The association between perceived social support in adolescence and positive mental health outcomes in early adulthood: a prospective cohort study.

AIMS: The link between perceived social support and mental health has received much attention from numerous scientific fields in recent years. Most studies, however, have examined associations only over relatively short follow-up periods using global measures of perceived social support and dichotomous negative indicators of mental health. We investigated the long-term association between perceived social support from friends, parents and teachers and multiple positive hedonic and eudemonic indicators of mental health, including hope, meaningfulness and subjective well-being. METHODS: This study used questionnaire data from 2004, 2007 and 2010 from the West Jutland Birth Cohort study with linked register data. The study population consisted of 3681 adolescents born in 1989. Multiple linear and ordered logistic regression were used to analyse the association between perceived social support at age 14/15 years and mental health indicators at age 20/21 years while controlling for possible confounders, including the Big Five personality traits and baseline symptoms of depression. RESULTS: The results show that perceived social support from friends in adolescence was positively associated with all indicators of mental health in early adulthood. Furthermore, perceived paternal social support was positively associated with meaningfulness and subjective well-being, while perceived social support from teachers was positively associated with meaningfulness. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the results from this study indicate that perceived social support in adolescence, particularly support from friends, could promote positive mental health outcomes in early adulthood.

Association of perceived work pace and physical work demands with occupational accidents: a cross-sectional study of ageing male construction workers in Denmark.

BACKGROUND: Occupational accidents continue to be a significant public health challenge worldwide. Construction workers in particular are at high risk of occupational accidents, and thus it is of major importance to identify possible predictors of occupational accidents among construction workers. We aimed to investigate the association between self-reported work pace and physical work demands and occupational accidents among ageing male construction workers in Denmark. METHODS: Data on perceived work pace, physical work demands, and occupational accidents was acquired from questionnaires sent to ageing construction workers in Denmark in 2016 as part of the ALFA project (ALdring og Fysisk Arbejde; Ageing and Physical Work). A sample of 1270 Danish male construction workers above 50 years of age was included in the present study. Multiple logistic regression models were applied, with adjustments for age, smoking, body mass index, musculoskeletal disorders, occupation, work experience, and support at work. RESULTS: Of 1270 construction workers, 166 (13.1%) reported an occupational accident within the last 12 months. There was no significant association between perceived work pace and occupational accidents, but physical work demands were associated with higher odds for occupational accidents, with an odds ratio of 2.27 (95% confidence interval 1.26-4.10) for medium physical work demands and 2.62 (95% confidence interval 1.50-4.57) for high physical work demands. CONCLUSIONS: Ageing male construction workers with high physical work demands had statistically significant higher odds of having an occupational accident. By contrast, perceived work pace was not associated with occupational accidents in this large cross-sectional study.

Risks and Recommendations in Prenatally Detected De Novo Balanced Chromosomal Rearrangements from Assessment of Long-Term Outcomes.

The 6%-9% risk of an untoward outcome previously established by Warburton for prenatally detected de novo balanced chromosomal rearrangements (BCRs) does not account for long-term morbidity. We performed long-term follow-up (mean 17 years) of a registry-based nationwide cohort of 41 individuals carrying a prenatally detected de novo BCR with normal first trimester screening/ultrasound scan. We observed a significantly higher frequency of neurodevelopmental and/or neuropsychiatric disorders than in a matched control group (19.5% versus 8.3%, p = 0.04), which was increased to 26.8% upon clinical follow-up. Chromosomal microarray of 32 carriers revealed no pathogenic imbalances, illustrating a low prognostic value when fetal ultrasound scan is normal. In contrast, mate-pair sequencing revealed disrupted genes (ARID1B, NPAS3, CELF4), regulatory domains of known developmental genes (ZEB2, HOXC), and complex BCRs associated with adverse outcomes. Seven unmappable autosomal-autosomal BCRs with breakpoints involving pericentromeric/heterochromatic regions may represent a low-risk group. We performed independent phenotype-aware and blinded interpretation, which accurately predicted benign outcomes (specificity = 100%) but demonstrated relatively low sensitivity for prediction of the clinical outcome in affected carriers (sensitivity = 45%-55%). This sensitivity emphasizes the challenges associated with prenatal risk prediction for long-term morbidity in the absence of phenotypic data given the still immature annotation of the morbidity genome and poorly understood long-range regulatory mechanisms. In conclusion, we upwardly revise the previous estimates of Warburton to a morbidity risk of 27% and recommend sequencing of the chromosomal breakpoints as the first-tier diagnostic test in pregnancies with a de novo BCR.

The importance of adverse childhood experiences for labour market trajectories over the life course: a longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Transitioning from school to work is important in influencing people's trajectories throughout their life course. This study investigated the extent to which adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) were associated with differences in labour market trajectories for young adults in the context of a Nordic child care regime with low levels of child poverty. METHODS: Information on labour market participation, educational events, and public transfer records was recoded into seven state spaces for each month between ages 16 and 32 for a cohort of Danish adolescents born in a rural county in 1983 (N = 3373). Cluster analysis of the sequences using the optimal matching algorithm was used to identify groups with similar trajectories. Multinomial regression was used to assess the association between self-reported ACEs and cluster membership, taking gender and family of origin into account. RESULTS: 'In employment' was the state space in which the young adults spent the most time over their early life courses (mean: 85 out of 204 months; 42%). Cluster analysis identified three clusters. Cluster 3 was most distinct, where the mean time 'outside the labour market' was 149 months (73%), and only 17 months (8%) were spent 'in employment'. Cumulative ACEs increased the probability of being included in Cluster 3 (OR: 1.51). Experiencing parental divorce (OR: 3.05), witnessing a violent event (OR: 3.70), and being abused (OR: 5.64) were most strongly associated with Cluster 3 membership. CONCLUSIONS: Labour market trajectories among adolescents with a higher number of ACEs consisted of more time outside the labour market, compared to adolescents who had experienced fewer adversities. The lasting consequences of childhood adversity should be taken more into account in welfare policies, even in countries such as Denmark, with high social security levels and high-quality universal childcare.

The identification and functional annotation of RNA structures conserved in vertebrates.

Structured elements of RNA molecules are essential in, e.g., RNA stabilization, localization, and protein interaction, and their conservation across species suggests a common functional role. We computationally screened vertebrate genomes for conserved RNA structures (CRSs), leveraging structure-based, rather than sequence-based, alignments. After careful correction for sequence identity and GC content, we predict ∼516,000 human genomic regions containing CRSs. We find that a substantial fraction of human-mouse CRS regions (1) colocalize consistently with binding sites of the same RNA binding proteins (RBPs) or (2) are transcribed in corresponding tissues. Additionally, a CaptureSeq experiment revealed expression of many of our CRS regions in human fetal brain, including 662 novel ones. For selected human and mouse candidate pairs, qRT-PCR and in vitro RNA structure probing supported both shared expression and shared structure despite low abundance and low sequence identity. About 30,000 CRS regions are located near coding or long noncoding RNA genes or within enhancers. Structured (CRS overlapping) enhancer RNAs and extended 3' ends have significantly increased expression levels over their nonstructured counterparts. Our findings of transcribed uncharacterized regulatory regions that contain CRSs support their RNA-mediated functionality.

Coping strategies in adolescence and labour-market participation in young adulthood: A prospective birth cohort study.

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate whether coping strategies in adolescence (14-15 years of age) were associated with labour-market participation (LMP) in young adulthood (25-26 years of age) and whether the association differed by sex. Methods: A birth cohort from the former county of Ringkjoebing, Denmark, consisting of 2826 individuals, comprised the study population. In 2004, the study population completed a questionnaire from which information about coping and covariates were gathered. Coping strategies were measured using five sub-scales of the Brief COPE Scale, which were combined into two overall coping strategies: active coping and avoidant coping. Ten years later, the participants were followed for a 52-week period in a register on social benefits. Logistic regression was applied to data, with adjustment for covariates: sex, parents' socio-economic status (education and income) and self-rated health. Results: A total of 2203 (78%) participants were categorised as high LMP at follow-up. No significant associations were found between active coping in adolescence and LMP in 2014/2015. For avoidant coping, in the fully adjusted model, medium-level avoidant coping was associated with higher odds (odds ratio (OR)=1.02 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.83-1.25) of high LMP. For low avoidant coping, the OR was 1.37 (95% 1.07-1.75). For both coping strategies, sex did not modify the association. Conclusions: Findings showed that avoidant coping was significantly associated with high LMP. Further research is needed to investigate coping in relation to specific problem areas.

The effect of early-life and adult socioeconomic position on development of lifestyle-related diseases.

BACKGROUND: Early-life socioeconomic position (SEP) is associated with lifestyle-related diseases in adulthood. However, evidence is lacking on the extent to which adult SEP mediates this association. METHODS: Time to either chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cardiovascular disease or diabetes were assessed in the Danish population born between 1961 and 1971 (n = 793 674) from age 30 until 2015. Early-life position was assessed in 1981 (by parental) and again at age 30 (own) by four markers; income, occupation, education-divided into high, middle, low-and a combined score for all markers. Using a counterfactual approach, we estimated the total effect of early-life position on disease onset and the degree to which adult position mediated this effect. RESULTS: Results of the time-to-event analysis showed a gradient of all early-life markers on the risk of developing all lifestyle-related diseases. Notably, comparing those in the lowest to the highest educational position, the hazard of COPD was 130% higher for women [hazard ratio = 2.30(95% confidence interval = 2.20-2.41)] and 114% higher for men [2.14 (2.05-2.25)]. About 67%(63-70%) of the effect of educational position was mediated through adult position for COPD, 55% for cardiovascular disease and 50% for diabetes. For the combined score 44, 29 and 33%, respectively, was mediated. CONCLUSION: About one-tenth to two-thirds of the effect of early-life position is mediated by the position attained in adulthood. The degree mediated depend on the outcome investigated, gender and the social position marker used indicating that alternative pathways may play a key role in developing effective policies targeting early-life behaviours.

Epigenetic remodelling and dysregulation of DLGAP4 is linked with early-onset cerebellar ataxia.

Genome instability, epigenetic remodelling and structural chromosomal rearrangements are hallmarks of cancer. However, the coordinated epigenetic effects of constitutional chromosomal rearrangements that disrupt genes associated with congenital neurodevelopmental diseases are poorly understood. To understand the genetic-epigenetic interplay at breakpoints of chromosomal translocations disrupting CG-rich loci, we quantified epigenetic modifications at DLGAP4 (SAPAP4), a key post-synaptic density 95 (PSD95) associated gene, truncated by the chromosome translocation t(8;20)(p12;q11.23), co-segregating with cerebellar ataxia in a five-generation family. We report significant epigenetic remodelling of the DLGAP4 locus triggered by the t(8;20)(p12;q11.23) translocation and leading to dysregulation of DLGAP4 expression in affected carriers. Disruption of DLGAP4 results in monoallelic hypermethylation of the truncated DLGAP4 promoter CpG island. This induced hypermethylation is maintained in somatic cells of carriers across several generations in a t(8;20) dependent-manner however, is erased in the germ cells of the translocation carriers. Subsequently, chromatin remodelling of the locus-perturbed monoallelic expression of DLGAP4 mRNAs and non-coding RNAs in haploid cells having the translocation. Our results provide new mechanistic insight into the way a balanced chromosomal rearrangement associated with a neurodevelopmental disorder perturbs allele-specific epigenetic mechanisms at breakpoints leading to the deregulation of the truncated locus.

Neurodevelopmental disorders associated with dosage imbalance of ZBTB20 correlate with the morbidity spectrum of ZBTB20 candidate target genes.

BACKGROUND: Recently, a number of patients have been described with structural rearrangements at 3q13.31, delineating a novel microdeletion syndrome with common clinical features including developmental delay and other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). A smallest region of overlapping deletions (SRO) involved five RefSeq genes, including the transcription factor gene ZBTB20 and the dopamine receptor gene DRD3, considered as candidate genes for the syndrome. METHODS AND RESULTS: We used array comparative genomic hybridization and next-generation mate-pair sequencing to identify key structural rearrangements involving ZBTB20 in two patients with NDD. In a patient with developmental delay, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, psychosis, Tourette's syndrome and autistic traits, a de novo balanced t(3;18) translocation truncated ZBTB20. The other breakpoint did not disrupt any gene. In a second patient with developmental delay and autism, we detected the first microdeletion at 3q13.31, which truncated ZBTB20 but did not involve DRD3 or the other genes within the previously defined SRO. Zbtb20 directly represses 346 genes in the developing murine brain. Of the 342 human orthologous ZBTB20 candidate target genes, we found 68 associated with NDD. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation and quantitative PCR, we validated the in vivo binding of Zbtb20 in evolutionary conserved regions in six of these genes (Cntn4, Gad1, Nrxn1, Nrxn3, Scn2a, Snap25). CONCLUSIONS: Our study links dosage imbalance of ZBTB20 to a range of neurodevelopmental, cognitive and psychiatric disorders, likely mediated by dysregulation of multiple ZBTB20 target genes, and provides new knowledge on the genetic background of the NDD seen in the 3q13.31 microdeletion syndrome.

Socio-economic differences in use of prescribed and over-the-counter medicine for pain and psychological problems among Danish adolescents--a longitudinal study.

UNLABELLED: The objective for this study was to investigate socio-economic status (SES) differentials in the use of over-the-counter and prescribed medicine for pain and psychological problems among adolescents. Data consisted of questionnaire data on medicine use and health status, collected from 17- to 18-year-old adolescents (n = 2,400) during second round of the West Jutland cohort study 2007, and register data on prescribed medicine use, parental educational level and household income. We used multiple logistic regression analysis to calculate odd ratios for self-reported and register-based use of medicine for pain and psychological problems according to parental educational level and household income. Young girls used twice as much medicine for pain and psychological problems compared to young boys. SES differences based on parental educational level were directly associated with the use of prescribed medicine for psychological problems, and SES differences based on household income were directly associated with overall medicine use and use of over-the-counter medicine. Some of the SES differentials disappeared or decreased after adjusting for health status. There were no SES differentials in the use of prescribed medicine for pain. CONCLUSION: The risk of use of prescribed medicine for psychological problems increased in adolescents with decreasing parental education, while the risk of overall medicine use and use of over-the-counter medicine was increased in adolescents from low household income. Furthermore, the results indicate that some of the SES differentials in medicine use could be explained by a difference in health status across SES.

Sequence and expression analysis of gaps in human chromosome 20.

The finished human genome-assemblies comprise several hundred un-sequenced euchromatic gaps, which may be rich in long polypurine/polypyrimidine stretches. Human chromosome 20 (chr 20) currently has three unfinished gaps remaining on its q-arm. All three gaps are within gene-dense regions and/or overlap disease-associated loci, including the DLGAP4 locus. In this study, we sequenced ∼ 99% of all three unfinished gaps on human chr 20, determined their complete genomic sizes and assessed epigenetic profiles using a combination of Sanger sequencing, mate pair paired-end high-throughput sequencing and chromatin, methylation and expression analyses. We found histone 3 trimethylated at Lysine 27 to be distributed across all three gaps in immortalized B-lymphocytes. In one gap, five novel CpG islands were predominantly hypermethylated in genomic DNA from peripheral blood lymphocytes and human cerebellum. One of these CpG islands was differentially methylated and paternally hypermethylated. We found all chr 20 gaps to comprise structured non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and to be conserved in primates. We verified expression for 13 candidate ncRNAs, some of which showed tissue specificity. Four ncRNAs expressed within the gap at DLGAP4 show elevated expression in the human brain. Our data suggest that unfinished human genome gaps are likely to comprise numerous functional elements.

Individual social capital and survival: a population study with 5-year follow-up.

BACKGROUND: The concept of social capital has received increasing attention as a determinant of population survival, but its significance is uncertain. We examined the importance of social capital on survival in a population study while focusing on gender differences. METHODS: We used data from a Danish regional health survey with a five-year follow-up period, 2007-2012 (n = 9288, 53.5% men, 46.5% women). We investigated the association between social capital and all-cause mortality, performing separate analyses on a composite measure as well as four specific dimensions of social capital while controlling for covariates. Analyses were performed with Cox proportional hazard models by which hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. RESULTS: For women, higher levels of social capital were associated with lower all-cause mortality regardless of age, socioeconomic status, health, and health behaviour (HR = 0.586, 95% CI = 0.421-0.816) while no such association was found for men (HR = 0.949, 95% CI = 0.816-1.104). Analysing the specific dimensions of social capital, higher levels of trust and social network were significantly associated with lower all-cause mortality in women (HR = 0.827, 95% CI = 0.750-0.913 and HR = 0.832, 95% CI = 0.729-0.949, respectively). For men, strong social networks were associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 1.132, 95% CI = 1.017-1.260). Civic engagement had a similar effect for both men (HR = 0.848, 95% CI = 0.722-0.997) and women (HR = 0.848, 95% CI = 0.630-1.140). CONCLUSIONS: We found differential effects of social capital in men compared to women. The predictive effects on all-cause mortality of four specific dimensions of social capital varied. Gender stratified analysis and the use of multiple indicators to measure social capital are thus warranted in future research.

Effect of Stocking Density during CO2 Stunning of Pigs on Induction Time and Activity Level Measured Using AI.

During the CO2 stunning of pigs, a variation in their reaction to the gas and the duration of the induction period is observed. The stunning process can be affected by several conditions, such as stressful events and previous experiences, but the stocking density in the gondola may also have an impact. The objective was to investigate the effect of stocking density on the stunning process under commercial conditions. To quantify the pigs' reactions under industrial settings with a stocking density of up to eight pigs pr. Gondola (3.91 m2), the activity level was measured using an AI solution. Compared with a simulation of the expected induction period, a significantly longer induction period was found in gondolas containing seven and eight pigs (p < 0.001) but not when the gondolas contained three or four pigs. Both high and mean activity levels were significantly higher when stocking density was increased from three or four pigs to seven or eight pigs. The stunning process was thus negatively affected when increasing the stocking density. More knowledge is needed to explain this effect and to make statements on optimal stocking density. The measured activity levels may be a useful tool for obtaining information under commercial conditions and for documenting animal welfare.

Partial oral treatment of endocarditis.

BACKGROUND: Guidelines for the treatment of left-sided infective endocarditis (IE) recommend 4 to 6 weeks of intravenous antibiotics. Conversion from intravenous to oral antibiotics in clinically stabilized patients could reduce the side effects associated with intravenous treatment and shorten the length of hospital stay. Evidence supporting partial oral therapy as an alternative to the routinely recommended continued parenteral therapy is scarce, although observational data suggest that this strategy may be safe and effective. STUDY DESIGN: This is a noninferiority, multicenter, prospective, randomized, open-label study of partial oral treatment with antibiotics compared with full parenteral treatment in left-sided IE. Stable patients (n = 400) with streptococci, staphylococci, or enterococci infecting the mitral valve or the aortic valve will be included. After a minimum of 10 days of parenteral treatment, stable patients are randomized to oral therapy or unchanged parenteral therapy. Recommendations for oral treatment have been developed based on minimum inhibitory concentrations and pharmacokinetic calculations. Patients will be followed up for 6 months after completion of antibiotic therapy. The primary end point is a composition of all-cause mortality, unplanned cardiac surgery, embolic events, and relapse of positive blood cultures with the primary pathogen. CONCLUSION: The Partial Oral Treatment of Endocarditis study tests the hypothesis that partial oral antibiotic treatment is as efficient and safe as parenteral therapy in left-sided IE. The trial is justified by a review of the literature, by pharmacokinetic calculations, and by our own experience.

