Elderly’s experiences with digital banking: Investigating the role of technical and non-technical influence factors

Den utbredte og økende graden av teknologi og digitale tjenester er høyst aktuelt i dagens samfunn. Behovet for digitale ferdigheter og kompetanse er viktigere enn aldri før, og i mange sammenhenger, uunngåelig. Den digitale transformeringen av banksektoren medfører betydelige endringer for brukerne. Utfordringene dette medfører gjelder spesielt for eldre, som og er målgruppen for denne oppgaven. Denne gruppen mennesker, som stadig faller lenger og lenger bak, skiller seg ut ved at de er en utsatt gruppe som står i fare for å bli digitalt ekskluderte. For å kunne identifisere og forstå disse utfordringene i en bredere kontekst, må en introdusere brukeropplevelse, og hvordan dette, i sammenheng med sikkerhet, kan sørge for sikre tjenester på en side og god brukeropplevelse på den andre siden. Som et tillegg til den eksisterende litteraturen, ønsker denne masteroppgaven å ta brukermangfold i betraktning, der det er ønskelig å fange bruken av digitale banktjenester for både sterke og svake brukere. Oppgaven vil i tillegg fange opp hvilke faktorer som påvirker brukeropplevelse, i tillegg til hvordan sikkerhet påvirker. En "mixed method research design" har blitt implementert, der det gjennomføres følgende studier: en digital spørreundersøkelse (N=81), semi-strukturerte intervjuer (N=4) og erfaringsutveksling med banker og helsepersonell (N=6). Funnene fra disse studiene indikerer at brukermangfoldighet absolutt bør bli tatt til betraktning, der det er blitt identifisert at påvirkningsfaktorer varierer avhengig av kategoriseringen av brukeren. Noen av hovedfunnene tyder på at tekniske faktorer mindre påvirker sterkere brukere av digitalbank og er mer påvirket av ikke-tekniske faktorer, som motivasjon, forståelse og digitale ferdigheter. I kontrast til de svake brukerne, er det tydelig at dette ikke påvirker om de bruker digitalbank eller ikke. For de svakere brukerne påvirker både tekniske og ikke-tekniske faktorer på en måte som begrenser dem til digitalbank sine alternative, eksempelvis analoge tjenester. Når det kommer til brukeropplevelser og sikkerhet, viser funnene at tillit er den viktigste faktoren for å sikre god brukeropplevelse.The increasing uptake and widespread use of technology and digital services in today's world continuously paces forward. In this context, the need for digital skills and competence are ever-increasing, and in many cases, unavoidable. The banking section is experiencing a digital transformation that has had a significant impact on its users. This can be especially challenging for the group of users targeted in this thesis, the elderly. This group is pointed out to be in the danger of being digitally excluded, falling further and further behind. To identify and understand the challenges in a broader context, it is necessary to look closer at the user experience related to digital banking, and how it, also with respect to security aspects, can ensure security on one hand and good user experience on the other hand. As a contribution to the existing literature, this master thesis consider user diversity by capturing the usage of digital banking for both strong and weak users. It also intends to capture which factors influence user experience. More specifically, it investigates how technical and non-technical factors, in addition to security (as part of the former category), impact the experience. A mixed method research design has been implemented, using an online questionnaire (N=81), semi-structured interviews with elderly (N=4) and consultations with banks and health personnel (N=6). The findings suggest that user diversity should definitely be considered, where it has been identified that influencing factors differ depending on the categorization of the elderly user. Some of the main findings suggest that technical factors influence stronger digital banking users to a smaller extent, and that these users are more influenced by non-technical factors such as motivation, understanding, and digital skills. In contrast to the weaker users, it is evident that this does not affect whether or not they use digital banking. For the weaker users, both technical and non-technical factors influence in a way that restricts them to digital banking alternatives, such as analog services. In terms of user experience and security, trust is found to be the mediating factor for ensuring good user experience

Elderly’s experiences with digital banking: Investigating the role of technical and non-technical influence factors

