and to provide scientific evidences for prevention and treatment strategies.Methods An epidemiological analysis and a trend analysis were conducted based on the national leprosy surveillance data from 2011 to 2015.Results The leprosy detection rate in China decreased from 0.085 per 100 000 in 2011 to 0.049 per 100 000 in 2015,with an average annual decline rate being 12.9％.A total of 4 775 leprosy cases were newly detected during 2011-2015,including 106 (2.2％) children,1 499 (31.4％) females,518 (10.8％) floating people,4 041 (84.6％) multibacillary cases and 1 134 (23.7％) cases with grade 2 disabilities.From 2011 to 2015,328 relapsed cases were reported,including 153 (46.6％) cases recurring after combined chemotherapy.The prevalence rate of leprosy in China decreased from 0.407 per 100 000 in 2011 to 0.235 per 100 000 in 2015,with an average annual decline rate being 12.9％.By the end of 2015,there had been 3 230 registered leprosy cases and 124 counties with a prevalence rate above 1 per 100 000.Conclusions The detection rate and prevalence rate of leprosy in China were both decreasing continuously from 2011 to 2015.The high-epidemic provinces were Yunnan,Guizhou,Sichuan and Guangdong.However,leprosy control in middle-and low-epidemic provinces can not be ignored.

Objective To investigate the correlation of incident pneumonia and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D[25(OH)D] levels in elderly patients with fragility hip fractures.Methods 132 patients with fragility hip fractures were divided into the pneumonia group [n=43,14 males and 29 females,aged 63-97 years,a mean age of (83.8±7.1) years] and the non-pneumonia group [n=89,28 males and 61 females,aged 60-93 years,a mean age of (77.1±8.1) years].Fasting venous blood samples were taken on the second day after admission.Serum 25 (OH)D levels were measured by radioimmunoassay.Results Vitamin D deficiency was found in 90.7％ of the patients in the pneumonia group,52.8％ in the non-pneumonia group (x2=24.953,P＜0.05).The age and smoking rate were higher in the pneumonia group than in the non-pneumonia group (t=4.661,P＜ 0.05;x2 =4.459,P=0.035).Logistic regression analysis showed that serum 25(OH)D levels,age and smoking were independent impact factors for pneumonia.When serum 25(OH)D levels were less than or equal to 20 g/L,the incidence of pneumonia was increased and the risk of pneumonia was 8.66 times higher than that for patients with normal 25 (OH)D levels.Conclusions The risk of pneumonia in patients with brittle hip fractures is correlated with age,smoking and the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level,with the latter as a major risk factor.Patients with brittle hip fractures should be supplemented with vitamin D as early as possible in order to reduce the risk of incident of pneumonia.

BACKGROUND:StageIorIIKummel’s diseaseisusualy suggested to be treated with percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) orpercutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP). Stage IIIKummel’s diseasewith neurologic deficit is treated with open decompression, cement-augmented combined with internalfixation. However, surgical options for stage IIIKummel’s diseasewithdural saccompression butwithnonervous symptoms arein disputeand rarely reported. OBJECTIVE:To investigatethesurgical options of Kummel’s disease with vertebral posterior walcolapse. METHODS:Fourteen patients with Kummel’s disease with vertebral posterior wal colapse wereenroled as experimental groupandtreated with PVP or PKP based on the degree of postural reduction.Another28 patients with osteoporotic vertebral fracture as control group were treated with PKP. Thenalpatients were folowed up to observe vertebralheight, Cobb angle, visual analog scale and the Oswestry disability index. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After folowed up for 10 to 42 months, therestoredvertebralheight, Cobb angle, visual analog scale and Oswestry disability index were significantly improved inthetwo groups (P<0.05). Thepostoperativevertebralheight intheexperimental group was significantly higher than thatinthe control group(P< 0.05).Butno significant differencesin Cobb angle, visual analog scalescoresand Oswestry disability indexwere found between thetwo groups after operation (P> 0.05). These data suggest that based on the degree of postural reduction, individualizedPVP or PKP for Kummel’s disease with vertebral posterior wal colapsecanattain satisfactoryoutcomes.