Hartbjerrum9909
Written language is the primary means by which scientific research findings are disseminated. Yet in the era of information overload, dissemination of a field of research may require additional efforts given the sheer volume of material available on any specific topic. Topic models are unsupervised natural language processing methods that analyze nonnumeric data (i.e., text data) in abundance. These tools aggregate, and make sense of, those data making them interpretable to interested audiences. In this perspective piece, we briefly describe topic models, including their purpose, function, and applicability for health education researchers and practitioners. We note how topic models can be applied in several contexts, including social media-based analyses, and mapping trends in scientific literature over time. As a tool for studying words, and patterns of words, topic models stand to improve our understanding of events prior and those occurring in the moment and help us look ahead into the future.
Retrospective cohort study.
The aim of this study is to determine if there is a correlation between the amount of facet distraction and postoperative patient-reported outcomes after ACDF.
A retrospective cohort analysis of patients undergoing 1 to 3 level ACDF for degenerative pathologies at a single academic center was performed. Each patient received upright, lateral cervical spine x-rays at the immediate postoperative time point from which interfacet distance (facet distraction) was measured. Patient-reported outcome measures including NDI, PCS-12, MCS-12, VAS Neck, and VAS Arm pain scores were obtained preoperatively and at short-term (<3 months) and long-term (>1 year) follow-up. Receiver operating curves were generated to evaluate the possibility of a critical interfacet distraction distance. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to compare outcomes between groups based on the degree of facet distraction.
A total of 229 patients met the inclusion criteria. Receiver operating curves failed to yield a critical interfacet distraction distance associated with worse post-operative outcomes. Patients were instead grouped based on facet distraction distance below and above the third quartile (0.8mm-2.0mm, 2.0mm-3.7mm), with 173 and 56 patients in each respective group. Univariate analysis did not detect any statistically significant differences in outcome measures, recovery ratio, or % MCID achievement at short- and long-term follow-up between groups. Multivariate analysis also failed to demonstrate any significant differences between the facet distraction groups.
Increased interfacet distance did not correlate with increased neck pain or disability after an ACDF.
Increased interfacet distance did not correlate with increased neck pain or disability after an ACDF.A case of symptomatic unilateral vertebral artery compression by the greater cornu of the thyroid cartilage is described. Imaging shows ossification of the greater cornu of the thyroid cartilage with compression of an aberrant vertebral artery that enters the transverse foramen at the level of C4. Diagnostic workup and surgical treatment are described. Laryngoplasty with a transverse cervical approach and resection of the greater cornu of the thyroid cartilage resulted in resolution of symptoms.Family meals provide a unique opportunity for families to eat well and engage positively with each other. In response to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, a new initiative to support health care staff to share healthy meals with their families was developed. At a hospital in Queensland, Australia, dietetic staff collaborated with the on-site food service retailer to develop and offer a range of hot meals that staff could take home for their families at the end of their day. The meals were nutritious, reasonably priced, and designed to feed a family of four. The dietetic staff worked with the hospital marketing department and staff health and wellness program to promote the initiative. Over the 3 months that it has been running, nearly 300 meals have been purchased. Anecdotal comments from the food service retailer highlighted that the initiative was a good thing to do for staff to maintain a positive reputation of the business. The staff evening meal initiative is a healthy, affordable, educational, and socially engaging alternative to takeaway meals and food delivery by app, and it is mutually beneficial for health care staff and the on-site food retailer. The initiative also offers a unique opportunity for promoting nutrition and social engagement during stressful times.
Scholastic activity through research involvement is a fundamental aspect of a physician's training and may have a significant influence on future academic success. Here, we explore publication rates before, during, and after otolaryngology residency training and whether publication efforts correlate with future academic achievement.
This cross-sectional analysis included a random sample of 50 otolaryngology residency programs. From these programs, we assembled a list of residents graduating from the years in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Using SCOPUS, PubMed, and Google Scholar, we compiled the publications for each graduate, and data were extracted in an independent, double-blinded fashion.
We included 32 otolaryngology residency programs representing 249 residents in this analysis. Graduates published a mean of 1.3 (SD = 2.7) articles before residency, 3.5 (SD = 4.3) during residency, and 5.3 (SD = 9.3) after residency. Residents who pursued a fellowship had more total publications (
= -6.1,
< .001) and more first author publications (
= -5.4,
< .001) than residents without fellowship training. read more Graduates who chose a career in academic medicine had a higher number of mean total publications (
= -8.2,
< .001) and first author publications (
= -7.9,
< .001) than those who were not in academic medicine. There was a high positive correlation between residency program size and publications during residency (
= 0.76).
Research productivity correlated with a number of characteristics such as future fellowship training, the pursuit of an academic career, and overall h-index in this study.
Research productivity correlated with a number of characteristics such as future fellowship training, the pursuit of an academic career, and overall h-index in this study.
