Passenger Perceptions, Information Preferences, and Usability of Crowding Visualizations on Public Displays in Transit Stations and Vehicles

Large crowds in public transit stations and vehicles introduce obstacles for wayfinding, hygiene, and physical distancing. Public displays that currently provide on-site transit information could also provide critical crowdedness information. Therefore, we examined people's crowd perceptions and information preferences before and during the pandemic, and designs for visualizing crowdedness to passengers. We first report survey results with public transit users (n = 303), including the usability results of three crowdedness visualization concepts. Then, we present two animated crowd simulations on public displays that we evaluated in a field study (n = 44). We found that passengers react very positively to crowding information, especially before boarding a vehicle. Visualizing the exact physical spaces occupied on transit vehicles was most useful for avoiding crowded areas. However, visualizing the overall fullness of vehicles was the easiest to understand. We discuss design implications for communicating crowding information to support decision-making and promote a sense of safety. © 2023 ACM.

Is flushing necessary during building closures? A study of water quality and bacterial communities during extended reductions in building occupancy

Drinking water stagnation can lead to degradation of chlorine residual, bacterial growth (including of opportunistic pathogens and nitrifiers), and metals release from plumbing materials;however, few studies have characterized building water quality and bacterial communities during the extended stagnation periods that occurred during COVID-19 pandemic-related building closures. Additionally, despite a lack of evidence-based guidance, flushing fixtures has been recommended to restore building water quality. We aimed to evaluate the impacts of reduced building occupancy (>2 months) and weekly restorative flushing on drinking water quality, bacterial communities, and the occurrence of undesirable microorganisms in three university buildings. Reduced occupancy led to diminished chloramine and elevated intact cell counts, but values remained stable after additional weeks of limited water use. Flushing temporarily improved water quality, with chlorine and cell counts remaining stable for at least 1 day but returning to levels measured prior to flushing within 1 week. Alpha diversity was lower under more stagnant conditions, and fixture identity, not flushing, was the most influential factor on bacterial community composition, suggesting a strong influence from local biofilm. Although Mycobacterium, Legionella, Pseudomonas, Nitrosomonas, and Nitrospira were detected in samples via amplicon sequencing, concentrations measured via qPCR of M. avium complex, L. pneumophila, P. aeruginosa, and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria were very low or were undetected, supporting that stagnation alone did not lead to high occurrence of undesirable microorganisms. Findings from this study contribute to our understanding of the effects of stagnation on building water microbiomes and the efficacy of flushing to improve water quality. Under the conditions of this case study, repeated flushing on a weekly timescale during low occupancy periods was not sufficient to maintain chlorine residual and prevent bacterial growth in fixtures. Building managers need to weigh the temporary water quality benefits of flushing against the labor and water resources required considering local context.

RELATIONSHIP OF EMOTIONS, SOCIAL ISOLATION, AND COVID-RELATED MEDIA TO SUBJECTIVE SLEEP QUALITY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic safety restrictions led to changes in social interactions and information seeking about the virus. For some, these led to increased negative emotions, feelings of social isolation, and increased COVID-related media consumption. We examined the relationship of these variables to subjective sleep quality from participant daily diaries kept early in the pandemic. Methods: From April 20th-May 12th, 2020, college (students, faculty/ staff, alumni, parents) and local (churches, community centers, libraries) community members (N=94, 72 women, ages 18-77) completed a 30-minute survey for before and during social distancing (measuring: mental health, personality, social distancing, and demographics) for possible prizes. Participants then completed daily evening and morning diaries for 5-14 days describing daily affect, social isolation, emotion regulation, COVID media consumption, and subjective sleep quality. Results: Emotions: During the pandemic, poor sleep quality was predicted by less positive mood (r(91)=.486, p<.001) and more negative mood (r(91)=-.433, p<.001). Participants with poorer sleep quality reported less success regulating their emotions that day (r(90)=.292, p=.005) and greater suppression of emotions (rather than cognitive reappraisals to regulate them) (r(91)=-.260, p=.012). Social Isolation: Subjective sleep quality was not predicted by social distancing behaviors (r(88)=.069, p>.05);however, poorer sleep quality was significantly predicted by greater daily feelings of social isolation (r(91)=-.264, p=.005) and lower feelings of social life satisfaction (r(91)=.338, p<.001). COVID-related media: Sleep quality was not significantly related to COVID-media consumption for all participants;however, moderation analyses showed that participants with low avoidance coping, low neuroticism, and high emotional well-being did experience poorer sleep quality associated with greater COVID media consumption (all p's<.05). Conclusion: That mood and social isolation are associated with sleep quality replicates previous findings. The pandemic, however, provided a unique opportunity to observe these relationships in individuals not normally socially isolated because of confounding variables (e.g., health issues, depression, anxiety) with known relationships to sleep quality. That COVID-related media was only related to sleep quality for more well-adjusted participants (low avoidance coping, low neuroticism, high emotional well-being) was surprising, suggesting some may find COVID-19 information anxiety-relieving rather than anxiety-provoking.

Changes in sleep hygiene and sleepiness following social distancing related to COVID-19

Introduction: It was expected COVID-19 would result in changes that could impact sleep hygiene and sleep. We examined sleep hygiene and symptoms of disrupted sleep through late April and May and demographic and psychological variables related to vulnerability/ resilience to negative outcomes. Methods: Participants (Part1: N=180, Part2: N=64;ages 18-85) solicited from a college (students, faculty/staff, alumni, parents) and local community (churches, community centers, libraries) completed a 30-minute survey (measures: sleep hygiene (SH), symptoms of sleep disruption, mental health, personality, social distancing, COVID-19 impact/experience, and demographics) for possible prizes. Part 1, April 20th-May 12th, participants answered trait questionnaires and state questionnaires for before and during social distancing, then repeated state questionnaires two weeks later (Part 2). Results: Following initial COVID related changes, 66.1% of participants reported worsening symptoms of sleep disruption, 27.9% reported no change, and 6.3% reported improvements. 40.3% reported worsening SH, 53.5% no change, and 6.3% improvements. At 2-week follow-up, 30.4% of participants shifted from reporting no change to SH improvements over baseline. Overall, participants showed significant worsening of symptoms of sleep disruption (sleepiness, moodiness, avolition, cognitive impairments) and SH behaviors (less consistent bed- and wake-times, more frequently staying too long in bed, more pre-bed alerting activities, more bedtime negative emotion, more use of bed for purposes other than sleep, more active technology use) (d's from .23-1.00). Worsening sleep hygiene with COVID-19 was significantly predicted by younger age (r(157)=.164, p<.05), more avoidant coping (r(151)= -.337, p<.05), lower life satisfaction (r(156)=.200, p<.05) and greater impact/experience of COVID-19 (r(150)= -.270, p<.05). Symptoms of sleep disruption showed similar, but larger, relationships. Conclusion: Initial social distancing may have disrupted routines, added stress, and resulted in worsened sleep and sleep hygiene. Over time some adapted and improved, but most did not. Our results suggest change, especially crises such as a pandemic, may alter established behavior for the worse and/or add significant stress. Without intervention, even the robust, i.e., young, may suffer. Variables identifying those more vulnerable to disrupted sleep following change and those more likely to experience worsening sleep may help identify targets for future interventions.

"This is not america": States of emergency in europe

The COVID-19 pandemic and the protests in solidarity with those protesting the death of George Floyd in the US constitute a conjunctural crisis in Europe, exposing the hollowness of grand narratives and geopolitical fantasies-not least those of "the West" and "transatlanticism." In the interregnum of the present, as a new world order takes form, the pandemic and race emergencies not only intensify European rejection of the US, they reveal the frailty of the "European project" and anxiety about the future of Europe. This article examines ways in which these emergencies signal an uncomfortable European disinvestment from the fantasy of America as a liberal and redemptive power. © 2020, Markéta Hajská.

A prospective study on the feasibility of cochlear implantation during the coronavirus disease 2019 crisis and trends of assessment: experience in a UK centre.

OBJECTIVES: To demonstrate the feasibility of continuing cochlear implantation during the coronavirus disease 2019 crisis and to report on trends of referrals via the neonatal hearing screening programme. METHODS: A prospective case series was conducted on children who underwent cochlear implantation during the coronavirus disease 2019 crisis in the UK and a sample of referrals via the neonatal hearing screening programme. A step-by-step description of peri-operative management is included. RESULTS: Regionally, between February and May 2020, 106 babies were referred via the neonatal hearing screening programme to paediatric audiology. Eleven children were operated on during the coronavirus disease 2019 study period. None of the 11 children developed coronavirus symptoms. DISCUSSION: It is widely recognised that the demands of managing the current pandemic may compromise screening, clinical assessment and elective surgery. Time-sensitive issues such as cancer management have gained prominence, but a similar need exists for timely paediatric cochlear implantation. CONCLUSION: Implantation in the paediatric population during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic is feasible with careful planning.