ALBERT

Notes: Abstract The parameter domain for which the quasi-steady state assumption is valid can be considerably extended merely by a simple change of variable. This is demonstrated for a variety of biologically significant examples taken from enzyme kinetics, immunology and ecology.

Notes: Abstract The ability of random fluctuations in selection to maintain genetic diversity is greatly increased when generations overlap. This result has been derived previously using genetic models with very special assumptions about the population age structure. Here we explore its robustness in more realistic population models, with very general age structure or physiological structure. For a range of genetic models (haploid, diploid, single and multilocus) we find that the condition for maintaining genetic diversity generalizes almost without change. Genetic diversity is maintained by selection if a product of the form (generation overlap)×(selection intensity)×(variability in the selection regime) is sufficiently large, where the generation overlap is measured in units of Fisher's reproductive value. This conclusion is based on a local evolutionary stability analysis, which differs from the standard “protected polymorphism” criterion for the maintenance of genetic diversity. Simulation results match the predictions from the local stability analysis, but not those from the protected polymorphism criterion. The condition obtained here for maintaining genetic diversity requires fitness fluctuations that are substantial but well within the range observed in many studies of natural populations.

Notes: Abstract Premised on relatively simple assumptions, mathematical models like those of Monod, Pirt or Droop inadequately explain the complex transient behavior of microbial populations. In particular, these models fail to explain many aspects of the dynamics of aTetrahymena pyriformis-Escherichia coli community. In this study an alternative approach, an individual-based model, is employed to investigate the growth and interactions ofTetrahymena pyriformis andE. coli in a batch culture. Due to improved representation of physiological processes, the model provides a better agreement with experimental data of bacterial density and ciliate biomass than previous modeling studies. It predicts a much larger coexistence domain than rudimentary models, dependence of biomass dynamics on initial conditions (bacteria to ciliate biomasses ratio) and appropriate timing of minimal bacteria density. Moreover, it is found that accumulation ofE. coli sized particles andE. coli toxic metabolites has a stabilizing effect on the system.

Notes: Abstract At the core of contemporarymorphometrics—the quantitative study of biological shape variation—is a synthesis of two originally divergent methodological styles. One contributory tradition is the multivariate analysis of covariance matrices originally developed as biometrics and now dominant across a broad expanse of applied statistics. This approach, couched solely in the linear geometry of covariance structures, ignores biomathematical aspects of the original measurements. The other tributary emphasizes the direct visualization of changes in biological form. However, making objective the biological meaning of the features seen in those diagrams was always problematical; also, the representation of variation, as distinct from pairwise difference, proved infeasible. To combine these two variants of biomathematical modeling into a valid praxis for quantitative studies of biological shape was a goal earnestly sought though most of this century. That goal was finally achieved in the 1980s when techniques from mathematical statistics, multivariate biometrics, non-Euclidean geometry and computer graphics were combined in a coherent new system of tools for the complete regionalized quantitative analysis oflandmark points together with the biomedical images in which they are seen. In this morphometric synthesis, correspondence of landmarks (biologically labeled geometric points, like “bridge of the nose”) across specimens is taken as a biomathematical primitive. The shapes of configurations of landmarks are defined as equivalence classes with respect to the Euclidean similarity group and then represented as single points in David Kendall'sshape space, a Riemannian manifold with Procrustes distance as metric. All conventional multivariate strategies carry over to the study of shape variation and covariation when shapes are interpreted in the tangent space to the shape manifold at an average shape. For biomathematical interpretation of such analyses, one needs a basis for the tangent space compatible with the reality of local biotheoretical processes and explanations at many different geometric scales, and one needs graphics for visualizing average shape differences and other statistical contrasts there. Both of these needs are managed by thethin-plate spline, a deformation function that has an unusually helpful linear algebra. The spline also links the biometrics of landmarks to deformation analysis of the images from which the landmarks originally arose. This article reviews the history and principal tools of this synthesis in their biomathematical and biometrical context and demonstrates their usefulness in a study of focal neuroanatomical anomalies in schizophrenia.

Notes: Abstract A competition model describing tumor-normal cell interaction with the added effects of periodically pulsed chemotherapy is discussed. The model describes parameter conditions needed to prevent relapse following attempts to remove the tumor or tumor metastasis. The effects of resistant tumor subpopulations are also investigated and recurrence prevention strategies are explored.

Notes: Abstract Increasing attention is being paid to the configuration and development of vascular structures and their possible correlations with physiological events. The study of angiogenesis in normal and pathological states as well as in the embryo and adult has provided new insights into the mechanism of vessel growth and organization of the vasculature. Various mathematical branching models have been developed. These constructions are mainly geometrical and only involve a branching phenomenon. We propose the use of a deterministic non-linear model based on physiological laws and hydrodynamics. Growth, branching and anastomosis, the three actual main events occurring in vascular growth, are included in this model. Space growth, including cells and vessels, is defined by a decreasing transformation. Space density and the length of new sprouts are controlled by a set of parameters. The conditions on these parameters are well established, which allows the production of realistic patterns.

Notes: Abstract The quasi-stationary distribution of a population within a system of interacting populations is approximated by a stochastic logistic process. The parameters of this process can be expressed in the parameters of the full system. Using the diffusion approximation, an expression for the expected extinction time is derived from this logistic process. Since the expected extinction time is expressed in the parameters of the full system, the effect of these parameters on the extinction risk can be easily evaluated, which may be of use for studies in ecology, conservation biology and epidemiology. The outcome is compared with simulation results for the case of a prey-predator system.

Notes: Abstract The cytokines are the information superhighway of the immune system. They are an important component of the integrated behavior of the system. In order to be able to have a good understanding of the immune system, we must be able to model the effect of cytokines and their combined effect. This work is a step in that direction. We study the combined effect of two cytokines: interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) on some cells of the immune system. Interleukin-2 and interleukin-4 are important growth and differentiation factors for B and T cells. Interleukin-4 antagonizes the effect of interleukin-2 on B cells and some T cells while it synergizes with interleukin-2 on other T cells. We build a mathematical model of the interaction of both cytokines on T and B cells as a building block toward a model of the Th1/Th2 cross-regulation. The response of a given cell to the combination of interleukin-2 and interleukin-4 is shown to involve competing dynamical effects which can lead to either antagnostic or synergistic combined effect.

Notes: Abstract We propose a mathematical approach to the modelling of self-organizing hierarchies in animal societies. This approach relies on a basic positive feedback mechanism that reinforces the ability of a given individual to win or to lose in a hierarchical interaction, depending on how many times it won or lost in previous interactions. Motivated by experiments carried out on primitively eusocial waspsPolistes, the model, is based on coupled differential equations supplemented with a small stochastic term. Numerical integrations allow many different hierarchical profiles to be obtained depending on the model parameters: (1) the particular form of the probability for an individual to win or lose a fight given its history, (2) the probability of interaction between two individuals, (3) the forgetting strength, which determines the rate at which events in the past are forgotten and no longer influence the force of an individual and (4) two individual recognition parameters, which set the contribution of individual recognition in the process of hierarchical genesis. We compare the results, expressed in terms of a hierarchical index or of the Landau number that describes the degree of linearity of the hierarchy, with various experimental results.

