How do consumers choose offline shops on online platforms? An investigation of interactive consumer decision processing in diagnosis-and-cure markets

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) to understand the process and consequences of the two-way communication between consumers and businesses on online-to-offline (O2O) diagnosis-and-cure services platforms and (2) to examine how consumer request-specific factors and service quote-specific factors influence consumer decisions in the interactive marketing context. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The study analyzes a dataset of 17,878 service requests and 57,867 price quotes obtained from an O2O platform bridging consumers and automotive repair shops. On the platform, consumers request service quotes by uploading the description of automotive damage and multiple service providers suggest price quotes. The authors formulated a logit model to examine consumer decisions of responding service quotes. FINDINGS: This paper finds that (1) consumers receiving more severe diagnostic results are more likely to respond to the price quotes, and (2) diagnostic severity and inconsistency moderate the impacts of geographic distance, shop size, and quote price on consumers' responses to the service quotes. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: This paper fills the gap in the literature by advancing the consumer decision processing model to address the interactive shopping experience on O2O diagnosis-and-cure services platforms. The findings are limited by the data and the research context. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: For marketing practitioners, the empirical results imply specific positioning and targeting strategies for markets with informational and geographic barriers to expand the market scope and customer base. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The present work is the first to examine the consumer decision process on O2O diagnosis-and-cure service platforms. It adds value to the literature by investigating how consumers update their problem awareness through the service request-specific factors (i.e. diagnostic severity and diagnostic inconsistency) and how the request-specific factors moderate the impacts of the quote-specific factors (i.e. shop distance, shop size and quote price) on consumers' responses to price quote. The conceptual model and empirical findings provide theoretical and practical values for e-commerce researchers and practitioners.Accepted manuscrip

Source signatures from combined isotopic analyses of PM2.5 carbonaceous and nitrogen aerosols at the peri-urban Taehwa Research Forest, South Korea in summer and fall.

Isotopes are essential tools to apportion major sources of aerosols. We measured the radiocarbon, stable carbon, and stable nitrogen isotopic composition of PM2.5 at Taehwa Research Forest (TRF) near Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA) during August-October 2014. PM2.5, TC, and TN concentrations were 19.4 ± 10.1 μg m-3, 2.6 ± 0.8 μg C m-3, and 1.4 ± 1.4 μg N m-3, respectively. The δ13C of TC and the δ15N of TN were - 25.4 ± 0.7‰ and 14.6 ± 3.8‰, respectively. EC was dominated by fossil-fuel sources with Fff (EC) of 78 ± 7%. In contrast, contemporary sources were dominant for TC with Fc (TC) of 76 ± 7%, revealing the significant contribution of contemporary sources to OC during the growing season. The isotopic signature carries more detailed information on sources depending on air mass trajectories. The urban influence was dominant under stagnant condition, which was in reasonable agreement with the estimated δ15N of NH4+. The low δ15N (7.0 ± 0.2‰) with high TN concentration was apparent in air masses from Shandong province, indicating fossil fuel combustion as major emission source. In contrast, the high δ15N (16.1 ± 3.2‰) with enhanced TC/TN ratio reveals the impact of biomass burning in the air transported from the far eastern border region of China and Russia. Our findings highlight that the multi-isotopic composition is a useful tool to identify emission sources and to trace regional sources of carbonaceous and nitrogen aerosols

Estimating PM\u3csub\u3e2.5\u3c/sub\u3ein Southern California using satellite data: Factors that affect model performance

