bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF MANUFACTURING AND SERVICES TO EMPLOYMENT CREATION AND GROWTH IN SOUTH AFRICA
Authors: Tregenna Fiona
Published: October 2008

This study examines the linkages between the manufacturing and services sectors, and between each of them and the rest of the domestic economy, based on analysis of input‐output tables and employment trends. This reveals that manufacturing is particularly important as a source of demand for the services sector as well as the rest of the economy through its strong backward linkages, which suggests that in this respect a decline in manufacturing could negatively affect future growth. Services are especially important in terms of employment creation, both direct and indirect.
EXCHANGE RATES AND EMPLOYMENT
Authors: Ngandu Stewart
Published: October 2008

The analysis of exchange rates and employment has received scant attention in development economics. This is surprising, since there appears to be a number of well‐defined transmission channels through which exchange rates impact on employment. In South Africa this is particularly important given the rand's higher volatility relative to other emerging economies. The main focus of this paper is to give an overview of the transmission channels through which exchange rates affect employment and to discuss the standard methodological approach to conceptualising the impact of exchange rates on employment. Given the sector‐specific impact of exchange rates which are conditioned by industry characteristics, such as the degree of external orientation, there will always be winners and losers in the face of a currency shock. This means the full impact of exchange rates on employment can only be dealt with in an economy‐wide framework. Results from a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model are presented to demonstrate that even in a country with unreliable employment data such as South Africa, one can still analyse exchange rate and employment issues.
Evidence for Growth of Enterococci in Municipal Oxidation Ponds, Obtained Using Antibiotic Resistance Analysis
Authors: Moriarty Elaine , Nourozi Fariba , Robson Beth , Wood David , Gilpin Brent
Published: October 2008

The Christchurch wastewater treatment plant uses a series of six oxidation ponds to reduce the bacterial load of treated effluent before it is discharged into the local estuary. To ensure that this discharge does not adversely affect water quality in the receiving environment, local regulations specify maximum levels in the discharge for a number of parameters, including enterococci. Between 2001 and 2006, regulations required fewer than 300 enterococci per 100 ml in summer. During this period, the discharge intermittently exceeded this limit, with unexplained levels of enterococci of up to 180,000/100 ml. Characterization of these enterococci by antibiotic resistance analysis showed that enterococci sampled over 4 months had almost identical resistance profiles. In contrast, enterococci from raw sewage and wildfowl from around the oxidation ponds had a diverse range of antibiotic resistance profiles that could be distinguished from each other and also from those of enterococci from the discharge. The hypothesis of a clonal nature of the enterococci in the discharge was supported by molecular genotype analysis, suggesting that these bacteria may have replicated in the pond environment rather than being reflective of breakthrough in the sewage treatment process or the result of recent wildfowl inputs to the ponds. This study highlights the usefulness of antibiotic resistance analysis in identifying this phenomenon and is the first report of apparent replication of a specific type of enterococci in an oxidation pond environment.
Solubilization, Activation, and Insecticidal Activity ofBacillus thuringiensisSerovar thompsoni HD542 Crystal Proteins
Authors: Naimov Samir , Boncheva Rumyana , Karlova Rumyana , Dukiandjiev Stefan , Minkov Ivan , de Maagd Ruud A.
Published: October 2008

Cry15Aa protein, produced byBacillus thuringiensisserovar thompsoni HD542 in a crystal together with a 40-kDa accompanying protein, is one of a small group of nontypical, less well-studied members of the Cry family of insecticidal proteins and may provide an alternative for the more commonly used Cry proteins in insect pest management. In this paper, we describe the characterization of the Cry15Aa and 40-kDa protein's biochemical and insecticidal properties and the mode of action. Both proteins were solubilized above pH 10 in vitro. Incubation of solubilized crystal proteins with trypsin or insect midgut extracts rapidly processed the 40-kDa protein to fragments too small to be detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, whereas the Cry15 protein yielded a stable product of approximately 30 kDa. Protein N-terminal sequencing showed that Cry15 processing occurs exclusively at the C-terminal end. Cry15 protein showed in vitro hemolytic activity, which was greatly enhanced by preincubation with trypsin or insect gut extract. Larvae of the lepidopteran insectsManduca sexta,Cydia pomonella, andPieris rapaewere susceptible to crystals, and presolubilization of the crystals enhanced activity toP. rapae. Activity for all three species was enhanced by preincubation with trypsin. Larvae ofHelicoverpa armigeraandSpodoptera exiguawere relatively insensitive to crystals, and activity against these insects was not enhanced by prior solubilization or trypsin treatment. The 40-kDa crystal protein showed no activity in the insects tested, nor did its addition or coexpression inEscherichia coliincrease the activity of Cry15 in insecticidal and hemolytic assays.
Seagulls of the Berlengas Natural Reserve of Portugal as Carriers of Fecal
Escherichia coli
Harboring CTX-M and TEM Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamases
Authors: Poeta Patricia , Radhouani Hajer , Igrejas Gilberto , Gonçalves Alexandre , Carvalho Carlos , Rodrigues Jorge , Vinué Laura , Somalo Sergio , Torres Carmen
Published: October 2008

