Mucus clears from the trachea in a helix: a new twist to understanding airway diseases.

Background: Mucociliary clearance (MCC) is critical to lung health and is impaired in many diseases. The path of MCC may have an important impact on clearance but has never been rigorously studied. The objective of this study is to assess the three-dimensional path of human tracheal MCC in disease and health.

Restless legs syndrome.

Background: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common sensorimotor disorder causing significant distress and is commonly seen in the primary care setting.

Objective: This article outlines the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of RLS, with a focus on the primary care setting.

Discussion: RLS is a clinical diagnosis, although mimics exist.

Mechanisms of gas transfer impairment utilizing nitric oxide following severe COVID-19 pneumonitis.

Reduced carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DL ) is common after recovery from severe COVID-19 pneumonitis. The extent to which this relates to alveolar membrane dysfunction as opposed to vascular injury is uncertain. Simultaneous measurement of nitric oxide diffusing capacity (DL ) and DL can partition gas diffusion into its two components: alveolar-capillary membrane conductance (D ) and capillary blood volume (V ).

Lung Health in the Solomon Islands: A Mixed Methods Study.

Background And Objectives: Despite a population of 600,000 people from 900 islands, there is little published data on the prevalence of lung disease in the Solomon Islands. We sought to 1) estimate the prevalence of obstructive lung disease (OLD) in Gizo, Solomon Islands, 2) identify risk factors for respiratory disease in this population and 3) review current management practices for respiratory disease through an audit of local emergency department (ED) presentations.

Methods: A two-part mixed methods study was performed between March and May 2019; the first was a population-based, cross-sectional study conducted in Gizo, Solomon Islands, with a random sample undergoing questionnaires and spirometry.

The SaniPath Exposure Assessment Tool: A quantitative approach for assessing exposure to fecal contamination through multiple pathways in low resource urban settlements.

Inadequate sanitation can lead to exposure to fecal contamination through multiple environmental pathways and can result in adverse health outcomes. By understanding the relative importance of multiple exposure pathways, sanitation interventions can be tailored to those pathways with greatest potential public health impact. The SaniPath Exposure Assessment Tool allows users to identify and quantify human exposure to fecal contamination in low-resource urban settings through a systematic yet customizable process.

Variation in E. coli concentrations in open drains across neighborhoods in Accra, Ghana: The influence of onsite sanitation coverage and interconnectedness of urban environments.

Alongside efforts to improve safe management of feces along the entire sanitation chain, including after the toilet, global sanitation efforts are focusing on universal access 'basic' services: onsite facilities that safely contain excreta away from human contact. Although fecal sludge management is improving in urban areas, open drains remain a common fate for feces in these often densely-populated neighborhoods in low-income countries. To-date, it is unclear to what extent complete coverage of onsite sanitation reduces fecal contamination in the urban environment and how fecal contamination varies within urban drains across neighborhoods by sanitation status within a city.

Management of recurrent haemoptysis in malignancy with combined TISSEEL and intrabronchial valves.

Management of recurrent haemoptysis poses a difficult clinical scenario. TISSEEL (Baxter Healthcare Corporation Deerfield, IL, USA) is a fibrin sealant often used in surgery to aid control of bleeding. However, when endoscopic TISSEEL is used independently, migration, dislodgement, or even expectoration of the fibrin clot is a common complication that may lead to recurrence of haemoptysis.

Intake of Sugar-sweetened Beverages and Fecundability in a North American Preconception Cohort.

Background: Dietary factors, including sugar-sweetened beverages, may have adverse effects on fertility. Sugar-sweetened beverages were associated with poor semen quality in cross-sectional studies, and female soda intake has been associated with lower fecundability in some studies.

Methods: We evaluated the association of female and male sugar-sweetened beverage intake with fecundability among 3,828 women planning pregnancy and 1,045 of their male partners in a North American prospective cohort study.

The mCME Project: A Randomized Controlled Trial of an SMS-Based Continuing Medical Education Intervention for Improving Medical Knowledge among Vietnamese Community Based Physicians' Assistants.

Background: Community health workers (CHWs) provide critical services to underserved populations in low and middle-income countries, but maintaining CHW's clinical knowledge through formal continuing medical education (CME) activities is challenging and rarely occurs. We tested whether a Short Message Service (SMS)-based mobile CME (mCME) intervention could improve medical knowledge among a cadre of Vietnamese CHWs (Community Based Physician's Assistants-CBPAs) who are the leading providers of primary medical care for rural underserved populations.

Methods: The mCME Project was a three arm randomized controlled trial.