Den utbredte og økende graden av teknologi og digitale tjenester er høyst aktuelt i dagens samfunn. Behovet for digitale ferdigheter og kompetanse er viktigere enn aldri før, og i mange sammenhenger, uunngåelig. Den digitale transformeringen av banksektoren medfører betydelige endringer for brukerne. Utfordringene dette medfører gjelder spesielt for eldre, som og er målgruppen for denne oppgaven. Denne gruppen mennesker, som stadig faller lenger og lenger bak, skiller seg ut ved at de er en utsatt gruppe som står i fare for å bli digitalt ekskluderte. For å kunne identifisere og forstå disse utfordringene i en bredere kontekst, må en introdusere brukeropplevelse, og hvordan dette, i sammenheng med sikkerhet, kan sørge for sikre tjenester på en side og god brukeropplevelse på den andre siden. Som et tillegg til den eksisterende litteraturen, ønsker denne masteroppgaven å ta brukermangfold i betraktning, der det er ønskelig å fange bruken av digitale banktjenester for både sterke og svake brukere. Oppgaven vil i tillegg fange opp hvilke faktorer som påvirker brukeropplevelse, i tillegg til hvordan sikkerhet påvirker. En "mixed method research design" har blitt implementert, der det gjennomføres følgende studier: en digital spørreundersøkelse (N=81), semi-strukturerte intervjuer (N=4) og erfaringsutveksling med banker og helsepersonell (N=6). Funnene fra disse studiene indikerer at brukermangfoldighet absolutt bør bli tatt til betraktning, der det er blitt identifisert at påvirkningsfaktorer varierer avhengig av kategoriseringen av brukeren. Noen av hovedfunnene tyder på at tekniske faktorer mindre påvirker sterkere brukere av digitalbank og er mer påvirket av ikke-tekniske faktorer, som motivasjon, forståelse og digitale ferdigheter. I kontrast til de svake brukerne, er det tydelig at dette ikke påvirker om de bruker digitalbank eller ikke. For de svakere brukerne påvirker både tekniske og ikke-tekniske faktorer på en måte som begrenser dem til digitalbank sine alternative, eksempelvis analoge tjenester. Når det kommer til brukeropplevelser og sikkerhet, viser funnene at tillit er den viktigste faktoren for å sikre god brukeropplevelse.The increasing uptake and widespread use of technology and digital services in today's world continuously paces forward. In this context, the need for digital skills and competence are ever-increasing, and in many cases, unavoidable. The banking section is experiencing a digital transformation that has had a significant impact on its users. This can be especially challenging for the group of users targeted in this thesis, the elderly. This group is pointed out to be in the danger of being digitally excluded, falling further and further behind. To identify and understand the challenges in a broader context, it is necessary to look closer at the user experience related to digital banking, and how it, also with respect to security aspects, can ensure security on one hand and good user experience on the other hand. As a contribution to the existing literature, this master thesis consider user diversity by capturing the usage of digital banking for both strong and weak users. It also intends to capture which factors influence user experience. More specifically, it investigates how technical and non-technical factors, in addition to security (as part of the former category), impact the experience. A mixed method research design has been implemented, using an online questionnaire (N=81), semi-structured interviews with elderly (N=4) and consultations with banks and health personnel (N=6). The findings suggest that user diversity should definitely be considered, where it has been identified that influencing factors differ depending on the categorization of the elderly user. Some of the main findings suggest that technical factors influence stronger digital banking users to a smaller extent, and that these users are more influenced by non-technical factors such as motivation, understanding, and digital skills. In contrast to the weaker users, it is evident that this does not affect whether or not they use digital banking. For the weaker users, both technical and non-technical factors influence in a way that restricts them to digital banking alternatives, such as analog services. In terms of user experience and security, trust is found to be the mediating factor for ensuring good user experience

Effects of heat stress and fescue toxicosis on the immune system and other physiological parameters

