Publications by authors named "Schiff A"

Background: Takeaway food is often high in calories and served in portion sizes that exceed public health recommendations for fat, salt and sugar. This food is widely accessible in the neighbourhood food environment. As of 2019, of all local authorities in England (n=325), 41 had adopted urban planning interventions that can allow them to manage the opening of new takeaway outlets in "takeaway management zones around schools" (known elsewhere as "exclusion zones").

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: The Vice-chair (VC) position is gaining popularity in academic orthopaedic surgery departments; however, there is a paucity of information regarding qualifications and career advancements associated with this role. The purpose of this study was to define the characteristics of current orthopaedic surgery department VCs.

Design: Descriptive study following a retrospective web-based search utilizing the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA) database and orthopaedic surgery residency program websites.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: It has been assumed that diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy should not have pain associated with Charcot foot arthropathy.

Methods: During a 19-year period, 14 diabetic patients (15 feet) presented for treatment with pain following resolution of the acute phases of midfoot Charcot foot arthropathy. All were clinically plantigrade with plain radiographic evidence of bony union without deformity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Growing clinical interest in the treatment of acquired foot deformity due to diabetes-associated Charcot foot arthropathy has led to multiple reports of favorable clinical outcomes in patients when their acquired deformity is at the midfoot level. Clinical failures and less than optimal clinical outcomes are achieved when the deformity is at the hindfoot or ankle levels.

Methods: A retrospective review was performed of all patients who underwent surgical correction of diabetes-associated Charcot foot arthropathy with talocalcaneal dislocation over an 18-year period.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

By the end of 2017, 35 local authorities (LAs) across England had adopted takeaway management zones (or "exclusion zones") around schools as a means to curb proliferation of new takeaways. In this nationwide, natural experimental study, we evaluated the impact of management zones on takeaway retail, including unintended displacement of takeaways to areas immediately beyond management zones, and impacts on chain fast-food outlets. We used uncontrolled interrupted time series analyses to estimate changes from up to six years pre- and post-adoption of takeaway management zones around schools.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Physical exposure to takeaway food outlets ("takeaways") is associated with poor diet and excess weight, which are leading causes of excess morbidity and mortality. At the end of 2017, 35 local authorities (LAs) in England had adopted takeaway management zones (or "exclusion zones"), which is an urban planning intervention designed to reduce physical exposure to takeaways around schools. In this nationwide, natural experimental study, we used interrupted time series analyses to estimate the impact of this intervention on changes in the total number of takeaway planning applications received by LAs and the percentage rejected, at both first decision and after any appeal, within management zones, per quarter of calendar year.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The purpose of this study was to (1) evaluate the rates of postoperative complications following ankle or hindfoot arthrodesis among current smokeless tobacco users and people who smoke compared to matched controls, and (2) compare rates of postoperative complications in current smokeless tobacco users vs people who smoke tobacco cigarettes.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using a large national database. For patients who underwent ankle or hindfoot arthrodesis, smokeless tobacco users (n = 131) and people who smoke (n = 1948) were matched 1:4 with controls, and smokeless tobacco users (n = 131) were matched 1:4 with people who smoke tobacco cigarettes (n = 524).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Critical sized bone defects in the ankle are becoming increasingly more common in patients undergoing limb reconstruction with tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis. Bulk allografts have not fared well over time. There have been scattered preliminary reports using custom spinal cages or 3D-printed Titanium Implants to address the critical bony defect; however, the cost of these devices is prohibitive in many clinical practice settings.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Many individuals with rheumatic disease are at higher risk for severe acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to evaluate risk factors for postacute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) using an electronic health record (EHR)-based definition.

Methods: We identified patients with prevalent rheumatic diseases and COVID-19 within the Mass General Brigham healthcare system.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Women continue to be underrepresented in orthopaedic surgery. This study seeks to evaluate gender diversity of faculty and trainees at foot and ankle surgery fellowship programs.

Methods: In this cross-sectional analysis of 49 US foot and ankle fellowship programs, all publicly available data on program faculty (as of July 2023) were collected, as well as data on current and past fellows between 2018 and 2024.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases using disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) might have blunted responses to COVID-19 vaccines. The initial mRNA vaccine series is defined as three doses for this population and a fourth booster dose is recommended. The effectiveness of the fourth dose in patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases using DMARDs is not well established.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: We investigated the baseline DMARD use and post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) risk among patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs).