Notes: Abstract The normal process of dermal wound healing fails in some cases, due to fibro-proliferative disorders such as keloid and hypertrophic scars. These types of abnormal healing may be regarded as pathologically excessive responses to wounding in terms of fibroblastic cell profiles and their inflammatory growth-factor mediators. Biologically, these conditions are poorly understood and current medical treatments are thus unreliable. In this paper, the authors apply an existing deterministic mathematical model for fibroplasia and wound contraction in adult mammalian dermis (Olsenet al., J. theor. Biol. 177, 113–128, 1995) to investigate key clinical problems concerning these healing disorders. A caricature model is proposed which retains the fundamental cellular and chemical components of the full model, in order to analyse the spatiotemporal dynamics of the initiation, progression, cessation and regression of fibro-contractive diseases in relation to normal healing. This model accounts for fibroblastic cell migration, proliferation and death and growth-factor diffusion, production by cells and tissue removal/decay. Explicit results are obtained in terms of the model processes and parameters. The rate of cellular production of the chemical is shown to be critical to the development of a stable pathological state. Further, cessation and/or regression of the disease depend on appropriate spatiotemporally varying forms for this production rate, which can be understood in terms of the bistability of the normal dermal and pathological steady states—a central property of the model, which is evident from stability and bifurcation analyses. The work predicts novel, biologically realistic and testable pathogenic and control mechanisms, the understanding of which will lead toward more effective strategies for clinical therapy of fibro-proliferative disorders.

Notes: Abstract Populations often exhibit abrupt changes in abundance associated with a smooth, continuous change in some component of their environment, with the abruptness usually attributed to inter-specific interactions or physical extremes. This paper presents a spatially explicit single-species population model in which intra-specific interactions alone are responsible for such an abrupt change. The essential mechanism involves cooperation in both colonization (through enhanced recruitment near other individuals) and mortality (protection through a “safety-in-numbers” interaction). Large fluctuations in population density would likely be observable near the transition region.

Notes: Abstract A mathematical model of the nitrogen transformation cycle in an aquatic environment is studied. Using Pontryagin's maximum principle, a preferential utilization of ammonium to nitrate by phytoplankton is explained and verified by experimental data. A multiparameter bifurcation is given. The model was found to have four types of equilibrium sets. It is shown that a Hopf bifurcation may occur.

Notes: Abstract Parallel computation employing a domain decomposition method was used to calculate precisely without approximations the spatio-temporal distribution of Ca2+ in nerve terminals. The results showed, contrary to expectations, that for equal admitted Ca2+ currents at low (one channel open) and high (four channels open) depolarization, the average Ca2+ concentration at the release area is higher at the low depolarization. These calculations provide additional support for the Ca2+-voltage hypothesis for neurotransmitter release.

Notes: Abstract Type I hypersensitivity, which functions to protect the organism from parasites, is caused by binding of antigen to IgE antibodies pre-attached to the cell surface of tissue mast cells and their circulating counterparts, the basophils. In “allergy,” type I hypersensitivity is inappropriately induced by protein-based foreign substances (such as pollen) or protein components of insect stings, which in the normal course of events would be cleared from the organism without causing any damage. Paradoxically, a successful clinical treatment of allergy involves repeated immunization of allergic persons with low doses of the allergen—immunotherapy. Investigation of the available experimental evidence leads to the conclusion that the phenomena of immunotherapy are best addressed in terms of the interplay among the mechanism(s) of immune memory—Th1/Th2 cross-regulation—and the physical compart-mentalization of the immune system. These conclusions are illustrated with a numerical simulation.

Notes: Abstract We consider a host-solitary parasitoid system with three categories of individuals: parasitoids, healthy hosts and parasitized hosts. Parasitoids are assumed to discriminate perfectly between the two kinds of hosts and they can reject those which are already parasitized. If parasitoids systematically accept or reject superparasitism or behave randomly, the system is always unstable. Using an optimal foraging model, we determine the behavior of parasitoids which leads to maximization of the instantaneous reproductive rate. When following this adaptive decision rule, parasitoids accept or refuse superparasitism according to the densities of both healthy and parasitized hosts. We study the dynamics of the system when parasitoids follow the optimal rule and show that under certain conditions it possesses a locally stable equilibrium point. In addition, our model predicts that at equilibrium parasitoids show partial preferences for superparasitism.

Notes: Abstract A system of differential equations for the control of tumor growth cells in a cycle nonspecific chemotherapy is analyzed. Spontaneously acquired drug resistance is taken into account, and a criterion for the selection of chemotherapeutic treatment is used. This criterion purports to describe the possibility of improvement of the patient's health when treatment is discontinued. Contrary to our early results which also take drug resistance into account, in this context strategies of continuous chemotherapy in which rest periods take part may be better than maximum drug concentration throughout the treatment (which appears to be in accordance with clinical practice). This bears out our previous conjecture that when drug resistance is accounted for, the imperfections in the usual modelling of treatment criteria, which in general do not allow for patient recuperation, ruled out the possibility of rest periods in optimal continuous chemotherapy.

Notes: Abstract A logistic density-dependent matrix model is developed in which the matrices contain only parameters and recruitment is a function of adult population density. The model was applied to simulate introductions of white-tailed deer into an area; the fitted model predicted a carrying capacity of 215 deer, which was close to the observed carrying capacity of 220 deer. The rate of population increase depends on the dominant eigenvalue of the Leslie matrix, and the age structure of the simulated population approaches a stable age distribution at the carrying capacity, which was similar to that generated by the Leslie matrix. The logistic equation has been applied to study many phenomena, and the matrix model can be applied to these same processes. For example, random variation can be added to life history parameters, and population abundances generated with random effects on fecundity show both the affect of annual variation in fecundity and a longer-term pattern resulting from the age structure.

Notes: Abstract In the presence of seasonal forcing, predator-prey models with quadratic interaction terms and weak dissipation can exhibit infinite numbers of coexisting periodic attractors corresponding to cycles of different magnitude and frequency. These motions are best understood with reference to the conservative case, for which the degree of dissipation is, by definition, zero. Here one observes the familiar mix of “regular” (neutrally stable orbits and tori) and chaotic motion typical of non-integrable Hamiltonian systems. Perturbing away from the conservative limit, the chaos becomes transitory. In addition, the invariant tori are destroyed and the neutrally stable periodic orbits becomes stable limit cycles, the basins of attraction of which are intertwined in a complicated fashion. As a result, stochastic perturbations can bounce the system from one basin to another with consequent changes in system behavior. Biologically, weak dissipation corresponds to the case in which predators are able to regulate the density of their prey well below carrying capacity.

Notes: Abstract The standard method for measuringin vitro antibiotic efficacy is based on a point observation of bacterial activity 18 hours after inoculation. The method, while simple, forgoes significant information by ignoring the dynamics of the interations between antibiotic and bacteria. This paper proposes a simple dynamic model describing these interactions. The model consists of two non-linear differential equations of the S-system type. Its parameter values are estimated, through the minimization of residual errors, from data on the effect of the carbapenem antibiotic imipenem onPseudomonas aeruginosa. The model adequately describes the dynamic behavior of the bacterial populations in the presence of the antibiotic: beginning with drug administration, then through the decline of the bacterial population and possibly ending with bacterial resurgence.

Notes: Abstract We have studied an ecological system of two species, which we denotestrong andweak, respectively, that compete for a single food resource. This system is modelled as a three component reaction-diffusion process. In the presence of a solitary pulse of increased resources, the weaker competitor can diffuse toward this surplus, gaining a competitive advantage and hence persisting in contraposition with the classical Lotka-Volterra result. An exact analytical solution has been found through a quantum mechanical analogy. A stability analysis of this solution against changes in different parameters has been carried out.

Notes: Abstract Collapsible-tube flow with self-excited oscillations has been extensively investigated. Though physiologically relevant, forced oscillation coupled with self-excited oscillation has received little attention in this context. Based on an ODE model of collapsible-tube flow, the present study applies modern dynamics methods to investigate numerically the responses of forced oscillation to a limit-cycle oscillation which has topological characteristics discovered in previous unforced experiments. A devil's staircase and period-doubling cascades are presented with forcing frequency and amplitude as control parameters. In both cases, details are provided in a bifurcation diagram. Poincaré sections, a frequency spectrum and the largest Lyapunov exponents verify the existence of chaos in some circumstances. The thin fractal structure found in the strange attractors is believed to be a result of high damping and low stiffness in such systems.

