Search

In wireless sensor network-based water pipeline monitoring (WWPM) systems, a vital requirement emerges: the achievement of low energy consumption. This primary goal arises from the fundamental necessity to ensure the sustained operability of sensor nodes over extended durations, all without the need for frequent battery replacement. Given that sensor nodes in such applications are typically battery-powered and often physically inaccessible, maximizing energy efficiency by minimizing unnecessary energy consumption is of vital importance. This paper presents an experimental study that investigates the impact of a hybrid technique, incorporating distributed computing, hierarchical sensing, and duty cycling, on the energy consumption of a sensor node in prolonging the lifespan of a WWPM system. A custom sensor node is designed using the ESP32 MCU and nRF24L01+ transceiver. Hierarchical sensing is implemented through the use of LSM9DS1 and ADXL344 accelerometers, distributed computing through the implementation of a distributed Kalman filter, and duty cycling through the implementation of interrupt-enabled sleep/wakeup functionality. The experimental results reveal that combining distributed computing, hierarchical sensing and duty cycling reduces energy consumption by a factor of eight compared to the lone implementation of distributed computing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breathing control exercises are an important component of occupational therapy in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Delivering these exercises in group settings may enhance their benefits. Therefore, this study assessed the effectiveness of breathing control exercises delivered in a group format to patients with severe COPD remitting from an acute pulmonary exacerbation. This randomized controlled trial of 6 weeks' duration compared the addition of breathing exercise sessions delivered in a group setting to a standard exercise inpatient rehabilitation program (usual care) versus usual care alone. The standard exercise program consisted of endurance and strength training and therapeutic patient education. The intervention group received, in addition to usual care, 20 sessions of 30 min duration of breathing control exercises in a group setting. The primary outcome was quality of life (Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire). Secondary outcomes were the COPD assessment test, modified Borg scale, handgrip strength test, and five-time sit-to-stand test. Thirty-seven patients aged 69 ± 7 years were recruited. After the 6-week period, all outcomes significantly improved and exceeded the minimal clinically important difference in the intervention group only. Between-group changes were significant for each outcome. Conclusions: breathing control exercises in a group setting provide clinically relevant benefits in patients with severe COPD who are remitting from an acute pulmonary exacerbation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cystic fibrosis (CF) has a wide-ranging impact on health, but the lungs in particular suffer. It produces fatigue and shortness of breath, both of which interfere with ADL performance; patient training in energy conservation techniques (ECTs) may help improve ADL tolerance and performance. Objectives: The purpose of this research was to determine if patients with CF might lower their energy use during an activity by practicing educational ECTs after a 12-week ECT teaching period. Methods: Forty CF children, (24 boys and 16 girls), with ages range from six to eight years were randomly divided into 2 groups: content group and study group. Pulmonary functions were assessed by spirometry before and after 12 weeks of treatment using forced expiratory volume (FEV1) which measures how much air a person can forcefully exhale in the first second of forced expiration. The forced expiratory flow 25 (FEF 25) test assesses the rate of airflow when between 25% and 72% of the air in the lungs has been expelled, providing insight into how clear or obstructed the tiny airways are. The third pulmonary function test was forced vital capacity (FVC) how much air a someone can expel quickly as well as forcefully after taking a deep inhalation. Control group received pulmonary rehabilitation programe (postural drainage, breathing exercises study group received energy conservation programe in addition to the traditional pulmonary rehabilitation, postural drainage, pursed-lip breathing and an ergonomic way of performing activities & the used of assistive devices. Results: When comparing the mean values of the two groups before and after treatment, there was a statistically significant increase in all of the measured parameters. After treatment, however, a statistically significant difference favouring the energy-conservation group developed. Conclusion: Findings from the data suggest that the energy conservation techniques were beneficial to improve lung function in children with CF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In wireless sensor network-based water pipeline monitoring (WWPM) systems, a vital requirement emerges: the achievement of low energy consumption. This primary goal arises from the fundamental necessity to ensure the sustained operability of sensor nodes over extended durations, all without the need for frequent battery replacement. Given that sensor nodes in such applications are typically battery-powered and often physically inaccessible, maximizing energy efficiency by minimizing unnecessary energy consumption is of vital importance. This paper presents an experimental study that investigates the impact of a hybrid technique, incorporating distributed computing, hierarchical sensing, and duty cycling, on the energy consumption of a sensor node in prolonging the lifespan of a WWPM system. A custom sensor node is designed using the ESP32 MCU and nRF24L01+ transceiver. Hierarchical sensing is implemented through the use of LSM9DS1 and ADXL344 accelerometers, distributed computing through the implementation of a distributed Kalman filter, and duty cycling through the implementation of interrupt-enabled sleep/wakeup functionality. The experimental results reveal that combining distributed computing, hierarchical sensing and duty cycling reduces energy consumption by a factor of eight compared to the lone implementation of distributed computing.

The article discusses a study of energy expenditure in COPD patients during activities of daily living, using and not using energy conserving techniques. Sixteen male COPD patients with moderate-to-very-severe COPD participated in the study. The variables measured during the study were metabolic oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production, minute ventilation, heart rate and oxygen pulse, and dyspnea. It was found that the use of energy conservation techniques in COPD patients reduces energy cost and dyspnea perception.