Naresuan University Journal
Not a member yet
39887 research outputs found
Sort by
Behavioural segmentation using store scanner data in retailing: Exploration and exploitation in frequently purchased consumer goods markets
No full textConsumers treat and react to promotions diversely in terms of their promotion proneness and variety seeking tendency. This paper investigates 589 consumers with 169678 transaction records in the US salt-snack market ranging from year 4 to year 7 in IRI Market Dataset for exploring how their purchase behaviours evolve in the consumer life cycle. A set of algorithms is presented to process store scanner data for measuring consumers’ promotion proneness and variety seeking tendency, which are then used for conducting clustering analysis. Four types of purchase behaviours including “Promotion averse”, “Bargain hunters”, “Opportunistic explorers”, and “Opportunistic exploiters” are identified and assigned accordingly for each consumer in each year. Even though consumers’ purchase behaviours will dynamically and freely shift within or among those four behavioural segments over time, two clear behavioural evolvement patterns can be identified statistically in the consumer life cycle. In the US salt-snack market, some consumers who are initially not sensitive to promotions will gradually evolve to take advantage of promotion to try alternatives for extending their market knowledge. Some explorers’ promotion proneness will gradually increase and outweigh their variety seeking tendency over time, thus, those opportunistic explorers become inclined to buy any brands on promotion. In contrast, consumers who initially prefer to buy their familiar brands will become motivated to buy any brands, particularly the brands they are familiar with, on promotion. After a certain period of exploitation with promotions, their variety seeking tendency will gradually increase and slightly outweigh their promotion proneness, thus, those consumers will particularly keen to take advantage of promotion to explore the US salt-snack market over time. We discuss the implications of these findings in terms of managerial recommendations regarding promotion activities for retailers to increase the rate of response to promotions and offer suggestions for future research
Breaking the millisecond barrier on SpiNNaker: implementing asynchronous event-based plastic models with microsecond resolution
No full textSpike-based neuromorphic sensors such as retinas and cochleas, change the way in which the world is sampled. Instead of producing data sampled at a constant rate, these sensors output spikes that are asynchronous and event driven. The event-based nature of neuromorphic sensors implies a complete paradigm shift in current perception algorithms toward those that emphasize the importance of precise timing. The spikes produced by these sensors usually have a time resolution in the order of microseconds. This high temporal resolution is a crucial factor in learning tasks. It is also widely used in the field of biological neural networks. Sound localization for instance relies on detecting time lags between the two ears which, in the barn owl, reaches a temporal resolution of 5 μs. Current available neuromorphic computation platforms such as SpiNNaker often limit their users to a time resolution in the order of milliseconds that is not compatible with the asynchronous outputs of neuromorphic sensors. To overcome these limitations and allow for the exploration of new types of neuromorphic computing architectures, we introduce a novel software framework on the SpiNNaker platform. This framework allows for simulations of spiking networks and plasticity mechanisms using a completely asynchronous and event-based scheme running with a microsecond time resolution. Results on two example networks using this new implementation are presented
Numerical Study of Effective Bond Length for Externally Bonded CFRP Plate under Cyclic Loading
No full textThe reliability of bond is crucial to the performance of concrete structures strengthened with externally mounted CFRP plate. This paper presents a detailed description of a finite element model constructed using ABAQUS 6.10-1, to simulate the behaviour of CFRP-to-concrete bonded joints in single shear pull out tests. Nonlinear finite element analysis with the cohesive surface approach for single shear pull out tests was investigated and validated against existing test results (monotonic and post-fatigue) in order to demonstrate the accuracy of the model. The influence of bond length for different carbon fibre plate stiffness on the ultimate load as well as the de-bonding strain for the post-fatigue analysis was investigated and then compared with existing analytical models. The numerical results suggest that existing analytical models can be nonconservativein estimating the FRP effective bond length in the post-fatigue load regim
Investigating the quality and safety of discharge prescriptions in mental health hospitals: a prospective multicentre study
No full textElectronic Structure of a Mixed-Metal Fluoride-Centered Triangle Complex: A Potential Qubit Component
No full textPeak BMP Responses in the Drosophila Embryo are Dependent on the Activation of Integrin Signalling.
No full textWithin a 3D tissue, cells need to integrate signals from growth factors, such as BMPs, and the extracellular matrix (ECM) to coordinate growth and differentiation. Here, we use the Drosophila embryo as a model to investigate how BMP responses are influenced by a cell's local ECM environment. We show that integrins, which are ECM receptors, are absolutely required for peak BMP signaling. This stimulatory effect of integrins requires their intracellular signaling function, which is activated by the ECM protein collagen IV. Mechanistically, integrins interact with the BMP receptor and stimulate phosphorylation of the downstream Mad transcription factor. The BMP-pathway-enhancing function of integrins is independent of focal adhesion kinase, but it requires conserved NPXY motifs in the β-integrin cytoplasmic tail. Furthermore, we show that an α-integrin subunit is a BMP target gene, identifying positive feedback between integrin signaling and BMP pathway activity that may contribute to robust cell fate decisions
Thermoelectric power generation from lanthanum strontium titanium oxide at room temperature through the addition of graphene
No full textThe applications of strontium titanium, oxide based;thermoelectric materials are currently limited by their high operating temperatures of >700 degrees C. Herein, we show that the thermal operating window of lanthanum strontium titanium oxide (LSTO) can be reduced to room temperature by the addition Of a small amount of graphene. This increase in operating performance will enable future applications such as generators in vehicles and other sectors. The LSTO composites incorporated one percent or less of graphene and were sintered tinder at argon/hydrogen atmosphere. The resultant materials were reduced and possessed. a multiphase Structure with nanosized grains. The thermal conductivity of the nanocomposites decreased upon the addition of graphene, whereas the electrical conductivity and power factor both increased significantly. These factors, together with a moderate Seebeck coefficient, meant that a high power factor of similar to 2500 mu Wm(-1) K-2 was reached at room temperature at a loading of 0.6 wt % graphene. The highest thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) was achieved when 0.6 wt % graphene was added (ZT = 0.42 at room temperature and 0.36 at 750 degrees C), With >280% enhancement compared to that of pure LSTO. A preliminary 7-couple device was produced using bismuth strontium cobalt oxide/graphene-LSTO pucks. This device had a Seebeck coefficient of similar to 1500 mu V/K and an open voltage Of 600 mV at a mean temperature of 219 degrees C
Personal Health Systems technologies: critical issues in service innovation and diffusion
No full textPersonal health system (PHS) technologies can enhance public and private health service delivery and provide new business opportunities in Europe and around the world. Although much PHS technology has already been developed and could potentially provide virtually everyone with access to personalized healthcare, research driven primarily by a technology push may fail, because it fails to situate PHS within the wider health and social care service systems. In this article, we explore the scattered PHS research and innovation landscape, as well its relevant markets, using several types of analyses: bibliometrics, patent analysis, social network analysis, stakeholder workshops, and interviews. Our analyses aim to identify critical issues in the development and implementation of service systems around PHS technologies
Integrin avB8-mediated TGFB activation by effector regulatory T cells is essential for suppression of T cell-mediated inflammation
No full textRegulatory T (Treg) cells play a pivotal role in suppressing self-harmful T cell responses, but how Treg cells mediate suppression to maintain immune homeostasis and limit responses during inflammation is unclear. Here we show that effector Treg cells express high amounts of the integrin αvβ8, which enables them to activate latent transforming growth factor-B(TGFβ). Treg cell-specific deletion of integrin αvβ8 did not result in a spontaneous inflammatory phenotype, suggesting that this pathway is not important in Treg cell-mediated maintenance of immune homeostasis. However, Treg cells lacking expression of integrin αvβ8 were unable to suppress pathogenic T cell responses during active inflammation. Thus, our results identify a mechanism by which Treg cells suppress exuberant immune responses, highlighting a key role for effector Treg cell-mediated activation of latent TGFβ in suppression of self-harmful T cell responses during active inflammatio