Electric personal MObility DEvices Surveillance (E-MODES) study: Injury presentations to emergency departments in Brisbane, Queensland.

OBJECTIVE: The rapid increase in e-mobility globally, including in Australia, has seen a concurrent increase in e-mobility-related injuries. Monitoring and understanding the patterns of injuries is essential to preserving community safety and making responsive and effective policy decisions regarding their safe use. METHODS: This study reports on the first phase of the E-MODES study, a proactive injury surveillance initiative to examine the incidence and nature of injuries, their circumstances, contributing factors, and treatment, presenting to three hospital emergency departments (EDs) in Brisbane, the first Australian city to trial shared e-scooters. RESULTS: During the 31-month study period, there were 1048 ED presentations related to e-mobility, the vast majority (90.8%) involving e-scooters, with males accounting for 64.3% of cases, the most common age group being 25-34 years, and weekends being the most common period of the week for presentations. The most common injury was fractures (37%), and the upper extremities and head/face were the most commonly injured body regions. CONCLUSION: Contributing risk factors of alcohol use, not wearing a helmet, and speeding, were prevalent, though poorly recorded and only alcohol use proportions varied by age and gender, with males being more likely than females to have alcohol use reported. Recommendations to support e-mobility-related injury surveillance and safety outcomes include improved data standardisation and sharing.

Purchase data: a proxy for safety status.

This study demonstrated the use of purchase data to determine the incidence of sharps injuries in a major tertiary referral hospital in Australia. The incidence rates of injuries per 100,000 items purchased were 2.65 and 12.60 for syringe needles and scalpel blades, respectively. These figures were lower than those reported previously using this method. The incidence rate for injuries with suture needles, which had not been reported previously, was 31.89/100,000 items purchased. Incidence data calculated in this manner may be used in conjunction with purchase cost estimates to inform policy and practices on institutional staff safety measures.

Value of mental health first aid training of advisory and extension agents in supporting farmers in rural Queensland.

INTRODUCTION: This study was a pilot project responding to the increasing levels of stress, depression and other mental health issues in Australian rural areas resulting from prolonged drought and a changing economic and social environment. METHODS: Thirty-two Advisory and Extension Agents (AEAs) attended a training course held in 2007 and 2008 in Queensland, Australia. A year after the training, data was collected to determine its value. Interviews were conducted with course participants and their supervisors and focus groups were held with stakeholders (farmers, agency staff and health professionals). RESULTS: The findings show that Mental Health First Aid training improved the participants' confidence level and their knowledge of mental health issues and increased their empathy toward persons with mental health problems. Furthermore, providing training on mental health issues to AEAs was perceived by stakeholders to be beneficial to both farmers and AEAs. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that stakeholders and course participants see this type of training as very much needed and highly beneficial. Further, providing training in mental health issues to rural service providers can be very beneficial to their farmer clients and their social network.

The effect of high and low dose Theileria parva infection on the reproductive function of Boran/Friesian heifers.

Two separate experiments were carried out to find the effect of infection with low and high doses of Theileria parva sporozoites on the cyclical status of Boran/Friesian cross heifers. In each experiment, ten heifers were infected and another four heifers acted as controls. Routine monitoring of estrous behavior, determination of serum progesterone concentrations and palpation of the ovaries per rectum were used to assess the cyclical status of each animal. Two and eight animals died in the T . parva low (TpL) and high (TpH) dose experiments, respectively. Five of eight recovered animals in the TpL group cycled regularly postinfection, while three others had extended periods of ovarian dysfunction postinfection. Both infected and recovered animals in the TpH-group similarly had extended periods of ovarian dysfunction postinfection. All controls in both experiments cycled regularly throughout the study period. Differences in cyclical status were not related to the febrile response, parasitological or hematological differences. The animals that continued to cycle throughout lost the least amount of weight. Animals that stopped cycling lost between 16 and 29% of their initial body weights postinfection. In conclusion, this study confirmed previous anecdotal evidence that theileriosis has an adverse effect on reproduction. Results of this study suggested that this was as an indirect result of weight loss associated with infection and not directly attributed to pathology of target organs.

Trypanosoma congolense in the microvasculature of the pituitary gland of experimentally infected Boran cattle (Bos indicus).

