A national survey on how to improve traditional Chinese medicine learning internationally: Perceptions from both teachers and students

Zhu Yu-Hang,Yan Wu,Hao Zhang,Yanfei Zhao,Yule Ren,Wei Hu,Pan Li,Huiyi Wang,Ying Wang,Boda Zhang,Yujie Wang,Hongwen Yuan,Jiping Zhang,Wenqiang Li,Yufang Zhao,Jie Zhao,Yedong Shi,Yanye Shu,Xiao Zhang,Ya 한국한의학연구원 2022 Integrative Medicine Research Vol.11 No.4

Background With the increasing popularity of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) by the global community, how to teach basic knowledge of TCM to international students and improve the teaching quality are important issues for teachers of TCM. The present study was to analyze the perceptions from both students and teachers on how to improve TCM learning internationally. Methods A cross-sectional national survey was conducted at 23 universities/colleges across China. A structured, self-reported on-line questionnaire was administered to 34 Chinese teachers who taught TCM course in English and to 1016 international undergraduates who were enrolled in the TCM course in China between 2017 and 2021. Results Thirty-three (97.1%) teachers and 900 (88.6%) undergraduates agreed Chinese culture should be fully integrated into TCM courses. All teachers and 944 (92.9%) undergraduates thought that TCM had important significance in the clinical practice. All teachers and 995 (97.9%) undergraduates agreed that modern research of TCM is valuable. Thirty-three (97.1%) teachers and 959 (94.4%) undergraduates thought comparing traditional medicine in different countries with TCM can help the students better understand TCM. Thirty-two (94.1%) teachers and 962 (94.7%) undergraduates agreed on the use of practical teaching method with case reports. From the perceptions of the undergraduates, the top three beneficial learning styles were practice (34.3%), teacher's lectures (32.5%), case studies (10.4%). The first choice of learning mode was attending to face-to-face teaching (82.3%). The top three interesting contents were acupuncture (75.5%), Chinese herbal medicine (63.8%), and massage (55.0%). Conclusion To improve TCM learning among international undergraduates majoring in conventional medicine, integration of Chinese culture into TCM course, comparison of traditional medicine in different countries with TCM, application of the teaching method with case reports, and emphasization of clinical practice as well as modern research on TCM should be fully considered.

Research on aging-related degradation of control rod drive system based on Dynamic Object-Oriented Bayesian Network and Hidden Markov Model

Zhu Kang,Zhao Xinwen,Zhang Liming,Yu Hang 한국원자력학회 2022 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.54 No.11

The control rod drive system is critical to the reactor's reliable operation. The performance of its control system and mechanical system will gradually deteriorate because of operational and environmental stresses, thus increasing the reactor's operational risk. Currently there are few researches on the agingrelated degradation of the entire control rod drive system. Because it is difficult to quantify the effect of various environmental stresses and establish an accurate physical model when multiple mechanisms superimposed in the degradation process. Therefore, this paper investigates the aging-related degradation of a control rod drive system by integrating Dynamic Object-Oriented Bayesian Network and Hidden Markov Model. Uncertainties in the degradation of the control system and mechanical system are addressed by using fuzzy theory and the Hidden Markov Model respectively. A system which consists of eight control rod drive mechanisms divided into two groups is used to demonstrate the method. The aging-related degradation of the control rod drive system is analyzed by the Bayesian inference algorithm based on the accelerated life test data, and the impact of different operating schemes on the system performance is also investigated. Meanwhile, the components or units that have major impact on the system's performance are identified at different operational phases. Finally, several essential safety measures are suggested to mitigate the risk caused by the system degradation

Analysis of the fluid-solid-thermal coupling of a pressurizer surge line under ocean conditions

Yu Hang,Zhao Xinwen,Fu Shengwei,Zhu Kang 한국원자력학회 2022 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.54 No.10

To investigate the effects of ocean conditions on the thermal stress and deformation caused by thermal stratification of a pressurizer surge line in a floating nuclear power plant (FNPP), the finite element simulation platform ANSYS Workbench is utilized to conduct the fluid-solid-thermal coupling transient analysis of the surge line under normal “wave-out” condition (no motion) and under ocean conditions (rolling and pitching), generating the transient response characteristics of temperature distribution, thermal stress and thermal deformation inside the surge line. By comparing the calculated results for the three motion conditions, it is found that ocean conditions can significantly improve the thermal stratification phenomenon within the surge line, but may also result in periodic oscillations in the temperature, thermal stress, and thermal deformation of the surge line. Parts of the surge line that are more susceptible to thermal fatigue damage or failure are determined. According to calculation results, the improvements are recommended for pipeline structure to reduce the effects of thermal oscillation caused by ocean conditions. The analysis method used in this study is beneficial for designing and optimizing the pipeline structure of a floating nuclear power plant, as well as for increasing its safety.

