Understanding Member Use of Social Networking Sites: A Value Analysis

In this research, the authors examine members’ decisions to continue using social networking sites. Site use leads to the growth of social relationships, increased volume of site traffic, and an accumulation of user-generated contents; hence, it is imperative to the long-term success of social networking sites. Drawing on the Theory of Consumption Value, we develop a research model to examine the key values that members derive from networking sites. This model systematically identifies functional, social, epistemic, emotional, and conditional values and contends that these values influence members’ continued site-use decisions. In addition, the research model captures the major determinants of the five value constructs as stemming from networking service attributes, member personalities, website designs, and computing environment. The research model was empirically validated through survey data collected from social networking site users, and the analysis results provided strong support to the hypothesized relationships. The current study generates new knowledge on the literature of social networking sites; it also sheds light on site management for networking service providers

Examining Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and System Usability Design Issues for E-Government Sites - A Study

The Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) discipline is concerned with design, evaluation and implementation of interactive computing systems for human use. HCI and System Usability Design have greater significance in electronic government (e-government) as the usability problems can adversely affect millions of people. The goal of the study is to examine the extent of Interactive Web Applications in India, USA, Finland and China. In addition to measuring the number of websites and web portals, the study will determine if the design of those Interactive Web-applications base sites are effective from the HCI and system usability perspective. The present study will enhance ongoing research on the subject

Resonance in the Motion of a Geocentric Satellite Due to Poynting-Robertson Drag and Equatorial Ellipticity of the Earth

In this paper, the problem of resonance in a motion of a geocentric satellite is numerically investigated under the consolidated gravitational forces of the Sun, the Earth including Earth’s equatorial ellipticity parameter and Poynting-Robertson (P-R) drag. We are presuming that bodies lying on an ecliptic plane are the Sun and the Earth, and satellite on orbital plane. Resonance is monitored between satellite’s mean motion and average angular velocity of the Earth around the Sun, and also between satellite’s mean motion and equatorial ellipticity parameter of the Earth. We also perform a systematic and thorough analysis in an attempt to understand the effect of Earth’s equatorial ellipticity parameter and P-R drag on time period and amplitude of oscillations at different critical points

Some Important Supplementary Food Plants and Wild Edible Fungi of Upper Hilly Region of District Shimla (Himachal Pradesh), India

An ethnobotanical survey of upper hilly region of Shimla was carried out in 2008 to enumerate some of the important plants used as supplementary food among the people of this area. Presence of twenty four plant species belonging to 20 genera and 14 families was documented under the present study along with 11 macrofungi belonging to 6 genera and 6 families. Generally fruits (51 %) and leaves (33%) of these plants were found to be used as supplementary food. Use of seeds, buds, stem and petiole of few plants was also observed. All the important plants and macrofungi used as supplementary food by the people of the locality are grouped on the basis of their mode of use

Drug prescribing pattern in patients of myocardial infarction in a tertiary care teaching hospital of North India

Background: The term acute myocardial infarction (MI) should be used when there is evidence of myocardial necrosis in a clinical setting consistent with acute myocardial ischemia. Aims of this study were to assess drug prescribing pattern in patients of myocardial infarction and to compare prevalence of MI according to age, gender, diet, smoker or non-smoker, alcoholic or non-alcoholic, family history of cardiovascular disease.Methods: This observational study was conducted at department of pharmacology, in association with department of cardiology and included all patients of myocardial infarction visiting cardiology outpatient department or indoor patients and proforma was used to evaluate drug prescribing pattern.Results: Total 200 patients of acute myocardial infarction were analysed. Incidence of MI was more common in males (76%); age group 51-60 years (28.5%); non-vegetarians (68.5%); smokers (52.5%) and reduced physical activity (70.5%). 59.5% of patients had family history of cardiovascular disease. Commonly prescribed drugs were antiplatelets (100%) followed by hypolipidemic (99.5%), proton pump inhibitors (92%), antianginal (90.5%), anticoagulants (68.5%), thrombolytics (24.5%).Conclusions: This study provides insight towards drug prescribing pattern in MI patients. Most frequently prescribed drugs were antiplatelets followed by hypolipidemic and proton pump inhibitors. Patients had multiple risk factors and these can be reduced by lifestyle modifications

Extensions of Natural Radioactivity to 4th-Type and of the Periodic Table to Super-heavy Nuclei: Contribution of Raj K Gupta to Cold Nuclear Phenomena

