Opening the black box of intra-household decision-making: Theory and non-parametric empirical tests of general collective consumption models.

We non-parametrically test a general collective consumption model with public consumption and externalities inside the household. We further propose a novel approach to model special cases of the general collective model. These special cases include alternative restrictions on the `sharing rule' that applies to each household, and which defines the distribution of the household budget over the household members. A limiting case is the unitary model. Our application uses data from the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS); the panel structure of this data set allows non-parametric testing of the behavioral models without relying on preference homogeneity assumptions across similar individuals. This application includes test results but also a power analysis for different specifications of the collective consumption model. Our main findings are that the most general collective model, together with a large class of special but still fairly general cases, cannot be rejected by the data, while other, restricted, versions of the general model, including the unitary alternative, are rejected. Since these tests are entirely non-parametric, this provides strong evidence in favor of models focusing on intra-household decision-making.Consumption; Decision making; Model; Models; Tests; Theory;

Precursors and BRST Symmetry

In the AdS/CFT correspondence, bulk information appears to be encoded in the CFT in a redundant way. A local bulk field corresponds to many different non-local CFT operators (precursors). We recast this ambiguity in the language of BRST symmetry, and propose that in the large $N$ limit, the difference between two precursors is a BRST exact and ghost-free term. Using the BRST formalism and working in a simple model with global symmetries, we re-derive a precursor ambiguity appearing in earlier work. Finally, we show within this model that this BRST ambiguity has the right number of parameters to explain the freedom to localize precursors within the boundary of an entanglement wedge order by order in the large $N$ expansion.Comment: 12 page

Etude du répertoire de réponses : une approche dialogique de l'opinion

Opinion surveys usually settle for measuring opinion, an answer considered to be the participant’s attitude toward the subject. Yet when further questioned, we are able to give several opinions, several answers, that we have internalized from our interactions with others, into a repertoire of responses (Moscovici, 1970). In doing so, we assume the attitude of others (Mead, 1934) thus mediating our relationship to the object (Moscovici, 1984): each position is the result of an internal dialogue, maintained by the subject with others and their responses (Markova, 2005). Our goal in this thesis is to invent a method to understand this repertoire of responses. Thus, in our first two studies, we tested a paradigm that allows us to observe, the multiplicity of responses that are available in our repertoire, as well as their shared and coherent nature. A thirdstudy based on this method, enabled us to observe that the degree of development of the repertoire of responses is related to the involvement of the individual in regard to the object. We were also able to observe the development of a repertoire of responses in a field study lasting over two years, in a small group who discovered a new technology. Generally, this thesis contributes to writing the grammar of the repertoire of responses by presenting a paradigm that emphasizes the varied nature of opinion

Approximated and User Steerable tSNE for Progressive Visual Analytics

Progressive Visual Analytics aims at improving the interactivity in existing analytics techniques by means of visualization as well as interaction with intermediate results. One key method for data analysis is dimensionality reduction, for example, to produce 2D embeddings that can be visualized and analyzed efficiently. t-Distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (tSNE) is a well-suited technique for the visualization of several high-dimensional data. tSNE can create meaningful intermediate results but suffers from a slow initialization that constrains its application in Progressive Visual Analytics. We introduce a controllable tSNE approximation (A-tSNE), which trades off speed and accuracy, to enable interactive data exploration. We offer real-time visualization techniques, including a density-based solution and a Magic Lens to inspect the degree of approximation. With this feedback, the user can decide on local refinements and steer the approximation level during the analysis. We demonstrate our technique with several datasets, in a real-world research scenario and for the real-time analysis of high-dimensional streams to illustrate its effectiveness for interactive data analysis

Texture analysis in an apple progeny through instrumental, sensory and histological phenotyping

Phenotypic analysis of texture traits was performed in an apple progeny by three complementary approaches: two classical instrumental measurements (compression and penetrometry), sensory assessment and histological screening. The progeny was composed of 141 individuals harvested over 2 years. Sensory and instrumental texture were assessed at harvest and after 2 and 4 months of cold storage. Histological screening was performed by combining macro-vision of outer parenchyma sections and image analysis on fruits after 2 months storage. Harvest year was observed to have a major impact on texture phenotypes followed by storage and genetic factors. Principal component analysis of data from the instrumental texture evaluations showed that the two methods complemented each other in characterizing the texture of the apple progeny. Compression parameters correlated better than penetrometry variables with sensory descriptors related to crispness, firmness, and graininess. Cell size distribution differentiated individuals in the apple progeny. It correlated with instrumental texture analyses and with juiciness perception. All measured texture related traits showed that they were all under genetic control with high heritability values. Higher values were obtained for fruits after 2 months storage. These results provide ground for future search of new apple texture QTLs

Variability of cell wall polysaccharides composition and hemicellulose enzymatic profile in an apple progeny

The genetic variability of apple cell walls polysaccharides chemical composition and structure was assessed in a progeny of 141 individuals harvested over 2 years. The variability of the hemicelluloses oligosaccharides released by glucanase was analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS. The genetic contribution was distinguished from harvest year as well as from parental crossing patterns and scab resistance selection. Results showed that harvest year had a major impact on cell wall polysaccharide composition and structure. Within each harvest, genetic effect impact more significantly cell wall polysaccharide chemistry than does reciprocal crossing or early scab selection. Uronic acids, glucose, galactose and xylose contents as well as some glucomannan and xyloglucan structures have a high heritability. This first cell wall chemotyping of an apple progeny opens the way for future searches of genetic markers for the chemical variability of cell wall polysaccharides