User's Situation Research Articles

From Functional Efficiency to Temporal Efficiency: Multifunctional Products Increase Consumer Impatience

Multifunctional products are ubiquitous in consumers' daily lives. However, scant research has examined whether and how the presence of multifunctional products systematically alters consumer behavior beyond product evaluations and adoption. Across four experiments and three supplementary studies, the authors identify a multifunction‐impatience effect. They show that after exposure to multifunctional (vs. single‐function) products, consumers are more likely to choose a smaller but sooner (vs. a larger but later) reward (Study 1), report more impatience when waiting for the web search results to load and perceive the loading time as longer (Study 2), and are willing to pay more for expedited shipping (Study 3). The authors further show that the effects occur because multifunctional products activate an efficiency goal among consumers, which renders them less patient (studies 2 and 3). In addition to the regular, “sequential” multifunctional products for which each of the functions has a specific usage situation, the proposed effect also applies to “simultaneous” multifunctional products whose functions operate simultaneously during consumption (Study 4). Taken together, this research broadens the scholarly understanding of the effects of multifunctional products from consumers' responses to these products to the unintended impact of such products on consumer impatience.

Prediction of thermal comfort of female passengers in a vehicle based on an outdoor experiment

Vehicles have come to be regarded as another important indoor environment where people spend a significant amount of time. Along with the accelerated development of self-driving vehicles, more attention has been focused on optimizing the thermal comfort of vehicle users. Compared with buildings, vehicles have a non-uniform indoor environment that dynamically changes under the influence of solar radiation and the season of the year. Considering the various environmental factors that significantly impact the indoor condition of a vehicle, it is very challenging to estimate the thermal comfort of a vehicle user, especially when the vehicle is outdoors. Many comfort models have been developed based on subject experiments conducted using vehicles placed in climatic chambers. However, because such laboratory experiments consider only very limited conditions, a dynamic scene that simulates the actual situation of vehicle users under real driving conditions cannot be implemented. To address this issue, the present study utilized long-term outdoor experiments. Based on the data acquired from the experiments, we derived equations for predicting the overall thermal sensation (OTS) of a female vehicle user under both transient and stable conditions. The field experiments were conducted over three seasons and considered a total of 80 female subjects of ages 20–30 years. All the experiments were performed using an experimental vehicle on the rooftop of a seven-story building, where the sunlight was not shielded. The environmental conditions (air temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, and air velocity) inside and outside the vehicle were measured. The psychological and physiological responses of the subjects during the experiments were also recorded. The physiological responses consisted of the skin temperature at 16 local body sites, while the psychological responses consisted of the local and overall thermal sensation and comfort. The data of 60 randomly selected subjects of the experiments were used to derive optimal multiple regression equations for predicting the OTS of a female vehicle user, while the data of the other 20 subjects were used to validate the proposed equations. The two derived equations of the OTS prediction model for both non-uniform and uniform state of a vehicle consist of simple and straightforward environmental indicators such as outdoor and indoor air temperature, the difference between the outdoor and indoor air temperature, and the solar radiation. A strong correlation between the actual OTS and predicted OTS from the equations were found, showing the feasibility of the developed OTS prediction model.

Comparison of the SARS-CoV-2-inactivating activities of the differently manufactured hypochlorous acid water products with various pH.

The use of effective disinfectants is a key method of controlling the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Hypochlorous acid water (HAW) has a broad spectrum of virucidal activities. We previously reported that acidic electrolyzed water, one of the HAW products, had potent SARS-CoV-2-inactivating activity and showed promise as a disinfectant. However, different manufacturing methods have produced several HAW products with various pH values. Here, we compared the SARS-CoV-2-inactivating activities of various HAW products. At sufficiently high volume and residual chlorine concentration (RCC), the HAW products inactivated SARS-CoV-2 efficiently regardless of pH or manufacturing method. However, although HAW products at pH 5.0-6.4 maintained high RCC and sustained virucidal activity for 21 days, the RCC rapidly decreased in HAW products at pH ≤ 3.0. Our results may guide in choosing appropriate HAW products for different usage situations.

A Privacy-preserving Data Aggregation Scheme with Efficient Batch Verification in Smart Grid

This paper presents a privacy-preserving data aggregation scheme deals with the multidimensional data. It is essential that the multidimensional data is rarely mentioned in all researches on smart grid. We use the Paillier Cryptosystem and blinding factor technique to encrypt the multidimensional data as a whole and take advantage of the homomorphic property of the Paillier Cryptosystem to achieve data aggregation. Signature and efficient batch verification have also been applied into our scheme for data integrity and quick verification. And the efficient batch verification only requires 2 pairing operations. Our scheme also supports fault tolerance which means that even some smart meters don’t work, our scheme can still work well. In addition, we give two extensions of our scheme. One is that our scheme can be used to compute a fixed user’s time-of-use electricity bill. The other is that our scheme is able to effectively and quickly deal with the dynamic user situation. In security analysis, we prove the detailed unforgeability and security of batch verification, and briefly introduce other security features. Performance analysis shows that our scheme has lower computational complexity and communication overhead than existing schemes.

Understanding preferences for type of take-home naloxone device: international qualitative analysis of the views of people who use opioids

Background Take-home naloxone (THN) is provided to non-medically trained people to reverse potential opioid overdoses. There is an increasing range of effective intramuscular (IM) and intranasal (IN) naloxone devices and this paper explores the types preferred by people who use opioids, using consumer behaviour literature to interpret the findings. Methods Data derive from two unconnected qualitative studies involving audio-recorded semi-structured interviews. Study 1 was conducted in the United States (n = 21 users of non-medical/illicit opioids). Study 2 was conducted in Australia (n = 42 users of non-medical/illicit or prescribed opioids). Findings Most participants preferred IN naloxone. Preferences were based on the ease, speed, safety and comfort of each device and underpinned by accounts of overdose revivals as being very rushed and frightening situations. Preferences related to complex interactions between the naloxone device (‘product’); the knowledge, skills, experience and attitudes of the lay responder (‘consumer’), and when, where and how naloxone was to be used (‘usage situation’). Conclusions THN programs should offer choice of device when possible and nasal naloxone if resources permit. Asking people which devices they prefer and why and treating them as valued consumers of naloxone products can generate insights that improve future naloxone technology and increase THN uptake and usage.

Adoption and Use of Learning Management Systems in Education: The Role of Playfulness and Self-Management

This article investigates the factors affecting primary and secondary education teachers’ behavioral intention to adopt learning management systems (LMSs). Information technology (IT) innovations have the power to change the way we work, educate, learn, and basically the way we live. The effect of IT innovations on education makes it critical to understand the current usage situation of LMSs and the factors affecting their adoption by teachers. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) was extended with factors from education and game-based learning literature. In order to see the effect of individual- and organizational-level characteristics, multi-group structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis was conducted and discrepancies in relationships were reported. Evaluation of users and non-users and teachers of different fields were also compared to each other. The findings of this study not only contribute to theory through the development and testing of a thorough model relating technology features and individual characteristics to behavioral intention to use, but also offer strong implications for practitioners who would like to increase LMS usage and create a more effective learning environment.

A Big Data-Driven Hybrid Solution to the Indoor-Outdoor Detection Problem

Context-aware mobile applications are emerging as a relevant technology to improve the users' satisfaction. By being aware of the current situation of a user, a context-aware application can adapt itself to provide the most suitable services at that moment. Companies from different areas are investing in turning their applications aware of the users' context with the objective of increasing their quality-of-experience and reducing churn. Among many possible contexts, the situation of a mobile user in terms of the type of environment (i.e., indoor or outdoor) is a relevant yet difficult to obtain information. In this work, we propose the HybridIO , a solution to the Indoor-Outdoor Detection Problem that advances the state-of-the-art, since it requires less sensor data to operate and generalizes well in other domains. We validate our solution considering a large amount of real data, and the results reveal an improvement of up to 14% in precision when compared to other baselines. We also deploy the proposed solution into a real-time big data architecture that is able to enrich up to 400 records/second with the indoor-outdoor information.

Food consumer behaviour in Czechia and Ukraine: food-related lifestyle concepts among millennial consumers

Food-related lifestyles are beneficial in terms of reducing consumers' perceived risks and anxiety regarding food products. There would appear to three domains in terms of food-related lifestyle and eating behaviour: 1) usage situation; 2) consequences of using food products; 3) meal preparation scripts. The comparative approach utilising the factor analysis for the fitted food-related lifestyle of three domains of generation of millennials was used. A total of 319 respondents participated. Factor analysis was fitted for food-related lifestyle domains for both countries. The findings of this study indicated that usage situation domains explained more of the variance in a culture different than the other two domains. This study seeks to fill a gap in the existing literature by examining millennials' food-related lifestyle in three domains: meal preparation, script usage situation and desired consequences.

Intelligent Perception System of Big Data Decision in Cross‐Border e‐Commerce Based on Data Fusion

There is a gap between supply and demand in cross‐border e‐trading platforms. The so‐called supply and demand gap refers to the existing good companies that cannot meet the needs of buyers. Cross‐border e‐commerce, the buyer’s purchase demand is often included in the buyer’s behavior, such as searching for goods by pressing buttons, clicking price, category and other means, and on‐site delivery time. It is important for CBEC to analyze the buyer’s needs to protect the procurement and provide the seller with reference to supply, so as to solve the supply and demand gap between the buyer and the seller. This paper mainly studies the CBEC big data decision intelligent perception system based on data fusion. It is the same as the innovation process of better application of data fusion to the e‐commerce business model. At the same time, the key technologies of data extraction, conversion, data warehouse, and front‐end display in the system construction are analyzed and designed. This paper mainly uses data fusion algorithm, data fusion network model, quaternion method, big data decision intelligent sensing system framework design experiment, and CBEC user experiment to study the CBEC big data decision intelligent sensing system based on data fusion, and also with the development of CBEC, I hope more people can participate in CBEC practice. The results show that with the increase of data volume of the CBEC platform from 2016 to 2020, the construction of the CBEC platform business of big data production intelligent perception system considers the situation of users from seven aspects. With the increase of consumption, domestic consumers are increasingly pursuing a better life, cross‐border import e‐commerce ushered in a great development era.

Sport and Mobile TV: conceptualization and Empirical Analysis of a Mobile TV Usage Model

The aim of this research was to explain the importance of sport in the use of digital media services on mobile devices. Relevant factors related to mobile TV usage were identified and the strength of their influence was analyzed to show that sport is a driving force for mobile TV usage. Inspired by service-dominant logic (SDL) and the sport value framework (SVF), an innovative research model was specified and tested empirically among three samples from Australia, Germany, and the U.S.A. SDL and SVF suggest value is always co-created and context dependent. Thus, usage situations were integrated as contextual factors in a structural equation model, with interest in sport and other psychological factors as independent variables and mobile TV usage intention as dependent variable. This study is one of the first empirically testing what motives lead to mobile sport viewing and how interest in sport drives mobile TV usage. The empirical findings imply that consumer interest in sport is highly relevant for media technology usage. They further demonstrate that usage context really matters.

The Current Situation of Solar Home System Usage and Problems Due to Its Inappropriate Uses in Unelectrified Areas of Tanzania

The Current Situation of Solar Home System Usage and Problems Due to Its Inappropriate Uses in Unelectrified Areas of Tanzania

An overview of robot applications in automotive industry

The paper deals with an overview of industrial robot usage possibility in automotive industry which nowadays is the most important customer of industrial robotic market. The first part of paper describes the situation of industrial robot usage and offers an overview of application of robots in world industry. Later we deal with the most common applications of robots, especially in the automotive industry, as well as trends and perspectives on the future of automotive robotics. Finally, there was presented a model task from real industrial practice in form of specific project overview about robotized tightening of screws on the production line of car seats at the end of the article.

Context-Aware Recommendation Systems in the IoT Environment (IoT-CARS)–A Comprehensive Overview

An essential goal of recommendation systems is to provide users with accurate and personalized recommendations that meet their preferences. With the rapid growth of IoT-connected sensors, the availability of contextual information has increased, and this has necessitated the fast development of Context-Aware Recommendation Systems (CARS). Context-Aware recommenders are different from traditional recommenders because of their ability to predict the ratings of target users/items by exploiting the knowledge of contextual information. Context-aware recommenders define the context as any information that characterizes the situations of items and users at a particular interaction. They are essential for some contexts where prediction can be more precise in generating specific personalized recommendations. This paper provides a comprehensive review of context-based recommendation systems in IoT environments, namely IoT-CARS, and sheds light on their requirements, characteristics, and applications. We characterize context-aware recommenders in terms of the different IoT contexts and how these contexts are modeled. We also highlight the used metrics to evaluate the performance of various context-based recommenders.

Research on ISPs Selection Technology Based on Network Quality Monitoring

Abstract With the development of the network era, ISP have become more than one. Users can choose ISP according to personal preference when buying broadband, to provide users with the right to choose. However, with the improvement of network speed and bandwidth, people still feel the network congestion during peak hours. In this paper, users can choose different ISPs dynamically based on network quality monitoring. In this paper, the HTTP protocol of the application layer is used to accurately measure the real Internet situation of users, and the PC is used to actively send data to two network links at the same time, and finally the feedback parameter information can be obtained. According to this protocol, the real loading time of data can be accurately measured and the optimal ISP link can be selected. Then, a one-to-one relationship between the client address and different ISPs is established, and this relationship is saved in the routing table. Users will dynamically choose different ISPs by using the network address translation.

Factors Affecting the Adoption of Technology in Dairy Farms in the Konya Region of Turkey.