We have studied here the contribution of Indian Scientists associated with Prof. Raj K. Gupta to cold nuclear phenomena during the last almost four decades, which led to the discovery of fourth kind of natural radioactivity (also known as Cluster Radioactivity, CR) and to the extension of periodic table to super heavy nuclei. It is exclusively pointed out how the Quantum Mechanical Fragmentation Theory (QMFT) advanced by Prof. Raj K. Gupta and Collaborators led to the discovery of unique phenomenon of CR along with the predictions leading to the synthesis of super heavy elements. We have also mentioned the development of dynamical theories based on QMFT, the Preformed Cluster Model(PCM) and the dynamical cluster-decay model (DCM), to study the ground and excited state decays of nuclei, respectively, by Gupta and Collaborators. It is matter of great honor and pride for us to bring out this study to enthuse the young researchers to come up with novel ideas and have inspiration from the scientific contributions of Prof. Raj K. Gupta who is coincidentally celebrating his platinum jubilee birthday anniversary this year

Communities of Practice and Virtual Learning Communities – An Exploratory Study

The use of new information and communication tools such as; Web 2.0, social networks, wikis, blogs continues to grow for learning in higher education. More and more instructors worldwide have already started incorporating these tools for their course delivery and pedagogy. The growing literature suggests that virtual communities of practice (CoPs) and virtual learning communities (VLCs) are becoming common for collaboration and sharing resources due to the emergence of Web 2.0 tools and other social networks within higher education institutions. This exploratory study examines the existence of such communities of practice or learning communities in higher education particularly among business school instructors. The data is collected through phone and e-mail interviews with academic staff. The preliminary findings suggest that business schools professors have still not become part of CoPs and VLCs

An experimental study on the effect of isoniazid on the efficacy, plasma concentration and toxicity of paracetamol in Albino rats

Background: Paracetamol is used for symptomatic treatment of fever and pain with isoniazid and other anti-tubercular drugs in patients of tuberculosis. Literature has conflicting data regarding their interaction. Some studies show that isoniazid increases oxidative metabolism of paracetamol whereas some other suggest that isoniazid has an inhibitory effect. The present study was conducted to find out the possible interaction between paracetamol and isoniazid.Methods: The study was undertaken on Wistar strain of Albino rats. Group I and Group II animals were treated with paracetamol (500 mg/kg) and the combination of paracetamol (500 mg/kg) and isoniazid (30 mg/kg) respectively for 2 months. Blood samples were taken before and during the study for biochemical and histopathological studies of liver and renal functions and plasma paracetamol concentration was also evaluated.Results: Isoniazid decreased the plasma paracetamol concentration without affecting its analgesic activity. However, the hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic effects of paracetamol were found to be further aggravated by isoniazid co-administration.Conclusion: Isoniazid potentiates the hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic effects of paracetamol possibly due to hepatic enzyme induction by isoniazid

Integrating IT-Enabled Social Networks with Transaction Cost Economics and the Resource Based View of the Firm

Prior research has mostly focused on transaction cost economics (TCE) to interpret the effect of information systems (IS) on organizational governance structures. A TCE based approach predicts that information technology (IT) will lead to increased use of electronic markets to coordinate economic transactions from electronic hierarchies. However, there is contradictory evidence in the literature regarding the rise and importance of cooperative relationships, joint ventures, and value-added partnerships integrated through information systems. To reconcile these contradictions, this paper analyzes the effect of IT on governance structures based on the TCE, social network theory, and the resource based view (RBV) of the firm. The most important aspect of this paper is that instead of overemphasizing the economic perspective, as has been done in prior IS research, it pays equal attention to economic, social, and knowledge perspectives of the firm. By considering variables such as product demand uncertainty, human specificity, task complexity, and frequency of interaction, the effect of IT on governance structure has been analyzed. In this paper, we suggest that, in knowledge intensive companies, a greater degree of outsourcing will take place, not through markets as hypothesized by earlier researchers, but through an increasing number of social networks. This differentiation can not be understood in simple economic terms because social networks are not based on contracts. Therefore, we suggest that the integration of IT-enabled social networks with the TCE and RBV of the firm leads to a better understanding and improvement of decision-making and corporate governance structures in knowledge intensive firms

Investigation of complete and incomplete fusion in 7^{7}Li+124^{124}Sn reaction around Coulomb barrier energies

The complete and incomplete fusion cross sections for $^{7}$Li+$^{124}$Sn reaction were measured using online and offline characteristic $\gamma$-ray detection techniques. The complete fusion (CF) cross sections at energies above the Coulomb barrier were found to be suppressed by $\sim$ 26 \% compared to the coupled channel calculations. This suppression observed in complete fusion cross sections is found to be commensurate with the measured total incomplete fusion (ICF) cross sections. There is a distinct feature observed in the ICF cross sections, i.e., $\textit{t}$-capture is found to be dominant than $\alpha$-capture at all the measured energies. A simultaneous explanation of complete, incomplete and total fusion (TF) data was also obtained from the calculations based on Continuum Discretized Coupled Channel method with short range imaginary potentials. The cross section ratios of CF/TF and ICF/TF obtained from the data as well as the calculations showed the dominance of ICF at below barrier energies and CF at above barrier energies.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure