BRIDGING THEORY AND PRACTICE: COMPARATIVE INSIGHTS INTO EVALUATING USER INTERFACES

The importance of evaluating the usability of e-commerce websites is well recognised. User testing and heuristic evaluation methods are commonly used to evaluate the usability of such sites, but just how effective are these for identifying specific problems? This article describes an evaluation of these methods by comparing the number, severity and type of usability problems identified by each one. The cost of employing these methods is also considered. The findings highlight the number and severity level of 44 specific usability problem areas which were uniquely identified by either user testing or heuristic evaluation methods, common problems that were identified by both methods, and problems that were missed by each method. The results show that user testing uniquely identified major problems related to four specific areas and minor problems related to one area. Conversely, the heuristic evaluation uniquely identified minor problems in eight specific areas and major problems in three areas.

Nondestructive Testing (NDT) methods provide scientists a way to understand the properties of samples without causing them damage. For an electrochemical device, it is crucial to investigate the behavior of it before, during, and after its operation. Therefore, NDT methods are indispensable for studying such devices.Literature highlights the effectiveness of elastic-wave-based testing methods in the evaluation of electrochemical devices. The Acoustic Emission (AE) method was applied to respectively study the behavior of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) and Ni-MH batteries, while the Ultrasonic Testing (UT) method was applied to study Li-ion batteries. In our previous research, the signals representing cracking and delamination in SOFCs were successfully distinguished by their peak amplitude, wave shape, and AE energy [1]. The same technique was further used for the evaluation of mechanical damages in SOFCs during the operation [2]. In another study, similarly, the pulverization of the Ni-MH battery electrodes was observed by the AE technique, and frequency peak property was included in the discussion to classify the signals [3]. The UT method was employed to study the relationship between the state of charge of Li-ion batteries and the profiles of ultrasonic waves at different frequencies. The evolution of wave velocity, attenuation, and amplitude were discussed [4]. Based on these researches, elastic-wave-based testing methods are adopted by us.In our present study, the multi-frequencies in-situ ultrasonic monitoring technique was employed to analyze the behavior of the commercial Ni-MH batteries during the operation. Continuous ultrasonic waves at three different frequencies were separately sent into the specimens during charge cycles, and their waveforms were recorded and compared. Specific wave patterns were found near the end of the charge and discharge state, especially from the wave profiles at 750 KHz. The result showed that the evolution of waveform is frequency-dependent, which was also suggested in the literature [4]. Potential explanations for these wave patterns were inferred, including phenomena such as crystal structure evolution, internal pressure shift, and reverse of electrodes.Based on this finding, a new ultrasonic testing/monitoring method considering frequency analysis is also designed. In this new method, signals consisting of elastic waves at a wide range of frequencies with equal intensities are designed to be applied to various electrochemical devices. The application of this method will be included, while the frequency-dependent property of the testing of electrochemical devices will be assessed in combination with the present findings in this study.

This paper has described specialized zooming tools on mobile devices with designing and developing basic geometric and semantic zooming methods in order to increase the usability of the device. Based on three zooming methods, we created new zooming tools for the device by describing the detail prototype and implementation of these applications were introduced in this paper. However, we have problems because the tools were designed for the PDA simulation program in a desktop computer. So, we do not know how many different results exist between the application program and the real physical device. Especially, in terms of hardware, the current PDA does not have enough pixels, so users could potentially encounter broken characters when the magnifying glass is used. Although these zooming tools are not substantially implemented in commercial PDAs, it will be used for new interfaces in mobile devices by supporting various zooming functions. We look forward to continuing the research and development of this tool according to the future development of the PDA’s hardware performance and elements. Therefore, the biggest contribution of this paper is the creation of zooming tools on PDAs by encouraging the development of practical zooming methods over theoretical methods.

The rapid development of technology has advanced the financial sector, leading to the rise of digital wallets and mobile banking services. However, calculating or splitting the bill can be difficult in social activities like group dinners. Even though it seems simple, determining the exact amount each person must pay is often complex due to different orders, taxes, and service charges. This research compares user experience based on effectiveness and satisfaction when using the Split Bill feature in GoPay and LINE. The System Usability Score (SUS) method assesses system quality for experienced users, while the Cognitive Walkthrough (CW) method evaluates success rates for new users. The results show that based on SUS, the Split Bill feature in both apps fall into the "Marginal" category, with scores below the ideal threshold: 67.4 for LINE and 66.2 for GoPay. Meanwhile, the CW method indicates that GoPay has a task completion success rate of 89.44%, 8.83% higher than LINE's 80.61%. Improvement recommendations are based on tasks in the CW method with the lowest success rates in each app to enhance usability and user experience. By addressing these weaknesses, both applications can improve their Split Bill features to offer smoother and more efficient user experience.

