Navigation Tools Research Articles

Dynamic (live) 3D roadmap as navigational tool in multiplug brain arteriovenous malformation embolization: technical note.

Treatment of brain arteriovenous malformation (bAVM) includes microsurgical excision, stereotactic radiosurgery, endovascular embolization, or combination. With bAVM embolization, complete angiographic obliteration ranges from 12.5 to 51%, and higher total occlusion rate is seen in SM grades I to III, ranging from 96 to 100%. In this paper, we illustrate the use of 3D rotational angiography and dynamic (live) 3D roadmap functions in endovascular treatment of bAVM. A single dynamic 3D roadmap or two dynamic 3D roadmaps obtained help tremendously in navigation of microcatheters and wires along the parent artery and bAVM feeders. This method eliminates the need for repeated 2D angiograms and roadmaps for new working projections every time the C-arm position is changed for cannulation of different feeders, thereby reducing radiation dose. No instances of misalignment error, vascular perforation, or thromboembolic phenomena were observed in the 21 embolization cases performed within the previous 2 years while utilizing this feature. The dynamic 3D roadmap is an extremely useful tool for multiple-feeder cannulation, by reducing the use of multiple 2D angiograms, providing intraprocedural live and adjustable 3D roadmap for better mental orientation to angioarchitecture of the bAVM, which further aids in the overall complete angiographic obliteration rate of bAVM in a single session especially in multiplug embolization technique.

Efficacy of Augmented Reality Combined with Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Imaging Guided Laparoscopic Segmentectomy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

The internal anatomy of the liver is extremely complex. Laparoscopic anatomical segmentectomy requires reference to the position and alignment of intrahepatic vascular. However, the surface of the liver lacks anatomical landmarks and the liver segment boundaries cannot be identified with the naked eye. Augmented reality navigation (ARN) and indocyanine green fluorescence imaging (FI) are emerging navigation tools in liver resection. This study aimed to explore the efficacy and application value of laparoscopic anatomical segmentectomy guided by ARN combined with indocyanine green FI. Ninety-eight patients who were diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma and underwent laparoscopic anatomical segmentectomy from January 2018 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into the ARN-FI group (45 patients) and the non-ARN-FI group (53 patients) based on whether ARN combined with FI was applied during the operation. The differences in intraoperative and postoperative outcomes were compared. There was no significant difference in preoperative baseline data and postoperative complication rates between the 2 groups. Compared with the non-ARN-FI group, the ARN-FI group had much lower intraoperative blood loss (100 vs 200 mL, p = 0.005) and a lower incidence of remnant liver ischemia (13.3% vs 30.2%, p = 0.046). The 1- and 3-year disease-free survival rates in the ARN-FI and non-ARN-FI groups were 91.01% vs 71.15% and 70.01% vs 52.46%, respectively; the differences between the 2 groups were statistically significant (p = 0.047). The ARN-FI technology provides a more standardized approach for liver parenchyma section during laparoscopic liver resection, effectively minimizing intraoperative blood loss, reducing postoperative remnant liver ischemia, and improving oncological prognosis. This method is safe and feasible and has good clinical application prospects.

EGS P26 Facilitating the Emergency Surgical Ward Round: The Route to WardNav

Abstract Background The ward round is a corner stone of surgical practice, this is no different when dealing with the acute surgical take. Constant bed pressures result in frequently needing to visit multiple wards, requiring time and effort on staff to ensure patients are reviewed. With frequent rotation of junior doctors, often the responsibility of planning the ward round falls to the ward round leader, who is also making the clinical decisions. We hypothesise a ward round planning tool available to the surgical team would result in more efficient ward rounds, freeing the team to focus on clinical decisions. Methods A survey of junior doctors (foundation doctors and core trainees) was distributed assessing their level of engagement with ward round planning while on surgical rotations at Southmead Hospital, Bristol. An initial planning tool was created in Microsoft Excel utilising a node edge graph and an algorithm based on the Hamiltonian cycle. After further survey feedback, the tool was developed into a web-based app using a version of Djikstra’s algorithm. Results 25 junior doctors responded to the initial survey over two rotations. 100% had to go to multiple wards on a round, 64% actively think about the route required although only 28% would be confident in planning the route. 96% would find a planning tool helpful. Feedback on the Excel based tool from the first cohort revealed appetite for a mobile app-based version. The resultant application was created in R. The final version allows the user to start the round on any ward and creates the optimal route through the building, visually represented on a graph with accompanying text output. Conclusions Junior surgical doctors are not confident with planning ward rounds in a large teaching hospital. An app-based ward navigation tool has the potential to remove ward round planning from daily decision making and engage the junior surgical staff.

