Free Car Research Articles

INTELLIGENT AUTONOMOUS PARKING SYSTEM INTEGRATING RFID AND IoT FOR SMART CITIES

An autonomous parking system is the essential innovation for stress free car parking in smart cities. The efficient use of resources is a key goal of smart cities, and their integration with technology has improved productivity and dependability for urban infrastructure. In this paper, an efficient automated parking system integrating Internet of Things (IoT) and radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies is proposed. The proposed system is integrated with IoT in which the consumers can book the parking spots before arriving to the destination-drastically reducing the time taken by the consumers in searching for the parking slot. The proposed system effectively saves time for the consumers and also significantly provides solutions for all the parking-related issues faced by the management of flats, theaters, malls, hospitals, etc. In management perspective, this system will provide better use of their resources and reduce the amount of labor needed to maintain these parking lots. The automated parking system overcomes the important issue of jamming near the gates of parking spots by improving the check-in and check-out process of vehicles. The RFID tags given to the drivers reduce the time for vehicle identification as it is done automatically. The proposed system avoids long queues at the gates, unnecessary traffic jams near the gates, reduces the waiting time, and ensures security by allowing only the registered users identified through RFID tags. Thus, the proposed system will be a sophisticated system for the consumers, drivers, and a boon to mall owners and management.

Partnering with High-Risk Communities to Successfully Reduce Pediatric Injury Over Time

Injury is the leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality. Injury prevention (IP) initiatives are often created in isolation from the communities most affected. We hypothesized that the use of a comprehensive approach to injury prevention through community partnerships will result in a measurable reduction in pediatric injuries. The IP program at our free-standing level 1 pediatric trauma center developed partnerships within eight targeted high-risk communities. IP coordinators and community partners implemented programs driven by community-specific injury data and community input. Programs focused on home, bike, playground, pedestrian, and child passenger safety. Program components included in-home education with free safety equipment and installation; free bike helmet fittings and distribution; community playground builds; and car seat classes with education, free car seat distribution and installation. Using trauma registry data, we compared injuries rates in targeted communities with non-intervention communities county-wide over an eight-year period. Between 2012 and 2019, nearly 4000 families received home safety equipment and education through community partnerships. Approximately 2000 bike helmets, 900 car/booster seats, in addition to safety messages and education were provided across the intervention communities. Over this 8-year time period, the injury rates significantly decreased by 28.4%, across the eight targeted high-risk communities, compared to a 10.9% reduction in non-intervention communities across the county. Effective injury prevention can be achieved through partnerships, working in solidarity with community members to address actual areas of concern to them. Sharing data, seeking ongoing community input, continuously reviewing learnings, and implementing identified changes are crucial to the success of such partnerships. Level III.

Commuter Mode Choice and Free Car Parking, Public Transportation Benefits, Showers/Lockers, and Bike Parking at Work: Evidence from the Washington, DC Region

Municipalities and employers in the U.S. attempt to reduce commuting by automobile through commuter benefits for riding public transportation, walking, or cycling. Many employers provide a combination of benefits, often including free car parking alongside benefits for public transportation, walking, and cycling. This study evaluates the relationship between commuter benefits and mode choice for the commute to work using revealed preference data on 4,630 regular commuters, including information about free car parking, public transportation benefits, showers/lockers, and bike parking at work in the Washington, DC region. Multinomial logistic regression results show that free car parking at work is related to more driving. Commuters offered either public transportation benefits, showers/lockers, or bike parking, but no free car parking, are more likely to either ride public transportation, walk, or cycle to work. The joint provision of benefits for public transportation, walking, and cycling is related to an increased likelihood to commute by all three of these modes and a decreased likelihood of driving. However, the inclusion of free car parking in benefit packages alongside benefits for public transportation, walking, and cycling, seems to offset the effect of these incentives. Benefits for public transportation, walking, and cycling, seem to work best when car parking is not free.

