Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Understanding "Cherry Pickers:" How Retail Customers Split Their Shopping Baskets

Recent studies of store choice assume that shoppers develop shopping lists a priori, then visit the store that allows them to buy needed items at the lowest expected cost. These studies implicitly assume that shoppers purchase their entire list at a single store. However, many households shop at multiple stores without any intervening consumption—a behavior that retail managers commonly term "cherry picking. " To explain this behavior, we develop a mathematical model that extends the standard cost minimization framework in two important ways: First, we allow shoppers to split their basket purchases across multiple stores; and second, we introduce price uncertainty into their decision-making process. The latter is necessary since one cannot assume all prices are known when the purchase decision is made. Because deferring purchases to a subsequent store visit is essentially a gamble constructed by the shopper, the buy or defer purchase decision will depend on her risk attitude. Despite the shopper-specific nature of this attitude, we discover a rather general result: Unless the shopper is perfectly risk neutral, the probability of an item being “cherry-picked” depends on its expected price difference divided by the variance of that difference. This leads to interesting implications for retailers regarding the timing and depth of retail promotions. Our model also predicts that the amount a cherrypicking shopper purchases at a given retailer depends on the order in which the retailers are visited. We develop a discrete mixture model that incorporates various aspects of householdlevel heterogeneity, including differences in loyalty, risk attitudes, and price knowledge. We apply this model in the analysis of a panel dataset of consumer purchases made by cherrypicking shoppers and find uniform support for our model’s predictions. In addition, we find empirical evidence that most cherry pickers are risk-averse in their purchase decisions, and that they study retailer ads.
Effects of nitrogen deposition and insect herbivory on patterns of ecosystem‐level carbon and nitrogen dynamics: results from the CENTURY model

Atmospheric nitrogen deposition may indirectly affect ecosystems through deposition‐induced changes in the rates of insect herbivory. Plant nitrogen (N) status can affect the consumption rates and population dynamics of herbivorous insects, but the extent to which N deposition‐induced changes in herbivory might lead to changes in ecosystem‐level carbon (C) and N dynamics is unknown. We created three insect herbivory functions based on empirical responses of insect consumption and population dynamics to changes in foliar N and implemented them into the CENTURY model. We modeled the responses of C and N storage patterns and flux rates to N deposition and insect herbivory in an herbaceous system. Results from the model indicate that N deposition caused a strong increase in plant production, decreased plant C : N ratios, increased soil organic C (SOC), and enhanced rates of N mineralization. In contrast, herbivory decreased both vegetative and SOC storage and depressed N mineralization rates. The results suggest that herbivory plays a particularly important role in affecting ecosystem processes by regulating the threshold value of N deposition at which ecosystem C storage saturates; C storage saturated at lower rates of N deposition with increasing intensity of herbivory. Differences in the results among the modeled insect herbivory functions suggests that distinct physiological and population response of insect herbivores can have a large impact on ecosystem processes. Including the effects of herbivory in ecosystem studies, particularly in systems where rates of herbivory are high and linked to plant C : N, will be important in generating accurate predictions of the effects of atmospheric N deposition on ecosystem C and N dynamics.
Edinburgh Research Explorer Characterization of sensory neuron subpopulations selectively expressing green fluorescent protein in phosphodiesterase 1C BAC transgenic mice

Background: The complex neuronal circuitry of the dorsal horn of the spinal cord is as yet poorly understood. However, defining the circuits underlying the transmission of information from primary afferents to higher levels is critical to our understanding of sensory processing. In this study, we have examined phosphodiesterase 1C ( Pde1c ) BAC transgenic mice in which a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter gene reflects Pde1c expression in sensory neuron subpopulations in the dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord. Results: Using double labeling immunofluorescence, we demonstrate GFP expression in specific subpopulations of primary sensory neurons and a distinct neuronal expression pattern within the spinal cord dorsal horn. In the dorsal root ganglia, their distribution is restricted to those subpopulations of primary sensory neurons that give rise to unmyelinated C fibers (neurofilament 200 negative). A small proportion of both non-peptidergic (IB4-binding) and peptidergic (CGRP immunoreactive) subclasses expressed GFP. However, GFP expression was more common in the
Emerging Rapid Resistance Testing Methods for Clinical Microbiology Laboratories and Their Potential Impact on Patient Management

