Analysis of National Institutes of Health Funding to Departments of Urology.

Objective: To elucidate the current portfolio of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding to departments of urology at U.S. medical schools.

Unique Assessment of Hand Surgery Knowledge by Specialty.

Background: Orthopedic and plastic surgery residents receive unique training yet often compete for similar hand surgery fellowships. This study compared didactic hand surgery training during orthopedic and plastic surgery residency.

Methods: The Plastic Surgery In-Service Training Exam and Orthopaedic In-Training Examination were analyzed for hand content for the years 2009 to 2013.

Low Levels of Evidence on the Plastic Surgery In-Service Training Exam.

Background: The Plastic Surgery In-Service Training Exam is written by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Examinees reasonably infer that tested material reflects the Society's vision for the core curriculum in plastic surgery. The purpose of this study was to determine the levels of evidence on which credited answers to the examination questions are based.

Analysis of References on the Plastic Surgery In-Service Training Exam.

Background: The Plastic Surgery In-Service Training Exam is a knowledge assessment tool widely used during plastic surgery training in the United States. This study analyzed literature supporting correct answer choices to determine highest yield sources, journal publication lag, and journal impact factors.

Methods: Digital syllabi of 10 consecutive Plastic Surgery In-Service Training Exam administrations (2006 to 2015) were reviewed.

Relevancy of an In-Service Examination for Core Knowledge Training in a Surgical Subspecialty.

Objective: To facilitate knowledge acquisition during plastic surgery residency, we analyzed the breast curriculum on the Plastic Surgery In-Service Training Exam (PSITE).

Design: Breast-related questions on 6 consecutive PSITEs were analyzed (2008-2013). Topics were categorized by the content outline for the American Board of Plastic Surgery written board examination.

Analysis of an In-Service Examination for Core Pediatric Craniofacial Surgery Knowledge.

Objective: Little is known about designing an effective residency curriculum for pediatric craniofacial surgery. This study elucidates the pediatric craniofacial curriculum of the Plastic Surgery In-Service Training Examination (PSITE) to facilitate knowledge acquisition during residency.

Design: Approximately, 6 consecutive PSITEs were reviewed for pediatric craniofacial questions (2010-2015).

The Evolution of the Stem Cell Theory for Heart Failure.

Various stem cell-based approaches for cardiac repair have achieved encouraging results in animal experiments, often leading to their rapid proceeding to clinical testing. However, freewheeling evolutionary developments of the stem cell theory might lead to dystopian scenarios where heterogeneous sources of therapeutic cells could promote mixed clinical outcomes in un-stratified patient populations. This review focuses on the lessons that should be learnt from the first generation of stem cell-based strategies and emphasizes the absolute requirement to better understand the basic mechanisms of stem cell biology and cardiogenesis.

Myeloid-Epithelial-Reproductive Receptor Tyrosine Kinase and Milk Fat Globule Epidermal Growth Factor 8 Coordinately Improve Remodeling After Myocardial Infarction via Local Delivery of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor.

Background: In infarcted heart, improper clearance of dying cells by activated neighboring phagocytes may precipitate the transition to heart failure. We analyzed the coordinated role of 2 major mediators of efferocytosis, the myeloid-epithelial-reproductive protein tyrosine kinase (Mertk) and the milk fat globule epidermal growth factor (Mfge8), in directing cardiac remodeling by skewing the inflammatory response after myocardial infarction.

Methods And Results: We generated double-deficient mice for Mertk and Mfge8 (Mertk(-/-)/Mfge8(-/-)) and challenged them with acute coronary ligature.

The Impact of National Institutes of Health Funding on Scholarly Productivity in Academic Plastic Surgery.

Background: The h-index is an objective measure of an investigator's scholarly impact. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the association between scholarly impact, as measured by the h-index, and the procurement of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant funding among academic plastic surgeons.

Methods: This was a case-control study of NIH-funded plastic surgery faculty identified on the RePORTER database.

Biomarkers of vascular dysfunction and cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer's disease: no evidence for association in elderly subjects.

Background: Several studies have suggested that vascular dysfunction plays an important role in Alzheimer's disease.

Aims: We hypothesized that significant differences might be observed in the levels of blood endothelial biomarkers across elderly population of subjects with dementia.

Methods: We analyzed, in a prospective monocentric study, three different endothelial biomarkers, endothelial microparticles (EMPs), endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and circulating endothelial cells (CECs) in 132 older patients who underwent a full evaluation of a memory complaint.

Geographic Trends in the Plastic Surgery Match.

Background: The integrated plastic surgery match is among the most competitive residency matches in recent years. Although previous studies have correlated applicant characteristics with successful match outcomes, none have comprehensively investigated the role of geography in the match. This study elucidates regional biases in the match.

