Development of brake activity measurement method for heavy-duty vehicles.

Tailpipe PM (particulate matter) emissions have been reduced due to decades of tightening regulations, however non-tailpipe PM emissions are not regulated and are expected to become a significant source of traffic-related PM emissions. Previous studies have focused on emission measurement from laboratory and track tests. Their findings suggest brake wear PM emission rates are dependent on brake activity. Therefore, it is important to characterize brake emissions by first understanding the real-world brake activity from many different vehicle vocations and driving conditions. The goal of the current study is to establish a test method and analysis for brake activity measurements of heavy-duty vehicles. In this study, brake fluid pressure and brake pad temperature were measured for a heavy-duty vehicle during chassis and on-road driving tests. The chassis tests consisted of the Central Business District (CBD) cycle representative of a repetitive stop-and-go driving pattern of a bus, and the Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule (UDDS) cycle representative of urban driving conditions of heavy-duty vehicles. The on-road tests consisted of a local Riverside City route focused on urban roads at low vehicle speeds with frequent braking, while the second route from Riverside City to Victorville focused on highway driving and downhill braking. The brake pad temperature of the triplicate CBD cycle gradually increased linearly with a slope of 2.3°C/min and the temperature per kinetic energy lost during braking increased by 2.3 × 10-5°C/J for the CBD cycle. The UDDS cycles had the largest kinetic energy loss between 3.2 × 103 to 3.0 × 105 J in the histogram. The local Riverside city route brake temperature increased by 2.0°C/min. The kinetic energy loss for the on-road tests were one order of magnitude larger than that of the dynamometer tests due to brake events occurring under higher speeds.Implications: The non-tailpipe source contributions to traffic related particulate matter (PM) emissions have surpassed that of tailpipe emissions. The results of this work provide a measurement method to obtain brake activity information for a heavy-duty vehicle, which is critical estimating emission inventory accurately.

Resistance Exercise Increases Gastrointestinal Symptoms, Markers of Gut Permeability, and Damage in Resistance-Trained Adults.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the influence of acute resistance exercise (RE) and biological sex on subjective gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, GI epithelial damage, and GI permeability in resistance-trained males and females. METHODS: Thirty resistance-trained men ( n = 15) and women ( n = 15) completed an RE bout and a nonexercise control (CON) session in a randomized counterbalanced design. The RE protocol used a load of 70% one-repetition maximum for 4 sets of 10 repetitions with a 90-s rest period length between sets and a 120-s rest period between exercises (squat, seated shoulder press, deadlift, bent-over row, and leg press). Blood samples were collected before exercise (PRE), immediately postexercise (IP), and 15-, 30-, and 60-min postexercise. Participants completed GI symptom questionnaires to assess subjective GI symptoms PRE, IP, and 60-min postexercise. Blood samples were assayed to quantify small intestine damage (I-FABP) and GI permeability (lactulose-rhamnose [L/R] ratio). Data were analyzed via separate repeated-measures ANOVA, and area under the curve (AUC) analyses were completed via one-way ANOVA. RESULTS: Participants reported greater GI symptoms in RE at IP compared with CON ( P < 0.001) with 70% of participants reporting at least one GI symptom with no differences between sexes. Nausea was the most reported GI symptom (63.3%), followed by vomiting (33.3%). I-FABP and L/R ratio did not exhibit differential responses between conditions. However, L/R ratio AUC was greater in males after RE than male CON ( P = 0.002) and both conditions for females ( P < 0.05). Furthermore, I-FABP AUC in the male RE condition was greater than both female conditions ( P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Resistance-trained individuals experience GI distress after RE, with males incurring the greatest increases in markers of GI damage and permeability.

Serum Biomarkers of Disease Activity in Longitudinal Assessment of Patients with ANCA-Associated Vasculitis.

