bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
First-trimester fasting plasma glucose as a predictor of gestational diabetes mellitus and the association with adverse pregnancy outcomes
Authors: LI Ping , Lin Shuo , Li Ling , Cui Jinhui , Zhou Shuisheng , Fan Jianhui
Published: January 2019

Objective: To evaluate the usefulness of a fasting plasma glucose (FPG) at the first trimester in predicting gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and the association between FPG and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Methods: The levels of FPG in women with singleton pregnancies were measured at 9-13+6 weeks. A two hour 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was completed at 24-28 weeks and the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) criteria was used. Adverse pregnancy outcomes were assessed and recorded.

Results: Among 2112 pregnant women enrolled in the study, 224 (10.6%) subjects were diagnosed with GDM. The AUC for FPG in predicting GDM was 0.63 (95% CI 0.61- 0.65) and the optimal cutoff value was 4.5 mmol/L (sensitivity 64.29% and specificity 56.45%). Higher first-trimester FPG increased the prevalence of GDM, large for gestational age (LGA) and assisted vaginal delivery and/or cesarean section (all P < 0.05).

Conclusion: FPG at first trimester could be used to predict GDM and higher first-trimester FPG was associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes.

How to cite this:Li P, Lin S, Li L, Cui J, Zhou S, Fan J. First-trimester fasting plasma glucose as a predictor of gestational diabetes mellitus and the association with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Pak J Med Sci. 2019;35(1):95-100. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.1.216

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Examining Incoming Credit Differences Between First-Year and Transfer Students
Authors: Yang Yang , Briggs Kelly , Avalos Sandra , Anderson Christina M.
Published: January 2019

In this study, the difference in the number of initial credits between incoming transfer and first-year students entering a land grant university in a professional education program was examined (N = 488). A multivariate analysis of variance revealed that transfer students transferred significantly more total credits and more credits that counted toward degree programs than did first-year students. Undergraduates who had graduated from small high schools transferred more credits and more credits that counted than did those from large high schools. However, first-year students transferred a significantly higher percentage of total credits that counted toward the degree programs than did transfer students. Implications for advisors, institutions, and policy makers are discussed.
Forest Fire Risk Assessment using Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process
Authors: MEHTA DIVYA , KAUR BAWEJA PARMINDER , AGGARWAL R K
Published: January 2019

Forest fires in the mid hills of Himachal Pradesh are mostly related to human activities. More than 90% of fires are originated from either deliberate or involuntary causes. The purpose of study is linked to identification of forest fire risk factors in 19 villages under Nauni and Oachhghat Panchayats. The methodology paradigm applied here is based on knowledge and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) techniques. Knowledge-based criteria involve socio-economic and biophysical themes for risk assessment. The risk factors are identified according to past occurrence of fire. Fuel type scores highest weight (0.3109) followed by aspect (0.2487), agricultural workers (0.1865), nutritional density (0.1244), population density (0.0622), elevation (0.0311), literacy rate (0.0207) and distance from road (0.0155) in descending order. In the study area applying FAHP, 24.96% of total area was classified under high-risk prone area, 21.69% area classified under high-risk, 34.63% area under moderate risk, while 18.61% area under low risk. The results were in accordance with actual fire occurrences in the past years.
Seasonal Abundance of Cladocerans and their Relation to Physico-chemicalparameters of Pond Ecosystem in Palampur, Dist. Kangra, (H.P.)
Authors: SUPRIYA KALYANI , C. CHAUHAN RAMESH , SINGH BALWINDER
Published: January 2019

The physico-chemical parameters and cladocerans diversity are an important measure for evaluating the suitability of water for drinking purposes and irrigation. The investigation was undertaken to estimate the physico-chemical characteristics and to record the presence and abundance of cladocerans in relation to the physico- chemical regime of the pond ecosystem. The water samples were analyzed for temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids, total solids, total suspended solids, total-alkalinity, nitrate-nitrogen, potassium, total phosphate-phosphorus, chlorides,sodium, and cladocerans were estimated and recorded respectively on monthly basis for the period of one year from April 2014 to March 2015. The present study revealed the presence of seven species namely Moinamucronata, Bosminalongirostris, Daphnia pulex, Daphnia magna, Simocephallusexpinosus, Sidacrystalline andDiaphanosomabrachyurum of cladocerans.
Current concepts in osteogenesis imperfecta: Bone structure, biomechanics and medical management
Authors: Nijhuis W. H. , Eastwood D. M. , Allgrove J. , Hvid I. , Weinans H. H. , Bank R. A. , Sakkers R. J.
Published: January 2019

The majority of patients with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) have mutations in the COL1A1 or COL1A2 gene, which has consequences for the composition of the bone matrix and bone architecture. The mutations result in overmodified collagen molecules, thinner collagen fibres and hypermineralization of bone tissue at a bone matrix level. Trabecular bone in OI is characterized by a lower trabecular number and connectivity as well as a lower trabecular thickness and volumetric bone mass. Cortical bone shows a decreased cortical thickness with less mechanical anisotropy and an increased pore percentage as a result of increased osteocyte lacunae and vascular porosity.

