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Conversational technologies such as chatbots have shown to be promising in eliciting self-disclosure in several contexts. Implementing such a technology that fosters self-disclosure can help to assess sensitive topics such as behaviours that are perceived as unaccepted by others, i.e. the exposure to unaccepted (alternative) news sources. This study tests whether a conversational (chatbot) format, compared to a traditional web-based survey, can enhance self-disclosure in the political news context by implementing a two-week longitudinal, experimental research design (n = 193). Results show that users disclose unaccepted news exposure significantly more often to a chatbot, compared to a traditional web-based survey, providing evidence for a chatbots' ability to foster the disclosure of sensitive behaviours. Unlike our hypotheses, our study also shows that social presence, intimacy, and enjoyment cannot explain self-disclosure in this context, and that self-disclosure generally decreases over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voice assistants (VAs), such as Alexa, Siri, or Google Now, are becoming increasingly ubiquitous. Consequently, the potential societal impacts of such systems are gaining relevance in public and academic discourses. Investigating the effects of VA voice features on user perception of VAs is one central aspect of research. Here, the potential effects of VAs on the perception of gender roles and the attribution of gender stereotypes stand out. Following the Computers as Social Actors paradigm, it is assumed that gendered voices have the potential to reproduce existing gender stereotypes. Yet, recently, the implementation of gender-ambiguous voices has been suggested to mitigate such effects and promote more diverse technology design. In this study, we set out to inquire about the relationship between gendered VA voice (male, female, gender-ambiguous) and gender stereotype activation. In two online surveys with an experimental manipulation (Study 1: N = 140, Study 2: N = 397), we test stereotype activation as a function of VA voice, user gender, and conversation topic. Empirical findings are mixed, with no effects for conversation topic but indications of small effects of VA voice. Implications for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual reality (VR) is a potent educational tool with untapped potential in medical training. However, its integration into medical schools faces challenges such as cybersickness and hesitancy among medical students and professionals. Notably, there has been no systematic assessment of the acceptance of medical educational VR applications by both students and educators. In our single-center study, we enrolled 133 medical students and 14 medical educators. Following a practical demonstration of the established VR anatomy application, Sharecare YOU VR, participants completed a self-reporting survey based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), exploring user acceptance of information technologies and focusing on perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEU), and attitude toward using (ATU). We also sought insights into potential future applications of VR in medical education. Our findings indicate a high level of acceptance among medical students and educators upon structured exposure to VR with significantly positive responses for all three TAM variables (PU, PEU, and ATU). Intriguingly, hands-on experience influenced acceptance. Students envisioned VR's benefits in anatomy, surgery, emergency medicine, and communication skill training with patients. Both students and educators believed that VR could enhance traditional approaches and complement the existing curriculum, anticipating improved preparedness for medical students through VR training applications. In conclusion, our results demonstrate the receptivity of both students and educators to immersive technologies, including VR, in medical education. Importantly, the data suggest that the adoption of VR in this field would be welcomed rather than resisted, potentially enhancing students' self-efficacy and enriching the medical school curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the challenges and solutions in developing a holistic prevention mobile health application (mHealth app) for Germany's healthcare sector. Despite Germany's lag in healthcare digitalization, the app aims to enhance primary prevention in physical activity, nutrition, and stress management. A significant focus is on user participation and usability to counter the prevalent issue of user attrition in mHealth applications, as described by Eysenbach's 'law of attrition'. The development process, conducted in a scientific and university context, faces constraints like limited budgets and external service providers. The study firstly presents the structure and functionality of the app for people with statutory health insurance in Germany and secondly the implementation of user participation through a usability study. User participation is executed via usability tests, particularly the think-aloud method, where users verbalize their thoughts while using the app. This approach has proven effective in identifying and resolving usability issues, although some user feedback could not be implemented due to cost-benefit considerations. The implementation of this study into the development process was able to show that user participation, facilitated by methods like think-aloud, is vital for developing mHealth apps. Especially in health prevention, where long-term engagement is a challenge. The findings highlight the importance of allocating time and resources for user participation in the development of mHealth applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Over the last decades, patient-reported outcome measures (PROM) have been developed for a better understanding of patient needs. The Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale (IPOS) is an internationally recommended