Notes: Abstract In this work, we show that a one-dimensional model of the blood flow across the lungs can reproduce the evolution of a bolus versus the time. Solving the differential equation governing the bolus concentration in the framework of this model, we determine the solution which fulfills Gaussian initial boundary conditions. An effective parameter related to the ratio of a diffusion coefficient to the square of the mean speed of the flow is defined. The determination of its numerical values following a semi-empirical approach enables us to know accurately the mean transit time and the cardiac output. The results have been compared to other methods, and were found in good agreement. Such an approach could be of interest in all studies where the knowledge of flow—including micro-circulation—is needed.

Notes: Abstract How two species interact during and after colonization influences which of them will be present in each stage of succession. In the tolerance model of ecological succession in a patchy environment, empty patches can be colonized by any species, but the ability to tolerate reduced resource levels determines which species will exclude the other. Here, we analyze a meta-population model of the possible roles of competition in colonization and succession, using non-linear Markov chains as a mathematical framework. Different kinds of competition affect the final equilibrial, abundances of the species involved in qualitatively different ways. An explicit criterion is given to determine which interactions have stronger effects on the final equilibrial levels of the weaker, species. Precise conditions are stated for the co-existence of both species. Both species are more likely to co-exist in the presence of an intermediate disturbance frequency.

Notes: Abstract A system of differential equations for the control of tumor cells growth in a cycle nonspecific chemotherapy is presented. Spontaneously acquired drug resistance is accounted for, as well as the evolution in time of normal cells. In addition, optimization of conflicting objectives forms the aim of the chemotherapeutic treatment. For general cell growth, some results are given, whereas for the special case of Malthusian (exponential) growth of tumor cells and rather general growth rate for normal cells, the optimal strategy is worked out. The latter, from the clinical standpoint, corresponds to maximum drug concentration throughout the treatment.

Notes: Abstract This study examines the influence of various host-feeding patterns on host-parasitoid population dynamics. The following types of host-feeding patterns are considered: concurrent and non-destructive, non-concurrent and non-destructive, and non-concurrent and destructive. The host-parasitoid population dynamics is described by the Lotka-Volterra continuous-time model. This study shows that when parasitoids behave optimally, i.e. they maximize their fitness measured by the instantaneous per capita growth rate, the non-destructive type of host feeding stabilizes host-parasitoid dynamics. Other types of host feeding, i.e. destructive, concurrent, or non-concurrent, do not qualitatively change the neutral stability of the Lotka-Volterra model. Moreover, it is shown that the pattern of host feeding which maximizes parasitoid fitness is either non-concurrent and destructive, or concurrent and non-destructive host feeding, depending on the host abundance and parameters of the model. The effects of the adaptive choice of host-feeding patterns on host-parasitoid population dynamics are discussed.

Notes: Abstract Game theory has had remarkable success as a framework for the discussion of animal behaviour and evolution. It suggested new interpretations and prompted new observational studies. Most of this work has been done with 2-player games. That is the individuals of a population compete in pairwise interactions. While this is often the case in nature, it is not exclusively so. Here we introduce a class of models for situations in which more than two (possibly very many) individuals compete simultaneously. It is shown that the solutions (i.e. the behaviour which may be expected to be observable for long periods) are more complex than for 2-player games. The concluding section lists some of the new phenomena which can occur.

Notes: Abstract A method allowing to measure the inhomogeneous distribution of purines/pyrimidines in nucleotide sequences is developed. We show that this measure relates to the coding or non-coding character of the considered sequence. Coding sequences present a near to the random Pu or Py distribution. This property is shared by both protein-coding DNA and functional RNA-coding DNA. Non-coding sequences present a highly clustered inhomogeneity. We propose the hypothesis, corroborated with appropriate computer simulations, that this is due to the action of various transposition events accumulated for long time periods.

Notes: Abstract The potential generated in the smooth muscle of the vas deferens on release of a quantum of transmitter from a varicosity was analyzed using a three-dimensional bidomain continuum model. Current was injected at the origin of the bidomain; this current had the temporal characteristics of the junctional current. The membrane potential, intracellular potential, and extracellular potential, as well as the extracellular current, were then calculated throughout the bidomain at different times. Calculations were performed to show the effect of changing the anisotropy ratios of the intracellular and extracellular conductivities on the spread of current and potential in each of the three dimensions. These results provide a theoretical framework for ascertaining the time course of transmitter interaction at a varicosity following the secretion of a quantum of transmitter.

Notes: Abstract Parabolic growth invariably results in the survival of all competing types. Under the constraint of constant total concentration, there is a unique equilibrium in the simplex interior, which is asymptotically stable inside the whole simplex. The appropriate Lyapunov function is obtained in terms of the excess productivity which is shown to be maximized for the competitive system with fractional order kinetics. Claims to the contrary are refuted.

Notes: Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate strategies in the monotherapy treatment of HIV infection in the presence of drug-resistant (mutant) strains. A mathematical system is developed to model resistance in HIV chemotherapy. It includes the key players in the immune response to HIV infection: virus and both uninfected CD4+ and infected CD4+ T-cell populations. We model the latent and progressive stages of the disease, and then introduce monotherapy treatment. The model is a system of differential equations describing the interaction of two distinct classes of HIV—drug-sensitive (wild type) and drug-resistant (mutant)—with lymphocytes in the peripheral blood. We then introduce chemotherapy effects. In the absence of treatment, the model produces the three types of qualitative clinical behavior—anuninfected steady state, andinfected steady state (latency), andprogression to AIDS. Simulation of treatment is provided for monotherapy, during theprogression to AIDS state, in the consideration of resistance effects. Treatment benefit is based on an increase or retention in CD4+ T-cell counts together with a low viral titer. We explore the following treatment approaches: an antiviral drug which reduces viral infectivity that is administered early—when the CD4+ T-cell count is ≥300/mm3, and late—when the CD4+ T-cell count is less than 300/mm3. We compare all results with data. When treatment is initiated during the progression to AIDS state, treatment prevents T-cell collapse, but gradually loses effectiveness due to drug resistance. We hypothesize that it is the careful balance of mutant and wild-type HIV strains which provides the greatest prolonged benefit from treatment. This is best achieved when treatment is initiated when the CD4+ T-cell counts are greater than 250/mm3, but less than 400/mm3 in this model (i.e. not too early, not too late). These results are supported by clinical data. The work is novel in that it is the first model to accurately simultate data before, during and after monotherapy treatment. Our model also provides insight into recent clinical results, as well as suggests plausible guidelines for clinical testing in the monotherapy of HIV infection.

Notes: Abstract A mathematical model which describes adhesion of bacteria to host cell lines is presented. The model is flexible enough to account for the following situations: extracellular bacteria are either in exponential or in stationary phase. Adhesion is described as a reversible binding process in which the bacteria attach to or detach from specific receptors uniformly distributed on the cell surface. In turn, attached bacteria can either replicate or, conversely, they are restrained to remain in stationary phase. In the first case, however, we must consider the problem of whether the decrease of unoccupied receptors as adhesion progresses imposes a limit to the replicating capacity of the attached bacteria. The effect exerted by the multiplicity of infection (MOI), i.e. the ratio of the number of bacteria to the number of host cells, on the process of adhesion is also contemplated by the model. This has revealed that experiments performed at the same values of MOI can show completely different levels of adhered bacteria, depending on the number of host cells in the assays. This finding demonstrates that the report of the MOI values is insufficient to characterize comparative studies of bacterial adhesion since it could lead to a misunderstanding of the corresponding data. Simplified models based on the steady-state approximation and in equilibrium analysis by means of a Lagmuir adsorption isotherm for the attached bacteria are also discussed. This allows us to define the adhesion coefficient (β) in a given bacterium-cell system so that, with the exception of those systems where these coefficients cannot be defined, larger values of β are related to a greater adhesion capacity. An overview of the procedures to perform quantitative adhesion data analysis is outlined. Finally, theoretical predictions are compared with experimental results from the literature.

