Fast Track Research Articles

Enhanced recovery after surgery from 1997 to 2022: a bibliometric and visual analysis.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is a multimodal perioperative management concept, but there is no article to comprehensively review the collaboration and impact of countries, institutions, authors, journals, references, and keywords on ERAS from a bibliometric perspective. This study assessed the evolution of clustering of knowledge structures and identified hot trends and emerging topics. Articles and reviews related to ERAS were retrieved through subject search from the Web of Science Core Collection. We used the following strategy: "TS = Enhanced recovery after surgery" OR "Enhanced Postsurgical Recovery" OR "Postsurgical Recoveries, Enhanced" OR "Postsurgical Recovery, Enhanced" OR "Recovery, Enhanced Postsurgical" OR "Fast track surgery" OR "improve surgical outcome". Bibliometric analyses were conducted on Excel 365, CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Bibliometrics (R-Tool of R-Studio). Totally 3242 articles and reviews from 1997 to 2022 were included. These publications were mainly from 684 journals in 78 countries, led by the United States and China. Kehlet H published the most papers and had the largest number of co-citations. Analysis of the journals with the most outputs showed that most journals mainly cover Surgery and Oncology. The hottest keyword is "enhanced recovery after surgery". Later appearing topics and keywords indicate that the hotspots and future research trends include ERAS protocols for other types of surgery and improving perioperative status, including "bariatric surgery", "thoracic surgery", and "prehabilitation". This study reviewed the research on ERAS using bibliometric and visualization methods, which can help scholars better understand the dynamic evolution of ERAS and provide directions for future research.

Dynamic safety control of offshore wind turbine based on model predictive control

Offshore wind power is a clean energy source with excellent development prospects that are conducive to realising China's goal of carbon neutrality. However, offshore wind turbines (WTs) are prone to failure and damage owing to their long-term operation in marine environments with high humidity, high wind speeds, and frequent extreme weather. To ensure the safe operation of offshore WTs, a modified dynamic model predictive control (MPC) method was proposed in this study. First, a dynamic model of an offshore WT was established and its nonlinear state-space equations were obtained. These state-space equations were subsequently linearised and discretised, then fast trajectory tracking of the state variables was performed according to the conventional MPC principle. Finally, a control strategy was designed to realise the safe operational control of offshore WT using the safety index as a constraint condition in the MPC. Simulation results confirmed that the proposed MPC strategy using the safety index-based constraint exhibited superior tracking of the set trajectory and achieved the minimum energy loss under varying wind speeds.

Sustaining University-Industry Collaborations in Nanotechnology Research: The Malaysian Case

University-Industry (U-I) collaborations during the course of technology development – commercialization cycle needs to be “symbiotically mutual” to both academia and industry. Based on this principle, this paper aims to determine the obstacles in sustaining U-I collaborations. By referring to the qualitative case study of nanotechnology research in Malaysia, it is evident that the two-way opposite directional priorities are what disables the mere fortification of U-I collaborations. Results from ten in-depth interview sessions have highlighted five main barriers to U-I collaborations, namely the issues of distinct logics and priorities, patent and commercialization, time factor, product safety, and product functionality and capabilities. The findings also suggest that the expected yield derived from U-I collaborations are to be the product of continuous re-engineering performed iteratively rather than “fast track” results.

236P INTENT study: Assessment of fast track (FT) panel with IHC, RT-PCR and FISH as an alternative or rescue to NGS panel testing failure in NSCLC

236P INTENT study: Assessment of fast track (FT) panel with IHC, RT-PCR and FISH as an alternative or rescue to NGS panel testing failure in NSCLC

Adaptive Fuzzy Fast Finite-Time Output-Feedback Tracking Control for Switched Nonlinear Systems With Full-State Constraints

Adaptive Fuzzy Fast Finite-Time Output-Feedback Tracking Control for Switched Nonlinear Systems With Full-State Constraints

Patients' perspective of fast-track total joint arthroplasty: a systematic review.