The pituitary glands of seven Boran cattle (Bos indicus), five infected with a clone of Trypanosoma congolense IL 1180 (ILNat 3.1) transmitted by Glossina morsitans centralis and two uninfected controls, were examined by light and electron microscopy 43 (experiment 2) or 56 (experiment 1) days after fly challenge. The three cattle used in the first experiment included a 15-month-old female (No. 1), a 24-month-old female (No. 2), and a 21-month-old male (No. 3) as a control. In the second experiment, four cattle were used: two females (Nos. 4, 5) and one male (No. 6), all between 15 and 24 months of age, and one female control (No. 7) of similar age. In all the infected animals, dilation of both the sinusoids and microvasculature was apparent, as was an increase in the thickness of the extracellular matrix between the pituitary lobules. Trypanosomes were found in the microvasculature of the adenohypophysis and neurohypophysis in all the infected animals. Focal degenerative changes were seen in the adenohypophyseal section of glands from the infected animals euthanatized 56 days post-infection. These degenerative structural changes were confined to the somatotrophic cells. The possible role that trypanosomes in the microvasculature may play in inducing pituitary damage and dysfunction is discussed.

Reduced responsiveness of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in Boran (Bos inducus) cattle infected with Trypanosoma congolense.

The response of the pituitary-adrenal axis to corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) and the adrenal response to adrenocorticotrophin hormone (ACTH) stimulation were studied during infection of Boran (Bos indicus) cattle with Trypanosoma congolense. For CRH, 15 animals were challenged during preinfection and infection phases, while for ACTH 10 animals were challenged during pre-infection, infection and post-treatment phases of the experiments. The axis showed a reduced responsiveness after CRH challenge during patent parasitaemia, manifested by low (p < 0.05) plasma ACTH and cortisol concentration as compared to the pre-infection CRH challenge concentrations. Cortisol concentration after ACTH challenge during pre-infection, infection and post-treatment phases did not differ. The reduced pituitary-adrenal response to CRH challenge and the normal adrenal response to ACTH challenge found during trypanosomiasis indicates pituitary dysfunction due to infection.

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis responsiveness to insulin-induced hypoglycaemia is modified by trypanosome infection in Boran (Bos indicus) cattle.

Ten Boran (Bos indicus) cattle were used to study the stress responsiveness of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis during trypanosome infection. Five cattle were infected with Trypanosoma congolense IL 1180 by tsetse challenge and five cattle served as controls. All infected animals developed acute trypanosomiasis. Insulin-induced hypoglycaemia (50 per cent of pre-insulin glucose concentration) was used as a stress factor. Acute hypoglycaemia was observed in three infected and three control animals after insulin challenge. Two animals from each group either did not respond or responded slowly. Hypoglycaemia in infected animals completely failed to induce an HPA axis response, while in control animals an HPA axis response was indicated by a significant increase in plasma adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol concentrations (P less than 0.01). The results show that trypanosomiasis in Boran cattle can cause a decrease in the stress responsiveness of the HPA axis as indicated by a blunted ACTH/cortisol response to insulin-induced hypoglycaemia.

Trypanosome-induced hypothyroidism in cattle.

Three Boran (Bos indicus) cattle infected with T. congolense IL 1180, and two uninfected control Boran cattle were used to study the effect of trypanosomiasis on the function of the thyroid gland. On a weekly basis, plasma thyroxine (T4) was measured by 125I-radioimmunoassay. Results indicated that T. congolense caused a significant decline in plasma T4 concentration in infected animals.

Effect of clomiphene citrate upon periovulatory endometrial development in the baboon.

Endometrial histology in baboons (Papio cynocephalus anubis) was evaluated after five days of clomiphene citrate (CC) treatment initiated on either cycle day six (n = 8) or ten (n = 4). Biopsies performed before and after a human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) induced ovulation were compared to non-CC treated controls. Although CC had a definite antiestrogenic effect on perineal skin, no significant effect of endometrial proliferation was demonstrable.

Teeth emergence in wild olive baboons in Kenya and formulation of a dental schedule for aging wild baboon populations.

Teeth emergence schedules are presented from analysis of 95 wild olive baboons Papio anubis (age range 2-120 months) and compared to recently published results for wild and captive yellow baboons (P. cynocephalus; Phillips-Conroy and Jolly: American Journal of Primatology 15:17-29, 1988). Age at emergence of M1 (20.5 months males, 19.5 months females), I1 (32.5 and 33.5 months) and I2 (40.0 and 39 months) of olive baboons was earlier than in the wild yellow baboons and similar to captive yellow baboons. However, the later emerging teeth were delayed considerably relative to the captive animals and were similar in age of emergence to those of wild yellow baboons. Considerable variation in age of emergence occurred in the later emerging teeth especially among males. Regression analysis of dental scores with age demonstrated differences between olive baboons and captive yellow baboons but not between olive baboons and wild yellow baboons. Combined data on dental scores for wild yellow, olive, and hamadryas baboons provide schedules of AGE (months) = {SCORE - 11.79} ÷ 0.4405 and AGE (months) = {SCORE - 11.24} ÷ 0.4797 for males and females, respectively, which may be used for aging wild baboons. Full permanent dentition in wild baboons is predicted to occur over 1 year later than in captive animals.