PROM in palliative care. The validated electronic version of IPOS (eIPOS) was implemented in four German specialist palliative home care (SPHC) teams for use in everyday clinical practice. Patients reported symptoms and concerns via eIPOS, which were transmitted directly to the electronic patient record of the respective SPHC team. Objectives: The aim of the study was to describe and explore the health care professionals' (HCPs') experiences regarding acceptance and use of eIPOS in clinical practice in SPHC. Design: The mixed-methods sequential explanatory design comprised an anonymized quantitative online survey followed by qualitative focus groups. Methods: The online survey asked in both closed and open questions for HCP's experience with eIPOS. Ambiguous results from the survey were discussed in two focus groups. Survey data were analysed with descriptive and univariable statistics, and the framework approach was used for qualitative data. In a further step, we conducted integrated analysis of quantitative and qualitative results using joint displays. Results: All HCPs of the four SPHC teams (n = 52) were invited to participate. HCPs participating in the survey (n = 32) and the focus groups (n = 7) saw potentials for implementing ePROM in palliative home care – as far as it is technically easy to handle and can be easily integrated into clinical practice. Conclusion: Successful use of ePROMs is affected by the possibility of easy integration into the teams' different structures and processes and the HCPs' perceptions of potentials regarding ePROM use in SPHC. Registration: The study is registered on clinicaltrials.org (NCT03879668). Plain Language Summary: The use of electronic patient-reported outcome measures in specialist palliative home care: what do professionals think about it? A mixed-methods study Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are short questionnaires developed to assess a patient's health status at a particular point in time. The Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale (IPOS) is such a questionnaire, and eIPOS is an electronic version of IPOS. IPOS asks about patients' symptoms and problems when they suffer from advanced diseases. We conducted this study to understand what health care professionals (HCPs) think about electronic PROMs (ePROMs) in palliative home care. We first asked the HCPs to answer questions in an online survey. Then, HCPs discussed the use of eIPOS in small discussion groups. This study design is called 'Mixed-Methods sequential design'. We found that all HCPs used the information they received through eIPOS – some frequently and some less often. Many HCPs see potential in using ePROMs to support care. For example, because ePROMs help them to understand patients' symptoms and problems better. However, they also pointed out that eIPOS needs technical improvement. Also, the procedures of eIPOS need to fit into the work routine of the palliative care team. The findings demonstrate the perspectives of HCPs on ePROM. These are valuable to understand how ePROM can be implemented in palliative home care. We can also learn about how to implement other digital tools in other settings of palliative care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the world has more urbanized, cities need to assess and manage their building energy performances in order to achieve energy-reduction goals. The urban digital twins (UDT) offer promising solutions to this demand by providing valuable insights with qualitative and quantitative information about the building environment. The urban building energy data is not only measured from the equipped sensor devices but can also be simulated based on the analysis software. In this research, we aim to explore the development of the spatial data infrastructure (SDI) for managing building energy in the UDT application by employing the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standards which increases the data usability and efficiency. In our concept SDI, the big data in the UDT application is managed with the OGC specifications as follows: OGC SensorThings API (STA) for data with Spatio-temporal characteristics, OGC API 3D GeoVolumes for 3D geospatial content delivery, OGC CityGML for virtual 3D city models, OGC API Features, Web Feature Service (WFS), and Web Map Service (WMS) for other 2D geospatial contents. This concept enables broad interoperability between multiple data layers and client applications. As a proof of concept, we developed the UDT application called with a highly visual and intuitive user interface using the proposed SDI concept as a part of the EnSysLE project in the study area of three regions in Germany: Ludwigsburg, Dithmarschen, and Ilm-Kreis. The proposed concept can be expanded to other UDT domains and on a larger scale in future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On-demand mobility platforms have long struggled with profitability in industrialised nations. To compensate, companies seek out new forms of rationalisation and automation to increase the efficiency of mobility work. Most scholarship on mobility platforms has focussed primarily on the experiences and responses of platform workers to managerial decisions and forms of software-based control; less understood are the managers and technologies themselves. My ethnographic research with logistics management and couriers ('riders') at Fleatz, a German app-based food-delivery company, shows how the effort to increase the efficiency of rider mobilities is underpinned by the central managerial goal of 'breaking even operationally', wherein the cost of providing courier services is offset by the revenue from the orders the couriers fulfil. However, I identify three challenges to increasing rider efficiency: low rider investment in the job, the limitations of rider-management software, and the German political protection of labour and data. Examining platform mobility from both sides of the user interface—from workers' and managers' perspectives—allows us to understand