Epidemiology of alcohol and drug screening among pedestrian fatalities in the United States, 2014–2016

Objective: U.S. pedestrian fatalities increased by 25% between 2010 and 2015. Risk factors include distractions, the built environment, urbanization, economic variables, and weather conditions. Of interest is the role of alcohol and drugs in premature death among pedestrians. This study sought to explore the prevalence of substance use screenings among pedestrian fatalities in the United States between 2014 and 2016.

Methods: Data were collected from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System provided by the NHTSA. Pedestrian crash variables included demographics as well as information regarding alcohol or drug testing status. Frequency and cross-tabulation tables were constructed to assess the prevalence of screening by person, place, and time. Log-linear analyses were completed to explore age, race, and sex differences. A 3-year examination period was used to control for yearly fluctuations and to incorporate an increasing trend in cases.

Results: Pedestrian fatalities accounted for 84% of all deaths among vulnerable road users during the examination period. Those most at risk were white males between the ages of 45 and 64. Over all states, 74.7% of fatalities were tested for alcohol and 67.1% were tested for drugs; further, 66.5% of cases were tested for both alcohol and drugs and 24.8% were tested for neither substance. Cases screened for both alcohol and drugs ranged from 2.9% in North Carolina to 95.7% in Nevada and those testing for neither substance ranged from a high of 68.9% in Indiana to a low of 1.1% in Maryland. Log-linear regression revealed significant differences in alcohol screening by age and race but not by sex. Differences in drug screening were not identified for any demographic variable. Fatalities tested for alcohol were significantly more likely to be tested for drugs; only 8.2% were screened solely for alcohol and 0.05% were screened for drugs alone.

Conclusions: Preventive strategies become more important as pedestrian crashes and fatalities increase. Risk reduction in the form of policy change, alterations to the built environment, or interdisciplinary approaches to injury prevention is dependent upon best evidence supported in part by more deliberate and consistent screening.     

Prevalence of alcohol among nonfatally injured road accident casualties in two level III trauma centers in northern Ghana

Background: Alcohol use is pervasive among motorists on the road in Ghana; however, we do not know the extent to which this behavior is implicated in road accidents in this country.

Objectives: The main objective of this research was to establish the prevalence of alcohol in the blood of nonfatally injured casualties in the emergency departments (EDs) in northern Ghana.

Method: Participants were injured road traffic crash victims, namely, pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and drivers seeking treatment at an ED. The study sites were 2 level III trauma centers located in Wa and Bolgatanga. Participants were screened for alcohol followed by breath tests for positive participants using breathalyzers.

Results: Two hundred and sixty-two accident victims visited EDs, 58% of whom were in Wa. Among the victims, 41% were hospitalized and 57% experienced slight injuries. The vast majority (76%) of the casualties were motorcyclists, 13% were pedestrians, 8% were cyclists, and 2% were drivers. Casualties who had detectable alcohol in their blood were predominantly vulnerable road users. In all, 34% of participants had detectable blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) and the mean BAC for all casualties who tested positive and could give definitive BACs was 0.2265 (226 mg/dl). The prevalence of alcohol use was 53% among cyclists, 34% among motorcyclists, 21% among pedestrians, and 17% among drivers. Male casualties were more likely to test positive for alcohol than females. In addition, the prevalence of alcohol was significantly higher among injured casualties in Bolgatanga compared to Wa.

Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of alcohol use among nonfatally injured casualties in northern Ghana and injury severity increased with BAC. AUDIT screening in the hospital, alcohol consumption guideline, road safety education with an emphasis on minimizing or eliminating alcohol consumption, and enhanced enforcement of the BAC limit among motorists are recommended.     

Effects of alcohol at 0.05% blood alcohol concentration (BAC) on low speed urban driving

ABSTRACT

Objective: Alcohol-impaired driving presents a continued risk for traffic safety and results in a significant proportion of fatalities on the roadway. We examined how alcohol at a 0.05% blood alcohol concentration (BAC) compares to 0.10% BAC (above the current U.S. legal limit) in terms of impact on driving performance.

