Evaluation of state motorcycle helmet laws using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. Final report.

Mode of access: Internet.

Highway safety : motorcycle helmet laws save lives and reduce costs to society : report to Congressional requesters.

"B-244127"--P. [1]

Trends in cycling patterns and interactions with pedestrians in the city centre

All levels of government continue to advocate increasing the number of people cycling for recreation and transport. However, governments and the general public still have concerns about the implications for the safety of cyclists and other road users. While there is concern about injury for bicycle-pedestrian collisions, for 2008-09 in Australia only 40 pedestrians were hospitalised as a result of a collision with a cyclist (and 33 cyclists from collisions with pedestrians). There is little research that observes changes over time in actual cyclist behaviours and interactions with other road users. This paper presents the results of an observational study of cycling in the Brisbane Central Business District based on data collected using the same methodology in October 2010 and 2012.

Bicycle helmet research : CARRS-Q monograph 5

Recent research on bicycle helmets and concerns about how public bicycle hire schemes will function in the context of compulsory helmet wearing laws have drawn media attention. This monograph presents the results of research commissioned by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads to review the national and international literature regarding the health outcomes of cycling and bicycle helmets and examine crash and hospital data. It also includes critical examinations of the methodology used by Voukelatos and Rissel (2010), and estimates the likely effects of possible segmented approaches to bicycle helmet wearing legislation. The research concludes that current bicycle helmet wearing rates are halving the number of head injuries experienced by Queensland cyclists. Helmet wearing legislation discouraged people from cycling when it was first introduced but there is little evidence that it continues to do so. Cycling has significant health benefits and should be encouraged in ways that reduce the risk of the most serious injuries. Infrastructure and speed management approaches to improving the safety of cycling should be undertaken as part of a Safe System approach, but protection of the individual by simple and cost-effective methods such as bicycle helmets should also be part of an overall package of measures.

Factores asociados a la enfermedad discal lumbar de origien laboral calificados por la junta de calificación de invalidez regional de Meta, entre 2001 y 2014

La enfermedad de disco lumbar de origen laboral se presenta como una patología frecuente a nivel mundial en la masa trabajadora de diferentes sectores económicos expuesta a factores de riesgo biomecánico, afectando negativamente a la persona como ser individual y social, y repercutiendo en las economías en diferentes niveles. Objetivo Establecer la prevalencia de los factores de riesgo biomecánico en los casos con diagnóstico de enfermedad de disco lumbar calificados como enfermedad de origen laboral por la Junta Regional de Calificación de Invalidez del Meta, en el período comprendido entre 2011 a 2014, explorando la asociación entre los factores sociodemográficos y laborales. Metodología: Estudio de corte transversal con información retrospectiva de historias clínicas de pacientes con enfermedad de disco lumbar calificados de origen laboral, entre el 2011 – 2014. Resultados: La prevalencia de los factores de riesgo biomecánico fue: flexión columna con 94.1%, caminando durante la mayor parte de la jornada laboral 51.7%, levantar y/o depositar manualmente objetos 53.4%, manipulación de carga mayor a 25 kg, 49.2% y vibración cuerpo entero más de 4 horas 16.9%. Estos factores fueron mayores en trabajadores de obras civiles y manipuladores de materiales con 20.3%, en actividades económicas de servicios con 33.1% y construcción 21.2%. Se encontró asociación estadísticamente significativa de la enfermedad de disco lumbar con el género y la exposición a vibración/impacto cuerpo entero. Conclusión: Los factores de riesgo biomecánico como la posición de la columna vertebral en flexión, el levantamiento y depósito de carga, la manipulación de peso mayor a 15 kgs, la postura de cuerpo caminando, la exposición a vibración a cuerpo entero, y el tiempo de exposición, son elementos fundamentales a tener en cuenta en el proceso de calificación de origen de la enfermedad discal lumbar.

An analysis of cyclists crashes to identify ITS-based intervention

Cycling provides a number of health and environmental benefits. However, cyclists are more likely to suffer serious injury or be killed in traffic accidents than car drivers and the estimated cost of crashes in Australia is $1.25AU billion per year. Current interventions to reduce bicycle crashes include compulsory helmet use, media campaigns, and the provision of cycling lanes, as well as road user education and training. It is difficult to assess the effectiveness of current interventions as there is no accurate measure of cyclist exposure in South East Queensland (SEQ). This paper analyses cyclist crash characteristics in Queensland with the view to identifying appropriate Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) based intervention to reduce cyclist injury and death. The inappropriateness of some ITS interventions to improve cyclist safety is highlighted and a set of ITS interventions are identified, based on Queensland crash data 2002-2006.

On the design of education conditional cash transfer programs and non education outcomes: the case of teenage pregnancy

We investigate the effect of education Conditional Cash Transfer programs (CCTs) on teenage pregnancy. Our main concern is with how the size and sign of the effect may depend on the design of the program. Using a simple model we show that an education CCT that conditions renewal on school performance reduces teenage pregnancy; the program can increase teenage pregnancy if it does not condition on school performance. Then, using an original data base, we estimate the causal impact on teenage pregnancy of two education CCTs implemented in Bogot´a (Subsidio Educativo, SE, and Familias en Acci´on, FA); both programs differ particularly on whether school success is a condition for renewal or not. We show that SE has negative average effect on teenage pregnancy while FA has a null average effect. We also find that SE has either null or no effect for adolescents in all age and grade groups while FA has positive, null or negative effects for adolescents in different age and grade groups. Since SE conditions renewal on school success and FA does not, we can argue that the empirical results are consistent with the predictions of our model and that conditioning renewal of the subsidy on school success crucially determines the effect of the subsidy on teenage pregnancy

