Definition of the e-Scooter Sharing Stations Number and Location Under a Lack of Data: A Case Study of the City District in Dnipro

In Ukrainian cities, the number of users of bicycles, usual and electric scooters, and e-unicycles increased in recent years. All these vehicles are a direct alternative to walking trips or short-distance transport trips. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the micromobility has become a safe option to travel in the open air which ensured the possibility to keep social distance and reduce the number of contacts in comparison with public transport. This paper presents the approach to defining the rational number and location of e-scooter sharing stations under limited data. To estimate the number of the sharing stations, the station capacity, potential daily demand for e-scooter trips and the locations of available e-scooters were used. The locations of sharing stations were defined concerning walking accessibility, demand coverage and remoteness from the shortest path of the vehicle commissioned to collect the scooters for recharging or replace the scooter batteries on-site. The research was conducted by the example of Sobornyi district in Dnipro, Ukraine. Apart from the number and location of sharing stations, the potential flows of e-scooter riders were modeled. These findings are relevant because they can provide local authorities and sharing operators with the information for well-grounded decisions on public space and street design, micromobility infrastructure extension as well as planning of the sharing system performance indicators. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Is SARS-CoV-2 important for multiple sclerosis?

Background and aims: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS). COVID-19 pandemic is caused by SARS-CoV-2. The huge amount of scientific evidence tells us that SARS-CoV-2 is both neurotropic and neurovirulent. The virus enters the CNS shortly after infection and is found in cerebrospinal fluid and brain tissue, what can lead to an inflammatory cascade in the nervous system and progressive demyelination. Methods: We studied 218 patients (mean age 38±7.6 years, M:F=83:135) with MS (relapsing types) who are under long-term ambulatory observation and have prophylactic therapy. 17 of them were ill with COVID-19 (M:F=4:13). All patients were undergone neurological and MRI examination after the COVID-19. Results: During six months prospective study we haven't identified any cases of changes in the type of course (according to clinical and radiological signs) after the COVID-19 among these patients. One of the patients suffered from COVID-19 in severe form (more than 75% of the lung tissue was radiologically affected) and was on oxygen support at the intensive care department. After recovery, the patient underwent MRI of the brain with contrast, which showed no signs of MS activity or progression and clinical signs of disease activity also weren't detected for six months from the undergone COVID-19. Conclusion: Thus, the opinion about the negative impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the course of MS is premature, which requires further study and observation of these patients.

Observations of negative impact of COVID-19 on Parkinson's disease

Background and aims: SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for COVID-19 pandemia and has the ability to neuroinvasion. It is unknown how patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) respond to a COVID-19 infection. Methods: We have done database analysis to determine the possible impact of the undergone COVID-19 on the course of PD. Results: Our database contains 138 people with PD. We have identified cases of worsening in the condition of patients with PD after a COVID-19 infection. One patient noted increased stiffness in both hands. After a detailed examination, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was diagnosed, which wasn't observed before this infection. During the RA treatment, the patient noted an improvement and a decrease of stiffness. We also identified two patients, both females, which developed motor symptoms of PD after COVID-19. In 1-3 months after the infection, they started to notice unilateral stiffness and pain. During the detailed examination, we found an increased muscle tone, according to extrapyramidal type, in one hand, general bradykinesia and hypomimia. One patient had also unilateral rest tremor. In these cases COVID-19 infection was confirmed by PCR, and also bilateral polysegmental pneumonia was detected by CT of the chest organs. Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 is followed by anosmia, ageusia, lung and/or gastrointestinal damage. According to the theories of Hit and Run infectious agents, entering the central nervous system through the neurons, start the process of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, after which they leave the body, however, the process of neurodegeneration continues to develop [1, 2]. Therefore, there is a possibility that the neurological consequences of COVID-19 infection.