Background: Studies of PM2.5 health effects are influenced by the spatiotemporal coverage and accuracy of exposure estimates. The use of satellite remote sensing data such as aerosol optical depth (AOD) in PM2.5 exposure modeling has increased recently in the US and elsewhere in the world. However, few studies have addressed this issue in southern California due to challenges with reflective surfaces and complex terrain. Methods: We examined the factors affecting the associations with satellite AOD using a two-stage spatial statistical model. The first stage estimated the temporal PM2.5/AOD relationships using a linear mixed effects model at 1 km resolution. The second stage accounted for spatial variation using geographically weighted regression. Goodness of fit for the final model was evaluated by comparing the daily PM2.5 concentrations generated by cross-validation (CV) with observations. These methods were applied to a region of southern California spanning from Los Angeles to San Diego. Results: Mean predicted PM2.5 concentration for the study domain was 8.84 µg m-3. Linear regression between CV predicted PM2.5 concentrations and observations had an R 2 of 0.80 and RMSE 2.25 µg m-3. The ratio of PM2.5 to PM10 proved an important variable in modifying the AOD/PM2.5 relationship (β = 14.79, p ≤ 0.001). Including this ratio improved model performance significantly (a 0.10 increase in CV R 2 and a 0.56 µg m-3 decrease in CV RMSE). Discussion: Utilizing the high-resolution MAIAC AOD, fine-resolution PM2.5 concentrations can be estimated where measurements are sparse. This study adds to the current literature using remote sensing data to achieve better exposure data in the understudied region of Southern California. Overall, we demonstrate the usefulness of MAIAC AOD and the importance of considering coarser particles in dust prone areas

KMT-2016-BLG-1107: A New Hollywood-Planet Close/Wide Degeneracy

We show that microlensing event KMT-2016-BLG-1107 displays a new type of degeneracy between wide-binary and close-binary Hollywood events in which a giant-star source envelops the planetary caustic. The planetary anomaly takes the form of a smooth, two-day "bump" far out on the falling wing of the light curve, which can be interpreted either as the source completely enveloping a minor-image caustic due to a close companion with mass ratio $q=0.036$, or partially enveloping a major-image caustic due to a wide companion with $q=0.004$. The best estimates of the companion masses are both in the planetary regime ($3.3^{+3.5}_{-1.8}\,M_{\rm jup}$ and $0.090^{+0.096}_{-0.037}\,M_{\rm jup}$) but differ by an even larger factor than the mass ratios due to different inferred host masses. We show that the two solutions can be distinguished by high-resolution imaging at first light on next-generation ("30m") telescopes. We provide analytic guidance to understand the conditions under which this new type of degeneracy can appear.Comment: 23 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in A

Validation of Pressure Reactivity and Pulse Amplitude Indices against the Lower Limit of Autoregulation, Part I: Experimental Intracranial Hypertension.

The purpose of this study was to provide validation of intracranial pressure (ICP) derived continuous indices of cerebrovascular reactivity against the lower limit of autoregulation (LLA). Utilizing an intracranial hypertension model within white New Zealand rabbits, ICP, transcranial Doppler (TCD), laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF), and arterial blood pressure were recorded. Data were retrospectively analyzed in a cohort of 12 rabbits with adequate signals for interrogating the LLA. We derived continuous indices of cerebrovascular reactivity: PRx (correlation between ICP and mean arterial pressure [MAP]), PAx (correlation between pulse amplitude of ICP [AMP] and MAP), and Lx (correlation between LDF-based cerebral blood flow [CBF] and cerebral perfusion pressure [CPP]). LLA was derived via piecewise linear regression of CPP versus LDF or CPP versus systolic flow velocity (FVs) plots. We then produced error bar plots for PRx, PAx, and Lx against 2.5 mm Hg bins of CPP, to display the relationship between these indices and the LLA. We compared the CPP values at clinically relevant thresholds of PRx and PAx, to the CPP defined at the LLA. Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis was performed for each index across the LLA using 2.5 mm Hg bins for CPP. The mean LLA was 51.5 ± 8.2 mm Hg. PRx and PAx error bar plots demonstrate that each index correlates with the LLA, becoming progressively more positive below the LLA. Similarly, CPP values at clinically relevant thresholds of PRx and PAx were not statistically different from the CPP derived at the LLA. Finally, ROC analysis indicated that PRx and PAx predicted the LAA, with areas under the curve (AUCs) of 0.795 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.731-0.857, p < 0.0001) and 0.703 (95% CI: 0.631-0.775, p < 0.0001), respectively. Both PRx and PAx generally agree with LLA within this experimental model of intracranial hypertension. Further analysis of clinically used indices of autoregulation across the LLA within pure arterial hypotension models is required

