Sentiment analysis of letters of recommendation for a U.S. pain medicine fellowship from 2020 to 2023.

Objectives: Letters of recommendation (LORs) are an important part of pain medicine fellowship applications that may be subject to implicit bias by the letter's author. This study evaluated letters of recommendation for applications to pain medicine fellowships in the United States to characterize biases and differences among applicants over four application cycles.

Methods: This was a retrospective single-site cohort study.

Smart watch applications in atrial fibrillation detection: Current state and future directions.

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (Afib) is a prevalent chronic arrhythmia associated with severe complications, including stroke, heart failure, and increased mortality. This review explores the use of smartwatches for Afib detection, addressing the limitations of current monitoring methods and emphasizing the potential of wearable technology in revolutionizing healthcare.

Results/observation: Current Afib detection methods, such as electrocardiography, have limitations in sensitivity and specificity.

Barriers and facilitators to skin cancer prevention among Hispanics: a qualitative study.

Background: In the past two decades, melanoma incidence among Hispanic people has risen greatly. This qualitative study explored Hispanic people's perceived barriers and facilitators to skin cancer-related preventive behaviors.

Methods: Five focus groups among Hispanic people (2 in Spanish and 3 in English; n = 34; 11 Spanish-preferring and 23 English-preferring) were conducted, where participants discussed their perceptions and behaviors relating to skin cancer, sun protection, and skin self-examination.

Risk Factors for In-Stent Stenosis After Flow Diverter Treatment of Intracranial Aneurysms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 2350 Patients.

Background And Objectives: Recent advances in flow diverter (FD) therapy for intracranial aneurysms have highlighted the need to evaluate risk factors for in-stent stenosis (ISS), a potentially serious complication. This meta-analysis aims to identify risk factors associated with an increased risk of ISS after FD treatment.

Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and SCOPUS databases were systematically searched for studies reporting ISS rates and risk factors after FD therapy for intracranial aneurysms.

The Role of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure in Acute Bilateral Vocal Cord Paresis or Paralysis Post-Thyroidectomy.

Objectives: Acute post-thyroidectomy bilateral vocal cord paresis or paralysis (BVCP) is often managed with observation, botulinum toxin injection or tracheostomy. However, only a few cases discuss obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in the context of BVCP with limited exploration of home sleep test (HST) and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) as post-operative assessment and management tools. This study suggests CPAP as a less invasive approach while awaiting vocal cord recovery.

Implementation of a novel daily performance improvement checklist (PIC) improves alcohol screening and intervention compliance in trauma.

Introduction: Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) has demonstrated up to 50% reduction in alcohol-related traumatic injury and is mandated by the American College of Surgeons for trauma center accreditation. While SBIRT effectiveness has been previously investigated, optimal implementation in the trauma setting has not. We sought to improve SBIRT compliance through integration of screening into a performance improvement checklist (PIC) deployed during morning report.

Comparing emergency department versus high school-based recruitment for a hypertension research study with adult-youth dyads.

Dyads can be challenging to recruit for research studies, but detailed reporting on strategies employed to recruit adult-adolescent dyads is rare. We describe experiences recruiting adult-youth dyads for a hypertension education intervention comparing recruitment in an emergency department (ED) setting with a school-based community setting. We found more success in recruiting dyads through a school-based model that started with adolescent youth (19 dyads in 7 weeks with < 1 hour recruitment) compared to an ED-based model that started with adults (2 dyads in 17 weeks with 350 hours of recruitment).

The role of radical cystectomy and lymphadenectomy in the management of bladder cancer with clinically positive lymph node involvement.

Purpose Of Review: The role of radical cystectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) with clinically positive lymph nodes is debated. This review examines the role of surgery in treating patients with clinical N1 and more advanced nodal involvement (N2-N3) within a multimodal treatment approach.

Recent Findings: For clinical N1 disease, guidelines typically recommend neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery.

Effect of Four Hemoglobin Transfusion Threshold Strategies in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction and Anemia : A Target Trial Emulation Using MINT Trial Data.

Background: The optimal hemoglobin threshold to guide red blood cell (RBC) transfusion for patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) and anemia is uncertain.

Objective: To estimate the efficacy of 4 individual hemoglobin thresholds (<10 g/dL [<100 g/L], <9 g/dL [<90 g/L], <8 g/dL [<80 g/L], and <7 g/dL [<70 g/L]) to guide transfusion in patients with acute MI and anemia.

Design: Prespecified secondary analysis of the MINT (Myocardial Ischemia and Transfusion) trial using target trial emulation methods.

Predicting Parental Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms Following their Child's Stay in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Prior to Discharge.

Develop an inpatient predictive model of parental post-traumatic stress (PTS) following their child's care in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Prospective observational cohort. Two tertiary care children's hospitals with mixed medical/surgical/cardiac PICUs.

Dendritic Cells Pulsed with HAM/TSP Exosomes Sensitize CD4 T Cells to Enhance HTLV-1 Infection, Induce Helper T-Cell Polarization, and Decrease Cytotoxic T-Cell Response.

HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is a progressive demyelinating disease of the spinal cord due to chronic inflammation. Hallmarks of disease pathology include dysfunctional anti-viral responses and the infiltration of HTLV-1-infected CD4+ T cells and HTLV-1-specific CD8+ T cells in the central nervous system. HAM/TSP individuals exhibit CD4+ and CD8+ T cells with elevated co-expression of multiple inhibitory immune checkpoint proteins (ICPs), but ICP blockade strategies can only partially restore CD8+ T-cell effector function.

Age and Hair Cortisol Levels as Predictors of SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Chronic psychosocial stress is known to adversely impact immune function. During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, occupational stress among workers in healthcare was at an unprecedented level due to risks of infection and work demands. We performed a nested case-control study to investigate the associations between chronic stress and the risks of contracting SARS-CoV-2.

Physiological Effects of Psychological Interventions Among Persons with Financial Stress: A Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, and Introduction to Psychophysiological Economics.

It is known that economic problems can cause psychological stress, and that psychological stress causes physiological changes often linked to disease. Here we report a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on physiological effects of psychological treatment for individuals with economic problems. Of 5071 papers in our initial PsycInfo search, we identified 16 papers on physiological effects for psychological treatment of the economically stressed.

Comparison of Outcomes After Cochlear Implantation in a Veteran Versus Nonveteran Population.

Objective: To evaluate for equivalence in postoperative changes of speech recognition scores in a veteran patient population undergoing cochlear implantation (CI) compared to matched nonveteran patients.

Study Design: Retrospective chart review.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Treatment of restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movement disorder: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guideline.

Introduction: This guideline establishes clinical practice recommendations for treatment of restless legs syndrome (RLS) and periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) in adults and pediatric patients.

Methods: The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) commissioned a task force of experts in sleep medicine to develop recommendations and assign strengths based on a systematic review of the literature and an assessment of the evidence using the grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation methodology. The task force provided a summary of the relevant literature and the certainty of evidence, the balance of benefits and harms, patient values and preferences, and resource use considerations that support the recommendations.