Longitudinal strain with speckle-tracking echocardiography predicts electroanatomic substrate for ventricular tachycardia in nonischemic cardiomyopathy patients.

Background: Longitudinal strain (LS) derived from speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) corresponds to regions of scar in ischemic cardiomyopathy.

Objective: We investigated if regional LS abnormalities correlate with scar location and scar burden, identified using high-density electroanatomic mapping (EAM) in nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM).

Methods: Fifty NICM patients with ventricular tachycardia (VT) underwent echocardiography; multilayer (endocardial, midmyocardial, and epicardial) regional LS and global LS (GLS) were evaluated prior to EAM for detection of low-voltage scar.

What are the causes of non-tolerance to new spectacles and how can they be avoided?

Purpose: To investigate non-tolerance cases from several UK practices to determine their likely causes and how they might have been avoided.

Methods: Patient complaint and refraction data were collected from non-tolerance recheck examinations. For one practice, clinical data were also collected retrospectively to investigate the quality of the eye examinations.

Analysis of muscle tissue in vivo using fiber-optic autofluorescence and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy.

Significance: Current methods for analyzing pathological muscle tissue are time consuming and rarely quantitative, and they involve invasive biopsies. Faster and less invasive diagnosis of muscle disease may be achievable using marker-free in vivo optical sensing methods.

Aim: It was speculated that changes in the biochemical composition and structure of muscle associated with pathology could be measured quantitatively using visible wavelength optical spectroscopy techniques enabling automated classification.

A prospective evaluation of the clinical safety and effectiveness of a COVID-19 Urgent Eyecare Service across five areas in England.

Purpose: Although urgent primary eye care schemes exist in some areas of England, their current safety is unknown. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to quantify the clinical safety and effectiveness of a COVID-19 Urgent Eyecare Service (CUES) across Luton, Bedford, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire and Harrogate.

Methods: Consenting patients with acute onset eye problems who had accessed the service were contacted to ascertain what the optometrist's recommendation was, whether this worked, if they had to present elsewhere and how satisfied they were with the CUES.

What supports and constrains the implementation of multifactorial falls risk assessment and tailored multifactorial falls prevention interventions in acute hospitals? Protocol for a realist review.

Introduction: Falls are the most common type of safety incident reported by acute hospitals and can cause both physical (eg, hip fractures) and non-physical harm (eg, reduced confidence) to patients. It is recommended that, in order to prevent falls in hospital, patients should receive a multifactorial falls risk assessment and be provided with a multifactorial intervention, tailored to address the patient's identified individual risk factors. It is estimated that such an approach could reduce the incidence of inpatient falls by 25%-30% and reduce the annual cost of falls by up to 25%.

Exploring the effect of optometrist practice type on NHS funded sight test outcome.

Purpose: The United Kingdom (UK) National Health Service (NHS) currently provides sight tests at no cost to patients for all those aged <16 or ≥60. Some 'at-risk' patients and those in receipt of means-tested benefits are eligible for a NHS sight test between the ages of 16 and 60. In the UK, community optometrists typically either work in independent or national chain practices (multiples).

Improving energy efficiency of electrochemical blackwater disinfection through sequential reduction of suspended solids and chemical oxygen demand.

Onsite reuse of blackwater requires removal of considerable amounts of suspended solids and organic material in addition to inactivation of pathogens. Previously, we showed that electrochemical treatment could be used for effective pathogen inactivation in blackwater, but was inadequate to remove solids and organics to emerging industry standards. Further, we found that as solids and organics accumulate with repeated recycling, electrochemical treatment becomes less energetically sustainable.

A needs assessment for a minor eye condition service within Leeds, Bradford and Airedale, UK.

Background: There are a number of limitations to the present primary eye care system in the UK. Patients with minor eye conditions typically either have to present to their local hospital or GP, or face a charge when visiting eye care professionals (optometrists). Some areas of the UK have commissioned enhanced community services to alleviate this problem; however, many areas have not.

Development and Validation of the Vision-Related Dizziness Questionnaire.

Purpose: To develop and validate the first patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) to quantify vision-related dizziness. Dizziness is a common, multifactorial syndrome that causes reductions in quality of life and is a major risk factor for falls, but the role of vision is not well understood.

