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Extended exposure to virtual reality displays has been linked to the emergence of cybersickness, characterized by symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, fatigue, and disruptions in eye movements. The main objective of our study is to examine the effects of real-time fine-tuning of stereo parameters and blurriness in virtual reality on the discomfort level of users who are experiencing motion sickness triggered by the display. Our hypothesis proposes that by dynamically correcting the rendering settings, the symptoms of motion sickness can be relieved and the overall VR user experience can be improved. Our methodology commences with a prediction model for the comfort level of the viewer based on their gaze parameters, such as pupil diameter, blink count, gaze position, and fixation duration. We then propose a method to dynamically adapt the stereoscopic rendering parameters by considering the predicted comfort level of the viewer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The platformization and entry into the international television market of large video-on-demand (VoD) service providers has had an impact on all agents in the sector, as well as on operating rules, consumption habits, and financing, production and distribution models. In the case of public media, innovation is conceived as a strategic driver and the only sustainable alternative for their survival, repositioning and renewal in order to be relevant for citizens. This research analyzes 15 European public broadcasting corporations from Germany (ARD), Austria (ORF), Belgium (VRT and RTBF), Denmark (DR), Spain (RTVE), Finland (Yle), France (France TV), Great Britain (BBC), the Netherlands (NPO), Ireland (RTÉ), Italy (RAI), Portugal (RTP), Sweden (SVT) and Switzerland (RTS). A total of 18 interviews were conducted with senior managers of these corporations and one EBU member to shed light on innovation priorities, key points and areas of optimization, which allows identifying the conceptual, strategic and operational lines that these media will follow in the next stage. It is concluded that these broadcasters focus their efforts on the transversal implementation of high technology, particularly AI, for the improvement of their production and distribution operational routines; on the settlement and improvement of their VOD platforms; on digital positioning and cybersecurity; on the creation of stable communities; on the optimization of the user experience (UX) and the attraction and search for relevance for a young audience (16-25) often distant from their performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology roadmapping is an important yet challenging strategic process involving inter‐disciplinary knowledge and requiring key decision‐makers participation. To improve and facilitate this activity, a concept of model‐based technology roadmapping has been proposed in the literature as an application of model‐based systems engineering practices to the strategic planning domain. At the same time, many modern complex technical systems are required to be not only functional, efficient, and reliable, but also useful, usable, and desirable, which shifts the focus of planning to the user experience (UX). In this paper, we developed a Domain‐specific language that uniformly represents key concepts related to the four levels essential for strategic planning in the user‐oriented business context: market, UX design, engineering design, and technology. A collaborative interactive software was developed to support the proposed methodology. As a case study, a sustainable transformation of the automotive sector was tested and implemented in the software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) have become an important part of advanced human-computer interactions. Its essence is to infer people's ideas or purposes through brain signals to realize human-computer communication. BCI systems based on steady-state visual-evoked potentials (SSVEP) are widely used in the field of BCI because of their high information transfer rate (ITR), low training requirements, and simple system structure. To explore a reasonable design method of visual stimulation in an SSVEP-BCI interactive interface, this study completed two experiments based on the shape and presentation of visual stimulation. Experiment 1 explored the optimal shapes of different visual stimuli. The results indicated that there were significant differences in task completion times for different stimulus shapes. Combined with ergonomics experiment and subjective evaluation results, the circular was the optimal stimulus shape. Experiment 2 used different numbers of auxiliary stimuli under the condition of circular stimulus. The results showed significant differences in task completion time for various auxiliary stimuli, and the number of auxiliary stimuli negatively correlated with task completion time. Through subjective evaluation, it was found that all the median scores of the usability index increased when there were more auxiliary stimuli. The recommended number of auxiliary stimuli was eight. This research provides significant evidence for the design of visual stimulation for SSVEP-BCI systems. The experimental conclusions are of great value for improving the interaction efficiency of SSVEP-BCI systems, enhancing user experience, and expanding application fields. They will also provide new directions and ideas for the interface design of BCI systems, visual stimulation design, and application of advanced interaction technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Speech is one of the most sophisticated human motor skills. Speaker identification is the ability of a software component or hardware to acquire a speech signal, recognize the speakers included in the signal, and identify the speaker after the audio signals have been received. This study proposes a fluctuating equation inversion method using feature extraction for broadcast hosting. Feature extraction aims to provide useful signal features from natural audio that can be applied to various downstream processes, including recitation, evaluation, and categorization. Initially, data were collected from the CASIA dataset. This study evaluated the experimental outcomes of the proposed approach using mel-frequency cepstral coefficients, gammatone frequency cepstral coefficients, and linear frequency cepstral coefficients. The proposed technique was tested on a publicly accessible dataset, and the findings showed that it performed better in terms of recognition accuracy (98%), precision (97%), recall (96.05%), sensitivity (92.56%), and F1-score (95.09%) than the conventional feature extraction methods. The proposed approach can be utilized to improve audio signal quality and user experience across broadcast-hosting applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality of the User Experience (UX) with systems, products and services is now considered an indispensable part of success in the market. Users' expectations have increased in such a way that mere usability is no longer sufficient. While numerous UX subjective evaluation tools exist, there is little guidance on how to select or use these tools. Therefore, there is a need to provide a critical state of the art on the topic of subjective evaluation tools and the UX dimensions covered. In this study, we conducted a systematic literature review on UX subjective evaluation tools and the UX dimensions covering the period of 2010–2021 with an initial sample of 3831 publications, 325 of which