Escherichia coli
isolates containing the following extended-spectrum beta-lactamases have been detected in 11 of 57 fecal samples (19.3%) in Berlengas Island seagulls: TEM-52 (eight isolates), CTX-M-1 (one isolate), CTX-M-14a (one isolate), and CTX-M-32 (one isolate). Most of the extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-positive isolates harbored class 1 or class 2 integrons, which included different antibiotic resistance gene cassettes.
Selective Removal of Aberrant Extender Units by a Type II Thioesterase for Efficient FR-008/Candicidin Biosynthesis in
Streptomyces
sp. Strain FR-008
Authors: Zhou Yongjun , Meng Qingqing , You Delin , Li Jialiang , Chen Shi , Ding Dazhong , Zhou Xiufen , Zhou Huchen , Bai Linquan , Deng Zixin
Published: October 2008

Gene
fscTE
, encoding a putative type II thioesterase (TEII), was associated with the FR-008/candicidin gene cluster. Deletion of
fscTE
reduced approximately 90% of the FR-008/candicidin production, while the production level was well restored when
fscTE
was added back to the mutant in
trans
. FscTE was unable to compensate for the release of the maturely elongated polyketide as site-directed inactivation of the type I thioesterase (TEI) totally abolished FR-008/candicidin production. Direct biochemical analysis of FscTE in parallel with its homologue TylO from the tylosin biosynthetic pathway demonstrated their remarkable preferences for acyl-thioesters (i.e., propionyl-
S
-
N
-acetylcysteamine [SNAC] over methylmalonyl-SNAC and acetyl-SNAC over malonyl-SNAC) and thus concluded that TEII could maintain effective polyketide biosynthesis by selectively removing the nonelongatable residues bound to acyl carrier proteins. Overexpression of FscTE under the strong constitutive
ermE
*
p
promoter in the wild-type strain did not suppress FR-008/candicidin formation, which confirmed its substrate specificity in vivo. Furthermore, successful complementation of the
fscTE
mutant was obtained with
fscTE
and
tylO
, whereas no complementation was detected with nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) TEII
tycF
and
srfAD
, reflecting substrate specificities of TEIIs distinctive from those of either polyketide synthases or NRPSs.
Substrate-Specific Clades of Active Marine Methylotrophs Associated with a Phytoplankton Bloom in a Temperate Coastal Environment
Authors: Neufeld Josh D. , Boden Rich , Moussard Hélène , Schäfer Hendrik , Murrell J. Colin
Published: October 2008

Marine microorganisms that consume one-carbon (C
1
) compounds are poorly described, despite their impact on global climate via an influence on aquatic and atmospheric chemistry. This study investigated marine bacterial communities involved in the metabolism of C
1
compounds. These communities were of relevance to surface seawater and atmospheric chemistry in the context of a bloom that was dominated by phytoplankton known to produce dimethylsulfoniopropionate. In addition to using 16S rRNA gene fingerprinting and clone libraries to characterize samples taken from a bloom transect in July 2006, seawater samples from the phytoplankton bloom were incubated with
13
C-labeled methanol, monomethylamine, dimethylamine, methyl bromide, and dimethyl sulfide to identify microbial populations involved in the turnover of C
1
compounds, using DNA stable isotope probing. The [
13
C]DNA samples from a single time point were characterized and compared using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), fingerprint cluster analysis, and 16S rRNA gene clone library analysis. Bacterial community DGGE fingerprints from
13
C-labeled DNA were distinct from those obtained with the DNA of the nonlabeled community DNA and suggested some overlap in substrate utilization between active methylotroph populations growing on different C
1
substrates. Active methylotrophs were affiliated with
Methylophaga
spp. and several clades of undescribed
Gammaproteobacteria
that utilized methanol, methylamines (both monomethylamine and dimethylamine), and dimethyl sulfide. rRNA gene sequences corresponding to populations assimilating
13
C-labeled methyl bromide and other substrates were associated with members of the
Alphaproteobacteria
(e.g., the family
Rhodobacteraceae
), the
Cytophaga-Flexibacter-Bacteroides
group, and unknown taxa. This study expands the known diversity of marine methylotrophs in surface seawater and provides a comprehensive data set for focused cultivation and metagenomic analyses in the future.
Long-Term Fungal Inhibitory Activity of Water-Soluble Extracts of
Phaseolus vulgaris
cv. Pinto and Sourdough Lactic Acid Bacteria during Bread Storage
Authors: Coda Rossana , Rizzello Carlo G. , Nigro Franco , De Angelis Maria , Arnault Philip , Gobbetti Marco
Published: October 2008

