Redundancy Optimization Strategy for Hands-On Robotic Surgery

During hands-on cooperative surgery, the use of a redundant robot allows to address encumbrance issues in the Operating Room (OR), which can occur due to the presence of large medical instrumentation, such as the surgical microscope. This work presents a new Null Space Optimization (NSO) strategy to constraint the position of the manipulator’s elbow within predefined range of motions, according to the spatial requirements of the specific procedure, also taking into account the physical joint limits of the robotic assistant. The proposed strategy was applied to the 7 degrees of freedom (dof) lightweight robot LWR4+. The performance of the NSO was compared to two state-of-the-art null space optimization strategies, i.e. damped posture and fixed optimal posture, over a pool of three non-expert users in both strict (20deg) and negligible (100deg) angular encumbrance limitations. The NSO strategy was proved versatile in providing wide elbow mobility together with safe distance from relevant continuity null space boundaries, guaranteeing smooth guidance trajectories. Future works would be performed in order to evaluate the potential feasibility of NSO in a real surgical scenario

Projects, careers and resistances in hotels

The hotel industry rhythms appear as a hindrance to staff loyalty and female careers development. However, two hotel networks of the Accor group, Etap Hotel and Formule 1 stand out from this general pattern with a presence of female managers (38% of managers). This case incites to wonder about career ladders within these budget hotel chains. Are the assets and the obstacles combined in the same way for men and for women? Which views have the employees and managers about their jobs, their working conditions and their plans for the future ?career ; female career ; hotel industry ; France

A Proxy-Based Resolution to Ceaseless Location- Based Spatial Queries Importable Backgrounds

Storing legitimate areas of spatial inquiries at portable customers is viable in diminishing the amount of questions submitted by versatile customers and inquiry stack on the server. Be that as it may, versatile customers experience the ill effects of longer sitting tight time for the server to register quality locales. We propose in this paper a substitute based methodology to ceaseless closest neighbor (NN) and window inquiries. The substitute makes evaluated legitimate areas (Evrs) for versatile customers by abusing spatial and worldly area of spatial inquiries. For NN questions, we devise two new calculations to quicken EVR development, heading the substitute to assemble viable Evrs actually when the reserve size is little. Then again, we propose to speak to the Evrs of window questions as vectors, called assessed window vectors (Ewvs), to attain bigger evaluated quality areas. This novel representation and the cohorted creation calculation bring about additional powerful Evrs of window questions. Furthermore, because of the notable qualities, we utilize differentiate record structures, to be specific EVR-tree and framework file, for NN questions and window inquiries, individually. To further expand proficiency, we improve calculations to endeavor the outcomes of NN inquiries to support framework file development, profiting EWV formation of window questions. Thus, the network record is used to help NN inquiry addressing and EVR redesigning. We lead a few tests for execution assessment. The test outcomes indicate that the proposed approach fundamentally outflanks the existing substitute based methodologies

Maximizing Ferries in New York City's Emergency Management Planning

In addition to providing fast, efficient, and enjoyable public transportation under normal circumstances, ferries have consistently proven to be the most resilient mode of transit during and after emergencies. Lacking reliance on either a fixed route or the electrical grid, ferries have historically been deployed for speedy evacuations from no-notice emergency situations. Moreover, ferries are typically the first mode of transportation to resume service during prolonged transit outages, relieving New Yorkers -- particularly in communities lacking bus and subway access -- from an extended transit paralysis.In spite of ferries' utility in emergency management, they are presently underutilized in New York's waterways. This paper is a call to action to policymakers and city officials to redefine ferries as critical emergency management assets. In doing so, the City will not only be equipped for a robust, interconnected ferry transit network, but it will also be prepared to facilitate effective waterborne evacuation and transit recovery. This paper makes eight key recommendations for maximizing the role of ferries in citywide emergency preparedness:1. Increase capacity for waterborne evacuation by expanding inter-borough ferry service.2. Provide ferry crews with emergency personnel identification.3. Prioritize reimbursements to ferry operators when allocating federal and state emergency relief funds.4. Fully integrate ferries with mass transit to facilitate seamless regional mobility.5. Coordinate all regional ferry infrastructures -- including all boats and landings -- as one unified system of emergency management.6. Develop coastal design standards to equip New York's shoreline for emergency response.7. Establish a Department of the Waterfront -- a new city agency -- and house a Waterfront Emergency Management division within it to coordinate long-term planning and preparedness efforts.8. Considering ferries as essential emergency management assets, apply for government emergency preparedness and recovery grants for coastal retrofitting and additional tie-up sites

Activating housing environment for people with learning disabilities. : From the perspective of Lyhty's service users and their families