were selected for the final analysis, to provide researchers and practitioners with the recent changes in the field of UX. Results showed that 104 different tools are available for UX evaluation, they can be classified as general or domain-specific, applicable for a wide variety of products and in total covering more than 300 UX dimensions. Our categorization of UX dimensions under 13 main dimensions (e.g. usability, utility, hedonic, emotion, sensory, etc.) showed that the informational, social, cognitive and physical dimensions appeared to be less frequently present in current tools. We argue that these four dimensions deserve more space in UX tools. Having a high number of UX evaluation tools can be confusing for evaluators, and they need some guidance for selecting and combining tools. Modularity is the emerging trend in the development of UX evaluation questionnaires (e.g. meCUE, UEQ+), bringing the benefits of being thorough, flexible, easy to use, low-cost and rapid, while avoiding overlapping of dimensions and providing comparability through the use of a similar format and rating scale. Finally, the need for having a comprehensive evaluation tool requires updating the set of included dimensions to accommodate for new generations of products and technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 'Three Good Things' (TGT), a structured journaling exercise, has shown great effect in helping improve mental well-being. However, the exercise could be quite tedious and difficult to carry out daily. To improve the user experience of the exercise, we developed 'Happy Click', a mobile application which makes use of a physically present smart button to enable users to record their daily TGT in a more engaging manner. Two preliminary exploratory studies were carried out to examine the feasibility of our approach where the effects of the TGT intervention designed around the mobile and tangible happy click concepts were examined. The findings suggested that participants had significantly less stress after carrying out the TGT using the tangible interface. Participants also reported better user experience and acceptance when carrying out the exercise using the tangible interface compared to the mobile and higher levels of attractiveness and stimulation with the mobile TGT compared to the traditional approach. While these promising results should be interpreted with caution due to the limited sample size, they also underscore the potential advantages of our 'Happy click' approach and highlight the need for further, larger-scale evaluations to be conducted to validate its efficacy and scalability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voice user interface (VUI) systems, such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant, are popular and widely available. Still, challenges such as privacy and the ability to have a dialog remain. In the latter example, the user expects a human‐like conversation, that is, that the VUI understands the dialog and its context. However, this VUI feature of context‐aware interaction is rather error prone. For this reason, we intend to explore the VUI context of use and its impact on interaction, that is, relevant user experience (UX). We see a demand for context‐dependent UX measurement because analyzing the context of use and UX assessment are both critical human‐centered design (HCD) methods. Therefore, we examine the VUI context of use by asking users about how, where, and for what they use VUIs, as well as their UX and improvement proposals. We interviewed people with disabilities who rely on VUIs and people without disabilities who use VUIs for convenience or fun. We identified VUI context‐of‐use categories and factors and explored their impacts on relevant UX qualities. Our result is a matrix containing these elements; thus, it provides an overview of the contextual UX of our target group's VUI interaction. We intend to develop a VUI context‐of‐use conceptual structure in the future based on this matrix, which is needed to create an automated context‐dependent UX measurement recommendation tool for VUIs. This conceptual structure could also be useful for automated UX testing in the context of VUI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metaverse, a burgeoning virtual reality realm, has garnered substantial attention owing to its multifaceted applications. Rapid advancements and widespread acceptance of metaverse technologies have birthed a dynamic and intricate digital landscape. As various platforms, virtual worlds, and social networks within the metaverse increase, there is a growing imperative for a comprehensive analysis of its implications across societal, technological, and business dimensions. Notably, existing review studies have, for the past decade, primarily overlooked a metaverse‐based multidomain approach. A meticulous examination encompassing 207 research studies delves into the technological innovation of the metaverse, elucidating its future trajectory and ethical imperatives. Additionally, the article introduces the term "MetaWarria" to conceptualize potential conflicts arising from metaverse dynamics. The study discerns that healthcare (45%) and education (22%) are pivotal sectors steering metaverse developments, while the entertainment sector (9%) reshapes the corporate landscape. Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a 9% role in enhancing the metaverse's marketing and user experience. Security, privacy, and policy concerns (11%) are addressed due to escalating threats, yielding practical solutions. The analysis underscores the metaverse's profound influence (57%) on the digital realm, a phenomenon accelerated by the COVID‐19 pandemic. The article culminates in contemplating the metaverse's role in future warfare and national security, introducing "MetaWarria" as a conceptual framework for such discussions. This article is categorized under:Application Areas > Health CareApplication Areas > Science and TechnologyFundamental Concepts of Data and Knowledge > Human Centricity and User Interaction [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Together with new hardware solutions, such as virtual reality (VR) headsets, the use of innovative interaction modes, such as mid-air gestures, is increasing in various areas of research, industry, and everyday life. As such setups are complex and not as well established as traditional haptic or touch-based interfaces, there is a higher risk of users experiencing errors, failures, or technical malfunctions. As for why gesture recognition rates may not be as high as desired, it is not yet clear why this is the case. We conducted a study in a VR context, using an HTC Vive headset and the Leap Motion gesture recognition device. Participants performed basic tasks with a "blocks" application using a pre-defined set of gestures. Afterwards they were asked to rate their levels on trust, acceptance and subjective feeling of immersion. We also measured basic hand parameters. We examined the correlation between hand size and observed detection errors of the gesture recognition device. Moreover, we analyzed the influence of perceived errors on the subjective feeling of immersion. We found no significant correlation between hand measurements and error rates. However, there is some evidence that hand length has some effect, which means smaller hands seem to slightly increase the errors rate in interactions using the gesture recognition device. Perceived errors had a negative impact on the feeling of immersion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Navigating online