User awareness and user behavior in a shared space: Using plant as the information display

People are aware of objects in physical spaces to which they may act responsively. We are interested in human behavioural changes in the presence of reactive displays in shared environments. In a limited 2-week field study, using plants (both natural and artificial) as reactive displays, we observed human trash disposal/recycling behaviour. We found that there is a significant increase in recycling (p=0.08) when there are reactive display with natural plants. We also noticed increase in recycling with displays with artificial plants. These findings suggest that people can and do alter their behaviour in shared environments, and that such behavioural changes can be effected by the use of reactive/responsive information displays

Birth Weight following Pregnancy during the 2003 Southern California Wildfires

Background: In late October 2003, a series of wildfires exposed urban populations in Southern California to elevated levels of air pollution over several weeks. Previous research suggests that short-term hospital admissions for respiratory outcomes increased specifically as a result of these fires. Objective: We assessed the impact of a wildfire event during pregnancy on birth weight among term infants. Methods: Using records for singleton term births delivered to mothers residing in California’s South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB) during 2001–2005 (n = 886,034), we compared birth weights from pregnancies that took place entirely before or after the wildfire event (n = 747,590) with those where wildfires occurred during the first (n = 60,270), second (n = 39,435), or third (n = 38,739) trimester. The trimester-specific effects of wildfire exposure were estimated using a fixed-effects regression model with several maternal characteristics included as covariates. Results: Compared with pregnancies before and after the wildfires, mean birth weight was estimated to be 7.0 g lower [95% confidence interval (CI): –11.8, –2.2] when the wildfire occurred during the third trimester, 9.7 g lower when it occurred during the second trimester (95% CI: –14.5, –4.8), and 3.3 g lower when it occurred during the first trimester (95% CI: –7.2, 0.6). Conclusions: Pregnancy during the 2003 Southern California wildfires was associated with slightly reduced average birth weight among infants exposed in utero. The extent and increasing frequency of wildfire events may have implications for infant health and development

Generating Directions for Persuasive Technology Design with the Inspiration Card Workshop

Abstract. Participatory design methods may help account for the ethical implications of persuasive technology. But how can participatory design methods both address ethical issues and lead to effective persuasive technologies? This paper presents the early stages of participatory design with a college EcoHouse. I discuss concepts resulting from an Inspiration Card Workshop [1], finally considering further development of participatory methods for designing persuasive technology

Mobile phones as monitors of personal exposure to air pollution: Is this the future?

Mobile phones have a large spectrum of applications, aiding in risk prevention and improving health and wellbeing of their owners. So far, however, they have not been used for direct assessment of personal exposure to air pollution. In this study, we comprehensively evaluated the first, and the only available, mobile phone - BROAD Life - equipped with air pollution sensors (PM2.5 and VOC), to answer the question whether this technology is a viable option in the quest of reducing the burden of disease to air pollution. We tested its performance, applicability and suitability for the purpose by subjecting it to varied concentrations of different types of aerosol particles (cigarette smoke, petrol exhaust and concrete dust) and formaldehyde under controlled laboratory conditions, as well as to ambient particles during field measurements. Six reference instruments were used in the study: AEROTRAK Optical Particle Counter (OPC model number 9306), DustTrak, Aerodynamic Particle Counter (APS), Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS), Tapered Element Oscillating Microbalance (TEOM) and Formaldehyde Analyser. Overall, we found that the phone's response was linear at higher particle number concentrations in the chamber, above 5 and 10 µg m-3 , for combustion and concrete dust particles, respectively, and for higher formaldehyde concentrations, making it potentially suitable for applications in polluted environments. At lower ambient concentrations of particles around 10 ug m-3 and 20 µg m-3 for PM2.5 and PM10, respectively, the phone's response was below its noise level, suggesting that it is not suitable for ambient monitoring under relatively clean urban conditions. This mobile phone has a number of limitations that may hinder its use in personal exposure and for continuous monitoring. Despite these limitations, it may be used for comparative assessments, for example when comparing outcomes of intervention measures or local impacts of air pollution sources. It should be kept in mind, however, that a mobile phone measuring air quality alone cannot as such 'reduce the burden of disease to air pollution, as knowing ambient concentrations is only one of the building block in this quest. As long as individuals cannot avoid exposure e.g. in urban areas, knowing concentrations is not sufficient to reduce potential adverse effects. Yet, there are many situations and microenvironments, which individuals could avoid knowing the concentrations and also being aware of the risk caused by exposure to them. This includes for example to proximity to vehicle emissions, either for social purposes (e.g. street cafes) or exercising (e.g. walking or jogging along busy roads)or indoor environments affected by combustion emissions (smoking, candle burning, open fire)

Technology as an Enabler of the Global Branding of Retail Financial Services

The author argues that, though there is little doubt that technology has transformed the delivery of retail financial services in the past decade, this transformation also has implications for the global branding of financial services. The article presents a conceptual framework that illustrates how new distribution and processing technologies on the supply-side and changes in consumer attitudes to banking on the demand-side have driven the global branding of retail financial services. On the supply side, the change process has occurred through the removal of geographic and cost barriers to global distribution, which have enabled insurance companies, supermarkets, utilities, Internet-only banks, and other new players to enter traditional banking markets. Technology has created globally accessible internal information management systems, reduced the need for physical branch networks, stimulated greater brand awareness through interactive Web sites, fuelled the expansion of multinational banks and consolidation through mergers, and ultimately has eroded product differentiation and distribution channels as sources of competitive advantage. The combination of these supply-side elements increases the need for, and the effectiveness of, global brands. On the demand side, the change process has been driven by global convergence in key benefits sought by banking consumers in developed countries. The move to electronic delivery of retail financial services has increased competition and consumer sophistication, and consumers have become less loyal, more informed, and more willing to switch providers and use multiple providers in order to maximize the value of the unique mix of savings, loan, and transactions services they seek. Yet, at the same time, the ongoing need for security and reliability when performing financial transactions means consumers place value on brands that have established images as trusted parties. The result is an increased consumer preference for globally recognized brands and a willingness to purchase financial services from firms other than traditional financial institutions, provided the brand name is a trusted one. The author concludes that for managers of firms providing retail financial services, the major implication of these technology-induced changes in supply and demand is the need for customer-focused marketing strategies