| In this paper, a new class of higher-order feedforward neural networks, called ridge polynomial networks (RPN) is formulated. The new networks are shown to uniformly approximate any continuous function on a compact set in multidimensional input space with any degree of accuracy. Moreover, these networks have an eecient and regular architecture as compared to ordinary higher-order feedforward ...

INTRODUCTION For the treatment of renal tumors, minimally invasive nephron-sparing surgery has become increasingly performed due to proven efficiency and excellent functional and oncological outcomes. The introduction of robotics into urologic laparoscopic surgery has allowed surgeons to perform challenging procedures in a reliable and reproducible manner. We present our surgical technique for ...

Introduction Phrenic nerve injury is a recognized complication of catheter ablation procedures for atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. The posterolateral right atrium (RA) is a common site of origin for atrial tachycardias (AT), but ablation in this region can be hazardous because of the proximity of the right phrenic nerve (RPN). Proximity to the nerve may be identified by capture during pacin...

We aimed to develop a new scale for evaluating risks and preventive measures for in-hospital falls of newborn infants, from admission to discharge of the expectant mother. Our study was prepared in accordance with Failure Modes and Effects Analysis criteria. The risks and preventive measures for in-hospital falls of newborns were determined. Risk Priority Numbers (RPNs) were determined by multi...

Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) is a method based on teamwork to identify potential failures and problems in a system, design, process and service in order to remove them. The important part of this method is determining the risk priorities of failure modes using the risk priority number (RPN). However, this traditional RPN method has several shortcomings. Therefore, in this paper we p...

PURPOSE A failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) of skin lesions treatment process using Esteya™ device (Elekta Brachyterapy, Veenendaal, The Netherlands) was performed, with the aim of increasing the quality of the treatment and reducing the likelihood of unwanted events. METHODS A multidisciplinary team with experience in the treatment process met to establish the process map, which outlin...

OBJECTIVES To critically review the currently available evidence of studies comparing robotic partial nephrectomy (RPN) and open partial nephrectomy (OPN). MATERIALS AND METHODS A comprehensive review of the literature from Pubmed, Web of Science and Scopus was performed in October 2013. All relevant studies comparing RPN with OPN were included for further screening. A cumulative meta-analysi...

CONTEXT Centres worldwide have been performing partial nephrectomies laparoscopically for greater than a decade. With the increasing use of robotics, many centres have reported their early experiences using it for nephron-sparing surgery. OBJECTIVE To review published literature comparing robotic partial nephrectomy (RPN) with laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN). EVIDENCE ACQUISITION An ...

OBJECTIVE In this paper, we describe the development of a novel tool-the Sports Organization Concussion Risk Assessment Tool (SOCRAT)-to assist sport organizations in assessing the overall risk of concussion at a team level by identifying key risk factors. METHODS We first conducted a literature review to identify risk factors of concussion using ice hockey as a model. We then developed an al...

BACKGROUND Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) is a risk management tool to proactively identify and assess the causes and effects of potential failures in a system, thereby preventing them from happening. The objective of this study was to evaluate effectiveness of FMEA applied to an academic clinical trial center in a tertiary care setting. METHODS A multidisciplinary FMEA focus group ...