Democratizing digital microfluidics by a cloud-based design and manufacturing platform.

Akin to the impact that digital microelectronics had on electronic devices for information technology, digital microfluidics (DMF) was anticipated to transform fluidic devices for lab-on-a-chip (LoC) applications. However, despite a wealth of research and publications, electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) DMF has not achieved the anticipated wide adoption, and commercialization has been painfully slow. By identifying the technological and resource hurdles in developing DMF chip and control systems as the culprit, we envision democratizing DMF by building a standardized design and manufacturing platform.

The Stability of Retrospective Pre-injury Symptom Ratings Following Pediatric Concussion.

To determine the stability of children's retrospective ratings of pre-injury levels of symptoms over time following concussion. Children and adolescents ( = 3,063) between the ages of 5-17 diagnosed with a concussion by their treating pediatric emergency department (PED) physician within 48 h of injury completed the Post-Concussion Symptom Inventory (PCSI) at the PED and at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12-weeks post-injury. At each time point, participants retrospectively recalled their pre-injury levels of post-injury symptoms.

A real world evaluation of the long-term efficacy of strategies to prevent chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa pulmonary infection in children with cystic fibrosis.

Background: Children with cystic fibrosis (CF) are susceptible to chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) infection. Early eradication of PA has proven short-term efficacy. No studies have evaluated the long- term impact of early eradication for CF patients, particularly those diagnosed by newborn screening (NBS).

Derivation and Initial Validation of Clinical Phenotypes of Children Presenting with Concussion Acutely in the Emergency Department: Latent Class Analysis of a Multi-Center, Prospective Cohort, Observational Study.

The identification of clinical phenotypes may help parse the substantial heterogeneity that characterizes children with concussion. This study used latent class analysis (LCA) to identify discernible phenotypes among children with acute concussion and examine the association between phenotypes and persistent post-concussive symptoms (PPCS) at 4 and 12 weeks post-injury. We conducted LCA of variables representing pre-injury history, clinical presentation, and parent symptom ratings, derived from a prospective cohort, observational study that recruited participants from August 2013 until June 2015 at nine pediatric emergency departments within the Pediatric Emergency Research Canada network.

Work Functioning Among Firefighters: A Comparison Between Self-Reported Limitations and Functional Task Performance.

Purpose Performance-based and disease indicators have been widely studied in firefighters; self-reported work role limitations have not. The aim of this study was to describe the distributions and correlations of a generic self-reported Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ-26) and firefighting-specific task performance-based tests. Methods Active firefighters from the City of Hamilton Fire Services (n = 293) were recruited.

The development of the PARENTS: a tool for parents to assess residents' non-technical skills in pediatric emergency departments.

Background: Parents can assess residents' non-technical skills (NTS) in pediatric emergency departments (EDs). There are no assessment tools, with validity evidence, for parental use in pediatric EDs. The purpose of this study was to develop the Parents' Assessment of Residents Enacting Non-Technical Skills (PARENTS) educational assessment tool and collect three sources of validity evidence (i.

Infant nephrolithiasis and nephrocalcinosis: Natural history and predictors of surgical intervention.

Introduction: Renal stone disease diagnosed in the first year of life is relatively uncommon. While risk factors such as low birth weight, furosemide exposure, and metabolic disorders are well established, there exists little information regarding resolution rates and need for surgical intervention. Our study objective was to evaluate urolithiasis and renal calcification resolution rates, time to resolution, and need for surgical intervention in children diagnosed in their first year of life.

Confirmatory Factor and Rasch Analyses Support a Revised 14-Item Version of the Organizational, Policies, and Practices (OPP) Scale.

Background The long version of the organizational, policies and practices (OPP) had a high burden and short versions were developed to solve this drawback. The 11-item version showed promise, but the ergonomic subscale was deficient. The OPP-14 was developed by adding three additional items to the ergonomics subscale.

