Burst fractures of the lumbar spine in frontal crashes

Background

In the United States, major compression and burst type fractures (>20% height loss) of the lumbar spine occur as a result of motor vehicle crashes, despite the improvements in restraint technologies. Lumbar burst fractures typically require an axial compressive load and have been known to occur during a non-horizontal crash event that involve high vertical components of loading. Recently these fracture patterns have also been observed in pure horizontal frontal crashes. This study sought to examine the contributing factors that would induce an axial compressive force to the lumbar spine in frontal motor vehicle crashes.

Methods

We searched the National Automotive Sampling System (NASS, 1993–2011) and Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN, 1996–2012) databases to identify all patients with major compression lumbar spine (MCLS) fractures and then specifically examined those involved in frontal crashes. National trends were assessed based on weighted NASS estimates. Using a case–control study design, NASS and CIREN cases were utilized and a conditional logistic regression was performed to assess driver and vehicle characteristics. CIREN case studies and biomechanical data were used to illustrate the kinematics and define the mechanism of injury.

Results

During the study period 132 NASS cases involved major compression lumbar spine fractures for all crash directions. Nationally weighted, this accounted for 800 cases annually with 44% of these in horizontal frontal crashes. The proportion of frontal crashes resulting in MCLS fractures was 2.5 times greater in late model vehicles (since 2000) as compared to 1990s models. Belted occupants in frontal crashes had a 5 times greater odds of a MCLS fracture than those not belted, and an increase in age also greatly increased the odds. In CIREN, 19 cases were isolated as horizontal frontal crashes and 12 of these involved a major compression lumbar burst fracture primarily at L1. All were belted and almost all occurred in late model vehicles with belt pretensioners and buckets seats.

Conclusion

Major compression burst fractures of the lumbar spine in frontal crashes were induced via a dynamic axial force transmitted to the pelvis/buttocks into the seat cushion/pan involving belted occupants in late model vehicles with increasing age as a significant factor.     

Influence of Diet on Fecundity, Immune Defense and Content of 2-Isopropyl-3-Methoxypyrazine in Harmonia axyridis Pallas

Food type can affect all functional aspects of an insect's life. We investigated the effects of different diet regimes on life history parameters of the ladybird beetle Harmonia axyridis. Furthermore, we tested the importance of elytral color, sex, and diet on chemical and immune defense in this species. We also compared hemolymph from cohorts of H. axyridis and Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) fed different diets to examine effects on the 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (IPMP) content in these beetles. No effects of diet on the duration of larval development and on adult weight were found. We detected, however, significantly higher fecundity and oviposition rates when female H. axyridis were reared on pea aphids than when reared on eggs of Ephestia kuehniella. Males and females did not differ in their immune response. Elytral color affected both immune defense and chemical defense. The antimicrobial activity of the hemolymph differed only when morphotypes were tested against E. coli. Moreover, we observed an effect of elytral pigmentation on IPMP content. The succinea 2 type (orange without dots) had the lowest IPMP content in two out of three feeding regimes compared to the succinea 1 (orange with dots) type. Depending on diet, IPMP contents differed in both species leading to higher contents either in H. axyridis or C. septempunctata. Furthermore, aphid species ingested during larval development significantly affected IPMP content in adult beetles. These results implicate new aspects for risk assessment of H. axyridis in viticulture.     

Selective Recognition of Substituted Chrysene-Diol Epoxide-2-DNA Adducts by Antiserum prepared Against DNA Adducts of Benzo[c]Phenanthrene-Diol Epoxide-2

Polyclonal antiserum prepared against DNA that was modified with racemic benzo[c]phenanthrene-3,4-diol-1,2-epoxide-2 (B[c]PhDE-2; benzylic hydroxyl and epoxide oxygen trans) was characterized for specificity of antigen recognition. Previous studies have demonstrated that the antisera stereoselectively recognized B[c]PhDE-2-DNA and failed to recognize DNA modified with racemic benzo[c]phenanthrene-3,4-diol-1,2-epoxide-1 (B[c]PhDE-1-DNA, benzylic hydroxyl and epoxide oxygen cis), benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9, 10-epoxide-2-DNA (B[a]PDE-2-DNA) and 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-3,4-diol-1,2-epoxide-1-DNA (DMBADE-1-DNA). DNA samples modified by diol-epoxide-2 diastereomers of several hydrocarbons were tested in competitive ELISA assays utilizing B[c]PhDE-2-DNA (270 fmol adducts per well). DNA modified with racemic diol-epoxide-2 of various substituted chrysenes (including chrysene, benzo[g]chrysene (B[g]C), 6-methylchrysene (6-MeC), and 5-methychrysene (5-MeC), gave 50% inhibition of antisera binding at significantly higher concentrations (5 to 7-fold) than the parent B[c]PhDE-2-DNA or 5,6-diMeCDE-DNA. DNA modified with 5,7-dimethylchryseneDE-2 (5,7-diMeCDE-2) and dibenzo[a,l]pyreneDE-2 (DB[a,l] PDE-2) required 20 and > 100-fold greater levels of adducts to give 50% inhibition. Results with B[c]Pb, 5,6-diMeC, chrysene, 6-MeC and 5-MeC diol epoxide-2-DNA     

Correction of susceptibility-induced GRE phase shift for accurate PRFS thermometry proximal to cryoablation iceball

Introduction  

The susceptibility contrast between frozen and unfrozen tissue disturbs the local magnetic field in the proximity of the ice-ball during cryotherapy. This effect should be corrected for in real time to allow PRFS-based monitoring of near-zero temperatures during intervention.     

