Auditory Brainstem Implant Outcomes in Tumor and Nontumor Patients: A Systematic Review.

Objective: To elucidate the differences in auditory performance between auditory brainstem implant (ABI) patients with tumor or nontumor etiologies.

Data Sources: PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science Core Collection from 1990 to 2021.

Review Methods: We included published studies with 5 or more pediatric or adult ABI users.

Two new species of semiaquatic Anolis (Squamata: Dactyloidae) from Costa Rica.

We describe two new species of Draconura-clade semiaquatic anoles from the central Pacific versant of Costa Rica. The two new species are similar to Anolis aquaticus in external appearance and ecology but differ from this species in male dewlap coloration and scalation. Anolis robinsoni sp.

Assessing the productivity of PAs and NPs.

The improvement of healthcare efficiency and productivity is of international interest. Following an expansion phase of physician associate/assistant (PA) and NPs employment, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) assessed how and where they were being used. Using data from 134 VA medical centers, annual productivity was examined across 30 medical and surgical specialties spanning primary care, mental health, and surgery.

What constrains adaptive radiation? Documentation and explanation of under-evolved morphologies in lizards.

Adaptive radiations fill ecological and morphological space during evolutionary diversification. Why do some trait combinations evolve during such radiations, whereas others do not? 'Required' constraints of pleiotropy and developmental interaction frequently are implicated in explanations for such patterns, but selective forces also may discourage particular trait combinations. Here, we use a dataset of 351 species to demonstrate the dearth of some theoretically plausible trait combinations of limb, toe and tail length in lizards.

A new giant anole (Squamata: Iguanidae: Dactyloinae) from southwestern Ecuador.

We describe a new species of Anolis lizard from the Pacific slopes of the Andes of southwestern Ecuador at elevations between 3721,000 m. The new species belongs to the Dactyloa clade and may be distinguished from other Anolis by size, external anatomy, mitochondrial DNA divergence, and dewlap color. Based on phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data, we found that the new species is sister to A.

A descriptive analysis of dengue in Peace Corps Volunteers, 2000-2019.

Background: Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) are a unique expatriate population at risk for dengue. Previous studies examined travelers or lacked demographic information about expatriates. We examined dengue incidence among PCVs before and after deployment of an electronic medical record (EMR) to assess temporal and demographic factors.

Dengue Virus Infections among Peace Corps Volunteers in Timor-Leste, 2018-2019.

Dengue is an ongoing health risk for Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) working in the tropics. On May 2019, the Peace Corps Office of Health Services notified the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of a dengue outbreak among PCVs in Timor-Leste. The purpose of this investigation was to identify the clinical, demographic, and epidemiological characteristics of PCVs with dengue and recommend dengue preventive measures.

The Effect of Telehealth Services on Provider Productivity.

Background: Telehealth services historically have played a small role in the provision of health care in the United States. However during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, public and private insurers rapidly expanded access to telehealth in order to reduce exposure and avoid transmission. It is unknown whether telehealth will become a more regular substitute for in-person care beyond the pandemic.

COVID-19 and cardiac arrhythmias: a global perspective on arrhythmia characteristics and management strategies.

Background: Cardiovascular and arrhythmic events have been reported in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. However, arrhythmia manifestations and treatment strategies used in these patients have not been well-described. We sought to better understand the cardiac arrhythmic manifestations and treatment strategies in hospitalized COVID-19 patients through a worldwide cross-sectional survey.

Gut Microbiota Modulate CD8 T Cell Responses to Influence Colitis-Associated Tumorigenesis.

There is increasing evidence that gut microbiome perturbations, also known as dysbiosis, can influence colorectal cancer development. To understand the mechanisms by which the gut microbiome modulates cancer susceptibility, we examine two wild-type mouse colonies with distinct gut microbial communities that develop significantly different tumor numbers using a mouse model of inflammation-associated tumorigenesis. We demonstrate that adaptive immune cells contribute to the different tumor susceptibilities associated with the two microbial communities.

On the Selection and Analysis of Clades in Comparative Evolutionary Studies.

Researchers commonly present results of comparative studies of taxonomic groups. In this review, we criticize the focus on named clades, usually, comparably ranked groups such as families or orders, for comparative evolutionary analyses and question the general practice of using clades as units of analysis. The practice of analyzing sets of named groups persists despite widespread appreciation that the groups we have chosen to name are based on subjective human concerns rather than objective properties of nature.

The gap between what patients know and desire to learn about their cardiac implantable electronic devices.

Background: Advancement of digital technology now allows patients to have access to data from their cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). However, patients' understanding regarding CIED data and perceived personal usability remain unclear. The present study is a prospective survey to examine patients' understanding of their CIEDs and their perception of what is important.

