A Comparison of Information Technology Mediated Customer Services Between the U.S. and China

Information technology mediated customer service is a reality of the 21st century. More and more companies have moved their customer services from in store and in person to online through computer or mobile devices. Using 442 responses collected from one USA university (234 responses) and two Chinese universities (208 responses), the study investigates customer preferences over two service delivery models (either in store or online) on five types of purchasing (retail, eating-out, banking, travel and entertainment) and their perception difference in customer service quality between those two delivery models in the U.S. and China. The results show that the majority of the U.S. and Chinese students prefer in-store and in person for eating out and prefer computer/mobile devices for ordering tickets for travel and entertainment. In addition, more than half of the U.S. students prefer in person services for retail and banking, and this number reduces to 40% for Chinese students. In most customer service quality measurements, the results also show that Chinese students give higher ratings for ordering through a computer/mobile device than ordering in store, indicating ordering through computer/mobile devices has become more acceptable in China and has been perceived as having better customer services quality than in-store ordering

RESURRECTED RECORDS: “NEW” REPTILE OCCURRENCE RECORDS FOR MONTGOMERY COUNTY, INDIANA

Current and historic records of species occurrences in particular localities enable researchers to monitor changes in species distribution and abundance. While current fauna can be documented with sufficient effort, missing historical records represent data that can never again be obtained. It is with this importance in mind that we report for the first time records of eight reptile species in Montgomery County, Indiana, USA, that were documented in 1964, though no vouchered specimens persist. These species include: Sternotherus odoratus, Terrapene carolina carolina, Chrysemys picta marginata, Apalone spinifera spinifera, Thamnophis sauritus sauritus, Storeria dekayi wrightorum, Lampropeltis calligaster, Lampropeltis triangulum. We also provide a list of the 23 currently documented reptile species that occur (or have occurred recently) in Montgomery County

The correlation of secondary school records with college records

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston Universit

Records and sequences of records from random variables with a linear trend

We consider records and sequences of records drawn from discrete time series of the form $X_{n}=Y_{n}+cn$, where the $Y_{n}$ are independent and identically distributed random variables and $c$ is a constant drift. For very small and very large drift velocities, we investigate the asymptotic behavior of the probability $p_n(c)$ of a record occurring in the $n$th step and the probability $P_N(c)$ that all $N$ entries are records, i.e. that $X_1 < X_2 < ... < X_N$. Our work is motivated by the analysis of temperature time series in climatology, and by the study of mutational pathways in evolutionary biology.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figure

Statistics of Superior Records

We study statistics of records in a sequence of random variables. These identical and independently distributed variables are drawn from the parent distribution rho. The running record equals the maximum of all elements in the sequence up to a given point. We define a superior sequence as one where all running records are above the average record, expected for the parent distribution rho. We find that the fraction of superior sequences S_N decays algebraically with sequence length N, S_N ~ N^{-beta} in the limit N-->infty. Interestingly, the decay exponent beta is nontrivial, being the root of an integral equation. For example, when rho is a uniform distribution with compact support, we find beta=0.450265. In general, the tail of the parent distribution governs the exponent beta. We also consider the dual problem of inferior sequences, where all records are below average, and find that the fraction of inferior sequences I_N decays algebraically, albeit with a different decay exponent, I_N ~ N^{-alpha}. We use the above statistical measures to analyze earthquake data.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, expanded versio

Millipeds (Arthropoda: Diplopoda) of the Ark - La - Tex. VI. New Geographic Distributional Records from Select Counties of Arkansas

We continue to report, in the sixth of a series of papers, new geographic records for millipeds of the state, including noteworthy records for some taxa collected from Crowley’s Ridge in eastern Arkansas. This contribution documents 47 new co. records and includes records for 19 species within 9 families and 5 orders. More uncommon millipeds found included Okliulus carpenteri (Parajulidae), Eurymerodesmus newtonus (Eurymerodesmidae), Pseudopolydesmus minor (Polydesmidae) and undescribed species of Ethojulus (Parajulidae) and Nannaria (Xystodesmidae). Undoubtedly, additional records will be reported in the future as several gaps in the distribution of Arkansas millipeds remain