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Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) share underlying neuropathology. Despite overlapping biology, therapeutic development has been approached separately for these clinical syndromes and there remains no treatment to slow, stop or prevent progression of clinical symptoms and development disability for people living with PD or DLB. Recent advances in biomarker tools, however, have paved new paths for biologic definition and staging of PD and DLB under a shared research framework. Patient-centered research funding organizations see the opportunity for a novel biological staging system for PD and DLB to accelerate and increase success of therapeutic development for the patient communities they serve. Amid growing momentum in the field to develop biological definitions for these neurodegenerative diseases, 7 international nonprofit organizations focused on PD and DLB came together to drive multistakeholder discussion and input on a biological staging system for research. The impact of these convenings to date can be seen in changes incorporated into a proposed biological staging system and growing alignment within the field to rapidly apply new scientific knowledge and biomarker tools to inform clinical trial design. In working together, likeminded nonprofit partners who were initially catalyzed by the significant potential for a biological staging system also realized the power of a shared voice in calling the field to action and have since worked together to establish a coalition to advance precompetitive progress and reduce hurdles to developing better treatments for PD, DLB and biologically related disorders. Plain Language Summary: Disease-focused nonprofit organizations serve to speed new treatments for patients through research funding and advocacy. In the Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) fields, several international nonprofit organizations came together to facilitate multistakeholder input on a new biological staging system for research. Stakeholders gathered included researchers, clinicians, drug developers, regulatory agencies, additional nonprofits, and people affected by PD and DLB. This example, fueled by a shared perspective that new drug development tools will improve clinical trials and get better treatments to patients sooner, serves as a model for continued collaborations across the PD and DLB fields. A new, international coalition of nonprofit organizations has emerged to support advancement of treatments to slow, stop, and one day prevent PD, DLB and related disorders, in part, by facilitating future multistakeholder collaborations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cities across the U.S. and internationally are adopting Bus Rapid Transit to improve transit services for residents. Features of Bus Rapid Transit include fewer stops, dedicated bus lanes, and expedited systems for boarding busses, compared with regular bus service. This study examines whether Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) ridership is associated with increased rates of walking, because of the greater distance between BRT stops compared with regular bus service. Methods: Surveys were conducted with riders of local and BRT buses for New York City's M15 Select Bus Service line. Surveys examined bus ridership, health status and physical activity, walking rates, and demographic information. Results: BRT riders reported walking approximately half a block more than did local bus riders. The average number of blocks walked decreased for BRT riders who previously used the subway before the implementation of the BRT. Conclusions: BRT may be a useful tool to support walking for some groups. Depending on where it is implemented, BRT may also be associated with reduced walking among users who switch to BRT from other active transportation modes. Future research should examine associations between walking and BRT ridership with a larger sample and more sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Regular physical activity such as biking can help prevent obesity and chronic disease. Improvements in cycling infrastructure are associated with higher overall cycling rates, but less is known about bike lane utilization in low-income urban neighborhoods. Methods: During the summer of 2009, 4 Central Brooklyn streets with bicycle lanes were studied using camcorders to record for a total of 40 hours. Video recordings were coded for behaviors and characteristics of cyclists and motorists. An intercept survey (N = 324, 42% participation rate) captured information on cyclist demographics, behaviors, and attitudes. Results: 1282 cyclists were observed on study streets. Cyclists were primarily male (80.0%) and non-White (54.5%). 9.9% of motorists drove in the bike lane and parked vehicles blocked the bike lane for 9.6% of the observational period. Of cyclists surveyed, 69.4% lived locally, 61.3% were normal weight or underweight, and 64.8% met recommended levels of physical activity by cycling 30+ minutes/day on 5+ days of the past week. Conclusions: Bicycle lanes were used by local residents of a low-income urban neighborhood. Compared with neighborhood residents overall, cyclists reported better health and health behaviors. Enhancing infrastructure that supports active transportation may be effective in reducing health inequities in low-income urban communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In this article, we examine the possibility of reducing time to conduct traffic volume audits through (1) reducing time for manual traffic counting and (2) using Department of Transportation (DOT) information. Methods: In audits of 824 road segments in 2 West Virginia (WV) communities, manual traffic counts were recorded for 1, 2, and 5 minutes in duration. Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) was calculated from counts. Available AADT from DOT was also collected. Percent agreement and a weighted kappa were calculated between 5-minute count and 1- and 2-minute count AADT categories and between 5-minute count and DOT AADT categories. Results: One- and 2-minute counts produced identical AADT categories as 5-minute counts in 93.4% and 95.0% of segments, respectively. Weighted kappa was 0.79 (95% CI = 0.74-0.85) and 0.85 (95% CI = 0.80-0.89), respectively. Forty-two segments (5.1%) had DOT data. Conclusions: DOT AADT was available for a small percentage of road segments assessed. The high agreement between AADT categories produced by 1- and 2-minute counts and 5-minute counts makes it reasonable to consider using 1- or 2-minute manual traffic counts if time or staffing constraints make it necessary. Possible generalizability of this methodology to other communities, particularly larger urban and suburban areas, will require further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]