Charging Protocol for Partially Rechargeable Mobile Sensor Networks.

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have wide applicability in services used in daily life. However, for such networks, limited energy is a critical issue. The efficiency of a deployed sensor network may be subject to energy supply. Wireless rechargeable sensor networks have recently been proposed and discussed. Most related studies have involved applying static rechargeable sensors to an entire rechargeable environment or having mobile chargers patrol the environment to charge sensors within it. For partially rechargeable environments, improving the recharge efficiency and extending the lifetime of WSNs are considerable challenges. Scientists have devoted attention to energy transmission technologies and mobile sensor network (MSN) applications. In this paper, we propose a flexible charging protocol in which energy can be transmitted from certain energy supply regions to other regions in an MSN. Mobile rechargeable sensors are deployed to monitor the environment. To share energy in a certain region, the sensors move to replenish their energy and transmit energy to sensors outside the energy supply region. The efficiency of the proposed protocol is also discussed in the context of various situations. The evaluation results suggest that the flexible protocol is more efficient than other charging protocols in several situations.

Factors Associated With Follow-Up Visits in Parents With Myopic Children Wearing Orthokeratology Lens.

BACKGROUND: Orthokeratology (Ortho-k) is an effective method for slowing the progression of myopia and correcting refractive error in school children. Although parents of children aged < 10 years play a major role in Ortho-k lens care, they have a generally low level of compliance in performing regular follow-up visits. PURPOSE: This study was developed to analyze the associations between follow-up visits by parents of Ortho-k lens wearers aged < 10 years and, respectively, the Ortho-k-related knowledge of these parents and information resources promoting Ortho-k use. METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was used. Parents of children who wear Ortho-k lenses were recruited through a private Facebook group with 3,500 members in 2020 that was created in 2018 for information sharing and exchange among parents of these children. The following data were collected: demographics of the parents and their children, four-item Ortho-k-related knowledge, information resources that prompted the decision to use Ortho-k, and the regularity of follow-up visits. These data were presented in terms of means, standard deviations, and percentages. Logistic regression was performed to compute the odds ratios ( OR s) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: The study showed that 83.11% had regular follow-up visits. The correct response rate on Ortho-k-related knowledge was > 80%. However, 15.51% of the participants did not recognize axial length as an indicator for monitoring myopia progress, and 10.76% did not know that at least 6 hours of nighttime sleep is required for myopia control with Ortho-k. The most common information resource leading to Ortho-k use was self-acquisition from Internet sources. The spherical equivalent refraction of < -2.0 D was 2.58 times higher in participants with regular follow-up visits than in their peers with irregular follow-up visits ( OR = 2.58, 95% CI [0.22, 5.63]). In addition, acknowledgment of "There is no need to change the Ortho-k lenses regularly as long as there is no discomfort" was 7.19 times higher in participants with regular follow-up visits than in their peers with irregular follow-up visits ( OR = 7.19, 95% CI [1.26, 13.93]). However, participants with regular follow-up visits did not receive Internet ophthalmology advertisements prompting their decision to use Ortho-k 2.62 times higher than their peers with irregular follow-up visits ( OR = 2.62, 95% CI [0.04, 4.29]). CONCLUSIONS: The results support that both information sources and knowledge of Ortho-k use influence the frequency of follow-up visits among parents of Ortho-k lens wearers aged < 10 years. Related support from health professionals in terms of providing appropriate information and guidance is recommended to promote higher rates of regular follow-up visit attendance.

The Prevention of Periprosthetic Joint Infection in Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty Using Pre-Operative Chlorhexidine Bathing.

