ZASTOSOWANIE POTENCJAŁU LENNARD-JONESA DO MODELOWANIA RUCHU ROBOTÓW

The article proposes a method of controlling the movement of a group of robots with a model used to describe the interatomic interactions. Molecular dynamics simulations were carried out in a system consisting of a moving groups of robots and fixed obstacles. Both the obstacles and the group of robots consisted of uniform spherical objects. Interactions between the objects are described using the Lennard-Jones potential. During the simulation, an ordered group of robots was released at a constant initial velocity towards the obstacles. The objects’ mutual behaviour was modelled only by changing the value of the interaction strength of the potential. The computer simulations showed that it is possible to find the optimal value of the potential impact parameters that enable the implementation of the assumed robotic behaviour scenarios. Three possible variants of behaviour were obtained: stopping, dispersing and avoiding an obstacle by a group of robots.W artykule zaproponowano metodę kontrolowania ruchu grupy robotów za pomocą modelu stosowanego do opisu oddziaływań międzyatomowych. Przeprowadzono symulacje metodą dynamiki molekularnej w układzie składającym się z ruchomych grup robotów oraz nieruchomych przeszkód. Zarówno przeszkody, jak i roboty składały się z jednolitych sferycznych obiektów. Oddziaływania między obiektami opisano za pomocą potencjału Lennard-Jonesa. Podczas symulacji, początkowo uporządkowana grupa robotów poruszała się ze stałą prędkością w kierunku przeszkód. Wzajemne zachowanie obiektów modelowano tylko poprzez zmianę wartości parametrów potencjału oddziaływań. Symulacje komputerowe wykazały, że możliwe jest znalezienie optymalnych wartości parametrów oddziaływania, które umożliwiają uzyskanie pożądanego zachowania robotów. W trakcie symulacji uzyskano trzy możliwe warianty zachowania: zatrzymywanie, rozpraszanie i omijanie przeszkód przez grupę robotów

WPŁYW ALGORYTMÓW STEROWANIA ROBOTEM MOBILNYM NA PROCES UNIKANIA PRZESZKÓD

This article presents algorithms for controlling a mobile robot. An algorithms are based on artificial neural network and fuzzy logic. Distance was measured with the use of ultrasonic sensor. The equipment applied as well as signal processing algorithms were characterized. Tests were carried out on a mobile wheeled robot. The analysis of the influence of algorithm while avoiding obstacles was made.W artykule przedstawiono algorytmy sterowania robotem mobilnym. Wykorzystano algorytm oparty o sztuczną sieć neuronową oraz logikę rozmytą. Odległość od przeszkód mierzono za pomocą czujnika ultradźwiękowego. Scharakteryzowano zastosowane urządzenia oraz algorytmy przetwarzania sygnałów. Testy przeprowadzono na mobilnym robocie kołowym. Przeprowadzono analizę wpływu algorytmów sterowania podczas omijania przeszkód

The Efficacy and Safety of Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Celiac Plexus Neurolysis for Treatment of Pain in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer

Introduction. Celiac plexus neurolysis is used in pain management of patients with advanced and unresectable pancreatic cancer. We retrospectively analyzed efficacy and safety of endoscopic ultrasound- (EUS-) guided celiac plexus neurolysis in patients treated in our unit. Methods. Twenty nine subjects with unresectable pancreatic cancer and severe pain despite pharmacological treatment underwent EUS-guided celiac plexus neurolysis with 98% ethanol. Patients scored their pain according to a 0–10 point scale and were interviewed 1-2 weeks and 2-3 months after the procedure. Results. Twenty five (86%) patients reported improvement in their pain at 1-2 weeks following the procedure. Of these, 7 (24%) reported substantial improvement (decrease in pain by more than 50%) and 4 (14%) complete disappearance of pain. Pain relief was still present in 76% of patients after 2-3 months. Treatment-related side effects included hypotonia in 1 patient, severe pain immediately postprocedure in 2 patients, and short episodes of diarrhea in 3 patients. Conclusion. Endoscopic ultrasound- (EUS-) guided celiac plexus neurolysis is a safe and effective treatment of severe pain from advanced pancreatic cancer

Public Participation GIS for sustainable urban mobility planning: methods, applications and challenges

Sustainable mobility planning is a new approach to planning, and as such it requires new methods of public participation, data collection and data aggregation. In the article we present an overview of Public Participation GIS (PPGIS) methods with potential use in sustainable urban mobility planning. We present the methods using examples from two recent case studies conducted in Polish cities of Poznań and Łodź. Sustainable urban mobility planning is a cyclical process, and each stage has different data and participatory requirements. Consequently, we situate the PPGIS methods in appropriate stages of planning, based on potential benefits they may bring into the planning process. We discuss key issues related to participant recruitment and provide guidelines for planners interested in implementing methods presented in the paper. The article outlines future research directions stressing the need for systematic case study evaluation

Two- and three-dimensional spectrofluorimetric qualitative analysis of selected vegetable oils for biomedical applications