bookstores and library catalogues for leisure reading can be challenging, especially when people want to engage in a more exploratory and serendipitous search. This study investigated how users navigate and select novels in an online bookstore environment, focusing on the impact of individual user interface elements and information architecture on their experience. Employing a combination of screen recordings with eye-tracking and concurrent think-aloud, the study examined user interactions to understand their navigation patterns, emotional responses, and perceptions related to various interface elements and functionalities. We created path visualizations through qualitative analysis representing participants' actions and pages visited during search sessions. Additionally, search behavior was examined using eye-tracking data from the results list page. Users' emotions and perceptions expressed during concurrent thinkaloud were then mapped to specific elements and features of the tested online bookstore. Preliminary findings indicate that negative emotions experienced during the search and selection process were predominantly linked to insufficient metadata and resulting usability issues, which impacted user experience and evoked feelings of distrust and frustration. This was especially pronounced when participants compared their experiences with those on similar platforms. The study highlights the critical role of high-quality, consistent book metadata in meeting user expectations. Effective metadata not only facilitates easier navigation and selection of novels, but also increases the likelihood of users revisiting the online bookstore. Our study contributes to a deeper understanding of digital browsing behaviors in selecting leisure reading and offers insights for designing more useful user interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study investigates the primary determinants of consumers' intention to adopt PIX as a payment method in Brazil, as well as their actual usage behavior. Design/methodology/approach: The study employs the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to analyze both the intention to use and the actual period of use of PIX technology as a measure of practical usage. With this approach, researchers can determine whether people's intention to use PIX translates into a higher rate of technology adoption and effective and sustained usage. The study collected data from 659 consumers across Brazil through a questionnaire and used structural equation analysis to analyze the data. Findings: Research suggests that the intention to adopt PIX as a payment method is mainly determined by the perceived value, performance expectancy, and the habit of using mobile internet. Positive associations are also confirmed between adoption intention, the effective usage time of PIX, and the habit of using mobile internet in conjunction with PIX use. Originality/value: The study's uniqueness stems from its focus on the PIX usage, which is becoming the primary payment method in Brazil. It also measures the practical usage of the technology by examining the duration of user experience. This enables the assessment of whether the intention to use PIX effectively translates into a higher speed of technology adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the moment, Internet technology is still in a rapid development phase, with more highperformance, low-power processor chips entering the market and the commercialization of the smart wearable device industry accelerating. Virtual reality, intelligent clouds, and other technologies are at the heart of today's wearable technologies. It is a design product that employs cutting-edge technology to provide sturdy functioning and superior safety. However, the current study on smart wearable devices is more related to engineering technology, and there is relatively little research on the interaction behavior and user experience among users, devices, and environments. Incorporating the design object, application context, user experience, and other factors into the design of smart wearable devices can help promote the transformation of smart wearable devices from technology-driven to user experience-driven. Therefore, it is important to introduce the concepts of context-awareness and interaction design in the design of smart wearable devices. Through contextual cognitive theory, the study studies the contextual cognitive features of users, deconstructs and analyzes the interaction and experience of smart wearable devices, and discovers the relevant elements influencing user experience. The theoretical research results are then integrated with the interaction design system to connect the relationships among users, behaviors, scenes, and technologies, and a context-aware system for smart wearable devices based on scene perception is constructed. The influence of different aspects on the recognition accuracy of the system is analyzed, and the results show that the system proposed in this paper has very superior performance in gesture recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Ciência & Saúde Coletiva is the property of Associacao Brasileira de Pos-Graduacao em Saude Coletiva and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Recommendation system is currently attracting the interest of many explorers. Various new businesses have surfaced with the rise of online marketing (E-Commerce) in response to Covid-19 pandemic. This phenomenon allows recommendation items through a system called Collaborative Filtering (CF), aiming to improve shopping experience of users. Typically, the effectiveness of CF relies on the precise identification of similar profile users by similarity algorithms. Traditional similarity measures are based on the user-item rating matrix. Approximately, four custom ratings (CR) were used along with a new rating formula, termed New Custom Rating (NCR), derived from the popularity of users and items in addition to the original rating. Specifically, NCR optimized recommendation system performance by using the popularity of users and items to determine new ratings value, rather than solely relying on the original rating. Additionally, the formulas improved the representativeness of the new rating values and the accuracy of similarity algorithm calculations. Consequently, the increased accuracy of recommendation system was achieved. The implementation of NCR across four CR algorithms and recommendation system using five public datasets was examined. Consequently, the experimental results showed that NCR significantly increased recommendation system accuracy, as evidenced by reductions in RMSE, MSE, and MAE as well as increasing FCP and Hit Rate. Moreover, by combining the popularity of users and items into rating calculations, NCR improved the accuracy of various recommendation system algorithms reducing RMSE, MSE, and MAE up to 62.10%, 53.62%, 65.97%, respectively, while also increasing FCP and Hit Rate up to 11.89% and 31.42%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work proposes a framework for Earth Observation (EO) cloud platforms to carry out a self-assessment from a user experience perspective. The study outlines the methodological approach used to develop the framework, including the classification of existing EO platforms through a literature review of EU-funded projects. Additionally, a survey on user experience was conducted to further inform the design of the framework. We consider as target users the developers of policy-relevant use cases. The final phase of the methodology identifies user requirements across ten dimensions within the EO value chain and suggests a range of indicators to facilitate self-assessment. The paper emphasises the need to address the identified challenges and limitations to improve the usability and user satisfaction of existing EO cloud platforms. It also highlights the importance of principles such as FAIR (findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability) and TRUST (transparency, responsibility, user focus, sustainability and technology), open source components, and Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standards in shaping the future of EO data platforms and infrastructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applications of 360 videos for brand storytelling and customer engagement are growing due to their immersive nature and novel sensory experiences, particularly when discovered through social media. These innovative digital media facilitate compelling experiences impacted by a user's interaction with the medium and device, subsequently shaping how 360 videos achieve brand engagement. However, existing branding research ignores the user's subjective experience of the device, does not consider how they assess the 360 brand video's creativity, and typically examines brand outcomes that are not focal to brand managers for such a communication tool. To address these gaps, mediation analysis is undertaken for two distinct 360 brand videos experienced through a PC, Tablet, or VR device, incorporating psycho-physiological affective measures (arousal and pleasure). Findings highlight to brand managers the necessity to empirically assess the subjective experience a user has with the device and its influence on presence within the 360 video. We substantiate for the first time the mediating influence of the perceived creativity of a 360 brand video, and establish brand engagement outcomes relevant to how users respond to 360 videos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the virtual reality (VR) technology strives to provide immersive and natural user experiences, the challenge of aligning vast virtual environments with limited physical spaces remains significant. This survey comprehensively explores the advancements in redirected walking (RDW) techniques aimed at overcoming spatial constraints in VR. RDW addresses this by subtly manipulating users' physical movements to allow for seamless navigation within constrained areas. The survey delves into gain perception mechanisms, detailing how slight discrepancies between virtual and real-world movements can be utilized without user awareness, thus extending the effective navigable space. Various RDW control algorithms for gain-based RDW are analyzed, highlighting their implementation and effectiveness in maintaining immersion and minimizing perceptual disturbances. Furthermore, novel methods extending beyond traditional gain-based techniques are discussed, showcasing innovative approaches that further refine VR interactions. The practical implications of RDW in enhancing safety and reducing physical collisions in VR environments are underscored, alongside its potential to improve user experience by aligning virtual exploration more closely with natural human behavior patterns. Through a thorough review of existing literature and recent advancements, this survey provides a systematic understanding for researchers, developers, and industry professionals. It underscores the importance of RDW in the future of VR, emphasizing RDW's role in making VR more accessible and practical across various applications, from education and training to therapy and entertainment. The paper concludes with a forward-looking perspective on the continued evolution and potential of RDW in revolutionizing virtual reality experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computer network users experience persistent attacks due to vulnerabilities in the systems and network. An intrusion detection system (IDS) is a system that checks the flow of data in the network and alerts or detects abnormal traffic. Even though there is no perfect system anywhere on earth, there may be a cause for breakdown/downtime now and then. More so, the intrusion detection system may run into errors in a bid to detect malware in incoming traffic on a network. Hence, the need to develop a system that can detect intrusion in the network and do that with minimal error. This proposed paper is an improved deep sparse autoencoder-driven network intrusion detection system (IDSAE NIDS) that addresses the issue of interpretability of the L2 regularization technique employed in other works. The proposed IDSAE NIDS model was trained using a mini-batch gradient descent algorithm, L1 regularization technique, and ReLU activation function to achieve a better model performance. Experimental results based on the NSL-KDD dataset show that our approach provides significant performance and improvements over other deep sparse autoencoder NIDSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Despite the increasing interest in the metaverse—immersive three-dimensional virtual worlds wherein personalized avatars interact with one another—little is known about how users cognitively appraise and emotionally experience it. To fill this gap, the present study explores the emotional, behavioral and social consequences of users' cognitive appraisals, while focusing on social virtual reality (VR) as a representative entry point to the metaverse. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on cognitive appraisal theory against the backdrop of a framework for classifying emotions, this study develops and tests a theoretical model to account for users' continuance intention and its consequences in the social VR context based on two-wave panel survey data collected from 216 users of social VR platforms, including AltspaceVR, VRChat, Bigscreen and Rec Room. Findings: The results of the first survey showed that perceived opportunity was more strongly influenced by technological opportunity than social opportunity, whereas perceived threat was more strongly affected by social threat than technological threat. Integrating the data collected from the first survey with those of the second survey, we also found that users' continuance intention positively influenced both their behavioral engagement and social self-efficacy. Originality/value: By adopting a longitudinal approach, this study provides insights that may be valuable to researchers and practitioners who seek to use social VR for business purposes. This study also contributes to the metaverse literature by conceptualizing and operationalizing the opportunity and threat factors of social VR and identifying salient emotions that users experience in this context. Finally, this study has practical implications for addressing the social and technological features that may cause adverse user experiences in social VR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the feasibility of transferring a personality prediction model, trained on smartphone data, to a Business Intelligence (BI) system utilizing call logs. By leveraging theBig Five personality traits model and machine learning techniques, the research addresses the challenge of harmonizing disparate data sources-rich data about smartphone applications usage and system settings, and aggregated call log data from a BI warehouse. Through meticulous data preprocessing and feature engineering, the study evaluates the performance of various machinelearning algorithms, demonstrating that traits like Extraversion and Conscientiousness can