Toward Correcting Anxious Movements Using Haptic Cues on the Da Vinci Surgical Robot.

Surgical movements have an important stylistic quality that individuals without formal surgical training can use to identify expertise. In our prior work, we sought to characterize quantitative metrics associated with surgical style and developed a near-real-time detection framework for stylistic deficiencies using a commercial haptic device. In this paper, we implement bimanual stylistic detection on the da Vinci Research Kit (dVRK) and focus on one stylistic deficiency, "Anxious", which may describe movements under stressful conditions.

C-Labeled Diethyl Ketoglutarate Derivatives as Hyperpolarized Probes of 2-Ketoglutarate Dehydrogenase Activity.

The TCA cycle is a central metabolic pathway for energy production and biosynthesis. A major control point of metabolic flux through the cycle is the decarboxylation of 2-ketoglutarate by the TCA cycle enzyme 2-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (2-KGDH). In this project, we developed C labeled 2-ketoglutarate derivatives to monitor 2-KGDH activity in vivo.

Robotic-guided placement of cervical pedicle screws: feasibility and accuracy.

Introduction: It has been shown that pedicle screw instrumentation in the cervical spine has superior biomechanical pullout strength and stability. However, due to the complex and variable anatomy of the cervical pedicles and the risk of catastrophic complications, cervical pedicle screw placement is not widely utilized.

Study Design: A retrospective, consecutive patient review.

CSF lipocalin-2 increases early in subarachnoid hemorrhage are associated with neuroinflammation and unfavorable outcome.

Lipocalin-2 mediates neuro-inflammation and iron homeostasis in vascular injuries of the central nervous system (CNS) and is upregulated in extra-CNS systemic inflammation. We postulate that cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood lipocalin-2 levels are associated with markers of inflammation and functional outcome in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). We prospectively enrolled 67 SAH subjects, serially measured CSF and plasma lipocalin-2, matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) on post-SAH days 1-5 and assessed outcome by modified Rankin Scale (mRS) every 3 months.

Glioblastoma and primary central nervous system lymphoma: differentiation using MRI derived first-order texture analysis - a machine learning study.

Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of multiple machine learning classifier models derived from first-order histogram texture parameters extracted from T1-weighted contrast-enhanced images in differentiating glioblastoma and primary central nervous system lymphoma.

Methods: Retrospective study with 97 glioblastoma and 46 primary central nervous system lymphoma patients. Thirty-six different combinations of classifier models and feature selection techniques were evaluated.

COVID-19 in HIV: a Review of Published Case Reports.

Patients with COVID-19 present with a myriad of comorbidities. An immunocompromised state like HIV in patients with COVID-19 can be life-threatening. We searched PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science for case reports and case series about COVID-19 in HIV patients.

Characterizing the Structural Integrity of Endotracheal Tube Taping Techniques: A Simulation Study.

Background: Endotracheal tubes (ETTs) are commonly secured with tape to prevent undesirable tube migration. Many methods of taping have been described, although little has been published comparing various methods of taping to one another. In this study, we evaluated several methods for securing ETTs with tape.

Racial Differences in Perioperative Opioid Utilization in Lumbar Decompression and Fusion Surgery for Symptomatic Lumbar Stenosis or Spondylolisthesis.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: To assess for racial differences in opioid utilization prior to and after lumbar fusion surgery for patients with lumbar stenosis or spondylolisthesis.

Methods: Clinical records from patients with lumbar stenosis or spondylolisthesis undergoing primary <3-level lumbar fusion from 2007 to 2016 were gathered from a comprehensive insurance database.

Regional Variation in Nonoperative Therapy Utilization for Symptomatic Lumbar Stenosis and Spondylolisthesis: A 2-Year Costs Analysis.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: To characterize regional variations in maximal nonoperative therapy (MNT) costs in patients suffering from lumbar stenosis or spondylolisthesis.

Methods: Medical records from patients with symptomatic lumbar stenosis or spondylolisthesis undergoing primary ≤3-level lumbar decompression and fusion procedures from 2007 to 2016 were gathered from a large insurance database.

Spectroscopic markers of neurodegeneration in the mesial prefrontal cortex predict survival in ALS.

: N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and myo-inositol (mIns) are spectroscopic markers of neuronal integrity and astrogliosis, respectively. We performed a survival analysis to determine the prognostic value of the NAA/mIns metabolite ratio in ALS after a period of two and five years. : Twenty-four patients with ALS (two with ALS-FTD) were recruited to participate in a high-field MR spectroscopy study of the mesial prefrontal cortex.