Impact of a Palliative Care Checklist on Clinical Documentation.

Purpose: Checklists are used in many different settings for the purpose of standardization and reduction of preventable errors in practice. Our group sought to determine whether a palliative care checklist (PCC) would improve the clinical documentation of key patient information.

Methods: An initial review of 110 randomly selected medical records dictated by 10 physicians was performed.

Hipersensitivity Reactions to Corticosteroids.

Corticosteroids are widely used drugs in the clinical practice, especially by topic application in dermatology. These substances may act as allergens and produce immediate and delayed hypersensitivity reactions. Allergic contact dermatitis is the most frequent presentation of corticosteroid allergy and it should be studied by patch testing in specific units.

Minority and Public Insurance Status: Is There a Delay to Alveolar Bone Grafting Surgery?

Objective: This study sought to determine the timing of alveolar bone grafting (ABG) surgery among children with cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL±P) with regard to race and insurance status.

Design: A retrospective chart review of consecutive patients receiving ABG surgery was conducted. A multivariate regression model was constructed using predetermined clinical and demographic variables.

Preceptor Support in Hospital Transition to Practice Programs.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe newly licensed RN (NLRN) preceptorships and the effects on competency and retention.

Background: Preceptors are widely used, but little is known about the benefit from the perspective of the NLRN or about the models of the relationships. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing added questions about the preceptor experience in a study of transition-to-practice programs.

Ceramic-Ceramic Hip Arthroplasty for Osteonecrosis: Average 5-year Follow-up in Patients Less Than 50 Years of Age.

Introduction: The optimal bearing surface for the young, active patient undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) is unknown. We sought to examine the clinical results of ceramic-on-ceramic (CoC) THA in patients under 50 years of age with a diagnosis of osteonecrosis.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-three hips underwent cementless THA with a CoC articulation.

Sleep quality in patients with xerostomia: a prospective and randomized case-control study.

Objectives To investigate sleep quality, anxiety/depression and quality-of-life in patients with xerostomia. Materials and methods This prospective, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted among a group of xerostomia patients (n = 30) compared with 30 matched control subjects. The following evaluation scales were used to assess the psychological profile of each patient: the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14), the Xerostomia Inventory, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS).

Corticosteroid hypersensitivity studies in a skin allergy clinic.

Introduction: Corticosteroids can cause hypersensitivity reactions, particularly delayed-type allergic reactions. A new classification system for testing hypersensitivity to corticosteroids distributes the drugs into 3 groups according to molecular structure; patients are classified according to whether they are allergic to agents in 1 or more of the groups. We aimed to describe the clinical characteristics of corticosteroid-allergic patients treated at our clinic and apply the new classification system to them; we also compared these patients' characteristics to those of others treated at our clinic.

Evaluation of content and accessibility of hand fellowship websites.

Background: Graduates of general, orthopedic, and plastic surgery residencies utilize web-based resources when applying for hand fellowship training. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accessibility and content of hand fellowship websites (HFWs).

Methods: Websites of accredited hand surgery fellowships were eligible for study inclusion.

The Plastic Surgery Hand Curriculum.

Background: Designing an effective hand rotation for plastic surgery residents is difficult. The authors address this limitation by elucidating the critical components of the hand curriculum during plastic surgery residency.

Methods: Hand questions on the Plastic Surgery In-Service Training Exam for six consecutive years (2008 to 2013) were characterized by presence of imaging, vignette setting, question taxonomy, answer domain, anatomy, and topic.

Analysis of Cosmetic Topics on the Plastic Surgery In-Service Training Exam.

Background: The Plastic Surgery In-Service Training Exam (PSITE) is a multiple-choice examination taken by plastic surgery trainees to provide an assessment of plastic surgery knowledge.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate cosmetic questions and determine overlap with national procedural data.

Methods: Digital syllabi of six consecutive PSITE administrations (2008-2013) were analyzed for cosmetic surgery topics.

A Propensity-Matched Analysis of the Influence of Breast Reconstruction on Subsequent Development of Lymphedema.

Background: Recent literature demonstrates a lower incidence of lymphedema with breast reconstruction. This study compared the incidence of lymphedema after axillary dissection in a propensity-matched cohort of patients with and without immediate breast reconstruction.

Methods: A review of patients undergoing axillary lymphadenectomy with or without immediate breast reconstruction from January 1, 2000, to July 1, 2013, was conducted.

Evaluation of the content and accessibility of microsurgery fellowship program websites.

Microsurgery fellowship applicants utilize Internet-based resources such as the San Francisco Match (SF Match) to manage their applications. In deciding where to apply, applicants rely on advice from mentors and online resources including microsurgery fellowship websites (MFWs). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the content and accessibility of MFWs.