be reliably predicted. The study also introduces innovative methods for verifying predictions on unlabeled BI data, including consistency over time and similarity of distributions. The findings underscore the potential of integrating personality insights into BI systems, also highlighting the ethical considerations and data privacy challenges inherent in such applications. This research contribution lays the groundwork for future advancements in personality prediction models andtheir practical business applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the development and evaluation of an immersive virtual reality (VR) application designed for lathe operation training. The VR application, built using Unity for Oculus Rift headsets, aims to simulate a realistic lathe machining experience, allowing users to interact with the machine's various controls and levers. The experimental analysis involved 20 s-year Mechanical Engineering students who performed machining tasks in the virtual environment. The usability and user experience of the application were assessed using the System Usability Scale (SUS) and a 12-item questionnaire. The SUS results yielded a high mean score of 96.25 (SD = 6.41), indicating excellent usability. The user experience evaluation also showed positive feedback, with high ratings for the sense of presence, realism, and usefulness for training purposes. However, some users reported minor physical discomforts such as dizziness. The study concludes that immersive VR is a valuable tool for enhancing training in lathe operations, offering an engaging and realistic experience that encourages active learning. Future work should focus on reducing physical discomfort and further improving the application's realism and interactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the age of digitalization, travel applications (or travel apps) are indispensable tools for modern travel activities. During an app's selection and adoption phases, privacy concerns remain a sensitive issue that may demotivate users' from continuing to use it. This study integrated both the stimulus-organism-response model (S-O-R) and psychological reaction theory (PRT) to explore the factors that influence users' app usage experiences and behavioral responses. A self-administered questionnaire was designed and distributed to Gen Y users in mainland China. The findings of PLS-SEM analysis showed that usage intentions are predicted by the ability of travel apps to engage with users and generate favorable values. Additionally, users with low privacy concerns were shown to have a stronger intention to recommend travel apps to others. All in all, the findings from this study offer valuable insights to tourism providers and app developers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to understand the customer journey in technology product adoption by exploring the experiences and perspectives of individuals who have recently adopted new technology products. This research aims to identify key themes and factors influencing the customer journey from initial awareness to ongoing engagement and retention, providing insights to enhance customer experiences and inform marketing strategies. This qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews with 20 participants selected through purposive sampling to ensure diverse representation. Participants included individuals who had recently adopted technology products within the past six months. Data collection continued until theoretical saturation was reached. The interview transcripts were analyzed using NVivo software, following an inductive approach to identify patterns and themes. The analysis revealed three main themes: Awareness and Decision-Making, First-Time Use and Learning, and Ongoing Engagement and Retention. Initial awareness was driven by advertising, social media, and word-of-mouth, while decision-making was influenced by peer recommendations, brand reputation, and price sensitivity. The first-time use phase highlighted the importance of intuitive design and support resources. Regular updates, community engagement, and product reliability emerged as critical factors in ongoing engagement and retention. Participants valued seamless omnichannel experiences, personalized marketing efforts, and robust support systems. The study underscores the significance of personalized, seamless customer journeys in technology product adoption. Businesses should focus on integrating physical and digital touchpoints, leveraging AI for personalized experiences, and maintaining active user communities to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty. Addressing cultural nuances in global markets and managing digital signals effectively can further optimize the customer journey. These insights provide valuable guidance for businesses aiming to improve customer experiences and foster long-term engagement in the competitive technology market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic emphasized an urgent need for devices used in the self-collection of biospecimens in an evolving patient care system. The mailing of biospecimen self-collection kits to patients, with samples returned via mail, provides a more convenient testing regimen, but could also impart patient sampling variabilities. User compliance with device directions is central to downstream testing of collected biospecimens and clear instructions are central to this goal. Methods: Here, we performed an evaluation of 10 oral DNA collection devices involving either swab or saliva selfcollection and analyzed ease of use and comfort level with a device, as well as DNA recovery quantity/quality and sample stability. Results: We show that while these DNA quality/quantity metrics are comparable between devices, users prefer direct saliva collection over swab-based devices. Conclusions: This information is useful in guiding future experiments including their use in human RNA, microbial, or viral sample collection/recovery and their use in clinical testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Campus Virtuales is the property of Campus Virtuales and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In order to achieve high realism an acceptable level of user experience in immersive videos, it is crucial to provide both the best possible quality of depth maps and minimize computational time. In this paper, we propose a new approach to the decoder-side depth estimation (DSDE) problem, which uses the hierarchical alpha-expansion algorithm with additional improvements for the estimation designed to be more robust to compressed video artifacts and limited computational resources. As shown by the experimental results, the proposal simultaneously results in reduction of computation time of the estimation process (by almost 40%) and an improvement of quality of estimated depth maps. The increased quality is demonstrated by more than 6% Bjøntegaard delta gain compared to the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) immersive video state-of-the-art DSDE method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the interactivity of spatial design, this study proposes an indoor spatial layout design method based on differential evolution algorithm, which combines backtracking strategy and reverse learning strategy to improve the interactive differential evolution algorithm. The experimental data demonstrated that the proposed method for indoor space layout design achieved an average user satisfaction of 81.7%, which increased by 16.8% compared with traditional interactive genetic algorithms. In