Performance of the LHCb Vertex Detector Alignment Algorithm determined with Beam Test Data

LHCb is the dedicated heavy flavour experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. The partially assembled silicon vertex locator (VELO) of the LHCb experiment has been tested in a beam test. The data from this beam test have been used to determine the performance of the VELO alignment algorithm. The relative alignment of the two silicon sensors in a module and the relative alignment of the modules has been extracted. This alignment is shown to be accurate at a level of approximately 2 micron and 0.1 mrad for translations and rotations, respectively in the plane of the sensors. A single hit precision at normal track incidence of about 10 micron is obtained for the sensors. The alignment of the system is shown to be stable at better than the 10 micron level under air to vacuum pressure changes and mechanical movements of the assembled system.Comment: accepted for publication in NIM

What information do consumers consider, and how do they look for it, when shopping for groceries online?

Previous research investigating what information shoppers seek when purchasing groceries has used either lab-experiments or observed shoppers in supermarkets. The present research investigates this question in a relatively naturalistic online-grocery environment. Forty participants completed their weekly shopping online while their eye-movements were recorded. Ten of the participants were subsequently interviewed to gain insight into their information seeking behaviour. We found that, when looking for products, 95% of participants navigated through the 'virtual departments', 80% used the 'search' facility, and 68% browsed the special offer pages. Once on the product pages, participants tended to look at the pictures of products, rather than examine detailed product information. To explain these findings, we suggest that online grocery sites simulate familiar supermarket environments, which may explain why consumers prefer to browse categories of products rather than use search terms. We also suggest that additional strategies are needed if consumers are to be encouraged to view detailed product information

A Tourism Tracking Study for Lawrence, Kansas

The report is based on information gathered during four quarterly studies of travelers to Lawrence, Kansas. The target population of these studies was all visitors to Lawrence. The sampling procedure was a fixed, sequential random probability sample based on the hotel/motel the visitor was checking into and the time of check in. For additional information on the sampling procedure, see Appendix A. The visitors were approached after they completed the check in process at one of the local hotels or motels in the city and asked if they would spend a short time with the interviewer answering a few questions about their trip to Lawrence. Most potential respondents were cooperative and the refusal rate was approximately 8 % over the entire period of the study. This refusal rate is more than acceptable for a study of this type. Because of the method of sampling and the low refusal rate, the information developed from analysis of this data may be used to infer conclusions about the entire population in question, visitors to Lawrence, Kansas. The interview was structured after three separate pretests. The interviewer introduced him/herself to the potential respondent as being from the University of Kansas and asked the respondent to answer a few questions concerning their current visit to Lawrence, Kansas. The interview was described as taking approximately two minutes of their time. The standard interview form completed is attached as Appendix B. The results below are a synopsis of the information obtained in these personal interviews completed during four quarterly involving one calendar year. For more detailed information, the Quarterly Reports in Appendix C may be consulted

Overland Park Tourism Study

The following material is designed as a guide and explanation of the procedures and methods used by the University of Kansas in executing the Overland Park quarterly tracking study of hotel and motel visitors. Beginning in Fall 1988, this study will continue quarterly. The tracking study of Overland Park visitors is a strict probability sample of visitors checking into all hotels and motels -- with the exception of the Ramada Inn -- in Overland Park. Data are collected six weeks per quarter and the sampling design employed within each week is a probability sampling design known as a multistage cluster sample. The virtue of this sampling design is that it is statistically equivalent to a simple random sample of visitors in each week, thus providing representative and accurate data

Truly, Madly, Deeply: Consumers in the Throes of Material Possession Love

Our treatment of material possession love expands an understanding of the role that discrete emotional attachment forms play in identifying commercial value for marketers and in enhancing consumer well-being. Employing a mixed-methods research design—relying on both qualitative and quantitative data—we develop and empirically test a three-factor, but seven-faceted, conceptualization of material possession love in four separate consumption contexts (automobiles, computers, bicycles, and firearms). We find love-smitten consumers nurturing their beloved possessions, in part, by buying complementary products and services. We also find that material possession love is empirically tied to loneliness and social affiliation deficits, which suggests a compensatory basis of consumer well-being. We distinguish possession love from the construct of attitude and empirically demonstrate the distinct functionality of each. Our concluding discussion considers our mixed-methods findings and their implications for consumer research.

Making Magic: Fetishes in Contemporary Consumption

Fetishes—magical objects of extraordinary empowerment and influence—are often sought by consumers for their value as usable objects. Our interpretive research extends the current static perspective of fetishes by proposing a dynamic cyclical model of fetishization appropriate to an age of mass production. Consumers use contagious and imitative magic to imbue replica instruments with power. Semiotically signified magical thinking causes replicas to radiate aura and thus transforms them into fetishes. We suggest that although all replicas with aura become fetishes, the cyclical fetishization process is only perpetuated when empowerment is public, sustained, and authentic.