Leisure time physical inactivity, obesity and diabetes : rates in the southern United States

Purpose: To explore changes in and relationships among leisure time physical INactivity (LTPIA), obesity & DM rates in the US from 1994-2012. Conclusions: Age adjusted LTPIA, Obesity & DM rates are higher in the South than in other US regions; Although self-reported LTPIA rates have dropped, both obesity & DM rates have continued to rise over the 19 year period; Study limitation: Based on LTPIA definition, one episode of exercise during the month would qualify a person as ‘NOT inactive’; Revision of the LTPIA question on the BRFSS is recommended; Future research needs to identify factors that contribute to higher rates of LTPIA, obesity and diabetes in the South

Completed Learning Demonstration Composite Data Products as of December 1, 2006

These public technical analysis results from DOE's Controlled Hydrogen Fleet and Infrastructure Demonstration and Validation Project are generated in the form of composite data products

Controlled Hydrogen Fleet and Infrastructure Analysis

This presentation by Keith Wipke at the 2007 DOE Hydrogen Program Annual Merit Review Meeting provides information about NREL's Controlled Hydrogen Fleet and Infrastructure Analysis Project

Massive thymic deletion results in systemic autoimmunity through elimination of CD4+ CD25+ T regulatory cells

Incomplete deletion of KRN T cells that recognize the ubiquitously expressed self-antigen glucose-6-phosphate-isomerase (GPI) initiates an anti-GPI autoimmune cascade in K/BxN mice resulting in a humorally mediated arthritis. Transgenic (Tg) expression of a KRN T cell receptor (TCR) agonist under the major histocompatibility complex class II promoter resulted in thymic deletion with loss of anti-GPI T and B cell responses and attenuated arthritis course. However, double Tg mice succumbed to systemic autoimmunity with multiorgan inflammation and autoantibody production. Extensive thymic deletion resulted in lymphopenia and elimination of CD4(+) CD25(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs), but spared some CD4(+) T cells expressing endogenous TCR, which oligoclonally expanded in the periphery. Disease was transferred by these T cells and prevented by cotransfer of CD4(+) CD25(+) Tregs. Moreover, we extended our findings to another TCR system (anti–hen egg lysozyme [HEL] TCR/HEL mice) where similarly extensive thymic deletion also resulted in disease. Thus, our studies demonstrated that central tolerance can paradoxically result in systemic autoimmunity through differential susceptibility of Tregs and autoreactive T cells to thymic deletion. Therefore, too little or too much negative selection to a self-antigen can result in systemic autoimmunity and disease

Analysis of the fuel economy benefit of drivetrain hybridization

Parallel- and series-configured hybrid vehicles likely feasible in next decade arc defined and evaluated using NREL's flexible ADvanced VehIcle SimulatOR ADVISOR. Fuel economics of these two diesel-powered hybrid vehicles are compared to a comparable-technology diesel- powered internal-combustion-engine vehicle. Sensitivities of these fuel economies to various vehicle and component parameters are determined and differences among them are explained. The fuel economy of the parallel hybrid defined here is 24% better than the internal- combustion-engine vehicle and 4% better than the series hybrid

EVALUATION OF RANGE ESTIMATES FOR TOYOTA FCHV-ADV UNDER OPEN ROAD DRIVING CONDITIONS

The objective of this evaluation was to independently and objectively verify driving ranges of >400 miles announced by Toyota for its new advanced Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle (FCHV-adv) utilizing 70 MPa compressed hydrogen. To accomplish this, participants from both Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) witnessed and participated in a 2-vehicle evaluation with Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. (TEMA) over a typical open road route for over 11 hours in one day with all relevant data recorded. SRNL and TEMA first entered into discussions of verifying the range of the advanced Toyota Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle (FCHV-adv) in August 2008 resulting from reported 400+ mile range by Toyota. After extended negotiations, a CRADA agreement, SRNS CRADA No. CR-04-003, was signed on May 6, 2009. Subsequently, on June 30, 2009 SRNL and NREL participated in an all-day evaluation of the FCHV-adv with TEMA to determine the real-world driving range of this vehicle through on-road driving on an extended round-trip drive between Torrance and San Diego, California. SRNL and NREL observed the vehicles being refueled at Toyota's headquarters the day before the evaluation in Torrance, CA on June 29. At 8:00 AM on June 30, the vehicles departed Torrance north toward downtown Los Angeles, then west to the Pacific Coast Highway, and down to San Diego. After lunch the vehicles retraced their route back to Torrance. The traffic encountered was much heavier than anticipated, causing the vehicles to not return to Torrance until 9 PM. Each vehicle was driven by the same Toyota driver all day, with one SRNL/NREL observer in each vehicle the entire route. Data was logged by Toyota and analyzed by NREL. The maximum range of the FCHV-adv vehicles was calculated to be 431 miles under these driving conditions. This distance was calculated from the actual range of 331.5 miles during over 11 hours driving, plus 99.5 miles of additional range calculated from the average fuel economy from the day times the remaining usable hydrogen. Driving range results were independently calculated for each vehicle, and these results averaged together to achieve the final 431-mile range estimate. The uncertainty on these results is relatively low due to eight independent measurements of distance and six separate measurements of hydrogen usage, with a resulting uncertainty of {+-} 7 miles ({+-} 1.7%) based on spread between the low and high values from all of the multiple measurements. The average fuel economy resulting from the day's driving was 68.3 miles/kg and the total hydrogen stored on-board at 70 MPa was calculated to be 6.31 kg. The speed profiles were analyzed and compared to standard driving cycles, and were determined to be of moderate aggressiveness. The city segments of the route had average speeds slightly greater than the UDDS cycle and the highway segments were close to the HWFET & US06 cycles. The average acceleration for the highway driving was very close to the HWFET cycle, and the city portions had average accelerations lower than the UDDS and US06 cycles. We feel that the route accurately reflects realistic driving behaviors in southern California on a typical weekday, and is an appropriate benchmark to use in the verification of a fuel cell vehicle's range

Controlled Hydrogen Fleet and Infrastructure Analysis

This presentation by Keith Wipke at the 2008 DOE Hydrogen Program Annual Merit Review Meeting provides information about NREL's Controlled Hydrogen Fleet and Infrastructure Analysis Project

Pressure ulcers

This issue of eMedRef provides information to clinicians on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and therapeutics of pressure ulcers

Controlled Hydrogen Fleet and Infrastructure Demonstration and Validation Project; Spring 2008 Composite Data Products, Final Version: February 29, 2008

Graphs of composite data products produced by DOE's Controlled Hydrogen Fleet and Infrastructure Demonstration and Validation project through February 2008

FCV Learning Demonstration: Factors Affecting Fuel Cell Degradation

Presentation on the NREL Fuel Cell Vehicle learning demonstration prepared for the 2008 ASME Fuel Cell Conference