Nutrition, body condition, activity patterns, and parasitism of free-ranging troops of olive baboons (Papio anubis) in Kenya.

Three troops of olive baboons (Papio anubis) comprising 134 animals were captured during a translocation program. All three troops (PHG, CRIP, WBY) lived in high-altitude savannah, but two (CRIP and WBY) also frequented human settlements, where they had access to the garbage pits and vegetable gardens. The translocation offered the opportunity to compare body condition, activity patterns, and parasitism among the troops of animals. A variety of body measurements were taken, a physical examination performed, activity patterns for the previous 2 years enumerated, and blood and feces collected for virological and parasitological analyses. Body condition, as judged qualitatively by appearance and quantitatively by subcutaneous fat thickness and body weight, was lowest in PHG, the naturally foraging troop. All animals were negative for all viruses. No blood-borne parasites were found, but the feces of the majority of animals were positive for eggs of strongyles, ascarids, Trichuris spp., and Strongyloides spp. Quantification of strongyles indicated the heaviest burdens were in the non provisioned troop PHG. These results when combined with the behavioral observations that PHG spent more time foraging and less time resting or socializing than WBY suggest lowered availability and/or a poorer quality of PHG's diet. The data support the hypothesis of a causal relationship between host nutrition and helminth parasite infection but do not permit general conclusions to be drawn on mechanisms of interaction.

Reproduction in the vervet monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops): III. The menstrual cycle.

The menstrual cycles of 17 multiparous vervet monkeys were studied. Based on estradiol, progesterone, and LH profiles, ovulation is predicted to occur on day 13 of the 32.4-day menstrual cycle. Estradiol peaked on the day preceding the LH peak in 75% of cycles. Average luteal phase length (progesterone greater than 4 nmol/l) was 18 days, with progesterone rising above 4 nmol/l on the day of the LH peak. Vaginal cytology and perianal skin coloration exhibited too much within- and among-animal variability to be reliable indicators of menstrual cycle stages. Uterine biopsies of the proliferative phase were characterized by mild pseudostratification of the columnar epithelium and absence of glandular secretion; in contrast, those of the luteal phase had marked pseudostratification of the tall columnar epithelium with glandular secretions in the lumen. A few follicular-phase samples contained structures such as tortuous uterine glands with secretions. Such structures are more characteristic of the luteal phase. It is suggested that their presence can be explained by incomplete sloughing of the endometrium at menstruation, as this is known to be light or convert in this species.

The effect of LHRH analogs on pregnancy in the baboon.

Thirty-three baboons were maintained throughout their peri-ovulatory period in group enclosures with fertile males. They received treatment on days 14-19 of presumed pregnancy with either twice daily injection of 50 micrograms of an LHRH agonist or of 2 mg of an LHRH antagonist. Three pregnancies from 14 cycles were maintained in each of the treatment groups as compared to 5 of 14 in controls. Four abortions were noted but as 1 occurred in a control group the response could not be attributed to treatment. The agonist had no apparent effect on urinary progestins in nonpregnant animals but both analogs did cause a transient decline in pregnant animals. Results indicated that LHRH analogs are not suitable agents for early pregnancy termination under the present treatment regimen.

Failure of the prostaglandin F2 alpha analogue, cloprostenol, to induce functional luteolysis in the olive baboon (Papio cynocephalus anubis).

The prostaglandin F2 alpha analogue, cloprostenol, which is an effective luteolytic agent in the common marmoset, was administered intramuscularly to olive baboons to determine if it possessed luteolytic properties in this species. The results showed that functional luteolysis was not induced when cloprostenol was administered during the mid- to late luteal phase or during early pregnancy.

Early implantation and embryonic development of the baboon: stages 5, 6 and 7.

Implantation stages of the olive baboon, Papio cynocephalus anubis, showing embryonic development equivalent to Carnegie stages 5, 6 and 7 of development, were collected by hysterotomy and examined histologically. The younger specimens (stage 5) consisted of a thick trophoblastic plate composed of cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast with multiple small clefts, and a bilaminar disk embryo with a small slit-like amniotic cavity. An epithelial plaque response was present in the uterine epithelium immediately peripheral to the implantation site, within an area of pronounced uterine edema. The bilaminar embryonic disk consisted of columnar epiblast cells underlying the amniotic cavity, and thickened visceral endodermal cells that form part of the yolk sac. The slightly further developed placenta (stage 6) consisted predominantly of cytotrophoblast including primary villi and syncytiotrophoblast lining large spaces containing maternal blood. Secondary placental villi were present in the oldest group (stage 7), and there was modest decidualization of the uterine stroma. An epithelial plaque response persisted, but varied in extent. The sequence of events in early development in the baboon is similar to that in the rhesus monkey insofar as blood space formation and endometrial responses are concerned. However, the plaque response is not so great as in the rhesus; there is no secondary placenta, and the decidual response is slightly more extensive.

