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The influence of website attributes on impulsive buying behavior: the mediating role of hedonic motivation
Get PDFPurpose: The study aims to analyse the influence of website attributes' direct and
indirect impact on impulsive buying behaviour with the mediation role of hedonic
motivation in the Sri Lankan context.
Design/methodology/approach: The study was carried out with the results of a
survey in which 319 respondents participated, and the data were analysed using
structural equation modelling. (SmartPLS 4 software).
Findings: The results indicate that website experience impacts consumers'
hedonic motivation more than other website attributes. At the same time, hedonic
motivation mediates the relationship between the website attributes (web
experience, website quality, and website content) of online purchasing and
impulsive buying behaviour.
Practical implications: Managers should focus on website experience rather than
other attributes. At the same time, website quality and content should also be
considered in online purchasing to attract customers.
Practical limitation: This study examined a limited number of antecedents of
hedonic motivation. Analyzing other influencing factors, such as social media,
technological facilities, and the comfort of shopping, may also explain hedonic
motivation.
Originality/value: This study investigates the mediating role of hedonic
motivation between website experience, website quality, and website content
with impulsive buying behaviour. Moreover, by using the models of S-O-R, this
study highlights the customer experience in a website's motives for impulsive
online purchasing
Investigating Impact of Rotor Slot Design on Torque of Medium Rated Squirrel Cage Induction Motor
Get PDFThe modeling of the rotor of a mediumrated squirrel cage induction motor depends on the
design parameters of the rotor slot, which control the
overall performance characteristics of the motor.
Among all performance measures of induction motors,
rated torque takes important attention because it is the
key measure determines the characteristics of the
induction motors. Variation of rotor slot geometries
affects the resultant resistance and reactance of the
rotor, which highly impact the losses, output power, and
speed characteristics. In this research work, a
parametric study on three rotor slot parameters,
namely, rotor slot depth (Hr), rotor slot opening height
(Hor), and rotor slot tooth width (Btr), is carried out by
using an analytical model of squirrel cage induction
motor. A medium-rated general-purpose squirrel cage
induction motor with 7.4 hp, 60 Hz, and 460 volts is
modeled in the MATLAB software platform. Developed
analytical model of induction motor is further validated
with Ansys Electronics Desktop finite element modelling
software platform. The dependency of each parameter
on rated torque is tested as a two-dimensional plot,
which has been extended into a four-dimensional scatter
plot. From the individual and four-dimensional plots of
the motor obtained through the simulation of the motor
model in the MATLAB software environment, it has
been proven that rotor slot parameter modelling has a
high impact on the rated torque of the medium-rated
induction motor
Exploring the role of instant messengers in IOT (internet of things): a study of their impact on consumer behaviour in digital marketing
Get PDFAim: This study approaches the Internet of Things from the perspective of digital
marketing, which is becoming essential and increasingly competitive for
businesses when it comes to marketing
Data Sources: The study exercised primary and secondary data to attain the
framed objectives of the study. The primary data is obtained from Singapore.
Sampling: The study was conducted to know the effectiveness of instant
messengers on consumer behaviour as a digital marketing channel and with 52
respondents as a sample from Singapore.
Findings: The study has found that the perception of the effectiveness of instant
messaging as a marketing channel could be better as compared to the other digital
marketing channel & finally concluded that millennials were more responsive
towards instant messenger as a digital channel compared to non-millennials.
Implications: The study outcomes, that instant messengers as a marketing
channel should be more utilized and could still be an avenue for marketers to
differentiate themselves from competitors, it is showing that millennials were
more responsive than non-millennials. The product and price factors are the
critical differentiator between targeting millennials and non-millennials.
Millennials tend to rank product quality higher than price, whereas non-millennials are more price-consciou
Identification of the best seed sowing rates for optimizing grain yield of at-362 rice variety
Get PDFRice (Oryza sativa L.) is a staple food for a
substantial portion of the global population and it
is cultivation all over the world. Seed rate has a
significant impact on plant population, crop
quality and overall yield in paddy cultivation.
Hence, this study was conducted to identify the
best seed sowing rates for optimized growth and
yield potentials of the At362 rice variety in
Ampara District, Sri Lanka. Six different seed
rates viz; 2 Bu/ac, 2.5 Bu/ac (Control), 3 Bu/ac,
3.5 Bu/ac, 4 Bu/ac and 4.5 Bu/ac were selected for
this experiment. The treatments were arranged in
Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with
three replications. Data on growth and yield
related parameters were collected at different
time periods and analyzed using SPSS software.
