Exploratory Factor Analysis for SME Entrepreneur Subjective Norm Instrument towards e-Commerce Acceptance during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic that has hit the world since the end of 2019 has resulted in the contraction of the country’s SMEs economic activities. To maintain business continuity, SME entrepreneurs have been advised to apply e-Commerce in their business routine. Throughout the crisis, subjective norms are seen as a dominant element in determining the implementation of SME entrepreneurial behaviour to accept new changes. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the factors that influence the subjective norms of SME entrepreneurs to accept e-Commerce. Despite this necessity, the delineation of the subjective norms constructed is still not comprehensive as there are limitations in terms of instrument development and the number of items to measure social influence. Hence, this study was conducted to explore item suitability, analyse the degree of validity and reliability as well as to validate the instrument for SMEs' subjective norms toward e-Commerce acceptance behaviour. A total of 159 SME entrepreneurs around Nilai and Seremban, Negeri Sembilan were selected as the respondents through random sampling technique. The results from Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) revealed two component factors of subjective norms which are Interpersonal Influence and External Influence explaining 81.981 percent of the total variance as conceptualised through this instrument. Meanwhile, the reliability index was above 0.9. Based on each analysis performed, it can be concluded that the instrument developed was very satisfactory and relevant in assessing SME entrepreneur subjective norms in accepting e-Commerce. Keywords: Subjective norms, exploratory factor analysis, e-Commerce, COVID-19, SME entrepreneurs.

Study of Parametric Interactions in the Nuclear Reactor Control with Feedback

This article considers the principal theoretical possibility of regulating a nuclear power reactor under changing operating modes conditions when external periodic disturbances take place in conditions of changing the operating mode. By the external periodic perturbation a downward change in the conditions of the heat sink was meant. The magnitude of the changes was preliminarily calculated in such a way that the operating conditions of the power plant did not exceed the boundaries of the safe operation zone of the reactor. In the case of approaching the operation parameters to the critical ones, the heat sink was increased until the working conditions returned to their previous state. In this work the amplitude frequency response of a non-linearly enhanced system in the nuclear power plant operating conditions when non-linearly reacting to external periodic influences has been studied. The external cyclic disturbances effect produced on the reactor that initially existed under stationary operating conditions has been considered. The research was carried out by numerical simulation of the competition between processes occurring in a nuclear power plant and determined by the system’s reaction time and relaxation time while responding to periodic external influences. Calculations of the relaxation time dependence on the fixed frequency-revealing external influence’s temperature are presented. Also, the relaxation time dependence on the frequency of external influence at a fixed temperature for systems with various relaxation periods was calculated. It is determined that when the dependence between system temperature and the external influence time is calculated, there exists a wide range of possible frequency control. To evaluate the behavior of a nuclear power reactor under conditions of operating modes changes, a fundamental physical mathematical model of the reactor’s state under external harmonic influence is presented. It is based on the nonlinear Riccati equation. The external harmonic effect was simulated by changing the heat supply and heat removal conditions near the critical point.

Fenomen parapaństw na obszarze poradzieckim

One of the consequences of the collapse of the Soviet Union was the outbreak of several conflicts in the post-Soviet area and the emergence of the so-called para-states. Based on the systemic method of treating parastates as a system, internal and external influence factors will be indicated. The article aims to present the reasons for creating para-states and analyze internal and external determinants, i.e. attributes of their statehood as factors that guarantee their operation and ensure continued survival. In this context, the thesis was made that Russian political, economic, and military support for para-states ensures their functioning. Moreover, the article indicates the role of para-states in the Russian Federation’s foreign policy towards the post- Soviet area, with which the central thesis of the article is related. It says that supporting para-states politically, financially, and militarily is one of the instruments of Russia’s policy towards the post-Soviet area and is intended to keep it within the Russian sphere of influence.

Faktor-Faktor yang Berpengaruh pada Niat Memanfaatkan Insentif Pajak pada Masa Pandemi Covid 19

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memverifikasi faktor-faktor yang berpengaruh pada niat pemanfaatan insentif pajak pada masa pandemi COVID 19. Populasi penelitian adalah seluruh wajib Pajak (WP) UMKM yang terdaftar di Bali dengan menggunakan metode accidental sampling. Data dikumpulkan dari 100 responden melalui kuesioner dengan menggunakan google forms. Alat analisis yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah analisis regresi linear berganda. Hasil penelitian ini adalah variabel persepsi pengetahuan pajak, risiko pajak, internal influence, external influence, self efficacy, dan controlability berpengaruh positif pada niat pemanfaatan fasilitas pajak. Hasil penelitian ini dapat digunakan sebagai bahan evaluasi dalam menyusun dan mengimplementasikan kebijakan fiskal terutama tentang fasilitas pajak dalam penanganan pandemi COVID-19.

New possibilities of the PCA-Seq method in the analysis of time series (on the example of solar activity)

When analyzing a 1D time series, it is traditional to represent it as the sum of the trend, cyclical components and noise. The trend is seen as an external influence. However, the impact can be not only additive, but also multiplicative. In this case, not only the level changes, but also the amplitude of the cyclic components. In the PCA-Seq method, a generalization of SSA, it is possible to pre-standardize fragments of a time series to solve this problem. The algorithm is applied to the Anderson series – a sign alternating version of the well-known Wolf series, reflecting the 22-year Hale cycle. The existence of this cycle is not disputed at high solar activity, but there are doubts about the constancy of its period at this time, as well as its existence during the epoch of low solar activity. The processing of the series by the PCA-Seq method revealed clear oscillations fluctuations of almost constant amplitude with an average period of 21.9 years, and it was found that the correlation of these oscillations with the time axis for 300 years does not differ significantly from zero. This confirms the hypothesis of the existence of 22-year oscillations in solar activity even at its minima, like the Maunder minimum.

Russian repression grows despite regime stability

Significance 'Foreign agent', 'undesirable organisation' and 'extremist' designations have become the standard mechanisms for squeezing investigative journalists, independent media and other government critics. They are also an attack on Western values as they stigmatise contact with the world outside Russia as subservience to malign external influence. Impacts Repressive laws are used to justify Moscow's aversion to the West and liberal values. Legislation has multiplier effects since 'untainted' media can break the rules by quoting a designated organisation. The ongoing crackdown on domestic critics will be damaging for Russia's economic and investment attractiveness.

Analysis of the stability of automatic tracking of super maneuvering air objects by radio technical tracking systems of the multichannel radar

Multichannel tracking radars with phased antenna arrays are widely used to track air targets. The use of a phased array in combination with digital computing technology allows to control the radar radiation pattern and track several targets in the time distribution mode. Air target tracking in a multichannel radar is provided by subsystems for measuring range, radial velocity and angular coordinates, in most cases, without adaptation to the external influence characteristics. When tracking supermaneuverable air targets, such as 5th and so-called 4++ generation fighters, there is a decrease in the accuracy and stability of tracking relative to the area without maneuver. If the tracking system algorithms are tuned to a low intensity of maneuvering or its absence, a significant increase in the error of tracking the aircraft in the maneuvering section will lead to disruption of auto tracking due to a significant dynamic component of the error. The stability of auto-tracking of maneuvering targets by subsystems of range, radial velocity, and angular coordinates with fixed parameters for the case when the setting of the parameters of the tracking system algorithms coincide with the characteristics of the external influence is analyzes in the paper. The influence of the observation model parameters, the stochastic model of the target movement with exponentially correlated values of the target acceleration, and the measurement period of the target coordinates on the potential tracking accuracy by radio technical tracking systems of the multichannel radar is investigated. To assess the stability of auto-tracking, it is proposed to use the equivalent aperture size of the discriminating characteristic. The influence of the parameters of the target movement stochastic model, the observation model, and the measurement period of the target coordinates on the stability of auto-tracking in terms of range, radial velocity, and angular coordinates is estimated. It is shown that the "weak link" is the radial velocity tracking system. As a result of the research carried out, it becomes possible to further assess the feasibility of adapting the auto-tracking systems to the target maneuvering characteristics and to develop recommendations for choosing the measurement period of the target coordinates.

Hematological analysis of hatchery-reared and wild juveniles of pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha and chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta in Sakhalin Region

State of blood cells is examined for juveniles of pink and chum salmon sampled from Lesnoy Pugachevsky, Taranaisky and Okhotsky hatcheries in Sakhalin in May-June of 2018 and 2019 and caught in the Ochepukha, Pugachevka and Taranay Rivers during their catadromous migration to the sea. Both hatchery and wild juveniles of both species were characterized by high adaptive capabilities evidenced with high content of young forms of erythrocytes in the blood (17.0–31.0 %), significant portion of lymphocytes (60.8–92.0 %), and small number of neutrophils. The high adaptive capabilities were confirmed in the experiment, when juveniles of pink salmon were placed in the seawater without preliminary acclimation, but noticeable changes in the state of blood cells were not revealed both for wild and hatchery-reared specimens. Proportion of different blood cells was highly variable for juveniles of both artificial and natural origin but was more similar between the fry hatched at the same hatcheries or in the same rivers. A case of increased number of neutrophils was noted in 2019 for certain groups of juveniles, with total increasing of platelets in the blood that was explained by an external influence on the juveniles.

Heaven (“Ustigi Oroon”) and Hell (“Altygy Oroon”) as Seen in Works of Dibash Kainchin

The article gives the analysis of images of heaven (“Ustigi Oroon”) and hell (Altygy Oroon”) in the philosophical works of Altaian writer Dibash Kainchin. It reveals the author’s idea of “earthly heaven” and “earthly hell” in his short stories as reflection of his worldview, morale and attitude to people. There have been discussed poetic techniques significant for D. Kainchin, such as dream and related states (delirium, hallucinations, and quick views under some external influence) which help the author to give an insight into a person. The author of this article uses comparative historical, structural and semiotic methods and the method of complex analysis of fiction. The literary texts employed have been translated by Dibash Kainchin himself and the author of the article.