Instrument Control Research Articles

Case Report of Placenta Accreta Spectrum and Arteriovenous Malformations with Successful Preservation of Fertility After Birth

Uterine arteriovenous malformations (UAVMs) that occur after birth are a rare cause of late postpartum hemorrhage. Acquired UAVMs usually occur in conjunction with pathology of the placenta. In the spectrum of placenta accreta (PAS), subinvolution of the placental bed plays an important role in its pathophysiology. We present a case of UAVM in a pregnant woman with PAS who presented with marked metrorrhagia after delivery, which was treated with classical management. Then, 35 days later, she presented to the emergency room with severe metrorrhagia. As it was suspected that she had placental remnants, an instrumental uterine control was performed, but the bleeding persisted, requiring further uterine packing and blood administration. Later, uterine artery embolization was performed with good results. Color Doppler ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, and angiography were the methods with the greatest diagnostic value. The differential diagnosis was as complex as the treatment. We hypothesize that UAVM may develop from minimal residual PAS in this late postpartum period. Moreover, they may recover rapidly after local surgical ablation. Considering the clinical condition, hemodynamic status, and desire to preserve fertility, we were able to avoid a hysterectomy, which is often chosen in such cases of severe, life-threatening bleeding complications.

Impact Factors of Student's Abandon Learning Activities: Case Study in Dili

This research aims to explore the factors causing the problem of abandoned learning and gather perspectives to solve the problem of abandoned learning activities. This is a case study with a qualitative approach. This study was conducted in 18 schools, where the informants were 82 people from June to December 2021. The result of this study discovered internal and external factors. The internal factors included students’ interest and motivation, discipline and attitude, disinterest, and physiological. The external factors were family, teachers, school, and peers. While dealing with these factors, researchers concluded that school conditions and the quality of teachers promoted non-violent education. The results suggested that schools must design and reinforce the control instruments and implement school counseling. The Ministry of Education recruits competent and professional teachers; parents and society in general establish a co-operative spirit, paying attention to the students to obey the rules. The next research needs to involve another subject, schools at different levels. Keywords: factors, abandon, learning activities

Effect of enzymatic chemo-mechanical agents on adhesion of composite resin to dentin of permanent teeth: an in vitro study.

To evaluate and compare the effect of two enzymatic chemo-mechanical caries removal agents with conventional caries removal using rotatory instruments on the adhesion of composite resin to dentin of permanent teeth. The sample comprised 30 permanent molars with caries lesions extending to the dentin, randomly distributed into three groups (n = 10 each): 1-Caries removal with rotary instruments (control group); 2-Caries removal with Papacárie Duo® (F&A Laboratório Farmacêutico, São Paulo, Brazil); 3-Caries removal with Brix 3000™ (Brix S.R.L., Carcarañá, Argentina). After caries removal, the specimens were rinsed and dried. Scotchbond Universal™ adhesive (3M, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA) was actively applied in self-etch mode and light-cured. Resin composite increments were applied using a silicone mold (3 × 3 × 2mm) and light-cured. Shear bond strength (MPa), work-to-debonding (J/m2), and shear modulus (kPa) were evaluated. For statistical analysis, the level of significance was set at 5%. The control group presented significantly higher shear bond strength values (8.50 ± 2.69MPa) compared to the Brix 3000™ group (5.72 ± 1.55MPa, p = 0.008). There were no significant differences between Papacárie Duo® (6.66 ± 0.86MPa) and the other groups (p > 0.05). Regarding work-to-debonding, the Papacárie Duo® group had a significantly higher result (2944.41 ± 450.21J/m2) than the Brix 3000™ group (1189.41 ± 504.13J/m2, p < 0.001) and the control group (967.10 ± 270.01J/m2, p < 0.001). Concerning shear modulus, the control group showed a significantly higher result (558.67 ± 168.96kPa) than the Brix 3000™ group (339.79 ± 143.78kPa, p = 0.008) and the Papacárie Duo® group (223.04 ± 127.30kPa, p < 0.001). While the application of Papacárie Duo® did not negatively affect composite resin adhesion to dentin of permanent teeth, the application of Brix 3000™ reduced adhesive forces, potentially limiting its clinical use. Further investigations are warranted to elucidate the effects of these materials on dentin substrate, particularly through clinical studies.