OBJECTIVE: Improved biomarkers of current disease activity and prediction of relapse are needed in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV). For clinical relevance, biomarkers must perform well longitudinally in patients on treatment and in patients with nonsevere flares. METHODS: Twenty-two proteins were measured in 347 serum samples from 74 patients with AAV enrolled in a clinical trial. Samples were collected at Month 6 after remission induction, then every 3 months until Month 18, or at the time of flare. Associations of protein concentrations with concurrent disease activity and with future flare were analyzed using mixed-effects models, Cox proportional hazards models, and conditional logistic regression. RESULTS: Forty-two patients had flares during the 12-month follow-up period, and 32 remained in remission. Twenty-two patients had severe flares. Six experimental markers (CXCL13, IL-6, IL-8, IL-15, IL-18BP, and matrix metalloproteinase-3 [MMP-3]) and ESR were associated with disease activity using all three methods (P < 0.05, with P < 0.01 in at least one method). A rise in IL-8, IL-15, or IL-18BP was associated temporally with flare. Combining C-reactive protein (CRP), IL-18BP, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and sIL-2Rα improved association with active AAV. CXCL13 and MMP-3 were increased during treatment with prednisone, independent of disease activity. Marker concentrations during remission were not predictive of future flare. CONCLUSION: Serum biomarkers of inflammation and tissue damage and repair have been previously shown to be strongly associated with severe active AAV were less strongly associated with active AAV in a longitudinal study that included mild flares and varying treatment. Markers rising contemporaneously with flare or with an improved association in combination merit further study.

Creating the Components for Teaching Concepts.

An important dimension of Direct Instruction (DI) programs involves teaching conceptual behavior related to broadly applicable generalizations of a content domain. The current article outlines the necessary components for teaching a concept in any domain. The first step (1) is to conduct a concept analysis of the critical features that define the concept, as well as the features that vary from instance to instance of the concept. From this prescription we must (2) develop a range of typical and far-out examples of the concept that illustrate both the critical and variable features, (3) develop a minimum rational set of close-in nonexamples of the concept, each of which is missing only one critical feature, (4) develop matched example/nonexample pairs to highlight the critical feature missing in each example, and (5) develop additional examples and nonexamples that may be needed to produce the desired discriminations. Multiple exemplar teaching is not enough. Teaching a concept this way produces generative responding to examples as well as nonexamples not presented during instruction. To assess learners' generative responding, we must (6) create another set of far-out examples and close-in nonexamples from the concept-analysis prescription. Finally, after initially acquiring conceptual behavior, learners must (7) practice with additional far-out examples and close-in nonexamples. Once these components are created, a teacher is ready to develop an instructional sequence featuring tasks that include context-setting descriptions, rules, examples, and nonexamples.

Impact of Red Spinach Extract Supplementation on Bench Press Performance, Muscle Oxygenation, and Cognitive Function in Resistance-Trained Males.

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of short-term dietary nitrate supplementation, in the form of red spinach extract (RSE), on bench press performance, muscle oxygenation, and cognitive function in resistance-trained males. Ten resistance-trained males participated in this randomized, cross-over, placebo-controlled, double-blind investigation. Each participant completed 7 days of either RSE (2 g; 180 mg NO3-) or a maltodextrin placebo (PL) in a counterbalanced fashion with a 14-day washout between treatments. During experimental visits, participants were provided their 8th and last dose of RSE or PL 40 min before completing 5 sets of the barbell bench press exercise to failure at 75% of a predetermined 1-repetition maximum with 2 min rest intervals. Mean and peak power were recorded via a linear transducer. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was implemented to estimate muscle oxygenation, a Stroop Test was used to assess cognitive function, and subjective performance ratings were obtained in relation to the acute resistance exercise sessions. Data were analyzed via separate repeated measures analyses of variance. There were no time by group interactions for bench press repetitions (p = 0.549), peak power (p = 0.061), or mean power (p = 0.877) across the 5 sets of bench press. Additionally, no significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed for any measure of muscle oxygenation, Stroop performance, or subjective performance ratings. It appears that 7 days of RSE supplementation did not alter performance, muscle oxygenation, nor Stroop scores during or following the bench press exercise in resistance-trained males.

Real-world NOx emissions from heavy-duty diesel, natural gas, and diesel hybrid electric vehicles of different vocations on California roadways.

This study assessed the real-world nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from 50 heavy-duty vehicles of different vocations and engine technologies using portable emissions measurement systems (PEMS). This is one of the most comprehensive in-use emissions studies conducted to date, which played a key role in the development of CARB's (California Air Recourses Board) updated EMission FACtor (EMFAC) model, especially for natural gas vehicles. In-use emissions testing was performed on school and transit buses, refuse haulers, goods movement vehicles, and delivery vehicles while were driven over their normal operating routes in the South Coast Air Basin. Engine technologies included diesel engines with and without selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems, compressed natural gas (CNG) engines and liquified petroleum gas (LPG) engines, and SCR-equipped diesel hybrid electric vehicles. For most vehicles, the in-use NOx emissions were higher than the certification standards for the engine. Diesel vehicles generally showed higher brake-specific NOx emissions compared to the CNG vehicles. NOx emissions were strongly dependent on the SCR temperature, with SCR temperatures below 200 °C resulting in elevate brake-specific NOx. The 0.02 g/bhp-hr certified CNG vehicles showed the largest reductions in NOx emissions. The diesel hybrid electric vehicles showed important distance-specific NOx benefits compared to the conventional diesel vehicles, but higher emissions compared to the CNG and LPG vehicles. Overall, average NOx reductions were 75%, 94%, 65%, 79%, respectively, for the 0.2 CNG, 0.02 CNG, diesel hybrid electric, and LPG vehicles compared to diesel vehicles, due in part to some diesel vehicles with particularly high emissions, indicating that the widespread implementation of advanced technology and alternative fuel vehicles could provide important NOx reductions and a path for meeting air quality targets in California and elsewhere.

Evaluating the Sensitivity and Specificity of Promising Circulating Biomarkers to Diagnose Liver Injury in Humans.

Early diagnosis of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) continues to be a major hurdle during drug development and postmarketing. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of promising biomarkers of liver injury-glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH), cytokeratin-18 (K18), caspase-cleaved K18 (ccK18), osteopontin (OPN), macrophage colony-stimulating factor (MCSF), MCSF receptor (MCSFR), and microRNA-122 (miR-122) in comparison to the traditional biomarker alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Biomarkers were evaluated individually and as a multivariate model in a cohort of acetaminophen overdose (n = 175) subjects and were further tested in cohorts of healthy adults (n = 135), patients with liver damage from various causes (n = 104), and patients with damage to the muscle (n = 74), kidney (n = 40), gastrointestinal tract (n = 37), and pancreas (n = 34). In the acetaminophen cohort, a multivariate model with GLDH, K18, and miR-122 was able to detect DILI more accurately than individual biomarkers alone. Furthermore, the three-biomarker model could accurately predict patients with liver injury compared with healthy volunteers or patients with damage to muscle, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, and kidney. Expression of K18, GLDH, and miR-122 was evaluated using a database of transcriptomic profiles across multiple tissues/organs in humans and rats. K18 mRNA (Krt18) and MiR-122 were highly expressed in liver whereas GLDH mRNA (Glud1) was widely expressed. We performed a comprehensive, comparative performance assessment of 7 promising biomarkers and demonstrated that a 3-biomarker multivariate model can accurately detect liver injury.

Maximal Strength, Muscle Activation, and Bar Velocity Comparisons Between Squatting With a Traditional or Safety Squat Bar.

ABSTRACT: Vantrease, WC, Townsend, JR, Sapp, PA, Henry, RN, and Johnson, KD. Maximal strength, muscle activation, and bar velocity comparisons between squatting with a traditional or safety squat bar. J Strength Cond Res 35(2S): S1-S5, 2021-The purpose of this study was to compare strength, muscle activation, and bar velocity between the traditional (TRAD) and safety squat bar (SSB) back squat. Thirty-two men (21.94 ± 3.1 years, 1.78 ± 0.8 m, 81.7 ± 10.1 kg) volunteered to complete this randomized, crossover-design study. Subjects completed 2 separate 1 repetition maximum (1RM) sessions using either the TRAD or SSB. Subsequently, subjects completed 1 session of 3 repetitions at 65 and 85% of their 1RM for each squat condition (SSB & TRAD). Peak muscle activation of 7 muscles from the lower body and trunk was recorded through surface electromyography (EMG), and mean velocity (MV) was recorded by a linear transducer. Electromyography and MV were analyzed by a 2 × 2 (bar × load) repeated-measures analysis of variance. A Pearson correlation was used to determine the relationship of 1RM load between bars. Squat 1RM was significantly higher (p < 0.001; 11.6%) for TRAD (144.7 kg) compared with SSB (128.8 kg), and a strong correlation (r = 0.94) was observed between 1RM values of each bar. A significant main effect was seen in EMG (p < 0.001) and MV for load (p < 0.001). No significant bar × load interaction was observed between conditions for any EMG or bar velocity measure (p > 0.05). The SSB produces similar muscle activation and bar velocities compared with the TRAD at relative intensities. However, absolute loads should be adjusted when changing squat bars during a training cycle.

Serum glutamate dehydrogenase activity enables early detection of liver injury in subjects with underlying muscle impairments.

Serum activities of alanine and aspartate aminotransferases (ALT and AST) are used as gold standard biomarkers for the diagnosis of hepatocellular injury. Since ALT and AST lack liver specificity, the diagnosis of the onset of hepatocellular injury in patients with underlying muscle impairments is severely limited. Thus, we evaluated the potential of glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) as a liver specific alternative biomarker of hepatocellular injury. In our study, serum GLDH in subjects with Duchene muscular dystrophy (DMD) was equivalent to serum GLDH in age matched healthy subjects, while serum ALT was increased 20-fold in DMD subjects. Furthermore, serum GLDH in 131 subjects with variety of muscle impairments was similar to serum GLDH of healthy subjects while serum ALT corelated with serum creatine kinase, a widely accepted biomarker of muscle impairment. In addition, significant elevations of ALT, AST, and CK were observed in a case of a patient with rhabdomyolysis, while serum GLDH stayed within the normal range until the onset of hypoxia-induced liver injury. In a mouse model of DMD (DMDmdx), serum GLDH but not serum ALT clearly correlated with the degree of acetaminophen-induced liver injury. Taken together, our data support the utility of serum GLDH as a liver-specific biomarker of liver injury that has a potential to improve diagnosis of hepatocellular injury in patients with underlying muscle impairments. In drug development, GLDH may have utility as a biomarker of drug induced liver injury in clinical trials of new therapies to treat muscle diseases such as DMD.

The MicroRNA-based Liquid Biopsy Improves Early Assessment of Lethal Acetaminophen Poisoning: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Acetaminophen overdose is the most common cause of acute liver failure. Nevertheless, new biomarker approaches enabling early prediction of the outcome of the acetaminophen overdose are needed. Recently, using next-generation sequencing analysis of serum from human study participants we uncovered injury-specific signatures of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) that represented underlying molecular mechanisms of toxicity. This case study is first to show the application of miRNA profiling to assess prognosis of acetaminophen poisoning. CASE REPORT The patient was admitted to the hospital following supra therapeutic acetaminophen ingestion. The patient showed elevated levels of biomarkers of hepatocellular injury alanine aminotransferase, aspartate transaminase, and glutamate dehydrogenase. Even though treatment with N-acetyl cysteine was initiated 24 hours post-ingestion, levels of alanine-aminotransferase and aspartate transaminase peaked at about 40 hours post ingestion of acetaminophen. We analyzed global circulating miRNA levels from 24 consecutive serum samples from this study participant covering the period from admission to time of death. CONCLUSIONS The resulting global miRNA profiles were compared with profiles from study participants with non-lethal acetaminophen poisoning and healthy controls. At the admission, the miRNA profiles of both lethal and non-lethal acetaminophen poisoning showed induction of cellular stress and oxidative damage. Later, the miRNA profiles of the lethal poisoning featured fibrosis and coagulation pathways while profiles of non-lethal cases resembled those of healthy study participants. Although additional confirmatory studies are needed, our case study is first to indicate that global miRNA profiles to be used as liquid biopsies have potential to facilitate the assessment of acetaminophen poisoning.

On-road gaseous and particulate emissions from GDI vehicles with and without gasoline particulate filters (GPFs) using portable emissions measurement systems (PEMS).

