Effects of Multidisciplinary Team-Based Nurse-led Transitional Care on Clinical Outcomes and Quality of Life in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis

Limin Liang,Yinghua Pan,DanchunWu,Yongli Pang,Yuanyuan Xie,Hengying Fang 한국간호과학회 2019 Asian Nursing Research Vol.13 No.2

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of transitional care by a nurse-led multidisciplinary team (MDT) on clinical outcomes and quality of life of patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Methods: A randomized control study design was used. Subjects were allocated randomly to an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group received intensive transitional care by a nurse-led MDT, whereas the control group received routine nursing care. Disease activity, spinal mobility, comprehensive function, health service utilization, and quality of life were assessed at the baseline and at six months with the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index, the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), a health service utilization questionnaire and version 2 of the Short Form-36 health survey. Results: Compared with the baseline, the BASDAI, BASFI, emergency visits, hospitalizations, hospitalization days, and bodily pain, vitality, mental health, total score, and average score of version 2 of the Short Form-36 health survey were improved in the experimental group (p < .05), whereas only bodily pain, vitality, and role-emotional were improved in the control group (p < .05). At six months, the experimental group exhibited significantly more improvement on the BASDAI, BASFI, hospitalizations, all domains except Role-physical as well as total score and average score (p < .05) compared with the control group. Conclusion: A MDT-based nurse-led transitional care improves clinical outcomes and quality of life of patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Future research should be carried out on modes of follow-up and family support.

A Coevolutionary Bacterial Foraging Model Using PSO in Job-Shop Scheduling Environments

Liang Sun,Hongwei Ge,Limin Wang 보안공학연구지원센터 2016 International Journal of Grid and Distributed Comp Vol.9 No.9

The optimization of job-shop scheduling is very important because of its theoretical and practical significance. In this paper, a computationally effective approach of combining bacterial foraging strategy with particle swarm optimization for solving the minimum makespan problem of job shop scheduling is proposed. In the artificial bacterial foraging system, a novel chemotactic model is designed to address the job shop scheduling problem and a mechanism of quorum sensing and communication are presented to improve the foraging performance. In the particle swarm system, a novel concept for the distance and velocity of a particle is presented to pave the way for the job-shop scheduling problem. The proposed coevolutionary algorithm effectively exploits the capabilities of distributed and parallel computing of swarm intelligence approaches. The algorithm is examined using a set of benchmark instances with various sizes and levels of hardness and compared with other approaches reported in some existing literatures. The computational results validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Convergent Stochastic Differential Evolution Algorithms

Liang Sun,Hongwei Ge,Limin Wang 보안공학연구지원센터 2016 International Journal of Hybrid Information Techno Vol.9 No.7

Differential evolution (DE) algorithms have been extensively and frequently applied to solve optimizationproblems. Theoretical analyses of their properties are important to understand the underlying mechanismsand to develop more efficient algorithms. In this paper, firstly, we introduce an absorbing Markovsequence to model a DE algorithm. Secondly, we propose and prove two theorems that provide sufficientconditions for DE algorithm to guarantee converging to the global optimality region. Finally, we design two DE algorithms that satisfy the preconditions of the two theorems, respectively. The two proposed algorithmsare tested on the CEC2013 benchmark functions, and compared with other existing algorithms.Numerical simulations illustrate the converge, effectiveness and usefulness of the proposed algorithms.

Study on the Recycling of Nuclear Graphite after Micro-Oxidation

Juan Liu,Chen Wang,Limin Dong,Tongxiang Liang 한국원자력학회 2016 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.48 No.1

In this paper, a feasible strategy for the recycling of nuclear graphite is reported, based onthe formation mechanism and the removal of carbon-14 by micro-oxidation. We investigatedwhether ground micro-oxidation graphite could be used as a filler to make newrecycled graphite and which graphite/pitch coke ratio will give the recycled graphiteoutstanding properties (e.g., apparent density, flexural strength, compressive strength,and tensile strength). According to the existing properties of nuclear graphite, the ratio ofgraphite to pitch coke should not exceed 3. The recycled reactor graphite has been provensuperior in density, strength, and thermal conductivity. The micro-oxidation processenhances the strength of the recycled graphite because there are more pores andunsmooth surfaces on the oxidized graphite particles, which is beneficial for the access ofthe pitch binder and leads to efficient joint adhesion among the graphite particles.

