Swyer–James–MacLeod syndrome—a rare diagnosis presented through two adult patients

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.Swyer–James–MacLeod syndrome (SJMS) is a rare syndrome of acute obliterative bronchiolitis following an early childhood infective insult to the lungs. This causes arrest of alveolarization, affecting lung development with hypoplasia of the ipsilateral pulmonary artery and results in a characteristic radiological pattern, such as a unilateral hyperlucent lung with expiratory air-trapping and pruned-tree appearance on pulmonary angiogram. The clinical presentation is either recurrent chest infections, exertional dyspnoea or it may be an incidental finding. Management involves early prevention of infection, airway clearance, and regular vaccinations. We describe two adult patients with SJMS: A 51-year-old female of Indian ethnicity presenting with recurrent haemoptysis and a 40-year-old Indigenous male presenting acutely with sepsis and background history of recurrent chest infections. These cases highlight the importance of being aware of and accurately recognizing this rare condition, to be able to manage patients appropriately and avoid incorrect and unnecessary treatment

Knowledge Priorities on Climate Change and Water in the Upper Indus Basin: A Horizon Scanning Exercise to Identify the Top 100 Research Questions in Social and Natural Sciences

River systems originating from the Upper Indus Basin (UIB) are dominated by runoff from snow and glacier melt and summer monsoonal rainfall. These water resources are highly stressed as huge populations of people living in this region depend on them, including for agriculture, domestic use, and energy production. Projections suggest that the UIB region will be affected by considerable (yet poorly quantified) changes to the seasonality and composition of runoff in the future, which are likely to have considerable impacts on these supplies. Given how directly and indirectly communities and ecosystems are dependent on these resources and the growing pressure on them due to ever-increasing demands, the impacts of climate change pose considerable adaptation challenges. The strong linkages between hydroclimate, cryosphere, water resources, and human activities within the UIB suggest that a multi- and inter-disciplinary research approach integrating the social and natural/environmental sciences is critical for successful adaptation to ongoing and future hydrological and climate change. Here we use a horizon scanning technique to identify the Top 100 questions related to the most pressing knowledge gaps and research priorities in social and natural sciences on climate change and water in the UIB. These questions are on the margins of current thinking and investigation and are clustered into 14 themes, covering three overarching topics of ‘governance, policy, and sustainable solutions’, ‘socioeconomic processes and livelihoods’, and ‘integrated Earth System processes’. Raising awareness of these cutting-edge knowledge gaps and opportunities will hopefully encourage researchers, funding bodies, practitioners, and policy makers to address them

Development and Evaluation of a Blended Home-Based Exercise Intervention for Older Adults

Aging is associated with a decline in the ability to carry out daily tasks. Physical activity can delay or diminish the decline and increase the ability of older adults to live independently at home. Performing home-based exercises can help older adults achieve the recommended levels of physical activity. Technology allows exercise programs to be tailored to individual needs. This thesis describes a blended intervention that was developed and evaluated according to the Medical Research Council framework. The principal findings are that older adults are motivated to perform technology-supported home-based exercises if they help them maintain self-reliance and there is sufficient guidance, safety is taken into account, and adherence is stimulated. To meet those conditions, a blended intervention was developed that was based on functional exercises, behavior change theory and human guidance. A custom-made tablet application appears to be usable by the target audience. A process evaluation has shown that the tablet as well as the coach support older adults in the various phases of self-regulating their exercise behavior. The blended intervention stimulates intrinsic motivation by supporting the autonomy of participants, fostering competence and, for some, meeting the need for relatedness by offering emotional support. Data derived from the tablet demonstrate that older adults participating in the intervention exhibit exercise behavior that is in line with WHO guidelines and that engagement with the tablet was a contributing factor. Future work should include assessment of intervention fidelity and explore which aspects of coaching can and cannot be further automated

Technologie en gedragsverandering bij ouderen

Technologie wordt steeds vaker ingezet, maar werkt het ook? Sumit Mehra legt uit hoe wetenschappelijke inzichten vertaald kunnen worden naar een blended aanpak om gedragsverandering te realiseren. Hij licht dit toe aan de hand van het VITAMINE project waarbij ouderen met behulp van een tablet en e-coaching worden ondersteund om thuis een functioneel oefenprogramma te volgen dat is toegesneden op de individuele situatie

Treatment of infected non union tibia: A novel technique - lengthening using limb reconstruction system over intramedullary nail

Background: To assess combination of an intramedullary interlocking (IMIL) nail with limb reconstruction system (LRS) in cases of infected nonunion tibia and to show influence of nail in predicting good outcome. Materials and Methods: From 2009 to 2011, records of 20 patients (17 men and three women) aged 18 to 65 years (mean, 38.4 years) with infected nonunion of the tibia treated with the LRS over IMIL Nail technique were prospectively reviewed. According to Jain et al., patients were classified into five cases of A1, five cases of type A2, seven cases of type B1, and three cases of type B2. All cases underwent LRS and IMIL. Mean amount of target lengthening was 54.65 mm. The mean follow-up was 14 months. Results: Mean amount of tibia lengthening was 51.70 mm. Leg length equalization was achieved in 19 cases (±5). According to modified scoring by Paley et al., 12 patients had excellent results, three patients had good, four patients had fair outcome, and one patient had poor outcome. Mean distraction index was 0.97. Mean maturation index was 2.43. Mean consolidation index was 3.47. Mean healing index was 1.40. One case had proximal locking screw failure. One case developed pre mature consolidation as distraction was started at delayed period due to non-compliance. Two cases developed decreased dorsi flexion of ankle. Two cases required flap surgeries for cover of bone. One case had pin breakage, which had to be exchanged. One case developed re-infection. Conclusion: The advantages of this technique include complete eradication of infective foci, reduced risk of deformity during lengthening, decrease risk of fractures post external fixator removal and reduction of time required for external fixator use thus decreasing healing index: Number of days of external fixation required per centimetre of lengthening