Recovery and Stability of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Using the Oral-Eze® Oral Fluid Collection System and Intercept® Oral Specimen Collection Device.

Oral fluid (OF) is increasingly used for clinical, forensic and workplace drug testing as an alternative to urine. Uncertainties surrounding OF collection device performance, drug stability and testing reproducibility may be partially responsible for delays in the implementation of OF testing in regulated drug testing programs. Stability of Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) fortified and authentic specimens was examined after routine collection, transport and laboratory testing.

OMERACT Filter Evidence Supporting the Measurement of At-work Productivity Loss as an Outcome Measure in Rheumatology Research.

Objective: Indicators of work role functioning (being at work, and being productive while at work) are important outcomes for persons with arthritis. As the worker productivity working group at OMERACT (Outcome Measures in Rheumatology), we sought to provide an evidence base for consensus on standardized instruments to measure worker productivity [both absenteeism and at-work productivity (presenteeism) as well as critical contextual factors].

Methods: Literature reviews and primary studies were done and reported to the OMERACT 12 (2014) meeting to build the OMERACT Filter 2.

Does the Upper-Limb Work Instability Scale Predict Transitions Out of Work Among Injured Workers?

Objective: To investigate the predictive ability of the Upper-Limb Work Instability Scale (UL-WIS) for transitioning out of work among injured workers with chronic, work-related upper extremity disorders (WRUEDs).

Design: Secondary analysis of a 12-month cohort study with data collection at baseline and 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up. Survey questionnaires were used to collect data on an array of sociodemographic, health-related, and work-related variables.

Estimating productivity costs in health economic evaluations: a review of instruments and psychometric evidence.

Health economic evaluations (i.e. cost-effectiveness appraisal of an intervention) are useful aids for decision makers responsible for the allocation of scarce healthcare resources.

A reciprocal interplay between psychosocial job stressors and worker well-being? A systematic review of the "reversed" effect.

Objectives: Work represents an important role in society, and the nature and consequences of job stress have garnered significant research interest. In recent years, considerable effort has been made to elucidate the occupational stressor-strain relationship, or the interplay between unfavorable working conditions (stressor) and worker well-being (strain). In line with Bandura's notion of "reciprocal determinism", a reciprocal occupational stressor-strain relationship is now increasingly postulated, where variables exert mutual influences on each other over time.

Worker productivity outcome measures: OMERACT filter evidence and agenda for future research.

The objective of the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Worker Productivity working group is to identify worker productivity outcome measures that meet the requirements of the OMERACT filter. At the OMERACT 11 Workshop, we focused on the at-work limitations/productivity component of worker productivity (i.e.

Measurement properties of the QuickDASH (disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand) outcome measure and cross-cultural adaptations of the QuickDASH: a systematic review.

Purpose: To identify and synthesize evidence for the measurement properties of the QuickDASH, a shortened version of the 30-item DASH (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand) instrument.

Methods: This systematic review used a best evidence synthesis approach to critically appraise the measurement properties [using COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN)] of the QuickDASH and cross-cultural adaptations. A standard search strategy was conducted between 2005 (year of first publication of QuickDASH) and March 2011 in MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL.

Sensibility of five at-work productivity measures was endorsed by patients with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To examine and compare the sensibility attributes (face/content validity and feasibility) of five at-work productivity measures from the perspective of patients with osteoarthritis (OA) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Study Design And Setting: Workers with OA or RA (n = 250) completed a survey that includes five at-work productivity (presenteeism) measures and questions asking about their comprehensiveness, understandability, length, and suitability of response options. A final question asked respondents which single measure was considered "best" overall.

Construct and predictive validity of the chronic pain grade in workers with chronic work-related upper-extremity disorders.

Objective: To evaluate the ability of Chronic Pain Grade (CPG) questionnaire to predict upper-extremity physical disability, at-work disability, and work status in workers with chronic work-related upper-limb injuries.

