Secondary Mental Models: Introducing Conversational Agents in Financial Advisory Service Encounters

When introducing unfamiliar Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based systems, such as conversational agents (CAs), one needs to ensure that users interact with them according to their design. While past research has studied single-user environments, many practical settings involve multiple parties. This study addresses this gap and focuses on financial advisory service encounters and how mental models evolve in multi-party contexts. A multimodal interactive CA is developed and tested in financial consultations with 24 clients. The observations of these consultations and subsequent interviews provide insights into the challenges of using CAs in unfamiliar contexts. The clients have difficulties effectively using the system. This is linked to the institutional setting of financial advisory service encounters and a mismatch between the designer’s conceptual model and the client’s mental model, which we call secondary mental model

Secondary Mental Models: Introducing Conversational Agents in Financial Advisory Service Encounters

When introducing unfamiliar Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based systems, such as conversational agents (CAs), one needs to ensure that users interact with them according to their design. While past research has studied single-user environments, many practical settings involve multiple parties. This study addresses this gap and focuses on financial advisory service encounters and how mental models evolve in multi-party contexts. A multimodal interactive CA is developed and tested in financial consultations with 24 clients. The observations of these consultations and subsequent interviews provide insights into the challenges of using CAs in unfamiliar contexts. The clients have difficulties effectively using the system. This is linked to the institutional setting of financial advisory service encounters and a mismatch between the designer’s conceptual model and the client’s mental model, which we call secondary mental model

STRUCTURING OF ELECTRODE SURFACES WITH LIGAND-FREE NANOPARTICLES VIA ELECTROPHORETIC DEPOSITION- FUNDAMENTALS AND IN VIVO APPLICATIONS

Electrodes for neural stimulation and recording are highly relevant in modern medicine, e.g. for the treatment of movement disorders. As these electrodes have to be implanted directly into the patient´s brain, impaired biocompatibility as well as reduced performance due to increased impedance upon tissue contact are serious problems. Strategies to improve the efficiency of electrodes entail the implementation of defined nanoscopic structures to the electrode surface, which increase the surface area and improve the current flow by possible edge effects1. In this context electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of nanoparticles (NP) constitutes an efficient and feasible way for surface structuring as in contrast to e.g. ablative laser machining, electric field lines are naturally ordered perpendicular to the implant´s surface, so that electrophoretic deposition is well compatible to shaped implants and curved surfaces. In this work an EPD process for the structuring of Pt electrode surfaces with NP is systematically investigated. Reference NP from a modern synthesis route named pulsed laser ablation in liquids (PLAL)2 are utilized as they possess a high surface charge density in order to ease their movement in an electric field. The electrophoretic velocity of these NP was examined and found to be linearly-correlated with the electric field strength, while the slope is dictated by the NP´s surface charge density (zeta-potential).3, 4 On the other hand the PLAL-generated NP are, by design, completely free of organic ligand, which significantly affected their deposition in an EPD setup. It was found that the deposited mass linearly increased with process time, yielding a well scalable process, while on the other hand control experiments with ligands showed a saturation of the deposited mass due to electrochemical shielding of the surface by charged ligands.4 It was furthermore demonstrated that the EPD process with ligand-free NP could also be done in a continuous flow-through setup suitable for the parallel structuring of multiple electrodes.5 Interestingly, the deposition velocity was not size dependent as particle size distributions prior to and after EPD were identical.5 In consecutive experiments, the surface properties like coverage, oxidation, wettability6 and impedance of the electrode materials were evaluated and correlated with the EPD process parameters electric field strength, colloid concentration and deposition time. As a result a detailed map was obtained, which allows a defined tuning of Pt surface properties by Pt NP EPD. Finally, the impedance of electrodes coated with ligand-free Pt NP were evaluated in long term stimulation experiments with rats. The NP coating could stabilize the impedance of the electrodes in vivo, while it continuously increased in non-coated controls.7 Furthermore, the coated electrodes exhibited excellent biocompatibility similar to the controls7 while no significant NP desorption from the surface was found upon mechanical tear. 1. X. F. F. Wei and W. M. Grill, J. Neural Eng., 2005, 2, 139-147. 2. V. Amendola and M. Meneghetti, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2013, 15, 3027-3046. 3. A. Menendez-Manjon, J. Jakobi, K. Schwabe, J. K. Krauss and S. Barcikowski, J. Laser Micro Nanoeng., 2009, 4, 95-99. 4. C. Streich, S. Koenen, M. Lelle, K. Peneva and S. Barcikowski, Appl. Surf. Sci., 2015, 348, 92-99. 5. S. Koenen, R. Streubel, J. Jakobi, K. Schwabe, J. K. Krauss and S. Barcikowski, J. Electrochem. Soc., 2015, 162, D174-D179. 6. A. Heinemann, S. Koenen, K. Schwabe, C. Rehbock and S. Barcikowski, Key engineering materials, 2015, 654, 218-223. 7. S. D. Angelov, S. Koenen, J. Jakobi, H. E. Heissler, M. Alam, K. Schwabe, S. Barcikowski and J. K. Krauss, J. Nanobiotechnol., 2016, 14

