Percolation in Multi-hop Wireless Networks

To be adde

Identifying the most reliable and valid bladder health screening tool: a systematic review

<p><b>Purpose:</b> Lower urinary tract symptoms are common in advancing age and a major cause of disability through avoidance of activity and social engagement. This systematic review aimed to identify the most valid and reliable brief screening tool for these symptoms or bladder problems, to incorporate into a health promotion programme for older adults to facilitate discussion about self-management.</p> <p><b>Method:</b> Review eligibility criteria included studies published between 1990 and November 2018, reporting the validity, reliability and/or acceptability of bladder health screening tools. Six electronic databases were searched.</p> <p><b>Results:</b> Twenty-two studies were included. Three screening tools met the criteria: International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS); International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Urinary Incontinence Short-Form; Bladder Control Self-Assessment Questionnaire (B-SAQ). Test–retest reliability for total scores of the IPSS and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Urinary Incontinence Short-Form was acceptable. All three questionnaires showed evidence of acceptable levels of internal consistency and of convergent validity.</p> <p><b>Conclusion:</b> Having favourable psychometric scores compared to the B-SAQ and for ease of use and trustworthiness of a simple questionnaire, the IPSS and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Urinary Incontinence Short-Form met the criteria for recommendation for raising awareness and bladder health promoting interventions to reduce associated disability.Implications for Rehabilitation</p><p>Lower urinary tract symptoms are common in advancing age and a major cause of disability through avoidance of activity and social engagement.</p><p>Lower urinary tract symptoms can be prevented or improved through self-management strategies.</p><p>Help-seeking levels for lower urinary tract symptoms is low but could be improved through continence promotion interventions.</p><p>The International Prostate Symptom Score and the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire – Urinary Incontinence Short Form are bladder health screening questionnaires which would be appropriate to use as part of a continence promotion intervention to help prompt discussions and raise awareness and subsequently improve symptoms and associated disability.</p><p></p> <p>Lower urinary tract symptoms are common in advancing age and a major cause of disability through avoidance of activity and social engagement.</p> <p>Lower urinary tract symptoms can be prevented or improved through self-management strategies.</p> <p>Help-seeking levels for lower urinary tract symptoms is low but could be improved through continence promotion interventions.</p> <p>The International Prostate Symptom Score and the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire – Urinary Incontinence Short Form are bladder health screening questionnaires which would be appropriate to use as part of a continence promotion intervention to help prompt discussions and raise awareness and subsequently improve symptoms and associated disability.</p

Random Spatial Structures and Sums

The thesis contains three articles about three different models, all of which are about probability in infinite spaces. It begins with an informal introductory chapter accessible to a general reader who feels comfortable with mathematics. In the second chapter we consider problems of the following type. Assign independently to each vertex of the square lattice the value +1, with probability p, or -1, with probability 1-p. We ask whether an infinite path pi exists, with the property that the partial sums of the +1s along pi are uniformly bounded, and whether there exists an infinite path pi with the property that the partial sums along pi are equal to zero infinitely often. The answers to these questions depend on the type of path one allows, the value of p and the uniform bound specified. We show that phase transitions occur for these phenomena. Moreover, we make a surprising connection between the problem of finding a path to infinity (not necessarily self-avoiding, but visiting each vertex at most finitely many times) with a given bound on the partial sums, and the classical Boolean model with squares around the points of a Poisson process in the plane. For the recurrence problem, we also show that the probability of finding such a path is monotone in p, for p > ½. Continuum percolation models in which each point of a two-dimensional Poisson point process is the centre of a disc of given (or random) radius r, have been extensively studied. In the third chapter, we consider the generalisation in which a deterministic algorithm (given the points of the point process) places the discs on the plane, in such a way that each disc covers at least one point of the point process and that each point is covered by at least one disc. This gives a model for wireless communication networks, which was the original motivation to study this class of problems. We look at the percolation properties of this generalised model, showing that an unbounded connected component of discs does not exist, almost surely, for small values of the density lambda of the Poisson point process, for any covering algorithm. In general, it turns out not to be true that unbounded connected components arise when lambda is taken sufficiently high, even when we require the algorithm to be invariant under shifts of the points. However, we identify some large families of covering algorithms, for which such an unbounded component does arise for large values of lambda We show how a simple scaling operation can change the percolation properties of the model, leading to the almost sure existence of an unbounded connected component for large values of lambda , for any covering algorithm. Finally, we show that a large class of covering algorithms, that arise in many practical applications, can get arbitrarily close to achieving a minimal density of covering discs. We also show (constructively) the existence of algorithms that achieve this minimal density. In the fourth chapter, we construct certain particle systems on Z-exp.Z-exp.d. These systems start in configurations given by a stationary, ergodic law, such that the expectation of the absolute number of particles per site is finite. Particles are added and removed at rates which are functions of the configuration of particles. These functions are of bounded variation and are such that the rate at which particles are added at each is site is almost surely finite. Negative numbers of particles are allowed

Development Of A Smoke-free Homes Intervention For Parents: An Intervention Mapping Approach

Exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) is associated with various ill-health outcomes for children and adults. Barriers to creating a smoke-free home (SFH) are well-documented. Feasible and effective interventions to create smoke-free homes for disadvantaged households are lacking. Interventions that include providing parents with objective information about the impact of smoking on air quality in their home may be particularly effective. This study describes the development of a novel, theory- and evidence-based smoke-free homes intervention using objectively-assessed air quality feedback. The intervention was developed using the six-step Intervention Mapping (IM) protocol. Findings from literature reviews, focus groups with parents, interviews with health/care professionals, and expert panel discussions shaped intervention content and materials. Findings highlighted the importance of parents receiving personalised information on second-hand smoke levels in their home. Professionals considered the use of non-judgemental language essential in developed materials. Previous literature highlighted the need to address home smoking behaviour at a household rather than individual level. The AFRESH intervention is modular and designed to be delivered face-to-face by healthcare professionals. It includes up to five meetings with parents, two sets of five days’ air quality monitoring and personalised feedback, and the option to involve other household members in creating a smoke-free home using educational, motivational, and goal setting techniques. Further research is needed to evaluate the acceptability and effectiveness of the AFRESH intervention and which specific groups of parents this intervention will most likely benefit. IM was a useful framework for developing this complex intervention. This paper does not present evaluation findings

Pre-hospital and emergency department treatment of convulsive status epilepticus in adults : an evidence synthesis

Acknowledgements The authors are grateful to Robert Silbergleit, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan, MI, USA, for providing the individual participant data set of RAMPART. Patient and public involvement The Plain English summary was shared with the Health Services Research Unit (HSRU) Public Partnership Group at the University of Aberdeen, which consists of 11 patient and public involvement partners (seven men, four women; three working age, eight retired). Communication with the Public Partnership Group was facilitated by the HSRU patient and public involvement co-ordinator. The Group consists of members of the public, who meet regularly to discuss aspects of HSRU research and provide a public perspective. Six members of the group provided comments on the language and general meaning of the summary Funding This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Evidence Synthesis programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 26, No. 20. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.Peer reviewedPublisher PD