Acceptance of Mobile App “Racadi” Among Small Retailers: An Action Research

Small retailers often find it challenging to cope with the changes and competition in the business. One of the primary problems that small retailers are now facing is their clinging to the old ways of doing business. In this study, we introduced a sales management mobile application called “Racadi” (which means “good-priced” in the Thai language) to help address this inherent concern. In particular, we employed an action research design to study why some small retailers choose to accept or reject this mobile application. Based on several technology acceptance models, our research was divided into three phases. Phase 1 involved learning the needs of small retailers and the design of Racadi, whereas Phase 2 involved identifying retailers’ difficulties in the use of Racadi. In Phase 3, we sought to understand why some retailers maintain their use of Racadi. Data are primarily collected through in-depth interviews with 50 retailers over nine months. The findings show that the three prominent theories (TAM, UTAUT 2, and DIT) are not sufficient to explain mobile application adoption among small retailers as not all critical factors involved are identified. New factors revealed by this study are 1) Entrepreneurial Spirit, 2) Ability to Use, and 3) Perceived Risk. Several important theoretical and practical implications have emerged from this present research

Effects of surface wettability on (001)-WO and (100)-WSe: A spin-polarized DFT-MD study

An extensive understanding of WO and WSe bulk crystalline structures and explicit solvent effects on (001)-WO and (100)-WSe facets are essential for design of efficient (photo) electrocatalysts. The atomistic level understanding of both WO and WSe bulk solids and how water solvation processes occur on WO and WSe facets are nowadays characterized by a noticeable lack of knowledge. Herein, forefront Density Functional Theory-based molecular dynamics have been conducted for assessing the role of an explicit water environment in the characterization of solid surfaces. Water at the interface and H-bonds environment, as well as WO and WSe surface activity, will be described in terms of surface wettability and interfacial water dynamics, revealing the relevance of treating explicitly liquid water and its dynamics in assessing catalytic features. We provide pieces of evidence of the hydrophobic character shown by (001)-WO and (100)-WSe facets. A preferential in-plane hydration structure of the first water layer has been detected at both (001)-WO and (100)-WSe water interface, in which the electric dipole moment of water molecules is re-oriented in a sort of 2-dimensional H-bond network. Bulk property calculations of WO and WSe are also provided

Chromosomal Damage Risk Assessment to Benzene Exposure among Gasoline Station Workers in Bangkok Metropolitan, Thailand

This study was a cross-sectional survey study to assess relative risk (RR) of chromosomal damage through benzene exposure in 45 gasoline stations workers compared to 30 controls in central area of Bangkok. Sister chromatid exchange (SCE) is as genotoxic biomarker, performed in white blood cells, and blood benzene level (BBL) is a biological marker of benzene exposure was performed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) using modified headspace solid-phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) technique. The results showed that the average blood benzene level of these workers was significantly higher than in the controls (p < 0.001) as well as the frequency of sister chromatid exchange. The sister chromatid exchange was strongly and positively associated with blood benzene level of gasoline workers (p < 0.001) with the chromosomal damage relative risk at 2.50 (p < 0.001). Keywords: gasoline worker, benzene, sister chromatid exchange, chromosomal damag

Enabling Direct Photoelectrochemical H₂ Production using Alternative Oxidation Reactions on WO₃

The efficient and inexpensive conversion of solar energy into chemical bonds, such as in H2 via the photoelectrochemical splitting of H2O, is a promising route to produce green industrial feedstocks and renewable fuels, which is a key goal of the NCCR Catalysis. However, the oxidation product of the water splitting reaction, O2, has little economic or industrial value. Thus, upgrading key chemical species using alternative oxidation reactions is an emerging trend. WO3 has been identified as a unique photoanode material for this purpose since it performs poorly in the oxygen evolution reaction in H2O. Herein we highlight a collaboration in the NCCR Catalysis that has gained insights at the atomic level of the WO3 surface with ab initio computational methods that help to explain its unique catalytic activity. These computational efforts give new context to experimental results employing WO3 photoanodes for the direct photoelectrochemical oxidation of biomass-derived 5-(hydroxymethyl) furfural. While yield for the desired product, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid is low, insights into the reaction rate constants using kinetic modelling and an electrochemical technique called derivative voltammetry, give indications on how to improve the system

