Cashback is cash forward: delaying a discount to entice future spending

The authors examine purchase behavior in the context of cashback shopping—a novel form of price promotion online where consumers initiate transactions at the website of a cashback company and, after a significant delay, receive the savings promised to them. Specifically, they analyze panel data from a large cashback company and show that, independent of the predictable effect of cashback offers on initial demand, cashback payments (1) increase the probability that consumers make an additional purchase via the website of the cashback company, and (2) increase the size of that purchase. These effects pass several robustness checks. They are also meaningful: at the average values in the data an additional $1.00 in cashback payment increases the likelihood of a future transaction by 0.02$0.32—figures that represent 10.03% of the overall impact of a given promotion. Moreover, the authors find that consumers are more likely to spend the money returned to them at generalists such as department stores than at other retailers. They consider three explanations for these findings, and the leading hypothesis is that consumers fail to treat money as a fungible resource. They also discuss implications for cashback companies and retailers

The Case of a State Government EMS Program

Discusses New York State's efforts to implement an environmental management system for state agencies.Ope

Aerosol charging state at an urban site: new analytical approach and implications for ion-induced nucleation

The charging state of aerosol populations was determined using an Ion-DMPS in Helsinki, Finland between December 2008 and February 2010. We extrapolated the charging state and calculated the ion-induced nucleation fraction to be around 1.3 % ± 0.4 % at 2 nm and 1.3 % ± 0.5 % at 1.5 nm, on average. We present a new method to retrieve the average charging state for a new particle formation event, at a given size and polarity. We improve the uncertainty assessment and fitting technique used previously with an Ion-DMPS. We also use a new theoretical framework that allows for different concentrations of small ions for different polarities (polarity asymmetry). We extrapolate the ion-induced fraction using polarity symmetry and asymmetry. Finally, a method to calculate the growth rates from the behaviour of the charging state as a function of the particle diameter using polarity symmetry and asymmetry is presented and used on a selection of new particle formation events

Sistem Pembelajaran Berbasis Terknologi Informasi dan Komunikasi

Sistem pembelajaran yang terorganisir merupakan perpaduan yang meliputi unsur manusia, materi, fasilitas, peralatan, dan prosedur yang berinteraksi untuk mencapai suatu tujuan. Elemen manusia dalam sistem pembelajarannya adalah mahasiswa, guru, dosen, pustakawan, laboratoriun, administrasi personal serta pihak-pihak yang mendukung keberhasilan proses pembelajaran. Informasi dan teknologi komunikasi merupakan hasil rekayasa manusia terhadap proses informasi dan proses penyampaian pesan(gagasan) dari satu pihak ke pihak yang lain yang mengakibatkan dalam distribusi yang lebih cepat, lebih luas, dan penyimpanan yang lebih lama. Untuk dapat memanfaatkan TIK untuk meningkatkan kualitas pembelajaran, ada tiga hal yang harus di wujudkan yaitu : (1) siswa dan guru harus memiliki akses keteknologi digital dan internet dikelas, sekolah, dan lembaga pendidikan guru. (2) harus tersedia materi kualitas, dukungan bermakna dan budaya bagi siswa dan guru. (3) guru harus memiliki pengertahuan dan keterampilan dalam menggunakan alat dan sumber daya digital untuk membantu siswa mencapai standar akademik. Tuntutan pembelajaran kedepan harus terbuka, dua arah, beragam, multi disiplin dan terkait dengan produktivitas kerja``pada saat itu`` dan kompetitif. Teknologi informasi dan komunikasi yang murah dan mudah akan menghilangkan keterbatasan ruang dan waktu yang selama ini membatasi dunia pendidikan. Pada saat ini banyak dampak yang terjadi akibat perkembangan IT jika disikapi secara positif mampu memberikan dampak positif, namun jika ditanggapi negatif dan mungkin akan terpengaruh secara negatif

Rejeição e efeitos da ciclosporina nos transplantes cutâneos alógenos microcirúrgicos em ratos

