Objective This study aimed to explore the perceptions of good death of the older adults living in Bang Nang Li Sub-District,Amphawa District,Samut Songkhram Province,Thailand.Method The data of the study was collected...Objective This study aimed to explore the perceptions of good death of the older adults living in Bang Nang Li Sub-District,Amphawa District,Samut Songkhram Province,Thailand.Method The data of the study was collected using in-depth interviews between October 2019 to January 2020.The data collected a total of 14 older adults who had firsthand experience in caring for terminally ill patients were recruited for the study.Content analysis was employed to analyze qualitative data.Results The results of this study revealed the perceptions of good death which were categorized into three main themes and eight sub-themes,including 1)death without suffering(not suffering from life support devices,dying with care);2)natural death(death with the end of life expectancy,death with illness or ailments);and 3)death without the worries(preparation for death,spiritual and belief practice toward preparation for death,family and property management before death,death among family members and at their familiar place).Conclusion The findings of this research provided the insight to clarify the understanding of the perceptions on a good death of older adults.The findings can be used to support the practice and management of nursing education and health care providers who have to be involved in palliative care for terminally ill older adults.展开更多
We investigate statistical properties of multispecies competition ecosystems subjected to both symmetric and asymmetric dichotomous noises. The expression of the stationary probability distribution function （SPDF） i...We investigate statistical properties of multispecies competition ecosystems subjected to both symmetric and asymmetric dichotomous noises. The expression of the stationary probability distribution function （SPDF） is analytically derived by means of mean-field approximation, and verified by stochastic simulations. The results indicate that： （i） A noise amplitude （a0）, a noise autocorrelation time （τ0） and a noise symmetry parameter （k） all can affect the SPDF; （ii） There is an optimal τ0, which makes the mean value of population density be maximal, near which a transition takes place, i.e., the stationary mean value of species density （（x）st） suddenly falls to a lower constant, （iii） As k decreases, the maximum of （x）xt and the optimal 70 increase. The parameter planes of TO -- a20 and τ0- k for the transition are plotted.展开更多
The dynamics of a bacterial population exposed to the minimum inhibitory concentration （MIC） of an antibiotic is an important issue in pharmacological research. Therefore, a novel antibiotic susceptibility test is u...The dynamics of a bacterial population exposed to the minimum inhibitory concentration （MIC） of an antibiotic is an important issue in pharmacological research. Therefore, a novel antibiotic susceptibility test is urgently needed that can both precisely determine the MIC and accurately select antibiotic-resistant strains from clinical bacterial populations. For this purpose, we developed a method based on Fick＇s laws of diffusion using agar plates containing a linear gradient of antibiotic. The gradient plate contained two layers. The bottom layer consisted of 15 mL agar containing the appropriate concentration of enrofloxacin and allowed to harden in the form of a wedge with the plate slanted such that the entire bottom was just covered. The upper layer consisted of 15 mL plain nutrient agar added with the plate held in the horizontal position. After allowing vertical diffusion of the drug from the bottom agar layer for 12 h, the enrofloxacin concentration was diluted in proportion to the ratio of the agar layer thicknesses. The uniform linear concentration gradient was verified by measuring the enrofloxacin concentration on the agar surface. When heavy bacterial suspensions were spread on the agar surface and incubated for more than 12 h, only resistant cells were able to form colonies beyond the boundary of confluent growth of susceptible cells. In this way, the true MIC of enrofloxacin was determined. The MICs obtained using this linear gradient plate were consistent with those obtained using conventional antibiotic susceptibility tests. Discrete colonies were then spread onto a gradient plate with higher antibiotic concentrations; the boundary line increased significantly, and gene mutations conferring resistance were identified. This new method enables the rapid identification of resistant strains in the bacterial population. Use of the linear gradient plate can easily identify the precise MIC and reveal the dynamic differentiation of bacteria near the MIC. This method allows the study of genetic and physiological characteristics of individual strains, and may be useful for early warning of antibiotic resistance that may occur after use of certain antirnicrobial agents, and guide clinical treatment.展开更多
基金The research grant for a potential lecturer was supported by Suan Sunadha Rajabhat Thailand.
