Abstract Embodied virtual agents (EVAs) are beginning to be researched to improve human–computer interaction. As EVAs become increasingly integrated into various aspects of daily life, understanding how to optimize their design to foster trust and likability among users is paramount. Leveraging insights from social psychology, particularly the concept of homophily, this study investigates the impact of perceived personality traits on user perceptions of EVAs. Specifically, we explore whether aligning the personality traits of EVAs with those of users increases engagement and fosters positive interactions. Drawing on a sample of 382 participants recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk, we assessed participants' personality traits using the Big Five Inventory—2S, while the perceived extroversion of the agent was manipulated through facial expressions and body posture. Our findings suggest that participants were able to accurately identify the perceived extroversion of the agent (p = .014), and significant results indicate a homophily effect on trust, with participants exhibiting greater trust in agents perceived as having a similar level of extroversion (p < .01). However, no significant effect on likability was detected, suggesting a more nuanced relationship between perceived personality traits and user preferences. These findings highlight the potential of leveraging homophily in designing more engaging EVAs and underscore the importance of considering user–agent compatibility in human–computer interaction.

This study explores the success factors of agile teams in the software development industry, focusing on team members' personality traits, and the impact of psychological safety and team reflexivity on team performance. Using a quantitative empirical survey, data was collected from 52 professionals across 10 agile software development teams in Bulgaria. Analysis showed a modest negative correlation between team performance and both team reflexivity and psychological safety. Personality traits intensified the negative relationship between team reflexivity and performance, while openness to experience moderated the adverse effect of psychological safety on performance. Though the findings diverged from initial hypotheses and existing literature, they provide practical insights for organizations. Further research with larger, more diverse samples is recommended to validate and expand upon these results.

Sensor-based networks have been proposed as a method for the continuous and remote monitoring of patients with chronic illness. Hence, healthcare professionals need to read and provide feedback on the gathered sensor data which represent patient's vital signs. This qualitative study examined healthcare professionals' attitudes towards the application of remote patient monitoring through sensor networks in developing regions using semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis of the interview data revealed that healthcare professionals have experience with digital technologies, moreover, they are willing to use other more advanced technologies that are, wireless, accurate and enable remote and real-time monitoring of patients. According to the healthcare professionals, the benefits of sensor-based networks are: recording patient's vital signs for longer periods of time; facilitating clinical decision-making; and helping them in providing better treatment which will have a positive impact in the patient's life. This study confirms that trainings provided to medical personnel before the application of the digital platforms in healthcare helped them to easily adapt these technologies. Furthermore, it did not appear that age was a problem to use digital monitoring technologies in healthcare. Nevertheless, healthcare professionals confirmed that possible limitations for providing distance-based monitoring in developing regions and giving feedback is related to patient's education and maturity to obey to doctor's suggestions, doctor's commitments and available time and the financial aspect of communicating with a patient at a distance.

No abstract available.

The data security in the information exchange process is one of the major critical factors that justice sector professionals must cope with, particularly in international cooperation. The J-WeB project, running in the frame of the Information Society and Technology Programme of the European Union, intends to offer a new solution for secure and reliable multimedia document exchange and storage among judicial operators of different Member States working at joint cross-border pre-trial investigations on criminal matters. The J-WeB Judicial Collaboration Platform aims at the provision of Governmental bodies with more safe, easy-to-use and cost-effective working instruments, but also, through the involvement of the Italian and the Montenegrin Ministries of Justice as pilots, at the factual contribution to the policy and technology transfer from Europe to Western Balkans. This paper is meant to present the project and its technical features.