Shop Tools Research Articles

A COMPARISON OF ARCH MODELS: THE DETERMINANTS OF BITCOIN’S PRICE

The aim of this study is to determine the number of transactions among the currencies, which will eventually become a part of our lives, cannot be physically held, can move quickly, and emerge as a new shopping and investment tool in the changing world order, as of the year (2023) when this study was conducted. The study focuses on the analysis of the variables that affect the most popular currency, Bitcoin. Although the analysis of variables that influence Bitcoin was determined as the primary aim of the study, the study also attempted to reach a general conclusion about the variables affected by the cryptocurrencies. Since there is no other cryptocurrency that is traded as much as Bitcoin, Bitcoin is thought to be a good model for the analysis of cryptocurrencies. The method used in the study was autoregressive conditional heteroskedastic (ARCH) models. It is believed that the most suitable models for the Bitcoin variable, whose value changes every second, are ARCH and its derivatives. Other models selected from the ARCH models were also added to the analysis as a method. The models used in the study can be listed as follows: linear ARC, generalized ARC (GARCH), exponential GARCH and threshold GARCH. A statistical model called autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (ARCH) is used to study the volatility of time series. Through the provision of a volatility model that more closely mimics actual markets, ARCH modeling is utilized in the financial sector to quantify risk. According to ARCH modeling, periods of high volatility are followed by even higher volatility, and periods of low volatility are followed by even lower volatility. In this study, 5 different variables were selected using literature to analyze the variables affecting Bitcoin returns using ARCH models. The dependent variable in the study is the price of Bitcoin. The remaining variables were included in the models as independent variables. These variables are actually variables that are accepted and selected as the best among a set of variables. In other words, 15 variables were first added to the study using the literature. After this, a correlation analysis was carried out. As a result of the correlation analysis, the variables with the highest correlation with the price of Bitcoin, which is the dependent variable, and the lowest correlation with each other were retained in the model. These variables are Bitcoin Price, Crude Oil Spot Price, Euro-Dollar Parity, Gold Spot Price and NASDAQ Composite Index. The study period is between 2020 and 2023 and it was studied using daily data. Days with no data were removed from the daily period from 2020 to 2023 and loss of information was prevented. After removing missing observations, this study examined the remaining 837 observations. During the research, while running the models created using different methods, it was found that the model that gives the best result is the GARCH model. In other words, when modeling the variables affecting bitcoin (cryptocurrency from the perspective of the population), it was seen that the GARCH model gave the best results when comparing linear ARCH, generalized ARCH (GARCH), exponential GARCH, and threshold GARCH of the ARCH model. Comparing the output of the GARCH model with other ARCH models not included in this study can be a recommendation for the future study

Playing by the Rules? Tracking U.S. Hospitals' Responses to Federal Price Transparency Regulation.

As of January 1, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services requires most U.S. hospitals to publish pricing information on their website to help consumers make decisions regarding services and to transform negotiations with health insurers. For this study, we evaluated changes in hospitals' compliance with the federal price transparency rule after the first year of enactment, during which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services increased the penalty for noncompliance. Using a nationally representative random sample of 470 hospitals, we assessed compliance with both parts of the hospital transparency rule (publishing a machine-readable price database and a consumer shopping tool) in the first quarter of 2022 and compared its baseline level in the first quarter of 2021. Using data from the American Hospital Association and Clarivate, we next assessed how compliance varied by hospital factors (ownership, number of beds, system membership, teaching status, type of electronic health record system), market factors (hospital and insurer market concentration), and the estimated change in penalty for noncompliance. By early 2022, 46% of hospitals had posted both machine-readable and consumer-shoppable data, an increase of 24% from the prior year. Almost 9 in 10 hospitals had complied with the consumer-shoppable data requirement by early 2022. Larger hospitals and public hospitals had lower probabilities of baseline compliance with the machine-readable and consumer-shoppable requirements, respectively, although public hospitals were significantly more likely to become compliant with the consumer-shoppable requirement by 2022. Higher hospital market concentration was also associated with higher baseline compliance for both the machine-readable and consumer-shoppable requirements. Furthermore, our analyses found that hospitals with certain electronic health record systems were more likely to comply with the consumer-shoppable requirement in 2021 and became increasingly compliant with the machine-readable requirement in 2022. Finally, we found that hospitals with a larger estimated penalty were more likely to become compliant with the machine-readable requirement. Longitudinal analyses of compliance with the federal price transparency rule are valuable for monitoring changes in hospitals' behavior and assessing whether compliance changes vary systematically for specific types of hospitals and/or market structures. Our results suggest a trend toward increased hospital compliance between 2021 and 2022. Although hospitals perceive the consumer-shopping tools as being the most impactful, the value of this information depends on whether it is comprehensible and comparable across hospitals. The new price transparency rule has facilitated the creation of new data that have the potential to significantly alter the competitive landscape for hospitals and may require hospital leaders to consider how their organizational strategies change concerning their engagement with payers and patients. Finally, greater price transparency is likely to bolster national policy discussions related to price variation, affordability, and the role of regulation in healthcare markets.

