Markdowns in Seasonal Conspicuous Goods

In common parlance, luxury and markdowns are, in many respects, contradictory concepts. Markdowns decrease product exclusivity and hence consumers’ willingness to pay (i.e., snob effect) since most consumers purchasing luxury desire uniqueness. Markdowns also encourage strategic (forward-looking) consumers to wait for lower prices (i.e., strategic effect). Yet, luxury retailers frequently adopt markdowns in practice to stimulate the demand for their seasonal products (i.e., sales effect). To study the impact of these three countervailing effects on a luxury retailer’s markdown policy and rationing strategy, this paper develops a game-theoretic model with strategic and exclusivity-seeking consumers who have heterogeneous (high and low) valuations. We characterize a luxury retailer’s equilibrium markdown and rationing strategies, and find that the retailer induces a buying frenzy (i.e., selling deliberately less than the demand) to increase consumers’ willingness to pay when they are sufficiently exclusivity-seeking. We show that the retailer’s markdown policy depends on consumers’ desire for exclusivity when the proportion of consumers with high valuation is not too high or too low. Interestingly, we find that, in such cases, consumers’ higher desire for exclusivity does not motivate the retailer to increase exclusivity and to adopt uniform pricing. To the contrary, it motivates the retailer to decrease the exclusivity and to adopt markdowns. By doing so, we identify exclusivity-seeking consumer behavior as another rationale behind markdown pricing. Lastly, we find that, when selling to exclusivity-seeking consumers, the negative impact of strategic consumer behavior is lower; however, ignoring it can be more costly

Bio-nanotechnology application in wastewater treatment

The nanoparticles have received high interest in the field of medicine and water purification, however, the nanomaterials produced by chemical and physical methods are considered hazardous, expensive, and leave behind harmful substances to the environment. This chapter aimed to focus on green-synthesized nanoparticles and their medical applications. Moreover, the chapter highlighted the applicability of the metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) in the inactivation of microbial cells due to their high surface and small particle size. Modifying nanomaterials produced by green-methods is safe, inexpensive, and easy. Therefore, the control and modification of nanoparticles and their properties were also discussed

Joint EANM/SNMMI procedure guideline for the use of 177Lu-labeled PSMA-targeted radioligand-therapy (177Lu-PSMA-RLT)

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is expressed by the majority of clinically significant prostate adenocarcinomas, and patients with target-positive disease can easily be identified by PSMA PET imaging. Promising results with PSMA-targeted radiopharmaceutical therapy have already been obtained in early-phase studies using various combinations of targeting molecules and radiolabels. Definitive evidence of the safety and efficacy of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 in combination with standard-of-care has been demonstrated in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, whose disease had progressed after or during at least one taxane regimen and at least one novel androgen-axis drug. Preliminary data suggest that 177Lu-PSMA-radioligand therapy (RLT) also has high potential in additional clinical situations. Hence, the radiopharmaceuticals [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 and [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-I&T are currently being evaluated in ongoing phase 3 trials. The purpose of this guideline is to assist nuclear medicine personnel, to select patients with highest potential to benefit from 177Lu-PSMA-RLT, to perform the procedure in accordance with current best practice, and to prepare for possible side effects and their clinical management. We also provide expert advice, to identify those clinical situations which may justify the off-label use of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 or other emerging ligands on an individual patient basis

An olfactory self-test effectively screens for COVID-19

International audienceAbstract Background Key to curtailing the COVID-19 pandemic are wide-scale screening strategies. An ideal screen is one that would not rely on transporting, distributing, and collecting physical specimens. Given the olfactory impairment associated with COVID-19, we developed a perceptual measure of olfaction that relies on smelling household odorants and rating them online. Methods Each participant was instructed to select 5 household items, and rate their perceived odor pleasantness and intensity using an online visual analogue scale. We used this data to assign an olfactory perceptual fingerprint, a value that reflects the perceived difference between odorants. We tested the performance of this real-time tool in a total of 13,484 participants (462 COVID-19 positive) from 134 countries who provided 178,820 perceptual ratings of 60 different household odorants. Results We observe that olfactory ratings are indicative of COVID-19 status in a country, significantly correlating with national infection rates over time. More importantly, we observe indicative power at the individual level (79% sensitivity and 87% specificity). Critically, this olfactory screen remains effective in participants with COVID-19 but without symptoms, and in participants with symptoms but without COVID-19. Conclusions The current odorant-based olfactory screen adds a component to online symptom-checkers, to potentially provide an added first line of defense that can help fight disease progression at the population level. The data derived from this tool may allow better understanding of the link between COVID-19 and olfaction

Estrogen Promotes Mandibular Condylar Fibrocartilage Chondrogenesis and Inhibits Degeneration via Estrogen Receptor Alpha in Female Mice

Temporomandibular joint degenerative disease (TMJ-DD) is a chronic form of TMJ disorder that specifically afflicts people over the age of 40 and targets women at a higher rate than men. Prevalence of TMJ-DD in this population suggests that estrogen loss plays a role in the disease pathogenesis. Thus, the goal of the present study was to determine the role of estrogen on chondrogenesis and homeostasis via estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) during growth and maturity of the joint. Young and mature WT and ERαKO female mice were subjected to ovariectomy procedures and then given placebo or estradiol treatment. The effect of estrogen via ERα on fibrocartilage morphology, matrix production, and protease activity was assessed. In the young mice, estrogen via ERα promoted mandibular condylar fibrocartilage chondrogenesis partly by inhibiting the canonical Wnt signaling pathway through upregulation of sclerostin (Sost). In the mature mice, protease activity was partly inhibited with estrogen treatment via the upregulation and activity of protease inhibitor 15 (Pi15) and alpha-2- macroglobulin (A2m). The results from this work provide a mechanistic understanding of estradiol on TMJ growth and homeostasis and can be utilized for development of therapeutic targets to promote regeneration and inhibit degeneration of the mandibular condylar fibrocartilage.National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research of the National Institutes of Health under Award Numbers R56DE020097 (SW) and F32DE026366 (JR

Different applications of concept maps in Higher Education

Purpose: The aim of this work is to show different applications of concept maps in higher education, concretely in qualifications of the Polytechnic University of Valencia. Design/methodology/approach: Different methodologies have been used depending on the application of concept maps: as evaluation tool, as knowledge organizing tool, and as meaningful learning tool. Findings: Students consider the concept maps useful principally to select key ideas, to achieve a comprehensive view of the lesson, and to bring up the subject. Moreover, concept maps promote the meaningful and active learning, help students to understand, follow-up, and learn subjects with a high load of contents. Research limitations/implications: The most important limitation is the use of the concept maps in subjects with a high number of students. Practical implications: The realization of concept maps allows the student to develop generic competences. Originality/value: The originality of this work is to show how a same tool can be used in different subjects of different qualifications. © Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management, 2011.Bes Piá, A.; Blasco-Tamarit, E.; Muñoz Portero, MJ. (2011). Different applications of concept maps in Higher Education. Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management. 4(1):81-102. doi:10.3926/jiem.2011.v4n1.p81-102Senia811024