Patient information, education and self-management in bronchiectasis: facilitating improvements to optimise health outcomes

Background: Bronchiectasis is an incurable lung disease characterised by irreversible airway dilatation. It causes symptoms including chronic productive cough, dyspnoea, and recurrent respiratory infections often requiring hospital admission. Fatigue and reductions in quality of life are also reported in bronchiectasis. Patients often require multi-modal treatments that can be burdensome, leading to issues with adherence. In this article we review the provision of, and requirement for, education and information in bronchiectasis. Discussion: To date, little research has been undertaken to improve self-management in bronchiectasis in comparison to other chronic conditions, such as COPD, for which there has been a wealth of recent developments. Qualitative work has begun to establish that information deficit is one of the potential barriers to self-management, and that patients feel having credible information is fundamental when learning to live with and manage bronchiectasis. Emerging research offers some insights into ways of improving treatment adherence and approaches to self-management education; highlighting ways of addressing the specific unmet information needs of patients and their families who are living with bronchiectasis. Conclusions: We propose non-pharmacological recommendations to optimise patient self-management and symptom recognition; with the aim of facilitating measurable improvements in health outcomes for patients with bronchiectasis

Evaluation of a novel information resource for patients with bronchiectasis: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Background: There is currently little patient information on bronchiectasis, a chronic lung disease with rising prevalence. Previous work shows that patients and their families want more information, which could potentially improve their understanding and self-management. Using interviews and focus groups, we have co-developed a novel patient and carer information resource, aiming to meet their identified needs. The aims and objectives are: 1. To assess the potential impact of the information resource 2. To evaluate and refine the intervention 3. To establish the feasibility of carrying out a multi-centre randomised controlled trial to determine its effect on understanding, self-management and health outcomes. Methods/design: This is a feasibility study, with a single-centre, randomised controlled trial design, comparing use of a novel patient information resource to usual care in bronchiectasis. Additionally, patients and carers will be invited to focus groups to discuss their views on both the intervention itself and the trial process. The study duration for each participant will be 3 months from the study entry date. A total of 70 patients will be recruited to the study, and a minimum of 30 will be randomised to each arm. Ten participants (and their carers if applicable) will be invited to attend focus groups on completion of the study visits. Participants will be adults with bronchiectasis diagnosed as per national bronchiectasis guidelines. Once consented, participants will be randomised to the intervention or control arm using random permuted blocks to ensure treatment group numbers are evenly balanced. Randomisation will be web-based. Those randomised to the intervention will receive the information resource (website and booklet) and instructions on its use. Outcome measures (resource satisfaction, resource use and alternative information seeking, quality of life questionnaires, unscheduled healthcare visits, exacerbation frequency, bronchiectasis knowledge questionnaire and lung function tests) will be recorded at baseline, 2 weeks and 3 months. Discussion: All outcome measures will be used in assessing feasibility and acceptability of a future definitive trial. Feasibility outcomes include recruitment, retention and study scale form completion rates. Focus groups will strengthen qualitative data for resource refinement and to identify participant views on the trial process, which will also inform feasibility assessments. Questionnaires will also be used to evaluate and refine the resource

Closed-loop control of compression paddle motion to reduce blurring in mammograms

Background: Since the introduction of full field digital mammography (FFDM) a large number of UK breast cancer screening centers have reported blurred images, which can be caused by movement at the compression paddle during image acquisition. Purpose: To propose and investigate the use of position feedback from the breast side of the compression paddle to reduce the settling time of breast side motion. Method: Movement at the breast side of the paddle was measured using two calibrated linear potentiometers. A mathematical model for the compression paddle, machine drive and breast was developed using the paddle movement data. Simulation software was used to optimize the position feedback controller parameters for different machine drive time constants and simulate the potential performance of the proposed system. Results: The results obtained are based on simulation alone and indicate that closed-loop control of breast side paddle position dramatically reduced the settling time from over 90 seconds to less than 4 seconds. The effect of different machine drive time constants on the open-loop response is insignificant. With closed-loop control, the larger the time constant the longer the time required for the breast side motion to settle. Conclusions: Paddle motion induced blur could be significantly reduced by implementing the proposed closed-loop control