Evaluasi Pengalaman Pengguna Pada Aplikasi Shopee Menggunakan Metode User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ)

The development of technology in the current era has attracted the attention of many people to make this a business area, namely online business. This is related to the increasing need for information and the effectiveness of online shopping services that are more attractive, easier and profitable for consumers. Online shopping sites can be accessed through applications that are already installed on consumer mobile phones (Android, IOS, Windows Phone). This study aims to find out about the experience of shopee application users in becoming an online shopping tool for many people and can find out which user experience suits the user both from the convenience, function and ease of using the shopee. This study provides a comparison through a user experience questionnaire (UEQ) which has six aspects of assessment, including attractiveness, sharpness, efficiency, dependence, stimulation, and novelty. The UEQ questionnaire distributed to 54 respondents, the results of the UEQ questionnaire show that respondents have a positive impression of the Shopee application as a means of online shopping where the survey results have positive values ​​(having a mean value > 0.8).

Auto-Rickshaw Repair, Servicing and Maintenance for Youth-in-Entrepreneurship in Kumasi

Knowledge and skill acquisition is a driver to the socioeconomic growth of a country, yet economic challenges, rapid urbanization, and migration have contributed to youth unemployment in Ghana. The introduction of auto-rickshaws in 2015 has increased access coverage to transportation, augmented existing public transportation, and created avenues for both operators’ and mechanics’ employment through co-ordinated skill development actions to empower youth-in-entrepreneurship. However, these have not been fully utilized and developed by the Government. The study seeks to identify basic needs of auto-rickshaw mechanics in establishing a sustainable repair and maintenance enterprise, identify challenges confronting auto-rickshaw mechanics, and analyze activities of the youth who repair, maintain, and service auto-rickshaws within the formal and informal sectors for sustainable enterprises. The study is underpinned by both resource-based and human capital theories: education and apprenticeship bothers on human capital theory, while entrepreneurial experience, shop space, business duration, and so on projects the resource-based theory. Questionnaires were administered to 237 auto-rickshaw mechanics and interviews were conducted for some selected auto-rickshaw mechanics to investigate challenges in the business in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area through a clustered and systematic sampling technique. Data analyzed using SPSS v.26 indicated a very youthful auto-rickshaw mechanic population with low educational level that operates without licensed garages. About 68.8% of the mechanics possessed some form of apprenticeship training, though they are not specific to auto-rickshaw repair and maintenance. Further, 71.7% auto-rickshaw mechanics do not keep records of their activities and there is a general lack of entrepreneurial skills among them. Lack of financial support from financial institutions was found to be a major challenge. The binary logistic regression model retained and confirmed six out of the seven predictors, including sex, age, education, marital status, duration of repairs and/or maintenance, shop space, tools and equipment, and mechanical training, as significant contributing factors to entrepreneurship training offered to enterprises within the Kumasi metropolis. The study recommends the urgent need to upgrade the technical and entrepreneurial skills of auto-rickshaw mechanics through the establishment of targeted and result-oriented training centers for better efficiency. The authors further recommend financial institutions to consider giving financial support to auto-rickshaw mechanics to help sustain their businesses.

Does Virtual Reality Trigger Visits and Booking Holiday Travel Packages?

Although virtual reality technology is increasingly being used in tourism, its potential as a shopping tool and as an avenue for marketing and selling tourism products and services has not yet been examined. Likewise, very little is known about how exploring holiday packages through virtual reality affects behavioral intention to visit tourist destinations. This study aims to compare the visit intentions evoked and the process of booking holiday travel packages between an immersive virtual reality environment (displayed through Oculus head-mounted glasses) and a traditional web-based 2D platform. A causal model is proposed and tested for both designs. Using a between-subjects experimental design with a sample of 202 individuals, the experiences of two randomly selected groups were observed as they bought holiday tour packages to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The first group made a simulated purchase in an immersive virtual reality environment using a head-mounted device, and the second group made the purchase on a traditional e-commerce website. The findings revealed that the scores given to sense of presence, attitude change, and perceived ease of use were greater among those who made the purchase in the more immersive virtual reality environment. However, the relationships between the variables in the causal model were stronger for the classic website than for the virtual reality setting. Attitude change positively affected intention to visit a destination more in the virtual reality environment.

Virtual shopping: segmenting consumer attitudes towards augmented reality as a shopping tool

PurposeIncreasingly, retailers are adopting technologies such as augmented reality (AR) as tools to enhance the customer experience. However, little is known about consumers' differing attitudes towards AR. The aim of this study is to explore how consumers differ in terms of the value they receive from using AR, as well as the trade-offs they experience when using the technology for shopping. Moreover, the study explores the individual characteristics that lead to these differences by segmenting consumers according to their perceptions of and attitudes towards AR as a shopping tool.Design/methodology/approachTo identify the segments, latent class analysis was conducted on the data collected from an online survey of 503 US consumers.FindingsThe analysis yielded four distinct segments of consumers who vary in their attitude towards AR as a shopping tool – AR Averse, AR Hesitant, AR Open and AR Enthusiastic. Covariate analysis indicated that the factors which drive membership of these segments include perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and psychographic characteristics such as innovativeness, time pressure and shopping enjoyment.Practical implicationsThe heterogeneity of consumer attitudes towards AR is driven by consumers' perceptions of decision confidence (how they see AR enhancing their ability to make choices), information overload (the potential for AR to over-stimulate shoppers) and experiential value (the derived value from engaging with AR). Hence, retailers should leverage these dimensions when communicating the value of AR in assisting consumers when shopping.Originality/valueThis study highlights that heterogeneity exists in consumer attitudes towards AR, and suggests that the attitude towards AR is not a fixed value, but can change through education.

Consumers’ behavior analysis of vegetable e-commerce using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) approach in Jabodetabek

Vegetable e-commerce is a vegetable shopping tool that provides convenience and comfort, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. People do not need to leave their homes to meet their needs so they can avoid exposure to the Covid-19 virus. This study aims to determine the behavior of using e-commerce vegetables in Jabodetabek through perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and attitudes, formulate managerial implications and marketing strategies to increase consumers repurchase intentions. This study uses the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) approach and the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) test with LISREL. The results showed that perceived usefulness and attitude were significantly influenced by perceived ease of use; perceived benefits have no significant effect on repurchase intention, but perceived benefits have a significant effect on attitudes; and consumers' intention to make repeat purchases are directly influenced by attitudes. The managerial implication that vegetable entrepreneurs can do is to continue implementing strategies that can increase positive attitudes toward consumers so that vegetable e-commerce is easier to use and provides benefits according to consumer expectations. The 4C approach (co-creation, currency, communal activation, and conversation) can be applied to develop positive consumer attitudes.

Assessing utilization of a marketwide price transparency tool.

Most transparency tools are provided by individual insurers for enrollees shopping for services within their networks. This paper seeks to understand the impact of a marketwide price transparency tool with an embedded randomized experiment to offer provider-level charge information. In September 2017, FAIR Health released an independent, publicly accessible statewide consumer shopping tool, New York Healthcare Online Shopping Tool, or NYHOST, that displays individual provider charges (list prices) for common procedures in each of New York State's 3-digit geozips, as well as the estimated insurer-allowed amounts and educational resources. The rollout was accompanied by an extensive, multipronged marketing effort. It also incorporated a randomized experiment: The set of procedures with provider-level information varied across areas. We characterized the types of services that were most searched on the consumer shopping tool. Utilizing negative binomial models with procedure and area fixed effects, we report on market and procedural characteristics that influence price search. Consumers utilized the tool strategically, searching more in procedure markets with provider-specific price information availability, more frequent out-of-network utilization, higher charges, significant charge dispersion, and substantial provider competition. We also found that the majority of searches using the tool were for emergent services not usually classified as shoppable, suggesting that consumers may also have used the tool to compare searchable prices against those in bills for services already received. Our findings confirm aspects of price search theory that have been developed by studying other industries and may prove instructive for further study of price transparency tools.

How interactivity and vividness influence consumer virtual reality shopping experience: the mediating role of telepresence

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to investigate the effects of interactivity and vividness on perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment and their consequent impacts on consumer behavioral responses in a retail furniture VR store context. Considering the lack of VR empirical research, the indirect effect of interactivity and vividness on perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment through telepresence and the moderating effect of consumer previous experience with VR are also included.Design/methodology/approachA commercial IKEA VR store was chosen for the study. Head-mounted display (HMD) VR headsets were employed for the VR shopping experience. The study was conducted at a laboratory at a large university in the southeastern United States. A total of 146 college students participated in the study.FindingsVividness had significant positive effects on perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment, which in turn influenced attitude towards VR and behavioral intentions. Interactivity did not have positive impacts on perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment. However, it indirectly affected perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment through telepresence. The findings also proved the moderating effect of consumer previous VR experience between interactivity and perceived usefulness and between interactivity and perceived enjoyment. The relationship between attitude and behavioral intentions was also positive.Originality/valueNotwithstanding the benefits of VR in relation to its utilitarian, hedonic, and behavioral values, little is known about consumers' responses towards the usage of VR as a shopping tool. The present study can be considered as a starting point in understanding the usefulness of VR from consumer and managerial perspectives. The findings of VR indicated in the study will help practitioners understand the urgency of adopting VR in a retail setting.

Teaching of English Reading for English Majors Based on Moso Tech

Recent decade have witnessed the profound change of information technology as evidenced by the new way of our transport, new concept of our shopping and new tool of work. Moso Tech walks slowly into the teaching industry with the emergency and rise of information technology. It almost revolutionized the traditional English teaching in reading for English majors.

Peritonsillar Abscess Model for Ultrasound Diagnosis Using Inexpensive Materials.

This low-cost peritonsillar abscess model is intended for the education of emergency medicine and otolaryngology residents and advanced care practitioners of all training levels. With incidence rates as high as 124 per 100,000 in the 14-21 age range, peritonsillar abscesses (PTA) are one of the more common head and neck soft tissue infections encountered in the emergency department.1 Peritonsillar abscesses can present to the emergency department in critically ill patients with the dangers of airway compromise and further local spreading. Emergency medicine (EM) residents need practice to properly identify and to minimize procedural complications such as perforation of nearby vessels, aspiration pneumonitis, and airway compromise. A major tool used in the emergency department that can help prevent complications is the use of ultrasound, which the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires residents to become proficient at.2 Historically, computed tomography (CT) scanning to diagnose along with blind drainage has been the method of choice. With a sensitivity of 95.2%, intraoral ultrasound can minimize both radiation and procedure related complications.3 The current simulators available come at significant capital expenditure and do not provide high-fidelity ultrasound experience. Here we design and implement a low-cost trainer for residents to use ultrasound to diagnose and drain a PTA. By the end of this instructional session learners should be able to: 1) identify and discuss the indications, contraindications, and complications associated with peritonsillar abscesses, 2) properly identify and measure a PTA through ultrasound, and 3) competently perform ultrasound-guided peritonsillar abscess drainage on a simulator and remove fluid. This PTA model utilizes task trainers designed from Styrofoam wig heads. An airway was modeled using readily available wood shop tools and balloons filled with a fluid mixture containing coconut lotion, water, and fragrance beads, which were inserted into the airway. This unique mixture within the balloons creates a realistic echogenicity of an abscess with loculations. With emergency medicine clinical faculty guidance and the use of ultrasound, learners are able to identify a peritonsillar abscess and subsequently demonstrate drainage of fluid with a needle and syringe. This PTA model was tested with a group of 36 emergency medicine residents. Optional, anonymous post surveys were completed by 17 residents. A 5-point Likert Scale was used to assess utility of this model. The majority of users agreed the model provides a realistic image of the disease for diagnosis by ultrasound with a score of 3.6 and felt more comfortable identifying and draining peritonsillar abscesses with scores of 3.7 and 3.6 respectively. Learners' surveys revealed the session was useful and improved their knowledge with both scoring 3.8. No critical feedback was given by learners or instructors. The efficacy of the content was assessed by evaluators observing proper ultrasound, procedure set up, and drainage of PTA. This inexpensive model to expose residents to proper PTA drainage was effective considering learners' high response to post-procedure survey scales. The results of our pilot implementation showed this model has utility in teaching ultrasound guided identification and drainage of PTA's. With minimal build and optimized instruction time, we can improve residents' comfort in performing this procedure and allow for important simulation experience in a safe, controlled environment. Simulation, emergency medicine, peritonsillar abscess, otolaryngology.