The introduction of fast-track protocols decreased length of hospital stay and improved rehabilitation and outcomes in total joint arthroplasty. Despite improved clinical results published in many papers, the patient perspective of these protocols is less investigated. Purpose of this study was to explore the patient perspective of fast-track protocols in arthroplasty. A systematic search for articles of patient experiences in total hip, knee, and shoulder arthroplasty was conducted using EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane, and Web-of-Science for articles published from inception to February 14, 2023. In total 12 studies were included involving 672 patients. Most patients were satisfied with short length of hospital stay and preferred rehabilitation at home with relatives for support. Various experiences were reported regarding pain and postoperative out of hospital physical therapy. Frequently, feelings of insecurity were reported because of lack of personalized information. Based on current qualitative literature, patients are satisfied with short length of hospital stay in fast-track total joint arthroplasty. Improvements in personalized information and physical therapy protocols is needed.

Robust Two-Layer Control of DC Microgrids With Fluctuating Constant Power Load Demand

This paper proposes a cascaded control structure for the regulation of DC Microgrids (MG). It is well-known that the negative impedance characteristics of a constant power load (CPL) adversely affect the stability of the network, and can cause problems such as voltage collapse or damage the electronic components. To mitigate this, we propose a two-layer control structure, where at the inner layer, the proposed controller achieves fast tracking of the supplied reference points and ultimate boundedness of the trajectories in a desired set. The outer layer generates the inner layer reference points, accounts for system constraints, and introduces robustness of the voltage dynamics to unknown perturbations of the CPL demand. For the first time, an investigation of the nonlinear geometric behaviour of the CPL is carried out to derive necessary conditions that ensure boundedness of the network dynamics and feasible regulation to a desired equilibrium set. Finally, Control Lyapunov functions are formulated to prove the stability and estimate the region of attraction of the closed loop dynamics. A simulated scenario of a meshed MG network is presented to confirm the validity of the results.

There’s Place for an Intestinal Stroke Fast Track?

There’s Place for an Intestinal Stroke Fast Track?

An Evolutionary Enhanced Particle Filter-Based Fusion Localization Scheme for Fast Tracking of Smartphone Users in Tall Complex Buildings for Hazardous Situations

An Evolutionary Enhanced Particle Filter-Based Fusion Localization Scheme for Fast Tracking of Smartphone Users in Tall Complex Buildings for Hazardous Situations

Patterns of Non-influenza Respiratory Viruses Among Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Cases in Burkina Faso: A Surveillance Study.

Although influenza viruses cause only one-fifth of severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) in Burkina Faso, the other viral causes of SARI remain poorly investigated to inform clinical and preventive decision making. Between 2016 and 2019, we prospectively enrolled inpatients meeting the World Health Organization (WHO) case definition of SARI in Burkina Faso. Results of viral etiologies among inpatients tested negative for influenza using the Fast Track Diagnostics Respiratory Kits (FTD-33) were reported. Of 1541 specimens tested, at least one respiratory virus was detected in 76.1% of the 1231 specimens negative for influenza virus. Human rhinoviruses (hRVs) were the most detected pathogens (476; 38.7%), followed by human adenoviruses (hAdV) (17.1%, 210/1231), human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) (15.4%, 189/1231), enterovirus (EnV) (11.2%, 138/1231), human bocavirus (hBoV) (7.9%, 97/1231), parainfluenza 3 (hPIV3) (6.1%, 75/1231), human metapneumovirus (hMPV) (6.0%,74/1321), parainfluenza 4 (hPIV4) (4.1%, 51/1231), human coronavirus OC43 (hCoV-OC43) (3.4%, 42/1231), human coronavirus HKU1(hCoV-HKU1) (2.7%, 33/1231), human coronavirus NL63 (hCoV-NL63) (2.5%, 31/1231), parainfluenza 1 (hPIV1) (2.0%, 25/1231), parainfluenza 2 (hPIV2) (1.8%, 22/1231), human parechovirus (PeV) (1.1%, 14/1231), and human coronavirus 229E (hCoV-229E) (0.9%, 11/1231). Among SARI cases, infants aged 1-4 years were mostly affected (50.7%; 622/1231), followed by those <1 year of age (35.7%; 438/1231). Most detected pathogens had year-long circulation patterns, with seasonal peaks mainly observed during the cold and dry seasons. Several non-influenza viruses are cause of SARI in Burkina Faso. The integration of the most common pathogens into the routine influenza surveillance system might be beneficial.