Making Record-efficiency SnS Solar Cells by Thermal Evaporation and Atomic Layer Deposition

Tin sulfide (SnS) is a candidate absorber material for Earth-abundant, non-toxic solar cells. SnS offers easy phase control and rapid growth by congruent thermal evaporation, and it absorbs visible light strongly. However, for a long time the record power conversion efficiency of SnS solar cells remained below 2%. Recently we demonstrated new certified record efficiencies of 4.36% using SnS deposited by atomic layer deposition, and 3.88% using thermal evaporation. Here the fabrication procedure for these record solar cells is described, and the statistical distribution of the fabrication process is reported. The standard deviation of efficiency measured on a single substrate is typically over 0.5%. All steps including substrate selection and cleaning, Mo sputtering for the rear contact (cathode), SnS deposition, annealing, surface passivation, Zn(O,S) buffer layer selection and deposition, transparent conductor (anode) deposition, and metallization are described. On each substrate we fabricate 11 individual devices, each with active area 0.25 cm[superscript 2]. Further, a system for high throughput measurements of current-voltage curves under simulated solar light, and external quantum efficiency measurement with variable light bias is described. With this system we are able to measure full data sets on all 11 devices in an automated manner and in minimal time. These results illustrate the value of studying large sample sets, rather than focusing narrowly on the highest performing devices. Large data sets help us to distinguish and remedy individual loss mechanisms affecting our devices.United States. Dept. of Energy (SunShot Initiative Contract DE-EE0005329)Robert Bosch GmbH (Bosch Energy Research Network Grant 02.20.MC11)Alexander von Humboldt-StiftungUnited States. Dept. of Energy. Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (Postdoctoral Research Award)Intel Corporation (PhD Fellowship

The Vehicle, Spring 2005

Table of Contents The Remnants of YouKaty Dwigginspage 5 Sunrise, Early Spring, with CigaretteMario Podeschipage 6-7 I\u27m Not the Butterfly, I\u27m the KnifeAllison Staulcuppage 8 AcceptanceHeather Lucaspage 9 WordsKaty Dwigginspage 10 Thank YouA.T. Shootpage 11 72 Beats ofA.T. Shootpage 12 I Think We Hang Out Too MuchAllison Staulcuppage 13 StorageA.T. Shootpage 14 Plum PerfectKaty Dwigginspage 15 Last MinuteMeghan Moralespage 16 Last Monday\u27s SummersaultKelly Richardspage 17 A Peaceful MomentStaci Lucepage 18-19 The SaviorKaty Dwigginspage 20 IslandsDanielle Hookepage 21 My Nalgene: A SonnetJesse Wygonikpage 22 Unwanted ChildKaty Dwigginspage 23 My Pain or YoursAllison Staulcuppage 24 TimmyKelly Richardspage 25-30https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1083/thumbnail.jp

The Vehicle, Spring 2005

Table of Contents The Remnants of YouKaty Dwigginspage 5 Sunrise, Early Spring, with CigaretteMario Podeschipage 6-7 I\u27m Not the Butterfly, I\u27m the KnifeAllison Staulcuppage 8 AcceptanceHeather Lucaspage 9 WordsKaty Dwigginspage 10 Thank YouA.T. Shootpage 11 72 Beats ofA.T. Shootpage 12 I Think We Hang Out Too MuchAllison Staulcuppage 13 StorageA.T. Shootpage 14 Plum PerfectKaty Dwigginspage 15 Last MinuteMeghan Moralespage 16 Last Monday\u27s SummersaultKelly Richardspage 17 A Peaceful MomentStaci Lucepage 18-19 The SaviorKaty Dwigginspage 20 IslandsDanielle Hookepage 21 My Nalgene: A SonnetJesse Wygonikpage 22 Unwanted ChildKaty Dwigginspage 23 My Pain or YoursAllison Staulcuppage 24 TimmyKelly Richardspage 25-30https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1083/thumbnail.jp

Information and education provision in bronchiectasis: co-development and evaluation of a novel patient-driven resource in a digital era

‘Take home message’ Improvements in information for those living with bronchiectasis should use patient driven co-development processes