Notes: Abstract A new measure of toxicity based on stochastic modelling of single photon-counting processes, representing time-resolved phagocyte luminescence of xenobiotic-perturbed human neutrophils, has been constructed. The stochastic measure of toxicity has been verified by the QSAR method, and then compared and contrasted with the traditional toxicity measure used in bio- and chemiluminescent research. Phenol and benzene homologues were chosen as perturbers due to their importance from the viewpoint of ecotoxicology and occupational medicine.

Notes: Abstract We describe a mathematical model of the flow and deformation in a human teat. Our aim is to compare the theoretical milk yield during infant breast feeding with that obtained through the use of a breast pump. Infants use a peristaltic motion of the tongue, along with some suction, to extract milk, whereas breast pumps use a cyclic pattern of suction only. Our model is based on quasi-linear poroelasticity whereby the teat is modelled as a cylindrical porous elastic material saturated with fluid. We impose a cyclic axial suction pressure difference across the teat and impose a radial compressive force moving along the teat which mimics infant suckling. This is compared to the case of cyclic and steady pumping only which models the action of breast pumps. The results illustrate that there is an optimal time to apply the compressive force during the suction cycle that will increase the flow rate in our theoretical teat. The model and results may be of use in the future design of effective breast pumps.

Notes: Abstract In the present work, we study the propagation of solitary waves in a prestressed thick walled elastic tube filled with an incompressible inviscid fluid. In order to include the geometric dispersion in the analysis the wall inertia and shear deformation effects are taken into account for the inner pressure-cross-sectional area relation. Using the reductive perturbation technique, the propagation of weakly non-linear waves in the long-wave approximation is examined. It is shown that, contrary to thin tube theories, the present approach makes it possible to have solitary waves even for a Mooney-Rivlin (M-R) material. Due to dependence of the coefficients of the governing Korteweg-deVries equation on initial deformation, the solution profile changes with inner pressure and the axial stretch. The variation of wave profiles for a class of elastic materals are depicted in graphical forms. As might be seen from these illustrations, with increasing thickness ratio, the profile of solitary wave is steepened for a M-R material but it is broadened for biological tissues.

Notes: Abstract Adult dermal wounds, in contrast to fetal wounds, heal with the formation of scar tissue. A crucial factor in determining the degree of scarring is the ratio of types I and III collagen, which regulates the diameter of the combined fibers. We developed a reaction-diffusion model which focuses on the control of collagen synthesis by different isoforms of the polypeptide transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ). We used the model to investigate the current controversy as to whether the fibroblasts migrate into the wound from the surrounding unwounded dermis or from the underlying subcutaneous tissue. Numerical simulations of a spatially independent, temporal model led to a value of the collagen ratio consistent with that of healthy tissue for the fetus, but corresponding to scarring in the adult. We investigated the effect of topical application of TGFβ and show that addition of isoform 3 reduces scar tissue formation, in agreement with the experiment. However, numerical solutions of the reaction-diffusion system do not exhibit this sensitivity to growth factor application. Mathematically, this corresponds to the observation that behind healing wavefront solutions, a particular healed state is always selected independent of transients, even though there is a continuum of possible positive steady states. We explain this phenomenon using a caricature system of equations, which reflects the key qualitative features of the full model but has a much simpler mathematical form. Biologically, our results suggest that the migration into a wound of fibroblasts and TGFβ from the surrounding dermis alone cannot account for the essential features of the healing process, and that fibroblasts entering from the underlying subcutaneous tissue are crucial to the healing process.

Notes: Abstract Oscillations in cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations in living cells are often a manifestation of propagating waves of Ca2+. Numerical simulations with a realistic model of inositol 1, 4, 5-trisphosphate (IP3)-induced Ca2+ wave trains lead to wave speeds that increase linearly at long times when (a) IP3 levels are in the range for Ca2+ oscillations, (b) a gradient of phase is established by either an initial ramp or pulse of IP3, and (c) IP3 concentrations asymptotically become uniform. We explore this phenomenon with analytical and numerical methods using a simple two-variable reduction of the De Young-Keizer model of the IP3 receptor that includes the influence of Ca2+ buffers. For concentrations of IP3 in the oscillatory regime, numerical solution of the resulting reaction diffusion equations produces nonlinear wave trains that shows the same asymptotic growth of wave speed. Due to buffering, diffusion of Ca2+ is quite slow and, as previously noted, these waves occur without appreciable bulk movement of Ca2+. Thus, following Neu and Murray, we explore the behavior of these waves using an asymptotic expansion based on the small size of the buffered diffusion constant for Ca2+. We find that the gradient in phase of the wave obeys Burgers' equation asymptotically in time. This result is used to explain the linear increase of the wave speed observed in the simulations.

Notes: Abstract The robustness of patterning events in development is a key feature that must be accounted for in proposed models of these events. When considering explicitly cellular systems, robustness can be exhibited at different levels of organization. Consideration of two widespread patterning mechanisms suggests that robustness at the level of cell communities can result from variable development at the level of individual cells; models of these mechanisms show how interactions between participating cells guarantee community-level robustness. Cooperative interactions enhance homogeneity within communities of like cells and the sharpness of boundaries between communities of distinct cells, while competitive interactions amplify small inhomogeneities within communities of initially equivalent cells, resulting in fine-grained patterns of cell specialization.

Notes: Abstract This work addresses the design of LoG filters in the frequency domain within a structure formed by the cascade of quasi-Gaussian and discrete Laplacian filters. The main feature of such a structure is that it requires half the number of convolutions of the classical structure in which the LoG transfer function is expressed as the sum of two separable transfer functions of 1-D Gaussian and LoG type. Such a perspective allows one to rephrase the design of IIR and FIR filters for edge detection as a frequency domain approximation problem solvable by standard digital filter design tools. The zero-phase IIR solutions have a good performance at low orders and approximation errors practically independent of the aperture parameter. The characteristics of the nearly linear-phase IIR filters solving the problem suggest the consideration of linear-phase FIR filters with zeros constrained on the unit circle. The use of such filters leads to remarkable computational savings with respect to the filters designed by impulse response sampling. The agreement between the edge values obtained by the filters designed according to the scheme proposed in this work and those obtained by standard techniques is very good.

Notes: Abstract We study boundary value problems for the time-harmonic form of the Maxwell equations, as well as for other related systems of equations, on arbitrary Lipschitz domains in the three-dimensional Euclidean space. The main goal is to develop the corresponding theory for Lp-integrable bounday data for optimal values of p's. We also discuss a number of relevant applications in electromagnetic scattering.

Notes: Abstract Beurling's algebra $A^*=\{f:\sum_{k=0}^{\infty} \sup_{k\le |m|} |\hat f (m)| 〈 \infty \}$ is considered. A* arises quite naturally in problems of summability of the Fourier series at Lebesgue points, whereas Wiener's algebra A of functions with absolutely convergent Fourier series arises when studying the norm convergence of linear means. Certainly, both algebras are used in some other areas. A* has many properties similar to those of A, but there are certain essential distinctions. A* is a regular Banach algebra, its space of maximal ideals coincides with $[-\pi,\pi],$ and its dual space is indicated. Analogs of Herz's and Wiener-Ditkin's theorems hold. Quantitative parameters in an analog of the Beurling-Pollard theorem differ from those for A. Several inclusion results comparing the algebra A* with certain Banach spaces of smooth functions are given. Some special properties of the analogous space for Fourier transforms on the real axis are presented. The paper ends with a summary of some open problems.

