361 research outputs found
Analyzing the effects of past prices on reference price formation
Get PDFWe propose a new reference price framework for brandchoice. In this framework, we employ a Markov-switching processwith an absorbing state to model unobserved price recall ofhouseholds. Reference prices result from the prices households areable to remember. Our model can be used to learn how many pricesobserved in the past are used for reference price formation.Furthermore, we learn to what extent households have sufficientprice knowledge to form an internal reference price. For A.C.Nielsen scanner panel data on catsup purchases, we find that theprices observed at the previous purchase occasion have an averagerecall probability of about 20%. Furthermore, the averageprobability that a household has sufficient price knowledge toform a reference price is estimated at about 30%. Even thoughprice recall is very limited the impact of reference priceformation on brand choice is substantial, and it is stronger thantwo popular alternative models in the literature suggest.Moreover, contrary to the two alternative models, our model doesnot suggest asymmetry between price gains and losses.brand choice;household scanner panel data;Markov switching process;reference price
Institutional Vacuum in Sardar-Sarovar Project: Framing ‘Rules-of-the-Game’
Get PDFFew large irrigation projects in India have been as elaborately planned as the Sardar- Sarovar Project (SSP), incorporating as it did the lessons of decades of irrigation project design and management. The project was to blaze a new trail in farmer-participatory irrigation project design and management with water user associations (WUAs) building their own distribution systems. However, as it unfolds, the institutional reality of the project is seen to be vastly different from its plans. If SSP is to chart a different course from scores of earlier large irrigationprojects, it must invent and put into place new rules of the irrigation management game.Length: pp.95-106Irrigation programsRiver basinsGroundwater irrigationSurface irrigationWater users associationsWater allocation
Pressure fluctuations in centrifugal compressor diffusers
No full textThe unstable flow phenomenon like rotating stall and surge in centrifugal compressors occur at very low flow rates. These would cause unduly large vibrations in the turbo- machinery components and results in mechanical failure. It is important to detect this phenomenon and avoid it by means of early warning systems. An attempt has been made in this paper to study the pressure fluctuations using high frequency miniature transducers in vane and vaneless diffusers of a centrifugal compressor. The unstable nature of the flow is characterized. The observation from the measurements indicate the pressure fluctuations in the vane diffusers are getting amplified and carried to the exit of the diffuser whereas in the case of vaneless diffuser such a phenomena is not observed. The flow near the leading edge of diffuser plays an important role in diffuser performance. The unsteady pressure fluctuations in the diffuser are characterized in terms of instability parameter at various locations in the diffuser. The location where such an instability parameter is sensitive to the flow coefficient is identified as the diffuser throat. Through this instability parameter it is possible to provide early warning just before compressor goes into stall. (Author
Emerging trends in the etiology of enteric pathogens as evidenced from an active surveillance of hospitalized diarrhoeal patients in Kolkata, India
Get PDFBackground: This study was conducted to determine the etiology of diarrhoea in a hospital setting in Kolkata. Active
surveillance was conducted for 2 years on two random days per week by enrolling every fifth diarrhoeal patient
admitted to the Infectious Diseases and Beliaghata General Hospital in Kolkata.
Results: Most of the patients (76.1%) had acute watery diarrhoea in association with vomiting (77.7%) and some
dehydration (92%). Vibrio cholerae O1, Rotavirus and Giardia lamblia were the important causes of diarrhoea. Among
Shigella spp, S. flexneri 2a and 3a serotypes were most predominantly isolated. Enteric viruses, EPEC and EAEC were
common in children <5 year age group. Atypical EPEC was comparatively higher than the typical EPEC. Multidrug
resistance was common among V. cholerae O1 and Shigella spp including tetracycline and ciprofloxacin. Polymicrobial
infections were common in all age groups and 27.9% of the diarrhoea patients had no potential pathogen.
