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Month: February 2023

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Five people seated at a conference table.

Since 2020, many people have actively sought out books, podcasts, webinars and other media to help them understand the origins of and ways to dismantle systemic injustices. People interested in incorporating anti-discriminatory techniques and practices into their daily lives may find it difficult knowing where to start. Taking large steps such as attending a rally or contacting your elected official may appear to be the only way to move towards change. But smaller actions are equally important and necessary. 

According to scholars, without education and a deeper understanding of systemic harms, it is difficult to address these harms or work towards solutions. Education is the first and crucial step in uncovering implicit and explicit biases. If you are interested in learning more about the history of racism, sexism, homophobia or any other form of discrimination, please visit GW SMHS Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s Anti-Racism Resources for Physicians or explore any of the resources listed in the references section. Journalist Anna North quotes educator and author Cornelius Minor in a Vox article, stating “Once you’ve educated yourself, the next step is “to actually take action that benefits the members of your community…”” (North, 2020, para. 22)

Scholars, activists and others have suggestions for allies who wish to address long-standing systemic issues:

  1. Be mindful of how you use social media: Social media is a useful tool for spreading awareness, sharing resource lists, connecting with like-minded individuals/organizations or listening to marginalized voices. Yet the ease in which people can ‘like’, comment or reshare posts means people may engage with content on a superficial level or mimic their peers without a deeper awareness of why an issue is important. This may be seen as ‘virtue signaling’ or ‘performative allyship.’ Virtue signaling is defined as “an attempt to show other people that you are a good person, for example by expressing opinions that will be acceptable to them, especially on social media.” (Cambridge Dictionary, n.d.) While performative allyship is “the practice of words, posts and gestures that do more to promote an individual’s own virtuous moral compass than actually helping the causes that they’re intending to showcase.” (Kersten, 2020, para. 6) Information moves rapidly on social media platforms and you may feel as if you need to share your opinion online. Before rushing to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, ask yourself if you’re posting to alleviate your own anxiety or because you genuinely wish to show support and think about if there are alternative actions you can take instead of relying on social media. “With any kind of supposed social media activism, we need to be critical and examine who it’s actually helping and if there is a way it could be more effective.” (Rudhran, 2020, para. 11) There is no harm in expressing your support of marginalized communities online, but make sure your support is also visible and tangible offline. 
  2. Have difficult conversations: Challenging the opinions of your social circle can be hard and may activate complex emotions or responses. You may hear a harmful remark from a close friend or family member, but feel anxious about addressing the remark. “This physiological impact of conflict and stress prompts the brain to release cortisol and adrenaline into the bloodstream, putting the body into a fight, flight, or freeze response. In this state, we are biologically primed to respond to imminent danger–not to do complex thinking or bring our social graces to bear.” (Jackson, 2019, para. 23) Despite this, having difficult conversations not only provides space to educate and learn from others, but it also takes stress away from marginalized people who are already handling the stress of frequent systemic harm. If you’d like to engage in more in-depth conversations, there are resources that can assist you such as this guide from Teaching Tolerance or this article from Jamilah King. (North, 2020)
  3. Donate time or resources: Volunteering is a great way to connect with your local community. Nonprofit organizations often rely on volunteers to operate and deliver relief to the neighborhood. If there is an organization you’re interested in helping, research to see if they have volunteer opportunities. You can commit to becoming a regular volunteer or you can volunteer as your schedule permits. Consider bringing friends or family members with you as well. If you’re unable to volunteer your time, then think about making a financial donation to an organization if it is feasible. No matter how you decide to donate time or resources, supporting and uplifting organizations is a way to reaffirm your commitment to anti-discrimination ideals. 
  4. Speak out against discriminatory practices: Being aware of and understanding socioeconomic disparities enables you to speak out against discriminatory policies and practices that discriminate. In the workplace, long-standing hiring practices may unintentionally keep the selection pool small and homogeneous. If you’re in a position to evaluate hiring practices, speak up. “If you’re hiring, strengthen your own processes. Insist on open job listing and targeted recruiting to avoid an overreliance on referrals…Make sure candidate pools are diverse–with at least one person and ideally many people from marginalized groups. Finally, enforce fair application reviews and committee deliberations, watching for and calling out red-flag comments.” (Melaku et al., 2020, para. 32) You can also push back against harmful laws and regulations by contacting your elected representatives, attending community forums, signing petitions or by participating in other civic duties. 
  5. Admit mistakes: Being an ally means being visibly and vocally supportive of marginalized communities. But sometimes people make mistakes. If this occurs, it is best to admit to the mistake, pause for reflection and continue to show support where you can. “Being an ally is an ongoing process, and you are bound to say or do the wrong thing at certain points. Sometimes, the best way to learn is through trial and error. The important thing is to acknowledge when you’re wrong, and to not make those same mistakes again.” (Kersten, 2020, para. 10) View mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow. If someone corrects you, remain open and thank them for being willing to educate you. Being an ally does not mean you must aim for constant perfection. Instead it means offering support when you can and learning from any missteps you encounter. 

