Acceptability of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) by Mothers with Low-Birth-Weight Babies at Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital, in Ndola, Zambia

Background: Kangaroo Mother Care is a simple safe method used to care for low-birth-weight babies. Low-birth-weight is a global public health issue that pose significant challenge to perinatal care systems. Globally, complications due to low-birth-weight are the leading cause of neonatal mortality, resulting in an estimated 1 million deaths annually. Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) is a low-cost method of care for low-birth-weight infants in areas with inadequate incubators and power outages with positive outcomes. Objectives: To assess factors influencing acceptability of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) in NICU at Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital in Ndola, Zambia. Methodology: A cross sectional quantitative analytical study design was used. The study was conducted at Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital (ADCH) in Ndola, Zambia. The purposive sampling method was used to select the study participants and a total of 129 mothers with Low Weight Babies A were selected to participate structured closed ended questionnaire was used to collect data from the participants using an interview. Data was analyzed using a Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) software version 26. Cross tabulations were done to determine association of variables using a Chi square (x2) test at 95% confidence interval and were assumptions where not met, fishers exact test was used. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was used to quantify the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. Results: Most of the respondents had male babies 77%, 69% of the babies weighed 1000 g - 1400 g, majority 79% had normal delivery, 71% of the respondents were multigravida and most of the respondents 79% were married. The study reviewed that 85% of those who attained secondary education accepted KMC, 74% of the respondents without monthly income accepted KMC, 80% of the respondents had positive attitude and accepted KMC. 82% of the respondents who had positive perception accepted KMC. Conclusion: Acceptance of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) among 75% of the mothers underscores its widespread favourability as a beneficial method for infant care.

基于动力学仿真的多目标曲面表皮优化设计研究与实践

为了应对复杂曲面对建筑工程带来的挑战,本文结合项目的设计、建造实践,借助参数化工具与Kangaroo动力学模拟插件提出了一套基于动力学仿真的多目标曲面优化设计策略,阐述了优化设计的方法与经验,并验证了该策略的可行性。

关于区间上离散对数问题的改进算法

在群G上区间大小为N的离散对数问题为:给定g,h∈G以及大整数N,找到整数n(0≤n≤N),使得h=g^n,人们对于该问题的求解主要是对Pollard's kangaroos method的改进,尝试通过减少跳跃次数来优化算法,目前解决这一问题的最优低存储算法是Van Oorschot和Wiener版本的Pollard's kangaroos method,其平均情况下的时间代价是(2+0(1))√N次群运算.文中对解决这一问题的经典Pollard's kangaroos method进行改进得到新的求解算法.新算法是通过利用多次小整数乘法代替一次完整的大整数乘法来减少kangaroos每次跳跃的时间代价实现算法效率的提高.进一步,文中通过增加kangaroos的数量使得算法在跳跃次数和每次跳跃的时间代价两方面都得到改进,从而得到区间上离散对数问题的更有效的求解算法.

基于弹性表面挤压模拟的汽车乘客座椅造型设计方法

在进行汽车乘客座椅造型设计时,需考虑弯道行驶过程中人体和座椅间的压力分布。针对该问题,基于人体数据库导出的处于舒适坐姿的人体模型,利用Rhino软件的可视化编程插件Grasshopper及其物理模拟插件Kangaroo分别建立了人体和座椅的模拟弹性点网,并使两者在转向推力、重力和弯道约束的共同作用下,沿圆形弯道运动并相互挤压。记录点网在运动过程中的不同位置,将各位置中两点网间各点的距离转换为受压分布。研究发现:在运动姿态趋于平稳且速度达到最大时,受压分布情况稳定且特征明显。模拟结果有助于设计人员快速定位问题,模拟中按比例获得的和受压分布相关的点集为设计人员进一步发挥创意提供了依据和参数化基础。