Can negative life events and coping style help explain socioeconomic differences in perceived stress among adolescents? A cross-sectional study based on the West Jutland cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Previous research suggests that perceived stress in adolescence is socially patterned, but that this relationship may depend on the measure of socioeconomic status (SES) used. This study examines if social gradients in perceived stress, negative life events, and coping exist amongst Danish adolescents, and, if life events and coping strategies can partly account for an association between SES and perceived stress. These relationships are studied separately for two different measures of SES. METHODS: Questionnaire data were collected from 3054 14-15 year old youths (83% response rate) during baseline measurement in the West Jutland birth cohort study. Parents were identified via the Central Office of Civil Registration in which the respondents are linked to their parents or guardians via their CPR-number, a personal identification number given to everyone in Denmark. The study employs data from two independent sources, adolescent self-report data (stress, life events and coping) and national registers (parental educational level, household income and confounder variables). Ordinary Least Squares regression estimated the effects of parental SES, negative life events and coping on perceived stress. Analyses were stratified by gender. RESULTS: Girls reported more perceived stress than boys. SES accounted for a small but significant amount of the variance in perceived stress. Lower parental education and lower household income were associated with higher stress levels irrespective of gender, but the social gradient was strongest amongst girls when parents' education was used to measure SES, and strongest for boys when income was used. Life events and coping were also found to be associated with SES and both mediated part of the SES-perceived stress relationship. In general, the social gradient in perceived stress was accounted for by the study variables to a higher degree among girls than among boys. CONCLUSIONS: Lower parental education and household income are associated with higher levels of perceived stress amongst Danish adolescents. Furthermore, both life events and coping appear to mediate this relation. Gender differences in the ways SES and stress are related may exist.

Physical and psychosocial work environment factors and their association with health outcomes in Danish ambulance personnel - a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Reviews of the literature on the health and work environment of ambulance personnel have indicated an increased risk of work-related health problems in this occupation. The aim of this study was to compare health status and exposure to different work environmental factors among ambulance personnel and the core work force in Denmark. In addition, to examine the association between physical and psychosocial work environment factors and different measures of health among ambulance personnel. METHODS: Data were taken from a nationwide sample of ambulance personnel and fire fighters (n = 1,691) and was compared to reference samples of the Danish work force. The questionnaire contained measures of physical and psychosocial work environment as well as measures of musculoskeletal pain, mental health, self-rated health and sleep quality. RESULTS: Ambulance personnel have half the prevalence of poor self-rated health compared to the core work force (5% vs. 10%). Levels of mental health were the same across the two samples whereas a substantially higher proportion of the ambulance personnel reported musculoskeletal pain (42% vs. 29%). The ambulance personnel had higher levels of emotional demands and meaningfulness of and commitment to work, and substantially lower levels of quantitative demands and influence at work. Only one out of ten aspects of physical work environment was consistently associated with higher levels of musculoskeletal pain. Emotional demands was the only psychosocial work factor that was associated with both poorer mental health and worse sleep quality. CONCLUSIONS: Ambulance personnel have similar levels of mental health but substantially higher levels of musculoskeletal pain than the work force in general. They are more exposed to emotional demands and these demands are associated with higher levels of poor mental health and poor sleep quality. To improve work environment, attention should be paid to musculoskeletal problems and the presence of positive organizational support mechanisms that can prevent negative effects from the high levels of emotional demands.

