This study explores internal and external factors that influence consumers’ novel food technology acceptance (NFTA). Findings suggest that the primary driver of the purchase intention of NFTA is hedonic motivation. Also, the level of trust in the food regulatory organizations can play a vital role in driving consumers’ NFTA.

The objective of this research work was to know ovarian dynamics and pregnancy rate of cyclic Murrah buffalo cows with induced estrus by administration of prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) and timed artificial insemination (TAI) with frozen thawed semen. A total of 31 female buffaloes were selected for the study. The buffalos having matured CL observed by ultrasonography were given one intra muscular injection of cloprostenol 500 μg and TAI was performed using frozen thawed semen of Indian Murrah buffalo bull. Results showed that 90.32% (significantly, at p < 0.05) cows explore the sign of heat after injection of PG and 67.85% (significantly, at p < 0.05) cows were become pregnant out of 28 inseminated (TAI) cows. In the 28 inseminated (TAI) cows, average number of smaller and larger size of follicles were non-significantly (p > 0.05) higher at day 3 post PG injection, but the medium size of follicles was non-significantly (p > 0.05) higher at PG injection. At day 3 post PG injection the diameter of follicles was significantly (p < 0.05) higher, but the diameter of CL was significantly (p < 0.01) lower compared at PG injection. At PG injection the diameter of largest follicle was non-significantly differences (p > 0.05) in between pregnant and non-pregnant cows. But at day 3 post PG injection it was significantly (p < 0.01) higher in pregnant cows compared to non-pregnant cows. The number of small, medium, and large follicles at PG injection and at day 3 post PG injection were non-significantly (p > 0.05) difference in between pregnant and non-pregnant buffalo cows. Finally, it is concluded that the CL was effectively regresses and induced the sign of heat in buffalo cows and after AI the cows were become pregnant with significant rate. The study will help to the veterinarian and researcher to know the efficacy of PG injection and AI for reproductive efficiency in buffalo cows.

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) represent one of the most unique materials in the field of nanotechnology. CNT are the allotrope of carbon having sp2 hybridization. CNT are considered to be rolled-up graphene with a nanostructure that can have a length to diameter ratio greater than 1,000,000. CNT can be single-, double-, and multi-walled. CNT have unique mechanical, electrical, and optical properties, all of which have been extensively studied. The novel properties of CNT are their light weight, small size with a high aspect ratio, good tensile strength, and good conducting characteristics, which make them useful for various applications. The present review is focused on the structure, properties, toxicity, synthesis methods, growth mechanism and their applications. Techniques that have been developed to synthesize CNT in sizeable quantities, including arc discharge, laser ablation, chemical vapor deposition, etc., have been explained. The toxic effect of CNT is also presented in a summarized form. Recent CNT applications showing a very promising glimpse into the future of CNT in nanotechnology such as optics, electronics, sensing, mechanical, electrical, storage, and other fields of materials science are presented in the review.

The US-Korea FTA, in its initial days of negotiation saw severe protests by public and political turmoil in Seoul. After crossing several procedural hoops and political hurdles in parliaments of both countries it became effective in 2012, though it was signed in 2007. At that time, it was considered by the US a ‘model agreement’ which could open opportunities for the US exporters in the Korean market. However, only couple of years later, the Trump administration called this FTA a ‘horrible’ deal that has ‘destroyed’ America. Thus, the Trump administration wanted to scrap the FTA. After considering the political implications of such action, the US government decided to re-negotiate the FTA so that the US concerns are addressed. In a short period of negotiation, both sides agreed to the revised terms of the FTA which has become effective from January 1, 2019. This paper analyses outcomes of the revised US-Korea FTA, 2018 from the US perspective and evaluate if all concerns of the US are met.

Pay-What-You-Want (PWYW) is an innovative participative pricing strategy in which consumers determine the price they want to pay for a product or service. Past research mainly focuses on individual variables as antecedents of consumers’ willingness to pay under PWYW pricing and ignores the role of situational factors. We address this gap by investigating the effects of three situational factors, perceived crowding, involvement level and time pressure, on consumers’ PWYW pricing decisions. Pay-what-you-want (PWYW) is an innovative pricing mechanism that gives consumers maximum control over the price setting process, and thus allows buyers to entirely determine the price for their desired product or service (Schmidt, Spann & Zeithammer, 2014). The buyer has the authority to choose any price to pay for the offered product or service and there is no minimum price to protect the seller (Kahsay & Samahita, 2015). Such increased perceived control on the final price induces consumers to greater purchase intentions (Chandran & Morwitz, 2005). Hence, a growing number of firms in different industries such as music, museums, software, and charity sales are using PWYW pricing (Schmidt, Spann & Zeithammer, 2014). Internal reference price (IRP) is defined as a price in the buyers' memories that serves as a basis for judging or comparing actual prices (Monroe, 1973; Monroe, Grewal, & Compeau, 1991). In the context of PWYW involvement has a negative effect on prices paid. Involvement is the level of personal relevance consumers possess regarding a product or a purchase decision (Zaichkowsky, 1985). Involvement is conceptualized as both, an individual difference variable representing an “enduring interest” in a given product (Roy, 2015; Bloch & Richins, 1983). It is also posited that the negative effect of involvement on IRP will be further moderated by perceived crowding. Perceived crowding is often described in negative terms as a confined, constrained, and restricted physical setting; and it has two distinct dimensions, spatial crowding and human crowding (Machleit et al., 2000; Byunn & Mann, 2011). A crowded shopping environment is also incompatible with the consumers’ shopping desires and goals; hence consumers exhibit unfavorable shopping behavior such as spend less time in the store (Machleit et al., 2000; Li, Kim & Lee, 2009). Perceived crowding should therefore negatively influence consumers’ involvement and IRP, thereby affecting the money they are willing to pay in PWYW situation.

The prime objective of this research was to study the influence of hot-pressing pressure and matrix-to-reinforcement ratio on the densification of short-carbon-fiber-reinforced, randomly oriented carbon/carbon-composite. Secondary objectives included determination of the physical and mechanical properties of the resulting composite. The ‘hybrid carbon-fiberreinforced mesophase-pitch-derived carbon-matrix’ composite was fabricated by hot pressing. During hot pressing, pressure was varied from 5 to 20 MPa, and reinforcement wt% from 30 to 70. Densification of all the compacts was carried at low impregnation pressure with phenolic resin. The effect of the impregnation cycles was determined using measurements of microstructure and density. The results showed that effective densification strongly depended on the hot-pressing pressure and reinforcement wt%. Furthermore, results showed that compacts processed at lower hot-pressing pressure, and at higher reinforcement wt%, gained density gradually during three densification cycles and showed the symptoms of further gains with additional densification cycles. In contrast, samples that were hot-pressed at moderate pressure and at moderate reinforcement wt%, achieved maximum density within three densification cycles. Furthermore, examination of microstructure revealed the formation of cracks in samples processed at lower pressure and with low reinforcement wt%.

Unlike many occupations, a salesperson’s performance is measured primarily by the extent to which he/she meets weekly, quarterly, and annual objectives. Long-term objectives, such as sales, profit, customer satisfaction, and market share quotas are driven by the achievement of short-term and more frequent quota targets, such as the number of leads generated or the number of sales meetings held. In addition, the sales process itself is defined by the achievement of “steps,” such as identifying prospects, securing meetings, identifying needs, overcoming resistance, and gaining commitment. Consequently, it is important to examine the sales agent’s need for achievement (NFA) and its influence on performance outcomes. To date, the research and anecdotal evidence have produced a few models that examine the outcomes of NFA, each explaining respective aspects of variance (Amyx and Alford, 2005; Riipinen, 1994; Hansemark, 1997). Extant literature in NFA domain provides a support for a link (positive correlation) between NFA and performance (Amyx and Alford, 2005). However, results are mixed concerning NFA’s influence on job satisfaction and organizational commitment (OC). Past literature contends that NFA will positively influence commitment (Steer, 1977; Morris and Snyder, 1979; Sager, 1991). However, in a recent empirically study, NFA was found not to have any significant effect on commitment and satisfaction (Amyx and Alford, 2005). Further, Johnson and Stinson (1975) empirically demonstrated that NFA negatively influence satisfaction. Contrarily, recent studies have argued that NFA positively influences satisfaction (Behrman and Perrault, 1984; Bluen, Barling, and Burns, 1990). An important variable often examined as key intervening variable in examining performance outcomes in management and sales domains is role clarity (Lang, Jeffrey, Bliese, and Adler, 2007). Role clarity is an indicator of the extent to which people understand their fit and purpose within an organization (Netemeyer, Maxham and Pullig, 1990; Fisher and Gitelson, 1983; Jackson and Schuler, 1985). This relative sense of fit and purpose may help explain the mixed results regarding the link between NFA and organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Previous research shows that salespeople with a high NFA perform better than those with a low NFA (Amyx and Alford, 2005). Organizations have a vested interest in retaining higher performing salespeople, and both job satisfaction (JS) and organizational commitment have been linked to retention. Given these relationships and the achievement-oriented nature of the sales job, it is important to understand the relationship, if any, between NFA and two outcome variables, namely, job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Specifically, this study first explores direct influence of NFA on job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Next, the study investigates how role clarity moderates the influence of NFA on organizational commitment and job satisfaction.

Bemisia tabaci is a serious pest in various horticultural crops in the world. Due to use of chemical pesticide for their management they develop pesticide resistance and environmental contamination. It is necessary to develop alternative bio-pesticides using natural products from plants and natural enemies. Nicotiana benthamiana is a variety of wild tobacco plants and produce acyl sugars from glandular trichomes in the leaves. When adult whiteflies were reared with fresh N. benthamiana leaves, they were completely dead within 84 h. Oral feeding of 20% N. benthamiana extracts using ethanol and water showed complete mortality of whiteflies within 48 hours. Spray of N. benthamiana extracts into the leaves was lethal to eggs but not to nymphs of whiteflies. Further, tomato plants sprayed with N. benthamiana extracts were highly repellent to adult whiteflies. Quantitative real-time PCR indicated that the expression of various genes of B. tabaci was changed by oral feeding of N. benthamiana extract. This study suggests N. benthamiana extract is a useful for the control of whiteflies and can be used as an alternative natural pesticide for the whitefly management.

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS, respectively) are messengers that carry signals to alter the redox state in order to activate plant responses and other physiological processes, such as differentiation, aging, senescence, and pathogen defense. Quite a large number of genes are involved in this signaling and lead to oxidative stress in plants. Although the role of ROS/RNS during stress conditions is well documented, a comprehensive list of genes and comparative study of these genes has not yet been completed. Accordingly, the in silico identification of oxidative stress-related genes was performed for soybeans and Arabidopsis. These genes were also studied in relation to multiple domain prediction. The presence of domains like dehydogenase and ATPase suggests that these genes are involved in various metabolic processes, as well as the transportation of ions under optimal environmental conditions. In addition to a sequence analysis, a phylogenetic analysis was also performed to identify orthologous pairs among the soybean and Arabidopsis oxidative stress-related genes based on neighbor joining. This study was also conducted with the objective of further understanding the complex molecular signaling mechanism in plants under various stress conditions.

Bemisia tabaci is a serious pest in various horticultural crops in the world. The management of B. tabaci has been typically carried out by chemical pesticides. Due to the development of pesticide resistance and environmental contamination, however, it is necessary to develop alternative biopesticides using natural products from plants and natural enemies. Nicotiana benthamiana is a variety of wild tobacco plants and produce acyl sugars from glandular trichomes in the leaves. Acyl sugars are known to be highly toxic to various plant sapping insects such as whiteflies, aphids and thrips. Here, we extracted acyl sugars in two different ways from the leaves. At first, collected leaves were simply washed with water. Otherwise, collected leaves firstly dried and homogenized into the powder, then extracted with ethanol. Spray of 10% water-extracted solution into adult whiteflies showed 80% mortality. Otherwise, spray of 10% ethanol-extracted solutions showed complete mortality at 48 h after treatment and also strong repellency of adult whiteflies into the treated tomato plants. Our results suggest N. benthamiana is a useful for the control of whiteflies and can be used as an alternative natural pesticide for the whitefly management.

Nepal is endowed with rich diversity in land races of rice and also some wild rice species. Some of them are known for their resistance to insect and diseases, including rice hoppers and viruses. Nepal has so far released 68 improved rice varieties for different domains. With the introduction of improved varieties incidences of insect and diseases increased. Leafhoppers and planthoppers are among the rice insects of economic importance in Nepal. Till a decade ago, rice gundhi bug used to be the most important insect of rice. Now, hoppers have become more important. Of leafhoppers, green leafhopper (Nephotettix nigropictus), white leafhoppers (Cofena spectra) and zig zag leafhopper (Resilia dorsalis) are the common ones. Of them, N. nigropictus was found to transmit rice dwarf phytoreovirus, and N. virescens to transmit rice tungro bacilliform badna virus and rice tungro spherical waikavirus in Nepal. Of planthoppers, brown planthopper (BPH) (Nilaparvata lugens) and white-backed planthopper (WbPH) (Sogatella furcifera) are the major ones. Isolated outbreaks of BPH have been recorded from 1977 to recent past years and of WbPH in 1982. However, no virus diseases associated with BPH and WBPH have been recorded in Nepal though some yellow syndrome in large areas has been reported from BPH occurring area (Chitwan) for the last couple of years. It is worth to note that IPM-FFS (farmers’ field school) approach was adopted in 1997 in rice after the outbreak of BPH in Chitwan district. Farmers are practicing wetting and drying of rice fields for the management of BPH. Other management practices recommended include use of biopesticides, predators, light traps, chemicals and resistant varieties. With the objective of monitoring rice planthoppers and associated rice viruses Nepal in 2011 joined “Collaboration network for the management of migratory rice planthoppers and associated virus diseases of rice in Asia” - a regional project of Asian Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiatives (AFACI), Korea.