The sugar content of children's and lunchbox beverages sold in the UK before and after the soft drink industry levy.

Childhood obesity is associated with an increased intake of sugary soft drinks and juice drinks. The aims of this study were (1) to report the sugar and energy content in commercial fruit juice (FJ), juice drinks (JDs) and smoothies (S) specifically targeted at children in the UK, (2) to identify beverages liable for the soft drinks industry levy (SDIL) and (3) to compare the amount of sugar in these beverages before and after the levy. The beverages were retrieved using the online shopping tool, my Supermarket, websites of nine major supermarkets in the UK and manufacturers webpages. Comparisons of sugar content were taken before and after the introduction of the SDIL. 131 FJJDS fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The mean sugar content of all the beverages was 6.3 g ± 4.5/100 mL. There was large variation in the sugar content from 0.1 g/100 mL to 15.2 g/100 mL, with smoothies found to contain the most sugar (11.55 ± 1.62 g/mL). The beverages were reanalysed in September 2018 to determine their eligibility for the SDIL. Of the 131 products only seven JDs were eligible for the levy. Four of these beverages had reformulated their ingredients since the initial analysis resulting in a sugar content of <5 g/100 mL. The majority of the beverages targeted at children and children's lunch boxes were not eligible for the SDIL. This study suggests the necessity to adapt the SDIL to include all FJJDS aimed at children as the total sugar content of these beverages are still above the recommended quantities for this age group.

Development and Review of the Chest Tube High-Feedback Educational Simulation Trainer (CHEST).

Emergency medicine physicians must receive training in chest tube placement. This life-saving skill must be completed quickly and competently to prevent morbidity and mortality. Training on live patients is no longer an appropriate or acceptable practice. Current training devices have been noted to be costly, may be difficult to store, or may require time-consuming cleanup or setup. Fifteen Chest tube High-feedback Educational Simulation Trainers were created. Frames were made from wood and PVC, and soft tissue layers were designed using silicone and polyurethane foam. Nine training sites volunteered to test the model and provided feedback on the acceptability of the task trainer for skill training. Survey findings demonstrated that the model was realistic for teaching, portable, and was easy to use and maintain. In our model, the outer skin was noted to tear easily, thus limiting its use for suture training. Overall programs reported that they would use this model if it was available for the same or lower cost than current models. An inexpensive task trainer was created that was easy to store, quick to set up, durable, easy to clean, and rated as effective at training the skill of chest tube insertion.