This study assessed the on-road gaseous and particulate emissions from three current technology gasoline direct injection (GDI) vehicles using portable emissions measurement systems (PEMS). Two vehicles were also retrofitted with catalyzed gasoline particulate filters (GPFs). All vehicles were exercised over four routes with different topological and environmental characteristics, representing urban, rural, highway, and high-altitude driving conditions. The results showed strong reductions in particulate mass (PM), soot mass, and particle number emissions with the use of GPFs. Particle emissions were found to be highest during urban and high-altitude driving compared to highway driving. The reduction efficiency of the GPFs ranged from 44% to 99% for overall soot mass emissions. Similar efficiencies were found for particle number and PM mass emissions. In most cases, nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions showed improvements with the catalyzed GPFs in the underfloor position with the additional catalytic volume. No significant differences were seen in carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions with the vehicles retrofitted with GPFs.

Bias, coverage, and asymptotic behaviour of random effects meta-analysis: a clinically driven simulation study.

AIMS: The study of foundational features of meta-analysis is incomplete and continues to remain important. Using simulations we study bias and coverage and the asymptotic behaviour of the DerSimonian and Laird (D&L) meta-analysis with varying trial numbers and sizes, levels of risk, and extent of treatment effects. METHODS: With simulated data we model risk of untoward events in randomized controlled trials in meta-analyses. Treatment effect is expressed as relative risk reduction, with effect size estimated by the odds ratio which is then compared with the known population odds ratio. Performance is measured as bias, standardized bias and coverage, with thresholds for desirable results being prespecified. RESULTS: Bias, standardized bias, and coverage varied substantially across meta-analyses of different trial size and number, risk mean and distribution, and relative risk reduction. Although improvements were observed with increasing trial size and number, there was widespread lack of satisfactory performance. Performance using normal risk distributions was worse compared with performance using constant or narrow uniform risk distributions. Asymptotic behaviour using very large trial numbers failed to show bias that appeared to approach zero for any distribution. CONCLUSION: The D&L random effects meta-analysis method performed modestly at best. We were unable to demonstrate asymptotic normality. These results question the validity of the random effects method. The findings need replication and extension, which, if confirmed, would warn against generic use of the D&L method.

Plasma Amino Acid Response to Whey Protein Ingestion Following 28 Days of Probiotic (Bacillus subtilis DE111) Supplementation in Active Men and Women.

We sought to determine if 28 days of probiotic supplementation influenced the plasma amino acid (AA) response to acute whey protein feeding. METHODS: Twenty-two recreationally active men (n = 11; 24.3 ± 3.2 yrs; 89.3 ± 7.2 kg) and women (n = 11; 23.0 ± 2.8 yrs; 70.2 ± 15.2 kg) participated in this double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study. Before (PRE) and after 28 days of supplementation (POST), participants reported to the lab following a 10-hr fast and provided a resting blood draw (0 min), then subsequently consumed 25 g of whey protein. Blood samples were collected at 15-min intervals for 2 h post-consumption (15-120 min) and later analyzed for plasma leucine, branched-chain AA (BCAA), essential AA (EAA), and total AA (TAA). Participants received a probiotic (PROB) consisting of 1 x10-9 colony forming units (CFU) Bacillus subtilis DE111 (n = 11) or a maltodextrin placebo (PL) (n = 11) for 28 days. Plasma AA response and area under the curve (AUC) values were analyzed via repeated measures analysis of variance. RESULTS: Our analysis indicated no significant (p < 0.05) differential responses for plasma leucine, BCAA, EAA, or TAA between PROB and PL from PRE to POST. AUC analysis revealed no group × time interaction for plasma leucine (p = 0.524), BCAA (p = 0.345), EAA (p = 0.512), and TAA (p = 0.712). CONCLUSION: These data indicate that 28 days of Bacillus subtilis DE111 does not affect plasma AA appearance following acute whey protein ingestion.