Exploring the use of Language in Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Focus on Social Class and Patriarchal Mindset of Victorian England

Tess of the d’Urbervilles written by Thomas Hardy explores the complicated social structure and patriarchal injustice existing during the Victorian era. In this novel, Hardy uses refined and colloquial language for characters belonging to different classes in order to portray social differences and highlight power and position.Tess, being a girl from lower class was a subject of exploitation and received physical and mental abuse from Alec, Angel and overall, the society. Alec often abused her verbally using words reflectinghis ownership over Tess while Angel and the society blamed her for her rape. This paper aims to examine the role of language in Tess of the d’Urbervilles that represents the deep-rooted domination based on gender and class. Through Hardy’s narrative style and variation in linguistics pattern themes of male dominance and abuse, possession, control, victim blaming, identity, social class. and the patriarchal mindset of the society has been explored. The findings are basedon the primary and secondary data collected from the text Tess of the d’Urbervilles and other journals, articles, research paper of various scholars respectively. Besides, it also focuses on the sympathetic narrative tone of the writer where he expressed his compassion and presented Tess as a tragic character to the readers, who had gone through all sorts of sufferings due to her gender and class. The paper also presents a connection between Tess and the women of all ages who have similar experience and how language has always been an instrument of oppression and control over women by men. Hardy’s use of language is a reflection of the social and gender oppression during the Victorian era and how words can be a way of humiliating women.

The literal meaning of Slur

This research explores the complex and multifaceted nature of slurs within modern sociolinguistic contexts. The study aims to dissect the power dynamics embedded in these terms, examining how slurs function as instruments of social control, perpetuating stereotypes and reinforcing social hierarchies. Through a combination of qualitative analysis and case studies, this research investigates the historical origins, evolution, and contemporary usage of slurs across different cultures and communities. The findings reveal that slurs are not merely offensive words but are laden with historical and cultural significance, often reflecting broader societal attitudes towards race, gender, sexuality, and other identity markers. The study also considers the psychological impact of slurs on individuals and groups, demonstrating how these terms can inflict lasting emotional harm and contribute to a hostile social environment. In addition, the research addresses the phenomenon of reappropriation, where marginalized groups reclaim slurs as a form of empowerment and resistance. This process is analyzed to understand its potential in challenging and subverting the oppressive connotations traditionally associated with these terms. Ultimately, this paper underscores the importance of recognizing the deep-seated implications of slurs in everyday language and advocates for a more nuanced approach to addressing linguistic discrimination. The research concludes with recommendations for fostering more inclusive and respectful communication practices in diverse social settings.

The effects of environmental innovations on labor productivity: how does it pay to be green

ABSTRACT Due to growing environmental concerns, environmental innovations (EIs) have gained prominence in firms’ strategies. This study delves into the productivity effects of regulation-driven environmental innovations using data from four Finnish Community Innovation Survey (CIS) waves. Instrumental variable estimation controls for the endogeneity of voluntary and regulation-driven EIs in a novel way. Our results support the prior findings on the strong Porter hypothesis that environmental regulation improves performance. However, the results also hint at a delay before environmental innovations translate into higher productivity. We also find that regulation-driven EIs improve performance in services. Small firms do not benefit relatively less, although they are inclined to do fewer voluntary EIs. Environmental regulation may favor firms in the Nordic context due to firms being close to the industry frontier.

Implementation of a community-based LC-UV drug checking service: promising preliminary findings on feasibility and validity

