Urban crash-related child pedestrian injury incidence and characteristics associated with injury severity

Objective

Describe age-based urban pedestrian versus auto crash characteristics and identify crash characteristics associated with injury severity.

Materials and methods

Secondary analysis of the 2004–2010 National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration database for Illinois. All persons in Chicago crashes with age data who were listed as pedestrians (n = 7175 child age ≤19 yo, n = 16,398 adult age ≥20 yo) were included. Incidence and crash characteristics were analyzed by age groups and year. Main outcome measures were incidence, crash setting, and injury severity. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate injury severity by crash characteristics.

Results

Overall incidence was higher for child (146.6 per 100,000) versus adult (117.3 per 100,000) pedestrians but case fatality rate was lower (0.7% for children, 1.7% for adults). Child but not adult pedestrian injury incidence declined over time (trend test p < 0.0001 for <5 yo, 5–9 yo, and 10–14 yo; p < 0.05 for 15–19 yo, p = 0.96 for ≥20 yo). Most crashes for both children and adults took place during optimal driving conditions. Injuries were more frequent during warmer months for younger age groups compared to older (χ²p < 0.001). Midblock crashes increased as age decreased (p < 0.0001 for trend). Most crashes occurred at sites with sub-optimal traffic controls but varied by age (p < 0.0001 for trend). Crashes were more likely to be during daylight on dry roads in clear weather conditions for younger age groups compared to older (χ²p < 0.001). Daylight was associated with less severe injury (child OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.87–0.98; adult OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.87–0.93).

Conclusion

The incidence of urban pedestrian crashes declined over time for child subgroups but not for adults. The setting of pedestrian crashes in Chicago today varies by age but is similar to that seen in other urban locales previously. Injuries for all age groups tend to be less severe during daylight conditions. Age-based prevention efforts may prove beneficial.     

依达拉奉对大鼠缺血再灌注心肌的保护作用

目的 探讨依达拉奉对心肌缺血再灌注的保护作用及机制.方法 将50只成年SD大鼠按随机数字表法分为假手术组、再灌注组、低剂量组、中剂量组和高剂量组,每组10只.建立大鼠急性缺血再灌注模型,描记术中心电图变化.假手术组：开胸,分离左冠状动脉并穿线,不结扎,旷置225 min;再灌注组：缺血45 min,再灌注3 h,灌注前1 min将生理盐水按0.2 mL·kg-1经右股静脉注入;低剂量组：再灌注前1 min,将依达拉奉按3 mg·kg-1经右股静脉注入;中剂量组：灌注前1 min将依达拉奉按6 mg·kg-1经右股静脉注入;高剂量组：灌注前1 min将依达拉奉按9 mg·kg-1经右股静脉注入.于再灌注末测定血清肌钙蛋白、心肌组织Ca2＋、SOD、MDA及Na＋-K＋-ATPase 、Ca2＋-ATPase的含量或活性.结果 再灌注组与低剂量组、中剂量组、高剂量组相比,再灌注后ST段回落程度较低、室性心律失常发作例数稍高,但4组间比较差异均无统计学意义（均P＞0.05）.低剂量组、中剂量组和高剂量组的血清肌钙蛋白明显低于再灌注组（均P＜0.05）;中剂量组、高剂量组及再灌注组血清肌钙蛋白明显高于假手术组（P＜0.05或P＜0.01）.与假手术组比较,再灌注组心肌组织MDA活性、Ca2＋含量明显增高,SOD活力及Na＋-K＋-ATP酶、Ca2＋-ATP酶活性明显降低（均P＜0.05）;与再灌注组比较,低剂量组、中剂量组和高剂量组的MDA活力及Ca2＋含量降低,SOD活力及Na＋-K＋-ATP酶、Ca2＋-ATP酶活性明显增加（均P＜0.05）.结论 在再灌注前注射依达拉奉可减轻心肌缺血再灌注损伤.其作用机制是有效地清除氧自由基、提高机体抗氧化应激能力.     

