75 FR 6669 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Submission for OMB Review; Contractors' Purchasing Systems Reviews

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-10

...' Purchasing Systems Reviews AGENCIES: Department of Defense (DOD), General Services Administration (GSA), and... collection requirement concerning contractors' purchasing systems reviews. A request for public comments was..., Washington, DC 20405. Please cite OMB Control No. 9000-0132, Contractors' Purchasing Systems Review, in all...

ONLINE PRODUCT PURCHASE WITH DONATION PURPOSES: THE ROLE OF DONATION MOTIVATIONS AND ONLINE PURCHASE ELEMENTS ON PURCHASE INTENTION

OpenAIRE

Muhammet Ali TİLTAY; Behçet Yalın ÖZKARA

2017-01-01

Nonprofit organizations provide products and services via online shopping websites in order to procure financial sources. The consumers that purchase these products and services both make donations and fulfill their needs. This study examines the role of donation motivations and online purchase elements on purchase intention. The study, which has been conducted via taking the online store of the Foundation for Children with Leukemia, lsvdukkan.com, has found out that the online purchase eleme...

Buying Program of the Standard Automated Materiel Management System. Automated Small Purchase System: Defense Supply Center Philadelphia

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

2001-01-01

The Standard Automated Materiel Management System Automated Small Purchase System is a fully automated micro-purchases system used by the General and Industrial Directorate at the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia...

Shawnee Mission's On-Line Cataloging System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ellen Wasby Miller

1971-03-01

Full Text Available An on-line cataloging pilot project for two elementary schools is discussed. The system components are 2740 terminals, upper-lower-case input, IBM's FASTER generalized software package, and usual cards/labels output. Reasons for choosing FASTER, software and hardware features, operating procedures, system performance and costs are detailed. Future expansion to cataloging 100,000 annual K-12 acquisitions, on-line circulation, retrospective conversion, and union book catalogs is set forth.

On-line Shopping on B2C Markets in the Czech Republic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pilík Michal

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with the e-commerce theory and is aimed primarily at its usage in business-toconsumer markets. On-line purchasing management is increasing not only in the Czech Republic but also in Europe and all over the world. The customers who think rationally use on-line shopping because of money saving, speed delivery and the possibility of product comparison. This paper presents the results of a project financed by the Czech Science Foundation P403/11/ P175: The factors influencing customers’ on-line behaviour in e-commerce environment on B2C and B2B markets in the Czech Republic. 89 % of respondents use e-shops for buying products in the Czech Republic. 32 % of them use the Internet for regular purchases and 57 % of them irregularly. 11 % of respondents have not used e-shops yet.

Scaling-up strategic purchasing: analysis of health system governance imperatives for strategic purchasing in a free maternal and child healthcare programme in Enugu State, Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Ogbuabor, Daniel Chukwuemeka; Onwujekwe, Obinna Emmanuel

2018-04-05

Significant knowledge gaps exist in the functioning of institutional designs and organisational practices in purchasing within free healthcare schemes in low resource countries. The study provides evidence of the governance requirements to scale up strategic purchasing in free healthcare policies in Nigeria and other low-resource settings facing similar approaches. The study was conducted at the Ministry of Health and in two health districts in Enugu State, Nigeria, using a qualitative case study design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 44 key health system actors (16 policymakers, 16 providers and 12 health facility committee leaders) purposively selected from the Ministry of Health and the two health districts. Data collection and analysis were guided by Siddiqi and colleagues' health system governance framework. Data were analysed using a framework approach. The key findings show that supportive governance practices in purchasing included systems to verify questionable provider claims, pay providers directly for services, compel providers to procure drugs centrally and track transfer of funds to providers. However, strategic vision was undermined by institutional conflicts, absence of purchaser-provider split and lack of selective contracting of providers. Benefit design was not based on stakeholder involvement. Rule of law was limited by delays in provider payment. Benefits and obligations to users were not transparent. The criteria and procedure for resource allocation were unclear. Some target beneficiaries seemed excluded from the scheme. Effectiveness and efficiency was constrained by poor adherence to purchasing rules. Accountability of purchasers and providers to users was weak. Intelligence and information is constrained by paper-based system. Rationing of free services by providers and users' non-adherence to primary gate-keeping role hindered ethics. Weak governance of purchasing function limits potential of FMCHP to contribute towards

INMACS - An approach to on-line nuclear materials accounting and control in a fuel fabrication environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, G.; L'Archeveque, J.V.R.; Paul, R.N.

1977-08-01

Taking advantage of modern system technologies, the concept of an Integrated Nuclear Materials Accounting and Control System (INMACS) was formulated as an alternative solution to manual inventory procedures. The selected approach offers prospects for tackling the more general fissile materials inventory problem while satisfying the immediate requirements of the Fuel Fabrication Pilot Line at CRNL. A PDP-11/40 minicomputer system was purchased, and a Data Base Management System (DBMS) was designed and implemented to provide a uniform file handling capability. The specific requirements of the Pilot Line were met by a package of application programs. About 16 man-years have been spent on the project. INMACS has been installed in the field and its usefulness as an on-line inventory system will be demonstrated in the Pilot Line. (author)

Strategic Purchasing in Practice: Comparing Ten European Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Klasa, Katarzyna; Greer, Scott L; van Ginneken, Ewout

2018-02-05

Strategic purchasing of health care services is widely recommended as a policy instrument. We conducted a review of literature of material drawn from the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies Health Systems in Transition series, other European Observatory databases, and selected country-specific literature to augment the comparative analysis by providing the most recent healthcare trends in ten selected countries. There is little evidence of purchasing being strategic according to any of the established definitions. There is little or no literature suggesting that existing purchasing mechanisms in Europe deliver improved population health, citizen empowerment, stronger governance and stewardship, or develop purchaser organization and capacity. Strategic purchasing has not generally been implemented. Policymakers considering adopting strategic purchasing policies should be aware of this systemic implementation problem. Policymakers in systems with strategic purchasing built into policy should not assume that a purchasing system is strategic or that it is delivering any expected objectives. However, there are individual components of strategic purchasing that are worth pursuing and can provide benefits to health systems. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Waiting for Merlot: anticipatory consumption of experiential and material purchases.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Amit; Killingsworth, Matthew A; Gilovich, Thomas

2014-10-01

Experiential purchases (money spent on doing) tend to provide more enduring happiness than material purchases (money spent on having). Although most research comparing these two types of purchases has focused on their downstream hedonic consequences, the present research investigated hedonic differences that occur before consumption. We argue that waiting for experiences tends to be more positive than waiting for possessions. Four studies demonstrate that people derive more happiness from the anticipation of experiential purchases and that waiting for an experience tends to be more pleasurable and exciting than waiting to receive a material good. We found these effects in studies using questionnaires involving a variety of actual planned purchases, in a large-scale experience-sampling study, and in an archival analysis of news stories about people waiting in line to make a purchase. Consumers derive value from anticipation, and that value tends to be greater for experiential than for material purchases. © The Author(s) 2014.

On-line Monitoring System for Power Transformers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandru HOTEA

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Power transformers are the most important and expensive equipment from the electricity transmission system, so it is very important to know the real state of health of such equipment in every moment. De-energizing the power transformer accidentally due to internal defects can generate high costs. Annual maintenance proved to be ineffective in many cases to determine the internal condition of the equipment degradation due to faults rapidly evolving. An On-line Monitoring System for Power Transformers help real-time condition assessment and to detect errors early enough to take action to eliminate or minimize them. After abnormality detected, it is still important to perform full diagnostic tests to determine the exact condition of the equipment. On-line monitoring systems can help increase the level of availability and reliability of power transformers and lower costs of accidental interruption. This paper presents cases studies on several power transformers equipped with on-line monitoring systems from Transelectrica substation.

System simulation application for determining the size of daily raw material purchases at PT XY

Science.gov (United States)

Napitupulu, H. L.

2018-02-01

Every manufacturing company needs to implement green production, including PT XY as a marine catchment processing industry in Sumatera Utara Province. The company is engaged in the processing of squid for export purposes. The company’s problem relates to the absence of a decision on the daily purchase amount of the squid. The purchase of daily raw materials in varying quantities has caused companies to face the problem of excess raw materials or otherwise the lack of raw materials. The low purchase of raw materials will result in reduced productivity, while large purchases will lead to increased cooling costs for storage of excess raw materials, as well as possible loss of damage raw material. Therefore it is necessary to determine the optimal amount of raw material purchases every day. This can be determined by applying simulation. Application of system simulations can provide the expected optimal amount of raw material purchases.

The influence of local food environments on adolescents' food purchasing behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Meizi; Tucker, Patricia; Gilliland, Jason; Irwin, Jennifer D; Larsen, Kristian; Hess, Paul

2012-04-01

This study examined the relationship between the neighborhood food environment and the food purchasing behaviors among adolescents. Grade 7 and 8 students (n = 810) at 21 elementary schools in London, Ontario, Canada completed a questionnaire assessing their food purchasing behaviors. Parents of participants also completed a brief questionnaire providing residential address and demographic information. A Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to assess students' home and school neighborhood food environment and land use characteristics. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the influence of the home neighborhood food environment on students' food purchasing behaviors, while two-level Hierarchical Non-Linear Regression Models were used to examine the effects of school neighborhood food environment factors on students' food purchasing behaviors. The study showed that approximately 65% of participants reported self-purchasing foods from fast-food outlets or convenience stores. Close proximity (i.e., less than 1 km) to the nearest fast-food outlet or convenience store in the home neighborhood increased the likelihood of food purchasing from these food establishments at least once per week by adolescents (p purchasing by adolescents (i.e., at least once per week; p < 0.05). In conclusion, macro-level regulations and policies are required to amend the health-detracting neighborhood food environment surrounding children and youth's home and school.

Point-of-purchase health information encourages customers to purchase vegetables: objective analysis by using a point-of-sales system.

Science.gov (United States)

Ogawa, Yoshiko; Tanabe, Naohito; Honda, Akiko; Azuma, Tomoko; Seki, Nao; Suzuki, Tsubasa; Suzuki, Hiroshi

2011-07-01

Point-of-purchase (POP) information at food stores could help promote healthy dietary habits. However, it has been difficult to evaluate the effects of such intervention on customers' behavior. We objectively evaluated the usefulness of POP health information for vegetables in the modification of customers' purchasing behavior by using the database of a point-of-sales (POS) system. Two supermarket stores belonging to the same chain were assigned as the intervention store (store I) and control store (store C). POP health information for vegetables was presented in store I for 60 days. The percent increase in daily sales of vegetables over the sales on the same date of the previous year was compared between the stores by using the database of the POS system, adjusting for the change in monthly visitors from the previous year (adjusted ∆sales). The adjusted ∆sales significantly increased during the intervention period (Spearman's ρ = 0.258, P for trend = 0.006) at store I but did not increase at store C (ρ = -0.037, P for trend = 0.728). The growth of the mean adjusted ∆sales of total vegetables from 30 days before the intervention period through the latter half of the intervention period was estimated to be greater at store I than at store C by 18.7 percentage points (95% confidence interval 1.6-35.9). Health-related POP information for vegetables in supermarkets can encourage customers to purchase and, probably, consume vegetables.

The Influence of Local Food Environments on Adolescents’ Food Purchasing Behaviors

Science.gov (United States)

He, Meizi; Tucker, Patricia; Gilliland, Jason; Irwin, Jennifer D.; Larsen, Kristian; Hess, Paul

2012-01-01

This study examined the relationship between the neighborhood food environment and the food purchasing behaviors among adolescents. Grade 7 and 8 students (n = 810) at 21 elementary schools in London, Ontario, Canada completed a questionnaire assessing their food purchasing behaviors. Parents of participants also completed a brief questionnaire providing residential address and demographic information. A Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to assess students’ home and school neighborhood food environment and land use characteristics. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the influence of the home neighborhood food environment on students’ food purchasing behaviors, while two-level Hierarchical Non-Linear Regression Models were used to examine the effects of school neighborhood food environment factors on students’ food purchasing behaviors. The study showed that approximately 65% of participants reported self-purchasing foods from fast-food outlets or convenience stores. Close proximity (i.e., less than 1 km) to the nearest fast-food outlet or convenience store in the home neighborhood increased the likelihood of food purchasing from these food establishments at least once per week by adolescents (p purchasing by adolescents (i.e., at least once per week; p < 0.05). In conclusion, macro-level regulations and policies are required to amend the health-detracting neighborhood food environment surrounding children and youth’s home and school. PMID:22690205

Strategic purchasing and health system efficiency: A comparison of two financing schemes in Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Patcharanarumol, Walaiporn; Panichkriangkrai, Warisa; Sommanuttaweechai, Angkana; Hanson, Kara; Wanwong, Yaowaluk; Tangcharoensathien, Viroj

2018-01-01

Strategic purchasing is an essential health financing function. This paper compares the strategic purchasing practices of Thailand's two tax-financed health insurance schemes, the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) and the Civil Servant Medical Benefit Scheme (CSMBS), and identifies factors contributing to successful universal health coverage outcomes by analysing the relationships between the purchaser and government, providers and members. The study uses a cross-sectional mixed-methods design, including document review and interviews with 56 key informants. The Comptroller General Department (CGD) of Ministry of Finance manages CSMBS as one among civil servant welfare programmes. Their purchasing is passive. Fee for service payment for outpatient care has resulted in rapid cost escalation and overspending of their annual budget. In contrast, National Health Security Office (NHSO) manages purchasing for UCS, which undertakes a range of strategic purchasing actions, including applying closed ended provider payment, promoting primary healthcare's gate keeping functions, exercising collective purchasing power and engaging views of members in decision making process. This difference in purchasing arrangements resulted in expenditure per CSMBS member being 4 times higher than UCS in 2014. The governance of the purchaser organization, the design of the purchasing arrangements including incentives and use of information, and the institutional capacities to implement purchasing functions are essential for effective strategic purchasing which can improve health system efficiency as a whole.

The influence of electronic cigarette age purchasing restrictions on adolescent tobacco and marijuana use.

Science.gov (United States)

Pesko, Michael F; Hughes, Jenna M; Faisal, Fatima S

2016-06-01

In the United States, many states have established minimum legal purchase ages for electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) to ban adolescent purchases, but these policies may also affect other related substance use. We explore whether ENDS are substitutes or complements for cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, and marijuana among adolescents by using variation in state-level implementation of ENDS age purchasing restrictions. We linked data on ENDS age purchasing restrictions to state- and year-specific rates of adolescent tobacco and marijuana use in 2007-2013 from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. This data provides a nationally representative sample of adolescents who attend public and private schools. We performed a fixed effect regression analysis exploring the influence of ENDS age purchasing restrictions on outcomes of tobacco use and marijuana use, controlling for state and year fixed characteristics, age-race cohorts, cigarette excise taxes, and cigarette indoor use restrictions. For cigarette use, we separate our results into cigarette use frequency. We found causal evidence that ENDS age purchasing restrictions increased adolescent regular cigarette use by 0.8 percentage points. ENDS age purchasing restrictions were not associated with cigar use, smokeless tobacco use, or marijuana use. We document a concerning trend of cigarette smoking among adolescents increasing when ENDS become more difficult to purchase. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

48 CFR 813.202 - Purchase guidelines.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Purchase guidelines. 813.202 Section 813.202 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS CONTRACTING... Threshold 813.202 Purchase guidelines. Open market micro-purchases shall be equitably distributed among all...

Group purchasing: an overview.

Science.gov (United States)

Wetrich, J G

1987-07-01

The various types and operational methods of purchasing groups are described, and evaluation of groups is discussed. Since group purchasing is increasing in popularity as a method of controlling drug costs, community and hospital pharmacy managers may need to evaluate various groups to determine the appropriateness of their services. Groups are categorized as independent, system based, or alliance or association based. Instead of "purchasing," some groups develop contracts for hospitals, which then purchase directly from the vendor. Aside from this basic difference between groups that purchase and groups that contract, comparisons among groups are difficult because of the wide variation in sizes and services. Competition developing from diversification among groups has led to "super groups," formed from local and regional groups. In evaluating groups, advantages and disadvantages germane to accomplishing the member's objectives must be considered. To ensure a group's success, members must be committed and support the group's philosophies; hospital pharmacists must help to establish a strong formulary system. To select vendors, groups should develop formal qualification and selection criteria and should not base a decision solely on price. The method of solicitation (bidding or negotiating), as well as the role of the prime vendor, should be studied. Legal implications of group purchasing, especially in the areas of administrative fees and drug diversion, must also be considered. The most advantageous group for each organization will include members with common missions and will be able to implement strategies for future success.

OLDASS: On-line data acquisition system at SF cyclotron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Omata, Kazuo; Yasue, Masaharu; Hamagaki, Hideki

1982-01-01

The on-line data acquisition system in the Institute for Nuclear Study, the University of Tokyo, is composed of 2 systems of Fujitsu mini-computer PFU-400 for data processing at the high energy synchrotron and one system of that computer for low energy cyclotron as terminals, the host computer being M 180 II AD of the same company. This system has been developed to have the features of being the on-line system capable of following the improvement of host computer performance, being capable of developing the on-line programmes of other experimenting groups in parallel with batch jobs or the operation of the on-line system, and capable of developing programmes using FORTRAN. The result of about 220 KB/s was obtained for the data transfer rate between the programmes of the host computer and terminals, and this fulfilled the aimed performance. The terminal system on the low energy side is provided with an ADC interface and a display interface specified particularly in addition to the miniature computer PFU400 and standard I/O devices of the manufacture. The accumulating type graphic display of the I/O devices can be switched to be connected to the host computer, and immediately displays the results transferred to the host computer and analyzed. Hard copy is also available. The above hardware and software are explained. The on-line system insures 80 K bytes of the total memory of 224 K bytes for data area. (Wakatsuki, Y.)

On-line control systems in power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freymeyer, P.

1981-01-01

This report is a review of on-line control systems as a complex system connected with all problems like, development, planning, degree of automation, economics, service, quality and documentation. (orig.) [de

Estimating International Poverty Lines from Comparable National Thresholds

OpenAIRE

Jolliffe, Dean; Prydz, Espen Beer

2016-01-01

World Bank's international poverty line of $1.90/day, at 2011 purchasing power parity, is based on a collection of national poverty lines, which were originally used to set the international poverty line of $1.25/day at 2005 purchasing power parity. This paper proposes an approach for estimating a more recent, complete, and comparable collection of national poverty thresholds from reported...

78 FR 2418 - Privacy Act; Notification of New Privacy Act System of Records, Pre-Purchase Homeownership...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-11

...); prior experience completing pre-purchase counseling or education; regular access to a computer and... New Privacy Act System of Records, Pre-Purchase Homeownership Counseling Demonstration and Impact... of record is the Pre-Purchase Homeownership Counseling Demonstration and Impact Evaluation Random...

The Influence of Local Food Environments on Adolescents’ Food Purchasing Behaviors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer D. Irwin

2012-04-01

Full Text Available This study examined the relationship between the neighborhood food environment and the food purchasing behaviors among adolescents. Grade 7 and 8 students (n = 810 at 21 elementary schools in London, Ontario, Canada completed a questionnaire assessing their food purchasing behaviors. Parents of participants also completed a brief questionnaire providing residential address and demographic information. A Geographic Information System (GIS was used to assess students’ home and school neighborhood food environment and land use characteristics. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the influence of the home neighborhood food environment on students’ food purchasing behaviors, while two-level Hierarchical Non-Linear Regression Models were used to examine the effects of school neighborhood food environment factors on students’ food purchasing behaviors. The study showed that approximately 65% of participants reported self-purchasing foods from fast-food outlets or convenience stores. Close proximity (i.e., less than 1 km to the nearest fast-food outlet or convenience store in the home neighborhood increased the likelihood of food purchasing from these food establishments at least once per week by adolescents (p < 0.05. High fast-food outlet density in both home and school neighborhoods was associated with increased fast-food purchasing by adolescents (i.e., at least once per week; p < 0.05. In conclusion, macro-level regulations and policies are required to amend the health-detracting neighborhood food environment surrounding children and youth’s home and school.

Children's influence on family purchase decision in India.

OpenAIRE

Desai, Tanvi

2008-01-01

The importance of children in purchase decision making has grown over the years. They not only make purchase decisions for personal consumption but they also influence family purchase decision-making (Kaur and Singh, 2006). This research looks at available literature, which is discussed with respect to children influence on product categories, decision-making stages, socialising agents like parents, peers and media and role of family communication in purchase decision making. Demographic vari...

An on-line adaptive core monitoring system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verspeek, J.A.; Bruggink, J.C.; Karuza, J.

1997-01-01

An on-line core monitoring system has been in operation for three years in the Dodewaard Nuclear Power Plant. The core monitor uses the on-line measured reactor data as an input for a power distribution calculation. The measurements are frequently performed. The system is used for monitoring as well as for predicting purposes. The limiting thermal hydraulic parameters are monitored as well as the pellet-clad interaction limits. The data are added to a history file used for cycle burn-up calculations and trending of parameters. The reactor states are presented through a convenient graphical user interface. (authors)

INFLUENCE OF THE BRAND ON PURCHASE DECISION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

KISS MARTA

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The influence of the brand on purchase decision has been and is still extensively studied by marketers, researchers, economists, manufacturers (especially the multinational companies. In the present study we aimed to find out if the brand influences the purchase decision of consumers in general (brand products/services. A survey has been conducted in September 2016 on a number of 225 people, residents of Tîrgu Mureş city, from Romania, aged between 15 and 65+. The collected data were analyzed to comply with the obiectives and also to draw conclusions. From the study it is reveal that the purchase decision of a potencial buyer is influenced by a number of factors, in particularly by the quality and price. We chose to study the influence of brand on purchase decision, a very topical subject that can never be fully exhausted.

Comportamento do Consumidor On-line: a perspectiva da teoria do fluxoOn-line Consumer Behavior: the flow theory perspectiveComportamiento del consumidor On-line: la perspectiva de la teoría del flujo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

FARIAS, Salomão Alencar de

2008-03-01

Full Text Available RESUMOEste artigo investiga o comportamento do consumidor on-line com base no fluxo, definido como a sensação holística que as pessoas sentem quando agem com total envolvimento em uma atividade (CSIKSZENTMIHALYI, 1975. Emprega-se essa teoria para melhor compreender o comportamento de compra pela Internet, embora seja um conceito ainda confuso na literatura do comportamento do consumidor, pois que não existe um consenso a respeito de quais os fatores antecedem, caracterizam ou são conseqüências do estado de fluxo. Desse modo, esta pesquisa buscou identificar os construtos, relacionados ao estado de fluxo, que devem fazer parte de um esquema de comportamento de compra on-line, além de indicar qual a sua aplicabilidade para o alcance da satisfação do consumidor na compra pela rede. Para tanto, foi utilizada uma metodologia de caráter descritivo com aplicação de um survey junto a uma amostra de 237 consumidores do varejo eletrônico. Os dados coletados foram analisados por meio de técnicas estatísticas multivariadas. Os resultados indicaram que o ambiente on-line e a telepresença antecedem o fluxo que, por sua vez, está associado ao comportamento exploratório, efeito positivo do processo de navegação, compra e satisfação com o processo de compra.ABSTRACTThis article investigates the on-line consumer behavior based on the flow theory, defined as the holistic sensation that people feel when acting with total involvement in an activity (CSIKSZENTMIHALYI, 1975. This theory has been used for better understanding the purchase behavior through the Internet, although this concept is still not sufficiently clear in consumer behavior literature, since it does not exist a consensus regarding which factors that precede, characterize or are consequences of the flow state. Thus, the present research was aimed at identifying the constructs related to the flow state that must be part of an on-line purchase behavior framework, indicating which

An on-line monitoring system for navigation equipment

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Bo; Yang, Ping; Liu, Jing; Yang, Zhengbo; Liang, Fei

2017-10-01

Civil air navigation equipment is the most important infrastructure of Civil Aviation, which is closely related to flight safety. In addition to regular flight inspection, navigation equipment's patrol measuring, maintenance measuring, running measuring under special weather conditions are the important means of ensuring aviation flight safety. According to the safety maintenance requirements of Civil Aviation Air Traffic Control navigation equipment, this paper developed one on-line monitoring system with independent intellectual property rights for navigation equipment, the system breakthroughs the key technologies of measuring navigation equipment on-line including Instrument Landing System (ILS) and VHF Omni-directional Range (VOR), which also meets the requirements of navigation equipment ground measurement set by the ICAO DOC 8071, it provides technical means of the ground on-line measurement for navigation equipment, improves the safety of navigation equipment operation, and reduces the impact of measuring navigation equipment on airport operation.

Key state legislative provisions on purchasing alliances.

Science.gov (United States)

Wicks, E K; Curtis, R E; Haugh, K

1994-01-01

In order to function effectively in post-reform healthcare markets, behavioral healthcare professionals must understand and interact with health purchasing alliances. Healthcare reform initiatives based upon the principles of managed competition envision an important role for cooperative health purchasing organizations, or "health alliances," that collect premiums and contract with health plans for the provision of comprehensive health services delivered within the framework of a standardized benefit package. Health purchasing alliances have already been implemented in eight states, and this trend is expected to grow. The following article illustrates the structure and authority of the health alliances that are already in operation, and is presented here to give Behavioral Healthcare Tomorrow journal readers an up-to-date overview of reforming healthcare markets. This matrix arrays recent state laws which we identify as clearly including components of managed competition or purchasing alliances. Other states undoubtedly have elements of reform that include some aspects of these concepts. For example, under legislation, a Vermont health care authority was established and, among other things, charged with developing two comprehensive reform proposals, one of which will involve multipayors and the other a single-payor system. Options will likely embody many of the activities of alliances. Vermont is not included in this matrix because these provisions are still in the developmental stage.

Healthy Checkout Lines: A Study in Urban Supermarkets.

Science.gov (United States)

Adjoian, Tamar; Dannefer, Rachel; Willingham, Craig; Brathwaite, Chantelle; Franklin, Sharraine

2017-09-01

To understand the impact of healthy checkouts in Bronx, New York City supermarkets. Consumer purchasing behavior was observed for 2 weeks in 2015. Three supermarkets in the South Bronx. A total of 2,131 adult shoppers (aged ≥18 years) who paid for their groceries at 1 of the selected study checkout lines. Two checkout lines were selected per store; 1 was converted to a healthy checkout and the other remained as it was (standard checkout). Data collectors observed consumer behavior at each line and recorded items purchased from checkout areas. Percentage of customers who purchase items from the checkout area; quantity and price of healthy and unhealthy items purchased from the healthy and standard checkout lines. Measures were analyzed by study condition using chi-square and t tests; significance was determined at α = .05. Only 4.0% of customers bought anything from the checkout area. A higher proportion of customers using the healthy vs standard checkout line bought healthy items (56.5% vs 20.5%; P < .001). When healthier products were available, the proportion of healthy purchases increased. Findings contribute to limited research on effectiveness of healthy checkouts in supermarkets. Similar interventions should expect an increase in healthy purchases from the checkout area, but limited overall impact. Copyright © 2017 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

21 CFR 820.50 - Purchasing controls.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Purchasing controls. 820.50 Section 820.50 Food... DEVICES QUALITY SYSTEM REGULATION Purchasing Controls § 820.50 Purchasing controls. Each manufacturer shall establish and maintain procedures to ensure that all purchased or otherwise received product and...

Management of purchase process in realization of building investment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Radoń

2010-07-01

Full Text Available In building companies process of product and service purchase is one of the main processes of quality management system [1]. Because ofshort time-limits of contract realization, high specialization of works, necessity of fulfillment of high quality requirements and assurance of profitable financial effects the management of purchase process becomes very important element of work of the building company. The serious problem in creating and keeping the efficient system of purchase management is special type of purchase in building companies. Particular investments are realized in different country regions, objects are built based on the individual design documentations and each building becomes independent organization unit that organize purchase necessary for investment realization.An example of the management system of purchase process in building company is described in the paper. Just In Time system is widelyused during the realization of building investment. This system is especially useful in buildings because some investments, especially inbig cities, are characterized by restriction in building site. This makes impossible storing the products. In such cases close synchronization between times of delivery and requirements of purchase schedule and schedule of building realization is very important. Criteria of supplier selection as well as the methods of choosing the supplier are also presented in the paper. Special attention is paid to necessity of valuation of the purchase efficiency and the purchase risk. Basic coefficients of purchase efficiency are also described in the paper.

Challenges and opportunities in ‘last mile’ logistics for on-line food retail

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Trienekens, Jacques; Hvolby, Hans Henrik; Turner, Paul

2017-01-01

Conventional approaches to logistics for food retail continue to be challenged by the rapid growth of on-line food retail. At the same time, ‘last mile’ logistics optimization for on-line retail also face challenges as changing consumer expectations, habits and purchasing patterns intersect with

Purchasing portfolio usage and purchasing sophistication

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gelderman, C.J.; Weele, van A.J.

2005-01-01

Purchasing portfolio models have caused considerable controversy in literature. Many advantages and disadvantages have been put forward, revealing a strong disagreement on the merits of portfolio models. This study addresses the question whether or not the use of purchasing portfolio models should

Purchasing and Innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hanghøj, Astrid; Mols, Niels Peter

2015-01-01

In this paper we develop a number of hypotheses relating four purchasing capabilities to two measures of purchasings contribution to innovation. The hypotheses are tested with data collected through a websurvey completed by 321 purchasing professionals in Danish production companies. Our results...... show that integrative, relational, innovative,and intelligence capabilities are positively related to innovation. However, relational capabilities are not found to have significant effect on purchasings contribution to supply and practice innovation, i.e. new markets, new suppliers, and new purchasing...... practices. The relationship between intelligence capabilities and purchasings contribution to product and production innovations depends on the level of innovation capabilities....

Project development and commercialization of on-line analysis systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watt, J.S.

1997-01-01

A project team first in the Australian Atomic Energy Commission (AAEC) and since 1982 in CSIRO has developed many on-line analysis systems for the mineral and energy industries. The development of these projects has followed a common pattern of laboratory R and D, field trials, commercialisation and technology transfer. This successful pattern is illustrated using examples of the development of systems for the on-line analysis of mineral slurries, for determination of the ash content of coal on conveyors, and for determination of the flow rates of oil, water and gas in pipelines. The first two systems are licensed to Australian companies, Amdel Ltd and Mineral Control Instrumentation Ltd. Both systems are used by industry worldwide, and are the market leaders for radioisotope gauges in their application field. The third system, the multiphase flow meter, was licensed in 1997 to Kvaerner FSSL Ltd of Aberdeen. This meter has even greater potential than the other two systems for economic benefit from its used and for numbers of installations. The on-line analysis systems have been developed to increase the productivity of the Australian mineral and energy industries, and to provide economic benefit to Australia. The economic benefit sought is predominantly improved process control based on use of the instrument, rather than from its sale. Sales of instruments are significant, however, with about A$80 million from the analysis systems and their derivatives since the 1970s. Some of the issues associated with the development of the on-line analysis system are outlined

SPHERE DAQ and off-line systems: implementation based on the qdpb system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isupov, A.Yu.

2003-01-01

Design of the on-line data acquisition (DAQ) system for the SPHERE setup (LHE, JINR) is described. SPHERE DAQ is based on the qdpb (Data Processing with Branchpoints) system and configurable experimental data and CAMAC hardware representations. Implementation of the DAQ and off-line program code, depending on the SPHERE setup's hardware layout and experimental data contents, is explained as well as software modules specific for such implementation

7 CFR 1753.68 - Purchasing special equipment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Purchasing special equipment. 1753.68 Section 1753.68... AGRICULTURE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM CONSTRUCTION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Purchase and Installation of Special Equipment § 1753.68 Purchasing special equipment. (a) General. (1) Equipment purchases are...

Research on trading patterns of large users' direct power purchase considering consumption of clean energy

Science.gov (United States)

Guojun, He; Lin, Guo; Zhicheng, Yu; Xiaojun, Zhu; Lei, Wang; Zhiqiang, Zhao

2017-03-01

In order to reduce the stochastic volatility of supply and demand, and maintain the electric power system's stability after large scale stochastic renewable energy sources connected to grid, the development and consumption should be promoted by marketing means. Bilateral contract transaction model of large users' direct power purchase conforms to the actual situation of our country. Trading pattern of large users' direct power purchase is analyzed in this paper, characteristics of each power generation are summed up, and centralized matching mode is mainly introduced. Through the establishment of power generation enterprises' priority evaluation index system and the analysis of power generation enterprises' priority based on fuzzy clustering, the sorting method of power generation enterprises' priority in trading patterns of large users' direct power purchase is put forward. Suggestions for trading mechanism of large users' direct power purchase are offered by this method, which is good for expand the promotion of large users' direct power purchase further.

Multi-Mode Operation for On-line Uninterruptible Power Supply System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lu, Jinghang; Savaghebi, Mehdi; Golestan, Saeed

2018-01-01

To enhance the robustness and disturbance rejection ability of an on-line uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system, an Internal Model Control (IMC)-based DC-link voltage regulation method is proposed in this paper. Furthermore, the multi-mode operations of the on-line UPS system are investigated...

On-line analyzers to distributed control system linking

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peterson, S.F.; Buchanan, B.R.; Sanders, M.A.

1990-01-01

The Analytical Development Section (ADS) of the Savannah River Laboratory is developing on-line analyzers to monitor various site processes. Data from some of the on-line analyzers (OLA's) will be used for process control by distributed control systems (DCS's) such as the Fisher PRoVOX. A problem in the past has been an efficient and cost effective way to get analyzer data onto the DCS data highway. ADS is developing a system to accomplish the linking of OLA's to PRoVOX DCS's. The system will be described, and results of operation in a research and development environment given. Plans for the installation in the production environment will be discussed.

ADOLESCENT INFLUENCE ON FAMILY PURCHASING DECISIONS: RESEARCH IN TURKEY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cansu Tor Kadioglu

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The economic, social, and cultural changes in the modern world have made adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 important influences on family purchasing decisions. No longer solely users of products and services, adolescents now influence purchasing decisions and have attracted the attention of marketers and researchers. The purpose of this study is to analyze changes in the influence of adolescents aged between 12 and 18 on family purchasing decisions depending on socio-economic and demographic factors. This study aims to determine whether changes occur regarding different product groups by establishing at which stage of the decision process adolescent influence predominates. To achieve this goal, a survey method was used as a data collection tool. Using the convenience sampling method, adolescents within the age range of 12 and 18 were interviewed in Mersin, Turkey. The research results indicate that the influence of adolescents on family purchasing decisions occurs at different stages and depends on the type of product to be purchased. The analysis further shows that adolescents’ age, gender, and number of siblings, and the family's total income, the father's level of education, and the mother's employment status also affect adolescent influence on family purchasing decisions.

R and D study on on-line criticality surveillance system (V)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, Sumasu

2001-02-01

In view of necessity and importance of criticality surveillance systems for ensuring the safety of nuclear fuel manufacturing and reprocessing plants, 5-year basic studies and 4 year R and D studies on an on-line criticality surveillance system were carried out since 1991. This report is a summary of these series of studies. Noticing that the signal from a neutron detector is random in principle, these series of studies aimed to accumulate knowledge for developing an inexpensive criticality surveillance system with quick response based on the Auto-Regressive Moving Average (ARMA) model identification algorithm. During five-year basic studies on criticality surveillance system since 1991, we obtained knowledge required for developing a criticality surveillance system based on the ARMA model identification algorithm through 1) studies on recursive ARMA model identification algorithms most appropriate for estimating subcriticality form time series data under a steady state condition, 2) studies on pre-processing of signal from neutron detectors, 3) developing a new recursive ARMA model identification algorithm with small time delay to estimate time-dependent subcriticality, 4) proposing a basic concept for the elements required for an on-line criticality surveillance system, and 5) numerical analysis of data from the DCA experiments. During next four-year R and D studies on a criticality surveillance system since 1996, we 1) proposed modules required for a no-line criticality surveillance system, 2) revealed effectiveness of a adaptive digital filter (ADF) algorithm, as an important redundancy to the recursive ARMA model identification algorithm to be used in the signal processing module through numerical analysis of real data, 3) proposed a module of the Feynman-α method over γ ray signal and a fast signal processing module for γ ray signal, 4) developed a line-noise removal filter(Notch filter) and revealed its effectiveness for the DCA data corrupted with power-line

The Bochum on-line data acquisition system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paul, H.J.; Freiesleben, H.

1986-01-01

We describe an on-line data acquisition system based on a PDP 11 computer with CAMAC hardware. The software fully exploits the real-time features of the RSX-11M operating system. The basic characteristics of the program package, mainly written in FORTRAN 77, are: multitasking, shared common blocks, dynamical access to CAMAC hardware and data, and command orientated user interface. The system is particularly tailored for data acquisition in list mode of up to 64 parameters. (orig.)

Impact of Advertising Appeals on Purchase Intention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Predrag Jovanović

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Companies use various appeals in their advertising practice to impact consumers’ attitudes and purchase intention by an advertisement. Advertising appeals can be divided into rational or emotional, depending on whether companies want to influence the rational or the emotional motives of the consumer to purchase of the advertised product. Since there is no general pattern for the use of appeals and the success of an advertising message, this study aims to explore the impact of the emotional and rational advertising appeals on the purchase intention. The results of the empirical research, conducted using the focus groups method, are shown in this paper and the focus group participants were members of the student population.The research results indicate that different advertising appeals may have a different impact on the consumer’s purchase intention; in case of women, the emotional appeal has a stronger impact while for men it is the rational appeal, while “fear appeal” proved to be effective to a certain point, after which it causes selective perception and rejection. This implies that depending on the product, its purpose and target group, advertisers can choose the type of appeal, combination of the appeals and their creative presentation, based on the empirical confirmation of the efficiency the approach.

48 CFR 13.202 - Purchase guidelines.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Purchase guidelines. 13.202 Section 13.202 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION CONTRACTING... Threshold 13.202 Purchase guidelines. (a) Solicitation, evaluation of quotations, and award. (1) To the...

39 CFR 601.100 - Purchasing policy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 39 Postal Service 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Purchasing policy. 601.100 Section 601.100 Postal Service UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE PROCUREMENT SYSTEM FOR THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS OTHER THAN PATENTS PURCHASING OF PROPERTY AND SERVICES § 601.100 Purchasing policy. The Postal...

Booth Library On-Line Circulation System (BLOC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paladugu V. Rao

1971-06-01

Full Text Available An on-line circulation system developed at a relatively small university library demonstrates that academic libraries with limited funds can develop automated systems utilizing parent institution's computer facilities in a time-sharing mode. In operation since September 1968, using an IBM 360/50 computer and associated peripheral equipment, it provides control over all stack books.

[Attitude of patients and customers toward on-line purchase of drugs--a Hungarian survey by community pharmacies].

Science.gov (United States)

Fittler, András; Bosze, Gergely; Botz, Lajos

2010-11-28

As internet is now available to nearly everyone in Hungary, the accessibility of websites offering pharmaceutical products is also increasing. The national and international regulation of these sites is currently an unsolved problem worldwide, thus potentially harmful, counterfeit and prescription only medicines are easily accessible on the market. We aimed to measure and estimate the current situation of the ordering of online medicines. In 5 Hungarian cities 434 self-administered questionnaires were collected in community pharmacies. Our results show that 6.2% of the respondents have already ordered drugs or dietary supplements online and approximately same amount of people are considering this option in the near future. Based on our survey mostly the educated, the 30-49 year old people and women are likely to buy drugs online. Every fifth respondent reported willingness to buy drugs online from abroad if lower prices were offered. Most people do not know that the quality of medicines purchased online could be different from the ones purchased from community pharmacies. We would like to draw attention of healthcare professionals to the rising popularity and potential risks of drugs available online.

On-line methanol sensor system development for recombinant ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

On-line methanol sensor system development for recombinant human serum ... of the methanol sensor system was done in a medium environment with yeast cells ... induction at a low temperature and a pH where protease does not function.

On-line monitoring system for I-131 manufacturing labs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osovizky, A.; Malamud, Y.; Paran, Y.; Tal, N.; Turgeman, S.; Weinstein, M.