Atypical and multidrug resistance, especially ESBL and carbapenemase expressing Enterobacteriaceae, is globally spreading. Therefore, it becomes increasingly difficult to achieve therapeutic success by calculated antibiotic therapy. Consequently, rapid antibiotic resistance testing is essential. Various molecular and mass spectrometry-based approaches have been introduced in diagnostic microbiology to speed up the providing of reliable resistance data. PCR- and sequencing-based approaches are the most expensive but the most frequently applied modes of testing, suitable for the detection of resistance genes even from primary material. Next generation sequencing, based either on assessment of allelic single nucleotide polymorphisms or on the detection of nonubiquitous resistance mechanisms might allow for sequence-based bacterial resistance testing comparable to viral resistance testing on the long term. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), based on specific binding of fluorescence-labeled oligonucleotide probes, provides a less expensive molecular bridging technique. It is particularly useful for detection of resistance mechanisms based on mutations in ribosomal RNA. Approaches based on MALDI-TOF-MS, alone or in combination with molecular techniques, like PCR/electrospray ionization MS or minisequencing provide the fastest resistance results from pure colonies or even primary samples with a growing number of protocols. This review details the various approaches of rapid resistance testing, their pros and cons, and their potential use for the diagnostic laboratory.
Large genomic deletions inactivate the BRCA2 gene in breast cancer families

Background:BRCA1 and BRCA2 are the two major genes responsible for the breast and ovarian cancers that cluster in families with a genetically determined predisposition. However, regardless of the mutation detection method employed, the percentage of families without identifiable alterations of these genes exceeds 50%, even when applying stringent criteria for family selection. A small but significant increase in mutation detection rate has resulted from the discovery of large genomic alterations in BRCA1. A few studies have addressed the question of whether BRCA2 might be inactivated by the same kinds of alteration, but most were either done on a relatively small number of samples or employed cumbersome mutation detection methods of variable sensitivity. Objective: To analyse 121 highly selected families using the recently available BRCA2 multiplex ligation dependent probe amplification (MLPA) technique. Results: Three different large genomic deletions were identified and confirmed by analysis of the mutant transcript and genomic characterisation of the breakpoints. Conclusions: Contrary to initial suggestions, the presence of BRCA2 genomic rearrangements is worth investigating in high risk breast or ovarian cancer families.
Asymptotic results for multiplexing subexponential on-off processes

Consider an aggregate arrival process A N obtained by multiplexing N on-off processes with exponential off periods of rate λ and subexponential on periods τon. As N goes to infinity, with λN → Λ, A N approaches an M/G/∞ type process. Both for finite and infinite N, we obtain the asymptotic characterization of the arrival process activity period. Using these results we investigate a fluid queue with the limiting M/G/∞ arrival process A t ∞ and capacity c. When on periods are regularly varying (with non-integer exponent), we derive a precise asymptotic behavior of the queue length random variable Q t P observed at the beginning of the arrival process activity periods where ρ = 𝔼A t ∞ < c; r (c ≤ r) is the rate at which the fluid is arriving during an on period. The asymptotic (time average) queue distribution lower bound is obtained under more general assumptions regarding on periods than regular variation. In addition, we analyse a queueing system in which one on-off process, whose on period belongs to a subclass of subexponential distributions, is multiplexed with independent exponential processes with aggregate expected rate 𝔼e t . This system is shown to be asymptotically equivalent to the same queueing system with the exponential arrival processes being replaced by their total mean value 𝔼e t .
An Exploration of Teachers’ Beliefs on the Integration of Culture in Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Junior High Schools in Minahasa/Indonesia

The place of culture has been recognised as crucial in the teaching and learning of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). However, researchers have found that EFL teachers are often confused, face difficulties and lack knowledge of the concept of culture and its pedagogical instruction (what and how to teach). Relatively little has been researched about the beliefs and practices of EFL teachers regarding this topic at beginner levels and in geographical contexts where English is “very foreign” (third or fourth language). This study explored Minahasan EFL junior high school teachers’ beliefs on the integration of culture in their teaching. Five EFL teachers were involved and the study specifically employed three qualitative techniques for data collection: semi-structured interviews, class observations and stimulated-recalls interviews (based on past video recordings of practice). Consistent with extant research these EFL teachers held positive beliefs about the importance of culture in EFL teaching (Byram, 2013; Byram & Kramsch, 2008; Kramsch, 1993, 2006, 2013; Liddicoat, 2002, 2008, 2014). They understood culture as ‘a way of life’ (Brown, 2007) and believed that the teaching of culture was critical in developing successful communication skills and in building intercultural communication. Speech acts and small “c” cultures (Lee, 2009) mostly from American culture (US) were the focus of their teaching, accompanied with the use of a comparative method (Byram, Gribkova & Starkey, 2002). To some extent, constraints (limited exposure and knowledge of intercultural competence, materials, IT) and curriculum affected their beliefs and practices regarding teaching culture and language. The perspectives of these EFL teachers from Minahasa/Indonesia provide useful insights for developing a base model for cultural instruction in junior high schools in Minahasa and similar education contexts. Further studies in intercultural competence and pragmatic instruction (speech acts) from a larger number of teachers, educators and learners’ perceptions will help to enhance the understanding and knowledge about teaching language and culture.
Empirical Evaluation of Asset Pricing Models: A Comparison of the Sdf and Beta Methods

