Ride-hailing technology mitigates effects of driver racial discrimination, but effects of residential segregation persist.

We assess racial disparities in the service quality of app-based ride-hailing services, like Uber and Lyft, by simulating their operations in the city of Chicago using empirical data. To generate driver cancellation rate disparities consistent with controlled experiments (up to twice as large for Black riders as for White riders), we estimate that more than 3% of drivers discriminate by race. We find that the capabilities of ride-hailing technology to rapidly rematch after a cancellation and prioritize long-waiting customers heavily mitigates the effects of driver discrimination on rider wait times, reducing average discrimination-induced disparities to less than 1 min-an order of magnitude less than traditional taxis. However, our results suggest that even in the absence of direct driver discrimination, Black riders in Chicago wait about 50% longer, on average, than White riders because of historically informed geographic residential patterns. We estimate that if Black riders in the city had the same wait times as White riders, the collective travel time saved would be worth $4.2 million to $7.0 million per year.

Adopting electric school buses in the United States: Health and climate benefits.

Electric school buses have been proposed as an alternative to reduce the health and climate impacts of the current U.S. school bus fleet, of which a substantial share are highly polluting old diesel vehicles. However, the climate and health benefits of electric school buses are not well known. As they are substantially more costly than diesel buses, assessing their benefits is needed to inform policy decisions. We assess the health benefits of electric school buses in the United States from reduced adult mortality and childhood asthma onset risks due to exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5). We also evaluate climate benefits from reduced greenhouse-gas emissions. We find that replacing the average diesel bus in the U.S. fleet in 2017 with an electric bus yields $84,200 in total benefits. Climate benefits amount to $40,400/bus, whereas health benefits amount to $43,800/bus due to 4.42*10-3 fewer PM2.5-attributable deaths ($40,000 of total) and 7.42*10-3 fewer PM2.5-attributable new childhood asthma cases ($3,700 of total). However, health benefits of electric buses vary substantially by driving location and model year (MY) of the diesel buses they replace. Replacing old, MY 2005 diesel buses in large cities yields $207,200/bus in health benefits and is likely cost-beneficial, although other policies that accelerate fleet turnover in these areas deserve consideration. Electric school buses driven in rural areas achieve small health benefits from reduced exposure to ambient PM2.5. Further research assessing benefits of reduced exposure to in-cabin air pollution among children riding buses would be valuable to inform policy decisions.

The diverse actions of cytoskeletal vimentin in bacterial infection and host defense.

Bacterial infection is a major threat to human health, with infections resulting in considerable mortality, urging the need for a more profound understanding of bacteria-host interactions. During infection of cells, host cytoskeletal networks constantly interact with bacteria and are integral to their uptake. Vimentin, an intermediate filament protein, is one such cytoskeletal component that interacts with bacteria during infection. Although vimentin is predominantly present in the cytoplasm, it also appears in a secreted form or at the surface of multiple cell types, including epithelial cells, endothelial cells, macrophages and fibroblasts. As a cytoplasmic protein, vimentin participates in bacterial transportation and the consequential immune-inflammatory responses. When expressed on the cell surface, vimentin can be both pro- and anti-bacterial, favoring bacterial invasion in some contexts, but also limiting bacterial survival in others. Vimentin is also secreted and located extracellularly, where it is primarily involved in bacterial-induced inflammation regulation. Reciprocally, bacteria can also manipulate the fate of vimentin in host cells. Given that vimentin is not only involved in bacterial infection, but also the associated life-threatening inflammation, the use of vimentin-targeted drugs might offer a synergistic advantage. In this Review, we recapitulate the abundant evidence on vimentin and its dynamic changes in bacterial infection and speculate on its potential as an anti-bacterial therapeutic target.

Assessment of nucleic acid extraction protocols for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) quantification in aircraft wastewater.

