A Path Analysis of Online Group Buying - Insights from Taiwan

Online group buying has emerged as a new bargaining power for many shoppers and become more so as a result of increasingly growing popularity of social networking and community-based web sites. Aside from significant quantity discounts, these buying groups can also potentially influence the manufacturers and retailers on policies, product characteristics, and services. We propose an Online Group Buying Decision Framework to model the overall process of online group buying. We use a major group buying community web site in Taiwan, ihergo.com, to test our framework and conduct follow-up analysis. Based on the proposed framework, we design a survey study in an attempt to gain more insights on group buying communities, their activities, and culture within these communities. We then perform a path analysis, a special technique of structural equation modeling (SEM), to study the relationship among the factors used in the survey. Our findings provide useful advice for online group buying sites to attract customers and increase sales.

Image and Word in Postmodern Poetry: Friederike Mayröcker’s BROTWOLKE

This article explores the interplay of visual arts and poetic images in postmodern poetry, focusing on the case of Friederike Mayröcker’s poem BROTWOLKE, nach Karla Woisnitza (1996) [BREADCLOUD, after Karla Woisnitza]. The article shows that BROTWOLKE belongs to a group of texts whose titles indicate an ekphrasis or an intermedial quality, but whose specific point of reference is absent. Rather than referencing to a specific painting, the poem thus showcases different aspects of the visual. Offering a close reading of the poem, the article explores Mayröcker’s special technique of image-writing and its dynamic effect on the reader. The article argues that the poem both “shows the word” and “writes the image.” It is shown that Mayröcker’s stream-of-consciousness is a process that refers to the act of writing in the first place and then to an inventory of texts and images that float the text as a stream of sense-data.

Recent Advances in Pharmacological Intervention of Osteoarthritis: A Biological Aspect

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease in the musculoskeletal system with a relatively high incidence and disability rate in the elderly. It is characterized by the degradation of articular cartilage, inflammation of the synovial membrane, and abnormal structure in the periarticular and subchondral bones. Although progress has been made in uncovering the molecular mechanism, the etiology of OA is still complicated and unclear. Nevertheless, there is no treatment method that can effectively prevent or reverse the deterioration of cartilage and bone structure. In recent years, in the field of pharmacology, research focus has shifted to disease prevention and early treatment rather than disease modification in OA. Biologic agents become more and more attractive as their direct or indirect intervention effects on the initiation or development of OA. In this review, we will discuss a wide spectrum of biologic agents ranging from DNA, noncoding RNA, exosome, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), to protein. We searched for key words such as OA, DNA, gene, RNA, exosome, PRP, protein, and so on. From the pharmacological aspect, stem cell therapy is a very special technique, which is not included in this review. The literatures ranging from January 2016 to August 2021 were included and summarized. In this review, we aim to help readers have a complete and precise understanding of the current pharmacological research progress in the intervention of OA from the biological aspect and provide an indication for the future translational studies.

Design and control of the first foldable single-actuator rotary wing micro aerial vehicle

The monocopter is a type of micro aerial vehicle largely inspired from the flight of botanical samaras (Acer palmatum). A large section of its fuselage forms the single wing where all its useful aerodynamic forces are generated, making it achieve a highly efficient mode of flight. However, compared to a multi-rotor of similar weight, monocopters can be large and cumbersome for transport, mainly due to their large and rigid wing structure. In this work, a monocopter with a foldable, semi-rigid wing is proposed and its resulting flight performance is studied. The wing is non-rigid when not in flight and relies on centrifugal forces to become straightened during flight. The wing construction uses a special technique for its lightweight and semi-rigid design, and together with a purpose-designed autopilot board, the entire craft can be folded into a compact pocketable form factor, decreasing its footprint by 69%. Furthermore, the proposed craft accomplishes a controllable flight in 5 degrees of freedom by using only one thrust unit. It achieves altitude control by regulating the force generated from the thrust unit throughout multiple rotations. Lateral control is achieved by pulsing the thrust unit at specific instances during each cycle of rotation. A closed-loop feedback control is achieved using a motion-captured camera system, where a hybrid proportional stabilizer controller and proportional-integral position controller are applied. Waypoint tracking, trajectory tracking and flight time tests were performed and analyzed. Overall, the vehicle weighs 69 g, achieves a maximum lateral speed of about 2.37 m s−1, an average power draw of 9.78 W and a flight time of 16 min with its semi-rigid wing.

Utilization of coconut coir sack waste as eco-friendly canvas material

Sacks made from coconut coir are usually used by farmers and plantations as sacks for delivery of tobacco, cloves, coffee, tea leaves, etc. Many of us find used sacks made of coconut coir that have been damaged, torn and wasted. Using coconut coir sacks aims to reduce waste, protect the environment and eco-friendly. This study uses a qualitative descriptive method and with an action and research model. The action model taken is to design works of art and paintings on canvas made of used sacks made of coconut coir. Requires a special technique by coating waterproof paint to fill the pores of the holes in the sack. The research model was observing to available for waste sacks made of coconut coir and testing the strength of the sack into canvas and analyzing the durability and service life of coconut coir against paint.

Study of temporary losses of patients when receiving medical services in ambulatorypolyclinic conditions

The study of the patient’s temporary losses when receiving medical services in an outpatient clinic and their minimization contribute to an increase in patient satisfaction with the quality of medical care. Objective of the stud y: to assess the temporary losses of patients when visiting outpatient clinics of the city municipality. Methods and materials. The temporary losses of patients were studied by analyzing route maps compiled using a special technique. The analysis of the questionnaires made it possible to assess the patient’s satisfaction with the conditions of providing medical services, the information received in the healthcare institution and the attitude of the nursing staff to the visitor. Statistical processing of the results was carried out using the programs Statistica 5.0 and Microsoft Office Excel. Results. As a result of the conducted research, significant time costs of patients were identified when receiving medical care in polyclinics of the district center: when visiting a district doctor, a registry, a treatment room and a laboratory, which directly affected the results of assessing their satisfaction with the temporary criteria for visiting a medical organization. Scope of the results. The data obtained during the study can be used as basic information when developing measures to optimize key processes in outpatient health care institutions.

Reference map of localization of contact points and contact areas of posterior teeth

The aim of the study: to find correlations in age-related characteristics of the localization and shape of the contact points in permanent posterior teeth and to develop a reference card for dentists, reflecting the age-related characteristics of the localization, shape and size of the contact areas of the posterior teeth in adults.Materials and research methods. The linear dimensions, area, shape, vertical and horizontal position in the interdental space of 1224 contact points of the posterior teeth in 236 patients aged 20 to 59 years was assessed based on a comprehensive analysis of intraoral radiographs performed using the bitewing technique, the results of the study of contact points using floss, displaying contact points on dental impressions made using a special technique.Research results. It was found that the interdental spaces of the posterior teeth in adult patients are characterized by the following features: the contact areas of the teeth are displaced in the vestibular direction, the buccal and lingual (palatal) interdental embrasures are asymmetric; dynamics of the depth of occlusal interdental embrasures, linear dimensions and area of contact areas is expressed as average digital values for different age groups: 20-40 years: contact areas – 1×2 mm, S = 2 mm2, depth of occlusal interdental embrasure - 1.5 mm ; over 40 years old: contact pads – 1.5×3 mm, S = 4.5 mm2, the depth of the occlusal interdental embrasure – 1.0 mm.Conclusion. On the basis of the data obtained, a «Reference map of the localization of contact points and contact areas of posterior teeth in adult patients» was proposed, which allows a dentist to obtain data on the features of the topography of the contact areas of the posterior teeth, taking into account the patient’s age during planning and performing interproximal caries treatment.

Music in Counseling: Exciting Counseling in the Millennial Era

Music therapy in an etymological sense is divided into two words, namely "music" and "therapy". Based on the etymological meaning above, it can be formulated that music therapy is a process of assisting the counselor to the counselee, in alleviating the problem by using a special technique, namely music. Music therapy has modern techniques so that it can effectively help solve client’s problems in the Millennial Era.