The results revealed that most of the tested
parameters were significantly (p<0.05) affected
by different seed rates. Lower seeds rate (2 Bu/ac,
2.5 Bu/ac and 3 Bu/ac) resulted in increased mean
values for growth parameters including plant
height, number of leaves produced in the main
culm, flag leaf length and width, culm length and
root length compared to higher seed rates.
Similarly, panicle length and number of filled per
panicle were higher at 2.0 and 2.5 Bu/ac
respectively. However, the number of panicles/m2
was significantly higher in 4 Bu/ac and 4.5 Bu/ac
while the filled panicle and the grain weight were
increased in the lower seed rates suggesting that
the increasing seed rates marginally increased the
panicle production in cv. At362 rice variety
கிராமப்புற நூலகங்களும் அவை எதிர்நோக்கும் பிரச்சினைகளும்: வாழைச்சேனை பிரதேச நூலகங்களை மையப்படுத்திய ஆய்வு
No full textநூலகங்கள் என்பது ஒரு சமூகத்தின் அறிவின் அடையாளம். ஒரு நூலகத்தின் வளர்ச்சிக்கு
அச் சமூக மக்கள் கொடுக்கும் முக்கியத்துவத்தினை பொறுத்தே அச் சமூக மக்களது அறிவின்
தரம் மற்றும் அறிவுத் தேடலில் அவர்களுக்கு உள்ள ஆர்வமும் கணக்கிடப்படுகின்றது. இதனை
அடிப்படையாக கொண்டு கிராமப்புற மக்கள் நூலக மேம்பாட்டிற்கு எத்தகைய பங்களிப்பை
ஆற்றுகின்றனர்? நூலத்தை எந்தளவு பயன்படுத்துகின்றனர்? நூலக ஊழியர்கள் எந்தளவு தம்
பொறுப்புணர்ந்து செயற்படுகின்றனர்? மற்றும் தகவல் தொடர்பாடல் தொழிநுட்பத்தினது பங்கு
கிராம மட்ட நூலகங்களில் எவ்வாறு காணப்படுகிறது? என்பனவற்றை வாழைச்சேனை
பிரதேசத்திலுள்ள நூலகங்களை மையப்படுத்திய ஆய்வாக இது காணப்படுகிறது. மேலும் எம்
இளம் தலைமுறை சிறந்த கல்வியியலாளராக பல்வேறு துறைகளிலும் ஆற்றல் கொண்டவராக
தடம்பதிக்க வேண்டும் அதற்கு பாடசாலை, கிராம மட்ட நூலகங்களுடனான அவர்களது
தொடர்பை அதிகரிக்கச் செய்ய வேண்டும் என்பதை நோக்கமாக கொண்டே இவ் ஆய்வு
மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டுள்ளது. தரவு சேகரிக்கும்முறை தரவு பகுப்பாய்வு முறை என்பன
இவ்வாய்வின் முக்கிய அம்சங்களாகும். இவ்வாய்வுக்கு முதலாம் மற்றும் இரண்டாம்
நிலைத்தரகள் அடிப்படையில் தரவுகள் சேகரிக்கப்பட்டன. இதனுள் அளவுமற்றும் பண்பு ரீதியான
தரவுகள் உள்ளடக்கப்பட்டன. இவ்வாய்வை மேற்கொள்ள எழுமாறாக சுமார் 30
மாணவர்களுக்கு வினாக்கொத்துக்கள் வழங்கப்பட்டு தரவுகள் பெறப்பட்டன. அத்தோடு நூலக
ஊழியர்கள், பொதுமக்கள் போன்றோரிடம் பெறப்பட்ட நேர்காணல் மற்றும் அவதானிப்பு
முறைகள் மூலம் பண்பு ரீதியான தரவுகள் பெற்றுக்கொள்ளப்பட்டன. பெறப்பட்ட தரவுகளை
பகுப்பாய்வு செய்வதற்காக Microsoft Exce மென்பொருள் பயன்படுத்தப்பட்டள்ளது.
முதல் நிலைத்தரவுகள் வாழைச்சேனை பிரதேச நூலகத்தின் நேர்மறையான மற்றும் எதிர்
மறையான தாக்கங்களை அறிந்து கொள்ளும் வகையிலும், இரண்டாம் நிலைத்தரவுகள் ஒரு
சிறந்த நூலகத்தின் பங்கு என்ன? என்பதை அறிந்து கொள்ளும் வகையிலும் அமைந்துள்ளன.
இதில் வாழைச்சேனை பிரதேசத்திலுள்ள 3 பாடசாலை நூலகங்கள், 2 பொது நூலகங்கள், 1
சன சமூக வாசிப்பு மையம் என்பன ஆய்வு மாதிரிகளாக கொண்டு ஆய்வு செய்யப்பட்டன.
