Background: As artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly integrates into medical education, its specific impact on the development of clinical skills among pediatric trainees needs detailed investigation. Pediatric training presents unique challenges which AI tools like ChatGPT may be well-suited to address. Objective: This study evaluates the effectiveness of ChatGPT-assisted instruction versus traditional teaching methods on pediatric trainees’ clinical skills performance. Methods: A cohort of pediatric trainees (n = 77) was randomly assigned to two groups; one underwent ChatGPT-assisted training, while the other received conventional instruction over a period of two weeks. Performance was assessed using theoretical knowledge exams and Mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercises (Mini-CEX), with particular attention to professional conduct, clinical judgment, patient communication, and overall clinical skills. Trainees’ acceptance and satisfaction with the AI-assisted method were evaluated through a structured survey. Results: Both groups performed similarly in theoretical exams, indicating no significant difference (p > 0.05). However, the ChatGPT-assisted group showed a statistically significant improvement in Mini-CEX scores (p < 0.05), particularly in patient communication and clinical judgment. The AI-teaching approach received positive feedback from the majority of trainees, highlighting the perceived benefits in interactive learning and skill acquisition. Conclusion: ChatGPT-assisted instruction did not affect theoretical knowledge acquisition but did enhance practical clinical skills among pediatric trainees. The positive reception of the AI-based method suggests that it has the potential to complement and augment traditional training approaches in pediatric education. These promising results warrant further exploration into the broader applications of AI in medical education scenarios.

This study aimed to investigate serum chemerin concentrations in obese children and adolescents and to investigate the associations of chemerin with body mass index (BMI), lipid levels, and insulin sensitivity. Forty-eight obese and 40 nonobese Chinese children and adolescents were included in the study. BMI and levels of chemerin, lipids, glucose, and insulin were measured following an overnight fast. The Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) and BMI standard deviation score (BMI-SDS) were determined for all participants. Serum chemerin levels were found to be significantly higher in obese children and adolescents than in control group members (94.83 ± 5.99 ng/mL vs 56.43 ± 4.16 ng/mL, P < .001). There were significant correlations between chemerin and age, BMI, BMI-SDS, total triglyceride (TG) levels, insulin levels, and HOMA-IR. After controlling for age, we found that chemerin levels were also significantly correlated with BMI-SDS (r =+ 0.284, P = .008) and HOMA-IR (r =+ 0.241, P = .034). In a stepwise multiple regression analysis, we observed only BMI-SDS to be an important determinant of chemerin level. In our sample of Chinese children and adolescents, chemerin levels were significantly higher in the obese group than in the control group. Chemerin levels were positively correlated with BMI-SDS and HOMA-IR and negatively correlated with age. We thus believe that further study is necessary to investigate the risk of metabolic abnormalities in young obese children and adolescents.

Background: With the increasing recognition of the importance of simulation-based teaching in medical education, research in this field has developed rapidly. To comprehensively understand the research dynamics and trends in this area, we conducted an analysis of knowledge mapping and global trends. Objective: This study aims to reveal the research hotspots and development trends in the field of simulation-based teaching in medical education from 2004 to 2024 through bibliometric and visualization analyses. Methods: Using CiteSpace and VOSviewer, we conducted bibliometric and visualization analyses of 6743 articles related to simulation-based teaching in medical education, published in core journals from 2004 to 2024. The analysis included publication trends, contributions by countries and institutions, author contributions, keyword co-occurrence and clustering, and keyword bursts. Results: From 2004 to 2008, the number of articles published annually did not exceed 100. However, starting from 2009, the number increased year by year, reaching a peak of 850 articles in 2024, indicating rapid development in this research field. The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and China published the most articles. Harvard University emerged as a research hub with 1799 collaborative links, although the overall collaboration density was low. Among the 6743 core journal articles, a total of 858 authors were involved, with Lars Konge and Adam Dubrowski being the most prolific. However, collaboration density was low, and the collaboration network was relatively dispersed. A total of 812 common keywords were identified, forming 4189 links. The keywords “medical education,” “education,” and “simulation” had the highest frequency of occurrence. Cluster analysis indicated that “cardiopulmonary resuscitation” and “surgical education” were major research hotspots. From 2004 to 2024, a total of 20 burst keywords were identified, among which “patient simulation,” “randomized controlled trial,” “clinical competence,” and “deliberate practice” had high burst strength. In recent years, “application of simulation in medical education,” “3D printing,” “augmented reality,” and “simulation training” have become research frontiers. Conclusions: Research on the application of simulation-based teaching in medical education has become a hotspot, with expanding research areas and hotspots. Future research should strengthen interinstitutional collaboration and focus on the application of emerging technologies in simulation-based teaching.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is characterized by disorder of immune response with unknown etiology. Immune cells may be closely related to the onset of KD. The focus of this research was to evaluate the significance of the infiltration of immune cells for this disease and find possible diagnostic biomarkers for KD. The Gene Expression Omnibus database was utilized to retrieve two freely accessible gene expression patterns (GSE68004 and GSE18606 datasets) from human KD and control specimens. 114 KD, as well as 46 control specimens, were searched for obtaining differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Candidate biological markers were determined utilizing the support vector machine recursive feature elimination and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression model analysis. To assess discriminating capacity, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was computed. The GSE73461 dataset was utilized to observe the biomarkers’ expression levels and diagnostic significance in KD (78 KD patients and 55 controls). CIBERSORT was employed to assess the composition profiles of the 22 subtypes of immune cell fraction in KD on the basis of combined cohorts. 37 genes were discovered. The DEGs identified were predominantly involved in arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, autoimmune disease of the urogenital tract, and bacterial infectious disease. Gene sets related to complement and coagulation cascades, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, Fc gamma R-mediated phagocytosis, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, and regulation of actin cytoskeleton underwent differential activation in KD as opposed to the controls. KD diagnostic biomarkers, including the alkaline phosphatase (ALPL), endoplasmic reticulum degradation-enhancing alpha-mannosidase-like protein 2 (EDEM2), and histone cluster 2 (HIST2H2BE), were discovered ( ) and verified utilizing the GSE73461 dataset ( ). Analyses of immune cell infiltration demonstrated that ALPL, EDEM2, and HIST2H2BE were linked to CD4 memory resting T cells, monocytes, M0 macrophages, CD8 T cells, neutrophils, and memory CD4 T cells. ALPL, EDEM2, and HIST2H2BE could be utilized as KD diagnostic indicators, and they can also deliver useful information for future research on the disease’s incidence and molecular processes.