Conclusions: Increase in V. cholerae O1 infection among <2 years age group, resistance of V. cholerae O1 to tetracycline,
rise of untypable S. flexnerii, higher proportion of atypical EPEC and G. lamblia and polymicrobial etiology are some of
the emerging trends observed in this diarrhoeal disease surveillance
Virtual environments and autism: a developmental psychopathological approach
Get PDFIndividuals with autism spectrum disorders supposedly have an affinity with ICT, making it an ideally suited media for this population. Virtual environments (VEs) – both two dimensional and immersive – represent a particular kind of ICT that might be of special benefit. Specifically, this paper discusses the importance of psychological theory for VE designed for this population. I describe the contribution that different theories of autism (e.g., theory of mind, executive function, weak central coherence theory) have made and can make, as well as the potential of other non-autism-specific theories (e.g., embodied cognition). These technologies not only illuminate our understanding of autism, but they can also be used to develop new technologies for people without autism. So, as well as being an area of specialism, I argue that VE research in autism has extended – and will go onto – the boundaries of human–computer interaction more generally. This is because autism provides a unique window into human social communication and learning. Further, this field offers a chance for better inclusivity for individuals with autism within a digital society
Luxury as a Driver for New Urban Identities in Milan: Geographies, Spatial Practices, and Open Questions
Get PDFIn contemporary cities, the role of capital and private investors who finance interventions in the field of urban regeneration has become an increasingly important catalyst for the physical and social impacts of these transformations. This paper aims to point out the role of urban projects developed by luxury companies or stakeholders in consolidated urban regions. Starting by analysing the spatial distribution of luxury firms in Milan and composing a tentative classification system based on a variety of case studies, the author proposes a mental map of spaces shaped, occupied, transformed and infected by the sector within the contemporary metropolis. The resulting network of urban places sprawls out not only across centralized areas, but also in peripheral neighbourhoods, which interact with existing contexts, spatial and economic relationships as well as evident and hidden flows. From this basis, the contribution reflects on a set of luxury-driven practices and their impacts on urban identities. The reflection includes the role played by media technologies in these transformations and in the study of their development. The conclusions then discuss the role of luxury; whether it transforms the physical form of our city (its shape and patterns) or rather influences processes of transformation
Effet signal d'une réduction promotionnelle du prix : concept et expérimentation.
Get PDFL'effet observé à court terme d'une réduction promotionnelle du prix sur la demande est souvent positif du fait de la valorisation des bénéfices offerts par la promotion et par le simple effet signal engendré par la communication promotionnelle. Lorsque le consommateur effectue une évaluation approfondie de l'offre promotionnelle et qu'il manque d'informations (sur le montant de la réduction ou le prix de base), l'information transmise par la promotion, qui est à la source de l'effet signal, est aussi utilisée pour élaborer le cadre du choix. Un conflit entre la cherté perçue et le signal promotionnel peut donc dévaloriser une offre. Dans ces conditions, nous montrons, par l'analyse des résultats d'une expérimentation sur 320 consommateurs, que le changement du cadre du choix résultant d'une offre promotionnelle conduit à un rejet d'achat plus important d'une marque premium pour un produit de grande consommation. Si ce résultat d'un effet négatif d'une réduction promotionnelle du prix sur la demande à court terme est rarement observé sur les ventes, il doit cependant conduire les managers à anticiper une baisse de l'efficacité promotionnelle lorsque la réduction de prix n'est pas indiquée et à en limiter l'usage pour les marques premium.Signaling effect of a promotional price reduction: concept and experimentation Abstract Sales promotion has often positive effects on short term demand effects due to the benefits provided and to the signaling effect of the communication. If information is missing (regular price, price reduction) when consumers have an extended choice process, the information transmitted by the sales promotion communication is used not only as a signal but also to elaborate the choice frame. Thus conflicting information between the promotional signal and perceived expensiveness can reduce perceived value. Under these conditions the author show, through analysis of experimental data on 320 consumers, that changes due to a promotional price reduction can result in higher rejection for a premium brand in a consumer good market. While decreases in sales volume due to promotional price reductions are not frequently observed, such a possibility means that managers have to anticipate a reduction of their promotional effectiveness when price reduction is not indicated (special offer) and to avoid its use for premium brands. Key words: Sales promotion, price reduction, promotion signal, experiment, Gabor & Granger.Gabor et Granger; Promotion des ventes; Réduction de prix; Effet signal; Expérimentation;
Mathematical modelling of berth utilisation rate for multipurpose port operations
Get PDFProductivity is an essential element which shows the effectiveness of a port and its operations. Berth utilisation rate is the key indicator determining ship turnaround time. To date, there is no clear guidance for port operators on getting a precise data in the terms of berth utilisation rate. Thus, this study was conducted to determine berth utilisation rate for a port using derived mathematical model. Derived model incorporated eight parameters in the equation, each of the elements being independent but inter-related to one another. Parameters involved in the development of the mathematical model are, ship length, port stay, berthable length, utilisable hours per day, number of days in a month, total capacity, immobilised capacity and final capacity. The model was validated by using 36 months data, from January 2012 to December 2014, based on data collected from Jurong Port Pte.Ltd., being port of understudy. Comparative analysis was used to analyse the precision between the existing berth occupancy model and the newly developed berth utilisation model, in comparison to the real time berth productivity rate of the port under study. Data obtained from the newly developed berth utilisation model significantly showed that on average the utilisation percentage deviates by 5 to 20 percentages, compared to the existing berth occupancy model, depending on the berth terminals. The utilisation rate of bulk cargo berths showed less deviation (5 to 10 percentages) while general cargo berths show higher deviation (15 to 20 percentages) and the containerised cargo berths (10 to 20 percentages). This study can be applied in actual shipping industry to reduce ship turn-around time by providing efficient and effective services and high port productivity, with the aim to achieve optimum port performance
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