not only the anticipated but also the more hidden limitations of platform rationalisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Touch interaction has established a dominating role in the realisation of Human–Machine Interfaces. However, to be able to use touch effectively and efficiently, users have to comply with particular prerequisites. Due to age-related changes, such as the decline of tactile accuracy and speed, especially elderly users often struggle with the touch modality. Interfaces that adapt to specific user characteristics could be a promising solution to overcome this problem. Notwithstanding the advantages of adaptive systems, perceived changes in the user interface can reduce the system's predictability and transparency. The present study compares three approaches concerning the adaptation of touch button sizes: no adaptation and adaptation with visible and invisible feedback. Results show that especially elderly users substantially benefit from an adaptive approach. Furthermore, data shows that the type of adaptation supports different usage goals. While adaption with visual feedback enables a higher interaction speed, invisible adaptation leads to a higher degree of accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the anamnesis, medical information is frequently withheld, incomplete, or incorrect, potentially causing negative consequences for the patient. The use of conversational agents (CAs), computer-based systems using natural language to interact with humans, may mitigate this problem. The present research examines whether CAs differ from physicians in their ability to elicit truthful disclosure and discourage concealment of medical information. We conducted an online questionnaire with German participants (N = 148) to assess their willingness to reveal medical information. The results indicate that patients would rather disclose medical information to a physician than to a CA; there was no difference in the tendency to conceal information. This research offers a frame of reference for future research on applying CAs during the anamnesis to support physicians. From a practical view, physicians might gain better understanding of how the use of CAs can facilitate the anamnesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to develop a concept for a mobile health application, an app-based exercise tool, to support the treatment of orofacial myofunctional disorders by speech-language therapists. Method: A sequential mixed research design combining qualitative research and user-centered software development was applied. Qualitative interviews and focus groups were conducted with eight speech-language therapists, one patient and three relatives to gather ideas for an app to support orofacial myofunctional therapy. On the basis of the findings, a paper-based prototype was developed, which was then evaluated by seven end users, to refine the concept of the app. Results: Qualitative data on desirable functionalities were clustered into topics and related subcategories containing general ideas for the app - a control mechanism, a reward system, the visualization of exercises, and pop-up messages for reminders and recommendations. The paper prototype was developed that addressed these functionalities. Discussion: An app-based exercise tool is considered to have added value for orofacial myofunctional therapy. A prototype for a mobile application is ready for programming and subsequent testing in the treatment of orofacial myofunctional disorders by conducting additional interviews to ascertain patients' perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines interface management as a dynamic organizational capability supporting an increasing global distribution of knowledge work, based on an in-depth case of an automotive supplier. We show how local responses to experiences of task and interface ambiguity following the relocation of R&D processes may lead to a shift of organizational attention from ex-ante process design to continuous process and interface management. Findings suggest that flexible interface manager positions and partnership structures across locations facilitate local experimentation with effective transfer and handling of ambiguous and partially tacit tasks. This enhances the firm’s capacity to distribute an increasing variety of knowledge work. Findings stress the importance of interface management in supporting the effective global re-organization of knowledge work, as well as the role of local experimentation, centralized global learning, and flexible structural support for dynamic global capability development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

One main challenge of health care systems in future will be the care and treatment of dementia patients. To their advanced age, dementia patients do not only have limitations in cognition, perception, and articulation, but also suffer from several other diseases (multimorbidity). These patients have sophisticated needs for assistance, care, and treatment relying on different health care sectors. Well-known communication and coordination deficits between sectors are intensified in the case of dementia, to the above described limitations. Coordination processes concerning the transition of patients from hospitals to inpatient or outpatient aftercare pose particularly difficult. To show a possible future direction for improving intersectoral care of dementia patients, we developed the web-based case management system CASEPLUS-SimPat as part of the project SimPat "Securing Integrated Care for Multi-morbid Patients with Dementia using an IT-based Service Concept". CASEPLUS-SimPat allows health care professionals, hospital employees and general practitioners, to jointly access patient data and exchange information about the treatment of patients. The case management system was implemented in a three-tier architecture with a role-based authorization concept. A portal for relatives complements the system. By providing precise information and e-learning services, caring relatives are integrated into the care process. In a pilot test, CASEPLUS-SimPat shows a good usability. Adapting aspects, such as keywords used to structure entries will make it easier to find required information, and thus will increase usability. Next steps comprise integration of further health care professionals and care facilities as well as real-life testing in terms of feasibility and effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates how pitch accent type and additive particles affect the activation of contrastive alternatives. In Experiment 1, German listeners heard declarative utterances (e.g., The swimmer wanted to put on flippers) and saw four printed words displayed on screen: one that was a contrastive alternative to the subject noun (e.g., diver), one that was non-contrastively related (e.g., pool), the object (e.g., flippers), and an unrelated distractor. Experiment 1 manipulated pitch accent type, comparing a broad focus control condition to two narrow focus conditions: with a contrastive or non-contrastive accent on the subject noun (nuclear L+H* vs. H+L*, respectively, followed by deaccentuation). In Experiment 2, the utterances in the narrow focus conditions were preceded by the unstressed additive particle auch ("also"), which may trigger alternatives itself. It associated with the accented subject. Results showed that, compared to the control condition, participants directed more fixations to the contrastive alternative when the subject was realized with a contrastive accent (nuclear L+H*) than when it was realized with non-contrastive H+L*, while additive particles had no effect. Hence, accent type is the primary trigger for signaling the presence of alternatives (i.e., contrast). Implications for theories of information structure and the processing of additive particles are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With more than 4 billion websites on the World Wide Web, it has become essential for companies, especially those who operate worldwide, to make their websites as appealing as possible for their customer base. This paper intended to provide some insight for companies who want to offer their products online to German and Taiwanese customers. A total of 703 valid responses from participants of both countries were collected in this study. The experimental result revealed significant effect of color and price on the customers' responses. The results also indicated that not only does color have a significant main effect on arousal, but that warm and cool colors influence Taiwanese and German participants to different degrees. Additionally, price resulted in a significantly high level of Perceived Usefulness and Pleasure. This paper can provide great insight to companies who wish to sell their products in one or both of these markets, which admittedly differ greatly from each other, by appropriate interface design of web pages. • Online consumers show different responses toward different website interface design. • Consumers from different country show difference preferences of website background color. • Websites offering lower priced product are preferred by online consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of a nationwide medication plan has been promoted as an effective strategy to improve patient safety in Germany. However, the medication plan only exists as a paper-based version, which is related to several problems, that could be circumvented by an electronic alternative.Objective: The main objective of this study was to report on the development of a mobile interface concept to support the management of medication information.Methods: The human-centered design (UCD) process was chosen. First the context of use was analyzed, and personas and an interaction concept were designed. Next, a paper prototype was developed and evaluated by experts. Based on those results, a medium-fidelity prototype was created and assessed by seven end-users who performed a thinking-aloud test in combination with a questionnaire based on the System Usability Scale (SUS).Results: Initially for one persona/user type, an interface design concept was developed, which received an average SUS-Score of 92.1 in the user test. Usability problems have been solved so that the design concept could be fixed for a future implementation. Contribution: The approach of the UCD process and the methods involved can be applied by other researchers as a framework for the development of similar applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the evolution footprints of simulated driving research in the past 20 years through rigorous and systematic bibliometric analysis, to provide insights regarding when and where the research was performed and by whom and how the mainstream content evolved over the years.Methods: The analysis began with data retrieval in Web of Science with defined search terms related to simulated driving. BibExcel and CiteSpace were employed to conduct the performance analysis and co-citation network analysis; that is, probe of the performance of institutes, journals, authors, and research hotspots.Results: A total of 3,766 documents were filtered out and presented an exponential growth from 1997 to 2016. The United States contributed the most publications as well as international collaborations followed by Germany and China. In addition, several universities in The Netherlands and the United States dominated the list of contributing institutes. The leading journals were in transportation and ergonomics. The leading researchers were also recognized among the 8,721 contributing authors, such as J. D. Lee, D. L. Fisher, J. H. Kim, and K. A. Brookhuis. Finally, the co-citation analysis illuminated the evolution of simulated driving research that covered the following topics roughly in chronological order: task-induced stress, drivers with neurological disorders, alertness and sleepiness while driving, trust toward driving assistance systems, driver distraction, the effect of drug use, the validity of simulators, and