Medium-term Activity Research Articles

Will autonomous vehicles change residential location and vehicle ownership? Glimpses from Georgia

Many studies have begun investigating possible transportation landscapes in the autonomous vehicle (AV) era, but empirical results on longer-term decisions are limited. We address this gap using data collected from a survey designed and implemented for Georgia residents in 2017–2018. Focusing on a hypothetical all-AV future, this section of the survey included questions regarding advantages/disadvantages of AVs, short-term mode choice impacts, medium-term impacts on activity patterns, and long-term behavioral changes – specifically, whether/how AVs will influence individuals to change residential location and the number of cars in the household. We hypothesize that AVs could act in concert with attitudinal preferences to stimulate changes in these long-term decisions, and that some medium-term activity changes triggered by AVs could motivate people to relocate their residence or shed household vehicles. We applied exploratory factor analysis to measure the perceived likelihood that AVs would prompt various medium-term changes. We then included some of those measures, among other variables, in a cross-nested logit (CNL) model of the choice of the residential location/vehicle ownership bundle. Although more than half of respondents expected “no change” in their bundle, we found that younger, lower income, pro-suburban, and pro-non-car-mode individuals were more likely to anticipate changing their selections. In addition, some expected medium-term impacts of AVs influenced changes in these longer-term choices. We further applied the CNL model to two population segments (Atlanta and non-Atlanta-region residents). We found notable improvement in goodness of fit and different effects of factors across segments, signifying the existence of geography-related taste heterogeneity.

СТРАТЕГІЯ ЕКОНОМІЧНОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ ЗАЛІЗНИЧНОГО ТРАНСПОРТУ

It is established that in modern conditions of railway transport management, the basis of its economic security are the tools for ensuring its timely implementation. It is proved that the strategy of economic safety in rail transport management is an effective tool that maximally allows to achieve the established objectives of economic security and, accordingly, the general strategic guidelines for the development of JSC "Ukrzaliznytsya". provides a set of methods, measures, forces and means that help to achieve the goals of security and the solution of the tasks. A detailed analysis of the external and internal conditions of railway transport management allowed us to determine the risks that are a barrier to the innovative development of the railway company. A meaningful analysis of the definitions of the concept of "economic security strategy" allowed clarifying its content for domestic rail transport. The strategy of economic safety of rail transport we will understand the long-term and medium-term activities, which provide protection against the negative impact of external and internal threats, destabilizing factors and risks, and also ensure the achievement of the goal of economic security, sustainable pursuit of major commercial interests, as well as the objectives of development of operational railway transport activities. However, in modern economic conditions characterized by variability, aggressiveness, and high risk, it is wrong to think that a thoroughly elaborated and elaborated strategy of economic safety of rail transport will be relevant for a long time. The developed strategy, as a rule, lasts for several years (requiring periodic adjustments and changes in accordance with the change of exogenous and endogenous factors), and then it should be carefully reviewed or completely changed.

Pain and dorsiflexion range of motion predict short- and medium-term activity limitation in people receiving physiotherapy intervention after ankle fracture: an observational study

What predicts short - and medium term activity limitation in people after ankle fracture? Inception cohort observational study. Adults with ankle fracture recruited within days following cast removal from physiotherapy departments of teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia. The predictive value of variables that were injury-related (fracture management, fracture severity, angle of the ankle during cast immobilisation, and time from cast removal to baseline) and performance-related (activity limitation, pain, mobility and dorsiflexion range of motion measured soon after cast removal) were examined in one dataset (n = 150) using univariate linear regression. Significant variables (p <or = 0.20) were further examined with a multivariate linear model. A clinical prediction rule was derived then validated using data from an independent dataset (n = 94). Fracture management, fracture severity, baseline activity limitation, pain, mobility and dorsiflexion had significant but weak univariate associations with activity limitation. Only pain and dorsiflexion range of motion contributed independently to the clinical prediction rule. When applied to the validation data, the rule explained 12% of the short-term and 9% of the medium-term variance in activity limitation. Performance-related variables were stronger predictors than injury-related variables. A clinical prediction rule consisting of pain and dorsiflexion range of motion explained a small amount of variance in short- and medium-term activity limitation, suggesting that it may be appropriate to identify people with high levels of pain and restricted dorsiflexion after ankle fracture and target intervention accordingly.

The effect of a medium-term activity- and diet-induced energy deficit on subjective appetite sensations in obese children

To assess the subjective appetite responses to an imposed activity- and diet-induced energy deficit during a residential intervention programme for obese children. A 6-week intervention of fixed, reduced dietary intake and 6 h/day of skill-based physical activity while resident in a weight loss camp. Thirty-eight obese (mean body mass index (BMI)=34.9 kg m(-2)) boys and girls (mean age 13.9+/-1.57). An electronic appetite rating system (EARS) was used to periodically measure subjective appetite sensations at the start (WK1) and at the end (WK6) of the camp. Subjective ratings of hunger and fullness were compared at the start and end of 6 weeks of an activity- and diet-induced-based weight loss intervention. At the end of the 6 weeks, the children had lost 8.4 kg in body mass. The diurnal profiles of subjective appetite sensations demonstrated clear oscillations in hunger and fullness. There was a significant increase in hunger (P<0.0001) and decrease in fullness (P<0.005) at the end (WK6) of the medium-term energy deficit. In WK6, morning ratings of hunger were higher than in WK1 (P<0.005) and the fixed energy evening meal induced a lower suppression of hunger (P<0.02). A programme of fixed, reduced-dietary intake combined with an activity and behavioural programme was successful at inducing a significant reduction in body mass in obese children. Subjective sensations of appetite were sensitive to a medium-term negative energy balance and weight loss. These data are essential as we continue to evolve methods of treatment for overweight and obese children.

Editorial

Editorial

Mitochondrial reaction in skeletal muscle to induced activity.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the structure of muscle mitochondria for a possible early response to electrically induced short- and medium-term activity. Rats were anesthetized with Na-pentobarbital. Both parts of the triceps surae muscle were stimulated by direct electrical impulses for periods between 2 and 60 min. Biopsies were taken and prepared for histological, enzyme-histochemical, and electron-microscopic examinations. Enzyme histochemistry demonstrated an increase of oxidative activity and an increase of RNA by NADH-tetrazolium reductase and modified Gomori's trichrome staining or acridine orange-induced fluorescence, respectively. These changes appeared especially within type I fibers, as shown by ATPase reactions, and corresponded to an increase in number and size of muscle mitochondria, followed by alterations of the mitochondrial structure. The mitochondria reacted immediately to the electrical stimulation of the muscle, and the degree of alteration depended on the duration of the experiments. These results suggest that mitochondria have a certain capacity for adapting rapidly to changes in the energy metabolism. Beginning energetic decompensation may be responsible for the alterations of the mitochondrial structure.