Exposure to Light at Night and Risk of Cancer: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Data Synthesis.

Background: Emerging interest surrounds the role of environmental factors, notably exposure to light at night (LAN), as a potential cause of cancer. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and, if possible, meta-analysis of observational studies on LAN and cancer risk of multiple types.

Methods: A systematic literature search in PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase, spanning from inception to May 2023, was conducted.

Self-Correcting Method for Highly Effective Office-Based Helicobacter pylori Therapy Using Cumulative Test of Cure Data.

Background And Aim: Helicobacter pylori infections have become resistant to many previously highly effective antimicrobial regimens resulting in clarithromycin, metronidazole, or fluoroquinolone-containing therapies becoming unsuccessful. Pretreatment susceptibility testing is only widely available in the United States but is still rarely done. Here, we propose a framework to monitor H.

A survey of patient practices regarding leftover antibiotics reveals a potential source of antibiotic overuse.

Taking leftover prescribed antibiotics without consulting a healthcare professional is problematic for the efficacy, safety, and antibiotic stewardship. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of adult patients in English and Spanish between January 2020 and June 2021 in six safety-net primary care clinics and two private emergency departments. We assessed the reasons for stopping prescribed antibiotics early and what was done with the leftover antibiotics.

Characteristics of soy films as affected by transglutaminase cross-linking and inclusions of pectin and protein enhancers.

Previously, we showed that water extract (soymilk, except pH was increased to 8 from 6.5) of whole soybean could be used directly as a raw material for producing edible soy films by deposition of the film-forming solution (soy extract with enhancers). However, the strength of such soy films needed improvement because they were weak.

Diagnostic Excellence in the Context of Climate Change: A Review.

Climate change is leading to a rise in heat-related illnesses, vector-borne diseases, and numerous negative impacts on patients' physical and mental health outcomes. Concurrently, healthcare contributes about 4.6% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Acceptability of a Future HIV Vaccine: A Rapid Scoping Review.

Background: A HIV vaccine is not available yet, but perceptions of HIV vaccines will be important to explore before their roll-out for effective vaccine promotion. This article presents the findings of a rapid scoping review of the literature to identify individual, social, and vaccine-related factors associated with the acceptability of a future HIV vaccine.

Methods: We searched 5 databases (Medline OVID, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Cochrane) using relevant keywords and Medical Subject Headings.

Identifying Interventions to Improve Diagnostic Safety in Emergency Departments: Protocol for a Participatory Design Study.

Background: Emergency departments (EDs) are complex and fast-paced clinical settings where a diagnosis is made in a time-, information-, and resource-constrained context. Thus, it is predisposed to suboptimal diagnostic outcomes, leading to errors and subsequent patient harm. Arriving at a timely and accurate diagnosis is an activity that occurs after an effective collaboration between the patient or caregiver and the clinical team within the ED.

PNPLA3, Obesity, and Heavy Alcohol Use in Cirrhosis Patients May Exert a Synergistic Increase Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk.

Background & Aims: In patients with cirrhosis, continued heavy alcohol consumption and obesity may increase risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We examined whether germline susceptibility to hepatic steatosis not only independently predisposes to HCC but may also act synergistically with other risk factors.

Methods: We analyzed data from 1911 patients in 2 multicenter prospective cohort studies in the United States.

Barriers and Facilitators to Administering Burn Pit Registry Exams in VHA Facilities.

Introduction: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) established the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry (AHOBPR) in 2014 to address exposure concerns for veterans who have served in military operations in Southwest Asia and Afghanistan. By 2021, over 236,086 veterans completed the online questionnaire and 60% requested an AHOBPR examination. Of those requesting an exam, only 12% had an exam recorded in their medical record.

Natural History of Indeterminate Liver Nodules in Patients With Advanced Liver Disease: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study.

Introduction: Indeterminate liver nodules (ILNs) are frequently encountered on diagnostic imaging after positive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance results, but their natural history remains unclear.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study among patients with ≥1 newly detected LI-RADS 3 (LR-3) lesion ≥1 cm or LI-RADS 4 (LR-4) lesion of any size (per LI-RADS v2018) between January 2018 and December 2019. Patients were followed with repeat imaging at each site per institutional standard of care.

Risk and predictors of penile cancer in US Veterans with HIV.

Objectives: People with HIV (PWH) may have an increased burden of penile cancer. We aimed to evaluate the risk of penile cancer in PWH compared with that of the general population.

Design: We conducted a nationwide retrospective matched cohort study of penile cancer incidence among veterans with HIV (VWH) compared with veterans without HIV.

Postoperative outcomes of acute-on-chronic liver failure in infants and children with biliary atresia.

Introduction: Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is associated with increased mortality and morbidity in patients with biliary atresia (BA). Data on impact of ACLF on postoperative outcomes, however, are sparse.

Method: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with BA aged <18 years who underwent LT between 2011 and 2021 at our institution.

Managing External Urinary Catheters.

This narrative review explores the use of external urinary catheters. These devices are available in various types and materials for male and female patients. The indications for the use of external urinary catheters include managing incontinence linked to overactive bladder and neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction.

Antibiotic Stewardship Interventions for Urinary Tract Infections in Outpatient Settings: A Narrative Review.

Inappropriate antibiotic choice or duration of therapy for urinary tract infections (UTIs) in outpatients is common and is a major contributor to antibiotic overuse. Most studies on outpatient antibiotic stewardship for UTIs follow a pre-design or post-design with a multifaceted intervention; these trials generally have found improvement in appropriateness of antibiotic use for UTI. Audit and feedback was one of the most commonly employed strategies across these trials but may not be sustainable.

Interfacility Referral Communication for PICU Transfer.

Objectives: For patients requiring transfer to a higher level of care, excellent interfacility communication is essential. Our objective was to characterize verbal handoffs for urgent interfacility transfers of children to the PICU and compare these characteristics with known elements of high-quality intrahospital shift-to-shift handoffs.

Design: Mixed methods retrospective study of audio-recorded referral calls between referring clinicians and receiving PICU physicians for urgent interfacility PICU transfers.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: Update and impact of new nomenclature on the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases practice guidance on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

This commentary discusses how clinicians and various stakeholders can utilize the recently published American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (AASLD NAFLD) Practice Guidance in light of the change in the nomenclature to steatotic liver disease and its subcategories. The new terminologies explained in this commentary make it easier for the readers to interchangeably use metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in place of NAFLD and metabolic-dysfunction associated steatohepatitis (MASH) instead of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), respectively, as they read the NAFLD Practice Guidance. The guidance document is relevant and can be utilized for the diagnosis, risk stratification, and management of patients with MASLD.

Vision Impairment and Frailty Among Mexican American Older Adults: A Longitudinal Study.

We examined the relationship between vision impairment (VI) and new-onset frailty among non-frail Mexican American older adults (≥70 years) at baseline and determined the differential impact of VI on each frailty criteria. Data were from an 18-year prospective cohort from the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (1998/1999, = 1072 to 2016, = 175). Frailty was defined as ≥3 criteria: unintentional weight loss of >10 pounds, weakness, exhaustion, low physical activity, and slowness.