Reproduction in the vervet monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops): endometrial oestrogen and progestin receptor dynamics during normal and prolonged menstrual cycles.

Sixteen individually caged adult female vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops), whose reproductive parameters had been studied for 5 years, were hysterectomized/ovariectomized during three reproductive states; i.e. the late follicular (15.4 +/- 4.7 (S.D.) days) and luteal (27.8 +/- 4.7 days) phases of the normal cycle (20-50 days), and during prolonged intermenstrual intervals (PII; 99.0 +/- 2.5 days since the previous menses). These latter animals showed characteristics of both follicular and luteal phases; i.e. their ovaries contained both corpora lutea and large antral follicles and systemic oestradiol and progesterone concentrations were raised. Analysis of cytoplasmic oestrogen and progestin receptors (CER and CPR) revealed that endometrium during PII had CER levels of 0.58 +/- 0.07 pmol/mg protein, similar to those of the follicular phase (0.60 +/- 0.12); CPR levels (1.20 +/- 0.87) were not different from those of the luteal phase (1.05 +/- 0.45). The ratio of CPR to CER during the luteal phase was about tenfold higher than that of the follicular phase. Levels during PII were intermediate between the two phases. Under receptor-activating conditions, the DNA-binding components of the PII cytoplasmic fraction underwent over 40% loss while those present during both phases of the normal cycle doubled. The hormone-binding sites at all times remained intact indicating that the DNA and hormone-binding sites are distinct on both CER and CPR. Less than 50% interaction of CER/CPR with DNA-cellulose was obtained, indicating the presence of only limited quantities of cytoplasmic activating factors which may be a prerequisite for receptor binding to the genome. During PII, factors which deactivate DNA-binding sites may also have been induced. Extensive accumulation of nuclear oestrogen receptor was evident in PII endometrium with 80% being salt-resistant. This level is higher than that in the follicular and luteal phases (37 and 52% respectively). These data, suggesting a possible aberration of receptor activation in vitro and receptor processing in vivo, may be indicative of endometrial dysfunction during PII. This could lead to a delay in menstruation.

Enclosure design and reproductive success of baboons used for reproductive research in Kenya.

Three 125mz enclosures were designed to enable collection of urine from female baboons (Papio sp.) during early pregnancy, while maintaining them in close continuous social contact to permanent breeding groups. Attached to each enclosure were individual cages to which females were confined for urine collections. Over the 18-month period following group formation, 60 of 67 females became pregnant and then 51 reconceived following surgical termination of pregnancy. A total of 181 pregnancies were recorded. Over 75% of reconceptions occurred within the first two cycles following surgery. The enclosures have proved to be extremely versatile, allowing sampling of individual animals maintained in group conditions with the ability to interact socially.

Reproduction in the vervet monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops): II. Annual menstrual patterns and seasonality.

Menstrual patterns and progesterone levels were monitored for 5 years from a cohort of 28 female vervet monkeys that were individually caged indoors. Three distinct cycle types (short, normal, and prolonged) were defined according to cycle length. Mean length of the normal cycle (32.5 days) and menses duration (4.8 days) are in agreement with previous reports. Prolonged cycles (> 50 days) contributed 20% of the total, with a decreased incidence during the natural peak breeding period. Weekly progesterone measurements indicated that many prolonged cycles were associated with an extended luteal phase, while others were probably due to lack of ovulation. From these data it would appear that the vervet monkey, although not strongly seasonal, does favor a particular time of year for breeding in a colony housed indoors.

Reproduction in the vervet monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops): I. Testicular volume, testosterone, and seasonality.

To test whether the male could contribute to the birth peak seen in both wild and captive vervets, testicular volume and peripheral testosterone concentration were measured monthly in nine adults throughout a 14-month period. Volume was an average of 15% greater during the months of June to September, the period of natural breeding activity in the wild, than at other times of the year. Testosterone concentration rose throughout the time period but did not correlate with testicular volume. Quarterly biopsies of the right testis in animals either used for or withheld from breeding revealed the presence of spermatozoa and the existence of spermatogenesis throughout the year. There was no correlation of testicular volume with breeding status or biopsy. If these results from individually caged animals are representative of group-caged and wild animals, then such small seasonal changes are unlikely to affect year-round breeding. Therefore, a physiological contribution by the male to natural birth peaks seen in the wild and captivity is not readily apparent.