Using collaborative model to examine online persuasion through e-commerce website design: Comparative study between Gen X and Gen Y online shoppers in Malaysia

This study examined online persuasion through website design by using the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) and Persuasive System Design (PSD). This study investigates the phenomenon of the success of Lazada and Shopee to provide guidelines for website designers and local sellers to enhance the e-commerce website’s persuasiveness. The persuasive design features in Lazada and Shopee e-commerce websites were evaluated based on the design criteria of the ELM and the PSD model. This study has examined (1) the influence of central route elements (Dialogue Support and Primary Task Support) towards Lazada and Shopee user s attitude change, (2) the influence of Lazada and Shopee user s attitude change towards behavioural intention and (3) the influence of Lazada and Shopee user s behavioural intention towards actual online buying behaviour. There are seven hypotheses proposed initially and tested through the online survey to achieve the research objectives. The relative’s differences between Generation X and Generation Y perception of e-commerce persuasiveness had been compared. The leading e-commerce platforms: Lazada and Shopee were selected as a case study. Overall, there were 432 respondents involved in this research where 73.2% from Gen Y and 26.8% from Gen X. The collected data were analysed using Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) technique. The results from the analysis indicated that Primary task support through navigation design, (PTN) was found to be the most influential persuasive design criteria, followed by Social support through connectedness (SSC), and Dialogue support through argument quality (DSA). According to the results, H1, H2, H3, H4, H7 of the study were accepted. The findings indicated that there is no significant difference between Gen X and GenY except the influential of Credibility support through navigation design (CSN) element. CSN proved to be a strong predictor in Online Buying Attitude (ATT) among Gen X, which is in contrast with Gen Y. Lazada and Shopee should emphasise on the implementation of the liking design technique under DSA when targeting Gen X users. The tailoring design technique under PTN should be emphasised when targeting Gen Y users. Based on the study, it can be concluded that all objectives were achieved, and the validation of the collaborative model was done

Homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts for multicomponent reactions

[EN] Organic synthesis performed through multicomponent reactions is an attractive area of research in organic chemistry. Multicomponent reactions involve more than two starting reagents that couple in an exclusive ordered mode under the same reaction conditions to form a single product which contains the essential parts of the starting materials. Multicomponent reactions are powerful tools in modern drug discovery processes, because they are an important source of molecular diversity, allowing rapid, automated and high throughput generation of organic compounds. This review aims to illustrate progress in a large variety of catalyzed multicomponent reactions performed with acid, base and metal heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts. Within each type of multicomponent approach, relevant products that can be obtained and their interest for industrial applications are presented.The authors wish to gratefully acknowledge the Generalitat Valenciana for the financial support in the project CONSOLIDER-INGENIO 2010 (CSD2009-00050)Climent Olmedo, MJ.; Corma Canós, A.; Iborra Chornet, S. (2012). Homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts for multicomponent reactions. RSC Advances. 2(1):16-58. https://doi.org/10.1039/c1ra00807bS16582

A saturated map of common genetic variants associated with human height

Common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are predicted to collectively explain 40-50% of phenotypic variation in human height, but identifying the specific variants and associated regions requires huge sample sizes(1). Here, using data from a genome-wide association study of 5.4 million individuals of diverse ancestries, we show that 12,111 independent SNPs that are significantly associated with height account for nearly all of the common SNP-based heritability. These SNPs are clustered within 7,209 non-overlapping genomic segments with a mean size of around 90 kb, covering about 21% of the genome. The density of independent associations varies across the genome and the regions of increased density are enriched for biologically relevant genes. In out-of-sample estimation and prediction, the 12,111 SNPs (or all SNPs in the HapMap 3 panel(2)) account for 40% (45%) of phenotypic variance in populations of European ancestry but only around 10-20% (14-24%) in populations of other ancestries. Effect sizes, associated regions and gene prioritization are similar across ancestries, indicating that reduced prediction accuracy is likely to be explained by linkage disequilibrium and differences in allele frequency within associated regions. Finally, we show that the relevant biological pathways are detectable with smaller sample sizes than are needed to implicate causal genes and variants. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive map of specific genomic regions that contain the vast majority of common height-associated variants. Although this map is saturated for populations of European ancestry, further research is needed to achieve equivalent saturation in other ancestries.A large genome-wide association study of more than 5 million individuals reveals that 12,111 single-nucleotide polymorphisms account for nearly all the heritability of height attributable to common genetic variants

A saturated map of common genetic variants associated with human height.

