On a zero speed sensitive cellular automaton

Using an unusual, yet natural invariant measure we show that there exists a sensitive cellular automaton whose perturbations propagate at asymptotically null speed for almost all configurations. More specifically, we prove that Lyapunov Exponents measuring pointwise or average linear speeds of the faster perturbations are equal to zero. We show that this implies the nullity of the measurable entropy. The measure m we consider gives the m-expansiveness property to the automaton. It is constructed with respect to a factor dynamical system based on simple "counter dynamics". As a counterpart, we prove that in the case of positively expansive automata, the perturbations move at positive linear speed over all the configurations

Influence of shear stress applied during flow stoppage and rest period on the mechanical properties of thixotropic suspensions

We study the solid mechanical properties of several thixotropic suspensions as a function of the shear stress history applied during their flow stoppage and their aging in their solid state. We show that their elastic modulus and yield stress depend strongly on the shear stress applied during their solid-liquid transition (i.e., during flow stoppage) while applying the same stress only before or only after this transition may induce only second-order effects: there is negligible dependence of the mechanical properties on the preshear history and on the shear stress applied at rest. We also found that the suspensions age with a structuration rate that hardly depends on the stress history. We propose a physical sketch based on the freezing of a microstructure whose anisotropy depends on the stress applied during the liquid-solid transition to explain why the mechanical properties depend strongly on this stress. This sketch points out the role of the internal forces in the colloidal suspensions' behavior. We finally discuss briefly the macroscopic consequences of this phenomenon and show the importance of using a controlled-stress rheometer

Connections and dynamical trajectories in generalised Newton-Cartan gravity I. An intrinsic view

The "metric" structure of nonrelativistic spacetimes consists of a one-form (the absolute clock) whose kernel is endowed with a positive-definite metric. Contrarily to the relativistic case, the metric structure and the torsion do not determine a unique Galilean (i.e. compatible) connection. This subtlety is intimately related to the fact that the timelike part of the torsion is proportional to the exterior derivative of the absolute clock. When the latter is not closed, torsionfreeness and metric-compatibility are thus mutually exclusive. We will explore generalisations of Galilean connections along the two corresponding alternative roads in a series of papers. In the present one, we focus on compatible connections and investigate the equivalence problem (i.e. the search for the necessary data allowing to uniquely determine connections) in the torsionfree and torsional cases. More precisely, we characterise the affine structure of the spaces of such connections and display the associated model vector spaces. In contrast with the relativistic case, the metric structure does not single out a privileged origin for the space of metric-compatible connections. In our construction, the role of the Levi-Civita connection is played by a whole class of privileged origins, the so-called torsional Newton-Cartan (TNC) geometries recently investigated in the literature. Finally, we discuss a generalisation of Newtonian connections to the torsional case.Comment: 79 pages, 7 figures; v2: added material on affine structure of connection space, former Section 4 postponed to 3rd paper of the serie

Influence of HLA-DR2 phenotype on humoral immunity & lymphocyte response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture filtrate antigens in pulmonary tuberculosis

Association of HLA-DR2 genes/gene products has been shown with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients in India. In the present study, the influence of HLA-DR2 and non-DR2 genes/gene products on immunity to tuberculosis has been studied. Plasma samples of -DR2 positive patients (active and inactive TB) showed a higher antibody titre to Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture filtrate antigens than non-DR2 (-DR2 negative) patients. Immunoblot analysis revealed a trend towards an increased percentage of DR2 positive patients recognizing 38, 32/34 and 30/31 kDa antigens of M. tuberculosis than DR2 negative patients. A low spontaneous lymphoproliferative response (without antigen stimulation) was seen in HLA-DR2 positive active TB patients than HLA-DR2 negative patients. However, the antigen stimulated lymphocyte response was higher in the -DR2 positive patients (active and inactive TB) when compared to non-DR2 patients. Further, an inversional correlation between antibody titre and spontaneous as well as antigen induced lymphocyte response (measured by 3H thymidine uptake and expressed as counts per minute) was seen in HLA-DR2 positive active PTB patients than non-DR2 patients. The present study suggests that HLA-DR2 genes/gene products may be associated with a regulatory role in the mechanism of disease susceptibility to tuberculosis. The genes while augmenting the humoral immune response, they suppress the spontaneous and antigen induced lymphocyte response in -DR2 positive patients with active disease. Key words Antigen recognition - HLA-DR2-antibody titre - lymphocyte response - Mycobacteriu

Services surround you:physical-virtual linkage with contextual bookmarks

Our daily life is pervaded by digital information and devices, not least the common mobile phone. However, a seamless connection between our physical world, such as a movie trailer on a screen in the main rail station and its digital counterparts, such as an online ticket service, remains difficult. In this paper, we present contextual bookmarks that enable users to capture information of interest with a mobile camera phone. Depending on the user’s context, the snapshot is mapped to a digital service such as ordering tickets for a movie theater close by or a link to the upcoming movie’s Web page