Os efeitos da rejeição e da imunossupressão com ciclosporina A em retalhos epigástricos utilizados como transplantes cutâneos alógenos microcirúrgicos, foram estudados em 58 ratos, distribuídos em três grupos: Wistar-Furth isogênicos doadores e receptores; e Brown-Norway doadores e Wistar-Furth receptores, imunossuprimidos com cicloporina A(10mg/kg/dia). Biópsias dos retalhos e da pele normal contralateral utilizadas como contrôle foram colhidas no terceiro, sétimo, 15º e 30º dias pós transplante. As biópsias foram preparadas em historesina, e coradas em azul de toluidina, para avaliação do infiltrado inflamatório local, permitindo estudo quantitativo dos linfócitos infiltrantes nos retalhos. O modelo revelou-se eficiente, obtendo-se sobrevivência dos transplantes por 30 dias, de 83,3% entre animais isogênicos, e de 60% nos alogênicos sob ação da ciclosporina A. Em ratos alogênicos não imunossuprimidos houve 100% de rejeição dos retalhos, até o nono dia pós-operatório. Nos transplantes desses animais, verificou-se aumento significativo do número de linfócitos infiltrantes no terceiro dia, quando comparados aos ratos isogênicos. A linfocitose observada antecedeu os achados macroscópicos da rejeição, verificados apenas no quinto ou sexto dias.The rejection of allotransplantation of epigastric microsurgical flaps and the effect of immunosuppression have been studied in 58 rats. Three sets of experiments were planned: (1) Wistar Furth isogenic donors and receptors (control set); (2) Brown Norway donors and Wistar Furth receptors (rejection set); and (3) Brown Norway donors and Wistar Furth immunosuppressed receptors (cyclosporin A set). Cyclosporin A (10 mg/kg/d) treated rats had a transplantation survival rate of up to 30 days: 83.3% among isogenic animals and 60% among allogeneic. There was 100% rejection by the 9th day after the transplantation in allogeneic non-immunosuppressed rats. Biopsies embedded with historesin were taken from the flap and normal contralateral skin (used as control) on the 3rd, 7th, 15th, and 30th days after the surgery. A quantitative study of infiltrating lymphocytes in the flaps, with and without cyclosporin A, was done by evaluating the local inflammatory infiltrate. A significant increase in the number of lymphocytes among the rejection and immunosuppressed groups was seen, as compared to the isogenic set. Local lymphocytosis in allogeneic non-immunosuppressed transplantations reached its highest level on the 3rd day after surgery, before gross findings of rejection, which could only be seen by naked eye on the 5th or 6th day. Therefore, we conclude that cyclosporin A is effective in preserving allogenic transplantation in rats. Biopsies of transplanted areas may contribute to earlier diagnosis of the need for immunosuppressive therapy

The removing of selected pharmaceuticals on WWTP in the Czech Republic

In this article, the results of three years monitoring of selected pharmaceuticals (diclofenac, ibuprofen, carbamazepine, salicylic acid, clofibric acid) in the wastewaters of the Czech Republic are presented. The monitoring was performed on selected Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP) with various treatment technology and designed capacity. The concentrations and treatment efficiency of these substances were observed in various profiles of each WWTP, including influent, mechanical pretreatment, biological treatment, effluent. The main processes of removing selected pharmaceuticals during wastewater treatment are discussed. These results are used for design wastewater treatment technology with improved treatment efficiency of these substances

Characteristics of new-particle formation at three SMEAR stations

We analyzed the size distributions of atmospheric aerosol particles measured during 2013-2014 at Varrio (SMEAR I) in northern Finland, Hyytiala (SMEAR II) in southern Finland and Jarvselja (SMEAR-Estonia) in Estonia. The stations are located on a transect spanning from north to south over 1000 km and they represent different environments ranging from subarctic to the hemi-boreal. We calculated the characteristics of new-particle-formation events, such as the frequency of events, growth rate of nucleation mode particles, condensation and coagulation sinks, formation rate of 2 nm and 3 nm particles, and source rate of condensable vapors. We observed 59, 185 and 108 new-particle-formation events at Varrio, Hyytiala and Jarvselja, respectively. The frequency of the observed events showed an annual variation with a maximum in spring. The analysis revealed size dependence of growth rate at all locations. We found that the growth rate and source rate of a condensable vapor were the highest in Jarvselja and the lowest in Varrio. The condensation sink and particle formation rate were of a similar magnitude at Hyytiala and Jarvselja, but several times smaller at Varrio. Tracking the origin of air masses revealed that the number concentration of nucleation mode particles (3-25 nm) varied from north to south, with the highest concentrations at Jarvselja and lowest at Varrio. Trajectory analysis indicated that new-particle-formation events are large-scale phenomena that can take place concurrently at distant stations located even 1000 km apart. We found a total of 26 days with new-particle-formation events occurring simultaneously at all three stations.Peer reviewe