Meshy business: MRI and ultrasound evaluation of pelvic floor mesh and slings.

Pelvic floor disorders are a complex set of conditions including but not limited to stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse that generally affect older and multiparous women. Of the several surgical options available for treatment of these conditions, synthetic mid-urethral slings for stress urinary incontinence and vaginal mesh for pelvic organ prolapse are amenable to imaging evaluation by ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging techniques. Ultrasound can evaluate the sub- and immediate peri-urethral portions of sling due to its ability to differentiate synthetic material from native tissues with real-time imaging, while MRI is able to better depict the global pelvic floor anatomy and assess the more distant components of mesh and slings material.

Reduction in Narcotic Use After Lumbar Decompression and Fusion in Patients With Symptomatic Lumbar Stenosis or Spondylolisthesis.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to assess change in opioid use before and after lumbar decompression and fusion surgery for patients with symptomatic lumbar stenosis or spondylolisthesis.

Methods: A large insurance database was queried for patients with symptomatic lumbar stenosis or spondylolisthesis undergoing index lumbar decompression and fusion procedures between 2007 and 2016.

A 2-Year Cost Analysis of Maximum Nonoperative Treatments in Patients With Symptomatic Lumbar Stenosis or Spondylolisthesis That Ultimately Required Surgery.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to characterize the utilization and costs of maximal nonoperative therapies (MNTs) within 2 years prior to spinal fusion surgery in patients with symptomatic lumbar stenosis or spondylolisthesis.

Methods: A large insurance database was queried for patients with symptomatic lumbar stenosis or spondylolisthesis undergoing index 1-, 2-, or 3-level lumbar decompression and fusion procedures between 2007 and 2016.

Regional Differences in the Cost and Utilization of Nonoperative Management Within 3 Months Prior to Lumbar Microdiscectomy.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objective: The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the regional variations in the use of nonoperative therapies in patients diagnosed with a lumbar intervertebral disc herniation 3 months prior to undergoing microdiscectomy surgery.

Summary Of Background Data: Regional variations in the management of chronic pain conditions have been previously identified.

Total Health Care Expenditure in Patients With a Herniated Lumbar Disk That Ultimately Require Surgery: A 3- and 6-month Cost Comparison of Maximum Nonoperative Treatment.

Study Design: A retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To compare the cost of maximum nonoperative therapy (MNT) in patients diagnosed with a herniated lumbar disk undergoing primary (1-3 mo) versus prolonged (4-6 mo) conservative management before microdiscectomy.

Summary Of Background Data: Patients diagnosed with a herniated lumbar disk often attempt a 3-month trial of conservative management before microdiscectomy.

Regional Variation in Opioid Use After Lumbar Spine Surgery.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate regional variations in use of opioids after lumbar decompression and fusion surgery for patients with symptomatic lumbar stenosis or spondylolisthesis.

Methods: An insurance database, including private/commercially insured and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries, was queried for patients undergoing 1-level, 2-level, or 3-level index lumbar decompression and fusion procedures between 2007 and 2016. Research records were searchable by International Classification of Diseases diagnosis and procedure codes, and generic drug codes specific to Humana.

Long-Term Costs of Maximum Nonoperative Treatments in Patients With Symptomatic Lumbar Stenosis or Spondylolisthesis that Ultimately Required Surgery: A 5-Year Cost Analysis.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to characterize the utilization and costs of MNTs prior to spinal fusion surgery in patients with symptomatic lumbar stenosis or spondylolisthesis.

Summary Of Background Data: The costs and utilization of long-term maximal nonoperative therapy (MNT) can be substantial, and in the current era of bundled payments, the duration of conservative therapy trials should be reassessed.

Does 3DMR provide equivalent information as 3DCT for the pre-operative evaluation of adult Hip pain conditions of femoroacetabular impingement and Hip dysplasia?

Objective:: Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and hip dysplasia (HD) are frequently evaluated by isotropic CT (3DCT) for preoperative planning at the expense of radiation. The aim was to determine if isotropic MRI (3DMR) imaging can provide similar quantitative and qualitative morphological information as 3DCT.

Methods:: 25 consecutive patients with a final diagnosis of FAI or HD were retrospectively selected from December 2016-December 2017.

Animal models in neonatal resuscitation research: What can they teach us?

Animal models have made and continue to make important contributions to neonatal medicine. For example, studies in fetal sheep have taught us much about the physiology of the fetal-to-neonatal transition. However, whereas animal models allow multiple factors to be investigated in a logical and systematic manner, no animal model is perfect for humans and so we need to understand the fundamental differences in physiology between the species in question and humans.