One of the key new features of connected lighting systems (CLS) is their ability to collect data from various types of integral sensors and share that data with other lighting or building systems. Occupancy and vacancy sensors have been widely adopted as an energy-saving strategy in buildings, yet published test methods for reproducibly characterizing their performance remain few and limited in their sophistication. As a result, it has been difficult to predict the performance of such sensors in a specific application, and in practice, they frequently do not meet energy-savings expectations. Occupants at times remove or otherwise bypass occupancy sensors that hinder their work or otherwise do not perform as expected, thereby compromising the sensors’ potential to reduce energy consumption. Poor performance can result from multiple causes – ranging from fundamental limitations of the sensor technology, to misconfiguration, to poor placement in the room or space. Innovative occupancy sensors, some of them combining multiple sensing technologies (i.e., multimodal), have come on the market over the years, with claims of improved performance compared to their predecessors. However, in practice, their performance has neither differed enough from the performance of previous products to necessitate a test method that facilitated comparison between them, nor has it led to high deployment or high user satisfaction in human-occupied spaces with persistent presence. While the performance of both common and novel occupancy sensors has been the subject of many published research articles, the test methods that have been employed for them typically have been loosely described and have incorporated custom equipment or techniques that render them difficult to reproduce, or have been limited in their ability to fairly characterize devices that utilize varying sensor technology. The lack of a fully described, technology-agnostic test method that yields reproducible results across different implementations has been a barrier to the commercial success of new occupancy-sensor products, as users and specifiers who have been disappointed with previous products are often unwilling to take a chance with new ones. Motivated by a desire to fairly characterize new technologies that continue to enter the market and claim not only improved occupancy detection but, in some cases, additional capabilities (e.g., the ability to measure traffic or discern between different object types), this report presents the results of a literature review of recently published fully described test methods for characterizing occupancy-sensor performance, as well as research articles containing ad-hoc test methods. The review also identifies and consolidates test conditions for characterizing sensor performance in indoor spaces and identifies apparent test method gaps that need to be filled in order to evaluate emerging technologies and products. The identified test-method conditions are intended to enable the development of a future technology-agnostic test method that facilitates occupancy-sensor performance characterization more-accurately representing performance in buildings.

The evolution of information technology increasingly exerts significant influence across various life domains, including the business field. With this development, numerous companies and institutions are transitioning from manual systems to computerized systems. A prime example is PT Kilang Pertamina International Refinery Unit III, which possesses an integrated system enabling comprehensive corporate operational management. However, in reality, the Sistem Tata Kerja (STK) design remains non-computerized, still utilizing physical documents involving traditional procedural actions such as document creation, numbering, and authorization signatures by authorized leadership. Consequently, this frequently generates challenges, particularly during urgent document signature situations where leadership cannot be replaced by others. The research objective is to design a STK user interface utilizing Figma through prototyping method. The method used is prototyping, which consists of several stages, starting from Requirement Gathering and Analysis to the final stage, Implement Product and Maintain. The evaluation was conducted using the usability testing method with a tool called Maze. Based on the results, a score of 90 was obtained, indicating that the user interface is categorized into the high category. This demonstrates that the designed user interface can meet user needs while providing an efficient and user-friendly experience.

BackgroundExtensive drug resistance (XDR) is an emerging concern with Mannheimia haemolytica, and a variety of testing methods are available for characterizing in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility.ObjectivesTo compare the concordance among disk diffusion, broth microdilution, and whole genome sequencing (WGS) for susceptibility testing of M. haemolytica before and after mass treatment using tulathromycin.AnimalsForty‐eight M. haemolytica isolates collected from high‐risk beef stocker calves before and after mass treatment (metaphylaxis) using tulathromycin (Draxxin, Zoetis, Parsippany, NJ) given at the label dosage of 2.5 mg/kg body weight SC in the neck.MethodsIn vitro antimicrobial susceptibility was determined for all 48 isolates using disk diffusion, broth microdilution, and WGS. Concordance was calculated between pairs of susceptibility testing methods as follows: number of isolates classified identically by the 2 testing methods for each timepoint, divided by the number of isolates tested at that timepoint. Discordance was calculated as follows: number of isolates classified differently by the 2 testing methods for each timepoint, divided by the number of isolates tested at that timepoint.ResultsConcordance between testing methods ranged from 42.3% to 100%, depending on antimicrobial evaluated, timing of sample collection, and testing method used. Very major errors were identified in up to 7.7% of classifications whereas minor errors were seen in up to 50% of classifications depending on antimicrobial evaluated, timing of sample collection, and testing method used.Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceOur results show that discrepancies in the results of different susceptibility testing methods occur and suggest a need for greater harmonization of susceptibility testing methods.

The assessment of skin sensitizing properties of chemicals has moved away from animal methods to new approach methodologies (NAM), guided by qualitative mechanistic understanding operationalized in an adverse outcome pathway (AOP). As with any AOP, the molecular initiating event (MIE) of covalent binding of a chemical to skin proteins is particularly important. This MIE has been modelled by several test methods by measuring the reaction of a test chemical with model peptides in chemico. To better understand the similarities and differences, a data repository with publicly available data for the direct peptide reactivity assay (DPRA), amino acid derivative reactivity assay (ADRA) and kinetic DPRA (kDPRA), as well as the peroxidase peptide reactivity assay (PPRA) was assembled. The repository comprises 260 chemicals with animal and human reference data, data on four relevant physicochemical properties, and between 161 to 242 test chemical results per test method. First, an overview of the experimental conditions of the four test methods was compiled allowing to readily compare them. Second, data analyses demonstrated that the test methods’ predictivity was consistently reduced for poorly watersoluble chemicals and that the DPRA and ADRA can be used interchangeably. It also revealed new categorization thresholds for the DPRA and ADRA that are potentially relevant for strategic uses. In summary, a detailed assessment of reactivity test methods is provided, highlighting their potential and limitations. The results presented are intended to stimulate scientific discussion around test methods modelling the MIE of the skin sensitization AOP.

The assessment of skin sensitizing properties of chemicals has moved away from animal methods to new approach methodologies (NAM), guided by qualitative mechanistic understanding operationalized in an adverse outcome pathway (AOP). As with any AOP, the molecular initiating event (MIE) of covalent binding of a chemical to skin proteins is particularly important. This MIE has been modelled by several test methods by measuring the reaction of a test chemical with model peptides in chemico. To better understand the similarities and differences, a data repository with publicly available data for the direct peptide reactivity assay (DPRA), amino acid derivative reactivity assay (ADRA) and kinetic DPRA (kDPRA), as well as the peroxidase peptide reactivity assay (PPRA) was assembled. The repository comprises 260 chemicals with animal and human reference data, data on four relevant physicochemical properties, and between 161 to 242 test chemical results per test method. First, an overview of the experimental conditions of the four test methods was compiled allowing to readily compare them. Second, data analyses demonstrated that the test methods’ predictivity was consistently reduced for poorly watersoluble chemicals and that the DPRA and ADRA can be used interchangeably. It also revealed new categorization thresholds for the DPRA and ADRA that are potentially relevant for strategic uses. In summary, a detailed assessment of reactivity test methods is provided, highlighting their potential and limitations. The results presented are intended to stimulate scientific discussion around test methods modelling the MIE of the skin sensitization AOP.

Informatics is one of the study programs at the private university of Amikom University Purwokerto which prioritizes learning on the development of Information Technology, but the problems faced vary such as the absence of a campus facility for discussion and community, difficulty in conveying the problems they face, especially related to assignments and materials presented by lecturers. The purpose of this study is to design a visual concept of user interface design and prototype flow design for the Chatting and Forum Discussion Forum application using the Design Thinking method. The method used involves iterative steps to understand user needs, build prototypes, and test the resulting solutions. In addition, the usability testing method is used to test the prototype results of the interface that has been created, with a focus on user experience. The final result of this study is a user interface and prototyping that have passed the testing stage according to usability testing standards, task completion testing using the SEQ (Single Ease Question) method on each task has an average task completion above 6. And the results of the SUS (System Usability Scale) method have a value of 88.3 meeting the SUS acceptable scoring aspect with a grade scale B which shows that the project created is easy to use. Successfully designed a visual design concept through user interface and user experience design of online discussion forum platform media using the Design Thinking method through the stages of Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Testing.

