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The article discusses a common-sense approach for librarians in activating their intelligence in assessing and using artificial intelligence (AI). Cited are the ways on how they can sift through the challenges posed by AI and create a balanced approach drawing on the strengths of the library, and seven things that librarians should consider in supporting and helping people they serve activate their intelligence using AI as a tool.

This paper is dedicated to the quantum chemical package Jaguar, which is commercial software developed and distributed by Schrödinger, Inc. We discuss Jaguar's scientific features that are relevant to chemical research as well as describe those aspects of the program that are pertinent to the user interface, the organization of the computer code, and its maintenance and testing. Among the scientific topics that feature prominently in this paper are the quantum chemical methods grounded in the pseudospectral approach. A number of multistep workflows dependent on Jaguar are covered: prediction of protonation equilibria in aqueous solutions (particularly calculations of tautomeric stability and pKa), reactivity predictions based on automated transition state search, assembly of Boltzmann-averaged spectra such as vibrational and electronic circular dichroism, as well as nuclear magnetic resonance. Discussed also are quantum chemical calculations that are oriented toward materials science applications, in particular, prediction of properties of optoelectronic materials and organic semiconductors, and molecular catalyst design. The topic of treatment of conformations inevitably comes up in real world research projects and is considered as part of all the workflows mentioned above. In addition, we examine the role of machine learning methods in quantum chemical calculations performed by Jaguar, from auxiliary functions that return the approximate calculation runtime in a user interface, to prediction of actual molecular properties. The current work is second in a series of reviews of Jaguar, the first having been published more than ten years ago. Thus, this paper serves as a rare milestone on the path that is being traversed by Jaguar's development in more than thirty years of its existence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the potential of the Gamified Metaverse as a platform for promoting library services. The study compares the effectiveness of a traditional library program with a Metaverse- based library program in terms of knowledge acquisition and library anxiety. The research also examines students' perceptions of implementing gamification within the context of the Gamified Metaverse platform. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, including pre- and post-test analysis, statistical analysis, and qualitative data collection. The results indicate that both the traditional and Metaverse-based library programs effectively increased the participants' knowledge, with no significant difference between the two approaches. However, the Metaverse-based program was found to be less effective in facilitating interaction with librarians and reducing library anxiety. Additionally, students expressed positive perceptions of implementing gamification in the Gamified Metaverse platform, finding it engaging and motivating. These findings contribute to the understanding of the effect of the Metaverse as a tool for promoting library services and enhancing knowledge acquisition. However, it is not as effective in reducing library anxiety, particularly in terms of interaction with librarians and staff. It should be noted that the platform may have limitations such as high costs and potential side effects of virtual reality, making it more suitable as an additional tool for promoting library services, taking into account its feasibility and potential benefits for specific student populations and larger libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes librarian research on information visualization as well as general trends in the broader field, highlighting the most recent trends, important journals, and which subject disciplines are most involved with information visualization. By comparing librarian research to the broader field, the paper identifies opportunities for libraries to improve their information visualization support services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital heritage portal interfaces are generally similar to digital library and search engine interfaces in displaying search results as a list of brief metadata records. The knowledge organization and search result display of these systems are item-centric, with little support for identifying relationships between items. This paper proposes a knowledge graph system and visualization interface as a promising solution for digital heritage systems to support users in browsing related items, understanding the relationships between items, and synthesizing a narrative on an issue. The paper discusses design issues for the knowledge graph, graph database, and graph visualization, and offers recommendations based on the authors' experience in developing three knowledge graph systems for archive and digital humanities resources: the Zubir Said personal archive collection at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore; Singapore Pioneers social network; and Polyglot Medicine knowledge graph of Asian traditional and herbal medicine. Lessons learned from a small user study are incorporated in the discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chatbots are "computer agents that can interact with the user" in a way that feels like human-to-human conversation.1 While the use of chatbots for reference service in academic libraries is a topic of interest for both library professionals and researchers, little is known about how they are used in library reference service, especially in academic libraries in Canada. This article aims to fill this gap by conducting a web-based survey of 106 academic library websites in Canada and analyzing the prevalence and characteristics of chatbot and live chat services offered by these libraries. The authors found that only two libraries were using chatbots for reference service. For live chat services, the authors found that 78 libraries provided this service. The article discusses possible reasons for the low adoption of chatbots in academic libraries, such as accessibility, privacy, cost, and professional identity issues. The article also provides a case study of the authors' institution, the University of Calgary, which integrated a chatbot service in 2021. The article concludes with suggestions for future research on chatbot use in libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To assess a commercially available electronic whiteboard's usability and acceptability in isolation rooms, focusing on improving nurse–patient communication and supporting data input. Design: A cross‐sectional study with quantitative and qualitative mixed methods. Methods: We evaluated the usability and acceptability of electronic whiteboards among nurses using scenarios in a virtual isolation room environment. Results: Nurses recognised the electronic whiteboard as a valuable tool for communication and error reductions in record‐keeping but noted a learning curve for less tech‐savvy users. Positive correlations were found between perceived usefulness, ease of use and adoption intent. Despite challenges, electronic whiteboards show promise for enhancing patient care, requiring comprehensive training and management systems. Time allocation in patient wards and nurse–patient interactions are crucial considerations. Conclusion: Electronic whiteboards have usability and acceptability as a tool to improve nurse–patient communication. However, considering technical issues and staff resistance, a management system and user training are necessary. Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care: Nurses perceive electronic whiteboards as user‐friendly and as facilitating data input. Reporting Method: TREND (Nonrandomised evaluations of behavioural and public health interventions). Patient or Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: 30 years ago, a paper chart was developed in Edinburgh by Cullen et al. and validated as a swift, supplementary method for perimetric evaluation of visual fields. We have re-developed this concept in digital form (on smartphone screen) and assessed its sensitivity and specificity in detecting visual field loss, by comparison with formal machine-based perimetry. Methods: Patients with sellar and parasellar tumours, being managed in a single neurosurgical centre, underwent formal visual field perimetry as part of standard care. They also underwent assessment using the smartphone-based Cullen chart. 