Anti-Corruption Behaviors of Higher Education Students

Corruption is the main problem for the public and private sectors. The purposes of this research are to find out the level of anti-corruption behavior among higher education students and the factors that influence their anti-corruption behavior. This study employed a quantitative method by questionnaires given to 432 students at Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya, Thailand. The findings revealed that overall anti-corruption behavior was at a high level. It showed that students wanted the government to concentrate on the pressing issue of corruption, which needed to be resolved right away. While joining or becoming a people coalition against corruption, for example, attending rallies, calling, or protesting was considered at a low level. The results showed that the four factors; quality of democracy, lawfulness, social influence, and technology were positively correlated with anti-corruption behaviors. However, it found that only social influence, technology, and the quality of democracy can predict students’ anti-corruption behaviors. The research has a lot of interesting implications for academics, practitioners, and policymakers to improve the measure of corruption

แรงจูงใจทางการเรียนของนักศึกษาเภสัชศาสตร์ไทย Learning Motivation of Thai Pharmacy Students

วัตถุประสงค์: เพื่อพัฒนาเครื่องมือสำหรับวัดแรงจูงใจทางการเรียนของนิสิตเภสัชศาสตร์ไทย และเพื่อประเมินแรงจูงใจทางการเรียนของนิสิตเภสัชศาสตร์ ชั้นปีที่ 1 - 6 ของมหาวิทยาลัยมหาสารคาม และเปรียบเทียบแรงจูงใจระหว่างต้นและปลายภาคการศึกษา วิธีการศึกษา: ผู้วิจัยพัฒนาแบบสำรวจแรงจูงใจทางการเรียนของนิสิตเภสัชศาสตร์โดยแปลจาก Modified Archer’s Health Professions Motivation Survey (MAHPMS) ของ Perrot and Deloney (2013) รวมข้อคำถาม 62 ข้อ ประกอบด้วยตัวชี้วัดหลัก 4 ด้านได้แก่ เป้าหมายการเรียนรู้ (3 ด้านย่อย) กลยุทธ์การเรียนรู้ (2 ด้านย่อย) ปัจจัยที่ควบคุมการเรียนรู้ (2 ด้านย่อย) และความยากง่ายของงานที่เลือกทำ (2 ด้านย่อย) โดยใช้ Likert scale 5 ระดับ (1 = เห็นด้วยน้อยที่สุด, 5 = เห็นด้วยมากที่สุด) ได้ทดสอบคุณสมบัติทางจิตวิทยาของเครื่องมือ เก็บข้อมูลในภาคการศึกษา 1/2563 ที่ช่วงต้นและปลายภาคการศึกษา ได้เปรียบเทียบความต่างของคะแนนตัวชี้วัดย่อยของแต่ละตัวชี้วัดหลัก ผลการศึกษา: เครื่องมือมีความตรงของเนื้อหาและความเที่ยงเชิงความสอดคล้องภายในระดับยอมรับได้ ในนิสิตทุกชั้นปีนั้น คะแนนของการเรียนรู้ในด้านย่อยแบบเพื่อเรียนรู้ กลยุทธ์การเรียนรู้ด้านย่อยแบบเชิงรุก และการควบคุมการเรียนรู้ด้านย่อยแบบปัจจัยภายใน มีค่าสูงกว่าคะแนนของตัวชี้วัดย่อยอื่นในตัวชี้วัดหลักเดียวกันอย่างมีนัยสำคัญทางสถิติ (P-value < 0.05) นิสิตชั้นปีที่ 1 - 5 มีคะแนนของการเลือกงานที่มีความง่ายสูงกว่างานที่มีความยาก แต่นิสิตชั้นปีที่ 6 มีคะแนนการเลือกงานที่มีความยากสูงกว่า ในช่วงปลายภาค นิสิตชั้นปีที่ 1, 4 และ 6 มีคะแนนเป้าหมายการเรียนด้านย่อยแบบไม่มีเป้าหมายเพิ่มสูงขึ้นจากต้นภาคอย่างมีนัยสำคัญทางสถิติ (P-value < 0.05) ขณะที่นิสิตชั้นปีที่ 2 และ 3 มีคะแนนเป้าหมายการเรียนรู้ด้านย่อยแบบเพื่อเรียนรู้ลดลงจากต้นภาคอย่างมีนัยสำคัญทางสถิติ (P-value < 0.05) สรุป: เครื่องมือประเมินแรงจูงใจทางการเรียนของนิสิตเภสัชศาสตร์ฉบับภาษาไทยมีคุณสมบัติทางจิตวิทยาที่ยอมรับได้และสามารถวัดแรงจูงใจได้ คำสำคัญ: แรงจูงใจทางการเรียน, นิสิตเภสัชศาสตร์, การศึกษาทางเภสัชศาสตร์ เครื่องมือวัดแรงจูงใจObjective: To develop a questionnaire for measuring learning motivation of Thai pharmacy students, to measure learning motivation of 1st – 6th year pharmacy students of Mahasarakham University, and compare learning motivation at the beginning and the end of the semester. Methods: The Modified Archer’s Health Professions Motivation Survey (MAHPMS) of Perrot and Deloney (2013) was translated into Thai language. Of 62 items, 4 domans or indicators consisted of goal orientation (3 sub-domains), learning strategy (2 sub-domains), locus of control (2 sub-domains) and preference for task difficulty (2 sub-domains). The response was a Likert-type ratingscale of 1-least favored, to 5-strongest preference. Psychometri properties were tested. Data were collected in the first semester of the academic year of 2020. Within each domain, scores of sub-domains were compared. Results: Content validity and internal consistency reliability of the questionnaire were acceptable. Scores of mastery oriented goal sub-domain of learning goal, meta-cognitive sub-domain of learning strategy, and internal sub-domain of locus of control in students in all years of study were significantly higher than other sub-domains in their respective domain (P-value < 0.05). Students in their 1st – 5th year had scores of easy task higher than difficult ones; while the opposite was true for the 6th year students. At the end of the semester, students in 1st, 4th and 6th year of study had scores of academic alienation sub-domain of learning goal increased (P-value < 0.05), and 2nd and 3rd year students had scores of mastery oriented goal sub-domain decreased (P-value < 0.05). Conclusion: Thai version of the questionnaire for measuring learning motivation of pharmacy students had acceptable psychometric proterties and was able to measure learning motivation. Keywords: learning motivation, pharmacy students, pharmacy education, motivation assessment too

Enabling Direct Photoelectrochemical H₂ Production using Alternative Oxidation Reactions on WO₃

The efficient and inexpensive conversion of solar energy into chemical bonds, such as in H2 via the photoelectrochemical splitting of H2O, is a promising route to produce green industrial feedstocks and renewable fuels, which is a key goal of the NCCR Catalysis. However, the oxidation product of the water splitting reaction, O2, has little economic or industrial value. Thus, upgrading key chemical species using alternative oxidation reactions is an emerging trend. WO3 has been identified as a unique photoanode material for this purpose since it performs poorly in the oxygen evolution reaction in H2O. Herein we highlight a collaboration in the NCCR Catalysis that has gained insights at the atomic level of the WO3 surface with ab initio computational methods that help to explain its unique catalytic activity. These computational efforts give new context to experimental results employing WO3 photoanodes for the direct photoelectrochemical oxidation of biomass-derived 5-(hydroxymethyl) furfural. While yield for the desired product, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid is low, insights into the reaction rate constants using kinetic modelling and an electrochemical technique called derivative voltammetry, give indications on how to improve the system

Two Novel Dinuclear Cobalt Polypyridyl Complexes in Electro- and Photocatalysis for Hydrogen Production: Cooperativity Increases Performance

Syntheses and mechanisms of two dinuclear Co-polypyridyl catalysts for the H2 evolution reaction (HER) were reported and compared to their mononuclear analogue (R1). In both catalysts, two di-(2,2’-bipyridin-6-yl)-methanone units were linked by either 2,2’-bipyridin-6,6’-yl or pyrazin-2,5-yl. Complexation with CoII gave dinuclear compounds bridged by pyrazine (C2) or bipyridine (C1). Photocatalytic HER gave turnover numbers (TONs) of up to 20000 (C2) and 7000 (C1) in water. Electrochemically, C1 was similar to the R1, whereas C2 showed electronic coupling between the two Co centers. The E(CoII/I) split by 360 mV into two separate waves. Proton reduction in DMF was investigated for R1 with [HNEt3](BF4) by simulation, foot of the wave analysis, and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) with in-line detection of H2. All methods agreed well with an (E)ECEC mechanism and the first protonation being rate limiting (≈104 m−1 s−1). The second reduction was more anodic than the first one. pKa values of around 10 and 7.5 were found for the two protonations. LSV analysis with H2 detection for all catalysts and acids with different pKa values [HBF4, pKa(DMF)≈3.4], intermediate {[HNEt3](BF4), pKa(DMF)≈9.2} to weak [AcOH, pKa(DMF)≈13.5] confirmed electrochemical H2 production, distinctly dependent on the pKa values. Only HBF4 protonated CoI intermediates. The two metals in the dualcore C2 cooperated with an increase in rate to a competitive 105 m−1 s−1 with [HNEt3](BF4). The overpotential decreased compared to R1 by 100 mV. Chronoamperometry established high stabilities for all catalysts with TONlim of 100 for R1 and 320 for C1 and C2

Pulsed Laser Beam Welding of Pd\u3csub\u3e43\u3c/sub\u3eCu\u3csub\u3e27\u3c/sub\u3eNi\u3csub\u3e10\u3c/sub\u3eP\u3csub\u3e20\u3c/sub\u3e Bulk Metallic Glass

We used pulsed laser beam welding method to join Pd43Cu27Ni10P20 (at.%) bulk metallic glass and characterized the properties of the joint. Fusion zone and heat-affected zone in the weld joint can be maintained completely amorphous as confirmed by X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. No visible defects were observed in the weld joint. Nanoindentation and bend tests were carried out to determine the mechanical properties of the weld joint. Fusion zone and heat-affected zone exhibit very similar elastic moduli and hardness when compared to the base material, and the weld joint shows high ductility in bending which is accomplished through the operation of multiple shear bands. Our results reveal that pulsed laser beam welding under appropriate processing parameters provides a practical viable method to join bulk metallic glasses

Mechanical testing of paraosseous clamp-cerclage stabilization compared to interfragmentary wiring and combination technique in L-shape acrylic plate simulate to canine mandibular fracture

The purpose of this research was to comparison of the mechanical strength of the three different stabilization techniques in canine mandibular models. An L-shaped acrylic plate to replicate the mandible of a middle-sized dog was used as a canine mandibular fracture model. The research compared the strength of 3 fixation techniques: interfragmentary wiring, paraosseous clamp-cerclage stabilization, and a combination of both techniques. Each method was tested using 6 acrylic samples and measuring the maximum pressure load on the rostral mandible model using a Hounsfield H50KS testing machine. Statistical analysis was used to summarize the maximum load results from each method. The strengths of the interfragmentary wiring technique and the combination technique were not significantly different, while the paraosseous clamp-cerclage stabilization technique had significantly less strength than the other two techniques. The acrylic samples simulated the mandibular bone in a medium-sized breed dog because there are variable sizes and conformations of the mandible. This method was used to help neutralize other confounding factors associated with using real bone. In conclusion, the combination technique of interfragmentary wiring and paraosseous clamp-cerclage was the best method that can be used for increased stabilization of mandibular fixation. This technique was useful for facilitating stabilization of a mandible at a lower cost compared with the bone plate and screw method