Virological and immunological aspects of infection with the human papova (wart) virus

This investigation included the examination of tissues for evidence of infection with the human wart virus, and the development and application of serological techniques for demonstrating response to the infection. The majority of specimens were examined by negative staining methods, and the presence of virus particles and other structures in various types of wart at different stages is reported. Two cases of molluecum oontagiosum of the sole of the foot, previously considered a site rarely if ever infected, were diagnosed. A series of twelve genital wart specimens was studied by thin sectioning and negative staining techniques. Intranuclear virus particles with the morphology of wart virus were found in cells of the stratum granulosum, and the pancity of virus particles in such tissues noted for the first time. Examination of three specimens of bladder papillomata by such methods revealed no evidence of a virus infection. Serological studies included the application of an established precipitin test for antibody to wart virus, and development of complement fixation and passive haemagglutination tests for this purpose. The specific nature of the antigen involved in these reactions was demonstrated, and the immunoglobulin class of the antibodies concerned determined. These tests were applied to sera from 265 patients with different types of wart, and to sera from 110 people not currently infected with warts. The development of a full immune response with rising titres of antibody and appearance of immunoglobulin G was demonstrated in rabbits immunised with the virus, and in some patients, particularly those with the simple type of plantar wart. The relationship of the appearance of antiviral antibodies to regression of warts, spontaneous or following therapy, was observed and considered to be a result of increased exposure to the virus antigen at that time

Warp propagation in astrophysical discs

Astrophysical discs are often warped, that is, their orbital planes change with radius. This occurs whenever there is a non-axisymmetric force acting on the disc, for example the Lense-Thirring precession induced by a misaligned spinning black hole, or the gravitational pull of a misaligned companion. Such misalignments appear to be generic in astrophysics. The wide range of systems that can harbour warped discs - protostars, X-ray binaries, tidal disruption events, quasars and others - allows for a rich variety in the disc's response. Here we review the basic physics of warped discs and its implications.Comment: To be published in Astrophysical Black Holes by Haardt et al., Lecture Notes in Physics, Springer 2015. 19 pages, 2 figure

Differential Transverse Flow in Central C-Ne and C-Cu Collisions at 3.7 GeV/nucleon

Differential transverse flow of protons and pions in central C-Ne and C-Cu collisions at a beam energy of 3.7 GeV/nucleon was measured as a function of transverse momentum at the SKM-200-GIBS setup of JINR. In agreement with predictions of a transversely moving thermal model, the strength of proton differential transverse flow is found to first increase gradually and then saturate with the increasing transverse momentum in both systems. While pions are preferentially emitted in the same direction of the proton transverse flow in the reaction of C-Ne, they exhibit an anti-flow to the opposote direction of the proton transverse flow in the reaction of C-Cu due to stronger shadowing effects of the heavier target in thr whole range of transverse momentum.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figure

Mid-rapidity anti-proton to proton ratio from Au+Au collisions at sNN=130 \sqrt{s_{NN}} = 130 GeV

We report results on the ratio of mid-rapidity anti-proton to proton yields in Au+Au collisions at \rts = 130 GeV per nucleon pair as measured by the STAR experiment at RHIC. Within the rapidity and transverse momentum range of $|y|<0.5$ and 0.4 $<p_t<$ 1.0 GeV/$c$, the ratio is essentially independent of either transverse momentum or rapidity, with an average of $0.65\pm 0.01_{\rm (stat.)} \pm 0.07_{\rm (syst.)}$ for minimum bias collisions. Within errors, no strong centrality dependence is observed. The results indicate that at this RHIC energy, although the $p$-\pb pair production becomes important at mid-rapidity, a significant excess of baryons over anti-baryons is still present.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted by Phys. Rev. Let