A cross-cultural study of the intention to use mobile banking between Lebanese and British consumers: Extending UTAUT2 with security, privacy and trust

This study aims to examine the key factors that may hinder or facilitate the adoption of mobile banking services in a cross-cultural context. A conceptual framework was developed through extending the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology UTAUT2 by incorporating three additional constructs, namely trust (TR), security (PS) and privacy (PP). Data were collected using an online survey and a self-administrated questionnaire from 901 mobile banking users who were either Lebanese or English. These were analysed using structural equation modelling based on AMOS 23.0. The results of this analysis indicated that behavioural intention towards adoption of mobile banking services was influenced by habit (HB), perceived security (PS), perceived privacy (PP) and trust (TR) for both the Lebanese and English consumers. In addition, performance expectancy (PE) was a significant predictor in Lebanon but not in England; whereas price value (PV) was significant in England but not in Lebanon. Contrary to our expectation, Social Influence (SI) and Hedonic Motivations (HM) were insignificant for both the Lebanese and English consumers. Overall, the proposed model achieved acceptable fit and explained 78% of the variance for the Lebanese sample and 83% for the English sample – both of which are higher than that of the original UTAUT2. These findings are expected to help policy makers and bank directors understand the issues facing mobile banking adoption in different cultural settings. Subsequently, they will help guide them in formulating appropriate strategies to improve the uptake of mobile banking activities. As the low mobile banking adoption rate in Lebanon can be attributed to the novelty of this technology, the Lebanese banking sector stands to greatly benefit from this study

An empirical examination of the moderating role of age and gender in consumer mobile banking use: a cross-national, quantitative study

Purpose Despite the benefits of mobile banking services in an increasingly digitised world, adoption rates remain unsatisfactory. The present cross-national study examines age- and gender-dependent variations of consumer intentions and use of mobile banking services. Design/methodology/approach The study analyses consumer mobile banking use by integrating factors such as with trust, security and privacy and it examines the effects of these factors among two demographic factors including age and gender. 897 Lebanese and British mobile banking users completed a survey. Data was analysed by partial least squares-structural equations modelling. Findings Consumer behavioural intention was significantly moderated by age through its relationship with facilitating conditions and trust among Lebanese respondents, and performance expectancy, effort expectancy, hedonic motivation, price value and habit among their British counterparts. As for gender, a significant moderating effect was evidenced in the Lebanese, but not the British sample, on the level of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, price value and perceived security. Originality/value The findings provide evidence of the applicability of the new factors proposed in this research. The reflection of the influence of these demographic factors in a cross-national context provides insights into mobile banking adoption variation between different countries

Use of uterine fundal pressure maneuver at vaginal delivery and risk of severe perineal laceration

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Greensporone A, a fungal secondary metabolite suppressed constitutively activated AKT via ROS generation and induced apoptosis in leukemic cell lines

Greensporone A is a fungal secondary metabolite that has exhibited potential in vitro for anti-proliferative activity in vitro. We studied the anticancer activity of greensporone A in a panel of leukemic cell lines. Greensporone A-mediated inhibition of proliferation is found to be associated with the induction of apoptotic cell death. Greensporone A treatment of leukemic cells causes inactivation of constitutively activated AKT and its downstream targets, including members GSK3 and FOXO1, and causes downregulation of antiapoptotic genes such as Inhibitor of Apoptosis (IAPs) and Bcl-2. Furthermore, Bax, a proapoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family, was found to be upregulated in leukemic cell lines treated with greensporone A. Interestingly, gene silencing of AKT using AKT specific siRNA suppressed the expression of Bcl-2 with enhanced expression of Bax. Greensporone A-mediated increase in Bax/Bcl-2 ratio causes permeabilization of the mitochondrial membrane leading to the accumulation of cytochrome c in the cytoplasm. Greensporone A-induced cytochrome c accumulation causes the activation of caspase cascade and cleavage of its effector, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), leading to apoptosis. Greensporone A-mediated apoptosis in leukemic cells occurs through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to depletion of glutathione (GSH) levels. Finally, greensporone A potentiated the anticancer activity of imatinib in leukemic cells. In summary, our study showed that greensporone A suppressed the growth of leukemic cells via induction of apoptotic cell death. The apoptotic cell death occurs by inhibition of AKT signaling and activation of the intrinsic apoptotic/caspase pathways. These results raise the possibility that greensporone A could be developed as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of leukemia and other hematological malignancies.Qatar University , University of North Carolina, National Palliative Care Research Center, Jordan University of Science and Technolog

Copper chelation selectively kills colon cancer cells through redox cycling and generation of reactive oxygen species

Background: Metals including iron, copper and zinc are essential for physiological processes yet can be toxic at high concentrations. However the role of these metals in the progression of cancer is not well defined. Here we study the anti-tumor activity of the metal chelator, TPEN, and define its mechanism of action.Methods: Multiple approaches were employed, including cell viability, cell cycle analysis, multiple measurements of apoptosis, and mitochondrial function. In addition we measured cellular metal contents and employed EPR to record redox cycling of TPEN-metal complexes. Mouse xenografts were also performed to test the efficacy of TPEN in vivo.Results: We show that metal chelation using TPEN (5μM) selectively induces cell death in HCT116 colon cancer cells without affecting the viability of non-cancerous colon or intestinal cells. Cell death was associated with increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and was inhibited by antioxidants and by prior chelation of copper. Interestingly, HCT116 cells accumulate copper to 7-folds higher levels than normal colon cells, and the TPEN-copper complex engages in redox cycling to generate hydroxyl radicals. Consistently, TPEN exhibits robust anti-tumor activity in vivo in colon cancer mouse xenografts.Conclusion: Our data show that TPEN induces cell death by chelating copper to produce TPEN-copper complexes that engage in redox cycling to selectively eliminate colon cancer cells. © 2014 Fatfat et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Sanguinarine Induces Apoptosis Pathway in Multiple Myeloma Cell Lines via Inhibition of the JaK2/STAT3 Signaling.

