How information and communication overload affect consumers' platform switching behavior in social commerce.

In social commerce, users are increasingly resorting to social media platforms to search for information, purchase goods, and share shopping experiences. However, social media use may also affect users' emotions negatively, causing them to switch platforms. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how negative factors (i.e., information and communication overload) affect consumers' platform-switching behavior in social commerce. Drawing on the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) model, this study established a research framework and conducted an online survey in China. A purposive sampling technique was used to collect the data, generating 477 valid responses. Data analysis, based on structural equation modeling, indicates that information and communication overload, and online fatigue positively affect platform-switching intention. The effect of the intention to switch on behavior is moderated by switching costs. Mediation analysis shows that information and communication overload can indirectly influence switching behavior through online fatigue and switching intention. This study incorporates the novel aspects of switching costs in examining the driving forces behind platform-switching in social commerce, thereby theoretically adding value to the existing body of knowledge. Apart from this, our findings also bear significant practical implications and are valuable for social commerce platforms and sellers to improve their user experience and retain existing customers.

Consumer brand and category switching behaviors after food safety incidents: Factors and mechanisms.

The excessive mold found in Three Squirrels' nuts and the clenbuterol abuse of Shuanghui are two infamous food safety incidents in China. We adopted push-pull-mooring theory to conduct a model and examined the factors influencing consumer short-term or long-term brand-switching or category-switching behaviors following the two food safety incidents. We employed multinomial logistic regression and structural equation modeling as tools to analyze 1027 valid questionnaires. The results, for the first time, revealed that perceived risk, alternative selectivity, alternative attractiveness, controllability attribution, and habits were key push, pull and mooring factors influencing Chinese consumers' brand and category switching from food brands under food safety crisis, and most importantly, that their influential paths differed greatly under the two food safety incidents, suggesting a different influential mechanism across two product categories (i.e., utilitarian food and hedonic food). These findings throw light on the predictors and mechanisms that affect consumer brand and category switching from food brands under food safety crisis and help associated food businesses develop more targeted and powerful crisis management and public relations strategies.

Resistive Memory-Switching Behavior in Solution-Processed Trans, trans-1,4-bis-(2-(2-naphthyl)-2-(butoxycarbonyl)-vinyl) Benzene-PVA-Composite-Based Aryl Acrylate on ITO-Coated PET.

Resistive switching memories are among the emerging next-generation technologies that are possible candidates for in-memory and neuromorphic computing. In this report, resistive memory-switching behavior in solution-processed trans, trans-1,4-bis-(2-(2-naphthyl)-2-(butoxycarbonyl)-vinyl) benzene-PVA-composite-based aryl acrylate on an ITO-coated PET device was studied. A sandwich configuration was selected, with silver (Ag) serving as a top contact and trans, trans-1,4-bis-(2-(2-naphthyl)-2-(butoxycarbonyl)-vinyl) benzene-PVA-composite-based aryl acrylate and ITO-PET serving as a bottom contact. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics showed hysteresis behavior and non-zero crossing owing to voltages sweeping from positive to negative and vice versa. The results showed non-zero crossing in the devices' current-voltage (I-V) characteristics due to the nanobattery effect or resistance, capacitive, and inductive effects. The device also displayed a negative differential resistance (NDR) effect. Non-volatile storage was feasible with non-zero crossing due to the exhibition of resistive switching behavior. The sweeping range was -10 V to +10 V. These devices had two distinct states: 'ON' and 'OFF'. The ON/OFF ratios of the devices were 14 and 100 under stable operating conditions. The open-circuit voltages (Voc) and short-circuit currents (Isc) corresponding to memristor operation were explained. The DC endurance was stable. Ohmic conduction and direct tunneling mechanisms with traps explained the charge transport model governing the resistive switching behavior. This work gives insight into data storage in terms of a new conception of electronic devices based on facile and low-temperature processed material composites for emerging computational devices.

Poorer inhibitory control was related to greater food intake across meals varying in portion size: A randomized crossover trial.

Individuals eat more food when larger portions are served, and this portion size effect could be influenced by inhibitory control (the ability to suppress an automatic response). Inhibitory control may also relate to obesogenic meal behaviors such as eating faster, taking larger bites, and frequent switching between meal components (such as bites of food and sips of water). In a randomized crossover design, 44 adults ate lunch four times in the laboratory. Lunch consisted of a pasta dish that was varied in portion size (400, 500, 600, or 700 g) along with 700 g of water. Meals were video-recorded to assess meal duration and bite and sip counts, which were used to determine mean eating rate (g/min), mean bite size (g/bite), and number of switches between bites and sips. Participants completed a food-specific stop-signal task, which was used to calculate Stop-Signal Reaction Time (SSRT). Across participants, SSRT values ranged from 143 to 306 msec, where greater SSRT indicates poorer inhibitory control. As expected, serving larger portions increased meal intake (p < 0.0001); compared to the smallest portion, intake of the largest increased by 121 ± 17 g (mean ± SEM). SSRT did not moderate the portion size effect (p = 0.34), but individuals with poorer inhibitory control ate more across all meals: 24 ± 11 g for each one SD unit increase in SSRT (p = 0.035). SSRT was not related to eating rate or bite size (both p > 0.13), but poorer inhibitory control predicted greater switching between bites and sips, such that 1.5 ± 0.7 more switches were made during meals for each one SD unit increase in SSRT (p = 0.03). These findings indicate that inhibitory control can contribute to overconsumption across meals varying in portion size, potentially in part by promoting switching behavior.

Adaptive Neural Activation and Neuromorphic Processing via Drain-Injection Threshold-Switching Float Gate Transistor Memory.

Hetero-modulated neural activation is vital for adaptive information processing and learning that occurs in brain. To implement brain-inspired adaptive processing, previously various neurotransistors oriented for synaptic functions are extensively explored, however, the emulation of nonlinear neural activation and hetero-modulated behaviors are not possible due to the lack of threshold switching behavior in a conventional transistor structure. Here, a 2D van der Waals float gate transistor (FGT) that exhibits steep threshold switching behavior, and the emulation of hetero-modulated neuron functions (integrate-and-fire, sigmoid type activation) for adaptive sensory processing, are reported. Unlike conventional FGTs, the threshold switching behavior stems from impact ionization in channel and the coupled charge injection to float gate. When a threshold is met, a sub-30 mV dec-1 increase of transistor conductance by more than four orders is triggered with a typical switch time of approximately milliseconds. Essentially, by feeding light sensing signal as the modulation input, it is demonstrated that two typical tasks that rely on adaptive neural activation, including collision avoidance and adaptive visual perception, can be realized. These results may shed light on the emulation of rich hetero-modulating behaviors in biological neurons and the realization of biomimetic neuromorphic processing at low hardware cost.

Photoinduced Nonvolatile Resistive Switching Behavior in Oxygen-Doped MoS2 for a Neuromorphic Vision System.

Controlling resistance by external fields provides fascinating opportunities for the development of novel devices and circuits, such as temperature-field-induced superconductors, magnetic-field-triggered giant magnetoresistance devices, and electric-field-operated flash memories. In this work, we demonstrate a light-triggered nonvolatile resistive switching behavior in oxygen-doped MoS2. The two-terminal devices exhibit stable light-modulated resistive switching characteristics and optically tunable synaptic properties with an on/off ratio of up to 104. The integrated device with crossbar architecture enables simultaneous image sensing, preprocessing, and storage in a single device, thereby increasing the training efficiency and recognition rate of image recognition tasks. This work presents a novel pathway to develop the next generation of light-controlled memory and artificial vision systems for neuromorphic computing.

Switching from offline to online health consultation in the post-pandemic era: the role of perceived pandemic risk.

Introduction: Due to its effectiveness and various benefits, the use of online health consultation (OHC) has dramatically increased in recent years, especially since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, underlying mechanism whereby the pandemic impacted OHC usage is still unclear. Methods: Via an online survey (N=318), the present paper measures the users' perceptions towards both offline and online services, their intention to switch to OHC, and the perceived pandemic risks. The relationships among these factors are conceptualized by the push-pull-mooring framework, and tested via structural equation modelling. Results: Dissatisfaction with offline service (process inefficiency and consultation anxiety), the attractiveness of OHC (perceived benefits and perceived ease of use), and users' behavioral inertia (switching cost and habit) jointly influence the intention to switching to OHC. The significant role of the perceived pandemic risk of going to medical facilities is particularly addressed. On the one hand, the perceived pandemic risk is found with an indirect impact on the switching intention by enlarging the dissatisfaction with offline service and the attractiveness of OHC. On the other hand, a high perceived pandemic risk induces more actual switching behavior and also amplifies the transition from switching intention to behavior. Discussion: The study provides novel insights into the understanding of OHC usage in the post-pandemic era, and also informs medical facilities, OHC platforms, and policymakers on managing and balancing the online and offline healthcare provision.

Assessing brand switching level and behaviour of growing-up milk products in Java: A structural equation modeling and multigroup analysis.

