A Physical Theory of the Competition that Allows HIV to Escape from the Immune System

Competition within the immune system may degrade immune control of viral infections. We formalize the evolution that occurs in both HIV-1 and the immune system quasispecies. Inclusion of competition in the immune system leads to a novel balance between the immune response and HIV-1, in which the eventual outcome is HIV-1 escape rather than control. The analytical model reproduces the three stages of HIV-1 infection. We propose a vaccine regimen that may be able to reduce competition between T cells, potentially eliminating the third stage of HIV-1.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev. Let

Evolution of contact resistance and coupling loss in prototype ITER PF NbTi conductors under transverse cyclic load

Cyclic energizing of a magnet coil with Cable in Conduit Conductors (CICC), as for fusion applications, results in an anomalous change of the interstrand contact resistance (R/sub c/) and coupling loss (n/spl tau/) due to the alternating transverse forces. Previously, three Nb/sub 3/Sn ITER conductors have been tested in a cryogenic press, up to 40 cycles. Now, for the first time, the behavior of NbTi conductors under cyclic load is investigated and results are presented for three full-size prototype ITER Poloidal Field (PF) Coil conductors. One conductor has bare copper strands and no petal wrapping while the others have a Cr and solder strand surface coating. The press can transmit a maximum transverse force of 800 kN/m directly to a cable section of 400 mm length at 4.2 K. Each conductor is tested up to 220 kN/m and 40,000 full loading cycles. The magnetization of the conductors and the R/sub c/ between combinations of strands and strand bundles is measured at various number of cycles. It appears that the R/sub c/ can vary for up to orders of magnitude during cyclic loading

Electromagnetic Performance of Sub-Size NbTi CICC's Subjected to Transverse Cyclic Loading

It was demonstrated previously that transverse cable loading due to electromagnetic forces in coils has a strong impact on the inter-strand contact resistance R/sub c/ of poloidal field (PF) cable-in-conduit conductors (CICC) for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). Continuing the study, two NbTi medium-size CICC's were subjected to cyclic loading up to 40,000 cycles in the Twente Cryogenic Press in order to simulate transversal forces on the strands and to verify their influence on the conductors' contact resistances R/sub c/ and AC loss behavior. The results are presented and compared with the data obtained on the other section of the same conductor lengths in the SULTAN test facility and on full size ITER cables tested in the cryogenic press

Infrared upconversion for astronomical applications

The performance of an upconversion system is examined for observation of astronomical sources in the low to middle infrared spectral range. Theoretical values for the performance parameters of an upconversion system for astronomical observations are evaluated in view of the conversion efficiencies, spectral resolution, field of view, minimum detectable source brightness and source flux. Experimental results of blackbody measurements and molecular absorption spectrum measurements using a lithium niobate upconverter with an argon-ion laser as the pump are presented. Estimates of the expected optimum sensitivity of an upconversion device which may be built with the presently available components are given

Human Security and Human Rights in Indonesia: Human Trafficking Issue in East Nusa Tenggara

The main focus of the human security concept is understanding the security in the broad dimension that is concerned to socio-economic, health and environmental conditions which threaten the physical security of individual. Human rights, the human basic values, ​​has been regulated in International law. Human trafficking is a basic issue of both concepts. Human trafficking has violated and flattened the values ​​of human security concepts as well as human rights that have become a common precept. On the issue of human trafficking, human security and human rights are phenomena which prove that human existence becomes the main concern of the completion. This paper is a qualitative method, explaining the issue by literature review and interview as well as research refers to various national and International instruments relating to human trafficking. This study argued that in Indonesia, particularly in East Nusa Tenggara, it is vulnerable to human trafficking practices that have an impact on individual insecurity and human rights violations.The rise of human trafficking cases proves that the existence of individual security needs to be considered. East Nusa Tenggara is one of the most vulnerable areas of human trafficking in Indonesia, this mainly due to the economic, educational and other sectors. Financial needs that became the main thing in life in the community became their main cause trapped in the case of human trafficking. In addition, the lack of public understanding about human trafficking is the reason to become victims. The role of the government as an obliging and responsible actor to protect the citizens is not significant, one of which socialization to various regions of human trafficking has not been maximal, which is only done at the government level. Furthermore, the response to the victimized community has not been maximally handling

Molecular Understanding of HIV-1 Latency

The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has been an important breakthrough in the treatment of HIV-1 infection and has also a powerful tool to upset the equilibrium of viral production and HIV-1 pathogenesis. Despite the advent of potent combinations of this therapy, the long-lived HIV-1 reservoirs like cells from monocyte-macrophage lineage and resting memory CD4+ T cells which are established early during primary infection constitute a major obstacle to virus eradication. Further HAART interruption leads to immediate rebound viremia from latent reservoirs. This paper focuses on the essentials of the molecular mechanisms for the establishment of HIV-1 latency with special concern to present and future possible treatment strategies to completely purge and target viral persistence in the reservoirs

Effects of Electromagnetic Field on Gravitational Collapse

In this paper, the effect of electromagnetic field has been investigated on the spherically symmetric collapse with the perfect fluid in the presence of positive cosmological constant. Junction conditions between the static exterior and non-static interior spherically symmetric spacetimes are discussed. We study the apparent horizons and their physical significance. It is found that electromagnetic field reduces the bound of cosmological constant by reducing the pressure and hence collapsing process is faster as compared to the perfect fluid case. This work gives the generalization of the perfect fluid case to the charged perfect fluid. Results for the perfect fluid case are recovered.Comment: 17 pages, accepted for publication in Mod. Phys. Lett