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) after total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a devastating complication. The aim of this study was to investigate whether preoperative bathing using chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) before THA can effectively reduce the postoperative PJI rate. A total of 933 primary THA patients, with the majority being female (54.4%) were included in the study. Primary THA patients who performed preoperative chlorhexidine bathing were assigned to the CHG group (190 subjects), and those who did not have preoperative chlorhexidine bathing were in the control group (743 subjects). The effects of chlorhexidine bathing on the prevention of PJI incidence rates were investigated. Differences in age, sex, and the operated side between the two groups were not statistically significant. Postoperative PJI occurred in four subjects, indicating an infection rate of 0.43% (4/933). All four infected subjects belonged to the control group. Although the PJI cases were significantly more in the control group than in the CHG group, statistical analysis revealed no statistical significance in the risk of PJI occurrence between the two groups (p = 0.588). Preoperative skin preparation by bathing with a 2% chlorhexidine gluconate cleanser did not produce significant effects on the prevention of postoperative PJI in primary THA.

A Smart Sensing and Routing Mechanism for Wireless Sensor Networks.

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have long been used for many applications. The efficiency of a WSN is subject to its monitoring accuracy and limited energy capacity. Thus, accurate detection and limited energy are two crucial problems for WSNs. Some studies have focused on building energy-efficient transmission mechanisms to extend monitoring lifetimes, and others have focused on building additional systems to support monitoring for enhanced accuracy. Herein, we propose a distributed cooperative mechanism where neighboring sensors mutually confirm event occurrences for improved monitoring accuracy. Moreover, the mechanism transmits events in a time- and energy-efficient manner by using smart antennae to extend monitoring lifetimes. The results of the simulations reveal that monitoring lifetime is extended and time for event notifications is shortened under the proposed mechanism. The evaluations also demonstrate that the monitoring accuracy of the proposed mechanism is much higher than that of other existing mechanisms.

Protocol to Exploit Waiting Resources for UASNs.

The transmission speed of acoustic waves in water is much slower than that of radio waves in terrestrial wireless sensor networks. Thus, the propagation delay in underwater acoustic sensor networks (UASN) is much greater. Longer propagation delay leads to complicated communication and collision problems. To solve collision problems, some studies have proposed waiting mechanisms; however, long waiting mechanisms result in low bandwidth utilization. To improve throughput, this study proposes a slotted medium access control protocol to enhance bandwidth utilization in UASNs. The proposed mechanism increases communication by exploiting temporal and spatial resources that are typically idle in order to protect communication against interference. By reducing wait time, network performance and energy consumption can be improved. A performance evaluation demonstrates that when the data packets are large or sensor deployment is dense, the energy consumption of proposed protocol is less than that of existing protocols as well as the throughput is higher than that of existing protocols.

Long-Term Use of Antihypertensive Agents and Risk of Breast Cancer: A Population-Based Case-Control Study.

INTRODUCTION: To evaluate the risk of breast cancer associated with long-term use of antihypertensive agents (AHs) in Taiwanese women with hypertension. METHODS: A search of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database identified 330,699 patients with hypertension who were treated with antihypertensive drugs between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 2011. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) between the use of AHs and breast cancer risk, adjusted for other types of antihypertensive drugs, statins and co-morbidities. RESULTS: Among the AHs used to treat the hypertensive women enrolled in our study, our analysis revealed that those treated with one specific particular class of beta-blockers (beta-1 selective beta-blockers) had an increased risk for breast cancer. We also found that the ever-use of calcium channel blockers (CCBs; i.e. for 13 years) was associated with breast cancer in an adjusted model (OR 1.09; 95% CI 1.03-1.16). However, the use of nonselective beta-blockers, selective and nonselective alpha-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II antagonists were not associated with breast cancer risk. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of our analysis, long-term use of CCBs or beta-1 selective beta-blockers are likely to be associated with the risk of breast cancer. Further large comprehensive population-based studies to support our findings are required for confirmation of this conclusion.

Applying the health belief model to analyze intention to participate in preventive pulmonary tuberculosis chest X-ray examinations among indigenous nursing students.