Notes: Abstract We construct an algebra of left-invariant pseudodifferential operators on SU(2). We require only that the symbols be homogeneous and C2. For Fourier-bandlimited symbols, we derive the expected formulae for composition and commutators and construct an orthonormal basis of common approximate eigenvectors that could be used to study spectral theory. Some remarks on applications to matrices of operators are made.

Notes: Abstract We study Edidin and Graham's equivariant Chow groups in the case of torus actions. Our main results are: (i) a presentation of equivariant Chow groups in terms of invariant cycles, which shows how to recover usual Chow groups from equivariant ones; (ii) a precise form of the localization theorem for torus actions on projective, nonsingular varieties; (iii) a construction of equivariant multiplicities, as functionals on equivariant Chow groups; (iv) a construction of the action of operators of divided differences on theT-equivariant Chow group of any scheme with an action of a reductive group with maximal torusT. We apply these results to intersection theory on varieties with group actions, especially to Schubert calculus and its generalizations. In particular, we obtain a presentation of the Chow ring of any smooth, projective spherical variety.

Notes: Abstract In this paper we explicitly determine the virtual representations of the finite Weyl subgroups of the affine Weyl group on the cohomology of the space of affine flags containing a family of elementsn t in an affine Lie algebra. We also compute the Euler characteristic of the space of partial flags containingn t and give a connection with hyperplane arrangements.

Notes: Abstract LetG be a connected, simply-connected, real semisimple Lie group andK a maximal compactly embedded subgroup ofG such thatD=G/K is a hermitian symmetric space. Consider the principal fiber bundleM=G/K s →G/K, whereK s is the semisimple part ofK=K s ·Z K 0 andZ K 0 is the connected center ofK. The natural action ofG onM extends to an action ofG 1=G×Z K 0 . We prove as the main result thatM is weakly symmetric with respect toG 1 and complex conjugation. In the case whereD is an irreducible classical bounded symmetric domain andG is a classical matrix Lie group under a suitable quotient, we provide an explicit construction ofM=D×S 1 and determine a one-parameter family of Riemannian metrics Ω onM invariant underG 1. Furthermore,M is irreducible with respect to Ω. As a result, this provides new examples of weakly symmetric spaces that are nonsymmetric, including those already discovered by Selberg (cf. [M]) for the symplectic case and Berndt and Vanhecke [BV1] for the rank-one case.

Notes: Abstract A novel and complete method is presented for constructing the generalized Bezout identity in polynomial form of the transfer matrix from its state-space representation of a reachable and observable system. As a result, one can easily apply well-developed synthesis and analysis theories to systems described in the frequency domain.

Notes: Abstract The aim of this paper is to obtain the uncertain value set in the complex plane for systems with real and complex parameters that are known to lie inside a ball in a weightedl p-norm. It generalizes previously available results and may be used to test the robust stability of polynomials whose coefficients lie in a weighted lp-ball.

Notes: Abstract This paper describes a new approach—a Fixed-Level Least Squares (FLLS) method for linear-phase FIR filter design. It is intended for rejection of the Gibbs phenomenon through the introduction of a set of equally spaced fixed levels in the transition band and subsequent redefinition of the approximated and weighted functions. Detailed mathematical solutions of the problem as well as many examples are given. The results in graphical form are shown as an output of the FLLS software model.

Notes: Abstract In this paper we examine order reduction of parabolic systems using modal truncation. The parabolic distributed system is first approximated using the Galerkin method. The system matrices have a special structure that allows us to find the approximate spectrum of the parabolic system. To do this we compute approximate inverses of tridiagonal, diagonally dominant symmetric matrices. The approximation leads to algorithms of orderO(n), as opposed to traditional algorithms of orderO(n), wheren is the order of the system. Finally, an example is presented to illustrate the proposed algorithm.

Notes: Abstract We give results concerning the problem of approximating the input-output maps of nonlinear discrete-time approximately finite-memory systems. Here the focus is on the linear dynamical parts of the approximating structures, and we give examples showing that these linear parts can be derived from asingle prespecified function that meets certain conditions. This is done in the context of an approximation theorem in which attention is focused on what we call “basic sets.” We also consider the related but very different problem of approximating nonlinear functionals using lattice operations or the usual linear ring operations. For this problem we give criteria, not just sufficient conditions, for approximation on compact subsets of reflexive Banach spaces (any Hilbert space is a reflexive Banach space).

Notes: Abstract New calibration methods are presented for bearing estimation with sensor location uncertainties, which are based on eigenvalue decomposition of the sample covariance matrix and three or more nondisjoint sources in known bearings. The methods can be applied to arbitrary arrays, including linear arrays, require fewer computations, and are suitable for low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) cases. Computer simulations are given to illustrate the performance of the proposed methods.

Notes: Abstract The Wigner bispectrum of multicomponent signals is studied, and its modified and reduced forms are introduced. A generalization of the presented forms to the Wigner higher-order spectra (WHOS), in the case of multicomponent signals, is provided. From our previous work it is known that cross terms removal (reduction) is possible for odd-order spectra with equal numbers of conjugated and nonconjugated terms. Here, we extend the analysis to even-order spectra. The theory is illustrated by examples.

Notes: Abstract We describe methods to establish identifiability and information-regularity of parameters in normal distributions. Parameters are considered identifiable when they are determined uniquely by the probability distribution and they are information-regular when their Fisher information matrix is full rank. In normal distributions, information-regularity implies local identifiability, but the converse is not always true. Using the theory of holomorphic mappings, we show when the converse is true, allowing information-regularity to be established without having to explicitly compute the information matrix. Some examples are given.

Notes: Abstract The extendibility of estimated correlation bisequences from an available sampled data array is described in terms of the generating functions of associated block Toeplitz with Toeplitz block (BTTB) matrices. The periodogram-based correlation bisequences are shown to be extendible. It is shown that the method of resultants and subresultants is convenient for generating the nonlinear constraints in the optimization problem which is solved iteratively for power spectrum estimation. A nontrivial example illustrates the concepts developed.

Notes: Abstract A multiresolutional approach is presented for effectively recognizing three-dimensional (3D) objects. The approach is both pose and scale invariant. A multiresolutional model base is constructed, and multiscale edges of the object are detected using the wavelet transform. The minimum alignment between model base and object is realized by the linear mapping scheme.

Notes: Abstract A doubly recursive algorithm for time domain convolution with a piecewise linear weighting function is presented that combines the speed of a recursive (IIR) digital filter with the flexibility and ease of design of a nonrecursive (FIR) digital filter. The approach approximates the desired FIR weighting function by a sum-of-triangles weighting function. ForL triangles (or triangle pairs for a linear phase filter) the algorithm is of orderLN. The approximation improves with the number of triangles. A significant advantage of the algorithm compared to FFT filtering or direct convolution is that there is no necessity of a tradeoff between frequency response accuracy and computation time per output point as the data spacing decreases in the filtered signal. The computational complexity is dependent on the number of triangles chosen, not the width of the weighting function, so the algorithm is especially effective for filters with an inherently wide FIR weighting function.

Notes: Abstract A solution of the problem of correlation analysis of stochastic amplitude-angle modulated signals is presented. The solution is obtained on the basis of the theory of linear stochastic processes for the general case of nonstationary correlated Gaussian noises in both modulation channels. These noises are regarded as the results of a linear filtration of Gaussian white noise processes. As an example of the analysis a case of band-pass modulation noises is considered.