Common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are predicted to collectively explain 40-50% of phenotypic variation in human height, but identifying the specific variants and associated regions requires huge sample sizes1. Here, using data from a genome-wide association study of 5.4 million individuals of diverse ancestries, we show that 12,111 independent SNPs that are significantly associated with height account for nearly all of the common SNP-based heritability. These SNPs are clustered within 7,209 non-overlapping genomic segments with a mean size of around 90 kb, covering about 21% of the genome. The density of independent associations varies across the genome and the regions of increased density are enriched for biologically relevant genes. In out-of-sample estimation and prediction, the 12,111 SNPs (or all SNPs in the HapMap 3 panel2) account for 40% (45%) of phenotypic variance in populations of European ancestry but only around 10-20% (14-24%) in populations of other ancestries. Effect sizes, associated regions and gene prioritization are similar across ancestries, indicating that reduced prediction accuracy is likely to be explained by linkage disequilibrium and differences in allele frequency within associated regions. Finally, we show that the relevant biological pathways are detectable with smaller sample sizes than are needed to implicate causal genes and variants. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive map of specific genomic regions that contain the vast majority of common height-associated variants. Although this map is saturated for populations of European ancestry, further research is needed to achieve equivalent saturation in other ancestries

The study on Malaysia Agricultural E-Commerce (AE): Customer Purchase Intention

Electronic commerce (E-Commerce) became an essential trading platform after the Covid-19 pandemic. From essential products to luxury brands, consumers can find almost everything on the normal E-Commerce platforms with the exception of fresh agricultural products. Agricultural E-Commerce (AE) is introduced to overcome the market needs. Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is studied and integrated with additional variables to determine the needs of AE in Malaysia. In this study, five variables (product quality, logistic service quality, perceived price & value, platform design quality, and platform security) were studied to determine the Malaysian consumers’ purchase intention towards the AE. Five hypotheses were developed to identify the relationship between the variables. A total of 300 AE users have contributed their perception as respondents in this study through a survey questionnaire. The collected data were processed before the data analysis via Statistical Package for The Social Science (SPSS) version 25.0. Descriptive analysis, and inferential analysis were conducted. The result shows that all five variables are significantly related to the purchase intention towards AE. The product quality has the highest significant value (0.805) towards the purchase intention on AE, followed by logistic service quality, platform security, platform design quality and perceived price and value. Implication, limitation, and recommendation were also being discussed to assist the AE stakeholders in improving their AE

Exploring the actual implementation of e-wallet application in Malaysia

E-wallet, also referred to as digital wallet, is a software application designed to replace physical wallets, with the primary purpose of facilitating online transactions when users wish to make virtual payments. Nowadays, E-wallets are not limited to mobile applications, but they have also been extended to wearable devices, such as smartwatches, enabling users to make payments via their watches. This research study focuses on three main E-wallet service providers in Malaysia, namely TouchNGo E-wallet, Boost, and Grab pay, as they are the top three E-wallets in the country. The aim of this paper is to explore the real-world implementation of E-wallets among mobile phone users in Malaysia, employing the Technology Adoption Model as the theoretical framework. Six independent variables were identified to study the implementation of E-wallets, and a total of 500 respondents shared their opinions on retaining the usage of E-wallet in Malaysia. The data collected were analysed using SPSS for Pearson Correlation Analysis and Multiple Linear Regression. Out of the six variables, five independent variables were accepted, and one independent variable was rejected due to the greater significant level. The highest correlation coefficient falls under Business Resources with 0.704. The study delves into the implications and constraints, providing insights for the future advancement of E-wallets within the Malaysian context.