Interface Design Research Articles

Persuasive interfaces in higher education: ethical perceptions and influence on student course selection

Purpose This study aims to investigate the ethical considerations and effectiveness of persuasive technology in educational settings, specifically focusing on course selection. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, the authors explore the use and ethics of persuasion in the context of education, specifically regarding course selection in higher education settings. The authors conducted a survey involving students to assess their ethical perceptions of persuasive user interfaces and the impact of these interfaces on their decision-making processes. Participants were presented with different user interface designs that used various combinations of text and images to persuade them in their class selections within an institution based in Algeria. Findings The results reveal that students were only persuaded when they were unable to select what they wanted, and they did not even perceive themselves as being persuaded. Most participants found the persuasion for their own benefit and neutral (with no intention behind) to be ethically admirable. However, for the university’s benefit, most participants found the persuasion to be ethically neutral. In addition, in general they had neither a positive nor negative reaction to the attempt of persuading them. Research limitations/implications These findings suggest that, to influence student attitudes effectively, even when they retain freedom of choice, robust persuasive techniques may be necessary. At the same time, careful attention to ethical considerations is essential to maintain students’ positive perceptions. Originality/value The novelty of the study is addressing the use and ethics of persuasion through human–machine interfaces within a higher education setting, specifically among students in an Algerian educational institution. The main contribution is determining whether students can be persuaded with different interface designs (neutral design, persuasive design with a morally admirable goal, persuasive design with a neutral goal and persuasive design with a morally questionable goal), as well as whether they consider persuasion to be ethical.

Mechanism of stable lithium plating and stripping in a metal-interlayer-inserted anode-less solid-state lithium metal battery

To reliably operate anode-less solid-state Li metal batteries, wherein precipitated Li acts as the anode, stabilizing the interface between the solid electrolyte and electrode is crucial. The interface can be controlled by a metal interlayer on the electrolyte to form a Li alloy buffer that facilitates stable Li plating/stripping, thereby mitigating the loss of physical contact and preventing short circuits. However, the mechanism governing stable Li plating/stripping in the metal interlayer without degrading battery materials remains unclear owing to an incomplete understanding of the dynamic and complex electrochemical reactions in the solid state. Through multiple operando and post-mortem analyses of the Li deposition behavior in the morphology, chemistry and microstructure, a close correlation is found between the Li-metal alloying process with the microstructural evolution and electrochemical performance when Ag, Au, Zn, and Cu interlayers were adopted on the garnet-type solid electrolyte Li6.5La3Zr1.5Ta0.5O12. The Ag interlayer improved the interfacial stability enabled by Ag-dissolved Li, which inhibited dendritic growth, passing through the phase-separated Li-Ag alloy microstructure, while the other metals did not because of the Li plating at the Li-metal alloy/solid electrolyte interface. This work provides fundamental guidance for material selection and interface design, advancing the development of anode-less solid-state batteries.

Analysis of Digital Media Interaction Design Based on Virtual Reality Technology

With the rapid development of Virtual Reality (VR) technology, its application in digital media interaction design has gradually become a hot research topic. Virtual Reality technology, with its unique advantages such as immersion, interactivity, and real-time performance, offers an unprecedented user experience in digital media. This study explores the core role of Virtual Reality technology in digital media interaction design, analyzing its innovations in interface design, interaction flow, and user experience. By providing a detailed interpretation of the definition, characteristics, and technological composition of Virtual Reality, this paper deeply analyzes how Virtual Reality is changing traditional digital media interaction methods. The study shows that Virtual Reality not only enhances the interactivity between users and digital media content but also promotes the diversity of digital content presentation and the enhancement of immersion. This paper aims to provide theoretical foundations and design ideas for the future application of Virtual Reality technology in digital media design.