This study evaluated ten nucleic acid extraction protocols (EP1 to EP10) for measuring five endogenous antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in four aircraft wastewater samples (AWW1 to AWW4). The targeted ARGs, including blaCTX-M, blaNDM-1, ermB, qnrS, and tetA, encompassed highly and minimally abundant ARGs. TetA and ermB were consistently detected across four aircraft wastewater samples using the DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit and the AllPrep PowerViral DNA/RNA kit. QnrS displayed high detection rates with specific extraction protocols and aliquot volumes. Concentrations of ARGs varied across aircraft wastewater samples, with differing extraction protocols influencing quantitative results. The concentrations of tetA, ermB, and qnrS in AWW1 were distinct, while AWW2 to AWW4 exhibited a broader range for tetA, ermB, qnrS, blaCTX-M, and blaNDM-1. EP1 consistently produced the highest concentrations for several ARGs. Collective data analysis revealed varying ARG concentrations across the ten extraction protocols, suggesting the importance of careful extraction protocol selection in ARG monitoring in aircraft wastewater samples. Based on the results, we suggest that a small sample volume (as low as 0.2 mL) may be sufficient for ARG characterization in aircraft wastewater samples. The findings also emphasize the need for considering toilet paper removal without compromising nucleic acid extraction efficiency. The study highlights promising prospects for aircraft wastewater monitoring of ARGs, calling for further investigation into the import and spread of unique ARGs through transport hubs.

Recent Advances in Electroluminescent Metallic Nanoclusters: From Materials to Devices.

Metallic nanoclusters (MNCs) were developed rapidly in recent decades, owing to their unique electronic structures and excited state characteristics, leading to their wide applications. Luminescence as one of the most important functions for MNCs has also been used to realize biodetection, displays, and lighting, through either electrochemiluminescence (ECL) or electroluminescence (EL). Both emissive properties and electrochemical activities of MNCs were utilized to enhance ECL and EL through facilitating exciton formation and radiation, rendering the rapid emerging of the latter in the last ten years. Through ligand modification, radiative excited-state components were increased to realize state-of-the-art photo- and electroluminescence efficiencies up to ∼100% and ∼30%, as well as ultralow biodetection limits. Nonetheless, material selection space and processing technologies are still limited. Herein, we overview and discuss recent advances of MNCs-based ECL and EL, through both aspects of materials/systems and devices, which would enlighten continuous innovations in optoelectronic MNCs.

Programming of in Situ Tumor Vaccines via Supramolecular Nanodrug/Hydrogel Composite and Deformable Nanoadjuvant for Cancer Immunotherapy.

The development of in situ tumor vaccines offers promising prospects for cancer treatment. Nonetheless, the generation of plenary autologous antigens in vivo and their codelivery to DC cells along with adjuvants remains a significant challenge. Herein, we developed an in situ tumor vaccine using a supramolecular nanoparticle/hydrogel composite (ANPMTO/ALCD) and a deformable nanoadjuvant (PPER848). The ANPMTO/ALCD composite consisted of ß-cyclodextrin-decorated alginate (Alg-g-CD) and MTO-encapsulated adamantane-decorated nanoparticles (ANPMTO) through supramolecular interaction, facilitating the long-term and sustained production of plenary autologous antigens, particularly under a 660 nm laser. Simultaneously, the produced autologous antigens were effectively captured by nanoadjuvant PPER848 and subsequently transported to lymph nodes and DC cells, benefiting from its optimized size and deformability. This in situ tumor vaccine can trigger a robust antitumor immune response and demonstrate significant therapeutic efficacy in inhibiting tumor growth, suppressing tumor metastasis, and preventing postoperative recurrence, offering a straightforward approach to programming in situ tumor vaccines.

Confined Water Dominates Ion/Molecule Transport in Hydrogel Nanochannels.