Role of Mobile Applications Quality and Smartphones Attributes in Online Shopping:An Insight

Today, there are 2.6 Billion Smartphone subscriptions globally, and while growth has been levelling off in developed markets like the U.S. and Europe, it is not stalling altogether by a long shot. By 2020, globally there will be 6.1 Smart phone users led by huge growth in less mature markets. And, with 6.1 Billion Smart phones in circulation, we will see a tipping point of sorts: Smart phones will finally overtake the number of active fixed line subscriptions worldwide in 2020 (Neilsen Survey, 2012). Mobile browsing and shopping has become the new sensation of the consumers. But, it is not enough to cater the needs of the new generation that are born with the usage of Smartphone in their homes. It has created the vacuum of user interface technology. The marketers are more afraid of losing their customers and they have begun to concentrate on increasing the number of online customers to their mobile friendly websites, since every smartphone has the access to the Internet at any given point of time. As a human being, his or her needs are undergoing a change in accordance with the technological change. The desire for shopping will never go down to any customer with their increased income and exposure to too much information about the new and innovative products available in the markets. E-tailors are much more interested to know the preference of their precious customers by knowing them more closely, to track their buying behaviour, even providing the support when they are intermittent to the Internet connectivity. Technology has paved new ways to solve the limitations in online shopping websites by developing a tool called Mobile Shopping Applications called as Apps that allows customers to download the shopping tool developed by the seller into their mobile phones. In this paper, an attempt will be to conceptualise the key linkages between mobile applications quality and smartphones attributes in online shopping. Mobile apps have given the comfort zone to the customers to shop at ease with lesser mobile interactions. Mobile shopping Apps are mostly preferred by the customers than the direct purchase from the website itself.

Digital Marketing Suggestions for Luxury Brands

0

Modeling and Analysis of Cutting Force in Turning of AISI 316L Stainless Steel (SS) under Nano Cutting Environment

Nano Cutting fluids play a significant role in machining operations and impact shop productivity, tool life and quality of work. In the present work, machining performance of AISI 316L Stainless steel (SS) is assessed under nano cutting environment. Experiments are performed by plain turning of 80mm diameter and 300mm long rod of AISI 316L SS on NAGMAT centre lathe under wet machining with and without Multi Wall Carbon nano Tubes (MWCNT) inclusions in the conventional lubricant. The Second order quadratic models were developed to predict cutting forces using response surface methodology (RSM) based D-optimal design. Machining parameters such as speed, feed rate and depth of cut are chosen as numerical factor, and the wt % of MWCNT content is considered as the categorical factor. Furthermore, using analysis of variance method, significant contributions of process parameters have been determined. Experimental results reveal that wt % of MWCNT and feed rate are the dominant variables on responses.

IJARCCE - Computer and Communication Engineering

India is the second largest cellular market in the world after China, with a massive subscriber base of 867.80 million, as of March 2013. Majority of smartphone users are still on 2G network. Budget 4G smartphones coupled with affordable plans, can very well drive 4G growth in India. The most obvious mobile commerce trend is further development. Yearly m-commerce sales are forecasted to increase fourfold billion in the next few years. Businesses are beginning to realize that m-commerce is key to enhance their brand, boost sales, and keep up with competitors.India's retail market is expected to cross 1.3 trillion USD by 2020 from the current market size of 500 billion USD. Modern retail with a penetration of only 5% is expected to grow about six times from the current 27 billion USD to 220 billion USD, across all categories and segments.India is set to witness proliferation of the fourth-generation wireless data services, or 4G services shortly with slashed data plans. Being the second largest mobile market in the world, India needs to take its place in the forefront of providing innovative services and applications to its citizens. Recent eMarketer study, by the year 2017 more than 25% of all online retail transactions will happen in the mobile paradigm. Adweek explains that statistic with information that 18-34 year olds are very likely to use their mobile devices as a shopping tool. Their process is to visit their favorite retail stores not to shop but to view a product and compare prices, and then to compare prices at various online locations using their phones. They then buy the product using their mobile device. The future looks very bright for mobile commerce, although businesses are still experimenting with how to use the mobile commerce concept to their best advantage.