Research on the ‘Dual-Channel’ design of AR tourism guide digital products on intelligent mobile terminals integrating ‘Digital, Culture, and Tourism’

With the development and popularization of digital technology, AR has become a highly regarded innovative tool in the field of tourism. This study analyzes the current development status of existing digital products for tourist guides, innovatively applying the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), questionnaire surveys, and ‘Dual-Channel’ analysis. Through a more systematic and scientific approach, it identifies top-down and bottom-up user requirements and expectations for AR tourism guide digital product design. The study proposes a series of design strategies based on interface design, interaction design, content provision, and guided tour experience. It quantifies user experience and applies these findings to practical design focused on the Xi’an Tang Dynasty Ever-Bright City. The satisfaction levels across various aspects of the product meet expectations, validating the reliability of the analysis results. This design research provides insights for developing more attractive and practical AR tourism guide digital products.

Spiny Co3O4@Hollow Carbon Spheres─Polyacrylonitrile/Carbon Black Fiber-Based Bifunctional Air Electrodes.

In the realm of zinc-air batteries, high bifunctional catalytic efficacy is intimately tied to the evaluation of catalysts. Consequently, the pursuit of proficient bifunctional catalysts that can efficiently catalyze both the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) remains a paramount objective in this research area. In this study, the spiny cobalt tetroxide (Co3O4) encapsulated hollow carbon spheres (HCSs) are constructed by anchoring Co3O4 onto HCS via hydrothermal or annealing treatment. The strategic interface design of the HCS encourages an abundance of sites while simultaneously facilitating the proliferation of spiny Co3O4, offering an expansive surface area and abundant active sites. The surface active Co3+ ions and the induction of surface oxygen vacancies in spiny Co3O4 encapsulated HCS endow it with outstanding bifunctional catalytic activity and stability. After spray-coating and subsequent annealing of the spiny Co3O4 encapsulated HCS catalyst on the flexible carbon-based polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber support, the spiny Co3O4 encapsulated HCS-PAN/carbon black (C) 800 air electrode is successfully integrated. Moreover, the optimized spiny Co3O4 encapsulated HCS-PAN/C 800 air electrode displays a decreased potential difference (ΔE) of 0.77 V for catalyzing the ORR and OER performance. This work introduces a promising candidate approach for exploring innovative bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts, targeting enhanced efficiency in portable energy storage applications.

Optimized Internet of Things Model for Smart Irrigation Using the Drip Method

Irrigation is the regular application of water to the crops so that the water supply to the crop will assist it to grow well. Irrigation is mainly useful in areas where there is a shortage of rainfall. The aim of this study is to optimize an IoT-based model for smart irrigation using the drop method. However, the objectives of the study are to; design an IoT-based model for smart irrigation and implement the optimized IoT-based model for smart irrigation. This study achieved its target; an optimized IoT model for smart irrigation using the drip method. The program has made the following functionality: login page wireframe, dashboard wireframe, system user case diagram, actuators page wireframe, sensor page wireframe and application interface design. The model was tested and approved to fulfill its mission and objectives such as designing an IoT-based model for smart irrigation, implementing the optimized IoT-based model for smart irrigation using the drip method with Python programming language, testing and evaluating the performance of the optimized IoT-based model for smart irrigation water using drip method was then deployed to the farm. Also, helps to solve the problem of scarcity of empirical evidences in the area of the study.

Advances and Applications of Capillary Electrophoresis Mass Spectrometry in Food Analysis: Strategies for Online and Offline Preconcentration.

Advancements in food technology have increased the need for thorough analysis to ensure food safety, quality, and compliance with regulatory requirements. Capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (CE-MS) has emerged as a powerful tool in food analysis due to its high separation efficiency, low sample consumption, and ability to handle complex matrices. However, challenges such as the use of volatile running buffers and maintaining the stability of the electrical circuit connecting the CE and MS systems have been addressed through advancements in interface designs, such as sheathless systems and optimized sheath-liquid compositions. Online and offline preconcentration techniques have significantly enhanced CE-MS sensitivity (up to 1000-fold) through stacking methods such as large volume sample stacking (LVSS) and dynamic pH junction stacking. Meanwhile, offline sample preparation techniques, such as solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid-based methods, are essential for removing matrix interferences and preconcentrating targeted analytes. This review explores both online and offline preconcentration methods and emphasizes the importance of CE-MS in helping researchers develop effective strategies for selecting the best preconcentration methods for food analysis.

