Rare Event Simulation for T-cell Activation

The problem of statistical recognition is considered, as it arises in immunobiology, namely, the discrimination of foreign antigens against a background of the body’s own molecules. The precise mechanism of this foreign-self-distinction, though one of the major tasks of the immune system, continues to be a fundamental puzzle. Recent progress has been made by van den Berg, Rand, and Burroughs (J. Theor. Biol. 209:465–486, 2001), who modelled the probabilistic nature of the interaction between the relevant cell types, namely, T-cells and antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Here, the stochasticity is due to the random sample of antigens present on the surface of every APC, and to the random receptor type that characterises individual T-cells. It has been shown previously (van den Berg et al. in J. Theor. Biol. 209:465–486, 2001; Zint et al. in J. Math. Biol. 57:841–861, 2008) that this model, though highly idealised, is capable of reproducing important aspects of the recognition phenomenon, and of explaining them on the basis of stochastic rare events. These results were obtained with the help of a refined large deviation theorem and were thus asymptotic in nature. Simulations have, so far, been restricted to the straightforward simple sampling approach, which does not allow for sample sizes large enough to address more detailed questions. Building on the available large deviation results, we develop an importance sampling technique that allows for a convenient exploration of the relevant tail events by means of simulation. With its help, we investigate the mechanism of statistical recognition in some depth. In particular, we illustrate how a foreign antigen can stand out against the self background if it is present in sufficiently many copies, although no a priori difference between self and nonself is built into the model.     

A Generalized Representation Formula for Systems of Tensor Wave Equations

In this paper, we generalize the Kirchhoff-Sobolev parametrix of Klainerman and Rodnianski (Hyperbolic Equ. 4(3):401–433, 2007) to systems of tensor wave equations with additional first-order terms. We also present a different derivation, which better highlights that such representation formulas are supported entirely on past null cones. This generalization of (Hyperbolic Equ. 4(3):401–433, 2007) is a key component for extending Klainerman and Rodnianski’s breakdown criterion result for Einstein-vacuum spacetimes in (J. Amer. Math. Soc. 23(2):345–382, 2009) to Einstein-Maxwell and Einstein-Yang-Mills spacetimes.     

On Steady Distributions of Kinetic Models of Conservative Economies

We analyze the large-time behavior of various kinetic models for the redistribution of wealth in simple market economies introduced in the pertinent literature in recent years. As specific examples, we study models with fixed saving propensity introduced by Chakraborti and Chakrabarti (Eur. Phys. J. B 17:167–170, 2000), as well as models involving both exchange between agents and speculative trading as considered by Cordier et al. (J. Stat. Phys. 120:253–277, 2005) We derive a sufficient criterion under which a unique non-trivial stationary state exists, and provide criteria under which these steady states do or do not possess a Pareto tail. In particular, we prove the absence of Pareto tails in pointwise conservative models, like the one in (Eur. Phys. J. B 17:167–170, 2000), while models with speculative trades introduced in (J. Stat. Phys. 120:253–277, 2005) develop fat tails if the market is “risky enough”. The results are derived by a Fourier-based technique first developed for the Maxwell-Boltzmann equation (Gabetta et al. in J. Stat. Phys. 81:901–934, 1995; Bisi et al. in J. Stat. Phys. 118(1–2):301–331, 2005; Pareschi and Toscani in J. Stat. Phys. 124(2–4):747–779, 2006) and from a recursive relation which allows to calculate arbitrary moments of the stationary state.     

A response to Murshed et al., J Nanopart Res (2010) 12:2007–2010

This brief communication provides a response to Murshed et al. (J Nanopart Res 12:2007–2010, 2010). We acknowledge that three of the equations in our original article (Doroodchi et al. J Nanopart Res 11:1501–1507, 2009) contained minor typographical errors. However, we confirm that these misprinted equations have no bearing on the results presented within that article. In addition, we would like to clarify that we do not challenge the methodology of Leong et al. (J Nanopart Res 8:245–254, 2006). Instead, we repeated their analysis using a more general form for the temperature field with continuity imposed across the particle–nanolayer–liquid interfaces and found that the solution reduces to the Renovated-Maxwell model.     