This study investigates the factors influencing the usage of PSAU Mobile Application by the students at Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University (PSAU). This study used Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a framework to predict the factors influencing 67 students’ usage of PSAU M-Application. The results of this study were consistent with the TAM framework in predicting the actual usage of the PSAU mobile application for academic activities. The results indicated a significantly positive association of the perceived ease-to-use with perceived usefulness, significantly positive associations of the perceived ease-to-use and the perceived usefulness with the attitude toward the usage of the PSAU’s mobile application, a significantly positive association of the perceived usefulness with the behavioral intention toward the usage of the PSAU’s mobile application, a significantly positive association of the students’ attitude toward the usage of the PSAU’s mobile application with the behavioral intention of using the application, and a significantly positive association of the behavioral intention with the actual usage of the PSAU’s mobile application. The results of this study should be useful to educational policymakers at PSAU University and elsewhere, as there is an opportunity to enhance the existing technology or adopt new technologies for academic activities.

Managers, supervisors, executives and others whose office is to get work done by staff in organizations would desire a motivated workforce. Despite the advances in technology, any system has tot have motivated people to achieve its goals and at some time or other, no one in charge of a unit has failed to wonder, ‘How best do I get individuals and groups motivated’? What is motivation, how can employees be motivated to direct their energies towards execution of the job and how is this achieved on a sustained on-going basis? Is a highly motivated employee necessarily an ace performer? These are the issues which the author would address in the present paper. The authors has conducted an empirical study by administering motivational test and collected data from 100 corporate of Bhopal region.

Receptor mediated signal carriers play a critical role in regulation of plant defense and development. Rapid Alkalization Factor (RALF) is an important signaling family which has a role in plant growth and development. However, only few RALF polypeptides have been identified till date, mainly because of enormous efforts required for their isolation or identify their gene through mutational analysis. In this study, an extensive database search yield 39, 43, 34 and 23 potential RALF genes in Arabidopsis, rice, corn and soybeans, respectively. RALF genes are highly conserved across the plant species. A comprehensive analysis including the chromosomal location, gene structure, subcellular location, conserved motif, protein structure and promoter analysis was performed. RALF genes from four plants under study were divided in 7 groups based on phylogenetic analysis. In silico expression analysis of these genes, using microarray and EST data, reveled that these genes exhibit a variety of expression pattern. Furthermore, RALF genes showed distinct expression pattern under nitricoxide (NO) stress in Arabidopsis. This suggests a role of RALF genes in plant defense regulation. Our comprehensive analysis of RALF genes is a valuable resource that further elucidates the roles of RALF family members in plant growth and development. In addition, comparative genomics analyses deepen our understanding of the evolution of RALF gene family and will contribute to further genetics and genomics studies of other monocot and dicot plant species.

Due to the growth of container traffic and port competition, ports have increasingly been under pressure to improve their efficiency in port operation and port management for competitive edge. The purpose of this study is to compare the technical efficiency among major container terminals in China, Korea and Singapore using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). This paper analyses the returns-to-scale using the output orientation of VRS and CRS model. The benefits of this study examining the relative performance of container terminals will enable container terminal operating companies or port policy makers in those countries to identify current slacks and to set up a proper port management and operation plan to improve their productivity.

Study on effectiveness of Bradyrhizobium japonicum on soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], local cultivar 'Sathiya' were carried out in the garden soil of Trib-huvan University. Different parameters like nodulation, chlorophyll content in fresh leaves and growth of plant in inoculated and uninoculated plant was studied. Pot experiment was conducted in the green house to evaluate the effectiveness of B. japonicum on soybean. It was observed that B. japonicum inoculation increased the number of nodules, shoot length of plant and total chlorophyll content in fresh leaves of soybean plant. However, root length was decreased in all inoculated plants.