Kangaroo Care (Skin-to-Skin) for Clustered Pain Procedures: Case Study

Background: Pain management for term newborns undergoing clustered painful procedures has not been tested. Kangaroo Care (chest-to-chest, skin-to-skin position of infant on mother) effectively reduces pain of single procedures, but its effect on pain from clustered procedures is not known. Aim: The aim was to test Kangaroo Care’s effect on pain in one term infant who received clustered painful procedures while determining feasibility of the Kangaroo Care intervention. Design, Setting, and Participant: A case study design was used with one healthy term newborn who received two heel sticks and one injection in one session in the mother’s postpartum room. Method: Heart rate and oxygen saturation (recorded from Massimo Pulse Oximeter every 30 seconds), crying time (total seconds of crying on videotape) and behavioral state (using Anderson Behavioral State Scoring system every 30 seconds) were measured before (5 minutes), during (10.5 minutes) and after (30 minutes) the three clustered painful procedures in a newborn who was in Kangaroo Care during all observations. One staff nurse administered the clustered procedures. Results: Heart rate increased sequentially with each heelstick, oxygen saturation remained unchanged, sleep predominated, and crying was minimal throughout the procedures. Conclusion: Kangaroo Care appeared to reduce pain from clustered painful procedures and can be further tested.

Improved Algorithm for Solving Discrete Logarithm Problem by Expanding Factor

The discrete logarithm problem(DLP)is to find a solution n such that g^n=h in a finite cyclic group G=,where h∈G.The DLP is the security foundation of many cryptosystems,such as RSA.We propose a method to improve Pollard’s kangaroo algorithm,which is the classic algorithm for solving the DLP.In the proposed algorithm,the large integer multiplications are reduced by controlling whether to perform large integer multiplication.To control the process,the tools of expanding factor and jumping distance are introduced.The expanding factor is an indicator used to measure the probability of collision.Large integer multiplication is performed if the value of the expanding factor is greater than the given bound.The improved algorithm requires an average of(1.633+o(1))q(1/2)times of the large integer multiplications.In experiments,the average large integer multiplication times is approximately(1.5+o(1))q(1/2).

Follow-Up Profile and Outcome of Preterms Managed with Kangaroo Mother Care

Background: Kangaroo mother care (KMC) is effective in preventing hypothermia, establishing breastfeeding, and reducing nosocomial infection in preterm babies in resource-limited areas. Relatively little is known about long-term morbidity and mortality outcomes among Ethiopian infants managed with KMC. Aims: To describe the follow up profiles and outcome of infants managed with KMC and discharged alive. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study examined outcomes among infants who were 1) managed by KMC at Black Lion Hospital, 2) discharged alive, and 3) available for follow-up. Structured, pretested questionnaires were administered to mothers. Results: Of the 110 infants included in the study, 9.1% died over the study period and 60% of the deaths occurred at home. Mortality was 100% in those babies with mothers aged less than 18 years. Thirty five percent of the deaths occurred in those from rural location. Common medical problems identified in study subjects were respiratory infections (10%), gastroenteritis (7%), rickets (7%), and anemia (6%). About 20% of infants were readmitted to hospital at least once. KMC initiation within one week was not found to be significantly associated with survival, but continued KMC after discharge significantly decreased mortality in our sample. Conclusion: Frequent follow up is very important especially those with teenage mothers and coming from a rural location. Follow up should be frequent in the first 2 months after discharge. Further research is needed to explore the determinants of mortality and morbidity after hospital discharge.

The Issue of Care Given to Premature Infants in the Provincial Hospital Center of Missour