1997-01-01

An on-line monitoring and safety system has been installed in a lab for manufacturing 1-131 capsules for nuclear medicine use. Production of up to 100mCi batches is performed in shielded glove boxes. The safety system is based on a unique, 'Medi SMARTS' system (Medical Survey Mapping Automatic Radiation Tracing System), that collects continuously the radiation measurements for processing, display, and storage for future retrieval. Radiation is measured by GM tubes, data is transferred to a data processing unit, and then via a RS-485 communication line to a computer. In addition to the operational advantages and radiation levels storage, the system is being evaluated for the purpose of identifying risky stages in the process. (authors)

Investigating the role of commercialization on purchase intention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naser Azad

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a study to determine the role of commercialization on purchase intention in auto industry. The study designs a questionnaire in Likert scale and distributes it among some randomly selected people who lived in city of Tehran, Iran. The study investigates the effects of four factors including competitive condition, product development strategy, competitive advantage and economic growth on customers’ intention to purchase. Using structural equation modeling the study has determined a positive and meaningful relationship between each four components and purchase intention. In our study, the highest impact belongs to competitive condition followed by product development strategy.

Assessing the Effects of Water Right Purchases on Stream Temperatures and Fish Habitat

Science.gov (United States)

Elmore, L.; Null, S. E.

2012-12-01

Warm stream temperature and low flow conditions are limiting factors for native trout species in Nevada's Walker River. Water rights purchases are being considered to increase instream flow and improve habitat conditions. However, the effect of water rights purchases on stream temperatures and fish habitat have yet to be assessed. Manipulating flow conditions affect stream temperatures by altering water depth, velocity, and thermal mass. This study uses the River Modeling System (RMSv4), an hourly, physically-based hydrodynamic and water quality model, to estimate flows and stream temperatures in the Walker River. The model is developed for two wet years (2010-2011). Study results highlight reaches with cold-water habitat that is suitable for native trout species. Previous research on the Walker River has evaluated instream flow changes with water rights purchases. This study incorporates stream temperatures as a proxy for trout habitat, and thus explicitly incorporates water quality and fish habitat into decision-making regarding water rights purchases. Walker River

Integrating Green Purchasing Into Your Environmental Management System (EMS)

Science.gov (United States)

The goal of this report is to help Federal facilities integrate green purchasing into their EMS. The intended audience includes those tasked with implementing an EMS, reducing environmental impacts, meeting green purchasing requirements.

5 CFR 3101.103 - Prohibition on purchase of certain assets.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... ETHICAL CONDUCT FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY § 3101.103 Prohibition on purchase of... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Prohibition on purchase of certain assets... of the Department of the Treasury shall purchase, directly or indirectly, property: (1) Owned by the...

Stakeholder challenges in purchasing medical devices for patient safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Hinrichs, Saba; Dickerson, Terry; Clarkson, John

2013-03-01

This study identifies the stakeholders who have a role in medical device purchasing within the wider system of health-care delivery and reports on their particular challenges to promote patient safety during purchasing decisions. Data was collected through observational work, participatory workshops, and semi-structured qualitative interviews, which were analyzed and coded. The study takes a systems-based and engineering design approach to the study. Five hospitals took part in this study, and the participants included maintenance, training, clinical end-users, finance, and risk departments. The main stakeholders for purchasing were identified to be staff from clinical engineering (Maintenance), device users (Clinical), device trainers (Training), and clinical governance for analyzing incidents involving devices (Risk). These stakeholders display varied characteristics in terms of interpretation of their own roles, competencies for selecting devices, awareness and use of resources for purchasing devices, and attitudes toward the purchasing process. The role of "clinical engineering" is seen by these stakeholders to be critical in mediating between training, technical, and financial stakeholders but not always recognized in practice. The findings show that many device purchasing decisions are tackled in isolation, which is not optimal for decisions requiring knowledge that is currently distributed among different people within different departments. The challenges expressed relate to the wider system of care and equipment management, calling for a more systemic view of purchasing for medical devices.

Characterizing chemical systems with on-line computers and graphics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frazer, J.W.; Rigdon, L.P.; Brand, H.R.; Pomernacki, C.L.

1979-01-01

Incorporating computers and graphics on-line to chemical experiments and processes opens up new opportunities for the study and control of complex systems. Systems having many variables can be characterized even when the variable interactions are nonlinear, and the system cannot a priori be represented by numerical methods and models. That is, large sets of accurate data can be rapidly acquired, then modeling and graphic techniques can be used to obtain partial interpretation plus design of further experimentation. The experimenter can thus comparatively quickly iterate between experimentation and modeling to obtain a final solution. We have designed and characterized a versatile computer-controlled apparatus for chemical research, which incorporates on-line instrumentation and graphics. It can be used to determine the mechanism of enzyme-induced reactions or to optimize analytical methods. The apparatus can also be operated as a pilot plant to design control strategies. On-line graphics were used to display conventional plots used by biochemists and three-dimensional response-surface plots

A modular multi-microcomputer system for on-line vibration diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saedtler, E.

1988-01-01

A new modular multi-microprocessor system for on-line vibration monitoring and diagnostics of PWRs is described. The aim of the system is to make feasible an early detection of increasing failures in relevant regions of a reactor plant, to verify the mechanical integrity of the investigated components, and to improve therefore the operational safety of the plant. After a discussion of the implemented surveillance methods and algorithms, which are based on hierarchical structured identification (estimation) and statistical pattern recognition tools, the system architecture (software and hardware) is portrayed. The classification scheme itself works sequential so that samples (or features) can arrive on-line. This on-line classification is important in order to take necessary actions in time. Furthermore, the system has learning capabilities, which means it is adaptable to different, varying states and plant conditions. The main features of the system are presented and its contribution to an automation of complex surveillance and monitoring tasks is shown. (author)

Should general practitioners purchase health care for their patients? The total purchasing experiment in Britain.

Science.gov (United States)

Wyke, Sally; Mays, Nicholas; Street, Andrew; Bevan, Gwyn; McLeod, Hugh; Goodwin, Nick

2003-09-01

Until relatively recently, general practitioners (GPs) have been allowed to work independently, with no requirement to consider the resource implications of their referral and prescribing decisions. In order to align the interests of GPs with the overall objectives of health systems a number of countries have introduced primary care based capitation, funds pooling and budget holding either as experiments or as an overall policy. Are these experiments and policies likely to work? This paper presents evidence from the UK total purchasing experiment, which was the first major quasi-market development in the NHS to be independently evaluated from the outset. Total purchasing gave volunteer groups of practices freedom to purchase all hospital and community health services for their patients. The evidence suggests that whilst GPs have great potential as purchasers, they also have considerable limitations. The expectation that they will be able to improve the quality of patient experience of care, or to alter the use of resources, may not be generally realised. GP-based purchasing may be more appropriate where the task is to alter the balance or location of care between hospital and extramural settings. However, budgetary incentives are not 'magic potions' which have similar effects on behaviour wherever they are introduced. Holding budgets and having independent contracts, while important pre-requisites for being taken seriously in a quasi-market, were not sufficient for effective total purchasing. The paper concludes that health systems should not only value innovation and experimentation and encourage learning from evaluative research; they should also recognise the importance of supportive circumstances for any innovation to effect real and sustained change.

48 CFR 1910.004-71 - Limits on the use of brand name or equal purchase descriptions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 true Limits on the use of brand... DESCRIPTIONS 1910.004-71 Limits on the use of brand name or equal purchase descriptions. (a) General. The use of brand name or equal purchase descriptions in solicitations is intended to promote competition by...

Purchase of a Raman and Photoluminescence Imaging System for Characterization of Advanced Electrochemical and Electronic Materials

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-05

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: Funds were used to purchase a Renishaw inVia Reflex Spectrometer System for Raman and Photoluminescence spectral...Unlimited UU UU UU UU 05-01-2016 15-Aug-2014 14-Aug-2015 Final Report: Purchase of a Raman and Photoluminescence Imaging System for Characterization of...MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS (ES) U.S. Army Research Office P.O. Box 12211 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2211 Raman spectroscopy

Proposed purchasing, employment and training policies for northern projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-09-01

Manitoba Hydro is about to embark on a major construction project in the northern part of the province. Important considerations involved in this project include purchasing the necessary materials, products, and services, and employing a suitable work force. An outline is presented of draft policies being considered by Manitoba Hydro to enhance northern-aboriginal and northern participation in its future development projects in northern Manitoba. The policies are presented in four sections: purchasing for northern construction and operation activities; training and employment for construction of a generation station and expansion of a converter station; training and employment for construction of a major north-south transmission line; and training and employment for northern operations and maintenance work at existing facilities. Aspects of these policies include giving preference in purchasing to northern and aboriginal businesses, training initiatives and employee counselling for aboriginal employees, and hiring preferences directed toward northern aboriginals and northern residents

Proposal for a Visualization System of Purchase Relationship Using ID-POS Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ko Hashimoto

2017-08-01

Full Text Available In recent years, big data analysis is gaining immense credence in the fields of academics and business. Businesses such as management and marketing have demonstrated a strong inclination and interest in data analytics. However, many businesses are unable to utilize data even if they have access to it. The main reason for that is the lack of familiarity with data analytics procedures. Hence, a system needs to be developed that can perform data analytics and demonstrate its benefits. In this study, we use point of sales data obtained from a supermarket chain to analyze and show the relationship between purchase goods at the same time. A supermarket is one of the ideal places to demonstrate data analysis because retail stores have many purchase records and are always conducting various marketing activities. We propose an easy-to-handle visualization system to show the goods that are inter-related. By using our system, a store manager can obtain information about the item sales easily and interactively.

Methods of Raising Funds for Purchasing of New Cruise Ships by International Corporations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kizielewicz Joanna

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The world’s cruise corporations regularly purchase large, luxurious cruise ships. In accordance with the Cruise Line International Association, 33 new ocean cruise ships will be available on the market by 2020. These types of capital expenditures are associated with large financial outlays of up to $ 1 billion. The leading cruise corporations are not able to finance purchases of new units with their own resources and therefore look for different solutions. Available publications focus mainly on issues related to purchasing cargo ships, not cruise ships. The objective of the article is to identify sources of funding of new cruise ships. Our analysis identifies the average capital expenditure associated with purchasing new cruise ships and factors that influence it. The most popular methods for raising such capital are also provided. Our research methodology relies on data exploration method, a desk research method and comparative analysis.

A new electrostatic on-line collection-system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dufour, J.P.; Del Moral, R.; Fleury, A.

1981-06-01

The working conditions of a new on-line electrostatic collection system are presented. The main charactersitics are high efficiency (reaching 20%) and short delay time (down to the millisecond). The salient features of specific devices for measurements of absolute cross sections, recoil range distributions and angular distributions are given

Impact of Advertising Appeals on Purchase Intention

OpenAIRE

Predrag Jovanović; Tamara Vlastelica; Slavica Cicvarić Kostić

2016-01-01

Companies use various appeals in their advertising practice to impact consumers’ attitudes and purchase intention by an advertisement. Advertising appeals can be divided into rational or emotional, depending on whether companies want to influence the rational or the emotional motives of the consumer to purchase of the advertised product. Since there is no general pattern for the use of appeals and the success of an advertising message, this study aims to explore the impact of the emotional an...

Purchasing Power and Purchasing Strategies - Insights From the Humanitarian Sector

OpenAIRE

Pazirandeh, Ala

2014-01-01

In this dissertation, we discuss how buyers practice purchasing strategies in an asymmetric power situation favoring suppliers, and how their purchasing strategies practiced impact their purchasing power and buyer-supplier relationships. Organizations enter exchange relationships to access required resources not produced internally, and are exposed to uncertainty from not being able to fully control or predict flow of resources. Consequently they become dependent on their partners. Their leve...

A new electrostatic on-line collection-system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dufour, J.P.; Del Moral, R.; Fleury, A.; Hubert, F.; Llabador, Y.; Mauhourat, M.B.; Bimbot, R.; Gardes, D.; Rivet, M.F.

1981-01-01

The working conditions of a new on-line electrostatic collection system are presented. The main characteristics are high efficiency (reaching 20%) and short delay time (down to the millisecond). The salient features of specific devices for measurements of absolute cross sections, recoil range distributions and angular distributions are given. (orig.)

The effect of demand response on purchase intention of distributed generation: Evidence from Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakada, Tatsuhiro; Shin, Kongjoo; Managi, Shunsuke

2016-01-01

Participation in demand response (DR) may affect a consumer's electric consumption pattern through consumption load curtailment, a shift in the consumption timing or increasing the utilization of distributed generation (DG). This paper attempts to provide empirical evidence of DR's effect on DG adoption by household consumers. By using the original Internet survey data of 5442 household respondents in Japan conducted in January 2015, we focus on the effect of the time-of-use (TOU) tariff on the purchasing intention of photovoltaic systems (PV). The empirical results show the following: 1) current TOU plan users have stronger PV purchase intentions than the other plan users, 2) respondents who are familiar with the DR program have relatively higher purchase intentions compared with their counterparts, and 3) when the respondents are requested to assume participation in the virtual TOU plan designed for the survey, which resembles plans currently available through major companies, 1.2% of the households have decided to purchase PV. In addition, we provide calculations of TOU's impacts on the official PV adoption and emissions reduction targets, and discuss policy recommendations to increase recognitions and participations in TOU programs. - Highlights: •Studies the effect of demand response on purchase intention of PV. •Uses originally collected Internet Japanese household survey data in 2015. •Finds that time-of-use (TOU) plan has positive effect on PV purchase intentions. •Calculates latent TOU impacts on PV installations and emissions reduction targets. •Discusses policy recommendations to increase participations in TOU programs.

Research on organic food purchase in Croatia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristina Petljak

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents research findings based on the research conducted on a representative sample of respondents using a highly structured questionnaire. The first part of the paper focuses on the theoretical background and overview of the research results related to the research problem in the world and in Croatia. The results of the research which has been conducted indicate that respondents are not familiar with the definition of organic food. Furthermore, the paper elaborates on the Croatian consumers’ perception of organic food and conventional food. The research on organic food purchase places a special emphasis on regular buyers of organic food who were asked to evaluate the importance of individual characteristics in choosing a place of sale for organic food. Based on the hierarchical regression analysis, the frequency of organic food purchases by regular buyers was found to correlate with the perception of organic food and the importance of characteristics of a place of sale for organic food. The research also identified the main reasons for not buying organic food, and it sets out the guidelines which may be useful to organic producers, marketers and retailers in encouraging further purchases of organic food.

Revolution through electronic purchasing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Telgen, Jan; Lamming, R.C.; Grickus, I.

1998-01-01

Automation is finding its way in the world of purchasing. This development could evoke dramatic effects in the long term, not only on purchasing but even on the market place itself. Nowadays, EDI and CD-ROM are examples of automation applications that purchasing departments use frequently. Internet

ORION - the OMEGA Remote Interactive On-line System

CERN Document Server

Russell, R D; Krieger, M

1973-01-01

ORION is a system which permits the manipulation of files, records and characters, remote job submittal and retrieval of output files including the direct loading of remote on-line computers. The system uses the computer hardware of the OMEGA project at CERN, and is designed to assist researchers in development and debugging of their programs.

Purchasing control, compliance and the box: purchasing management based on hard data

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Telgen, Jan

2004-01-01

Purchasing management is often approached as a qualitative art. Experience, insight and managerial qualities may indeed make useful contributions. However, in addition to this, the possibilities of an approach based on hard data and figures should not be underestimated. This does not only apply to

State of technology, system and solution supporting on-line maintenance - company's activities and products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishitani, Junichi; Shimizu, Shunichi; Higasa, Hisakazu

2010-01-01

The new inspection system based on operator's maintenance and monitoring program of nuclear power plants was introduced in Japan more than one year ago and recommended on-line maintenance (maintenance during operation) will be carried out to increase capacity factor with safe and reliable operation of the plant. In this feature article, nine experts described the state of technology, system and solution supporting on-line maintenance - company's activities and products. These were titled as 'MHI's technology supporting on-line maintenance'. 'Technology supporting on-line maintenance - Toshiba's activities to upgrade monitoring and diagnostic service and maintenance management', 'AsahiKASEI's activities of on-line maintenance', 'Importance of information sharing of on-line maintenance and its ideal method-function of impact plan of IBM Maximo Asset Management for Nuclear', 'US's on-line maintenance and information systems', 'SmartProcedures realizing safe operation of nuclear power plant - proposal of computerized procedures', 'Ultrasonic leak detection system SDT170', 'Application of infrared thermography for equipment maintenance in nuclear power plant' and 'On-line condition monitoring system - condition eye'. (T. Tanaka)

Professionalising purchasing organisations : towards a purchasing development model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weele, van A.J.; Rozemeijer, F.A.; Rietveld, G.; Lamming, R.C.

1998-01-01

How does purchasing develops as a discipline over time in large international organisations? What are the drivers and enablers behind the development of purchasing? Is there an ideal growthpath for purchasing in organisations? These subjects are discussed in this paper by, firstly, providing an

On-line corrosion monitoring in district heating systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Richter, Sonja; Thorarinsdottir, R.I.; Hilbert, Lisbeth Rischel

2004-01-01

), Electrochemical Noise (EN) and Zero Resistance Ammetry (ZRA). Electrochemical Resistance (ER) has also been used to measure corrosion. The method traditionally only measures corrosion off-line but with newly developed high-sensitive ER technique developed by MetriCorr in Denmark, on-line monitoring is possible...... complicates the chemistry of the environment. Hydrogen sulphide is present in geothermal systems and can be formed as a by-product of sulphate-reducing-bacteria (SRB). The application of electrochemical methods makes on-line monitoring possible. These methods include: Linear Polarization Resistance (LPR....... In order to assess both general corrosion and localized corrosion, it is necessary to apply more than one monitoring technique simultaneously, ZRA or EN for measuring localized corrosion and LPR or ER for measuring general corrosion rate. The advantage of monitoring localized corrosion is indisputable...

The effects of material and experiential discretionary purchases on consumer happiness: moderators and mediators.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Rebecca; Millar, Murray

2013-01-01

Experiential purchases are differentiated from material purchases in terms of objective; experiential purchases serve the purpose of acquiring a life experience, while material purchases serve the purpose of acquiring an object. Research has demonstrated that experiential purchases are associated with more happiness than material purchases. The current study investigated two explanations for this relationship that focused on the how the purchase influenced the self and how the purchase influenced interpersonal relationships. In addition, the study explored whether social economic status would influence the strength of the relationship between the type of purchase and happiness. Participants were required to recall either a recent experiential or material purchase and rate their happiness with the purchase. Then participants completed scales designed to measure the purchase's impact on the self and interpersonal relationships. Last, participants completed a scale to measure social economic status. It was found that Impacts on the Self mediated the relationship between purchase type and happiness and Socioeconomic Status moderated the relationship.

ORION-the Omega Remote Interactive On-line System

CERN Document Server

Russell, R D; Levratt, B; Lipps, H; Sparrman, P

1974-01-01

ORION is a system which permits the manipulation of files, records and characters, remote job submittal and retrieval of output files including the direct loading of remote on-line computers. The system uses the computer hardware of the OMEGA project at CERN and is designed to assist researchers in development and debugging of their programs. (10 refs).

Importance of Country-of-Origin on Different Product Categories Purchase Decision

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krupka Zoran

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Country of origin is an important factor in product evaluation process as well as for purchase decision. Its importance depends on the amount of information consumers have about the product and product category. This paper investigates the importance of coutry of origin in purchase decision-making process for three different product categories: high risk and high level of consumer involvement in purchasing process (car, medium risk and midium level of consumer involvement in purchasing process (TV, and low risk and low level of consumer involvement in purchasing process (confectionery products. Also, this paper investigates importance of country of manufacturing for purchase decision-making process in relation to country of origin’s importance. Research was conducted on 215 respondents from Belgium and Republic of Croatia. Results have shown that country of origin is important only for car purchase, but not for TV and confectionery products. For all product categories, country of origin has been shown to be more important in the decision-making process than country of manufacturing.

Effect of Store Atmosphere on Consumer Purchase Intention

OpenAIRE

Hussain, Riaz; Ali, Mazhar

2015-01-01

This paper aimed at identifying the effects of atmosphere on the consumer purchase intention in international retail chain outlets of Karachi, Pakistan. This was the first study, which investigated the collective impact of atmospheric variables at one point in time on purchase intention. This research was causal in nature. A sample of 300 consumers was taken who usually visited these outlets. Data was collected through a well-structured questionnaire and analyzed through regression a...

Developing purchasing strategy: a case study of a District Health Authority using soft systems methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, A D

1997-02-01

This paper examines the attempt by a District Health Authority (DHA) to create structures (called Purchasing Strategy Groups or PSGs) to facilitate the effective development of its purchasing strategy. The paper is based on a case study design conducted using Soft Systems Methodology (SSM). The research contribution the paper makes is twofold. First, it analyses some of the fundamental management-related difficulties that a DHA can experience when attempting to come to terms with its role and responsibilities in the 1990s. Second, it provides a discussion and evaluation of the utility of SSM for qualitative research in the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK.

Purchasing green to become greener: Factors influence consumers’ green purchasing behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hosein Vazifehdoust

2013-09-01

Full Text Available This study proposes an integrated model that combines the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA and two categories of variables, personal and marketing, to investigate the attitudinal and behavioral decision factors to purchase green products. The model derived and tested via structural equation modeling on a sample of 374 consumers from the Guilan province in Iran. The results show that attitude is explained by consumers’ environmental concern, quality of green products, green advertising and green labeling. The results of the structural equation analysis indicate that attitude positively influences intention to purchase green products. Green purchasing intention also influences on green purchasing behavior. This paper also discusses the implications of the results for marketers and researchers.

Evaluating Telepresence Experience and Game Players' Intention to Purchase Product Advertised in Advergame

OpenAIRE

Zuhal Hussein; Nabsiah Abdul Wahid; Norizan Saad

2010-01-01

In line with changes of consumers modern lifestyle has call for the advertising strategy to change. This research is to find out how game with telepresence and product experience embedded in the computer game to affect users- intention to purchase. Game content developers are urging to consider of placing product message as part of game design strategy that can influence the game player-s intention to purchase. Experiment was carried out on two hundred and fifty undergraduate students who vol...

Challenges and Opportunities in ‘Last Mile’ Logistics for On-Line Food Retail

OpenAIRE

Trienekens , Jacques; Hvolby , Hans-Henrik; Turner , Paul

2017-01-01

Part 2: Production Management in Food Supply Chains; International audience; Conventional approaches to logistics for food retail continue to be challenged by the rapid growth of on-line food retail. At the same time, ‘last mile’ logistics optimization for on-line retail also face challenges as changing consumer expectations, habits and purchasing patterns intersect with the increasing density of urban environments. Numerous considerations are already in play around servicing of last mile log...

Study for reactive power on distribution system line B RSG-GAS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan Bony Marsahala

2010-01-01

Study for reactive power on distribution system line B RSG-GA is already done. The study intended to evaluate how much inductive load need the reactive power (positive), how much power factor, and what will be done to increase the power factor. The reactive power is the losses power, can't be changed into energy, but it is need for transmission process and it is cause the energy losses. The loads on distribution system line B consist of induction motors which are used for primary cooling system and secondary cooling system, lift, blower on cooling tower, and air condition system. Due to the motors using, the power factor are falling down to low. By the calculation results give that the inductive loads on distribution line B are 850 KVA and these loads caused the low power factor 0.80. If we want to increase the power factor up to 0.95, it is need to install the reactive loads likes capacitor bank 250 KVAR. (author)

48 CFR 52.207-5 - Option To Purchase Equipment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Option To Purchase....207-5 Option To Purchase Equipment. As prescribed in 7.404, insert a clause substantially the same as the following: Option To Purchase Equipment (FEB 1995) (a) The Government may purchase the equipment...

Laser systems for on-line laser ion sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geppert, Christopher

2008-01-01

Since its initiation in the middle of the 1980s, the resonant ionization laser ion source has been established as a reliable and efficient on-line ion source for radioactive ion beams. In comparison to other on-line ion sources it comprises the advantages of high versatility for the elements to be ionized and of high selectivity and purity for the ion beam generated by resonant laser radiation. Dye laser systems have been the predominant and pioneering working horses for laser ion source applications up to recently, but the development of all-solid-state titanium:sapphire laser systems has nowadays initiated a significant evolution within this field. In this paper an overview of the ongoing developments will be given, which have contributed to the establishment of a number of new laser ion source facilities worldwide during the last five years.

Importance of Country-of-Origin on Different Product Categories Purchase Decision

OpenAIRE

Krupka Zoran; Arežina Darija

2017-01-01

Country of origin is an important factor in product evaluation process as well as for purchase decision. Its importance depends on the amount of information consumers have about the product and product category. This paper investigates the importance of coutry of origin in purchase decision-making process for three different product categories: high risk and high level of consumer involvement in purchasing process (car), medium risk and midium level of consumer involvement in purchasing proce...

Project development and commercialisation of on-line analysis systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watt, J.S.

2000-01-01

A project team first in the Australian Atomic Energy Commission (AAEC) and since 1982 in CSIRO has developed many on-line analysis systems for the mineral and energy industries. The development of these projects, usually lasting 7-10 years, has followed a common pattern of laboratory R and D, field trials, commercialisation and technology transfer. This successful pattern is illustrated using examples of the development of systems for the on-line analysis of mineral slurries, for determination of the ash content of coal on conveyors, and for determination of the flow rates of oil, water and gas in pipelines. The first two systems, licensed to Australian companies, are used world-wide. They are now the market leaders for radioisotope gauges in their application field. The third, the multiphase flow meter, was licensed in 1997 to an international company. This meter has even greater potential than the other two systems for economic benefit from its use and for numbers of installations. (author)

CUSTOMER PERCEPTION ON ONLINE PURCHASE INTENTION: THE IMPACT OF ONLINE SHOPPING ORIENTATIONS ON ONLINE BUYING INTENTION

OpenAIRE

Ghouri, Arsalan Mujahid; Ul Haq, Mirza Amin; Khan, Naveed R

2017-01-01

This paper endeavorsto recognize the customer perception on online purchase intention among theyouth of Pakistan. Customer perception on online purchase intention, thus ourresearch variables are impulse purchase orientation, brand orientation,and quality orientation were considered along with online trust andprior online purchase experience. The results are focused 292 responses gotfrom the online study. The exploration made that impulse purchase orientation;prior o...

The role of children's food packaging characteristics on parent's purchasing decision

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naser Azad

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Packaging is one of the most important parts of marketing planning and it plays a key role on marketing products and services. A good packaging absorbs more customers and increases people's intention on purchasing products. In this paper, we study the relationship between packaging food products produced for children and parents' intentions to purchase these kinds of products. The paper uses a questionnaire based on Likert scale, distributes 392 questionnaires among the target population of this survey who are one of the well-known food chain suppliers named Shahrvand, and collects 381 filled questionnaires. There are three hypotheses for the proposed study of this paper. The first hypothesis assumes there is a meaningful relationship between packaging children's food characteristics and parents' intention on purchasing product. The second hypothesis studies the relationship between children food packaging and the parent's priority purchasing decision and the third hypotheses examines the relationship between children food selection and the parent's purchasing decision. The results confirm all three hypotheses and provide evidence that a suitable packaging for children's food product have important impact on parents' intention for purchasing products.

On-line test of power distribution prediction system for boiling water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishizawa, Y.; Kiguchi, T.; Kobayashi, S.; Takumi, K.; Tanaka, H.; Tsutsumi, R.; Yokomi, M.

1982-01-01

A power distribution prediction system for boiling water reactors has been developed and its on-line performance test has proceeded at an operating commercial reactor. This system predicts the power distribution or thermal margin in advance of control rod operations and core flow rate change. This system consists of an on-line computer system, an operator's console with a color cathode-ray tube, and plant data input devices. The main functions of this system are present power distribution monitoring, power distribution prediction, and power-up trajectory prediction. The calculation method is based on a simplified nuclear thermal-hydraulic calculation, which is combined with a method of model identification to the actual reactor core state. It has been ascertained by the on-line test that the predicted power distribution (readings of traversing in-core probe) agrees with the measured data within 6% root-mean-square. The computing time required for one prediction calculation step is less than or equal to 1.5 min by an HIDIC-80 on-line computer

Purchasing practices in SMEs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skjøtt-Larsen, Tage; Bagchi, Prabir K.

2007-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to develop a knowledge and understanding of purchasing practices of SMEs in Denmark. The paper is based on the results from a survey among 94 Danish SMEs, mainly within machinery, electronics and electrical, transportation equipment, and medical equipment industries....... The results are compared with a similar study encompassing 224 SMEs in Indiana, USA. First, the level of purchasing complexity is discussed. There are similarities between the two surveys in terms of purchasing's influence on product quality and productivity, and percentage of total costs. However, the degree...... on the results from the two surveys, we discuss the managerial and research implications for purchasing practices in SMEs....

LED-Based High-Voltage Lines Warning System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eldar MUSA

2013-04-01

Full Text Available LED-based system, running with the current of high-voltage lines and converting the current flowing through the line into the light by using a toroid transformer, has been developed. The transformer’s primary winding is constituted by the high voltage power line. Toroidal core consists of two equal parts and the secondary windings are evenly placed on these two parts. The system is mounted on the high-voltage lines as a clamp. The secondary winding ends are connected in series by the connector on the clamp. LEDs are supplied by the voltage at the ends of secondary. Current flowing through highvoltage transmission lines is converted to voltage by the toroidal transformer and the light emitting LEDs are supplied with this voltage. The theory of the conversion of the current flowing through the line into the light is given. The system, running with the current of the line and converting the current into the light, has been developed. System has many application areas such as warning high voltage lines (warning winches to not hinder the high-voltage lines when working under the lines, warning planes to not touch the high-voltage lines, remote measurement of high-voltage line currents, and local illumination of the line area

A study on the effect of green marketing on consumers’ purchasing intention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehdy Fallah

2014-03-01

Full Text Available During the past two decades, there have been significant damages on environment such as ozone layer depletion, global warming effects, etc. and people are getting more concerned about taking necessary actions to help environment. The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of green marketing on consumers’ purchasing intention in dairy industry. The proposed study designs a questionnaire and distributes it among 154 randomly selected people who purchase dairy products in four different regions of city of Babol, located in north region of Iran. Using structural equation modeling, the study has detected that green marketing influences on consumers’ purchasing intention, positively.

Bicycle Purchaser Training Workshop.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwarz, William

A course was developed to provide data to buyers of new bicycles so they could make an informed decision about their purchases. The instructional systems design process (analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation) was used to analyze the need for a training course on buying and fitting a bicycle. Information was collected…

Report on the direct purchase of natural gas by non-profit and co-operative housing agencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-06-01

Direct purchase of natural gas is now utilized by many groups of customers in Canada. To date, the process has been effected through short-term contractual arrangements for buying gas from Saskatchewan. Longer-term arrangements (5-15 years) for direct purchase of Saskatchewan or Alberta gas are now being actively considered. There are no longer any real barriers to direct purchase of natural gas for groups of customers in Ontario, but much preparation is required to initiate the process and operate it properly in order to maximize the financial benefits. The various formats for direct purchase (buy/sell, T-service, broker mediated), purchase price considerations, and the benefits and risks of direct purchase are reviewed. Potential savings in gas costs are estimated based on a typical 3-bedroom townhouse family unit and a 1-bedroom senior citizen apartment unit. Generally speaking, it is found possible for the townhouse to save about $50/y on the Consumers Gas and ICG Utilities distribution systems and $34/y for a 1-bedroom apartment suite. An umbrella approach for organizing gas supply contracts is recommended, which allows an agent for the consumer group to enter into a preliminary contract with a gas supplier after completion of a tender process. A number of disciplines are essential for initiation and operation of a direct purchase, requiring the services of four individuals possessing various skills. 5 tabs

Demographic and psychographic associations of consumer intentions to purchase healthier food products.

Science.gov (United States)

Burton, Melissa; Wang, Wei Chun; Worsley, Anthony

2015-01-01

This study investigated the associations of nutrition concerns, demographics, universalism (community oriented) values, perceived control over personal health and food buying, and perceived influence over the food system with intentions to purchase low fat, sugar and salt (LFSS) food products. A national online survey of 2204 Australian consumers administered in November 2011. Structural equation modeling was used to examine associations of LFSS purchasing intentions with demographic, values, perceived control, and influence factors. Nutrition concern, perceived influence over the food system, and universalism values were key predictors of LFSS purchasing intentions. Almost two thirds (64.6%) of the variance associated with LFSS purchasing was explained by the structural equation model. Communication programs which focus on universalism values, nutrition concern and perceived influence over the food system are likely to increase LFSS purchasing and perhaps reduce the demand for energy dense, nutrient poor foods.

Purchasing to improve health systems performance

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Robinson, Ray; Jakubowski, Elke; Figueras, Josep

2005-01-01

... as they formulate purchasing strategies so that they can increase effectiveness and improve performance in their own national context An assessment of the intersecting roles of citizens, the government and the providers * * * Written by leading health policy analysts, this book is essential reading for health policy makers, planners and managers as well as resear...

An on-line diagnostic expert system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Felkel, L.

1987-01-01

As experience with on-line information systems, experts systems and artificial intelligence tools grows, the authors retreat from the first euphoria that AI could help them solve the problem they were unable to solve with conventional programming. The major effort of the development time goes into building the knowledge-base. There is no such thing as a generic knowledge-base for nuclear power plants as there is, for example, for the diagnosis of a Boeing 747 aircraft. AI-methods, tools and hardware are still in a state which does not optimally lend itself to real-time application. The ability of developing prototype systems to investigate variants otherwise too costly to justify is one advantage that the authors gladly accept. Last, but no least the tools provide a flexible and adaptable user interface (desktop window systems) etc. The development of such tools in a project would be prohibitive and room for experimentation would be limited

THE NEW PURCHASING SERVICE PAGE NOW ON THE WEB!

CERN Multimedia

SPL Division

2000-01-01

Users of CERN's Purchasing Service are encouraged to visit the new Purchasing Service web page, accessible from the CERN homepage or directly at: http://spl-purchasing.web.cern.ch/spl-purchasing/ There, you will find answers to questions such as: Who are the buyers? What do I need to know before creating a DAI? How many offers do I need? Where shall I send the offer I received? I know the amount of my future requirement, how do I proceed? How are contracts adjudicated at CERN? Which exhibitions and visits of Member State companies are foreseen in the future? A company I know is interested in making a presentation at CERN, who should they contact? Additionally, you will find information concerning: The Purchasing procedures Market Surveys and Invitations to Tender The Industrial Liaison Officers appointed in each Member State The Purchasing Broker at CERN

A field experiment on power line stabilization by SMES system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Irie, F.; Takeo, M.; Sato, S.; Katahira, O.; Fukui, F.; Takamatsu, M.

1992-01-01

In this paper field experiments on stabilization of a hydro power plant by a SMES system are reported, where a generator having a rating of 60 kW at 3.3kV is connected to a 6.6kV power distribution line. The SMES system is composed of two 30kVA GTO convertors and a superconducting magnet system with an energy of 30kJ at 100A. Experiments of stabilization for the generator fluctuation caused by a sudden insertion of inductors in the line are successfully performed for some control modes. The value of the SMES system to compensate for a short period voltage dip is also confirmed

Demographic and psychographic associations of consumer intentions to purchase healthier food products

Science.gov (United States)

Burton, Melissa; Wang, Wei Chun; Worsley, Anthony

2014-01-01

Objective This study investigated the associations of nutrition concerns, demographics, universalism (community oriented) values, perceived control over personal health and food buying, and perceived influence over the food system with intentions to purchase low fat, sugar and salt (LFSS) food products. Methods A national online survey of 2204 Australian consumers administered in November 2011. Structural equation modeling was used to examine associations of LFSS purchasing intentions with demographic, values, perceived control, and influence factors. Results Nutrition concern, perceived influence over the food system, and universalism values were key predictors of LFSS purchasing intentions. Almost two thirds (64.6%) of the variance associated with LFSS purchasing was explained by the structural equation model. Conclusion Communication programs which focus on universalism values, nutrition concern and perceived influence over the food system are likely to increase LFSS purchasing and perhaps reduce the demand for energy dense, nutrient poor foods. PMID:26844047

Effects of yearling sale purchase price, exercise history, lameness, and athletic performance on purchase price of Thoroughbreds at 2-year-old in-training sales.

Science.gov (United States)

Preston, Stephanie A; Brown, Murray P; Chmielewski, Terese L; Trumble, Troy N; Zimmel, Dana N; Hernandez, Jorge A

2012-12-01

To determine the effects of yearling sale purchase price, exercise history, lameness, and athletic performance (speed) on purchase price of 2-year-old in-training Thoroughbreds and to compare the distance exercised within 60 days prior to 2-year-old in-training sales between horses with high yearling sale purchase prices versus those with low yearling sale purchase prices and between horses with lameness during training and those without lameness during training. Prospective study. 51 Thoroughbreds. Thoroughbreds purchased at a yearling sale were trained prior to resale at 2-year-old in-training sales. Amount of exercise and lameness status during training and speed of horses at 2-year-old in-training sales were determined. Data were analyzed via the Wilcoxon rank sum test and ANOVA. Median purchase price of horses at 2-year-old in-training sales was $37,000. The 2-year-old in-training sale purchase price was associated with yearling sale purchase price and distance galloped within 60 days prior to and speed recorded at 2-year-old in-training sales. Horses with high yearling sale purchase prices typically had high 2-year-old in-training sale purchase prices, had low distances galloped within 60 days prior to 2-year-old in-training sales, and were classified as fast at 2-year-old in-training sales. Lameness alone was not associated with 2-year-old in-training sales purchase price. However, lameness was associated with a low distance galloped before 2-year-old in-training sales, particularly for horses with a high yearling sale purchase price; this finding suggested that yearling sale purchase price can affect training management decisions for horses with lameness.

Relevance of brands and beef quality differentials for the consumer at the time of purchase

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carla Mecca Giacomazzi

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to identify the purchase habits and preferences of beef consumers, their level of knowledge on brands and products with quality differentials (certifications, packaging, premium lines, and the relevance of different attributes in the purchase decision, and to group consumers according to the profile of purchase decision. The methodology consisted of using an information-collecting instrument applied to 271 beef consumers. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistical analyses, chi-square analysis, and correspondence analysis, relating socio-demographic profile of the respondents with the other variables collected. Chi-square and correspondence analyses showed that younger consumers with lower levels of income and education are influenced by posters and advertisements at the point of sale, unaware of differentiated and branded products, and that they do not choose branded beef at the time of purchase. Consumers over 60 years showed a more conservative purchase profile, with no influence. The most valued attributes are appearance, price, and type of cut, being brand and certifications little relevant as tools to help decide the product purchase.

Using GPS and activity tracking to reveal the influence of adolescents' food environment exposure on junk food purchasing.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadler, Richard C; Clark, Andrew F; Wilk, Piotr; O'Connor, Colleen; Gilliland, Jason A

2016-06-09

This study examines the influence of adolescents' exposure to unhealthy food outlets on junk food purchasing during trips between home and school, with particular attention to how exposure and purchasing differ according to child's biological sex, mode of transportation, and direction to or from school. Between 2010 and 2013, students (n = 654) aged 9-13 years from 25 schools in London and Middlesex County, ON, completed a socio-demographic survey and an activity diary (to identify food purchases), and were observed via a global positioning system for 2 weeks (to track routes for trips to/from school). Spatial data on routes and purchase data were integrated with a validated food outlet database in a geographic information system, and exposure was measured as the minutes a child spent within 50 m of an unhealthy food outlet (i.e., fast food restaurants, variety stores). For trips involving junk food exposure (n = 4588), multilevel logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between exposure and purchasing. Multilevel analyses indicated that adolescents' duration of exposure to unhealthy food outlets between home and school had a significant effect on the likelihood of junk food purchasing. This relationship remained significant when the data were stratified by sex (female/male), trip direction (to/from school) and travel mode (active/car), with the exception of adolescents who travelled by bus. Policies and programs that mitigate the concentration of unhealthy food outlets close to schools are critical for encouraging healthy eating behaviours among children and reducing diet-related health issues such as obesity.

Core on-line monitoring and computerized procedures systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gangloff, W.C.