Current artificial nanochannels rely more on charge interactions for intelligent mass transport. Nevertheless, popular charged nanochannels would lose their advantages in long-term applications. Confined water, an indispensable transport medium in biological nanochannels, dominating the transport process in the uncharged nanochannels perfectly provides a new perspective. Herein, we achieve confined-water-dominated mass transport in hydrogel nanochannels (HNCs) constructed by in situ photopolymerization of acrylic acid (PAA) hydrogel in anodic alumina (AAO) nanochannels. HNCs show selectivity to Na+ transport and a high transport rate of molecules after introducing Na+/Li+, compared with other alkali metal ions like Cs+/K+. The mechanism given by ATR-FTIR shows that the hydrogen-bonding structure of confined water in HNCs is destabilized by Na+/Li+, which facilitates mass transport, but is constrained by Cs+/K+, resulting in transport inhibition. This work elucidates the relationship between confined water and mass transport in uncharged nanochannels while also presenting a strategy for designing functional nanochannel devices.

Age at diagnosis and social risks among Black cancer survivors: Results from the Detroit Research on Cancer Survivors cohort.

BACKGROUND: Social risks are common among cancer survivors who have the fewest financial resources; however, little is known about how prevalence differs by age at diagnosis, despite younger survivors' relatively low incomes and wealth. METHODS: The authors used data from 3703 participants in the Detroit Research on Cancer Survivors (ROCS) cohort of Black cancer survivors. Participants self-reported several forms of social risks, including food insecurity, housing instability, utility shut-offs, not getting care because of cost or lack of transportation, and feeling unsafe in their home neighborhood. Modified Poisson models were used to estimate prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of social risks by age at diagnosis, controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, and cancer-related factors. RESULTS: Overall, 35% of participants reported at least one social risk, and 17% reported two or more risks. Social risk prevalence was highest among young adults aged 20-39 years (47%) followed by those aged 40-54 years (43%), 55-64 years (38%), and 65 years and older (24%; p for trend < .001). Compared with survivors who were aged 65 years and older at diagnosis, adjusted prevalence ratios for any social risk were 1.75 (95% CI, 1.42-2.16) for survivors aged 20-39 years, 1.76 (95% CI, 1.52-2.03) for survivors aged 40-54 years, and 1.41 (95% CI, 1.23-1.60) for survivors aged 55-64 years at diagnosis. Similar associations were observed for individual social risks and experiencing two or more risks. CONCLUSIONS: In this population of Black cancer survivors, social risks were inversely associated with age at diagnosis. Diagnosis in young adulthood and middle age should be considered a risk factor for social risks and should be prioritized in work to reduce the financial effects of cancer on financially vulnerable cancer survivors.

Modified Ion Migration via Multi-Ion Competitive Transportation for Stable Aqueous Zn Metal Batteries.

The application of metal batteries is seriously affected by active ions transport and deposition stability during operation. This article takes water-based Zn metal electrodes as an example to analyze the factors that affect ion distribution and the impact of ion distribution on electrodeposition morphology through electrochemical model simulation calculation, in situ observation and electrochemical experiment: 1) high concentration will reduce the concentration polarization and the overpotential; 2) The passage of active ions through channels are facilitated by small anion (Cl-) rather than bigger one (SO4 2-), which means small deposition overpotential; 3) The transportability-reaction properties of cations (Zn2+, Li+, Na+ and H+) depends on their concentration, solvent coordination structure, and the energy changes during redox reactions. Based on the diffusion and reaction properties, a Li+ coupled Zn2+ electrolyte is designed to achieve the rapid transportation of doped ions to cover uneven growth sites and maintain a stable interface for the steady deposition of active Zn2+, guiding the interface design for high stability metal batteries in addition to the traditional addition of organic solvents.

Spider dung beetles: coordinated cooperative transport without a predefined destination.

