User acceptance of the e-Government services in Malaysia: SEM approach

This paper identifies the factors that determine users’ acceptance of e-Government services and its causal relationships using a theoretical model based on the Technology Acceptance Model. Data relating to the constructs were collected from 200 respondents in Malaysia and subjected to Structural Equation Modeling analysis. The proposed model fits the data well. Results indicate that the important determinants of user acceptance of the e-Government services are perceived usefulness, ease of use, compatibility, interpersonal influence, external influence, self efficacy, facilitating conditions, attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention to use e-Government services/system. Finally, implications and recommendations of these finding are discussed

Modelling Customer’s Attitude Towards EGovernment Services

e-Government structures permits the government to operate in a more transparent and accountable manner of which it increases the power of the individual in relation to that of the government. This paper identifies the factors that determine customer’s attitude towards e-Government services using a theoretical model based on the Technology Acceptance Model. Data relating to the constructs were collected from 200 respondents. The research model was tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) techniques via the Analysis of Moment Structure (AMOS 16) computer software. SEM is a comprehensive approach to testing hypotheses about relations among observed and latent variables. The proposed model fits the data well. The results demonstrated that e- Government services acceptance can be explained in terms of compatibility and attitude towards e-Government services. The setup of the e-Government services will be compatible with the way users work and are more likely to adopt e-Government services owing to their familiarity with the Internet for various official, personal, and recreational uses. In addition, managerial implications for government policy makers, government agencies, and system developers are also discussed

Modelling customers attitude towards E-Government services

—e-Government structures permits the government to operate in a more transparent and accountable manner of which it increases the power of the individual in relation to that of the government. This paper identifies the factors that determine customer’s attitude towards e-Government services using a theoretical model based on the Technology Acceptance Model. Data relating to the constructs were collected from 200 respondents. The research model was tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) techniques via the Analysis of Moment Structure (AMOS 16) computer software. SEM is a comprehensive approach to testing hypotheses about relations among observed and latent variables. The proposed model fits the data well. The results demonstrated that eGovernment services acceptance can be explained in terms of compatibility and attitude towards e-Government services. The setup of the e-Government services will be compatible with the way users work and are more likely to adopt e-Government services owing to their familiarity with the Internet for various official, personal, and recreational uses. In addition, managerial implications for government policy makers, government agencies, and system developers are also discussed

Modelling customers attitude towards E-Government services

—e-Government structures permits the government to operate in a more transparent and accountable manner of which it increases the power of the individual in relation to that of the government. This paper identifies the factors that determine customer’s attitude towards e-Government services using a theoretical model based on the Technology Acceptance Model. Data relating to the constructs were collected from 200 respondents. The research model was tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) techniques via the Analysis of Moment Structure (AMOS 16) computer software. SEM is a comprehensive approach to testing hypotheses about relations among observed and latent variables. The proposed model fits the data well. The results demonstrated that eGovernment services acceptance can be explained in terms of compatibility and attitude towards e-Government services. The setup of the e-Government services will be compatible with the way users work and are more likely to adopt e-Government services owing to their familiarity with the Internet for various official, personal, and recreational uses. In addition, managerial implications for government policy makers, government agencies, and system developers are also discussed

Avalanches in the lung: A statistical mechanical model

We study a statistical mechanical model for the dynamics of lung inflation which incorporates recent experimental observations on the opening of individual airways by a cascade or avalanche mechanism. Using an exact mapping of the avalanche problem onto percolation on a Cayley tree, we analytically derive the exponents describing the size distribution of the first avalanches and test the analytical solution by numerical simulations. We find that the tree-like structure of the airways together with the simplest assumptions concerning opening threshold pressures of each airway, is sufficient to explain the existence of power-law distributions observed experimentally.Comment: 4 pages, Figures avaliable by mail from [email protected], REVTE

Empirical investigation on factors influencing the behavioral intention to use Facebook

There continues to be a gap in understanding of what makes an individual engage in Facebook use. This is the primary research question of this study. Social network research is a good place to begin. Hence, this research aims to investigate factors influencing the behavioral intention to use Facebook. Cross-sectional data were collected from 200 respondents through a survey. Data were then analyzed by means of multiple regression analysis. The findings verified the research hypotheses and confirmed that perceived enjoyment, perceived ease of use, and perceived usefulness all impact attitude toward continuance intention of Facebook. This paper provides some insights into how practitioners could better develop Facebook site and enhances understanding of users’ perception toward Facebook. Facebook developer should evaluate ways to improve perceptions of their sites on these dimensions. Facebook group should add more game zones and interesting features to boost up the number of Facebook users so that Facebook can maintain or achieve a higher position in social networking sites compared to others. Implications for research and practice are discussed

Determinants of intention to use an online bill payment system among MBA students

This study investigates and examines the intention to use an online bill payment among part time MBA students in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang.A research framework based on the extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM2) and Social Cognitive Theory is developed and modified in order to identify factors that would determine and influence the intention to use an online bill payment system.A survey involving a total of 120 university part time MBA students was conducted.The results reveal that perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness are the significant drivers of intention to use the online bill payment system.Subjective norm, image, result demonstrability and perceived ease of use were also found to be the key determinants of perceived usefulness whereas perceived risk was found to be negatively related to usefulness.This is very important as many researchers have shown that perceived usefulness is the most crucial factor in the decision to adopt and continue using a given technology.Computer self-efficacy plays a significant role in influencing the perceived ease of use of the online bill payment system

Determinants of intention to use an online bill payment system among MBA students

This study investigates and examines the intention to use an online bill payment among part time MBA students in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang. A research framework based on the extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM2) and Social Cognitive Theory is developed and modified in order to identify factors that would determine and influence the intention to use an online bill payment system. A survey involving a total of 120 university part time MBA students was conducted. The results reveal that perceived ease of use and perceived usefullness are the significant drivers of intention to use the online bill payment system. Subjective norm, image, result demonstrability and perceived ease of use were also found to be the key determinants of perceived usefulness whereas perceived risk was found to be negatively related to usefulness. This is very important as many researchers have shown that perceived usefulness is the most crucial factor in the decision to adopt and continue using a given technology. Computer self-efficacy plays a significant role in influencing the perceived ease of use of the online bill payment system

Linking Ventilator Injury-Induced Leak across the Blood-Gas Barrier to Derangements in Murine Lung Function

Mechanical ventilation is vital to the management of acute respiratory distress syndrome, but it frequently leads to ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). Understanding the pathophysiological processes involved in the development of VILI is an essential prerequisite for improving lung-protective ventilation strategies. The goal of this study was to relate the amount and nature of material accumulated in the airspaces to biomarkers of injury and the derecruitment behavior of the lung in VILI. Forty-nine BALB/c mice were mechanically ventilated with combinations of tidal volume and end-expiratory pressures to produce varying degrees of overdistension and atelectasis while lung function was periodically assessed. Total protein, serum protein, and E-Cadherin levels were measured in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Tissue injury was assessed by histological scoring. We found that both high tidal volume and zero positive end-expiratory pressure were necessary to produce significant VILI. Increased BALF protein content was correlated with increased lung derecruitability, elevated peak pressures, and histological evidence of tissue injury. Blood derived molecules were present in the BALF in proportion to histological injury scores and epithelial injury, reflected by E-Cadherin levels in BALF. We conclude that repetitive recruitment is an important factor in the pathogenesis of VILI that exacerbates injury associated with tidal overdistension. Furthermore, the dynamic mechanical behavior of the injured lung provides a means to assess both the degree of tissue injury and the nature and amount of blood-derived fluid and proteins that accumulate in the airspaces