Notes: Abstract Two-dimensional (2-D) periodically shift-variant (PSV) digital filters are considered. These filters have applications in processing video signals with cyclostationary noise, scrambling digital images, and 2-D multirate signal processing. The filters are formulated in the form of a Givone-Roesser (GR) state-space model with periodic coefficients. This PSV model is then presented in block form as a shift-invariant system that also has the same GR state-space form. This block form has reduced computations and ease of analysis. An algorithm is developed that transforms any given 2-D PSV GR system to its equivalent shift-invariant model. Invertibility of this model is an important consideration, especially in image scrambling applications. A condition is established for the invertibility of the shift-invariant model of the 2-D PSV system. Also, the inverse system can be easily computed from the original. The established results are illustrated with an example.

Notes: Abstract In a recent paper a method is described for constructing certain approximations to a general element in the closure of the convex hull of a subset of an inner product space. This is of interest in connection with neural networks. Here we give an algorithm that generates simpler approximants with somewhat less computational cost.

Notes: Abstract In this paper, we gave an exponential estimate for the solutions of singular systems of differential equations with a delay and establish a comparison inequality for the systems. Based on this we estabish the criteria for asymptotic stability for the composite singular systems.

Notes: Abstract This paper presents the VLSI architectures for three-level correlator design based on 1-μm CMOS technology. The architecture performs very high speed, real-time, three-level cross-correlation of signals. Two architectures, one for serial incoming samples of signals (serial data) and the other for stored signal samples (parallel data), are described in the paper.

Notes: Abstract This paper gives the existence of and bounds for the branch voltages and currents in a given infinite network, which on each branch are related by a maximal monotone resistance function. We give a simpler proof than that of Minty, with smaller bounds, in the finite network case.

Notes: Abstract An efficient procedure is presented for computing the frequency-response templates of uncertain rational transfer functions depending on two independent interval polynomials. It consists of a modified Cohen-Sutherland algorithm for the intersection test of two rectangles and a pivoting algorithm. Because the proposed procedure traces out the boundary of a frequency-response template directly, it is, in general, more efficient than the previously proposed algorithms.

Notes: Abstract The potential for data compression in using fractal interpolation functions (FIFs) is realized by the construction of a set of multirate filters. The filter tap weights are determined by optimizing the energy contents of a preselected set of frequency bands. This filter bank implementation of the FIF is successfully used to compress data simulated in a tracking environment.

Notes: Abstract A first-order autoregressive filter is altered by changing the constant gain to two or more gains that cyclically alternate in time. The advantages of this system are shown, and the relation to linear autoregressive moving average difference equations of higher order is derived.

Notes: Abstract This paper refers to the fast implementation of the positional forward acceleration of the end effector of revolute robotic arms with spherical wrists, using the distributed arithmetic technique. The acceleration of the end effector is calculated by a cascade configuration of two pipelined arrays that calculate the Jacobian matrix and its time derivative, as well as the centrifugal-Coriolis and linear accelerations. These partial accelerations are then added in the adder tree. The building blocks of the arrays are the distributed arithmetic-based circuits that implement the matrix-vector multiplications involved in the calculations. The digit-serial configuration of the proposed implementation of the positional forward acceleration of the end effector is described. The serial and the parallel configurations may result as special cases of the digit-serial configuration. The proposed distributed arithmetic (DA) implementation of the positional forward acceleration may be applied, after appropriate modifications, to the general case of robots having either revolute or prismatic joints, with any type of wrist.

Notes: Abstract This paper addresses the calculation of the extrema of the sin x/x function. First the Newton-Raphson method is used, which allows us to obtain the extrema locations very fast through the use of a recursion formula. Then a second approach is proposed, which gives the extrema locations and the extrema amplitudes in the form of series expansions. Simple, accurate algebraic expressions are derived.

Notes: Abstract We give some existence results for a resistive network in which the components are neither voltage nor current controlled; that is, they are merely unicursal. In fact we allow coupling. Degree arguments give existence and bounds. We study several ways of avoiding the requirement of eventual passivity. No-gain and passive multiterminal elements are included. The results are extended to infinite networks.

Notes: Abstract Random sampling is one of the methods that can overcome the Nyquist limit when evaluating a frequency spectrum of a signal. However, the computational complexity becomesN 2 as the FFT cannot be used. A new approach, called hybrid additive random sampling, is proposed. This new scheme is devised by concatenating random sampling sequences in such a way that symmetry is created in the transform kernel for reducing the computational effort while the anti-alias property is maintained. A savings of the least 75% in computation is achieved. The sampling scheme is also found to be suitable for parallel implementation. In this paper, the algorithms for generating the sampling sequence and evaluating the spectrum are described in detail. The performances of the scheme in terms of noise, accuracy, etc., are compared with genuine random sampling and another approach proposed previously. The advantages and limitations are included.

Notes: Abstract In this paper, a novel VLSI algorithm for the computation of a two-dimensional discrete cosine transform is proposed. The 2D-DCT equation can be expressed by the sum of high order cosine functions, and the algorithm can be realized by combining a highly efficient first order recursive structure with some simplified matrix multiplications, which results in highly regular hardware architecture and simple routing. The algorithm has temporal and spatial locality of connection and can be segmentized for pipeline operations, so the computation time is greatly reduced. Owing to the simplicity in hardware structure, it is especially good for VLSI implementation.

Notes: Abstract We examine a generalized matched-filter problem in which the interference is a nonstationary process generated by passing white noise through a general linear time-varying filter. First a matched filter is constructed by transforming the problem into an equivalent formulation involving stationary interference and a time-varying propagation channel. Whereas the response of a time-invariant matched filter is sampled at its peak, the response of this time-varying matched filter is normalized before sampling to account for variations in the signal power. Next a matched filter is constructed using a spectral characterization of the nonstationary interference. This construction is then used to formulate a simplified solution for the case where the rate of variation in the nonstationary interference is sufficiently small. The different solutions are illustrated by a numerical example.

Notes: Abstract The purpose of this paper is to investigate the approximation capability of elliptic basis function (EBF) neural networks. The main results are: (1) A necessary and sufficient condition for a functionS′ (R 1) to be qualified as an activation function in the hidden layer of an EBF neural network is given. (2) Every nonzero functionG ε L 2(R n ) is qualified to be an activation function in the elliptic neural network to approximate any function in L2(Rn). (3) As applications, we give new proofs of the theorems concerning the approximation capability of affine basis function (ABF) neural networks and generalized radial basis function (GRBF) neural networks (including radial basis function neural networks) with arbitrary activation functions. In particular, we solve the problem of the approximation capability of sigma-pi neural networks.

Notes: Abstract The frequency response of linear interval systems under PID controllers is analyzed. A two-stage elimination algorithm is presented to describe the boundary of the response in the complex plane. Illustrative examples are included.

Notes: Abstract This article deals with a new intelligent analog circuit design system. Unlike previous design methods, this approach introduces a formal circuit representation for both the numerical and heuristic knowledge of the design system. The predicate logic circuit representation is proposed as a new formal analog circuit description language. The language's syntax and semantics provide a precise symbolic description of analog circuit functionality at higher levels of hierarchy and network component connectivities, together with CMOS transistor sizes as the lowest level of hierarchy. It is shown how sentence conversion rules of language grammer can be used to derive transistor level circuits from input performance specifications. Language sentences have the form of clauses. In addition to clause representation, a frame representation to reflect VLSI design hierarchy is also introduced. An original bidirectional inference mechanism with elements of hypothesis has been introduced to infer designs from the knowledge in clause and frame representations. The unique feature of this circuit knowledge representation is its ability to automate the analog CMOS circuit design process. The design methodology is described in detail. The proposed iterative closed loop design system adopts an expert system approach to provide topological synthesis, uses a SPICE circuit simulator to evaluate the circuit performance, and uses a new diagnostic expert system to provide advice on how to improve the design. The implementation of the methodology and associated experimental results for simple CMOS operational amplifier designs are also presented.

