Assessing injury severity in bicyclists involved in traffic accidents to more effectively prevent fatal bicycle injuries in Japan.

The objective of this study was to clarify the relationship between injury severity in bicyclists involved in traffic accidents and patient outcome or type of vehicle involved in order to propose effective measures to prevent fatal bicycle injuries. Hospital records were reviewed for all patients from 2007 to 2010 who had been involved in a traffic accident while riding a bicycle and were subsequently transferred to the Shock Trauma Center of Dokkyo Medical University Koshigaya Hospital. Patient outcomes and type of vehicle that caused the injury were examined.

NFκB attenuates IL-5 production and upregulates T-box transcription factors in Th2-like T cells.

IL-5 plays important roles in eosinophil differentiation, expansion, and recruitment. The regulation of IL-5 seems critical for the treatment of eosinophil-mediated allergic reactions. However, the precise mechanisms for IL-5 regulation remain unknown.

Analysis of child-vehicle collision injuries by vehicle type.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the severity of injuries to each body region of child pedestrians struck by different types of vehicles.

Methods: We collected in-depth data from the Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis on pedestrians younger than 13 years with any bodily injuries from collisions with vehicles between 1993 and 2004.

Results: Sixty-eight patients with a mean age of 6.

Severity of child pedestrian injuries due to bonnet-type-vehicle collision.

Background: The aim of this study was to clarify the pattern of child pedestrian injury, injury severity, and its relation to collision velocity in bonnet-type-vehicle collision.

Methods: In-depth data were retrospectively collected from the Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis on pedestrians younger than 13 years old with any bodily injuries from collisions with bonnet-type vehicles between 1993 and 2004.

Results: Forty-seven patients from 43 collisions with a mean age of 6.

A novel application of infrared imaging for the diagnosis of death by fire.

This paper demonstrates a novel and simple technique for the diagnosis of death by fire using a digital infrared (IR) camera system. At autopsy, the inhalation of soot by a fire victim is a definite indicator proving a vital reaction during the fire. However, there can be difficulties in confirming the presence of soot because of the relative lack of soot or the similarity in color between soot and surrounding tissues.

CD2-mediated regulation of peripheral CD4(+) CD25(+) regulatory T-cell apoptosis accompanied by down-regulation of Bim.

Extensive studies on CD4(+)  CD25(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells suggest that they are important in regulating immune responses. However, mechanisms of peripheral Treg cell homeostasis are unknown. We found that stromal cells isolated from secondary lymphoid organs such as spleen and lymph nodes could support the survival of Treg cells.

Simultaneous identification of the enantiomers and diastereomers of N,O-di-trifluoroacetylated ephedrine and norephedrine in blood plasma using chiral capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with selected ion monitoring.

A method for identifying the enantiomers of N,O-di-trifluoroacetylated ephedrine (EP) and norephedrine (NE) and the enantiomers of pseudoephedrine (PEP) and pseudonorephedrine (PNE) in plasma was developed using chiral capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with selected ion monitoring (SIM). N,O-Di-trifluoroacethyl (TFA) derivatization was accomplished in a dried hydrochloride extract of plasma (minimum quantity of 0.2 mL).

Sudden illness while driving a vehicle--a retrospective analysis of commercial drivers in Japan.

Objective: We performed a retrospective analysis of commercial drivers to clarify the background of incidents of sudden illness while driving.

Methods: The analysis used reports submitted by employers to the Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism regarding commercial drivers who had been ordered to stop driving owing to health problems.

Results: Of 211 cases with an average work history of 15.

Support for stroke patients in resumption of driving: patient survey and driving simulator trial.

Background: Encouragement of stroke patients to resume driving is important to promote their reintegration into the community. Limited rehabilitation has been performed in this regard, owing to lack of specific knowledge on the part of medical staff. To establish an effective support program for stroke patients who wish to resume driving, we propose comprehensive training by medical staff using a driving simulator.

Differential gene expression of multiple chondroitin sulfate modification enzymes among neural stem cells, neurons and astrocytes.

