Analyzing Unnecessary Imaging for Low Back Pain in Nebraska from a Statewide Health Information Exchange.

Excessive amounts of resources in healthcare are wasted due to duplicated or unnecessary health screenings, especially in the diagnosis of low back pain (LBP). Research shows that two-thirds of people will present with LBP at some point throughout their lifetime, but 20-50% of high-tech imaging procedures fail to provide information that improves the patient's condition, representing unnecessary services. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the existence of unnecessary imaging for low back pain throughout healthcare systems in Nebraska based on what was documented in the electronic health record.

Identifying key priorities for research to protect the consumer with food hypersensitivity: A UK Food Standards Agency Priority Setting Exercise.

Introduction: Food hypersensitivity (FHS), including food allergy, coeliac disease and food intolerance, is a major public health issue. The Food Standards Agency (FSA), an independent UK Government department working to protect public health and consumers' wider interests in food, sought to identify research priorities in the area of FHS.

Methods: A priority setting exercise was undertaken, using a methodology adapted from the James Lind Alliance-the first such exercise with respect to food hypersensitivity.

Initial Assessment of Mucosal Capture and Leak Pressure After Gastrointestinal Stapling in a Porcine Model.

Background: Anastomotic leak is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in gastrointestinal surgery. The serosal aspect of staple lines is commonly observed for integrity, but the mucosal surface and state of mucosa after firing is less often inspected. We sought to assess the degree of mucosal capture when using stapling devices and determine whether incomplete capture influences staple line integrity.

An effective, economical method of reducing environmental noise in the vivarium.

High levels of ambient noise can have detrimental effects on laboratory animal wellbeing and may affect experimental results. In addition, excessive noise can reduce technician comfort and performance. This study was performed to determine whether inexpensive, passive acoustic noise abatement measures could meaningfully reduce noise levels.

Corticotropin-releasing hormone: an autocrine hormone that promotes lipogenesis in human sebocytes.

Sebaceous glands may be involved in a pathway conceptually similar to that of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Such a pathway has been described and may occur in human skin and lately in the sebaceous glands because they express neuropeptide receptors. Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is the most proximal element of the HPA axis, and it acts as central coordinator for neuroendocrine and behavioral responses to stress.