Money Savings Research Articles

A Multi-scale Framework for Advancing Battery Safety Through Early Calorimetric Analysis of Materials and Components

Batteries are the cornerstone of the global shift toward electrification, powering applications from passenger transportation, like electric vehicles (EVs), to load shifting of renewable energy generation at the grid level. The demand for batteries is accelerating, and is projected to nearly quadruple by 2030. In response to increasing battery demands, in particular demand for longer range EVs, higher energy density and specific energy alternatives to conventional Li-ion battery technologies are being researched. However, higher energy density directly correlates with an increased potential for higher peak temperatures on failure. In addition, safety evaluation of conventional and new battery technologies generally occurs late in development, often at the commercialization stage when mandated by stakeholders or industry standards. This approach can be costly and challenging as it may require a change to manufacturing processes, a re-design of the battery, and even a change in chemistry to meet safety requirements. This is critical; scale-up efforts alone can take tens to hundreds of millions of dollars and >5 years to achieve. Safety risks discovered after commercialization can significantly exacerbate those figures. Furthermore, safety is still a major risk with already commercialized Li-ion batteries. These risks hinder adoption, slow commercialization, and when they become issues, the outcome may result in recalls, fires, injuries, and even fatalities. Providing additional levers to proactively mitigate safety risk at the materials and components scale (e.g., composite cathode) will lead to considerable time and money savings in the long run.

The role of practical knowledge in keeping existing systems: a qualitative study of Finnish homeowners with oil heating

The uptake of homeowner energy retrofits and related policy instruments are lagging behind targets. The Finnish government has decided on the phasing out of oil heating by 2035, but despite financial and other support for homeowners, only 14 per cent of homeowners with oil heating reported planning to switch their heating systems. Homeowner decision-making on energy investments is typically seen as an outcome of rational evaluation based on calculations about costs, payback times, and savings in energy and money. However, informal, experience-based knowledge contributes centrally to situations where people end up keeping their current heating system, yet there is little research on practical knowledge when households consider energy investments. This article presents findings from interviews with Finnish homeowners (N=29) living in detached houses with oil heating systems and argues that homeowners’ embodied heating habits and practical knowledge are important in understanding homeowner willingness to keep existing heating systems. In the in-depth interviews conducted in spring 2022, homeowners discussed their energy use practices, past renovations and future renovation needs, as well as concerns related to switching oil heating to a low carbon heating system. The findings suggest that homeowners’ practical knowledge on heating with their existing system and the lack of such knowledge in relation to alternative heating systems may be one reason why homeowners are reluctant to switch their heating systems. The study contributes to a growing body of research which highlights the relevance of everyday practices in homeowner energy renovations.

Financial literacy among rural agribusiness women in Luweero District, Uganda: implications for mobile money and village savings and loan associations

Financial literacy among rural agribusiness women in Luweero District, Uganda: implications for mobile money and village savings and loan associations

Effect of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Mobile Payments for Maternal Health: Regression Discontinuity Analysis.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the unprecedented popularity of digital financial services for contactless payments and government cash transfer programs to mitigate the economic effects of the pandemic. The effect of the pandemic on the use of digital financial services for health in low- and middle-income countries, however, is poorly understood. This study aimed to assess the effect of the first COVID-19 lockdown on the use of a mobile maternal health wallet, with a particular focus on delineating the age-dependent differential effects, and draw conclusions on the effect of lockdown measures on the use of digital health services. We analyzed 819,840 person-days of health wallet use data from 3416 women who used health care at 25 public sector primary care facilities and 4 hospitals in Antananarivo, Madagascar, between January 1 and August 27, 2020. We collected data on savings, payments, and voucher use at the point of care. To estimate the effects of the first COVID-19 lockdown in Madagascar, we used regression discontinuity analysis around the starting day of the first COVID-19 lockdown on March 23, 2020. We determined the bandwidth using a data-driven method for unbiased bandwidth selection and used modified Poisson regression for binary variables to estimate risk ratios as lockdown effect sizes. We recorded 3719 saving events, 1572 payment events, and 3144 use events of electronic vouchers. The first COVID-19 lockdown in Madagascar reduced mobile money savings by 58.5% (P<.001), payments by 45.8% (P<.001), and voucher use by 49.6% (P<.001). Voucher use recovered to the extrapolated prelockdown counterfactual after 214 days, while savings and payments did not cross the extrapolated prelockdown counterfactual. The recovery duration after the lockdown differed by age group. Women aged >30 years recovered substantially faster, returning to prelockdown rates after 34, 226, and 77 days for savings, payments, and voucher use, respectively. Younger women aged <25 years did not return to baseline values. The results remained robust in sensitivity analyses using ±20 days of the optimal bandwidth. The COVID-19 lockdown greatly reduced the use of mobile money in the health sector, affecting savings, payments, and voucher use. Savings were the most significantly reduced, implying that the lockdown affected women's expectations of future health care use. Declines in payments and voucher use indicated decreased actual health care use caused by the lockdown. These effects are crucial since many maternal and child health care services cannot be delayed, as the potential benefits will be lost or diminished. To mitigate the adverse impacts of lockdowns on maternal health service use, digital health services could be leveraged to provide access to telemedicine and enhance user communication with clear information on available health care access options and adherence to safety protocols.

Exploring Financial Risks in Relation to Performance of MPESA Agents in Rural Areas, Kenya

The growth of mobile banking services, specifically Mpesa, has transformed financial transactions in Kenya, particularly in marginalized and rural regions. Ever since Safaricom introduced Mpesa in 2007, it has enabled various financial transactions like money transfers, bill payments, savings, and loans, becoming vital to Kenya's financial infrastructure. In rural areas, Mpesa shops are at risk of facing financial challenges which can impact their operations and long-term success. This research investigates how liquidity, credit, and operational risks affect the financial performance of Mpesa outlets in rural Kenya. The mismatch between cash coming in and going out results in liquidity risks, which can cause service interruptions and unhappy customers. Credit risks, resulting from borrowers failing to repay loans on time or defaulting, put pressure on cash flow and the stability of finances. Operational risks like technical failures, fraud, and regulatory non-compliance pose additional threats to the functionality and customer trust of the shops. By thoroughly analyzing pertinent literature and empirical data, this research investigates the way in which these risks interplay and impact the economic sustainability of Mpesa shops. The results are intended to guide improved risk management methods and policy suggestions to strengthen the resilience and sustainability of Mpesa agents, guaranteeing ongoing availability of crucial financial services in rural Kenya.

Turning Features Detection from Aerial Images: Model Development and Application on Florida’s Public Roadways

Advancements in computer vision are rapidly revolutionizing the way traffic agencies gather roadway geometry data, leading to significant savings in both time and money. Utilizing aerial and satellite imagery for data collection proves to be more cost-effective, more accurate, and safer compared to traditional field observations, considering factors such as equipment cost, crew safety, and data collection efficiency. Consequently, there is a pressing need to develop more efficient methodologies for promptly, safely, and economically acquiring roadway geometry data. While image processing has previously been regarded as a time-consuming and error-prone approach for capturing these data, recent developments in computing power and image recognition techniques have opened up new avenues for accurately detecting and mapping various roadway features from a wide range of imagery data sources. This research introduces a novel approach combining image processing with a YOLO-based methodology to detect turning lane pavement markings from high-resolution aerial images, specifically focusing on Florida’s public roadways. Upon comparison with ground truth data from Leon County, Florida, the developed model achieved an average accuracy of 87% at a 25% confidence threshold for detected features. Implementation of the model in Leon County identified approximately 3026 left turn, 1210 right turn, and 200 center lane features automatically. This methodology holds paramount significance for transportation agencies in facilitating tasks such as identifying deteriorated markings, comparing turning lane positions with other roadway features like crosswalks, and analyzing intersection-related accidents. The extracted roadway geometry data can also be seamlessly integrated with crash and traffic data, providing crucial insights for policymakers and road users.

Features of operation of tracked forest vehicles in the cryolithozone and ways to increase its efficiency

The article shows that in the harsh natural and industrial conditions of the cryolithozone forests associated with extremely low temperatures in winter, heavy loads on the transmission and crawler during various forestry operations in the warm season, a reliable and efficient lubrication system is necessary. For this, natural serpentinite is best suited, which, like a hydrogel, absorbs transmission oil, and getting into the friction zone, begins to release it. It is determined that the money savings associated only with an increase in the durability of the caterpillar propulsion joints, due to the use of serpentinite, for one tracked forest tractor by 35 %, will amount to 3,450 rubles.

Determinants of financial literacy among university students: Insight into background and exposure characteristics

This article examined the level of financial literacy among university students in Ghana (N = 3932), and investigated which factors are linked with the different financial literacy components. This article is motivated by the increased drive toward financial inclusion and the critical role of financial knowledge in an increasingly sophisticated financial world. The framework used, assesses students’ knowledge in money management, savings and borrowing, investments, and insurance. The research findings show moderate knowledge in savings and borrowing but low level of knowledge in other finance issues among university students. Notably, the findings reveal that gender, work experience, subject of study, and mother’s level of education are all important determinants of financial knowledge among the students. The findings further show that students with relatively high financial knowledge are more likely to have sound judgment on financial issues; make the right financial decisions and have sound personal financial management practices. Based on the findings of the study, a national policy on financial literacy and educational programs are urgently needed as intervention to improve the level of financial knowledge of university students.

Perlindungan Hukum Bagi Nasabah dalam Perjanjian Kredit Bank terkait Risiko yang Timbul Akibat Pandemi Covid-19

In the era of modern economic life, banking institutions in Indonesia have a very crucial role in the national financial system. Services provided by the bank to the public are money transfer services, collection services, savings and loan services and others. The condition of the banking world in Indonesia has undergone many changes from time to time. This study aims to find out how to regulate legal protection for bank customers and how to form legal protection for customers in credit agreements related to risks arising from the covid-19 pandemic. This study uses a juridical-normative research method. The results of the study show that the regulation of legal protection for customers during the Covid-19 disaster is the Civil Code, Bank Indonesia Regulations, Consumer Protection Laws and Financial Services Authority Regulations. The implementation of legal protection for customers against the COVID-19 pandemic is quite good. This is indicated by the Bank's compliance with all forms of regulations made by regulators including the government. The conclusion from this research is that the policy and implementation of law enforcement in legal protection for customers in a state of the Covid-19 pandemic disaster is carried out quite well by the Bank. The suggestion from the author is that there should be more detailed regulations regarding customers when experiencing a disaster or pandemic and it is hoped that banking institutions carry out the mandate of the Financial Services Authority Regulation.

Post-Pandemic Health Communication: Adoption of Digital Technologies in Healthcare by Residents of Mumbai

Digitalization has become an important part of human lives in many fields, ranging from education to healthcare. Digital technologies are one of the priorities in the development of the healthcare sector worldwide. During the COVID-19 pandemic, patients became more engaged about medical communication and used digital technologies than ever. Health professionals started using more online/digital platforms to provide patients prescriptions and check patients’ reports. This paper is aimed at examining various forms of digital platforms on healthcare, which patients use for consultation with health professionals. This study is an exploratory observational study in which researcher conducted a semi-structured interviewsin Mumbai suburban housing society. The objectives were to understand nature of health communication post pandemic, perception of family about health and which digital platforms they are using? How are igital platforms being helpful in day-to-day life ? The Study found that most respondents still use an online consultation option with their doctors, pharmacy and lab investigation. The reasons for using digital platforms in spite of scope for physical outreach are time, money and energy savings. They visit hospital or doctor’s clinic in emergency or on unavoidable situations. It was also found that some organizations that pay medical benefits to their staff also started collecting medical prescriptions via WhatsApp. The study emphasizes the importance of digital platform, time and health communication in post pandemic world. The majority of respondents were satisfied with the digital platforms and would like to continue in the future. Among all digital platforms “WhatsApp” was most popular and used, which is still getting used in India. The respondents had significant impact by the use of digital platforms. Although some respondents showed concern related to data privacy. This also indicate shift from oral, face to face communication to mediated digital communication in Asian societies.:Digitalization has become an important part of human lives in many fields, ranging from education to healthcare. Digital technologies are one of the priorities in the development of the healthcare sector worldwide. During the COVID-19 pandemic, patients became more engaged about medical communicationand used digital technologies than ever. Health professionals started using more online/digital platforms to provide patients prescriptions and check patients’ reports. This paper is aimed at examining various forms of digital platforms on healthcare, which patients use for consultation with health professionals. Thisstudy is an exploratory observational study in which researcher conducted a semi-structured interviews in Mumbai suburban housing society. The objectives were to understand nature of health communication post pandemic, perception of family about health and which digital platforms they are using? How are digital platforms being helpful in day-to-day life ? The Study found that most respondents still use an online consultation option with their doctors, pharmacy and lab investigation. Thereasons for using digital platforms in spite of scope for physical outreach are time, money and energy savings. They visit hospital or doctor’s clinic in emergency or on unavoidable situations. It was also found that some organizations thatpay medical benefits to their staff also started collecting medical prescriptions via WhatsApp. The study emphasizes the importance of digital platform, time and health communication in post pandemic world. The majority of respondents were satisfied with the digital platforms and would like to continue in thefuture. Among all digital platforms “WhatsApp” was most popular and used, which is still getting used in India. The respondents had significant impact by the use of digital platforms. Although some respondents showed concern related to data privacy. This also indicate shift from oral, face to face communication to mediated digital communication in Asian societies.:

Monetary Policy on Exchange Rate Volatility in Nigeria: Evidence from BARDL/ARCH and Garch Modellings

While the impact of monetary policy on the exchange rate has been explored in the literature, the volatility of the exchange rate remains an important issue of concern. This study examines the impact of monetary policy on exchange rate volatility in Nigeria. The study uses annual time series data covering 1987 until 2023 which was analysed using Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity (ARCH), bootstrap bound test for cointegration and Granger causality test within the vector error correction model. The empirical finding of the ARCH reveals the presence of conditional volatility of the exchange rate. Moreover, findings from the bootstrap bound test establish a long-run relation among the variables. The study further found that the volatility of the exchange rate is accounted for by the changes in money supply and previous fluctuation of the exchange rate. The causality test indicates the existence of causality from exchange rate volatility to money supply, interest rate, saving and population in both in short and long run. The study concludes that the volatility of the exchange rate is driven by the variability of money supply, interest rate and savings. Therefore, controlling the shocks emanating from previous exchange rate volatility and money supply is key to addressing the exchange rate fluctuation in Nigeria. The study recommends a policy mix of utilizing key fiscal and monetary policy tools that could enable Nigeria to achieve exchange rate stability.

Green Restorative Justice: Environmental Enforcement and Justice

Objective: Provides a framework for investigating potential green restorative justice initiatives in Indonesia to address environmental legislation. Time, money, and equity are all preserved in green restorative justice eco-friendly restitution For long-term ecological regulation. Method: This study employs a sociolegal strategy incorporating a green restorative justice framework to address environmental legal issues. After that, we did some conceptual research. Results: Explores the possibility of green restorative justice as an additional approach to resolving environmental issues. There are time and money savings with the green restorative justice method. Another discovery is that when other stakeholders, including the government and the media, oversee these cases, implementing ecosystem greening for guilty corporations may be speedier and more beneficial for society. Conclusion: Explores the possibility of green restorative justice as an additional approach to resolving environmental issues. More expedited, less expensive, and more equitable is the green restorative justice approach. Businesses that are to blame may have ecosystem greening implemented more quickly and to society's benefit with the help of this study to create environmentally friendly enforcement that lasts.

Experiences of quitting smoking in prisons: A qualitative study of people in custody.

Smoking prevalence among people in custody (PIC) is extremely high, and prison-based smoking cessation interventions are needed. The study explored the quitting experiences of PIC who participated in the 'Quit to Win' contest (QTW). This qualitative study, conducted from 2019 to 2021 in two Hong Kong prisons, included semi-structured individual interviews with 26 PIC (13 men and 13 women) who were participants in QTW and two correctional staff who coordinated QTW. A semi-structured interview guide with open-ended questions was developed to examine multilevel factors that promote or impede smoking cessation in prisons. Maximum variation sampling was used to ensure a diverse range of social, demographic, and smoking profiles. Data were managed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Two themes were identified from the data: 1) quitting in prison: barriers and facilitators; and 2) QTW in prison: a trigger for behavior change. Barriers (i.e. stress, boredom, isolation, lack of self-autonomy, nicotine dependence and lack of cessation medication, barriers to moving to a different wing) and facilitators (i.e. concerns about health, money savings, and the smoke-free wing) that impeded or supported smoking cessation during incarceration were identified. QTW provided health education, quitting incentives, and social support that helped PIC overcome the barriers of quitting by serving as a trigger for behavior change. Notably, social visits with family were identified as key drivers of PIC's quitting success, whereas their suspension during the COVID-19 pandemic disincentivized their abstinence. This study introduced the QTW contest to prisons and provided qualitative evidence on the multilevel factors promoting or impeding smoking cessation in prison. QTW helped PIC overcome the barriers of quitting by serving as a trigger for behavior change. Future prison-based interventions should leverage social support, enhance stress-coping skills, facilitate access to pharmacotherapy, and collaborate with correctional services agencies.

Exploring the potential of occupancy modelling using passive acoustics in &lt;i&gt;Coua gigas&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;Coua coquereli&lt;/i&gt;

In highly threatened habitats such as the dry deciduous forests of western Madagascar, it is essential to develop new approaches to detect population changes and evaluate conservation measures. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is such a promising approach. This method has many advantages over conventional methods, such as time efficiency, money savings, and reduced wildlife disturbance. It is especially suitable for studying occupancy and activity patterns of vocalizing species such as birds. Our study analyzed data recorded with autonomous sound recorders in 2018 in Kirindy Forest for the territorial calls of Coua gigas and Coua coquereli. We modeled occupancy and detection probability for both species in the study area. We also examined activity patterns and found that the peak of vocal activity for Coua coquereli is at 700h and for Coua gigas at 1100h. To also test the value of PAM in relation to ecological factors we modeled occupancy and included logging status as a site covariate. We detected a positive influence of logging in occupancy of Coua gigas. Our study provides guidelines for future occupancy studies using PAM in the two coua species. We conclude that PAM will improve the ecological monitoring of soniferous animals in Madagascar.

A New Software Tool to Highlight Money Savings from a Demand-Side Management System for Home Appliances

In this article, a new software tool named “ECCO” is introduced. This one is intended to highlight money savings from a home electricity management system. The simulation is based on a complete database of real electricity consumption patterns of AC loads. Two case studies are particularly described to point out the relevance of such a simulation tool. The first one consists in postponing the power demand using the delay start function of home appliances. The second one enables to smooth the electricity consumption from a storage system coupled with a converter. The management strategy described in this article uses the difference between electricity prices in peak time and off-peak time. The results demonstrate that this strategy is currently not profitable in France, but it is much more cost-effective in countries, such as in Australia, where this gap of pricing is higher.

Green Restorative Justice: Environmental Enforcement and Justice

Objective: Provides a framework for investigating potential green restorative justice initiatives in Indonesia to address environmental legislation. Time, money, and equity are all preserved in green restorative justice eco-friendly restitution For long-term ecological regulation. Method: This study employs a sociolegal strategy incorporating a green restorative justice framework to address environmental legal issues. After that, we did some conceptual research. Results: Explores the possibility of green restorative justice as an additional approach to resolving environmental issues. There are time and money savings with the green restorative justice method. Another discovery is that when other stakeholders, including the government and the media, oversee these cases, implementing ecosystem greening for guilty corporations may be speedier and more beneficial for society. Conclusion: Explores the possibility of green restorative justice as an additional approach to resolving environmental issues. More expedited, less expensive, and more equitable is the green restorative justice approach. Businesses that are to blame may have ecosystem greening implemented more quickly and to society's benefit with the help of this study to create environmentally friendly enforcement that lasts.

РОЛЬ ИСКУССТВЕННОГО ИНТЕЛЛЕКТА В БИЗНЕСЕ

Small businesses play a vital role in the fabric of any economy. The Small Business Administration recognizes their significant contributions to economic growth, job creation, innovation, and overall prosperity. These businesses, although small in scale and often privately owned, have significant value compared to larger corporations. The definition of a small business can vary from country to country and industry to industry, encompassing factors such as the number of employees, annual revenue, and assets. Although various AI technologies are used quite often in everyday life (72% of respondents use voice assistants, smart gadgets, or automatic control of home appliances), less than half of respondents (45%) have used AI in their work processes in the past year. The most popular tasks are creative ones, which usually take up a lot of employees' operational time. For example, instead of recording a meeting and then spending several hours transcribing it, speech recognition technologies are used to translate it into text. Communication with customers can be simplified with the help of smart voice assistants. In order to find analogues of your products, it is not necessary to physically go around all competitors, sometimes it is enough to upload a photo to the image recognition and analysis service. However, only 19% of entrepreneurs used the capabilities of chatbots in their work that can support a dialogue, or virtual assistants that make an action plan and write a scenario, 4% of entrepreneurs tried to work with a neural network that understands requests in Russian and English, can mix images, mix images and text, create different versions of images, and also redraw individual objects and areas in pictures. 78% of entrepreneurs who used artificial intelligence technologies in their work consider them useful for their activities. Among the main advantages, respondents noted the release of employee time for other tasks (56%), high speed of execution (50%) and money savings (35%).

Does the relationship between the interviewer and interviewee matter in qualitative research?

The purpose of this viewpoint is to outline the relationship between the interviewer and interviewee in qualitative research, data collection and data quality. The argument draws upon qualitative research and publication among academicians and researchers, as well as the researcher’s observation. The relationship is an epic in qualitative and quantitative research and data collection. The relationship has positive and negative responses as well as advantages and disadvantages. Familiarity within the industry and respondents may make the data collection process more accessible, suitable and less time worthy, and money savings in collecting data set for the qualitative research. At the same time, unfamiliarity among the interviewer and interviewees may lead to the bias data from the interviewee and time-consuming. The researchers need to consider the relationship in future qualitative research and data quality for greater flexibility to attain research objectives. The viewpoint is valuable to those engaged in various aspects of qualitative research, data collection, and data evaluation either in a familiar or unfamiliar face.

Experiences of patients with chronic low back pain plus comorbid depressive symptoms in a videoconference group acceptance and commitment therapy or behavioral activation treatment for depression: a qualitative study

Purpose To explore the experiences of patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) plus comorbid depressive symptoms who received a remote synchronous videoconference group form of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) or Behavioral Activation Treatment for Depression (BATD). Methods A qualitative study (IMPACT-Q) was nested within a randomized controlled trial (RCT) designed to assess the efficacy and the cost-utility/cost-effectiveness of two therapies in the management of CLBP and depression. Fifty-five patients with CLBP plus depression were selected from the RCT. Twelve focus group sessions, each approximately 60–90 min long, were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed by six coders through a thematic analysis (deductive and inductive) based on a descriptive phenomenological approach. Results Patients perceived behavioral, affective, and cognitive improvements after completing group sessions. Overall, psychotherapy was perceived as a safe and non-judgmental place to express emotions and feel understood. The main barriers reported were lack of human contact and loss of social interaction. In contrast, ease of access, flexibility in the ability to connect from anywhere, avoidance of the need to travel, and savings in time and money were key facilitators to increase attendance and adherence to therapy. Conclusion This study provided support for the acceptability of videoconference-delivered ACT or BATD in patients with CLBP plus comorbid depressive symptoms.

Perception study of perceived value and social influence of digital health services in Indonesia.

Healthtech has become a nascent sector of the internet economy since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Telemedicine features are facilitated, such as teleconsultation, e-diagnosis, e-prescribing, and e-pharmacy. However, the intention to use digital health services in Indonesia is still underdeveloped though the sales of other risk-free e-commerce products are high enough. This study aims to assess the human perception of perceived value and social influences regarding the intention to use digital health services. Google Forms web link is employed to disseminate a set of 4-Point Likert scale questionnaires. In total, 364 complete responses are collected-back. A descriptive approach is employed to process the data using Microsoft Excel and SPSS software. Validity and reliability are quantified using the item total-correlation method and Cronbach's Alpha coefficient. Only 87 respondents (24%) ever used digital health services, of which Halodoc (92%) is the most preferred application, and teleconsultation became the most popular service to access. Out of four, the average score is 3.16 for perceived value and 2.86 for the social influence dimension. Most respondents, not dependent on user experience, perceive more values obtained using digital health services, such as time and money savings, convenience, flexible order time, undiscovered identity, adventurous experience, and enjoyment. Another finding of this research proves that some social influences from family, friends, and mass media also bring effect to amplify the intention to use. A low level of trust is assumed to be the cause of a small number of users.