Optimally Combining Censored and Uncensored Datasets

Economists and other social scientists often face situations where they have access to two datasets that they can use but one set of data suffers from censoring or truncation. If the censored sample is much bigger than the uncensored sample, it is common for researchers to use the censored sample alone and attempt to deal with the problem of partial observation in some manner. Alternatively, they simply use only the uncensored sample and ignore the censored one so as to avoid biases. It is rarely the case that researchers use both datasets together, mainly because they lack guidance about how to combine them. In this paper, we develop a tractable semiparametric framework for combining the censored and uncensored datasets so that the resulting estimators are consistent, asymptotically normal, and use all information optimally. When the censored sample, which we refer to as the master sample, is much bigger than the uncensored sample (which we call the refreshment sample), the latter can be thought of as providing identification where it is otherwise absent. In contrast, when the refreshment sample is large and could typically be used alone, our methodology can be interpreted as using information from the censored sample to increase effciency. To illustrate our results in an empirical setting, we show how to estimate the effect of changes in compulsory schooling laws on age at first marriage, a variable that is censored for younger individuals. We also demonstrate how refreshment samples for this application can be created by matching cohort information across census datasets.

Learning for self-regulation: Improving instructional benefits for pupils, teachers, parents, schools, and society at large

Compulsory education laws oblige primary and secondary schools to give each pupil positive encouragement in, for example, social, emotional, cognitive, creative, and ethical respects. This is a fairly smooth process for most pupils, but it is not as easy to achieve with others. A pattern of pupil, home or family, and school variables turns out to be responsible for a long-term process that may lead to a pupil’s dropping out of education. A systemic approach will do much to introduce more clarity into the diagnosis, potential reduction and possible prevention of some persistent educational problems that express themselves in related phenomena, for example low school motivation and achievement; forced underachievement of high ability pupils; concentration of bullying and violent behaviour in and around some types of classes and schools; and drop-out percentages that are relatively constant across time. Such problems have a negative effect on pupils, teachers, parents, schools, and society alike. In this address, I would therefore like to clarify some of the systemic causes and processes that we have identified between specific educational and pupil characteristics. Both theory and practice can assist in developing, implementing, and checking better learning methods and coaching procedures, particularly for pupils at risk. This development approach will take time and require co-ordination, but it will result in much better processes and outcomes than we are used to. First, I will diagnose some systemic aspects of education that do not seem to optimise the learning processes and school careers of some types of pupils in particular. Second, I will specify cognitive, social, motivational, and self-regulative aspects of learning tasks and relate corresponding learning processes to relevant instructional and wider educational contexts. I will elaborate these theoretical notions into an educational design with systemic instructional guidelines and multilevel procedures that may improve learning processes for different types of pupils. Internet-based Information and Communication Technology, or ICT, also plays a major role here. Third, I will report on concrete developments made in prototype research and trials. The development process concerns ICT-based differentiation of learning materials and procedures, and ICT-based strategies to improve pupil development and learning. Fourth, I will focus on the experience gained in primary and secondary educational practice with respect to implementation. We can learn much from such practical experience, in particular about the conditions for developing and implementing the necessary changes in and around schools. Finally, I will propose future research. As I hope to make clear, theory-based development and implementation research can join forces with systemic innovation and differentiated assessment in educational practice, to pave the way for optimal “learning for self-regulation” for pupils, teachers, parents, schools, and society at large.

The effect of motorcycle helmet usage on head injuries, and the effect of usage laws on helmet wearing rates.

Mode of access: Internet.

Privacy invasive geo-mashups : privacy 2.0 and the limits of first generation information privacy laws

Online technological advances are pioneering the wider distribution of geospatial information for general mapping purposes. The use of popular web-based applications, such as Google Maps, is ensuring that mapping based applications are becoming commonplace amongst Internet users which has facilitated the rapid growth of geo-mashups. These user generated creations enable Internet users to aggregate and publish information over specific geographical points. This article identifies privacy invasive geo-mashups that involve the unauthorized use of personal information, the inadvertent disclosure of personal information and invasion of privacy issues. Building on Zittrain’s Privacy 2.0, the author contends that first generation information privacy laws, founded on the notions of fair information practices or information privacy principles, may have a limited impact regarding the resolution of privacy problems arising from privacy invasive geo-mashups. Principally because geo-mashups have different patterns of personal information provision, collection, storage and use that reflect fundamental changes in the Web 2.0 environment. The author concludes by recommending embedded technical and social solutions to minimize the risks arising from privacy invasive geo-mashups that could lead to the establishment of guidelines for the general protection of privacy in geo-mashups.

Regulating Multi-National Corporations Through State-Based Laws : Problems with Enforcing Human Rights Under The Alien Tort Statute

Under the Alien Tort Statute United States of America (“America”) Federal Courts have the jurisdiction to hear claims for civil wrongs, committed against non-American citizens, which were perpetrated outside America’s national borders. The operation of this law has confronted American Federal Courts with difficulties on how to manage conflicts between American executive foreign policy and judicial interpretations of international law. Courts began to pass judgment over conduct which was approved by foreign governments. Then in 2005 the American Supreme Court wound back the scope of the Alien Tort Statute. This article will review the problems with the expansion of the Alien Tort Statute and the reasons for its subsequent narrowing.