Scarcity effects on consumer purchase intention in the context of E-commerce

Objectives of the Study: The purpose of this study is to examine effects of different types of scarcity messages on consumer purchase intention in the context of electronic commerce. The study also investigates the moderating roles of several individual-difference variables. Academic background and methodology: Prior research has demonstrated effects of scarcity on consumer purchase intention in many aspects. Only a few studies, however, have examined scarcity effects in the context of electronic commerce, where the ease of searching for alternative online deals may change the effectiveness of scarcity messages. Thus, it is critical to gain insights into how different types of scarcity messages influence consumer purchase intention in online shopping. Specifically, the study compares effects of scarcity between two contexts of e-commerce: high versus low ease of searching for deals. Accordingly, an online-survey experiment was conducted. The participants of the survey were exposed to two contexts. In each context, they were randomly allocated into one of six conditions containing different types of scarcity messages. Their purchase intentions were measured and investigated in order to figure out variances between conditions in each searching-ease context and the differences between two contexts. Additionally, the study examined the interaction between scarcity and three potential moderators of scarcity effects: uncertainty avoidance, need for cognitive closure, and product familiarity, of which their moderating roles were demonstrated in prior research. Findings and conclusions: The study results showed that in the context of electronic commerce, scarcity messages became less effective. In the context of high searching-ease, no significant effect of scarcity was found. In the context of low searching-ease, only the scarcity message in form of intensive time limit, in association with a signal of price promotion, presented a significant effect on consumer purchase intention. Additionally, contrary to the findings of prior research, three investigated moderators showed no significant interaction with scarcity. This outcome suggested that to explain the underlying factors of scarcity effects in the context of e-commerce, other mediators should be considered. This finding is significant for managers who intend to use scarcity as a marketing tool for their online businesses. The result also contributes to the research area of scarcity effects

ベトナムノイネトキョウセイスルMethylobacteriumゾクサイキンノケンキュウ : イネハッカビョウヲオコスシンキMethylobacteriumゾクサイキンノタンリトセイジョウカイセキ

博士（農学）東京農工大

Enhanced Soybean Productivity by Inoculation With Indigenous Bradyrhizobium Strains in Agroecological Conditions of Northeast Germany

Commercial inoculants are often used to inoculate field-grown soybean in Europe. However, nodulation efficiencies in these areas are often low. To enhance biological nitrogen (N) fixation and increase domestic legume production, indigenous strains that are adapted to local conditions could be used to develop more effective inoculants. The objective of this study was to assess the ability of locally isolated Bradyrhizobium strains to enhance soybean productivity in different growing conditions of Northeast Germany. Three indigenous Bradyrhizobium isolates (GMF14, GMM36, and GEM96) were tested in combination with different soybean cultivars of different maturity groups and quality characteristics in one field trial and two greenhouse studies. The results showed a highly significant strain × cultivar interactions on nodulation response. Independent of the Bradyrhizobium strain, inoculated plants in the greenhouse showed higher nodulation, which corresponded with an increased N uptake than that in field conditions. There were significantly higher nodule numbers and nodule dry weights following GMF14 and GMM36 inoculation in well-watered soil, but only minor differences under drought conditions. Inoculation of the soybean cultivar Merlin with the strain GEM96 enhanced nodulation but did not correspond to an increased grain yield under field conditions. USDA110 was consistent in improving the grain yield of soybean cultivars Sultana and Siroca. On the other hand, GMM36 inoculation to Sultana and GEM96 inoculation to Siroca resulted in similar yields. Our results demonstrate that inoculation of locally adapted soybean cultivars with the indigenous isolates improves nodulation and yield attributes. Thus, to attain optimal symbiotic performance, the strains need to be matched with specific cultivars.Peer Reviewe

Research on chemical constituents, anti-bacterial and anti-cancer effects of components isolated from Zingiber officinale Roscoe from Vietnam

Ginger, a commonly used spice and medicinal herb, is an abundant source of bioactive compounds. However, the utilization of ginger in the pharmaceutical industry is still moderate and not commensurate with the potential of the Vietnamese horticulture industry, mainly due to a lack of information about the quality of input materials. In this study, we compared the volatile compounds of gingers collected from 13 provinces of Vietnam using GC/MS and GC-FID analysis to provide a basis for selecting and standardizing input materials. Furthermore, ginger essential oil from Ben Tre province of Vietnam exhibited significant antibacterial activity particularly in inhibiting Gram-positive bacteria, including S. aureus and S. epidermidis, with inhibition zones of 30.00 ± 1.41 and 24.67 ± 3.30 mm, respectively. However, no significant inhibition was observed against Gram-negative bacteria P. aeruginosa and E. coli. We also isolated 5 non-volatile compounds from ginger extract, namely 6-shogaol (1), quercetin (2), rutin (3), beta-sitosterol (4) and beta-sitosterol-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (5). Among them, compounds 1–3 displayed cytotoxicity against Hep3B, SK-LU-1, MCF-7, SK-LU-1, SW480 and HepG2 tumour cell lines, with an IC50 values ranging between 62.7 ± 2.1 and 97.6 ± 1.1 µM, using Ellipticine as a positive control. Compounds 4 and 5 showed cytotoxicity against Hep3B and HepG2 tumor cells, with the IC50 values ranging between 21.5 ± 5.1 and 46.9 ± 3.7 µM but did not exhibit any significant cytotoxicity against SW480 and SK-LU-1 cells. Compound 4 also demonstrated middling cytotoxicity against the MCF7 cell line, with an IC50 value of 43.6 ± 5.1 µM. These findings suggest further applications of Vietnamese ginger for the treatment of infectious and cancer-related diseases

The influence of brand equity on consumer responses toward Cho Gao dragon fruits brand

This thesis study wants to implement a model test for better understandings of brand equity and consumer responses toward Cho Gao Dragon Fruit brand. With the rapid growth of agriculture, including domestic consumption and export of the dragon fruits, it is crucial to differentiate the Cho Gao Dragon Fruits to other competitors in both domestic and foreign markets. Using Structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the data of 274 questionnaires to investigate the effects of brand equity and its dimensions on consumer responses. The results show that brand equity dimensions such as brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality are interrelated and those dimensions have a direct and significant effect on brand equity, except brand awareness. The results support the assumption that brand equity has a positive relationship with consumer responses. The findings shed light on the current issues of the market for dragon fruits, which enables us to provide some suggestions for the Government to facilitate farmers and traders in building brand names, marketers for doing marketing activities, and students to know about brand equity of agricultural product such as dragon fruits

Safety and efficacy of fluoxetine on functional outcome after acute stroke (AFFINITY): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background Trials of fluoxetine for recovery after stroke report conflicting results. The Assessment oF FluoxetINe In sTroke recoverY (AFFINITY) trial aimed to show if daily oral fluoxetine for 6 months after stroke improves functional outcome in an ethnically diverse population. Methods AFFINITY was a randomised, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial done in 43 hospital stroke units in Australia (n=29), New Zealand (four), and Vietnam (ten). Eligible patients were adults (aged ≥18 years) with a clinical diagnosis of acute stroke in the previous 2–15 days, brain imaging consistent with ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke, and a persisting neurological deficit that produced a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 1 or more. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 via a web-based system using a minimisation algorithm to once daily, oral fluoxetine 20 mg capsules or matching placebo for 6 months. Patients, carers, investigators, and outcome assessors were masked to the treatment allocation. The primary outcome was functional status, measured by the mRS, at 6 months. The primary analysis was an ordinal logistic regression of the mRS at 6 months, adjusted for minimisation variables. Primary and safety analyses were done according to the patient's treatment allocation. The trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12611000774921. Findings Between Jan 11, 2013, and June 30, 2019, 1280 patients were recruited in Australia (n=532), New Zealand (n=42), and Vietnam (n=706), of whom 642 were randomly assigned to fluoxetine and 638 were randomly assigned to placebo. Mean duration of trial treatment was 167 days (SD 48·1). At 6 months, mRS data were available in 624 (97%) patients in the fluoxetine group and 632 (99%) in the placebo group. The distribution of mRS categories was similar in the fluoxetine and placebo groups (adjusted common odds ratio 0·94, 95% CI 0·76–1·15; p=0·53). Compared with patients in the placebo group, patients in the fluoxetine group had more falls (20 [3%] vs seven [1%]; p=0·018), bone fractures (19 [3%] vs six [1%]; p=0·014), and epileptic seizures (ten [2%] vs two [<1%]; p=0·038) at 6 months. Interpretation Oral fluoxetine 20 mg daily for 6 months after acute stroke did not improve functional outcome and increased the risk of falls, bone fractures, and epileptic seizures. These results do not support the use of fluoxetine to improve functional outcome after stroke

