The epidemiology of major incidents in the Western Cape Province, South Africa

Background. Major incidents put pressure on any health system. There are currently no studies describing the epidemiology of major incidents in South Africa (SA). The lack of data makes planning for major incidents and exercising of major incident plans difficult.Objective. To describe the epidemiology of major incidents in the Western Cape Province, SA.Methods. A retrospective analysis of the Western Cape Major Incident database was conducted for the period 1 December 2008 - 30 June 2014. Variables collected related to patient demographics and incident details. Summary statistics were used to describe all variables.Results. Seven hundred and seventy-seven major incidents were reviewed (median n=11 per month). Most major incidents occurred in the City of Cape Town (57.8%, n=449), but the Central Karoo district had the highest incidence (11.97/10 000 population). Transport-related incidents occurred most frequently (94.0%, n=730). Minibus taxis were involved in 312 major incidents (40.2%). There was no significant difference between times of day when incidents occurred. A total of 8 732 patients were injured (median n=8 per incident); ten incidents involved 50 or more victims. Most patients were adults (80.0%, n=6 986) and male (51.0%, n=4 455). Of 8 440 patients, 630 (7.5%) were severely injured. More than half of the patients sustained minor injuries (54.6%, n=4 605).Conclusion. Major incidents occurred more often than would have been expected compared with other countries, with road traffic crashes the biggest contributor. A national database will provide a better perspective of the burden of major incidents

Control of YH₃ formation and stability via hydrogen surface adsorption and desorption

Yttrium is known to form two hydrides: YH2, a metal, and YH3, which is dielectric. However, the stability of YH3 is not fully understood, especially in the context of thin films, where the yttrium layer must be coated to protect it from oxidation. In this work, we show that the stability of a YH3 thin film depends on the capping layer material. Our investigation reveals that YH3 appears to be stabilized by hydrogen that is adsorbed to the capping layer surface. This is evidenced by the YH3-YH2 transition temperature, which was found to be correlated with the desorption temperature of hydrogen from the surface. We posit that surface-adsorbed hydrogen prevents hydrogen from diffusing out of the thin film, which limits YH3 dissociation to the solubility of hydrogen in the YH2/YH3 thin film

Integralni pristup sustavima energetske elektronike

Today\u27s power electronics systems are typically manufactured using non-standard parts, resulting in labor-intensive manufacturing processes, increased cost and poor reliability. As a possible way to overcome these problems, this paper discusses an integrated approach to design and manufacture power electronics systems to improve performance, reliability and cost effectiveness. Addressed in the paper are the technologies being developed for integration of both power supplies and motor drives. These technologies include the planar metalization to eliminate bonding wires, the integration of power passives, the integration of current sensors, the development of power devices to facilitate integration as well as to improve performance, and the integration of necessary CAD tools to address the multidisciplinary aspects of integrated systems. The development of Integrated Power Electronics Modules (IPEMs) is demonstrated for two applications: (1) 1 kW asymmetrical half-bridge DC-DC converter and (2) 1–3 kW motor drive for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC). Electrical and thermal design tradeoffs of IPEMs and related enabling technologies are described in the paper.Današnji sustavi energetske elektronike se obično proizvode iz nestandardnih dijelova. Posljedica toga je laboratorijska proizvodnja elektroničkih učinskih pretvarača, povećani troškovi i smanjena pouzdanost. Jedan od mogućih načina prevladavanja ovih poteškoća jest integralni pristup projektiranju i proizvodnji sustava energetske elektronike. Posebice se razmatraju tehnologije razvijene za integraciju učinskih krugova i motora. Ove tehnologije uključuju postupke planarne metalizacije za izbjegavanje žičanih vodova, integraciju pasivnih dijelova učinskih krugova, integraciju strujnih senzora, te razvoj takvih poluvodičkih komponenata koje olakšavaju integraciju i poboljšavaju karakteristike uređaja. Pri projektiranju, zbog multidisciplinarnih aspekata integriranih sustava, treba primijeniti nužne CAD alate. Razvoj integriranih modula elektroničkih učinskih pretvarača (engl. integrated power electronics modules, IPEM) ilustriran je na dvije primjene: (1) istosmjerni pretvarač snage 1 kW u asimetričnom polumosnom spoju i (2) elektromotorni pogon snage 1 . . . 3 kW za grijanje, ventilaciju i klimatizaciju (engl. heating, ventilation and air conditioning, HVAC). Na IPEM-u objašnjeni su projektantski i tehnološki kompromisi električkog i toplinskog projekta

Emergency care research priorities in South Africap

Background. Emergency care research is rarely undertaken in low- and middle-income countries. A manageable ‘road map’ for research in South African (SA) emergency care is needed to address research gaps.Objective. To identify, collate and prioritise research topics from identified knowledge gaps in emergency care in SA.Methods. Seventy-six individuals were invited to participate in a modified Delphi study. Participants were requested to suggest important research topics before rating them. Consensus was achieved when >75% of participants strongly agreed or disagreed. Participants then ranked the agreed statements before selecting the most appropriate methodology relating to study design, funding and collaboration.Results. Three hundred and fifty topics were suggested by 31 participants. Topics were collated into 123 statements before participants rated them. Consensus was achieved for 39 statements. The highest-ranked priority in the prehospital group was to determine which prehospital interventions improve outcomes in critically ill patients. The competence of emergency care providers in performing common lifesaving skills was deemed the most important in clinical emergency care. Implementing and reviewing quality improvement systems scored the highest under general systems and safety management. Only 22 statements achieved consensus regarding study design. The National Department of Health was the preferred funding source, while private organisations and emergency care societies were identified as possible collaborative partners.Conclusion. This study provides expert consensus on priority research areas in emergency care in SA as a guide for emergency care providers to ensure evidence-based care that is relevant to the SA population