Аналіз навігаційних систем автомобілів як систем автоматизації

У статті зазначено, що в наш час автомобільні навігатори набули широкої популярності, а також викладено особливості застосування глобальних навігаційних супутникових систем як одних із найкращих для функціонування таких навігаторів. Описано історію першої супутникової навігаційної системи — Transit. Крім того, проаналізовано принципи роботи, основні особливості, недоліки, місця розташування і сумісність таких існуючих глобальних навігаційних супутникових систем, як NAVSTAR-GPS, ГЛОНАСС, Galileо, Beidou, QZSS (Michibiki) та NavIC. Зазначено, що найкращі показники роботи пристроїв було отримано при застосуванні глобальних навігаційних систем ГЛОНАСС і GPS. Наведено порівняльні характеристики існуючих типів навігаційних систем автомобілів, зокрема штатних і автономних, і навігаційного програмного забезпечення портативних комп’ютерів і систем. Описано особливості роботи і живлення найчастіше застосовуваної штатної навігаційної системи автомобіля. Висвітлено принцип роботи і будову стандартного автомобільного GPS-навігатора як одного з найкращих. Зазначено також, що серед користувачів найпопулярнішими навігаційними системами вважаються портативний комп’ютер і звичайний смартфон із встановленими навігаційними програмами, докладними актуальними мапами і покроковими інструкціями, на відміну від вбудованих систем. Викладено принцип дії всіх марок автомобільних навігаторів. Значну увагу приділено оцінці переваг і недоліків популярних марок штатних навігаційних систем автомобілів, таких як Garmin, TomTom і Magellan. За результатами проведеного дослідження представлено особливості платних і безкоштовних програм автомобільних навігаторів, які набули популярності серед водіїв автомобілів: Яндекс Навігатор, iGo Primo, TomTom, Waze, Google карти, Автоспутник, OsmAnd, 2ГИС і Sygic Car.

Navigating Electric Vehicles Along a Signalized Corridor via Reinforcement Learning: Toward Adaptive Eco-Driving Control

One problem associated with the operation of electric vehicles (EVs) is the limited battery, which cannot guarantee their endurance. The increasing electricity consumption will also impose a burden on economy and ecology of the vehicles. To achieve energy saving, this paper proposes an adaptive eco-driving method in the environment of signalized corridors. The framework with adaptive and real-time control is implemented by the reinforcement learning technique. First, the operation of EVs in the proximity of intersections is defined as a Markov Decision Process (MDP) to apply the twin delayed deep deterministic policy gradient (TD3) algorithm, to deal with the decision process with continuous action space. Therefore, the speed of the vehicle can be adjusted continuously. Second, safety, traffic mobility, energy consumption, and comfort are all considered by designing a comprehensive reward function for the MDP. Third, the simulation study takes Aoti Street in Nanjing City with several consecutive signalized intersections as the research road network, and the state representation in MDP considers the information from consecutive downstream traffic signals. After the parameter tuning procedure, simulations are carried out for three typical eco-driving scenarios, including free flow, car following, and congestion flow. By comparing with default car-following behavior in the simulation platform SUMO and several state-of-the-art deep reinforcement learning algorithms, the proposed strategy shows a balanced and stable performance.

Building a dynamic model of profit maximization for a carsharing system accounting for the region’s geographical and economic features

This paper describes a dynamic model of profit maximization for a car-sharing system, taking into consideration the geographical and economic characteristics of a region. To solve the model construction task, a technique to cover the region with geometric shapes has been described. It was established that when modeling a car-sharing system, it is rational to cover a region with a grid of equal regular hexagons located side to side. For each subregion, quantitative parameters were calculated: the number of free cars in the subregions, the probability of a car traveling from one sub-region to another, the cost of maintenance and operation of the car, and the income from the trip. This takes into consideration the dynamic nature of the specified parameters. Based on these parameters, an objective function is constructed including constraints for the dynamic model. These constraints take into consideration the economic and geographical features of each subregion. A dynamic profit maximization model was built for the car-sharing system in the city of New York (USA) based on the TCL dataset. To calculate the parameters of the model, data on 776,285,070 trips over the period from January 2016 to July 2021 were used. Maps of the beginning and completion of trips in the region and a map of trips tied to hexagonal grid cells using the Kepler visualization service have been built. The frameworks H3 and S2 were analyzed in terms of determining the length of the route between the subregions. Modeling was carried out according to the built unidirectional dynamic model of profit maximization. It has been established that taking into consideration the average economic and geographical characteristics of a region makes it possible to increase the profit of the car-sharing system by 12.36 %. Accounting for the dynamics of economic and geographical features of the region of customers in the model makes it possible to increase profits by an additional 4.18 %