KMT-2018-BLG-1990Lb: A Nearby Jovian Planet From A Low-Cadence Microlensing Field

We report the discovery and characterization of KMT-2018-BLG-1990Lb, a Jovian planet $(m_p=0.57_{-0.25}^{+0.79}\,M_J)$ orbiting a late M dwarf $(M=0.14_{-0.06}^{+0.20}\,M_\odot)$, at a distance (D_L=1.23_{-0.43}^{+1.06}\,\kpc), and projected at $2.6\pm 0.6$ times the snow line distance, i.e., a_{\rm snow}\equiv 2.7\,\au (M/M_\odot), This is the second Jovian planet discovered by KMTNet in its low cadence ($0.4\,{\rm hr}^{-1}$) fields, demonstrating that this population will be well characterized based on survey-only microlensing data.Comment: 24 pages, 7 figures, 4 table

KMT-2018-BLG-1292: A Super-Jovian Microlens Planet in the Galactic Plane

We report the discovery of KMT-2018-BLG-1292Lb, a super-Jovian $M_{\rm planet} = 4.5\pm 1.3\,M_J$ planet orbiting an F or G dwarf $M_{\rm host} = 1.5\pm 0.4\,M_\odot$, which lies physically within {\cal O}(10\,\pc) of the Galactic plane. The source star is a heavily extincted $A_I\sim 5.2$ luminous giant that has the lowest Galactic latitude, $b=-0.28^\circ$, of any planetary microlensing event. The relatively blue blended light is almost certainly either the host or its binary companion, with the first explanation being substantially more likely. This blend dominates the light at $I$ band and completely dominates at $R$ and $V$ bands. Hence, the lens system can be probed by follow-up observations immediately, i.e., long before the lens system and the source separate due to their relative proper motion. The system is well characterized despite the low cadence $\Gamma=0.15$--$0.20\,{\rm hr^{-1}}$ of observations and short viewing windows near the end of the bulge season. This suggests that optical microlensing planet searches can be extended to the Galactic plane at relatively modest cost.Comment: 35 pages, 3 Tables, 8 figure

OGLE-2018-BLG-0532Lb: Cold Neptune With Possible Jovian Sibling

We report the discovery of the planet OGLE-2018-BLG-0532Lb, with very obvious signatures in the light curve that lead to an estimate of the planet-host mass ratio $q=M_{\rm planet}/M_{\rm host}\simeq 1\times10^{-4}$. Although there are no obvious systematic residuals to this double-lens/single-source (2L1S) fit, we find that $\chi^2$ can be significantly improved by adding either a third lens (3L1S, $\Delta\chi^2=81$) or second source (2L2S, $\Delta\chi^2=65$) to the lens-source geometry. After thorough investigation, we conclude that we cannot decisively distinguish between these two scenarios and therefore focus on the robustly-detected planet. However, given the possible presence of a second planet, we investigate to what degree and with what probability such additional planets may affect seemingly single-planet light curves. Our best estimates for the properties of the lens star and the secure planet are: a host mass $M\sim 0.25\,M_\odot$, system distance $D_L\sim 1\,$kpc and planet mass $m_{p,1}= 8\,M_\oplus$ with projected separation $a_{1,\perp}=1.4\,$au. However, there is a relatively bright $I=18.6$ (and also relatively blue) star projected within $<50\,$mas of the lens, and if future high-resolution images show that this is coincident with the lens, then it is possible that it is the lens, in which case, the lens would be both more massive and more distant than the best-estimated values above.Comment: 48 pages, 9 figures, 7 table