Racial differences in cardiothoracic surgery letters of recommendation.

Objective: Cardiothoracic surgery lacks racial diversity. Attracting the best candidates requires valuing diversity and advancing a recruitment process that minimizes racial bias. Implicit bias in recommendation letters has been identified as an influential mechanism for lack of diversity in cardiothoracic surgery.

Increases in Psychological Stress Are Associated With Higher Fasting Glucose in US Chinese Immigrants.

Background: The majority of Chinese Americans is foreign-born, and it is well-documented that immigration to the United States (US) leads to increased risk for chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes. Increased disease risk has been attributed to changes in lifestyle behaviors following immigration, but few studies have considered the psychosocial impact of immigration upon biomarkers of disease risk.

Purpose: To examine associations of psychological stress and social isolation with markers of type 2 diabetes risk over time among US Chinese immigrants.

Factors associated with self-neglect from a salutogenic perspective among community-dwelling older adults: A cross-sectional correlational study.

Objectives: To identify the associated factors of self-neglect in older adults from a salutogenic perspective.

Methods: A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted in two communities in Beijing with 486 older adults recruited from April to December 2022. Data were collected by a set of questionnaires.

Factors Associated With Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer Outcomes.

Importance: Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy and surgery for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) achieve less favorable clinical outcomes than non-Hispanic White patients, but the source of this disparity is incompletely understood.

Objective: To assess whether racial and ethnic disparities in treatment outcomes among patients with LARC could be accounted for by social determinants of health and demographic, clinical, and pathologic factors known to be associated with treatment response.

Design, Setting, And Participants: The National Cancer Database was interrogated to identify patients with T3 to T4 or N1 to N2 LARC treated with neoadjuvant therapy and surgery.

Interventions based on salutogenesis for older adults: An integrative review.

Aims: To synthesize the evidence of interventions based on salutogenesis for older adults.

Background: With the increasing tendency of global ageing and the progression of 'healthy ageing', salutogenesis has been adopted as a framework of health promotion for older adults.

Design: An integrative review following PRISMA guidelines.

Survey of Surgeon-reported Postoperative Protocols for Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator Flap in Breast Reconstruction.

Background: The use of deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flaps is a well-established breast reconstruction technique.

Methods: A 29-question survey was e-mailed to 3186 active American Society of Plastic Surgeons members, aiming to describe postoperative monitoring practice patterns among surgeons performing DIEP flaps.

Results: From 255 responses (8%), 79% performing DIEP surgery were analyzed.

Bright and sensitive red voltage indicators for imaging action potentials in brain slices and pancreatic islets.

Genetically encoded voltage indicators (GEVIs) allow the direct visualization of cellular membrane potential at the millisecond time scale. Among these, red-emitting GEVIs have been reported to support multichannel recordings and manipulation of cellular activities with reduced autofluorescence background. However, the limited sensitivity and dimness of existing red GEVIs have restricted their applications in neuroscience.

Attitudes About the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Among Patients With and Without Cervical Dysplasia.

Objectives: The aims of the study are to examine the perception of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine among those with and without a history of cervical dysplasia and to examine perceptions of the vaccine for their children.

Materials And Methods: Patients were recruited to complete a survey about the HPV vaccine for both themselves and their children. Patients in a colposcopy clinic with a history of abnormal cervical cytology and patients in a benign gynecology clinic without a history of abnormal cervical cytology were recruited.

Real-time estimation of nephron activity with a linear measurement system (RENAL-MS) predicts postoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate.

Objective: To determine whether a simple point-of-care measurement system estimating renal parenchymal volume using tools ubiquitously available could be used to replace nuclear medicine renal scintigraphy (NMRS) in current clinical practice to predict estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) after nephrectomy by estimating preoperative split renal function.

Patients And Methods: We performed a retrospective review of patients who underwent abdominal cross-sectional imaging (computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging) and mercaptoacetyltriglycine (MAG3) NMRS prior to total nephrectomy at a single institution. We developed the real-time estimation of nephron activity with a linear measurement system (RENAL-MS) method of estimating postoperative renal function via the following technique: renal parenchymal volume of the removed kidney relative to the remaining kidney was estimated as the product of renal length and the average of six renal parenchymal thickness measurements.

A dosimetric analysis of rectal hydrogel spacer use in patients with recurrent prostate cancer undergoing salvage high-dose-rate brachytherapy.

Purpose: We hypothesize rectal hydrogel spacer (RHS) improves rectal dosimetry in patients undergoing salvage high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) for intact, recurrent prostate cancer (PC).

Methods And Materials: A prospectively collected institutional database was queried for recurrent PC patients treated with salvage HDR-BT from September 2015 to November 2021. Patients were offered RHS beginning June 2019.

Gender differences in cardiothoracic surgery letters of recommendation.

Objective: To investigate whether or not gender influences letters of recommendation for cardiothoracic surgery fellowship.

Methods: From applications to an Accreditation Council Graduate Medical Education cardiothoracic surgery fellowship program between 2016 and 2021, applicant and author characteristics were examined with descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and Pearson χ tests. Linguistic software was used to assess communication differences in letters of recommendation, stratified by author and applicant gender.

Timing of Unplanned Reoperation After Lower Extremity Free Flap Reconstruction: What Are the Roles of Procedure Indication and Defect Etiology?

Background: Advancements in lower extremity (LE) microsurgery have allowed for the expansion of indications for LE reconstructions. This project aims to better understand the temporal pattern and risk factors associated with LE free flap failure based on the clinical indication.

Materials And Methods: We analyzed all patients undergoing LE free flap reconstruction from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program 2012-2019 prospectively collected data to determine rates and timing of reoperation.

The association between loneliness and sleep quality among older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To systematically review studies and explore the association between loneliness and sleep quality among older adults.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in 8 databases from their inception to February 28, 2022. Studies that investigated the association between loneliness and sleep quality among older people were obtained.

Assessing Oncologists' Adoption of Biomarker Testing in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Using Real-World Data.

Background: Despite national guideline recommendations for universal biomarker testing (KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, and mismatch repair and microsatellite instability [MMR/MSI]) in all patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), little is known regarding adherence to these recommendations in routine practice.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with mCRC diagnosed between January 1, 2013, and December 27, 2018, from a de-identified electronic health record-derived database. We analyzed disparities in KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, and MMR/MSI testing by race, age, sex, and insurance status using χ2 tests and t tests.

Critical Importance of the First Postoperative Days After Head and Neck Free Flap Reconstruction: An Analysis of Timing of Reoperation Using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Database.

Background: Head and neck free flaps remain associated with considerable rates of take-back and prolonged hospital length of stay. However, there have been no studies on a national level benchmarking the timeline and predictors of head and neck free flap take-back.

Methods: Patients undergoing head and neck free flap reconstruction from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program 2012-2019 database were analyzed to determine the rates of take-back.

A Bright, Nontoxic, and Non-aggregating red Fluorescent Protein for Long-Term Labeling of Fine Structures in Neurons.

Red fluorescent proteins are useful as morphological markers in neurons, often complementing green fluorescent protein-based probes of neuronal activity. However, commonly used red fluorescent proteins show aggregation and toxicity in neurons or are dim. We report the engineering of a bright red fluorescent protein, Crimson, that enables long-term morphological labeling of neurons without aggregation or toxicity.

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy with Accelerated Methotrexate, Vinblastine, Doxorubicin, and Cisplatin in Patients with Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer: A Retrospective Age-stratified Analysis on Safety and Efficacy.

Background: The standard of care (SOC) for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) includes cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting followed by radical cystectomy. Older patients often do not receive SOC due to perceived toxicity concerns despite guideline-directed recommendations.

Objective: To characterize the safety and efficacy of neoadjuvant accelerated methotrexate, vinblastine, adriamycin, and cisplatin (aMVAC) in MIBC patients as a function of age.

Real-world frequency of BRAF testing and utilization of therapies in patients with advanced melanoma.

Both BRAF/MEK targeted agents and immunotherapy are approved for the treatment of advanced melanoma. BRAF testing is recommended at the time of advanced melanoma diagnosis. In addition, little is known regarding the treatment trends for patients with BRAF mutated tumors.

Tumor mutational burden and somatic mutation status to predict disease recurrence in advanced melanoma.

Tumor mutational burden (TMB) has recently been identified as a biomarker of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in many cancers, including melanoma. Co-assessment of TMB with inflammatory markers and genetic mutations may better predict disease outcomes. The goal of this study was to evaluate the potential for TMB and somatic mutations in combination to predict the recurrence of disease in advanced melanoma.

The Role of Cytoreductive Nephrectomy in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Real-World Multi-Institutional Analysis.

Purpose: The role of cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN) in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) was challenged by the results of the CARMENA trial. Here we evaluate the role of CN in mRCC patients, including those receiving modern therapies.

Materials And Methods: We included patients with synchronous mRCC between 2011-2020 from the de-identified nationwide Flatiron Health database.

Total neoadjuvant therapy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma increases probability for a complete pathologic response.

Background: Multiple neoadjuvant therapy protocols have been proposed in the treatment of pancreatic adenocarcinoma, including chemotherapy (CT), chemoradiation (CRT), and total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT), defined as a CT plus CRT. A pathologic complete response (pCR) can be achieved in a minority of cases. We hypothesize that TNT is more likely to confer pCR than other neoadjuvant therapies, which may improve overall survival (OS).