Education provides us with tools to grow and act as better allies. Action presents us with opportunities to show our commitment in tangible ways. Education and action create a steady cycle of allyship and advocacy that moves us closer towards an equitable and inclusive world. As this year’s Black History Month comes to an end and Women’s History Month approaches, spend time reflecting on how you wish to ally yourself with marginalized communities and search for opportunities to share your time or other resources with organizations in need of support. 

References:

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Robotic hand reaches for a mural of white dots and connecting lines displayed on a blue backdrop
Photo credit: Photo by Tara Winstead

OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research and development company, released the latest version of their generative text chatbot program, ChatGPT, near the end of 2022. The program provides responses based on prompts from users. Since its release universities, research institutions, publishers and other educators worry that ChatGPT and similar products will radically change the current education system. Some institutions have taken action to limit or ban the use of AI generated text. Others argue that ChatGPT and similar products may be the perfect opportunity to reimagine education and scholarly publishing. There is a lot to learn about AI and its impact on research and publishing. This article aims to serve as an introduction to this rapidly evolving technology.

In a Nature article, Chris Stokel-Walker described ChatGPT as “a large language model (LLM), which generates convincing sentences by mimicking the statistical patterns of language in a huge database of text collated from the Internet.” (Stokel-Walker, 2023, para. 3) OpenAI’s website says “The dialogue format makes it possible for ChatGPT to answer followup questions, admit its mistakes, challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests.” (OpenAI, n.d., para. 1) ChatGPT may be used to answer simple and complex questions and may provide long-form responses based on the prompt. In recent months, students and researchers have used the chatbot to perform simple research tasks or develop and draft manuscripts. By automating certain tasks, ChatGPT and other AI technologies may provide people with the opportunity to focus on other aspects of the research or learning process.

There are benefits and limitations to AI technology and many people agree that guidelines must be in place before ChatGPT and similar models are fully integrated into the classroom or laboratory.

Van Dis et al. notes that “Conversational AI is likely to revolutionize research practices and publishing, creating both opportunities and concerns. It might accelerate the innovation process, shorten time-to-publication, and by helping people to write fluently, make science more equitable and increase the diversity of scientific perspectives.” (van Dis et. al., 2023, para. 4) Researchers who have limited or no English language proficiency would benefit from using ChatGPT to develop their manuscript for publication. The current version of ChatGPT is  free to use making it accessible to anyone with internet access and a computer. This may make scholarly publishing more equitable, though there is a version of the program that is only available with a monthly subscription fee. If future AI technologies require fees, this will create additional access and equity issues. 

 While ChatGPT can produce long-form, seemingly thoughtful responses there are concerns about its ability to accurately cite information. OpenAI states that “ChatGPT sometimes writes plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers.” (OpenAI, n.d., para. 7) There is a potential for AI generated text to spread misleading information. Scholars who have tested ChatGPT also note that the AI will create references that do not exist. Researchers must fact-check the sources pulled by the AI to ensure that their work adheres to current integrity standards. There are also concerns about ChatGPT’s relationship to properly citing original sources. “And because this technology typically reproduces text without reliably citing the original sources or authors, researchers using it are at risk of not giving credit to earlier work, unwittingly plagiarizing a multitude of unknown texts and perhaps even giving away their own ideas.” (van Dis et al, 2023, para. 10)

Students and researchers interested in using AI generated text should be aware of current policies and restrictions. Many academic journals, universities and colleges have updated their policies to either limit the use or institute a complete ban of AI in research. Other institutions are actively discussing their plans for this new technology and may implement new policies in the future. At the time of writing, GWU has not shared policies to address AI usage in the classroom. If you’re interested in using AI generated text in your research papers or projects, be sure to closely read submission guidelines or university policies. 