Occupational rehabilitation in the construction industry of Victoria

A survey of construction companies' secondary disability management practices was undertaken in the state of Victoria, Australia. The results indicate that formal rehabilitation and return‐to‐work programmes and practices are not adopted in many companies. Smaller construction firms were less likely to have adopted formal programmes or practices than medium‐to‐large firms. In particular, construction companies reported difficulties in the provision of suitable alternate or light duties for workers returning to work following an injury. Most companies regarded disability management practices to have increased operating costs while yielding little or no benefit in terms of reducing lost workdays. Strategies to overcome some of these impediments to rehabilitation and return‐to‐work in construction are recommended.     

Analyses of systems theory for construction accident prevention with specific reference to OSHA accident reports

To enhance workplace safety in the construction industry it is important to understand interrelationships among safety risk factors associated with construction accidents. This study incorporates the systems theory into Heinrich's domino theory to explore the interrelationships of risks and break the chain of accident causation. Through both empirical and statistical analyses of 9358 accidents which occurred in the U.S. construction industry between 2002 and 2011, the study investigates relationships between accidents and injury elements (e.g., injury type, part of body, injury severity) and the nature of construction injuries by accident type. The study then discusses relationships between accidents and risks, including worker behavior, injury source, and environmental condition, and identifies key risk factors and risk combinations causing accidents. The research outcomes will assist safety managers to prioritize risks according to the likelihood of accident occurrence and injury characteristics, and pay more attention to balancing significant risk relationships to prevent accidents and achieve safer working environments.     

Do ‘green’ buildings have better indoor environments? New evidence

A post-occupancy evaluation (POE) of 12 green and 12 conventional office buildings across Canada and the northern United States was conducted. Occupants (N = 2545) completed an online questionnaire related to environmental satisfaction, job satisfaction and organizational commitment, health and well-being, environmental attitudes, and commuting. In each building on-site physical measurements at a sample of workstations (N= 974) were taken, including: thermal conditions, air quality, acoustics, lighting, workstation size, ceiling height, window access and shading, and surface finishes. Green buildings exhibited superior performance compared with similar conventional buildings. Better outcomes included: environmental satisfaction, satisfaction with thermal conditions, satisfaction with the view to the outside, aesthetic appearance, less disturbance from heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) noise, workplace image, night-time sleep quality, mood, physical symptoms, and reduced number of airborne particulates. A variety of physical features led to improved occupant outcomes across all buildings, including: conditions associated with speech privacy, lower background noise levels, higher light levels, greater access to windows, conditions associated with thermal comfort, and fewer airborne particulates. Green building rating systems might benefit from further attention in several areas, including: credits related to acoustic performance, a greater focus on reducing airborne particulates, enhanced support for the interdisciplinary design process and development of POE protocols.

Il a été mené une évaluation après occupation (POE) de 12 immeubles de bureaux verts et 12 immeubles de bureaux classiques répartis à travers le Canada et le nord des Etats-Unis. Les occupants (N?=?2545) ont rempli un questionnaire en ligne portant sur la satisfaction environnementale, la satisfaction au travail et l'implication organisationnelle, la santé et le bien-être, les attitudes environnementales, et les trajets réguliers. Dans chaque immeuble, des mesures physiques in situ sur un échantillon de postes de travail (N?=?974) ont été effectuées, comprenant : les conditions thermiques, la qualité de l'air, l'acoustique, l'éclairage, la taille des postes de travail, la hauteur de plafond, l'accès aux fenêtres et leur occultation, et les finitions de surface. Les bâtiments verts ont affiché des performances supérieures par rapport aux bâtiments classiques similaires. De meilleurs résultats ont été obtenus concernant la satisfaction environnementale, la satisfaction à l'égard des conditions thermiques, la satisfaction à l'égard de la vue sur l'extérieur, l'aspect esthétique, la diminution des perturbations liées aux bruits provenant du chauffage, de la ventilation et de la climatisation (CVC), l'image du lieu de travail, la qualité du sommeil nocturne, l'humeur, les symptômes physiques, et la réduction du nombre de particules en suspension dans l'air. Différentes caractéristiques physiques ont conduit à une amélioration des résultats pour les occupants dans tous les immeubles, concernant notamment les conditions liées à la confidentialité des conversations, les niveaux inférieurs de bruit de fond, les niveaux de luminosité plus élevés, l'accès accru aux fenêtres, les conditions associées au confort thermique, et le nombre moindre de particules en suspension dans l'air. Les systèmes de notation des bâtiments verts pourraient bénéficier d'une plus grande attention apportée à plusieurs domaines, s'agissant en particulier des crédits relatifs aux performances acoustiques, d'un accent accru sur la réduction des particules en suspension dans l'air, d'un soutien renforcé en faveur du processus de conception interdisciplinaire et du développement de protocoles POE.

Mots clés: performances des bâtiments, bilan environnemental, bâtiments verts, environnement intérieur, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), satisfaction des occupants, évaluation après occupation     

MicroRNA-378 Alleviates Cerebral Ischemic Injury by Negatively Regulating Apoptosis Executioner Caspase-3

miRNAs have been linked to many human diseases, including ischemic stroke, and are being pursued as clinical diagnostics and therapeutic targets. Among the aberrantly expressed miRNAs in our previous report using large-scale microarray screening, the downregulation of miR-378 in the peri-infarct region of middle cerebral artery occluded (MCAO) mice can be reversed by hypoxic preconditioning (HPC). In this study, the role of miR-378 in the ischemic injury was further explored. We found that miR-378 levels significantly decreased in N2A cells following oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) treatment. Overexpression of miR-378 significantly enhanced cell viability, decreased TUNEL-positive cells and the immunoreactivity of cleaved-caspase-3. Conversely, downregulation of miR-378 aggravated OGD-induced apoptosis and ischemic injury. By using bioinformatic algorithms, we discovered that miR-378 may directly bind to the predicted 3′-untranslated region (UTR) of Caspase-3 gene. The protein level of caspase-3 increased significantly upon OGD treatment, and can be downregulated by pri-miR-378 transfection. The luciferase reporter assay confirmed the binding of miR-378 to the 3′-UTR of Caspase-3 mRNA and repressed its translation. In addition, miR-378 agomir decreased cleaved-caspase-3 ratio, reduced infarct volume and neural cell death induced by MCAO. Furthermore, caspase-3 knockdown could reverse anti-miR-378 mediated neuronal injury. Taken together, our data demonstrated that miR-378 attenuated ischemic injury by negatively regulating the apoptosis executioner, caspase-3, providing a potential therapeutic target for ischemic stroke.     

Resveratrol Attenuates Acute Inflammatory Injury in Experimental Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Rats via Inhibition of TLR4 Pathway

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) has been proven to play a critical role in neuroinflammation and to represent an important therapeutic target following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Resveratrol (RSV), a natural occurring polyphenolic compound, has a powerful anti-inflammatory property. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of RSV in protecting against early brain injury (EBI) after SAH remain obscure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of RSV on the TLR4-related inflammatory signaling pathway and EBI in rats after SAH. A prechiasmatic cistern SAH model was used in our experiment. The expressions of TLR4, high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) were evaluated by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. The expressions of Iba-1 and pro-inflammatory cytokines in brain cortex were determined by Western blot, immunofluorescence staining, or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Neural apoptosis, brain edema, and neurological function were further evaluated to investigate the development of EBI. We found that post-SAH treatment with RSV could markedly inhibit the expressions of TLR4, HMGB1, MyD88, and NF-κB. Meanwhile, RSV significantly reduced microglia activation, as well as inflammatory cytokines leading to the amelioration of neural apoptosis, brain edema, and neurological behavior impairment at 24 h after SAH. However, RSV treatment failed to alleviate brain edema and neurological deficits at 72 h after SAH. These results indicated that RSV treatment could alleviate EBI after SAH, at least in part, via inhibition of TLR4-mediated inflammatory signaling pathway.     

