Enhancing the Management of Deployment-Limiting Medical Conditions in the U.S. Department of Navy Leveraging Electronic Health Records and Predictive Analytics Methods.

Introduction: Deployment-limiting medical conditions (DLMCs) such as debilitating injuries and conditions may interfere with the ability of military service members (SMs) to deploy. SMs in the United States (U.S.

Integrating an Interventional Pain Management Curriculum in Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Training: A Feasibility Study.

Background: Pain is a common symptom for patients with cancer. Hospice and Palliative Medicine (HPM) physicians are expected to be experts in both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment of pain for this patient population. Insufficient knowledge of non-pharmacologic, interventional approaches to pain management is a barrier to providing optimal care.

Antibiotic Use at the End of Life: Current Practice and Ways to Optimize.

Infections are common complications in end of life (EOL). However, clinicians have minimal guidance regarding antibiotic decision-making in EOL care, leading to the overuse of antibiotics. While symptom relief is frequently cited as a major reason for antibiotic use in EOL, antibiotics have not been shown to provide significant improvement in symptoms outside of urinary tract infections.

Effect of esophageal cancer screening on mortality among patients with oral cancer and second primary esophageal cancer in Taiwan.

Objective: Oral and esophageal cancer are the fourth and fifth leading causes of cancer deaths among men in Taiwan. Despite a good prognosis for oral cavity cancer patients, survival is worse for those who develop second primary esophageal cancer. There remains no consensus regarding early prevention of potential second primary esophageal cancer in patients with oral cavity cancer.

Serious Illness Communication Training Among Radiation Oncology Residents.

Purpose: Education and specific training on serious illness communication skills for radiation oncology residents is lacking. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requires radiation oncology residents to demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills; however, implementing specific training to address this poses an ongoing challenge. This study assesses the feasibility and effectiveness of a radiation oncology specific serious illness communication curriculum at a single radiation oncology residency program.

Comparative effectiveness and stage-shift effect of endoscopic exam among newly diagnosed oral cancer patients with different stages in Taiwan.

Background: Patients with oral cancer are at higher risk of developing second primary esophageal cancer (SPEC) and the consensus for screening strategies remains unclear. This study aimed to examine comparative effectiveness and the stage-shift effect of endoscopic exam among patients with oral cancer.

Method: A population-based longitudinal retrospective observational matched case and control cohort study with at least 5 years follow-up was conducted.

Mortality Risks for Dialysis Patients: A Nationwide Population-Based Study.

Objective: Several studies have demonstrated increased postoperative mortality rates in patients on chronic hemodialysis compared with non-dialyzed patients. However, limited studies have examined factors that may contribute to postoperative mortality.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, data were collected from 9,140 dialysis and 45,725 non-dialysis patients undergoing surgery between 2007 to 2009 from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Registry Database.

Transfusion practices at end of life for hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients.

Purpose: Limited data exist regarding transfusion practices at end of life (EOL) for hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients. The purpose of this study was to examine red blood cell (RBC) and platelet transfusion practices in HSCT patients who enrolled or did not enroll in hospice.

Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective chart review in deceased HSCT patients.

Advance Care Planning and Palliative Care Integration for Patients Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem-Cell Transplantation.

Purpose: Advance care planning (ACP) in hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) is challenging, given the potential for cure despite increased morbidity and mortality risk.The aim of this study was to evaluate ACP and palliative care (PC) integration for patients who underwent HSCT.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted and data were extracted from electronic medical records of patients who underwent HSCT between January 2011 and December 2015.

Cofactors of LIM Domains Associate with Estrogen Receptor α to Regulate the Expression of Noncoding RNA H19 and Corneal Epithelial Progenitor Cell Function.

Cofactors of LIM domain proteins, CLIM1 and CLIM2, are widely expressed transcriptional cofactors that are recruited to gene regulatory regions by DNA-binding proteins, including LIM domain transcription factors. In the cornea, epithelium-specific expression of a dominant negative (DN) CLIM under the keratin 14 (K14) promoter causes blistering, wounding, inflammation, epithelial hyperplasia, and neovascularization followed by epithelial thinning and subsequent epidermal-like differentiation of the corneal epithelium. The defects in corneal epithelial differentiation and cell fate determination suggest that CLIM may regulate corneal progenitor cells and the transition to differentiation.

HBV Outreach Programs Significantly Increase Knowledge and Vaccination Rates Among Asian Pacific Islanders.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) testing and vaccination rates remain low among Asian-American/Pacific Islanders (APIs) despite high rates of HBV infection. The aim of our study was to assess the effectiveness of an outreach campaign to increase HBV knowledge, testing, and vaccination among a cohort of APIs. Vietnamese Americans were invited to participate in a free HBV screening and vaccination outreach program though pubic service announcements.