Retracted Publications in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery: What Mistakes Are Being Made?

Objectives: Retraction of publications is critical to maintaining scientific integrity, yet there is a lack of research on its occurrence in Otolaryngology. This study investigates characteristics, trends, and reasons for retraction of publications in otolaryngology journals. Study Design: Bibliometric analysis. Setting: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science. Methods: A PubMed search for publications retracted during 1990 to 2022 from the top 60 journals with the subject "Otorhinolaryngology" using Scopus' CiteScore was performed. Publications were excluded if they were not in English, had missing information or did not have available abstracts or full-text. Publication and retraction dates, journal, country of origin, citation counts, journal impact factor (JIF), topic, and reason for retraction were recorded. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to identify potential associations in the data. Results: Fifty-three publications were included. The 2020s had the highest number of retractions per year (4.33), with publications being retracted on average, 35 months after initial publication. The most common retracted topic and country of origin were head and neck (26.4%) and China (17.0%), respectively. Most publications were retracted because of plagiarism or duplicate publication (52.8%). Mean citation count was 6.92 ± 8.32 and mean JIF was 2.80 ± 1.35. Citation count was positively associated with months until retraction (r = .432, P = .001). There was no significant correlation between months to retraction and JIF (r = .022, P = .878). Conclusion: The most cited reasons for retraction were plagiarism and duplicate publication. An understanding of the reasons for retraction can better position journals to enforce more meticulous review standards and reduce such publications from being published. Level of Evidence: Level 4.

Maternal overnutrition is associated with altered synaptic input to lateral hypothalamic area.

OBJECTIVE: Maternal overnutrition is associated with adverse outcomes in offspring, including increased risk for obesity and diabetes. Here, we aim to test the effects of maternal obesity on lateral hypothalamic feeding circuit function and determine the relationship with body weight regulation. METHODS: Using a mouse model of maternal obesity, we assessed how perinatal overnutrition affected food intake and body weight regulation in adult offspring. We then used channelrhodopsin-assisted circuit mapping and electrophysiological recordings to assess the synaptic connectivity within an extended amygdala-lateral hypothalamic pathway. RESULTS: We show that maternal overnutrition during gestation and throughout lactation produces offspring that are heavier than controls prior to weaning. When weaned onto chow, the body weights of over-nourished offspring normalize to control levels. However, when presented with highly palatable food as adults, both male and female maternally over-nourished offspring are highly susceptible to diet-induced obesity. This is associated with altered synaptic strength in an extended amygdala-lateral hypothalamic pathway, which is predicted by developmental growth rate. Additionally, lateral hypothalamic neurons receiving synaptic input from the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis have enhanced excitatory input following maternal overnutrition which is predicted by early life growth rate. CONCLUSIONS: Together, these results demonstrate one way in which maternal obesity rewires hypothalamic feeding circuits to predispose offspring to metabolic dysfunction.

Return to play and performance in the National Basketball Association after undergoing operative or nonoperative treatment for foot fracture.

Background: The incidence of distal lower extremity fractures in National Basketball Association (NBA) athletes continues to increase. There is a paucity of data regarding return-to-play (RTP) rates and performance after sustaining foot fractures in these athletes. The purpose of this study is to quantify RTP rates and performance in NBA players after sustaining a foot fracture. Methods: Sixty-two NBA athletes suffered foot fractures between 2005 and 2021 according to publicly accessible online data. Each athlete was matched to a control player based on age at start of career, age at index injury year, body mass index (BMI), and position played. Performance statistics from 3 seasons prior and 3 seasons following the index injury season were recorded. Results: We found that players who suffered foot fracture injuries are expected to make a full recovery and reach their previous level of performance within three years. 100% of players treated nonoperatively returned to play; meanwhile only 90% of players who were treated operatively returned to play. This difference is statistically significant. Conclusion: NBA athletes have a high RTP rate after sustaining a foot fracture. Players may experience an initial decrease in playing time and performance when returning to play, however, these variables were found to return to baseline over time. After three seasons, player statistics returned to baseline in mostly every category, including player efficiency rating (PER). We found that players are expected to make a full recovery and return to their previous level of performance, regardless of whether they were treated operatively or not. Players treated nonoperatively returned to play at a rate of 100% meanwhile those treated operatively returned at a rate of 90%. Therefore, it is our recommendation that players opt for nonoperative treatment when possible.