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Livestock barn emissions can affect public health, the environment, and quality of life. While these emissions can be mitigated using several methods, exhaust air treatment may be required in some situations. Biofiltration is one of the most cost-effective exhaust air treatment methods. In a biofilter, polluted air passes through a moist medium (e.g., compost) where the water-soluble gases are dissolved and then degraded by microorganisms into harmless or less harmful compounds. In this study, a downflow biofilter using a compost and wood chip medium was evaluated over summer, fall, and winter (August 2010 to January 2011) for its ability to mitigate emissions of ammonia (NH3) and three greenhouse gases (GHGs): methane (CH4), nitrous dioxide (N2O), and carbon dioxide (CO2). Biofilter medium properties were analyzed at the beginning and twice during the study. Changes in medium properties and CO2 data indicated greater heterotrophic microbial activity during summer through fall and greater autotrophic activity during fall through winter. Regardless of empty bed residence time (EBRT) (5.3 to 26 s), NH3 removal efficiency (RE) was about 90% with inlet concentrations of ≤1.1 mg m-3. With higher NH3 loading rates, the RE may differ from this study. In fall, CH4 RE was 49% (EBRT = 26 s) but only 13% in summer (EBRT = 13 s). Nitrous oxide RE varied in a narrow range of 14% to 18% over the study. In summer, CO2 removal was negligible but was 15% in fall and 34% in winter. While a compost based medium may be more effective for CH4 and N2O mitigation, a wood chip based medium would be more economical. Care should be taken when using a photoacoustic sensor for high-frequency and low-concentration NH3 measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a need for standardized methods for testing vehicle seats. Such methods would allow for the direct comparison of the merits of seats of diverse types and designs. At the present time standardized testing procedures are not possible because the dynamic characteristics of the human subjects occupying the seat during testing vary widely from man to man and affect the seat response. Testing with dead weight loading does not accurately portray the dynamic characteristics of the seat. A damped spring-mass system closely approximating to the dynamic characteristics of a seated man to vertical modes of vibration has been developed as the basis on which a standardized vehicle seat testing procedure can be built. Analysis of the problem by means of mechanical impedance techniques indicated that a two-degree-of-freedom system was sufficient to simulate the major dynamic characteristics of man in the frequencies below 10 Hz where seat vibration is most severe. Test procedures have been developed which utilize the man-simulator as the seat load. Results of these tests will be useful because they do not contain the subject variable and therefore can be compared directly with results obtained in other laboratories using the same methods. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: Studies have shown that bracing is an effective treatment for patients with idiopathic scoliosis. According to the current classification, almost all braces fall in the thoracolumbosacral orthosis (TLSO) category. Consequently, the generalization of scientific results is either impossible or misleading. This study aims to produce a classification of the brace types., Methods: Four scientific societies (SOSORT, SRS, ISPO, and POSNA) invited all their members to be part of the study. Six level 1 experts developed the initial classifications. At a consensus meeting with 26 other experts and societies' officials, thematic analysis and general discussion allowed to define the classification (minimum 80% agreement). The classification was applied to the braces published in the literature and officially approved by the 4 scientific societies and by ESPRM., Results: The classification is based on the following classificatory items: anatomy (CTLSO, TLSO, LSO), rigidity (very rigid, rigid, elastic), primary corrective plane (frontal, sagittal, transverse, frontal & sagittal, frontal & transverse, sagittal & transverse, three-dimensional), construction-valves (monocot, bivalve, multisegmented), construction-closure (dorsal, lateral, ventral), and primary action (bending, detorsion, elongation, movement, push-up, three points). The experts developed a definition for each item and were able to classify the 15 published braces into nine groups., Conclusion: The classification is based on the best current expertise (the lowest level of evidence). Experts recognize that this is the first edition and will change with future understanding and research. The broad application of this classification could have value for brace research, education, clinical practice, and growth in this field., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: The International Scientific Society on Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment (SOSORT) produced its first guidelines in 2005 and renewed them in 2011. Recently published high-quality clinical trials on the effect of conservative treatment approaches (braces and exercises) for idiopathic scoliosis prompted us to update the last guidelines' version. The objective was to align the guidelines with the new scientific evidence to assure faster knowledge transfer into clinical practice of conservative treatment for idiopathic scoliosis (CTIS)., Methods: Physicians, researchers and allied health practitioners working in the area of CTIS were involved in the development of the 2016 guidelines. Multiple literature reviews reviewing the evidence on CTIS (assessment, bracing, physiotherapy, physiotherapeutic scoliosis-specific exercises (PSSE) and other CTIS) were conducted. Documents, recommendations and practical approach flow charts were developed using a Delphi procedure. The process was completed with the Consensus Session held during the first combined SOSORT/IRSSD Meeting held in Banff, Canada, in May 