Consensus and Security Control of Multi-agent Systems Based on Set-membership Estimation with Time-varying Topology under Deception Attacks

Yanfei Zhu,Hang Liu,Chuanjiang Li,Jiahao Yu 제어·로봇·시스템학회 2022 International Journal of Control, Automation, and Vol.20 No.11

This paper is concerned with the consensus and security of leader-follower multi-agent systems with time-varying topology, where each follower’s sensor-to-controller channel and controller-to-actuator channel are subject to unknown but bounded (UBB) random deception attacks. A novel set-membership estimation and control framework is presented to realize system consensus, input-to-state stability and security performance, in which each controller receives arbitrary estimates from itself and neighbor set-membership estimators. Based on the Lyapunov functional and stochastic control method, a sufficient condition on the existence of estimators and controllers is derived. Then, a convex optimization algorithm is established to deal with the proposed framework. Finally, the effectiveness of the method is verified by numerical simulation.

The evaluation of online course of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Medical Bachelor, Bachelor of Surgery international students during the COVID-19 epidemic period

Zhang Qing,He Yi-Jing,Zhu Yu-Hang,Dai Min-Chen,Pan Man-Man,Wu Jia-Qi,Zhang Xian,Gu Ying-Er,Wang Fang-Fang,Xu Xiang-Rong,Qu Fan 한국한의학연구원 2020 Integrative Medicine Research Vol.9 No.3

Background: During the COVID-19 epidemic period, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) course for international students of Medical Bachelor, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program in Zhejiang University has shifted from traditional classroom to online environment. This study aimed to investigate MBBS international students’ perception on online TCM course, and to assess the online learning efficacy. Methods: A total of 84 MBBS international students attending course of “Basic Traditional Chinese Medicine” during 2020 academic years at Zhejiang University were enrolled in this study. A quantitative questionnaire was respectively completed before and after the TCM course using a pretest–post-test design. By means of two online learning platforms, Learning in ZJU and DingTalk, TCM course was broadcast in both live and archived format to students. Results: A total of 48 participants completed both baseline and follow-up questionnaires. The majority of participants preferred face-to-face classroom learning (26, 54.17% of total) when compared with online learning. Students felt that the course had brought in much benefits (mean 3.88, SD 0.87), and they were satisfied with the course content (mean 3.83, SD 0.95). Students’ TCM related knowledge and their behaviors of discussion and consulting were significantly improved by online TCM course (all P < 0.001). Students’ awareness of the necessity of TCM education and their feeling of difficulty in learning TCM were significantly strengthened (P = 0.042, 0.025, respectively). Conclusion: Online learning is a good alternative for TCM course of MBBS international students when classroom learning is suspended, whereas it cannot replace the need for onsite and face-to-face learning.

Identification and expression profiles of putative chemosensory protein genes in Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Su Liu,Xiao-Xiao Shi,Qing-Zi Zhu,Wen-Juan Jiao,Zi-Jie Zhu,Hang Yu,Gui-YaoWang,Zengrong Zhu 한국응용곤충학회 2015 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.18 No.1

Insect chemosensory proteins (CSPs) are small, water-soluble proteins which can bind and transport hydrophobic odorants through sensillum lymph to activate odorant receptors, thus play important roles in the olfactory recognition. In the present study, by searching the transcriptome data sets, a total of 22 candidate CSP genes were identified from Cnaphalocrocis medinalis, a serious lepidopteran rice pest in Asia. CSP proteins encoded by these genes showed typical characteristics: an N-terminal signal peptide, four conserved cysteine residues and the pattern of cysteine spacing. The expression profiles of these putative CSP genes were investigated using real-time quantitative PCR. The results showed that five genes (CmedCSP4, CmedCSP8, CmedCSP11, CmedCSP18 and CmedCSP21) were expressed primarily in antennae, suggesting their involvement in olfactory processes; whilst other genes are mainly expressed in non-olfactory tissues, such as abdomen and legs, indicating a broader physiological function for these CSPs. The findings will lead to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of chemoreception in C. medinalis.

