Impredicative Encodings of (Higher) Inductive Types

Postulating an impredicative universe in dependent type theory allows System F style encodings of finitary inductive types, but these fail to satisfy the relevant {\eta}-equalities and consequently do not admit dependent eliminators. To recover {\eta} and dependent elimination, we present a method to construct refinements of these impredicative encodings, using ideas from homotopy type theory. We then extend our method to construct impredicative encodings of some higher inductive types, such as 1-truncation and the unit circle S1

Exploratory shopping: attention affects in-store exploration and unplanned purchasing

A fundamental function of retailing is to bring products into the view of shoppers, because viewing products can activate forgotten or new needs. Retailers thus employ various strategies to entice shoppers to explore the product assortment and store environment, in the hopes of stimulating unplanned purchasing. Here we investigate consumers’ breadth of attention as a mechanism of such in-store exploration and hence of unplanned purchasing. Specifically, attentional breadth is the focus that is directed to a wider or more limited area in processing visual scenes. In a series of lab and field experiments we show that shoppers’ attentional breadth activates an exploratory mindset that stimulates visual and physical exploration of shopping environments, ultimately affecting their product choices and unplanned purchasing. We also show that more impulsive buyers are more susceptible to these effects. These results complement and constrain prior theorizing on mindset theory, attention, store exploration, and unplanned purchasing, all of which are of practical importance to both retailers and consumers

Evaluation of Kelvin probe force microscopy for imaging grain boundaries in chalcopyrite thin films

In view of the outstanding performance of polycrystalline thin film solar cells on the basis of Cu In,Ga Se2, the electrical activity at grain boundaries currently receives considerable attention. Recently, Kelvin probe force microscopy KPFM has been applied to characterize of the properties of individual grain boundaries, observing a drop in the surface potential in many cases. We present finite element simulations of the electrostatic forces to assess the experimental resolution of KPFM. Depending on the tip sample distance, the observed drop in the work function amounts to only a fraction of the real surface potential drop. The simulations are considered for different grain boundary models and consequences for the quantitative evaluation of experimental results are discusse

Getting a Handle on Sales: Shopping Carts Affect Purchasing by Activating Arm Muscles

This research demonstrates that the physical properties of shopping carts influence purchasing and spending. Prior research on ergonomics indicates that standard shopping carts, which are pushed via a horizontal handlebar, are likely to activate arm extensor muscles. Prior research on arm muscle activation, in turn, suggests that arm extensor activation may elicit less purchasing than arm flexor activation. The authors thus deduce that standard shopping carts may be suboptimal for stimulating purchases. The authors predicted that shopping carts with parallel handles (i.e., like a wheelbarrow or “walker”) would instead activate the flexor muscles and thus increase purchasing. An electromyography (EMG) study revealed that both horizontal and vertical handles more strongly activate the extensor muscles of the upper arm (triceps), whereas parallel handles more strongly activate the flexor muscles (biceps). In a field experiment, parallel-handle shopping carts significantly and substantially increased sales across a broad range of categories, including both vice and virtue products. Finally, in a simulated shopping experiment, parallel handles increased purchasing and spending beyond both horizontal and vertical handles. These results were not attributable to the novelty of the shopping cart itself, participants’ mood, or purely ergonomic factors

Hibernation in pygmy lorises (Nycticebus pygmaeus)–what does it mean?

Torpor use in primates appeared to be restricted to African species and was only recently discovered in a species from Asia, the pygmy loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus). This finding has considerable implications for our perception of torpor in this mammal group and demonstrates that torpor is probably more widespread in mammals than commonly thought. This article summarizes the current knowledge on the use of torpor in the pygmy loris and places it into the context of ongoing research on this topic

gyrA mutations and phenotypic susceptibility levels to ofloxacin and moxifloxacin in clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Objectives To compare mutations in the quinolone resistance-determining region of the gyrA gene and flanking sequences with the MICs of ofloxacin and moxifloxacin for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Methods The presence of mutations in 177 drug-resistant M. tuberculosis isolates was determined by DNA sequencing and the MICs quantified by MGIT 960. Results Single nucleotide polymorphisms were detected at codons 94 (n = 30), 90 (n = 12), 91 (n = 3), 89 (n = 1), 88 (n = 1) and 80 (n = 1). Four isolates with double mutations D94G plus A90V (n = 2) and D94G plus D94N (n = 2) reflect mixed populations. Agreement between genotypic and phenotypic susceptibility was high (≥97%) for both drugs. Mutant isolates had an MIC50 of 8.0 mg/L and an MIC90 of >10 mg/L for ofloxacin compared with an MIC50 and MIC90 of 2.0 mg/L for moxifloxacin. Codons 94 and 88 were linked to higher levels of fluoroquinolone resistance compared with codons 90, 91 and 89. The MIC distributions for the wild-type isolates ranged from ≤0.5 to 2.0 mg/L for ofloxacin and from ≤0.125 to 0.25 mg/L for moxifloxacin. However, 96% of the isolates with genetic alterations had MICs ≤2.0 mg/L for moxifloxacin, which is within its achievable serum levels. Conclusions This study provides quantitative evidence that the addition of moxifloxacin to extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) regimens based on a clinical breakpoint of 2.0 mg/L has merit. The use of moxifloxacin in the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis may prevent the acquisition of additional mutations and development of XDR-T