To improve the efficiency of nudging techniques applied in the transition to sustainable mobility : An applied urban study within the transport sector

Global warming is one of the gravest concerns that the world is now dealing with. This phenomenon is caused by a variety of factors. Carbon dioxide emitted from transportation networks is a significant contributor to global warming. Transportation systems comprise both the urban mobility sector (including public transportation and private vehicles) and the road transportation system. In line with this issue, governments across the globe have been implementing new technologies and strategies to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions. Meanwhile, changing passengers’ mobility behaviors through the application of nudging techniques has recently been identified as a feasible option by them. This research seeks to improve the efficiency of nudging approaches used in the mobility sector by assisting local authorities in designing appropriate behavioral interventions. To do so, ten city representatives including sustainability experts, and city managers were chosen, and semi-structured interviews were carried out to thoroughly understand their needs and expectations in terms of selecting the most effective nudges for encouraging citizens to use more sustainable modes of transport. The collected data were analyzed applyingtheThematicmethod. Finally, using the Value Proposition Design model, the design characteristics for the development of an ‘Intervention Design Tool’are determined. Our findings reveal that features such as simulating scenarios and interventions based on the behavior context and then providing users with situation-aware nudges are crucial for the creation of an 'intervention Design Tool’. Furthermore, this device must provide city representatives, as the main user of the tool, with a comprehensive view of the targeted city while alerting them to crucial situations and trends. As a consequence, the benefits that city representatives obtain from using this tool include reducing effort and saving time while increasing the reliability of their decisions.

To improve the efficiency of nudging techniques applied in the transition to sustainable mobility : An applied urban study within the transport sector

Global warming is one of the gravest concerns that the world is now dealing with. This phenomenon is caused by a variety of factors. Carbon dioxide emitted from transportation networks is a significant contributor to global warming. Transportation systems comprise both the urban mobility sector (including public transportation and private vehicles) and the road transportation system. In line with this issue, governments across the globe have been implementing new technologies and strategies to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions. Meanwhile, changing passengers’ mobility behaviors through the application of nudging techniques has recently been identified as a feasible option by them. This research seeks to improve the efficiency of nudging approaches used in the mobility sector by assisting local authorities in designing appropriate behavioral interventions. To do so, ten city representatives including sustainability experts, and city managers were chosen, and semi-structured interviews were carried out to thoroughly understand their needs and expectations in terms of selecting the most effective nudges for encouraging citizens to use more sustainable modes of transport. The collected data were analyzed applyingtheThematicmethod. Finally, using the Value Proposition Design model, the design characteristics for the development of an ‘Intervention Design Tool’are determined. Our findings reveal that features such as simulating scenarios and interventions based on the behavior context and then providing users with situation-aware nudges are crucial for the creation of an 'intervention Design Tool’. Furthermore, this device must provide city representatives, as the main user of the tool, with a comprehensive view of the targeted city while alerting them to crucial situations and trends. As a consequence, the benefits that city representatives obtain from using this tool include reducing effort and saving time while increasing the reliability of their decisions.

Identification of Lactobacilli from Fecal Flora of Some Iranian Infants

Objective: During the past 20 years identification of lactobacilli isolated from normal flora has received great interest due to their health promoting effects. This study has aimed at characterizing the lactobacillus strains isolated from the fecal flora of Iranian infants based on phenotypic oriented methods. Moreover, the diversity of identified species among tested infants has been looked into. Methods: Thirty two strains of lactobacilli were included in this study. The given strains were previously isolated from the fecal samples of 6 infants between 1-19 months of age. They are examined through 14 carbohydrate fermentation tests, growth ability at different temperatures and different concentrations of NaCl. Cell and colony morphology were assessed as well. Findings: The examined strains were identified as L. acidophilus (12 strains), L. plantarum (9 strains), L. rhamnosus (7 strains), L. paracasei (3 strains) and L. fermentum (1 strain); 2 strains remained unidentified. Accordingly L. acidophilus was the most predominant species among tested samples. Conclusion: Some biochemical differences were obtained among the strains of L. acidophilus group and some morphological peculiarities were observed among the strains of L. paracasei and L. rhamnosus in comparison to the typical strains of L. casei group. These differences revealed the necessity of application of complementary molecular methods for clear identification of examined Lactobacillus strains