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The 2019 novel coronavirus is a non-segmented positive-sense RNA virus belonging to the Coronaviridae-Nidovirales family. We examined the swings in purchase behavior following the outbreak of the C...

Purpose: To investigate the anti-osteoporosis effect of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge. extract (AMBE) in experimental rats.Method: Female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups: control group, ovariectomy (OVX) with vehicle group, OVX with 17β-estradiol (E2, 25 μg/kg/day) group, and OVX with AMBE doses (60, 120 and 240 mg/kg/day) groups. Daily oral administration of AMBE or E2 was started 4 weeks after OVX and lasted for 16 weeks. The bone mineral density (BMD) of L4 vertebrae and right femurs was evaluated. The length of each femur was measured with a micrometer, and the center of diaphysis was determined. Three representative L4 vertebrae were selected to evaluate trabecular microarchitecture. Serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), urinary calcium (U-Ca), urinary phosphorus (UP), urinary creatinine (Cr) and osteocalcin (OC) levels were measured.Results: AMBE dose-dependently inhibited the bone mineral density (BMD) reduction of L4 vertebrae (0.27 ± 0.03 g/cm2, p < 0.05) and femurs (0.23 ± 0.03 g/cm2, p < 0.05) caused by OVX and prevented the deterioration of trabecular microarchitecture (p < 0.05), which were accompanied by a significant decrease in skeletal remodeling (p < 0.05) as evidenced by the lower levels of bone turnover markers. A higher dosage of AMBE treatment (240 mg/kg/day) increased U-Ca/Cr (0.27 ± 0.03 mmol/mmol), ALP (137.23 ± 16.72 U/L), U-P/Cr (4.18 ± 0.27 mmol/mmol) and OC (8.47 ± 0.26 mmol/L) levels (both p

The present study conducts three meta-analyses to examine the effects of material incentives, promised material incentives and contingent material incentives on Web survey completion, respectively. Although considerable variation exists across the studies, the results indicate that the material incentives, promised material incentives, and contingent material incentives can motivate potential respondents to complete Web surveys (Odds Ratio=1.16, 1.14, 1.12, respectively) even if the motivations are relatively small compared with those in offline surveys. Those surveys offering low-cost prepaid incentives and promised lottery incentives or offering promised certain (low-cost) and lottery incentives simultaneously engender the highest completion (OR = 1.79). Contingent incentives have the most stable effectiveness and contingency of incentives (certain, contingent, and combined) exert a moderate impact on effectiveness of material incentives. However, occasion of incentives (prepaid, promised, and combined) do not exert any large influence on the incentives' effectiveness.

To strive to uncover the trust role in the Web-based survey, this paper developed a theoretical model linking the constructs of trust, attitude towards the Web-based survey and the intention to participate in Web-based survey from the participants' perspective. We empirically tested the research model with a sample 292 participants and structural equation modeling (partial least squares) analysis reveals that: 1. potential respondents' propensity to trust have significant influence on their trust in Web (institution-based trust) and in investigator of Web survey (interpersonal-based trust). 2. besides the attitude towards the web survey, potential respondents' trust in Web and in the investigator of the Web survey significantly affects their intention to participate in Web-based surveys. 3. trust in investigator affects potential respondents' attitude towards the Web-based survey significantly, however, the correlation between trust in Web and attitude is insignificant.

Although online shopping is becoming a vital part of commerce, it is unclear what factors contribute to its acceptance by consumer. This research builds a model for analyzing antecedent factors affecting consumer's attitude towards online shopping. Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT) are the theoretical foundation in this paper. Key perceived characteristics of the web as a shopping channel are chosen to add into the model. The chosen characteristics of the web are Web site quality, perceived risk, trust and enjoyment. Finally, a modified Technology Acceptance Model combined with Innovation Diffusion Theory which can analyze consumer's adoption of online shopping from a web shopping channel view has formed.

Since the American "9ldr11" incident, more and more countries pay attention to CM (crisis management), and on the other hand, IT (information technology) adoption has been one of the important signs of information age. Adopting and using IT successfully in practice is becoming one of the critical factors for the organizations. The paper makes a try in applying the IT into the CM realm. Combining the corresponding IT and analyzing the procedure of CM, the paper sets up the GCM (government crisis management) model and workflow model based on IT adoption. The models offer important support to GCM.

To strive to uncover the incentive role in the web-based survey, this paper inspects the correlations of material incentive, data quality, attitude, preference, and preceding experience from the participant perspective. Based on four statistical test findings, the potential respondents are classified into four groups: "Loyalist", "trader", "stager", and "speculator". A model based on four quadrants is constructed. To use the incentive effectively, incentive should be given to those who belong to the group of "trader", otherwise, the incentive is ineffective.