The stochastic discount factor (SDF) method provides a unified general framework for econometric analysis of asset pricing models. It has recently been pointed out that the generality of the SDF method may come at the cost of estimation efficiency. We show that there is no need for this concern. The SDF method is as efficient as the classical beta method for estimating risk premia. In addition, the SDF method has an advantage -- the classical beta method, unlike the SDF method, substantially understates the effect of sampling errors when the estimated unanticipated changes in macroeconomic variables are used as pervasive factors.
Fast and Robust Characterization of Time-Heterogeneous Sequence Evolutionary Processes Using Substitution Mapping

Genes and genomes do not evolve similarly in all branches of the tree of life. Detecting and characterizing the heterogeneity in time, and between lineages, of the nucleotide (or amino acid) substitution process is an important goal of current molecular evolutionary research. This task is typically achieved through the use of non-homogeneous models of sequence evolution, which being highly parametrized and computationally-demanding are not appropriate for large-scale analyses. Here we investigate an alternative methodological option based on probabilistic substitution mapping. The idea is to first reconstruct the substitutional history of each site of an alignment under a homogeneous model of sequence evolution, then to characterize variations in the substitution process across lineages based on substitution counts. Using simulated and published datasets, we demonstrate that probabilistic substitution mapping is robust in that it typically provides accurate reconstruction of sequence ancestry even when the true process is heterogeneous, but a homogeneous model is adopted. Consequently, we show that the new approach is essentially as efficient as and extremely faster than (up to 25 000 times) existing methods, thus paving the way for a systematic survey of substitution process heterogeneity across genes and lineages.
Green's function for an electrically permeable crack in thermopiezoelectric materials

The generalized 2D problem of thermopiezoelectric materials containing an electrically permeable crack under thermal-mechanical loading is studied in this paper. Based on the Stroh formalism and Green's function method, the problem is reduced to a set of singular integral equations which are solved in closed-form. When the crack is assumed to be traction free, the crack opening displacement must be negative between one half of the crack faces unless a sufficiently large tensile stress is superposed. Then, Green's function of the stress and electric displacement intensity factors at each crack tip are obtained. These results can be directly applied to the fracture analysis of piezoelectric materials in engineering applications if the crack interior is filled with conductive media.
XMM-Newton view of galaxy pairs: activation of quiescent black holes?

We report on XMM-Newton observations of three nearby galaxy pairs, AM0707-273, AM1211-465, and AM2040-674. All six galaxies were previously classified as HII galaxies based on optical and IR spectroscopic analysis. All galaxies were detected with XMM-Newton and each member was isolated and analyzed independently. The X-ray spectra reveal strong evidence of AGN activity in the NE member of AM1211-465 pair. We measured a luminosity of 1.94 +0.11 −0.15 × 10 42 erg/s in the 2–10 keV band and the presence of a neutral FeKα line with a confidence level of 98.8%. The high nH value, 2.2 ± 0.2 × 10 22 cm −2 , would explain the misclassification of the source. Marginal evidence of AGN nature was found in the X-ray spectra of AM1211-465SW and AM0707-273E. The X-ray emission of the three remaining galaxies can be explained by starburst activity.
The moral in Paulo Freire’s educational work: What moral education can learn from Paulo Freire

Abstract The Brazilian pedagogue Paulo Freire had a great influence on theory and practice of education across the world. Freire presented his theory and work as educational and political, not as moral. In this article, the legacy of Paulo Freire will be analysed from a moral education perspective. Nine pedagogical principles will be presented and the changes he contributed in different academic disciplines will be analysed. We conclude that in particular, his focus on social justice, empowerment and transformation can make moral education more linked to society, and more part of a process of humanisation.
After the Stop: Exploring the Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Police Use of Force During Terry Stops

Questions surrounding stop, question, and frisk (SQF) practices have focused almost exclusively on racial and ethnic disproportionality in the rate of stops, and whether police are engaged in racial profiling. This near-sole focus on the stop decision has overshadowed important questions about the use of force during Terry stops, resulting in a major gap in our understanding of the dynamics of SQF encounters. The current study addresses this issue through an examination of the nature, prevalence, and predictors of use of force during Terry stops using the 2012 SQF database of New York Police Department (NYPD; N = 519,948) and data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Results indicate that use of force was an infrequent event in NYPD stops (14%), and weapon force was quite rare (.01%). However, hierarchical multinomial logistic regression models show that Black and Hispanic citizens were significantly more likely to experience non-weapon force than White citizens, while controlling for other relevant situational and precinct-level variables. The findings suggest that minority citizens may be exposed to a racial or ethnic “double jeopardy,” whereby they are subjected to both unconstitutional stops and disparate rates of force during those stops. The study highlights the importance of expanding the focus on SQF beyond the racial profiling lens, as questions about the dynamics of police use of force decision-making raise equally important social and legal concerns.
Deciding on an adjustment for multiplicity in IR experiments