Methods: Patients with SARDs and confirmed COVID-19 infection at Mass General Brigham completed a survey ≥28 days after a positive PCR/antigen test to prospectively investigate their COVID-19 courses. We investigated DMARD use at COVID-19 onset and PASC risk.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Tobacco smoking doubles the risk of active tuberculosis (TB) and accounts for up to 20% of all active TB cases globally. How smoking promotes lung microenvironments permissive to () growth remains incompletely understood. We investigated primary bronchoalveolar lavage cells from current and never smokers by performing single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), flow cytometry, and functional assays.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Tranexamic acid has been shown to significantly reduce blood loss in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty and total hip arthroplasty. However, there is a paucity of data regarding its safety and efficacy in total ankle arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to determine whether tranexamic acid use in patients with total ankle arthroplasty affects blood loss or overall complication rate.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: To investigate COVID-19 breakthrough infection after third mRNA vaccine dose among patients with RA by immunomodulator drug class, and we hypothesized that CD20 inhibitors (CD20i) would have higher risk for breakthrough COVID-19 vs. TNF inhibitors (TNFi).

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study investigating breakthrough COVID-19 among RA patients at Mass General Brigham in Boston, MA, USA.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To determine whether greater duration of simultaneous exposure to antimicrobials with high nephrotoxicity risk combined with lower-risk antimicrobials (simultaneous exposure) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is associated with worse later kidney health in adolescents born preterm with very low birth weight (VLBW).

Study Design: Prospective cohort study of participants born preterm with VLBW (<1500 g) as singletons between January 1, 1992, and June 30, 1996. We defined simultaneous exposure as a high-risk antimicrobial, such as vancomycin, administered with a lower-risk antimicrobial on the same date in the NICU.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

As 3rd-year medical students at Imperial College London, we investigated Salbutamol overuse in the community of Islington. We were inspired to carry out this project due to the high prevalence of Salbutamol overuse which became evident during our GP placement. This was part of our Community Action Project (CAP) which aims for students to investigate issues within their GP practice and patient population and create solutions to help overcome this, like a quality improvement project.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Surgical smoke generated through the use of electrical surgical devices poses a risk to the surgeon, medical personnel in the operating room, and the patient by exposing them to environmentally hazardous particulate matter. Previous investigation has shown that surgical smoke leads to an increased risk of pulmonary conditions, circulatory disorders, and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. Transmission of infectious disease can occur through inhalation of viral particles, and the presence of carcinogens are also of major concern.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Grain processing such as particle size, flake density, or starch retrogradation can influence ruminal degradability characteristics; however, it is unclear how exogenous α-amylase supplementation interacts with different processed grains. Four experiments were conducted to compare the effects of Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract (Amaize; Alltech Biotechnology Inc., Nicholasville, KY) supplementation on in vitro gas production kinetics of grain substrates with different processing methods that are common in the feedlot industry.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Powered instrumentation is often used for bone preparation and/or removal in many orthopaedic procedures but does risk thermogenesis. This study compares biomechanical properties of a fluted burr and a novel fluteless resurfacing tool.

Methods: Twenty cadaveric metatarsals were tested with four predetermined cutting forces to evaluate heat generation and cutting rate for the fluted burr and fluteless resurfacing tool over 40 s or until a depth of 4 mm was reached.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Tibiotalocalcaneal (TTC) arthrodesis is considered a salvage procedure for either complex deformity or arthritis about the hindfoot, and can be performed via fibula-resection (FR) or fibula-sparing (FS) approaches. The primary aim of this study was to investigate differences in outcomes in FR versus FS TTC arthrodeses.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study reviewing outcomes of TTC arthrodesis at a single institution.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) are a healthcare burden. Acupuncture improves dyspnea in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but, to the best of our knowledge, has not been tested in AECOPD. Here, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of true acupuncture added to standard of care (SOC), as compared with both sham procedure plus SOC and SOC only, for the treatment of AECOPD among inpatients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Unlabelled: There is a paucity of information regarding the use of social media by both orthopaedic residents and applicants. Therefore, this investigation aimed to (1) characterize the use of social media by current orthopaedic surgery residents and applicants to an orthopaedic surgery residency and (2) evaluate the influence of social media on applicants to an orthopaedic surgery residency.

Methods: An anonymous, nationwide survey was conducted among current orthopaedic surgery residents and fourth-year medical students applying to the authors' orthopaedic surgery.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF