k-Anomalies and Space-Time Supersymmetry in the Green-Schwarz Heterotic Superstring

The computation of $\kappa$-anomalies in the Green-Schwarz heterotic superstring sigma-model and the corresponding Wess-Zumino consistency condition constitute a powerful alternative approach for the derivation of manifestly supersymmetric string effective actions. With respect to the beta-function approach this technique presents the advantage that a result which is obtained with the computation of beta-functions at $n$ loops can be obtained through the calculation of $\kappa$-anomalies at \hbox{$n-1$} loops. In this paper we derive by a direct one-loop perturbative computation the $\kappa$-anomaly associated to the Yang-Mills Chern-Simons threeform and, for the first time, the one associated to the Lorentz Chern-Simons threeform. Contrary to what is often stated in the literature we show that the Lorentz $\kappa$-anomaly gets contributions from the integration over both the fermionic {\it and\/} bosonic degrees of freedom of the string. A careful analysis of the absolute coefficients of all these anomalies reveals that they can be absorbed by setting dH={\alpha'\over4}(\trace F^2-\trace R^2), where $\alpha'$ is the string tension, the expected result. We show that this relation ensures also the absence of gauge and Lorentz anomalies in the sigma-model effective action. We evidenciate the presence of infrared divergences.Comment: 50 pages, latex (uses equations.sty, feynman.tex and a4.sty), DFPD/94/TH/4

A Twistor Formulation of the Non-Heterotic Superstring with Manifest Worldsheet Supersymmetry

We propose a new formulation of the $D=3$ type II superstring which is manifestly invariant under both target-space $N=2$ supersymmetry and worldsheet $N=(1,1)$ super reparametrizations. This gives rise to a set of twistor (commuting spinor) variables, which provide a solution to the two Virasoro constraints. The worldsheet supergravity fields are shown to play the r\^ole of auxiliary fields.Comment: 21p., LaTe

Plant Regeneration Above the Species Elevational Leading Edge: Trade-Off Between Seedling Recruitment and Plant Production

Mountains and their biota are highly threatened by climate change. An important strategy that alpine plants use to escape this change consists in seed dispersal and the ability of seeds to germinate and establish in new sites at higher elevation. Little is known about the environmental factors that can affect the regeneration of plants above the elevational limit of growth. We present the first field evidence of recruitment success and plant performance in consequence of upward shift from the alpine to the nival life zone. Seeds of four alpine grassland species were sown at the current elevational limit of growth (site A) and 200 m upward, in a nival environment (site N) located in the Italian Alps. At site N part of the seeds were subjected to experimental manipulation of temperature (using an Open Top Chamber, OTC) or soil (using soil from site A). Recruitment success, soil surface temperature and water potential were monitored for five consecutive years. At the end of the experiment, vegetative growth and foliar traits were measured on individuals from all treatments. Mean annual soil surface temperature and length of the growing season at site A were ca. 2°C higher and ca. 44 days longer than at site N. Seedling emergence and seedling establishment generally were higher at N (with or without OTC) on local soil than at site A or at site N with soil originating from site A. Conversely, production was higher at site A and at site N with soil originating from site A. Recruitment success above the elevational leading edge was enhanced by coarser and nutrient-poor soil, which promoted seedling emergence and establishment but constrained plant growth. This trade-off between seedling recruitment and plant production underlines adaptive consequence and environmental filtering, both critical to forecast community assembly and responses of alpine species to climate warming

Pain and agitation treatment in severe dementia patients: The need for Italian Mobilization-Observation-Behavior-Intensity-Dementia (I-MOBID2) pain scale translation, adaptation and validation with psychometric testing

The 97% of dementia patients develops fluctuant neuropsychiatric symptoms often related to under-diagnosed and unrelieved pain. Up to 80% severe demented nursing home residents experiences chronic pain due to age-related comorbidities. Patients lacking self-report skills risk not to be appropriately treated for pain. Mobilization-Observation-Behavior-Intensity-Dementia (MOBID2) is the sole pain scale to consider the frequent co-occurrence of musculoskeletal and visceral pain and to unravel concealed pain through active guided movements. Accordingly, the Italian real-world setting can benefit from its translation and validation. This clinical study provides a translated, adapted and validated version of the MOBID2, the Italian I-MOBID2. The translation, adaptation and validation of the scale for non-verbal, severe demented patients was conducted according to current guidelines in a cohort of 11 patients over 65 with mini-mental state examination ≤ 12. The I-MOBID2 proves: good face and scale content validity index (0.89); reliable internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.751); good to excellent inter-rater (Intraclass correlation coefficient, and test-retest (ICC = 0.902) reliability. The construct validity is high (Rho = 0.748 p < 0.05 for 11 patients, Spearman rank order correlation of the overall pain intensity score with the maximum item score of I-MOBID2 Part 1; rho=0.895 p < 0.01 for 11 patients, for the overall pain intensity score with the maximum item score of I-MOBID2 Part 2) and a good rate of inter-rater and test-retest agreement was demonstrated by Cohen's K = 0.744. The average execution time is of 5.8 min, thus making I-MOBID2 a useful tool suitable also for future development in community setting with administration by caregivers

Subcritical Superstrings

We introduce the Liouville mode into the Green-Schwarz superstring. Like massive supersymmetry without central charges, there is no kappa symmetry. However, the second-class constraints (and corresponding Wess-Zumino term) remain, and can be solved by (twisted) chiral superspace in dimensions D=4 and 6. The matter conformal anomaly is c = 4-D < 1. It thus can be canceled for physical dimensions by the usual Liouville methods, unlike the bosonic string (for which the consistency condition is c = D <= 1).Comment: 9 pg., compressed postscript file (.ps.Z), other formats (.dvi, .ps, .ps.Z, 8-bit .tex) available at http://insti.physics.sunysb.edu/~siegel/preprints/ or at ftp://max.physics.sunysb.edu/preprints/siege

The frequent BRCA1 mutation 1135insA has multiple origins: a haplotype study in different populations

BACKGROUND: Analysis of the chromosomal background upon which a mutation occurs can be used to reconstruct the origins of specific disease-causing mutations. The relatively common BRCA1 mutation, 1135insA, has been previously identified as a Norwegian founder mutation. We performed haplotype analysis of individuals from breast and ovarian cancer families from four different ethnic backgrounds who had been identified as carriers of the BRCA1: 1135insA mutation. METHODS: Four microsatellite markers (D17S855, D17S1322, D17S1323 and D17S1325) located within or near the BRCA1 gene were genotyped in mutation carriers from 6 families of French Canadian, Italian and Dutch descent. Haplotypes were inferred from the genotype data and compared between these families and with the previously reported Norwegian founder haplotype. RESULTS: The 1135insA mutation was found to occur on three distinct haplotype backgrounds. The families from Norway shared a distinct haplotype while the families of French Canadian, Italian, and Dutch descent were found to occur on one of two additional, distinct backgrounds. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that while the Norwegian haplotype including 1135insA represents an ancient Norwegian mutation, the same mutation has occurred independently in the other populations examined. In centres where targeted mutation testing is performed, exclusively or prior to gene sequencing, our findings suggest that this recurring mutation should be included in targeted mutation panels, irrespective of the ethnic origin of the persons tested

A twistor-like D=10 superparticle action with manifest N=8 world-line supersymmetry

We propose a new formulation of the $D=10$ Brink-Schwarz superparticle which is manifestly invariant under both the target-space super-Poincar\'e group and the world-line local $N=8$ superconformal group. This twistor-like construction naturally involves the sphere $S^8$ as a coset space of the $D=10$ Lorentz group. The action contains only a finite set of auxiliary fields, but they appear in unusual trilinear combinations. The origin of the on-shell $D=10$ fermionic $\kappa$ symmetry of the standard Brink-Schwarz formulation is explained. The coupling to a $D=10$ super-Maxwell background requires a new mechanism, in which the electric charge appears only on shell as an integration constant.Comment: 22pages, standard LATEX fil

Why Don't We Have a Covariant Superstring Field Theory?

This talk deals with the old problem of formulatingn a covariant quantum theory of superstrings, ``covariant'' here meaning having manifest Lorentz symmetry and supersymmetry. The advantages and disadvantages of several quantization methods are reviewed. Special emphasis is put on the approaches using twistorial variables, and the algebraic structures of these. Some unsolved problems are identified.Comment: 5 pages, Goteborg-ITP-94-24, plain te