Cooperative transport allows for the transportation of items too large for the capacity of a single individual. Beyond humans, it is regularly employed by ants and social spiders where two or more individuals, with more or less coordinated movements, transport food to a known destination. In contrast to this, pairs of male and female dung beetles successfully transport brood balls to a location unknown to either party at the start of their common journey. We found that, when forced to overcome a series of obstacles in their path, transport efficiency of pairs of beetles was higher than of solo males. To climb tall obstacles with their common ball of dung, the female assisted the leading male in lifting the ball by steadying and pushing it upwards in a 'headstand' position during the climb initiation. Finally, we show that pairs were faster than single beetles in climbing obstacles of different heights. Our results suggest that pairs of Sisyphus beetles cooperate in the transportation of brood balls with coordinated movements, where the male steers and the female primarily assists in lifting the ball. Taken together, this is to our knowledge, the first quantitative study of cooperative food transport without a known goal to aim for.

Nutrient and Water Availability Influence Rice Physiology, Root Architecture and Ionomic Balance via Auxin Signalling.

Water and soil nutrients are the vital ingredients of crop production, and their efficient uptake is essentially dependent on root development, majorly regulated by auxin. For a water-loving crop like rice, how water availability regulates nutrient acquisition, additionally, how ambient nutrient level modulates water uptake, and the role of auxin therein is not well studied. While investigating the cross-talks among these components, we found water to be essential for auxin re-distribution in roots and shaping the root architecture. We also found that supplementing rice seedlings with moderate concentrations of mineral nutrients facilitated faster water uptake and greater nutrient enrichment in leaves compared to adequate nutrient supplementation. Additionally, moderate nutrient availability favoured greater stomatal density, stomatal conductance, photosynthesis, transpiration rate and water use efficiency when water was not limiting. Further, auxin supplementation enhanced root formation in rice, while affecting their water uptake ability, photosynthesis and transpiration causing differential mineral-specific uptake trends. The present study uncovers the existence of an intricate crosstalk among water, nutrients and auxin signalling the knowledge of which will enable optimizing the growth conditions for speed breeding of rice and harnessing the components of auxin signalling to improve water and nutrient use efficiency of rice.

Hypertension during transfer is associated with poor outcomes in unstable patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm.

OBJECTIVE: Limited data exist for optimal blood pressure (BP) management during transfer of patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA). This study evaluates the effects of hypertension and severe hypotension during interhospital transfers in a cohort of patients with rAAA in hemorrhagic shock. METHODS: We performed a retrospective, single-institution review of patients with rAAA transferred via air ambulance to a quaternary referral center for repair (2003-2019). Vitals were recorded every 5 minutes in transit. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP of ≥140 mm Hg. The primary cohort included patients with rAAA with hemorrhagic shock (≥1 episode of a systolic BP of <90 mm Hg) during transfer. The primary analysis compared those who experienced any hypertensive episode to those who did not. A secondary analysis evaluated those with either hypertension or severe hypotension <70 mm Hg. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. RESULTS: Detailed BP data were available for 271 patients, of which 125 (46.1%) had evidence of hemorrhagic shock. The mean age was 74.2 ± 9.1 years, 93 (74.4%) were male, and the median total transport time from helicopter dispatch to arrival at the treatment facility was 65 minutes (interquartile range, 46-79 minutes). Among the cohort with shock, 26.4% (n = 33) had at least one episode of hypertension. There were no significant differences in age, sex, comorbidities, AAA repair type, AAA anatomic location, fluid resuscitation volume, blood transfusion volume, or vasopressor administration between the hypertensive and nonhypertensive groups. Patients with hypertension more frequently received prehospital antihypertensives (15% vs 2%; P = .01) and pain medication (64% vs 24%; P < .001), and had longer transit times (36.3 minutes vs 26.0 minutes; P = .006). Episodes of hypertension were associated with significantly increased 30-day mortality on multivariable logistic regression (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 4.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.54-14.39; P = .007; 59.4% [n = 19] vs 40.2% [n = 37]; P = .01). Severe hypotension (46%; n = 57) was also associated with higher 30-day mortality (aOR, 2.82; 95% CI, 1.27-6.28; P = .01; 60% [n = 34] vs 32% [n = 22]; P = .01). Those with either hypertension or severe hypotension (54%; n = 66) also had an increased odds of mortality (aOR, 2.95; 95% CI, 1.08-8.11; P = .04; 58% [n = 38] vs 31% [n = 18]; P < .01). Level of hypertension, BP fluctuation, and timing of hypertension were not significantly associated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Hypertensive and severely hypotensive episodes during interhospital transfer were independently associated with increased 30-day mortality in patients with rAAA with shock. Hypertension should be avoided in these patients, but permissive hypotension approaches should also maintain systolic BPs above 70 mm Hg whenever possible.