Methods: A total of 448 individuals with chronic work-related injuries were assessed at baseline and 6 months later. At each evaluation, 4 self-reported questionnaires were completed (CPG, QuickDASH, Work Limitations Questionnaire, and Work Instability Scale), and current work status was evaluated.

Confirmatory factor analysis of the Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ-25) in Workers' Compensation Claimants with chronic upper-limb disorders.

Purpose: To examine the factorial validity of the Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ-25) among workers' compensation claimants with chronic upper-limb disorders.

Methods: Attendees of the WSIB Shoulder and Elbow Specialty clinic in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, completed a survey that includes the WLQ-25 [4 subscales: time-management (TM), physical demands (PD), mental-interpersonal (MI), and output demands (OD)]. Confirmatory factor analyses (n = 2262) were conducted to evaluate and compare alternative 4- and 5-factor WLQ-25 structures [MI subscale intact vs.

Porokeratosis of Mibelli: Involution and resolution with 5% imiquimod cream.

An 82-year-old woman presented with a longstanding, slowly enlarging annular lesion on the medial aspect of the ankle. Histology confirmed the clinical diagnosis of Porokeratosis of Mibelli. The lesion slowly involuted and resolved over 26 weeks of 5% imiquimod cream applied topically and has not recurred during a 36 month follow-up period.

The 11-item workplace organizational policies and practices questionnaire (OPP-11): examination of its construct validity, factor structure, and predictive validity in injured workers with upper-limb disorders.

Background: Reliable and valid measurement of workplace organizational policies and practices (OPPs) is needed to evaluate their influences on the prevention and management of occupational injuries.

Methods: Injured workers (n = 614) attending an upper-limb specialty clinic operated by the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board of Ontario were recruited for a 1-year study. The OPP-11, completed at baseline, was examined for scaling properties (floor/ceiling effects, internal consistency, and item-convergent/discriminant validity), construct validity, and factor structure.

Measuring the impact of arthritis on worker productivity: perspectives, methodologic issues, and contextual factors.

Leading up to the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) 10 meeting, the goal of the Worker Productivity Special Interest Group (WP-SIG) was to make progress on 3 key issues that relate to the application and interpretation of worker productivity outcomes in arthritis: (1) to review existing conceptual frameworks to help consolidate our intended target and scope of measurement; (2) to examine the methodologic issues associated with our goal of combining multiple indicators of worker productivity loss (e.g., absenteeism <-> presenteeism) into a single comprehensive outcome; and (3) to examine the relevant contextual factors of work and potential implications for the interpretation of scores derived from existing outcome measures.

Disease-related differential item functioning in the work instability scale for rheumatoid arthritis: converging results from three methods.

Objective: The 23-item Work Instability Scale for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA-WIS) is a promising measure to assess risk for future work disability. Validated in both rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA), it has high potential for cross-disease applications. Our objective was to examine disease-related differential item functioning (DIF) in the RA-WIS.

Rasch analysis informed modifications to the Work Instability Scale for Rheumatoid Arthritis for use in work-related upper limb disorders.

Objective: The Work Instability Scale for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA-WIS) is a promising prognostic tool for future work disability outcomes. Rasch analysis was conducted to examine the psychometric performance of the RA-WIS in work-related upper limb disorders.

Study Design And Setting: Eligible injured workers (n=396) attending a Shoulder and Elbow Specialty clinic participated in a 1-year study with surveys fielded at four time points.

Examination of arthritis-related work place activity limitations and intermittent disability over four-and-a-half years and its relationship to job modifications and outcomes.

Objective: To examine the type, degree, and episodic nature of arthritis-related work place activity limitations and the consistency of the relationship of activity limitations to job modifications and work place outcomes.

Methods: Using an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire, individuals with osteoarthritis (OA) or inflammatory arthritis (IA) were interviewed at 4 time points, 18 months apart. At baseline, all participants (n = 490; 381 women, 109 men) were employed.