BACKGROUND: Proper thyroid function is critical for normal fetal growth and neurodevelopment, as well as regulation of multiple systems in adults. There is growing evidence indicating that exposure to environmental chemicals may disrupt human thyroid function. Organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are two classes of potential thyroid disrupting chemicals commonly used in consumer products. OBJECTIVES: We characterized exposures to triphenyl phosphate (TPHP), a common PFR, and PFASs in two different U.S. populations. We assessed associations between TPHP and thyroid hormones in adults, as well as individual and joint associations of prenatal PFASs with maternal and neonatal thyroid hormones. METHODS: Analyses were conducted in two Boston, Massachusetts cohort studies: the Flame Retardant Exposure Study (FlaRE) and Project Viva, a longitudinal pre-birth cohort. In FlaRE, we used linear mixed effects models to assess covariate-adjusted associations between urinary DPHP concentrations and serum thyroid hormone levels in repeated samples from male and female adults (n=51). In Project Viva, we used both linear regression and weighted quantile sum regression to assess covariate-adjusted individual and joint associations of prenatal plasma PFAS concentrations measured in early pregnancy with maternal (n=726) and neonatal (n=465) thyroid hormone levels. RESULTS: In FlaRE, higher urinary DPHP was associated with higher total thyroxine (T4) levels in female but not male participants. We saw no associations between DPHP and free T4, total triiodothyronine, or thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). In Project Viva, we found that higher prenatal exposure to PFASs was associated with lower maternal Free T4 Index (FT4I) and lower neonatal T4 in male infants, but was not associated with maternal T4 or TSH. Combined exposure to multiple PFASs was associated with lower maternal FT4I and neonatal T4 levels, but the relative contributions varied by individual PFAS. CONCLUSIONS: Exposures to both DPHP and PFASs were associated with altered thyroid hormone levels in these populations. Observed associations of DPHP and PFASs with thyroid hormone levels varied by sex, suggesting potential differences in susceptibility or mechanism of action. Associations between PFASs and thyroid hormones also differed across chemicals, suggesting potential differences in toxicological mechanism or potency. / 2019-11-08T00:00:00Z

Do cultural differences influence on consumers’ purchase decision making? The emergence of a global consumer culture emphasizes the idea that sharing similar needs and wants is common among group of people, and several international marketing literatures assert that many products are developed to serve universal needs. However, global marketing practitioners today have encountered a paradigm shift from the old globalism to the new globalism, which states that products and messages developments are not necessary to maximize economies of scale, but that it is more important to understand consumers’ specific needs and local conditions. This study attempts to empirically test this issue by asking consumers in two different cultures, the American individualist culture and the Thai collectivist culture, to identify the attributes they consider important in the purchase of three product categories, as well as the advertising messages that they feel effectively suit to each product category. / text

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This research examined the development of consumer product manufacturer's liability between 1890 and 1981. h large percentage of the manufacturers were involved in monopolies, suppression of free trade, price conspiracies, and fraudulent advertisments. Negligence in design and manufacture frequently resulted in defective products. Responsible writers exposed: dangerous foods; chemicals; insecticides; unethical manufacturing methods; and numerous injuries or deaths from defective consumer products. Three periods of organized consumerism, 1890-1917, 19271941; and 1962-1981, created congressional pressure for consumer-oriented legislation. Five presidents used the power of their offices to pressure congress to protect the public. The states adopted the federal Workmen's Compensation Law of 1908 to provide assistance for individuals who suffered job-related injuries or death. Additional consumer-oriented laws enabled injured workers to sue for damages through the courts. Organized women's clubs worked through industrial representatives and congress to correct flagrant manufacturing abuses and establish standards.

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This research began by addressing the question: can effective interface design guidelines be produced for use in the design of future consumer product technologies (CPT)? A literature review explored published studies evaluating existing Human- Computer Interaction guidelines to establish their effectiveness in relation to CPT. Through this review, effectiveness was found to be limited but potentially could be improved using user-centred design methods. In response, six short studies were undertaken to produce user-centred CPT guidelines and to evaluate them using two sets of effectiveness criteria: specificity and applicability. These studies supported findings from the HCI literature. Despite improving the specificity and applicability of the CPT guidelines, passive, non-bespoke design guidelines have still been shown to have little impact on interaction design activity. Other links between research and practice needed to be identified. Two further field investigations indicated that, whilst the use of ergonomics methods was limited in commercial design consultancies, certain types of participative methods considering 'situated design in context' might be helpful. A second literature review was conducted to explore the importance of context-based design activity. As an outcome, design tools were proposed using participative design techniques involving games and role playing. Through a second series of five laboratory and field studies, the proposed design tools were developed and iteratively evaluated. It was demonstrated that the design tools could affect interaction design activity, but further work is still required on improving one of the applicability criteria - 'organisational survival'. These findings demonstrated that interaction designers can effectively produce their own design data using the design tools provided that this design activity is situated within the context of an interaction design problem. It has also been shown that if interaction design tools are to be effective they should satisfy all specificity and applicability criteria established in this inquiry.

Product customisation has always been a regular practice as a form of self or group identification. Previous studies have demonstrated that when investing time and effort to customise a product, an emotional attachment to that product develops. Since the 1980s, new technologies in design, manufacturing and communications have facilitated customisation practices for mass manufacturers as well as for individual consumers. For example, computer algorithms can now automate customisation (i.e. individualise), meaning that the investment of time and effort can be significantly lower than in other customisation processes. Such novel automated practices have, however, not considered the effects on emotional attachment to products, which occurs when the consumer personally engages in the process. This research investigates individualisation as a form of customisation by looking at the relationship between an individualised product and the consumers’ attribution of value and emotional attachment to the end result. This was achieved through a mixed methods approach: following a literature review, in-depth interviews, observation and experiments were carried out. Four pilot studies were conducted, involving 42 respondents (designers, company directors, and consumers). The main study engaged a further 44 respondents, profiled as one of two types of consumers depending on their critical engagement with customisation processes, namely Active Consumers (AC) that Passive Consumers (PC). Data was collected through five Action Research cycles and incorporated key features of Design-Based Research. It was then processed, coded and analysed using thematic analysis. This study makes contributions to knowledge in the area of product customisation and individualisation, as well as in the research methods developed, applied and refined over the four pilot iterations and in the main study. Results suggest that despite limiting freedom of choice, individualisation is a valuable approach to product customisation, particularly for PCs willing to relinquish part of the decision making to an automated process, in order to obtain a customised and unique design. ACs, on the other hand, value their freedom to customise their own products and see individualisation as a limitation to the customisation experience and as a hindrance to developing emotional attachment to the product. These findings have the potential to inform entrepreneurs’ and designers’ decisions to better understand and exploit the benefits associated to individualisation processes. Offering specific consumer groups opportunities to engage with the individualisation process can trigger a strong emotional product attachment and potentially generate new business opportunities.

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The purpose of this study on hand injury from powered wood splitters was to describe injury epidemiology and anatomy, to rate injury severity, to evaluate the outcome after injury and to describe factors of possible importance for the occurrence of injury. By searching a computerized patient registry, 131 patients injured by wood splitters from 1995 to 2001 were identified. Information was obtained from hospital records and radiographs, a written questionnaire and a structured telephone interview. Injury severity was rated according to the Hand Injury Severity Scoring System (HISS system) and the Injury Severity Score (ISS). Outcome was evaluated with the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand outcome questionnaire (DASH) and, in 26 of the most severely injured patients, with the Sollerman test. Forty-six percent of the injuries occurred during April or May. Wedge splitters caused 82 % of all injuries and most often injured the index finger, while screw splitters caused 18 % of all injuries and most often injured the metacarpus. Screw splitters caused palmar perforation and thumb avulsion. Sixty-three percent of all patients had an amputation or devascularising injury. The reliability of HISS rating was good. The mean Hand Injury Severity Score (HISS) was 63 which is equivalent to a severe hand injury. The mean ISS was 3.7. Nineteen percent of patients had minor, 31 % had moderate, 23 % had severe and 27 % had major injury according to the HISS system. Children had more severe injuries than adults. There was no significant difference regarding HISS or DASH scores between wedge and screw splitter injuries. The mean DASH score was 15, indicating moderate residual sequelae, but patients without sequelae and patients with grave sequelae were found in all HISS severity grades. There was a weak but significant correlation between the HISS and DASH scores. The mean Sollerman score in the injured hand was 66, indicating significantly impaired hand function. Twenty-nine percent of splitters were home-made. Very few machines had the safety measures required by European Standards. Children were present during splitting in at least 15 % of cases. Not being alone at the machine was one cause of wedge splitter injury. Glove use was one cause of screw splitter injury. Hand injury from powered wood splitters is a significant problem. Many of the injuries are severe, and cause long term sequels and impairment of hand function. Prevention is essential and should focus on unsafe machines and dangerous patterns of use.

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