The antifungal activity of proteinaceous compounds from different food matrices was investigated. In initial experiments, water-soluble extracts of wheat sourdoughs, cheeses, and vegetables were screened by agar diffusion assays with
Penicillium roqueforti
DPPMAF1 as the indicator fungus. Water-soluble extracts of sourdough fermented with
Lactobacillus brevis
AM7 and
Phaseolus vulgaris
cv. Pinto were selected for further study. The crude water-soluble extracts of
L. brevis
AM7 sourdough and
P. vulgaris
cv. Pinto had a MIC of 40 mg of peptide/ml and 30.9 mg of protein/ml, respectively. MICs were markedly lower when chemically synthesized peptides or partially purified protein fractions were used. The water-soluble extract of
P. vulgaris
cv. Pinto showed inhibition toward a large number of fungal species isolated from bakeries. Phaseolin alpha-type precursor, phaseolin, and erythroagglutinating phytohemagglutinin precursor were identified in the water-soluble extract of
P. vulgaris
cv. Pinto by nano liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. When the antifungal activity was assayed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, all three proteins were inhibitory. A mixture of eight peptides was identified from the water-soluble extract of sourdough
L. brevis
AM7, and five of these exhibited inhibitory activity. Bread was made at the pilot plant scale by sourdough fermentation with
L. brevis
AM7 and addition of the water-soluble extract (27%, vol/wt; 5 mg of protein/ml) of
P. vulgaris
cv. Pinto. Slices of bread packed in polyethylene bags did not show contamination by fungi until at least 21 days of storage at room temperature, a level of protection comparable to that afforded by 0.3% (wt/wt) calcium propionate.
The Functional Quality of Soluble Recombinant Polypeptides Produced in
Escherichia coli
Is Defined by a Wide Conformational Spectrum
Authors: Martínez-Alonso Mónica , González-Montalbán Nuria , García-Fruitós Elena , Villaverde Antonio
Published: October 2008

We have observed that a soluble recombinant green fluorescent protein produced in
Escherichia coli
occurs in a wide conformational spectrum. This results in differently fluorescent protein fractions in which morphologically diverse soluble aggregates abound. Therefore, the functional quality of soluble versions of aggregation-prone recombinant proteins is defined statistically rather than by the prevalence of a canonical native structure.
Brucella abortus
Strain RB51 Leucine Auxotroph as an Environmentally Safe Vaccine for Plasmid Maintenance and Antigen Overexpression
Authors: Rajasekaran Parthiban , Seleem Mohamed N. , Contreras Andrea , Purwantini Endang , Schurig Gerhardt G. , Sriranganathan Nammalwar , Boyle Stephen M.
Published: October 2008

To avoid potentiating the spread of an antibiotic resistance marker, a plasmid expressing a
leuB
gene and a heterologous antigen, green fluorescent protein (GFP), was shown to complement a leucine auxotroph of cattle vaccine strain
Brucella abortus
RB51, which protected CD1 mice from virulent
B. abortus
2308 and elicited GFP antibodies.
Isolation of
Rhodococcus
sp. Strain ECU0066, a New Sulfide Monooxygenase-Producing Strain for Asymmetric Sulfoxidation
Authors: Li Ai-Tao , Zhang Jian-Dong , Xu Jian-He , Lu Wen-Ya , Lin Guo-Qiang
Published: October 2008

A new and efficient sulfide monooxygenase-producing strain, ECU0066, was isolated and identified as a
Rhodococcus
sp. that could transform phenylmethyl sulfide (PMS) to (
S
)-sulfoxide with 99% enantiomeric excess via two steps of enantioselective oxidations. Its enzyme activity could be effectively induced by adding PMS or phenylmethyl sulfoxide (PMSO) directly to a rich medium at the early log phase (6 h) of fermentation, resulting in over 10-times-higher production of the enzyme. This bacterial strain also displayed fairly good activity and enantioselectivity toward seven other sulfides, indicating a good potential for practical application in asymmetric synthesis of chiral sulfoxides.
Influence of Soil Components on the Biodegradation of Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and
o-
,
m-
, and
p
-Xylenes by the Newly Isolated Bacterium
Pseudoxanthomonas spadix
BD-a59
Authors: Kim Jeong Myeong , Le Ngoc Thuan , Chung Bok Sil , Park Jin Ho , Bae Jin-Woo , Madsen Eugene L. , Jeon Che Ok
Published: October 2008

A bacterium designated strain BD-a59, able to degrade all six benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and
o-
,
m-
, and
p
-xylene (BTEX) compounds, was isolated by plating gasoline-contaminated sediment from a gasoline station in Geoje, Republic of Korea, without enrichment, on minimal salts basal (MSB) agar containing 0.01% yeast extract, with BTEX as the sole carbon and energy source. Taxonomic analyses showed that the isolate belonged to
Pseudoxanthomonas spadix
, and until now, the genus
Pseudoxanthomonas
has not included any known BTEX degraders. The BTEX biodegradation rate was very low in MSB broth, but adding a small amount of yeast extract greatly enhanced the biodegradation. Interestingly, degradation occurred very quickly in slurry systems amended with sterile soil solids but not with aqueous soil extract. Moreover, if soil was combusted first to remove organic matter, the enhancement effect on BTEX biodegradation was lost, indicating that some components of insoluble organic compounds are nutritionally beneficial for BTEX degradation. Reverse transcriptase PCR-based analysis of field-fixed mRNA revealed expression of the
tmoA
gene, whose sequence was closely related to that carried by strain BD-a59. This study suggests that strain BD-a59 has the potential to assist in BTEX biodegradation at contaminated sites.
Knockout of the Erythromycin Biosynthetic Cluster Gene,
eryBI
, Blocks Isoflavone Glucoside Bioconversion during Erythromycin Fermentations in
Aeromicrobium erythreum
but Not in
Saccharopolyspora erythraea
Authors: Reeves Andrew R. , Seshadri Ramya , Brikun Igor A. , Cernota William H. , Gonzalez Melissa C. , Weber J. Mark
Published: October 2008