626 Background: After 15 years of HER2 testing in breast cancer, various testing methods are used in practice. Studies comparing methods are published but no consensus exists on which method is best. Our study provides a benchmark on the use of breast HER2 testing methods in leading U.S. cancer centers. Methods: We conducted an IRB-approved web survey of 58 NCI cancer centers (pathologists and oncologists) providing adult breast cancer care. The survey included 14 questions on breast HER2 testing methods, and reflex and retest practices. We analyzed results using simple frequencies and Fisher's exact test. Results: We achieved a response rate of 98% (57/58 sites). In this cohort, 42% (24/57) of sites conduct HER2 testing for breast cancer using an IHC method with reflex to FISH. Of these, all sites reflex IHC 2+ results and 54% (13/24) automatically reflex IHC results beyond 2+ (see table, results are not mutually exclusive). Concurrent primary FISH and IHC testing is conducted at 32% (18/57) of sites; FISH only testing at 18% (10/57); concurrent primary SISH and IHC testing at 5% (3/57); concurrent primary CISH and IHC testing at 2% (1/57), and CISH only testing at 2% (1/57) of sites. The choice of testing protocol had no correlation with the size of institution, metro vs rural location, NCCN membership, or whether the site acts as a reference lab. However, sites where oncologists always or often request a specific test method were more likely (75%, 21/28) to use FISH as a primary method vs as a reflex method (38%, 9/24), p=.0108. Repeat HER2 testing on surgical tumor samples, after the core biopsy, was reported by 47% of sites (27/57); retesting of relapsed patients by 63% (36/57); and retesting for progressive metastatic disease by 56% (32/57). Conclusions: For HER2 breast biomarker testing, concurrent FISH and IHC testing and expanded reflex testing, beyond IHC 2+ results, have become a common practice at the NCI designated cancer centers. [Table: see text]

Understanding the fatigue response of small volume specimens through novel fatigue test methods – Experimental results and numerical simulation

Characterization of recovery properties of asphalt mixtures

Zooplankton are an important part of the aquatic ecology of all lakes and streams. As a result, numerous methods have been developed to assess the quality of waterbodies using various zooplankton species. Included in these is the freshwater species Daphnia magna. Current test methods using D. magna involve acute lethality test methods ranging from 24 to 96 h in duration and chronic test methods with durations of 21 to 28 d. Whereas the current acute and chronic test methods are useful, a need exists for a shorter-duration test method that will provide a chronic or subchronic endpoint with this, species. In the present study, a 4-d, static-renewal survival and growth test was developed for use with D. magna. The test results were compared to performance criteria and results from 7-d survival and reproduction tests with Ceriodaphnia dubia to determine the level of comparability between the two methods. Results from the 4-d D. magna survival and growth test method indicated that this method will produce consistent results with various reference toxicant materials and provide data that are both reproducible and useful for detecting potential toxicity in aquatic environments.

To determine youth preferences for Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved and investigational human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody collection and testing methods before and after subjects learned of test result response times; to determine how influential test result response times are on participants' preferences. After health educators explained and demonstrated 6 different HIV antibody collection and testing strategies (3 saliva, 1 urine, and 2 fingerstick methods), participants completed a confidential survey about test method preference and tried the different testing methods. The participants had an opportunity to re-rank their test method preference after learning about each test's result response time. Health education sessions in both clinical and community settings. Youths aged 12 to 24 years. An oral collection device with a rapid saliva test was the most highly preferred test method. The preference for this method and the rapid response test methods via fingerstick procedures improved significantly after subjects learned of the rapid result response time, while the other methods were given significantly lower preference rankings after subjects learned of the longer result response times. Shifts in preference rankings were not related to sex, age, ethnic group, experience with HIV testing, or practice of risk behaviors. Our research supports the use of noninvasive and rapid HIV testing methods with rapid response times for adolescents to assist in the early identification of HIV status, while offering HIV prevention opportunities and immediate linkage to care.