The post-pandemic public transport crisis: a statistical analysis of travel habits in Sicily, Italy

The mobility sector accounts for about 10% of Italy's GDP, where the role of local Public Transport (PT) is crucial. Generally, PT use can limit the negative environmental impacts. However, with the advent of the recent pandemic, the local PT demand and mobility rate in Italy has decreased significantly, particularly during the lockdown period. Further restrictions were recently implemented (October - December 2021) on PT and on gathering areas to reduce potential contagion from virus variants. Such an uncertain situation has resulted in an epoch-making change in travel habits due to both the relevant restrictions for containing contagions (e.g., quotas of seats on-board, sanitization, use of masks) and the consequent psychosocial effects (e.g., anxiety, fear, and stress perceived by users when travelling). The present research assesses the PT use habits in the different pandemic phases. The data were collected from a sample of regular PT users in Sicily, Italy. The correlation analysis helped uncover significant factors responsible for influencing travel habits. The statistical analysis further revealed that the users travel habits have certainly changed during all the pandemic phases. The results lay the foundations for planning transport services and improving post-pandemic mobility in the examined context. © 2023 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V.

The post-pandemic public transport crisis: a statistical analysis of travel habits in Sicily, Italy

The mobility sector accounts for about 10% of Italy's GDP, where the role of local Public Transport (PT) is crucial. Generally, PT use can limit the negative environmental impacts. However, with the advent of the recent pandemic, the local PT demand and mobility rate in Italy has decreased significantly, particularly during the lockdown period. Further restrictions were recently implemented (October - December 2021) on PT and on gathering areas to reduce potential contagion from virus variants. Such an uncertain situation has resulted in an epoch-making change in travel habits due to both the relevant restrictions for containing contagions (e.g., quotas of seats on-board, sanitization, use of masks) and the consequent psychosocial effects (e.g., anxiety, fear, and stress perceived by users when travelling). The present research assesses the PT use habits in the different pandemic phases. The data were collected from a sample of regular PT users in Sicily, Italy. The correlation analysis helped uncover significant factors responsible for influencing travel habits. The statistical analysis further revealed that the users travel habits have certainly changed during all the pandemic phases. The results lay the foundations for planning transport services and improving post-pandemic mobility in the examined context. © 2023 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V.

COVID-19 and impacts of the evolving city models on mobility

During the recent pandemic, the progressive weakening of the networks of proximity services for citizens lead to the loss of city functions. It stems the need to define new policy frameworks for the city that puts the user/citizen and urban economies at the center, allowing local regenerative strategies to be implemented and shared between public administrations, business associations, mobility service companies, and citizens. Moreover, recent climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the need to rethink city planning and mobility planning, in particular, ensuring respect for social distancing and supporting the decarbonization strategies dictated by the Green Deal and the Paris Agreement. Local governments can better analyze such critical urban issues from a bottom-up approach through participatory planning. Furthermore, the dissemination of models such as 15-minute and smart cities can ensure that users can reach services with the shortest distance without using a private vehicle. At the same time, the dissemination of technology could allow for greater control of urban activities and transport flows, making it possible to mitigate the impacts of carbon emission and that generated by possible accidents or vehicle congestion. Based on literature review, this study focuses on exploring the diffusion of smart city and 15min city models and the technologies connected to mobility and what that means for the future dynamics of the smart cities. © 2022 Author(s).

Identification of Natural Compounds with Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Activity using Machine Learning, Molecular Docking and Molecular Dynamics Simulation Studies

The coronavirus pandemic of 2019 (COVID-19) has adversely affected public health and the socioeconomic situation worldwide. Although there is no therapeutic drug to treat COVID, several treatment options are being considered to alleviate symptoms. Hence, researches on prophylactic treatment for COVID are being encouraged. Searching natural products is a rational strategy since it has served as a valuable source of lead compounds in drug discovery. In this study, three machine learning approaches, including Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF) and Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM), have been used to develop the classification model. The molecular docking was performed on AutoDock vina. Further, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of the potential inhibitors was conducted using the AmberTools package. The accuracy for SVM, RF and GBM was found to be 60.45 %, 63.43 % and 64.93 %, respectively. Further, the model has demonstrated specificity range of 41.67 % to 50.00 % and sensitivity range of 74.32 % to 79.73 %. Application of the model on the NuBBE database, a repository of natural compounds, led us to identify 322 unique natural compounds, likely possessing anti-SARS-CoV-2activity. Further, molecular docking study has yielded three flavonoids and one lignoid compounds with comparable binding affinities to the standard compound. In addition, MD showed that these compounds form stable complexes with different magnitude of binding energy. The in silico investigations suggest that these four compounds likely demonstrate their anti-SARS-CoV-2activity by inhibiting the main protease enzyme. Our developed and validated in silico high-throughput investigations may assist in identifying and developing antiviral drug-like compounds from natural sources.

Introducing the Benefits of Autonomous Vehicles to Logistics During the COVID-19 Era

– Recent years have seen an evolution in automation and logistics technologies, especially with the recent growth of the e-commerce industry. The current COVID-19 pandemic and the spread of smart cities have made it necessary to rethink this sector regarding sustainability and resilience. There is a widespread need to redesign some of the steps that lead goods to our homes, encouraging decarbonization policies, reducing contacts between people for possible contagions and at the same time ensuring that products arrive intact and on time. Currently, there is only limited research on the impact of autonomous vehicles on the logistics industry. This paper reviews the literature by analyzing which autonomous systems have been integrated into long, medium, and short-distance logistics. It is clear that the adoption of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) stimulates possible innovation in mobility management and transportation logistics and provides the impetus for many unexplored research opportunities. The research investigates the main theoretical and practical benefits related to the use of autonomous vehicles in logistics, differentiating four areas of action (i.e., indoor and outdoor environments, long-distance and first and last-mile logistics). © 2022 Praise Worthy Prize S.r.l.-All rights reserved.

A region-wide survey on emotional and psychological impacts of COVID-19 on public transport choices in Sicily, Italy

Public transport generally addresses the evident mobility needs and offers an often-irreplaceable service, especially for captive users and other disadvantaged population groups. Public transport design and services are closely related to the physical size of modern cities, the number of people living or working in them, and the distribution and organization of work and social activities. However, public transport has been restricted with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, since March 2020. Public transport demand collapsed, especially during the lockdown period (March-May 2020), and adverse effects were reported even in the subsequent periods. In fact, the social distancing restrictions have highlighted numerous problems with public transport systems worldwide, primarily due to two factors. The first is related to the spread of the virus via the respiratory route, which is more likely to infect in restricted areas, and the second is associated with a transport system that by definition has high occupancy rates and low spacing throughout the journey (e.g., the positioning of seats or standing places in a train or bus). Thus, the COVID-19 pandemic has substantially impacted the travel choices of users. The pandemic has also negatively affected the psychological state, generating specific problems of anxiety, fear, or stress among all population groups, even when choosing the means of transport to travel with. Given the emerging pandemic challenges, the present study examines the public transport demand characteristics during the various phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in Sicily, one of the most affected regions in Italy. The study investigates the mental state of a population sample that frequently used the local urban or regional public transport to travel to work before and during the pandemic phases in the Sicilian territory. Through the administration of an online survey, it was possible to collect sociodemographic and psychological data to understand the propensity to use public transport. A series of inferential statistical tests were applied to assess the correlation of psychological aspects (i.e., fear, anxiety, and stress) with socio-demographic variables and modal choice habits (trip frequency). Results highlight and evaluate each psychological issue among population groups and their relative role in shaping public transport-related preferences. The study highlights some proposals and their implementation strategies to prevent negative emotions and encourage public transport use in Sicily and generally. © 2021 Palacky University Olomouc. All Rights Reserved.

COVID-19 and public transport demand trends in Sicily: analyzing external factors and governmental recommendations

The year 2020 has brought changes in transport services and travel demand globally due to restrictions related to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in public transport. The present work focuses on Sicily (Southern Italy). Through the elaboration and administration of an online questionnaire, a sample of 700 regular public transport users was characterized from a socio-demographic point of view, identifying their travel habits, and their opinion on governmental and public transport company initiatives. Eight (8) national government strategies were evaluated on a Likert scale, and ten (10) pandemic mitigation factors were assessed in different phases of the pandemic, highlighting which of these factors were most preferred by the sample on a hierarchical scale. The results lay the groundwork for identifying critical challenges when dealing with such severely restricted mobility conditions and suggesting improvements for public transport agencies and local authorities.

Twenty years, twenty publications and could have been more: Revisiting research collaboration with professor Bidyut Kanti Datta

Professor Bidyut Kanti Datta, a renowned professor of the Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Dhaka, died at the age of 73 on Friday 11 September 2020 in Canada (Canadian time 7.10 am and BD time 5.10 pm), as a consequence of COVID-19 infection followed by pneumonia. This article is a brief review of his research work where the authors of this article are immensely proud to be associated with. Prof Datta published more than 60 research articles in reputed journals, and the lead author (SDS) of this article, one of his former students from the University of Dhaka, is a co-author of 20 of those publications. These 20 publications resulted from a long-standing research collaboration that spanned over two decades, especially research involving various Bangladeshi species of the genus Polygonum L. of the family, Polygonaceae, and they demonstrate the breadth and depth of research activities that Prof Datta was involved in, and his long-standing commitment to research that underpinned and enriched his teaching offerings to hundreds of students he taught in higher education sector in Bangladesh.