Designing Fluorescent Interfaces at Hotspots in a Plasmonic Nanopore for Homologous Optoelectronic Sensing.

In this work, a site-selective functionalization strategy is proposed for modifying fluorescent dyes in the plasmonic nanopore, which highlights building optoelectronic dual-signal sensing interfaces at "hotspots" locations to construct multiparameter detection nanosensor. Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations confirmed the high-intensity electromagnetic field due to plasmonic nanostructure. It is demonstrated that adjusting the distance between the nanopore inner wall and fluorophore prevented the fluorescence quenching, resulting in more than a thirty fold fluorescence enhancement. Upon binding with the target analyte, the sensor produces homologous yet independent optoelectronic dual-signal responses that cross-validate one another, providing highly accurate analysis even in the presence of multiple interferences. The platform demonstrates precise, adaptable detection with linear responses to extracellular pH changes at the single-cell level, making it a versatile tool for a range of biosensing applications. By enabling the functionalization of fluorescent interfaces in the "hotspots" of metal nanopores, this interface design strategy efficiently exploits the enhancement of electromagnetic fields to achieve high-precision dual-signal measurements and greatly improves the sensitivity of biosensing applications.

Evaluation of Intelligent Auxiliary Information Presentation Mode for Collaborative Flight Formation

Collaborative flight formations represent a promising operational model, but the integration of multi-source information in manned interfaces often results in cognitive overload and reduced situation awareness. This study evaluates the effectiveness of intelligent auxiliary information presentation modes in enhancing personnel capabilities. Using a simulation-based collaborative flight formation system, four presentation modes with varying levels of information and dynamics were experimentally tested and evaluated across subjective dimensions (cognitive workload, situation awareness, and interface design) and objective dimensions (design task flow information load and operational task flow information load). The results indicate that Level 3 and Level 4 modes significantly reduced mental workload and improved practical operational ability compared to the original mode. Level 3 achieved the highest interface evaluation scores, while Level 4 demonstrated the lowest design task flow information load. Both modes significantly enhanced situation awareness. Altogether, Level 3 and Level 4 resulted in the most significant improvements in personnel capabilities. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing interface design and improving situation awareness in collaborative flight formation tasks.

Development of CPAP Overlay Interfaces for Efficient Administration of Aerosol Surfactant Therapy to Preterm Infants

The administration of surfactant aerosol therapy to preterm infants receiving continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) respiratory support is highly challenging due to small flow passages, relatively high ventilation flow rates, rapid breathing and small inhalation volumes. To overcome these challenges, the objective of this study was to implement a validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model and develop an overlay nasal prong interface design for use with CPAP respiratory support that enables high efficiency powder aerosol delivery to the lungs of preterm infants when needed (i.e., on-demand) and can remain in place without increasing the work of breathing compared with a baseline CPAP interface. Realistic in vitro experiments were first conducted to generate baseline validation data, and then the CFD model, once validated, was used to explore key design parameters across a range of preterm infant nose-throat geometries and aerosol delivery conditions. The most important factors for efficient aerosol delivery were shown to be (i) maintaining the aerosol delivery flow rate below the tracheal flow rate (to minimize CPAP line loss) and (ii) concentrating the aerosol within the first portion of the inhalation waveform. An optimized design was shown to deliver approximately 37–60% of the nominal dose through the system and to the lungs with low intersubject variability (1050–2200 g infants) across two modes of device actuation (automated and manual) with room for further improvement. Ergonomic curvatures and streamlining of the prong geometries were also found to reduce work of breathing and flow resistance compared with a commercial alternative.Graphical

Advances in Low Temperature Fabrication Strategies on Charge Carrier Transport Layers in Perovskite Solar Cells