"December 2010.""A Thesis presented to the faculty of the graduate school at the University of Missouri--Columbia In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science."Thesis supervisor: Dr. Donald Spiers.Tall fescue is widely used as pasture grass in the United States, and is the most important cool season grass for grazing animals. Certain fungi also grow on these grasses which produce toxins, resulting in reduced feed intake (FI), body weight (BW) and a compromised thermoregulatory system when consumed by animals . Our first study showed that sensitizing rats helped them adapt to the toxin by maintaining a lower core body temperature on subsequent exposure. The short-term study showed an increased proinflammatory response to stimulation with bacterial toxins. In the long-term study, the proinflammatory response was less severe with adaptation. However, cell mediated immunity was compromised, which makes animals susceptible to invading pathogens. This research identified adaptive responses to fescue toxicosis that highlighted shifts in immune function.Includes bibliographical references (pages 167-180)

Comparison of Body Composition Measures in U.S. Army Soldiers and Validity of Using Circumference Measurements

The United States (US) Army currently uses circumference measurements (with body mass index, BMI) to determine body fat (BF) composition in soldiers. While this current system is easy to administer, it has been shown to have poor validity compared to other modern body composition assessment techniques. Specifically, it does not account for different body types, especially among female soldiers. The purpose of this study was to 1) compare different body composition measures in US Army Soldiers and 2) and compare differences of BF percentages between males and females. This was a cross sectional study using BF data from circumference/BMI from both male and female soldiers and compare the results to their BF reported via Air Displacement Plethysmography (BodPod). We hypothesized a) there would be a significant difference in reported BF between the two measures, and b) females would have significant differences in BF compared to males. Data were collected from active-duty soldiers from several US Army units. Paired t-test showed no difference in BF between the two measures (t(19) = - 519, p = 0.609 with a small effect of d = - 0.12), contrary to our first hypothesis. However, an independent t-test showed significant difference between genders for taping (M = 29.8, SE = 5.06 v. M = 20.7, SE = 4.20, t(18) = -4.43, p = 0.000, d = -1.99)but no difference for the BodPod. An ANOVA was conducted to investigate the overall difference between the measures and the genders, it was noted that there was a significant difference only between males and females for taping but none for BodPod, results showed a main effect for gender p = 0.003, but no significant main effect for measurement type p = 0.818 and no interaction between gender and measurement type p = 0.266. We also found that within the genders there was a tendency for taping to underestimate males and overestimate females. The US Army has been using the current method for over a hundred years, our data suggests that females tend to be at a disadvantage with the current taping system compared to males. Since this data was collected from a unique sample which was also smaller in size, future research should include a larger sample size with equal representation of males and females.https://doi.org/10.46569/20.500.12680/4t64gv20

Fuzzy Minimal and Maximal δ-Open Sets

The aim of this article is to introduce fuzzy minimal δ-open and fuzzy maximal δ-open sets in fuzzy topological space. Further, we investigate some properties with these new sets

Comparing Body Composition Measures in US Army Soldiers

The United States (US) Army currently uses circumference measurements (with body mass index, BMI) to estimate body fat (BF) composition in soldiers. While this current system is easy to administer, it has been shown to have poor validity compared to other modern body composition assessment techniques, such as air displacement plethysmography (BodPod). Specifically, circumference/BMI measures do not account for different body types, especially among female soldiers. PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare 1) body composition measures in US Army Soldiers (BF% via circumferences vs BodPod) and 2) differences in BF% between males and females. We hypothesized there would be significant differences in BF% a) reported between the two measures and b) between males and females. METHODS: Data were collected from active-duty soldiers (n=20; 11 males, 9 females) from several US Army units. This cross-sectional study used circumference/BMI BF data from both male and female Soldiers and compared the results to their BF reported via BodPod. RESULTS: Soldier’s mean BF% was 24.9±1.5 (mean±SE) for circumference measures and 25.6±1.9 for the BodPod. Contrary to our first hypothesis, a paired t-test showed no difference between the two measures (t(19) = -519, p = 0.609 with a small effect of d = -0.12). An ANOVA investigated the overall difference between measures and sex; it was noted that there was a difference in BF% only between males and females for circumferences (20.7±4.2 vs 29.9±5.0), but none for BodPod (23.7±6.8 vs 28.0±10.0). Results showed a main effect for sex (p = 0.003), but no significant main effect for measurement type (p = 0.818) and no interaction between sex and measurement type (p = 0.266). We also found that within the sexes, there was a tendency for circumference measurements to underestimate male and overestimate female BF%. CONCLUSION: The US Army has been using circumference measures to assess body composition for over one hundred years, and our data suggests that females may be at a disadvantage using this method compared to males. Since this data was collected from a unique sample which was also smaller in size, future research should include a larger sample size with equal representation of males and females

