Portable dVRK: an augmented V-REP simulator of the da Vinci Research Kit

The da Vinci Research Kit (dVRK) is a first generation da Vinci robot repurposed as a research platform and coupled with software and controllers developed by research users. An already quite wide community is currently sharing the dVRK (32 systems in 28 sites worldwide). The access to the robotic system for training surgeons and for developing new surgical procedures, tools and new control modalities is still difficult due to the limited availability and high maintenance costs. The development of simulation tools provides a low cost, easy and safe alternative to the use of the real platform for preliminary research and training activities. The Portable dVRK, which is described in this work, is based on a V-REP simulator of the dVRK patient side and endoscopic camera manipulators which are controlled through two haptic interfaces and a 3D viewer, respectively. The V-REP simulator is augmented with a physics engine allowing to render the interaction of new developed tools with soft objects. Full integration in the ROS control architecture makes the simulator flexible and easy to be interfaced with other possible devices. Several scenes have been implemented to illustrate performance and potentials of the developed simulator

Psycho-educational group therapy in acute psychiatric units: creating a psychosocial culture. An update of spread and effectiveness of a psychosocial intervention in Italian psychiatric wards

The implementation of a Cognitive-Behavioural Group Intervention (CBGI) in Italian general hospital psychiatric units started in the years 2000-2001 in two Italian regions. Over the years it has became more and more popular also in other psychiatric units located in the rest of the country. Based on the "stress-vulnerability-coping" theory, the CBGI is a replicable and innovative psychosocial intervention that promotes the active involvement of inpatients in decisions concerning their individual objectives and care. In the present article, the authors briefly describe this intervention and the main findings regarding its implementation in several psychiatric units in different Regions of Italy. The authors emphasize that such a psychosocial approach to inpatient care is needed because it can produce improved clinical outcomes, reduction in untoward events and increased staff and inpatient satisfaction. However, its introduction and use still represent a major cultural and managerial challenge in our country

Comment préparer la visite de certification V2020 de la Haute Autorité de santé dans sa maternité ?

International audienceAlthough certification in France is at the health establishment level, maternity wards are directly and indirectly concerned by the certification of their establishment. The purpose of this article is to help perinatal caregivers in maternity wards to prepare, as well as possible, for the certification visit of their establishment. The 7 stages of preparation for the visit are explained with concrete examples from the Haute Autorité de santé (HAS) certification guide. With good organization, the certification visit can go stress-free and professionals will be ready to meet HAS experts.Bien que la certification, en France, soit au niveau de l’établissement de santé, les maternités sont directement et indirectement concerneées par la certification de leur établissement. Cet article a pour but d’aider les soignants des services de maternité à préparer, au mieux, la visite de certification de leur établissement. Les étapes de la préparation de la visite, au nombre de 7, sont explicitées avec des exemples concrets issus du manuel de certification de la Haute Autorité de santé (HAS). Avec une bonne organisation, la visite de certification pourra se passer sans stress et les professionnels seront prêts à rencontrer les experts de la HAS

Oxytocin administration during spontaneous labor: Guidelines for clinical practice. Chapter 3: Interventions associated with oxytocin administration during spontaneous labor

International audienceObjectives: The objective of our work was to determine the effects of co-interventions used during labor with oxytocin or for labor dystocia.Methods: We searched for reports of the interventions we sought to study published between 1987 and 2015, looking especially for meta-analyses and randomized trials via the Medline database and the Cochrane Library. We limited our research to studies of spontaneous labor in singleton pregnancies at term. Results: In the absence of labor dystocia, active management of labor is not recommended (Grade B). It is recommended that amniotomy should not be performed routinely during the first stage of labor (Grade B). In cases of labor dystocia during the active phase, an amniotomy is recommended before the administration of oxytocin (professional consensus). The encouragement of continuous support during labor is recommended (Grade B). No scientific evidence justifies the recommendation of any of the following methods for the sole purpose of limiting oxytocin use during labor: maternal position during the first or second stages of labor (grade C), immersion in a water during the first stage (grade B), intravenous infusion, oral hydration, or solid food (grade B), antenatal preparation with hypnosis sessions (grade C), use of relaxation techniques (grade C), acupuncture or acupressure (Grade B), or the use of muscle-relaxant agents (professional consensus).Conclusions: Few of the co-interventions studied appear to modulate recourse to oxytocin

A globally convergent steering algorithm for regular nonholonomic systems

We present a steering algorithm for regular - i.e., without singularities - nonholonomic systems which are not required to possess special properties such as flatness or exact nilpotentizability. The method makes use of local steering laws, with suitable contraction properties, designed on the basis of a continuous approximation of the system. The algorithm is amenable to extension to systems with singularities. © 2005 IEEE

Exposition aux produits chimiques environnementaux : perception du risque par les professionnels de santé et les femmes enceintes

International audienc