A critical time window for leukapheresis product transportation to manufacture clinical-grade dendritic cells with optimal anti-tumor activities.

BACKGROUND AIMS: Dendritic cell (DC)-based immunotherapy is a promising approach to treat cancer. However, key aspects governing the reproducible manufacturing of high-quality DC remain incompletely defined. Here, we show that the time window between leukapheresis and DC manufacturing is critical. METHODS: Transcriptomic profiling by RNA-seq was used to unbiasedly characterize cellular states during each step of DC manufacturing process, and functional assays were used to determine the anti-tumor activities of DC. RESULTS: During preclinical development of a DC-based cytotherapy platform, CUD-002 (NCT05270720), we found that DC quality varied among different batches, even though commonly used DC maturation markers CD80, CD83 and CD86 were indistinguishable. Multivariate analysis indicated that DC quality was negatively associated with the shipping time from the leukapheresis site to the manufacturing center. To investigate the potential effect of shipping time, we stored leukapheresis materials from three donors for 0, 1, 2 or 3 days before DC manufacturing. For each step, we carried out RNA-seq analysis to unbiasedly characterize cellular states. Integrated bioinformatic analyses indicated that longer storage time reduced the expression of several transcription factors to attenuate interferon pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Consistently, we found that 3-day storage of leukapheresis materials significantly lowered the efficiency to generate DC but also impaired DC responses to inflammatory signals, resulting in inferior antigen-presentation and cytotoxic T-cell activities. Thus, we recommend using leukapheresis materials within 48 h to manufacture therapeutic DCs.

Transportation Justice and Health.

Policy Points The health care sector is increasingly investing in social conditions, including availability of safe, reliable, and adequate transportation, that contribute to improving health. In this paper, we suggest ways to advance the impact of transportation interventions and highlight the limitations of how health services researchers and practitioners currently conceptualize and use transportation. Incorporating a transportation justice framework offers an opportunity to address transportation and mobility needs more comprehensively and equitably within health care research, delivery, and policy.

Feasibility of Laboratory Equipment-Based Simulation Methods to Assess the Impact of Vehicle Transportation on Product Quality of mAb Dosing Solutions.

Therapeutic monoclonal antibody (mAb) products for intravenous (IV) administration generally require aseptic compounding with a commercially available diluent. When the administration site is located away from the preparation site, the prepared dosing solution may need to be transported in a vehicle. The impact of vehicle transportation on the product quality of mAbs needs to be evaluated to define safe handling and transportation conditions for dosing solutions. The design and execution of actual vehicle transportation studies require considerable resources and time. In this study, we systematically developed three different laboratory equipment-based methods that simulate vehicle transportation stresses: orbital shaker (OS), reciprocating shaker (RS), and vibration test system (VTS)-based simulation methods. We assessed their feasibility by comparing the impact on product quality caused by each simulated method with that caused by actual vehicle transportation. Without residual polysorbate 80 (PS80) in the mAb dosing solution, transportation via a cargo van led to a considerable increase in the subvisible particle counts and did not meet the compendial specifications for the light obscuration method. However, the presence of as low as 0.0004%w/v (4 ppm) PS80 in the dosing solution stabilized the mAb against vehicle transportation stresses and met the compendial specifications. Vehicle transportation of an IV bag with headspace resulted in negligible micro air bubbles and foaming in both PS80-free and PS80-containing mAb dosing solutions. These phenomena were found to be comparable to the VTS-based simulated method. However, the OS- and RS-based simulated methods formed significantly more micro air bubbles and foaming in an IV bag with headspace than either actual vehicle transportation or the VTS-based simulated method. Despite the higher interfacial stress (micro air bubbles and foaming) in the dosing solution created by the OS- and RS-based simulated methods, 0.0004%w/v (4 ppm) PS80 in the dosing solution was found to be sufficient to stabilize the mAb. The study shows that under appropriate simulated conditions, the OS-, RS-, and VTS-based simulated methods can be used as practical and meaningful models to assess the impact and risk of vehicle transportation on the quality of mAb dosing solutions.