Acceptance testing of a visual care navigation tool for patients, survivors, caregivers, nurses, and oncologists.

552 Background: Cancer patients and family caregivers often describe the experience as a treacherous hike without access to a map, relevant gear, and a guide. Without the necessary tools, individuals are often overwhelmed and unable to participate in shared decision-making. On average, oncologists have ~24 minutes per patient to communicate the condition and upcoming activities. Sometimes, they make hand-drawn visuals to explain the sequence, duration, and decision points of the experience. Despite these efforts, 97% of individuals rely on Google to learn about their condition, often furthering “Cancer Information Overload” and non-evidence-based activities. A team of cancer survivors, cartographers, and oncologists developed a proprietary platform with interactive cancer maps and self-management tools to navigate treatment better. We tested the interactive product demo through a series of qualitative interviews. Methods: A convenience sample of individuals in four categories underwent a 30-minute virtual structured interview with both parties and the cancer map visible to each other. Interviewees (INTs) included breast cancer patients under treatment (Tx), survivors (S) on either surveillance or anti-hormone therapy, informal caregivers (CG), and health care providers (HCP), either oncologists (ONC) or advanced practice providers (APP). After informed consent, INTs were shown the product and asked 8 questions, including 5 open-ended, 1 prioritization, and 2 scoring questions. Sample sizes were chosen to reach theoretical saturation. Results: We conducted 33 interviews between April 1 and June 5th, 2023. The results are shown in the table. The self-management tools that were identified to be most useful included: Digital appointment notebook, symptom tracker, medication tracker, insurance management, nutrition plans, and legal templates. Conclusions: Cartographically represented maps of the cancer journey and the self-management tools appear to be acceptable to patients, survivors, and caregivers. The platform is acceptable to HCPs and is not perceived to increase work or the burden of explanations. APPs found value in the platform to create efficiency and enable easier education of patients and caregivers. The interactive platform can be shared to explain the journey, treatment duration, and potential side effects.[Table: see text]

Assessing the feasibility and preliminary effects of a health insurance navigation intervention for colorectal cancer survivors.

506 Background: Colorectal cancer survivors are at-risk for being underinsured and experiencing health insurance-related financial burden. Low health insurance literacy (HIL) reduces survivors’ ability to utilize health insurance. We conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial to assess the feasibility and preliminary effects of a virtually-delivered health insurance navigation tool (HINT) intervention to improve HIL and decrease financial burden among colorectal survivors. Methods: We tested a theoretically-driven 5-session intervention that included: 1) Learning About Survivorship Healthcare Needs; 2) Learning About Your Plan in Relation to Policy; 3) Navigating One’s Own Plan and Overcoming Obstacles; 4) Managing Care Costs; and 5) Understanding Your Medical Bills and Review. Eligibility included patients treated for colorectal cancer at Mass General Cancer Center, insured, and with access to wireless device. We assessed the feasibility and preliminary effects of HINT vs enhanced usual care (EUC; health insurance booklet) on HIL (assessing knowledge and confidence with health insurance terms and activity, knowledge of Affordable Care Act [ACA]), psychological financial burden (assessing worry due to medical costs), and satisfaction with health insurance coverage. Paired t-tests and cohen’s d were used to explore pre-post changes within the HINT and EUC groups from baseline (BL) to 5-month follow-up (FU). Results: From 1/22-2/23, we enrolled 34 participants (63% enrollment rate); 41.7% female; 88.2% white, Mean age=49.7 years. 82.7% of HINT participants completed all 5 intervention sessions. There were gaps in HIL (HIL mean 29.1, sd=7.9; 16-60 (high-low); 41.2% were not familiar with the ACA. 31/34 (91%) completed the 5-month follow-up survey. Among HINT participants, HINT significantly improved HIL and ACA knowledge; there was a non-significant trend toward reduced psychological financial burden and decreased health insurance satisfaction (see Table). Among EUC participants, there was a non-significant trend toward reduced psychological financial burden and no changes in any other variables. Clinical trial information: NCT05002608 .[Table: see text]