Perovskite solar cells have garnered extensive attention and profound scrutiny from the global scientific community, attributed to their progressively enhancing photoelectric conversion efficiency, the expedient and efficient solution-based fabrication process, their distinctive lightweight and wearable attributes, and the promise of utilizing cost-effective materials. Over recent years, the efficiency of perovskite solar cells has surpassed the benchmark of 26.7%, while innovations in low-temperature synthesis techniques for crafting high-quality perovskite thin films were still calling efforts, coupled with relentless endeavors to refine the interface and electrode material designs. Simultaneously, the stability of these cells has garnered considerable industry focus. This paper delves into the latest advancements in the low-temperature preparation of perovskite solar cells, offering an insightful examination of pioneering methodologies and technical strategies for achieving low-temperature fabrication of each pivotal layer-specifically the carrier transport functional layers, while exploring a spectrum of enhancement strategies aimed at augmenting their performance further. These endeavors establish a robust foundation for their expanded applications in the foreseeable future.

Enhancing Snippet Visualizations to Improve Web Search

Various snippet visualizations have been suggested to assist users in assessing the relevance of their online search results, including highlighting query terms and incorporating target page thumbnails. This study introduced two enhancements: shades and multiple thumbnails. In the shades visualization, query terms in the snippet are background highlighted in different shades based on the number of adjacent query terms. The multiple thumbnail visualization presents reduced-size thumbnails of the target landing page. A 3 × 3 experimental design examined the effects of thumbnails (no thumbnail, single thumbnail, multiple thumbnails) and highlighting (no highlighting, yellow background highlighting, shades), and their combined use on 37 participants’ effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction when performing complex search tasks. The results showed that although the shades and multiple thumbnail visualizations had no significant effect on users’ effectiveness compared to the baseline textual snippet visualization, they both significantly (p < 0.0001) improved users’ efficiency and satisfaction, and their combined effect was synergetic. The findings have operative implications for web search interface design.

Sentiment Analysis for Movie Database Management System Using Naive Bayes Algorithm

Abstract: According to F. Furtado and A. Singh (2021), movie recommendation systems aim to assist viewers by suggesting movies to watch, thereby avoiding the time-consuming and complex process of selecting from a vast library of movies, which can number in the thousands or even millions. This article seeks to reduce human effort by recommending movies based on user interests. To address these challenges, we propose a technique that combines content-based and collaborative approaches. This method produces more precise results than systems that rely solely on content-based methods. Content-based recommendation systems are limited to individual preferences and do not recommend items outside the user’s immediate interests, restricting exploration. To overcome these limitations, we developed a system that addresses these concerns. The proposed movie recommendation system uses Cosine Similarity to suggest movies like the one chosen by the user. While existing algorithms generate recommendations, they often fail to answer the critical question, “Is this a film worth watching?” To enhance the overall experience, our system incorporates sentiment analysis of selected movie reviews using machine learning techniques. This study employs two supervised learning approaches, Naïve Bayes (NB) and Support Vector Machine (SVM), to improve accuracy and efficacy. A comparison of the two methods reveals that SVM achieved an accuracy score of 98.63%, while NB scored 97.33%, as reported by N. Pavitha et al. (2022). The project integrates a sentiment analysis module into the movie management system to enhance decision-making and user experience. The Naïve Bayes approach is used to classify and evaluate user reviews and feedback into positive, negative, and neutral categories. This analysis provides insights into audience preferences, overall satisfaction, and movie reception. The system utilizes this information to refine movie recommendations, analyze trends, and enhance content selection, all of which contribute to a more personalized user experience. The system is evaluated using the ISO 25010 framework, focusing on functionality, reliability, usability, effectiveness, and robustness. Findings show that respondents actively participated in the review process across multiple domains. Key results indicate high satisfaction levels in terms of ease of use, interface design, and system performance. Feedback also highlighted areas for improvement, such as optimizing loading times and enhancing specific features for a smoother user experience. Overall, the findings reflect positive engagement with the system, demonstrating its effectiveness in meeting user needs while identifying opportunities for future enhancements.

