Safe and Robust Mobile Robot Navigation in Uneven Indoor Environments.

Complex environments pose great challenges for autonomous mobile robot navigation. In this study, we address the problem of autonomous navigation in 3D environments with staircases and slopes. An integrated system for safe mobile robot navigation in 3D complex environments is presented and both the perception and navigation capabilities are incorporated into the modular and reusable framework.

Bone Drilling Breakthrough Detection via Energy-Based Signal.

In this paper, a novel energy-based signal, the removal energy density $e_{b}$, is proposed as the detecting signal to determine the breakthrough instances in bone drilling based on the energy approach during the process. The proposed signal is derived from the energy conversion and conservation in drilling process. And the relationship between the signal and the drilling parameter, e.

Multiparameter optimization in CNS drug discovery: design of pyrimido[4,5-d]azepines as potent 5-hydroxytryptamine 2C (5-HT₂C) receptor agonists with exquisite functional selectivity over 5-HT₂A and 5-HT₂B receptors.

A series of 4-substituted pyrimido[4,5-d]azepines that are potent, selective 5-HT2C receptor partial agonists is described. A rational medicinal chemistry design strategy to deliver CNS penetration coupled with SAR-based optimization of selectivity and agonist potency provided compounds with the desired balance of preclinical properties. Lead compounds 17 (PF-4479745) and 18 (PF-4522654) displayed robust pharmacology in a preclinical canine model of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and no measurable functional agonism at the key selectivity targets 5-HT2A and 5-HT2B in relevant tissue-based assay systems.

Clinical and radiographic evaluation of NobelActive(TM) dental implants.

Objectives: To conduct a randomised controlled trial to evaluate the short-term clinical and radiographic efficacy of the NobelActive™ system and to evaluate the relative importance of achieving primary stability at placement.

Materials And Methods: A total of 32 subjects were recruited and, using a split-mouth design, the NobelActive(TM) implant was compared with a contralaterally matched Brånemark implant. Both implants were placed in a single surgical procedure into healed sites using a one-stage protocol and reviewed at monthly intervals.

Discovery of a novel azepine series of potent and selective 5-HT2C agonists as potential treatments for urinary incontinence.

A range of heterocycle fused azepines were synthesized in order to find a CNS penetrant, selective 5-HT(2C) agonist for the treatment of incontinence. The pyridazo-azepines such as compound 11 were shown to be potent 5-HT(2C) agonists and have potential for CNS penetration and good in vitro ADME properties but lacked selectivity against 5-HT(2B). Fusing a further heterocycle gave the selective triazolopyrimido-azepines.

Essence of Care--a key approach in improving patient care.

This project work is an illustration of how nurses can take a leading role in championing patient care. A small group of mental health nurses in a London Trust embarked on 'getting the fundamentals right' in their quest to improve care given to patients. A working group was formed to take this idea forward: The Essence of Care Steering Group.

Development of an observational tool on computer use during rounds.

We present an observational tool to capture computer usage patterns during rounds to inform designs of information and communication technology to support clinical discourse during rounds. The tool captures choreography and logistics of information exchanges supported by clinical information systems during rounds. We developed the tool as part of an ongoing video-recording study of communication to under-stand how, when, and why computers are used during multidisciplinary clinical rounds.

Statewide real-time in-flight trauma patient vital signs collection system.

Continuous recorded in-flight vital signs monitoring and life-saving interventions linked to outcomes may provide better understanding of pre-hospital triage, care management and patient responses during the 'golden hour' of trauma care. Evaluation of 157 patients' vital signs data collected from our statewide network has identified episodes of physiological decompensation which holds promise for creation of new triage algorithms and enhanced trauma center preparedness.

A computing platform to support communication and sense-making in intensive care.

We developed a conceptual design of a mobile computing platform to support multi-disciplinary rounds in intensive care units.

Communication and sense-making in intensive care: an observation study of multi-disciplinary rounds to design computerized supporting tools.

Multi-disciplinary rounds are a forum for communication and sense-making, and they play a critical role in intensive care to ensure care coordination across specialties and providers. Increased availability of clinical information through computers has made it possible to provide support during rounds. We conducted an observation study to determine ways in which computers may be used during rounds, when users are under time pressure in accessing and manipulating clinical data.

Outcomes assessment of clinical information system implementation: a practical guide.

Healthcare information systems (HIS) play a vital role in quality of care and the organization's daily operations. Consequently, increasing numbers of clinicians have been involved in HIS implementation, particularly for clinical information systems (CIS). Implementation of these systems is a major organizational investment, and its outcomes must be assessed.

Coordination of appointments for anesthesia care outside of operating rooms using an enterprise-wide scheduling system.

Background: An anesthesia department implemented scheduling of anesthetics outside of operating rooms (non-OR) by clerks and nurses from other departments using its hospital's enterprise-wide scheduling system.

Methods: Observational studies chronicled the change over 2 yr as non-OR time was allocated by specialty, and nonanesthesia clerks and nurses scheduled anesthesia teams. Experimental studies investigated how tabular and graphical displays affected the scheduling of milestones (e.

Work discussion groups in clinical supervision in mental health nursing.

This study aims to explore the value and meaning of a psychodynamic work discussion for mental health nurses, and its potential as an approach in staff clinical supervision. Data were generated by using a focus group with a purposive sample of six mental health nurses, and analysed by the 'collapsing of data' from labels to form categories and formulate themes. The findings suggest that staff emotion generated from clinical work is dealt with in many personal ways though rarely in clinical supervision.

Design and evaluation of International Video Teleconference (iVTC) for orthopedic trauma education.

This poster describes the design and evaluation of an International Video Teleconference (iVTC) system for orthopedic trauma case studies. Three medical facilities in the United States and one in Australia participated in monthly sessions where past and ongoing military and civilian cases were discussed. Participant feedback indicated that iVTC fully met their expectations as an educational tool and that remote participation did not adversely impact their ability to engage in discussion.

Advanced visualization platform for surgical operating room coordination: distributed video board system.

One of the major challenges for day-of-surgery operating room coordination is accurate and timely situation awareness. Distributed and secure real-time status information is key to addressing these challenges. This article reports on the design and implementation of a passive status monitoring system in a 19-room surgical suite of a major academic medical center.

An algorithm for processing vital sign monitoring data to remotely identify operating room occupancy in real-time.

We developed an algorithm for processing networked vital signs (VS) to remotely identify in real-time when a patient enters and leaves a given operating room (OR). The algorithm addresses two types of mismatches between OR occupancy and VS: a patient is in the OR but no VS are available (e.g.

Ethyl (benzothiazol-2-ylsulfonyl)acetate: a new reagent for the stereoselective synthesis of alpha,beta-unsaturated esters from aldehydes.

The title reagent engaged in the modified Julia olefination with aldehydes under mild reaction conditions (DBU, CH(2)Cl(2), rt or -78 degrees C) to yield alpha,beta-unsaturated esters; aryl aldehydes and aliphatic aldehydes possessing significant chain branching elements gave trans alkene products with high stereoselectivity (E : Z up to >98 : 2), while straight chain aliphatic aldehydes gave cis products preferentially (Z : E up to 92 : 8).