The purpose of this study was to investigate knowledge, perceptions of tuberculosis (TB) and intent to receive chest X-ray screening among indigenous (Taiwanese of ethnic Malayo-Polynesian descent) nursing students in Taiwan. A convenience sample was chosen from an technical institute in northern Taiwan that maintained admission quotas and provided scholarships for indigenous students. This school had over 150 classes and around 7,000 students, about 20% -25% of whom were ethnically indigenous. A power analysis based on a pilot study showed that a large effect size required a minimum sample of 485. To attain this number, 50 classes from years one through five were randomly selected based on an expected sampling of 20 students per classroom. In all, 1,000 questionnaires were distributed and 865 returned, for a response rate of 86.5%. A cross-sectional study design was used, and this study was run between the months of February and June 2003. Survey responses were self-reported in two questionnaires that gathered information on respondent knowledge and perceptions regarding TB and intent to take chest X-ray tests. Study results showed a moderate level of general knowledge about TB, misunderstandings regarding transmission vectors, and low perceptions regarding susceptibility. The knowledge score was associated with perceived benefits and barriers to preventing TB. Different places of residence influenced perceived barriers to preventing and treating TB. Age was negatively associated with the perceived benefits of receiving a chest X-ray exam for TB. Indigenous nursing students with higher perceptions of susceptibility and severity and lower perception of barriers on preventing TB had a higher level of intent to take the X-ray exam. Nursing schools must address the subject of TB in-depth and design age-specific curricula that incorporate multifaceted strategies for different students. Additionally, health educators should design health education programs targeted to dispel misconceptions and improve both knowledge and levels of awareness of tuberculosis among the indigenous population in order to enhance their willingness and ability to detect TB.

Short-term effects of a health promotion course for Taiwanese nursing students.

The purposes of this study were to (a) develop a teaching course on health promotion for nursing students in Taiwan, (b) evaluate the effects of this teaching course, and (c) understand students' appraisals of its effectiveness in helping them to change unhealthy behavior. A sample of 65 randomly selected female nursing students took an 18-week course developed by the investigators, which included 30 h of classroom lectures and 4 weeks of written reports by students chronicling the changes in their behavior. Health promotion questionnaires administered before and after the course and content analysis of the students' reports were used to evaluate the effects of the course. Students' questionnaire scores after course completion indicated significantly increased intent to adopt healthy lifestyles. Content analysis of students' reports on their personal behavior-changing experiences showed that they accepted the potential value of curriculum aspects such as experiencing the struggle, suffering, and even abandonment of the process, experiencing the benefits of change, increasing self-confidence, and empathizing with how difficult it is for clients to change behavior. These results support the value of teaching courses on health promotion to nursing students. The authors recommend including such a course as part of a regular nursing education.

Perimenopausal knowledge of mid-life women in northern Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: This work has been carried out keeping in view that although knowledge related to perimenopause is an important health issue for women worldwide, little information is known about mid-life Taiwanese women's knowledge of perimenopause. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper was to explore the level of perimenopausal knowledge of mid-life women in northern Taiwan, to describe the relationship between demographic factors and women's knowledge, and to identify what information health providers need to offer them. DESIGN: A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted. METHOD: The Perimenopausal Knowledge Questionnaire was used to collect data. The study was carried out in August 2000 to September 2001. A convenience sample was recruited from traditional Chinese medicine clinics, gynecology clinics and communities in northern Taipei. RESULTS: Our findings indicated that the overall mean correct answer weighted Perimenopausal Knowledge score of these mid-life women was 46.31. The rank of weighted scores from highest to lowest was: (1) self-care during perimenopause, (2) the perception of perimenopause, (3) knowledge related to hormone replacement therapy and (4) body changes associated with the declined oestrogen in perimenopause. Only educational level was significantly associated with Perimenopause Knowledge level (P < 0.01). Less than 20% (n = 353) of the women answered the items that measured self-management of symptoms related to perimenopause correctly. Less than 1.4% of the women knew that taking hormone replacement therapy required a physician's prescription and subsequent regular health check-ups. CONCLUSION: Participants lacked adequate knowledge about perimenopause. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICES: Health providers need to provide factual information about the normal body changes of perimenopause, self-management of perimenopausal disturbances and appropriate use of hormone replacement therapy.