The impact of interaction quality factors on the effectiveness of Web-based information system: the mediating role of user satisfaction

Recently, IS researchers have focused on the assessment of Web-based information system (WBIS) at the individual level as it highly contributes to the organizations’ employees. The evaluation and development of WBIS is significantly needed because the top management is in need of justifying their costly IT investment in terms of its impacts on employee performance. For this purpose, this study is primarily concerned with the development and validation of new multidimensional instrument, and also a theoretical framework for assessing the impacts of user interface quality, online communication quality, and user satisfaction on the effectiveness of Web employee portals. The effectiveness is assessed in terms of contextual performance. In a large-scale study, a sample of 384 United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees respondents are gathered in order to validate and check the reliability of the adapted study instrument. The results of validity and reliability analysis provide enough confidence to proceed toward validating the proposed theoretical framework. The results of multiple-regression analysis indicate that there is a positive significant relationship between user interface quality, communication quality, user satisfaction, and effectiveness at significance level (sig. < 0.01). As another important point, the results of hierarchical regression showed that user satisfaction has a mediating role on the relationship between user interface quality, communication quality, and contextual employee performance. The findings and implications of this research are discussed. Finally, it is expected that this study would contribute to empirical studies in the fields of IS and user behavior assessment.     

Kigelia pinnata Seed Oil – A Moderate Source of Vernolic Acid

Vernolic acid represents 22.3% of the constituent fatty acids of the speed oil of an additional hitherto unexamined species of Bignoniaceae Kigelia pinnata. Its identification is based on comparative informations from thin-layer chromatography, infrared analysis, gas liquid chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy with that of reference sample of Vernonia anthelmintica seed oil. The other fatty acids in this oil are: 14:0 (0.4), 16:0 (25.4), 18:0(0.9), 18:1 (8.9) and 18:2 (42.0%). K. pinnata is the first species of Bignoniaceae to be reported to contain vernolic acid in moderate amount.     

Context-dependent software solutions to handle video synchronization and delay in collaborative live mobile video production

The advent of modern mobile phones, 3G networks, and live video streaming has made it possible to broadcast live video from mobile devices. This is now giving rise to a new class of applications which enable mobile collaborative live video production, in which groups of amateurs work together to provide a rich broadcast of events. We focus on new and expected synchronization problems that arise in these more complex systems when broadcasting live events because of the delays that often occur in streaming over internet and mobile networks. The problem has been investigated by acquiring initial user feedback, as well as conducting technical delay measurements of two examples of such systems and relating them to existing literature. We identified two types of technical problems which affect the mixing of the streams, namely the difference in delay in multiple streams, a.k.a. asynchrony among streams, and the delay between the event itself and its presentation in the mixer. These problems affect the mixing in various ways depending on whether or not the director has visual access to the unmediated event. This knowledge has then been used to inform the conceptualization of identifiable ways of handling delays and synchronization. We suggest the introduction of a software feature providing context-dependent delay, in which these requirements can be balanced differently to fit specific contexts of use. We specifically address the different types of mixing which occurs when the director, or mixer, only has access to the topic through the mobile media (“out of view”), as well as mixing in a context in which the topic also is physically present (“in-view”) in front of the mixer.     

Insecticidal Effects of Organotin(IV) Compounds on Plutella Xylostella (L.) Larvae. II. Inhibitory Potencies Against Acetylcholinesterase and Evidence for Synergism in Tests With Bacillus Thuringiensis(BER.) and Malathion

Features of pesticide synergism and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition (in vitro) were studied using a selected range of organotin compounds against the early 4th instar larvae of a highly resistant strain of the diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella, a major universal pest of cruciferous vegetables.Fourteen triorganotin compounds were evaluated for their ability to enhance the toxicity of the microbial insecticide, Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) and of the commercial insecticide, Malathion to Plutella xylostella larvae. Supplemental synergism was observed with triphenyl- and tricyclopentyltin hydroxides in combinations with Bacillus thuringiensis. Increased synergism was observed with an increase in the number of cyclopentyl groups on tin in the mixed series, Cyp(n) Ph(3-n) SnX, where X = OH, and 1-(1,2,4-triazolyl). The combination of (p-chlorophenyl)diphenyltin N,N-dimethyldithiocarbamate at LD(10) and LD(25) concentrations with sublethal concentrations of Malathion as well as of tricyclohexyltin methanesulphonate at the 0.01% (w/v) concentration with Malathion exerted strong synergistic effects (supplemental synergism) with toxicity index (T.I) values of 7.2, 19.8 and 10.1, respectively.Studies on the in vitro inhibition of acetylcholinesterase prepared from the DBM larvae showed that while most of the triorganotin Compounds tested were without effect on the enzyme, compounds containing the thiocarbamylacetate or the dithiocarbamylacetate moieties demonstrated appreciable levels of inhibition, being comparable in efficacy to commercial grades of Malathion and Methomyl.     