Charged Polymers in the Attractive Regime: A First-Order Transition from Brownian Scaling to Four-Point Localization

We study a quenched charged-polymer model, introduced by Garel and Orland in 1988 (Europhys. Lett. 6(7):597–601, 1988; Europhys. Lett. 6(4):307–310, 1988), that reproduces the folding/unfolding transition of biopolymers. We prove that, below the critical inverse temperature, the polymer is delocalized in the sense that: (1) the rescaled trajectory of the polymer converges to the Brownian path; and (2) the partition function remains bounded.     

Singular Harmonic Maps and Applications to General Relativity

The study of axially symmetric stationary multi-black-hole configurations and the force between co-axially rotating black holes involves, as a first step, an analysis on the “boundary regularity” of the so-called reduced singular harmonic maps. We carry out this analysis by considering those harmonic maps as solutions to some homogeneous divergence systems of partial differential equations with singular coefficients. Our results extend previous works by Weinstein (Comm Pure Appl Math 43:903–948, 1990; Comm Pure Appl Math 45:1183–1203, 1992) and by Li and Tian (Manu Math 73(1):83–89, 1991; Commun Math Phys 149:1–30, 1992; Differential geometry: PDE on manifolds, vol 54, pp. 317–326, 1993). This paper is based on the Ph.D. thesis of the author (Singular harmonic maps into hyperbolic spaces and applications to general relativity, PhD thesis, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers, 2009).     

The UW-PTMS

The University of Washington Penning Trap Mass Spectrometer (UW-PTMS) is now producing measurements with uncertainties approaching 10 parts per trillion (ppt). We have recently published (Van Dyck, Jr. et al., Int J Mass Spectrom 251:231–242, 2006) detailed analysis of several systematic shifts which can be important at this level of accuracy. Experimental studies of these effects in our older PTMS, combined with preliminary analysis of ²H data, and re-analysis of the previously reported ⁴He (Van Dyck, Jr. et al., Phys Rev Lett 92:220802/1, 2004) and ¹⁶O (Van Dyck, Jr. et al., Hyperfine Interact 132:163–175, 2001) data, gives more accurate atomic mass values for ¹⁶O, ⁴He, and ²H. Currently we are taking data for a new measurement of the ³He atomic mass, and working on some improvements to the PTMS, including a new amplifier system for phase-sensitive detection of the ion’s axial motion, and a new computer-controlled ultra-stable voltage source for the Penning trap’s ring electrode, used to adjust the ion’s axial frequency. These new systems will allow us to simultaneously manipulate individual ions in two nearby Penning traps, and some sources of noise will be the same for both traps. We plan to investigate several techniques which should reduce measurement time and improve accuracy by working with the two ions simultaneously. This material is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0353712.     

Towards Quantum Computational Logics

Quantum computational logics have recently stirred increasing attention (Cattaneo et al. in Math. Slovaca 54:87–108, 2004; Ledda et al. in Stud. Log. 82(2):245–270, 2006; Giuntini et al. in Stud. Log. 87(1):99–128, 2007). In this paper we outline their motivations and report on the state of the art of the approach to the logic of quantum computation that has been recently taken up and developed by our research group.     

Non-uniqueness Results for Critical Metrics of Regularized Determinants in Four Dimensions

The regularized determinant of the Paneitz operator arises in quantum gravity [see Connes in (Noncommutative geometry, 1994), IV.4.γ]. An explicit formula for the relative determinant of two conformally related metrics was computed by Branson in (Commun Math Phys 178:301–309, 1996). A similar formula holds for Cheeger’s half-torsion, which plays a role in self-dual field theory [see Juhl in (Families of conformally covariant differential operators, q-curvature and holography. Progress in Mathematics, vol 275, 2009)], and is defined in terms of regularized determinants of the Hodge laplacian on p-forms (p < n/2). In this article we show that the corresponding actions are unbounded (above and below) on any conformal four-manifold. We also show that the conformal class of the round sphere admits a second solution which is not given by the pull-back of the round metric by a conformal map, thus violating uniqueness up to gauge equivalence. These results differ from the properties of the determinant of the conformal Laplacian established in (Commun Math Phys 149:241–262, 1992), (Ann Math 142:171–212, 1995), (Commun Math Phys 189:655–665, 1997).     

