Effectiveness of OPC for systems integration in the process control information architecture

A Process is defined as the progression to some particular end or objective through a logical and orderly sequence of events. Various devices (e.g., actuators, limit switches, motors, sensors, etc.) play a significant role in making sure that the process attains its objective (e.g., maintaining the furnace temperature within an acceptable limit). To do these things effectively, manufacturers need to access data from the plant floor or devices and integrate those into their control applications, which maybe one of the off the shelf tools such as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), Distributed Control System (DCS), or Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC). A number of vendors have devised their own Data Acquisition Networks or Process Control Architectures (e.g., PROFIBUS, DEVICENET, INTERBUS, ETHERNET I/P, etc.) that claim to be open to or interoperable with a number of third party devices or products that make process data available to the Process or Business Management level. In reality this is far from what it is claimed to be. Due to the problem of interoperability, a manufacturer is forced to be bound, either with the solutions provided by a single vendor or with the writing of a driver for each hardware device that is accessed by a process application. Today\u27s manufacturers are looking for advanced distributed object technologies that allow for seamless exchange of information across plant networks as a means of integrating the islands of automation that exist in their manufacturing operations. OLE for Process Control (OPC) works to significantly reduce the time, cost, and effort required in writing custom interfaces for hundreds of different intelligent devices and networks in use today. The objective of this thesis is to explore the OLE for Process Control (OPC) technology in depth by highlighting its need in industry and by using the OPC technology in an application in which data from a process controlled by Siemens Simatic S7 PLC are shared with a client application running in LabVTEW6i

A Cohort Study to Assess the Clinical and Radiological Outcome Following Fisk - Fernandes Procedure in Scaphoid Non Union

BACKGROUND : In a period of 2005-2014, patients who had undergone Fisk-Fernandez procedure were post operatively evaluated after union. Radiographically and clinically each patient was assessed for surgical correction of Scapholunate angle, Capitolunate angle and Scaphoid length with regard to MAYO, QuickDASH and VAS. OBJECTIVES : To assess the corrected angle of Scapholunate, Capitolunate and the corrected Scaphoid Length pre-operatively and post operatively. The wrist function is analysed subjectively and objectively by grip strength, pinch strength (HECAMS) and MAYO, QuickDASH and VAS. METHODS: Type of Study : Retrospective cohort study After the inclusion exclusion criteria were fulfilled 9 patients were included in the study who initially underwent clinical and radiological assessment for union whereby they were subjected for clinical and radiological assessment of wrist function. Radiologically preop and post op x-rays from the date of visit to our institution till follow-up were utilised for assessment of radiological angles. The wrist functions is also assessed for grip strength, pinch strength and MAYO, QuickDASH and VAS. RESULTS : The Scapholunate angle was corrected significantly and this correction was maintained till date. There was significant correlation between Pinch strength and the scaphoid length. In our study, there was no significant correlation between the scapholunate angle correction and the grip strength. But our patients resumed to their daily activities and skilled work with ease till date. CONCLUSION : Post Fisk-Fernandez procedure, majority of our patients had long-term pain relief, excellent range of motion at the wrist, and it further helped prevents degenerative changes in the majority of patients

Viewpoint: Why do we need a point-of-care CD4 test for low-income countries?

In this paper, we discuss the reasons why we urgently need a point-of-care (POC) CD4 test, elaborate the problems we have experienced with the current technology which hampers CD4-count coverage and highlight the ideal characteristics of a universal CD4 POC test. It is high-time that CD4 technology is simplified and adapted for wider use in low-income countries to change the current paradigm of restricted access once and for all

Abolishing user fees for children and pregnant women trebled uptake of malaria-related interventions in Kangaba, Mali.

Malaria is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in children under 5 in Mali. Health centres provide primary care, including malaria treatment, under a system of cost recovery. In 2005, Médecins sans Frontieres (MSF) started supporting health centres in Kangaba with the provision of rapid malaria diagnostic tests and artemisinin-based combination therapy. Initially MSF subsidized malaria tests and drugs to reduce the overall cost for patients. In a second phase, MSF abolished fees for all children under 5 irrespective of their illness and for pregnant women with fever. This second phase was associated with a trebling of both primary health care utilization and malaria treatment coverage for these groups. MSF's experience in Mali suggests that removing user fees for vulnerable groups significantly improves utilization and coverage of essential health services, including for malaria interventions. This effect is far more marked than simply subsidizing or providing malaria drugs and diagnostic tests free of charge. Following the free care strategy, utilization of services increased significantly and under-5 mortality was reduced. Fee removal also allowed for more efficient use of existing resources, reducing average cost per patient treated. These results are particularly relevant for the context of Mali and other countries with ambitious malaria treatment coverage objectives, in accordance with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. This article questions the effectiveness of the current national policy, and the effectiveness of reducing the cost of drugs only (i.e. partial subsidies) or providing malaria tests and drugs free for under-5s, without abolishing other related fees. National and international budgets, in particular those that target health systems strengthening, could be used to complement existing subsidies and be directed towards effective abolition of user fees. This would contribute to increasing the impact of interventions on population health and, in turn, the effectiveness of aid

Providing universal access to antiretroviral therapy in Thyolo, Malawi through task shifting and decentralization of HIV/AIDS care.