addition, the improved human-computer interaction interface scored higher than 0.8 in terms of usability, reliability, customizability, and interactive feedback. This means that the improved interface can better meet user needs and provide a better user experience. This study shows that the indoor space layout design method ground on differential evolution algorithm and the improved human-computer interaction interface can significantly improve user satisfaction and user experience. This has brought more efficient and convenient solutions to the field of spatial design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The state-of-the-art framework for VANETs, Vehicles in Network Simulation (VEINS), is primarily sparse and fragmented. The combination of VANETs and VEINS can improve road safety, efficiency, and user experience for connected and autonomous vehicles. This research examined existing trends and knowledge gaps to provide actionable insights for technical contexts and researchers. Therefore, this systematic literature evaluation was conducted to create a full classification of the article ecosystem. The literature applies the VEINS framework to simulate and evaluate in-vehicle personalized entertainment recommendations based on real-time traffic data and user preferences. We examine service metrics for VANET-integrated vehicle content exchange. Three databases were consulted throughout this study: Scopus, ScienceDirect, and IEEE Xplore. The databases had extensive VANET-related research built on the VEINS framework. Then, screening was completed based on the services considerations. The topic is thoroughly covered in this categorization. Taxonomy proposes categories and subcategories. The initial group includes papers discussing different aspects of VANET-based VEINS framework applications (35/9878 total). The second group consists of pieces that focus on the answer (15/98 total). Network-related articles (48/98 total) make up the final section. This work concludes with a discussion of the VEINS framework's design and bidirectional connectivity. This study could be helpful for researchers working on VANETs and the VEINS framework by highlighting areas where further development is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theoretical background: Nowadays, the development of digital technologies, including e-service portals in the public procurement, is crucial for improving purchasing processes and expanding markets for companies, including family businesses. Understanding the factors influencing satisfaction with the use of e-procurement is important for optimizing these processes and improving work efficiency. In the context of public procurement, such studies are few. None of the publications found results of research combining the areas of business family, e-procurement, and user experience. This shows that there is a research gap related to the experiences of employees of family businesses and their interactions with e-procurement for public area, especially in the context of the impact of UX on the efficiency and satisfaction of procurement processes in the public sector. Purpose of the article: The main objective of the study, of which results are presented below, is to develop a model of key factors and the relationships between them that influence the efficiency of work in an e-procurement dedicated to public area. Despite the numerous benefits of using e-procurement, there are also many challenges and barriers that can affect the level of satisfaction of employees using these types of solutions, including in the procurement area. Understanding the factors that influence satisfaction and dissatisfaction with the use of e-procurement is crucial for improving procurement processes and work efficiency. In the application area, the research results can be helpful for creators and suppliers of e-procurement, enabling them to tailor their solution to the specific needs of family business employees. Research methods: In order to examine the factors of satisfaction with the use of e-procurement in the public area, a survey was conducted among contractors submitting offers in public procurement procedures. The online survey was sent to over 10,000 business entities, obtaining 406 correctly completed responses, including 109 from family businesses. The analysis of the obtained results allowed, among others, to identify satisfaction factors in the use of e-procurement. Main findings: In a study assessing the use of e-procurement in the public area, respondents rated their digital competences on average at 4.7 on a scale of 1–6, indicating high digital skills. Intuitiveness of use and ease of searching for advertisements turned out to be crucial for satisfaction with e-procurement, which emphasizes the importance of good UX practice in the design of these tools. Respondents also highly rated functions such as automatic encryption of offers and the ability to create an electronic signature, which affects the security and efficiency of purchasing processes. Surprisingly, training for users of e-procurement was considered less important, which may be due to the already high digital competences of the respondents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Navigation and interaction in the virtual world will occur via controllers. Previous literature suggests that not all buttons on these controllers are suitable for all functions and that unclear or uncomfortable operations can lead to frustration. This study aimed to determine if an operation with freely selectable buttons differs from one with mapped buttons, in which human-factor differences can be identified, and if there are differences between primary and advanced training. A field experiment with professionals employed by Swiss Federal Railways and apprentices and future apprentices (N = 60) was conducted in a VR tutorial that was previously developed using design cues from existing literature. Controller operation was varied in the groups. The results show significant differences and interaction effects, which indicate that a different operation is more appropriate for apprentices than for professionals in further education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aesthetic quality evaluation has been an important research question in the field of user experience in product design. However, the feasibility and accuracy of using fNIRS data for product aesthetic quality evaluation are unknown. In this article, we analyze the correlation and association between fNIRS data and aesthetic quality and designed a product aesthetic quality evaluation model to answer this question. We find that HBO2 data in the prefrontal (S19-D11), frontal (S4-D3), temporal (S3-D1), and parietal (S8-D8) regions of the brain have significant correlations and logistic relationships with high visual product aesthetic quality, whereas HBO2 data in the prefrontal (S19-D11) and parietal (S8-D8) regions of the brain have significant correlations and association relationships. These data can be used for products aesthetic quality evaluation. Importantly, the overall prediction accuracy of the model to evaluate products’ aesthetic quality is 84.1%. The model is therefore able to better distinguish and evaluate the aesthetic quality of products. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using fNIRS data to evaluate the aesthetic quality of products and shows that the product aesthetic quality evaluation model can provide an objective and accurate decision-making reference to help designers evaluate and improve the aesthetic quality of products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the challenges and opportunities of using group recommendation systems in an information overload scenario. Social network recommendation systems are increasingly important because they deliver users customized choices. Most existing solutions are geared for single users, making it difficult to propose for a group with different interests. This paper analyses group recommendation systems and exposes their flaws. This study tested whether the suggested approach outperforms the one without tagging information in recall, precision, and user satisfaction. Empirical evidence indicates that the algorithm exhibits appropriate levels of reliability and accuracy compared to conventional methods. The proposed approach has the potential to substantially enhance the existing state of social network group recommendation systems, thereby facilitating users in their quest to identify and participate in groups that align with their preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The web was conceived in 1997 with the goal of universal accessibility. However, it still presents obstacles for users with diverse abilities. Although interactions in digital environments have improved the quality of life for many people, they remain a source of limitations and frustrations, up to twice as much for users with total visual impairment, which is commonly known as blindness. This article emphasizes the need to provide designers and developers with methodologies and tools that consider users with different abilities in all stages and from the beginning of the design, redesign, and development of digital products and services on the web, collecting their needs and goals and delving into their reactions and emotions. While an approach based on persona archetypes can optimally represent each group of users with disabilities throughout website design processes, serving as a communication and empathy tool for development teams and stakeholders, it is essential that this tool considers all dimensions involved in the experiences of people with disabilities. This conceptual paper develops a methodology that provides designers with a persona tool that effectively captures the goals and emotions of these users in their interaction with the web. This methodology proposal is multidimensional and holistic. It addresses conscious and subconscious dimensions, combines traditional user experience and neuroscientific techniques, focuses on total visual impairment, the most challenging in digital environments, and makes it adaptable to other disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This project aims to digitally consolidate the 17th-century collection from Museum Faesch, overcoming physical accessibility issues. The goal is to unify the collection, which was previously dispersed among various institutions, enhancing its accessibility and promoting comprehensive understanding. By leveraging technology and a novel metadata management system, the project seeks to improve discoverability, user experience, and preservation of these valuable artifacts. In binding the dispersed collection, the endeavor not only augments scholarly collaboration but also uncovers hidden narratives and historical contexts, offering a holistic view of Remigius Faesch 's culturally significant cabinet of curiosities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The latest advancements in Virtual Reality (VR) enable the creation of 3D models within a holographic immersive simulation environment. In this article, we create QuickCSGModeling, a user-friendly mid-air interactive modeling system. We first prepare a dataset consisting of diverse components and precompute the discrete signed distance function (SDF) for each component. During the modeling phase, users can freely design complicated shapes with a pair of VR controllers. Based on the discrete SDF representation, any CSG-like operation (union, intersection, and subtraction) can be performed voxel-wisely. Also, we maintain a single dynamic SDF for the whole scene, whose zero-level set surface exactly encodes the most recent constructed shape. Both SDF fusion and surface extraction are implemented via GPU for a smooth user experience. A total of 34 volunteers were asked to create their favorite models using QuickCSGModeling. With a simple training, most of them can create a fascinating shape or even a descriptive scene quickly. We also discuss how to extend our system to create articulated models with hinges, where an adaptive cube subdivision has to be enforced to improve the reconstruction accuracy around the hinge part, followed by a Dual Contouring-based surface extraction.1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the satisfaction levels of the elderly concerning their physical well-being and sociocultural entertainment needs, with a particular focus on engagement in sensor-based gaming. The objective is to systematically synthesise and evaluate empirical research findings regarding the factors influencing accessibility and enthusiasm for sensor-based gaming among older adults. Employing the PRISMA methodology, a comprehensive review was conducted, resulting in the identification of 43 English-language scholarly sources from the Web of Science, Scopus, and IEEE Xplore, covering the period from 2019 to 2024. The findings reveal that critical determinants affecting elderly engagement in sensor-based gaming include physical activity levels, cognitive capabilities, game incentive mechanisms, cooperative-competitive dynamics, personalised feature design, group participation, and gaming frequency. These insights contribute significantly to the discourse on utilizing exergames to enhance the physical and psychological well-being of the ageing population, providing valuable implications for researchers and policymakers aiming to address the challenges associated with an ageing demographic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the effect of augmented reality-based marketing on consumer purchase intention, with hedonic motivation acting as mediation. In the context of L'Oreal Paris cosmetic products sold on the Shopee platform. This study uses a sample of 110 respondents with 11 indicators to fill out a questionnaire to raise the relevance of augmented reality technology in enhancing a more immersive online shopping experience, namely the merging of the real and digital worlds and the personal world, which can significantly affect consumer purchase intentions. Through the use of the Virtual Try-On AR feature in Shopee, consumers can see the application of cosmetic products virtually on their faces, which not only enhances product information but also provides a fun and satisfying shopping experience. Data was collected from Shopee users in Denpasar, Bali, who have used this augmented reality feature and analyzed using a quantitative approach. The results showed that hedonic motivation plays an important role in mediating the relationship between augmented reality marketing and purchase intention, signifying that emotional satisfaction from the augmented reality experience increases the likelihood of purchase. This research provides valuable insights for digital marketing and e-commerce practitioners to optimize augmented reality strategies in increasing consumer purchase intention. By understanding the effects of augmented reality marketing through hedonic motivation, brands can more effectively design user experiences that are not only informative but also entertaining and emotionally satisfying, thereby increasing consumer