Effect of Composition on the Electromechanical Properties of (1-x)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3−XPbTiO3 Ceramics

Ceramic lead magnesium niobate–lead titanate ((1-x)PMN_-xPT) of different compositions has been prepared by the columbite precursor method. This study discusses compositions ranging from 0.94PMN–0.06PT to 0.60PM–N0.40PT, focusing on two areas of the (1-x)PMN_xPT system: compositions that exhibit electrostrictive behavior, and those that show piezoelectric behavior. In electrostrictive compositions where x is in the range of 0.06–0.20, the dielectric constant and electromechanical coupling factor dependencies on the bias field are evaluated. The optimal electromechanical properties are obtained with the composition 0.82PMN–0.18PT, measured at temperature T = T_m (the temperature of maximum dielectric constant) = 80°C and with a dc bias of 5 kV/cm. X–ray diffractometry is used to show that the (1-x)PMN_-xPT system has a compositionally wide two–phase region and that 0.655PMN–0.345PT is the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) composition. Electromechanical property evaluation shows that the optimal piezoelectric properties (piezoelectric charge coefficient ( d₃₃ ) value of 720 pC/N, dielectric constant ( K ) value of 5400, and electromechanical planar and thickness coupling coefficient ( k_p and k_t , respectively) values of 62% and 46%, respectively) are obtained at the MPB composition.     

Abutilon indicum Seed Oil — Characterisation of HBr-Reactive Acids

The seed oil of Abutilon indicum (Malvaceae) contains three HBr-reactive fatty acids. These are shown to be cis-12,13-epoxyoleic (vernolic) acid, 1.6% 9,10-methylene-octadec-9-enoic (sterculic) acid, 0.9%; as well as 8,9-methylene-heptadec-8-enoic (malvalic) acid, 2.3%. Quantitative results are obtained by combining informations about the HBr-titration, the preparative thin layer separation of oxygenated and non-oxygenated acids, and gas liquid chromatographic analysis.     

Dishwashing performance of mixed palm stearin sulfonated methyl esters and polyoxyethylene sorbitan esters

The detergency profiles of sodium salt α-sulfonated methyl esters derived from palm stearin (α-SMEPS) and polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monoesters (POESE) in mixed micelle systems were evaluated as a function of the weight ratios of α-SMEPS/POESE [polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (12), polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monostearate (18∶0), and polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate (18∶1)] at different water hardness values (5.12, 51.2, and 512.0 ppm CaCO₃) and temperatures (20, 30, 45, and 65°C), respectively. All the mixtures of α-SMEPS/POESE (12, 18∶0, and 18∶1) systems exhibited a synergistic effect at 65°C in the absence of hardness. This was evaluated by measuring the percentage of soil removed. The systems showed an increase in detergency with both the temperature and water hardness. Maximal detergency was observed with 5.12 ppm CaCO₃ in the mixed surfactant solution.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Nano-Composite Alumina–Titania Ceramic Membrane for Gas Separation

A ceramic composite membrane was prepared using a commercial titania ceramic membrane coated by alumina oxide via a sol–gel technique where polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was used as a binder. The characteristic of the membrane was analyzed in terms of the effect of PVA concentration and sintering temperature on viscosity, pore size, density, porosity and surface area of the membrane. Two vol% of PVA solution containing 4 g of PVA in 100 mL of water was adequate to achieve an appropriate porosity level to avoid cracks on the gel layer. Sol viscosity and pore size of the membrane essentially increased when the PVA concentration was increased. The density of the membrane increased as the sintering temperature increased. The porosity level however, decreased when the temperature was increased. The composite membrane was further characterized in terms of permeability of pure gas at low-temperature region (301 K) where an experimental platform has been developed to perform the permeability studies.     

Rigid Polyurethane Foam Production from Palm Oil-Based Epoxidized Diethanolamides

A new type of rigid polyurethane foam was produced by incorporating oxazolidone heterocyclic rings on to polyurethane backbones. Epoxidized diethanolamides were synthesized by reacting palm oil blends of epoxidized palm olein and refined bleached deodorized palm kernel olein with diethanolamine to produce rigid polyurethane foams. Epoxides, retained in the diethanolamides, reacted with isocyanate during foam production in the presence of AlCl₃–THF complex catalyst to form oxazolidone linkages in the polyurethane network. The carbonyl stretch of oxazolidone was identified at 1,750 cm⁻¹ through Fourier Transform Infra Red analysis. Chemical modifications of the polyurethane network also improved the thermal and mechanical properties of the foams. In addition, isocyanate index 1.4 was determined to be the most suitable in the production of foams from this newly synthesized epoxidized diethanolamides.