17,458 research outputs found
Social influence and position effects
A wide range of personal choices rely on the opinions or ratings of other individuals. This information has recently become a convenient way of simplifying the decision process. For instance, in online purchases of products and services, the possible choices or alternatives are often characterized by their position in a certain presentation order (or list) and their popularity, derived from an aggregate signal of the behavior of others. We have performed a laboratory experiment to quantify and compare popularity (or social influence) and position effects in a stylized setting of homogeneous preferences, with a small number of alternatives but considerable time constraints. Our design allows for the distinction between two phases in the decision process: (1) how agents search (i.e., not only which alternatives are analyzed but also in which order) and (2) how they ultimately choose. We find that in this process there are significant popularity and position effects. Position effects are stronger than social influence effects for predicting the searching behavior, however, social influence determines to a larger extent the actual choice. The reason is that social influence generates a double effect; it directly affects the final choice (independently on what alternative has been searched more thoroughly) and indirectly alters choice through the searching behavior which, in turn, is also affected by popularity. A novelty of our approach is that we account for personal traits and provide an individual analysis of sensitivity to both social influence and position effects. Surprisingly, we find that overconfident individuals are more influenceable, whereas other personal characteristics (e.g., gender and risk aversion) do not play a significant role in this context
Spectroscopic investigation of a 'Virgin of Sorrows' canvas painting : a multi-method approach
Detection and characterization of Sp1 binding activity in human chondrocytes and its alterations during chondrocyte dedifferentiation.
We have detected DNA binding activity for a synthetic oligonucleotide containing an Sp1 consensus sequence in nuclear extracts from human chondrocytes. Changes in the levels of Sp1 oligonucleotide binding activity were examined in nuclear extracts from freshly isolated human chondrocytes, from chondrocytes that had been cultured under conditions that allowed the maintenance of a chondrocyte-specific phenotype on plastic dishes coated with the hydrogel poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), and from chondrocytes induced to dedifferentiate into fibroblast-like cells by passage in monolayer culture on plastic substrata. It was observed that Sp1 binding was 2-3-fold greater in nuclear extracts from dedifferentiated chondrocytes than in nuclear extracts from either freshly isolated chondrocytes or from cells cultured in suspension. The Sp1 binding activity was specific, since it was competed by unlabeled Sp1 but not by AP1 or AP2. The addition of a polyclonal antibody against Sp1 to nuclear extracts from freshly isolated chondrocytes or to extracts isolated from chondrocytes cultured in monolayer decreased the binding of Sp1 by approximately 85%. However, when the same experiment was carried out with nuclear extracts prepared from cells cultured on poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-coated plates, only a very slight inhibition of Sp1 binding was observed. When fragments of the COL2A1 promoter containing putative Sp1 binding sites amplified by polymerase chain reaction were examined, it was found that the amounts of DNA-protein complex formed with nuclear extracts from dedifferentiated chondrocytes were 2-3-fold greater than the amounts formed with nuclear extracts from freshly isolated chondrocytes or from cells cultured in suspension. Quantitation of DNA binding activity by titration experiments demonstrated that nuclear extracts from fibroblast-like cells contained approximately 2-fold greater Sp-1 specific binding activity than nuclear extracts from chondrocytes. The direct role of Sp1 in type II collagen gene transcription was demonstrated by co-transfection experiments of COL2A1 promoter-CAT constructs in Drosophila Schneider line L2 cells that lack Sp1 homologs. This is the first demonstration of Sp1 binding activity in human chondrocytes and of differences in Sp1 DNA binding activity between differentiated and dedifferentiated chondrocytes
Multiwavelength analysis of the Lyman alpha emitting galaxy Haro 2: relation between the diffuse Lyman alpha and soft X-ray emissions
In order to use Lyman alpha (Lya) emission as star formation tracer in
cosmological studies, we must understand how the resonant scattering affects
the escape fraction of the Lya photons. Thus, high spatial resolution
multiwavelength studies of nearby Lya emitters, like Haro 2, are highly needed.
For that purpose, we have used Chandra X-ray and HST (UV, optical and NIR)
images of Haro 2, and STIS and ground-based spectral images along its major and
minor axes, to characterize the Lya emission and the properties of the stellar
population. The UV, Ha (Halpha) and FIR luminosities of the Haro 2 nuclear
starburst are reproduced using evolutionary synthesis models assuming a young
stellar population with ages ~3.5-5.0 Myr, affected by differential
interstellar extinctions. The observed X-ray emission is attributed to gas
heated by the mechanical energy released by the starburst (soft component) and
a Ultra-Luminous X-ray source candidate (hard). Both compact and diffuse Lya
components are observed. Whereas Lya is spatially decoupled from Balmer lines
emission, Balmer decrement and UV continuum, the diffuse Lya component is
spatially correlated with the diffuse soft X-ray emission. Moreover, unlike the
compact one, diffuse Lya shows luminosities larger than predicted from Ha,
assuming case B recombination and dust extinction as derived from Ha/Hbeta. We
propose that, whereas the compact Lya emission is associated to the massive
stellar clusters and is affected by outflows and dust extinction, the diffuse
Lya originates in gas ionized by the hot plasma responsible for the soft X-ray
radiation, as suggested by their spatial correlation and by the measured
L(Ha)/LsoftX ratios. Calibration of Lya as star formation rate tracer should
therefore include both effects (destruction vs. enhancement) to avoid biases in
the study of galaxies at cosmological distances.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A, 18 pages, 8 figures, 9 tables. If
problems with quality of images, see
http://www.cab.inta-csic.es/users/otih/haro2-v63.clean.pd
Physical properties and evolutionary state of the Lyman alpha emitting starburst galaxy IRAS 08339+6517
Though Lyman alpha emission (Lya) is one of the most used tracers of massive
star formation at high redshift, a correct understanding of radiation transfer
effects by neutral gas is required to properly quantify the star formation rate
along the history of the Universe. We are embarked in a program to study the
properties of the Lya emission (spectral profile, spatial distribution,
relation to Balmer lines intensity,...) in several local starburst galaxies. We
present here the results obtained for IRAS 08339+6517.
Using evolutionary population synthesis models, we have characterized the
properties of the starburst (UV continuum, Halpha, total infrared and X-ray
emissions, etc.), which transformed 1.4e+8 Mo of gas into stars around 5-6 Myr
ago. In addition to the central compact emission blob, we have identified a
diffuse Lya emission component smoothly distributed over the whole central area
of IRAS 08339+6517. This diffuse emission is spatially decoupled from the UV
continuum, the Halpha emission or the Halpha/Hbeta ratio. Both locally and
globally, the Lya/Halpha ratio is lower than the Case B predictions, even after
reddening correction, with an overall Lya escape fraction of only 4%.
We conclude that in IRAS 08339+6517 the resonant scattering of Lya photons by
an outflowing shell of neutral gas causes their highly-efficient destruction by
dust, which explains the low Lya escape fraction measured. These results stress
again the importance of a proper correction of scattering and transfer effects
when using Lya to derive the star formation rate in high-redshift galaxies.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A, 17 pages, 13 figures, 8 tables. If
problems with quality of images, see
https://cloud.cab.inta-csic.es/public.php?service=files&file=%2Fotih%2Ffiles%2Foti_mas%2Firas%2Firas-v53.ack_referee.pd
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