Effects of Seed Rate on Seed Multiplication Ratio, Seed Quality And Yield of Malt Barley Seed Classes Under Irrigated Conditions in Northwest Amhara

Field experiments were conducted to identify seed rate enhancing seed multiplication ratio, seed quality and yield on Ibone (174/03) malt barely variety performance in Koga district during 2019 and 2020 irrigation seasons. Three seed classes (breeder, pre-basic and basic seeds) and seed rates (40, 60, 80 and 100 kg.ha-1) were compared. The experimental design randomized complete block in factorial arrangement with three replications. Analysis of variance was showed that the interaction effect of seed class and seed rate was not significant (P&gt;0.05) for the parameters of days to maturity, plant height, spike length, seed yield, seed multiplication ratio and thousand seed weight. The study result depicted that seed rate had brought significant effect on the seed yield and multiplication ratio of malt barely. Results indicated that lower seed rates gave better seed multiplication ratio in the districts. Increasing seed rate from 40 to 80 kg.ha-1 has increased seed yield from 3356.1 kg.ha-1 to 3696.8 kg ha-1 though seed yield difference between seed rates of 60 and 80 kg.ha-1 was statistically non-significant (p&gt;0.05). Increasing seed rate from 40 to 60 kg.ha-1 has continuously improved seed yield from 3356.1 to 3592.1 kg.ha-1 in all seed class in the districts, but the difference was statistically non-significant. In conclusion, seed rates as low as 60 kg.ha-1 can be used at all seed classes to accelerate early generation seed multiplication within the fast track variety release program in Western Amhara Region.

Three-Dimensional Path Tracking of Over-Actuated AUVs Based on MPC and Variable Universe S-Plane Algorithms

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) are widely used for the inspection of seabed pipelines. To address the issues of low trajectory tracking accuracy in AUV inspection processes due to uncertain ocean current disturbances, this paper designs a new dual-loop controller based on Model Predictive Control (MPC) and Variable Universe S-plane algorithms (S-VUD FLC, where VUD represents Variable Universe Discourse and FLC represents Fuzzy Logic Control) to achieve three-dimensional (3-D) trajectory tracking of an over-actuated AUV under uncertain ocean current disturbances. This paper uses MPC as the outer-loop position controller and S-VUD FLC as the inner-loop speed controller. The outer-loop controller generates desired speed instructions that are passed to the inner-loop speed controller, while the inner-loop speed controller generates control input and uses a direct logic thrust distribution method that approaches optimal energy consumption to distribute the thrust generated by the propellers to the over-actuated AUV, achieving closed-loop tracking of the entire trajectory. When designing the outer-loop MPC controller, the actual control input constraints of the system are considered, and control increments are introduced to reduce control model errors and the impact of uncertain external disturbances on the actual AUV model parameters. When designing the inner-loop S-VUD FLC, the strong robustness of the variable universe fuzzy controller and the easy construction characteristics of the S-plane algorithm are combined, and integral action is introduced to improve the system’s tracking accuracy. The stability of the outer loop controller is proven by the Lyapunov method, and the stability of the inner loop controller is verified by simulation. Finally, simulations show that the over-actuated AUV has fast tracking processes and high tracking result accuracy under uncertain ocean current disturbances, demonstrating the effectiveness of the designed dual-loop controller.

Fast and high-precision tracking technology for image-based closed-loop cascaded control system with a Risley prism and fast steering mirror.