BackgroundThe increasing diversity of psychoactive substances on the unregulated drug market poses significant health, psychological, and social risks to people who use drugs (PWUD). To address these risks, various harm reduction (HR) policies have been implemented, including drug checking services (DCS). Many analytical methods are used for DCS. While qualitative methods (e.g., thin layer chromatography, spectroscopy) are easier to implement, they are not as accurate as quantitative methods (e.g., LC-UV, LC-MS). Some HR programmes have implemented high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with UV detection (LC-UV). This article presents the cross-validation of this quantitative method with a reference liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) method.MethodsDrug samples were provided by PWUD to a DCS called DrugLab in Marseille, France. The samples were weighed and prepared through dissolution in methanol, followed by ultrasonic bathing. Samples were analysed onsite using LC-UV analysis. They were then subsequently analysed with the reference LC-HRMS method. The LC-UV instrument in DrugLab was calibrated after being purchased; analysis of standard solutions was routinely performed once a month and after maintenance operations. For the LC-HRMS instrument, calibration and quality control procedures followed European Medicines Agency (EMA) guidelines. Statistical analyses were conducted including Spearman correlation tests using IBM® SPSS® Statistics version 20.ResultsA total of 102 samples representing different product classes and cutting agents were cross-validated. Differences between both analyses methods for each molecule analysed were ≤ 20%, with significant correlations between both methods’ results for most substances. Notably, LC-HRMS provided lower concentration values for cocaine and acetaminophen, whereas it provided higher values for other substances. Correlations were significant for cocaine, ketamine, MDMA, heroin, amphetamine, caffeine, acetaminophen, and levamisole.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that the results provided by DrugLab were accurate and reliable, making LC-UV an adaptable, stable, and suitable analytical method for simple matrices like drugs in a DCS context. However, this cross validation does not guarantee accuracy over time. A proficiency test project in HR laboratories across France is currently under development in order to address potential drifts in LC-UV accuracy.

Analytical model of an active noise control system for performance analysis of adaptive algorithms in HVAC system

In real-world acoustic scenarios related to the problem with the low-frequency noise such as HVAC systems, the signal is a stochastic, non-stationary and time-varying process where the performance of the active noise control technique mainly depends on the characteristics of the adaptive filtering techniques. In this paper, a method for analytical modeling of active noise control of signals in MATLAB/Simulink is presented, in which the acquisition of audio signals is provided by using a National Instruments control and acquisition module. For the realization of the active noise control, an adaptive filtering system model for signal analysis has been developed, using three adaptive algorithms (LMS,RLS and NLMS). The analysis of the characteristics of each of the three investigated adaptive algorithms is performed according to four parameters: Mean Square Error (MSE), convergence speed, stability and robustness. The conclusions are presented through a comparative analysis of the results obtained from the implemented methodology. The individual characteristics and parameters that are observed for correct adaptation and optimal results of each of the adaptive filters are explained in detail.

Technique for guttural pouch bead removal using a novel three-dimensional (3D)-printed instrument.

The aim of the present study was to determine if a three-dimensional (3D)-printed instrument technique would improve lavage removal of plastic beads (guttural pouch [GP] chondroid mimics) through a dorsal pharyngeal recess (DPR) fenestration. We hypothesized that using a 3D-printed instrument placed through the DPR fenestration would remove more beads, reduce lavage time and incur less soft tissue damage than using a lavage tube control or instrument placement through the salpingopharyngeal ostium (SPO). Experimental cadaveric study. A total of 30 cadaveric equine heads. DPR fenestration was performed using transendoscopic laser and 50 plastic 12 mm beads were placed into one GP of horse heads. Four removal procedures using a 3D-printed instrument or lavage tube control placed through the DPR fenestration or the SPO were compared. Number of beads removed and number of 2-min lavage cycles to recover ≥96% of beads or three consecutive no-yield cycles were recorded. Endoscopic soft tissue damage was graded. Data were compared by generalized estimating equations (GEE) model and Fisher's exact test (p < .05). More beads (median 48 beads; range 0-49) were removed faster (median 24 beads/cycle; range 12-50) using the 3D-printed instrument compared to control (median 6 beads; range 0-29, 0.66 beads/cycle, range 0-49). There was no difference between total beads removed or removal speed between placement sites. There was no difference in soft tissue damage between procedures. Our 3D-printed instrument enabled efficient plastic bead removal. DPR fenestration and use of our 3D-printed instrument represents an alternative to current chondroid removal techniques, warranting investigation in clinical cases.

Single-Port da Vinci Robot-Assisted Cervical Esophagectomy: How to Do It.

Minimally invasive esophagectomies, including robot-assisted procedures, have demonstrated superiority over traditional open surgery. Despite the prevalence of transhiatal and transthoracic approaches, cervical access is less common in minimally invasive esophageal surgery. Advancements in robotic systems, such as the da Vinci Single Port (SP), enable controlled transcervical extrapleural mediastinoscopic access, potentially reducing pulmonary complications and extending surgical options to patients with comorbidities. The da Vinci SP robot-assisted cervical esophagectomy (SP-RACE) employs an SP and laparoscopic approach, demonstrating feasibility with comparable lymphadenectomy and recurrent nerve palsy rates to transthoracic methods. This technique, performed for the first time in Europe at the University Hospital Mainz, involves a transcervical SP phase that allows for effective mediastinal dissection and esophageal mobilization. Despite technical challenges due to limited space, robotic systems enhance controlled access and eliminate arm collision. The da Vinci SP platform's advantages include improved triangulation, fewer interferences, and better control of instruments in confined spaces. This novel approach shows promise for patients with high esophageal tumors and those unsuitable for transthoracic surgery, warranting further investigation into its clinical utility and reproducibility.

Система публічного адміністрування nоргівлі валютними цінностями

The article is devoted to the definition of the system of public administration of trade in currency values, the problem of theoretical substantiation of its elements, the main types of manifestations of the administration of this sphere, the study of the subjects of the implementation of administration functions, the study of the current legislation regulating this sphere of public-legal relations. Particular attention is paid to the definition of the content of the category “trade in currency values”, the disclosure of the legal nature and features of the category “public administration”, the outline of the approaches to the definition of its content and constituent elements available in domestic science. The definition of the system of public administration of trade in currency values and its constituent elements was carried out within the framework of the instrumental theory in law. It was established that, taking into account the initial provisions of the instrumental theory, the instruments of public administration of currency trading in Ukraine should be considered the norms of the current legislation, which determine the procedure for carrying out, in particular, the licensing of this activity, its control, taxation, the application of other management measures, prohibitions in this sphere, activity and law-enforcement acts of public administration bodies that carry out such management activities are empowered to impose administrative and financial sanctions. A proper definition of the category “administration of trade in currency values in Ukraine” is proposed. It was determined that the administration of trade in foreign exchange values takes place on the basis of complexity, reasonableness, flexibility of implementation and adaptability to the conditions of application of control and other measures, the expediency of their application, and orientation towards the consistent solution of current and long-termtasks of the state’s currency policy. The peculiarities of the functioning of subjects of the administration of currency trade in Ukraine, including the National Bank of Ukraine, the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the National Commission for Securities and the Stock Market, the State Tax Service of Ukraine and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in general, have been determined. It was found that the main subject of the administration of the outlined spheres of public legal relations is the National Bank of Ukraine. It is he who implements administrative, regulatory, control and other instruments in the field of currency relations. At the same time, other areas of implementation of the administration are disclosed, in particular, the activity of public administration bodies within the framework of taxation procedures of the researched activity is outlined.

Robotic surgery in the aspect of liver transplantation

Introduction. Almost 60 years have passed since the first liver transplant performed by Thomas Starzl. During this time, medical technologies have gradually improved, which has made it possible to use more and more new methods and approaches in this type of medical care. One of the new techniques of recent decades is robotic surgery, which is gradually being introduced into medical practice, including in the field of transplant medicine.Objective. The purpose of writing this review was to summarize knowledge and describe the current status of development of robotic surgery in the aspect of liver transplantation, namely: liver resection in donors, as well as graft implantation in the recipient.Material and methods. The review includes foreign and domestic publications on minimally invasive donor liver surgery. Publications on the topic of robotic liver resection in the aspect of liver transplantation were also processed.Conclusion. Robotic surgery using advanced robotic systems represents the next step in the development of minimally invasive technologies in liver transplantation. Robotic systems provide more precise and dexterous control of instruments, allowing surgeons to perform complex procedures with greater precision and less risk to patients. However, the robotic approach is still very limited in geographical distribution and requires much more experience than laparoscopy. The upcoming introduction of new robotic systems that support haptic feedback or cavitronic ultrasonic surgical aspirators will further promote a widespread adoption of robotic liver resection in liver donors and liver recipients.

The role of non-human actors in the acceptance of management accounting: the case of a Moroccan public establishment

Like private companies, public service establishments are seeking to improve their performance by adopting management control tools. However, their acceptance in this context raises specific challenges. Unlike the private sector, where profitability is often the main driver for the acceptance of such tools, the public sector has to deal with more complex organizational dynamics involving many actors. This article examines the reasons underlying the acceptance of a management control tool, in particular a management accounting system, in the Moroccan public sector. The research is based on a qualitative case study carried out in a Moroccan public establishment that recently introduced a management accounting system, using the Actor-Network Theory (ANT), also known as the translation theory, developed by Callon and Latour in the 1980s. Traditionally mobilized to analyze the innovation diffusion process, this approach is used in our research to study the pre-adoption, or ex-ante, phase of innovation introduction. The results of this study highlight the complex dynamics of management accounting acceptance in the Moroccan public sector, showing how non-human actors play a crucial role in the pre-adoption phase of management control instruments. Our research reveals the decisive influence of the tax variable, as a non-human actor, on the acceptance of the management accounting system. This link between taxation and management accounting is a significant contribution, particularly due to the lack of studies on legal and fiscal variables in management control. These results underscore the importance of considering both non-human and human actors equally in the translation process (generalized symmetry).

Áreas prioritárias na implantação de esquemas de Pagamento por Serviços Ambientais: Uma análise cienciométrica

Payment for Environmental Services schemes and programs emerge as economic instruments that aim to complement command and control instruments in environmental management. Due to their relevance and the need for allocation in places that can have the best performance, because they have a counterpart in financial resources, which are also scarce, research for the selection of priority areas is extremely important. To support researchers who aim to explore the line of research related to payment for environmental services, scientometric analysis presents the state of research in the area with measurement and quantitative analysis of bibliometric data, guiding the main sources and authors of reference and geolocating the scientific productions related to the subject. In the present research, a scientometric analysis and literature review was carried out with data from the Scopus and Web of Science databases, unifying the databases and analyzing the bibliometric information through the R-bilbiometrix interface, resulting in images, graphs, tables and maps that allowed an analysis of the state of the art and scientific research on the proposed theme. With the results, it was possible to observe the need for further studies on methodologies for selecting priority areas for PES schemes, as it is a fundamental tool for sustainable development

African Cosmology, Hierarchies of Power, and Slave Dynamics in the Book of Philemon

Past scholarship on Philemon has reiterated the cultural and institutional power of slavery with particular attention to the acceptance and use of slavery as an important instrument of control and domination. Working within this scholarship, the present work acknowledges the centrality of the preceding thesis, but engages the letter to Philemon from the perspective of the inherent cosmology which accepted the master/slave hierarchical structure within a religious framework in explaining human/divine encounters, and encounters among human beings. Since African cosmology exhibits interesting points of continuity with this projected cosmology, this paper charts a new direction for studies in Philemon by reiterating the critical importance of this hierarchy of power relations in the master/slave model at the heart of the letter. It is this accepted worldview that prevented Paul from advocating for the freedom of Onesimus, and called for the double imprisonments of Onesimus. Consequently, the study interrogates the cosmology of Philemon in connection to African divine/human encounters by problematizing the description of God as Master, and the devotees as the helpless slaves of the deity. This cultural mindset naturally accepts slavery and normalizes human/divine encounters within the rhetoric of this dehumanizing enterprise.

The Impact of Globalization on Sovereignty of Nation-States

The term refers, in particular, to increased worldwide integrated trading and the enormous spread of international relations in general. Nonetheless, although it became an underlying influence on world politics and the transformation of universal states, it also brought about economic control and policy instruments into which states could no longer reach. Economic success would not only determine political power on the international scene but also trans/domestic politics. Nation-states were too small to have any influence because they could only coordinate policies that they could not influence on the international scene. It is another element of theory and practice that we think should require re-examination. The term has ethnic origins and originally meant "weighs globally". It can roughly be defined as the intensification of cultural, social, economic, and political relations across territories that have been or are part of different political units. Such relations became easier, faster, cheaper, and more frequent as a result of technological innovation in media, transportation, and communication. The concept of globalization has become an all-embracing phenomenon of the modern world. Its impact on states has generated a detailed debate about its role and significance for the nation-state. To understand the implications of globalization for the theory and practice of the state, it first requires some definition and understanding of the term.

Characterization of Neutron Irradiator as a Source of Reference Radiation Field for Calibrating Dosemeters and Doserate Meters at PSI Laboratory

A new neutron calibration laboratory has been installed at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland. The calibration laboratory has been equipped with a newly developed neutron irradiator with two calibration benches, remote control instruments and related ancillary equipment for calibrating dosemeters and doserate meters. The actual dimensions of the calibration laboratory are 2.0 m (H) X 6.8 m (W) X 12.6 m (L). On the steel grid at a height of 2 m from the basement floor, two calibration benches are installed. A transport channel is installed in the middle of the benches for the transfer of the radiation sources. The radiation sources are moved from the safe position of the irradiator to the reference irradiation position using an air pressure unit. The reference position is at a height of 1.2 m from the grid floor. The neutron irradiator is equipped with two Am-Be sources. Characterization of neutron radiation field has been calculated in detail by the MCNPX neutron transport code as well as energy distribution of neutrons and contribution of scattered neutrons. Experimentally, it was measured with a neutron/gamma digital spectrometric system equipped with a stilbene detector. The quality of the neutron radiation field has been characterized by ambient dose equivalent rate and the shape of the Am-Be spectra has been verified with the ISO-8529 standard.

Popular Control of Taxation, Accountability, and the Redefinition of Political Subordination (Germany, Seventeenth–Eighteenth Centuries)

Abstract Taxation is a well-known major instrument in the control of populations by powers, and in the collection of information about them. Starting from early modern Germany (Thuringia in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries), I would like to show how it was also, conversely, an instrument of non-institutionalized control of the authorities by the taxpayers. By refusing to pay taxes to the Emperor, ordinary taxpayers constructed a means of negotiating political and social domination, creating a form of ordinary intelligence about the authorities’ practices, tax figures, and amounts and by making both of them public. What was at stake in those protest was indeed not only the burden of taxation, but also the transparency of its collection, the fairness (Billigkeit) of its distribution, and the delicate issue of tax consent. Transparency, equity, and consent were central, but debated political concepts, so that popular control also consisted of influencing the definition of those concepts and having a part in the definition of their concrete content. This also implies that popular control was neither marginal nor transitory, nor did build some kind of linear evolution towards modernity. While examining the specificities of the entangled configuration of power in Germany, which created specific forms of popular agency, this article would like to show how Empire taxation, as a regalian tool involving the definition of common good and the question of political representation, was a powerful vector for a demand for accountability from below, which aimed to redefine the conditions of subjection.

Self-stabilizing economic nonlinear model predictive control applied to modular systems

Recent advances have been made in self-stabilizing Economic Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (eNMPC) formulation without pre-calculated setpoints, which leverages norm-based steady-state optimality conditions to enhance system robustness. To enable practical implementation, a generalized time-domain formulation is proposed, accommodating the discrete-time nature of control instrumentation and the continuous-time nature of first-principles models. A case study involving a modular membrane reactor illustrates the applicability of self-stabilizing eNMPC in real-world industrial scenarios.

Design and validation a minimally invasive robotic surgical instrument with decoupled pose and multi-DOF.

High-performance miniature surgical instruments play an important role in complicated minimally invasive surgery (MIS). Based on in-depth analysis of the requirements of MIS and the characteristics of the existing minimally invasive surgical instruments, a multiple degrees of freedom (DOF) robotic surgical instrument with decoupled pose was proposed. Firstly, the design concept of the pose decoupling instrument was described in detail, and its physical structure, transmission structure, and mechanical properties were designed and analyzed. A surgical instrument control algorithm based on the master-slave mode was established. Finally, a physical prototype was developed, and its motion ranges of joints, load capacity, and suture operation performance were comprehensively evaluated, which confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed minimally invasive robotic surgical instrument.