Navigating an auto guided vehicle using rotary encoders and proportional controller

Auto Guided Vehicle (AGV) is commonly used in industry to reduce labour cost and to improve the productivity. A few programmable devices are combined in an AGV to optimize the usage of time and energy. AGV is widely used to transport goods and materials from one place to another place. For the first generation of AGV was used the track to guide the AGV but it was not flexible enough. This study investigates an alternative to control an AGV using two rotary encoders and proportional controller. Arduino Mega 2560 was used as a microcontroller to receive and process the signals from the rotary encoders. Logic controller and proportional controller were implemented to control the AGV, respectively. The coefficient of proportional controller was optimized to improve the performance of the AGV during navigation process. Findings show that AGV with the proportional controller with coefficient 1.5 achieved the best performance during the navigation process

Glucuronidation by UGT1A1 Is the Dominant Pathway of the Metabolic Disposition of Belinostat in Liver Cancer Patients

10.1371/journal.pone.0054522PLoS ONE81

Characterizing and Prognosticating Heart Failure with Improved Ejection Fraction Using NT-proBNP, Growth Differentiation Factor 15 and Global Longitudinal Strain

Background: Heart failure with improved ejection fraction (HFiEF) is a novel heart failure (HF) subgroup. There are sparse data on using NT-proBNP, growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) and global longitudinal strain (GLS) to characterize and prognosticate HFiEF patients. Objectives: (1) To determine the level and correlation between NT-proBNP, GDF-15 and GLS in HFiEF patients. (2) To examine the correlation of each marker with NYHA, MAGGIC prognostic score, HF etiologies, comorbidities status, degree of LVEF/ LV end-diastolic diameter change from baseline and diastolic dysfunction. (3) To look for association of each marker with follow-up LVEF change and 1-year composite mortality or HF events outcome. Materials & Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study in Sarawak Heart Centre HF clinic. 53 HfiEF patients who had NT-proBNP and GDF15 tests performed were selected. This cohort had no HF events in the past 6 months during the blood tests. Clinical characteristics, echocardiography parameters, and 1-year composite clinical outcome were analyzed retrospectively. Results: The mean age of the cohort was 52 years old and 81% were male. The cohort was highly comorbid (hypertension 71%; diabetes 45.3%; AF 17.3%). Most of the patients (87%) were asymptomatic by NYHA (I) and low rate of composite outcome was observed, 5.7%. The mean NT-proBNP, GDF-15, GLS were 357 pg/ml, 1572 pg/ml, and -12.1% respectively. There were significant moderate correlation between GDF15 with NT-proBNP (r=0.414) and NT-proBNP with GLS (r=-0.351). Higher NT-proBNP and GDF15 levels were associated with poorer MAGGIC prognostic scores (r=0.549, 0.41 respectively). NT-proBNP was the only marker associated with a higher degree of LVEF improvement compare to baseline echocardiography. NT-proBNP was also related to severe diastolic echo parameters. Hypertension and diabetes were strongly associated with higher elevated GDF15 levels. The lower mean GLS level was significantly associated with the presence of composite outcome (-6.45% vs -12.47%, p=0.0). Patients with NT-proBNP levels below the median cutoff had favourable follow-up LVEF improvement (+9.73%, p=0.035). Conclusion: In our HFiEF study cohort, NT-proBNP best correlate and prognosticate future LV remodelling. GDF15 was closely related to systemic illnesses such as diabetes. The role of GLS in our HFiEF cohort remains uncertain

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Caffeine in apnoeic Asian neonates: a sparse data analysis

10.1046/j.1365-2125.2002.01589.xBritish Journal of Clinical Pharmacology54131-37BCPH

High-output Heart Failure Resulting from an Obscure Traumatic Arteriovenous Fistula

Traumatic arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is not an uncommon disorder, but late discovery and the presentation of high-output heart failure is very rare. This patient did not know that he had traumatic AVF after a gunshot injury in the left thigh 14 years ago. The major presentation of the AVF was signs of heart failure. We performed surgical repair after making the diagnosis. The patient recovered with an uneventful course. This report stresses the importance of history-taking and physical examination in making the diagnosis of traumatic AVF

Author Correction: Simvastatin reduces the carcinogenic effect of 3-methylcholanthrene in renal epithelial cells through histone deacetylase 1 inhibition and RhoA reactivation

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper

A new vascular ring connector in surgery for aortic dissection

Methods: The vascular ring connector is a titanic ring used as a stent in the vascular graft to achieve a quick, blood-sealed, and sutureless anastomosis. From November 2007 to December 2008, 19 consecutive patients (age range 36-77 years; 16 male and 3 female) with aortic dissection underwent open surgery. All patients received aortic reconstruction with vascular grafts (including 5 cases of arch replacement). The combined procedures were 5 Bentall and 4 coronary artery bypass graft operations. Results: There were no significant blood leaks from the anastomotic sites. The time required for each anastomosis was 1 to 2 minutes. All patients were discharged uneventfully and are still doing well after a follow-up period of 1 to 12 months. Conclusion: The vascular ring connector may improve the early surgical results of aortic dissection by reducing both the time for anastomosis and the risk of bleeding and may be an alternative technique for aortic reconstruction. Its usefulness in the routine treatment of aortic dissection warrants further evaluation