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Comparison of child and ATD belt fit and posture on belt-positioning boosters during self-selected, holding device, and nominal conditions

Karen McComb

Benzene, an aromatic hydrocarbon, is an established cause of leukemia. The association between benzene exposure and solid cancers is currently being investigated. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association between occupational benzene exposure and the incidence and mortality of breast, female genital, kidney, bladder, prostate, testis, esophageal, gastric, colorectal, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, lung, head and neck, brain, and skin cancers. We included cohort and case-control studies referenced in the 2018 IARC Monograph on benzene and also reviewed studies published up to April 2024 in PubMed, SCOPUS, and EMBASE. We evaluated the quality of the studies using a modified version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. We used forest plots of relative risk (RR) to present and analyze the data and employed a random-effects model to address heterogeneity between studies. Stratified analyses were performed to explore potential effect modification. Our meta-analysis included 80 independent studies, and the findings are summarized in Table 1. The results of our study indicated an association between overall occupational benzene exposure and breast, kidney, colorectal, head and neck, and brain cancer and a dose-effect association between benzene exposure and lung, hepatobiliary, bladder cancer. In addition, non-significant RR>1.25 were derived for ovarian and gallbladder cancer. Additional well-designed studies, incorporating detailed exposure assessment and control for potential confounders, are required to clarify these relationships. It is essential to implement occupational safety measures, such as proper ventilation, personal protective equipment, and workplace monitoring, to minimize exposure and safeguard workers in industries where benzene is present. Citation Format: Paolo Boffetta, Monireh Sadat Seyyedsalehi. Occupational benzene exposure and solid cancers: A systematic review and meta-analysis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 7393.

This paper addresses several issues related to the crash protection of aircraft occupants. The origin and nature of the current crashworthiness standards are first described. A number of test facilities, from sophisticated full-scale airframe drop tower facilities to the facilities for sled-testing of the seats, restraint systems, and anthropomorphic test devices or dummies (ATD’s), and also the ATD component testing are then presented. A description of the analysis codes, specifically the occupant models, and the latest modifications on these models are provided. Some of the current aircraft crash safety issues are then discussed. One global issue in the performance and certification of aircraft is the problem of protection of occupants from the head impact onto the interior structures. Latest developments in that area are presented. Another current area of research is the development of energy-absorbing seats capable of complying with the newly proposed criteria for the commuter type aircraft. The small size of these aircraft results in stiffer structures and consequently higher impact loads on the occupants. Sidefacing seats in business jets and in the lounge areas of some of the transport aircraft have also presented new challenge in certification, and hence the latest advancements in that area of research are also discussed.

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Recently, side-by-side Recreational Off-Highway Vehicles (ROVs) have brought elements of the on-road vehicle occupant environment to the off-road trail-riding world. In general, ROV occupant protection during normal operation and in accident scenarios is provided predominately by a roll cage, seatbelts, contoured seats with seat backs, handholds, and other components. Typical occupant responses include both passive (inertial) and active (muscular) components. The objective of the current study was to evaluate and quantify these passive and active occupant responses during belted operation of an ROV on a closed course, as well as during 90-degree tip-over events. Passive occupant responses were evaluated using anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) in 90-degree tip-overs simulated on a deceleration sled. Active occupant responses were evaluated using instrumented vehicles and volunteer occupants, wherein vehicle dynamics and gross occupant kinematics, muscle activity, occupant-to-vehicle pressure distributions and forces were quantified during riding on a closed course and during 90-degree tip-overs in a roll-spit fixture. For comparison, each test subject also performed a series of common physical activities while instrumented. Results indicated that the seatbelt was a critical component to the occupant protection system and that belted occupants were passively maintained within the occupant compartment during 90-degree tip-over events. Results also demonstrated that the active responses of the occupants further contributed to occupant stability and correlated significantly with the vehicle's lateral acceleration. Changes in patterns of muscle activation occurred approximate with the vehicle's change in turn direction and indicated a clear push-pull strategy of the occupant during left and right turns, respectively. Roll-spit testing demonstrated that the majority of lateral restraint was provided by the bucket seat, wherein modest lap belt forces constrained the pelvis within the seat contour and facilitated the generation of lateral contact forces. Forces exerted by occupants' extremities on the vehicle during a 90-degree tip-over were comparable to, or less than, the forces resulting from common physical activities.</div></div>

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">The development of a repeatable dynamic rollover test methodology with meaningful occupant protection performance objectives has been a longstanding and unmet challenge. Numerous studies have identified the random and chaotic nature of rollover crashes, and the difficulty associated with simulating these events in a laboratory setting. Previous work addressed vehicle level testing attempting to simulate an entire rollover event but it was determined that this test methodology could not be used for development of occupant protection restraint performance objectives due to the unpredictable behavior of the vehicle during the entire rollover event. More recent efforts have focused on subsystem tests that simulate distinct phases of a rollover event, up to and including the first roof-to-ground impact. This paper explores two subsystem rollover test methods up to the first roof-to-ground impact, and highlights the importance of simulating the lateral vehicle acceleration that occurs during the pre-trip/trip phase of a rollover event in order to provide more realistic trailing-side Anthropomorphic Test Device (ATD) kinematics and enable more meaningful restraint evaluations.</div></div>

Modern cars often perform poorly in the new small overlap crash test of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). This frontal impact replicates what happens, when only the front corner of the vehicle collides with another vehicle or an object such as a pillar or a tree. European vehicle manufacturers criticise that the IIHS small overlap crash test would not be relevant based on accident statistics and that two-way traffic collisions could not be reproduced with a rigid barrier. The DTC Dynamic Test Center AG in Switzerland did research on the relevance of the IIHS small overlap crash test in Europe. Therefore the reproducibility of the IIHS barrier in comparison with real two-way traffic collisions was examined. Three tests were performed with a randomly chosen Renault Scenic II using different test configurations. In a fourth test was the influence of the vehicle slip off from the barrier analysed implemented by design modifications on the test vehicle. Loads of the anthropomorphic test device (ATD) placed on the driving seat were measured during each test to draw conclusions on biomechanical stress and occupant protection. The results obtained show that a collision of real two-way traffic collision can be reproduced on a rigid barrier if the impact velocity is adapted on the involved vehicles. If a car is not designed for the IIHS small overlap crash test, speed reduction by main absorbing elements could be marginal and therefore significantly increase the biomechanical stress on the occupant. It has been shown that the vehicle slip off from the barrier could decrease the biomechanical stress but requires a frontal-/ side impact adapted restraint system. The front wheel must be prevented from penetrating the occupant foot well. To avoid injury risks of likely secondary collision further measures such as multifunctional airbags with sufficient residual energy should be taken. With regard to the analysed tests the conclusion was drawn that a slip off from the barrier in combination with necessary adaptions could decrease the injury risk. It can be concluded that the IIHS small overlap crash test is relevant for Europe due to the identified key gaps for occupant protection.

For over a decade, the Biochemical Society has looked to identify and celebrate outstanding science communication talent in molecular biosciences with an annual Science Communication Competition. In 2020, to mark the 10th anniversary of this scheme, the Biochemical Society renamed its Science Communication Competition as the ‘Biochemical Society Science Communication Prize’.The prize has always attracted an international portfolio of engaging and creative voices, and the 2021 edition was no exception. Entries had to be bioscience themed and aimed at the general public and were accepted as written pieces of up to 1500 words or in a media format – such as video or audio, 2–5 minutes long – across two categories: one open to foundation/undergraduate students and another to postgraduate students.The Biochemical Society and the prize judges were impressed with the number of very high standard entries, making competition for this year’s prize as fierce as in previous rounds. These entries were judged by a panel of four experts across science communication practice: Dr Heather Doran (Public Engagement Manager at the Leverhulme Centre for Forensic Science, University of Dundee, and Science Editor for The Biochemist), Dr Sorrel Bunting (Head of Communities and Engagement at Springer Nature Group), Dr Anthea Lacchia (freelance science writer and journalist, audio producer and science communicator) and Joe Burton (Education and Public Engagement Manager at the Linnean Society).The Society is pleased to celebrate the 2021 Biochemical Society Science Communication Prize winners, all of them video entries! The winners of each category receives a cash prize – £300 for the first prize, £200 for the second prize and £100 for the third prize – and access to a mentoring session with an experienced science communicator who can provide advice based on their own career experiences. This prize follows a continued recognition from the Biochemical Society of the importance of science communication and outreach practice and training, which includes the Scientific Outreach Grants and the Introduction to Public Engagement and Science Policy online course.The winning entries in the foundation/undergraduate category covered biomolecular topics as wide as painkillers and the answer to the age-old question ‘How much coffee is too much?’ Resorting to an impressive array of creative techniques, from digital to stop-motion animation, these videos showcased clear and engaging science with remarkable media mastery.The first prize in the foundation/undergraduate category went to Faye Singleton, a third-year undergraduate studying biomedical sciences at the University of York. On receiving the prize, Faye commented: “I've been making YouTube videos since I was 10 years old and have built my audience to 25,000 subscribers. I now focus my videos on all aspects of student life. I wanted to create a topic on something that could be useful to the general public. After some research I found a news article surrounding the adverse effects of Paracetamol. I felt the mechanism to how the drug works as well as the potential dangers of it, were not so commonly known within the general public. This was my gap! I decided to illustrate the complexity of this painkiller into an easy-to-understand narrative, hoping to inform my audience. I was over the moon to find I had received first place in this competition. I'm hoping to pursue a career in medical science communications and hopefully this is just the beginning!”The postgraduate category comprised another inspiring set of prize-winning videos. The first prize went to Madeleine Ball, a PhD student at the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge. On her prize-winning entry, Madeleine said: “I decided to make my video about the Sonic Hedgehog gene because I had heard about it before even going to university – it made me smile and realise that science wasn’t just about very serious academic pursuits, but that there was light-heartedness and a human-side behind scientific work also.”Madeleine also added: “I love science, and getting the chance to communicate what I’m so passionate about is something that I’ve always wanted to do – this competition was the first time I ever made any video, or piece of science communication aimed at the public and I’m thrilled it went so well! Winning this prize has motivated me to continue making science videos, and has reminded me that no matter where my scientific career may take me, I can embrace the human side of research and keep having fun with it.”The six winning entries can be viewed on the Science Communication Prize webpage hosted on Biochemical Society website.

Notes on Contributors

Editorial introductions

The Heritage of Displacement: Forced Migration in the Mediterranean through History

As Fellows of The Royal Society of Medicine, and also currently the President and Immediate Past President of the British Chiropractic Association, we wish to comment on the paper by Ernst and Canter (April 2006, JRSM1). The authors clearly demonstrate bias in the very carefully selected studies included in their review. It appears to us that these researchers wished to examine a number of rather obscure areas of investigation (infantile colic, asthma, dysmenorrhoea, etc.) that cannot fairly reflect the efficacy or efficiency of manipulation—and there are many good quality primary research papers available for critique that deal adequately with the major focus of mainstream manipulation.2,3 It would, of course, have been a more accurate and impartial review if they had concentrated on those elements where the outcomes are well documented—namely, low back pain syndromes.4,5 Indeed, this recent review included four `reviews of reviews' by the main author; this in itself would surely perpetuate any author bias, whether intentional or not. In fact, the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at the University of York concluded that it was difficult to assess the methodological robustness of the reviews utilized or the quality or the results of the primary studies. It is obvious that the CRD will not be alone in their conclusion. However, our own profession will continue to strive for the highest standards in research, education and practice, where patients' best interests will always remain paramount. At the end of the day, no matter how robust the methodology of a critical review, the authors are inclined to their own bias: to conduct a review of reviews of one's own opinions, adds little to a meaningful literature base.

STUDIES IN THE AGE OF CHAUCER The appendix connects to the rest of the book through its search for Boccaccio's models and its concern for how Boccaccio produces rhetor­ ically the all-encompassing effect often proclaimed by his readers. Here Forni traces verbal connections between the story of Tancredi and Ghismonda and Ovid's tale of Myrrha in the Metamorphoses, thus offer­ ing strong support to Muscetta, Almansi, and others who have seen in 4.1 hints of incestuous passion. This presence of incest, in turn, albeit implicit rather than explicit, helps to produce the effect of the Decameron's inclusivity of all kinds of love. I have only one small quibble with Forni's many fine insights and ar­ guments. In chapter 1, with regard to the pot ofbasil story, he shifts in the course of a page from "wondering" and "entertaining the possibil­ ity that the declared creative sequence from story to song must be re­ versed in order to understand the story's process of inventio" (p. 22) to the firm declaration that "the sequence must be reversed" (p. 23). Although this is plausible, I would like to see some argument for dis­ believing Boccaccio's claim before conceding that what was entertained as a possibility suddenly "must be" so. Forni's work is otherwise clearly laid out, persuasively presented, and very readable. He draws on the whole history ofDecameron commentary, from fifteenth- and sixteenth-century readers through eighteenth­ century scholars to the most recent writings on Boccaccio. He displays as well a deep familiarity with a very wide range oftexts, classical, me­ dieval, and modern. The questions he raiseshelp to recast fruitfully and to see the connections among traditional discussions of Boccaccio's re­ alism, artful construction, parody, and fascination with language. JANET LEVARIE SMARR University of Illinois SIMON GAUNT. Gender and Genre in Medieval French Literature. Cambridge Studies in French, vol. 53. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995. Pp. x, 372. $64.95. Although there is much that is thought-provoking m Dr. Gaunt's study, the reader does come away from it with a slight sense of disap­ pointment that less has been made ofthe material than might have been hoped. It is not just that the title includes the buzz word gender, which 246 REVIEWS still raises some expectations of polemic, but that at the end of the day the genders and the genres that emerge from the book are those that we knew all along. In his introduction, Dr. Gaunt spends considerable time considering the question of genre and its importance to medieval as well as modern studies, and to pointing out that the concept survived the onslaught of the structuralists of the 1960s and 1970s. He is also at pains to indicate that he is concerned with gender as a construct apply­ ing to the masculine as well as to the feminine, and that, unlike bio­ logical sex, gender is a multiplex and polyvalent construct within each "sex." Finally, as his epigraph (three quotations from the Oxford English Dictionary defining "gender," "genre," and "genus") implies, he is aware of the necessary interplay of these terms and their subtending ideolo­ gies in generating each other. Disappointment, therefore, arises from the body of the book, which treats in five successive, and hermetic, chapters five genres (chanson de geste, roman courtois, troubador canso, ha­ giography, fabliaux) drawn from traditional literary history, and deals with gender within them also in a very traditional way: the warrior and his companion; the knight and his lady; the male and female saint; sex, the body, and "obscenity." This aprioristic view that there is an inher­ ent unity between gender and genre is reinforced in the conclusion, in which the major challenges to other (preexisting) gender constructs is seen as coming from other (frequently subsequent) genres. Only mar­ ginally (in the cases of the trobairitz and Clemence of Barking as ha­ giographer) is serious concern shown for the ways in which a genre questions itself in terms of its representation of gender. What seems to be missing, then, is any attempt to redefine the traditional boundaries established for Old French literary genres on the basis of the genders constructed...

Average male and female virtual dummy model (BioRID and EvaRID) simulations with two seat concepts in the Euro NCAP low severity rear impact test configuration

Development and evaluation of a finite element model of the THOR for occupant protection of spaceflight crewmembers