This study aimed to determine the factors affecting the technology adaptation of dairy farms. For this purpose, according to the stratified random sampling method, 125 dairy farms were determined as the sample size. In the analysis of the factors affecting the technology adaptation of dairy farms, a “tech-nology usage index” was created according to the current technology usage situations of the producers. Factors affecting the technology adaptation of dairy farms were determined by multiple linear regression analysis. According to the multiple linear regression analysis results, education, experience/age ratio, workforce, credit usage status, participation in extension activities and income were found to be statisti-cally significant at the 5% level. The yield was found to be significant at the 10% significance level. En-terprises using low and high technology follow technologies from other farmers in the village, television and dealers in the district. Lead farmers should be used in agricultural extension activities and mass media should be used.

Usage situation of e-books in a Japanese university library during the COVID-19 pandemic

Usage situation of e-books in a Japanese university library during the COVID-19 pandemic

Impact of antibiotic use and disease risks on Australian laying hen welfare

Antibiotic stewardship is an important concern for government, communities and producers. Shifts towards more extensive production systems in egg layers (i.e. free range) has increased the incidence of many diseases and parasites, requiring a return to the use of medications. Limitations on the number of antimicrobial drugs available for use in Australian egg layers under these increased usage situations can lead to the loss of effectiveness of the medications, antibiotic resistance development and continued declines in bird health and welfare. The small size of the Australian layer flock makes the likelihood of more antimicrobials becoming available very low due to the high cost of obtaining additional registration for use in layers and the significant challenge in assuring nil residues in eggs.

Accuracy – review of the concept and proposal for a revised definition

Accuracy as a concept is widely used in metrology. It has undergone a historical development and is defined and used differently in different documents, communities and usage situations. Present existing definitions are sometimes not clear, not unambiguous and sometimes even not useful. This paper explains the difficulties regarding present definitions, throws a spotlight on present day use of the concept, clarifies the question if accuracy is a qualitative concept and finally presents conceptual ideas and a proposal for a new wording of a sustainable definition for accuracy. This paper is intended to support the highly estimated work of JCGM WG2.

The Role of Category Labeling in Categorization and Evaluation of New Products

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to analyze how consumers react to new products that do not fit into any existing product categories in their minds and how the category label provided for the new product helps them understand and categorize it. It intends to discover how consumers' attitudes, purchase intentions, and expected benefits from a new product are shaped when they can categorize the product versus when they cannot. The drink is chosen as the new product subject to the study. Although the imaginary cider brand in the study contains three percent alcohol, it is labeled either as a soft drink or an alcoholic drink. Another aim of the study is to test whether consumers' categorization decisions are affected by the labels and cues provided in the advertisements although more suitable categorizations are possible. Design/methodology/approach – (2 x 2) ANOVA is run on 350 participants. Category label is manipulated with a 2 (soft drink schema ad with no label indicated- alcoholic drink schema ad with no label indicated) x 2 (soft drink schema ad with soft drink label indicated- alcoholic drink schema ad with alcoholic drink label indicated) between-groups design. Findings – When faced with a new product, consumers categorize the product in the direction of the label provided in the advertisement and away from other more likely categorizations. Although the cider brand contains three percent alcohol, when it is labeled as a soft drink, it is categorized as a soft drink. Consumers who are uncertain about cider's product category showed lower attitude towards the product and purchase intention scores than consumers who are more confident about their category decisions. Discussion – When a new product is introduced into the market, the product's marketing communications should clearly define the product, its product category, its benefits, and usage situations. The label and cues given in the advertisements will help consumers to place the product into a category indicated by advertisements. Providing a label also helps consumers to have a positive attitude towards the product and increases its chance of trial.

X‐person asymmetric interaction in virtual and augmented realities

AbstractThis study proposes simple, highly immersive x‐person asymmetric interactions that account for the experience type characteristics of asymmetric virtual environments, jointly experienced by virtual reality (VR) users and augmented reality (AR) users. The first person interactions for VR users are performed through the use of hand gestures, and they define a manipulation process that maps the gestures and object control scheme to provide intuitive interactions with the virtual environment and objects. The third person interaction for AR users is designed to view the overall virtual scene and recognize and judge situations to allow for intuitive communication and interactions among the virtual environment, objects, and users based on a touch interface. The core goal of this process is to provide all users who participate in asymmetric virtual environments with satisfying experiences and presence through individualized experience modes and roles. To this end, an application that uses the x‐person asymmetric interactions was created. Furthermore, a survey experiment is performed to statistically analyze the interactions and verify that they provided users with a satisfactory experience, that is, a satisfactory sense of presence and social presence in each user's situation.