37 eye testing episodes were assessed, incorporating pre- and post-treatment assessments for a range of potentially compressive pathologies (non-secretory and secretory pituitary adenoma, craniopharyngioma, and parasellar meningioma). The smartphone-based Cullen chart was compared with formal machine-based perimetry for concordance in detecting visual field loss. Results: The digital Cullen chart had a sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 98% compared with machine-based perimeters. The positive predictive value was 93% and the negative predictive value was 92%. Conclusions: For the visual field assessment of patients with sellar/parasellar tumours, this simple and swift smartphone-based chart shows good concordance with machine-based perimeters. With amendments to the user interface, there may be potential for telemetric patient-led visual field monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolving software with an increasing number of features poses challenges in terms of comprehensibility and usability. Traditional software release planning has pre- dominantly focused on orchestrating the addition of features, contributing to the growing complexity and maintenance demands of larger software systems. In mobile apps, an excess of functionality can significantly impact usability, maintainability, and resource consumption, necessitating a nuanced understanding of the applicability of the law of continuous growth to mobile apps. Previous work showed that the deletion of functionality is common and sometimes driven by user reviews. For most users, the removal of features is associated with negative sentiments, prompts changes in usage patterns, and may even result in user churn. Motivated by these preliminary results, we propose Radiation to input user reviews and recommend if any functionality should be deleted from an app's User Interface (UI). We evaluate Radiation using historical data and surveying developers' opinions. From the analysis of 190,062 reviews from 115 randomly selected apps, we show that Radiation can recommend functionality deletion with an average F-Score of 74% and if sufficiently many negative user reviews suggest so. We conducted a survey involving 141 software developers to gain insights into the decision-making process and the level of planning for feature deletions. Our findings indicate that 77.3% of the participants often or always plan for such deletions. This underscores the importance of incorporating feature deletion planning into the overall release decision-making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The integration of electronic health records (EHRs) into medical education remains contested despite their widespread use in clinical practice. For medical trainees, this has resulted in idiosyncratic and often ad hoc methods of instruction on EHR use. The purpose of this study was to understand the currently fragmented nature of EHR instruction by examining discourses of EHR use within the medical education literature. Methods: We conducted a Foucauldian critical discourse analysis to identify discourses of EHRs in the medical education literature. We found our texts through a systematic search of widely cited medical education journals from 2013–2023. Each text was analysed for recurring truth statements—claims framed as self‐evidently true and thus not needing supporting evidence—about the role of EHRs in medical education. Results: We identified three major discourses: (1) EHRs as a clinical skill and competency, emphasising training of physical interactions between learners, patients and computers; (2) EHRs as a system, emphasising the creation and facilitation of networks of people, technologies, institutions and standards; and (3) EHRs as a cognitive process, framed as a method to shape processes like clinical reasoning and bias. Each discourse privileged certain stakeholders over others and served to rationalise educational interventions that could be seen as beneficial in isolation yet were often disjointed in combination. Conclusions: Competing discourses of EHR use in medical education produce divergent interventions that exacerbate their contested role in contemporary medical education. Identifying different claims for the benefits of EHR use in these settings allows educators to make rational choices between competing educational directions. Huang et al. document discourses surrounding the use of electronic health records in medical education to advance understanding of their impact on training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Online synchronous learning in higher education frequently struggles to overcome the social presence gap, resulting in dissatisfaction and poor learning outcomes. Objectives: This study examined the effectiveness of desktop‐based virtual reality (VR) social platforms compared to video conferencing (VC) platforms in enhancing students' learning gains and experiences in online synchronous learning. Methods: The study used a within‐subject design, involving 34 college students in two online lecture modules, one via a VR social platform and another through a VC platform. Knowledge assessments occurred pre‐ and post‐modules and after 1 week. Students also completed post‐module questionnaires to evaluate their learning experience, in terms of social presence, easiness of use and perceived emotions. In‐depth interviews provided further insights into their experiences with both platforms. Results: The study showed that using VR social platforms for online synchronous learning enhanced immediate knowledge, especially in students less interested in the content, yet it did not notably impact long‐term knowledge retention. Despite no significant findings in social presence from questionnaires, interviews indicated that the VR's heightened interactivity might be offset by the effect of not seeing others' real appearances in promoting social presence. Furthermore, the VC platform was found to be easier to use, attributed to its familiarity and user‐friendliness. Finally, students experienced increased fun, awe and interest, along with reduced boredom, when using the VR social platform. Conclusion: The findings highlight the potential of VR to enrich online learning while underscoring the need for effective strategies facilitating a smooth integration into educational settings. Lay Description: What is currently known about this topic: Social presence is crucial in online learning.VC platforms may fail to efficiently bridge the social presence gap.VR social platforms can enhance students' experience in online education. What does this paper add: Compares VR and VC effects on learning gains and experiences.Highlights VR's potential to boost immediate knowledge gains.Reveals VR's benefits for emotional engagement. Implications for practice or policy: Suggests integrating VR for more engaging online education.Underlines the need for user‐friendly VR technology.Advocates for training to maximize VR's educational benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study was motivated by the need to enhance Mandarin learning through embodied interactions and physical engagement methods. While most studies confirm the positive effects of touchscreen devices on learning, mixed findings suggest a need for more engaging methods. This research addresses these gaps by exploring the benefits of embodied interaction through the Shaking‐On game app, an embodied question‐response platform, in comparison to Kahoot. Objectives: To compare the learning effectiveness of the Shaking‐On app, which incorporates physical shaking interactions, with the conventional quiz platform Kahoot in promoting Mandarin learning and positive emotional experiences. Methods: A total of 158 junior high school students participated in the study, engaging in 15‐minute sessions once a week for 3 weeks in a formal classroom setting. Participants were divided into two groups: one using the Shaking‐On app and the other using Kahoot. The study employed a comparative analysis framework based on achievement emotion theory to evaluate learning outcomes and emotional responses. Furthermore, the classroom response system (CRS) analysis was used to assess the cognitive and affective parameters of the learning tasks in the Shaking‐On app and Kahoot, providing detailed insight into how different interactive tasks contributed to learning. Results and Conclusions: The results indicated that the Shaking‐On app significantly enhanced Mandarin learning and engagement compared with Kahoot. Participants using Shaking‐On experienced higher levels of interactive situational interest and flow, while test anxiety remained consistent across both groups. These findings suggest that incorporating embodied interactions into digital learning tools can substantially benefit student engagement and learning outcomes. The study indicated that such apps could be effectively integrated into classroom settings to enhance student learning. Educators and game developers are encouraged to integrate such interactive elements to improve the efficacy and appeal of educational applications. Lay Description: What Is currently known about this topic?: Digital game‐based learning enhances motivation, critical thinking and retention.Embodied cognition links bodily experiences to improved learning outcomes.Physical activities in learning can boost motivation, interest and performance.Engagement through physical interaction may help reduce test anxiety. What does this paper add?: Shaking‐On is more effective in Mandarin learning than Kahoot as classroom response system.Bodily engagement in Shaking‐On enhances situational interest and flow.No significant difference in test anxiety between Shaking‐On and Kahoot users.Embodied interactions provide substantial benefits in digital learning tools. Implications for practice: Educators should integrate embodied interactions to enhance student engagement.Game developers can design more effective learning apps with embodied elements.Future research should explore Shaking‐On's impact on other subjects.Policies should support the development of interactive digital learning tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cultivating students' problem‐solving knowledge and skills in the workspace has been regarded as a primary goal in technical and vocational education. To this end, students