Designing for impact: a case study of UTHSC’s research impact challenge

Prompted by increasing requests for assistance with research evaluation from faculty researchers and university leadership, faculty librarians at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) launched an innovative Research Impact Challenge in 2023. This Challenge was inspired by the University of Michigan's model and tailored to the needs of health sciences researchers. This asynchronous event aimed to empower early-career researchers and faculty seeking promotion and tenure by enhancing their online scholarly presence and understanding of how scholarship is tracked and evaluated. A team of diverse experts crafted an engaging learning experience through the strategic use of technology and design. Scribe slideshows and videos offered dynamic instruction, while written content and worksheets facilitated engagement and reflection. The Research Impact Challenge LibGuide, expertly designed with HTML and CSS, served as the central platform, ensuring intuitive navigation and easy access to resources (https://libguides.uthsc.edu/impactchallenge). User interface design prioritized simplicity and accessibility, accommodating diverse learning preferences and technical skills. This innovative project addressed common challenges faced by researchers and demonstrated the impactful use of technology in creating an adaptable and inclusive educational experience. The Research Impact Challenge exemplifies how academic libraries can harness technology to foster scholarly growth and support research impact in the health sciences.

Investigating the impacts of auditory and visual feedback in advanced driver assistance systems: a pilot study on driver behavior and emotional response

In the autonomous vehicle industry, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are recognized for their capacity to enhance service quality, improve on-road safety, and increase driver comfort. Driver Assistance Systems are able to provide multi-modal feedback including auditory cues, visual cues, vibrotactile cues and so on. The study will concentrate on assessing the impacts of auditory and visual feedback from assistive driving systems on drivers. A group consisting of five participants (N = 5) was recruited to take part in two sets of driving experiments. During the experimental sessions, they were exposed to several reminders designed for drivers in audio-only format and audio-visual format, respectively. Their driving behaviors and performances were under researcher’s observation, while their emotions were evaluated by YOLO v5 detecting model. The results reveal that the participants higher compliance rate and strong emotional reactions (especially the feelings of anger, sadness and surprise) towards the unimodal feedback of audio-only driving reminders. There is no strong evidence showing that the bimodal ADAS feedback of audio-visual cues effectively improve drivers’ performance during driving period. However, both the emotion data and user satisfaction results indicate that participants experienced an increase in feelings of happiness when they were able to visualize the AI assistant while hearing the audio reminders from the assistant. The study serves as one of the pioneering studies aimed at enhancing the theoretical foundation in the field of automotive user interface design, particularly concerning the design of auditory functions.

Technology Acceptance and Service Experience of Elderly Users with AI Translation Tools

With advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), AI-assisted translation tools have become vital for daily communication. However, elderly users often face various challenges and obstacles when adopting these technologies. Using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Service-Dominant Logic (SDL), this study delves into the behaviors and experiences of elderly users engaging with AI translation tools. Based on interviews with multiple elderly participants, the findings reveal that their acceptance of new technologies depends not only on ease of use and functionality but also on factors like service experience, emotional support, and social networks. The study highlights that simplifying interface design, improving translation accuracy, and providing personalized training and service support are key to enhancing technology acceptance among the elderly. Theoretically, this study extends the application of TAM and SDL, while practically, it offers actionable recommendations for the design and promotion of AI translation tools.

Rapid Na+ Transport Pathway and Stable Interface Design Enabling Ultralong Life Solid-State Sodium Metal Batteries.

Sodium-metal batteries (SMBs) using solid-state polymer electrolytes (SPEs) show impressive superiority in energy density and safety. As promising candidates for SPEs, solid-state plastic crystal electrolytes (SPCE) based on succinonitrile (SN) plastic crystal could achieve high ion conductivity and wide voltage window. Nonetheless, the notorious SN decomposition reaction on the electrode/electrolyte interface seriously challenges the stable operation of the battery. To address this drawback, we commence with the structural engineering of the polymer chain segments in SPCE and employ intermolecular interactions to optimize the composition of solid electrolyte interface (SEI). Moreover, this study emphasizes the importance of polymer network design in optimizing the migration behavior of sodium ions in SPCE. The assembled sodium symmetric cells display a high critical current density of up to 2.7 mA cm-2 and stable cycling performance for 700 hours at 0.5 mA cm-2. Furthermore, the Na/SPCE-9/Na3V2(PO4)3 maintains a discharge specific capacity of up to 76.8 mAh g-1 at 10 C and shows impressive long-cycle stability, retaining 86.2 % of initial capacity over 5000 cycles with an average coulombic efficiency of 99.9 %. Our work presents a high-performance SPCE with intrinsic safety, providing valuable insights for the future design of solid-state SMBs.