Laurea-Ammattikorkeakoulu Tiivistelmä Otaniemi Terveyden edistäminen, Ylempi AMK Perhehoitotyö Christiane Schiemer Kehitysvammaisten ihmisten asuinympäristön kehittäminen. Lyhdyn palveluiden käyttäjien ja heidän perheidensä näkökulmasta. Vuosi 2009 Sivumäärä 91 Suositukset, laatukriteerit, lait ja ohjeet ovat varmistettu kehitysvammaisten (KV) ihmisten arvojen ja oikeuksien turvaamiseksi, myös asuinympäristön osalta. Tilastot, aikaisemmat tutkimukset, lakiuudistukset ja asetettujen suositusten ja ohjeiden toteuttaminen korostavat tarvetta yksilökohtaisemmille asuntoratkaisuille ja uusille asumispalveluille, verrattuna ennen yleiseen institutionalisoituun kehitysvammahoitoon. Mukaan ottamisen ja keskinäisen riippuvuussuhteen perspektiivistä terminologiaa “henkilö jolla on kehitysvamma” käytetään viitaten erityisesti ihmisiin, joilla on rajoittunut toimintakyky kasvuiässä alkaneen vamman takia. Tämä tutkielma on osa Helsingin Lyhytaikaiskoti ja työpaja Lyhty:n (Lyhty) ja Suomen Raha-automaattiyhdistyksen toteuttamaa projektia. Tarkoitus on tutkia kehitysvammaisten asuinympäristöä käyttäen hybridimallia käsitteen kehittämisen pohjana. Neljää perhettä (N=4), vanhempia ja heidän aikuisia kehitysvammaisia lapsiaan on haastateltu. Perheet ovat yksityisen voittoa tuottamattoman Lyhty:n asiakkaita. Käsitteen kehittämisen hybridimallia käytetään asuinympäristön määrittämiseen, tutkimiseen ja jalostamiseen kolmessa vaiheessa. Tuonnempana induktiivista sisältöanalyysiä käytetään tiedon sisäistämiseen. Tulokset käsittävät kuusi asuinympäristöä; hoito-, sosiaalinen-, palvelu-, laajempi-, fyysinen asuinympäristö ja organisaation ympäristö, resurssiensa mukaan määriteltyinä. Siispä resurssit on aktivoitu tukemisen, parantamisen ja vahvistamisen kautta, sekä suuntaamalla niitä (molemminpuolista) osallistumista, myötävaikuttamista, monipuolista elämänsisältöä, henkilökohtaista tukea, asiakkaan aktivoimisen itsenäisyyttä ja henkilökohtaista hoitoa kohtaan. Enemmät arvot kehittyvät tiedosta, joka meni limittäin perustetun ympäristön suhteen. Voimavarojen aktivointi ja arvojen painottaminen ovat merkki keskinäisriippuvuudesta asuinympäristössä. Jalostetut tulokset johtivat aktivoivan asuinympäristön käsitemalliin, joka painottaa terveyttä edistävää näkökulmaa ja molemminpuolista riippuvuutta asuinympäristöjen välillä eettistä ulottuvuutta korostaen. Asuinympäristön terminologia nousi tuloksien perspektiivistä, edellisistä tutkimuksista ja suuntaviivoista. Asuinympäristön havainnointimetodien ja kommunikaation tukemisen apuvälineiden avuilla käsitemallien kehittämiseksi suositellaan tiedon hyödyntämistä oikeassa kontekstissa. Asiakasvetoinen ote on suositeltava, kuten myös perheen osallistuminen. Täydentävät näkökulmat asuinympäristöön terveyden edistämisen ammattilaisilta ovat suositeltuja. Painottamalla keskinäisriippuvuuden arvoa kontrolli käytössä olevista resursseista siirtyy ihmisille joilla on kehitysvamma. Asiasanat Käsiteiden kehittäminen, asuinympäristö, kehitysvammaLaurea University of Applied Science Abstract Otaniemi Master Degree in Health Care Family Nursing Christiane Schiemer Activating housing environment for people with learning disability. From the perspective of Lyhty’s service users and their families. Year 2009 Pages 91 Recommendations, quality criteria, laws and guidelines are established to ensure rights and values for people with learning disabilities (LD), also concerning housing environment. The statistics, previous research, reformations of laws and realization of set recommendations and guidelines underline the need of more individual housing solutions. Also new housing services compared to the previously common institutionalized care for people with learning disabilities are needed. From the perspective of inclusion and interdependence the terminology ‘person with a learning disability’ is applied, referring more specifically to people who have a limited ability of functioning due to a disability that started in their developmental age. This thesis is part of a project realized in the Short-Term Home and Workshop Lyhty (Lyhty), cooperating with Finland’s Slot Machine Association. The purpose is to research housing environment for people with LD based on the hybrid model as a method for concept development. Four families (N=4), parents and their adult children having learning disabilities, are interviewed. The families are clients of the private nonprofit association Lyhty. Hybrid model for concept development is applied to define, research and refine the conceptualization of housing environment through three phases. Further inductive content analysis is applied to seek for the conceptualization of the data. The findings embrace six activating housing environments; care-, social-, service-, broader-, physical housing- and organizational environment, defined by their resources. Thereby resources are activated through supporting, enhancing, strengthening and using them toward the aims of (reciprocal) participation, contribution, versatile life content, individual support, activation of the client toward independence and individual care. Further values evolved from the data, which were overlapping in respect of the found environments. The activation of the resources and the underlining values indicate interdependence of the found housing environments. The refined findings led to a conceptual model of activating housing environment suggesting a health promoting perspective and interdependence within the housing environments underlined by an ethical dimension. Further refined terminology of housing environment arose from the perspective of the findings, previous studies and guidelines. To develop further the conceptual model of housing environment observation methods and supportive devices for communication are recommended to use the gained data in a fair context. A client driven approach is suggested with further involvement of the family. Complementing perspectives on housing environment from health promoting professionals are further recommended. A shift control of available resources to people with disabilities leans on the value of interdependence. Key words Concept development, housing environment, learning disabilit

Computer- and robot-assisted Medical Intervention

Medical robotics includes assistive devices used by the physician in order to make his/her diagnostic or therapeutic practices easier and more efficient. This chapter focuses on such systems. It introduces the general field of Computer-Assisted Medical Interventions, its aims, its different components and describes the place of robots in that context. The evolutions in terms of general design and control paradigms in the development of medical robots are presented and issues specific to that application domain are discussed. A view of existing systems, on-going developments and future trends is given. A case-study is detailed. Other types of robotic help in the medical environment (such as for assisting a handicapped person, for rehabilitation of a patient or for replacement of some damaged/suppressed limbs or organs) are out of the scope of this chapter.Comment: Handbook of Automation, Shimon Nof (Ed.) (2009) 000-00