Quantitative HPLC-ICP-MS analysis of antimony redox speciation in complex sample matrices: new insights into the Sb-chemistry causing poor chromatographic recoveries.

In solution antimony exists either in the pentavalent or trivalent oxidation state. As Sb(III) is more toxic than Sb(V), it is important to be able to perform a quantitative speciation analysis of Sb's oxidation state. The most commonly applied chromatographic methods used for this redox speciation analysis do, however, often show a low chromatographic Sb recovery when samples of environmental or biological origin are analysed. In this study we explored basal chemistry of antimony and found that formation of macromolecules, presumably oligomeric and polymeric Sb(V) species, is the primary cause of low chromatographic recoveries. A combination of HPLC-ICP-MS, AFFF-ICP-MS and spin-filtration was applied for analysis of model compounds and biological samples. Quantitative chromatographic Sb redox speciation analysis was possible by acidic hydrolysis of the antimony polymers prior to analysis. Sample treatment procedures were studied and the optimum solution was acidic hydrolysis by 1 M HCl in the presence of chelating ligands (EDTA, citrate), which stabilise the trivalent oxidation state of Sb.

Incidence of work injuries amongst Danish adolescents and their association with work environment factors.

BACKGROUND: The objective was to examine the incidence of work accidents that required medical attention among Danish adolescents and to identify possible work environment factors associated with such accidents. METHODS: We collected information in two questionnaire rounds (2004 and 2007) from a birth cohort comprising all adolescents born in 1989 (n = 3,687) living in Ringkjøbing County, Denmark. The questionnaire contained items on self-reported number of accidents and number of working hours in both rounds and on work environment factors in the second round. RESULTS: Approximately 5% of the adolescents who held a job, experienced a work injury at the age of 17. This equals an incidence of 65 accidents per million working hours. Most adolescents had decent working conditions, although nearly half reported that their work was heavy, monotonous or psychologically demanding. Heavy work, high psychological demands and low social support increased the risk of experiencing work injuries after adjustment for a number of factors. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of work injuries among adolescents appears to be higher than the incidence among their older colleagues. Lack of social support from management significantly raised adolescents' risk of experiencing a work injury. This suggests that more direct supervision may be a good way of preventing accidents in this age group.

The Effect of Colistin Treatment on the Selection of Colistin-Resistant Escherichia coli in Weaner Pigs.

The treatment of diarrhea in the postweaning period is a common reason for the use of antimicrobials in pig production, and Escherichia coli is the single most important causative agent for this condition. Colistin has recently been classified as a critically important antimicrobial for human health, as it is a last-resort drug against certain multi-drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Therefore, the use of colistin has been significantly reduced in some countries, including Denmark. Despite this, the drug is still commonly used to treat diarrhea in pigs in many countries, and there is a need to understand the risks associated with this practice. We performed a prospective cohort study to investigate the effect of colistin treatment on the changes in the average minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) in commensal E. coli in a pig herd where no colistin-resistant bacteria were detectable before treatment. One group of pigs was batch treated with colistin after the clinical observation of diarrhea, one group was batch treated with colistin approximately 10 days before the expected onset of diarrhea, and a control group was not treated with colistin but provided with nonantimicrobial antidiarrheal feed supplement. Treatment with colistin in the dose and time combinations used did not result in a significant increase in the average colistin MIC values in E. coli. Moreover, no E. coli strains showed a MIC above the breakpoint of >2 mg/L against colistin. Co-selection of resistance to other antimicrobials was not observed.

Elevated antimony concentrations in commercial juices.

Antimony concentrations up to a factor of 2.7 above the EU limit for drinking water were found in commercial juices and may either be leached from the packaging material or introduced during manufacturing, pointing out the need for further research on the area.