Isoflavone glucosides are valuable nutraceutical compounds and are present in commercial fermentations, such as the erythromycin fermentation, as constituents of the soy flour in the growth medium. The purpose of this study was to develop a method for recovery of the isoflavone glucosides as value-added coproducts at the end of either
Saccharopolyspora erythraea
or
Aeromicrobium erythreum
fermentation. Because the first step in isoflavone metabolism was known to be the conversion of isoflavone glucosides to aglycones by a β-glucosidase, we chose to knock out the only β-glucosidase gene known at the start of the study,
eryBI
, to see what effect this had on metabolism of isoflavone glucosides in each organism. In the unicellular erythromycin producer
A. erythreum
, knockout of
eryBI
was sufficient to block the conversion of isoflavone glucosides to aglycones. In
S. erythraea
, knockout of
eryBI
had no effect on this reaction, suggesting that other β-glucosidases are present. Erythromycin production was not significantly affected in either strain as a result of the
eryBI
knockout. This study showed that isoflavone metabolism could be blocked in
A. erythreum
by
eryBI
knockout but that
eryBI
knockout was not sufficient to block isoflavone metabolism in
S. erythraea
.
TFIIIC Binding Sites Function as both Heterochromatin Barriers and Chromatin Insulators in
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Simms Tiffany A. , Dugas Sandra L. , Gremillion Jason C. , Ibos Megan E. , Dandurand M. Nicole , Toliver Tasha T. , Edwards Daniel J. , Donze David
Published: October 2008

Chromosomal sites of RNA polymerase III (Pol III) transcription have been demonstrated to have “extratranscriptional” functions, as the assembled Pol III complex can act as chromatin boundaries or pause sites for replication forks, can alter nucleosome positioning or affect transcription of neighboring genes, and can play a role in sister chromatid cohesion. Several studies have demonstrated that assembled Pol III complexes block the propagation of heterochromatin-mediated gene repression. Here we show that in
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
tRNA genes (tDNAs) and even partially assembled Pol III complexes containing only the transcription factor TFIIIC can exhibit chromatin boundary functions both as heterochromatin barriers and as insulators to gene activation. Both the
TRT2
tDNA and the
ETC4
site which binds only the TFIIIC complex prevented an upstream activation sequence from activating the
GAL
promoters in our assay system, effectively acting as chromatin insulators. Additionally, when placed downstream from the heterochromatic
HMR
locus,
ETC4
blocked the ectopic spread of Sir protein-mediated silencing, thus functioning as a barrier to repression. Finally, we show that
TRT2
and the
ETC6
site upstream of
TFC6
in their natural contexts display potential insulator-like functions, and
ETC6
may represent a novel case of a Pol III factor directly regulating a Pol II promoter. The results are discussed in the context of how the TFIIIC transcription factor complex may function to demarcate chromosomal domains in yeast and possibly in other eukaryotes.
H3K9 Methylation Regulates Growth and Development in
Aspergillus fumigatus
Authors: Palmer Jonathan M. , Perrin Robyn M. , Dagenais Taylor R. T. , Keller Nancy P.
Published: October 2008

In most species, chromatin remodeling mediates critical biological processes ranging from development to disease states. In fungi within the genus
Aspergillus
, chromatin remodeling may regulate expression of metabolic gene clusters, but other processes regulated by chromatin structure remain to be elucidated. In many eukaryotic species, methylation of lysine 9 of histone 3 (H3K9) is a hallmark of heterochromatin formation and subsequent gene silencing. The sole H3K9 methyltransferase in
Schizosaccharomyces pombe
is Clr4. We report that disruption of the Clr4 homolog in the pathogenic mold
Aspergillus fumigatus
(ClrD), which is involved in both mono- and trimethylation of H3K9, results in several growth abnormalities. Developmental defects in ΔAf
clrD
include reduction in radial growth, reduction in conidial production, and delayed conidiation after developmental competence mediated by delayed expression of
brlA
, the master regulator of conidiophore development. Sensitivity of ΔAf
clrD
to 6-azauracil suggests that ClrD influences transcriptional processing in
A. fumigatus
. Despite growth abnormalities, macrophage assays suggest ClrD may be dispensable for host interactions.
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Cascade Required for Regulation of Development and Secondary Metabolism in
Neurospora crassa
Authors: Park Gyungsoon , Pan Songqin , Borkovich Katherine A.
Published: October 2008

