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We estimate the maximum capability to reduce CO 2 by substituting private car travel for e-bike. We use spatial microsimulation (population-synthesis) to simulate the adult population within every small area in England, taking account of area type and geodemographic circumstances of the population. By estimating for individuals the distance they are capable of travelling by e-bike and the extent to which they are capable of replacing private car travel, we find the upper limit on the capability to reduce CO 2 by substituting car travel for e-bike use is 24.4 MTCO 2 p.a. (per annum) in England. CO 2 saving capability per person and per small area are highest (over 750 kg CO 2 per person p.a.) for residents of rural areas and the rural urban fringe. e-bikes offer major conurbations more modest CO 2 saving capability per person. We identify areas which are vulnerable to car related economic stress and also have high capability to replace car km with e-bikes, which if supported appropriately could contribute to equitable carbon reduction. Though capable of a very significant contribution to transport carbon reduction, other changes in technology and reduction in demand would also be necessary to reach zero emissions. Our results are directly relevant to policy actors internationally who require evidence on place-based decarbonisation capability, particularly where car dependence is high. The results highlight how context is important in any attempt to design policy for equitable carbon reduction both to influence discussion on what is possible, as well as practical identification of areas for targeted intervention. Digital indicators covering all zones in a country's geography such as this are also useful because of the rapid digitalisation of policy making. We provide code so that others can produce similar analyses in other countries (https://github.com/DrIanPhilips/e-bikeCarbonReductionCapability). • e-bikes have the capability to reduce car CO 2 emissions by 24.4 million tonnes p.a. in England). • e-bike carbon reduction capability is greatest in rural areas. • 3400 census zones have high capability to replace car travel with e-bikes and economic vulnerability to car dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E -bike use in rural and tourist areas is under-researched and has potential to replace car journeys reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other impacts of car use. We studied the rural use of e-bikes in a tourist area (the Lake District National Park, UK) through Covid-19. Mixed methods were used; two waves (2020 & 2021) of a semi-panel quantitative survey; including open responses; supplemented by self-study field trips. Key findings include high levels of e-biking in a wet and hilly area by generally older individuals, including a high proportion of female respondents. Usage was higher in 2020, partly due to lower traffic levels during Covid restrictions, but relatively high usage was maintained in 2021. Users are substituting more car journeys than active travel and public transport trips, and amongst women, more errands than commutes. We found support for restraint of car use in the study area, along with support for secure e-bike parking, e-bike share schemes, and integration with public transport. The implications for planners and policymakers are that policies supporting rural e-biking may be well received if they form part of greener transport plans including e-bike facilities, integration with public transport and car restraint. Promotion of e-bike use needs to shift from an urban commuting focus, to also consider rural areas errands and leisure trips. National parks and other rural tourist areas may confidently assume that hills and weather do not always act as barriers. • E -bikes are being used to reduce car travel in a touristic, rural wet and hilly area and have decarbonisation potential. • There is support for car restraint in a UK National Park and a desire for secure e-bike storage. • E -bikes are being used for errands as well as commuting in a rural National Park. • Relatively high levels of use and support for e-bikes continue after easing of Covid restrictions in 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In high-motorisation, car-dependent countries, transport affordability is intimately linked to the price of oil derived motor fuels, which may become increasingly volatile in the future due to global oil price movements and environmental taxation. The negative impacts of fuel price spikes in terms of increased household expenditure and economic stress are unevenly spatially and socially distributed. Previous research has found that vulnerability to fuel price increases is higher in peripheral, peri-urban and rural areas, and that low income tends to be co-located with high car dependence and low vehicle fuel efficiency, with a compounding effect on vulnerability. The goal of this article is to test these hypotheses for England, providing new evidence on spatial patterns of vulnerability to fuel price increases at the small-area level. We propose a composite vulnerability indicator combining data on income, accessibility, vehicle inspection and vehicle registration for 2011. Within English city-regions , we find little evidence of the socially regressive patterns previously identified in the literature. This is explained by the persistent concentration of poverty in urban cores, as well as by the poor fuel economy of the vehicle fleet in wealthier areas, due to the prevalence of powerful vehicles there. On the other hand, our analysis suggests that the impacts of fuel price increases would be very unequal between city-regions , as the least sensitive metropolitan area (Greater London) is also characterised by high levels of adaptive capacity. We conclude by setting out an agenda for future research on spatial vulnerability to fuel price increases. • Vulnerability to fuel price increases is higher in the periurban North of England. • Income and car dependence are positively correlated at small-area level in England. • London is very resilient due to high income and low car dependence and expenditure. • Vehicle fuel efficiency is inconsequential to spatial patterns of vulnerability. • Oil vulnerability research must be sensitive to urban socio-spatial configurations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a study to explore the relationship between travel poverty and social disadvantage at the local geographical level. The main aim of the research was to identify the extent to which the revealed travel behavioural outcomes of the study participants are due to personal social constraints or environmental conditions in their residential locations. Specifically, we sought to identify if the greater access to local amenities and public transport services of inner city residents led to an increase in their daily travel activities when compared with their urban peripheral counterparts. The research analysed data from a personal travel survey and one-day travel diary with 502 adults aged between 16 and 65 years in two different deprived areas in Merseyside, North West England. Our analysis is somewhat hampered by the small sample size, but the modelled results suggest that more trips, and longer journey distances do not necessarily imply greater social inclusion. The geographically weighted regression models (GWR) highlighted that the physical location of where people live within the city is more influential on their trip-making patterns than social determinants such as household income, age, gender, and/or employment status. Street connectivity, the level of bus services and neighbourhood safety were all particularly significant for determining spatial variations in the daily trips that were undertaken, with more trips being undertaken where there was a greater density of street nodes, bus stops and where people felt safer at night. This highlights the need for local transport and urban policymakers to carefully consider and target these micro-scale factors when attempting to introduce transport interventions to reduce social exclusion amongst low-income urban populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a novel method to estimate capability to make bicycle journeys, specifically considering the individual physical capability (IPC) of entire populations of individuals from all population segments of an area, not just current cyclists. IPC considers the physical constraints on the maximum distance people could cycle given the typical topography of where they live (Distance IPC), and then estimates their ability to make a particular journey (Journey IPC). IPC, when estimated in this way for a particular point in time, may be informed by antecedent behavioral choices and capabilities, and may be a constraint or enabler of subsequent capabilities, potential adaptations and behavior. The focus of the present paper is on explaining a generic method of estimating Distance IPC and Journey IPC by constructing an individually based spatially fine-grained model. We show how such an individual-level model may be implemented for a population resident in many small spatial zones by use of spatial micro-simulation (population synthesis), to generate the individual attributes required as inputs to the model. We present a case-study for the city of Leeds, UK. We explain the range of data sources used, explore sensitivity of the results to assumptions of the model, and illustrate the ability of the model to simulate the effects of policies. Finally, we identify several possible application areas and opportunities to further develop the model. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Tributyltin (TBT) sorption to four natural sediment samples in artificial seawater was examined under a range of modified pH and salinity conditions. Three of the sediment samples were relatively pristine with regard to TBT contamination, but the fourth was a TBT-contaminated sediment from a commercial marina. Sorption of TBT was described well bylinearsorption isotherms, with distribution coefficients ranging from 6.1 to 5210 L/kg depending on the pH and salinity. The sediment organic C content and particle size distribution were important determinants of sorption behavior. The presence of resident TBT in the contaminated marina sediment caused a substantial reduction in further TBT sorption. Oesorption of TBT from the marina sediment was described by relatively large observed distribution coefficients ranging from 5100 to 9400 L/kg, suggesting that aging effects may reduce sorption reversibility. Increased artificial seawater salinity generally reduced TBT sorption at pH 4 and 6, but enhanced TBT sorption at pH 8. Regardless of salinity, maximum sorption of TBT was observed at pH 6, which is attributed to an optimal balance between the abundance of cationic TBT+ species and deprotonated surface ligands. Consideration of aqueous TBT speciation along with octanol-water partitioning behavior suggests that hydrophobic partitioning of TBTCI° to nonpolar organic matter was important for pH <6, while partitioning of TBTOH° was important at higher pH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Car fleets across much of Europe have undergone a process of dieselisation over the past 20 years. Understanding the factors driving this process is therefore important for sustainable transport policy, with implications for how governments steer their national car fleets towards ultra-low emission vehicles in the future. At a general level, this paper contributes to this wider body of work which aims to understand the factors which led to the transition from petrol to diesel. Specifically, the paper investigates whether the availability of relatively cheap diesel fuel in the Republic of Ireland affected the rate of diesel car ownership in Northern Ireland. A geographic approach is used, which involves generating spatial variables measuring nearness to the Republic of Ireland and comparing these with the proportion of the local car stock that is fuelled by diesel. A series of spatial regression models are specified to determine if this association between nearness to the Republic and diesel ownership persists after accounting for the effect of socioeconomic, travel, and household characteristics. The results support the hypothesis that the availability of cheaper fuel in the Republic of Ireland is not only generating fuel-tourism, but is also affecting the structure of the car fleet registered in Northern Ireland. The findings are relevant beyond the case study and imply that the structure of a country’s car fleet is not only dependent on domestic policies, but is also affected by the policies of neighbouring countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objective: Intraoperative parathyroid hormone (IOPTH) monitoring during surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) could improve cure rate and simplify current care pathways. This study assesses the performance of US, MIBI and IOPTH monitoring and their impact on outcomes and perioperative strategy. Design: This is a retrospective study of a prospectively maintained database of patients who underwent parathyroidectomy guided by preoperative US, MIBI and IOPTH monitoring. Test performance (sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, accuracy) and IOPTH added value (percentage of patients in whom test contributed to achieving cure) were calculated. Results: A total of 617 patients (median age 59 years, 75% females), 603 (97.7%) of them cured, were included in analysis. Sensitivity of US was higher than MIBI (78.2% vs 70%, P < 0.05), but both were inferior to IOPTH (98.6%, P < 0.05). US and MIBI were more sensitive at detecting single gland disease (SGD) than multigland disease (MGD) (85% vs 55% and 77.5% vs 45.5%, respectively, P < 0.05), while IOPTH performed well in both situations (98.8% vs 96.7%, P > 0.05). In 41 patients with incorrect US predictions, MIBI gave correct result only in 12 (29.3%) cases, while IOPTH gave correct predictions in all but one patient (97.6%). Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP) was completed in 409 patients, with a similar completion rate regardless whether both or one scan was positive. IOPTH added value was significant in whole cohort (14%) and in subgroups of patients with concordant vs discordant scans, minimally invasive vs conventional surgery, and initial vs reoperative surgery. Conclusions: Intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring is more accurate at predicting cure than US and MIBI are at identifying abnormal glands in patients undergoing parathyroidectomy for PHPT and significantly contributes to cure rate in range of clinical scenarios. This implies that its routine use could facilitate successful surgery in patients with single positive imaging and increase number of MIPs while maintaining high cure rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]