Topological Field Theory and Nonlinear σ\sigma-Models on Symmetric Spaces

We show that the classical non-abelian pure Chern-Simons action is related to nonrelativistic models in (2+1)-dimensions, via reductions of the gauge connection in Hermitian symmetric spaces. In such models the matter fields are coupled to gauge Chern-Simons fields, which are associated with the isotropy subgroup of the considered symmetric space. Moreover, they can be related to certain (integrable and non-integrable) evolution systems, as the Ishimori and the Heisenberg model. The main classical and quantum properties of these systems are discussed in connection with the topological field theory and the condensed matter physics.Comment: LaTeX format, 31 page

THE EFFECTS OF SOME CULTURAL PRACTICES ON THE SOCIAL INTEGRATION OF WOMEN IN BALI NYONGA, NORTH WEST REGION OF CAMEROON

The study investigated the effects of some cultural practices on the social integration of women in Bali Nyonga, North West Region of Cameroon. It sought to specifically examine traditional taboos that impact the social integration of women in Bali.  The qualitative research approach was used and the design adopted was phenomenological and ethnography. A sample size of 40 women was selected using purposive sampling techniques. Data were analyzed thematically and grounded. Findings showed that Traditional taboos hinder the social integration of women negatively in Bali Nyonga as women do not eat certain food and beef such as gizzards, goat meat, egg, chicken, prepared by men and they are not allowed to enter into juju houses. The study generally revealed that while there exist some cultural practices that hinder the social integration of women, there are some positive perspectives of these cultural practices. The study recommends that the traditional councils should sensitise, and carry out enlightenment campaign to educate the Bali indigenes on the necessity of women’s social integration in the community

The tax-inducible actin-bundling protein fascin is crucial for release and cell-to-cell transmission of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1)

The delta-retrovirus Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) preferentially infects CD4(+) T-cells via cell-to-cell transmission. Viruses are transmitted by polarized budding and by transfer of viral biofilms at the virological synapse (VS). Formation of the VS requires the viral Tax protein and polarization of the host cytoskeleton, however, molecular mechanisms of HTLV-1 cell-to-cell transmission remain incompletely understood. Recently, we could show Tax-dependent upregulation of the actin-bundling protein Fascin (FSCN-1) in HTLV-1-infected T-cells. Here, we report that Fascin contributes to HTLV-1 transmission. Using single-cycle replication-dependent HTLV-1 reporter vectors, we found that repression of endogenous Fascin by short hairpin RNAs and by Fascin-specific nanobodies impaired gag p19 release and cell-to-cell transmission in 293T cells. In Jurkat T-cells, Tax-induced Fascin expression enhanced virus release and Fascin-dependently augmented cell-to-cell transmission to Raji/CD4(+) B-cells. Repression of Fascin in HTLV-1-infected T-cells diminished virus release and gag p19 transfer to co-cultured T-cells. Spotting the mechanism, flow cytometry and automatic image analysis showed that Tax-induced T-cell conjugate formation occurred Fascin-independently. However, adhesion of HTLV-1-infected MT-2 cells in co-culture with Jurkat T-cells was reduced upon knockdown of Fascin, suggesting that Fascin contributes to dissemination of infected T-cells. Imaging of chronically infected MS9 T-cells in co-culture with Jurkat T-cells revealed that Fascin's localization at tight cell-cell contacts is accompanied by gag polarization suggesting that Fascin directly affects the distribution of gag to budding sites, and therefore, indirectly viral transmission. In detail, we found gag clusters that are interspersed with Fascin clusters, suggesting that Fascin makes room for gag in viral biofilms. Moreover, we observed short, Fascin-containing membrane extensions surrounding gag clusters and clutching uninfected T-cells. Finally, we detected Fascin and gag in long-distance cellular protrusions. Taken together, we show for the first time that HTLV-1 usurps the host cell factor Fascin to foster virus release and cell-to-cell transmission

Degenerate Four Virtual Soliton Resonance for KP-II

By using disipative version of the second and the third members of AKNS hierarchy, a new method to solve 2+1 dimensional Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (KP-II) equation is proposed. We show that dissipative solitons (dissipatons) of those members give rise to the real solitons of KP-II. From the Hirota bilinear form of the SL(2,R) AKNS flows, we formulate a new bilinear representation for KP-II, by which, one and two soliton solutions are constructed and the resonance character of their mutual interactions is studied. By our bilinear form, we first time created four virtual soliton resonance solution for KP-II and established relations of it with degenerate four-soliton solution in the Hirota-Satsuma bilinear form for KP-II.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, Talk on International Conference Nonlinear Physics. Theory and Experiment. III, 24 June-3 July, 2004, Gallipoli(Lecce), Ital

Abelian Chern-Simons Vortices and Holomorphic Burgers' Hierarchy

The Abelian Chern-Simons Gauge Field Theory in 2+1 dimensions and its relation with holomorphic Burgers' Hierarchy is considered. It is shown that the relation between complex potential and the complex gauge field as in incompressible and irrotational hydrodynamics, has meaning of the analytic Cole-Hopf transformation, linearizing the Burgers Hierarchy in terms of the holomorphic Schr\"odinger Hierarchy. Then the motion of planar vortices in Chern-Simons theory, appearing as pole singularities of the gauge field, corresponds to motion of zeroes of the hierarchy. Using boost transformations of the complex Galilean group of the hierarchy, a rich set of exact solutions, describing integrable dynamics of planar vortices and vortex lattices in terms of the generalized Kampe de Feriet and Hermite polynomials is constructed. The results are applied to the holomorphic reduction of the Ishimori model and the corresponding hierarchy, describing dynamics of magnetic vortices and corresponding lattices in terms of complexified Calogero-Moser models. Corrections on two vortex dynamics from the Moyal space-time non-commutativity in terms of Airy functions are found.Comment: 15 pages, talk presented in Workshop `Nonlinear Physics IV: Theory and Experiment`, 22-30 June 2006, Gallipoli, Ital