Publications by authors named "Christina S Gainey"

Background: Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) is an effective therapy for class I-II obesity, but there are knowledge gaps in the published literature about its implementation in patients with class III obesity [body mass index (BMI) ≥ 40 kg/m].

Aim: To evaluate the safety, clinical efficacy, and durability of ESG in adults with class III obesity.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study that used prospectively collected data on adults with BMI ≥ 40 kg/m who underwent ESG and longitudinal lifestyle counseling at two centers with expertise in endobariatric therapies from May 2018-March 2022.

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In the United States, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fastest growing cause of cancer-related deaths and was the 5th most common cause in 2020. One in 5 Americans lives in a rural area, yet little is known about temporal changes in HCC incidence by rural-urban residence. Area-specific data are critical to guide public health strategies and clinical interventions.

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Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma is 1 of few cancers with rising incidence and mortality in the United States. Little is known about disease presentation and outcomes across the rural-urban continuum.

Methods: Using the population-based Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry, we identified adults with incident hepatocellular carcinoma between 2000 and 2016.

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Following liver transplantation (LT), recipients can develop benign and malignant hepatic masses just like any other patient. Patients transplanted for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergo surveillance imaging, and any new mass seen on imaging must be carefully evaluated to rule out recurrent cancer. Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) is a benign tumor of the liver that most often occurs in women and is rarely symptomatic.

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Metastatic melanoma is associated with a poor prognosis, but no method reliably predicts which melanomas of a given stage will ultimately metastasize and which will not. While sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has emerged as the most powerful predictor of metastatic disease, the majority of people dying from metastatic melanoma still have a negative SLNB. Here we analyze pump-probe microscopy images of thin biopsy slides of primary melanomas to assess their metastatic potential.

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We demonstrate a multimodal approach that combines a pump-probe with confocal reflectance and multiphoton autofluorescence microscopy. Pump-probe microscopy has been proven to be of great value in analyzing thin tissue sections of pigmented lesions, as it produces molecular contrast which is inaccessible by other means. However, the higher optical intensity required to overcome scattering in thick tissue leads to higher-order nonlinearities in the optical response of melanin (e.

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