Lymphocytotoxic antibodies & immunity in pulmonary tuberculosis

To understand whether the presence of cold reactive lymphocytotoxic antibodies (LCA) (reactive at 15°C) in the system has any effect on immunity to tuberculosis lymphocytotoxic antibodies to adherent cells (enriched-B ceils) and non-adherent cells were studied in active-TB (n=42) and inactive-TB (cured) patients (n=49) and healthy controls (n=32). The plasma samples of inactive-TB patients showed higher percentage of positivity for lymphocytotoxic antibodies (36.7%) than the active-TB patients (21.4%) and control subjects (18.8%). No significant difference on antibody and lymphocyte response against Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture filtrate antigens was observed between LCA positive and LCA negative active-TB patients and normal healthy controls. Further, determinationof HLA-DR phenotype of the patients and control subjects showed that individuals positive for lymphocytotoxic antibodies were more among HLA-DR2 positive and DR7 positive active-TB patients and control subjects than non-DR2 and non-DR7 subjects. The present study suggests that the cold reactive lymphocytotoxic antibodies may be against B-lymphocytes and persistent for a longer time. HLA-DR2 and -DR7 may be associated with the occurrence of LCA activity. Further, the presence of LCA has no immunoregulatory role on immunity to tuberculosis

Antibody and lymphocyte responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture filtrate antigens in active and quiescent (cured) pulmonary tuberculosis.

Humoral and lymphocyte responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture filtrate antigens were studied in active pulmonary tuberculosis (ATB) cases (n = 62), inactive (cured/quiescent) tuberculosis (ITB) patients (n = 62) and healthy control subjects (n = 60). Active tuberculosis patients showed very high antibody titre to M. tuberculosis culture filtrate antigens as compared to ITB and control subjects. M. tuberculosis antigens from 17 to 80 kDa were recognised by the plasma of all ATB and ITB patients as well as control subjects. However, the 38, 32-34, 30-31 and 27 kDa antigens were recognised more by the ATB patients as compared to the control subjects while the 64/66 kDa antigen was mostly recognised by the cured patients. Increased lymphocyte responses were seen with increasing concentrations of M. tuberculosis culture filtrate antigens and mitogens such as Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) and Concanavalin-A (Con-A) in ATB and ITB patients as well as healthy control subjects. However, a low or suppressed lymphocyte response to PHA, Con-A and M. tuberculosis culture filtrate antigens was seen in ATB patients compared to ITB patients and control subjects. The study suggests that during the active stage of the disease, the humoral immune response is augmented but the antigen and mitogen induced lymphocyte response (an in vitro correlate of CMI response) is suppressed. This further suggests that the humoral immune response regulates the CMI response during the active stage of the disease; when the disease is cured, the antibody response declines and the lymphocyte response to antigens and mitogens increases to the same level as found in controls. This suggests that normal immune status gets restored in cured patients

Disk-Loss and Disk Renewal Phases in Classical Be Stars II. Detailed Analysis of Spectropolarimetric Data

In Wisniewski et al. 2010, paper I, we analyzed 15 years of spectroscopic and spectropolarimetric data from the Ritter and Pine Bluff Observatories of 2 Be stars, 60 Cygni and {\pi} Aquarii, when a transition from Be to B star occurred. Here we anaylize the intrinsic polarization, where we observe loop-like structures caused by the rise and fall of the polarization Balmer Jump and continuum V-band polarization being mismatched temporally with polarimetric outbursts. We also see polarization angle deviations from the mean, reported in paper I, which may be indicative of warps in the disk, blobs injected at an inclined orbit, or spiral density waves. We show our ongoing efforts to model time dependent behavior of the disk to constrain the phenomena, using 3D Monte Carlo radiative transfer codes.Comment: 2 pages, 6 figures, IAU Symposium 27

Association of HLA-Class I antigens and haplotypes with relapse of pulmonary tuberculosis in patients treated with short course chemotherapy

Whether or not there is an association between HLA antigen(s) and/or haplotypes aud relapse in patients successfully treated for pulmonary tuberculosis was examined. Serological determination of HLA -A, - B, -DR and -DQ antigens was carried out in patients with quiescent pulmonary tuberculosis and bacteriologically relapsed patients, after treatment with short course chemotherapy with Rifampicin, Isoniazid, Pyrazinamide and Streptomycin or Ethambutol in various combinations for 6-8 month Au increased antigen frequency of HLA -Al (P = 0.03) and B17 was seen in patients with bacteriological relapse compared with those with quiescent disease. The relative risks (RR) were Al = 2.8 and B17 = 3.2, respectively, The haplotypes Al-B17 (RR = 3.3), B17-DR7 (RR = 3.0), Al-DR7 (p = 0.04; RR = 9.3) were very common in patients with bacteriological relapse. This increase of HLA-Al, B17 antigens or the haplotypes Al- B 17, B17-DR7 or Al-DR7 (P = 0.04) was seen irrespective of the treatment regimen. The present study suggests that HLA -Al (and - B17) antigen(s), as such, and/or haplotypes Al- : DR7 or non-HLA genes linked closer to HLA -A, -B and -DR loci may be associated with relapse of pulmonary tuberculosis, after chemotherapy