Production of Sc and Sc from natural CaF material using an FN Tandem accelerator.

The radioisotopes of Sc and Sc are promising in the field of theranostics for their role as β emitters in theranostic pairs with Sc. Production of these isotopes through various nuclear reactions using either cyclotrons or linear accelerators is of particular interest and previous studies have provided results using accelerated beams of protons, deuterons, and alpha particles. A novel production technique, using an ion source cathode packed with natural calcium fluoride material and irradiated with a He beam, was tested at the Nuclear Science Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame in order to initially study the production of Ca.

Disparities Between Rural and Urban Communities: Response to 18 Months of Diet and Exercise Versus Control for Knee Osteoarthritis and Overweight or Obesity.

Objective: The study objective was to determine whether the clinical response of older adults with knee osteoarthritis and overweight or obesity to 18 months of diet and exercise (D + E) or attention control (C) interventions differed between participants from rural versus urban communities.

Methods: Participants were 823 older adults (mean age, 64.6 years; 77% women) with knee osteoarthritis and overweight or obesity who resided in rural (n = 410) and urban (n = 413) counties in North Carolina.

Neighborhood Characteristics and Walking Behavior Among Adults With Arthritis: A National Health Interview Survey Study.

Objective: This study investigated the association of perceived neighborhood qualities with likelihood of transit walking, leisure walking, neighborhood walking, and meeting physical activity (PA) recommendations among US adults with arthritis.

Methods: This cross-sectional study used 2020 National Health Interview Survey data. Included participants were adults who reported with clinician-diagnosed arthritis and who reported the ability to walk.

The Flare-OA-16 questionnaire measuring flare in knee and hip osteoarthritis in the patient perspective: scale reduction and validation using a Rasch model.

Objectives: The recent Flare-OA questionnaire measuring flare in knee and hip osteoarthritis (OA) (19 items in 5 domains, numerical rating scale) showed good psychometric properties along with classical test theory. This study aimed to determine its scaling properties by Rasch analysis and to present evidence for a refined scalable version.

Study Design And Setting: The participants were 398 subjects (mean age 64 years [standard deviation = 8.

Building a composite score for patient self-report of flare in osteoarthritis: a comparison of methods with the Flare-OA-16 questionnaire.

Objectives: This study aims to compare methods of constructing a composite score for the Flare-OA-16 self-reported questionnaire.

Methods: Participants with knee and hip osteoarthritis (OA) completed a validated 16-item questionnaire assessing five domains of flare. Three estimation methods were compared: (i) second-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA); (ii) logistic regression, according to the participant's self-report of flare (yes/no); and (iii) Rasch method, with weighted scores in each dimension.

Psychosocial factors in knee osteoarthritis: Scoping review of evidence and future opportunities.

Objective: Identify, describe and produce an evidence map of studies investigating psychosocial factors association with, or effect on, clinical outcomes for people with knee osteoarthritis.

Methods: Scoping review of interventional and observational studies was performed. Medline (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), Cumulated Index in Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsycInfo and Web of Science were searched on the 15th May 2023.

Depression and Time to Knee Arthroplasty Among Adults Who Have Knee Osteoarthritis.

Background: Depression is common in osteoarthritis (OA) and is associated with poor outcomes following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Depression can increase pain sensitivity and may be related to an increased likelihood of TKA.

Methods: Nationally distributed electronic health record data from 2010 to 2018 were used to identify eligible patients (n = 9,466) who had knee OA and were 45 to 80 years of age.

Visual narratives in medicine - Bridging the gap in graphic medicine with an illustrated narrative of osteoarthritis.

Objective: Visual narratives have been used in medicine to share information in the form of stories with the potential to improve understanding of conditions and change behaviours. One genre of visual narratives is "graphic medicine", which integrates comics into medical education and the delivery of healthcare. Graphic medicine can maximise the impact of research findings by presenting them in a more accessible format, which may be particularly useful in certain populations, such as those with low levels of health literacy.

Budget impact of the Walk With Ease program for knee osteoarthritis.

Objective: Walk With Ease (WWE) is an effective low-cost walking program. We estimated the budget impact of implementing WWE in persons with knee osteoarthritis (OA) as a measure of affordability that can inform payers' funding decisions.

Methods: We estimated changes in two-year healthcare costs with and without WWE.

Cost-Effectiveness of Community-Based Diet and Exercise for Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis and Obesity or Overweight.

Objective: Obesity exacerbates pain and functional limitation in persons with knee osteoarthritis (OA). In the Weight Loss and Exercise for Communities with Arthritis in North Carolina (WE-CAN) study, a community-based diet and exercise (D + E) intervention led to an additional 6 kg weight loss and 20% greater pain relief in persons with knee OA and body mass index (BMI) >27 kg/m relative to a group-based health education (HE) intervention. We sought to determine the incremental cost-effectiveness of the usual care (UC), UC + HE, and UC + (D + E) programs, comparing each strategy with the "next-best" strategy ranked by increasing lifetime cost.

Assessing domain match and feasibility of candidate instruments matching with OMERACT endorsed domains to measure flare in knee and hip osteoarthritis.

Purpose: To evaluate the domain match (truth) and feasibility of candidate instruments assessing flare in knee and hip osteoarthritis (OA) according to the identified domains.

Material And Methods: From a literature review (575 papers), instruments were selected and evaluated using the truth and feasibility elements of the OMERACT Filter 2.2.

The Critical Role of Physical Activity and Weight Management in Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis: A Narrative Review.

Physical activity (PA) and weight management are critical components of an effective knee and hip osteoarthritis (OA) management plan, yet most people with OA remain insufficiently active and/or overweight. Clinicians and their care teams play an important role in educating patients with OA about PA and weight management, eliciting patient motivation to engage in these strategies, and referring patients to appropriate self-management interventions. The purpose of this review is to educate clinicians about the current public health and clinical OA guidelines for PA and weight management and highlight a variety of evidence-based self-management interventions available in community and clinical settings and online.

Evaluating Elements of the Care Partner Experience in Individuals Who Care for People with Alzheimer's Disease Across the Severity Spectrum.

Introduction: Non-professional care partners play an important and often evolving role in the care of persons living with Alzheimer's disease (PLWAD). We investigated two elements of the care partner experience, namely time and strain incurred by care partners providing care to PLWAD across the severity spectrum.

Methods: Data gathered from the Alzheimer's Disease Patient and Caregiver Engagement (AD PACE) What Matters Most (WMM) study series were analyzed to determine how much time care partners spent providing care to PLWAD based on where the care recipients lived.

Clinical, Health-Related Quality of Life, and Gait Differences Among Obesity Classes in Adults With Knee Osteoarthritis.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether clinical, health-related quality of life (HRQL), and gait characteristics in adults with knee osteoarthritis (OA) differed by obesity category.

Methods: This cross-sectional analysis of 823 older adults (mean age 64.6 years, SD 7.

Tissue-Like 3D Standard and Protocols for Microscope Quality Management.

This article outlines a global study conducted by the Association of Biomedical Resource Facilities (ABRF) Light Microscopy Research Group (LMRG). The results present a novel 3D tissue-like biologically relevant standard sample that is affordable and straightforward to prepare. Detailed sample preparation, instrument-specific image acquisition protocols and image analysis methods are presented and made available to the community.

Precision Medicine-Based Machine Learning Analyses to Explore Optimal Exercise Therapies for Individuals With Knee Osteoarthritis: Random Forest-Informed Tree-Based Learning.

Objective: We applied a precision medicine-based machine learning approach to discover underlying patient characteristics associated with differential improvement in knee osteoarthritis symptoms following standard physical therapy (PT), internet-based exercise training (IBET), and a usual care/wait list control condition.

Methods: Participants (n = 303) were from the Physical Therapy vs Internet-Based Training for Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis trial. The primary outcome was the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) total score at 12-month follow-up.

Evidence-Based Dietary Practices to Improve Osteoarthritis Symptoms: An Umbrella Review.

While there is some research investigating whole foods or diets that are easily understood and accessible to patients with osteoarthritis, specific nutrients or nutraceuticals are more commonly identified. Unfortunately, guidelines and evidence surrounding individual nutrients, extracts, and nutraceuticals are conflicting and are more difficult to interpret and implement for patients with osteoarthritis. The purpose of this umbrella review is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the existing evidence of whole foods and dietary patterns effects on osteoarthritis-related outcomes to inform evidence-based recommendations for healthcare professionals and identify areas where more research is warranted.

Association of Foot Symptoms With Decreased Time to All-Cause Mortality: The Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project.

Objective: Adults with foot symptoms (ie, pain, aching, or stiffness) may be at increased risk of reduced time to all-cause mortality. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether foot symptoms are independently associated with all-cause mortality in older adults.

Methods: We analyzed longitudinal data from 2613 participants from the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project, a longitudinal population-based cohort of adults 45 years of age and older.

Walk with ease for knee osteoarthritis: A cost-effectiveness analysis.

Objective: The Walk With Ease (WWE) program was developed by the Arthritis Foundation to help people with arthritis learn to exercise safely and improve arthritis symptoms. We sought to establish the value of the WWE program.

Methods: We used the Osteoarthritis Policy (OAPol) Model, a widely published and validated computer simulation of knee osteoarthritis (OA), to assess the cost-effectiveness of WWE in knee OA.