Background: The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a pivotal tool for assessing health care professionals and plays an integral role in medical education. Objective: This study aims to map the bibliometric landscape of OSCE research, highlighting trends and key influencers. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted for materials related to OSCE from January 2004 to December 2023, using the Web of Science Core Collection database. Bibliometric analysis and visualization were performed with VOSviewer and CiteSpace software tools. Results: Our analysis indicates a consistent increase in OSCE-related publications over the study period, with a notable surge after 2019, culminating in a peak of activity in 2021. The United States emerged as a significant contributor, responsible for 30.86% (1626/5268) of total publications and amassing 44,051 citations. Coauthorship network analysis highlighted robust collaborations, particularly between the United States and the United Kingdom. Leading journals in this domain—BMC Medical Education, Medical Education, Academic Medicine, and Medical Teacher—featured the highest volume of papers, while The Lancet garnered substantial citations, reflecting its high impact factor (to be verified for accuracy). Prominent authors in the field include Sondra Zabar, Debra Pugh, Timothy J Wood, and Susan Humphrey-Murto, with Ronaldo M Harden, Brian D Hodges, and George E Miller being the most cited. The analysis of key research terms revealed a focus on “education,” “performance,” “competence,” and “skills,” indicating these are central themes in OSCE research. Conclusions: The study underscores a dynamic expansion in OSCE research and international collaboration, spotlighting influential countries, institutions, authors, and journals. These elements are instrumental in steering the evolution of medical education assessment practices and suggest a trajectory for future research endeavors. Future work should consider the implications of these findings for medical education and the potential areas for further investigation, particularly in underrepresented regions or emerging competencies in health care training.

Background: Childhood obesity has become a huge challenge to childhood health, and there is a lack of understanding about the relationship between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and childhood obesity. The main objective of this study was to analyze the potential link between DII and obesity among children and adolescents residing in the United States. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was performed using data obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2009 and 2018. In total, 12,454 participants were included in the analysis. DII was calculated based on dietary data from the first day of the 24-hour dietary recall. Logistic regression was used to analyze the association between DII and obesity, as well as central obesity defined by the waist-to-height ratio of 0.5 or higher or waist circumference ≥ 90th percentile for age and sex. Results: The mean dietary inflammation index was 2.05 (SE = 0.02), with higher levels in children than in adolescents (P = 0.01). According to our findings, the prevalence of central obesity was higher among adolescents (38.0%) than among children (31.4%). The adolescents in the third quartile of DII have a higher risk of overweight/obesity (OR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.24–1.71) after adjusting for age, sex, and race. This positive association remained significant even after physical activity was added to the model. Concerning central obesity, the adolescents in the highest quartile of DII have a higher risk, independent of demographic characteristics and physical activity. However, no significant association was observed among children. Conclusions: The dietary inflammation index was positively associated with overweight/obesity and central obesity among adolescents in the United States after adjusting for confounding factors. These findings highlight the importance of promoting anti-inflammatory diets in adolescents to prevent obesity and its associated complications.