Objective: The objective of this study was to discuss the challenges in estimating bicycle helmet effectiveness from case–control studies of injured cyclists and to estimate helmet effectiveness from cases and available exposure data.
Methods: Data were extracted from studies of cyclists in Seattle; Victoria and New South Wales, Australia; and The Netherlands. Estimates of helmet use were used as exposure to compute relative risks for Seattle and Victorian data. Cycling distance data are routinely collected in The Netherlands; however, these data cannot be disaggregated by helmet use, which makes it unsuitable for estimating helmet effectiveness. Alternative controls were identified from larger cohorts for the Seattle and New South Wales cases.
Results: Estimates of helmet effectiveness were similar from odds ratios (ORs) using hospital controls or from relative risks (RRs) using helmet use estimates (Seattle: OR = 0.339, RR = 0.444; Victoria: OR = 0.500, RR = 0.353). Additionally, the odds ratios using hospital controls were similar when controls were taken from a larger cohort for head injury of any severity (Seattle: OR = 0.250, alt OR = 0.257; NSW: OR = 0.446, alt OR = 0.411) and for serious head injury (Seattle: OR = 0.135, alt OR = 0.139; NSW: OR = 0.335, alt OR = 0.308). Although relevant exposure data were unavailable for The Netherlands, the odds ratio for helmet effectiveness of those using racing, mountain, or hybrid bikes was similar to other estimates (OR = 0.371).
Conclusions: Despite potential weaknesses with case–control study designs, the best available evidence suggests that helmet use is an effective measure of reducing cycling head injury. 相似文献
Background: Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are a serious epidemic that claims more than a million lives across the globe each year. The burden of RTIs is particularly pronounced in Africa and other low- and middle-income countries. The unfavorable disparity of the burden of road trauma in the world is largely attributable to unsafe vehicles, lack of appropriate road infrastructure, and the predominance of vulnerable road users (VRUs) in developing countries. However, little research exists in northern Ghana to highlight the scale and risk of death among road users.
Objective: The objective of this research was to establish the relative risk of death among road users in northern Ghana.
Methods: Crash data from police reports between 2007 and 2011 were analyzed for the Upper Regions of Ghana. Conditional probabilities and multivariable logistic regression techniques were used to report proportions and adjusted odds ratios (AORs), respectively.
Results: Generally, crashes in northern Ghana were extremely severe; that is, 35% of all injury related collisions were fatal. The proportion of fatal casualties ranged between 21% among victims of sideswipe collisions and 41% among pedestrians and victims of rear-end collisions. Though males were 6 times more likely to die than females overall, females were more likely to die as pedestrians (90% of all female casualty deaths) and males were more likely to die as riders/drivers (78% of all male casualty deaths). Pedestrians were 3 times more likely to die (odds ratio [OR] = 3.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.4 to 4.1) compared with drivers/riders. Compared with drivers, the odds of death among cyclists was about 4 times higher (AOR = 3.6; 95% CI, 2.3 to 5.6) and about 2 times higher among motorcyclists (AOR = 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2 to 2.2). Compared with casualties aged between 30 and 59 years, children under 10 years and those aged 60 years and above were independently 2 times more likely to die in traffic collisions.
Conclusion: Provision of requisite road infrastructure is vital for the safety of VRUs in northern Ghana. Cycle paths and lanes (for cyclists) as well as sidewalks (for pedestrians) in particular will separate VRUs from motorists and improve their safety. Enforcement of traffic laws particularly regarding helmet use, speeding, and alcohol use will be beneficial. Introduction of the demerit points system in the enforcement of traffic regulations may have significant deterrent effects on road users who have the penchant for violating traffic regulations. Road safety education is also required to create responsible road users. 相似文献
The deactivation of catalyst is a significant reason for its limited application during the catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) process. To reduce the coke formation, binary compound impregnation (BCI) and chemical liquid deposition (CLD) were used to modify HZSM-5 catalysts. At the same time, the self-designed microwave reactor separated the pyrolysis of bamboo and catalytic upgrading of primary vapor, which made the catalytic effect more thorough. Experimental results indicated that CLD used TiO2 deposition to cover external acid sites, while BCI by phosphorus-nickel could cover and partly destroy superficial acid sites through two different ways. Within the scope of the loaded amount studied, the yield of aromatic hydrocarbons in the oil phase increased at first and then decreased, while the coke formation reduced continuously. BTX (benzene, toluene and xylene), the most valuable product in bio-oil, drastically increased by 39.1% and 22.6% respectively over the CLD and BCI modified catalysts. Considering the catalytic performance as well as cost, CLD over HZSM-5 has more advantages in the CFP process to upgrade bio-oil. 相似文献
The sol–gel method was used to synthesize a series of metal oxides-supported activated carbon fiber (ACF) and the simultaneous catalytic hydrolysis activity of carbonyl sulfide (COS) and carbon disulfide (CS2) at relatively low temperatures of 60°C was tested. The effects of preparation conditions on the catalyst properties were investigated, including the kinds and amount of metal oxides and calcination temperatures. The activity tests indicated that catalysts with 5 wt.% Ni after calcining at 400°C (Ni(5)/ACF(400)) had the best performance for the simultaneous catalytic hydrolysis of COS and CS2. The surface and structure properties of prepared ACF were characterized by scanning electron microscope-energy disperse spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), carbon dioxide-temperature programmed desorption (CO2-TPD) and diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared reflection (DRFTIR). And the metal cation defects were researched by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) method. The characterization results showed that the supporting of Ni on the ACF made the ACF catalyst show alkaline and increased the specific surface area and the number of micropores, then improved catalytic hydrolysis activity. The DRFTIR results revealed that -OH species could facilitate the hydrolysis of COS and CS2; -COO and -C–O species could facilitate the oxidation of catalytic hydrolysate H2S. And the EPR results showed that high calcination temperature conditions provide more active reaction center for the COS and CS2 adsorption. 相似文献