Green Hydrogen Production From Non-Traditional Water Sources: A Sustainable Energy Solution With Hydrogen Storage and Distribution.

Green hydrogen development plays an essential role in creating a sustainable and environmentally conscious society while reducing reliance on traditional fossil fuels. Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysers (PEMWEs), are sensitive to water quality, with various impurities impacting their efficiency, the quality of the hydrogen produced, and the device's lifespan. High-purity water is required for PEM electrolyzers; Type II water, which is required for commercial electrolyzers, must have a resistivity greater than 1 MΩ cm, sodium, and chloride concentrations less than 5 µg/L, and total organic carbon (TOC) content less than 50 parts per billion. The majority of electrolyzers operate on freshwater, or total dissolved solids (TDS) <0.5 g/kg, whereas brackish, rainwater, wastewater, and seawater have TDSs of 1-35 g/kg, 0.01-0.15 g/kg, 0.5-2 g/kg, and 35-45 g/kg, respectively. This critical review offers, for the first time, a comprehensive overview of relevant impurities in operating electrolyzers and their impact. The findings of this study indicate that electrolysis-based H2 processes are promising options that contribute to the H2 production capacity but require improvements to produce larger competitive volumes. In addition, the main challenges and opportunities for generating, storing, transporting, and distributing hydrogen, as well as large-scale adoption are discussed.

Is public transport a promising strategy for increasing physical activity? Evidence from a study of objectively measured public transport use and physical activity.

BACKGROUND: Greater public transport use has been linked to higher physical activity levels. However, neither the amount of physical activity associated with each daily public transport trip performed, nor the potential total physical activity gain associated with an increase in trips/day, has been determined. Using objective measures, we aimed to quantify the association between public transport use, physical activity and sedentary time. METHODS: A longitudinal study of Australian adults living in Hobart, Tasmania, who were infrequent bus users (≥ 18 years; used bus ≤ 2 times/week). The number of bus trips performed each day was determined from objective smartcard data provided by the public transportation (bus) provider across a 36-week study timeframe. Accelerometer measured steps/day (primary outcome), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (min/day), and sedentary time (min/day) were assessed across four separate one-week periods. RESULTS: Among 73 participants across 1483 day-level observations, on days that public transport was used, participants achieved significantly more steps (ß = 2147.48; 95%CI = 1465.94, 2829.03), moderate to vigorous physical activity (ß = 22.79; 95% CI = 14.33, 31.26), and sedentary time (ß = 37.00; 95% CI = 19.80, 54.21) compared to days where no public transport trips were made. The largest increase in steps per day associated with a one-trip increase was observed when the number of trips performed each day increased from zero to one (ß = 1761.63; 95%CI = 821.38, 2701.87). The increase in the number of steps per day was smaller and non-significant when the number of trips performed increased from one to two (ß = 596.93; 95%CI=-585.16, 1779.01), and two to three or more (ß = 632.39; 95%CI=-1331.45, 2596.24) trips per day. Significant increases in sedentary time were observed when the number of trips performed increased from zero to one (ß = 39.38; 95%CI = 14.38, 64.39) and one to two (ß = 48.76; 95%CI = 25.39, 72.12); but not when bus trips increased from two to three or more (ß=-27.81; 95%CI=-76.00, 20.37). CONCLUSIONS: Greater public transport use was associated with higher physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Bus use may yield cumulative increases in steps that amount to 15-30% of the daily recommended physical activity target. A policy and public health focus on intersectoral action to promote public transport may yield meaningful increases in physical activity and subsequent health benefits.

