The Differentiating Behaviour of Shoppers: Clustering of individual movement traces in a supermarket

In this paper we report on research into patterns of shopper movement and behaviour in a supermarket. It is an underlying assumption of much space syntax research that the population is relatively homogeneous in terms of the way it uses space, introduced by the theory of natural movement in urban environments where the density distribution of facilities varies and the spatial configuration is diverse. However, in the specific case of a supermarket where goods are very evenly distributed in a regular and even grid, we need to explore the variations in individual behaviour within the population to understand the movement patterns in the store. Using data of over 480 shoppers interviewed and individually tracked in their shopping trip in a supermarket, we develop methods of profiling different shoppers according to both demographic and behavioural factors. We show that there are distinct clusters of shopping strategy defined in terms of characteristic search trail through the store, and that these correlate with specific shopper profile. We conclude that in situations where the allocation of attractors to space is neither random nor correlated to spatial structure, different groups of people on different kinds of mission will adopt distinctive spatial behaviour. This suggests that the assumption of homogeneity may be ill founded, at least under these circumstances

Central and direct regulation of testicular activity by gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone and its receptor.

Gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) was first identified in Japanese quail to be an inhibitor of gonadotropin synthesis and release. GnIH peptides have since been identified in all vertebrates, and all share an LPXRFamide (X = L or Q) motif at their C-termini. The receptor for GnIH is the G protein-coupled receptor 147 (GPR147), which inhibits cAMP signaling. Cell bodies of GnIH neurons are located in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in birds and the dorsomedial hypothalamic area (DMH) in most mammals. GnIH neurons in the PVN or DMH project to the median eminence to control anterior pituitary function via GPR147 expressed in gonadotropes. Further, GnIH inhibits gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-induced gonadotropin subunit gene transcription by inhibiting the adenylate cyclase/cAMP/PKA-dependent ERK pathway in an immortalized mouse gonadotrope cell line (LβT2 cells). GnIH neurons also project to GnRH neurons that express GPR147 in the preoptic area (POA) in birds and mammals. Accordingly, GnIH can inhibit gonadotropin synthesis and release by decreasing the activity of GnRH neurons as well as by directly inhibiting pituitary gonadotrope activity. GnIH and GPR147 can thus centrally suppress testosterone secretion and spermatogenesis by acting in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. GnIH and GPR147 are also expressed in the testis of birds and mammals, possibly acting in an autocrine/paracrine manner to suppress testosterone secretion and spermatogenesis. GnIH expression is also regulated by melatonin, stress, and social environment in birds and mammals. Accordingly, the GnIH-GPR147 system may play a role in transducing physical and social environmental information to regulate optimal testicular activity in birds and mammals. This review discusses central and direct inhibitory effects of GnIH and GPR147 on testosterone secretion and spermatogenesis in birds and mammals