BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Deployment of Body Area Networks (BAN) in hospitals can enable real time data collection and analysis for patient health. Such networks have a two-tier structure the primary layer consists of nodes that are installed on hospital facilities, while the second tier contains sensors on patient body. The unique two-tier network structure poses challenges to secure and continuous information transmission between sensors and data servers, especially when patients are moving. We plan to design a suite of mechanisms to support power efficient and secure data collection and smooth hand-over of sensors when patients move freely in a hospital. METHODS We assume that both group and individual secrets can be provided to BAN sensors when a patient checks in to the hospital. We first design mechanisms that use hash chains and double exclusive-or operations to protect data confidentiality and authenticity from BAN sensors. When a patient moves, the top tier nodes installed on the hospital facilities can provide smooth hand-over of the BAN sensors through secret updates. Our mechanisms can support network dynamics and changes of sensors in BAN networks. RESULTS We present the proposed mechanisms in details. We analyze the power efficiency of the approaches. We compare the power consumption of the proposed approach to those of the three security levels of IEEE 802.15.6 standard. Using formal methods, we prove the safety of the mechanisms. We also study the robustness of the approaches against various attacks. CONCLUSIONS In summary, we design a suite of mechanisms to support secure and continuous data collection from body sensors on patients in hospitals. The approaches are secure and efficient, which satisfy the requirements of future smart health applications. In this article, a content-aware specular reflection suppression scheme was developed based on adaptive image inpainting and neural network for endoscopic images. To decrease the impact of specular reflection on visual quality, the proposed scheme consists of three parts reflection detection, reflection region classification, and reflection concealment. To automatically locate specular reflection regions, a thresholding algorithm with a morphological dilation operation is employed. To reduce the effect of specular reflection, an adaptive image inpainting algorithm is devised to deal with different reflection regions. To achieve content-aware image inpainting, a reflection region classification algorithm is designed by analyzing the local image content to adjust the parameters in the proposed image inpainting algorithm. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can automatically and correctly not only locate but also conceal specular reflection regions in endoscopic images. Furthermore, since the average SSIM (structural similarity index) value of the proposed scheme is higher than those of the existing methods, our specular reflection suppression scheme is superior to the existing methods. V.BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Non-fusion dynamic stabilization surgery is increasingly popular for treating degenerative lumbar disc disease. However, changes in spine biomechanics after application of posterior dynamic fixation devices during whole-body vibration (WBV) remain unclear. The study aimed to examine the effects of non-fusion dynamic stabilization on biomechanical responses of the implanted lumbar spine to vertical WBV. METHODS By modifying L4-L5 segment of the healthy human L1-sacrum finite element model, single-level disc degeneration, dynamic fixation using the BioFlex system and anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) with rigid fixation were simulated, respectively. Dynamic responses of stress and strain in the spinal levels for the healthy, degenerated, BioFlex and ALIF models under an axial cyclic loading were investigated and compared. RESULTS The results showed that endplate stress at implant level was lower in the BioFlex model than in the degenerated and ALIF models, but stress of the connecting rod in the BioFlex system was greater than that in the rigid fixation system used in the ALIF. Compared with the healthy model, stress and strain responses in terms of disc bulge, annulus stress and nucleus pressure at adjacent levels were decreased in the degenerated, BioFlex and ALIF models, but no obvious difference was observed in these responses among the three models. CONCLUSIONS This study may be helpful to understand variations in vibration characteristics of the lumbar spine after application of non-fusion dynamic stabilization system. BACKGROUND - Far too many newborns die or face serious morbidity in Zambia, as in many other sub-Saharan African countries. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/uc2288.html New knowledge is needed to enhance our understanding of newborn care and the cultural factors influencing the ways mothers seek newborn care. This study adds to the literature about rural Zambians' cultural beliefs and practices related to newborn care and health-seeking practices that influence maternal-newborn health. OBJECTIVE - The goal of this study was to describe the factors associated with newborn care in rural Zambia. DESIGN - Sixty focus groups were conducted. Each group contained a minimum of 8 and maximum of 12 participants. Recruitment was conducted orally by word of mouth through the nurse in charge at the health facilities and village chiefs. SETTING - Data were collected between June and August 2016 in 20 communities located in Zambia's rural Lundazi (Eastern province), Mansa, and Chembe (Luapula province) Districts. PARTICIPANTS - The study included community members (n s aimed at improving maternal-child health outcomes. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE - There were findings about the culture-specific prevention of cough, care of the umbilical cord, and early introduction of traditional porridge that carry implications for nursing practice. There is an obvious need to reinforce the importance of partner testing for STIs during routine ANC even though there is a desire to preserve dignity. Mercury (Hg) is recognized as a global pollutant, which can be transported to the sea by suspended particulate matter (SPM) via rivers constituting the main source of mercury in the southern Baltic sea. The aim of the present study was to characterize the mercury fractions in suspended particulate matter, as well as the transformations of Hg during its riverine transportation into the sea. The thermo-desorption method was used to determine the labile and stable mercury fractions in SPM of rivers (Reda, Zagórska Struga, Gizdepka, Płutnica) within the Baltic Sea basin. In this paper six "periods" were designated (heating, non-heating, drought, rains, downpour/flood and thaws), during which the river suspended particulate matter was enriched with various fractions of mercury. Meteorological and hydrological phenomena such as downpours and thaws intensified surface runoff, causing an increase in the share of Hgabs and Hgads1 mercury fractions in suspended particulate matter. Whereas, droughts contributed to the formation of HgS in a large river and to an inflow of adsorbed Hg in smaller rivers decrease of air temperature leads to increase of fossil fuel combustion and then increases the share of adsorbed Hg (mainly bound with halides) in riverine particulate matter.