Multiple designer's objectives in business contests

AbstractThe vast contest literature disregarded the possibility of optimal contest design with simultaneous attainment of various objectives. The main goal of the current article is to illustrate the potential usefulness of a navigation tool that allows the designer to achieve, simultaneously, multiple objectives in contests between companies (competing for resources/patents/market‐share, etc), based on a unit tax and a lump‐sum subsidy. Our proposal is illustrated applying the most common simple setting of two contestants whose winning probabilities are determined by the simple lottery contest success function (CSF). We focus on seven main objectives: reducing the competition's intensity in terms of efforts: increasing profit for the state treasury; promoting equality between the players in terms of gap between the contestants' efforts, winning probabilities and expected payoffs, and budget and expenditure balancing. We also analyze the possible negative external effects of achieving a particular objective. Our main insight is that a complete differential policy can be used to attain, simultaneously (with two exceptions), all the objectives of the designer. In contrast, the use of a uniform policy, subject to a balanced budget objective, cannot ensure complete equality or maximize profit. It nevertheless guarantees a Pareto‐superior outcome relative to the situation before the designer's intervention. Future research may generalize the findings to any type of contest or CSF and multiple contestants.

Public reporting format transformation in the concept of information transparency of the Performance of Economic Entities

The concept of corporate transparency in the business world is becoming a “new philosophy” in the system of communication interaction between business and stakeholders; at the same time, the most effective channel for an open dialogue is the reporting of economic entities. The demand of modern users has shifted towards the valueand risk-oriented nature of information disclosure and the possibility of using interactive tools for navigation and data visualization. Understanding this leads the professional community to an active search for new solutions to create an optimal model of public reporting and the very architecture of information support for companies. The purpose of the study is to develop an integrated concept of accounting and corporate reporting based on the principles of information transparency, ecosystem, connectivity, and manufacturability. In the course of the work, the methods of deduction and induction, logical and structural analysis, empirical research, content analysis, comparison and grouping were used. The article presents a comprehensive review of the developments of Russian and foreign scientists in the field of corporate reporting and highlights the key areas of its development. The author has studied the methodological, organizational and technological aspects of creating a modern architecture for information support of the activities of economic entities within the framework of the concept of a single corporate reporting format as an element of the business information ecosystem. As a result, a model of a complexly structured level of disclosure of reporting data was proposed by the author in the form of a single, unified digital information and analytical platform built on the principles of differentiation of approaches to disclosure, typification of the level of information transparency and definition of indicators that should be reflected in the reporting. The system of mandatory and voluntarily disclosed reporting forms has been formulated, representing the modern information outline of economic entities, systemically interconnected, linked and integrated with each other in the format of a single, unified corporate reporting. The study may be of interest to national regulators, scientific, professional and business communities.

Improving alignment in total knee arthroplasty: a cadaveric assessment of a surgical navigation tool with computed tomography imaging

Purpose To investigate the accuracy of an imageless, optical surgical navigation tool to assist with femoral and tibial bone cuts performed during TKA. Patients and methods Six board-certified orthopedic surgeons participated in a laboratory cadaver investigation, performing femoral and tibial bone cuts with the assistance of a computer navigation tool. Femoral and tibial varus/valgus, tibial slope, femoral flexion, and both femoral and tibial rotation measurements from the device were compared with angular measurements calculated from computed tomography (CT) images of the knees. Results Measurements with the navigation tool were highly correlated with those obtained from CT scans in all three axes. For the distal femoral cut, the absolute mean difference in varus/valgus was 0.83° (SD 0.46°, r = 0.76), femoral flexion was 1.91° (SD 1.16°, r = 0.85), and femoral rotation was 1.29° (SD 1.01°, r = 0.88) relative to Whiteside’s line and 0.97° (SD 0.56°, r = 0.81) relative to the posterior condylar axis. For the tibia, the absolute mean difference in varus/valgus was 1.08° (SD 0.64°, r = 0.85), posterior slope was 2.78° (SD 1.40°, r = 0.60), and rotation relative to the anteroposterior axis (posterior cruciate ligament to the medial third of the tibial tuberosity) was 2.98° (SD 2.54°, r = 0.79). Conclusion Utilization of an imageless navigation tool may aid surgeons in accurately performing and monitoring femoral and tibial bone cuts, and implant rotation in TKA and thus, more accurately align TKA components.