Vegetable oils obtained from different plants are known for their beneficial effects on prophylaxis and supportive treatment of a great deal of inflammatory-mediated conditions. Their wide range of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, and the presence of other ingredients (e.g., tocopherols, chlorophylls), provide them with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer properties, which are worth being exploited. In this study, we have carried out the spectrofluorometric analysis of selected vegetable oils, namely apricot (Prunus armeniaca) kernel oil; blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) seed oil; argan (Argania spinosa) nut oil; kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa) seed oil; grape (Vitis vinifera) seed oil; evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) oil and meadowfoam (Limnanthes alba) seed oil, with the purpose to detect their fluorescent ingredients for further identification and bioactivity comparison. The obtained two- (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) emission spectra offered a complete description of the fluorescent components of the mixture and revealed different features for studied oils.This work was supported by the projects M-ERA-NET/0004/2015 (PAIRED) and strategic funds, UIDB/04469/2020 (CEB), UIDB/04033/2020 (CITAB) and UIDB/00616/2020 (CQ-VR), from the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation, Ministry of Science and Education (FCT/MEC) from national funds, and cofinanced by FEDER, under the Partnership Agreement PT2020. This work was also supported by the Foundation for the Development of Biotechnology and Genetics POLBIOGEN, Jugosłowia ´nska 57, 60–159 Poznan, Poland.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Results of the treatment of adrenocortical cancer patients at the Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology – Krakow Branch

Introduction.Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) has an incidence of 1–2 cases per million and the 5-year overall survival (OS) is 16–47%. Surgery is the treatment of choice. Post-operative radiotherapy has been shown to prolong overall survival and the purpose of this work was to show our own, first time in Poland, results of adjuvant radiotherapy in tre­ating this disease. Material and methods.Between 2012 and 2021, 12 patients with ACC were treated. The analyzed group included 9 women and 3 men at a mean age of 44 years (range: 33 to 76 years). A significant increase of tumor size was found in 30% of the subjects. In the analyzed group, 12 patients were qualified to adjuvant radiotherapy, but it was feasible only in 7 patients. The other 5 patients did not undergo radiotherapy. Two patients were disqualified due to metastatic disease and in 3 patients radiotherapy could not be performed due to excessive tumor size and too high a risk of com­plications within the critical organs. Results.3 out of 7 patients who received adjuvant radiotherapy are still alive and 4 of them died. Mean overall survival time was 32 months. The 12-month overall survival rate was 80%. In the group of 5 patients who have not received radiotherapy, 2 patients are still alive. The mean overall survival time is 13.5 months and the 12-month overall survival rate is 60%. Conclusions.Due to rapid disease progression and poor prognosis associated with ACC, patients with tumors located in the adrenal gland require urgent surgical treatment at a reference center. Adjuvant radiotherapy improves treatment results significantly, but is not feasible in some patients due to cancer progression or the tumor location. In patients with ACC, it is important to diagnose the disease and to start adequate treatment as early as possible

Results of the treatment of adrenocortical cancer patients at the Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology – Krakow Branch

Introduction.Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) has an incidence of 1–2 cases per million and the 5-year overall survival (OS) is 16–47%. Surgery is the treatment of choice. Post-operative radiotherapy has been shown to prolong overall survival and the purpose of this work was to show our own, first time in Poland, results of adjuvant radiotherapy in tre­ating this disease. Material and methods.Between 2012 and 2021, 12 patients with ACC were treated. The analyzed group included 9 women and 3 men at a mean age of 44 years (range: 33 to 76 years). A significant increase of tumor size was found in 30% of the subjects. In the analyzed group, 12 patients were qualified to adjuvant radiotherapy, but it was feasible only in 7 patients. The other 5 patients did not undergo radiotherapy. Two patients were disqualified due to metastatic disease and in 3 patients radiotherapy could not be performed due to excessive tumor size and too high a risk of com­plications within the critical organs. Results.3 out of 7 patients who received adjuvant radiotherapy are still alive and 4 of them died. Mean overall survival time was 32 months. The 12-month overall survival rate was 80%. In the group of 5 patients who have not received radiotherapy, 2 patients are still alive. The mean overall survival time is 13.5 months and the 12-month overall survival rate is 60%. Conclusions.Due to rapid disease progression and poor prognosis associated with ACC, patients with tumors located in the adrenal gland require urgent surgical treatment at a reference center. Adjuvant radiotherapy improves treatment results significantly, but is not feasible in some patients due to cancer progression or the tumor location. In patients with ACC, it is important to diagnose the disease and to start adequate treatment as early as possible

From open to laparoscopic adrenalectomy: thirty years’ experience of one medical centre

Wstęp: Adrenalektomia laparoskopowa (LA, laparoscopic adrenaloctomy) stała się w dwóch ostatnich dekadach standardowym postępowaniem w leczeniu operacyjnym łagodnych guzów nadnerczy, zawężając jednocześnie wskazania do adrenalektomii otwartej (OA, open adrenaloctomy). Celem tego badania było przedstawienie 30-letniego doświadczenia w adrenalektomii otwartej i laparoskopowej, zebranego w jednym ośrodku medycznym, jak również porównanie wyników OA i LA wykonanych z powodu łagodnych guzów nadnerczy. Materiał i metody: Materiał stanowiło 300 pacjentów, u których przeprowadzono 127 otwartych i 173 laparoskopowych adrenalektomii w latach 1979-2009 w Szpitalu im. M. Skłodowskiej-Curie w Szczecinie. Analizowanymi czynnikami były: dane demograficzne pacjentów, wynik skali ASA, wskazanie do operacji, rozmiar guza i jego umiejscowienie, charakterystyka usuniętej zmiany, śródoperacyjne i pooperacyjne wyniki LA i OA, pooperacyjne dolegliwości bólowe, śródoperacyjne i pooperacyjne powikłania, jak również wskaźnik konwersji z LA do OA. Z analizy wykluczono guzy o średnicy przekraczającej 8 cm. Wyniki: Nie stwierdzono istotnych różnic dotyczących analizowanych danych przedoperacyjnych w obu grupach pacjentów. Średni czas operacji był dłuższy w grupie LA (137 v. 82 min, p < 0,0001), a utrata krwi była mniejsza w grupie LA (110 v. 254 ml, p < 0,0001). Średni czas konieczny do wznowienia normalnej diety był krótszy po LA (22 v. 44 h), dotyczyło to również średniego czasu uruchomienia chorych (17 v. 36 h), średniego czasu hospitalizacji (4,6 v. 6,8 dni), i średniego czasu powrotu do normalnej aktywności (14 v. 23 dni, p < 0,0001 dla każdej zmiennej). Potrzeba stosowania środków przeciwbólowych w pierwszym i drugim dniu po operacji była mniejsza w grupie LA (p < 0,0001). Częstość występowania powikłań śródoperacyjnych i pooperacyjnych nie różniła się istotnie pomiędzy obiema analizowanymi grupami. Wskaźnik konwersji z LA do OA wynosił 16%. W większości przypadków rozpoznaniem histopatologicznym był gruczolak nadnercza. Wnioski: Przeprowadzona analiza pokazuje, że LA jest bezpiecznym, efektywnym i dobrze tolerowanym przez chorych zabiegiem. Adrenalektomia laparoskopowa może być rekomendowana jako "złoty standard" w chirurgii czynnych i nieczynnych hormonalnie łagodnych guzów nadnerczy o średnicy mniejszej niż 8 cm. (Endokrynol Pol 2010; 61 (1): 94-101)Introduction: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) has become the standardized treatment of benign adrenal lesions over the last two decades, making the indications to open adrenalectomy (OA) limited. The purpose of this study was to show the thirty years of experience in open (OA) and laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) gained in one medical centre as well as to compare the results of OA and LA performed for benign adrenal lesions. Material and methods: Three hundred patients underwent 127 open and 173 laparoscopic adrenalectomies between 1979 and 2009 at M. Curie Hospital in Szczecin, Poland. Analyzed factors included patients demographic data, ASA score, indication for surgery, tumour size and side, characteristics of the removed tumours, intraoperative and postoperative outcome of LA and OA, postoperative pain sensation, intraoperative and postoperative complications, and conversion rate from LA to OA. Tumours with diameter exceeding 8 cm were excluded. Results: There were no significant differences regarding the analyzed preoperative data in both groups of patients. The mean operative time was longer in the LA group (137 v. 82 min., p < 0.0001) and the blood loss was lower in LA group (110 v. 254 mL, p < 0.0001). The mean time until resumption of normal diet was shorter after LA (22 v. 44 h), as was the mean time until ambulation (17 v. 36 h), mean length of the hospital stay (4.6 v. 6.8 days), and mean time until return to normal activities (14 v. 23 days, p < 0.0001 for each difference). The analgesic requirement on the first and the second day postoperatively was lower in the LA group (p < 0.0001). The incidence of intraoperative and postoperative complications did not differ significantly between both analyzed groups. The rate of the conversion from LA to OA was 16%. The histopathological diagnosis was adenoma of the adrenal gland in the majority of cases. Conclusions: This study shows that LA is a safe, effective, and well-tolerated procedure. It may be recommended as a "gold standard" surgery in a case of benign functioning or non-functioning adrenal tumours with diameter less than 8 cm. (Pol J Endocrinol 2010; 61 (1): 94-101

The Treatment of Extensive Arteriovenous Malformations in the Head

Vascular tumours and malformations are revealed at birth and do not subside. The aim of the study was to present the principles and outcomes of treatment of patients with arteriovenous malformations treated at the Clinic of Plastic Surgery in Polanica Zdrój in the years 2009- 2010. Only one patient, who had not been treated previously, had the lesion on the cheek removed subtotally and the defect was closed by means of local repair. In the remaining patients, with primary lesions located in the auricle, scalp, and cheeks, the indications for operation included recurrent infections, ulcerations, and first of all, massive, life-threatening haemorrhages. All the patients, treated for many years in other centres, had underwent numerous resection procedures, vessel ligations, embolizations and obliterations. The patients were followed up after the surgery every 6 months. The therapy aim was achieved in all the patients. Vascular tumours were removed totally or subtotally, the lost structures were reconstructed and permanent healing of the wound was achieved. None of the patients developed recurrence of the disease, infection, or bleeding