Evaluating research ethics committees in Vietnam and Laos: Results of a validated self-assessment tool.

Background: There is an increase in human subject research in developing countries and conducting them in an ethical manner depends on the research ethics oversight in these countries. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the operational, financial, and educational characteristics of research ethics committees (RECs) at institutions in Vietnam and Laos.

Methods: A validated self-assessment tool designed to assess nine major characteristics of RECs was translated into Vietnamese and Laotian.

Artificial Intelligence in Medicine: A Caution About Good Intentions and Where It May Lead.

Implementing Artificial Intelligence in medicine is revolutionizing how medicine is practiced. It has much promise in bringing about improved clinical outcomes and efficiency while decreasing costs. There are also concerns and unintended consequences that are being realized and significant efforts to consider ethical principles in the implementation of Artificial Intelligence in medicine.

Lateral neck dissection surgeon volume and complications in head and neck endocrine malignancy.

Background: Increased surgeon volume is associated with decreased complications for many surgeries, including thyroidectomy. We sought to use two national databases to assess for associations between surgeon volume and complications in patients undergoing lateral neck dissection for thyroid or parathyroid malignancy.

Methods: Lateral neck dissections for thyroid and parathyroid cancer from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample and State Inpatient Database were analyzed.

Deep-Learning-Based Screening and Ancillary Testing for Thyroid Cytopathology.

Thyroid cancer is the most common malignant endocrine tumor. The key test to assess preoperative risk of malignancy is cytologic evaluation of fine-needle aspiration biopsies (FNABs). The evaluation findings can often be indeterminate, leading to unnecessary surgery for benign post-surgical diagnoses.

International Collaboration Trends in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: A Systematic Bibliometric Scoping Review.

Importance: Research in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery (FPRS) in the global health setting, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), is increasing year by year. As this work progresses, it will be crucial to include voices and perspectives of individuals living in the LMICs being studied.

Objective: To characterize and understand international collaborations in published literature on FPRS care in a global health setting and report patterns in whether these articles included authors from the LMICs in which the studies took place.

Machine learning using convolutional neural networks for SERS analysis of biomarkers in medical diagnostics.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has wide diagnostic applications because of narrow spectral features that allow multiplexed analysis. Machine learning (ML) has been used for non-dye-labeled SERS spectra but has not been applied to SERS dye-labeled materials with known spectral shapes. Here, we compare the performances of spectral decomposition, support vector regression, random forest regression, partial least squares regression, and convolutional neural network (CNN) for SERS "spectral unmixing" from a multiplexed mixture of 7 SERS-active "nanorattles" loaded with different dyes for mRNA biomarker detection.

A Clinical Study to Assess Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy with an Auto-Calibrated, Pressure-Sensing Optical Probe in Head and Neck Cancer.

Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) is a powerful tool for quantifying optical and physiological tissue properties such as hemoglobin oxygen saturation and vascularity. DRS is increasingly used clinically for distinguishing cancerous lesions from normal tissue. However, its widespread clinical acceptance is still limited due to uncontrolled probe-tissue interface pressure that influences reproducibility and introduces operator-dependent results.

Octreotide may improve pharyngocutaneous fistula healing through downregulation of cystatins: A pilot study.

Background: Pharyngocutaneous fistula (PCF) and salivary leaks are well known complications of head and neck surgery. The medical management of PCF has included the use of octreotide without a well-defined understanding of its therapeutic mechanism. We hypothesized that octreotide induces alterations in the saliva proteome and that these alterations may provide insight into the mechanism of action underlying improved PCF healing.

Analysis of Self- and 360-Evaluation Scores of the Professionalism Intelligence Model Within an Academic Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Department.

Purpose: To analyze self and 360-evaluation scores of the professionalism intelligence model domains within an academic Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Department.

Methods: A leadership course was introduced within the Department of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences at Duke University Medical Center. A 360 evaluation assessing domains of the professional intelligence model was recorded for all participants.

Head and neck cancer research collaborations between the United States and low- and middle-income countries: 10-year publication analysis.

Background: Disparities exist for head and neck cancer (HNC) patients between those in developed countries and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). To improve HNC care globally, collaborations between the United States and LMICs have been established. Our objectives are: (1) define trends of collaborative HNC publications among LMICs and the United States and (2) assess the global distribution of these publications by region.

Surgeon Volume and Complications in Lateral Neck Dissection for Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Multidatabase Analysis.

Objective: To determine whether annual surgeon volume of lateral neck dissections for squamous cell carcinoma is associated with complication rates.

Study Design: Retrospective review.

Setting: Two US databases spanning 2000 to 2014.

Comparative Evaluation of Tube First Versus Video Laryngoscope First Techniques in a Normal and Simulated Difficult Airway Model: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

In patients with difficult airways, there can be difficulty with advancing the endotracheal tube into the airway even with a good view of the glottis using video laryngoscopy. The purpose of this study was to determine if the time required to intubate an airway and the number of gaze changes by the laryngoscopist could be decreased by using a novel video laryngoscope technique. Sixteen experienced Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists were recruited to intubate a manikin with a normal or difficult airway using both the laryngoscope first technique and a new endotracheal tube first technique (4 intubations total) in a randomized sequence.

Plasmonic assay for amplification-free cancer biomarkers detection in clinical tissue samples.

Developing countries have seen a rise in cancer incidence and are projected to harbor three-quarters of all cancer-related mortality by 2030. While disproportionally affected by the burden of cancer, these regions are ill-equipped to handle the diagnostic caseload. The low number of trained pathologists per capita results in delayed diagnosis and treatment, ultimately contributing to increased mortality rates.

Ipilimumab and Radiation in Patients with High-risk Resected or Regionally Advanced Melanoma.

Purpose: In this prospective trial, we sought to assess the feasibility of concurrent administration of ipilimumab and radiation as adjuvant, neoadjuvant, or definitive therapy in patients with regionally advanced melanoma.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-four patients in two cohorts were enrolled and received ipilimumab at 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks for four doses in conjunction with radiation; median dose was 4,000 cGy (interquartile range, 3,550-4,800 cGy). Patients in cohort 1 were treated adjuvantly; patients in cohort 2 were treated either neoadjuvantly or as definitive therapy.

Development of a Surgical Video Atlas for Resident Education: 3-Year Experience.

Objective: To create a high-quality annotated online surgical video atlas of key indicator otolaryngology cases and assess its use and overall journal trends over time.

Methods: Videos are recorded from multiple viewpoints within the operating room and compiled into a single stream. Postediting includes chaptering videos and overlaying relevant text annotations.

A Novel Laryngoscope With an Adjustable Distal Tip.

Objectives: Various laryngoscopes are currently available for supraglottic, glottic, and cervical esophageal exposure, yet none allow for adjustable articulation of the laryngoscope distal tip. We sought to create a new laryngoscope to improve anatomic field of view exposure.

Study Design: Novel laryngoscope device validation study.

The effect of lateral neck dissection on complication rate for total thyroidectomy.

Purpose: To determine the complication profile for total thyroidectomy with and without concomitant lateral neck dissection using a large administrative database.

Materials And Methods: The IBM MarketScan® Commercial Database (2010-2014) analytic cohort was queried for patients ≥18 years or older undergoing total thyroidectomy (or equivalent procedures) from January 1, 2010 to June 30, 2014. Subgroup analysis was performed for patients undergoing concomitant unilateral and bilateral lateral neck dissection.

Adsorption of Malathion onto Copper and Iron Surfaces Relevant to Water Infrastructure.

This study investigated the adsorption of malathion to copper and iron surfaces including microspheres and pipe specimens similar to those in drinking water infrastructure. The solid phase concentration of malathion on the virgin and used copper pipe specimens was generally between 0.2 - 1 mg/g.