文摘Objective This study aimed to explore the perceptions of good death of the older adults living in Bang Nang Li Sub-District,Amphawa District,Samut Songkhram Province,Thailand.Method The data of the study was collected using in-depth interviews between October 2019 to January 2020.The data collected a total of 14 older adults who had firsthand experience in caring for terminally ill patients were recruited for the study.Content analysis was employed to analyze qualitative data.Results The results of this study revealed the perceptions of good death which were categorized into three main themes and eight sub-themes,including 1)death without suffering(not suffering from life support devices,dying with care);2)natural death(death with the end of life expectancy,death with illness or ailments);and 3)death without the worries(preparation for death,spiritual and belief practice toward preparation for death,family and property management before death,death among family members and at their familiar place).Conclusion The findings of this research provided the insight to clarify the understanding of the perceptions on a good death of older adults.The findings can be used to support the practice and management of nursing education and health care providers who have to be involved in palliative care for terminally ill older adults.
基金Supported by the Yunnan Provincial Foundation of China under Grant Nos.2009CD036 and 08Z0015the National Natural Science Foundations of China under Grant Nos.50734009 and 10865006
文摘We investigate statistical properties of multispecies competition ecosystems subjected to both symmetric and asymmetric dichotomous noises. The expression of the stationary probability distribution function （SPDF） is analytically derived by means of mean-field approximation, and verified by stochastic simulations. The results indicate that： （i） A noise amplitude （a0）, a noise autocorrelation time （τ0） and a noise symmetry parameter （k） all can affect the SPDF; （ii） There is an optimal τ0, which makes the mean value of population density be maximal, near which a transition takes place, i.e., the stationary mean value of species density （（x）st） suddenly falls to a lower constant, （iii） As k decreases, the maximum of （x）xt and the optimal 70 increase. The parameter planes of TO -- a20 and τ0- k for the transition are plotted.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.81171621)Shandong Province Young and Middle-Aged Scientists Research Awards Fund (Grant No.2006BS02008)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation Funded Project (Grant No.20080440451)
文摘The dynamics of a bacterial population exposed to the minimum inhibitory concentration （MIC） of an antibiotic is an important issue in pharmacological research. Therefore, a novel antibiotic susceptibility test is urgently needed that can both precisely determine the MIC and accurately select antibiotic-resistant strains from clinical bacterial populations. For this purpose, we developed a method based on Fick＇s laws of diffusion using agar plates containing a linear gradient of antibiotic. The gradient plate contained two layers. The bottom layer consisted of 15 mL agar containing the appropriate concentration of enrofloxacin and allowed to harden in the form of a wedge with the plate slanted such that the entire bottom was just covered. The upper layer consisted of 15 mL plain nutrient agar added with the plate held in the horizontal position. After allowing vertical diffusion of the drug from the bottom agar layer for 12 h, the enrofloxacin concentration was diluted in proportion to the ratio of the agar layer thicknesses. The uniform linear concentration gradient was verified by measuring the enrofloxacin concentration on the agar surface. When heavy bacterial suspensions were spread on the agar surface and incubated for more than 12 h, only resistant cells were able to form colonies beyond the boundary of confluent growth of susceptible cells. In this way, the true MIC of enrofloxacin was determined. The MICs obtained using this linear gradient plate were consistent with those obtained using conventional antibiotic susceptibility tests. Discrete colonies were then spread onto a gradient plate with higher antibiotic concentrations; the boundary line increased significantly, and gene mutations conferring resistance were identified. This new method enables the rapid identification of resistant strains in the bacterial population. Use of the linear gradient plate can easily identify the precise MIC and reveal the dynamic differentiation of bacteria near the MIC. This method allows the study of genetic and physiological characteristics of individual strains, and may be useful for early warning of antibiotic resistance that may occur after use of certain antirnicrobial agents, and guide clinical treatment.
