Effects of Users’ Familiarity With the Objects Depicted in Icons on the Cognitive Performance of Icon Identification

This study investigated the effects of users’ familiarity with the objects depicted in icons on the cognitive performance of icon identification. First, without knowing the specific semantic information of icons, 20 participants were required to search for target icons among visually similar distractors for 3-hour-long training sessions across 1 week, during which their familiarity with different icons was manipulated by differential exposure frequencies. Half of the icons were presented 10 times more often than the other half. Subsequently, participants’ abilities to recall corresponding semantic information when cued with associated target icons were tested after they had learned all the icons. The results showed that, in both the visual search task and the semantic information recall task, participants performed significantly better when the icons were more familiar. Importantly, the effects of icon complexity in the visual search task diminished as participants became familiar with the icons, and the beneficial effects of familiarity in the semantic information recall task were larger when the icons were complex. These findings have practical implications for icon design. When creating new icons for time critical user interfaces, icons should be kept as simple as possible and employ familiar, commonly used, graphics

Continued Participation in Crowdsourcing Innovation: The Role of Web-Specific Computer Self-Efficacy

The crowdsourcing innovation communities are user-centered, and their efficacy depends on the members’ continued participation. This study investigated the impact of high web-specific computer self-efficacy and harmonious work climate on individuals’ continued participation intention. In addition, the antecedents of high web-specific computer self-efficacy and harmonious work climate in the context of crowdsourcing innovation were also explored. Our research model was empirically examined using survey data collected from 291 members of a crowdsourcing innovation community (i.e., Xiaomi’s online platforms). The Partial Least Squares technique was utilized to test the research model. The results reveal that high web-specific computer self-efficacy and harmonious work climate positively influence individuals’ sustained participation intention; reasonable task recommendation and positive feedback are significant predictors of high web-specific computer self-efficacy; effective cooperation, fair competition, and positive feedback affect a harmonious work climate. Finally, this study discussed the theoretical and practical implications of these findings and provided possible directions for future research

Study on the correlation between lifestyle and negative conversion time in patients diagnosed with coronavirus disease (COVID-19): a retrospective cohort study

Abstract Background As of early December 2022, China eased the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restriction, affecting over 80% of the country’s population and posing a severe threat to public health. Previous studies mostly focused factors on the severity/mortality rate of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, but limited studies explored factors associated with virus-negative conversion, particularly lifestyles. Therefore, the aim of our study was to analyze the correlation between lifestyle factors and the negative conversion time in COVID-19 patients. Methods We recruited individuals aged 18 years or older who had a clear time record for both the diagnosis and negative conversion of COVID-19 and completed the electronic questionnaire with no missing data. Dietary data collected from the questionnaire was analyzed using exploratory factor analysis to establish dietary patterns. Age segmentation was performed using restricted cubic spline (RCS) plots. The association between lifestyle factors and the time to negative conversion in different age groups, was assessed using Kaplan-Meier plots and Cox regression analysis. Result Out of 514 participants, all achieved viral negative conversion within a median time of 11 days. Based on nutrient intake, we identified four dietary patterns. The relationship between age and negative conversion rate, as depicted by RCS plots, exhibited an inverted “U” shape. We categorized age into three segments: <35 years, 35–45 years, and ≥ 45 years. For individuals under 35, our study indicated that a higher protein intake was linked to a faster recovery among COVID-19 patients, while medical staff or those receiving prescription treatments exhibited a slower recovery rate (P < 0.05). The 35 ~ 45 age group showed that adequate sleep and physical exercise were associated with a shorter time to negative conversion, whereas southern regions and a higher intake of carbohydrates were related with a longer conversion time (P < 0.05). Among individuals aged ≥ 45 years, the negative conversion time was primarily associated with physical exercise and being a medical staff member(P < 0.05). Conclusion Our research suggests that adequate sleep, physical exercise and a higher protein intake can help alleviate COVID-19 symptoms, while a higher level of carbohydrates intake may hinder recovery from COVID-19