Background: Preterm birth is common in Morocco and it’s around 8%. Several management rules of taking care of preterm infants have been developed but have not been put into action. The geo-graphical inaccessibility to specialized hospitals and the weakness of the reception capacity of the care centers hinder the management of the complications associated with preterm birth. Purpose: The present study is designed to present some epidemiological data of preterm births within the Provincial Hospital Center of Missour during 2012 and to discuss the various problems emerging in the management of treatment and care. Materials and Methods: Retrospective study of preterm births in the maternity ward in the Hospital of Missour during 2012. Results: 37 preterm births among 1121 (3.3%) have been analyzed (51.3% severe premature infants, 45.9% late preterm infants and 2.7% extremely premature infants). 64.2% are originally from difficult areas to reach during winter. All mothers have received upon arrival at the maternity a corticosteroid and calcium antagonists (Adalate*) and an antibiotic treatment to those with a positive infectious anamnesis found in half of the women. We have recorded 3 twin pregnancies and 2 gravidic toxemias. Only 21 babies have been given back to their mothers (namely 56.7%). 5 premature infants (namely 13%) have been referred to the university hospital center of Fez (2 respiratory distress, a malformation and 2 severe premature births) given that there is an absence of a specialized care unit at the hospital, knowing that no baby has received neither surfactant nor caffeine at birth. 14 premature babies (namely 37.8%) have been transferred to the pediatric unit with a total death rate of 16.2% (6 premature) mainly related to neonatal infection and to suffering of the hyaline membranes disease. Conclusion: We emphasize the interest of prevention programs which demand an early diagnosis of preterm birth threats and monitoring high-risk pregnancies, improving the medical care given to low-weight premature by creating “Kangaroo” units at a regional level and the targeting of measures for rural and under-covered areas.

A Bio-Inspired Hopping Kangaroo Robot with an Active Tail

Inspired by kangaroo＇s locomotion, we report on developing a kangaroo-style hopping robot. Unlike bipeds, quadrupeds, or hexapods which altemate the legs for forward locomotion, the kangaroo uses both legs synchronously and generates the forward locomotion by continuous hopping behavior, and the tail actively balances the unwanted angular momentum generated by the leg motion. In this work, we generate the Center of Mass （CoM） locomotion of the robot based on the reduced-order Rolling Spring Loaded Inverted Pendulum （R-SLIP） model, for matching the dynamic behavior of the empirical robot legs. In order to compensate the possible body pitch variation, the robot is equipped with an active tail for pitch variation compensation, emulating the balance mechanism of a kangaroo. The robot is empirically built, and various design issues and strategies are addressed. Finally, the experimental evaluation is executed to validate the performance of the kangaroo-style robot with hopping locomotion.

Can incidental sighting data be used to elucidate habitat preferences and areas of suitable habitat for a cryptic species?

The involvement of communities in ecological studies has been shown to augment conservation efforts,especially for cryptic species.However,there is a lack of studies addressing the utility of incidental sighting records from community members in gaining knowledge on habitat preferences and distribution of suitable habitat for these organisms.This study compares preferences of the Lumholtz’s tree kangaroo(Dendrolagus lumholtzi;LTK),a cryptic rainforest folivore in northeastern Australia,for various habitat and climatic variables derived from data collected during scientific projects to those derived from incidental sighting records using ArcGIS and Maxent.Incidental sighting records suggest that the species uses a wider range of altitudes,annual rainfalls,annual mean temperatures and vegetation types than predicted by scientific studies.Incidental records also show that the species can persist in areas of lower rainfall during the wettest month and lower minimum temperature during the coldest month.Both data place the species within a comparable range of rainfalls during the driest month,maximum temperatures of the warmest month and soil types.When using identified preferences to assess the extent and distribution of suitable habitat,incidental records predicted more areas of suitable habitat than scientific records with an overlap of up to 91%between them.The present study proves that incidental sighting records can be a valuable part of the study of cryptic species and should be considered complementarily alongside scientific studies to obtain comprehensive ecological information of a species that can assist in its conservation.

Benefits of skin-to-skin contact during the neonatal period: Governed by epigenetic mechanisms?

The perinatal period experiences are important for later life physiology.Prematurely born babies have been shown to benefit from close contact with their mothers,and evidence suggests that epigenetic mechanisms are involved in these early imprints.This mini review is summarizing current praxis and discusses the need for more and larger studies.

Lulu the Kangaroo Saves Farmer

在澳大利亚发生了一则袋鼠“路路”(Lulu)救主人的感人故事,但是让笔者感动的,除了故事本身之外,以下一句也让我感动不已:…called forLulu to be nominated(提名,推荐)for its annual national bravery award.(大意:提名授予路路年度的勇敢者大奖)。国人是否也应该考虑为我们的动物朋友设立此奖项呢?