Risks identied in implementation of district clinical specialist teams

The District Clinical Specialist Team (DCST) is a strategy implemented by the South African National Department of Health to strengthen district health systems. An amount of R396 million per annum will be required to fund posts in all 52 districts. During implementation, numerous risks were identified, the major one being the most expensive category of DCST personnel, i.e. Head of Clinical Unit. Similar risks will probably apply to other categories of personnel within the DCST. To achieve the objectives of the DCST strategy, risk reduction strategies need to be promptly applied

How to Measure Subdiffusion Parameters

We propose a method to measure the subdiffusion parameter $\alpha$ and subdiffusion coefficient $D_{\alpha}$ which are defined by means of the relation $=\frac{2D_\alpha} {\Gamma(1+\alpha)} t^\alpha$ where $$ denotes a mean square displacement of a random walker starting from $x=0$ at the initial time $t=0$. The method exploits a membrane system where a substance of interest is transported in a solvent from one vessel to another across a thin membrane which plays here only an auxiliary role. We experimentally study a diffusion of glucose and sucrose in a gel solvent, and we precisely determine the parameters $\alpha$ and $D_{\alpha}$, using a fully analytic solution of the fractional subdiffusion equation.Comment: short version of cond-mat/0309072, to appear in Phys. Rev. Let

Cryptic speciation and chromosomal repatterning in the South African climbing mice Dendromus (Rodentia, Nesomyidae)

We evaluate the intra- and interspecific diversity in the four South African rodent species of the genus Dendromus. The molecular phylogenetic analysis on twenty-three individuals have been conducted on a combined dataset of nuclear and mitochondrial markers. Moreover, the extent and processes underlying chromosomal variation, have been investigated on three species by mean of G-, C-bands, NORs and Zoo-FISH analysis. The molecular analysis shows the presence of six monophyletic lineages corresponding to D. mesomelas, D. mystacalis and four lineages within D. cfr. melanotis with high divergence values (ranges: 10.6% – 18.3%) that raises the question of the possible presence of cryptic species. The first description of the karyotype for D. mesomelas and D. mystacalis and C- and G- banding for one lineage of D. cfr. melanotis are reported highlighting an extended karyotype reorganization in the genus. Furthermore, the G-banding and Zoo-FISH evidenced an autosome-sex chromosome translocation characterizing all the species and our timing estimates this mutation date back 7.4 mya (Late Miocene). Finally, the molecular clock suggests that cladogenesis took place since the end of Miocene to Plio-Pleistocene, probably due to ecological factors, isolation in refugia followed by differential adaptation to the mesic or dry habitat

A quality improvement programme in radiotherapy using workflow audits

Background. Evaluation of the quality of healthcare depends on measures of structures, processes and outcomes. Progress in recording data allows for better measures of processes, such as the completeness of clinical data, the performance of professional tasks and the use of checklists.Objectives. To report the results of a radiotherapy (RT) workflow audit and a subsequent online survey of user experience.Methods. The RT workflow audit was developed in 2016 and has been undertaken twice a year at 28 facilities or units, with a total of 32 linear accelerators. Electronic patient folders were reviewed to assess the documentation of 90 task items, of which 64 were scored. The auditor came from another facility. The online survey took place in July 2020. It contained questions on the audit’s process, professional value and future use. Invitations were sent by email to the 151 radiotherapist staff at the 28 units where the audit had been implemented. Responses were anonymous.Results. For the RT workflow audit, scores improved from 60% in some units in 2016 to >90% in all units for at least 2 years since 2018. The number of responders to the online survey was 58, giving a responder rate of 38%. The margin of error of the results was 10%. The audit’s task items were considered appropriate by 77% of responders, and feedback was reported by 78% of them. The audit was considered very or extremely valuable to their unit’s service delivery by 58% of responders. Changes in the unit as a result of the audit were reported by 77% of responders. The audit was very useful or extremely useful to 75% of responders in maintaining personal professional standards. The proportion of responders who were very or extremely supportive of continuing with the audit was 77%. The comments in the online survey will be helpful for ongoing review of the RT workflow audit.Conclusions. The RT workflow audit extends the scope of accreditation audits by including measures of processes. Users of the audit evaluate its processes favourably and report that it has value both in their unit’s clinical service and for their personal professional standards. The audit is effective in developing quality improvement programmes