Notes: Abstract This paper presents a comparison between the traditional image processing method and the area vector concept as well as the new technique of artificial neural networks. Freeman chain coding is considered in the study, and the principle of segmentation may be based and implemented for further investigations resulting from the proposed work. The pattern recognition concept is analyzed and defined through the sigmoid function and the determination of the threshold of a gray image for an object. The block schemes for the given protocols are summarized in a single scheme for illustration and comparison purposes. The synthetic pictures are generated and investigated regarding the dependence of computer vision on the contents of the artificial neural network. The normalization technique is included to eliminate noise and zooming problems. The minimum computational time for image processing with the generated pictures is also determined. The rate of deflection in the computational time is recommended for sensing the minimum computational time according to the variation of the number of hidden units in the hidden layer. A three-layer neural network has been used. The study of gray binary imaging for color pictures is illustrated to save computational time and effort.

Notes: Abstract Of concern is an environment made up of signals and systems tightly confined both in time and frequency. Such an environment is often encountered in transmission line circuits, radar, sonar, and optical circuits, and when the principal signals are well-defined sharp pulses. It will be seen that once this environment is achieved, the signals and systems possess some attractive properties. A conventional system may preserve the symmetry of a propagating signal or change its symmetry from even to odd or from odd to even. Another system may be used to predict the arrival of an incoming pulse with a high degree of accuracy. Electrical networks may also be associated with these properties. Approximation problems, existence theorems, and realization schemes will be addressed and developed.

Notes: Abstract This paper develops a new digitally redesigned pulse-amplitude modulated (PAM) controller for a continuous-time input time-delay/nondelay system with nonsynchronous sampling. The concept of the law of the mean from the input integral calculus is utilized for the development of the equivalent digital predictor controllers from the available analog predictor controllers. As a result, the digitally controlled states closely match the original continuous-time states. To implement the developed discrete-time state-feedback PAM controller, this paper also develops an ideal discrete-time state using nonsynchronously sampled input-output data of the continuous-time input delay/nondelay system without establishing a dynamic observer.

Notes: Abstract The model-matching problem for systems described by external models is considered in frameworks of both external and input-output equivalence. Necessary conditions for the solvability of the problem are produced, and it is shown that in certain cases these conditions are also sufficient. In the case where necessary and sufficient conditions exist, the solutions of the problem are obtained in a constructive way and a parametrization of solutions is given.

Notes: Abstract This paper addresses the invariance property of Gaussian signals, originally derived by Bussgang, which characterizes the input/output moment relation of a hybrid nonlinear moment (HNM) estimator based on a zero-memory nonlinearity (ZMN) g(y). Some re-derivations of this property are reviewed, and an original, direct, and simple proof is presented (Appendix 1). The paper then derives a new interpretation of this property (Theorem 1) that shows a moment-sense equivalence between g(y) and a linear mappingh 1(y) whose coefficients a0 and a1 are completely characterized in terms ofg(y) and are shown to be optimal in a mean square error (MSE) sense. A direct and very interesting byproduct of this interpretation is a simple linear relationship between the input and output of the HNM estimator involved. The property is then generalized (Theorem 2) to signals other than Gaussian, resulting in an infinite cumulant series expansion of the HNM estimator output, whose coefficients are all characterized in terms ofg(y). Applications of Theorem 1 to some ZMNs commonly used in signal processing and control theory are presented that clearly illustrate the power and elegance of the invariance property. Finally, some conclusions are given.

Notes: Abstract In this paper the connection between ‘mass’M, ‘resistance’ϱ and ‘commute time’θ for random walks on graphs is further explored, and the relationθ=2M ·ϱ is proved. An extension of the result is made to multigraphs, which are an extension of the graph concept where a black box is treated like an edge.

Notes: Abstract Let {S(A):A ∈A}, whereA is a subset of an infinite-dimensional normed linear spaceL, be a class of general nonlinear input-output systems that are governed by operator equations relating the input, state, and output, all of which are in extended spaces. IfQ is a given operator from a specified set ¯D i, of inputs into the space of outputs ¯H 0, the problem we consider is to find, for a given ɛ〉0, a “parameter”A ε∈A such that the transmission operatorR(A ε) ofS(A ε) furnishes a nearly best (or ɛ-best) approximation toQ from allR(A),A ∈A. Here the “distance” betweenQ andR(A) is defined as the supremum of distances betweenQz andR(A)z taken over allz ∈ ¯D i. In Theorems 2 through 5 we show that ifS(A) is “normal” (Definition 2),A satisfies some mild requirement andL contains a fundamental sequence, then establishingA ε∈A reduces to minimizing a certain continuous functional on a compact subset ofR n, and thus can be carried out by conventional methods. The applications of results are illustrated by the example of a model-matching problem for a nonlinear system, and of optimal tracking.

Notes: Abstract It is shown that the elementsG of a large class of input-output maps can be uniformly approximated arbitrarily well using a certain structure if and only ifG is continuous. For the case considered the system inputs and outputs are defined on a discrete set {0, 1,...,a 1}×...{0, 1,...,a m }, in which a1,...,a m are positive integers. Our approximating structure involves certain functions that can be chosen in different ways. For the special case in which these functions are taken to be certain polynomial functions, the input-output map of our structure is a generalized discrete Volterra series. Our results provide an analytical basis for the use of such series.

Notes: Abstract In this paper, the stability robustness of deterministic state feedback discretetime linear quadratic (LQ) optimal regulators for the performance index with cross-product terms is analyzed. Guaranteed stability margins for such a type of LQ optimal regulator are suggested for the first time. These stability margins are obtained on the basis of a modified return difference equality and are expressed directly in terms of the elementary cost and system matrices. Sufficient conditions to guarantee the required stability margins are presented. Finally, the connection between the suggested stability margins and the selection of weighting state, input, and cross-product matrices is investigated, and useful guidelines for choosing proper weighting matrices are presented.

Notes: Abstract A global kinetic analysis of a model consisting of an autocatalytic zymogen-activation process, in which an irreversible inhibitor competes with the zymogen for the active site of the proteinase, and a monitoring coupled reaction, in which the enzyme acts upon one of its substrates, is presented. This analysis is based on the progress curves of any of the two products released in the monitoring reaction. The general solution is applied to an important particular case in which rapid equilibrium conditions prevail. Finally, we suggest a procedure to predict whether the inhibition or activation route dominates in the steady state of the system. These results generalize our previous analysis of simpler mechanisms.

Notes: Abstract In this work, treating the artery as a thick-walled cylindrical shell made of an incompressible, isotropic and elastic solid, utilizing the large deformation theory and the stress-strain relation proposed by Demiray (1976b,Trans. ASME Ser. E, J. Appl. Mech.,98, 194–197), an explicit expression for the pulse speed is obtained and the effect of lumen pressure and the axial stretch on wave speed is discussed. Numerical results indicate that the wave speed increases with lumen pressure but decreases with the axial stretch. The results of the present model are compared with our previous work (Demiray, 1988,J. Biomech. 21, 55–58) on the same subject.

Notes: Abstract For a one-locus selection model, Svirezhev introduced an integral variational principle by defining a Lagrangian which remained stationary on the trajectory followed by the population undergoing selection. It is shown here (i) that this principle can be extended to multiple loci in some simple cases and (ii) that the Lagrangian is defined by a straightforward generalization of the one-locus case, but (iii) that in two-locus or more general models there is no straightforward extension of this principle if linkage and epistasis are present. The population trajectories can be constructed as trajectories of steepest ascent in a Riemannian metric space. A general method is formulated to find the metric tensor and the surface in the metric space on which the trajectories, which characterize the variations in the gene structure of the population, lie. The local optimality principle holds good in such a space. In the special case when all possible linkage disequilibria are zero, the phase point of then-locus genetic system moves on the surface of the product space ofn higher dimensional unit spheres in a certain Riemannian metric space of gene frequencies so that the rate of change of mean fitness is maximum along the trajectory. In the two-locus case the corresponding surface is a hyper-torus.

