Observation of a uniform temperature dependence in the electrical resistance across the structural phase transition in thin film vanadium oxide (VO2VO_{2})

An electrical study of thin $VO_{2}$ films in the vicinity of the structural phase transition at $68^{0}C$ shows (a) that the electrical resistance $R$ follows $log (R)$ $\propto$ $-T$ over the $T$-range, $20 < T < 80 ^{0}C$ covering both sides of the structural transition, and (b) a history dependent hysteresis loop in $R$ upon thermal cycling. These features are attributed here to transport through a granular network.Comment: 3 pages, 3 color figure

Moderating roles of customer characteristics on the link between service factors and satisfaction in a buffet restaurant

Purpose: In service sector, measuring quality of services is generally acknowledged to be difficult as it involves many psychological features. Hence, identifying the determinants of service quality and linkages with customer satisfaction is a challenging research topic. In this study, we take up a research study to address this challenge. Specifically, we examine the importance of factors influencing customer satisfaction in the context of a Chinese buffet restaurant in the UK. Design: We use a questionnaire based on the SERVQUAL instrument for the purpose. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, we have found that service quality could be grouped into four main factors - service, food, ambience and price. Findings: Using multiple regression analysis, we have found that food is the most significant factor influencing customer satisfaction, followed by price, ambience, and service respectively. Using a multi-group analysis, we have found interesting moderating roles of age, gender and annual income on the influence of the four factors on satisfaction: ambience is considered significant by male customers while it is not significant for female customers; the influence of price on satisfaction is much higher for female customers than for male customers; food and service factors are important for younger customers while price is important for older customers; price is important for customers with lower levels of income but not important for high-income customers. Practical implications: These results are useful to restaurant managers in allocating appropriate levels of resources to different factors based on their contributions to customer satisfaction in order to maximize customer satisfaction efficiently and effectively. Originality: Analysis and findings of this research are based on the customers’ survey data of a Chinese buffet restaurant in the UK. We have found an interesting ranking of the importance of service factors: food followed by price, ambience, and service. Our results on the moderating role of customer characteristics provide newer insights in the literature on service quality. Our research findings can help the hotel management to improve their service levels to attain maximum customer satisfaction

On Simulating Liouvillian Flow From Quantum Mechanics Via Wigner Functions

The interconnection between quantum mechanics and probabilistic classical mechanics for a free relativistic particle is derived in terms of Wigner functions (WF) for both Dirac and Klein-Gordon (K-G) equations. Construction of WF is achieved by first defining a bilocal 4-current and then taking its Fourier transform w.r.t. the relative 4-coordinate. The K-G and Proca cases also lend themselves to a closely parallel treatment provided the Kemmer- Duffin beta-matrix formalism is employed for the former. Calculation of WF is carried out in a Lorentz-covariant fashion by standard `trace' techniques. The results are compared with a recent derivation due to Bosanac.Comment: 9 pages, Latex; email: [email protected]