Suicide by crashing into a heavy vehicle: Focus on professional drivers using in-depth crash data

Objective: Road traffic suicides typically involve a passenger car driver crashing his or her vehicle into a heavy vehicle, because death is almost certain due to the large mass difference between these vehicles. For the same reason, heavy-vehicle drivers typically suffer minor injuries, if any, and have thus received little attention in the research literature. In this study, we focused on heavy-vehicle drivers who were involved as the second party in road suicides in Finland.

Methods: We analyzed 138 road suicides (2011–2016) involving a passenger car crashing into a heavy vehicle. We used in-depth road crash investigation data from the Finnish Crash Data Institute.

Results: The results showed that all but 2 crashes were head-on collisions. Almost 30% of truck drivers were injured, but only a few suffered serious injuries. More than a quarter reported sick leave following their crash. Injury insurance compensation to heavy-vehicle drivers was just above €9,000 on average. Material damage to heavy vehicles was significant, with average insurance compensation paid being €70,500. Three out of 4 truck drivers reported that drivers committing suicide acted abruptly and left them little opportunity for preventive action.

Conclusions: Suicides by crashing into heavy vehicles can have an impact on drivers’ well-being; however, it is difficult to see how heavy-vehicle drivers could avoid a suicide attempt involving their vehicle.     

The normalisation of terror: the response of Israel's stock market to long periods of terrorism

Man‐made disasters such as acts of terrorism may affect a society's resiliency and sensitivity to prolonged physical and psychological stress. The Israeli Tel Aviv stock market TA‐100 Index was used as an indicator of reactivity to suicide terror bombings. After accounting for factors such as world market changes and attack severity and intensity, the analysis reveals that although Israel's financial base remained sensitive to each act of terror across the entire period of the Second Intifada (2000–06), sustained psychological resilience was indicated with no apparent overall market shift. In other words, we saw a ‘normalisation of terror’ following an extended period of continued suicide bombings. The results suggest that investors responded to less transitory global market forces, indicating sustained resilience and long‐term market confidence. Future studies directly measuring investor expectations and reactions to man‐made disasters, such as terrorism, are warranted.     

沼泽红假单胞菌高效产氢hupL缺失突变株的构建

利用湖底淤泥分离的沼泽红假单胞菌(Rhodopseudomonas palustris)CQU01作为出发菌株,构建吸氢酶大亚基基因hupL缺失突变株,以提高光合细菌菌株的产氢效率.以PCR扩增的hupL两侧hupS 和 hupC基因为同源重组双交换臂,连入pMD18-T载体;再将hupS, hupC 和Kmr基因与经SalⅠ和HindⅢ双酶切的pSUP202,构建靶向自杀载体pBPZ.经接合转移转化R. palustris CQU01菌株,成功获得沼泽红假单胞菌吸氢酶活性缺失突变株R. palustris CQU012.测定突变株的吸氢酶活性及生长和产氢特性,结果表明,突变株的产氢量比野生菌株提高了约50%,而生长特性与野生菌株没有显著差异.R. palustris CQU012 吸氢酶缺失突变株可望为工业废水的生物治理提供高效产氢工程菌株.     

Humanitarian War: A New Consensus?

The NATO bombing operation Allied Force against Yugoslavia in March-June 1999 represents the final disappearance of the narrowing divide between humanitarianism and politics: a war initiated and justified on humanitarian grounds. Although unlikely to be repeated any time soon, the Kosovo case appears to have cemented an ideological shift on the international right and even necessity of sing military force to protect civilians within sovereign states. Rather than humanitarians acknowledging the political context and consequences of their work, however, the case suggests the embrace of humanitarian principles of universality and neutrality by military organisations. This article discusses some consequences of the new consensus: neglect of the political context (both local and foreign) of such operations, interaction between the operational dynamics of relief operations and the logic of war and the political consequences of using the humanitarian legitimation and mission in such cases.     

Suicide bombings: process of care of mass casualties in the developing world

In recent times Pakistan's biggest city, Karachi, has witnessed numerous terrorist attacks. The city does not have an emergency response system and only one of the three public sector hospitals has a trauma centre. We describe the pattern of injuries and management of two terror-related mass casualty incidents involving suicide bombers in a developing nation with limited resources. The first incident occurred in May 2002 with 36 casualties, of whom 13 (36%) died immediately and 11 (30.5%) died at the primary receiving hospitals. The second incident was targeted against the local population in May 2004. The blast resulted in 104 casualties, of which 14 (13.46%) died at the site. All patients had their initial assessment and treatment based on Advanced Trauma and Life Support principles and documented on a trauma form.     

沼泽红假单胞菌phbC-hupL双突变株构建及产氢测定

利用湖底淤泥分离的沼泽红假单胞菌(Rhodopseudomonas palustris)CQU01和该菌株的吸氢酶基因hupL缺失菌株CQU012作为出发菌株,分别构建聚羟基丁酸酯合成酶基因phbC单突变株及聚羟基丁酸酯合成酶基因phbC与吸氢酶基因hupL双突变株,以提高其在光照培养条件下的产氢量.以同源重组双交换方法构建含有Em抗性基因的自杀载体,通过接合转移转化R. palustris CQU01菌株,经PCR扩增以及测序验证,成功获得了沼泽红假单胞菌phbC单突变株R. palustris CQU013及phbC-hupL双突变株R. palustris CQU014.相同条件下测定突变菌株与野生菌株的生长和产氢特性,结果显示,突变菌株生长曲线与野生菌株有明显差异,两株突变菌株的产氢量分别是原始菌株的1.31和1.76倍,达到454mL/L和604mL/L.双突变菌株产氢能力较phbC基因和hupL基因单突变菌株的产氢能力有明显提高,说明phbC和hupL基因对菌株R. palustris 的产氢代谢有着显著的影响.