Uncovering physical activity trade-offs in transportation policy: A spatial agent-based model of Bogotá, Colombia.

BACKGROUND: Transportation policies can impact health outcomes while simultaneously promoting social equity and environmental sustainability. We developed an agent-based model (ABM) to simulate the impacts of fare subsidies and congestion taxes on commuter decision-making and travel patterns. We report effects on mode share, travel time and transport-related physical activity (PA), including the variability of effects by socioeconomic strata (SES), and the trade-offs that may need to be considered in the implementation of these policies in a context with high levels of necessity-based physical activity. METHODS: The ABM design was informed by local stakeholder engagement. The demographic and spatial characteristics of the in-silico city, and its residents, were informed by local surveys and empirical studies. We used ridership and travel time data from the 2019 Bogotá Household Travel Survey to calibrate and validate the model by SES. We then explored the impacts of fare subsidy and congestion tax policy scenarios. RESULTS: Our model reproduced commuting patterns observed in Bogotá, including substantial necessity-based walking for transportation. At the city-level, congestion taxes fractionally reduced car use, including among mid-to-high SES groups but not among low SES commuters. Neither travel times nor physical activity levels were impacted at the city level or by SES. Comparatively, fare subsidies promoted city-level public transportation (PT) ridership, particularly under a 'free-fare' scenario, largely through reductions in walking trips. 'Free fare' policies also led to a large reduction in very long walking times and an overall reduction in the commuting-based attainment of physical activity guidelines. Differential effects were observed by SES, with free fares promoting PT ridership primarily among low-and-middle SES groups. These shifts to PT reduced median walking times among all SES groups, particularly low-SES groups. Moreover, the proportion of low-to-mid SES commuters meeting weekly physical activity recommendations decreased under the 'freefare' policy, with no change observed among high-SES groups. CONCLUSIONS: Transport policies can differentially impact SES-level disparities in necessity-based walking and travel times. Understanding these impacts is critical in shaping transportation policies that balance the dual aims of reducing SES-level disparities in travel time (and time poverty) and the promotion of choice-based physical activity.

Wildlife mortality risk posed by high and low traffic roads.

Wildlife mortality due to collisions with vehicles (roadkill) is one of the predominant negative effects exerted by roads on many wildlife species. Reducing roadkill is therefore a major component of wildlife conservation. Roadkill is affected by various factors, including road attributes and traffic volume. It is theorized that the effect of traffic volume on roadkill probability should be unimodal. However, empirical evidence for this theory is lacking. Using a large-scale roadkill database of 18 wildlife species in Israel, encompassing 2846 km of roads over 10 years, we explored the effects of traffic volume and road attributes (e.g., road lighting, verge vegetation) on roadkill probability with a multivariate generalized linear mixed model. A unimodal effect of traffic volume was identified for the striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), whereas 5 species demonstrated a novel quadratic U-shaped effect (e.g., golden jackal [Canis aureus]). Four species showed a negative linear effect (e.g., wild boar [Sus scrofa]). We also identified varying effects of road attributes on roadkill. For instance, road lighting and roadside trees decreased roadkill for several species, whereas bus stops and concrete guardrails led to increased roadkill. The theorized unimodal effect of traffic volume may only apply to large, agile species, and the U-shaped effect could be related to intraspecies variability in traffic avoidance behavior. In general, we found that both high-traffic and low-traffic roads can pose a high mortality risk for wildlife. It is therefore important to monitor roadkill on low-traffic roads and adapt road attributes to mitigate roadkill. Road design for effective roadkill mitigation includes reducing the use of concrete guardrails and median barriers where possible and avoiding dense bushes in verge landscaping. These measures are complemented by employing wildlife detection systems, driver warnings, and seasonal speed reduction measures on low-traffic roads identified as roadkill hotspots.