ChatGPT and other AI text generators are having profound impacts and as the technology continues to improve, it will become increasingly difficult distinguishing work written without the aid of an AI and work co-authored with an AI. The long term impacts of AI in the classroom have yet to be fully understood. Many institutions are moving to address this new technology. As we continue to learn about ChatGPT’s benefits and limitations, it is important to remain aware of your institution’s policies on using AI in research. To learn more about ChatGPT, please read any of the sources listed below! Himmelfarb Library will continue to discuss AI technology and its impact on research as more information is made available.

Additional Reading:

Work Cited:

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GW Medical Student Research Day is scheduled for Wednesday, April 26, 2023 as a live in-person event at the University Student Center. There will be a plenary speaker and students will have an opportunity to share their research projects with a poster and oral presentation. Videos of past poster presentations are available on our Research Guide and YouTube channel.

Research poster abstract checklist image and March 1st submission due date

Poster abstracts for Medical Student Research Day 2023 will be due on March 1st, a week from today! If you’re just starting to put an abstract together, or putting on the finishing touches, Himmelfarb Library has resources to help. 

You can find much of what you need on our Research Day Resources: Writing Abstracts page. The guide outlines the basic components of a scientific abstract and provides both recommendations and examples for producing a quality abstract. 

If you need more help you can chat our reference librarians or make an appointment with the GW Writing Center. The Writing Center now has Thursday hours from 6-8pm at Himmelfarb Library. We recommend scheduling an appointment in advance by calling 202-994-3765. 

If your poster abstract is accepted, congratulations! Come back to our GW Research Day Resources Research Guide for valuable information and tips for designing a winning poster and presenting it effectively.

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Are you interested in examining how health and other news is being reported to television audiences? Are you interested in gaining a historical perspective on health topics through broadcast news? The Vanderbilt Television News Archive is a unique resource to help you do this. 

Screenshot of NBC news report from 1997, Tom Brokaw on warning about diet drug fen-phen.
Streaming content is available from CNN and NBC.

The archive, housed at Vanderbilt University, has been recording and indexing national nightly news broadcasts from the United States since August 5, 1968. Initially the news broadcasts recorded included only the “big three” networks, ABC, CBS, and NBC. With the creation of CNN and Fox News, additional news content was added to the archive. Broadcasts are indexed and made keyword searchable.

While not all news networks provide their streaming content to the archive, Vanderbilt has been able to reach agreements with two networks, CNN and NBC, to provide streaming content within the archive’s web interface. Where streaming video is available, there will be a link to play the content. 

You can search the archive by browsing for news from a particular date, going as far back as August 1968. Browsing by date reveals summaries of all the segments within that day’s broadcasts from all available networks. The summary shows the topic of the segment, its length, and lists the reporters for that segment.

Screenshot of news broadcast segments from June 3, 2020.
Browsing the archive by a specific date is one option.

Another interesting feature of the broadcast summary is that it details which products (including medications) were advertised during commercial breaks. Where streaming content is available, you can view those advertisements.

You can also search by keyword to produce a list of broadcast segments with relevant content, limiting by date range if desired:

Screenshot of a keyword search of the news archive for HIV, limiting to dates between 1979 and 1990.
Keyword searching the archive is another option.

For networks from which only an abstract of a broadcast is available, the information provided is robust enough to establish the content of the report, its length, and the interviews included:

Screenshot of summary of June 12, 1988 ABC Evening News report on AIDS conference. Anthony Fauci is interviewed.
Even when streaming content is unavailable, each segment is described in detail.

The Vanderbilt Television News Archive is a fascinating way to watch the evolution of health topics and other issues and events over time. This unique resource lets you explore, for example, the way in which HIV/AIDS was discussed in the earliest newscasts on the subject; trace media coverage of the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, either via keyword search or browsing broadcasts by date; examine changes in the way medications were advertised on national television; and so much more.

Access to clips from the archive which are not available for streaming are generally assessed a loan fee, with full details available on the Request page. However, researchers located in the Washington, DC area can access full streaming content from the archive at the Library of Congress Moving Image Research Center. Appointments to use the facility are required, and can be made here.

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Image of Estelle Osborne. Estelle Massey Osborne (1901-1981) Paving the way for Black Nurses
Image from https://nursing.nyu.edu/news/events/30th-annual-estelle-osborne-legacy-celebration

In an effort to remain accountable to communities who have been negatively impacted by past and present medical injustices, the staff at Himmelfarb Library is committed to the work of maintaining an anti-discriminatory practice. We will uplift and highlight diverse stories throughout the year, and not shy away from difficult conversations necessary for health sciences education. To help fulfill this mission, today's blog post celebrates Black History Month by honoring Estelle Massey Osborne, a Black nurse who helped pave the way for Black nurses who followed.

Estelle Massey Osborne, known as “Stelle” to her family, was a hugely influential figure in American Nursing. Osborne was born in 1901 in Palestine, Texas, and was the eighth of William and Betty Massey’s eleven children. After completing two years of teacher training at Prairie View State Normal and Industrial College, Osborne worked as a public school teacher for two years (Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture [SCRBC], n.d.). Following an act of violence committed at the school that almost resulted in her death, Osborne moved to St. Louis, where her brother Edward was a dentist, to pursue a career in nursing (SCRBC, n.d.). 

When Osborne began her nursing studies, only 14 of the 1,300 nursing schools in the country admitted Black students (New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing [NYU], 2020). During this time, the American Nursing Association (ANA) refused membership to Black nurses and the Navy would not enlist Black nurses (NYU, 2020). By the end of Osborne’s career, thanks to her hard work and dedication to advocacy in the field of nursing, she saw the fruit of her work through the positive changes in all of these organizations. 

In 1923, Osborne completed her nursing degree at the Graduate School of Nursing at St. Louis City Hospital, later the Homer G. Phillips Hospital (Encyclopedia.com, n.d.). In 1928, Osborne was the first Black nurse to receive the  Julius Rosenwald Fund scholarship (NYU, 2020). She then continued her education and received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1930 and a Master of Arts degree in 1931 from Columbia University Teachers College (SCRBC, n.d.). She was the first Black nurse to earn a Master’s degree (NYU, 2020). Meanwhile, she also spent time teaching at two local nursing schools and was the first African-American instructor at the Harlem Hospital School of Nursing (NYU, 2020). 

After completing her Master’s degree, she worked as a researcher for the Rosenwald Fund where she studied rural life in the deep South. Her work focused on investigating ways to improve health education and service to rural Black communities (NYU, 2020). Along with a team of scholars, she helped perform a behavioristic study on the health and welfare of Blacks in the South (Pitts Mosley, 2002). This research experience proved invaluable to Osborne’s later work and provided the exposure she needed to make an impact on professional nursing on a large scale (Pitts Mosley, 2002). 

Osborne served as the president of the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN) for five years from 1934 to 1939 (SCRBC, n.d.). The NACGN was “established to promote professionalization, education, and practice opportunities for Black nurses throughout the country” (Pitts Mosley, 2002). In 1940, Osborne became the first Black Superintendent of Nurses at the Homer G. Phillips Hospital in St. Louis (NYU, 2020). The Homer G. Phillips Hospital was the largest exclusively Black, city-operated general hospital in the world and at the time served over 70,000 people (NYU, 2020). Osborne also became the first Black female director of the hospital’s nursing school. 

During World War II, Osborne worked as a consultant to the Coordinating Committee of Negro Nursing for the National Council for War Service (NYU, 2020). In 1943, in response to a severe shortage of nurses both at home in the United States and overseas within the military, Congress passed the Bolton Act. The Bolton Act was considered the largest experiment in federally subsidized education in U.S. history and appropriated $160 million dollars of federal funding to 1,125 nursing schools across the country (Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing [FPBSON], 2023). The Bolton Act also created the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps which produced more than 124,000 nurse graduates over a five-year period (FPBSON, 2023). Osborne was instrumental in ensuring that Black nurses benefited from the Bolton Act funding in nursing education and financial aid (NYU, 2020). 

She was also influential in expanding the number of nursing schools accepting Black students and, with the help of strategic ally Eleanor Roosevelt, in convincing the U.S. Navy to lift its color ban and accept Black nurses in 1945 (NYU, 2020). As a result of Osborne’s influence, the number of schools accepting both Black and White students grew from fourteen to thirty-eight(Pitts Mosley, 2002). The Cadet Nurse Corps had also enlisted 2,000 Black students and was providing financial assistance towards their education (Pitts Mosley, 2002).

In 1946, Osborne became the first Black faculty member at what is now the NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing (NYU, 2020). During her eight years at NYU, Osborne had the opportunity to mentor numerous Black students and nurses. “Her NYU affiliation also helped to disprove the belief that only White nurses were capable of obtaining and managing leadership positions in nursing” (Pitts Mosley, 2002). Over the next 20 years, Osborne would serve in numerous national leadership positions including as the first African American member of the American Nursing Association Board of Directors (1948-2952), Assistant Director of the National League for Nursing, the first Vice President of the National Council of Negro Women, a member of the National Urban League, and as an honorary member of Chi Eta Phi Sorority and the American Academy of Nursing (NYU, 2020). Osborne was named the NYU Department of Nursing “Nurse of the Year” in 1959 and was inducted into the ANA Hall of Fame in 1984, three years after her death (NYU, 2020). 

Estelle Massey Osborne’s impact on the field of nursing and on racial equity within the field is undeniable. Her influence and legacy live on through the long-lasting impact of her work. She did not back down from racial prejudices and worked to dismantle systemic racism within professional nursing. Her work has opened doors for Black nurses for generations to come.

References:

Encyclopedia.com. (n.d.). Osborne, Estelle Massey (1901-1981). Dictionary of women worldwide: 25,000 women through the ages. https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/osborne-estelle-massey-1901-1981

Estelle Massey Osborne [photograph]. (n.d.). 30th Annual Estelle Osborne Legacy Celebration. https://nursing.nyu.edu/news/events/30th-annual-estelle-osborne-legacy-celebration

Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. (2023). The Bolton Act: Making the nursing profession more accessible to everyone. Case Western Reserve University. https://case.edu/nursing/about/history/bolton-act#:~:text=The%20Bolton%20Act%20of%201943,history%20of%20the%20United%20States

New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing. (February 18, 2020) Celebrating Estelle Osborne, nurse trailblazer. NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. https://nursing.nyu.edu/news/celebrating-estelle-massey-osborne-nurse-trailblazer

Pitts Mosley, M.,O. (2002). Great Black nurses series: Estelle Massey Riddle Osborne. ABNF Journal, 13(5), 114-7. http://proxygw.wrlc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/great-black-nurses-series-estelle-massey-riddle/docview/218904485/se-2

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The New York Public Library. (n.d.). Estelle Massey Osborne papers, 1943-1967. New York Public Library Archives & Manuscripts. https://archives.nypl.org/scm/20749

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This semester Himmelfarb Library welcomes back the GW Writing Center! We are gratified to be able to host this valuable service and make it more convenient for the health sciences community to get feedback and support to improve their writing.

Image of GW Writing Center banner and consulting space in Himmelfarb Library
GW Writing Center consulting space on Himmelfarb Library's first floor.

Starting February 16th, the Writing Center will have a consultant available Thursdays from 6-8pm on Himmelfarb Library’s first floor. To book an appointment, call 202-994-3765 during Writing Center operating hours.  They also welcome drop ins!

The Writing Center provides assistance with a variety of writing needs including research reports, speeches, group project reports, cover letters and CVs, and even written take-home exams if the professor permits. Services are provided by student consultants. Consultants who specialize in public health and STEM writing, or have expertise in APA citation style, can be found here. Some appointment preparation is encouraged prior to consulting sessions.

Himmelfarb Library can help you with bibliography formatting and citation style. We have Research Guides on APA and AMA citation style format with all the information you need in one place, including example citations for all material formats. We can also assist you with the use of citation managers like RefWorks. You can reach out to our reference librarians via Chat or by emailing himmelfarb@gwu.edu for direct assistance if required.

Find other resources on scientific writing in our collection.

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Infographic summarizing American Heart Association Article (linked in caption).
The above information is from the American Heart Association: https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/how-to-help-prevent-heart-disease-at-any-age

February is American Heart Month, making it a great time to take care of your heart at any age! It’s also a great time to encourage your patients to do the same. So this year for Valentine’s Day, don’t forget to show your heart some love! Regardless of your age, making smart choices now can have a large impact on heart health for the rest of your life. This post will focus on tips from the American Heart Association that can help adults of all ages keep their hearts healthy. 

All Age Groups:

It’s never too early, or too late, to start making heart-healthy choices! The following are some things you can do to help keep your heart healthy at any stage of life. 

  • Choose a Healthy Eating Plan: The foods you eat can have a sizable impact on your risk for heart disease and stroke. Make heart-healthy foods a regular part of your daily eating habits. A good general rule of thumb is to choose foods that are low in saturated and trans fats, and are low in sodium. Heart-healthy foods include:
    • Fruits
    • Vegetables
    • Whole grains (high-fiber)
    • Fish (oily fish, at least twice a week)
    • Nuts
    • Legumes
    • Seeds
    • Meatless meals
  • Be Physically Active: If you already live an active lifestyle, keep up the great work! If this is an area in which you could use some improvement, start small and work up to 2 ½ hours of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, or 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity a week. Only 150 minutes a week of brisk walking, or 75 minutes of jogging or running is a great way to keep your heart in shape. Adding muscle-strengthening exercises a couple of days a week like weight training or resistance training can have added benefits such as strengthening bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments, which can lead to a better quality of life.
  • Learn Stroke & Heart Attack Warning Signs: Not everyone has the same symptoms when they experience a stroke or a heart attack. Knowing the warning signs can help you take symptoms more seriously and seek medical attention early if you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms.

20s:

Taking care of your heart in your 20s can be as simple as having regular wellness exams with your doctor, being physically active, not smoking, and avoiding secondhand smoke. 

30s:

Balancing family, career, and heart health can be tricky, but it can be done! Getting the whole family involved in creating heart-healthy habits is a great way to start! Go for family bike rides, take the dog for a walk, and get everyone involved in preparing healthy meals. 

Knowing your family’s medical history can help identify risk factors that can put you at a higher risk of heart disease. This can help you focus on the risk factors that you can control, such as diet, exercise, and not smoking. Monitoring stress levels is also important in preventing an increased heart rate, high blood pressure, and damage to artery walls.

40s:

In your 40s, watching your weight becomes more important, so sticking to that healthy diet and living an active lifestyle will become even more meaningful. Checking your blood sugar and having regular heart-health screenings will provide good baseline results for future checks. And if you're a snorer, don’t ignore it. Sleep apnea can contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke, so address snoring issues early.

50s:

In your 50s, eating a healthy diet is important, so be sure you’re getting enough fruits, vegetables, high-fiber whole grains, fish, nuts, legumes, and seeds. Remind yourself of the warning signs of heart attack and stroke! And be sure to stick to your treatment plan if you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes. Following a treatment plan to manage these conditions can lower your risk for heart attack or stroke.

60s and Older:

As we age, the risk of heart disease increases. Watching your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers become increasingly important. The 60s are also a great time to have an ankle-brachial index test to assess the pulses in your feet, which can help diagnose peripheral artery disease (PAD). As you age, it also becomes increasingly important to exercise regularly, and eat smaller portions of nutrient-rich foods to help you maintain a healthy weight. 

References:

American Heart Association. (April 1, 2015). How to help prevent heart disease at any age. American Heart Association. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/how-to-help-prevent-heart-disease-at-any-age

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Whether you are a football fan or not, why not take some time this weekend to shake up your regular cuisine routine? 

For appetizers, these Fried Buffalo Artichoke hearts are a healthier alternative if you’re a chicken wing fan. Not only are they vegetarian-friendly, but artichokes also help to lower bad cholesterol! Not into artichokes? No problem. Air fryer lovers or oven users can create these alluring cheesy cauliflower tots! Cauliflower is a fantastic option if you are watching carbohydrates, and it is high in fiber and B vitamins! 

In addition to being low on carbs, these keto taco cups are an eye-catching delight, and offer a flavor fusion of onions, cilantro, and avocado! Lastly for appetizers and a personal favorite of mine, oven-fried pickles. Packed with flavonoids, dill helps to reduce the risk of heart disease. 

For an entree, these spicy shrimp lettuce wraps give every reason to try something new! Who said Superbowl Sunday needs to be only burgers and hot dogs? If you are craving chicken, these barbecue herbed drumsticks offer a unique mix of sweet and savory flavors that will make it difficult to resist going back for seconds. For our grillmasters, add these skewered chili-honey-garlic shrimp kebabs to your menu!

If you are entertaining young ones or are looking for something colorful and different, these sour patch grapes just might hit the spot after salty and savory dishes! Who would have thought that green grapes could be transformed into sour patch treats? Following the trend of fruit, these chocolate-dipped apricots will offer a new and different flavor with a pistachio crunch! For a dessert that will be a bit more filling, these cinnamon vanilla donuts are both whole grain and sugar-free while still deliciously sweet! 

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Using 3D printed models is becoming increasingly common for both surgical procedures planning and surgical training. Three dimensional models can help surgeons develop surgical plans by providing better visualization and understanding of the anatomical structures than CT or other imaging alone. In training, 3D printed surgical simulators can have advantages over other methods, such as cadavers, animal models, or virtual reality training.

Image of surgical team with 3D printed skull
Image by Formlabs, Inc on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/161389331@N04/46066892645

To create a 3D model for surgical planning, imaging studies are converted to a file type that can be rendered as a 3D object. The file is edited to exclude unwanted structures and printed. A recent meta-analysis (Yammine, 2022) of 13 randomized controlled trials found that operative duration, intraoperative blood loss and fluoroscopy use were improved for those that used 3D models for surgical planning of fracture management and the rates of excellent/good overall results and anatomic fracture reduction were significantly higher.  

A randomized controlled trial published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders (Zhang, 2022)  compared the outcomes of clavicular fracture repair by experienced and inexperienced surgeons using 3D printing or just CT scans. The authors were particularly interested in how the findings could be applied in low and middle income country settings where surgeons may have limited skills and experience. 3D printing has become more accessible due to lower costs of printers and media. In this study, the average cost of the clavicle model was just $.84. The research team considered operation time, blood loss, length of incision, and intraoperative fluoroscopy use to measure success.  Findings showed little difference in the performance of experienced surgeons, but inexperienced surgeons performed better with 3D models with reduced incision length and intraoperative exposure.

“Since 3D printing models could provide a visual, comprehensive vision of fracture, the position of plate implantation, screw direction, and screw length can be determined in the simulation operation before operation…3D printing could supplement routine CT scans, allowing surgeons to understand patients' fractures more intuitively and achieve better surgical results.” 

(Zhang, 2022)

Though availability and cost of 3D printing technologies and the software that enables it are improving they can still present a barrier. Issues with the quality of the 3D objects produced can occur due to image resolution. Waiting for the 3D model to be rendered and printed can also cause delays in a procedure. A meta-analysis (Wang, 2021) that assessed 3D printing applications in open reduction and internal fixation of pelvic fractures found a delay of between 3 to 7 hours to print the object. The computer-aided design phase also required significant time and involvement from the surgeons.

Application of 3D printing in surgical instructional settings offers advantages over other models as they can be customized to simulate the exact procedure or anatomy required, and they provide the haptic experience so far lacking in VR simulation. VR simulation does include the challenge of learning how to use the equipment and navigate the interface. The University of Michigan has produced high fidelity 3D printed simulators for surgical instruction of airway reconstruction, cleft palates, cleft lips, ear reconstruction and facial flaps. Tissue components can have varying ranges of stiffness by combining types of silicones and additives. 

These training applications could be a solution should there be another round of restrictions on nonessential surgery procedures such as were seen during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. At that time, the number of cases available for the education of surgery residents decreased dramatically. High fidelity 3D simulation could help.

“With high fidelity surgical simulators that can be rapidly 3D printed and a virtual curriculum, these residents could learn valuable surgical skills in remote settings.”

(Michaels, 2021)

For an overview of 3D printing in surgery, see:

Meyer-Szary J, Luis MS, Mikulski S, Patel A, Schulz F, Tretiakow D, Fercho J, Jaguszewska K, Frankiewicz M, Pawłowska E, Targoński R, Szarpak Ł, Dądela K, Sabiniewicz R, Kwiatkowska J. The Role of 3D Printing in Planning Complex Medical Procedures and Training of Medical Professionals—Cross-Sectional Multispecialty Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022; 19(6):3331. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063331

Tsoulfas G, Bangeas PI, Suri JS. 3D Printing : Application in Medical Surgery. (Tsoulfas G, Bangeas PI, Suri JS, eds.). Elsevier; 2020.

References

Yammine K, Karbala J, Maalouf A, Daher J, Assi C. Clinical outcomes of the use of 3D printing models in fracture management: a meta-analysis of randomized studies. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg. 2022 Oct;48(5):3479-3491. doi: 10.1007/s00068-021-01758-1. Epub 2021 Aug 12. PMID: 34383092.

Zhang M, Guo J, Li H, Ye J, Chen J, Liu J, Xiao M. Comparing the effectiveness of 3D printing technology in the treatment of clavicular fracture between surgeons with different experiences. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2022 Nov 22;23(1):1003. doi: 10.1186/s12891-022-05972-9. PMID: 36419043; PMCID: PMC9682691.

Wang J, Wang X, Wang B, Xie L, Zheng W, Chen H, Cai L. Comparison of the feasibility of 3D printing technology in the treatment of pelvic fractures: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and prospective comparative studies. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg. 2021 Dec;47(6):1699-1712. doi: 10.1007/s00068-020-01532-9. Epub 2020 Nov 1. PMID: 33130976.