The Morphological Evaluation of the Cervical Muscle in Patients With Basilar Invagination: A Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based Study

Junyu Lin,Panjie Xu,Jianying Zheng,Zhang Zefan,Jingwen Tan,Hang Xiao,Siyan Yu,Qingan Zhu,Wei Ji 대한척추신경외과학회 2023 Neurospine Vol.20 No.3

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of functional muscle and muscle size in patients with basilar invagination (BI) and explore the effects of atlantoaxial dislocation. Methods: Eighty BI patients (BI group) and 80 age- and sex-matched asymptomatic people (control group) were included. Axial T2 magnetic resonance imaging image was used to measure the cross-sectional area (CSA) and functional CSA (FCSA). The sternocleidomastoid (SCM), longus capitis and longus colli (LCap & LC), trapezius (Trap), splenius capitis (SpCap), splenius cervicis (SpC), semispinalis capitis (SSCap), semispinalis cervicis (SSC), multifidus (MS), levator scapulae (LS) and posterior deep layer muscles (PDLM) were evaluated. Correlations between age, atlantodental interval (ADI), Chamberlain distance and muscles were observed. Results: BI group (39.4 ± 18.4 years; 33 males/47 females) exhibited significantly lower FCSA/CSA ratios than the control group in all extensor and flexor muscles, and presented smaller CSAs on the right and left Trap, SSC, LS, SCM, and left LCap & LC. FCSA/CSA ratios were significantly lower in BI patients with dislocation on the right Trap, SpCap, SpC, SSCap, MS, LS, LCap & LC, and PDLM, and the left SSCap, MS, and LCap & LC than in patients without deformity. Additionally, functional muscles of all parameters decreased with age in BI patients. Excluding children, the Trap, SpC, MS, and LS muscle sizes of BI patients tended to increase with age. ADI and Chamberlain distance tended to correlate negatively with FCSA/CSA ratio. Conclusion: The BI patients, especially those with atlantoaxial dislocation, had less functional muscles compared with the control group. Moreover, their functional muscles decreased with age more obviously.

Methylation Status of Transcriptional Modulatory Genes Associated with Colorectal Cancer in Northeast China

Han-Lu Gao,Xuan Wang,Hong-Ru Sun,Jun-De Zhou,Shang-Qun Lin,Yu-Hang Xing,Lin Zhu,Hai-Bo Zhou,Ya-Shuang Zhao,Qiang Chi,Yu-Peng Liu 거트앤리버 소화기연관학회협의회 2018 Gut and Liver Vol.12 No.2

Background/Aims: Methylation status plays a causal role in carcinogenesis in targeted tissues. However, the relationship between the DNA methylation status of multiple genes in blood leukocytes and colorectal cancer (CRC) susceptibility as well as interactions between dietary factors and CRC risks are unclear. Methods: We performed a case-control study with 466 CRC patients and 507 cancer-free controls to investigate the association among the methylation status of individual genes, multiple CpG site methylation (MCSM), multiple CpG site heterogeneous methylation and CRC susceptibility. Peripheral blood DNA methylation levels were detected by performing methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting. Results: Total heterogeneous methylation of CA10 and WT1 conferred a significantly higher risk of CRC (adjusted odds ratio [ORadjusted], 5.445; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.075 to 9.643; ORadjusted, 1.831; 95% CI, 1.100 to 3.047; respectively). Subjects with high-level MCSM (MCSM-H) status demonstrated a higher risk of CRC (ORadjusted, 4.318; 95% CI, 1.529 to 12.197). Additionally, interactions between the high-level intake of fruit and CRH, WT1, and MCSM on CRC were statistically significant. Conclusions: The gene methylation status of blood leukocytes may be associated with CRC risk. MCSM-H of blood leukocytes was associated with CRC, especially in younger people. Some dietary factors may affect hypermethylation status and influence susceptibility to CRC.