Notes: Abstract Most recent models of the immune network are based upon a phenomenological log bell-shaped interaction function. This function depends on a single parameter, the “field”, which is the sum of all ligand concentrations weighted by their respective affinities. The typical behavior of these models is dominated by percolation, a phenomenon in which a local stimulus spreads globally throughout the network. The usual reason for employing a log bell-shaped interaction function is that B cells are activated by cross-linking of their surface immunoglobulin receptors. Here we formally derive a new phenomenological log bell-shaped function from the chemistry of receptor cross-linking by bivalent ligand. Specifying how this new function depends on the ligand concentrations requires two fields: a binding field and a cross-linking field. When we compare the activation functions for ligand-receptor pairs with different affinities, the one-field and the two-field functions differ markedly. In the case of the one-field activation function, its graph is shifted to increasingly higher concentration as the affinity decreases but keeps its width and height. In the case of the two-field activation function, the graph of a low-affinity interaction is nested within the graphs of all higher-affinity interactions. We show that this difference in the relations among activation functions for different affinities radically changes the network behavior. In models that described B cell proliferation using the one-field activation function, network behavior was dominated by low-affinity interactions. Conversely, in our new model, the high-affinity interactions are the most significant. As a consequence, percolation is no longer the only typical network behavior.

Notes: Abstract The dynamics of a microbial community consisting of a eucaryotic ciliateTetrahymena pyriformis and procaryoticEscherichia coli in a batch culture is explored by employing an individual-based approach. In this portion of the article, Part I, population models are presented. Because both models are individual-based, models of individual organisms are developed prior to construction of the population models. The individual models use an energy budget method in which growth depends on energy gain from feeding and energy sinks such as maintenance and reproduction. These models are not limited by simplifying assumptions about constant yield, constant energy sinks and Monod growth kinetics as are traditional models of microbal organisms. Population models are generated from individual models by creating distinct individual types and assigning to each type the number of real individuals they represent. A population is a compilation of individual types that vary in a phase of cell cycle and physiological parameters such as filtering rate for ciliates and maximum anabolic rate for bacteria. An advantage of the developed models is that they realistically describe the growth of the individual cells feeding on resource which varies in density and composition. Part II, the core of the project, integrates models into a dynamic microbial community and provides model analysis based upon available data.

Notes: Abstract Mathematical models are developed for the chemotherapy of AIDS. The models are systems of differential equations describing the interaction of the HIV infected immune system with AZT chemotherapy. The models produce the three types of qualitative clinical behavior: anuninfected steady state, aninfected steady state (latency) and aprogression to AIDS state. The effect of treatment is to perturb the system from progression to AIDS back to latency. Simulation of treatment schedules is provided for the consideration of treatment regimes. The following issues of chemotherapy are addressed: (i) daily frequency of treatment, (ii) early versus late initiation of treatment and (iii) intermittent treatment with intervals of no treatment. The simulations suggest the following properties of AZT chemotherapy: (i) the daily period of treatment does not affect the outcome of the treatment, (ii) treatment should not begin until after the final decline of T cells begins (not until the T cell population falls below approximately 300 mm−3) and then, it should be administered immediately and (iii) a possible strategy for treatment which may cope with side effects and/or resistance, is to treat intermittently with chemotherapy followed by interruptions in the treatment during which either a different drug or no treatment is administered. These properties are revealed in the simulations, as the model equations incorporate AZT chemotherapy as a weakly effective treatment process. We incorporate into the model the fact that AZT treatment does not eliminate HIV, but only restrains its progress. The mathematical model, although greatly simplified as a description of an extremely complex process, offers a means to pose hypotheses concerning treatment protocols, simulate alternative strategies and guide the qualitative understanding of AIDS chemotherapy.

Notes: Abstract A stochastic cellular automata model for the population dynamics of the army antEciton burchelli on Barro Colorado Island in Panama is set up. It is simulated on the computer and shown to give good agreement with biological data. It is analysed using two approximations akin to the mean field approximation in statistical mechanics, and good agreement with the simulations is obtained. Finally, the role of distance between successive statary phase bivouacs is discussed with regard to the rate of colony growth. There are two aspects of the biological system studied here that make it of general importance. First, the population is structured, since the size of each colony of army ants is crucial. Second, the spatial behaviour of the population, as in many others, is not diffusion-like, although it is random. This has implications for the kind of model that is chosen.

Notes: Abstract An analytical model for thermal damage of retinal tissue due to absorption of laser energy by finite-sized melanin granules is developed. Since melanin is the primary absorber of visible and near-IR light in the skin and in the retina, bulk heating of tissue can be determined by superposition of individual melanin granule effects. Granules are modeled as absorbing spheres surrounded by an infinite medium of water. Analytical solutions to the heat equation result in computations that are quick and accurate. Moreover, the model does not rely on symmetric beam profiles, and so arbitrary images can be studied. The important contribution of this model is to provide a more accurate biological description of submillisecond pulse exposures than previous retinal models, while achieving agreement for longer pulses. This model can also be naturally extended into the sub-microsecond domain by including vaporization as a damage mechanism. It therefore represents the beginning of a model which can be applied across the entire pulse duration domain.

Notes: Abstract Most of the elastic tubes found in the mammalian body will collapse from a distended circular cross section and when collapsed may undergo flow-induced oscillations. A mathematical model describing fluid flow in a collapsible tube is analysed using the software package AUTO-86. AUTO-86 is used for continuation and bifurcation problems in systems of non-linear ordinary differential equations. The model is a third-order lumped-parameter type and is based on the classical “Starling resistor”; it describes the unsteady flow behaviour and, in particular, the experimentally observed self-excited oscillations, in a way which is simple enough to give physical understanding, yet still firmly based on fluid mechanical principles. Some of the bifurcation types found in this model bear close resemblance to the types suggested by experimental observations of self-excited oscillations in collapsible tubes; they thus shed some light on the various topological changes which occur in practice, particularly in view of the fact that some of the points found numerically are diffcult to achieve experimentally, while the existence of others can only be inferred indirectly and uncertainly from experiment.

Notes: Abstract A solution algorithm yielding the pressure and flow-rate distributions for steady flow in an arbitrary, tree-like network is provided. Given the tree topology, the conductance of each segment and the pressure distribution at the boundary nodes, the solution is obtained from a simple recursion based on perfect Gauss elimination. An iterative solution method using this algorithm is suggested to solve for the pressure and flow-rate distributions in an arbitrary diverging-converging (arterial-venous) network consisting of two tree-like networks which are connected to each other at the capillary nodes. A number of special solutions for tree-like networks are obtained for which the general algorithm is either simplified or can be replaced by closed form solutions of the pressure and flow-rate distributions. These special solutions can also be obtained for each tree of diverging-converging networks having particular topologies and conductance distributions. Sample numerical results are provided.

Notes: Abstract Previous game-theoretic models of reciprocity have assumed that populations are large and organisms effectively sessile. This paper analyzes an iterated prisoner's dilemma among non-sessile organisms in a finite population, on the assumption that an individual's chance of remaining in one place is not influenced by a partner's behavior. This mode of interaction is suitable for analyzing potentially cooperative behaviors that are secondary to the advantage of group formation, e.g. allogrooming among social mammals. The analysis yields necessary conditions for stable reciprocity in terms of three parameters, namely, a benefit/cost ratio, the probability of further interaction and the probability of partner retention. The results suggest that, in highly mobile organisms such as fish, birds and mammals, reciprocity may be stable only if the population is small and the relative benefit and future interaction probability are both large.