Knowledge and use of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis among men who have sex with men in Berlin - a multicentre, cross-sectional survey

Background: HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has likely contributed to large decreases in HIV incidence among men who have sex with men (MSM) in several major cities. Berlin has seen a smaller decline, and affordable PrEP has been accessible through formal channels in Germany only since autumn 2017. We aimed to investigate knowledge and use of PrEP among MSM in Berlin, and factors predictive of a desire to use PrEP and history of PrEP use. Methods: Multicentre, paper-based, self-administered survey of adult MSM whose HIV status was negative or unknown at time of participation. Data were collected from 1 October 2017 to 2 April 2018. Results: 473 of 875 questionnaires were returned (response rate 54.1%; mean age 37.4 years, range 18-79). 90.0% of participants were aware of PrEP and, of these, 48.2% felt well informed about it. Among the 17.2% of participants reporting PrEP use, 59.3% indicated obtaining some or all of it from informal sources. 23.7% of those with no history of PrEP use reported having condomless anal intercourse (CAI) with two or more partners over the past six months. Worries about side effects, cost, not having a doctor who prescribes it, and a lack of information were the most frequently reported barriers to PrEP use. A desire to use PrEP and history of PrEP use were associated in our multivariable model with having multiple CAI partners. A history of PrEP use was associated with having a university degree, one or two parents born outside Germany, or friends living with HIV. Conclusions: We found high awareness of PrEP among MSM in Berlin, but also a strong need for more education on its pros, cons and proper use. The frequency of informal PrEP use was also high, raising urgent individual and public health concerns. Policy makers need to consider recent calls to improve access to PrEP and PrEP education through regular health services

What are the fears and support needs of those living alone in the last year of life and who responds?

Background There is a general assumption that family caregivers will be available and willing to provide support to those living with terminal illness in the last year of life; but what of those who live alone at this time? Others (1) have highlighted the need for patients in this situation to develop trusting relationships with their professional caregiving network and with key professionals in particular. This can enable sensitive discussion and planning about future care wishes – a clear necessity as disease progresses. Design and methods Patients with advanced cancer, COPD and chronic heart failure (CHF), with a prognosis of less than 12 months, were recruited at clinical services sites in five European nations: Belgium, Germany, Hungary, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews at baseline and at three months follow-up. Quantitative data were collected using POS, CANHELP Lite tools at monthly intervals and in weekly self-completed patient ‘diaries’. Interviews focused on how integrated palliative care services responded to patients’ needs and problems. A transnational comparative analysis was conducted using a qualitative thematic approach. Results Of 157 patient participants, 48 (30%) lived alone (range by country: 13%-41%). Of this sub-sample, the mean age was 73 years and 58% were women. Diagnoses were: cancer (n=27), COPD (n=13), CHF (n=7), not recorded (n=1). Many patients reported being fearful about the future; feeling lonely and isolated; feeling a burden on others; and problems with ‘the little things’. Conversely, many were able to give examples of where individual professionals and services responded to their needs quickly and with sensitivity. Informal sources of support from neighbours and friends were apparent and included practical help, emotional assistance and social engagement. Conclusion Commonalities across the participating nations in the fears and concerns of patients living alone in the last year of life were apparent. However, there was variability in how services responded to needs and in the extent to which these responses were integrated and coordinated. Lone patients are a potentially unrecognised sub-group with a particular set of needs in relation to professional engagement. Integrated palliative care services need to acknowledge this and respond accordingly. Further research into how palliative care service provision towards the end of life dovetails with informal support networks is required. 1. Hanratty et al. (2013). What is different about living alone with cancer in older age? A qualitative study of experiences and preferences for care. BMC Family Practice. 14:22. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2296/14/22 On behalf of InSupC: EU FP7 funded project (Ref: 305555) on integrated palliative care in Europ