Most OI patients have mutations at different locations in the COL1 gene. Disease severity in OI is probably partly determined by the nature of the primary collagen defect and its location with respect to the C-terminus of the collagen protein. The overall bone biomechanics result in a relatively weak and brittle structure. Since this is a result of all of the above-mentioned factors as well as their interactions, there is considerable variation between patients, and accurate prediction on bone strength in the individual patient with OI is difficult.

Current treatment of OI focuses on adequate vitamin-D levels and interventions in the bone turnover cycle with bisphosphonates. Bisphosphonates increase bone mineral density, but the evidence on improvement of clinical status remains limited. Effects of newer drugs such as antibodies against RANKL and sclerostin are currently under investigation.

This paper was written under the guidance of the Study Group Genetics and Metabolic Diseases of the European Paediatric Orthopaedic Society.
DOCKING MOLEKUL DENGAN METODA MOLEGRO VIRTUAL DOCKER DARI EKSTRAK AIR Psidium guajava, Linn DAN Citrus sinensis, Peels SEBAGAI INHIBITOR PADA TIROSINASE UNTUK PEMUTIH KULIT
Authors: Puspaningtyas Ayik Rosita
Published: January 2019

We have been molecular docking using MolegroVirtual Docker (MVD) on water extract of guava fruit(Psidiumguajava, Linn) and sweet orange (Citrussinensis,Peels) as inhibitor on enzyme tyrosinase withascorbic acid (vitamin C) as positive control to studywhitening agent. Based on the previous studies, the maincontent of the water extract of guava fruit (Psidiumguajava)are 2,6-dihydroxy-3,5-dimethyl-4-0--D-glucopyranosilbenzophenone, 3-hydroxy-2-butanone, and vitamin C, whilethe extract juice of sweet oranges (Citrus sinensis) arelimonene, linalol, and vitamin C. In this study the resultsshowed that the main content of the water extract of Psidiumguajava fruit have better bond as inhibitor on tyrosinase thanCitrus sinensis and vitamin C which can be seen fromMoldock score of Psidiumguajava (-107.806) and Citrussinensis (-76,9593); it meanslower the energyand morestable binding. The IC50 on water extract of guava fruit(psidiumguajava) and sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) were0.26 mM and 31.07 mM, respectively. The hydrogen bonds of2, 6-dihydroxy-3, 5-dimethyl-4-0--D- glucopyranosilbenzophenone with 5amino acid of tyrosinase were Gly 200,Pro 201 , Gly 196, Phe 197, and Asn 205, while limonen,linalool binding 3 amino acids were Gly 200, Phe 197, andAsn 205. Finally, 3D MVD visualization between maincontent of guava and sweet orange water extract can beconcluded that interaction of guava fruit (psidiumguajava)water extract against tyrosinase was more harmonious andstabil than vitamin C and main content of sweet orange(Citrus sinensis) water extract.Keywords: Psidium guajava, Citrus sinensis, tyrosinase, vitamin Cand docking molecule
UJI KINERJA KATALIS Cu-ZnO/AI2O3 YANG DIPREPARASI DENGAN METODE KOPRESIPITASI UNTUK KONVERSI GLISEROL MENJADI PROPANADIOL
Authors: Sarwono R. , Sembiring K. C. , Kusuma D. S. , Tursiloadi S.
Published: January 2019

Glycerolis the side product of esterificationprocess of edible oil into ester which is called as biodiesel. Conversion of glycerol into propanediol (PDO) involved many steps of reactions. Dehydration of Glycerol to 3- hydroxypropanalisstarted by breaking c-o bond, continued by hydrogenation reaction of 3-hydroxypropanal to produce 1,3-PDO. If the dehydration result of glycerol is acetol, the hydrogenation of acetol will produce 1,2-PDo. The dehydration reaction is depend on the strength of catalyst acidity or metalion Cu;itwill enhance the reactionselectivity toproduce 1,2 or 1,3-PDO. The strength ofCu-ZnO/A1203 catalyst prepared by coprecipitation method is 2.8 mmollgram. The glycerol conversion is almost 100% with 1,2-PDO as the main product and no 1,3-PDO wasobtained.Keywords: glicerol, co-precipitaion, catalyst, dehydration,PDO
HIDROLISIS LIGNOSELULOSA PELEPAH DAN TANDAN KOSONG KELAPA SAWIT DENGAN KATALIS ZIRKONIA TERSULFATASI
Authors: Kristiani Anis , Sembiring Kiky Corneliasari , Abimanyu Haznan , Aulia Fauzan
Published: January 2019

Lignocellulosic biomass which are frond and empty fruit bunches (EFB) is second generation raw material for ethanol production. Lignocellulose usage is expected to create a green process. Utilization of lignocellulose materials into ethanol involved four main processes, i.e pretreatment, hydrolysis/sacharification, fermentation, distillation and dehydration ethanol that was product. This research aims to optimize hydrolysis process of EFB and frond by using sulfated zirconia catalyst characterized its physical and chemical properties as a solid acid catalyst. Catalytic hydrolysis process conducted at 160 DCfor 3 hours gave the highest TRS (Total Reducing Sugar) which is 17,51 % for EFB while for frondfor 2 hours which is 19,23 % .Keyword: Hydrolysis, solid acid catalyst, lignocellulose, frond, EFB, sulfated zirconia
The effect of hypercaloric diet and Quercetin on the full-transcriptome liver tissue profile of Zucker-LEPRfa rats
Authors: Trusov Nikita V. , Apryatin Sergey A. , Gorbachev Aleksey Yu. , Naumov Vladimir A. , Mzhelskaya Kristina V. , Gmoshinski Ivan V.
Published: January 2019

BACKGROUND: The peptidic hormone leptin (Lep) occupies a central place in the control of energy homeostasis and body weight in mammals. A convenient model for studying the role of impaired Lep reception is the Zucker-LEPRfa rats, which carry a mutation in the homozygote of the LEPR gene. Quercetin (Q; 3.3 ‘, 4’, 5.7-pentahydroxyflavone) is currently being considered as one of the promising biologically active substances, which allows to correct metabolic disorders in obesity and metabolic syndrome.
AIM: to study changes in the expression of genes in liver tissue of rats with impaired receptivity of Lep under the influence of high-fat and high-carbohydrate diet (HFCR) or/and Q supplementation.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: 4 groups of six male Zucker-LEPRfa male rats were used in experiment. Within 61 days the animals of the 1st group (control) received a balanced semi-synthetic diet, the second group received the same diet with the addition of quercetin in a dose of 50 mg/kg of body weight, the third group — the HFCR (30% fat by dry weight and 20% fructose instead of water), the 4th group is the same diet and supplement of quercetin. Full transcriptional profiling of liver tissue was performed on microchips from the Gene Expression Hybridization Kit (Agilent Technologies), a real-time polymerase chain reaction combined with reverse transcription (RT-PCR) was performed for liver transcripts of Crot, FTO, NpY, Prdx1, Prom1, Ugt2b37 and GAPDH genes contained in liver tissue.
RESULTS: It was shown that feeding of Zucker-LEPRfa rats with Q and/or HFCR led to significant changes in the level of transcription of 1604 genes in liver tissue, from which the effect of quercetin proper was manifested for 1396 genes. Changes were more pronounced in the transcriptome of liver tissue caused by HFCR, than caused by the addition of Q against the background of a standard diet. Q influenced the expression of genes responsible for xenobiotic detoxification processes (UGT2b37), redox homeostasis (Prdx1), beta-oxidation of fatty acids (Crot), and central mechanisms affecting hunger and satiety (NpY), and potentiated, or abolished the effects of HFCR against a number of other functionally important genes. Bioinformatic analysis revealed the influence of HFCR and/or Q on 23 metabolic pathways (KEGGS), of which 7 (the metabolism of steroids, arachidonic and linoleic acids, retinoids, drugs and xenobiotics (due to cytochrome P-450), bile secretion) were affected in all experimental groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Changes in the transcriptome of the liver of Zucker-LEPRfa rats, caused by consumption of HFCR and/or Q, were consistent with experimental data on changes in short-term memory, anxiety and mineral metabolism in these animals.
A study of Taiwanese university students’ English use, learning goals and attitudes toward English as a lingua franca
Authors: Luo Wen-Hsing
Published: January 2019

This study investigates Taiwanese university students’ experience of English use, aims of learning English and attitudes toward English as a lingua franca (ELF). The notion of ELF has been researched in the field of English language teaching. However, English teaching practice targeting native-speaker (NS) norms is still prevailing in English classrooms. To better respond to learner needs of using English in the age of globalization, this study explores learners’ English learning and use in relation to their attitudes toward ELF. Research methods including interviewing and questionnaire survey were employed to collect data from English majors at a university in Taiwan. The study finds that the learners were aware of the communicative value of ELF and actually used ELF in intercultural communication. The learners’ use of English in context affected their attitudes toward ELF and aims of learning English. It is found that the learners preferred English conforming to NS norms; yet, they wished to learn local variation of English concerning accents and word use. In light of the findings, the author suggests that English teachers incorporate an ELF perspective into English instruction and help learners develop intercultural awareness and competencies.
The flexible socio spatial group queries
Authors: Ghosh Bishwamittra , Ali Mohammed Eunus , Choudhury Farhana M. , Apon Sajid Hasan , Sellis Timos , Li Jianxin
Published: January 2019

A socio spatial group query finds a group of users who possess strong social connections with each other and have the minimum aggregate spatial distance to a meeting point. Existing studies limit to either finding the best group of
a fixed size
for a single meeting location, or a single group of a fixed size w.r.t. multiple locations. However, it is highly desirable to consider multiple locations in a real-life scenario in order to organize impromptu activities of
groups of various sizes.
In this paper, we propose
Top k Flexible Socio Spatial Group Query (Top k-FSSGQ)
to find the top
k
groups w.r.t. multiple POIs where each group follows the minimum social connectivity constraints. We devise a ranking function to measure the group score by combining social closeness, spatial distance, and group size, which provides the flexibility of choosing groups of different sizes under different constraints. To effectively process the
Top k-FSSGQ,
we first develop an
Exact
approach that ensures early termination of the search based on the derived
upper bounds.
We prove that the problem is NP-hard, hence we first present a heuristic based approximation algorithm to effectively select members in intermediate solution groups based on the social connectivity of the users. Later we design a
Fast Approximate
approach based on the
relaxed social and spatial bounds, and connectivity constraint heuristic.
Experimental studies have verified the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed approaches on real datasets.
Rafiki
Authors: Wang Wei , Gao Jinyang , Zhang Meihui , Wang Sheng , Chen Gang , Ng Teck Khim , Ooi Beng Chin , Shao Jie , Reyad Moaz
Published: January 2019

Big data analytics is gaining massive momentum in the last few years. Applying machine learning models to big data has become an implicit requirement or an expectation for most analysis tasks, especially on high-stakes applications. Typical applications include sentiment analysis against reviews for analyzing on-line products, image classification in food logging applications for monitoring user's daily intake, and stock movement prediction. Extending traditional database systems to support the above analysis is intriguing but challenging. First, it is almost impossible to implement all machine learning models in the database engines. Second, expert knowledge is required to optimize the training and inference procedures in terms of efficiency and effectiveness, which imposes heavy burden on the system users. In this paper, we develop and present a system, called Rafiki, to provide the training and inference service of machine learning models. Rafiki provides distributed hyper-parameter tuning for the training service, and online ensemble modeling for the inference service which trades off between latency and accuracy. Experimental results confirm the efficiency, effectiveness, scalability and usability of Rafiki.
Automatic index selection for large-scale datalog computation
Authors: Subotić Pavle , Jordan Herbert , Chang Lijun , Fekete Alan , Scholz Bernhard
Published: January 2019

Datalog has been applied to several use cases that require very high performance on large rulesets and factsets. It is common to create indexes for relations to improve search performance. However, the existing indexing schemes either require manual index selection or result in insufficient performance on very large tasks. In this paper, we propose an automatic scheme to select indexes. We automatically create the minimum number of indexes to speed up all the searches in a given Datalog program. We have integrated our indexing scheme into an open-source Datalog engine S
OUFFLÉ.
We obtain performance on a par with what users have accepted from hand-optimized Datalog programs running on state-of-the-art Datalog engines, while we do not require the effort of manual index selection. Extensive experiments on large real Datalog programs demonstrate that our indexing scheme results in considerable speedups (up to 2x) and significantly less memory usage (up to 6x) compared with other automated index selections.
Does Exclusivity Always Pay Off? Exclusive Price Promotions and Consumer Response
Authors: Barone Michael J. , Roy Tirthankar
Published: January 2019

Although customized price promotions are increasingly common in the marketplace, relatively little is known about how deal recipients evaluate them. The authors investigate the role of a promotional characteristic that has received little attention in the literature by examining whether consumers’ responsiveness to a targeted discount is influenced by their perceptions of the deal's exclusivity (i.e., the degree to which the offer is available only to them or to other consumers as well). The results demonstrate that exclusive promotions may be viewed more, equally, or less favorably than inclusive offers, depending on several factors used in decisions about the delivery of targeted offers (e.g., customer demographics, transactional histories). Specifically, the authors find that exclusive deals are favored over inclusive offers (Study 1), a preference that is pronounced for consumers adopting independent self-construals (Study 2) and for male consumers with a history of purchasing from the marketer providing the offer (Study 3). These exclusivity effects are mediated by the ability of the promotional offer to allow consumers to engage in self-enhancement (Study 3).
The Effects of Business and Political Ties on Firm Performance: Evidence from China
Authors: Sheng Shibin , Zhou Kevin Zheng , Li Julie Juan
Published: January 2019

Despite increasing attention to the role of social ties in emerging economies, few studies have explicitly distinguished the differential roles of business versus political ties. Drawing on relational governance and institutional theories, this study offers a contingent view of business and political ties in China. The findings from a survey of 241 Chinese firms indicate that business ties have a stronger positive effect on performance than political ties, and both effects depend on institutional and market environments. Business ties are more beneficial when legal enforcement is inefficient and technology is changing rapidly, whereas political ties lead to greater performance when general government support is weak and technological turbulence is low. These findings indicate that firms operating in China should be cautious in their use of business and political ties and adapt their tie utilization to changing institutional and market environments.
Why Do Firms Invest in Consumer Advertising with Limited Sales Response? A Shareholder Perspective
Authors: Osinga Ernst C. , Leeflang Peter S.H. , Srinivasan Shuba , Wieringa Jaap E.
Published: January 2019

Marketing managers increasingly recognize the need to measure and communicate the impact of their actions on shareholder returns. This study focuses on the shareholder value effects of pharmaceutical direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) and direct-to-physician (DTP) marketing efforts. Although DTCA has moderate effects on brand sales and market share, companies invest vast amounts of money in it. Relying on Kalman filtering, the authors develop a methodology to assess the effects from DTCA and DTP on three components of shareholder value: stock return, systematic risk, and idiosyncratic risk. Investors value DTCA positively because it leads to higher stock returns and lower systematic risk. Furthermore, DTCA increases idiosyncratic risk, which does not affect investors who maintain well-diversified portfolios. In contrast, DTP marketing has modest positive effects on stock returns and idiosyncratic risk. The outcomes indicate that evaluations of marketing expenditures should include a consideration of the effects of marketing on multiple stakeholders, not just the sales effects on consumers.
Performance Implications of Mismatched Governance Regimes across External and Internal Relationships
Authors: Kumar Alok , Heide Jan B. , Wathne Kenneth H.
Published: January 2019

This article examines how a manufacturer's governance of an external supplier relationship affects its performance toward a downstream retail customer. In line with sociological and economic theory, a manufacturer's reliance on supplier norms and incentives, respectively, promotes performance. However, the performance effect of each external governance mechanism weakens in the presence of a different governance regime within the manufacturer firm itself. Specifically, internal incentives weaken the effect of external norms, and internal norms weaken the effect of external incentives. From a practical standpoint, these findings point to the difficulty of managing sets of relationships that involve different parties and mechanisms. From a theoretical standpoint, they point to the complex interplay between social norms and economic incentives in driving performance outcomes.
Consumer Disidentification and Its Effects on Domestic Product Purchases: An Empirical Investigation in the Netherlands
Authors: Josiassen Alexander
Published: January 2019

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 ethnocentrism. The results further show that for second-generation Turkish immigrants, acculturation and ethnic identification are important predictors of both consumer ethnocentrism and CDI. The article discusses the implications of these findings for research and practice.
An Empirical Investigation of the Impact of Gasoline Prices on Grocery Shopping Behavior
Authors: Ma Yu , Ailawadi Kusum L. , Gauri Dinesh K. , Grewal Dhruv
Published: January 2019

The authors empirically examine the effect of gas prices on grocery shopping behavior using Information Resources Inc. panel data from 2006 to 2008, which track panelists’ purchases of almost 300 product categories across multiple retail formats. The authors quantify the impact on consumers’ total spending and examine the potential avenues for savings when consumers shift from one retail format to another, from national brands to private labels, from regular-priced to promotional products, and from higher to lower price tiers. They find a substantial negative effect on shopping frequency and purchase volume and shifts away from grocery and toward supercenter formats. A greater shift occurs from regular-priced national brands to promoted ones than to private labels, and among national brand purchasers, bottom-tier brands lose share, midtier brands gain share, and top-tier brand share is relatively unaffected. The analysis also controls for general economic conditions and shows that gas prices have a much larger impact on grocery shopping behavior than broad economic factors.
When Should the Customer Really be King? On the Optimum Level of Salesperson Customer Orientation in Sales Encounters
Authors: Homburg Christian , Müller Michael , Klarmann Martin
Published: January 2019

In today's age of relational selling, a key challenge for salespeople is to determine the degree to which their customer-oriented behaviors drive sales performance. Therefore, this study analyzes whether a salesperson's customer orientation in sales encounters has an optimum level with regard to sales performance and customer attitudes. Using triadic data from a cross-industry survey of 56 sales managers, 195 sales representatives, and 538 customers, the authors provide strong empirical support for a curvilinear, inverted U-shaped effect of a salesperson's customer orientation on sales performance, whereas the effect of customer orientation on customer attitudes is continuously positive. Moreover, the findings reveal that the optimum level of customer orientation with regard to sales performance is higher for salespeople selling individualized products, in firms pursuing a premium price strategy, and in markets with a high degree of competitive intensity.
Return on Interactivity: The Impact of Online Agents on Newcomer Adjustment
Authors: Köhler Clemens F. , Rohm Andrew J. , de Ruyter Ko , Wetzels Martin
Published: January 2019

As service offerings grow in both range and complexity, how service providers and their customers interact is becoming increasingly important. In response to the challenge of optimizing these interactions, companies have introduced sophisticated online “socialization agents,” whose purpose is to help new customers more effectively adjust to and function within the service environment. The objective of these online agents, or virtual employees, is to help customers evaluate new or unfamiliar service offerings, as well as help companies achieve greater levels of service delivery and financial performance. To investigate this, the authors analyze the process by which online agents help both new and current customers adjust to and function within new, unfamiliar, or complex service contexts. They examine the impact of an online agent on account performance in the banking industry. They find that both interaction style and content of the online agent significantly influence the newcomer adjustment process over time, which in turn influences firm-level performance.
Brand Dilution: When Do New Brands Hurt Existing Brands?
Authors: Pullig Chris , Simmons Carolyn J. , Netemeyer Richard G.
Published: January 2019

Potential for trademark dilution occurs when a new brand introduces itself with an identical or substantially similar mark to that of an existing brand. Currently, there is neither a clear standard for legal proof of dilution nor widely accepted measures for managerial use. Using a shared-brand-network model, the authors use three different but conceptually related measurement methodologies (response latency, aided recall, and simulated choice) across five experiments to examine “blurring” dilution effects. The results suggest that when junior brands operate in similar categories and position on similar attributes, there is no immediate threat of blurring dilution. However, if the junior brand chooses to position on dissimilar attributes in a similar category, dilution of attribute associations is likely. When the junior brand operates in dissimilar categories, there is a threat of blurring dilution for both category and attribute associations. The final two studies demonstrate that dilution of junior brands (i.e., operating in dissimilar categories positioned on dissimilar attributes) can suppress consideration and choice probabilities for the senior brand and that this effect may extend over a period of time.
Ratios in Proportion: What Should the Shape of the Package Be?
Authors: Raghubir Priya , Greenleaf Eric A.
Published: January 2019

Consumers’ reactions to rectangles have implications for package and product design. In two lab studies and an analysis of field data, the authors find that the ratio of the sides of a rectangular product or package can influence purchase intentions and preferences and is related to marketplace demand. In more exploratory inquiries, the authors also find that the impact of this ratio on consumers depends on the relative seriousness of the context in which the product is used. Furthermore, ratio can also affect product perceptions, and consumers appear to prefer a range of contiguous ratios for different contexts rather than a particular ratio.
It Just Feels Good: Customers’ Affective Response to Touch and Its Influence on Persuasion
Authors: Peck Joann , Wiggins Jennifer
Published: January 2019

Prior research has assumed that touch has a persuasive effect only if it provides attribute or structural information about a product. Under this view, the role of touch as a persuasive tool is limited. The main purpose of this research is to investigate the persuasive influence of touch as an affective tool in the absence of useful product-related information. The authors find that for people who are motivated to touch because it is fun or interesting, a communication that incorporates touch leads to increased affective response and increased persuasion, particularly when the touch provides neutral or positive sensory feedback. People who are not motivated to touch for fun will also be persuaded by a communication that incorporates touch when they are able to make sense of how the touch is related to the message. The authors explore the effectiveness of different types of touch in generating an affective response, and they replicate the effects on attitudes and behavior in a real-world setting. This research suggests that the marketing implications of touch are more substantial than previously believed. The authors present research implications for direct marketing, product packaging, point-of-purchase displays, and print advertising.
Online Infomediaries and Price Discrimination: Evidence from the Automotive Retailing Sector
Authors: Viswanathan Siva , Kuruzovich Jason , Gosain Sanjay , Agarwal Ritu
Published: January 2019

This article focuses on a novel mechanism for market segmentation and price discrimination based on consumers' use of online infomediaries. Using the automotive retailing context as the setting for the study, the authors address the following question: Can online infomediaries serve as a viable mechanism for market segmentation and price discrimination? They draw on a unique and extensive data set of consumers who report on the information they found when using online buying services (OBS) as part of their new vehicle purchase process. The analysis of the data set shows that consumers who obtain price information pay lower prices (for the same product), whereas consumers who obtain product information pay higher prices. Although this points to the existence of distinct consumer segments, this knowledge is of limited value without a viable mechanism that enables firms to identify and target these customer segments specifically. On the basis of consumer usage patterns of OBS, the authors uncover distinct OBS clusters and empirically demonstrate that the use of these different clusters is associated with predicted differences in consumer outcomes. They also show that the differential use of OBS clusters is systematically related to underlying consumer characteristics. They discuss the relevance of the findings for automobile dealers and manufacturers and for other industries in which online infomediaries have established a significant presence.
When Old is Gold: The Role of Business Longevity in Risky Situations
Authors: Desai Preyas S. , Kalra Ajay , Murthi B.P.S.
Published: January 2019