1986-01-01

The availability of operating nuclear power plants has been affected significantly by the difficulty people have in coping with the complexity of the plants and the operating procedures. Two ways to use modern computer technology to ease the burden of coping are discussed in this paper, an on-line core monitoring system with predictive capability and a computerized procedures system using live plant data. These systems reduce human errors by presenting information rather than simply data, using the computer to manipulate the data, but leaving the decisions to the plant operator

LITERATURE REVIEW ON FACTORS INFLUENCING MILK PURCHASE BEHAVIOUR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Klaudia Kurajdova

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In today’s highly informed, competitive and saturated market, a key to success of any business depends on knowing consumer and his consumption patterns and recognizing and understanding factors influencing his decision-making for the purpose of developing an attractive offer of products, supporting services, communication means and other marketing tools that would fit like a glue to customer’s needs. Study of consumer behaviour belongs to a group of very wide and strong subjects of marketing attention and its examination requires ongoing approach. Milk, as one category of dairy products, belongs to the group of basic daily-consumed products characterized by relatively high purchase frequency. On the other hand, its production and consumption is experiencing certain negative trend in Slovakia what inevitably calls for a scientific attention and examination in order to reverse this unfavourable development having a negative impact on the milk companies in Slovakia. Therefore, we focus our attention on studying various factors influencing consumers when purchasing this specific product. Our research in this stage resulted in the compilation of literature review on factors influencing consumers when purchasing milk and determination of boundaries and guidelines for our future research activity

An on-line data acquisition system based on Norsk-Data ND-560 computer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bandyopadhyay, A.; Roy, A.; Dey, S.K.; Bhattacharya, S.; Bhowmik, R.K.

1987-01-01

This paper describes a high-speed data acquisition system based on CAMAC for Norsk Data ND-560 computer operating in a multiuser environment. As opposed to the present trend, the system has been implemented with minimum hardware at CAMAC level taking advantage of the dual processors of ND-560. The package consists of several coordinated tasks running in the two CPUs which acquire data, record on tape, permit on-line analysis and display the data and perform related control operations. It has been used in several experiments at VECC and its performance in on-line experiments is reported. (orig.)

78 FR 37946 - Loan Participations; Purchase, Sale and Pledge of Eligible Obligations; Purchase of Assets and...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-25

... purchasing credit union may have years of experience dealing with only one or a few originators. These credit...; Purchase, Sale and Pledge of Eligible Obligations; Purchase of Assets and Assumption of Liabilities AGENCY... reorganize the loan participation rule and focus on the purchase side of loan participation transactions. The...

On-line reputation systems : the effects of feedback comments and reactions on building and rebuilding trust in on-line auctions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Utz, S.; Matzat, U.; Snijders, C.C.P.

2009-01-01

Previous research on reputation systems primarily focused on their trust-building function. The present research addresses their trust-rebuilding function-specifically, the role of the short text comments given in reaction to negative feedback. Rebuilding trust is often necessary because on-line

From Off-line to On-line Handwriting Recognition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lallican, P.; Viard-Gaudin, C.; Knerr, S.

2004-01-01

On-line handwriting includes more information on time order of the writing signal and on the dynamics of the writing process than off-line handwriting. Therefore, on-line recognition systems achieve higher recognition rates. This can be concluded from results reported in the literature, and has been

Effect of hunting awareness on wild game meat purchase behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Elena Marescotti

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Although wild game meat constitutes a sustainable and healthy alternative to conventional meat and hunting contributes to the control of game populations, international studies on consumer attitudes towards this type of meat are still limited and no previous research has been focused on the Italian population. For the development of successful marketing strategies and/or public policy intervention, the knowledge of consumers’ purchase behavior is a key factor. Among all the determinants that can influence the behavior of consumers of hunted wild game meat (i.e. animal welfare, sustainability, ecological food choice, product safety, nutritional quality, the consumers’ awareness of hunting activity and their perceptions of wild game meat assume a crucial role. Accordingly, in this paper an online survey on a sample of 741 Italian meat consumers has been conducted to investigate the relationship between consumers’ purchase behavior and their awareness of hunted game meat and hunting practices (chi-square test, F-test. Statistically significant differences were found among segments of consumers with different levels of wild game meat consumption frequency. The analysis shows that, as expected, the highest consumption level of wild game meat relates to the highest level of general awareness of wild game meat and hunting practices. Our findings are in line with previous literature, that links positive behaviors of consumers towards wild game meat and hunting to familiarity and experience with hunting and hunters. Nonetheless, the present study provides a deeper understanding of the Italian consumers’ attitudes and perceptions of wild game meat and could suggests policy guidelines for the development of future targeted marketing strategies.

Analysis of Purchasing Power Parities in Romania in the context of EU integration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roxana Cristina Vîlcu

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Purchasing power parity (PPP is a useful tool for international comparison of prices between countries, in order to analyze the degree of economic development. On this line, purchasing power parities are indicators that express the main macroeconomic aggregates, in a common currency for all the countries subject to international comparisons. This material analyzes the evolution of PPP in Romania for a time interval of 10 years (2004-2013. The purpose of research is to analyze the purchasing power at national level, in the context of integration in European Union (EU. The period before and after Romania’s integration in the EU, has an important role to establish the positioning of our country in terms of purchasing power, compared to the other EU countries. The main conclusion of the paper is that Romania is the country with one of the lowest purchasing power parities compared to other EU countries, along with Bulgaria, which joined the EU in the same year (2007. Given that PPP cannot establish a hierarchy of countries, the research takes into account other important indicators such as: Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices, GDP and inflation rate.

Hospital Value-Based Purchasing

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) is part of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) long-standing effort to link Medicares payment system to a...

Line outage contingency analysis including the system islanding scenario

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hazarika, D.; Bhuyan, S. [Assam Engineering College, Jalukbari, Guwahati 781013 (India); Chowdhury, S.P. [Jadavpur University, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700 032 (India)

2006-05-15

The paper describes an algorithm for determining the line outage contingency of a line taking into account of line over load effect in remaining lines and subsequent tripping of over loaded line(s) leading to possible system split or islanding of a power system. The optimally ordered sparse [B'], [B'] matrices for the integrated system are used for load flow analysis to determine modified values of voltage phase angles [{delta}] and bus voltages [V] to determine the over loading effect on the remaining lines due to outage of a selected line outage contingency. In case of over loading in remaining line(s), the over loaded lines are removed from the system and a topology processor is used to find the islands. A fast decoupled load flow (FDLF) analysis is carried out for finding out the system variables for the islanded (or single island) system by incorporating appropriate modification in the [B'] and [B'] matrices of the integrated system. Line outage indices based on line overload, loss of load, loss of generation and static voltage stability are computed to indicate severity of a line outage of a selected line. (author)

Effect of corporate social responsibility motives on purchase intention model: An extension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sunee Wongpitch

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The number of empirical studies on the effect of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR motives on the consumer purchase intention is still very small. Furthermore, the models tested in these studies were also relatively simple (including only CSR motives, attitude toward the firm, and/or purchase intention. The present research extends the knowledge in this area of study by proposing and empirically testing an extended model of the effect of CSR motives on purchase intention, with 192 samples participated in the survey. It was found that an altruistic motive positively affects the attitude toward the firm, which in turn affects the purchase intention via the perceived quality and attitude toward the brand.

Development of the advanced on-line BWR core monitoring system TiARA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Yoko; Yamazaki, Hiroshi

1996-01-01

Development of an integrated computer environment to support plant operators and station nuclear engineers is a recent activity. In achieving this goal, an advanced on-line boiling water reactor (BWR) core monitoring system: TiARA has been developed by Toden Software. An integrated design approach was performed through the introduction of recent computer technologies, a sophisticated human/machine interface (HMI) and an advanced nodal method. The first prototype of TiARA was ready in early 1996. This prototype is now undergoing a field test at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa unit 6. After successful completion of this test, the authors will have achieved the following goals: (1) consistency between on-line core monitoring system and off-line core management system; (2) an enhanced HMI and database; (3) user-friendly operability and maintainability; (4) system development from the utilities' standpoint to fully satisfy operator needs

E-WOM Review Adoption: Consumers’ Demographic Profile Influence on Green Purchase Intention

Science.gov (United States)

Rahim, Roslin Abdul; Sulaiman, Zuraidah; Chin, Thoo Ai; Arif, Mohd Shoki Mohd; Hamid, Mohd Hakim Abdul

2017-06-01

Nowadays, green products are getting popular in their acceptance by the Malaysian consumers. Due to the advancement of the Internet technologies and the wide spread of electronic word of mouth (E-WOM), consumers seem to be more influenced in purchasing the green products. In this study, consumers’ demographic profiles, such as age, gender, income, education background, and occupation are being explored to investigate their influences on consumers’ green product purchase intention. The purpose of this paper is to showcase the results of the differences between several demographic profile groups on green product purchase intention using descriptive analysis, ANOVA and independent sample T-Test. T-test results showed that there is a statistically significant difference between gender on consumers’ green product purchase intention. Meanwhile, the results generated by ANOVA indicated that there are no significant differences between age, income, education background and occupation on consumers’ green product purchase intention. These results shed light on the potential market segment that should be targeted by marketers and producers of green products in Malaysia.

Human comment dynamics in on-line social systems

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Ye; Zhou, Changsong; Chen, Maoying; Xiao, Jinghua; Kurths, Jürgen

2010-12-01

Human comment is studied using data from ‘tianya’ which is one of the most popular on-line social systems in China. We found that the time interval between two consecutive comments on the same topic, called inter-event time, follows a power-law distribution. This result shows that there is no characteristic decay time on a topic. It allows for very long periods without comments that separate bursts of intensive comments. Furthermore, the frequency of a different ID commenting on a topic also follows a power-law distribution. It indicates that there are some “hubs” in the topic who lead the direction of the public opinion. Based on the personal comments habit, a model is introduced to explain these phenomena. The numerical simulations of the model fit well with the empirical results. Our findings are helpful for discovering regular patterns of human behavior in on-line society and the evolution of the public opinion on the virtual as well as real society.

The on-line data acquisition system for the MHD facility of Frascati

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Di Bartolomeo, M.; Papalia, B.; Gay, P.; Panaccione, L.

1975-01-01

An on-line data acquisition system for the MHD facility of the Laboratorio Conversione Diretta at Frascati is described. After a brief description of the MHD facility and of the measurement requirements, the criteria a,d the configuration of the minicomputer-based data acquisition system chosen are presented. Then the general philosophy and the flow-charts of the software implemented are shown, with particular emphasis to the real-time requirements of the measurement system. At last it is illustrated an off-line program, running on a large computer, that elaborates the output data of the data acquisition system

Parental influence on consumer and purchase behaviour

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

Parental influence on consumer and purchase behaviour of Generation Y. 21 ... Department of Marketing Management. University of Pretoria ... The decision, however, in making ... exactly what role social environment and ... influences on the younger Generation Y are very .... as parents, peers, the mass media, retail stores,.

PHENIX On-Line Distributed Computing System Architecture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Desmond, Edmond; Haggerty, John; Kehayias, Hyon Joo; Purschke, Martin L.; Witzig, Chris; Kozlowski, Thomas

1997-01-01

PHENIX is one of the two large experiments at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) currently under construction at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The detector consists of 11 sub-detectors, that are further subdivided into 29 units (''granules'') that can be operated independently, which includes simultaneous data taking with independent data streams and independent triggers. The detector has 250,000 channels and is read out by front end modules, where the data is buffered in a pipeline while awaiting the level trigger decision. Zero suppression and calibration is done after the level accept in custom built data collection modules (DCMs) with DSPs before the data is sent to an event builder (design throughput of 2 Gb/sec) and higher level triggers. The On-line Computing Systems Group (ONCS) has two responsibilities. Firstly it is responsible for receiving the data from the event builder, routing it through a network of workstations to consumer processes and archiving it at a data rate of 20 MB/sec. Secondly it is also responsible for the overall configuration, control and operation of the detector and data acquisition chain, which comprises the software integration for several thousand custom built hardware modules. The software must furthermore support the independent operation of the above mentioned granules, which includes the coordination of processes that run in 60-100 VME processors and workstations. ONOS has adapted the Shlaer- Mellor Object Oriented Methodology for the design of the top layer software. CORBA is used as communication layer between the distributed objects, which are implemented as asynchronous finite state machines. We will give an overview of the PHENIX online system with the main focus on the system architecture, software components and integration tasks of the On-line Computing group ONCS and report on the status of the current prototypes

The impact of self-reported health and register-based prescription medicine purchases on re-employment chances: A prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Svane-Petersen, Annemette Coop; Dencker-Larsen, Sofie

2016-12-01

In this paper, we investigate the influence of self-reported health and register-based prescription medicine purchases on re-employment chances, and whether these health indicators measure similar aspects of health in this analysis. Data came from a 2006 Danish unemployment survey among a random sample of unemployed individuals enriched with register data (2006-2008, N =1806). The survey participants all received unemployment benefits from the welfare system and had been unemployed for more than 20 weeks at the time of the interview in 2006. We combined these data with longitudinal register data on individual prescription medicine purchases for somatic illnesses and prescription medicine purchases for mental illnesses, information on re-employment and various socio-demographic variables. We conducted binary logistic regression analyses to investigate the impact of self-reported health and prescription medicine purchases measured in 2006 on re-employment chances in 2007 and 2008. Our analyses show that unemployed workers with poor self-reported health and workers who had prescription medicine purchases for mental illnesses were less likely to be re-employed in 2007 and 2008. Furthermore, the impact of both prescription medicine purchases for somatic illnesses and for mental illnesses increased when adding self-reported health to the model although prescription purchases for somatic illnesses became statistically insignificant. The impact of prescription medicine purchases for somatic illnesses was mediated by self-reported health, whilst prescription medicine purchases for mental illnesses was only partly mediated. Finally, SRH seemed a much stronger prediction than prescription medicines. From these results, we propose, when possible, the inclusion of both an indicator of self-reported health and an indicator of mental health in studies on re-employment.

A decision support system for on-line leakage localization

OpenAIRE

Meseguer, Jordi; Mirats-Tur, Josep M.; Cembrano, Gabriela; Puig, Vicenç; Quevedo, Joseba; Pérez, Ramon; Sanz, Gerard; Ibarra, David

2014-01-01

This paper describes a model-driven decision-support system (software tool) implementing a model-based methodology for on-line leakage detection and localization which is useful for a large class of water distribution networks. Since these methods present a certain degree of complexity which limits their use to experts, the proposed software tool focuses on the integration of a method emphasizing its use by water network managers as a decision support system. The proposed software tool integr...

The influence of marketing communications on the consumer path to purchase for both online and in-store purchases

OpenAIRE

Pallant, Jason

2017-01-01

This thesis examines the way online browsing and online or in-store purchasing behaviours evolve across the purchases customers make from a brand, and how this is influenced by the marketing communications that customers receive from that brand and its competitors. A sample of customers of three different retail brands are tracked over a two year period, and changes to browsing and purchase behaviour are observed. A model is developed which predicts the way customers are most likely to evolve...

The Effects of Internet Shoppers' Trust on their purchasing intention in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rong Li

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Owing to the rapid development of the Internet and information technology in China, the growth of consumers’ purchasing activities in Internet shopping malls has been truly phenomenal in recent years. Taobao.com, Ebay.com.cn, and Paipai.com have 67,360,000 customer to customer (C2C users and 99% of the market share in China’s C2C market (www.163.com. Dangdang.com and Joyo.com have occupied 87% of the business to customer (B2C market with 58,360,000 users (www.sohu.com. Because of these significant numbers of users, it is important to understand what affects Chinese consumers’ decisions to purchase in Internet shopping malls. Based on past studies, trust is considered a key factor affecting a Chinese consumer’s purchasing intention. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of Chinese shoppers’ trust on their purchasing intention in Internet shopping malls. In order to accomplish the purpose of this study, we developed a research model. This model suggests that there exists a significant relationship between trust and purchasing intention. According to this model, on purchasing intention, trust also mediates effects of other independent variables such as e-commerce knowledge, perceived reputation, perceived risk, and perceived ease of use. The results of this study show that the relationships between these variables are all significant except that between trust and perceived reputation. This research confirms the significant effects of Chinese shoppers’ trust on purchasing intention. Implications of these findings are discussed for researchers and practitioners.

48 CFR 32.1108 - Payment by Governmentwide commercial purchase card.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Governmentwide commercial purchase card. A Governmentwide commercial purchase card charge authorizes the third... payment requests by a charge to a Government account with the third party at the time the payment clause(s... commercial purchase card. 32.1108 Section 32.1108 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION...

Construction of prototype of on-line analyzer detection system for coal on belt conveyor using neutron activation technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rony Djokorayono; Agus Cahyono; MP Indarzah; SG Usep; Sukandar

2015-01-01

The use of on-line neutron activation technique for coal analysis is proposed as an alternative method for analysis based on sampling technique. Compared to this conventional technique, the on-line neutron activation technique has much shorter time of analysis and more accurate results. The construction of detection system prototype for the on-line analyzer is described in this paper. This on-line analyzer consists of detection system, data acquisition system, and computer console. This detection system comprises several modules, i.e. NaI(Tl) scintillation detector completed with a photomultiplier tube (PMT), pre-amplifier, single channel analyzer (SCA), and analog signal transmitter and pulse counter processor. The construction processes of these four modules include the development of configuration block, lay out, and selection of electronic components. The modules have been integrated and tested. This detection system was tested using radioactive element Zn-65 having energy of 1115.5 keV and activity of 1 μCi. The test results show that the prototype of the on-line analyzer detection system has functioned as expected. (author)

R and D study on on-line criticality surveillance system (III)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, Sumasu

1999-02-01

The Criticality Surveillance System should have high reliability and high expandability enable to apply new approaches. Under this basic concept, a basic design of the Criticality Surveillance System has been proposed in 1997. We propose here several new ideas of modification to the original design of the Criticality Surveillance System, and also reports some results of numerical analysis over the DCA experiments in 1996. In this report, first, we proposed the modification of the Criticality Surveillance System by adding a series of modules for the usage of the Feynman-α method over the γ-ray signal, because recent studies revealed that the statistical analysis of the γ-ray signal in time domain can provide very good information of the reactor decay constant even in the case of low count rate. This modification could increase the reliability of the Criticality Surveillance System over the wide range of amount of the reprocessed fuel in the tank. Last year we have developed an executable ADF program based on the Least Mean Squares, as the redundancy to the recursive ARMA model identification algorithm. However, this algorithm has a property that the convergence rate of parameter estimation becomes very slow when input data is corrupted with colored noise. To cope with this problem, we introduced a new ADF algorithm called Block ADF algorithm, which is developed to improve the convergence rate with less computational load to the computer. In Chapter 2, we showed the basic theory and a fast adaptive filter algorithm using eigenvalue reciprocals as stepsizes in Chapter 3. This new algorithm provides a stable parameter estimates with less computation as fast as the Recursive Least Squares Method. Thirdly, we introduced a notch filter for power line noise and a software. This filter has to be developed for each specific sampling frequency and specific power line frequency, however, this filter can remove not only the line spectrum of the power line frequency but also

A new on-line leakage current monitoring system of ZnO surge arresters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Bok-Hee; Kang, Sung-Man

2005-01-01

This paper presents a new on-line leakage current monitoring system of zinc oxide (ZnO) surge arresters. To effectively diagnose the deterioration of ZnO surge arresters, a new algorithm and on-line leakage current detection device, which uses the time-delay addition method, for discriminating the resistive and capacitive currents was developed to use in the aging test and durability evaluation for ZnO arrester blocks. A computer-based measurement system of the resistive leakage current, the on-line monitoring device can detect accurately the leakage currents flowing through ZnO surge arresters for power frequency ac applied voltages. The proposed on-line leakage current monitoring device of ZnO surge arresters is more highly sensitive and gives more linear response than the existing devices using the detection method of the third harmonic leakage currents. Therefore, the proposed leakage current monitoring device can be useful for predicting the defects and performance deterioration of ZnO surge arresters in power system applications

Specialized computer system to diagnose critical lined equipment

Science.gov (United States)

Yemelyanov, V. A.; Yemelyanova, N. Y.; Morozova, O. A.; Nedelkin, A. A.

2018-05-01

The paper presents data on the problem of diagnosing the lining condition at the iron and steel works. The authors propose and describe the structure of the specialized computer system to diagnose critical lined equipment. The relative results of diagnosing lining condition by the basic system and the proposed specialized computer system are presented. To automate evaluation of lining condition and support in making decisions regarding the operation mode of the lined equipment, the specialized software has been developed.

Impact of different disassembly line balancing algorithms on the performance of dynamic kanban system for disassembly line

Science.gov (United States)

Kizilkaya, Elif A.; Gupta, Surendra M.

2005-11-01

In this paper, we compare the impact of different disassembly line balancing (DLB) algorithms on the performance of our recently introduced Dynamic Kanban System for Disassembly Line (DKSDL) to accommodate the vagaries of uncertainties associated with disassembly and remanufacturing processing. We consider a case study to illustrate the impact of various DLB algorithms on the DKSDL. The approach to the solution, scenario settings, results and the discussions of the results are included.

Peer influence on youth's snack purchases: a laboratory analog of convenience store shopping.

Science.gov (United States)

Salvy, Sarah-Jeanne; Kluczynski, Melissa A; Nitecki, Lauren A; O'Connor, Briannon C

2012-08-01

This paper reports the results of two experiments using a laboratory analog to examine the influence of taxes and subsidies on youth's snack food purchases when alone (Experiment 1) and when in the presence of a same-gender peer (Experiment 2). Adolescents (12-14-years-old) completed a purchasing task, during which prices of snack foods were manipulated, either alone in Experiment 1 (N=37) or in the presence of an unfamiliar peer in Experiment 2 (N=52). In both experiments, purchases of unhealthy snacks decreased and purchases of healthy snacks increased when the price of unhealthy snacks were taxed (increased). In Experiment 1 (alone), participants did not purchase more healthy snacks when the price of these snacks were subsidized (decreased). However, in Experiment 2 (when participants were in the presence of a peer), participants purchased more healthy snacks when these snacks were subsidized. Taxes and subsidies affect adolescents' snack purchasing, as does the presence of peers. The results of this study highlight factors that influence healthy and unhealthy snack purchasing behavior in young adolescents. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Surveying Data on Consumer Green Purchasing Intention: A Case in New Zealand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yun-Chin Paya Hsu

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Many people have expressed their environmental concerns, and agreed that immediate actions should be taken for the environment. However, only few of them would always make their purchasing decision based on their environmental concerns. Grounded in the theory of Planned Behavior, the aim of this research was to examine the discrepancy between New Zealand consumers’ environmental concerns and intentions to purchase energy-saving light bulbs. The study employed a cross-sectional consumer survey (between late 2011 to early 2012 for data collection (N=313, and the structural equation modelling for model testing. Further, the study also took precautions during the questionnaire design stage to minimize potential common method bias, and examined the common method variance in the data before testing the model. All indicators in this research were reflective to their representing constructs. Results of the analysis confirmed that consumers’ attitudinal affections and beliefs towards the purchasing behavior, self-identity, and past purchasing behavior had positive influence on their purchasing intentions.

On-line diagnostics for a real time system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sreenivasan, P.

1976-01-01

The purpose of an on-line diagnostics is to infuse the ability of self diagnosing in an online computer to enhance its dependability in a real time system. Such a diagnostics evolved for the CDPS of the Fast Breeder Test Reactor at Kalpakkam is reported. The two phases of the diagnostics, i.e., the malfunction detection and post detection action are described in some detail. (A.K.)

The Influence of Television Advertising on Purchase Decision of Teenagers

OpenAIRE

Bakara, Frisca Oktoviani

2013-01-01

Television advertising has become a new force capable of influencing the audience to do what the advertisers want, and teenagers are very promising target for producers. This study investigated the influence of television advertising on teenagers purchase decision in Manado. This research aims to analyze (1) what is the impact of television advertising (Brand Preference, Peer Group, and Pester Power) on teenagers purchase decision; (2) which impact of television advertising (Brand Preference,...

Policy options for pharmaceutical pricing and purchasing: issues for low- and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Tuan Anh; Knight, Rosemary; Roughead, Elizabeth Ellen; Brooks, Geoffrey; Mant, Andrea

2015-03-01

Pharmaceutical expenditure is rising globally. Most high-income countries have exercised pricing or purchasing strategies to address this pressure. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), however, usually have less regulated pharmaceutical markets and often lack feasible pricing or purchasing strategies, notwithstanding their wish to effectively manage medicine budgets. In high-income countries, most medicines payments are made by the state or health insurance institutions. In LMICs, most pharmaceutical expenditure is out-of-pocket which creates a different dynamic for policy enforcement. The paucity of rigorous studies on the effectiveness of pharmaceutical pricing and purchasing strategies makes it especially difficult for policy makers in LMICs to decide on a course of action. This article reviews published articles on pharmaceutical pricing and purchasing policies. Many policy options for medicine pricing and purchasing have been found to work but they also have attendant risks. No one option is decisively preferred; rather a mix of options may be required based on country-specific context. Empirical studies in LMICs are lacking. However, risks from any one policy option can reasonably be argued to be greater in LMICs which often lack strong legal systems, purchasing and state institutions to underpin the healthcare system. Key factors are identified to assist LMICs improve their medicine pricing and purchasing systems. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine © The Author 2014; all rights reserved.

Achieving Consumer Purchase Payoffs: A Used Car Purchase.

Science.gov (United States)

Maynes, E. Scott; Maynes, Blanche R.

1997-01-01

This case study of a used car purchase illuminates the concepts and principles that should guide purchase decisions. It suggests that consumers should be aware there is little correlation between price and quality; competent shopping yields better quality; and consumers must decide their preferred trade-off between price and quality. (SK)

On-line monitoring system for utility boiler diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radovanovic, P.M.; Afgan, N.H.; Caralho, M.G.

1997-01-01

The paper deals with the new developed modular type Monitoring System for Utility Boiler Diagnostics. Each module is intended to assess the specific process and can be used as a stand alone application. Four modules are developed, namely: LTC - module for the on-line monitoring of parameters related to the life-time consumption of selected boiler components; TRD - module for the tube rupture detection by the position and working fluid Ieakage quantity; FAM - module for the boiler surfaces fouling (slagging) assessment and FLAP - module for visualization of the boiler furnace flame position. All four modules are tested on respective pilot plants built oil the 200 and 300 MWe utility boilers. Monitoring System is commercially available and can be realized in any combination of its modules depending on demands induced by the operational problems of specific boiler. Further development of Monitoring System is performed in accordance with the respective EU project on development of Boiler Expert System. (Author)

Effects of Mobile Text Advertising on Consumer Purchase Intention: A Moderated Mediation Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hongyan, Lin; Zhankui, Chen

2017-01-01

Mobile shopping is increasing in prevalence and has become a necessary part of many people's daily lives. However, one main channel for mobile shopping, mobile shopping applications (apps), has not been thoroughly investigated. This study focused on mobile text advertising delivered from mobile shopping apps using the intention to purchase as the dependent variable for testing its marketing effect. In the context of a promotion focus vs. a prevention focus, we used Higgins' regulatory focus theory combined with Ajzen's TPB and Herzog's U&G to analyze the mechanism by which consumers formulate an intention to purchase in a mobile advertising context. This empirical study surveyed 320 consumers who had made a purchase using a mobile shopping app in the previous month. The results showed that infotainment, irritation, and subjective norms were significantly associated with attitudes; in turn, attitudes mediated the impact of these three factors on the intention to purchase. Moreover, a high promotion focus not only strengthened the positive effect of infotainment on attitudes but also intensified the mediation effect of attitudes between infotainment and the intention to purchase. A high prevention focus also consolidated the negative effect of irritation on attitudes as well as reinforced the mediation effect of attitudes between irritation and the intention to purchase. Furthermore, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control collectively impacted the intention to purchase. These findings shed light on ways to customize goods information in mobile advertising and have strong theoretical and practical implications.

Effects of Mobile Text Advertising on Consumer Purchase Intention: A Moderated Mediation Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lin Hongyan

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Mobile shopping is increasing in prevalence and has become a necessary part of many people's daily lives. However, one main channel for mobile shopping, mobile shopping applications (apps, has not been thoroughly investigated. This study focused on mobile text advertising delivered from mobile shopping apps using the intention to purchase as the dependent variable for testing its marketing effect. In the context of a promotion focus vs. a prevention focus, we used Higgins' regulatory focus theory combined with Ajzen's TPB and Herzog's U&G to analyze the mechanism by which consumers formulate an intention to purchase in a mobile advertising context. This empirical study surveyed 320 consumers who had made a purchase using a mobile shopping app in the previous month. The results showed that infotainment, irritation, and subjective norms were significantly associated with attitudes; in turn, attitudes mediated the impact of these three factors on the intention to purchase. Moreover, a high promotion focus not only strengthened the positive effect of infotainment on attitudes but also intensified the mediation effect of attitudes between infotainment and the intention to purchase. A high prevention focus also consolidated the negative effect of irritation on attitudes as well as reinforced the mediation effect of attitudes between irritation and the intention to purchase. Furthermore, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control collectively impacted the intention to purchase. These findings shed light on ways to customize goods information in mobile advertising and have strong theoretical and practical implications.

Effects of Mobile Text Advertising on Consumer Purchase Intention: A Moderated Mediation Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Hongyan, Lin; Zhankui, Chen

2017-01-01

Mobile shopping is increasing in prevalence and has become a necessary part of many people's daily lives. However, one main channel for mobile shopping, mobile shopping applications (apps), has not been thoroughly investigated. This study focused on mobile text advertising delivered from mobile shopping apps using the intention to purchase as the dependent variable for testing its marketing effect. In the context of a promotion focus vs. a prevention focus, we used Higgins' regulatory focus theory combined with Ajzen's TPB and Herzog's U&G to analyze the mechanism by which consumers formulate an intention to purchase in a mobile advertising context. This empirical study surveyed 320 consumers who had made a purchase using a mobile shopping app in the previous month. The results showed that infotainment, irritation, and subjective norms were significantly associated with attitudes; in turn, attitudes mediated the impact of these three factors on the intention to purchase. Moreover, a high promotion focus not only strengthened the positive effect of infotainment on attitudes but also intensified the mediation effect of attitudes between infotainment and the intention to purchase. A high prevention focus also consolidated the negative effect of irritation on attitudes as well as reinforced the mediation effect of attitudes between irritation and the intention to purchase. Furthermore, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control collectively impacted the intention to purchase. These findings shed light on ways to customize goods information in mobile advertising and have strong theoretical and practical implications. PMID:28690564

Using data envelopment analysis (DEA) as a tool for purchasing control

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sitar-Pop, C.E.; de Boer, L.

2000-01-01

Today we observe an continuing challenge to develop performance measures that evaluate purchasing effectiveness relative to the organization's objectives and to extend conventional measurement systems to an entreprise-wide purchasing control function that detects the 'weak sports' in the purchasing

Leveraging fuel purchasing and management activities within a competitive power market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stallard, S.; Anderson, A.; Schick, J.

1998-01-01

Worldwide, one can see that competition, deregulation, or at a minimum, a closer focus on the overall economies of power generation is stimulating change within the power sector. Power generation markets are becoming liberalized providing for independent power producers and, in some cases, providing third-party access to the grid. In the US, fuel costs are being transformed from a pass-through expense to the consumer to one of a strategic asset or liability. In every case, fuel quality, fuel-related costs, and managing the fuel purchasing process are key factors in the overall efficiency and financial performance on the power generator. This paper illustrates how effective fuel management requires that the utility or GenCo improve upon historical fuel management/purchasing practices to lower overall generation costs and address the opportunities present in the power and fuel markets. Key framework/principles to be discussed include: Tighter coupling of fuel purchasing, short-term planning, and dispatch functions. Effective planning to link purchased fuel to system demand forecasts, consider contract/transportation constraints/economics, evaluate alternative sources, and consider fuel mix strategies (e.g., between sport, contract, and various regions/qualities). Tools and processes needed to support the new business environment such as fuel impact analysis, application of integrated fuel evaluation/management systems, market forecasting, purchasing, and the role of fuel management in energy trading. Flexibility to support optimal purchasing strategies including shorter purchase cycles, special buys, buys for third parties, and coal tolling. This framework would be discussed using examples from the US, UK, European, and Pacific Rim markets

Explaining Counterfeit Alcohol Purchases in Russia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kotelnikova, Zoya

2017-04-01

Alcohol is a common target of counterfeiting in Russia. Counterfeit alcohol is defined here as the manufacture, distribution, unauthorized placement (forgery) of protected commodity trademarks, and infringement of the exclusive rights of the registered trademark holders of alcoholic beverages. It is often argued that the expansion of the counterfeit product market is due to the steady demand of economically disadvantaged people for low-priced goods. The situation becomes more complicated once deceptive and nondeceptive forms of counterfeiting are taken into account. This study aimed to identify markers of risky behavior associated with the purchase of counterfeit alcohol in Russia. The analysis relied on consumer self-reports of alcohol use and purchase collected nationwide by the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS-HSE) in 2012 to 2014. I used a generalized linear mixed-model logistic regression to identify predictors of risky behavior by consumers who purchased counterfeit alcohol, either knowingly or unknowingly, during the 30 days preceding the survey. Purchases of counterfeit alcohol declined slightly from 2012 to 2014, mainly due to a decrease in consumers mistakenly purchasing counterfeit products. Predictors of counterfeit alcohol purchases differed between consumers who knowingly and unknowingly purchased counterfeit products. Nondeceptive purchase of counterfeit alcohol was related primarily to an indifference to alcohol brands. Consumers with social networks that include drinkers of nonbeverage alcohol and producers of homemade alcohol were highly likely to consume counterfeit alcohol deliberately. Problem drinking was significantly associated with a higher risk of both deceptive and nondeceptive purchases of counterfeit alcohol. Poverty largely contributed to nondeceptive counterfeiting. The literature has overestimated the impact of low prices on counterfeit alcohol consumption. Problem drinking and membership in social networks of consumers

Studying The Effect Of Brands And Internet WOM Advertisement On Customer Purchase

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Sedighimanesh

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Objectives e-commerce can be represented as any online trade and commerce via the Internet. MethodsAnalysis It should be noted that online purchase is not based on the actual experience of purchasing goods but is based on aspects such as image the qualitative information and publicizing of the product. Customers should be searched on the Internet randomly to evaluate the product and also reduce the risk of buying. So customers obtain product information before making a purchase and then perform the evaluation and diagnosis of products Findings The survey was conducted according to studying the model using a questionnaire which collected data analysis has been made in SPSS software. Improvements The results of this study show that the brand image and internet word of mouth advertisement and moderating variables price reductions customer trust mode and has a tremendous impact on customer purchase intention.

Influence of Product and Supplier Attributes on Hardwood Lumber Purchase Decisions

Science.gov (United States)

Craig L. Forbes; Steven A. Sinclair; Robert J. Bush; Philip A. Araman

1994-01-01

This study determined the influence of product and supplier attributes on hardwood lumber purchases by wood furniture manufacturers and investigated differences across manufacturer type, geographic region, firm size, and kiln ownership. Professional lumber buyers rated the importance and difference across suppliers of various attributes. Purchase influence scores were...

Can nutritional information modify purchase of ultra-processed products? Results from a simulated online shopping experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Machín, Leandro; Arrúa, Alejandra; Giménez, Ana; Curutchet, María Rosa; Martínez, Joseline; Ares, Gastón

2018-01-01

The aim of the present work was to evaluate the influence of two front-of-pack nutrition information schemes (traffic-light system and Chilean warning system) on consumer purchase of ultra-processed foods in a simulated online grocery store. Following a between-subjects design, participants completed a simulated weekly food purchase in an online grocery store under one of three experimental conditions: (i) a control condition with no nutrition information, (ii) a traffic-light system and (iii) the Chilean warning system. Information about energy (calories), sugar, saturated fats and salt content was included in the nutrition information schemes. Participants were recruited from a consumer database and a Facebook advertisement. People from Montevideo (Uruguay), aged 18-77 years (n 437; 75 % female), participated in the study. All participants were in charge of food purchase in the household, at least occasionally. No significant differences between experimental conditions were found in the mean share of ultra-processed foods purchased by participants, both in terms of number of products and expenditure, or in the mean energy, sugar, saturated fat and salt content of the purchased items. However, the Chilean warning system decreased intended purchase of sweets and desserts. Results from this online simulation provided little evidence to suggest that the traffic-light system or the Chilean warning system in isolation could be effective in reducing purchase of ultra-processed foods or improving the nutritional composition of the purchased products.

On-line gas mixing and multi-channel distribution system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalmani, S.D.; Mondal, N.K.; Satyanarayana, B.; Verma, P.; Joshi, Avinash

2009-01-01

In this presentation, we describe a mass-flow controller based on-line gas mixing unit with the multi-channel distribution system. We highlight different aspects such as requirement, design, calibration, control and operation of this system. This unit has the capability to mix up to four different input gases and distribute over 16 output channels. Output in individual channels is controlled accurately by using capillary-based system. At present, we are using this gas mixing unit for prototype of iron calorimeter (ICAL) detector of India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO).

Study on judgement baseline for XRF on-line detection system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Quanshi; Bao Min

2000-01-01

Based on the Signal Detection Theory (SDT) and the statistics principle, the choice method of judgement baseline was studied. According to the characteristics of X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectra in the on-line detection system, the calculation methods for the characteristic peak of the element-tagged and background were carried out. The complex judgement baseline were rationally selected after a lot of experiments and analyzing. The operating results of near one year show that it is available

Attitude towards the purchase of counterfeits: Antecedents and effect on intention to purchase

OpenAIRE

Viot , Catherine; Le Roux , André; Kremer , Florence

2014-01-01

International audience; Counterfeiting is a major issue for companies, public institutions and consumers. Despite extensive literature on the subject in marketing, an instrument for measuring the wide variety of the determinants of attitude towards and intention to purchase counterfeit products is lacking. A second-order model comprising thirteen determinants, grouped into three latent constructs, is validated. This model includes a dimension related to the societal consequences of counterfei...

[Barriers to the normalization of telemedicine in a healthcare system model based on purchasing of healthcare services using providers' contracts].

Science.gov (United States)

Roig, Francesc; Saigí, Francesc

2011-01-01

Despite the clear political will to promote telemedicine and the large number of initiatives, the incorporation of this modality in clinical practice remains limited. The objective of this study was to identify the barriers perceived by key professionals who actively participate in the design and implementation of telemedicine in a healthcare system model based on purchasing of healthcare services using providers' contracts. We performed a qualitative study based on data from semi-structured interviews with 17 key informants belonging to distinct Catalan health organizations. The barriers identified were grouped in four areas: technological, organizational, human and economic. The main barriers identified were changes in the healthcare model caused by telemedicine, problems with strategic alignment, resistance to change in the (re)definition of roles, responsibilities and new skills, and lack of a business model that incorporates telemedicine in the services portfolio to ensure its sustainability. In addition to suitable management of change and of the necessary strategic alignment, the definitive normalization of telemedicine in a mixed healthcare model based on purchasing of healthcare services using providers' contracts requires a clear and stable business model that incorporates this modality in the services portfolio and allows healthcare organizations to obtain reimbursement from the payer. 2010 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Regular or low-fat? An investigation of the long-run impact of the first low-fat purchase on subsequent purchase volumes and calories

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cleeren, Kathleen; Geyskens, Kelly; Verhoef, Peter C.; Pennings, Joost M. E.

2016-01-01

Health organizations stimulate the development of low-fat variants to fight the obesity epidemic. We examine the effectiveness of this policy by studying the short- and long-term consequences of the first low-fat purchase on subsequent purchased volume and calories. Using a structural break

[The strategic purchasing of health services: a big opportunity for the National Universal Health System].