Using megatrends as a navigation tool for the future library

The author first discusses the informative value of forecasts and then focuses on12 so-called megatrends developed by the German Zukunftsinstitut in Frankfurt/Main (“Future Institute”), which claim long-term informative value for themselves: Knowledge Culture, Connectivity, Neo-Ecology, Urbanization, Mobility, Globalization, New Work, Individualization, Silver Society, Health, Security and Gender Shift are presented with their various facets and the respective relevance for libraries is discussed in bullet points. In addition, the 20 topics of the IFLA Trend Report 2021, updates are assigned to the respective megatrends to round them off. The original version of this article appeared in issue 25 (2022) No. 6 of the German library journal b. i. t. online.

The origin of nautical cartography: certitudes, doubts, and perplexities

ABSTRACT European geographical maps and nautical charts have distinct geneses and underwent separate evolutions. When scientific cartography was reborn in the beginning of the fifteenth century, following the translation and dissemination of Ptolemy’s Geography, the portolan chart had already been established as an effective navigational tool for over one hundred years. And while new geographical maps started to be constructed by the erudite, using the coordinates and prescriptions given by Ptolemy some thirteen centuries before, charts continued to be made by artisans, on the basis of navigational data collected by pilots. Despite being a unique achievement in the history of cartography, if not in the history of civilization, the creation of the medieval portolan chart was still poorly understood at the turn of the twentieth century. With the introduction of new research tools and a deeper study of the extant sources, we have now reached a situation where the initial state of perplexity concerning the very emergence of the portolan charts has given way to a broad consensus about some central questions. The purpose of this article is to appraise the present state of knowledge regarding the so-called ‘origins problem’.

Navigating maps in the Arctic: tracing more-than-human interactions of mapping practices in Norwegian rescue services

ABSTRACT When responding to an incident, Norwegian rescue services in the Arctic have to consider weather conditions, surface features, infrastructure scarcity, and technological availability. To some extent, safe navigation is based on the use of digital maps. In this article, I analyze how maps are assembled for their role as navigation tools and how this interlinks with the capacity for timely incident response in the Arctic context. My study is based on new materialism, which pays attention to interactions. I investigate maps as processes, focusing on how they are constituted through practices. Therefore, I follow heterogeneous entanglements of more-than-human actors. In this article, I focus on localities related to the Svalbard archipelago, including incident response on land, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, and information support services. I explore the assemblages of maps through three aspects: institutional mapping of Svalbard, avalanche observations around Longyearbyen, and mapping practices of the local rescue services on land. I argue that safe navigation, and consequently a timely incident response, is embedded in more-than-human networks and depends on their flexibility and durability. Divergence of mapping practices between those in Svalbard and on the mainland further highlights the need for an analysis of socio-technological entanglements in the Arctic.

A Circularly-polarized Patch Antenna for BDS Applications

The BDS (Beidou) Navigation Satellite System has been a powerful tool in real-time navigation and positioning. In the transitional stage between BDS-2 and BDS-3, it would be a top priority to ensure the antenna is compatible with the two systems. In our investigations, a circularly-polarized (CP) patch antenna is proposed for receiving B1I signals. This antenna is a newly designed slit-loaded square patch structure. The T-shape structure with F-shape slots is deployed on each edge of the antenna, and a single feed is employed to excite right-hand CP radiation. In simulations, all the parameters of the antenna are optimized through Ansys HFSS. In experiments, the processed antenna is further testified, where the measured bandwidth is compared with the simulated one to verify the effectiveness of the antenna.