The impact of car seat giveaways on compliance among newborns in Saudi Arabia

ObjectivesRoad traffic injuries are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children in Saudi Arabia. Previous literature suggests that poor compliance to traffic safety measures is exacerbating the burden of childhood injuries. Although car seats have been found to reduce injuries among children, their compliance remains poor nationally. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether providing free car seats for newborns is associated with the compliance of car seat use 3 months after hospital discharge. MethodsThis study was conducted in three regions of the country following a national public health campaign aimed to improve traffic safety. In November 2020, five hundred car seats were given to mothers at the time of discharge. Three months later, parents were contacted to evaluate the prevalence of compliance. In addition to estimating the prevalence of car seat use at 3 months, the analysis assessed predictors of use using a multiple logistic regression model. ResultsOf the 486 initial participants, 375 (77%) responded. According to the parents, 76% of children still use the car seat 3 months after hospital discharge. The age of the parents and the number of family members were significant predictors of car seat use. Smaller families (≤4 members) were 2.2 (95% confidence interval: 1.36–3.82) times more likely to comply with the car seat law 3 months after discharge than larger families. Most of the respondents (70.5%) strongly agree that child restraint systems are an essential device while driving with children. ConclusionsWe found that providing free car seats for newborn children is associated with uptake of improved traffic safety, but compliance remains lower than in developed countries. Further studies are needed to facilitate improving child seat safety among large families. As the country strives to invest in reducing traffic injuries, similar initiatives may facilitate adopting safety measures among parents, which may reduce preventable injuries and improve population health.

Relevance of Marketing Strategies for Gas Stations in China – An Analysis Using SPSS

This study aims to find out the relevance of marketing strategies for gas stations in China. According to IBISWorld, the companies holding the largest market shares in China’s gas station industry include China Petrochemical Corporation, China National Petroleum Corporation, Sinochem Corporation, China National Offshore Oil Corporation, and BP (China) Holdings Limited. Marketing has changed over the past several years. Similarly, gas station marketing is all about more customers, greater sales, and higher profits. Technology provides many different marketing tools to see more fresh faces at the door, increase repeat sales, and improve profits. Word-of-mouth advertising should be encouraged, especially when contests are being held. The prizes from these contests may include car essentials, free coffee, free car wash, or coupons to be used at convenience stores. Customers who have won these contests would surely go around advertising the particular gas station, ultimately bringing in more customers. Other than that, managers can boost the sales volume through radio promotions as well. This study also aims to give future businessmen and women some ideas on how to deal with different kinds of strategies when it comes to marketing, especially in China in hope to cater and prove to the people of China the possibility of promoting businesses, such as the oil industry.

Improved stability and aqueous solubility of β-carotene via encapsulation in self-assembled bioactive oleanolic acid nanoparticles

Poor water solubility and stability of β-carotene (Car) greatly hinder its application in foods. Herein, naturally occurring bioactive oleanolic acid (OA) was used as a nanocarrier to overcome these shortcomings by fabricating Car-loaded OA nanoparticles (Car/OA NPs). Through optimization, the encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity reached 80.7% and 32.6%, respectively. Systematic characterization suggested that Car was successfully encapsulated, and hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions are the main forces facilitating the self-assembly and encapsulation. Compared with free Car, Car/OA NPs exhibited significantly improved water dispersibility and enhanced stability against UV radiation, heat, ionic strength, and acidic conditions. Further, Car/OA NPs provided gastric protection, delayed-release in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and controlled release in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF). Additionally, both OA NPs and Car/OA NPs showed markedly inherent hepatoprotective effects. This work demonstrates that OA NPs can be used as inherent bioactive nanocarriers to deliver hydrophobic nutrients and bioactive food components.

‘Cinema: Today’s Theatre’ – Images from the 1914 Cologne Rose Monday Parade

ABSTRACT A carnival float in the 1914 Cologne Rose Monday parade was designed under the slogan ‘Theatre Then and Now’. The float depicted a cinema under the headline ‘The Theatre of Today’, pointing out that the film industry was encroaching on actors, authors and topics of the classical legitimate theatre. While the cinema sector was booming in the city, the Cologne Schauspielhaus (Cologne Theatre) was suffering a severe decline in audience attendance. The painted draft of the carnival float illustrates in detail the discrepancy between cinema and legitimate theatre and what they offered its audiences: long feature films for high entrance fees versus free car rides and free buffet to lure audiences into classical Greek tragedies. The Cologne carnival float commented in a caricaturing way on how the cinema attained sold-out houses with its propositions, while the legitimate theatre remained empty.

A Hybrid Fog Architecture: Improving the Efficiency in IoT-Based Smart Parking Systems

Background: The abundant use of personal vehicles has raised the challenge of parking the vehicle in crowded places such as shopping malls. To help the driver with efficient and troublefree parking, a smart and innovative parking assistance system is required. In addition to discussing the basics of smart parking, Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud computing, and Fog computing, this chapter proposes an IoT-based smart parking system for shopping malls. Methods: To process the IoT data, a hybrid Fog architecture is adopted in order to reduce the latency, where the Fog nodes are connected across the hierarchy. The advantages of this auxiliary connection are discussed critically by comparing with other Fog architectures (hierarchical and P2P). An algorithm is defined to support the proposed architecture and is implemented on two real- world use-cases having requirements of identifying the nearest free car parking slot. The implementation is simulated for a single mall scenario as well as for a campus with multiple malls with parking areas spread across them. Results: The simulation results have proved that our proposed architecture shows lower latency as compared to the traditional smart parking systems that use Cloud architecture. Conclusion: The hybrid Fog architecture minimizes communication latency significantly. Hence, the proposed architecture can suitably be applied for other IoT-based real-time applications.

Beyond PPE: a mixed qualitative–quantitative study capturing the wider issues affecting doctors’ well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to the medical workforce. This has put them at increased risk of burnout at a time when levels are already worryingly high in...

Математическая модель управления спросом на каршеринг

A significant increase of carsharing service in Russia and worldwide has led to need a formal description of the process orders fulfilling on the service. The paper presents a mathematical model for computation the distance between customers and free car, which is built on the basis of the "nearest neighbor-method. A model of demand generation is proposed. The demand depends on the potential number of customers and the probability of finding a car in the area of walking distance. The number of free cars is described as stochastic process, which is based on a birth and death process. The death intensity in the process depends on the probability of finding a car. The estimation of the average number of free cars, their average load and the probability of finding a free car in the walking distance are obtained. The combination of the presented models allows to assess the impact of the number of carsharing vehicles on demand. In particular, a numerical example shows that an increase in the carsheribg fleet can lead to increaseasing in the cars average load. Thus, we can conclude that a larger car-sharing project can be cost-effective only if the carsharing service consists of a large fleet of vehicles, i.e. the service contains a high density of free cars.

Design of “S” type track carbon free car based on cam mechanism

Reverse part model based on motion trajectory is a common method in mechanism design. Compared with the traditional calculation method, it is simple and practical, and can simulate the reconstruction of the trajectory. In this paper, S-type carbon-free car was taken as an example. Firstly, the motion trajectory of the ideal car path was given. UG software was used to obtain the curve characteristics, established a mathematical model, and took the curve into the model to obtain the data of cam coordinate points. Then the MATLAB software was used to draw the cam contour and analyzed the feasibility of cam operation. The vehicle trajectory simulation was realized in MATLAB environment. Finally, the reasonable cam contour coordinate point data was imported into UG software to establish a 3D model of the cam, and the car track was repeatedly optimized to get the optimal cam shape. The rationality and the accuracy of the model were verified by the carbon-free car made by the scheme, and the corresponding guidance was provided for the research of others.

Novel food colorants from tomatoes: Stability of carotenoid-containing chromoplasts under different storage conditions

Despite years of research, the application of natural pigments as food ingredients is still limited by their low stability. This research investigated the storability of carotenoid-containing chromoplasts, as novel natural food colorant from unsold tomatoes.The 30-day stability of chromoplasts (Chr), in comparison to free carotenoid-based extract (Free car), was investigated by the kinetic degradation model of carotenoids (UV–visible spectrophotometer assay), and by the color attributes as CIELab* parameters [i.e. total color difference (ΔE); red-yellow ratio (a*/b*) and chroma value (C*)], under dark and UV-light exposure at different temperatures (4, 25 and 40 °C).Regardless of the different storage conditions (temperature and UV-light exposure), the lowest pigment degradation rates were found for Chr [0.014 days−1 (25 °C in the dark) - 0.057 days−1 (40 °C under UV-light)] rather than Free car [0.018 days−1 (25 °C in the dark) - 0.071 days−1 (40 °C under UV-light)]. Furthermore, Chr better retained the colorimetric parameters, especially at 4 °C (ΔE ~ 4.0) and 25 °C (ΔE ~ 4.5) in the dark. These results proving that a tailored enzymatic-assisted extraction allowed the recovery of stable natural red-orange pigments better preserved by their chromoplast envelop.