Science.gov (United States)

González-Block, Miguel Ángel; Alarcón Irigoyen, José; Figueroa Lara, Alejandro; Ibarra Espinosa, Ignacio; Cortés Llamas, Noemí

2015-01-01

proposed to establish a service packages, whether through a single obligatory list or through the definition of a flexible, high priority set to be offered to specific populations according to their economic possibilities. For the strategic purchasing of services, two alternatives are proposed: to assign the fund either to a single national manager or to each of the existing public provider institutions, with the expectation that they would contract across each other and with private providers to fulfill their complementary needs.The proposal does not consider the risks and alternatives to a single tax contribution fund, which could have been suggested given that it is not an essential part of a National Universal Health System. However, it is necessary to discuss in more detail the roles and strategies for a national single-payer, especially for the strategic purchasing of high-cost and specialized interventions in the context of public and private providers. The alternative of allocating funds directly to providers would undermine the incentives for competition and collaboration and the capacity to steer providers towards the provision of high quality health services.It is proposed to focus the discussion of the reform of the national health system around strategic purchasing and the functions and structure of a single-payer as well as of agencies to articulate integrated health service networks as tools to promote quality and efficiency of the National Universal Health System. The inclusion of economic incentives to providers will be vital for competition, but also for the cooperation of providers within integrated, multi-institutional health service networks.Health professionals and sector policy specialists coordinated by the Centro de Estudios Espinosa Yglesi as in Mexico propose a policy to anchor the health system in primary care centered on the individual. The vision includes effective stewardship,solid financing, and the provision of services by a

A framework for understanding grocery purchasing in a low-income urban environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Zachary, Drew A; Palmer, Anne M; Beckham, Sarah W; Surkan, Pamela J

2013-05-01

Research demonstrates that food desert environments limit low-income shoppers' ability to purchase healthy foods, thereby increasing their likelihood of diet-related illnesses. We sought to understand how individuals in an urban American food desert make grocery-purchasing decisions, and specifically why unhealthy purchases arise. Analysis is based on ethnographic data from participant observation, 37 in-depth interviews, and three focus groups with low-income, primarily African American shoppers with children. We found participants had detailed knowledge of and preference for healthy foods, but the obligation to consistently provide food for their families required them to apply specific decision criteria which, combined with structural qualities of the supermarket environment, increased unhealthy purchases and decreased healthy purchases. Applying situated cognition theory, we constructed an emic model explaining this widely shared grocery-purchasing decision process and its implications. This context-specific understanding of behavior suggests that multifaceted, system-level approaches to intervention are needed to increase healthy purchasing in food deserts.

The impact of perceived brand value on consumer attitude and purchase intention

OpenAIRE

Lindartaitė, Grėtė

2017-01-01

The authors affirm, that a consumer‘s apprehensible brand value has a great influence on consumer‘s purchase intention. It was established, that consumer‘s point of view starts to develop gradually and outward factors decide an purchase intention. Consumer‘s purchase intention is desribed as a very important factor which appears from a consumer and a specific brand value, their interrelations, believes, attitude to it and consumer‘s cherished values and emotions. The results of analysed empir...

Regular or low-fat? An investigation of the long-run impact of the first low-fat purchase on subsequent purchase volumes and calories

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cleeren, Kathleen; Geyskens, Kelly; Verhoef, Peter C.; Pennings, Joost M.E.

2016-01-01

Health organizations stimulate the development of low-fat variants to fight the obesity epidemic. We examine the effectiveness of this policy by studying the short- and long-term consequences of the first low-fat purchase on subsequent purchased volume and calories. Using a structural break

Proposal to negotiate the renewal of two blanket purchase contracts for the supply of automation systems and fieldbus equipment

CERN Document Server

2005-01-01

This document concerns the renewal of two blanket purchase contracts for the supply of automation systems and fieldbus equipment for the CERN accelerators, technical services and experiments. The Finance Committee is invited to agree to the negotiation of the renewal of two blanket purchase contracts with SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC (FR) and SIEMENS SUISSE (CH) for the supply of automation systems and fieldbus equipment for a period of three years. The total annual amount covering both contracts will not exceed 3 000 000 Swiss francs, subject to revision for inflation.

Uranium purchases report 1992

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

Data reported by domestic nuclear utility companies in their responses to the 1991 and 1992 ''Uranium Industry Annual Survey,'' Form EIA-858, Schedule B ''Uranium Marketing Activities,are provided in response to the requirements in the Energy Policy Act 1992. Data on utility uranium purchases and imports are shown on Table 1. Utility enrichment feed deliveries and secondary market acquisitions of uranium equivalent of US DOE separative work units are shown on Table 2. Appendix A contains a listing of firms that sold uranium to US utilities during 1992 under new domestic purchase contracts. Appendix B contains a similar listing of firms that sold uranium to US utilities during 1992 under new import purchase contracts. Appendix C contains an explanation of Form EIA-858 survey methodologies with emphasis on the processing of Schedule B data

How important is vehicle safety in the new vehicle purchase process?

Science.gov (United States)

Koppel, Sjaanie; Charlton, Judith; Fildes, Brian; Fitzharris, Michael

2008-05-01

Whilst there has been a significant increase in the amount of consumer interest in the safety performance of privately owned vehicles, the role that it plays in consumers' purchase decisions is poorly understood. The aims of the current study were to determine: how important vehicle safety is in the new vehicle purchase process; what importance consumers place on safety options/features relative to other convenience and comfort features, and how consumers conceptualise vehicle safety. In addition, the study aimed to investigate the key parameters associated with ranking 'vehicle safety' as the most important consideration in the new vehicle purchase. Participants recruited in Sweden and Spain completed a questionnaire about their new vehicle purchase. The findings from the questionnaire indicated that participants ranked safety-related factors (e.g., EuroNCAP (or other) safety ratings) as more important in the new vehicle purchase process than other vehicle factors (e.g., price, reliability etc.). Similarly, participants ranked safety-related features (e.g., advanced braking systems, front passenger airbags etc.) as more important than non-safety-related features (e.g., route navigation systems, air-conditioning etc.). Consistent with previous research, most participants equated vehicle safety with the presence of specific vehicle safety features or technologies rather than vehicle crash safety/test results or crashworthiness. The key parameters associated with ranking 'vehicle safety' as the most important consideration in the new vehicle purchase were: use of EuroNCAP, gender and education level, age, drivers' concern about crash involvement, first vehicle purchase, annual driving distance, person for whom the vehicle was purchased, and traffic infringement history. The findings from this study are important for policy makers, manufacturers and other stakeholders to assist in setting priorities with regard to the promotion and publicity of vehicle safety features

CONSUMERS’ PURCHASE INTENTIONS TOWARDS NATURAL COSMETICS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matea Matić

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to determine which variables influence consumers’ intentions towards purchasing natural cosmetics. Several variables are included in the regression analysis such as age, gender, consumers’ purchase tendency towards organic food, consumers’ new natural cosmetics brands and consumers’ tendency towards health consciousness. The data was collected through an online survey questionnaire using the purposive sample of 204 consumers from the Dubrovnik-Neretva County in March and April of 2015. Various statistical analyses were used such as binary logistic regression and correlation analysis. Binary logistic regression results show that gender, consumers’ purchase tendency towards organic food and consumers’ purchase tendency towards new natural cosmetics brands have an influence on consumer purchase intentions. However, consumers’ tendency towards health consciousness has no influence on consumers’ intentions towards purchasing natural cosmetics. Results of the correlation analysis indicate that there is a strong positive correlation between purchase intentions towards natural cosmetics and consumer references of natural cosmetics. The findings may be useful to online retailers, as well as marketers and practitioners to recognize and better understand the new trends that occur in the industry of natural cosmetics.

Investigating the effect of Electronic Word Of Mouth on customer’s purchase intention of digital products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shabnam Khosravani Zangeneh

2014-11-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an empirical investigation to examine the effect of electronic word of mouth (eWOM on purchasing intention. The study also considers the effects of quality of eWOM, quantity of eWOM as well as reviewers’ expertise on purchasing intention. The study has accomplished among 384 people who have some experiences on buying digital devices from an Iranian well-known providers of electronic devices in city of Tehran, Iran. Using structural equation modeling, the study confirms the effects of eWOM on purchase intention. In addition, the study confirms the effects of quality of eWOM as well as reviewer’s expertise on purchase intention. Moreover, the study examines the effects of two moderator variables, brand image and product complexity, on purchase intention and while the effect of brand image on purchase intention is confirmed but the impact of complexity on purchase intention is not confirmed.

The challenges of strategic purchasing of healthcare services in Iran Health Insurance Organization: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gorji, Hasan Abolghasem; Mousavi, Sayyed Masoud Shajari Pour; Shojaei, Ali; Keshavarzi, Anahita; Zare, Hossein

2018-02-01

Strategic purchasing in healthcare services is a key component in improving health system performance, and it has been one of the most important issues in health system reform around the world, especially Europe in the last decade. Iran health system and insurance, although sometimes considered the issue of strategic purchasing goals, has not been made possible to achieve or even to implement, due to the associated problems. To determine the associated problems of strategic purchasing in the Iran Health Insurance Organization (IHIO). This study is a qualitative study, and framework analysis which was conducted in Iran in 2014-15. The participants in this study were 34 individuals from decision-makers and executives in the IHIO purchasing process, and university experts who have been chosen purposefully. This study conducted frame analysis, by using MAXQDA 10. The findings included associated problems of IHIO strategic purchasing in 12 themes and 65 subthemes. The themes included: Laws and regulations for purchasing, Organization of purchasing, Qualified and authorized providers, Right type of services, Right type of contracts, Target groups for purchasing, Resources allocation, financing and pricing system, Purchasing as improving performance and quality, Purchasing as shaping the market and competition, Purchasing as health progress state of people and society, Guided purchasing and stewardship of government, Structure of decision-making process in the health and welfare ministries. The findings of this study showed associated problems in IHIO strategic purchasing. To achieve strategic purchasing goals in Iran, identification of all issues and factors of the total insurers and health system sets which affect strategic purchasing is essential.

A/T test system for production line; Seisan line yo A/T test system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-03-10

This paper introduces an A/T test system for production line made by Meidensha, Inc. Rates and technology of mounting auto-transmissions (A/T) in recent automobiles are improving year after year. A/T production line testers were fabricated and supplied, including those for European countries. This system has the following features: the system employs low inertia AC motor, and is capable of performing tests in close conditions to actual cars; an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) inverter was employed to achieve control accuracy improvement and noise reduction; high-velocity transient measurement is possible by using a computer system based on the WindowsNT; a solenoid current slant control was employed to respond to electronically controlled A/T; and noise and vibration shift feeling instrumentation can also be used on option. Number of supply is four sets of front engine/front wheel drive (FF) car A/T testers for overseas countries, and two sets of FF A/T tests for use in Japan. (NEDO)

Design of on-line steam generator leak monitoring system based on Cherenkov counting technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dileep, B.N.; D'Cruz, S.J.; Biju, P.; Jashi, K.B.; Prabhakaran, V.; Venkataramana, K.; Managanvi, S.S.

2006-01-01

The methodology developed by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. for identification of leaky Steam Generator (SG) by monitoring 134 I activity in the blow down water is a very high sensitive method. However, this technique can not be put into use as an on-line system. A new method of on-line detection of SG leak and identify the offending SG based on Cherenkov counting technique is explained in this paper. It identifies the leak by detecting Cherenkov radiation produced by the hard beta emitting radio nuclides escaped into feed water during leak in an operating reactor. A simulated system shows that a leak rate of 2 kg/h can be detected by the proposed system, while coolant 134 I activity is 3.7 MBq/l (100μCi/l). (author)

Episode-Based Payment and Direct Employer Purchasing of Healthcare Services: Recent Bundled Payment Innovations and the Geisinger Health System Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Slotkin, Jonathan R; Ross, Olivia A; Newman, Eric D; Comrey, Janet L; Watson, Victoria; Lee, Rachel V; Brosious, Megan M; Gerrity, Gloria; Davis, Scott M; Paul, Jacquelyn; Miller, E Lynn; Feinberg, David T; Toms, Steven A

2017-04-01

One significant driver of the disjointed healthcare often observed in the United States is the traditional fee-for-service payment model which financially incentivizes the volume of care delivered over the quality and coordination of care. This problem is compounded by the wide, often unwarranted variation in healthcare charges that purchasers of health services encounter for substantially similar episodes of care. The last 10 years have seen many stakeholder organizations begin to experiment with novel financial payment models that strive to obviate many of the challenges inherent in customary quantity-based cost paradigms. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has allowed many care delivery systems to partner with Medicare in episode-based payment programs such as the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) initiative, and in patient-based models such as the Medicare Shared Savings Program. Several employer purchasers of healthcare services are experimenting with innovative payment models to include episode-based bundled rate destination centers of excellence programs and the direct purchasing of accountable care organization services. The Geisinger Health System has over 10 years of experience with episode-based payment bundling coupled with the care delivery reengineering which is integral to its ProvenCare® program. Recent experiences at Geisinger have included participation in BPCI and also partnership with employer-purchasers of healthcare through the Pacific Business Group on Health (representing Walmart, Lowe's, and JetBlue Airways). As the shift towards value-focused care delivery and patient experience progresses forward, bundled payment arrangements and direct purchasing of healthcare will be critical financial drivers in effecting change. Copyright © 2017 by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

The Influence of Peer Reviews on Source Credibility and Purchase Intention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristine L. Nowak

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM is information shared on the Internet about a product, which allows people to receive information from others they may not otherwise encounter. Online product reviews are a type of eWOM where a user posts a comment about a product and selects an image to represent the self. The perception of the image and the text in the product review can influence source credibility and the perception of the product, as well as the likelihood that someone will purchase the product. This study examines the effect of the product reviews and their different images and text on perceived credibility, source trustworthiness and purchase intention. Consistent with predictions based on the information processing theory, perceived anthropomorphism influences perceived credibility, source trust, and purchase intention.

Post-purchase advertisement readership behaviour and repeat purchase intentions of motor vehicle consumers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Brijball

2000-06-01

Full Text Available The study assesses post-purchase advertisement readership behaviour and repeat purchase intentions of motor vehicle consumers. The aim is to determine the prevalence of selective exposure, and the impact of motor vehicle features and dissonance respectively. The empirical analysis was undertaken on a sample of 200 new motor vehicle buyers The results indicate that the majority of consumers do not engage in post-purchase selective advertisement readership behaviour. Furthermore, whilst motor vehicle features (make, model, dealership, month of purchases/ time lapse after purchases do not influence consumers' repeat purchase intentions, reported dissonance and the magnitude of cognitive dissonance experienced have a significant impact. Opsomming Hierdie studie evalueer die reaksie van verbruikers op advertensies nadat hulle n voertuig aangekoop het. Die doel was om vas te stel in watter n mate verbruikers selektiefis met advertensies en watter effek voertuig-eienskappe en dissonansie op die moontlikheid het om weer dieselfde voertuig te koop. Die empiriese anahse is mtgevoer op n steekproefvan 200 eicnaars van nuwe voertuie. Uit die resultate blyk dit dat die meerderheid van verbruikers me advertensies selektief lees nan aankoop me.Verder blyk dit dat die eienskappe vann motorvoertmg fabnkaat, model handelaar, maand van aankoop/tydsverloop na aankoop nie n verbruiker beinvloed om dieselfde voertuig weer te koop nie. Gerapporteerde dissonansie en die omvang van kognitiewe dissonansie na n aankoop, blyk tog 'n betekenisvolle impak te he.

On-line system on the base of the ELEKTRONIKA D3-28 microcomputer for gas filling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Artemov, A.A.; Baranchuk, N.S.; Livitskij, M.M.; Platonov, V.P.; Chernyak, V.Ya.

1989-01-01

On-line system for gas filling on the base of SNA-1 pressure controller, ELEKTRONIKA D3-28 microcomputer and interface device and program for information exchange within the system are described. The system is designed for on-line measurement of gas pressure and filling and is used during operation without pumping out. Volume of vacuum chamber is 0.8 m 3 , pressure of filled-out gas (nitrogen) is 1 atm. The system enables to change pressure up to 0.1 Torr with 1x10 -4 Torr accuracy. Actuation time of g as filling-on system is determined with program control and depends on pressure measurement. Minimal actuation time of gas filling-on system is determined with program control and depends on pressure measurement. Minimal actuation time is 12 ms

On-line system for investigation of atomic structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amus'ya, M.Ya.; Chernysheva, L.V.

1983-01-01

A description of the on-line ATOM system is presented that enables to investigate the structure of atomic electron shells and their interactions with different scattering particles-electrons, positronse photons, mesons - with the use of computerized numerical solutions. The problem is stated along with mathematical description of atomic properties including theoretical and numerical models for each investigated physical process. The ATOM system structure is considered. The Hartree-Fock method is used to determine the wave functions of the ground and excited atomic states. The programs are written in the ALGOL langauge. Different atomic characteristics were possible to be calculated for the first time with an accuracy exceeding an experimental one

Perbedaan Post Purchase Regret Berdasarkan Perilaku Pada Konsumen Wanita

OpenAIRE

Fardhani, Diah

2014-01-01

Post purchase regret is a negative emotion of consumer after evaluating the purchase decision has been made, the evaluation is conducted based on the outcome and process of consumer decision making. This study was a comparative quantitative study aimed to determine differences on post purchase regret based on unplanned and substitute purchasing behavior. The research hypothesis was the differences in post purchase regret based on unplanned behavior and substitute purchasing. The study involve...

Greenhouse gas emission factors of purchased electricity from interconnected grids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji, Ling; Liang, Sai; Qu, Shen; Zhang, Yanxia; Xu, Ming; Jia, Xiaoping; Jia, Yingtao; Niu, Dongxiao; Yuan, Jiahai; Hou, Yong; Wang, Haikun; Chiu, Anthony S.F.; Hu, Xiaojun

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A new accounting framework is proposed for GHG emission factors of power grids. • Three cases are used to demonstrate the proposed framework. • Comparisons with previous system boundaries approve the necessity. - Abstract: Electricity trade among power grids leads to difficulties in measuring greenhouse gas (GHG) emission factors of purchased electricity. Traditional methods assume either electricity purchased from a grid is entirely produced locally (Boundary I) or imported electricity is entirely produced by the exporting grid (Boundary II) (in fact a blend of electricity produced by many grids). Both methods ignore the fact that electricity can be indirectly traded between grids. Failing to capture such indirect electricity trade can underestimate or overestimate GHG emissions of purchased electricity in interconnected grid networks, potentially leading to incorrectly accounting for the effects of emission reduction policies involving purchased electricity. We propose a “Boundary III” framework to account for emissions both directly and indirectly caused by purchased electricity in interconnected gird networks. We use three case studies on a national grid network, an Eurasian Continent grid network, and North Europe grid network to demonstrate the proposed Boundary III emission factors. We found that the difference on GHG emissions of purchased electricity estimated using different emission factors can be considerably large. We suggest to standardize the choice of different emission factors based on how interconnected the local grid is with other grids.

Performance Evaluation on Transmission Tower-Line System with Passive Friction Dampers Subjected to Wind Excitations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bo Chen

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The vibration control and performance evaluation on a transmission-tower line system by using friction dampers subjected to wind excitations are carried out in this study. The three-dimensional finite element (FE model of a transmission tower is firstly constructed. A two-dimensional lumped mass model of a transmission tower is developed for dynamic analysis. The analytical model of transmission tower-line system is proposed by taking the dynamic interaction between the tower and the transmission lines into consideration. The mechanical model of passive friction damper is presented by involving the effects of damper axial stiffness. The equation of motion of the transmission tower-line system incorporated with the friction dampers disturbed by wind excitations is established. A real transmission tower-line system is taken as an example to examine the feasibility and reliability of the proposed control approach. An extensive parameter study is carried out to find the optimal parameters of friction damper and to assess the effects of slipping force axial stiffness and hysteresis loop on control performance. The work on an example structure indicates that the application of friction dampers with optimal parameters could significantly reduce wind-induced responses of the transmission tower-line system.

Bugetul funcțional (Line - Item Budget) și metoda Buget Bază Zero ( Zero Base Budgeting - ZBB)

OpenAIRE

Dan Tudor LAZĂR; Adrian Mihai INCEU

2004-01-01

A line-item budget lists, in vertical columns, each of the revenue sources and each of the types – or classes – of items will purchase during the fiscal year. The line-item budget, which is the most widely used of all budgeting systems, offers many advantages. It is comparatively easy to prepare and doesn’t require sophisticated financial skills. Also, the line-item budget is straightforward, simple to administer and readily understood by everybody. Moreover, the simplicity of the system make...

U.S. Residential Photovoltaic (PV) System Prices, Q4 2013 Benchmarks: Cash Purchase, Fair Market Value, and Prepaid Lease Transaction Prices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Davidson, C.; James, T. L.; Margolis, R.; Fu, R.; Feldman, D.

2014-10-01

The price of photovoltaic (PV) systems in the United States (i.e., the cost to the system owner) has dropped precipitously in recent years, led by substantial reductions in global PV module prices. This report provides a Q4 2013 update for residential PV systems, based on an objective methodology that closely approximates the book value of a PV system. Several cases are benchmarked to represent common variation in business models, labor rates, and module choice. We estimate a weighted-average cash purchase price of $3.29/W for modeled standard-efficiency, polycrystalline-silicon residential PV systems installed in the United States. This is a 46% decline from the 2013-dollar-adjusted price reported in the Q4 2010 benchmark report. In addition, this report frames the cash purchase price in the context of key price metrics relevant to the continually evolving landscape of third-party-owned PV systems by benchmarking the minimum sustainable lease price and the fair market value of residential PV systems.

Guam Commercial Purchases (Trip Ticket)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — DAWR collects Trip Ticket or purchase invoice data from vendors that buy fish directly from the fishermen. Similar to the trip ticket system in Saipan, this is a...

The challenges of strategic purchasing of healthcare services in Iran Health Insurance Organization: a qualitative study

Science.gov (United States)

Gorji, Hasan Abolghasem; Shojaei, Ali; Keshavarzi, Anahita; Zare, Hossein

2018-01-01

Background Strategic purchasing in healthcare services is a key component in improving health system performance, and it has been one of the most important issues in health system reform around the world, especially Europe in the last decade. Iran health system and insurance, although sometimes considered the issue of strategic purchasing goals, has not been made possible to achieve or even to implement, due to the associated problems. Objective To determine the associated problems of strategic purchasing in the Iran Health Insurance Organization (IHIO). Methods This study is a qualitative study, and framework analysis which was conducted in Iran in 2014–15. The participants in this study were 34 individuals from decision-makers and executives in the IHIO purchasing process, and university experts who have been chosen purposefully. This study conducted frame analysis, by using MAXQDA 10. Results The findings included associated problems of IHIO strategic purchasing in 12 themes and 65 subthemes. The themes included: Laws and regulations for purchasing, Organization of purchasing, Qualified and authorized providers, Right type of services, Right type of contracts, Target groups for purchasing, Resources allocation, financing and pricing system, Purchasing as improving performance and quality, Purchasing as shaping the market and competition, Purchasing as health progress state of people and society, Guided purchasing and stewardship of government, Structure of decision-making process in the health and welfare ministries. Conclusion The findings of this study showed associated problems in IHIO strategic purchasing. To achieve strategic purchasing goals in Iran, identification of all issues and factors of the total insurers and health system sets which affect strategic purchasing is essential. PMID:29629051

The Influence of Nutrition Labeling and Point-of-Purchase Information on Food Behaviours.

Science.gov (United States)

Volkova, Ekaterina; Ni Mhurchu, Cliona

2015-03-01

Point-of-purchase information on packaged food has been a highly debated topic. Various types of nutrition labels and point-of-purchase information have been studied to determine their ability to attract consumers' attention, be well understood and promote healthy food choices. Country-specific regulatory and monitoring frameworks have been implemented to ensure reliability and accuracy of such information. However, the impact of such information on consumers' behaviour remains contentious. This review summarizes recent evidence on the real-world effectiveness of nutrition labels and point-of-purchase information.

DEMAND AND QUALITY UNCERTAINTY IN PECAN PURCHASING DECISIONS

OpenAIRE

Park, Timothy A.; Florkowski, Wojciech J.

1996-01-01

A generalized Heckman model of purchase decisions incorporating perceived consumer quality attributes, ease of purchase, and familiarity with marketing outlets as factors influencing pecan purchases is estimated. Marketing efforts that encourage consumers to expand expenditures on nut products increase both the probability of pecan purchases and the amount purchased. Consumers who use all types of nuts in a wider variety of foods tend to purchase pecans more frequently. A diverse set of marke...

NOASYS, a system for on-line noise analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Massier, H.

1978-07-01

This report describes NOASYS, a versatile NOise Analysis SYStem for digital on-line signal processing. The system based on a minicomputer, was originally developed for the analysis of noise signals from nuclear reactors. NOASYS computes various statistical functions e.g. cross- und auto-correlation functions and power spectral densities resp., which may be used for reactor diagnosis and malfunction detection. The system processes up to 16 analog signals with a maximum sampling frequency of 100 kcps (1 channel). The processing of the sampled data is done by a number of software tasks, which may be called from a teletype or linked together for specific measuring programs. The standard configuration contains the often used processing routines e.g. Fast Fourier Transform, complex multiplication, summation etc. In addition NOASYS may be extended by users own tasks (in Assembler or Fortran) to fit for specific applications. (orig.) 891 HP [de

The impact of purchase quantity on the compromise effect: The balance heuristic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yin-Hui Cheng

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Most prior research on the compromise effect has focused on single rather than multiple choices. This research investigates the potential effects of purchase quantity on the compromise effect. We propose that the share of the middle option in a trinary choice set decreases as the purchase quantity increases, because people tend to employ a balance heuristic to distribute their multiple choices among the available options to achieve a balanced state and to satisfy their variety-seeking tendency. Furthermore, we propose that the need for justification and an optimal stimulation level moderate the relationship between the number of purchase items and the compromise effect. These proposed hypotheses are supported by results from three experiments.

The effect of food shape abnormality on purchase intentions in China

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Loebnitz, Natascha; Grunert, Klaus G

2015-01-01

abnormality (normal, moderately abnormal, and extremely abnormal). The results demonstrate that food shape influences purchase intentions; consumers are more likely to purchase normally shaped fruits and vegetables than moderately or extremely abnormally shaped food. However, environmental concern and social......The assumption that consumers prefer cosmetically perfect fruits and vegetables contributes to global food waste, because food retailers refuse to offer abnormally shaped food. This study empirically examines how food shape abnormality affects purchase intentions and how two individual difference...... variables, environmental concern and social trust, might moderate the food shape abnormality–purchase intention relationship for consumers in China. A representative sample of 212 Chinese consumers indicated their purchase intentions for two fruits and two vegetables with varying levels of food shape...

A Distributed System for Learning Programming On-Line

Science.gov (United States)

Verdu, Elena; Regueras, Luisa M.; Verdu, Maria J.; Leal, Jose P.; de Castro, Juan P.; Queiros, Ricardo

2012-01-01

Several Web-based on-line judges or on-line programming trainers have been developed in order to allow students to train their programming skills. However, their pedagogical functionalities in the learning of programming have not been clearly defined. EduJudge is a project which aims to integrate the "UVA On-line Judge", an existing…

Determinants of online trust and their impact on online purchase intention

OpenAIRE

Kooli, Kaouther; Ben Mansour, K.; Rizky , Utama

2014-01-01

Abundant literature has examined online trust. However the different approaches were scarcely integrated to address the determinants of online trust and their impacts on online purchase intention. An integrative approach to online trust is adopted in this paper. A survey is carried out on a sample of 401 online consumers in Indonesia. The findings show that purchase intention is significantly influenced by online trust. Besides, there is significant impact of personality based trust (benevole...

Do beneficiaries' views matter in healthcare purchasing decisions? Experiences from the Nigerian tax-funded health system and the formal sector social health insurance program of the National Health Insurance Scheme.

Science.gov (United States)

Ibe, Ogochukwu; Honda, Ayako; Etiaba, Enyi; Ezumah, Nkoli; Hanson, Kara; Onwujekwe, Obinna

2017-12-28

Purchasing is a health financing function that involves the transfer of pooled resources to providers on behalf of a covered population. Little attention has been paid to the extent to which the views of that population  are reflected in purchasing decisions. This article explores how purchasers in two financing mechanisms: the Formal Sector Social Health Insurance Programme (FSSHIP) operating under the Nigerian National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), and the tax-funded health system perform their roles in light of their responsibilities to the populations. A case study approach was adopted in which each financing mechanism is a case. Sixteen (16) in-depth interviews with purchasers and eight (8) focus group discussions with beneficiaries were held. Agency and organizational behavioural theories were used to characterise the purchaser-citizen relationships. A deductive framework approach was used to assess whether actions identified in a model of 'ideal' strategic purchasing actions were undertaken in each case. For both cases, mechanisms exist to reflect people's health needs in purchasing decisions, including quantitative and qualitative needs assessment, mechanisms to raise awareness of benefit entitlements and allow choice. However, purchasers do not use the mechanisms to effectively engage with and hold themselves accountable to the people. In the tax-funded system, weak information systems and unclear communication channels between the purchaser and citizens constrain assessment of needs; while timeliness of health information and poor engagement practices of Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) are the main constraints in FSSHIP. Inadequate information sharing in both mechanisms limits beneficiaries' awareness of entitlements. Although beneficiaries of FSSHIP can choose providers, lack of information on the quality of services offered by providers constrains rational decision-making and the inability to change HMOs reduces HMO responsiveness to

An empirical study on the relationship of purchasing a chocolate based on its packaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yasaman Giyahi

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Chocolate is one of popular gifts among people in many societies. Packaging of such product plays an important role on marketing this item and the primary question of this survey is to determine the impact of packaging on better introducing a product. The inference statistical tests show that packaging is an important item in selection of chocolate as a gift. Percentage of chocolate is the most important information on packaging and color of packaging is of paramount significance when customers purchase chocolate for individuals with official relationship. In this paper, we present an empirical study to measure the effects of chocolates' packaging on purchasing them. The proposed study of this paper designs a questionnaire and distributes them among different people. The results are analyzed using some non-parametric tests and they are discussed. The preliminary results indicate that the number of purchased packages within a year, cost of purchasing chocolate within a year, type of relationship of recipients of chocolate as gift, gender of recipient of chocolate as gift, age group of recipient of gift, type of store, nationality of chocolate, significance of packaging in various price ranges, type of packaging, insertion of information on package and color of packaging, are important factors influencing people to buy more.

The multi-spectral line-polarization MSE system on Alcator C-Mod

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mumgaard, R. T., E-mail: mumgaard@psfc.mit.edu; Khoury, M. [Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States); Scott, S. D. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 (United States)

2016-11-15

A multi-spectral line-polarization motional Stark effect (MSE-MSLP) diagnostic has been developed for the Alcator C-Mod tokamak wherein the Stokes vector is measured in multiple wavelength bands simultaneously on the same sightline to enable better polarized background subtraction. A ten-sightline, four wavelength MSE-MSLP detector system was designed, constructed, and qualified. This system consists of a high-throughput polychromator for each sightline designed to provide large étendue and precise spectral filtering in a cost-effective manner. Each polychromator utilizes four narrow bandpass interference filters and four custom large diameter avalanche photodiode detectors. Two filters collect light to the red and blue of the MSE emission spectrum while the remaining two filters collect the beam pi and sigma emission generated at the same viewing volume. The filter wavelengths are temperature tuned using custom ovens in an automated manner. All system functions are remote controllable and the system can be easily retrofitted to existing single-wavelength line-polarization MSE systems.

The multi-spectral line-polarization MSE system on Alcator C-Mod

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mumgaard, R. T.; Khoury, M.; Scott, S. D.

2016-01-01

A multi-spectral line-polarization motional Stark effect (MSE-MSLP) diagnostic has been developed for the Alcator C-Mod tokamak wherein the Stokes vector is measured in multiple wavelength bands simultaneously on the same sightline to enable better polarized background subtraction. A ten-sightline, four wavelength MSE-MSLP detector system was designed, constructed, and qualified. This system consists of a high-throughput polychromator for each sightline designed to provide large étendue and precise spectral filtering in a cost-effective manner. Each polychromator utilizes four narrow bandpass interference filters and four custom large diameter avalanche photodiode detectors. Two filters collect light to the red and blue of the MSE emission spectrum while the remaining two filters collect the beam pi and sigma emission generated at the same viewing volume. The filter wavelengths are temperature tuned using custom ovens in an automated manner. All system functions are remote controllable and the system can be easily retrofitted to existing single-wavelength line-polarization MSE systems.

The on-line beam control and diagnosis system of TARN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takanaka, M.; Watanabe, S.; Chiba, K.; Katayama, T.; Noda, A.

1982-04-01

The computer network in TARN is composed of a central main frame computer, two different minicomputers and several microprocessors. It has been used for the beam control and the beam diagnosis; support for adjustment of elements of the transport line and the ring, generation of RF voltage function, measurement of beam profile at RF stacking, on-line measurement of ν:value, and observation of Schottky signal. By the use of this computer system, the operation of TARN has been effectively and steadily performed, and additionally it has contributed to measuring the beam characteristics precisely in the ring. (author)

Development of real-time on-line vibration testing system for seismic experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horiuchi, T.; Nakagawa, M.; Kametani, M.

1993-01-01

An on-line vibration testing method is being developed for seismic experiments. This method combines computer simulation and an actuator for vibration testing of structures. A real-time, on-line testing system was developed to improve the method. In the system, the timing of the vibration testing and the computer simulation are the same. This allows time-dependent reaction forces, such as damping force, to be immediately considered in the computer simulation. The real-time system has many requirements, such as complicated matrix calculations within a small time step, and communication with outer devices like sensors and actuators through A/D and D/A converters. These functions arc accomplished by using a newly-developed, real-time controller that employs a parallel processing technique. A small structural model is used to demonstrate the system. The reliability and applicability of the system for seismic experiments can be demonstrated by comparing the results of the system and a shaking table, which are in almost agreement. (author)

Design and construction of an on-line SPE-SFE-CGC system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pinto Jair S. S.

2001-01-01

Full Text Available The construction of an on-line SPE-SFE-CGC system is described. The home-made system is of low cost and of easy construction and maintenance, making possible the analysis of organic micropollutants in liquid samples such as water in a fraction of the time spent using traditional methods.

Effect of increasing the price of sugar-sweetened beverages on alcoholic beverage purchases: an economic analysis of sales data.

Science.gov (United States)

Quirmbach, Diana; Cornelsen, Laura; Jebb, Susan A; Marteau, Theresa; Smith, Richard

2018-04-01

Taxing soft-drinks may reduce their purchase, but assessing the impact on health demands wider consideration on alternative beverage choices. Effects on alcoholic drinks are of particular concern, as many contain similar or greater amounts of sugar than soft-drinks and have additional health harms. Changes in consumption of alcoholic drinks may reinforce or negate the intended effect of price changes for soft-drinks. A partial demand model, adapted from the Almost Ideal Demand System, was applied to Kantar Worldpanel data from 31 919 households from January 2012 to December 2013, covering drink purchases for home consumption, providing ~6 million purchases aggregated into 11 groups, including three levels of soft-drink, three of other non-alcoholic drinks and five of alcoholic drinks. An increase in the price of high-sugar drinks leads to an increase in the purchase of lager, an increase in the price of medium-sugar drinks reduces purchases of alcoholic drinks, while an increase in the price of diet/low-sugar drinks increases purchases of beer, cider and wines. Overall, the effects of price rises are greatest in the low-income group. Increasing the price of soft-drinks may change purchase patterns for alcohol. Increasing the price of medium-sugar drinks has the potential to have a multiplier-effect beneficial to health through reducing alcohol purchases, with the converse for increases in the price of diet-drinks. Although the reasons for such associations cannot be explained from this analysis, requiring further study, the design of fiscal interventions should now consider these wider potential outcomes. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

A Point-of-Purchase Intervention Featuring In-Person Supermarket Education Affects Healthful Food Purchases

Science.gov (United States)

Milliron, Brandy-Joe; Woolf, Kathleen; Appelhans, Bradley M.

2012-01-01

Objective: This study tested the efficacy of a multicomponent supermarket point-of-purchase intervention featuring in-person nutrition education on the nutrient composition of food purchases. Design: The design was a randomized trial comparing the intervention with usual care (no treatment). Setting and Participants: A supermarket in a…

New models intensify the purchase of energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vesimaeki, P.; Lampinen, J.

2001-01-01

Models, designed for planning and optimisation of the purchase of energy, combined with high-quality expertise have an impact on the costs of energy companies. Optimisation has a significant role in power plant investments and in planning the power distribution of wholesale electric power. After the liberation of the electricity markets, the planning of the electricity purchase and the optimisation have obtained totally new roles in estimating the cost effects of present and new customers. Electrowatt-Ekono has developed a windows-based COPSIM software for planning of electric power purchase. The software is in active use in Electrowatt-Ekono. The energy purchase is optimised on yearly basis or on a shorter period by one hour steps based on hourly variation of energy purchase, power plant characteristics, power consumption rates and the prices of the fuels, power and heat. COPSIM takes the effect of external temperature on the power generation of backpressure and gas turbine plants into account. The software optimises also the power distribution of wholesale power. By the software it is possible to model different types of power plants, purchase of power, power sales, different power plant shares, thermal power stations, purchase and sales of heat, heat storage and heat transfer between different heating networks

Design of an on-line monitoring system for radioactive wastewater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin Guoxiu; Youning Xu; Lei Wang; Xuesong Zhang; Wenping Zhou; Weizhe Li

2017-01-01

An on-line monitoring system for radioactive wastewater was designed to discriminate the type and concentration of the radionuclides discharged from nuclear facilities. An HPGe semiconductor was used as the detector in the system for continuous monitoring by pumping wastewater. The minimum detectable activity for 137 Cs was 0.4 Bq L -1 after 10 min of measuring wastewater with the system. The system can detect excessive radioactivity in the wastewater and quickly and effectively alert personnel. Based on the experimental measurements and the Monte Carlo simulation, the detection efficiency of the system was calibrated, and an efficiency curve was determined for the energy range from 50 to 2754 keV. (author)

Research on the Green Purchase Intentions from the Perspective of Product Knowledge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kai Chen

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Based on the theory of planned behavior, the moderating effects of product knowledge on the relationships between three independent variables and green purchase intentions were explored. Independent variables included green purchase attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavior control. After that, the difference of moderating effects of product knowledge between convenience goods and shopping goods was further analyzed. The scales of the study passed the test of reliability and validity through confirmatory factor analysis, and 306 valid questionnaires were collected. The hypotheses were tested by stepwise regression analysis. The results of the study showed that product knowledge had a significant moderating effect on the relationship between three independent variables and green purchase intentions, and the explanatory power of three independent variables would decrease in the context of high product knowledge. Interesting conclusions were reached from the perspective of product classification. This study contributes to the literature by treating product knowledge as a moderating variable in the theory of planned behavior in the field of green purchase behavior and exploring from a new research angle—the perspective of product classification.

Radiation source states on-line supervision system design and implementation based on RFID technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Binhua; Ling Qiu; Yin Guoli; Yang Kun; Wan Xueping; Wang Kan

2011-01-01

It puts forward radiation source states on-line monitoring resolution based on RFID technology. Firstly, the system uses RFID in real-time transmission of the radiation dose rate, and monitors the radiation source states and dose rate of the surrounding environment on-line. Then it adopts regional wireless networking mode to construct enterprise level monitoring network, which resolves long-distance wiring problems. And then it uses GPRS wireless to transport the real-time data to the monitoring center and the government supervision department, By adopting randomly dynamic cording in display update every day, it strengthens the supervision of the radiation source. At last this system has been successful applied to a thickness gauge project, which verifies the feasibility and practicality is good. (authors)

INIS retrieval service, towards on-line

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebinuma, Yukio; Komatsubara, Yasutoshi

1983-01-01

Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute executes the retrieval service of INIS atomic energy information by batch system in cooperation with Genshiryoku Kozaikai. This service is very popular to the users in whole Japan, but the demand of on-line service has increased recently. Therefore, it was decided to begin the INIS on-line service from January, 1984, through the on-line information retrieval system of the Japan Information Center of Science and Technology. It is expected that when the operation will be started, the utilization of INIS atomic energy information in Japan will drastically increase. Also Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute has carried out the retrieval service by on-line system for those in the institute besides the batch system, accordingly, at this opportunity, the state of utilization of both systems and their distinction to use effectively, and the operation and the method of utilization of the on-line information retrieval system of JICST are explained. In the on-line system, the users are accessible to the data base themselves, and immediate information retrieval is possible, while in the batch system, the related information can be retrieved without fail, and the troublesome operation of equipment is not necessary. (Kako, I.)

