Morphology-dependent trends of galaxy age with environment in Abell 901/902 seen with COMBO-17

We investigate correlations between galaxy age and environment in the Abell 901/2 supercluster for separate morphologies. Using COMBO-17 data, we define a sample of 530 galaxies, complete at $M_V -5\log h<-18$ on an area of $3.5\times 3.5$ (Mpc/$h$)$^2$. We explore several age indicators including an extinction-corrected residual from the colour-magnitude relation (CMR). As a result, we find a clear trend of age with density for galaxies of all morphologies that include a spheroidal component, in the sense that galaxies in denser environments are older. This trend is not seen among Scd/Irr galaxies since they all have young ages. However, the trend among the other types is stronger for fainter galaxies. While we also see an expected age-morphology relation, we find no evidence for a morphology-density relation at fixed age.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS (Letters

Scotin, a novel p53-inducible proapoptotic protein located in the ER and the nuclear membrane

p53 is a transcription factor that induces growth arrest or apoptosis in response to cellular stress. To identify new p53-inducible proapoptotic genes, we compared, by differential display, the expression of genes in spleen or thymus of normal and p53 nullizygote mice after γ-irradiation of whole animals. We report the identification and characterization of human and mouse Scotin homologues, a novel gene directly transactivated by p53. The Scotin protein is localized to the ER and the nuclear membrane. Scotin can induce apoptosis in a caspase-dependent manner. Inhibition of endogenous Scotin expression increases resistance to p53-dependent apoptosis induced by DNA damage, suggesting that Scotin plays a role in p53-dependent apoptosis. The discovery of Scotin brings to light a role of the ER in p53-dependent apoptosis

Geometry of PT-symmetric quantum mechanics

Recently, much research has been carried out on Hamiltonians that are not Hermitian but are symmetric under space-time reflection, that is, Hamiltonians that exhibit PT symmetry. Investigations of the Sturm-Liouville eigenvalue problem associated with such Hamiltonians have shown that in many cases the entire energy spectrum is real and positive and that the eigenfunctions form an orthogonal and complete basis. Furthermore, the quantum theories determined by such Hamiltonians have been shown to be consistent in the sense that the probabilities are positive and the dynamical trajectories are unitary. However, the geometrical structures that underlie quantum theories formulated in terms of such Hamiltonians have hitherto not been fully understood. This paper studies in detail the geometric properties of a Hilbert space endowed with a parity structure and analyses the characteristics of a PT-symmetric Hamiltonian and its eigenstates. A canonical relationship between a PT-symmetric operator and a Hermitian operator is established. It is shown that the quadratic form corresponding to the parity operator, in particular, gives rise to a natural partition of the Hilbert space into two halves corresponding to states having positive and negative PT norm. The indefiniteness of the norm can be circumvented by introducing a symmetry operator C that defines a positive definite inner product by means of a CPT conjugation operation.Comment: 22 Page

The Collider Phenomenology of Technihadrons in the Technicolor Straw Man Model

We discuss the phenomenology of the lightest SU(3)_C singlet and non-singlet technihadrons in the Straw Man Model of low-scale technicolor (TCSM). The technihadrons are assumed to be those arising in topcolor--assisted technicolor models in which topcolor is broken by technifermion condensates. We improve upon the description of the color--singlet sector presented in our earlier paper introducing the TCSM (hep-ph/9903369). These improvements are most important for subprocess energies well below the masses of the technirho and techniomega, and, therefore, apply especially to e+e- colliders such as LEP and a low--energy linear collider. In the color--octet sector, we consider mixing of the gluon, the coloron V_8 from topcolor breaking, and four isosinglet color--octet technirho mesons. We assume, as expected in walking technicolor, that these technirhos decay into qbar-q, gg, and g-technipion final states, but not into technipion pairs. All the TCSM production and decay processes discussed here are included in the event generator Pythia. We present several simulations appropriate for the Tevatron Collider, and suggest benchmark model lines for further experimental investigation.Comment: 42 pages, 7 figure

Composite Scalars at LEP: Constraining Technicolor Theories

LEPI and LEPII data can be used to constrain technicolor models with light, neutral pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone bosons, Pa. We use published limits on branching ratios and cross sections for final states with photons, large missing energy, jet pairs, and b bbar pairs to constrain the anomalous Pa Z0 Z0, Pa Z0 photon, and Pa photon photon couplings. From these results, we derive bounds on the size of the technicolor gauge group and the number of technifermion doublets in models such as Low-scale Technicolor.Comment: 27 pages (including title page), 15 figures, 6 tables. version 2: In addressing PRD referee comments, we have significantly expanded our manuscript, to include detailed discussion of limits from LEP II data, as well as expanding the number or specific models to which we apply our results. As a result, we have changed the title from "Z0 decays to composite scalars: constraining technicolor theories

Effectiveness of slow motion video compared to real time video in improving the accuracy and consistency of subjective gait analysis in dogs

Objective measures of canine gait quality via force plates, pressure mats or kinematic analysis are considered superior to subjective gait assessment (SGA). Despite research demonstrating that SGA does not accurately detect subtle lameness, it remains the most commonly performed diagnostic test for detecting lameness in dogs. This is largely because the financial, temporal and spatial requirements for existing objective gait analysis equipment makes this technology impractical for use in general practice. The utility of slow motion video as a potential tool to augment SGA is currently untested. To evaluate a more accessible way to overcome the limitations of SGA, a slow motion video study was undertaken. Three experienced veterinarians reviewed video footage of 30 dogs, 15 with a diagnosis of primary limb lameness based on history and physical examination, and 15 with no indication of limb lameness based on history and physical examination. Four different videos were made for each dog, demonstrating each dog walking and trotting in real time, and then again walking and trotting in 50% slow motion. For each video, the veterinary raters assessed both the degree of lameness, and which limb(s) they felt represented the source of the lameness. Spearman’s rho, Cramer’s V, and t-tests were performed to determine if slow motion video increased either the accuracy or consistency of raters’ SGA relative to real time video. Raters demonstrated no significant increase in consistency or accuracy in their SGA of slow motion video relative to real time video. Based on these findings, slow motion video does not increase the consistency or accuracy of SGA values. Further research is required to determine if slow motion video will benefit SGA in other ways

Discovering predictive variables when evolving cognitive models

A non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm is used to evolve models of learning from different theories for multiple tasks. Correlation analysis is performed to identify parameters which affect performance on specific tasks; these are the predictive variables. Mutation is biased so that changes to parameter values tend to preserve values within the population's current range. Experimental results show that optimal models are evolved, and also that uncovering predictive variables is beneficial in improving the rate of convergence

Constructing applicative functors

Applicative functors define an interface to computation that is more general, and correspondingly weaker, than that of monads. First used in parser libraries, they are now seeing a wide range of applications. This paper sets out to explore the space of non-monadic applicative functors useful in programming. We work with a generalization, lax monoidal functors, and consider several methods of constructing useful functors of this type, just as transformers are used to construct computational monads. For example, coends, familiar to functional programmers as existential types, yield a range of useful applicative functors, including left Kan extensions. Other constructions are final fixed points, a limited sum construction, and a generalization of the semi-direct product of monoids. Implementations in Haskell are included where possible

Quarkonium Wave Functions at the Origin

We tabulate values of the radial Schr\"{o}dinger wave function or its first nonvanishing derivative at zero quark-antiquark separation, for $c\bar{c}$, $c\bar{b}$, and $b\bar{b}$ levels that lie below, or just above, flavor threshold. These quantities are essential inputs for evaluating production cross sections for quarkonium states.Comment: 9 pages, RevTeX, no figure