Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the influence of age and injury mechanism on cervical spine tolerance to injury from head contact loading using survival analysis.
Methods: This study analyzed data from previously conducted experiments using post mortem human subjects (PMHS). Group A tests used the upright intact head–cervical column experimental model. The inferior end of the specimen was fixed, the head was balanced by a mechanical system, and natural lordosis was removed. Specimens were placed on a testing device via a load cell. The piston applied loading at the vertex region. Spinal injuries were identified using medical images. Group B tests used the inverted head–cervical column experimental model. In one study, head–T1 specimens were fixed distally, and C7–T1 joints were oriented anteriorly, preserving lordosis. Torso mass of 16 kg was added to the specimen. In another inverted head–cervical column study, occiput–T2 columns were obtained, an artificial head was attached, T1–T2 was fixed, C4–C5 disc was maintained horizontal in the lordosis posture, and C7–T1 was unconstrained. The specimens were attached to the drop test carriage carrying a torso mass of 15 kg. A load cell at the inferior end measured neck loads in both studies. Axial neck force and age were used as the primary response variable and covariate to derive injury probability curves using survival analysis.
Results: Group A tests showed that age is a significant (P < .05) and negative covariate; that is, increasing age resulted in decreasing force for the same risk. Injuries were mainly vertebral body fractures and concentrated at one level, mid-to-lower cervical spine, and were attributed to compression-related mechanisms. However, age was not a significant covariate for the combined data from group B tests. Both group B tests produced many soft tissue injuries, at all levels, from C1 to T1. The injury mechanism was attributed to mainly extension. Multiple and noncontiguous injuries occurred. Injury probability curves, ±95% confidence intervals, and normalized confidence interval sizes representing the quality of the mean curve are given for different data sets.
Conclusions: For compression-related injuries, specimen age should be used as a covariate or individual specimen data may be prescaled to derive risk curves. For distraction- or extension-related injuries, however, specimen age need not be used as a covariate in the statistical analysis. The findings from these tests and survival analysis indicate that the age factor modulates human cervical spine tolerance to impact injury. 相似文献
Metals have rapidly accumulated in the anthroposphere, especiallyin urban areas, indicating possible environmental and resource problems. Here, Stockholm City was chosen for a case study of urban metal flows, i.e. metal inflow to, metals in the stock of,and metal outflow from the anthroposphere to the biosphere. Themetal stock of Stockholm is large and still growing. The large amounts of metals in the solid waste fraction totally dominatethe outflow from the city. For major parts of the stock, the emissions from goods in use are negligible. There are, however,goods applications corresponding to significant emissions: e.g. the traffic sector (Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni, Pb), the tapwater system (Cu), roofs/fronts or other metal surfaces (Cu, Zn). Today's known metal flows from the anthroposphere of Stockholm to the biosphere and sewage sludge are quantitatively dominated by Zn(34 ton y-1) and Cu (14 ton y-1). Historical and present emissions have resulted in high metal concentrations insediments (especially Cd, Hg and Pb, but also Cu and Zn), groundwater (Cu, Hg) and in soils (Hg, Cu, Pb). At present theannual median concentrations are below the Swedish limits for metals in sewage sludge, even if the safety margins aresmall for Cd, Hg and to some extent Cu. The flows of Cu and Zn to Stockholm soils are high with a significant accumulationindicating an environmental impact in a longer time perspective.High levels of metals in surface sediments in the waterenvironments reflects an ongoing input where these metals aretransported from known (Cu, Zn) and or partly unknown (Cd, Hg, Pb) sources. In future urban areas, monitoring of metal flows must be performed both in the anthroposphere and the biospherein order to have a pro active approach to urban environmentalproblems and to get prompt answers to measures taken. 相似文献