purchase intentions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Automotive Digest is the property of Automotive Digest Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Mobile edge computing (MEC) has emerged as a promising technology that can revolutionize the future of mobile networks. MEC brings compute and storage capabilities to the edge of the network closer to end-users. This enables faster data processing and improved user experience by reducing latency. MEC has the potential to decrease the burden on the core network by transferring computational and storage responsibilities to the edge, thereby reducing overall network congestion. Load balancing is critical for effectively utilizing the resources of the MEC. This ensures that the workload is distributed uniformly across all of the available resources. Load balancing is a complex task and there are various algorithms that can be used to achieve it, such as round-robin, least connection, and IP hash. To differentiate between heavily loaded and lightly loaded servers, current load balancing methods use an average response time to gauge the load on the edge server. Nevertheless, this approach has lower precision and may result in an unequal distribution of the workload. Our study introduces a dynamic threshold calculation technique that relies on a response-time threshold of the edge servers using K-means clustering. K-means based proposed algorithm classifies the servers in two sets (here K = 2), i.e., overloaded and lightly loaded edge servers. Consequently, workload is migrated from overloaded to lightly loaded servers to evenly distribute the workload. Experimental results show that the proposed technique reduces latency and improves resource utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Automobile Technology & Material is the property of Automobile Technology & Material Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study examines the evolution of vending machines, emphasizing their integration with RFID technology for cashless transactions. Vending machines have transformed human-machine interaction, offering convenient access to products and services. Transitioning from coin-operated to RFIDenabled systems has revolutionized the industry, enhancing security, reducing costs, and improving user experience. Through exploration of technical specifications and design objectives, the research highlights RFID vending machines' potential to reshape consumer behavior and optimize operations. Traditional cashbased vending machines face challenges such as limited storage, recognition issues, and security concerns. To address these, the paper proposes an intelligent RFID-based cashless vending machine for drink sales. The system incorporates RFID technology for payment, allowing users to swipe cards and select drinks without cash involvement. Prototype development involved software design, utilizing C-language for multiproduct vending. Comparatively, the RFID-based system outperforms cash-based counterparts in efficiency, security, and sales tracking, presenting a superior solution for drink sales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In today's rapidly evolving software environment, the graphical user interface (GUI) plays a crucial role in providing intuitive, user-friendly interaction. However, traditional intrusive GUI testing methods often face challenges such as interrupting user workflows, requiring significant manual effort and insufficient test scenario coverage. Non-intrusive testing methods, such as Robotic Process Automation (RPA), offer a solution to validate GUI functionality without modifying the application's code or affecting the user experience. RPA systems automate repetitive tasks by simulating user interactions, becoming valuable tools in GUI testing. However, challenges like limited computational resources, time constraints, or restricted exploration capabilities may limit the efficiency of individual RPA agents, thus restricting coverage and effectiveness. To address this issue, this study explores the performance of a single RPA agent versus an RPA cluster under different testing conditions, using three popular testing methods: Monkey, Stoat and Q-testing. Experimental results indicate that an RPA cluster outperforms a single RPA in GUI coverage and error detection, making a significant contribution to the field of non-intrusive GUI exploration testing. The findings of this study provide directions for future research to ensure the delivery of high-quality mobile applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a highly prevalent childhood and adult behavioral disorder. Internet searches for ADHD information are rising, particularly for diagnosis and treatment. Despite effective ADHD treatments, research suggests that there are delays in seeking help for ADHD. Identifying ways to shorten delays is important for minimizing morbidity associated with ADHD. One way to shorten these delays is to improve internet health information resources. Research shows that parents of children with ADHD feel that much of the information available is technical and not tailored for their childs needs and verbal instructions given by health care providers were too pharmacologically focused with limited information about how to manage and support ADHD symptoms in daily living. A majority of parents search the internet for general and pharmacological information for ADHD and prefer web-based resources for learning about ADHD, but web-based resources may be inaccurate and of low quality. Ensuring accurate information through the internet is an important step in assisting parents and adults in making informed decisions about the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. OBJECTIVE: Although a great deal of information regarding ADHD is available on the internet, some information is not based on scientific evidence or is difficult for stakeholders to understand. Determining gaps in access to accurate ADHD information and stakeholder interest in the type of information desired is important in improving patient engagement with the health care system, but minimal research addresses these needs. This study aims to determine the information needs and formatting needs of web-based content for adults with ADHD and parents of children with ADHD in order to improve user experience and engagement. METHODS: This was a 3-phase study consisting of in-depth phone interviews about experiences with ADHD and barriers searching for ADHD-related information, focus groups where participants were instructed to consider the pathways by which they made decisions using web-based resources, and observing participants interacting with a newly developed website tailored for adults with potential ADHD and caregivers of children who had or might have ADHD. Phase 1 individual interviews and phase 2 focus groups identified the needs of the ADHD stakeholders related to website content and format. Interview and focus group findings were used to develop a website. Phase 3 used think-aloud interviews to evaluate website usability to inform the tailoring of the website based on user feedback. RESULTS: Interviews and focus group findings revealed preferences for ADHD website information and content, website layout, and information sources. Themes included a preference for destigmatizing information about ADHD, information specific to patient demographics, and evidence-based information tailored to lay audiences. CONCLUSIONS: ADHD stakeholders are specifically seeking positive information about ADHD presented in a user-friendly format.