The biggest consumers of dairy products for children aged 1-3 years, which are referred to as growing-up milk (GUM), come from the middle and lower socioeconomic classes. More than 90% of Indonesians belong to this segment. In 2020, the proportion of the population living in rural and urban areas will be almost equal, namely 43.3% and 56.7%, respectively. Understanding brand switching behavior is essential to enabling GUM manufacturers to stay in business and thrive by retaining loyal customers. The aims of this study are (i) to assess the level of brand switching; (ii) to examine the determinant factors of brand switching behavior; and (iii) to compare the brand switching behavior of GUM consumers in rural and urban areas of middle and lower socioeconomic classes in Java. The research was conducted in 4 sub-districts in 2 provinces (East Java and D.I. Yogyakarta) using a guided interview method with a questionnaire. Research respondents were 419 consumers of GUM, and they were selected using the purposive sampling method. Data analysis used partial least squares - structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and multigroup analysis (MGA). The study found that the level of brand switching among GUM consumers in Java is 57%, which is considered high. The most important factor that influences the brand switching behavior of GUM consumers in Java's middle and lower socioeconomic classes is bad prior experiences, followed by variety seeking, bad product attributes, and customer dissatisfaction. A defective product is the most reflective indicator of a bad prior experience. There is no difference in brand switching behavior between rural and urban consumers in Java from the middle to lower socioeconomic classes. Therefore, GUM manufacturers are allowed to adopt the same marketing strategy to increase efficiency.

Magneto-optical Kerr Effect in Ferroelectric Antiferromagnetic Two-Dimensional Heterostructures.

We studied the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) of two-dimensional (2D) heterostructure CrI3/In2Se3/CrI3 using density functional theory calculations and symmetry analysis. The spontaneous polarization in the In2Se3 ferroelectric layer and the antiferromagnetic ordering in CrI3 layers break the mirror and the time-reversal symmetry, thus activating MOKE. We show that the Kerr angle can be reversed by either the polarization or the antiferromagnetic order parameter. Our results suggest that ferroelectric and antiferromagnetic 2D heterostructures could be exploited for ultracompact information storage devices, where the information is encoded by the two ferroelectric or the two time-reversed antiferromagnetic states and the read-out is performed optically by MOKE.

Restaurant Diners' Switching Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Protection Motivation Theory.

The unsettling fear of COVID-19 infections has caused a new trend in consumer behavior in the food and beverage industry. The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has shifted consumers' preferences from eat-in to online delivery. This research aims to measure the impact of consumers' motivation to protect themselves from contracting COVID-19, which explains why people switch from eat-in to online food delivery. We adopted the theory of protection motivation (PMT) to explain consumer switching behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study investigated the mediating effect of switching intention on the relationship between vulnerability, altruistic fear, anticipated regret, and switching behavior. Simultaneously, we examined the role of brand awareness as a moderator of behavioral choices of consumers switching from eat-in to online delivery. We collected data from 681 eatery consumers in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia, using scenario-based survey questionnaires (327 eat-in respondents and 354 online delivery respondents). Then, the data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). This new generation analysis was conducted using the analysis of moment structure (AMOS) (v.24.0) and the statistical package for social science (SPSS-version 25.0). The results indicated that consumer vulnerability, altruistic fear, and anticipated regret of COVID-19 increased consumers' propensity to shift from eat-in to online food delivery. Allegedly, consumer behavioral control and intention of switching toward online delivery were pointedly affected by switching behavior. The results indicated that consumer vulnerability, altruistic fear, and anticipated regret of COVID-19 increased the shifting of restaurant dine-in patterns and made the intention to switch to online delivery. Consumers' alleged behavioral control and their intention of switching toward online delivery were pointedly affected by switching behavior. We also found that brand awareness moderately affects switching behavior toward restaurant settings. The present research contributes to developing the consumer behavior model of switching from eat-in to online delivery. This study also provides eatery customers and the business community with a safer and healthier proposition of shifting to online food delivery during the pandemic.

The Impact of Green Religiosity on The Green Product Switching Behavior in Pakistan: The Role of Green Personal Values and Green Altruism.

Prior studies have fallen short when examining the impact of religiosity on consumer values toward environmental preservation and green product switching behavior in religion-dominating countries. Moreover, green altruism has also received inadequate attention, and its role in causing green product switching behaviors remains unexplored. To address this gap, we introduce two novel constructs: green religiosity and green altruism. We examined their impact on consumers' values and switching behaviors regarding green products while using the value-belief theoretical underpinnings to posit our hypothesis. A survey approach is employed in the Electronics industry in Pakistan to validate our assertions. A total of 623 respondents' data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings reveal that green religiosity positively impacts personal values and switching behavior in green products. In addition, green values partially mediate the relationship between green religiosity and green product switching behavior. Green altruism strengthens the relationship between personal values and product switching behavior as a moderator. Collective findings suggest that religion can play a crucial role in reshaping consumers' attitudes toward environmentally friendly products and influence their values regarding the preservation of the environment.

A comprehensive picture of foraging strategies of Neoseiulus cucumeris and Amblyseius swirskii on western flower thrips.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the potential of Neoseiulus cucumeris Oudemans and Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae) for controlling western flower thrips (WFT), Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), by determining the functional response, numerical response, prey switching and mutual interference behaviors of the predators. RESULTS: A type II functional response was detected for two predator species fed on WFT first instars. The attack rate was higher for A. swirskii than N. cucumeris, but the handling time of N. cucumeris was shorter. For two predator species, numerical response was affected by both prey density and oviposition time. The per capita searching efficiencies of the two predators decreased significantly with increasing predator densities. The interference coefficient for A. swirskii was less than that of N. cucumeris. Although N. cucumeris switched from feeding on WFT first instars to feeding on second instars, this behavior was not observed in A. swirskii. CONCLUSIONS: Comparison of the two predator species foraging behaviors indicated optimal performance by A. swirskii at lower F. occidentalis densities. N. cucumeris was found to perform optimally at relatively higher prey densities. Moreover, N. cucumeris could be more effective in stabilizing the predator-prey system by switching behavior compared with A. swirskii. At higher predator densities, A. swirskii seemed to be an effective agent owing to its reduced intraspecific competition compared with N. cucumeris. Findings from this study will be useful in selecting appropriate agents and developing effective biocontrol programs to control WFT. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Resistive Switching Characteristics Improved by Visible-Light Irradiation in a Cs2AgBiBr6-Based Memory Device.

Light-modulated lead-free perovskites-based memristors, combining photoresponse and memory, are promising as multifunctional devices. In this work, lead-free double perovskite Cs2AgBiBr6 films with dense surfaces and uniform grains were prepared by the low-temperature sol-gel method on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates. A memory device based on a lead-free double perovskite Cs2AgBiBr6 film, Pt/Cs2AgBiBr6/ITO/glass, presents obvious bipolar resistive switching behavior. The ROFF/RON ratio under 445 nm wavelength light illumination is ~100 times greater than that in darkness. A long retention capability (>2400 s) and cycle-to-cycle consistency (>500 times) were observed in this device under light illumination. The resistive switching behavior is primarily attributed to the trap-controlled space-charge-limited current mechanism caused by bromine vacancies in the Cs2AgBiBr6 medium layer. Light modulates resistive states by regulating the condition of photo-generated carriers and changing the Schottky-like barrier of the Pt/Cs2AgBiBr6 interface under bias voltage sweeping.

Multilevel Resistive Switching Memory Based on a CH3NH3PbI 3-xClx Film with Potassium Chloride Additives.

High-quality CH3NH3PbI 3-xClx (MAPIC) films were prepared using potassium chloride (KCl) as an additive on indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass substrates using a simple one-step and low-temperature solution reaction. The Au/KCl-MAPIC/ITO/glass devices exhibited obvious multilevel resistive switching behavior, moderate endurance, and good retention performance. Electrical conduction analysis indicated that the resistive switching behavior of the KCl-doped MAPIC films was primarily attributed to the trap-controlled space-charge-limited current conduction that was caused by the iodine vacancies in the films. Moreover, the modulations of the barrier in the Au/KCl-MAPIC interface under bias voltages were thought to be responsible for the resistive switching in the carrier injection trapping/detrapping process.

Highly Selective, High-Capacity Separation of o-Xylene from C8 Aromatics by a Switching Adsorbent Layered Material.

Purification of the C8 aromatics (xylenes and ethylbenzene) is particularly challenging because of their similar physical properties. It is also relevant because of their industrial utility. Physisorptive separation of C8 aromatics has long been suggested as an energy efficient solution but no physisorbent has yet combined high selectivity (>5) with high adsorption capacity (>50 wt %). Now a counterintuitive approach to the adsorptive separation of o-xylene from other C8 aromatics involves the study of a known nonporous layered material, [Co(bipy)2 (NCS)2 ]n (sql-1-Co-NCS), which can reversibly switch to C8 aromatics loaded phases with different switching pressures and kinetics, manifesting benchmark o-xylene selectivity (SOX/EB ≈60) and high saturation capacity (>80 wt %). Structural insight into the observed selectivity and capacity is gained by analysis of the crystal structures of C8 aromatics loaded phases.

Longitudinal changes in brain volumetry and cognitive functions after moderate and severe diffuse axonal injury.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) induces a long-term process of brain atrophy and cognitive deficits. The goal of this study was to determine whether there are correlations between brain volume loss, microhaemorrhage load (MHL) and neuropsychological performance during the first year after DAI. METHODS: Twenty-four patients with moderate or severe DAI were evaluated at 2, 6 and 12 months post-injury. MHL was evaluated at 3 months, and brain volumetry was evaluated at 3, 6 and 12 months. The trail making test (TMT) was used to evaluate executive function (EF), and the Hopkins verbal learning test (HVLT) was used to evaluate episodic verbal memory (EVM) at 6 and 12 months. RESULTS: There were significant white matter volume (WMV), subcortical grey matter volume and total brain volume (TBV) reductions during the study period (p < 0.05). MHL was correlated only with WMV reduction. EF and EVM were not correlated with MHL but were, in part, correlated with WMV and TBV reductions. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that MHL may be a predictor of WMV reduction but cannot predict EF or EVM in DAI. Brain atrophy progresses over time, but patients showed better EF and EVM in some of the tests, which could be due to neuroplasticity.

Flexible Multifunctional Aromatic Polyimide Film: Highly Efficient Photoluminescence, Resistive Switching Characteristic, and Electroluminescence.

We report a flexible multifunctional aromatic polyimide (BTDBPI) that shows yellow-green fluorescence with high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 30% in the film state. The nonvolatile "write once-read many" (WORM) characteristic in a memory device with the configuration of ITO/BTDBPI/Au indicates that BTDBPI possesses organic semiconductor behavior. Moreover, polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) with the structure of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/BTDBPI/TPBI/Mg-Ag exhibits an interesting dual-emission phenomenon that originates from the electroluminescence (EL) of the BTDBPI nanometer film (yellow-green, 525 nm) and TPBI (deep blue, 380 nm), demonstrating that BTDBPI shows both the charge-transporting and EL properties.

Eliminating Negative-SET Behavior by Suppressing Nanofilament Overgrowth in Cation-Based Memory.

Negative-SET behavior is observed in various cation-based memories, which degrades the device reliability. Transmission electron microscopy results demonstrate the behavior is caused by the overgrowth of the conductive filament (CF) into the Pt electrode. The CF overgrowth phenomenon is suppressed and the negative-SET behavior is eliminated by inserting an impermeable graphene layer. The graphene-based devices show high reliability and satisfying performance.

Nonvolatile Bipolar Resistive Switching Behavior in the Perovskite-like (CH3NH3)2FeCl4.

The bipolar resistive switching behavior in a device based on an crystalline iron-based organic-inorganic, perovskite-like material of (CH3NH3)2FeCl4 (MAFC), was examined and studied. Both high and low resistance states appeared to have no obvious degradation during a measurement period of 600 s with 400 cycles in a Ag/MAFC/Cu device, which also exhibited good thermal stability over a wide temperature range of 290 to 340 K. The conductivity-state switching behavior was derived from the competition between the ionic current within the MAFC and the Faradaic current that originated from oxidative reactions at the Ag/MAFC/Cu interface. A model explaining the oxidative reaction process was established to describe the symmetric resistive switching behavior in the Ag/MAFC/Cu cell. With an applied bias voltage sweeping, the oxidative layers passivated and dissipated at the Ag/MAFC/Cu interface that resulted in the competition between the induced current and the ionic current, and thus caused a symmetric resistance change. On the basis of this interfacial effect, the MAFC crystals can be used as memristor elements in devices for write-read-erase-rewrite process.

The Effects of Organization Design and Patient Perceptions of Care on Switching Behavior and Reliance on a Health Care System Across Time.

Sustaining ongoing relationships with patients is a strategic, clinically relevant goal of health care systems. This study develops and tests a conceptual model that aims to account for the influence of organization design, perceptions of quality of patient care, and other patient-level factors on the extent to which patients sustain reliance on a health care system. We use a longitudinal survey design and structural equation modeling to predict increases or decreases in patient reliance on the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system across a 4-year period for Veterans with Parkinson's Disease. Our findings show that specialized and integrated clinical practices have a positive association with the quality of patient care. Health care systems may be able to foster long-term relations with patients and improve service quality by allocating resources to form integrated, specialized, disease-specific centers of care designed for patients with chronic illnesses.