Evaluating semi-automatic annotation of domestic energy consumption as a memory aid

Frequent feedback about energy consumption can help conservation, one of the current global challenges. Such feedback is most helpful if users can relate it to their own day-to-day activities. In earlier work we showed that manual annotation of domestic energy consumption logs aids users to make such connection and discover patterns they were not aware of. In this poster we report how we augmented manual annotation with machine learning classification techniques. We propose the design of a lab study to evaluate the system, extending methods used to evaluate context aware memory aids, and we present the results of a pilot with 5 participants

The potential of physical motion cues: changing people’s perception of robots’ performance

Autonomous robotic systems can automatically perform actions on behalf of users in the domestic environment to help people in their daily activities. Such systems aim to reduce users' cognitive and physical workload, and improve wellbeing. While the benefits of these systems are clear, recent studies suggest that users may misconstrue their performance of tasks. We see an opportunity in designing interaction techniques that improve how users perceive the performance of such systems. We report two lab studies (N=16 each) designed to investigate whether showing physical motion, which is showing the process of a system through movement (that is intrinsic to the system's task), of an autonomous system as it completes its task, affects how users perceive its performance. To ensure our studies are ecologically valid and to motivate participants to provide thoughtful responses we adopted consensus-oriented financial incentives. Our results suggest that physical presence does yield higher performance ratings.<br/

Energy advisors at work: charity work practices to support people in fuel poverty

We present an ethnographic study of energy advisors working for a charity that provides support, particularly to people in fuel poverty. Our fieldwork comprises detailed observations that reveal the collaborative, interactional work of energy advisors and clients during home visits, supplemented with interviews and a participatory design workshop with advisors. We identify opportunities for Ubicomp technologies that focus on supporting the work of the advisor, including complementing the collaborative advice giving in home visits, providing help remotely, and producing evidence in support of accounts of practices and building conditions useful for interactions with landlords, authorities and other third parties. We highlight six specific design challenges that relate the domestic fuel poverty setting to the wider Ubicomp literature. Our work echoes a shift in attention from energy use and the individual consumer, specifically to matters of advice work practices and the domestic fuel poverty setting, and to the discourse around inclusive Ubicomp technologies

Energy advisors at work: charity work practices to support people in fuel poverty

We present an ethnographic study of energy advisors working for a charity that provides support, particularly to people in fuel poverty. Our fieldwork comprises detailed observations that reveal the collaborative, interactional work of energy advisors and clients during home visits, supplemented with interviews and a participatory design workshop with advisors. We identify opportunities for Ubicomp technologies that focus on supporting the work of the advisor, including complementing the collaborative advice giving in home visits, providing help remotely, and producing evidence in support of accounts of practices and building conditions useful for interactions with landlords, authorities and other third parties. We highlight six specific design challenges that relate the domestic fuel poverty setting to the wider Ubicomp literature. Our work echoes a shift in attention from energy use and the individual consumer, specifically to matters of advice work practices and the domestic fuel poverty setting, and to the discourse around inclusive Ubicomp technologies

Students’ Views on the Nature of Science in an Interdisciplinary First-Year Science Program: Content Analysis of a Weekly Reflection Activity

A primary aim of science education is to teach students how to interpret and engage with scientific information. To do so effectively requires an adequate understanding of the nature of science (NOS)—in other words, what science is and how it works. There is a long history of evidence to suggest that many undergraduate students struggle to properly understand NOS. While the specific factors contributing to misinformed views on NOS may be difficult to tease apart, the way in which students learn about science at the undergraduate level is a significant contributor. We implemented a reflection activity in a unique first-year program at a large Canadian university in order to promote student learning of NOS. Through the students’ reflections, we identified how certain pedagogical approaches, many of which deviate from traditional teaching methods used throughout undergraduate science education, can positively impact student comprehension of NOS. Our experiences support the use of reflective practices in promoting critical thinking and the development of more nuanced student views of NOS. Click here to read the corresponding ISSOTL blog post

Malaria pigment hemozoin impairs gm-csf receptor expression and function by 4-hydroxynonenal

Malarial pigment hemozoin (HZ) generates the lipoperoxidation product 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), which is known to cause dysregulation of the immune response in malaria. The inhibition of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-dependent differentiation of dendritic cells (DC) by HZ and 4-HNE was previously described in vitro, and the GM-CSF receptor (GM-CSF R) was hypothesised to be a primary target of 4-HNE in monocytes. In this study, we show the functional impact of HZ on GM-CSF R in monocytes and monocyte-derived DC by (i) impairing GM-CSF binding by 50 ± 9% and 65 ± 14%, respectively (n = 3 for both cell types); (ii) decreasing the expression of GM-CSF R functional subunit (CD116) on monocyte’s surface by 36 ± 11% (n = 6) and in cell lysate by 58 ± 16% (n = 3); and (iii) binding of 4-HNE to distinct amino acid residues on CD116. The data suggest that defective DC differentiation in malaria is caused by GM-CSF R dysregulation and GM-CSF R modification by lipoperoxidation product 4-HNE via direct interaction with its CD116 subunit