Isolation, morphological identification and in vitro antibacterial activity of endophytic bacteria isolated from Azadirachta indica (neem) leaves

Aim: The objective of this study was to isolate endophytic bacteria from Azadirachta indica (neem) leaves, their identification and investigate their antibacterial activity against three Gram-positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes and Bacillus cereus and Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Materials and Methods: Fresh leaves of A. indica (neem) was procured from the Department of Botany, JNKVV, Jabalpur. Five samples were taken, and each sample was divided into five subsamples and separated for further isolation of endophytic bacteria. For sterilization leaves were treated with double distilled water, 0.1% sodium hypochlorite, 0.01% bavistin, 0.05% and 70% ethanol. Sterilized leaves of the plants were embedded in Kings B (KB) petri plates and incubated at 37°C for 24 h. Characterization of the bacteria was done according to its morphology and by Gram-staining. After that, a single colony was transferred into brain heart infusion (BHI) broth and incubated at 37°C for 24 h. The antibacterial effect was studied by the disk diffusion method with known antibiotic ciprofloxacin (Ci) as standard. Results: A total of 25 bacterial isolates from A. indica (neem) were obtained and identified morphologically. Most of the samples on KB media depicted irregular shape, flat elevation, undulated, rough, opaque, and white in color. Most of the samples on blood agar showed irregular, raise elevation, undulated, smooth, opaque and all the isolates were nonhemolytic and nonchromogenic. The growth of endophytic bacteria in BHI broth were all isolates showed turbidity. The microscopic examination revealed that maximum isolates were Gram-positive and rod shaped. Good antibacterial activity was observed against S. aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, E. coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, and K. pneumoniae. Conclusion: Endophytic bacteria are present in leaves of A. indica (neem) and it possesses antibacterial activity against few Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria

PATHOTYPING OF NEWCASTLE DISEASE VIRUS BY MEAN DEATH TIME AND REAL-TIME PCR ASSAY: AN EMPIRICAL COMPARISON

Newcastle disease (ND) remains the most significant disease in the poultry sector and contributes to huge economic loss. Early detection and pathotyping of Newcastle disease virus associated with field infection are highly crucial. In vivo pathogenicity assaying is a sensitive and specific pathotyping tool used for the detection and identification of NDV was used until the recent past. Genome-based sequence analysis yields promising results in virulence determination. Keeping the above facts, the present study was designed to compare the efficacy of conventional and molecular assays in NDV virulence determination. In this study twelve NDV isolates (Isolate numbers 463, 464, 475, 476, 122-17C, 122-17D, 122-17E, 128-17A, 128-17D, 137, 139, 141) available in the Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Madras Veterinary College (MVC), Chennai was subjected to differentiation of virulent and avirulent strains using mean death time (MDT) in specific pathogen-free (SPF) embryonated eggs and TaqMan minor groove binding (MGB) probe real-time PCR assay. Pathotyping based on the MDT revealed two NDV isolates (isolate no. 476 and 128-17D) as velogenic strains and the remaining ten NDV isolates as lentogenic strains. Pathotyping based on TaqMan MGB probe real-time PCR assay revealed six NDV isolates (476, 128-17D, 463, 464, 475, 137) as velogenic/mesogenic strains and remaining six NDV isolates (122-17C, 122-17D, 122-17E 128-17A, 139, 141) as lentogenic strains. Using a TaqMan MGB probe in real-time PCR assay, four NDV isolates (463, 464, 475, 137) which were MDT pathotyped as lentogenic strains were re-pathotyped as velogenic/mesogenic strains, which indicates the greater sensitivity of TaqMan MGB probe real-time PCR assay in pathotyping of NDV over conventional MDT