13,321 research outputs found

    Towards Consumer 4.0 Insights and Opportunities under the Marketing 4.0 Scenario

    Get PDF
    This Research Topic is a sequel to our previous Research Topic “From Consumer Experience to Affective Loyalty: Challenges and Prospects in the Psychology of Consumer Behavior 3.0”. This first article collection was devoted to analyze the changes that appeared in different industries and companies, fostered by factors mainly related to the development of technologies. The evolution from consumer 3.0 to consumer 4.0 represents an opportunity to feature the changes that have been occurring lately as well as to gain an insight into the future of consumer behavior. Nowadays, the markets are experiencing several transformations in consumer behavior. These changes have been fueled by several trends: processes of globalization that produced an extraordinary assortment of diverse products and brand alternatives, new business models based on the intensive use of technology advances in communication and mobile technologies that allow customers’ capacity to easily participating in co-creation processes with companies; and big data developments. In this scenario, customers acquired more power than ever before due to their availability of information required to choose among the better priced alternatives product-brand options, as well as the technological means to access to such alternatives. Thus, customers evolved from a position to simply receiving the offer proposed by companies, to a position of power where they had the last word in the decision process, that is, the position of consumer 3.0. These consumers were characterized by their ability to adopt and use new technologies to meet their individual needs. What is more, these types of consumers did not longer easily respond to traditional mass marketing techniques. Instead, this generation of consumers demanded a highly customized approach across all facets of businesses including new product development, communication and customer service, among others. Nevertheless, in the advent of Marketing 4.0, a new type of consumer is observed, namely the customer 4.0. The transition from consumer 3.0 to consumer 4.0 is becoming evident, not only in consumers’ behavior but also in companies’ behavior. Related to the first one, consumers 4.0 are hyper-connected through different technologies, including not only the well-known mobile or digital technologies, but also other type of technologies, such as IoT, nanotech or artificial intelligence. Hence, their behavior is characterized by the demand of technology that have integrated the facets of Marketing 4.0 such as geolocation, marketing virtual and augmented reality facets. Regarding the second one, companies should face a digital transformation affecting not only value areas, but also, the way business interact with the environment. In particular, companies need to incorporate systems and applications that allow them to collect and analyze information, while helping decision making, since in the long run these issues constitute the cornerstone on which to start building a successful marketing strategy 4.0. This Research Topic welcomes scientific papers that covers the following topics (but not limited exclusively): - Consumers’ 4.0. behavior in different countries, industries, products, brands, etc.; - Digital transformations of industries and companies due to new consumption patterns; - New devices launched by companies work to meet the demands of consumer 4.0 (e.g., IoT), as well as the use consumers make of such devices; - The latest technology trends in business areas that make easier the consumer-companies relationships (processing, communication or any other digital technologies)

    Average output entropy for quantum channels

    Full text link
    We study the regularized average Renyi output entropy \bar{S}_{r}^{\reg} of quantum channels. This quantity gives information about the average noisiness of the channel output arising from a typical, highly entangled input state in the limit of infinite dimensions. We find a closed expression for \beta_{r}^{\reg}, a quantity which we conjecture to be equal to \Srreg. We find an explicit form for \beta_{r}^{\reg} for some entanglement-breaking channels, and also for the qubit depolarizing channel Δλ\Delta_{\lambda} as a function of the parameter λ\lambda. We prove equality of the two quantities in some cases, in particular we conclude that for Δλ\Delta_{\lambda} both are non-analytic functions of the variable λ\lambda.Comment: 32 pages, several plots and figures; positivity condition added for Theorem on entanglement breaking channels; new result for entrywise positive channel

    Analyzing Medication Documentation in Electronic Health Records: Dental Students’ Self-Reported Behaviors and Charting Practices

    Get PDF
    The aim of this two-part study was to assess third- and fourth-year dental students’ perceptions, self-reported behaviors, and actual charting practices regarding medication documentation in axiUm, the electronic health record (EHR) system. In part one of the study, in fall 2015, all 125 third- and 85 fourth-year dental students at one U.S. dental school were invited to complete a ten-item anonymous survey on medication history-taking. In part two of the study, the EHRs of 519 recent dental school patients were randomly chosen via axiUm query based on age >21 years and the presence of at least one documented medication. Documentation completeness was assessed per EHR and each medication based on proper medication name, classification, dose/frequency, indication, potential oral effects, and correct medication spelling. Consistency was evaluated by identifying the presence/absence of a medical reason for each medication. The survey response rate was 90.6% (N=187). In total, 64.5% of responding students reported that taking a complete medication history is important and useful in enhancing pharmacology knowledge; 90.4% perceived it helped improve their understanding of patients’ medical conditions. The fourth-year students were more likely than the third-year students to value the latter (p=0.0236). Overall, 48.6% reported reviewing patient medications with clinic faculty 76-100% of the time. The respondents’ most frequently cited perceived barriers to medication documentation were patients’ not knowing their medications (68.5%) and, to a much lesser degree, axiUm limitations (14%). Proper medication name was most often recorded (93.6%), and potential oral effects were recorded the least (3.0%). Medication/medical condition consistency was 70.6%. In this study, most of the students perceived patient medication documentation as important; however, many did not appreciate the importance of all elements of a complete medication history, and complete medication documentation was low

    How can we help novice child protection social workers to see situations like experienced practitioners? A randomised controlled trial evaluation of the ShadowBox™ method using pre-recorded video feedback

    Get PDF
    Background Protecting children for abuse and neglect is a complex area of decision-making but frequent staff turnover has meant that many frontline child protection social workers are often relatively inexperienced. The ShadoxBoxTM method is an educational intervention that enables novice practitioners to gain decision-making skills quickly. Aim: This study was an RCT evaluation of an educational intervention for novice social workers that used the ShadoxBoxTM method adapted to include pre-recorded video feedback from an expert panel to test whether novice decision making would become more similar to experienced practitioners. Methods: The study was an RCT in which participants completed complex scenarios in a computer lab in control and intervention groups. The training method involved participants receiving feedback from highly experienced practitioners at each decision point within the scenarios. The intervention group received pre-recorded video feedback from a panel of highly experienced practitioners while the control group received no feedback. Participants and Setting Participants (n=83) were trainee social workers from a London university randomly allocated to control and intervention groups. Data was collected on computer stations using Qualtrics. Results Undertaking the scenarios improved both groups but greater improvement was seen in participants who had received video feedback from a panel of experienced practitioners. The results were promising, with participant accuracy increasing by 44% (from 31% to 75%) in the intervention group compared to an increase of 31% (from 32% to 63%) in the control group. Considerable improvements were noted in both intervention and control groups, which suggest that scenario-based interventions can be a promising educational method as learning is rooted in real life scenarios and participants have the opportunity to reflect upon their decisions. The qualitative findings are that novice participants make predictable errors, including: • Making shallow assumptions • Focusing exclusively on the parents rather than the child. • Jumping to early conclusions with insufficient information. Conclusions • ShadoxBoxTM training appears to be a promising intervention for improving decision making. • Novices benefitted from having concentrated exposure to complex scenarios focused on assessing risk and making professional judgements. • When this was augmented by direct feedback from a panel of highly experienced practitioners, these benefits were increased considerably. • The complexity of the scenarios also exposed the novices to real life pressures rather than the simplified versions used in decision research

    Phase decorrelation, streamwise vortices and acoustic radiation in mixing layers

    Get PDF
    Several direct numerical simulations were performed and analyzed to study various aspects of the early development of mixing layers. Included are the phase jitter of the large-scale eddies, which was studied using a 2-D spatially-evolving mixing layer simulation; the response of a time developing mixing layer to various spanwise disturbances; and the sound radiation from a 2-D compressible time developing mixing layer

    Laboratory simulations of astrophysical jets and solar coronal loops: new results

    Get PDF
    An experimental program underway at Caltech has produced plasmas where the shape is neither fixed by the vacuum chamber nor fixed by an external coil set, but instead is determined by self-organization. The plasma dynamics is highly reproducible and so can be studied in considerable detail even though the morphology of the plasma is both complex and time-dependent. A surprising result has been the observation that self-collimating MHD-driven plasma jets are ubiquitous and play a fundamental role in the self-organization. The jets can be considered lab-scale simulations of astrophysical jets and in addition are intimately related to solar coronal loops. The jets are driven by the combination of the axial component of the JĂ—B force and the axial pressure gradient resulting from the non-uniform pinch force associated with the flared axial current density. Behavior is consistent with a model showing that collimation results from axial non-uniformity of the jet velocity. In particular, flow stagnation in the jet frame compresses frozen-in azimuthal magnetic flux, squeezes together toroidal magnetic field lines, thereby amplifying the embedded toroidal magnetic field, enhancing the pinch force, and hence causing collimation of the jet

    The integration of YidC into the cytoplasmic membrane of Escherichia coli requires the signal recognition particle, SecA and SecYEG

    Get PDF
    The integration of the polytopic membrane protein YidC into the inner membrane of Escherichia coli was analyzed employing an in vitro system. Upon integration of in vitro synthesized YidC, a 42-kDa membrane protected fragment was detected, which could be immunoprecipitated with polyclonal anti-YidC antibodies. The occurrence of this fragment is in agreement with the predicted topology of YidC and probably encompasses the first two transmembrane domains and the connecting 320-amino acid-long periplasmic loop. The integration of YidC was strictly dependent on the signal recognition particle and SecA. YidC could not be integrated in the absence of SecY, SecE, or SecG, suggesting that YidC, in contrast to its mitochondrial orthologue Oxa1p, cannot engage a SecYEG-independent protein-conducting channel

    A remark on the Hankel determinant formula for solutions of the Toda equation

    Full text link
    We consider the Hankel determinant formula of the Ď„\tau functions of the Toda equation. We present a relationship between the determinant formula and the auxiliary linear problem, which is characterized by a compact formula for the Ď„\tau functions in the framework of the KP theory. Similar phenomena that have been observed for the Painlev\'e II and IV equations are recovered. The case of finite lattice is also discussed.Comment: 14 pages, IOP styl

    Modeling \u3ci\u3eEscherichia coli\u3c/i\u3e in the Missouri River near Omaha, Nebraska, 2012–16

    Get PDF
    The city of Omaha, Nebraska, has a combined sewer system in some areas of the city. In Omaha, Nebr., a moderate amount of rainfall will lead to the combination of stormwater and untreated sewage or wastewater being discharged directly into the Missouri River and Papillion Creek and is called a combined sewer overflow (CSO) event. In 2009, the city of Omaha began the implementation of their Long Term Control Plan (LTCP) to mitigate the effects of CSOs on the Missouri River and Papillion Creek. As part of the LTCP, the city partnered with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 2012 to begin monitoring in the Missouri River. Since 2012, monthly discrete water-quality samples for many constituents have been collected from the Missouri River at four sites. At 3 of the 4 sites, water quality has been monitored continuously for selected constituents and physical properties. These discrete water-quality samples and continuous water-quality monitoring data (from July 2012 to 2020) have been collected to better understand the water quality of the Missouri River, how it is changing with time, how it changes upstream from the city of Omaha to downstream, and how it varies during base-flow conditions and during periods of runoff. The purpose of this report is to document the development of Escherichia coli (E. coli) concentration models for these four Missouri River sites. Analysis was completed using the first 5 years of data (through 2016) to determine if the current approach is sufficient to meet future analysis goals and to understand if proposed models such as Load Estimator (LOADEST) models will be able to represent water-quality changes in the Missouri River. Multiple linear regression models were developed to estimate E. coli concentration using LOADEST as implemented in the rloadest package in the R statistical software program. A set of explanatory variables, including streamflow and streamflow anomalies, precipitation, information about CSOs, and continuous water quality, were evaluated for potential inclusion in regression models. The best model at Missouri River at NP Dodge Park at Omaha, Nebr. (USGS station 412126095565201; hereafter “NP Dodge”) included basin explanatory variables of upstream antecedent precipitation index measured at Tekamah, Nebr.; decimal time; season; and turbidity. The best model at Missouri River at Freedom Park Omaha, Nebr. (USGS station 411636095535401; hereafter “Freedom Park”) included the same explanatory variables as the NP Dodge model with the addition of turbidity anomalies and flow anomalies. The best models at the two downstream sites (Missouri River near Council Bluffs, Iowa, USGS station 06610505 and Missouri River near La Platte, Nebr., USGS station 410333095530101) included the same explanatory variables as the Freedom Park model with the addition of local antecedent precipitation index as measured at Eppley Airport in Omaha, Nebr., and additional turbidity and flow anomalies. The final selected models were the best models given our modeling design constraint in which explanatory variables included in the model for the upstream site were included in the downstream models. Explanatory variables currently (2020) being collected and included in the selected models through 2016 explained 64–75 percent of the variability of E. coli concentration in the Missouri River. Explaining 64–75 percent of the variability might be considered low when working with physical constituents (total nitrogen or sediment), but with the natural variability of biological constituents such as E. coli, the uncertainty of E. coli laboratory measurements, and the added complexity of modeling in a large drainage basin with multiple sources, these results are adequate and indicate that the explanatory variables being collected and models such as LOADEST can represent water-quality changes in the Missouri River for E. coli concentration from 2012 to 2016

    Semantics and Proof Theory of the Epsilon Calculus

    Full text link
    The epsilon operator is a term-forming operator which replaces quantifiers in ordinary predicate logic. The application of this undervalued formalism has been hampered by the absence of well-behaved proof systems on the one hand, and accessible presentations of its theory on the other. One significant early result for the original axiomatic proof system for the epsilon-calculus is the first epsilon theorem, for which a proof is sketched. The system itself is discussed, also relative to possible semantic interpretations. The problems facing the development of proof-theoretically well-behaved systems are outlined.Comment: arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1411.362
    • …
    corecore