Fast photochemical oxidation of proteins for epitope mapping

The growing use of monoclonal antibodies as therapeutics underscores the importance of epitope mapping as an essential step in characterizing antibody-antigen complexes. The use of protein footprinting coupled with mass spectrometry, which is emerging as a tool in structural biology, offers opportunities to map antibody-binding regions of antigens. We report here the use of footprinting via fast photochemical oxidation of proteins (FPOP) with OH radicals to characterize the epitope of the serine protease thrombin. The data correlate well with previously published results that determined the epitope of thrombin. This study marks the first time oxidative labeling has been used for epitope mapping.     

Finite Element Modeling to Predict Cure-Induced Microcracking in Three-Dimensional Woven Composites

Realistic finite element models of 3D woven composites are constructed utilizing micro-scale numerical modeling to accurately represent the geometry of as-woven textile fabrics. The models are used to predict microcracking of carbon fiber / epoxy composites during resin curing. Numerical predictions of the stress concentration areas correlate well with the observations of microcracking obtained by micro-computed tomography.     

Physical characterization of a self‐healing dental restorative material

The objectives of this study were to determine the efficacy of self‐healing a highly filled composite and to investigate the physical properties of a model dental compound formulated to autonomically heal cracks. A visible light cured model resin consisting of TEGMA : UDMA : BisGMA (1 : 1 : 1) at 45% w/w with silane 0.7 μ glass was formulated with a self‐healing system consisting of encapsulated dicyclopentadiene and Grubbs' catalyst. The base resin was also formulated and characterized with the microcapsules alone, Grubbs' catalyst alone, and no healing additives. Fracture toughness (K_Ic) was assessed using single edge notch specimens in three‐point bend (n = 12). Data was analyzed with ANOVA/Tukey's at p ≤ 0.05. DMA was performed from ?140 to 250°C at 2°/min and 1 Hz. Storage and loss modulus, T_g and tan δ, was recorded for each material. The self‐healing material was loaded to failure, was left to sit for 7 days and then loaded a second time to failure to determine healing in the material. These specimens had a K_Ic = 0.69 ± 0.072 for a 57% average recovery rate of the original fracture toughness. The fracture toughness of the self‐healing material was statistically similar to the control. The modulus decreased in the composites with encapsulated dicyclopentadiene. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

How the coarse fraction influences the microstructure and the effective thermal conductivity of alumina castables – An experimental and numerical study

This study investigates the particle size distribution's effect on the microstructure and effective thermal conductivity (ETC) of alumina castables. The ETC was measured by the transient plane source method and predicted numerically based on a two-scale model describing the structure on a fine and coarse scale. The prediction considered particle and pore size distributions, porosity (around 20%) and grain morphology. The microstructure was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. For a constant fines content, increasing the coarse grain fraction while decreasing the medium fraction enhanced sintering of the matrix. Small pores (≤250 nm) increased the sintering activity. The densest castable contained the most small pores. The particles’ and pores’ contributions to the sintering activity led to intensified microcracking and a decreased ETC. The numerical model did not consider constituents ≤500 nm like the small pores and microcracks and the calculated ETC values consequently deviated from the measured values.     

Kontextadaptivit?t in kooperativen ubiquit?ren Umgebungen: Herausforderungen und Ans?tze

Kooperative ubiquit?re Umgebungen zielen darauf ab, sich geschmeidig an die im Raum anwesenden Benutzerinnen und Benutzer und deren Interaktionen mit der Umgebung sowie deren sozialer Interaktion miteinander anzupassen. Diese Kontextadaptivit?t bietet gro?en Nutzen, zieht aber auch neue Herausforderungen an Konzepte und Technologien nach sich. Der vorliegende Artikel charakterisiert verschiedene historische Fokusse und Ans?tze und leiten daraus Herausforderungen ab. Darüber hinaus werden einige eigene Ans?tze zu deren Begegnung vorgestellt.     

Performance prediction for OFDMA systems with dynamic power and subcarrier allocation

It is well known that channel-dependent OFDMA resource assignment algorithms provide a significant performance improvement compared to static (i.e., channel-unaware) approaches. Such dynamic algorithms constantly adapt resource assignments to current channel states according to some objective function. Due to these dynamics, it is difficult to predict the resulting performance for such schemes given a certain scenario (characterized by the number of terminals in the cell and their average channel gains). In this paper we provide a novel, analytical framework for performance prediction, which takes dynamic power and subcarrier allocation into account. The analysis is based on fundamental transformations of the channel gains caused by the dynamic subcarrier allocations. This insight allows for deriving probability functions of the achieved rate per subcarrier which ultimately yields expressions for the expected minimal rates as well as outage probabilities for certain rate demands. Hence, the methods presented in this paper for performance prediction can be employed for admission control in systems with dynamic resource allocation. We illustrate the applicability of our derivations with respect to the capacity of 802.16e systems for Voice-over-IP and video streams. The results demonstrate a significant improvement compared to state-of-the art approaches but also reveal room for improvement of this approach compared to the optimal system performance.