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AbstractIntroduction: Chlorine gas can be toxic when inhaled or absorbed at high concentrations through the skin. It can cause pulmonary edema, pulmonary inflammation, respiratory failure, and potentially death. Monitoring chlorine exposure helps in determining treatment regimens and may inform safeguards, such as personal protective equipment and ventilation systems. Therefore, verification of chlorine exposure is crucial to protecting human health. This has led to identification of multiple biomarkers of Cl2 exposure with associated innovations in methods of analysis to monitor these markers. Materials and methods: In this review of the last 30 years of literature, biomarkers and associated methods of detection for the determination of chlorine exposure from biological samples are detailed and critically evaluated. Results and discussion: From the 36 included studies, the most useful biomarkers for Cl2 exposure include tyrosine adducts, chlorohydrin, chloro-fatty-acids, chloro-fatty-aldehydes, and chloro-fatty-alcohols. The most common sample preparation methods for these markers are hydrolysis and extraction and the most common analysis techniques are chromatographic separation with mass spectrometric detection. Conclusion: The findings of this review emphasize the need for continued research into biomarkers and stronger evaluation of proposed analytical methods, including validation, to allow more appropriate comparison, which will ultimately improve patient outcomes.

A new technique, ice concentration linked with extractive stirrer (ICECLES), provides highly efficient isolation of trace compounds from aqueous samples. ICECLES combines freeze concentration with stir-bar sorptive extraction into a seamless analytical extraction methodology. This month, we discuss how to perform this relatively simple technique, and discuss its advantages and limitations., Development of ice concentration linked with extractive stirrer (ICECLES) started, as many of my ideas start, with a modified scientific method, as described below. Step 1: Observe an event and [...]

The article discusses the upcoming USA Lacrosse Foundation Gala, which is a key fundraiser for USA Lacrosse. The gala aims to support the organization's mission of fueling the growth of lacrosse. Last year's gala raised $760,000, and this year's event will honor two legendary coaches, Kevin Corrigan and Cindy Timchal. Corrigan, the head coach at Notre Dame, has led his team to great success, while Timchal is the winningest coach in NCAA Division I lacrosse history. The gala will take place on June 5th in New York City. [Extracted from the article]

The direct analysis of cyanide (HCN or CN–inclusively symbolized as CN) to confirm exposure has major limitations due to cyanide’s volatility, reactivity, and short half-life in biological fluids. These limitations have led to the exploration of cyanide detoxification products for indirect verification of cyanide exposure. Although cyanide interacts strongly with sulfur-containing molecules, to date, biomarkers resulting from the interaction of cyanide with glutathione (GSH; i.e., a biologically abundant sulfur-donating biomolecule) have yet to be discovered. In this study, we studied the interaction of CN and GSH to produce 2-aminothiazoline-4-oxoaminoethanioc acid (ATOEA). An LC–MS/MS method was developed and validated to analyze ATOEA from plasma, producing a linear range of 0.5–50 μM, a limit of detection of 200 nM, and excellent precision and accuracy. ATOEA concentrations were significantly elevated in the plasma of animals following cyanide exposure. Moreover, the production of ATOEA from cyanide exposure was confirmed by detection of both ATOEA and ATOEA-13C15N in rabbit plasma (N= 11 animals) following administration of NaCN:K13C15N (1:1), with a similar amount of ATOEA and ATOEA-13C15N formed (R2= 0.9924, p< 0.05). The concentration of ATOEA increased with cyanide dose and then decreased rapidly when an antidote was administrated. This study definitively showed that ATOEA is produced from interaction of CN and GSH and can serve as a biomarker of cyanide exposure.

