Information Metric on Instanton Moduli Spaces in Nonlinear Sigma Models

We study the information metric on instanton moduli spaces in two-dimensional nonlinear sigma models. In the CP^1 model, the information metric on the moduli space of one instanton with the topological charge Q=k which is any positive integer is a three-dimensional hyperbolic metric, which corresponds to Euclidean anti--de Sitter space-time metric in three dimensions, and the overall scale factor of the information metric is (4k^2)/3; this means that the sectional curvature is -3/(4k^2). We also calculate the information metric in the CP^2 model.Comment: 9 pages, LaTeX; added references for section 1; typos adde

Topological Landau-Ginzburg Theory for Vortices in Superfluid 4^4He

We propose a new Landau-Ginzburg theory for arbitrarily shaped vortex strings in superfluid $^4$He. The theory contains a topological term and directly describes vortex dynamics. We introduce gauge fields in order to remove singularities from the Landau-Ginzburg order parameter of the superfluid, so that two kinds of gauge symmetries appear, making the continuity equation and conservation of the total vorticity manifest. The topological term gives rise to the Berry phase term in the vortex mechanical actions.Comment: LATEX, 9 page

Major linear antibody epitopes and capsid proteins differentially induce protective immunity against Theiler's virus-induced demyelinating disease.

Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus-induced immunologically mediated demyelinating disease (TMEV-IDD) in susceptible mice provides a relevant infectious model for multiple sclerosis. Previously, we have identified six major linear antibody epitopes on the viral capsid proteins. In this study, we utilized fusion proteins containing individual capsid proteins and synthetic peptides containing the linear antibody epitopes to determine the potential role of antibody response in the course of virus-induced demyelination. Preimmunization of susceptible mice with VPI and VP2 fusion proteins, but not VP3, resulted in the protection from subsequent development of TMEV-IDD. Mice free of clinical symptoms following preimmunizations with fusion proteins displayed high levels of antibodies to the capsid proteins corresponding to the immunogens. In contrast, the level of antibodies to a particular linear epitope, A1C (VP1(262-276)), capable of efficiently neutralizing virus in vitro increased with the progression of disease. Further immunization with synthetic peptides containing individual antibody epitopes indicated that antibodies to the epitopes are differentially effective in protecting from virus-induced demyelination. Taken together, these results suggest that antibodies to only certain linear epitopes are protective and such protection may be restricted during the early stages of viral infection