Congested Sidewalks: The Effects of the Built Environment on E-scooter Parking Compliance

With the proliferation of electric scooters (e-scooters) in cities across the world, concerns continue to arise about their parking spots on sidewalks and other public spaces. Research has looked at e-scooter parking compliance and compared compliance to other mobility devices, but research has not yet examined the impacts of the built environment on parking compliance. Using a field observation dataset in Portland, Oregon, and novel GIS data, we attempt to understand the spatial distribution of e-scooter parking and the impact of built features on parking compliance, offering recommendations for policymakers and future research. The results of our study show that 76% of e-scooters observed fail at least one of the Portland’s parking compliance requirements and 59% fail at least two criteria. However, compliance varies spatially and by violation type, indicating that parking compliance (or non-compliance) is dependent on features of the built environment. Parking compliance is significantly higher on blocks with designated e-scooter parking than blocks without designated e-scooter parking. A statistically significant relationship is observed between the amount of legally parkable area on a city block and parking compliance. Parking compliance increases with larger percentages of legally parkable area. This finding can help policymakers prioritize dedicated e-scooter parking for blocks with limited legally parkable area

3-nitroimidazo[1,2-b]pyridazine as a novel scaffold for antiparasitics with sub-nanomolar anti-Giardia lamblia activity.

As there is a continuous need for novel anti-infectives, the present study aimed to fuse two modes of action into a novel 3-nitroimidazo[1,2-b]pyridazine scaffold to improve antiparasitic efficacy. For this purpose, we combined known structural elements of phosphodiesterase inhibitors, a target recently proposed for Trypanosoma brucei and Giardia lamblia, with a nitroimidazole scaffold to generate nitrosative stress. The compounds were evaluated in vitro against a panel of protozoal parasites, namely Giardia lamblia, Trypanosoma brucei, T. cruzi, Leishmania infantum and Plasmodium falciparum and for cytotoxicity on MRC-5 cells. Interestingly, selective sub-nanomolar activity was obtained against G. lamblia, and by testing several analogues with and without the nitro group, it was shown that the presence of a nitro group, but not PDE inhibition, is responsible for the low IC50 values of these novel compounds. Adding the favourable drug-like properties (low molecular weight, cLogP (1.2-4.1) and low polar surface area), the key compounds from the 3-nitroimidazo[1,2-b]pyridazine series can be considered as valuable hits for further anti-giardiasis drug exploration and development

Statistical analysis plan for the PlAtelet Transfusion in Cerebral Haemorrhage (PATCH) trial:a multicentre randomised controlled trial

Use of antiplatelet therapy shortly before stroke due to spontaneous primary intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) is associated with higher case fatality in comparison to ICH without prior antithrombotic drug use. The PlAtelet Transfusion in Cerebral Haemorrhage (PATCH) trial aimed to assess the effect of platelet transfusion in patients presenting with ICH while using antiplatelet therapy. The main hypothesis of PATCH was that platelet transfusion would reduce death or dependence by reducing ICH growth. PATCH was a multicentre prospective, randomised, open, blinded endpoint (PROBE) parallel group trial, conducted at 60 hospitals in The Netherlands, Scotland and France. Forty-one sites enrolled 190 patients with spontaneous supratentorial ICH aged ≥18 years, who had used antiplatelet therapy for ≥7 days preceding ICH, if Glasgow Coma Scale was ≥8. Participants were randomised (1:1, with a secure web-based system using permuted blocks, stratified by study centre and type of antiplatelet therapy pre-ICH) to receive either platelet transfusion within 6 hours of symptom onset and 90 minutes of diagnostic brain imaging, or standard care without platelet transfusion. The primary outcome was modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score assessed blind to treatment allocation at 3 months after ICH. Planned secondary outcomes included ICH growth on brain imaging performed approximately 24 hours after randomisation, survival at 3 months, disability at 3 months scored using the Amsterdam Medical Centre linear disability score, heterogeneity of treatment effect on mRS and ICH growth according to presence of the computed tomography angiography spot sign, causes of poor outcome, and cost-effectiveness. Safety outcomes were transfusion reactions, thromboembolic complications, and serious adverse events occurring during hospitalisation. This statistical analysis plan was written without knowledge of the unblinded data. The trial was registered with the Netherlands Trial Register on 29 April 2008 ( NTR1303

Equity and Sustainability Planning for Employment Zones in Tigard

As the City of Tigard updates its zoning code for its industrial and commercial lands, opportunity exists to center equity and sustainability in the project. Tigard would be the first city to implement a zoning reform with these values integrated into the process. Further, through the operationalizing of equity in sustainability in the zoning code, Tigard can build a healthy community, one resilient to economic and environmental changes and nurturing for businesses of diverse backgrounds and communities. Though no other city we could identify has explicitly implemented both equity and sustainability in their zoning code, there are lessons from other cities along with extensive research that can guide us. Attune Planning strove to understand how other cities have zoned their employment areas for equity and sustainability. From those ideas, we recommended research-backed policies for the City of Tigard to deploy. Zoning is ultimately a blunt tool that cannot create the utopian world planners desire, but it can be a force for positive and for negative, cultivating certain outcomes and discouraging others. In sum, this document offers a roadmap to guide Tigard in becoming the first city to center equity and sustainability in its commercial and industrial zoning code, preparing Tigard for the changing economy and climate

