“Whispers from the Wrist”: Wearable Health Monitoring Devices and Privacy Regulations in the U.S.: The Loopholes, the Challenges, and the Opportunities

The growth of wearable technology has enabled the collection of even more personalized information on individuals. New health-related devices marketed to consumers collect health information that might not fall under the traditional category of Protected Health Information, and thus, HIPAA protections do not fully apply. Meaning, commercial wearable health devices do not fall under FDA oversight, and data not paired with a doctor–patient relationship do not fall under HIPAA privacy protection; thus, much of the gathered health-related metrics are left without regulation and open to be sold to data brokers. As such, these data can be leveraged by health insurance, law enforcement, and employers, to name a few. This manuscript explores the loopholes in current regulations and suggests a framework that categorizes wearable data and addresses challenges in data transfer. Furthermore, taking a user perspective, the suggested framework offers solutions that aim to guide users and policymakers in navigating privacy issues in wearable technology

When you realize that big brother is watching : How informing consumers affects synced advertising effectiveness

New personalization technologies have made it possible to deliver personalized messages to consumers based on their offline media usage in real time, which is known as synced advertising. These developments go hand-in-hand with a rise in concerns related to consumers’ privacy. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of increasing consumer knowledge of synced advertising (SA) on resistance through critical attitudes and perceived surveillance. In two online experiments, we found that increased SA awareness and knowledge generates more critical attitudes and a greater level of perceived surveillance, which leads to more resistance to a synced ad. For consumers without prior SA experience (e.g., through education, work), providing technical information on SA is the most effective in increasing SA knowledge (both objective and subjective knowledge), but personally relevant information could help increase confidence in SA knowledge (i.e., subjective knowledge). These results advance theories of persuasion knowledge, as well as the underlying mechanism of synced advertising effects on consumer empowerment. The results contribute to literacy programs by showing what type of information could help consumers make informed decisions about this new personalization strategy

Improving productivity and soil fertility in Medicago sativa and Hordeum marinum through intercropping under saline conditions

Abstract Background and aims Intercropping is an agriculture system used to enhance the efficiency of resource utilization and maximize crop yield grown under environmental stress such as salinity. Nevertheless, the impact of intercropping forage legumes with annual cereals on soil salinity remains unexplored. This research aimed to propose an intercropping system with alfalfa (Medicago sativa)/sea barley (Hordeum marinum) to explore its potential effects on plant productivity, nutrient uptake, and soil salinity. Methods The experiment involved three harvests of alfalfa and Hordeum marinum conducted under three cropping systems (sole, mixed, parallel) and subjected to salinity treatments (0 and 150 mM NaCl). Agronomical traits, nutrient uptake, and soil properties were analyzed. Results revealed that the variation in the measured traits in both species was influenced by the cultivation mode, treatment, and the interaction between cultivation mode and treatment. The cultivation had the most significant impact. Moreover, the mixed culture (MC) significantly enhanced the H. marinum and M. sativa productivity increasing biomass yield and development growth under salinity compared to other systems, especially at the second harvest. Furthermore, both intercropping systems alleviated the nutrient uptake under salt stress, as noted by the highest levels of K+/Na+ and Ca2+/Mg2+ ratios compared to monoculture. However, the intercropping mode reduced the pH and the electroconductivity (CEC) of the salt soil and increased the percentage of organic matter and the total carbon mostly with the MC system. Conclusions Intercropped alfalfa and sea barely could mitigate the soil salinity, improve their yield productivity, and enhance nutrient uptake. Based on these findings, we suggest implementing the mixed-culture system for both target crops in arid and semi-arid regions, which further promotes sustainable agricultural practices