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascades are composed of MAPK kinase kinases (MAPKKKs), MAPK kinases (MAPKKs), and MAPKs. In this study, we characterize components of a MAPK cascade in
Neurospora crassa
(
mik-1
, MAPKKK;
mek-1
, MAPKK; and
mak-1
, MAPK) homologous to that controlling cell wall integrity in
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
. Growth of basal hyphae is significantly reduced in
mik-1, mek-1
, and
mak-1
deletion mutants on solid medium. All three mutants formed short aerial hyphae and the formation of asexual macroconidia was reduced in Δ
mik-1
mutants and almost abolished in Δ
mek-1
and Δ
mak-1
strains. In contrast, the normally rare asexual spores, arthroconidia, were abundant in cultures of the three mutants. Δ
mik-1
, Δ
mek-1
, and Δ
mak-1
mutants were unable to form protoperithecia or perithecia when used as females in a sexual cross. The MAK-1 MAPK was not phosphorylated in Δ
mik-1
and Δ
mek-1
mutants, consistent with the involvement of MIK-1, MEK-1, and MAK-1 in the same signaling cascade. Interestingly, we observed increased levels of mRNA and protein for tyrosinase in the mutants under nitrogen starvation, a condition favoring sexual differentiation. Tyrosinase is an enzyme that catalyzes production of the secondary metabolite
l
-DOPA melanin. These results implicate the MAK-1 pathway in regulation of development and secondary metabolism in filamentous fungi.
Mutational Analysis of the Locus of Enterocyte Effacement-Encoded Regulator (Ler) of EnteropathogenicEscherichia coli
Authors: Yerushalmi Gal , Nadler Chen , Berdichevski Tatiana , Rosenshine Ilan
Published: October 2008

The locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) pathogenicity island of enterohemorrhagic and enteropathogenicEscherichia coli(EHEC and EPEC, respectively) comprises a cluster of operons encoding a type III secretion system and related proteins, all of which are essential for bacterial colonization of the host intestines. TheLEE1operon encodes Ler, which positively regulates many EPEC and EHEC virulence genes located in the LEE region and elsewhere in the chromosome. In addition, Ler is a specific autorepressor ofLEE1transcription. To better understand the function of Ler, we screened for Ler mutants defective in autorepression. We isolated 18 different point mutations in Ler, rendering it defective in autorepression and in DNA binding. Among these mutants were those defective in positive regulation as well as in autorepression, dominant-negative mutants, and a mutant deficient in oligomerization. Importantly, a group of Ler autorepression mutants complemented an EPEClerdeletion mutant for transcription activation in a dosage-dependent manner, suggesting that Ler and possibly other autorepressors have an intrinsic compensatory mechanism that enables them to sustain mutations. In addition, the phenotypes of the different mutants identified by the screen define a novel domain in Ler that is required for oligomerization.
In Vivo DNA Protection by Relaxed-Specificity SinI DNA Methyltransferase Variants
Authors: Tímár Edit , Venetianer Pál , Kiss Antal
Published: October 2008

The SinI DNA methyltransferase, a component of the SinI restriction-modification system, recognizes the sequence GG(A/T)CC and methylates the inner cytosine to produce 5-methylcytosine. Previously isolated relaxed-specificity mutants of the enzyme also methylate, at a lower rate, GG(G/C)CC sites. In this work we tested the capacity of the mutant enzymes to function in vivo as the counterpart of a restriction endonuclease, which can cleave either site. The viability of
Escherichia coli
cells carrying recombinant plasmids with the mutant methyltransferase genes and expressing the GGNCC-specific Sau96I restriction endonuclease from a compatible plasmid was investigated. The
sau96IR
gene on the latter plasmid was transcribed from the
araBAD
promoter, allowing tightly controlled expression of the endonuclease. In the presence of low concentrations of the inducer arabinose, cells synthesizing the N172S or the V173L mutant enzyme displayed increased plating efficiency relative to cells producing the wild-type methyltransferase, indicating enhanced protection of the cell DNA against the Sau96I endonuclease. Nevertheless, this protection was not sufficient to support long-term survival in the presence of the inducer, which is consistent with incomplete methylation of GG(G/C)CC sites in plasmid DNA purified from the N172S and V173L mutants. Elevated DNA ligase activity was shown to further increase viability of cells producing the V173L variant and Sau96I endonuclease.
Patterns of injury in children and adolescents presenting to a South African township health centre.
Authors: Zwi K. J. , Zwi A. B. , Smettanikov E. , Söderlund N. , Logan S.
Published: October 2008

OBJECTIVES: To describe the patterns and causes of childhood injury presenting to a South African township health centre in 1991. DESIGN: Retrospective review of clinic held case notes. SETTING: Typical South-African urban township within Greater Johannesburg. SUBJECTS: 695 subjects aged 0-19 years presenting as a direct result of injury. RESULTS: Overall rates of presentation for injury were 6297/100,000/year (95% confidence interval 5463 to 7131); 35% of injuries were caused by violence, 14% by traffic, and 51% by other unintentional causes (such as falls and sport injuries). Males had higher rates of presentation than females for violent (p < 0.001) and unintentional injuries (p < 0.01), but rates were similar for traffic injuries. The highest rates were for injuries caused by violence in 15-19 year-old males and were 9319/100,000/year. CONCLUSIONS: Rates are lower than in more developed countries. However, they appear to represent the more severe end of the spectrum of injury severity. The rates are similar for those below age 10 years and higher for those above age 10 years compared with severe injury rates in other studies. These data are likely to underestimate true rates. The risk of injuries caused by violence increase with age and these injuries are more serious than those due to other causes. Males are at higher risk for all types of injury except traffic injury.
Injury prevention program in primary care: process evaluation and surveillance.
Authors: Gofin R. , De Leon D. , Knishkowy B. , Palti H.
Published: October 2008

OBJECTIVES: To carry out process evaluation and surveillance in a community oriented primary care program for injury prevention among children 0-2 years old (n = 306). SETTING: Mother and child health clinic in a defined area of Western Jerusalem. METHODS: An injury prevention program was integrated into the routines of the mother and child health clinic. The program consisted of injury surveillance and counselling using a developmental approach, regarding car safety and the prevention of falls, burns, suffocation, poisonings, cuts, drowning, and electrocution. Process evaluation and surveillance were based on records integrated into the child's personal file in the clinic. RESULTS: Process evaluation indicated that counselling coverage was 73% in the 0-5 month age group and decreased to 48% in the second year of life. The mean number of topics discussed with the parents was 6.6 (out of nine) for the 0-5 months age group, 13.6 (out of 18) for the 6-11 month group, and 15.7 (out of 18) for those 1-2 years old. Injury surveillance activities were complete for 66% of the children, incomplete in 32%, and not done in 2%. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that it is feasible to integrate an injury prevention program into primary care, and that process evaluation is important in detecting problems and improving performance of the program's activities.
Young on-road motorcyclists in New Zealand: age of licensure, unlicensed riding, and motorcycle borrowing.
Authors: Reeder A. I. , Chalmers D. J. , Langley J. D.
Published: October 2008

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to determine the prevalence of unlicensed riding and motorcycle borrowing among young motorcyclists, and to document their perceptions of how they would be affected if the minimum age of licensure were raised. METHODS: Motorcycling was investigated as part of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, a broad longitudinal study of the health, development, attitudes, and behaviours of a birth cohort. Young motorcyclists, who had ridden on-road during the year before their interview at age 18 years, completed a computer administered questionnaire containing questions about licensure, riding frequency, and motorcycle borrowing. RESULTS: Of the 217 motorcyclists identified, 36% were licensed, 54% had ridden once a month or less frequently, and 72% had usually ridden a borrowed motorcycle during the one year recall period. Significantly more licensed than unlicensed riders and owners than borrowers reported higher exposure and significantly more licensed than unlicensed riders were owners. Most licensed riders (86%) had ridden on public roads before licensure, and many (54%) thought that they would have been much affected by a higher minimum age of licensure. CONCLUSIONS: More stringent enforcement of existing licensing regulations, tougher penalties for breaching graduated driver licensing restrictions, raising the minimum age for motorcycle licensure, and prohibiting the sale or lending of motorcycles to unlicensed riders are possible injury prevention strategies.
The contribution of physicians to childhood injury prevention in France.
Authors: Lévêque B. , Baudier F. , Janvrin M. P.
Published: October 2008

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to determine what injury control interventions are currently carried out by physicians and to examine how these interventions could be more effective. SETTING: Surveys were conducted among the three main groups of physicians who provide primary care to children in France--private practice pediatricians (PPPs), well-child clinic pediatricians (WCCPs), and general practitioners (GPs). METHOD: A representative sample of each of the three groups of physicians were interviewed by telephone, using a computer assisted telephone interview system, in December 1993 or February 1994. RESULTS: Responses demonstrated that most physicians felt they could play an important part in injury prevention but that many had inadequate knowledge of injury related mortality rates in children. Most PPPs and WCCPs usually provided counseling on safety in relation to developmental changes in children. Few physicians gave recommendations about appropriate first responses to emergencies. Printed material, designed for parent education, was provided by many PPPs and WCCPs, but was usually absent from the offices of GPs. Participation in group education sessions was common among WCCPs but rare among PPPs and GPs. Many physicians expressed skepticism regarding the efficacy of their interventions in injury control. CONCLUSION: A number of recommendations are made to those in government agencies or elsewhere who could help physicians to improve childhood injury prevention, for instance by regular publication of data on childhood injury mortality, counseling about parent education on this subject, and first aid in emergencies.
Children can't fly: a program to prevent childhood morbidity and mortality from window falls
Authors: Spiegel Charlotte N , Lindaman Francis C
Published: October 2008

`Children Can't Fly' is a health education program developed by the New York City Department of Health to combat the high incidence of child mortality and morbidity due to falls from windows. The success of the program, begun in 1972, in drastically reducing death and injury persuaded the New York City Board of Health to amend the Health Code in 1976 to require that landlords provide window guards in apartments where children 10 years old and younger reside. The law is the first and only one of its kind in the nation.

The program has four major components: (1) reporting of falls by hospital emergency rooms and police precincts, followed up by counseling, referral and data collecting by public health nurses; (2) a media campaign to inform the public and elevate their awareness of the hazards; (3) community education for prevention through door-to-door hazard identification, counseling by outreach workers, community organization efforts with schools, tenant groups, clinics, churches, health care providers, etc; (4) provision of free, easily installed window guards to families with young children living in high-risk areas.