Riesgo de mortalidad de fauna presentado por las carreteras de mucho y poco tráfico Denneboom et al. 23­229 Resumen La mortalidad de fauna por colisiones con vehículos es uno de los efectos negativos predominantes que tienen las carreteras sobre muchas especies. Por lo tanto, la reducción de esta mortalidad es un componente principal de la conservación de la fauna. Esta mortalidad se ve afectada por varios factores, incluyendo las características de la carretera y el volumen de tráfico. Se piensa que el efecto del volumen de tráfico sobre la probabilidad de las colisiones debería ser unimodal; sin embargo, la evidencia empírica para esta teoría no es suficiente. Usamos una base de datos de colisiones de 18 especies de fauna en Israel que engloba 2,846 km de carreteras durante diez años para explorar con un modelo mixto lineal generalizado multivariado los efectos del volumen de tráfico y las características de la carretera (p. ej., iluminación, vegetación de borde) sobre la probabilidad de colisiones. Identificamos un efecto unimodal del volumen del tráfico para la hiena rayada (Hyaena hyaena), mientras que cinco especies demostraron un efecto cuadrático novedoso en forma de U, como el chacal dorado (Canis aureus). Cuatro especies mostraron un efecto negativo lineal, como el jabalí salvaje (Sus scrofa). También identificamos varios efectos de las características de la carretera sobre las colisiones. Por ejemplo, la iluminación y los árboles en los bordes disminuyeron las colisiones para varias especies, mientras que las paradas de camión y los quitamiedos de concreto resultaron en un incremento de las colisiones. La teoría del efecto unimodal del volumen de tráfico podría aplicar sólo para especies grandes y ágiles, mientras que el efecto en forma de U podría relacionarse con la variabilidad de comportamiento para evitar colisiones que hay entre las especies. En general, descubrimos que tanto las carreteras con poco y mucho tráfico pueden representar un riesgo de mortalidad para la fauna. Por lo tanto, es importante monitorear las colisiones en las carreteras con poco tráfico y adaptar las características de la carretera para mitigar las colisiones. El diseño de las carreteras para una mitigación efectiva incluye reducir el uso de quitamiedos de concreto y barreras centrales en donde sea posible y evitar los arbustos densos en el paisajismo de los bordes. Estas medidas están complementadas con el uso de sistemas de detección de fauna, señalamientos para los conductores y medidas estacionales de reducción de la velocidad en las carreteras de poco tráfico identificadas como puntos calientes de colisiones.

Tracing the Transport and Residence Times of Atmospheric Microplastics Using Natural Radionuclides.

While atmospheric microplastics are known to be transported over long distances, their residence times and transport processes lack clarity. This study utilized natural radionuclides 7Be, 210Pb, and 210Po to explore the transport of atmospheric microplastics in Tianjin, a coastal city in Northern China. Microplastic concentrations ranged from 0.03 to 0.13 particles m-3 over the course of a year. The proportion of microplastic fragments in winter was significantly higher than that in other seasons, with median microplastic sizes in autumn and winter being larger than those in spring and summer. The atmospheric microplastic surface was rough, exhibiting irregular pores and multiple depressions and cracks. Microplastics experienced vertical mixing with the upper atmosphere in April and August and were influenced by rainfall in July. The residence time of atmospheric particles ranged from 9.47 to 22.85 days throughout the year, with an average of 14.41 days. The peak residence time of atmospheric particulates in November may be correlated with increased 210Po levels from coal consumption. Their prolonged atmospheric presence and rough surface allow microplastics to act as carriers for various chemical pollutants, underscoring the complexity and potential risks associated with their presence in the atmosphere.