In this study, ZrO2surface modified ZnO/TiO2composite film is adapted as photoanode in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and compared with un-passivated ZnO/TiO2DSSC performance. The performance is investigated by dark and photocurrent density–voltage ( J–V)characteristics, quantum efficiency and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The J–Vcharacteristics shows that DSSCs with ZrO2surface passivation produces significantly high open-circuit voltage of 0.87 V, short-circuit current density of 13.6 mA cm−2, fill factor of 0.65 and a power conversion efficiency of ∼6.97% under simulated AM1.5 solar irradiation. The higher onset potential in the dark, larger open-circuit potential under illumination, and an enhancement in power conversion efficiency strongly suggests an efficient suppression of back electron transfer from the conduction band of the hetero-phase junctions to the oxidized species in the electrolyte as established by dark and illuminated J–Vcharacteristics. Thus, the oxidized dye molecules are readily regenerated by a redox couple dissolved in an electrolyte, allowing more photon excitation by dye molecules. The electrochemical impedance data extracts further provide additional evidence of the enhancement in photocurrent and lower charge carrier resistances observed in ZrO2/ZnO/TiO2/dye photoelectrode. With the ZrO2surface modification, main loss mechanism in the device is suppressed and backward recombination reaction is minimized.

Aim:Sulfanegen has been shown to be an effective next generation cyanide antidote in multiple animal studies. Sulfanegen detoxifies cyanide by acting as a sulfur donor, converting cyanide to thiocyanate through the enzyme 3-mercaptopyruvate (3-MP) sulfurtransferase. The current study was performed to determine the PK behavior of sulfanegen in rabbits and compare it to current US FDA-approved cyanide therapeutics. Methods:Plasma sulfanegen concentrations, as 3-MP (i.e., sulfanegen is a prodrug that converts to the active sulfur donor, 3-MP, upon administration), were monitored using LC–MS/MS following intramuscular administration of sulfanegen in rabbits. Results:Concentrations of 3-MP rapidly increased following sulfanegen administration, indicating rapid absorption and distribution of 3-MP throughout the body. Elimination of 3-MP was also relatively rapid; the calculated half-life was approximately 114 min. A one-compartment model with first-order distribution and elimination was used to describe the PK behavior of 3-MP. Conclusion:Overall, the PK characteristics of sulfanegen were found to be well suited for the rapid treatment of cyanide poisoning.

Sulfur mustard (SM), designated by the military as HD, is a highly toxic and dangerous vesicant that has been utilized as a chemical warfare agent since World War I. Despite SM’s extensive history, an effective antidote does not exist. The effects of SM are predominantly based on its ability to alkylate important biomolecules. Also, with the potential for a fraction of SM to remain unreacted up to days after initial contact, a window of opportunity exists for direct neutralization of unreacted SM over the days following exposure. In this study, we evaluated the structure–activity relationship of multiple nucleophilic molecules to neutralize the toxic effects of 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES), a monofunctional analogue of SM, on human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells. Cell viability, relative loss of extracellular matrix adhesions, and apoptosis caused by CEES were measured via MTT, cell–matrix adhesion (CMA), and apoptosis protein marker assays, respectively. A set of five two-carbon compounds with various functional groups served as a preliminary group of first-generation neutralizing agents to survey the correlation between mitigation of CEES’s toxic effects and functional group nucleophilicity. Apart from thioacids, which produced additive toxicity, we generally observed the trend of increasing protection from cytotoxicity with increasing nucleophilicity. We extended this treatment strategy to second-generation agents which contained advantageous structural features identified from the first-generation molecules. Our results show that methimazole (MIZ), a currently FDA-approved drug used to treat hyperthyroidism, effectively reduced cytotoxicity, increased CMA, and decreased apoptosis resulting from CEES toxicity. MIZ selectively reacts with CEES to produce 2-(2-(ethylthio)ethylthio)-1-methyl-1H-imidazole (EEMI) in media and cell lysate treatments resulting in the reduction of toxicity. Based on these results, future development of MIZ as an SM therapeutic may provide a viable approach to reduce both the immediate and long-term toxicity of SM and may also help mitigate slower developing SM toxicity due to residual intact SM.

The article focuses on the introduction of the American Development Model (ADM) by USA Hockey, a governing body for amateur ice hockey in the U.S., to address the athletic experience of children and the launch of the Lacrosse Athlete Development Model (LADM) by the U.S. Lacrosse.