Significant reduction in falls resulted, particularly in the Bronx, where reported falls declined 50% from 1973 to 1975. The program is one solution to an urgent urban problem which other cities might consider to avert the loss of life and limb, and the corollary financial burden for hospitalization, rehabilitation and maintenance of the injured and permanently disabled.
Adult accompaniment and the risk of pedestrian injury on the school-home journey.
Authors: Roberts I.
Published: October 2008

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To quantify the effect of adult accompaniment on the risk of pedestrian injury on the school-home journey. DESIGN: A community based case-control study. SETTING: The Auckland region of New Zealand. PARTICIPANTS: Cases (n = 54) were all children killed or hospitalized as a result of a pedestrian injury occurring on the school-home journey between 1 January 1992 and 1 March 1994. The response rate for the case group was 98%. Controls (n = 157) were a random sample of all children who walk to and from school in the study region. The response rate for the control group was 100%. MAIN RESULTS: Adult accompaniment on the school-home journey was associated with a reduced risk of injury (odds ratio (OR) 0.36, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.04 to 1.66). This effect persisted after controlling for age, sex, and socioeconomic status (OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.07 to 1.49). CONCLUSIONS: Adult accompaniment on the school-home journey may have the potential to significantly reduce child pedestrian injury rates. The effect of adult accompaniment may have important implications for the interpretation of child pedestrian exposure studies.
Incidence and distribution of injury among schoolchildren aged 11-15.
Authors: Currie C. E. , Williams J. M. , Wright P. , Beattie T. , Harel Y.
Published: October 2008

OBJECTIVES: To measure the incidence and age and sex distribution of self reported experience of injuries in the preceding 12 month period among a representative national sample of Scottish schoolchildren and to validate the findings against other data sources. DESIGN: Self completed questionnaire administered in schools, April-June 1994. SUBJECTS: 4710 pupils aged 11, 13, and 15 years drawn from a representative sample of 270 classes with returns from 224 classes (83.2% completion rate). OUTCOME MEASURES: Number, type, site, and severity of injuries reported. RESULTS: 41.9% of pupils reported a medically attended injury, with injury incidence significantly higher in boys than in girls. Using the abbreviated injury scale (maximum abbreviated injury score) one third of injuries were either moderate or severe. CONCLUSION: The incidence and distribution of self reported injury is consistent with estimates based on other data sources thus confirming the utility of this method of injury surveillance in this age group.
Effects of North Carolina's mandatory safety belt law on children.
Authors: Margolis L. H. , Bracken J. , Stewart J. R.
Published: October 2008

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effect of the North Carolina law mandating that all front seat passengers use a safety belt on children 4 through 15 years of age. METHODS: North Carolina collision reports, completed by local police or the state highway patrol for crashes with greater than $500 worth of damage, were analyzed using time series analysis on the monthly percentage of deaths and serious injuries between January of 1980 and February of 1994. RESULTS: Following the 1985 implementation of the law, children 4 to 15 years of age experienced a 42% decline in deaths and serious injuries. CONCLUSIONS: The mandatory safety belt law in North Carolina has been associated with a decline in deaths and serious injuries. Additional research in needed to assess the seat belt behaviors of this age group as well as the specific effects of seat belt use using outcome measures more precise than those available in police crash reports.
Information through television: does it promote child safety?
Authors: Sundelin C. , Rasmussen F. , Berfenstam R. , Troedsson K.
Published: October 2008

OBJECTIVES: First, to evaluate whether a local campaign to prevent childhood injuries increased parents' inclination to follow eight television programmes broadcast nationwide, and second, to assess whether parents reached by a local campaign benefitted more from the television programmes than those not reached by the campaign. METHODS: Before the television programmes were broadcast, all families with preschool children living in a typical Swedish municipality (the intervention area) received a letter from the head of the child health services encouraging them to watch the programmes. The local campaign also included face-to-face information and advice on childhood injuries at all day care centres and child health centres in the intervention area. After all the programmes had been broadcast, telephone interviews were conducted with one parent from 77% of all 1699 households with at least one preschool child in the intervention area, and with 87% of a random sample of 144 parents from other, similar municipalities. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The local campaign increased parents' inclination to follow the programmes. No significant association was found, however, between the number of programmes followed and measures undertaken in the homes as a direct consequence of the programmes. Nor was a significant association found between the number of programmes viewed and parents' attitudes towards risks. A local campaign may increase parents' awareness of information provided by the mass media on childhood injuries.
Validity of self reported data on injury prevention behavior: lessons from observational and self reported surveys of safety belt use in the US.
Authors: Nelson D. E.
Published: October 2008

OBJECTIVES: To examine the validity of self reported data on safety belt use and to consider the implications for research on injury prevention behaviors. METHODS: 1992 and 1993 self reported data on safety belt use were obtained from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and observational data were obtained from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations for 49 states in 1992 and 50 states in 1993. The ratio of self reported to observed belt use was calculated for each state, and linear regression models were used to examine the association between the two methods. RESULTS: There was variation between states, but the overall median ratio of self reported to observed safety belt use was 1.05 in 1992 (interdecile range 0.87-1.36) and 1.02 in 1993 (interdecile range 0.87-1.31). Self reports were substantially higher in southern states and in states with the lowest levels of observed use. Linear regression models indicated a moderately strong association between state estimates using both methods. For every percentage point increase in self reported data in 1993, observed safety belt use increased by 0.95 percentage point. CONCLUSIONS: In the aggregate, self reported estimates were only 2% to 5% higher than observed estimates. This is a substantial improvement from previous studies. This is probably due to the increased prevalence of safety belt use and the declining effects of social desirability on self reported use. In general, the validity of self reported estimates of socially desirable injury prevention behaviors will be higher when the actual prevalence of the behavior is higher, but lower when this is not true.
Hazards of baby walkers in a European context.
Authors: Petridou E. , Simou E. , Skondras C. , Pistevos G. , Lagos P. , Papoutsakis G.
Published: October 2008