Objective  To describe how district-wide access to HIV/AIDS care was achieved and maintained in Thyolo District, Malawi. Method  In mid-2003, the Ministry of Health and Médecins Sans Frontières developed a model of care for Thyolo district (population 587 455) based on decentralization of care to health centres and community sites and task shifting. Results  After delegating HIV testing and counseling to lay counsellors, uptake of testing increased from 1300 tests per month in 2003 to 6500 in 2009. Shifting responsibility for antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiations to non-physician clinicians almost doubled ART enrolment, with a majority of initiations performed in peripheral health centres. By the end 2009, 23 261 people had initiated ART of whom 11 042 received ART care at health-centre level. By the end of 2007, the universal access targets were achieved, with nearly 9000 patients alive and on ART. The average annual cost for achieving these targets was €2.6 per inhabitant/year. Conclusion  The Thyolo programme has demonstrated the feasibility of district-wide access to ART in a setting with limited resources for health. Expansion and decentralization of HIV/AIDS service-capacity to the primary care level, combined with task shifting, resulted in increased access to HIV services with good programme outcomes despite staff shortages

Mortality Reduction Associated with HIV/AIDS Care and Antiretroviral Treatment in Rural Malawi: Evidence from Registers, Coffin Sales and Funerals

BACKGROUND: To report on the trend in all-cause mortality in a rural district of Malawi that has successfully scaled-up HIV/AIDS care including antiretroviral treatment (ART) to its population, through corroborative evidence from a) registered deaths at traditional authorities (TAs), b) coffin sales and c) church funerals. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Retrospective study in 5 of 12 TAs (covering approximately 50% of the population) during the period 2000-2007. A total of 210 villages, 24 coffin workshops and 23 churches were included. There were a total of 18,473 registered deaths at TAs, 15781 coffins sold, and 2762 church funerals. Between 2000 and 2007, there was a highly significant linear downward trend in death rates, sale of coffins and church funerals (X(2) for linear trend: 338.4 P<0.0001, 989 P<0.0001 and 197, P<0.0001 respectively). Using data from TAs as the most reliable source of data on deaths, overall death rate reduction was 37% (95% CI:33-40) for the period. The mean annual incremental death rate reduction was 0.52/1000/year. Death rates decreased over time as the percentage of people living with HIV/AIDS enrolled into care and ART increased. Extrapolating these data to the entire district population, an estimated 10,156 (95% CI: 9786-10259) deaths would have been averted during the 8-year period. CONCLUSIONS: Registered deaths at traditional authorities, the sale of coffins and church funerals showed a significant downward trend over a 8-year period which we believe was associated with the scaling up HIV/AIDS care and ART

Surgical Task Shifting in Sub-Saharan Africa

Kathryn Chu and colleagues discuss some of the experiences of surgical task shifting to date, and outline lessons from task shifting in the delivery of HIV/AIDS care

Positive spill-over effects of ART scale up on wider health systems development: evidence from Ethiopia and Malawi

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Global health initiatives have enabled the scale up of antiretroviral treatment (ART) over recent years. The impact of HIV-specific funds and programmes on non-HIV-related health services and health systems in genera has been debated extensively. Drawing on evidence from Malawi and Ethiopia, this article analyses the effects of ART scale-up interventions on human resources policies, service delivery and general health outcomes, and explores how synergies can be maximized.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data from Malawi and Ethiopia were compiled between 2004 and 2009 and between 2005 and 2009, respectively. We developed a conceptual health systems framework for the analysis. We used the major changes in human resources policies as an entry point to explore the wider health systems changes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In both countries, the need for an HIV response triggered an overhaul of human resources policies. As a result, the health workforce at health facility and community level was reinforced. The impact of this human resources trend was felt beyond the scale up of ART services; it also contributed to an overall increase in functional health facilities providing curative, mother and child health, and ART services. In addition to a significant increase in ART coverage, we observed a remarkable rise in user rates of non-HIV health services and an improvement in overall health outcomes.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Interventions aimed at the expansion of ART services and improvement of long-term retention of patients in ART care can have positive spill-over effects on the health system. The responses of Malawi and Ethiopia to their human resources crises was exceptional in many respects, and some of the lessons learnt can be useful in other contexts. The case studies show the feasibility of obtaining improved health outcomes beyond HIV through scaled-up ART interventions when these are part of a long-term, system-wide health plan supported by all decision makers and funders.</p