2016., Results: The contents of the new 2016 guidelines include the following: background on idiopathic scoliosis, description of CTIS approaches for various populations with flow-charts for clinical practice, as well as literature reviews and recommendations on assessment, bracing, PSSE and other CTIS. The present guidelines include a total of 68 recommendations divided into following topics: bracing ( n  = 25), PSSE to prevent scoliosis progression during growth ( n  = 12), PSSE during brace treatment and surgical therapy ( n  = 6), other conservative treatments ( n  = 2), respiratory function and exercises ( n  = 3), general sport activities ( n  = 6); and assessment ( n  = 14). According to the agreed strength and level of evidence rating scale, there were 2 recommendations on bracing and 1 recommendation on PSSE that reached level of recommendation "I" and level of evidence "II". Three recommendations reached strength of recommendation A based on the level of evidence I (2 for bracing and one for assessment); 39 recommendations reached strength of recommendation B (20 for bracing, 13 for PSSE, and 6 for assessment).The number of paper for each level of evidence for each treatment is shown in Table 8., Conclusion: The 2016 SOSORT guidelines were developed based on the current evidence on CTIS. Over the last 5 years, high-quality evidence has started to emerge, particularly in the areas of efficacy of bracing (one large multicentre trial) and PSSE (three single-centre randomized controlled trials). Several grade A recommendations were presented. Despite the growing high-quality evidence, the heterogeneity of the study protocols limits generalizability of the recommendations. There is a need for standardization of research methods of conservative treatment effectiveness, as recognized by SOSORT and the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) non-operative management Committee., Competing Interests: Not applicable.Not applicable.All Commission Members are physicians, orthothists and physiotherapists who earn from their own work. The conflict of interests declared by the authors are as follows: ✓ Stefano Negrini has a stock of ISICO (Italian Scientific Spine Institute), Italy. ✓ Manuel Rigo is advisor of Ortholutions, Germany. ✓ Michele Romano has a stock of ISICO (Italian Scientific Spine Institute), Italy. ✓ James H. Wynne is an employee of Boston Brace Corp., USA: ✓ No other conflict of interests have been declared.Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This 2012 Consensus paper reviews the literature on side effects of x-ray exposure in the pediatric population as it relates to scoliosis evaluation and treatment. Alternative methods of spinal assessment and imaging are reviewed, and strategies for reducing the number of radiographs are developed. Using the Delphi technique, SOSORT members developed consensus statements that describe how often radiographs should be taken in each of the pediatric and adolescent sub-populations.

Bracing is currently the primary method for treating moderate idiopathic scoliosis (IS) during the developmental phase of growth. Following a lengthy debate, during which researchers and authors questioned the role of bracing in the treatment of IS due to inconsistent evidence, the Bracing in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Trial study have provided a high level of evidence to the value of bracing and may have convinced most of those who were skeptic. However, although some guidelines have been published, there remains no standard for constructing scoliosis orthoses and no standard treatment protocol. The Scoliosis Research Society criteria were established to provide a framework by which to research bracing and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, and the Society on Scoliosis Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Treatment criteria were published to guarantee a minimum level of expertise for MDs and CPOs involved in the brace treatment. However, very few contemporary papers follow both sets of criteria, and the extensive variety of braces makes it difficult to determine if one is superior to another. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of state-of-the-art brace treatment, highlighting commonly used braces and their history, biomechanical concept, and results, as reported in published literature. Specific focus is placed on European (i.e., Chêneau and derivatives, Dynamic Derotating, Lyon, PASB, Sforzesco, TLI, TriaC) and North American (i.e. Boston, Charleston, Milwaukee, Providence, Rosenberger, SpineCor, Wilmington) designs. Details about different building techniques are also reported, along with recently developed tools that are designed to monitor compliance.

The hypothesis of this study was that a nondestructive vibrational method could detect bone lysis at the external fixation pin-bone interface prior to current clinical and radiographic methods. In vitro models were used to simulate changes observed during pin loosening in vivo. Fixation pin axial natural frequency decreased with decreasing tensile modulus of the material into which it was implanted. In a live animal study the right tibia of 12 dogs was fractured and stabilized with a four-pin unilateral external fixation frame. The axial natural frequency of each pin was measured and radiographs were taken at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks after surgery. The natural frequency did not change when the first radiographic changes around the interface were observed. Pins were palpably stable at this point. As loosening progressed, the natural frequency did decrease. Frequency and quasistatic tests of dissected pin-bone structures revealed a good correlation between natural frequency and pin-bone interface stiffness. In addition, the measurement of natural frequency was more sensitive to bone structure changes at the pin-bone interface than low-load quasi-static stiffness. Therefore, a nondestructive vibration technique could be used instead of low-load quasistatic tests for assessing the pin-bone interface ex. vivo.