OBJECTIVES: To identify conditions related to baby walker injuries in a Greek population. DESIGN: Analysis of all baby walker related injuries recorded during a 12 month period by the childhood injury surveillance system established in one of the two teaching hospitals for children serving the population of Athens. SETTING: Emergency clinics of A Kyriakou Children's Hospital in Athens, Greece. SUBJECTS: 49 babies with baby walker related injuries brought to the emergency clinics during the period May 1994 to April 1995. RESULTS: The incidence of these injuries was 16 per thousand person years of users, or 3.5 per thousand babies per year. More boys than girls were brought to the hospital for these injuries and the incidence density was highest during the ninth and 10th month of age. Falls from heights, particularly stairs, were the most frequent cause of baby walker related injuries, especially among younger babies. The majority of these injuries were of minor severity, but three babies had bone fractures and one had a second degree facial burn. Six babies required hospitalization and for seven others, a follow up visit was needed. The higher proportion of hospitalization among girls than boys raises the possibility that boys with minor injuries are more frequently brought to the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Baby walkers impart a significant risk of injury from a consumer product that provides no clearly identifiable benefit. As most baby walker injuries happen on stairs, modifications in product design are required to reduce these injuries. Moreover, parents should be forcefully advised of the risks and predisposing conditions, if baby walkers are to be used at all.
Regional variation in homicide rates of infants and children.
Authors: Lester D.
Published: October 2008

GOAL: This study examines regional correlates of homicide rates for infants and children for the states of America. SAMPLE: The sample consists of all homicide victims in the 48 continental, contiguous states of America in both 1980 and 1990 from the ages of 0-14. METHODS: The homicide rates of infants aged 0-1 and children aged 1-4 and 5-14 were correlated with social indicators for the American states in 1980 and 1990. RESULTS: In 1980, children aged 1-14 had higher homicide rates in the more generally violent, urban, and socially disorganized states. However, no correlates for the homicide rate of infants were identified, suggesting that different theories may be required to explain their deaths. The analyses were repeated using data for 1990, at which time crime rates and fewer medical facilities were more weakly associated with the homicide rate of infants. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that different sociological theories may be required to account for the regional variation in the homicide rates of infants from those used for explaining the variation in the rates of children.
Risk factors for childhood poisoning: a case-control study in Greece.
Authors: Petridou E. , Kouri N. , Polychronopoulou A. , Siafas K. , Stoikidou M. , Trichopoulos D.
Published: October 2008

OBJECTIVES: To identify child or family related risk factors for unintentional childhood poisoning in Greece and to explore whether product specific poisonings might have special features that make them amenable to preventive interventions. SETTING: A case-control study was undertaken in Athens, Greece in 1995. Cases were 100 consecutive children brought with poisoning to the emergency clinics of the two university affiliated children's hospitals. For every case two age, gender, and hospital matched controls were chosen from among children brought to the outpatient clinics of these hospitals on the same date. METHODS: All children and their guardians were interviewed by the same person using a standard questionnaire that covered demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, and past injury characteristics. Information was also obtained concerning type and conditions of poisoning for cases. Statistical analysis was undertaken by modeling the data using conditional logistic regression. RESULTS: Socioeconomic factors were not important risk indicators in these data but children living with other than both parents were at increased risk (odds ratio (OR) = 4.7, p = 0.08), as were children with a history of previous poisoning that required medical care (OR = 5.1, p = 0.05). Unintentional poisonings caused by chewing or swallowing cigarettes were concentrated in families where both parents were smokers. CONCLUSIONS: Absence of a parent appears to be associated with increased likelihood of childhood poisoning. The importance of product accessibility is underlined by the concentration of tobacco poisoning among children of parents who were both smokers. In the cultural context of this study, sociodemographic factors do not appear to represent demonstrable risk factors. Instead, control of childhood poisoning should be concentrated on safe packaging, storage, and disposal of potentially hazardous products.
Child pedestrian and bicyclist injuries: results of community surveillance and a case-control study.
Authors: Kraus J. F. , Hooten E. G. , Brown K. A. , Peek-Asa C. , Heye C. , McArthur D. L.
Published: October 2008

OBJECTIVES: To describe the dimensions of childhood pedestrian and bicyclist injuries in Long Beach, California, and to identify risk factors for these injuries. POPULATION: Long Beach residents aged 0-14 years who were involved in an auto versus pedestrian or bicyclist incident that resulted in a hospital visit and/or police response, between 1 September 1988 and 31 August 1990. METHODS: Cases were identified retrospectively using hospital charts, police records, and coroner's reports; demographic, clinical, and situational information were abstracted from the same. A nested case-control study was conducted to examine the street environments where children were injured, and to identify environmental risk factors at these case sites. RESULTS: 288 children comprised the sample population. Midblock dart-outs emerged as the single most common type of incident. Most incidents happened on residential streets, but the risk of injury was greatest on larger boulevards, and tended to cluster by region within the city. Adjusted odds ratios show that case sites had a larger proportion of traffic exceeding posted speed limits, and were also four times more likely to be near a convenience store, gas station, or fast food store than control sites. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest three possible routes for the prevention of childhood pedestrian and bicyclist injuries: education, law enforcement, and environmental modification.