Open clusters: their kinematics and metellicities

We review our work on Galactic open clusters in recent years, and introduce our proposed large program for the LOCS (LAMOST Open Cluster Survey). First, based on the most complete open clusters sample with metallicity, age and distance data as well as kinematic information, some preliminary statistical analysis regarding the spatial and metallicity distributions is presented. In particular, a radial abundance gradient of - 0.058$\pm$ 0.006 dex kpc$^{-1}$ was derived, and by dividing clusters into age groups we show that the disk abundance gradient was steeper in the past. Secondly, proper motions, membership probabilities, and velocity dispersions of stars in the regions of two very young open clusters are derived. Both clusters show clear evidence of mass segregation, which provides support for the ``primordial'' mass segregation scenarios. Based on the great advantages of the forthcoming LAMOST facility, we have proposed a detailed open cluster survey with LAMOST (the LOCS). The aim, feasibility, and the present development of the LOCS are briefly summarized.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Proceeding of IAU Symposium No.248: "A Giant Step:from Milli- to Micro-arcsecond Astrometry

Two-component model for the chemical evolution of the Galactic disk

In the present paper, we introduce a two-component model of the Galactic disk to investigate its chemical evolution. The formation of the thick and thin disks occur in two main accretion episodes with both infall rates to be Gaussian. Both the pre-thin and post-thin scenarios for the formation of the Galactic disk are considered. The best-fitting is obtained through $\chi^2$-test between the models and the new observed metallicity distribution function of G dwarfs in the solar neighbourhood (Hou et al 1998). Our results show that post-thin disk scenario for the formation of the Galactic disk should be preferred. Still, other comparison between model predictions and observations are given.Comment: 23 pages, 7 figure

Antioxidant and Antitumor Activity of Indonesian Herbal Ingredients

The present study was to aimed to evaluated and compare in vitro antioxidant activities of 2 Indonesian herbal ingredients (A and B), determined total phenol content., cytotoxic and apoptosis induction activities on HL-60 cells. These data were providing some useful information for people healthy dietary and the new potential application of natural antioxidant containing food materials in functional foods and also as new cancer therapeutics promising candidates. The parameters were total antioxidant activity, amount of total cytotoxic effect on the growth of human promyelocytic leukemia cells (HL-60). Statistical comparison was perform with Student's t-test at p<0.05. The correlation coefficient (r2) between the parameters tested was established by regression analysis. The scavenging effect of extracts herbal on DPPH radicals increased from 0.3-1.5 mg/ml, where is sample A 14.33% to 64.29% and sample B 9.09% to 57.53% was obtained. High content of total phenol compounds were in sample A (21.72 mg GAE/g), lower amounts were in sample B (17.53 mg GAE/g). Apoptosis of HL-60 cells from the morphological changes side (chromatin condensation). Chromatin condensation, a specific and distinct feature of apoptotic cells, was found in the majority of treated cells. The results indicated that the cell death receptor pathway was involved in the apoptosis induced by Indonesian herbal extracts

Which Constituent Quark Model Is Better?

A comparative study has been done by calculating the effective baryon-baryon interactions of the 64 lowest channels consisting of octet and decuplet baryons with three constituent quark models: the extended quark gluon exchange model, the Goldstone boson exchange model and the quark gluon meson exchange hybrid model. We find that these three models give similar results for 44 channels. Further tests of these models are discussed.Comment: 6pp., 3 figs., Asia-Pacific Few-Body Conf. II (Shanghai, Aug.25-30 2002), to appear in MPLA; references adde

Eigenvalues of Ruijsenaars-Schneider models associated with An−1A_{n-1} root system in Bethe ansatz formalism

Ruijsenaars-Schneider models associated with $A_{n-1}$ root system with a discrete coupling constant are studied. The eigenvalues of the Hamiltonian are givein in terms of the Bethe ansatz formulas. Taking the "non-relativistic" limit, we obtain the spectrum of the corresponding Calogero-Moser systems in the third formulas of Felder et al [20].Comment: Latex file, 25 page

FHL2 regulates hematopoietic stem cell functions under stress conditions.

FHL2, a member of the four and one half LIM domain protein family, is a critical transcriptional modulator. Here, we identify FHL2 as a critical regulator of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that is essential for maintaining HSC self-renewal under regenerative stress. We find that Fhl2 loss has limited effects on hematopoiesis under homeostatic conditions. In contrast, Fhl2-null chimeric mice reconstituted with Fhl2-null bone marrow cells developed abnormal hematopoiesis with significantly reduced numbers of HSCs, hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs), red blood cells and platelets as well as hemoglobin levels. In addition, HSCs displayed a significantly reduced self-renewal capacity and were skewed toward myeloid lineage differentiation. We find that Fhl2 loss reduces both HSC quiescence and survival in response to regenerative stress, probably as a consequence of Fhl2-loss-mediated downregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase-inhibitors, including p21(Cip) and p27(Kip1). Interestingly, FHL2 is regulated under the control of a tissue-specific promoter in hematopoietic cells and it is downregulated by DNA hypermethylation in the leukemia cell line and primary leukemia cells. Furthermore, we find that downregulation of FHL2 frequently occurs in myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia patients, raising a possibility that FHL2 downregulation has a role in the pathogenesis of myeloid malignancies

Analytical solutions of the lattice Boltzmann BGK model

Analytical solutions of the two dimensional triangular and square lattice Boltzmann BGK models have been obtained for the plain Poiseuille flow and the plain Couette flow. The analytical solutions are written in terms of the characteristic velocity of the flow, the single relaxation time $\tau$ and the lattice spacing. The analytic solutions are the exact representation of these two flows without any approximation.Comment: 10 pages, no postscript figure provide

The shape of disorder broadened Landau subbands in graphene

Density of states (DOS) of graphene under a high uniform magnetic field and white-noise random potential is numerically calculated. The disorder broadened zero-energy Landau band has a Gaussian shape whose width is proportional to the random potential variance and the square root of magnetic field. Wegner-type calculation is used to justify the results

Singlet Charge 2/32/3 Quark hiding the Top: Tevatron and LEP Implications

If $c$ and $t$ quarks are strongly mixed with a weak singlet charge $2/3$ quark, $BR(t\to \ell\nu + X)$ could be suppressed via the $t\to cH^0$ mode, thereby the top quark could still hide below $M_W$, whereas the heavy quark signal observed at the Tevatron is due to the dominantly singlet quark $Q$. This may occur without affecting the small $m_c$ value. Demanding $m_Q \simeq 175$ GeV and m_t \ltap M_W, we find that $BR(t\to \ell\nu + X)$ cannot be too suppressed. The heavy quark $Q$ decays via $W,\ H$, and $Z$ bosons. The latter can lead to $b$-tagged $Z + 4$ jet events, while the strong $c$--$Q$ mixing is reflected in sizable $Q\to sW$ fraction. $Z\to t\bar c$ decay occurs at tree level and may be at the $10^{-3}$ order, leading to the signature of $Z\to \ell\nu b\bar c$, all isolated and with large $p_T$, at $10^{-5}$ order.Comment: 10 pages + 3 Figures (not included), ReVTeX, NTUTH-94-1