Methods: Utilizing a within-subjects design, we recruited 108 healthy experienced drivers who were moderate to heavy drinkers. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design, we administered placebo and alcohol at the 0.05% and 0.10% BAC levels in a standardized simulated driving protocol. Drives occurred on the descending limb of the blood alcohol curve. This analysis focuses on the urban portion of the drive

Results: The study observed clear differences in performance for lateral and longitudinal driving performance and glance behavior. Variability in lane keeping and average speed increased with BAC level, with degraded performance observed at 0.05% BAC. The frequency of lane departures and percentage of time focused on the forward roadway at 0.05% BAC did not differ from placebo but differed from the 0.10% BAC level.

Conclusions: Overall, our results show that there is degraded performance in the urban driving environment and that much of that begins at or below the 0.05% BAC level.     

The effects of breath alcohol concentration on postural control

Background: Two of the 3 standardized field sobriety tests that U.S. law enforcement uses at roadside checks have a postural equilibrium component to them. Those tests have been validated to detect impairment caused by blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) of 0.08 g/dL or above. Many medical and traffic safety associations support a lower limit, and one state, Utah, has passed a law to lower the limit to 0.05 g/dL. Many studies have examined the effects of alcohol on postural control (of which postural equilibrium is a component), with a consensus emerging that impairment is usually found at BACs greater than 0.06 g/dL. Most of these studies, however, had a relatively small number of subjects, usually between 10 and 30. The current study collected data from a much larger sample.

Objective: The objective of this study was to provide additional evidence that posture control is negatively affected at BACs greater than 0.06 g/dL or breath alcohol concentrations (BrACs) of 0.06 g/210 L.

Method: This was a between-subjects study, with BrAC group as the independent variable (5 levels: 0.00, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, and 0.10 g/210 L); 4 measures of postural control as the dependent variables; and age, height, and weight as the covariates. Posture control was measured with a force-sensing platform connected to a computer. The feet's center of pressure (CoP) on the platform was recorded and the corresponding movement of the body in the anterior–posterior and lateral planes was derived. Participants (N = 96) were randomly assigned to one of the BrAC groups. Positive BrAC groups were compared to the zero BrAC group. Data were examined with hierarchical multiple regression.

Results: Adjusted for age, height, and weight, the main effect of lateral CoP with eyes open was not statistically significant. There was a statistically significant main effect of alcohol on anterior–posterior CoP excursion with eyes open and with eyes closed and lateral CoP excursion with eyes closed. For all 3 of those variables, only BrACs of 0.08 and 0.10 g/210 L produced differences against zero BrAC. Although the main effect of alcohol on Lateral CoP Excursion with eyes open was not statistically significant, the contrasts between 0 and 0.08 and 0 and 0.10 g/210L BrAC were in the hypothesized direction.

Conclusion: The current study did not directly address the issue of whether the sobriety tests are sensitive to BrACs of 0.05 g/210 L or above; rather, it provides additional evidence that postural control, one of the components of those tests, is relatively unaffected by BrACs lower than 0.08 g/210 L. Additional research is needed on the diagnostic characteristics of the sobriety tests at BrACs lower than 0.08 g/210 L.     

胞外聚合物对MBR中改性无纺布过滤性能的影响

采用统计分析方法研究了胞外聚合物(extra-cellular polymeric sub6tances, EPS)对浸渍式膜生物反应器(submerged membrane bioreactor, SMBR)中聚乙烯醇改性聚丙烯无纺布过滤性能的影响.结果表明,无纺布膜组件表面污泥的溶解性EPS(soluble EPS, EPSs)、EPSs,组成(protein/carbohydrate, P/C)以及相对疏水性(relative hydrophobicity, RH)对膜的过滤性能有显著影响,与膜污染阻力的皮尔逊相关系数(rp)分别为:0.868、0.840、0.890;改性无纺布膜组件能有效抑制EPSs,的吸附、降低EPSs组分中P/C的比率、减少活性污泥的沉积.表明聚丙烯无纺布通过亲水改性后,过滤性能得到明显改善,表现出一定的耐污染性.     