Advancing haptic realism: modelling grasp contact vibrations for enhanced virtual environment interaction

Abstract In haptic technology, achieving realistic tactile feedback is crucial for enhancing the user experience in virtual environments. Previous studies lack effective methods for transmitting high-frequency vibrations crucial for realistic tactile feedback in haptic interfaces, highlighting the need for our research to address this gap. This paper explores the application of a tactile gripping interface to transmit the high-frequency vibrations produced when contacting a hard object's surface. These short vibrations improve the tactile sensation of hard virtual surfaces when overlaid on traditional position-based force feedback within a haptic environment. The enhanced realism of virtual objects is achieved by effectively estimating the vibration composition from user-induced parameters. This work presents a prototype grasping interface and empirically demonstrates this device's utility. We examine empirical grasp contact data, recorded and interpreted, to recognise the relationship between dynamic user-controlled parameters and the resulting vibration transients. This relationship effectively incorporates these changing dynamics to model the grasp impact and estimate the essential system parameters to understand the influence of the user's grasp force. Through our multi-point grasping interface design, this work demonstrates a mathematical relationship between the user's grasp force and the high-frequency vibrations from contact with hard surfaces. The study found that the proposed haptic interface had an RMSE of 0.05, demonstrating the system's high level of accuracy. This low RMSE value indicates that the predicted vibrations closely matched the actual measured vibrations, proving the effectiveness of our methods through objective validation.&amp;#xD;

Perancangan Desain UI/UX Website E-Learning Berbasis Learning Management System dengan Metode Design Thinking

This research aims to develop a user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design for a Learning Management System (LMS)-based e-learning platform for the Central Language Improvement (CLI) community at the Islamic University of Indonesia using the Design Thinking method. Following the empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and testing stages, this research involved administrators, mentors, and students in the development process. Data collection was conducted through direct observation and interviews, followed by analysis using user personas and mind mapping. Usability testing results showed good acceptance levels with Maze scores for Admin (75), Mentor (89), and Students (83), and a System Usability Scale (SUS) score of 75.2 indicating an "Acceptable" category with a "Good" rating. This research successfully produced a UI/UX design that meets user needs in supporting the learning process in the CLI UII community, with recommendations for further development on the admin interface and implementation of learning monitoring features.

A Wenzel Interfaces Design for Homogeneous Solute Distribution Obtains Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells.

The coffee-ring effect, caused by uneven deposition of colloidal particles in perovskite precursor solutions, leads to poor uniformity in perovskite films prepared through large-area printing. In this work, the surface of SnO2 is roughened to construct a Wenzel model, successfully achieving a super-hydrophilic interface. This modification significantly accelerates the spreading of the perovskite precursor solution, reducing the response delay time of perovskite colloidal particles during the printing process. Additionally, the micro-spherical depression structure on the SnO2 surface effectively inhibits the migration of colloidal particles toward the edges of liquid film, trapping perovskite colloidal particles at the buried interfaces and improving film uniformity. Due to the synergistic effect of super-hydrophilicity and micro-rough structure on the surface of SnO2, leading to a substantial improvement in the quality of perovskite crystals. Therefore, the efficiency of printing prepared flexible devices (0.101 cm2) reached 25.42% (certified 25.12%). Moreover, the efficiency of rigid and flexible large-scale perovskite solar modules (PSMs) based on meniscus-coating manufacture reached 21.34% and 16.99% (100 cm2), respectively, and demonstrated superior environmental stability by maintaining an initial efficiency of 91% after being stored in atmospheric conditions for 2000 h, offering practical guidance for fabricating high-performance and stable large-scale perovskite solar cells (PSCs).