How can data visualization support interdisciplinary research? LuxTIME: studying historical exposomics in Belval.

The Luxembourg Time Machine (LuxTIME) is an interdisciplinary project that studies the historical exposome during the industrialization of the Minett region, located in the south of Luxembourg. Exposome research encompasses all external and internal non-genetic factors influencing the health of the population, such as air pollution, green spaces, noise, work conditions, physical activity, and diet. Due to the wide scope of the interdisciplinary project, the historical study of the exposome in Belval involved the collection of quantitative and qualitative data from the National Archive of Luxembourg, various local archives (e.g., the communes of Esch-sur-Alzette and Sanem), the National Library, the Library of National Statistics STATEC, the National Geoportal of Luxembourg, scientific data from other research centers, and information from newspapers and journals digitized in eluxemburgensia. The data collection and the resulting inventory were performed to create a proof of concept to critically test the potential of a multi-layered research design for the study of the historical exposome in Belval. The guiding navigation tool throughout the project was data visualization. It has facilitated the exploration of the data collected (or just the data) and the metadata. It has also been a valuable tool for mapping knowledge and defining the scope of the project. Furthermore, different data visualization techniques have helped us to reflect on the process of knowledge sharing, to understand how the relevance of certain topics changed throughout the project and why, and to learn about the publication process in different journals and the experience of the participants. Data visualization is used not only as a means to an end but also to embrace the idea of sandcastles using a speculative and process-oriented approach to advance knowledge within all research fields involved. LuxTIME has proven to be an ideal case study to explore the possibilities offered by different data visualization concepts and techniques resulting in a data visualization toolbox that could be evaluated and extended in other interdisciplinary projects.

GNSS performance enhancement using measurement estimation in harsh environment.

Global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs) are commonly used to measure the position and time globally. A GNSS is convenient owing to its ability to measure accurate position relatively without using assistive tools for navigation by comparing with other sensors. Based on these benefits, the applicable area is expanding to commercial and social uses (e.g., vehicle navigation, smart grids, and smartphone apps). In the future, various services and technologies (e.g., the use of autonomous vehicles, unmanned delivery, and industrial field robots), which make Internet of Things (IOT) more active, will be used in our society. Conversely, the performance of GNSS can degrade in harsh environments, such as urban areas, owing to the property of GNSS, which calculates position and time via satellite signal reception. However, buildings in a city can block navigation satellite signals and generate multi-path errors. The blocked signals exacerbate the dilution of precision (DOP), which indicates the accuracy of the navigation solution and increases the navigation solution error. This study proposes methods to improve navigation performance by leveraging various techniques (e.g., range differences, receiver clock error hold, and virtual satellites). The methods were validated in harsh environments where visible satellites were reduced. In the simulation, each proposed method improved the navigation performance by creating an environment similar to a normal situation, despite the receiver entering a harsh environment. The results confirmed that the navigation performance deteriorated compared to the normal situation where the number of visible satellites decreased. However, the navigation performance was recovered gradually by applying the proposed techniques. Using the proposed methods, navigation performance can be maintained continuously even in situations where satellite signals are blocked.

Generative models for protein sequence modeling: recent advances and future directions.

The widespread adoption of high-throughput omics technologies has exponentially increased the amount of protein sequence data involved in many salient disease pathways and their respective therapeutics and diagnostics. Despite the availability of large-scale sequence data, the lack of experimental fitness annotations underpins the need for self-supervised and unsupervised machine learning (ML) methods. These techniques leverage the meaningful features encoded in abundant unlabeled sequences to accomplish complex protein engineering tasks. Proficiency in the rapidly evolving fields of protein engineering and generative AI is required to realize the full potential of ML models as a tool for protein fitness landscape navigation. Here, we support this work by (i) providing an overview of the architecture and mathematical details of the most successful ML models applicable to sequence data (e.g. variational autoencoders, autoregressive models, generative adversarial neural networks, and diffusion models), (ii) guiding how to effectively implement these models on protein sequence data to predict fitness or generate high-fitness sequences and (iii) highlighting several successful studies that implement these techniques in protein engineering (from paratope regions and subcellular localization prediction to high-fitness sequences and protein design rules generation). By providing a comprehensive survey of model details, novel architecture developments, comparisons of model applications, and current challenges, this study intends to provide structured guidance and robust framework for delivering a prospective outlook in the ML-driven protein engineering field.

Understanding the Role of Sensor Optimisation in Complex Systems.

Complex systems involve monitoring, assessing, and predicting the health of various systems within an integrated vehicle health management (IVHM) system or a larger system. Health management applications rely on sensors that generate useful information about the health condition of the assets; thus, optimising the sensor network quality while considering specific constraints is the first step in assessing the condition of assets. The optimisation problem in sensor networks involves considering trade-offs between different performance metrics. This review paper provides a comprehensive guideline for practitioners in the field of sensor optimisation for complex systems. It introduces versatile multi-perspective cost functions for different aspects of sensor optimisation, including selection, placement, data processing and operation. A taxonomy and concept map of the field are defined as valuable navigation tools in this vast field. Optimisation techniques and quantification approaches of the cost functions are discussed, emphasising their adaptability to tailor to specific application requirements. As a pioneering contribution, all the relevant literature is gathered and classified here to further improve the understanding of optimal sensor networks from an information-gain perspective.

Multi-Functional Glasses for the Blind and Visually Impaired: Design and Development

This paper presents the design of a glasses system for the blind and visually impaired that incorporates various technologies to enhance their daily living experience. The glasses are equipped with a speaker and haptic feedback, allowing users to receive audible and tactile notifications about their surroundings. We also implemented image understanding for identifying multiple unique objects, people, and environmental obstacles. Additionally, the glasses can read signs and printed materials via text recognition technology. Finally, the glasses incorporate navigation tools, helping users to find their way in unfamiliar environments. The system has the potential to significantly improve the independence and quality of life of those with visual impairments, as it could be a valuable assistive technology tool for a wide range of applications.

A Navigation Tool for Visually Impaired and Blind People

A Navigation Tool for Visually Impaired and Blind People

Virtual injection software for endovascular management of spinal dural arteriovenous fistula.

Endovascular management of spinal dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF) is arduous because of complex angioarchitecture and motion artifacts and is limited by the two-dimensional (2D) view. However, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) acquisitions with selective injections allow 3D multiplanar reconstructions contributing to high diagnostic, anatomical and safety value. In this study, we described the use of virtual injection software (VIS) computed from CBCT acquisition and already used for prostatic and cerebral embolization, for the endovascular management of spinal DAVFs (EmboAssist, GE HealthCare, Chicago, USA). The VIS has been designed to facilitate the analysis of the patient's vasculature during the planning of embolization procedures to define the afferent pedicles to the shunt and the incidence of oblique projection, allowing for a better anatomical understanding and helping for the selection of 2D incidence. Combined with 3D roadmapping, VIS allows vessel tracking for selective catheterism and embolization. The VIS is a useful tool for planification and navigation during endovascular treatment of spinal DAVF with a safety value.

Deploying an ethics needs assessment to inform a navigational tool for research compliance pathways at a provincial Canadian health authority

Practitioners aim to improve healthcare systems and clinical care through a variety of activities as part of a learning healthcare system. Yet the distinction between projects requiring Research Ethics Board (REB) approval or not is becoming increasingly blurred, making it difficult for researchers and others to classify projects and then navigate the required compliance pathway appropriately. To address this challenge, the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) of British Columbia (BC) created a decision tool called the “PHSA Project Sorter Tool” to serve its diverse community while also meeting the unique needs of the BC regulatory and policy environment. The goal of the tool was to standardize and clarify organizational project review and ensure project leads were referred to the appropriate review body or service provider within the PHSA in the most efficient manner possible. In this paper, we describe the ethics needs assessment that was conducted to inform the tool and the results of our ongoing evaluation of the tool since it was launched in January, 2020. Our project shows that this simple tool can reduce burdens on staff and provide clarity to users by standardizing processes and terms and directing users to appropriate internal resources.