Study on the Recycling of Nuclear Graphite after Micro-Oxidation

Liu, Juan,Wang, Chen,Dong, Limin,Liang, Tongxiang Korean Nuclear Society 2016 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.48 No.1

In this paper, a feasible strategy for the recycling of nuclear graphite is reported, based on the formation mechanism and the removal of carbon-14 by micro-oxidation. We investigated whether ground micro-oxidation graphite could be used as a filler to make new recycled graphite and which graphite/pitch coke ratio will give the recycled graphite outstanding properties (e.g., apparent density, flexural strength, compressive strength, and tensile strength). According to the existing properties of nuclear graphite, the ratio of graphite to pitch coke should not exceed 3. The recycled reactor graphite has been proven superior in density, strength, and thermal conductivity. The micro-oxidation process enhances the strength of the recycled graphite because there are more pores and unsmooth surfaces on the oxidized graphite particles, which is beneficial for the access of the pitch binder and leads to efficient joint adhesion among the graphite particles.

Frequency-Dependent Effects on Bladder Reflex by Saphenous Nerve Stimulation and a Possible Action Mechanism of Tibial Nerve Stimulation in Cats

Xing Li,Xiaoping Wan,Zhaoxia Wang,Yanan Liang,Zhuo Jia,Xu Zhang,Limin Liao 대한배뇨장애요실금학회 2021 International Neurourology Journal Vol.25 No.2

Purpose: The present study determined the effects of saphenous nerve stimulation (SNS) at different stimulation frequencies on bladder reflex and explored a possible action mechanism of tibial nerve stimulation (TNS) on bladder activity in cats. Methods: Two bipolar nerve cuff electrodes were implanted on the saphenous nerve and the contralateral tibial nerve in 13 cats, respectively. Multiple cystometrograms were obtained to determine the effects of single SNS at different frequencies and that of combined SNS and TNS on the micturition reflex by infusing normal saline. Results: SNS at 1 Hz significantly reduced the bladder capacity (BC) to 59.8%±7.7% and 59.3%±5.8% of the control level at the intensity threshold (T) and 2T, respectively (P<0.05), while that at 20 Hz significantly increased the BC to 130.6%±4.2% of the control level at 6T (P<0.05). The TNS and SNS at 20 Hz did not significantly change the BCs at 1T (P>0.05), while combined stimulation at 1T significantly increased the BC to 122.7%±1.9% of the control level and induced an inhibitory effect which was similar to that TNS at 2T. Conclusions: The current study revealed that SNS reduced and increased BC depending on different stimulation frequencies. The combined SNS and TNS maximized the clinical efficacy at a low intensity. Also, SNS may be a potential therapeutic mechanism of TNS.

Measurement of TOF of fast neutrons with ²³⁸U target

Li, Meng,Guan, Yuanfan,Lu, Chengui,Zhang, Junwei,Yuan, Xiaohua,Duan, Limin,Yang, Herun,Hu, Rongjiang,He, Zhiyong,Wei, Xianglun,Ma, Peng,Gan, Zaiguo,Yang, Chunli,Zhang, Hongbin,Chen, Liang,Qiu, Tianli Korean Nuclear Society 2021 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.53 No.6

We developed a Dual-PPACs detector for fast neutron measurements that consists of two sets of PPAC: conventional PPAC and fission PPAC. A²³⁸U(U₃O₈) coating is placed in the fission PPAC's anode, which is used as the neutrons conversion layer. An experiment was performed to measure neutron time-of-flight (TOF) in which ²⁵²Cf spontaneous fission source was used. An excellent time resolution of 164ps has been observed at 6 mbar in isobutene gas. With the excellent time resolution of Dual-PPACs detector, exact neutron energy can be extracted from the timing measurement. The experimental detection efficiency was 1.9 × 10^-7, consistent with the efficiency of 2.5 × 10^-7 given by a Geant4 simulation. Ultimately, the results show that the Dual-PPACs detector is a suitable candidate for measuring fast neutrons in the future CiADS system.