The authors examine how a service firm's longevity may affect consumers’ perceptions of risk in conducting business with the firm. Depending on the nature of information available to consumers, a firm's longevity can act in one of two ways to reduce the consumers’ perceived risk: (1) Longevity may act as an extrinsic cue of the firm's quality, or (2) availability of a longer track record of an older firm may allow consumers to make more precise prediction of the firm's future quality. The authors develop a set of hypotheses that relate these two effects to consumers’ preferences and test them in a series of four experiments. They find that a firm's age can act as an extrinsic cue of the firm's quality. When consumers also have information about firms’ intrinsic attributes, the effect of a firm's age as an extrinsic cue is diminished under conditions of high involvement. The experiments also show that consumers prefer firms with longer track records, especially when firms’ performance/quality levels are subject to more variability. However, when consumers have high aspiration levels, they prefer firms with shorter track records, even though the consumers perceive these firms as riskier choices.
The Fruits of Legitimacy: Why Some New Ventures Gain more from Innovation than Others
Authors: Rao Raghunath Singh , Chandy Rajesh K. , Prabhu Jaideep C.
Published: January 2019

This article examines rewards to product introduction by new ventures. The authors argue that the new ventures that gain the most from innovation are those that adopt strategies that give them legitimacy in the eyes of stakeholders. New ventures can gain legitimacy by creating associations with established entities; such associations can be internal or external to the firm. The authors test these ideas by examining the stock market gains of all products introduced between 1982 and 2002 by all public firms in the U.S. biotechnology industry. The results show that new ventures that acquire legitimacy externally by forming alliances with established firms gain more from their new products than new ventures that do not form such alliances. Among new ventures that do not form alliances, those that acquire legitimacy internally by creating a history of product launches or by hiring reputed executives or scientists gain more from their new products than those that do not. In relative terms, it pays more to have introduced a new drug before than to have a reputed executive on the firm's board; in turn, adding a reputed executive pays more than adding a reputed scientist to the firm's board. Finally, although new ventures can gain from either external or internal legitimacy, pursuit of external legitimacy by firms that already have internal legitimacy leads to lower rewards to innovation.
When Marketing Strategy First Meets Wall Street: Marketing Spendings and Firms’ Initial Public Offerings
Authors: Luo Xueming
Published: January 2019

This article examines the role of marketing in the context of initial public offerings (IPOs), a neglected issue in the extant literature. The results from a large-scale, cross-industry study indicate that firms’ pre-IPO marketing spendings help reduce IPO underpricing and boost IPO trading in the stock market. The econometric models also suggest that these effects are heterogeneous; that is, they are more salient for firms with higher cost reduction efficiency and in markets with a smaller number of historical IPOs. With regard to theory, this research ushers in a greenfield of IPOs, helping build more powerful theories of market-based assets and customer equity. With regard to practice, it builds the case for not cutting marketing before an IPO. Prudent investors may be better able to pick “star” IPOs if they can track pre-IPO marketing spendings and model firm cost reduction efficiency simultaneously. Overall, this article offers fresh implications for the marketing–finance interface, uncovering brand-new IPO-based reasons that marketing can help create shareholder value.
Are Product Returns a Necessary Evil? Antecedents and Consequences
Authors: Petersen J. Andrew , Kumar V.
Published: January 2019

The firm–customer exchange process consists of three key parts: (1) firm-initiated marketing communications, (2) customer buying behavior, and (3) customer product return behavior. To date, the literature in marketing has largely focused on how marketing communications affect customer buying behavior and, to some extent, how past buying behavior affects a firm's decisions to initiate future marketing communications. However, the literature on product returns is sparse, especially in relation to analyzing individual customer product return behavior. Although the magnitude of the value of product returns is known to be high ($100 billion per year), how it affects customer buying behavior is not known because of a lack of data availability and understanding of the role of product returns in the firm–customer exchange process. Given that product returns are considered a hassle for a firm's supply chain management and a drain on overall profitability, it is important to study product return behavior. Thus, the authors empirically demonstrate the role of product returns in the exchange process by determining the exchange process factors that help explain product return behavior and the consequences of product returns on future customer and firm behavior. In addition, the authors demonstrate that product returns are inevitable but by no means evil.
Brand Experience: What is It? How is it Measured? Does it Affect Loyalty?
Authors: Brakus J. Joško , Schmitt Bernd H. , Zarantonello Lia
Published: January 2019

Brand experience is conceptualized as sensations, feelings, cognitions, and behavioral responses evoked by brand-related stimuli that are part of a brand's design and identity, packaging, communications, and environments. The authors distinguish several experience dimensions and construct a brand experience scale that includes four dimensions: sensory, affective, intellectual, and behavioral. In six studies, the authors show that the scale is reliable, valid, and distinct from other brand measures, including brand evaluations, brand involvement, brand attachment, customer delight, and brand personality. Moreover, brand experience affects consumer satisfaction and loyalty directly and indirectly through brand personality associations.
Spending on the Fly: Mental Budgets, Promotions, and Spending Behavior
Authors: Stilley Karen M. , Inman J. Jeffrey , Wakefield Kirk L.
Published: January 2019

Recent research has suggested that consumers have in-store slack for grocery trips—that is, they leave room in their mental budgets to make unplanned purchases. Drawing on this work, this article examines how the impact of promotions depends on whether the shopper still has in-store slack remaining in his or her mental budget. Specifically, the authors evaluate how the effect of promotional savings for both planned and unplanned items on spending varies as a function of whether the item is purchased before or after the shopper's in-store slack is depleted. In addition, they examine how these relationships vary depending on income. To achieve these goals, the authors conducted a field study in which respondents used a handheld scanner to record the order of purchases. The results suggest that savings on planned items lead to stockpiling by higher-income shoppers when the savings occur before the in-store slack has been depleted but lead to increased purchase of unplanned items when they occur after in-store slack is depleted. The results also show that promotions on unplanned grocery items generate incremental spending at the basket level, which increases with income but only when the item is purchased after the in-store slack is exceeded. The authors discuss implications for shopper marketing strategies.
Driving Profitability by Encouraging Customer Referrals: Who, When, and How
Authors: Kumar V. , Petersen J. Andrew , Leone Robert P.
Published: January 2019

Many firms are now using referral marketing campaigns to harness the power of word of mouth and to increase referrals to acquire new customers. Prior research has identified a method of computing the value of referrals using only a customer's actual past referral behavior to compute customer referral value (CRV). In this article, the authors develop and test a new four-step approach to compute CRV. In addition, they determine the behavioral drivers of CRV and then identify the most effective methods of targeting the most promising customers on the basis of their customer lifetime value (CLV) and CRV scores. The authors illustrate and test this approach through four separate field experiments with firms from two industries: financial services and retailing. They find that to maximize profitability, it is critical to manage customers in terms of both their CLV and CRV scores and that understanding the behavioral drivers of CRV can help managers better target the most profitable customers with their referral marketing campaigns.
Planning repetitive construction projects considering technological constraints
Authors: Radziszewska-Zielina Elżbieta , Sroka Bartłomiej
Published: January 2019

Recently, there has been a growing number of construction projects that require more than one structure to be built - repetitive construction projects. These repetitive construction projects are characterized by a high degree of complexity both in terms of organisational and technological dependencies. A method is needed that will flexibly take into account the technological constraints that occur during the carrying out of repetitive construction projects. The article presents a method of priority scheduling that takes into account technological pauses that can prove useful in the planning of repetitive construction projects. The planner (usually a construction site manager) will be able to model the technological constraints occurring on the construction site in a more flexible way. The article also presents a calculation example in which the application of the developed model has been presented. The developed model proved to be effective in scheduling repetitive construction projects, taking into account technological constraints.
The Specific Features of High-Velocity Magnetic Fluid Sealing Complexes
Authors: Radionov Aleksander , Podoltsev Aleksander , Peczkis Grzegorz
Published: January 2019

Studies on the impact of magnetic and centrifugal forces in hermetic magnetic-liquid seals were presented. The results of numerical calculations on the decrease of the impact of the centrifugal force through the use of magnetic flux concentrators on a rotating shaftwere shown. It has been demonstrated that there is a greater possibility for the use of hermetic magnetic-liquid seals in axially symmetrical clearances in gas-steam separation for coke gases.
Vertical ionospheric delay estimation for single-receiver operation
Authors: Elsayed Ahmed , Sedeek Ahmed , Doma Mohamed , Rabah Mostafa
Published: January 2019

An apparent delay is occurred in GPS signal due to both refraction and diffraction caused by the atmosphere. The second region of the atmosphere is the ionosphere. The ionosphere is significantly related to GPS and the refraction it causes in GPS signal is considered one of the main source of errors which must be eliminated to determine accurate positions. GPS receiver networks have been used for monitoring the ionosphere for a long time.

The ionospheric delay is the most predominant of all the error sources. This delay is a function of the total electron content (TEC). Because of the dispersive nature of the ionosphere, one can estimate the ionospheric delay using the dual frequency GPS.

In the current research our primary goal is applying Precise Point Positioning (PPP) observation for accurate ionosphere error modeling, by estimating Ionosphere delay using carrier phase observations from dual frequency GPS receiver. The proposed algorithm was written using MATLAB and was named VIDE program.

The proposed Algorithm depends on the geometry-free carrier-phase observations after detecting cycle slip to estimates the ionospheric delay using a spherical ionospheric shell model, in which the vertical delays are described by means of a zenith delay at the station position and latitudinal and longitudinal gradients.

Geometry-free carrier-phase observations were applied to avoid unwanted effects of pseudorange measurements, such as code multipath. The ionospheric estimation in this algorithm is performed by means of sequential least-squares adjustment.

Finally, an adaptable user interface MATLAB software are capable of estimating ionosphere delay, ambiguity term and ionosphere gradient accurately.