John Buchan

Dec 21, 2024 | nature.com | John Buchan

We congratulate Ong et al. on their interesting article addressing greener intravitreal injection (IVI) services [1]. The article explores strategies to reduce the environmental impact of building energy and water usage, personal travel, manufacturing, procurement and waste management. We would like to highlight the role of the Delphi process for reducing carbon footprints of IVI services based on our experiences at an NHS teaching hospital.

Oct 26, 2024 | stagewhispers.com.au | John Buchan

The Adelaide University Theatre Guild have out-Hitchcocked Hitchcock himself in their latest production of The 39 Steps, with many clever references to the master filmmaker’s films woven into the script and the set. The 39 Steps is a parody adapted from the 1915 novel by John Buchan and the 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock. The original concept and production of a four-actor version of the story was written by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon, and premiered in 1996.

Sep 19, 2024 | nature.com | John Buchan |Alexander C. Day |Paul H. J. Donachie |Peng Yong Sim

To create a risk factor model for posterior capsule rupture (PCR) during cataract surgery. Eligible operations between 01/04/2016 and 31/03/2022 from centres supplying data to the UK national cataract audit with complete data including patients’ gender and age at surgery, anterior chamber depth (ACD) measurement and preoperative visual acuity (VA) were included. A logistic regression model was fitted to identify risk factors and calculate their odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for PCR. This analysis included 961,208 cataract operations performed on 682,381 patients from 136 participating centres by 3198 surgeons. 9730 (1.01%) of surgeries were complicated by PCR. The median age was 75.7 and 76.7 years for first and second eye surgery respectively, and 5154 (53.0%) were female. The highest risk factors for PCR were less experienced trainee surgeon (OR 3.75, 95% CI 3.33–4.24, p < 0.001), pseudoexfoliation/phacodonesis (OR 3.47, 95% CI 3.05–3.94, p < 0.001), younger males (OR 3.05, 95% CI 2.23–4.16, p < 0.001) and brunescent/white/mature cataract (OR 2.41, 95% CI 2.24–2.60, p < 0.001). Other risk factors identified were glaucoma, worse preoperative VA, previous intravitreal therapy, high myopia, previous vitrectomy, systemic diabetes, diabetic retinopathy, amblyopia, older age, shallower ACD and inability to lie flat and cooperate. Various surgical, patient and ocular factors increase the risk of PCR during cataract surgery. This risk factor model permits estimation of individualised risks for patients and allows risk-adjustment for surgeons to evaluate their PCR rates based on case complexity.

Mar 7, 2024 | nature.com | John Buchan

AbstractThe aim of this study was to investigate whether the use of the silicone tipped irrigation/aspiration (I/A) handpiece CapsuleGuard® (Bausch + Lomb, Laval, Canada) reduced rates of posterior capsule rupture (PCR) during cataract surgery.

Jan 26, 2024 | pseudopod.org | John Buchan |Tiernan Douieb |Chelsea Davis |Clockpunk Studios

by John BuchanIt happened a good many years ago, when I was quite a young man. I wasn’t the cold scientist then that I fancy I am today. I took up birds in the first instance chiefly because they fired what imagination I had got. They fascinated me, for they seemed of all created things the nearest to pure spirit—those little beings with a normal temperature of 125°.