Metal ion-implanted TiN thin films: Induced effects on structural and optical properties

The ion implantation technique has a number of advantages over conventional methods for the improvement of thin films that offer the various possibilities of their use in different industrial and technological fields. Herein, we present the effects of metal ion implantation on the structural and optical properties of TiN thin films. TiN films of 170 nm thickness were grown by d.c. reactive sputtering on Si (100) wafers and then irradiated at 5×1016 ions/cm2 with either Au, Ag, or Cu ions by using two different energies per each implanted metal. The results showed that as deposited TiN crystallizes in form of fcc cubic structure, with the crystallites preferentially oriented along the (111) plane. For all implanted layers the cubic crystallographic structure was preserved, but compared to as deposited TiN the crystallites were smaller and the lattice was contracted. Besides, the surface compositional analysis of as deposited sample showed the coexistence of TiN, TiO2 and TiOxNy phases and this was related to the surface oxidation of the films due to the exposure to air. After implantation, the results were almost similar for all metals, showing an increase in TiO2 contribution and the formation of pure metallic Au and Ag phases, while copper is in the Cu2+ state, which is attributed to Cu(II)-oxide and Cu(OH)2. The microstructural characteristics including defect formation, changes in the crystallite size and lattice contraction, and also growth of different metallic phases during implantations were correlated with the findings of the optical characterization of the implanted films. For as deposited film we found energy gap of 2.91 eV, which was lower than the value typical for TiN. After implantation the gap was shifted to higher energies, while at the visible part of the region, additional energy levels, at photon energies below 2.9 eV were observed. Further, all implanted films showed degraded photocatalytic activity compared to as deposited TiN, among which Cu-implanted samples exhibited the best photocatalytic performances. The lower photocatalytic activity of Au and Ag-implanted films compared to Cu implantations was ascribed to larger structural defects and formation of less favorable electronic states.IX International School and Conference on Photonics : PHOTONICA2023 : book of abstracts; August 28 - September 1, 2023; Belgrad

Formation and characteristics of ions and charged aerosol particles in a native Australian Eucalypt forest

International audienceBiogenic aerosol formation is likely to contribute significantly to the global aerosol load. In recent years, new-particle formation has been observed in various ecosystems around the world but hardly any measurements have taken place in the terrestrial Southern Hemisphere. Here, we report the first results of atmospheric ion and charged particle concentrations as well as of new-particle formation in a Eucalypt forest in Tumbarumba, South-East Australia, from July 2005 to October 2006. The measurements were carried out with an Air Ion Spectrometer (AIS) with a size range from 0.34 to 40 nm. The Eucalypt forest was a very strong source of new aerosol particles. Daytime aerosol formation took place on 52% of days with acceptable data, which is 2?3 times as often as in the Nordic boreal zone. Average growth rates for negative/positive 1.5?3 nm particles during these formation events were 2.89/2.68 nmh?1, respectively; for 3-7 nm particles 4.26/4.03, and for 7?20 nm particles 8.90/7.58 nmh?1, respectively. The growth rates for large ions were highest when the air was coming from the native forest which suggests that the Eucalypts were a strong source of condensable vapours. Average concentrations of cluster ions (0.34?1.8 nm) were 2400/1700 cm?3 for negative/positive ions, very high compared to most other measurements around the world. One reason behind these high concentrations could be the strong radon efflux from the soils around the Tumbarumba field site. Furthermore, comparison between night-time and daytime concentrations supported the view that cluster ions are produced close to the surface within the boundary layer also at night but that large ions are mostly produced in daytime. Finally, a previously unreported phenomenon, nocturnal aerosol formation, appeared in 32% of the analysed nights but was clustered almost entirely within six months from summer to autumn in 2006. From January to May, nocturnal formation was 2.5 times as frequent as daytime formation. Therefore, it appears that in summer and autumn, nocturnal production was the major mechanism for aerosol formation in Tumbarumba