Quantum-Like Model for Decision Making Process in?Two Players Game A Non-Kolmogorovian Model

In experiments of games, players frequently make choices which are regarded as irrational in game theory. In papers of Khrennikov (Information Dynamics in Cognitive, Psychological and Anomalous Phenomena. Fundamental Theories of Physics, Kluwer Academic, Norwell, 2004; Fuzzy Sets Syst. 155:4–17, 2005; Biosystems 84:225–241, 2006; Found. Phys. 35(10):1655–1693, 2005; in QP-PQ Quantum Probability and White Noise Analysis, vol. XXIV, pp. 105–117, 2009), it was pointed out that statistics collected in such the experiments have “quantum-like” properties, which can not be explained in classical probability theory. In this paper, we design a simple quantum-like model describing a decision-making process in a two-players game and try to explain a mechanism of the irrational behavior of players. Finally we discuss a mathematical frame of non-Kolmogorovian system in terms of liftings (Accardi and Ohya, in Appl. Math. Optim. 39:33–59, 1999).     

Thomae Formula for General Cyclic Covers of $${{\mathbb {CP}}^1}$$

Let X be a general cyclic cover of \mathbbCP¹{\mathbb{CP}^{1}} ramified at m points, λ₁... λ _m . we define a class of non-positive divisors on X of degree g −1 supported in the pre images of the branch points on X, such that the Riemann theta function does not vanish on their image in J(X). We generalize the results of Bershadsky and Radul (Commun Math Phys 116:689–700, 1988), Nakayashiki (Publ Res Inst Math Sci 33(6):987–1015, 1997) and Enolskii and Grava (Lett Math Phys 76(2–3):187–214, 2006) and prove that up to a certain determinant of the non-standard periods of X, the value of the Riemann theta function at these divisors raised to a high enough power is a polynomial in the branch point of the curve X. Our approach is based on a refinement of Accola’s results for 3 cyclic sheeted cover (Accola, in Trans Am Math Soc 283:423–449, 1984) and a generalization of Nakayashiki’s approach explained in Nakayashiki (Publ Res Inst Math Sci 33(6):987–1015, 1997) for general cyclic covers.     

Kinetic Models with Randomly Perturbed Binary Collisions

We introduce a class of Kac-like kinetic equations on the real line, with general random collisional rules which, in some special cases, identify models for granular gases with a background heat bath (Carrillo et al. in Discrete Contin. Dyn. Syst. 24(1):59–81, 2009), and models for wealth redistribution in an agent-based market (Bisi et al. in Commun. Math. Sci. 7:901–916, 2009). Conditions on these collisional rules which guarantee both the existence and uniqueness of equilibrium profiles and their main properties are found. The characterization of these stationary states is of independent interest, since we show that they are stationary solutions of different evolution problems, both in the kinetic theory of rarefied gases (Cercignani et al. in J. Stat. Phys. 105:337–352, 2001; Villani in J. Stat. Phys. 124:781–822, 2006) and in the econophysical context (Bisi et al. in Commun. Math. Sci. 7:901–916, 2009).     

Entropy of Stationary Nonequilibrium Measures of Boundary Driven Symmetric Simple Exclusion Processes

We examine the entropy of stationary nonequilibrium measures of boundary driven symmetric simple exclusion processes. In contrast with the Gibbs–Shannon entropy (Bahadoran in J. Stat. Phys. 126(4–5):1069–1082, 2007; Derrida et al. in J. Stat. Phys. 126(4–5):1083–1108, 2007), the entropy of nonequilibrium stationary states differs from the entropy of local equilibrium states.     

