Re-examining the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT): Towards a Revised Theoretical Model

YesBased on a critical review of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), this study first formalized an alternative theoretical model for explaining the acceptance and use of information system (IS) and information technology (IT) innovations. The revised theoretical model was then empirically examined using a combination of meta-analysis and structural equation modelling (MASEM) techniques. The meta-analysis was based on 1600 observations on 21 relationships coded from 162 prior studies on IS/IT acceptance and use. The SEM analysis showed that attitude: was central to behavioural intentions and usage behaviours, partially mediated the effects of exogenous constructs on behavioural intentions, and had a direct influence on usage behaviours. A number of implications for theory and practice are derived based on the findings

Advances in Social Media Research:Past, Present and Future

Social media comprises communication websites that facilitate relationship forming between users from diverse backgrounds, resulting in a rich social structure. User generated content encourages inquiry and decision-making. Given the relevance of social media to various stakeholders, it has received significant attention from researchers of various fields, including information systems. There exists no comprehensive review that integrates and synthesises the findings of literature on social media. This study discusses the findings of 132 papers (in selected IS journals) on social media and social networking published between 1997 and 2017. Most papers reviewed here examine the behavioural side of social media, investigate the aspect of reviews and recommendations, and study its integration for organizational purposes. Furthermore, many studies have investigated the viability of online communities/social media as a marketing medium, while others have explored various aspects of social media, including the risks associated with its use, the value that it creates, and the negative stigma attached to it within workplaces. The use of social media for information sharing during critical events as well as for seeking and/or rendering help has also been investigated in prior research. Other contexts include political and public administration, and the comparison between traditional and social media. Overall, our study identifies multiple emergent themes in the existing corpus, thereby furthering our understanding of advances in social media research. The integrated view of the extant literature that our study presents can help avoid duplication by future researchers, whilst offering fruitful lines of enquiry to help shape research for this emerging field

Genomic-based-breeding tools for tropical maize improvement

Maize has traditionally been the main staple diet in the Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa and widely grown by millions of resource poor small scale farmers. Approximately, 35.4 million hectares are sown to tropical maize, constituting around 59% of the developing worlds. Tropical maize encounters tremendous challenges besides poor agro-climatic situations with average yields recorded <3 tones/hectare that is far less than the average of developed countries. On the contrary to poor yields, the demand for maize as food, feed, and fuel is continuously increasing in these regions. Heterosis breeding introduced in early 90 s improved maize yields significantly, but genetic gains is still a mirage, particularly for crop growing under marginal environments. Application of molecular markers has accelerated the pace of maize breeding to some extent. The availability of array of sequencing and genotyping technologies offers unrivalled service to improve precision in maize-breeding programs through modern approaches such as genomic selection, genome-wide association studies, bulk segregant analysis-based sequencing approaches, etc. Superior alleles underlying complex traits can easily be identified and introgressed efficiently using these sequence-based approaches. Integration of genomic tools and techniques with advanced genetic resources such as nested association mapping and backcross nested association mapping could certainly address the genetic issues in maize improvement programs in developing countries. Huge diversity in tropical maize and its inherent capacity for doubled haploid technology offers advantage to apply the next generation genomic tools for accelerating production in marginal environments of tropical and subtropical world. Precision in phenotyping is the key for success of any molecular-breeding approach. This article reviews genomic technologies and their application to improve agronomic traits in tropical maize breeding has been reviewed in detail

Surgical voice restoration after total laryngectomy: An overview

Total laryngectomy is potentially a debilitative surgery resulting in compromise of some of the most basic functions of life including speech and swallowing. This may have a profound adverse effect on the patients physical, functional, and emotional health, and may result in a decreased quality of life (QOL). Until the 1980s, total laryngectomy was regarded as a dreadful, but often, life-saving procedure for which there was little alternative, and was used as a last resort. At that time survival at any cost in terms of QOL was paramount and many laryngectomies were forced into an isolated life as a mute and dysphasic recluse. Most attempts at voice restoration produced inconsistent results and often techniques were laborious, expensive, and ineffective, particularly when carried out as a salvage procedure after failed radiotherapy. Progress in voice rehabilitation, following total laryngectomy, over the last 30 years, has made an enormous difference in the whole concept of the management of laryngeal cancers. Currently there are several options available for these patients, namely, esophageal speech, artificial larynx, and tracheoesophageal speech. The choice of speech rehabilitation varies from patient to patient, but tracheoesophageal voice has become the preferred method. This article provides a brief account of surgical voice restoration after total laryngectomy. Special emphasis has been given to the surgical technique, special considerations, complications, and the prevention / treatment of tracheoesophageal voice restoration

Timing of adjuvant radioimmunotherapy after cytoreductive surgery in experimental peritoneal carcinomatosis of colorectal origin.

Contains fulltext : 52657.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)BACKGROUND: Treatment of patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) of colorectal cancer (CRC) includes cytoreductive surgery (CS) in combination with (hyperthermic) intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), resulting in a limited survival benefit with high morbidity and mortality rates. Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) as adjuvant therapy after CS of CRC has been shown to prolong survival in preclinical studies. However, the optimal setting of RIT remains to be determined. METHODS: PC was induced by intraperitoneal inoculation of CC-531 colon carcinoma cells in Wag/Rij rats. Animals were subjected to exploratory laparotomy (Sham), CS only or CS + RIT at different time points after surgery. RIT consisted of 55 MBq lutetium-177-labelled anti-CC531 antibody MG1 (183 mug). The primary endpoint was survival. RESULTS: Cytoreductive surgery with or without RIT was well tolerated. Median survival of animals in the Sham and CS group was 29 days and 39 days, respectively (P < 0.04). Compared to CS alone, median survival of rats after adjuvant RIT was 77 days (P < 0.0001), 52 days (P < 0.0001) and 45 days (P < 0.0001) when given directly, 4 and 14 days after surgery, respectively. CONCLUSION: The efficacy of adjuvant RIT after CS for the treatment of PC of colonic origin decreases when the administration of the radiolabelled MAbs is postponed. This study shows that adjuvant RIT should be given as early as possible after surgery

Post-transcriptional inactivation of matrix metalloproteinase-12 after focal cerebral ischemia attenuates brain damage

This study highlights the possible pathological role of MMP-12 in the context of ischemic stroke. Male rats were subjected to a two-hour middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) procedure. MMP-12 shRNA expressing plasmid formulation was administered to these rats twenty-four hours after reperfusion. The results showed a predominant upregulation of MMP-12 (approximately 47, 58, 143, and 265 folds on days 1, 3, 5, 7 post-ischemia, respectively) in MCAO subjected rats. MMP-12 expression was localized to neurons, oligodendrocytes and microglia, but not astrocytes. Transcriptional inactivation of MMP-12 significantly reduced the infarct size. The percent infarct size was reduced from 62.87 ± 4.13 to 34.67 ± 5.39 after MMP-12 knockdown compared to untreated MCAO subjected rats. Expression of myelin basic protein was increased, and activity of MMP-9 was reduced in ischemic rat brains after MMP-12 knockdown. Furthermore, a significant reduction in the extent of apoptosis was noticed after MMP-12 knockdown. TNFα expression in the ipsilateral regions of MCAO-subjected rats was reduced after MMP-12 knockdown in addition to the reduced protein expression of apoptotic molecules that are downstream to TNFα signaling. Specific knockdown of MMP-12 after focal cerebral ischemia offers neuroprotection that could be mediated via reduced MMP-9 activation and myelin degradation as well as inhibition of apoptosis