Methods: Potential domains and items were identified by literature review and discussions with experts and patients to form a pilot PROM, which was completed by 335 patients with dizziness.

A proposed minimum data set for international primary care optometry: a modified Delphi study.

Purpose: To identify a minimum list of metrics of international relevance to public health, research and service development which can be extracted from practice management systems and electronic patient records in primary optometric practice.

Methods: A two stage modified Delphi technique was used. Stage 1 categorised metrics that may be recorded as being part of a primary eye examination by their importance to research using the results from a previous survey of 40 vision science and public health academics.

Can data in optometric practice be used to provide an evidence base for ophthalmic public health?

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential of using primary care optometry data to support ophthalmic public health, research and policy making.

Methods: Suppliers of optometric electronic patient record systems (EPRs) were interviewed to gather information about the data present in commercial software programmes and the feasibility of data extraction. Researchers were presented with a list of metrics that might be included in an optometric practice dataset via a survey circulated by email to 102 researchers known to have an interest in eye health.

Hybrid and Mixed Matrix Membranes for Separations from Fermentations.

Fermentations provide an alternative to fossil fuels for accessing a number of biofuel and chemical products from a variety of renewable and waste substrates. The recovery of these dilute fermentation products from the broth, however, can be incredibly energy intensive as a distillation process is generally involved and creates a barrier to commercialization. Membrane processes can provide a low energy aid/alternative for recovering these dilute fermentation products and reduce production costs.

Multimodal optogenetic neural interfacing device fabricated by scalable optical fiber drawing technique.

We present a novel approach to the design and manufacture of optrodes for use in the biomedical research field of optogenetic neural interfacing. Using recently developed optical fiber drawing techniques that involve co-drawing metal/polymer composite fiber, we have assembled and characterized a novel optrode with promising optical and electrical functionality. The fabrication technique is flexible, scalable, and amenable to extension to implantable optrodes with high-density arrays of multiple electrodes, waveguides, and drug delivery channels.

Factors influencing accuracy of referral and the likelihood of false positive referral by optometrists in Bradford, United Kingdom.

Aims: Levels of false positive referral to ophthalmology departments can be high. This study aimed to evaluate commonality between false positive referrals in order to find the factors which may influence referral accuracy.

Methods: In 2007/08, a sample of 431 new Ophthalmology referrals from the catchment area of Bradford Royal Infirmary were retrospectively analysed.

Dizziness, but not falls rate, improves after routine cataract surgery: the role of refractive and spectacle changes.

Purpose: To determine whether dizziness and falls rates change due to routine cataract surgery and to determine the influence of spectacle type and refractive factors.

Methods: Self-reported dizziness and falls were determined in 287 patients (mean age of 76.5 ± 6.

Addressing inequalities in eye health with subsidies and increased fees for General Ophthalmic Services in socio-economically deprived communities: a sensitivity analysis.

Objectives: Poor knowledge of eye health, concerns about the cost of spectacles, mistrust of optometrists and limited geographical access in socio-economically deprived areas are barriers to accessing regular eye examinations and result in low uptake and subsequent late presentation to ophthalmology clinics. Personal Medical Services (PMS) were introduced in the late 1990 s to provide locally negotiated solutions to problems associated with inequalities in access to primary care. An equivalent approach to delivery of optometric services could address inequalities in the uptake of eye examinations.

Levels of state and trait anxiety in patients referred to ophthalmology by primary care clinicians: a cross sectional study.

Purpose: There is a high level of over-referral from primary eye care leading to significant numbers of people without ocular pathology (false positives) being referred to secondary eye care. The present study used a psychometric instrument to determine whether there is a psychological burden on patients due to referral to secondary eye care, and used Rasch analysis to convert the data from an ordinal to an interval scale.

Design: Cross sectional study.

Assessment of referrals to the hospital eye service by optometrists and GPs in Bradford and Airedale.

Purpose: To investigate the content of referrals to a hospital eye department and describe differences between referring clinician (optometrist or GP) and referral formats.

Methods: A random sample of 433 new referrals to Bradford Royal Infirmary hospital eye service (HES) during 2007 and 2008 were retrospectively analysed.

Results: Three hundred and eleven referrals (72%) were from optometric practice and 122 (28%) from general practice.