Objective: To assess the differences in the types of injuries sustained by surfboard and bodyboard riders and to identify common mechanisms of injury. Methods: Subjects were prospectively recruited to the study on presentation to one of the six hospital emergency departments. Consented subjects completed a questionnaire while in the emergency departments. Data regarding radiological investigations undertaken and their findings were collected retrospectively. Results: A total of 224 males and 28 females in the surfing group and 14 males in the bodyboard group were recruited. In surfers, the most common injured body parts were the head/face (115; 45.6%) and lower limb (69; 27.4%). Surfers were most commonly injured by a surfboard, either their own (178; 70.6%) or someone else's (18; 7.1%). Unfortunately, the small number of subjects recruited to the bodyboard group precluded meaningful comparison with the surfing group. Conclusions: The most common body part injured in surfers is the head/face compared with the lower limbs in bodyboard riders. Contact with a surfer's board (most commonly their own) is the most common cause of injury. Significant spinal fractures/injuries are sustained when the surfer (usually their head) strikes the seafloor. Head and facial fractures occur when the surfer is struck by their own board. Future research into surfboard design which incorporates softer compounds into the deck, rail, and fins is recommended. The need for local authorities and surf lifesavers to disseminate information relating to specific beaches to the general public regarding surf conditions, water depth, and the nature of the seafloor is also essential for injury prevention.

Regulation of cytosolic mRNA translation is a key node for rapid adaptation to environmental stress conditions. In yeast and animals, phosphorylation of the α-subunit of eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF2 is the most thoroughly characterized event for regulating global translation under stress. In plants, the GCN2 kinase (General Control Nonderepressible-2) is the only known kinase for eIF2α. GCN2 is activated under a variety of stresses including reactive oxygen species (ROS). Here, we provide new evidence that the GCN2 kinase in Arabidopsis is also activated rapidly and in a light-dependent manner by cold and salt treatments. These treatments alone did not repress global mRNA ribosome loading in a major way. The activation of GCN2 was accompanied by a more oxidative environment and was attenuated by inhibitors of photosynthetic electron transport, suggesting that it is gated by the redox poise or the reactive oxygen status of the chloroplast. In keeping with these results, gcn2 mutant seedlings were more sensitive than wild type to both cold and salt in a root elongation assay. These data suggest that cold and salt stress may both affect the status of the cytosolic translation apparatus via the conserved GCN2-eIF2α module. The potential role of the GCN2 kinase pathway in the global repression of translation under abiotic stress is discussed.

ABSTRACTRegulation of cytosolic mRNA translation is a key node for rapid adaptation to environmental stress conditions. In yeast and animals, phosphorylation of the α-subunit of eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF2 is the most thoroughly characterized event in regulating global translation under stress. In plants, the GCN2 kinase (General Control Non-derepressible-2) is the only known kinase for eIF2α. GCN2 is activated under a variety of stresses including reactive oxygen species. Here we provide new evidence that the GCN2 kinase in Arabidopsis is also activated rapidly and in a light dependent manner by cold and salt treatments. These treatments alone did not repress global mRNA ribosome loading in a major way. The activation of GCN2 was attenuated by inhibitors of photosynthesis and antioxidants, suggesting that it is gated by the redox poise or the reactive oxygen status of the chloroplast. In keeping with these results, gcn2 mutant seedlings were more sensitive than wild type to both cold and salt in a root elongation assay. These data suggest that cold and salt stress may both affect the status of the cytosolic translation apparatus via the conserved GCN2-eIF2α module. The potential role of the GCN2 kinase pathway in the global repression of translation under abiotic stress will be discussed.