Analytic Surgery of the Zeta Function

In this paper we study the asymptotic behavior (in the sense of meromorphic functions) of the zeta function of a Laplace-type operator on a closed manifold when the underlying manifold is stretched in the direction normal to a dividing hypersurface, separating the manifold into two manifolds with infinite cylindrical ends. We also study the related problem on a manifold with boundary as the manifold is stretched in the direction normal to its boundary, forming a manifold with an infinite cylindrical end. Such singular deformations fall under the category of “analytic surgery”, developed originally by Hassell (Comm Anal Geom 6:255–289, 1998), Hassell et al. (Comm Anal Geom 3:115–222, 1995) and Mazzeo and Melrose (Geom Funct Anal 5:14–75, 1995) in the context of eta invariants and determinants.     

Large scale synthesis of silicon nanowires

Artificial nanostructures (Samuelson et al., Physica E 21:560–567, 2004; Xia et al., Adv Mater 15:353–389, 2003) show promise for the organization of functional materials (Huck and Samuelson, Nanotechnology 14:NIL_5–NIL_8, 2003) to create nanoelectronic (Mizuta and Oda, Science 279:208–211, 2008) or nano-optical devices (Mazur et al.; Tanemura et al., Synthesis, Optical Properties and Functional Applications of ZnO Nano-materials: A Review, 1–3:58–63, 2008). However, in most manufacturing recipes described so far, nanostructures are synthesized in solution and/or uncontrolled deposition results in random arrangements; this makes it difficult to measure the properties of attached nanodevices or to integrate them with conventionally fabricated microcircuitry. Here, we describe a fully CMOS compatible process technology for mass manufacture of polysilicon nanowires by the CVD (chemical vapor deposition) method. The large scale production of nanowires could successfully be synthesized on silicon (100) substrates. However, the method presented here can successfully be employed with all technologically useful substrates with good adhesion for silicon such as SiO₂, diamond-like carbon or III–V semiconductors. This opens up the possibility for the fabrication of strain-sensitive and defect-sensitive optoelectronic devices on the optimum III–V substrate (Fonstad et al.). Finally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize the as-synthesized nanowires and energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) analysis were used to determine the nanowire composition.     

String Cosmological Solutions in Self-Creation Theory of Gravitation

We have studied the problem of cosmic strings for Bianchi-I, II, VIII and IX string cosmological models in Barber’s (Gen. Relativ. Gravit. 14:117, 1982) second self—creation theory of gravitation. We have obtained some classes of solutions by considering different functional form for metric potentials. It is also observed that due to the presence of scalar field, the power index ‘m’ of the metric coefficients has a range of values.     

Quantum Brownian Motion on Non-Commutative Manifolds: Construction,Deformation and Exit Times

We begin with a review and analytical construction of quantum Gaussian process (and quantum Brownian motions) in the sense of Franz (The Theory of Quantum Levy Processes, [math.PR], 2009), Schürmann (White noise on bioalgebras. Volume 1544 of Lecture Notes in Mathematics. Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 1993) and others, and then formulate and study in details (with a number of interesting examples) a definition of quantum Brownian motions on those non-commutative manifolds (a la Connes) which are quantum homogeneous spaces of their quantum isometry groups in the sense of Goswami (Commun Math Phys 285(1):141–160, 2009). We prove that bi-invariant quantum Brownian motion can be ‘deformed’ in a suitable sense. Moreover, we propose a non-commutative analogue of the well-known asymptotics of the exit time of classical Brownian motion. We explicitly analyze such asymptotics for a specific example on non-commutative two-torus A_q{\mathcal{A}_\theta} , which seems to behave like a one-dimensional manifold, perhaps reminiscent of the fact that A_q{\mathcal{A}_\theta} is a non-commutative model of the (locally one-dimensional) ‘leaf-space’ of the Kronecker foliation.