Content analysis of school anti-bullying policies :A comparison between New Zealand and Victoria, Australia

Issue Addressed: To undertake a detailed analysis of the content of anti-bullying policies in schools in New Zealand (NZ) and Victoria, Australia. Methods: The content of anti-bullying policies from 253 NZ schools and 93 Victorian schools were analysed in terms of definitions of bullying behaviour; reporting, recording and responding to bullying incidents; communicating and evaluating the policy; and outlining strategies for preventing bullying. Results: There was a wide range in ‘policy scores’ between schools, and Victorian schools scored higher on nearly every area compared with NZ schools. In both regions, definitions rarely included bullying on the grounds of homophobia, religion or disability; or bullying between adults and students. Policies also lacked detail about the responsibilities of non-teaching staff in dealing with bullying, and rarely described follow-up after a bullying incident. Few policies explained how the policy would be evaluated, and many failed to mention preventive strategies. Conclusion: This study highlights some important areas that are deficient in NZ and Victorian school anti-bullying policies, and emphasises the need for guidance on how schools can develop an effective anti-bullying policy. Having more comprehensive anti-bullying policies will give schools a much better chance of reducing bullying

Content analysis of school anti-bullying policies: a comparison between New Zealand and Victoria, Australia

Issue Addressed: To undertake a detailed analysis of the content of anti-bullying policies in schools in New Zealand (NZ) and Victoria, Australia. Methods: The content of anti-bullying policies from 253 NZ schools and 93 Victorian schools were analysed in terms of definitions of bullying behaviour; reporting, recording and responding to bullying incidents; communicating and evaluating the policy; and outlining strategies for preventing bullying. Results: There was a wide range in ‘policy scores’ between schools, and Victorian schools scored higher on nearly every area compared with NZ schools. In both regions, definitions rarely included bullying on the grounds of homophobia, religion or disability; or bullying between adults and students. Policies also lacked detail about the responsibilities of non-teaching staff in dealing with bullying, and rarely described follow-up after a bullying incident. Few policies explained how the policy would be evaluated, and many failed to mention preventive strategies. Conclusion: This study highlights some important areas that are deficient in NZ and Victorian school anti-bullying policies, and emphasises the need for guidance on how schools can develop an effective anti-bullying policy. Having more comprehensive anti-bullying policies will give schools a much better chance of reducing bullying

Differential localization pattern of GlPDE-HA and internalized dextran in peripheral vesicles.

<p>Peripheral vesicles were loaded with Alexa Fluor 594-coupled dextran (red) and GlPDE-HA was detected with a FITC-conjugated anti-HA antibody (green). Nuclei were stained with DAPI (blue). The overlay of images shows completely different patterns of green and red signals. Left column represents a transfected cell, right column shows a non-transfected control cell.</p

The single cyclic nucleotide-specific phosphodiesterase of the intestinal parasite <i>Giardia lamblia</i> represents a potential drug target

<div><p>Background</p><p>Giardiasis is an intestinal infection correlated with poverty and poor drinking water quality, and treatment options are limited. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, <i>Giardia</i> infections afflict nearly 33% of people in developing countries, and 2% of the adult population in the developed world. This study describes the single cyclic nucleotide-specific phosphodiesterase (PDE) of <i>G</i>. <i>lamblia</i> and assesses PDE inhibitors as a new generation of anti-giardial drugs.</p><p>Methods</p><p>An extensive search of the <i>Giardia</i> genome database identified a single gene coding for a class I PDE, GlPDE. The predicted protein sequence was analyzed <i>in-silico</i> to characterize its domain structure and catalytic domain. Enzymatic activity of GlPDE was established by complementation of a PDE-deficient <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> strain, and enzyme kinetics were characterized in soluble yeast lysates. The potency of known PDE inhibitors was tested against the activity of recombinant GlPDE expressed in yeast and against proliferating <i>Giardia</i> trophozoites. Finally, the localization of epitope-tagged and ectopically expressed GlPDE in <i>Giardia</i> cells was investigated.</p><p>Results</p><p><i>Giardia</i> encodes a class I PDE. Catalytically important residues are fully conserved between GlPDE and human PDEs, but sequence differences between their catalytic domains suggest that designing <i>Giardia</i>-specific inhibitors is feasible. Recombinant GlPDE hydrolyzes cAMP with a K_m of 408 μM, and cGMP is not accepted as a substrate. A number of drugs exhibit a high degree of correlation between their potency against the recombinant enzyme and their inhibition of trophozoite proliferation in culture. Epitope-tagged GlPDE localizes as dots in a pattern reminiscent of mitosomes and to the perinuclear region in <i>Giardia</i>.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>Our data strongly suggest that inhibition of <i>G</i>. <i>lamblia</i> PDE activity leads to a profound inhibition of parasite proliferation and that GlPDE is a promising target for developing novel anti-giardial drugs.</p></div