Дифракционное излучение Вавилова-Черенкова релятивистских электронов

В данной работе проводилось исследование дифракционного излучения Вавилова-Черенкова, возникающего при пролете заряженной частицы вблизи диэлектрической мишени для пучков с энергией от 6 МэВ до 5 ГэВ. Моделирование было проведено в пакете Wolfram Mathematica. Рассмотренный механизм излучения не сопровождается непосредственным взаимодействием частиц пучка с мишенью, что открывает перспективы невозмущающей диагностики пучков на современных ускорителяхIn this paper, the study of Vavilov-Cherenkov diffraction radiation was conducted, which is generated when a charged particle passes near a dielectric target at a particle energy from 6 MeV to 5 GeV. The simulation was performed in the Wolfram Mathematica program. In the researched mechanism of radiation generation, there is no direct interaction of particles with the target, which opens up prospects for undisturbed diagnostics of beams on modern accelerator

Measuring subdiffusion parameters

We propose a method to extract from experimental data the subdiffusion parameter $\alpha$ and subdiffusion coefficient $D_\alpha$ which are defined by means of the relation $=2D_\alpha/\Gamma(1+\alpha) t^\alpha$ where $$ denotes a mean square displacement of a random walker starting from $x=0$ at the initial time $t=0$. The method exploits a membrane system where a substance of interest is transported in a solvent from one vessel to another across a thin membrane which plays here only an auxiliary role. Using such a system, we experimentally study a diffusion of glucose and sucrose in a gel solvent. We find a fully analytic solution of the fractional subdiffusion equation with the initial and boundary conditions representing the system under study. Confronting the experimental data with the derived formulas, we show a subdiffusive character of the sugar transport in gel solvent. We precisely determine the parameter $\alpha$, which is smaller than 1, and the subdiffusion coefficient $D_\alpha$.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, revised, to appear in Phys. Rev.

A review of South African research in atmospheric science and physical oceanography during 2000-2005

The purpose of this article is to review progress in the fields of atmospheric science and physical oceanography made by workers based at South African institutions over approximately the last 5 years. Research published by South African scientists working abroad is not included. Most published research in these fields falls within the broad areas of climate variability, climate change, aerosols and atmospheric pollution, seasonal forecasting, numerical modelling (both atmospheric and oceanic), and the physical oceanography of the Agulhas and Benguela current systems. Most but not all of the atmospheric science papers relate to South Africa or southern Africa; however, some work pertaining to the southern hemisphere as a whole or to other regions has been done. We note that funding and institutional support for atmospheric science and physical oceanography research in South Africa remains poor and this situation significantly hampers local efforts

Packing and covering immersion models of planar subcubic graphs

A graph $H$ is an immersion of a graph $G$ if $H$ can be obtained by some sugraph $G$ after lifting incident edges. We prove that there is a polynomial function $f:\Bbb{N}\times\Bbb{N}\rightarrow\Bbb{N}$, such that if $H$ is a connected planar subcubic graph on $h>0$ edges, $G$ is a graph, and $k$ is a non-negative integer, then either $G$ contains $k$ vertex/edge-disjoint subgraphs, each containing $H$ as an immersion, or $G$ contains a set $F$ of $f(k,h)$ vertices/edges such that $G\setminus F$ does not contain $H$ as an immersion

Monitoring the oceanic flow between Africa and Antarctica: Report of the first GoodHope cruise

The southern ocean plays a major role in the global oceanic circulation role in the global oceanic circulation, as a component of the Meridional Overturning Circulation, and it is postulated that it has a great influence on present-day climate. However, our understanding of its complex three-dimensional dynamics and of the impact of its variability on the climate system is rudimentary. The newly constituted, international GoodHope research venture aims to address this knowledge gap by establishing a programme of regular observations across the Southern Ocean between the African and Antarctic continents. The objectives of this programme are fivefold: (1) to improve understanding of Indo-Atlantic inter-ocean exchanges and their impact on the global thermohaline circulation and thus on global climate change; (2) to understand in more detail the influence these exchanges have on the climate variability of the southern African subcontinent; (3) to monitor the variability of the main Southern Ocean frontal systems associated with the Antarctic Circumpolar Current; (4) to study air–sea exchanges and their role on the global heat budget, with particular emphasis on the intense exchanges occurring within the Agulhas Retroflection region south of South Africa, and (5) to examine the role of major frontal systems as areas of elevated biological activity and as biogeographical barriers to the distribution of plankton. We present here preliminary results on the physical and biological structure of the frontal systems using the first GoodHope transect that was completed during February–March 2004