Tablet computers like the iPad are user-friendly and reliable interaction devices for displaying XR content in museums. Although they are lacking the stereo view of a VR headset, they also avoid the hygiene, optics and usability challenges of head mounted displays in public spaces. In our paper we describe methods to improve the shortcomings of these devices: Placement, presentation and distracting branding. Our solution is a combination of a physical hanging system and custom designed acrylic cases disguising the hardware. In our example of an exhibition about a baroque architect the result is a series of floating baroque picture frames which users are grabbing and rotating to view into the XR scenes.

Tablet computers like the iPad are user-friendly and reliable interaction devices for displaying XR content in museums. Although they are lacking the stereo view of a VR headset, they also avoid the hygiene, optics and usability challenges of head mounted displays in public spaces. In our paper we describe methods to improve the shortcomings of these devices: Placement, presentation and distracting branding. Our solution is a combination of a physical hanging system and custom designed acrylic cases disguising the hardware. In our example of an exhibition about a baroque architect the result is a series of floating baroque picture frames which users are grabbing and rotating to view into the XR scenes.

This paper posits that spatially structured concepts can function as a visual representation of knowledge, a notion supported by common methods of eliciting and presenting mental models. Despite an existing gap in understanding the correlation between visual structure and knowledge representation, this study aims to clarify this relationship. To this end, we conducted a study wherein participants rated pairwise relationships between ten concepts on a discrete scale ranging from one to ten. Subsequently, we compared these ratings with weights derived from the distances between concepts in human-generated spatial structures. Our findings unveil a linear relationship between the weights obtained through both methods, indicating that spatial arrangements may systematically reflect and encode knowledge.

This paper considers hypertext in its various forms as a paradigm that has the potential to reduce a number of ethical concerns that come with (generative) AI. Based on a user scenario, the paper points out some ethical issues and explains how they can be addressed by hypertext. To do so, it distinguishes between System 1 (fast automation of simple tasks) and System 2 (critical thinking) tasks. Drawing on existing publications in philosophy, the paper argues that AI systems cannot be moral agents; they cannot be trustworthy or truly intelligent. This breaks with some of the wording, partly used for marketing purposes, that currently makes “artificial intelligence” a hype. The analysis follows the three most important ethical theories: deontology, consequentialism, and virtue ethics. The paper concludes that hypertext, although a niche topic, is already prepared to solve some of the most prominent and urgent ethical issues in AI.

Model transformations are crucial for model-driven development. Many different languages exist that allow for the description of mappings between different metamodels. Over the past few years, these languages and accompanying tools have matured significantly, but they still suffer from a common problem as they lack expressiveness. In this paper, we present NICE, an expression language for model transformations that has been integrated in our bidirectional model transformation language BXtendDSL, which overcomes this dilemma. NICE is a modular, reusable, and adaptable language that compiles to plain Java code and is easy to use.

E-mail phishing attacks remain one of the most significant challenges in IT security and are often used for initial access. Many organizations rely on phishing simulations to educate their staff to recognize suspicious e-mails. Previous studies have analyzed the effectiveness of these phishing simulations, with mixed findings. However, the perception of and attitudes towards phishing simulations among staff have received little to no attention.

This paper presents findings from a study that we carried out in cooperation with a multinational company that conducted phishing simulations over more than 12 months. We first conducted a quantitative survey involving 757 employees and then qualitative interviews with 22 participants to gain deeper insights into the perception of phishing simulations and the corresponding e-learning. We could not find evidence that employees feel attacked by their organisation as previous studies suspected. On the contrary, we found that a majority (86.9 %) have a positive or very positive attitude towards phishing simulations. The interviews revealed that some employees developed new routines for e-mail processing, but most describe themselves as having become more vigilant without concrete changes. Furthermore, we found evidence that phishing simulations create a false sense of security, as the employees feel protected by them. Additionally, lack of communication and feedback can negatively impact employees’ attitude and lead to adverse consequences. Finally, we show that only a small portion of the employees who clicked on the phishing website interacted with the interactive e-learning elements, which raises questions about its objective usefulness, although they are perceived as useful.

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) provide confidentiality and hide the original IP address. Although many VPN providers promise not to record user activity, several media reports of data breaches show that this is often not true. Tor, on the other hand, allows anonymous communication using onion routing and takes privacy and anonymity seriously, but at the cost of performance loss. What is missing is a sweet spot between VPNs and anonymization networks that supports bulk downloads and video streaming but provides countermeasures against untrusted VPN providers and Autonomous System (AS)-level attackers.

In this paper, we present OnionVPN, an onion routing-based VPN tunnel, that provides better bulk transfer performance than Tor and offers additional security features over a VPN: (1) intermediate VPN nodes see only encrypted traffic, (2) protection against AS-level attackers with a new path selection algorithm, and (3) onion services with a novel cryptographic NAT traversal algorithm using the Noise protocol framework. We analyze 118 VPN providers, systematically compare them to our requirements and show that OnionVPN is currently possible with three VPN providers. An alternative to Tor for bulk traffic could relieve the Tor network and provide a better experience for other users who need higher privacy and anonymity features.

In today's dynamic business landscape, efficient supply chain management is crucial for maintaining competitiveness and sustainability. Traditional methods often lead to fragmented processes, lack of transparency, communication gaps, and increased operational costs. This research addresses these challenges through a case study, literature review, and comparative analysis, proposing a software platform solution named SuppliFlow. The study integrates insights from various sectors, including e-commerce, to explore Digital Supply Networks, Distribution Management, Integrated Supply Chain Management, and sustainability practices aligned with the Circular Economy. It also advances the concept of Supply Chain as a Service. This research develops customizable workflows within SuppliFlow, designed to cater to specific supply chain requirements from procurement to delivery. The integration of the Beckn Protocol, an open-source data protocol, is examined for its potential to establish decentralized networks and secure transactions. The study also investigates real-time order tracking and consolidated payments for financial and data management efficiencies. A SuppliFlow prototype tailored for assembly service providers was created and tested to assess its effectiveness in standardizing procurement-to-delivery processes. The findings indicate that SuppliFlow can enhance supply chain efficiency, reduce operational costs, and improve visibility. This research contributes to supply chain management by presenting a novel approach through the development and testing of SuppliFlow. The implications suggest potential pathways for future research and practical applications in improving organizational performance in the global marketplace.

This driving simulator study explores which kind and amount of non-driving-related animations can be implemented in cars’ front displays without causing significant driver distraction. While in recent years, a large amount of research has been conducted on how driving-relevant information must be displayed to capture the driver’s attention, the question on how non-driving-related animations can be conveyed in front displays without compromising the driver’s attention has rarely been addressed. However, due to the omnipresence of digital displays in present-day vehicles combined with observable efforts of vehicle manufacturers to increase the visual design appeal, the topic currently gains practical relevance. N = 53 participants were presented 16 animations that differed in stimulus salience features like fade-in time, brightness, target color, as well as internal and external movement. These animations were either displayed in the Cluster display or in the Central Infotainment Display (CID) and they were all irrelevant to the three driver tasks: To follow a lead vehicle (Car Following Task), perform a visual Detection Response Task (vDRT) and, optionally, react to a small set of driving-relevant info texts. In Test Drive 1, texts appeared in the Cluster only, whereas Test Drive 2, they appeared in both the Cluster and the CID. This was done to alter the task relevance of the two locations. Although a general effect of animations on vDRT performance could be observed across all study parts, this was with the exception of slow fading-in animations and other factors such as reduced brightness, target color, and the object size in the animation. Additionally, in Test Drive 1 a location effect could be observed: Animations displayed in the Cluster display led to a reduced vDRT performance when compared to animations that were displayed in the more distant CID. This effect disappeared when driving-relevant information texts were introduced to the CID in Test Drive 2. Taken together, visual attention was more vulnerable to animations of increased salience and to animations at lower-effort locations - an effect that can be moderated when the value of a more distant location is increased. The resulting design recommendations may be used to consider the risk of distractive features throughout the whole design process of in-car animations, reducing development costs, maximizing driving safety and providing a positive user experience.

Mid-sized thermal energy storage (TES) systems, especially in the distributed sector, have received little attention for public buildings. Validation of such systems, especially for the use of multiple renewables with different operating modes using CFD simulations, is still pending. The objective of this study is to validate a CFD model for the operation of complex and mid-sized TES systems for simultaneous charging and discharging cycles to enable investigations on optimized operating modes, geometric optimizations, and predictive charging and discharging scenarios. For this purpose, the 60 m3 local heating storage of Großbardorf, Germany, was used to obtain real-time operating conditions and in-situ temperature distribution data. Charging and discharging cycles as well as combined scenarios were calculated and compared with the experimentally determined dynamics of the thermocline. Simulations were performed using the open-source tool OpenFOAM® with the single-phase transient solver buoyantPimpleFoam in laminar and turbulent modes, including ambient heat losses. Good agreement was found between simulated and experimental data, especially in the regions of layer transitions with a RMSE of 1.2 ℃ or less over the entire observation period. It is shown how the validation allows further improvements and optimizations of TES with greater confidence. In particular, for research on the efficient use of multiple, fluctuating renewable energies and the increase of self-sufficiency in the decentralized sector, a demand-optimized charging and discharging layout is presented for a mid-sized TES to be installed at the new Institute for Hydrogen and Energy Technology (iwe) at Hof University of Applied Sciences. By conducting research in facilities such as the iwe, this approach will not only create opportunities for the future deployment of renewable energy storage and related systems, but also highlight the importance of decarbonization in the decentralized sector.

Background

The Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) is widely used. However, there are limited data on how much a reduction in the MIDAS score indicates a change that matters to the patient.

Methods

Data from the DMKG (i.e. German Migraine and Headache Society) Headache Registry were used to determine the minimal important difference (MID) of the MIDAS, using the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) as anchor and applying average change and receiver operating characteristic curve methods.

Results

In total, 1218 adult migraine patients (85.6% female, 40.2 ± 12.8 years, baseline MIDAS 44.2 ± 47.4, follow-up MIDAS 36.5 ± 45.3) were included. For patients with baseline MIDAS >20 (MIDAS grade IV, n = 757), different methods using PGIC “somewhat improved” as anchor yielded percent change MIDs of the MIDAS between −29.4% and −33.2%. For baseline MIDAS between 6 and 20 (grades II and III, n = 334), using PGIC “much improved” as anchor, difference change MIDs were between −3.5 and −4.5 points.

Conclusions

Based on the above results, we estimated the MID of the MIDAS at −30% for patients with a baseline MIDAS >20, and at −4 points for those with a baseline MIDAS of 6–20, for a tertiary headache care population.

Trial Registration

The DMKG Headache Registry is registered with the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS 00021081).