PERCEIVED RISK WHEN BUYING ONLINE: EVIDENCE FROM A SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW

In order to gain deeper understanding in consumers’ perceptions regarding risk involved when buying online, a semi-structured interview was employed. 30 internet users that have purchased a product or service using the Internet within the last three months were questioned regarding their fears when deciding to buy from an e-commerce web site. The respondents were selected according to a stratified sampling technique. Based on the respondents’ answers but also taking into consideration previous empirical findings, I classify different types of perceived risk into: financial risk, privacy risk, performance risk, delivery risk, time risk, psychological risk and social risk. The results show that Romanian consumers perceive a high degree of risk when conducting an electronic transaction, which could be the reason why Romania has a small e-commerce adoption rate although the internet penetration rate is quite high. Further managerial implications are discussed

The mediating role of perceived risk when buying online

This paper aim is to assess if consumers’ perceived risk can mediate the relationship between trust and consumers’ intention to buy online. Two models were developed and Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis was used on data collected from 98 respondents. Three variables were introduced in the model: perceived risk, perceived trust and consumers’ intention to buy online. Each was formed as formative latent variable using multi-items, measured on a 7 point Likert scale. The mediating analysis indicates that perceived risk acts as a partially mediator of the trust – behavioral intention relationship

Modeling consumers’ intention to continue buying online when controlled for socio-demographic variables

For studying consumers’ intention to buy online, ECM-IT framework was employed. Consumers’ behavioral intention is a function of both consumers’ satisfaction with their decision to buy online goods and services and perceived usefulness of using the Internet in the buying process, while consumers’ confirmation of initial expectations has a direct effect on both satisfaction and perceived usefulness. While ECM-IT was validated in various online consumer behavior models, the effect of control variables, such as consumers’ gender, income and level of education was given little attention. Thus, this paper’s aim is to test whether ECM-IT causal relationship will hold when accounted for consumers’ socio-demographic variables. Three PLS-based SEM analyses were conducted for hypothesis testing.&nbsp

Developing Social and Civic Competencies in People with Intellectual Disabilities from a Family Center through an Adapted Training Module

AbstractThe purpose of study was to implement and evaluate a training module for developing social and civic competencies in people with intellectual disabilities (ID), from a family center. We organized a training module for a group of 10 persons with mild ID and we applied an initial and a final evaluation. We found that the trainees were very interested about the utility and the use of the identity card, the importance of voting as a citizen right, understanding of appurtenance at the community as an active member and participation in community activities, the possibility of obtaining a job adapted to the ID

Modelling Users' Trust in Online Social Networks

Previous studies (McKnight, Lankton and Tripp, 2011; Liao, Lui and Chen, 2011) have shown the crucial role of trust when choosing to disclose sensitive information online. This is the case of online social networks users, who must disclose a certain amount of personal data in order to gain access to these online services. Taking into account privacy calculus model and the risk/benefit ratio, we propose a model of users' trust in online social networks with four variables. We have adapted metrics for the purpose of our study and we have assessed their reliability and validity. We use a Partial Least Squares (PLS) based structural equation modelling analysis, which validated all our initial assumptions, indicating that our three predictors (privacy concerns, perceived benefits and perceived risks) explain 48% of the variation of users' trust in online social networks, the resulting variable of our study. We also discuss the implications and further research opportunities of our study

Antimicrobial Activity of Thin Solid Films of Silver Doped Hydroxyapatite Prepared by Sol-Gel Method

In this work, the preparation and characterization of silver doped hydroxyapatite thin films were reported and their antimicrobial activity was characterized. Silver doped hydroxyapatite (Ag:HAp) thin films coatings substrate was prepared on commercially pure Si disks by sol-gel method. The silver doped hydroxyapatite thin films were characterized by various techniques such as Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy Dispersive X-ray attachment (X-EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES). These techniques have permitted the structural and chemical characterisation of the silver doped hydroxyapatite thin films. The antimicrobial effect of the Ag:HAp thin films on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria was then investigated. This is the first study on the antimicrobial effect of Ag:HAp thin films obtained by sol-gel method. The results of this study have shown that the Ag:HAp thin films with xAg=0.5 are effective against E. coli and S. aureus after 24 h

Antibacterial activity of silver-doped hydroxyapatite nanoparticles against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria

Ag-doped nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (Ag:HAp-NPs) (Ca(10-x)Ag(x)(PO(4))(6)(OH)(2), x(Ag) = 0.05, 0.2, and 0.3) with antibacterial properties are of great interest in the development of new products. Coprecipitation method is a promising route for obtaining nanocrystalline Ag:HAp with antibacterial properties. X-ray diffraction identified HAp as an unique crystalline phase in each sample. The calculated lattice constants of a = b = 9.435 Å, c = 6.876 Å for x(Ag) = 0.05, a = b = 9.443 Å, c = 6.875 Å for x(Ag) = 0.2, and a = b = 9.445 Å, c = 6.877 Å for x(Ag) = 0.3 are in good agreement with the standard of a = b = 9.418 Å, c = 6.884 Å (space group P6(3)/m). The Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectra of the sintered HAp show the absorption bands characteristic to hydroxyapatite. The Ag:HAp nanoparticles are evaluated for their antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Providencia stuartii, Citrobacter freundii and Serratia marcescens. The results showed that the antibacterial activity of these materials, regardless of the sample types, was greatest against S. aureus, K. pneumoniae, P. stuartii, and C. freundii. The results of qualitative antibacterial tests revealed that the tested Ag:HAp-NPs had an important inhibitory activity on P. stuartii and C. freundii. The absorbance values measured at 490 nm of the P. stuartii and C. freundii in the presence of Ag:HAp-NPs decreased compared with those of organic solvent used (DMSO) for all the samples (x(Ag) = 0.05, 0.2, and 0.3). Antibacterial activity increased with the increase of x(Ag) in the samples. The Ag:HAp-NP concentration had little influence on the bacterial growth (P. stuartii)

Application of Nanotechnology Solutions in Plants Fertilization

Post-modern society is viewed nowadays as a technologized society, where the great solutions to human problems can be solved by the progress of technology in economics from classical industry to communications. In the last years, nanotechnology is called to play an important part in the global food production, food security and food safety in the sense that the use of nanoscale micronutrients conduced to suppressing crop disease and the relationship between nutritional status and plant diseases is investigated. Nanomaterials are capable to penetrate into cells of herbs; they can carry DNA and other chemical compounds in the cells extending the possibility in plant biotechnology to target special gene manipulation. It is important to note that the concentration, plant organ or tissue, exposure rate, elemental form, plant species, and exposure dosage (chronic/acute) affect the plant response and in particular the distinct stress response. The complex process of utilization nanoparticles in agriculture has to be monitored to a level that avoids further environmental contamination. The present and future use of nanoparticles as micronutrients is affected by different risks related to nanotoxicity of micronutrients, a problem to be solved by an appropriate and safe circuit of nanoparticles in soil, water, plants and at last in human organism

8-Triazolylpurines: Towards Fluorescent Inhibitors of the MDM2/p53 Interaction

Small molecule nonpeptidic mimics of alpha-helices are widely recognised as protein-protein interaction (PPIs) inhibitors. Protein-protein interactions mediate virtually all important regulatory pathways in a cell, and the ability to control and modulate PPIs is therefore of great significance to basic biology, where controlled disruption of protein networks is key to understanding network connectivity and function. We have designed and synthesised two series of 2,6,9-substituted 8-triazolylpurines as alpha-helix mimetics. The first series was designed based on low energy conformations but did not display any biological activity in a biochemical fluorescence polarisation assay targeting MDM2/p53. Although solution NMR conformation studies demonstrated that such molecules could mimic the topography of an alpha-helix, docking studies indicated that the same compounds were not optimal as inhibitors for the MDM2/p53 interaction. A new series of 8-triazolylpurines was designed based on a combination of docking studies and analysis of recently published inhibitors. The best compound displayed low micromolar inhibitory activity towards MDM2/p53 in a biochemical fluorescence polarisation assay. In order to evaluate the applicability of these compounds as biologically active and intrinsically fluorescent probes, their absorption/emission properties were measured. The compounds display fluorescent properties with quantum yields up to 50%

Biomedical properties and preparation of iron oxide-dextran nanostructures by MAPLE technique

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In this work the chemical structure of dextran-iron oxide thin films was reported. The films were obtained by MAPLE technique from composite targets containing 10 wt. % dextran with 1 and 5 wt.% iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs). The IONPs were synthesized by co-precipitation method. A KrF* excimer laser source (λ = 248 nm, τ_FWHM≅25 ns, ν = 10 Hz) was used for the growth of the hybrid, iron oxide NPs-dextran thin films.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Dextran coated iron oxide nanoparticles thin films were indexed into the spinel cubic lattice with a lattice parameter of 8.36 Å. The particle sized calculated was estimated at around 7.7 nm. The XPS shows that the binding energy of the Fe 2p_3/2of two thin films of dextran coated iron oxide is consistent with Fe³⁺oxides. The atomic percentage of the C, O and Fe are 66.71, 32.76 and 0.53 for the films deposited from composite targets containing 1 wt.% maghemite and 64.36, 33.92 and 1.72 respectively for the films deposited from composite targets containing 5 wt.% maghemite. In the case of cells cultivated on dextran coated 5% maghemite γ-Fe₂O₃, the number of cells and the level of F-actin were lower compared to the other two types of thin films and control.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The dextran-iron oxide continuous thin films obtained by MAPLE technique from composite targets containing 10 wt.% dextran as well as 1 and 5 wt.% iron oxide nanoparticles synthesized by co-precipitation method presented granular surface morphology. Our data proved a good viability of Hep G2 cells grown on dextran coated maghemite thin films. Also, no changes in cells morphology were noticed under phase contrast microscopy. The data strongly suggest the potential use of iron oxide-dextran nanocomposites as a potential marker for biomedical applications.</p