SNI小鼠中调控ROS对疼痛和脊髓Pink1蛋白的影响及机制研究

目的:观察C57/BL6小鼠坐骨神经分支选择性损伤（spared nerve injury,SNI）后降低氧化应激反应对机械痛和脊髓中Pink1的表达影响,并探讨神经性疼痛中氧化应激对Pink1的可能的作用机制。方法:取60只小鼠,随机分为对照组（Control）、假手术组（Sham）、手术组（SNI）、SNI+Saline、SNI+苯亚甲基叔丁基氮氧化物（phenyl-N-tert-butylnitrone,PBN）5组。Control组不作任何处理,Sham组切开皮肤,分离出坐骨神经三支分支后缝合皮肤;SNI组游离并保留腓肠神经分支,结扎并切断胫神经;分别于14 d之后进行机械痛阈值检测。测定行为学后SNI组分别注射生理盐水（0.9%NaCl）和PBN。进行行为学测定,并分别检测氧化应激（GSH、SOD）水平;Western blot法检测腰段脊髓蛋白水平Pink1的表达变化。结果:SNI组与Control和Sham组相比,机械痛阈值显著降低,差异具有统计学意义（P<0.001）;SNI组腰段脊髓ROS水平升高（P<0.05）,注射PBN后ROS水平降低（P<0.001）;SNI小鼠中Pink1在蛋白水平表达增多（P<0.001）,降低ROS后脊髓中Pink1在蛋白水平表达降低（P<0.01）。结论:神经病理痛中降低线粒体内ROS水平则会改善小鼠神经性疼痛,靶向减少ROS的产生和改善Pink1有助于神经病理痛的治疗。     

汽车半主动乘员约束防护系统设计与动力学建模仿真

设计了一种汽车的半主动乘员约束防护系统,该系统能根据反应时间余量来判断车辆发生碰撞的可能性,不同的可能性对应不同的危险等级,当危险能避免时则发出警报提醒驾驶员主动避免,不能避免时提前启动乘员约束保护装置。通过仿真分析软件MADYMO建立了汽车正面碰撞模型,并经试验验证了其正确性。对所设计的安全带预紧装置与座椅坐垫倾角调整装置进行仿真,然后与传统的被动执行机构仿真结果进行对比。结果表明：半主动乘员防护系统可提前实现安全带预紧和座椅坐垫倾角的调整,相比传统的被动防护系统中碰撞后火药预紧与座椅坐垫倾角不变,乘员的头部、髋部伤害略有减小,颈部弯矩峰值、胸部加速度、胸部压缩量分别减小了20.6%、14.6%、15.6%。所设计的半主动约束防护系统能有效减轻乘员的损伤。     

新型α+β双相钛合金板抗高速冲击损伤行为研究

采用直径7.5 mm钢丸对新型Ti-Mo-V系α+β双相钛合金板材进行高速冲击试验,使用光学显微镜及扫描电镜,对等轴组织板材抗高速冲击损伤行为进行分析。结果表明：钢丸高速冲击后,损伤部位均未观察到明显的分区现象。冲击着板瞬间,相比于钢丸垂直高速冲击,钢丸冲击方向与板法线方向存在较小偏角时,板材更易发生高速冲击破坏失效,沿板材正面冲击损伤中轴线侧剖后可观察到非对称形态的冲击损伤。冲击损伤部位均形成绝热剪切带,主要分布在正面冲击损伤部位中心及两侧区域,其分布形式主要包括：(1)在冲击损伤中心处呈半弧状分布;(2)在冲击损伤部位两侧沿高速冲击方向约呈45°分布,绝热剪切失效是板材防护失效的主要原因。