Special Relevance of FDG-PET as an Upfront Diagnostic Modality at Initial Diagnosis and in Suspected Recurrence in Patients of Breast Carcinoma Hailing From Lower Socioeconomic Status Owing to Relative Late Presentation: A Pilot Study in a Medical College Hospital Setting in India

FDG-PET has found relatively limited use in routine management of breast carcinoma due to its limited utility in assessing the primary and axillary lymph node status. The aim of the study was to assess its role in a medical school and municipal hospital setting of Mumbai, where majority belongs to the lower socioeconomic status and presents relatively late and hence whole body FDG-PET could find important place for assessing whole body disease status that would justify being used upfront in this group of patients. Thus, the premise of this study was that FDG-PET will have special relevance in this particular setting for evaluation of patients of breast carcinoma with respect to initial staging, detection of locoregional recurrence and metastasis and assessing response to systemic treatment. A total of 52 patients proven to have breast carcinoma, who had undergone (18)F FDG-PET for disease staging at initial diagnosis and in in recurrent disease staging with a few cases as a baseline study for early treatment monitoring purposes over a study period of 3years, were included in this analysis. 33.3% of patients with pretreatment baseline FDG-PET were upstaged with diagnosis of additional lesions in the adrenal gland, liver, internal mammary, cervical lymph nodes and the mediastinum. On a lesion specific analysis, the percentage of increased lesion detection (including both lymph node with distant metastasis) by FDG-PET was 42.7%. FDG-PET was found to be 100% sensitive and specific for confirming recurrent breast cancer. Four out of 18 patients on chemotherapy underwent second FDG-PET after first cycle of chemotherapy, showed responsiveness to chemotherapy by decreased maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax). FDG-PET showed 9 liver lesions in 6 patients, only 3 of them was reported in USG. In one patient USG abdomen was inconclusive between hemangioma and metastasis, FDG-PET ruled out liver metastasis in this patient. In the examined patient population belonging to lower socioeconomic status, where usual presentation is relatively late, upfront whole body survey with FDG-PET or PET/CT is of considerable value in view of higher probability of existence of metastatic disease, thus can be an important one-stop shop tool in assessing whole body disease status in a single examination. It also proved efficacious in diagnosing loco regional and distant recurrence, metabolic characterization of lump and early response to treatment in the examined few cases following one cycle of chemotherapy in locally advanced breast cancer.

Experimental analysis on cutting fluid dispersed with silver nano particles

Cutting fluids play a significant role in machining operations, impact shop productivity, tool life and quality of work. The reduction in the consumption rate of the cutting fluid leads to the minimization of production cost and environmental hazards. This could be achieved by the enhancement of its thermal and tribological properties with the inclusion of suitable additives in the cutting fluid. In recent years various nanoparticles were used as additives in the conventional cutting fluid to enhance its properties. In the present work, silver nanoparticles was synthesized, characterized, dispersed in cutting fluid and experimented in a turning operation. Heat carrying capacities of the cutting fluid, cutting forces during machining process and surface finish of the work piece were assessed by suitable instruments for cutting fluids with and without silver nanoparticles under different machining conditions. From the experimental results, it was observed that inclusion of silver nanoparticles in cutting fluid showed a significant reduction in tool tip temperature, cutting force and surface roughness of the work piece.

Putting Yourself in the Picture: An Evaluation of Virtual Model Technology as an Online Shopping Tool

The electronic gulf between shoppers and products makes evaluating a physical product on offer at an e-store a potentially problematic activity. We propose that the outcome of the product evaluation task is determined by the fit between the type of information provided and the type of information sought by the consumer and that this, in turn, influences a consumer's attitude toward an e-store. An experiment to compare the impact of one type of advanced evaluation support technology, the virtual model, with a more basic online catalog, is then described. Results indicate that virtual models are potentially valuable when a customer is concerned with self-image and considerably less valuable when concerned with functionality. In more general terms, variation in end-user attitudes toward the object of the task (evaluative attitude) influenced how informed consumers felt about a product when using different technologies. Feeling informed, in turn, had a strong effect on consumer attitudes toward the store. Our results highlight two important issues for online stores: (1) a consumer's information requirements depend on his or her attitude to a product rather than product attributes; and (2) meeting or not meeting these information requirements affects perceptions of the store. Business success in this context therefore appears to hinge on addressing the specific functional and image-related information needs of customers rather than simply providing more interactivity or technical functionality.