are usually guided to complete the learning of workspace knowledge and skills by following the question, prompt, interaction and evaluation (QPIE) procedure. Objective: In conventional instruction, when teachers present questions of real cases to students, most of the class time is spent on the demonstration of relevant techniques and prompts. Meanwhile, trainers in conventional classrooms often have to guide multiple students simultaneously, making it challenging to provide individual guidance. Therefore, the present study proposed an AR (Augmented Reality)‐based QPIE training mode. Method: To show the effectiveness of the proposed mode, this study recruited two classes of students from a technological university as the participants, and conducted an experiment using a unit of a professional training course. One class of 22 learners adopted the AR‐QPIE training mode, while the other class of 22 learners used the conventional QPIE (C‐QPIE) training mode. Results and Conclusions: The results revealed that the AR‐QPIE training mode enhanced learners' learning achievement, self‐confidence, and several dimensions of learning perceptions more than the C‐QPIE training mode. Besides, in terms of the evaluation of case‐handling performance, the AR‐QPIE training mode could also significantly enhance learners' memory, comprehension, judgement, and calculation abilities in comparison with the C‐QPIE training mode. Yet, no significant differences in the application abilities could be found between the two groups. The proposed training mode of this study could train learners' case‐handling performance, and improve their self‐confidence in the workspace. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?: Cultivating students' problem‐solving knowledge and skills in the workspace has been regarded as a primary goal in technical and vocational education.Instructors in conventional classrooms often have to guide multiple students simultaneously, making it challenging to provide individual guidance. What this paper adds?: An AR (Augmented Reality)‐based QPIE training mode to foster students' case‐handling competence in technical and vocational education is proposed.An experiment was conducted in a vocational university to evaluate the effects of the proposed approach. Implications for practice and/or policy: The AR‐QPIE training mode has great potential in technical and vocational education in terms of promoting students' learning achievement, self‐confidence, and several dimensions of learning perceptions.It is suggested that more experiments can be conducted to apply the AR‐QPIE training mode to other technical and vocational training courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Augmented reality can provide a 3D virtual experience, widely used in modern education. However, the impact of these applications on the underdeveloped tribal community has yet to be investigated. To our knowledge, no markerless augmented reality application has been developed especially for learning the language of the Bodo tribe. Therefore, we have developed a markerless augmented reality application—BodoRao to teach the alphabet and numerals of the Bodo tribal language. Objective: This study aims to assess the usability and efficacy of the BodoRao application. To investigate how augmented reality apps affect students' academic achievement in language acquisition. Also, assess the students' attitude towards using an augmented reality application. Method: A mixed‐method approach that combined quantitative and qualitative methods was used to gather the data. A total of 80 students drawn from two user groups: native speakers and non‐native speakers were evaluated, to determine if the BodoRao application can benefit a variety of speakers. Furthermore, from each of the user groups, experimental and control groups were formed. The experimental group used an augmented reality application to learn while the control group studied using a traditional textbook. Eight teachers were also interviewed to get their opinions on the BodoRao application. Results and Conclusion: The findings found a significant difference in the achievement test results between the experimental and control groups for both native and non‐native users. Students' positive attitudes toward the application were also observed, as represented by their high application satisfaction, low anxiety and readiness for use. Additionally, it was observed that there was a positive and significant correlation between the academic achievements and attitudes of native and non‐native students in the experimental group. Lay Description : What is already known about this topic: Augmented reality has been used for educational purposes, including language acquisition.Augmented reality applications increase learning interest, motivation and engagement among learners. What this paper adds: This study develops a markerless augmented reality application—'BodoRao' for teaching a vulnerable Bodo tribal language.This is a novel technology as it is the first augmented reality application developed for teaching the Bodo language.This application will teach the Bodo language to the tribe's younger generations, helping to preserve the language at the same time.This study has done usability testing on two user groups—native and non‐native—to ascertain whether the BodoRao application can benefit a variety of speakers. Implications for practice and/or policy: More augmented reality applications should be developed for endangered languages to safeguard and educate the next generation of speakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gestures are an integral component in human‐to‐human communication when the speaker is visually present to the listener. In the past several years, research has examined how computer‐generated pedagogical agents can be designed to perform the four main gesture types and what this means for agent persona and learning outcomes. The research into agent gesturing has only explored gestures without other presentation strategies such as visual aids or verbal redundancy to properly explore the impact of gestures, and to avoid overly "rich" displays of information. Objective: The objective of this study is to explore the use of static images and varying frequencies of gestures to assess whether two visual inputs increases the risk of the split‐attention effect, and to investigate the potential for visual redundancy when two visual inputs coincide with narration. Data on cognitive load, agent persona, and learning outcomes (recall and transfer) will be collected to measure participants' learning experience while acquiring procedural knowledge, specifically regarding the principles of lightning, in comparison to previous research. Method: A mixed methods approach consisted of three gesture frequency conditions (enhanced, average, no) with 118 participants. Quantitative data were analysed using a random‐effect linear regression model; whereas qualitative data was collected through individual interviews that lasted 15–20 min. Results and Conclusions: The use of enhanced gesture frequency and images may significantly increase intrinsic cognitive load, but gestures and images do not cause extraneous cognitive load. The enhanced gesture condition significantly outperformed the no‐gesture condition. Interviews indicated that depending upon the gesture condition, students selectively attended to information that they perceived as offering them the greatest learning opportunity. Using two visual inputs does not cause split‐attention, nor does it provide evidence of a visual redundancy effect. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: The redundancy of printed text with images can decrease learning.Learners can manage short segments of redundancy effectively.Gestures are nonverbal cues that communicate and can elicit imagery.Full gestures at an enhanced frequency can increase learning even without images. What this paper adds: Static images and gestures do not cause redundancy (extraneous cognitive load)Students strategically attend to multiple visual inputs based on the perceived benefit.Enhanced gestures combined with static images can increase the transfer of information. Implications for practice and/or policy: There is no evidence to suggest that two redundant types of visual information violate the redundancy principle.Multiple information inputs may not decrease learning; instead, they may allow students to implement learning strategies that are catered to their individual needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: In the era of burgeoning digital technology, healthcare is a challenging transformative change towards virtual and digital platforms. Internet‐based healthcare services are emerging as a popular trend within the medical area. User experience (UX) is paramount for the healthcare service, as it significantly influences experience satisfaction and fosters user viscosity. Gaining a profound understanding of users' demands and crafting services that align with their expectations is essential. Methods: Consequently, exploring an effective design approach for the digital healthcare service that prioritizes UX along with utilizing a comprehensive evaluation methodology to handle UX data, is of profound importance. This study introduces a design methodology for Internet‐based healthcare products grounded in the UX and mental (UX‐M) model. Aiming to refine the Internet‐based healthcare product design by integrating insights from the experience data, it employs the Delphi‐ANP and the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation to determine evaluation indexes and conduct experiential assessments. Results: The UX evaluation results of existing schemes are compared with the proposed design scheme of the intelligent guidance and internet hospital. The findings indicate that the UX evaluation of Internet‐based medical services with the proposed method outperforms the existing schemes. Conclusions: On the one hand, UX research of Internet‐based healthcare products can significantly enhance service satisfaction for patients utilizing online medical treatments. On the other hand, the analysis of experience‐based evaluation empowers designers to refine and improve UX design of Internet‐based medical services. Such research endeavors are critical for enhancing the overall quality of service offerings and elevating user satisfaction in the digital healthcare landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: There is little empirical evidence on how blockchain affordances may encourage consumers to make sustainable choices. Thus, this paper examines how blockchain affordances affect consumers' sustainable consumption. Design/methodology/approach: We focus on three blockchain affordances: transparency, traceability, and immutability in this paper. By integrating the affordance lens and theory of consumption values (TCV), we develop a research model wherein we posit that blockchain affordances influence several consumption values, which then affect consumers' intention to purchase sustainable products. In the study, we designed a scenario and user interface for a novel blockchain-based app for sustainable consumption in the context of the fashion industry and surveyed 295 European consumers to examine the study's research model. We then analyzed the collected data using the partial least squares technique. Findings: The results show that blockchain affordances positively affect consumption values, including efficiency, social impression, trust, and sustainability information clarity. In turn, these values influence the consumers' purchase intention of sustainable products. Additionally, our post hoc analysis shows that these consumption values fully mediate the effect of blockchain affordances on consumers' purchase intention, where trust and sustainability information clarity is found to have a higher impact. Originality/value: Empirical research studies focusing on understanding blockchain's effect on sustainable consumption values have been limited in prior literature. This study, drawing on the affordance lens, proposes distinct blockchain affordances and empirically validates their impact on consumers' sustainable purchase intention. By integrating TCV, it highlights the mediating mechanism that drives blockchain's impact on consumers' purchase intention. We empirically identify the values that mediate the effects of blockchain affordances on consumers' purchase intention; further, we discuss implications for research and practice based on the study findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia's News Media Bargaining Code requires Google and Facebook to negotiate payments with news publishers for news content appearing on the platforms. Facebook and Google lobbied against the code through a highly visible public-facing campaign which included a series of blogs, videos and pop-up communications across their interfaces including News Feeds, Google Search and Home Page, and You Tube, and culminated in Facebook banning Australian users from accessing Australian news and related content. This article presents the findings of a detailed study of platform discourse in response to the News Media Bargaining Code, using critical discourse analysis, and drawing on theoretical frameworks from Althusser, Foucault and Chun. It also investigates the role of the user interface in platform power, particularly how platform users are interpellated by digital platforms. The findings suggest Facebook and Google's discursive strategies were deployed to protect, strengthen and enforce platform sovereignty. The case study offers lessons for platform regulation globally in understanding how platforms respond to legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction between humans and intelligent personal assistants (IPAs) – such as Amazon Alexa, Microsoft Cortana, or Apple Siri – has become increasingly prevalent in our daily lives. These systems, equipped with natural language user interfaces (NLUI), facilitate seamless communication and offer assistance across various domains, from weather forecasts to scheduling tasks. Notably, leading IPAs often embody a feminine voice, thereby reflecting societal perceptions of femininity and contributing to their market appeal. This feminization process is particularly pronounced in cultural contexts such as that in Italy, where language distinctions reinforce gender norms. Despite existing research on gendered representations in technology design, there remains a gap in understanding how IPAs are depicted in the public sphere. Our study bridges this gap by analysing 12 years of media discourse on IPAs (2011–2023) in the 8 major Italian newspapers. Integrating insights from gender studies and science and technology studies, our analysis unveils the intricate interplay between gender representations and technological innovation. We found how gender stereotypes are located within representations of IPAs in mainstream Italian media, thereby influencing both their portrayal and future development trajectories. This research sheds light on the broader implications of gendered representations in technology, which impacts both societal perceptions and technological advancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractArtificial intelligence (AI) decision support systems are crucial in modern decision-making processes. Their increasing human-like adaptability introduces challenges, especially when their recommendations, for whatever reason, need to conflict with user preferences. This study examines the communication strategies AI systems should employ when their recommendations conflict with user preferences. We explored this research question through a hypothetical future interface where ChatGPT offers travel recommendations populated on a map. An online survey-based experiment was conducted, presenting 160 participants with ChatGPT-generated travel recommendations displayed alongside Bing map visuals. We employed a mixed-method experimental design, combining both between-subjects and within-subjects approaches, to investigate the impact of conflicting recommendations and the acknowledgment of user preferences on the acceptance of these recommendations. This effect is especially pronounced when the AI system acknowledges users’ preferences yet still offers conflicting recommendations to them. Contrary to the expectation that acknowledging users’ preferences could buffer the impact of such conflicts, our observations indicate the contrary. The presence of conflict following acknowledgment of users’ preferences, significantly causes a backfire effect, leading users to reject the recommendations. These findings underscore the need for consideration of recommendation delivery strategies in AI decision support systems and offer insights for designing future user interfaces and user experience research in the realm of recommendations provided by AI decision-support systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The quality of Big Data analysis in medicine and surgery heavily depends on the methods used for clinical data collection, organization, and storage. The Knowledge Graph (KG) represents knowledge through a semantic model, enhancing connections between diverse and complex information. While it can improve the quality of health data collection, it has limitations that can be addressed by the Decentralized (blockchain-powered) Knowledge Graph (DKG). We report our experience in developing a DKG to organize data and knowledge in the field of emergency surgery. Methods and results: The authors leveraged the cyb.ai protocol, a decentralized protocol within the Cosmos network, to develop the Emergency Surgery DKG. They populated the DKG with relevant information using publications from the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) featured in the World Journal of Emergency Surgery (WJES). The result was the Decentralized Knowledge Graph (DKG) for the WSES-WJES bibliography. Conclusions: Utilizing a DKG enables more effective structuring and organization of medical knowledge. This facilitates a deeper understanding of the interrelationships between various aspects of medicine and surgery, ultimately enhancing the diagnosis and treatment of different diseases. The system's design aims to be inclusive and user-friendly, providing access to high-quality surgical knowledge for healthcare providers worldwide, regardless of their technological capabilities or geographical location. As the DKG evolves, ongoing attention to user feedback, regulatory frameworks, and ethical considerations will be critical to its long-term success and global impact in the surgical field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe prefrontal cortex (PFC) is essential in emotional and cognitive processes, yet the effects of light and color on brain activity and emotional perception remain underexplored. This study examined the influence of screen brightness and saturation on emotional perception in human-machine interfaces under simulated daytime, cloudy, and nighttime conditions, with 29 volunteers participating. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy assessed PFC hemodynamics. Results indicated higher pleasantness for low versus high saturation under both high and low brightness, while high brightness and saturation were more attractive to participants. High-saturation screens activated the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and left dorsolateral PFC (dIPFC) under high brightness, whereas low saturation increased left dIPFC activation under low brightness. OFC activation positively correlated with pleasantness, while left dIPFC activation negatively correlated with attractiveness. These findings highlight the neurophysiological impact of light and color on emotional perception, providing insights to optimize interface design and user experience in varying lighting conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT In fatigue evaluation of welded structures, explicit weld representations in finite element (FE) models are needed for reliably capturing stress or strain concentration behaviors at critical weld locations, for example, weld toe or weld root, in using widely accepted traction structural stress or extrapolation hot‐spot stress methods. The laborious efforts needed for generating weld geometry have been a major challenge for fatigue evaluation of complex structures containing many welds. In this paper, we present a user‐defined fillet‐weld element formulation and its numerical implementation for computing traction mesh‐insensitive structural stresses. The fillet‐weld element is formulated by connecting several linear four‐nodes Mindlin shell elements around weld region as a user‐defined element. The resulting elements can be directly used with major commercial FE codes through an available user subroutine interface. A number of well‐documented fillet‐welded components are then used for validating the accuracy and robustness of the developed fillet‐weld elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAugmented Reality Head-Up Display (AR-HUD) is designed to engender immersive experiences and possess vast potential in enhancing vehicular safety. In the context of advancing digital technologies, the intention to use such innovations represents a significant field of study. Drawing on the Perceived Value Theory and the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework, this study formulates a model to evaluate user intentions regarding the use of automotive Augmented Reality Head-Up Display (AR-HUD). This model integrates design elements, including user interface attractiveness, sense of presence, controllability, and responsiveness, along with perceived utilitarian and hedonic values. Through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) of 230 valid questionnaire results, the analysis identifies both utilitarian and hedonic values as pivotal in influencing AR-HUD adoption, with utilitarian value being preeminent. Additionally, it is evidenced that design attributes influence the usage intention via perceived utilitarian and hedonic values. Consequently, this study presents design strategies for auto manufacturers and designers aimed at amplifying the advantages of AR-HUD, thus fostering greater user adoption willingness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic caused dashboards to become widely used by the public and decision-makers. Nevertheless, dashboard interfaces have been related to business intelligence since their origins, and the search for improvements in their design is not new. This article's objective is to conduct a user evaluation of COVID-19 dashboards that contain geospatial information. This is done through a formative study to identify problematic aspects of user/dashboard interaction. This is enhanced by comparing two self-developed dashboards that, according to previous tests, have functionalities with different appearances. User evaluation is performed through mixed research that combines objective (eye-tracking) and subjective (a questionnaire and an interview) methods. The results generate recommendations for better-designed dashboard interfaces that can transfer information appropriately. The vital elements needed to achieve this are interactivity, the option to choose the metrics, and the distribution of the elements in the layout, all playing a role in a more user-friendly interaction between the user and the dashboard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological advancements over the past years have led to a leap in Conversational User Interface (CUI) performance. However, interactions with CUIs are not error-free and error handling thus plays a crucial role in CUI design. So far, CUI repair strategies oftentimes neglect what is known from Human-Human Interaction (HHI). The present work borrows from human-centered error handling and applies the principle of Least Collaborative Effort to Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). A within-subjects WoZ driving simulator study (n = 48) is conducted to examine user preferences qualitatively and quantitatively for seven error handling strategies in an automotive setting. Our findings show that human-centered repair strategies comply with the principle of Least Collaborative Effort and lead to significantly lower repair costs than a classic HCI error handling strategy. These results introduce costs as a measurement tool for examining strategy preferences when repairing erroneous dialogs and offer assistance for designing user-centric error handling strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a society, we can get so engrossed in using the World Wide Web (WWW) also known as the web. We look for, read about and interact with different people, text, images, videos etc. that we often take for granted how we are doing this. We all use a web browser, we must, to get around the web. Yet, do we ever stop to give much thought to this gateway to the web? The web browser can be fittingly described as a transparent technology. This is in the sense that we don't really stop to think about the browser and its features, we just unconsciously absorb and use it. This paper reports on a study that explores just how effectively we understand and use our web browser applications. The study was focused on people's perceived awareness of desktop web browser functionality, what features they are using/aware of and most importantly what understanding they take from these? The findings show that the majority (69%) of the five hundred and twenty-eight participants studied do not fully understand what the padlock feature on their web browsers represents. In fact, the findings highlight that many of the participants feel that the padlock represents a safe website which it clearly does not. This paper succinctly draws attention to the fact that the current desktop web browser application design is not fit for purpose. In summary, the research pushes for more effective web browser application designs; it provides design recommendations aimed at achieving web browser consistency and creating designs that promote safety, trust, and confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voice assistants (VAs) are predicted to develop from merely reactive to increasingly proactive agents in the future. While proactivity allows a leap towards more intelligent conversations with VAs, designing proactive agents is not straightforward, as benefit and acceptance of proactive behavior is dependent on a plethora of factors. For instance, proactive agents run the risk of disrupting users who are already engaged in ongoing primary tasks. While a large body of research is therefore concerned with when to proactively interrupt users, how to interrupt them has received less attention. To close this gap, a driving simulator study was conducted to find linguistic best practices for designing proactive prompts in German. Low linguistic complexity as well as suggestive rather than imposing language were found to influence study participants' preferences for proactive prompts. These findings underline that the existing framework for designing proactive interactions needs to be enhanced by nuanced linguistic considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

User interface design patterns that document Human-Agent Team (HAT) interface best practices were developed by analyzing team video games with different types of agents, ranging from virtual players in sports games to advisors contributing to strategy and planning in combat games. One factor that may contribute to the enormous success of some games is the cohesive team interactions between humans and agents. A design pattern collection was developed by identifying 25 design patterns under interface themes most relevant to HATs. The design patterns describe how multiple successful game interfaces handle challenging aspects of HAT interaction, addressing contexts including planning, spatial orientation, task management, communication, and more. Based on the complex and well-tested interface solutions in video games, these design patterns can provide HAT user interface developers practical guidance for interface development and a starting point for developing a HAT design pattern language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explainable recommender systems (RS) have traditionally followed a one-size-fits-all approach, delivering the same explanation level of detail to each user, without considering their individual needs and goals. Further, explanations in RS have so far been presented mostly in a static and non-interactive manner. To fill these research gaps, we aim in this paper to adopt a user-centered, interactive explanation model that provides