Based on available literature data of [NO2−], steady-state [·OH], and ·OH generation rate upon nitrate photolysis in environmental aqueous samples under sunlight, the
steady-state [·NO2], could be calculated. Interestingly, one to two orders of magnitude more ·NO2 would be formed in photochemical processes in atmospheric water droplets compared to transfer from the gas phase. The relative
importance of nitrite oxidation compared to nitrate photolysis as an ·NO2 source would be higher in atmospheric than in surface waters. The calculated levels of ·NO2 could lead to substantial transformation of phenol into nitrophenols in both atmospheric and surface waters. 相似文献
Carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfide budgets are derived for the Black Sea water column from a coupled physical-biogeochemical model. The model is applied in the deep part of the sea and simulates processes over the whole water column including the anoxic layer that extends from ?115 m to the bottom (?2000 m). The biogeochemical model involves a refined representation of the Black Sea foodweb from bacteria to gelatinous carnivores. It includes notably a series of biogeochemical processes typical for oxygen deficient conditions with, for instance, bacterial respiration using different types of oxidants (i.e denitrification, sulfate reduction), the lower efficiency of detritus degradation, the ANAMMOX (ANaerobic AMMonium OXidation) process and the occurrence of particular redox reactions. The model has been calibrated and validated against all available data gathered in the Black Sea TU Ocean Base and this exercise is described in Gregoire et al. (2008). In the present paper, we focus on the biogeochemical flows produced by the model and we compare model estimations with the measurements performed during the R.V. KNORR expedition conducted in the Black Sea from April to July 1988 (Murray and the Black Sea Knorr Expedition, 1991). Model estimations of hydrogen sulfide oxidation, metal sulfide precipitation, hydrogen sulfide formation in the sediments and water column, export flux to the anoxic layer and to the sediments, denitrification, primary and bacterial production are in the range of field observations.With a simulated Gross Primary Production (GPP) of 7.9 mol C m−2 year−1 and a Community Respiration (CR) of 6.3 mol C m−2 year−1, the system is net autotrophic with a Net Community Production (NCP) of 1.6 mol C m−2 year−1. This NCP corresponds to 20% of the GPP and is exported to the anoxic layer. In order to model Particulate Organic Matter (POM) fluxes to the bottom and hydrogen sulfide profiles in agreement with in situ observations, we have to consider that the degradation of POM in anoxic conditions is less efficient that in oxygenated waters as it has often been observed (see discussion in Hedges et al., 1999). The vertical POM profile produced by the model can be fitted to the classic power function describing the oceanic carbon rate (CR=Z−α) using an attenuation coefficient α of 0.36 which is the value proposed for another anoxic environment (i.e. the Mexico Margin) by Devol and Hartnett (2001). Due to the lower efficiency of detritus degradation in anoxic conditions and to the aggregation of particles that enhanced the sinking, an important part of the export to the anoxic layer (i.e. 33%, 0.52 mol C m−2 year−1) escapes remineralization in the water column and reaches the sediments. Therefore, sediments are active sites of sulfide production contributing to 26% of the total sulfide production.In the upper layer, the oxygen dynamics is mainly governed by photosynthesis and respiration processes as well as by air-sea exchanges. ?71% of the oxygen produced by phytoplankton (photosynthesis+nitrate reduction) is lost through respiration, ?21% by outgasing to the atmosphere, ?5% through nitrification and only ?2% in the oxidation of reduced components (e.g. Mn2+, Fe2+, H2S).The model estimates the amount of nitrogen lost through denitrification at 307 mmol N m−2 year−1 that can be partitioned into a loss of ?55% through the use of nitrate for the oxidation of detritus in low oxygen conditions, ?40% in the ANAMMOX process and the remaining ?5% in the oxidation of reduced substances by nitrate.In agreement with data analysis performed on long time series collected since the 1960s (Konovalov and Murray, 2001), the sulfide and nitrogen budgets established for the anoxic layer are not balanced in response to the enhanced particle fluxes induced by eutrophication: the NH4 and H2S concentrations increase. 相似文献