Social Identity and Cooperation

This study seeks to examine the effects of cooperation on social identity in group work. I posit that members of groups which are cooperative and therefore successful will be more likely to identify with the group, than members of those groups which are not cooperative. To test the prediction, I conduct an experimental test in which groups of four work on a public goods task. While groups? cooperative behavior is not related to social identity, individuals? perceptions of others? cooperation is significantly related to social identity

Social Identity and Cooperation

This study seeks to examine the effects of cooperation on social identity in group work. I posit that members of groups which are cooperative and therefore successful will be more likely to identify with the group, than members of those groups which are not cooperative. To test the prediction, I conduct an experimental test in which groups of four work on a public goods task. While groups? cooperative behavior is not related to social identity, individuals? perceptions of others? cooperation is significantly related to social identity

Measurement of stratospheric and mesospheric winds with a submillimeter wave limb sounder: results from JEM/SMILES and simulation study for SMILES-2

Satellite missions for measuring winds in the troposphere and thermosphere will be launched in a near future. There is no plan to observe winds in the altitude range between 30-90 km, though middle atmospheric winds are recognized as an essential parameter in various atmospheric research areas. Sub-millimetre limb sounders have the capability to fill this altitude gap. In this paper, we summarize the wind retrievals obtained from the Japanese Superconducting Submillimeter Wave Limb Emission Sounder (SMILES) which operated from the International Space Station between September 2009 and April 2010. The results illustrate the potential of such instruments to measure winds. They also show the need of improving the wind representation in the models in the Tropics, and globally in the mesosphere. A wind measurement sensitivity study has been conducted for its successor, SMILES-2, which is being studied in Japan. If it is realized, sub-millimeter and terahertz molecular lines suitable to determine line-of-sight winds will be measured. It is shown that with the current instrument definition, line-of-sight winds can be observed from 20 km up to more than 160 km. Winds can be retrieved with a precision better than 5 m s(-1) and a vertical resolution of 2-3 km between 35-90 km. Above 90 km, the precision is better than 10 m s(-1) with a vertical resolution of 3-5 km. Measurements can be performed day and night with a similar sensitivity. Requirements on observation parameters such as the antenna size, the satellite altitude are discussed. An alternative setting for the spectral bands is examined. The new setting is compatible with the general scientific objectives of the mission and the instrument design. It allows to improve the wind measurement sensitivity between 35 to 90 km by a factor 2. It is also shown that retrievals can be performed with a vertical resolution of 1 km and a precision of 5-10 m s(-1) between 50 and 90 km. RAGAM A, 1953, PHYSICAL REVIEW, V92, P144

Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) as a Therapeutic Target in BRAF-Mutated Metastatic Melanoma

Background: One of the effects of oncogenic signaling is metabolic reprogramming of tumor cells to support anabolic growth, opening the way to therapeutic targeting of metabolic pathways. Methods: We studied NAD biosynthesis in BRAF inhibitor (BRAFi)-resistant (BiR) melanoma cell lines. Data in cell lines were confirmed by immunohistochemistry in biopsies from 17 patients with metastatic melanoma (MM) before and after the acquisition of resistance to BRAFi. Therapeutic potential of NAD biosynthesis inhibitors was determined by in vitro monitoring cell growth and death and in mouse xenograft models. Mice (n=6-10 mice/group) were treated with nicotinamide phosphoribosyltranferase inhibitor (NAMPTi), BRAFi, or their combination, and tumor growth and survival were analyzed. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results: BiR cells had higher NAD levels compared with their BRAFi-sensitive counterparts (P < .001 and P = .001 for M14 and A375, respectively) and with normal melanocytes (P<.001), achieved through transcriptional upregulation of the enzyme NAMPT, which became the master regulator of NAD synthesis. Conversely, treatment with BRAFi or MEK inhibitors decreased NAMPT expression and cellular NAD levels. Robust NAMPT upregulation was documented in tissue biopsies from MM patients after development of resistance to BRAFi (P < .001). Treatment of melanoma cells with NAMPTi depleted NAD and ATP, depolarized mitochondrial membrane, and led to reactive oxygen species production, blocking cells in the G2/M phase and inducing apoptosis. Treatment of BiR xenografts with NAMPTi improved mouse survival (median survival of vehicletreated mice was 52 days vs 100 days for NAMPTi-treated ones in M14/BiR, while in A375/BiR median survival of vehicletreated mice was 23.5 days vs 43 days for NAMPTi-treated ones, P < .001). Conclusions: BiR melanoma cells overexpress NAMPT, which acts as a connecting element between BRAF oncogenic signaling and metabolism, becoming an actionable target for this subset of MM patients

A Measurement of Time-Averaged Aerosol Optical Depth using Air-Showers Observed in Stereo by HiRes

Air fluorescence measurements of cosmic ray energy must be corrected for attenuation of the atmosphere. In this paper we show that the air-showers themselves can yield a measurement of the aerosol attenuation in terms of optical depth, time-averaged over extended periods. Although the technique lacks statistical power to make the critical hourly measurements that only specialized active instruments can achieve, we note the technique does not depend on absolute calibration of the detector hardware, and requires no additional equipment beyond the fluorescence detectors that observe the air showers. This paper describes the technique, and presents results based on analysis of 1258 air-showers observed in stereo by the High Resolution Fly's Eye over a four year span.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication by Astroparticle Physics Journa

Search for Global Dipole Enhancements in the HiRes-I Monocular Data above 10^{18.5} eV

Several proposed source models for Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECRs) consist of dipole distributions oriented towards major astrophysical landmarks such as the galactic center, M87, or Centaurus A. We use a comparison between real data and simulated data to show that the HiRes-I monocular data for energies above 10^{18.5} eV is, in fact, consistent with an isotropic source model. We then explore methods to quantify our sensitivity to dipole source models oriented towards the Galactic Center, M87, and Centaurus A.Comment: 17 pages, 31 figure

Air fluorescence measurements in the spectral range 300-420 nm using a 28.5 GeV electron beam

Measurements are reported of the yield and spectrum of fluorescence, excited by a 28.5 GeV electron beam, in air at a range of pressures of interest to ultra-high energy cosmic ray detectors. The wavelength range was 300 - 420 nm. System calibration has been performed using Rayleigh scattering of a nitrogen laser beam. In atmospheric pressure dry air at 304 K the yield is 20.8 +/- 1.6 photons per MeV.Comment: 29 pages, 10 figures. Submitted to Astroparticle Physic

Search for Point Sources of Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays Above 40 EeV Using a Maximum Likelihood Ratio Test

We present the results of a search for cosmic ray point sources at energies above 40 EeV in the combined data sets recorded by the AGASA and HiRes stereo experiments. The analysis is based on a maximum likelihood ratio test using the probability density function for each event rather than requiring an a priori choice of a fixed angular bin size. No statistically significant clustering of events consistent with a point source is found.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa