An Educational and Administrative Intervention to Promote Rational Laboratory Test Ordering on an Academic General Medicine Service.

Background: Overuse of clinical laboratory testing in the inpatient setting is a common problem. The objective of this project was to develop an inexpensive and easily implemented intervention to promote rational laboratory use without compromising resident education or patient care.

Methods: The study comprised of a cluster-randomized, controlled trial to assess the impact of a multifaceted intervention of education, guideline development, elimination of recurring laboratory orders, unbundling of laboratory panels, and redesign of the daily progress note on laboratory test ordering.

Fertility-related quality of life from two RCT cohorts with infertility: unexplained infertility and polycystic ovary syndrome.

Study Question: Does fertility-related quality of life (FertiQOL) differ by infertility diagnosis between women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and their partners, compared with couples with unexplained infertility (UI)?

Summary Answer: Women with PCOS report lower QOL than those with UI, whereas males with UI report lower QOL than males with PCOS partners.

What Is Known Already: The fertility-specific QOL survey, FertiQOL, has been used to examine fertility-related QOL in a number of worldwide cohorts. Few data have addressed fertility-related QOL as a function of infertility diagnosis.

Sociocultural aspects of risk to pregnant women during the 2013-2015 multinational Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa.

Researchers reflect on sociocultural aspects of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and critically analyze the epidemic's effects on pregnant mothers and their babies. We address structural inequalities contributing to poor maternal health in lower-income countries, while reflecting on how the Ebola outbreak highlights the still-marginalized role of pregnant women. Drawing on prior research in West and East Africa, we discuss health care providers' responses to risk of infection during maternity work under normal circumstances and in times of crisis.

Cardiac antibody production to self-antigens in children and adolescents during and following the correction of severe diabetic ketoacidosis.

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DC) is an independent phenotype of diabetic cardiovascular disease. The understanding of the pathogenesis of DC in young patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is limited. The cardiac insults of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and progression of DC could include development of antibodies (Abs) to cardiac self-antigens (SAgs) such as: myosin (M), vimentin (V) and k-alpha 1 tubulin (Kα1T).

Embedding a Panoramic Representation of Infrared Light in the Adult Rat Somatosensory Cortex through a Sensory Neuroprosthesis.

Can the adult brain assimilate a novel, topographically organized, sensory modality into its perceptual repertoire? To test this, we implemented a microstimulation-based neuroprosthesis that rats used to discriminate among infrared (IR) light sources. This system continuously relayed information from four IR sensors that were distributed to provide a panoramic view of IR sources, into primary somatosensory cortex (S1). Rats learned to discriminate the location of IR sources in <4 d.

A video-based educational pilot for basal cell carcinoma (BCC) treatment: A randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: Several treatment options exist for uncomplicated basal cell carcinoma. Standardized and effective informed consent is difficult in busy dermatology clinics.

Objective: We investigated whether an educational video depicting 3 treatment options for uncomplicated basal cell carcinoma-excision, electrodessication and curettage, and topical therapy-before standard in-office informed consent affected patient knowledge and consent time compared with standard in-office consent alone.

TIMP-1 Inhibits Apoptosis in Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells via Interaction with Bcl-2.

Tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) are multifaceted molecules that exhibit properties beyond their classical proteinase inhibitory function. Although TIMP-1 is a known inhibitor of apoptosis in mammalian cells, the mechanisms by which it exerts its effects are not well-established. Our earlier studies using H2009 lung adenocarcinoma cells, implanted in the CNS, showed that TIMP-1 overexpressing H2009 cells (HB-1), resulted in more aggressive tumor kinetics and increased vasculature.

Does single-port laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy result in improved short-term perioperative outcomes compared to conventional multi-port laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy?

A best evidence topic in bariatric surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question asked whether single-port laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy produces better short-term perioperative outcomes compared to the conventional multi-port laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in the treatment of morbid obesity. A Pubmed search generated 82 papers, 6 of which represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question.

Effectiveness and feasibility of utilizing E4D technology as a teaching tool in a preclinical dental education environment.

Recent efforts have been directed towards utilizing CAD/CAM technology in the education of future dentists. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the feasibility of implementing CAD/CAM technology in instruction on preparing a tooth for restoration. Students at one dental school were assigned access to CAD/CAM technology vs.

The effect of pioglitazone on aldosterone and cortisol production in HAC15 human adrenocortical carcinoma cells.

Pioglitazone belongs to the class of drugs called thiazolidinediones (TZDs), which are widely used as insulin sensitizers in the treatment of diabetes. A major side effect of TZDs is fluid retention. The steroid hormone aldosterone also promotes sodium and fluid retention; however, the effect of pioglitazone on aldosterone production is controversial.

The effectiveness of a pre-procedural mouthrinse in reducing bacteria on radiographic phosphor plates.

Purpose: This study assessed the effectiveness of three antimicrobial mouthrinses in reducing microbial growth on photostimulable phosphor (PSP) plates.

Materials And Methods: Prior to performing a full-mouth radiographic survey (FMX), subjects were asked to rinse with one of the three test rinses (Listerine®, Decapinol®, or chlorhexidine oral rinse 0.12%) or to refrain from rinsing.

Pyogenic hepatic abscess presenting years after a choledochojejunostomy: a rare clinical occurrence.

A 69-year-old Caucasian man presented with fever, chills/rigors and night sweats since 6 days. Blood cultures (4/4) initially reported Gram negative lactose-fermenting rods. Physical examination was fairly benign which included a normal abdominal examination.

Student perspectives on sexual health: implications for interprofessional education.

Interprofessional collaboration requires that health professionals think holistically about presenting concerns, particularly for multimodal problems like sexual dysfunction. However, health professions students appear to receive relatively little sexual health education, and generally none is offered on an interprofessional basis. To assess current degree of interprofessional thinking in sexual health care, 472 health professions students in Georgia, United States, were presented with a sexual dysfunction vignette and asked to rate the relevance of, and their familiarity with, interventions offered by several professionals.

How sequestration cuts affect primary care physicians and graduate medical education.

On April 1, 2013, sequestration cuts went into effect impacting Medicare physician payments, graduate medical education, and many other healthcare agencies. The cuts range from 2% to 5%, affecting various departments and organizations. There is already a shortage of primary care physicians in general, not including rural or underserved areas, with limited grants for advanced training.