Virtual practice facilitation as an implementation strategy for launching opioid safety committees for quality improvement in primary care: feasibility, acceptability, and intervention fidelity.

Background: Practice facilitation (PF) is an evidence-based multicomponent in-person implementation strategy. COVID-19-related lockdowns caused many implementation initiatives to rapidly shift to virtual settings, but there is limited evidence on PF deployed exclusively using virtual meeting platforms. Our objective was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of virtual PF used in a primary care setting to implement interdisciplinary opioid safety committees (OSCs) to improve care for patients using opioid medicines for persistent pain and reduce high-dose opioid prescribing.

Serine-arginine-rich protein kinase-1 inhibition for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy.

Angiogenic VEGF isoforms are upregulated in diabetic retinopathy (DR), driving pathological growth and fluid leakage. Serine-arginine-rich protein kinase-1 (SRPK1) regulates VEGF splicing, and its inhibition blocks angiogenesis. We tested the hypothesis that SRPK1 is activated in diabetes, and an SRPK1 inhibitor (SPHINX31) switches VEGF splicing in DR and prevents increased vascular permeability into the retina.

Quantification of Angiogenesis in Laser Choroidal Neovascularization.

Murine laser-induced laser choroidal neovascularization is a widely used and robust model of wet (exudative) age-related macular degeneration (wAMD). wAMD is one of the leading causes of blindness in the Western world. In brief, a focused laser beam is used to penetrate Bruch's membrane, which separates the choriocapillaris (well-vascularized choroid layer) from the pigmented layers of the retina.

Noninvasive Measurement of Retinal Microvascular Permeability During Loss of Endothelial Quiescence.

In the retina EC dysfunction and angiogenesis are driven by an altered microenvironment e.g., diabetes, leading to hypoxia and inflammation in the retinal layers, resulting in excessive vascular leakage and growth.

Transmission Electron Microscopy of Endothelium.

Transmission electron microscopy using resin sections still remains an exceptionally useful tool in evaluating cellular ultrastucture within tissue. For the endothelium the best method for maintaining such structure is perfusion fixation: fixing the tissue under physiological pressure. Here the focus is on a method of maintaining the vascular wall structure including the endothelial glycocalyx and extending this with tilt series tomography.

Hydrogen Sulfide Is a Novel Protector of the Retinal Glycocalyx and Endothelial Permeability Barrier.

Significantly reduced levels of the anti-inflammatory gaseous transmitter hydrogen sulfide (HS) are observed in diabetic patients and correlate with microvascular dysfunction. HS may protect the microvasculature by preventing loss of the endothelial glycocalyx. We tested the hypothesis that HS could prevent or treat retinal microvascular endothelial dysfunction in diabetes.

Non-invasive measurement of retinal permeability in a diabetic rat model.

Objective: The gold standard for measuring blood-retinal barrier permeability is the Evans blue assay. However, this technique has limitations in vivo, including non-specific tissue binding and toxicity. This study describes a non-toxic, high-throughput, and cost-effective alternative technique that minimizes animal usage.

Validation and assessment of an antibiotic-based, aseptic decontamination manufacturing protocol for therapeutic, vacuum-dried human amniotic membrane.

Amniotic membrane (AM) is used to treat a range of ophthalmic indications but must be presented in a non-contaminated state. AM from elective caesarean sections contains natural microbial contamination, requiring removal during processing protocols. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of antibiotic decontamination of AM, during processing by innovative low-temperature vacuum-drying.

Readiness to Change Over Time: Change Commitment and Change Efficacy in a Workplace Health-Promotion Trial.

Introduction: Organizational readiness to change may be a key determinant of implementation success and a mediator of the effectiveness of implementation interventions. If organizational readiness can be reliably and validly assessed at the outset of a change initiative, it could be used to assess the effectiveness of implementation-support activities by measuring changes in readiness factors over time.

Methods: We analyzed two waves of readiness-to-change survey data collected as part of a three-arm, randomized controlled trial to implement evidence-based health promotion practices in small worksites in low-wage industries.

HealthLinks randomized controlled trial: Design and baseline results.

Small employers, especially those in low-wage industries, frequently lack the capacity and resources to implement evidence-based health promotion interventions without support and assistance. The purpose of this paper is to (a) describe the intervention design and study protocol of the HealthLinks Trial and (b) report baseline findings. This study is a three-arm randomized controlled trial testing the impact of the HealthLinks intervention on worksites' adoption and implementation of evidence-based interventions.

Feasibility of Workplace Health Promotion for Restaurant Workers, Seattle, 2012.

Introduction: Restaurant workers are a large population at high risk for tobacco use, physical inactivity, and influenza. They are difficult to reach with health care interventions and may be more accessible through workplaces, yet few studies have explored the feasibility of workplace health promotion in this population. This study sought to identify barriers and facilitators to promotion of tobacco cessation, physical activity, and influenza vaccination in restaurants.

Development and Pilot Test of the Workplace Readiness Questionnaire, a Theory-Based Instrument to Measure Small Workplaces' Readiness to Implement Wellness Programs.

Purpose: To develop a theory-based questionnaire to assess readiness for change in small workplaces adopting wellness programs.

Design: In developing our scale, we first tested items via "think-aloud" interviews. We tested the revised items in a cross-sectional quantitative telephone survey.

Promoting Influenza Vaccination to Restaurant Employees.

Purpose: To evaluate an evidence-based workplace approach to increasing adult influenza vaccination levels applied in the restaurant setting

Design: We implemented an intervention and conducted a pre/post analysis to determine effect on vaccination.

Setting: Eleven Seattle-area restaurants.

Subjects: Restaurants with 25+ employees speaking English or Spanish and over 18 years.

Process evaluation of a regional public health model to reduce chronic disease through policy and systems changes, Washington State, 2010-2014.

Introduction: Although the regionalization of public health systems has been well documented in the case of emergency preparedness, there is little literature on the application of regional approaches to other aspects of public health. From 2011 through 2014 the Washington State Department of Health implemented a Community Transformation Grant to support community-level policy and systems changes to decrease chronic disease risk factors and increase access to clinical preventive services. The Department of Health implemented the grant through a regional model, grouping 32 of the state's 35 local health jurisdictions into 5 regions.

Influenza vaccination status and attitudes among restaurant employees.

Context: Restaurant employees represent a substantial portion of the US workforce, interact closely with the public, and are at risk for contracting influenza, yet their influenza vaccination rates and attitudes are unknown.

Objective: Assess influenza vaccination rates and attitudes among Seattle restaurant employees, to identify factors that could enhance the success of a restaurant-based vaccination program.

Design: In 2012, we invited employees of Seattle restaurants to complete an anonymous paper survey assessing participant demographics, previous influenza vaccination status, and personal attitudes toward influenza vaccination (using a 5-point scale).

Augmented dried versus cryopreserved amniotic membrane as an ocular surface dressing.

Purpose: Dried amniotic membrane (AM) can be a useful therapeutic adjunct in ophthalmic surgery and possesses logistical advantages over cryopreserved AM. Differences in preservation techniques can significantly influence the biochemical composition and physical properties of AM, potentially affecting clinical efficacy. This study was established to investigate the biochemical and structural effects of drying AM in the absence and presence of saccharide lyoprotectants and its biocompatibility compared to cryopreserved material.

Opportunities for improving cancer prevention at federally qualified health centers.

As the Affordable Care Act unfolds, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) will likely experience an influx of newly insured, low-income patients at disparate risk for cancer. Cancer-focused organizations are seeking to collaborate with FQHCs and the Primary Care Associations (PCAs) that serve them, to prevent cancer and reduce disparities. To guide this collaboration, we conducted 21 interviews with representatives from PCAs and FQHCs across four western states.

Risk factors for ischaemic stroke.

Stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in western populations, with up to 40% of survivors not expected to recover independence from severe disabilities. This equates to an immense financial burden on health systems worldwide. Hence further education is required to inform individuals of the risks to promote secondary prevention strategies in future generations.

Differential mechanisms of angiotensin II and PDGF-BB on migration and proliferation of coronary artery smooth muscle cells.

Angiotensin II (Ang II) and platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) are associated with excessive cell migration, proliferation and many growth-related diseases. However, whether these agents utilise similar mechanisms to trigger vascular pathologies remains to be explored. The effects of Ang II and PDGF-BB on coronary artery smooth muscle cell (CASMC) migration and proliferation were investigated via Dunn chemotaxis assay and the measurement of [(3)H]thymidine incorporation rates, respectively.