A comprehensive model integrating UTAUT and ECM with espoused cultural values for investigating users' continuance intention of using mobile payment

Zhao, Y., & Bacao, F. (2020). A comprehensive model integrating UTAUT and ECM with espoused cultural values for investigating users' continuance intention of using mobile payment. In Proceedings of the 2020 3rd International Conference on Big Data Technologies, ICBDT 2020 (pp. 155-161). (ACM International Conference Proceeding Series). Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/3422713.3422754Mobile payment (M-payment), as an emerging financial transaction method has been widely adopted in various contexts. In order to investigate the significance factors and espoused cultural moderators impacting users' M-payment continuance usage intention in China, this study proposes a comprehensive model integrating Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and Expectancy Confirmation Model (ECM) with trust variable espoused by Hofstede's cultural value to investigate factors affecting users' continuance intention of using M-payment. In addition, based on the proposed model, researchers can more accurately explain user' behavior not only corresponding technological perceptions, but also mental expectations and espoused cultural values for various technology continuance acceptance under different cultural background.publishersversionpublishe

Enriched protein screening of human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cell secretions reveals MFAP5 and PENK as novel IL-10 modulators

The secreted proteins from a cell constitute a natural biologic library that can offer significant insight into human health and disease. Discovering new secreted proteins from cells is bounded by the limitations of traditional separation and detection tools to physically fractionate and analyze samples. Here, we present a new method to systematically identify bioactive cell-secreted proteins that circumvent traditional proteomic methods by first enriching for protein candidates by differential gene expression profiling. The bone marrow stromal cell secretome was analyzed using enriched gene expression datasets in combination with potency assay testing. Four proteins expressed by stromal cells with previously unknown anti-inflammatory properties were identified, two of which provided a significant survival benefit to mice challenged with lethal endotoxic shock. Greater than 85% of secreted factors were recaptured that were otherwise undetected by proteomic methods, and remarkable hit rates of 18% in vitro and 9% in vivo were achieved

Bistability in Apoptosis by Receptor Clustering

Apoptosis is a highly regulated cell death mechanism involved in many physiological processes. A key component of extrinsically activated apoptosis is the death receptor Fas, which, on binding to its cognate ligand FasL, oligomerize to form the death-inducing signaling complex. Motivated by recent experimental data, we propose a mathematical model of death ligand-receptor dynamics where FasL acts as a clustering agent for Fas, which form locally stable signaling platforms through proximity-induced receptor interactions. Significantly, the model exhibits hysteresis, providing an upstream mechanism for bistability and robustness. At low receptor concentrations, the bistability is contingent on the trimerism of FasL. Moreover, irreversible bistability, representing a committed cell death decision, emerges at high concentrations, which may be achieved through receptor pre-association or localization onto membrane lipid rafts. Thus, our model provides a novel theory for these observed biological phenomena within the unified context of bistability. Importantly, as Fas interactions initiate the extrinsic apoptotic pathway, our model also suggests a mechanism by which cells may function as bistable life/death switches independently of any such dynamics in their downstream components. Our results highlight the role of death receptors in deciding cell fate and add to the signal processing capabilities attributed to receptor clustering.Comment: Accepted by PLoS Comput Bio

Differential roles of push and pull factors on escape for travel: Personal and social identity perspectives

© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd This study examines the effects of push and pull motivations linked to an individual\u27s personal and social identities as key antecedents to escape for travel. In terms of push factors, escape for travel is driven from a personal identity perspective by the need for evaluation of self and regression and from a social identity perspective by the need for social interaction but not enhancement of kinship. Cultural motives that reflect personal identity positively influence escape for travel than destination pull factors linked to social identity. Overall, the study contributes to the existing knowledge on push and pull tourist motivations

National culture and tourist destination choice in the UK and Venezuela: an exploratory and preliminary study

National culture determines consumer attitudes and behaviour. While this holds true for tourism consumption, little research has sought to better understand the effect of culture on tourist destination choice. The geographical scope of analysis has also been restricted. This study employs the Hofstede’s cultural dimensions framework to conduct an exploratory, qualitative evaluation of the influence of the tourist cultural background on destination choice. It focuses on the UK and Venezuela, the two countries with significant cultural differences and forecast growth in outbound tourism. The study shows the distinct role of culture in tourist preferences for destination choice and structure of travel groups. The effect of culture is also recorded in how tourists research destinations prior to visit and perceive travel risks, thus ultimately influencing their motivation to travel. Recommendations are developed on how to integrate knowledge on the cultural background of tourists into tourism management and policy-making practices

Inclusion of diverse populations in genomic research and health services: Genomix workshop report

Clinical genetic services and genomic research are rapidly developing but, historically, those with the greatest need are the least to benefit from these advances. This encompasses low-income communities, including those from ethnic minority and indigenous backgrounds. The “Genomix” workshop at the European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG) 2016 conference offered the opportunity to consider possible solutions for these disparities from the experiences of researchers and genetic healthcare practitioners working with underserved communities in the USA, UK and Australia. Evident from the workshop and corresponding literature is that a multi-faceted approach to engaging communities is essential. This needs to be complemented by redesigning healthcare systems that improves access and raises awareness of the needs of these communities. At a more strategic level, institutions involved in funding research, commissioning and redesigning genetic health services also need to be adequately represented by underserved populations with intrinsic mechanisms to disseminate good practice and monitor participation. Further, as genomic medicine is mainstreamed, educational programmes developed for clinicians should incorporate approaches to alleviate disparities in accessing genetic services and improving study participation

The Medical Genome Reference Bank contains whole genome and phenotype data of 2570 healthy elderly

Population health research is increasingly focused on the genetic determinants of healthy ageing, but there is no public resource of whole genome sequences and phenotype data from healthy elderly individuals. Here we describe the first release of the Medical Genome Reference Bank (MGRB), comprising whole genome sequence and phenotype of 2570 elderly Australians depleted for cancer, cardiovascular disease, and dementia. We analyse the MGRB for single-nucleotide, indel and structural variation in the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. MGRB individuals have fewer disease-associated common and rare germline variants, relative to both cancer cases and the gnomAD and UK Biobank cohorts, consistent with risk depletion. Age-related somatic changes are correlated with grip strength in men, suggesting blood-derived whole genomes may also provide a biologic measure of age-related functional deterioration. The MGRB provides a broadly applicable reference cohort for clinical genetics and genomic association studies, and for understanding the genetics of healthy ageing

Tscale: A new multidimensional scaling procedure based on tversky's contrast model

Tversky's contrast model of proximity was initially formulated to account for the observed violations of the metric axioms often found in empirical proximity data. This set-theoretic approach models the similarity/dissimilarity between any two stimuli as a linear (or ratio) combination of measures of the common and distinctive features of the two stimuli. This paper proposes a new spatial multidimensional scaling (MDS) procedure called TSCALE based on Tversky's linear contrast model for the analysis of generally asymmetric three-way, two-mode proximity data. We first review the basic structure of Tversky's conceptual contrast model. A brief discussion of alternative MDS procedures to accommodate asymmetric proximity data is also provided. The technical details of the TSCALE procedure are given, as well as the program options that allow for the estimation of a number of different model specifications. The nonlinear estimation framework is discussed, as are the results of a modest Monte Carlo analysis. Two consumer psychology applications are provided: one involving perceptions of fast-food restaurants and the other regarding perceptions of various competitive brands of cola soft-drinks. Finally, other applications and directions for future research are mentioned.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/45750/1/11336_2005_Article_BF02294658.pd

A nonspatial methodology for the analysis of two-way proximity data incorporating the distance-density hypothesis

This paper presents a nonspatial operationalization of the Krumhansl (1978, 1982) distancedensity model of similarity. This model assumes that the similarity between two objects i and j is a function of both the interpoint distance between i and j and the density of other stimulus points in the regions surrounding i and j . We review this conceptual model and associated empirical evidence for such a specification. A nonspatial, tree-fitting methodology is described which is sufficiently flexible to fit a number of competing hypotheses of similarity formation. A sequential, unconstrained minimization algorithm is technically presented together with various program options. Three applications are provided which demonstrate the flexibility of the methodology. Finally, extensions to spatial models, three-way analyses, and hybrid models are discussed.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/45746/1/11336_2005_Article_BF02295285.pd