From LiDAR point cloud towards digital twin city: Clustering city objects based on Gestalt principles

Recent advancement of remote sensing technologies has brought in accurate, dense, and inexpensive city-scale Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) point clouds, which can be utilized to model city objects (e.g., buildings, roads, and automobiles) for creating Digital Twin Cities (DTCs). However, processing such unstructured point clouds is very challenging, epitomized by high cost, movable objects, limited object classes, and high information inadequacy/redundancy. We noticed that many city objects are not in random shapes; rather, they have invariant cross-sections following the Gestalt design principles, including proximity, connectivity, symmetry, and similarity. In this paper, we present a novel unsupervised method, called Clustering Of Symmetric Cross-sections of Objects (COSCO), to process urban LiDAR point clouds to a hierarchy of objects based on their characteristic cross-sections. First, city objects are segmented as connected patches of proximate 3D points. Then, symmetric cross-sections are detected for symmetric city objects. Finally, the taxonomy and groups of city objects are recognized from a hierarchical clustering analysis of the dissimilarity matrix. Experimental results showed that COSCO detected the correct taxonomy and types of 12 cars from 24,126 LiDAR points in 8.28 s. Based on the cross-sections and taxonomy, a digital twin was created by registering online free 3D car models in 29.58 s. The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, it presents an effective unsupervised method for understanding and developing DTC objects in LiDAR point clouds by harnessing innate Gestalt design principles. Secondly, COSCO can be an efficient LiDAR pre-processing tool for recognizing symmetric city objects’ cross-sections, positions, heading directions, dimensions, and possible types for smart city applications in GIScience, Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operation (AECO), and autonomous vehicles.

Pre-Equipped Vehicles Applicants in Egypt: An Electrophysiologic Descriptive Study

Abstract Background: Regulations in Egypt offer duty free pre-equipped cars to people with special physical needs. Egyptian patients applying for this service need to submit a medical evidence of their physical disability. A detailed electrophysi-ologic session (electromyography and nerve conduction stud-ies; EMG/NCS) plays a key role in diagnosing lower motor neuron affection. Thus, and on regular basis, the Clinical neurophysiology unit at Kasr Al Ainy hospital receives patients referred from the Specialized Medical Councils of the Egyptian Minstery of Health to disclose the neuromuscular disability, if present. Aim of Study: Analyzing medical records at the Clinical Neurophysiology Unit in Kasr Al-Ainy Hospital, for the patients attending for EMG/NCS during the year 2018. The EMG/NCS is a prerequisite to apply for having a duty free pre-equipped vehicle through the ministry of health. Material and Methods: This is a retrospective, descriptive study. Data extracted from the medical records included the patients' national identification card included the age, gender, governorate of residence, occupation and marital status as well as the date of examination, limbs examined and electro-physiologic diagnosis reached. Results: Various valuable community data were reached. Significant results were found in relation to Egyptian geo-graphic sectors and electrophysiologic diagnoses concluded among other variables analyzed. Conclusions: We are suggesting additional investigations to patients with non-abnormal electrophysiologic results, to document their physical disability. We are also recommending further analyses of the relevant current status of Upper Egypt regional unit.

A workplace-based intervention to increase levels of daily physical activity: the Travel to Work cluster RCT