automated driving.Conclusions: This article employed bibliometric tools to probe the contributing countries, institutes, journals, authors, and mainstream hotspots of simulated driving research in the past 20 years. A systematic bibliometric analysis of this field will help researchers realize the panorama of global simulated driving and establish future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the conception, development and deployment of a novel HCI system for public participation and decision-making. This system was applied for the process of allocating refugee accommodation in the City of Hamburg within the FindingPlaces project (FP) in 2016. The CityScope (CS) – a rapid prototyping platform for urban planning and decision-making – offered a technical solution which was complemented by a workshop process to facilitate effective interaction of multiple participants and stakeholder groups. This paper presents the origins of CS and the evolution of the tangible user interface approach to urban planning and public participation. It further outlines technical features of the system, including custom hardware and software in use, utilization in real-time as well as technical constraints and limitations. Special focus is on the adaptation of the CS technology to the specific demands of Hamburg´s FP project, whose procedures, processes, and results are reflected. The final section analyzes success factors as well as shortcomings of the approach, and indicates further R&D as well as application scenarios for the CS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The care of older people was described as involving substantial emotion-related affordances. Scholars in vocational training and nursing disagree whether emotion-related skills could be conceptualized and assessed as a professional competence. Studies on emotion work and empathy regularly neglect the multidimensionality of these phenomena and their relation to the care process, and are rarely conclusive with respect to nursing behavior in practice. To test the status of emotion-related skills as a facet of client-directed geriatric nursing competence, 402 final-year nursing students from 24 German schools responded to a 62-item computer-based test. 14 items were developed to represent emotion-related affordances. Multi-dimensional IRT modeling was employed to assess a potential subdomain structure. Emotion-related test items did not form a separate subdomain, and were found to be discriminating across the whole competence continuum. Tasks concerning emotion work and empathy are reliable indicators for various levels of client-directed nursing competence. Claims for a distinct emotion-related competence in geriatric nursing, however, appear excessive with a process-oriented perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Cognitive changes occur with age and cognitive limitations can negatively influence computer use. Human-interaction studies show that especially older adults benefit considerably from using web platforms. The purpose of this paper is to measure the possible impact of cognitive impairment in web usability and to analyse the differences between older adults with and without cognitive impairment. Design/methodology/approach – In the presented pilot study, 50 older adults tested a web-based interface on a PC and tablet computer that was designed based on a styleguide for this specific user group. In two sessions participants had to conduct six tasks. In a third session older adults were left unsupervised in the laboratory where they were confronted with unexpected events triggered by a principal investigator. Findings – The performance results differed significantly between the two groups. Older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) needed more time and were more likely to make mistakes when using a web platform. After analysing error data, it became apparent that errors made by older adults with MCI occurred due to a lack of orientation in websites. Originality/value – Little is known about web performance of older adults with cognitive impairment. The authors present valid data of this interesting target group and reveal their specific problems when handling a new online platform. The importance of a flat website hierarchy can be essential in developing senior friendly web pages. The authors also highlight methodological issues and illustrate the importance of qualitative information of the usability data, e.g. the different types of problems or errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online professional networks become more and more important for professional self-presentation, for recruitment processes, and job hunting. While previous studies determine that individuals present themselves authentically on rather privately used social networks, self-presentation on online professional networks is still unexplored. This study examines how validly individuals present themselves on professional networks. It investigates whether an individual’s online self-presentation is idealized or rather authentic. 63 owners of a profile on the German professional network XING had to describe themselves twice – first authentically and then idealistically. Both self-descriptions were compared with the ratings of five independent observers who received the participants’ XING profiles. Results reveal that observer ratings correlated significantly with some of the profile owners’ authentic personality and job-relevant characteristics, but none of them correlated significantly with the idealized self-descriptions of the profile owners. This shows that individuals present themselves rather authentically on XING. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goal was to study cultural differences between Japanese and Germans gesture use when interacting with a map and a video walkthrough application for a table top system. Japanese and Germans’ choice of gestures was compared in a quasi-experimental design. Gestures had to be generated for two different scenarios, an electronic map and a video walkthrough. Data revealed that physical aspects of hand gestures such as hand shape, focus on motion pattern, and preference of simple, one-hand gestures are similar between Japanese and Germans. However, Japanese and Germans differed in the choice of symbolic and metaphorical gestures and in the frame of reference and perspective taken for performing gestures. Furthermore, differences between Germans and Japanese were larger for the map application than for the video walkthrough. Culture partly affects the choice of hand gestures for table top systems. Designers of gesture vocabularies for tabletop systems have to carefully consider which referents are carried out by hand gestures alone. Gesture input appears to be appropriate for the direct manipulation of objects or real world applications. However, abstract functions or artificial realities should not be handled by gestures alone. Also, designers should consider the development of culture-centered interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper addresses a need for a brief assessment instrument to measure perceived visual aesthetics of websites. A short version of the Visual Aesthetics of Websites inventory (VisAWI; Moshagen and Thielsch 2010) called VisAWI-S was developed and evaluated in three studies comprising 1673 participants in total. The results indicate that the VisAWI-S is a reliable measure that captures a single dimension of perceived visual aesthetics and provides a good approximation to the full-length version. Convergent validity was established by a strong relationship to overall appeal. Evidence for divergent validity was obtained by weaker correlations to perceived usability, pragmatic quality and quality of content as well as by absence of a significant correlation to participants’ mood. In addition to this, the VisAWI-S was found to be substantially related to the intention to revisit a website. Overall, the results indicate that the VisAWI-S may gainfully be employed to measure perceived visual aesthetics of websites when assessment times must be kept to a minimum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet users decide within seconds, whether to elaborate on a website, or to go on to a new page. This calls for investigation of the factors influencing this decision. In two studies, we presented websites for 3 s and analysed the effect implementation of Gestalt principles (GPs) and visualisation of an interaction partner has on acceptance, recommendation of the site by the user, and social presence. Study 1 implemented a 3 (Gestalt principle of proximity: no, medium and strong implementation) × 3 (Gestalt principle of a common region: no, medium and strong implementation) – design and found more acceptance and recommendation with more GPs used. Study 2, using a 2 (GPs: implemented and not implemented) × 3 (visualisation: no, drawing and photograph) – design, showed more social presence with more realistic visualisation and more recommendation with higher social presence. Thus, GPs and realistic visualisation should be implemented in web design to intensify interaction with the user. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents an original approach to designing social media that support informal learning in the digital workplace. It adapts design-based research to take into account the embeddedness of interactions within digitally mediated work-based contexts. The approach is demonstrated through the design, implementation, and evaluation of software tools supporting a particular type of informal learning called knowledge maturing. The paper: introduces and presents the rationale for, and concept of, knowledge maturing; presents a new design methodology for developing social media that support informal learning and knowledge maturing; focuses on one prototype, for 'people tagging for organisational development', that was produced by the methodology (and concisely describes two others); presents the formative evaluation of the highlighted prototype; and finally, discusses the implications and insights arising from this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined how both the interface of search engines and Internet-specific epistemic beliefs influence novices' source evaluations during Web search on a medical topic. A standard Google-like list interface was compared to a tabular interface that presented search results grouped according to objective, subjective, or commercial information in order to provide users with affordances for source evaluations. Results revealed that university students using the tabular interface paid less visual attention to commercial search results and selected objective search results more often and commercial ones less often than students using the list interface. Furthermore, the epistemic belief that the Web contains (among other types of information) correct knowledge was related to an increased selection of objective search results and to longer fixations on non-selected search results. Moreover, epistemic beliefs moderated the effects of the search interface, such that students with strong beliefs that the Web contains correct knowledge showed a more focused information selection and better search outcomes in terms of their argumentative summaries when using the tabular interface than when using the list interface. In contrast, these effects were not found for students with doubts about the Web containing correct knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses 3D user interfaces (3D UIs), which allow users to interact with virtual objects, environments, or information using direct 3D input in physical or virtual spaces. The article reflects on state of the art technology in several key aspects of 3D UIs and evaluates the possibilities for future research. The article discusses multisensory input for improved control and performance, task-driven design of interaction techniques, and input device design. 3D devices developed at Bauhaus Universität Weimar are evaluated.

An important issue of the demographic change in the German population is the maintenance and promotion of the employability of aging workforces. However, there are hardly any suitable concepts or usable tools available to realize this goal. Possible approaches should push the individual strengths of the aging workers to the foreground and intercept the possible physical and cognitive losses in ability that occur with an increase in age. The computer thus plays an important role due to a continuous increase in mechanization. An age-based, individual adaptive user interface shall be developed to support the elderly in working with the computer. Basics for such an interface will be presented in this paper. First connections between user characteristics and adaptation dimensions were analyzed in a study with 90 subjects ranging from 20 to 73 years of age and will be presented in this article. Results indicate a significant influence of graphical layout on memorization as well as interpretation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: In the field of open electronic health records (EHRs), openEHR as an archetype-based approach is being increasingly recognised. It is the objective of this paper to shortly describe this approach, and to analyse how openEHR archetypes impact on health professionals and semantic interoperability.Methods: Analysis of current approaches to EHR systems, terminology and standards developments. In addition to literature reviews, we organised face-to-face and additional telephone interviews and tele-conferences with members of relevant organisations and committees.Results: The openEHR archetypes approach enables syntactic interoperability and semantic interpretability -- both important prerequisites for semantic interoperability. Archetypes enable the formal definition of clinical content by clinicians. To enable comprehensive semantic interoperability, the development and maintenance of archetypes needs to be coordinated internationally and across health professions. Domain knowledge governance comprises a set of processes that enable the creation, development, organisation, sharing, dissemination, use and continuous maintenance of archetypes. It needs to be supported by information technology.Conclusions: To enable EHRs, semantic interoperability is essential. The openEHR archetypes approach enables syntactic interoperability and semantic interpretability. However, without coordinated archetype development and maintenance, 'rank growth' of archetypes would jeopardize semantic interoperability. We therefore believe that openEHR archetypes and domain knowledge governance together create the knowledge environment required to adopt EHRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the introduction and use of linking service software from the vascoda web portal company in the Elektronische Zeitschriftenbibliothek (Electronic Periodical Library, EZB). A review of the software's user interface is offered, cooperation between the EZB and other German libraries is examined, and statistics on the use of the linking service are provided.

Objective: Two research projects were analyzed in order to identify key factors of success and/or failure in introducing patient card-based systems in clinical routine.Methods: In DIABCARD an evaluation study focussing on user friendliness and user acceptance was conducted. In ByMedCard-HCPP the project's system was validated and the timeliness of the project's work analyzed.Results: User friendliness and user acceptance of the DIABCARD system were fairly high. The ByMedCard-HCPP system was complete in its major components and functionalities; introducing the ByMedCard-HCPP system in clinical routine delayed the project.Conclusions: A multitude of key factors of success such as utilized technologies, user involvement, and commitment of partners seems to contribute to the success and/or failure of introducing patient card-based systems in healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational networks and portals are a formation of thematically gathered data on the web. Structure of national educational networks and portals depends on environment of their origin. In the paper, selected educational networks are analysed according to the following criteria: content-services, navigation, search, user interface, help, credibility, validity and target groups. The criteria were identified by a group of experts and final users (students and teachers) on the basis of web survey. The importance of criteria was articulated by using the Analytical Hierarchical Method and program Saaty. For the evaluation was selected Slovene National Educational Network (SIO) as well as educational networks of Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, Europe, Germany, Africa, Australia and America. Based on the results of the comparative analysis a concept and guidelines for improvements of our national educational network SIO were prepared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]