Ray Tsaih, Hsin‐lu Chang and Chiung‐Yu Huang
This study seeks to explore the possibility of adopting the interactive TV (iTV) as an alternative for the PC at the user‐end and also to explore the corresponding practicability…
Abstract
Purpose
This study seeks to explore the possibility of adopting the interactive TV (iTV) as an alternative for the PC at the user‐end and also to explore the corresponding practicability for any firm which wants to play an active role in the commerce associated with the iTV.
Design/methodology/approach
Through investigating the available literature related to the architecture and commerce of the current iTV in detail, this study explores the possibility and practicability of adopting the iTV as an alternative for the PC at the user‐end.
Findings
There is a feasibility for providing the direct interactivity between viewers and any firm – the feasibility that is (conceptually) ignored or (physically) blocked in the current iTV architecture. The proposed business concept emphasizes that this feasibility should be available to the firm which wants to play an active role like that in the B2C e‐commerce.
Research limitations/implications
There is a limited literature about the architecture and commerce of the current iTV. Furthermore, the corresponding business environment of the iTV is not mature, and thus there are hardly any relevant and reliable empirical data available.
Practical implications
This study describes a practicability for any firm which wants to play an active role in the commerce associated with the iTV.
Originality/value
This study pioneers the commerce associated with the iTV from the perspective of media commercials and any firm not in the iTV value chain, and thus opens up a practicability for the firm which wants to play an active role in the iTV commerce.
Details
Keywords
Ting-Ling Lin, Heng-Yih Liu, Chi-Jui Huang and Yu-Chiung Chen
This paper aims to examine the effect of ownership structure and board gender diversity on charitable donations for a group of listed electronics companies in Taiwan.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the effect of ownership structure and board gender diversity on charitable donations for a group of listed electronics companies in Taiwan.
Design/methodology/approach
Using linear regression analysis, this paper analyses the ownership structure, board gender diversity and charitable donations of 380 Taiwanese electronics companies (2011-2013).
Findings
While domestic institutional investors, such as domestic mutual funds and corporate investors, take more of agency logic view, it negatively impacts on charitable donations. However, the empirical findings of this paper indicate that board gender diversity with the critical number of female directors was positively related to charitable donation. Thus, it is clear that female directors reaching critical numbers were taking more of a stakeholder view of institutional logic, emphasizing the balance of interests of internal and external stakeholders.
Research limitations/implications
This paper is limited to selected Taiwanese electronics companies over a two-year time frame, and charitable donations are the only proxy of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity. The paper suggests that, as predicted by stakeholder theory and critical mass theory, companies with boards composed of at least three female directors make higher charitable donations.
Practical implications
This paper indicates that female directors on the board should have more voices on the board regarding the necessity and importance of CSR.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to existing literature by looking into the effects of ownership structure and board gender diversity on charitable donations.
Details
Keywords
This paper aims to introduce a custom-designed integrated nucleic acid detection polymerase chain reaction (PCR) instrument for clinical detection applications.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to introduce a custom-designed integrated nucleic acid detection polymerase chain reaction (PCR) instrument for clinical detection applications.
Design/methodology/approach
The PCR instrument can make rapid, sensitive, low-cost and quantitative molecular diagnosis compared with the current routine test flow from the pipette, series reagent to RT-PCR by manual manipulation. By integrating the multichannel automatic pipetting module, heat amplification module and real-time fluorescence detection module for the first time, the custom-designed integrated nucleic acid detection PCR instrument can achieve sample collection, subpackage, mixing, extracting, measuring and result presentation.
Findings
The multichannel automatic pipetting module was assembled with an accuracy of 0.4% (2 microliters) for accuracy measurement. Besides, the accuracy and sensitivity of nucleic acid using integrated low-cost nucleic acid detection PCR instruments were checked with COV-2019 virus (staining method) and African swine fever virus (probe method) under different concentrations.
Practical implications
Because of its high cost, complex system and bulky laboratory settings, including sample subpackage, mixing, extracting, measuring and finally result in presentation, the current nucleic acid detection system is not suitable for field operation and disease diagnosis in remote areas. The group independently designed and assembled an integrated low-cost multichannel nucleic acid detection PCR instrument, including a multichannel automatic pipetting module, a heat amplification module and a real-time fluorescence detection module.
Originality/value
The above equipment showed better reliability compared with commercial qPCR. These results can lay the foundation for functional, fast and low-cost PCR equipment for trace measurements.