The Risley prism's compact structure, dynamic responsiveness, and high tracking accuracy make it ideal for photoelectric image tracking. To realize fast and high-precision tracking of the target, we propose an image-based closed-loop tracking cascade control (IBCLTCR-F) system using a single image detector that integrates the Risley prism and fast steering mirror (FSM). Firstly, We propose a cascade control input-decoupling method (CCIDM) for the IBCLTCR-F system to solve the complex problem of coarse-fine control input decoupling in traditional single detector cascaded control systems. Moreover, the CCIDM method ensures that the FSM deflection angle is small and does not exceed its range during the fine tracking process, by using the Risley prism to compensate for the FSM deflection angle. Next, we design the image-based closed-loop tracking controllers of the Risley prism system and FSM system and analyze the stability of the IBCLTCR-F system. Finally, we track static and moving targets through experiments. The experimental results verify the feasibility of the IBCLTCR-F system, the effectiveness of the decoupling method, and the fast and high-precision tracking of the targets.

Application of Improved PSO and BP Hybrid Optimization Algorithm in Electrical Automation Intelligent Control

A fuzzy RBF-PID control strategy based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is proposed to solve the problem of large inertia lag in temperature control system of industrial production refuse furnace. In this control system, an improved particle swarm optimization algorithm combined with inertia weight and genetic transformation was used to optimize the initial values of membership functions of fuzzy RBF (radial basis function). Then, BP (error backpropagation) algorithm is used for fine tuning, and fuzzy reasoning and RBF learning ability are combined to adjust the PID control parameters online to achieve the optimal PID control effect. The simulation results show that the algorithm has fast tracking, small overshoot, and is not easily trapped in local minima. At the same time, its robustness and anti-interference performance are better than traditional PID control.

Fast-track anesthesia and outcomes in hepatopancreatic cancer surgery: a retrospective analysis

AimTo assess the feasibility of a fast-track anesthesia protocol for hepatopancreatobiliary cancer surgery.MethodsRetrospective analysis of consecutive sample of patients who underwent hepatopancreatic surgery for cancer for a period of 12 months in a high volume cancer center. Blended anesthesia was performed for most patients who were then observed in a recovery room area until achieving a safety score.ResultsData of 163 patients were examined. Fifty-six and 107 patients underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer and liver surgery for primary tumor or metastases, respectively. Most patients were ASA 3. The mean durations of anesthesia and surgery were 322 min (SD 320) and 296 min (SD 133), respectively. Extubation was performed in the operating room in 125 patients. Post-operatory invasive ventilation was maintained in the recovery room in fifteen patients for a mean duration of 72.7 min (SD148.2). Only one patient was admitted to intensive care for 15 h. NIV was performed in three patients for a mean duration of 73.3 min (SD 15.3). The mean recovery room staying was 79 min (SD 80). The mean hospital postoperative stay was a mean of 8.1 days (SD 5.7). No complications were found in 144 patients. Globally, mortality rate was 3%.ConclusionA program of fast-track anesthesia with a short stay in recovery room allowed to achieve a good outcome, limiting the costs of intensive care admission.

Adaptive recursive sliding mode based trajectory tracking control for cable-driven continuum robots

To improve the transient response, accuracy and robustness of trajectory tracking control for cable-driven continuum robots (CDCRs), a recursive integral terminal sliding mode control combined with an adaptive disturbance observer (ADO-RITSMC) is proposed. The recursive integral terminal sliding mode control (RITSMC) guarantees fast transient response and high tracking accuracy with a fast zero convergence of the tracking error without chattering. To attenuate the effect of uncertain dynamics, an adaptive disturbance observer (ADO) is constructed to derive uncertain dynamics. Particularly, an improved grey wolf optimizer (IGWO) is merged into the ADO to enhance the estimating accuracy of uncertain dynamic factors. Simulation and experiment results demonstrate the superiority of the ADO-RITSMC in enabling fast transient response, high accuracy and strong robustness of trajectory tracking control.

