Operational improvement outcomes through voluntary compliance in road transport operations

Abstract: This paper presents operational improvement outcomes of the Road Transport Management System (RTMS) in South Africa. The RTMS is a voluntary, self-regulation scheme that encourages consignees, consignors and road transport operators toward best practice in road transport. The views of consignors, consignees and road transport operators were surveyed to provide insights into perceptions and outcomes of the RTMS. Respondents indicate improved safety, operational efficiency, profitability, and reduced road crashes as outcomes of the RTMS. The main obstacles to increased certification are a lack of awareness of the RTMS and a poor understanding of the requirements for becoming certified

Perceptions of the road transport management system (RTMS) : promoting voluntary certification

Abstract: This paper uses a structured survey to provide insight into how the Road Transport Management System (RTMS), SABS standard SANS 1395:2014, has developed and is viewed within the road transport industry in South Africa. The RTMS is an industry-led, government-supported, voluntary, self-regulation scheme that encourages consignees, consignors and road transport operators to implement a management system that demonstrates compliance with road traffic regulations and contributes to preserving road infrastructure, improving road safety and increasing productivity. The surveyed views of the road traffic authorities, banks, insurance companies, the RTMS steering committee, and road transport operators provide insights into the perceptions and experiences with respect to the RTMS from diverse stakeholders. Respondents indicate that improved safety, operational efficiency and reduced road crashes are seen as attractive benefits to implementing the RTMS. The main obstacles to certification are a lack of awareness of the RTMS and a poor understanding of the requirements for becoming RTMS certified. The clients of road transporters play a significant role in the transporter’s decision to become RTMS certified

Direct NMR observation and DFT calculations of a hydrogen bond at the active site of a 44 kDa enzyme

A hydrogen bond between the amide backbone of Arg7 and the remote imidazole side chain of His106 has been directly observed by improved TROSY-NMR techniques in the 44kDa trimeric enzyme chorismate mutase from Bacillus subtilis. The presence of this hydrogen bond in the free enzyme and its complexes with a transition state analog and the reaction product was demonstrated by measurement of 15N-15N and 1H-15N trans-hydrogen bond scalar couplings, 2h J NN and 1h J HN, and by transfer of nuclear polarization across the hydrogen bond. The conformational dependences of these coupling constants were analyzed using sum-over-states density functional perturbation theory (SOS-DFPT). The observed hydrogen bond might stabilize the scaffold at the active site of BsCM. Because the Arg7-His106 hydrogen bond has not been observed in any of the high resolution crystal structures of BsCM, the measured coupling constants provide unique information about the enzyme and its complexes that should prove useful for structural refinement of atomic model

A performance-based standards regime to regulate car-carriers in South Africa

Until recently, South African car-carriers operated under the abnormal load permit system allowing an additional 300 mm height and 500 mm length. Because car-carrier payloads are divisible and abnormal load permits are usually granted for indivisible loads, these permits were granted only as a special concession to the car-carrier industry. This practice is being phased out due to concerns over the stability of the over-height vehicles and a number of incidents of non-compliance by some car-carrier operators. The Abnormal Loads Technical Committee has stipulated two requirements should operators wish to operate car-carriers in excess of legislated dimensional limits. Firstly, the operator must be RTMS-certified (RTMS is the Road Transport Management System, a voluntary accreditation scheme addressing overloading, vehicle maintenance, driver training etc.); and secondly, the car-carrier should be shown to comply with the Performance-Based Standards (PBS) scheme. The PBS scheme is a detailed set of safety standards which regulate vehicle performance (such as vehicle rollover tendency) when conducting prescribed manoeuvres. A number of PBS demonstration projects are currently running in South Africa. This paper outlines the progress to date in developing and implementing PBS-compliant car-carrier designs, the regulatory challenges encountered, and the envisaged regulatory future for car-carriers in South Africa.Paper presented at the 32nd Annual Southern African Transport Conference 8-11 July 2013 "Transport and Sustainable Infrastructure", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa.Minister of Transport, South Africatm201

The Structural Design of a High-Performance WBD Brake Disc

ABSTRACT A high performance, newly-developed wire-woven bulk diamond (WBD) ventilated brake disc is introduced to reduce the operating temperatures and mass of conventional brake discs. The use of the highly porous material requires a deeper understanding of the mechanical stresses developed within a brake disc to be developed to improve the disc core strength to withstand the high stresses developed during braking. In this study, experimentally determined solid brake disc stress distribution results, separated into the compressive stresses due to the pad clamping force and the shear stresses due to the applied brake torque, were applied to the reinforcement ofthe WBD core brake disc. The analysis was based on the maximum predicted deceleration conditions of a medium sized truck (Mercedes-Benz Atego). While the WBD core material possessed sufficient strength to withstand the shearing due to the braking torque, the pad clamping load was predicted to cause disc failure. Consequently, straight radial ribs were designed to reinforce the ventilated core, with final rib dimensions of 74x14x2.5 mm, manufactured from mild steel (SAE1006). A total of 10 ribs at 36° intervals were added to reinforce the core, increasing the mass by 0.20 kg compared to the original disc. The newly reinforced WBD brake disc remains lighter than a commercially available pin-finned disc, and is expected to maintain superior thermal performance while possessing the required mechanical strength. Additional keywords: Ventilated disc, mechanical stresses, braking, stress distributio

Self-reported hypoglycaemia: a global study of 24 countries with 27,585 insulin-treated patients with diabetes: the HAT study.

Background and aims: Hypoglycaemia is an important concern for patients with diabetes and physicians when setting glycaemic targets. The Hypoglycaemia Assessment Tool (HAT) study, the largest and most comprehensive of its kind, assessed self-reported hypoglycaemia and associated predictive factors in a global population of patients with insulin-treated diabetes. Materials and methods: HAT was a non-interventional, multicentre, 6-month retrospective and 1-month prospective study of hypoglycaemic events in 24 countries using self-assessment questionnaires and patient diaries (for 28 days) in people aged ≥18 years with type 1 (T1D) or type 2 (T2D) diabetes using insulin for ≥12 months attending routine clinics. Associations between predictive factors and hypoglycaemia were examined using negative binomial regression models adjusted for period and country. Results: 27,585 patients completed the study (Table 1). 83.4% of patients with T1D and 50.8% of patients with T2D experienced ≥1 hypoglycaemic event in the 4 weeks before baseline (51.5 and 16.5 events per patient year). Higher (p < 0.001) incidence rates were reported in the 4 weeks after baseline (73.3 [T1D] and 19.3 [T2D] events per patient year). A greater percentage of patients with T1D vs. T2D reported any (83.0 vs. 46.5%), nocturnal (40.6 vs. 15.9%) or severe (14.4 vs. 8.9) hypoglycaemia in the prospective period. Conclusion: In this large, multinational population of patients (insulin-treated) with T1D or T2D, rates of overall, nocturnal and severe hypoglycaemia were higher than previously published. An increased incidence of overall hypoglycaemia in the prospective study indicated significant under-reporting of hypoglycaemia

Capability of Neutrophils to Form NETs Is Not Directly Influenced by a CMA-Targeting Peptide

During inflammatory reaction, neutrophils exhibit numerous cellular and immunological functions, notably the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and autophagy. NETs are composed of decondensed chromatin fibers coated with various antimicrobial molecules derived from neutrophil granules. NETs participate in antimicrobial defense and can also display detrimental roles and notably trigger some of the immune features of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other autoimmune diseases. Autophagy is a complex and finely regulated mechanism involved in the cell survival/death balance that may be connected to NET formation. To shed some light on the connection between autophagy and NET formation, we designed a number of experiments in human neutrophils and both in normal and lupus-prone MRL/lpr mice to determine whether the synthetic peptide P140, which is capable of selectively modulating chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) in lymphocytes, could alter NET formation. P140/Lupuzor™ is currently being evaluated in phase III clinical trials involving SLE patients. Overall our in vitro and in vivo studies established that P140 does not influence NET formation, cytokine/chemokine production, or CMA in neutrophils. Thus, the beneficial effect of P140/Lupuzor™ in SLE is apparently not directly related to modulation of neutrophil function

Capability of Neutrophils to Form NETs Is Not Directly Influenced by a CMA-Targeting Peptide

During inflammatory reaction, neutrophils exhibit numerous cellular and immunological functions, notably the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and autophagy. NETs are composed of decondensed chromatin fibers coated with various antimicrobial molecules derived from neutrophil granules. NETs participate in antimicrobial defense and can also display detrimental roles and notably trigger some of the immune features of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other autoimmune diseases. Autophagy is a complex and finely regulated mechanism involved in the cell survival/death balance that may be connected to NET formation. To shed some light on the connection between autophagy and NET formation, we designed a number of experiments in human neutrophils and both in normal and lupus-prone MRL/lpr mice to determine whether the synthetic peptide P140, which is capable of selectively modulating chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) in lymphocytes, could alter NET formation. P140/Lupuzor™ is currently being evaluated in phase III clinical trials involving SLE patients. Overall our in vitro and in vivo studies established that P140 does not influence NET formation, cytokine/chemokine production, or CMA in neutrophils. Thus, the beneficial effect of P140/Lupuzor™ in SLE is apparently not directly related to modulation of neutrophil function