Simultaneous Periprosthetic Acetabular Fracture and Contralateral B-Type Compression Injury of the Pelvic Ring: A Case Report of a Rare Injury Combination

The periprosthetic fracture of the acetabulum is a rare injury, and its management is only sporadically reported in the literature. A few case reports are available which mainly focus on periprosthetic acetabular fractures in the elderly population. In our case, a 32-year-old patient suffered from a periprosthetic acetabular fracture in combination with a pelvic ring injury following a high velocity accident. The fracture morphology allowed a salvage of the prosthesis with an open reduction and internal fixation with a good radiographic and functional outcome one year after trauma

Supplemental Material - Bereavement Counsellors’ Experiences Supporting the Families of Deceased Children Within a German Bereavement Network– A Qualitative Interview Study

Supplemental Material for Bereavement Counsellors’ Experiences Supporting the Families of Deceased Children Within a German Bereavement Network– A Qualitative Interview Study by Merle Betke, Stephanie Stiel and Sven Schwabe in OMEGA-Journal of Death and Dying</p

Can Artificial Intelligence Help Used-Car Dealers Survive in a Data-driven Used-Car Market?

The used-car market is notoriously untrustworthy and shady. Certifie data has been shown to help mitigate the information asymmetry, one of the major factors to an untrustworthy market. In recent times, more and more used-car dealers have had problems surviving in this competitive data-driven market. In this study, we conduct 12 interviews with used-car dealers and several meetings and workshops with employees and executives from the AMAG Group, one of the largest automotive companies in Switzerland. This creates insight into current problems for used-car dealers and how artificial intelligence can help. The problems can be abstracted to the problem of high transaction cost and its subcategories. In reducing transaction costs by utilizing artificial intelligence, new secondary problems arise. People need to trust the certificate, the analytics, and the predictions. Additionally, the data and analytics need to be transparent and understandable, and privacy concerns must be addressed. The implications of this study are manifold. First, we define the problems for used-car dealers on the used-car market and introduce artificial intelligence approaches to the current data-driven used-car market. Afterward, we stress that artificial intelligence needs to follow a human-centered perspective and be designed for trust. Keywords: Used-Car Market, Transaction Costs, Trust, Artificial Intelligenc

From ChatGPT to FactGPT: A Participatory Design Study to Mitigate the Effects of Large Language Model Hallucinations on Users

Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT recently gained interest across all walks of life with their human-like quality in textual responses. Despite their success in research, healthcare, or education, LLMs frequently include incorrect information, called hallucinations, in their responses. These hallucinations could influence users to trust fake news or change their general beliefs. Therefore, we investigate mitigation strategies desired by users to enable identification of LLM hallucinations. To achieve this goal, we conduct a participatory design study where everyday users design interface features which are then assessed for their feasibility by machine learning (ML) experts. We find that many of the desired features are well-perceived by ML experts but are also considered as difficult to implement. Finally, we provide a list of desired features that should serve as a basis for mitigating the effect of LLM hallucinations on users