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Primary symptoms of adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), such as pervasive social deficits in social interaction and communication, cause adults with ASD to adopt a sedentary lifestyle. Meanwhile, gamified and behavioral theory-based interventions have been shown to improve physical activity in a fun and unobtrusive way. In this paper, we describe the iterative design inquiry process of PuzzleWalk, a gamified, physical activity-promoting mobile app designed for adults with ASD. We report the design rationales and lessons learned across four user-centered design phases with ASD experts and adults with ASD, including user requirement gathering, iterative participatory design, usability evaluation, and field deployment. The design insights generated from this work could inform future research focusing on designing sociotechnical systems, games, and interventions for people with ASD.

Background: Over several years of recent efforts to make sense and detect online hate speech, we still know relatively little about how hateful expressions enter online platforms and whether there are patterns and features characterizing the corpus of hateful speech. Objective: In this research, we introduce a new conceptual framework suitable for better capturing the overall scope and dynamics of the current forms of online hateful speech. Methods: We adopt several Python-based crawlers to collect a comprehensive data set covering a variety of subjects from a multiplicity of online communities in South Korea. We apply the notions of marginalization and polarization in identifying patterns and dynamics of online hateful speech. Results: Our analyses suggest that polarization driven by political orientation and age difference predominates in the hateful speech in most communities, while marginalization of social minority groups is also salient in other communities. Furthermore, we identify a temporal shift in the trends of online hate from gender to age based, reflecting the changing sociopolitical conditions within the polarization dynamics in South Korea. Conclusion: By expanding our understanding of how hatred shifts and evolves in online communities, our study provides theoretical and practical implications for both researchers and policy-makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a cardiovascular disorder that affects approximately 4.6 million Americans and is a leading cause of death in the United States. Current research shows that strategies to promote early recognition and treatment of symptoms and enhance self-care management behaviors reduce unnecessary hospitalizations. However, mechanisms to monitor patients' health status and behaviors are limited by constraints imposed by the patient's geography, infirmity, or resources. Remote monitoring supports a more dynamic connection between healthcare providers and patients, improves health promotion and patient care through monitoring of health data, communicates health reminders, and makes provisions for patient feedback. This paper will describe two versions of Weight and Activity with Blood Pressure Monitoring System (WANDA [22]) that leverages sensor technology and wireless communication to monitor health status of patients with CHF. The WANDA system is built on a three-tier architecture consisting of sensors, a web server, and back-end database tiers. The system was developed in conjunction with the UCLA School of Nursing and the UCLA Wireless Health Institute to enable early detection of key clinical symptoms indicative of CHF-related decompensation in a real-time automated fashion and allows health professionals to offer surveillance, advice, and continuity of care and triggers early implementation of strategies to enhance adherence behaviors. The small study has enabled patients to reduce or maintain the number of readings which are out of the acceptable range. For diastolic, systolic, and heart rate values, the t-test results show that the WANDA study is effective for patients with CHF. © 2010 ACM.

Background: Individuals with autism often experience heightened anxiety in workplace environments because of challenges in communication and sensory overload. As these experiences can result in negative self-image, promoting their self-efficacy in the workplace is crucial. Virtual reality (VR) systems have emerged as promising tools for enhancing the self-efficacy of individuals with autism in navigating social scenarios, aiding in the identification of anxiety-inducing situations, and preparing for real-world interactions. However, there is limited research exploring the potential of VR to enhance self-efficacy by facilitating an understanding of emotional and physiological states during social skills practice., Objective: This study aims to develop and evaluate a VR system that enabled users to experience simulated work-related social scenarios and reflect on their behavioral and physiological data through data visualizations. We intended to investigate how these data, combined with the simulations, can support individuals with autism in building their self-efficacy in social skills., Methods: We developed WorkplaceVR, a comprehensive VR system designed for engagement in simulated work-related social scenarios, supplemented with data-driven reflections of users' behavioral and physiological responses. A within-subject deployment study was subsequently conducted with 14 young adults with autism to examine WorkplaceVR's feasibility. A mixed methods approach was used, compassing pre- and postsystem use assessments of participants' self-efficacy perceptions., Results: The study results revealed WorkplaceVR's effectiveness in enhancing social skills and self-efficacy among individuals with autism. First, participants exhibited a statistically significant increase in perceived self-efficacy following their engagement with the VR system (P=.02). Second, thematic analysis of the interview data confirmed that the VR system and reflections on the data fostered increased self-awareness among participants about social situations that trigger their anxiety, as well as the behaviors they exhibit during anxious moments. This increased self-awareness prompted the participants to recollect their related experiences in the real world and articulate anxiety management strategies. Furthermore, the insights uncovered motivated participants to engage in self-advocacy, as they wanted to share the insights with others., Conclusions: This study highlights the potential of VR simulations enriched with physiological and behavioral sensing as a valuable tool for augmenting self-efficacy in workplace social interactions for individuals with autism. Data reflection facilitated by physiological sensors helped participants with autism become more self-aware of their emotions and behaviors, advocate for their characteristics, and develop positive self-beliefs., (©Sung-In Kim, So-youn Jang, Taewan Kim, Bogoan Kim, Dayoung Jeong, Taehyung Noh, Mingon Jeong, Kaely Hall, Meelim Kim, Hee Jeong Yoo, Kyungsik Han, Hwajung Hong, Jennifer G Kim. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (https://formative.jmir.org), 11.01.2024.)