BACKGROUND: This study aimed to make a preliminary comparison of emergency department (ED) presentations between Australia and China. The comparison could provide insights into the health systems and burden of dise...BACKGROUND: This study aimed to make a preliminary comparison of emergency department (ED) presentations between Australia and China. The comparison could provide insights into the health systems and burden of diseases and potentially stimulate discussion about the development of acute health system in China.METHODS: An observational study was performed to compare Australian ED presentations using data obtained from a single adult tertiary-referral teaching hospital in metropolitan Brisbane against Chinese ED presentations using public domain information published in existing Chinese and international medical journals.RESULTS: There are major differences in ED presentations between Australia and China. In 2008, 1) 35.4% of patients arrived at a tertiary teaching hospital ED in Brisbane, Australia by ambulance; 2) 1.7% were treated for poisoning; 3) 1.4% for cerebral vascular disease; 4) 1.7% for cardiac disease; and 5) 42.6% for trauma. The top events diagnosed were mental health problems including general psychiatric examination, psychiatric review, alcohol abuse, and counselling for alcohol abuse, which accounted for 5.5% of all ED presentations. Among ED patients in China, 6.7% arrived at a tertiary teaching hospital by ambulance in Shenyang in 1997; 3.7% were treated for poisoning in Shanxi Zhouzhi County People's Hospital ED in 2006; 14.9% for cerebral vascular diseases at Qinghai People's Hospital ED in 1993-1995; 1.7% for cardiac diseases at the Second People's Hospital ED, Shenzhen Longgang in 1993; and 44.3% for trauma at Shanxi Zhouzhi County People's Hospital ED in 2006. The top events were trauma and poisoning among the young and cerebral infarction in the older population.CONCLUSIONS: Compared with Australian, Chinese ED patients had 1) lower ambulance usage; 2) higher proportion of poisoning; 3) higher proportion of cerebral vascular diseases; 4) similar proportion of cardiac disease; 5) similar proportion of trauma; and 6) little reported mental health problems. Possible explanations for these differences in China include a pay for service pre-hospital care system, lack of public awareness about poisons, inadequate hypertension management, and lack of recognition of mental health problems.展开更多
Converting CO_(2) into high‐value fuels and chemicals by renewable‐electricitypowered electrochemical CO_(2) reduction reaction(CRR)is a viable approach toward carbon‐emissions‐neutral processes.Unlike the thermoc...Converting CO_(2) into high‐value fuels and chemicals by renewable‐electricitypowered electrochemical CO_(2) reduction reaction(CRR)is a viable approach toward carbon‐emissions‐neutral processes.Unlike the thermocatalytic hydrogenation of CO_(2) at the solid‐gas interface,the CRR takes place at the three‐phase gas/solid/liquid interface near the electrode surface in aqueous solution,which leads to major challenges including the limited mass diffusion of CO_(2) reactant,competitive hydrogen evolution reaction,and poor product selectivity.Here we critically examine the various methods of surface and interface engineering of the electrocatalysts to optimize the microenvironment for CRR,which can address the above issues.The effective modification strategies for the gas transport,electrolyte composition,controlling intermediate states,and catalyst engineering are discussed.The key emphasis is made on the diverse atomic‐precision modifications to increase the local CO_(2) concentration,lower the energy barriers for CO_(2) activation,decrease the H2O coverage,and stabilize intermediates to effectively control the catalytic activity and selectivity.The perspectives on the challenges and outlook for the future applications of three‐phase interface engineering for CRR and other gasinvolving electrocatalytic reactions conclude the article.展开更多
More customers are tending to install batteries with photovoltaic(PV), so they can better control their electricity bills. In this context, customers may be tempted to go offgrid at a substantial up-front cost, leadin...More customers are tending to install batteries with photovoltaic(PV), so they can better control their electricity bills. In this context, customers may be tempted to go offgrid at a substantial up-front cost, leading electricity companies into a death spiral, thereby raising electricity price further on those remaining on grid. Neighborhood energy markets can promote the sharing of locally generated renewable energy and encourage prosumers to stay on grid with financial incentives. A novel neighborhood energy trading(NET) mechanism is developed using the topology of existing radial distribution network to encourage sustainable energy sharing in neighborhood and encourage prosumers to stay on grid. This mechanism considers loss, congestion management, and voltage regulation, and it is scalable with low computation and communication overhead.An IEEE test system is used to validate the NET mechanism.The simulation shows that the price and flow results are obtained with fast computation speed(within 10 iterations) and with loss reflected, flow limit reinforced, and voltage regulated.This study proves that the economic demand-supply-based pricing mechanism can be applied effectively in distribution networks to help encourage more renewable energy sharing in sustainable neighborhood and avoid energy network death spiral.展开更多
