A Study on Minimizing Welding Deformation of Joints for the Sealing of Emission After-Treatment Structure

As the environmental pollution issue has recently become significant, environmental regulations in Europe and the United States are being strengthened. Thus, there is a demand for the quality improvement of emission after-treatment systems to satisfy the strengthened environmental regulations. Reducing the amount of welding heat distortion by optimization of the welding order of each part could be a solution for quality improvement since the emission after-treatment system consists of many parts and each assembly is produced by welding individual ones. In this research, a method to derive a welding sequence that effectively minimizes welding deformation was proposed. A two-stage simulation was performed to obtain the optimal welding sequence. In the first stage, the welding sequence was derived by analyzing the number of welding groups in each assembly of a structure. The derived welding sequence was verified by performing a thermal elasto-plastic analysis and comparing it with the experimental results.

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Achieving More Rapid Door-to-Needle Times and Improved Outcomes in Acute Ischemic Stroke in a Nationwide Quality Improvement Intervention

Stroke ◽

10.1161/strokeaha.121.035853 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ying Xian ◽

Haolin Xu ◽

Eric E. Smith ◽

Jeffrey L. Saver ◽

Mathew J. Reeves ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Quality Improvement ◽

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Thrombolytic Therapy ◽

Phase I ◽

Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽

Symptom Onset ◽

Odds Ratio ◽

Adjusted Odds Ratio ◽

The United States

Background and Purpose: The benefits of tPA (tissue-type plasminogen activator) in acute ischemic stroke are time-dependent. However, delivery of thrombolytic therapy rapidly after hospital arrival was initially occurring infrequently in hospitals in the United States, discrepant with national guidelines. Methods: We evaluated door-to-needle (DTN) times and clinical outcomes among patients with acute ischemic stroke receiving tPA before and after initiation of 2 successive nationwide quality improvement initiatives: Target: Stroke Phase I (2010–2013) and Target: Stroke Phase II (2014–2018) from 913 Get With The Guidelines-Stroke hospitals in the United States between April 2003 and September 2018. Results: Among 154 221 patients receiving tPA within 3 hours of stroke symptom onset (median age 72 years, 50.1% female), median DTN times decreased from 78 minutes (interquartile range, 60–98) preintervention, to 66 minutes (51–87) during Phase I, and 50 minutes (37–66) during Phase II ( P <0.001). Proportions of patients with DTN ≤60 minutes increased from 26.4% to 42.7% to 68.6% ( P <0.001). Proportions of patients with DTN ≤45 minutes increased from 10.1% to 17.7% to 41.4% ( P <0.001). By the end of the second intervention, 75.4% and 51.7% patients achieved 60-minute and 45-minute DTN goals. Compared with the preintervention period, hospitals during the second intervention period (2014–2018) achieved higher rates of tPA use (11.7% versus 5.6%; adjusted odds ratio, 2.43 [95% CI, 2.31–2.56]), lower in-hospital mortality (6.0% versus 10.0%; adjusted odds ratio, 0.69 [0.64–0.73]), fewer bleeding complication (3.4% versus 5.5%; adjusted odds ratio, 0.68 [0.62–0.74]), and higher rates of discharge to home (49.6% versus 35.7%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.43 [1.38–1.50]). Similar findings were found in sensitivity analyses of 185 501 patients receiving tPA within 4.5 hours of symptom onset. Conclusions: A nationwide quality improvement program for acute ischemic stroke was associated with substantial improvement in the timeliness of thrombolytic therapy start, increased thrombolytic treatment, and improved clinical outcomes.

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Environmental Regulations and Pollution of the United States

Environmental Compliance and Sustainability ◽

10.1201/9780429400667-6 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 155-262

Author(s):

Daniel T. Rogers

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Environmental Regulations ◽

The United States

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Continuous Quality Improvement of an Engineering Program as a Requirement for Abet Accreditation

Multidisciplinary Aspects of Production Engineering ◽

10.2478/mape-2018-0050 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 393-398

Author(s):

Michalene Eva Grebski ◽

Radosław Wolniak ◽

Wieslaw Grebski

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Quality Improvement ◽

Curriculum Development ◽

Continuous Quality Improvement ◽

The United States ◽

Quality Improvement Process ◽

Engineering Program ◽

Continuous Quality ◽

The Cost ◽

Practical Recommendations

Abstract The paper addresses the benefits from accreditation of an Engineering program. The criteria for accreditation are also being discussed as well as the cost of domestic and outside of the United States (US) accreditation. The paper also contains procedures for curriculum development as well as evaluation and assessment. Implementation of a comprehensive continuous quality improvement process (CQI) for individual courses as well as the entire Engineering program is being discussed and analyzed. The conclusions include practical recommendations for the effective closing of the CQI loop.

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