Evaluation of Potential Serum Biomarkers of Disease Activity in Diverse Forms of Vasculitis.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated potential circulating biomarkers of disease activity in giant cell arteritis (GCA), Takayasu arteritis (TA), polyarteritis nodosa (PAN), and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). METHODS: A panel of 22 serum proteins was tested in patients enrolled in the Vasculitis Clinical Research Consortium Longitudinal Studies of GCA, TA, PAN, or EGPA. Mixed models were used for most analyses. A J48 classification tree method was used to find the most relevant markers to differentiate between active and inactive GCA. RESULTS: Tests were done on 418 samples from 152 patients (60 GCA, 29 TA, 26 PAN, 37 EGPA), during both active vasculitis and remission. In GCA, these showed significant (p < 0.05) differences between disease states: B cell-attracting chemokine 1 (BCA)-1/CXC motif ligand 13 (CXCL13), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), interferon-γ-induced protein 10/CXC motif chemokine 10, soluble interleukin 2 receptor α (sIL-2Rα), and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1). In EGPA, these showed significant increases during active disease: granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte-macrophage-CSF, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-15, and sIL-2Rα. BCA-1/CXCL13 also showed such increases, but only after adjustment for treatment. In PAN, ESR and matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-3 showed significant differences between disease states. Differences in biomarker levels between diseases were significant for 11 markers and were more striking (all p < 0.01) than differences related to disease activity. A combination of lower values of TIMP-1, IL-6, interferon-γ, and MMP-3 correctly classified 87% of samples with inactive GCA. CONCLUSION: We identified novel biomarkers of disease activity in GCA and EGPA. Differences of biomarker levels between diseases, independent of disease activity, were more apparent than differences related to disease activity. Further studies are needed to determine whether these serum proteins have potential for clinical use in distinguishing active disease from remission or in predicting longer-term outcomes.

The association of serum interleukin-6 levels with clinical outcomes in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate serum IL-6 (sIL-6) levels during active disease, complete remission (CR), and relapse in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV), and to explore the association of changes in sIL-6 with clinical outcomes. METHODS: sIL-6 levels were measured at baseline and longitudinally over 18 months, in 78 patients with AAV enrolled in a randomized controlled trial comparing treatment with either rituximab (RTX) or cyclophosphamide (CYC)/azathioprine (AZA). Outcome variables included baseline clinical features, ANCA specificity, disease activity (active disease versus CR), time to relapse events, B cell repopulation, and ANCA titer increases. RESULTS: At baseline, sIL6 levels were detectable in 81% of patients; 73% (n = 57) of subjects were proteinase 3 (PR3)-ANCA positive, sIL-6 levels were higher in subjects with PR3-ANCAs and positively correlated with their levels (rs = 0.36,p < 0.01), but not with levels of myeloperoxidase (MPO)-ANCA (rs = -0.17,p = 0.47). Higher baseline sIL-6 levels were associated with PR3-ANCA positivity, fever, pulmonary nodules/cavities, conductive deafness, and absence of urinary red blood cell casts (p < 0.05). Baseline sIL6 levels did not predict CR at month 6 (p = 0.71), and the median sIL-6 level declined from baseline with induction therapy, regardless of CR achievement. An increase in sIL-6 during CR was a predictor for subsequent severe relapse in RTX-treated patients (hazard ratio (HR):7.24,p = 0.01), but not in CYC/AZA-treated patients (HR:0.62,p = 0.50). In contrast, a sIL-6 increase did not predict B cell repopulation or ANCA titer increase in either treatment arm (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: At baseline, sIL-6 concentrations correlate with PR3-ANCA titers and are associated with specific clinical manifestations of AAV. Baseline sIL6 concentrations do not predict CR at 6 months, but the increase in sIL-6 concentrations during CR is associated with subsequent severe relapse among RTX-treated patients. Further investigation into the mechanistic role of IL6 in AAV might lead to identifying this pathway as a potential therapeutic target in this disease.

On-Board Sensor-Based NO x Emissions from Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicles.