explanations with different levels of detail and empowers users to interact with, control, and personalize the explanations based on their needs and preferences. We followed a user-centered approach to design interactive explanations with three levels of detail (basic, intermediate, and advanced) and implemented them in the transparent Recommendation and Interest Modeling Application (RIMA). We conducted a qualitative user study (N = 14) to investigate the impact of providing interactive explanations with varying level of details on the users' perception of the explainable RS. Our study showed qualitative evidence that fostering interaction and giving users control in deciding which explanation they would like to see can meet the demands of users with different needs, preferences, and goals, and consequently can have positive effects on different crucial aspects in explainable recommendation, including transparency, trust, satisfaction, and user experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractNegative feedback can have detrimental effects on the students’ self-efficacy and learning experience, yet it is inevitable for students who receive low outcomes and need improvement. This study investigates the role of pedagogical agents’ self-disclosure in providing empathy for negative feedback. An online experiment was conducted asking participants (N = 183) to interact with a voice-based pedagogical agent in a between-subjects design: 2 (feedback: positive vs. negative) X 2 (agent: self-disclose vs. non-disclose). The agent instructed students on online learning tasks and provided feedback on their task performance. Our findings showed that the agent’s self-disclosure significantly increased students’ perception of intimacy and cognitive trust toward the agent. A significant interaction effect was observed in intimacy, suggesting that the role of self-disclosure is especially pronounced when negative feedback is provided. A significant mediation effect of cognitive trust was also found between self-disclosure and feedback acceptance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flow cytometry enables quantitative measurements of fluorescence in single cells. The technique was widely used for immunology to identify populations with different surface protein markers. More recently, the usage of flow cytometry has been extended to additional readouts, including intracellular proteins and fluorescent protein transgenes, and is widely utilized to study developmental biology, systems biology, microbiology, and many other fields. A common file format (FCS format, defined by the International Society for Advancement of Cytometry (ISAC)) has been universally adopted, facilitating data exchange between different machines. A diverse spectrum of software packages has been developed for the analysis of flow cytometry data. However, those are either 1) costly proprietary softwares, 2) open source packages with prerequisite installation of R or Python and sometimes require users to have experience in coding, or 3) online tools that are limiting for analysis of large data sets. Here, we present EasyFlow, an open-source flow cytometry analysis graphic user interface (GUI) based on Matlab or Python, that can be installed and run locally across platforms (Windows, MacOS, and Linux) without requiring previous coding knowledge. The Python version (EasyFlowQ) is also developed on a popular plotting framework (Matplotlib) and modern user interface toolkit (Qt), allowing more advanced users to customize and keep contributing to the software, as well as its tutorials. Overall, EasyFlow serves as a simple-to-use tool for inexperienced users with little coding experience to use locally, as well as a platform for advanced users to further customize for their own needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a non-linear finite element model (FEM) to predict the load-carrying capacity of three different configurations of elliptical concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) short columns: double steel tubes with sandwich concrete (CFDST), double steel tubes with sandwich concrete and concrete inside the inner steel tube, and a single outer steel tube with sandwich concrete. Then, a parametric and analytical study was performed to explore the influence of geometric and material parameters on the load-carrying capacity of elliptical CFST short columns. Furthermore, the current study investigates the effectiveness of machine learning (ML) techniques in predicting the load-carrying capacity of elliptical CFST short columns. These techniques include Support Vector Regressor (SVR), Random Forest Regressor (RFR), Gradient Boosting Regressor (GBR), XGBoost Regressor (XGBR), MLP Regressor (MLPR), K-nearest Neighbours Regressor (KNNR), and Naive Bayes Regressor (NBR). ML models accuracy is assessed by comparing their predictions with FE results. Among the models, GBR and XGBR exhibited outstanding results with high test R2 scores of 0.9888 and 0.9885, respectively. The study provided insights into the contributions of individual features to predictions using the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) approach. The results from SHAP indicate that the eccentric loading ratio (e/2a) has the most significant effect on the load-carrying capacity of elliptical CFST short columns, followed by the yield strength of the outer steel tube () and the inner width of the inner steel tube (). Additionally, a user interface platform has been developed to streamline the practical application of the proposed ML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the potential impact of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and the metaverse on cardiovascular imaging. Topics include the role of artificial intelligence in enhancing diagnostic accuracy and workflow, the limited practical applications of virtual reality in clinical practice, and the challenges facing the metaverse in transforming patient care and clinician collaboration.

Objective: Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is an evidence‐based treatment for disorders characterized by recurrent binge eating. Yet, access to specialized treatment like DBT remains limited. To increase the accessibility of DBT, we developed a DBT skills training app (Resilience: eDBT) for the management of eating disorder (ED) symptoms. This paper delineates the developmental process of Resilience and tests its usability. Methods: Descriptive information on the development and features of Resilience is provided, including its framework, content structure and delivery formats, functionality, data storage procedure, and privacy protocols. Usability was assessed via a mixed methods approach in 10 symptomatic individuals. Qualitative data were organized based on an existing framework, which included six themes: usability, visual design, user engagement, content, therapeutic persuasiveness, and therapeutic alliance. Results: Resilience demonstrated good usability via a Systems Usability Scale score of 85.5, which exceeded the recommended cutoff of 68. Positive aspects of the app, according to interview data, were the ease of use and the visual design, while the addition of peer support was suggested as an opportunity for improvement. Discussion: A novel DBT‐based app may serve as an acceptable, low‐intensity option or adjunct to traditional treatment for targeting ED symptoms that emerge in daily life. However, notable limitations include the small sample size and the single time point at which the usability assessment was conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of robotic devices is being used as Assistive Technology (AT) for improving rehabilitation interventions. The purposes of this research were to (1) test a novel low-cost robotic AT to support interventions for people with Cerebral Palsy (CP); (2) determine its usability; and (3) analyze its impact. It was a pilot study with prospective, longitudinal and analytical cohorts was done. Intervention was developed in one association (NGO) of people with CP. Participants were 6 women and 3 men with CP, with a mean age of 51.67. Intervention with LOLA2 (a robotic platform, not wearable, equipped with artificial intelligence) was implemented for training some activities of daily life (ADL) of participants. Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Technology Scale (PIADS), and Assistive Technology Device Predisposition Assessment (ATPA) were used for outcome measures. Level of participants' independence was high (FIM = 98). Psychosocial impact of the robotic platform in terms of competence (M = 0.25), adaptability (M = 0.33), and self-esteem (M = 0.25), was positive, but low. The mean in ATDPA (M = 3) reflects a moderate match. No significant variations concerning the changes in functional independence were detected. The robotic platform is applicable and complementary AT for rehabilitation. This study leads to implementing some improvements in its design, proposed activities, human-robot interaction, and system for registering information. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Robotic devices such as LOLA2 show promise as complementary tools in rehabilitation for individuals with Cerebral Palsy (CP), highlighting the potential for improved outcomes in clinical practice. There is a clear need for enhancements in the usability, universal design, and technical specifications of robotic platforms like LOLA2 to ensure their full functionality and quality, underscoring the importance of ongoing development and refinement. Utilizing specific outcome measures tailored to assess the efficacy and applicability of assistive technologies (AT), including robotic devices, is crucial for comprehensive evaluation and informed decision-making in rehabilitation interventions. Further research with higher validity is necessary to expand the evidence base surrounding the use of robotic devices in assistive technology, guiding specialized technical decisions and enhancing their integration into rehabilitation practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Knowledge-to-action gap exists in delivering physical activity (PA) to people with developmental disabilities via online platforms. Although web-based platforms have great potential in facilitating the delivery of PA for this target group, the lack of knowledge regarding web accessibility poses a challenge in accessing PA-related information online. Objective: This study evaluates the delivery of PA in terms of web accessibility. It also aims to identify barriers and facilitators in delivering PA knowledge to people with developmental disabilities online to improve web accessibility for the target user group. Methods: The study employs a concurrent nested design incorporating both quantitative (web usability questionnaire) and qualitative data (in-depth interviews). Fifteen pairs of individuals consisting of a person with developmental disabilities and a primary caregiver participated in the study, and three web-based platforms were selected for web accessibility tests and in-depth interviews. Results: The nested analysis provides a quantitative comparison of web accessibility and identifies barriers and facilitators of delivering PA for the target user group from the web accessibility perspective. Conclusion: The study findings could inform the development of accessible online platforms that distribute health-related knowledge to populations with developmental disabilities. Additionally, they could help enhance the design of other platforms intended for these populations. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Online platforms have significant potential to improve the delivery of physical activity information to individuals with developmental disabilities. Barriers to accessing online platforms due to poor web usability impede the process of online knowledge translation to end-users. Web usability can be enhanced by implementing appropriate interventions, such as restructuring navigation and redesigning the user interface. Improving web usability will enhance the accessibility of physical activity knowledge for individuals with developmental disabilities, which consequently will positively impact their health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that leads to progressive muscle weakness and paralysis, ultimately resulting in the loss of ability to communicate and control the environment. EEG-based Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) methods have shown promise in providing communication and control with the aim of rehabilitating ALS patients. In particular, P300-based BCI has been widely studied and used for ALS rehabilitation. Other EEG-based BCI methods, such as Motor Imagery (MI) based BCI and Hybrid BCI, have also shown promise in ALS rehabilitation. Nonetheless, EEG-based BCI methods hold great potential for improvement. This review article introduces and reviews FFT, WPD, CSP, CSSP, CSP, and GC feature extraction methods. The Common Spatial Pattern (CSP) is an efficient and common technique for extracting data properties used in BCI systems. In addition, Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Neural Networks (NN), and Deep Learning (DL) classification methods were introduced and reviewed. SVM is the most appropriate classifier due to its insensitivity to the curse of dimensionality. Also, DL is used in the design of BCI systems and is a good choice for BCI systems based on motor imagery with big datasets. Despite the progress made in the field, there are still challenges to overcome, such as improving the accuracy and reliability of EEG signal detection and developing more intuitive and user-friendly interfaces By using BCI, disabled patients can communicate with their caregivers and control their environment using various devices, including wheelchairs, and robotic arms. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Electroencephalography (EEG)-based Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) methods have shown promise in providing communication and control for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patients. EEG constitutes the most significant input in BCIs and can be successfully used in the neuro-rehabilitation of patients with stroke symptoms and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. EEG based BCIs have the potential to provide a means of communication and control for individuals with severe disabilities.a variety of EEG-based BCI methods have been developed with the aim of rehabilitating disabled patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the growing field of data physicalizations, which blend design, technology, and data to create tangible representations of information. Topics include the evolution of data physicalizations from abstract concepts to practical applications in areas such as science engagement, knowledge work, and physical well-being.

Today there is a wealth of data available detailing the climate impact of our actions, including the ${\rm CO}_2$ CO 2 emissions from academic flying. Despite this, such data is hard to engage with in the abstract, leading to little practical action. In this paper, we investigate how to support processes of collectively working through and making sense of environmental data about academic flying through data physicalisation. Drawing on the results from a series of workshops with stakeholders at our own university, in which we have designed and deployed a data physicalisation of flight data, we describe this process and discuss lessons learned with a focus on material, engagement with data and ethics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although household consumption contributes to climate change, it can be challenging to comprehend the consequences and effects from a personal perspective. In this paper, we explore the design of physical data visualisations to promote sustainable practices within households. We conducted 15 household design workshops involving household members to explore physical designs and envision the potential use of physical artefacts in the home to promote sustainability behaviours using five low to medium-fidelity prototypes. The findings from these workshops highlight the need to balance aesthetics, abstraction, and the presentation of actionable information in the design of physical artefacts. Based on our findings, we identify key design considerations for future design: (1) including all household members in the design process to reflect the collective goals and values of the home, fostering a sense of ownership and engagement, (2) considering child-friendly design in physical artefacts to promote awareness, education, engagement, and sustainable values in children, (3) and considering nature-based visuals to reduce the mental burden of information overload. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the "black-box' nature of artificial intelligence (AI) recommendations, interpretability is critical to the consumer experience of human-AI interaction. Unfortunately, improving the interpretability of AI recommendations is technically challenging and costly. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the industry to identify when the interpretability of AI recommendations is more likely to be needed. This study defines the construct of Need for Interpretability (NFI) of AI recommendations and empirically tests consumers' need for interpretability of AI recommendations in different decision-making domains. Across two experimental studies, we demonstrate that consumers do indeed have a need for interpretability toward AI recommendations, and that the need for interpretability is higher in utilitarian domains than in hedonic domains. This study would help companies to identify the varying need for interpretability of AI recommendations in different application scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tested how speech phenomena (discourse markers like oh and you know and fillers like uh and um) and the conceptualisation of voices (as human or machine) affected speaker quality ratings (trustworthiness, friendliness, intelligence, and nervousness) across dialogues and monologues. Listeners preferred human voices over synthesised voices in dialogue containing discourse markers and fillers (Study 1). Shifting the location of discourse markers to new locations did not negatively impact ratings of what participants heard (Study 2), but hearing shifted markers did lead participants to rate imagined machine speech containing markers more negatively on a post-experiment questionnaire. Backstories also impacted perceptions of recorded speech: People rated the same synthesised speech more positively if they believed it was created by a person than if they believed it was created by machine (Study 3). Similarly, people's opinions about robots varied depending on context (Study 4). How people rate machine agents in the future will likely reflect how machine agents are portrayed to the public, capabilities aside. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flow experience is one of the most ambitious targets of any user interface designer. However, it has remained elusive to evaluate how well user interfaces give rise to flow experience outside conducting invasive self-reporting-based questionnaires, which remove the users from the flow experience and can't be massively applied. At the same time, otherwise, well-built systems do track the behaviour of users on the interface, and therefore, user behaviour data could act as a reliable proxy for assessing the experience of users. Currently, there is little empirical research or data about which indices of user behaviours might correspond with having a flow experience as well as the different psychological constituents of the flow experience. Therefore, facing the challenge of using users' behaviour data to model users' experience, we investigated the associations between users' behaviour data (e.g. mouse clicks, activity time in the system, and average response time) and their self-reported flow experience by using data mining (i.e. associations rules) analysing data from 204 subjects. Results demonstrate that the speed of users' actions negatively affects the flow experience antecedents while also positively affecting the loss of self-consciousness. Our study advances the literature, providing insights to identify users' flow experience through behaviour data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is an emerging software technology for automating business processes. RPA uses software robots to perform repetitive and error‐prone tasks previously done by human actors quickly and accurately. These robots mimic humans by interacting with existing software applications through user interfaces (UI). The goal of RPA is to relieve employees from repetitive and tedious tasks to increase productivity and to provide better service quality. Yet, despite all the RPA benefits, most organizations fail to adopt RPA. One of the main reasons for the lack of adoption is that organizations are unable to effectively identify the processes that are suitable for RPA. This paper proposes a new method, called Rule‐based robotic process analysis (RRPA), that assists process automation practitioners to classify business processes according to their suitability for RPA. The RRPA method computes a suitability score for RPA using a combination of two RPA goals: (i) the RPA feasibility, which assesses the extent to which the process or the activity lends itself to automation with RPA and (ii) the RPA relevance, which assesses whether the RPA automation is worthwhile. We tested the RRPA method on a set of 13 processes. The results showed that the method is effective at 82.05% and efficient at 76.19%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entering an era where humans and synthetic agents are supposed to collaborate and cooperate, adequate models of human intent are crucial for coordinated teamwork. Unfortunately, although there is a need for such models, the concept of intent is ambiguous and approaches to model intent from a human-centric perspective are scarce. Building upon theoretical and methodological foundations, this study aims to address these gaps by presenting a conceptualisation of intent alongside an approach. Specifically, leveraging the six levels of cognitive control outlined in the Joint Control Framework, a provisional model of human intent alongside a defined and operationalised concept is presented. Building on these foundations, a novel approach is proposed. Utilising seven scenario-based interviews, the value of these contributions is demonstrated through an example case in the context of Manned-Unmanned Teaming. It is concluded that intent should be understood as a multi-faceted concept shaped by situated constraints, where intent is formed through a commitment to choices by context-situation and means-end reasoning. It is also concluded that the approach is useful, particularly since it can glean insights from choices considered and committed, both being essential in the design of synthetic teammates' capability to adapt to their human partner's agency. Relevance To human factors/ergonomics theory: With theoretical and methodological foundations, a provisional model of human intent is accompanied by a definition and operationalisation of intent to enhance understanding of this often ambiguous concept. Building upon these foundations, this paper introduces and demonstrates an approach for modelling situated intent from a human-centric perspective. These contributions deepen the understanding of human intent, particularly in the context of designing and developing systems that can effectively account for and adapt to human agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advancement of health apps and wearables has garnered substantial academic attention, particularly in examining why individuals decide to use or not use them. In response to the extensive body of research on this topic, we conducted a scoping review of 61 articles published from 2007 to 2022, aiming to examine the dominant theoretical frameworks and antecedents of health apps and wearables use. The findings demonstrated that the dominant theoretical frameworks within this domain were rooted in the human-computer interaction theories, notably the Technology Acceptance Model and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. Next, our review identified four levels of antecedents: technological, individual, societal, and policy. At the technological level, emphasis was placed on functionality, reliability, and technological infrastructure. Individual antecedents encompassed socio-demographics, personality traits, cognitive responses to benefits and risks, emotional and affective responses, self-efficacy, and digital literacy. Societal antecedents highlighted the role of social networks and social norms, while policy antecedents elaborated on laws, regulations, and guidelines that encouraged health technology adoption. Our discussion illuminated that the evolving trend of theoretical frameworks in health apps and wearables use research, initially rooted in human-computer interaction, is progressively moving toward more comprehensive perspectives. We further underscored the importance of delving into societal and policy antecedents, which often are overshadowed by the more commonly discussed technological and individual factors. In conclusion, we advocated for a multi-stakeholder collaborative network approach, as this would enable communication researchers to understand the use of health apps and wearables more comprehensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary aim of this systematic review is to investigate the inclusion of autistic individuals in the design process of immersive technologies. This study follows the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses standards for systematic literature reviews. To ensure the research questions and subsequent stages of the review incorporate pertinent parameters, the problem, interest, context framework has also been employed. Findings highlight that, while early proponents of immersive technology emphasized the importance of user involvement in design of new technology, immaturity of the technology often limited the implementation of direct user input to the design process. Nonetheless, analysis of the literature published between 2002–2022 identified 20 studies in which substantial influence of autistic individuals and stakeholders was found in the design process of immersive technologies. The roles of autistic individuals varied from active co-designers and co-creators to essential contributors in refining prototypes and providing critical feedback, ensuring the final products align with their needs and preferences. Results underscore the need to align research and design of immersive technologies more closely with the priorities and preferences of autistic individuals. Further is needed regarding actively involving autistic individuals in the design and implementation of immersive technology applications. On this basis, we maintain that more inclusive and effective deployment of immersive technologies is needed in order to ensure that resultant technologies are fit for purpose and address the actual needs of the autistic community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eye-controlled human-computer interaction (ECHCI) attracts attention for its human-centered, natural and direct operation characteristics. The most common ECHCI trigger motion is "gazing," which causes Midas Touch problems, lowering usability and operation experience. This paper innovatively proposed using motion combinations based on blinking as the trigger of interactive objects (IOs). Trigger motions and IO design parameters were explored on the platform consisting of Tobii eye-tracker and computer vision kits. In the motion experiment, it was concluded 2-blinks could bring a low task load and high success rate of 95%. In the IO size experiment, the larger the IO diameter, the shorter the users' response time and the higher users' interaction success rate, and 55.5 mm was the optimal setting. Based on this, it was found a larger spacing could bring higher operation efficiency, and 33.3 mm was taken as the recommended value. Based on the conclusion above, an eye-controlled multimedia player prototype was built for usability evaluation, which showed an equally high efficiency compared to mouse-controlled HCI. The findings in this paper overcame Midas Touch issues and avoided the interference of unavoidable involuntary blinking, which brought a significant increase in system robustness and has a wide range of potential applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]