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- Rentschler, J., et al.
(author)
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Reforming fossil fuel subsidies : drivers, barriers and the state of progress
- 2016
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In: Climate Policy. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1469-3062 .- 1752-7457. ; , s. 1-24
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- There is an increasingly strong international consensus that fossil fuel subsidies are detrimental in terms of economic, social and environmental sustainability. Organizations including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the International Energy Agency consider fossil fuel subsidy reform a critical measure for achieving any ambitious emissions mitigation target. The reason is that these subsidies not only incentivize overconsumption of carbon-intensive energy, but directly undermine any effort to impose a price on carbon (e.g. through carbon taxes). While subsidy reform is crucial from a climate change perspective, the wide range of externalities associated with fuel subsidies also underscores the fact that reform is a vital contribution to sustainable development objectives more generally. This article emphasizes that fossil fuel subsidy reform can make a substantial contribution to climate policy, but also discusses how strongly environmental objectives are intertwined with fiscal, macro-economic, political and social factors. Although the momentum for subsidy reform is building, reforms are often designed to deliver fiscal rather than environmental benefits.
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| 2. |
- Rentschler, M., et al.
(author)
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An in vivo Mobile Robot for Surgical Vision and Task Assistance
- 2007
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In: Journal of Medical Devices. - Fairfield, NJ : ASME Press. - 1932-6181 .- 1932-619X. ; 1:1, s. 23-29
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Current laparoscopic surgical robots are expensive, bulky, and fundamentally constrained by the small entry incisions. A potential new approach to minimally invasive surgery is to place the robot completely within the patient. We have developed several such miniature mobile robots and conducted tests during animal surgeries. These robots can provide vision and task assistance to the surgeon without being constrained by the entry port. We used a mobile biopsy and camera robot to sample hepatic tissue from an anesthetized porcine animal model. This successful test demonstrated the capability of performing a single port laparoscopic biopsy procedure. In the future, a family of such robots could be remotely controlled and used to perform surgical procedures without the need for conventional laparoscopic tools. Copyright © 2007 by ASME.
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| 3. |
- Rentschler, M. E., et al.
(author)
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Mobile in vivo biopsy robot
- 2006
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In: Robotics and Automation, 2006. ICRA 2006. Proceedings 2006 IEEE International Conference on. - Piscataway : IEEE Press. - 0780395050 - 0780395069 - 9780780395060 ; , s. 4155-4160
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A mobile in vivo camera robot was developed to provide the ability for a single port biopsy procedure. Such a robot can be inserted into the abdominal cavity through a standard trocar. The surgeon controls the robot using visual feedback from the on-board camera. Measurements were made to identify the forces required to successfully biopsy in vivo tissue, including clamping and tearing forces. The robot design was developed around these parameters and the need to traverse the abdominal environment using specially designed wheels. This mobility allows the biopsy robot to move to the area of interest to sample specific tissues. The lead-screw linkage system that actuated the graspers allows for large force production through careful mechanical design. In vivo testing of this system in a porcine (pig) model has been successful. The robot is capable of traversing the entire in vivo abdominal environment and has successfully been used to biopsy hepatic tissue. In addition, experimental analysis of the biopsy mechanism shows good results towards more elaborate tissue manipulation in the future.
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| 4. |
- Rentschler, M. E., et al.
(author)
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Modeling, analysis, and experimental study of in vivo wheeled robotic mobility
- 2006
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In: IEEE Transactions on robotics. - Piscataway : IEEE Robotics and Automation Society. - 1552-3098 .- 1941-0468. ; 22:2, s. 308-321
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Laparoscopy is abdominal surgery performed with long tools inserted through small incisions. The use of small incisions reduces patient trauma, but also eliminates the surgeon's ability to view and touch the surgical environment directly. These limitations generally restrict the application of laparoscopy to procedures less complex than those performed during open surgery. This paper presents a theoretical and experimental analysis of miniature, wheeled, in vivo robots to support laparoscopy. The objective is to develop a wireless mobile imaging robot that can be placed inside the abdominal cavity during surgery. Such robots will allow the surgeon to view the surgical environment from multiple angles. The motion of these in vivo robots will not be constrained by the insertion incisions. Simulation and experimental analyses have led to a wheel design that can attain good mobility performance in in vivo conditions.
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