ஆய்வு முடிவில் இக் கிராமத்திலுள்ள நூலகங்கள் எதிர் நோக்கும் இடர்கள் அடையாளம்
காணப்பட்டு, அதற்கான மாற்று வழிகளும் முன்வைக்கப்பட்டன. மேலும் நூலகத்தின்
பெறுமதியை உணர்ந்த, அதற்கான தகுதியும் தரமும் வாய்ந்த ஊழியர்கள்
வேலைக்கமர்த்தப்படும் போது ஓர் சிறந்த ஆளுமையை உருவாக்க கூடிய, நவீன
முறையிலான சிறந்த தரத்துடன் கூடிய நூலகம் உருவாகும் என்ற கருத்தும்
முன்வைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது
Synthesis of xerographic toner powders using coconut shell activated carbon black and nanomagnetic from Buttala iron ore deposit in Sri Lanka
Get PDFRecently, xerographic printing technology has been rapidly developed with the use of
dry toner powders for a quality printing process. Polymeric resin, pigment, and charge
control agents are the basic components of toner powders. Carbon black is the primary
pigment used in toner preparation, which is obtained by incomplete combustion of
petroleum or organic materials. Magnetite is employed as the main charge control
agent, which is useful in generating triboelectric properties during the printing process.
This study aims to synthesize a toner powder through a physical pulverization process
that uses activated carbon black prepared from coconut shells and nanomagnetite
produced from the natural Buttala iron ore deposit in Sri Lanka. First, activated carbon
black was prepared from coconut shells through partial pyrolysis, followed by NaOH
activation. The nanomagnetite was synthesized from Buttala iron ores through a high
energy ball milling process. Styrene-acrylic copolymer was added as the polymer resin
in the toner preparation with prepared activated carbon black and nanomagnetite
according to 5:2:2 mass ratios. The resulted dry paste was pulverized to obtain micro
sized toner powders. This final product was morphologically, mineralogically, and
chemically investigated using Scanning Electron Microscopic (SEM) images, X-ray
diffractometer (XRD), and Fourier-Transformed Infrared (FTIR) spectroscope
respectively. The resulted XRD pattern shows major peaks related to magnetites, as in
the typical toner powder. The SEM images demonstrate the irregular shape particles
with rough surfaces, compared to other commercial toners. The particle size of the toner
powder diameter varies from 10 µm to 100 µm, and is comparable to commercial toner
particles, making it suitable as toner powder. The FTIR pattern reveals aromatic C=C
stretching, aliphatic C-H stretching, and C=O stretching as commercial toners.
Synthesized toner is expected to be used in the real printing process as it approaches the
characteristics of commercial toner powders
Synthesis, characterization and evaluation of biological activities of benzanilide derivatives
Get PDFAmides can be particularly used as an intermediate for the drugs as well as
pharmaceuticals. In this research work eleven benzanilide derivatives were synthesized
using benzoyl chlorides and aniline derivatives and characterized. In vitro antibacterial,
antifungal and antioxidant activity of the synthesized compounds were evaluated. In
order to check the purity of the synthesized compounds Thin layer chromatography was
used. Structural characterization was done by using FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared
spectroscopy) and GC-MS (mass spectrometry).The disc diffusion method was used to
evaluate the antimicrobial and antifungal activities and corresponding activities were
calculated by measuring the diameter of the zone of inhibition (ZOI) of microbial
growth around the disc paper. The antimicrobial assay was determined against Bacillus
spp and Escherichia coli while the antifungal assay targeted Aspergillus spp and
Trichoderma spp. In both experiments Gentamycin served as a positive control and
DMSO (Dimethyl sulfoxide) was utilized as the negative control. The antioxidant
activity of the synthesized compounds was tested using DPPH assay compared to the
standard antioxidant ascorbic acid. Based on the observed results the compounds
1,2,3,4,6,7,8 and 10 were found to inhibit the growth of the Bacillus spp and
Escherichia coli with ZOI ranging from 6.3-10.3 mm and 6.8-10.1 mm respectively.
Compounds 5,9 and 11 were found to be inactive against tested bacteria. The compound
6 N-(3,5bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl) benzamide found to inhibit the growth of
Aspergillus spp with the ZOI 7.1 mm. Compounds 1,2,3,4,5,7,8,9,10 and 11 were
showed no inhibition against Aspergillus spp. None of the synthesized compound show
antifungal activity against Trichoderma spp or antioxidant activity by using DPPH
assay
Mineralogy and geochemistry of Balangoda calcite deposit, Rathnapura District, Sri Lanka: insights into economic potential
Get PDFIn recent years, significant attention has been paid to natural calcite resources as a
viable CaCO3 reservoir for various industrial applications. Despite extensive marble
occurrences in the Highland Complex (HC) of Sri Lanka, their usage is limited to a few
conventional industries owing to their chemical heterogeneity and dolomitic nature.
However, the marbles exposed in Balangoda area of the Ratnapura District, Sri Lanka,
consist of large-scale Calcite Deposits (CDs). In this study, we aimed to estimate the
economic potential of these CDs-bearing marbles by studying their extent, mineralogy
and chemical composition. More than 40 rock samples from the CDs and marble were
investigated for their mineralogy and chemistry on a petrographic microscope, X-ray
diffractometer (XRD), and wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer
(WD-XRF). The CDs-bearing marble band extends about 40 km, and minable
quantities of CDs are well exposed in the areas of Illukpelessa, Rajawaka, Piyangiriya,
Hapugasthenna, Kottimbulwala, Weligepola, Galpaya, Koswatiya, and Udawalawa.
These CDs occur as intermittent bands and isolated pockets within the marble and
consist of medium to very coarse (1 cm to 12 cm) grained calcite crystals. The majority
of the calcite grains are inclusion-free, although a few contain trace amounts of
graphite, apatite, and/or diopside inclusions. The CDs can easily be distinguished from
marble and silicate impurities owing to their distinct textural characteristics. The
associated marble is composed of dolomite (80 %) and calcite (15%) with lesser silicate
impurities. Based on the elemental analyses, the CDs consist of CaO (54.64-55.07
wt.%) with a negligible amount of MgO (0.38-1.14 wt.%), SiO2 (0.7-0.18 wt.%), and
Fe2O3 (0.03-0.11 wt.%) and can be characterized as high-grade calcite ore. These
results imply that the CDs are economically potential CaCO3 sources, which could be
utilized in the production of Ca-based chemical products such as Grounded Calcite
Carbonate (GCC) and Precipitated Calcium Carbonate (PCC)
Water quality modelling and improvement of water safety of rambakan oya reservoir catchment in Maha Oya irrigation division
Get PDFThe Rambakan Oya reservoir is the primary water source for the Mahaoya water supply scheme and provides irrigation for paddy cultivation. In early 2020, this reservoir was highly affected by algal blooming throughout its catchment area. Therefore, this comprehensive study was conducted to identi-fy the sources of pollutants and propose water safety plans for the Rambakan Oya reservoir catch-ment. Water samples were collected from twenty different locations on the surface of the reservoir, by taking into account the outlets of streams to the reservoir. The results indicated that Nitrite, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and total coliform are the most potential pollutants beyond the safe level for drinking water. To analyze the potential pollutant loading based on various land use patterns, the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) was employed. Moreover, using a hazard matrix analysis, all potential hazards, both visible and hidden that could contaminate the water in the reservoir were thoroughly investigated in accordance with module number three of Water Safety Plans (WSP). The findings show that the potential pollutant loading at critical outlets increased with deforestation, while the impact of development activities on pollutant load was relatively insignificant. On the other hand, forest extent of 30% only affected a 5% increase in pollutant loading. These findings highlight that the primary cause of the undesirable impact on the Rambakan Oya reservoir is the runoff from cattle farms, carrying water contaminated with faecal matter and urine, rather than land development activi-ties. Moreover, surface runoff generated from agricultural lands and faecal pollution due to domestic effluents is in the next higher-order level of risk. Therefore, risk mitigation measures alone cannot en-sure the safety of the reservoir, the contribution and support of stakeholders are also crucial to en-hancing the safety of the Rambakan Oya reservoir
Revolutionising accounting: the synergy of blockchain and artificial intelligence in preventing fraud and corruption
Get PDFTraditional accounting systems are vulnerable to
various forms of misconduct, including fraud and
financial misrepresentation. Nevertheless, the advent
of advanced technologies, specifically Blockchain
and Artificial Intelligence (AI), offers promising
solutions to combat accounting corruption. This
paper comprehensively explores these technologies,
delineating their core principles and applications
in accounting. Additionally, it highlights real-world
cases where Blockchain and AI have effectively
prevented corruption. The synergy of these
technologies is a focal point, explaining how their
combined utilisation strengthens fraud detection
and prevention mechanisms. Despite their potential,
implementing AI and Blockchain in accounting for
fraud prevention presents multifaceted challenges.
These include integration complexities, data quality
requirements, technological sophistication, legal
and regulatory considerations, and cost implications.
Understanding and addressing these challenges
are imperative for successfully deploying AI and
Blockchain in accounting, ultimately fortifying
financial integrity and deterring corrupt practices