Self-Prompting Tracking: A Fast and Efficient Tracking Pipeline for UAV Videos

In the realm of visual tracking, remote sensing videos captured by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have seen significant advancements with wide applications. However, there remain challenges to conventional Transformer-based trackers in balancing tracking accuracy and inference speed. This problem is further exacerbated when Transformers are extensively implemented at larger model scales. To address this challenge, we present a fast and efficient UAV tracking framework, denoted as SiamPT, aiming to reduce the number of Transformer layers without losing the discriminative ability of the model. To realize it, we transfer the conventional prompting theories in multi-model tracking into UAV tracking, where a novel self-prompting method is proposed by utilizing the target’s inherent characteristics in the search branch to discriminate targets from the background. Specifically, a self-distribution strategy is introduced to capture feature-level relationships, which segment tokens into distinct smaller patches. Subsequently, salient tokens within the full attention map are identified as foreground targets, enabling the fusion of local region information. These fused tokens serve as prompters to enhance the identification of distractors, thereby avoiding the demand for model expansion. SiamPT has demonstrated impressive results on the UAV123 benchmark, achieving success and precision rates of 0.694 and 0.890 respectively, while maintaining an inference speed of 91.0 FPS.

Informal land leasing and social relations: Insights from Zimbabwe’s small scale farms

This article examines the role of social relations in enabling informal land leasing in Zimbabwe's small scale (A1 villagised) settlements after the Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP). After Fast Track Land Reform (FTLRP) in Zimbabwe, although some studies have explored informal land leasing, limited attention has been provided to the increasing informal subdivision in A1 villagised plots. The paper uses social relations as a basis for understanding the nature of informal land subdivisions, drawing insights from Zimbabwe’s small-scale farms in Zvimba District, Mashonaland West Province. Using qualitative insights, the article argues that in cases where land is provided through land reform, policy formulators should acknowledge the existence of these subdivisions for people with limited access to land. This article concludes that social relations enable people to access land through informal channels in resettlement areas enabling people to bypass legal policy directives through land subdivisions.

A novel mouse model of calcific aortic valve stenosis.

Calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS) is one of the most challenging heart diseases in clinical with rapidly increasing prevalence. However, study of the mechanism and treatment of CAVS is hampered by the lack of suitable, robust and efficient models that develop hemodynamically significant stenosis and typical calcium deposition. Here, we aim to establish a mouse model to mimic the development and features of CAVS. The model was established via aortic valve wire injury (AVWI) combined with vitamin D subcutaneous injected in wild type C57/BL6 mice. Serial transthoracic echocardiography was applied to evaluate aortic jet peak velocity and mean gradient. Histopathological specimens were collected and examined in respect of valve thickening, calcium deposition, collagen accumulation, osteogenic differentiation and inflammation. Serial transthoracic echocardiography revealed that aortic jet peak velocity and mean gradient increased from 7 days post model establishment in a time dependent manner and tended to be stable at 28 days. Compared with the sham group, simple AVWI or the vitamin D group, the hybrid model group showed typical pathological features of CAVS, including hemodynamic alterations, increased aortic valve thickening, calcium deposition, collagen accumulation at 28 days. In addition, osteogenic differentiation, fibrosis and inflammation, which play critical roles in the development of CAVS, were observed in the hybrid model. We established a novel mouse model of CAVS that could be induced efficiently, robustly and economically, and without genetic intervention. It provides a fast track to explore the underlying mechanisms of CAVS and to identify more effective pharmacological targets.

Engineering Fastest Control: A New Process Control Method for Thermal Power Units

The intermittent and volatile nature of wind power generation necessitates thermal power units to provide deep-peak shaving and fast frequency regulation services within the same grid. However, the current proportional integral differential (PID) control performance in the process control foundation of thermal power units falls short of meeting these requirements. Despite the lack of comprehensive research on engineering fastest control (EFC), this article aims to address this gap by studying and analyzing the mechanism and physical defects of the fast tracking filter (FTF), the output tracking input characteristics of EFTF reconstructed by FTF engineering, and the control performance of the constructed EFC. Through mathematical calculation analysis, simulation experiments, and real-world engineering practice, it is concluded that EFC surpasses the limitations of PID control performance and effectively enhances feedback control performance. As a result, it is deemed suitable for process control in thermal power units.