Chondroitin sulfate/dermatan sulfate (CS/DS) polysaccharides have been reported to play a crucial role in the proliferation and maintenance of neural stem cells (NSCs). However, little is known about the structural changes and functional role of CS/DS chains in the differentiation of NSCs. Western blots of NSCs, neurons and astrocytes in culture, with three CS-polysaccharide antibodies of different specificities, revealed marked differences in CS structure among the three cell types.

Analysis of maxillofacial injuries of vehicle passengers involved in frontal collisions.

Purpose: To clarify the incidence and mechanisms of maxillofacial injuries sustained by motor vehicle passengers, in-depth data from the Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis, Japan, were retrospectively analyzed.

Materials And Methods: From the Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis in-depth data for 1993 through 2005, data were collected for 226 individuals with maxillofacial injuries who were adult passengers involved in frontal motor vehicle collisions. The accident information, a subject's medical data, and anatomic Injury Severity Scores were examined.

Effects of seat belts worn by pregnant drivers during low-impact collisions.

Objective: The aim of this study was to understand the injury mechanisms of pregnant drivers and associated fetal outcomes.

Study Design: Frontal and rear impact tests using a dummy representing the anthropometry of a pregnant woman were conducted.

Results: In frontal impact tests without a seat belt, abdominal pressure peaked at the point where the dummy contacted the steering wheel.

Experimental analysis of the relationship between simulated low-velocity rear-end collisions and fetal outcomes of pregnant rats.

Our study aimed to define the risk for a human fetus of rear-end vehicle collisions. We therefore performed drop tests using pregnant SLC Wistar rats. Pressure applied to the rat uterus and rectum at various stages of acceleration was measured.

Sudden death while driving a four-wheeled vehicle: an autopsy analysis.

We retrospectively analysed forensic autopsies to resolve various issues associated with sudden natural death while driving. We collected information about the medical history, drug treatment, anthropometry and body mass index (BMI) of 34 individuals who suddenly died of natural causes while driving four-wheeled vehicles. The reasons for driving, details of the vehicle, type of collision, perspective of vehicle behaviour and types of avoidance manoeuvres were also examined.

Analysis of seating position and anthropometric parameters of pregnant Japanese drivers.

Objective: An anthropometric study was performed to understand the quantitative characteristics of the seating posture of Japanese pregnant drivers.

Methods: Twenty pregnant women with a mean gestation of 31.4 +/- 1.

Analysis of cervical injuries in persons with head injuries.

To determine which clinical factors are useful for predicting concomitant injuries of the cervical spine and cervical spinal cord in persons with head injuries, we examined the nature and mechanisms of cervical injuries. For 109 forensic autopsies of persons with head injuries, the cause of injury, mechanism of cervical injury, survival time, and anatomic injury severity (1990 revision of the abbreviated injury scale [AIS] and injury severity score) were determined. Traffic accidents were the most common cause of injuries (41.

Inhibitory effects of neurotransmitters and steroids on human CYP2A6.

Human CYP2A6 catalyzes the metabolism of nicotine, cotinine, and coumarin as well as some pharmaceutical drugs. CYP2A6 is highly expressed in liver and, also, in brain and steroid-related tissues. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of neurotransmitters and steroid hormones on CYP2A6 activity.

Changes in blood viscosity with the recombinant tissue plasminogen activator alteplase.

We measured whole blood viscosity to investigate the time course of the fibrinolytic activity of the recombinant tissue plasminogen activator alteplase. Changes in blood viscosity over time were determined using an oscillation-type viscometer at a shear rate of 400 to 500 per second. Blood viscosity initially increased with alteplase as in untreated blood, but then decreased, reflecting the fibrinolytic activity of generated plasmin.

Accidental strangulation of a mentally retarded patient by a clothing collar: a case report.

A 40-year-old mentally retarded woman died of accidental strangulation in a nursing home. She was found in a kneeling position with her hands on her knees and the collar of her clothing compressing the front and sides of the neck. Before the accident, a nurse had dressed the patient in one-piece overall-style pyjamas put on back to front so that she could not remove the garment herself.

Fungi can be a useful forensic tool.

We present a practical case in which the fungi have contributed to the estimation of postmortem interval of the cadaver. A 71-year-old man wearing a shirt and pants was found dead at the bottom of an open well about 6m below the ground in his garden. Externally the face was dotted with colonies of white fungi, which was devoid of dipteran larvae and other insects.