Sanguinarine (SNG), a benzophenanthridine alkaloid, has displayed various anticancer abilities in several vivo and studies. However, the anticancer potential of SNG is yet to be established in multiple myeloma (MM), a mostly incurable malignancy of plasma cells. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activities of SNG in a panel of MM cell lines (U266, IM9, MM1S, and RPMI-8226). SNG treatment of MM cells resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in cell viability through mitochondrial membrane potential loss and activation of caspase 3, 9, and cleavage of PARP. Pre-treatment of MM cells with a universal caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD-FMK, prevented SNG mediated loss of cell viability, apoptosis, and caspase activation, confirming that SNG-mediated apoptosis is caspase-dependent. The SNG-mediated apoptosis appears to be resulted from suppression of the constitutively active STAT3 with a concomitant increase in expression of protein tyrosine phosphatase (SHP-1). SNG treatment of MM cells leads to down-regulation of the anti-apoptotic proteins including cyclin D, Bcl-2, Bclxl, and XIAP. In addition, it also upregulates pro-apoptotic protein, Bax. SNG mediated cellular DNA damage in MM cell lines by induction of oxidative stress through the generation of reactive oxygen species and depletion of glutathione. Finally, the subtoxic concentration of SNG enhanced the cytotoxic effects of anticancer drugs bortezomib (BTZ) by suppressing the viability of MM cells via induction of caspase-mediated apoptosis. Altogether our findings demonstrate that SNG induces mitochondrial and caspase-dependent apoptosis, generates oxidative stress, and suppresses MM cell lines proliferation. In addition, co-treatment of MM cell lines with sub-toxic doses of SNG and BTZ potentiated the cytotoxic activity. These results would suggest that SNG could be developed into therapeutic agent either alone or in combination with other anticancer drugs in MM

Nutrition rehabilitation of undernourished children utilizing Spiruline and Misola

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition constitutes a public health problem throughout the world and particularly in developing countries. AIMS: The objective of the study is to assess the impact of an elementary integrator composed of Spiruline (Spirulina platensis) and Misola (millet, soja, peanut) produced at the Centre Medical St Camille (CMSC) of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on the nutritional status of undernourished children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 550 undernourished children of less than 5 years old were enrolled in this study, 455 showed severe marasma, 57 marasma of medium severity and 38 kwashiorkor plus marasma. We divided the children randomly into four groups: 170 were given Misola (731 ± 7 kcal/day), 170 were given Spiruline plus traditional meals (748 ± 6 kcal/day), 170 were given Spiruline plus Misola (767 ± 5 kcal/day). Forty children received only traditional meals (722 ± 8 kcal/day) and functioned as the control group. The duration of this study was eight weeks. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Anthropometrics and haematological parameters allowed us to appreciate both the nutritional and biological evolution of these children. The rehabilitation with Spiruline plus Misola (this association gave an energy intake of 767 ± 5 kcal/day with a protein assumption of 33.3 ± 1.2 g a day), both greater than Misola or Spiruline alone, seems to correct weight loss more quickly. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that Misola, Spiruline plus traditional meals or Spiruline plus Misola are all a good food supplement for undernourished children, but the rehabilitation by Spiruline plus Misola seems synergically favour the nutrition rehabilitation better than the simple addition of protein and energy intake

Pesticide exposure and lymphohaematopoietic cancers: a case-control study in an agricultural region (Larissa, Thessaly, Greece)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The causality of lymphohaematopoietic cancers (LHC) is multifactorial and studies investigating the association between chemical exposure and LHC have produced variable results. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between exposure to pesticides and LHC in an agricultural region of Greece.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A structured questionnaire was employed in a hospital-based case control study to gather information on demographics, occupation, exposure to pesticides, agricultural practices, family and medical history and smoking. To control for confounders, backward conditional and multinomial logistic regression analyses were used. To assess the dose-response relationship between exposure and disease, the chi-square test for trend was used.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Three hundred and fifty-four (354) histologically confirmed LHC cases diagnosed from 2004 to 2006 and 455 sex- and age-matched controls were included in the study. Pesticide exposure was associated with total LHC cases (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.05-2.04), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.00-3.51) and leukaemia (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.09-4.20). A dose-response pattern was observed for total LHC cases (P = 0.004), MDS (P = 0.024) and leukaemia (P = 0.002). Pesticide exposure was independently associated with total LHC cases (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.00 - 2.00) and leukaemia (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.02-4.12) after controlling for age, smoking and family history (cancers, LHC and immunological disorders). Smoking during application of pesticides was strongly associated with total LHC cases (OR 3.29, 95% CI 1.81-5.98), MDS (OR 3.67, 95% CI 1.18-12.11), leukaemia (OR 10.15, 95% CI 2.15-65.69) and lymphoma (OR 2.72, 95% CI 1.02-8.00). This association was even stronger for total LHC cases (OR 18.18, 95% CI 2.38-381.17) when eating simultaneously with pesticide application.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Lymphohaematopoietic cancers were associated with pesticide exposure after controlling for confounders. Smoking and eating during pesticide application were identified as modifying factors increasing the risk for LHC. The poor pesticide work practices identified during this study underline the need for educational campaigns for farmers.</p