Effects of Different Types of Front-of-Pack Labelling Information on the Healthiness of Food Purchases-A Randomised Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Neal, Bruce; Crino, Michelle; Dunford, Elizabeth; Gao, Annie; Greenland, Rohan; Li, Nicole; Ngai, Judith; Ni Mhurchu, Cliona; Pettigrew, Simone; Sacks, Gary; Webster, Jacqui; Wu, Jason HY

2017-11-24

Front-of-pack nutrition labelling may support healthier packaged food purchases. Australia has adopted a novel Health Star Rating (HSR) system, but the legitimacy of this choice is unknown. To define the effects of different formats of front-of-pack labelling on the healthiness of food purchases and consumer perceptions. Individuals were assigned at random to access one of four different formats of nutrition labelling-HSR, multiple traffic light labels (MTL), daily intake guides (DIG), recommendations/warnings (WARN)-or control (the nutrition information panel, NIP). Participants accessed nutrition information by using a smartphone application to scan the bar-codes of packaged foods, while shopping. The primary outcome was healthiness defined by the mean transformed nutrient profile score of packaged foods that were purchased over four weeks. The 1578 participants, mean age 38 years, 84% female recorded purchases of 148,727 evaluable food items. The mean healthiness of the purchases in the HSR group was non-inferior to MTL, DIG, or WARN (all p 0.07), but WARN resulted in healthier packaged food purchases (mean difference 0.87; 95% confidence interval 0.03 to 1.72; p = 0.04). HSR was perceived by participants as more useful than DIG, and easier to understand than MTL or DIG (all p food purchases.

Web-based Factors Affecting Online Purchasing Behaviour

Science.gov (United States)

Ariff, Mohd Shoki Md; Sze Yan, Ng; Zakuan, Norhayati; Zaidi Bahari, Ahamad; Jusoh, Ahmad

2013-06-01

The growing use of internet and online purchasing among young consumers in Malaysia provides a huge prospect in e-commerce market, specifically for B2C segment. In this market, if E-marketers know the web-based factors affecting online buyers' behaviour, and the effect of these factors on behaviour of online consumers, then they can develop their marketing strategies to convert potential customers into active one, while retaining existing online customers. Review of previous studies related to the online purchasing behaviour in B2C market has point out that the conceptualization and empirical validation of the online purchasing behaviour of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) literate users, or ICT professional, in Malaysia has not been clearly addressed. This paper focuses on (i) web-based factors which online buyers (ICT professional) keep in mind while shopping online; and (ii) the effect of web-based factors on online purchasing behaviour. Based on the extensive literature review, a conceptual framework of 24 items of five factors was constructed to determine web-based factors affecting online purchasing behaviour of ICT professional. Analysis of data was performed based on the 310 questionnaires, which were collected using a stratified random sampling method, from ICT undergraduate students in a public university in Malaysia. The Exploratory factor analysis performed showed that five factors affecting online purchase behaviour are Information Quality, Fulfilment/Reliability/Customer Service, Website Design, Quick and Details, and Privacy/Security. The result of Multiple Regression Analysis indicated that Information Quality, Quick and Details, and Privacy/Security affect positively online purchase behaviour. The results provide a usable model for measuring web-based factors affecting buyers' online purchase behaviour in B2C market, as well as for online shopping companies to focus on the factors that will increase customers' online purchase.

Web-based Factors Affecting Online Purchasing Behaviour

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ariff, Mohd Shoki Md; Yan, Ng Sze; Zakuan, Norhayati; Bahari, Ahamad Zaidi; Jusoh, Ahmad

2013-01-01

The growing use of internet and online purchasing among young consumers in Malaysia provides a huge prospect in e-commerce market, specifically for B2C segment. In this market, if E-marketers know the web-based factors affecting online buyers' behaviour, and the effect of these factors on behaviour of online consumers, then they can develop their marketing strategies to convert potential customers into active one, while retaining existing online customers. Review of previous studies related to the online purchasing behaviour in B2C market has point out that the conceptualization and empirical validation of the online purchasing behaviour of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) literate users, or ICT professional, in Malaysia has not been clearly addressed. This paper focuses on (i) web-based factors which online buyers (ICT professional) keep in mind while shopping online; and (ii) the effect of web-based factors on online purchasing behaviour. Based on the extensive literature review, a conceptual framework of 24 items of five factors was constructed to determine web-based factors affecting online purchasing behaviour of ICT professional. Analysis of data was performed based on the 310 questionnaires, which were collected using a stratified random sampling method, from ICT undergraduate students in a public university in Malaysia. The Exploratory factor analysis performed showed that five factors affecting online purchase behaviour are Information Quality, Fulfilment/Reliability/Customer Service, Website Design, Quick and Details, and Privacy/Security. The result of Multiple Regression Analysis indicated that Information Quality, Quick and Details, and Privacy/Security affect positively online purchase behaviour. The results provide a usable model for measuring web-based factors affecting buyers' online purchase behaviour in B2C market, as well as for online shopping companies to focus on the factors that will increase customers' online purchase.

36 CFR 223.101 - Determination of purchaser responsibility.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... purchaser has a satisfactory record of integrity and business ethics; (5) The purchaser has or is able to... and governmental business commitments; (3) The purchaser has a satisfactory performance record on... applicable laws and regulations. (c) If the prospective purchaser is a small business concern and the...

On-line control system for electron injector based on autoemission cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Egorov, N.V.; Karpov, A.G.; Ovsyannikov, D.A.; Prudnikov, A.P.

1987-01-01

An original on-line system of control of electron injector parameters on the base of an autoemission cathode is described. The system includes hardware (analog-to-digital and graphical displays, a printer, a magnetic disc memory a plotter) and data control and readout equipment. A high-voltage power source of the 'RACE' is controlled by digital measuring devices connected with a computer data via a special matching device. Software includes servicing subroutines for injector controls and those permitting to display, plot and print results. The main operating program functioning in the interactive mode enables to specify the injector operating conditions and check its characteristics

Moving healthcare quality forward with nursing-sensitive value-based purchasing.

Science.gov (United States)

Kavanagh, Kevin T; Cimiotti, Jeannie P; Abusalem, Said; Coty, Mary-Beth

2012-12-01

To underscore the need for health system reform and emphasize nursing measures as a key component in our healthcare reimbursement system. Nursing-sensitive value-based purchasing (NSVBP) has been proposed as an initiative that would help to promote optimal staffing and practice environment through financial rewards and transparency of structure, process, and patient outcome measures. This article reviews the medical, governmental, institutional, and lay literature regarding the necessity for, method of implementation of, and potential impact of NSVBP. Research has shown that adverse events and mortality are highly dependent on nurse staffing levels and skill mix. The National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI), along with other well-developed indicators, can be used as nursing-sensitive measurements for value-based purchasing initiatives. Nursing-sensitive measures are an important component of value-based purchasing. Value-based purchasing is in its infancy. Devising an effective system that recognizes and incorporates nursing measures will facilitate the success of this initiative. NSVBP needs to be designed and incentivized to decrease adverse events, hospital stays, and readmission rates, thereby decreasing societal healthcare costs. NSVBP has the potential for improving the quality of nursing care by financially motivating hospitals to have an optimal nurse practice environment capable of producing optimal patient outcomes by aligning cost effectiveness for hospitals to that of the patient and society. © 2012 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Design considerations for on-line vibration diagnostic systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Branagan, L.A.; Schjeibel, J.R.

1989-01-01

The decisions made in the design of a data system for on-line vibration diagnostic system in power plants define how well the system will meet its intended goals. Direct use of the data for performing troubleshooting or developing operating correlations requires an understanding of the subtle impact of the design decisions incorporated in the data system. A data system includes data acquisition, data storage, and data retrieval. Data acquisition includes the selection of sensors, of vibration measurement modes, and of the time stamping format, and the arrangement of data collection cycles. Data storage requires the evaluation of data compression options and of data segregation. Data retrieval design requires an understanding of the data storage and acquisition techniques. Each of these options and design decisions involves compromises, many of which are discussed in this paper. Actual and synthetic data are presented to illustrate these points. The authors' experience with multiple data collection cycles, with frequent monitoring, and with storage by exception suggests that these techniques can be developed into an effective diagnostic system

Quality Dimensions of Purchase Behavior Decision on Fishery Products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nurliza Nurliza

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The role of fishery product has been developed and acknowledged in terms of food security both as income sources and food supplies for developing countries. On the other hand, quality control has become a challenge in overcoming consumers’ decision to purchase the products. The objective of research is to understand and evaluate consumer behavior in purchasing the products in regards to quality dimension on fishery products by using non-probability sampling technique to 142 consumers in three different locations in Pontianak (shops, mini/supermarkets, and local markets. Data were gathered by in-depth interviews divided into four categories consisting of consumer profiles; product knowledge; perception and preference; and quality dimension variable with conjoint analysis. The result shows that price, flavor, moistness, texture, nutrition, packaging color, and packaging size do not affect consumers’ decision to purchase the products. On the contrary, package durability attribute is the primary factor in their decision to purchase, and it is then followed by packaging material, availability, flavor, guarantee, guarantee source, brand, packaging form, and product form. This is beneficial for producers to improve the quality factors and develop market opportunities in the future. Besides, consumers can obtain information on product characteristics to fulfill their expectation and satisfaction.Keywords: conjoint analysis, fishery products, non-probability sampling, purchase behavior, quality dimensionsABSTRAKPeran produk olahan perikanan telah berkembang dan diakui dalam keamanan pangan–baik sebagai sumber pendapatan maupun sumber makanan bagi negara-negara berkembang. Namun, pengendalian terhadap karakteristik mutu menjadi sebuah tantangan dalam menghadapi keputusan pembelian konsumen. Tujuan penelitian adalah memahami dan mengevaluasi perilaku keputusan pembelian konsumen terkait dimensi mutu pada produk olahan perikanan menggunakan teknik non

On-line control system for the LIYaF AN SSSR synchrocyclotron beamlines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abrosimov, N.K.; Gerasimov, A.M.; Korovina, L.A.; Kryshen', L.M.; Mikheev, G.F.; Ryabov, G.A.

1987-01-01

During a number of years works on proton beamline reconstruction are conducted at the LIYaF synchrocyclotron. The reconstruction is aimed at on-line beam transport to the target. Resulting from the presented peculiarity analysis a traditional (for the system development period) structure of an on-line control system with a two-level hierarchy-the SM computer at the higher level and the ''Elektronika-60'' type computer-at the lower one, and the star-like configuration of the lower level computer connection to the higher one was accepted. Currently the following lower level subsystems are realized: a control subsystem for current stabilization in magnetic elements, beam shape measurement subsystem, collimator control subsystem, target device control subsystem. Radiation monitoring and magnetic measurement subsystems are being commissioned. Main trends in the further developing and increasing the system efficiency are enumerated

Exploring the market for third-party-owned residential photovoltaic systems: insights from lease and power-purchase agreement contract structures and costs in California

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davidson, Carolyn; Steinberg, Daniel; Margolis, Robert

2015-01-01

Over the past several years, third-party-ownership (TPO) structures for residential photovoltaic (PV) systems have become the predominant ownership model in the US residential market. Under a TPO contract, the PV system host typically makes payments to the third-party owner of the system. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the total TPO contract payments made by the customer can differ significantly from payments in which the system host directly purchases the system. Furthermore, payments can vary depending on TPO contract structure. To date, a paucity of data on TPO contracts has precluded studies evaluating trends in TPO contract cost. This study relies on a sample of 1113 contracts for residential PV systems installed in 2010–2012 under the California Solar Initiative to evaluate how the timing of payments under a TPO contract impacts the ultimate cost of the system to the customer. Furthermore, we evaluate how the total cost of TPO systems to customers has changed through time, and the degree to which contract costs have tracked trends in the installed costs of a PV system. We find that the structure of the contract and the timing of the payments have financial implications for the customer: (1) power-purchase contracts, on average, cost more than leases, (2) no-money-down contracts are more costly than prepaid contracts, assuming a customer’s discount rate is lower than 17% and (3) contracts that include escalator clauses cost more, for both power-purchase agreements and leases, at most plausible discount rates. In addition, all contract costs exhibit a wide range, and do not parallel trends in installed costs over time. (letter)

The Westinghouse BEACON on-line core monitoring system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buechel, Robert J.; Boyd, William A.; Casadei, Alberto L.

1995-01-01

BEACON (Best Estimate Analysis of Core Operations - Nuclear), a core monitoring and operational support package developed by Westinghouse, has been installed at many operating PWRs worldwide. The BEACON system is a real-time monitoring system which can be used in plants with both fixed and movable incore detector systems and utilizes an on-line nodal model combined with core instrumentation data to provide continuous core power distribution monitoring. In addition, accurate core-predictive capabilities utilizing a full core nodal model updated according to plant operating history can be made to provide operational support. Core history information is kept and displayed to help operators anticipate core behavior and take pro-active control actions. The BEACON system has been licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for direct, continuous monitoring of DNBR and peak linear heat rate. This allows BEACON to be integrated into the plant technical specifications to permit significant relaxation of operating limitations defined by conventional technical specifications. (author). 4 refs, 2 figs, 1 tab

Social communication : the impact of online customer reviews on purchase intention

OpenAIRE

Johansen, Kai Vegard; Hovland, Filip Lundberg

2013-01-01

Consumer-generated product reviews have proliferated online. Driven by the notion that customers’ decision to purchase a product is influenced by the information they obtain from online customer reviews, this thesis examines the impact of online customer reviews on purchase intention. To do so, the research integrates traditional communication theories, in particular social communication by Hovland (1948), with the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) to build a theoretical model. Importantly, ...

The effects of luxury conceptualization on counterfeit purchase an empirical study

OpenAIRE

Simona Romani; Stefano Pace; Giacomo Gistri

2011-01-01

The extant literature on luxury counterfeiting examines a wide range of antecedents of counterfeit purchase (such as product attributes, socio-demographic factors, and various consumer attitudes). However, less attention has been devoted to the luxury conceptualization held by consumers. This study argues that luxury value perception can be a multidimensional antecedent of counterfeit purchase, and therefore investigates whether 1) consumers of counterfeits and originals differ in their perce...

Double Up Food Bucks program effects on SNAP recipients' fruit and vegetable purchases.

Science.gov (United States)

Steele-Adjognon, Marie; Weatherspoon, Dave

2017-12-12

To encourage the consumption of more fresh fruits and vegetables, the 2014 United Sates Farm Bill allocated funds to the Double Up Food Bucks Program. This program provided Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program beneficiaries who spent $10 on fresh fruits and vegetables, in one transaction, with a $10 gift card exclusively for Michigan grown fresh fruits and vegetables. This study analyzes how fruit and vegetable expenditures, expenditure shares, variety and purchase decisions were affected by the initiation and conclusion, as well as any persistent effects of the program. Changes in fruit and vegetable purchase behaviors due to Double Up Food Bucks in a supermarket serving a low-income, predominantly Hispanic community in Detroit, Michigan were evaluated using a difference in difference fixed effects estimation strategy. We find that the Double Up Food Bucks program increased vegetable expenditures, fruit and vegetable expenditure shares, and variety of fruits and vegetables purchased but the effects were modest and not sustainable without the financial incentive. Fruit expenditures and the fruit and vegetable purchase decision were unaffected by the program. This study provides valuable insight on how a nutrition program influences a low-income, urban, Hispanic community's fruit and vegetable purchase behavior. Policy recommendations include either removing or lowering the purchase hurdle for incentive eligibility and dropping the Michigan grown requirement to better align with the customers' preferences for fresh fruits and vegetables.

Interactive Purchasing Situations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groote Schaarsberg, M.; Borm, P.E.M.; Hamers, H.J.M.; Reijnierse, J.H.

2012-01-01

Abstract: This paper introduces a new class of interactive cooperative purchasing situations and provides an explicit alternative characterization of the nucleolus of cooperative games, which offers an alternative to Kohlberg (1971). In our cooperative purchasing situation, the unit price of a

On-line Corrosion Monitoring in District Heating Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Richter, Sonja; Thorarinsdottir, R.I.; Hilbert, Lisbeth Rischel

2005-01-01

The corrosion control in district heating systems is today performed primarily with control of the water quality. The corrosion rate is kept low by assuring low dissolved oxygen concentration, high pH and low conductivity. Corrosion failures can occur, e.g. as a result of unknown oxygen ingress, ......, precipitation of deposits or crevices. The authors describe methods used for on-line monitoring of corrosion, cover the complications and the main results of a Nordic project.......The corrosion control in district heating systems is today performed primarily with control of the water quality. The corrosion rate is kept low by assuring low dissolved oxygen concentration, high pH and low conductivity. Corrosion failures can occur, e.g. as a result of unknown oxygen ingress...

R and D study on on-line criticality surveillance system (IV)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, Sumasu

2000-02-01

Developing an inexpensive on-line criticality surveillance system is required for ensuring the safety of nuclear fuel reprocessing plants. Based on the series of researches for five years, R and D study on On-line Criticality Surveillance system has been carried out since 1996. The concept of this Criticality Surveillance System is based on the Auto-Regressive Moving Average (ARMA) model identification algorithms to the time series of signal fluctuation of a neutron detector. We have proposed several new ideas of modification to the original design of the Criticality Surveillance System, and also reported some results of numerical analysis over the DCA experiments. In those days, DOS/V personal computers with Microsoft Windows have came into wide use instead of those based on the MS-DOS, which have been popular in Japan. NEC, a major maker of MS-DOS computers, stopped the production of MS-DOS computers and changed their management policy toward production of DOS/V personal computers. Our researches have been developed using MS-DOS computers. For the effective use of these important results, it became an urgent theme to transplant all programs developed on MS-DOS computers into computers with the OS, which is not easily affected by commercialism. Since the design concept should be based on high reliability, electromagnetic disturbance-free and high expandability, and also computers have achieved remarkably high performance as well as low price in these days, these computers should be used not only as a simple signal processing unit but also a totally integrated signal analyzing system along with conventional signal analyzing software in stead of IC chips with analyzing soft wares. This configuration enables us to easily introduce newly developed techniques and to provide supplement information. Then, this approach can enhance the reliability of the Criticality Surveillance System without addition of any special devices, and also provide the flexibility of the system

On-line Dynamic Security Assessment in Power Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weckesser, Johannes Tilman Gabriel

and solar radiation. Moreover, ongoing research suggests that demand response will be introduced to maintain power balance between generation and consumption at all times. Due to these changes the operating point of the power system will be less predictable and today’s stability and security assessment...... for early prediction of critical voltage sags is described. The method’s performance is compared to other prediction approaches. The results show that the proposed method succeeds in early, accurately and consistently predicting critically low voltage sags. An efficient on-line DSA not only identifies...

Tax credits and purchasing pools: will this marriage work?

Science.gov (United States)

Trude, S; Ginsburg, P B

2001-04-01

Bipartisan interest is growing in Congress for using federal tax credits to help low-income families buy health insurance. Regardless of the approach taken, tax credit policies must address risk selection issues to ensure coverage for the chronically ill. Proposals that link tax credits to purchasing pools would avoid risk selection by grouping risks similar to the way large employers do. Voluntary purchasing pools have had only limited success, however. This Issue Brief discusses linking tax credits to purchasing pools. It uses information from the Center for Studying Health System Change's (HSC) site visits to 12 communities as well as other research to assess the role of purchasing pools nationwide and the key issues and implications of linking tax credits and pools.

From point-of-purchase to path-to-purchase : How pre-shopping factors drive unplanned buying

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bell, D.R.; Corsten, D.; Knox, G.A.H.

2011-01-01

Many retailers believe that a majority of purchases are unplanned, so they spend heavily on in-store marketing to stimulate these types of purchases. At the same time, the effects of “preshopping” factors—the shoppers' overall trip goals, store-specific shopping objectives, and prior marketing

Consumer Purchase Behaviour Toward Environmentally Friendly Products in Japan

OpenAIRE

Udo, Miyako

2007-01-01

This study considers consumer purchase behaviour toward environmentally friendly products in Japan and focuses on factors which can influence environmentally responsible purchase decision making. The modified theory of planned behaviour based on previous research in the area of environmentally responsible purchase behaviour and ethical purchase decision making is applied to examine factors affecting the purchase decision making and key findings from the present study are highlighted. It can b...

An agency theory perspective on the purchase of marketing services

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tate, W.L.; Ellram, L.M.; Bals, L.; Hartmann, E.; Valk, van der W.

2010-01-01

The purchase of business services has become an important part of organizations' acquisition of external resources, and is therefore receiving growing scholarly attention. The supply management function is increasingly supporting more complex service purchases, including a wide range of marketing

Study on domestic material purchasing in MSR manufacture of conventional island

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie Zhengmao

2010-01-01

Combining the real case of Dongfang Electric (Guangzhou) Heavy Machinery Co., Ltd. trying to purchase the domestic sealing gasket as needed in the MSR of the conventional island, this paper describes the trends and relevant experience about nuclear power equipment manufacturers purchasing materials in the domestic market, and provides a reference to broadening the procurement channels of the purchasing departments of nuclear equipment manufacturers. (author)

POINT-OF-PURCHASE SIGNS, IMPULSE PURCHASES, AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN THE "DESIRE TO TOUCH"

OpenAIRE

Peck, Joann; Childers, Terry

2000-01-01

What is the role of touch in consumer behavior? Consumers are especially motivated to touch some products before buying them, and for some people, those high in "desire to touch", touching before buying is especially important. In addition, some situations encourage consumers to touch goods before purchasing them. How do these relate to impulse purchases? People high in their "desire to touch" are more likely to make impulse purchases. Point-of-purchase signs that encourage touching a product...

Analysis on the Intention to Purchase Weather Index Insurance and Development Agenda

Science.gov (United States)

Park, K.; Jung, J.; Shin, J.; Kim, B.

2013-12-01

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how to revitalize weather insurance. Current state of weather insurance market is firstly described, and the necessity of insurance products and intention to purchase are analyzed based on the recognition survey regarding weather insurance focusing on the weather index insurance. The result of intention to purchase insurance products were examined with Ordered Logit Analysis (OLA), indicating that the amount of damages, the impacts of weather change, and experience of damage and loss have a positive relationship with the intention to purchase weather insurance. In addition, recognition of the amount of acceptable payment for insurance (i.e. willingness to pay) was analyzed for both the group who wants to purchase insurance (Group 1) and the group who does not want to (Group 2). The results demonstrate that Group 1 shows statistically higher significance than Group 2. Based on the results above with the increase in abnormal weather phenomena, we could predict that the amount of damages and losses will be rapidly increasing. The portion of weather insurance market is also expected to consistently develop and expand. This study could be a cornerstone for drawing a plan to revitalize weather insurance.

48 CFR 811.104 - Use of brand name or equal purchase descriptions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Use of brand name or equal purchase descriptions. 811.104 Section 811.104 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF... Requirements Documents 811.104 Use of brand name or equal purchase descriptions. ...

The effects of low internal integration between purchasing and operations on suppliers’ resource mobilization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ellegaard, Chris; Koch, Christian

2012-01-01

A company that suffers from low internal integration between corporate functions performs worse than its more integrated competitors, leaving it in a position of competitive disparity. This paper reports on an investigation of the effects of internal integration between purchasing and operations...... on the mobilization of supplier resources. Low internal integration generates uncoordinated operations and purchasing behaviors that negatively affect supplier resource mobilization. We find that the lack of operations support for eight major purchasing initiatives in a construction company negatively affects...

An integrated on-line irradiation and in situ live cell imaging system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liang, Ying; Fu, Qibin; Wang, Weikang; Liu, Yu; Liu, Feng; Yang, Gen, E-mail: gen.yang@pku.edu.cn; Wang, Yugang

2015-09-01

Ionizing radiation poses a threat to genome integrity by introducing DNA damages, particularly DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) in cells. Understanding how cells react to DSB and maintain genome integrity is of major importance, since increasing evidences indicate the links of DSB with genome instability and cancer predispositions. However, tracking the dynamics of DNA damages and repair response to ionizing radiation in individual cell is difficult. Here we describe the development of an on-line irradiation and in situ live cell imaging system based on isotopic sources at Institute of Heavy Ion Physics, Peking University. The system was designed to irradiate cells and in situ observe the cellular responses to ionizing radiation in real time. On-line irradiation was achieved by mounting a metal framework that hold an isotopic γ source above the cell culture dish for γ irradiation; or by integrating an isotopic α source to an objective lens under the specialized cell culture dish for α irradiation. Live cell imaging was performed on a confocal microscope with an environmental chamber installed on the microscope stage. Culture conditions in the environment chamber such as CO{sub 2}, O{sub 2} concentration as well as temperature are adjustable, which further extends the capacity of the system and allows more flexible experimental design. We demonstrate the use of this system by tracking the DSB foci formation and disappearance in individual cells after exposure to irradiation. On-line irradiation together with in situ live cell imaging in adjustable culture conditions, the system overall provides a powerful tool for investigation of cellular and subcellular response to ionizing radiation under different physiological conditions such as hyperthermia or hypoxia.

An integrated on-line irradiation and in situ live cell imaging system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang, Ying; Fu, Qibin; Wang, Weikang; Liu, Yu; Liu, Feng; Yang, Gen; Wang, Yugang

2015-01-01

Ionizing radiation poses a threat to genome integrity by introducing DNA damages, particularly DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) in cells. Understanding how cells react to DSB and maintain genome integrity is of major importance, since increasing evidences indicate the links of DSB with genome instability and cancer predispositions. However, tracking the dynamics of DNA damages and repair response to ionizing radiation in individual cell is difficult. Here we describe the development of an on-line irradiation and in situ live cell imaging system based on isotopic sources at Institute of Heavy Ion Physics, Peking University. The system was designed to irradiate cells and in situ observe the cellular responses to ionizing radiation in real time. On-line irradiation was achieved by mounting a metal framework that hold an isotopic γ source above the cell culture dish for γ irradiation; or by integrating an isotopic α source to an objective lens under the specialized cell culture dish for α irradiation. Live cell imaging was performed on a confocal microscope with an environmental chamber installed on the microscope stage. Culture conditions in the environment chamber such as CO 2 , O 2 concentration as well as temperature are adjustable, which further extends the capacity of the system and allows more flexible experimental design. We demonstrate the use of this system by tracking the DSB foci formation and disappearance in individual cells after exposure to irradiation. On-line irradiation together with in situ live cell imaging in adjustable culture conditions, the system overall provides a powerful tool for investigation of cellular and subcellular response to ionizing radiation under different physiological conditions such as hyperthermia or hypoxia

An integrated on-line irradiation and in situ live cell imaging system

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Ying; Fu, Qibin; Wang, Weikang; Liu, Yu; Liu, Feng; Yang, Gen; Wang, Yugang

2015-09-01

Ionizing radiation poses a threat to genome integrity by introducing DNA damages, particularly DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) in cells. Understanding how cells react to DSB and maintain genome integrity is of major importance, since increasing evidences indicate the links of DSB with genome instability and cancer predispositions. However, tracking the dynamics of DNA damages and repair response to ionizing radiation in individual cell is difficult. Here we describe the development of an on-line irradiation and in situ live cell imaging system based on isotopic sources at Institute of Heavy Ion Physics, Peking University. The system was designed to irradiate cells and in situ observe the cellular responses to ionizing radiation in real time. On-line irradiation was achieved by mounting a metal framework that hold an isotopic γ source above the cell culture dish for γ irradiation; or by integrating an isotopic α source to an objective lens under the specialized cell culture dish for α irradiation. Live cell imaging was performed on a confocal microscope with an environmental chamber installed on the microscope stage. Culture conditions in the environment chamber such as CO2, O2 concentration as well as temperature are adjustable, which further extends the capacity of the system and allows more flexible experimental design. We demonstrate the use of this system by tracking the DSB foci formation and disappearance in individual cells after exposure to irradiation. On-line irradiation together with in situ live cell imaging in adjustable culture conditions, the system overall provides a powerful tool for investigation of cellular and subcellular response to ionizing radiation under different physiological conditions such as hyperthermia or hypoxia.

Operating years 1993 through 1995 power purchases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-12-01

Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is obligated to supply electric power to its contractual customers. Based on a forecast of growing customer loads and assuming Critical Period water conditions in the Columbia River Basin, BPA is planning to meet a firm energy deficit during the four operating years (OY) 1992 through 1995, i.e., August 1991 through July 1995. BPA has executed several power purchase agreements to cover the projected OY 1992 deficit. The proposed action is to extend two existing one-year power purchase agreements for an additional three years to cover the four-year Critical Period energy deficit. The extension of these two one-year power purchase agreements would: (1) increase BPA's firm energy load-carrying capability; (2) allow BPA to meet its firm energy contractual commitments over the remaining three years of the four-year Critical Period from August 1, 1992, to July 31, 1995; (3) provide flexibility for BPA's use of hydroelectric resources over the Critical Period; and (4) increase system reliability. Under Critical Period water conditions, absent the proposed action, projected loads would exceed the capability of the Federal power system to serve those loads. The purpose of BPA's proposed action is to assure consistency with its statutory responsibilities, including those found in the Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act (Northwest Power Act)

An Improved On-line Contingency Screening for Power System Transient Stability Assessment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weckesser, Johannes Tilman Gabriel; Jóhannsson, Hjörtur; Glavic, Mevludin

2017-01-01

This paper presents a contingency screening method and a framework for its on-line implementation. The proposed method carries out contingency screening and on-line stability assessment with respect to first-swing transient stability. For that purpose, it utilizes the single machine equivalent...... method and aims at improving the prior developed contingency screening approaches. In order to determine vulnerability of the system with respect to a particular contingency, only one time-domain simulation needs to be performed. An early stop criteria is proposed so that in a majority of the cases...... the simulation can be terminated after a few hundred milliseconds of simulated system response. The method's outcome is an assessment of the system's stability and a classification of each considered contingency. The contingencies are categorized by exploiting parameters of an equivalent one machine infinite bus...

Large-scale solar purchasing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

The principal objective of the project was to participate in the definition of a new IEA task concerning solar procurement (''the Task'') and to assess whether involvement in the task would be in the interest of the UK active solar heating industry. The project also aimed to assess the importance of large scale solar purchasing to UK active solar heating market development and to evaluate the level of interest in large scale solar purchasing amongst potential large scale purchasers (in particular housing associations and housing developers). A further aim of the project was to consider means of stimulating large scale active solar heating purchasing activity within the UK. (author)

Purchasing health services abroad: practices of cross-border contracting and patient mobility in six European countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Glinos, Irene A; Baeten, Rita; Maarse, Hans

2010-05-01

Contracting health services outside the public, statutory health system entails purchasing capacity from domestic non-public providers or from providers abroad. Over the last decade, these practices have made their way into European health systems, brought about by performance-oriented reforms and EU principles of free movement. The aim of the article is to explain the development, functioning, purposes and possible implications of cross-border contracting. Primary and secondary sources on purchasing from providers abroad have been collected in a systematic way and analysed in a structured frame. We found practices in six European countries. The findings suggest that purchasers from benefit-in-kind systems contract capacity abroad when this responds to unmet demand; pressures domestic providers; and/or offers financial advantages, especially where statutory purchasers compete. Providers which receive patients tend to be located in countries where treatment costs are lower and/or where providers compete. The modalities of purchasing and delivering care abroad vary considerably depending on contracts being centralised or direct, the involvement of middlemen, funding and pricing mechanisms, cross-border pathways and volumes of patient flows. The arrangements and concepts which cross-border contracting relies on suggest that statutory health purchasers, under pressure to deliver value for money and striving for cost-efficiency, experiment with new ways of organising health services for their populations. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Horizontal cooperative purchasing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schotanus, Fredo

2007-01-01

Purchasing in groups is a concept that is becoming increasingly popular in both the private and public sector. Often, the advantages such as lower purchase pricese, learning from each other, and reduced transaction costs outweigh set-up and management costs and drawbacks such as disclosure of

AN ANALYSIS ON THE DECISION MODEL OF SMART PLUS INSURANCE PRODUCT PURCHASE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fitry Primadona

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The purposes of this study were 1 to analyze the decision model of Smart Plus insurance product purchase and 2 to determine the criteria, sub-criteria, and alternative priorities in Smart Plus purchase decision model. The methods utilized in the study included a survey and interview (in-depth interview by using an AHP analysis (Analytical Hierarchy Process and processing software of "Expert Choice". The result of the first analysis indicated the four marketing mixes that had been performed (Price, Product, Process, and Place; while the second one showed that the purchase of Smart Plus product is based on the factors with the level of interest as follow: benefit (36.3%, premium (35.7%, membership process (14.6%, and provider (13.4%. The result of the second analysis revealed the important sub-criteria including premium offer, additional benefits, membership card, and temporary certificate from the medical specialist.Keywords: AHP, life insurance, marketing mix, purchase decision

Pricing and Promotion Effects on Low-Fat Vending Snack Purchases: The CHIPS Study.

Science.gov (United States)

French, Simone A.; Jeffery, Robert W.; Story, Mary; Breitlow, Kyle K.; Baxter, Judith S.; Hannan, Peter; Snyder, M. Patricia

2001-01-01

Examined the effects of pricing and promotion strategies on purchases of low-fat snacks from vending machines set up at secondary schools and worksites in Minnesota. Analysis of sales data indicated that reducing relative prices on low-fat snacks was very effective in promoting lower-fat snack purchases from vending machines in both settings. (SM)

E-ServEval: a system for quality evaluation of the on-line public services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandru BALOG

2008-01-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the objectives, the general architecture and the components of the web-based system for quality evaluation of the on-line public services developed using the framework of the complex research project “System for quality evaluation of the on-line public services for citizens and business environment (e-ServEval”. The paper also presents the technological options regarding the design and development of the system, the functions of the components and the aspects regarding the interface between user and e-ServEval system. Finally, the stage of the project and the conclusions are presented.

The impact of self-reported health and register-based prescription medicine purchases on re-employment chances

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svane-petersen, Annemette Coop; Dencker-Larsen, Sofie

2016-01-01

In this paper, we investigate the influence of self-reported health and register-based prescription medicine purchases on re-employment chances, and whether these health indicators measure similar aspects of health in this analysis. Data came from a 2006 Danish unemployment survey among a random...... on individual prescription medicine purchases for somatic illnesses and prescription medicine purchases for mental illnesses, information on re-employment and various socio-demographic variables. We conducted binary logistic regression analyses to investigate the impact of self-reported health and prescription...... medicine purchases measured in 2006 on re-employment chances in 2007 and 2008. Our analyses show that unemployed workers with poor self-reported health and workers who had prescription medicine purchases for mental illnesses were less likely to be re-employed in 2007 and 2008. Furthermore, the impact...

Effect of production system, supermarket and purchase date on the vitamin D content of eggs at retail.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Jing; Kliem, Kirsty E; Lovegrove, Julie A; Givens, D I

2017-04-15

The vitamin D content of eggs from three retail outlets was measured over five months to examine the effects of production system (organic vs. free range vs. indoor), supermarket and purchase date on the concentration of vitamin D 3 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 . Results demonstrated a higher vitamin D 3 concentration in free range (57.2±3.1μg/kg) and organic (57.2±3.2μg/kg) compared with indoor (40.2±3.1μg/kg) (Psupermarket for both forms of vitamin D may relate to some incorrect labelling. Concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 was higher (P<0.05) in July and September than in August . The results indicate variations in vitamin D concentrations in eggs from different sources, thus highlighting the importance of accurate labelling. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Development of a tilting system for electric multiple unit to speed up on conventional lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seo, Sung Il; Kim, Nam Po; Lee, Soo Gil; Kim, Seok Won

2008-01-01

An advanced tilting system for KTT (Korean Tilting Train) was developed and a performance test of the system has been completed. KTT has been constructed to speed up and promise a significant enhancement in service quality on a conventional line. KTT is an electric multiple unit composed of 6 cars running at the design speed of 200 km/h. The tilting system is the core technology of KTT and combined with the conventional bogie system. It has a self-steering mechanism and a swing link. The self-steering mechanism of Z-bar type is free to rotate on the curve and stable to run on a straight line. The swing link mechanism of the bolster enables the carbody to tilt up to 8 .deg.. A tilting control system detects a curve with sensors and commands the electro-mechanical actuators to move the bolster through the computer network system. GPS collaborates with the tilting system to perceive the curve previously and enables gradual tilting so as not to violate passenger comfort. The performance of the tilting system has been verified by a trial test running of KTT on a commercial conventional line. The tilting system is ready for commercial use

Should I Buy Organic Food? A Psychological Perspective on Purchase Decisions

OpenAIRE

Kløckner, Christian

2011-01-01

The individual consumer – although placed at the end of the production chain – plays an important role in establishing and developing the market for organic food. It is the final purchase in a supermarket, in a health-food shop or on a farmers’ market that creates the demand that eventually sustains organic agriculture. Purchasing food is by no means a simple decision. It can be split into a series of interlaced decisions such as: When do I do my food shopping (e.g., after work, on a Saturday...

EFFECT OF SALES PROMOTION SCHEMES ON PURCHASE QUANTITY: A STUDY OF MALAYSIAN CONSUMERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hawa JALLOW

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The research aims to study the effect of sales promotion on the purchase quantity and recommend sales promotional means and methods that could improve sales for retail sector in Malaysia. The impact of coupons, bonus packages, premiums, free samples and price discount is measured on purchase quantity of Malaysian retail consumers. Empirical data is gathered from 150 respondents using self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using correlation and regression analysis to examine the relationship between variables. The findings of the study reveal that all independent variables influences purchase quantity positively and significantly while free samples and price discounts are most influential factors for Malaysian market.

How influencers’ credibility on Instagram is perceived by consumers and its impact on purchase intention

OpenAIRE

Rebelo, Marta Figueiredo

2017-01-01

The purpose of this thesis is to understand the perception Instagram users, in other words consumers, have of influencers they follow on Instagram. Consumer perceived credibility of influencers, and its impact on the purchase intention, is therefore studied. This dissertation aims to highlight which credibility dimensions better explain the purchase intention. Gender is also explored to verify behavior differences between female and male consumers. To better analyze the perc...

Implementation of EPICS based Control System for Radioisotope Beam line

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jae-Ha; Ahn, Tae-Sung; Song, Young-Gi; Kwon, Hyeok-Jung; Cho, Yong-Sub [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Gyeongju (Korea, Republic of)

2015-10-15

Korea Mult-purpose Accelerator Complex (KOMAC) has been operating 100 MeV proton linear accelerator . For operating 100 MeV linac, various control system has been implemented such as vacuum, power supply, RCCS and etc. KOMAC is operating two beam lines so that clients can use 100 MeV proton beam for their experiment. KOMAC sends beam to beam line and target room using two dipole magnets and several quadrupole magnets. As demand for experiments and Radius Isotope using beam is increased, another beam line is under construction and RI beam line control system is need. To synchronize with KOMAC control system, RI beam line control system is based on Experimental Physics and Industrial control System (EPICS) software. The beam is transported to RI beam line to control magnet power supply and vacuum. Implementation of RI beam line control system is presented and some preliminary results are reported. The base RI beam line control system is implemented. It can control beam direction and vacuum. Comparing archived data and current data, RI beam line and control system will be improved. In the future, scroll pump and gate control system will be implemented using programmable logic controller PLC. RI beam interlock sequence will be added to KOMAC interlock system to protect linac.

Research and analysis on response characteristics of bracket-line coupling system under wind load

Science.gov (United States)

Jiayu, Zhao; Qing, Sun

2018-01-01

In this paper, a three-dimensional finite element model of bracket-line coupling system is established based on ANSYS software. Using the wind velocity time series which is generated by MATLAB as a power input, by comparing and analyzing the influence of different wind speeds and different wind attack angles, it is found that when 0 degree wind acts on the structure, wires have a certain damping effect in the bracket-line coupling system and at the same wind speed, the 90 degree direction is the most unfavorable wind direction for the whole structure according to the three kinds of angle wind calculated at present. In the bracket-line coupling system, the bracket structure is more sensitive to the increase of wind speed while the conductors are more sensitive to the change of wind attack angle.

EWOM and brand awareness impact on consumer purchase intention: Mediating role of brand image

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maryam Tariq

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The basic purpose of this research is to analyze the impact of electronic word of mouth (eWOM and brand awareness on customer purchase intention with the mediating role of brand image. The research is conducted to analyze the full or partial role of mediator on the said relationship. This research is basically conducted on customers of mobile users of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. To check this relationship a total of 300 questionnaires were floated in four universities of twin cities, of which 262 questionnaires with a response rate of 87.33% were received back on which mediation analysis has been performed. The results show full mediating impact of brand image on Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM and customer purchase intention relationship, while partial mediating role of brand image on relationship of brand awareness and customer purchase intention has been observed. This research will help marketers in implementing better marketing techniques for boosting customers purchase intention.

Intervention impact on depression product appraisal and purchasing behavior by employers: a randomized trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Rost, Kathryn M; Marshall, Donna; Xu, Stanley

2014-09-24

Employers can purchase high quality depression products that provide the type, intensity and duration of depression care management shown to improve work outcomes sufficiently for many employers to achieve a return on investment. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to test an intervention to encourage employers to purchase a high quality depression product for their workforce. Twenty nine organizations recruited senior health benefit professional members representing public or private employers who had not yet purchased a depression product for all 100+ workers in their company. The research team used randomization blocked by company size to assign eligible employers to: (1) a presentation encouraging employers to purchase a high quality depression product accompanied by a scientifically-derived return on investment estimate, or (2) a presentation encouraging employers to work with their most subscribed health plan to improve depression treatment quality indicators. Two hundred ninety three employers (82.3% of 356) completed baseline data immediately before learning that 140 employers had been randomized to the evidence-based (EB) depression product presentation and 153 had been randomized to the usual care (UC) depression treatment quality indicator presentation. Analysis of 250 (85.3% of 293) employers who completed web-based interviews at 12 and/or 24 months was conducted to determine presentation impact on depression product appraisal and purchasing behavior. The intervention had no impact on depression product appraisal in 232 subjects (F = 2.36, p = .07) or depression product purchasing (chisquare = 1.82, p = .44) in 250 subjects. Depression product appraisal increased in companies with greater health benefit generosity whose benefit professionals were male. Depression product purchasing behavior increased in small companies compared to large companies, companies who knew a vendor that sold depression products at baseline, companies with

PERAN PRODUCT CUES AND RISK AVERSION PADA PURCHASE INTENTION DAN POST PURCHASE FEELINGS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sri Rejeki Ekasasi

2015-11-01

Full Text Available AbstractThe research aimed to investigate the influence of extrinsic cues and intrinsic cues and risk aversion towards purchase intention and post-purchase feeling of counterfeited computer software and music CD. This research study collected data from two populations which are students and employee. Approximately 128 respondents involved to give respond for the survey. The analysis using Structural Equation Model (SEM show that product cues and risk aversion give different significant impact towards purchase intention and post-purchase feeling of counterfeited computer software and music CD. The research concluded that risk aversion and extrinsic cues has a significant influence to purchase intention of counterfeited computer software while it does not appear similar result to music CD. Moreover, the study revealed that for both counterfeited computer software and music CD, the purchase intention is proven to have negative significant influence towards post-purchase feelings.Keywords: risk aversion, extrinsic cues, intrinsic cues, purchase intention, post-purchase feelingsAbstrakTujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk melihat pengaruh atribut ekstrinsik dan intrinsic produk serta aspek menolak resiko terhadap niat beli dan perasaan paska beli software computer dan CD music bajakan. Penelitian ini diharapkan akan memperoleh sebuah model dengan pendekatan cultural dan strategi bisnis untuk memblokir atau mengurangi produk bajakan yang dapat diakses konsumen di pasar. Data primer akan dikumpulkan dari dua populasi, kelompok mahasiswa dan kelompok pekerja, dari empat kota besar di Indonesia yaitu Jakarta, Semarang, Surabaya, dan Yogyakarta. Lebih kurang 128 responden terlibat dalam penelitian ini. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa aspek atribut produk yang bersifat ekstrinsik dan aspek menolak resiko terbukti memiliki hubungan signifikan mempengaruhi niat beli software computer, akan tetapi lain tidak demikian pada niat beli CD music bajakan

Developing an EEG based On-line Closed-loop Lapse Detection and Mitigation System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Te eWang

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In America, sixty percent of adults reported that they have driven a motor vehicle while feeling drowsy, and at least 15-20% of fatal car accidents are fatigue-related. This study translates previous laboratory-oriented neurophysiological research to design, develop, and test an On-line Closed-loop Lapse Detection and Mitigation (OCLDM System featuring a mobile wireless dry-sensor EEG headgear and a cell-phone based real-time EEG processing platform. Eleven subjects participated in an event-related lane-keeping task, in which they were instructed to manipulate a randomly deviated, fixed-speed cruising car on a 4-lane highway. This was simulated in a 1st person view with an 8-screen and 8-projector immersive virtual-realty environment. When the subjects experienced lapses or failed to respond to events during the experiment, auditory feedback was delivered to rectify the performance decrements. However, the arousing auditory signals were not always effective. The EEG spectra exhibited statistically significant differences between effective and ineffective arousing signals, suggesting that EEG spectra could be used as a countermeasure of the efficacy of arousing signals. In this on-line pilot study, the proposed OCLDM System was able to continuously detect EEG signatures of fatigue, deliver arousing feedback to subjects suffering momentary cognitive lapses, and assess the efficacy of the feedback in near real-time to rectify cognitive lapses. The on-line testing results of the OCLDM System validated the efficacy of the arousing signals in improving subjects' response times to the subsequent lane-departure events. This study may lead to a practical on-line lapse detection and mitigation system in real-world environments.

Developing an EEG-based on-line closed-loop lapse detection and mitigation system.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yu-Te; Huang, Kuan-Chih; Wei, Chun-Shu; Huang, Teng-Yi; Ko, Li-Wei; Lin, Chin-Teng; Cheng, Chung-Kuan; Jung, Tzyy-Ping

2014-01-01

In America, 60% of adults reported that they have driven a motor vehicle while feeling drowsy, and at least 15-20% of fatal car accidents are fatigue-related. This study translates previous laboratory-oriented neurophysiological research to design, develop, and test an On-line Closed-loop Lapse Detection and Mitigation (OCLDM) System featuring a mobile wireless dry-sensor EEG headgear and a cell-phone based real-time EEG processing platform. Eleven subjects participated in an event-related lane-keeping task, in which they were instructed to manipulate a randomly deviated, fixed-speed cruising car on a 4-lane highway. This was simulated in a 1st person view with an 8-screen and 8-projector immersive virtual-reality environment. When the subjects experienced lapses or failed to respond to events during the experiment, auditory warning was delivered to rectify the performance decrements. However, the arousing auditory signals were not always effective. The EEG spectra exhibited statistically significant differences between effective and ineffective arousing signals, suggesting that EEG spectra could be used as a countermeasure of the efficacy of arousing signals. In this on-line pilot study, the proposed OCLDM System was able to continuously detect EEG signatures of fatigue, deliver arousing warning to subjects suffering momentary cognitive lapses, and assess the efficacy of the warning in near real-time to rectify cognitive lapses. The on-line testing results of the OCLDM System validated the efficacy of the arousing signals in improving subjects' response times to the subsequent lane-departure events. This study may lead to a practical on-line lapse detection and mitigation system in real-world environments.

The impact of socioeconomic and clinical factors on purchase of prescribed analgesics before and after hysterectomy on benign indication

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Daugbjerg, Signe Bennedbæk; Brandsborg, Birgitte; Ottesen, Bent Smedegaard

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE:: Pelvic pain is a primary symptom of women referred for hysterectomy. This study identified risk factors for purchase of prescribed analgesics before and after hysterectomy and examined purchase changes after hysterectomy, specifically focusing on socioeconomic effects. METHODS:: Nearly...... socioeconomic factors and changes in analgesic purchase were assessed. RESULTS:: Analgesic purchase after hysterectomy was independently predicted by age below 35 or above 65 years, body mass index >29.9, high American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, uterus weight...

49 CFR 37.73 - Purchase or lease of used non-rail vehicles by public entities operating fixed route systems.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... public entities operating fixed route systems. 37.73 Section 37.73 Transportation Office of the Secretary... operating fixed route systems. (a) Except as provided elsewhere in this section, each public entity operating a fixed route system purchasing or leasing, after August 25, 1990, a used bus or other used...

Electronic word of mouth influence on consumer purchase intention ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This type of e-marketing affects consumer on its purchase intention of product or service. ... influence and how these factors influence the buying decisions of consumers. ... This paper is expedient for marketers in creating effective promotional ...

On-line identification of hybrid systems using an adaptive growing and pruning RBF neural network

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alizadeh, Tohid

2008-01-01

This paper introduces an adaptive growing and pruning radial basis function (GAP-RBF) neural network for on-line identification of hybrid systems. The main idea is to identify a global nonlinear model that can predict the continuous outputs of hybrid systems. In the proposed approach, GAP......-RBF neural network uses a modified unscented kalman filter (UKF) with forgetting factor scheme as the required on-line learning algorithm. The effectiveness of the resulting identification approach is tested and evaluated on a simulated benchmark hybrid system....

Establishment of X-ray Measurement System for On-line Monitoring of Water Content in Powder

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, J. S. [Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Y. S. [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Choi, B. J. [Idealsystem Co., Daegu (Korea, Republic of)

2012-05-15

On-line process monitoring is of critical importance in many industries, and therefore a variety of the state-of-the-art physical and chemical measurement techniques have been proposed. But, these techniques have their own pros and cons under the field process environments. Because the field process environments are very different from the well-organized chemical laboratories, many factors should be considered in order to optimize the process monitoring system. However, there have been few studies on the on-line measurement of water content in powder materials. For that reason, the X-ray measurement system based on the X-ray scattering technique, which was first proposed in 2011 as a new method for the determination of water content in powder, has been improved. in the present study, our original X-ray measurement system has been modified for more rapid, simple, and adequate for maximizing the field applicability of the on-line monitoring system

STRATEGIC PURCHASING IN A PROJECT- BASED COMPANY – TO CENTRALIZE OR DECENTRALIZE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eva Donociková

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Organizations all lie on a spectrum, at one end of which are firms with complete centralization of purchasing, and at the other end are firms with complete decentralization. Most firms lie somewhere between the two extremes, and we have already mentioned the most common model that has certain decisions centralized (perhaps strategy design, selection of suppliers, purchasing of major capital equipment, training, co-ordination, communications, etc. and bulk of purchasing devolved to local buyers. There are many variations on the type of activities that are either centralized or decentralized. In the last 12 years purchasing has noticed two radical changes in the majority of facilities. First change was the reverse of supplier – customer relationships where the role of purchasers changed from persuading and begging the suppliers to ever deliver, preferably with minimum delay (for fixed prices, to standard purchase activities where the purchaser can choose from many suppliers and negotiate prices with vendors to achieve the best conditions for his buyer. The second change was the establishing of a modern IT system that made purchasing activities more effective, more automatic and transparent to a considerable extent. It is good to realize whether all changes have led to improvement or whether these changes have caused a stop or a slowdown of the project purchasing – whether it is possible or even necessary to take into account global as well as local suppliers or to combine them. This Case Study demonstrates how a project - managed organization could look like, where it is necessary to take into account customer´s wishes and benefit.

Coffee Index as Quick and Simple Indicator of Purchasing Power Parity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jakub Fischer

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Purchasing Power Parity is the corner stone of all international comparisons. Various approaches to Purchasing Power Parity, such as the Big Mac Index, KFC Index, iPad Index, Tall Latte Index or Ikea Index were popularized to the broader audience besides the OECD Purchasing Power Parity indices. The aim of this paper is to develop a new ready-to-use quick and simple index based on the prices of Nespresso coffee’s capsules and show the main challenges of such indices as well as of the PPP concept. For the purpose of our research the data on the Nespresso capsules prices were collected. Taking into account also the popularity (demand side of the capsules types, the Espresso line was chosen as the basis for which all further calculations are made. The Nespresso Index provides us with clear evidence that the Law of One Price cannot work in recent world because of three key features. Firstly, differences in taxes make the perfect parity impossible. Secondly, the price discrimination prevents the rational subjects from arbitrage. Finally, the changes in the exchange rate make such indices highly volatile. Despite these weaknesses, the Nespresso Index could be used as the useful supplement of the OECD PPP as it is low cost, easy and fast to compute and digestible for the lay public.

The Influence of the Paralympic Sponsorship on Consumers' Purchase Intention: The Mediating Role of Corporate Image

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sang Back Nam

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the current study was to investigate the influence of Paralympic sponsorship on corporate image and consumer purchase intension, and the mediating role of corporate image between sponsorship and purchase intention was examined. Furthermore, it was to investigate which dimension of corporate image plays as the mediating role in the relationship between Paralympic sponsorship and consumer purchase intention. 400 data were collected from residents of Seoul, Incheon, Busan, and Kwangju, Korea from December 20th, 2010 to January 10th, and 384 data were used. The data were analyzed by using SPSS/PC ver. 15.0 for Windows and AMOS 7.0 program. The mediating effects were tested by using Bootrapping method. The significance level was set at á = .05, and the results are as follows. First, promotion and contribution dimensions of Paralympic sponsorship had positive effects on corporate image. Second, Paralympic sponsorship had positive effects on consumers' purchase intention. Third, among corporate image dimensions, only corporate contribution image had positive effects on consumers' purchase intention. Fourth, corporate contribution dimension was partially mediating in the relationship between promotion dimension of Paralympic sponsorship and consumers' purchase intention and contribution dimension of Paralympic sponsorship and consumers'purchase intention.

78 FR 69932 - Tedesco Family ESB Trust, et al.-Purchase of Certain Assets and Membership Interests-Evergreen...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-21

... Trails, Inc. d/b/a Horizon Coach Lines, et al. AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board, DOT. ACTION: Notice... Franmar's purchase of certain motor coach and non- motor coach assets of Evergreen Trails, Inc. d/b/a... (Family Trust), on behalf of Franmar Leasing, Inc. (Franmar), together with the Francis Tedesco Revocable...

Uranium purchases report 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-07-01

US utilities are required to report to the Secretary of Energy annually the country of origin and the seller of any uranium or enriched uranium purchased or imported into the US, as well as the country of origin and seller of any enrichment services purchased by the utility. This report compiles these data and also contains a glossary of terms and additional purchase information covering average price and contract duration. 3 tabs

A STUDY OF ONLINE PURCHASE BEHAVIOUR- INVESTIGATING SOCIAL MEANING OF ONLINE PURCHASE IN TAIWAN

OpenAIRE

Chang, Che-wen

2008-01-01

To justify the applicability of previous researches of online purchase in the Eastern culture, 237 samples in Taiwan are examined with questionnaire adapted from previous researches. Based on the assumption of rational behaviour that online purchase intention leads to behaviour, factors influencing them are examined and discussed. The result indicates that demographic attributes, perceived consequence, conspicuous meaning, information sources and reference group are confirmed to impact online...

SAF line analytical chemistry system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerber, E.W.; Sherrell, D.L.

1983-10-01

An analytical chemistry system dedicated to supporting the Secure Automated Fabrication (SAF) line is discussed. Several analyses are required prior to the fuel pellets being loaded into cladding tubes to assure certification requirements will be met. These analyses, which will take less than 15 minutes, are described. The automated sample transport system which will be used to move pellets from the fabriction line to the chemistry area is also described

Impact on alcohol purchasing of a ban on multi-buy promotions: a quasi-experimental evaluation comparing Scotland with England and Wales

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Ryota; Suhrcke, Marc; Pechey, Rachel; Morciano, Marcello; Roland, Martin; Marteau, Theresa M

2014-01-01

Aims To evaluate the impact of the 2011 Scottish ban on multi-buy promotions of alcohol in retail stores. Design and setting Difference-in-differences analysis was used to estimate the impact of the ban on the volume of alcohol purchased by Scottish households, compared with those in England and Wales, between January 2010 and June 2012. Participants A total of 22 356 households in Scotland, England and Wales. Measurements Records of alcohol purchasing from each of four categories (beer and cider, wine, spirits and flavoured alcoholic beverages), as well as total volume of pure alcohol purchased. Findings Controlling for general time trends and household heterogeneity, there was no significant effect of the multi-buy ban in Scotland on volume of alcohol purchased either for the whole population or for individual socio-economic groups. There was also no significant effect on those who were large pre-ban purchasers of alcohol. Most multi-buys were for beer and cider or for wine. The frequency of shopping trips involving beer and cider purchases increased by 9.2% following the ban (P purchased on each trip decreased by 8.1% (P purchasing in the short term. Wider regulation of price promotion and price may be needed to achieve this. PMID:24251415

The Influence of Store Atmosphere on Purchase Decision and IT's Impact on Customer's Satisfaction (Case Study on Indomaret Customers Jl. Raya Tlogomas No. 37, Malang)

OpenAIRE

Diawan, Nizar Satya; Kusumawati, Andriani; Mawardi, M. Kholid

2016-01-01

This research objectives are to: examine the influence of Store Atmosphere on Purchase Decision, examine the influence of Store Atmosphere on Customer Satisfaction, examine the influence of Purchase Decision on Customer Satisfaction. The result of path analysis showed that: Store Atmosphere has significant influence on Purchase Decision; Store Atmosphere has significant influence on Customer Satisfaction; Purchase Decision has significant influence on Customer Satisfaction. Therefore, the Man...

Factors of Consumer Behavior That Affect Purchasing Decisions on Blackberry Smartphone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Tony Nawawi

2016-03-01

analysis used the method of multiple regression analysis and hypothesis testing and also testing conducted validity and reliability by using the help of SPSS (Statistical Program for the Science Society. The analysis shows that there is significant positive effect between the factors of cultural, social, personal, and psychological effect on purchasing decisions, with significance 0,000 < 0,05, and Adjusted R Square is worth 0,216, it means that 21,6% of purchase decisions are influenced by these factors.

Effect of different children's menu labeling designs on family purchases.

Science.gov (United States)

Holmes, Ashley S; Serrano, Elena L; Machin, Jane E; Duetsch, Thomas; Davis, George C

2013-03-01

The majority of labeling studies at restaurants have focused on adults, not children, and utilized cross-sectional data with one menu labeling design, typically calorie information. The aim of this longitudinal study was to examine the effect of three different menu labeling designs for children's meals on total calories and fat selected by families. Each menu was implemented for 2months. Patrons' purchases were tracked from a control menu (with no nutrition information) through all three theoretically-based designs: calorie and fat information; followed by symbols denoting healthier choices; then nutrition bargain price. All menus were created specifically for the study. They featured six combination meals (pre-determined entrees and side items) and a la carte items (entrees and side items that could be ordered separately). Only combination meals contained labeling. Fixed effects models were estimated to detect changes in sales for each menu labeling design compared to the control. Overall, menu labeling did not result in a positive net effect on total calories or fat purchased by families, but resulted in significant shifts in purchases of combination and a la carte meals and healthy and unhealthy options. The most significant impact was seen for nutrition bargain price labeling, the last design. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

49 CFR 37.71 - Purchase or lease of new non-rail vehicles by public entities operating fixed route systems.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... public entities operating fixed route systems. 37.71 Section 37.71 Transportation Office of the Secretary... operating fixed route systems. (a) Except as provided elsewhere in this section, each public entity operating a fixed route system making a solicitation after August 25, 1990, to purchase or lease a new bus...

On the use of purchased fuelwood in detached houses in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tuomi, S.; Mattila, K.

1996-01-01

The study, conducted jointly by the Finnish Forest Research Institute (METLA) and the Work Efficiency Institute (TTS-Institute), looked into the volumes of fuelwood consumed by, the manner of fuel wood procurement employed, and the usage plans of people living in detached houses. The study was conducted during the heating season 1992/93. METLA collected the study material by the means of a nation-wide mail inquiry. The base population for the study was provided by all the 1.4 million detached houses in Finland. The sample comprised 12 273 detached houses. This publication of the Forestry Department of TTS-Institute is a separate report on the use of fuelwood and other issues related to purchased fuelwood. An estimated total of 5.6 million m 3 of fuelwood were consumed in by household living in detached houses throughout Finland during the heating season 1992/93. The consumption of fuelwood on farms was 2.5 million m 3 , in detached houses proper 2.3 million m 3 , in recreational homes 0.6 million m 3 , and other houses 0.2 million m 3 . 3.6 million m 3 of the fuelwood consumed was acquired from the users' own woodlots. The proportion of purchased wood was nearly a million m 3 and another million m 3 of fuelwood were acquired by some other way. Of the purchased fuelwood, 12 % was bought ready- chopped. More than one owner of detached houses considered the use of purchased wood a possibility. Ready-chopped firewood was the most popular form of fuelwood. The owners of nearly 220 000 detached houses planned to increase their fuelwood consumption during the next two years and 27 % of them intended to buy their fuelwood. 11 % of the respondents were of the opinion that there was not enough purchased fuelwood in suitable form available in their locality. (19 refs.)

Factors Affecting Consumer Purchase Decision on Insurance Product in PT. Prudential Life Assurance Manado

OpenAIRE

Esau, Eko Yiswa Rasti

2015-01-01

Marketing Mix is the main factor that could affect the whole marketing system. The absence of marketing mix analysis will affecting negatively on a marketing performance. The research aims to analyze the influence of Product, Price, Promotion, People and Process of the Prudential Life Assurance Manado Area on the Consumer Purchase Decision. Data collected through distribution of questionnaires to 100 consumer of Prudential Life Assurance Manado Area. The research used Classic Assumption test ...

Financial incentives and purchase restrictions in a food benefit program affect the types of foods and beverages purchased: results from a randomized trial.

Science.gov (United States)

French, Simone A; Rydell, Sarah A; Mitchell, Nathan R; Michael Oakes, J; Elbel, Brian; Harnack, Lisa

2017-09-16

This research evaluated the effects of financial incentives and purchase restrictions on food purchasing in a food benefit program for low income people. Participants (n=279) were randomized to groups: 1) Incentive- 30% financial incentive for fruits and vegetables purchased with food benefits; 2) Restriction- no purchase of sugar-sweetened beverages, sweet baked goods, or candies with food benefits; 3) Incentive plus Restriction; or 4) Control- no incentive or restrictions. Participants received a study-specific debit card where funds were added monthly for 12-weeks. Food purchase receipts were collected over 16 weeks. Total dollars spent on grocery purchases and by targeted food categories were computed from receipts. Group differences were examined using general linear models. Weekly purchases of fruit significantly increased in the Incentive plus Restriction ($4.8) compared to the Restriction ($1.7) and Control ($2.1) groups (p beverage purchases significantly decreased in the Incentive plus Restriction (-$0.8 per week) and Restriction ($-1.4 per week) groups compared to the Control group (+$1.5; pfoods and beverages purchased with food program funds may support more healthful food purchases compared to no incentives or restrictions. Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT02643576 .

Uranium purchases report 1993

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

Data reported by domestic nuclear utility companies in their responses to the 1991 through 1993 ''Uranium Industry Annual Survey,'' Form EIA-858, Schedule B,'' Uranium Marketing Activities,'' are provided in response to the requirements in the Energy Policy Act 1992. Appendix A contains an explanation of Form EIA-858 survey methodologies with emphasis on the processing of Schedule B data. Additional information published in this report not included in Uranium Purchases Report 1992, includes a new data table. Presented in Table 1 are US utility purchases of uranium and enrichment services by origin country. Also, this report contains additional purchase information covering average price and contract duration. Table 2 is an update of Table 1 and Table 3 is an update of Table 2 from the previous year's report. The report contains a glossary of terms

Purchasing non-utility power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brackeen, L.G.

1990-01-01

The author discusses Houston Lighting and Power Company's procedure for purchasing power from cogenerators. By way of introduction, HL and P is the eighth largest electric utility in the United States in terms of kilowatt-hour sales and the second largest purchaser of natural gas in the nation. HL and P is also the principal utility providing electric service to the massive petrochemical industry in Southeast Texas. Of the 4,800 MW of cogeneration available, HL and P buys 945 MW under firm contracts, wheel 1,600 MW to other utilities, buy 400 MW under non-firm contracts and the balance is self-generation used to displace power which would otherwise be purchased from HL and P. With all this cogeneration capacity available, the problem until recently has been managing the surplus. HL and P now is finding itself in the unaccustomed position of needing to buy additional power or build plants to meet the modest growth it forecasts for Houston. The need for additional capacity coincides with the expiration of cogeneration contracts in 1993 and 1994. To meet this capacity need, they are determined to avoid buying cogeneration at a very high price and on delivery terms which do not reflect realistic benefits to their electric customers. The paper gives information on the background on PUC regulations and legislation, then briefly reviews the procedure for purchase of cogenerated power in Texas

Exploring risk profiles and emergency frequency of purchasers and non-purchasers of personal emergency alarms: a prospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

De San Miguel, Kristen; Lewin, Gill; Burton, Elissa; Toye, Christine; Boldy, Duncan; Howat, Peter

2015-10-27

Personal alarms support independent living and have the potential to reduce serious consequences after a fall or during a medical emergency. While some Australian states have government funded personal alarm programs, others do not; but user-pays services are available. Although several studies have examined the profiles of alarm users, little is known about the risk profile of non-users. Specifically, whether there are "at risk" individuals who are unable, or choose not to purchase a service, who experience a home-based emergency in which an alarm could have mitigated an adverse outcome. This study aimed to describe the 'risk profile' of purchasers and non-purchasers of alarms; explore the reasons behind the decision to purchase or not to purchase and identify how often emergency assistance was needed and why. Purchasers and non-purchasers were followed for one year in this prospective cohort study. Demographic, decision-making and risk factor data were collected at an initial face-to-face interview, while information about emergencies was collected by monthly calls. One hundred and fifty-seven purchasers and sixty-five non-purchasers completed the study. The risk profiles between the groups were similar in terms of gender, living arrangements, fall history and medical conditions. Purchasers (Mean = 82.6 years) were significantly older than non-purchasers (Mean = 79.3 years), (t(220) = -3.38, p = 0.000) and more functionally dependent on the IADL (z = -2.57, p = 0.010) and ADL (z = -2.45 p = 0.014) function scores. Non-purchasers (Mean = 8.04, SD = 3.57) were more socially isolated with significantly fewer family networks than purchasers (Mean = 9.46, SD = 3.25) (t(220) = -2.86, p = 0.005). Both groups experienced similarly high numbers of emergencies, 38.2 % of purchasers and 41.5 % of non-purchasers had at least one emergency where an alarm could have assisted. Main reasons for non-purchase were: cost (77 %), limited alarm range (51 %), no need (39 %) and lack

Feasibility study of applying a multi-channel analysis model to on-line core monitoring system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In, W. K.; Yoo, Y. J.; Hwang, D. H.; Jun, T. H.

1998-01-01

A feasibility study was performed to evaluate the effect of implementing a multi-channel analysis model in on-line core monitoring system. A simplified thermal-hydraulic model has been used in the on-line core monitoring system of digital PWR. The design procedure, core thermal margin and computation time were investigated in case of replacing the simplified model with the multi-channel analysis model. For the given ranges of limiting conditions for operation in Yonggwang Unit 3 Cycle 1, the minimum DNBR of the simplified thermal-hydraulic code CETOP-D was compared to that of the multi-channel analysis code MATRA. A CETOP-D tuning is additionally required to ensure the accurate and conservative DNBR calculation but the MATRA tuning is not necessary. MATRA appeared to increase the DNBR overpower margin from 2.5% to 6% over the CETOP-D margin. MATRA took approximately 1 second to compute DNBR on the HP9000 workstation system, which is longer than the DNBR computation time of CETOP-D. It is, however, fast enough to perform the on-line monitoring of DNBR. It can be therefore concluded that the application of the multi-channel analysis model MATRA in the on-line core monitoring system is feasible

Purchase rates and energy content of nutritionally promoted and traditional fast foods purchased at lunchtime in Australia - a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Atkinson, Louise F; Palmer, Michelle A

2012-03-01

Nutritionally promoted foods are now available at fast-food establishments. Little is known about their popularity, who is purchasing them, or their impact on dietary intake. Our study aimed to determine: how often nutritionally promoted fast foods were purchased; the demographic characteristics of people purchasing these foods; and if purchasing these foods resulted in reduced energy, and increased vegetable, content of lunches compared with those who purchased traditional fast foods. A survey collecting lunchtime fast-food purchases and demographic details was administered over two months. Nutritionally promoted products included the McDonalds' 'Heart Foundation Tick Approved' range and Subway's 'Six grams of fat or less' range. Energy and vegetable contents were estimated using information from fast-food companies' websites. Differences in demographics, energy and vegetable contents between individuals purchasing nutritionally promoted and traditional lunches were assessed using χ2 and t tests. Queensland, Australia. Lunchtime diners aged over 16 years at Subway and McDonalds. Surveys were collected from 927 respondents (58 % male, median age 25 (range 16-84) years; 73 % response rate). Only 3 % (n 24/910) of respondents who ordered a main option had purchased a nutritionally promoted item. Purchasers of nutritionally promoted foods were ∼13 years older, predominantly female (79 %), and more often reported involvement in a health-related profession (29 % v. 11 %) than purchasers of traditional foods (P < 0·05). Purchasers of nutritionally promoted foods ordered 1·5 fewer megajoules and 0·6 more vegetable servings than purchasers of traditional foods (P < 0·05). Nutritionally promoted fast foods may reduce lunchtime energy content, however these foods were infrequently chosen.

Investing in Their Future: Portland’s Purchase and Conversion of an LED Street Lighting System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kinzey, B. R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Rosinbum, T. [Portland Bureau of Transportation, Portland, OR (United States)

2015-08-28

During the ongoing process of converting its streetlights from high-pressure sodium to LED, the city of Portland, Oregon, purchased a large portion of its street lighting system and encountered a range of issues among the stakeholders. This report identifies some of the challenges involved and discusses how they were addressed, in order to help inform and facilitate future lighting transitions elsewhere.

The Effect of Lifestyle, Perception, Satisfaction, and Preference on The Online Re-purchase Intention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Winda Victoria Pebriani

2018-06-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research was to analyze the effect of lifestyle, perception, satisfaction, and preference on the online re-purchase intention. The data are collected from 218 women consumers who have bought Muslim clothing through e-commerce (Hijup and social network (Instagram at least two times in the last three months. The data are analyzed using t-test and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM. The result of this research indicates that lifestyle has a significant effect on perception, perception has an effect on satisfaction, satisfaction has an effect on preference, and preference has an effect on re-purchase intention. Meanwhile, satisfaction has no significant effect on re-purchase intention in both models.

Commercial Nitrogen Fertilizer Purchased

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Amounts of fertilizer nitrogen (N) purchased by states in individual years 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011, and the % change in average amounts purchased per year...

The design and implementation of on-line monitoring system for UHV compact shunt capacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Weiliang; Ni, Xuefeng; Lin, Hao; Jiang, Shengbao

2017-08-01

Because of the large capacity and compact structure of the UHV compact shunt capacitor, it is difficult to take effective measures to detect and prevent the faults. If the fault capacitor fails to take timely maintenance, it will pose a threat to the safe operation of the system and the life safety of the maintenance personnel. The development of UHV compact shunt capacitor on-line monitoring system can detect and record the on-line operation information of UHV compact shunt capacitors, analyze and evaluate the early fault warning signs, find out the fault capacitor or the capacitor with fault symptom, to ensure safe and reliable operation of the system.

Impact of the front-of-pack 5-colour nutrition label (5-CNL) on the nutritional quality of purchases: an experimental study.

Science.gov (United States)

Julia, Chantal; Blanchet, Olivier; Méjean, Caroline; Péneau, Sandrine; Ducrot, Pauline; Allès, Benjamin; Fezeu, Léopold K; Touvier, Mathilde; Kesse-Guyot, Emmanuelle; Singler, Eric; Hercberg, Serge

2016-09-20

Front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition labelling has received growing attention from public health authorities, as a tool to promote healthier diets in the population. Recently, the French Health law introduced the principle of implementing a FOP nutrition labelling system. A scientific proposal has put forward the 5-Colour Nutrition Label (5-CNL), a five-category colour-coded summary system supported by research suggesting that it is well perceived and understood in the population. Our objective was to investigate the impact of the 5-CNL on the nutritional quality of purchases in experimental supermarkets. Participants (n = 901) were recruited using quota sampling between September and December 2015 and evenly distributed in three experimental conditions: 1) control situation; 2) Application of the 5-CNL on all food products in three specific sections: breakfast cereals, sweet biscuits and appetizers; 3) introduction of the 5-CNL accompanied by consumer information on use and understanding of the label. Main outcome was the nutritional quality of the shopping cart in the three sections combined, measured using the United Kingdom Food Standards Agency nutrient profiling system (FSA score). Significantly higher mean nutritional quality of the purchased items per section were observed for the sweet biscuits category in the intervention combining the label + communication (overall FSA score 21.01 vs. 20.23, P = 0.02). No significant effects were observed for the general mean over the three sections combined or other food categories. The results observed on purchase may be related to the high level of recall, self-reported and objective understanding of the label that were observed in the intervention groups as they are pre-requisites for use of a label in purchasing situations. These results suggest that the 5-CNL FOP nutrition label may have a limited impact on purchases, leading to healthier food choices in some food categories such as sweet biscuits. The trial

Heroin purchasing is income and price sensitive.

Science.gov (United States)

Roddy, Juliette; Steinmiller, Caren L; Greenwald, Mark K

2011-06-01

Semi-structured interviews were used to assess behavioral economic drug demand in heroin dependent research volunteers. Findings on drug price, competing purchases, and past 30-day income and consumption, established in a previous study, are replicated. We extended these findings by having participants indicate whether hypothetical environmental changes would alter heroin purchasing. Participants (n = 109) reported they would significantly (p purchasing amounts (DPA) from past 30-day levels (M = $60/day) if: (a) they encountered a 33% decrease in income (DPA = $34), (b) family/friends no longer paid their living expenses (DPA = $32), or (c) they faced four-fold greater likelihood of police arrest at their purchasing location (DPA = $42). Participants in higher income quartiles (who purchase more heroin) show greater DPA reductions (but would still buy more heroin) than those in lower income quartiles. For participants receiving government aid (n = 31), heroin purchasing would decrease if those subsidies were eliminated (DPA = $28). Compared to participants whose urine tested negative for cocaine (n = 31), cocaine-positive subjects (n = 32) reported more efficient heroin purchasing, that is, they live closer to their primary dealer; are more likely to have heroin delivered or walk to obtain it (and less likely to ride the bus), thus reducing purchasing time (52 vs. 31 min, respectively); and purchase more heroin per episode. These simulation results have treatment and policy implications: Daily heroin users' purchasing repertoire is very cost-effective, more so for those also using cocaine, and only potent environmental changes (income reductions or increased legal sanctions) may impact this behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved).

Quantitative analysis of strategic and tactical purchasing decisions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heijboer, G.J.

2003-01-01

Purchasing management is a relatively new scientific research field, partly due to the fact that purchasing has only recently been recognized as a factor of strategic importance to an organization. In this thesis, the author focuses on a selection of strategic and tactical purchasing decision

Fluence of Product Leaflets on Purchasing Behaviour in Times of Crisis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Halina Starzyczná

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents partial results of primary research on consumer purchasing behaviour with regards to the utilization of product leaflets. It deals with the consumer reaction on the use of these leaflets. The main goal is to assess the impulse to purchase goods on the basis of promotional leaflets in mailboxes, depending on the personal characteristics of the consumer. Partial goals are a brief theoretical basis of the examined issues and selected results of secondary research on consumer behaviour based on available statistical data and information. Consumer behaviour changes drastically in times of crisis. Czech consumer is addressed daily by a specific communication media of store chains – the leaflets. These appear daily in mailboxes and are generally positively accepted. There are also negative opinions, both from consumers as well as the EU. Respondents were asked about their financial situation, to what extent they change their buying behaviour with respect to the income level of households. It turned out that the impulse to purchase goods on the basis of promotional leaflets in mailboxes does not depend on the age and sex of respondents, but depends on the income level and education. The largest proportion of respondents considers leaflets because of promotional discounts.

Quantitative analysis of strategic and tactical purchasing decisions

OpenAIRE

Heijboer, G.J.

2003-01-01

Purchasing management is a relatively new scientific research field, partly due to the fact that purchasing has only recently been recognized as a factor of strategic importance to an organization. In this thesis, the author focuses on a selection of strategic and tactical purchasing decision problems. New quantitative models are developed for these decision problems using a range of mathematical techniques, thereby contributing to the further development of purchasing theory and its appliati...

Purchasing decision behaviour by Chinese supermarkets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Kåre

2001-01-01

This paper reports a pilot study on the relative importance of supplier selection criteria as rated by seafood purchasers for Chinese supermarkets. A sample of 192 supermarkets in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu participated in the study. The purchasers rated product quality as the most...

Object-Oriented Control System Design Using On-Line Training of Artificial Neural Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Rubaai, Ahmed

1997-01-01

This report deals with the object-oriented model development of a neuro-controller design for permanent magnet (PM) dc motor drives. The system under study is described as a collection of interacting objects. Each object module describes the object behaviors, called methods. The characteristics of the object are included in its variables. The knowledge of the object exists within its variables, and the performance is determined by its methods. This structure maps well to the real world objects that comprise the system being modeled. A dynamic learning architecture that possesses the capabilities of simultaneous on-line identification and control is incorporated to enforce constraints on connections and control the dynamics of the motor. The control action is implemented "on-line", in "real time" in such a way that the predicted trajectory follows a specified reference model. A design example of controlling a PM dc motor drive on-line shows the effectiveness of the design tool. This will therefore be very useful in aerospace applications. It is expected to provide an innovative and noval software model for the rocket engine numerical simulator executive.

A dynamic panel model of the associations of sweetened beverage purchases with dietary quality and food-purchasing patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Piernas, Carmen; Ng, Shu Wen; Mendez, Michelle A; Gordon-Larsen, Penny; Popkin, Barry M

2015-05-01

Investigating the association between consumption of sweetened beverages and dietary quality is challenging because issues such as reverse causality and unmeasured confounding might result in biased and inconsistent estimates. Using a dynamic panel model with instrumental variables to address those issues, we examined the independent associations of beverages sweetened with caloric and low-calorie sweeteners with dietary quality and food-purchasing patterns. We analyzed purchase data from the Homescan survey, an ongoing, longitudinal, nationally representative US survey, from 2000 to 2010 (n = 34,294). Our model included lagged measures of dietary quality and beverage purchases (servings/day in the previous year) as exposures to predict the outcomes (macronutrient (kilocalories per capita per day; %), total energy, and food purchases) in the next year after adjustment for other sociodemographic covariates. Despite secular declines in purchases (kilocalories per capita per day) from all sources, each 1-serving/day increase in consumption of either beverage type resulted in higher purchases of total daily kilocalories and kilocalories from food, carbohydrates, total sugar, and total fat. Each 1-serving/day increase in consumption of either beverage was associated with more purchases of caloric-sweetened desserts or sweeteners, which accounted for a substantial proportion of the increase in total kilocalories. We concluded that consumers of both beverages sweetened with low-calorie sweeteners and beverages sweetened with caloric sweeteners had poorer dietary quality, exhibited higher energy from all purchases, sugar, and fat, and purchased more caloric-sweetened desserts/caloric sweeteners compared with nonconsumers. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Determinant factors of industrial purchasing personnel’s adoption of internet for business purchasing related activities

OpenAIRE

Shook Mei Chan; Siohong Tih

2017-01-01

Background: The purpose of this research is to examine a path model and the mediating effect of perceived communication convenience towards explaining industrial purchasing personnel’s Internet adoption for business purchasing related activities. It involves sequencing paths examining the predictive effect of perceived Internet skills and supplier support on perceived communication convenience. Consequently, perceived communication convenience would influence Internet adoption as commun...

Impact of a Rewards-Based Incentive Program on Promoting Fruit and Vegetable Purchases

Science.gov (United States)

Phipps, Etienne J.; Braitman, Leonard E.; Stites, Shana D.; Singletary, S. Brook; Wallace, Samantha L.; Hunt, Lacy; Axelrod, Saul; Glanz, Karen; Uplinger, Nadine

2015-01-01

Objectives. We assessed the impact of a rewards-based incentive program on fruit and vegetable purchases by low-income families. Methods. We conducted a 4-phase prospective cohort study with randomized intervention and wait-listed control groups in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in December 2010 through October 2011. The intervention provided a rebate of 50% of the dollar amount spent on fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables, reduced to 25% during a tapering phase, then eliminated. Primary outcome measures were number of servings of fruit and of vegetables purchased per week. Results. Households assigned to the intervention purchased an average of 8 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.5, 16.9) more servings of vegetables and 2.5 (95% CI = 0.3, 9.5) more servings of fruit per week than did control households. In longitudinal price-adjusted analyses, when the incentive was reduced and then discontinued, the amounts purchased were similar to baseline. Conclusions. Investigation of the financial costs and potential benefits of incentive programs to supermarkets, government agencies, and other stakeholders is needed to identify sustainable interventions. PMID:24625144

On Line Service Composition in the Integrated Clinical Environment for eHealth and Medical Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Valls, Marisol; Touahria, Imad Eddine

2017-06-08

Medical and eHealth systems are progressively realized in the context of standardized architectures that support safety and ease the integration of the heterogeneous (and often proprietary) medical devices and sensors. The Integrated Clinical Environment (ICE) architecture appeared recently with the goal of becoming a common framework for defining the structure of the medical applications as concerns the safe integration of medical devices and sensors. ICE is simply a high level architecture that defines the functional blocks that should be part of a medical system to support interoperability. As a result, the underlying communication backbone is broadly undefined as concerns the enabling software technology (including the middleware) and associated algorithms that meet the ICE requirements of the flexible integration of medical devices and services. Supporting the on line composition of services in a medical system is also not part of ICE; however, supporting this behavior would enable flexible orchestration of functions (e.g., addition and/or removal of services and medical equipment) on the fly. iLandis one of the few software technologies that supports on line service composition and reconfiguration, ensuring time-bounded transitions across different service orchestrations; it supports the design, deployment and on line reconfiguration of applications, which this paper applies to service-based eHealth domains. This paper designs the integration between ICE architecture and iLand middleware to enhance the capabilities of ICE with on line service composition and the time-bounded reconfiguration of medical systems based on distributed services. A prototype implementation of a service-based eHealth system for the remote monitoring of patients is described; it validates the enhanced capacity of ICE to support dynamic reconfiguration of the application services. Results show that the temporal cost of the on line reconfiguration of the eHealth application is bounded

Consumer Disidentification and Its Effects on Domestic Product Purchases

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Josiassen, Alexander

2011-01-01

Consumers' local bias is an important determinant of domestic product purchase behavior. Because of its importance, authors across various disciplines have investigated this phenomenon using the consumer ethnocentrism model. However, the research reported herein demonstrates that such an approach...... provides an incomplete picture at best. This research provides an initial test of the consumer disidentification (CDI) construct. In contrast with consumer ethnocentrism, the CDI model predicts that consumers' repulsion toward their domestic country negatively affects the purchase of products made...... in their domestic country or by domestic firms. The model is tested using survey data from 1534 second-generation immigrants who were born in and live in the Netherlands. Structural equation modeling supports the model and shows that CDI has a significant impact on buying decisions beyond the effect of consumer...

At first sight - How is SME purchasing organised? : Discussing research process, the role of customer strategies & personality of owners and purchasing improvement, based on students’ purchasing case studies within four Dutch manufacturing Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Staal, Anne; Walhof, Gert

2015-01-01

Paper for the WION - Werkgemeenschap Inkoop Onderzoek Nederland - 2015, 3rd version. Purchasing within Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) is important for the overall SME firm performance. However, purchasing within SMEs is not the same as purchasing within larger organisations and there is

Commercial Phosporus Fertilizer Purchased

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Amounts of fertilizer P2O5 purchased by states in individual years 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011, and the % change in average amounts purchased per year from...

Shopping the way to my goals: an analysis of purchase impact on perceived goal progress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuela Albornoz Gonçalves

Full Text Available Abstract This article examines the impact of goal related purchases on goal progress perception, and whether this perception depends on the strength of association between product and goal. To test how consumers perceive the act of purchasing goal-related products, three experiments were conducted in an online setting. Participants exposed to purchasing situations perceived greater goal progress than participants exposed to usage situation or a control group. In addition, studies show that this effect is a result of strength of association between product and goal, since participants exposed to more instrumental products perceived greater goal progress than participants exposed to less instrumental products. Therefore, these studies demonstrate how consumers interpret goal related purchases, and the mechanism that influences this interpretation.

Straight-Line: A nuclear material storage information management system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nilsen, C.; Mangan, D.

1995-01-01

Sandia National Laboratories is developing Straight-Line -- a pilot system to demonstrate comprehensive monitoring of nuclear material in storage. Straight-Line is an integrated system of sensors providing information that will enhance the safety, security, and international accountability of stored nuclear material. The goals of this effort are to: (1) Provide the right sensor information to the right user immediately. (2) Reduce the expenses, risks, and frequency of human inspection of the material. (3) Provide trustworthy data to international inspectors to minimize their need to make on site inspections. In pursuit of these goals, Straight-Line unites technology from Sandia's Authenticated Item Monitoring System (AIMS) and other programs to communicate the authenticated status of the monitored item back to central magazine receivers. Straight-Line, however, incorporates several important features not found in previous systems: (1) Information Security -- the ability to collect and safely disseminate both classified and unclassified sensor data to users on a need-to-know basis. (2) Integrate into a single system the monitoring needs of safety, security, and international accountability. (3) Incorporate the use of sensors providing analog or digital output. This paper will present the overall architecture and status of the Straight-Line project

Straight-Line: A nuclear material storage information management system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nilsen, C.; Mangan, D.

1995-07-01

Sandia National Laboratories is developing Straight-Line -- a pilot system to demonstrate comprehensive monitoring of nuclear material in storage. Straight-Line is an integrated system of sensors providing information that will enhance the safety, security, and international accountability of stored nuclear material. The goals of this effort are to: (1) Provide the right sensor information to the right user immediately. (2) Reduce the expenses, risks, and frequency of human inspection of the material. (3) Provide trustworthy data to international inspectors to minimize their need to make on site inspections. In pursuit of these goals, Straight-Line unites technology from Sandia`s Authenticated Item Monitoring System (AIMS) and other programs to communicate the authenticated status of the monitored item back to central magazine receivers. Straight-Line, however, incorporates several important features not found in previous systems: (1) Information Security -- the ability to collect and safely disseminate both classified and unclassified sensor data to users on a need-to-know basis. (2) Integrate into a single system the monitoring needs of safety, security, and international accountability. (3) Incorporate the use of sensors providing analog or digital output. This paper will present the overall architecture and status of the Straight-Line project.

The Research on the Factors of Purchase Intention for Fresh Agricultural Products in an E-Commerce Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Dan; Mu, Jing

2017-12-01

Based on the characteristics of e-commerce of fresh agricultural products in China, and using the correlation analysis method, the relational model between product knowledge, perceived benefit, perceived risk and purchase intention is constructed. The Logistic model is used to carry in the empirical analysis. The influence factors and the mechanism of online purchase intention are explored. The results show that consumers’ product knowledge, perceived benefit and perceived risk can affect their purchase intention. Consumers’ product knowledge has a positive effect on perceived benefit and perceived benefit has a positive effect on purchase intention. Consumers’ product knowledge has a negative effect on perceived risk, and perceived profit has a negative effect on perceived risk, and perceived risk has a negative effect on purchase intention. Through the empirical analysis, some feasible suggestions for the government and electricity supplier enterprises can be provided.

E-Book Purchasing Best Practices for Academic Libraries

OpenAIRE

Simon, Jason C.

2014-01-01

The article provides a guideline for purchasing of electronic books (e-books) in relevance to academic libraries. Topics include advantages and disadvantages of different acquisition routes such as aggregators, access models and ownership of e-books, and access management systems such as catalogs and electronic resource management systems (ERMs). File formats of e-books, and licensing and copyright issues are discussed along with information on open-access digital resources.

Photovoltaic power: the inadequate purchase price

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finon, D.

2009-01-01

The current policy of guaranteed purchase prices applied to photovoltaic power lacks rationality: prices are not graduated, commitment times are too long, there is no capping to capacity developed, subsidies (tax credit, direct subsidy, etc) are complex and give too favourable a return time. The lack of differentiation between products may also delay the emergence of new PV technologies. As a result, it is legitimate to envisage a cost/benefit analysis of future subsidies and to wonder about Frances ability, as a second rank player, to catch up with the leaders (Germany, Japan, United States). The report does not criticize policy based on purchase prices in itself: this is suitable or technology close to commercial operation in that it guarantees stable terms close to wholesale electricity market prices. It does, however, criticize adequacy in terms of less advanced PV technology, which results in purchase prices five times that of wind power. The report proposes re-targeting the system to take account of the significant stakes in PV power. Costly incentives for installing land PV cells and units should be quickly reduced, while industrial demonstration budgets deserve increases to further the development of new technologies (improved crystal silicon and thin layers). The demonstration phase and industrial development should be the primary focus, where a large part of potentially promising reductions in costs are likely to be achieved. (author)

The Effect of Traditional and Electronic Word-of-mouth on Purchase Decision

OpenAIRE

Sanger, Chintya Amelia Nelly

2013-01-01

Word-of-mouth (WOM) Marketing is widely considered the most influential source of information for consumer purchase decisions, and the explosion of social media has stirred interest in the communication.The relation of Traditional Word-of-Mouth and electronic word-of-mouth ( e-wom ) on purchase decision are positively influential. Research to 100 respondents of student in International Business Administration program, Economic and Business faculty in SamRatulangi university. The most of stude...

Purchase of power by State Electricity Boards from biomass gasifier systems: formulating a long term national policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jain, B.C.

1992-01-01

Current policy for purchase of power from renewable sources of energy by State Electricity Boards in India is examined and certain changes in that policy are suggested. State Electricity Boards are reluctant to buy power from renewables as such a purchase is seen by the Boards as being of against their economic interests. But if socio-environmental and climatological costs of power of thermal plants are taken into consideration, it becomes imperative that a long term policy for power purchase from renewables by electricity boards will have to be followed. Such a policy is outlined. After giving formulae for unit cost of generation from thermal power plants, diesel generation (DG) sets and biomass gasification, it is recommended that basis for the purchase price for power generated through biomass gas should be the cost of generation through DG sets or cost of generation through biomass gasification whichever is lower. A clause for automatic price escalation should also be a part of such policy. Some measures to compensate electricity boards for purchase of power from renewables are suggested. They include levying of a special surcharge by boards on their electricity sales and funding by the Central Government. (M.G.B.)

The green dilemma: Reflections of a Generation Y consumer cohort on green purchase behaviour

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Muposhi

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Green consumerism has garnered much scholarly interest in recent years. However, research on the influence of the Social Dilemma Theory (SDT on green purchase behaviour has been scarce. Using data generated from sixteen in-depth-interviews, the present study identified perceived efficacy, perceived cost, in-group and self-identity, trust and peer influence as the main antecedents of SDT that influence green purchase behaviour. The findings of the study imply that to promote and institutionalise green purchase behaviour, marketers need to enhance perceived efficacy, trust in green products, reduce perceived cost, align green products with the consumers’ sought image and utilise peer networks when structuring green marketing messages.

On-line fatigue monitoring system for reactor pressure vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tokunaga, K.; Sakai, A.; Aoki, T.; Ranganath, S.; Stevens, G.L.

1994-01-01

A workstation-based, on-line fatigue monitoring system for tracking fatigue usage applied to an operating boiling water reactor (BWR), Tsuruga Unit-1, is described. The system uses the influence function approach and determines component stresses using temperature, pressure, and flow rate data that are made available via signal taps from previously existing plant sensors. Using plant unique influence functions developed specifically for the feedwater nozzle location, the system calculates stresses as a function of time and computed fatigue usage. The analysis method used to compute fatigue usage complies with MITI Code Notification No.501. Fatigue usage results for an entire fuel cycle are presented and compared to assumed design basis events to confirm that actual plant thermal duty is significantly less severe than originally estimated in the design basis stress report. As a result, the system provides the technical basis to more accurately evaluate actual reactor conditions as well as the justification for plant life extension. (author)

10 CFR 603.680 - Purchase of real property and equipment by for-profit firms.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS Award Terms Affecting Participants' Financial, Property, and Purchasing Systems Property § 603.680 Purchase of real property and equipment by for-profit firms. (a) With the two exceptions... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Purchase of real property and equipment by for-profit...

48 CFR 811.104-70 - Brand name or equal purchase descriptions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Brand name or equal... Requirements Documents 811.104-70 Brand name or equal purchase descriptions. (a) The specification writer may use purchase descriptions that contain references to one or more brand name products only in...

Food purchase patterns: empirical identification and analysis of their association with diet quality, socio-economic factors, and attitudes.

Science.gov (United States)

Thiele, Silke; Peltner, Jonas; Richter, Almut; Mensink, Gert B M

2017-10-12

Empirically derived food purchase patterns provide information about which combinations of foods were purchased from households. The objective of this study was to identify what kinds of patterns exist, which level of diet quality they represent and which factors are associated with the patterns. The study made use of representative German consumption data in which approximately 12 million food purchases from 13,125 households are recorded. In accordance with healthy diet criteria the food purchases were assigned to 18 food groups of the German Food Pyramid. Based on these groups a factor analysis with a principal component technique was applied to identify food patterns. For these patterns nutrient and energy densities were examined. Using regression analysis, associations between pattern scores and socio-economic as well as attitude variables, reflecting personal statements about healthy eating, were analyzed. In total, three food purchase patterns could be identified: a natural, a processed and a traditional one. The first one was characterized by a higher purchasing of natural foods, the second by an increased purchasing of processed foods and the third by a meat-oriented diet. In each pattern there were specific diet quality criteria that could be improved whereas others were in line with actual dietary guidelines. In addition to socio-demographic factors, attitudes were significantly associated with the purchase patterns. The findings of this study are interesting from a public health perspective, as it can be assumed that measures focusing on specific aspects of diet quality are more promising than general ones. However, it is a major challenge to identify the population groups with their specific needs of improvement. As the patterns were associated with both socio-economic and attitude variables these grouping criteria could be used to define target groups.

Purchasing Value: Purchasing and Supply Management's Contribution to Health Service Performance: Address delivered at the occasion of accepting the appointment of endowed professor of Purchasing & Supply Management in Healthcare on behalf of the Vereniging Trustfonds, Erasmus University Rotterdam, at Rotterdam School of Management and the institute of Health Policy & Management, Erasmus University, on Friday, 14 October 2016

OpenAIRE

Raaij, Erik

2016-01-01

textabstractMany countries across the globe face the challenge of increasing healthcare costs, often increasing faster than GDP or personal income. In an effort to manage these costs, but also to improve the quality and accessibility of healthcare, governments have introduced a purchaser-provider split in the healthcare system. Healthcare financers, such as local governments, employers and health insurers exercise the role of healthcare purchasers. They select and contract providers, and mana...

REAL ESTATE PURCHASE AGREEMENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bujorel FLOREA

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The study presented herein represents a field with good present and future perspectives, especially because real estate property is not under the incidence of a single normative act regarding the sale-purchase agreement of such goods, and given the fact that there are specific legal provisions with respect to various real estate categories and the localization of such property. The article deals with the sale-purchase agreement of various real estate categories, such as fields, buildings, the correspondent lots, urban area, farm, and forests fields, focusing on some particularities. A special care is attributed to examining the applicable laws with regard to the purchase agreements of field lands, the special conditions to be taken into account, the persons that may act as buyers, including foreigners, those without citizenship, and legal persons of a nationality other than Romanian. Finally, a special concern is given to the formalities required for legally exerting the pre-emptive right and the applicable sanctions in that respect.

The BEACON on-line core monitoring system. Functional upgrades and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyd, W.A.; Miller, R.W.

1997-01-01

The BEACON TM core monitor system has been in commercial operation since 1989 and was licensed by the USNRC for on-line core power distribution and thermal power limit monitoring in 1994. Since that time BEACON has been installed at 17 plants. Each of these customers has a different perspective on the use of data from BEACON and a different approach on the application of BEACON to support their plant operations. To support these varied needs and approaches the BEACON system has been divided into three operational levels to better match the system functions to the customer needs and approaches to system integration. Based on customer feedback, the BEACON system was upgraded in some areas and streamlined in other areas to better support the needs of each customer. The three operational levels of the BEACON system, the major product upgrades and system evolution that has taken place to support the needs and applications of our customers are discussed. (authors)

[Financial allocations in the System for Social Protection in Health in Mexico: challenges for strategic purchasing].

Science.gov (United States)

González-Block, Miguel Ángel; Figueroa, Alejandro; García-Téllez, Ignacio; Alarcón, José

2016-01-01

The financial coordination of the System of Social Protection in Health (SPSS) was analyzed to assess its support to strategic purchasing. Official reports and surveys were analyzed. SPSS covers a capita of 2 765 Mexican pesos, equivalent to 0.9% of GDP. The Ministry of Health contributed 35% of the total, state governments 16.7% and beneficiaries 0.06%. The National Commission for Social Protection in Health received 48.3% of resources, allocating 38% to State Social Protection Schemes in Health and paying 7.4% of the total directly to providers.The state contribution is in deficit while family contributions tend not to be charged. SPSS has not built funds specialized in strategic purchasing, capable of transforming historical budgets.The autonomy of providers is key to reduce out-of-pocket spending through the supply of quality services.

The ABCs of HIPCs (health insurance purchasing cooperatives).

Science.gov (United States)

Wicks, E K; Curtis, R E; Haugh, K

1993-01-01

HIPCs, or health care purchasing cooperatives, are attracting widespread interest as a key element of the managed competition approach to health reform. HIPCs perform several useful roles for individuals and small employers unable to obtain health insurance coverage in the current system by spreading risk more evenly and purchasing coverage in a given region or market area. While HIPCs are generally associated with managed competition, they are also compatible with reform strategies that require employers to pay for coverage or those that provide incentives for expanded coverage.

THROUGH-THE EARTH (TTE) SYSTEM AND THE IN-MINE POWER LINE (IMPL) SYSTEM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zvi H. Meiksin

2001-01-01

Work has progressed on both subsystems: the through-the-earth (TTE) system and the In-Mine Power Line (IMPL) system. After the Lab prototype of the IMPL system was perfected to function satisfactorily, the thrust of the work focused on building a first production prototype that can be installed and tested inside a mine. To obtain multi-channel voice communication through the TTE system, effort has proceeded to compress voice messages and make the format compatible with the power-line interface protocol

On line surveillance of large systems: applications to nuclear and chemical plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zwingelstein, G.

1978-01-01

An on line surveillance method for large scale and distributed parameter systems is achieved by comparing in real time the internal physical parameter values to the reference values. It is shown that the following steps are necessary: modeling, model validation using dynamic testing and on line estimation of parameters. For large scale systems where only few outputs are measurable, an estimation algorithm was developed, selecting the measurable output giving the minimum variance of the physical parameters. This estimation scheme uses a quasilinearization technique associated to the sensitivity equation and the recursive least squares techniques. For large scale systems of order greater than 100, two versions of the estimation scheme are proposed to decrease the computation time. An application to a nuclear reactor core (state variable model of order 29) is proposed and used real data. For distributed systems the estimation scheme was developed with either measurements at fixed time or at fixed space. The estimation algorithm selects the set of measurements that gives the minimum variance of the estimates. An application to a liquid-liquid extraction column, modelized by a set of four coupled partial differential equations, demonstrates the efficiency of the method

Design of Control System for Flexible Packaging Bags Palletizing Production Line Based on PLC

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Huiping; Chen, Lin; Zhao, Xiaoming; Liu, Zhanyang

Flexible packaging bags palletizing production line is to put the bags in the required area according to particular order and size, in order to finish handling, storage, loading and unloading, transportation and other logistics work of goods. Flexible packaging bags palletizing line is composed of turning bags mechanism, shaping mechanism, indexing mechanism, marshalling mechanism, pushing bags mechanism, pressing bags mechanism, laminating mechanism, elevator, tray warehouse, tray conveyor and loaded tray conveyor. Whether the whole production line can smoothly run depends on each of the above equipment and precision control among them. In this paper the technological process and the control logic of flexible packaging bags palletizing production line is introduced. Palletizing process of the production line realized automation by means of a control system based on programmable logic controller (PLC). It has the advantages of simple structure, reliable and easy maintenance etc.

On-line transient stability assessment of large-scale power systems by using ball vector machines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohammadi, M.; Gharehpetian, G.B.

2010-01-01

In this paper ball vector machine (BVM) has been used for on-line transient stability assessment of large-scale power systems. To classify the system transient security status, a BVM has been trained for all contingencies. The proposed BVM based security assessment algorithm has very small training time and space in comparison with artificial neural networks (ANN), support vector machines (SVM) and other machine learning based algorithms. In addition, the proposed algorithm has less support vectors (SV) and therefore is faster than existing algorithms for on-line applications. One of the main points, to apply a machine learning method is feature selection. In this paper, a new Decision Tree (DT) based feature selection technique has been presented. The proposed BVM based algorithm has been applied to New England 39-bus power system. The simulation results show the effectiveness and the stability of the proposed method for on-line transient stability assessment procedure of large-scale power system. The proposed feature selection algorithm has been compared with different feature selection algorithms. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed feature algorithm.

Straight-Line -- A nuclear material storage information management system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nilsen, C.; Mangan, D.

1995-01-01

Sandia National Laboratories is developing Straight-Line -- a pilot system to demonstrate comprehensive monitoring of nuclear material in storage. Straight-Line is an integrated system of sensors providing information that will enhance the safety, security, and international accountability of stored nuclear material. The goals of this effort are to (1) Provide the right sensor information to the right user in a timely manner. (2) Reduce the expenses, risks, and frequency of human inspection of the material. (3) Provide trustworthy data to international inspectors to minimize their need to make on site inspections. In pursuit of these goals, Straight-Line unites technology from Sandia's Authenticated Item Monitoring System (AIMS) and other programs to communicate the authenticated status of the monitored item back to central magazine receivers. Straight-Line, however, incorporates several important features not found in previous systems: (1) Information Security -- the ability to collect and safely disseminate both classified and unclassified sensor data to users on a need-to-know basis. (2) Integrate into a single system the monitoring needs of safety, security, and international accountability. (3) Incorporate the use of sensors providing analog or digital output. This paper will present the overall architecture and status of the Straight-Line project

Straight-Line -- A nuclear material storage information management system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nilsen, C. [Sandia National Labs., Livermore, CA (United States); Mangan, D. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

1995-12-31

Sandia National Laboratories is developing Straight-Line -- a pilot system to demonstrate comprehensive monitoring of nuclear material in storage. Straight-Line is an integrated system of sensors providing information that will enhance the safety, security, and international accountability of stored nuclear material. The goals of this effort are to (1) Provide the right sensor information to the right user in a timely manner. (2) Reduce the expenses, risks, and frequency of human inspection of the material. (3) Provide trustworthy data to international inspectors to minimize their need to make on site inspections. In pursuit of these goals, Straight-Line unites technology from Sandia`s Authenticated Item Monitoring System (AIMS) and other programs to communicate the authenticated status of the monitored item back to central magazine receivers. Straight-Line, however, incorporates several important features not found in previous systems: (1) Information Security -- the ability to collect and safely disseminate both classified and unclassified sensor data to users on a need-to-know basis. (2) Integrate into a single system the monitoring needs of safety, security, and international accountability. (3) Incorporate the use of sensors providing analog or digital output. This paper will present the overall architecture and status of the Straight-Line project.

On-line measurement with automatic emulsion analysis system and off-line data processing (E531 neutrino experiment)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyanishi, Motoaki

1984-01-01

The automatic emulsion analysis system developed by Nagoya cosmic ray observation group was practically used for the experiment (FNAL-E531) on determining the lifetime of charm particles for the first time in the world, and achieved a great successful result. The system consists of four large precise coordinate-measuring stages capable of conducting simultaneous measurement and multiple (currently four) DOMS (digitized on-line microscope), supported with one mini-computer (ECLIPS S/130). The purpose of E531 experiment was the determination of charm particle lifetime. The experiment was carried out at FNAL, USA, and by the irradiation of wide band ν sub(μ) beam equivalent to 7 x 10 18 of 350 GeV/c protons. The detector was a hybrid system of emulsions and a counter spectrometer. The scan of neutrino reaction, the scan of charm particles, and charm event measurement were analyzed in emulsions, and the on-line programs for-respective analyses were created. Nagoya group has found 726 neutrino reactions in the first run, obtained 37 charm particle candidates, and found 1442 neutrino reactions in the second run, and obtained 56 charm particle candidates. The capability of the automatic emulsion analysis system in terms of the time equired for analysis is in total 3.5 hours per event; 15 minutes for C.S. scan, 15 minutes for coupling to module, 20 minutes for tracing to vertex, 1 hour for neutrino reaction measurement, 10 minutes for offline data processing and 1.5 hours for charm particle scanning. (Wakatsuki, Y.)

Effects of sales promotions, weight status, and impulsivity on purchases in a supermarket.

Science.gov (United States)

Nederkoorn, Chantal

2014-05-01

Several environmental factors contribute to increased food consumption and play a role in the prevalence of obesity, like portion size, accessibility and relative price of high caloric foods, food commercials, and sales promotions. However, not everyone seems equally sensitive to these environmental cues and both obesity and impulsivity appears to play a role. In this study, food purchases in an internet supermarket are tested in 118 participants, with or without sales promotions for snack foods. Both weight status and response inhibition, an index of impulsivity, are measured. Participants with less inhibitory control purchased in total more calories from the internet supermarket then participants with more inhibitory control. In addition, sales promotion, weight status, and inhibitory control appeared to interact in their effect on snack food purchases: participants with less inhibitory control and overweight bought more calories of snacks in the sales promotions condition, but not in the control condition. For the other participants, with normal weight and/or high inhibitory control, sales promotions had no effect on their purchases of calories of snacks. It seems that especially the combination of low inhibitory control and overweight makes participants vulnerable for environmental cues. Copyright © 2013 The Obesity Society.

Promise and problems with supply chain management approaches to health care purchasing.

Science.gov (United States)

Ford, Eric W; Scanlon, Dennis P

2007-01-01

Double-digit health care inflation, coupled with widespread reports of poor care quality and deadly medical errors, has caused private sector employers to reevaluate their health benefits purchasing strategies, with a focus on supply chain management approaches. In other industries, this strategy has proven to be an effective method for simultaneously reducing costs and increasing quality. This article describes four current applications of supply chain management network methodologies to health care systems and identifies potential ways to improve purchasers' return on investment. In particular, information exchanges, purchase decision, and payment agreement components of integrated supply chains are described. First, visual depictions of the health care supply chain are developed from a purchaser's perspective. Next, five nationwide programs designed to realign incentives and rewards across the health care supply chain are described. Although several nationwide efforts are gaining traction in the marketplace, at this time, no cost reduction and quality improvement program initiative appears to systematically align the entire health care supply chain from providers to purchasers, raising doubt about the ability of supply chain management network techniques to significantly impact the health care marketplace in the short run. Current individual efforts to coordinate the health care supply chain do not act on all of the actors necessary to improve outcomes, promote safety, and control costs. Nevertheless, there are indications that several of the individual efforts are coming together. If national efforts touching on all critical elements can coordinate with purchasers, then the health care supply chain's performance may improve significantly.

Customers' willingness to purchase new store brands

OpenAIRE

Zielke, Stephan; Dobbelstein, Thomas

2007-01-01

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify factors influencing customers’ willingness to purchase new store brands. Design/methodology/approach – The paper develops a 3 £ 3 design to investigate the impact of price and quality positioning on the willingness to purchase new store brands in five product groups. A total of 990 respondents completed a questionnaire about store brand perception, aspects of purchasing behavior and willingness to buy. Data are analyzed with analysis...

Factors influencing women's decisions to purchase specific ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

aimed at identifying the factors that influence women's decisions to purchase specific .... influence of all the factors influencing their decision to purchase a selected .... one free” promotions seemed to have had the greatest influence on this ...

Revisiting purchasing competence - In a project context

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lutz, Salla

2015-01-01

purchasing and competences required undertaking these activities. Four overall purchasing competence areas were identified. Hence, four propositions related to the purchasing competence were developed by iteratively combining elements from the purchasing literature with an empirical inquiry in an offshore...

Study on Electricity Purchase Optimization in Coordination of Electricity and Carbon Trading

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Dunnan; Meng, Yaru; Zhang, Shuo

2017-07-01

With the establishment of carbon emissions trading market in China, the power industry has become an important part of the market participants. The power grid enterprises need to optimize their own strategies in the new environment of electricity market and carbon market coordination. First, the influence of electricity and carbon trading coordination on electricity purchase strategy for grid enterprises was analysed in the paper. Then a power purchase optimization model was presented, which used the minimum cost of low carbon, energy saving and environment protection as the goal, the power generation capacity, installed capacity and pollutant emission as the constraints. Finally, a provincial power grid was taken as an example to analyse the model, and the optimization order of power purchase was obtained, which provided a new idea for the low carbon development of power grid enterprises.

49 CFR 37.81 - Purchase or lease of used rail vehicles by public entities operating rapid or light rail systems.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... entities operating rapid or light rail systems. 37.81 Section 37.81 Transportation Office of the Secretary... operating rapid or light rail systems. (a) Except as provided elsewhere in this section, each public entity operating a rapid or light rail system which, after August 25, 1990, purchases or leases a used rapid or...

Responsible Purchasing Network - Sustainable Purchasing Guidance Profile

Science.gov (United States)

To help you find the resource that is right for your organization, EPA conducted a scan of the landscape and developed summary profiles of some of the leading sources of sustainable purchasing guidance around the globe.

International Green Purchasing Network - Sustainable Purchasing Profile

Science.gov (United States)

To help you find the resource that is right for your organization, EPA conducted a scan of the landscape and developed summary profiles of some of the leading sources of sustainable purchasing guidance around the globe.

78 FR 18273 - Draft Guidance for Industry on Purchasing Reef Fish Species Associated With the Hazard of...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-26

.... FDA-2013-D-0269] Draft Guidance for Industry on Purchasing Reef Fish Species Associated With the... availability of a draft guidance entitled ``Guidance for Industry: Purchasing Reef Fish Species Associated With... seafood processors who purchase reef fish how to minimize the risk of ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) from...

THE EFFECT OF SERVICE, PRODUCT QUALITY, AND PERCEIVED VALUE ON CUSTOMER PURCHASE INTENTION AND SATISFACTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dodi Iskandar

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The research was conducted at Kedai Sop Durian Lodaya (KSDL in Bogor on February 2015. The research objectives were 1 to identify the characteristics of KSDL consumer’s behavior, 2 to analyze the factors influencing the consumer satisfaction and purchase intention of KSDL’s consumers , 3 to analyze KSDL's consumer satisfaction level and purchase intention, 4 to formulate the managerial implications in order to increase consumer satisfaction and KSDL's purchase intention. The research was conducted by using descriptive methods through case study approach. Data was collected through questionnaires with non-probability sampling technique, using  convenience sampling technique. Data was analyzed by using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM. The result shows that all of the satisfaction component variabels have significantly influenced consumer satisfaction and purchase intention. In sequence, the variables having the highest influence to the lowest influence are product quality, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, reliability, tangibility, and perceived value.    Keywords: consumer satisfaction, service quality, product quality, purchase intention, SEM, kedai sop durian lodaya (KSDL ABSTRAKPenelitian dilakukan di Kedai Sop Durian Lodaya (KSDL di Bogor pada bulan Februari 2015. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah 1 mengidentifikasi karakteristik perilaku konsumen di KSDL, 2 menganalisis faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi kepuasan dan purchase intention pada konsumen di KSDL, 3 menganalisis tingkat kepuasan dan purchase intention konsumen di KSDL, 4 merumuskan implikasi manajerial untuk meningkatkan kepuasan konsumen serta menimbulkan purchase intention konsumen di KSDL. Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan metode deskriptif melalui pendekatan studi kasus. Pengumpulan data dilakukan melalui pengisian kuesioner dengan teknik nonprobability sampling menggunakan metode convenience sampling. Data dianalisis dengan menggunakan structural equation modeling

Consumer-purchasing Motives in Nigerian Cellular Phone Market ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Consumer-purchasing Motives in Nigerian Cellular Phone Market: An Empirical Investigation. ... Nigerian consumers to identify their motives for purchasing new mobile phones on one hand, and factors affecting operator choice on the other.

Re-Engineering the Naval Postgraduate School's Purchase Card Accounting Process

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Pyle, Fred

1997-01-01

.... Specifically, it identifies the cost savings in replacing the current internal automated purchase card management system, known as the standard automated contracting system, with a standardized...

National Maglev initiative: California line electric utility power system requirements

Science.gov (United States)

Save, Phil

1994-01-01

The electrical utility power system requirements were determined for a Maglev line from San Diego to San Francisco and Sacramento with a maximum capacity of 12,000 passengers an hour in each direction at a speed of 300 miles per hour, or one train every 30 seconds in each direction. Basically the Maglev line requires one 50-MVA substation every 12.5 miles. The need for new power lines to serve these substations and their voltage levels are based not only on equipment loading criteria but also on limitations due to voltage flicker and harmonics created by the Maglev system. The resulting power system requirements and their costs depend mostly on the geographical area, urban or suburban with 'strong' power systems, or mountains and rural areas with 'weak' power systems. A reliability evaluation indicated that emergency power sources, such as a 10-MW battery at each substation, were not justified if sufficient redundancy is provided in the design of the substations and the power lines serving them. With a cost of $5.6 M per mile, the power system requirements, including the 12-kV DC cables and the inverters along the Maglev line, were found to be the second largest cost component of the Maglev system, after the cost of the guideway system ($9.1 M per mile), out of a total cost of $23 M per mile.

Experimental research on the relation between food price changes and food-purchasing patterns: a targeted review.

Science.gov (United States)

Epstein, Leonard H; Jankowiak, Noelle; Nederkoorn, Chantal; Raynor, Hollie A; French, Simone A; Finkelstein, Eric

2012-04-01

One way in which to modify food purchases is to change prices through tax policy, subsidy policy, or both. We reviewed the growing body of experimental research conducted in the laboratory and in the field that investigates the following: the extent to which price changes influence purchases of targeted and nontargeted foods, total energy, or macronutrients purchased; the interaction of price changes with adjunctive interventions; and moderators of sensitivity to price changes. After a brief overview of economic principles and observational research that addresses these issues, we present a targeted review of experimental research. Experimental research suggests that price changes modify purchases of targeted foods, but research on the overall nutritional quality of purchases is mixed because of substitution effects. There is mixed support for combining price changes with adjunctive interventions, and there are no replicated findings on moderators to price sensitivity in experiments. Additional focused research is needed to better inform food policy development with the aim of improving eating behavior and preventing obesity.

Implications of a classification of forms of cooperative purchasing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schotanus, Fredo; Telgen, Jan; Wynstra, J.Y.F.; Dittrich, K.; Jaspers, F.P.H.

2005-01-01

Our main objective is to classify different forms of cooperative purchasing, i.e. purchasing groups. Based on a literature review, empirical findings, and new institutional economics we employ a classification: the highway matrix. In this matrix we distinguish five forms of cooperative purchasing

Berkeley Off-line Radioisotope Generator (BORG)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sudowe, Ralf; Patin, Joshua B.

2001-01-01

Development of chemical separations for the transactinides has traditionally been performed with longer-lived tracer activities purchased commercially. With these long-lived tracers, there is always the potential problem that the tracer atoms are not always in the same chemical form as the short-lived atoms produced in on-line experiments. This problem is especially severe for elements in groups 4 and 5 of the periodic table, where hydrolysis is present. The long-lived tracers usually are stored with a complexing agent to prevent sorption or precipitation. Chemistry experiments performed with these long-lived tracers are therefore not analogous to those chemical experiments performed in on-line experiments. One way to eliminate the differences between off-line and on-line chemistry experiments is through the use of a 252 Cf fission fragment collection device. A 252 Cf fission fragment collection device has already been constructed [1]. This device is limited in its capabilities. A new fission fragment device would allow the study of the chemical properties of the homologues of the heaviest elements. This new device would be capable of producing fission fragments for fast gas chemistry and aqueous chemistry experiments, long-lived tracers for model system development and neutrons for neutron activation. Fission fragment activities produced in this way should have the same chemical form as those produced in Cyclotron irradiations. The simple operation of this source will allow more rapid and reliable development of radiochemical separations with homologues of transactinide elements

Integrating Robot Task Planning into Off-Line Programming Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sun, Hongyan; Kroszynski, Uri

1988-01-01

a system architecture for integrated robot task planning. It identifies and describes the components considered necessary for implementation. The focus is on functionality of these elements as well as on the information flow. A pilot implementation of such an integrated system architecture for a robot......The addition of robot task planning in off-line programming systems aims at improving the capability of current state-of-the-art commercially available off-line programming systems, by integrating modeling, task planning, programming and simulation together under one platform. This article proposes...... assembly task is discussed....

Development of on-line monitoring system using smart material

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jin Kyung; Lee, Sang Pill; Park, Yi Hyun [Dongeui Univ., Busan (Korea, Republic of); Park, Young Chul [Donga Univ., Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2003-07-01

A hot press method was used to create the optimal fabrication condition for a Shape Memory Alloy(SMA) composite. The bonding strength between the matrix and the reinforcement within the SMA composite by the hot press method was more increased by cold rolling. In this study, the objective was to develop an on-line monitoring system in order to prevent the crack initiation and propagation by shape memory effect in SMA composite. Shape memory effect was used to prevent the SMA composite from crack propagation. For this system an optimal AE parameter should be determined according to the degree of damage and crack initiation. When the SMA composite was heated by the plate heater attached at the composite, the propagating cracks could be controlled by the compressive force of SMA.

Development of on-line monitoring system using smart material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jin Kyung; Lee, Sang Pill; Park, Yi Hyun; Park, Young Chul

2003-01-01

A hot press method was used to create the optimal fabrication condition for a Shape Memory Alloy(SMA) composite. The bonding strength between the matrix and the reinforcement within the SMA composite by the hot press method was more increased by cold rolling. In this study, the objective was to develop an on-line monitoring system in order to prevent the crack initiation and propagation by shape memory effect in SMA composite. Shape memory effect was used to prevent the SMA composite from crack propagation. For this system an optimal AE parameter should be determined according to the degree of damage and crack initiation. When the SMA composite was heated by the plate heater attached at the composite, the propagating cracks could be controlled by the compressive force of SMA

The Monitor System for the LHCb on-line farm

CERN Document Server

Bonifazi, F; Carbone, A; Galli, D; Gregori, D; Marconi, U; Peco, G; Vagnoni, V

2005-01-01

The aim of the LHCb on-line farm Monitor System is to keep under control all the working indicators which are relevant for the farm operation, and to set the appropriate alarms whenever an error or a critical condition comes up. Since the most stressing tasks of the farm are the data transfer and processing, relevant indicators includes the CPU and the memory load of the system, the network interface and the TCP/IP stack parameters, the rates of the interrupts raised by the network interface card and the detailed status of the running processes. The monitoring of computers’ physical conditions (temperatures, fan speeds and motherboard voltages) are the subject of a separate technical note, since they are accessed in a different way, by using the IPMI protocol.

Electricity supply. The effects of competitive power purchases are not yet certain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

England-Joseph, Judy; Wood, David G.; Bausell, Charles W. Jr.; Farah, Philip G.; Alexander, Alice M.; Griffes, Peter H.; Jorritsma, James S.; Skud, Bruce; Dunbrack, Linda W.