The article offers information on the top 20 lacrosse teams of the "Lacrosse Magazine" (LM) in the U.S., along with their rankings, coaching staff, and scoring offense, which include Maryland, North Carolina, and Syracuse.

The article discusses the legacy left by National Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee lacrosse coach Diane Geppi-Aikens for the college lacrosse game.

The article offers information related to lacrosse in Denver, Colorado. It mentions the Federation of International Lacrosse World Championship to be held at the Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Colorado from July 9-19, 2014. It also features several amusements in Denver which include the Denver Zoo which consists of African and Asian animals, the Denver Art Museum and Clyfford Still Museum, and the Red Rocks Park &Amphitheatre.

Cyanide is highly toxic and is present in many foods, combustion products (e.g. cigarette smoke), industrial processes, and has been used as a terrorist weapon. In this study, cyanide and its major metabolites, thiocyanate and 2-amino-2-thiazoline-4-carboxylic acid (ATCA), were analyzed from various human biofluids of smokers (low-level chronic cyanide exposure group) and non-smokers to gain insight into the relationship of these biomarkers to cyanide exposure. The concentrations of each biomarker tested were elevated for smokers in each biofluid. Significant differences (p< 0.05) were found for thiocyanate in plasma and urine, and ATCA showed significant differences in plasma and saliva. Additionally, biomarker concentration ratios, correlations between markers of cyanide exposure, and other statistical methods were performed to better understand the relationship between cyanide and its metabolites. Of the markers studied, the results indicate plasma ATCA, in particular, showed excellent promise as a biomarker for chronic low-level cyanide exposure.

The reaction of cyanide (CN−) with cystine to produce 2-aminothiazoline-4-carboxylic acid (ATCA) is one of the independent detoxification pathways of cyanide in biological systems. In this report, in vivoproduction of ATCA and its distributions in plasma and organs were studied after a subcutaneous sublethal dose of 4 mg/kg body weight potassium cyanide (KCN) administration to rats. At this sublethal dose of KCN, ATCA concentration was not significantly increased in the plasma samples, however, it was found significantly increased in liver samples. These results suggested that ATCA might not be a good diagnostic biomarker in plasma for sublethal cyanide exposure; however, liver could serve as the right organ for the detection of ATCA in post-mortem examinations involving cyanide exposure in military, firefighting, industrial and forensic settings.

The article focuses on US Lacrosse Inc. and its rules changes for 2012. According to the company's president and chief executive officer (CEO) Steve Stenersen, US Lacrosse is a young organization wherein the way the game is taught, played, coached are done differently. It mentions several changes in the rules of US Lacrosse which include full checking at U15 girls' lacrosse game, reduced-size playing field at U9, U11 levels, and the eliminiation of deputy or a defensive player.

The article highlights the significant roles of sophomore attacker Maddie Garcia and Hayley Bernstein in the victory of the Colorado State University (CSU) in the 2011 U.S. Lacrosse Women's Collegiate Lacrosse Associates (WCLA) Division I National Championship. Garcia, with her defensive play, helped delivered the championship title played against the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA), while Bernstein earned the Most Outstandng Player honors for her performance. Credit is also given to coach Anna Pranger for helping guide the CSU lacrosse team.

The article elaborates on the victory of Colorado State University women's lacrosse team over California Polytechnic State University in the Women's Division Intercollegiate Associates (WDIA) National Championship game on May 8, 2010 at the Scottsdale Sports Complex in Arizona. Among the players who dominated the game are Annette Greenberg and Katie Nepil, who was named the outstanding midfielder of the WDIA tournament.

The article presents a discussion of "Lacrosse Magazine's" trip around the U.S., stopping at Division I colleges that could add lacrosse in their program in the near future. Varsity lacrosse could make sense in Davidson College, North Carolina, a very desirable place to recruit to. Another stop is DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois where there is no football program that could compete with lacrosse. University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut, which fielded a varsity men's lacrosse team, could make a return.