Solitary ecology as a phenomenon extending beyond insular systems: exaptive evolution in Anolis lizards.

The mechanisms driving phenotypic evolution have been of interest to biologists since Darwin. Ecological release-wherein adaptive evolution occurs following relaxation of constraining selective pressures-and environmental filtering-wherein exaptive traits allow colonization of a new area-have been studied in several insular cases. Anolis lizards, which may exist in solitude or sympatry with multiple congeners, are an excellent system for evaluating whether ecological release and environmental filtering are associated with phenotypic shifts across phylogenetic and geographical scales.

An assessment of household water quality among Peace Corps volunteers in Guatemala.

Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) illness is the most commonly reported health concern among Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) serving in Guatemala. This project identified water types and treatment and storage practices used by PCVs and measured select water quality parameters in their household water.

Methods: A survey about water types and practices was conducted of PCVs in Guatemala.

Increasing Competence in Pressure Injury Prevention Using Competency-Based Education in Adult Intensive Care Unit.

Background: There is a significant focus on pressure injury prevention to promote better patient outcomes and control health care cost.

Local Problem: In 2016, the institution's pressure injury quarterly prevalence survey showed that two-thirds of the patients surveyed who developed unit-acquired pressure injury stage 2 and greater were in the adult intensive care units.

Methods: The quality improvement project used a pre- and postintervention design.

The existence and evolution of morphotypes in lizards: coexistence patterns, not adaptive radiations, distinguish mainland and island faunas.

The evolution of distinct ecologies and correlated morphologies ("ecomorphs," in combination) among similar species allows sympatric occupation of diverse microhabitats. Particular ecomorphs may evolve repeatedly, that is, convergently, as separate lineages arrive at similar solutions. Caribbean lizards (anoles) are a classic ecomorph system, particularly well-studied for the diverse morphotypes resulting from adaptive radiations.

Phylogeography of a widespread lizard complex reflects patterns of both geographic and ecological isolation.

A primary challenge for modern phylogeography is understanding how ecology and geography, both contemporary and historical, shape the spatial distribution and evolutionary histories of species. Phylogeographic patterns are the result of many factors, including geology, climate, habitat, colonization history and lineage-specific constraints. Assessing the relative influences of these factors is difficult because few species, regions and environments are sampled in enough detail to compare competing hypotheses rigorously and because a particular phylogeographic pattern can potentially result from different evolutionary scenarios.

Comparative Evolution of an Archetypal Adaptive Radiation: Innovation and Opportunity in Anolis Lizards.

Adaptive radiation is a widely recognized pattern of evolution wherein substantial phenotypic change accompanies rapid speciation. Adaptive radiation may be triggered by environmental opportunities resulting from dispersal to new areas or via the evolution of traits, called key innovations, that allow for invasion of new niches. Species sampling is a known source of bias in many comparative analyses, yet classic adaptive radiations have not been studied comparatively with comprehensively sampled phylogenies.

Safety of Oral Dofetilide Reloading for Treatment of Atrial Arrhythmias.

Background: Although dofetilide labeling states that the drug must be initiated or reinitiated with continuous electrocardiographic monitoring and in the presence of trained personnel, the risks of dofetilide reloading justifying repeat hospitalization have not been investigated.

Methods And Results: Patients admitted for dofetilide reloading for atrial arrhythmias were retrospectively reviewed. The need for dose adjustment and the incidence of torsades de pointes (TdP) were identified.

The Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool: A Study of Reliability and Validity.

Patient falls and fall-related injury remain a safety concern. The Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool (JHFRAT) was developed to facilitate early detection of risk for anticipated physiologic falls in adult inpatients. Psychometric properties in acute care settings have not yet been fully established; this study sought to fill that gap.

Phylogeny and diversity of neotropical monkey lizards (Iguanidae: Polychrus Cuvier, 1817).

Neotropical monkey lizards (Polychrus) are arboreal lizards with compressed bodies, partially fused eyelids and strikingly long, whip-like tails. The eight currently recognized species occur in the lowlands of South and Central America. Based on the largest taxon and character sampling to date, we analyze three mitochondrial and one nuclear gene using Bayesian methods to (1) infer the phylogeny of Polychrus under both concatenated-tree and species-tree methods; (2) identify lineages that could represent putative undescribed species; and (3) estimate divergence times.

A Phylogenetic, Biogeographic, and Taxonomic study of all Extant Species of Anolis (Squamata; Iguanidae).

Anolis lizards (anoles) are textbook study organisms in evolution and ecology. Although several topics in evolutionary biology have been elucidated by the study of anoles, progress in some areas has been hampered by limited phylogenetic information on this group. Here, we present a phylogenetic analysis of all 379 extant species of Anolis, with new phylogenetic data for 139 species including new DNA data for 101 species.