We evaluate statistical inference procedures for small-scale IR experiments that involve multiple comparisons against the baseline. These procedures adjust for multiple comparisons by ensuring that the probability of observing at least one false positive in the experiment is below a given threshold. We use only publicly available test collections and make our software available for download. In particular, we employ the TREC runs and runs constructed from the Microsoft learning-to-rank (MSLR) data set. Our focus is on non-parametric statistical procedures that include the Holm-Bonferroni adjustment of the permutation test p-values, the MaxT permutation test, and the permutation-based closed testing. In TREC-based simulations, these procedures retain from 66% to 92% of individually significant results (i.e., those obtained without taking other comparisons into account). Similar retention rates are observed in the MSLR simulations. For the largest evaluated query set size (i.e., 6400), procedures that adjust for multiplicity find at most 5% fewer true differences compared to unadjusted tests. At the same time, unadjusted tests produce many more false positives.
A Narrative Study into the Motivations of Missionary Kid Involvement in Mu Kappa

Missionary kids are individuals with a great variety of life experiences, often growing up in many different countries with the influence of other cultures. These individuals most often enroll in Christian colleges which place some priority on their transition and involvement in the community. Mu Kappa, an organization for missionary kids, exists on over 50 Christian colleges campuses and seeks to be a support structure while also providing community and involvement opportunities. This study examined missionary kids’ involvement in an effort to understand the factors influencing their involvement in Mu Kappa and other organizations. The goal was to examine these motivating factors in an effort to better understand what influences a missionary kid’s involvement and how these factors impact Mu Kappa and other organizations. Nine missionary kids were interviewed at a small, Christian, liberal arts college in the Midwest. The results of this study identified key influencing factors that helped to shape involvement and lack of involvement within Mu Kappa while also providing insight into involvement in other organizations. The results of this study showed that the wide variety of experiences of missionary kids influences opinions of the organization, motivation to become involved, and indicated different needs among individuals. Mu Kappa helps to support like-minded individuals with difficult transitions, while those who are more independent seek out their own supporting communities. Involvement in the larger community was not linked to involvement within Mu Kappa, showing that missionary kids were not always in need of
Sampling with Minimum Sum of Squared Similarities for Nystrom-Based Large Scale Spectral Clustering

The Nystrom sampling provides an efficient approach for large scale clustering problems, by generating a low-rank matrix approximation. However, existing sampling methods are limited by their accuracies and computing times. This paper proposes a scalable Nystrom-based clustering algorithm with a new sampling procedure, Minimum Sum of Squared Similarities (MSSS). Here we provide a theoretical analysis of the upper error bound of our algorithm, and demonstrate its performance in comparison to the leading spectral clustering methods that use Nystrom sampling.
A PET investigation of lexicality and phonotactic frequency in oral language processing

Lexicality and phonotactic frequency effects are observed in many cognitive studies on language processing, but little is known about their underlying neural substrates, especially with regard to phonotactic frequency effects. Here, we conducted a positron emission tomography (PET) study in which 11 right-handed volunteers had either to repeat or to listen to lists of words, high phonotactic frequency nonwords, and low phonotactic frequency nonwords. The comparison of word versus nonword processing consistently confirmed previous findings of left temporal and prefrontal activations classically ascribed to lexicosemantic processing. Higher activation was found in the right posterior superior temporal gyrus when comparing high phonotactic frequency nonwords to words, but not when comparing low phonotactic frequency nonwords to words. We propose that this region is implicated in the formation of temporary phonological representations for high-probability phonological events, which may support processing of high phonotactic frequency nonwords.
Distributed Developers and the Non-use of Web 2.0 Technologies: A Proclivity Model

We sought to understand the role that Web 2.0 technologies play in supporting the development of trust in globally distributed development teams. We found the use of Web 2.0 technologies to be minimal, with less than 25% of our participants reporting using them and many reporting the disadvantages of adopting them. In response, we sought to understand the factors that led to the use and non-use of these technologies in distributed development teams. We adopted a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze data collected from 61 interviewees representing all common roles in systems development. We discovered six factors that influenced the use and non-use of Web 2.0 technology. We present a proclivity model to frame our findings as well as our conclusions about the interrelationships between the results of our qualitative and quantitative analyses. We also present implications for the design of collaboration tools, which could lead to greater support and usage by distributed developers.