1990-08-01

generators, these utilities act to ensure the reliability of service through establishing project selection criteria and contract terms, which consider, for example, a source's ability to dispatch power on demand and to demonstrate sound financing. These utilities also have contingency plans if competitively purchased power is not delivered as planned. Determining competitive bidding's long-term effects on the cost of electricity requires estimating the future costs and demand for electricity. These estimates are uncertain because they rely on assumptions about unknown factors like future fuel prices. All three utilities estimated the cost of competitively purchased power to be less than the cost of generating it themselves or purchasing it from another source, such as a neighboring utility. Potential impacts on cost depend in part on how utilities design their bidding systems, for example, on whether utilities announce a ceiling price they are willing to pay. Also, potential impacts on cost could be affected by constraints that limit the number of eligible participants in wholesale markets, such as a lack of access to transmission facilities

Purchase decision-making is modulated by vestibular stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Preuss, Nora; Mast, Fred W; Hasler, Gregor

2014-01-01

Purchases are driven by consumers' product preferences and price considerations. Using caloric vestibular stimulation (CVS), we investigated the role of vestibular-affective circuits in purchase decision-making. CVS is an effective noninvasive brain stimulation method, which activates vestibular and overlapping emotional circuits (e.g., the insular cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)). Subjects were exposed to CVS and sham stimulation while they performed two purchase decision-making tasks. In Experiment 1 subjects had to decide whether to purchase or not. CVS significantly reduced probability of buying a product. In Experiment 2 subjects had to rate desirability of the products and willingness to pay (WTP) while they were exposed to CVS and sham stimulation. CVS modulated desirability of the products but not WTP. The results suggest that CVS interfered with emotional circuits and thus attenuated the pleasant and rewarding effect of acquisition, which in turn reduced purchase probability. The present findings contribute to the rapidly growing literature on the neural basis of purchase decision-making.

On-line surveillance system for Borssele nuclear power plant monitoring and diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tuerkcan, E.; Ciftcioglu, Oe.

1993-08-01

An operating on-line surveillance and diagnostic system is described where information processing for monitoring and fault diagnosis and plant maintenance are addressed. The surveillance system by means of its realtime multiprocessing, multitasking execution capabilities can perform plant-wide and wide-range monitoring for enhanced plant safety and operational reliability as well as enhanced maintenance. At the same time the system provides the possibilities for goal-oriented research and development such as estimation, filtering, verification and validation and neural networks. (orig./HP)

Impact of Green Marketing on Purchase Intention: An Empirical Study from Pakistan

OpenAIRE

Muhammad Rizwan; Arslan Aslam; Mujeeb ur Rahman; Naqash Ahmad; Usman Sarwar; Tehseen Asghar

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to know the role of green perceived value, green risk and green trust on purchase intention of green product. This study applies four basic concepts of green market i.e green perceived value, green perceived risk, green perceived trust and green purchase intention. In addition, this study emphasizes this use of green marketing in different big firms all over the world. There was a survey upon this research with the help of questionnaire taking the view of the peop...

Purchasing portfolio models: a critique and update

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gelderman, C.J.; Weele, van A.J.

2005-01-01

Purchasing portfolio models have spawned considerable discussion in the literature. Many advantages and disadvantages have been put forward, revealing considerable divergence in opinion on the merits of portfolio models. This study addresses the question of whether or not the use of purchasing

The Influence of Purchasing Context and Reversibility of Choice on Consumer Responses Toward Personalized Products and Standardized Products.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Jieun; Lee, Doo-Hee; Taylor, Charles R

2016-04-01

Existing research on personalization has found that consumers generally prefer personalized products over standardized ones. This study argued that consumer preference for personalized products is dependent on purchasing context and reversibility of choice. Results of an experiment conducted in this study found that consumers preferred personalized products when purchasing an item for personal use but preferred standardized products when purchasing an item as a gift. However, the effects of purchasing context were negated when consumers were given the assurance that personalized products could be returned (reversibility of choice); when presented with reversibility of choice, consumers preferred personalized products over standardized products regardless of purchasing context. Theoretical and managerial implications of these results were discussed. © The Author(s) 2016.

The impact of self-reported health and register-based prescription medicine purchases on re-employment chances

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svane-petersen, Annemette Coop; Dencker-Larsen, Sofie

2016-01-01

on individual prescription medicine purchases for somatic illnesses and prescription medicine purchases for mental illnesses, information on re-employment and various socio-demographic variables. We conducted binary logistic regression analyses to investigate the impact of self-reported health and prescription...

Nonlinear Trend and Purchasing Power Parity

OpenAIRE

luo, yinghao

2016-01-01

Abstract. After the collapse of the Bretton Woods system, the evidence on the purchasing power parity (PPP) in the long run is still a matter of debate. The difficulties of the problem are the possible nonstationarity of relative price indices and nominal exchange rates. The traditional ways to deal with nonstationarity such as unit root model and cointegration have some problems. In this paper, to deal with nonstationarity, we apply the Hodrick－Prescott (HP) trend-cycle filter in real busine...

Food concerns and support for environmental food policies and purchasing.

Science.gov (United States)

Worsley, Anthony; Wang, Wei C; Burton, Melissa

2015-08-01

Consumer support for pro environmental food policies and food purchasing are important for the adoption of successful environmental policies. This paper examines consumers' views of food policy options as their predisposition to purchase pro environmental foods along with their likely demographic, educational and cognitive antecedents including food and environmental concerns and universalism values (relating to care for others and the environment). An online survey to assess these constructs was conducted among 2204 Australian adults in November 2011. The findings showed strong levels of support for both environmental food policies (50%-78% support) and pro environmental food purchasing (51%-69% intending to purchase pro environmental foods). Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling showed that different cognitive mediators exist along pathways between demographics and the two outcome variables. Support for food policy was positively related to food and environment concerns (std. Beta = 0.25), universalism (0.41), perceived control (0.07), and regulatory issues (0.64 but negatively with food security issues (-0.37). Environment purchasing intentions were positively linked to food and nutrition concerns (0.13), food and environment concerns (0.24), food safety concerns (0.19), food and animal welfare concerns (0.16), universalism (0.25), female gender (0.05), education (0.04), and perceived influence over the food system (0.17). In addition, health study in years 11 and 12 was positively related to the beginning of both of these pathways (0.07 for each). The results are discussed in relation to the opportunities that communications based on the mediating variables offer for the promotion of environmental food policies and purchasing. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of changes in visibility and price on fruit purchasing at a university cafeteria in Lima, Peru.

Science.gov (United States)

Cárdenas, María Kathia; Benziger, Catherine P; Pillay, Timesh D; Miranda, J Jaime

2015-10-01

To determine the effect of increasing fruit visibility, adding information and lowering price on fruit purchasing at a university cafeteria in Lima, Peru. Quasi-experimental pilot study of a three-phase stepped intervention. In Phase 1, fruit was displayed >3 m from the point of purchase with no additional information. Phase 2 consisted in displaying the fruit near the point of purchase with added health and price information. Phase 3 added a 33% price reduction. The duration of each phase was 3 weeks and phases were separated by 2-week breaks. Primary outcomes were total pieces of fruit and number of meals sold daily. A university cafeteria in Lima, Peru. Approximately 150 people, students and non-student adults, who purchased food daily. Twelve students participated in post-intervention interviews. Fruit purchasing doubled from Phase 1 to Phase 3 (Pdaily (Pbuy unhealthy snack foods. Promoting fruit consumption by product placement close to the point of purchase, adding health information and price reduction had a positive effect on fruit purchasing in a university cafeteria, especially in males and non-student adults.

Berkeley Off-line Radioisotope Generator (BORG)

CERN Document Server

Sudowe, R

2001-01-01

Development of chemical separations for the transactinides has traditionally been performed with longer-lived tracer activities purchased commercially. With these long-lived tracers, there is always the potential problem that the tracer atoms are not always in the same chemical form as the short-lived atoms produced in on-line experiments. This problem is especially severe for elements in groups 4 and 5 of the periodic table, where hydrolysis is present. The long-lived tracers usually are stored with a complexing agent to prevent sorption or precipitation. Chemistry experiments performed with these long-lived tracers are therefore not analogous to those chemical experiments performed in on-line experiments. One way to eliminate the differences between off-line and on-line chemistry experiments is through the use of a sup 2 sup 5 sup 2 Cf fission fragment collection device. A sup 2 sup 5 sup 2 Cf fission fragment collection device has already been constructed [1]. This device is limited in its capabilities. A ...

Predictability in Pathological Gambling? Applying the Duplication of Purchase Law to the Understanding of Cross-Purchases Between Regular and Pathological Gamblers.

Science.gov (United States)

Lam, Desmond; Mizerski, Richard

2017-06-01

The objective of this study is to explore the gambling participations and game purchase duplication of light regular, heavy regular and pathological gamblers by applying the Duplication of Purchase Law. Current study uses data collected by the Australian Productivity Commission for eight different types of games. Key behavioral statistics on light regular, heavy regular, and pathological gamblers were computed and compared. The key finding is that pathological gambling, just like regular gambling, follows the Duplication of Purchase Law, which states that the dominant factor of purchase duplication between two brands is their market shares. This means that gambling between any two games at pathological level, like any regular consumer purchases, exhibits "law-like" regularity based on the pathological gamblers' participation rate of each game. Additionally, pathological gamblers tend to gamble more frequently across all games except lotteries and instant as well as make greater cross-purchases compared to heavy regular gamblers. A better understanding of the behavioral traits between regular (particularly heavy regular) and pathological gamblers can be useful to public policy makers and social marketers in order to more accurately identify such gamblers and better manage the negative impacts of gambling.

Reduction of the visual impact of overhead transmission line systems through utilisation of line surge arresters as lightning protection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Thomas Kjærsgaard; Holbøll, Joachim

2008-01-01

with the Technical University of Denmark, on how to lessen the visual impact of 400 kV overhead line transmission systems. In this paper omission of shield wires combined with installation of a suitable number of line surge arresters is investigated as a possible alternative to transmission lines equipped...... with shielding wires thereby reducing tower height, allowing more compact designs of towers thus minimizing the visual environment impact of the lines. Omission of shield wires in the system and instead utilizing a larger number of surge arresters in the (upper) phases of an overhead line without reduction...... will be investigated by transient simulations on a 400 kV line with either shield wires or line surge arresters. These simulations will also be used to estimate number and location of the line surge arresters in the line to ensure a satisfactory performance of the line when omitting shield wires in the tower top...

Adaptive on-line calibration for around-view monitoring system using between-camera homography estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Sungsoo; Lee, Seohyung; Kim, Jun-geon; Lee, Daeho

2018-01-01

The around-view monitoring (AVM) system is one of the major applications of advanced driver assistance systems and intelligent transportation systems. We propose an on-line calibration method, which can compensate misalignments for AVM systems. Most AVM systems use fisheye undistortion, inverse perspective transformation, and geometrical registration methods. To perform these procedures, the parameters for each process must be known; the procedure by which the parameters are estimated is referred to as the initial calibration. However, when only using the initial calibration data, we cannot compensate misalignments, caused by changing equilibria of cars. Moreover, even small changes such as tire pressure levels, passenger weight, or road conditions can affect a car's equilibrium. Therefore, to compensate for this misalignment, additional techniques are necessary, specifically an on-line calibration method. On-line calibration can recalculate homographies, which can correct any degree of misalignment using the unique features of ordinary parking lanes. To extract features from the parking lanes, this method uses corner detection and a pattern matching algorithm. From the extracted features, homographies are estimated using random sample consensus and parameter estimation. Finally, the misaligned epipolar geographies are compensated via the estimated homographies. Thus, the proposed method can render image planes parallel to the ground. This method does not require any designated patterns and can be used whenever cars are placed in a parking lot. The experimental results show the robustness and efficiency of the method.

The Health Experts onLine at Portsmouth (HELP) system: One-year review of adult and Pediatric Asynchronous Telehealth Consultations.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Andrew H; Cole, Jacob H; Chin, John C; Mahnke, Chirstopher Becket

2016-01-01

The Health Experts onLine at Portsmouth teleconsultation system is designed to connect health providers in the Navy Medicine East Region to specialists at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth. A review of the first year of the Health Experts onLine at Portsmouth system was performed. Data on each teleconsultation were extracted from the Health Experts onLine at Portsmouth system database and analyzed. From June 2014 to May 2015 there have been 585 teleconsultations. Providers stationed on 36 ships/submarines and at 28 remote military treatment facilities have utilized the Health Experts onLine at Portsmouth system. Over 280 specialists in 34 different specialties were consulted. The median time to first response from a specialist was 6 h and 8 min, with 75% of all consults being addressed within 24 h. Eighteen medevacs were recommended. Thirty-nine potential medevacs were prevented, and 100 potential civilian network deferrals were prevented, resulting in an estimated savings of over US$580,000. Based on the 1-year metrics, Health Experts onLine at Portsmouth has provided improved access and quality of care to service members and their families throughout the Navy Medicine East Region. It has helped avoid over US$580,000 in unnecessary cost burden. Further review at the 2-year time interval will demonstrate the continued growth and effectiveness of the Health Experts onLine at Portsmouth system.

The duty of buying electricity from renewable sources and from cogeneration versus purchasing prices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piha, M.

1992-01-01

Electricity purchase prices are regulated and should not exceed the price at which electricity is purchased from the transmission system belonging to the dominant supplier, viz., the CEZ company. The suitability is discussed of the employed method of average price comparison. Drawbacks of such a comparison lie in the lower reliability of supplies from renewable sources, the necessity of having power reserves available for the case of renewable source failure, power supplies which are economically discriminated in favor of coal fired power plants based on costs which fail to cover simple reproduction, and failure to respect the supply prices in the different tariff classes. In fact, cost and price comparison is only reasonable if it concerns electricity supplies providing the same benefit and having the same or similar parameters and characteristics. Two approaches to the search of an optimum alternative are described, viz. the system approach, respecting the aspects of the complex integrated power system, and the market approach, which is based on the lowest operator's cost of electricity purchase. (J.B.). 1 tab

Line-on-line organic-organic heteroepitaxy of quaterrylene on hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene on Au(111).

Science.gov (United States)

Kasemann, Daniel; Wagner, Christian; Forker, Roman; Dienel, Thomas; Müllen, Klaus; Fritz, Torsten

2009-11-03

In a recent paper, we discussed the optical properties of a heterostructure consisting of a highly ordered monolayer of quaterrylene (QT), electronically decoupled from the gold substrate by a predeposited epitaxial monolayer of hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene (HBC). Here we now present the detailed structural investigation of this organic double-layer system. We show that the structure of the heterosystem can be identified as line-on-line coincidence (lol), a new type of epitaxy discovered by us previously for the system 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) on HBC on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). Additionally, we provide evidence on the basis of advanced potential energy calculations that indeed energetic gain drives this lol growth mode.

On line protection systems for induction motors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colak, I.; Celik, H.; Sefa, I.; Demirbas, S.

2005-01-01

Protection of induction motors is very important since they are widely used in industry for many applications due to their high robustness, reliability, low cost and maintenance, high efficiency and long service life. So, protecting these motors is crucial for operations. This paper presents a combined protection approach for induction motors. To achieve this, the electrical values of the induction motor were measured with sensitivity ±1% through a data acquisition card and processed with software developed in Visual C++. An on line protection system for induction motors was achieved easily and effectively. The experimental results have shown that the induction motor was protected against the possible problems faced during the operation. The software developed for this protection provides flexible and reliable media for operators and their motors. It is expected that the motor protection achieved in this study might be faster than the classical techniques and also may be applied to larger motors easily after small modifications of the software

Factors Which Influence The Fish Purchasing Decision: A study on Traditional Market in Riau Mainland

Science.gov (United States)

Siswati, Latifa; Putri, Asgami

2018-05-01

The purposes of the research are to analyze and assess the factors which influence fish purchasing by the community at Tenayan Raya district Pekanbaru.Research methodology which used is survey method, especially interview and observation technique or direct supervision on the market which located at Tenayan Raya district. Determination technique of sampling location/region is done by purposive sampling. The sampling method is done by accidental sampling. Technique analysis of factors which used using the data that derived from the respondent opinion to various fish variable. The result of this research are the factors which influence fish purchasing decision done in a traditional market which located at Tenayan Raya district are product factor, price factors, social factor and individual factor. Product factor which influences fish purchasing decision as follows: the eyelets condition, the nutrition of fresh fish, the diversity of sold fish. Price factors influence the fish purchasing decision, such as: the price of fresh fish, the convincing price and the suitability price and benefits of the fresh fish. Individual factors which influence a fish purchasing decision, such as education and income levels. Social factors which influence a fish purchasing decision, such as family, colleagues and feeding habits of fish.

The power of putting a label on it: green labels weigh heavier than contradicting product information for consumers' purchase decisions and post-purchase behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Hahnel, Ulf J J; Arnold, Oliver; Waschto, Michael; Korcaj, Liridon; Hillmann, Karen; Roser, Damaris; Spada, Hans

2015-01-01

Green products are appealing. Thus, labeling products as environmentally friendly is an effective strategy to increase sales. However, the labels often promise more than the products can actually deliver. In the present research, we examined the expectation that consumers with high ecological motivation have strong preferences for green-labeled products - even when presented product information contradicts the label's image. This unsettling hypothesis is grounded in the labels' potential to create a cognitive match between the labeled product and consumers' motives. For labels indicating environmental friendliness (green product labels), this link should be strongest when consumers' ecological motivation is high. Findings in a series of three experiments support our assumption, showing that consumers with high ecological motivation had strong preferences (i.e., product evaluations, purchase intentions, and simulated purchase decisions) for green-labeled products as compared to consumers with low ecological motivation (Studies 1-3). Crucially, these preferences were robust, despite contradicting environmental product information (Studies 1 and 2). We extended our findings by additionally examining the impact of product labels and motivation on moral self-regulation processes. This was established by assessing participants' pro-social behavior after the purchase task: participants with high ecological motivation acted, consistent with their motives, more pro-socially in post-decision occasions. In accordance with moral cleansing effects, pro-social behavior was intensified after purchasing conventional products (Studies 2 and 3). Green labels protected participants with high ecological motivation from moral threats due to the purchase, thus making pro-social behavior less likely. Findings suggest that highly ecologically motivated consumers are most susceptible to green labels, which may override detailed product information.

The power of putting a label on it: green labels weigh heavier than contradicting product information for consumers’ purchase decisions and post-purchase behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Hahnel, Ulf J. J.; Arnold, Oliver; Waschto, Michael; Korcaj, Liridon; Hillmann, Karen; Roser, Damaris; Spada, Hans

2015-01-01

Green products are appealing. Thus, labeling products as environmentally friendly is an effective strategy to increase sales. However, the labels often promise more than the products can actually deliver. In the present research, we examined the expectation that consumers with high ecological motivation have strong preferences for green-labeled products – even when presented product information contradicts the label’s image. This unsettling hypothesis is grounded in the labels’ potential to create a cognitive match between the labeled product and consumers’ motives. For labels indicating environmental friendliness (green product labels), this link should be strongest when consumers’ ecological motivation is high. Findings in a series of three experiments support our assumption, showing that consumers with high ecological motivation had strong preferences (i.e., product evaluations, purchase intentions, and simulated purchase decisions) for green-labeled products as compared to consumers with low ecological motivation (Studies 1–3). Crucially, these preferences were robust, despite contradicting environmental product information (Studies 1 and 2). We extended our findings by additionally examining the impact of product labels and motivation on moral self-regulation processes. This was established by assessing participants’ pro-social behavior after the purchase task: participants with high ecological motivation acted, consistent with their motives, more pro-socially in post-decision occasions. In accordance with moral cleansing effects, pro-social behavior was intensified after purchasing conventional products (Studies 2 and 3). Green labels protected participants with high ecological motivation from moral threats due to the purchase, thus making pro-social behavior less likely. Findings suggest that highly ecologically motivated consumers are most susceptible to green labels, which may override detailed product information. PMID:26441767

The power of putting a label on it: Green labels weigh heavier than contradicting product information for consumers’ purchase decisions and post-purchase behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ulf J. J. Hahnel

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Green products are appealing. Thus, labeling products as environmentally friendly is an effective strategy to increase sales. However, the labels often promise more than the products can actually deliver. In the present research, we examined the expectation that consumers with high ecological motivation have strong preferences for green-labeled products – even when presented product information contradicts the label’s image. This unsettling hypothesis is grounded in the labels’ potential to create a cognitive match between the labeled product and consumers’ motives. For labels indicating environmental friendliness (green product labels, this link should be strongest when consumers’ ecological motivation is high. Findings in a series of three experiments support our assumption, showing that consumers with high ecological motivation had strong preferences (i.e. product evaluations, purchase intentions, and simulated purchase decisions for green-labeled products as compared to consumers with low ecological motivation (Studies 1-3. Crucially, these preferences were robust, despite contradicting environmental product information (Studies 1 and 2. We extended our findings by additionally examining the impact of product labels and motivation on moral self-regulation processes. This was established by assessing participants’ pro-social behavior after the purchase task: participants with high ecological motivation acted, consistent with their motives, more pro-socially in post-decision occasions. In accordance with moral cleansing effects, pro-social behavior was intensified after purchasing conventional products (Studies 2 and 3. Green labels protected participants with high ecological motivation from moral threats due to the purchase, thus making pro-social behavior less likely. Findings suggest that highly ecologically motivated consumers are most susceptible to green labels, which may override detailed product information.

39 CFR 601.104 - Postal purchasing authority.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... in writing local buying authority throughout the Postal Service. ... 39 Postal Service 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Postal purchasing authority. 601.104 Section 601.104 Postal Service UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE PROCUREMENT SYSTEM FOR THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE...

AKORT-1 on-line system for technological control of the mixed fuel distribution in fuel elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baklanov, V.S.; Besednov, G.Yu.; Gadzhiev, G.I.

1982-01-01

An on-line system for technological control of experimental fuel elements with vibrocompacted UO 2 -PuO 2 fuel rods fabricated for the BOR-60 reactor is described. Equipment and performance specific features of the system mechanical part and electronic circuits are considered. The results of the system performance testing are given. The fuel element quality sorting is made on the base of the analysis of Pu and fuel density distributions in the rod length. Gamma-absorption method for density measuring and the method of Pu content determination by its own gamma radiation are used in the system simultaneously. The system has the following main characteristics: tested fuel element diameter is 6 mm; the range of fuel rod mean densities is 7-10 g/cm 3 ; Pu content in the fuel is more than 20%; gamma detectors are the NaI(Tl) detectors with dimensions 40x40 and 25x25 mm; energy resolution is 137 Cs gamma line. Electronic circuits of the system operating on-line with the D3-28 microcomputer are made using the VECTOR standard. The system testing has shown that the error in the fuel density determination is less than 1%, that for Pu content measuring is 4%, the system capacity is 6 fuel elements per hour

The elettra beam line control system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mignacco, M.; Abrami, A.; Dequal, Z.

1994-01-01

Elettra is a third generation Synchrotron Light Source located in Trieste (Italy). It consists of a full energy linac injector and a storage ring with beam energies between 1.5 and 2 GeV. The facility is scheduled to be operational by end 1993. For the whole project 22 beam lines from insertion devices are foreseen, each of them is composed of a large number of measurement and controls instruments, most of them embedded in intelligent devices; in addition each beam line can be considered unique compared to the others, having been designed to provide a different kind of synchrotron radiation. This results in a large not homogenous environment where more than 200,000 physical points have to be controlled. A joint team composed of Softeco Sismat and Digital Equipment has developed a fully automated beam line control system able to give full remote controls, with different kind of access rights, to beam line users and beam line specialists as well as a full integration with experiment control systems. ((orig.))

Offering within-category food swaps to reduce energy density of food purchases: a study using an experimental online supermarket.

Science.gov (United States)

Forwood, Suzanna E; Ahern, Amy L; Marteau, Theresa M; Jebb, Susan A

2015-06-25

Swaps are often used to encourage healthier food choices, but there is little evidence of their effectiveness. The current study assessed the impact of offering swaps on groceries purchased within a bespoke online supermarket; specifically the objective was to measure the impact on energy density (ED) of food purchases following the offer of lower ED alternatives (a) at point of selection or at checkout, and (b) with or without explicit consent to receive swap prompts. Participants were asked to complete a 12-item shopping task within an online shopping platform, developed for studying food purchasing. 1610 adults were randomly assigned to a no swap control condition or to one of four interventions: consented swaps at selection; consented swaps at checkout; imposed swaps at selection; or imposed swaps at checkout. Each swap presented two lower ED options from the same category as the participant's chosen food. Swap acceptance rate and purchased food ED were the primary outcomes. Of the mean 12.36 (SD 1.26) foods purchased, intervention participants were offered a mean of 4.1 (SD 1.68) swaps, with the potential to reduce the ED of purchased food (effect (95% CI): -83 kJ/100 g (-110 - -56), p = food ED (effect (95% CI): -24 kJ/100 g (4 - -52), p = 0.094). More swaps were accepted when offered at selection than at checkout (OR (95% CI) = 1.224 (1.11 - 1.35), p food ED was unaffected by point of swap or consent, but reduced with number of swaps accepted (effect per swap (95% CI) = -24 kJ/100 g (-35 - -14), p category swaps did not reduce the ED of food purchases reflecting the observation that the use of swaps within an on-line shopping platform offered small potential gains in ED and a minority was accepted.

Library Purchasing Consortia in the UK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Ball

2001-07-01

Full Text Available The distribution of library purchasing consortia across the United Kingdom is uneven and sector-dependent. Only higher education libraries show a well developed regional infrastructure of purchasing consortia covering virtually all eligible libraries. While there are clear sectoral disparities amongst the library purchasing consortia surveyed, the size of consortium expenditure seems to determine whether procurement professionals are involved. Thus in those whose spend consistently exceeds European Commission guidelines’ thresholds, the involvement of purchasing professionals is much more likely, and also crucial to the successful navigation of such procedures.

TARMS, an on-line boiling water reactor operation management system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwamoto, T.; Sakurai, S.; Uematsu, H.; Tsuiki, M.; Makino, K.

1984-01-01

The TARMS (Toshiba Advanced Reactor Management System) software package was developed as an effective on-line, on-site tool for boiling water reactor core operation management. It was designed to support a complete function set to meet the requirement to the current on-line process computers. The functions can be divided into two categories. One is monitoring of the present core power distribution as well as related limiting parameters. The other is aiding site engineers or reactor operators in making the future reactor operating plan. TARMS performs these functions with a three-dimensional BWR core physics simulator LOGOS 2, which is based on modified one-group, coarse-mesh nodal diffusion theory. A method was developed to obtain highly accurate nodal powers by coupling LOGOS 2 calculations with the readings of an in-core neutron flux monitor. A sort of automated machine-learning method also was developed to minimize the errors caused by insufficiency of the physics model adopted in LOGOS 2. In addition to these fundamental calculational methods, a number of core operation planning aid packages were developed and installed in TARMS, which were designed to make the operator's inputs simple and easy. (orig.) [de

The influence of price-related point-of-sale promotions on bottle shop purchases of young adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Sandra C; Barrie, Lance; Gregory, Parri; Allsop, Steve; Chikritzhs, Tanya

2015-03-01

To investigate the impact of point-of-sale promotions on product choice, brand choice and purchase quantity of young adults purchasing alcohol for off-premise consumption in Australia. A cross-sectional interviewer-completed survey conducted at 24 bottle shops (liquor stores), 12 each in the capital cities of Sydney, New South Wales and Perth, Western Australia. Participants were 509 adults (18 and over) exiting bottle shops having purchased alcohol. When prompted, 26.5% indicated that there was a special offer, price discount, or special promotion connected with a product that they had purchased. Those who participated in point-of-sale promotions purchased a greater quantity of alcohol than those who did not participate: ready to drink, an average of 11.5 standard drinks (SD) compared with an average of 8.9 SD (t = 1.320, P = 0.190); beer, an average of 26.8 SD compared with an average of 16.4 SD; wine, an average of 16.1 SD compared with an average of 13.8 SD (t = 0.924, P = 0.357). Participation in point-of-sale promotions may be associated with increased purchase quantities, not solely shifting between brands. There is a need for further research to explore changes in purchase and consumption patterns as a result of the availability of price-based promotions. The results of this study, combined with previous research, suggest that regulators-and marketers-should consider the immediate and cumulative effect of point-of-sale promotions on drinking patterns, particularly those of younger drinkers. © 2014 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Effects of Damping Plate and Taut Line System on Mooring Stability of Small Wave Energy Converter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhen Liu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Ocean wave energy can be used for electricity supply to ocean data acquisition buoys. A heaving buoy wave energy converter is designed and the damping plate and taut line system are used to provide the mooring stability for better operating conditions. The potential flow assumption is employed for wave generation and fluid structure interactions, which are processed by the commercial software AQWA. Effects of damping plate diameter and taut line linking style with clump and seabed weights on reduction of displacements in 6 degrees of freedom are numerically studied under different operating wave conditions. Tensile forces on taut lines of optimized mooring system are tested to satisfy the national code for wire rope utilization.

Development of the integrated core on-line monitoring and protection aid surveillance system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Byung Oh; In, Wang Kee; Song, Jae Seung; Zee, Sung Quun

1998-01-01

The integrated Core On-line Monitoring and Protection Aid Surveillance System (COMPASS) is developed for the purpose of supporting the reactor operation, based on the three-dimensional nodal design code, MASTER. The heart of COMPASS is an adaptive nodal core simulator for the on-line calculation of three-dimensional assembly and pin power distributions which are used for the evaluation of the thermal margins and for the guide in operation. In this paper, the overall structures and the solution methods of COMPASS are described. The uncertainty of COMPASS for SMART core was also evaluated by comparing that of MASTER. The results showed that COMPASS uncertainty in power shape prediction is identical to that of the design code system, MASTER. The application of COMPASS to the analysis of peaking factor for SMART core resulted with about 4% gain in peaking factor margin when compared to COLSS

Adolescent Purchasing Behavior at McDonald's and Subway.

Science.gov (United States)

Lesser, Lenard I; Kayekjian, Karen C; Velasquez, Paz; Tseng, Chi-Hong; Brook, Robert H; Cohen, Deborah A

2013-10-01

To assess whether adolescents purchasing food at a restaurant marketed as "healthy" (Subway) purchase fewer calories than at a competing chain (McDonald's). We studied 97 adolescents who purchased a meal at both restaurants on different days, using each participant as his or her control. We compared the difference in calories purchased by adolescents at McDonald's and Subway in a diverse area of Los Angeles, CA. Adolescents purchased an average of 1,038 calories (standard error of the mean [SEM]: 41) at McDonald's and 955 calories (SEM 39) at Subway. The difference of 83 calories (95% confidence interval [CI]: -20 to 186) was not statistically significant (p = .11). At McDonald's, participants purchased significantly more calories from drinks (151 vs. 61, p McDonald's vs. 35 at Subway, p McDonald's (.15 vs. .57 cups, p McDonald's. Although Subway meals had more vegetables, meals from both restaurants are likely to contribute to overeating. Copyright © 2013 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Acute sleep deprivation increases food purchasing in men.

Science.gov (United States)

Chapman, Colin D; Nilsson, Emil K; Nilsson, Victor C; Cedernaes, Jonathan; Rångtell, Frida H; Vogel, Heike; Dickson, Suzanne L; Broman, Jan-Erik; Hogenkamp, Pleunie S; Schiöth, Helgi B; Benedict, Christian

2013-12-01

To investigate if acute sleep deprivation affects food purchasing choices in a mock supermarket. On the morning after one night of total sleep deprivation (TSD) or after one night of sleep, 14 normal-weight men were given a fixed budget (300 SEK-approximately 50 USD). They were instructed to purchase as much as they could out of a possible 40 items, including 20 high-caloric foods (>2 kcal/g) and 20 low-caloric foods (foods were then varied (75%, 100% (reference price), and 125%) to determine if TSD affects the flexibility of food purchasing. Before the task, participants received a standardized breakfast, thereby minimizing the potential confound produced by hunger. In addition, morning plasma concentrations of the orexigenic hormone ghrelin were measured under fasting conditions. Independent of both type of food offered and price condition, sleep-deprived men purchased significantly more calories (+9%) and grams (+18%) of food than they did after one night of sleep (both P food purchasing. This experiment demonstrates that acute sleep loss alters food purchasing behavior in men. Copyright © 2013 The Obesity Society.

Tackling alcohol misuse: purchasing patterns affected by minimum pricing for alcohol.

Science.gov (United States)

Ludbrook, Anne; Petrie, Dennis; McKenzie, Lynda; Farrar, Shelley

2012-01-01

Alcohol consumption is associated with a range of health and social harms that increase with the level of consumption. Policy makers are interested in effective and cost-effective interventions to reduce alcohol consumption and associated harms. Economic theory and research evidence demonstrate that increasing price is effective at the population level. Price interventions that target heavier consumers of alcohol may be more effective at reducing alcohol-related harms with less impact on moderate consumers. Minimum pricing per unit of alcohol has been proposed on this basis but concerns have been expressed that 'moderate drinkers of modest means' will be unfairly penalized. If those on low incomes are disproportionately affected by a policy that removes very cheap alcohol from the market, the policy could be regressive. The effect on households' budgets will depend on who currently purchases cheaper products and the extent to which the resulting changes in prices will impact on their demand for alcohol. This paper focuses on the first of these points. This paper aims to identify patterns of purchasing of cheap off-trade alcohol products, focusing on income and the level of all alcohol purchased. Three years (2006-08) of UK household survey data were used. The Expenditure and Food Survey provides comprehensive 2-week data on household expenditure. Regression analyses were used to investigate the relationships between the purchase of cheap off-trade alcohol, household income levels and whether the household level of alcohol purchasing is categorized as moderate, hazardous or harmful, while controlling for other household and non-household characteristics. Predicted probabilities and quantities for cheap alcohol purchasing patterns were generated for all households. The descriptive statistics and regression analyses indicate that low-income households are not the predominant purchasers of any alcohol or even of cheap alcohol. Of those who do purchase off-trade alcohol

Universal control and measuring system for modern classic and amorphous magnetic materials single/on-line strip testers

Science.gov (United States)

Zemánek, Ivan; Havlíček, Václav

2006-09-01

A new universal control and measuring system for classic and amorphous soft magnetic materials single/on-line strip testing has been developed at the Czech Technical University in Prague. The measuring system allows to measure magnetization characteristic and specific power losses of different tested materials (strips) at AC magnetization of arbitrary magnetic flux density waveform at wide range of frequencies 20 Hz-20 kHz. The measuring system can be used for both single strip testing in laboratories and on-line strip testing during the production process. The measuring system is controlled by two-stage master-slave control system consisting of the external PC (master) completed by three special A/D measuring plug-in boards, and local executing control unit (slave) with one-chip microprocessor 8051, connected with PC by the RS232 serial line. The "user friendly" powerful control software implemented on the PC and the effective program code for the microprocessor give possibility for full automatic measurement with high measuring power and high measuring accuracy.

Computerized systems for on-line management of failures: a state-of-the-art discussion of alarm systems and diagnostic systems applied in the nuclear industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, I.S.

1994-01-01

It is now well perceived in the nuclear industry that improving plant information systems is vital for enhancing the operational safety of nuclear power plants. Considerable work is underway worldwide to support operators' decision-making, particularly in their difficult tasks of managing process anomalies on-line. The work includes development of (1) advanced alarm systems, such as various kinds of computer-based alarm processing systems, Critical Function Monitoring System, Success Path Monitoring System and Safety Assessment System II, and (2) real-timer diagnostic systems, such as Disturbance Analysis System, Maryland Operator Advisory System II, Model-Integrated Diagnostic Analysis System, Diagnosis System using Knowledge Engineering Technique, Detailed Diagnosis, and Operator Advisor System. This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of plant information systems for on-line management of failures in nuclear power plants, focusing on the methodological features of computerized alarm systems and diagnostic systems. (author)

Electricity generation sectors under purchase obligation: support arrangement analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-04-01

This report aims at assessing the operation of the support arrangement by which currently benefit some electricity production sectors in France (renewable energies, co-generation) with respect to the evolution of the energy mix within the frame of energy transition. Other support arrangements presently adopted in Europe are also addressed as lessons to be learned. Criteria are established for any support arrangement. The report presents the French and European context regarding such support arrangement with purchasing obligation, and addresses the future evolutions of the European Commission. It highlights challenges for the electric system and for the energy market (impact on investments, optimization of market operation), describes and assesses the French purchasing obligation arrangement, and describes and assesses other existing support arrangements

A Dynamic Panel Model of the Associations of Sweetened Beverage Purchases With Dietary Quality and Food-Purchasing Patterns

Science.gov (United States)

Piernas, Carmen; Ng, Shu Wen; Mendez, Michelle A.; Gordon-Larsen, Penny; Popkin, Barry M.

2015-01-01

Investigating the association between consumption of sweetened beverages and dietary quality is challenging because issues such as reverse causality and unmeasured confounding might result in biased and inconsistent estimates. Using a dynamic panel model with instrumental variables to address those issues, we examined the independent associations of beverages sweetened with caloric and low-calorie sweeteners with dietary quality and food-purchasing patterns. We analyzed purchase data from the Homescan survey, an ongoing, longitudinal, nationally representative US survey, from 2000 to 2010 (n = 34,294). Our model included lagged measures of dietary quality and beverage purchases (servings/day in the previous year) as exposures to predict the outcomes (macronutrient (kilocalories per capita per day; %), total energy, and food purchases) in the next year after adjustment for other sociodemographic covariates. Despite secular declines in purchases (kilocalories per capita per day) from all sources, each 1-serving/day increase in consumption of either beverage type resulted in higher purchases of total daily kilocalories and kilocalories from food, carbohydrates, total sugar, and total fat. Each 1-serving/day increase in consumption of either beverage was associated with more purchases of caloric-sweetened desserts or sweeteners, which accounted for a substantial proportion of the increase in total kilocalories. We concluded that consumers of both beverages sweetened with low-calorie sweeteners and beverages sweetened with caloric sweeteners had poorer dietary quality, exhibited higher energy from all purchases, sugar, and fat, and purchased more caloric-sweetened desserts/caloric sweeteners compared with nonconsumers. PMID:25834139

Achieving universal health coverage goals in Thailand: the vital role of strategic purchasing.

Science.gov (United States)

Tangcharoensathien, Viroj; Limwattananon, Supon; Patcharanarumol, Walaiporn; Thammatacharee, Jadej; Jongudomsuk, Pongpisut; Sirilak, Supakit

2015-11-01

Strategic purchasing is one of the key policy instruments to achieve the universal health coverage (UHC) goals of improved and equitable access and financial risk protection. Given favourable outcomes of Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS), this study synthesized strategic purchasing experiences in the National Health Security Office (NHSO) responsible for the UCS in contributing to achieving UHC goals. The UCS applied the purchaser-provider split concept where NHSO, as a purchaser, is in a good position to enforce accountability by public and private providers to the UCS beneficiaries, through active purchasing. A comprehensive benefit package resulted in high level of financial risk protection as reflected by low incidence of catastrophic health spending and impoverished households. The NHSO contracted the District Health System (DHS) network, to provide outpatient, health promotion and disease prevention services to the whole district population, based on an annual age-adjusted capitation payment. In most cases, the DHS was the only provider in a district without competitors. Geographical monopoly hampered the NHSO to introduce a competitive contractual agreement, but a durable, mutually dependent relationship based on trust was gradually evolved, while accreditation is an important channel for quality improvement. Strategic purchasing services from DHS achieved a pro-poor utilization due to geographical proximity, where travel time and costs were minimal. Inpatient services paid by Diagnostic Related Group within a global budget ceiling, which is estimated based on unit costs, admission rates and admission profiles, contained cost effectively. To prevent potential under-provisions of the services, some high cost interventions were unbundled from closed end payment and paid on an agreed fee schedule. Executing monopsonistic purchasing power by NHSO brought down price of services given assured quality. Cost saving resulted in more patients served within a finite

Impact of Quantitative Easing on Purchased Asset Yields, its Persistency and Overlap

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jakl Jakub

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The main focus of this paper rests on the event study and SVAR analysis of quantitative easing that was initiated as a reaction to the financial crisis at the turn of 2008/2009 that finally ended in 2014. The Fed was virtually unable to continue with its conventional monetary policy regime in environment of zero-bound threshold, where there is no easy way to decrease main monetary policy rate any further. As a reaction to this limitation, the Fed started to practice quantitative easing and other unconventional measures. Event study examines changes in yields of purchased assets, namely US Treasuries, MBS and agency debt, and on two-day event window of the OIS and yield spreads quantifies imminent impact of QE announcements and relevant chairman speeches. Following VAR model and impulse-response functions, I examine the impact of QE and its persistency on purchased asset and on alternative asset classes in the framework of various transmission channels such as signalling, portfolio-balancing and liquidity channels. In this study I found non-negligible impact of QE on purchased assets in both models through all waves of QE and time persistency patterns in IRFs part. Furthermore, some evidence for portfolio-balancing channel and other related channels was found.