Inflation in Vietnam and its effects on small and medium sized enterprises : case: An Thinh Investment Private Company

This study is concerned with one of the most important issues of any economy, the inflation matter. In recent years, inflation in Vietnam has been under an upward trend. Inflation threatened Vietnamese economy twice within a short four year period. Not only the people but also enterprises are anxious about possible disadvantages caused by inflation. Among businesses, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are believed to suffer most severely from the escalation of prices. The biggest problem of SMEs is the serious lack of information about difficulties they may confront during an inflationary period. The main aim of this thesis is to clarify the potential effects of inflation on SMEs. In order to achieve this goal, theoretical background of inflation, current context of inflation in Vietnam and information about the Case Company are studied. The method used in this thesis is qualitative, with an inductive approach. In the theoretical framework, data are collected mostly from published sources such as books, articles and relevant studies. In the empirical part, data are collected from personal observation, Vietnamese government publications, journals and interviews with the director of the Case Company. In the conclusion, implications of the findings and recommendations for further research are given. There are also several suggestions that managers of SMEs may apply to their own cases, in order to prevent negative impacts of inflation and limit the losses that may occur

An empirical investigation of market discipline and bank risk exposure

Due to principal-agency frictions, firms tend to engage in moral hazard behaviour. The banking industry is highly susceptible to the moral hazard problem. The reasons are twofold. First, the opaque nature of bank assets magnifies the information asymmetry condition which makes it difficult for outside investors to reliably assess bank risk profiles. Second, the web of government safety nets distorts the incentives of market participants to less vigilantly monitor and discipline bank risk-taking behaviour. Recurring bank crises, most recently the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) highlights the inherent weaknesses in banking systems around the world, particularly in developed countries in managing excessive risk taking by banks. With a focus on the G7 countries, this thesis empirically examines the impact of market discipline, in the form of uninsured liabilities, on bank risk. The thesis documents five key findings. First, and foremost, the evidence broadly supports the notion that market discipline helps reduce bank equity risk and credit risk. Second, there is some evidence of a convex relationship between market discipline and bank risk, but not in a way that undermines the key result above. Third, the impact of market discipline on bank risk is stronger in the presence of a risk-adjusted insurance premium, a potential source creating moral hazard. Fourth, with the support of bank capital, market discipline can impose stronger influences to help limit banks’ exposure to risk. Finally, there is evidence that market discipline has a greater impact on bank risk in the post-crisis period. This thesis provides evidence which should help weaken the reluctance of bank regulators to encourage market discipline – a reluctance born out of a concern that excessive reaction of the market during bad times can undermine banking stability

Phân tích khả năng thoát nghèo của hộ nghèo ở nông thôn và thành thị

Nghiên cứu này được thực hiện nhằm làm sáng tỏ khả năng thoát nghèo của hộ nghèo ở nông thôn và thành thị Việt Nam. Dữ liệu nghiên cứu gồm 2.918 hộ từng là hộ nghèo năm 2019 từ bộ dữ liệu điều tra dân số (Vietnam Household Living Standard Survey - VHLSS) năm 2020. Mô hình hồi quy logit nhị phân và phương pháp phân rã Blinder-Oaxaca được sử dụng để đánh giá tác động của các nhân tố và sự khác biệt về khả năng thoát nghèo giữa hộ nghèo ở nông thôn và thành thị. Kết quả nghiên cứu cho thấy rằng mặc dù tỷ lệ hộ nghèo ở nông thôn cao hơn so với thành thị nhưng khả năng thoát nghèo của hộ nghèo ở nông thôn cao hơn so với thành thị. Tác động của các nhân tố đặc điểm nhân khẩu, kinh tế - xã hội của hộ đến khả năng thoát nghèo của hộ nghèo ở nông thôn rõ ràng hơn so với hộ nghèo ở thành thị. Bên cạnh việc cung cấp thông tin cho các nhà làm chính sách trong việc tìm kiếm giải pháp hỗ trợ hộ nghèo, nghiên cứu này còn cung cấp phương pháp nghiên cứu mang tính khoa học cho các nghiên cứu tiếp theo về chủ đề phân tích sự khác biệt giữa hai nhóm