Real-world vehicle emissions: a summary of the tenth coordinating research council on-road vehicle emissions workshop.

The Coordinating Research Council (CRC) held its tenth workshop in March 2000, focusing on results from the most recent real-world vehicle emissions research. In this paper, we summarize the presentations from researchers who are engaged in improving our understanding of the contribution of mobile sources to emission inventories. Participants in the workshop discussed efforts to improve mobile source emission models and emission inventories, results from gas- and particle-phase emissions studies from spark-ignition and diesel-powered vehicles, new methods for measuring mobile source emissions, improvements in vehicle emission control systems (ECSs), and evaluation of motor vehicle inspection/maintenance (I/M) programs, as well as topics for future research.

Real-world vehicle emissions: a summary of the Ninth Coordinating Research Council On-Road Vehicle Emissions Workshop.

In April 1999, the Coordinating Research Council sponsored a workshop focusing on our understanding of real-world emissions from motor vehicles. This summary presents the latest information on in-use light- and heavy-duty vehicle tailpipe and evaporative emissions, the effects of fuels on emissions, field programs designed to understand the contribution of mobile sources to emission inventories, efforts to evaluate and improve mobile source emission models, progress of vehicle inspection/maintenance programs, and topics for future research. While significant progress has been made in understanding in-use vehicle emissions, further improvements are necessary. Moreover, the impact of current and future changes in emission control technologies and control programs will have to be monitored for effectiveness and incorporated into the emission factor models.

Controlled study of biofeedback-assisted relaxation in type I diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: The effect of biofeedback-assisted relaxation was tested in a randomized trial in 18 adults with insulin-dependent (type I) diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Pretreatment and posttreatment blood glucose values and insulin dosages in the group trained for 10 wk in biofeedback-assisted relaxation were compared with those in the untrained group. RESULTS: Significantly lower average blood glucose levels, percentage of fasting blood glucose levels at target, and percentage of glucose values greater than 11.2 mM were observed in the trained group at posttest compared with the untrained group. CONCLUSIONS: These differences could not be explained by increases in insulin. It is suggested that stress management be considered as an adjunct to the medical management of people with type I diabetes.

Management of a patient with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus learning biofeedback-assisted relaxation.

Psychological stress can have profound disruptive effects upon glycemic control in individuals with diabetes. Presented here is a case study in which biofeedback-assisted relaxation techniques were used to help a young woman with a 10-year history of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus to more effectively manage stress, thereby improving glycemic control. Hypoglycemia is a frequently encountered problem with this technique, so the patient was taught to identify causes of hypoglycemic episodes and to take action to prevent their occurrence. The team approach of a diabetes nurse educator working in conjunction with a biofeedback therapist was vital to the success of this program.

Clinical observations on behavioral treatment of a patient with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

This report uses a single case format to describe clinical observations on the use of biofeedback-assisted relaxation in Type I insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. It is suggested that treatment based on relaxation training may be utilized in diabetics provided that certain conditions are met and that the relaxation procedure is modified to conform to the special requirements of persons taking insulin. Since both client characteristics and type of training protocol can markedly affect outcome, it may be especially important to tailor the training protocol for each insulin-dependent diabetic patient, based on careful and continuous monitoring of treatment effects.

Regional beta-adrenergic receptors and adenylate cyclase activity after healing of myocardial infarction in cats.

Augmented sensitivity to sympathetic mediators occurs in non-infarcted tissues after healing of myocardial infarction. We studied regional beta-adrenergic receptor numbers and adenylate cyclase activity in cat ventricles with healed myocardial infarctions and in the same regions from control hearts. Tissues were obtained from regions remote from and adjacent to the infarct and from the infarct zone itself. Beta-adrenergic receptor numbers were significantly reduced in adjacent and infarcted regions of the healed infarction model. Basal adenylate cyclase activity was increased in tissues remote from and adjacent to the infarct. In remote tissues, total adenylate cyclase activity during maximum isoproterenol stimulation was increased, but the isoproterenol stimulated increment was normal after subtraction of basal activity. In adjacent tissues, total adenylate cyclase activity during isoproterenol stimulation was normal, but the stimulated increment was reduced after subtraction of basal activity. This reduction in activity was reversed when GTP was replaced with Gpp(NH)p. No changes in adenylate cyclase activity, relative to control, were observed in tissues from the infarcted area. These results indicate that chronic changes in the beta-adrenergic receptor/adenylate cyclase system persist after healing of myocardial infarction, and that the nature of the changes are regional depending on proximity to the healed scar.

Myocardial changes during the progression of left ventricular pressure-overload by renal hypertension or aortic constriction: myosin, myosin ATPase and collagen.

We measured the interrelationships between ventricular muscle myosin mass, myosin ATPase activity and collagen in cats with varying degrees of hypertrophy from left ventricular (LV) pressure-overload produced by either aortic banding or renal hypertension. In order to compare two models of LV pressure-overload with different time courses of progression, the results were analyzed as a function of LV mass or LV weight/body weight (LV/BW) ratio. Myosin was quantitated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and hydroxyproline was measured as an index of collagen. Myosin concentration was positively correlated with increasing LV mass in control cats. However, in pressure-overloaded LV, myosin concentration was elevated and nearly constant for LV less than 9.0 g, but decreased in LV greater than 9.0 g. Myosin concentration in pressure-overloaded LV was greatest before a significant increase in LV/BW ratio. Hydroxyproline concentration was inversely related to myosin concentration in both LV pressure-overload models and increased with the severity of hypertrophy. Actomyosin ATPase activity in pressure-overloaded LV, was not significantly different from control over a wide range of LV/BW ratios. However, absolute myosin ATP hydrolysis in pressure-overloaded LV, increased by as much as 40%, relative to control, due primarily to increased myosin. The changing spectrum and interrelationships of myosin and collagen were independent of the mechanism of pressure-overload, but were correlated with the severity of hypertrophy.

Triunsaturated hydrocarbons, sex pheromone components ofCaenurgina erechtea.

(Z,Z,Z)-3,6,9-Eicosatriene and (Z,Z,Z)-3,6,9-heneicosatriene have been identified as components of the sex pheromone of the noctuid,Caenurgina erechtea (Cramer), the forage looper. Structural assignments were made on the basis of spectroscopic and chromatographic data and were confirmed by comparison with synthetic material. Flight tunnel behavioral studies demonstrated that either component, when tested individually, would elicit wing fanning responses in males; however, mixtures of the two components increased this response and were essential for initiation of upwind flight and landing. In field experiments, traps baited with either component alone captured few or no adult forage looper males while those baited with both components captured several target males.

Synthesis of sex pheromone components of the forest tent caterpillar,Malacosoma disstria (Hübner) and of the western tent caterpillar,Malacosoma californicum (Packard).

All four geometrical isomers of 5,7-dodecadien-1-ol have been stereoselectively synthesized by using Wittig condensation reactions. (5 Z,7E)-5,7-Dodecadien-1-ol and its corresponding aldehyde are components of the sex pheromone of the forest tent caterpillar. (5 E,7 Z)-5,7-Dodecadienal is a component of the pheromone of the western tent caterpillar. These compounds have been successfully tested in the field.