Multi-scale risk assessment and mitigations comparison for COVID-19 in urban public transport: A combined field measurement and modeling approach.

The outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has caused an unparalleled disruption to daily life. Given that COVID-19 primarily spreads in densely populated indoor areas, urban public transport (UPT) systems pose significant risks. This study presents an analysis of the air change rate in buses, subways, and high speed trains based on measured CO2 concentrations and passenger behaviors. The resulting values were used as inputs for an infection risk assessment model, which was used to quantitatively evaluate the effects of various factors, including ventilation rates, respiratory activities, and viral variants, on the infection risk. The findings demonstrate that ventilation has a negligible impact on reducing average risks (less than 10.0%) for short-range scales, but can result in a reduction of average risks by 32.1%-57.4% for room scales. When all passengers wear masks, the average risk reduction ranges from 4.5-folds to 7.5-folds. Based on our analysis, the average total reproduction numbers (R) of subways are 1.4-folds higher than buses, and 2-folds higher than high speed trains. Additionally, it is important to note that the Omicron variant may result in a much higher R value, estimated to be approximately 4.9-folds higher than the Delta variant. To reduce disease transmission, it is important to keep the R value below 1. Thus, two indices have been proposed: time-scale based exposure thresholds and spatial-scale based upper limit warnings. Mask wearing provides the greatest protection against infection in the face of long exposure duration to the omicron epidemic.

The Role of Mobility Digital Ecosystems for Age-Friendly Urban Public Transport: A Narrative Literature Review.

Within the context of the intersection of the global megatrends of urbanisation, ageing societies and digitalisation, this paper explores older people's mobility, with a particular interest in public transport, and a strong consideration of digital/ICT elements. With a focus on (smart) mobility, the paper aims to conceptualise transport, one of the main domains of age-friendly cities as a core element of a smart, age-friendly ecosystem. It also aims to propose a justice-informed perspective for the study of age-friendly smart mobility; to contribute towards a framework for the evaluation of age-friendly smart transport as a core element of the global age-friendly cities programme that comprises mobility practices, digital data, digital networks, material/physical geographies and digital devices and access; and to introduce the term "mobility digital ecosystem" to describe this framework. The paper uses the method of a narrative literature review to weave together a selected range of perspectives from communications, transport, and mobility studies in order to introduce the embeddedness of both communication technology use and mobility practices into their material conditions. Combining insights from communications, mobility and transport and social gerontology with a justice perspective on ICT access and mobility, the paper then develops a framework to study age-friendly smart mobility. What we call a "mobility digital ecosystem" framework comprises five elements-mobility practices, digital data, digital networks, material geographies, digital devices and access to services. The paper contributes a justice-informed perspective that points towards a conceptualisation of age-friendly smart mobility as a core element of the age-friendly cities and communities in the WHO's global age-friendly cities programme.

Incidência e definição do assédio moral entre trabalhadores do transporte coletivo urbano / Incidence and definition of workplace bulling among urban public transport workers / Incidencia y definición de acoso laboral entre trabajadores del transporte público urbano

O estudo identificou a ocorrência e o conhecimento sobre Assédio Moral no Trabalho (AMT) para trabalhadores do transporte coletivo urbano de uma capital do Brasil. Foi realizado um estudo como misto, com 382 trabalhadores, que responderam um questionário de dados sociodemográficos, a Escala Laboral de Assédio Moral e a questões relacionadas ao conhecimento sobre essa violência. Os resultados demonstraram diferença entre o quantitativo de trabalhadores identificados como alvos de AMT pelos itens da escala (48,69%) e aqueles que se reconhecem como assediados (36,34%). A dimensão "condições de trabalho" foi a mais frequentemente citada na amostra. As definições de AMT relacionaram-se com humilhação, desrespeito e constrangimento. Apesar de terem conformidades conceituais com a literatura, estas categorias demonstraram um conhecimento simplificado, salientando elementos objetivos. Conclui-se que essa violência só poderá ser eficazmente com sua definição clara e distinta de outras formas de sofrimento decorrente do trabalho (AU).

The study identified the occurrence and knowledge about Workplace Bullying (WB) for workers in urban public transport in a Brazilian capital. This mixed study was done, with 382 workers answered a sociodemographic data questionnaire, the Bullying Labor Scale and questions related to knowledge about this violence. The results showed a difference between the quantitative of workers identified as targets of WB by the items of the scale (48.69%) and those who recognize themselves in this situation (36.34%). The dimension "work conditions" was the most frequently mentioned in the sample. The definitions of WB were related to humiliation, disrespect and embarrassment. Despite having conceptual conformities with the literature, these categories demonstrated a simplified knowledge, emphasizing objective elements. It is concluded that violence can only be prevented with its clear and distinct definition from other forms of suffering in the workplace (AU).

El estudio identificó la ocurrencia y el conocimiento sobre el acoso laboral (AL) en el para los trabajadores en el transporte público urbano en una capital brasileña. Se realizó un estudio mixto, con 382 trabajadores respondieron un cuestionario de datos sociodemográficos, la Escala Laboral de Acoso y preguntas relacionadas con el conocimiento sobre esta violencia. Los resultados mostraron una diferencia entre el cuantitativo de trabajadores identificados como objetivos de AL por los ítems de la escala (48.69%) y aquellos que se reconocen como acosados (36.34%). La dimensión "condiciones de trabajo" fue la más frecuente en la muestra. Las definiciones de AL estaban relacionadas con la humillación, la falta de respeto y la vergüenza. A pesar de tener conformidad conceptual con la literatura, estas categorías demuestran conocimiento simplificado, destacando elementos objetivos. Se concluye que esta violencia solo puede prevenirse con su definición clara y distinta de otras formas de sufrimiento resultantes del trabajo (AU).

Cascading Failures and Vulnerability Evolution in Bus⁻Metro Complex Bilayer Networks under Rainstorm Weather Conditions.

In recent years, the frequent occurrence of rainstorms has seriously affected urban⁻public transport systems. In this study, we examined the impact of rainstorms on the vulnerability of urban⁻public transport systems consisting of both ground bus and metro systems, which was abstracted into an undirected weighted Bus⁻Metro complex bilayer network (Bus⁻Metro CBN) and the passenger volume was regarded as its weight. Through the changes in the node scale, network efficiency, and passenger volume in the maximal connected component of the Bus⁻Metro CBN, we constructed a vulnerability operator to quantitatively calculate the vulnerability of the Bus⁻Metro CBN. Then, the flow-based couple map lattices (CMLs) model was proposed to simulate cascading failure scenarios of the Bus⁻Metro CBN under rainstorm conditions, in which the rainstorm is introduced through a perturbation variable. The simulation results show that under the condition of passenger flow overload, the network may have a two-stage cascading failure process. The impact analysis shows that there is a rainstorm intensity threshold that causes the Bus⁻Metro CBN to collapse. Meanwhile, we obtained the optimal node and edge capacity through capacity analysis. In addition, our analysis implies that the vulnerability of the Bus⁻Metro CBN network in most scenarios is mainly caused by the degradation of network structure rather than the loss of passenger flow. The network coupling strength analysis results show that the node coupling strength has greater potential to reduce the vulnerability than edge coupling strength. This indicates that traffic managers should prioritize controlling the mutual influence between bus stops (or metro stations) to reduce the vulnerability of the Bus⁻Metro CBN more effectively.

Natural Computing Applied to the Underground System: A Synergistic Approach for Smart Cities.

The management and proper use of the Urban Public Transport Systems (UPTS) constitutes a critical field that has not been investigated in accordance to its relevance and urgent idiosyncrasy within the Smart Cities realm. Swarm Intelligence is a very promising paradigm to deal with such complex and dynamic systems. It presents robust, scalable, and self-organized behavior to deal with dynamic and fast changing systems. The intelligence of cities can be modelled as a swarm of digital telecommunication networks (the nerves), ubiquitously embedded intelligence, sensors and tags, and software. In this paper, a new approach based on the use of the Natural Computing paradigm and Collective Computation is shown, more concretely taking advantage of an Ant Colony Optimization algorithm variation and Fireworks algorithms to build a system that makes the complete control of the UPTS a tangible reality.

Tecnologia e trabalho: sentidos produzidos no cotidiano do transporte coletivo / Technology and work: meanings produced in daily transportation

Objetivamos compreender os sentidos produzidos por cobradores de ônibus sobre as tecnologias. As observações de cunho etnográfico (no terminal e nos ônibus), com uso do Diário de Campo, formaram a base para as entrevistas com os cinco cobradores e um motorista. A psicóloga e o gerente de tráfego também foram entrevistados. A partir do referencial teórico-metodológico do construcionismo social, criamos duas categorias de análises: a) implantação do Sistema Integrado e mudanças no trabalho; e b) os sentidos da tecnologia em uso no transporte. Esta última reúne sentidos tanto positivos (tecnologias incorporadas) quanto antagônicos (embarcadas). A catraca, principal representante das tecnologias embarcadas, agiliza e traz maior segurança e é também a causa de maior controle do trabalho e da insegurança em relação ao futuro. A tecnologia, vista como responsável pela submissão e substituição do trabalhador, desconsidera qualquer relação sócio-histórica nela materializada.

We aim to understand the meanings produced by bus collectors about technologies. The ethnographic observations (in the integrated bus station and in the bus), using Field Diary, formed the basis for interviews with five collectors and a driver. The psychologist and the traffic manager were also interviewed. From the social constructionism theoretical-methodological approach two categories of analysis were developed out: a) implementation of the Integrated System and changes at work and b) the meanings of the technology used in the transport. This last meeting meanings both positives (incorporate technologies) and antagonistic (on-board). The turnstile, the main representative of on-board technologies, accelerates and increases safety and is also the cause of greater control of work and uncertainty about the future. The technology, seen as being responsible for the submission and substitution of the worker, disregarding any social-historic relationship materialized in it.

Tecnologia e trabalho: sentidos produzidos no cotidiano do transporte coletivo / Technology and work: meanings produced in daily transportation

Objetivamos compreender os sentidos produzidos por cobradores de ônibus sobre as tecnologias. As observações de cunho etnográfico (no terminal e nos ônibus), com uso do Diário de Campo, formaram a base para as entrevistas com os cinco cobradores e um motorista. A psicóloga e o gerente de tráfego também foram entrevistados. A partir do referencial teórico-metodológico do construcionismo social, criamos duas categorias de análises: a) implantação do Sistema Integrado e mudanças no trabalho; e b) os sentidos da tecnologia em uso no transporte. Esta última reúne sentidos tanto positivos (tecnologias incorporadas) quanto antagônicos (embarcadas). A catraca, principal representante das tecnologias embarcadas, agiliza e traz maior segurança e é também a causa de maior controle do trabalho e da insegurança em relação ao futuro. A tecnologia, vista como responsável pela submissão e substituição do trabalhador, desconsidera qualquer relação sócio-histórica nela materializada.(AU)

We aim to understand the meanings produced by bus collectors about technologies. The ethnographic observations (in the integrated bus station and in the bus), using Field Diary, formed the basis for interviews with five collectors and a driver. The psychologist and the traffic manager were also interviewed. From the social constructionism theoretical-methodological approach two categories of analysis were developed out: a) implementation of the Integrated System and changes at work and b) the meanings of the technology used in the transport. This last meeting meanings both positives (incorporate technologies) and antagonistic (on-board). The turnstile, the main representative of on-board technologies, accelerates and increases safety and is also the cause of greater control of work and uncertainty about the future. The technology, seen as being responsible for the submission and substitution of the worker, disregarding any social-historic relationship materialized in it.(AU)

Síndrome de burnout no setor de transporte de Natal / The burnout syndrome in the transport system of Natal

Reconhecendo-se a importância que o ambiente de trabalho tem para a saúde mental, o objetivo desse estudo foi investigar a relação entre a síndrome de burnout e as fontes de desgaste físico e emocional no setor de transporte coletivo urbano da cidade de Natal. A pesquisa foi realizada com 412 motoristas e cobradores de duas empresas. Para coleta dos dados, aplicaram-se dois questionários e uma ficha sociodemográfica. O primeiro, construído e validado durante a pesquisa, investigou as fontes e o segundo, a síndrome. Entre os resultados, confirmou-se a prevalência da síndrome e que a principal fonte de desgaste físico e emocional que a prediz é o fator referente a conflitos de valores e ausência de equidade no ambiente de trabalho.

Recognizing the importance that the work environment has on the mental health, the objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the burnout syndrome and the sources of physical and emotional exhaustion in the urban public transport system in the city of Natal. The research was carried out with 412 professional drivers and moneychangers of two enterprises. To collect the data, two questionnaires and a social-demographic form were applied. The first questionnaire, developed and validated during the research, evaluated the sources of burnout, while the second questionnaire evaluated the factors of the referred syndrome. The results showed the prevalence of the burnout syndrome and that the main source of emotional and physical exhaustion that predicts it is a factor about conflicts of values and lack of equity at the workplace.