Research Infinity - All Articles

Biomedical

Exposure to Burn Pit Emissions and Respiratory Diseases?

Summary

The commentary examines the potential health risks associated with exposure to burn pit emissions, particularly in military personnel who have been deployed to conflict zones. Burn pits are open-air areas where waste materials, such as plastics and metals, are burned, creating harmful emissions that may impact respiratory health. Sev...
Posted 7 months ago

Biomedical

Shifting the Lens on Lung Cancer Screening Inequities

Summary

The study highlights racial disparities in lung cancer screening, particularly within Black communities in the US. It points to the role of medical mistrust, rooted in historical and contemporary racism, in affecting screening decisions. Black individuals experience lower screening uptake, contributing to worse health outcomes. The rese...
Posted 7 months ago

Biomedical

Wastewater and the Elimination of Bias

The article discusses the advantages of wastewater sampling for monitoring drug use in communities. It highlights how wastewater surveillance avoids biases seen in other drug monitoring methods and offers valuable insights into drug consumption patterns. The paper also addresses the potential for wastewater sampling to identify novel psychoactive substances (NPS) and warns about the stigmatization...
Posted 7 months ago

Biomedical

The Power of Community Engagement and Patient Voices

The study by Wieland et al. explores the use of digital narratives to improve glycemic control among Hispanic adults with type 2 diabetes. A randomized clinical trial demonstrated a small improvement in glycemic control for those in the intervention group who watched culturally tailored digital narratives. The study highlights the importance of community-based participatory research, culturally re...
Posted 7 months ago

Social Science

Universal Background Checks, Permit Requirements, and Firearm Homicide Rates

ImportanceA loophole in US gun policy is that people can purchase guns from private sellers without going through any background check. Some states have addressed this loophole by requiring universal background checks for all gun sales, either at the point of sale or through a permit system; however, most studies on the effectiveness of universal background checks have not analyzed these 2 policy ...
Posted 7 months ago

Biomedical

Unraveling the Importance of Seizure Duration in Electroconvulsive Therapy

Summary:

The article explores the role of seizure duration in Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), a treatment used for various psychiatric conditions, especially depression. The study examined a large cohort of Swedish patients undergoing ECT for unipolar major depression and focused on the duration of the first seizure. The findings indicate t...
Posted 7 months ago

Biomedical

Smoking and Melanoma Outcomes—Another Reason to Quit

Summary: The study by Jackson et al. shows that smoking significantly increases the risk of melanoma-associated death (MAD) in patients with clinically localized melanoma. Smokers had a 48% higher risk of death from melanoma compared to nonsmokers, with heavier smokers facing an even greater risk. The study highlights that smoking may reduce blood flow and impair immune responses, contributing to ...
Posted 7 months ago

Biomedical

Using Nonprobabilistic Surveys to Measure COVID-19 Incidence

Summary:

The article discusses the potential of nonprobability online surveys as an efficient and timely method for measuring COVID-19 incidence. These surveys, when integrated with wastewater surveillance data, provide useful estimates of disease spread, particularly in the absence of precise official case counts. They offer demographic insig...
Posted 7 months ago

Biomedical

Post Hoc Bias in Treatment Decisions

Importance A goal of health care is to reduce symptoms and improve health status, whereas continuing dubious treatments can contribute to complacency, discourage the search for alternatives, and lead to shortfalls in care. Objective To test a potential bias in intuitive reasoning following a marginal improvement in symptoms after a dubious treatment (post hoc bias).Design, Setting, and Particip...
Posted 7 months ago

Biomedical

Addressing the Emotional Body in Patients With Chronic Pain

Summary; Importance: Health care aims to reduce symptoms and improve health status, yet continuing dubious treatments can lead to complacency and suboptimal care. Objective: Investigate the potential bias in intuitive reasoning following marginal symptom improvement after dubious treatments. Design and Participants: 1,497 community members across North America 100 healthcare professionals (pha...
Posted 7 months ago