多菌种混合发酵转化秸秆技术的研究及应用进展

农作物秸秆是农业生产的副产品,也是一项重要的生物资源。利用微生物的广泛适应性和多功能性来转化秸秆已日益受到国内外科学研究者重视,特别是多菌种混合发酵是将秸秆纤维素转化为蛋白质、乙醇、乙酸等最具发展前景的方法。文章通过混合菌降解秸秆纤维,转化利用秸秆制蛋白饲料、燃料酒精、农用沼气等方面,对混合菌发酵转化秸秆技术的研究进展进行阐述。混合菌发酵转化秸秆已成为农业综合开发领域的一个亮点,正在朝着多元化,深层次的方向发展。     

退浆废水中聚乙烯醇的分析检测研究

建立了紫外可见分光光度法检测退浆废水中聚乙烯醇(PVA)含量的方法。以硼酸为介质,碘化钾—碘溶液为显色剂,检测波长为680 nm,测定退浆废水中PVA含量的线性方程为Y=0.018 8X+0.003 2,相关系数R2=0.999 3,平均加标回收率为97.6%;方法精密度(RSD=1.5%)、重现性(RSD=1.8%)均较好。该方法操作简单、准确度高、测定快速,适用于测定退浆废水中PVA的含量。     

酒精在常见可燃地面材料燃烧痕迹特征规律研究

易燃液体燃烧痕迹识别对助燃剂放火火灾调查至关重要。选用丙纶地毯和PVC地板革作为纤维和塑料地板的代表,以工业酒精作为易挥发助燃剂的代表,研究酒精用量、灭火方式等对燃烧痕迹形成及痕迹稳定性的影响。通过与未加载酒精的痕迹对比,发现丙纶地毯因热稳定性较差,燃烧后往往能形成烧坑或烧洞,其燃烧轮廓以典型的灰化形式存在,加载酒精的部位熔融严重,与地面紧紧粘连在一起;PVC地板革因为表面光滑,酒精在其表面不断流淌,燃烧后会留下清晰的轮廓,类似于细线状的印痕,而地板革本身基本不会燃烧。燃烧熄灭的方式也会对其炭化程度、燃烧图痕、残余形状产生影响。     

臭氧氧化法降解聚氯乙烯离心母液废水中3种有机物

以聚氯乙烯离心母液废水中含量较高的3种有机物(聚乙烯醇、异辛醇和α-甲基苯乙烯)作为目标物,考察臭氧氧化工艺对3种有机物的去除效果,同时考察反应时间、臭氧投加量和初始pH对处理效果的影响。实验结果表明,臭氧氧化处理3种废水的最佳反应时间和臭氧投加量分别为:聚乙烯醇25 min,136 mg/L;异辛醇60min,312 mg/L;α-甲基苯乙烯60 min,32 mg/L。在此条件下,3种有机物的去除率分别为98%、85%和95%。此外,碱性条件有助于臭氧氧化工艺对3种有机物的降解。产物分析结果表明,经臭氧氧化,聚乙烯醇断链后进一步反应生成了草酸单乙酯,异辛醇和α-甲基苯乙烯分别生成了和苯乙酮。     

Supercritical water oxidation of polyvinyl alcohol and desizing wastewater：Influence of NaOH on the organic decomposition

Polyvinyl alcohol is a refractory compound widely used in industry. Here we report supercritical water oxidation of polyvinyl alcohol solution and desizing wastewater with and without sodium hydroxide addition. However, it is difficult to implement complete degradation of organics even though polyvinyl alcohol can readily crack under supercritical water treatment. Sodium hydroxide had a significant catalytic effect during the supercritical water oxidation of polyvinyl alcohol. It appears that the OH ion participated in the C-C bond cleavage of polyvinyl alcohol molecules, the CO2-capture reaction and the neutralization of intermediate organic acids, promoting the overall reactions moving in the forward direction. Acetaldehyde was a typical intermediate product during reaction. For supercritical water oxidation of desizing wastewater, a high destruction rate (98.25%) based on total organic carbon was achieved. In addition, cases where initial wastewater was alkaline were favorable for supercritical water oxidation treatment, but salt precipitation and blockage issues arising during the process need to be taken into account seriously.