Michaels, R., Witsberger, C. A., Powell, A. R., Koka, K., Cohen, K., Nourmohammadi, Z. (2021). 3D printing in surgical simulation: emphasized importance in the COVID-19 pandemic era. Journal of 3D printing in medicine, 2021;5(1): 5-9. doi:10.2217/3dp-2021-0009

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Photo by Nothing Ahead from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/words-in-dictionary-4440720/

In today’s blog post, we investigate the histories behind some of the health-related phrases we use every day.

Snake Oil 

Snake oil refers to “a substance or product sold as a remedy for a disease or medical condition but which has no real medicinal value” (OED). But in the 19th century, snake oil was a legitimate medical product which Chinese immigrants introduced to Americans to help reduce inflammation. One explanation for why this works is that snake oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (Kunin 208). Traditional snake oil was made from Chinese water snakes, but because that species isn’t native to the U.S., some American businessmen claimed they were selling the Chinese product when they were actually using oil from rattlesnakes, which was less effective, possibly due to its lower concentration of EPA.

One of those businessmen was named Clark Stanley, and he marketed Stanley’s Snake Oil. But it wasn’t just the use of rattlesnake oil that made Stanley’s product fraudulent; a 1917 investigation found that Stanley’s Snake Oil actually did not contain any snake oil at all, rattlesnake or not! Now, the phrase “snake oil” is used to refer to any fraudulent medical products, forever besmirching the traditional Chinese medicine instead of the American charlatans who profited off of it.

An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

Sure, it’s not too surprising that eating apples helps you stay healthy, but how long have people actually been saying so? The February 1866 edition of the journal Notes and Queries mentioned a proverb spoken in Pembrokeshire, a county in Wales: “Eat an apple on going to bed, And you'll keep the doctor from earning his bread.” That’s the earliest attestation of the phrase in any form, and it appears that by the late 19th or early 20th century, the phrase had been solidified into the form we know today.

A 2015 study researched the truth of this adage. The article concluded that “evidence does not support that an apple a day keeps the doctor away; however, the small fraction of US adults who eat an apple a day do appear to use fewer prescription medications.”

Laughter is the Best Medicine

The exact origin of the phrase is unknown, but the idea has been around for quite a while. Proverbs 17:22 of the King James Bible says: “A cheerful heart is good medicine / but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” And this isn’t a purely metaphorical statement. Simply search for the phrase on PubMed, and you will find that many studies have shown the positive healing effects of laughter. (It seems almost inevitable that if a medical article concerns the effects of laughter, the authors will use this phrase in the title.)

Under the Weather

This idiom almost certainly originated in the nautical world, although theories abound as to how exactly the phrase came to be. The most popular theory posits that when a sailor felt ill or seasick, he would retire under the weather bow of the ship (i.e. the windward-facing side) so as to prevent potential exposure to bad weather. Thus the sick sailor would be “under the weather”. 

A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down

You might have thought it had older origins, but this pithy phrase was invented for the 1964 movie Mary Poppins. Julie Andrews had not yet committed to the main role and had mentioned to Walt Disney that she did not like one of the songs. Disney really wanted Andrews for the part and so he instructed the songwriters, brothers Robert and Richard Sherman, to come up with a more catchy song to replace the original. 

The story goes that Robert Sherman arrived home from work a few days later, and his wife told him that their children had gotten their polio vaccine that day. He asked his son if the shot hurt. The boy responded that it was not a shot; rather, the medicine was placed on a sugar cube which he swallowed. Inspired by that story, Robert came up with the song “A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down”. Apparently, the song was good enough for Julie Andrews, and the rest is movie musical history!

References

Oxford English Dictionary (OED). https://www.oed.com/ 

Ely, Margaret. (2013, September 24.) History behind ‘An apple a day.’ The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/history-behind-an-apple-a-day/2013/09/24/aac3e79c-1f0e-11e3-94a2-6c66b668ea55_story.html 

Gandhi, L. (2013, August 26.) A History of ‘Snake Oil Salesmen.’ NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/08/26/215761377/a-history-of-snake-oil-salesmen 

Gutosky, Ellen. (2022, September 30.) The Cloudy Origins of the Phrase ‘Under the Weather’. Mental Floss. https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/under-the-weather-meaning 

Kunin, R. A. (1989). Snake oil. The Western journal of medicine, 151(2), 208. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1026931/

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