文摘BACKGROUND: This study aimed to make a preliminary comparison of emergency department (ED) presentations between Australia and China. The comparison could provide insights into the health systems and burden of diseases and potentially stimulate discussion about the development of acute health system in China.METHODS: An observational study was performed to compare Australian ED presentations using data obtained from a single adult tertiary-referral teaching hospital in metropolitan Brisbane against Chinese ED presentations using public domain information published in existing Chinese and international medical journals.RESULTS: There are major differences in ED presentations between Australia and China. In 2008, 1) 35.4% of patients arrived at a tertiary teaching hospital ED in Brisbane, Australia by ambulance; 2) 1.7% were treated for poisoning; 3) 1.4% for cerebral vascular disease; 4) 1.7% for cardiac disease; and 5) 42.6% for trauma. The top events diagnosed were mental health problems including general psychiatric examination, psychiatric review, alcohol abuse, and counselling for alcohol abuse, which accounted for 5.5% of all ED presentations. Among ED patients in China, 6.7% arrived at a tertiary teaching hospital by ambulance in Shenyang in 1997; 3.7% were treated for poisoning in Shanxi Zhouzhi County People's Hospital ED in 2006; 14.9% for cerebral vascular diseases at Qinghai People's Hospital ED in 1993-1995; 1.7% for cardiac diseases at the Second People's Hospital ED, Shenzhen Longgang in 1993; and 44.3% for trauma at Shanxi Zhouzhi County People's Hospital ED in 2006. The top events were trauma and poisoning among the young and cerebral infarction in the older population.CONCLUSIONS: Compared with Australian, Chinese ED patients had 1) lower ambulance usage; 2) higher proportion of poisoning; 3) higher proportion of cerebral vascular diseases; 4) similar proportion of cardiac disease; 5) similar proportion of trauma; and 6) little reported mental health problems. Possible explanations for these differences in China include a pay for service pre-hospital care system, lack of public awareness about poisons, inadequate hypertension management, and lack of recognition of mental health problems.
基金Australian Research Council,Grant/Award Numbers:FL170100154,FT200100062,DP220102596,DP210100472,DP190103472。
文摘Converting CO_(2) into high‐value fuels and chemicals by renewable‐electricitypowered electrochemical CO_(2) reduction reaction(CRR)is a viable approach toward carbon‐emissions‐neutral processes.Unlike the thermocatalytic hydrogenation of CO_(2) at the solid‐gas interface,the CRR takes place at the three‐phase gas/solid/liquid interface near the electrode surface in aqueous solution,which leads to major challenges including the limited mass diffusion of CO_(2) reactant,competitive hydrogen evolution reaction,and poor product selectivity.Here we critically examine the various methods of surface and interface engineering of the electrocatalysts to optimize the microenvironment for CRR,which can address the above issues.The effective modification strategies for the gas transport,electrolyte composition,controlling intermediate states,and catalyst engineering are discussed.The key emphasis is made on the diverse atomic‐precision modifications to increase the local CO_(2) concentration,lower the energy barriers for CO_(2) activation,decrease the H2O coverage,and stabilize intermediates to effectively control the catalytic activity and selectivity.The perspectives on the challenges and outlook for the future applications of three‐phase interface engineering for CRR and other gasinvolving electrocatalytic reactions conclude the article.
基金supported in part by the Australian Research Council Discovery Project (No. 160102570)。
文摘More customers are tending to install batteries with photovoltaic(PV), so they can better control their electricity bills. In this context, customers may be tempted to go offgrid at a substantial up-front cost, leading electricity companies into a death spiral, thereby raising electricity price further on those remaining on grid. Neighborhood energy markets can promote the sharing of locally generated renewable energy and encourage prosumers to stay on grid with financial incentives. A novel neighborhood energy trading(NET) mechanism is developed using the topology of existing radial distribution network to encourage sustainable energy sharing in neighborhood and encourage prosumers to stay on grid. This mechanism considers loss, congestion management, and voltage regulation, and it is scalable with low computation and communication overhead.An IEEE test system is used to validate the NET mechanism.The simulation shows that the price and flow results are obtained with fast computation speed(within 10 iterations) and with loss reflected, flow limit reinforced, and voltage regulated.This study proves that the economic demand-supply-based pricing mechanism can be applied effectively in distribution networks to help encourage more renewable energy sharing in sustainable neighborhood and avoid energy network death spiral.