Real-world nitrogen oxides (NO x) emissions were estimated using on-board sensor readings from 72 heavy-duty diesel vehicles (HDDVs) equipped with a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system in California. The results showed that there were large differences between in-use and certification NO x emissions, with 12 HDDVs emitting more than three times the standard during hot-running and idling operations in the real world. The overall NO x conversion efficiencies of the SCR system on many vehicles were well below the 90% threshold that is expected for an efficient SCR system, even when the SCR system was above the optimum operating temperature threshold of 250 °C. This could potentially be associated with SCR catalyst deterioration on some engines. The Not-to-Exceed (NTE) requirements currently used by the heavy-duty in-use compliance program were evaluated using on-board NO x sensor data. Valid NTE events covered only 4.2-16.4% of the engine operation and 6.6-34.6% of the estimated NO x emissions. This work shows that low cost on-board NO x sensors are a convenient tool to monitor in-use NO x emissions in real-time, evaluate the SCR system performance, and identify vehicle operating modes with high NO x emissions. This information can inform certification and compliance programs to ensure low in-use NO x emissions.

The Effects of Whey vs. Pea Protein on Physical Adaptations Following 8-Weeks of High-Intensity Functional Training (HIFT): A Pilot Study.

This study examined the effects of whey and pea protein supplementation on physiological adaptations following 8-weeks of high-intensity functional training (HIFT). Fifteen HIFT men (n = 8; 38.6 ± 12.7 y, 1.8 ± 0.1 m, 87.7 ± 15.8 kg) and women (n = 7; 38.9 ± 10.9 y, 1.7 ± 0.10 m, 73.3 ± 10.5 kg) participated in this study. Participants completed an 8-week HIFT program consisting of 4 training sessions per week. Participants consumed 24 g of either whey (n = 8) or pea (n = 7) protein before and after exercise on training days, and in-between meals on non-training days. Before and after training, participants underwent ultrasonography muscle thickness measurement, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), two benchmark WODs (workout of the day), 1-Repetition Maximum (1RM) squat and deadlift testing, and Isometric Mid-thigh Pull (IMTP) performance. Separate analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) were performed on all measures collected at POST. Both groups experienced increased strength for 1RM back squat (p = 0.006) and deadlift (p = 0.008). No training effect (p > 0.05) was found for body composition, muscle thickness, IMTP peak force, IMTP rate of force development, or performance in either WOD. Using PRE values as the covariate, there were no group differences for any measured variable. We conclude that ingestion of whey and pea protein produce similar outcomes in measurements of body composition, muscle thickness, force production, WOD performance and strength following 8-weeks of HIFT.

Protocol of the randomised placebo controlled pilot trial of the management of acute sciatica (SCIATICA): a feasibility study.

INTRODUCTION: Acute sciatica (symptom duration less than 4 weeks), a major cause of pain and disability, is a common presentation to medical practices and hospital emergency departments. Selective CT fluoroscopy transforaminal epidural steroid injection is often used with the hope of reducing pain and improving function. Recently, there has been interest in using systemic corticosteroids in acute sciatica. However, there is limited evidence to inform management of selective CT fluoroscopy transforaminal epidural steroid in subacute and chronic sciatica and there is no evidence in acute sciatica, even though the practice is widespread. There is also limited evidence for the use of systemic corticosteroids in acute sciatica. Furthermore, the management of selective CT fluoroscopy transforaminal epidural steroid versus systemic steroids has never been directly studied. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: SCIATICA is a pilot/feasibility study of patients with acute sciatica designed to evaluate the feasibility of undertaking a blinded four-arm randomised controlled intervention study of (1) selective CT fluoroscopy transforaminal epidural steroid (arm 1), (2) selective CT fluoroscopy transforaminal epidural saline (arm 2), (3) 15 days tapering dose of oral steroids (arm 3) and (4) a sham epidural and oral placebo control (arm 4). This feasibility study is designed to evaluate head-to-head, route versus pharmacology of interventions. The primary outcome measure is the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) at 3 weeks. Secondary outcome is the ODI at 48 weeks. Other outcomes include numerical rating scale for leg pain, Pain DETECT Questionnaire, quality of life, medication use, rescue procedures or surgery, and adverse events. Results of outcomes from this randomised controlled trial will be used to determine the feasibility, sample size and power calculations for a large multicentre study. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study has been approved by South Eastern Sydney Local Health District Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/15/331/POHW/586). TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03240783; Pre-results.