Background There may be opportunities for working adults to accumulate recommended physical activity levels (≥ 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity in bouts of ≥ 10 minutes throughout the week) during the commute to work. Systematic reviews of interventions to increase active transport indicate that studies are predominantly of poor quality, rely on self-report and lack robust statistical analyses. Objectives To assess the effectiveness, cost and consequences of a behavioural intervention to increase walking during the commute to work. Design A multicentre, parallel-arm, cluster randomised controlled trial incorporating economic and process evaluations. Physical activity outcomes were measured using accelerometers and GPS (Global Positioning System) receivers at baseline and the 12-month follow-up. Setting Workplaces in seven urban areas in south-west England and south Wales. Participants Employees (n = 654) in 87 workplaces. Interventions Workplace-based Walk to Work promoters were trained to implement a 10-week intervention incorporating key behaviour change techniques. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was the daily number of minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Secondary outcomes included MVPA during the commute, overall levels of physical activity and modal shift (from private car to walking). Cost–consequences analysis included employer, employee and health service costs and consequences. Process outcomes included barriers to, and facilitators of, walking during the daily commute. Results There was no evidence of an intervention effect on MVPA at the 12-month follow-up [adjusted difference in means 0.3 minutes, 95% confidence interval (CI) –5.3 to 5.9 minutes]. The intervention cost was on average, £181.97 per workplace and £24.19 per participating employee. In comparison with car users [mean 7.3 minutes, standard deviation (SD) 7.6 minutes], walkers (mean 34.3 minutes, SD 18.6 minutes) and public transport users (mean 25.7 minutes, SD 14.0 minutes) accrued substantially higher levels of daily MVPA during the commute. Participants who walked for ≥ 10 minutes during their commute were more likely to have a shorter commute distance (p < 0.001). No access to a car (p < 0.001) and absence of free workplace car parking (p < 0.01) were independently related to walking to work and using public transport. Higher quality-of-life scores were observed for the intervention group in a repeated-measures analysis (mean 0.018, 95% CI 0.000 to 0.036; scores anchored at 0 indicated ‘no capability’ and scores anchored at 1 indicated ‘full capability’). Conclusions Although this research showed that walking to work and using public transport are important contributors to physical activity levels in a working population, the behavioural intervention was insufficient to change travel behaviour. Broader contextual factors, such as length of journey, commuting options and availability of car parking, may influence the effectiveness of behavioural interventions to change travel behaviour. Further analyses of statistical and qualitative data could focus on physical activity and travel mode and the wider determinants of workplace travel behaviour. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN15009100. Funding This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme and will be published in full in Public Health Research; Vol. 7, No. 11. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information. Living Streets, a UK charity promoting everyday walking, provided funding for the intervention booklets and free pedometers for distribution to participants in the intervention group.

Associations of mode of travel to work with physical activity, and individual, interpersonal, organisational, and environmental characteristics.

IntroductionEncouraging walking during the daily commute is a potential strategy for increasing physical activity levels. This study aimed: (i) to examine, and compare by travel mode, the objectively measured physical activity of a working adult population, and, (ii) to identify associations between mode of travel to work and a range of individual, interpersonal, organisational and environmental characteristics.MethodsEmployees (n=654) recruited from 87 workplaces in geographically distinct areas provided data through accelerometers, Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers, travel diaries and questionnaires. Separate multivariable logistic regression models were developed to examine factors associated with physical activity during the commute and mode of travel to work.ResultsIn comparison to car users (7.3 minutes±Standard Deviation 7.6), walkers (34.3±18.6) and public transport users (25.7±14.0) accrued substantially higher levels of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity during the commute. Combined accelerometer and GPS data showed that participants who walked at least ten minutes during their commute were more likely to have a shorter commute distance (p<0.001), occupy a sedentary job (p<0.01), and be classified as ‘underweight or normal weight’ (p<0.03). No car access (p<0.001), and absence of free work car parking (p<0.01) were independently related to walking to work and using public transport. Shorter commuting distances were also related to walking to work (p<0.001). Public transport users were more likely to be younger (p=0.04), have more positive environmental perceptions (p=0.01), and less likely to combine their commute with caring responsibilities (p=0.03).ConclusionsThis study shows that walking to work and using public transport are important contributors to physical activity levels in a working population. Planning, transport and behavioural interventions to promote walking during the commute should take into account the wider determinants. Reducing availability of free work car parking is one possible strategy to discourage car use.

Nice Try, Jane Sinner by Lianne Oelke

Reviewed by: Nice Try, Jane Sinner by Lianne Oelke Melanie Kirkwood Oelke, Lianne Nice Try, Jane Sinner. Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018 [432p] Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-544-86785-7 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-1-328-82884-2 $17.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 9-12 Initially, Jane Sinner is just a seventeen-year-old in search of truth that's based on something other than the Bible or whatever her parents believe. No amount of church group can prepare her for life at Elbow River Community College, though, especially not when that life revolves around her participation in the crappy yet endearing campus-wide reality show that provides her housing and that offers the prize of a free car. Luckily for Jane, she learns more than a few lessons of survival along the way, including how to classically condition her housemates and how to maintain sanity through self-administered talk therapy. Get ready for the raunchiness, drama and cringe-worthy obsession that comes with reality TV in this cheeky Canadian import. In this diary-format narrative, Jane chronicles her thoughts and experiences as she works through the serious tangles of life after what's gradually revealed as her attempted suicide, all the while masking her problems with misused idioms, dry humor, and a twinge of social awkwardness. This will suit angsty teens looking to forge their own path, or more generally anyone who loves the ups and downs of trash television. MK Copyright © 2017 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois