Study Objective: We present the results of the first feasibility and safety study of a novel multi-modality falloposcope, in 19 volunteers. The falloposcope incorporated multispectral fluorescence imaging (MFI) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) for evaluation of the fallopian tubes (FT).
Methods: Nineteen females undergoing elective salpingectomy were recruited in this IRB-approved study.
Current dorsal skin flap window chambers with flat glass windows are compatible with optical coherence tomography (OCT) and multiphoton microscopy (MPM) imaging. However, light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) performs best with a cylindrical or spherical sample located between its two 90° objectives and when all sample materials have the same index of refraction (). A modified window chamber with a domed viewing window made from fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), with n similar to water and tissue, was designed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To study the healing response of rat Achilles tendon when lacerated or treated with intense therapeutic ultrasound (ITU) via utilization of multiphoton microscopy (MPM) imaging and histology.
Materials And Methods: The right Achilles tendon of each Sprague Dawley rat within a cohort was partially lacerated. 1 to 2 days post-surgery, each rat received ITU treatment of the Achilles tendon on either the right or left leg.
Objective: Racial and ethnic disparities in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) outcomes are well recognized. However, whether disparities in RA treatment selection and outcomes differ by urban versus rural residence, independent of race, have not been studied. Our objective was to evaluate whether biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (bDMARD) initiation after methotrexate administration differs by rural versus urban residence among veterans with RA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFall detection, particularly critical for high-risk demographics like the elderly, is a key public health concern where timely detection can greatly minimize harm. With the advancements in radio frequency technology, radar has emerged as a powerful tool for human detection and tracking. Traditional machine learning algorithms, such as Support Vector Machines (SVM) and k-Nearest Neighbors (kNN), have shown promising outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this paper, we propose mmPose-FK, a novel millimeter wave (mmWave) radar-based pose estimation method that employs a dynamic forward kinematics (FK) approach to address the challenges posed by low resolution, specularity, and noise artifacts commonly associated with mmWave radars. These issues often result in unstable joint poses that vibrate over time, reducing the effectiveness of traditional pose estimation techniques. To overcome these limitations, we integrate the FK mechanism into the deep learning model and develop an end-to-end solution driven by data.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Despite the recognized benefits of collecting rheumatoid arthritis (RA) outcomes measures, their use in routine care is inconsistent. Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), we conducted semistructured interviews with US rheumatologists and practice personnel to assess workflows, opportunities, and challenges in collecting RA outcome measures. Using insights from interviews, we developed the RA Measures Toolkit to enhance their use in clinical practice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To develop, deploy, and evaluate a national, electronic health record (EHR)-based dashboard to support safe prescribing of biologic and targeted synthetic disease-modifying agents (b/tsDMARDs) in the United States Veterans Affairs Healthcare System (VA).
Data Sources And Study Setting: We extracted and displayed hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), and tuberculosis (TB) screening data from the EHR for users of b/tsDMARDs using PowerBI (Microsoft) and deployed the dashboard to VA facilities across the United States in 2022; we observed facilities for 44 weeks post-deployment.
Study Design: We examined the association between dashboard engagement by healthcare personnel and the percentage of patients with all screenings complete (HBV, HCV, and TB) at the facility level using an interrupted time series.
Objective: Recent evidence suggests that the fimbriated end of the fallopian tube harbors the precursor cells for many high-grade ovarian cancers, opening the door for development of better screening methods that directly assess the fallopian tube in women at risk for malignancy. Previously we have shown that the karyometric signature is abnormal in the fallopian tube epithelium in women at hereditary risk of ovarian cancer. In this study, we sought to determine whether the karyometric signature in serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC) is significantly different from normal, and whether an abnormal karyometric signature can be detected in histologically normal tubal epithelial cells adjacent to STIC lesions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Early entry into nonparental care (NPC) and introduction to solid foods (ITS) have been linked to elevated weight, however, little research exists on the combined influence of these transitions on child weight over time.
Objectives: Identify groups of children based on early NPC and ITS timing and examine whether NPC-ITS groups differentially affect child weight over time.
Method: Data were drawn from STRONG Kids2 (n = 468).
Objective: Identify and describe diet patterns of children during early childhood using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).
Design: Longitudinal data were drawn from the STRONG Kids 2 program.
Participants: Mothers were surveyed about their child's diet at 24 (n = 337), 36 (n = 317), and 48 (n = 289) months old.
Objective: To gain consensus on the definitions and descriptions of the domains of the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) core domain set for rheumatology trials evaluating shared decision making (SDM) interventions.
Methods: Following the OMERACT Handbook methods, our Working Group (WG), comprised of 90 members, including 17 patient research partners (PRPs) and 73 clinicians and researchers, had six virtual meetings in addition to email exchanges to develop draft definitions and descriptions. The WG then conducted an international survey of its members to gain consensus on the definitions and descriptions.
Objectives: To describe changes in home food availability during early childhood, including modified, developmentally sensitive obesogenic scores, and to determine whether home food availability is associated with food and nutrient intakes of children concurrently, over time.
Design: Data were drawn from the STRONG Kids 2 longitudinal, birth cohort to achieve the study objectives. Home food availability was assessed with the Home Food Inventory (HFI) and included fifteen food groups (e.
Objectives: Shared decision making (SDM) is a central tenet in rheumatic and musculoskeletal care. The lack of standardization regarding SDM instruments and outcomes in clinical trials threatens the comparative effectiveness of interventions. The Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) SDM Working Group is developing a Core Outcome Set for trials of SDM interventions in rheumatology and musculoskeletal health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicroendoscopes are commonly used in small lumens in the body, for which a focus near to the distal tip and ability to operate in an aqueous environment are paramount for navigation and disease detection. Commercially available distal optic systems below 1mm in diameter are severely limited, and custom micro lenses are generally very expensive. Gradient index of refraction (GRIN) singlets are available in small diameters but have limited optical performance adjustability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: There is limited research tracking changes in home food availability during the first 3 years of life and whether the family context influences these changes.
Objective: This study examined changes in and predictors of home food availability across the first 3 years of life.
Design: This study utilized longitudinal data from the STRONG Kids2 birth cohort from the target child at 6 weeks to 36 months postpartum.
Significance: High grade serous ovarian cancer is the most deadly gynecological cancer, and it is now believed that most cases originate in the fallopian tubes (FTs). Early detection of ovarian cancer could double the 5-year survival rate compared with late-stage diagnosis. Autofluorescence imaging can detect serous-origin precancerous and cancerous lesions in FT and ovaries with good sensitivity and specificity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To develop initial American College of Rheumatology (ACR) guidelines on the use of exercise, rehabilitation, diet, and additional interventions in conjunction with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) as part of an integrative management approach for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Methods: An interprofessional guideline development group constructed clinically relevant Population, Intervention, Comparator, and Outcome (PICO) questions. A literature review team then completed a systematic literature review and applied the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach to rate the certainty of evidence.
Objective: To develop initial American College of Rheumatology (ACR) guidelines on the use of exercise, rehabilitation, diet, and additional interventions in conjunction with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) as part of an integrative management approach for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Methods: An interprofessional guideline development group constructed clinically relevant Population, Intervention, Comparator, and Outcome (PICO) questions. A literature review team then completed a systematic literature review and applied the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach to rate the certainty of evidence.
Background: Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is commonly used for patients with autoimmune conditions. Long-term use of HCQ can cause retinal toxicity, but this risk can be reduced if high doses are avoided.
Objective: We developed and piloted an electronic health record-based dashboard to improve the safe prescribing of HCQ within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).